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Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp Premier outlines capital projects, policies on opening day of LA KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com With the next four years being his last term as the leader of the territory’s government, Premier Alden McLaughlin said on Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly that he “will be leaving everyone on the field” to ensure that his administration delivers on its promises to the Cayman Islands. Mr. McLaughlin was speaking during his presentation of the strategic policy statement for the 2018/19 budget, providing a broad over- view of his national unity government’s policy priorities for the next two years. His outline also gave updates on a number of major cap- ital projects government is undertaking. Multiple opposition legislators also re- sponded to government’s plan, supporting some objectives while criticizing others. Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller said many of government’s stated objectives are valuable, but that leaders aren’t taking enough of a Cayman-centric approach to achieving these goals. “We believe that if Caymanians do not begin to believe once again that they’re first in our country, and that they have equal oppor- tunity to participate and benefit from the eco- nomic miracle, then the country is looking at serious problems down the road,” he said. “We must restore hope for Caymanians.” The premier presented what he called eight “strategic objectives,” many of which overlapped. Government’s first and foremost priority is ensuring a thriving economy, he said. “Put very simply, in our three small is- lands, unless we secure economic growth, we have no chance of achieving anything else,” said Mr. McLaughlin. To that end, the strategic policy statement outlined $311 million of capital spending over the next three years. About $243.65 million will go toward a number of capital projects, including the George Town landfill remediation, the new waste management system, the Owen Roberts Airport redevelopment, the cruise berthing fa- cility and the new John Gray High School. Mr. McLaughlin said that the landfill GOV’T APPOINTS CAYMAN’S FIRST OMBUDSMAN Sandy Hermiston of Canada has been appointed as the first ombudsman of the Cayman Islands, a position created under pro- visions of the Ombudsman Law, 2017. Ms. Hermiston will serve as Complaints Commissioner and Information Commissioner, overseeing the areas of open records and mal- administration complaints against govern- ment that were previously handled by those offices. She will also oversee data protection and whistleblower legislation. Her duties will include investigating and resolving complaints made by the public against public bodies. Ms. Hermiston, who is currently general counsel for the Ombudsman and Public In- terest Commissioner for Alberta, Canada, is expected to begin her new role on Sept. 13. Cayman’s last full-time Complaints Com- missioner, Nicola Williams, left her post in January 2014. Jennifer Dilbert, the territory’s last full-time Information Commissioner, re- tired on Dec. 31, 2013. Jan Liebaers has been acting Information Commissioner since Ms. Dilbert’s retirement. Ms. Hermiston has more than 30 years of Survivor: Rescued boater tells story of five weeks adrift JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Edward Hendricks Hyde was on the verge of giving up hope. He had not eaten for weeks and he could count the ribs poking through his emaciated body. His skin was flayed from drifting in the open ocean under a scorching Carib- bean sun, and he figured he could smell it burning. It smelled like bacon. He’d torn his shirt into pieces to light fiery beacons to attract the attention of passing ships. If they saw the flames they did not stop to investigate. A cruise ship had passed so close he could see the faces of the passengers, leaning on the guard rail. His friend Chadwick Bodden had swum away from the boat in desperation after 23 days at sea, and he had been drifting, terri- fied and alone, he believes, for three weeks when he sighted land. Without food, his muscles had win- nowed to nothing and when he judged the distance to shore, he knew he was too weak to swim. “I said to God, ‘Father rescue me or kill me, because I can’t take this anymore.’” He lay back on the rugged fiberglass bottom of the boat and closed his eyes. DIVING WITH FOCUS Caymanian Jaeda Kirchman, 15, learned to dive and partnered with a disabled diver, as an intern with New York-based charity Stay-Focused. For more, see page 3. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Caymanian Edward Hendricks Hyde, who endured more than five weeks adrift at sea before being rescued in Mexico, said the will to see his family again, including his mother Ezona Moore, helped him survive the ordeal. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 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. - THURSDAY - 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 Cayman Islands Veterans Association Will be having its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 14th September 2017 At the Seafarers Association Hall, Victory Ave, Prospect at 6pm All members are asked to make every effort to attend in order for the selection of officers and to address other matters. Light refreshment will be provided, and spouses are welcome. BY ORDER: Andrew McLaughlin Vice President, CIVA RSVP: Graham Walker, Hon. Secretary gwalker@candw.ky or 926-2501 Profile matches that of man who has been deported CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Jurors in a Grand Court firearms trial this week have heard that DNA found on an unlicensed revolver did not match the DNA profile of de- fendant Jay Calvert Ebanks. Instead, the DNA profile on the .38 Smith & Wesson was consistent with that of a man who was in Ebanks’s residence when it was raided by police last August. That man was Antonio Bullard, who has since been deported on the grounds that he was an illegal immigrant. On Wednesday, a po- lice witness confirmed from the Immigration Depart- ment that the precise date of Bullard’s departure from Cayman was Oct. 9, 2016. The DNA report was received on Nov. 23: it showed pro- files consistent with Bul- lard’s DNA being on a top section of the gun and on the two rounds of ammu- nition inside. The gun was found in the tank of the toilet in the en suite bedroom of Ebanks’s mother, senior immigration officer Jeannie Lewis. In opening the case to the five-woman, three-man jury on Tuesday, Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said that Ebanks initially admitted possession of the items along with 10 rounds of .40 am- munition found in his own bedroom. Ebanks has since pleaded not guilty to the gun and two rounds in it; he has pleaded guilty to the 10 rounds found in his room. The items were found on Aug. 25, 2016 when po- lice attended Ebanks’s res- idence with a search war- rant around 5:30 a.m. In the house at the time were Ebanks, his mother, his girlfriend, his younger brother and Bullard. When interviewed, Ebanks told police he had just met Bullard the day before, that Bullard had just come in on a fishing boat, and he – Ebanks – allowed Bullard to stay at his house. He said he did not know Bullard was an illegal immigrant. Ebanks said his mother did not know Bullard was in the house because she was sleeping when Ebanks “snuck him in.” The police constable who found the revolver told the court that he was part of the team executing the search warrant. He was in the house when a phone rang and Ms. Lewis said it was hers. His supervisor told him to es- cort Ms. Lewis to get the cell- phone. It was on the night- stand in her bedroom. After she got the phone, she said she heard water running. The officer said he told her he would check and went to the bathroom, where he heard the water. He lifted up the toilet tank cover and no- ticed the firearm. He never touched it; he just shouted for a senior officer. Questioned by defense at- torney Laurence Aiolfi, he confirmed that all five oc- cupants of the house had come out of the house ini- tially, but Ms. Lewis was brought back in to be present during the search. When he saw the firearm and called for a senior officer, Ms. Lewis was asking what was hap- pening, but he did not say anything to her. The jury heard from an- other witness that firearm of- ficers attended, removed the revolver from the tank and made it safe. On Tuesday afternoon, Ebanks’s interview was read aloud, with jurors given copies to follow along. Ebanks, now 23, asks sev- eral times to speak to his mother, but is told that he cannot because she has also been arrested on the same charge. He says he does not need an attorney. He answers some questions and replies “No comment” to others. At one point he tells offi- cers, “Me and little man [re- ferring to Bullard] going to take the rap for everything. The other three walk. They don’t know anything.” The “other three” are his mother, girlfriend and brother. Ebanks said he put the gun in his mother’s bath- room the night before while she was asleep. He did not remember where in the bathroom he had put it because he had drunk a couple of beers. Mr. Wainwright closed the case for the prosecution on Wednesday morning after reading into the record a number of facts on which he and Mr. Aiolfi agreed. Concerning DNA, a com- plete single-source profile was obtained from the swab of the two live rounds of am- munition in the firearm. The defendant, his mother, his girlfriend and his brother were excluded as possible contributors to that profile. Antonio Bullard could not be excluded. The agreed fact is, “Assuming one contrib- utor and based on the pop- ulation of the Cayman Is- lands, it is estimated to be 2.2 quintillion times more likely to observe this com- plete single-source DNA pro- file if Antonio Bullard is the contributor than if an un- known unrelated individual is the contributor.” Ebanks, his girlfriend, mother and brother are also excluded as possible contrib- utors to DNA profiles found on the exterior of the gun. The officer who con- firmed when Bullard had left the island said immigra- tion officials knew he had been arrested for a firearm. He said he submitted Bull- ard’s buccal swab (from in- side the mouth, for DNA testing) on Sept. 9, 2016. He knew Bullard was being charged for illegal landing and sent to Summary Court, where he was sentenced. He thought the sentence was 30 days. According to immi- gration records, Bullard was removed Oct. 9. Before lunchtime on Wednesday, Ebanks began his evidence. He admitted lying in parts of his police interview. He said he was trying to protect his mother, brother and girl friend. He said he realized the conse- quences of his admissions, but didn’t have much time “to think it through.” Mr. Wainwright was ex- pected to continue cross- examining Ebanks in the afternoon. The DNA profile on the .38 Smith & Wesson was consistent with that of a man who was in Ebanks’s residence when it was raided by police last August. Defendant’s DNA not on firearm, jury hears Public transport bus slams into wall JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Public transport bus traveling west from Bodden Town with two passengers on board crashed into a wall on Shamrock Road early Wednesday morning. Police Emergency Ser- vices and officers from the Public Transport Unit were on scene assessing the acci- dent which occurred in the vicinity of 2227 Shamrock Road in Savannah, Lower Valley, around 7:44 a.m. Police confirmed that the bus crossed an oncoming lane of traffic and collided with the wall of a residence. The bus received exten- sive damage to its front end after slamming into the wall and coming to rest on top of a mound of dirt and broken cement fence. Police said no one was injured, and the road was not closed while police offi- cers conducted inquiries. The bus did not collide with any other vehicles. The accident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. No one was injured when this Public Transport bus crossed a lane of oncoming traffic and crashed into a wall on Shamrock Road early Wednesday. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY ARTIST ‘YULIER P’ DETAINED IN CUBA, TOLD TO ERASE MURALS HAVANA (AP) – A Cuban street artist said Monday that he was detained by police and told to erase the more than 200 or so murals that have gained him widespread attention throughout the country. Yulier Rodriguez Perez said authorities kept him in custody for two days last week and told him that he will be charged with damaging property if he does not remove the whimsical abstract im- ages that he has painted on decrepit buildings and partially collapsed walls around Havana and in some provincial capitals. Rodriguez, who signs his paintings as “Yulier P.,” said he has no plans to re- move his art works, which stand out in a place where graffiti is rare and nearly all posters and murals fea- ture political slogans or revolutionary figures. “I think that graffiti as an artistic work in a de- stroyed place adds esthet- ically to the visual image of the city,” the 27-year-old said in an interview with The Associated Press. There was no one avail- able from the Cuban gov- ernment to comment on his statements. Rodriguez began painting abstract paintings on decrepit build- ings and walls about three years ago. The first ones were large abstract render- ings of rabbits, their floppy ears outlined in black against chipped concrete. There are now around 200 in Havana alone, so many that there is hardly a neighborhood in the Cuban capital where you cannot find one of the sprawling works. Cuba has a rich artistic establishment but Rodri- guez is not part of it. Still, while his work did not have the endorsement of the government, it had seemed to be tolerated. He has said previously that police never interfered with his work and kept others from van- dalizing it, although they occasionally questioned him about works that they considered political.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 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 Stay-Focused intern learns diving, disability awareness KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Despite growing up in one of the Caribbean’s pre- mier dive destinations, Jaeda Kirchman, 15, did not spend much time exploring Grand Cayman’s waters. Like many of her class- mates at Clifton Hunter High School, she mainly stuck to activities on land and ven- tured out for an occasional ocean swim with family. After completing a week- long dive internship with New York-based charity Stay-Focused, Jaeda has a new perspective about ocean life. She now hopes to be- come a divemaster. This fall she will begin studying at the University College of the Cayman Islands, where she plans to pursue a marine biology degree. “Most of the people I know in Grand Cayman, they don’t really go out in the water like that, which is kind of funny when you think about it be- cause they are surrounded by water. They are mostly land lovers,” she said. “When we finally did go out in the ocean, I was a little scared because this isn’t usually the depth of water I would go in. I would usually stay in the shal- lows. But it was amazing be- cause there is a whole world under there. You see it on TV and it’s not the same. You can’t compare it.” Jaeda is the sixth in- tern to finish her introduc- tory dive certification since Stay-Focused began its Cay- manian internship program in 2014. As Jaeda learned from the program, she also had the opportunity to teach others, said director Ryan Chalmers. In addition to training Caymanian students, Stay- Focused also teaches in- dividuals with disabili- ties how to dive. Interns are partnered with new, disabled divers during the week-long course. The divers room together at the Marriott resort and as- sist each other through the learning process. Mr. Chalmers said the partnership creates an extra educational component for participants. “They learn disability awareness throughout the week. We don’t ask them to do too many other things be- sides learn how to scuba dive and get acquainted with the group so they can start to learn,” Mr. Chalmers said. “Our participants add the disability awareness factor that goes along with it. That’s what we wanted to achieve here, to get them out here and get ambassadors for the disability population here on the island.” Mr. Chalmers, who learned to dive with Stay-Focused as a teenager, said diving can be a freeing experience for people with disabilities. Cay- man’s warm weather and calm waters provide ideal conditions for many disabled divers, he added. “It’s an opportunity to feel just like everybody else,” Mr. Chalmers said. “People start to open up a little bit more about them- selves, about their back- grounds. You can learn a little bit more when you start to get comfortable with one an- other. I think scuba diving is a perfect segue to do that.” Return intern Keanu Ol- iver, 18, said the opportu- nity to work with disabled divers opened his eyes and motivated him. Keanu, who finished the dive internship last summer, took on a leadership role this year. In addition to re- freshing his dive skills, he moved wheelchairs and helped participants on and off the dive boat. “I am more outspoken, more confident in myself now. It makes me have em- pathy for others to under- stand them. It also built my cooperation skills and team building. We get along and help each other out when we need it,” Keanu said. “When you are diving, you have to look out for others under the water just in case there is an emer- gency …. It makes you more observant and makes you more focused.” The program has opened other diving opportunities for the interns. Keanu said one local dive shop offered him an internship. Jaeda hopes she will be able to dive with local dive- masters throughout the year. She will be invited back next year, like Keanu, to take on a leadership role. “Most of the people I know in Grand Cayman, they don’t really go out in the water like that, which is kind of funny when you think about it because they are surrounded by water.” JAEDA KIRCHMAN Returning intern Keanu Oliver, Stay-Focused Director Ryan Chalmers and intern Jaeda Kirchman finished the summer dive program this month. - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNGThe 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. We usually associate standing ovations with rock stars, Broadway musical performers, and superstar athletes – not with newly minted education ministers. And yet, that is exactly the reception that the Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly received when she addressed 700 schoolteachers and educators on Tuesday. Had we been in the audience, we, too, would have been on our feet applauding. The longtime Cayman Brac representative, who has formerly served as Premier and House Speaker, vowed to shake up a government school system that for far too long has failed far too many students. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly vowed to be the champion for our education community, and her commitment and resolve is revealed in her statements: “I have been there, done that, and I have nothing to lose. I can afford to be bold; I can afford to be courageous. “I will say, as the Lord leads me, I will lean as He guides me, and we will take education to new heights.” Hallelujah! A former teacher, Ms. O’Connor-Connolly believes that increasing teacher salaries is one key to improving student performance. She promised to fight for a minimum $5,000 a month salary for teachers, which would represent a substantial raise for many of Cayman’s government teachers, the majority of whom are paid between $3,500 and $4,800 a month. Compensation, of course, is an important ingre- dient in hiring, and retaining, highly qualified and effec- tive teachers. But even more important, we believe, is respecting and supporting the teachers to whom we entrust our children and, by proxy, our future. The education minister referred to test results that show only 53 percent of Cayman’s school- leavers passed standardized math tests, and 73 percent in English. “When I sit at the end of four years, we won’t be contented that math and English is 50 percent and 73 percent,” she said. “The perfect score is 100 percent, and we will embark on that journey. No child in my tenure will be left behind.” More significant than her comments on compen- sation was the minister’s pledge to open a direct line of communication between herself and educators, without the intervention or interference of bureau- cratic administrators. Again, Minister O’Connor-Connolly appears to have her priorities in the proper order: Teachers come first for the most obvious of reasons: Teachers teach; administrators, well, they do something else …. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the essential role that effective principals play in their schools. Indeed, many observers, including our- selves, believe that high-performing schools almost always have at their core a high-performing prin- cipal. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly, whom we know to be a devout woman, would agree with our sentiment: “God bless them!” Perhaps the most widely published photograph of Ms. O’Connor-Connolly shows her, in dress and heels, in 2010 at the wheel of a massive asphalt paving machine on the Brac. As she now looks to reform the education land- scape, perhaps Ms. O’Connor-Connolly ought to consider bringing the paving machine with her. Now that we think about it, she might want to bring along a bulldozer as well …. A strong start for Cayman’s new ‘schoolmarm’ THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Laws that subvert the rule of law WASHINGTON — When John Adams wrote into Massa- chusetts’ Constitution a commitment to a “govern- ment of laws and not of men,” he probably assumed that the rule of law meant the rule of laws, no matter how many laws there might be. He could not have imag- ined the modern proliferation and complexity of laws, or how subversive this is of the rule of law. Such a subversion will confront Congress when it reconvenes. Congress is nimble at evading responsi- bilities but cannot avoid de- ciding either to repudiate or to tolerate a residue of Pres- ident Obama’s lawlessness, one that most, perhaps all, congressional Democrats and many, perhaps most, Repub- licans want Obama’s suc- cessor to continue. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) requires insur- ance companies to insure people with “pre-existing con- ditions,” a locution minted to avoid the awkward candor of saying, in most cases, “people who are already sick.” The in- dividual mandate, requiring people to purchase insur- ance, is one way the ACA subsidizes insurance com- panies that are mandated to engage in money-losing undertakings. The subsidy that Con- gress must confront in Sep- tember is the ACA require- ment that the secretary of health and human services devise a program to com- pensate insurers for the cost of selling discounted plans to some low-income pur- chasers. Obama’s HHS sec- retary created a program to disperse billions of dol- lars to insurers to defray the costs of the low-income pur- chasers who are more than half the ACA enrollees. But — speaking of awk- wardness — although the ACA authorizes a permanent expenditure for this, an au- thorization is not an appro- priation, and Congress has never provided an appro- priation. Come September, these payments may drama- tize the increasing difficulty of discerning Republican and Democratic differences com- mensurate with their heated rhetoric. Democrats are un- troubled by the payments be- cause progressives believe that unfettered presidents are necessary to surmount the inefficiencies, as progres- sives see them, inherent in the Framers’ great mistake, as progressives see it — the separation of powers. Repub- licans, however, have a di- lemma: Halting the payments might unleash chaos; con- tinuing them seals Repub- lican complicity in perpetu- ating the ACA. The Constitution says: “No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropria- tions made by law.” Never- theless, the Obama admin- istration spent the money for the insurance subsidies, breezily arguing that it was being faithful to something higher than the Constitu- tion — the ACA’s text. Or its logic. Or something. Re- publican members of the House (including Georgia’s Tom Price, who now is sec- retary of HHS) sued to stop the payments. In May 2016, a federal judge said they were right on the merits but stayed the decision to allow the Obama administra- tion to appeal. Donald Trump has ex- ceeded Obama’s execu- tive willfulness, which at least strove for a patina of implausible legality. Last month, Trump said that, absent Republican suc- cess in replacing the ACA, he might end the payments “very soon.” Clearly, he thinks either spending or not spending unappropri- ated billions is a presiden- tial prerogative. The Constitution — yes, that again — says that pres- idents “shall take care that the laws be faithfully ex- ecuted.” The framers, who were parsimonious with words, perhaps included the adverb for the reason Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School suggests: “The Con- stitution recognizes that the president can’t necessarily enforce every law. But it re- quires a good faith effort.” So, the intent of any non- enforcement matters: Is it to husband scarce enforce- ment resources? Or is it to vitiate a law? Trump’s unparsimo- nious dispensing of words has included threats to in- tentionally cause the ACA to “implode” by halting the un- constitutional disbursement of unappropriated money. Feldman evidently thinks this would be “non-enforce- ment” in bad faith because the law could no longer func- tion. It is, however, strange to say that dispensing unappro- priated funds is faithful “en- forcement” of a law just be- cause without the funds the law would collapse. Were Trump constitution- ally punctilious — entertain the thought -- he would em- brace the judge’s ruling on behalf of the House members, and, obedient to his oath of office, stop the unconstitu- tional payments. But chaos might envelop the ACA ex- changes and then the wider individual insurance market, causing many millions of Americans severe mental and financial stress. Republicans can say “let the rule of law prevail though the heavens fall,” or they can say ... Enter Sen. Lamar Alex- ander, the Tennessee Repub- lican who chairs the perti- nent committee. He wants Trump to “temporarily” con- tinue the payments “through September,” pending “a short-term solution” for sta- bilizing insurance markets “in 2018.” Watch carefully as Alexander copes with a pathology of modern — meaning, presidential — gov- ernment unanticipated by John Adams: laws that sub- vert the rule of law. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE 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&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 Road User BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, Cayman Brac Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Our comprehensive cover is now even more generous. 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All ProMar 400 EG-SHEL fi nish interior paint On sale now through August 31st See in store for additional discounts See in store for additional discounts See in store for additional discounts 27 Godfrey Nixon Way (345) 945-5665 www.koolkoteings.com Available at 25% OFF On sale now through for additional discounts (345) 945-5665 REBORN, STORM HARVEY THREATENS GULF OF MEXICO Tropical Storm Harvey is certain to strengthen and likely to take aim at the Gulf of Mexico coastline later this week, a prospect that has already sent spot U.S. gasoline prices higher. Harvey has a 100 per- cent chance of becoming at least a tropical depres- sion as it moves over the warm waters of the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles west of Merida, Mexico, the National Hur- ricane Center said in a Wednesday morning up- date. The agency may begin issuing tropical storm and hurricane watches later Wednesday. Harvey initially formed last week east of Barbados before being torn apart by wind shear. The Gulf Coast from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana, is home to nearly 30 refineries – making up about 7 million barrels a day of refining ca- pacity – and is in the path of heavy rainfall expected to start as early as Friday. Flooding poses risks to op- erations, while torrential rains can shut units and cause supply disruptions. “The most likely sce- nario is it will be a tropical storm,” said Bob Henson, a meteorologist with Weather Underground in Boulder, Colorado. “It needs to be watched.” Wholesale gasoline prices jumped in Houston on Tuesday as suppliers stocked up in anticipa- tion of potential outages at refineries or fuel dis- tribution centers. Conven- tional 87-octane gasoline rose 0.8 percent to $1.5630 a gallon, while premium prices increased 1.8 per- cent to $1.6983. “Depending on the se- verity of the storm, fuel purchases at the rack typ- ically increase and non- essential staff are evacu- ated from terminals, which could lead to supply short- ages,” Mansfield Oil Co., a Gainesville, Georgia-based fuel distributor, said in an emailed alert. Should Harvey recover its strength, it will be in the Bay of Campeche where conditions are conducive for storm development, Henson said. State-run Petroleos Mexicanos said it has no plans to evac- uate offshore oil rigs and gas platforms in the area though it will continue to monitor the storm. © 2017, Bloomberg Zak Quappe ‘graduate’ earns pilot’s license Brian-Emanuel Walters, the 2017 Zak Quappe Flight School scholarship recipient, has passed his Private Pilot’s License at Wayman Aviation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Brian, 18, a graduate of Clifton Hunter High School, will begin his undergrad- uate studies in aerospace en- gineering this month at the Florida Institute of Tech- nology in Melbourne, Florida. A private license was re- quired for him to begin in studies there. He has been interested in flying from an early age and attended many flight camps at Florida Institute of Tech- nology in Melbourne. Brian said he is very grateful for the opportu- nity the Zak Quappe Flight School gave him. He said, “My favorite flight experience during the training was the cross- country night flight. It is amazing to pilot an aircraft, flying to and exploring other areas of Florida with an in- credible view of city lights in the air. I will never forget my training experience.” The scholarship was set up by family and friends of the late Zak Quappe, a com- mercial pilot and flight in- structor who had a passion for flying from an early age. The committee relies on donations from the com- munity and through var- ious fundraising events to continue awarding annual scholarships. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ZQFScayman/ or contact barriequappe@yahoo.com or sebanks@icloud.com. Brian-Emanuel Walters is pictured with a Wayman Aviation flight instructor.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Bodden Town THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Mosquito control In the Aug. 23, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, an ar- ticle titled “Assembly Shown M.R.C.U. Dyke Building Project” informed the com- munity about impor- tant work being done in the community. “The four members of the Assembly, Messrs, Anton Bodden, A.B. Bush, B.O. Ebanks Jr., and S.A. Ebanks and the two newspaper re- porters who accepted the invitation of the Mos- quito Research and Control Unit to inspect their recent achievements were well re- warded on Friday last when they were taken on an infor- mative and interesting tour. “Starting at the Lab, the party were given some facts and figures by Dr. Gi- glioli, using as a visual aid an interesting chart. This indicated that 6,120 feet of dyke had been built which was 18 feet wide and 3/4 ft. high at an average cost of 4/9d. per foot, which to- taled £1,473. This had taken 142 days. but from this had to be deducted the 32 days on which no work had been done due to absence of the operator, repairs to ma- chinery or non-arrival of spare parts etc. “They had to dynamite 150 ft. and this alone had cost £60. 26 nights of fog- ging West Bay and George Town would cost the same amount but, Dr. Giglioli pointed out, there would be no permanent result whereas the dyke would provide a bed for an ad- ditional road; 85 acres of mosquito breeding ground would be removed; a seal wall is provided and also land drainage on the back dyke, all of which would be of value in the future devel- opment of the island. “Two new draglines are now on order, which are hydraulic machines with a heavier bucket than fitted to the mechanical drag- line now in use, which has needed constant repair. The new equipment would be fitted with special at- tachments for dealing with the hard crust of rock en- countered in many places, which had proved difficult to handle and had held up progress considerably. “Also on order was a com- plete line of spares worth £4,000 which should ensure that in future the Unit will not constantly have to wait for delivery of replacements for broken parts. “Future plans were out- lined and the members asked many questions. Re- turning to the lab, Mr. Arm- strong gave the group an indication of the type of ex- periment he is carrying out with insecticides. “There was no doubt but that the Assembly mem- bers were very impressed with the progress made since they last visited, and they were most interested in all that had been shown to them. Also very apparent was the energy and effi- ciency of the Unit and its obvious concern to get full value for every penny spent. “It was very disap- pointing that more were not able to be present to take the scenic tour through the mangrove swamp to see the Pawpaw growing quite pro- fusely away in the ‘bush’ and the beautiful ferns and wildflowers blossoming by the side of the dyke. They would also have been quite intrigued with the ‘home- made’ wind and tide re- corder in the North Sound. A maxim of the Unit’s staff seems to be ‘If you can’t buy it, make it.’ They must have all been to ‘Do It Your- self’ classes!” Beachgoers not happy with new ordinance Posters warn against loud music, loitering JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com For the past year, Marilyn Nasirun and her husband Craig have been “hanging out” at Coe Wood public beach in Bodden Town. They started hanging out at the beach after stopping one day to cool off after a hot day’s work at their farm, and saw how much fun a group of older and younger men were having on the beach, with their naps and stress-free living. Now they make it an everyday event to stop and “hang.” But do not consider this husband and wife team as beach loiterers. Her husband works, she’s a retiree who farms, but when it comes to chilling on the beach, they both agree that they see no wrong in it, at least for those who cause no harm. Now they and other beach users have been left wondering if they can use the beach, play their music and sell their fish, socialize as they have always done and not see themselves as loiterers. New signs appeared on the beach last week when the Public Works Department’s Recreation, Parks and Cem- etery Unit posted a town or- dinance on the bathroom walls aimed at reducing loi- tering, loud music, commer- cial activity and littering in the area, based on previous police reports. Some beachgoers have ob- jected to the warnings. “Caymanians are beach people from birth, and no- where says it stronger than Coe Wood public beach in Bodden Town. Its a pity that a few individuals make it uncomfortable for others,” said Ms. Nasirun. “It’s nice to get away from everyday life,” her husband adds. “It’s cool, its nice and its Cayman heritage, This is the best beach in Bodden Town. Lying out here is a good stress-reliever. It’s nice to get away from the day-to- day problems and respon- sibilities, whether you’re working or not,” he said. A spokesperson from the Recreation, Parks and Ceme- tery Unit says the town ordi- nance has been posted on all the public beach spaces. The Cayman Compass called various government ministries for comment but had no responses as of press time. “The police fully sup- port the signs being put there,” said Jacqueline Car- penter, public relations of- ficer for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. She said the police have received many complaints about all the things listed in the or- dinance, in that location – about the loud music, people loitering and different levels of antisocial activities. “There is some low level of illegal activity, public drunk- enness and nuisance issues taking place on the beach,” Ms. Carpenter said. In the past there have been reports of assaults and dis- ruptions on the beach, claims that portable rest rooms were being used for prostitution and alleged drug deals out in the open, all of which had dis- turbed the long-standing tran- quillity of Coe Wood beach. At the time, these issue were the talk of the town at every community police meetings, and residents were calling the police on a daily basis to do something. In 2013, Bodden Town’s former Assembly representa- tive Osbourne Bodden sug- gested that police could be asked to enforce the loitering laws, and if that was not done, the government would be forced to employ security guards. “The beach is nice now, just a group of older men who go there to relax and play a game of dominoes and the guys who sell their fish,” said Twyla Vargas. Occasion- ally, she said, there is some wrongdoing that needs to be taken care of, but mostly the beach is relatively quiet. The atmosphere on Coe Wood beach on Friday af- ternoon was one of commu- nity unity. Under the shady coconut trees young men discussed the day’s activi- ties. Under the grape trees a group was enjoying pizza, chicken wings and a game of dominoes. Kids played under the cabanas with their fami- lies as happy laughter min- gled with fresh sea breezes. At the top of the beach, local fisherman Olson Levy sold fish to passersby and kept them entertained with tales of adventures at sea. Music played from a phone kept the domino players entertained. The coastal community has long celebrated its rela- tively laid-back nature, and those who “hang out” on the beach say it has been this way since their childhood – a place for them to unwind, so- cialize and enjoy the beach. “When I was a little girl this was all we had to do: Hang out on the beach and throw mangoes in the sea,” Ms. Nasirun said. “The fish- ermen fixed their nets and tended their boats, The music is not an everyday thing; oc- casionally someone will have a birthday party. I think the music can be played, but not too loudly to disturbing other people using the beach.” Ms. Nasirun also said a lot of people cannot afford to go to the clubs so they buy a few beers and go to the beach. Occasionally, she said, there is some disagreement, but that happens everywhere, whether on the beach or in the clubs. “Since hanging out on the beach, these guys [indicating those at the beach] have saved two lives,” she added. “They run us off the beach as locals and then in no time we will see other nationali- ties making it their traditions and nothing spoken about it,” said a young man who identi- fied himself only as Thomas. “I love the sea life, I love boats and swimming, and I will always be hanging out by the seaside. I will never stop,” he said. The yellow town ordinance can be seen posted on the bathroom wall at Coe Wood beach. It is aimed at reducing loitering, loud music, commercial activity and littering in the area. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Fish for sale draws a small crowd.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 Moments later, he says, he was jolted back to conscious- ness by the sound of the boat striking something solid. “I looks up and I sees the boat and I hear this guy say to me in Spanish, ‘You OK bro?’” “I sit up and I look at him and I am not sure if this is a mirage. Is this real or am I hallucinating?” After more than five weeks adrift, sur- viving on scraps of sea- weed and shark that he had foraged, he realized he had been saved. Return to Cayman Three weeks after his as- tonishing rescue three miles from Cozumel island at a spot known locally as Punta Piedra, Mr. Hyde is still struggling to process what happened to him. Speaking to the Cayman Compass, flanked by his mother and sisters and the doctors at TrinCay who have helped nurse him back to health, he can only attri- bute his survival to divine intervention. In the past weeks he has put on more than 40 pounds, the lesions on his skin have healed and his damaged or- gans appear to be functioning normally. He is unrecogniz- able from the skeletal form pictured lying in the well of his 30-foot canoe-style boat less than a month ago. “There is no way in the world you can experience what I have experienced and be the same person. It makes you look at life through com- pletely different eyes,” he said. The first Saturday after he returned to Cayman, Mr. Hyde was baptized, ful- filling a promise he made to God during his 37 days adrift. He said it was faith and his desire to see his mum and sisters, his niece and his children that allowed him to survive. “Physically what I went through was impossible to endure. I can only tell you that it is God’s mercy that brought me back to my family.” Engine trouble Mr. Hyde and Mr. Bodden were just a few hours out of Grand Cayman when they re- alized they were in trouble. They had set off at night for 60 Mile Bank on June 23, with enough food and water for a four-day fishing trip. They had no radio and only a battery-powered handheld GPS to tell them where they were. When they began to ex- perience engine trouble, they did not have the tools to make the necessary repairs. Mr. Hyde said they had mixed the gas too thick and it was leaking through the spark plugs. As they at- tempted to make repairs, a bolt on the engine block broke and they were left drifting. Over the next five weeks, Mr. Hyde would try 18 times to repair the engine and re- store power to the boat, without success. “At first we didn’t worry too much. I work in water sports and I know there are always cruise ships run- ning that route to Cancun and cargo boats going back and forth. There is constant traffic passing, and I figured one or two days and we are going to get rescued.” Hope arrived on the fourth day in the form of a passing cruise ship, the first of more than 20 ships to pass by. The pair would do every- thing they could to attract the attention of the boats. Some circled within 150 feet but did not stop. “At night I would put gas- oline on the water and light 10 feet of flames. I’m sure that they must have seen us.” The boats were close enough for him to see the names on the side and the passengers on the deck. He sees the same boats in the harbor now, regular visitors to Grand Cayman, and won- ders if they saw the light from his fires and why they did not stop. Once the first few boats had passed without a rescue ensuing, supplies began to run low and the seriousness of the situation kicked in. He believes at this time, around a week after leaving Grand Cayman, they were drifting near Cayman Brac. He could not see land, but the sight of blue-footed boo- bies fishing in the weed line and the illumination from the electric lights of the island made a distant impression on the horizon. Propeller planes occa- sionally buzzed overhead, running the route to the Sister Islands. Seaweed and shark With no food and no rain- water, the pair survived by eating seaweed and drinking their own urine. Mr. Hyde says their fishing gear, in an icebox cooler, had been lost in the chaos as he tried to fix the engine in a rolling swell. He built a makeshift hook from a piece of cable and rope and dangled it over the side, making it dance like a feather jay. Using this tech- nique, he says, he caught three jacks. When a small Oceanic whitetip shark showed up, circling the boat, he saw an opportunity. “I tore one of the jack’s heads off and threw it along- side the boat and the shark rushed in. I breaks up two or three more pieces and puts it by the boat. “When he comes in, I grabs him by his copper knife and his tail and I flips him and throws him into the boat, lets him kick till he dies. Then I uses a screwdriver to pierce in the back of his gills. I shoves my hand down to take out his liver, his heart, his guts. That is the softest thing to consume.” The shark satisfied their hunger for a while, but soon they were out of the cur- rent line. No fish, no more seaweed, just miles of endless ocean. “We were watching our- selves start to crumble away.” Mr. Hyde believes it was 23 days in when he lost his friend, Mr. Bodden. He did not want to speak in detail about the incident. He said Mr. Bodden swam away from the boat, in desperation. “Honestly, he made his de- cision to leave the boat. Pic- ture what I told you – 23 ships pass you. Imagine the desperation in your mind, how you would feel. A lot of people would not understand. It is very deteriorating physi- cally, mentally, emotionally. “There are things you have to accept in life are out of your hands. I feel sad because he was my friend, but I have to accept there was nothing I could do. I was stronger in the moments out there and I barely made it myself.” Debilitated and alone, he says, the next days were the most terrifying of his life. At night he would wake gasping and pound his chest with his fist, sip salt- water to stop his dry throat from sticking. “I would say this is just a bad dream, I’m going to wake up and smell my sister’s pan- cakes and drink all the water I want. Then it is morning and you are living the same day over and over. “In the day time it is like a desert. I could smell my skin burning. Then at night it is so cold it is unbearable. “I kept saying to God, you are not going to make me die. I am going to see my family again.” On several occasions he found himself drifting amid a pod of dolphins, stretching as far as the eye could see. He says he would jump overboard and swim among them, seeking escape from the sun. “I would swim 20 feet down, close my eyes and open up my arms and feel the coolness of the ocean. There were dolphins as far as I could see …. I knew I had God with me.” Rescue When he sighted land, he says, he believed he had circled all the way back to Grand Cayman. He esti- mated he was three miles from shore and far too weak to make the swim. It was then that he uttered his final prayer and lay down in his boat, waking to the sight of the Mexican fisherman and his son staring down at him from their vessel. It was not until much later, when they had sped back to shore and passed him into the hands of the para- medics, that he realized he was not dreaming and that he had really been rescued. At first he could not re- member the names of his family. He scrawled “black candy” on a piece of paper for his rescuers. His nick- name for his sister was all he could remember. It was two days before he was lucid enough to tell them who he was and where he was from. His mother and sister flew out immediately. “It was a miracle,” said his mother, Ezona Moore. “I have my baby back.” His sister Stephanie Wil- liams said the family never gave up hope during the long wait for news. “Words can’t describe get- ting to him, seeing his condi- tion. There are no words to put that in perspective. We were overwhelmed. We were happy and just grateful, and know God is a mighty God and he answered our prayers.” She said the family wanted to publicly thank ev- eryone who had supported her brother, in particular the doctors at TrinCay and the Health Services Authority and family friend Marcel Ar- cher who had offered “tire- less support” coordinating with doctors and police in the aftermath of the rescue. With the help of some good “home cooking” and support of the doctors, Mr. Hyde has made a rapid and remarkable recovery. He has spoken to his chil- dren in the U.S. over Skype and hopes to be reunited with them soon. For now he is recovering in the care of his mother, his sisters and the doctors at TrinCay who continue to monitor his recovery. Dr. Alfred Choy said, “Overall it was a miracle for anyone to survive without water for so long. It is po- tentially fatal to be without water more than a couple of days. Physically and men- tally it has been an ordeal for him, but a strong belief in God and family support has played a part. “The Mexican team did a great job to stabilize him and he has come on in leaps and bounds in the last three weeks.” Amid the family’s joy at the return of their lost loved one, they are conscious that Mr. Bodden’s family does not have the same relief. Mr. Hyde said, “I have the privilege of seeing my kids and be with my family and I wish he did too.” The ordeal has not pre- vented Mr. Hyde from going back to sea. He has already been back to work with his family business, Ezona’s Aquatics, running tours to Stingray City, and despite his mother’s concerns, he says he will go offshore again. “I’m a seaman. On the water I feel at home. It is my playground, my work- place, my passion. I love the ocean and I want to be back out there soon.” Survivor: Rescued boater tells story of five weeks adrift experience as a lawyer, 27 of those years in public service. Her career includes work as the general counsel for the Appeals Commission for Al- berta Workers’ Compensa- tion and as corporate counsel for the Workers’ Compen- sation Board of the North- west Territories. The ombudsman’s pur- view, under the provi- sions of the new Cayman law, will cover all govern- ment ministries, portfolios, departments and sections, statutory authorities and government companies. She will also act as the independent oversight body for the police by receiving and investigating complaints made by the public, pursuant to the Police (Complaints by the Public) Law, 2017. “I look forward to working on behalf of the people of the Cayman Islands to help make a positive difference in their lives,” Ms. Hermiston said in an official statement. “I embrace the opportunity to lead this office through a period of change and expan- sion of its remit. These are exciting times.” Ms. Hermiston was chosen from a short list of five candidates from the pool of 31 applicants. Members of the selec- tion committee included Governor Helen Kilpatrick, Sophia Harris of Solomon Harris law firm, and Mi- chael King, the Local Govern- ment and Social Care Om- budsman for England. “We are very pleased to have attracted a public ser- vant with Ms. Hermiston’s proven leadership skills. She has a wide variety of experi- ence of government oversight, including fairness, whistle- blowing, freedom of informa- tion and complaints against professionals,” Governor Kilpatrick said. Government appoints Cayman’s first ombudsman TrinCay physician Alfred Choy, right, said the doctors in Mexico and Cayman saved Mr. Hyde’s life. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sandy HermistonThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS remediation work will start in 2018, and will close when the new waste management system comes onstream. “This implementation of the new waste management system will dramatically re- duce the need for the land- fill, and so will resolve once and for all the question that has vexed successive govern- ments of these islands: What will happen to the dump?” he said, though not providing a timeline in his speech for the waste management system project. The Owen Robert Air- port renovations, he said, are scheduled to be finished in early 2019. This statement slightly pushed back a fore- cast provided by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority in February, when the au- thority said the project was set to be finished by the end of next year. As for the cruise pier project, Mr. McLaughlin said that preliminary designs and cost estimates are complete, and that the project will be tendered around the end of next month. The premier added that his administration intends to complete the new John Gray High School, but did not provide a timeline for the project. Mr. Miller expressed doubts that government will complete this development given the resources it is de- voting to other initiatives. Along with the capital projects, another $65.6 mil- lion of the capital spending will go to cover the opera- tional losses and debt obliga- tions of multiple government companies, including the Cayman Turtle Farm ($22.5 million), Cayman Airways ($17.8 million), the National Housing and Development Trust ($14.1 million), and the Cayman Islands Development Bank ($11.2 million). The remaining $2.1 mil- lion of the $311.3 million of capital investments will be made to civil servants and persons requiring financial assistance for overseas med- ical care, according to the strategic policy statement. Ensuring a thriving economy not only takes mon- etary investment, but also re- quires decreased crime rates, said the premier. Government will work to do this by providing the Royal Cayman Islands Police force with additional equipment and officers. However, Mr. McLaughlin also stressed that the police need to be accountable to the community. To achieve this, he said, government will es- tablish a Cayman Police Au- thority, which will provide oversight to the department. Mr. McLaughlin also said that works are under way to establish a program that will have “community wardens” patrol neighborhoods on be- half of the police, in order to establish more community trust. While the RCIPS wanted a community police program to fill this role, a warden pro- gram will be more cost-effec- tive, said the premier. While ensuring a thriving and robust economy is gov- ernment’s main objective, emphasis will also be put on making sure that ev- eryone in the territory has an opportunity to partici- pate in such an economy, said Mr. McLaughlin. The premier explained that government is working on changes to immigration reg- ulations, which he said will improve “fairness and trans- parency” in the job adver- tisement process. Government will also con- tinue the “ready2work.ky” job program, whose pilot pro- gram saw 89 individuals par- ticipate – 64 of who obtained employment, he said. For those who are unable to participate in the work- force, Mr. McLaughlin stated that government will increase its “poor relief” payments to Caymanians unable to pro- vide for themselves from $550 per month to $650 per month in January, and then to $750 per month in Jan. 2019. More- over, a supplemental stipend will be made to retired civil servants with more than 10 years’ tenure whose pensions are less than what recipi- ents of the “poor relief” pay- ments receive. Mr. McLaughlin said that while his presentation out- lines government’s goals, more concrete details will be pro- vided in the coming months. “It is the task of the budget process, which the [strategic policy statement] kicks off, to allocate government’s re- sources against those delivery plans to enable us to realize our ambitions,” he said. Government is expected to present its two-year budget in October. Government’s first and foremost priority is ensuring a thriving economy, the premier said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier outlines capital projects, policies on opening day of LA Dutch police detain driver of Spanish van near canceled gig THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – Police in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam detained the driver of a van with Spanish license plates and a number of gas tanks inside after a concert by an Amer- ican rock band was canceled Wednesday night following a threat, the city’s mayor said. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said at a hastily arranged press conference that the van’s Spanish driver was being questioned by po- lice. Military explosives ex- perts were deployed to Rot- terdam to examine the van, police said. Police earlier said the con- cert by Los Angeles band Allah-Las was called off after Dutch police received a terror warning. Aboutaleb said the warning came from Spanish police. He declined to give fur- ther details on the nature of the warning or where in Spain it came from, adding that it was too soon to link the van to unspecified threat directed at the concert. “It is not yet good to say that the things are linked,” Aboutaleb said. “It still has to be established that there was a link between the van and the threat. We can’t say that yet.” Police in Spain have been investigating the deadly ve- hicle attacks last week that killed 15 people in and near Barcelona. They later found bomb-making equipment that included more than 100 tanks of butane gas, nails, and 500 liters of acetone. Rotterdam police said they took the information about a threat “seriously enough that after discussion with organizers it was de- cided to cancel the event.” Concert organizer Rotown said earlier on Twitter that the concert venue, a former grain silo called Maassilo, was being evacuated because of the unspecified threat. The show had not yet started when the decision to cancel it was made. Dutch television showed officers in body armor out- side Maassilo and what ap- peared to be members of the band leaving the venue in a white van with a police escort. Allah-Las is a four-piece band from Los Angeles. In an email to The Associ- ated Press, the band’s label, Mexican Summer, said: “Due to a potential terror threat at The Maassilo in Rotterdam, the Allah-Las show was can- celled tonight. “Details are not avail- able at this time as the inci- dent is still under investiga- tion. The band is unharmed and are very grateful to the Rotterdam Police and other responsible agencies for de- tecting the potential threat before anyone was hurt.” In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian last year, band members said they chose the word Allah, Arabic for God, because they were seeking a “holy sounding” name and did not realize it might cause offense. “We get emails from Mus- lims, here in the U.S. and around the world, saying they’re offended, but that ab- solutely wasn’t our inten- tion,” lead singer Miles Mi- chaud told the newspaper. “We email back and explain why we chose the name, and mainly they understand.” Miles Michaud, lead singer of the California band Allah-Las is pictured in 2016. A rock venue in Rotterdam has canceled a concert by the group because of a terror threat. - PHOTO: AP Italy quake survivor, 11, says it’s a miracle to be alive MILAN (AP) – The 11-year- old boy who was rescued in a 16-hour operation that also freed his two younger brothers after the earthquake that struck the island of Ischia said in an interview with Italian media Wednesday that “it is a miracle we are all still alive.” Ciro Marmolo spoke to La Repubblica in a hospital room where he is being treated for a fracture suffered when his right foot was immobilized by rubble. Doctors say the frac- ture is not serious and is ex- pected to fully heal, but the boy will be transferred to a hospital in Naples where spe- cialists can monitor his cir- culation. Ciro was hailed as a hero by officials, who praised his courage throughout the or- deal and said he helped save his middle brother, 7-year- old Mattias, by pushing him under the bed. “It is already a lot that we are all alive,” Ciro told La Re- pubblica in a video that had his face pixelated, in line with restrictions in Italy on pub- lishing images of minors. “In a second phase, we need to think about a new house, our most valuable objects and our memories.” “This is the proof that God exists,” he said. “It is a miracle we are all still alive.” The Toscano-Marmolo family has been left home- less by the quake that struck the northern side of the island off Naples Monday evening, killing two people including one of their neighbors. While the boys’ mother and the stepfather of the two older boys were quickly brought to safety after the Monday eve- ning quake, it took dozens of firefighters working over- night to free first 7-month-old Pasquale after seven hours, Mattias another seven hours later and finally Ciro. Ciro said that rescuers stayed upbeat throughout the operation, telling them not to worry and that help had arrived. The last thing he re- membered during the ordeal was waking up after having fainted, and seeing what had been a small hole now large. “My brother wasn’t there anymore, and I had an oxygen mask on my face,” he said. “Then with a rope, they pulled me up, all of them, slowly, slowly. Then there were all the people, friends, relatives, at the ambulance and they gave a huge round of applause.” Doctors said that Mattias would be released from the hospital on Wednesday but that the boys’ mother, Alessia, and baby Pasquale will re- main until the family has a new place to live. “Even if this is hospital and not a place to recuperate, it seemed terrible to put on the street a pregnant mother who suffered all that she has suffered, and is in an unusual psychological situa- tion,” Dr. Giuseppe Parisi told reporters in Ischia.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 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. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2017 158916_HR-AD_CFA-qtrpg-cc.pdf 1 8/22/17 4:46 PM THURSDAY, AUG. 24 SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2018/2019. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 7, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM: The Savannah After School Enrichment Programme is enrolling primary age students for their After School, held at the Savannah United Church Hall, Mondays – Fridays, from 3–6 p.m. The program is particularly convenient for children who attend Savannah Primary and Bodden Town primary schools. For registration and fees, call the church office at 947-6071 or email info@savannahunited.ky. 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 USED BOOKS: Today is the last day of the Red Cross Thrift Shop book sale. Customers can get all the books they can fit in a bag for $5. 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. THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Opening night for comedy Sistahs. Performances are at the Prospect Playhouse on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from tonight to Sept. 23. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Curtain 7:30 p.m. Tickets for all performances are $25 for adults, $15 for students/children. Book tickets at www.cds.ky. GENERAL INTEREST 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. 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. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events.Next >