ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Cuba to Cayman: One migrant’s saga The story of a Cuban seeking asylum in the Cayman Islands KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two types of boats tend to cruise Cuba’s Gulf of Guacanayabo, where the country’s lon- gest river, the Rio Cauto, flows westward into the Caribbean Sea. The first category, legal vessels, includes government and private fishing expeditions that survey these waters for oysters. The second, clandestine, is what brought Yoel, a 38-year-old father of three, to the valley in early 2016. A native of nearby Manzanillo, Yoel knew this rural zone to be a frequent launching point for migrants escaping eastern Cuba. From this gulf, boaters embark on a direct route to Cayman’s Sister Islands, where they can replenish food and water supplies before departing for Honduras and eventually the United States. It was Yoel’s third attempt to escape Cuba. If he had succeeded, he hoped to join 36,000 other Cuban migrants who entered the U.S. that year near Laredo, Texas, where U.S. Cus- toms and Border Protection recorded two- thirds of Cuban arrivals to the U.S. in 2016. Instead, Yoel’s journey ended in Grand Cayman. On May 6, 2016, Yoel and 42 others were detained in South Sound, then brought to George Town’s Immigration Detention Centre. More than a year later, most of Yoel’s fellow travelers have been repatriated to Cuba, but Yoel remains, awaiting appeal on a twice-re- jected asylum petition. Migrants in Cayman Yoel is one of 38 men and women who live in the center under the management of Her Majesty’s Prison Service. One other mi- grant is being held at Northward prison for attempting to escape from the detention center. Several other Cuban migrant fami- lies with children live in housing paid for by government. So far this year, 98 migrants from the center have been repatriated. While around 140 migrant arrivals in eight months may seem small in comparison to the tens of thousands in the U.S., chief officer for immigration Wesley Howell pointed out that proportionate to the population, the Cayman Islands bear a greater burden than its im- mense American neighbor. In past years, repatriating migrants to Cuba was a relatively simple and quick pro- cess. More recently, however, nearly every Cuban migrant who lands in Cayman claims he or she is a political refugee, sparking a po- tentially complex and drawn-out evaluation of whether the individual does in fact qualify for asylum under international convention. The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a ref- ugee as someone with a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, reli- gion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” Cayman im- migration officers use this definition to assess asylum seekers during intake. “The number of Cuban migrants that are claiming asylum now is unprecedented. It’s higher than it’s ever been. The majority of those, on appeal, are denied … but they are using up the resources,” Mr. Howell said. These asylum claims have landed immi- gration and prison staff in uncharted terri- tory. Staff must now grapple with questions over extensive detention times, access to legal counsel, migrant medical care and trans- lation support. Since 2006, a total of 37 Cuban migrants to Cayman have been granted asylum. They have permanent residence status. Yoel’s case is one of many that have been brought to the attention of immigration and Prison Service staff in recent months, drawing scrutiny to his 15-month detention and a gov- ernment work injury that severely impaired his sight in one eye. A Jehovah’s Witness in Cuba Yoel comes from the rural outskirts of Manzanillo, a port city of 130,000 in the east Cuban province of Granma, named after the iconic 60-foot diesel-powered yacht that brought Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, Che Gue- vara and their nascent forces from Mexico to Cuba in 1956. The Granma’s voyage carried the band of 82 revolutionaries around Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, across the leeward side of Cuba (skirting Cayman’s Sister Islands), and after a week at sea, landed at Playa Las Colo- radas, 60 miles southwest of Manzanillo. Born under the Castro regime, Yoel earned his living in Manzanillo buying pork and goat meat in the countryside and re- selling it at market. That was not recognized as an “official” form of employment by the Cuban government. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » Yoel landed in Grand Cayman on May 6, 2016 with 42 other Cuban migrants on this hand-built boat called ‘La Potencia,’ Spanish for ‘Power.’ - PHOTO: ALAN MARKOFF George Town’s Immigration Detention Centre currently holds 38 migrants awaiting decision on asylum claims. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Surfers Paradise 978 South Sound Rd Beachfront Luxury Estate with Pool 4 Bedrooms 5 Baths Gourmet Kitchen FOR RENT OPEN HOUSE Saturday 3-5pm Email Lin At lintibbetts@yahoo.com 945-2290 • West Shore Center, Seven Mile Beach • 10am to 10pm Fresh, Healthy & Delicious! Cayman Cookin’ Over a Wood Fire! Taste why we’re voted “Best”! If you’re Hungry! Hungry! Come to Chicken Chicken! International Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Dine-in! Take-out! Indulge on a feast for 2 to 4 or 6 or more! With an awesome selection of sides to choose from. Thefts on Public Beach reported The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service re- ported Thursday that it had received calls re- garding a pair of thefts in the vicinity of Public Beach on Wednesday. The police received a report late Wednesday morning about a beach bag that was stolen after it was left in the sand while the owner was swimming just north of Public Beach. The bag, described as rectangular and turquoise with navy and white stripes, contained cash and an iPhone. Later in the evening – just past 7:30 p.m. – po- lice were notified of an- other theft of a bag from Public Beach. That bag con- tained a BLU smart- phone, an iPhone, car keys and other personal items, police said. The police caution the public not to leave be- longings unattended on the beach and to keep their valuables locked away out of sight in their vehicles to deter po- tential thieves. Anyone with information is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Harvey regains tropical storm strength CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) – Long lines extended from gro- cery stores along the Texas Gulf Coast early Thursday as residents braced for a slow- moving tropical storm that forecasters say could drop as much as 20 inches of rain. A hurricane warning was issued for much of Texas’ central and southern coast on Thursday morning, span- ning a region home to roughly 1.4 million people, as Trop- ical Storm Harvey regained strength while drifting into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday. Of the people in 16 coun- ties under a hurricane warning, about 325,000 of them are in Corpus Christi. Another 12 million people are under a tropical storm warning, including San An- tonio and Houston. Numerous cities were shipping in sand- bags, extra water and other items ahead of the storm. In Corpus Christi, dozens of people were waiting in line early Thursday at a local Sam’s Club. Down the coast in South Padre Island, local resident Dave Evans took ad- vantage of the free sand- bags, noting he and his fi- ancé live in an older house prone to flooding. “The master bedroom floods every time the rain gets very strong. I think our home is below sea level,” Evans told The Brownsville Herald. National Weather Service meteorologist Penny Zabel said it’s been 14 years since a hurricane made landfall along the state’s southern coast. She said 10 to 15 inches of rain could fall from Friday through Tuesday, with higher amounts in some areas. “Harvey is looking like it’s going to just meander around the area,” Zabel said Thursday. “It’s going to hang out for a few days, and that’s why we’re looking at such high rainfall amounts.” The storm’s max- imum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph (95 kph). The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center said additional strengthening was expected and Harvey could become a hurricane by Friday, when it’s expected to approach the southern Texas coast. As of Thursday morning, the storm was centered about 335 miles (540 kilometers) southeast of Port Mansfield and was moving north-north- west near 10 mph. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the State Operations Center to elevate its readiness level, making state resources available for possible rescue and recovery actions. Abbott also pre-emptively declared a state of disaster for 30 coun- ties on or near the coast, to speed deployment of state re- sources to any areas affected. Nearly all of the state’s 367-mile coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning or watch as of Thursday morning. 18 dead in Brazil boat accident RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A commuter boat carrying more than 100 passengers flipped and sank Thursday in northeast Brazil, killing at least 18 people and leaving dozens missing in rough ocean waters. It was the second fatal accident involving pas- senger boats this week in the South American nation, where aquatic travel of all kinds is common. Navy Lt. Col. Flavio Al- meida told The Associated Press that the vessel went down in the morning while traversing the Bay of All Saints off the coast of the city of Salvador. Twenty-one people were rescued by naval teams, and private boats also motored in and helped an unknown number of survivors. “Some passengers were able to swim to shore. Others were picked up,” Al- meida said. “An investigation into what happened will be launched, but at this point we are still in the middle of the rescue.” Authorities reported ear- lier that 22 people had died but later lowered the toll to 18. Globo News showed res- cuers pulling people from the bay and anxious family mem- bers waiting for news in the Salvador terminal where the boat was expected. In a statement the Bahia state health department said 34 people were being treated for injuries. An unconscious 1-year-old who initially re- sponded to resuscitation ef- forts died in an ambulance en route to a hospital, it added. Survivor Edvaldo Santos de Almeida told the G1 news portal that a large wave tipped the boat during a heavy rainstorm. “There were a lot of people” on board, he said. “It took a long time to be res- cued. We were in the water for two hours.” Matheus Ramos told the daily news- paper Folha de S. Paulo he was sitting down the boat suddenly flipped on top of him, banging his left shoulder. “When I came up, a tarp was on top of my face,” Ramos said. “I had to rip it to breathe.” Salvador, one of Brazil’s most famous cities, is lo- cated on a peninsula near a handful of islands. Each day thousands of workers, stu- dents and other people com- mute on boats between the city and the islands. The vessel was trav- eling between Vera Cruz on Itaparica Island and Salvador, about an 8-mile stretch. The accident took place two days after a passenger boat sank on the Xingu River in the northern state of Para, leaving at least 21 dead. POLICE RESPOND TO FIGHT AT BAR The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service re- sponded to a disturbance involving a man with a machete at Bananas Bar on Eastern Avenue in George Town in the early hours of Thursday morning. The police responded just after 3 a.m. and after speaking with com- plainants and witnesses, they learned that a fight had begun between two women inside the bar and escalated to in- clude two men. One of the women was struck in the face with a bottle, and a man sus- tained a serious injury to his hand. Both people were treated at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222. . Two men on South Padre Island, Texas, fill sandbags in preparation for Harvey, a tropical system developing in the Gulf of Mexico. - PHOTO: AP People watch as bodies are recovered Thursday from the Xingu river during a search mission for the passengers of a boat that sank late Tuesday, in Para state, Brazil. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 MINDSINSPIRED.KY TWO MINDS. INSPIRED. Daniel and Drew’s high standards of educational excellence brought them together; four years of an exciting and challenging Minds Inspired journey made them friends. The next adventure in their educational journey – university – starts this Fall and we know they will continue to make their Minds Inspired family proud. Congratulations and good luck Daniel and Drew. DANIEL NICHOLSON- GARDNER Daniel, a 2017 Cayman International School graduate, begins his undergraduate studies in Finance at Indiana University, USA this Fall. DREW MILGATE Drew’s secondary education at Cayman Prep and High School and Brighton College in the United Kingdom, prepared him well for the prestigious University of Cambridge, UK where he will study Engineering. MINDSINSPIRED.KY TWO MINDS.INSPIRED.Daniel and Drew’s high standards of educational excellence brought them together; four years of an exciting and challenging Minds Inspired journey made them friends. The next adventure in their educational journey – university – starts this Fall and we know they will continue to make their Minds Inspired family proud.Congratulations and good luck Daniel and Drew. DANIEL NICHOLSON-GARDNERDaniel, a 2017 Cayman International School graduate, begins his undergraduate studies in Finance at Indiana University, USA this Fall.DREW MILGATEDrew’s secondary education at Cayman Prep and High School and Brighton College in the United Kingdom, prepared him well for the prestigious University of Cambridge, UK where he will study Engineering.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. We thought “lunacy” was in vogue during the solar eclipse that swept across North America on Monday — but apparently some of it carried over into Wednes- day’s opening of the Legislative Assembly. We aren’t referring to anything that took place on the floor of the Cayman Islands parliament, but rather to the treatment of a Compass journalist sent there to cover this public event. The reporter, who is relatively new to the news- paper and the country, had properly requested press credentials from Legislative Assembly Clerk Zena Merren-Chin on Tuesday afternoon. As of Wednesday morning, the “press pass” had not yet been issued. (We’re not being critical — processing documents sometimes takes time.) When our reporter arrived at the LA, he encoun- tered a formidable fellow, Serjeant-at-Arms John Kim Evans Jr., who told him that since he had no press pass, he could not sit in the “Press Box” — a small section reserved for members of the media. (Fair enough; rules are rules.) Instead, Mr. Evans told our reporter he could sit, like everyone else, in the public gallery. (Also perfectly acceptable.) Only he couldn’t take notes: electronic or handwritten. (Not perfectly acceptable; in fact, not acceptable at all.) All exasperated parents know that a universal habit among cranky children is, when they are told what or what not to do, they respond annoyingly and inces- santly with, “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?” Journalists do the same thing, and we cannot move on from the seemingly impromptu prohibition of note- taking without asking, “Why.” We sought our own answer. We scoured the Legisla- tive Assembly Standing Orders and “Speaker’s Rules” issued in 2013 by previous House Speaker Juliana O’Connor-Connolly for an explanation. Speakers of the House, currently McKeeva Bush, have great discretion over allowing members of the public (defined in the law as “Strangers”) into the LA, and under what conditions. For example, duly credentialed members of the press must sit in the Press Box, where they are per- mitted to use tablets, computers and the like. (An aside: The Speaker’s Rules also state, “It is con- sidered disorderly for any clapping, talking, gesture, nod or any other communication between Members and persons in the public gallery or press boxes.” Well … as journalists we’ve attended scores of parliamen- tary sessions over the years, and we haven’t wit- nessed much “disorderly” nodding directed at MLAs. (Although, admittedly, we have seen, on occasion, MLAs “nodding off” in their chairs. Does that qualify as an infraction?) Seeking clarification on the ban on note-taking, we contacted Clerk Merren-Chin Wednesday afternoon, and as of press time were still awaiting a response. Eventually, our resourceful reporter returned to the Compass newsroom, where he watched the LA pro- ceedings via a livestream on government’s YouTube channel. Sitting in his chair at his own desk, he took copious notes and, truth be told, we may have caught him in what we think was a nod or two. In any event, he produced the story that led the front page of Thursday’s newspaper. We must acknowledge our gratitude to Speaker McKeeva Bush, who responded to our concerns as soon as they were brought to his attention, and personally saw to it that our journalist was freely admitted during Thursday’s session, with no restric- tions regarding pen and paper. Generally our position is we oppose any special privileges being granted to the media. Press Boxes — who needs ’em? Ultimately, a journalist is, or should be, an “everyman.” We don’t need a special business-class or a VIP section. The “cheap seats” will do just fine — but we do need to take notes. LA ‘lunacy’: Let’s blame it on the eclipse FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Why this hatred for ‘Foots’? Not many years ago a young Jamaican lady apol- ogized to the Caymanians for what her countrymen were saying about Cayma- nians. Now some of us Cay- manians would like to apol- ogize to Mr. Ronald “Foots” Kynes regarding the way Caymanians have been treating him. The scripture tells us that God created us equal in His image and likeness, so how can we have hatred in our hearts concerning Mr. Kynes and his art pieces? God loves him just as much as anyone else. This reminds me of what Jesus said about those without sin casting the first stone. He even told His dis- ciples that people might kill them and think that they were doing God a favour. Where have Cay- man’s God-fearing people got this hatred from? Where is the love? Velma Herod Low interest rates are bad news for retirees’ investment portfolios No matter what Presi- dent Trump and Congress do about taxes and the like, low interest rates are be- coming as certain as aging. That’s good news for young folks buying homes but tough on retirees who rely on CDs and bonds, and people over 55 realigning portfolios for retirement. Granted, the Federal Re- serve is raising interest rates. It has penciled in a 0.25 per- cent increase for its bench- mark commercial bank overnight borrowing rate and three similar adjust- ments each year until those are “normalized.” However, when the Fed last tightened credit conditions from 2004 to 2006, the benchmark rate peaked at 5.25 percent. This time Fed policymakers are aiming for about 3 percent by the end of 2019. Long-term CD and mort- gage rates won’t rise nearly as much. Interest-rate-sensi- tive businesses are wagering rates will remain relatively low for the long term. Prior to the financial crisis, insurance companies sold a lot of annuities, whole life policies and similar prod- ucts premised on investing premiums at higher interest rates than subsequently pre- vailed and have seen their profits squeezed. Rather than bet interest rates will return to pre-crisis levels, Metro- politan Life and others are spinning off those activities into separate companies. If you want to bet against Charlie Brown — have at it. However, if you are holding savings in a money market account in hopes of a signif- icant jump in interest rates before buying a CD or gov- ernment bond, I would sug- gest that’s a bad strategy. If you are shopping for a house, don’t feel pressured to make a purchase because the realtor says, “The Fed is raising rates.” It is, but the impact on what you pay for a mortgage will not be large over the next year. If you have an adjustable- rate mortgage and plan to be in your home at least another three years, refinance now. Investors more than 10 years from retirement should consider how much cash they need on hand to cover about six months of expenses or upcoming college tuition and beyond that, sink their money into the stock market. For cash, a CD or Trea- sury security ladder makes sense — divide your fixed income savings into three buckets and buy one-, three- and five-year maturities. If the economy and Fed keep on their present courses, you can purchase longer maturities as those mature. For the rest of your nest egg, an S&P; 500 index fund is a wise choice. Remember, stocks pay dividends and the current rate on the S&P; 500 is 1.9 percent — almost what you would get on the best 10-year CD or a 10-year Treasury se- curity — and you have the upside for appreciation. Currently, the S&P; 500 is selling for about 25 times earnings, and in line with the average of the last 25 years. Factoring in expected earn- ings growth, it’s a lot lower and less expensive than the historical average. This is not the time to bail out of stocks, and if you have extra cash or a disciplined savings pro- gram, you should be buying in gradually each month. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2017, The Washington Times. PETER MORICI 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”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 Act now to get your business featured in the 2018 directory. Call (345) 949-7027 to fi nd out more. We Know Cayman. LAST CHANCE TO LIST List in the 2018 local print directory before it’s too late. Make a client connection without an Internet connection.6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Register online: Ready. Set. Register for the FIDELITY www.caymanactive.com/fidelityfunrun 7:30 a.m. on Walkers Rd opposite the former John Gray High School Divisions: M/F: U12, 12-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+; Stroller & Pet. Series Dates: September 9th, 2017 September 16th, 2017 September 23rd, 2017 FIDELITY Sistahs by maxine bailey and sharon m lewis supplied 185809-Ad-Compass-QP-Sistahs-b&w1 18/18/17 1:11:21 PM 56 police officers forced on leave Excess comp time a liability for RCIPS KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service has di- rected 56 officers to go on leave this year due to the of- ficers accruing compensatory time far in excess of what’s allowed by RCIPS policy. Answering a question posed in the Legislative As- sembly on Thursday by op- position legislator Arden McLean, Acting Deputy Gov- ernor Gloria McField-Nixon said that by the end of last year, the 56 RCIPS per- sonnel had accrued 51,914 hours of comp time valued at $1,166,087. Comp time among the po- lice ranged from a minimum of 256.5 hours to a maximum of 1,102 hours, the latter amounting to more than 100 paid days off. The force’s policy is to allow a maximum of 75 accrued hours of comp time, said Ms. McField-Nixon. The RCIPS offered a buyout amounting to 50 per- cent of the value of their comp time, but many officers declined. RCIPS Commis- sioner Derek Byrne ordered them in March to take leave and use their excess hours. Some officers took leave effec- tive May 1, while others were allowed to schedule their leave at a more convenient time for them, according to Ms. McField-Nixon. The acting deputy gov- ernor explained that it was necessary to have the officers take leave as soon as possible because the accrued hours were a growing liability to the RCIPS, due to factors such as salary increases and cost-of-living adjustments. Mr. McLean asked how the situation got so bad in the first place. Ms. McField-Nixon re- sponded that it took years for the problem to reach its cur- rent state, and that the pri- mary drivers of the glut of comp time hours were offi- cers working overtime for in- vestigations, court attendance on rest dates, policing at spe- cial events and other work. “In the absence of a budget provision to pay over- time, this was recorded as comp time,” she said. Police are also looking at ways to manage the comp time accrual because it was found that “there wasn’t necessarily adequate gov- ernance” in the force’s policy, she added. She said one solution is a new RCIPS policy re- stricting accrual of comp time without approval of the chief inspector. Mr. McLean also asked whether the RCIPS was un- derstaffed due to the dozens of officers having to use their hundreds of hours of comp time. Some officers are accruing comp time while working for those officers who are on leave, Ms. McField-Nixon re- sponded. However, the net effect of the new policy has been a $71,698 reduction of the value of the comp time of RCIPS officers. Opposition proposes committee to review healthcare KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Not a single recommen- dation from the much-bal- lyhooed National Health Policy & Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands 2012- 2017 has been carried out over the last four years, ac- cording to Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller. Mr. Miller made his re- marks during his motion on Thursday to create a select committee of four govern- ment legislators and two op- position members that would review all aspects of the ter- ritory’s healthcare industry. Not many details of the function or powers of the proposed committee were discussed, but Mr. Miller said it would hold public hearings with healthcare in- dustry stakeholders and then make recommenda- tions on improving ac- cess to and quality of the territory’s medical services. Such a body is necessary due to the lack of action by government to improve an in- dustry that is at “crisis level,” said the opposition leader. A lack of access to insur- ance by Caymanians due to high prices and a lack of ac- cess to quality services by se- nior citizens are two of the largest problems plaguing the territory, according to Mr. Miller. Legislators were still de- bating the motion as of press time, with Minister of Health Dwayne Seymour and Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin both speaking against the motion. Mr. Seymour disputed Mr. Miller’s characteriza- tion that government has not done anything in recent years to improve Cayman’s med- ical services. He said that legislation was amended in 2013 to im- prove access, affordability, and quality of health care for all residents. The min- ister said the Health Insur- ance Law and its regulations were also amended to in- crease benefits under stan- dard insurance contracts, adding that government also made it so that all residents are eligible for the standard insurance plan. Currently, Mr. Seymour said, healthcare regulators are continuing to monitor the health sector and addi- tional human resources will be added “in the coming months” to ensure that all in- dustry players are complying with the law. “I am satisfied that after three months in office, we are heading in the right direc- tion,” he said. Mr. McLaughlin added that his administration is working hard to improve healthcare for all residents in the territory, but that it doesn’t want its “hands tied” by a select committee. By the end of last year, the 56 RCIPS personnel had accrued 51,914 hours of comp time valued at $1,166,087.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 Cruise project to go out to bid in September Visitor receives life-saving treatment at Health City JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government expects to go out to tender on the long- discussed cruise pier project by the end of next month, Premier Alden McLaughlin said this week. New piers that can ac- commodate Oasis-class mega cruise ships remain a pri- ority for government, despite the new personnel in the ad- ministration following the May election – including some vocal opponents of the project. Mr. McLaughlin in his strategic policy statement to the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday listed the de- livery of a modern cruise pier and cargo port among the key infrastructure priorities over the next four years. He said work had been progressing to redesign the piers to reduce the amount of coral that would need to be dredged to build the facility, which will be able to accom- modate four cruise ships. He said preliminary de- signs and cost estimates were complete, though he did not give a figure for the ex- pected cost of the project. “Prequalification of bid- ders and negotiations with cruise lines are ongoing as well as is the preparation of bid documents, with a projected tender issue date at the end of September, 2017,” he added. The Premier said the project would also involve enlarging the cargo facilities, which he described as “key to our economic development.” He said, “The ability to accept larger ships will re- duce shipping costs and con- sequently reduce the cost of goods bought locally. It will also allow fresh fruit and produce to be brought in di- rectly from Central America by ships that now pass us by for Florida.” The Premier also refer- enced possible plans to make Cayman a “transshipment port” for perishable cargo out of Central America. “We will see how this de- velops, but at the moment the potential is certainly wel- comed and will be pursued.” KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman vacationing with family in the Cayman Islands averted tragedy after doctors at Health City Cayman Islands intervened in an unexpected and poten- tially fatal viral infection. Surjeet Kaur traveled re- cently to visit her son, Sim- ranjit Singh. She fell ill for five days with a viral illness. Primary care doctors initially found her organs to be func- tioning well, Health City re- ported. Her condition quickly deteriorated, however, and within 24 hours she was in critical condition. A stomach virus had re- sulted in myocarditis, an in- flammation of the heart muscle caused by various in- fections or drug toxicity. Se- vere cases can cause heart failure and death. Ms. Kaur was rushed to Health City by ambulance where she was hooked up to advanced life support tech- nology called extracorpo- real membrane oxygenation. A Health City spokesperson said the East End hospital is the only medical center in the Caribbean region to offer ECMO life support. The technology al- lowed Ms. Kaur’s heart to heal and recover by serving much of the heart’s function during treatment. “During ECMO treat- ment, the patient’s heart con- tinues to beat, but its work is made easier because the ECMO machine does much of the pumping,” a Health City statement explained. By the time Ms. Kaur ar- rived for treatment, her blood pressure was danger- ously low and her kidney and liver showed signs of failure. Without life support, doctors believe her heart would have failed. Chief cardiac surgeon Binoy Chattuparambil said the life support technology allowed for less complicated and quicker treatment. “She required very intense monitoring and treatment in the ICU for the next few days, but the heart slowly and steadily showed signs of im- provement and she was taken off ECMO. An echocardiogram showed that the heart had re- covered completely without any signs of damage. She went home with a strong and healthy heart and functional organs,” the doctor said. Ms. Kaur’s son said he was relieved to witness his mother’s recovery. “We have been away from our family back home, and [Health City employees] have come forward to be our family and treated us as a family member. I have never seen such compassion and hospitality anywhere in the world as I have seen at Health City,” Mr. Singh said. Health City has treated eight critically ill patients using ECMO in two and a half years and reports a 90 percent survival rate, higher than the global average. Surjeet Kaur is visited by family after her treatment at Health City Cayman Islands.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Police teach campers about positive choices JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Daimian Dewar of the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice kicked it off with young campers attending the FC International free football camp last week at the North Side play field. Assigned to the North Side Police Station, Officer Dewar was there to speak with campers about making positive choices in life and choosing good career paths. After showing off his foot- ball skills by participating in a friendly game of kick ball, the officer spoke with the group of children ages 6-16 about football and other topics, such as the history and rules of football, peer pressure, discipline, career paths, drugs and crime. “It was good to be able to visit the kids at the playing field, get down on their level and interact with them. I told them they had no reason to be scared of the police.” Speaking to the campers about peer pressure, Officer Dewar said it was good they had coach Elbert McLean to assist them in learning the rules of the game and to in- still discipline. He also told campers to be good, follow good princi- ples, choose friends wisely, stay out of trouble, don’t get suspended from school and not be disobedient and disre- spectful to teachers. He defined discipline as being able to behave and work in a controlled way, which involved obeying particular rules and stan- dards. No fighting during the game, listening and obeying the coach, and maybe one day they could make foot- ball a career. Drugs, he said, are a no- no. He told the children that there are some 250 banned substances that are not ac- cepted in the sporting world. “Its always good to be honest in whatever you do,” he told the campers. Crime was a topic the children gave their atten- tion to. He told the chil- dren that some of the young people were using drugs and smoking in the schools, and he had been called out many times to assist when students had brought illegal substances to the schoolyard. President of FC Inter- national, Kennedy Ebanks, encouraged the young footballers to continue par- ticipating in the game and the free camp being hosted islandwide. He also urged parents to help their children attend the events. He said, “We are about more than just teaching chil- dren football and teamwork skills. With a number of or- ganized visits from commu- nity groups, we are sending a positive message.” Vandals hit Brac artwork again KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com In a second vandalism at- tack in as many weeks, con- troversial sculptures by Cayman Brac artist Ronald “Foots” Kynes were found further damaged this week on the sculptor’s Southside Road property. Mr. Kynes said the sculp- tures “LGBT” and “Eva in Eve” appear to have been smashed with sledgehammers to re- move the sculptures’ faces. The same sculptures, which he estimates weigh around 3,000 pounds apiece, were found broken and cracked against the rocks on Aug. 11. “They destroyed them. They went at it with a sledgehammer. They totally took the face out of LGBT,” Mr. Kynes said. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service denounced the vandalism against Mr. Kynes’s work for the first time since the Aug. 11 incident. “For people in the com- munity to express their dis- satisfaction this way is wrong, and these incidents are being fully investigated,” said Inspector Andre Tahal, area commander for the Sister Islands. “I am asking Brackers not to take matters into their own hands. To do so com- promises the peaceful atmo- sphere of our island.” RCIPS said the statues were dam- aged more severely than during the last attack and ap- peared to have been damaged with a blunt instrument. The works have been at the center of public debate for weeks for their depictions of lesbian and religious ico- nography. Mr. Kynes was ar- rested July 18 for alleged “obscene publications” for the installations, displayed in public view on his pri- vate property, Mr. Kynes has not been charged and remains on bail until Sept. 6. The artist, who is in the United States, was informed of the damages by a friend, who sent pictures displaying broken fragment of art splayed across the ground. Mr. Kynes filed a police report from the U.S. by phone. Officer Daimian Dewar and FC International officials are pictured with campers at the North Side play field during a free camp last week.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017 Edinburgh Zoo panda may be pregnant The only female giant panda in Britain is believed to be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo said Thursday. The zoo said Tian Tian ‘is being closely monitored,’ but it’s unclear when she will give birth. The zoo said ‘it’s hard to predict precisely and the panda breeding season can last until late September.’ UK immigration falls as EU citizens leave Angolan election commission says ruling party has big lead MACRON HITS BACK AT HOLLANDE AS FRENCH LABOR REFORM BATTLE LOOMS JOHANNESBURG (AP) – Ango- la’s ruling party has a large lead over the main opposi- tion with votes from nearly two-thirds of polling stations counted, the election commis- sion said Thursday, opening the way for Defense Minister Joao Lourenco to succeed President Jose Eduardo dos Santos after his 38-year rule. The announcement fol- lowed a day of conflicting claims by the rival parties, which fought each other in a long civil war in the southern African nation that ended in 2002. Provisional tallies showed the ruling MPLA party with 64 percent with nearly 6 mil- lion ballots counted from Wednesday’s vote, while the UNITA opposition party had 24 percent and a smaller op- position group, CASA-CE, had 8 percent, election commis- sion spokeswoman Julia Fer- reira said on live television. The MPLA earlier Thursday claimed victory, saying partial results from its own tally indicated it had won a majority. UNITA dis- puted that claim. The MPLA made its claim after reviewing data relayed by its delegates from polling stations nationwide, said Joao Martins, a senior offi- cial at the party’s headquar- ters in Luanda, the capital, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa. About 9.3 million Ango- lans were registered to vote for the 220-member National Assembly; the winning party then selects the president. UNITA said its own par- tial tally indicated it was trailing the ruling party by only 7 percent. UNITA said it had 40 percent of two million votes in its count, compared to 47 percent for the MPLA, whose Portuguese acronym means Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola. UNITA, or the National Union for the Total Indepen- dence of Angola, has said it would be willing to form a co- alition with other opposition groups in order to govern. Election officials said the vote went smoothly despite minor problems and delays. Lourenco, 63, is a former governor who fought in the war against Portuguese colo- nial rule as well as the long civil war that ended in 2002. He has pledged to fight graft and is seen as a symbol of stability and even in- cremental change. Oil-rich Angola is beset by wide- spread poverty, corruption and human rights concerns, though some analysts be- lieve new leadership could slowly open the way to more accountability. Critics, however, point to entrenched patronage net- works benefiting an elite that includes Isabel dos Santos, the president’s daughter and head of the state oil com- pany Sonangol, and Jose Filo- meno dos Santos, a son in charge of the country’s sover- eign wealth fund. Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74, is expected to remain ruling party leader, though there are concerns about his health since he received med- ical treatment in Spain this year. He took power in 1979. Angolan rights activists have alleged that the MPLA unfairly used state ma- chinery ahead of the election, noting that most media cov- erage focused on the MPLA’s campaign. Opposition parties said there were irregularities ahead of the voting. Election observers from other African countries mon- itored the vote, but the Eu- ropean Union did not send a full-fledged observer mis- sion because it said the An- golan government wanted to impose restrictions, including limited access to polling sta- tions around the country. President Emmanuel Macron and his prime min- ister hit back at former President Francois Hol- lande for criticizing their plans to revamp French labor law as they gird for a fight on landmark reform in coming weeks. Hollande warned his successor Tuesday against imposing “useless sacri- fices” on French workers. Asked about the remarks after a meeting with Aus- trian Chancellor Chris- tian Kern in Salzburg, the 39-year-old president gave a campaign-style defense of his initiative that lasted almost 10 minutes. “France’s problem is that it has had mass unem- ployment for 30 years,” he said late Wednesday. “The reality is that we are the only big European country that hasn’t won the battle against unemployment.” Macron turned to Kern during a press con- ference in Salzburg and asked what Austria’s un- employment rate is. Kern responded that it was 5.4 percent, practically half the French level even though two countries are both pay high wages and offer extensive social ben- efits. For Macron, that sug- gests that France’s prob- lems are of its own making. France’s labor code runs to 3,000 pages and covers ev- erything from wage nego- tiations to standards for ventilating offices, dis- couraging hiring. Prime Minister Ed- ouard Philippe followed up Thursday morning, saying in an interview on RMC radio that he believes the French signaled readiness for change in this year’s presidential election. Hol- lande became the first sit- ting French president in half a century to bow out after one term because of unpopularity. “What struck me in the remarks of the former pres- ident is that, fundamen- tally, he wants everything to continue as when he was in power,” Philippe said. “Personally the message I took from the presiden- tial election was that the French don’t want more of the same, they want a pro- found change.” After less than four months in office, Ma- cron is preparing to un- veil changes to labor law that will ease firing and shift negotiations on mat- ters such as the length of the work week to the company level, away from sector-wide agreements. Changes to French labor laws have been historically been fraught for govern- ments because of strong opposition from unions and students. The CGT union has called for pro- tests next month. While Macron already has parliamentary ap- proval to push through the changes by executive order, the degree of public sup- port for street demonstra- tions will determine suc- cess or failure. The effort is being watched closely both at home and abroad in the biggest test yet of his leadership. LONDON (AP) – Net migra- tion to Britain has fallen to a three-year low as a growing number of European Union citizens have left the country following last year’s Brexit referendum. Data released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics provides evidence that the uncertainty and eco- nomic jitters caused by Brit- ain’s vote to quit the EU are deterring immigrants and sparking a “Brexodus.” The statistics office said net migration – the differ- ence between arrivals and departures – was 246,000 in the year to March 31, a fall of 81,000 on a year earlier. More than half the change was due to a decline of 51,000 people in net migration from the EU. A total of 122,000 EU cit- izens left Britain in the year to March, up 31,000 from the year before and the highest outflow in nearly a decade. There was a particularly sharp rise in departures from citizens of the “EU 8” – the eastern European nations that joined the bloc in 2004. Hundreds of thousands of Poles, Lithuanians and other eastern Europeans moved to Britain to work after 2004. EU citizens have the right to live and work in any member state, and more than 3 million nationals of other EU countries reside in Britain. When Britain leaves the EU in March 2019, it will have the power to set restrictions on the movement of people from the EU, leaving many EU citizens uncertain about their future rights in Britain. Nicola White, head of in- ternational migration figures at the U.K. statistics office, said the figures “indicate that the EU referendum result may be influencing people’s decision to migrate into and out of the U.K., particularly EU and EU8 citizens.” “It is too early to tell if this is an indication of a long-term trend,” she said. A fall in the value of the pound since last year’s ref- erendum and a slowdown in the British economy may also be making the country less attractive to migrants. The statistics agency con- firmed Thursday that the economy grew by a modest 0.3 percent in the second quarter of 2017 from the pre- vious three months, slower than any other Group of Seven economy. Pro-EU opposition politi- cians and business leaders said the decline in migra- tion was an early warning sign, and Britain would face a shortage of workers if it se- verely restricted immigration after Brexit. Matthew Percival, head of employment at the Con- federation of British In- dustry said the loss of “vital skills” should concern ev- eryone in Britain. But Prime Minister The- resa May’s Conservative gov- ernment, which has a long- standing and unmet pledge to cut net immigration below 100,000 a year, said the fig- ures were “encouraging.” “People who come to our country to work bring sig- nificant benefits to the U.K., but there is no consent for uncontrolled immigration,” said immigration minister Brandon Lewis. A total of 122,000 EU citizens left Britain in the year to March, up 31,000 from the year before and the highest outflow in nearly a decade. The announcement followed a day of conflicting claims by the rival parties, which fought each other in a long civil war in the southern African nation that ended in 2002. Voting officials are pictured at their stations in Luanda on Wednesday, during elections in Angola. - PHOTO: APNext >