ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 High of 91 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE PEANUTS ‘SHELL GAME’ CONTINUES WORLD & REGIONAL | PAGE 11 CUBA’S DECREPIT BUILDINGS NO MATCH FOR HURRICANE IRMA Home Options Be insured and be prepared ! Save on your buildings cover and claim a free storm kit or $250gift certificate! The storm kit is free to all new home insurance policy holders. It contains all the essentials, tarpaulin, lantern, first aid kit, 5 gallon bucket and games to see you through if the weather gets rough. Ask for a home insurance quote! Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life HUMANITARIAN TRIP TO ANGUILLA Irma brings memories of Ivan Medical workers, supplies dispatched to island KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com When Premier Alden McLaughlin first stepped on the ground of hurricane-ravaged Anguilla on Tuesday afternoon, he said he had a flashback to September 2004. “It brought back in a rush the images, smells and feelings of the aftermath of Ivan,” he said. “It almost made me tear up.” Mr. McLaughlin said many people in Cayman felt “isolated” after Hurricane Ivan devastated the territory. He said he’s deter- mined to make sure people in the other British Overseas Territories do not have those same feelings in the wake of Hurricane Irma. To that end, Cayman’s humanitarian mis- sion on Tuesday involved a Cayman Airways 737-300 shipping medical and disaster re- lief workers, food, medicine and other sup- plies to Anguilla. Most of the resources are meant to bolster Anguilla’s healthcare system, as the island’s hospital was severely damaged by Irma. The Health Services Authority stated that it sent a general practice physician, an emergency room physician, two emergency room nurses, two operating room nurses, a critical care unit nurse, a chemotherapy nurse and a paramedic. Health City Cayman Islands said it con- tributed three of its staff members and more than US$30,000 of medicine. “We want to send our support to our Ca- ribbean family who have been impacted by Hurricane Irma,” Health City CEO Dr. Chandy Abraham said. LASER SHONE AT POLICE HELICOPTER ‘A NUMBER OF TIMES’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial began on Wednesday for Javonnie Silburn, 21, who is accused of shining a laser at a police helicopter over East End on April 29, 2015. The first witness to give evidence in person was Detective Constable Gustavo Rodrigues, who was in the police helicopter that was de- ployed in response to reports from officers pa- trolling the area in police cars. Mr. Rodrigues said the helicopter deployed to East End around 9:30 p.m. and he observed “a bright red light appearing to be a laser-type light.” It was pointed right at him and bright enough to see without equipment. It lasted no more than five to 10 seconds. Crown counsel Emma Hutchinson asked if that were the only time he saw the light. He said no – “The laser was pointed at the air- craft a number of times.” He explained how he guided another of- ficer, who was using an infrared camera, to position the camera over the area from which the light was being pointed. He saw on the camera screen two males standing in Fiddler’s Way. One had his hand pointed at the helicopter. The officer passed his observations and de- scriptions of the men to a ground unit that was responding. Asked how he felt, Mr. Rodrigues said he was concerned for the safety of the aircraft and his own safety. Asked why, he replied, “The laser could have an effect on the pilot The children of ‘ghosts’ haunt Cayman immigration BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A group of people some- times referred to as “Ghost Cay- manians” are now spawning a second generation that Cayman Islands Immigration Law has little, if any, means to address, legal experts warn. Local immigration attorney Nicolas Joseph of HSM Cham- bers said this week that the issue is a real-life “duppy” (Ca- ribbean term for ghost) problem that the territory must con- front immediately. Former Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board Chairman Waide DaCosta warned last week of the is- sue’s critical importance to the islands and said it has not been dealt with by successive administrations. Ignoring it could mean that Cayman will create, within the next decade or so, a genera- tion of “stateless” children who are turning 18 and who have nowhere to go. “We are coming across per- sons well into their 30s and beyond, finding themselves amongst the ‘undocumented,’” Day of adventure topped with ferry ride Students from North Side’s Edna Moyle Primary School got a special boat ride home with Cayman Ferries Tuesday after spending the day taking part in a scavenger hunt and listening to an adventure story at Camana Bay as part of the ongoing Literacy Month activities. For more on this story, see page 2. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 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 - IT (R) 1:15 VIP I 2:25 I 3:25 I 6:30 I 7:00 VIP 9:25 I 9:40 THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD (R) 12:50 I 3:40 I 7:10 I 10:00 ANNABELLE CREATION (R) 12:30 I 4:20 VIP I 6:35 I 10:05 VIP GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:40 I 6:55 DARK TOWER (PG13) 4:30 I 9:45 THE NUT JOB 2 3D (PG) 12:30 2D I 2:50 I 5:10 2D I 7:30 2D I 9:50 Literacy month has young North Side readers on the hunt at Camana Bay POLICE, COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS ‘BUSINESS WATCH’ INITIATIVE Police arrest CEO of world’s largest meatpacker Police are inviting mem- bers of the George Town business and tourism com- munity to attend a meeting Thursday evening, Sept. 14, to consider setting up a “Busi- ness Watch” initiative to help tackle crime in the area. Business Watch, similar to Neighborhood Watch, in- volves businesses in a spe- cific area sharing informa- tion, reducing and solving crime problems, and raising awareness about community issues, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service constable Jon- athan Kern said. “This is a business scheme,” he said. “It’s not a police scheme. We help them set it up and work with them, but the success of it is driven by the businesses.” He hopes that once one Business Watch gets under way, other areas will also set up their own Business Watches. PC Kern, who is orga- nizing the meeting, said in an invitation to the commu- nity: “In the meeting, I would like you to bring any ideas, concerns or information you have that you think is of rel- evance to the police and the community.” He said the initiative is purely voluntary. “I will be giving a short presentation on what a Busi- ness Watch is and how it can be of benefit to your busi- ness and community, and I will hopefully be recruiting some of you as volunteers who would be willing to take on a more active role in the Business Watch.” PC Kern said he hopes that “once we start with this meeting, we will be able to expand it, bring in other agencies and follow it up with another meeting in January to talk about de- velopments and on how things have gone.” Anyone who would like to attend or get more information can contact PC Kern at jonathan.kern@rcips.ky or call 938-1384 (cell) or 949-4222 (station). SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazilian police on Wednesday ar- rested the CEO of the world’s largest meatpacker for al- legedly using their own plea bargains to gain an advan- tage in financial markets. Wesley Batista was taken into custody in Sao Paulo. Batista and his brother Jo- esley, the former chairman of JBS, have both entered agreements with prosecutors in which they testified that JBS paid bribes to scores of politicians, including Presi- dent Michel Temer. Temer de- nies wrongdoing. The Batistas have been at the center of Brazil’s near- operatic corruption investi- gation in recent weeks – a drama outlined by the plea- bargain singing of many wit- nesses. The sprawling probe has uncovered a scheme in which several companies paid millions of dollars in bribes to politicians. The investigation, the largest in Brazil’s history, has implicated several former presidents. Ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for in- stance, has already been con- victed of corruption in one case. Da Silva arrived at a court in the southeastern city of Curitiba on Wednesday to testify in another. Executives from JBS have provided evidence for some of the most serious allega- tions, including claims that Temer arranged to receive millions in payouts in ex- change for helping the meat- packer. But in recent days, prosecutors have questioned whether Joesley Bastista and other executives may have withheld some information, violating their plea deals. Police investigator Victor Hugo Rodrigues Alves said the Batistas knew that the plea bargains would af- fect stock prices and cause the Brazilian real to weaken against the U.S. dollar and used that to their advantage. A warrant for Joesley Ba- tista’s arrest was also issued, but the executive has been in custody since Sunday fol- lowing the questions about his plea testimony. Between late April and mid-May, while negotiating their plea bargains, the brothers made large pur- chases of dollars on the fu- tures markets, Rodrigues Alves said. During that pe- riod, their holding company also sold hundreds of mil- lions of dollars in JBS shares. “The victims are not just JBS shareholders,” said Ro- drigues Alves. “In a large con- text, the country is a victim, as the crimes shook the con- fidence of the market.” Over the course of around 10 days in May, as word began leaking out that the brothers were considering plea bargains that included damning accusations, JBS shares plummeted, losing nearly half of their value. Pierpaolo Cruz Bot- tini, a lawyer for the Batista brothers, called the arrest “unjust, absurd and regret- table.” He said his clients had cooperated with authorities at every step and suggested they were being targeted by some within the govern- ment for having reached plea bargains. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grades 1, 2 and 3 stu- dents from North Side’s Edna M. Moyle Primary School ex- plored Camana Bay Tuesday in search of their favorite sto- rybook characters as part of Literacy Month. Throughout this month, Camana Bay and schools in Cayman are celebrating Lit- eracy Month and raising awareness for local charity LIFE with a variety of events and activities, including a scavenger hunt, which is free and open to the public. Janice Brown, a Year 3 teacher at the school, said the 46 students who at- tended the event had a fan- tastic morning participating in the adventure-themed ac- tivities. “For days, they have been talking and retelling the story about what happened during the day,” she said. Arriving at Cayman Bay, they were met by Books & Books store manager Terry Cleaver, and store clerk Silvia Rudon read “Pirate Cruncher” by author Jonny Duddle. Laura Bryson, a public re- lations manager at Camana Bay, introduced the students to the scavenger hunt. Stu- dents were given maps to find their way around Ca- mana Bay in search of sto- rybook characters hidden around the property. “Many of the students claimed it was the best expe- rience and [most] fun field trip they had been on, and some were able to make connec- tions with many familiar road signs and buildings during the trip,” said Ms. Brown. The literary journey ended with a trip back to North Side on Cayman Fer- ries, who sponsored the trip from Camana Bay’s harbor to Kaibo Yacht Club. “This is a business scheme. It’s not a police scheme. We help them set it up and work with them, but the success of it is driven by the businesses.” PC JONATHAN KERN Students from North Side’s Edna M. Moyle Primary School pose with a giant ‘Read’ sign in Camana Bay where they visited as part of Literacy Month. The investigation, the largest in Brazil’s history, has implicated several former presidents. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 OCTOBER 7, 2017 The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky Featuring Special Guest Speakers PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speakers Rancic Bill & Giulianna THANK YOU TO OUR PINK RIBBON SPONSORS UK group of pro-Cayman politicians meets for first time since election The group of parliamen- tarians and peers that pro- motes the interest of the Cayman Islands in Britain and internationally recon- vened Tuesday night for the first time since the U.K. gen- eral election. The U.K. All Party Par- liamentary Group for the Cayman Islands now has more than 30 members, a significant increase since the group was re-established in February with 22 members. The boost comes as a re- sult of the Cayman Islands government’s London Office engaging U.K. parliamentar- ians, educating them about the territory, and sharing ju- risdictional successes and challenges, according to Eric Bush, the Cayman Islands representative in London. “Visits to the U.K. by the Cayman Islands premier and ministers have proved invaluable in re-establishing ourselves in a positive manner within Westmin- ster and with parliamen- tarians,” Mr. Bush said in a press release. He said the group will offer significant support to Cayman’s interests. “Having an active and engaging All Party Parlia- mentary Group is very ben- eficial for the Cayman Is- lands,” he said. “As matters arise within the U.K. or Eu- ropean Union, generally, or specifically in parliament, or in Brussels, we now have a core group of U.K. parlia- mentarians that will fight our cause with relevant, up- to-date information to ward off opposition, or those who would intend us ill-will.” The Cayman Islands gov- ernment believes that an ac- tive All Party Parliamentary Group will be particularly important during Britain’s preparations to leave the European Union. Mr. Bush said, “This is not only valuable in our de- fense, but also to aid us in better identifying op- portunities that would be beneficial to our islands and our people.” The All Party Parliamen- tary Group was inactive for several years before Mr. Bush took up the London Office role in July 2016, the press release said. Comprised of backbench MPs, the group is chaired by Graham Brady. Mr. Brady also chairs the 1922 Com- mittee, the Conservative Party backbench whose members are influential in choosing the prime minister when the party holds a ma- jority in parliament. At the Tuesday meeting, members of the All Party Parliamentary Group praised the humanitarian mission from the Cayman Islands, in Anguilla in the wake of the devastation from Hurricane Irma. To coordinate aid efforts, the Cayman Islands Govern- ment Office continues to li- aise with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as representatives and offices of the British Over- seas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were all affected by the storm. Woman in court for ‘reckless’ cosmetic procedures CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Zunilda Anaya Baldovino, who is accused of administering cosmetic injections without a li- cense, appeared in Summary Court on Tuesday, facing two counts of doing a reckless and negligent act. The act alleged was supplying or administering “medicine or poison or dangerous matter” in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or safety. One charge relates to Oc- tober 2016, with a named com- plainant. The second charge relates to a date on or about Nov. 15, 2016, with another named complainant. Police press releases indicate that the woman was arrested in January 2017 following reports of administering cosmetic injec- tions without a license, which in turn had adverse effects on two people. Baldovino, 56, is listed on her charge sheet as re- siding in West Bay. The defendant stood before Magistrate Valdis Foldats with a friend who had volunteered to serve as an interpreter because, as defense attorney Jonathon Hughes explained, Baldovino does not speak English very well. The magistrate began by ex- plaining, as he is required to do, that the charge against Baldo- vino entitles her to free legal ad- vice from a duty counsel. The friend said she did not understand. The magistrate went no fur- ther but said he would ask that a Spanish-speaking interpreter attend for the defendant’s next court appearance on Oct. 3. The act alleged was supplying or administering “medicine or poison or dangerous matter” in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or safety. RAPE REPORTED IN PROSPECT Police are investigating a re- port of a rape at a woman’s home in Shamrock Road, Prospect, early Wednesday morning. Officers responded to the re- port just after 3 a.m. at the resi- dential complex. The woman told police a “brown- skinned man,” around 5 feet, 10 inches tall, entered her apartment and raped her. The man left in a white Kia Picanto, police said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Inspector Dave Morrison at 916-1045. Graham Brady is the chairman of the U.K. All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands.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. If you haven’t been paying attention to the saga of whether “Peanuts” convenience store in Red Bay did, or did not, receive a liquor license to sell alcohol on Sundays, now might be a good time to secure a front row seat. Until recently, the issue has focused largely on abstruse and labyrinthine regulations of interest mainly to lawyers, their clients, bureaucrats and an assortment of nearly anonymous volunteer board members who rarely, if ever, see their names in the newspaper. All that is about to change. If you are one of those Johnny-come-latelies who do not follow baseball until the World Series or football until the World Cup, we can assure you it’s not too late to get up to speed on the Peanuts fiasco. It’s about to get very interesting. At the Compass, just when we think we’ve heard everything there is to hear about the Peanuts license, new revelations, often in the form of leaked docu- ments, “appear” on our desks. The latest batch introduced a new cast of charac- ters – in particular, Governor Helen Kilpatrick, former Commerce Minister Wayne Panton, and the Cayman Ministers’ Association. They join the other players who include current Commerce Minister Joey Hew, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, the Internal Audit Unit (which, at the request of Messrs. Hew and Manderson, is investigating this whole matter), the members of the Liquor Board, and, of course, Woody DaCosta, former acting-chairman of the Liquor Board. Mr. DaCosta recently was removed from his post as acting-chairman. Let’s pick up the story here: March 24 and 28 – The board considers Gary Rutty’s application for a “retail license” that would allow Peanuts to sell alcohol on Sunday. According to the original “draft” version of the meeting minutes, the board approved the retail license for Peanuts. However, the “finalized” version of the minutes suggests the board denied the license. March 28 – The Cayman Ministers’ Association (an influential group representing the country’s churches) writes to Governor Kilpatrick, saying the group was “extremely concerned” about potential expansion of Sunday alcohol sales, especially at petrol stations. April 4 – Governor Kilpatrick responds to the Min- isters’ Association, saying that she “agree[d] that this issue needs to be considered with common sense, given the harm that alcohol can cause and partic- ularly combined with driving.” The governor said she had forwarded the letter to Commerce Minister Panton, whose purview includes the Liquor Licensing Board. She added she would also forward the letter to Premier Alden McLaughlin. April 6 – Mr. DaCosta, who is Mr. Panton’s brother- in-law, sends an email to then-board secretary Marva Scott and other board members which read, “Please embargo all licenses until our press release and policy is in place as we all discussed at the very last quar- terly meeting.” Mid-June – Mr. DaCosta claims the board held an “electronic meeting” during which the board members turned down Peanuts’ retail license application. (No written record of this meeting exists, in either the “draft” or “finalized” versions of the minutes.) Mr. Panton told the Compass he received the letter forwarded to him by Governor Kilpatrick but took no action. “This was in the throes of the election,” he explained. For her part, Governor Kilpatrick adamantly denied any intent to pressure Mr. Panton, Cabinet or anyone else into action. We take the governor at her word, but she must be aware that any correspondence bearing the seal of the “Office of the Governor” carries with it inordinate gravitas, if not influence. It’s not like receiving a flier in the mail from Foster’s Food Fair. We would wager that Governor Kilpatrick in ret- rospect would agree with us that she should not have involved herself in any way in this issue. When she received the “lobbying letter” from the Minis- ters’ Association, she should have simply written them back, thanked them for their correspondence, and informed them to re-address their letter to the Minister of Commerce, Mr. Wayne Panton. In other words, “Have a nice day. I’m not getting involved in this.” Despite the murkiness of this ever-unfolding drama, readers can look forward to some clarity, if not resolution, next week when the Internal Audit Unit is expected to finalize its investigative report. The Compass, we can assure you, will be first in line for our copy when it is made public. The Peanuts ‘shell game’ continues BLOOMBERG VIEW No, Vladimir Putin has not suddenly become a man of peace. His recent overture in Ukraine should be seen for what it is — an effort to fur- ther his own interests — and treated as such. After the Russian pres- ident called for bringing United Nations peacekeepers into the Ukraine conflict, Ger- many’s foreign minister said he was “very glad” about the “surprising” development from a Kremlin that had pre- viously shunned calls for an international force. Nobody who knows Putin well should be so gullible. While the Ukrainian gov- ernment and its Western supporters have also called for the UN to monitor the civil war in Eastern Ukraine, they have rightly insisted that the peacekeepers mon- itor the border with Russia, where arms and advisers pour in to aid the separatist rebels aiming to split the na- tion further apart. Yet Putin wants the international force to patrol only the unoffi- cial dividing line between the breakaway regions and the Ukrainian military. His goal, clearly, is to have the UN forces establish a de facto independent state for the Russia-aligned forces. This Ukraine strategy is of a piece with Putin’s long- term goal of creating a series of “frozen conflicts” around Russia’s borders to serve as a buffer zone between his na- tion and what he sees as a hostile West. The West should see Pu- tin’s latest offer for what it is: a Trojan horse to solidify the pro-Russian rebels’ hold on Eastern Ukraine. If there are to be talks about UN peace- keepers, they must begin with an understanding that they will patrol the Ukraine- Russia border and interdict all military aid flowing to the breakaway regions. The U.S. and its allies should also consider mea- sures that might give Ukraine greater leverage in talks to re- store its full sovereignty, in- cluding shipping so-called le- thal defensive weapons such as Javelin anti-tank missiles. They should also be straight- forward with the Ukrainian government that it will never unify the nation without a se- rious effort to eliminate cor- ruption and to punish those on the nationalist side who have committed war crimes in the civil conflict. Yes, the Ukraine conflict slipped off the headlines, but that’s ex- actly what Putin wants. © 2017, Bloomberg View THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Liquor board erred in licensing gas stations I refer your attention to an article published in the Sept. 12 edition of the Cayman Compass (“Sunday alcohol sales; Church ministers’ Letter to governor revealed”). Finally, we hear from the churches who called for the moratorium from 2002 to 2016. Bishop Sykes was the only one who publicly spoke up, saying gas sta- tions should not have any li- quor licenses. Regarding Mr. Glid- den’s comments on me not objecting to Sunday sales: There was no need to. My objection was against gas stations obtaining a retail package license on the basis that a cabinet order prohib- ited it outright. In any event, why would I need to object, knowing that it was already unlawful for gas stations [to get] a bar license in the same premises as a retail package license? The Liquor Licensing Board should not have ac- cepted the application in the first place considering that these two categories of liquor licenses in the same prem- ises are in conflict and in vio- lation of the liquor licensing law, i.e. type of purchase (consumption on the prem- ises and package liquor no consumption on the premise) and hours of operation. Mr. Glidden and Mr. Rutty should have been aware of this con- flict. Furthermore, how can it be permissible to sell li- quor, based solely upon an email, when not yet having possession of the physical li- cense prominently mounted and displayed in the li- censed premises? I wish to publicly com- mend the Governor for her response to the Ministers As- sociation letter and her com- ments in her April 4 letter where she states, “I agree that this needs to be con- sidered with common sense, given the harm that alcohol can cause and particularly combined with driving”. Irrespective of the very important issue of what the law says concerning Sunday sales of alcohol, I still main- tain that two separate cab- inet orders currently exist and that the Liquor Licensing Board was wrong to grant li- quor licenses to gas stations in the first place. The gazette lists two different orders: 1. Moratorium on Li- quor Licenses 2. Prohibition against gas stations obtaining liquor licenses. A moratorium is a tem- porary prohibition of an al- ready lawful activity while a prohibition is a law or regu- lation making an activity il- legal. Any changes to these orders must be clear and documented, with no ambi- guity surrounding a change to one or the other. Robert Hamaty President & CEO Tortuga Rum Company Putin’s peace offer is a Trojan horse PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 Department of Agriculture working together, growing together The Department of Agriculture’s Land Clearing and Land Preparation Service, is currently accepting applications for the district of Bodden Town. Application forms can be collected from the Department of Agriculture’s office or downloaded from it’s website at www.doa.gov.ky (Agronomy/Revised Bulldozer Policy). No incomplete or late applications will be accepted. Deadline for receipt of applications for this district is Friday 22nd September, 2017. Ph: (345)-947-3090 OFFICE CLOSURE NOTICE BAF Insurance would like to inform our valued customers that our office’s will be closed on Friday 15th September due to a Staff Recreation Day. Our offices will resume business as usual on Monday 18th September. T. 345-949-5089 F. 345-949-7192 E. cayman@mybafsolutions.com We express our sincere thanks to you for your continued patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Contractor: Hurricane winds unlikely to lift solar panels TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com As the Atlantic hurricane season continues, contrac- tors who built the solar farm in Bodden Town that opened in June say hurricane force winds are unlikely to lift any of the nearly 22,000 panels off their foundations. Each of the 21,690 panels on the 22-acre former veg- etable farm near Pease Bay Pond weighs 40 pounds, but, according to Neil Arm- strong, owner of contractor Clan Construction, “they are not going to lift up off the ground. The frames will never lift and the ballast will hold. It’s anchored with a yard- and-a-half of concrete. “All of that, together with the rails, was one of the first questions we asked when we designed this,” he said. The narrow “rails” run in parallel beneath the panels, linking and securing them, particularly on slanted surfaces, as part of the mounting structure. Armstrong said bolts had been tightened and screws driven, preventing storm- driven winds from lifting the panels off their mounts. “We had independent en- gineers come down from the U.S. to check,” he said. Mr. Armstrong’s Clan Construction started work on the $4 million, 5 mega- watt Bodden Town array in late February, completing the project in April. Farm owner Entropy Investment Manage- ment and the Caribbean Util- ities Company opened the power plant on June 20. James Whittaker, owner and founder of local solar de- signer and installer Green- tech, and chairman of the Cayman Islands Renewable Energy Association, worried about flooding, however. “There’s not much more you can do than what’s al- ready there to secure the solar farm. The weakness I see in the Bodden Town de- sign is the tubs that sit on grade. [They are] very cost ef- fective, but that land is soft and if/when it floods and [the] ground below turns to mud, the arrays will shift and the glass on the panels will start to shatter,” he said. “Or so I suspect. Hopefully not, but we’ll see.” Mr. Armstrong quickly sought to allay concerns, however: “The ground was demucked, and crushed rock was placed on the surface by the land owner. “The ballasts are held down with concrete founda- tions. The only way these bal- lasts would move would need to involve a tsunami.” During construction, the company added four feet to the height of the property, further en- suring against flood-related shifting. Mr. Armstrong ac- knowledged early concerns about hurricane winds lifting the panels, “but it’s engi- neered to withstand this.” Design and licensing specifications for the farm require loading to withstand 155 mile per hour winds. The crushed rock beneath the concrete ballast is likely to stop mud from forming, while any shifting beneath the substrate will be coun- tered by the steel super- structure holding the con- crete in position. On Wednesday, weekly Cleveland-based industry newsletter Solar Power World detailed what it called “the solar industry’s best warranty,” minimizing storm worries with a 25- year guarantee in the face of “extreme weather, wide- ranging temperatures [and] panel aging.” The solar farm in Bodden Town opened in June.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, SEPT. 14 BUSINESS WATCH MEETING: George Town businesses are invited to attend a police/ community meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall in George Town. People with business interests are invited to bring “any ideas, concerns or information you have that you think is of relevance to the police and the community.” RCIPS Police Constable Jonathan Kern will give a short presentation on what a Business Watch is and how it can benefit your business and community. For information, email jonathan.kern@rcips.ky or call 938-1384 (cell)/949-4222 (station). All are invited. BRAC THATCH PLAITING: Class at Heritage House, 7-9 p.m. $5. Contact simones@candw.ky. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: A meeting is scheduled to advise on the new law. All organizations that accept donations or funds from the public must register. 10-11:30 a.m., Room 1038, Government Administration Building. For more information, persons are asked to contact Policy Officer Wilbur Welcome at wilbur.welcome@gov.ky, in the Department of Financial Services Policy and Legislation. CONQUERING CANCER: Continuing Medical Education seminar at Marriott Beach Resort for all allied and medical professionals, 5:30-9:30 p.m. For more information or to sign up, call the Cayman Islands Cancer Society at 949-7618. CHAMBER COURSE: Effective Negotiation and Conflict Management Styles. 12:30–4:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Debt Collection – How to Avoid and Collect Bad Debt. 9–11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 PROTECTED AREAS: Today is the deadline to nominate protected areas in the Cayman Islands. The idea is to ensure that sites, similar to national parks in other countries, are preserved for future generations. Nominations should be sent to conservationcouncil@gov. ky, with a description of the protected area and reasons why it should be protected. Further information on the Department of Environment website www.DoE.ky. SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 FAMILY FUN DAY: National Gallery, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission. Art activities based on the exhibition “Mediating Self.” Hour-long art classes at 10 a.m. and 12 noon. Food available from Smokies. WCA ANNIVERSARY: All are invited as Wesleyan Christian Academy celebrates its 40th anniversary, noon till 5 p.m. Tomorrow, Sunday, there will be special church services at the West Bay Holiness Church at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information, call 949-1121. TIME ATTACK: 7 p.m. at Uncle Clem’s loop (behind the airport long-term parking). Registration Friday, Sept. 15, at Parker’s parking lot and also get your car tech inspected. Organized by Cayman Motorsports Association. BRAC YOUTH: Youth to Youth Meeting at Youth Development Centre. 6-9 p.m. DARKNESS TO LIGHT: Free training program for parents and those who work with children. Gain knowledge to recognize and prevent child abuse. 9-11:30 a.m. Free of cost, but pre-registration required. Contact vrm@redcross.org.ky. HEALTH FAIR: Free community health fair at the Marriott Beach Resort, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. CRISIS CENTRE GALA: Opa! My Big Fat Greek Gala, to benefit the Crisis Centre. Pappagallo’s, 7 p.m. Welcome cocktail, Greek food, live entertainment, silent auction. Tickets $150 per person or $1,250 for groups of 10. Contact lauren@bermanfisher.com. SUNDAY, SEPT. 17 PAWS DOG WASH: From 9-11 a.m. at the Mission House in Bodden Town. This event is free and all dogs are welcome. PAWS volunteers will bathe dogs and speak with anyone in the community who may need financial assistance for spay/neuter, veterinary care, etc. Volunteers are welcome. For more information, please contact PAWS at 916-3957 or 916-1731. Check out Facebook page for more details. WCA 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. TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 CHAMBER COURSE: Challenging Conversation Skills; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $225 for members, $300 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FIGURE DRAWING: Last day to register. Visual Arts Society offers six-week figure drawing workshop Sept. 19 to Oct. 24, 7–9 p.m. Watler House Studio at Pedro St. James. This is an opportunity for intermediate artists to develop their figure drawing skills. Fee is $130 for members, or $180 for non-members and includes use of studio/ easels & boards, live model, guidance from a qualified art instructor. Drop-in fee is $25/$35 per session. Email info@visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: A meeting is scheduled to advise on the new law. All organizations that accept donations or funds from the public must register. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Room 1038, Government Administration building. For more information, persons are asked to contact Policy Officer Wilbur Welcome at wilbur.welcome@gov.ky, in the Department of Financial Services Policy and Legislation. THURSDAY, SEPT. 21 PUB QUIZ: Fidel Murphy’s, 7 p.m. All proceeds to Cayman Islands Humane Society. $10 per person. Teams of six people maximum. To reserve a table call 949-5189 or email sarah.dyer.81@gmail.com. FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 HANNAH’S HEROES BIG SHAVE: All are invited to attend the 5th annual Hannah’s Heroes Big Shave at The Wicket in Cricket Square. The event is held annually to raise funds for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The charity funds childhood cancer research. The event was conceived by Cayman residents Gaylene and Nigel Meeson after their daughter Hannah was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2012. Visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/ hannahsheroes or email team@hannahsheroes.ky for more information. SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 COVENANT MORAVIAN CHURCH: Holds its 30th anniversary banquet at Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, 7-10 p.m. Formal attire. Contribution $75. Call 947-7935 for tickets and more information. SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 HIGH SCHOOL REUNION: The Cayman Islands High School Class of 1987 celebrates their 30-year class reunion, 7 p.m. at the George Town Yacht Club, North Sound Road. Tickets are now on sale for $75 at Funky Tang’s or by calling Cassandra Ebanks Powery on 925-1930. Please purchase tickets by Sept. 25 so preparations can be made. SUNDAY, OCT. 1 CUT-A-THON: Hair and beauty salons offer services at huge savings in this 17th annual fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. Participants include Eclipze Hair Design and Spa, Focus Hair and Beauty, Artista Salon, Spa Esprit and Privé Beauty Studio. Wet cuts for men, women and children, mini manicures and eyebrow threading, $1 a minute massages, reflexology at $2 a minute. These last two services can be scheduled in advance. GENERAL INTEREST MENTORING CAYMAN: The Chamber of Commerce is calling for business and community leaders to volunteer as a mentor for the 2017/18 program. Deadline is Sept. 30. Call 743-9123 for further information or visit www.caymanchamber.ky/ mentoringcayman. 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. TOBACCO LICENCES: Tobacco license holders are reminded of the 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, deadline to apply for their annual license renewals. Annual registration renewal fees are $500 for a retailer, $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers needed for weekly sports training. Tuesdays – Track, bocce, football. Wednesdays – Lighthouse School swimming at Lions pool. Thursdays – Basketball. Saturdays – Adult swim. Golf is starting soon if interested. Contact Darrel Rankine, national director at soci@candw.ky or 916-2600 for further details. CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Performances of the comedy “Sistahs” are at the Prospect Playhouse on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 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. LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: The Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 2018 program. Improve your leadership skills by applying today. Deadline is Oct. 27. Call 743-9121 for further information or visit www.caymanchamber.ky/ leadershipcayman. 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 program, held at the Savannah United Church Hall, Mondays to 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. 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). 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 at www.lawschool.gov.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The pub quiz at Fidel Murphy’s on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. benefits the Cayman Islands Humane Society.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 Savannah Primary students plant literary ‘time capsule’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com When you are 7 or 8 years old, the school-year journey between September and June can feel as long as a generation. With this in mind, chil- dren at Savannah Primary School planted a “time cap- sule” – an undertaking gener- ally reserved for much longer periods – in the schoolyard on Sept. 8 with their be- ginning of the year essays encased within. At the end of the school year in June, they will open it up, find their works and see how much they have improved during the past nine months. For teachers like school literacy coordinator Mary Callaghan, it can sometimes feel as though the children have improved enough for several years’ worth, if they put their minds to it. “This is our first year we’ve come up with the idea of a writing ‘time capsule’,” Ms. Callaghan said. “We’ll dig it up again on June 8, 2018, and we’ll compare.” Before the unearthing, the students, from Year 1 to Year 6, will all have written another essay and will be able to see how they have progressed. “The most important thing for us this year is that we are enabling students to take full accountability and ownership of their learning,” she said. There has been some con- cern about public school- children’s achievement, par- ticularly in writing, based on statements made at a recent education confer- ence held in Cayman. Many of the local schools have been taking up the Literacy Month banner, holding events to encourage improved reading and writing. Carol Nyack, Savannah Primary principal, said the teachers have set certain goals for each student, based on the writing level they are currently in. Even the stu- dents with accomplished writing skills can still learn such things as style and tech- nique, Ms. Nyack said, while the younger ones learning the basics focus on such things as complete sentences and proper punctuation. “They’re going to work towards achieving those targets, by June 8,” Ms. Nyack said. Before the time capsule was put “in the ground” for the school year, several se- lected students from Year 3 to Year 6 at Savannah Pri- mary read out their essays and told their classmates what they will be working on during the year. “I am beginning to make some links between my para- graphs and sentences,” said Jessica Brown, a Year 4 stu- dent, describing some of her writing goals for the up- coming year. ”I use appro- priate vocabulary.” Year 5 student Jahnelle Wood described a recent trip to Disney World in her essay (this seemed to be a favorite topic with several of the kids): “As we got there I was very excited, I could not wait until we came out of the bus. When we got out, we rubbed sunscreen on our bodies be- cause it was, like, burning out there. We walked all the way to the boat that takes you to the Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom has everything that you want to do.” Once the essays were read, they were placed into the capsule and school groundsman Terence Timoll covered them up for un- veiling next spring. 50 YEARS AGO: Hurricane Beulah to pass south of Cayman In the Sept. 13, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, as resi- dents of the Cayman Islands anxiously eyed Hurricane Beulah, the following article titled “Storm Heads West” appeared on the front page: “Hurricane Beulah is likely to change her direction to WNW or NW at about noon today (Wednesday) and, if so, she will head straight for Grand Cayman. If she continues her present course, she will pass 240 miles south of Grand Cayman. “At noon on Tuesday, Beulah was classified as a minimal hurricane, having decreased in intensity with maximum winds of 70 mph. Her position was … 80 miles ESE of Kingston, Jamaica, moving in a westerly course at 10 mph. The centre was expected to reach the south- eastern part of the island by early afternoon. Gale force winds and heavy rainfall were anticipated. “Having crossed over the Lesser Antilles in its for- mative stage, the force of the storm was badly felt on the SW portion of Puerto Rico and Mona Island. She then swept fiercely over the whole south coast of the Do- minican Republic and Haiti before heading for Jamaica. “Beulah, the second trop- ical storm of the present season, developed on Sept. 6 in the vicinity of Bar- bados from an active east- erly wave proceeding from the Eastern Atlantic which had been under surveillance since Sept. 4. “During the first stage of its life, Tropical Storm Beulah crossed over St. Lucia, affecting this and the adjoining islands of Dom- inica, Martinique, Guade- loupe, St. Vincent and other smaller islands with winds between 50 and 60 miles per hour, accompanied by a great activity of thunder- showers which caused floods and a lot of damage on those islands mentioned, together with the loss of several lives. “Beulah reached full hur- ricane strength on Sept. 8 heading slowly but persis- tently toward the eastern portion of the Domin- ican Republic. By Sept. 9, Beulah was a well devel- oped hurricane with winds of about 120 miles per hour over a radius of 25 miles from the centre. “During Sept. 10, this hurricane intensified even more, reaching the highest wind velocities of about 140 miles per hour, with gale force winds extending out- ward about 125 miles in all quadrants. The southwestern por- tion of Puerto Rico and Mona Island were affected on this day by winds be- tween 75 and 80 miles per hour, torrential rains and high swells … “The centre of the hur- ricane did not hit Hispan- iola as expected and moved along the south coast of the Dominican Republic, crossing the centre of the storm precisely over the small Beata Island and southern tip of Barahona Peninsula, just where last year’s destructive hurricane Inez struck on Sept. 29.” Year 4 student Jessica Brown reads her essay to her fellow Savannah Primary students. Students dropped their essays into the time capsule before it was buried on the Savannah Primary School grounds.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mr. Joseph said. “We are also now seeing, with in- creasing frequency, a second generation – the children of Ghost Caymanians – running into problems.” A “ghost” Caymanian, as they are sometimes called in immigration circles, is a person who was born in Cayman to, or who came to Cayman as a child with, non- Caymanian parents who later received Caymanian status – a legal designation that gives someone “the right to be Caymanian.” Those children, under cur- rent Immigration Law, are not automatically considered Cay- manian by birth. When their parents received that status, the children typically became Caymanian as well, via their parents. However, the law re- quired those children, before they turned 18, to apply for Caymanian status in their own right. Hundreds, possibly even thousands, did not do so, Mr. Joseph said. These people, now well into adulthood, believe them- selves to be Caymanian, but often find when applying for a job, or traveling overseas, that they are not – sometimes with disastrous results. The issue is further com- plicated by a special provi- sion in the former Immigra- tion Law that allowed anyone born in Cayman to non-Cay- manian parents between March 27, 1977 and Jan. 1, 1983 who never applied for Caymanian status before they turned 18 to do so. The law gave them a deadline to apply for that status, Dec. 31, 2007, but many did not. Fast-forward nearly 10 years, and Mr. Joseph said: “These persons are now be- tween 34 and 40 years old, plenty old enough to have had children.” What happens to those kids, the children of the “Ghost Caymanians,” is largely uncertain. Their par- ents do not have Caymanian status – though they may have a Caymanian passport and permanent residence. Without the parents being granted the right to be Caymanian, the children cannot obtain that right through them and cannot then apply for status in their own right before they turn 18. If those children are un- able to access a passport or citizenship from another country, due to their par- ents’ immigration status, they could become “stateless” – not having a legal home any- where on Earth. The problem, according to Mr. Joseph, will only grow with time. “We are yet to see three generations with this problem, but expect to come across it any time now,” he said. After Mr. DaCosta left the Caymanian Status and Perma- nent Residency Board, he said that he informed the govern- ment in 2013 about the “ghost” Caymanians problem and was told that another round of im- migration reform during 2014 would address the matter. That never happened. “This requires urgent at- tention by legislators,” Mr. DaCosta said. Police cadets Part of the problem, ac- cording to Mr. Joseph, is that government may not fully un- derstand the “ins and outs” of the Immigration Law it has created. As an example, he points to recent recruitment ef- forts at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service that seek to hire Caymanian of- ficers and ask for “proof of Caymanian citizenship” from applicants. “There is no such thing as Caymanian citizenship,” Mr. Joseph said. “There is British Overseas Territories citizen- ship and there is the right to be Caymanian. These con- cepts often exist independent of one another. “Persons who have British Overseas Territories citizen- ship by virtue of a connec- tion with the islands may or may not be Caymanian. Large numbers of Caymanians are not British Overseas Territo- ries citizens. “Confusing through it is, that is our law.” in command, causing him to lose control of the air- craft, and also that the laser could be attached to a high-powered weapon.” Defense attorney John Furniss was scheduled to question the officer after the lunch adjournment. Before Mr. Rodrigues gave his evidence, Ms. Hutchinson read state- ments from four police officers involved on the ground. One explained that the incident started when she was driving past the East End grave- yard around 8:55 p.m. and observed a red laser beam coming from the beachside. It appeared to be attached to a firearm. She stopped and made contact with officers in another car. Other officers ex- plained how they were in radio contact with the helicopter and, as a re- sult, went to Fiddler’s Way, where there was a crowd. Identifying a person who matched the description given by Mr. Rodrigues, officers ap- proached Silburn. He was asked if he had a laser; he said yes and quickly pro- duced a flashlight from his waist. The officer who checked the flashlight said it showed a white LED light; when activated a second time, it showed a red laser beam. Silburn was trans- ported to Bodden Town Police Station. When cau- tioned, Silburn replied, “Yes sir, it wasn’t me, I swear.” Interviewed days later, he said he had the flash- light because he took it from another male who left the area. In court last month, Sil- burn admitted shining the light at the helicopter one time. The Crown did not accept that basis of plea. Initially arrested for endangering an air- craft, he was brought to court on a charge of causing harassment, alarm or distress. French President Macron visits St. Martin, vows to rebuild island MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com French President Em- manuel Macron visited St. Martin this week and pledged to rebuild the French territory as a “model island” that would be a “showcase of French excellence.” “I don’t want to rebuild St. Martin as it was,” he said. “We have seen there are many homes that were built too precariously, with fragile infrastructure. The geog- raphy of the homes was not adapted to the risks.” The Category 5 hurri- cane killed 11 people in the French territory. An- other four people died in St. Maarten, the Dutch side of the island. President Macron, who stayed on the island over- night in a camp cot, said it is his government’s “top pri- ority” to help island residents return to normal life. “What we have seen today are people determined to re- build and return to a normal life. They are impatient for answers and some are very, very angry,” he said. “The anger is legitimate because it is a result of the fear they have faced and of being very fatigued. It is certain that some want to leave, and we will help them in that effort.” For the residents who choose to stay, France is planning to bring in air-con- ditioned tents and quickly re- store services. Initial estimates by French public reinsurer Caisse Cen- trale de Reassurance put the property and infrastructure damage on St. Martin and neighboring island St. Bart’s at US$1.44 billion. Racial tensions The Associated Press re- ported Wednesday that the storm exposed racial ten- sions on the French side of St. Martin, with “some black and mixed-race residents com- plaining that white tourists were given priority during the evacuation.” The report noted that it is common for tourists to be evacuated first from di- saster areas for purely prac- tical reasons, given that they are staying in hotels and not their own homes and typi- cally have fewer resources such as food and vehicles. French Prime Minister Ed- ouard Philippe responded to the criticism saying the most vulnerable were the only people who were being prioritized. A government spokesman added that the frustration lo- cals experienced with the gov- ernment response is under- standable but ascribed the controversy to the “emotional shock, an impact that’s ex- tremely hard psychologically.” Nearly one-third of buildings destroyed Dutch Red Cross said Tuesday that nearly one- third of the buildings in St. Maarten have been destroyed and more than 90 percent of the buildings were damaged by Hurricane Irma. The estimate is based on photographs provided by the Defense Ministry in the Netherlands, as well as by a survey of 5,500 structures be- fore the storm. The destruction leaves many of the 40,000 residents reliant on public shelters. Cruise tourism Cruise lines that regularly dock in St. Maarten have an- nounced they will not be able to visit the island, in addi- tion to other eastern Carib- bean destinations, including St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, for some time. They have not given an estimate for when they expect to return. “Given Hurricane Irma’s impact to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Key West, we will be working on alterna- tive ports for future sailings until these islands have fully recovered,” Royal Caribbean said Monday in a travel alert for customers. Both St. Thomas and St. Maarten draw more than 1.6 million cruise ship tour- ists per year. Instinet analyst Harry Curtis estimated in a re- search note that it could take “several quarters or more” to repair infrastructure on St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Laser shone at police helicopter ‘a number of times’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The children of ‘ghosts’ haunt Cayman immigration These people, now well into adulthood, believe themselves to be Caymanian, but often find when applying for a job, or traveling overseas, that they are not – sometimes with disastrous results. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 France’s President Emmanuel Macron talks with residents during his visit to the French Caribbean island of St. Martin, Tuesday. - PHOTOS: AP A view of partially destroyed buildings during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to St. Martin.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 In Memory of Kris (Bella) Anderson Born: September 14th, 1977 It broke our hearts to lose you, But you did not go alone. A part of us went with you, the day God took you home. In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still in our hearts you hold a place no one could ever fi ll. RIP from your loving family and friends. Born: September 14th, 1977Born: September 14th, 1977 in our hearts you hold a place in our hearts you hold a place It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you, A part of us went with you,A part of us went with you, It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you,It broke our hearts to lose you, But you did not go alone.But you did not go alone.But you did not go alone. A part of us went with you,A part of us went with you, Missing you everyday, Love Froggy and Meloney In loving Memory of our beloved Antoinette “Fay” Hurlston 6 April 1944 – 14 September 2016 Do you need beautiful, durable 100% Rustproof Patio or Pool Furniture? We have lots of it in Sling or Strap sets. Many colors to choose from. Available at Cayman Home and Garden Ltd. Eucalyptus Building #4 Shedden Road PH/Fax 949-8638 or 916-1018 FREE DELIVERY FREE DELIVERY McCleary Frederick, di- rector of Hazard Manage- ment Cayman Islands, will also help Anguilla’s Na- tional Emergency Operations Centre with initial damage assessments, communica- tions plans and coordinating relief supplies, according to government. Premier McLaughlin said those workers will stay in Anguilla for about two weeks, and when a Cayman Airways jet comes to pick them up, another cohort of workers and supplies will be dropped off. The Cayman jet also re- turned with one 67-year-old female cardiac patient who is in critical condition. Mr. McLaughlin said his team had planned to bring back three patients, but one de- clined and another was able to be treated by the Health Services Authority staff that government dis- patched there. Officials said they could not provide any further de- tails on the person who came back because of patient con- fidentiality rules. Along with the patient, an Anguilla na- tional residing in Cayman went on the trip to go re- treive his daughter, according to the premier’s senior polit- ical advisor, Roy Tatum. An- other Anguilla national went on the trip and stayed there, Mr. Tatum added. Mr. McLaughlin said his administration will continue to assist British Overseas Territories that have been impacted by Irma. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service has al- ready dispatched 16 officers to the BVI to help with re- ported widespread looting and other security issues, and has sent its helicopter and crew to the Turks and Caicos Islands to help trans- port people between the territory’s roughly 40 in- habited islands. Mr. McLaughlin also said government is in discussions with those territories about helping them transport their prisoners to other jurisdic- tions. He said Cayman was asked to take on some of those prisoners, but “we had to say no to that because we don’t have the capacity.” The premier added that the BVI is likely the most heavily affected of the three overseas territories that were hit by Irma, but unfortu- nately Cayman Airways will not be able to make a similar humanitarian trip because the territory’s runway is too short for its jets. Nevertheless, “I ex- pect we’ll find whatever means we can to assist the BVI,” he said. Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin, center, meets Aguillian Governor Tim Foy, left, and Chief Minister Victor Banks after the premier touched down in Anguilla Tuesday. – PHOTOS: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES Humanitarian workers get ready to load supplies for Anguilla on to the Cayman Airways plane on Tuesday CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Humanitarian trip to Anguilla: Irma brings memories of Ivan Netanyahu says Israel endorses independence for Kurds JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s leader on Wednesday said his country supports Kurdish in- dependence ahead of a key referendum on the matter. In an announcement early Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- yahu’s office said Israel considers the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a terrorist organization. But the statement said Israel “supports the legitimate ef- forts of the Kurdish people to attain a state of its own.” Netanyahu’s statement appeared to be an attempt to distance Israel from com- ments by Yair Golan, who recently completed a term as Israel’s deputy military chief of staff. At a conference in Wash- ington last week, Golan said he did not consider the PKK, a militant group that has waged a three-decade insur- gency in southeast Turkey, to be a terrorist organization. But he also voiced support for Kurdish independence, saying a “solid stable cohe- sive Kurdish entity” some- where in the volatile Middle East is “not a bad idea.” He did not specify where he thinks it could be lo- cated. The Kurds are spread across the region, with large populations in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. Iraq’s Kurds plan to hold the referendum on Sept. 25 in three governorates that make up their self-ruled re- gion as well as disputed areas that are controlled by Kurdish forces but claimed by Baghdad, including the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. The vote is nonbinding, but Kurdish officials hope a strong victory will kick- start negotiations with the Baghdad government on in- dependence. That seems un- likely, since there is no legal requirement or incentive for Baghdad to do so. Mahmoud al-Hassan, a Shiite Iraqi lawmaker, said it was no surprise that Israel would back the Kurds. “Of course Israel sup- ports the division of Iraq and will be happy with tearing down Iraq. An integrated Iraq means a strong one and a possible threat to Is- rael,” he said. Israel has long been sym- pathetic to the Kurds and is the first country to officially endorse them in the vote. Turkey, Iran and Iraq’s cen- tral government are all op- posed to the vote. Safeen Dizayee, a spokesman for the Kurdish regional gov- ernment in Iraq, did not re- spond directly to Netanya- hu’s comments, but appeared to welcome them. “Anyone is free to speak their mind,” he told The As- sociated Press. “If any au- thority around the world … concludes that (Iraq’s Kurds) deserve or merit an indepen- dent entity of their own, we appreciate that position.” Netanyahu’s statement appeared to be an attempt to distance Israel from comments by Yair Golan, who recently completed a term as Israel’s deputy military chief of staff. WOMAN ARRESTED NEAR PRINCE GEORGE’S SCHOOL LONDON (AP) – London po- lice say a woman has been arrested on suspicion of at- tempted burglary near the London school attended by 4-year-old Prince George after a security incident at the school. Police said Wednesday the 40-year-old woman was arrested after an individual gained access to Thomas’ Battersea School in south London on Tuesday. Po- lice did not provide more details. The woman is being questioned and has not been charged or identified. George, son of Prince William and his wife Kate, started school last week.Next >