ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 8 Butterfly Shrimp, Reg Fries and Biscuit 805 $ EDUCATION, INFRASTRUCTURE AMONG BUDGET PRIORITIES Finance Minister to deliver spending plan Friday JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com For Finance Minister Roy McTaggart, work on the government’s budget began almost immediately after the May election. Managing the competing claims of multiple ministries to develop a two-year spending plan for the country has been a challenging and time- consuming task. With diverse demands on the country’s finances ranging from the culling of invasive green iguanas to the perennial need for more resources for the island’s schools, the pre-budget planning has involved months of meetings and internal discussions involving every government department. The culmination of that work will be seen Friday, when Mr. McTaggart delivers his first budget address. The former KPMG managing partner, in his first year as finance minister, is hopeful that he can deliver a spending plan that will keep everyone happy and fulfill the policy commitments of the Progressives-led coalition government. Education, health and a handful of key infrastruc- ture projects feature high on the list of priorities, he said Thursday. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s … Dejion Taylor Professional scooter rider Dejion Taylor produced some gravity-defying exploits to impress and inspire youngsters at a half-term camp at the Black Pearl Skate Park. The 17-year-old Californian, who is sponsored by Havoc Scooters, is here for the week to work with children at the skate park. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY FRIGHTFUL WEATHER BLOWS IN FOR HALLOWEEN MARK MUCKENFUSS AND KAYLA YOUNG mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com, kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The weather is turning out to be the scariest thing about Halloween this year. Predicted wind and rain through the weekend are giving holiday event organizers a chill. Some are de- termined to face the weather demons, stick to their schedules and hope for the best. Others have already canceled their plans or are considering doing so. Deborah Bodden is operations manager for the Tourism Attraction Board, which sponsors the Spook- fest event at Pedro St. James. “Right now, we’re planning to go ahead,” Ms. Bodden said Thursday morning. “We’re hoping for the best.” Ms. Bodden said a final decision on whether to hold the event, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat- urday, will be made Friday afternoon. If it is canceled, she added, it will mostly likely be rescheduled for the following weekend. Friday night’s Diablo event, at Abacus in Camana Bay, has already been rescheduled for 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., on Friday, Nov. 3, and renamed “Unmasked.” Officials at Camana Bay, which hosts the Spook- tacular event from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, say they are PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Welcome to Exceptional Care CTMH Doctors Hospital is a private medical/surgical healthcare facility located in the heart of the Cayman Islands. Residents and visitors of the Cayman Islands enjoy access to a full range of state-of-the-art services provided by our internationally recognized, locally residing physicians, specialists and visiting doctors. Plus, our 24-hour Urgent Care is always available for those aches and pains that need a regular visit to the doctor. We are very proud of our organization’s reputation as a provider of exceptional patient experiences and advanced medical care, which includes the only private maternity suites in the Cayman Islands. Visit our website for a complete list of our sevices. Enjoy a Cimboco breakfast of *Two Eggs (Done to your liking) *Your Choice of Apple Smoked or Canadian Bacon *Herb Roasted Potatoes *Honey Wheat Toast For ONLY $5.00!!! Finish it o with a cup of Java for $1.99 Start your day o right! Mon-Fri * 7:30-11:00am *Except Holidays 2 decades, nearly 1 million meals Charity celebrates 20th anniversary KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com When the Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels started in 1997, a small group of volun- teers delivered food three days per week to 14 senior citizens. Some 20 years later, the initiative has grown to 100 people helping more than 200 individuals five days per week. Nearly one million meals have been served over the organization’s history, ac- cording to its founders. The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman commemorated the 20th anniversary of Meals on Wheels at a luncheon on Thursday, reflecting on the charity’s humble beginnings and honoring those who helped it get to its current state. Meals on Wheels Gen- eral Manager Erin Bodden also told the Compass about some of the challenges the or- ganization continues to face. Former Rotary President Sophia Harris said starting Meals on Wheels in Cayman was the idea of another former Rotary president, Larry Chomyn, who saw the positive impact the orga- nization was having on his mother in Canada. Ms. Harris said that other key people included Pastor Al Ebanks and some of his congregation at the Agape Family Worship Centre, Fos- ter’s Food Fair founder David Foster, Joey Hew, Beulah McField, and Kent “Biggie” Rankin, who let vol- unteers use his kitchen at Rankin’s Jerk Centre. Two years after it started, Meals on Wheels was offi- cially incorporated in the Cayman Islands as a not- for-profit company with the Rotary Club as the sole shareholder. “This, by the way, was not an easy decision. There were many within the club who felt passionately about Meals on Wheels as a Rotary project and that it should remain as one, as it galvanized our club in such a meaningful manner,” Ms. Harris said at the lun- cheon. “I still think it was the right thing to do, as projects of Rotary were never really meant to run on indefinitely.” Now, Meals on Wheels gets about a quarter of its funding from government, with the rest coming from donations and fundraising events, said Ms. Bodden, who became its general man- ager in August. Ms. Bodden said that the organization costs about $25,000 per month to run, but is in desperate need of more funding to enable it to serve the entire community. The organization has kitchens in George Town, Bodden Town and East End, but needs to open another in West Bay to help roughly 150 people that are unserved there, she said. “Our George Town kitchen feeds 20 people now in West Bay,” she said. “Those 20 people we can manage, but to take on another 150 people isn’t possible.” Another 60 people in East End remain unserved due to resource shortages, she said, adding that Meals on Wheels also only delivers three times per week in North Side. “In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have this need. We wouldn’t have people with not enough pension and re- tirement funds to support themselves,” she said. “But it’s wonderful if our com- munity [helps] those around them and [tries] to assist where they can.” Nearly one million meals have been served over the organization’s history, according to its founders. SNORKEL GEAR REPORTED STOLEN IN REPEAT CASE Thirty-five snorkel masks and seven pairs of fins were reported stolen from a Don Foster’s Dive boat Wednesday. The gear was taken from a dive boat called the Skin Diver, docked at Palm Heights Drive in Snug Har- bour, sometime between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reported. Each item of equipment is labeled with “DFD” for “Don Foster’s Dive.” The incident is the second in a week involving the same boat, police said. Police have appealed to the public for any information regarding the theft. Tips can be submitted to the George Town Police Station at 949-4222 or confidentially to 949-7777. Yellow fins like these were among the items stolen from Don Foster’s Dive boat. - PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY RCIPS The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman donated $1,000 to Meals on Wheels to commemorate the charity’s 20th anniversary. Pictured from left is Rotary President Justin Bodden, former Rotary President Sophia Harris, Rotary member Chris Johnson, Meals on Wheels General Manager Erin Bodden, Rotary member Derek Haines and Meals on Wheels assistant Pat Bazell-Taylor. - PHOTO: KEN SILVA3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 1 26 M aclendon Dri v e , Industrial P ark , G r and C a y man | W : w w w.r efuel.ky | E : info @r efuel.ky | T: + 1 345 745 -FUEL (38 35) The energy economy of the Cayman Islands is currently based almost entirely on imported petroleum products with millions of gallons of Diesel and Gasoline imported on a monthly basis to generate electrical energy and supply the transportation sector, the second largest energy consuming sector in the economy. Current trends and pressure for more sustainable options have lead governments around the world to mandate the addition of renewables to petroleum products, and this has resulted in more and more renewables being added to petroleum products in an effort to oxygenate fuels and reduce emissions. Ethanol blended gasolines and biodiesel blended diesels have become commonplace proven fuels around the globe with many billions of miles driven on them every year. The Australian Medical Association has said: FUEL DOESN’T HAVE TO COST THE EARTH! Rethink fuel with Refuel Until now, such fuels had yet to be adopted in Cayman. On March 15th 2017 the Cayman Islands Government passed new legislation in the form of the National Energy Policy. The National energy policy recognizes the benefits of these fuel and promotes their introduction into Cayman's fuel market through its "Fuel Sector Strategy". Specifically promoting the introduction of E10,(10%ethanol, 90% Gasoline) and B5, (5%Biodiesel, 95% Diesel). Refuel is the first company on Island to bring the vision of the Fuel Sector Strategy to life, offering not one, but three grades of E10, a grade of B5 and even a grade of B20,(20%Biodiesel, 80%Diesel). Through our different model, Refuel hopes to prove that these emission reducing modern fuels can be supplied in an economically advantageous manner, and become commonplace in Cayman. It's time to Rethink Fuel with Refuel, where fuel doesn't have to cost the Earth. There is incontrovertible evidence that the addition of ethanol to petrol and biodiesel to diesel will reduce the deaths and ill-health associated with the emissions produced by burning those fuels. ASK ABOUT FLEET MANAGEMENT REWARD PROGRAMS COMING SOON! Dart’s tunnel expansion hits roadblock Planning authority adjourns hearing JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Dart group’s plans to expand the size of an un- derpass, currently under construction on West Bay Road, is facing opposition on two fronts. The National Roads Au- thority has objected to the expansion, arguing that the developer has not pro- vided sufficient justification for the project. The NRA also argues that it, rather than the Cen- tral Planning Authority, should have final decision- making authority on such applications. The expansion of the tunnel, part of Dart’s plan to link Seven Mile Beach and Camana Bay, is also opposed by a community group, advo- cating for the preservation of public access to the beaches. The Concerned Citizens group say the development blocks access to two paths to Seven Mile Beach. Those grievances were expected to be consid- ered by the Central Plan- ning Authority during its meeting Wednesday. But the hearing was ad- journed because the board was provided with incom- plete documents by the plan- ning department. Dart Real Estate said in a statement that it would ad- dress the concerns raised by the NRA and others when the hearing takes place, likely next month. The original applica- tion for a 400-foot under- pass was granted, with the support of the roads au- thority, in February. Dart has already com- pleted an underpass and a bridge at the Esterley Tib- betts Highway. Ultimately, it plans to link this to the West Bay Road underpass, expanding Camana Bay over both roads. Following the acquisition of the Royal Palms restaurant and bar last month, Dart sub- mitted an application to ex- tend the West Bay Road un- derpass by another 195 feet, adjacent to that property. This time, the roads au- thority has objected, arguing that it has not been given enough detail to justify the need for the extension. In a submission to the Central Planning Authority, published with the agenda papers for Wednesday’s meeting, it states, “There is no conclusive justification for the tunnel extension being deemed necessary or appro- priate; the proposed future development plans provided offer very little indication of timelines and scheduled con- struction dates and it appears as if these plans are subject to change as future acquisi- tions become a reality.” It also highlights safety concerns, including “pe- destrian conflicts and near misses” during construction of the underpass. Highlighting a clause in the Planning Law, the NRA suggests the authority to deal with the applica- tion falls within its remit, rather than the Central Plan- ning Authority. “Ultimately, there is no justifiable reason or need to extend the tunnel and the NRA Board’s decision is not to approve the applica- tion,” it states. Typically, the planning au- thority treats the NRA’s sub- missions as advisory. The board or the department has not indicated, at this stage, whether it accepts the roads authority’s claim that it should have jurisdiction for developments like this. A separate concern has been raised by the Concerned Citizens group that the un- derpass blocks beach access paths and restricts public rights to the beach that should be protected in perpetuity. Alice Mae Coe, a founding member of the group which has been campaigning for decades to preserve beach access amid increasing coastal development, said the rights of way needed to be maintained. “I’m not against devel- opment or Mr. Dart, I am in favor of Cayman Islands res- idents, wherever they come from, having the right of ac- cess to the beach that they have enjoyed for hundreds of years,” she said. The National Roads Authority has objected to the expansion, arguing that the developer has not provided sufficient justification for the project. The Dart group has applied to extend the length of the tunnel it is building on West Bay Road. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe 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. By now, the troubles of the Health Services Authority are well-documented and well-known. Everyone in the Cayman Islands is aware that years of mismanagement at HSA have resulted in uncollected debts, cash shortfalls and other problematic “symptoms” about which we edi- torialized just last week. We see two potential courses of treatment for the HSA. The more radical prescription would be to get gov- ernment out of the business of delivering healthcare, and to devolve that function to the private sector. (Under that model, the public sector would retain the responsibility for ensuring everyone has access to quality healthcare, but the services would be delivered by private physicians and healthcare professionals.) We don’t sense that the political will exists for that particular solution, at least for the time being. That leaves the second option: Uniting as a country behind our public healthcare system and working together to ensure that it produces satisfactory patient outcomes without bankrupting the treasury. Earlier this month, HSA leaders were brought before the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee to face tough questions from PAC members, particularly MLA Chris Saunders. At a follow-up hearing this past week, HSA leaders — including CEO Lizzette Yearwood and board chairman Jonathan Tibbetts — demonstrated evidence of a willingness to make necessary changes, and provided positive updates on stepped-up bill collection efforts and moves to write off some of the “bad debt” that has been plaguing the agency’s balance sheets. Healthcare officials also described policy and proce- dural changes designed to forestall future financial issues. Mr. Saunders and the PAC may have done Cayman a good service by highlighting problematic practices at the HSA and demanding straight answers from those in charge. But now, the treatment should be given the opportunity to take effect. It is neither reasonable nor helpful to attempt to make “political hay” out of the HSA’s historical shortcomings for personal gain. And it appears, at least to us, that is precisely what Mr. Saunders did last week when he took a “second bite” out of the HSA. Of particular concern is his questioning of the professional credentials of individual HSA officials, most notably the entity’s chief financial officer. Either intentionally or out of ignorance, Mr. Saunders misrepresented the qualifications of CFO Heather Boothe, disputing her accounting pedigree and stating that she was appointed after a brief consultancy. (Ms. Boothe has a degree in economics and management, and possesses the relevant professional accounting certifications. She was initially hired as a finance officer, and then years later was promoted to CFO following a formal interview process.) If those “misstatements” weren’t enough, Mr. Saunders went on to label her as the dependent wife of a doctor at the hospital, who had been in the home for two years before going to work for the health authority, and then – as a matter of course – speculated on the ubiqui- tous but elusive “qualified Caymanians” who could have gotten the job instead. Mr. Saunders’ statements were misleading at best, and they smack of sexism and nativism. For a sitting MLA, that sort of language is ungentlemanly, unworthy and unfair. Perhaps the freshman lawmaker requires a reminder from his more veteran colleagues that there is a clear line separating MLAs from the civil service. Decisions on human resources and the particulars of individual employees are well outside the remit of legislators – and, as we can see, for good reason. In the future, Mr. Saunders should keep his focus on shaping policies, rather than playing politics, and should refrain from making personal attacks on individuals who do not enjoy access to an equivalent public platform or parliamentary protections – particularly when he’s in error. Public health agency needs policy reform, not personal attacks FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS The IMF’s new rationale for higher tax rates I’m not a fan of the In- ternational Monetary Fund. Like many other interna- tional bureaucracies, it pushes a statist agenda. The IMF’s support for bad policy gets me so agi- tated that I’ve sometimes re- ferred to it as the “dumpster fire” or “Dr. Kevorkian” of the global economy. But, in a perverse way, I admire the IMF’s determi- nation to advance its ide- ological mission. The bu- reaucrats will push for tax hikes using any pos- sible rationale. Even if it means pro- moting really strange theo- ries like the one I just read in the bureaucracy’s most recent Fiscal Monitor: “Wel- fare-based measures can help policymakers when they face decisions that en- tail important trade-offs be- tween equity and efficiency …. One way to quantify so- cial welfare in monetary units is to use the concept of equally distributed equiv- alent income.” And what exactly is “equally distributed equiv- alent income?” It’s a theory that says big reductions in na- tional prosperity are good if the net result is that people are more equal. I’m not joking. Here’s more about the theory: “… a welfare-based measure of inequality … with 1 being complete in- equality and 0 being com- plete equality. A value of, say, 0.3 means that if in- comes were equally distrib- uted, then society would need only 70 percent (1 − 0.3) of the present national income to achieve the same level of welfare it currently enjoys (in which incomes are not equally distributed). The level of income per person that if equally dis- tributed would enable the society to reach the same level of welfare as the ex- isting distribution is termed equally distributed equiva- lent income (EDEI).” Set aside the jargon and focus on the radical impli- cations. The IMF is basically stating that “the same level of welfare” can be achieved with “only 70 percent of the present national income” if government impose enough coercive redistribution. In other words, Margaret Thatcher was not exagger- ating when she mocked the left for being willing to sac- rifice national well-being and hurt the poor so long as those with higher incomes were subjected to even greater levels of harm. Not surprisingly, the IMF uses its bizarre theory to justify more class-war- fare taxation. But not just higher statutory tax rates. The bureaucrats also want more double taxation of in- come that is saved and in- vested. And wealth tax- ation as well. The article even intro- duces a new measure called “progressive tax capacity,” which politicians doubt- lessly will interpret as a floor rather than a ceiling. Reminds me of the World Bank’s “report card” which gave better grades to nations with “high ef- fort” tax systems. Though I guess I should look at the bright side. It’s good news that the IMF es- timates that the “optimal” tax rate is 44 percent rather than 100 percent (as the Congressional Budget Of- fice implies). And I suppose I also should be happy that “progressive tax capacity” doesn’t justify a 100 per- cent tax rate. I’m being sarcastic, of course. That being said, there is a bit of genuinely good analysis in the publi- cation. The bureaucrats ac- tually acknowledge that growth is the way of helping the poor, which is a point I’ve been trying to stress for several years. I’m not saying, by the way, that inequality is nec- essary for growth. My ar- gument is merely that free markets and small gov- ernment are a recipe for prosperity. And as a na- tion becomes richer thanks to capitalism, it’s quite likely that some people will get richer faster than others get richer. I personally hope the poor get richer faster than the rich get richer, but the other way around is fine. So long as all groups are en- joying more prosperity and poverty is declining, that is a good outcome. P.S. My favorite example of rising inequality and falling poverty is China. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL 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” I personally hope the poor get richer faster than the rich get richer, but the other way around is fine. The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 Ad sponsored by Cayman CompassDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days East End North Side FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Life after the storm, a child’s story JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dauria Wattley, a 12-year- old British Virgin Islands evacuee staying in Frank Sound and attending Triple C school in George Town, knows well the effects of a hurricane after seeing her hometown in British Virgin Islands battered first by Hurricane Irma and then by Hurricane Maria. She lived through the September storms with her mother, uncle and sister in a three-story apartment com- plex in Virgin Gorda. “Once you hear a hurri- cane is coming, be ready, get prepared; don’t wait until the last minute to board up and say you’re going to shop. Pre- pare for days, don’t take it lightly, it can be devastating,” Dauria advises. She arrived in Cayman in late September and is staying with her cousin Conway King and his wife Joylyn in Frank Sound. The Kings say Dauria is settling in well and is ad- justing to her new school. Many students on Virgin Gorda were not only left without a home but without a place to attend school. Recalling the events in her hometown and her move to Grand Cayman, she is both excited and grateful. ‘The whole island was flattened’ “People did not start to take the hurricane seriously until late night,” Dauria said. “Where we lived, the landlord boarded up our windows in the night, and before early morning people were still boarding up when the hur- ricane slammed the island around 8 or 9 o’clock.” She said she managed to sleep through most of Hurri- cane Irma, but went outside as the eye of the storm passed over the island. She could see downed light poles, uprooted trees, electrical wires criss- crossing the road and debris scattered everywhere. Then the hurricane was back. When the storm finally passed, Dauria’s neighbor’s house was gone. She said she stood on the hill and saw the whole island was swept bare, no trees could be seen, roofs were gone, car windows were smashed, and stoves, refrigerators and boats lit- tered the place. “The whole island was flattened,” she said. “We went to visit my cousin who lived above us and we had to crawl and climb over light poles, electrical wires, trees and other debris.” She said a house at the bottom of her road was de- stroyed, all that was left standing was a fridge and stove in the middle of the yard. “I don’t know what happened to the people who lived there,” she said. “I wanted to cry when I saw my grandmother’s house. The roof was off the kitchen and bedroom and a lot of stuff on the porch was gone … a fridge was standing in the front yard.” She saw people walking with babies in arms heading to the shelters. “There was no [elec- tricity] and it was dark … people were crying. The next morning, I awoke early to see if it really was that bad. It was shocking,” Dauria said. However, she admits that her experience riding out the storm was not as bad as for many others, who lost their homes and their belongings. But the storm did have one upside, she said – bringing the commu- nity together. “People who never talk to each other were talking to one another walking on the road,” she said. According to Mr. King, who is also from the BVI, Virgin Gorda is a small com- munity. Only about 5,000 people lived there before the storm, but many have evac- uated and currently only 2,000 people remain, he said. “Just picture Cayman Brac and it’s similar in size. The main port is the seaport so there are lots of boats on the water,” he said. Recovery projects are under way across Virgin Gorda and other islands in BVI damaged in the storm. The community created a committee and with the help of some millionaires and bil- lionaires who own property there, electricity has been fully restored, he said. Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson visited Virgin Gorda shortly after the storm passed. During the storm, he had remained on nearby Necker Island, which was also badly dam- aged in the hurricane. His Virgin Unite foundation is coordinating raising money for longer-term reconstruc- tion projects for BVI. Two weeks after Hur- ricane Irma, the BVI was struck by a second cate- gory 5 storm, Maria, which brought with it more flooding and high winds, adding to the destruction Irma had already wrought. Moving to Cayman After the hurricanes, Dauria said, she wanted to leave BVI to go to her aunt’s home in Atlanta but that was not an option because she was not a U.S. citizen, her family suggested she go to Cayman instead. But that would also have its challenges. There were no commercial flights coming out of Virgin Gorda fol- lowing the storm. Mr. King contacted one of the firms bringing people to Cayman to work, and Dauria was able to get on a charter flight from the BVI. She says Cayman re- minds her of home. “Gorda is very flat and it feels just like Cayman, very quiet. Even the food is very similar but there is so many fast food restaurants on this is- land,” Dauria said. According to Mr. King, the BVI government years ago made an agreement with local restaurants not to have international fast food chains. “You won’t find Wendy’s, Burger King, Kentucky or Popeye’s on Virgin Gorda or any BVI island. Locals take advantage of that niche and put their own twist on fast food,” he said. Dauria’s first day at Triple C School also felt like home, she said, ”just a different environment and much larger,” she said. Dauria says it’s a good school and she likes her teachers. Her favorite sub- jects are mathematics and home economics. Her school back home Bregado Flin Virgin Gorda, which has a pri- mary and a secondary school, was badly dam- aged in the hurricanes and students were un- able to immediately re- turn to classes. “We had just finished summer break in August to return to school in Sep- tember when the hurricane came,” Dauria said. She can stay in Cayman for 60 days, after which there is an evaluation pro- cess for extension, ac- cording to Mr. King. 50 YEARS AGO Jamaica Coast Guard pays official call In the Oct. 25, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing story, appeared on the front page: “Cayman welcomed Ja- maica’s ‘miniature’ warship on Friday morning with all the ceremonial afforded to the largest man-o’-war that has visited us – HMS Tiger. “As HMJS Discovery Bay dropped anchor about 8 a.m., people began to gather at the Government wharf. Mr. Harry McCoy went on board to make initial intro- ductions and preparations and at 8:45 a.m. Lt. Cmdr. G.B.L. Copland and Lt. L.E. Scott (Capt.) came ashore, were greeted by the Chief of Police and inspected the Po- lice Guard under the com- mand of Sgt. James Terry. “Members of the public who took the opportunity to go on board when she was in dock on Saturday af- ternoon were very appre- ciative of the courtesy of the officers and crew who permitted every nook and cranny to be inspected and who conducted folk around, giving explanations and an- swering questions in a very good natured manner. “Commissioned in Au- gust 1966, HMJS Discovery Bay was built by Seward Seacraft Ltd. of Berwick, Louisiana, USA, for the Ja- maica Defence Force Coast Guard. She is one of a group of three patrol boats based in Kingston which take turns to patrol the island for two days. She is 85 feet long by 18 feet wide, has 3x50 calibre Brownie guns, and a number of guns and rifles and hand grenades on board. Compact and ex- tremely comfortable, the ship is fully airconditioned and fitted with the most up-to-date equipment. Her normal speed is 22 knots but she can do 35 knots in an emergency her Forward Gunner told our reporter. “On this exercise, she carried four officers and eight crew. “This fine patrol boat, with her friendly naval per- sonnel, sailed for Jamaica at 8 a.m. on Sunday.” Dauria Wattley, a hurricane evacuee from Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, goes over her books at the home of host family Conway and Joylyn King. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Bregado Flax Educational Centre primary and high school, which Dauria attends in BVI, was badly damaged.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 Businessman’s drowning was misadventure Deceased’s boat could do 70 mph, jury hears CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Norwegian businessman Erik Henriksen died by mis- adventure, a coroner’s jury determined on Wednesday after hearing evidence since Monday about the circum- stances in which he drowned in November, 2015. The verdict of the four men and three women hearing the matter was unanimous. Evidence called by Queen’s Coroner Eileen Nervik indicated that Mr. Henriksen, 58, was aboard his new 34-foot boat with an employee, Warren Weiss, in the North Sound. Mr. Weiss, who was acting as captain, left the helm to move the boat fenders before docking, and Mr. Henriksen was driving the boat. It made a sudden sharp turn and both men were thrown overboard. The boat, valued at around US$450,000 was equipped with three Mercury 350 horsepower outboard en- gines and could travel at 70 mph, the jury heard. John Aune, deputy di- rector of the Cayman Is- lands Shipping Registry, said Mr. Henriksen was a per- sonal friend whom he had known since August 2013. Mr. Henriksen had several businesses and traveled to Grand Cayman frequently. He did not have any rela- tives on island. He was the sole owner of the boat, which was built in Fort Myers, Florida, in September 2015. It ar- rived in Grand Cayman and cleared customs on Oct. 21/22 that year and was launched on Oct. 24. Mr. Aune said when he took it for a test drive “it per- formed OK.” Mr. Henriksen arrived by air from Montreal on Friday, Nov. 6. Other witness statements indicated that Mr. Henriksen, Mr. Weiss and others went out on the boat that Saturday and Sunday. GPS equipment aboard showed travel around North Sound, including Rum Point and Kaibo. On Monday, Nov. 9, which was the Remembrance Day holiday, the two men went out on the boat again, picked up a guest at George Town Yacht Club and trav- eled to the Cayman Islands Yacht Club where they had lunch. The jury saw a receipt that included two double vodkas with side mixes for Mr. Henriksen. They left around 5:15 p.m., took their guest back to George Town Yacht Club and then departed to return to Mr. Henriksen’s house at The DeckHouses at The Ritz- Carlton. Mr. Weiss said he was in charge of the boat and they were going 40 to 45 mph about a quarter-mile from shore, talking and listening to music. They went past the entrance to SafeHaven and then turned around to enter that channel. When Mr. Weiss left the controls to change the fenders and docking lines, Mr. Hen- riksen was driving the boat. Then he felt the boat make a sudden sharp turn and he as flying through the air. The coroner noted that no mention had been made of anyone wearing any safety vest. There were no photos of any life vests. The lanyard that would have stopped the engines [if its wearer went overboard] was obviously not used, “so we have no evidence of safety precautions being taken,” she pointed out. In the water, Mr. Weiss saw Mr. Henriksen thrashing around, about 10 meters from him. He swam over and talked to him to try to calm him down. Eventu- ally he was able to place Mr. Henriksen’s head on his shoulder and tow him to shore. He was talking to him, but at some point Mr. Hen- riksen was not responding and Mr. Weiss felt his body go limp and heavy. He estimated it took him almost two hours to get to shore. He went for help, found a security guard and used that man’s phone to call 911. Mr. Henriksen was taken by ambulance to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 12:57 a.m. on Nov. 10. Meanwhile, GPS print- outs showed, the boat had continued in a generally northern direction, making hundreds of circles before cutting into the mangroves in the Barkers area of West Bay. The GPS drawings indicated that “something happened” at 6:11 p.m. that left the boat unmanned and it ended up in the mangroves at 7:53 p.m. – a total of 102 minutes. Several people had called the Port Authority to re- port a vessel seemingly out of control. Darren Michael Burl- ington gave a statement in which he said he went to the area by boat with family members. His father gave him a flashlight and he jumped aboard the boat, which had its navigation and interior lights on. The stereo was playing loud and the engines were still running. “The throt- tles were to their maximum,” he said. He put the engines in neutral and then shut them down. He looked around, but didn’t see anyone on board. He did see alcohol bottles. Police guarded the boat through the night until Scott’s Marine removed it the next day. A police scenes of crime officer attended, took photos and removed personal belongings. She saw nothing suspicious, the court heard. Mr. Weiss said Mr. Hen- riksen had been drinking at his house before they went on the boat. He said he him- self was not intoxicated: it was a new boat and he did not want to be the first person to put a scratch on it. Government pathologist Shravana Jyoti concluded that the physical cause of death was drowning, based on findings that included sea- water in the deceased’s lungs and froth in the airways. He noted that Mr. Henrik- sen’s blood/alcohol level was .295 – almost three times the legal limit for driving a ve- hicle in Cayman. He thought that alcohol level could have affected Mr. Henriksen’s ability to cope with what had happened. Mr. Jyoti also found two broken ribs, which he said would have affected Mr. Hen- riksen’s ability to swim. The coroner subsequently read a statement from a witness who said Mr. Henriksen had lifted his shirt at the restau- rant to show a bruise which he said he had received while wrestling with a friend in Montreal. The pathologist said the bruise was where the fractures were, but the frac- tures would not have been obvious externally. Apart from a small cut over one eye, there were no other marks. After reviewing the evi- dence, the coroner pointed out that there was no evi- dence of death being due to natural causes, suicide, lawful or unlawful killing. There was only one cate- gory that fit all the evidence and that was misadventure, which is the undertaking of a task during which some- thing goes wrong. Referring to a statement from the guest who had been aboard the boat before the in- cident, the coroner said that maybe Mr. Henriksen liked to go fast and turn the wheel. The witness had reported that while Mr. Weiss was op- erating the boat, Mr. Hen- riksen had pushed his hand over her and grabbed the wheel and made a sudden turn so that Mr. Weiss had to regain control. The inquest was attended by a representative of the administrator of Mr. Hen- riksen’s estate.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Clive Arthur Munyard 1941-2007 In loving memory of Clive Arthur Munyard who left us 10 years ago. A worthy, much-loved man whose ingenuity, talents, thoughtfulness, humour and kindness endeared him to his family, friends and all whose lives he touched. Still desperately missed by his family in Cayman, the U.K. and Australia, and friends around the world. “The song is ended, but the melody lingers on…” In Loving Memory of my Beloved Mother Wosila Rochester 10 May 1945 – 29 October 201210 May 1945 – 29 October 2012 W: Warm-hearted, Wise and Welcoming to all who crossed your path. O: Obedient, Organized and Opinionated. S: Sweet, Sensitive and Sincere. I: Intelligent, Independent and Immaculate. L: Loving, Loyal and a Leader. A: Adorable, Agreeable and Ambitious. Five years have gone by, however, When I think of happy times, I always think of you Mom, It’s nice to think of happy times, For every time I do My heart is lled with all the love That I feel for you. When I think of you Mom, Who you were and what you meant to me, Below are some of my cherished memories: Always and Forever in my heart, Michele The family of the Late Nelda “Miss Nelda” Wilson regrets to announce her passing on Thursday, October 5, 2017. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Funeral services will be held at 2pm Sunday October 29, 2017 at Calvary Baptist Church, Walkers Road. Interment will follow at the Prospect Cemetery The family of the Late Nelda “Miss Nelda” Wilson regrets to announce her passing on Thursday, October 5, 2017. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Funeral services will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Elda May Dacres of West End, Cayman Brac,who passed away on Monday, October 16, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 1:30p.m. at Crossroad United Baptist Church, West End, Cayman Brac. Interment follows at West End Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Celia Florence Bendavid of Frank Sound, North Side, who passed away on Friday, October 13, 2017. A Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 10:00a.m. at Old Man Bay Cemetery. “It incorporates the input of everybody involved in this coali- tion government, so I think they should be generally happy with it,” he said. “It has been a long process to get where we are. It has also been rewarding for me to go through the whole process and understand the intricacies and the difficulties that the min- istry faces every year to pro- duce a budget.” He said the plan would flesh out the priorities highlighted in August’s Strategic Policy State- ment, including funding for key infrastructure projects. Among the major projects in progress are the George Town landfill remediation and new waste management system, the long-term mental health facility, the Owen Roberts International Airport redevelopment and the new John Gray High School. With government switching to a two-year budget for the first time, there is an extra layer of complexity. “From one year to the next, 90 percent of the budget is the same. It is a matter of setting priorities and managing the re- sources to decide which you can achieve in which year,” said Mr. McTaggart. The official state opening of the Legislative As- sembly begins at 9:40 a.m. with the arrival of Governor Helen Kilpatrick, and her inspection of the guard of honor. Ms. Kilpatrick will de- liver the “Throne Speech” be- fore Premier Alden McLaughlin makes his own statement on his government’s key priorities. Mr. McTaggart will then table the budget and outline the main elements of the govern- ment’s spending plan. The Legislative Assembly then adjourns until next week, Wednesday, when legislators on all sides will contribute to the debate on the budget. Following on from that de- bate, the Legislative Assembly then goes into Finance Com- mittee, where Mr. McTaggart will chair a ministry by ministry, line by line discussion and ap- proval of the budget. Legislators will also have the opportunity to question senior civil servants on their spending plans. The process is expected to take at least a month, before the final budget is approved. “We are shooting for trying to wrap things up by the end of November. We will be working into the evening for the next month to get that done,” said Mr. McTaggart. Power outage affects half of CUC customers SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than half of elec- tricity consumers on Grand Cayman were affected by a power outage that lasted a little more than 90 minutes on Wednesday morning. Caribbean Utilities Com- pany said Thursday that ap- proximately 15,000 of its 28,000 customers were impacted by the power outage. The im- pact was dispersed, affecting people in North Side, East End, Bodden Town, Savannah, Pros- pect and George Town. The power outage oc- curred between 8:37 a.m. and 10:12 a.m. on Wednesday, and CUC said it was caused by a fault experienced on the transmission line between the South Sound and Pros- pect substations. From there, it affected the Frank Sound and Bodden Town Substations. According to a CUC news release, the outage only im- pacted Frank Sound and Bodden Town because of some previously scheduled mainte- nance that had taken down a backup power source. A portion of the Eastern Transmission Loop between Rum Point and Frank Sound substations was out of service for maintenance, and the line was returned to service within minutes of the outage. That gave power to people in the eastern districts and Bodden Town, with power to other customers restored once the fault had been isolated. CUC crews were dispatched to the Prospect and South Sound substations within min- utes of the power outage to as- sess the situation. The Pros- pect Substation currently remains offline. A spokesperson for the Water Authority said that some of its customers also experienced a brief cessa- tion of services related to the power outage on Wednesday. A few of the pump houses af- fected by the power outage did not perform as expected, but the Water Authority was able to resolve the problem and restore service quickly on Wednesday morning. Education, infrastructure among budget priorities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Bourdain just got banned from Azerbaijan Anthony Bourdain has trav- eled the world with his cooking show, “Parts Unknown.” But top officials in Azer- baijan, an oil-rich country nestled between Russia and Iran, want him to know this: He just became a per- sona non grata. His crime? Traveling to Nagorno-Karabakh, an ex- tremely contentious pocket of land that is located, techni- cally, in Azerbaijan. But right now, it’s controlled by Ar- menia. The enclave is about the size of Delaware, and it has been a sore spot be- tween the two countries since 1988, when the region’s legis- lature voted to join Armenia. (It did so because many of the region’s residents are ethnic Armenians.) Azerbaijan rejected the se- cession attempt. But after the Soviet Union fell, the region’s legislature declared indepen- dence outright. In 1992, a full- scale war broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ar- menia quickly gained the upper hand, seizing control of Nagorno and pushing even farther into Azerbaijan. By 1993, Armenia con- trolled nearly a fifth of Azerbaijan. Hundreds of thousands of Azeris were displaced. (Today, there are about a million internally displaced people in Azer- baijan.) In 1994, Russia bro- kered a cease-fire. All told, nearly 25,000 people died during the conflict. Many of those deaths were gruesome. As a reporter for the Indepen- dent explained, “By the time I was covering the Karabakh war in the early 1990s, Arme- nian militia bands were mur- dering Azeri villagers in mas- sacres eerily similar – though on a smaller scale – to those which occurred during Tur- key’s genocide of the Arme- nian people in 1915.” Today, more than a de- cade later, peace between the two countries is fragile, at best. Earlier this year, fighting broke out along the border, sparking fears that a full-scale political crisis was in the offing. And it’s hard to imagine a solution any- time soon. As the Council on Foreign Relations ex- plained last year: “One obstacle to peace is the issue of sequencing. All three sides – Armenia, Azer- baijan, and Nagorno-Kara- bakh – refuse to budge until the others make a concession: Azerbaijan wants Armenia to end its occupation first and withdraw its forces before discussing the republic’s final status; Armenia is seeking a resolution first on the status question before pulling out its forces; Nagorno-Karabakh wants its independence offi- cially recognized prior to all other negotiations.” Azerbaijan makes it very difficult for its citizens to visit Nagorno-Karabakh. Visiting without permission from the government in Baku is consid- ered a criminal offense. © 2017, The Washington Post Anthony BourdainThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY OCTOBER 27, 2017 tonight FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27TH 9:00 PM UNTIL... DRINK SPECIALS STOLI & FLOR DE CANA $5 JAGER SHOTS $3 JAGER BOMB $4 this TUESDAY OCTOBER 31ST 8:00 PM UNTIL... FREE ADMISSION CASH PRIZES FOR BEST COSTUMEs OCT. 27TH FREE ADMISSION OCT. 27TH FREE ADMISSION FREE ADMISSION CASH PRIZES FOR BEST COSTUMEs JAGER BOMB $4JAGER BOMB $4JAGER BOMB $4JAGER BOMB $4JAGER BOMB $4 DRINK SPECIALS STOLI & FLOR DE CANA $5 JAGER SHOTS $3 JAGER BOMB $4 this TUESDAY watching the weather but planning to go ahead with the kid-oriented event. Any changes to the schedule will be posted at Facebook.com/ CamanaBay and on Insta- gram @camana_bay. At press time Thursday, Derek Larner of Race Ca- ribbean said the planned Halloween 3x10K and 30K solo running events would go ahead on Sunday un- less heavy thunder- storms develop. Rainy weather is antici- pated over the weekend as a cold front from the north lingers over the area and a tropical system moves in from the south. Small craft were advised to exercise caution Thursday and Friday in anticipation of rough seas and wave heights reaching up to 6 feet. The Cayman Islands Na- tional Weather Service fore- cast an 80 percent chance of rain and thunder Thursday evening and Friday. Locally heavy showers may fall, creating a flood risk in low-lying areas, the weather service stated. Winds associated with the cold front, which were forecast to reach 20 miles per hour Thursday evening, are likely to subside slightly Friday to 10 to 15 miles per hour. A tropical system from the south, however, could bring a fresh wave of ad- verse weather conditions this weekend. A broad area of low pres- sure continued to stall off the eastern coast of Nica- ragua Thursday but was ex- pected to follow a slow path north Friday morning. The U.S. National Hurri- cane Center forecast heavy rainfall from the system affecting the Cayman Is- lands, Jamaica and Cuba through Saturday. Environmental condi- tions will become more conducive to tropical de- velopment Friday and Sat- urday, as the system moves north toward Cuba. The National Hurri- cane Center forecast a 30 percent chance of cyclone formation over 48 hours, from Thursday afternoon, and a 40 percent chance over five days. Frightful weather blows in for Halloween CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Russian newspaper editor says he will arm staff to protect them from attacks MOSCOW – The editor-in- chief of Russia’s most prom- inent opposition newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, has said that he would arm his staff with rubber-bullet “traumatic” pistols and other self-de- fense measures after a spate of attacks against journal- ists in Russia. Days after the stabbing of a senior editor at Mos- cow’s Echo of Moscow radio station, Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, told the same radio station on Wednesday: “I am going to arm the newsroom. I have no other means [for protection]. We have lived through many assassination attempts.” Muratov was re- ferring to a string of attacks against Novaya Gazeta re- porters stretching back to the 2006 murder of political re- porter Anna Politkovskaya. The statement made waves in local media, and in an attempt to latch onto the interest that followed, the Ka- lashnikov Concern, the arms- maker that bears the same name as the inventor of the AK-47, said it would offer a 10 percent discount on its traumatic pistols to journal- ists with valid accreditation. The company promoted its “trusty and powerful” MP-80 model, which fires rubber .45 caliber rounds. The weapon is ideal for “carrying in a spe- cial holster under clothing,” the gunmaker’s website says. Nadezhda Prusenkova, a Novaya Gazeta spokes- woman, said in an interview on Thursday that the paper would only provide means for self-defense to reporters who requested it, and ruled out reporters carrying tradi- tional firearms. But traumatic weapons, guns that carry rubber bullets and are legal to purchase in Russia, were a possibility, she said. “A traumatic gun is a means of self-defense,” she said when asked specifi- cally about the rubber-bullet weapons, but declined to say whether any had been sup- plied to Novaya Gazeta staff. She called Muratov’s statement “more an attempt to draw attention to the com- plexity of the situation than a declaration that Novaya Gazeta journalists will carry weapons from now on.” Nonetheless, she said, the decision to provide jour- nalists the right to self-de- fense “has been brewing for a long time.” “I can not deny Muratov’s words. He will do what he said he would,” she said. “The question is how and with what devices. But the fact that we’re even having this conver- sation now about defending journalists is revealing.” Muratov’s remarks came the same week that a re- porter at the Echo of Moscow radio station was stabbed in the neck during a break-in by a man who later claimed in an interrogation that she had used telepathy to sexu- ally harass him. Despite the man’s ap- parent mental illness, the careful planning and bru- tality of the attack has put journalists on edge and led some, both in public and private, to wonder whether the attacker had help. The reporter, Tatiana Felgen- gauer, underwent surgery for wounds to her neck and arms, and is currently recovering. The attack has also raised alarms about the growing demonization of indepen- dent reporters in the country on state-run television. Fel- gengauer, along with sev- eral other reporters from the news station, were tar- geted recently in a news re- port on state-run televi- sion that suggested the radio station was spreading Western propaganda. “I have no other options left,” Muratov said in the radio interview. “I am going to send some employees for [weapons] training. We will officially sign an agreement with the Russian Interior Ministry. We will buy trau- matic weapons and train [our staff] to use them. And we will also equip our jour- nalists with other means of self-defense that I won’t speak about.” Prusenkova declined to answer questions about whether the newspaper had provided staff with other self-defense weapons, like tasers or mace sprays. “In many ways it is a psy- chological thing: those who might consider attacking a journalist of Novaya Gazeta as a possibility will think twice when they know that a journalist can respond using means of self-de- fense,” she said. A veteran reporter for the paper who has covered Rus- sian neo-Nazi and far right movements, Prusenkova said that she has carried a can of mace spray in the past to defend herself, though never a firearm. Journalists gen- erally do not carry weapons because it would allow them to be noted as “combatants,” Prusenkova said. Asked about Muratov’s statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secre- tary, Dmitri Peskov, appeared to offer support, saying that journalists had the right to protection just like everyone else. “Anyone can be sub- ject to the attack of a crazy person, unfortunately no one is protected against this,” he said. “So I don’t think it is justified to single out journalists.” Prusenkova, noting a poll on the newspaper’s website, argued that many readers agreed. “We did a poll among our readers on our website and practically 80 percent said that we should not rely on law enforcement agencies and think ourselves about protection,” she said. “So in a way we are meeting the re- quests of our readers.” © 2017, The Washington Post Boris Grits, 48, who holds Russian and Israeli citizenship, center, is escorted by police officers as he arrives at a courthouse in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 24. He was identified as the assailant of Tatyana Felgenhauer, deputy editor-in-chief at Russia’s only independent news radio station who was stabbed at the station’s studios on Monday, the latest of a string of attacks on journalists and opposition activists in Moscow. - PHOTO: APNext >