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Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp High-tech subs explore Cayman’s twilight zone JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A pair of high-tech submersible craft hit depths of 1,000 feet off the Cayman Is- lands last week, as a world-famous re- search and exploration ship dropped in on the Sister Islands. The past and the future collided in Cay- man’s waters as the state-of-the art sub- marines hovered over the coral-crusted wreck of the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts and roamed coral reefs off Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The subs, Nadir and Deep Rover, have been used on deep-sea missions to record stunning natural footage for shows like the BBC’s “Blue Planet 2” and Fisher Stevens and Leonardo Dicaprio’s “Before the Flood.” The submarines’ mother ship, the Alucia, an international research and exploration vessel, dropped anchor in the Sister Islands to explore the depths and test out new “so- cial media storytelling strategies.” Working with National Geographic pho- tographer Paul Nicklen and a team from SeaLegacy, an environmental organization that aims to create powerful media to help create awareness of ocean conservation, the group shared underwater footage and pho- tographs that reached millions of people on Instagram and Facebook. Ian Kellett, director of media and special projects for Alucia, said the crew had taken an unscheduled side trip to the Cayman OPPOSITION: BUDGET DOES LITTLE FOR AVERAGE CAYMANIAN BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government’s 2018 and 2019 budget proposals continue the “re- gressive” policies of the Progressives party and do little to assist the average income or poorer Caymanian worker, Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller said Wednesday. Mr. Miller’s speech was the first chance for opposition members of the Legislative As- sembly to respond to the Progressives-led gov- ernment’s $1.97 billion, two-year spending plan for the entire public sector. “[Government’s] policies … cater to the elite class of Caymanians, the foreign businesses, the foreign worker [and] will lead to the con- tinued erosion of the middle class and the in- creased suffering and hopelessness of the poor Caymanians,” Mr. Miller said. Mr. Miller said the national unity govern- ment’s pledges to make education a top pri- ority rang hollow following a detailed exam- ination of the budget, which he said placed more emphasis than ever on earning rev- enue from foreign labor and made a weak case for the development of cruise berthing Speaker warns MLAs, media about ‘abuses’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush put Legislative Assembly members and the local media on notice Wednesday that he intended to adopt a strict interpretation of rules for parliamentary procedure and privilege during the current government’s term. “Members should be aware of the protec- tion they have when speaking because there is parliamentary privilege,” Mr. Bush said. “But it is exactly that protection that dictates decency and truth, not speculation or hearsay.” “[Parliamentary] privilege cannot be abused,” he said. “Members or those outside the House who disregard these rights and im- munities are in breach of privileges and can be punished. This applies to the media and any other entity or person. “We have the right to punish actions that obstruct or impede the assembly in the House pays tribute to pioneer weatherman First Chief Met Officer was a ‘true nation-builder,’ premier says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Members of the Legislative Assembly stood for a minute of silence on Wednesday morning, paying tribute to the late Frank Ellsworth Roulstone Jr., who headed Cay- man’s weather service from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1988. Mr. Roul- stone died at his home in West Bay on Oct. 26 after a long illness. He was 85. Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush read a brief biography of Mr. Roulstone, which traced the history of the development of the weather service. He added his memo- ries of the weatherman’s connection with and provisions for Caymanians who worked as caretakers for operations in the Swan Is- lands, Honduras. Minister Tara Rivers said recognition of Mr. Roulstone was well deserved. She spoke of the involvement his family and Frank E. Roulstone Jr. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » A high-tech submersible, capable of hitting depths of 1,000 meters, combed the reefs off the Sister Islands last week. – PHOTO: IAN KELLETT PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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 - GEOSTORM 3D (PG13) 12:35 I 3:30 2D VIP I 4:10 2D I 6:50 9:45 2D SUBURBICON (R) 12:45 I 3:55 I 6:40 THE SNOWMAN (R) 12:50 I 7:00 THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (PG13) 9:55 HAPPY DEATH DAY (PG13) 12:20 I 1:00 VIP I 2:45 I 5:10 I 7:35 10:00 THE FOREIGNER (R) 3:35 I 9:35 TYLER PERRY’S BOO2! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (PG13) 1:10 I 4:15 I 7:15 I 9:50 Pirates to invade Brac this weekend JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Pirates Week activi- ties begin this weekend on Cayman Brac when pi- rates and wenches will in- vade the island for some swashbuckling fun. Pirates Week started 40 years ago and has turned into one of Cayman’s most anticipated annual festivals, bringing locals and wannabe swashbucklers from around the world to participate in days of buccaneering fun. The festivities on the Brac will get started at 3:30 p.m. Friday at La Esperanza Re- sort in Watering Place. Pirates and their associates will kick off the dance party at 5:30 p.m., lasting until 2 a.m. On Saturday, events will move to the Brac Heritage House at 218 Northeast Bay Road, from 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., where a host of heritage day activities will be taking place, including demonstra- tions, craft stalls, live music and a traditional tea party. The Heritage House Craft Markets feature an impres- sive array of handcrafts and island flavor, including jew- elry, underwater photography, historical books, thatch work and assorted arts. Also on Saturday, around 3:30 p.m., the streets will come alive with the much an- ticipated and colorful Float Parade, which will be fol- lowed by a happy hour and finale party. On Sunday, the pirates will bid farewell and, in honor of their departure, a farewell lunch is planned at La Esper- anza from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Pirates Week festivities will move to Grand Cayman on Nov. 9, when George Town will come alive with the CUC “Pan In De City” steel pan competition. Junior and se- nior steel pan bands will showcase their talent in har- mony at the huge gathering of musicians. The festival will take place throughout the week on Grand Cayman and then move to Little Cayman on Friday, Nov. 17. Pirates will be heading to Cayman Brac this weekend. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Mayor of San Juan questions postponement of congressional hearing WASHINGTON (AP) – San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz on Wednesday ques- tioned why Republicans abruptly postponed a House hearing where she was scheduled to testify about the devastating im- pact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico. Cruz, who has tangled with President Donald Trump about the federal response, suggested the White House did not want to hear her criticism. “There was a meeting scheduled for today that was canceled as I was get- ting to Washington,” she said during a news con- ference with Democratic House members. “It is evident that this admin- istration does not want to listen to the truth and does not want to own up to it.” The mayor was refer- ring to a hearing about the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency’s pre- paredness and response capabilities that was scheduled for Wednesday morning and was sup- posed to include testimony from both Cruz and FEMA Administrator Brock Long. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Com- mittee, who had invited Cruz to testify, told re- porters he was given no explanation for the postponement. “It is inexcusable that the Republicans have de- layed this hearing for the third time with no rational reason in a blatant attempt to silence the mayor and shield the Trump admin- istration from another bad news story,” he said. A committee aide told The Associated Press that Thompson had re- quested the witness Friday evening, leaving only the weekend to plan for a panel of state and local witnesses. The aide, who was not authorized to speak to re- porters and spoke on con- dition of anonymity, said that given the short turn- around time it was not possible to assemble a full second panel of witnesses to reflect areas of the country affected by recent natural disasters. Cruz reiterated her criticism about the fed- eral response, which she called “inadequate” and “insufficient.” “The situation is still a life or death situation” a month after Maria hit the island, she said. “Sur- vival cannot be our new way of life.” Cruz objected to the grade of 10 out of 10 that Trump has given to the federal response to hurri- cane-ravaged Puerto Rico. “It really is 10 out of 100. President Trump lives in an alternate reality. While we are feeding our people, he is in Mar-a-Lago playing golf,” she said. Australian sentenced to 6 years for drug smuggling in Colombia BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A judge in Colombia has sen- tenced an Australian woman to six years in jail after she pleaded guilty to drug traf- ficking in a high-profile case that has shed light on the plight of foreign drug mules. Cassandra Sainsbury was accompanied by her family on Wednesday as the judge accepted the plea deal – a huge reduction from the 30 years in jail she faced had the case gone to trial. Her lawyer Orlando Herran said that with good conduct, his client could be released from prison in as little as two years and placed under house arrest even before then. She must also pay a fine of nearly $100,000. Sainsbury was arrested in April at Bogota’s inter- national airport boarding a flight to London after an X-ray machine detected in her luggage about 13 pounds of cocaine stashed in pack- ages of headphones that she told police she had pur- chased to bring back to Aus- tralia for her wedding. How- ever she changed her story several times, later claiming she had been set up and threatened by people back in Sydney, where she said she worked as a receptionist at a brothel. Prosecutors, in seeking leniency, were per- suaded that her crimes were not so black and white, said Herran. “She’s lucky because the amount of the drugs was very big,” he told a bevy of Australian journalists who traveled to Colombia after the closed-door hearing. Sainsbury’s arrest gar- nered top attention in Aus- tralia, where tabloids alter- nated between mocking the Adelaide native as “Cocaine Cassie” and expressing sym- pathy with the plight of Aus- tralia’s highest-profile foreign prisoner. But the few Colom- bians who followed the case at all tended to be deeply of- fended by her family’s early statement that she couldn’t receive a fair trial in such a “corrupt country.” Colombia is the world’s largest producer of co- caine and its police among the best trained to detect and stop drug smuggling thanks in part to billions of dollars in U.S. anti-nar- cotics aid that has strength- ened law enforcement. Many families have sad tales of loved ones who have spent years behind bars in the U.S. and elsewhere after being drawn by economic hard- ship into the lower rungs of the drug trade. As tourism to Colombia has boomed over the past decade, the country’s drug cartels are increasingly re- cruiting foreigners to smuggle cocaine out of the country. So far this year, Co- lombian police have arrested 67 foreign drug mules. 2 HEADS DUMPED NEAR MEXICO CITY ‘S HISTORIC CENTER MEXICO CITY (AP) – Two sev- ered heads were dumped on a street corner near Mexico City’s historic colonial core early Wednesday, a rare in- stance in the capital of the kind of grisly killings and public displays of murder victims more commonly seen in other parts of the country. A statement from the city prosecutor’s office reported that a man left the heads in two black bags in the morning at an intersection about eight blocks from the city’s Zocalo, or main square, and about four from the no- toriously gritty neighbor- hood of Tepito. Prosecutors said so far they do not have any missing person reports that could correspond to the severed heads and are working to determine when the victims died and whether they may have come from elsewhere. There was no immediate word of any arrest. In areas of Mexico that are drug cartel strongholds, gangs have often murdered and mutilated victims and then left the remains in public as a warning to foes or people who defy them. Such displays have been rare in the capital, however, which has often been said to be a relative oasis from the worst of the country’s cartel violence. But those perceptions have been changing recently as drug gang influence in- creasingly appears to be felt in Mexico City. In July, roadblockades and a sus- tained gun battle between gang members and about 1,300 heavily armed ma- rines and police left eight dead in Tlahuac, a poor neighborhood on the city’s southern outskirts. Sainsbury was arrested in April at Bogota’s international airport boarding a flight to London after an X-ray machine detected in her luggage about 13 pounds of cocaine.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 MIXTRONOMY DINNER FIVE COURSES. FIVE RUMS. FIVE SENSES. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3 | 7:00 PM CATCH RESTAURANT & LOUNGE $ 75 (PLUS GRATUITY) FLOR DE CAÑA MIXTRONOMY DINNER MENU: PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES Paired with: WB Bellini Flor de Caña 4, Local Mangos Purée, Lime Juice, Velvet Falernum, Prosecco TUNA CRUDO Paired with: Popoyo Fizz Flor de Caña 5, Yuzu Juice, Dubonnet, Fresh Raspberry, Local Oregano Demerara Syrup, Soda LOCAL BLACK GROUPER Paired with: Zombie N*2 Flor de Caña 4, Flor de Caña 12, Absinthe, Apricot Brandy, Local Passion Fruit, Orange Curaçao, Lime Juice, Peychuad’s Bitter, Topped with Ginger Beer SEARED BEEF FILLET Paired with: Smoked Rum Manhattan Flor de Caña 12, Antica Formula, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Cynar, Angostura Orange & Dark Chocolate Bitters TROPICAL FRUIT, OLIVE OIL, WHITE CHOCOLATE, RUM ZABAIONE Paired with: Momotombo Old Fashion Flor de Caña 18, Sauterne Syrup, Dehydrated Pineapple, Grapefruit & Plum Bitters, Amargo Bitters FIVE SENSES TASTING WITH FLOR DE CAÑA 25 FOR RESERVATIONS, CONTACT CATCH AT 949-4321. Join Flor de Caña Brand Ambassador, John Guilarte, and experience a delectable menu paired with five different rum cocktails. Beach access row remains unresolved Legal amendments to address issue yet to be implemented JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com On Prospect Point Road, a chain-link fence blocks ac- cess to an overgrown path that leads to the beach. Fastened to the fence, a sign warns, “Private Prop- erty, Keep Out.” Right next to it, a distinctive brown public beach access sign contradicts this instruction and directs tourists and beachgoers to- ward the blocked path. The “keep out” sign was apparently erected on behalf of a private landowner, said to be concerned about drug use and damage to his prop- erty by those using the path. The conflicting signs in Prospect are just the latest example of the tension be- tween coastal landowners and beachgoers over the con- tentious issue of rights of ac- cess to Cayman’s beaches. A year after legislation was passed in an effort to protect public access and en- sure proper maintenance of beach paths, the long-run- ning problem appears to have only got worse. Multiple public beach ac- cess paths around Grand Cayman remain blocked, while additional accesses have been cut off and con- flicts between hotel security guards and sunbathers over rights to the beach continue to be reported. In the past month, resi- dents have also reported ac- cess paths blocked along Seven Mile Beach and at Boggy Sand Road in West Bay. Government moved to deal with the issue late last year by making amendments to the Prescriptions Law and the Registered Land Law, and creating a new Public Land Use Law, which officials said were designed to allow government to register ac- cess paths and compel land- owners to keep them open to the public. The Lands and Survey De- partment did not respond to requests for a progress up- date on efforts to implement the new legislation, which in- cluded a provision for a new unit to enforce beach access rights and monitor commer- cial activity on the beaches. Premier Alden McLaughlin indicated in his budget policy statement that the unit had been set up, though it does not appear to be opera- tional as yet. He said, “We will be fur- ther strengthening the pub- lic’s rights to beach access through policies, procedures and regulations that guide the operations of the Public Lands Commission, which was established in June this year. This commission will ensure that beach access by the public is safeguarded and maintained on all three of our islands.” The Security Centre issued a statement in reference to the blocked access on Pros- pect Point Road, indicating it had been asked to secure the access on behalf of a client. “The customer expressed to us that he felt that the beach access was being used for illegal activities that in- cluded destruction of pri- vate property and drug use and the gate access was in- stalled to protect property and to ensure that legal use was made of the access in the future,” the company said in a statement. Beachfront property A separate but related issue concerning the rights of access to public beaches in front of hotels and condos also raised its head again this week after Kimpton Seafire manager Steven Andre moved to address social media reports that security guards were asking tourists to move from the stretch of Seven Mile Beach in front of the hotel telling them it was reserved for guests. Mr. Andre said he was not present for the alleged inci- dent, but would ensure his security staff understood the responsibility to allow ac- cess and usage of the beach in front of the hotel. “We fully understand the rights of the public to beach access. We have chairs in front of the hotel which are for guests, but we know there is public space along the beach for people to use if they would like.” He said the chairs and pool area were for guests, but the beach was open to all, and his staff had never been instructed to prevent people from using the beach. “It is not our business to throw people off public beaches,” he added, saying the hotel was keen to ensure it complied with the required legal boundaries. Similar conflicts have been reported at hotels and condo developments along the beach for several years. In its guidelines to ho- tels and beachfront property owners, the Department of Tourism indicates hoteliers have a responsibility to allow beach access to the public. It indicates that this extends beyond the high water mark, commonly held to be the di- viding line between public and private property. In its “guidelines for owners and managers of beachfront properties” it states, “Whilst members of the public have no rights to use private property such as beach furniture which be- longs to beachfront prop- erty owners, they may not be prevented from using the beach or passing to and fro along the beach even where the beach they use is on private land. “Hotel managers should ensure that all staff working on the beach such as secu- rity personnel and food and beverage staff are aware of the law and that the public right to use any part of the beach is not restricted or lim- ited in any way.” On Prospect Point Road, contradictory signs illustrate the confusion and conflict over public beach access rights. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe 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. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS “The use of cannabis extracts and tinctures of cannabis for medical or therapeutic purposes, where prescribed by a medical doctor licensed in accordance with the Health Practice Law (2017 Revision) as part of a course of treatment for a person under that medical doctor’s care, is lawful.” — Misuse of Drugs Law (2017 Revision) Despite the brevity of the Cayman Islands’ medical marijuana legislation, the short paragraph above, passed into law last year, has set off a chain reaction of “side effects” on a broad scale. Just this week, the law’s shortcomings were exposed in the courtroom of Magistrate Valdis Foldats, who grappled with the question of what to do about a defendant, who had been found guilty of possessing ganja illegally (before the medical mari- juana law went into effect), but who at his sentencing hearing produced a medical doctor’s prescription for cannabis oil. That prescription neutralized the court’s usual remedy for first-time ganja possession offenders, involving probation and regular drug testing, because a drug test cannot differentiate between the presence of illegal ganja and legal cannabis oil. That’s just one of the blind spots in the law, which sped through the legislature at an expedited pace and was aimed narrowly at a small group of people who have exhausted conventional treatments for serious health conditions. (On a tangent: What about foreign tourists who have doctors’ prescriptions for medical mari- juana? Can they not bring their “medicine” with them? Can they fill their prescription at the local pharmacy?) One of the biggest issues has been uncertainty around the import, supply and distribution of the legalized “extracts and tinctures.” A handful of profit- sensing “ganjapreneurs” have jumped right into the uncertain “gray market” in hopes of emerging at the head of the pack when rules and regulations come into focus. For the record, we are wary of the legalization of medical cannabis in general and have expressed serious concerns about Cayman’s particular legisla- tion since its inception. In regard to the “medical” part of the concept – there exists very little peer-reviewed scientific literature demonstrating the salutary effects of the drug, except for a few specific conditions (such as weight loss in AIDS patients, nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and pediatric epilepsy). As for the “cannabis” part of the equation, we strongly suspect that many of the people advocating for the legalization of medical cannabis are using that cause as a stepping stone (or “smokescreen”) for the outright legalization of cannabis. The last thing our society needs is more drugs on the street. In addition to the potential harm to public health, we are concerned that moving toward the legalization of ganja clashes with Cayman’s well-fos- tered reputation of being a socially conservative and family friendly destination, and could harm our tourism sector and international business. We understand that enforcing Cayman’s drug law is difficult and resource-intensive. Sometimes, it seems there is more ganja washing up on our beaches than Sargassum seaweed, and still more being tossed over the wall of Northward Prison (intended recipients: con- victed drug offenders). Our country seems to be of two (or more) con- flicting minds about ganja, and whether its use should be tolerated, discouraged or punishable by prison. Currently, it appears (well, smells) as if the “non- prescription” use of cannabis is widespread throughout Cayman. It also appears at times that enforcement of the law can be inconsistent according to the circum- stances of a suspect or offender. Ambivalence only worsens a challenging situation. If we start winking at our own laws, we might as well close both eyes. In case of further discussion of liberalizing – or toughening – Cayman’s legal stance on ganja, the conversation should not be led by advocates, but by experts: police, prosecutors, prison staff, physicians, educators, employers and professionals who are on the front lines of this ongoing culture war. Medical cannabis: Sober reflection on drug law China can help turn the lights on in Puerto Rico ADAM MINTER Last weekend, officials in Puerto Rico announced that they are pulling the plug on a controversial $300 mil- lion contract to rebuild the island’s electrical grid after Hurricane Maria. The pre- vious contractor, Whitefish Energy Holdings LLC, a Mon- tana company with just two full-time employees before the award, will leave the is- land within 30 days, while officials try to find an al- ternative plan. With no resolution in sight, and roughly 70 per- cent of the island’s resi- dents still without power, Puerto Rico should turn to companies with real ex- pertise in repairing power grids in developing re- gions. Of these, none would be a better fit than State Grid Corp. of China. The mere idea might raise na- tional-security alarms in Washington. But it’s worth asking: What would it look like if China’s big- gest power company were given the chance to rebuild Puerto Rico’s grid? It’s a question that should have been asked long before Hurricane Maria. A 2016 independent assessment of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Au- thority, the island’s electric utility, noted that its “trans- mission and distribution systems are falling apart quite literally” and that it is “failing at the basic man- date of an electric utility, which is to safely and re- liably supply electricity to its customers.” Making matters worse, fossil fuels, all imported, account for 98 percent of electricity generation, leaving the utility vulnerable to phys- ical and market disrup- tions. In 2017, PREPA filed for bankruptcy. Thanks to Maria, PREPA is now in the unfortunate position of having to both restore power and create a modern grid that delivers reliable energy. Funding for the former task has been secured; it’s unclear who will pay for the latter. But in all likelihood, Puerto Rico will need to privatize its electric grid and hand the upgrade and operations to an outside contractor. If that happens, State Grid would be a good fit. Formed in 2002, it’s now the dominant electrical utility in China, serving one in seven people on the planet. Much of that growth has been achieved by building in some of the world’s most inaccessible terrain. In 2014, State Grid began work on a $1 billion, 945-mile transmission line in a mountainous area be- tween Tibet and Sichuan Province that required workers to labor at 12,500 feet, on average. Puerto Ri- co’s terrain – though dif- ficult – is comparatively simple (and low-altitude). State Grid also works fast. The Tibet line was completed in less than a year, well ahead of schedule. Last year, China announced a $107 billion program to upgrade its rural grid over four years. That project will serve hun- dreds of millions of people. Puerto Rico, with a popu- lation of 3.4 million, does not even have a time frame for its upgrade; State Grid could undoubtedly make it happen quickly. More crucially, it would be able to do it well. Over the past 20 years, State Grid has become one of the world’s leading de- velopers of renewable en- ergy generation and trans- mission technologies. Both will be crucial if Puerto Rico is going to wean it- self from its financially and environmentally ru- inous dependence on im- ported fossil fuels. Mean- while, State Grid has been an eager adopter of “smart grid” technologies that can adjust power flows for ef- ficiency and safety, which could go a long way toward preventing or mitigating future disasters. But perhaps most im- portant, State Grid has the money and the desire to do the job. It generates nearly as much revenue in a year as Boeing Co. and Apple Inc. combined. Since 2009, it has officially “gone global” with investments in Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Italy and the Philippines, where it runs the national grid. Given the chance for a sim- ilar concession in Puerto Rico – with the potential for both profit and prestige – there’s little question that it would say yes. To be sure, there would be some national-secu- rity concerns about such a deal. China could, for in- stance, threaten to shut down the grid in a theoret- ical confrontation with the U.S. But many of these con- cerns could be allayed be- forehand – for instance, by requiring that the actual operation of the conces- sion be restricted to locals and U.S. citizens, and that the technology involved be subjected to regular se- curity audits. These do not seem like insurmountable obstacles. And from the perspective of Puerto Ricans going on a second month without elec- tricity, there is not much left to lose. Adam Minter is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is the author of ‘Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade.’ © 2017, Bloomberg View. 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” With no resolution in sight, and roughly 70 percent of the island’s residents still without power, Puerto Rico should turn to companies with real expertise in repairing power grids in developing regions.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 Cayman’s government debt costs $443M over four years Debt repayment is more than 10 percent of government spending BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The “cost” of the Cayman Islands government’s debt, what it either has already paid or is due to repay in in- terest and principal amounts between July 2015 and De- cember 2019, is more than $443 million, according to a review of publicly available budget records. That amount does not in- clude $153 million govern- ment expects to borrow in late 2019 to refinance a por- tion of its debt. The amount measured from the four financial years includes $127.35 million in “financing expenses” – this is the interest paid by govern- ment on the debt it owes. The figure includes amounts paid by the central government, as well as its associated statu- tory authorities and govern- ment-owned companies. The remainder is $315 million in principal repay- ments. If all those payments are made as expected, they will take the country’s total debt down to about $318 mil- lion by December 2019. The $318 million total debt would be the lowest amount government has held in more than a decade. Averaged out over the four-and-a-half year pe- riod, the total debt repay- ments come to about $98 million dollars per year. That amount equals more than 10 percent of the entire public sector’s operating ex- penses for 2018. Biting ‘the bullet’ The repayment of a $262 million (US$312 mil- lion) “bullet loan” during 2019 is the main reason the debt repayment amounts are much higher during the current period. A bullet loan is a loan that comes due all at once on a specific date. Finance Minister Roy Mc- Taggart said last week that government was expecting to borrow $153 million to repay part of that loan and would pay the remainder out of cash reserves. The long-term borrowing, the first Cayman has under- taken since 2011, will likely be necessary to ensure gov- ernment does not spend all its available cash, he said. “The government con- cluded it was not prudent to substantially deplete its entire cash balances in order to avoid external bor- rowing altogether,” Mr. McTaggart said. The finance minister called it a “significant achievement” that by the time the “bullet loan” payment is due in November 2019, the government will have gone without using long-term bor- rowing for eight years. “We have been able to fund all operating and cap- ital investments from our own cash resources,” he said. Cash surplus The ability to fund gov- ernment’s construction proj- ects and operations from cash has been due, in part, to the accumulation of oper- ating surpluses during each of the past four budget years. The government is also ex- pecting to achieve surpluses, meaning revenues will come in higher than expenses, during the next two budgets. The cash surplus figures released by government in- clude payments made to- ward annual interest on debt. They do not include prin- cipal debt repayments. Fi- nancial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson said this is in line with generally accepted ac- counting practices. “It is quite correct and proper that the $55 million for operating surplus fore- casted for the central govern- ment [for the current budget year] does not take into ac- count principal debt repay- ments,” Mr. Jefferson said. Mr. McTaggart said oper- ating surpluses of $81 mil- lion in 2018 and $59 million for 2019 were expected to be achieved during the up- coming budget cycle. “Some people ask – why must the government gen- erate operating surpluses?” Mr. McTaggart said. “It is al- ways wise to spend less than you earn … as it ensures that you will have the financial wherewithal to deal with un- expected circumstances.” The repayment of a $262 million (US$312 million) “bullet loan” during 2019 is the main reason the debt repayment amounts are much higher during the current period. Finance Minister Roy McTaggart speaks Friday during the annual budget address. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe 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 NOVEMBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY, NOV. 4 SEA SWIM: The annual CUC 800m sea swim takes place at Governors Beach from 4 p.m. Registration is 3–3:45 p.m. CIASA members, $10 children and $15 adults. Non- members, $15 and $20. Trophies for top finishers in all age groups. T-shirts and refreshments for all participants. SKATE PARK: RE/MAX Cayman Islands is holding a family-friendly event at the Black Pearl Skate Park today from 3-7 p.m. All are invited. NORTH SIDE: District Council meeting takes place 6 p.m. at Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre. All district residents are invited. This meeting is in lieu of Oct. 26 meeting, which was called off because of the weather. BINGO NIGHT: All are invited to play Bingo from 7 p.m. at Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre in North Side. $2 per card per game. Proceeds benefit literacy and numeracy programs at Edna M. Moyle Primary School. BREEZE FUSION: 5K walk/ run from Smith Barcadere. Starting times, 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. Students $10; Adults, $20. Get registration form from www.radiocayman.gov.ky or call 949-7799. First 300 get T-shirt and participation medal. TOGETHER WE DANCE: The Cayman Dance Pool invites the public to the Prospect Playhouse on Nov. 4, 2017 at 7 p.m. to see all of our local dance companies under one roof. $15 admission. Contact 916-1273 or email CaymanDancePool@ gmail.com. MONDAY, NOV. 6 PROUD OF THEM: The public is invited to recognize excellence among young people in the Cayman Islands by submitting nominations to the Proud of Them award scheme. Today is the deadline. Youth ages 10–25 who are reaching new heights of achievement in academics, sports, their career, culture, business or community service can be nominated. Forms can be found online at www.gov.ky. Email proudofthem@gov.ky. TUESDAY, NOV. 7 SMALL BUSINESS: The Cayman Islands Small Business Association (CISBA) holds its official opening at 151 Mary Street, George Town from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All are invited to socialize and enjoy complimentary appetizers, live music and wine. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 FITNESS EXPO: The Intertrust Fitness Expo takes place 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. at The Venue at Caribbean Plaza, formerly The Bistro, where a host of fitness experts will be on hand to offer advice and guidance for those interested in walking or running. THURSDAY, NOV. 9 RECRUITMENT FAIR: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Recruitment Fair takes place at the George Town Town Hall 3-7 p.m. The Prison Service, Fire Service, Department of Immigration, Department of Labour and Pensions, Department of Public Safety Communications, Customs Department and Police Service will have representatives on hand to speak with interested persons and answer questions. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15 RUN IN THE DARK: 5K/10K walk or run. 8 p.m. A fundraiser for the Mark Pollock Trust, which aims to find a cure for paralysis. To find further information or sign up for this year’s event, visit www.runinthedark.org/ cayman-islands. THURSDAY, NOV. 16 SCHOOL PLAY: St. Ignatius Catholic School Musical Comedy, “The Addams Family.” Shows are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets on sale at the school office. Phone 949-9250. GENERAL INTEREST CONCH AND WHELK SEASON: The Department of Environment wishes to remind the public that the conch and whelk season opens on Nov. 1. It is also still lobster closed-season. The legal limit for conch is five per person per day or 10 per boat, whichever is less. Whelk limit is two-and- a-half gallons in the shell, or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks, per person, per day. USED BOOK SALE: Through Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Red Cross Thrift Shop, Huldah Avenue. Customers can get all the books they can fit in a single bag for only $5. CAYMAN CRAFT: The exhibition, “Revive!” – Celebrating contemporary and traditional craft from the Cayman Islands, is open at the National Gallery. GARBAGE COLLECTION: The Department of Environmental Health urges residents and business operators to ensure that garbage containers are accessible to sanitation crews at all times – either at the front of the property or at a side that is accessible to the roadway. Receptacles must be stored in properly constructed enclosures and should not impede the flow of traffic. HURRICANE RELIEF: The Adventist Church has started a fund in aid of Hurricane Irma victims in the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Financial contributions may be made at the local office, 209 Walkers Road, during business hours, or at the nearest Adventist Church. Donations may also be deposited at the Royal Bank of Canada, to ADRA account number 500-6234. 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. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Offered by the Visual Arts Society on Wednesdays to adults. 9 a.m. to noon at the Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. $15 per person or $25 per non-member. Clay, materials and firing facilities available. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. 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. CANDLE MAKING: Visual Arts Society offers this workshop at the National Trust Club House on Sundays 3–4:30 p.m. Fee of $45 per member or $55 per non-member includes materials for two candles. Parasol painting workshops, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Same fee, includes one parasol. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Plaza Venezia, next to China Village. The thrift shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed on Sunday and Monday. Phone 945-5596. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ARTISAN MARKET: Every Wednesday, noon–8 p.m. at Camana Bay Farmers Market. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand- crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale at the tents by KARoo Restaurant/ Bar. For more info email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee. Easels provided for artist of all levels to come out and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit next to the MLA’s office). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. website at www.rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The CUC Sea Swim will be held on Saturday, starting from Governors Beach at 4 p.m. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 Seymour appointed head of first Council for Older Persons Council members drawn from Cayman’s six districts TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Saying local seniors “now have a voice to rep- resent them,” Premier Alden McLaughlin named the 15 members of Cay- man’s first Council for Older Persons as part of July’s Older Persons Law. Passed by the legislature in March and effected in July, the new regulations require Cabinet to appoint a council “to identify and advance se- nior citizens’ issues” by en- suring “access to services,” “social inclusion,” “anti-dis- criminatory practices” and “improved care,” including “physical, psychological, so- cial or material assistance,” according to the 15-page act. Chair of the new council is former People’s Progressive Movement legislator Lucille Seymour. The deputy chair is West Bay activist and com- munity leader Alice Mae Coe. Efforts to reach Ms. Sey- mour were unanswered. Ms. Coe, however, said the first council meeting had not been scheduled, but “is most likely fairly soon.” In a press release, Pre- mier McLaughlin, also Min- ister for Community Affairs, said “reaching this point has been a milestone and a major accomplishment for the Cayman Islands. The ap- pointment of this council is a significant achievement.” In July, the Older Per- sons Steering Committee an- nounced it was seeking six members – 65 years or older, one from each district – for the council, sitting beside seven government appointees, one attorney and a doctor. “The task force went through the strategic plans and priorities,” Ms. Coe said, “pulling it all together. They called for volunteers and asked me. I said I’d be willing.” The council comprises representatives from the ministries of community af- fairs, health, education, em- ployment and gender af- fairs, and from the Cabinet Coordination Unit. Tempora Wesley will represent the Department of Children and Family Services. Ms. Seymour represents George Town, Ms. Coe rep- resents West Bay, Regi- nald Nixon is the member for Bodden Town, Barbara Gee for East End, Esther Pa- tricia Ebanks for North Side and Lana Poldervaart for the Sister Islands. Attorney Mark Beckford, founder of law firm Mark Beckford & Co., is council legal adviser, and Dr. Eryka Simmons, formerly of Family and Community Medicine at the Cayman Islands Hospital and a master’s degree candi- date in clinical dermatology at Wales’s Cardiff University, is medical consultant. “I commend all who had a part in helping develop the older persons policy, getting it approved and enacting the Older Persons Law,” the pre- mier said, “and I deeply ap- preciate the members of the council for agreeing to serve on this important board to protect and advance the well- being of our elders.” “The first council meeting is most likely fairly soon.” ALICE MAE COE, deputy chair, Council for Older Persons Lucille Seymour Camana Bay’s Regal cinema to be rebranded, run independently Rewards program expires at end of month Regal Cinemas Camana Bay Stadium 6 will be re- branded next month as “Ca- mana Bay Cinema,” the Dart Enterprises company Ac- tive Capital Ltd. announced on Wednesday. Active Capital stated that after the Regal Entertain- ment Group’s contract to operate the cinema closes at the end of this month, the Dart-owned com- pany will run the facilities independently. “Operating independently gives us the flexibility to give our customers even more of what they want and to con- tinue improving the experi- ence for cinemagoers in the Cayman Islands,” said Ac- tive Capital Operations Man- ager Simon Watson in a press release. The cinema will main- tain its distribution channels and be able to continue its regular schedule of new re- leases. It will also continue events such as Kids Club, Classics at the Cinema, and Culture at the Cinema. However, the Regal Loy- alty program will close at the end of the month, “so existing members are encouraged to use up their points by Nov. 30,” Active Capital stated. A new loyalty program will be launched in January. The Camana Bay movie theater originally opened in Nov. 2007 and was oper- ated by the U.S.-based Holly- wood Theaters. In Feb. 2013, Regal Enter- tainment Group purchased Hollywood Theaters for roughly US$191 million. The cinema in Camana Bay is undergoing a rebranding. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY GANJA TRIAL ENDS WITH NO CASE TO ANSWER Troy Pearson not guilty of importing, possessing 108 pounds of ganja CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Magistrate Grace Don- alds ruled on Wednesday that there was no case for Troy Oliver Pearson to answer after he was charged with impor- tation and possession with intent to supply 108 pounds of ganja. With no case to an- swer, these charges were dismissed and Pearson was not guilty. He faced other charges, however, arising from the same cir- cumstances: assaulting a police officer and as- saulting a customs officer on May 22 this year at a residence in Prospect. These charges were put to him and he pleaded guilty. The magistrate or- dered a social inquiry re- port and sentencing was set for Jan. 31. Pearson was origi- nally charged because he was inside the prem- ises where the ganja was found when police offi- cers went there. He strug- gled with them and made a successful escape, but later turned himself in. After the case for the prosecution was con- cluded, defense attorney Nicholas Dixey argued that there was no case for Pearson to answer for the large quantity of illegal vegetable matter. Although the defen- dant had been inside the premises, he did not live there. When inter- viewed, he had told po- lice he simply went there to buy some ganja. Mr. Dixey submitted a Grand Court ruling that said mere occupation of a premises was not suffi- cient evidence of posses- sion of the drugs found there; the court had to be satisfied that the person had control of the drug to the exclusion of other persons present. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright argued that Pearson’s fingerprint was on one of the buckets of ganja, but Mr. Dixey countered that Pearson had already admitted he might have touched one of the buckets. He also noted there was no evidence of Pear- son’s involvement in large-scale drugs: no par- aphernalia at his own home, no large amounts of cash, no suspicious bank activities. Further, Pearson did not have keys to that premises; the man with him at the time held the keys. The other man pleaded guilty to importa- tion and was sentenced to 38 months’ imprisonment. Pearson did plead guilty on a previous oc- casion to consumption of ganja, possession of a small quantity in his vehicle, and escaping lawful custody. His bail was continued until Jan. 31, with con- ditions that include a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. and drug testing twice per week. Seasonal flu shots available Seasonal flu shots for 2018-19 are available in lim- ited supply at District Health Centres throughout the Cayman Islands. The Health Services Au- thority advised that regular distribution of supplies will commence in late November. On Grand Cayman, people can receive the flu shots at the General Practice Clinic at the Cayman Islands Hospital, and all District Health Cen- tres from 2-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, Nov. 6. The shots are available at Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Residents of Little Cayman are advised to con- tact the Little Cayman Clinic to make arrangements. For more information, contact the Public Health Department at 244-2621 or 244-2889. Chief Officer in the Ministry of Health Jennifer Ahearn gets her flu shot from Nurse Manager Joanna Rose-Wright, as Monique Spence, HSA communications officer looks on.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Islands after permits to de- ploy the subs in Cuba fell through for a project in Jar- dines de la Reina. He said, “Other than the subs, SeaLegacy wrapped up a successful mission in Cuba celebrating the conservation and protection practices in the Gardens of the Queen, Cuba, and filmed charismatic megafauna such as crocodiles and sharks in the waters off the Cuban archipelago. “The project in Cuba will continue to investi- gate resiliency of coral eco- systems in the Caribbean, specifically examining the symbiotic relationship be- tween algae and coral. “Diverting to the Caymans was an unexpected detour and we were all blown away by the incredible underwater visibility and the ease of op- erating in the Caymans. “We don’t have a spe- cific project in Cayman but we took the opportunity to explore the 600-1,000 foot depths, also known as ‘the twilight zone’ and look for biofluorescence for another film project in development. “We teamed up with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and they showed us some of the turtle con- servation that is going on in Cayman, and we gave some of the local scientists a tour of the boat and showed them what we do.” He said the Alucia’s mis- sion was to combine cut- ting-edge science and media to share the wonders of the ocean with the world. Both the ship’s submers- ibles can reach 1,000 me- ters (3,280 feet, or 0.6 miles) with a pilot and passengers on board, and have helped record never-before seen footage of sea creatures, in- cluding the giant squid, found off the coast of Japan. The Alucia is also used for marine science research with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the American Natural History Museum and the California Academy of the Sciences, and specializes in deep sea exploration. in George Town. By press time Wednesday, the opposition leader was still reviewing various areas of the budget as part of a debate and re- view process that is ex- pected to take at least an- other month to complete. Education Mr. Miller cited specific line items in the budget which he said revealed gov- ernment’s intention to ac- tually reduce funding for public education. For instance, he said, spending on secondary school education services in 2018 was set at $23.5 mil- lion, which he said was a “2 percent reduction” from the previous year. The 2019 portion of the secondary schools funding was still less than what it had been in 2017, he said. The primary schools budget had received a “mi- nuscule increase” from year- to-year, Mr. Miller said. The school maintenance budget, meanwhile, ap- peared to have been re- duced by more than $1 mil- lion below the 2017 forecast spending, the opposition leader noted. “All the schools need more maintenance, not less,” Mr. Miller said. “Con- trast this with the mas- sive, enormous, gigantic and walloping increase in this budget for 2018 on … prison custodial services.” That number, $11.3 mil- lion for 2018, was more than double the amount spent on the same item in 2017, he said. “It is more than a 100 percent increase for pris- oners, most of whom were failed by the very education system we are continuing to underfund,” he said. Port project Mr. Miller said the op- position group has refused to support any develop- ment of the cruise port or ship berthing facilities in George Town while educa- tion is being denied the sup- port it requires. “It’s time to sink the dock and float education so that all children can ben- efit from the rising tide,” Mr. Miller quipped. The opposition mem- bers also expressed some discontent that government had not answered various questions they asked about the port project on sev- eral occasions. Mr. Miller said he re- ceived some anecdotal in- formation about the port through other sources, in- cluding documents that had been left on his vehicle’s windscreen. He said he was informed the entire cruise project would cost $300 mil- lion “plus” and that govern- ment had agreed to provide “all fees related to cruise passengers” to the cruise in- dustry for 50 years. In return, the cruise in- dustry would put $50 mil- lion to $100 million into the project, leaving some $200 million worth of funding in question. “Who is providing the other funds or guarantee to other financiers to build the cruise berthing fa- cility?” he asked. Later in the day, Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said Mr. Miller was “mis- leading the House” by con- tinuing to state the proposed port project was valued at $300 million. Mr. Kirkcon- nell said there was no such figure in the budget. Premier Alden said the current budget only con- tained about $3 million for design of the dock. “We’ve made it plain, it is not going to be financed by government anyhow,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Immigration Based on the opposition’s review of budget docu- ments, it was estimated that the number of new jobs to be created would not keep up with the number of new work permits for foreign na- tionals being contemplated, Mr. Miller said. Mr. Miller alleged that more than 600 currently employed local workers would have to lose their jobs if that number of non- Caymanian workers was brought in. This state- ment was met with groans and cries of incredulity by members of the gov- ernment benches. “Until the government of national unity is prepared to deal with a reduction in work permits and a corre- sponding reduction in rev- enue, Caymanians will con- tinue to be unemployed,” Mr. Miller said. The Cayman Islands government expects to col- lect more than $100 mil- lion per year in the next two years from immigra- tion-related fees charged for work permits, permanent residence applications, vis- itor work visas, Caymanian status fees and other per- mits, according to budget documents reviewed by the Cayman Compass. The collections are ex- pected to make up ap- proximately 14 to 15 percent of central govern- ment’s annual earnings in 2018 and 2019. performance of its functions and are contemptible of- fenses against its authority.” Parliamentary privilege gives lawmakers the ab- solute right of free speech within the confines of the assembly during its pro- ceedings without fear of being cited for defama- tion, even if the claims they make are untrue or misleading. Generally, re- porting of all such mat- ters in the press is con- sidered to have the same legal protection, as long as those reports are a fair representation of what is said and done. During his speech Wednesday morning, Speaker Bush warned the media that publishing ac- counts from the House proceedings that only “suit them” could lead to legal action. “It is one thing to re- port debates of the Leg- islative Assembly as a matter of public interest,” Mr. Bush said. “It is quite another for the media to carry any irresponsible or scandalous words that may happen to fall from the lips of the members speaking in the Legislative Assembly, whether they are relevant to the matter being debated or not. “If a member does abuse his privilege, not for making a real contribu- tion to the question being debated, but as a license to speak irresponsibly about someone, and espe- cially someone who has no standing [in parliament] and cannot defend himself, the media should not add to the wrong.” Mr. Bush said the same principle would apply if words spoken in the as- sembly were later ex- punged from the official record because they were deemed “scurrilous.” The Speaker also noted that he would keep a close ear on debates to ensure the matters being dis- cussed were relevant to the issue before the House. “A member who persists in irrelevance or tedious repetition may be directed by the Speaker to discon- tinue his speech or resume his seat,” Mr. Bush said. hers had in the develop- ment of tourism. Premier Alden McLaughlin recalled Mr. Roulstone’s care about those less fortunate in the community, his humani- tarian service, and the ex- pertise and enthusiasm with which he carried out his work. He said he mourned the loss of Mr. Roulstone, whom he called “a true na- tion-builder” of the Cayman Islands. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson expressed thanks for all Mr. Roulstone had done in the civil service and in the country. Mr. Roulstone first ar- rived in Cayman from Tampa, Florida, in 1955 for a two- week vacation to visit his parents. “He met Caymanian beauty Elizabeth (Beth) Mc- Taggart on that trip and he knew then Cayman would be his home for good,” said Mr. Bush, who related details of Mr. Roulstone’s life. “Mr. Frank’s parents [Frank Sr. And Dorothy] ran the Seaview Hotel and, during the early 1950s, the U.S. government wanted to establish weather sta- tions throughout the Carib- bean to assist in tracking storms that might ultimately threaten the USA. Cayman was strategically located. Being closest to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, it would essen- tially have the last word for Miami before storms moved up into the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic coast. “Some of the early ‘weath- ermen’ in Cayman were staff of the U.S. government who stayed at the Seaview Hotel on short rotations. It was those weathermen who con- vinced Frank that he should consider taking over the weather operations on a full-time basis. “Frank returned to Tampa, Florida, to complete his education then returned to Cayman to work at the Weather Bureau, training under the Americans who had established the sta- tion. He took over the per- manent position of mete- orologist in 1963. During these early years, Cayma- nian men were still earning their livelihoods at sea and so Frank had the envi- able position of having only women to help him staff the Weather Bureau. “These brilliant, hard- working Caymanian women were: Floris [Polly] Thompson, Alice Anderson, Lillimae Bodden, Kadie Ebanks, Helen Hislop, Gilda Panton and Sharon Ebanks. “These ladies and Mr. Frank were a dedicated, hard-working team. Their daily routine, which became round the clock as storms approached, included mul- tiple daily balloon launches for tracking upper-air con- ditions coupled with equip- ment on the ground, in- cluding the big radar in the famous white dome at Owen Roberts. These allowed Mr. Frank to relay local weather conditions to the National Weather Service in Miami; to aircraft using Cayman’s airspace and; generally to anyone in Cayman who had an interest in weather condi- tions, usually fishermen and dive operators. “In 1976, the Cayman Is- lands government, recog- nizing its own need to have full time weather operations, jointly with the U.S. govern- ment, formed the Cooperative Upper-Air Station. Frank be- came its first Chief Met [Me- teorological] Officer. When Radio Cayman was born that same year, Frank provided daily forecasts and tide ta- bles to a much wider grateful Cayman public. “Fondly known as the ‘Weatherman,’ Mr. Frank faithfully carried out his du- ties to the U.S. and Cayman Islands governments for al- most 30 years. Frank was a devoted public servant as well as a friend to so many people in this community. May his soul rest in peace.“ Opposition: Budget does little for average Caymanian CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Mr. Frank … relayed local weather conditions to the National Weather Service in Miami; to aircraft using Cayman’s airspace and; generally to anyone in Cayman who had an interest in weather conditions, usually fishermen and dive operators.” MCKEEVA BUSH, Speaker of the House CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 House pays tribute to pioneer weatherman High-tech subs explore Cayman’s twilight zone CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Speaker warns MLAs, media about ‘abuses’ The submarines’ mother ship, the Alucia, an international research and exploration vessel, dropped anchor in the Sister Islands to explore the depths and test out new “social media storytelling strategies.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017 Timochenko to run for Colombia presidency Colombia’s demobilized guerrilla movement says its former top commander Rodrigo Londono, better known by his alias Timochenko, will run for the presidency of the South American nation in next year’s election. The Roulstone Family regret to announce the death of Frank E. Roulstone, Jr. (a.k.a. "the Weatherman") on October 26th, 2017 His service of remembrance will take place at 3pm on Friday, 3rd November at Elmslie Memorial United Church In lieu of flowers, please honour Frank's memory with a donation to Cayman Hospice Care Death Announcement Police: Truck attack suspect ‘did this in the name of ISIS’ NEW YORK (AP) – The Uzbek immigrant accused of using a truck to mow people down along a bike path, killing eight, did it in the name of the Islamic State group, po- lice said Wednesday. Investigators, meanwhile, were at the hospital bed- side of 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, working to extract in- formation about the attack Tuesday afternoon near the World Trade Center memo- rial that also left 12 people injured, a law enforcement official said. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the in- vestigation and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Saipov was lucid after sur- gery for wounds suffered when he was shot by police. “He did this in the name of ISIS,” John Miller, deputy police commissioner for in- telligence, said at a news con- ference, citing handwritten notes left by Saipov in his rented Home Depot pickup. Miller said the notes, written in Arabic, essentially said the Islamic State “would endure forever.” In the past few years, the Islamic State has been ex- horting followers to use ve- hicles or other close-at-hand means of killing people in their home countries. Eng- land, France and Germany have seen deadly vehicle at- tacks in the past year or so. “It appears that Mr. Saipov had been planning this for a number of weeks,” Miller said. “He appears to have fol- lowed, almost exactly to a T, the instructions that ISIS has put out in its social media channels before with instruc- tions to its followers on how to carry out such an attack.” Miller said Saipov had never been the subject of a New York police investigation but appears to have some links to people who have been investigated. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the suspect was a “de- praved coward” who tried to create terror. “He was radicalized do- mestically,” he said on CNN. “It’s not the first time. It’s a global phenomenon now.” In a number of recent ex- tremist attacks around the world, the assailants were found to have been inspired but not actually directed by the Islamic State, and in some cases never even made contact with the group. On the morning after the bloodshed, city leaders vowed New York would not be intim- idated, and they commended New Yorkers for going ahead with Halloween festivities on Wednesday night. They also said Sunday’s New York City Marathon, with 50,000 participants and some 2 million specta- tors anticipated, will go on as scheduled. “We will not be cowed. We will not be thrown off by anything,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. While the mayor said there have been no credible threats of any additional attacks, po- lice announced the deploy- ment of heavy-weapon teams and other stepped-up security along the marathon route, in the subways and other sites, and New York Police Commis- sioner James O’Neill urged people to be vigilant and tell police if they see “something that doesn’t look right.” In Tuesday’s attack, Saipov hurtled down the bike path, running down cyclists and pedestrians, then crashed into a school bus, authorities said. He was shot in the ab- domen after he jumped out of the vehicle brandishing air guns and yelling “God is great!” in Arabic, they said. De Blasio called it “a cow- ardly act of terror.” The dead consisted of five people from Argentina, one from Germany, and two Americans, authorities said. Nine people remained hos- pitalized in serious or crit- ical condition, with injuries that included lost limbs, and head, chest and neck wounds. A roughly two-mile stretch of highway in lower Manhattan was shut down for the investigation. Authori- ties also converged on a New Jersey apartment building and a van in a parking lot at a New Jersey Home Depot. President Donald Trump railed against the Islamic State on Twitter and de- clared “Enough!” and “NOT IN THE U.S.A.!” The slight, bearded Saipov is from heavily Muslim Uz- bekistan and came to the U.S. legally in 2010, police said. He has a Florida driver’s license but was apparently living in New Jersey, they said. Records show Saipov was a commercial truck driver who formed a pair of busi- nesses in Ohio. He had also driven for Uber. Sayfullo Saipov Bank of England predicts 10,000 financial job losses on Brexit Day 1 LONDON (AP) – Britain’s fi- nance industry could lose 10,000 jobs on the first day after the country leaves the European Union, the Bank of England warned Wednesday, as it urged the government to swiftly reach a transitional deal to smooth out the process. Sam Woods, the central bank’s deputy governor for prudential regulation, told a parliamentary hearing that he expected 10,000 job losses on “day one” of Brexit. That he said, would repre- sent around 2 percent of the British workforce in banking and insurance, or around 3 percent of those working in or around London. Many firms in the finan- cial sector are worried about the implications of Brit- ain’s exit from the European Union, which is due in March 2019. Membership of the EU has given firms the ability to automatically sell their prod- ucts across EU borders and London has become the Eu- ropean hub for many inter- national firms. Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of U.S. bank Goldman Sachs, has been vocal in warning that his firm may relocate chunks of his business out of London to Germany’s financial center in Frankfurt. Other firms are also making contingency plans to set up operations in Europe or moving staff and activi- ties to avoid a potential dis- orderly Brexit, which would involve Britain not coming to an agreement with the EU on matters of trade. The Bank of England has voiced concerns that many companies will start imple- menting those contingency plans early next year and has urged the government to agree on a transition deal with the EU to extend cur- rent economic and trade rela- tions for at least a couple of years after Brexit. In a speech in September, Prime Minister Theresa May said she was looking for a transition deal of around two years after Brexit whereby Britain would continue paying into EU coffers and would be subject to the trading and reg- ulatory rules that currently apply in the European single market. However, discussions on that have yet to begin amid a lack of progress on issues that the EU wants dealt with first, such as what Britain owes financially. Woods told lawmakers that to be helpful for compa- nies, a transition deal would have to be agreed soon, as it is a “wasting asset,” and that firms would start en- acting contingency plans “in earnest” in the first quarter of next year. Woods also said that a re- cent estimate from consulting firm Oliver Wyman that 65,000 to 75,000 jobs could be lost in the longer-term in Brit- ain’s financial services was within “the plausible range of scenarios.” He said that the actual number would depend on firms retaining automatic rights to operate in the rest of the EU and whether Britain agrees on a transition deal. In its report, first pub- lished last year, Oliver Wyman warned that “severe restrictions” could be placed on the EU-related business of British-based firms if Britain crashes out of the EU with no deal and has to operate under World Trade Orga- nization rules. A damaged Home Depot truck remains on the scene Wednesday after the driver mowed down people on a riverfront bike path near the World Trade Center on Tuesday in New York. – PHOTO: AP City leaders vowed New York would not be intimidated, and they commended New Yorkers for going ahead with Halloween festivities on Wednesday night.Next >