ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 High of 80 Low of 70 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open waters. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ‘MATCHSTICK HOMES’: A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER IN CAYMAN LOCAL | PAGE 3 CAYMAN DEVELOPER TAKES GLOBAL AWARD FOR LOCAL PROPERTY Personal Insurance Shrink your insurance bills in 2018! Save up to $400 on home and motor insurance! Pay up to 15% less for comprehensive insurance. Low deductibles too! Ask BritCay for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp 55 ARRESTED IN HOLIDAY DRUNK DRIVING CLAMPDOWN Police arrested 55 people for drunk driving over the Christmas holiday season road safety campaign. That figure, for the month of December, is twice as many as the same period in 2016. The traffic department’s Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence said proactive patrols and roadblocks had been used to clamp down on drunk drivers. For more on this story, see page 2. Cold snap comes to Cayman SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman is bracing for a Ca- ribbean cold snap. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service sent out an ad- visory Wednesday regarding a seasonal cold front moving over the United States and crossing over the Gulf of Mexico. The temperature is sup- posed to be in the low 80s during the day and low 70s overnight for Cayman over the next few days, and forecaster Gilbert Miller said it is the same cold front that is causing the residents of northern Florida to endure a spate of temperatures right above the freezing mark. “This [system] is particularly strong and particularly cold,” Mr. Miller said. Both Tallahassee and Jack- sonville – two northern Florida population centers – had to deal with frosty temperatures in the 30s on Wednesday. Tallahassee experienced snow, and ac- cording to U.S. media reports, it is the first significant accumula- tion of snow in Florida’s capital city since 1989. Cayman will feel the cold front in terms of winds and wave heights, and Mr. Miller said this time of year is usu- ally when colder tempera- tures surface. “It’s normal,” he said. “We usually get cooler weather in late Broken-down vehicles litter Grand Cayman’s roadsides Landfill not accepting derelict vehicles KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com As broken-down vehicles accumulate on the roadsides of Grand Cayman, gov- ernment has yet to state how it plans to address the growing problem. For the last week-plus, a growing number of automobiles have been left on or near the roads, some of them posing traffic hazards. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was a Honda Fit and a Honda CR-V along Es- terley Tibbetts Highway in West Bay, a Toyota MR2 near the Burger King on West Bay Road, and a Hyundai H1 on Esterley Tibbetts Highway near Camana Bay – as well as a Honda sedan in a vacant lot ad- jacent to the Compass Centre. The sedan had been in an accident before being left in the lot and then subsequently stripped of all its wheels. Government has not formulated a policy to address the derelict vehicles. “It’s something the agencies need to come together and discuss,” said Edward Howard, the deputy managing director of the National Roads Authority. “We had an issue where we went to the police, but government doesn’t have an impound yard so they’re reluctant to tow … I’ve had discussion in the past with the director of the [Department of Environmental Health]. We’re not sure how we’re going to PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » A Hyundai van that lost its back wheel has been left alongside the Esterley Tibbetts Highway in George Town since the weekend. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Two Hondas were broken down on the roadside of Esterley Tibbetts Highway in West Bay as of Wednesday afternoon. This Toyota had been parked by the side of West Bay Road, just past the Dart underpass, for several days by Wednesday. This Honda sedan was abandoned at a lot next to the Compass Centre. The car was subsequently stripped of its wheels. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Daily Matinees Every Day • $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 • Additional charges will apply per 3D/VIP ticket requested 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 - 640-FILM (640-3456) FATHER FIGURES (R) 1:00 I 3:40 I 7:00 I 9:40 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 1:10 I 3:50 I 4:05 VIP I 6:45 I 9:30 STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D I 6:35 2D I 8:40 I 9:20 2D VIP THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG) 1:30 VIP I 4:05 I 6:50 VIP I 10:00 SUN: 3:20 I 6:20 I 6:50 VIP I 10:00 FERDINAND 3D (PG) 1:00 I 3:40 2D I 6:10 2D PITCH PERFECT 3 (PG13) 12:30 I 2:50 I 5:10 I 7:30 I 9:50 PUERTO RICO SEEKS AUDITOR FOR PUBLIC FUNDS SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico is seeking to hire an inspector general to audit the use of public funds in a U.S. territory mired in a deep economic crisis and where officials have long been accused of corruption. Wednesday’s announce- ment comes as the island awaits nearly $5 billion in aid approved by Congress in late October to help with post-hurricane re- covery efforts. The previous admin- istration had eliminated Puerto Rico’s Office of In- spector General and handed those responsibilities to the Office of Management and Budget in what legislators at the time said was a bid to save money and avoid redundancies. Puerto Rico is in its 11th year of recession and trying to restructure $73 billion in public debt as it struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. Tribunal members re-appointed Cabinet has reappointed six members of Cayman’s Trade and Business Appeals Tribunal for new terms, running to Jan. 1, 2020. The members include Lynn Bodden, chair; Stuart Bostock, deputy chair; Jason DaCosta, member; David Arch Jr., member; Kimberly Ebanks, member; and Thais Ducent, secretary. The members’ new terms became effective Jan. 2. Crisis-wracked Venezuela turns for hope to broken factories CIUDAD GUAYANA, Vene- zuela (AP) – Juan Carlos Goite has to be creative, finding spare parts stripped from one broken-down locomo- tive to repair another in a desperate attempt to keep a once-thriving iron ore mining company running. Dressed in a hard hat and oil-stained work clothes, the mechanic paces a dimly lit workshop strewn with sal- vaged train parts like mo- tors, metal plates and hoses looking for the right piece. In cash-strapped Vene- zuela, there’s no money to buy spare parts. Years of neglect and corrupt man- agement have left in decay Ciudad Guayana, a would- be Pittsburgh carved from the jungles at the edge of the Amazon. “The machinery that we have, it’s worn out,” said Juan Arias, Venezuela’s minister of industry who was sent by the socialist government in Ca- racas to fix the once-thriving factory town. Production this year at state-run Sidor, Venezue- la’s largest steelmaker, is ex- pected to reach barely 20 per- cent of its peak production, set a decade ago, he said. At its height in 2007, under private ownership, the fac- tory put out more than 4 million tons. Still, it is eking out more than the year before, raising Arias’ hopes of a shifting trend, despite Venezuela’s lack of hard currency and U.S. sanctions that officials say are starving factories of the resources they need. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves, but low crude prices and a plunge in production have left it in an economic free fall. Ciudad Guyana was long seen as the future of Vene- zuela. U.S. companies in the 1950s zeroed in on Venezu- ela’s vast resources, pouring money into factories for turning iron ore to steel and bauxite for aluminum as well as rails and river ports for shipping it to market. Dams on the Caroni River provided abundant hydropower, while workers from all over the country poured into the new city dreamed up by planners from the Massachusetts In- stitute of Technology. Nearly two decades ago, President Hugo Chavez came to power and launched his socialist revolution. In 2008 he began putting the facto- ries, then owned by conglom- erates from Japan and Argen- tina, under the state’s control. Output steadily eroded even before the oil price crash. “Chavismo ran all of these companies into the ground,” said Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard University econ- omist and former Venezu- elan planning minister. “This whole thing has been im- ploding catastrophically.” 55 arrested in holiday drunk driving clampdown JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police have condemned the “unacceptable conduct” of some drivers during a holiday season that saw 55 people ar- rested for drunk driving. That figure, for the month of December, is twice as many as the same period in 2016. Over the New Year’s weekend alone, 12 people were arrested on suspi- cion of driving under the in- fluence, as police stepped up enforcement. The traffic department’s Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence said proac- tive patrols and roadblocks had been used to clamp down on drunk drivers. “Over this past weekend, as during the entire holiday season, we have seen several instances of unacceptable conduct by road users. There have been attempts by some motorists to avoid paying the price for their choices by behaving dishonestly and breaking more laws,” he said. Weekend incidents in- cluded a driver arrested around 3:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day who was driving at twice the legal speed limit along West Bay Road. The 30-year-old man had a blood- alcohol content of 0.253 per- cent – well over the legal limit of 0.1. In another incident in the early hours of Monday, a 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of careless driving and driving under the influence after a crash on Huldah Avenue. Another suspected drunk driver, stopped after her ve- hicle was seen swerving along Crewe Road at 4 a.m. Monday, gave a false name to police after she was stopped and found to be over the legal drink driving limit. The 25-year-old woman was only able to provide a provisional driving license and was ar- rested for a string of re- lated offenses. Mr. Spence said the De- cember total of 55 DUI ar- rests was concerning. “This is twice the number of DUIs recorded during the same period last year, and reflects the increased re- sources and attention that the RCIPS is paying to road safety,” he said. “Such operations are con- ducted year-round, but are intensified during the hol- iday period due to the in- creased drinking and number of people on the road. Since drunk driving is a primary public safety threat, the public can expect to see con- tinued enforcement to curb this behavior.” Despite the relatively high number of arrests, he said, many road users had be- haved responsibly by having designated drivers or ar- ranging alternative transpor- tation over the holidays. “We believe that it is be- cause of these choices that there have been no sense- less deaths on the roads over the past month. As we continue our traffic enforce- ment operations throughout the new year, our message remains the same: Don’t drink and drive, it is never worth the risk.” A Royal Cayman Islands Police officer talks to a driver during December’s road safety campaign, during which 55 were arrested for drunk driving. HOMEMADE LIQUOR KILLS 12 IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SANTO DOMINGO, Domin- ican Republic (AP) – Authori- ties in the Dominican Re- public say at least a dozen people have died and 21 more have been hos- pitalized after drinking homemade liquor con- taining methanol. Officials say the first deaths occurred last week and the remaining people recently became sick after drinking the same liquor during funerals for the ini- tial victims. Health Secre- tary Altagracia Guzman said Tuesday that officials are trying to find the source of the liquor and no one has been arrested. The liquor is known as clairin and is made from sugarcane. Workers repair a locomotive at Ferrominera Orinoco, in Ciudad Guayana, Bolivar state, Venezuela. – PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 TCS Boarding Information Night January 8, 2018 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. George Town Yacht Club For more information, please contact Christina Kirkaldy at christina@massivegroup.com or 916-4808 For over 130 years, Trinity College School has been the boarding school of choice for Islanders looking to connect their children to the best of Canada. TCS Boarding Information Night January 8, 2018 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. George Town Yacht Club For more information, please contact Christina Kirkaldy at christina@massivegroup.com or 916-4808 For over 130 years, Trinity College School has been the boarding school of choice for Islanders looking to connect their children to the best of Canada. TCS Boarding Information Night January 8, 2018 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. George Town Yacht Club For more information, please contact Christina Kirkaldy at christina@massivegroup.com or 916-4808 For over 130 years, Trinity College School has been the boarding school of choice for Islanders looking to connect their children to the best of Canada. Cayman developer takes global award for local property TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Local and international architect and developer En- compass has won the “Best Single Residential Property in the World” for their Cayman Kai, five-star, six-bedroom Sun Serenity accommodation at London’s Dec. 4 gala In- ternational Property Devel- opment Awards. The award, encompassing architecture and interior de- sign, came in the wake of Sun Serenity’s October regional recognition for the five-star residence, awarded at Toron- to’s USA and Americas Prop- erty Awards Gala. The six-bedroom, 7,800 square foot, two-story Sun Serenity accommodates 16 people – 10 adults and six children. Property owners Paradise Luxury Homes, a privately held Cayman corporation, opened the waterfront villa in March 2017 as a luxury vacation home, according to Encompass Marketing Man- ager Tracey Kline. Owners have pegged seasonal and holiday prices ranging from a low of nearly $2,700 per night between April 9 and June 28, and a Christmas- New Year 2018 high of $3,999 per night. Sun Serenity includes a 70-foot oceanfront swimming pool with a swim-up bar, and a $350,000 interior, which in- cludes a sports bar with big- screen TV, a glass-topped illuminated bar, an enter- tainment deck with a sunken poolside summer kitchen, a third-story rooftop sunset terrace and a glass-walled dining area overlooking the beach and sea. Opening in the Strand in 2012, Encompass has com- pleted a range of local proj- ects, including the 13-villa SeaHaven on North Sound; the three-story deckhouses and residences 104 and 403, all at The Ritz-Carlton; reno- vation of Seven Mile Beach’s Discovery Point Club; and No. 19 of the 40 condos at the Beachcomber on Seven Mile Beach. Sun Serenity was among the finalists for Cayman’s 2017 Governor’s Award for design and construction, competing with commer- cial and hospitality winner Camana Bay’s 18 Forum Lane, residential winner the Silverman residence, the Kimpton Seafire Resort and two other private properties. Ms. Kline said December’s International Property Devel- opment Award, held at Lon- don’s Savoy Hotel, was “in our opinion the most diffi- cult of all as the property is judged not ‘just’ on the archi- tecture or ‘just’ on the inte- rior design, etc., but instead it is evaluated based upon the multi-faceted whole suc- cess of the project.” “We were given extremely specific and detailed criteria for our submittal and it took an entire week … to compile the package which was sub- mitted as a hardbound port- folio book of images and in- formation,” she said. “They sought the inspira- tion for the design, the chal- lenges of the design, the suc- cesses of the project, the primary use of the property, the reason for the site selec- tion, the various green tech- nologies and materials used, as an example of just a few of the items requested in the submittal packet.” “This has been a huge honor for us and we are be- yond proud to share this ac- colade by representing our beautiful island and bringing home the top honors for Cayman on the world compe- tition stage,” Ms. Kline said. “We are super-excited about the win.” “This has been a huge honor for us and we are beyond proud to share this accolade by representing our beautiful island and bringing home the top honors for Cayman on the world competition stage.” TRACEY KLINE, marketing manager, Encompass Ltd. Couple fight for compensation over damaged property JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A British couple who say they suffered thou- sands of dollars in losses when a shipping container carrying their car and pos- sessions was dropped in Cayman are still battling for compensation. More than a year after the incident at the Cargo Distribution Centre, Paul Williams says he and his wife Sue have received no apology and no reason- able offer of compensation for the damage. Mr. Williams said the at- torney general’s chambers in Cayman had emailed a letter offering an “ex gratia payment” of $5,000 to cover damages to the cou- ple’s Range Rover. But he said he had re- jected this offer as “in- sulting.” He said it did not even cover the amount he had paid in customs duty to ship his property to the Cayman Islands. The Range Rover alone would cost $47,000 to replace, he claimed, though it was not a new vehicle. He has applied for a re- bate for the duty costs and says he is seeking an offer of around $150,000 in total, in- cluding the damages to the property, storage and further shipping costs as a result of the incident and the in- convenience caused. He said he was consulting a lawyer with a view to bringing legal proceedings later this month if a more reasonable offer is not made. The couple have de- ferred their plans to retire in Cayman and have been left feeling bitter over what they see as the failure of author- ities on the island to deal with the matter fairly. The couple moved to Grand Cayman in 2016 and shipped a container from the U.K. carrying their Range Rover, two self-as- sembled Lambretta scooters and 41 boxes of belong- ings to the island. When they arrived at the Cargo Distribution Centre to col- lect the container, they say they were told, “We’ve just dropped it.” The windscreen of their Range Rover was cracked, the wheel rims were bent and the engine was dam- aged beyond repair, ac- cording to Mr. Williams. The Port Authority did not respond to requests for comment on the accident at the time or subsequently, but has denied responsi- bility or liability for the damage in emails seen by the Compass. Other corre- spondence suggests govern- ment disputes the Williams’ assessment of the financial impact of the accident. Sue and Paul Williams had been ready to retire to the Cayman Islands when a container with their car inside was dropped at the Cargo Distribution Centre. The Sun Serenity Property in Cayman Kai has won an international design award.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. The U.S. Republican majority is about to take the nation on a grand experiment in supply side economics. The last time Wash- ington embarked on a con- certed program to deregu- late business and cut taxes was during the Carter- Reagan years, and the Gip- per’s economic expansion ultimately ran 33 quarters and accomplished 3.9 per- cent annual growth. The loyal opposition in Congress and most eco- nomic forecasters are skep- tical that the current round of tax cuts will create more than a temporary Keynesian jolt to growth. For example, the Wall Street Journal survey of forecasters has growth for next year at about 2.6 per- cent and then falling back to approximately to 2 per- cent. That would be a bit slower than the 2.2 percent achieved during the Obama recovery. The Federal Re- serve monetary policy making committee’s expec- tations are about the same. These projections appear to reflect the view that pro- ductivity growth and the labor-force participation rate have been permanently reduced by powers beyond the grasp of public policy. It’s as if eight years of more aggressive govern- ment regulations, higher taxes on businesses than abroad and new poli- cies enabling able-bodied adults easier access to So- cial Security disability pen- sions, food stamps, Med- icaid and the like had nothing to do with it. The falling adult labor- force participation rate cannot be attributed only to baby boom retirements. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected an aging population would lower the participation rate from 66.2 percent to 65.5 percent by 2016. After Obama used the fi- nancial crisis as cover to build out the above-men- tioned entitlements, the participation rate fell to 62.7 percent. The economics profes- sion appears to have lined up behind Northwestern University Professor Robert Gordon’s view that the easy productivity-improving in- novations have been found and advancing commercial knowhow is too expensive. For example, economists cite the rising cost of devel- oping new drugs. The latter would have been like studying the pro- ductivity of mule drivers on the Erie Canal in the 1850s. Thirty years of ex- perience had taught barge owners most of what could be discovered about the optimal number and size of animals and equipment for moving cargo, but de- claring freight transpor- tation improvements at a dead end would have been absurd given the quick- ening potential of steam power and railroads. Sim- ilarly generalizing about potential for produc- tivity growth from con- ventional drug research or the slowing pace of laptop sales ignores the blossoming fields of stem- cell therapies, electronic brain implants, artificial intelligence, robotics and other new fields. Paradoxically, liberals want to give everyone a guaranteed annual in- come because computer programs and machines will eliminate the need for most workers. Isn’t that infinite pro- ductivity growth – for ex- ample, autonomous drive vehicles will take us from one driver per passenger mile to zero drivers per passenger mile? Sadly the regulatory state and high taxes have caused too many Amer- ican firms to focus on lob- bying instead of the next wave. General Electric is staggering from declining demand for coal and gas turbines while Chinese competitors are coining money selling the new stuff – solar panels and the inner workings of windmills. Econometric studies in- dicate that cutting busi- ness taxes substantially should reorient corporate America’s creative energies from tax avoidance to in- vesting in these new tech- nologies, and restoring productivity growth to something closer to rates accomplished during the second half of the 20th cen- tury and give a permanent lift to economic growth. From the founding of the Republic through the middle of the re- cent Bush presidency, the U.S. economy, across re- cessions and recoveries, averaged better than 3 percent growth. Tax cuts alone will not get us to that level. Entitle- ments reform, which ranks high on the administra- tion’s list of priorities, will be needed to raise labor- force participation and eco- nomic growth to that level. For now, if tax cuts per- manently raise the trajec- tory of economic growth to 2.5 percent from the 2.2 percent accomplished during the Obama recovery, supply siders will have something to brag about. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times A dozen people lost their home and belongings fol- lowing a suspicious early-morning fire that tore through their “Old Yard” rooming house behind Archie’s Bar on Shedden Road just before the New Year. Three people were injured – but it could have been much worse – no one died … this time. Throughout history, fire has been one of mankind’s most useful tools and one of its most deadly hazards. As we write, the so-called “Thomas fire” is ravaging hundreds of thousands of acres, and destroying thou- sands of structures, in Southern California. A few days ago in New York City, 12 people, including four children, died in a blaze that was started in their Bronx apartment building by a 3-year-old boy playing with the burners on the kitchen stove. Disaster struck the same borough again this week, when an early- morning fire injured nearly two dozen more people. And no one is likely to forget anytime soon last year’s holocaust that devastated London’s Grenfell Tower and killed at least 79 people. It is all too easy to imagine a similar tragedy taking place in Grand Cayman’s over-occupied, run-down and jerry-rigged homes clustered in George Town and across the districts. In 2015, a hodgepodge of wooden residences in Windsor Park caught fire and burned to the ground, leaving 17 people homeless. A scathing review of the Cayman Islands Fire Service released that same year found a woefully understaffed fire inspection department, and ques- tioned fire safety measures required for newer structures and hotel refurbishments, amid a lack of evidence of a “systematic, risk-prioritized and planned” inspection program for other buildings open to the public. A Compass reporter looking into code enforcement at that time found officials passing the buck among departments rather than accepting full responsibility for ensuring buildings were up to code. Little seems to have changed since then. On Wednesday, Deputy Director of Planning Ron Sanderson told the Compass the Central Planning Authority has a five-year window to inspect any devel- opment that requires planning permission, but that “there are many structures on the Island that never received planning permission, never received inspec- tions and are exempt from enforcement.” He said that as far as he is aware, there is no par- ticular government agency that has a remit for rental properties, other than tourism related accommodation such as short-term rentals and hotels. Fire officials told the Compass that the “Old Yard” house was an illegal rooming house and that the fire department has no legal charge to inspect single-family residences – even when they are rented or leased to non-owner occupants. (The fire service employs a total of three fire inspectors. Two others are qualified inspec- tors but work in other posts in the fire service.) Since the 2015 fire, no discernible progress has been made in rectifying the clear and present danger posed by substandard housing in Cayman. Despite our “first-world” reputation and income streams, there is no shortage of third-world shacks and shanties in Cayman, complete with plywood walls and extension-cord wiring. People, no doubt, live in such homes because they are the only dwellings they can afford. But affordable rents cannot come at the expense of minimum health and safety standards. Simply put, government is dangerously derelict in its responsibility to inspect, identify and condemn unsafe housing unless the structures are remediated to comply with code requirements – fire and otherwise. To prevent future conflagrations – and possible deadly tragedies – officials from relevant departments must step up to ensure that every dwelling in these islands is safe for human habitation. – EDITORIAL – ‘Matchstick homes’: A clear and present danger in Cayman THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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” A grand experiment in supply side economics PETER MORICI Econometric studies indicate that cutting business taxes substantially should reorient corporate America’s creative energies from tax avoidance to investing in these new technologies, and restoring productivity growth.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 Turning Cayman’s sea scenes and sunsets into works of art JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A dive instructor, busi- nessman, teacher and under- water photographer-turned- painter is creating waves on canvas, inspired by his fasci- nation with the sea. Monte Thornton, 60, grew up in Fort Worth Texas in a family of five and spent most of his young days enjoying the great outdoors – camping, fishing and hunting. His fas- cination for the great out- doors grew even more when he moved to the Cayman Islands after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. “In Houston I had a little sign on the outside of the house which read, ‘Thorn- ton’s home away from the Cayman Islands’ – [the] place I always … wanted to live in was the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Thornton said. His move to Cayman fol- lowed many diving trips here with friends and busi- ness associates. After meeting his wife Irene during her enrollment in one of his scuba diving courses, the couple got married, had their son Alex and moved to the Cayman Islands to take up residence along South Sound Road. Mr. Thornton’s method of getting the best scenery for his paintings is to go to Smith Barcadere and snap about 50 photos of the sunset. “When it comes to style, I want to create the illusion of depth into the paintings. I start with a crimson red to lay down where my out- lines will be – the red then seeps through the colors to cause a three-dimensional look,” he said. Ocean waves, turtles and beautiful sunsets are cap- tured by Mr. Thornton’s camera lens before he sits down to recreate those im- ages on canvas. Smith Bar- cadere is his latest and favorite artistic subject and backdrop. He captures the sunset, highlighting it with magnif- icent colors, blending from red to orange – the sun sinks deeper into the sea creating a dreamy state of blue and purple as a single beam of or- ange and yellow sunlight hits the water, making it dazzle and dance. Mr. Thornton hopes to have the oppor- tunity to display his work, which has sold for thousands of dollars, displayed at The Ritz-Carlton Gallery. “I am very into painting clouds, oceans, waves, land- scapes and animals. All my life has been involved with water and animals. I just want to capture that calmness and to draw at- tention to things like the colors of the sunset and wa- ters that come up on the beach,” Mr. Thornton said. On Cayman Brac, the south side of the bluff and Peter’s Cave have captured his attention. He says his best time for painting and studying his art and designs is early morning, when everyone is still asleep. “Four to five o’clock in the morning, that’s the time I am able to concentrate better; the house is quiet and my wife and son are asleep,” he said. Mr. Thornton also lends his talents to Cayman com- munity by volunteering his time to the National Gallery, teaching outdoor painting. His paintings have fea- tured in several art con- tests, such as at the Agricul- ture Show on Cayman Brac, and various displays on Grand Cayman. Mr. Thornton started painting at age 9 and won his first art competition at age 18, with a painting titled “Stairway to Heaven.” At 21, he joined the army and later moved to Houston to work for a dive shop, where his adventures took him to the Cayman Islands. His advice to other artists is to carry a sketch book and doodle every day. “Draw something over and over until you figure out the right composition,” he said. “Every day you need to draw something and you need to draw it multiple times and then come up with the final [version], that is where you will develop the skills where you can be proficient at it.” Breast pump donated to hospital’s neonatal unit The Carne Group, a pro- vider of governance solutions to the global fund manage- ment industry, helped pur- chase a medical-grade breast pump for the neonatal inten- sive care unit at the Cayman Islands Hospital. The group made the do- nation of $800 to the unit during the holiday season. “The NICU (neonatal in- tensive care unit) currently has two medical grade breast pumps but there are times when we have as many as five premature babies in the unit, causing a high demand for the pumps. Therefore, the more that are available, the better for the mothers and their babies,” said Shannon Hydes, nurse manager at the maternity unit. Nurse Hydes said all ba- bies need the benefits of breast milk, but for prema- ture babies the benefits are even more important, as they face the risk of health prob- lems and developmental challenges early in life. However, there are many difficulties with breast- feeding a baby in the neo- natal unit because ba- bies who are born early cannot always feed at the breast right away due to their small size and lack of muscle development. Jennifer Collins, director of the Carne Group, said, “Each year, my office chooses to support a different charity per month and the NICU is one of those charities. The unit identified a need for an additional breast pump, to be better prepared in cases of high demand, and we were more than happy to fill that need.” Ms. Collins’s 12-year-old daughter Emma presented the check on behalf of the Carne Group. “It was only fitting, be- cause Emma was born pre- mature and spent five weeks after birth in the NICU. Since then, bringing awareness to prematurity has been a cause near and dear to our hearts,” Ms. Collins said. “The NICU currently has two medical grade breast pumps but there are times when we have as many as five premature babies in the unit, causing a high demand for the pumps.” NURSE SHANNON HYDES Emma Collins presents the donation to NICU Nurse Manager Shannon Hydes and midwife Sue Doak. Monte Thornton works on a sunset captured at Smith Barcadere. Artist Monte Thornton shows his first contest-winning painting, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVYThe 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 JANUARY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, JAN. 4 REVIVAL: Red Bay Church of God (Holiness) continues Revival Services through Sunday, Jan. 7. Monday to Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pastor Mark Surbrook of the U.S. will be the guest speaker. FRIDAY, JAN. 19 CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING: Today is the last day to recycle natural Christmas trees, which the Department of Environmental Health will turn into mulch. All wires and ornaments should be removed from trees before they are placed into collection bins located at Ed Bush Stadium, West Bay; George Town Cricket Field; George Town landfill public drop-off area; Spotts Dock; Entrance of Frank Sound Road; Front of George Dixon Park, East End. MUZAIC: The annual DJ Showcase, organized by the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, takes place at Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant from 5 p.m. $10 cover charge. SATURDAY, JAN. 20 FREE MULCH: Natural Christmas trees placed in collection bins by Jan. 18 will be shredded and made available as free mulch at the George Town Cricket Field today from around 8 a.m. Mulch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents are invited to come out early and to bring their shovels and bags for the removal of the mulch. MUZAIC: Young Musicians Showcase, 1-5 p.m. at Harquail Theater. Free admission. Organized by Cayman Music and Entertainment Assoc. Musical Salute at Da Station Bar, 5 p.m. till midnight. SUNDAY, JAN. 21 CMEA MUZAIC AWARDS: Ceremony takes place at Harquail Theater. Gates open at 6 p.m. MONDAY, JAN. 22 LIVE MUSICIANS SHOWCASE: Event organized by Cayman Music and Entertainment Assoc. at Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant, from 3 p.m. $10 cover charge. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 OVERSEAS SCHOLARSHIPS: Today is the deadline to apply for government overseas scholarships for the 2018/2019 academic year. Anyone planning to apply is invited to complete the Overseas Scholarship Application at www. education.gov.ky. Contact the Scholarships Secretariat for any further information at scholarships@gov.ky or 244-2482. GENERAL INTEREST LOBSTER SEASON: The open season for lobster runs from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Bag limit is three per person per day or six per boat per day, whichever is less. Minimum size is a six-inch tail length. No taking lobsters from Marine Protected Areas. Only spiny lobster may be taken. No wearing gloves while snorkeling. No taking of lobster (or any marine life other than lionfish) while scuba diving. CONCH AND WHELK SEASON: The open season for conch and whelk runs from Nov. 1 to April 30. The legal limit for conch is five per person per day or 10 per boat, whichever is less. The limit for whelk catches is two-and-a-half gallons in the shell, or two-and-a- half pounds of processed whelks, per person, per day. SHAPED BY THE SEA: New exhibition at National Museum, Harbour Drive, celebrating Charles O. “Captain Chuckie” Ebanks. CAYMAN CRAFT: The exhibition, “Revive!” – Celebrating contemporary and traditional craft from the Cayman Islands, is open at the National Gallery. 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. 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 ADACI’s office, 4th floor Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., GT. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacyman.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. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at Britannia Golf Course Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Email optimistcayman@yahoo.com. THE MODEL AIRPLANE FLYING CLUB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. Email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. For information, call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE: Breastfeeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m. to noon in the Women’s Health Centre. No appointments, no fees. Phone 244–2649. CAYMAN BRIDGE CLUB: Meets Tuesdays 7 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road; Fridays, 9 a.m. at the Rugby Club. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Alex Wood at 947-3693. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP: MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. LIFE UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION: Advises all members that the monthly meeting luncheon is held on the last Thursday of each month. YBPW: Meets every third Monday of each month at the Woman’s Resource Centre. RELIGIOUS SERVICES EL MINISTERIO HISPANO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30 p.m., Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. SPANISH WORSHIP SERVICE: First Baptist Church, Crewe Road, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Third Sunday of each month. HARBOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH: Meets for Divine Worship and Fellowship at South Sound Community Centre, South Sound, Sundays at 10 a.m. www.safeharborlc.com. MUSLIM PRAYER: Islamic Society of the Cayman Islands advises 5 times salaat/prayer at the Masjid. Fajr at 6 a.m. Dhuhr at 1:15 p.m. Asr at 5:15 p.m. Maghrib at 7 minutes after sunset. Isha at 8 p.m. website isci.org.ky. CATHOLIC CHURCH: St. Ignatius, Walkers Road, Mass 6 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 6 p.m. Sundays. Christ the Redeemer, West Bay, Mass 9:45 a.m. Sunday. JOHN GRAY MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH: Sunday worship for the family and Children’s Church, 10 a.m. BOATSWAIN BAY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Sundays. 10 a.m. Christian Education for all ages; 11 a.m., Morning Worship with nursery for youngsters; 7 p.m. Evening Worship. Visit www.bbpca.org. SUNRISE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Harquail Theater, 10 a.m., contemporary worship. Nursery ministry, children’s church and the Explorers are for ages infant to 11. Community groups meet during the week for fellowship and growth. www.sunrise.ky. FRANK SOUND CHURCH OF GOD: Meets on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Children church 10:30 a.m. Bible Studies Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Youth Group, Friday at 7:30 p.m. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The open season for lobster runs from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 tackle the issue.” The Roads Law allows the National Roads Authority to issue notices requiring the owners of discarded vehicles within sight from any public road to remove them at the owner’s own cost. However, Mr. Howard said that his department generally deals with re- moving branches and other debris from the road. The Department of Environ- mental Health is typically the agency that deals with abandoned vehicles, he said. But the Department of Environmental Health began curtailing the number of der- elict vehicles it takes into the George Town landfill since at least last October, and has now stopped accepting them altogether. Department of Environ- mental Health Director Roy- dell Carter, Assistant Di- rector Mark Rowlands and spokeswoman Stacey-Ann Anderson were all out of the office on Wednesday. A staffer who answered the phone – and declined to provide her name – said that the department is not dealing with abandoned ve- hicles. She suggested that people use private tow com- panies to remove broken- down cars, and she did not have any advice for property owners who may find other people’s vehicles abandoned on their land. Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour told the Compass he was certainly aware of the issue and was taking active steps to find a suitable solution. “We must find a place for these vehicles,” Mr. Sey- mour said, “and I can guarantee that’s going to happen very soon.” The minister added that he would be contacting the police to ensure that aban- doned vehicles, causing haz- ards by protruding out into roadways, would be re- moved immediately. The police, for their part, reminded people that they should not leave their broken-down vehicles on public property or other peo- ple’s private property. Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice spokesman Mikhail Campbell said officers have the power to issue littering citations to people who do. “Property owners who find other people’s vehicles left on their property can also file a police report, and in most cases, we are able to locate the owners of such vehicles and advise them ac- cordingly,” he stated. “Owners of derelict vehicles remain re- sponsible for these vehicles regardless of whether they are able to be scrapped.” Mr. Campbell added that derelict vehicle owners should contact the Depart- ment of Environmental Health for an official update and advisory on how long the current situation at the land- fill will persist. The Department of Envi- ronmental Health’s policy of turning down derelict auto- mobiles started last October when the facility for pro- cessing the vehicles, before they are shipped off island, became overloaded, Ms. An- derson said around that time. The number of cars being processed at Cayman’s land- fills has skyrocketed in re- cent years. According to the annual compendium of sta- tistics released by the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office, the Department of Environ- mental Health accepted 71 derelict vehicles in 2014, 402 in 2015, and 832 last year. That is a nearly 1,200-per- cent increase over the three-year period. “We have limited space,” Ms. Anderson said last No- vember. “We decided we needed to reassess and find a way to reassure safety and accommodate new [vehicles].” Ms. Anderson recom- mended at the time that owners store the vehicles on their own property and not abandon them. She did not provide a timeline for how long the policy of not accepting derelict vehicles would persist. “It is difficult to say at this point,” Ms. Anderson said last November, adding that there is no target date. “I can’t give you a timeline. We’re working to see how soon we can have this rectified.” Mr. Carter said last No- vember that his department had not “completely stopped” the collection of derelict ve- hicles, but reduced the quan- tity going to the landfill until officials can prepare another area for the safe storage of the autos. However, the staffer who spoke to the Compass Wednesday said the depart- ment had completely stopped taking in derelict vehicles. December, and into January and February you get cold fronts dipping into our area. It coincides with the North American winter season. These cold fronts come over the U.S., and some of them dig down across the Gulf of Mexico into our area.” Cayman’s forecast for Wednesday called for a 30 percent chance of precipi- tation, and temperatures in the low to mid-80s, but the winds and waves were ex- pected to strengthen in the evening. Winds could reach 15 to 20 knots with higher gusts and waves could reach four to six feet, according to the forecast. Boaters were advised to exercise caution over open water Wednesday and Thursday. Those conditions, Mr. Miller said, could last through the end of the week. “We’re going to be get- ting northerly winds for the next couple of days,” he said. “The direction is going to bring some swells probably into the harbor. Some rough seas. We don’t expect a lot of cloudiness. But we do expect the temperatures to drop.” Mr. Miller said the tem- perature could drop below 70 degrees at night, de- pending on the amount of cloud cover, but at the mo- ment, he does not expect it to plummet too far. The cold front is still in the early stages, Mr. Miller said, and there may be further devel- opments that are not imme- diately evident. “The front itself is just entering the northwest Ca- ribbean,” he said. “It’s ex- pected to pass us today [Wednesday] and stall over Jamaica overnight …. There’s going to be a sec- ondary surge, which is going to push the cold air far- ther over us from Thursday morning. It’s going to be like that for the next five days.” Broken-down vehicles litter Cayman’s roadsides CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cold snap comes to Cayman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 At least 48 dead when bus plunges onto rocky beach in Peru LIMA, Peru (AP) – At least 48 people died when a bus tumbled down a cliff onto a rocky beach Tuesday along a narrow stretch of highway known as the “Devil’s Curve,” Peruvian police and fire officials said. The bus carrying 57 people was headed to Peru’s capital when it was struck by a tractor trailer shortly be- fore noon and plunged down the slope, said Claudia Espi- noza with Peru’s voluntary firefighter brigade. The blue bus came to rest upside down on a strip of shore next to the Pacific, the lifeless bodies of passengers strewn among the rocks. “It’s very sad for us as a country to suffer an accident of this magnitude,” Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuc- zynski said in a statement. Rescuers had to struggle to rescue survivors and re- cover the dead from the hard-to-reach area in Pas- amayo, about 43 miles north of Lima. No road leads directly to the beach, complicating rescue efforts, Espinoza said. Police and firefighters used helicopters to transport six survivors with serious in- juries to nearby hospitals. Col. Dino Escudero said 48 people were confirmed dead and at least three were missing. Transportation Minister Bruno Giuffra said initial re- ports indicated both vehicles involved were traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash. Calls by The As- sociated Press to the com- pany that owns the bus were not immediately returned. As rescue operations con- tinued late into the night, authorities announced a sus- pect had been detained for allegedly robbing belong- ings of victims. Traffic accidents are common along Peru’s road- ways, with more than 2,600 people killed in 2016. More than three dozen died when three buses and a truck col- lided in 2015 on the main costal highway. Twenty people were killed in No- vember when a bus plunged off a bridge into a river in the southern Andes. The nation’s deadliest traffic crash on record hap- pened in 2013 when a make- shift bus carrying 51 Que- chua Indians back from a party in southeastern Peru fell off a cliff into a river, killing everyone on board. Espinoza said the pas- sengers in Tuesday’s crash included many returning to Lima after celebrating the New Year’s holiday with family outside the city. The bus carrying 57 people was headed to Peru’s capital when it was struck by a tractor trailer shortly before noon and plunged down the slope. Firemen recover bodies from a bus that fell off a cliff after it was hit by a tractor-trailer rig, in Pasamayo, Peru, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP “It coincides with the North American winter season. These cold fronts come over the U.S., and some of them dig down across the Gulf of Mexico into our area.” GILBERT MILLER, weather forecaster “We must find a place for these vehicles and I can guarantee that’s going to happen very soon.” MINISTER DWAYNE SEYMOURThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Macron sets course for rapid change French President Emmanuel Macron has urged his ministers to rapidly push on with measures to reform the country’s economy, security apparatus and immigration framework. Top of the agenda is a bill to address France’s high unemployment, followed by a strategic review of the military. N. Korea reopens cross-border communications with S. Korea SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reopened a key cross-border communication channel with South Korea for the first time in nearly two years Wednesday as the rivals explored the pos- sibility of sitting down and talking after months of acri- mony and fears of war. The sudden signs of easing animosity, however, came as President Donald Trump threatened Kim with nuclear war in response to his threat earlier this week. In his New Year’s address Monday, Kim said he was willing to send a delegation to next month’s Winter Olym- pics in South Korea. But he also said he has a “nuclear button” on his desk and that all U.S. territory is within ias- triking distance of his nu- clear weapons, comments Trump latched onto Tuesday when he boasted of a bigger and more powerful “nuclear button” than Kim’s. The two leaders ex- changed crude insults last year, as the North received new U.N. sanctions over its sixth and most powerful nu- clear test explosion and a se- ries of intercontinental bal- listic missile launches. The recent softening of contact between the rival Ko- reas may show a shared in- terest in improved ties, but there’s no guarantee tensions will ease. There have been repeated attempts in recent years by the rivals to talk, but even when they do meet, the efforts often end in recrimi- nations and stalemate. Outside critics say Kim may be trying to use better ties with South Korea as a way to weaken the alliance between Washington and Seoul as the North grapples with toughened international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs. Kim’s latest announce- ment, which was read by a senior Pyongyang official on state TV, followed a South Ko- rean offer on Tuesday of high- level talks with North Korea to find ways to cooperate on next month’s Winter Olym- pics in the South and discuss other inter-Korean issues. Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the state-run Committee for the Peaceful Reunifi- cation, cited Kim as wel- coming South Korea’s over- ture and ordering officials to reopen a communication channel at the border vil- lage of Panmunjom. Ri also quoted Kim as ordering of- ficials to promptly take sub- stantial measures with South Korea out of a “sincere stand and honest attitude,” ac- cording to the North’s state TV and news agency. South Korea quickly wel- comed Kim’s decision and later confirmed that the two Koreas began preliminary contacts on the channel. During their 20-minute com- munication, liaison officials of the two Koreas exchanged their names and examined their communication lines to make sure they were working, according to Seoul’s Unifica- tion Ministry. Since taking office last May, South Korea’s liberal President Moon Jae-in has pushed hard to improve ties and resume stalled coop- eration projects with North Korea. Pyongyang had not re- sponded to his outreach until Kim’s New Year’s address. Relations between the Ko- reas soured under Moon’s conservative predecessors, who responded to the North’s expanding nuclear program with hard-line measures. All major rapprochement proj- ects were put on hold one by one, and the Panmunjom communication channel had been suspended since February 2016. Moon has joined U.S.-led international efforts to apply more pressure and sanctions on North Korea, but he still favors dialog as a way to re- solve the nuclear standoff. The Trump administra- tion says all options are on the table, including military measures against the North. Moon has repeatedly said he opposes any war on the Ko- rean Peninsula. Some observers believe these differences in views may have led Kim to think he could drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington as a way to weaken their alliance and international sanctions. Talks could provide a temporary thaw in strained inter-Korean ties, but con- servative critics worry that they may only earn the North time to perfect its nu- clear weapons. After the Olympics, inter- Korean ties could become frosty again because the North has made it clear it has no intention of accepting international calls for nuclear disarmament and instead wants to bolster its weapons arsenal in the face of what it considers increasing U.S. threats, analysts say. A South Korean government official checks the direct communications hotline to talk with the North Korean side at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Wednesday. – PHOTO: AP Trump boasts of ‘nuclear button’ but does not really have one WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump boasted that he has a bigger and more powerful “nuclear button” than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un does – despite the fact that the pres- ident doesn’t actually have a physical button. The president’s Tuesday evening tweet came in re- sponse to Kim’s New Year’s address, in which he repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a “nuclear button” on his office desk and warned that “the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike.” Trump mocked that asser- tion, writing, “Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please in- form him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more pow- erful one than his, and my Button works!” But despite ratcheting up the tension, Trump does not really have a nuclear button. The process for launching a nuclear strike is secret and complex and involves the use of a nuclear “football,” which is carried by a rotating group of military officers every- where the president goes and is equipped with communi- cation tools and a book with prepared war plans. If the president were to order a strike, he would iden- tify himself to military of- ficials at the Pentagon with codes unique to him. Those codes are recorded on a card known as the “biscuit” that is carried by the president at all times. He would then transmit the launch order to the Pentagon and Stra- tegic Command. Earlier Tuesday, Trump sounded open to the possi- bility of an inter-Korean di- alog after Kim made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Year’s address. But Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations insisted talks would not be meaningful un- less the North was getting rid of its nuclear weapons. In a morning tweet, Trump said the U.S.-led cam- paign of sanctions and other pressure were beginning to have a “big impact” on North Korea. He referred to the re- cent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean sol- diers across the heavily mil- itarized border into South Korea. He also alluded to Kim’s comments Monday that he was willing to send a del- egation to the Winter Olym- pics, which will be hosted by South Korea next month. “Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not – we will see!” Trump said, using his deri- sive moniker for the young North Korean leader. In response to Kim’s over- ture, South Korea on Tuesday offered high-level talks on Jan. 9 at the shared border village of Panmunjom to discuss Olympic coopera- tion and how to improve overall ties. The South said Wednesday that North Ko- rea’s state-run radio station announced the North would reopen a cross-border com- munication channel. If there are talks, they would be the first formal di- alog between the Koreas since December 2015. Rela- tions have plunged as the North has accelerated its nu- clear and ballistic missile de- velopment that now poses a direct threat to America, South Korea’s crucial ally. The U.S. administration, however, voiced suspicions that Kim was seeking to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington. Pyongyang could view a closer relation- ship with Seoul as a way for reducing its growing in- ternational isolation and re- lief from sanctions that are starting to bite the North’s meager economy. “We won’t take any of the talks seriously if they don’t do something to ban all nuclear weapons in North Korea,” U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters at the United Nations. “We con- sider this to be a very reck- less regime. We don’t think we need a Band-Aid, and we don’t think we need to smile and take a picture.” North Korea has been punished with unprece- dented sanctions at the U.N. over its weapons programs, and Haley warned Tuesday of more measures if the North conducts another missile test. South Korea’s liberal Pres- ident Moon Jae-in has sup- ported Trump’s pressure campaign against North Korea, but he’s less confron- tational than the U.S. pres- ident and favors dialog to ease the North’s nuclear threats. Moon has long said he sees the Pyeongchang Olympics as a chance to im- prove inter-Korean ties. White House spokes- woman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the U.S. would continue to put “maximum pressure” on North Korea to give up its nukes. South Korea shares that same goal, she said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during his annual address on Monday in an undisclosed location in North Korea. The North Korean leader said the United States should be aware that his country’s nuclear forces are now a reality, not a threat. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2018 Storm leaves 1 dead, 15 injured in Europe LONDON (AP) – A violent storm packing winds up to 100 mph bat- tered parts of western Europe on Wednesday, derailing trains, top- pling trees and halting flights. Au- thorities said one person was killed and at least 15 others were injured in France and Switzerland. The high winds played havoc on transport, derailing trains in Swit- zerland and Germany and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes across France, Switzerland, Britain and Ireland without power. Officials said one skier was killed in the French Alps after being hit by a falling tree in Morillon in Haute-Savoie. Several people were injured Wednesday when a train was blown off the tracks near Lenk, a town south of Bern, the Swiss capital, local media reported. In western Germany, a train derailed near Lu- enen when it crashed into a tree that had fallen onto the tracks, ac- cording to the dpa news agency. No injuries were reported. The storm forced the cancella- tion of flights at Zurich and Basel airports and toppled a truck on a Swiss highway. Thousands of households at Lake Zurich were left without power, and firefighters were called to help with toppled trees blocking streets and flooding due to heavy rain. Swiss police say several people were stuck inside a cable car in the skiing resort of Pizol in the Swiss Alps. Ski lifts were also halted at many Swiss resorts. In England, the storm brought hail and lightning. Overturned ve- hicles forced officials to close por- tions of three major highways. Some bridges were also shut down. Extremely high tides caused the partial collapse of a harbor wall in Cornwall in southwestern England, bringing seawater flooding in. The country’s main weather fore- caster, the Met Office, says gusts reached 100 mph in Cumbria, 280 miles northwest of London, early Wednesday. The storm battered northern France with winds surpassing 90 mph (145 kph) some of the worst gusts to hit the country in years. Many people posted photos of de- stroyed cars, collapsed scaffolding and uprooted trees on social media. France’s national electricity pro- vider says the storm left some 200,000 households without elec- tricity, including 30,000 in the Paris region. In the Paris region, a falling tree hit a car and seriously injured one person, while another resident was seriously hurt falling from a building. In all, the Interior Min- istry said 15 people in France were injured, with four in serious con- dition, following accidents caused by high winds. Strong winds also caused delays at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, as extra precautions were taken to safely get travelers into aircraft. In Germany, highways near Duis- burg and Juelich in the west were partially blocked because of top- pled trees and flooding. The zoos in Munich and Augsburg in Bavaria closed for the day and the railway going up Germany’s tallest moun- tain, the Zugspitze, was shut down because of the storm. In neighboring Austria, a ski jumping practice in Innsbruck was canceled due to the strong winds and snow. Waves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales as Storm Eleanor lashes the U.K. with violent storm-force winds of up to 100 miles per hour, leaving thousands of homes without power and hitting transport links. - PHOTO: AP Pakistan’s cricket star politician slams Trump as ‘ignorant’ ISLAMABAD (AP) – Paki- stan’s famous cricket star turned opposition leader Imran Khan on Wednesday criticized President Donald Trump as “ignorant and un- grateful” after the U.S. leader accused Islamabad of har- boring terrorists. Khan also taunted the Trump administration by challenging the American president to explain how “a couple of thousand or so [Tal- iban-allied] Haqqanis alleg- edly in Pakistan are supposed to be the cause of why the most well-equipped military force in history … cannot succeed” in Afghanistan. Khan’s rambling tweets also criticized Pakistan’s par- ticipation in the U.S.-led war on terror, in which Islam- abad is a U.S. ally. He said he opposed the war on terror from its outset. “The lesson to be learned by us is never to be used by others for short term paltry financial benefits ever again,” tweeted Khan, a legendary cricketer, with a reputation internationally as a playboy and in Pakistan as an Islamic conservative, who has ambi- tions to be Pakistan’s next prime minister. Khan’s denunciation came on the heels of top Islam- abad officials firing back on Tuesday in response to Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet against Pakistan. Washington has con- firmed it will withhold $255 million in U.S. military aid to Pakistan this year, a threat it issued last August when Trump announced his Af- ghan policy, which took aim at neighboring Pakistan and demanded an end to Islam- abad’s alleged support for the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan denies sup- porting militants, pointing to its own war against ex- tremist groups battling to overthrow the government. The war in Afghanistan has now entered year 17 with an ever-growing mix of insur- gents and militant factions operating in the country, in- cluding an Islamic State affil- iate in the region. “Pakistan has now suf- fered the ultimate insult [by] being made the scapegoat for U.S. failures in Afghanistan,” Khan tweeted. Trump on Monday tweeted the U.S. had “fool- ishly” given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid in the last 15 years and had gotten nothing in return but “lies & deceit.” At a top security meeting on Tuesday, Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership said Trump’s tweet ran counter to meetings held with U.S. Sec- retary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis following the August announcement of Trump’s Af- ghan policy. A statement after the meeting described talks with Tillerson and Mattis as “robust and forward-looking.” It also said Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet was “com- pletely incomprehensible.” White House press secre- tary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on Tuesday to expect more details on spe- cific actions against Pakistan over the next day or two. TRUMP’S IRISH RESORT LOSES MONEY FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR NEW YORK (AP) – Donald Trump has lost money for a third year in a row at his golf club in Ireland. Financial statements filed with the Irish govern- ment show the president’s resort on the island’s west coast lost about $2.6 million in 2016, the latest year avail- able. The losses come amid signs of trouble at some of his other golf resorts. His two Scottish resorts, for in- stance, recently reported losses had doubled in 2016. There are signs of im- provement at the Irish prop- erty, though. Revenue rose in 2016, and losses are smaller, down 14 percent from a year earlier. The Trump Interna- tional Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg was hurt by a shutdown for 2015 and part of 2016 while the property was being refurbished. A statement by the resort’s di- rectors says they expect it to turn an operating profit in 2017. Those results aren’t expected until late 2018. The latest losses were first reported by the Irish Times. The newspaper quoted the general manager of the resort saying that revenue jumped an additional 10 percent in the 2017, and that the resort is enjoying “record green fee business and a steady flow of new members.” Including the latest re- sults, the Doonbeg resort has lost about $8.8 million in the three years through 2016. Trump bought the property in 2014. Trump has been losing money at his two Scottish re- sorts for three years, too. In 2016, he posted $23 million in losses. Trump has angered local residents at a resort overlooking the North Sea in Aberdeen with what they claim have been bullying tac- tics over the years in an ef- fort to expand his property. The Irish course over- looking the Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the Eu- rope’s best, but has attracted some controversy, too. Trump last month received approval from a local government to build a wall to protect his course from rising seas. The wall has angered some local residents and environmen- talists who say the structure will damage dunes in the area and a public beach. Some of Trump’s golf courses in the U.S. appear to be facing a backlash from players since he took of- fice. His public courses in Los Angeles and one in the New York have reportedly faced drops in revenue in recent months. Just how Trump’s other courses have fared as well as his many branded hotels, office towers and residential buildings is unclear because the business is privately held and does not release much fi- nancial information. Trump stepped down from man- agement when he took of- fice, but retains ownership through a trust managed by his two adult sons. Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan, center, speaks to the media in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP The Irish village of Doonbeg is home to an 18-hole golf resort, run by President Trump’s global business empire. - PHOTO: WASHINGTON POSTNext >