ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 High of 83 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE ORIGIN OF CAYMAN’S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: OUR ‘BIG BANG’ THEORY LOCAL NEWS | PAGE 7 PRIMARY STUDENTS INSPIRED BY TRACK STAR’S STORY 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 HOSPITAL BEGINS TRIAL DEBT COLLECTION BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Health Services Au- thority is set to begin a pilot project within the next two weeks aimed at collecting some $1 million in unpaid hospital bills. The authority has retained local law firm HSM Chambers to chase down the debts – which constitute just a small percentage of the money health officials say the public hos- pital system is owed – in order to judge the success of a more aggressive approach to col- lecting long-standing bills. The law firm’s ability to take debtors to court to collect those sums is a method the Health Services Authority has not used in the past, but Chief Executive Lizzette Yearwood told the Cayman Compass Wednesday that option is now on the table. “We will change the culture through this process,” Ms. Yearwood said. “We are trying to help our customers understand that we are serious about collecting for services. However, there are government programs to assist eli- gible persons who are unable to pay.” HSM Managing Partner Huw Moses said the firm would be commencing collection op- erations through the normal process, con- tacting debtors first via phone, emails or letters and negotiating with them about pay- ment. Mr. Moses said taking individuals to court in debt collection cases is always used as a final option and that the preferred alter- native is to work out a payment plan. “If you have a lot of people paying some- thing towards their debt, it’s better than having no people paying the … debt,” Mr. Moses said. “The HSA has a real problem; people aren’t paying their debts. But [col- lection] has to be done with compassion …. that’s the key point.” American descendents of Wil- liam Eden, who built Pedro St. James in 1780, visited their ancestral home when they stopped off in Grand Cayman this week and brought a pair of ceremonial swords bearing the names Bodden and Eden with them. The family donated the swords to Pedro St. James. For more on this story, see page 3. When art meets science KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The National Gallery of the Cayman Is- lands opened its latest photography exhi- bition on Tuesday, “Solaris: Digital Solar Imaging in the Cayman Islands,” which fea- tures some of the world’s most detailed im- ages of the sun. The images were taken by University College of the Cayman Islands observatory director Bill Hrudey. Dr. Hrudey captured the pictures using his solar Newtonian tele- scope, which he said is the only telescope of its kind in the Caribbean. Creating the pictures was far more com- plex than typical photography projects. Because of the atmosphere’s natural turbulence, the solar Newtonian telescope captures multiple images during a 300- frame video sequence in black-and-white, Dr. Hrudey said. The images are then run through spe- cial software that ranks them from best to worst. The astronomer explained that the software takes about 20 percent of the best images, and then stacks them on top of each other “on registration” – where the data from different images is integrated into one image. “What that does is improves image quality by reducing signal-noise ratio,” Dr. Bill Hrudey, right, explains how he captured images of the sun through his solar telescope. His photographs of the sun, including the one above, are on display at the National Gallery. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » AMERICAN EDENS FIND THEIR CAYMAN ROOTS2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 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) THE COMMUTER (PG13) 12:40 VIP I 2:40 I 5:05 I 6:40 VIP 7:30 I 9:05 VIP I 9:55 TADEO JONES: THE HERO RETURNS (PG) 12:30 I 3:15 I 5:30 I 7:45 ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (R) 12:55 I 4:40 I 9:50 INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY (PG13) 4:15 MOLLY’S GAME (R) 6:40 I 9:40 THE POST (PG13) 12:45 I 3:50 I 9:45 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 12:25 I 3:45 VIP I 7:00 I 10:00 PROUD MARY (R) 12:20 I 2:30 I 7:35 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Tennis pro arrested in fraud probe JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The long-serving man- ager of the Cayman Islands Tennis Club has been ar- rested on suspicion of em- bezzling funds. Rob Seward, also head professional at the South Sound club, was arrested Friday on suspicion of fraud, theft and obtaining prop- erty by deception in con- nection with money al- leged to be missing from the club’s accounts. He has not been charged at this point and is currently on police bail. The office of the tennis club was briefly closed in the aftermath of the arrest but reopened this week. The club remains open and oper- ating as normal. Peter Anderson, vice pres- ident of the Cayman Is- lands Tennis Club, released a brief statement to the media Wednesday. “There has been much speculation as to the recent events at the Cayman Islands Tennis Club, so I would like to clarify that Rob Seward, the Head Pro at the Cayman Islands Tennis Club, was ar- rested for financial impropri- eties pertaining to the club and this is being fully inves- tigated by the RCIP Financial Crime Unit. I understand that Mr. Seward is cooperating with the police.” Police confirmed a 46-year-old man was arrested in connection with the allega- tions of financial impropriety at the tennis club. The club board also sent a series of emails to all tennis club members about the sit- uation and requested anyone with an outstanding bal- ance on their account to pay up as soon as possible. The association declined to comment on whether Mr. Seward remained em- ployed with the associa- tion, though it did send an email to members advising anyone with lessons with the club pro to rearrange with a different coach. The email, from president Steve Surrey, stated, “Rest assured that the CI Tennis Club Officers, directors and coaching staff are committed to keeping the club running ‘business as usual.’ In the meantime, I ask for your pa- tience as we adjust our ad- ministrative procedures given Rob’s absence.” He added, “I commit to you as president that I will keep you informed as best as I can in the coming days as we chart our way for- ward through this diffi- cult situation.” Elderly residents on Cayman Brac will have ac- cess to donated computers to help them learn computing skills or to develop ones they already have, thanks to a donation from the Na- tional Council of Voluntary Organisations. The NCVO donated two desktop computers to the Older Persons’ Programme in Cayman Brac last week. The charity noted in a press release that the donation was made possible through the guidance of the De- partment of Children and Family Services, which has been assisting elderly Brac residents with basic com- puter classes. Simply Computers in Grand Cayman refur- bished the two computers, while NCVO staff member Trevor Blake packaged them for shipping, and Pa- tricia Bolton and Chevaughn Le’Vel transported the com- puters to the Brac. The computers will be temporarily placed at the Kirkconnell Community Care Centre, said DCFS Social Worker Bouvia Ferguson. “The classes will be held there until a permanent lo- cation can be identified that can facilitate more com- puters,” she said. The community center provides a central loca- tion, making the com- puters more accessible to older residents in the com- munity and for others who would like to learn, the press release noted. “We just want this to be a recorded milestone and a springboard for others in the community to join in as we continue to bridge the tech- nological gap for older per- sons,” Ms. Ferguson said. In early 2017, the NCVO received a donation to pur- chase four new computers, which led to the repurposing of the older ones; two of the other machines are now in use by teachers in class- rooms at Miss Nadine’s Pre- school on Grand Cayman. “The NCVO is very pleased to see older persons in the Brac developing themselves through the gift of these re- purposed desktops. We en- courage other entities to engage with the DCFS to further meet the needs of the Sister Islands com- munity,” said NCVO Board Chairman Tim Courtis. Computers donated to elderly Brackers Ethlyn Barnes, Andrea Brooks and Selvin Brooks surf the web on computers at the Cayman Brac library. Puerto Ricans face foreclosures as moratoriums expire CRASH WITNESSES SOUGHT Police make public appeal on Newlands wreck Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed a colli- sion in Newlands, Sa- vannah Monday evening to come forward. Just before 9:30 p.m., officers came upon the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Hirst Road involving a Chevrolet Tahoe and a Honda In- tegra. After the vehicles collided, the Honda left the roadway and collided with a utility pole before coming to a stop against a fence nearby. Police said the Honda driver remained in very serious condition fol- lowing the accident. The accident was one of 34 motor vehicle colli- sions recorded between Friday and Tuesday.. Witnesses should call Constable Athelston Watts of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit at 649- 6254. Calls after hours should be routed to the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Aylsa Torres sighed in relief when she received a letter from her bank two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit. She was among the hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ri- cans awarded a three-month moratorium on their mort- gage payments as the U.S. territory reeled from the storm’s destruction. Believing she was tempo- rarily freed from those finan- cial obligations, the 46-year-old government worker drained her savings to pay for a $750 generator and $786 worth of repairs for storm damage. But when Torres visited her bank in December, she says, she was shocked to hear that she was behind on payments and that officials threatened to fore- close on her apartment and ruin her credit rating. Confusion and panic is spreading across this U.S. territory as the majority of moratorium agreements ex- pire this month, with many people discovering they never qualified for the moratorium in the first place or strug- gling to obtain extensions be- cause they cannot pay what is owed to the banks. “It’s incredibly frustrating,” Torres said. “You feel like ev- eryone is closing a door in your face. No one has a gen- uine interest in helping you.” Legal experts say it is a scene that will repeat it- self in the coming weeks and months on an island that al- ready was seeing a sharp rise in foreclosures before the hurricane as a result of an 11-year-old recession that has forced government aus- terity measures. Even worse, experts say, many Puerto Ricans stopped making payments on their mortgages after the Sept. 20 storm because they thought the moratorium was auto- matic, when it was not. The storm knocked out power across the island, the largest blackout in U.S. history, pre- venting many from learning that they had to contact their bank to request a morato- rium, said Ariadna Godreau, a professor and human rights lawyer. “The big concern now is that mortgage foreclo- sures are going to spike,” she said. “We’re going to see more homeless people, more homes foreclosed.” Over almost a decade, the number of repossessed homes in Puerto Rico grew from more than 2,300 in 2008 to above 5,400 in 2016 and an estimated 6,200 or more last year. After the storm, foreclo- sures were temporarily sus- pended, and banks in the U.S. territory offered a morato- rium on mortgages for those who qualified, as did the fed- eral government. Morato- riums offered by the U.S. gov- ernment have been extended to March, but banks have ended theirs. Banco Popular, which is Puerto Rico’s largest bank, said more than 20,500 cli- ents received moratoriums that expired in December and January. Bank execu- tives say they are working with their clients, but stress that they still need to collect what is owed. “Those clients that truly are not responding to the bank’s letters are those who really will be at risk of facing a foreclosure,” said Jose Teruel, first vice president of the consumer credit services division at Banco Popular. Other large Puerto Rico banks declined to provide specific numbers. Oriental said only that 69 percent of its home loans were under moratorium by the end of November, while First Bank said about half of its cli- ents were given moratoriums. Santander said 123,000 of its accounts, including both mortgages and personal and commercial loans, received moratoriums expiring in De- cember and January. Experts say, many Puerto Ricans stopped making payments on their mortgages after the Sept. 20 storm because they thought the moratorium was automatic, when it was not. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 Eden family finds roots in Cayman SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Their world has been ex- panded and family tree al- tered to reveal another branch. Charles Davis, Charlotte Eden Jackson and Linda Davis Morgan came to Grand Cayman from the United States this week to survey the former home of their grand- mother, Francis Mignon- ette Eden, and to return a family heirloom. Mr. Davis had recently discovered a pair of cere- monial swords bearing the names Bodden and Eden, and he brought them back to Cayman to donate to Pedro St. James Castle, the restored plantation house of William Eden, built in 1780. Mr. Davis granted the swords to the Cayman government in an emotional ceremony Tuesday and met a few long-lost, dis- tant relatives. “They don’t belong to me. They belong to the people of the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. Davis, 68, who had found the decorative weapons shortly after his uncle passed away. “I like to think I rescued them,” he said. “The idea was to get them back to a place where their history could be appreciated.” Mr. Davis, accompanied by his wife Peggy, came in on a cruise ship, and he was thrilled to tour the grounds of Pedro St. James before the ceremony. Ms. Jackson’s hus- band, Kenneth, also made the trip, and they spent the day learning about their family history and thinking about the life their grandmother led. The five visitors, who visited the very site of the house their great, great, great grandfather William Eden had ordered built, soaked in the views overlooking the sea and walked through the halls of the rebuilt Pedro St. James, giving their imagination a jump-start on what life must have been like. “All my life, I’ve heard about the castle my grand- father built. That was always a princess fairy tale kind of thing,” Ms. Jackson said. “And it’s even more than I expected. When we were standing out there looking at that view, I thought, ‘Wow, how come we haven’t been here be- fore?’ But you’re working and you’re busy and you’re doing things. I think all my life I wanted to come. And now I’d love to come back.” Mr. Davis said he did not know much about the lives of his Cayman progeni- tors, and he was thrilled to be able to see the place they had lived. At some point, he said, he would love to learn the origin of his middle name, Woodville. The house and grounds of Pedro St. James seemed bigger than he expected, Mr. Davis said, and he was not quite certain why his family had left Grand Cayman. “After the soil was de- pleted, a lot of the Edens and the Boddens – the land- owners – left,” he said. “There was no more slavery, the soil was depleted and there was no more growing cotton. They just went all over the place. A lot of them went to the Bay Islands. They went to Hon- duras and Nicaragua. I’ve run into several Boddens on trips when I’ve gone down to Honduras. But what made them leave? From the history I’ve heard, there was no more living for them here. Not what they were used to.” His grandmother, Francis Mignonette Eden, lived from 1877 to 1926, and the chil- dren were always aware of her life on Cayman. But the plan to visit did not come until recently, when Mr. Davis was rooting around his deceased uncle’s attic in search of a promised silver coin collection. He came across two leather scabbards, and when he opened them up, he dis- covered the pair of ceremo- nial swords. That got him to thinking about his ancestors and why they carried swords. “These swords are some- thing that a mariner would wear at a full-dress function,” he said. “They were ceremo- nial swords, not for swash- buckling. So I was wondering what type of ship would they have sailed on? My mother said that they ferried lumber between Honduras and Nica- ragua to the States.” Ms. Jackson said she had heard that her great grand- father, William Mowatt Eden, had owned a triple- masted schooner named The Storm King, but she has not been able to verify that information. A lot of new informa- tion came from Stacy Eden Hurlston, a tour guide at Pedro St. James. He led his distant cousins through the grounds and gave them some basic facts about the reno- vations. For Mr. Hurlston, it was an interesting experience to meet people that shared his family line. “It’s a pleasant experience for me,” he said of meeting his relatives and leading them around their ancestral home. “I’ve met some before that had never been here be- fore. It’s a long story, very complicated, but put it this way: William Eden III was married twice. And they’re from the second marriage.” Another cousin, Ernest Hurlston, was thrilled to be a part of the proceedings. “We know that we’re scattered all over,” said Mr. Hurlston, 72. “But to actually meet them, a real living rela- tive who has heirlooms? This gentleman and his wife have a sword that has been in the family for years. We didn’t know anything about it, so it’s exciting to see it after all this time.” Mr. Davis and his wife live in the Houston area, while Ms. Davis Morgan lives in Alabama. Ms. Jackson and her husband split the year between Calgary and Cali- fornia. Their ancestors had departed Cayman and started new lives in new cities, and for Ms. Jackson, it was a lot to consider. “It’s just very touching,” she said. “Realistically, our fami- lies seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Overwhelming seems like a negative word, but this isn’t a negative feeling. You’re suddenly real- izing there are these different people you’re connected to. And they’re so different from you, and they’ve lived such a different life. And they know all these different stories than the ones you know. When we were in watching the movie [about Pedro St. James] and seeing all this additional his- tory, I was starting to tear up.” Mr. Davis had a sim- ilar sentiment. Perhaps he would move here some day, if he could find an afford- able place, and if not, maybe he will look into being buried among relatives in the Eden family cemetery. “I might come back in a casket,” he said. “I can be buried on Westheimer Avenue, one of the biggest avenues in Houston, which means being surrounded by asphalt. I could be in Pleasant Home Ceme- tery, which is in the middle of nowhere in Alabama. Or I might just come back here and be with the Edens.” Charles Davis, pictured holding the sword, and his family returned to Grand Cayman to see the home their grandmother had lived in. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDINThe 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 JANUARY 25, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The cosmic image that appears on today’s front page – captured by UCCI’s Dr. Bill Hrudey and part of a display at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands – is an invitation to ponder the immeasurable vastness of the universe and the mysteries of its origin. That, however, isn’t the “big bang” theory we’ll be examining in this editorial. Rather, shifting our focus from the astral to the ordinary (or the heliacal to the humdrum), our imme- diate concern is the seemingly increasing frequency and severity of traffic accidents on Cayman’s roads. Over the holiday weekend, public safety offi- cials recorded a total of 34 motor vehicle collisions, including a two-car accident in Newlands which injured the drivers of both vehicles – one quite seriously. Ranging from simple fender benders to tragic fatal accidents, it seems that Cayman’s problems with colli- sions, wrecks and smashups date back to shortly after the country’s first automobile – a 1905 Cadillac – rolled off a boat into George Town 104 years ago. There are a number of factors that contribute to this unwelcome and unnatural phenomenon. Consider the litany of environmental factors, such as poor lighting, obstructed views and overgrown foliage that make it difficult to see oncoming traffic on roadways. (A chainsaw in the hands of an eager operator could go a long way toward resolving the foliage hazards.) Or contemplate the often-confusing – abstruse, or even abstract – signage that dots Cayman’s roadways and has been cropping up in bigger, bolder and more baffling incarnations near our country’s new round- abouts and junctions. By the time a driver has had a chance to puzzle out the meaning of the hieroglyphical symbols (What are those squiggly lines? And what’s that dot mean?), the vehicle has already long overtaken whatever it was the sign was attempting to “signal.” Anyway, a roadway is no place for a Rorschach test – particularly one that’s spangled with orange cones and temporary traffic barriers. Our “under construction” zones include the busy Esterley Tibbetts and Linford Pierson highways, whose layout (four-lane, three-lane, four-lane, two-lane, four- lane, ... smash!) suggests the country has a surfeit of accordion-trained road designers. Meanwhile, old road markings (obscured but still visible) point motorists in directions (i.e., into oncoming traffic) that, if followed, would invite imminent death. We’re being a bit cheeky, of course. We trust that, one day, the finished highways will facilitate a smooth and easy flow of automobiles (overloaded, outsize trucks are another matter). Compounding the infrastructural issues are indi- vidual ones. Cayman’s resident motoring popula- tion hails from more than 100 countries – where they may have learned to drive on the left, on the right, or perhaps straight down the middle. (Ever been to Italy?) Then there are the thousands of tourists driving rental cars at any given moment. You can identify them by their specialized license plates, their anxious searching for landmarks (or scrutable signs), their paralysis when approaching (or while navigating) roundabouts, and their unintentional activation of windshield wipers when they wish to indicate a turn. In addition to potential unfamiliarity with left- or right-hand steering wheels, cultural differences abound. Is that Toyota honking to encourage that Ford to go first at the intersection? Is the driver angry? Is he saying, “Look out!”? Is he asking that pedestrian out for a date on Saturday night? Mix in to this mess an undisciplined parade of Mad-Max motorbikers, purloined Foster’s Food Fair grocery carts, knock-kneed wobbly bicyclists and stroller-pushing baby-mamas. Toss the whole concoction together, soak through with copious amounts of rum punch, add in a few dashes of mobile-phone distraction, and stir. That’s the perilous cocktail being served on Cayman’s roads. With such a constellation of impediments, it is less remarkable that Cayman has so many traffic accidents than that it has so few. Many drivers actually manage to arrive at their destinations, with their persons and vehicles pretty much intact. The origin of Cayman’s traffic accidents: Our ‘big bang’ theory Some policy dentistry could combat truth decay WASHINGTON – It cannot be a sign of social health that the number of tweets per day worldwide exploded from 5,000 in 2007 to 500 million six years later. And this might be related, by a few degrees of separation, to the fact that whereas in the 1992 presidential elec- tion more than one-third of America’s 3,113 counties or their equivalents had a single-digit margin of vic- tory, in the 2016 presiden- tial election, fewer than 10 percent did. And to the fact that in 2016, 1,196 counties -- about 2.5 times the average over the preceding 20 years -- were decided by margins larger than 50 percent. All of which are perhaps related to rising skepticism, without scientific warrant, about the safety of vaccinations and genetically modified foods. And to the fact that news- paper subscriptions have de- clined about 38 percent in the last 20 years. And that between 1974 and 2016, the percentage of Americans who said they spent signif- icant time with a neighbor declined from 30 percent to 19 percent. These developments and others worry two of the vir- tuoso worriers at the Rand Corp., the research institu- tion now celebrating its 70th birthday. Michael D. Rich, Rand’s president, and his col- league Jennifer Kavanagh, are not feeling celebratory in their 255-page report “Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in Amer- ican Public Life.” They sug- gest that the public’s mental bandwidth is being stressed by today’s torrent of infor- mation pouring from the in- ternet, social media, cable television and talk radio, all of which might be producing -- partly because the me- dia’s audience has difficulty sorting fact from opinions -- a net subtraction from the pub- lic’s stock of truth and trust. The authors discern four trends inimical to fact-based discourse and policymaking: increasing disagreement about facts and the inter- pretation of them (e.g., “The fact that immigrants are ac- tually less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States”); the blur- ring of the line between fact and opinion; the increasing quantity of opinion rela- tive to facts; and declining trust in formerly respected sources of factual informa- tion. The volume and ve- locity of the information flow, combined with the new ability to curate a la carte information menus, erode society’s assumption of a shared set of facts. They also deepen the human proclivity for “confirmation bias” and “motivated reasoning” -- people inhabiting informa- tion silos, seeking and re- ceiving only congenial facts. Gerrymandering, “as- sortative mating” (people from the same socio-cul- tural backgrounds marrying each other), geographic seg- regation of the likeminded -- all these are both causes and effects of living in echo chambers, which produces polarization. Furthermore, when, on social media and elsewhere, filters and gate- keepers are dispensed with, barriers to entry into public discourse become negligible, so being intemperate or ig- norant -- or both, in the ser- vice of partisanship -- are not barriers, and toxic dig- ital subcultures proliferate. Kavanagh and Rich say that not only do new media tech- nologies exacerbate cogni- tive biases, they promote “the permeation of partisanship throughout the media land- scape.” They dryly say, “When the length of news broad- casts increased from two to 24 hours per day, there was not a 12-fold increase in the amount of reported facts.” Kavanagh and Rich are earnest social scientists with a long list of policy dentistry to combat truth decay. Their suggestions range from the anodyne (schools that teach critical reasoning; imagine that) to the appalling (“public money to support long- form and investigative jour- nalism”). But their main pur- pose is, appropriately, to suggest research projects that will yield facts about the consequences of the new media and intellectual landscape. Unfortunately, truth decay also spreads be- cause campuses have be- come safe spaces for dime- store Nietzscheans (there are no facts, only interpreta- tions), and that what happens on campuses does not stay on campuses. Also, there is simple men- dacity: Social justice war- riors at Google probably think they are clever and he- roic in saying that Lincoln was a member not of the Re- publican Party but of the Na- tional Union Party (the name the national Republican Party, but not most state par- ties, chose for the exigencies of the wartime 1864 election). We should regret only unjust distrust; distrust of the untrustworthy is healthy. Considering the pre- ceding 50 years, from Wa- tergate and the Pentagon Pa- pers, through Iraq’s missing weapons of mass destruction and “if you like your health care plan you can keep it,” a default position of skepti- cism is defensible. And con- sumers of media products should remember Jerry Sein- feld’s oblique skepticism: “It’s amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.” George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” The volume and velocity of the information flow, combined with the new ability to curate a la carte information menus, erode society’s assumption of a shared set of facts.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 “What cultural aspects of the Cayman Islands should cruise passengers experience?” Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association www.caymanislands.ky All Cayman Islands students aged 16 and under are invited to submit an essay on the topic: Tunisia Barnes, Prizes for Junior and Senior Divisions: First Place: US$3,000.00 Second Place: US$1,500.00 Third Place: US$1,000.00 For full contest guidelines and entry forms contact: tbarnes@caymanislands.ky, tel:244-1252 Deadline for submission: 3 August 2018 FIND YOUR Essay Contest Arrest, release in musician shooting case Police confirm no charges were filed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands mu- sician who was shot outside his home on Monday, Jan. 15, told the Cayman Compass this week that he believes he knows who shot him and suspects retaliation was the motive in connection with the incident. “Yes, I know who it was,” Dexter Bodden said Tuesday afternoon shortly after leaving the Cayman Is- lands Hospital. “I’m very, very upset, extremely angry.” Mr. Bodden said he was aware that the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice made an arrest shortly after the shooting, but he said that suspect had since been released. “They arrested and de- tained [the person] and then released them without charge,” he said. An RCIPS spokesperson confirmed late Tuesday, when asked about it by the Cayman Compass, that an arrest had been made in connection with the Jan. 15 shooting. The in- dividual involved was re- leased on police bail and was not charged at the time, the spokesperson said. “We took Mr. Bodden’s statement [after the shooting],” the RCIPS statement noted. “We followed up with that, [and] arrested a suspect not long after the shooting. At this point in the investigation, the evidence does not substan- tiate a charge.” Mr. Bodden was initially listed in critical condition after he was shot outside his house on Avon Way off Eastern Avenue. Shot in his car According to police, a lone suspect approached Mr. Bod- den’s vehicle just after he ar- rived home and fired into the car, with one bullet striking the victim in his lower torso. Mr. Bodden under- went surgeries the next two days and slowly recovered from his injuries. In addi- tion to being shot in the ab- domen, a bullet grazed his left wrist causing relatively minor damage. Mr. Bodden said, if that wound had been more serious, he might not have been able to play guitar any longer. Mr. Bodden’s musical talent is well-known both at home and abroad. He played for more than two decades in the Nashville, Tennessee area, where he performed under the name “The Ca- lypso Cowboy.” CROWN WANTS COCAINE CONSPIRACY CHARGES IN GRAND COURT CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Crown Counsel Eleanor Fargin told Magistrate Valdis Foldats on Tuesday that the Crown wants cocaine con- spiracy charges against Fred Ollen McLaughlin to be tried in Grand Court. Mr. McLaughlin was charged with conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to supply controlled drugs after an in- cident involving cocaine that washed up on an East End beach on Christmas Eve. Defense attorney Jon- athon Hughes agreed to a preliminary inquiry on Thursday, Jan. 25. The pur- pose of the inquiry is to find whether there is sufficient evidence to send the matter to the higher court. Con- spiracy is a charge that may be tried in Grand Court or Summary Court, with both the prosecution and defense having the right to choose. Robbery is a charge that is transmitted directly to Grand Court – there is no choice. Marvin Grant was charged with the robbery of the cocaine – taking the 50 to 60 pounds of drugs by using force or threat of force against a security guard who was attempting to keep the packages of cocaine se- cure until police arrived. Mr. Grant’s charge has already been transmitted to Grand Court and he was scheduled to appear before Justice Charles Quin on Friday, Jan. 26. If the magistrate deter- mines there is sufficient evi- dence to send the conspiracy charges to Grand Court, Mr. McLaughlin’s next appear- ance would be there also. PROUD OF THEM Ashli Welcome honored for academic work Ashli Brianne Welcome, 22, is being recognized by the Proud of Them initiative for her academic achievements. She attended Cayman Prep and High School where she consistently received high academic achievement awards. She graduated from that school in 2012 and was recognized as Student of the Year, winning the Ernst & Young Award for her ex- cellence. She obtained the highest external examina- tions results of her IGCSE/O Level graduating class with passes in the 12 subjects she took, earning eight A*s, three As and one B. Ashli received the highest external examination passes among the Cayman Prep and High School students a second time, obtaining five A Level passes at grades A*, A, A, B and B in 2014. During her time at Cayman Prep, she was presi- dent of the school’s Key Club, a member of both the Student Council and the debate team, and assisted with the Rotary reading program. She tutored in the after-school program and was recognized with the School’s Community Service Award. She was also chosen as the Head Girl and com- pleted the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Awards. In the summer of 2015, Ashli served as team leader of the Vacation Bible Schools at both the Webster Memorial United Church and Elmslie Memorial United Church, leading groups of children from 4 to 8 years old. She also undertook work experience at the Cayman Islands Agricultural De- partment and Island Veter- inary Services, and helped the Department of Envi- ronment with their turtle nesting program. In January 2016, as in pre- vious years, Ashli volunteered her time to raise money at the Webster Memorial United Church Annual Garden Party, putting on activities for the young attendees. She regu- larly participates in other church activities, such as serving as a liturgist. Ashli is passionate about working with animals. In Sep- tember 2014, she received the Insurance Managers Associ- ation of Cayman scholarship and a Cayman Islands Gov- ernment Education Council scholarship to pursue a 5½ year degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine (for- merly Svent Istvan Univer- sity) in Budapest, Hungary. Ashli is currently enrolled in her fourth year of studies. The Proud of Them initiative recognizes the positive achievements of young people between the ages of 10 and 25. Through a public nomination process, individuals are honored in various categories. Each person selected is featured for six months on billboards across the Cayman Islands and receives a certificate and $500. Dexter Bodden was shot inside his car on Monday, Jan. 15. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Ashli Welcome Mr. McLaughlin was charged with conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to supply controlled drugs after an incident involving cocaine that washed up on an East End beach on Christmas Eve.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, JAN. 25 REVIVAL SERVICES: The Wesleyan Holiness Church on Turtle Farm Road in West Bay continues revival services tonight through Sunday with guest speaker Rev. Bernard Scarlett of Jamaica. Service times are 7:30 p.m. nightly, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. No Saturday services. For more information, contact Rev. Brenda Wallick at 949-3394. SATURDAY, JAN. 27 FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International is having its monthly breakfast at 8 a.m. at Lola’s restaurant in Camana Bay. The speaker will be Dr. Corné Gouws. SUNDAY, JAN. 28 HATITUDE: The National Trust gala brunch takes place at Ristorante Pappagallo 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trust members, $100. Non- members, $125. Kids ages 3 to 12, $50. Theme is “Fantasea,” to bring awareness to plastic pollution and ocean conservation. Guests are encouraged to draw inspiration from the ocean when dressing for the occasion, whether in full regalia or just highlighted by choice of hat. MONDAY, JAN. 29 CO-PARENTING PROGRAM: 10-week program for families raising children between two separate households. Starts this evening, 5:30-7 p.m. Family Resource Centre at Compass Centre, North Sound Road. For further information, or to register, email frc@gov.ky or call 949-0006. TUESDAY, JAN. 30 LOVE SHOULDN’T HURT: Monthly psycho-educational sessions exploring the dynamics of Domestic Violence, starts today, 12-1 p.m. Family Resource Centre at Compass Centre, North Sound Road. For further information, or to register, email frc@gov.ky or call 949-0006. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 WEST BAY MEETING: The RCIPS will be holding a community meeting at John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay, in the main hall. The meeting is open to the general public. 6:30 p.m. sharp until 8:30 p.m. Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne and West Bay Area Commander Insp. Lloyd Marriott, along with representatives from DoE, NRA and other government agencies, will lead a discussion with community members about any issues they wish to raise. 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. DVDL LATE HOURS: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing Crewe Road office will remain open longer on Wednesdays this month. The office will open as normal at 8:30 a.m. but close later, at 7 p.m. All other days – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – the office will operate as usual from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. THURSDAY, FEB. 1 STOP NOW AND PLAN (SNAP): 13-week program teaching children with behavioral problems, and their parents, to make better choices in the moment. Starts today, 5:30-7 p.m. Family Resource Centre at Compass Centre, North Sound Road. For further information, or to register, email frc@gov.ky or call 949-0006. SATURDAY, FEB. 3 CLEAN-UP: Plastic Free Cayman in conjunction with Red Sail Sports is having their monthly clean up at SafeHaven. Come anytime from 8 a.m. to noon. Check out their Facebook page for more event details. GENERAL INTEREST BABY SHOW: On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, at the 51st Agricultural Show. Registration is now open for boys and girls age 0-48 months. Registration forms must be returned by Feb. 7. For information, contact Eziethamae Bodden at 929-9932. SOLAR IMAGING: An exhibition of digital solar imaging in Cayman by Dr. Bill Hrudey. National Gallery, Esterley Tibbetts Highway. LOBSTER SEASON: The open season for lobster runs until 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 until 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. 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. Email 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. Amelia 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. 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: Meeting luncheons held on 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The annual Hatitude fundraiser for the National Trust will be held at Ristorante Pappagallo in West Bay on Sunday, Jan. 28.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 Dr. Hrudey said. “And then, after that we do some other things to sharpen them, add contrast, and color and a host of things.” All of that work is worth it for the astronomer, whose goal is to spread his enthu- siasm for science throughout the territory. “Astronomy is what gets your foot in the door to introduce people to sci- ence,” he said. “Everyone knows the sun. We all get up in the morning and see it rise and fall, but I don’t know how many people have actually seen pic- tures like this before. I’d suspect less than 5 percent.” National Gallery Director Natalie Urquhart said she was thrilled the gallery could display Dr. Hrudey’s work. “We felt it was a really great fit for our learning pro- gram, and also looking at the great beauty that he’s cap- tured through photography and a telescope, giving us an image of the sun that most of us never see,” she said. For people who have not yet seen the exhibition or are interested in how the photos were made, Dr. Hrudey will give a presentation on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the National Gallery to discuss the im- ages, his telescope and other astronomy-related topics. The exhibit will continue to be displayed at the National Gallery, which is open to the public Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cayman Islands Auditor General Sue Winspear re- cently reported that $94.5 mil- lion in so-called “bad debts,” essentially overdue amounts, have been accumulated by the public hospital system. Those considered bad debts are more than a year old and, because of their age, are less likely to be collected. Ms. Yearwood said hospital officials wanted to attempt the trial run, focusing on just the $1 million in unpaid debts, to see how effective it would be in recovering funds owed. If the effort is a success, debt collection attempts would be expanded, she said. It is not the first time the health authority has attempted to collect outstanding bills, but it is the first time a local law firm has been used in that pro- cess. HSA Chief Financial Of- ficer Heather Boothe told the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee in Oc- tober that the authority tried to collect about $4 million in unpaid bills, achieving roughly a 3 percent success rate. During that hearing, Public Accounts Committee mem- bers pressed Ms. Boothe for answers on why the health authority was continuing to attempt to collect debts that were more than a year old, if it believed those were not collectable, Committee Chairman Ez- zard Miller asked whether HSA finance staff made recommen- dations to the board to write off certain debt amounts. Ms. Boothe replied that there had been recommendations made, but they were not always ac- cepted. “You didn’t collect it for a whole year … why is it not written off?” Mr. Miller asked. “Why aren’t you making a rec- ommendation to the board to write it off instead of letting it accumulate to this level?” “The board might be re- luctant to write off the debt; they prefer to try to see if there’s anything collectable,” Ms. Boothe said. “We want to reassure the board that we have done ab- solutely everything to collect it before it’s written off,” Ms. Yearwood told the committee. The vast majority of the health authority’s uncol- lected debts come from what the agency terms “self-pay” patients. This covers a wide range of individuals, in- cluding people who do not qualify for government as- sistance but who have no health insurance, or inade- quate health insurance cov- erage. Examples of this type of patient can include visitors to the islands, work permit holders who do not have in- surance or whose insurance coverage limits have been ex- ceeded, elective surgeries and baby deliveries. The HSA accumulates about $15 million a year in unpaid debts from self- pay patients, officials con- firmed Wednesday. Ongoing issue HSA Board Chairman Jona- than Tibbetts told the accounts committee last year that the bad debt problem is a long- standing one and noted there is something of an impromptu “statute of limitations” for un- collected debts between the HSA board and Cabinet. “As far as anything over six years old, it’s already known that it’s uncollectable,” Mr. Tibbetts said. “Some people [owing debts] are deceased … it’s going to be next to impos- sible to collect.” Ms. Yearwood said the hos- pital system had been “more consistent” in enforcing pay- ments since 2014, particularly with patients who underwent elective surgeries. However, the total allowance for unpaid re- ceivables dates back to more than a decade ago, and some of the bad debts date from the 2004-2005 era. Government officials have acknowledged the bad debt accumulation, at least in the public hospital ser- vice, is partly due to a deci- sion made in 2010 not to take debtors to court. Students inspired by track star’s story MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Students at John A. Cumber Primary got schooled in commitment and dedication on Wednesday morning, when Olympic hur- dler Ronald Forbes talked to them about what it takes to succeed. Mr. Forbes, who was among the honorees at Mon- day’s Heroes Day celebra- tion and recently had the playing field at the north end of Frank Sound Road named for him, spoke to the school’s more than 500 students about his own journey as an athlete and how they too might reach their dreams. Annette Vaughan, a teacher and librarian at the school, said she ran into Mr. Forbes at the airport last week and asked him to come speak at the school. “He said he enjoys talking to the youth,” Ms. Vaughan said. Mr. Forbes, she said, spoke to a general assembly of the school for about half an hour, and spent an addi- tional 15 minutes with the children participating on the school’s sports teams. “He said they had to show dedication,” Ms. Vaughan said. “It all starts with dedi- cation at school. It was good motivation for them.” Devon Wright, 10, said he was inspired by Mr. Forbes’ appearance. “I’m so proud of him and what he has achieved,” he said, “and that he took the time to talk to us.” Devon said he plays soccer and competes in track and field, and he took to heart Mr. Forbes’ message of doing well in school first. “He said it started from the classroom,” he said. “That’s where you build up and become a better person on the field. He said [to] stay dedicated and have confidence.” Devon’s classmate, James Robertson, 10, said he only recently began playing bas- ketball, but feels more mo- tivated to pursue it after hearing Mr. Forbes’ story. He also plans to apply him- self more as a student. “I’ll focus more on getting to school early and getting my job done,” James said. While he had heard pep talks before about dedi- cation and achieving his dreams, Mr. Forbes “said it more convincing. He made it feel more real,” James said. Sir John A. Cumber teacher Shakeina Bush trained with Mr. Forbes in her younger years and both attended Florida Interna- tional University. “He’s one of my closest friends,” said Ms. Bush, who was also honored during Heroes Day. Many of the stu- dents were already familiar with his accomplishments, she said, and were excited to have him on campus. “It’s good for our stu- dents to see role models that are Caymanian,” she said. “And because it’s track season, they abso- lutely love it.” Athlete Ronald Forbes chats with some young students during a motivational talk at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay Wednesday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Judge considers murder sentences CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justice Charles Quin heard submissions on Wednesday morning about the sentence he was asked to impose on Randy Martin, who was convicted in 2010 for the murder of 21-year- old Sabrina Schirn. At the time, the only sentence for murder was life imprisonment. Cay- man’s legislature passed a Conditional Release Law in 2014, which requires a determinate sentence for murder, stating that the sentence shall be 30 years unless there are ag- gravating or extenuating circumstances. In Mr. Martin’s case, Director of Public Prose- cutions Cheryll Richards said there were several ag- gravating circumstances and no extenuating circumstances. When the offense was committed, Mr. Martin, who was serving a sen- tence for aggravated bur- glary, was among the prison inmates allowed to work on the prison’s East End farm. On March 3, 2009, Ms. Schirn drove out to the farm to meet him. Her body was found on March 17 by friends and relatives who had gone searching for her. She had sustained multiple chop wounds inflicted with a machete. Ms. Richards listed wounds that the pa- thologist had described as defensive. “She must have real- ized what was happening in the moments before her death and was powerless in the face of what was a horrific attack on her,” Ms. Richards said. She listed other fac- tors to be considered, such as planning and pre- vious convictions. Attorney Amelia Fos- uhene, speaking for Mr. Martin, pointed out that the law referred to “significant” planning as a factor to be considered and argued that phone calls to Ms. Schirn could have been to set up their meeting – that did not mean they were used to set up a murder. She suggested that the number of defen- sive wounds sustained by the victim did not nec- essarily mean that was the number of blows that had been struck. Justice Quin said he would give his decision on Feb. 6. On Thursday, the judge is scheduled to hear sub- missions pertaining to two convictions for Raziel Jef- fers. In 2012, Mr. Jeffers was found guilty of the murder of Marcus Ebanks in West Bay in July 2009. He had elected trial by judge alone and Justice Quin heard the matter, de- termining that Mr. Jeffers was the man who fatally shot Mr. Ebanks. In 2014, Mr. Jeffers was found guilty of murdering Damion Ming in West Bay in 2010, also a shooting death. Trial was by jury, with Justice Malcolm Swift presiding. Justice Quin is also scheduled to hear submis- sions in the case of Leonard Antonio Ebanks, who was convicted of the murder of Tyrone Burrell by gunshot in September 2010. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hospital begins trial debt collection When art meets science CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dr. Bill Hrudey’s images of the sun are on display at the National Gallery.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS NOTICE CAYMAN HOME AND GARDEN LTD. We are moving and everything has to go by January 31, 2018 50% OFF EVERYTHING Includes: 100% Rust Proof Beautiful Patio Sets, Tables, Chairs, Bar Height Serving Tables/Bar Tables, Beach Mini Chaises, etc. Location: Eucalyptus Building, Shedden Road PH: 949-8638 or 916-1018 Full Body Waxing, Facials & Eyebrow Threading, Massages & Eyebrow Waxing Get 15% OFF BEAUTY THERAPISTS Open Mon - Sat: 9am - 6/7pm • Sundays by appointment only Conveniently located downtown at the Village 9 Dr. Roy’s Drive • 949-2025 916-5585 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Bhagya Rekha Sharma (Lucky)Kalpana Baral From Nepal Ryan to meet Saudi king in security talks U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is leading a Congressional delegation to the Middle East, meeting with Saudi King Salman in the first regional stop. Ryan’s office says his talks in the Middle East ‘will focus on regional stability, the campaign against ISIS and terrorism, and Iranian aggression.’ US defends trade barriers as Davos braces for Trump DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) – The United States is committed to free and fair trade while bracing itself for possible re- taliation from China over new tariffs, top U.S. Cabinet mem- bers said Wednesday, ahead of a much-ballyhooed visit by President Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Days after Trump backed new tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines, his combative commerce secre- tary, Wilbur Ross, conceded that China could respond by imposing its own tariffs on U.S. products. “In terms of any trade ac- tion you take, there’s always potential for retribution or retaliation and that’s up to the Chinese to decide,” Ross told journalists Wednesday as part of the largest-ever U.S. delegation to the annual Davos gathering of business and political leaders. Ross insisted that the U.S. government is not protec- tionist and that the tariffs are meant to deal with what he termed “inappropriate be- havior” by other countries. Many in the Trump ad- ministration think that much of the global trading system is rigged against the U.S. and that many countries have not been playing fair, using un- fair methods to gain a com- petitive advantage. “Trade wars are fought every single day,” Ross added. “Unfortunately, every single day there are various parties trying to violate the rules, and trying to take unfair ad- vantage of things … the dif- ference is that U.S. troops are now coming to the rampart.” Ross said it was not for him to set Chinese policy about whether to retaliate or not but he warned that if Bei- jing were to do so, there would be a question as to what the U.S. in turn would do. The “America First” strategy that helped Trump win the presidency is partly a reflection of dealing with that apparent rigged system. It HAs already seen the U.S. withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal with 11 coun- tries, and seek a renegotia- tion of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi forcefully came out in favor of free trade, and the former used his address to delegates to an- nounce that Canada and the 10 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership had revised their trade deal in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chan- cellor Angela Merkel are also expected to lay out similar vi- sions in favor of free trade and international cooperation when they deliver their ad- dresses later Thursday. Trump is due to address the Davos forum Friday and there has been concern among some participants about what his economic and trade policies could do to the global economy – whether they will bring an end to de- cades of increasing trade and globalization. Trump’s visit has sparked scattered, small protests in Switzerland and some participants among the 3,000 on hand say he is not welcome because of his con- troversial tweets, “America First” tack, and trade policies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin brushed off concerns about a possibly tough reception, saying: “We don’t have to worry about this crowd … Our objective is to be here to interact with important counterparts.” Mnuchin took a softer line than Ross, insisting that the Trump administration be- lieves in “free and fair trade” and just making sure that “U.S. opportunities are equal to other people’s opportuni- ties in the U.S.” Mnuchin said Trump’s over-riding priority is to boost U.S. growth, and that is some- thing everyone should wel- come. “Economic growth in the U.S. is obviously good for the rest of the world,” he said. “We are open for business.” Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said he thought it “legitimate for each country to say, ‘My country first’. I could say ‘Italy first,’ why not?” But, he added, if economic growth is the goal, then that means trade – and protectionism runs counter to that. Trump is due to hold meet- ings with political leaders, in- cluding British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as with business leaders, notably from some big Euro- pean corporations. He is ex- pected to trumpet his recent tax reform package, which saw corporate tax rates slashed in the U.S., to attract business into the U.S. Those tax reforms, Mnuchin said, have already reaped big dividends, with many U.S. businesses, in- cluding Apple, saying they will repatriate money back into the U.S., pay more taxes and hand out bonuses to staff. Mnuchin also sought to downplay concerns that China was preparing to ease up on its purchases of U.S. Treasurys, an idea that re- cently surfaced and caused jitters in financial markets, including a fall in the dollar. He said the U.S. Treasury market is “one of the largest and most liquid in the world” and that the reports about China were “not accurate” and “not something we are partic- ularly concerned about.” Though insisting that matters relating to the short- term value of the dollar were not something he would com- ment on, Mnuchin said the recent weakness in the dollar is good, as it can help U.S. ex- porters, for example. Longer- term, he said the strength of the dollar is “a reflec- tion of the strength of the U.S. economy.” UK’s Davis denies Brexit backtracking LONDON (AP) – European Union citizens will remain free to settle in the U.K for about two years after the country leaves the bloc in 2019, Britain’s top Brexit of- ficial said Wednesday. Brexit Secretary David Davis said that during a transition period, Britain will abide “to a very large extent” by the EU’s rules. It will continue to pay into EU coffers and be subject to the jurisdiction of Eu- ropean courts. Freedom of movement will also continue, although Davis told Parliament’s Brexit com- mittee that EU citizens will have to register with authori- ties in Britain. Once Britain is fully out of the EU, it will end the automatic right of people from the 27-nation bloc to live and work in the U.K. Britain’s vote to leave the EU has left many of the 3 million EU citizens in the country worried about their future. But Davis said the government had “a moral re- sponsibility” to ensure EU nationals could “continue their lives as they are now” after Brexit. Pro-Brexit politicians have accused the government of backtracking on the country’s 2016 vote to leave by agreeing to a transition period that will keep Britain a near- member of the EU until 2021. The period is intended to give businesses time to prepare for life outside the bloc. Davis denied an allegation by euroskeptic Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg that Britain would remain “a vassal state” of the EU. Davis said the transition arrange- ments would last “a short time” and Britain would be free of the bloc in 2021. Davis said he expected a final agreement on the tran- sition period to be reached by the end of March, and a deal on future relations to be completed before Brexit day: March 29, 2019. Davis repeated his view that Britain is seeking a “Canada plus plus plus” deal with the EU – one that would cover both goods, like a recently agreed Canada-EU deal, but also services. EU leaders have insisted Britain cannot retain full ac- cess to the bloc for London’s financial- services sector un- less it remains inside the EU single market and customs union. Britain says it will leave both after Brexit. Davis said he was con- fident the U.K. could get a unique and beneficial trade deal. He said agreements such as those struck with the EU by Canada or Switzerland “are the floor, not the ceiling” of Britain’s ambition. Steven Mnuchin, United States Secretary of the Treasury, walks through the snow during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2018 (the “Company”) NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held on March 27,2018 at 2nd Floor, The Harbour Centre 42 North Church Street, George Town, P.O. Box 454, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands, at 4:00 p.m. for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing the following resolutions: ORDINARY RESOLUTIONS 1. THAT the members of the Board of Directors be elected as Directors of the Company. 2. THAT the Company’s audited financial statements dated as at December 31, 2017 be approved. A shareholder entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his/her place. A proxy need not be a shareholder of the Company. A form of proxy is attached. To be valid, any proxy must be duly completed, signed and lodged, together with any power of attorney or other authority under which it is signed (if any) or a notarially certified copy thereof, with the Company at its registered office at PO Box 454GT, 2nd Floor, The Harbour Centre 42 North Church Street, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands or sent by telefax to +1 (345) 949 8017 no later than 48 hours before the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the proxy is to be used. By Order of the Board 17 January 2018 French court to hear first trial linked to 2015 Paris attacks PARIS (AP) – The first trial related to the 2015 deadly Is- lamic State attacks on Paris was going ahead as planned Wednesday after one of the suspects was successful transferred to a Paris court amid a national protest by prison guards. Jawad Bendaoud was scheduled to appear in court later Wednesday for the much-awaited trial. He’s ac- cused of helping two of the attackers – including the sus- pected ringleader – hide from police when they were the most wanted men in France. There were fears Bendaoud could not attend the trial after guards protesting over prison working conditions blocked the entrance of the Fresnes prison, south of Paris, earlier Wednesday. But a spokesman for the penitentiary admin- istration said he was able to leave after police forces cleared the main access to the jail. The Nov. 13, 2015, at- tacks on Paris cafes, the na- tional stadium and the Bata- clan concert hall left 130 people dead in the country’s deadliest extremist violence since World War II. The Is- lamic State group claimed responsibility. Bendaoud, an outspoken 31-year-old repeat offender, provided lodging to the two at- tackers, but has claimed he did not know they were two of the Paris attackers or even wanted extremists. He faces up to six years in prison if convicted. Bendaoud is to be joined at the trial by two other sus- pects: Mohamed Soumah, ac- cused of acting as an interme- diary with Bendaoud to find lodging for the two fugitives, and Youssef Ait-Boulahcen, accused of being aware of their whereabouts and not in- forming the authorities. Both have denied the ac- cusations. Soumah faces up to six years in prison and Ait- Boulahcen up to five years in prison if found guilty. While the trial does not di- rectly deal with the attacks themselves, it is important for survivors and families of vic- tims who are seeking justice. Of the nine men who di- rectly carried out the Paris attacks, seven died at the scene. The two surviving killers fled and hid in the apartment Bendaoud rented to them in the town of Saint- Denis north of Paris, and then died during a violent several-hour-long police as- sault on Nov. 18, 2015. Bendaoud won imme- diate, though involuntary, fame all over France when he gave a surprising TV in- terview during the police op- eration on the apartment. He approached the security pe- rimeter set up around the be- sieged building and spoke to journalists to clumsily pro- claim his innocence. “I wasn’t aware they were terrorists. I was asked to do service, I did service, sir,” he told a reporter from BFMTV channel. “I was told to put up two people for three days, I helped out normally,” he ex- plained, before being inter- rupted by a police officer who came to arrest him in front of the live camera. UK charity money returned amid harassment claims LONDON (AP) – Senior law- makers in Britain’s Parlia- ment demanded tougher laws against harassment Wednesday after a Financial Times investigation found that women were groped at a men-only charity gala at- tended by hundreds of se- nior executives. Last week’s event at Lon- don’s Dorchester Hotel, which was held to raise money for charities, featured some 100 female hostesses, including two undercover FT reporters. The journalists described ha- rassment, lewd comments and “repeated requests to join diners in bedrooms else- where in the Dorchester.” The event also featured auction prizes of tea with Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney, and lunch with For- eign Secretary Boris Johnson. One lot offered a trip to a strip club while another provided a chance for plastic surgery at a private clinic, with the promise to “take years off your life or add spice to your wife.” Outrage was swift. One charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital, said it would return previous donations and sever ties with the Presidents Club – the charitable trust that or- ganized the event – while at least one business which had once sponsored a table at the event broke its ties. “Let’s hope every man who attended this event will think twice before accepting another invitation to a ‘men only’ event with more than 100 female hostesses,” parlia- mentary equalities committee chair Maria Miller tweeted. The fury comes at a time of reckoning for many men in positions of power as women speak out about sexual mis- conduct, sparked in part by the scandal surrounding Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Women rallied on three continents over the weekend to demand equality and to mark the anniversary of the inauguration of Presi- dent Donald Trump, whose election in 2016 sparked the first wave of mass protests. The Presidents Club dinner is an annual event for a group that claims it has raised some $28 million for children’s charities over the past 33 years. The FT reported women working for the black-tie event were given short, tight, black dresses, black high heels and a black belt re- sembling a corset. They told of men repeatedly putting hands up their skirts, while in another incident, one at- tendee exposed his penis to a hostess during the evening, the newspaper said. “Some of the behavior was pretty shocking, quite de- pressing, if I am honest,” re- porter Madison Marriage said in a video about her work on the story. The event, hosted by co- median and children’s au- thor David Walliams, has included some of Britain’s biggest names in business, sports and the media. Among them was WPP, the FTSE 100 advertising conglomerate, which has traditionally spon- sored a table at the event. “Neither the company nor our attendees were aware of the alleged incidents until in- formed of them by the Finan- cial Times,” the company said in a statement. “WPP takes these reports very seriously and, while we will continue to support relevant charities, in light of the allegations we are ending our association with the event.” Death toll in car bombings in Libya’s Benghazi rises to 33 BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) – The death toll from a night- time twin car bombing near a mosque in a residential area of Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi rose to 33 on Wednesday, authorities said. The Tuesday night at- tack, which struck the city’s Salmani neighborhood, also left 47 people wounded, local health official Hani Belras Ali said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but many as- sumed it was the work of remnants of an Islamic State group faction largely driven out of Libya. Benghazi police said the attackers timed the second bomb to go off as residents and medics gathered to evac- uate the wounded from the first blast, aiming to cause a maximum of casualties. Khaled Almajdoub said his brother Khalifa, a car mechanic, was killed in the second explosion after he ran out to help the wounded. “Many people were gath- ering and more people left the mosque when the second blast happened, and my brother died then,” said Almajdoub. “He has four daughters, no political or re- ligious affiliation and was just a small business owner.” The United Nations has condemned the bombings, saying that direct or indis- criminate attacks on civilians are prohibited under interna- tional humanitarian law and constitute war crimes. Riot police officers protect the Fresnes prison, where Jawad Bendaoud is expected to be jailed, outside Paris, Wednesday. - PHOTO: APNext >