ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 High of 86 Low of 76 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 LINE ITEMS: WAITING FOR GOVERNMENT WORLD | PAGE 8 BILLY GRAHAM, CHARISMATIC EVANGELIST, DIES AT 99 Lifestyle Protection From happy beginnings to happy ever after. BritCay offers the best home and motor insurance at the best possible price. With low deductibles and extra free benefits, we can offer you more cover for your premium. As your needs change we can also help you with affordable life insurance. 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 Civil servants avoid healthcare fees for now BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The roughly 3,600 people now employed within the central Cayman Islands gov- ernment service will not be required to pay a portion of their monthly healthcare costs, Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson said Wednesday. Speaking before the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Jefferson re- sponded to questions about the status of ne- gotiations between the government and its employees regarding sharing costs for health- care premiums. Right now, all civil servants and their dependents receive free health- care coverage. “It was concluded that the cost-sharing ar- rangements would not affect existing civil ser- vants,” Mr. Jefferson said. “It would only im- pact civil servants hired at a specified date. That date hasn’t been specified. “It is intended that cost-sharing would only apply to civil servants at a future hire date and, to the best of my knowledge, that hire date hasn’t been decided.” Prospect MLA Austin Harris asked Mr. Jef- ferson whether it was “fair to admit” that gov- ernment was in no better position in resolving massive future healthcare costs now than it was five years ago. “Incoming staff [numbers] will not be such that they would even begin to make a dent [in the government’s healthcare liabilities],” Mr. Harris said. Mr. Jefferson said the government be- lieved that the public recognized the serious issues faced in continuing to provide health- care to a population that was living longer after retirement. He said a review of healthcare liabilities completed in late 2017 had looked at how much in total the government expects to owe for health costs in the next 20 years, as well as how much taxpayers are funding public sector healthcare annually. The question now is, what to do about it, he said. HOSPITAL SECURITY STAFF SUSPENDED IN OVERTIME PROBE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government’s Internal Audit Service is looking into “irregularities” in overtime payments made to security officers working at the Health Services Authority, the Cayman Compass has confirmed. The audit review, said to be in its early stages, has led to the suspension of a number of the HSA’s security officers. According to a notice that was sent to those security officers earlier this week: “In order to facilitate an investigation into irregu- larities in the security section, it has been de- cided that it would be in the best interest of the Health Services Authority to place you on required leave effective immediately. You will remain in that status for 30 days or until the investigation is completed.” “Required leave” is suspension with pay. COURT HALTS PLANNED CAT CULL The Grand Court granted a tem- porary injunction to stop a planned cull of feral cats on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The cats are believed to pose a threat to native wildlife on the Sister Islands. For more on this story, see page 3. Fire breaks out at George Town landfill Cayman International School closed for rest of day KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A fire broke out at the George Town landfill around noon on Wednesday. The fire covered a 100-by-300 foot area in the south side of the landfill as of 1:50 p.m., and firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze at press time. The Department of Environmental Health, which operates the landfill, stated that fire officers from the Central and West Bay fire stations, along with off-duty per- sonnel, worked to fight the fire. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service helicopter was also on the scene, using thermal im- aging equipment to assess the fire. The department stated that it anticipated that smoke would be eliminated by the end of the day because “all the necessary mea- sures are in place to deal with the situation.” A detailed report will be provided as soon as a full assessment of the situation is carried out by the Department of Health’s operations team, the department stated. Caitlin Crumpton, the marketing and communications manager at Cayman Inter- national School, said that classes have been canceled for the rest of the day. Smoke is not affecting the campus and there is no immediate danger, but the can- cellation was made as a precautionary PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » White smoke rises from the George Town landfill as fire officers fight the blaze Wednesday afternoon. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 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 15:17 TO PARIS (PG13) 1:25 VIP I 4:30 I 10:10 VIP MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (PG13) 12:25 I 3:30 I 6:35 I 9:40 FIFTY SHADES FREED (R) 1:10 I 3:45 I 7:15 I 10:05 BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 1:25 I 3:50 VIP I 6:50 VIP I 7:00 I 9:45 I 10:00 EARLY MAN (PG) 12:45 I 3:00 I 5:15 I 7:30 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:10 I 9:55 15% OFF For menu & hours LAURENS.KY 15 Grab n’ Go Early Bird Special Dinner Menu Our Breakfast Menu • Pick up only 7:30-9am, Mon-Fri Please call 15 mins ahead for order Dinner Menu WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS AD $ 10OFF Come in and try our delicious new menu Reservations recommended 936.4923 - 946.7745 Buckingham Square Coast Guard visits Cayman The USCGC Seneca, a medium-endurance cutter in the service of the United States Coast Guard, sits at George Town harbor Tuesday evening. The ship arrived in Grand Cayman Sunday and left Wednesday morning. Government officials said the ship was here on a routine port of call. The Seneca was commissioned in 1987 and is 270 feet long and 38 feet wide at her widest point. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY New deputy ombudsman Roulstone switches jobs BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Sharon Roulstone was just named the Cayman Islands new deputy om- budsman in January, but she’s already been seconded to another government de- partment for a post that is expected to last for at least a year, possibly two. Ms. Roulstone was named this week as the in- terim director of the newly created National Human Resources Department. The temporary leader for the new department, who will earn between $109,000 and $130,000 per year ac- cording to an advertise- ment posted by government late last year, is expected to “interim manage” the devel- opment and growth of the human resources depart- ment, according to Ministry of Human Resources and Immigration Chief Officer Wesley Howell. “The driving objectives are to ensure that Cayma- nians are given priority in the workforce, with the ul- timate outcome of achieving full employment of Cayma- nians, while ensuring that businesses in the Cayman Islands have the workforce needed to meet their busi- ness goals,” Mr. Howell told the Cayman Compass in De- cember. “An effective change leader is critical to lead the creation of the National Human Resources Depart- ment, to implement the vi- sion by driving change in customer service, communi- cations, systems, legislation, processes and technology.” Once the department is created and operating, a full-time director will be appointed. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said the govern- ment was grateful to Om- budsman Sandy Hermiston for letting Ms. Roulstone go for the secondment period. “We recognize this will be a great loss to her of- fice, particularly so early in its development,” Mr. Man- derson said. “Ms. Roul- stone is uniquely qualified for this important under- taking and we look forward to her leadership in this pivotal role.” Premier Alden McLaughlin has spoken a number of times concerning the need to reform the Im- migration Department’s current work permit re- gime to ensure that qual- ified Caymanians get the first opportunity for avail- able jobs and, if that does not happen, that businesses get the workers they need. The new human re- sources department will eventually take over the re- sponsibility for processing work permits, permanent residence and Caymanian status applications, all of which are now decided by either Immigration Depart- ment officials or various immigration-related boards. Ms. Hermiston said her office would look forward to Ms. Roulstone’s return from secondment and that she supports her deputy’s tem- porary appointment, which starts on March 12. Sharon Roulstone was named this week as the interim director of the newly created National Human Resources Department. U.S. LAWMAKERS SAY IT’S TIME TO RESTORE STAFF AT CUBA EMBASSY HAVANA (AP) – U.S. law- makers visiting Cuba urged the State Depart- ment on Wednesday to restore embassy staff pulled from the country last year in response to mysterious ailments among diplomats and their families. The visit by six Dem- ocratic members of the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives comes as the State Department de- cides whether to send its personnel back to the is- land. A decision is ex- pected by March 4. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the symp- toms, which included nausea, dizziness and headaches, resulted from “targeted attacks” and cut embassy staff by 60 percent in September. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy and other mem- bers of the delegation told reporters in Havana that Cuban officials have cooperated with U.S. au- thorities in an investi- gation into the cause of symptoms and that the cut to embassy staff only hurts bilateral relations. “I have the impres- sion the Cubans have offered whatever co- operation we want, in discovering what if any- thing happened,” Leahy said. “I don’t see that they have any advantage to doing something to harm our personnel, the certain result of it is to harm relations between both countries.” He also said that there are many American dip- lomats who want to work in Cuba despite the symp- toms that Washington previously said affected 24 U.S. government offi- cials and spouses. Massachusetts Rep. Rep. Jim McGovern said the cuts are also hurting ordinary Cubans, who can no longer get basic services from a now ee- rily quiet U.S. Embassy. “Making it virtually impossible for the av- erage Cuban to go the United States, whether it’s for a funeral, wed- ding, or to be able to be with their families, be- trays our values,” Mc- Govern said. “It’s not the way we should be approaching this. And that’s why we all want our staffing issues ad- dressed here.” The visit by six Democratic members of the Senate and House of Representatives comes as the State Department decides whether to send its personnel back to the island. Sharon Roulstone3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 Court halts planned feral cat cull Temporary injunction granted after charities take action JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two animal welfare groups have obtained an injunction from the Grand Court to halt a planned cull of feral cats believed to pose a threat to native wild- life on the Sister Islands. The Cayman Islands Hu- mane Society and Feline Friends were granted a tem- porary injunction Tuesday to stop the cull, which was scheduled to begin in Little Cayman this week. Justice Richard Wil- liams will be asked to con- sider Thursday whether to grant the applicants leave to apply for judicial review of the cull program – a joint initiative between the De- partment of Agriculture and the Department of En- vironment. He is also ex- pected to make a decision Thursday on whether to ex- tend the injunction. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, di- rector of the Department of Environment, confirmed that a cull had been planned to help deal with feral cats preying on wildlife. She said, “The DoE and DoA had planned to capture feral cats for the protec- tion of native wildlife. An injunction has been served and the matter is now be- fore the courts.” The two charities are asking government offi- cials to meet with them to discuss more humane op- tions for dealing with the problem. They have pro- posed a trap, neuter, vac- cinate and release pro- gram and say they are willing to provide funds and resources to as- sist government. In a joint statement, the groups said they had to act swiftly after learning about the planned cull, which was scheduled to start on Tuesday, earlier this week. “On the basis of urgency and because the Cayman Is- lands Humane Society, Fe- line Friends and the An- imal Welfare Advisory Committee were not con- sulted on the proposed cull, both organizations jointly applied for leave for judicial review and were granted a temporary injunction from the Grand Court prohib- iting the DoA and the DoE from capturing homeless cats for the purposes of de- struction until the matter is further considered by the Grand Court.” The statement said the organizations were “acutely aware” of the hardships faced by indigenous wild- life in Cayman. In their statement, they said, “We strongly believe that the homeless cat popu- lation on Little Cayman can be managed though a well- handled, organized and systematic Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release pro- gram, known as ‘TNVR.’ “The Cayman Islands Humane Society and Feline Friends are ready, willing and able, together with the support of local veterinar- ians to assist the DoA in de- veloping and implementing a TNVR plan. We there- fore remain committed to working with the DoA to finding humane and consid- ered solutions and hope to be able to work collabora- tively to address such mat- ters going forward.” Feral cats, the gener- ational offspring of un- wanted pets released into the wild, are con- sidered a problem on all three islands. They are believed to hunt rock iguanas on Cayman Brac and have been known to target brown- footed booby nests. Cellphone calls send man to cells Magistrate confiscated phone CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd. Magistrate Adam Rob- erts confiscated a man’s cellphone and sent him down into the court’s holding cells after the phone rang twice on Tuesday morning while Summary Court was in session. The phone’s ring tone was loud music. The first time it was heard, the mag- istrate said if it happened again the phone holder would spend time in the cells for contempt of court. Just before 11 a.m., it did happen again – the same music from the same area of the filled gallery. The mag- istrate asked whose phone it was and sent the marshal to find it. He asked again and Patrick Joseph Miller raised his hand. The magistrate di- rected an officer to accom- pany Mr. Miller down the stairs into the cells, telling him he would spend the next hour there. Not long after, the mag- istrate asked defense at- torney Jonathon Hughes if he had any other matters to mention. Mr. Hughes said yes, but his client had been sent downstairs, referring to Mr. Miller. After a few moments, the attorney went down into the cells and, shortly after he returned to the courtroom, the magistrate had Mr. Miller brought up. As soon as Mr. Miller stepped into the dock, he asked to apolo- gize for what had happened. The magistrate accepted the apology and said Mr. Miller had purged his con- tempt. However, he added, the ringing phone had in- convenienced the court. He was therefore going to in- convenience the offender. “Surrender your phone and come back and get it at 4 p.m.,” he directed. Mr. Miller handed his phone to a court of- ficer, nodded his agree- ment and left. The Cayman Islands Humane Society and Feline Friends were granted a temporary injunction Tuesday to stop the cull, which was scheduled to begin in Little Cayman this week. The phone’s ring tone was loud music. The first time it was heard, the magistrate said if it happened again the phone holder would spend time in the cells for contempt of court.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS From time to time, we find ourselves wondering if managerial-level government officials are going about their jobs with their “eyes wide shut.” Surely, for example, Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing David Dixon must be acutely aware of the agony his agency is inflicting upon the Cayman Islands community. Consider the following narrative, which we share not because it is unusual, but because it is an entirely typical account of what it’s like dealing with the DVDL: A Pinnacle employee and his wife recently noticed that it was time to renew their drivers licenses. Being residents of West Bay (and hoping to avoid the notorious crowds at the DVDL’s central location), they decided to go to the satellite DVDL office in their district. On Monday, they arrived at the DVDL office on a “reconnaissance mission” – to scout out how much time they should allot for the renewal procedure. The good news is there was no crowd at the office. The bad news is that is because the West Bay office is closed on Mondays. (It’s actually open from Tuesday to Saturday.) Accordingly, the two returned to the DVDL office the next day – at precisely 10 minutes before 9 a.m., hoping to be near the front of the anticipated line when the office opened. Good news: No line. Bad news: The office does not open until 10 a.m. However, it was not a wasted effort. While they were in front of the closed office, a member of DVDL’s staff approached them and provided them with the neces- sary forms to fill out before their return visit. (Kudos to the female staff member, who appeared to be the supervisor. She was friendly, professional and helpful.) Following this unsuccessful attempt, the applicants learned that instead of appearing “in person” to renew their licenses, they could dispatch a “proxy” to act in their stead at the DVDL office. That was good news for the applicants, but bad news for the proxy. When the proxy arrived at the DVDL office in West Bay later on Tuesday, she observed the room was full – actually overflowing, with the line of people extending outside of the building. She took one look, then made a wise decision: She gave up. She drove to the DVDL office in Breakers, where she was able to renew the driver’s licenses forthwith. Mission accomplished. The point is, there is no more obvious sign of inef- ficiency and mismanagement than the persistent exis- tence of long lines. In many areas of Cayman’s government, inter- minable queues are a plague, of which managers cannot help but be aware, and yet consistently do nothing about. The oft-maligned DVDL has plenty of company. The Department of Immigration, for example, features lines that stretch beyond the doors of the building and down the sidewalk. During the debut weekend for the new arrivals hall at Grand Cayman’s airport, incoming passengers waited in line, on the hot tarmac, for several hours. (Fortunately, officials seem to have addressed and mit- igated that particular situation.) When we enter a government agency and see a long, snaking line of frustrated people – or a crowded room with one of those dreaded “take a number” kiosks – the thought arises that long lines are a problem that multitudinous jurisdictions and entities have solved an infinite number of times over. (Has anyone called Disney, to ask them about their approach? How about Woody Foster?) A positive example in government, worthy of emu- lation or expansion, is the implementation of ordering police clearance certificates via the internet, cutting the necessary number of in-person visits to the police administrative office from two to one, effectively halving the wait and doubling the convenience. In addition to basic managerial strategies such as staffing flexibly for peak “rush-hour” periods, elec - tronic innovations have marvelous potential (which has been proven elsewhere overseas and in the local private sector) to reduce dramatically the length and duration of physical queues. Put it this way: “Online” or “in line” – Where would you rather be? Line items: Waiting for government Infrastructure spending will not transform America “MASON CITY. To get there you follow Highway 58, going northeast out of the city, and it is a good highway and new.” – Robert Penn Warren, “All the King’s Men” (1946) WASHINGTON – Appropri- ately, Warren began the best book about American popu- lism, his novel based on Huey Long’s Louisiana career, with a rolling sentence about a road. Time was, infrastruc- ture – roads, especially – was a preoccupation of populists, who were mostly rural and needed roads to get products to market, and for travel to neighbors and towns, which assuaged loneliness. Today, there is no comparably sym- pathetic constituency clam- oring for “internal improve- ments,” as infrastructure was known in the 19th century when canals, and then rail- roads, transformed America. What rural electrifica- tion was eight decades ago, broadband access might be today: a blessing not widely enough enjoyed. But infra- structure spending will not have the economically and socially transformative effect that it had before America became a mature urban so- ciety. Princeton historian James M. McPherson writes that before all-weather mac- adamized roads, it cost the same to move a ton of goods 30 miles inland as it cost to bring a ton across the Atlantic. The person who would become the 16th pres- ident began his public career advocating canal construc- tion in Illinois, and in 1849, before he became a pros- perous railroad lawyer, he received U.S. patent 6469 for a device to facilitate boats’ passages over sand bars and shallow water. Some historians even sug- gest that there might not have been a Civil War for him to win if the fourth presi- dent, James Madison, had not vetoed (on constitutional grounds; he thought that no enumerated power autho- rized Congress to do such things) the infrastructure bill of South Carolina’s Sen. John C. Calhoun, who became a secessionist firebrand. Their theory is that improved infra- structure might have moved the South away from reliance on a slavery-based agricul- tural economy. Today, the nation needs somewhat increased infra- structure spending to in- crease productivity by reducing road and port con- gestions and boosting the ve- locity of economic activity. Unfortunately, this subject is not immune to the rhetorical extravagance that infects all of today’s political discourse. The American Society of Civil Engineers has not ac- tually programmed the com- puters of politicians and jour- nalists so that whenever the nouns “roads” and “bridges” are used, the adjective “crum- bling” precedes them. But the ASCE might as well have. It constantly views with high- decibel alarm the fact that governments at all levels do not buy as much as the ASCE thinks they ought to buy of what civil engineers sell. A calmer assessment of current conditions comes from the RAND Corporation’s study “Not Everything Is Broken”: Since the mid-1950s, public infrastructure spending “has generally tracked the growth of the U.S. economy.” In 2014, state and local governments – they al- ways have done, and always should do, most infrastruc- ture spending – made 62 per- cent of the nation’s capital expenditures and 88 percent of operations and mainte- nance for transportation and water infrastructure. Federal capital spending on highways has been declining since the Interstate Highway System was mostly completed, but at the end of 2016, municipal bond issues to finance infra- structure were the highest in history, more than double the 1996 level. Actually some infrastructure spending is probably too high (e.g., mass transit operating subsidies; users should pay). And al- though the construction in- dustry and unions might dis- agree, not everything ever built merits maintenance in perpetuity. The last surge of infra- structure spending, in the Obama administration’s stimulus, taught a useful lesson: Because of the ever- thickening soup of regula- tions, there are no “shovel- ready” projects. So, such spending cannot be nimble enough to ameliorate busi- ness cycles. This is just as well: Government attempts to fine-tune the economy are folly. America got many mar- vels – e.g., the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge – from New Deal infrastruc- ture spending. It did not get what the spending was sup- posed to provide: a cure for unemployment, which never fell below 14 percent until the nation prepared for World War II. Bipartisanship, the ab- sence of which is lamented until its recurrence reminds us of its costs, this month produced the budget agree- ment. It put the nation on a path to trillion-dollar defi- cits during brisk economic growth and full employ- ment. So, Democrats face a disagreeable decision. They tend to regret private sector involvement that taints the purity of government’s un- dertakings. Democrats might, however, have to em- brace public-private part- nerships that generate rev- enue streams – from tolls, user fees and other devices – for investors. That is, Demo- crats, whose euphemism for government spending is “in- vestments,” might have to tol- erate real ones. 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” Because of the ever-thickening soup of regulations, there are no “shovel-ready” projects.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 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 Post office worker sentenced for stealing CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former post office em- ployee Herbert Leon Conolly was sentenced last week to three months’ imprisonment for stealing money from the post office cash float, but will spend that term wearing an electronic monitor and obeying strict curfews that give him just enough time to travel to work and back. Mr. Conolly, 37, pleaded guilty in August, 2017 to charges of false accounting and breach of trust in late 2016, when he was a senior customer service officer. In that position he managed the General Post Office public counter and supervised three junior officers. The defendant admitted taking $3,400 from his cash float and using it to pay a sub-contractor who had worked for a private busi- ness Mr. Conolly had owned. He replaced the cash with a check from that busi- ness account, although the account had been closed for two years. Mr. Conolly knew that the cash float was not to be used for personal purposes, but said he had hoped to re- place the funds. In passing sentence on Feb. 16, Magistrate Valdis Foldats examined three is- sues: the fact that Mr. Conolly was a civil ser- vant; whether his dishon- esty reached the level that required a punishment of imprisonment; and whether imprisonment had to be immediate. The magistrate accepted that this was a “one-off” op- portunistic offense, but that aspect was overwhelmed by the breach of trust factor. He pointed out that Mr. Conolly was a public ser- vant legally obligated “to ad- here to the highest ethical, moral and professional stan- dards at all times,” and he was subject to the Public Servant’s Code of Conduct. The magistrate used a starting point of 28 weeks’ custody. Mitigating factors, including Mr. Conolly’s pre- vious good character, his co- operation with the inves- tigation and admission of responsibility and remorse, adjusted that sentence down- ward to 18 weeks. With one- third credit for the guilty pleas, the final sentence was 12 weeks. The magistrate deter- mined that immediate im- prisonment was not neces- sary because he could impose a penalty restricting the de- fendant’s liberty. “The sentence I am about to impose is only slightly less onerous than immediate im- prisonment and, thus, pre- serves the court’s message that it is a serious breach of trust to misappropriate public funds and create false accounting documents while employed in the public ser- vice,” he said. He handed down a sen- tence of 12 weeks’ impris- onment suspended for two years. Under the Alternative Sentencing Law, he imposed a curfew for 12 weeks with electronic monitoring. “The defendant’s lib- erty will be restricted as if he were in prison, while al- lowing him to maintain his employment so that he can pay compensation to the Cayman Islands Postal Ser- vice, but the islands will not be burdened with the costs associated with im- prisonment. There will be no other freedom permitted – no weekends, no evening ex- cursions, and there is no re- mission earned.” The magistrate also in- vited the portfolio respon- sible for electronic mon- itoring arrangements to consider seeking payment for the costs from the person being monitored. The magistrate allowed one year to pay the $3,400 compensation. Public invited to take part in ‘Dress for Culture Day’ JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Organizers of the annual “Dress for Culture Day” are inviting schools, businesses and individuals across the Cayman Islands to get cre- ative and display their home- land pride and cultural attire Friday. Each year, the fundraising event is hosted by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation to celebrate Cayman’s diverse community, which consists of more than 135 nationalities. “Over 100 nationalities live harmoniously in our three small islands, skillfully inter- mingling their cultures while maintaining the uniqueness and traditions of each indi- vidual country represented. Dress For Culture Day is one of the ways that CNCF pays tribute to this diversity,” said Patrice Beersingh, CNCF pro- grams manager. Funds raised during the event will go toward sup- porting the foundation’s youth arts programs, such as Summer Arts Camp, Young At Arts and Young Image Makers. The foundation is asking for a donation of $5 per adult and $3 per student from those who choose to partici- pate in the fundraiser. CNCF will also be run- ning a photo competition on its Facebook page (cayman- culture) from Monday, March 5 to Thursday, March 29. Anyone interested in entering the contest should submit photos of their Dress for Cul- ture Day attire to CNCF be- fore Monday, March 5. Photos will be posted to CNCF’s official Facebook page for voting in three cat- egories – Best School, Best Organization and Best Stu- dent/Individual. The photog- rapher in each category that receives the most votes by midnight on March 29 will be presented with their prizes during the week of April 3. The winner for Best School will be awarded a gift certificate donated by Office Supply; the Best Organiza- tion will walk away with a prize pack courtesy of Tor- tuga Rum Company and the Best Student/Individual will win a Camana Bay gift card. Ms. Beersingh is re- minding members of the public that they can orga- nize their own Dress For Cul- ture Day any time during the year, if the designated day is not convenient. “We believe cultural di- versity can be appreciated at any time. Dress for Culture is a way to connect with one another and celebrate our uniqueness, so we encourage it year long,” she said. “CNCF also welcomes donations throughout the year and thanks the public for its on- going support of our youth initiatives.” For information about Dress for Culture or Cayfest, email info@artscayman.org, call 949-5477 or check out the CNCF’s official Facebook page @caymanculture. New OB/GYN at Doctors Hospital Dr. Rachelle Shirley from Kingston, Jamaica, has joined the team at CTMH Doctors Hospital as a new OB/GYN. Dr. Shirley is a graduate of the University of the West In- dies, Mona Campus. She ob- tained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Sciences and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. She has special- ized training in obstetrics and gynecology and was awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She completed her res- idency in OB/GYN at the University Hospital of the West Indies, training at that hospital and the Vic- toria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Dr. Shirley has experi- ence primarily in women’s health, including manage- ment of abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroids, manage- ment of chronic pelvic pain, fertility consultation, man- agement of ovarian cysts, polycystic ovarian syndrome, menopause, pregnancy care, labor and delivery including Caesarean section, post- partum care, medical and surgical management of var- ious of gynaecological disor- ders. She also provides ser- vices such as regular health checks, contraceptive ad- vice, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening and prevention. For more information, visit www.doctorshospitalcayman.com. In a previous year, staff at Cayman Airways don international costumes on Dress For Culture Day. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Dr. Rachelle ShirleyThe 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 FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, FEB. 22 MINISTRY, DEPTS. CLOSED: The Ministry of Community Affairs, Department of Children and Family Services and the Needs Assessment Unit will be closed today from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for staff training. FRIDAY, FEB. 23 DCI CLOSED: The Department of Commerce and Investment in Grand Cayman, including its Business Licensing Counter on the first floor of the Government Administration Building, is closed today to facilitate staff training. The main office will reopen on Monday 8:30 a.m. and the counter will reopen at 9 a.m. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Cayman HospiceCare’s annual two-day Flag Day event. Volunteers are needed for shifts today and tomorrow, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact fundraising@ caymanhospicecare.ky for information about volunteering or call 945-7447. SATURDAY, FEB. 24 ORCHID SHOW AND SALE: Today and tomorrow at The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, organized by the Park and Cayman Islands Orchid Society, 9 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. both days. More than 1,000 orchids on sale plus a beautiful display of privately owned orchids. Orchid care educational talks and demonstrations. Saturday, 1 p.m., presentation about local orchids. Food and drink available for purchase. Regular admission rates of $10 apply, and residents get in for only $5 with identification. BINGO NIGHT: Edna M. Moyle Primary School hosts bingo night. 6:30 p.m. Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side. Approximately 10 games will be played. Snacks and beverages will be on sale. FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International is having its monthly breakfast at 7:30 a.m., at Lola’s restaurant in Camana Bay. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Thrift Shop mobile shop will be in West Bay at the junction of the West Bay Town Hall. 6-10 a.m. Items available include clothing and shoes, books, ladies’ accessories, linens, household items. FAMILY FUN WALK/RUN: The 3rd annual Guiding The Way 5K/10K Family Fun Walk/Run takes place from SafeHaven in the back by Holiday Inn. 6:30 a.m. for walkers and 6:45 a.m. for runners. Registration is $10 adults, children under 10, $5. All participants will be entered in a drawing for prizes. Register on the day at 6 a.m. or pre- register at Cayman Active, www.caymanactive.com/ guiding. No dogs please. All proceeds benefit Girlguiding Cayman Islands. BRAC SPRING FLING: The Brac District of the National Trust’s annual fundraiser Spring Fling will be held today at 6-10 p.m. at Brac Trust House, White Bay Road. Good food, good music, and a live auction. Tickets are $20 each, Split the Pot tickets are $5 or 3 for $10. Everyone welcome. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 GEORGE TOWN MEETING: The Ministry and Dept. of Tourism hold a public meeting to discuss tourism. 6 p.m. at Mary Miller Hall. Refreshments and gate prizes. CDS AGM: The Cayman Drama Society holds its annual general meeting soon. Today is the deadline to nominate officers and committee members for 2018. Email nominations to secretary@cds.ky. Nominees must be members in good standing. LOBSTER SEASON: Today is the last day of open season for lobster. Bag limit is three per person per day or six per boat per day, whichever is less. Minimum size is a 6-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. SCHOLARSHIPS: The Ministry of Education has extended the deadline for Overseas Scholarship applications to Feb. 28. The extension is offered in order to ensure that every interested student has the opportunity to apply for funding. To obtain the link for online applications, visit www.education.gov.ky. Call 244-2482 or email scholarships@gov.ky. THURSDAY, MAR. 1 EAST END MEETING: The Ministry and Department of Tourism hold a public meeting to discuss tourism. 6 p.m. at East End Civic Centre on John McLean Drive. Refreshments and gate prizes. FRIDAY, MAR. 2 SKATE PARK FUNDRAISER: Hope Academy and Black Pearl Skate Park are raising funds for a new school playground, scholarship fund and other school improvements. First Friday of each month. $15 for park entrance, a helmet and choice of skateboard or scooter. $7 for those with own equipment. LATE OPENING AT IMMIGRATION: The Department of Immigration’s public counters, visa office, enforcement section, and the passport and corporate services front offices, will open late today, at 10 a.m., to facilitate a staff meeting. All other sections will operate as normal. SUNDAY, MAR. 4 COCONUT CUP: Paddleboard event from 8:30 a.m. at Public Beach, Seven Mile Beach. Kids Paddle, entry $10. Life vests, parental supervision required. Register 8:30 a.m., race 9 a.m. Corporate cup, relay teams of four, 10 a.m. entry, $200 per team. Advance registration required at coconutcup@gmail.com. Individual skim paddle, 11 a.m. $25 entry. Fundraiser for Cayman Heart Fund. THURSDAY, MAR. 8 CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Opening night for Barefoot in the Park. Happy hour, 6:30 p.m. Showtime, 7:30 p.m. Tickets adults $25, students, $15. Performances continue tomorrow and Saturday, then March 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24. Purchase tickets at www.cds.ky or call 938-1998. FRIDAY, MAR. 9 BRAC SPRING WEEKEND: The Youth Services Unit hosts the Brac Spring Weekend 2018 today and tomorrow. The events for teenagers and young adults are free and open to all. Friday, Brac Youth Forum (Layman E. Scott High School, last two periods of school). 3/3 Basketball Tournament – a junior and senior division (Layman E. Scott High School Courts, 7-10 p.m.) For further information, flyers or registration forms for events, email the Youth Services Unit at camille.angel@gov.ky. SATURDAY, MAR. 10 BRAC SPRING WEEKEND: Activities continue. The events for teenagers and young adults are free and open to all. Today, Car Scavenger Hunt (Aston Rutty Civic Centre 1-2 p.m.). Domino Tournament/ Car and Bike Show with Sound-Off (Aston Rutty Civic Centre 4-6 p.m.) Brac Beach Bonfire (Southside Public Beach 7-9 p.m.) For further information, flyers or registration forms for events, other than the beach bonfire, email the Youth Services Unit at camille.angel@gov.ky. PAWS IN THE SAND: Fundraiser for PAWS (Protection of Animal Welfare Society) at Grand Old House. 6:30 p.m. cocktail party and 7 p.m. dinner. Tickets are $135. Silent and live auction, complimentary glass of Prosecco on arrival, complimentary 1 bottle of wine per couple during dinner. Off Broadway Show. Tickets available at PAWS Thrift Shop in Bodden Town next to Cox Lumber 916-1731 or 916-3957, or The Lighthouse Restaurant in Breakers, 947-2047. MONDAY, MAR. 12 NORTH SIDE MEETING: The Ministry and Dept. of Tourism hold a public meeting to discuss tourism. 6 p.m. at Clifton Hunter High School Auditorium. Refreshments and gate prizes. TUESDAY, MAR. 13 WEST BAY MEETING: The Ministry and Dept. of Tourism hold a public meeting to discuss tourism. 6 p.m. at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall. Refreshments and gate prizes. CDS AUDITIONS: Auditions for The Diary Of Anne Frank take place 6-9 p.m. (with recalls Sat March 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). The show will be performing Sept. 5-9 and 13-16 with rehearsals from June 26 (Tue/Thu 7-9 p.m. plus Sunday rehearsals in August/Sept). Email kirstyannosullivan@gmail.com to register interest. We seek actors age 14+. FRIDAY, MARCH 16 IRISH JOG: From Britannia at 5:30 p.m. Registration details can be found on www.ky.butterfieldgroup. com. Cayman’s ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) benefits. GENERAL INTEREST FISH FRY: Friday evenings in Lent at St. Ignatius School Canteen. Serving from 5-8 p.m. Dine in or carry out. Menu includes fried or baked cod or snapper with all the trimmings. Proceeds benefit Youth Ministry. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Persons receiving permanent financial assistance benefit must be re-assessed if they have not been assessed since July 1, 2015. Get a form from the Needs Assessment Unit via email nauinfo@gov.ky, on the www.nau.gov.ky website or from the district Community Development Officer. The completed form/supporting documentation must be returned to the NAU by Friday, March 30. Failure to comply will result in payments being placed on hold. For more information, contact the NAU immediately on 946-0024 or 948-8748. EAST END ROADWORK: National Roads Authority advises that road upgrade works are being carried out along Seaview Road in East End, from near the west end of Lovers Wall to near the Blow Holes. NRA crews and Island Paving crews will work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, contact the NRA at 623-7780. SOLAR IMAGING: An exhibition of digital solar imaging in Cayman by Dr. Bill Hrudey. National Gallery, Esterley Tibbetts Highway. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The annual Orchid Show will be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24 and 25. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 Public pension payments to increase again BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com For the second time in as many years, the Cayman Islands government is ex- pected to increase its annual pension payments to cover civil service workers’ re- tirement plans. Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson said Wednesday that a contribution increase for government workers in the “defined benefit” retire- ment plan was recommended by government financial ad- visers in a report done last year. He said it is ultimately up to Cabinet to accept the recommendation, but it was likely government – not the employees themselves – would fund any increase in pension contributions. The “defined benefit” re- tirement plan provides a monthly pension for govern- ment workers that lasts for their entire lives. Only em- ployees who joined the civil service before April 1999 are still participating in that re- tirement plan. Newer government workers participate in a “de- fined contribution” plan, which operates more like a 401K savings account – once the money runs out, no fur- ther payments are available. Mr. Jefferson estimated Wednesday that only 20 per- cent of active civil servants are members of the defined benefit plan. The recommendation to increase pension funding follows a similar one made by the Mercer consulting firm in 2014. As a result of that recom- mendation, in late 2016, Cab- inet members approved a $16 million additional annual payment toward the “funding deficiency” in the main civil service employees’ retirement plan, to be made in monthly installments for the fore- seeable future. That contribution from government is paid beyond the annual pension contribu- tions made on behalf of gov- ernment employees. The government in 2016 also approved an additional “normal cost” 5 percent con- tribution rate for participants in the civil service defined benefit retirement plan. What that means is the total con- tribution paid for each civil servant’s retirement by gov- ernment has gone from 12 percent to 17 percent of their annual salary. The increases only apply to government workers who are members of the defined benefit retirement plan. Mr. Jefferson said he an- ticipated a similar arrange- ment would be made later this year, but he was not cer- tain of the percentage in- crease that would be required. Cabinet members can also choose not to follow Mercer’s recommendations and have their own actuaries review the retirement system, Mr. Jefferson said. The recommendation to increase pension funding follows a similar one made by the Mercer consulting firm in 2014. measure, she said. Landfill fires have been on the decline in recent years. There was only one landfill fire in 2016, which is down from 40 in 2011, according to figures from the Compen- dium of Statistics. Mark Rowlands, assistant director at the Department of Environmental Health with responsibility for solid waste, said last October that opera- tional changes at the George Town site had largely dealt with the problem. He said at the time the “working area” had been rad- ically reduced to around 60 feet in width, and marl and fill material is now used to cover waste at 10-foot intervals. The smaller area is much easier to manage, he said, and the layers prevent any fires that might break out from spreading deep within the landfill. “It is standard best-man- agement practice for a land- fill site,” he said. The notice indicated the officers were not to contact other staffers at the Health Services Authority about the matter and that they were not to enter the hospital premises, unless they were seeking medical care. Health Services Authority Chief Executive Officer Liz- zette Yearwood said the au- thority had no comment on the matter at the moment. Internal Audit Unit Di- rector Andy Bonner said the unit had taken over the au- diting duties for the HSA, previously performed by an internal hospital employee who is now on secondment with the audit unit. “We are currently looking at a matter there relating to overtime,” Mr. Bonner said. “It is in its early stages.” The Compass understands that hospital security opera- tions have been staffed by se- curity guards from a private contractor in the meantime. Bodden Town MLA Chris Saunders said he was con- cerned about the reasons for the suspensions at the Health Services Authority. “It is clear that manage- ment, accountability and governance issues continue to exist at the HSA and it is time for the ministry and the minister to step in to re- store the public’s confidence in the leadership at the HSA both at the senior manage- ment and the board level,” Mr. Saunders said. The Health Services Au- thority is not the only Cayman Islands government agency to have its overtime payments and practices under review. The audit unit is currently reviewing overtime policies at the Department of Envi- ronmental Health, related to landfill operations. The report is said to be near completion, but has not yet been pub- licly released. The numbers can look scary, Mr. Jefferson ad- mitted, but he said, at this stage, the issue is not a public “crisis.” “I don’t want the public to be left with the impres- sion that this is a crisis,” Mr. Jefferson said. “The government has cared for retired civil servants and their families all along without this becoming a national crisis.” Big numbers In 2014, the govern- ment estimated its present value healthcare liability for both current and re- tired civil servants would be $1.18 billion over the next 20 years. By June 2016, those fu- ture liabilities were esti- mated to have increased to $1.4 billion and last year, to nearly $1.7 billion. It’s not all money that is due at once, Mr. Jef- ferson said. However, if the healthcare costs con- tinued to grow as expected, they could end up “over- whelming the government’s budget,” he said. In the next 15 years, Mr. Jefferson said it was pos- sible government could be paying hundreds of mil- lions of dollars each year just to ensure senior cit- izen retirees can maintain health coverage. Further, daunting healthcare liabilities can affect Cayman’s ability to finance government oper- ations, the financial sec- retary noted. For instance, if a healthcare liability figure of $1.4 billion over 20 years was placed on the government’s “balance sheet,” it would be more than the entire amount of assets now declared by the public sector, Mr. Jefferson said. “The net assets posi- tion would be negative to the tune of $200 million … or even $500 million,” he said. “It is extremely significant.” Future borrowing The budget numbers also become relevant when government is looking to borrow money, as it will be next year to pay off some of its existing debt. “If you are a financier of the government and you had two contracts … a bal- ance sheet that says gov- ernment has a positive po- sition of $1.2 billion or a deficit of $500 million, the contrast is quite stark,” Mr. Jefferson said. ”One in- spires great confidence … the other doesn’t.” Mr. Harris suggested there were only two op- tions left to government, if civil servants were not going to pay a portion of their healthcare pre- miums – save money in a dedicated healthcare fund, or cut health costs via budget reductions. Public Accounts Com- mittee Chairman Ezzard Miller said it was unlikely healthcare costs would de- cline in the near future. Mr. Miller suggested that “saving money” sounded good, but only during years of economic growth. “You have one or two bad years, and you’re in trouble,” Mr. Miller said. Civil servants avoid healthcare fees for now In the next 15 years, Mr. Jefferson said it was possible government could be paying hundreds of millions of dollars each year just to ensure senior citizen retirees can maintain health coverage. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hospital security staff suspended in overtime probe Fire breaks out at George Town landfill Drivers urged to check online for new license plates Drivers who want to find out if their new car registra- tion numbers are ready to be picked up can now check on the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing website. According to a press re- lease from the DVDL, the lists of license plate numbers will be updated every two weeks and the department is urging motorists to check the lists periodically. If their new numbers are listed, motorists can imme- diately collect their registra- tion plates from the depart- ment’s Crewe Road Office. They should take in their current registration plates, windshield coupon, and log- book when visiting to collect the new plates. The Crewe Road office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This office will also be open on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to noon specifically for the purpose of exchanging the plates. To view the lists, visit www.dvdl.gov.ky. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Firefighters tackle a blaze at the George Town landfill on Wednesday afternoon. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Drivers can now find out online if their new license plates are ready for collection. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 25 dead as bus veers off cliff in Peru Police say at least 25 people were killed and 20 injured when their bus veered off a highway and tumbled 650 feet down a cliff in southern Peru. Road accidents claim dozens of lives every year in Peru. In January, 52 people were killed in the country’s worst road fatality in four decades. Charismatic evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99 MONTREAT, N.C. (AP) – The Rev. Billy Graham, the mag- netic, movie-star-handsome preacher who became a sin- gular force in postwar Amer- ican religious life, a confi- dant of presidents and the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, died Wednesday at 99. “America’s Pastor,” as he was dubbed, had suffered from cancer, pneumonia and other ailments and died at his home in North Carolina. More than anyone else, Graham built evangelicalism into a force that rivaled liberal Protestantism and Roman Ca- tholicism in the U.S. His lead- ership summits and crusades in more than 185 countries and territories forged pow- erful global links among con- servative Christians and threw a lifeline to believers in the communist bloc. Tributes to Graham poured in from major leaders, with President Donald Trump tweeting: “The GREAT Billy Graham is dead. There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man.” Former President Barack Obama said Graham “gave hope and guidance to genera- tions of Americans.” A tall, striking man with thick, swept-back hair, stark blue eyes and a firm jaw, Graham was a commanding presence in the pulpit, with a powerful baritone voice. “The Bible says,” was his catchphrase. His unques- tioning belief in Scripture turned the Gospel into a “ra- pier” in his hands, he said. Graham reached mul- titudes around the globe through public appearances and his pioneering use of prime-time telecasts, network radio, daily newspaper col- umns, evangelistic films and satellite TV hookups. By his final crusade in 2005 in New York City, he had preached in person to more than 210 million people worldwide. No evangelist is expected to have his level of influence again. “William Franklin Graham Jr. can safely be regarded as the best who ever lived at what he did,” said William Martin, author of the Graham biog- raphy “A Prophet With Honor.” He was a counselor to U.S. presidents of both par- ties from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Ameri- ca’s highest civilian honor. When the Billy Graham Mu- seum and Library was dedi- cated in 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton attended. “When he prays with you in the Oval Office or upstairs in the White House, you feel he’s praying for you, not the president,” Clinton said at the ceremony. Born Nov. 7, 1918, on his family’s dairy farm near Charlotte, Graham came from a fundamentalist background that expected true Bible-be- lievers to stay clear of Chris- tians with even the most minor differences over Scrip- ture. But he came to reject that view for a more ecumen- ical approach. Ordained a Southern Bap- tist, he later joined a then- emerging movement called New Evangelicalism that abandoned the narrowness of fundamentalism. Fundamen- talists excoriated him for his new direction and broke with him when he agreed to work with more liberal Christians in the 1950s. Graham stood fast. “The ecumenical movement has broadened my viewpoint and I recognize now that God has his people in all churches,” he said in the early 1950s. In 1957, he said, “I intend to go anywhere, sponsored by anybody, to preach the Gospel of Christ.” His approach helped evangelicals gain the influ- ence they have today. Graham’s path began taking shape at age 16, when the Presbyterian-reared farmboy committed himself to Christ at a tent revival. “I did not feel any spe- cial emotion,” he wrote in his 1997 autobiography, “Just As I Am.” “I simply felt at peace,” and thereafter, “the world looked different.” After high school, he en- rolled at the fundamentalist Bob Jones College but found the school stifling and trans- ferred to Florida Bible In- stitute in Tampa. There, he practiced sermonizing in a swamp, preaching to birds and alligators before tryouts with small churches. He still was not convinced he should be a preacher until a soul-searching, late-night ramble on a golf course. “I finally gave in while pacing at midnight on the 18th hole,” he said. “’All right, Lord,’ I said, ‘If you want me, you’ve got me.’” Graham went on to study at Wheaton College, a prom- inent Christian liberal arts school in Illinois, where he met fellow student Ruth Bell, who had been raised in China where her father had been a Presbyterian med- ical missionary. The two married in 1943, and he planned to become an Army chaplain. But he fell se- riously ill, and by the time he recovered and could start the chaplain training program, World War II was nearly over. Instead, he took a job or- ganizing meetings in the U.S. and Europe with Youth for Christ, a group he helped found. He stood out for his loud ties and suits, and his rapid delivery and swinging arms won him the nickname “the Preaching Windmill.” A 1949 Los Angeles revival turned Graham into evange- lism’s rising star. Held in a tent dubbed the “Canvas Ca- thedral,” the gathering had been drawing adequate but not spectacular crowds until one night when reporters and photographers descended. When Graham asked them why, a reporter said that publisher William Randolph Hearst had ordered his pa- pers to hype Graham. Graham said he never found out why. Over the next decade, his huge crusades in England and New York catapulted him to international celebrity. His 12-week London campaign in 1954 defied expectations, drawing more than 2 mil- lion people and the respect of the British, many of whom had derided him before his arrival as little more than a slick salesman. Three years later, he held a crusade in New York’s Mad- ison Square Garden that was so popular it was ex- tended from six to 16 weeks, capped off with a rally in Times Square that packed Broadway with more than 100,000 people. The strain of so much preaching caused the al- ready trim Graham to lose 30 pounds by the time the event ended. As the civil rights move- ment took shape, Graham was no social activist and never joined marches, which led prominent Christians such as theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to condemn him as too moderate. Still, Graham ended ra- cially segregated seating at his Southern crusades in 1953, a year before the Su- preme Court’s school integra- tion ruling, and long refused to visit South Africa while its white regime insisted on ra- cially segregated meetings. In a 2005 interview with The Associated Press, Graham said he regretted that he did not battle for civil rights more forcefully. “I think I made a mistake when I didn’t go to Selma” with many clergy who joined the Alabama march led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “I would like to have done more.” Graham more ro- bustly took on the cause of anti-communism, making preaching against the atheist regime part of his ser- mons for years. As America’s most fa- mous religious leader, he golfed with statesmen and entertainers and dined with royalty. Graham’s re- lationships with U.S. presi- dents became a source of pride for conservative Chris- tians who were often carica- tured as backward. George W. Bush credited Graham with helping him transform himself from ca- rousing oilman to born-again Christian family man. Graham’s White House ties proved problematic when his close friend Richard Nixon resigned in the Water- gate scandal, leaving Graham devastated and baffled. He re- solved to take a lower profile in the political world, going as far as discouraging the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a founder of the Moral Majority, from mixing religion and politics. “Evangelicals can’t be closely identified with any particular party or person. We have to stand in the middle, to preach to all the people, right and left,” Graham said in 1981, according to Time mag- azine. “I haven’t been faithful to my own advice in the past. I will in the future.” Yet, during the 2012 White House campaign, with Graham mostly confined to his North Carolina home, he all but endorsed Republican Mitt Romney. And the evan- gelist’s ministry took out full-page ads in support of a ballot measure that would ban gay marriage. His son the Rev. Franklin Graham, who runs the min- istry, said his father viewed gay marriage as a moral, not a political, issue. Graham’s integrity was credited with salvaging the reputation of broadcast evan- gelism in the dark days of the late 1980s, after scandals befell TV preachers Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker. He resolved early on never to be alone with a woman other than his wife. Instead of taking a share of the “love offerings” at his crusades, he drew a modest salary from the Billy Graham Evange- listic Association. His ministry was governed by an independent board that included successful Christian businessmen and other pro- fessionals – a stark departure from the widespread evangel- ical practice of packing boards with relatives and yes-men. “Why, I could make a quarter of a million dol- lars a year in this field or in Hollywood if I wanted to,” Graham said. “The offers I’ve had from Hollywood stu- dios are amazing. But I just laughed. I told them I was staying with God.” He was on the road for months at a time, leaving Ruth at their mountainside home in Montreat to raise their five children: Franklin, Virginia (“Gigi”), Anne, Ruth and Nelson (“Ned”). Anne Graham Lotz said her mother was effectively “a single parent.” Ruth some- times grew so lonely when Billy was traveling that she slept with his tweed jacket for comfort. But she said, “I’d rather have a little of Bill than a lot of any other man.” She died in 2007 at age 87. “I will miss her terribly,” Billy Graham said, “and look forward even more to the day I can join her in heaven.” Lotz said in a statement Wednesday that she remem- bers her father’s personal side, the man “who was always a farmer at heart. Who loved his dogs and his cat. Who followed the weather pat- terns almost as closely as he did world events. Who wore old blue jeans, comfortable sweaters, and a baseball cap. Who loved lukewarm coffee, sweet ice tea, one scoop of ice cream, and a plain hamburger from McDonald’s.” In his later years, Graham visited communist Eastern Europe and increasingly ap- pealed for world peace. He opened a 1983 convention of evangelists from 140 na- tions by urging the elimi- nation of nuclear and bio- logical weapons. He told audiences in Czechoslovakia that “we must do all we can to preserve life and avoid war,” although he opposed unilateral disarma- ment. In 1982, he went to Moscow to preach and attend a conference on world peace. During that visit, he said he saw no signs of Soviet re- ligious persecution, a mis- guided attempt at diplomacy that brought scathing criti- cism from author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, among others. Graham’s relationship with Nixon became an issue once again when tapes re- leased in 2002 caught the preacher telling the president that Jews “don’t know how I really feel about what they’re doing to this country.” Graham apologized, saying he did not recall ever having such feelings and asking the Jewish community to consider his actions above his words. In 1995, his son Franklin was named the min- istry’s leader. Along with many other honors, Graham received the $1 million Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1982 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1996. Graham will be buried by his wife at the Billy Graham Museum and Library. There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements. “I have been asked, ‘What is the secret?’” Graham had said of his preaching. “Is it showmanship, organiza- tion or what? The secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without him.” In this Oct 26, 1994 file photo, evangelist Billy Graham begins his sermon in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. Graham died at his home in North Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 21. He was 99. - PHOTO: AP In this Dec. 12, 1961 file photo, evangelist Billy Graham, left, talks with President John F. Kennedy during a call at the the White House in Washington. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2018 PROFESSIONAL HR CLASSES Professional Certificate in Human Resource Practice (CHRP) On-island classes commencing on Tuesday 27 February 2018 Marjorie Corbridge is on-island from Friday 23 February and available for meetings or telephone calls that day, over the weekend and on Monday – contact marjorie. corbridge@port.ac.uk The Professional Certificate in HR Practice is right for you if: 1. You are working in HR/personnel administration or 2. You want to work in HR or 3. You are an administrator, a team leader, a supervisor or a manager looking to develop your HR skills It is also an entry route to a Master’s Degree in HRM (anticipated starting date, late 2018) 20 days of HR classes in 6 daytime workshops from February to September: • The role of HR and the business context: 4 days • Talent planning, recruitment and selection interviewing: 4 days • Managing performance, appraisal interviewing and rewarding employees: 4 days • Managing HR information and Continuous Professional Development (CPD): 4 days (2 x 2 days) • Labour law and PSML – employment relations, discipline, dismissal, discrimination: 4 days From a CHRP Graduate: “Participating in the Certificate in HR Practice has been one of the best decisions I have made in my career. Thank you so much for investing your time and knowledge, the style of teaching makes learning unforgettable”. Check out our website: www.port.ac.uk/caymanchrp Develop HR knowledge and skills and boost your career - too good an opportunity to miss! Don’t delay contact Marjorie today! State Department: N. Korea passed up meeting with Pence WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice Pres- ident Mike Pence was all set to hold a history-making meeting with North Korean officials during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but Kim Jong Un’s government canceled at the last minute, the Trump ad- ministration said Tuesday. A potential meeting be- tween Pence and the North Koreans had been the most highly anticipated moment of the vice president’s visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he led the U.S delega- tion to the opening ceremo- nies. Ahead of Pence’s visit, Trump officials had insisted they’d requested no meeting with North Korea, but no- tably left open the possibility one could occur. There was no indication that a meeting had indeed been planned – and then can- celed on short notice – until Tuesday, more than a week after Pence returned to the United States. The State De- partment said that Pence had been “ready to take this oppor- tunity” but would have used it to insist Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons and bal- listic missile programs. “At the last minute, DPRK officials decided not to go forward with the meeting,” said State Depart- ment spokeswoman Heather Nauert, using an acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Re- public of Korea. “We regret their failure to seize this op- portunity.” That seemed to contradict North Korea’s own claim that it had no interest in meeting with Pence while he was in Pyeongchang. “We have no intention to meet with the U.S. side during the stay in South Korea,” a Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by the North’s official news agency on Feb. 8, the day Pence ar- rived in South Korea. “We are not going to use such a sports festival as the Winter Olympics as a political lever. There is no need to do so.” A Trump administration official said the U.S. had ex- pected the meeting to occur Feb. 10, the last day of Pence’s three-day visit to the Olympic Games. The administration did not say exactly how much notice it received from North Korea that the meeting had been called off, nor where the meeting would have taken place or under what condi- tions. Nor was it immediately clear whether North Korea scheduled the meeting before the vice president arrived in South Korea or after he had already arrived. The day be- fore landing in Pyeonchang, Pence told reporters that “we haven’t requested a meeting with North Korea.” “But if I have any con- tact with them – in any con- text – over the next two days, my message will be the same as it was here today: North Korea needs to once and for all abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile ambi- tions,” Pence said. A potential high-level in- teraction between the U.S. and North Korea, which would have broken years of estrangement between the two countries, loomed promi- nently over the Winter Games, where North Korea made a last-minute move to send its athletes to compete on a com- bined team with South Korea, the host of the games. Since taking office, the Trump administration has been working to increase eco- nomic pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear pro- grams while also threatening military action, insisting at the same time that a diplo- matic solution would be pref- erable for all sides. Yet for months the Trump adminis- tration had offered inconsis- tent messages about what conditions would be needed for a tete-a-tete – such as whether North Korea would have to agree that its nuclear program was on the table be- fore the United States would be willing to sit down. Pence’s office, acknowl- edging the scrapped meeting on Tuesday, said North Korea had “dangled a meeting” in hopes that doing so would entice the vice president to ease up on the North. Pence’s office suggested that North Korea later bailed because it became clear he would hold firm on the U.S. stance if a meeting did occur. Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said that the planned meeting – first reported by The Washington Post – would have included an “uncompro- mising message” delivered by Pence about the “max- imum pressure campaign” the Trump administration is waging to try to deter North Korea from proceeding with its nuclear program. “Perhaps that’s why they walked away from a meeting, or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,” Ayers said. Pyongyang sent its nom- inal head of state, Kim Yong Nam, the highest-level visitor to the South from the North in recent memory. It also sent Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong. Ostensibly, Pence would have met with one or both of those significant North Korean figures. Pence’s guest for the Olympic Opening Ceremo- nies was Fred Warmbier, the father of Otto Warmbier, the U.S. student who died in 2017 shortly after he was released from North Korean detention. Pence also announced in the run-up to his visit that the Trump administration was preparing to unveil a partic- ularly tough round of sanc- tions punishing the North for its nuclear weapons program. Pence’s trip came after President Donald Trump days earlier hosted a group of North Korean defectors in the Oval Office, including Ji Seong-ho, whom the president had referenced in his State of the Union address. The White House cast that meeting as part of the Trump admin- istration’s “maximum pres- sure” campaign to counter the North Korean nuclear program. The plan centers around rallying the interna- tional community to further isolate North Korea both dip- lomatically and economically. A potential meeting between Pence and the North Koreans had been the most highly anticipated moment of the vice president’s visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he led the U.S delegation to the opening ceremonies. MATTAWAN, Mich. (AP) – Sandbags were holding back floodwaters in parts of Michigan as a storm system moved across several Mid- west and Great Plains states on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, snow and ice to the region. The weather has al- ready been blamed for hun- dreds of car crashes and sev- eral fatalities, including the deaths of four people in a crash along a slippery inter- state in Nebraska. Melting snow and heavy rain prompted the National Weather Service to issue flood warnings for parts of northern Illinois and northern Indiana, as well as southern Wisconsin and much of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Flood warnings also were issued for parts of Missouri and Texas. In Michigan, flooded streets in Flint stranded mo- torists and a school bus. And in the southwestern Mich- igan village of Mattawan, sandbags were filled Tuesday to protect homes and busi- nesses as the Mattawan Creek rose above its banks. The fear of rising water along the Illinois River forced the evacuation late Tuesday of the LaSalle County Nursing Home in Ottawa, Il- linois. In Indiana, homes and streets were flooded in the South Bend area, and fore- casters predicted the local St. Joseph River would not crest until Thursday. Flood watches were is- sued for several states, while winter weather advisories were in effect Wednesday for an area stretching from southwestern Illinois to Texas, including parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. A 52-year-old woman from Bourbonnais, Illinois, was found dead Tuesday in a submerged car in Peotone, south of Chicago. The woman apparently lost control of her car on southbound Illinois Route 45 and ended up in a rain-filed ditch, Peotone Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Bruce Boyle said. In eastern Nebraska, speed and slippery pave- ment caused a crash between a pickup truck and a semi- trailer Tuesday that killed four people on Interstate 80, police said. The three men and one woman killed were from Colo- rado, authorities said. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a 38-year-old woman died and two other people were injured in a col- lision on an icy highway late Monday. In Minnesota, state police said winter weather contributed to 400 crashes and 250 spinouts, including two fatal accidents. The storm system stretched to Texas, where weather service officials said three tornadoes hit. One struck early Tuesday in a rural area near Joshua, de- stroying at least two mo- bile homes and severely damaging several others. A mother and her disabled daughter were injured when one twister demolished their mobile home. States face flooding, other problems in Midwest amid storms A car drives through floodwaters on a street in South Bend, Indiana, Tuesday. – PHOTO: APNext >