FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Prepare to go running Off The Beaten Track Along the road and into the bush we go! B6 Events Leisure & Recreation Events ■ ART & CULTURE Light Up The Night for breast cancer Seven Mile Beach plans to go pink on March 3 B3 Exploring Cayman’s magical mangroves Kayaking through one of nature’s wonders B7 STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates. com Fine Wine and Spirits TORTUGA 15 stores island-wide and Mary Lou’s in Cayman Brac. For more information, please call 949-7701. BUY BEFORE YOU FLY TORTUGA NOT AVAILABLE AT AIRPORT DUE TO RENOVATIONS Annual Orchid Show and Sale A blooming weekend of beauty at the QEII Botanic Park B2 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS ■ ART & CULTURE Red Sky At Night Performers, arts and crafts vendors prepare for the annual festival next weekend. B5 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Red Sky At Night EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 KAABOO FESTIVAL: A WORLD-CLASS MUSICAL EVENT COMING TO CAYMAN High of 87 Low of 76 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should continue to exercise caution over open water. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 8 BUTTERFLY SHRIMP, REG FRIES AND BISCUIT $805$805 Major music festival planned for Cayman MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com KAABOO, the three-year-old fes- tival that drew 100,000 people to San Diego in September last year to see three days of music, including acts such as Tom Petty, Pink and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is coming to the Cayman Islands. Virgin Produced – the enter- tainment arm of Richard Bran- son’s Virgin group of companies – announced Thursday night that it is planning a similar high-pro- file, but smaller-scale event for Cayman on Feb. 15-16, 2019. Acts will be announced May 15. Jason Felts, KAABOO’s chief brand officer, is heading up the ef- fort and said he is excited to bring a major festival event to Cayman, where he and Mr. Branson both have strong ties. Plans for the event have been in the works for the past two years. “Cayman is the culinary cap- ital of the Caribbean,” Mr. Felts said. “My goal is to make it the live music capital of the Carib- bean. This will definitely be the biggest live entertainment event ever on Cayman.” A venue is currently under construction on Dart-owned land north of the Kimpton Seafire Re- sort. Plans include two live music stages and an enclosed comedy club venue. There will be an ad- ditional DJ stage that will morph into a nightclub after sundown. But KAABOO is not just about music. “KAABOO was created to fill a space and void for adults who love live entertainment but wanted an elevated experience that was re- ally under-served by the other fes- tivals,” Mr. Felts said. The brand promotes the “five senses” of KAABOO: music, art, comedy, food and indulgences. It is the last of these that sets the fes- tival apart, Mr. Felts said. Other festivals offer VIP tickets that in- clude such things as massage ser- vices and fine dining, but KAABOO tries to kick it up a notch. Premium tickets at the San Diego event included a private pool with Vegas-style amenities overlooking the main stage, a hair salon, beauty treatments, a spa and, of course, massages. “The KAABOO vibe is in the five senses, with elevated hospitality and customer service,” Mr. Felts said. He envisions that same de- gree of quality at the Cayman fes- tival, but it will be scaled down. While the San Diego event fea- tured 70 musical acts on five stages, Mr. Felts said he antici- pates bringing “just under 20 to 25” to the two stages at KAABOO Cayman. Like the San Diego event, those acts will represent a wide spectrum. “The music is a combination of hit makers and bucket-list artists,” he said. ”It’s made to appeal to a wide adult demographic.” In addition to the music, there will be a lineup of comedians, an art exhibit/sale area and a gourmet food section set up, much like food festivals where chefs fix small sampler plates. All of this, Mr. Felts said, will have a distinct Cayman flavor. “We are very focused on the local community and embracing local artists, so we will be in- corporating local artists into the mix,” he said. Lotion with marijuana logo banned from territory Customs Law prohibits ganja- depicting goods KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Customs Depart- ment seized a number of shipments of Hempz, which is a brand of moisturizers, shampoo and other toi- letries made with natural hemp seed oil. The products are banned from the territory not be- cause they are made with hemp – the fiber of the can- nabis plant – but because the Hempz logo is an image of a marijuana leaf, violating legislation that prohibits the importation of goods de- picting the ganja plant. “The import of all goods depicting or bearing, whether expressly or by im- plication, any reference to ganja or the ganja plant is prohibited, except where the goods depict or bear refer- ence to any cannabis extract or tincture of cannabis,” states the Customs Law. Kirk Market Managing Director Thom Guyton con- firmed that a shipment of Hempz was seized by Cus- toms last week. “It was our mistake. It was clear in the law,” said Mr. Guyton, who said he knew neither about the law nor that the Hempz prod- ucts bore the ganja image. “It wasn’t a lot of product.” Education ministry audits lag four years behind BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Audited financial state- ments for the Cayman Is- lands Ministry of Education have not been completed for public review since the government’s 2012/13 budget year, more than four years ago, according to Au- ditor General Sue Winspear and Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson. Ms. Winspear told the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee Wednesday that financial audits for the ministry, at the time led by Minister Tara Rivers and Chief Of- ficer Christen Suckoo, had not been signed off for the years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 – during the pre- vious government adminis- tration’s term in office. Ms. Winspear said the Education Ministry is the only ministry to have out- standing financial audits for the past three years and she indicated there had been some disagreements be- tween auditors and ministry staff about the content of those reports. “It’s almost certainly going to be a heavily quali- fied account,” Ms. Winspear told the legislative committee Wednesday, meaning there are a number of areas where financial data provided by the ministry could not be relied upon. However, Ms. Winspear indicated many of Jason Felts unveils the details of KAABOO Cayman on Thursday. The multifaceted music festival is planned for early next year. – PHOTO STEPHEN CLARKE PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 94-P ASTA [ 947.2782 ] • Marquee Plaza • Everything is made from scratch. • The freshest & nest ingredients. • No deep-frying or microwaving. • Pizza crusts baked in a traditional wood burning oven. Gluten-free crust available. • All sauces are homemade. Hospice Flag Days this weekend Cayman HospiceCare kicked off its annual Flag Day fundraising and aware- ness campaign this week with a “dress as your favorite superhero” event at Cayman Prep and High School. The hospice is inviting members of the public to be heroes during its two- day fundraiser by donating to Cayman HospiceCare to support those living with chronic, terminal or life-lim- iting illnesses. “Your donation goes di- rectly into ensuring that those in need don’t have to go through such a difficult time alone. It enables Cayman HospiceCare to continue to provide specialized hos- pice and palliative care free of charge,” Kerrie McMillan, HospiceCare’s fundraising and events coordination, said in a press release. Flag Day, now in its 18th year, is one of the biggest fundraising and awareness campaigns for Cayman HospiceCare. Throughout Friday and Saturday, dozens of volun- teers in bright green T-shirts, shaking green donation cans, can be found at supermar- kets, banks, A. L. Thomp- son’s, Kirk Freeport stores and Camana Bay. Governor Helen Kilpatrick, patron of Cayman HospiceCare, poses with members of the student council of Cayman Prep and High School and HospiceCare staff and volunteers to help kick-start the hospice’s annual Flag Day fundraising event. Cayman culture featured at UWI Mona Campus Homecoming JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com When Mona Campus Ja- maica staged its “Home- coming” celebrations last week, one student from Cayman was determined that Cayman Islands culture was represented. Kasinda McField, who at- tends the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, said she just could not pass up the opportunity to show off her Caymanian heritage. With the help of her di- rector, Patrick Thompson, Ms. McField obtained some cul- turally significant items, such as a Cayman thatch hat, a blue iguana cuddly toy and a pirate’s “skull,” as well as information leaflets and pic- tures from historic and cul- tural sites and events, in- cluding Pedro Castle, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and Pirates Week. “I believe this is the first year the Cayman Islands had a full booth display in a long time,” Ms. McField said. Shayma Hamdi, mar- keting coordinator at Cayman Tourism Attraction Board, said Ms. McField reached out to her in November 2016 and re- quested some cultural items. “She has done a wonderful job at representing the Cayman Is- lands at the 70th Homecoming event at the University of the West Indies,” she said. Ms. McField also attended the UWI commemoration church service and candle lighting ceremony. For the Homecoming cel- ebrations, she donated 10 Cayman publications to the university’s main library on behalf of the Cayman Na- tional Cultural Foundation. She participated in the grand parade and flag raising ceremony along with class- mates Samantha Mascar- enhas, Janell Taylor, Loshana Lopez, Leanna Moodie, Tahare Gordon, Joel Assrope, Torrean Shields and Aliyah Nelson. Ms. Shields raised the Cayman flag at the event. “It all came together with the help of Joel As- srope, Christine McLean and two fellow Trinidadian friends,” she said. There are 25 Caymanian students currently enrolled at the Jamaica Mona Campus. Ms. McField is in her final semester, majoring in banking, finance and eco- nomics. She is also the pres- ident of the Cayman Is- lands Students Association at Mona Campus. The observation of Mona Homecoming Celebrations began in 2001. It celebrates the founding of the university and recognizes its regional nature while assisting to en- gender a greater sense of be- longing and develop a feeling of camaraderie among staff, students and graduates, ac- cording to the university. Kasinda McField, front, center, and her Caymanian classmates show off the Cayman flag. Kasinda McField presents Cheryl Kean, UWI library representative, with 10 local publications for the university’s main library.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 Each office independently owned and operated. RE/MAX Cayman Islands, 7 Mile Shops, Grand Cayman. CIREBA Member. MLS# 406232-406246 James Bovell (345) 945-4000 james.bovell@bovell.ky www.bovell.ky Kim Lund (345) 949-9772 kim.lund@remax.ky www.caymanlundteam.com L U X UR IO U S L I V I N G O N T HE W A T E R F RO N T W W W . S T O N EI S L A N D C A Y M A N . C O M Canal-front villas in the exclusive Yacht Club community, with 4500 square feet of open concept living and an amenity collection beyond expectation. OUTDOOR AMENITIES:AMENITY BUILDING: • Discreet 24-hour security • Expansive mosaic-tile infi nity edge pool & cabana • Tennis court • Boardwalk • Docking facilities • Lush landscaping • Barbecue pavilions • State-of-the-art fi tness studio • Private screening room • Waterside owner’s conservatory • Children’s center • Chef’s kitchen • Owner’s wine storage Open House SATURDAY • FEBRUARY 24TH • NOON – 2P. M . LOCATED ON YACHT DRIVE, JUST PAST VISTA DEL MAR. S HO W HOM E S NO W OP E NThe 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. 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 findtheirownway” Sit up and take notice, Cayman: The just-announced KAABOO festival will not only be the largest event of its nature in the history of the Cayman Islands, but could very well transform the world’s percep- tion of Cayman as an entertainment and tourism venue. Anyone who glances at today’s front page story, thinks “music festival” and envisions heatstroke, mud, mountains of trash and portable toilets … clearly is not familiar with KAABOO. The creation of Virgin Produced (the entertainment arm of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin brand), KAABOO is so far removed from the traditional music festival experience that organizers eschew the term entirely, preferring to call it a “three-day sound voyage that combines rock ‘n’ roll music and tastemaking socials into a modern wonderland.” Like all things done by Virgin, KAABOO is a first-class, big-time event. For example, last year’s iteration of the festival, held in Del Mar, California, (in the San Diego area) featured musical acts such as Tom Petty & The Heart- breakers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink, Muse, Weezer, Jane’s Addiction, Ice Cube, Alanis Morissette, Jackson Browne, Kesha and Live … among dozens of other per- formers (including The Last Internationale, who recently played in Cayman). Comedians included Patton Oswalt, David Spade, Norm MacDonald and Arsenio Hall. The musical acts for KAABOO Cayman (scheduled for Feb. 15-16, 2019) will be announced later this spring, but, given the contacts, connections and past performance of anything labeled “Virgin,” we expect a world-class enter- tainment lineup. KAABOO’s chief brand officer Jason Felts told the Compass it is his goal to make Cayman the live music capital of the Caribbean. We do not doubt the potential for such success. Both Mr. Felts and Virgin’s celebrity-billionaire owner Mr. Branson know business and – as frequent visitors to our islands – they know Cayman. The venue, already under construction on Dart-owned land north of the Kimpton Seafire Resort, will include two music stages and an enclosed comedy club. Organizers expect attendance to be evenly split between Cayman residents and visitors, and are mar- keting the event in the U.S. and U.K. KAABOO is specifically marketed to “grown-ups” who eschew the dirt and chaos that typifies other music-cen- tered events, and who have the means to demand quality experiences. KABOO organizers “curate” an outstanding experience – incorporating not only music, but cuisine, art, libations and “premium amenities” aimed at this dis- cerning clientele. The Cayman event will include as many as two dozen musical acts, plus comedians, gourmet food, arts and ame- nities to appeal to what organizers call the “five senses” of KAABOO: music, art, comedy, food and indulgences. Music festivals have come a long way since Wood- stock, and KAABOO is committed to taking the genre to yet another level. The flagship event has quickly devel- oped a reputation as a high-quality, inclusive experience. In fact, the KAABOO has become so popular and well- trusted that early passes are sold out for this year’s Cali- fornia event – to be held in September – even before the headline acts have been announced. Mr. Felts assures us that plans are for the event to reflect our local character and incorporate local artists, craftsmen, culinary experts and style. By necessity, our festival will be smaller than the Cali- fornia event – but do not mistake a reduction in size for a reduction in quality. Long before the performers take the stage, let us be among the first to welcome KAABOO to the Cayman Islands with anticipatory applause. KAABOO festival: A world-class musical event coming to Cayman FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Oxfam scandal latest in string of insults JOEL DREYFUSS By now, many Hai- tians must be asking them- selves: What is the price we have to pay for foreign aid? The Oxfam sex scandal is just the latest humiliation heaped on this poor country by those who claim to be helping it. Reports that se- nior Oxfam staff members paid prostitutes – including possibly underage girls – to participate in orgies in the aftermath of the dev- astating 2010 earthquake have stunned the universe of charities and interna- tional aid organizations. But they are hardly a surprise in Haiti. Haitians have long known that foreign inter- vention – whether it be mil- itary or charitable – comes at a price to your sover- eignty, as well as your dig- nity. The American military occupation of Haiti between 1915 and 1934 built much- needed infrastructure, but it created an indigenous military organization that would interfere in Haitian political life well into the 1990s. President Bill Clin- ton’s invasion in 1994 re- stored Haiti’s first demo- cratically elected president to power, but the United States extracted conces- sions from President Jean- Bertrand Aristide on im- port duties that destroyed much of Haiti’s agricultural self-sufficiency. United Na- tions peacekeepers were sent to maintain order in Haiti after the devas- tating earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010, but instead are believed to be responsible for an outbreak of cholera that has since killed thou- sands of Haitians. The earthquake itself killed 225,000 Haitians and injured 300,000 others, and brought a flood of foreign assistance. By some esti- mates, as many as 10,000 nongovernmental orga- nizations, or NGOs, pro- vided emergency medical care, fed survivors and built temporary housing. Haitians were genuinely touched by the outpouring of support and the pledges of aid that reached $10 bil- lion. It seemed that Haiti, the proud black republic and the first nation in the New World to abolish slavery, would get a well- deserved boost toward a more positive future. Eight years later, most of the optimism has disap- peared. Much of the rubble caused by the earthquake has been removed, but little has been rebuilt. A ma- jority of Haitians never saw the benefits of the prom- ised billions. The country remains nominally demo- cratic; fewer than 20 per- cent bothered to vote in the last presidential election. Since then, factions within the legislature have fought over perks and traded accu- sations of corruption. The idea of charity workers engaging in sex trades in vulnerable coun- tries is not new. Oxfam ap- parently had failed to act on previous reports of of- ficials paying for sex in in the African nations of Chad, South Sudan and Liberia. And it’s not just charities that have been accused of sexual misbe- havior in Haiti. The Associated Press reported last year that Sri Lankan soldiers oper- ated a sex ring in Haiti, part of “some 150 allega- tions of abuse and exploi- tation by UN peacekeepers and other personnel [were] reported in Haiti alone be- tween 2004 and 2016.” They also involved troops from Brazil, Pakistan, and Uru- guay. Beyond the jurisdic- tion of the UN or Haiti, few of the accused soldiers were punished. At the center of the issue is an imbalance of power. Large charitable organiza- tions, such as Oxfam, and UN military missions op- erate in a bubble of pri- vate security, sense of im- munity and deference from their grateful hosts. It is easy for men on the ground to take advantage of poor young men and women – some of whom engage in “survival sex” out of des- peration or intimidation. The list of countries where these acts allegedly took place reflects some common conditions: chaos, weak in- stitutions and an absence of international scrutiny. President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti characterized Ox- fam’s actions as “an ex- tremely grave violation of human dignity.” After the earthquake, Haiti was in no condition to monitor the thousands of NGOs that descended on the country, nor did it have an established mechanism to track the aid groups. A government starved of funds, even now, has little capacity to exercise over- sight over hundreds of for- eign organizations. The Haitian government has ex- pressed a desire to prose- cute the responsible Oxfam officials, but that is un- likely to happen. Foreign governments, no matter how contrite, are not likely to place their trust in – or subject their citizens to – Haiti’s barely functioning judicial system. The best Haiti and other poor countries can hope for is that the wave of indig- nation over the behavior of certain aid workers will translate into real reforms in the charities’ home coun- tries and into stricter con- trols within these organi- zations. For its part, Oxfam has announced that an in- dependent commission will investigate the culture of sexual predation within the organization and set up mechanisms to prevent future acts. But if those promises do not result in real change, Haitians will not be shocked when the next scandal bursts into the headlines – a harsh re- minder to beware of those who say they come to help. Joel Dreyfuss is a Washington Post Global Opinions contributing columnist. © 2018, The Washington PostThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 This year’s weeklong training will start on April 23rd, 2018. Companies willing to participate can get in touch with Samuel Kiragu (Samuel.kiragu@nscc.ca) and Dr. Belinda Blessitt Vincent (bblessitt@ucci.edu.ky). INTRODUCTION TO HEDGE FUNDS offered by Nova Scotia Community College in cooperation with the University College of the Cayman Islands and various industry partners Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) in collaboration with the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) and various hedge fund industry partners in the Cayman Islands held the first hedge funds course training in April 2017. The objective of this course was to provide business students from the two institutions some hands-on experience in the exciting world of alternative investments. A total of twelve (12) students from both institutions participated in this course. The weeklong training had the support of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, hedge fund administrators and various accounting firms. Students acquired invaluable knowledge and experience from the different organizations they visited. According to Dr. Belinda Blessitt Vincent, the Business Studies Chair at UCCI, the hedge fund course and strategic partnership with NSCC enhance the diverse opportunities available to students at the University College. On behalf of the students, NSCC and UCCI would like to extend our gratitude to the participating hedge funds industry partners (Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, KPMG in the Cayman Islands, MaplesFS, BDO Cayman, CNS Halifax, Grant Thornton and Citco Cayman Islands) who not only allowed their staff to present and facilitate various hedge funds topics at UCCI during the seminar but also welcomed the twelve students to their offices for further follow-up training and discussions. UCCI and NSCC also appreciate all the individuals who contributed to make this venture a sucess, including the hedge fund professionals who inspired and shared their knowledge with the students: Citco Cayman Islands John Pump, Sally Young and Morris Muriithi Grant Thornton John Royle Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) Eric Webster, Heather Smith and Anthony Ramoon KPMG Hellen Chemeli, Edward Noyons Davison Ruwende, Anel Marais and Clever Mawarire MaplesFS Scott Somerville,Carmen Trickett Mellesha Bailey and Cherish Duty BDO Cayman partnership and CNS Halifax Paul Arbo, David White, Alison Pinchin and Sebastien Mirbel UCCI President J.A. Roy Bodden, JP Dr. Belinda Blessitt Vincent Dr. Martin Richards and Kristel Sanchez NSCC Samuel Kiragu and Zoran Kondali Thank you!6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Compensation money paid by Microsoft founder Paul Allen after his yacht damaged coral reef off Grand Cayman is being used to help ensure similar incidents do not happen in future. The Department of Envi- ronment installed the first of four new mega-yacht moor- ings off West Bay this week. The giant orange mooring buoy is designed for yachts of 100 feet or more and dwarfs smaller fishing and diving vessels. It took a slick opera- tion involving the Department of Environment and West In- dian Marine just to get the 30,000 pound anchor, at- tached to a coil of 2-inch stud link chain, into the water. “It is pretty enormous, This first one was a bit of a learning curve because we have never handled anything this big in shipping before,” said Scott Slaybaugh, deputy director of the department. The operation was led by a Department of Environ- ment research officer with experience in maintaining moorings for supertankers. The anchor was dropped, right on target, in a sandy patch around 40 feet deep. The Department of En- vironment plans to place one more mooring in Grand Cayman and two in the Sister Islands. Mr. Slaybaugh said the buoys would provide se- cure anchorage for multi- million dollar mega-yachts for the first time in the Cayman Islands. “We thought it was an ap- propriate use of the funds from the Tatoosh settle- ment, to prevent this same type of issue happening again,” he said. Mr. Allen’s 300-foot luxury yacht, the M/Y Tatoosh, dam- aged around 13,000 square feet of coral reef habitat within the marine park off Seven Mile Beach in 2016, when its position shifted in strong winds, dragging the anchor chain across the reef. The yacht was anchored at the time in a designated spot, as directed by the Port Authority. Mr. Allen’s company agreed to a compensation settlement with the Depart- ment of Environment, hiring a contractor to attempt to re- store the damaged reef and making funds available for a more secure mooring system. Mr. Slaybaugh said there had been several cases of yachts damaging coral over the years. He said some were simply through negligence, while others were caused by the failure of skippers to manage their anchor position in shifting weather conditions. He acknowledged the lack of secure moorings for mega- yachts around the Cayman Islands had contributed to the problem. Over the last month, 20 yachts have arrived in Cayman, including four in the mega-yacht category, he said. Until this week there were 10 moorings for visiting yachts of 100 feet or less, but nothing that could safely hold a larger vessel. The Department of En- vironment and the Port Au- thority, which is responsible for managing the moorings, are still discussing potential locations for the other three mega-yacht moorings. The 30,000 pound anchor and buoy are lowered off the back of the West Indian Marine vessel, Sand Cay.A diver checks the location of the anchor after it was lowered into the ocean off West Bay. Microsoft founder settlement funds new mega-yacht mooringsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS CI$20,000 in Cash Prizes! $5000 Heaviest Total Weight (1 or 2 fish combined) $3000 2nd Heaviest Total Weight (1 or 2 fish combined) $2000 3rd Heaviest Total Weight (1 or 2 fish combined) $2000 Most Releases 1st evening $2000 Most Releases 2nd evening $2000 Heaviest Total Weight 1st evening (1 or 2 fish combined) $2000 Heaviest Total Weight 2nd evening (1 or 2 fish combined) $1000 Single Heaviest Swordfish caught in Cayman Brac $1000 Single Heaviest Swordfish caught in Grand Cayman Registration and Captain’s meeting is on 23rd March 6:30pm at The Barcadere (Dock/Weigh Station). CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNMENT Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Investment & Commerce Cayman Swordfi sh Challenge Facebook page or call King at 345 916 2177 Welcome to Cayman’s 12th Annual Swordfi sh Tournament The 2018 Cayman Swordfi sh Challenge is two days of fi shing, Friday 2 & Saturday 3 March. This is a team event with a captain and at least one angler. Entry fee is CI$500 per team of four including the team captain + CI$100 each for any additional anglers. For more information on how to enter go to Registration and Captain’s meeting is at 6.30pm on Thursday 1 March at The Barcadere (Dock/Weigh Station) CI$20,000 in cash prizes! Most Releases fi rst day Most Releases second day Heaviest Total Weight fi rst day (1 or 2 fi sh combined) Heaviest Total Weight second day (1 or 2 fi sh combined) THE PINES RETIREMENT HOME “HOME CARE AIDE COURSE” The Pines Retirement Home (PRH) 10 week “Home Care Aide Course” will commence Tuesday 27th February 2018. The objective is to offer Home Care Aide skills to persons, aged 16 years and older, who are interested in caring for the elderly either in their home environment or in care facilities. The course is designed to help persons learn the proper methods and to pro- vide information needed to care for their aging loved ones, or for employment. The course will be taught at The PRH, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m., by qualifi ed staff. The classes will include 1 hour orientation, 40 hours of studies, and 10 hours of hands on experience. The cost of the course is CI$450 (textbook included). For more information please contact Ms. Marie Rivers on 949-5650 as the class size is limited to 18 persons per class. these financial reporting trou- bles started well before 2013. “Historically, there have been a number of issues, not least the valuation of its assets which has been a problem,” she said. The Education Ministry is responsible for many of the properties the Cayman Is- lands government manages [school buildings, athletic fa- cilities, administrative of- fices], and not knowing the values of those properties af- fects financial reporting for the entire public sector, Mr. Jefferson said. The Cayman Islands gov- ernment as a whole has never received a “clean” or unquali- fied audit opinion since it moved away from cash ac- counting nearly 15 years ago. Chief Officer Suckoo said the ministry has still come a long way from the days when its annual reports were rou- tinely disclaimed by auditors, meaning none of the figures within them could be relied upon. Mr. Suckoo said he was “encouraged” that ministry fi- nancial audits continued to improve each year. “We look forward to crossing the threshold to un- qualified opinions very soon,” Mr. Suckoo said, referring to the highest possible opinion on financial statements given by auditors. “The ministry has recently received the 2013/14 [budget year] draft opinion and while there are some qualifications included, the ministry is currently taking steps with the Auditor Gener- al’s Office to finalize, including provision of additional evi- dence with view to removing some of those qualifications. “We further understand that the Auditor General’s Of- fice is working on the 14/15 and 15/16 audits, and look forward to receipt and con- firmation of those opinions in due course.” The Education Ministry is not the only public sector entity that is still facing de- layed financial audits. Ms. Winspear said her office was still working through a backlog of audits before the 2016/17 financial year which should be completed by the end of 2018. Public property One of the major is- sues identified with Edu- cation Ministry properties concerned the valuation of Clifton Hunter High School, which opened in 2012. Three years later, during the period the delayed audits covered, the auditor general’s office noted government lost $41.6 million on the construction of the high school since its opening date. Records released to the Cayman Compass under the Freedom of Informa- tion Law stated that the Clifton Hunter property was valued at $69.2 million in 2013 by surveyors who were reviewing all govern- ment properties at the time. The final construction costs for the school were esti- mated at $110.8 million by the Cayman Islands Auditor General’s Office. Auditors noted in later re- ports that valuations for the school property had fluctu- ated between $20 million and $40 million below the initial construction costs. The reason for the fluc- tuation was that Ministry of Education officials decided to undertake a second valu- ation, with another surveyor, in June 2015 – more than two years after the first valuation. The Compass has learned via the open records re- quest that the second report put the value of the school property at $83.2 million, still more than $27 million less than the original con- struction costs. Education ministry audits lag four years behind Landfill reopens after fire The Department of En- vironmental Health re- opened the George Town landfill and its public drop- off point Thursday after closing the site when a fire broke out there around noon on Wednesday. Firefighters moni- tored the site of the fire, which lasted about three hours, overnight. “With the public’s safety in mind, several fire offi- cers stayed overnight at the landfill to observe the scene and ensure no re-ig- nition occurred. Fire offi- cers stayed on location all morning cooling down any possible hot spots,” a gov- ernment press release noted. Chief Fire Officer David Hails said in the release that firefighters used three ground monitors to contin- uously spray large amounts of water on the area. Around 11 a.m. Thursday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s helicopter was deployed and used thermal imaging equip- ment to further assess the area. Police then sent thermal aerial photos to the Fire Service, which deter- mined that there were no ac- tive hot spots. The DEH reopened the landfill at about 11:15 a.m. Chief Hails added that fire crews will continue to stay in position, with ground monitors in place until Friday afternoon. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. “Historically, there have been a number of issues, not least the valuation of its assets which has been a problem.” SUE WINSPEAR, auditor general CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A firefighter sprays water on a smouldering area of the landfill Wednesday. The Department of Environmetal Health reopened the landfill on Thursay morning. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018 He said he is already fa- miliar with the territory. “I’ve been coming to the island since I was a kid,” said Mr. Felts, who is based in Los Angeles. “I’ve been a propo- nent for the arts [here].” The artistic presence of KAABOO is already being felt in Camana Bay where this week artists began painting a floral mural on the building where Mailboxes Etc. is lo- cated. Other murals are planned, Mr. Felts said. In 2009, he said, he helped set up the Cayman Islands Film Commission. KAABOO was created by Bryan E. Gordon, and Virgin Produced became involved in its first year. It became a producing partner in the second year of the festival, about the same time Cayman began being considered as a second venue. Mr. Felts said there are plans to market the festival in the United States and the United Kingdom and on di- rect flights to Cayman. The lineup for the fes- tival will not be announced until May 15, but discounted tickets are currently on sale on kaboocayman.com. Two- day general admission tickets are $150 and VIP tickets are available for $625 and $2,000. The “blind” tickets will be on sale through March 31. Mr. Felts said he is ex- pecting the audience to be a 50/50 split between Cayman residents and tourists. He said the festival will have a significant impact on the local economy. Dart’s con- struction arm, DECCO, is building the festival grounds. While the stages and comedy club will be temporary struc- tures, permanent infrastruc- ture, including water, sewer and utility lines, is being put in place. He is hoping people in Cayman will be as ex- cited as he is. “This isn’t my festival,” he said. “This is Cayman’s fes- tival. It’s an opportunity to further enhance a place that is already amazing.” Construction on the KAABOO Cayman festival site is already under way on Dart-owned property north of the Kimpton Seafire Resort. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE Major music festival planned for Cayman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. Guyton stressed that there aren’t any illegal ingre- dients in Hempz and that it is banned from Cayman strictly because of its marketing. Another store owner who requested not to be identified said Customs has circulated a warning against importing any more Hempz products with the ganja logo. That person’s store is still selling Hempz, but has placed a sticker over the ganja image. The owner said that the business was sent the Hempz products by a supplier to test on his market. He said he was not planning on ordering any more because it is not selling well. The Customs Depart- ment did not respond to re- quests for comment before this issue’s press deadline, but has reportedly seized hundreds of ganja-depicting goods in the past. A July 21, 2017 article in the now-defunct Cayman Re- porter states that the news- paper made a freedom of information request to Cus- toms, and found that the de- partment seized hundreds of items depicting a cannabis leaf since 2015. “Hats, T-shirts, shorts, socks, and pants were all destroyed for containing an image of a cannabis leaf – and it wasn’t just clothing either,” the article states. “Customs also confiscated ornaments, vases, ashtrays, bags, bandanas, earrings, pendants, and even a skate- board, all because each one contained an image of ganja.” Customs reportedly de- stroys the items it seizes. Lotion with marijuana logo banned from territory CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A store on Grand Cayman has placed stickers over the ganja image on the Hempz products after the Customs Department notified retailers that the products depecting the ganja image are not allowed to be imported, as per the Customs Law. - PHOTO: KEN SILVANext >