SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ Culture at the Cinema screens recording of live London show B2 Get the inside scoop on Reagan’s Honey Sweet local business highlights importance of bees B5 Music Events Lifestyle ■ EVENTS It’s Irish Jog time! The annual 5k event is greener than ever. B7 Luciano Messenjah headlines Spring Splash The roots reggae legend returns to Cayman B3 Celebrating the Emerald Isle around the world Look for St. Patrick’s Day parties in Cayman this weekend B6 Irish to the Core STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July SAVE $ 7 BROGANS IRISH CREAM REG. $36.99 NOW $29.99 Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.com PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Ronan O’Keeffe is determined to stand out. CAYMAN WEEKENDER It’s Irish jog time! EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WHEN AUTHORITIES ‘SURRENDER’ TO LAWBREAKERS High of 83 Low of 74 Seas: Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet today, slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet tonight. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY WHITE VERSIONS BELOW ™ ® SUSPECT ID MAIN DIFFICULTY IN MOTORBIKE CASES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service investi- gated at least eight cases be- tween December 2016 and April 2017 where no charges subsequently were brought against a motorbike oper- ator following a driver ar- rest and/or the seizure of a vehicle. The arrests and bike sei- zures came during a police crackdown on non-street legal bikes or illegally and dangerously operated mo- torbikes. During the period, police investigated a total of 17 such incidents. Nine of the cases were presented for prosecution and were sent to the Traffic Court. The eight other matters were not sent COMPASS INVESTIGATIVE REPORT Cayman’s water: Where it comes from, where it goes ... SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s most precious re- source comes from 150 feet below ground and snakes through a modern array of devices to arrive at your home at the flip of a faucet handle. Fresh water, so crucial and so scarce in nature, has always been the lifeblood of a prospering community, and advances in desal- ination technology have been the hidden engine fueling Cayman’s growth over the last few decades. The local population has tri- pled since the advent of the Water Authority in 1983, and the demand for fresh water has increased ex- ponentially as more people have come to call Cayman home. The water you drink, the water you bathe in, and the water you use to irrigate your lawn all come from the same place: Extrac- tion wells that use the ground as a natural filter. Modern inge- nuity has allowed companies to pull fresh water out of seawater and to pipe it tens of miles away from the source. The water business, unlike others in a capitalist society, ben- efits from being a utility. Manuel Thomaz, the general manager for Cayman Water, likens the water grid to a “legal and natural mo- nopoly,” and he said that com- petition between rival water companies could have drastic re- percussions for society. “You just have one pipe going into your house,” said Mr. Thomaz, explaining what he means by nat- ural monopoly. “It would be very expensive to have two or three pipes coming in to the same homes for different operators.… It’s really a very serious busi- ness. Everybody needs water. You cannot live without water. And when water is not [of] the proper quality, you’ll have public health issues in the region.” The water that comes out of Cayman’s taps is tested at 25 dif- ferent sample points by the Water Authority to ensure that it is clean and that there are no problems in the distribution network. Cayman’s water supply ranks as one of the most efficient in the region in terms of water loss, but interestingly, the public does not seem to know it. According to the 2010 census, 88 percent of Cayman households have potable water available through their water mains, but 79 percent of house- holds consume bottled water. Seven percent of Cayman resi- dents receive their water through cisterns, and another five percent use wells. Those numbers skew higher if you are in East End, North Side or the Sister Islands, but for the most part, Cayman households have far better access to fresh water than they did two generations ago. “We need to really explain to Giant tanks hold millions of gallons of water at the Cayman Water plant off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT FOR IGUANA CONTROL JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com It will take a dedicated commitment of money and resources to control or erad- icate Cayman’s green iguana population, according to Department of Envi- ronment experts. Fred Burton, who has overseen efforts to contain the invasive species, said the scale of the operation would likely require multiple culling businesses, employing dozens of iguana hunters, to be hired on government con- tracts for several years. Another option would be to create a new govern- ment department, similar to the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, to do the job, he said. 2 MORE CHARGED IN ‘ENGLISH TEST’ FRAUD BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Criminal charges filed against a dozen people this week were related to a scheme to cheat the Im- migration Department’s English language test for work permit holders, ac- cording to the Cayman Islands Anti-Corrup- tion Commission. A sixth Cayman Islands Immigration Department employee and another res- ident worker from the Do- minican Republic were charged Thursday with fraud in connection with the ongoing corruption investigation. A total of 12 people are due to come before the court next month to PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Grand Court judge “un- consciously” drove for several miles in her night clothes be- fore crashing her car into a concrete barrier, a court heard. Justice Ingrid Mangatal told police in the aftermath of the accident that she had no recollection of the episode, which medical experts testi- fied could have been caused by a mixture of alcohol and anti- anxiety medication. Ms. Mangatal had her li- cense suspended for a year and was fined a total of $600 Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and care- less driving. Prosecutors de- scribed how she drove her Suzuki vehicle across the car- riageway on West Bay Road, mounted the curb and collided with a barrier close to Gover- nors Square on Sept. 4 last year. She was breathalyzed and found to have a blood-al- cohol level of 0.161. The legal limit is 0.100. Speaking on her behalf during Thursday’s Summary Court hearing, attorney Ben Tonner said she recalled having three glasses of wine with dinner on the night in question before getting ready for bed. “She remembers nothing from that point in time to being pulled from a crashed car in Governors Square,” he said. “She said she does not rec- ollect leaving home, she does not recollect driving, and she has never been out driving in her night-wear in all her years.” He said this was not being raised as a defense because the legal barrier for proving “au- tomatism” which requires the “complete destruction of vol- untary control” was too high to meet in this case. But he said two medical experts for the defense and a forensic toxicologist con- sulted by the Crown had all indicated that the anti-anx- iety medication Ms. Mangatal was taking, combined with al- cohol, could cause this type of unconscious action. He said Dr. Marc Lockhart, consulted by the defense, had described the incident as an “amnesic episode.” Mr. Tonner said a report by the Crown’s expert had concluded Ms. Mangatal’s actions were “not intentional” and were caused by the combination of the med- ication and alcohol. A second expert consulted by the Crown disagreed, and attributed the incident purely to alcohol consumption, he acknowledged. Though he outlined the ex- pert witness testimony in some detail, Mr. Tonner said they ul- timately had no bearing on the outcome because DUI carries a mandatory minimum sentence. Outlining the details of the incident, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Rich- ards said Ms. Mangatal’s ve- hicle was observed driving erratically along West Bay Road just after 10 p.m. on the night of Sept. 4. At the intersection with Lime Tree Bay Avenue, she said, reports indicated the car had veered across the road, causing oncoming traffic to take evasive action. The judge’s vehicle mounted the curb and collided with a bar- rier. A witness observed that Ms. Mangatal appeared to be staggering and came to her aid before calling police. She was breathalyzed at the scene and later at the deten- tion center and was found to be over the legal limit on both occasions. Ms. Richards said Ms. Mangatal had told police on the night she had no recol- lection of getting in her car and mentioned that she was taking medication for situa- tional anxiety. Mr. Tonner said his client had not appreciated the ex- treme side effects that could occur from combining the medication with alcohol. He said she had described the incident as “frightening” and “one of the worst experience[s] of her life” and was relieved that no one was hurt. He said she was a highly respected high court judge with no pre- vious convictions of any kind. Magistrate Juan Wolffe, flown in from Bermuda to handle the case, said he saw no aggravating features to raise the sentence beyond the mandatory minimum of a 12- month driving ban and $350 fine. He also fined her $250 for the separate charge of careless driving. “There is no doubt that persons who come before the court, no matter their situa- tion in life, should be treated the same,” he said before passing sentence. “I am comfortable in saying that the unique na- ture of the position she is in, the work that she does and her unblemished reputa- tion, makes the effect of this offense more humiliating and embarrassing for her. Any sentence I can give will pale into comparison to the damage to her reputation.” He said the fact that she had pleaded guilty and spared the territory the ex- pense of a technical defense spoke loudly to her good char- acter and level of contrition. West Shore Center, Seven Mile Beach • 10am to 10pm Fresh, Healthy & Delicious! Cayman Cookin’ Over a Wood Fire! Taste why we’re voted “Best”! International Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Dine-in! Take-out! Indulge on a feast for 2 to 4 or 6 or more! With an awesome selection of sides to choose from. 945-2290 ST. PADDY’S DAY CELEBRATION SATURDAY MARCH 17th 2 LIVE BANDS WITH 3:00 PM TILL CLOSE FREE ADMISSION GREAT DRINK SPECIALS EVERYONE WELCOMED SAINT PADDY’S TRIO 4:30PM - 6:30PM DR. BOB’S EXPERIMENT 7:30PM - 10:30PM DJ MAT BANX THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT 3:00PM TILL CLOSE Pedestrian bridge collapses at Miami university; several dead MIAMI (AP) — A pedestrian bridge being built across an eight-lane highway col- lapsed at a Miami-area col- lege Thursday, crushing eight vehicles under massive slabs and killing multiple people, authorities said. Search and rescue mis- sions were underway. Eight people were taken to hos- pitals. The number of fa- talities was not confirmed by press time. “The main focus is to rescue people,” said Miami- Dade Police Director Juan Perez. “As soon as those ef- forts are over, our homicide bureau will take the lead.” The main companies be- hind the bridge’s construc- tion have faced questions about their work and one of the companies was fined in 2012 when a 90-ton section of a bridge collapsed in Virginia. In Miami, the 950-ton, 174- foot span was assembled by the side of the highway and moved into place Saturday to great fanfare. The $14.2 mil- lion bridge connected Florida International University and the city of Sweetwater. It was expected to open to foot traffic next year. “We are shocked and sad- dened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweet- water pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in rescue efforts and gath- ering information,” the school said in a statement. The National Transpor- tation Safety Board sent in- vestigators to the scene. Gov. Rick Scott said he was headed there as well. “We have a national tragedy on our hands,” Sweetwater Mayor Or- lando Lopez said. The “accelerated bridge construction” method was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimize traffic disruption, the university said. “FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplishes our mission beautifully,” FIU President Mark B. Rosen- berg said in the state- ment Saturday. MCM, the Miami-based construction management firm that won the bridge con- tract, took its website down on Thursday. But an archived version of the website fea- tured a news release touting the project with FIGG Bridge Engineers, “a nationally ac- claimed, award-winning firm based out of Tallahassee.” The release said FIGG had designed “iconic bridges all over the country, including Boston’s famous Leonard P. Zakim Bridge and Florida’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge.” Emergency personnel respond to a collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University on Thursday in the Miami area. The brand-new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway, crushing at least five vehicles. – PHOTO: AP Alcohol and anxiety meds lead to driving ban for judgeThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 5243 | APPLEBY | LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME AD D | FULL PAGE 10.333 X 15.8975 IN | COMPASS | 09 MAR 2018 | BB&P | BBANDP.COM | +1 345 949 2933 APPLEBYGLOBAL.COM The perfect life balance begins with joining the right firm. If you’re a young Caymanian looking for a fulfilling career in law, Appleby offers Legal Scholarships, Internships and Articles of Clerkship. Submit your application before 31 March 2018. Learn more now at applebyglobal.com/careers 1992 Scholarship recipient Bryan Hunter gets as much fulfilment from time spent on the water as he does as Managing Partner at Appleby. YOU CAN TOO, AT APPLEBY. BRYAN’S NAVIGATED THE RIGHT COURSE.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. 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” In the battle for control over Cayman’s streets – law enforcement vs. motorbikers – it is fairly clear who is winning. Hint: They do not wear badges, wigs, judicial robes … or helmets. It’s been well over a year (and counting) since police vowed to “crack down” on the reckless, relent- less and apparently remorseless motorbikers who are treating Grand Cayman’s roadways as their personal race tracks – speeding, popping wheelies and weaving through traffic as they please. According to today’s front page story, a grand total of 17 cases of non-street legal bikes or illegally and dangerously operated motorbikes were investigated by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service between December 2016 and April 2017. Of those 17 cases, only nine were forwarded to prosecutors. After reviewing the eight other cases, police decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed. Most of those stalled investigations were due to difficulty identifying the motorbike rider – which should come as no surprise, given these scofflaws’ penchant for wearing bandanas, balaclavas or other flamboyant face-coverings. This is far more troubling and telling than it might appear. If our justice system cannot deal with something so straightforward (and visible) as these marauding motorbikers – after publicly declaring them a public safety menace – it raises the question, What can law enforcement, our Crown prosecutors, and our courts deal with, effectively and expeditiously? We are reminded of a recent “pensions case” that required, by our count, 67 court appearances before finally being resolved. Another pensions case has been ongoing – for 10 years! How is this possible – or by any standard, acceptable? These brazen bikers or pension scofflaws are all conveying the same message: We have no respect for Cayman authority or its laws and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. The inevitable consequence of tolerance of such disrespect is an erosion of public faith in our entire system of law enforcement – from the RCIPS to the Office of Public Prosecutions and, ultimately, to the judiciary itself. The police and prosecutors will tell you, as they tell us, that they require new or amended laws to deal with matters such as out-of-control bikers. If that is so, the onus then shifts to our elected men and women who pass our laws: By all means, craft the necessary legislation, and pass it quickly. It is beyond any measure of acceptability that our justice system simply admits its own impotence (and/ or incompetence) and “surrenders” in the face of such blatant lawlessness and civil provocations. For sure, we want Lady Justice to be blind, meaning she is impartial and objective no matter who stands before her. But the general public is anything but blind (or deaf), and we do not like what we are seeing as these law- breakers on two wheels (or sometimes just one during “stunt time”) scream by us on Cayman’s roadways. When authorities ‘surrender’ to lawbreakers FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Why America’s youth are losing faith in democracy The United States is en- gaged in a great struggle with China for the hearts and minds of humanity. Will democracy and free- market capitalism prevail or will nations and economies be directed by institutions similar to the Chinese Com- munist Party – a self-perpet- uating autocracy composed of ruthless political opera- tives and technical experts? More alarming than the Middle Kingdom’s break- neck growth, challenges to Western leadership in elec- tric cars, artificial intelligence and other emerging indus- tries, our youth is losing con- fidence in the American way. In a recent poll, 46 per- cent of Americans between 18 and 29 indicated they be- lieve states are more effec- tively governed by experts than elected officials – among those over 50, the figure was only 36 percent. Similar polls demonstrate wide youth dis- satisfaction with capitalism. Youth behavior on col- lege campuses – demands for strict adherence to leftist or- thodoxy from faculty, fellow students and visiting intel- lectuals, and reflexive dis- missal of anything advocated by President Trump – dis- plays an alarming contempt for the essential building blocks of any democracy. Those are free speech, re- spect for disagreeing opinions and the absolute obligation of the losing side in an election to accept the outcome, honor the winner and work with the new government until the next round of voting. Young people have terrible examples to guide them. Ac- ademic administrators sys- tematically punish faculty who fail to sanitize syllabi and classroom dialog to the tyranny of political correct- ness and purge conservatives who challenge theology of identity politics. Politicians like Sen. Charles Schumer, who ob- structs Senate votes on nom- inations to staff the Trump administration, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pe- losi, who never admits value in anything the GOP pro- poses, refuse to collaborate on legislation and sulked through the recent State of the Union address. For generations, universi- ties have been run by pious ideologies and political par- ties led by vainglorious sore- losers. Nowadays, however, young people are quitting the faith for the same reasons so many rural and smaller city Americans rejected the estab- lishment Republican Party of Jeb Bush during the prima- ries and Hillary Clinton in the general election to put Donald Trump in the White House. America has failed many of them, and the leadership of the major political parties is callous to their pain. From the 1930s to 1960, most workers had less than a high school education, and many more were on farms, in factories, unionized and identified with the Demo- cratic Party, which won most elections. Republicans repre- sented the merchant class, fi- nanciers and industrialists, who were generally better educated and resisted New Deal redistributionist poli- cies and encroachments on free markets. Since then, freer trade, more open immigration, the digital revolution in produc- tion and communications, and the civil rights and wom- en’s movements have greatly changed the economy and realigned political parties – omitting the genuine inter- ests of many millennials and blue collar workers. These days both political parties reflect the values of highly educated elites. Dem- ocrats champion the mindset of liberal academics, suc- cessful professionals on the two coasts who profit from globalization and the dig- ital economy, and profes- sional advocates of race and gender issues. Republicans still hue to an agenda advocated by high- income, high wealth indi- viduals who also have bene- fited grandly from changes in our economy. One need only point to their success cut- ting corporate taxes and fail- ures on healthcare to see the ties that bind. The typical 26-year old is not a Harvard or University of Michigan graduate with a promising career at a soft- ware startup, law firm or in- vestment house, but rather a second-tier, private or public college graduate – or less – stuck in a dead end, low- paying job and burdened with huge student debt he may well take to the grave. For all Mr. Trump’s talk, the trade deficit with China and overall is getting worse. The tax cuts are creating some new jobs but the broken conditions in the heartland fester like an open sore. Millions of young adults bought into a capitalist promise – borrow thousands of dollars for college to get a good job – and got stiffed. Ultimately, economic and political systems are graded by their participants by how well they address basic needs, and American democracy and capitalism are not doing well in the eyes of young people and the marginalized. China is creating oppor- tunities for its youth, and po- litical and economic systems mirroring its characteristics are alarmingly attractive to America’s disaffected youth. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI Will democracy and free-market capitalism prevail or will nations and economies be directed by institutions similar to the Chinese Communist Party?5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 Licensing rules impede small businesses, opposition says BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Changes to Cayman’s Trade and Business Li- censing regime approved during this week’s Legis- lative Assembly meeting should cut “50 percent of the red tape” now trou- bling local business owners, Commerce Minister Joey Hew said. Amendments to the leg- islation that governs local business operations have eliminated the need for Cay- manian entrepreneurs to submit things like proof of electric bills and/or police clearances before obtaining a license in most cases. The changes have also lifted requirements for first-time business appli- cants to show proof of em- ployee pension and health- care payments. However, opposition law- makers said they were not convinced of the minister’s “red tape” cutting claims. “I’m glad the govern- ment has seen the error of its ways,” East End MLA Arden McLean said, but he said the administration needed to do more to reduce imped- iments to Caymanian busi- ness ownership. Both Mr. McLean and Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller complained of re- quirements, still within the legislation, for business owners renewing their li- censes to show proof they are up-to-date on em- ployee pension and health- care payments. “We already have leg- islation and boards and bodies who have the respon- sibility to regulate those [areas],” Mr. Miller said. “Are we conceding they’re not doing their job?” “We use the Trade and Business License to do the job that should’ve been done six months ago?” Mr. McLean said. “What’s the purpose of the insurance or pen- sions department?” George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan advocated for different licensing require- ments for local “mom and pop” bake shops in his dis- trict that he said did not have the ability or the de- sire to compete with “in- dustrial” kitchens and were only looking to make “a few hundred dollars on the weekends.” “[The Trade and Business Licensing Law] has created much difficulty for them to comply,” Mr. Bryan said. Mr. Miller said he would prefer that government look at overall fair trade and anti-competitive business practices rather than tin- kering with the licensing law to address the “non-com- petitive nature of the con- glomerate being created by super-wealthy people con- trolling large sectors” of the Cayman economy. Minister Hew said he had spoken with many small businesses about the onerous requirements con- tained in the 2014 iteration of the law and many of the changes made in the cur- rent legislation were as a result of those concerns. He said the govern- ment did not intend to ad- dress the wider issues of fair trade practices in this particular legislation, but that it may attempt to con- sider it later. “I obviously brought one bill, and everyone else is talking about another,” Mr. Hew said.Commerce Minister Joey Hew Few prisoners denied conditional release BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than four out of five convicted prisoners who applied for conditional re- lease in 2017 were granted that privilege, according to a report released by govern- ment this week. The Conditional Re- lease Board said 84 per- cent of those offenders who sought conditional release during the current term of their sentences were al- lowed out, while 16 percent of those who applied were denied release. A total of 38 pris- oners were released on li- cense during 2017, the board reported, while seven others who applied were kept in prison. Of those released on li- cense, 27 were Caymanians and the remainder were for- eign nationals. Cayman Islands law changed in 2016 to alter how convicted prisoners can be released during the term of their sentence. Under the current law, a prisoner has to serve a minimum 60 per- cent of their jail sentence before they can be released. Even if they are let out, the license terms will be in force until the end of the full sentence. “A prisoner will only be released after he or she is deemed to be a low risk to the safety and welfare of the community,” the report from Conditional Release Board Chairwoman Debra Humphreys read. “Just because an offender is eligible for parole, it does not follow that they will be released.” In deciding whether to allow for a conditional re- lease, the board must con- sider a number of fac- tors, including: ■■ Whether it is no longer necessary for the pro- tection of the public that a particular pris- oner be imprisoned. ■■ The risk of the person reoffending. ■■ Whether the rehabili- tation of the prisoner can be safely carried out in the community. ■■ Whether the person is capable of com- plying with the condi- tions of the license.6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Agency tests tsunami response with drill MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Officials with Hazard Management Cayman Is- lands prepared for a tsunami on Thursday, generated by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake off the coast of Columbia at 9 a.m. Both the quake and the resultant wave were imagi- nary. This was only a drill. As part of a Caribbean- wide exercise sponsored by the United Nations, coun- tries involved in the test had one of three scenarios to choose from. Simon Boxall, spokesman for hazard management, said the Cayman Islands staff chose the scenario with the most immediate threat. Even then, they had nearly two hours to get the word out be- fore the fictional tsunami was expected to arrive, at 10:52 a.m. in the Sister Islands and 11:01 on Grand Cayman. That is substantially longer than the regional tsu- nami warning issued in Jan- uary after an earthquake off the coast of Honduras. In that instance, there were only 40 minutes between the time the earthquake struck and the time the potential tsunami wave was predicted to hit Cayman. The first offi- cial notification from Hazard Management that night was sent at 10:46 p.m. – several minutes after the antici- pated wave impact. Mr. Boxall said Cayman officials want to be able to react more quickly than that. “We have to get the mes- sage to as many people as possible in 15 min- utes,” he said. Thursday’s exercise was a step in that direction. “We used our radio in- terrupt,” he said, referring to a mechanism that al- lows for emergency officials to break into radio broad- casts with urgent warnings. “We tested it here on Radio Cayman and on the Brac and Little Cayman.” Other communication possibilities include the use of cellphone alerts, ticker tape messages on the bottom of popular websites, and breaking into cable televi- sion programs. “This was just phase one,” Mr. Boxall said of the drill. In such an emergency, residents would be ad- vised to move inland or, if available, move to higher floors in multi-story build- ings. Those on boats near the shore would be told to put out to sea. He said it was too early to know how well things went. “We haven’t had our de- brief yet,” he said. “There’s in- formation coming in that will get gathered together. We’ll try to see what worked and what didn’t.” The system, he said, will continue to be refined. “We recognize we need it,” Mr. Boxall said. Hazard Management’s Simon Boxall, seen above at an earlier disaster exercise, said Thursday’s tsunami drill, which included regular radio updates, was phase one in a series of responses the agency is working on. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Three arrested on ganja canoe Three men were ar- rested late Wednesday night off the coast of South Sound, Grand Cayman, fol- lowing a police air and ma- rine patrol operation. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service Joint Marine Unit intercepted a canoe with three men aboard around 11 p.m. A police search of the surrounding waters located “several bags containing large amounts of ganja.” Police also recovered a re- volver with five rounds of live ammunition. The three men on board the canoe, Jamaican na- tionals aged 34, 40 and 45, were arrested on sus- picion of carrying an un- licensed firearm, illegal landing and various drugs- related offenses. The canoe pictured here was seized in Wednesday’s police operation off South Sound. - PHOTO: RCIPS Police also recovered a revolver with five rounds of live ammunition.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 416 Shedden Road (across from Jacques Scott) • George Town (o) 943- 4402 • (fax) 943-4401 e-mail: reservations@savemorerentacar.ky Rent where locals rent, spend less and get more! Rent A Car Ltd SaveMore Check out our very nice fl eet. Low deposit requirements. Need to rent a car? RENT FOR A WEEK & PAY FOR 6 DAYS ONLY!!8 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Jolene Ianthie Myles of George Town, who passed away on Saturday February 24, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday March 17, 2018 at 3:00p.m. at Elmslie Memorial United Church, 48 Harbour Drive, George Town. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Fernando Alfredo Carcache Thompson of Bodden Town, who passed away on Monday March 12, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday March 17, 2018 at 2:00p.m. at Covenant Moravian Church, 6 Devon Road, Patricks Island. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Cayman HospiceCare. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Opal Janice Godfrey of George Town, who passed away on Sunday March 4, 2018. Details of a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Ventris Vashti Powell of Breakers, who passed away on Tuesday March 13, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday March 17, 2018 at 3:00p.m. at Webster Memorial United Church Hall, 261 Bodden Town Road, Bodden Town. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dugmore Elroy Wright of George Town, who passed away on Tuesday March 6, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday March 25, 2018 at 2:00p.m. at Bethel Refuge Apostolic Church, 23 Devon Road, Prospect. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45p.m. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dugmore Elroy Wright of George Town, who passed away on Tuesday March 6, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held onA Thanksgiving Service will be held onA Sunday March 25, 2018 at 2:00p.m. at Bethel Refuge Apostolic Church, 23 Devon Road, Prospect. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45p.m. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Sharon Gayle-Clarke of Peter’s Road, Cayman Brac, who passed away on Tuesday February 27, 2018. Mrs. Sharon Gayle-Clarke will be repatriated to Jamaica for a Thanksgiving Service. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Ernest Kenton Ebanks of George Town who passed away on Monday March 12, 2018. Details of a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. Ministers provide updates on East End development projects Track, civic center, school upgrades to be finished around mid-year KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Repairs and upgrades to the William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre in East End should be finished by the end of June, according to Infra- structure Minister Joey Hew. Mr. Hew was speaking during Legislative Assembly’s question-and-answer pe- riod in response to inquires from East End MLA Arden McLean. He and Sports Min- ister Juliana O’Connor-Con- nolly also gave updates on the East End Primary School and the track at the Donovan Rankine Football Field. Mr. Hew said the Public Works Department is cur- rently repairing the civic cen- ter’s cistern, and should have it finished by the end of this month. Parts for the build- ing’s generator have been or- dered and should arrive by April, and other upgrades should be completed by June 30, he said. Mr. McLean also asked when the standby generator for the East End Primary School will be in service. Mr. Hew replied that his ministry has signed a contract to pur- chase parts, and that the gen- erator should be in service by mid-May. The project was delayed because the wrong parts for the generator were delivered to the ministry in the past – the third time this has happened, according to Mr. McLean. The opposition member complained that these proj- ects have been delayed for years – some since from around the time of Hurricane Ivan – but Mr. Hew assured him that his ministry will stay on schedule this year. Another delayed project is the new track at the Donovan Rankine Foot- ball Field. According to Mr. McLean, the project should have been finished by the end of December. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said her staff told her that the delays were due to Mr. McLean objecting to the project around last October. She explained that Mr. McLean said the track was too narrow and encroaching onto the football field. In re- sponse to that concern, the Public Works Department re- vised the project’s designs to widen the track and leave room for the football field, and sent the drawings to her ministry on Dec. 12. The track should be finished by mid- July, she said. The East End MLA ob- jected to this characteriza- tion, saying that he “won’t allow the minister’s staff to tell a lie on me.” He agreed that he told Public Works Department workers last October that the track was encroaching on the football field, but said he ex- pected the department to re- vise its designs within sev- eral days so that the project could still be completed by the end of the year. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly responded that the Public Works Department is not her responsibility, and so she does not know why it took so long for the revised designs to reach her ministry. The William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre in East End is undergoing renovation work, which should be completed by the end of June. Arden McLean Trial date delayed for Dora duo Dog burn case back to court SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Andrei James Chal- lenger and James Rolin Challenger, the two men charged in the case in- volving a dog named Dora that suffered ex- tensive burns last May, appeared in Summary Court on Thursday. The two men had been scheduled to undergo trial on Thursday, but their date was pushed back. They will next appear in Summary Court on April 19. Andrei Challenger is charged with cruelty to animals, causing unneces- sary suffering and failing to exercise proper care and supervision. James Challenger is charged with causing unneces- sary suffering and failing to exercise proper care and supervision. Dora was pregnant at the time of her inju- ries, and was treated via emergency surgery by Dr. Brenda Bush at Island Vet- erinary Services. Dora lost her litter but recovered from her burns. Navy jet crashes off Key West, killing two WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday off the coast of Key West, Florida, killing its two crew members. The F/A-18 Super Hornet was on approach to land at a naval air station around 4:30 p.m. EDT when it crashed into shallow water about a mile east of the runway. Both the pilot and weapons system officer ejected and were recovered, but U.S. Naval Air Forces re- ported late Wednesday night that both had died. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The cause of the crash is also under investigation. Capt. Barbie Wilson of Knee Deep Charters wit- nessed the crash from her pickup truck on a road near Key West. “It happened so fast, like something out of a movie. I couldn’t believe it,” Wilson told the Key West Citizen. She said she saw jet flying straight, but very low. “Then it suddenly went sideways and I heard a pop, like an explosion and I saw flames. Then it flipped and just dropped,” Wilson said. The aircraft crew is based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Super Hornet is a twin-engine fighter jet that is larger than the single-seat F/A-18 Hornet. President Donald Trump has tweeted his condolences. A row of F/A-18 fighter jets, similar to the one that crashed off the Florida Keys Wednesday - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 MARY JANE WHITTAKER (nee BUSH) March 14, 1983 A million times I’ve needed you A million times I’ve cried. If love alone could have saved you You never would have died. In life I loved you dearly In death I love you still. In my heart you hold a place No one else can ever ll. It broke my heart to lose you But you didn’t go alone. Part of me went with you e day God took you home. Allyson, Letha & Cara MARY JANE WHITTAKER (nee BUSH)The family of the Late Amelia Marie Cunningham regrets to announce her passing on Monday, 5 March, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 17 March 2018 at Watering Place Holiness Church, Cayman Brac. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow at Watering Place Cemetery. The family of the Late Lionel Elmore Scott regrets to announce his passing on Friday, 2 March, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 18 March 2018 at Creek Seventh Day Adventist Church, Cayman Brac. Viewing will be from 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in Watering Place Cemetery. to prosecutors for a formal review due to police supervi- sors’ decisions. The main difficulty in cases where no charges were brought, according to records obtained through a Cayman Compass Freedom of Infor- mation request, is that police could not formally identify the motorbike driver. The Cayman Compass re- viewed the specific details of each investigation and found that in some cases, no one came forward to claim the seized vehicle, which re- mained in police evidential custody. In other investiga- tions, the vehicle owner de- manded to receive it back from police impound and if there was no proof of that person using the motorbike il- legally, it was returned. “The RCIPS has no legal basis on which to continue to detain motorbikes once the required documents are pre- sented and verified,” said Chief Inspector Raymond Christian, who responded to the Com- pass open records request. The specific cases re- viewed included the fol- lowing incidents: April 29, 2017 – Around 7 p.m., police received a com- plaint about a noisy motor- bike being driven around Windsor Park. Officers re- sponded and encountered a dirt bike driving toward their police car with no lights on. When the officers tried to stop the driver, police said the dirt biker “tried to run over one of the officers in the roadway.” The rider jumped off the bike and ran away, leaving the dirt bike behind. He was never found. Police seized the dirt bike and left it at the po- lice station. Neither the bike rider nor the vehicle’s owner were ever identified. March 4, 2017 – The RCIPS helicopter noted a Suzuki motorcycle speeding toward George Town from West Bay and asked for a patrol unit to check it. No unit was imme- diately available, so the he- licopter tracked the bike to Gresscott Lane and officers later responded to the loca- tion, identifying the man as the motorcycle driver. The Suzuki was not reg- istered and the man said he did not have insurance or a driver’s license on him. Offi- cers arrested the man and his motorcycle was kept at the George Town Police Station. Police said the man later pro- vided verified documentation for the bike and the vehicle was released to him. Feb. 25, 2017 – Around 5 p.m., police patrolling the Fair- banks area of George Town saw two dirt bikes stopped on Fern Circle where the riders were speaking with each other. When officers approached, one of the riders drove off and was not identified. The other man who stayed behind did not have registration plates for the vehicle in his possession. After police seized the bike, the man showed up at the George Town Police Sta- tion with a document he said was the title for the bike, but refused to give a copy of it to police for investigation. He was told he could not get the motorbike back because he did not have insurance or ownership documentation. “The investigating of- ficer did not proceed with any charges since [the man] was not seen riding the bike,” Mr. Christian said. The other driver who rode off was never located. Feb. 16, 2017 – The RCIPS helicopter spotted another motorcyclist driving around Poindexter Road in Prospect without registration plates displayed. The bike rider, who saw the helicopter fol- lowing him around, stopped and waited for police to arrive because “he assumed police were on their way.” The bike rider could not prove he owned the vehicle, or that he had insurance or a li- cense to operate the vehicle, police said. The bike was re- moved to the police station and later on the same day, the rider went to the George Town Police Station and provided documentation proving own- ership of the vehicle and in- surance. However, the vehicle was not properly registered for road use, police said. Later in the month, the man was warned by a police inspector not to operate the vehicle until it passed inspec- tion. The man was allowed to take the motorbike back from police lock-up, load it into a truck and haul it away from the police station, of- ficers said. No charges were filed in the incident per offi- cers’ discretion. Jan. 11, 2017 – A report of motorbike riders causing a nuisance in West Bay along Bonaventure Road was made and police responded around 5:30 p.m. Officers observed a man “pulling wheelies” on a Honda four-wheeler, all-ter- rain vehicle with three other men watching from the road- side. The ATV was not li- censed for street use. Police informed the op- erator that he was under ar- rest and he ran away, jumping a chain-link fence and disap- pearing from officers’ sight. One of the three bystanders told police he owned the ATV, but none of the men provided the identity of the driver to the RCIPS. The owner of the bike was warned for prosecution [ticketed] for permitting the use of an unregistered vehicle. According to Chief In- spector Christian, legal advice was sought from the Crown regarding this incident. Crown prosecutors advised there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed to charges “due to the fact that the driver of the ve- hicle could not be identified.” The police traffic unit closed the file and the ATV was re- turned to its owner. Dec. 27, 2016 – A Zongshen motorcycle was seen driving toward Batabano in West Bay with no registration plates displayed. The motorbike op- erator eventually stopped and showed police a license plate for the vehicle that he was carrying. He did not have his driver’s license, insurance or registration documents on him. The rider was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving without insurance. He was later re- leased on police bail. On Jan. 4, the man ap- peared at the police station and produced license and insurance documents that showed the vehicle was “up- to-date” at the time he was stopped. The driver received his motorcycle back and the arrest was reviewed. The in- spector who reviewed the case noted the driver did not appear to have exceeded the speed limit, had not ignored road signs or driven danger- ously, and decided not to pro- ceed with charges. March 25, 2017 – A motor- bike driver in Bodden Town sped off after noticing police were approaching him and abandoned his bike in the bushes near Hardy Way. The motorbike’s vehicle identifi- cation number had been cut from the bike’s chassis, police said. The bike was taken to storage, but police could not identify its driver. But he cautioned there were not sufficient resources currently allocated to pursue either option. Mr. Burton is working on a proposal to government. In a presentation to the National Conservation Council Wednesday about the 2017 efforts, which de- ployed bounty hunters to cull iguanas for $3 a head, he said the strategy had not been successful. Just under 30,000 iguanas were culled during the seven months of the program, ac- cording to his report. He said this was less than 5 percent of what was needed. Speaking after the meeting, he said an an- nual target figure of be- tween 600,000 and one mil- lion would be required to start reducing the green iguana population. Department of Environ- ment surveys show a rapid increase in the population, which was estimated at just over one million at the end of last year. If it rises at the same rate as in previous years, the population could hit 1.6 million this year. Currently, Mr. Burton said, the Department of Environ- ment is not equipped to con- trol that growth. Government allocated $1.1 million toward iguana con- trol in 2018, but it is likely that substantially more re- sources will be required. Mr. Burton is not con- vinced that it makes sense to invest in culling efforts that do not keep pace with popu- lation growth. The problems are logis- tical as well as financial. He said the Department of En- vironment did not spend its full budget on last year’s bounty hunter program, be- cause there was not sufficient interest from cullers. Only 20 of the 71 people signed up for the program engaged in regular culling and, of those, two people were re- sponsible for the bulk of the iguanas culled, according to his report. “We couldn’t spend the budget because there aren’t enough people who can drop what they are doing to cull iguanas. There are currently three or four people set up to do this full time and we need a lot more than that,” he said. “We need a lot more people working. The scale of this op- eration doesn’t approach what needs to happen.” He said it was not impos- sible to solve the problem but it would require a large investment of time and re- sources. He said one strategy could be to look to the pri- vate sector to establish culling businesses that could be hired for the job through central tenders. But he cautioned it was a “chicken-and-egg” scenario with culling businesses, which do exist on a small scale in Cayman but are un- likely to staff up for such a mammoth escalation of their role without a definitive con- tract on the table. “It is not impossible but it is going to require signif- icantly large companies to be set up on big money con- tracts with a payment struc- ture that incentivizes targets to be met,” he said. No solution in sight for iguana control CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Suspect ID main difficulty in motorbike cases CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hunters target green iguanas during a cull. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERSNext >