High of 83 Low of 73 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water from tonight. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ‘GOVERNMENT FIBER’: A LANDMARK INTRUSION INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR WORLD | PAGE 9 AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT BLOWS HIMSELF UP AS SWAT MOVES IN ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 Personal Insurance Pay less for more cover with home and car insurance Save $250 with your first BritCay buildings insurance policy and 10% on car insurance. Many extra benefits, like $1 million liability insurance, are free with your cover. Ask for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky *private car insurance cgigrp Cayman makes deal with Airbnb JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands has become the latest destination to embrace Airbnb, the company which started as an informal couch surfing service and was once considered a threat to traditional tourism businesses and to gov- ernment coffers. Officials hope a formal agreement will make it easier for Caymanians to profit from the islands’ tourism boom by renting rooms or villas to visitors through the online market- place without government losing out on vital room tax revenue. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell and Carlos Munoz, Airbnb’s regional representa- tive, signed a memorandum of understanding at the Government Administration Building Wednesday, agreeing to joint marketing, data sharing and regulatory standards for hosts. Mr. Kirkconnell said the memorandum was a “significant milestone” for the islands and would create more opportunities for Cay- manians to become entrepreneurs without huge expense. He said the expansion of Airbnb in Cayman would assist in bringing new rooms online and allowing Caymanians to benefit from the growth in the industry. He said it would also spread tourism growth throughout the island and allow visi- tors the opportunity for meaningful interac- tion with local people. “We all have an opportunity now to be- come part of the tourism product and to share our culture with visitors,” the min- ister said. “People want to experience our cul- ture, our home.” CONSERVATION COUNCIL DEFENDS RECORD ON ASSESSMENTS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Less than one percent of projects referred to the National Conservation Council were re- quired to go through environmental impact assessments in the past 18 months, according to the council’s annual report. Of the 668 projects, including multiple new hotel projects referred to the council, the re- port says the council only requested EIAs on six projects. The majority of those were government road projects affecting large areas of natural habitat, according to Department of Environ- ment director Gina Ebanks-Petrie. Only one was for a private developer – Dart company Crymble Landholding’s application to remove beach rock from the shallow coastal waters off Seven Mile Beach. Christina Pineda, a member of the National Conservation Council, speaking at its quar- terly meeting last week, said the statistics showed that the council did not request such assessments lightly. She said the perception that the council was holding up development did not fit with the reality. The council’s annual report, which covers an 18-month budget period, indicates that the EIA process has helped the Cayman Islands recover from a “weak” rating on environmental governance and meet obligations under var- ious international environmental treaties. Ms. Ebanks-Petrie told the Cayman Compass in an interview that the council only required an EIA when it did not have the in- formation to make a recommendation on a project without further study. She said the record showed this was a tool Cayman talks up FinTech on Hong Kong trip BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The rapidly changing inter- national financial services in- dustry took center stage early Wednesday at the U.K.-spon- sored Great Festival of Innova- tion in Hong Kong with Cayman representatives making their pitch for the new investment technologies. FinTech, or Financial Tech- nology, encompasses a number of new service delivery methods in financial services looking to compete with established busi- nesses, such as those that exist in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and other offshore fi- nancial centers. “FinTech is disrupting the fi- nancial services industry with a range of new technologies,” said Cayman’s Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers during a Wednesday panel discussion on FinTech futures. “The race is on to develop not just the systems and services that will shape the future of buying, trading, Little Trotters rock their socks Young children at Little Trotters show off some of their wackiest socks Wednesday morning as they take part in the ‘Rock Your Socks’ campaign to help raise awareness for World Down Syndrome Day. For more on this story, see page 2. – PHOTO: TANYA NELSON HUDGSON PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY MARCH 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) TOMB RAIDER 3D (PG13) 12:35 2D VIP I 12:50 I 3:40 2D 7:05 I 9:50 2D DEATH WISH (R) 1:15 I 4:00 I 7:15 I 9:55 BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 12:40 I 3:25 VIP I 3:55 I 7:00 9:35 VIP I 10:00 RED SPARROW (R) 3:50 I 9:45 PETER RABBIT (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 I 5:00 I 7:20 I 9:40 SAMSON (PG13) 1:00 I 7:10 Owner cited for not maintaining property Charge brought under the Development and Planning Law CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A company that owns property in the Spotts area of Grand Cayman was brought to court this week for failing to comply with a maintenance of land notice. The charge was failing to effect necessary repairs or demolish buildings, re move refuse and dere lict vehicles, and tidy sur rounding land. Attorney Andrew Jackson appeared before Magistrate Valdis Foldats on Tuesday on behalf of the company, Universal Securi ties Ltd. He explained that there were no company di rectors or shareholders present at the court hearing this week, as no company representatives resided in the Cayman Islands. Guilty plea Mr. Jackson told the court that he was autho rized to enter a plea for the company and he replied “guilty” when details of the charge were read to him. He described Universal Securities as “a good cor porate citizen.” When the matter was brought to his law firm’s attention, “as soon as we were able to get a contractor, it was taken care of,” he said. The court file included the charge and a copy of the notice, sent under the Development and Planning Law. The magistrate was also given photos of the property. The photographs showed the condition of the building on the site, as well as overgrown greenery and several WaveRunners. Site now in satisfactory condition Crown counsel Eleanor Fargin confirmed to the court that the property was now in satisfactory condi tion, with only the Wave Runners to be removed. The magistrate said it appeared that, essentially, the landowner was un aware of the difficulty sur rounding the property, but as soon as the company learned of it, the matter was taken care of. Ms. Fargin said the Crown was not opposed to Mr. Jackson’s applica tion to have no convic tion recorded. Magistrate Foldats im posed a $200 costs order. Cayman Brac prepares for annual Agriculture Show JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s Brac’s farmers will be showcasing their crops and livestock Saturday at the annual Brac Agriculture Show. The show opens at 7:30 a.m. at the Agriculture Grounds, off Songbird Drive on the Bluff. For the past 15 years, the Brac show has been a day of fun and entertainment that attracts attendees not just from the Brac but also from Grand Cayman. For visitors, the show is a unique opportunity to gain insight into authentic island life, to experience the strong sense of community shared by residents of Cayman Brac, and to take part in what has long been a local tradition, or ganizers said. “It’s the largest oneday event held on Cayman Brac,” said Chevala Burke, chair woman of the Agriculture Show Committee. “It’s a staple event and it continues to grow. As each year passes, it gets better and better; we add new things or change things up to encourage more people to at tend and we listen to people to find out what works for them.” Ms. Burke said the show also provides opportuni ties for young people to learn more about cattle rearing, crop farming, or even grow boxes for schools. The theme this year is “Just Grow It.” Agriculture Department Assistant Director Brian Crichlow encourages everyone, especially anyone who has not attended before, to come out to the Cayman Brac show. “It’s truly a community event where everyone gets in volved,” he said. “I am always impressed with the range and quality of the displays, the produce, handicrafts and livestock competitions, the variety of display booths, especially the school exhibits, and most par ticularly the incredible atmo sphere of show day. It is a wonderful event, enjoyed by everyone who attends.” Once again, the Agriculture Department will also host its popular plant sale. This in cludes the usual range of fruit trees, such as mango, avocado and a variety of minor fruits, as well as hot peppers, sea soning peppers, tomatoes and a selection of herbs and veg etable seedlings. The Agriculture Depart ment also will have a dis play booth focusing on select technical issues of interest to farmers and the public. A cadre of department staff will be traveling to Cayman Brac on Thursday and Friday to assist the Sister Islands Show Planning Committee with various logistical mat ters, including transporting and receiving livestock, re ceiving and tagging crops, and judging, as well as setting up the department’s display booth and plant sale area, ac cording to Mr. Crichlow. The show will offer plenty of activities, including a tiny tots competition, a hat show, coconut toss, greased pole and lots of rides. The public will have the opportunity to purchase local products, including freshly harvested fruits and vegeta bles, as well as homecooked meals, and a variety of one ofakind souvenirs, such as arts and crafts, ceramics and games made on island. There will be displays of cattle, horses, goats, pigs, fowl, rabbits, birds and iguanas. There will also be competi tion categories ranging from hot sauces, painting and pre serves, to crafts, cakes, photos, plants and needlework. Featured entertainment will be provided by Los Trop icanos, J.R. Douglas and the Koalition Dance Group. A raffle will be held with a grand prize of US$2,000. The entrance fee is $8 for adults and $4 for children. Little Trotters rock socks for a good cause SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The kids at Little Trot ters wore their craziest socks for the kindest purpose on Wednesday. Little Trotters, a Cayman nursery school, was partici pating in “Rock Your Socks,” an annual global celebration designed to raise awareness for World Down Syndrome Day. The kids wore socks of every hue and pattern, with some sporting stripes and others polka dots in service of their message. Lesley Maddock, the man ager at Little Trotters, said it’s important for her school to celebrate inclusion and diver sity, and she praised Starfish Village, another local nursery school, for leading the way. “It is wonderful having the children participate,” she said. “It shows an aware ness and it’s so important to try to encourage inclusion in schools. We absolutely sup port that. We know that Star fish Village has got a lovely inclusion program going on and it’s just so important for everybody to be welcome.” Ms. Maddock’s daughter, Emma, staged a bake sale at Little Trotters on Wednesday, both to draw attention to the Rock Your Socks campaign and to raise money for a pair of admirable causes. Emma, who is in Year 7 at Cayman Prep, was hoping to raise money for the Special Needs Foundation of Cayman and also to aid in the treat ment of Matthew Chong Ping, a Cayman Prep student who is currently being treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma at a Florida hospital. A GoFundMe page erected in Matthew’s honor has raised more than $30,000 for his treatment, and Ms. Mad dock said she was thrilled that her daughter wanted to lend a hand. “She loves doing bake sales and she loves raising money for charity,” she said. “My kitchen has been crazy the last couple of days. But somehow when there’s sugar involved, they don’t mind staying up late.” “I was up half the night. I was pretty involved with it,” added young Emma. “I made 50 percent of the stuff by my self, and the other 50 per cent, I either had help or my mom made it.” World Down Syndrome Day was first observed in 2006, and March 21 was chosen to signify the unique triplication of the 21st chro mosome that causes Down syndrome. The United Na tions recognized the global awareness day in December 2011 and invited all member states to celebrate it. The magistrate was also given photos of the property. The photographs showed the condition of the building on the site, as well as overgrown greenery and several WaveRunners. The students at Little Trotters wore their wildest socks on Wednesday in support of World Down Syndrome Day. – PHOTO: SPENCER FORDIN A wide range of fruit trees, including mango, avocado and a variety of minor fruit, as well as hot peppers, seasoning peppers, tomatoes, herbs and vegetable seedlings will be on sale at Saturday’s Brac Agriculture Show.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 187734_PRINT-Butterfield-QP-EastPage 1 3/12/18 11:20:10 AM More than 60 percent of residency denials appealed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 200 applicants for permanent residence who were denied that immigra- tion status since 2017 have filed challenges to those de- cisions, according to re- cords obtained by a Cayman Compass Freedom of Infor- mation request. The Cayman Islands gov- ernment began hearing ap- plications for permanent res- idence, the right to remain in Cayman for the rest of one’s life, in mid-2017 after a lengthy delay where the processing of those requests stopped for about two-and- a-half years. During the period be- tween June 2017 and Feb- ruary 2018, a total of 591 residency applications were approved and another 374 were turned down. According to figures re- leased by the Cabinet of- fice, a total of 226 applicants who were denied in their ini- tial hearing filed appeals of those decisions in 2017 and this year. That number repre- sents about 60 percent of the total number of denied appli- cations from 2017 and 2018. Only seven of those ap- peals have so far been heard by the Immigration Ap- peals Tribunal, according to the Cabinet office. Two ap- peals were granted, two were denied, and three were withdrawn. Before 2017, relatively few appeals concerning per- manent residence applica- tions were filed. According to the records, 42 appeals each were filed in 2013 and 2014, just 18 were filed in 2015 and 22 in 2016. All of those appeals were filed before govern- ment began hearing the backlog of some 1,200 per- manent residency applica- tions during 2017. According to immigration attorneys at HSM Chambers law firm, the vast majority of the residency case backlog has now finished initial hear- ings, but the next stage of the appeals process for PR applicants may take some time to resolve. “We expect this number [referring to the number of appeals cases] to continue to grow, with 12 notices of ap- peal in relation to the de- nial of permanent residence filed in February alone,” HSM partner Nick Joseph told cli- ents in an email sent earlier this month. “Plainly … an- other backlog is developing in relation to appeals. “Many of the issues we, our clients and the [Immi- gration] Department are now confronting have been long anticipated. Political direc- tion and policy decisions may be required to overcome these delays.” There have been some de- lays in the issuing of govern- ment’s reasons for denying residency applications, Mr. Joseph said, which are re- quired to pursue appeals. Typically, a successful per- manent residency applicant or one who was denied and who did not appeal that de- cision would not be given their final “score” on their ap- plication. Only when a case is taken to the appeals tri- bunal is the applicant’s ac- tual score revealed. Once a case does proceed to the tribunal, it is then up to the applicant to point out where they believe the initial decision made by immigra- tion authorities was wrong in law. All such cases are taken first to the Immigration Ap- peals Tribunal, which hears them and makes a determi- nation. Further appeals to the Grand Court can be done by way of judicial review. The Immigration Depart- ment has a specific process for how those matters are to be dealt with, once an appeal is filed. First, a person who is denied residency must re- ceive an official letter from the department or the Cay- manian Status and Perma- nent Residency Board to that effect. The person then has 28 days from the date of the letter to file notice of appeal, which is basically a short statement noting the indi- vidual’s intent. If the person does not ap- peal within the timeline, they are given 90 days to settle their affairs in the islands before departing. A permanent residence appellant is allowed to re- main in the islands and work while their appeal is current, according to HSM lawyers. Northward Prison filled to capacity SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Northward Prison is filled to capacity, with 213 pris- oners being housed at the men’s prison and at least one individual detained in a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service holding cell in George Town. The official website for Cayman’s prisons states that the “certified normal accom- modation” for Northward is 165 prisoners. A government information officer said that the prison’s maximum ca- pacity is 213. The issue of the prison’s capacity came up in Sum- mary Court on Monday, when defense attorney Prathna Bodden indicated that a trio of suspects in an importa- tion of ganja case were being held at the police detention facility in the Fairbanks area because Northward did not have any cells immediately available to house them. The government infor- mation officer said that by Tuesday, just one person was being held at the police holding cells. The prison is currently under some new manage- ment, with the arrival of Steven Barrett, the interim prison director, in Cayman last month, after serving as the prison director for the Turks and Caicos Islands. The previous prison di- rector, Neil Lavis, departed in December, and Daniel Greaves served as the acting prison director before the ar- rival of Mr. Barrett. Cayman’s prison popu- lation has remained rather stable while the population of the country has exploded. Cayman had 227 pris- oners in 2000 and a popula- tion of 41,687. At the time, the rate of pris- oners per 100,000 population (565) ranked as the second- highest in the world. According to World Prison Brief, Cayman had 222 prisoners in 2017 and a population of 61,559, which worked out to 359 prisoners per 100,000 population. That ranked No. 21 in the world. A 2012 report conducted by the prison service indi- cated that the certified na- tional accommodation at Northward was 179 pris- oners, and officials told the Cayman Compass in 2016 that Northward’s “safest holding capacity” was 208 prisoners. It is unclear what has changed at Northward to allow for larger capacity. Northward Prison is currently housing 213 prisoners, the maximum capacity the jail can hold. Between June 2017 and February 2018, 591 permanent residency applications were approved and 374 were rejected. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe 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” “All these years, we keep struggling unsuccessfully to get [the telecom companies] to deploy the fiber they agreed to, so we’re going to abandon that approach. We’re going to build the fiber network and we’re going to charge the licensees for it.” – Premier Alden McLaughlin When leaders of the Cayman Islands telecommunica- tions companies heard Premier Alden McLaughlin say the government was going to build a fiber optic network throughout the east side of Grand Cayman – and make the telecom companies pay for it – they might have thought they were experiencing a “bad connection.” In other words, “Say that again?!” It is almost always unwise to announce a massive new undertaking without providing crucial details and need- lessly provocative not to discuss – or even inform – the parties involved. Above-board communication and coordination is of even more importance when the topic of discussion appears to be a landmark intrusion by the public sector into a highly competitive area of the private sector. The issue, from the government’s point of view, is that each of Cayman’s telecom providers has agreed to build out their high-speed fiber networks across Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands (except for Flow, which does not have this condition). More than a year after the deadlines expired, none has fulfilled this obligation. The reason is economically obvious. It is difficult to imagine how the companies could ever recoup the cost of such a resource-intensive investment. Apparently, however, the premier and the Utility Regulation and Com- petition Office (OfReg) are willing to dismiss concerns about costs, and take on the project themselves. Consumers who equate faster internet with better internet (i.e., almost everybody) might be tempted to welcome the proposal … until the bill arrives. The premier says the cost will be charged to the telecom companies – which means, of course, to consumers. Put another way, the premier’s idea is for the majority of the population (West Bay, George Town, Savannah) to subsidize the cost of broadband access for the minority of the population (Bodden Town, North Side, East End). That is the sort of thinking that prevails in a “cen- trally planned economy,” where the government attempts to decide what’s best for consumers, as opposed to a free economy, where “the market decides.” (And, histori- cally, guess which type of economy succeeds in the long run, and which stagnates and inevitably crumbles. Think: Cuba vs. Switzerland.) If it is true that regulators have been “struggling unsuc- cessfully” to compel the companies to abide by the rules of their licenses, apparently with no credible threat of licenses being revoked or meaningful fines being imposed for non- compliance, then what is the point of the licenses? More pointedly, what is the point of the regulator? Further, what makes this regulator confident it can successfully execute the functions of a developer or contractor? Exacerbating our concerns about the fundamental competence of our government is the government’s demonstrable failure in basic communications efforts. As of our press deadline Wednesday afternoon, we were still awaiting comment from OfReg which, on Monday, the regulator said would be provided “in a day or so.” (Sorry, OfReg. No hurry. Apologies if we woke you. It’s only that we thought the public might have a legiti- mate interest in what you are up to.) Cayman’s telecom sector is competitive, nimble, resource-intensive, highly technical and integral to the functioning and future growth of the country’s economy. To treat such an essential industry in such a cavalier manner borders not only on arrogance – but on regulatory folly. ‘Government fiber’: A landmark intrusion into the private sector Government right to cull Sister Islands feral cats The government was right to cull feral cats in the Sister Islands instead of iguanas. The feral cats eat wildlife. I do not know how many times feral cats were on my property. The judge was wrong. All the feral cats I find on my prop- erty, I will give them to the government. I want birds and wildlife on my prop- erty, not cats. Gerry Quirk Destroy eggs to control green iguana population With reference to the discussions on the green iguana problems. It was quoted as a “chicken and egg” problem. Therefore, why not research into the possibility of tack- ling the problem by dealing with the up to 70 or so eggs laid by every female iguana during a year? Perhaps a sniffer dog could be trained in finding eggs, as well as the animals themselves, and a handler supported by a team could source the eggs and destroy them, while at the same time culling the hatched iguanas they come across during the process. Jan Robshaw THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Debt, deficits and public finance Way back in 2009, I nar- rated a video explaining that people worry too much about deficits and debt. Red ink is not desirable, to be sure, but I pointed out that the real problem is govern- ment spending. And the bottom line is that most types of govern- ment spending are bad for an economy, regardless of whether they are financed by taxes or borrowing. It is possible, of course, for a nation to have a debt crisis. But keep in mind that this simply means a govern- ment has accumulated so much debt that investors no longer trust that they will re- ceive payments on govern- ment bonds. That is not a good outcome, but replacing debt-financed spending with tax-financed spending is like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Or the fire into the frying pan, if you prefer. In either case, politicians are ignoring the real problem. Greece is a cautionary ex- ample. Thanks to a period of overspending, Greek politi- cians drove the country into a debt crisis. But this dark cloud had a silver lining. The good news (at least relatively speaking) is that the govern- ment no longer could borrow from the private sector to fi- nance more spending. But the bad news is that Greek politicians sub- sequently hammered the economy with huge tax in- creases in hopes of propping up the country’s bloated wel- fare state. And the “troika” made a bad situation worse with bailout funds (mostly to protect big banks that un- wisely lent money to Greek politicians, but that’s a separate story). In other words, Greece got in trouble because of too much government spending and it remains in trouble be- cause of too much government spending. As is the case for many other European nations. And I fear the United States is slowly but surely heading in that direction. For all intents and pur- poses, I’m trying to convince people that deficits and debt are bad, but mostly because they are a sign that gov- ernment is too big. Sort of like a brain tumor being the real problem and headaches being a warning sign. I feel like Goldilocks on this issue. Except in- stead of porridge that is too hot or too cold, I deal with people on both sides who think red ink is either won- derful or terrible. For an example of the former group, here’s some of what Stephanie Kelton wrote for the New York Times last October: “ … bigger deficits wouldn’t wreck the nation’s finances …. Lawmakers are obsessed with avoiding an increase in the deficit …. It’s also holding us back. Politi- cians of both parties should stop using the deficit as a guide to public policy. In- stead, they should be ad- vancing legislation aimed at raising living standards and delivering … long- term prosperity.” Hard to disagree with the above excerpt. But here’s the part I do not like. She’s a believer in the perpetual motion machine of Keynesian economics. She thinks deficits are actually good for the economy and she wants to use debt to fi- nance an ever-larger burden of government spending. Ugh. Now let’s check out the view of the so-called deficit hawks who think red ink is an abomination. Here are some passages from a Hill report on the battle over last year’s tax plan: “A handful of GOP def- icit hawks are worried that their party’s tax plan could add trillions to the deficit, deepening a debt crisis for future generations … The tax plan could cost the gov- ernment $1.5 trillion in rev- enue over the next decade … Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who recently announced his retirement at the end of this Congress, has warned he’ll oppose the tax plan if it adds to the deficit ... In a separate interview, he told The New York Times that the debt is “the greatest threat to our na- tion,” more dangerous than the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or North Korea.” Ugh, again. The threat is not the red ink. The real danger is an ever-increasing burden of government spending, driven by entitlements. Besides, the GOP tax bill actually is a long-run tax increase! I do not agree with Keynesians and I don’t agree with the self-styled def- icit hawks. But I can appre- ciate that both groups have a consistent approach to public finance. What really galls me are the statist hyp- ocrites who are cheerleaders for debt when there are pro- posals to increase govern- ment spending, but then do a back flip and pretend that debt is terrible and must be reduced when tax increases are being discussed. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Suggestions for animal control5 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 This year’s World Water Day theme is “Nature For Water”. Here at Water Authority - Cayman, we know that sustainable development depends on a healthy natural environment. Every day we’re tasked with the protection of groundwater resources in the Cayman Islands. It’s our job to ensure that our freshwater aquifers remain pristine and are able to provide pure, fresh water for generations to come! www.waterauthority.ky Students get primer on stranger safety MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com LeGae McLean re- cently got a crash course in avoiding strangers. The 9-year-old student at Sir John A. Cumber Pri- mary School is the cousin of a young girl who was nearly abducted March 10 on Up the Hill Road in West Bay. “My mom said I’m not al- lowed to go outside without an adult,” LeGae said. Her cousin escaped her suspected kidnapper by re- portedly fighting back until she was able to break free. That was one of the strategies Nettie Bulgin talked about with LeGae and her fellow students on Wednesday morning, when she advised the children about keeping themselves safe from strangers that might do them harm. Ms. Bulgin, an officer with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, differenti- ated helpful strangers – pri- marily those in uniforms – and those they should avoid. She told the students how to keep from putting themselves in situations that might in- vite a predator to take ad- vantage of them and, if they were confronted or grabbed, how to react, by screaming and fighting. This is not the first time she has presented this type of program, Ms. Bulgin said, but this talk, and others she has done or has planned, are in response to the March 10 incident. “I thought, ‘We need to get involved,’” Ms. Bulgin said. “We need to make sure the community is safe, especially the children.” She spoke with stu- dents at Grace Academy earlier in the week and was planning to visit Wes- leyan Christian Academy on Wednesday afternoon. “Eventually, we’d like to go to the preschools,” she said, “and talk not just about stranger danger, but safety in general.” Year 4 teacher Sarah Crowley said her students are aware of the recent at- tempted abduction and of the importance of not engaging with strangers. “It’s something we’ve talked about before,” Ms. Crowley said, “but it’s not something we’ve talked about in depth. Most of them probably don’t think it can happen to them.” Jason Ricketts, 11, said he once ran into a group of shady characters while taking a shortcut home. He feared they were coming after him, he said, but an- other adult helped him. He said he thought Ms. Bulgin’s warning about not going into out-of-the-way places alone was a good one. Joshua Barrett, 8, had a hard time deciding which of Ms. Bulgin’s tips were the best. “The most important thing was everything,” he said. “It was very helpful.” RCIPS officer Nettie Bulgin tells John A. Cumber students about the danger of strangers. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS VIGIL FOR BRIDGE-COLLAPSE VICTIMS DRAWS TEARS MIAMI (AP) – Hundreds of Florida International Uni- versity students held a vigil Wednesday to remember the six victims who died in a pedestrian bridge col- lapse near campus. The names of the vic- tims were displayed on a screen inside a ballroom at the Miami-area school. Loud gasps and crying could be heard from the crowd when the name of FIU student Alexa Duran appeared on the screen. Construction of the bridge was behind schedule and millions over budget, in part because of a key change in the design and placement of one of its support towers, according to documents obtained by AP through a public-records request. The documents show the Florida Department of Transportation told FIU and its contractors in Oc- tober 2016 to move one of the bridge’s main support structures 11 feet north to the edge of a canal, wid- ening the gap between the crossing’s end supports and requiring some new structural design. Videos of Thursday’s col- lapse show that the con- crete, prefabricated segment of the bridge started crum- bling on the same end of the span where the tower rede- sign occurred, two days after an engineer on the project reported cracks in the same location. The segment that failed had been placed atop the pylon’s footing; the taller tower section was to be in- stalled later. U.S. Transportation Sec- retary Elaine Chao has or- dered her department’s in- spector general to conduct an audit of the bridge. The agency awarded millions of dollars to the project, which was intended to connect the campus with Sweetwater, a neighboring municipality. Sweetwater Mayor Or- lando Lopez said the bridge had been cause for cel- ebration when it was in- stalled March 10. “Less than a week later, the bridge meant to save lives took six lives and injured many more,” Lopez said. It is still unclear if the design change contributed to the failure. But emails between the school, con- tractors, Sweetwater city officials and permitting agencies show a project that was behind schedule, which had officials worried that further delays could jeopar- dize the federal funding.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, MAR. 22 BRAC SCHOLARSHIPS: All are invited to learn about government scholarships for 2018-19. Brac Reef Hotel Conference Room from 6-8 p.m. Cayman Brac residents can also attend the Career Fair at Layman Scott High School on Friday, March 23, where the Scholarship Secretariat will have an information booth. CHAMBER COURSE: Small Business Workshop, What is Your Business Worth? 5:30-7:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Providing Exceptional Customer Service. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. NAU CLOSED: The Needs Assessment Unit office on Grand Cayman will be closed today from noon and the NAU’s Cayman Brac office will be closed for the whole day for a staff meeting. CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: “Barefoot in the Park.” 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Adults $25; students $15. Performances continue tomorrow and Saturday. Purchase tickets at www.cds.ky or call 938-1998. FRIDAY, MAR. 23 GOLDEN APPLES: Today is the deadline for nominations for the 2018 Golden Apple Awards. Nominees must be full-time educators or principals currently working in a public or private school. Nomination forms are available in all schools and online at www.caymanchamber.ky. Forms may also be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce office or by contacting the Chamber at admin@caymanchamber.ky. DCI CLOSES: The Department of Commerce and Investment in Grand Cayman, including its Business Licensing Counter on the first floor of the Government Administration Building, will close at noon to facilitate staff training. DCI’s main office will reopen on Monday, March 26 at 8:30 a.m., and the counter will reopen at 9 a.m. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Meals on Wheels receives one- third of its funding from the Cayman Islands government and the balance is made up from donations, sponsorship and fundraisers, such as the annual Coin Drive, which takes place today and tomorrow. Volunteers are needed to solicit funds from the public at key locations. They will be provided with a collection bucket, a T-shirt and lapel stickers to hand out to those who donate. Any person or organization willing to assist or “take over” a location from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., contact info@mealsonwheels.ky for more information. SATURDAY, MAR. 24 BEACH GROUNDBREAKING: Groundbreaking ceremony for the Bo Miller Beach in Old Man Bay, North Side, takes place 5-6 p.m. All are invited. The beach property is on Old Robin Road in the area known as Jackie Bay. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross mobile Thrift Shop will be in Bodden Town 6-10 a.m. at the Rubis gas station parking lot. Items available include linens, clothing and shoes, ladies’ accessories, household items and more. GARAGE AND CAR BOOT SALE: In St. Ignatius School Hall and Car Park, Walkers Road. 6-11 a.m. No early birds, please. Clothes, toys, books, household items, art and more. Breakfast items on sale. BRAC AGRICULTURE SHOW: The Cayman Brac Agriculture Show takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Agriculture Grounds on the Bluff. Contact Chevala Burke at chevala.burke@gov.ky or 916-4874. ORATORICAL CONTEST: The Optimist Club holds its annual oratorical contest for students 18 years and under at the George Town Town Hall. This year’s topic is, “Where are my roots of optimism?” Contact contest chairperson Patrice Hanson at 323-3925 or deputy chairperson Mark Ray at 916-2844. Learn more about the Optimist Club at www.optimistcayman.com. SUNDAY, MAR. 25 HONOURING WOMEN MONTH: Church service, John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay, 10 a.m. All are invited. TUESDAY, MAR. 27 ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER: The Cayman Ministers’ Association host their Annual Day of Prayer on the grounds of the Glass House (next to Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue) from noon to 12:50 p.m. All are invited. THURSDAY, MAR. 29 BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY COURSE: Understand the mechanics behind blockchain, how it works, why it is in demand and how it can be regulated. $350. Register at www.riskpass.com/training. FRIDAY, MAR. 30 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. GENERAL INTEREST EARLY CHILDHOOD FEES: The Ministry of Education provides financial assistance for Caymanian children between 3 and 4 years of age before Sept. 1, 2018, to assist with payment of fees at an early childhood centre between Sept. and June 30. Application forms can be downloaded from www.education.gov. ky or collected from the Government Administration Building, the Department of Education Services and all early childhood centres. Contact Renee Barnes at 244-5735, Turnette Stewart at 244-5724 or email ecap@gov.ky. SOLAR IMAGING: An exhibition of digital solar imaging in Cayman by the late Dr. Bill Hrudey. National Gallery, Esterley Tibbetts Highway. 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. CONCH AND WHELK SEASON: The open season for conch and whelk runs until April 30. The legal limit for conch is five per person per day or 10 per boat, whichever is less. The limit for whelk catches is two-and-a-half gallons in the shell, or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks, per person, per day. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. OPEN CANVAS: Every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee. Easels provided for artist of all levels to come out and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Email info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., GT. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacyman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6 – 7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. website at www.rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. HOLY THURSDAY, MARCH 29 CATHOLIC CHURCH: Mass of the Lord’s Supper. 7 p.m. at St. Ignatius, Walkers Road. 7 p.m. Stella Maris, Cayman Brac. GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 30 CATHOLIC CHURCH: Stations of the Cross at noon; Passion Service 1 p.m. St. Ignatius, Stella Maris and Christ the Redeemer in West Bay. HOLY SATURDAY, MARCH 31 CATHOLIC CHURCH: Easter Vigil Mass, 7:30 p.m. at St. Ignatius. EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 1 UNITED CHURCH: William Pouchie Memorial United Church holds its Easter Cantata with congregational participation at 9 a.m. The church is at 815 North Side Drive. Everyone is invited to come and worship. CATHOLIC CHURCH: Easter Sunday Mass. 8 a.m., 10 a.m. noon and 6 p.m. at St. Ignatius. 9 a.m., 11 a.m. at Christ the Redeemer (West Bay). 11 a.m. at Stella Maris (Cayman Brac). EASTER SERVICES7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 Bones found in BT could be tied to decades old mystery JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Bodden Town man be- lieves bones found by a member of the public in September last year could be those of the late Sarah Bodden, a woman from the district who disappeared in the 1940s. The bones were discov- ered in Bodden Town during the renovation of a hurricane- damaged house. A forensic examination determined the bones had been in the ground for about 75 years. Ms. Bodden went missing around 1943 or 1944, when she was in her early 50s, ac- cording to 79-year-old Neville McCoy. Her disappearance remains an unsolved mystery. “For seven decades I wondered what happened to Sarah,” said Mr. McCoy. “If these bones are a fe- male, I think I may finally have my answer.” Police findings Forensic archaeolo- gists and anthropologists in the U.S. examined the bones, which were sent from Cayman last year, and deter- mined the remains had been in the ground for more than seven decades. The examination did not find any obvious cause of death or injuries, police said in a statement. “Due to these factors, the bones are not subject to any further legal or medical investigation,” a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service spokesman said. The RCIPS spokesman added that police enquiries “have been unable to deter- mine who the remains may have been.” Forensic checks were unable to confirm the gender of the remains nor obtain DNA from them as the bones were extremely de- graded, police said. The search Mr. McCoy believes Ms. Bodden may have been col- lecting firewood when she went missing. He said it was stan- dard practice for women in the district to collect fire- wood late in the evening to use for cooking. It was the only source of energy in those days and was used for cooking, ironing and smoking out mosquitoes. Ms. Bodden was last seen by her brother, the late Adler Bodden, the evening she left the family home, located op- posite Thomas Russell Beach in Bodden Town, according to Mr. McCoy. When Ms. Bodden did not return home by sunrise the next morning, her brother raised the alarm. A massive search was organized with every able-bodied man in the district. Even turkey vul- tures, known as “John Crow” birds, were flown in from Ja- maica by the government to aid in the search. They even- tually died from starvation, Mr. McCoy said. Bodden Town was not densely populated in those days. Only 300 to 400 people lived in the district and ev- erybody knew each other, ac- cording to Mr. McCoy. For two weeks, from sun- rise to sunset, people in the district searched the dense bush at the back of Ms. Bodden’s house. “The bush back there was impenetrable and could not be accessed without ma- chete and clearing equip- ment … no lady would have gone there looking for fire- wood,” he said. Mr. McCoy, who was a little boy at the time, said no one thought of searching the beach and popular spots the women went to col- lect firewood. Ms. Bodden’s straw basket, clothes, shoes and hat were never found. Corine Rankine, also in her 70s, said she was a little girl when she heard about Ms. Bodden. “In those days, they never worried much about people [going] missing and it went just like that,” she said. No one knew where Ms. Bodden went to find fire- wood that fateful evening, according to Mr. McCoy. The easiest and simplest place to get firewood was the seagrape trees on the beach, he said. “Where they found the bone fragments was an abundance of firewood and most of the ladies visited that area,” Mr. McCoy said. Also, there was a large seagrape tree in that area where the men of the com- munity butchered cows and turtles, and people would go there to buy meat. Approxi- mately 10 feet from where the bones were found last year, Mr. McCoy said, there was a little wooden thatch- roof house that was owned by his grandfather’s brother, Edwin Solomon. Coinciden- tally, that house was re- moved in 1944 to a distance of about 200 feet and relo- cated behind four “Joseph’s Coat” trees, hidden away from the public. “Edwin and his wife Jose- phine died there in that little house,” Mr. McCoy said. “I figured whatever hap- pened to Sarah, happened right in that area where they found those bones. If they are female, they are 100 percent hers.” “Even if we did find Sar- ah’s bones, we will never know the cause and manner of Sarah’s death,” he added. Mr. McCoy said he knew Sarah because she was friends with his grand- mother. When the woman sat and talked, he was al- ways around. After leaving school each day, he searched for firewood with his grand- mother. He also said his fa- ther helped in the search for Sarah. Just after that, he said, his father left Cayman and never returned. “From what I can re- member of Sarah, she didn’t converse too easily and was more of a loner. She was not friendly and so- ciable, and was thought of by members of the commu- nity as not having it all to- gether,” he said. “I don’t know of her having any enemies.” Police dig up human remains in September 2017 from a house undergoing renovations in Bodden Town. Forensic examination of the bones showed that they had been in the ground for 75 years. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS He said it would also give tourism officials a de- gree of oversight to help ensure properties being rented to visitors were up to standard and compliant with regulatory require- ments, including being li- censed through the Hotel Licensing Board and paying visitor room taxes. Mr. Munoz said Airbnb was growing exponen- tially, with more listings around the world than any hotel chain. He said the company would be hosting two town hall meetings per year in the Cayman Islands along with government officials to educate its “hosts” on their regulatory obliga- tions and to provide in- formation to people who wanted to rent their rooms using the service. There are currently 470 properties in the Cayman Islands listed with Airbnb but both Mr. Kirkconnell and Mr. Munoz suggested the partnership should in- crease that number. “This is a very old prac- tice, of hosting people in your homes,” said Mr. Munoz. “It is also now the future. Through tech- nology, we are making it easier for people to travel and connect. It is our aim through this MOU to be able to bring more folks to the Cayman Islands to experience what you have to offer.” In other island nations, the growth of Airbnb has been resisted by tourism officials because it has di- verted visitors to smaller properties, which are harder to regulate and to collect taxes from. Mr. Kirkconnell said Cayman has not had that issue, but suggested the agreement would help it keep better tabs on the in- dustry to ensure there are no illegal renters operating. There will also be a degree of data sharing through the MOU, allowing tourism offi- cials to get better informa- tion on where Airbnb users are staying and where they are coming from. Cayman makes deal with Airbnb lending and the flow of cap- ital, but also the legislation that will govern it. “The Cayman Islands, as one of the major financial centers in the world, needs to continue to be innova- tive and adaptable, creating the environment to facilitate a rapidly changing global fi- nancial system.” Premier Alden McLaughlin, who is also participating in the four-day conference in Hong Kong, said Wednesday that three conferences held in Cayman so far this year, in- cluding the Alternative Invest- ment Summit and a block- chain currency conference, had a “FinTech focus.” “I believe we are well po- sitioned to serve as the juris- diction of choice for a new breed of financial services business whose innovations are changing the traditional face of the financial sector,” Mr. McLaughlin said. A number of govern- ment members, including Mr. McLaughlin, Ms. Rivers, Health Minister Dwayne Sey- mour and Commerce Min- ister Joey Hew are in Hong Kong, invited as guests of the U.K. government for the in- novation festival, one of sev- eral British government trade shows being held around the world since early 2017. The festival is seen locally as an opportunity to show- case Cayman Islands busi- nesses, particularly in the fi- nancial services industry. The festival is part of the U.K. Department of In- ternational Trade’s effort to promote British businesses and industries, which began in January 2017. Cayman has been invited to par- ticipate as a British Over- seas Territory. According to a depart- ment press release is- sued last year: “Declaring to global investors that the U.K. is open for business, this campaign showcases the strength of the U.K. as a leading investment and busi- ness destination, in the fi- nancial services, life science sector and sustainable en- ergy industry.” The health services in- dustry will be featured Thursday at the conference, where Health City Cayman Is- lands founder Dr. Devi Shetty will speak to attendees. that was used judiciously. She added that the EIA did not determine whether a project could proceed. It merely in- forms the Department of En- vironment’s recommendation. Planned projects required to go through EIAs in the past 18 months included, two “farm roads” in North Side, the planned expansion to the East-West Arterial highway, and a new “spine road” in Little Cayman. Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said, “Those roads, both in Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, were being proposed through primary habitat in areas where there was potential for direct impacts.” With the East-West Ar- terial, she said, there were serious concerns around flooding that would need to be investigated and mitigated. “There was a lot of scope for severe impacts as a result of flooding,” she said. During discussions at the council meeting last week, members also appeared to be in the dark about proposals to review the National Con- servation Law. Premier Alden McLaughlin highlighted con- cerns about the EIA process when he announced plans for a review committee to be es- tablished last year. Attempting to answer questions from council members on the review, Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said she be- lieved government was still in the process of establishing the review committee. Speaking to the Compass later, she said any percep- tion that the EIA process was a barrier to development did not hold up to scrutiny. “I haven’t seen any docu- ment on what the issues are with the law. That seems to be one of [the concerns] but if you look at the evidence subjectively, you have to con- clude that is not the case.” She said recent articles in the Compass showed that the property market was booming and that more proj- ects than ever were being cleared for approval. “I think it would be hard to make an argument that the allegation [that EIAs hold up development] is supported by the evidence.” Despite those booming development statistics, there does appear to be ev- idence that at least one project was impacted by the EIA requirement. Speaking before the Cen- tral Planning Authority at a recent meeting, Jackie Doak, president of Dart Realty, sug- gested the requirement for an EIA on its plan to move beach rock from the coastal waters off Seven Mile Beach had been a factor in its deci- sion to switch locations for its planned five-star hotel. Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said additional information was necessary for this project, be- cause of its potential impacts on the beach. “It wasn’t that we ob- jected to the development. We objected to the removal of beach rock if it was going to have a negative impact on the shoreline,” she said. She added that removing beach rock could have im- pacted the coastline north and south of Dart’s property, and the range of potential impacts needed to be prop- erly identified and quanti- fied before a recommendation could be made. The National Conserva- tion Council remains two members short and without a chairperson since the res- ignation of Christine Rose- Smyth in late 2017. It is up to Cabinet to appoint new mem- bers for Bodden Town and for North Side and to designate a chairperson. Of the 668 projects, including multiple new hotel projects, referred to the council it says it only requested EIAs on six projects. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Conservation council defends record on assessments “FinTech is disrupting the financial services industry with a range of new technologies.” TARA RIVERS, minister of financial services Cayman talks up FinTech on Hong Kong trip Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers, far right, speaks as part of a panel on FinTech innovation in Hong Kong Wednesday. Joining Minister Rivers on the panel are, from left, Sui Yang Phang, managing partner of Nest, Jean Claude Farah, executive vice president and president of Global Payments for Western Union, Alex Kong, TNG FinTech Group founder and chairman, and Dr. Vivek Ramachandran, head of Growth and Innovation, Global Commercial Banking, HSBC. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PERU’S PRESIDENT OFFERS RESIGNATION OVER VIDEOS LIMA, Peru (AP) – Embat- tled President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has offered his resignation to Peru’s con- gress ahead of a sched- uled vote on whether to impeach the former Wall Street investor on corrup- tion charges, according to a presidential aide. Kuczynski announced his decision in a televised address to the nation. If congress accepts the resignation, power would transfer to Vice President Martin Vizcarra, who is serving as Peru’s ambas- sador to Canada. Pressure has been building on Kuczynski to resign after the shock rev- elation Tuesday of secretly shot videos in which sev- eral of the president’s allies were caught allegedly trying to buy the support of a law- maker to block the conserva- tive leader’s impeachment. The videos deepened a bitter political crisis playing out just three weeks be- fore U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Peru for a regional summit. The videos presented by the main opposition party purportedly show attempts by Kuczynski’s lawyer, a government official, and the son of former strongman Alberto Fujimori, trying to convince the lawmaker to back the president in ex- change for a hand in state contracts in his district. Kenji Fujimori led a group of rebellious law- makers in December who defied his sister Keiko’s leadership of the Popular Force party to narrowly block Kuczynski’s removal. Days later, Kuczynski par- doned the feuding siblings’ father from a 25-year jail sentence for human rights abuses committed during his decade-long presidency. A new impeachment vote is scheduled to take place Thursday and Kuc- zynski had once again been scrambling for support – a task made harder by the re- lease of the videos, which fueled calls from some of Kuczynski’s allies and members of his cabinet for the president to imme- diately resign. “What we’ve seen in the videos is embarrassing,” Congressman Salvador Heresi, one of a handful belonging to Kuczyns- ki’s party, said on Twitter, threatening to join the op- position and vote for im- peachment if Kuczynski didn’t resign. Keiko Fujimori, who has publicly distanced herself from her father, accused Kuczynski of orchestrating the alleged vote-buying scheme. On Twitter she re- gretted her younger broth- er’s appearance in one of the videos, which she said harkened back to “prac- tices that have caused so much damage to Peru and our family.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 Slovakia to appoint new government Slovakia’s president agreed to appoint a new government amid a political crisis triggered by the killing of a journalist and his fiancee. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s three-party coalition resigned last week in the wake of the slayings, which shone a light on possible government corruption. INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS: . . . . . . or email: aeb@easyconnect.ky IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Tickets are non-refundable, once full payment is paid to FINAL PAYMENT, March 15, CI$ per person Tour of Panama Canal included Round trip, Airfare & Departure tax from Cayman Islands if paid in full before March. CI$650 if paid after this date One Way Fare CI Departs March 29, returns April 3, 2018 Grand Excursion to (Connection to Panama City) CAYMAN CHARTERS SAN ANDRES ISLAND COLOMBIA TRAVEL SERVICES & Grand Excursion toGrand Excursion to SAN ANDRES ISLAND COLOMBIA The agency that put you rst! EARLY BIRD SPECIAL Flight departs at 1:30pm Austin bombing suspect blows himself up as SWAT moves in ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) – The suspect in the deadly bombings that terrorized Austin blew himself up early Wednesday as authorities closed in on him, bringing a grisly end to a three-week manhunt. But police warned that more bombs could be out there. The young man behind the attacks was identified as Mark Anthony Conditt, an unemployed 24-year-old who bought bomb-making materials at Home Depot. His motive remained a mys- tery, along with whether he acted alone in the five bomb- ings in the Texas capital and suburban San Antonio that killed two people and wounded four others. Police zeroed in on Con- ditt using store surveillance video, cellphone signals and witness accounts of a strange- looking customer making pur- chases while wearing a dis- guise that included a blonde wig and gloves. Officers located his ve- hicle at a hotel on Interstate 35 in the suburb of Round Rock. Officers were waiting for armored vehicles to arrive before moving in for an ar- rest when his vehicle began to drive away, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference. Authorities followed the vehicle, which ran into a ditch on the side of the road, he said. When members of the SWAT team approached, the suspect detonated an explo- sive device inside the vehicle, the police chief said. A law enforcement offi- cial provided the dead man’s name. The official, who has been briefed on the investiga- tion, spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of an- onymity because the official was not authorized to dis- cuss the case publicly. Investigators released few details about Conditt, ex- cept his age and that he was white. Online postings indi- cate he was home schooled. He later attended Austin Community College from 2010 to 2012, according to a college spokeswoman, but he did not graduate. In posts dated from 2012, a blogger who identified him- self as Mark Conditt of sub- urban Pflugerville wrote that gay marriage should be il- legal. He also called for the elimination of sex offender registrations and argued in favor of the death penalty. He listed his interests as cycling, tennis and listening to music. Of gay marriage, Con- ditt wrote: “Homosexuality is not natural. Just look at the male and female bodies. They are obviously de- signed to couple.” The mayor of Pflugerville, which is not far from the site of the first bombing, said the suspect lived in his city, just two blocks from his house. Pflugerville resident Jay Schulze said he was jogging Tuesday night when he was stopped by police and asked about the bombings. He said police flew drones over a home for about six hours be- tween Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning. He described the home over which the drones were flying as “a weird house with a lot of people coming and going” and a bit rundown. A neighbor who watched Conditt grow up says he “al- ways seemed like he was smart” and “polite.” Jeff Reeb said he has lived next to Con- ditt’s parents for about 17 years and described them as good neighbors. He said Con- ditt, who lived with room- mates a few miles away, had visited his parents regularly. Austin was hit with four package bombings starting on March 2. A fifth parcel bomb went off early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin, said Conditt’s “fatal mistake” was walking into a FedEx store to mail a package because that allowed authorities to obtain surveillance video that showed him and his ve- hicle, along with his license plate number. From there, he told Austin television station KXAN, investigators could identify the suspect and eventually track him using his cellphone. Police warned Wednesday of the possibility that more bombs had yet to be found. “We don’t know where this suspect has spent his last 24 hours, and therefore we still need to remain vigilant to en- sure that no other packages or devices have been left to the community,” Manley said. By midday, Pflugerville police began evacuating the area around the suspect’s home to deploy a robot to check for explosives. Authorities initially be- lieved the bombings may have been hate crimes be- cause the victims of the ear- liest blasts were black, but they backed off that theory after Hispanic and white vic- tims from different parts of the city were also affected. Fred Milanowski, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Al- cohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said it was “hard to say” if the bombing sus- pect had acted alone. “What we do know is we believe the same person built each one of these devices,” said Milanowski, the agent in charge of the Houston divi- sion of the ATF. Austin Mayor Steve Adler thanked law enforcement for their work in bringing down the suspect and urged resi- dents to continue to report anything that appeared sus- picious or out of place. Isaac Figueroa, 26, said he and his brother heard si- rens and helicopters early Wednesday in the area and drove toward them, then cut through nearby woods on foot after they hit a po- lice roadblock. Figueroa said they saw a sport utility vehicle that was pinned between vehicles and “looked like it had been rammed off the road.” He said he saw police deploy a robot to go examine the Jeep. President Donald Trump, who had earlier said who- ever was responsible for the Austin bombings was “obvi- ously a very sick individual or individuals,” tweeted, “AUSTIN BOMBING SUS- PECT IS DEAD. Great job by law enforcement and all concerned!” Moscow fears London could destroy evidence in ex-spy’s case MOSCOW (AP) – A Rus- sian foreign ministry offi- cial said on Wednesday that Moscow fears Britain could destroy key evidence in the nerve agent attack on an ex-Russian spy. Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter remain in crit- ical condition in the Eng- lish city of Salisbury after being found unconscious on a public bench on March 4. Britain says they were poi- soned with a nerve agent known as Novichok and has blamed Russia for being behind the attack, but Russia has fiercely denied any involvement. The case prompted the two nations to expel diplo- mats in a tit-for-tat dispute. The Russian foreign min- istry invited foreign am- bassadors in Moscow to brief them about the alle- gations on Wednesday, but the British and the U.S. mis- sions shunned the meeting and sent lower-level dip- lomats instead. Vladimir Yermakov, deputy head of the minis- try’s department for non-pro- liferation, told the briefing that Russia “has nothing to do with (the poisoning) whatsoever” because, for one thing, it “does not benefit us in any way.” Yermakov said that Britain is “hiding facts” and fears that key evidence might “disappear.” He did not elaborate. Russia previously claimed it had no motive to kill Skripal, who was convicted of spying for Britain but re- leased in a 2010 spy swap. Moscow has also insisted that it had completed the de- struction of its chemical ar- senals last year under inter- national oversight. Russian scientist Leonid Rink told the state RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday that Britain and others could easily synthe- size Novichok after chem- ical expert Vil Mirzayanov emigrated to the U.S. and re- vealed its formula. Gen. Igor Kirillov of the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday called the publi- cation of Mirzayanov’s book “complicity to terrorism.” Kirillov also accused “Western nations” of “ex- ploiting all possible methods to discredit Russia” while Yermakov hinted that the poisoning “may have been di- rected from overseas,” adding that the United States still has a sizeable stockpile of chemical weapons. Interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, center, stands with other members of law enforcement as he briefs the media, Wednesday, in Round Rock, Texas. The suspect in a spate of bombing attacks that have terrorized Austin over the past month blew himself up with an explosive device as authorities closed in, the police said early Wednesday. - PHOTO: APNext >