ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 High of 87 Low of 76 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CELEBRATING CAYMAN’S BLOOMING SEASON OF GROWTH SPORT | PAGE 15 STRONG PLAY AT CAYMAN JUNIOR NATIONAL SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS From happy beginnings to happy ever after. BritCay provides the best employee benefits and life cover at the best possible price. 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 cgigrp British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Limited acts solely as an agent on behalf of Colonial Medical Insurance Company Limited and Colonial Pension Services Ltd. and it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky Business Protection POLICE COMP TIME STILL PILING UP BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Royal Cayman Islands Police officers took a total of more than 24,000 hours of owed time off during the seven months between June 2017 and January 2018, according to re- cords obtained by the Cayman Compass. However, as of January, the department still owed its police officers more than 41,000 hours in compensation time for holiday time and extra work shifts. Based on a nine-hour average work day, that is more than 4,500 work days left to be taken in total. The police service has been trying to re- duce the number of compensatory hours being accumulated by officers since late 2016, when it was reported that 56 RCIPS officers amassed more than 51,000 hours in added time they had worked, but for which they did not receive extra pay. The compensatory time was valued at nearly $1.2 million. Portfolio of the Civil Ser- vice Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon told the Legislative Assembly last summer that some officers with large amounts of owed time had been offered a buyout equaling 50 percent of the value of their comp time, but she said many officers had refused that. Since then, dozens of RCIPS officers were forced to take a certain amount of the com- pensatory time off, leaving some police shifts short-staffed. However, even with the additional forced off hours taken, the owed time has only been reduced by a total of 10,000 hours, because police officers continue to accumulate com- pensatory time off, according to RCIPS Chief Inspector Raymond Christian, who responded to a Cayman Compass open records request Orange-masked dirt bike rider arrested BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Six months after Grand Cay- man’s “Ride of the Century” that saw dozens of motorbikers storm a police roadblock and ex- hibit a general disregard for road rules, the man depicted in a pho- tograph that became symbolic of the event has been arrested. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service announced the April 20 arrest on Tuesday. The 26-year-old George Town man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and com- mitting a reckless and negli- gent act. He was released on po- lice bail after his arrest and had not been charged as of press time Wednesday. “The arrest is in relation to the reckless riding which took place during the illegal motorbike event, named ‘Ride of the Cen- tury,’ on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, where the man arrested was one of the main participants,” a police statement about the arrest read. Police confirmed to the Cayman Compass that the man depicted wearing an orange ski mask in a picture of the Nov. 26 rally carried on the front page of the newspaper released the next day was the person officers ar- rested April 20. “Based on our investigation, that is the person who was arrested on Friday and is currently on police bail,” Cayman Airways to go west in search of new tourists JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Airways will begin flying di- rect to the western United States early next year, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell told business leaders at a Chamber of Com- merce breakfast briefing Wednesday. The Cayman Compass understands that Denver is one of the cities being considered for a new direct flight. Mr. Kirkconnell said, “We are very close to an announcement of a new gateway for early next year. I would say that would be in the western part of the United States.” He said the strategy was to use Cayman Airways’ new jets, which have the capacity to reach further-flung destinations, to tap into new markets. He said there were affluent populations along the west coast, from Los Angeles to Vancouver, that were within the right demo- graphic for Cayman’s luxury product. “The look at new gateways is on now,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “We want to open the west coast because we believe it is an under-served market for Cayman.” He said research on the cost and benefit was 95 percent complete and an announcement of the new route would likely happen within the next few weeks. Speaking during a question and answer Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, flanked by Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Oneisha Richards and chief officer Stran Bodden, brief business leaders at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast Wednesday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » This masked biker, stopped in the middle of a busy George Town intersection on Nov. 26, 2017, has been arrested by police. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY APRIL 26, 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) GRINGO (R) 1:35 I 6:35 TRAFFIK (R) 4:15 I 9:15 TRUTH OR DARE (PG13) 1:45 I 7:20 BLOCKERS (R) 4:30 I 10:00 A QUIET PLACE (PG13) 1:25 I 5:00 I 7:15 I 10:05 VIP WRINKLE IN TIME 3D (PG) 1:10 I 3:55 2D I 6:35 2D I 9:10 RAMPAGE 3D (PG13) 1:35 2D VIP I 2:30 2D I 7:30 2D VIP I 9:30 READY PLAYER ONE 3D (PG13) 3:40 I 4:15 2D VIP I 6:45 2D I 9:50 2D May is Child Month JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 30 interactive and family-friendly events have been planned to celebrate Cayman’s children in May. A church service at Church of God Chapel, Walkers Road, Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon officially kicks off Child Month. Under the theme “Rise Up and A.F.F.I.R.M.” (Acknowl- edge, Friend, Favor, Influence, Respect and Motivate our chil- dren), Child Month activities are taking place at preschool centers, elementary schools, high schools and businesses throughout the islands. On Tuesday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to noon, all Brac primary schools and day care centers will host a Celebrity Reading Day. The event involves sev- eral well-known local resi- dents visiting classrooms to promote literacy by reading popular children’s books. Also on the Brac, a teen disco will take place at the Youth Development Centre in Creek on Saturday, May 5. On Sunday, May 13, a church service with refresh- ments and games will be held at the Little Cayman Baptist Church at 1-3 p.m. Other activities include a family fun day at the gov- ernment pool in Stake Bay on Cayman Brac, Monday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a Movie and Game Night at Cayman Brac’s Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, May 17. “Snuggle up and read” ses- sions begin at George Town Primary on Wednesday, May 2, and continue at North Side Pri- mary on Monday, May 7; Sa- vannah Primary on Wednesday, May 9; East End Primary on Friday, May 11; Bodden Town Primary on Wednesday, May 23 and John A. Cumber Primary on Friday, May 25. A Foster Care Recruit- ment Drive is being planned for Thursday, May 17, at the George Town Yacht Club from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Youth Conference is also being planned for Friday, May 18 at the Marriott hotel, West Bay Road. A “Rise Up and a Celebrate our Children” Talent Expo takes place on Monday, May 21 at the old Glass House grounds on Grand Cayman from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The “Islandwide Dress for a Cause Day,” which assists the charity Feed Our Future, takes place on Friday, May 25. The Child Month activi- ties culminate on the Brac with a church service at Cross Roads United Church from 11 a.m. to noon. For a full listing of Child Month events, call the Department of Children and Family Services at 949-0290 or visit the department’s Facebook page. Nicaragua releases student protesters to lower tensions MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) – Authorities released some student protesters arrested during anti-government dem- onstrations over the past week and the Roman Cath- olic Church agreed Tuesday to act as a mediator as Presi- dent Daniel Ortega sought to lower tensions in Nicaragua. With freshly shaved heads and some bearing bruises they said were inflicted by police during their captivity, students were dropped along a highway on the outskirts of the capital. The police said in a state- ment that students were handed over to their families and religious committees. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes said Tuesday that the church would act as “medi- ator and witness” in a na- tional dialogue. Brenes called on the gov- ernment and members of civil society to avoid any vi- olence and damage to public or private property to set the right atmosphere for pro- ductive dialog. Five of Nicaragua’s private broadcasters have also re- turned to the air after having their signals interrupted during the height of the pro- tests. The last was 100% No- ticias, which regained its signal Monday. Miguel Mora, director of the outlet, said, “This is the triumph of the people and the banishment of censorship.” The White House released a statement condemning “the violence and repression prop- agated by the government of Nicaragua and any closing of media.” It called for dialogue and democratic reforms. On Sunday, Ortega backed off a social security overhaul that would have increased contributions and reduced pensions. The changes had triggered protests that soon spread beyond the social se- curity system. Human rights groups say at least 30 people were killed in the violence and some 150 protesters were arrested. Pablo Cuevas of the Per- manent Commission on Human Rights accused po- lice of violating students’ due process and being guilty of beatings and theft. “Everything related to the detention, beatings, rob- beries and abuses by the police we’re going to docu- ment and take to the interna- tional human rights organi- zations,” Cuevas said. US Virgin Islands to rebuild all main roads CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) – The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands says all of the territory’s main roads will be rebuilt to fed- eral standards following the damage inflicted by hurri- canes Irma and Maria. Kenneth Mapp says $530 million of the $1.2 billion needed has been pledged for the project. He also said Monday that offi- cials have already assessed the territory’s 1,273-mile public road system. Crews plan to rebuild roads to accommodate water, sewage and power lines, as well as fiber optic cables. They also will fea- ture American Disabili- ties Act certified sidewalks, traffic signals and cross- walks, among other things. Both storms pummeled the U.S. territory last year. Irma passed near St. John and St. Thomas on Sept. 6 as a Category 5 system, and Maria passed to the south of St. Croix two weeks later. ROAD CLOSURE FOR WET FETE To facilitate the “In- sane! Wet Fete” event on Friday, April 27, Harbour Drive between Shedden Road and Fort Street will be closed for several hours on Thursday and Friday. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, that section of road will be closed from 6:30 p.m. Thursday night until 3 a.m. Friday morning, and again from 6 p.m. Friday night until 5 a.m. Sat- urday morning. Demonstrators protest in honor of those who have died during anti-government protests in Managua, Nicaragua, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP PUERTO RICO REJECTS LABOR REFORM MEASURE SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Government officials in Puerto Rico are rejecting a labor reform measure that a federal control board overseeing the island’s fi- nances has submitted to the local legislature. Public Affairs Secre- tary Ramon Rosario said Wednesday that the board has no legal authority to implement such measures. The labor reform would cut sick leave and vacation pay by half and eliminate a Christmas bonus, among other things. Rosario echoed the recent sentiments of Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who has al- ready refused those and other austerity measures contained in various fiscal plans the board approved last week. CONOCOPHILLIPS WINS $2 BILLION ARBITRATION AGAINST VENEZUELA CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – ConocoPhillips says it won a $2 billion arbitration award against Venezuela’s state oil company over the sei- zure a decade ago of invest- ments in two projects in the OPEC nation. The award represents the equivalent of more than 20 percent of the cash-strapped Venezuelan government’s for- eign currency reserves. The Houston-based company said in a state- ment that the ruling against PDVSA was made by an international tri- bunal constituted under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce. It said the award is final and binding and that it in- tends to seek financial re- covery of the award to the full extent of the law. ConocoPhillips is pur- suing a separate legal against Venezuela’s government under the auspices of the World Bank’s investment dis- pute mechanism. A “Rise Up and a Celebrate our Children” Talent Expo takes place on Monday, May 21 at the old Glass House grounds on Grand Cayman from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.3 LOCAL NEWS Court of Appeal urges new sentencing guidelines CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal upheld a sentence of six years for causing death by dan- gerous driving. The judges dismissed the appeal on behalf of Conroy Nairne, who had pleaded guilty to causing the death of his passenger, Jessie Perry. Ms. Perry, 21, died a week after the one- car accident; she had sus- tained second- and third- degree burns over 80 percent of her body. The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2015, when Mr. Nairne was driving an Audi A4 on West Bay Road toward West Bay at speeds that reached 127 mph. The max- imum limit on West Bay Road is 40 mph. Where the road turns sharply to the right at the public beach, the car hit the curb and went airborne. It collided with a sign, boul- ders and a tree. When it hit the tree, it was 14 feet off the ground. The car burst into flames and came to rest on its roof, with both occupants inside. People in the vicinity pulled them from the burning car. Mr. Nairne was also injured. Attorney Nicholas Dixey submitted that the sentence should have been around three and a half years. He said Justice Marlene Carter had “double counted” the speed by using it to deter- mine the level of serious- ness of the offense and then using it again as an aggra- vating factor in the offense. With a maximum sen- tence in Cayman of 10 years for causing death by dan- gerous driving, Mr. Dixey said the judge’s starting point should have been five years, with credit then ap- plied for the guilty plea and mitigating factors. In response, Deputy Di- rector of Public Prosecu- tions Patrick Moran pointed to other aggravating fea- tures, such as the sustained speeding and the fact that it occurred on one of the busiest roads in Cayman, with restaurants and ho- tels in the area. Court president Sir John Goldring heard the appeal with Justice John Martin and Justice Sir Richard Field. Justice Martin delivered the decision. He said the sentencing judge was enti- tled to take the view that the offense was so serious that it warranted a higher starting point than the basic tariff. “We do not consider that her starting point of eight years was wrong in prin- ciple or manifestly exces- sive,” he said. The judge then did give a 25 percent discount, which was appropriate, the appeal court indicated. Mitigating factors had considerably less effect on sentence when the driver’s culpability was so high, the judges said. In his submissions, Mr. Dixey had referred to the chief justice’s sentencing guidelines of 2002, a U.K. case of 2003, and a Cayman case from 2008. The court found this state of affairs to be less than satisfactory. “We understand that the guidelines are under review, but until new ones are pro- mulgated it is difficult for a sentencer to know which ones to apply. The chief justice’s guide- lines are still in force and set a basic tariff, but the ap- proach to identification of relevant sentencing consid- erations, and the public at- titude to offenses of causing death by driving, have ad- vanced considerably since 2002, the court declared. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 Gun in ganja boat case heads to Grand Court Preliminary inquiry set for May 8 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three men charged with importing ganja and fire- arms to Cayman will have their cases heard in the Grand Court next month. One of the three, An- drew Folkes, 45, elected to have his case heard in the higher court when he ap- peared in Summary Court Monday. As a result, co-ac- cused Charles Rose, 40, and Marvin Brown, 34, will also be going to Grand Court. The three men, all from Westmoreland, Ja- maica, were arrested after Cayman’s Joint Marine Unit intercepted a canoe in the South Sound area of Grand Cayman on the night of March 14. The men were charged with having in their pos- session approximately 522 pounds of ganja with intent to supply; being concerned in the importation of that same ganja; illegal landing; and possession of an unli- censed Virginian Dragoon revolver and five bullets. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats set a preliminary in- quiry for May 8. Since the defendants are all represented by at- torneys, the inquiry will be by way of written state- ments rather than wit- nesses being obliged to come and give evi- dence in person. On that basis, the matter is ex- pected to be mentioned in the Grand Court on a Friday soon after. The defendants have been in custody since their arrests. This Virginian Dragoon revolver and five rounds of live ammunition were found on board a canoe in South Sound by police on March 14. The three men arrested in the case will appear in Grand Court next month. - PHOTO: RCIPS Junior Batabano T-shirt design contest won by St. Ignatius student The T-shirts that will be worn by staff, parents and volunteers at this Sat- urday’s Junior Batabano Street Parade were designed by 15-year-old St. Ignatius student Samruddhi Tagal- pallewar, who won the car- nival’s annual T-shirt de- sign competition. The annual competition, sponsored by Cayman Na- tional Bank this year, was extended to all schools on Grand Cayman, and there were more than 100 entries from six different schools, or- ganizers said. “The Junior Batabano T- shirt Competition has been an important creative part of Junior Batabano from its inception, and with Ju- nior Batabano seeing a re- cord participation of some 450 students this year, we are more than grateful and thrilled about CNB’s sponsor- ship making the production of extra T-shirts possible this year,” said WendyAnn George, Junior Batabano coordinator of the Cayman Carnival Bata- bano Committee. The return of George Town Primary Sponsored by Sagicor Life of the Cayman Islands, George Town Primary School is returning to the Junior Ba- tabano parade this year after a few years’ hiatus. This year, the school’s cos- tumes have been designed by Reba Dilbert, a local cos- tume designer who has been making the costumes on-site at the school, along with as- sistance from teachers, par- ents and students. Donna Myrie-Stephen, chairwoman of the Cayman Carnival Batabano Com- mittee, which organizes Ju- nior Batabano, said, “We are so excited to have George Town Primary back in Ju- nior Batabano. It’s won- derful to see our local community come together like this for the ongoing preservation of culture and the arts.” Saturday’s parade takes place on Saturday, April 28, starting at 2 p.m. from the Glass House on Elgin Av- enue. Students will then compete in a dance compe- tition and costume display on the Glass House lawns, where each school will com- pete for the coveted Junior Batabano Band of the Year. On the same evening, the annual “Teen Glow Party,” for ages 13-17, will take place from 7-10:30 p.m. at the George Town Town Hall. For more information, visit www.caymancarnival.com or email batabanocaymancarnival@gmail.com. Cayman National Bank Marketing Manager Shari Welcome, left, with the Junior Batabano T-shirt design winner Samruddhi Tagalpallewar of St. Ignatius Catholic School, center, and WendyAnn George, coordinator of Junior Batabano for the Cayman Carnival Batababo Committee. Six-year sentence upheld for death by dangerous driving Jessie Perry From left, WendyAnn George, Junior Batabano coordinator; Reba Dilbert, costume designer; Tamesha Hunter, George Town Primary student; teacher Domonique Watler; Sagicor Country Manager Tatiana Brown; Vice Principal Danielle Duran; and Principal Sharon Campbell-Danvers at the sponsorship donation presentation.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. WASHINGTON – As the mu- seum of human nature, aka the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, marks its 25th anniversary, it con- tinues to receive artifacts, such as a letter handwritten on a yellow scrap of paper. It was donated to the museum by Frank Grunwald, 85, who lives in Indianapolis. He was the younger of two Czechoslovakian boys who sit smiling on their mother’s lap in a photograph the museum has. It was taken before this Jewish family was swept into the Nazi murder machinery. Frank, then 11 and known as Misa, is alive because un- like his brother John, then 16, Frank did not limp. In July 1944, their father was segregated with male pris- oners who were working in an Auschwitz factory. The boys were with their mother in the Czech family section of the camp when a Nazi noticed John’s limp and selected him for gassing. Unwilling to have John face death alone, on July 11, Vilma went with him, leaving behind this letter to her husband: “You, my only one, dearest, in isolation we are waiting for darkness. We considered the possibility of hiding but de- cided not to do it since we felt it would be hopeless. The fa- mous trucks are already here and we are waiting for it to begin. I am completely calm. You – my only and dearest one, do not blame yourself for what happened, it was our destiny. We did what we could. Stay healthy and re- member my words that time will heal – if not completely – then – at least partially. Take care of the little golden boy and don’t spoil him too much with your love. Both of you – stay healthy, my dear ones. I will be thinking of you and Misa. Have a fabulous life, we must board the trucks. Into eternity, Vilma.” So, the museum pres- ents human nature’s noblest as well as vilest manifesta- tions. It has received 43 mil- lion visitors, 90 percent non- Jewish, many of whom have had opportunities to talk to survivors, such as Fanny Ai- zenberg, who in her 102nd year still comes most Sun- days. Located just off the Mall, one of the world’s most pleasant urban spaces and the epicenter of American politics, the museum in- flicts an assaultive, excru- ciating knowing: Nothing is unthinkable, and political institutions by themselves provide no permanent safety from barbarism, which per- manently lurks beneath civi- lization’s thin, brittle crust. This is why the Holocaust is the dark sun into which this democracy should peer. Calling the Holocaust un- fathomable is a moral flinch from facts that demand scholarship, which the mu- seum enables. It has, for ex- ample, more than 900 video interviews with witnesses and collaborators. And per- petrators, such as Juozas Aleksynas, a member of a Lithuanian police battalion that commi0tted genocide in Belarus in 1941: “We were issued Rus- sian guns and bullets … some were exploding bul- lets …. A person’s skull opens up so fast …. They would carry children – the little ones – they’d take the others by the hand. They lie down, lay the child next to them …. First you shoot the father …. How would the father feel if the child was shot by his side?” An album found long ago in an abandoned SS bar- racks contains photos of Aus- chwitz guards and adminis- trators at leisure – singing, picnicking. It includes some of the few pictures of a short, dark-haired man – Dr. Josef Mengele, who escaped pros- ecution for his “medical” ex- periments, drowning in 1979 while swimming in Brazil. In his mind-opening 2017 book “Why? Explaining the Holocaust,” Peter Hayes says the subject “continues to re- sist comprehension.” Resist, but not defy. His many con- clusions include the awe- some – for better or worse – power of individual agency: No Hitler, no Holocaust. But Hitler began tentatively, with small measures. Hayes concludes his book with a German proverb: Wehret den Anfangen – beware the beginnings. Today, there is an essen- tially fascist government in Hungary. Anti-Semitism is coming out of the closet: The Labour Party, which might form Britain’s next govern- ment, is riddled with it, from the top down. Blood-and-soil tribalism – degenerate suc- cessor to throne-and-altar conservatism – is fermenting across Europe. And there is a name for what is happening to the Rohingya in Myanmar: genocide. The museum of human nature remains what it would prefer not to be: per- tinent to understanding not only the past but the present. How do those who work at the museum, immersed in the task of making us remember the unspeakable, maintain their emotional equilibrium? By also remembering Vilma. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group Many parts of the world, not similarly blessed with the Cayman Islands’ tropical clime, are relishing the advent of spring and its exuberance of flora. Here in Cayman, where the flowers remain vibrant all the year round, we have our own season of growth to celebrate – economically, that is – as dozens of exciting development projects are springing up. Rather than daffodils, tulips and crocuses, our blossoms in Cayman, of course, are made of concrete, glass and steel, although their names hearken the beauty of nature: Indigo Bay, Ironwood Resort, Orchid Development Community, Periwinkle, The Grove and WaterColours (not to mention, Seacrest by Brian Butler, Seahaven by Encompass, or SOLARA). The economic cornucopia is overflowing in nearly every district in Grand Cayman, from Rum Point Club Residences in North Side to the Boggy Sands Club in West Bay. Some include expansions of successful, ongoing ventures, such as Health City Cayman Islands, Cayman International School and Camana Bay, while others, such as Cayman Enterprise City, FIN Condo- miniums and Periwinkle sustainable community, liter- ally and figuratively, break new ground. The most recent issue of our sister publication, Grand Cayman Magazine contains an impressive list that names three dozen ongoing projects, including luxury homes, health and wellness amenities, new business and commercial enterprises, resorts and spas, and office complexes, as well as infrastructure upgrades necessi- tated by the current development boom. From our windows at Compass Centre, we have a front-row view of the Cayman Cargo Distribution Centre’s towering new crane, part of a $5.6 million project which will allow the Port Authority to stack shipping containers seven stories high – a neces- sary expansion to meet the demands of our growing economy and population. To passersby on North Sound Road, once the facility upgrade is completed in June, the stacked con- tainers might resemble a seven-story building. To us, the crane-stacked towers of crates are emblematic not only of our territory’s growth, but also confidence in our continued growth, as hotel projects and a possible cruise berthing development increase the amount of cargo arriving on our shores. Port director Clement Reid told the Compass that officials hope that by redeveloping the yard they will ensure Grand Cayman has enough storage capacity for the next 20 years. A highly technical automated system will enable operators to keep track of all those containers, making it easy to harvest the correct bins when customers arrive to claim their property. Other beneficiaries of the boom are Cayman’s con- struction companies. As was reported in the Compass this week, three-quarters of the 30 firms partici- pating in a Chamber of Commerce industry roundtable said they expect to boost spending this year, with 70 percent looking to increase local hiring, and fully two- thirds anticipating expansions of their local operations. Taken together, these figures present a positive picture of future growth, where seeds of continued development and prosperity will be sown by vision- aries, entrepreneurs, investors and developers. This season’s “crop” looks especially bountiful. Celebrating Cayman’s blooming season of growth THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The vilest and noblest manifestations of humanity GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE F. WILL 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” A visitor tours the permanent exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2014. - PHOTO: U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 John Gray holds open house MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Leah Robinson, head girl at John Gray High School, had an idea for sharing her school experience with everyone on Cayman. When the opportu- nity arose, she grabbed it. That idea came to life on Tuesday, as parents and family members of stu- dents dropped in to visit classrooms, see educational project demonstrations and watch volleyball and basket- ball teams compete in tour- naments. It was the first event of its kind in recent memory for the school. By 1 p.m., a little over 40 parents had visited the school. The event ran until 4 p.m. Mark Plowright, 16, the school’s head boy, said Leah made her suggestion last fall during a discussion about John Gray’s public reputa- tion with members of the leg- islative assembly. The con- sensus was that the school had an image problem. “Leah said, ‘We should have an open house,’” Mark said. Leah, 15, said she thinks her school often gets a bad rap. People think, she said, “that we don’t do anything, or that we have fights every day, or it’s chaos.” That is contrary to her own experience, she said. And she thinks the same is true of most John Gray stu- dents. Showcasing what she and other organizers called a “normal” day at the high school was an effort to combat that perception. Principal Jon Clark said Leah, Mark and other stu- dent leaders took charge of the event from its inception to its execution. While stu- dent projects were featured in various areas, along with sports and music perfor- mances, Mr. Clark said stu- dents were attending their regular classes. “The parents see us in a regular working day,” Mr. Clark said. “We want to be honest and genuine and show them some of the high- lights and some of the things we’re proud about.” Nena Brown, 47, has a daughter in Year 10 and a son who graduated from John Gray last year. She said she did not need to be convinced that the school had good things to offer. “I’ve always had a good impression of the school,” Ms. Brown said. “Even though there’s some negative things, I try to be positive.” She came to the event, she said, out of curiosity and “just to browse around.” “The first piece of work I looked at was my son’s,” she said, surprised by the coin- cidence. “It must have been from last year.” That impressed her the most, she said. Second was the underwater robot stu- dents built for the Sea Perch project. The robot was tem- porarily housed in a tank of water, where students were able to remotely maneuver it around to pick things up off the bottom. Retired George Town Pri- mary principal Marie Martin was pleased with what she saw while touring the school. “This is great stuff,” Ms. Martin said. “For some [par- ents], I’m sure it was their first time here and that’s a really good thing. It can only grow from here.” The John Gray High School swing band performs Tuesday at the school’s open house. - PHOTOS: MARK MUCKENFUSS Nathaniel Antunez, second from left, controls an underwater robot as a demonstration during John Gray High School’s open house Tuesday.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 APRIL 26, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, APRIL 26 PUB QUIZ: The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Association holds a pub quiz at 7 p.m. at Fidel Murphy’s. Get your colleagues, friends and family together and come out for a night of brain challenge. Entry fee is $10 per person and teams are made up of 6 persons. Call 924-4170 to reserve a table. Lots of prizes and surprises. FRIDAY, APRIL 27 PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT: Last day to view exhibit “From Whence We Came” at the National Gallery. Admission is free. SATURDAY, APRIL 28 ROCK HOLE CLEAN-UP: A community-wide clean-up will be held in the Rock Hole Community in George Town starting at 6:30 a.m. at the Government site. Refreshments, drinks and bags will be provided courtesy of District Representative Joey Hew. For more information, contact Frank Cornwall at 926-5165 or 917-1752. BUSINESSMEN’S BREAKFAST: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast at 7:30 a.m., at Lola’s restaurant in Camana Bay. The speaker will be Roy Bodden, formerly of Radio Cayman. WEST BAY OLDER PERSONS: The Older Persons’ Council is seeking input from older persons and their families through a series of meetings in each of the Cayman Islands’ six districts. The meeting for West Bay is today, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall. Light refreshments will be available. LITTLE CAYMAN AGRICULTURE SHOW: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Blossom Village Park. Contact Roger Scott, 948-1051, or Chevala Burke at chevala.burke@gov.ky. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross mobile Thrift Shop will be in East End, close to Pirates Cove Bar, 6-10 a.m. SUNDAY, APRIL 29 CHILD MONTH: The observance of May as Child Month officially opens with a church service 10 a.m. to noon at the Church of God Chapel, Walkers Road. All are invited. HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO: Free community event organized by the East End SDA Church. 2-5 p.m. Cooking lessons and tastings, massages, hydrotherapy and facials, blood pressure and sugar testing, and an “Ask the Doctor” booth. SDA Church, 2638 Sea View Road. All are invited. TUESDAY, MAY 1 BRAC READING DAY: A Child Month activity. Celebrity Reading Day takes place in all Cayman Brac’s primary schools and day care centers, 10 a.m. to noon. The event will involve several well-known local residents visiting classrooms to promote literacy by reading popular children’s books. HURRICANE SHELTER VOLUNTEERS: The Department of Children and Family Services wants people to sign up as hurricane shelter volunteers for the 2018 hurricane season. Today is the deadline to register for training to offer support and immediate on-scene assistance. Training sessions are Tuesday and Wednesday, May 8 and 9, from 6-8:30 p.m. For further information and to register, call the Department on 949-0290 or email dcfs.smt@gov.ky. FRIDAY, MAY 4 HOSPICECARE BIG BASH: Fundraiser at Ristorante Pappagallo from 7 p.m. Open bar. Music by Bonafide and DJ Jacko. Dress code: cocktail chic. Tickets $250. Contact 945- 7447 or fundraising@ caymanhospicecare.ky. SATURDAY, MAY 5 BODDEN TOWN OLDER PERSONS: The Older Persons’ Council is seeking input from older persons and their families through a series of meetings in each of the Cayman Islands’ six districts. The meeting for Bodden Town is today, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Civic Centre. Light refreshments will be available. SATURDAY, MAY 12 SPRING TEA PARTY: St. Ignatius School Courtyard, 2:30-5 p.m. $5 ticket includes finger food, entertainment and a chance to win great door prizes. Contact 949-6797. BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: Kiwanis Breakfast for Dinner, from 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott. The evening begins with a Champagne reception followed by a three course breakfast, a fashion show and music. Dress code is smart casual but pajamas are encouraged. Benefits the Buy a Kid Breakfast program. Tickets are $100. Contact 916-8664 or president@kiwanis.ky. EAST END OLDER PERSONS: The Older Persons’ Council is seeking input from older persons and their families through a series of meetings in each of the Cayman Islands’ six districts. The meeting for East End is today, 5:30-7 p.m. at the East End United Church Hall, Gun Bay. Light refreshments will be available. GENERAL INTEREST CHILD MONTH: The Department of Children and Family Services celebrates Child Month in May with more than 30 interactive and family friendly events across the Cayman Islands. For the full listing of Child Month events, visit the department’s Facebook page. CADET CORPS: The Cayman Islands Cadet Corps is looking for new recruits, ages 11-16, to join the Band Detachment or the Marine Detachment and School Detachments at John Gray High School, Clifton Hunter High School, Layman E. Scott High School and Triple C School. Program includes drilling, field craft and adventure, navigation, first-aid, competition shooting, physical and leadership training, music and band, water-based activities. For more information, contact the Cadet Corps at 938-8821/22, 946-9810 or email cadetcorps@ gov.ky. On Cayman Brac, call 948-8824 or 938- 8824. Website is www. cicadetcorps.ky. 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 center between September 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. 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. 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., George Town. 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. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, Cayman Islands Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.optimistcayman.com. THE MODEL AIRPLANE FLYING CLUB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Blossom Village Park will be transformed into the grounds for the Little Cayman Agriculture Show on Saturday. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 session, Mr. Kirkconnell ac- knowledged that Cayman Air- ways had already used its newest jet for a charter flight from San Diego for the rock band Kiss, who flew in for a private event in December. The change of direction for Cayman Airways is par- tially borne of necessity, with the national carrier losing ground in Cuba, a formerly profitable route, because of U.S. airlines coming into that market. Mr. Kirkconnell said the national airline, in purely economic terms, was a victim of its success in Florida and in markets like Dallas. He said CAL had opened up those routes and shown the demand for Cayman as a destination to other airlines, which had now come in and flooded the market. But, he said, Cayman Air- ways mission was not to make a profit itself but to allow the Cayman Islands as a destination to maxi- mize its income. Mr. Kirkconnell also ad- dressed questions about the Owen Roberts International Airport redevelopment. He acknowledged the project would come in over the $55 million budget initially an- nounced, but said this was down to some improve- ments that had been added to the design. He said financial limita- tions had dictated the scope of the project in the early stages but government’s im- proved financial situation had enabled new features to be added. He cited the shaded canopies for visitors waiting for taxis outside the new terminal as one example. He added, “We are re- ally pleased with the value for money of what’s taken place there. In any project of that size, there are going to be changes.” He said the air- port was on schedule for a soft opening in September, when the arrival and depar- ture buildings are expected to be complete, and a full opening in December. Fur- ther improvements to the airside infrastructure, in- cluding taxiways, runway re- inforcements and new plane parking space, will follow in the coming years. The minister also sought to assure business leaders that the investment in “human capital” would match the investment in “bricks and mortar.” He said government was working to ensure Customs and Immigration had enough officers on staff at key times to ensure a swift and effi- cient process. As well as the question and answer session, Mr. Kirk- connell gave a presentation on the progress of the tourism industry, citing 20 percent growth in arrivals in the first quarter of 2018. Oneisha Richards, deputy director of the Department of Tourism, also updated Chamber mem- bers on the latest statistics and marketing strategies for the destination. Chamber president Paul Byles said the session was part of a series of forums in- tended to give members ac- cess to those in power. “Our businesses in the tourism sector want to be able to hear directly from policymakers, and that is what these sessions are about,” he said. Future round-table events for officials and businesses are planned for the finan- cial services and other in- dustry sectors. RCIPS spokesperson Jac- queline Carpenter said. The man’s name is not being released because he has not been charged. According to police re- ports, there was only one other arrest – aside from the one made on April 20 – connected with the Nov. 26, 2017 ride. Compass staff observed a convoy of motorcycles and other vehicles around noon that Sunday passing through the intersection of North Sound Road and Shedden Road in central George Town. A rider in an orange ski mask was seen attempting to stop traffic in the intersection as a large group of bikers drove through a red light. It was estimated that up to 200 riders, a number of whom had their faces cov- ered, participated in the incident. A similar ride in- volving 50-100 riders was held around the same time in November 2016, with riders exhibiting law- less behavior, popping wheelies, swerving into op- posite lanes of traffic and stunt riding. Some of the vehicles used in the rides were street-legal, others were not. Police said they seized about 10 motorbikes during the November 2017 ride. However, some of those ve- hicles had to be returned because the riders were able to show legal owner- ship of the vehicles. Police commanders have recently lobbied for a change in local traffic laws to take a tougher stance against the use of non- street legal motorbikes on the roads. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said police wanted to make it easier to seize and destroy non-street legal dirt bikes. In addition, Mr. Byrne said the police service was working with other government agencies to increase traffic fines for things like speeding, DUI, driving without insurance and other traffic offenses “across the board.” Mr. Byrne said last week that police are having dif- ficulty seizing illegal bikes in certain cases because of the way the current Traffic Law is written. “[In some cases] police officers do not have the power to seize those bikes … and the bikes we take possession of, we cannot destroy them,” Mr. Byrne said. “We want the power to seize and destroy il- legal motorbikes.” Cayman law currently does not allow unlicensed, unregistered vehicles of any sort to be used on the road, but there is an out- standing legal question of whether those vehicles could be made street legal with modifications. In 17 traffic prosecu- tions pursued by the RCIPS last year involving unregis- tered or illegally operated motorbikes, the vehicles had to be given back to the owners in at least five in- stances because no offense was ultimately detected, ac- cording to records obtained by the Cayman Compass. on the issue. Mr. Christian said shift- based officers, including most patrol constables and duty sergeants – the bulk of the RCIPS force – accumu- late comp time during the holidays as well, if they are required to work, in lieu of being paid double time. In the seven month pe- riod reviewed by the Cayman Compass, June 1, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018, Mr. Christian esti- mated it was possible more than 13,000 hours could have been accumulated by officers during the six holidays oc- curring over that time. “Hypothetically speaking, if there were 250 shift-based officers, the total amount of compensatory hours accrued would be … 13,500 com- pensatory hours,” the chief inspector said. The total amount of owed time, 41,060.75 hours as of Jan. 8, also includes hours worked in excess of officers’ normal working hours. Since the start of the year, Mr. Christian said the RCIPS senior command staff is monitoring officers’ extra time worked on a monthly basis, requiring them to take additional time off if any particular officer’s comp time total gets too high. The force’s policy typically would not allow an officer to accu- mulate more than 75 hours in paid time off. When the issue was re- viewed in late 2016, there were some officers who had accumulated more than 1,000 comp time hours. Ms. McField-Nixon told Legislative Assembly mem- bers last summer that the accrued leave hours were becoming a financial li- ability for the RCIPS and that there was apparently no provision in the depart- ment’s budget to pay offi- cers overtime. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Police comp time still piling up CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman Airways to go west in search of new tourists CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Orange-masked dirt bike rider arrested Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said there were affluent populations along the west coast, from Los Angeles to Vancouver, that were within the right demographic for Cayman’s luxury product. Alleged drug-ring leader brought from Colombia to US court NEW YORK (AP) – Daniel Rendon-Herrera, the alleged leader of a homicidal drug ring that imported tons of cocaine from Colombia into the U.S., was charged with leading a continuing criminal enterprise, authorities said. Colombia’s most wanted drug lord, also known as “Don Mario,” pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday after being captured in a jungle raid nine years ago and extradited to the U.S. on April 23. “Don Mario is one of the most significant drug traf- fickers of our time, recog- nized for moving multi-ton shipments of cocaine to the United States at a moment’s notice,” said New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill. Rendon-Herrera’s attorney said she’s “looking forward to representing him.” “We are looking at dis- posing of the cases in one way or another,” Johanna Zapp said, adding that her client also was charged in the Southern District. Rendon-Herrera’s orga- nization sent U.S.-bound shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Cen- tral America between about June 2003 and December 2014 and employed hit men who carried out acts of vio- lence across North and South America, authorities said. “Don Mario was the most feared narco-terrorist in Colombia,” Drug Enforce- ment Administration Special Agent in Charge James Hunt said in a statement. Colombia’s far-right mi- litias, known as the United Self-Defense forces of Co- lombia, initially formed in the 1980s to counter kidnap- ping and extortion by rebels but evolved into regional ma- fias that committed more than 10,000 murders. The militias built lucra- tive cocaine trafficking oper- ations and stole millions of acres of land, often in collu- sion with local political, busi- ness and military leaders, prosecutors said. Rendon-Herrera and his brother controlled an area of river-laced jungle near the Panama border that has long been a major corridor for drug and arms traffickers. The brothers were among the last paramilitary leaders to demobilize under a 2003 peace deal that promised fighters reduced sentences and protection from extra- dition to the United States if they confessed to all their crimes. While his brother and other paramilitaries agreed to await justice in jail, Rendon-Herrera fled back to the jungle and rearmed, ac- cording to police. Rendon-Herrera’s organization sent U.S.-bound shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Central America between about June 2003 and December 2014 and employed hit men who carried out acts of violence across North and South America, authorities said. Daniel Rendon-Herrera, an alleged drug-ring leader also known as ‘Don Mario,’ who was extradited from Colombia to the United States on Monday. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Trump: North Korea wants meeting ASAP President Donald Trump says North Korea wants to hold a high-stakes meeting ‘as soon as possible’ and he is praising Kim Jong Un as ‘very open’ and ‘very honorable.’ Trump’s praise for the North Korean dictator stands in contrast to past comments in which he referred to Kim as ‘Little Rocket Man.’ Macron tells US turning its back on the world is bigger risk French President Em- manuel Macron told U.S. lawmakers they must join with the international com- munity to help preserve and extend the benefits of the postwar world order. Addressing a joint ses- sion of Congress Wednesday on the third day of a state visit, Macron appealed to the U.S. not to turn inward as he listed a host of threats facing the world from cli- mate change and rogue nu- clear weapons to inequality and fake news. “We have to keep our eyes wide open to the new risks right in front of us,” he said. “The only option is to strengthen our cooperation. We can build the new 21st century world order on a new breed of multilateralism.” Macron’s trip has been dominated by rifts be- tween the U.S. and the Euro- pean Union stemming from President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. With the U.S. threatening to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and impose tariffs on its trading partners, the French leader set out an alterna- tive world view in which na- tions act together to con- trol dangers and help the middle classes. “The United States is the one who invented this mul- tilaterism,” he said. “You are the one now who has to help to preserve and reinvent it.” Macron was loudly cheered by Democrats while some pas- sages drew only sparse ap- plause from the Republicans. The U.S. Capitol has a long history as a setting for French leaders looking to make their mark on world af- fairs. The Marquis de Lafay- ette, a French general who fought for the U.S. in the Rev- olutionary War, was the first foreign dignitary to address Congress in 1824 and Ma- cron’s speech comes on the anniversary of one by Charles de Gaulle in 1960. Nicolas Sarkozy was the last French president to appear before U.S. lawmakers in 2007. Macron the previous day had proposed a new agree- ment with Iran in an effort to persuade Trump not to reim- pose sanctions. The new pact would extend restrictions on its nuclear program, restrict its ballistic missile work and limit Iran’s broader in- fluence in the Middle East. While some Republican leaders criticize the existing deal’s limited scope and the way it was negotiated, they have also been hesitant to pull out and start again from scratch. “As flawed as the deal is, I believe we must now en- force the hell out of it,” Ed Royce, the California Repub- lican who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Af- fairs, said in an October com- mittee hearing. Mike Pompeo, the CIA di- rector who Trump has nom- inated to be his next sec- retary of state, has harshly criticized both the nuclear and the Iranian regime. His promotion was received by many in Congress as a sign that Trump intends to pull out of the accord. The presi- dent has to decide by May 12, the deadline to extend a waiver on sanctions, a key plank of U.S. obligations under the deal. Trump on Tuesday seemed at least somewhat interested in Macron’s blueprint, calling it a “new deal” with “solid foundations.” Teams of Amer- ican negotiators have been working with European al- lies for weeks on a new ac- cord along the lines of what Macron laid out. Like Ma- cron, their biggest challenge is the absence of any guar- antee that Trump will ac- cept the result. On trade, Macron, a former investment banker and economy minister, is more in line with traditional Republicans than their own president. Macron’s recogni- tion that some countries en- gage in trade violations and overcapacity of steel and aluminum – but that Eu- rope is not the problem – tracks closely with House Speaker Paul Ryan’s response to Trump’s tariff announce- ment last month. Congressional Republicans have urged the Trump admin- istration to be more targeted in its trade policy, rather than instituting broad measures that impact traditional al- lies like France. German Chan- cellor Angela Merkel will visit the White House Friday with a similar message. © 2018, Bloomberg “We have to keep our eyes wide open to the new risks right in front of us. The only option is to strengthen our cooperation. We can build the new 21st century world order on a new breed of multilateralism.” FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday. – PHOTO: ANDREW HARRER/BLOOMBERG Trump seems likely to win travel ban case at Supreme Court WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump appears likely to win his travel ban case at the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Rob- erts and Justice Anthony Ken- nedy both signaled support for the travel policy in argu- ments Wednesday at the high court. The ban’s challengers almost certainly need one of those two justices if the court is to strike down the ban on travelers from several mostly Muslim countries. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the most aggressive questioner of Solicitor Gen- eral Noel Francisco in his defense of the Trump policy, and the three other liberal justices also raised ques- tions about it. The justices voted in De- cember to allow the policy to take full effect pending their full consideration. Wednesday was the first time they took it up in open court. The Trump administra- tion is asking the court to re- verse lower court rulings that would strike down the ban. The Supreme Court is con- sidering whether the presi- dent can indefinitely keep people out of the country based on nationality. It is also looking at whether the policy is aimed at excluding Muslims from the United States. A decision is expected by late June. Kennedy challenged lawyer Neal Katyal, representing the challengers, about whether the ban would be unending. He said the policy’s call for a report every six months “in- dicates there’ll be a reassess- ment” from time to time. His only question that seemed to favor the chal- lengers came early in the arguments, when he asked Francisco whether Trump’s campaign trail call to keep Muslims from entering the United States should be con- sidered in evaluating the ad- ministration’s ban. Francisco told the justices that they should not look at Trump’s campaign statements. Kennedy pressed on that point. Speaking of a hypothet- ical “local candidate,” he asked if what was said during the candidate’s campaign was ir- relevant if on “day two” of his administration the candidate acted on those statements. Francisco held his ground saying the presidential oath of office “marks a funda- mental transformation.” People waited in line for seats for days, and on Wednesday morning oppo- nents of the ban demon- strated outside the court holding signs that read “No Muslim Ban. Ever” and “Refu- gees Welcome,” among other things. In another sign of heightened public interest, the court was taking the rare step of making an audio re- cording of the proceedings available just hours after the arguments. The last time the court did that was for gay marriage arguments in 2015. The travel ban is the first Trump policy to undergo a full-blown Supreme Court re- view. The justices are looking at the third version of a policy that Trump first rolled out a week after taking office, triggering chaos and protests across the U.S. as travelers were stopped from boarding international flights and de- tained at airports for hours. The first version was blocked by courts and withdrawn. Its replacement was allowed to take partial effect, but ex- pired in September. The current version is in- definite and now applies to travelers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations – Iran, Libya, So- malia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim countries, blocking travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan government of- ficials and their families. A sixth majority-Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list this month after improving “its identity-man- agement and information sharing practices,” Trump said in a proclamation. Trump’s campaign pledge to shut down Muslims’ entry into the U.S., his presiden- tial tweets about the travel ban and last fall’s retweets of inflammatory videos that stoked anti-Islam sentiment all preceded the justices’ questioning of Francisco, de- fending the ban, and Katyal, the former acting solic- itor general under President Barack Obama. The administration has ar- gued that courts have no role to play because the president has broad powers over immi- gration and national security, and foreigners have no right to enter the country. Fran- cisco also has said in written arguments that Trump’s Sep- tember proclamation laying out the current policy com- ports with immigration law and does not violate the Con- stitution because it does not single out Muslims. The challengers, backed by a diverse array of sup- porting legal briefs, have said that Trump is flouting immi- gration law by trying to keep more than 150 million people, the vast majority of them Muslim, from entering the country. They also argue that his policy amounts to the Muslim ban that he called for as a candidate, violating the Constitution’s prohibition against religious bias. The justices voted in December to allow the policy to take full effect pending their full consideration. Wednesday was the first time they took it up in open court.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018 On the 17th April 2018 at the UWI Hospital in, Kingston Jamaica. She leaves to mourn; her four children: One daughter; Charlie, Three sons; Sean, Clint & Oral. Six grandchildren: Shay, Tyler, DJ, Levi, Sean Jr & Sirianna. Also, a host of friends and colleagues, such as: The Cayman Islands Cancer Society, FIWI Cash Loans, CCZ, PAL Services, China Village, Mango Tree, Welly’s Cool Spot, among others. A celebration for her life will take place at: King’s Gate United Church (A congregation of the United church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands) 49 Hope Road, Kingston 10, St: Andrew, Jamaica, on the 5th of May 2018 at 11:30 am. Interment will follow at the Dovecot Memorial Cemetery. Please wear bright cheerful colors, to refl ect the way, she lived her life. It is with regret that we announce the passing of Miss. Sonia May Johnson Handshakes and kisses aside, some issues split Trump, Macron JUDGE DEALS BIG SETBACK TO TRUMP ON ‘DREAMERS’ PROGRAM SAN DIEGO (AP) – A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must resume a program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from depor- tation but gave it 90 days to re- state its arguments before his order takes effect. The ruling by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates in Wash- ington, if it survives the 90-day reprieve, would be a new set- back for the administration be- cause it would require the ad- ministration to accept requests from first-time applicants for the Deferred Action for Child- hood Arrivals program. Two nationwide injunctions earlier this year applied only to re- newal requests. Bates said the administra- tion’s decision to end DACA, announced in September, re- lied on “meager legal rea- soning.” He invited the Depart- ment of Homeland Security to try again, “this time providing a fuller explanation for the de- termination that the program lacks statutory and constitu- tional authority.” The judge, ruling in favor of Princeton University and the NAACP, wrote Tuesday that the administration’s explana- tion was “particularly egre- gious” because it didn’t men- tion that many of the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries had obtained jobs and pur- sued education based on the assumption that they would be allowed to renew. The Homeland Security Department did not imme- diately respond to a request for comment. The administra- tion said in September that it would phase out DACA over six months, calling the program started in 2012 under President Barack Obama an abuse of ex- ecutive power. It said it was forced to act because Texas and other states threatened to sue, raising the prospect of a chaotic end to the program. Princeton President Chris- topher L. Eisgruber said he was “delighted.” “While the decision does not fully resolve the uncer- tainty facing DACA beneficia- ries, it unequivocally rejects the rationale the government has offered for ending the pro- gram and makes clear that the [Department of Homeland Se- curity] acted arbitrarily and ca- priciously,” he said. In January, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the ad- ministration failed to justify ending the program and his nationwide injunction forced the administration to resume accepting renewal requests within a week. U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in New York issued a similar ruling in February. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the administration’s unusual request to leapfrog appeals courts on Alsup’s in- junction in February, ensuring that DACA would stay for at least several months and per- haps until well after midterm elections in November. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals put its review of Alsup’s deci- sion on fast track, but legal ex- perts do not expect a decision until June at the earliest. From there, it is expected to go to the Supreme Court. WASHINGTON (AP) – With ex- aggerated handshakes and a pair of kisses, President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Ma- cron professed a sunny, best- friends relationship, even as the two allies strained to bridge differences over the Iran nuclear agreement, Syria and more. Hosting Macron for the first state visit of his admin- istration, culminating in a lavish dinner Tuesday night, Trump remained firm in his criticism of past and en- during American undertak- ings in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. But he ap- peared open to the French president’s pleas to main- tain U.S. involvement in Syria – and expressed openness to negotiating a new agree- ment with Iran. As Trump weighs with- drawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear accord, he is- sued a warning to Iran against restarting its nuclear program, saying, “They will have bigger problems than they’ve ever had before.” At a joint White House news conference, he appeared to be more in line with Ma- cron’s push for a longer-term U.S. presence in Syria. Trump, who announced weeks ago that he would withdraw American troops, said Ma- cron reinforced the idea of a potential Iranian takeover of territory liberated from the Islamic State group. “We’ll be coming home,” Trump said, “but we want to leave a strong and lasting footprint.” Macron told Trump that together the U.S. and France would defeat terrorism, cur- tail weapons of mass de- struction in North Korea and Iran, and act together on be- half of the planet. That last point was a reference to Ma- cron’s work to revive the U.S. role in the Paris climate ac- cord to fight global warming, another international agree- ment Trump has spurned. Differences aside, Trump and Macron lavished praise – and even a pair of kisses – on each other Tuesday. “It’s an honor to call you my friend,” Trump said, after predicting Macron would be a historic leader of France. In one light moment, Trump sought to demon- strate some of the personal chemistry he claimed. The U.S. president brushed some- thing off Macron’s suit jacket, saying, “We have a very spe- cial relationship; in fact, I’ll get that little piece of dan- druff off. We have to make him perfect – he is perfect.” The meetings followed a pomp-filled welcome cer- emony on the South Lawn. Highlights included a 21-gun salute and Melania Trump’s wide-brim white hat, which drew more comments than all the rest of the pageantry. Trump said before an au- dience of U.S. soldiers and members of his Cabinet that the relationship he forged with Macron at the start of his presidency was a testa- ment to the “enduring friend- ship that binds our two na- tions.” He thanked the French leader for his “steadfast part- nership” in the recent mis- sile strike in response to the chemical attack in Syria. Macron said, “History is calling us. It is urging our people to find the forti- tude that has guided us in the most difficult of times. France and with it, Europe, and the United States have an appointment with history.” Later he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. The social highlight of Macron’s visit was Tuesday night’s formal state dinner at the White House. More than 130 guests dined on rack of lamb and nectarine tart and enjoyed an after-dinner per- formance by the Washington National Opera. The pre- vious evening, the leaders and their wives took a heli- copter tour of Washington landmarks and had dinner at the Potomac River home of George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia. As he gave a toast at the dinner, Trump hailed the bonds between the U.S. and France, saying, “May our friendship grow even deeper, may our kinship grow even stronger and may our sacred liberty never die.” As for substantive issues, one of Macron’s main objec- tives during his three-day visit to Washington was to persuade Trump to stay in the Iran accord, which is aimed at restricting Iran’s devel- opment of nuclear weapons. Trump is skeptical of the pact’s effectiveness – “it’s in- sane, it’s ridiculous,” he said Tuesday – but he declined to say whether he would with- draw the U.S. by the May 12 deadline he has set. He reminded his French counterpart of what he sees as flaws in the agreement, which he said fails to address ballistic missiles or Iran’s ac- tivities in Yemen or Syria. Meanwhile, Iranian For- eign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that pulling out would undermine America’s upcoming nuclear talks with North Korea by proving the U.S. reneges on its promises. He told The Associated Press in an interview in New York that if Trump with- draws, Iran would “most likely” abandon the deal as well and would no longer be bound by its international obligations. That would free Iran to resume enrichment activity beyond the limits im- posed by the 2015 accord. Macron told reporters that he and Trump would look at the Iran deal “in a wider regional context,” taking into account the sit- uation in Syria. “We have a common objective, we want to make sure there’s no esca- lation and no nuclear prolif- eration in the region. We now need to find the right path forward,” Macron said. Trump suggested he was open to “doing something” beyond the current Iran agreement as long as it was done “strongly.” Macron, who calls Trump often, has emerged as some- thing of a “Trump whisperer” at a time when the American president’s relationships with other European leaders are more strained. Trump, who attaches great importance to the optics of pageantry and ceremony, chose to honor Ma- cron with the first state visit of his administration as he woos the French president. Trump ended his first year in office without receiving a foreign leader on a state visit, the first president in nearly 100 years to fail to do so. He was Macron’s guest last July at the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris. Ma- cron and his wife, Brigitte, also took Trump and his wife on a tour of Napoleon’s tomb and whisked them up in the Eiffel Tower for dinner over- looking the City of Light. “We have a very special relationship; in fact, I’ll get that little piece of dandruff off. We have to make him perfect – he is perfect.” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday. – PHOTO: APNext >