Cayman’s LoCaL Guide may 2018 making waves! jump on a jet ski surfing the sea WHAT’S HOT Making waves! High of 87 Low of 76 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 INVESTIGATIONS INTO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CONTINUE TO GROW ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 187818_PRINT-Ad-Strip-Compass-FiPage 1 4/20/18 11:54:13 AM Kirkland Nixon passes away JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Kirkland Nixon, Cayman’s first chief fire officer, died on Monday, April 30. Mr. Nixon, who was in his early seventies, died at the Cayman Islands Hospital shortly before 7 a.m. after a short illness. To mark his passing, the Cayman Islands flag was lowered Monday at all government buildings in honor of Mr. Nixon. “It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that I acknowledge the passing of Mr. Kirkland Nixon, … a most special Caymanian, and to me a personal friend and mentor,” Premier Alden McLaughlin wrote in a tribute. “Kirkland epitomized the best of Cayma- nian values: patriotism, hard work and dili- gence, honesty, integrity and fairness, frank- ness, common sense and judgement,” the premier added. “These values endeared him to a wide cross-section of people in these Is- lands and beyond and shone through in the many roles he played in the development of these Islands and our people and the preser- vation of ‘things Caymanian.’” Mr. McLaughlin described Mr. Nixon as an exemplary civil servant and fire chief, “community leader and helper, advisor and doer, orchid expert and farmer – truly a man for all seasons.” As well as working as fire chief for 40 years, Mr. Nixon was also a member of the National Hurricane Committee and served on numerous government boards and private sector organizations, including the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. On his retirement from the fire service in 2006, Mr. Nixon was honored with a party that highlighted his unrelenting dedication to the people of the Cayman Islands. Outside of his public service, Mr. Nixon was an avid orchid grower. His friend Frank Roulstone once said his orchids were his “second love.” Claude Hamilton of Hamlyn Orchids in Kingston, Jamaica, said he will miss this “very quiet, unassuming gentleman.” He said he met Mr. Nixon when he came to his nursery in 1984. They became close friends who shared a passion for orchids. Mr. Nixon was very interested in the con- servation of orchid species, particularly those found in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Nixon gave Mr. Hamilton seeds of the Myr- mecophila albopurpurea and Myrmecophila thompsoniana orchids to grow plants from seed, and subsequently returned hundreds of plants to the Cayman Islands. As an orchid breeder, Mr. Hamilton was able to name new hybrids that he had cre- ated. As a result of that, he named the Pha- laenopsis orchid in honor of Kirkland Nixon. “In 2015, I had the pleasure of naming a second orchid in his honor – Dendro- bium Kirkland Nixon, a hybrid of Den. Hamlyn Double Helix and Den. Colleen Hop- kinson,” he said. “This hybrid has been quite successful and he was very proud to learn that Den. Kirkland Nixon ‘Chad’ AM/AOS had received an Award of Merit from the American Or- chid Society.” Mr. Nixon loved to talk about his involve- ment with the community and how fortu- nate he was to have seen the island evolve. During an interview with the Cayman Com- pass, he spoke about some of the dramatic changes that had taken place since he joined the fire service in 1966. “We moved fast to get where we are today – the surfacing of the airport runway, the building of the George Town harbor, the paving of sandy roads in the islands, a hospital, the building of the Legislative As- sembly Building and the Courts Building. “It was a big ruckus when government borrowed the money, but it surely set us on the course we are on today,” he said. While in the hospital, Mr. Nixon still had great concerns for the country, his wife Melba said. “He wished he was young again because there was so many things he would have liked to fix in this country,” she said. She described her husband as a book lover, “a no-nonsense man who must have nearly read every book in the world.” “Kirkie was a responsible person,” she added, referring to him by the nickname by which he was widely known. “He was also a very private person except for his in- volvement in the community. I will miss his knowledge and guidance for just about any topic I wanted to talk about, and the love Cayman population grows 14 percent in 5 years BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com There are nearly 8,000 more people living in the Cayman Islands than there were five years ago, according to government labor statistics released last week. Cayman’s total resident population, esti- mated for fall 2017 at 63,415, is the islands’ highest in recorded history. However, the small three-island chain has been consecutively setting new record- high populations every year since 2014, ac- cording to the Economics and Statistics Of- fice Labour Force Survey. In 2013, the territory’s resident population was measured at 55,691 by the same survey. The fall 2017 figure reported last week rep- resents a 13.8 percent population increase in just five years. Before 2013, during the fallout years from the international financial crisis, Cay- man’s population actually declined slightly and then hovered between about 55,000 and 56,000 residents during 2009-2012. That stagnant period has ended and the figures further show that there was George Town man dies in North Side accident MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com North Side resident Archie Whittaker said he had just arrived home Sunday eve- ning and was getting out of his car when a Honda racing east down North Side Road blasted past him. “The wind factor blew my door back,” Mr. Whittaker said. “The kids were speeding like hell. Then I heard, ‘Bang! Bang!’” The car had smashed into a concrete light pole on the western end of Ronald Forbes Play Field, killing one of the occupants of the car and injuring two others. Police iden- tified the dead man as John Miller III, 27, of George Town. Jewel Ebanks, who lives nearby, said she was walking to church at the time. She esti- mated the car was traveling well over 50 mph, so fast that when she heard it approaching at a distance, she decided she needed to move off the road to protect herself. She was cer- tain there was going to be an accident as the car flew by her. “I said, ‘He can’t make it,’” she said. “It was basically flying. I was near the Crystal Caves PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Kirkland Nixon, the former fire chief of the Cayman Islands, pictured here in 2014, passed away at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Monday. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY MAY 1, 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. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR 3D (PG13) 12:15 2D VIP I 12:20 I 3:30 2D VIP 3:35 2D I 6:50 2D I 9:10 I 9:55 2D VIP WRINKLE IN TIME 3D (PG) 2:40 2D I 5:05 I 7:30 2D A QUIET PLACE (PG13) 12:15 I 7:35 I 10:15 I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (PG) 2:30 I 10:00 EVERY DAY (PG13) 12:20 I 5:10 I 9:50 RAMPAGE 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D I 4:40 2D I 6:40 I 10:00 2D READY PLAYER ONE (PG13) 1:35 I 3:25 I 7:10 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: THE ITALIAN JOB (1969) (G) 7:00 VIP Public Library launches mobile library service The Cayman Islands Public Library Service is using a mobile library to bring reading materials to senior citizens, residents of retirement homes, and other adult populations with limited mobility. Outfitted with a small collection of fiction and non-fiction print materials, the Book Mobile will make monthly stops to targeted lo- cations in each district, ac- cording to the library service. The Book Mobile is fitted out to be specifically used as a mobile library, and is stocked with books and magazines. “We hope to bring the Book Mobile to communities on the last Friday of each month. The patrons we visit will have the opportunity to sign-up for library cards, borrow books, and find out about new senior pro- grammes that are being de- veloped for the local Public Library,” said the director of the Cayman Islands Public Library Service, Ramona Melody in a press release. She said the aim is to visit communities on Fri- days, but also to determine the most convenient times to visit based on the feed- back of those interested in the service. The visits would take place before 4:30 p.m. and the day will be adjusted based on the greatest demand. The soft launch of this program commenced in February this year and has been running with limited staff; eventually, staff mem- bers will be assigned to districts based on where they work and visits will take place once per month. The library service is encouraging the public to get involved by contrib- uting books, audio books, magazines and large-print materials to the mobile li- brary. Those wishing to vol- unteer or assist with this program are asked to con- tact Ms. Melody. “Due to unreliable trans- portation and/or lack of the internet, there are significant barriers for some persons to access information. I am proud that the Book Mobile helps overcome these bar- riers by bringing the mate- rials to the people who may need it most,” said Education Minister Juliana O’Connor- Connolly in the release. For more information on the Book Mobile, visit www.cipl.gov.ky or contact 949-5159. Firearm found in water tank, jury hears Defendant pleaded not guilty to unlicensed revolver, bullets, pepper spray CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two witnesses told a Grand Court jury on Monday about seeing a padlocked box in a water tank out- side a Cayman Brac apart- ment occupied by Customs officer Claude Anthony Terry. The box was opened by a senior police officer and found to contain a Smith & Wesson revolver, eight rounds of .44 magnum car- tridges and a container of pepper spray, which is a pro- hibited weapon. Mr. Terry, 36, was charged with possession of the items. He pleaded not guilty and elected trial by jury. The owner of the apart- ment complex, Alva “Billy” Bodden, told the court that he was having a worker pump the water out and dis- connect the tanks because the Water Authority had hooked up the apartments to a central supply. He said the worker phoned him on Aug. 23, 2016 and told him he had found a box in one of the tanks. When Mr. Bodden went to the apartment, he saw a box floating in the water; it had a cord on it tied to the tank top and a buoy on the line. The box was padlocked and he did not know what was in it. He said he had a Plan- ning Board meeting to go to, which he did, and then he called Police Inspector Wendy Parchment. When they met at the apartment, Ms. Parchment pulled the box out of the tank. Mr. Bodden phoned his store to get a padlock cutter and his worker cut the lock. Ms. Parchment opened the box and there was a bag inside. Somewhere around that time, Mr. Terry arrived at the scene and said, “You found my box? I found the box and put it there.” Mr. Bodden said Mr. Terry occupied apartment 7, which the water tank was connected to. Ques- tioned later by defense at- torney Crister Brady, he said he could not remember, but he did not think the box was open when Mr. Terry came out. He did not remember if Ms. Parchment told Mr. Terry to go back inside the apartment. He told the court he saw Ms. Parchment take a gun out of the box and say it was a .44 Smith & Wesson. He also saw gloves in the box. There were other items, but he did not recall what they were. Shown a grey box, he ex- amined it and said, “This could be the box.” Mr. Bodden’s employee, Garnel Rivers, told of looking in the tank the pre- vious Friday and not seeing any box, but then seeing it on the Tuesday. In his opening speech to the jury earlier, Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson said the prosecution’s case would include DNA evidence. He added that Mr. Terry had named two other customs officers and Ms. Parchment as persons who might have “planted” the box and con- tents in the water tank. Cayman Academy donates to local charities Cayman Academy school found good use for funds collected during a student charity drive on Friday. $4,311.50 was presented to Samantha Conolly for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Association and $1,132.56 went to Tiffany Conolly for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society during a special school assembly. Samantha Conolly de- scribed the generous dona- tion as “heartwarming, es- pecially considering that the funds were all raised by children at the school,” while Tiffany Conolly thanked the students for helping the Cancer Society to help others, some of whom were children themselves battling cancer. Jennifer Weber, operations manager at the Cancer So- ciety said the donation will be used to continue to assist cancer patients. She said last year the Cancer Society as- sisted a record 300 financial aid patients to the tune of more than $400,000. “It’s a privilege to partner with these two agencies in helping to alleviate the finan- cial stress brought to bear on the patients and their family members with Cancer and Al- zheimer’s,” said Sofia Barrett- Hamilton, coordinator for Cayman Academy charities. Eight students were hon- ored by the school at the morning’s assembly for having collected more than $100 each. Among top col- lectors were Year 5 stu- dents Roger Alex Johnson II, who collected $650; Gabri- elle Coleman, $432; and Kev- ario Harding, $149.75. Year 5 was ranked as the class with the highest contribution, at $1,247.75. “The teachers and I are proud of the stellar perfor- mance of the student body, parents, and our church com- munity in soliciting funds for both charities. It goes to show what kind of im- pact we can have when we work together,” said Principal O’Neil Duncan. According to the school, Cayman Academy has consis- tently made substantial an- nual donations to the Cancer Society. This year, the school broadened its efforts to in- clude the Alzheimer’s Asso- ciation as part of a general charity drive. Eight students were honored by the school at the morning’s assembly for having collected more than $100 each. Top student collectors in the Cayman Academy Charity Drive with, back row, from left, Sofia Barrett-Hamilton, Samantha Conolly, Carol Gould-Best, Jewel Meikle and Tiffany Conolly. Alva “Billy” Bodden told the court he saw Police Inspector Wendy Parchment take a gun out of the box and say it was a .44 Smith & Wesson. Outfitted with a small collection of fiction and non-fiction print materials, the Book Mobile will make monthly stops to targeted locations in each district.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 Recovered ghost net may be reincarnated as sports shoes JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Material from a deadly ghost net removed from Cayman’s waters last week is being shipped to the U.S. and may be used in the manufacture of Adidas sports shoes. Environmental organiza- tion Parley for the Oceans has arranged to take the netting. The group turns ocean plastic waste into thread that is woven into running shoes. In partnership with sportswear giant Adidas, they produced a limited edi- tion running shoe, the Ad- idas Parley, made from fishing line and other recy- cled materials. Tim Austin, deputy di- rector of the Department of Environment, said staff and volunteers from Plastic Free Cayman spent Sunday pro- cessing the net for shipping. “We removed the lead, the rope and the floats and got it ready to be ex- ported,” he said. The skeletons of long dead marine creatures, some of the net’s vic- tims, were also found en- snared in the mesh. Mr. Austin said reusing the net would provide a pos- itive end to a sad story. “The whole idea of re- using monofilament fishing line like this is to do some- thing good with some- thing that is very bad for the ocean.” Parley for the Oceans Di- rector of Communications Silvia Raccagni said in an email that once the shipment of material from Cayman is received, the group will “as- sess and determine how to give these nets new life and purpose.” She added, “We will work with our partner network of leading creative brands, NGOs and govern- ments to transform synthetic netting from threats into messengers for the cause, developing new uses for ma- terials in order to generate awareness, drive eco-innova- tion, and support the goals of the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign).” Department of Environ- ment divers were out on the reef off Rum Point last week, where the net was found, retrieving the remnants of fishing line. Mr. Austin said parts of the net had snagged on the reef and were continuing to pose a threat to marine life. “There was a crab trapped in one part of the net,” he said. “As long as it was there, it was a danger to marine life. A turtle could easily have got caught in it.” The ghost net was discov- ered two weeks ago floating off Grand Cayman with nu- merous dead fish and sharks trapped inside. Experts said it could have been drifting for years, trapping and killing marine life. TRIAL DATE SET FOR WOUNDING CHARGES ‘Calypso Cowboy’ chooses trial by jury CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Country singer and musician Dexter Kelvin Bodden appeared in Grand Court on Friday, when he pleaded not guilty to charges against him and trial was set for Sept. 17. Mr. Bodden, known as the Calypso Cowboy, is charged with wounding with in- tent to cause grievous bodily harm to Dave Alexander Rockett on Dec. 20, 2016, at an ad- dress in George Town. The second charge is wounding the same person on the same date at the same location. Defense attorney Karin Thompson said Mr. Bodden had elected to be tried by a jury rather than judge alone. Justice Michael Wood inquired as to the likely length of the trial. Told three days, he set the matter to begin on Monday, Sept. 17. Adidas has made these ‘Parlay’ running shoes from other discarded fishing nets. Department of Environment staff and Plastic Free Cayman volunteers spent Sunday getting the ghost net ready for processing. - PHOTO: CLAIRE HUGHES, PLASTIC FREE CAYMANThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. – EDITORIAL – Investigations into government employees continue to grow A probe into the possible misuse of government resources adds yet another name to the already- lengthy list of public officials who have been sidelined by investigation. National Roads Authority Managing Director Paul Parchment has been placed on leave by the author- ity’s board of directors, which also has commissioned an investigation into allegations “into possible misuse of NRA resources by a senior employee,” according to a statement issued by Board Chairman Donovan Ebanks last week. Mr. Ebanks did not reveal the target or nature of the investigation, although it is understood that the board was presented with video evidence appearing to depict NRA equipment being used on private property. Whatever the particulars, the circumstances demand a thorough, timely investigation followed by public disclosure of the complaint, investigators’ findings and what, if any, action was taken as a result. The NRA probe adds to a veritable mountain of inquiries into possible wrongdoing in central govern- ment and outside authorities, including: • The suspension of a half-dozen Immigration Department officers accused of selling information about the department’s English language test to foreign workers. • The suspension of several Health Services Author- ity’s security officers, as an audit review revealed “irregularities” in overtime payments. • Department of Environmental Health Director Roydell Carter has been on unspecified leave since December – the same month an inquiry into that department’s overtime practices began. • And at the Cayman Islands Port Authority, a special audit revealed financial, human resources and other administrative irregularities the authority’s board chairman Errol Bush called “concerning” in an email sent to staff. Given the number of times government has found itself in this situation, one would think a quick, decisive routine would have been firmly established by now. Not so. Take the case of former Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans, who was offered early retirement from the civil service last fall after spending nearly three years on paid leave. Neither the details of the “admin- istrative investigation” Ms. Evans was the subject of, nor the outcome of that investigation, were ever made public. In a terse, unattributed statement, the public was informed only that, “There have been no findings of misconduct against Ms. Evans, and she is retiring with a good record and thanks are extended for her years of service.” It is unfair to all parties – the accused, other gov- ernment employees and officials, and Cayman’s resi- dents – to allow senior civil servants to languish on leave for years, while investigations or court proceed- ings drag on, with little by way of public explanation or resolution. Fair or not, without accurate information, suspicions linger that there is more under the surface. As Governor Anwar Choudhury continues to develop priorities for his term, we urge him to pay close attention to this issue. From where we are sitting, the bar for dismissal from the Civil Service appears to be set absurdly high. If it is an issue of laws or contractual obligations protecting civil servants, he should correct the imbalance as soon as practical. In all cases, civil service’s primary responsibility should be to the public, not self-preservation. There is ample and growing evidence that the civil service could use a thorough housecleaning. Civil service leaders hold positions of public trust (not to mention, are paid through the public purse). They should be held to the highest – not the lowest – standards. TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Closing the circle of South Carolina’s history WASHINGTON – Trey Gowdy’s emotions some- times bubble disconcert- ingly close to the surface, but unlike many members of the political class, he is not all surface. At a break- fast four years ago, the South Carolina Republican had tears in his eyes as he explained when he would leave Congress: after Tim Scott, a Republican con- gressman who had been appointed to the Senate in 2013 when Jim DeMint re- signed, had been elected in his own right. This, Gowdy said at that breakfast, would close the circle of his state’s history. Scott, an African-Amer- ican, was born in 1965, 44 days after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. The 1960 census had re- corded South Carolina as 34.8 percent African-Amer- ican. It was only about 27 percent African-American when Scott was elected in 2014 to complete DeMint’s unfinished term, and was elected to a full term in 2016. So, at the end of 2018, Gowdy, after eight years rep- resenting northern South Carolina’s booming Green- ville-Spartanburg area, will put Washington in his rear- view mirror. The nation’s capital will be duller be- cause of the departure of him and his myriad hair- styles. He will not miss it but will miss his weekly din- ners with Scott, almost al- ways at the same table in the Capitol Hill Club, a Re- publican hangout. A former prosecutor, Gowdy ran for Congress in part to get a respite from things that prosecutors must stare at unblinkingly. There was the 9-year old girl with cerebral palsy who was beaten to death by her moth- er’s boyfriend. Gowdy’s eyes are moist as he says that the girl’s picture is on his desk in his congressional of- fice. Staring down such evils is, he says, particularly ar- duous for someone like him, because “if you’ve got no faith, you’ve got nothing to lose.” He, a devout Christian, thought it was “time to do something else.” When he first ran for public office, a friend con- gratulated him for being up to 20 in polls that showed him losing 80-20. When in 2010 he ran for Congress against a six-term Repub- lican incumbent, he surfed into office on that year’s tea party wave. And he was immediately “miserable,” until he began his friend- ship with Scott. As a member of three key committees (Over- sight and Government Re- form, Judiciary, and Intel- ligence), Gowdy has been at the – sometimes he has been the – epicenter of contro- versies. These have included Benghazi (honestly, do you remember what that was about? Didn’t think so), the two parties’ dueling memos about Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the Mueller investigation. When his fellow Republicans on the Intelligence Committee faulted the FBI, CIA and NSA for concluding “with high confidence” that Russia pre- ferred Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, Gowdy said that the committee’s own evidence showed that Rus- sian involvement in the elec- tion was “motivated in whole or in part by a desire to harm her candidacy or un- dermine her presidency had she prevailed.” Gowdy has never met Trump and might leave Washington without having done so. Politics as he envisioned it would be a vocation in which participants asked them- selves: What cause do I be- lieve in strongly enough that I am willing to lose for it? Now, Gowdy says, the dom- inant question is: What am willing to do to win? At 53, he says he wants to go some- where “where facts matter.” So, he probably will not teach in a university. South Carolina has been punching above its weight recently. Former Gov. and now U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, daughter of immi- grants from India, is dis- proving the plausible – until she came along – rule that no one could have sustained transactions with the cur- rent president without being diminished. Former South Carolina Rep. Mick Mul- vaney is director of the Of- fice of Management and Budget. James Clyburn, the most senior member of the state’s otherwise all-Repub- lican House delegation, is assistant minority leader, the third-ranking position in the Democrats’ House lead- ership. It is difficult to say how, but it is also difficult to doubt that, the social soil of South Carolina has some- thing to do with the state’s success in seeding national politics with talent. Gowdy and Scott have co- authored a book (“Unified: How Our Unlikely Friend- ship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country”) that is dedicated to one of Scott’s grandfathers and one of Gowdy’s grandmothers: “In the segregated age in which they lived, the two never met. But two generations later, their grandsons became the best of friends.” George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group. GEORGE F. WILL As a member of three key committees (Oversight and Government Reform, Judiciary, and Intelligence), Gowdy has been at the – sometimes he has been the – epicenter of controversies. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 NOTICE TO THE MEMBERS OF CAYMAN NATIONAL PENSION FUND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of Members of the Cayman National Pension Fund Ltd. to be held Wednesday 9th May, 2018, in the Cayman National Building, 4th Floor Board Room, Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman at 4pm. The Agenda is set out below: - AGENDA 1. Review the Minutes of the last Members Meeting held on the 4th May, 2017 and any matters arising. 2. Receive Audited Financial Statements for the period ended 30th September 2017. 3. Report from Investment Committee. 4. Trustee Elections: David Perry retires by rotation and is eligible for re-election. 5. Any other competent business. Little Cayman Agriculture Show makes big return after hiatus KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com It took the entire Little Cayman Primary School to supply drinks for the Little Cayman Agriculture Show, which returned on Saturday after a one-year hiatus. However, that school only has two students. Year Six student James McLean said he learned how to bake cupcakes, chop coco- nuts, and make juices in prep- aration for Saturday’s show. Debbi Truchan, one of the event organizers, said that the school was the show’s only booth to provide drinks so that it can raise funds for activities such as field trips to Cayman Brac. The school was one of many booths at the event. The Department of Ag- riculture was there selling plants and seeds grown on the other islands. Agronomist Claudette McKenzie-Bowen also provided attendees with information about setting up their own container gardens on Little Cayman. People have to make their own com- post given the island’s lack of soil, she explained. One of the people who have mastered the art of growing produce on Little Cayman is resident Carmen Clarke, who was the show’s champion crop farmer. Pau- lette Anton was the other champion crop farmer, Di- anne Fite won the livestock category, Nora Martinez was the craft winner, Ms. Clarke also won the cake compe- tition, and Philburn Alton and Ms. Clarke were the king and queen of the show, respectively. Ms. Clarke grew a va- riety of herbs and veggies, including rosemary, thyme, sweet pepper, seasoning pepper, avocado pear, sweet potato, jalapeno pepper, garlic, chives and thyme. “It is very hard growing stuff here. I have to use com- post – like peeling skins from fruits and vegetables and putting it to rot, and then adding it to my soil,” she said of her process. “It’s my hobby, I just love it.” There was an abundance of plants, but few animals other than several chickens and a “rabbit that came over to visit,” said Ms. Truchan. There were not even many dogs for the dog show, which is usually one of the event’s highlights. Ms. Fite brought three of her beagles, but with no other participants, orga- nizers called the show off. Agriculture Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly promised that animals will be a bigger part of fu- ture Little Cayman Agri- culture shows. Still, Ms. Truchan and other Little Cayman resi- dents were thrilled to have the show back after not having one in 2017. An estimated 264 people attended. Unemployment rate creeps up during 2017 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s overall un- employment rate increased nearly a full percentage point between fall 2016 and fall 2017, government statistics re- leased last Thursday revealed. The rate went from 4.2 percent in the latter half of 2016 to 4.9 percent during the same time for 2017. The overall rate encom- passes jobless figures for both Caymanian and non- Caymanian residents and represents the portion of the total workforce that is ac- tively seeking a job, but which has not attained employment. The Caymanian unem- ployment rate also increased during the same period, but only marginally. According to the government Economics and Statistics Office Labour Force Surveys, 1,406 Cayma- nians were unemployed in fall 2016, while 1,515 Cay- manians were unemployed in fall 2017. The Caymanian job- less rate was calculated at 7.1 percent (fall 2016) and 7.3 percent (fall 2017) during the same period. The bulk of the unemploy- ment increase was tied to a surprising rise in the number of jobless non-Caymanians living in the British Over- seas Territory. According to the statis- tics office, the number of un- employed non-Caymanian workers who did not have permanent resident status went from 206 in fall 2016 to 380 in fall 2017. Typically, non-Caymanian workers are not allowed to remain here without a work permit, unless they have some other family or marital connection to Cayman. The unemployment rate increase occurred at a time when the local labor force grew and employed a greater number of people. According to statistics of- fice figures, the total labor force increased by 1.8 per- cent between 2016 and 2017, adding 745 workers. Caymanians made up 48.4 percent of the total work- force, permanent residents made up 10.1 percent and non-Caymanians represented 41.5 percent. Little Cayman resident Dianne Fite sells some of her hot pepper jelly to an Agriculture Show attendee. - PHOTOS: KEN SILVA The Agriculture Department brought dozens of plants to the Little Cayman Agriculture Show to sell to residents there. Little Cayman Primary School student James McLean chops a coconut for a thirsty customer at the Little Cayman Agriculture Show. Scuba dog: Dianne Fite dressed up one of her beagles as a diving canine. - PHOTO: GEORGE NOWAKThe 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. TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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 is cocktail chic. Tickets $250. Contact 945-7447 or fundraising@ caymanhospicecare.ky. SATURDAY, MAY 5 DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in North Side at the junction of Hutland and North Side Roads, 6-10 a.m. BODDEN TOWN OLDER PERSONS: The Older Persons’ Council seeks 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. SUNDAY, MAY 6 CELEBRATE CHILD MONTH: The Wesleyan Holiness Church of West Bay celebrates the Month of the Child at 11 a.m. Featuring songs by children, the Advanced Hand Bell Choir accompanying Xhailecia Grayson as she sings The Lord’s Prayer, signing by Hands of Praise, and scripture exhortation by Jordan McLean, the service will close with snacks for every child present. The public is welcome to attend. MISSION SUNDAY: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church invites everyone to Missions Sunday Service at 11 a.m. Guest speakers will be Will Ryan and Tomy Wilkerson. Lunch will follow. SATURDAY, MAY 12 DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in West Bay, at the Lord’s Church Compound, junction of the West Bay Town Hall, 6-10 a.m. 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. SATURDAY, MAY 19 DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in Bodden Town, Rubis parking lot, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. SUNDAY, MAY 20 CIMA WALK/RUN: The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority hosts its charity Walk/Run in support of the literacy and numeracy programs in government primary schools. Starts 5:30 a.m. at Elizabethan Square. Register for the 5K walk, 5K run or 10K run. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Registration deadline is May 16. Free event T-shirt to first 200. Refreshments included. Prizes awarded to the top finishers. All participants eligible for random spot prizes. For more information or to register, visit www.cima.ky or www.caymanactive.com. SATURDAY, MAY 26 DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in East End, close to Pirates Cove Bar, 6-10 a.m. SUNDAY, MAY 27 WIND OF HOPE: 5K Walk/Run to benefit Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home. Smith Barcadere. 6:30 a.m., walkers; 6:45 a.m., runners. Timed race. Registration $20 adults, $10 children under 12. Trophies and give-aways. Contact windofhope5k@gmail.com or 328-2850. GENERAL INTEREST CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The Builders Board has extended the deadline for all local contractors to register with the board. The contractors’ deadline is now Tuesday, July 31, 2018. This registration requirement is for general and civil contractors, residential and building contractors as well as trade contractors. For fees and registration forms that are available online, contractors should visit www.planning.ky/boards-all/ builders-board. 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, and 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 44-5724 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Miss Cayman Islands Anika Conolly at last year’s Kiwanis Breakfast for Dinner fundraiser. This year’s event will be held at 6.30 p.m. at the Marriott on May 12. - PHOTO: YANET SWABYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 when I heard a bang.” People in nearby houses, immediately ran to the scene, she said. “I heard the neighbors coming out,” Ms. Ebanks said. “One yelled to another and they headed toward where the car had landed. I was so frightened, I didn’t know what to do. Somebody said, ‘They need to call 911.’” All three passengers were transported to Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town. Mr. Miller was pronounced dead. Both passengers had non-life- threatening injuries, although one’s injuries were character- ized as serious. North Side Road was closed in both directions for several hours as emergency crews worked to transport the two injured passengers to the hospital and police investiga- tors processed the scene. Cars were reportedly backed up all the way to Frank Sound. Efforts to reach Mr. Mill- er’s immediate family were not successful. Mr. Miller had been in a se- rious motorcycle accident in 2016 and was close to death from his injuries. His aorta – the heart’s major artery – had been damaged. Doctors at Health City Cayman Islands were able to replace the aorta with an artificial tube and save his life. Residents in the North Side neighborhood said it is not uncommon for cars to speed along North Side Road. “They take this for a real race track,” said Ms. Ebanks. “It’s worse on the weekends.” Shelly Miller, a third cousin of John Miller III, is treasurer of the district council. She said the council and local officials have tried to address the problem of speeding on the road. It’s often worst on Sunday evenings, she said, when people who have been drinking at Rum Point head home. She said two additional traffic officers have recently been assigned to patrol the North Side, which has im- proved the situation some- what. But, she added, they have concentrated their en- forcement work during the daytime hours on weekends, rather than in the evening when the number of speeders is often worse. “They need to have more traffic cops,” Ms. Miller said. “They always wait until someone dies.” Debris from a Sunday evening crash on North Side Road lies at the base of a concrete power pole which was struck by a Honda, killing a man and injuring two others. – PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS George Town man dies in North Side accident CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 a one-year 3.3 percent growth in the local popula- tion between 2016 and 2017, made up almost entirely of Caymanians. According to labor force data for fall 2016, there were 34,113 Caymanians living here. One year later, that number had grown to 35,878 – a 5 per- cent increase in the Cayma- nian population in 12 months. By comparison, the non- Caymanian population, in- cluding permanent residents and work permit holders, grew by just 1 percent – fewer than 300 people – during the same period. Government statistics for the last three years show Cayman is averaging just more than 670 live births per year, with those fig- ures including children born here to non-Caymanians. Even assuming the ma- jority of those children are born to Caymanian parents, it is likely that the growth of the Caymanian population during 2017 – by more than 1,700 people – was not en- tirely due to births. Caymanian status According to figures pre- sented to the Legislative As- sembly in November, the awarding of Caymanian status to non-Caymanian residents does not seem to make up the numbers for the large increase in the local population either, at least not on its own. Based on the figures Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin pre- sented, the islands have aver- aged about 412 status grants per year since 2009. Roughly 194 of those grants each year were given to people who have resided in the islands for at least 15 consecutive years and ap- plied for permanent residence and then naturalization as a British Overseas Territories citizen. These are typically in- dividuals with no family con- nections to the islands (al- though some may have those via parents, grandparents or children) who apply for Cay- manian rights based on long tenure in the islands. Another 217 people each year received the right to be Caymanian through marriage to a Caymanian. Those indi- viduals typically must apply for their status after seven years of marriage. On average since 2009, one person per year has re- ceived a grant of Caymanian status mandated by the Cab- inet of the ruling government administration. The figures presented to the Legislative Assembly were given as a result of a parlia- mentary question asked by Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders. Mr. Saunders said he was researching grants of status and awards of perma- nent residence for information he would later use to update the old “Vision 2008” strategic plan, which would look ahead to the next 20 years. “One of the things I’m mindful of is that we’re looking at the public school population now, we’re looking at a large number of children of Caymanian status holders or PR-holders who will be entitled to receive public school education in the next five years,” he said. for his family.” He spoke often of the old government house and Pageant Bay fires – the biggest fires he had fought, Mrs. Nixon said, and was very appreciative of Norman Bodden who fought hard in getting the existing fire station. “The fire department was very near and dear to him and he always thought of his guys as being bril- liant guys and that “he had a man for everything.” His friend Donovan Ebanks, the former deputy governor, said Mr. Nixon was a devoted family man and provider, and Cayman has lost a true statesman and role model; someone who gave tirelessly and im- measurably to his country. “He was the ultimate public servant,” Mr. Ebanks said. “He was always willing to take on more than what his job called for – whether it was some- thing he was asked to do or simply something that he saw needed to be done.” Mr. Ebanks said Mr. Nixon was the father of disaster preparedness in Cayman. “The level of re- silience Cayman now has must be credited to his vi- sion, his motivation and his support to all who heeded his messages,” he said, adding that he was hon- ored to have served with him in these efforts. “He was humble, loyal to his conscience, of impec- cable integrity and simply a good man,” he said. Mr. Nixon, who was also a farmer and horticulturist, played a leading role in the establishment of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. In 2013, in recognition of his contributions, the park named its visitors center after him. He was also in- strumental in the opening of a new Farmers Market in George Town in 2016. Mr. Nixon is survived by his wife Melba, daugh- ters Tammy and Lorrie, grandson Joey, sister Carol and brothers Eldon, Regi- nald and John and their spouses, as well as many nieces and nephews. Funeral services for Mr. Nixon will be announced at a later date through Bodden Funeral Services, according to the family. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kirkland Nixon passes away CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman population grows 14 percent in 5 years Israel says Iran lied about nuclear program JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s prime minister on Monday unveiled what he said was a “half ton” of Iranian nuclear documents collected by Is- raeli intelligence, claiming it proved that Iranian leaders covered up a nuclear weapons program before signing a deal with world powers in 2015. In a speech delivered in English and relying on his trademark use of visual aids, Prime Minister Ben- jamin Netanyahu claimed the material showed that Iran cannot be trusted, and en- couraged President Donald Trump to withdraw from the deal next month. “Iran lied big time,” Ne- tanyahu declared. In Washington, Trump said it vindicated his past criticism of the nuclear deal. But Netanyahu’s presen- tation, delivered on live TV from Israeli military head- quarters in Tel Aviv, did not appear to provide evidence that Iran has violated the 2015 deal, raising questions about whether it would sway international opinion ahead of Trump’s decision. The U.S.-led agree- ment offered Iran relief from crippling sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Netanyahu furiously fought the deal while Presi- dent Barack Obama was ne- gotiating it, and he has been a leading critic since it was signed. He says it does not provide sufficient safeguards to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability. Netanyahu has found a welcome partner in Trump, who has called the agree- ment “the worst deal ever.” Trump has signaled he will pull out of the agree- ment by May 12 unless it is revised, but he faces intense pressure from European al- lies not to do so. Netanyahu said he already has given the information to the U.S., and he plans to share it with Western allies and the inter- national nuclear agency. Ahead of the announce- ment, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, be- littled Netanyahu in a tweet, saying: “The boy who can’t stop crying wolf is at it again.” He later tweeted: “Pres. Trump is jumping on a re- hash of old allegations al- ready dealt with by the IAEA to ‘nix’ the deal. How conve- nient. Coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revela- tions by the boy who cries wolf just days before May 12. But Trump’s impetuousness to celebrate blew the cover.” Iran’s deputy foreign minister and senior nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, called Netanyahu’s presen- tation “childish and ridic- ulous” and said the pur- ported evidence was “fake and fabricated.” Iran has denied ever seeking nuclear weapons. The exchange ratch- eted up already height- ened tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel con- siders Iran to be its biggest threat, citing Tehran’s hos- tile rhetoric, support for mil- itants and growing influence in the region. Israel has said it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military pres- ence in neighboring Syria, where Iran supports Pres- ident Bashar Assad. Over- night Monday, a missile at- tack in northern Syria killed more than a dozen pro-gov- ernment fighters, many of them Iranians, a war moni- toring group and an Iranian news agency said. There was no official con- firmation of the death toll or the target. But Israel was widely suspected of being behind the attack. The authenticity of the documents could not be ver- ified, and it was not clear whether they shed any new light on what interna- tional inspectors already have concluded. Kirkland Nixon, pictured at the 2017 Orchid Show at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY8 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Governor takes West Bay tour Governor Anwar Choud- hury, continuing his visits to the districts of the Cayman Islands, toured West Bay, meeting sev- eral of the district’s resi- dents and seeing some of its tourism attractions. On the tour, the governor announced there would be changes to the Christmas party at Government House starting this year, making the event more people oriented. He plans to invite each MLA to bring a set number of Cay- manians from their district to attend, he said. “Government House is the people’s house,” he said, during the April 20 tour. West Bay elected repre- sentatives McKeeva Bush, Tara Rivers, Capt. Eugene Ebanks and Bernie Bush took the governor, accompanied by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, on the tour, during which Mr. Choud- hury chatted with residents of all ages who opened their homes to him. He tried some of the local flavors, including swanky, fruit punch and tea, cas- sava cake, home baked bread and corned beef sandwiches. His hosts also gave him small gifts from their home kitchens and gardens. He also learned about cat- boats and the history of tur- tling during the visit, as he met some of the district’s oldest residents, including centenarian Huldah Ebanks and 99-year-old Ethel Ebanks, who turned 100 the next day. Following visits to the homes of several residents, Mr. Choudhury attended a reception with West Bay people at the Cayman Turtle Centre, where he and his wife received gifts, including a traditional thatch rope bag. They saw how thatch rope is made, and partici- pated in a demonstration by Marlena Anglin. Two win cars in Rotary raffle Sixta Samon Perez, second from left, and Christopher McNamee each won a new Audi last week in the Rotary Sunrise raffle. The cars, one black and one white, were donated by Arch Automotive. Posing with the winners and their new cars are Rotary Sunrise directors Andrea Whittaker, left, and Alison Shirlaw. Rotary Sunrise raised more than $50,000 in the raffle. Third and fourth place winners Juanita St. John and Jose Hernandez won home gift cards for $500 worth of petrol from Barcam ESSO and Browns ESSO. CIMA to host school fundraiser run next month The Cayman Islands Mon- etary Authority will host its second annual charity walk/ run next month in support of literacy and numeracy programs in government primary schools. The event will take place on Sunday, May 20, starting at 5:30 a.m. at Elizabethan Square, George Town. Organizers say partici- pants have the option to reg- ister for either the 5K Walk, 5K Run or 10K Run. The cost to sign up is $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. The registration dead- line is May 16 and the first 200 registrants will receive a free T-shirt. CIMA has worked closely with course director Derek Larner of Race Caribbean over the last few months to update the route for this year’s 10K course and event organizers said they antici- pate that runners will find the new route to be “chal- lenging yet enjoyable.” More than 300 partic- ipants took part in last year’s run/walk. The pro- ceeds of the event – more than $10,000 – were used to purchase material for var- ious math programs, online and home reading programs, as well as other literacy in- tervention kits. CIMA Managing Director Cindy Scotland said in a press release, “The Authority is thrilled to host the charity walk/run again this year, as the event helps to bring the community together in sup- port of childhood education.” Refreshments will be in- cluded and prizes will also be awarded to the top fin- ishers. All participants will automatically enter the draw to win random spot prizes. For more information, or to register, visit www.cima.ky or www.caymanactive.com. The registration deadline is May 16 and the first 200 registrants will receive a free T-shirt. Following lunch at Heritage Kitchen on Boggy Sand Road, the governor poses with, from left, Speaker McKeeva Bush, owners Rosa and Reynaldo Garcia, Minister Tara Rivers and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson. Governor Anwar Choudhury visits the West Bay home of Pastor Garrett Haylock of the Church of God, third from right. Pictured from left are, Capt. Eugene Ebanks, Speaker McKeeva Bush, Shauna Haylock, MLA Bernie Bush, Governor Choudhury, Minister Tara Rivers, Pastor Haylock, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Joseph Haylock. Governor Choudhury pays a visit to Ethel Ebanks, who was one day shy of her 100th birthday. Also pictured are Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Minister Tara Rivers.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 1, 2018 4 climbers die in Swiss Alps snowstorm Police in southwestern Switzerland say four Alpine climbers have died and another five others are in critical condition after becoming trapped overnight by an unexpected snowstorm and high winds. Three people died in hospital, and another apparently was killed in a fall. Happy Birthday in Heaven Rita Rankine May 1st, 1926 ~July 14th, 20014 If roses grow in Heaven Please pick a bunch Place them in my mother’s arms And tell her they are from us Tell her we love her and miss her And when she turns to smile Place a kiss upon her cheek. Sadly missed From; Gail, Alice, John, Albert, Son in law ~Ricardo Lindo Daughter in law ~Chastine Rankine Grandchildren and great-grandchildren New UK interior minister vows to resolve immigration scandal EU Brexit negotiator urges faster action over Irish border POLICE FREE HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN LONDON (AP) – The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator on Monday urged faster ac- tion on the fraught problem of the Irish border, saying there needs to be agreement by June on a way to keep it open. The Northern Ireland-Ire- land border will be the U.K.’s only land frontier with the EU after Brexit. Britain and the bloc agree there must be no customs posts or other infrastructure along the currently all-but-invisible 310-mile border. But Britain also says it will leave the EU’s tariff-free customs union. Officials from the two sides are trying to find a way to reconcile the two positions. Britain rejects the EU’s suggestion, which is to keep Northern Ireland inside the bloc’s customs union. The EU says the U.K. has yet to pro- pose a workable alternative. On a visit to the border region, EU negotiator Mi- chel Barnier said “we need to agree rapidly by June on the scope of all-island customs and regulations, the safety and controls that we need to respect the single market.” But the leader of Northern Ireland’s largest pro-British Unionist party accused Bar- nier of listening only to the Irish side of the argument. “We have tried to get him to understand the unionist posi- tion for the people of Northern Ireland, but he hasn’t really responded to that and I’m dis- appointed about that,” Demo- cratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster told the BBC. Barnier said in response: “My door is open.” Britain and the EU want to strike an overall Brexit agreement by October, so EU parliaments have time to ratify it before Britain leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019. PARIS (AP) – A po- lice operation across the Caribbean and South America has freed nearly 350 people from human trafficking networks and led to the arrests of 22 people. Those rescued in- cluded children and adults working in night- clubs, gold mines, fac- tories, open-air markets and on farms, interna- tional police agency In- terpol said Monday. Some were forced to work without pay, or in spaces no bigger than coffins. Interpol said the traffickers took advan- tage of vulnerable pop- ulations seeking jobs across borders. Interpol said that so- cial services and charity groups are working to support the victims. About 500 police were involved in the coordi- nated raids earlier this month in Brazil, Vene- zuela, Jamaica and 10 other countries in the Caribbean. They seized computer equipment, LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday appointed the first ethnic-minority politi- cian to the key post of home secretary, as the govern- ment struggled to contain a scandal over the mistreat- ment of long-term residents from the Caribbean. Lawmaker Sajid Javid re- placed Amber Rudd, who re- signed late Sunday, saying she had “inadvertently” misled lawmakers about whether the government had deportation targets. The “Windrush” scandal has dominated headlines in Britain for days and sparked intense criticism of the Con- servative government’s tough immigration policies. The furor began when the Guardian newspaper reported that some people from the Caribbean who have lived in Britain for de- cades had been refused med- ical care or threatened with deportation because they could not produce paper- work proving their right to reside in the country. Outrage at their treat- ment has piled pressure on May, who was home secre- tary between 2010 and 2016 and introduced tough immi- gration policies intended to make Britain a “hostile en- vironment” for unauthor- ized migrants. Javid on Monday said his most urgent task was “to help those British citizens that came from the Caribbean, the so-called Windrush gen- eration, and make sure that they are treated with the de- cency and the fairness that they deserve.” Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants, is the first politi- cian from an ethnic minority to hold one of the four top jobs in Britain’s government – prime minister, finance min- ister, foreign secretary and home secretary. Immigration is a divisive issue in Britain, and reducing the number of newcomers was a major factor for many voters who in 2016 backed leaving the European Union. The Conservative government has an oft-stated but long- unmet goal of reducing net immigration below 100,000 people a year, less than half the current level. The current furor involves members of the “Windrush generation,” named for the ship Empire Windrush, which in 1948 brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to a Britain seeking nurses, railway workers and others to help it rebuild after the devastation of World War II. They and subsequent Ca- ribbean migrants came from British colonies or ex-colo- nies and had an automatic right to settle in the U.K. But some have now been de- nied housing, jobs or medical treatment because of require- ments that employers and doctors check people’s immi- gration status. Others have been told by the government that they are in Britain ille- gally and must leave. “That could be me,” Javid told the Sunday Telegraph. In recent weeks Rudd and May have apologized repeat- edly, saying that all pre-1973 Commonwealth immigrants who do not already have British citizenship will get it and those affected will get compensation. But Rudd’s position wors- ened after she told lawmakers last week that the govern- ment did not have targets for deporting people – only for a 2017 memo to emerge that mentioned specific targets for “enforced removals.” Rudd said she did not see the memo, but The Guardian later published a leaked letter she wrote to the prime minister discussing an aim of increasing removals by 10 percent. In a resignation letter to the prime minister, Rudd said she had “inadvertently” misled lawmakers. May said she accepted that Rudd had spoken “in good faith” and was sorry to see her resign. The Windrush scandal is also causing anxiety for the 3 million European Union citi- zens living in Britain who are concerned about their immigration status after the country leaves the EU next March. The British govern- ment says they will be al- lowed to stay. May’s office said Ja- vid’s former job, communi- ties secretary, would be filled by James Brokenshire, a former secretary of state for Northern Ireland. Javid on Monday said his most urgent task was “to help those British citizens that came from the Caribbean, the so-called Windrush generation, and make sure that they are treated with the decency and the fairness that they deserve.” The Northern Ireland-Ireland border will be the U.K.’s only land frontier with the EU after Brexit. Sajid Javid was named as Britain’s new Home Secretary, Monday, replacing Amber Rudd. – PHOTO: AP EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, talks with Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, during a media presentation on Brexit, in Dundalk, Ireland, Monday. – PHOTO: AP mobile phones and cash. “In Guyana, young women were found working as pros- titutes next to extremely re- mote gold mines, from which they could not escape,” In- terpol said in a statement. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, “Asian ‘em- ployees’ at a factory had been stripped of their passports and made to be completely dependent on handlers” for food and lodging – and were receiving zero wages, it said. The operation was co- ordinated by Barbados and funded by Canada, as part of France-based Inter- pol’s global efforts to fight human trafficking. A similar operation last year in five African countries arrested 40 suspected human traffickers and rescued hun- dreds of victims – including 236 minors. The victims in- cluded vulnerable girls and young women lured into prostitution networks, or im- poverished children whose parents handed them over to people promising them a better life.Next >