ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 High of 87 Low of 75 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WHEN CAYMAN’S PRIVATE SCHOOLS RUN OUT OF SPACE LOCAL | PAGE 5 CAYMAN CELEBRATES SYMBOL’S 60-YEAR ANNIVERSARY 187818_PRINT-Ad-Strip-Compass-FiPage 1 4/20/18 11:54:13 AM Emails reveal GM mosquito program impact was overstated KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Last October, the government released a re- port touting the success of the Mosquito Re- search and Control Unit’s genetically modified mosquito program, claiming the venture be- tween the MRCU and the British biotech firm Oxitec resulted in a “62 percent suppression rate” of the disease-spreading insects in the West Bay release area. However, that report contained inaccurate in- formation that overstated the program’s success, according to recently released internal emails between government and MRCU officials. Moreover, emails state that the report was not formulated by government or the MRCU, but by Oxitec itself, which stood to gain from the report’s positive results – around that time, the company was aiming to close a US$8 million deal that would have expanded the project to the entire island. When an MRCU official brought this to the attention of his superior, he was told that the public could not be told that the ostensibly public report was, in fact, formulated by a pri- vate sector company. According to the emails, the issues raised by the report were discussed by the MRCU after the Compass published an article last October, reporting on the 62-percent suppres- sion statistic claimed in the MRCU’s report. A day after the Compass published the ar- ticle, MRCU Assistant Director Alan Wheeler wrote to government’s communications arm, Government Information Services, expressing his disapproval that an inaccurate figure was being disseminated to the public. “MRCU was expecting to see a reduction in the region of 90%+ as had been reported in all other Oxitec releases. This was not achieved and the figure of 62% reduction is also not ac- cepted by MRCU,” he stated. “I understand the article was written by a Compass journalist, but I believe we need to clarify to the press our current position – that we require fur- ther data collection in order to determine the Kirkland Nixon laid to rest in moving ceremony SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Kirkland Nixon, Cayman’s first fire chief, was remembered Sunday as a family man, a voracious reader and a consummate public servant during a solemn memorial service held at the Lions Centre. Hundreds attended the ceremony to pay their last respects. Mr. Nixon, who passed away on April 30, was eulogized by a host of prominent com- munity members, including Premier Alden McLaughlin, Deputy Premier Moses Kirk- connell and former Speaker of the Legis- lative Assembly Linford Pierson, before he was laid to rest at Tall Tree Cemetery. The Cayman Islands Fire Service, which Mr. Nixon headed for four decades, showed up en masse at Sunday’s service. At the end of the ceremony, the fire service mem- bers lined up in a guard of honor along the center aisle of the Lions Centre and ushered his casket to a waiting fire truck for the ride to the cemetery. “The loss of Kirkland is deep and per- sonal to me. I grew up on Crewe Road not very far from where he built his first house. I’ve known him all my life,” said Uniformed Fire Service officers carry Kirkland Nixon’s casket down the aisle of the Lions Centre on Sunday. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » SPACE SHORTAGE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Jessica Reed thought she was being pro- active when she registered to enroll her daughter Zara at Cayman Prep Primary School four years ago. “We would have thought since she was reg- istered at 9 months, she’d be in by now,” Ms. Reed, 33, said. Zara, who recently turned 5 and attends preschool at Discovery Kids, will be at- tending Island Montessori school in the fall instead. Her mother had also put her on that waiting list. While it’s not her first choice, Ms. Reed said she is relieved Zara has a spot in one of Grand Cayman’s private schools. She is among a growing group of parents who have been stymied by the lack of space in those schools. Caymanians are given priority enrollment at the government schools on the island. Ex- patriates are usually relegated to using one of the private schools, many of which have long waiting lists. Parents can wait years hoping for an opening. As in Ms. Reed’s case, it some- times never comes. The anxiety the situation creates in a par- ent’s daily life is significant, Ms. Reed said. “If she doesn’t get a place, what do you do?” she asked. Expats who come to Grand Cayman with school-age children can face even more of a challenge. Some, Ms. Reed said, have to resort to homeschooling their children. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY MAY 15, 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) LADY BIRD (R) 2:00 I 4:35 I 7:20 I 9:40 I FEEL PRETTY (PG13) 4:55 I 9:55 AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (PG13) 12:15 VIP I 12:20 3D I 3:30 VIP I 3:35 6:50 I 9:20 3D I 9:55 VIP I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (PG) 3:50 I 10:00 OVERBOARD (PG13) 1:00 I 6:45 A QUIET PLACE (PG13) 12:25 I 2:40 I 7:30 RAMPAGE (PG13) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:10 I 9:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: COMING TO AMERICA (R) 7:00 VIP Visiting Gynecologist will be available for consultation at Novo Clinic, Britcay House 236 Eastern Avenue from 8-21 May, 2018 For appointments please call +1 (345) 746-6082 clinic@novocayman.com Port hires exceeded budget; agency short-staffed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands Port Authority spending spree on new hires last year left the agency about $400,000 over budget and did not end up covering all the po- sitions the authority said it needed to fill. Yet, Port Authority man- agers told Auditor General Sue Winspear that their new hires cost only $1.1 million during the 2016/17 fiscal period – far less than the budget provided. Auditors clarified last week that port managers were apparently looking at the wrong numbers. “Based on the 2017 [an- nual] budget, the expected increase in payroll cost was $1.3 million,” the audit office noted in a follow-up report issued Friday. “Based on [em- ployment] contracts entered into, that amount was $1.7 million … and all budgeted posts were not filled.” The annual costs for the new staff went about $400,000 over budget. How- ever, auditors said many of the port’s new hires during 2017 did not work the full 12 months of the year, making it appear that the agency had a “cash savings” during the year. “What impact [will] these new hires have on the Port Authority Cayman Islands payroll for the next two budget cycles?” auditors asked. Auditors sought clarifi- cation from Port Director Clement Reid on the issue as part of their follow-up work. “[Mr. Reid] acknowledged that the increase in the fol- lowing years [2018, 2019] was not considered in his deci- sions and if he had been so advised by the chief financial officer, he would have made different decisions,” the audit report noted. Mr. Reid also noted the 2016/17 budget, consisting of a one-time 18-month spending period, was “a bit confusing.” The auditor general’s of- fice had earlier pointed to several examples where port employees were hired at sal- aries greater than advertised, as well as instances where people were hired for new positions where no adver- tising was done at all. Auditors alleged that this was done outside of the pro- visions of the newly ad- opted Public Authorities Law, which puts stricter controls over hiring and recruitment within statutory authorities, such as the port. However, Mr. Reid said the provisions of that law had not come into force at the time most of the hires covered in the auditor’s re- port were made. “There has been criticism that, in certain instances, I was in breach of [the] Public Authorities Law,” Mr. Reid said. “The fact that most of my decisions regarding re- cruitment took place be- fore the law came into force, is highly relevant for ex- planation. Further, this is a new piece of legislation (not a revision of a previous law) and neither myself nor other members of the Au- thority had any training until December 2017.” The law came into force on June 1, 2017. In the follow-up report is- sued Friday, auditors noted they did not find that the port director was unclear about the establishment of the Public Authorities Law at the times the various hiring decisions were made. “We therefore main- tain our view that his ac- tions in hiring [two ref- erenced employees] and subsequently promoting [a third employee] contravened the Public Authorities Law,” the report noted. Hiring issues The auditors’ concerns about port hiring deci- sions included a number of situations between late 2016 and 2017: ■■ A deputy director for human resources was paid at a salary scale above the advertised range of $88,000 to $125,000 per year for a post that did not origi- nally exist in the port’s 2016/17 budget. Three other Caymanians scored higher than the successful candidate on the inter- view matrix used for the position, auditors said. ■■ A port employee was promoted to deputy di- rector/chief logistics of- ficer without the posi- tion being advertised and at a higher salary than the range used for port deputy directors. This position also did not exist within the 2016/17 budget, auditors said. ■■ A manager for opera- tions and events was hired without an inter- view process, and the successful candidate was not required to submit medical exam forms or police clearances, as is normal practice. ■■ Another port employee was promoted to deputy director/chief operating officer with no notifi- cation or internal ad- vertising for the job. ■■ A port manager re- ceived a salary increase of $21,000 per year after completing the proba- tionary period on the job, putting the overall salary well in excess of the po- sition’s advertised pay. ■■ An office manager hired in 2016 was paid above the advertised salary range, but quit the job just two months later. This led to a situation where another person was recruited, at a higher salary, without the job being advertised. This was done without consulting the port’s human resources man- ager, auditors said. Clement Reid, Port Authority director Customs, CAL workers arrested for drugs offenses A Cayman Islands cus- toms officer and a Cayman Airways employee have been arrested on suspicion of importing ganja, Cus- toms Collector Charles Clif- ford confirmed Monday. The Cayman Air- ways employee was ar- rested in Miami on April 29 with another man as they boarded a Cayman Airways flight to Cayman, according to U.S. federal court records. Mr. Clifford said the ar- rests came after a com- bined operation of customs and Royal Cayman Islands Police officers. The arrested customs officer has been suspended until further no- tice, he said. “I will not allow the in- tegrity of our hard working and dedicated customs offi- cers and staff to be brought into question because of unchecked criminal con- duct by any corrupt officer,” Mr. Clifford said Monday. “Investigations such as this one must be prioritized in all primary law enforce- ment agencies for obvious reasons,” he added. SECOND ARREST MADE IN ANTI-CORRUPTION CASE A second person has been arrested in connec- tion with a bribery case in- volving a Department of Ve- hicle and Drivers’ Licensing department employee. The Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commis- sion announced the ar- rest of a 22-year-old man Wednesday in connection with an ongoing bribery and fraud probe. The man, who was not charged, was released on police bail pending further enquiries. Commission officers said last week’s arrest was related to the Oct. 12, 2017, arrest of a 31-year-old fe- male public officer, a DVDL employee. The woman has not been charged with any crimes in the investigation. “I will not allow the integrity of our hard working and dedicated customs officers and staff to be brought into question because of unchecked criminal conduct by any corrupt officer.” CUSTOMS COLLECTOR CHARLES CLIFFORD Health City, Dr. Shetty recognized with healthcare awards Health City Cayman Is- lands and its founder, Dr. Devi Shetty, received awards at America’s largest healthcare conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, received two awards at the World Health Care Congress’s 2018 Health Value Awards cer- emony on April 29. A third award was given to Health City Cayman Islands itself. Dr. Shetty won a gold prize in the Lifetime Achieve- ment awards for Clinical Care, which Health City Clinical Director Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil said was recognition of providing high-quality healthcare based on U.S. parameters while still reducing the cost. “Dr. Shetty wanted to prove he can do it in the Cayman Islands (not the least expensive place by any means in the Caribbean to do business) through effi- ciencies, through having the right model,” said Dr. Binoy, as he is known, in the press release. He noted that Health City’s pricing is about one- third of that in similar U.S. institutions. Dr. Shetty also won a second gold Lifetime Achieve- ment award for Outstanding Public Leadership. The third prize received by the Health City Cayman Islands team was the silver award in the Direct Care Pro- viders category. Health City Director of Business Development Shomari Scott said Health City was considered a “disrupter” in the medical field, dem- onstrating that the “highest quality outcomes can be pro- vided at affordable prices.” Health City was one of 57 finalists selected from the hundreds vying for a variety of awards in sev- eral categories. The ceremony took place at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., as part of the 15th An- nual World Health Care Congress from April 29 through May 2. Health City was repre- sented by Dr. Binoy, Mr. Scott, U.S. Sales Specialist Mary Jones and board member Gene Thompson.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 dartscholar.ky Beyond prestige and financial support for both high school and university students, the Dart Scholarship provides young Caymanians with life-changing experience in the real world of industry. If you’re a high achieving Caymanian student with aspirations to be a future leader and innovator, we invite you to apply for the 2018 programme. A whole new world of possibilities. It begins with a simple application. The William A Dart University Scholarship Submit your application by 18 May 2018The 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. I am currently in the U.K. and read your paper every day. There is no other country in the world like the Cayman Islands. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kirkland Nixon approximately 10 years ago on a very serious matter. During that meeting, to lighten the subject, Mr. Nixon talked about his orchids with such a passion that I was fixed at listening to every word. Ever since then, I have always looked at orchids in any garden center I visit. Your article in the Com- pass (“Kirkland Nixon passes away,” May 1) had a message from our premier, the Hon- ourable Alden Mclaughlin, who wrote, “Kirkland epito- mized the best Caymanian values: patriotism, hard work and diligence, honesty, integ- rity and fairness, frankness, common sense and judgment.” With these words, I started to think and think! I have come across many mem- bers of our society, from the judiciary to lawyers, from im- migration to pensions, from health to education, from the man or woman in the taxi to the bank manager, and the one thread the Cayman Islands has in common is what I call the “Cayman thread,” as it was described by our premier. Cayman values are all around us. We cannot see them, touch them, smell them or eat them, but Cayman, more than anywhere in the world, exhibits the values de- scribed by our premier. Let us all thank God that we were blessed with such a special man as Mr. Nixon. Keith Myers When Cayman’s private schools run out of space When pondering a relocation (particularly to a foreign land), three questions rise to the forefront of every parent’s mind: • How safe is it? • How good is the healthcare? • How are the schools? For Cayman’s hiring managers, it’s easy to provide simple, positive answers to the first two questions. As for the third, well, keep reading … As we all know, non-Caymanian children are gener- ally not allowed to attend local government schools. Add to that this reality: Increasingly, expatriate families are finding their children cannot attend private schools either. There are no seats available. On Page One of today’s newspaper, we chron- icle just how acute the shortage of private class- room space has become. This shortage is, therefore, becoming as much of an economic and recruiting issue as it is an educational one. If this shortage is not remedied, Cayman will soon become severely handicapped in its ability to attract top professionals to our local businesses – especially our professions. Make no mistake: These “knowledge workers” we require are in high demand globally, and no well-edu- cated professional parent will relocate to a venue where the public schools are closed to their children or there are no suitable options (or even openings) in the private schools. The problem has become so acute that many parents feel compelled to enroll their children in the first school that can take them – regardless of reli- gious affiliation, curriculum or model of instruction. Some families have turned to homeschooling, not by choice but out of necessity. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of homeschooled children in Cayman rose by 17 percent in one year. Intentional, not de facto, segregation in Cayman’s public schools contributes to the problem, dividing not only foreigners and Caymanians, but also Caymanian families – those who are able to invest thousands of dollars annually in private education and those who have no choice but to send their children to often- underperforming public schools. (Caymanians might be forgiven for “picking up pitchforks” if they knew how many of their elected members (and those in the upper ranks of the civil service) send (or have sent) their children to private schools. Some time ago, the Compass sent out ques- tionnaires to such public officials asking whether their children attended public, or private, schools. Not sur- prisingly, our response rate was low.) Cayman’s two-tiered education system does unknowable, but certainly unfathomable, long-term harm to many Caymanian children who are remanded to not only the poorer-performing public schools, but who are also insulated from both expatriates and their more prosperous Caymanian brethren. This is government-imposed “ghetto-ization” at its worst, and it constitutes the most unenlightened edu- cational policy imaginable. What is needed, of course, is to improve our public schools to the extent that they become a desirable option for both expatriate students and Caymanian students, regardless of their economic circumstances. But back to recruitment realities: In order for the Cayman Islands to maintain their status as a desirable destination for global professionals, we must make our society as attractive and welcoming as possible in order to compete for this in-demand talent. Adorning our public schools with signs reading “No Foreigners Welcome Here” does not sound like it is in anybody’s best interest. TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Is containment our only option with Iran? WASHINGTON – The path to today’s problems with Iran passed through the Univer- sity of Chicago squash court where on Dec. 2, 1942, for 4.5 minutes physicist En- rico Fermi, making calcula- tions on a slide rule, achieved the controlled release of en- ergy from an atomic nucleus. Historian Richard Rhodes says that Fermi and his col- leagues were risking “a small Chernobyl in the midst of a crowded city.” Humanity was already on the path to the dangerous present in 1918 when the British physicist Ernest Ruth- erford, who was criticized for missing a meeting about anti- submarine warfare, said, “I have been engaged in exper- iments which suggest that the atom can be artificially disintegrated. If this is true, it is of far greater impor- tance than a war.” So, when wondering about what can be done about Iran’s nuclear-weapons aspi- rations – and North Korea’s nuclear-weapons facts – re- member this: Some advocates of the Iran nuclear agree- ment thought its purpose was to block “all of Iran’s path- ways to a bomb,” which was Barack Obama’s formulation when his goal was to dis- mantle the infrastructure of Iran’s program. The realistic purpose, however, was the more modest one of making the “pathways” longer and steeper, in the hope that in- ternal Iranian ferments would begin to make that nation less menacing by the time it began to make nu- clear weapons. Although much sophisti- cation has been added over the decades, the basic recipe for building nuclear weapons comes from the 1940s, and for ballistic missile technology from the 1950s. The Soviet Union was an almost pros- trate nation with a shattered society when, just 51 months after the guns fell silent on V-E Day, it detonated its first nuclear weapon in August 1949. China was an almost entirely peasant society when in 1964 it detonated a nuclear weapon. In 1998, Pakistan, with a per capita income of $470, acquired such weapons. Nuclear nonproliferation efforts have been more effec- tive than seemed possible 60 years ago. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy cited “indications” that by 1964 there would be “10, 15 or 20” nuclear powers. As president, he said that by 1975 there might be 20 such powers. Today, sanctions can in- crease the price Iran pays for attempting to acquire nu- clear weapons; Israel can as- sassinate scientists working in Iran’s nuclear program. If, however, Iran wants such weapons as intensely as its decades of costly efforts sug- gest, it will get them. It is a law of arms con- trol: Significant agreements are impossible until they are unimportant, which means until they are not signifi- cant. If Denmark wanted nuclear weapons, we would consider that nation daft but not dangerous. Iran’s re- gime is malevolent, but there are polls (how do you poll in a theocratic police state?) showing substantial support for the nuclear weapons pro- gram and ballistic missile development. The median age in Iran is 30.3 (in the United States: 38.1; in the European Union, 42.9). The nation is more porous to out- side influences than can suit the regime, which has a des- potism’s normal preference for intellectual autarky. So, buying time was not a neg- ligible goal for the original deal or for whatever comes next, if anything does. It is condign punishment for Obama that his signature foreign policy achievement, the deal with Iran, could be so casually jettisoned. It should have been a treaty. If it were, it would have enjoyed more public support and could not have been erased by what created it – presidential unilateralism. Deterrence as the basis of containment has not been restful but has been suc- cessful. Nevertheless, in Sep- tember 2012, the Senate voted 90-1 for a nonbinding reso- lution “ruling out any policy that would rely on contain- ment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.” So, almost six years ago the Senate declared unaccept- able a policy that, perhaps six years from now, the United States might have no alterna- tive but to accept. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL LETTER TO THE EDITOR The values of Kirkland Nixon 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”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday May 21st NO PUBLICATION Tuesday May 22nd Thursday May 17th Wednesday May 23rd Thursday May 17th Thursday May 24th Friday May 18th Friday May 25th Tuesday May 22nd DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY Celebrate the long weekend DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY May 21st (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, May 21st, Discovery Day. OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Cayman celebrates symbol’s 60-year anniversary Cayman and the U.K. marked the 60th birthday of the territory’s coat of arms on Monday. Banners were hung out- side several government buildings and a ceremo- nial display presented in the U.K. to mark the day, May 14, 1958, when her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, com- manded that it become the territorial symbol. “Sixty years is quite a milestone,” said Alfonso Wright, chairman of the Cel- ebrate Cayman committee, which is helping to organize events here and in the U.K. over the next two years as Cayman passes the “diamond anniversaries” of both its coat of arms and its first constitu- tion as a U.K. territory. The coat of arms symbol- izes Cayman’s close histor- ical connections with both the U.K. and Jamaica, as well as its seafaring and reli- gious heritage. The original document that displayed the coat of arms was lost in a 1970s- era fire that destroyed the former government adminis- tration building. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the Cayman Islands London Office arranged for two facsimiles of the coat of arms to be produced. “One will be displayed in the London office and the other here in Cayman,” Mr. McLaughlin said. A number of local leaders, including Mr. McLaughlin, Speaker of the House McK- eeva Bush and Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller flew to London for festivities held in honor of the 60-year anniver- sary to be held on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Mr. Wright said the com- mittee would host additional activities throughout the year and next year to mark the 60th anniversary of Cayman’s first constitution. “When the year is over, I don’t think there will have been anyone who lives in the Cayman Islands, or who visited the Cayman Islands, who has not heard anything about the coat of arms and what it means to its people,” he said. Help offered with certificates for veterans, seamen The Ministry of Com- munity Affairs is re- minding recipients of ex gratia seamen and vet- erans benefits to complete their Seaman and Veterans Continuation Confirmation Certificates. The certificates must be completed every two years. The ministry advised that community devel- opment officers will at- tend locations throughout the various districts in coming weeks to help anyone who needs as- sistance in completing the certificates. The certificates are used to keep the ministry’s re- cords of those receiving the ex gratia payments up-to- date. Recipients are asked to bring a current photo ID with them. District community of- ficer Flavia Gardner will attend Webster Memo- rial United Church Town Hall in Bodden Town on Thursday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; on Friday, May 18 at 2–6 p.m.; and on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. She can be reached at 926-0490. District community of- ficer Vanda Powery will be at the West Bay Library on Tuesdays, May 15, 22 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. She can be con- tacted on 916-7902. In George Town, dis- trict community officer Dorline Welcome will be visiting the Cayman Is- lands Seafarers Association Hall on Shamrock Road on Wednesdays, May 16, 23 and 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. She can be reached on 925-4083. Dates and times for East End, North Side and Cayman Brac will be an- nounced later. Housebound recipients of the benefit should contact the ministry at 244-2426 or contact their district’s community devel- opment officer. The certificates must be completed every two years. The Cayman Islands government administration building marked the 60th anniversary of the territory’s coat of arms Monday. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Volunteers participate in North Sound inlet cleanup MILO DACK mdack@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 50 volunteers cleared 2,343 pounds of gar- bage from the area north of Sparkys Drive in George Town’s industrial zone on Sunday morning. The garbage was sep- arated into recycables by teams of volunteers who sorted through the bags that were brought in. More than 868 pounds of glass, mainly consisting of beer bottles, 10 pounds of aluminum cans, and 50 pounds of plastic bot- tles were collected and re- cycled by JUNK. “I’m really proud to see the youth come out and actu- ally make a difference today. They’re showing real initia- tive related to waste man- agement and more kids should do the same,” said Bill LaMonte, a teacher at Cayman International School. Of the many items that were collected, some of the less sanitary items were used condoms, abandoned fishing tackle and dirty diapers that had begun to decom- pose in the sun. Plastic Free Cayman’s main sponsor Red Sail Sports took part in the cleanup, along with A. L. Thomp- son’s, which supplied the buckets and tools, and JUNK, who collected the recycla- bles post-cleanup. Also in at- tendance were pupils from Cayman International School, as well as parents and fami- lies of the children. “On behalf of Plastic Free Cayman, we would just like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of our volunteers,” said Claire Hughes, founder of Plastic Free Cayman. “It’s Mother’s Day, and we are just basically paying back Mother Earth and saying thank you.” Other beach cleanups will be taking place monthly across the islands. More information can be found on Plastic Free Cayman’s Facebook page or the Cayman Compass community calendar. Children get involved with the coastal cleanup, picking up plastic debris and garbage out of the trees and grass. – PHOTO: MILO DACKThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mr. McLaughlin in the mo- ments before reading a pre- pared tribute to Mr. Nixon. “He has served not just as a mentor, guide and a role model in his personal life and at the Lions Club, but also as I have entered my political career and gone through that over the past 18 years, he has increas- ingly been a good source of counsel and a great support.” Mr. McLaughlin ticked off several of the positions Mr. Nixon had filled during his life in his prepared remarks. He lauded Mr. Nixon for his ser- vice as president of the Lions Club, coordinator of the Na- tional Hurricane Committee, and chairman of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, among other roles. Mr. Pierson read a version of Mr. Nixon’s life story prepared by his wife Melba and assorted friends, but he shared a remembrance of his friend before delivering the prepared remarks. “Our hearts are heavy with grief and sorrow as we mourn the loss of this out- standing Caymanian patriot,” he said. “It was my pleasure and privilege to have known and engaged in various activ- ities with Kirkie for upwards of 40 years, during which time I found him to be a man of honor and integrity. A man whose word was his bond. Indeed, a man who could be trusted. There will always be a heartache and often a silent tear, always a special memory of the days when we were here, my brother and friend.” Mr. Pierson, as part of his prepared remarks, shared a special mantra developed by Mr. Nixon: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can as long as you ever can.” The Cayman Islands Airports Authority, Min- istry of District Adminis- tration, Public Service Pen- sions Board, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and Cayman Islands Seafarers Associa- tion all entered official re- membrances of Mr. Nixon, who touched the commu- nity in numerous ways during his life. Mr. Nixon is survived by his wife Melba, daughters Tammy and Lorrie, grandson Joey and four siblings. Mr. Nixon’s siblings, wife and daughters detailed their memories of their loved one to be read aloud. “There are so many unique qualities that I could share about him today, but time does not permit,” said the re- membrance from Mrs. Nixon, read by Linburgh Martin. “He accomplished most of his de- sires, but the one thing he desired most and wanted to see become a reality was the growing-up of our precious grandson Joey. He wanted for him to have the best educa- tion possible. This I promised him I will do.” At the conclusion of the memorial service, Mr. Nixon’s flag-draped casket was es- corted to a waiting Fire Ser- vice pickup truck and placed in the bed. Three fire engines accompanied the truck and the funeral caravan to Tall Tree Cemetery, where Mr. Nixon was laid to rest after a brief graveside ceremony. An honor guard of Fire Service members escort former fire chief Kirkland Nixon’s casket to his final resting place. – PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY Kirkland Nixon laid to rest in moving ceremony Linford Pierson, Donovan Ebanks, Pastor L.V. McMillan and Premier Alden McLaughlin stand on the podium during Kirkland Nixon’s funeral service at the Lions Centre on Sunday. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Fire trucks were detailed with a black ribbon in honor of Mr. Nixon on Sunday.Mr. Nixon’s loved ones look on as he is laid to rest at Tall Tree Cemetery.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 According to the Min- istry of Education, there were 103 homeschooled students registered in 2016/17. That number rose by 17 percent to 120 in 2017/18. Debbie Thompson is a board member of the Pri- vate Schools Association of the Cayman Islands. She said schools were not as impacted a few years ago. “It’s been more of a con- cern in recent years,” said Ms. Thompson, who has been director of Montes- sori by the Sea for 16 years. “In the beginning, it was the preschool level that was the concern.” Now upper grades have also been affected. Samantha Tibbetts is president of the school as- sociation and principal of Hope Academy. Her own school, she said, is impacted in the high school grades. She agrees that more classroom space is needed. “I think every school would expand if they could,” Ms. Tibbetts said, “because every school is tight on space and every school is tight on money.” One school that is ex- panding is Cayman Inter- national School. It plans to build on a 9-acre site next to the existing school. The $45-million project will allow it to increase its enrollment from 630 to 1,100. “The waitlists and de- mand for seats is a major factor in this expansion,” said Jeremy Moore, the school’s director. “What the island is missing is extra capacity and programs for students with special needs. At the moment, there’s high demand for the youngest grade levels.” He expects those classes to fill quickly after the expan- sion is complete. “Any new school should look at the early years through grade 5 as the focus of a new facility,” he said. Student numbers, he said, have increased every year at the school. Limitations also come into play when parents are seeking a specific type of school structure. “If you want the U.K. system, it’s pretty limited,” Ms. Thompson said. “You have Cayman Prep and the Catholic school [St. Ignatius]. Cayman Prep always seems to be in huge demand.” Bonnie Finnigan, 36, came to Cayman in 2012 from England. She has two boys, 5 and 3, and wants them to be at a school that offers the British system, rather than the U.S. or and international structure. After years of being wait- listed at the two U.K.-system schools, Ms. Finnigan said, her youngest son Jasper was accepted at St. Ignatius. As a consequence, her older son, Thaddeus, received a higher priority and was also admitted. Ms. Finnigan said she is pleased not to have to deal with the stress of waiting for a school spot. “It can impact things like talking about your fu- ture and your career,” she said. “If we can’t get them into school after the age of 5, do we stay on island? Do we quit work and stay home and homeschool them?” A former event planner for Dart Enterprises, Ms. Finnigan changed her own career path. She is taking online courses to become a Montessori teacher. Her sons have been attending a Montessori school, one of the few options open to her when Thaddeus was ready for preschool, she said. At that time, he was still on the waiting list at St. Ignatius. She could have increased his chances of getting into the Catholic school, however. “They did suggest I have him christened Catholic,” Ms. Finnigan said. “It was something I didn’t feel quite right about morally, but I understand people do it.” The St. Ignatius admis- sions policy states that non- Catholic students are wel- come at the school, but that they will be placed on a waiting list. Some schools are pro- posing to expand. Ms. Thompson said she would like to add another class- room to her Montes- sori school. Principal Tib- betts said Hope Academy has eventual plans to leave its rented space at Grand Harbour and build its own campus. Several sources men- tioned the much-antici- pated opening of Blue Wa- ters Academy. Some parents are already on the proposed- school’s waiting list. Developer Sue Horrocks said she is hoping to open the doors this fall, but at the moment it is uncertain that will happen. Until there is more space, parents and school officials say the same thing. “We encourage people to apply as soon as pos- sible,” said Renee Howell of Triple C Academy. “Last year, we had almost 70 chil- dren on our wait list. We’re doing assessments right now for next year.” Ms. Howell said enroll- ment at the school is up 34 percent in the past five years. “The earlier you enroll your student, the better,” she said. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 level of suppression that can be achieved using the Ox- itec mosquito.” In response, a Govern- ment Information Services communications officer told Mr. Wheeler that the 62-per- cent suppression rate figure was in an MRCU report that was tabled by the National Conservation Council. How- ever, Mr. Wheeler responded that the “MRCU Annual Re- port was actually written by Oxitec, and we remain di- vided upon the level of sup- pression achieved.” That same day, Mr. Wheeler also wrote to MRCU then-Acting Director Nancy Barnard, expressing sim- ilar views on the report’s in- accuracy, and suggesting that Oxitec disseminated the findings directly through Government Information Ser- vices rather than consulting with MRCU officials first. “I do not think Oxitec should be communicating di- rectly with [Government In- formation Services] on these press statements, as [Govern- ment Information Services] is meant to be representing the views of government (i.e. MRCU) and not Oxitec,” he stated in his email. Two days later, Mr. Wheeler received a response from Ms. Barnard, who has since returned to her pre- vious position as the deputy chief officer in the Min- istry of Health, Environ- ment, Culture and Housing after James McNelly was made the MRCU’s new di- rector in February. Ms. Barnard’s email thanked Mr. Wheeler for raising those issues with gov- ernment, but did not men- tion any efforts that would be made to clarify with the public about the actual effi- cacy of the genetically mod- ified mosquito program. In- stead, Ms. Barnard stated that government cannot tell the public that Oxitec cre- ated the report. “While apparently Oxitec contributed in large part to the MRCU report referenced, at the end of the day it is an MRCU Report, so we cannot tell the public that Oxitec au- thored it,” she stated in her email, which was obtained via a freedom of informa- tion request and published on Monday by the nonprofit group GeneWatch UK, which has long been critical of the genetically modified mos- quito program. Meanwhile, it’s not clear what the program’s true sup- pression rate was in the West Bay target area, nor is it clear what the scope is of the cur- rent MRCU-Oxitec suppres- sion project. MRCU officials, Oxitec officials, and Gov- ernment Information Ser- vices did not answer Com- pass inquiries about these issues. Former MRCU Di- rector William Petrie, who spearheaded the GM mos- quito program until he left the unit to take up the post of director of Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control and Habitat Management in July 2017, could not be reached for comment. An earlier series of emails between the MRCU and Ox- itec – also obtained by Ge- neWatch UK – show the two parties were close to agree- ment on a two-year, US$8 mil- lion deal in August last year. But government backed away from the arrangement, budgeting only CI$940,000 in 2018 for a much smaller- scale deployment of the tech- nique in West Bay – essen- tially a rerun of the pilot deployment in that area from 2016 and 2017. In February, Ms. Barnard told the Compass that the MRCU and Oxitec were still in the process of developing a new program for West Bay in 2018, involving using GM mosquitoes in combination with other techniques. She said the decision not to go ahead with a national rollout was “partially dic- tated by budget and partially to allow MRCU scientists to assess a new integrated vector management approach with Oxitec in the same area of West Bay as in 2018.” She acknowledged there had been differences of opinion between government and its partner but said they worked closely together to re- solve these issues. Private school placements: Demand is exceeding supply. - PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Expatriates are usually relegated to using one of the private schools, many of which have long waiting lists. Parents sometimes wait years hoping for an opening. Space shortage in private schools Emails reveal GM mosquito program impact was overstated The genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitos were released through a tube in the back window of this MRCU van. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY “MRCU was expecting to see a reduction in the region of 90%+ as had been reported in all other Oxitec releases. This was not achieved and the figure of 62% reduction is also not accepted by MRCU.” ALAN WHEELER, MRCU assistant director, in an October 2017 email to Government Information Services CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 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 15 SEAFARERS: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association advises all members that there will be a general meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route has been added in George Town, leaving the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue. There is no charge. THURSDAY, MAY 17 WEST BAY CERT: The West Bay Community Emergency Response Team invites all to the West Bay Community Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. In preparation for hurricane season and disaster management, a special session for children is planned. Light refreshments will be served. FRIDAY, MAY 18 NATIONAL MUSEUM DAY: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Museum on the Waterfront. Local food and crafts featured. At 11 a.m. guest curator Christine Rose-Smyth talks about the 1938 Oxford Expedition to the Cayman Islands. All are invited. SATURDAY, MAY 19 MUSIC BAZAAR: Concert organized by Cayman Arts Festival featuring jazz, strings, vocalists, youth choir and junior strong orchestra. 6:30 p.m. at Marriott Ballroom. Tickets available at www. caymanartsfestival.com, US$30 adults, US$10 for students. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in Bodden Town Rubis parking lot, 6-10 a.m. SUNDAY, MAY 20 PET PAWTRAIT: Pet Pawtrait Paint Party held to raise funds for local charity One Dog at a Time. Event is at the 3 Girls and a Kiln Art Gallery 2-5 p.m. Submit your favorite photo of your pet and the image is transferred onto a canvas for you to paint. $70 a ticket. Complimentary drink, nibbles and your painting to take home. For more information and to purchase a ticket, contact info@odaat.ky. 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 entrants. 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. THURSDAY, MAY 24 BRAC COURT: Aston Rutty Centre, from 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. SATURDAY, MAY 26 CAR BOOT SALE: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Credit Union parking lot, across from the farmers Market and cricket pitch in George Town. Hosted by the Edna M. Moyle Primary School PTA. Book a selling spot by email at emps.pta@gmail.com or call Carol at 547-2900 or Kim at 925-0242. $30 per vehicle in advance or $35 on the day. Bargains to customers. Food and drink on sale. 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 BRAC CHILD MONTH: Church Service, 11 a.m. to noon, Cross Road United Baptist Church. WIND OF HOPE: 5K Walk/ Run to benefit Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home. Smith Barcadere. Walkers begin at 6:30 a.m., runners begin at 6:45 a.m. Timed race. Registration $20 adults, $10 children under 12. Trophies and giveaways. Contact windofhope5k@gmail.com or 328-2850. TUESDAY, MAY 29 ISLAND HERITAGE CHARITYDRIVE: Each time you drive by the Island Heritage roundabout or engage with them on social media, Island Heritage will donate $1 of your behalf, in support of the Special Needs Foundation. Visit www.charitydrive.ky for details. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 ISLAND HERITAGE CHARITYDRIVE: Each time you drive by the Island Heritage roundabout or engage with them on social media, Island Heritage will donate $1 of your behalf, in support of the Family Resource Centre. Visit www.charitydrive.ky for details. THURSDAY, MAY 31 ISLAND HERITAGE CHARITYDRIVE: Each time you drive by the Island Heritage roundabout or engage with them on social media, Island Heritage will donate $1 of your behalf, in support of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. Visit www.charitydrive.ky for details. GENERAL INTEREST SEAMEN AND VETERANS: Recipients of the ex gratia Seamen and Veterans benefit who need help completing the Continuation Confirmation Certificates can get assistance. These certificates need to be completed every two years. Community Development Officers will be at the following locations and recipients are asked to bring a current photo ID with them. Bodden Town CDO is Flavia Gardner – 926-0490. She will be at Webster United Church Town Hall Thursday, May 17, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 18, 2-6 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. West Bay CDO is Vanda Powery, 916-7902. She will be at the district library 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 15, 22 and 29. George Town CDO is Dorline Welcome, 925-4083. She will be at Seafarers Hall 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays, May 16, 23 and 30. Dates and times for East End, North Side and Cayman Brac will be announced later. Housebound recipients should contact the Ministry on 244-2426 or their district’s Community Development Officer. 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. 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. For fees and registration forms that are available online, contractors should visit www.planning.ky/ boards-all/builders-board. 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 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 centers. 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. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Available to adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere, Wednesdays 9 a.m. to noon: Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Kiln and clay orders available for extra fee. To register, email ceramics@visualartcayman.com. FARMERS ARTISAN MARKET: Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society artists sell arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics and more at the VAS tents by KARoo Restaurant. For more information or to inquire about table space, email info@visualartcayman.com. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact 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 Vanessa Gilman 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. The 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS National Museum Day will be held on May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018 UN welcomes N. Korea plan to close nuke site U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Monday in Vienna that ‘the irreversible closure of the site will be an important confidence- building measure that will configure to further efforts towards sustainable peace and verifiable de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.’ Dozens killed in Gaza as US Embassy opens in Jerusalem Trump, aides celebrate Jerusalem embassy, as border burns WASHINGTON (AP) – Amid deadly clashes along the Is- raeli-Palestinian border, Pres- ident Donald Trump declared Monday a “great day” for Is- rael as his top aides cele- brated the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jeru- salem as a campaign prom- ised fulfilled. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, led the U.S. delegation with a single message: Only Trump had the courage to act on what America has wanted for a long time. “While presidents be- fore him have backed down from their pledge to move the American Embassy once they were in office, this pres- ident delivered. Because when President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it,” Kushner said. The relocation of the em- bassy from Tel Aviv has infu- riated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a fu- ture capital. Protests roiled the Gaza border, resulting in at least 37 Palestinians killed, officials said. In a video address that aided at the ceremony’s opening, Trump said the move to Jerusalem has been a “long time coming,” after the U.S. had “failed to ac- knowledge the obvious” for many years. Trump said he remained committed to “fa- cilitating a lasting peace agreement,” and that he was “extending a hand of friendship to Israel, the Palestinians and to all of their neighbors.” Earlier that morning on Twitter, Trump urged people to watch the ceremony on television and declaring the day “A great day for Israel!” As the ceremony began, he wrote: “Big day for Israel. Congratulations!” Likewise, Trump’s aides also made no direct reference to the climbing death toll. In a Fox News interview, Mnuchin repeatedly referenced Jeru- salem as the capital of Israel and said Trump should be praised for “taking action” to keep Americans and people in the Middle East safe. “The president is making difficult decisions because they are what he believes are the right long term de- cisions and not just kicking the can down the road,” Mnuchin said. Mnuchin also said “it’s not coincidental” that the em- bassy move coincided with Trump’s announcement that he planned to abandon the Iran nuclear deal. Also on hand were Repub- lican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Dean Heller of Nevada and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The embassy celebra- tion was widely considered a snub by the Palestinians. Roughly 800 guests were ex- pected to attend. U.S. officials said last week that Trump’s delegation was not plan- ning on meeting Palestinian officials during their visit. The Trump administration in recent months also has slashed U.S. aid to the Pal- estinians and programs that support them. Trump’s policy is a sharp departure from past U.S. ad- ministrations, which have tried to position America as a neutral party ready to broker a peace deal. “Of all the things Pres- ident Trump could have done, doing this (embassy move) is the strongest signal he could send to the Is- raeli people,” South Caroli- na’s Graham said. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli soldiers shot and killed at least 41 Palestinians during mass protests along the Gaza border on Monday. It was the deadliest day there since a devastating 2014 cross-border war and cast a pall over Israel’s festive inau- guration of the new U.S. Em- bassy in contested Jerusalem. In a show of anger fu- eled by the embassy move, protesters set tires on fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air, and hurled firebombs and stones toward Israeli troops across the border. The Israeli mili- tary said its troops had come under fire, and accused pro- testers of trying to break through the border fence. It said troops shot and killed three Palestinians who were trying to plant a bomb. The steadily climbing death toll and wall-to-wall condemnation of the em- bassy move by the Arab world raised new doubts about President Donald Trump’s ambitions to broker what he once said would be the Mideast “deal of the century.” By midafternoon, at least 41 Palestinians, including five minors, were killed, the Gaza Health Ministry said. One of the minors was iden- tified as a girl. At least 772 pro- testers were wounded, in- cluding 86 in serious or crit- ical condition. At the same time, just 45 miles away in Jerusalem, the opening ceremony of the em- bassy got under way. U.S. Ambassador David Friedman wel- comed the crowd. “Today we open the United States embassy in Je- rusalem Israel,” he said to warm applause. The new embassy will temporarily operate from an existing U.S. consulate, until a decision has been made on a permanent location. Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, both top aides to President Donald Trump, led a high-powered American delegation that also included the treasury secretary and four Repub- lican senators. In Gaza, the Hamas-led protest was meant to be the biggest yet in a weeks- long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The Israeli mili- tary estimated a turnout of about 40,000, saying this fell short of what Hamas had hoped for. The march was also di- rected at the inauguration of the embassy. Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a key Trump campaign promise – infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital. “A great day for Israel!” Trump tweeted Monday. Monday marked the big- gest showdown in years be- tween Israel’s military and Gaza’s Hamas rulers along the volatile border. The sides have largely observed a cease-fire since the 2014 war – their third in a decade. The protests mark the cul- mination of a campaign, led by Hamas and fueled by de- spair among Gaza’s 2 mil- lion people, to break the blockade of the territory im- posed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. Since weekly border marches began in late March, 83 Palestinian pro- testers have been killed and more than 2,500 wounded by Israeli army fire. Hamas said four members, including three security men, were among the dead Monday. Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas figure, said the mass border protests against Israel will continue “until the rights of the Palestinian people are achieved.” “Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem will be a di- saster on the American ad- ministration and a black day in the history of the American people because they are part- ners with the occupation and its aggression against the Palestinian people,” he added. Hamas leaders have sug- gested a border breach is possible Monday, something Israel has vowed to pre- vent at any cost. Most of the casualties were in the southern Gaza towns of Khan Younis and Rafah. Israeli forces were firing volleys of tear gas to disperse the crowds, and the sound of heavy gun- fire could be heard. Sirens were constantly wailing as the wounded were carried to nearby ambulances. Groups of young activists repeat- edly approached the fence, but were quickly scattered by gunfire and tear gas. Lt. Col. Jonathan Con- ricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the army had set up additional “layers” of security in and around communities near the border to defend Israeli civilians. He said there already had been several “significant attempts” to break through the fence. “Even if the fence is breached, we will be able to protect Israeli civilians from attempts to massacre or kidnap or kill them,” he said. In a statement, the army said troops had shot and killed three Palestinians who attempted to plant a bomb along the fence. It also said an aircraft had targeted a Hamas post in northern Gaza after Israeli troops came under fire. The timing of Monday’s events was deeply sym- bolic, both to Israel and the Palestinians. The U.S. said it chose the date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment. But it also marks the an- niversary of what Palestin- ians call their “nakba,” or ca- tastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled from present-day Is- rael during the 1948 war sur- rounding Israel’s creation. A majority of Gaza’s 2 mil- lion people are descendants of refugees, and the protests have been billed as the “Great March of Return” to long-lost homes in what is now Israel. A woman holds a Palestinian flag as a protester burns tires near the Israeli border fence, east of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Monday. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza’s border with Israel, as Israel prepared for the festive inauguration of a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem. - PHOTO: APNext >