ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 High of 88 Low of 75 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WORD ON THE STREET: PEDESTRIANS BEWARE – AND BE CAREFUL WORLD | PAGE 8 TOP NORTH KOREAN OFFICIAL HEADS TO U.S. FOR PRE-SUMMIT TALKS HomeOptions Pay less for more cover with home insurance Save $250 with your first BritCay buildings insurance policy and a 10% car insurance discount . Many extra benefits, like $1 million liability insurance, are included in your cover. Ask for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp 10% discount applies if you have buildings Insurance Gov’t job numbers higher after ‘austerity’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands civil service employed more staff at the end of 2017 than it did in 2008-2009 at the start of public sector aus- terity measures enacted just after the global financial crisis, an auditor general’s office re- port has revealed. In 2009, there were 3,756 workers in the central government service, according to public sector human resources records. That figure dipped to just below 3,500 people in mid-2015. However, in December of last year – two and a half years later – that number was back to 3,778 central government employees, the audit noted. The figures are contained in a recently re- leased evaluation of government workforce management, which pointed out the need for better oversight of hiring and advancement within the service. The report also focused on the effect of various “pay freezes” and other cost-saving attempts taken within the public sector over the past decade. “The size of the civil service has remained reasonably constant since 2010, while staff costs have increased from $216.6 million to $239.5 million over the five years from 2012/13 to 2016/17,” Auditor General Sue Win- spear’s report read. Personnel costs for the current 2018 budget for central government were stated at $299.6 million. By 2019, they are expected to grow to $310 million. The audit focused only on the central civil service and did not take into account the op- erations of the 27 different statutory author- ities and government-owned companies that operate outside of central government. The government lifted its salary “freeze” in late 2016 and eased off a general moratorium on recruitment about a year ago. However, government’s figures show the growth in staff began well before last year. The central civil service went from 3,484 em- ployees in mid-2015 to 3,600 in mid-2016. By the end of the last year, the civil service staff grew to 3,778 – an 8.5 percent staff increase in 30 months. Auditor’s concerns The auditor’s office did not state whether the size of Cayman’s civil service was too large ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM PRODUCES FIRST GRADUATES MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com This was not your typical gradua- tion ceremony. Instead of a staid, formal atmosphere with speakers feeding them grandiose visions of the future, students who completed the anti- drug Behavioral Modification and Intervention Program got Donald Hooker. Mr. Hooker, 43, prowled the classroom, ad- dressing the Cayman Islands Further Educa- tion Centre students who sat on the perimeter at desks lining the walls. He growled about how his own drug use had affected his life. He barked out warnings about the dangers they faced. And he entreated them, gesturing broadly with his arms, to follow a better path. “I know what it’s like to be up,” he told them, “and I know what it’s like to be down.” Although he has been clean and sober for four years, Mr. Hooker is still in prison. As part of a work-release program, he spends his days working for the intervention pro- gram, under the auspices of the National Drug Council of the Cayman Islands. Simon Miller is director of the program and also runs drug education programs in the government and private schools, meeting with 25 to 30 groups of students each week. Two years ago, he said, he saw the need for targeting at-risk students and launched the Behavioral Modification and Intervention Pro- gram, which is now in four schools. Teacher takes on 10,000-mile rally for charity JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An adventurous former teacher is joining a 10,000-mile rally across Europe and Asia to raise money for a Cayman Is- lands charity. The Mongol Rally, billed as the “greatest motoring adven- ture on the planet,” challenges entrants to travel across moun- tains and deserts, through some of the most inhospitable terri- tory in the world, in low-pow- ered vehicles. John Ketterer, a former teacher at Hope Academy and now a stay-at-home dad in Grand Cayman, will join around 400 others at the start line in Prague in July. He aims to complete the route to Ulan-Ude in eastern Russia on a 125cc Yamaha motorcycle. “I am an adventurous kind of guy and I found this Mongol Rally advertised on the internet and couldn’t pass it up,” he said. The rally promotes itself as the ultimate driving challenge, Overseas territories minister visits Cayman Foreign Office Minister for the Overseas Territories Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, center, is flanked by Premier Alden McLaughlin, left, and Governor Anwar Choudhury after touching down at Owen Roberts International Airport Wednesday morning. Lord Ahmad was in Cayman for about five hours, as part of a regional tour to discuss hurricane preparedness and public registers of beneficial ownership with local politicians and members of the financial services industry. For more on this story, see Friday’s Cayman Compass. - PHOTO: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS MEXICO CITY (AP) – Jes- sica Molina has not seen or heard from her husband since March, when Mexican marines broke through their door in Nuevo Laredo and took Trejo and a friend away. Molina, a U.S. citizen, said Wednesday that her 41-year- old Mexican husband, Jose Daniel Trejo Garcia, is a me- chanic with an established business in Laredo, Texas, where they live. They were only in Nuevo Laredo be- cause she had recently had surgery in Monterrey and was returning to have stitches removed. The office of the United Nations High Commis- sioner for Human Rights on Wednesday called on the Mexican government to “take urgent measures to stop the wave of forced disappear- ances in Nuevo Laredo and surrounding areas” and said “there are strong indications” that they were committed “by a federal security force.” The U.N. office docu- mented the disappear- ance of 23 people since the start of February in Nuevo Laredo and said there could be many more. While it did not name those missing, Trejo Garcia is among those counted by the non-govern- mental Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee. “We have documented 56 forced disappearances from Jan. 20 to May 21,” said Ray- mundo Ramos, president of that group. “The majority are attributed to personnel from special operations of the navy.” Neither Mexico’s navy, which has contributed ma- rines to the country’s fight against drug violence, nor the Interior Department, which is in charge of domestic secu- rity, immediately responded to requests for comment. Tensions were high in Nuevo Laredo when Trejo disappeared on March 27. On March 25, marines had been ambushed three times by gunmen. One marine was killed and several wounded. During the third clash, a he- licopter was called in. A fam- ily’s car driving through a shoot-out was hit and a mother and two of her chil- dren were killed. The father and one boy were wounded, but survived. The navy initially denied responsibility, but after an expert concluded the fatal shots came from above, it ad- mitted its helicopter acciden- tally killed the civilians. Molina said the marines who interrogated her and her husband at 1:30 a.m. on March 27 asked if they knew about what had happened in the helicopter incident. The couple explained why they were in Nuevo Laredo. Her husband showed them the business cards for his auto repair shop, but they took him away without any search warrant or arrest order, she said. “They were aiming at our heads the whold-time,” she said. “They can deny what happened, but what I saw were well-trained, uni- formed personnel.” The next morning she filed a report with the At- torney General’s Office and the National Human Rights Commission. She went to the marine base, but they de- nied knowing anything about the incident. Now Molina has joined with other families to search for hidden graves along the dirt roads surrounding Nuevo Laredo. This week they were accompanied by Federal Police for the first time, she said. Among the cases docu- mented by the U.N., were the disappearances of 21 males and two females, including at least five minors. According to statements to U.N. investigators, the disappearances typically occur at night while the vic- tims are walking along or driving on roads. Sometimes their burned and bullet- riddled vehicles are found on roadsides. • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (PG13) 1:10 I 3:25 3D I 9:55 3D BREAKING IN (PG13) 12:30 I 2:40 I 4:50 I 7:00 I 10:20 DEADPOOL 2 (R) 1:40 I 4:40 I 7:25 I 10:10 LIFE OF THE PARTY (PG13) 12:50 I 4:30 I 7:10 I 9:40 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 1:05 I 3:45 VIP I 4:05 3D I 6:45 VIP I 6:55 I 9:10 3D I 9:45 VIP SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Department of Im- migration staffers were con- victed Wednesday of pos- session of cocaine with intent to supply. Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn found Stephen Wayne Hurlston and Oscar Lee Watler, both currently em- ployed by the Department of Immigration, guilty on mul- tiple counts and ordered them remanded into custody. Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler were also convicted of possession of a utensil used in the preparation of a controlled drug. They will be back in court for their sen- tencing date on June 28. Magistrate Gunn read out the facts of the case before announcing her verdict. A police officer ap- proached Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler in October 2015 while they were parked in a secluded lot near Patrick’s Is- land. Magistrate Gunn said the police officer testified that he found multiple pack- ages of cocaine, a scale and a razor blade before arresting Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler. The largest package of co- caine – found underneath the parked vehicle – weighed 1.61 pounds, and the two men were also found to be in pos- session of two smaller quan- tities of the substance. Magistrate Gunn said that defense attorney Richard Barton had sought to prove reasonable doubt by pointing out that neither defendant’s DNA was found on the pack- ages of cocaine. The defense also noted that no signifi- cant quantities of cash were found on the defendants or at their homes. The magistrate noted the “close proximity” of the defendants to the pack- ages of cocaine and said the only reasonable con- clusion was that the drugs were being prepared for supply. Magistrate Gunn also said that she found the testimony of the police of- ficer to be largely consistent and credible. The magistrate denied bail to Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler and said that the pair will face “very signifi- cant custodial sentences” that made her “very concerned they will now abscond.” Bruce Smith, the acting chief immigration officer for the Department of Immi- gration, clarified the pair’s employment status for the Cayman Compass in an email. “They remain em- ployed with the Depart- ment,” said Mr. Smith of Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler, adding that “all appropriate steps regarding their em- ployment will be considered going forward.” The largest package of cocaine – found underneath the parked vehicle – weighed 1.61 pounds, and the two men were also found to be in possession of two smaller quantities of the substance. Immigration staffers guilty on multiple drug charges BRAZIL UNION TO TRUCKERS: END STRIKE OR RISK LOSING GAINS RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – One of the main unions behind a crippling truckers’ strike in Latin America’s largest nation on Tuesday called on its members to return to work, warning that failing to do so would erode hard-won gains. The call by the National Confederation of Autono- mous Transporters was a sign that the 9-day strike was starting to wind down despite sporadic block- ages nationwide and wide- spread food and gaso- line shortages. It was also a clear that strike leaders knew the disruptions were wearing on Brazilians, who have had to endure empty shelves, canceled flights and shuttered schools as much of the country has come to a halt. “Everything that has been achieved up until now, with a good image in the public view, runs the risk of being lost” if the shutdown continues, read the statement. The statement also said some truckers were being “forced and threat- ened” to continue striking by groups that had other objectives. Government officials who have been negotiating with transportation unions the last week have also re- peatedly complained that groups were trying to hi- jack the movement to de- stabilize the country. On Tuesday, Minister Carlos Marun said seven people were arrested in the northeastern state of Maranhao for trying to keep truckers from re- turning to work. While many truckers have stood down, other vowed to continue striking Tuesday, meaning it could be weeks before Brazil gets back to normal. Samuel Cavalin, a trucker striking in Rio de Janeiro, said the government’s promise to cut diesel prices for 60 days was not enough. “What will it be like in two months?” he asked, adding that the stoppage should continue. The strike began May 21 over rising diesel prices that are the result of increasing world oil prices and a weak- ening of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar. Truckers parked their rigs on hundreds of high- ways and roads, clogging traffic and refusing to de- liver goods that ranged from gasoline to food. That forced several airports to cancel flights, schools to close because teachers could not get to work and numerous stories to watch their shelves empty more each day. The government of Pres- ident Michel Temer, the most unpopular Brazilian president in a generation, has struggled to confront a strike that has included many independent workers and plenty of others who do not necessarily take or- ders from their unions. UN says people disappearing in northern Mexico border city In this May 10, 2018 photo, women carry a banner in Mexico City calling attention to the cases of people who have gone missing in the fight against drug cartels and organized crime, demanding authorities locate their loved ones. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 Ensure that your property and motor insurance policies are in- force or active. If your insurance policy is due to expire during the hurricane season, ensure you take note of the renewal date and contact your insurance company before the policy expires. Take time to find your insurance policy and read it. If you cannot locate your policy document, or if the terms and conditions are not clear, speak to your insurance company or broker. Ensure that you have the correct contact details for your insurance company on file so that you know how to contact your insurance company following a catastrophic event. Ensure that you understand how to file a claim with your insurance company and understand timelines within which a claim must be reported to your insurance company. Check the insurance cover provided and your sum insured! Seek advice from your broker and/or insurance company on the adequacy of the sum insured. Do NOT underinsure your property/motor vehicle. If you have insured your property or motor vehicle for mortgage or loan purposes, be certain that it is insured at the correct value. Mortgage providers and lending institutions often only require insurance to cover their loan amounts and not the full rebuilding costs of a property or market values for your motor vehicle. Use licensed Insurance companies and Insurance brokers. Visit our website for a full list of CIMA licensed domestic Insurance companies and Insurance brokers. www.cima.ky 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Information within this material was obtained from a Public Advisory issued by CIMA. DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE TO PROTECT YOUR HARD EARNED ASSETSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” It may sound “pedestrian” to editorialize about … pedestrians … but significant numbers of people in Grand Cayman travel by foot – including workers, schoolchildren, tourists and fitness buffs. Too fre- quently, Cayman roads are dangerous paths to travel. And, as this week’s Shamrock Road collision reminds us, pedestrian safety is a serious issue on our island, where too many cars and people combine and collide with tragic results – almost always for the walkers, rarely for the drivers. Police say the pedestrian involved in Monday’s traffic collision in the vicinity of Trumbach Drive sustained life-threatening injuries and remains in the hospital in critical condition. This grim occurrence serves as an opportunity to emphasize that pedestrians must be alert to poten- tial risks, multiplied when walking and talking on their cellphones. Cayman’s hodge-podge of sidewalks, narrow (or nonexistent) shoulders, sharp turns and obstructed views provide a hazardous environment for our bipedal locomotors. Even where sidewalks are present and crosswalks are clearly marked, pedestrians frequently ignore them. On a daily basis, tourists – dazed or distracted by our tropical environs (or perhaps an overindulgence in margaritas or mudslides) – meander dangerously close to moving traffic. Even regular visitors or new residents who are trying to be careful may make fatal errors in judgment – especially if they are from the U.S., Canada or Europe and are accustomed to looking left, rather than right, for oncoming traffic. The Compass has published reams of editorials imploring Cayman’s drivers to slow down, put away distractions such as mobile phones, abstain from driving while intoxicated and, in general, be safe on our streets. Amid the continuing circus-like atmosphere on Cayman’s roads, it is highly probable this will not be our last word on drivers’ misbehavior. But today, we are addressing pedestrians in partic- ular. We ask all to be cautious, cognizant and vigilant. Pull out the earbuds which block ambient warnings (honk-honk) as well as amplify musical distractions. Use sidewalks and crosswalks when they are avail- able. Give moving cars and trucks a wide berth. Don’t expect drivers to see you first, or at all. (Have you witnessed the driving skills, or lack thereof, of far too many drivers in Grand Cayman – believe it or not, on Cayman Brac, too?) Good heavens, do not put your life in their hands (unless, of course, you are anxious to relocate to “good heavens” …). While everyone, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikers, and car and truck drivers, has a respon- sibility to “share the road,” the reality is that burden is not shared equally. In any contest between a moving vehicle and the human body, steel always prevails. Certainly, everyone should obey the laws of the Cayman Islands, which state that pedestrians in the road have the “right of way” over automobiles. But the governing law is not of legislators but of physics: That law states that kinetic energy equals one-half of mass times velocity squared. (In other words, the faster and heavier something is, the more it hurts to get hit by it!) As one Compass staffer points out, you never find cars in the emergency room. Word on the street: Pedestrians beware – and be careful THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Wonderful memories of Grand Cayman It was September 1971 when my husband Christo- pher Lewis and I first saw Grand Cayman. We had been married for two years and it was the first time either of us had been abroad. We landed at Owen Rob- erts airport, then a small wooden structure, on a Lacsa plane from Miami, where the previous day we had flown in from Heathrow, London. I remember clearly the sunny day smelled so sweet. Chris had been commis- sioned by the British Over- seas Development Agency to set up a Technical De- partment and teach at the newly created comprehen- sive school on Walkers Road, George Town. He had a con- tract for two years. We were welcomed at the airfield by the affable Buddy McField, then head of the is- land’s government secondary school, and taken to Pageant Beach Hotel. This cosy one- story establishment, with our room overlooking a swim- ming pool on one side and the sea the other, was to be home for a few weeks until a government-sourced house was made available. I was mesmerized from my first encounter with the tiny Caribbean island. The warm, gentle folk were a sharp contrast to the harsh Londoners I had lived among for the previous few years. The soft, silky, white, palm- fringed sandy beaches and the crystal clear aquamarine seas beckoned. I spent my days snorkeling, entranced by the vibrancy of the coral reefs, while Chris worked hard alongside Charlie Dixon, from East End, to achieve their goal. Fourteen other teachers from the U.K. were appointed that year, but Chris was the only one to renew his con- tract. After four years, his de- partment was up and run- ning smoothly and proudly offered courses in technical drawing, metalwork, wood- work and motor mechanics up to O-Level standard. During our time in Cayman we saw great changes. In 1971, George Town was a building site! The Legislative Assembly Building and Law Courts were yet to appear. There was no TV or radio and we never locked our front door or took the keys out of the car. I worked, first, at the Cay- manian Weekly in a small of- fice in the town center, and then with Desmond Seales for the Nor’wester pub- lishing company. I am honored now to think how I witnessed the blossoming of Cayman as a world-class tourist destina- tion and financial center. We enjoyed sailing off Seven Mile Beach after Chris built his own boat, a Fireball. We often had the BBQ lunch at the Galleon Beach Hotel on a Sunday, where the Barefoot Man played guitar and sang his own songs. I learned to waterski and took up scuba diving and dived with Bob Schroeder, an eminent scien- tific researcher for Maricul- ture (the turtle farm) at the time. Incidentally, I reported on the first turtle eggs in the world to be laid by a turtle in captivity! Chris was presented with a tie pin in the form of a mos- quito for services to mosquito control, after he voluntarily drove a fogger vehicle around the island every week in the wet season. The school’s PTA presented him with a pair of gold cuff links in the form of two turtles for services to the island’s education. We even got invited to one of the Queen’s garden parties at Buckingham Palace, but unfortunately we could not go as we already had a hol- iday planned in Florida. Yes, we had a most ful- filling life in the Cayman Is- lands. We met people of all sorts, from Cuban refu- gees to Canadian bankers. We lived well and regularly ate lobster, conch chowder and fresh fish. We revelled in our good fortune and life- changing experiences. It was therefore a sad day when we left Grand Cayman (July 1975) with our 2-year- old son, another Christopher, and headed back to the U.K. We remember with great affection Sammy and Joy Jackson, our neighbors in Smith Road; Hartwell Wood, a Caymanian teacher at the High School; Susan Roy, a Scottish lady but a perma- nent resident in Cayman, who I worked with; Olive Miller, the formidable gov- ernment information officer; Alan and Emma Ebanks, our landlords in West Bay; and many others too numerous to mention here. Following our brief return to the U.K., Chris was sent to Malawi. He taught for two years in Lilongwe, the cap- ital city; then was the work- shop manager on a tea estate in the south of the country for three years. Our two other sons were born during this time, but in 1981 we returned to Eng- land to work in North Staf- fordshire, and that is where we still live. I retrained as a language teacher, gaining a BA in Spanish with French, and then spent many years teaching English as a for- eign language. We semi-retired in 2000 and bought a house in southern Spain (where we now spend half the year). I have since become an author. My first novel “Where There‘s a Will, There’s a Woman” was published last year. (Some of the action takes place in Grand Cayman!) You can see me at www.author- marymaelewis.co.uk. I plan to visit Grand Cayman at the beginning of December for 10 days (Chris cannot travel due to health issues) and would love to hear from anyone who remembers me. I am on Facebook and also can be contacted at mary- maelewis@mail.com. Mary Mae Lewis Mary Mae Lewis In 1971 … the Legislative Assembly Building and Law Courts were yet to appear. There was no TV or radio and we never locked our front door or took the keys out of the car.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 Inmate sentenced after ganja package discovery Prisoner picked up ganja inside hospital bathroom SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who is currently incarcerated at North- ward Prison was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months ad- ditional imprisonment for possession of ganja with in- tent to supply. Randy James Parchment, who has five years left on a sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm, pleaded guilty to the drug crime. Mr. Parchment had been sen- tenced to seven years for pos- session of the handgun and a concurrent seven years for possession of unlicensed am- munition in 2016. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson, reading the facts of the drug case in court Tuesday, said Mr. Parchment was transported to a medical appointment at Cayman Is- lands Hospital and asked to use the restroom. After ex- iting, the police noticed he was walking strangely and found a package secured in- side his pants. The package was found to hold three phones, three phone chargers, cigarette paper and .38 kilograms of a vegetable-like matter that later proved to be ganja. Mr. Ferguson said that the ciga- rette paper constituted evi- dence that Mr. Parchment intended to sell the ganja at Northward. Defense attorney Richard Barton said that Mr. Parch- ment should be given credit for an early guilty plea and asked Magistrate Valdis Foldats to keep totality in mind when he levied his sentence. Mr. Barton said that he understood his client had “not done him- self any favors” as a result of his probation report. Magistrate Foldats said there have been several cases involving smuggling drugs into Northward in his court- room, but this was the first time he had heard a case where the alleged smuggler was a prisoner. “The facts in this case are simple but serious,” Magistrate Foldats said. “This has been more than a simple scheme. There was substantial planning that went into it.” The magistrate concluded that three years was the ap- propriate starting point for the new sentence, and he said that there were no mitigating factors involved. Mr. Parch- ment was levied two years for aggravating factors, but he was also given a full one- third discount for making an early guilty plea. That brought the sentence to 40 months, but Mr. Parch- ment had also triggered a six-month suspended sen- tence from an earlier offense. The magistrate trimmed the final sentence from 46 months to 30 months after considering that Mr. Parch- ment still had five years to go on his firearms charge. A Northward prisoner who had been taken by prison officers to get medical treatment at the Cayman Islands Hospital collected a package that contained drugs and cellphones in a hospital bathroom. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY TWO MORE ARRESTED WITH UNREGISTERED BIKES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police made two more arrests and seized two more non-street legal motorbikes as part of ongoing operations since last summer that target the illegally operated vehicles. According to information obtained through an open records request, both of the drivers arrested were charged with traffic offenses. Both suspects were charged with disqualified driving, driving an unreg- istered vehicle and driving without insurance, following their arrests on Dec. 1, 2017. One man was fined $600 and had his license sus- pended for 12 months. The other suspect is due to go before the Traffic Court next week. The arrest and prosecu- tion numbers for the latter half of 2017 through March this year are substantially lower than the first half of 2017 and late 2016, when RCIPS officers announced a crackdown on non-street legal motorbikes. During the earlier period between December 2016 and April 2017, police investigated 17 such incidents. Nine of the cases were presented for prosecution and were sent to Traffic Court. At least three of those cases ended in convic- tions, the other six matters were still before the courts as of earlier this year. The eight other motor- bike cases were not sent to prosecutors for a formal re- view due to police supervi- sors’ decisions. The main difficulty in cases where no charges were brought, according to records obtained through a Cayman Compass Freedom of Infor- mation request, is that police could not formally identify the motorbike driver. The Cayman Compass re- viewed the specific details of each investigation and found that in some cases, no one came forward to claim the seized vehicle, which re- mained in police evidential custody. In other investiga- tions, the vehicle owner de- manded to receive it back from the police impound and if there was no proof of that person using the motorbike illegally, it was returned. Volunteers clean up Little Cayman beach Organizers plan for monthly cleanups More than 30 volunteers took part in a cleanup at Jackson Point Beach on Little Cayman Monday. Little Cayman District for the National Trust and local businesses teamed up to support the volunteers, who collected more than 20 bags of beach trash in just one hour. Organizer Joe Ploplys said he hoped the exercise, dubbed the “Full Moon Beach Cleanup,” would become a monthly event. Among the volunteers were island guests, residents, resort employees, retired people and children. Mr. Ploplys and his wife Susan said they regularly clear plastic debris from Point of Sand beach near their home at the eastern end of the island, while another couple, Joy Mulholland and Enno Krebbers, keep Mary’s Bay beach clean. “We are all Department of Environment turtle monitors, so we are on the beach a lot and just clean up because we don’t want to see that [rub- bish],” Mr. Ploplys said. “We decided that the three beaches on Little Cayman that visitors use the most – Jackson Point, Spot Bay and Preston Bay – and that don’t get regular garbage pickups, once a month, close to the full moon, we would ask sponsors for beer and snacks and plastic bags and would organize a cleanup and clean one of those beaches once a month. So, they’ll get each cleaned four times a year,” Mr. Ploplys said. He said most of the busi- nesses on the island had be- come involved in the cleanup plan, donating drinks, food or garbage bags. Mr. Ploplys said after the hour-long cleanup Monday, he looked back along the quarter mile of beach the group had tackled and was delighted to see that every piece of plastic, ma- rine debris and litter had been removed. “It was clean,” he said, “it was beautiful.” Volunteers help to tidy up Jackson Point Beach on Monday, part of a cleanup effort that organizers hope will become a monthly endeavor. Little Cayman District for the National Trust and local businesses teamed up to support the volunteers who collected more than 20 bags of beach trash in just one hour. MINISTER: CAYMAN TO STRENGTHEN ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES Health Minister Dwayne Seymour, in a message to mark Thursday’s World No Tobacco Day, said the Cayman Islands had begun discussions to fully ratify the World Health Organiza- tion’s Framework Conven- tion on Tobacco Control. The convention was ad- opted by the 56th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland in 2003. Mr. Seymour said Cayman was already a signatory to the treaty through the U.K. His ministry of Health, Public Health England and the Pan American Health Organi- zation are currently in dis- cussions over full ratifica- tion, he said. “This process will re- quire us to take very specific steps, including addressing tobacco advertising, promo- tion, packaging and spon- sorship,” the minister said. The observance of World Tobacco Day this year fo- cuses on tobacco as the leading cause of heart and cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death for people world- wide. Tobacco use is the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease, after high blood pressure, Mr. Seymour pointed out, stating that in Latin America and the Caribbean, 31 per- cent of all deaths are attrib- utable to heart disease. “It is further estimated that the number of deaths in the region due to CVD will increase by more than 60 percent by 2020, un- less preventive measures are introduced and prac- ticed,” he said. The Caribbean Public Health Agency is urging individuals to be aware that hypertension, also known as high blood pres- sure, may be caused by the use of tobacco. Mr. Seymour said the availability of blood pres- sure machines, funded by government, at the Gov- ernment Administration Building and the Health Services Authority, helps residents “stay in the know” about their blood pressure numbers. The minister acknowl- edged anti-smoking efforts already made in Cayman. “The implementation of a ban on smoking in public places has allowed us to protect people from the ef- fects of secondhand smoke,” he said. “The corresponding adoption of a Tobacco Reg- istry allows us to monitor tobacco use while higher import duty on tobacco products, we hope, will make them less affordable.” Mr. Seymour said the Public Health Department regularly offers free classes on smoking cessation. A new round of these sessions is set to start this week.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, MAY 31 BEACH CLOSED: Governors Beach is closed for a disaster response exercise today from 8 a.m. until tomorrow afternoon. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay returns to the Cayman Islands for this exercise. Police advise that, in order to facilitate the exercise, the parking area at Governors Beach, along with the portion of the beach just west of the parking area (between the Governor’s Residence and The Pinnacle), will be closed. The beach and parking area are expected to be closed through Friday afternoon, June 1. CLIFTON HUNTER PTA: Parents of Clifton Hunter High School students are invited to attend a PTA meeting at the school, 6:30 p.m. There will be a special presentation about a new web portal, which is designed to provide parents with real-time information on all students. Learn how to use this education web portal for your Clifton Hunter students. NORTH SIDE DISTRICT COUNCIL: All North Side residents are invited to the monthly meeting of the district council. 8 p.m. Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre. SNUGGLE UP & READ: Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, 6:30-8:30 p.m. This Child Month event in West Bay is a reschedule because of last week’s inclement weather. BODDEN TOWN SCHOOL INSPECTIONS: A public meeting is being held by the Office of Education Standards to get input on the new inspection framework, “Successful Schools and Achieving Students.” 6:30 p.m. Bodden Town Primary School. 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. FRIDAY, JUNE 1 NORTH SIDE SCHOOL INSPECTIONS: A public meeting is being held by the Office of Education Standards to get input on the new inspection framework, “Successful Schools and Achieving Students.” 6 p.m. Edna M. Moyle Primary School. SATURDAY, JUNE 2 TALES AND ALES: St. Matthew’s University Shelter Club has organized this fundraiser to benefit animal services. 4-8 p.m. at The Lodge (formerly Whiskey Mist) in the Strand. Raffle tickets and 50/50 draw. Free admission. All are invited. SUNDAY, JUNE 3 NORTH SIDE CLEANUP: Volunteers are needed for a North Side Cleanup. Meet beside North Side Cemetery or Jackie Bay at 8 a.m. Sign in for a chance to win a prize from Red Sail Sports. See Plastic Free Cayman Facebook page for more details. MONDAY, JUNE 4 ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH: The Celebrate Cayman Official Launch Ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. The ceremony signals the official start of year- long national celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms. All are invited to attend, on the grounds of the former Government Administration Building. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY COURSE: Understand the mechanics behind blockchain, how it works, why it is in demand and how it can be regulated. $350. Register at www.riskpass.com/training. SATURDAY, JUNE 9 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. Proceeds to benefit the school’s Literacy and Home Reading programs. SUNDAY, JUNE 10 OPEN STUDIO: The Visual Arts Society offers this opportunity to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere on any medium or craft. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5; $15 for non-members. Includes use of studio, easels and ceramic tools. Glazes, firing and clay orders available for extra fee. To register email info@visualartcayman.com. MONDAY, JUNE 11 QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY: The Brac District of the National Trust invites everyone to the annual Queen’s Birthday Tea, 4–6:30 p.m. Heritage House, Northeast Bay, Cayman Brac. There will also be a silent auction, split the pot, plant sale and art show. Funds raised to conserve natural habitat. Tickets are $7 adults, $3 children. GENERAL INTEREST SPECIAL OLYMPICS NATIONAL GAMES: The 2018 Week of Awareness begins Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m. with a church service and athlete lunch at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road. Monday, 5:30 p.m., Law Enforcement Torch Run and opening ceremony, track and field competitions, Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., swimming competitions, Lions Pool. Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., bocce, Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Thursday, 5:30 p.m., basketball, First Baptist Christian School Gymnasium. Saturday, 9 a.m., stand-up paddleboard, Governors Beach. Tuesday, June 12, 5:30 p.m. Football and football skills, Truman Bodden Sports Complex. NEW LICENSE PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing has uploaded its list of new electronic license plates that are ready for collection. An additional 1,200 plates are now ready to be picked up from the DVDL office on Crewe Road. Vehicles owners are reminded that they must bring in the temporary/old plates, the windshield tag, as well as their logbook. The list can be viewed on the department’s website at www.dvdl.gov.ky/portal/ page/portal/vlthome/ pressroom/2018/plates- collection-may-2018. ESO FIELDWORK: Staff from the Economics and Statistics Office will be in various communities across all districts collecting basic housing information necessary to update the ESO’s Household Register. ESO staff members can be identified by their ESO IDs; residents should always ask the field workers to present their IDs before providing any information. They may also call the hotline at 516-3329 for verification of enumerators or to express any concerns they may have. 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. 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, Tuesdays, 7:15 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay will return to the Cayman Islands Thursday to carry out hurricane preparedness exercises. Governors Beach will be closed for the exercises on Thursday and Friday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 an Yu an Yu The family of the late Capt. Darwin L. Tibbetts wishes to say "Thank You" to the many, many people who have expressed such a tremendous outpouring of support and Prayers for us at his passing. Words would not adequately express our appreciation for the many calls, messages and cards which we all have received during this time. We say special Thanks to those whose calls time just didn't allow us to return, and to all those who assisted or participated in the funeral services both in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. We are blessed to have had him with us for so many years. Our Dad was the best Captain we knew. As he always guided his ship to safe harbour, so too he guided us, and his many lessons will live on in us and the generations to follow. W Love ou D Mexi Ann, Denniston, Garth (Buzza) & Kurt And all his immediate and extended family with few rules and even less support. “The Mongol Rally is about getting lost, using your long-neglected wits, raising shedloads of cash for charity and scraping into the finish line with your vehicle in tatters and a wild grin smeared across your grubby face,” according to the event website. The first part of Mr. Ket- terer’s route will take him through Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. He hopes to get approval to ride through Iran. Other- wise, he will cross the Cas- pian Sea by ferry and travel “through the ‘stans” to Mon- golia and on to Russia. He said he would stay in hostels or hotels for part of the way but expects to do a lot of camping as the terri- tory becomes more rural in eastern Europe and Asia. Participants are required to raise at least $1,000 for charity. Mr. Ketterer says he aims to raise $15,000 for his chosen charity – Acts of Random Kindness. ARK is currently in the midst of a project to rebuild a home in George Town that has fallen into disre- pair, for a single mother and her child. Mr. Ketterer said he read about the project and wanted to support the charity. He is hosting a “Block Party” at Salty’s on Saturday from 2 p.m. Tara Nielsen, of ARK, said the money would go toward the charity’s “raise the roof” campaign to fund a new roof for the home of Treasan Myles and her daughter. “We are absolutely de- lighted that John and ev- eryone involved in this fundraiser has stepped up to help us,” Ms. Nielsen said. “The community sup- port for this family and the ARK campaign has been incredible, and we are 100 percent confident that we will be able to complete phase two of the project, the kitchen and living area.” Mr. Ketterer is also raising funds separately for Cool Earth, which focuses on halting deforestation in rain forests. Tuesday’s graduation was the first for the program. “We want to focus on their attitudes,” Mr. Miller said of his approach to having an impact on the students’ lives. “We gear them toward healthy lifestyles.” Mr. Hooker said his own drug problems “started from attitude and behavior.” He was first exposed to marijuana at age 4, he said. At 21, he became addicted to crack. Changing the attitudes of the students, he said, takes more than just saying “no” to drugs. It’s important that they are shown alternatives. In ad- dition to classroom meet- ings, there are extracurric- ular activities. “If it’s conch season, we’ll dive conchs,” he said, adding that they’ll then cook out on the beach. “We show them how to jerk chicken, how to have fun without drugs and alcohol.” Graduate Kevin Warren, 16, said the program had made an impression on him. “I got in a little trouble,” he said. “I was smoking weed and failed a drug test.” Kevin said he has lived in a group home for the past three years, where drug tests are reg- ularly conducted. The program, he said, has given him tools to stay away from drugs. “I really listen to what he says,” he said, referring to Mr. Hooker. “It’s a positive thing to carry around.” Peer pressure is often hard to avoid for teens. Ernesto Ebanks, 16, said the program has helped him avoid that pres- sure when it comes to drugs. “It opened up my eyes to avoid some things happening to myself,” he said. “And I could tell other people.” The program, said school counselor Paulette Gayle, is al- ready creating a ripple effect. She said she recently over- heard a group of girls talking about it in a school hallway. “You hear them sharing with their peers,” she said. “They pass on the word.” The firsthand experience they are exposed to has an im- pact, she added. “They’re very enlightened by what has been shared by Mr. Hooker,” Ms. Gayle said. “The information he’s shared has shed a lot of light on things they hadn’t known. It’s allowed them to be more informed in their decision-making.” She said plans are to re- fine the program and continue it next year. Mr. Miller told this year’s graduates that they need not feel left behind now that they are leaving CIFEC. “Rest assured that Mr. Hooker and myself and the national office will be there for you,” he said. “Come by and see us.” or too small for purpose. It did note government – in- cluding the statutory author- ities and government-owned companies – employed about 14.6 percent of the total ter- ritorial workforce. Rather, Ms. Winspear opined that government lacked an overall plan for that workforce. She noted that while government min- istries and departments have submitted plans for staff costs for the next three years as part of the 2018 budget process, it is not al- ways clear what they are trying to achieve. “However, this process is largely driven by funding and is rarely linked to a robust analysis of the anticipated staff numbers and skills re- quired to deliver services and outcomes for service users,” the report found. One example given in the audit focused on the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice. In 2017, Police Commis- sioner Derek Byrne submitted a detailed analysis of what he believed the department would need through 2020. “The analysis identified the need for an additional 150 police officers over three years in order to change the way policing was to be deliv- ered,” the auditor stated. The approved budget con- tained half of what RCIPS re- quested – 75 police officers. Twenty-five officers were to be added to the department staff in each of the three years between 2018 and 2020. “It’s not clear how this has been factored into RCIPS workforce planning,” Ms. Winspear’s office noted. Aging Replacing an aging work- force is another concern the government service must manage, according to auditors. As of last year, 17 percent of the civil service workforce was over age 55, meaning they are likely to retire within the next decade. In the Department of Chil- dren and Family Services, for example, nearly 60 percent of the staff were over age 50, auditors said. “Together with the fact that the department has his- torically struggled to ap- point Caymanians into so- cial worker posts, this could create serious workforce planning problems in the fu- ture,” the report noted. About one-quarter of all RCIPS staff are also over age 50, meaning some may need to be deployed to other du- ties, auditors suggested. In all cases, auditors said, succession planning “in the widest sense” is needed across government to make sure departments can con- tinue to function. “This may mean recruiting non Caymanians, where nec- essary, to fill business-critical posts or high-demand skills,” the audit stated. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gov’t job numbers higher after ‘austerity’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Anti-drug program produces first graduates CIFEC student Vinnesia Bernard receives her certificate for graduating from the behavior modification and intervention program. From left, Simon Miller, Ms. Bernard, Phillip Laing, manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a program supporter, and Donald Hooker. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS Teacher takes on 10,000-mile rally for charity CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 John Ketterer will ride to Mongolia on a 125cc motorbike.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Intruder arrested after scaling UK Parliament British police have arrested an intruder who scaled scaffolding and got onto the roof of Parliament. The force says officers arrested the man for trespassing. The incident is not being treated as terrorism-related. Top North Korean official heads to US for pre-summit talks US, Europe trade chiefs meet ahead of tariffs deadline PARIS (AP) – Top European officials are holding last- ditch talks Wednesday with the U.S. commerce and trade chiefs just two days before the Trump administration de- cides whether to hit Europe with punishing new tariffs. Potential U.S. tariffs on European steel or quotas on foreign cars have raised threats of retaliation and fears of a global trade war – a prospect that is already weighing on investor confi- dence and could hinder the global economic upturn. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Ligh- thizer are holding meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Paris with EU, French and German officials. A final decision on U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened steel and alu- minum tariffs is expected by Friday. The administration is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of U.S. national security. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, ahead of her meetings with Ross and Lighthizer, tweeted Wednesday “the EU wants to be fully excluded from these tariffs and rather engage in a positive transatlantic trade agenda.” U.S. Commerce Secre- tary Wilbur Ross criticized the EU for its tough negoti- ating position. “There can be negotia- tions with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It’s not that we can’t talk just be- cause there’s tariffs,” he said. He noted that “China has not used that as an excuse not to negotiate.” Speaking on a panel on cooperation between coun- tries, Ross expressed con- cern that the Geneva-based World Trade Organization and other international or- ganizations are too rigid and slow to adapt to changes in business. “We would operate within [multilateral] frame- works if we were convinced that people would move quickly,” he said. The European Union is seeking exemptions on the steel and aluminum tariffs, which Trump hopes will re- vive domestic U.S. industry but which could hurt Amer- ican business activity abroad. The EU has notably threat- ened to impose tariffs on U.S. orange juice, peanut butter and other goods in return. Ross and Lighthizer seem like the odd men out at this week’s gathering at the Paris-based Organisa- tion for Economic Co-opera- tion and Development, an in- ternational economic agency that includes the U.S. as a prominent member. Other speakers at the OECD pleaded Wednesday for free trade and multilat- eral cooperation to fight tax evasion or climate change, though some also discussed the damage caused by dumping of cheap goods, no- tably by China. French President Em- manuel Macron is ex- pected to argue vigorously against the kind of “Amer- ica-first” trade policies that Trump champions. The OECD issued a re- port Wednesday saying “the threat of trade restrictions has begun to adversely af- fect confidence” and tariffs “would negatively influence investment and jobs.” The OECD also said per- sistent high oil prices could push up inflation and push down household incomes. After a first-quarter slow- down, the OECD slightly re- vised down its forecast for world economic growth this year to 3.8 percent, with 3.9 percent expected next year. BEIJING (AP) – A top North Korean official headed to New York on Wednesday for talks aimed at sal- vaging a summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump on the fu- ture of Kim’s nuclear pro- gram, in the North’s highest- level mission to the United States in 18 years. Associated Press reporters saw Kim Yong Chol at Bei- jing’s airport just after noon. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency cited diplomatic sources as saying that Kim was on an Air China flight to New York that departed later Wednesday afternoon. Yonhap said Kim, who had arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, was traveling with five other North Korean officials. Kim, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s most trusted aides, is a former military intelligence chief and now a vice chairman of the ruling party’s cen- tral committee. North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York is its sole diplo- matic presence in the United States. That suggests Kim might have chosen to first go to New York because it would make it easier for him to communicate with offi- cials in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war and have no diplomatic ties be- cause the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armi- stice, not a peace treaty. Trump confirmed Tuesday that Kim was to hold talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But it was not im- mediately known what else he would do in the United States. South Korean media speculated that he was car- rying a personal letter from Kim Jong Un and may push to travel to Washington to meet with Trump. Pompeo has traveled to Pyongyang twice in recent weeks for meetings with Kim Jong Un, and has said there is a “shared understanding” between the two sides about what they hope to achieve in talks. South Korean media speculated that Pompeo could make a third trip to Pyongyang after Kim Yong Chol’s U.S. trip. Trump and Kim Jong Un were set to hold their summit June 12 in Singapore, but Trump announced last week that he was pulling out of the meeting. Since then, he has suggested the summit could be back on, and Kim Yong Chol’s trip to the U.S. seems to imply that preparations for a meeting could be in the final stages. Kim Yong Chol’s trip comes amid two sets of other pre-summit talks between Washington and Pyongyang. A team of U.S. officials led by former U.S. nuclear negotiator Sung Kim began talks with North Korean of- ficials at the Korean border village of Panmunjom on Sunday to set the agenda for the summit. A North Korean delega- tion led by another of Kim Jong Un’s trusted aides, Kim Chang Son, flew to Singa- pore on Monday night for talks with U.S. officials to dis- cuss logistical issues for the summit. Details of those talks had not emerged yet. North Korea’s flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim Jong Un is eager for sanctions re- lief to build his economy and the international legiti- macy the summit with Trump would provide. But there are lingering doubts on whether Kim will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guar- antee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies. While there have been a few instances in which countries were persuaded to abandon their nuclear ambi- tions in exchange for sanc- tions relief and compensa- tion, none of the cases are directly applicable to North Korea, which has advanced its nukes further and with greater zeal than any of the others. The North’s arsenal now includes purported thermonuclear warheads and developmental long- range missiles potentially capable of reaching main- land U.S. cities. But South Korea, which has lobbied hard for the talks between Trump and Kim, has insisted that Kim can be per- suaded to abandon his nu- clear facilities, materials and bombs in a verifiable and ir- reversible way if offered credible security and eco- nomic guarantees. China, North Korea’s long- time ally and chief trading partner, has sought to posi- tion itself as a key interme- diary in talks over Pyong- yang’s nuclear weapons program. Beijing backs the North’s proposal for a phased and synchronized denucle- arization process, while the United States insists on a comprehensive one-shot deal in which North Korea elimi- nates its nukes first and re- ceives rewards later. Russia said Wednesday that its foreign min- ister, Sergey Lavrov, will travel to North Korea for talks on Thursday. Kim Yong Chol would be the highest-level North Ko- rean official to travel to the United States since 2000, when Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok visited Washington and met President Bill Clinton amid warming ties between the wartime foes. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made a historic reciprocal visit to Pyongyang later in 2000 in a bid to arrange a North Korea visit by Clinton. Ties turned sour again after President George W. Bush took office in early 2001 with a tough policy on the North. Kim Yong Chol’s official title is a vice chairman of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party. Pre- viously, he was a four-star army general and a mili- tary intelligence chief who is thought to have been behind two deadly attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans and an alleged 2014 cyberat- tack on Sony Pictures. Both Seoul and Washington im- posed sanctions on him in recent years. Trump has suggested the summit could be back on, and Kim Yong Chol’s trip to the U.S. seems to imply that preparations for a meeting could be in the final stages. A high-powered U.S. delegation including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross meet Thursday for a second day of talks with Chinese officials on defusing tensions that are propelling the world’s largest two economies toward a trade war. - PHOTO: AP Kim Yong Chol, foreground, now North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s top official on inter-Korean relations, was headed to New York for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018 China vows to fight US on tariff hike Soggy Alberto triggers mudslides, damages turtle nests MARION, N.C. (AP) – Mud- slides triggered by the soggy remnants of Alberto forced evacuations below a dam early Wednesday and closed a highway in western North Carolina as the center of the storm lashed the na- tion’s midsection hundreds of miles away. About 2,000 people were evacuated for several hours after emergency managers said the Lake Tahoma dam was in danger of “immi- nent failure.” Heavy rain triggered landslides at the dam and along Inter- state 40, which was closed near Asheville. Engineers inspected the dam further in daylight and McDowell County officials announced in a public alert just after 10 a.m. Wednesday the dam was safe and people could return to their homes. The evacuation was or- dered because engineers wanted to play it safe until they could do more inspec- tions after sunrise, McDowell County Emergency Manage- ment deputy director Adri- enne Jones told The As- sociated Press. Several schools were closed in western North Car- olina because of flooding. The center of a depres- sion that had been Alberto was about 400 miles west near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where Sherry Key had a fitful night of sleep because of high winds and heavy rains. “I have dogs and they’re terribly afraid of storms, so they were on top on top me all night,” said Key, an airport office manager. Radar showed rain ex- tended as far south as the Gulf Coast, where the storm came ashore at the Florida Panhandle on Monday, to the Great Lakes region. Forecasters warned the leftovers of the Atlantic hur- ricane season’s first named storm were still capable of causing treacherous flooding as heavy precipitation spreads deeper into the na- tion’s midsection. Flash flood watches and warnings were in effect for parts of several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia. The weather service at the Greenville-Spartanburg air- port in South Carolina said the rainfall of 1.76 inches on Tuesday broke a record dating to 1976. In the mountains of western North Carolina, Jones said about 200 resi- dents spent the night in three shelters, set up in Marion, Old Fort and Glenwood. She said five minor injuries have been reported during water res- cues as creeks and streams overflowed their banks and rock slides closed roads. The big, messy storm caused more than 25,000 power outages in Alabama, many of which were caused by trees rooted in soggy soil falling across utility lines. “We’ve had a lot of rain, but we got lucky. It was a constant rain but not a heavy rain,” said Regina Myers, emergency management di- rector in Walker County northwest of Birmingham. Alberto was more of a rainstorm than a wind threat, but the National Weather Ser- vice said at least one tornado had been confirmed. The weather service said its meteorologists confirmed a weak tornado with max- imum winds of 85 mph hit an area around Cameron, South Carolina, on Monday after- noon. No one was hurt. Impact on turtles Alberto also dealt a blow to sea turtle nests in southwest Florida. Five of Collier Coun- ty’s 218 sea turtle nests washed away during the weekend storm. Another 26 nests were inundated, which means the eggs were covered with water; it remains to be seen how those nests will fare. The Naples Daily News reports that Lee County is also trying to determine sea turtle nest losses. Sea turtle nesting season runs May 1 to Oct. 1, which is also peak storm season in Florida. In 2017, half of the turtle nests laid on southwest Florida beaches washed out due to hurricanes. The most common nesting sea turtle in southwest Florida, the loggerhead, is listed as a threatened spe- cies under the Endangered Species Act. BEIJING (AP) – China’s gov- ernment accused the Trump administration of hurting its credibility by acting er- ratically on trade and vowed Wednesday to fight back if Washington goes ahead with a threatened tariff hike. A foreign ministry spokes- woman complained the U.S. decision to renew a threat to raise duties on a $50 billion list of Chinese goods con- flicts with an agreement in mid-May aimed at settling that dispute. Treasury Steven Mnuchin said then that the conflict was “on hold” after Beijing promised to buy more U.S. goods to help narrow its multibillion-dollar trade sur- plus with the United States. The spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, declined to say whether Tuesday’s announce- ment might disrupt plans for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to visit Beijing for talks starting Saturday. The Com- merce Ministry did not re- spond to questions about the status of the meeting, but the American Embassy said a delegation of trade, agri- culture and treasury officials had arrived in the Chinese capital to make preparations. Hua gave no indication of whether Beijing planned to act on its own threat to re- taliate by raising duties on a $50 billion list of Amer- ican goods including beef and soybeans. “Every flip-flop and U-turn of a country will be simply depleting and squandering its own credibility,” Hua said at a regular briefing. “We do not want a trade war, but we are not afraid of one. We will fight back,” she said. “We will definitely take forceful measures to defend our legitimate interests.” The White House an- nouncement said it also would impose curbs on Chi- nese investment and pur- chases of high-tech exports. Asian financial markets tumbled on renewed wor- ries about a U.S.-Chinese trade spat. China’s main market index fell 2.5 percent and Japan’s benchmark lost 1.5 percent. The White House’s latest tariff action focuses on ad- vanced technologies, in- cluding those such as robots and electric cars that China has said it wants to develop under its “Made in China 2025” program. The White House said a list of products would be announced June 15. Trump’s surprise an- nouncement reflects his frus- tration at criticism of his earlier deal with Beijing, Eur- asia analysts said in a re- port. They said he appears less concerned that he needs Chinese support for his pro- posed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Trump is going on of- fense, reverting to his earlier instincts on China and re-em- powering the trade hawks in his Cabinet,” Eurasia Group said. “This dynamic makes it likely that both tariffs and investment restrictions will go into effect.” The American Chamber of Commerce in China said com- panies are uneasy about the threat of export and invest- ment controls but see them as a possible way to make progress on long-standing complaints about market ac- cess and investment curbs. As a result of Trump’s tariff threat, Washington is in very intense negotiations with Beijing “in a way that we haven’t been for so many years,” said the chamber chairman, William Zarit. He said companies hope Beijing can be persuaded to “level the playing field” by easing curbs on foreign investment and business activity in its state- dominated economy. Also Wednesday, the Chi- nese Cabinet announced it planned to complete work by July 1 on another mea- sure sought for years by its trading partners – a “negative list” that would make clear what is off-limits to foreign investment, leaving the rest of the economy open. Foreign companies are frustrated by a system that requires them to wait for Chinese regulators to declare individual lines of business open to them. Trump has focused on pressing Beijing to narrow its trade surplus with the United States, but Zarit said Amer- ican companies see other is- sues as higher priorities. As Chinese companies expand abroad, the United States, Europe and other trading partners are pressing Beijing to ease controls that keep their companies out of industries including banking, insurance, telecoms and healthcare. The tariff threat is a “very powerful” negotiating tactic, said Lester Ross, chairman of the American chamber’s policy committee. How- ever, he said tariffs are a tax on American consumers and a blunt tool to ad- dress “very complex prob- lems that hamper trade and investment relationships.” Analysts in the United States suggested the newly confrontational stance also might be aimed at appeasing congressional critics of a deal the Trump administra- tion made Friday that al- lowed Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corp. to stay in business. ZTE agreed to remove its management team, hire American compliance officers and pay a fine. That would be on top of a $1 billion penalty ZTE paid for selling high- tech equipment to North Korea and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. In return, the Commerce Department lifted a seven- year ban on ZTE’s purchase of U.S. components that it im- posed earlier in May. Trump said last month the ban threatened too many Chinese jobs and he wanted to get the company back in business. Chinese leaders have promised piecemeal trade- related changes including allowing full foreign own- ership in their auto in- dustry by 2022. However, American com- panies have “major con- cerns” about unfair condi- tions, and the recent moves haven’t done enough to alle- viate those concerns, said the American chamber’s Ross. European companies also complain they are blocked from acquiring most as- sets in China while Chinese companies are on a global buying spree. The White House’s latest tariff action focuses on advanced technologies, including those such as robots and electric cars that China has said it wants to develop under its “Made in China 2025” program. People walk by an electronic display panel on a street in Beijing Wednesday showing video footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the World Economic Forum. - PHOTO: AP Mindy Borkson of Hollywood, Florida, walks through a bed of seaweed washed up Tuesday on Dania Beach. - PHOTO: APNext >