ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 High of 92 Low of 78 Smooth to slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TODAY’S LESSON: HOW TO SPELL ‘KAABOO’ LOCAL | PAGE 3 MINISTER: BRING IN DERELICT VEHICLES SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Extra cash for more than 300 pensioners BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 300 retired Cayman Islands civil servants who do not make enough money each month to pay their bills are now receiving a $650-per-month payment from the govern- ment-run Public Service Pensions Board. The $650 monthly payment, announced during last year’s budget proposal and which was due to take effect in January, was not paid at that time because regulations to clarify pre- cisely who qualified for those payments had to be approved. The regulations were finalized in June and Premier Alden McLaughlin’s office said Friday that those receiving the additional payment would receive backdated amounts starting from Jan. 1, 2018. The ex gratia payment is due to increase again in January 2019 to $750 per month. The payment increase was also given to Cayman Islands seamen and veterans. Previ- ously, those individuals who qualified received $550 per month. Public Service Pensions Board officials are still trying to determine the total number of retired civil servants who qualify for the ad- ditional payments. “We estimate that more than 300 public sector pensioners will qualify at the $650 threshold in 2018 and the $750 threshold in 2019,” said Jewel Evans Lindsey, managing di- rector of the Public Service Pensions Board. Those numbers do not include the seamen – who number about 1,100 – and veterans beneficiaries. By 2019, the ex gratia payments scheme will cost taxpayers $2.5 million per year, FIRST ROUND OF LAWSUITS FILED OVER HSA DEBTS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several lawsuits were filed this month in the Cayman Islands government’s first at- tempt to take residents to court over past-due medical bills. At least three writs of summons were filed July 10 in the Grand Court by the HSM Cham- bers law firm, which is acting on behalf of government in these cases. HSM Managing Partner Huw Moses said Friday that a few other claims seeking payment of overdue hos- pital bills were filed in Summary Court this month as well. Mr. Moses said this was the “first batch” of lawsuits filed following an agreement between the Health Services Authority and HSM to col- lect unpaid debts from former patients. The public hospital system has amassed more than $90 million in bills which have not been paid for at least a year, referred to as “bad debts,” which the agency indicated it was unlikely to collect without the ability to force people to pay. The government has placed liens on pa- tients’ properties as collateral for repay- ment, but it was previously limited by a policy that prevented suing people to recover medical bills. That policy was ended during the previous term of the Progressives-led government ad- ministration and the contract with HSM to help collect the bills was signed last year. In the three Grand Court writs filed July 10, the amounts owed by each defendant varied from about $23,000 to about $38,000. For instance, one man sued by the HSA had unpaid bills dating back to September 2012 Female divers in Cayman break world record Cayman’s female dive community came together Saturday at Divetech’s Lighthouse Point dive site to attempt to break a world record for the most female divers taking part in a single dive together, forming a human chain underwater off the West Bay shore. Eight-four women donned their dive tanks and linked hands underwater, beating a record set earlier this year in Indonesia by 48 female divers who formed a human pyramid. For more on this story, see page 5. – PHOTO: DREW MCARTHUR, DIVETECH Digicel joins KAABOO as partner and sponsor Digicel Cayman is, almost lit- erally, jumping on the KAABOO “band wagon,” joining Virgin Produced and the Dart Organiza- tion as a partner and “major cor- porate sponsor” of the two-day festival which will take place in February 2019. According to Raul Nich- olson-Coe, chief executive of- ficer of Digicel Cayman, the telecom company will make a “substantial financial contribu- tion” to the event, as well as pro- vide event-related products and services to its mobile phone subscriber base. “From the outset,” said Mr. Coe, “we looked at this as a ‘win-win’ opportunity. The event is great for the Cayman Islands as it provides our residents and visitors with the ability to enjoy world-class entertainment right along our beautiful Seven Mile Beach.” Digicel Cayman also benefits, he said, because it Raul Nicholson-Coe, CEO of Digicel, left, and Carl Monzo III, representing KAABOO Cayman celebrate the announcement of a sponsorship deal between the two entities. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY JULY 23, 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE EQUALIZER 2 (R) 12:45 VIP I 1:30 I 4:25 I 6:45 VIP I 9:45 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (PG) 12:20 3D I 2:40 I 5:00 3D I 7:20 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (PG13) 3:55 I 9:20 JURASSIC WORLD: THE FALLEN KINGDOM (PG13) 12:50 I 3:40 I 6:50 I 9:40 MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (PG13) 4:10 I 7:00 I 9:45 INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 1:00 I 6:35 SKYSCRAPER (PG13) 1:15 3D I 3:40 VIP I 7:20 I 9:40 VIP 10:00 3D Teen burglary suspects linked to other crimes Two of the three teenage suspects apprehended at Smith Cove Thursday on sus- picion of burglary made court appearances on unrelated charges Friday. The three suspects – aged 15, 17 and 19 – were apprehended fol- lowing a report of a burglary in progress at a residence on Sandalwood Crescent, off Denham Thompson Way. Officers responded im- mediately and noticed three males fleeing the loca- tion after they had broken through the rear glass door. Officers pursued the suspects to Smith Cove. The officers were assisted in the chase by the police helicopter and a vessel from the Joint Ma- rine Unit that had been pa- trolling nearby. Two of the teenagers en- tered the water at Smith Cove and were quickly appre- hended by officers after con- sultation with eyewitnesses on the beach. The third teen- ager was caught on shore at a nearby location. The three were all arrested on suspi- cion of burglary. One of the suspects, age 15 from West Bay, was also arrested on suspicion of damage to property stem- ming from an incident on July 17 in which a car was ransacked. The 17-year-old sus- pect hails from West Bay and was wanted in connec- tion to another matter. That suspect was arrested and charged with burglary in re- lation to an incident on Feb. 24 on Town Hall Road. He appeared in court for that charge Friday and was re- manded into custody. The final suspect, age 19 from Bodden Town, was charged with burglary in re- lation to a May 2015 incident in Beach Bay. He also ap- peared in court Friday. After the suspects were apprehended Thursday, K-9 officers conducted searches nearby to retrace the route that teens had taken. Police dog Shadow led the officers to a patch of grass where a ring had been recently dis- carded. Other objects, in- cluding a jewelry box, were also located and recovered. JAPANESE PRINCESS MAKO BEGINS VISIT TO BRAZIL’S BIGGEST CITY SAO PAULO (AP) – Japan’s Princess Mako arrived in Sao Paulo Saturday as part of a two-week visit to Brazil to celebrate 110 years of the arrival of the first Jap- anese immigrants to Latin America’s biggest country. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese commu- nity outside Japan. An esti- mated 1.9 million Japanese or their descendants live in Brazil, most of them in Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city. Shortly after her ar- rival, Princess Mako toured the Japan Festival, a three- day event showcasing Jap- anese cuisine, culture and products. She also planned to visit the Monument to Japa- nese Immigration Pioneers at the city’s Ibirapuera Park and the nearby Japa- nese Pavilion. Earlier in the week, she visited Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue and Botanical Gardens. In all, Princess Mako will visit 13 Brazilian cities. JURY NOTICE The latest Grand Court jurors report date has changed. The Judicial Adminis- tration advises all Grand Court jurors in the July 4 to Oct. 4 session to re- port for jury duty at 9:45 a.m. on Monday, July 30, instead of the scheduled July 23 date. Call the Jury Information line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information or email jury@judicial.ky. Police officers attend Smith Cove on Thursday in a search for three teenage suspected burglars. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDIN Cuba approves new leader’s Cabinet with old faces in place HAVANA (AP) – Cuban law- makers on Saturday ap- proved the Cabinet named by new President Miguel Diaz-Canel, keeping most of the ministers from Raul Castro’s government in place, except for in the key post of economic reform. At the same time, the na- tional assembly received a proposed reform of Cu- ba’s 1976 constitution that would reshape its govern- ment, courts and economy, and pave the way for same- sex marriage, although it would maintain the Com- munist Party as the sole po- litical force in the country. The charter will be put to a national referendum in the coming months then return to the assembly. Among the ministers kept in place in Diaz-Canel’s Council of Ministers were three historic vice presi- dents: revolutionary com- manders Ramiro Valdes, Ri- cardo Cabrisas and Gen. Ulises Rosales del Toro. For- eign Minster Bruno Rodri- guez, Foreign Trade Min- ister Rodrigo Malmierca and Finance Minister Lina Peraza will also remain in their posts. The main change was the absence of economic reforms minister Marino Murillo who had accom- panied Raul Castro for a de- cade while he implemented modest openings to pri- vate enterprise in the so- cialist economy. Diaz-Canel replaced Castro in April in a his- toric changing of the guard in Cuba, but Sat- urday’s Cabinet suggests continuity rather than im- mediate change. Cuban officials have pro- posed a reform of the con- stitution, saying the current one does not reflect changes made in the country in the decades since 1976. The new charter would create the position of prime minister alongside the pres- ident, splitting the roles of head of government and head of state. It would enshrine new recognitions of the free market and private property in Cuban society, though the communist state would remain the dominant eco- nomic force. It also creates a new presumption of inno- cence in the justice system and makes explicit the prin- cipal of not discriminating based on gender identity. “We are before a total re- form within the framework established by the principles of socialism,” said Homero Acosta, the secretary of the Council of State in charge of presenting the reforms. The current constitu- tion was adopted at a time when Cuba was a potential Cold War flash point and a pillar of the Soviet Bloc. The document proclaims Cuba’s adherence to Marxist-Le- ninist socialism. Experts say the on-and- off economic reforms pro- moted by Raul Castro, which have sought to allow the limited introduction of private enterprise within the communist system, have been carried out in spite of the constitution. Cuban officials have proposed a reform of the constitution, saying the current one does not reflect changes made in the country in the decades since 1976. A member of the National Assembly studies the proposed update to the Constitution, in Havana, Cuba, Saturday. – PHOTO: AP Japan’s Princess Mako visits the Botanical Gardens Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. – PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 188104_PRINT-Ad-Compass-2colx12-Page 1 7/19/18 10:21:50 AM Minister: Bring in derelict vehicles BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ministry of Environment officials acknowledged last week that there appeared to have been a breakdown in communications over the dis- posal of derelict vehicles on Grand Cayman. However, Minister Dwayne Seymour said the trouble should now be resolved and that residents can once again dispose of their old, unused cars at the George Town landfill. “I can attest that we’ve been bringing derelict ve- hicles in here now for the past couple of months. I’m not sure what trouble [mem- bers of the public are] having bringing derelict vehicles in,” Mr. Seymour said. “If they’re having trouble, they need to contact the department so we can direct them on how to do it properly.” Ministry Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn said that De- partment of Environmental Health workers will continue to remove any “red sticker” vehicles – those that have been identified as a public health nuisance. For those who seek to re- sponsibly dispose of their junked cars, Ms. Ahearn urged them to contact the de- partment before bringing the cars to the landfill. “If you have a derelict vehicle that’s not a public health nuisance, but it’s something you want to get rid of … what we encourage you to do is contact the depart- ment to say ‘I’ve got the dere- lict vehicle, when can I bring it in?’ It’s better to call ahead when you have large waste like that … so they’re pre- pared to direct you when you drop It off,” Ms. Ahearn said. Minister Seymour told the Legislative Assembly last month that the landfill never actually stopped taking der- elict vehicles, particularly if those cars posed a public health nuisance. Those statements were contrary to what govern- ment employees told the Cayman Compass last fall. A government press release issued in November noted the old car collection had been “curtailed.” Mr. Seymour’s statement in late June was met with in- credulity by opposition law- makers, who said they were aware of situations where residents from their dis- tricts had attempted to drop off junked cars at the landfill and had been turned away. Both the minister and Ms. Ahearn acknowledged last week that there may have been some disconnect be- tween what the higher-ups in the department were saying and what employees believed was intended. Since October, Minister Seymour said the landfill had received 199 derelict cars from around Grand Cayman. He said the ultimate plan with those vehicles was to bale them into scrap and send them overseas for recycling. The landfill is experi- encing challenges with “metal overstock” and at present it simply does not have enough space to keep all the dere- lict cars on the property, Mr. Seymour said. However, Mr. Sey- mour said the tire shred- ding project under way at the landfill – completed on Wednesday – would allow the Department of Environ- mental Health to use the tire processing area to store der- elict vehicles. The George Town landfill is now accepting scrapped vehicles. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Police looking for Caymanians, women The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is launching its annual local recruitment drive on Monday, targeting Caymanians and permanent residents between the ages of 18-40 with no restric- tions to work. According to the an- nouncement, the recruitment process is lengthy, encom- passing written tests, a phys- ical fitness exam, background checks, computer skills test, an interview and a med- ical examination. Applicants must pass a physical fitness test and have at least three CXC passes or equivalent, including math- ematics and English. Once selected, recruits must un- dertake and pass 17 weeks of initial training, the RCIPS stated. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said his de- partment is looking to in- crease the number of Caymanians in its ranks. “We are working towards developing the RCIPS into a world-class police service. We want to encourage Cay- manian men and women to join our ranks, especially women, as there have been few female candidates in previous recruitments,” he said. “We also want to fa- cilitate the growth of local police officers within the organization, and so it is im- portant for us to maintain a multicultural image and show diversity.” Applications may be dropped off at the Police Headquarters at 82 Shedden Road on the 4th Floor of the Amerigo building, Elizabe- than Square, or filled out and submitted via the website. The RCIPS stated that all applications must be sub- mitted by midnight on Aug. 10 in order to make it in this year’s application list. To apply, go to www.rcips.ky/local-officer-recruitment. RCIPS launching recruitment drive AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINEE ARRESTED An air traffic control trainee at Cayman Brac’s Charles Kirkconnell In- ternational Airport has been taken off his assign- ment following his drugs- related arrest Monday, the Cayman Islands Airports Au- thority confirmed. “Currently, he is not on duty at the [airports au- thority] in any capacity,” said authority spokesperson Rhonda Verhoeven. The 25-year-old man was arrested Monday, along with a 22-year-old woman, fol- lowing a search at an air- port security checkpoint in Grand Cayman. Her Majesty’s Customs officers said the man was searched and two pack- ages containing a sub- stance believed to be ganja were found taped to his legs. The young woman was arrested later, officers said. The man was attempting to board a Cayman Airways flight bound for Cayman Brac when he was searched. Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of ganja pos- session and were released on police bail. Recruits march during this year’s graduation ceremony for new Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers. The RCIPS is launching a new recruitment drive for 2018. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe 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. MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The “Big Mo,” meaning momentum, is beginning to build for KAABOO Cayman, even though the first acts for the music and entertainment festival won’t take to the stage until February 2019. Today’s front page includes a story that Digicel Cayman has signed on as a major sponsor and partner in the project, and more private sector companies are expected soon to be adding their branding and support to this international event. While there are obviously enormous logistical challenges in organizing a songfest of this magni- tude, apparently there are linguistic ones as well. We refer, of course, to the spelling of “KAABOO.” How challenging can it be? “KAABOO” contains only six letters (two consonants and four vowels). It is a simple duo-syllabic neologism. (Note the pre- ferred usage is ALL CAPS.) And yet, we have seen the festival referred to as KABOO and Kaboom (predictable guesses), but Kaibo, KARoo, Kazoo, Kabob and Caboodle? As always, the Compass is here to assist. We are proud to have as our executive editor a super-speller named Patrick Brendel who has battled it out on the stage of the U.S. Scripps National Spelling Bee, an annual event televised from near Washington, D.C. Brendel did well, and we can report that he unquestionably is one of the top spellers in America. (To prove it was not a fluke, Brendel repeated his per- formance the following year. And so, if you spot a mis- spelling in the Compass, blame it on Brendel. We do.) Therefore, we are pleased to present some advice from our in-house expert on how to tackle any new or unfamiliar word, especially if you happen to find yourself on stage, under competitive pressure, on a timer, with television lights glaring in your eyes: “In competitive spelling,” says Brendel, “it is not unusual for a contestant to be given a word they are unsure of or have never heard of in their life. “If you happen to be watching the U.S. National Spelling Bee on television and see a contestant with a blank look on his or her face, they are most likely panicking or pondering their options. “Contestants are allowed to ask about the fol- lowing to get a better idea of how an unfamiliar word may be spelled: Alternate pronunciations, definitions and alternate definitions, parts of speech, usage in a sentence, language of origin, and whether or not the word contains a specific linguistic root. “For example: Is the root of the word ‘KAABOO’ the Carib word ‘kapu,’ meaning sky? “Sometimes, asking several questions about a word constitutes a stalling tactic while the contes- tant’s mind flails around for some possible spelling. In the National Spelling Bee, a contestant’s time to spell a word is only two minutes, leaving ONLY one final resort: Guess. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.’” Obviously, bloggers and speakers and even some journalists have been guessing when challenged to spell “KAABOO.” The problem is that far too often, they’re guessing wrong. Here’s what to do: If a word is not in the dic- tionary, (and most certainly KAABOO is not), locate an authoritative source, such as kaaboocayman.com, study the word, memorize its spelling, and then use it with confidence forevermore. And mark your calendars: We will be having a KAABOO quiz first thing tomorrow morning … Today’s lesson: How to spell ‘KAABOO’ LETTER TO THE EDITOR: NORTH SOUND STENCH On Tuesday morning at about 6 a.m. I was riding my bicycle – it’s not safe to ride any other times of the day. My little meditation and peacefulness routine is to stop by the North Sound at Bri- tannia. I have not been there in several weeks. The stench from the dump was so disgusting. I had my shirt across my face since I will do all that I can to brave it out wherever I am. I could not even last 30 seconds with my face cov- ered. The smell nearly as- phyxiated me. I saw a jogger and wondered how he was able to withstand the stench. I spent several months in Africa and never encountered anything like the effects of the dump we have here. Have we truly reached Third World? Lorrie Furniss Trump can shut down his Russia critics with one bold move WASHINGTON – If President Trump wants to shut down the critics of his perfor- mance last week in Helsinki and strengthen U.S. national security, he can do so with one bold move: Announce he is moving out most U.S. forces currently stationed in Germany and sending them to Poland. The Polish government re- cently presented Trump with a formal proposal to move U.S. troops from Stuttgart, Germany, to a new perma- nent U.S. military base in Po- land. Trump should take up Warsaw on this offer. Moving U.S. troops to Po- land would be a bold, his- toric decision on par with Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Not only would it better po- sition American forces, it also would completely flummox Trump’s critics in the U.S. foreign policy establish- ment. After spending the past week accusing him of being Putin’s puppet, they would look foolish if they turned around and criticized him for antagonizing Russia. And after attacking him for un- dermining NATO, they could hardly complain that he is taking unprecedented ac- tion to shore up the alliance’s Eastern flank. Such a move would re- inforce the tough line the president took on defense spending earlier this month at the NATO summit, by pun- ishing a deadbeat ally that does not meet its NATO com- mitments and rewarding a steadfast ally that does. Why should Germany – a country that spends just 1.24 percent of its gross domestic product on defense – continue to be rewarded with the eco- nomic benefit of U.S. bases? Better to station U.S. forces in a country such as Poland that is providing what Trump has called a “truly magnifi- cent” example as “one of the NATO countries that has ac- tually achieved the bench- mark for investment in our common defense.” Trump can further argue that Germany’s actions be- yond its inadequate de- fense spending have neces- sitated this move. At NATO, Trump blasted the Germany- to-Russia Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, declaring “it’s a very bad thing for NATO.” He’s right. The pipeline not only makes Germany more de- pendent on Moscow for en- ergy, it also risks the security of Poland and other Eastern European allies. Right now, all Russian gas exports to Western Europe go through pipelines that cross Poland and Slovakia – which means Russia cannot cut off gas to NATO allies in the East without also cutting off its lucrative exports to the West. But once the new pipeline is built, sending gas directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea, Russia will be able to shut off energy supplies to Eastern Europe far more easily. Trump can correctly say that he needs to shore up the security of NATO’s East European allies because of the German government’s sign-off on the pipeline. The move would also ad- dress a major U.S. strategic concern about its ability to deter Russia. The Wash- ington Post recently re- ported that U.S. military com- manders are worried that if they had to quickly move U.S. troops east to head off a mil- itary conflict with Moscow, “the most powerful military in the world could get stuck in a traffic jam” as “Humvees … snarl behind plodding semis on narrow roads” and “U.S. tanks … crush rusting bridges too weak to hold their weight.” Stationing American forces in Poland would al- leviate that problem. As the Polish government points out in its proposal, “a U.S. per- manent presence in Poland [offers] a more forward op- erating location than Stutt- gart provides, would greatly alleviate well founded fears that fellow Eastern European and Baltic governments have that Moscow would be able to overtake defending forces prior to the support of U.S. and NATO forces in Stuttgart could provide.” The move would also ben- efit U.S. taxpayers. The Polish government has offered up to $2 billion to cover most of the costs of building such a base and supporting U.S. troops in Poland, declaring it is committed “to share the burden of defense spending [and] make the decision more cost-effective for the U.S. government.” This should be attractive to Trump, who has criticized other allies for not paying enough for the cost of stationing U.S. forces on their territory. The U.S. military pres- ence in Germany is a legacy of the Cold War, when we po- sitioned our forces to deter a Soviet invasion from East Germany. Today the need for deterrence is undimin- ished, but the potential line of contact has moved east. So should the U.S. military. Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen. © 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group MARC A. THIESSEN 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 • MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 Women divers set world record in Cayman 84 female divers join hands underwater for Women’s Dive Day NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@pinnaclemedialtd.com The female divers of the Cayman Islands marked In- ternational Women’s Dive Day Saturday by breaking a world record while raising funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation. The women linked hands underwater at Divetech’s shore diving site Lighthouse Point in West Bay to form the longest recorded female un- derwater human chain. Eighty-four women, in- cluding guides, instructors and recreational divers took part in the record-breaking bid. Many more attended the event to offer their support. The existing record was set in Indonesia in May this year by a group of divers from Girls That Scuba, when 48 of them formed an under- water human pyramid. “I wanted to host some- thing because it was Wom- en’s Dive Day. I am all about supporting strong women and divers,” said Divetech owner Joanna Mikuto- wicz. “Julia [Bradford, an in- structor at Divetech] saw that there were underwater re- cords that could be set and she came to me with the idea and said ‘we can do this.’” Getting such a large group of divers into the water from shore at the same time to form a human chain took quite a bit of organizing, Ms. Mikutowicz admitted, but the event went ahead without a hitch. “It was very difficult to organize. It looked like it went smoothly but the whole point is, all the or- ganizing beforehand makes it seem like it was very easy. A lot of other dive shops helped out by pro- viding guides and support. It turned this into an event for the whole island.” At Saturday’s attempt in Cayman, a rope line was strung at about 15 feet under- water between three buoys. The women swam out to the line and held hands along it, forming a human chain for several minutes, as photographers and vid- eographers recorded the record-making effort un- derwater and a drone hov- ered overhead taking aerial shots. One of Divetech’s sig- nature pink boats was also on standby nearby. The chain consisted of resident and visiting divers, including some of Ms. Mi- kutowicz’s family members who flew in from Cape Cod specially to take part in the record attempt. Many of the divers were clad in pink to mark the oc- casion, while others went a step further with special out- fits for Women’s Dive Day – one donning a tutu and an- other a mermaid’s tail. Well more than $2,600 was raised, with each par- ticipant donating a minimum of $25 to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Ms. Mikutowicz said it was likely the final sum would be higher, as the tallies for other donations and raffle tickets were still being counted Saturday. Divetech has held Wom- en’s Dive Day events over the past few years, choosing a different charity each year as a beneficiary for raised funds. The underwater bubbles were followed by the on-land version Saturday as the cele- brating divers were met with glasses of chilled Prosecco at Vivo restaurant, next to the dive shop, when they got out of the water. The next step in the pro- cess is to get the record vali- dated and accepted, Ms. Mi- kutowicz said, adding that Divetech would be sending a video and record of the dive to the Guinness Book of Re- cords, which can take up to 12 weeks to be ratified. A diver in a mermaid’s tail joins 83 other female divers Saturday at Divetech’s Lighthouse Point dive site to attempt to break a world record. - PHOTO: DREW MCARTHUR, DIVETECH The divers return to shore. - PHOTOS: TONY LAND, DIVETECH Hannah Windmill, a dive instructor with Ocean Frontiers, poses in a tutu before donning dive gear for the record bid. Divetech’s pink boat Atatude was on patrol duty during the record dive attempt Saturday.6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Health City fixes rare infant heart defect Pediatric pioneer retires at 82 JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dr. Shirley Cridland, one of Cayman’s best-known and most highly respected pe- diatricians, is retiring this month after 42 years of pro- viding healthcare services to the children of Cayman. She says she will miss seeing all the babies coming in and watching them grow into adulthood, but she is confident that Cayman has a formidable team of pediatri- cians on the island today to carry on the work. “We now have a strong team of [pediatricians] on is- land. Before I came, there were one or two persons doing it but they were either leaving or left shortly after I arrived,” she said. “They interact together, and I think that is very good …. The hospital has a re- ally good pediatric group as well, I think the county is on a good course in pediat- rics,” she said. Dr. Cridland turned 82 in February. She said she is now looking forward to spending time with her family, just retiring and hanging out. “It’s been a long time, I would now just like to spend time with family and have nothing much to think about,” she told the Cayman Compass. Dr. Cridland has two sons, two daughters and several grandchildren. Pediatric friends from government and the pri- vate sector hosted a retire- ment lunch for Dr. Crid- land at Grand Old House on Thursday. “The pediatricians were all there, we had a nice time. It was very good of them,” said Dr. Cridland. A longtime resident of Grand Cayman, Dr. Crid- land opened the first pedi- atric clinic in Cayman in 1976 in the building of Dr. Edlin Merren on Hospital Road after moving from Ja- maica with her family. In later years, she moved to 247 Smith Road in George Town, where she practiced up to her retirement. During her professional career, Dr. Cridland got in- volved in many of the med- ical organizations on island. She is a founding member of the Cayman Islands Med- ical and Dental Society, part of the Cayman Heart Fund organization and has been instrumental in forming the Children’s Health Task Force. Although she is not on the board these day, Dr. Cridland says she is impressed with what the Cayman Heart Fund continues to do, bringing awareness to the community about heart issues. “Obesity was one of the things we were concerned about when we first started the Children’s Health Task Force,” she said, adding that the importance of good nu- trition at an early age is now recognized in Cayman. Back in 2013, the Cayman Islands Medical and Dental Society gave its first award to Dr. Cridland, for her years of service to the chil- dren of Cayman. Born to parents John and Alice Clemetson in Kingston and raised in St. Mary parish, Dr. Cridland moved to St. Thomas with her family. She received her medical edu- cation in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. She first got a taste for working in the medical field after she met several medical professionals while volun- teering in a hurricane emer- gency clinic at age 15. She at- tended the University College of the West Indies Medical School from 1954 to 1960, did an internship at Univer- sity Hospital of the West In- dies and served as House Officer in pediatrics from 1961 to 1962. Her post-graduate studies were done in the United Kingdom at Carshalton Hos- pital, Surrey, and the Insti- tute of Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London. When she returned from London in 1963, she married the late Bernard N. Cridland and had four children. She also served as medical officer in the Children’s Hospital in Kingston, and then held pri- vate practice in Kingston from 1972 to 1976. She moved to the Cayman Islands in 1976, and started the first pediatric clinic here. Between 1976 to 2012, she also worked in the Ge- netics Program in Cayman, documenting genetic disor- ders and counseling families. She held monthly clinics in East End and West Bay, vis- ited the Lighthouse School and patients’ homes and worked closely with other physicians at the Health Ser- vices Authority. Health City Cayman Is- lands announced Friday that one of its cardiologists per- formed a successful surgery on an infant born with a rare, life-threatening heart defect. Grayson Reneau, a baby boy from Belize, was born with a heart murmur which he was expected to out- grow by the age of two months. But when this did not occur, specialists in Be- lize diagnosed him with Te- tralogy of Fallot, a heart de- fect that happens in about five of every 10,000 births, ac- cording to Health City. Health City explained that Tetralogy of Fallot can cause alarming symp- toms, including what are known as “tet spells,” during which babies with the de- fect turn very blue, have dif- ficulty breathing, become limp, and occasionally lose consciousness. If infants with Tetralogy of Fallot are not treated, the symptoms usually be- come progressively more se- vere, and may cause life- threatening complications, Health City stated. After confirming Gray- son’s condition, Health City Chief Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil and his team scrubbed up and undertook a series of in- tense and complicated sur- gical procedures. “We had to do lot of plumbing work to get the right pipe from the right chamber and close the hole so that one chamber will pump into one pipe … and enlarge the pipe that was small … it took quite a long time,” said Dr. Chattuparambil. According to Dr. Chattu- parambil, Grayson is now healthy and full of energy. “He’s now very active and his mother says he is very naughty now, it seems. So he’s fully cured,” the sur- geon said. “He will not have any trouble in his life. Like any other baby, he’ll grow. He’ll have all the activities, he’ll play with his friends. He’s doing very well.” Grayson’s mother, Jamie Lord, said she was hesitant to take her son to Health City at first because she had never heard of it, but is glad that she did. Along with re- ceiving medical help for her son, Ms. Lord said she was also happy to meet a group of Belizeans living here who lent their love and support. “I’m just so thankful to all of them. All the nurses who took good care of Grayson, everybody has been really good to us. I just want to say I’m very thankful. I’m happy,” the mother said. “I’m glad and I wish [to say thank you to] everybody back home and that my baby will be able to have a normal healthy life due to the program that we were a part of. Health City is one of the best hos- pitals I’ve ever experi- enced and everything is re- ally nice here.” If infants with Tetralogy of Fallot are not treated, the symptoms usually become progressively more severe, and may cause life-threatening complications, Health City stated. Baby Grayson Reneau and his mother, Jamie Lord. Grayson recently had a rare heart defect fixed at Health City. - PHOTO: HEALTH CITY Blood pressure drug recalled The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority has stopped distributing Valsartan, a generic med- ication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, after it was found to have an impurity and was made the subject of a recall issued by the United States Food and Drug Administra- tion and the European Med- icines Agency. The HSA is contacting all patients who are cur- rently prescribed Valsartan to provide a recommended alternative. Patients who have not received a call to change medications by July 21 should contact the HSA at 916-8301 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The U.S. FDA advises pa- tients on Valsartan to keep their medication until they are prescribed an alterna- tive, because the risk of harm may be greater to just stop treatment without a new treatment. Dr. Courtney Cummings, deputy medical director of the HSA, said the action is part of the HSA’s respon- sibility to monitor and re- spond to all alerts regarding safety of medicines dis- pensed to patients. “This is also why we maintain a high level of vig- ilance in the monitoring, sourcing and dispensing of all pharmaceuticals to pro- tect our patients,” said Dr. Cummings. At the moment, the HSA has not received any reports of adverse ef- fects related to the recall. Patients in the pri- vate sector who are using Valsartan should contact their pharmacist or physi- cian about the advisability of selecting an alterna- tive treatment. Valsartan tablets are subject to an international recall. Dr. Shirley Cridland at a Cayman Heart Fund Red Dress Gala fundraiser in 2013. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 Carnival events remain divided Parties unable to reach agreement MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Recent efforts to re- combine Cayman’s Car- nival events appear to have failed for now. Officials for Batabano and Braccanal met twice in June with their CayMas counterparts, with the idea of coming to an agreement on a schedule of dates that would allow everyone to join in one big party. In 2017, CayMas began staging a separate parade and festivities two weeks after the long-running Ba- tabano event. CayMas orga- nizers said the dates, falling on the Discovery Day long weekend, were more advan- tageous for attracting addi- tional tourists to the island and for local participation. Wayne Kirkconnell, chairman of CayMas Car- nival, said that when repre- sentatives met on June 16 – joined by Mas Band, a new entity representing the car- nival bands – he was hopeful. “We thought we were get- ting somewhere,” Mr. Kirk- connell said. “But the Brac- canal committee said they would not be flexible.” Braccanal, the Cayman Brac manifestation of Car- nival, has been holding its event on the Discovery Day long weekend as well. In a press release, Bata- bano Chairwoman Donna Myrie-Stephen said she was unhappy with Cay- Mas’s position. “We are deeply disap- pointed that the private group that caused this divi- sion in the first place were unwilling to compromise their position and imposi- tion on our two long-estab- lished carnivals,” Ms. Myrie- Stephen said in the release. “But the Batabano committee stands unified with the mas bands of CIMBA [Cayman Is- lands Mas Bands Associa- tion] and with our country’s sister carnival on Cayman Brac, and we remain confi- dent and excited about the bright future of Batabano as the tourism attraction and national tradition that it has been for 35 years.” Carnival-goers hit the streets at this year’s Batabano parade. Efforts to combine the Batabano and rival CayMas carnivals have failed. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY MAN, 83, IN COURT FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER Man accused of attempting to murder his wife CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com William Lindberg Glasgow, 83, made his first appearance in Grand Court on Friday on a charge of at- tempted murder. Mr. Glasgow is accused of attempting to cause the death of his wife, Ellen, in Tropical Gardens on the night of July 4. Defense attorney Prathna Bodden told Jus- tice Marlene Carter that she was concerned about Mr. Glasgow’s fitness to stand trial. She asked for a detailed medical report and a psychiatric assessment. The judge agreed to order the reports and set the next mention date for Sept. 28. Ms. Bodden indi- cated that she would be making an application for bail before then, but no date was set. No details of the allega- tion against the defendant were mentioned in court on Friday nor at his initial ap- pearance in the lower court. A press release from police after the incident stated that the victim had sus- tained multiple lacerations and underwent surgery. Three plead not guilty to firearm charges Ganja charges will be dealt with in Summary Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three Jamaican nationals charged with possession of unlicensed firearms pleaded not guilty in Grand Court on Friday and had their trial set to start on Sept. 24. Assad Adana Walker, 58, Owen Omar Reid, 37, and Fitzroy Ottey, 41, are charged with having a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver and 49 rounds of ammuni- tion in their possession on March 2, 2018. That was when they were arrested on suspicion of im- porting parcels of ganja into the Cayman Islands by sea. A press release issued by po- lice about the incident in- dicated that it was during a search of the packages that the handgun and ammuni- tion were found. The men subsequently pleaded guilty in Sum- mary Court to importing 313 pounds of ganja. They de- nied knowing that the pack- ages contained anything except ganja. On Friday, they also pleaded not guilty to being concerned in the importa- tion of 101 grams of co- caine, just over three and a half ounces. Mr. Walker was rep- resented by attorney Neil Kumar. Mr. Ottey’s attorney was Jonathon Hughes, while Prathna Bodden appeared on behalf of Mr. Reid. Last week, before the firearm and cocaine charges were committed to Grand Court, Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats indicated that the men would be sentenced in Sum- mary Court for the ganja. He set a tentative date of Oct. 29 for that to take place. The men have also been charged with being con- cerned in the importa- tion of, and possessing with intent to supply, the drug MDMA, known as ec- stasy, in the quantity of 49.3 grams (1.7 ounces). All three men pleaded not guilty to these charges in June. These charges were not mentioned in Grand Court on Friday. NEW DATE SET FOR CAPTAIN’S BAKERY INCIDENT Teen defendant remanded in custody CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A teenaged male made his first appearance in Grand Court on Friday charged with offenses arising from an incident Tuesday night, July 10, at Captain’s Bakery and Grill on West Bay Road. Tyrec Christopher Johnson, 17, is charged with attempting to rob a named individual at the premises. He is further charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, a 9 mm handgun. Defense attorney Lee Halliday-Davis advised Justice Marlene Carter that legal aid had not yet been granted in the matter. She also indicated she wanted time to look into certain as- pects of the case. Crown counsel Toyin Salako did not object to an adjournment, so the judge set Sept. 28 as the next mention date. The defendant, a resi- dent of George Town, was remanded in custody. Mr. Glasgow is accused of attempting to cause the death of his wife, Ellen, in Tropical Gardens on the night of July 4. Cayman Connection UK holds fifth anniversary bash On Wednesday, Cayma- nians celebrated the fifth an- niversary of Cayman Con- nection UK, the network for groups and individuals as- sociated with the Cayman Islands who now live in the United Kingdom. Students planning to move to the U.K. networked and learned about preparing to take up residence there for further education. Thirty students and par- ents also participated in a workshop in the after- noon that addressed some of the cultural differences between the U.K. and the Cayman Islands, as well as some of the challenges that can be a faced when moving abroad. “These annual events in Cayman are integral to the work of CCUK, it is a great opportunity to provide a space for students consid- ering studying in the UK to meet existing UK students,” said the event’s organizer Kate Kandiah, the commu- nications in-charge for Cay- man’s government office in London, in a press release. “The event is also an oppor- tunity to share some of the work that the CIGO [Cayman Islands Government Office] has been doing in the UK.” On Wednesday, Caymanians celebrated the fifth anniversary of Cayman Connection UK, the network for groups and individuals associated with the Cayman Islands who now live in the United Kingdom.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS according to government estimates – if the number of civil service recipients is currently correct. That figure only includes the civil servants receiving benefits, not seamen or veterans. The difficulty for some older Caymanian civil ser- vants is that, for most of their working lives, they did not pay into a pen- sion scheme before retire- ment. When the public sector pension scheme was started in the 1990s, some workers did not receive enough money to allow them to pay their bills, forcing them to seek assis- tance from social services. The additional ex gratia payments will be made where the regulations find the retired civil servant’s earnings are insufficient. The person receiving the benefit has to be Cay- manian, have at least 10 years of pensionable ser- vice with government, and must have turned 60 be- fore June 1, 2018. After June 1, the age require- ment to receive the bene- fits is increased to 65 – the current retirement age. If retired civil servants wish to check their eligibility for the benefit, they can complete a survey on the Public Service Pensions Board website at www.pspb.ky. totaling $31,279.90. The lion’s share of that came in one charge in January 2016 for more than $29,000 that had not been paid. In the second case, a woman owed just more than $23,000 in medical bills dating from 2014-2015. In the third case, $37,716.41 was owed for bills dating back to July 2012. The man sued in that case had 36 separate invoices billed which the health authority alleged he had not paid. In all cases, the patients were given initial request let- ters and then demand let- ters a couple of months later. They were not sued until a deadline date of July 9 passed, several months after the initial request for repay- ment was made. The debt collection ef- forts via HSM began earlier this year as a “pilot project” aimed at collecting $1 million in unpaid hospital bills – a small percentage of the total owed to the HSA. “We will change the cul- ture through this process,” HSA Chief Executive Liz- zette Yearwood said in Jan- uary. “We are trying to help our customers understand that we are serious about col- lecting for services. However, there are government pro- grams to assist eligible per- sons who are unable to pay.” Mr. Moses said his firm would be commencing col- lection operations through the normal process, con- tacting debtors first via phone, emails or letters, and negotiating with them about payment. Mr. Moses said taking individuals to court in debt collection cases is always used as a final op- tion and that the preferred alternative is to work out a payment plan. Cayman Islands Auditor General Sue Winspear re- ported in late 2017 that $94.5 million in bad debts have been accumulated by the public hospital system. The collection effort is not the first time the health au- thority has attempted to col- lect outstanding bills, but it is the first time a local law firm has been used in that process. HSA Chief Financial Of- ficer Heather Boothe told the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee in Oc- tober 2017 that the authority tried to collect about $4 mil- lion in unpaid bills, achieving roughly a 3 percent success rate via a collection agency. provides the company with a myriad of value-added marketing and sales op- portunities to offer its cur- rent customers, as well as a communication channel to reach the thousands of additional residents and visitors who will be at- tending the event. As part of the arrange- ment, Digicel Cayman will also provide festivalgoers with on-site services, in- cluding free WiFi access. The Feb. 15-16 arts and entertainment event will feature popular music and comedy acts, contemporary art and specialty food and drinks. There are also per- sonal pampering ameni- ties for those with more ex- pensive passes. Current artists, in- cluding the Chainsmokers and Sean Paul, are head- lining the event along with such 1980s New Wave bands as Duran Duran and Blondie. Producers and pro- moters are projecting that as many as 11,000 people will attend the fes- tivities which will take place on a site just north of the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. “We are trying to help our customers understand that we are serious about collecting for services. However, there are government programs to assist eligible persons who are unable to pay.” LIZZETTE YEARWOOD, chief executive officer, Health Services Authority CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 First round of lawsuits filed over HSA debts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Extra cash for more than 300 pensioners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Digicel joins KAABOO as partner and sponsor PUTIN IDEA FOR UKRAINE REFERENDUM REJECTED BY WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House has rejected a Vladimir Putin-backed effort to hold a refer- endum in eastern Ukraine on the region’s future, dis- tancing itself from the idea in the aftermath of Presi- dent Donald Trump’s con- troversial summit with the Russian leader. Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly An- tonov, said the two leaders had discussed the possi- bility of a referendum in separatist-leaning eastern Ukraine during their Helsinki summit. But Trump’s Na- tional Security Council spokesman Garrett Mar- quis said Friday that agree- ments between Russia and the Ukrainian government for resolving the conflict in the Donbas region do not include any such option and any effort to organize a “so-called referendum” would have “no legitimacy.” The back-and-forth came as the White House outlined the agenda for a proposed second summit between Trump and Putin – in Washington this fall – that would focus on na- tional security. Moscow signaled its openness to a second formal meeting be- tween the two leaders as criticism of Trump over his first major session with his Russian counterpart kept up in the U.S. A White House official said the next Trump-Putin meeting would address na- tional security concerns they discussed in Hel- sinki, including Russian meddling. The official did not specify if that meant Russia’s interference in U.S. elections. Fiat Chrysler chooses Jeep exec Manley to replace ailing CEO ROME (AP) – Jeep executive Mike Manley will be the new CEO of Fiat Chrysler Auto- mobile after longtime leader Sergio Marchionne’s health suddenly deteriorated fol- lowing surgery, the company announced Saturday. Marchionne, a 66-year-old Italian-Canadian, joined Fiat in 2004 and led the Turin- based company’s merger with bankrupt U.S. carmaker Chrysler. Manley, 54, had been heading the Jeep brand since June 2009 and the Ram brand from October 2015 and has been with the company since 2000. The announcement, at the end of an emergency board meeting Saturday, marked the end of the Marchionne era, which included the turn- around of failing Fiat, the takeover of bankrupt U.S. au- tomaker Chrysler and the spi- noffs of the heavy machinery and truck maker CNH and supercar maker Ferrari. Marchionne, who is also a lawyer, was holding mul- tiple leadership roles in the companies, notably as CEO of FCA – Fiat Chrysler Auto- mobiles, as well as CEO and chairman of Ferrari. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that due to his health Marchionne “will be unable to return to work.” Marchionne had already announced he would step down from FCA in early 2019, so the board’s deci- sion, to be confirmed at an upcoming shareholders’ meeting, will “accelerate” the CEO transition process, the statement said. Ferrari announced that Louis Camilleri, an Egypt- born Maltese and longtime executive at tobacco company Philip Morris International, would replace Marchionne as CEO of the sports car maker. The England-born Manley had been one of Marchionne’s closest collaborators at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and in a previous role had been re- sponsible for product plan- ning and all sales activities outside of North America. Manley took over man- agement of the Jeep brand in 2009, just after Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy protection. At the time, the all-SUV Jeep mainly was a U.S. brand, where annual sales languished at around 232,000. By 2017, though, sales had nearly quadru- pled to more than 828,000 as Americans snapped up all- wheel-drive SUVs. The brand also grew in- ternationally, especially in China, under Manley. Marchionne put Manley in charge of the Ram brand as well as Jeep in 2015. Much of Fiat Chrysler’s profits come from the Ram pickup, espe- cially in the U.S. FCA did not give details about Marchionne’s med- ical condition, which was reported to be surgery for a shoulder problem three weeks ago. But questions arose after it appeared his recovery was taking longer than expected. Fiat is considered a close-knit family, and FCA chairman John Elkann said he was “profoundly saddened to learn of Sergio’s state of health. It was a situation that was unthinkable until a few hours ago, and one that leaves us all with a sense of injustice.” Adding that his “first thoughts go to Sergio and his family,” Elkann asked everyone to respect Mar- chionne’s “privacy and that of all those who are dear to him.” Elkann is a grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli, the longtime Fiat dy- nasty chieftain. Analysts praised the choice of Manley even as they noted the challenges he will face. “It’s an end of an era with the iconic, highly quotable, sweater-wearing Sergio Mar- chionne stepping down, with significant very concerns about his ailing health,” said Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book. She called Manley a “worthy replacement at FCA, but it’s a huge job to not only fill Sergio’s shoes, but to run many brands that are facing capricious fortunes in a va- riety of markets.” Lindland added that Man- ley’s “masterful management of Jeep and RAM will serve him well as he moves into this huge, global role.” The boards of Ferrari and CNH Industrial, which makes heavy machinery and trucks, were also called to emer- gency meetings Saturday in Turin, Fiat’s headquarters. Marchionne made his last major presentation as CEO of Fiat Chrysler in June, un- veiling the company’s plans through 2022. He announced a major investment thrust to make more electrified cars even though he said tradi- tional engines will continue to dominate production. Brands that have been driving the company’s rev- enues include Jeep SUVs, Ram trucks and the pre- mium brands, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Those brands were expected to account for 80 percent of revenues by 2022, compared to 65 per- cent currently. The passenger-car brands of Fiat and Chrysler have been less profitable. “Marchionne did an ex- traordinary job,” tweeted former Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni. Marchionne is pas- sionate about the Ferrari racing team, and even after his planned retirement from Fiat Chrysler he had said he wanted to stay at the helm of the sports car company with the iconic horse symbol for a few more years. “He’s a character and an important personality for Formula One, and I’ve always appreciated sparring with him,” Wolff said. Chrylser CEO Sergio Marchionne, left, is seen with Jeep brand President and CEO Mike Manley on May 21, 2010 at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 14 killed in blast in Afghanistan An Afghan interior ministry spokesman says that 14 people have been killed in the suicide attack near Kabul’s airport shortly after the country’s controversial first vice president landed on his return from abroad. Fifty other people were wounded in the attack. New UK Brexit chief: We may not pay exit fee if no deal LONDON (AP) – Britain’s slow move away from the European Union took a new twist Sunday as the new Brexit chief suggested that Britain might not pay its 39 billion pound (US$51 bil- lion) divorce bill if no trade agreement with the European Union is reached. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab told the Sunday Tele- graph that there must be “con- ditionality” between Britain making the hefty exit payment and its ability to create a new relationship with the EU. “You can’t have one side fulfilling its side of the bar- gain and the other side not, or going slow, or failing to commit on its side,” he said, implying that the threat of withholding payment might get Brexit talks back on track. Britain and the EU remain far apart on terms of a new trade setup. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Con- servative Party is also deeply split over what Brexit policy to support. Raab replaced David Davis, who resigned two weeks ago to protest May’s “soft” Brexit plan. May has faced a substan- tial rebellion from party col- leagues who favor a com- plete break with the EU – a so-called “hard” Brexit – rather than May’s proposal, which calls for a “common rule book” with European nations that would govern trade in goods. EU negotiator Michel Bar- nier is also lukewarm on May’s latest proposal, asking many questions about its vi- ability Friday. Raab, however, says he is still hopeful a deal can be concluded by October so the EU parliament and na- tional parliaments of EU na- tions can ratify the deal be- fore Britain leaves in March. “Actually the fact Michel Barnier is not blowing it out the water but asking ques- tions is a good positive sign – that’s what we negotiate on,” Raab said, looking forward to more Brexit discussions Thursday in Brussels. But former Prime Minister John Major warned that the hardliners in his own Con- servative Party are making the situation worse. “The danger at the mo- ment is that they will frus- trate every move the govern- ment seeks to make and by accident, because nothing can be agreed, we will crash out without a deal,” he said on the BBC. Major said holding a second referendum to gauge public sentiment now that more is known about the true impact of Brexit would be “morally justified” because Brexit advocates made so many inflated claims ahead of the June 2016 vote. “If you look back at the Leave campaign, a great many of the promises they made were fantasy prom- ises,” he said. “We now know they are not going to be met.” Raab replaced David Davis, who resigned two weeks ago to protest May’s “soft” Brexit plan. UK FACES CALLS TO LIBERALIZE NORTHERN IRELAND ABORTION LAWS LONDON (AP) – The British government is facing rising calls to liberalize abortion laws in Northern Ireland, where having an abortion remains a criminal offense even as strict prohibitions are being repealed in the Republic of Ireland. More than 170 politi- cians called Sunday for ac- tion to be taken. The group included legislators from political parties in Britain, Ireland and Northern Ire- land. They sent a letter to the Sunday Times to urge Britain to repeal the 19th- century laws that make it a crime to have an abortion in Northern Ireland. “This is the first and crit- ical step to ending the treat- ment of British and Irish women living in Northern Ireland as second-class citi- zens, who do not enjoy the same access to healthcare as their counterparts do across these islands,” the letter said. The open letter says that nearly 1,000 women and girls from Northern Ireland went to the British main- land for abortions last year and others took abortion- inducing pills that are il- legal in that part of the U.K. Voters in the Republic of Ireland overwhelmingly approved a May refer- endum to repeal a consti- tutional amendment that barred most abortions. In its place, new laws spelling out the conditions for legal abortions are expected to be enacted. The vote does not affect Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Abortions are prohib- ited there even in cases of rape and when the fetus is judged by experts to have a fatal abnormality. Abortions have been allowed in Eng- land, Wales and Scotland for more than 50 years. Northern Ireland’s power-sharing assembly is not operating at the mo- ment, leaving the British government in control. British Prime Minister The- resa May –busy with Brexit negotiations – has not moved to address abortion access in Northern Ireland. Her minority govern- ment depends on the co- operation of the Demo- cratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, which is opposed to abortion. The letter is unlikely to have any immediate impact as Britain’s Parliament is about to begin its lengthy summer recess. Hundreds at vigils mourn the deaths of 17 victims of Missouri ‘duck boat’ accident BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – A Mis- souri town known for its country shows and enter- tainment mourned Friday after 17 people – including nine from one family – were killed when a tourist boat sank on churning water in a sudden storm. The grief-stricken com- munity hosted two sepa- rate vigils Friday night. In one, about 300 people gath- ered in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks of Branson and sang “Amazing Grace.” Mourners at a church sang the same words. “Even though we may not know any of them it doesn’t matter,” said Tammy Miesner, 54, of Branson. “It’s a part of our lives to be there for each other.” Earlier, Mayor Karen Best said Branson is typically a city “full of smiles … But today we are grieving and crying.” Divers found the final four bodies Friday in Table Rock Lake near Branson after the deadliest accident of its kind in nearly two decades. State and federal investiga- tors were trying to determine what went sent the vessel known as a duck boat to its demise. An initial assessment blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hur- ricane strength, but it was not clear why the amphib- ious vehicle even ventured out into the water. Officials have not re- leased names of the victims, but the sad details emerged throughout the day. Among them: A popular duck boat driver, a father and son vis- iting from Arkansas, and nine relatives from Indiana, many of them children, who were on the ill-fated boat only be- cause of a mix-up. The risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore. The National Weather Service in Springfield, about 40 miles north of Branson, issued a severe thunder- storm watch for its imme- diate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. The warning mentioned both lo- cations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m. “When we issue a warning, it means take action,” meteo- rologist Kelsey Angle said. A full investigation was under way, with help from the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader urged anyone with video or photos of the acci- dent to contact authorities. The agencies were briefing Missouri’s two senators on the accident. Democrat Claire McCaskill said she would look into possible “legislative solu- tions,” while Republican Roy Blunt called it a “tragedy that never should have happened.” At the rally at the duck boat business, the Rev. Zachary Klein said he had no words of comfort to offer the families of victims “because there simply are no words to comfort them.” Suzanne Smagala with Ri- pley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities. She said this was the company’s only accident in more than 40 years of operation. Twenty-nine passengers and two crewmembers were aboard for a pleasure cruise. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two chil- dren and two adults were still hospitalized Friday afternoon. The captain survived, au- thorities said. Among the injured was 14-year-old Loren Smith of Osceola, Arkansas. Her fa- ther, 53-year-old retired math teacher Steve, Smith, and her 15-year-old brother, Lance, died in the accident. Loren suffered a concussion but survived. “It’s a hard thing,” Steve Smith’s father, Carroll Smith, said of losing his only child and his only grandson. “It’s a very difficult day.” Brayden Malaske, of Harrah, Oklahoma, boarded a replica 19th-century paddle-wheeler known as the Branson Belle on the same lake just before the storm hit. At the time, he said, the water seemed calm, and no one was worried about the weather. “But it suddenly got very dark,” he recalled. In a short video taken by Malaske from the deck of the Belle, the duck boat can be seen wallowing through the choppy, wind-whipped lake, with water only inches from its windows. Dark, rolling waves crash over its front end. The footage ends before the boat capsizes. Later, people on Malaske’s boat saw a duck boat pas- senger “hanging on for dear life” to the paddle wheel of the Belle, he said. The mayor identified the crewmember operating the boat as Bob Williams, known informally as “Captain Bob.” “He was a great ambas- sador for Branson,” Best said. “He was at every event. He knew everyone. He was al- ways promoting Branson.” A survivor from the family who lost nine relatives said the captain told passen- gers not to bother grabbing life jackets. The open letter says that nearly 1,000 women and girls from Northern Ireland went to the British mainland for abortions last year and others took abortion- inducing pills that are illegal in that part of the U.K. A duck boat sits idle Friday in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks, an amphibious tour operator in Branson, Missouri. – PHOTO: APNext >