High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 REPLACING SECRECY WITH TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT POLICY LOCAL | PAGE 3 YOUNG DIVERS HELP OUT DURING INTERNSHIP AT STAY-FOCUSED ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 Gov’t issues new dress code for schools MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com When government school students re- turn to class next week, they will need to comply with new dress code guidelines is- sued Monday by the Ministry of Education. The rules are in addition to whatever dress codes individual schools may implement. A statement by the ministry said the goal is to teach students “the important life skills of presenting themselves in a well-groomed manner and in dressing for purpose.” Both Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Education Council Chairman Dan Scott have spoken about the importance of such policies. In an April interview, Mr. Scott said dress was an important part of teaching students how to comport themselves. “All the public schools have uniforms,” Mr. Scott said. “The question is whether you comply with it. If you go to court, you’re not going to be allowed in unless you tuck your shirt in.” He said that, based on feedback the Edu- cation Council had gathered, educators be- lieve it is an important issue. Each individual school will still issue rules related to the color and style of socks, pants, skirts, shirts, blouses, belts, under- shirts and required PE kits. The following list outlines the dress code which shall apply to all government schools: ■■ Uniforms should fit properly. ■■ Skirts are required to be knee-length or below ■■ Pants are to be worn at waist height and shirts should be tucked in. ■■ No undergarments should be ex- posed or visible through the uniform. ■■ All students are required to wear all-black shoes or sneakers. STUDY EXAMINES CAYMAN’S USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA 26 birds seized in cockfighting crackdown MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com In the 16 months his pharmacies have been dispensing cannabis products, David Pellow said about 300 people have filled prescriptions for the drug, which is dispensed in the form of an oil or pill. “It’s growing and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down,” said Mr. Pellow, a pharmacist and owner of three pharmacies on Cayman. Medicinal cannabis in the form of oils and tinctures has been a legally prescribed drug since May 2017 in Cayman. Mr. Pellow said it is avail- able at five pharmacies on the island. He was speaking last Friday at the annual Ca- ribbean Association of Pharmacists convention at the Marriott Beach Resort. His talk was preceded by a screened image of Bob Marley as the song “Jammin’” drifted through the room. Mr. Pellow shared the results of a recent study of 166 patients using cannabis for various ail- ments, ranging from chronic pain, to anxiety, to nausea brought on by chemotherapy. At the time of the study, he said his pharmacy at CTMH Doc- tors Hospital had dispensed cannabis prescrip- tions to 136 women, 116 men and 14 dogs. Among those questioned in the survey, Mr. Pellow said, 84 percent said that use of the drug had been beneficial. Kevin Gipple, a clinical compounding pharmacist for the Doctors Hospital pharmacy, shared the podium with Mr. Pellow. He talked about the various cannabinoids, some of their uses, methods of administering the drug and precautions pharmacists need to take in dispensing and monitoring cannabis in their patients. Mr. Gipple said pharmacists need to be aware Police and Department of Agriculture officers seized 22 roosters and four hens during a raid at a premises in Windsor Park last week, the third operation of its kind in the past five months. George Town Community Officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and officers from the Depart- ment of Agriculture Animal Welfare Unit acted on complaints received from the public and executed a search warrant under the Animals Law on Wednesday, according to an RCIPS statement. During the search of the address, the 26 birds were found and confiscated by the Department of Agriculture officers. They were later euthanized based on vet- erinary advice, police said. A 42-year-old man at the residence was warned that he may face prosecu- tion for animal cruelty, police said. “From our officers’ observations, al- most all of the roosters had no access to food and water, and some appeared to be suffering from recent trauma consis- tent with fighting ventures,” said Brian Crichlow, assistant director of the Depart- ment of Agriculture, in a statement. “Cock- fighting is brutal, cruel and illegal, and is being treated as the crime that it is.” Inspector Courtney Myles, head of the RCIPS Community Policing Department, said the operation was a priority for police “not only because of the cruel and illegal activities believed to be taking The roosters and hens were found inside these coops at a residence in Windsor Park, police said. - PHOTO: RCIPS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) MILE 22 (R) 2:00 VIP I 4:10 I 4:40 VIP I 10:00 ALPHA (PG13) 12:45 I 3:10 3D I 5:30 I 7:50 3D I 10:10 THE EQUALIZER 2 (R) 1:25 I 7:00 MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 1:00 3D I 6:30 I 9:40 3D CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:00 I 4:00 I 6:30 I 9:00 THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (R) 4:20 I 9:50 THE MEG (PG13) 1:35 I 4:35 3D I 7:10 I 10:10 VIP CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: OKLAHOMA! (PG) 7:00 VIP POLICE IDENTIFY DEAD SNORKELER Police on Monday released the name of the man who died after getting into diffi- culties while snorkeling off Rum Point last week as Todd Rick, 45, of Texas. Mr. Rick passed away on Thursday, Aug. 16. His death is ninth water- related fatality involving a tourist in 2018. According to an initial re- port from police on the in- cident, Mr. Rick became un- responsive while snorkeling and was taken back to the boat that he had ridden. CPR was administered as the boat returned to shore, and police officers responded to the report of a person in distress. The man was trans- ported to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital by emergency services, and he was later pronounced dead. Woman convicted of assault in George Town bar CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman who pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm in a bar was fined on Monday and told she would have a conviction re- corded against her. Gina Galangi Pangwi, 51, admitted to using a bottle to inflict injury on an innocent third party on Nov. 25, 2017, at a bar in The Strand. Defense attorney John Furniss told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that there was a family problem between Ms. Pangwi and her sister. At the bar, drink had been thrown between them. The defendant had a bottle in her hand and her intention was to throw it at or toward her sister. When she raised her hand, the woman behind her got hit, the court heard. Crown counsel Emma Hutchinson said the victim sustained a cut above her eye that required six stitches. She asked for compensation, al- though she did not have a re- cord of medical expenses. Ms. Hutchinson agreed that the defendant had said she was sorry for hitting the woman and that she had meant to hit her sister. She noted, however, that when Ms. Pangwi was interviewed by police, she had replied, “No comment,” or “I can’t recall.” Mr. Furniss emphasized the early guilty plea. He said Ms. Pangwi had expressed sadness over the situa- tion with her sister because they had been close growing up and she needed to deal with the problem. The magistrate noted that Ms. Pangwi’s work permit had expired in June. She had left Cayman to go home to the Philippines and had come back for the court case. She was without a work permit because there had been a problem with her employer’s trade and business license. The magistrate said this was a “gender neutral” of- fense – it did not matter whether the defendant was a man or a woman. “Anyone who uses a weapon in a bar is clearly not concerned with consequences,” he said. Further, it did not matter that she intended to hit her sister – she had intended to hit someone and a third party had suffered. Ms. Pangwi’s most serious punishment will be the con- viction recorded against her, the magistrate noted. As a foreign national, she would now have difficulty get- ting employment in Cayman, he pointed out. Given her previous good character and positive so- cial inquiry report, he was able to deal with sentence by way of a fine of $300. He also ordered compensation in the sum of $300, saying this could be awarded “for pain and suffering,” even if the victim did have insurance to cover medical expenses. Since Ms. Pangwi’s per- mission to remain on island expires at the end of this month, she was required to provide a local surety who will be responsible for pay- ment if the money is not paid by Aug. 31. Church of God West Bay marks 80 years serving community JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Church of God Chapel West Bay celebrated its 80th birthday with a special ser- vice and guest speaker Sunday evening. Members of Church of God islandwide attended the evening’s celebrations held at the Christian Life Hall on Town Hall Road. The lively celebration featured lots of music and praise thanking the Lord for the church’s 80 years, and words of encouragement by visiting Cuban pastor Raul Martinez. “Now is the time of God’s favor and of grace for the people and the church,” he said by way of a Spanish- to-English translator. Leaders who have played a part in the church’s prog- ress were also acknowl- edged. Amber Ebanks, Rosita Bodden, Mary Borden, Eliza- beth Bowen, Mario and Lo- venia Ebanks, Alfred Powery, Lucy Simpson and Ruby Smith were given plaques for their dedication. The congregation then sang “The Gospel Bells are Ringing,” which was the first gospel song sung at the church years ago. West Bay Church of God Chapel had modest begin- nings, starting with a small group that met and prayed in various locations in West Bay. The leaders of the church were Calvin Ebanks, Chrissie Banker, Enna Ebanks and Elsie Rivers, according to church documents. Harold Andrews, pastor of the George Town Church of God Chapel, was the first pastor of the West Bay Church. He took some of the members from the George Town congregation in Boat- swains Bay and began having services in the Boatswains Bay lighthouse. Worshipers used the benches from the nearby government school. In later years, the church purchased a plot of land at Goat Yard in West Bay, and constructed a booth to hold meetings. When the booth was destroyed in 1941 by heavy winds, the church moved to the second floor of the home of William and Chrissie Banker and then to the Dennis Parson’s Store. Years later, a small plot of land was purchased from Prentice Powell on Town Hall Road and a new building was started with the finan- cial assistance of Orren Merren Jr. The building was completed in May 1948, ac- cording to church records. A parsonage was built at the back of the building in later years. The congregation grew and prospered, until 22 years later, a new church was built on the same property and dedicated on June 7, 1970. Hurricane Ivan destroyed that building in 2004. The re- mains were knocked down and construction started on a new hall called the “Chris- tian Life Center,” which is where the congregation worships today. The church is pres- ently constructing a new 5,000-square-foot wor- ship center on the same site which, was initially planned to be completed in 2010. In its 80-year history, the West Bay Church of God has been led by 18 pastors. The first was founder Rev. Harold Andrews; he was succeeded by Leslie Ratzlaff, Norman Atkins, Charles Carlman, Melvon Carder, James Chapman, Calvin Ebanks, Gerald Erickson, Ray Hast- ings, Wilbur Hunter, Dewey Johnson, Albert Kempin, Ar- thur Kluge, Ellis Smith, Wil- liam Todd, Paul Whalen, Edgar Williams and Pastor Stanwyck Myles, who is the eighteenth and current pastor, having served for some 27 years. For Sunday’s anniver- sary service, Pastor Myles prayed for the building to be completed. Pastor Alson Ebanks of the George Town Church of God sang his version of “Hal- lelujah.” Amber Ebanks did a gospel dance and Pastor Elizabeth Bowen closed the night’s celebration in prayer. Some members of the congregation were honored for their dedication to the church. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY The defendant had a bottle in her hand and her intention was to throw it at or toward her sister. When she raised her hand, the woman behind her got hit, the court heard. Members of Church of God islandwide attended the evening’s celebrations held at the Christian Life Hall on Town Hall Road. His death is ninth water-related fatality involving a tourist in 2018. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 OCTOBER , The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speaker Shannen D hert THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS Young divers help out during internship at Stay-Focused SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ashley Ebanks and Mar- tina Burton are turning their passion for the water into a potential career. Ms. Ebanks and Ms. Burton, both 16 years old, have spent time this summer diving and working for the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, and they recently served a one-week internship with Stay-Focused in which they worked at assisting physically disabled divers earn their dive certification. Stay-Focused, a New York- based charity helmed by Roger Muller, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. It has brought dozens of people to Cayman for the purpose of learning to dive. Since 2014, Stay-Focused has also helped young Cayman divers interested in earning their own certification. Ms. Ebanks and Ms. Burton were already certified divers, but they donned the wet suits and air tanks will- ingly this summer to assist in instructing a whole new class of divers. “I loved the week. It was a very good experience,” said Ms. Burton. “It was all worth it. It was so encouraging to see people with physical dis- abilities just go out there and experience new things they’ve never experienced be- fore. The look on their faces when they went into the water was amazing.” Both Ms. Ebanks and Ms. Burton are about to start their education at the Uni- versity College of the Cayman Islands, and they will con- tinue working at CCMI on weekends once school begins. Ms. Burton said she would like to be a marine biologist some day, and Ms. Ebanks said she began to consider a career in the water after having so much fun assisting the divers with Stay-Focused. “It’s an awesome feeling to know that you have this one little bit of an advantage, and this person can accomplish just as much as you can with just an extra little push,” she said. “And to know that you can be the one to help them accomplish what they’re trying to achieve, it’s just an amazing feeling.” Mr. Muller, who has been bringing aspiring divers to Cayman since 2004, was hoping to inspire that exact emotion. He started Stay- Focused after watching his brother, a Marine Corps combat veteran who uses a wheelchair, get a scuba- diving certification relatively late in life. Cayman, said Mr. Muller, holds a special place in his heart because it is where he learned to dive. But he keeps on coming back because it’s also the perfect environment for disabled divers to learn. “Cayman offers the ideal diving destination,” he said. “We need water that’s consis- tently warm, which is what you have in Cayman. Warm water is beneficial to anyone with any form of paralysis. We need dive sites that are close to shore, because we can’t spend a lot of time get- ting to dive sites and back. “We want clear water and we don’t want to dive in an environment where there’s current. If there’s current, divers would struggle against it and use more air, there- fore the dive times would be shorter. And in the unlikely event we need medical at- tention, the facilities here in Cayman are excellent.” Ms. Ebanks, a former John Gray High School stu- dent, and Ms. Burton, who studied at Clifton Hunter High School, said they learned a lot by being in the water and helping others find their comfort level. Ms. Ebanks said she learned techniques over the last couple of weeks to help with her anxiety when un- derwater, and she hopes that on some level she was a help to the novice divers learning the ropes. “It’s really inspiring to see them get into the water and out of their comfort zone and accomplish some- thing you’d never think they can accomplish,” she said of helping the divers. “You get scared like you might do something wrong and harm them. But they know exactly what they’re doing. If you just motivate them a little bit and help them where they need help, it gets really simple.” For Ms. Burton, who began free diving with her fa- ther before learning to scuba dive, the week was really a reiteration of what she has always known. She said she has hoped to have a career on the water ever since she was a little girl, and assisting divers let her know that she’s on the right track. “I’m very proud of them, because they’re stepping out of their comfort zone to do something they’ve been dreaming to do,” she said. “It’s good to know I’ve helped them get to what they want to achieve.” Martina Burton, left, and Ashley Ebanks learned a lot and enjoyed their time in the Stay-Focused internship.Ashley Ebanks, right, and Stay-Focused mentor Mary Kate Callahan pictured during a dive.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Sometimes “no comment” is the right comment for public officials – when, for example, they are responding to inquiries regarding pending litigation, human resources issues or contract negotiations with the private sector. However, “no comment” should never be employed as a default communications strategy to withhold information that rightfully belongs to the public and should be shared accordingly. There are far too many major issues facing the Cayman Islands for officials, both elected and at the highest levels of the Civil Service, to avoid sharing much more information with their constituencies. Silence may be safe, it may be convenient, but it is not an acceptable strategy in a free and democratic society. Consider for a moment the magnitude of these issues government leaders are negotiating, with little or no public engagement or explanation: • Most importantly, the negotiations between our government and the European Union regarding Cayman’s attempts to be removed from the EU financial sector “gray list.” What, for example, have our negotiators promised their counterparts in Brussels in order for Cayman to avoid being rel- egated to “blacklist” status? Our EU standing is expected to be decided in December – a mere four months from now – and yet, the general public knows, generally, nothing. • Likewise, the public is largely in the dark on the status of the George Town harbor cruise berthing facility, which officials say is progressing, although they have failed to share hardly any details about the massive project, including how they will pay for it. • In the 10 months since government announced that a Dart Enterprises-led consortium of companies would take over responsibility for waste manage- ment, there has been no enlightenment about the status of that most important project. • It has now been more than two months that Cayman has been without a permanent, appointed governor, with no official word about Governor Anwar Choudhury’s status, the reasons for his removal or when the investigation may reasonably be expected to be concluded. • Similarly, there has been silence concerning the noted absence of many high-ranking civil servants, including Department of Environmental Health Director Roydell Carter, who has been “out of office” for unexplained reasons since the beginning of this year. We could, of course, go on … The Compass, which acts as a proxy for the public, is well aware of our responsibilities to report accu- rately on all of the above matters – and many more. From our vantage point, the government mecha- nisms for the dissemination of information are not helpful. Press releases from Government Information Services (GIS) are so anodyne that no professional journalist would ever simply reprint them. Similarly, statements emanating from departmental communica- tions officers are more often than not written to obfus- cate, rather than inform. At the Compass, we largely ignore such channels, preferring to do our own reporting with inquiries at the Chief Officer level of the Civil Service or by chasing down directly elected members. Of course, we also have extensive Rolodexes of “sources” whom we contact constantly, as well as regular dialog with “whistleblowers” and the general public which share (read: leak) back-channel information. May we offer a suggestion to Premier Alden McLaughlin and those in his ambit: Reinstate a schedule of regular press conferences. Perhaps, to keep them meaningful, the gatherings should be orga- nized around particular topics (such as those listed) where all of the relevant public officials would convene to respond openly to questions (and follow-up ques- tions) on the key issues of the day. In Cayman, we have more than our share of tropical sunshine – but far less “government in the sunshine” than we deserve. Replacing secrecy with transparency in government policy TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Prosperity and the rule of law Will China overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy? Perhaps, be- cause it has about four times as many people as the United States; but U.S. per capita in- come will still be far greater unless China can institute a rule of law equal to that of the rich nations or the rule of law continues to weaken in the United States. The level of economic prosperity is closely tied to the rule of law. According to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, the United States now ranks No. 19, while China ranks No. 75 (out of 113 coun- tries). The project’s definition of the rule of law is comprised of four universal principles: Accountability (where both government and private actors are accountable under the law); Just Laws (where the laws are clear, known, stable, are applied evenly, and protect property and fundamental human rights); Open Government (where the processes by which the laws are enacted, administered and enforced are accessible, fair and efficient); and Acces- sible and Impartial Dispute Resolution (where justice is delivered timely by compe- tent, ethical, and by neutral and independent representa- tives who are accessible). All high-income countries are in the top quartile when it comes to the rule of law, be- cause without the rule of law investment becomes riskier and thus more costly. China has grown very rapidly over the last four decades despite weak legal protections. It is now a low middle-income country, not a rich one. Based on historical experience and looking at the present world economic order, I would bet, unless China institutes a true rule of law, that economic growth will slow and even- tually cease – without the country ever becoming rich on a per capita income basis. Investors have many choices as to where to invest – virtually the entire world. They have different appe- tites for risk – and some are willing to invest in risky sit- uations whether it is a com- pany with an uncertain future or a country that has weak legal and civil institutions. There is close to zero risk in buying a Swiss government bond but very high risk in buying a Venezuelan govern- ment bond, and that perceived risk difference will be re- flected in the relative prices of the bonds. Higher risk means less investment, and less in- vestment translates into lower economic growth. It is not only investors who are affected by incon- sistencies in the rule of law, but also workers, particu- larly the most highly skilled. Company executives have to make many judgment calls when dealing not only with investment decisions (where to and how much), but also in dealing with customers, sup- pliers and government offi- cials. In countries where the rules are not clear, or elastic, or conflict with other coun- tries’ laws and rules, busi- ness and financial execu- tives face another level of risk. A high level of personal risk, including being subject to physical violence, loss of property, or unknown legal risks discourage the most tal- ented from moving to or at times even visiting countries that lack a strong rule of law. The United States is no longer in the top 10 countries when it comes to the rule of law. The rule of law is being undermined by the admin- istrative state, where gov- ernment agencies have been given the authority to not only make law (rules), which is supposed to be the pur- view of Congress, but then also decide what persons or entities are in violation, and what the punishments will be. Peter Wallison, former general counsel of the U.S. Treasury Department, has just completed an excellent new book, “Judicial Fortitude” (which will be published next month) about the problem and the cure. The rule of law in the United States is also being undermined by corruption in the U.S. Justice Depart- ment and the FBI. The on- going Russian investiga- tion has shed some daylight on the problem, but the nec- essary clean-up operations have yet to be taken. All cit- izens are supposed to be treated equally under the law, but the double-standard has been obvious to anyone who has been paying attention. Martha Stewart was sent to prison, not for breaking the law, but for lying to the FBI about an alleged crime that she did not commit. Former FBI Director James Comey was the one who pursued her. Yet, he has been caught on tape under oath contra- dicting himself about se- rious matters, but still re- mains unindicted. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosen- stein drafted the memo rec- ommending the firing of Mr. Comey, and then appointed Robert Mueller as a spe- cial counsel, who is alleged to be investigating President Trump for obstruction of jus- tice – for firing Mr. Comey. There is a laundry list of conflicts of interest with Mr. Rosenstein, yet he refuses to recuse himself or indict those in Justice and the FBI who were apparently guilty of a number of crimes. Mr. Rosen- stein has blocked disclosure of documents to Congress to which they are entitled, vio- lating the principles of ac- countability and openness. The Mueller investigation is rife with conflicts of inter- ests, misbehavior, and bias by investigators and law- yers, in clear violation of the universal principles of the rule of law. Without a re- newal of the rule of law in the United States, liberty will be diminished, and the na- tion will be less prosperous and less able to meet the Chi- nese challenge. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2018. The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN I would bet, unless China institutes a true rule of law, that economic growth will slow and eventually cease – without the country ever becoming rich on a per capita income basis. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 Eastern Ave, GT Drive-Thru P: 949-7104 WITH FOUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU www.puritan.kypuritangc@candw.ky Centennial West Bay P: 945-4508 Savannah Countryside P: 946-1884 Elgin Avenue, GT P: 949-2452 FREE PICK-UP AND DELIVERY Call 949-7104 Puritan Cleaners now using the most popular cleaning and eco-friendly solvent. (Excluding wedding gowns) 16% OFF PRE-PAY ORDERS On all men’s & women’s apparel I’ve got some beautiful clothes, I know just where they go. Meet the world with Puritan Cleaners, they are there for you and me, best cleaners you will see. THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST C om e ce leb rate Puritan Cle an er s You Feel Good When You Look Good Rain or Shine Bail granted after weekend bar incident Large floating Styrofoam lure removed from water The Department of Envi- ronment responded to a re- port of abandoned fishing gear off the coast of Grand Cayman on Friday and found a fish aggregation device ar- ranged in the water. That device – which is used by fisherman to lure oceanic species – was the second of its kind found this summer. A similar device was found offshore of the Rum Point channel on July 29 and subsequently removed. The device found Friday was buoyed by a number of Styrofoam floats encased in a net, and over time, they would have broken down and released thou- sands of small particles, ac- cording to the Department of Environment. Two lines were attached to the buoy, with the shorter one encircling a number of palm fronds and the longer one consisting of rubber- coated steel cable. The cable extended over 80 feet and had snagged the bottom, but the device caused min- imal damage to the reef be- fore it was removed, the DoE said in a Facebook posting on the find. According to the DoE the steel cable would have at- tached to an anchor to keep the device in position wher- ever it was originally de- ployed, before it broke free and floated to Cayman. Fish aggregation de- vices, known as FADs, re- quire a permit for use in the Cayman Islands. One woman still in hospital, court hears CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A fire officer was granted bail on Monday after ap- pearing in Summary Court on charges arising from an inci- dent at Da Station, a bar on Shamrock Road, in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 18. Jon-Mikol Rankin, 23, was charged with wounding one woman; assault causing ac- tual bodily harm to another woman; causing harassment, alarm or distress; and drunk and disorderly conduct. Crown counsel Emma Hutchinson said the inci- dent occurred around 2 a.m., after closing time, when the bar entrance was locked. A summary of the allega- tions indicated that Mr. Rankin smashed the glass in the door and entered. He then began smashing bot- tles at the bar. Two women were present because they had been cel- ebrating a friend’s birthday, the court heard. One woman did not know Mr. Rankin. He allegedly used a chair to hit her, causing an in- jury to her eye that required three stitches. The other woman did know him and thought she might be able to calm him down. He allegedly pushed her into the counter and she fell on the floor. She had re- cently had back surgery and after this encounter she was unable to move her legs, ac- cording to the summary of allegations. She remained in hospital Monday morning and needed an MRI exam, but her insurance would not cover it. The incident at the bar ended after police attended and restrained Mr. Rankin, although he still tried to rush at another female whom he blamed for the sit- uation, the court heard. He told officers he had entered the bar because he had a dispute with someone and somebody threw a bottle at him. He said he was acting in self-defense. He alleg- edly smelled strongly of alcohol at the time, Ms. Hutchinson added. Damage at the bar was around $800, she told Mag- istrate Valdis Foldats, but the bar is owned by the de- fendant’s father and he did not want to pursue any complaint. Defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene applied for bail and the magistrate agreed with her that he was not concerned about Mr. Rankin’s attendance at fu- ture proceedings. Ms. Fosuhene suggested that non-contact with wit- nesses would be a sufficient bail condition. She explained that her client is a fireman who worked 24-hour shifts, so a curfew could be diffi- cult to organize. After checking with mem- bers of the public in the gal- lery, she advised that 12-hour shifts might be available. The magistrate imposed conditions that included resi- dence at a Bodden Town ad- dress, a curfew, the wearing of an electronic monitor, no consumption of alcohol and a restriction from entering any liquor-license premises ex- cept for work purposes. He set the matter down for mention again on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Ms. Fosuhene returned to court later to advise that the wearing of an electronic monitor could interfere with Mr. Rankin’s work duties. The magistrate told her to put that information in writing. 50 YEARS AGO Caymanians arrive from Cuba In the Aug. 22, 1968 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing story, titled “9 ar- rive from Cuba,” appeared on the front page. “Nine Caymanians re- leased from Castro’s Cuba arrived here on Friday, Aug. 16, after travelling to Mexico and Kingston. “Five more Caymanians were at the airport to see them, despite heavy rain, which started early in the afternoon. Those who ar- rived were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hydes and children Carl, Albert and Velma and daughters Leonor, Maria and Barbara. Two other Caymanians, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Moxam, who were also repatriated travelled with the group as far as Mexico but elected to remain there.” An earlier report in the Caymanian Weekly had noted that the Cuban gov- ernment had formally asked the Caymanian gov- ernment for the return of its “05,” a gunboat which was hijacked and brought to Cayman by four Cubans on Monday, July 15. The Aug. 22 story continued: “The hijacked boat ‘05’ was claimed on the morning the Caymanian families arrived. A fishing boat escorted by a large naval tug, which did not come into the bay, came for it. Aboard the tug was a Cuban diplomat who brought the usual courte- sies from his government. “The Assistant Admin- istrator Mr. Dennis Foster returned the courtesies on behalf of the govern- ment and people of the Cayman Islands. “The ‘05’ was checked in detail and everything was found in order. Coffee was served and the hi- jacked boat was towed away by the fishing boat. “The Caymanian fam- ilies had been living for a long time in Cuba. The Hydes family lived in the Isle of Pines. The father had been living there for 67 years. The Yates family lived in Oriente province. “Mr. Hydes said that they knew that they were coming home only three days before the appointed time. Cuba government guards got them out of bed early in the morning and told them that they had to go to Havana to return to Cayman via Mexico. They had very little time in which to pack any of their belongings. He had been trying to leave Cuba for the past two years. ‘Life is unbearable over there,’ he said.” The fish aggregation device that was pulled from the sea on Friday. - PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT Defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene explained that her client is a fireman who worked 24-hour shifts, so a curfew could be difficult to organize.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. TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, AUG. 21 SEAFARERS: The Seafarers Association advises all members that there will be a General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route in George Town leaves the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue in color; there is no charge. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22 WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS: This workshop is based on the Tools of the Youth Life-Skills Resilience Program to help children and adolescents understand their thinking style and how that impacts their behavior. Free workshop presented by KidsAbility, Smith Road Centre, 5:30-7 p.m. Register at info@kidsability.ky. THURSDAY, AUG. 23 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: The Savannah After School Enrichment Programme holds registration for new students today 5:30- 6:30 p.m. at the Savannah United Church Hall (behind the Rubis Gas Station). The Programme will resume on Monday, Aug. 27, 3 p.m. for all students. SASEP is designed to engage primary school students in wholesome learning activities. The program is delivered by caring, qualified and experienced teachers. FRIDAY, AUG. 24 PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Government primary schools hold orientation this morning for NEW students and they need to be accompanied by their parent/guardian. All primary schools (including the Little Cayman Education Service) reopen on Monday, Aug. 27 at 8:30 a.m. ART OF FASHION: Opening reception at the National Gallery, 6-8 p.m. An exhibition featuring new collections by designers Isy B and Jawara Alleyne, inspired by the National Art Collection. Free admission to members. Guests may purchase a $25 guest membership for entrance to the event. Exhibition runs until Nov. 30. LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS: License holders, including those with music and dancing licenses, are reminded that today is the deadline for applications. The Annual Liquor License Meeting is Sept. 13. SATURDAY, AUG. 25 SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Back-to- School Supplies given away at Airport Park 2–6 p.m. while supplies last. Free event, all ages welcome. Organized by Pursuit of Excellence, the Lloyd Barker Foundation. BRAC CONCERT: The Brac Community Theatre Company presents a variety concert and fashion show at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. Doors open 7 p.m. Show time 7:30 p.m. Contact 924-8446 for more information. MONDAY, AUG. 27 WEST BAY TRUST: West Bay District Committee of the National Trust AGM will be held 6:30 p.m. at the John Gray Memorial Church Hall. All members and interested persons are invited. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The Family Resource Centre hosts a Domestic Violence Intervention Training workshop for frontline professionals and interested members of the community Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 29-31. The free three-day workshop will be held in George Town Library, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. As well as taking part in interactive presentations from external facilitators, participants will learn about ways to support individuals and families dealing with domestic violence. For further information and to register for the workshop, contact the FRC at 949- 0006 or email frc@gov.ky. The program for Cayman Brac this month has been canceled. SELF-HARM PREVENTION: The Ministry of Community Affairs invites the public to a presentation on identifying self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The free presentation, being hosted with the support of the Alex Panton Foundation, will educate parents, residents and the community on how to identify self-harm and suicidal thoughts/behaviors. Attendees will also be advised about how to respond and who to reach out to for help, guidance and support. 7–8:30 p.m. Bodden Town Civic Centre. THURSDAY, AUG. 30 EAST END MEETING: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a District Community Meeting at 7 p.m. at the East End Presbyterian Church Hall. The meeting is open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend in order to express concerns and ask questions. Refreshments will be served. LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLES: Vehicle licensing. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Little Cayman District Office. BRAC COURT: Summary Court today and tomorrow. Aston Rutty Civic Centre. FRIDAY, AUG. 31 PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION: Last day to enter. For students 10 to 14. Photos need to creatively demonstrate sun safety (hats, sunglasses, sunscreen) while having fun. It could be at the beach, soccer field, in town, anywhere outside, doing anything fun. Email photo – one per person – to fununderthesun2018@ gmail.com. The best five will win prizes. Organized by the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Presented by the Cayman Drama Society. Opens tonight and continues Sept. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Matinees Sunday Sept. 9 and 16 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets Adults $25, Students $15. Tickets available online at www.cds.ky. SUMMER CAMPS TRADITIONAL CAYMAN COOKING: Wednesdays and Fridays, 2-4 p.m. until Aug. 31. Ages 7-12. $15 per class. Contact the National Trust on 749-1121. BRAC YMCA: Summer Camp. $90 per camper, per week. Aug. 20-24. Contact ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky for more information. KIDSABILITY: A variety of programs for various ages, with activities from school readiness to bike riding. Contact www.kidsability.ky. GENERAL INTEREST UK SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 6, 2018, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening. org/apply. Visit www. chevening.org/apply/ guidance for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications. Contact Gill Skinner on 244-2431 or gillian.skinner@fco.gov.uk NCVO BARGAIN SHOP: The NCVO New To You Bargain Shop extends opening hours for the rest of August. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Sundays. Customers can find lightly used products on sale, including household items, baby supplies, toys, shoes, books, clothes (including select school uniforms) and craft items. The shop is located at 90A Anthony Drive, off Smith Road, (beside the rear entrance of The Pines Retirement Home). Sales benefit the NCVO’s children’s programs. For more information on the shop, its donation policy or volunteering, contact Mona at ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky or 949-2124/526-1078. SCHOOL HEALTH SCREENINGS: All students entering government or private schools for the first time are required to have health screenings before the new school year. Screenings are at the Public Health Department, Cayman Islands Hospital, Aug. 20-31. Completed forms from private physicians should be submitted to the Public Health Department, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For screenings in Cayman Brac, call the Public Health Nurse on 948-2243. COMMERCIAL GARBAGE FEES: The Department of Environmental Health reminds all business operators/owners/strata in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, who pay their fees by biannual installments, that garbage fees are due for the period ending June 30. In Grand Cayman, payments can be made at any post office or at the DEH main office, 580 North Sound Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. In the Sister Islands, payments can be made at District Administration. For additional information, contact the DEH at 949-6696 or dehcustomerservice@gov.ky. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. The store is open every Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. plus every Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which run down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. 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. 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 7 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. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Seafarers Association will hold a General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 21 in the Seafarers Hall in Prospect.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 of potential changes in liver enzymes and the potential for overdose with oral prep- arations, and warned against combining the drug with anti-depressants. In addition, he said, pa- tients need to be informed about use of the drug while traveling, as medical mar- ijuana is still illegal in many countries. While Mr. Gipple’s por- tion of the presentation was largely cautionary, he said the rollout of the drug has so far been successful in the Cayman Islands. “It’s gone pretty smoothly as we’ve gone along,” he said. One of the biggest hurdles that remains is the stigma the drug carries. With all of the efforts to keep ganja from reaching Cayman’s shores, the legal use of can- nabis oil still seems contra- dictory to some. “When we did our follow- up [survey],” Mr. Gipple said, “stigma was one of the rea- sons for discontinuing the drug. People said, ‘The neigh- bors think badly of me.’ But I think that’s changing.” He expects there will be more options as more is learned about various canna- binoids and how they work together or alone. “We probably need more dosage forms,” he said. “There are various forms of can- nabis and we can do more.” Among those questioned, Mr. Pellow said, 84 percent said that use of the drug had been beneficial. Pharmacist Kevin Gipple addresses the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists about dispensing cannabis products. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS Study examines Cayman’s use of medical marijuana CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 place but also because it came about in response to community complaints.” He added, “When resi- dents identify and share information with us about issues affecting their neigh- bourhoods, whatever they may be, we will always take concrete steps to address them, together with our en- forcement partners.” DoA and police offi- cers are jointly investi- gating the case. In March, a 50-year- old man was arrested in connection with an il- legal cockfighting ring, after police and DoA offi- cers found more than 40 roosters during a search of a premises in the North Sound Estates area. Another arrest took place in June, when RCIPS and DoA staff members found 40 roosters during a search of a North Sound Road address and ar- rested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of crimes re- lated to cockfighting. One of these two cases is already before the court; the other is awaiting a ruling from the Department of Public Prosecutions. Cockfighting is dealt with in Section 71 of the An- imals Law, which stipulates that a person who commits an offense under that sec- tion is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500 dollars and to imprison- ment for six months. 26 birds seized in cockfighting crackdown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ■■ Boots, sandals and slippers are not allowed. ■■ Students are permitted to wear a watch but no other jewelry. ■■ Items displaying gang affiliations are not allowed, such as badges, tattoos, colors or tagging. ■■ In keeping with the cultural norms of the Cayman Islands, hair of male students should be cut short. ■■ Hair of female stu- dents should be groomed. ■■ Hair is required to be a natural color, and ex- tremes of hairstyles, such as a Mohawk, or shaved lines or words, are not permitted. No beads should be worn in the hair. ■■ Shaved eyebrows are not permitted. ■■ Makeup, nail polish and false nails are not permitted. The entire policy can be found online at www.edu- cation.gov.ky and all stu- dents and their families are encouraged to read it. For more information, contact the Department of Education Services at 945-1199. Gov’t issues new dress code for schools CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Amendment formalizes national disaster fund KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Acting Governor Franz Manderson gave his as- sent last week to a bill that formalizes the territory’s disaster fund. The Disaster Prepared- ness and Hazard Manage- ment (Amendment) Law 2018 states that the national di- saster fund should receive at least $400,000 per year from government’s general revenue, as well as contri- butions from individuals or organizations. During the second reading of the bill in June, Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers explained that gov- ernment originally estab- lished the fund in 1998, and has been receiving $400,000 per year since then. However, the territory’s current legal framework for disaster management – the Disaster Preparedness and Management Law 2016 – does not make any refer- ence to the fund, according to Ms. Rivers. The amendment to the law makes sure that the na- tional disaster fund will continue to receive invest- ments, she said. The bill also contains amendments that will allow for the full implementa- tion of the emergency noti- fication system, Ms. Rivers said in June. Ms. Rivers explained that the need for such a system was highlighted by the fuel depot fire at Jackson Point Terminal last year and the tsunami warning in January. Officials are in the final stages of implementing the first phase of the notification, the emergency radio broad- cast system, the minister said at the time. The second phase will be implementing emer- gency messages on televi- sion, and the final phase will be allowing for govern- ment to disseminate emer- gency text messages to resi- dents, she said. The Disaster Preparedness and Hazard Management (Amendment) Law 2018 states that the national disaster fund should receive at least $400,000 per year from government’s general revenue, as well as contributions from individuals or organizations. A street in Grand Cayman lies devastated following 2004’s Hurricane Ivan. The Cayman Islands government is establishing a national disaster fund as part of amended disaster management legislation. - PHOTO: ALAN MARKOFF Brazil rules out closing border to Venezuelan immigrants SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazil says it will not close its border with Venezuela despite ten- sions that led to attacks on migrants who had fled to the border town of Paracaima. Institutional Security Min- ister Gen. Sergio Etchegoyen said at a news conference on Monday that closing the border would be illegal and would not help ease the situ- ation in the border town. Residents of Pacaraima attacked Venezuelan immi- grants on Saturday after a local storeowner was robbed, stabbed and beaten in an as- sault the Brazilians blamed on four immigrants. “The closing of the border is unthinkable because it is illegal,” Etchegoyen said. “Brazil’s immigration act says we have to take care of immi- grants and refugees that ar- rive in this condition.” Political and economic turmoil has driven tens of thousands of Venezuelans across the border, straining the capacity of small towns in the area to cope. About 510,000 Brazilians live in Roraima and 12,000 of those are in Pacaraima, a city that has received five times its population in Vene- zuelan refugees. Roraima state Gov. Suely Campos, who is in the middle of a re-election campaign, has pressured Brazil’s fed- eral government and judi- cial authorities to close the border with Venezuela or send enough help. Campos requested on Sunday that Brazil’s top court temporarily suspend the im- migration of Venezuelans into Brazil. There is no date for a court decision on the case, but a similar request was de- nied in April. “Unfortunately it took a violent episode for the federal government to understand it needs to face this issue in an effective way,” Campos said in a statement on Monday. She is asking national of- ficials for $45 million to compensate for spending made by Roraima state since 2016, when the refugee mi- gration began to reach crisis proportions. In this July 17, 2016 file photo, Venezuelans wait in line to cross into Colombia through the Simon Bolivar bridge in San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela. The United Nations says an estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans had fled the country as of June 2018, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Conoco says Venezuela will pay $2 billion U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips says it has reached an agreement with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company to recover nearly $2 billion it was awarded as part of a decade-old expropriation dispute. PDVSA has agreed to make the first $500 million payment within 90 days. Brief reunions bring tears for separated Korean families SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The 92-year-old South Korean woman wept and stroked the wrinkled cheeks of her 71-year-old North Korean son on Monday, their first meeting since they were driven apart during the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War. “How many children do you have? Do you have a son?” Lee Keum-seom asked her son Ri Sang Chol during their long-awaited encounter at the North’s Diamond Mountain resort. The emotional reunion came after dozens of elderly South Koreans crossed the heavily fortified border into North Korea to meet tempo- rarily with their relatives. The weeklong event, the first of its kind in nearly three years, was arranged as the rival Koreas boost reconciliation efforts amid a diplomatic push to resolve a standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Hugging the woman he’d last seen when he was 4, Ri showed his mother a photo of her late husband, who had stayed behind in North Korea with him after being separated from his wife while fleeing south. “Mother, this is how my fa- ther looked,” Ri said. Before leaving for North Korea, Lee said she wanted to ask her son “how he grew up without his mom and how his father raised him.” Most of the participants in the reunions are in their 70s or older and are eager to see their loved ones once more before they die. Most have had no word on whether their relatives are still alive because they are not allowed to visit each other across the border or even exchange let- ters, phone calls or email. About 90 elderly South Koreans, accompanied by their family members, will have three days of meetings with their North Korean rela- tives before returning to the South on Wednesday. A sepa- rate round of reunions from Friday to Sunday will involve more than 300 other South Koreans, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry. During Monday’s meeting, many elderly Koreans held each other’s hands and wiped away tears with handker- chiefs while asking how their relatives had lived. They showed photos of family members who could not come to their meetings. Han Shin-ja, a 99-year- old South Korean woman, was at a loss for words after she reunited with her two North Korean daugh- ters, both in their early 70s. Not knowing their separa- tion would be permanent, she left them behind in the North during the war while fleeing south with her third and youngest daughter. She could only say “Ah” and “When I fled …” before choking up with tears. Kim Sun OK, an 81-year- old North Korean woman, said she found that she and her 88-year-old brother from South Korea resembled each other a great deal. “Brother, it would be really good if Ko- rean unification comes. Let’s live together even at least one minute after unification before we die,” the woman said tearfully. Before this week’s re- unions, nearly 20,000 people had participated in 20 rounds of face-to-face re- unions since 2000. Another 3,700 exchanged video mes- sages with their North Ko- rean relatives. None have had a second chance to see or talk with their relatives. During the three years since the reunions were last held, North Korea tested three nuclear weapons and multiple missiles that dem- onstrated they potentially could strike the continental United States. North Korea has shifted to diplomacy in recent months. Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a son of North Korean war refugees, agreed to re- sume the reunions during the first of their two summits this year in April. South Korea sees the separated families as the largest humanitarian issue created by the war, which killed and injured millions and cemented the division of the Korean Peninsula into the North and South. The Unification Ministry es- timates there are currently about 600,000 to 700,000 South Koreans with imme- diate or extended relatives in North Korea. More than 75,000 of the 132,000 South Koreans who have applied to participate in reunions have died, according to a ministry record. Afghan forces free 149 hostages taken by Taliban in ambush KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Af- ghan forces launched a light- ning operation in northern Kunduz province on Monday, rescuing 149 people, in- cluding women and children, abducted by the Taliban just hours earlier, officials said. By mid-afternoon, fighting was still under way in the area to free 21 remaining hostages, officials added. The operation was a boost for Afghan forces, which have struggled to contain a resur- gent Taliban on battlefields across the country. On Monday morning, the Taliban ambushed a convoy of three buses traveling on a road in the Khan Abad dis- trict, and forced everyone to come with them, according to Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Inte- rior Ministry. Rahimi said that after Af- ghan security forces freed 149, the insurgents were still holding 21 hostages from the buses. He added at least seven Taliban fighters have been killed in the fighting so far. The ambush came de- spite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s announce- ment of a conditional cease- fire with the Taliban during the Muslim holiday of Eid al- Adha this week. The Taliban have stepped up their assaults in re- cent months, seizing en- tire districts across Afghan- istan and regularly carrying out large-scale bombings and attacks that have killed scores of people. Esmatullah Muradi, spokesman for the provin- cial governor in Kunduz, also confirmed the rescue of the hostages. According to Mo- hammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the provincial council in Kunduz, the Taliban were likely looking for government employees or members of the security forces who usually go home for the holidays. All the passengers on the buses were from Badakhshan and Takhar provinces and were traveling to the capital, Kabul, said Abdul Rahman Aqtash, police chief in neigh- boring Takhar province. Ghani’s call for the truce, made during celebrations Sunday of the 99th anniver- sary of Afghanistan’s inde- pendence, said “the cease- fire should be observed from both sides, and its continu- ation and duration also de- pend on the Taliban’s stand.” On Saturday, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzadah, said that there will be no peace in the country as long as the “foreign occupation” continues. He reiterated the group’s standing position that the country’s 17-year war can only be brought to an end through direct talks with the United States. In a message released on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, and without mentioning any cease-fire, Akhunzadah said the insurgents remain com- mitted to “Islamic goals,” the sovereignty of Afghanistan and ending the war. For his part, Ghani said he hoped extensions could also be agreed upon to make the cease-fire last until Nov. 20, which will mark the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad. The government had pre- viously announced a cease- fire with the Taliban during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in June. The Taliban accepted that three-day truce but later rejected a call by the presi- dent to extend it. Earlier this month, the Taliban launched a major as- sault on the eastern city of Ghazni, just 75 miles from Kabul and the capital of a province with the same name. Afghan security forces battled the militants inside the city for five days, with the U.S. carrying out air- strikes and sending advisers to help the Afghan ground forces, until the Taliban were routed from Ghazni. The battle for the city killed at least 100 members of the Afghan security forces and 35 civilians, according to Afghan officials. The heavy casualties underscore the challenges the government in Kabul faces since the U.S. and NATO officially ended their combat mission at the end of 2014. Since then, Amer- ican forces, now in a training and advising role, have re- peatedly come to the aid of Afghan forces. South Korean Lee Keum-seom, 92, left, weeps with her North Korean son Ri Sang Chol, 71, during the Separated Family Reunion Meeting at the Diamond Mountain resort in North Korea, Monday. - PHOTO: AP In this June 16, 2018 photo, Taliban fighters gather with residents to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, in Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan. - PHOTO: AP The ambush came despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s announcement of a conditional cease-fire with the Taliban during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha this week.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2018 We regret to announce the passing of Monica Bryan who departed this life on Tuesday 7 August 2018. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A Thanksgiving service for the life of Mrs. Bryan will be held at St. Georges Anglican Church on Saturday 25 August at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the Prospect Cemetery Donations can be given in lieu of flowers Colorful attire is preferred Pope on sex abuse: ‘We showed no care for the little ones’ VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis issued a letter to Catholics around the world Monday condemning the crime of priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up and demanding ac- countability, seeking to respond to new revelations in the United States of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church. Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said lay Catholics must be involved in the effort to root out abuse and cover-up. He blasted the clerical cul- ture that has been blamed for the crisis, with church leaders more concerned for their reputation than the safety of children. “With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial com- munity that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the mag- nitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives,” Francis wrote. “We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.” The Vatican issued the three- page letter ahead of Francis’ trip this weekend to Ireland, a once staunchly Roman Catholic country where the church’s credibility has been devastated by years of reve- lations that priests raped and mo- lested children with impunity and their superiors covered up for them. But for Irish survivors, the letter was little more than strong words and recycled rhetoric that failed to acknowledge the Vatican’s own role in turning a blind eye to predatory priests and fomenting the culture of secrecy and cover-up that allowed the crimes to go unpunished. “That culture was overseen by #Vatican & codified into its laws,” tweeted Colm O’Gorman, a prom- inent Irish survivor who is orga- nizing a solidarity demonstration of survivors in Dublin during Francis’ visit. “He needs to name & own that.” Priestly sex abuse was always expected to dominate the pope’s Irish trip, but the issue has taken on new gravity following revelations in the U.S. that one of Francis’ trusted cardinals, the retired archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCar- rick, allegedly sexually abused and harassed minors as well as adult seminarians. In addition, a grand jury report in Pennsylvania last week reported that at least 1,000 children were vic- tims of some 300 priests over the past 70 years, and that generations of bishops failed repeatedly to take measures to protect their flock or punish the rapists. And it comes on the heels of Francis’ efforts to address a spi- raling sex abuse scandal in Chile, which erupted during his problem- atic January visit. Francis has re- cently accepted the resignations of five of the 31 bishops who offered to step down over their disastrous handling of abuse cases. In the letter, which was issued in seven languages, Francis referred to the Pennsylvania report but the Vat- ican stressed that its message was intended for a much broader, global audience. In it, Francis acknowl- edged that no effort to beg forgive- ness of the victims will be sufficient but vowed “never again.” Looking to the future, he said: “no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situ- ations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated.” Francis did not, however, pro- vide any indication of what concrete measures he is prepared to take to sanction those bishops who covered up for rapists in their priestly ranks. Francis several years ago scrapped a proposed Vatican tribunal to pros- ecute negligent bishops, and he has refused to act on credible reports from around the world of bishops who have failed to report abusers to police or otherwise botched han- dling cases, and yet remain in office. Francis also has kept on his nine-member kitchen cabinet a Chilean cardinal long accused of covering up for pedophiles, an Aus- tralian cardinal currently on trial for historic sex abuse charges and a Honduran cardinal recently impli- cated in a gay priest sex scandal in- volving his trusted deputy. As a result, advocates for victims found his letter wanting. “Mere words at this point deepen the insult and the pain,” said Anne Barrett Doyle of the research group Bishop Accountability, which on Monday released a database of credibly accused or convicted Irish clergy. What Francis should do to pro- tect children, she said, is to order the Vatican to release the names of all priests who have been convicted under canon law of abusing minors. Unlike the U.S. bishops’ confer- ence, which has referred only to “sins and omissions” in their re- sponse to the Pennsylvania re- port, Francis labeled the miscon- duct “crimes.” Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said it was “significant” that Francis had used the term “crimes” and had called for accountability, “which in many cases means bishops.” “This is a wake-up call for ev- eryone,” he told The Associated Press, citing those in positions of re- sponsibility for the church as well as Catholic laity. It was the second Vatican re- sponse in recent days to the Penn- sylvania grand jury report, which has sparked a crisis in confidence in the U.S. Catholic leadership and led to calls for ordinary faithful to withhold donations. Last week, Burke issued a state- ment calling the abuses described in the report “criminal and morally reprehensible” and said there must be accountability for those who raped children “and those who per- mitted abuse to occur.” Subsequently, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it would ask Francis to authorize a Vatican investigation into the McCarrick scandal, since it was apparently an open secret in some Catholic cir- cles that the cardinal regularly in- vited seminarians to his New Jersey beach house, and into his bed. The Vatican has not said if Francis would approve such an in- vestigation. The question is deli- cate, given there is evidence that Vatican officials knew as early as 2000 of McCarrick’s penchant for seminarians, yet still appointed him as Washington archbishop and a cardinal. The Vatican has long been loath to investigate its own, and any in- vestigation into McCarrick that goes to the top would likely implicate St. John Paul II and his closest ad- visers. They have already been im- plicated in the decades-long cover- up of one of the 20th century’s most notorious priestly pedophiles, the late founder of the Legion of Christ, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, but have never been held to account. New database documents Irish clergy linked to sex abuse DUBLIN (AP) – An inter- national research group launched a database Monday of Irish clergy convicted or credibly accused of sexually abusing children in hopes of pressing Pope Francis to dis- close the names of all the priests and brothers deemed guilty by the church. BishopAccountability.org says the online database un- veiled Monday shows the de- gree to which information still remains hidden in Ire- land. The list was released before the pontiff’s visit to Ireland on Saturday. BishopAccountability is- sued a similar report on the eve of Francis’ visit to Chile in January, identifying dozens of credibly accused clergy and the bishops who covered up for them. That trip turned disastrous for the pope when he discred- ited several Chilean victims, although he subsequently did an about-face and apologized to the victims and sanctioned complicit bishops. “Hiding the names of cred- ibly accused child molesters puts children at risk, with- holds validation from sur- vivors, and makes it nearly impossible for Catholic lay- people to protect their fami- lies or hold church leaders accountable,” co-director Anne Barrett Doyle said. The Massachusetts-based group seeks to compile every publicly available docu- ment and report on the child abuse crisis in the church to hold bishops account- able for shielding abusers from punishment. The group’s list was is- sued even as the pope con- demned the crime of priestly sexual abuse in a letter Monday to Catholics around the world – a move that came in response to new revela- tions in the United States of decades of misconduct. Although Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suf- fered by abuse victims, Bar- rett Doyle said the pope needed to act, since survivors are insulted and made impa- tient by words alone. “There’s such a discon- nect with what Pope Francis says and what he does in re- forming the Catholic Church,” she told reporters at a news conference in Dublin. “He could make zero tolerance more than just a slogan.” BishopAccountability issued a similar report on the eve of Francis’ visit to Chile in January, identifying dozens of credibly accused clergy and the bishops who covered up for them. Pope Francis prays Sunday for the victims of the Kerala floods during the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican. - PHOTO: AP The Vatican issued the three-page letter ahead of Francis’ trip this weekend to Ireland, a once staunchly Roman Catholic country where the church’s credibility has been devastated.Next >