ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 High of 89 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 PREVENTING PLASTIC FROM DESPOILING OUR BEACHES LOCAL | PAGE 5 CAYMAN ARTS FESTIVAL TO HOST PIANIST REBECA OMORDIA 190018-Ad-Strip-MC-LAPriceless-10.333x1.5.indd 110/1/18 10:36 AM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AUDIT Report highlights overtime abuse 800 percent over budget on overtime JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Substantial mismanagement and wide- spread abuse of the system are blamed for an 800 percent overspend on overtime at the De- partment of Environmental Health in an in- ternal government audit. Overtime payments, mostly to trash col- lectors and landfill workers, exceeded the 18-month budget by almost $2 million in 2016/17. The overspending came to light when the department ran out of money to pay staff salaries in late 2017 and had to go to senior ministry officials to ask for more funds. An investigation by the Internal Audit Ser- vice concluded that there had most likely been deliberate abuse of the overtime system. The auditors highlight the potential for a “formal fraud investigation.” Phase three of the report, completed in September, identified multiple employees with what are described as “implausible” overtime records. The audit report, released to the Cayman Compass following an open records request, states, “Inadequate management information renders it impossible to quantify, but a sig- nificant number of paid overtime hours could have been regular work hours for which no ad- ditional expenditure should have been made.” The Compass was granted access to all three parts of the report but the final recom- mendation was omitted under a section of the Freedom of Information Law that allows the redaction of information that could “prejudice the conduct of public affairs.” Jennifer Ahearn, chief officer of the Ministry of Health, Envi- ronment, Culture and Housing, said she had authorized the redaction because “the matter BOTTLES TOP LIST OF PLASTIC WASTE MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new report by Plastic Free Cayman ana- lyzes more than 6.5 tons of plastic trash the organization’s volunteers collected during 12 cleanup events over the past year. It is probably no surprise that single-use drink bottles accounted for 90 percent of the 13,000 pounds of plastics collected. In one cleanup event, more than 10,000 plastic bot- tles were gathered in the space of two hours. The most common piece of trash? Dasani water bottles, according to the report. Claire Hughes, founder of Plastic Free Cayman, said one thing worries her more than the bottles her group recovers. “We find a lot of plastic bottle lids,” said Ms. Hughes, a physical education teacher at Cayman Prep. “The bottles we find tend to have lids. What worries me is, where are the bottles without lids?” Most, she suspects have filled with water and sunk into the ocean. The analysis was not done on all the trash the group has recovered. About 800 pounds from one site was thoroughly separated and about one-third of another has been analyzed. The organization, Ms. Hughes said, does not have the resources to completely evaluate the trash from every cleanup. But she believes the report’s analysis is representative of what is found on the island as a whole. One thing she would like to be able to de- termine in the future is how much of the plastic on the beaches is generated locally and how much is washed up from other places. “We know a lot washes up from Haiti and Dominican Republic,” she said, noting that Kelsie Woodman-Bodden crowned Miss World Cayman Kelsie Woodman-Bodden waves to the crowd at the Harquail Theatre on Saturday night after the 22-year-old accountant won the title of Miss World Cayman. She will represent the Cayman Islands at Miss World in Sanya, southern China, on Dec. 8. For more on this story, see page 2. - PHOTO: SIMON PITCHER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 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) NIGHT SCHOOL (PG13) 12:30 I 3:30 I 7:40 I 9:00 LIFE ITSELF (R) 1:00 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:50 BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 1:30 VIP I 6:40 THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (PG) 1:25 I 4:00 I 6:30 THE NUN (R) 1:20 I 10:15 SMALLFOOT (PG) 12:40 3D I 3:00 3D I 5:20 I 6:35 THE PREDATOR (R) 4:30 VIP I 9:00 I 10:10 VIP BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (PG13) 3:40 I 9:40 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: THE GREAT GATSBY (1974) (PG) 7:00 VIP Woodman-Bodden crowned Miss World Cayman JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Kelsie Woodman-Bodden, a 22-year-old accountant, won the Miss World Cayman title at the Harquail Theatre Saturday night. The George Town beauty, who works at Pricewater- houseCoopers, received awards for Best In Gown and Miss Photogenic. Ms. Woodman-Bodden also won a $70,000 scholarship from the Cayman Islands government. She was among four con- testants taking part in the pageant, and will represent the Cayman Islands at the Miss World contest in Sanya, southern China, on Dec. 8. Nateisha Foster received first runner-up, Best Smile and Miss Top Model. Zorina McCoon won second runner- up and Roseanne Myles won third runner-up, Best In Sport and the Miss Conge- niality title. Ms. Woodman-Bodden said the pageant was an experience that could not be relived. “For me, it was a bit weird because I was calm the en- tire time, which I was not expecting. I thought I would be really nervous,” she said. “I tried to keep my nerves in check because if I was nervous I could not per- form as well as I wanted to,” she said speaking by phone to the Cayman Com- pass on Monday. She thinks all the young women, who underwent two months of training, did an amazing job. “I have always wanted to represent our country as Miss Cayman and to be able to enter the Miss World Cayman pageant, and winning the crown was like a dream come true for me,” she said. She liked that Miss World Cayman focused on beauty with a purpose. “It’s not just being beautiful on the inside but doing something with your beauty to impact the environment and using your voice to stand up for those who can’t stand up for them- selves,” she said. During the question-and- answer segment of the pag- eant, each contestant shared their views on what they thought about neighboring Caribbean islands legislating to ban single-use plastic and what Cayman could do to preserve its islands in a similar fashion. “Research has shown that by the year 2050, our oceans will be as polluted, with the same amount of plastic as marine life. As an island that prides itself on our unique experience in the water, our oceans and our marine life, I feel as though they should follow in the footsteps of our neighbors Grenada and Jamaica in banning the use of single-use plastic here in Cayman,” Ms. Woodman- Bodden said in her answer. She said she hopes to represent the Cayman Is- lands at the Miss World pag- eant in China to the best of her abilities. At Saturday’s event, she was crowned by Miss World Cayman Islands 2017 Kristin Amaya. “It was a great show. It flowed really nicely and that was because of the help of Centre Pointe Dance Studio and stage manager Sophie Gough,” said Pamela Ebanks- Small, director of the Miss World Cayman pageant. The show, which had about 250 people in atten- dance, opened with a dance number called “Elements” which reflected the environ- ment, she said. Each contestants repre- sented an element – earth, fire, wind and water. Contestants also com- peted for a top model spot in a choreographed 1950s-style segment, along with other entertainment. Ms. Ebanks-Small said the company which oper- ates the Miss World Cayman Islands competition would stage a program called “Girl Power,” for women and girls between the ages of 15 and 25 “to teach them etiquette, speaking, helping them with schooling, in the hopes [that] these girls will enter the Miss World Cayman when they … come of age.” Government launches cabana booking system The Public Works Depart- ment has launched an online service that enables residents to book cabanas at all of Cay- man’s 12 public parks and seven public beaches. The reservation system re- quires users to create an ac- count at the PWD’s website, www.publicworks.gov.ky. Once customers have logged in, they can view the system’s calendar to choose an avail- able date, pick the facility they would like to use, and choose which cabana they would like to reserve. Once a booking is com- plete, customers will be sent a confirmation email, which they will need to print off and bring with them as proof of their reservation. “Ensuring that our people can benefit from our natural environment is of great im- portance to government,” said Minister for Commerce, Plan- ning and Infrastructure Jo- seph Hew in a press release. “This new system makes it easier for the public to gain access to our beaches and parks, and to have a richer experience when they do use these spaces.” Acting Governor Franz Manderson described the new system as a means of “eliminating unnecessary pa- perwork for our customers.” Customers who make bookings will be responsible for cleaning up the spaces after use. Also, the system will not allow for multiple consecutive bookings as a way to ensure accessibility of the facilities for all, the PWD noted in the press release. Customers will still be able to visit the PWD office to book cabanas. “We understand that some customers will still want that personal interaction, so we will maintain that service, but we are thrilled to be able to offer this level of convenience for those what want it,” PWD Director Max Jones said. Cuban migrant wires mouth shut KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cuban man who landed Friday with 10 other migrants in Cayman Brac has reportedly wired his own mouth shut. Fellow migrants living in Grand Cayman on su- pervised community release said they believed the mea- sure had been taken as part of a hunger strike. An image circulating on social media showed two gold-colored wires punc- tured through a man’s top and bottom lips. A statement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Immigration acknowledged the situation but did not elaborate on the nature of the incident. “The Ministry of Human Resources and Immigration is unable to comment on the situation or give specifics of the identities of the persons involved at this time,” the statement said. “We can confirm that the relevant protocols are being followed to ensure the health, safety and well-being of each person in our care.” Dr. Samuel Williams-Ro- driguez of the Health Ser- vices Authority said: “It is my understanding that this person has been re- ferred to the [Accident and Emergency] Depart- ment – GT Hospital for fur- ther management.” The Department of Im- migration indicated the mi- grants were in good health at the time of their arrival, following six days at sea, and were being evaluated by doctors on Cayman Brac before being transferred to Grand Cayman. Miss World Cayman Kelsie Woodman-Bodden - PHOTO: SIMON PITCHER WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING POLICE Police arrested a 30-year-old woman on sus- picion of assaulting a po- lice officer who was re- sponding to a report of a fight outside a Shedden Road bar early Sunday. Shortly after 2:30 a.m., officers responding to a re- port of an altercation in the Cotton Club bar’s parking lot saw a man bleeding from a wound to his side. Emergency services at- tended to the injured man. As officers attempted to clear the area around the man, a woman “began behaving in an aggres- sive manner and eventu- ally struck one of the offi- cers,” police said. The woman, of West Bay, was arrested for as- saulting police. The man was trans- ported to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital for treat- ment and was in stable condition Monday. Members of the public can now book beach and park cabanas online.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 Visit your nearest branch or learn more at ky.scotiabank.com/aamc #SayYesToMore PUBLICATION: Caymanian Compass JR. PAGE COUNTRY: CAYMAN ISLANDS SIZE: 6.8222” x 11.8975” 4% WITH AN EXTRA CASH BACK ON ALL AMAZON PURCHASES* Apply for Scotiabank / AAdvantage® Mastercard®! New cardholders enjoy an added 4% cash back on all Amazon purchases for the first 6 months.* Your new card also offers a bonus of up to 12,000 AAdvantage miles. PLUS earn AAdvantage® miles always.* *Conditions apply. Bonus offer ends October 31, 2018. Subject to credit approval by October 31, 2018. Offers subject to change without notice. American Airlines® reserves the right to change AAdvantage® program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage® program with six months’ notice. 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Say yes to even more rewards 10620 Q3 CC ACT AA CAY Caymanian Compass_JP.indd 12018-08-20 4:46 PM Roads authority takes on safety for drivers, pedestrians SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The welfare of drivers and pedestrians in the Cayman Islands took center stage at The Ritz-Carlton on Monday as the National Roads Authority staged the first day of a four-day Road Safety Conference. Donovan Ebanks, chairman of the NRA, and Edward Howard, the agen- cy’s acting managing di- rector, served as the opening speakers at the conference. Mr. Howard spoke about the history of road fatalities in Cayman and about the ef- forts the NRA has made to make the roads safer. A generation ago, Mr. Howard said, Cayman reached its road fatalities peak with 21 deaths in 1985, when there was a resident population of 21,104 according to the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office, and 20 in 1990, when there was a population of 26,969. Despite more cars and drivers on the road, Cayman has not seen more than 14 road fatali- ties a year since 2006, and Mr. Howard said it is important to continue work to make that trend continue. “We’ve done a lot, but we can do more. That’s one of the things I’m going to stress continually,” said Mr. Howard early in the conference. “We want you all to be informed. We want you to be educated about the issues of road safety, not just in the Cayman Islands but globally. “We don’t have all the an- swers. Road safety is not just an NRA issue. It’s not just a DVDL issue. It’s not a police issue. It’s everybody’s business and it’s everybody’s concern.” Cayman experienced 256 road deaths between 1985 and 2017, and Mr. Howard said it is the fifth-leading cause of deaths in that span. A number of factors – engineering, ed- ucation, enforcement, emer- gency services and evaluation – have caused road fatalities to decrease over time. Glen McCarvell, a se- nior operations manager for the Caribbean Development Bank, gave a presentation on an initiative that helped Be- lize markedly reduce its road fatalities over time. Also, Alex Russell and Ken Hydes of Dart Enterprises spoke about the company’s commitment to road development. Mr. Russell, Dart’s se- nior manager for design, spoke about the many ways that the Esterley Tibbetts Highway was designed with multiple road users in mind. The point of the road and its parallel pathways, he said, is to allow safe north-south passageway for both drivers and pedestrians alike. “It incorporates three drive lanes, a bike lane on the ac- tual paved surface, a heavily landscaped raised median and verge zones on either side of the highway that were sized to accommodate intense landscaping and a shared-use path for both pedestrians and cyclists,” he said. “Although the highway is operational, the landscaping and the work on the verges is still very much a work in progress.” A pedestrian and bike “subway” that will allow for traffic underneath the raised roadway will be placed ad- jacent to the Cayman Inter- national School and the Na- tional Gallery, Mr. Russell said. That artery will allow an east-west connection be- tween the Camana Bay Town Centre roundabout and the airport connector road. Dart, in conjunction with the NRA, hopes to construct a proper bike path, most of which will be painted a dif- ferent color from the normal roadway, that will run from Batabano to the Butterfield roundabout, according to Mr. Hydes, Dart’s vice presi- dent of special projects and partnerships. Mr. Howard said that the NRA has worked with Dart on the bike paths and has come up with a few concerns that need to be addressed be- fore the project goes forward. The recent death of cyclist Geoff Cornwall, Mr. Howard said, has lent some new per- spective to the function of the bike lane. Mr. Cornwall died on Sept. 11, after the bike he was cycling crashed into a vehicle that had stopped on the cycle lane on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. “Portions of the [Esterley Tibbetts Highway], when it was originally developed, that extra space on the side was a breakdown shoulder,” he said. “Now it brings into question going forward, are we going to be able to utilize what was essentially about 8-to-10 feet of shoulder space and also in- corporate bike lanes into that.” Many other jurisdictions, Mr. Howard said, run into the same problem with bike lanes and the road shoulder. Drivers do not always respect the bike lane, he said. Sometimes they park in it and sometimes they use it to pull over. Broken down cars, he said, can stay there for days or perhaps weeks. Another problem, Mr. Howard said, is the speed limit on a road designed for multiple uses. “If we’re going to start putting a lot more pedes- trians and a lot more bike riders on these major high- ways, what are we going to do about the 40 mph speed limit?” Mr. Howard asked “As we know in Cayman, when you post it at 40, people drive at 50 and 55. The chances of a pe- destrian surviving once they’re hit at 40 mph, it’s one in 10. If you get hit by a car traveling 40 mph, it’s more than likely you’re dead. It’s a little bit better for cyclists. But those are some of the challenges we’re going to have.” POLICE MAKE ARSON ARREST IN CAYMAN BRAC A 54-year-old woman was arrested Saturday on suspicion of arson at a home in Frigate Drive on Cayman Brac. Police received a report of a bed inside a residence being deliberately set on fire shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday. Fire Services attended the scene and extinguished the fire. No one was injured in the incident. The woman, of Cayman Brac, remained in police custody Monday.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. 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” As we report in today’s newspaper, volunteers working with Plastic Free Cayman removed more than 6.5 tons of plastic and other trash from Cayman’s beautiful beaches in the past year. That is an impressive figure, especially when one considers that all that refuse (13,300 pounds, to be exact) was collected by a group of volunteers targeting one beach per month. One can only imagine the result if Cayman dedicated ample resources to clean up every public beach, every day. It is not clear just how much of the trash on our beaches comes from Grand Cayman, and what per- centage washes in from other sources – although it is a good bet that the vast majority of Cayman’s beach litter is “imported.” Many of the bottles, bags and con- tainers that litter Cayman sand are from products sold and used in faraway places. The Caribbean Sea is awash in refuse, particularly plastic waste. In less than two hours last month, volunteers at East End collected nearly 10,000 bottles and cans. Of those, 8,584 were made of plastic – a material which is particularly problematic, since it is not valuable for recycling and can be dangerous to marine animals and wildlife. Experts say plastics do not decompose in the marine environment but instead break down into ever- smaller pieces (called micro-plastics) that make their way into our food chain. Stopping this pollution at the source will require multijurisdictional efforts that extend well beyond Cayman’s capabilities and borders. In a news release, the Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing commended Plastic Free Cayman, which has worked with the Department of Environment to audit some of the trash collected for inclusion in an interna- tional review. In the meantime, something must be done to pluck empty beverage containers, discarded flip-flops, plastic bags and other unsightly and unhygienic litter and debris from our shores. Plastic Free Cayman has suggested building their corps of volunteers by recruiting at schools and local businesses and exploring potential partnerships with hotels and cruise ship lines to enlist the help of Cayman’s visitors. May we suggest an alternative? Full- time, professional crews dedicated to the task. This summer, hundreds of unemployed Caymanians signed up for a summer iteration of the National Com- munity Enhancement Program. At the time, we sug- gested government offer full-time public employment to each NiCE participant who proved capable and reliable. After all, we wrote, keeping Cayman’s streets and beaches immaculate is an all-the-time under- taking, not a once-in-a-while endeavor. We still believe it is an idea worth pursuing. Full-time government beautification and cleanup crews would be able to keep Cayman’s persistent trash problems in check, yielding a pristine environment to be enjoyed by Cayman’s residents and visitors, alike. At the same time, a full-time program would reduce reliance on government’s social services programs while offering hundreds of struggling Caymanians the dignity of work. The hardworking volunteers and efforts of Plastic Free Cayman should be recognized and applauded. There is nothing welcoming or inviting about a stretch of beach littered with detritus. There is no reason for an island nation so proud of and so dependent on its beautiful beaches not to do whatever it takes to keep them so. Preventing plastic from despoiling our beaches TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Puerto Rico as a model for energy independence JOHN BERGER Even before Hurricane Maria triggered a massive blackout that left millions of Puerto Ricans without elec- tricity, the island’s dysfunc- tional electricity network was a poster child for inefficiency, waste and exorbitant costs. Now Puerto Rico has the opportunity to become a model for the future of energy systems that can be clean, re- silient and affordable. The torturous effort in- volved in rebuilding Puerto Rico’s power grid brings into sharp relief a struggle that is playing out across the United States as the growing popu- larity of renewable energy, and advances in technology, collide with an outdated elec- tricity framework. Homeowners are increas- ingly interested in having more control over their en- ergy usage and production. Many are updating their homes to make them more energy efficient by installing smart thermostats, adopting solar power or adding bat- tery storage to maintain power even during a grid failure. These changes – es- pecially the powerful combi- nation of solar plus battery storage – are upending the outdated energy system by liberating homeowners from their dependency on the old and antiquated grid. Despite evolving con- sumer preferences, utility companies are resisting this wave of progress that threatens a business model that has served them well. Consumers are demanding more flexibility and clean energy. But utilities want to maintain the status quo. Like a previous battle over AT&T’s monopoly control of telecommunications in the early 1980s, this clash may ultimately be settled in court or in Congress. The tension between cus- tomer control and utility con- trol is playing out with real- life consequences every day in Puerto Rico as homeowners with rooftop solar power try to rejoin the poorly mended electricity grid. After several months without electricity, many homeowners with solar are questioning why they need the unreliable grid at all. I know this because my company has installed nearly 9,000 residential rooftop solar systems in Puerto Rico, making us the second largest provider of residential energy, behind the island’s public utility, known as PREPA. PREPA has little economic incentive to allow home- owners to self-generate elec- tricity independent from the grid. It wants residents to be totally reliant on the utility for electricity to keep cus- tomers captive and protect their profits. Homeowners who have gone solar on the U.S. main- land face similar challenges. Although some utilities are more accommodating than others, the expanding use of residential rooftop solar en- ergy and the breathtaking speed at which solar plus storage capabilities have emerged are an obvious threat to traditional electric utilities. It’s in their interest to try to minimize competi- tion, and so they do, many looking to restrict consumer choice to just one provider: the monopoly utility. In response to this anti- competitive behavior, con- sumers and homeowners are starting to challenge the need for the grid. Consumer demand and the advent of groundbreaking technologies are ripping apart the old-line, industrial age system. It’s time for monopoly electricity providers to take note. In an ideal world, Con- gress would take action to re- place the current monopoly system with a decentralized system that empowers con- sumers. We should let the market work and allow con- sumers to pick the winners and losers, not stack the deck in favor of monopoly utilities. That is exactly what hap- pened when the breakup of AT&T ended a century-old telephone monopoly, and we are all better for it. Puerto Rico can help lead the way toward this more consumer-friendly, environ- mentally responsible and af- fordable energy future. The Puerto Rican government should insist that PREPA give homeowners the ability to install solar and bat- tery storage without going through the utility’s unde- fined and onerous processes. As Puerto Rico emerges from the darkness, its un- even recovery is shining a light on a challenge that will shape the future of electricity across the United States. William J. (John) Berger is founder and CEO of Sunnova Energy Corporation, a residential solar and storage service provider. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. In this May 16, 2018 file photo, a worker from the Cobra Energy Company, contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers, installs power lines in the Barrio Martorel area of Yabucoa. – PHOTO: AP5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 Cayman Arts Festival to host pianist Rebeca Omordia London-based award-win- ning pianist Rebeca Omordia will perform at a concert in Cayman on Thursday eve- ning, hosted by the Cayman Arts Festival. Festival organizers hold piano concerts twice a year and Ms. Omordia’s piano recital at the Cayman Is- lands Baptist Church, on Pedro Castle Road, is the opening performance. Ms. Omordia is perhaps best known as a duet partner to cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. Her father, a member of the Igbo ethnic group, moved from his home in Nigeria’s Delta State to Romania in the 1980s to study medicine, where he met and married her Romanian mother. “She was introduced to the piano at an early age, with the idea that she might be able to play the instru- ment in church. A teacher spotted her talent and began to enter her in competitions, which led to appearances on Romanian national television. Studying piano with Dana Borsan, Ms. Omordia gradu- ated from the National Music University in Bucharest in 2006 when she was awarded full scholarships to study at Birmingham Conservatoire and later at Trinity College of Music in London,” Cayman Arts Festival organizers stated in a press release. Upon moving to England, she earned advanced degrees at the Birmingham Conser- vatoire (2009) and Trinity College, London (2010). For the latter program, she re- ceived the Ofenheim Scholar- ship. During this period, she caught the attention of Mr. Lloyd Webber, with whom she toured for two years be- ginning in 2009; he has re- mained a strong supporter of her career. Ms. Omordia made solo appearances at Birmingham’s Town Hall, as well as at sev- eral top Romanian venues. In 2015, she was engaged by the John Ireland Trust for a tour of Britain that featured Ire- land’s compositions. She made her recording debut in 2017 in a duo re- cording with pianist Mark Bebbington in an album of two-piano music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. That year also saw her tour with cel- list Razvan Suma. Ms. Omordia has also championed the little-ex- plored field of classical music by Nigerian com- posers, forming a partner- ship with the Nigerian High Commissioner in London to promote the effort. Her CD “EKELE: Piano Works by Af- rican Composers,” released in March 2018 on the Heri- tage label, features music by three of Nigeria’s most pro- lific composers and is de- signed to bring this music to a wider audience. She has performed works such as the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Ayo Bankole that incor- porates influences from tra- ditional Nigerian music. Ms. Omordia has also traveled to the U.S. to attend and perform at the African and Afro-American Music Festival in St. Louis, where she commissioned a work, “5 Kaleidoscopes,” from Nige- rian-American composer Fred Onovwerosuoke. Described by The Guardian newspaper in Ni- geria as “the virtuoso pianist who cast [a] spell on Lagos,” Ms. Omordia has performed as a soloist with MUSON Symphony Orchestra in Ni- geria and the Romanian Na- tional Radio Orchestra. She is also a talented arranger. Her arrange- ment of “The Seal Lullaby” by Grammy-winning com- poser Eric Whitacre, for cello and harp, was released on Deutsche Gramophone. In 2016, she received an Honorary Membership Award from Birmingham Conserva- toire. She is currently writing her Ph.D. thesis. For the Cayman audience, she will perform pieces by Beethoven, Ayo Bankole, Fred Onovwerosuoke, John Ire- land and Ravel. “We are looking forward to hearing this highly gifted artist perform a specially crafted program that takes us on a journey of music that spans at least three continents. In addition to the mainstream composers like Beethoven and Ravel, Ms. Omordia’s program re- flects her insights into some rarely performed reper- toire, including works by Af- rican composers, a recent re- cording of which has received rave reviews internationally,” said Glen Inanga, co-founder and artistic director of the Cayman Arts Festival, in the press release. Also playing at Thurs- day’s concert will be the 2018 winner of the But- terfield Young Musician of the Year, 16-year-old pia- nist Johnathon Bedasse, who attends Cayman Prep and High School. Tickets are available at www.caymanartsfestival.com. “We are looking forward to hearing this highly gifted artist perform a specially crafted program that takes us on a journey of music that spans at least three continents.” GLEN INANGA, artistic director, Cayman Arts Festival Pianist Rebeca Omordia will perform pieces by Beethoven, Ayo Bankole, Fred Onovwerosuoke, John Ireland and Ravel at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church on Thursday. Grand Court cases adjourned Trial verdict and mentions set for later this month CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Evidence and arguments concluded last week in the trial of Odain Lloyd Ebanks, charged with robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Mr. Ebanks had elected to be tried by judge alone and Justice Mar- lene Carter said she would hand down her verdict on Friday, Oct. 12. Mr. Ebanks pleaded not guilty to robbery at the Czech Inn in Bodden Town on Sat- urday, March 3, 2018. He also pleaded not guilty to other charges related to in- cidents that night: possession of an unlicensed firearm, un- lawful discharge of a firearm, and possession of a prohib- ited weapon (pepper spray). He was represented by at- torney Amelia Fosuhene. The Crown’s case was presented by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran. Careless driving case In other cases recently sent to the Grand Court, no pleas have been entered. Roy Clivey Tamasa, charged with causing death by careless/dangerous driving, has been scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Oct. 26. His matter con- cerns the death of a pedes- trian, Dr. Vary Jones-Leslie, on Owen Roberts Drive in the vicinity of the airport, on July 17, 2017. Mr. Tamasa’s matter first came to Summary Court in February this year, with subsequent committal to the higher court. He is represented by attorney Richard Barton. Tennis Club theft Robert Todd Seward, charged with theft from the Cayman Islands Tennis Club, was set for mention again on Friday, Oct. 12. Mr. Seward, former man- ager and head professional at the club, was accused of stealing more than $100,000 between March 16, 2017 and Jan. 15, 2018. Other charges include forgery and ut- tering a false document. He is represented by attorney Prathna Bodden. Attempted murder William Lindberg Glasgow, charged with the attempted murder of his wife on the night of July 4, 2018, was expected to ap- pear in Grand Court on Wednesday, Oct. 3. His at- torney is Ms. Bodden. Matters set for next year include the trial of Erbin Tib- betts Jr. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of being reckless or negligent while in possession of ammunition on or before Sept. 20, 2017 in Cayman Brac. Mr. Tibbetts elected trial by jury and the matter has been set to start on April 1.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 OCTOBER 2, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, OCT. 2 STEM RECEPTION: Today is the deadline to RSVP attendance at the STEM Conference reception, 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at UCCI. Contact ksanchez@ucci.edu.ky. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to islandwide district meetings on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well- being. Meetings all start at 7:30 p.m. Tonight, North Side Civic Centre. BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER: Today is the first of a three-day series of events to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation. A portion of proceeds from the sale of items from the Strozzi Italian Women’s Collection sold at the events will be donated to the charity. Today, at the home of Patricia Kohler at 378 Yacht Drive, Caladelnia House, a luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and later there will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, at 5-8 p.m. RSVP to contact@viastrozzi.com. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3 BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER: A portion of proceeds from the sale of items from the Strozzi Italian Women’s Collection will be donated to the charity. Today’s events will be held at LUCA restaurant, West Bay Road, with luncheon at 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 5-8 p.m. RSVP to contact@viastrozzi.com. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well- being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Bodden Town Civic Centre. THURSDAY, OCT. 4 BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER: A portion of proceeds from the sale of items from the Strozzi Italian Women’s Collection will be donated to the charity. Today’s events will be held at The Residences of Stone Island, Yacht Drive, just past Vista del March Luncheon at 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and cocktails at 5-7:30 p.m. RSVP to contact@viastrozzi.com. BREAST CANCER: Public awareness meeting in North Side at William Pouchie Memorial Church Hall, 7:30 p.m. Clinic in East End, 10 a.m. to noon. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well-being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Savannah Primary School Hall. FRIDAY, OCT. 5 NCVO DRESS DOWN DAY: The NCVO appeals to schools, businesses and service clubs to dress in green in a show of solidarity and help raise funds, which can then be presented to the NCVO during the fundraising event at the Prospect Playhouse on Saturday Oct. 20. Participants are encouraged to take photographs and post them on social media outlets; tagging images to www.facebook.com/ NCVOCaymanIslands. To confirm participation or to volunteer for the upcoming Radio/Telethon, contact Mona Meade on 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky. SATURDAY, OCT. 6 BOOK SALE: The Humane Society is having a huge book sale at the A. L. Thompson storefront from 8:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. Books are 3 for $1. Children’s books will be available, as well as general fiction, romance, suspense and non-fiction of all sorts. BRAC CLEANUP: Today and tomorrow. 7 a.m. Red Sail Sports and Plastic Free Cayman invites the public to help clean up a Cayman Brac beach. Meet at Eagle Ray House, east of Bat Cave. All are invited. Bring a reusable water bottle, refill stations will be available. Visit Plastic Free Cayman Facebook page for more details. 5K WALK/RUN: The Brenda Tibbetts-Lund Memorial 5K in conjunction with Breast Cancer Month starts 6 a.m. at Kaibo Restaurant in North Side. MONDAY, OCT. 8 BREAST CANCER: Public awareness meeting, East End United Church Hall, 7:30 p.m. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well-being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at West Bay School Hall. TUESDAY, OCT. 9 STEM CONFERENCE: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Conference hosted by the University College of the Cayman Islands today through Friday, Oct. 12. BREAST CANCER: Clinic in West Bay, 10 a.m. to noon. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well- being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at South Sound Community Centre. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10 LOOKYA: National Museum, Harbour Drive, 3-6 p.m. Respecting the Wisdom and Values of Older Persons. District booth displays, music, local food and more. In conjunction with Dept. of Children and Family Services, celebrating Older Persons Month. CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well-being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Seafarers Association’s Hall, Prospect. THURSDAY, OCT. 11 BREAST CANCER: Public awareness meeting in West Bay, John Gray Memorial Church Hall, 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY, OCT. 14 5K WALK/RUN: Brenda Tibbetts-Lund Memorial, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Month. 6 a.m. West Bay Road Public Beach. MONDAY, OCT. 15 CRUISE PIER MEETINGS: The Opposition invites the public to a meeting on the cruise ship pier and strategies for the sector’s continued well-being. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at East End Civic Centre. SATURDAY, OCT. 20 NCVO RADIO/TELETHON: The annual fundraiser for the National Council of Social Services is held at the Prospect Playhouse, 7-10 p.m. GENERAL INTEREST SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer and join the fun as athlete training begins at Truman Bodden Sports Complex 5:30 p.m. for basketball skills, track, bocce and football. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@candw.ky or call 916-2600. TOBACCO LICENSES: Tobacco license holders are reminded of the 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 deadline to apply for their annual license renewals. Annual registration renewal fees are $500 for a retailer, $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor. Persons in Grand Cayman must submit their applications at the Business Licensing Counter, first floor, Government Administration Building. In the Sister Islands, applications must be submitted to DCI Senior Licensing Officer, Lolita Bodden-Arch, in the Bodden and Bodden building on Cayman Brac. CAYMAN ARTISTS INVITED: Artists resident in the Cayman Islands or artists of the Caymanian diaspora are invited to submit photos of work (or work concept drawings/photos), with an accompanying artist’s statement relating the work to the exhibition synopsis for consideration, in electronic format, directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Deadline for submission is Monday, Nov. 26, at 5 p.m. For more information, contact public.engagement@ nationalgallery.org.ky. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rental every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with the association at 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Wednesdays and Saturdays at Camana Bay. A produce- only market featuring local farmers. Located in Heliconia Court (the new courtyard next to the building containing Scotiabank). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. U.K. 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. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which runs down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. 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. 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. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.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 National Council for Voluntary Organisations is inviting schools, businesses and members of the public to dress in green for a fundraising dress down day on Friday, Oct. 5.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 is still being investigated.” Ms. Ahearn ordered the audit investigation when the extent of overtime spending was discovered in November 2017. Shortly after that, in late 2017, Roydell Carter, the di- rector of the Department of Environmental Health, was placed on leave. Government declined to specify the rea- sons for that at the time but insisted he had not been sus- pended. Last month, the min- istry released a statement saying Mr. Carter had “opted to retire” from government. Phase One of the three- part audit report, which would have been available to ministry officials in Feb- ruary 2018 but was not made public until it was released to the Compass late last week, highlights “multiple failures and missed oppor- tunities” to report spiraling overtime costs. That section of the re- port, which deals with man- agement and monitoring, lays the blame largely at the door of Mr. Carter, as the de- partment’s director, but also highlights failings from se- nior staff at the ministry level, including Ms. Ahearn. It states, “Ultimately, the Director of DEH [Mr. Carter] had the responsibility of managing the approved budget, avoiding cost over- runs and escalating con- cerns to the Ministry, all of which he substantially failed to do.” It goes on to state that the chief officer, Ms. Ahearn, should have been agreeing and authorizing overtime for the department and that se- nior financial officers should have been monitoring expen- diture and budget variances and raising concerns with her. “These responsibilities were not carried out as in- tended,” the auditors noted. The second phase of the audit, which looked more closely at the reasons for the overspending on over- time concluded that abuse of the system was likely to be a contributory factor. The re- port indicates an overspend of $1.22 million in the solid waste collection department and a $430,000 overspend at the landfill. It acknowledges that ve- hicle repair issues and staff absenteeism were major fac- tors, but suggests these is- sues alone could not account for the increase in spending. “With inadequate man- agement information, mal- functioning internal controls and conflicting evidence, we believe there is a high prob- ability that intentional abuse of the system was another significant factor behind the increased expenditure,” the auditors said. Following that finding, a third inquiry was autho- rized to examine anomalies in overtime claimed by indi- vidual employees and deter- mine if there had been in- tentional abuse. According to the report, auditors examined data on staff members’ overtime re- cords but did not interview individuals with dubious re- cords because of the po- tential for a “formal fraud investigation.” The review concludes, “Our review identified mul- tiple employees from the De- partment of Environmental Health with implausible 2016/17 overtime records, in- dicative of widespread abuse and substantial mismanage- ment within the Solid Waste Collections, Landfill, Recy- cling and Fleet operations. We believe the exploitation of a cultural practice, whereby overtime is routinely accrued before the completion of reg- ular contracted hours, inten- sified in 2016/17.” All three phases of the report contain various recommendations. The first phase report rec- ommends a review of the performance of key personnel in management positions and “corrective” or disciplinary action. Other recommenda- tions include introducing “thresholds” above which overtime spending must be reported to the ministry and creating an action plan to re- duce overtime and improve management of overtime. “With inadequate management information, malfunctioning internal controls and conflicting evidence, we believe there is a high probability that intentional abuse of the system was another significant factor behind the increased expenditure.” AUDIT REPORT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 volunteers frequently recover containers that bear the markings of those countries. The report also breaks down how many volun- teers – 11,000 participated over the course of the year – in each cleanup and how much plastic was collected at each site. The number of people does not always line up with the amount of trash picked up. Ms. Hughes said some areas are so dense with litter, that a small number of people can quickly make a big impact. “SafeHaven was intense,” she said. “There was so much litter in such a small place.” On the other hand, she said, a North Side beach the group cleaned was “a long stretch of beach and you have to walk to find the trash.” Toiletry items make up a significant amount of the plastic recovered. One page of the report breaks down such items, including deodorant containers, toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes, the three of which make up 70 percent of this type of trash. Ms. Hughes said she’s seen picking up something as small as a toothbrush mo- tivate a change in a volun- teer’s behavior. “When people find a bunch of toothbrushes, you can see the penny drop,” she said, adding that they begin to think of alternatives, such a using a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush. Such toothbrushes are now available on island, she said, part of what she sees as a change in thinking when it comes to plastics. “It’s about spreading awareness,” she said. “A lot of businesses, they contact us or tag us that they’re now using paper straws, or they’re moving from polystyrene containers to the more eco- friendly ones.” She believes Plastic Free Cayman has played a role in encouraging such changes. A World Habitat Day mes- sage released Monday by the Ministry of Health, En- vironment, Culture and Housing, credited the organi- zation with making a differ- ence, calling its efforts “quite commendable.” “The group has col- lected thousands of pounds of garbage since it began last year,” the message said. “We at the Ministry tip our hats to this group and wish them many successful future beach clean-ups.” The next cleanup, in fact, takes place this weekend in Cayman Brac. Volunteers are encouraged to meet at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Eagle Ray House, just east of Bat Cave, to beautify the beach. More information on the organization is available at the group’s Facebook page or by emailing plasticfreecayman@gmail.com. Bottles top list of plastic waste CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Volunteers sort out plastic items from thousands of pounds of garbage collected in beach cleanups across Grand Cayman in recent months. DEH audit report highlights overtime abuse Tropical Storm Rosa heads for Baja, US Southwest MEXICO CITY (AP) – Trop- ical Storm Rosa soaked northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Pen- insula on Monday and was projected to extend into a drenching of the U.S. Southwest. The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center said the center of Rosa, which was a hurricane until late Sunday, should hit Baja California and Sonora late Monday, bringing 3 to 6 inches of rain. It’s then expected to move quickly north- westward as it weakens, bringing 2 to 4 inches of rain to central and southern Arizona and 1 to 2 inches to the rest of the desert Southwest, Cen- tral Rockies and Great Basin. Some isolated areas might see even more precipitation. Rosa had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Monday morning and was centered about 75 miles west of Punta Eugenia in Mexico. It was heading north-northeast at 12 mph. The Civil Defense agency for Baja Cali- fornia state said schools would be closed Monday in several communities, in- cluding the state capital of Mexicali, across the border from Calexico, California; San Felipe, on the northern Sea of Cortez; and south of Ensenada, on the peninsu- la’s Pacific coast. Classes were also sus- pended in communities in Sonora, where Civil De- fense officials advised people to avoid driving on the coastal highway. The National Weather Service earlier announced flash flood watches through Wednesday for areas including southern Nevada, south- eastern California, south- western and central Utah and the western two- thirds of Arizona. Forecasts call for heavy rainfall in the watch areas, which include Las Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake City, with possible flooding in slot canyons and normally dry washes and a potential for landslides and debris flows from recent wild- fire burn scars. Meanwhile, Trop- ical Storm Sergio was growing in the Pacific and could become a hurri- cane force Monday, though it posed no immediate threat to land. Sergio had winds of 70 mph early Monday and was centered about 625 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. The storm was moving west at 14 mph. Rosa had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph Monday morning and was centered about 75 miles west of Punta Eugenia in Mexico.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 2 Chinese bishops head to Vatican synod Two bishops from China are coming to the Vatican this week for a global meeting of bishops in the first tangible sign of the breakthrough deal between the Vatican and Beijing over bishop nominations. Bishops Guo Jincai of Chengde and Yang Xiaoting will participate. Canada-US reach deal to stay in trade pact with Mexico 2 Koreas begin removing DMZ mines to ease military tensions SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North and South Korean troops began removing some of the land mines planted at their heavily fortified border on Monday, Seoul officials said, in the first implemen- tation of recent agreements aimed at easing their de- cades-long military standoff. The demining comes amid resumed diplomacy over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program after weeks of stalemated nego- tiations. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to visit Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, this month to try to set up a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Monday, South Ko- rean army engineers with de- mining equipment were de- ployed to the border village of Panmunjom and another frontline area called “Arrow Head Hill” where the Koreas plan their first joint searches for soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. The troops began re- moving mines on the southern part of the two sites. Later Monday, the South Ko- rean military detected North Korean soldiers engaged in what it believed was dem- ining on the northern part of the sites, a South Korean de- fense official said on condi- tion of animosity, citing de- partment rules. The official refused to provide more details. North Korea’s state media did not immediately confirm its re- ported demining. At Arrow Head Hill, where some of the fiercest battles occurred during the Korean War, Seoul officials believe there are remains of about 300 South Korean and U.N. forces, along with an unspec- ified number of Chinese and North Korean remains. The Korean War left mil- lions dead or missing, and South Korea wants to expand joint excavations with North Korea for remains at Demili- tarized Zone areas. The Ko- reas remain split along the 155-mile-long DMZ that was originally created as a buffer zone at the end of the Korean War. About 2 million mines are believed to be scattered in and near the DMZ, which is also guarded by hundreds of thousands of combat troops, barbed wire fences and tank traps. Mines dislodged by flooding and landslides have occasionally caused deaths in front-line areas in South Korea. In 2015, a land mine blast blamed on North Korea maimed two South Korean soldiers and pushed the Ko- reas to the brink of war. The agreement to clear mines, the first such effort since the early 2000s, was among a package of tension- easing deals struck by the Koreas’ defense chiefs on the sidelines of a leaders’ summit last month in Pyongyang. Aiming to reduce conventional military threats, they also agreed to remove 11 front-line guard posts by December and set up buffer zones along their land and sea boundaries and a no-fly zone above the border to prevent accidental clashes. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday the military deals will “end all hostile acts on land, sea and sky between South and North Korea.” In a speech marking South Korea’s 70th Armed Forces Day, Moon also called for a stronger national defense, saying “peace can continue only when we have power and are confidant of protecting ourselves.” Moon, a liberal who as- pires to improve ties with North Korea, is a driving force behind U.S.-North Korean nu- clear diplomacy. Critics of his engagement policy have lam- basted the recent inter-Ko- rean military deals, saying a mutual reduction of con- ventional military strength would weaken South Korea’s war readiness because the North’s nuclear program re- mains largely intact. TORONTO (AP) – Canada is back in a revamped North American free trade deal with the United States and Mexico after weeks of bitter, high-pressure negotiations that brushed up against a midnight deadline. In a joint statement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian For- eign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the late Sunday agreement “will strengthen the middle class, and create good, well-paying jobs and new opportunities for the nearly half billion people who call North America home.” The new deal, reached just before the midnight dead- line imposed by the U.S., will be called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agree- ment, or USMCA. It replaces the 24-year-old North Amer- ican Free Trade Agreement, of NAFTA, which President Donald Trump had called a job-killing disaster. Trump on Monday morning called it a “great deal,” tweeting that it “solves the many deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Na- tions together in competition with the rest of the world.” He added: “Congratula- tions to Mexico and Canada!” The agreement reached Sunday gives U.S. farmers greater access to the Cana- dian dairy market. But it keeps a NAFTA dispute-res- olution process that the U.S. wanted to jettison and offers Canada protection if Trump goes ahead with plans to im- pose tariffs on cars, trucks and auto parts imported into the United States. “It’s a good day for Canada,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said as he left his office. Trudeau said he would have more to say Monday. “We celebrate a trilateral deal. The door closes on trade fragmentation in the region,” Jesus Seade, trade negotiator for Mexico’s incoming presi- dent, said via Twitter. Representatives for the government of Mexican pres- ident-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called a press conference to discuss details of the trade deal on Monday. Canada, the United States’ No. 2 trading partner, was left out when the U.S. and Mexico reached an agree- ment last month to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Trump administration officially notified Congress of the U.S.-Mexico trade agree- ment on Aug. 31. That started a 90-day clock that would let outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto sign the new pact before he leaves office Dec. 1. Trump threatened to go ahead with a revamped NAFTA, with or without Canada. It was unclear, how- ever, whether Trump had au- thority from Congress to pursue a revamped NAFTA with only Mexico. Some lawmakers imme- diately expressed relief that Canada had been reinstated in the regional trading bloc. “I am pleased that the Trump administration was able to strike a deal to mod- ernize NAFTA with both Mexico and Canada,” said Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “NAFTA is a proven success.” NAFTA tore down most trade barriers between the United States, Canada and Mexico, leading to a surge in trade among them. But Trump and other critics said it en- couraged manufacturers to move south of the border to take advantage of low Mexican wages, costing American jobs. Trump campaigned on a promise to rewrite NAFTA or get rid of it. Talks on a re- write began more than a year ago. To placate Trump, Mexico agreed in August to provisions that would require 40 per- cent to 45 percent of a car be built in countries where auto workers earn at least $16 an hour to qualify for NAFTA’s duty-free benefits. It was surprising that the United States found it easier to cut a deal with Mexico than with Canada, a long- time ally with a high-wage economy similar to America’s. “When this got started, Canada was the teacher’s pet and Mexico was the problem child,” said Michael Camunez, president of Mon- arch Global Strategies and a former U.S. Commerce De- partment official. But relations between Ot- tawa and Washington soured. In the aftermath of a disas- trous G-7 summit in Quebec in June, Trump called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest.” The two countries need each other economically. Canada is by far the No. 1 destination for U.S. exports, and the U.S. market ac- counts for 75 percent of what Canada sells abroad. The Canadian dollar jumped to a four-month high in response to the deal. “It takes a cloud and lifts it off the Canadian economy,” said Bruce Heyman, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada. But Heyman said Trump’s attacks against America’s closet ally will cause lingering damage to the relationship. “It has been shocking and disappointing and upsetting. In some ways it has been traumatic for many,” Heyman said. “I just don’t think it gets wiped away and resolved with an agreement in prin- ciple on the trade agreement.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council after an agreement was reached in the NAFTA negotiations in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday. - PHOTO: THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, salutes during the repatriation ceremony for the remains of 64 South Korean soldiers killed in North Korea during the Korean War, which arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, from Hawaii on Monday. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2018 Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Cerry Lusenda Tulloch, who passed away on Monday, September 24, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at All Nations Pentecostal Church, 23A Wood Lake Drive, George Town on Sunday, October 07, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing: Closed Casket Interment follows at Garden of Reections Cemetery. Indonesian city buries its dead as toll tops 840 PALU, Indonesia (AP) – Brightly colored body bags were placed side-by-side in a freshly dug mass grave Monday, as a hard-hit Indo- nesian city began burying its dead from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 840 people and left thousands homeless. The death toll, largely from the city of Palu, is ex- pected to keep rising as areas cut off by the damage are reached. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck at dusk Friday and generated a tsu- nami said to have been as high as 20 feet in places. Local army commander Tiopan Aritonang said 545 bodies would be brought to the grave from one hospital alone. The trench dug in Palu was 33 feet by 330 feet and can be enlarged if needed, said Willem Rampangilei, chief of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. “This must be done as soon as possible for health and religious reasons,” he said. Indonesia is ma- jority Muslim, and religious custom calls for burials soon after death, typically within one day. Local military spokesman Mohammad Thorir said the area adjacent to a public cemetery can hold 1,000 bodies. All of the victims, coming from local hospitals, have been photographed to help families locate where their relatives were buried. Video footage showed res- idents walking from body bag to body bag, opening the tops to check if they could identify faces. Around midday, teams of workers, their mouths cov- ered by masks, carried 18 bodies and laid them in the trench. A backhoe waited to push soil on top of the dead. More burials were ex- pected to follow. Military and commer- cial aircraft were delivering some aid and supplies. But there was a need for heavy equipment to reach pos- sible survivors buried in col- lapsed buildings, including an eight-story hotel in Palu where voices had been heard in the rubble. People suffering from a lack of food and sup- plies were also becoming more desperate. Local televi- sion said around 3,000 res- idents had flocked to the Palu airport trying to get out. Footage showed some people screaming in anger because they were not able to board departing military aircraft. The airport has resumed only some commercial flights. “We have not eaten for three days!” one woman yelled. “We just want to be safe!” Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo autho- rized the acceptance of inter- national help, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, adding that generators, heavy equipment and tents were among the items needed. He said the Eu- ropean Union and 10 coun- tries have offered assistance, including the United States, Australia and China. “We will send food today, as much as possible with several aircraft,” Widodo told reporters in the capital, Ja- karta, adding that a supply of fuel was also set to arrive. Nugroho said conditions in the Balaroa section of Palu were particularly bad be- cause the earthquake caused the ground to violently heave up and sink down in places, trapping many people under destroyed houses. In Petobo, another area of the city, the temblor caused loose, wet soil to liquefy, creating a thick, heavy mud that caused massive damage. “In Petobo, it is estimated that there are still hundreds of victims buried in mud ma- terial,” Nugroho said. Villagers who pulled out loved ones – alive and dead – over the weekend expressed frustration that it took rescue teams until Monday to reach Petobo. Edi Setiawan, 32, said he and fellow villagers were able to rescue five children and four adults, including a pregnant woman. However, his sister and father were not among them. “My sister was found em- bracing her father,” he said. “My mother was able to sur- vive after struggling against the mud and being rescued by villagers.” Another villager, 52-year- old Idrus, who uses one name, said “up to Saturday we still saw many people screaming for help from the roofs. But we could not do anything to help them. Now their cries are no longer heard.” But there were cases of survivors still being pulled from the rubble in dif- ferent locations, including a 25-year-old woman found alive Sunday evening in the ruins of the Roa-Roa Hotel, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency, which released photos of her lying on a stretcher covered with a blanket. Novry Wullur, an officer from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, said Nurul Is- tiharah, 15, managed to sur- vive after being trapped inside her house after it col- lapsed. Her mother and niece were dead beside her, and water had left her submerged up to her neck and in danger of drowning. Her legs were finally freed and she was pulled out of the rubble. She was being treated for hypo- thermia at a hospital. The confirmed death toll of 844 released by Nugroho on Monday afternoon was an increase of only 12 since the previous day, with nearly the entire total from Palu. The re- gencies of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong – with a com- bined population of 1.2 mil- lion – had yet to be fully as- sessed. Nearly 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Palu alone, Nugroho said. He said 114 foreigners were in Palu and Donggala during the disaster. All were accounted for except one Belgian, one South Korean and six French. It was the latest natural disaster to hit Indonesia, which is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic erup- tions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earth- quake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia trig- gered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. More recently, a powerful quake on the is- land of Lombok killed 505 people in August. In Donggala, the site closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, aerial footage on Metro TV showed the sugary blond sands of beaches swept out to sea, along with some buildings. Some build- ings in the town were se- verely damaged, with ply- wood walls shredded and chunks of concrete scattered on the pavement. Much of the damage, however, appeared limited to the waterfront. UK BREXIT CHIEF SAYS NO DEAL BETTER THAN BEING TIED TO BLOC BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) – Britain’s chief Brexit min- ister warned the European Union – and his divided party – on Monday that the country will leave the bloc without a deal rather than accept continued close adherence to its rules and obligations. Brexit Secretary Dom- inic Raab told Conservative members at the party’s an- nual conference that if the EU tries to “lock us in via the back door” by keeping Britain in the bloc’s single market or customs union, “then we will be left with no choice but to leave without a deal.” Ten days after EU leaders told Prime Minister Theresa May that her pro- posed divorce terms were unacceptable, Raab ac- cused the bloc of casting “jibes” at Britain and having a “theological ap- proach allows no room for serious compromise.” He said that if the bloc wants a deal, “they need to get serious. And they need to do it now.” Raab’s combative stance toward the bloc is not uni- versally shared among Conservatives as Brit- ain’s governing party holds its four-day gathering in the central England city of Birmingham. Many Conservative law- makers would rather keep close ties with the EU after Britain leaves in March. So would major business groups, who fear barriers to trade and recruiting workers could hammer the U.K. economy. Treasury chief Philip Hammond will use his own conference speech Monday to stress that the Conserva- tives are the party of busi- ness and economic aspi- ration. It’s a sign of how Brexit has upended British politics that the party of free-market former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher needs to make such an assurance. May, meanwhile, faces the mounting threat of a challenge to her leader- ship amid deepening op- position to her Brexit plan, which would keep Britain in the EU single market for goods while leaving it free to make its own rules on services. Advocates of “hard Brexit” argue that make the U.K. a “vassal” of the EU. They say a clean break with the bloc would let Britain strike new trade deals around the world. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a likely fu- ture contender for May’s job, has called the prime minister’s plan “prepos- terous” and “deranged.” On May’s other flank are ministers such as Ham- mond, who want to re- tain close economic bonds with the EU after depar- ture. Hammond on Monday called Johnson’s claims about Brexit “fantasy land” and said government re- quired more than “flam- boyant statements and big announcements.” An Indonesian rescue team carries the body of a victim following a major earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday. - PHOTO: AP Demonstrators protest Sunday against Britain’s Brexit split from Europe, as the governing Conservative Party start their annual four-day party conference in Birmingham, England. - PHOTO: PA WIRENext >