ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 High of 88 Low of 77 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 RED TAPE STRANGLES CAYMAN’S SUPPLY OF CHRISTMAS TREES LOCAL | PAGE 3 BELL RINGING TO MARK END OF WAR 187202_HR2-Ad-Strip-BOTY2017-6coPage 1 10/29/18 11:04:38 AM OfReg consultancy expenses balloon to $2M Money spent on ‘human dynamics training,’ Professor Fibre, and more KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com From its creation in January 2017 through June of this year, the Utility Regulation and Competition Office, known as OfReg, spent nearly $2 million on consultancy and pro- fessional fees, according to records obtained from a Freedom of Information request. The $1,922,876 in consultancy and profes- sional expenses through the first 18 months of OfReg’s existence is already some $200,000 more than the regulator had budgeted for 2017 and 2018 combined. OfReg spent $1,052,451 on such expenses last year, which was $177,368 over budget. Some of the expenses incurred by the reg- ulator were from contracts signed in 2016 by legacy regulators before they were consoli- dated into OfReg. OfReg’s biggest expense for regulatory-re- lated consultancy services was $317,128 to the Canada-based Rockwater International Com- munications Advisors Inc., whose executives include Frans Vandendries, the former vice president of legal, regulatory and corporate af- fairs for Cable & Wireless in Cayman through 2014. According to the agreement between the two parties, Rockwater is paid to “provide ex- pert regulatory and policy advice” to OfReg. Other regulatory consultancy expenses in- clude $23,888 paid to Charles Farrington, who was the executive director of OfReg’s energy and utilities office until he retired in 2017. After his retirement, Mr. Farrington continued to assist OfReg in implementing the National Energy Policy, negotiating the renewal of the operating license for the Cayman Water Com- pany, and “provide general guidance to staff on Energy and Utilities regulation and re- lated matters,” according to his consul- tancy agreement. Another former government regulator who continued to assist OfReg is Glen Daykin, who STAMP DUTY CHANGE COULD IMPACT DEVELOPMENT BOOM JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Buying a new home in the Cayman Is- lands is about to get more expensive – at least for some. Changes to how stamp duty is levied on property purchases will increase the cost of buying in new developments and could cause a slowdown in the booming new property market, some developers have warned. A new Stamp Duty Bill, which goes to the Legislative Assembly later this month, seeks to close what government describes as a “loop- hole” that has allowed home buyers to pay stamp duty on the land price, rather than the finished property, for various types of devel- opment. That has meant significant savings for buyers, worth tens of thousands of dollars, in some cases. Avoiding the full impact of stamp duty has long been considered a perk that offsets the PIRATES WEEK ROAD CLOSURES ANNOUNCED A number of roads will be closed from Wednesday night as George Town gets ready for the annual Pirates Week Festival. The festival in Grand Cayman runs from Thursday, Nov. 8, until Monday, Nov. 12. See page 3 for a full list of road and junction closures. Tourist Giuseppe Rossi frantically ‘swims’ away on an inner tube from a concrete shark at Davinoff’s Concrete Sculpture Garden in Old Man Bay, North Side. The 8-foot-long shark and inner tube are the latest creations by sculptor David Quasius, whose garden contains an array of wild and wonderful concrete creatures. For more on this story, see page 5. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com These pirates will prioritize preservation over plunder. Cayman’s Tourism Attrac- tion Board is making a pitch to make this year’s Pirates Week Festival a more eco-friendly one with its Pirates Against Plastic campaign. The Tourism Attraction Board has partnered with Plastic Free Cayman to host two beach cleanups and has eliminated the use of plastic from festival food courts and gift shops. It has been requested that all vendors at Pirates Week food courts use biodegradable containers and cutlery, which can be purchased through the gift shop. The food containers on sale through the gift shop are made out of bagasse, a sugarcane pulp, and the utensils are made from corn starch. Participating bars will be free of plastic straws and the gift shop will be selling reus- able tankards to replace one-use plastic cups. “We want this to happen every year,” said Shayma Hamdi- Romanica, the marketing coordi- nator for the Tourism Attraction Shark latest attraction at sculpture garden Pirates plan a plastic-free festival PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 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) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (PG13) 1:35 I 4:00 VIP I 6:40 I 9:35 THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS (PG) 1:20 I 3:45 I 9:35 HALLOWEEN (2018) (R) 1:00 VIP I 4:35 I 7:05 I 10:20 VIP VENOM (PG13) 1:10 I 7:10 NOBODY’S FOOL (R) 1:50 I 4:50 I 7:25 I 10:00 A STAR IS BORN (R) 12:30 I 8:00 HUNTER KILLER (R) 4:10 I 9:45 JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN (PG) 3:35 I 5:45 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (PG13) 7:00 VIP Havana fights trash problem ahead of 500th anniversary BRAZIL’S DA SILVA REQUESTS RELEASE, ACCUSING JUDGE OF BIAS SAO PAULO (AP) – Former Brazilian President Luiz In- acio Lula da Silva is chal- lenging his corruption con- viction, arguing that the judge who convicted him has proven his bias by accepting a cabinet post under a po- litical rival. The petition filed Monday with Brazil’s highest court asks that da Silva’s be freed and his conviction overturned. Da Silva’s lawyers have long argued that Judge Sergio Moro was biased against da Silva and that charges against him were trumped up to keep him from becoming president again. Da Silva was leading polls for this year’s election, but the conviction prevented him from running. Instead, the man who had been trailing da Silva was elected. Moro has now agreed to be Jair Bolsonaro’s jus- tice minister. HAVANA (AP) – Luxury ho- tels are rising fast along the Prado, the tree-lined co- lonial boulevard that is home to many of Havana’s best-known architectural masterworks. Yet within sight of five- star lodgings charging $500 a night, stray cats and flies swarm mountains of uncol- lected trash. Piles reeking of rotting waste spill out of dumpsters and climb waist- high as garbage trucks fail to appear for days and even weeks. One of the most basic functions of city government – trash collection – has be- come a serious problem in one of Latin America’s most spectacular cities, which cel- ebrates the 500th anniver- sary of its founding next year. In the Atares neighbor- hood just outside Old Havana, Daysi Boza, 71, sleeps with a stick laid across the bottom of her door to keep out rats that feed on the trash spilling from the four big garbage bins feet from her door. “I can’t even remember how many years this has gone on,” she said. “Every day it’s filthy, stinking – a pigsty.” The root cause appears to be the cash crunch affecting Cuba’s entire government, leaving infrastructure crum- bling, suppliers unpaid and state-run businesses without the inputs needed to produce basic goods. Cuban officials blame the six-decade U.S. embargo for strangling its economy. The government’s critics point to the inefficiency and pervasive small-scale corruption in one of the word’s last centrally planned economies. Officials say Havana has fewer than half of the 100 garbage trucks it needs to conduct daily trash pickups for the city’s 2 million resi- dents. Many of those trucks, mostly Chinese-made, regu- larly are out of service due to a lack of spare parts. “I’m surprised – I expect to see crumbling buildings, but not so much trash,” said Rosario Aneas, a 38-year-old art professor from Spain on a short trip to Cuba. “It’s af- fects the image of Cuba, mars it, and it’s a shame for such a beautiful city.” Aggravating the problem is the fact that virtually no Havana residents use trash bags, which are difficult to find and even when available are hard to afford on a state salary of about $30 a month. Instead of bags, people collect trash in plastic paint buckets that they empty into dumpsters that sit on most street corners in Havana. Be- cause the bins are filled with loose trash, they spill over and reeking garbage piles up as soon as a truck misses a few days’ pickups. The problem is so se- rious that Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has gotten involved, saying at a recent meeting that his government should look for foreign inves- tors to help fix the trash crisis. His administration hopes to create a $100 million com- pany controlled by the Cuban government with a minority share held by foreign in- vestors to handle Havana’s 2,400 tons of daily trash, earning money by recycling and producing energy from landfill gas. Foreign Investment Min- ister Rodrigo Malmierca told The Associated Press recently that the government had ne- gotiated with a Spanish busi- ness but the talks fell through and Cuba is now talking with other potential partners. The trash problem wors- ened after 2010 economic re- forms that allowed Cubans to buy and sell houses and start small businesses in their homes. Instead of paying for professional carting as re- quired by the city, many works crews simply dump sacks full of rubble alongside the nearest trash bin. Many Habaneros dump their domestic trash on top of the rubble, creating moun- tains of foul-smelling refuse. “Some people throw bags of trash from the fifth floor window,” said Luis Al- berto Martinez, a 50-year- old messenger. The head of the munic- ipal government said in May that along with new trucks, Havana needed 12,000 new dumpsters to handle the trash problem. Dozens of Cuban have been arrested in recent years for stealing the big metal bins and cutting them up in workshops to make improvised tubes and other goods in a country with shortages of virtually every product. Cuban authorities say they are hopeful that 60 trash trucks donated by Japan will arrive by the end of the year to help alleviate the problem. A man throws garbage into a container in Old Havana, Cuba. – PHOTO: AP Coach gets nine months for indecent assaults CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former sports coach Steve Anthony Smith was sen- tenced on Monday to nine months’ imprisonment for indecent assault against two teenage girls. Magistrate Grace Don- alds, accepting the request of Crown counsel Darlene Oko, said she would recommend an order for Mr. Smith’s deportation. The first assault was against a student, 15, whom he had been coaching for some time. On bail for that charge, he assaulted a 17-year-old girl whom he had recently met, by inappro- priately touching and ques- tioning her. The magistrate noted that in both cases, the touching was through clothing and did not involve bare skin or the individual’s private parts. Mr. Smith lost his bail after the court heard of the second complaint against him. Defense attorney Nich- olas Dixey suggested that the five months and one week Mr. Smith has spent in custody since then was the equiv- alent of a seven- or eight- month sentence so that the defendant could either be released or placed on a sus- pended sentence. He and Ms. Oko had agreed that the harm caused and the culpability of the de- fendant meant that the of- fense merited a sentence ranging between a high level of community service to one- year imprisonment, with a starting point of 26 weeks. In reaching her sentencing decision, the magistrate noted aggravating features, such as the wide disparity in ages. Mr. Smith turned 49 in April this year. Further, in the first case, he had been warned by the girl’s mother and had disre- garded the warning. In the second case, he had violated a condition of his bail by being with a person under the age of 18 while unaccompanied. The magistrate also re- ferred to the impact of the of- fending on the victims, as ex- plained by Ms. Oko. The first girl said she had trusted Mr. Smith; she had found him to be a good lis- tener who gave her sound ad- vice. Now the girl was afraid he would hurt her after he came out of prison. Both girls struggled with issues of whom to trust. They questioned what they could have done to keep themselves out of harm’s way – even though they were not at fault. The magistrate accepted that Mr. Smith had pleaded guilty, but there had to be a special hearing because he did not agree to the spe- cifics of the charges. The girls had to come to court and give evidence. In those circumstances, the magis- trate said she would give a 10 percent discount instead of the usual one-third, re- ducing a 10-month sentence to nine months. She said her sentencing took into account the many character references provided by people in the community and the fact that Mr. Smith had no previous convictions. Mr. Dixey had emphasized the amount of good work the defendant had done in the community since coming to Cayman in 2013. His history in Jamaica and here had been “stellar,” the attorney said. One reference had described Mr. Smith as “the most in- spiring person in my life.” This “inappropriate and troubling behavior” had de- stroyed Mr. Smith’s repu- tation and had caused dif- ficulties for his family, the attorney said. He described Mr. Smith as a fantasist whose behavior was more like a schoolboy. “He was de- lusional as to what these young women might think of him,” Mr. Dixey suggested. “He brought this on himself, but he has been well pun- ished for it.” Ms. Oko also asked for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. She explained that conditions attached would not necessarily be imposed outside Cayman jurisdiction, but “notification of the order will go with him” so that people elsewhere would be aware of Mr. Smith’s need to maintain proper boundaries. Time in custody is to count toward the sentence. The first assault was against a student, 15, whom he had been coaching for some time. On bail for that charge, he assaulted a 17-year-old girl whom he had recently met.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 Bell ringing to mark end of war To mark the 100th anni- versary of the end of World War I, the Cayman Islands government is appealing to communities, churches, busi- nesses and people across the islands to ring bells in unison on Remembrance Sunday, Nov. 11. Remembrance Sunday, which is held around the world, honors all veterans, including those who sac- rificed their lives to serve their country. On that day, the Cayman Islands will join nations around the world in “ringing for peace” to com- memorate the 100th anniver- sary of Armistice Day. Church bells across the United Kingdom remained restricted throughout the course of the war and only rang freely once Ar- mistice was declared on Nov. 11, 1918. “To join the international initiative to celebrate the day the guns fell silent, the peace and friendship that now ex- ists between nations, and re- member those who severed and the lives that were lost, those individuals and organ- isations that wish to take part should ring out bells 11 times starting at 11 a.m.,” a statement issued by gov- ernment on Sunday read. Remembrance Day ceremony The annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony will be held at the cenotaph outside Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town on Nov. 11. The public is invited to at- tend starting at 10:45 a.m. At- tendees and participants are asked to be assembled and seated by 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will com- mence with a parade led by the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service band, followed by the Cayman Islands Veterans Association, the Fire Service, Her Majesty’s Prison Service, Girls’ Brigade, the Scouts, Cadet Corps, the Seventh Day Pathfinders, the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, and the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside Elmslie Me- morial Church. Organizers are encouraging everyone attending the cere- mony to wear a poppy. Pop- pies are symbolic of those who have served and made the ulti- mate sacrifice. They can be ob- tained from various locations or from local veterans; a dona- tion is discretionary. On Monday, Nov. 12, a public holiday, the Cayman Islands will continue to re- member those who served, and the lives that were lost, by holding a two-minute mo- ment of silence starting at 11 a.m. Individuals or religious organizations who wish to pay their respects by laying wreaths at the cenotaph or the Seaman’s Memorial at Sunday’s ceremony, should contact Chief Protocol Officer Meloney Syms on 244-3612 or email protocol@gov.ky by Wednesday, Nov. 7. Church bells across the United Kingdom remained restricted throughout the course of the war and only rang freely once Armistice was declared on Nov. 11, 1918. Bells will ring out across the world, and in Cayman, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11, to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Pirates Week road closures announced As the Pirates Week fes- tivities for Grand Cayman get under way, a number of roads and junctions in downtown George Town will be closed. The festival in Grand Cayman runs from Thursday, Nov. 8 until Monday, Nov. 12. Residents living on South Church Street and other areas affected by these road closures can obtain ve- hicle passes at the Pirates Week Office, according to organizers. During this time, the fol- lowing road closures will be implemented: Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 7 p.m. to Thursday, Nov. 8 at 6 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive between the entrance to the Port Authority and Shedden Road, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. ■■ Reason: Set-up Thursday, Nov. 8 from 7 p.m. to Friday, Nov. 9 at 6 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive be- tween the entrance to the Port Authority and Shedden Road. ■■ Reason: Set-up Friday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive be- tween the entrance to the Port Authority and Shedden Road ■■ Reason: Set-up and tear-down, Water- front Sound Invasion Street Dance, Sat- urday Street Dance Friday, Nov. 9 from 3 p.m. to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 a.m. ■■ Warwick Drive at in- tersection with Har- bour Drive ■■ Boilers Road at intersec- tion with Walkers Road ■■ Goring Avenue will be closed. ■■ Reason: 5K run, Wa- terfront Sound Inva- sion Street Dance, Sat- urday Street Dance Friday, Nov. 9 from 6 p.m. to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive will be closed at Fort Street (and remains closed up to Shedden Road) ■■ Albert Panton Street will be closed between Margaritaville entrance and Cardinall Avenue. ■■ Reason: Waterfront Sound Invasion Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive remains closed between the Port Authority entrance and Shedden Road. ■■ Albert Panton Street remains closed be- tween Margaritaville entrance and Cardinall Avenue. South Church Street will be closed between Boilers Road and Shedden Road. ■■ Shedden Road will be closed at the intersec- tion of Elgin Avenue. ■■ Boilers Road will be closed between Walkers Road and South Church Street. ■■ Goring Avenue will be closed. ■■ Reason: Harbour Drive festival events – Landing, Float Pa- rade, Street Dance Saturday, Nov. 10, 2-6 p.m. ■■ North Church Street will be closed at Mary Street. ■■ Edward Street will be closed. ■■ Fort Street will be closed at the intersec- tion with Edward Street. ■■ Shedden Road will be closed between Harbour Drive and Main Street. ■■ Goring Avenue will be closed between South Church Street and the entrance to RBC. ■■ Reason: Float Parade Sunday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ■■ Motorists should exer- cise caution traveling westbound on Sham- rock Road in the vicinity of Spotts Public Beach. Cones will be placed along the inner lane to allow patrons to walk to and from events safely. ■■ Reason: Spotts Beach Turtle Release Sunday, Nov. 11 from 6 p.m. to Monday, Nov. 12 at 6 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive will be closed from Goring Av- enue to Boilers Road. ■■ Reason: Soaked Wet Fete. Monday, Nov. 12 from 5 a.m. until Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4 a.m. ■■ Harbour Drive will be closed between the entrance to the Port Authority and Shedden Road. ■■ Albert Panton Street will be closed between Margaritaville entrance and Cardinall Avenue. ■■ Reason: Culture Shop Family Street Fair, Culture Jam, Sen- tencing of the Pi- rates, Illumination Pa- rade, Fireworks and Street Dance Finale. Street closures for Pirates Week events will begin on Wednesday evening. MISS FESTIVAL QUEEN REPLACED BY BEST NATIONAL COSTUME There will be no Miss Festival Queen crowned at this year’s Pirates Week Festival. Instead, a new competition to find the best national costume is being introduced, organizers said. The five districts of Grand Cayman will com- pete in the District Heritage Ambassador Costume Com- petition, which will be held on the main stage on Har- bour Drive at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. The competition is open to young women and men, ages 15 and older. It aims to showcase Caymanian culture through design. Each District Committee elects an ambassador as its representative and everyone works together to design a costume. In previous years, Festival Queens represented their respective districts, and their costumes were often in line with the theme of each year’s festival. The theme of this year’s Pirates Week Festival is “Celebrating the Seas,” with the sub-theme “Pirates against Plastic.” Organizers said in a press release issued Monday that the costumes “will be judged on their de- sign as it relates to these themes. Other areas of ad- judication include authen- ticity, stage presentation, use of Caymanian products and design detail.” Last year’s Miss Festival Queen will crown the com- petition winner, who will re- ceive $500 and lead the Il- lumination Parade, showing off the district’s winning costume to a crowd of more than 12,000 people. Contending for the title this year are: Sheila Cortina of West Bay, Jessica Ebanks of North Side, Dea Ramoon of East End, Roseanne Myles of George Town, and Daryl Newell of Bodden Town. Miss Festival Queen 2017 Tracey Barnes-Fagan, center, with four of the 2018 competitors in the National Costume Competition.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. “Due to the overwhelming difficulty experienced last year with the importation process, we have decided to not bring in Christmas Trees for the 2018 season.” – Trees4Life, local charity Decorating evergreens may be an “imported” tra- dition, but it is one that our country has enjoyed for decades. Each year, thousands of Christmas trees are available for residents wishing to celebrate the holiday season with festive and fragrant conifers. That is, until recently. Last year, inspection holdups at the Department of Agriculture (DoA) jeopardized the sale and distribution of fresh Christmas trees until nearly the beginning of December. Officials held up all shipments of trees after finding “live pests” in several containers. (Does anyone know the scientific name for “humbugs?”) The trees were, eventually, treated and released for sale to the public, but lingering uncertainties and con- tinuing delays have been the final straw for several retailers who say they have been forced by the govern- ment to navigate shifting requirements in recent years. Vigoro Nursery said in a statement that it is not importing Christmas trees this year because of “con- tinual import regulation changes that have made it extremely tedious and risky.” Similarly, Cost-U-Less said, “We struggled last year to meet island require- ments and this year is no different.” The DoA is a small department with serious respon- sibilities, and when it fails to meet those responsibili- ties, it generates big headlines. For example, the DoA is responsible for controlling the stray dog and cat popu- lations (a problem that remains widespread despite the best supplementary efforts by several charities), as well as investigating instances of animal abuse and neglect (practices that, unfortunately, remain nearly as ubiqui- tous as the aforementioned strays). One of the DoA’s duties is to prevent the importa- tion of invasive pests. We do not know if the “pests” the DoA said it discovered in last year’s shipments of Christmas trees posed a threat to Cayman’s ecosystem – for the sake of this editorial, let’s assume they did – but even so, the department has had nearly a year to devise a workable solution to last year’s debacle. The consensus among retailers seems to be that the DoA has failed. Officials’ initial idea was to require growers, in Canada, to spray the trees before they are shipped to Cayman. The only problem is that the spray DoA wanted growers to use is banned in Canada. (How could the DoA not be aware of this? Anyway, why are they advising the use of a poison that has been banned in a large first-world country like Canada?) The eventual workaround is for growers to apply a “pre-treatment” pesticide to the ground that is absorbed by the trees as they grow. The DoA’s green light came “too late in the season” – or the entire process was too much of a hassle – for some importers, including Trees4Life, a local charity that donates proceeds from tree sales to support worthy causes. Christmas trees are supposed to be wrapped in colorful lights and garlands – not bureaucratic red tape. Cayman is not the only island that imports Christmas trees; surely, there are a slew of “pro-tree/ anti-pest” jurisdictions whose examples we could follow. Some retailers, including Hurley’s and Every Bloomin’ Thing, said they will suffer through the DoA’s holiday headaches in order to import evergreens for Christmas. In the meantime, Cost-U-Less will sell arti- ficial trees, and Vigoro is planning an “environmentally friendly” alternative – details to be announced later. If all else fails, some residents may end up bor- rowing a page from our forebears (and perhaps a machete from an iguana culler) – and hunt for a suitable Casuarina, Lancewood or Sisal Tree to place in the living room or “sand yard.” Pass the tinsel. On second thought, better make that eggnog (well-spiked, please) …. Red tape strangles Cayman’s supply of Christmas trees TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The madness of college basketball WASHINGTON – Until last week it seemed that the Di- vision 1 college basket- ball industry could produce nothing more risible than its pieties about cherishing the amateurism of the “stu- dent-athletes” who gen- erate, but get mere crumbs of, the industry’s billions. Last week, however, a New York jury, which perhaps had a sense of humor, em- braced this novel argument by the federal government: Basketball factories such as Kansas, Louisville and North Carolina State are ac- tually victims of the oper- atives – representatives of shoe companies, and actual or aspiring agents – who use unsavory methods to direct “blue chip” recruits to the schools’ lucrative basketball programs. The three men convicted of fraud and conspiracy in the first of at least three similar trials face impris- onment because of this supposed crime: The three schools mentioned above gave athletic scholarships to five elite recruits whose families had received – pre- sumably, but perhaps not really, unbeknownst to the schools – through the three men (one of them a former consultant for Adidas shoe company) payments, one of $90,000, to purchase their help in directing their sons to those schools, which re- ceive much larger payments to advertise, by wearing, Ad- idas gear. (Nike and Under Armour also compete in the auction for schools’ allegiances.) Might the federal govern- ment’s finite law enforce- ment resources serve more deserving victims? And why is it a federal crime to evade the NCAA’s lackadaisical enforcement of its nonsen- sical rules by paying fami- lies? About schools main- taining (to borrow a phrase from politics) “plausible de- niability” about the meat market in tall teenagers, Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins notes: “De- fense attorneys presented text messages between [former Adidas consultant T.J.] Gassnola and Kansas coach Bill Self that showed the coach was well aware of Adidas’ efforts to steer recruits to him, if not the method. Gassnola assured Self that Adidas was ‘here to help’ in getting players for the school, which was finalizing a 12-year, $191 million sponsorship deal with the sneaker company.” Not bad compensation for Kansas-the-victim. An NBA program an- nounced last month might somewhat diminish col- lege basketball’s stench, which the NBA made worse with its 2005 rule that teams could not sign players younger than 19. This created the “one and done” charade of players sort of attending, say, Ken- tucky for one season, then turning pro. Elite 18-year- olds will now be able to re- ceive $125,000 for a season in the NBA’s developmental G League, draining some talent from the pipeline sus- taining the cartel of college basketball powerhouses. Perhaps schools should give candor a try, paying their basketball and foot- ball players as value-adding employees who create al- most all of the $8 billion that college sports generate. Undergraduate music ma- jors are not forbidden to earn money with their tal- ents while in school. Ken- tucky head coach John Cali- pari’s salary is $8 million, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski’s is $9 million, and 44 other head coaches earn more than $2 million, so perhaps (BEG ITAL)something(END ITAL) could trickle down to the “student-athletes” who now receive only tuition, room, board and small cost- of-living stipends. Taylor Branch, writing in The At- lantic in 2011, noted that the NCAA minted the phrase “student-athlete” to deflect the threat of injured athletes making workers’ compensa- tion claims. In a California trial (a ruling is pending), some former athletes challenged the NCAA’s strict price con- trols on labor as antitrust violations that prevent com- petitive bidding. Amazingly, the NCAA manages to say with a straight face: “Main- taining amateurism is cru- cial to preserving an aca- demic environment in which acquiring a quality edu- cation is the first priority.” To which journalist Pat- rick Hruby, writing in The Washington Post, responds: “A 2015 survey found that athletes in the Pac-12 con- ference spent an average of 50 hours per week on their sports and were often ‘too exhausted to study effec- tively.’” And: “A University of Georgia assistant men’s basketball coach taught a course, mostly for his players, with a final exam that began by asking: ‘How many goals are there on a basketball court?’” The lesson of this tawdry story is that if you graft a multibillion dollar enter- tainment industry onto aca- demic institutions, the dis- cordance will leave the latter soiled and the former in- dulging in shady practices that serve the pretense that the industry is somehow something other than it is. The sentencing of the three men convicted last week is set for March 5, two weeks before the NCAA basket- ball tournament, which CBS and Time Warner pay nearly $1 billion a year to televise. It is called March Mad- ness. Actually, the madness is a 12-month-a-year, every- year business. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL Perhaps schools should give candor a try, paying their basketball and football players as value-adding employees who create almost all of the $8 billion that college sports generate. 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&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 Remembrance PUBLIC HOLIDAY Dy t: 949 5111 e: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday, November 12th NO PUBLICATION Tuesday, November 13th Wednesday, November 7th Wednesday, November 14th Thursday, November 8th Thursday, November 15th Friday, November 9th Friday, November 16th Tuesday, November 13th PLEASE BE ADVISED there will be no newspaper on Monday, November 12th Remembrance Day (Public Holiday) Celebrate PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Haitians celebrate Festival of the Dead PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – Dressed in black, white and purple, revelers in Haiti visit cemeteries during the coun- try’s annual Fete Gede, or the Festival of the Dead. The celebration of spirits, which is often held during the first two days of No- vember, coincides with the Roman Catholic festivities of All Saints’ Day. It’s an intricate affair. During the festival, be- lievers dress up as Gede spirits known as “Loas” and say they become possessed by those who hear their prayers and provide favors to mem- bers of their congregation. “The Gede spirit has manifested in my head for 30 years,” says Atesi Auguste, who sells fried food in the streets of Cite Soleil, one of the most crowded, poorest and violent slums on the out- skirts of the capital. Auguste and her husband, Raynold Alexandre, are well known voodoo priests in the slum, and three of their six children are priests, too. Every year during the cel- ebration, they paint their faces with white powder, wear special clothes and walk through the shanty- town’s narrow pathways to pay tribute to the spirits. They also drink and wash their faces, eyes and even gen- itals with a mixture of rum and hot chili peppers, and offer coffee, food, rum, music and dances to their deceased loved ones and Baron Samedi, the ruler of the graveyard. Among all the Loas, Baron Samedi is one of the most re- spected and is said to be the protector of children and last hope for the sick. He is often depicted drinking al- cohol, smoking tobacco and following young women in a provocative manner. Mimose Bernard, a 44-year-old believer, performs voodoo rituals for other res- idents in the slum from the beginning of October to Nov. 2. She says Baron Sa- medi is a good spirit who helped protect her with good health and good luck. “I remember that I was 10 years old when I first in- voked the Gede spirit,” said Bernard, who lives with her child in a tiny home built from old metal sheets. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com You do not usually ex- pect to find a reef shark in a garden, but that is exactly what visitors artist David Quasius’s Davinoff’s Concrete Sculpture Garden in North Side find when they enter. The 8-foot concrete shark weighs a hefty 750 pounds. The inner tube prop, just out of harm’s way from the shark’s teeth, is also made from concrete and rebar. The items are among the newest additions to the many con- crete creatures in the garden. “It’s an interesting piece for children to sit and pre- tend they are swimming away from the shark, for par- ents to take pictures,” said Mr. Quasius as he enjoyed the comforts of the Old Man Bay garden on his second day of vacation from Wisconsin last week, along with his wife Kathy. He said the sculpture tells a story about Cayman and some of the creatures that are in the water and on the land. “I already have a stingray, an octopus, turtle, starfish and mermaid … I thought a shark would be the perfect thing to add to that,” he said. Mr. Quasius was also ex- cited about the interna- tional attention the garden has received recently. This year, an article in National Geographic about Cayman listed the concrete park as one of the island’s top attractions. The HGTV series “Caribbean Life” also had a segment on Cayman that included a child vis- iting the park. “It’s cool stuff,” he said. “Normally, when I come down in November, I figure out where I will put my next piece. I put the slab and rebar in, let that sit and when I come back in January to February, I have seven to eight weeks to complete the sculpture,” he explained. A pair of large Cayman parrots, the national bird, will be his project this year, he said. “Their constant squawking in the almond trees had me thinking about doing a sculpture for several years now,” he said. “I’ve got a pretty good idea about how I want it … It’s going to be the same kind of thing with rebar and mesh. The parrots will be sitting on a branch in the almond tree. One will be leaning down, getting an almond in its beak, and the other one will be sitting up in the branches holding an almond in its feet that’s half eaten.” He said it fits right into his theme of having all su- persized animals in the park. For now, he’s busy trim- ming back trees, clearing the area and working on a smaller attraction, which is a “hermit crab shell exchange station,” he said. He puts the empty hermit crab shell in a stone area and the crabs come out to ex- change their shells. To keep track of the hermit crabs, Mr. Quaisus paints the tips of each shell in various colors. “It’s amazing that a year or two later, I will find a crab that has come in and ex- changed a blue one for a red one. It’s fun, and I really don’t lose any shells,” said Mr. Quasius with a laugh. Davinoff’s brain coral has also been added to the park in recent times, along with a reef shark circling four snorklers. Davinoff’s Concrete Sculp- ture Park is located in North Side on Old Robin Road, which turns into the Queen’s Highway, in an area that long- time residents call “Beyond.” Mr. Quasius is a retired contractor and former ac- countant who wanted to find something constructive to do to keep himself busy during his visits to the island. He created the concrete garden in 2010, and has been adding to it ever since it turned into a popular local and tourist attraction. “It’s an interesting piece for children to sit and pretend they are swimming away from the shark for parents to take pictures.” DAVID QUASIUS, artist Reef shark circles in on sculpture garden David Quasius poses with one of his concrete sculptures. Voodoo believers, who are supposed to be possessed with Gede spirit, dance in the middle of the street during the annual Voodoo festival Fete Gede at Cite Soleil Cemetery in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday. - PHOTO: APThe 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 NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, NOV. 6 U.K. SCHOLARSHIPS: Today is the deadline to apply to the Chevening Secretariat for U.K. government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications are 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. THURSDAY, NOV. 8 ‘THE GRINCH’: A special premiere of “The Grinch” will be held at the Camana Bay Cinema at 6 p.m. All proceeds from the movie will be donated to Cayman Food Bank. Tickets must be purchased in advance for $15 at the Camana Bay Visitor Centre. Bring non- perishable food to donate when you purchase your ticket or on the night of the film and receive a voucher for a free small popcorn. Email info@camanabay.com. SISTER ISLANDS POST OFFICES CLOSURE: All post offices on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman will be closed for a staff function. The post offices will resume normal business hours on Friday. FRIDAY, NOV. 9 LIFE ON THE COLONY: Exhibition of artwork by Gordon Solomon at the National Gallery. Today through Dec. 5. For related events and school tours, email education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. SUNDAY, NOV. 11 REMEMBRANCE DAY: The annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony will be held at the Cenotaph outside Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town at 10:45 a.m. On Cayman Brac, the ceremony is outside the Government Administration Building, Stake Bay. Members of the public are invited and are asked to be seated by 10:30 a.m. Individuals or religious organizations who wish to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, or the Seaman’s Memorial, should contact Chief Protocol Officer Meloney Syms, 244-3612 or email protocol@gov.ky, by Wednesday, Nov. 7. THURSDAY, NOV. 15 FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: Musical opens tonight at St. Ignatius School Hall. Shows are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets on sale at the school office. VIP tickets $25. Others are $15 for adults, $10 for students. Family Pass for two shows, $50. $5 discount on all tickets for the matinee. Phone 949-9250 for further details. MOVEMBER INFORMATION NIGHT: November is designated as a month to highlight men’s health. Men (and women) are invited to attend an information evening at the Lions Community Centre, 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit www.movember.ky. SATURDAY, NOV. 17 CHILDREN’S STORY TIME: At 10:30 a.m. today and every other Saturday, George Town Public Library. Lasts approximately 45 minutes. Age range is 0 to 5 years. For more information on special programs at the library, call 949-5159. SUNDAY, NOV. 18 ONE DOG AT A TIME FUNDRAISER: Design your own biscuit/treat jar for your favorite dog or cat. ODAAT will be joining Three Girls and a Kiln to design a snack container. The pots have been pre-made, so participants can paint them in their own styles and colors. Nibbles for the event are included. FRIDAY, NOV. 23 MOVEMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT: Also known as “MOpen.” Players are invited to take part in this tournament at the North Sound Golf Course. 12:30 p.m. until sunset. For more information, visit www.MOvember.ky. GENERAL INTEREST 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. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training 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. 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. 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. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. The local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Tuesdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, Cayman Islands Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.optimistcayman.com. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. Email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. Call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE: Breast-feeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m. to noon in the Women’s Health Centre. Phone 244–2649. CAYMAN BRIDGE CLUB: Meets Tuesdays 7 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road; Fridays, 9 a.m. at the Rugby Club. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Alex Wood at 947-3693. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. ‘More Cars Than People (2018)’ will be one of the artworks on display at Gordon Solomon’s new exhibition, ‘Life on the Colony,’ at the National Gallery, from Nov. 9.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 West Bay hosts its Heritage Day Visitors, school children and residents enjoyed a day of culture and tradition at the West Bay Heritage Vil- lage on Monday. It was West Bay’s turn to host the district Heritage Day, part of the annual Pi- rates Week Festival. Heritage Days will be held in other districts throughout this week, including North Side on Tuesday, Bodden Town on Wednesday and George Town on Thursday. In West Bay, attendees explored an old-time Cay- manian cottage, filled with memorabilia, old photo- graphs and other displays, and learned about the out- door kitchen. Eziethamae Bodden, chair of the West Bay District Heritage Com- mittee, was on hand, in tradi- tional dress, to welcome visi- tors to the cottage and to tell them about the sights and tastes that were available throughout the day. Visitors also got a close- up look at a catboat, an iconic vessel that was used to catch and transport tur- tles at sea. At stalls throughout the field, thatch goods were on sale, with thatch makers dem- onstrating their handiwork. There were plenty of snow cones, freshly made, to keep everyone cool as the sun beat down on the event, and also a selection of local foods to sate appetites when lunch- time rolled around. The sky is melting at Full of Beans MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nathalie Marineau found out the hard way how intense the Cayman sun can get. She watched as it melted the paint on her canvas. Instead of getting frus- trated, Mrs. Marineau ac- cepted it as part of the pro- cess, even incorporating the phenomenon into her new exhibit “Melting Skies,” which opens Tuesday at Full of Beans coffee shop on Smith Road. The textured, swirling ab- stract acrylic paintings in the exhibit are Mrs. Marineau’s latest efforts to capture the light and feel of the island environment. The paintings, she said, “are all representative of the sky and the sun and how it’s shaping nature around it. I like how the light here is so blinding at times that it changes the shape of things.” Rather than trying to cap- ture a physical moment in time, Mrs. Marineau said she tries to depict the essence of how it feels. “Like this one with the sun kind of melting,” she said, pointing to a painting where trails of yellow from the sun run down into the rest of the composition. “I know that moment.” Mrs. Marineau found her art through writing. A native of Montreal, she studied lit- erature at the University of Quebec at Montreal, earning a master’s degree in litera- ture and art criticism. After writing about art for awhile, she felt inspired to put down her pen and pick up a brush. “I found it was the perfect expression for me,” she said. “It’s an anchor. I always carry a notebook and draw.” Mrs. Marineau began painting cityscapes and continued with that theme after moving to New York in 2007. The work, she said was typically “very dark and geometric.” Cayman changed that. Mrs. Marineau moved here in 2012 when her hus- band, Charles, got a job in the financial sector. She was overwhelmed by the light. “The colors were so bright and bold,” she said. “I had to find a way to interpret them. I tried to use a lot of texture.” Most of the works in the exhibit show that process. “I like to layer the colors,” Mrs. Marineau said. “I might start with a splash of red and then add on. Some of them, I come back around and add layers and layers.” Parenting duties made it difficult for her to find the time to paint, she said, but now that her two children are school age, she’s had more freedom to pursue the work. The paintings in the ex- hibit, she said, were done in the past four years. “I thought this collection was making sense, together,” she said. “It’s all about the senses. That’s why I call it ‘Melting Skies.’” A reception for the show will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, at Full of Beans, in the Pasadora Place shopping center on Smith Road. The show runs through Nov. 30. ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,’ is one of the pieces on display in a new exhibit at Full of Beans. - PHOTOS: MARK MUCKENFUSS Artist Nathalie Marineau’s work is featured in a new exhibit at Full of Beans. Eziethamae Bodden welcomes visiting school children to the Caymanian cottage at the West Bay Heritage Day festivities on Monday. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY The Sir John A. Cumber Primary School reception class visits the Heritage Park in West Bay. John A Cumber students check out the catboat.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS was the acting head of the Information and Communi- cation Technology Authority from November 2013 to June 2014, when he was replaced by current telecommunica- tions director Alee Fa’amoe. Mr. Daykin was later con- tracted to assist in processing licensing applications, pro- vide website support, and provide general guidance to staff on ICTA-related matters. Along with legal- and reg- ulatory-related consultancy fees, OfReg hired consultants to perform internal adminis- trative duties. For instance, the regu- lator spent $122,613 on Fi- nancial Integrated Services Ltd., in part to “act as Chief Financial Officer for the Au- thority.” Financial Integrated Services was hired, among other things, to prepare monthly reports for govern- ment, prepare quarterly re- ports for OfReg’s board of di- rectors, and ensure accurate and timely collection of li- cense fees from licensees. Jason Abraham, whose LinkedIn page states that he worked as an energy and utilities analyst for OfReg through July 2017, was also contracted on July 28, 2017 to draft OfReg’s annual plan and budget for 2018. Additional expenditures went toward public relations and human resources services. One HR-related expense was $6,900 paid to Kerage Ltd. for “human dynamics training.” Kerage’s website states that the company’s “approach is to find, docu- ment, implement, and track the changes that deliver big positive results, quickly. “In general, we catego- rise our work into four key areas. Working with manage- ment, we provide expertise in Alignment, Accountability, Sustainability and Toolsets.” Kerage’s training with OfReg involved three coaching sessions, according to Ker- age’s contract: an initial work- shop that entailed Kerage is- suing a “Styles Indicator” for each OfReg member, a follow- up workshop where Kerage would “show participants how the different Styles in- teract with each other,” and a final workshop where Kerage was to “follow-up with partic- ipants for individual coaching to support their application of Styles to determine how they will use it going forward.” For PR services, OfReg has spent $36,753 on former publicist Kelly Holding, and at least $18,143 on its current publicist, Fountainhead. Services provided by Fountainhead have included the creation of cartoon char- acters “Professor Fibre” and “Engineer Ellie,” whom OfReg said are a part of “a new cam- paign to help the people in Cayman understand the role of the regulator and the work that OfReg is undertaking on behalf of the consumer.” OfReg and Fountainhead introduced Professor Fibre in a July press release, saying that he is a “young professor determined to help people understand that high quality telecommunications connec- tivity is no longer considered a luxury, and that in several countries, is now consid- ered a right.” “Professor Fibre welcomed his new role at OfReg by saying: ‘I am delighted to be a part of this wonderful team of dedicated people. We have a lot of ground to cover in ex- plaining the value of quality telecommunications connec- tivity to everyone in Cayman and I am keen to get started,’” the press release stated. Both Professor Fibre and Engineer Ellie have their own websites and social media pages, where they provide safety tips and other educa- tional tidbits about internet and other public utilities. “Tenants must notify the gas supplier of any structural or other changes which might affect the gas installation. #LPGSafetyTips,” states a re- cent tweet from Engineer Ellie. OfReg’s largest overall ex- pense has been $413,218 on legal fees, due in large part to an ongoing court case the regulator has against Carib- bean Utilities Company sub- sidiary DataLink Ltd. The case involves DataLink chal- lenging restrictions OfReg made on the fees charged to telecommunications compa- nies to hang their fiber-optic cables from telephone poles. OfReg has explained that it needs to spend millions on consultants because its staff lack the skills to carry out the office’s regulatory work. OfReg’s 2017 annual re- port states that it is “endowed with a small group of enthu- siastic, willing and dedicated staff” but that “the organiza- tion currently lacks, in house, the range of requisite skills to perform its regulatory work.” Therefore, OfReg “must rely on consultant help,” states the report, which also shows that in 2017, OfReg spent $2,228,992 on salaries and benefits for a “total full-time equivalent staff” of 22 people – about $100,000 per employee. The 2017 report explains that OfReg is working to train its staff to be “the best of the best,” and is also com- mitted to recruiting econo- mists, engineers and lawyers who have the skills to suc- ceed at the office. “The expectation is that in the short- to medium- term, consulting and training costs will be high,” the re- port states, “but consulting costs will trend downwards as the effects of the training and development initiatives are realized.” OfReg consultancy expenses balloon to $2M Board. “We hope other fes- tivals and large events will follow suit. It’s very impor- tant we all contribute, and there’s so many small ways we can contribute, like not taking the plastic bags from the supermarkets. Just bring a canvas bag in- stead. It starts with the ev- eryday stuff like plastic bags and straws.” The Pirates Week Fes- tival also will include two beach cleanups. One will be for locals, on Sat- urday, Nov. 10, at Barkers Beach in West Bay, hosted by Plastic Free Cayman. The other will be a “Volun- tourism” event for eco-con- scious visitors at Barkers on Monday, Nov. 12. The Saturday cleanup will be focused on the area of Barkers around the kitesurfing location, while the Monday cleanup will meet at the horse- riding entrance. “We have quite a large group of visiting pirates who come just for the fes- tival and are staying in hotels and condos,” Ms. Hamdi-Romanica said. “We’re going to provide transport for them to Barkers Beach and pro- vide them breakfast and cleanup tools.” Ms. Hamdi-Romanica said the idea to make a plastic-free celebration came in the wake of Ba- tabano, when there was a public outcry over the amount of litter and plastic on the roads after the celebration. She recalled a food and wine show in Aspen, Col- orado, she had attended that only used biodegrad- ables, and began looking for a way to make it happen in Cayman. One of her peers, Lori-Ann Whit- taker, found the steel mugs that will be on sale at the gift shop. But the goal, Ms. Hamdi-Romanica said, is to impact the world one event at a time. “Styrofoam is built to last forever,” she said. “They created this thing that will never be de- stroyed, but then that’s an issue because it never de- grades. Most plastics take between 400 to 1,000 years to degrade, and some of them don’t fully degrade at all.” The European Union recently announced a ban on certain single-use plas- tics, and Jamaica will no longer import plastic shopping bags and styro- foam starting in 2019. Ms. Hamdi-Romanica said that more than eight million tons of plas- tics are dumped into the ocean every year, creating a problem of global pro- portions. That is especially worrisome for an island environment like Cayman and the Caribbean. uncertainty of buying into a new development before construction. Paul Pearson, of Daven- port Development, which built San Sebastian and Vela, two of the largest re- cent housing developments on South Sound, believes the new rules will hurt middle income home buyers, inhibit development and cost jobs. He said, “The Stamp Duty change will be detrimental to our ability to sell in our target market. Currently, it is the purchaser, not the de- veloper, who benefits from the stamp duty law. With the proposed change in the law, if it goes into effect as gazetted, purchasers in our mid-range market will have to come up with close to 20 percent of the pur- chase price. “This will definitely have a huge impact on their ability to purchase from us or other developers. We an- ticipate that this change will drastically affect the con- struction and development industry in Cayman, and we believe the change will cost Caymanian jobs.” Stamp duty costs are not covered by bank financing, so the change will mean buyers now require signifi- cantly more funds up front before purchasing a home. Dale Crighton, director of Crighton Properties, es- timates it will mean buyers have to come up with an ad- ditional 10 percent of the total purchase price up front, as well as whatever equity is required for bank financing. While he welcomes some aspects of the bill, including the expansion of concessions for first-time Caymanian home buyers, he said closing the loophole would impact the mid-range market. He said, “This will only affect a certain sector of the market; however, this sector is made up mainly of locals and expats who will now find it more difficult to ac- quire residential properties.” The changes relate to “linked property transac- tions” where the purchaser buys a plot of land in a de- velopment with an agree- ment to buy a finished property in the same de- velopment. It impacts all new condo and housing developments. Matthew Wight, of NCB Homes, said linked transac- tions were necessary for de- velopers to sell land plots before construction, while retaining control through the construction process. He said the changes would im- pact anyone buying into new developments. “The difference in stamp duty in prepaying on a land contract versus a full devel- opment price is significant and you can be talking as much as 8 or 10 times the cost of stamp duty.” He said he had no issue with closing the loophole for condo developments, which are typically building stratas that do not involve transfer of a land title. But, he said, the changes cap- tured all types of develop- ment, including town homes, duplexes and single-family residences, and would inev- itably have a slowing effect in the long term. He said other parts of the bill, including increases to the threshold at which first- time Caymanian buyers be- come eligible for stamp duty exemptions, were necessary and welcome. He added, “For a devel- oper and people looking at multi-family developments, one of the incentives is being able to pay reduced stamp duty price pre-construc- tion. I think that will have a natural slow-down effect, with people reconsidering whether they are willing to stomach the full 7.5 percent up front on the total pur- chase price from the onset.” He said Cayman’s market was currently incredibly strong and with demand for new development surging, he questioned the need for the change. “We’ve got record num- bers,” he said. “Why hand- icap new development when we have a supply and de- mand issue as it is right now? We have a shortage of supply. There is a need for developers to be rolling out projects and this is going to have an effect at some point on people’s commitment to buying versus renting.” Not everyone objects to the changes, however. Kim Lund, of RE/Max, said closing the loophole was only fair and in the best in- terests of the country in the long term. He said, “While it will create a bit more cost to pur- chasers, it is a far cry from having to pay real estate property taxes every year, so any purchaser should be grateful for not having to face the alternative.” He said annual property taxes are the norm in most developed countries, so the system of a one-time stamp duty means huge savings overall for anyone holding property for a few years or more. In a press release accom- panying the publication of the bill last month, Finance Minister Roy McTaggart highlighted the concessions for first-time Caymanian home buyers, saying the bill would make it easier for Caymanians to get on the property ladder. “We are willing to forego revenue to ensure that the fi- nancially disadvantaged, as well as young Caymanian families starting out in life, get a further break. This is also Government’s way of trying to help all lower-income persons in the Cayman Islands attain property ownership.” He added that closing the “loophole” on linked prop- erty transactions would mean anyone buying into a development on those terms would now pay 7.5 percent of the final property price for purchases over $300,000, and 3 percent for purchases of less than $300,000. Some of OfReg’s nearly $2 million in consultancy expenses have gone towards the creation of Engineer Ellie, left, and Professor Fibre, cartoon characters that are part of an education campaign. Stamp duty change could impact development boom CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pirates plan a plastic-free festival CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2018 Yemen: coalition forces move on Hodeida Yemeni officials say that forces loyal to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels have advanced to within 3 miles of port facilities of the contested Red Sea city of Hodeida, the current epicenter of the country’s civil war. ‘Everything’s at stake’ on eve of first Trump-era elections WASHINGTON (AP) – The day of reckoning for American politics has nearly arrived. Voters on Tuesday will decide the $5 billion debate between President Donald Trump’s take-no-prisoner pol- itics and the Democratic Par- ty’s super-charged campaign to end the GOP’s monopoly in Washington and statehouses across the nation. There are indications that an oft-discussed “blue wave” may help Democrats seize control of at least one chamber of Congress. But two years after an election that proved polls and prog- nosticators wrong, nothing is certain on the eve of the first nationwide elections of the Trump presidency. “I don’t think there’s a Democrat in this country that doesn’t have a little angst left over from 2016 deep down,” said Stephanie Schriock, pres- ident of EMILY’s List, which spent more than ever before – nearly $60 million in all – to support Democratic women this campaign season. “Everything matters and everything’s at stake,” Schriock said. All 435 seats in the U.S. House are up for re-election. And 35 Senate seats are in play, as are almost 40 gover- norships and the balance of power in virtually every state legislature. While he is not on the ballot, Trump himself has acknowledged that the 2018 midterms, above all, repre- sent a referendum on his presidency. Should Democrats win control of the House, as strat- egists in both parties suggest is likely, they could derail Trump’s legislative agenda for the next two years. Per- haps more importantly, they would also win subpoena power to investigate the pres- ident’s many personal and professional missteps. Tuesday’s elections will also test the strength of a Trump-era political realign- ment defined by evolving divisions among voters by race, gender and espe- cially education. Trump’s Republican coali- tion is increasingly becoming older, whiter, more male and less likely to have a college degree. Democrats are relying more upon women, people of color, young people and col- lege graduates. The political realignment, if there is one, could re-shape U.S. politics for a generation. Just five years ago, the Re- publican National Committee reported that the GOP’s very survival depended upon at- tracting more minorities and women. Those voters have in- creasingly fled Trump’s Re- publican Party, turned off by his chaotic leadership style and xenophobic rhetoric. Blue-collar men, however, have embraced the unconven- tional president. One of the RNC report’s authors, Ari Fleischer, ac- knowledged that Republican leaders never envisioned ex- panding their ranks with white, working-class men. “What it means to be Re- publican is being rewritten as we speak,” Fleischer said. “Donald Trump has the pen, and his handwriting isn’t al- ways very good.” A nationwide poll re- leased Sunday by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal details the depth of the de- mographic shifts. Democrats led with likely African-American voters (84 percent to 8 percent), Latinos (57 percent to 29 percent), voters between the ages of 18-34 (57 percent to 34 per- cent), women (55 percent to 37 percent) and independents (35 percent to 23 percent). Among white college-ed- ucated women, Democrats enjoy a 28-point advantage: 61 percent to 33 percent. On the other side, Repub- licans led with voters be- tween the ages of 50 and 64 (52 percent to 43 percent), men (50 percent to 43 per- cent) and whites (50 percent to 44 percent). And among white men without college degrees, Republicans led 65 percent to 30 percent. Democrats hope to elect a record number of women to Congress. They are also poised to make history with the number of LGBT candi- dates and Muslims up and down the ballot. Former President Barack Obama seized on the differ- ences between the parties in a final-days scramble to moti- vate voters across the nation. “One election won’t elim- inate racism, sexism or ho- mophobia,” Obama said during an appearance in Florida. “It’s not going to happen in one election. But it’ll be a start.” Trump has delivered a very different closing argu- ment, railing against Latin American immigrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border. With the walking car- avan weeks away, Trump dispatched more than 5,000 troops to the region. The president also said soldiers would use lethal force against migrants who throw rocks, before later reversing himself. Still, his xenophobic rhet- oric has been unprecedented for an American president in the modern era: “Barbed wire used properly can be a beau- tiful sight,” Trump told voters in Montana. The hyper-charged en- vironment is expected to drive record turnout in some places, but on the eve of the election, it’s far from certain which side will show up in the greatest numbers. The outcome is clouded by the dramatically different landscape between the House and Senate. Democrats are most op- timistic about the House, a sprawling battlefield ex- tending from Alaska to Florida. Most top races, however, are set in Ameri- ca’s suburbs where more ed- ucated and affluent voters in both parties have soured on Trump’s turbulent presi- dency, despite the strength of the national economy. Democrats need to pick up two dozen seats to claim the House majority. Billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloom- berg, who personally invested $110 million to help Demo- crats this year, largely in the House, has seized on voter education levels in picking target races, according to se- nior aide Howard Wolfson. “In this cycle, it seemed as if there was a dispro- portionately negative reac- tion among highly educated voters to Trump,” he said. As a result, Bloomberg’s team poured money into otherwise overlooked sub- urban districts in states like Georgia, Washington state and Oklahoma because data revealed voters there were better-educated. Democrats face a far more difficult challenge in the Senate, where they are almost exclusively on defense in rural states where Trump remains popular. Democratic Senate incumbents are up for re-elec- tion, for example, in North Dakota, West Virginia, and Montana – states Trump car- ried by 30 percentage points on average two years ago. Democrats need to win two seats to claim the Senate majority, although most po- litical operatives in both par- ties expect Republicans to add to their majority. While Trump is prepared to claim victory if his party retains Senate control, at least one prominent ally fears that losing even one chamber of Congress could be disastrous. “If they take back the House, he essentially will be- come a lame-duck president, and he won’t win re-election,” said Amy Kremer, a tea party activist who leads the group Women for Trump. “They’ll do anything and everything they can to im- peach him,” she said. Indeed, powerful Dem- ocratic forces are already pushing for Trump’s im- peachment, even if Demo- cratic leaders aren’t ready to go that far. Liberal activist Tom Steyer spent roughly $120 million this midterm season. Much of that has gone to boost turnout among younger voters, although he has pro- duced a nationwide adver- tising campaign calling for Trump’s impeachment. Steyer insisted most Dem- ocrats agree. “We’re not some fringe element of the Democratic Party. We are the Democratic Party,” he said. By Election Day, both sides are expected to have spent more than $5 billion, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The flood of campaign cash, a mid- term record, has been over- whelmingly fueled by energy on the left. President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd as he leaves a rally Sunday in Chattanooga, Tennessee. - PHOTO: AP Former President Barack Obama greets supporters after headlining a Get Out The Vote rally at UIC Pavilion, Sunday. - PHOTO: AP Tusk questioned in Polish probe into pyramid scheme WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, was ques- tioned Monday in his native Poland as part of a parlia- mentary investigation into a pyramid scheme that cheated thousands of Poles out of their savings during his time as prime minister. In an emotional moment, Tusk told the ruling conser- vative party that it is using his televised questioning for political purposes. “You need this commis- sion, you need this spectacle to keep repeating … your in- sinuations, also on the sub- ject of my family,” Tusk said. There have been years of enmity between Tusk and Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party leader, Jaro- slaw Kaczynski. Commen- tators on private TVN24 described the event as a public “grilling,” and it was widely seen as part of the conservative party’s efforts to discredit Tusk, a polit- ical foe who is still pop- ular in Poland. Tusk was sworn in by the special multi-party com- mission that has already questioned dozens of state officials in its efforts to pin- point responsibility for the scam. Addressing him as “prime minister” the commis- sion sought to determine the scope of Tusk’s authority over state security and other of- fices and when he was made aware of the pyramid scheme by the Amber Gold financial institution. Prosecutors say some 19,000 investors lost over $225 million in what turned out to be one of the biggest financial scandals in Poland. Amber Gold’s founders are now serving prison terms. The scam, which was re- vealed in 2012, has raised questions about the effec- tiveness of Poland’s gov- ernment during Tusk’s 2007-2014 term. Authorities allegedly failed to react in time to warning signals about Amber Gold, which turned out to be a pyramid scheme.Next >