ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 187202_HR2-Ad-Strip-BOTY2017-6coPage 1 10/29/18 11:04:38 AM Explosives suspected stolen from compound JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Explosives may have gone missing from a National Roads Authority-licensed storage compound. Police confirmed reports of a sus- pected theft from a “storage magazine” in George Town. A spokesperson for the NRA, which has responsibility for licensing and monitoring the ownership and use of explosives in the Cayman Islands, acknowledged the site had not been checked by its inspectors since 2015. At this point, the NRA is not able to determine what, if anything, was stolen. Asked why the public had not been in- formed of the suspected theft, which was dis- covered on Aug. 18, the NRA suggested in- formation could not be shared while a police investigation was active. “The contents of the magazine were tested and confirmed to be degraded to an extent that detonation would be unlikely and would also require persons with significant technical skill,” the NRA added in a written response to questions from the Cayman Compass. The authority is currently conducting its own investigation, reviewing storage records and blast reports from the owner of the maga- zine to determine what, if anything, is missing. According to the statement, the NRA con- ducts inspections of explosives magazines as often “as it is able.” In the case of active blasters – usually quarry owners – the NRA makes multiple checks a year. In this case, it said the license holder had not been active in the last three years and his magazine had not been inspected nor its con- tents checked in that time. Businessman Donnie Smith dies at 67 KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caymanian businessman and entertainment mogul Donovan “Donnie” Smith died unexpect- edly on Saturday around 9:15 p.m., leaving four children and seven grandchildren. Mr. Smith owned Cayman Fidelity Real Estate, but before that he had a decades-long career in entertainment in Jamaica and Cayman. He was born in Jamaica on Jan. 19, 1951, and as a young man he managed a band there called Fab Five, and helped manage the nightclub Tit for Tat. In 1976, Mr. Smith married Jacqui Tomlinson-Smith – who would be his wife for 25 years – and moved to Cayman. Here, he started several businesses, in- cluding the fashion stores Temp- tation and Trend Setter, and he would also help attract bands from abroad. Mr. Smith was instrumental in starting the territory’s pop- ular Cayman Batabano Carnival, spearheading the organization of the first festival in 1984. “Thousands of spectators and dancers jammed into the Lions Centre on Saturday night as the final scene of Batabano came down,” states a May 1, CHILD BURIAL CASE IN COURT Travis Webb, 26, of Bodden Town, ap- peared in Summary Court on Monday afternoon charged with the attempted murder of a 3-year-old child. He also faces a charge of cruelty to a child. Mr. Webb was arrested last week after emergency services rescued the child. Mr. Webb will appear before the Grand Court on Dec. 14. For more on this story, see page 5. Donovan ‘Donnie’ Smith PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » COMMISSIONER SUPPORTS TRACK PLAN FOR BIKERS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After years of issues with rogue bikers riding recklessly on Cayman’s roads, police are taking a different approach. Officers escorted a convoy of motorcyclists on an islandwide rally Sunday that ended in West Bay, where a section of the road was closed to allow off- road bikers free rein to show off their skills. Police hope that by helping to provide a le- gitimate outlet for bikers, they can curb the il- legal activity. “We are all pretty pleased with how it went,” Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne told the Compass on Monday. “The organizers did what they said they would do and we did what we said we would do. They went around the island without any difficulty and those that came to the skills zone behaved themselves well within that area.” Under the watchful gaze of a large contin- gent of police officers on Sunday, bikers per- formed stunts, pulled wheelies and screeched at speed across a smoke-filled roadway. Mr. Byrne said Sunday’s accord did not PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Off-road bikers pulled wheelies and performed other stunts for several hours on Sunday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 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) ROBIN HOOD (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:20 I 7:00 I 10:00 CREED II (PG13) 1:00 I 4:00 VIP I 7:05 I 9:40 VIP BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (PG13) 12:30 I 3:30 I 6:30 THE GRINCH (PG) 12:15 I 2:30 I 4:45 I 9:30 RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (PG) 1:00 I 4:10 3D I 7:10 3D I 9:45 FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD (PG13) 12:50 3D I 3:35 I 6:45 I 9:45 WIDOWS (R) 9:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: PREDATOR (1987) (R) 7:00 VIP 92,943 128,948 160,245 53,464 39,479 36,005 31,297 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 180,000 Week 1 (Oct. 29-Nov. 3) Week 2 (Nov. 5-10) Week 3 (Nov. 13-17) Week 4 (Nov. 19-24) Green iguana cull update Total culledWeekly culled More than 160,000 iguanas culled in first month Nearly a month after an islandwide cull of invasive green iguanas began, cullers had killed 160,245 iguanas as of Friday, Nov. 24. The weekly numbers have been decreasing since the first week, when 53,464 iguanas were delivered to the George Town landfill. The following week, 39,479 were caught, and in the week of Nov. 13-17, 36,005 were killed. Last week, cullers deposited 31,297 iguanas at the landfill. Some 340 people signed up to take part in the cull. The government has earmarked $9 million for the cull, with cullers being paid $4.50 a head for iguanas, rising to $5 a head if they meet monthly and annual quota targets. Mexicans approve referendum proposals from president-elect MEXICO CITY (AP) – Re- sults released Monday show voters in Mexico approved all ten pet projects of Pres- ident-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a refer- endum questioned because of low turnout. Lopez Obrador has touted referendums as a way to give people power in determining policies, but critics say the latest process was hurt by the way the questions were worded, a lack of information and the fact that only about one in 90 registered voters participated. Lopez Obrador’s most controversial plan, a train that would connect the main tourist attractions across the Yucatan Peninsula, had the highest level of rejec- tion at 6.6 percent, but was still approved by 88.9 per- cent of voters. The president-elect has set a starting date for pur- suing the “Maya Train” after he takes office on Dec. 1, al- though he hasn’t submitted environmental impact state- ments or consulted indige- nous communities. A group of environmen- talists sent a petition asking him to rethink the project. “Mr. President-elect, we have just come off 30 years in which past administrations have imposed mega-projects on the country without suffi- ciently serious studies,” they wrote in November. The ballot for the refer- endum assured voters the train “will not affect the en- vironment,” but did not cite any evidence. Lopez Obrador brushed off experts’ criticism, ac- cusing them of being out-of- touch with the people. “Look at what the peti- tion-signers don’t know, I say it with all respect and I rec- ognize the majority are very smart people, but as amazing it sounds, they need to make contact with the people in the countryside,” Lopez Ob- rador wrote of his critics. The train aims to con- nect the colonial city of Me- rida with resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum before it continues through sparsely populated areas like Bacalar, Calakmul and Palenque. Some experts say the northern leg of the route makes economic sense, but the southern part runs across a jungle. A total of 946,000 people participated at the weekend referendum, which was the second that has been held since Lopez Obrador was elected in a landslide. The referendum also ap- proved plans to construct an oil refinery, build a rail link between the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, raise supple- mentary payments for the el- derly, implement a massive reforestation program, and offer free internet and better healthcare. Each ballot mea- sure, including those con- cerning youth scholarships and work-training programs, received between 90 and 95 percent approval. Gustavo de la Vega, a 30-year-old industrial de- signer, was one of those lined up at a Mexico City voting booth to participate in the referendum Sunday. He voted against the train project be- cause of its cost. “The idea of a referendum is good, but it was badly or- ganized,” said de la Vega. “If it is not done well, it runs the risk of people losing faith in referendums.” In a move that throws into question Lopez Obrador’s re- spect for the constraints on presidential power that have been forged in Mexico over the last 25 years, workers have already started clearing land in a costal mangrove area for the oil refinery. The project has not been formally approved and some doubt whether it makes much financial sense. Lopez Obrador is irritated by the fact that Mexico im- ports much of its refined gas- oline from the United States because its own refineries aren’t up to the task. A native of the southern state of Tabasco, he also has vowed to champion projects in the country’s often poor and underdeveloped southeast. Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador listens during a meeting with Ricardo Salinas and other business leaders in Mexico City, Thursday. - PHOTO: AP Lopez Obrador’s most controversial plan, a train that would connect the main tourist attractions across the Yucatan Peninsula, had the highest level of rejection at 6.6 percent, but was still approved by 88.9 percent of voters. Venezuela holds onto prized US refineries amid legal battle CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela will hold onto its U.S.-based Citgo refineries, settling a long-standing dis- pute that threw ownership of the crisis-wracked country’s prized assets into peril as its massive debt mounts. Venezuela on Friday began paying off $1.4 billion that an arbitration panel said was owed to the Canadian mining firm Crystallex, following a disputed takeover of the com- pany nearly a decade ago by the late-President Hugo Chavez. The initial payment of $425 million enables it to hold onto the refineries. Russ Dallen, a broker at Miami-based Caracas Cap- ital Markets, said Monday that the payment shows Ven- ezuela’s changing tactics – from fighting creditors to striking deals. But it’s un- clear whether Venezuela can continue making good on the debt owed to Crystallex and a long list of others who are now lining up to collect. “There’s not enough oil and money to pay everybody they need to pay now,” Dallen said. “They’re like hamsters on a treadmill.” Inflation in Venezuela could top 1 million percent by year’s end as the country’s historic crisis deepens. In recent years, its oil production has also plummeted to its lowest level in seven decades. Among many others who are awaiting cash, Venezuela has a pending $1.3 billion settlement agreement with Rusoro Mining to pay off and another agreement with oil giant ConocoPhillips worth $2 billion. Last year, Vene- zuela stopped paying down the $65 billion owed to bond holders, and other creditors still await settlement deals.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 PHOTO CONTEST LOOK FOR THE CAYMAN COMPASS FLAGS AND ENTER TO WIN ~ A Royal Flush IV treatment from Reviv Grand Cayman ~ Dinner and drinks for 4 from Tahu ~ Bose Soundsport Wireless Headphones from Cayman Health SUNDAY DECEMBER 2ND 2018 INTERTRUST CAYMAN ISLANDS MARATHON CaymanCompass.com/ContestsThe 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” In the Cayman Islands, the Christmas season is the “giving season.” In the coming weeks, local philanthropic organizations will be out in force, raising funds, hosting events and distributing toys, clothes, food and other necessities in an effort to make sure that no one goes without in this most special time of year. Even as our country’s charities ramp up their altruistic activities, Cayman’s lawmakers are bestowing upon the phil- anthropic community a (to be honest) rather modest gift. Amendments passed last week to both the Non-Profit Organisations Law and the Companies Law are intended to smooth out some wrinkles in the new regulatory regime – clarifying which charitable organizations are subject to the rules, trimming paperwork and reducing fees. Cayman’s charities will probably welcome the changes, which will provide some small respite from the gov- ernment’s bureaucratic burdens that divert precious resources from nonprofits’ core missions. The amend- ments are better than government putting more coal in charities’ stockings but aren’t nearly dramatic enough to make it to the top of our “Dear Santa” letter. We’d reserve that space for an appeal to repeal entirely the legislation, which has been problematic in its execution and right from its conception. Rather than being a response to any documented or realistic threat posed by “rogue” Cayman charities, the law has always appeared to us to be an attempt to appease foreign entities, in particular, offshore regula- tory bodies. The wrong-headed regulation of our local nonprofits is one of a series of moving targets imposed upon Cayman with the proclaimed purpose of combat- ting “money laundering,” “terror financing” and other bogeymen who would be worth taking seriously, if their existence were ever proven. It is telling that, when presenting the latest legislation on the House floor, Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers specifically stated that the “NPO framework received positive feedback from the [Caribbean Financial Action Task Force] assessment team during their visit.” (Hooray, we suppose … but how do local nonprofits and their donors feel?) In contrast to the hypothetical risks posed by the status quo before the Non-Profit Organisations Law, the regulatory burdens placed upon our charities are quite real, costing both time and money. The organizers, volunteers and benefactors of Cayman’s philanthropic organizations are, as a rule, some of the finest members of our society. Rather than treating these charities and churches with the respect and reverence they merit, our lawmakers have been goaded into profiling them as potential dens for thieves and criminals. As we wrote in May, after the Ministry of Financial Services and Home Affairs scolded and threatened non- profits that had not jumped through the requisite hoops: “It seems our government has become confused as to who the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ are in Cayman.” In 2014 and again in 2016, we challenged the govern- ment and other supporters of the legislation “to present to the public one documented case of substantial abuse of a Cayman Islands charity that would justify installing the expensive and tedious bureaucratic structure con- templated under the legislation.” We are still awaiting a response. A small gesture of goodwill for local charities TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Lucrative law enforcement will become lawless WASHINGTON – Tyson Timbs made a mistake, but not one as important as Indiana’s Supreme Court made in allowing to stand the punishment the state inflicted on him. He was a drug addict – first with opi- oids prescribed for a work- related injury, then heroin – when his father died. He blew the $73,000 insur- ance payout on drugs and a $41,558 Land Rover, which he drove when selling $225 worth of drugs – two grams of heroin – to undercover police officers. Timbs’ ve- hicle was seized and kept, which amounted to a fine more than 184 times larger than the sum involved in his offense. Come Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments concerning whether this violated the Eighth Amendment, which says: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor exces- sive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” (Emphasis added.) The seizure was done under Indiana’s version of civil forfeiture laws, which allow governments to seize property used in the com- mission of a crime. As they are often used, such laws are incentives for abu- sive governments, because the entity that seizes the property frequently is al- lowed to profit by keeping or selling it. Lucrative law enforcement will be- come lawless. Under the “incorpo- ration” doctrine, the Su- preme Court has explicitly applied, through the 14th Amendment, most of the Bill of Rights’ protections, piecemeal, against states’ behaviors. The court’s standard for doing so is whether a particular pro- vision of the Bill of Rights is “deeply rooted” in the nation’s history and tradi- tions, and is fundamental to “our scheme of ordered liberty.” The Cruel and Un- usual Punishment Clause was incorporated in 1962, the Excessive Bail Clause in 1971. The punishments pro- vision protects Americans’ bodies, the bail provision protects their freedom. The fines provision is intended to protect their property. In a 1989 case, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor sen- sibly wrote that there is “no reason to distinguish one Clause … from another for purposes of incorpora- tion.” But although two fed- eral judicial circuits and at least 14 state high courts apply the Excessive Fines Clause to the states, and although seven times the court (or two or more jus- tices writing separately) has said that the Eighth Amendment as a whole ap- plies to the states, it has never had an occasion to explicitly apply the Exces- sive Fines Clause. This allowed Indiana’s Supreme Court to be per- missive regarding the state’s forfeiture practices. The court unanimously re- jected Timbs’ argument, that of the trial court, and of the appeals court. In a hearing on the state’s civil forfeiture request, the trial court said that making Timbs forfeit his vehicle would be “grossly dispro- portionate to the gravity of [his] offense” and hence a violation of the Excessive Fines Clause. The state’s Supreme Court, however, held that the U.S. Supreme Court has been insufficiently “defini- tive.” The Indiana justices said that although “our col- leagues on the Court of Ap- peals and the trial court may be correct in fore- telling where the [U.S.] Su- preme Court will one day lead on whether to apply the [Excessive Fines] Clause to the states,” until the clause is unambiguously applied, Indiana fines can be grossly disproportionate without violating the U.S. Constitution. Indiana’s Supreme Court insists that the U.S. Su- preme Court is guilty of a “lack of clear direction” re- garding incorporation of the Excessive Fines Clause. Pre- sumably, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted Timbs’ case in order to explicitly give nationwide force to one of the few remaining provi- sions of the Bill of Rights not specifically incorpo- rated. It is about time: Nine of the original 13 states had equivalents of the Excessive Fines Clause because they recognized that economic sanctions can be as pun- ishing as incarceration. The 14th Amendment changed the relationship between individuals and the states, establishing that state borders should have no bearing on federally pro- tected rights. Indiana pur- ports to want constitu- tional specificity regarding excessive fines. It will have it by June. In determining when fines are excessive, courts must adopt something akin to former Justice Potter Stewart’s famous axiom concerning pornog- raphy: You know excessive- ness when you see it. Jus- tices who fancy themselves “originalists” should ac- knowledge that those who wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights understood that courts were going to have to give content to the concept of excessiveness (as well as to cruelty and unusualness in punishments, and un- reasonableness regarding searches and seizures, and other open-textured consti- tutional language). Doing so is not judicial “activism,” it is judging. Failing to do so is a dereliction of the duty to enforce constitutional guarantees. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL Justices who fancy themselves “originalists” should acknowledge that those who wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights understood that courts were going to have to give content to the concept of excessiveness (as well as to cruelty and unusualness in punishments, and unreasonableness regarding searches and seizures, and other open-textured constitutional language). 5 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 FOR CAYMANIAN ENTREPENEURS found A BUSINESS ACUMEN SEMINAR d E Enroll now, it’s free! ywalton@caymanislands.ky FOUNDED is the newest edition of training options delivered by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. This training seminar is aimed at fostering, educating and assisting both existing and potential Caymanian entrepreneurs. CAYMAN BRAC 9:00AM - 12:00PM - 11th Dec. 2018 Conference Room, District Admin Bldg. For more details and to enroll RSVP by 6 December to: Maximum of 15 persons per class only Man shot in West Bay Police are investi- gating the shooting of a man in West Bay early Monday morning. Officers responded to a report of the shooting shortly after midnight in the vicinity of Birch Tree Hill Road. Upon arrival, police of- ficers and other emergency services found a male who had sustained a gunshot wound to his side. The victim was reported to be in a stable condition Monday afternoon. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to contact West Bay CID at 949-3999 or via the RCIPS confidential tip line at 949-7777. Tips can also be submitted via the Miami-based Crime Stoppers call center at 800-8477(TIPS), or online. Man charged with attempted murder of child Bodden Town man in court Travis Webb, 26, of Bodden Town, appeared in Summary Court Monday charged with attempted murder and cruelty to a child in relation to a 3-year- old child who was alleged buried alive last week. Mr. Webb appeared in court for the first time in relation to those charges Monday, and his case was transmitted to Grand Court. No bail application was made by Mr. Webb’s at- torney and the defendant was remanded in custody. He will next appear in Grand Court on Friday, Dec. 14, but he has other matters that will be dealt with in Summary Court on Dec. 12. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service is- sued a statement last week detailing a report that a child had possibly been buried alive. The police received that report just after 6 p.m. last Wednesday and dispatched officers and an ambulance to the location. Bodden Town officers found the child distressed and struggling to breathe, according to the police re- port. The police gave the child oxygen until the am- bulance arrived and brought the patient to Cayman Is- lands Hospital for further medical treatment. T-shirts bring focus to gender violence The Family Resource Centre is engaged in a cam- paign against gender vio- lence, with events running through Dec. 10. The awareness-raising effort, 16 Days of Ac- tivism Against Gender Vi- olence, will include radio interviews and use of #HearMeToo. T-shirts that were painted as part of last year’s campaign will be on display throughout the 16-day event at the var- ious districts across Grand Cayman. Uplifting slo- gans painted by those im- pacted by gender vio- lence on T-shirts is one way of bringing attention to the issue. Another painting event, Clothesline Project T-shirt, will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the Family Resource Centre. Participants are encour- aged to display their stories in an artistic medium and engage in the healing pro- cess, with different colors representing various types of violence. All shirts are the property of center. No registration is re- quired. For further in- formation call the center at 949-0006. On Dec. 10, Human Rights Day and the 16 Days closing ceremony will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at Town Hall in George Town. The event is sponsored by the Busi- ness and Professional Wom- en’s Club and is open to the public. For more information, contact the club at info@bpwgcm.org. T-shirts that were painted as part of last year’s campaign will be on display throughout the 16-day event at the various districts across Grand Cayman. CUSTOMS ANNOUNCE HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS OPENING HOURS Customs will close its col- lection office on the Saturday before and after Christmas this year, but will remain open an extra half-hour in the work days leading up the holidays. The office will be closed on Saturday, Dec. 22 and 29. It will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, Dec. 17-21, and on Dec. 27 and 28. “This means that customers will have an extra hour to make payments to Customs, or do any other business necessary to clear their goods through Customs,” stated a press re- lease issued by Customs. Meanwhile, the Customs Department is also reminding individuals and businesses that have not yet registered with the department to com- plete the process through the online COLS portal. COLS can be accessed by logging on to www.customs.gov.ky or www. online.gov.ky.cols/faces/home. “We are encouraging all persons and businesses who may be importing goods during the holiday season to get regis- tered now before the rush. The process only takes a few min- utes to complete,” the depart- ment stated in a press release. Individuals (not businesses) need to complete questions re- lating to their full name, postal and physical addresses, and scan and upload a copy of a government-issued ID, e.g., passport or driver’s license. Businesses and companies need to provide the name of the organization, postal address, lo- cation, a valid business license and company registration, in- cluding directorship. Also, it will be necessary to scan and upload a government-issued ID of the owner or director. For assistance, visit the Customs Collections office at 42 Owens Roberts Drive, George Town. ICCI students honored Several students from the International College of the Cayman Islands were honored by the Sigma Delta Delta honor society during a Nov. 3 ceremony. From left, Dena Ebanks-Iqbal, Julio Ramos-Zelaya, Kassia Webb and Opal Ruiz. Also honored were Shelly Brooks, Sharmori Richardson and Matthew Adams. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS FIGHT EFFORT TO UNSEAL ASSANGE CHARGES FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) – Federal prosecutors are fighting a request to unseal an apparent criminal com- plaint against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In papers filed Monday in Alexandria, prosecu- tors argued that the public has no right to know whether a person has been charged until there has been an arrest. “Any contrary rule would completely under- mine the proper func- tioning of the criminal pro- cess at this stage: anyone could petition the Court to require the government to confirm whether the time was right to flee or evade arrest,” prosecutor Gordon Kromberg wrote. Assange has been staying in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 under a grant of asylum and has long ex- pressed fear of a U.S. pros- ecution. Recently, Ecua- dorian officials have placed restrictions on Assange’s use of the embassy, in- cluding requirements that he clean up after his cat. The Reporters Com- mittee for Freedom of the Press asked a judge Nov. 16 to unseal charges against Assange after prosecutors inadvertently mentioned those charges in an unre- lated case. 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 NOVEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 CELEBRATE CAYMAN, BODDEN TOWN: The Celebrate Cayman Travelling District Display opens for public viewing at the Bodden Town United Church Hall today and continues until Saturday, Dec. 1. Opening times are Wednesday to Friday, 5-8 p.m. and Saturday 2-5 p.m. The display, curated by the Cayman Islands National Museum, features artifacts that share the story of the Coat of Arms, and serves as a preview of the museum’s upcoming Coat of Arms exhibition. Visit www.celebratecayman.ky for more information. ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION AGM: The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual general meeting and Members Evening will be held at 6 p.m. today at the Seafarers Hall on Victory Avenue, Prospect. Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to attend this meeting. Refreshments will be provided. Call 924-4170 or 936-1655 for more information. CIVIL SERVICE CREDIT UNION AGM: The 43rd annual general meeting of the Civil Service Association Co-operative Credit Union will be held today at 5:30 p.m. at the Family Life Centre. THURSDAY, NOV. 29 LIGHT UP A LIFE: Jasmine, previously known as Cayman HospiceCare, will hold its annual Light Up A Life ceremony at Cassia Court in Camana Bay from 5:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to dedicate a light in memory of a loved one on a Community Memorial tree. The tree will shine brightly with hundreds of lights dedicated to someone special over the Christmas season. The ceremony will include music by the Cayman National Choir, a special blessing, a moment of silence and an opportunity for every guest to place their lights on the tree. To sponsor a light, Jasmine is asking for a minimum donation of $10 per light. FRIDAY, NOV. 30 DEPT. OF EDUCATION SERVICES CLOSURE: The Department of Education Services will be closed today for a staff function. The office will resume normal hours on Monday, Dec. 3. TREASURY DEPT. CLOSURE: The offices of the Treasury Department and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development – Administration will close today at noon for a staff function. The offices will reopen for normal business hours on Monday, Dec. 3. SATURDAY, DEC. 1 PARADE OF LIGHTS: Boat parade, Christmas concert, Santa, festive holiday markets, and fireworks display at Camana Bay. 5-9 p.m. Watch boats aglow with bright lights parade through The Harbour to a festive soundtrack of carols. This year’s theme is Christmas Around the World. Boat participation is free and there will be two chances to win $1,000 and two general admission KAABOO tickets. Sign up at www.cayman27.ky. SANTA LANDING: The Kiwanis Club presents the annual Santa Landing at Airport Park. 1-4 p.m. Santa is expected to “land” at 2 p.m. Every child will be gifted with a new book from Santa and can enjoy free food/drinks. Entertainment includes bungee trampolines, bouncing castles, face painting and music. Call 947-8630 or visit www.kiwanis.ky for more information. HOLIDAY CHARITY TRUNK SALE: CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank – Walk for the Cure Holiday Charity Trunk Sale, 6-10 a.m., at the bank’s parking lot. Deadline for registration is noon, Friday, Nov. 30. All registration fees will benefit the Cayman Islands Cancer Society in support of financial aid patients in need. Call 815-2405 or 815-2407 to reserve a space. Entry fee $25. LIONS CLUB BRAC CHRISTMAS SHOW: The Lions Club of Cayman Brac hosts a Christmas variety show today, at 7 p.m., at the Aston Rutty Centre. Proceeds will support the annual Christmas gift program for the elderly and children. SUNDAY, DEC. 2 DINNER CONCERT: Organized by the East End Seventh-day Adventist Church. At The Ritz-Carlton, 7 p.m. Entertainment by international artist Carey Sayles and local performers. Tickets are $150 each, available at SDA Conference office, off Walkers Road; or call Constance Ebanks at 525-0941. Proceeds for Pathfinders and Pioneers Fire Adventure. MALE VOICE CHRISTMAS CONCERT: The Male Voice Choir Concert will begin at 7 p.m. at Elmslie United Church. MONDAY, DEC. 3 ROTARY CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING: The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman will hold its annual Christmas Tree Lighting, 5-7 p.m. Heroes Square, George Town. SATURDAY, DEC. 8 HOLY CHRISTMAS CONCERT: St. Ignatius Catholic Church presents soprano Georgina Gatto Deosaran. 7:15 p.m., Loyola Hall. Ms. Gatto Deosaran’s repertoire includes opera, operetta, Broadway, folk and more. An offering will be taken, with all proceeds going to Parish Children’s Programs. Refreshments will be available for purchase. See www.facebook.com/ SopranoGeorginaGatto for more information. SUNDAY, DEC. 9 JINGLE BELL RUN: Cayman Islands Crisis Centre hosts its annual Jingle Bell 5K/10K Walk/Run. The race will start and finish at Holiday Inn, SafeHaven. After the race, participants will get breakfast and pictures with Santa, all included within the registration fee. Register on www.caymanactive.com/ jingle. $25 pre-registration and $30 day of the event. TUESDAY, DEC. 11 CHRISTMAS CONCERT: The Cayman National Choir will perform its annual Christmas Concert at Elmslie Church in George Town today at 7:30 p.m. and again on Thursday, Dec. 13. Free entry. Attendees are advised to arrive early to get a seat. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 12 CHRISTMAS CONCERT: St. Ignatius Band concert and Christmas fundraiser. 7 p.m. Grand prize of $25,000 and lots of other prizes, including five US$300 Cayman Airways vouchers. Tickets are $25 and are available at St. Ignatius and from a number of local supermarkets and other businesses. THURSDAY, DEC. 13 SCUBALUMINATIONS: From 6 p.m. Watch Santa arrive at Rackam’s escorted by his underwater reindeer. Get photos with Father Christmas. Dogs very welcome. Bring a donation for rescue dogs, such as dog kibble, tinned food, dog treats, dog toys, etc. Buy gifts for family and friends from the pop-up shops. Meet adoptable dogs. TUESDAY, DEC. 18 CANCER SOCIETY AGM: The Cayman Islands Cancer Society’s annual general meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. GENERAL INTEREST 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. LIFE ON THE COLONY: Exhibition of artwork by Gordon Solomon at the National Gallery. Through Dec. 5. For related events and school tours, email education@nationalgallery.org.ky. 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-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 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 overcomersoutreach.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Jasmine, previously known as Cayman HospiceCare, will host a Light Up A Life ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 5:30 p.m., at Cassia Court in Camana Bay. Members of the public are invited to dedicate a light in memory of a loved one on a Community Memorial tree.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 Fidelity Pension Plan Fidelity Financial Centre on West Bay Road Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 6:00pm - 7:00pm Fidelity Financial Centre, West Bay Road & Esterley Tibbetts Highway Cayman Financial Centre, Dr. Roy’s Drive, George Town info@fidelitycayman.com RSVP: Carolee.Crowley@fidelitycayman.com Phone: 914-2179 Light refreshments 2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING [] Pink Ladies hold annual bazaar The Pink Ladies, who have been bringing their an- nual Christmas bazaar to the people of Cayman for more than 30 years, held their fes- tive tea party again on Sat- urday, in what many consider the official launch of the fes- tive season. Some attendees came for the bargains and others for the entertainment at the ba- zaar, which was held at the Arts and Recreation Centre in Camana Bay. The National Choir opened with Christmas carols, and Miss Jackie’s bal- lerinas followed with a twirl and a smile, as did the YMCA dance group. Purple Dragon students demonstrated their martial arts moves and the Cayman Prep High School Swing band swung into action with Christmas music, after which Kate Allenger played violin while her daughter Melanie sang carols. Pink Ladies Volunteer Corps director Faye Lip- pitt said the Pink Ladies’ craft group works all year to make Christmas crafts, while other members make the cakes, jams and jellies at the Country Kitchen, and the squares, sandwiches and cookies at the tea table. “Once again this year, the gover- nor’s kitchen made the mince tarts that are first to disap- pear,” she said. The Pink Ladies Volun- teer Corps gives all profits from the day to charities on the island. The group also provides the opportunity for charities raise funds and be seen. On hand were repre- sentatives from NCVO, Jas- mine (formerly Cayman Hos- piceCare), the YMCA, the Humane Society, Acts of Random Kindness – who brought Santa – and the Garden Club, which had a big plant sale outside. “Since the Pink Ladies Coffee Shop at the Cayman Islands Hospital closed, the group relies on the an- nual bazaar for its major source of income. For 30 years, tickets have been $5 for all the events and tea, and there they remain so that ev- eryone can afford to come and celebrate together with their friends and neighbors,” Ms. Lippitt said. She added, “Without the help of major donations from their sponsors, the in- come from the Christmas Bazaar would be shortened considerably. Organizations such as Dart, who is [the] major sponsor, as well as many others on the island, have been more than kind by helping to make the Pink Ladies Christmas Bazaar a success.” Postal Service issues Christmas stamps This year’s Christmas stamps, which went on sale Friday, are based on popular carols and feature island- themed scenes. The stamps are valued at 25 cents, 80 cents, $1.50 and $2. The issue includes a first day cover at $5.35, which will be available for sale from this week, and a self-adhesive booklet of the 25 cent stamps, according to the Cayman Is- lands Postal Service. The 25 cent stamp high- lights the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” the 80 cent stamp features “O Holy Night,” “Away in a Manger” is referenced in the $1.50 stamp and the $2 stamp features “Joy to the World.” The first day cover, which features two national sym- bols, a Cayman Islands parrot and the banana or- chid, as well as a queen conch shell, will be available at the Postal Service’s Philatelic Bu- reau at the West Shore Centre Post Office, the General Post Office in downtown George Town and the Hell Post Of- fice in West Bay. On Cayman Brac, the first day cover will be on sale at the West End Post Office. “We at the Postal Service are delighted to be joining in the people’s celebration of be- loved and popular Christmas songs this year,” Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said in a press release. “We hope the stamp issue will add to the seasonal joy and cheer that abounds at this time of the year.” This year’s Christmas stamps have an island theme, and feature popular carols. Young attendees show off their face painting and henna tattoos. Santa gets ready to take some Christmas requests. Santa poses with some of the Pink Ladies.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 1984 article in the Cayma- nian Compass. “Organiser Donnie Smith summed it all up in three words he shouted above the crowds: ‘We did it.’” Mr. Smith eventually left the entertainment and fashion industries in the early 2000s, starting Cayman Fidelity Real Es- tate around that time. Ms. Tomlinson-Smith ex- plained that her former husband wanted a job that allowed him to be a family man. “Partly because of being married with children, en- tertainment had to go,” she said. “He’d be out extremely late, and he wanted to be a better father.” Along with entertain- ment and business, Mr. Smith made his mark in the local political scene, serving as a campaign manager and adviser to Linford Pierson for most of the legislator’s career. Mr. Pierson described his friend as his “polit- ical right-hand man” and a “trusted confidant.” He said the two met when Mr. Smith visited Cayman in 1975, and that they remained very good friends until his passing. When he found out about Mr. Smith’s death on Sat- urday night, Mr. Pierson said he immediately went to his house to be with the family. “Words cannot ex- press how I felt to see my friend of 43 years lying on his deathbed,” Mr. Pierson said. mean police would be lenient toward bikers that broke traffic laws in future. He said illegal activity would be prosecuted, though po- lice are keen to work with the biking fraternity. “We are not trying to alienate any section of the community,” he said. “There are a lot of young people out there that might get that adrenaline rush and not understand the gravity of the situation.” He said closing a public road, as police did Sunday, would be a rare event. But he hopes progress can be made with a track to give bikers an outlet for their hobby. “There has been plans to build a park and I think that should continue apace,” he said. “We are hoping that facility can be built for these young people to do their skills riding there, and stay off the roads and eliminate the risk to other road users.” Police made one ar- rest Sunday for a rider discovered driving without a license. Regulations to the Ex- plosives Law indicate that when a permit holder ceases to use explosives, the storage magazine should be closed down and the explosives returned and disposed of under the su- pervision of the NRA. A Royal Cayman Islands Police Service spokesperson confirmed police had re- ceived a report from a member of the public that a blasting magazine con- tainer in the George Town area was discovered unse- cured and appeared to have been broken into. She said, “Detectives and National Roads Authority personnel jointly investi- gated the report as it ap- peared some material may have been unaccounted for. No actual theft could be confirmed and hence no ar- rests were made. The inves- tigation was referred to the National Roads Authority.” The NRA described its investigation as a “precau- tionary measure.” “The aim of the in- vestigation is to ensure that all of the degraded blasting material within can be accounted for. While the owner is a reputable blaster with an incident- free history, as part of its investigation, the NRA is working to reconcile the magazine-owner’s records. This process is ongoing.” The potential theft raises questions about the security of explosives kept on island. According to the NRA, there are currently three active storage sites, which it has responsibility for monitoring. Asked what it was doing to ensure explosives did not fall into the wrong hands, the NRA responded, “The NRA has conducted inspections of all other storage magazines, to en- sure safety standards are met and that inventory logs are being kept as re- quired by the Explosives Law. Additionally, the NRA has been working with a visiting explosives expert to update the Explosives Law to address the cur- rent vulnerabilities of the law and strengthen secu- rity concerns.” Explosives suspected stolen from compound The potential theft raises questions about the security of explosives kept on island. According to the NRA, there are currently three active storage sites, which it has responsibility for monitoring. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Businessman Donnie Smith dies at 67 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. Smith was instrumental in starting the territory’s popular Cayman Batabano Carnival, spearheading the organization of the first festival in 1984. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Commissioner supports track plan for bikers A biker shows off his skills during a police-sanctioned stunt session on a closed stretch of public road in West Bay, Sunday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Bikers performed a variety of stunts throughout the afternoon. Bikers were allowed free rein to show off their skills as police closed a section of road Sunday. NASA spacecraft lands on Mars after six-month journey CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A NASA spacecraft designed to burrow beneath the sur- face of Mars landed on the red planet Monday after a six-month, 300 million-mile journey and a perilous, six- minute descent through the rose-hued atmosphere. Flight controllers at NA- SA’s Jet Propulsion Labora- tory in Pasadena, California, leaped out of their seats and erupted in screams, ap- plause and laughter as the news came in. “Touchdown confirmed!” a flight controller announced. The three-legged InSight spacecraft reached the sur- face after being slowed by a parachute and braking engines, the space agency said. Updates were coming in via radio signals that take more than eight min- utes to cross the nearly 100 million miles between Mars and Earth. It was NASA’s ninth at- tempt to land at Mars since the 1976 Viking probes. All but one of the previous U.S. touchdowns were successful. NASA last landed on Mars in 2012 with the Curi- osity rover. Viewings were held coast to coast at museums, plane- tariums and libraries, as well as New York’s Times Square. The plan called for the spacecraft to go from 12,300 mph to zero in six minutes flat as it pierced the Martian atmosphere and settled on the surface. “Landing on Mars is one of the hardest single jobs that people have to do in planetary exploration,” said InSight’s lead scientist, Bruce Banerdt. “It’s such a diffi- cult thing, it’s such a dan- gerous thing that there’s al- ways a fairly uncomfortably large chance that something could go wrong.” Mars has been the grave- yard for a multitude of space missions. Up to now, the success rate at the red planet has been only 40 per- cent, counting every at- tempted flyby, orbital flight and landing by the U.S., Russia and other countries since 1960. The U.S., however, has pulled off seven successful Mars landings in the past four decades, not counting InSight, with only one failed touchdown. No other country has managed to set and op- erate a spacecraft on the dusty red surface. InSight was shooting for Elysium Planitia, a plain near the Martian equator that the InSight team hopes is as flat as a parking lot in Kansas with few, if any, rocks. This is no rock-collecting expedition. Instead, the sta- tionary 800-pound lander will use its 6-foot robotic arm to place a mechanical mole and seismometer on the ground. The self-hammering mole will burrow 16 feet down to measure the plan- et’s internal heat, while the seismometer listens for pos- sible quakes. Nothing like this has been attempted before at our next- door neighbor, nearly 100 million miles away. No lander has dug deeper than several inches, and no seismometer has ever worked on Mars. By examining the in- terior of Mars, scientists hope to understand how our solar system’s rocky planets formed 4.5 billion years ago and why they turned out so different – Mars cold and dry, Venus and Mercury burning hot, and Earth hos- pitable to life. Illustration shows NASA’s InSight lander about to land on the surface of Mars. – IMAGE: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2018 EU, Iran commit to uphold nuclear pact The European Union and Iran are affirming their support for the international nuclear deal and say they aim to keep it alive despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the landmark pact. Today is your rst birthday in heaven, And for a while we felt as though our lives had ended. But losing you has taught us many things, and now we face each day, With hope and happy memories, to help us on our way. And though we are full of sadness, that you are no longer here; your in uence still guides us, and we still feel you near. What we shared will never die, it lives with our hearts. Bringing strength and comfort, while we are apart. God has you in his keeping, we have you in our hearts. Sadly missed by Mother Starleth, Father Washington, Brothers, Sisters and Family. In Loving Memory Albert Allen Ebanks November 27, 2001 – Feb 26, 2018 Today is your rst birthday in heaven, Today is your rst birthday in heaven, November 27, 2001 – Feb 26, 2018November 27, 2001 – Feb 26, 2018 Mexico to up security at border after migrants try to cross TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) – Mexico pledged to shore up security near its border with the United States and local authorities said that 39 mi- grants were arrested after a peaceful march devolved into chaos when U.S. agents fired tear gas into Mexico to stop some migrants who tried to breach the border. Mexico’s Interior Ministry said Sunday it would immedi- ately deport those who tried to “violently” enter the U.S. from Tijuana. Meanwhile, Ti- juana’s municipal government said that more than three- dozen migrants were arrested for disturbing the peace and other charges stemming from the march and what followed. The vast majority of the more than 5,000 Central American migrants camped out for more than a week at a sports complex in Tijuana returned to their makeshift shelter to line up for food and recuperate from an un- settling afternoon. Lurbin Sarmiento, 26, of Copan, Honduras, walked back to the sports complex with her 4-year-old daughter shaken from what had unfolded a short time earlier at the Ti- juana River and U.S. border. She had been at the bottom of the river, a concrete riverbed conveying a trickle of water, near the border with her daughter when U.S. agents fired tear gas. “We ran, but the smoke always reached us and my daughter was choking,” Sarmiento said. She said she never would have gotten that close with her daughter if she thought there would be gas. The gas reached hun- dreds of migrants protesting near the border after some of them attempted to get through the fencing and wire separating the two countries. American authorities shut down the nation’s busiest border crossing at San Ysidro for several hours at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend. The situation devolved after the group began a peaceful march to appeal for the U.S. to speed processing of asylum claims for Cen- tral American migrants ma- rooned in Tijuana. Mexican police had kept them from walking over a bridge leading to the Mex- ican port of entry, but the mi- grants pushed past officers to walk across the Tijuana River below the bridge. More police carrying plastic riot shields were on the other side, but migrants walked along the river to an area where only an earthen levee and concertina wire separated them from U.S. Border Patrol agents. Some saw an opportunity to breach the crossing. An Associated Press re- porter saw U.S. agents shoot several rounds of tear gas after some migrants at- tempted to penetrate several points along the border. Mex- ico’s Milenio TV showed im- ages of migrants climbing over fences and peeling back metal sheeting to enter. Honduran Ana Zuniga, 23, also said she saw migrants opening a small hole in con- certina wire at a gap on the Mexican side of a levee, at which point U.S. agents fired tear gas at them. Children screamed and coughed. Fumes were car- ried by the wind toward people who were hundreds of feet away. As the chaos unfolded, shoppers just yards away on the U.S. side streamed in and out of an outlet mall, which eventually closed. Throughout the day, U.S. Customs and Border Protec- tion helicopters flew over- head, while U.S. agents on foot watched beyond the wire fence in California. The Border Patrol office in San Diego said via Twitter that pedestrian crossings were suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at the East and West facilities. All northbound and south- bound traffic was halted for several hours. Every day more than 100,000 people enter the U.S. there. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement that U.S. authorities will con- tinue to have a “robust” pres- ence along the Southwest border and that they will prosecute anyone who dam- ages federal property or vio- lates U.S. sovereignty. “DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for se- curity and public safety rea- sons,” she said. More than 5,000 migrants have been camped in and around a sports complex in Tijuana after making their way through Mexico in re- cent weeks via caravan. Many hope to apply for asylum in the U.S., but agents at the San Ysidro entry point are processing fewer than 100 asylum petitions a day. Irineo Mujica, who has accompanied the migrants for weeks as part of the aid group Pueblo Sin Fron- teras, said the aim of Sun- day’s march toward the U.S. border was to make the mi- grants’ plight more visible to the governments of Mexico and the U.S. “We can’t have all these people here,” Mujica said. Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum on Friday declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city of 1.6 million, which he says is struggling to accommodate the crush of migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday to express his dis- pleasure with the caravans in Mexico and to make an- other pitch for his promised border wall. “Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries,” Trump tweeted. “Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!” Trump has repeatedly suggested without evidence that the migrant caravans are full of hardened criminals, but they are mostly poor people with few belongings who are fleeing gang vio- lence. During his presidential campaign, he promised he’d have Mexico pay for the wall. Mexico’s Interior Ministry said Sunday the country has sent 11,000 Central Ameri- cans back to their countries of origin since Oct. 19, when the first caravan entered the country. It said that 1,906 of those who have returned were members of the re- cent caravans. Mexico is on track to send a total of around 100,000 Central Americans back home by the end of this year. Migrants stand at the Mexico-U.S. border wall where Mexican federal police stand guard at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, as they try to reach the U.S. - PHOTO: AP Ex-Trump campaign adviser Papadopoulos to report to prison WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal judge ordered former Trump campaign foreign policy ad- viser George Papadopoulos to report to prison as sched- uled, rejecting his last- minute bid to delay his two- week sentence. Papadopoulos is to begin serving his sentence Monday. He was sentenced in Sep- tember for lying to the FBI in the Russia investigation. He had sought a postpone- ment of his prison term until an appeals court had ruled in a separate case challenging the constitutionality of spe- cial counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment. But in a 13-page opinion Sunday, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss said Papadopoulos had waited too long to contest his sentence. Moss noted that Papado- poulos had agreed not to ap- peal in most circumstances as part of his plea agreement and the judge said the challenge to Mueller’s appointment was unlikely to be successful in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Cir- cuit. Four different federal judges have upheld Mueller’s appointment as proper. “The prospect that the D.C. Circuit will reach a con- trary conclusion is remote,” Moss wrote. Papadopoulos had filed an initial motion on Nov. 16, nearly two months after the deadline for appealing his conviction or sentence. He followed up with a request to delay his sentence pending that motion on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. “Papadopoulos waited until the eleventh hour to seek relief; indeed, he did not file his second motion – the stay request – until the last business day before he was scheduled to surrender to serve his sentence,” Moss’ order states. “He has only his own delay to blame. Responding to the judge’s order, Papadopoulos wrote in a tweet Sunday that he looked forward to telling the full story behind his case. In recent months, he has spent many nights posting on Twitter, as has his wife, venting anger about the FBI and insisting he was framed by the government. He has also offered to tes- tify before the Senate’s intel- ligence committee, which is investigating Russian inter- ference in the 2016 election, if he’s granted immunity or other conditions. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year to lying to federal agents about his in- teractions with Russian in- termediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign.Next >