ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 High of 84 Low of 74 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 SAVE THE PLANET, LOSE THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE BUSINESS | PAGE 10 GOVERNMENT MEETS WITH BANKS TO DISCUSS REQUIREMENTS FOR CHARITIES UCCI PRESIDENT BODDEN HONORED AS EMERITUS MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com J.A. Roy Bodden thought he was retiring Monday night. In a more than three-hour ceremony, the president of the University College of the Cayman Islands was praised for his nine years at the helm of the school, which was badly foundering when he took the job, and honored with the title of president emeritus. Convinced he had achieved his goals and positioned the school for a stable future, Mr. Bodden said he was looking forward to leaving at the end of the month to manage his farmland and enjoy the quiet life of an au- thor. He has several books on Cayman to his credit already. Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Con- nolly had other ideas. “Cayman society has grown leaps and bounds in its development process,” Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said, addressing a crowd of more than 200 people in the school’s Sir Vassel Johnson Hall. “But from a social per- spective, there are still many lacunas. And who better to fill the gaps than the Chef of Flowery Language?” Mr. Bodden picked up that nickname, the minister said, during his 16 years as a member of the legislative assembly. “I’m asking President Bodden to write some of my textbooks,” she continued. “I’m determined to put textbooks back in school so our students can know from where they come.” Calling Mr. Bodden’s retirement a Haines to trek across Pyrenees for special needs charity JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com He has run marathons and climbed volcanoes to raise al- most $3 million for Cayman charities. Now Derek Haines is planning a 550-mile trek across the Pyrenees mountain range in aid of the Special Needs Founda- tion Cayman. The organization is midway through a campaign to raise $1.8 million to fund the first three years of a long-term project, equipping and sup- porting schools to better serve children with special needs, with the ultimate aim of allowing them to be accepted in main- stream schools. Mr. Haines, who has a brother with mental and phys- ical disabilities, and his friend and fellow trekker Michael Bur- combe, are aiming to raise as much as half a million dollars. Their journey will take them across the mountains that straddle the border be- tween France and Spain. Begin- ning on the Atlantic coast close to the French city of Biarritz, the trek traverses varied terrain before finishing in the seaside town of Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. Mr. Haines expects it will take around two months to complete. “If you look at the rise and fall in altitude, what we are doing is equivalent to going up and down Everest five times,” he said. Despite his many previous charity challenges, Mr. Haines London trip kicks off with environmental workshop Premier Alden McLaughlin hosted the first environmental workshop for the U.K. Overseas Territories Association on Monday, one of a series of meetings he and other government officials are having in London this week. The topics discussed at the workshop included environment funding, ocean con- servation strategy and the inclusion of Overseas Territories in the U.K. govern- ment’s “Green Future” 25-year environ- mental plan, according to an announcement on the meeting. Also discussed were new innovations that can assist with monitoring and pro- tecting the environment, even within those smaller territories with little access to technology. At the workshop, Mr. McLaughlin high- lighted the environmental progress Cayman has recently made, including government’s procurement of 634 acres of protected land, increasing the total amount of protected land here to 4,111 acres – about 6.3 percent of Cayman’s total landmass. “The Premier highlighted to those present that Overseas Territories are custo- dians of environmental assets of global im- portance, due to the fact that over 90% of Michael Burcombe and Derek Haines will trek across the Pyrenees next spring. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Premier Alden McLaughlin, flanked by fellow British Overseas Territories representatives, plays host at the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association meeting in London. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) BACKTRACE (R) 12:40 I 9:45 ROBIN HOOD (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:20 I 7:00 VIP I 9:30 CREED II (PG13) 1:00 I 4:00 VIP I 7:20 I 9:40 VIP THE GRINCH (PG) 12:15 I 5:05 3D I 7:20 THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE (R) 1:00 I 3:15 I 5:30 I 7:40 I 10:15 RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (PG) 2:30 3D I 9:35 FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD (PG13) 3:35 I 6:45 SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com James Harry Moore, the operator of Caymanite Bar and Lounge, was sentenced in Summary Court Monday for 17 counts of failure to pay national minimum wage and public holiday remuneration. Mr. Moore agreed to pay a total of $31,500 in back wages and fines as part of his sentencing, and defense attorney Steve McField said that the case boiled down to a misunderstanding. Mr. Moore was not aware that the minimum wage law ap- plied to employees in a bar or restaurant, he said. “They made more money through the way they were employed by him than they would under national min- imum wage,” said Mr. Mc- Field about his client Mr. Moore. “He apologizes again to the court. He’s willing and able to make up the differ- ence owed to these ladies.” Crown counsel Greg Wal- colm read the facts of the case Monday and he said that the complaint centered on compensation owed to former employees of Mr. Moore on temporary work permits. After their employment was terminated, the former employees made a complaint to the Department of Labor and Pensions and provided their bank statements. The Department of Labor and Pensions issued a request for information and con- firmed that Mr. Moore had failed to pay the national minimum wage. There were 17 employees who were affected by the case, and 13 of them were owed the sum of $1,350. The remaining four employees were owed $2,700. Magistrate Grace Donalds ordered a fine of $150 for each of the case files that were owed $1,350 and a fine of $300 on each of the files owed $2,700. Mr. Moore offered to pay $2,000 right away, and he will pay $1,500 a month until the re- mainder is paid. In a separate case heard at the same time, Mr. Moore also pleaded guilty to as- saulting police and leaving a motor vehicle unattended with the engine running. Mr. McField said that Mr. Moore had briefly left his car at Owen Roberts International Airport, and he pushed a police officer that had at- tempted to intercede. Magistrate Grace Don- alds ordered no conviction recorded on the case of as- saulting a police officer. Mr. Moore will pay $500 in pros- ecution costs for the assault charge and $350 in prosecu- tion costs for leaving his ve- hicle unattended. The magis- trate gave him two weeks to pay those fines. After their employment was terminated, the former employees made a complaint to the Department of Labor and Pensions and provided their bank statements. Local bar owner sentenced in minimum wage case CIAA discusses deterring wildlife from islands’ airports JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The general public was in- vited to the Cayman Islands Airports Authority general meeting on Monday to dis- cuss measures used to al- leviate hazardous wildlife around the islands’ airports. The CIAA is aiming to raise awareness not only with their airport partners but also with the neighboring communities around the airports. At the meeting, Andrew McLaughlin, CIAA chief of safety, shared a video that illustrated the wildlife reporting process and emphasized the importance of keeping birds and other wild- life away from the airport. While cattle egrets have been the biggest head- ache for the Airports Au- thority, Mr. McLaughlin said green iguanas, night herons, chickens, pigeons, land crabs and blackbirds were haz- ards as well. “The fight to deter wild- life at Cayman’s airports is a problem that we will have forever,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “They will never leave us. There is the migration factor … we can’t just make it so they don’t want to come on the airport,” he added. Mr. McLaughlin discussed bird behavior patterns, hab- itat and other wildlife en- tering the airport perime- ters from surrounding areas with attendees. Many measures had been put in place to remove wild- life from the airport such as air cannons, repellents, props, and barriers. Right now, he said, the airports authority was looking into a laser system, which he said should work very well at night. He said over the years the airport has taken on many measures, such as enlisting the help of St. Matthew’s Uni- versity, which did a study on wildlife patterns and how to make the airport less attrac- tive to animals. Water, Mr. McLaughlin said, was the strongest at- tractant and staff are already working to fill ponds and get rid of standing water around the airport. He said the ponds will be eliminated by 2019, but there will still be wildlife attracted to the airport. Mr. McLaughlin also got feedback from attendees, who had the opportunity to ask questions about wildlife con- trol measures and deterrent practices. One resident who lives near the airport objected to the use of air cannons, saying the noise from them was so loud, it sounded like they were inside the house. “We are making sure the cannon is not used unless it is absolutely necessary,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Attendees made sugges- tions such as implementing a friendly building design so that birds would not fly into the reflecting glass, or hiring a bird handler. “Each year we review what we do to see if it is being effective or if it’s not. We are constantly looking at different ways of dealing with it,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Michelle Powell, safety and emergency response coordinator, demonstrates a smoke gun. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY ARTIST’S LIGHTHEARTED WORK HIGHLIGHTS TASTE OF CAYMAN Cayman artist Michelle Bryan has been chosen to provide a series of illus- trations to help promote the Taste of Cayman food and drink festival, one of Cayman’s longest-running events and the Cayman Is- lands Tourism Association’s largest annual fundraiser. Ms. Bryan will develop illustrations depicting a range of Caymanian culi- nary characters, including a fisherman and a heavy cake baker, as well as de- signs of local food and drink favorites, like fruit, conch and rum punch. There will also be other Caymanian-inspired illus- trations in the series, in- cluding the Cayman parrot, palm trees, steel pans and stingrays. The illustrations will be used throughout all of the festival’s branding and pro- motion, including on print adverts, banners, flyers and across social media. Ms. Bryan said her colorful, cartoon-style graphics are “largely in- spired by Cayman’s culture and history. The women de- picted are inspired by the strong Caymanian women of bygone eras, including my own late grandmother, Ondina Wood, and national hero, Sybil McLaughlin, who held local society to- gether while the men went off to sea.” “I have loved art since I was a little girl at Bodden Town Primary School, even dressing up as an artist for a career day,” she added. “I knew working for Taste of Cayman would be fun.” Taste of Cayman 2019 will be held Jan. 26 and will also feature live en- tertainment, immersive ex- periences and live cooking demonstrations. More of Ms. Bryan’s il- lustrations can be found on Michellustrations’ Face- book and Instagram pages. Michelle Bryan’s work will be featured at January’s Taste of Cayman.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” We direct readers’ attention to the entertaining and enlightening column by George F. Will, at right, that describes the absurdities that arise when the administra- tive government runs amok. He outlines a case in which a group of landowners challenged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s attempt to designate 1,544 acres of private land as “critical habitat” for the tiny, endangered “dusky gopher frog” – despite, as Mr. Will writes: “(1) no such frog has inhabited them for half a century, and (2) none could live long there unless the land were substantially modified … and (3) the loss of the acres could cost the owners $34 million in lost timber farming and development opportunities.” The governmental overreach was so obvious, and so extreme, that the habitually divided U.S. Supreme Court rejected unanimously the agency’s arguments that “critical habitat” need not be “habitable” – and more broadly, and more dangerously, that judicial bodies ought to demonstrate deference to agencies’ interpretations of their legislative mandates. According to Mr. Will’s column, “This idea is the crux of progressivism’s case for allowing the administrative state to boss us around without judicial review of its bossiness: This state’s agencies say they possess detailed expertise beyond Congress’s ken, and courts should bow before the agencies’ disinterested wisdom when construing Con- gress’s legislative instructions, however much the instruc- tions’ ambiguities leave the agencies with vast discretion.” Around the world, bodies politic are growing increas- ingly exasperated with the hubris of bureaucratic “experts” who not only believe that they “know better,” but also that their decisions, and decision-making pro- cesses, are beyond reproach, criticism or scrutiny, par- ticularly by those whom Victorian writer Edward Bulwer- Lytton dubbed “The Great Unwashed.” The assumption of infallibility and the profound discon- nect in priorities between the “elite” and the “everyman” is acutely prevalent in the arena of environmental activism. Intrinsically, the “natural” opponents to environmental interests (trees, whales, frogs) are human interests (devel- opment, jobs, opportunities). Sometimes they align – more often than not there is conflict. What has become problematic in recent decades is not the conflict itself, but the invention of a false equivalency between the “two sides” and the presupposition that human progress must stand aside for – not only mountain gorillas and rainfor- ests – but also for dusky gopher frogs, hazy climate pro- jections and inanimate beach rocks. Consider France, where President Emmanuel Macron’s tax hikes on already expensive gasoline and diesel fuel (in the name of “clean energy” and “climate change”) ignited widespread, violent and deadly protests by tens of thou- sands of economically frustrated Frenchmen and French- women, who are far more concerned with feeding their children at the end of the month than making costly but largely symbolic investments based on future global tem- perature estimates. One “Yellow Vest” protestor, interviewed in the New York Times, summed up his sentiments about France’s elected officials thusly: “Their response has poisoned the situation even more. The citizens have asked for lower taxes, and they’re saying, ‘Ecology.’” The public demonstrations proved too much even for the obstinate President Macron, who this week capitu- lated, walking back the ill-conceived and ill-received policy decision that may still doom his presidency. Here in the Cayman Islands, we have our own home- grown class of environmentalists who selectively obsess over even minor “modifications” to the landscape or seascape to facilitate development. From the opposition to the George Town cruise piers (“Save the Coral!”), to the stymieing of a planned luxury hotel by Dart on Seven Mile Beach (“Save the Beach Rocks!”), to challenges to the Rum Point Club (“Don’t Move Those Rocks!), and protests over Dart’s plans for the Barkers area (“Don’t Do … well … Anything!”) – when our elected leaders are con- fronted with hues and cries from the ultra-conservationist segment of our society, they would do well to remember that rocks do not pay rent. To reference a wonted saying of Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, you cannot live on mango steak and seagrass pie. Save the planet, lose the support of the people WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Supreme Court jumps to unanimity on frog case WASHINGTON – Unanimity is elusive in today’s America but the Supreme Court achieved it last week. Al- though the dusky gopher frog is endangered, so are property rights and account- able governance. Both would have been further jeopar- dized if the frog’s partisans in the U.S. Fish and Wild- life Service (FWS) had gotten away with designating 1,544 privately owned Louisiana acres as a “critical habitat” for the 3-inch amphibian, which currently lives only in Mississippi and could not live in the Louisiana acres as they are now. The eight justices (the case was ar- gued before Brett Kavanaugh joined the court) rejected both the government’s justi- fication for its designation, and the government’s argu- ment that its action should have received judicial defer- ence, not judicial review. In his opinion for the court, Chief Justice John Roberts explained that back in the day you could not sling a brick without conking a dusky gopher frog in the longleaf pine forests of coastal Alabama, Missis- sippi and Louisiana. But 98 percent of those forests have been supplanted by urban development, agriculture and timber harvesting. The frog species, one of which was last seen in Louisiana in 1965, was designated en- dangered in 2001, when about 100 were found at a single pond in southern Mis- sissippi, where the FWS de- cided the frogs were at risk of extinction from hurricanes or other natural events. The frog is, like a well- born Victorian maiden, a frail flower, requiring everything to be just so: The frog needs an “open-canopy” forest with suitable ground vegetation and food supplied if the area experiences frequent fires, and the frog only breeds in “ephemeral” ponds that are dry part of the year, thereby protecting the tadpoles from hungry fish. The FWS desig- nated the 1,544 acres a “crit- ical habitat” even though (1) no such frog has inhabited them for half a century and (2) none could live long there unless the land were sub- stantially modified (e.g., trim- ming the canopy, producing suitable undergrowth, and experiencing fires that the acres’ loblolly pines cannot withstand) and (3) the loss of the acres could cost the owners $34 million in lost timber farming and develop- ment opportunities. Writing in the manner of a schoolmarm whose pa- tience has been sorely tried by a slow pupil, Roberts said: “According to the ordinary understanding of how adjec- tives work, ‘critical habitat’ must also be ‘habitat.’ Ad- jectives modify nouns – they pick out a subset of a cat- egory that possesses a cer- tain quality.” The 1,544-acre habitat that the FWS says is essential to preserving the species would be, in its un- improved condition, lethal to the species. So, the case has been sent back to a lower court, which is directed to think long and hard about the meaning of “habitat,” and to reconsider its pecu- liar theory that there is no “habitability requirement” when designating a “crit- ical habitat.” The Supreme Court also rejected an impertinence that agencies of the ad- ministrative state invoke when throwing their weight around. It is the idea that courts should defer to an agency when it makes an ar- guably reasonable interpre- tation (e.g., that an uninhab- itable habitat is “essential” to the existence of a species of frog) of a less-than-clear statute that the agency is administering. This idea is the crux of progressivism’s case for al- lowing the administra- tive state to boss us around without judicial review of its bossiness: This state’s agen- cies say that they possess de- tailed expertise beyond Con- gress’ ken, and courts should bow before the agencies’ dis- interested wisdom when con- struing Congress’ legislative instructions, however much the instructions’ ambiguities leave the agencies with vast discretion. Roberts reminded the dusky gopher frog’s friends that courts are com- manded by law to “set aside any agency action that is ‘ar- bitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.’” Roberts cannot hope to replicate the achieve- ment of his greatest prede- cessor, John Marshall, who as chief justice from 1801 to 1835 presided over a court in which approximately 95 per- cent of opinions were unan- imous. However, in the af- termath of the Kavanaugh confirmation circus, and re- cent presidential rumina- tions about judicial partisan- ship, Roberts must be eager to minimize the number of 5-4 decisions, and to achieve unanimity when possible. So it was serendipitous that the frog case involved gov- ernment overreaching suf- ficiently egregious to unite Roberts’ colleagues behind an opinion that he must have relished writing. The 8-0 ruling was doubly beneficial. It was a recuper- ative moment for the court. And it was a chastisement of the administrative state, the government’s fourth branch, which is one too many. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL The Supreme Court also rejected an impertinence that agencies of the administrative state invoke when throwing their weight around.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 6 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 3 X US$5,000 CASH WINNERS 5 X US$1,000 CASH WINNERS AND OTHER GREAT PRIZES! BAYSHORE MALL, CARDINALL AVENUE & THE STRAND +1(345) 949-7477 • KIRKFREEPORT.COM CHRISTMAS SWEEPST AKES Every US$100 purchase at any Kirk Freeport store made before noon on December 24th qualifi es for all prize draws! Winners will be announced on CayRock 96.5 FM and HOT 104.1 FM in the afternoon, and X107.1 FM and KISS 106.1 FM during the breakfast shows the next day. RULES AND REGULATIONS: Minimum US$100 purchase to enter. One entry per purchase. Receipts can be combined to reach US$100 requirement. Winner must claim prize at Kirk Freeport on Cardinall Avenue within 7 days of announcement. Non-winning valid entries from Kirk Freeport Christmas Sweepstakes will be included in the Rolex Drawing. Kirk Freeport employees and immediate family members are not eligible to enter. Rolex giveaway is on January 2nd 2019. ‘CHANGES’ PROGRAM FOCUSES ON REHABILITATION In an effort to reduce recidivism rates and pro- mote rehabilitation for high-risk offenders, the Department of Commu- nity Rehabilitation an- nounced on Monday that it is starting a program called Change Agents in Community Supervision, an adapted program based on the existing Strategic Training Initiative in Com- munity Supervision. Dubbed “ChAnges,” the program method fo- cuses on the development of interpersonal skills and therapeutic intervention techniques, according to government. “In order to give cli- ents an opportunity to change their antisocial be- haviors, we have to under- stand the attitudes and thoughts that feed the be- havior, and help them de- velop prosocial attitudes and thoughts,” said Lisa Malice, the acting director of the Department of Com- munity Rehabilitation. “With this training initia- tive, DCR’s probation of- ficers will be equipped to model behaviour that sup- ports prosocial attitudes, and to identify, evaluate and discourage thinking patterns and attitudes that promote pro-criminal behaviour.” A group of 12 probation officers completed a five- day training session on the new program last month. The training was facili- tated by Dr. Stephen Haas, Dr. Guy Bourgon, and Tanya Rugge. Government stated that the trainers will pro- vide ongoing support to the probation officers through monthly meetings, individual feedback ses- sions, and refresher work- shops in the months fol- lowing their participation in the training, to ensure that they are effectively ap- plying the newly learned strategies and techniques. Probation Officer Ker- istin Scott, one of the two officers working on Cayman Brac, said that the new method will help her rehabilitate po- tential offenders on the Sister Islands. “The training will allow myself, as well as my col- leagues, to apply the risk- need-responsivity models with probationers to re- duce recidivism of our cli- ents within the Cayman Islands, as it is a gener- alised programme that tar- gets many diverse popula- tions,” she said. Seniors walk the runway for night of fashion JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Big smiles, warm hugs, upbeat music and lots of en- couragement made “Seniors with a Swag” fashion affair a big hit Thursday night at the Town Hall in George Town. The George Town Commu- nity Development Action Com- mittee hosted the event as an early Christmas present so se- niors could have a night out, let their hair down, and show family and friends they still had what it takes to get moving. Seniors ranging in age from 71 to 93 enjoyed a taste of various genres of music, with modern and old-time hits being well received as the seniors took to the dance floor, tapping their feet, swinging their walking sticks, clutching each other for sup- port, and even stealing a kiss or two, to everyone’s delight. Oswald Thomas, 80, sporting a king’s crown and looking regal in a brown suit, orange shirt and brown shoes, claimed the hand of his wife, 81-year-old Myrtle, who wore a fuchsia dress, red hat and white shoes, for a walk down the aisle. “We did it our way,” sang 83-year old Crosby Walton as guests at the affair clapped and cheered on friends and family members. “It’s so amazing to see the seniors so actively in- volved, and their outfits were amazing,” said Lucille Sey- mour, the show’s emcee. More than 15 senior cit- izens participated in the fashion show, in which they modeled casual and evening wear, along with an array of accessories. Teresa Echenique, chief officer at the Ministry of Community Affairs, said it was nice to see so many family and friends sup- porting the seniors. The Swag event brought back fond memories of dancing in the Town Hall for many, especially for 93-year- old Alvernie Watson, who, dressed in a floral outfit and all smiles, midway down the aisle planted a kiss on the cheek of surprised 81-year- old Michael Pereira. “It’s just one of the activ- ities we had planned for the seniors for the Christmas season,” said Zemrie Thompson. “They have been waiting patiently to show us what they can do. They are not in a wheelchair and it keeps them active … they have their sticks but they still got up and moved to the beat of the music.” Community develop- ment officers from the Royal Cayman Island Police Ser- vice also made the night spe- cial for seniors by providing music for the event. Alvernie Watson, 93, assisted by a family member, makes her way down the ‘runway’ in the evening’s fashion show. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 CaymanCompass.com/Contests CAYMAN COMPASS MARATHON PHOTO CONTEST $1,000 Prize Package ~ A Royal Flush IV Treatment from Reviv Grand Cayman ~ Dinner and drinks for 4 from Tahu ~ Bose Soundsport Wireless Headphones from Cayman Health MOST FACEBOOK REACTIONS WINS! VO TE B Y 10 A .M . FR ID AY , DE CE MB ER 7 TH !The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The family of John Francis Oliver (13/11/47 to 20/11/2018) regret to announce his passing on Tuesday, 20th November 2018, at 9:45pm. John is survived by his four children Nicholas Oliver (UK), Vanessa Fountain (UK), Natalie Oliver and Christopher Oliver (both of Grand Cayman); his beloved brother Laurence and sister-in-law Linda; a son-in-law and a daughter in law; 5 grand-children, nephews, nieces; and a host of extended family and friends from the UK, USA and the Cayman Islands. A service in celebration of John’s life will be held on Monday, 10th December at 2:30pm at Howe Bridge Crematorium Off Lovers Lane, Atherton, Manchester M46 0PZ A celebration of his life in the Cayman Islands will be held next year. “May his soul Rest in Peace.” the UK’s biodiversity is in the territories with many endangered species, also that the territories hold a third of the world’s al- batross, a quarter of the world’s penguins and the largest coral atoll on earth,” an announcement from government stated. “Lastly, the territories make up over 70% of the UK’s marine es- tate in the world.” Also on Monday, Mr. McLaughlin chaired a U.K. Overseas Territories Asso- ciation (UKOTA) Political Council Meeting. The Political Council meeting incorporated an in-depth review of the ac- tivity of the organization throughout the year. Mat- ters discussed included the provision of a part-time sec- retary to support the work of UKOTA, issues to do with British Overseas Territory citizenship of children born out of wedlock, as well as the hosting of next year’s 2019 pre-Joint Ministerial Council meetings. Also discussed were is- sues relating to the safe- guarding of children, constitutional matters, passports, environment and climate change, European Union engagement and OT student engagement. “It was agreed that the BOT citizenship issue should be raised at the JMC meetings and that the Cayman Islands will host the 2019 pre-JMC meet- ings at the beginning of July,” stated an announce- ment from government on the meeting. “This will allow Overseas Territo- ries leaders to participate in our sixtieth anniversary celebrations.” Perhaps the most im- portant part of this week’s meetings is Cayman’s dis- cussion with U.K. officials on Friday about the territo- ry’s constitution. The premier and other government officials have stated that they are pushing for more autonomy in Cay- man’s legislative affairs. “The constitutional safe- guards we are striving for are to have aspects of our Constitution clarified to en- sure that the Cayman Is- lands government has au- tonomous capacity in respect of domestic af- fairs, and that the U.K. Parliament will not legis- late, directly or indirectly, without consultation or, in matters of domestic au- tonomy, without the con- sent of these Islands,” said Mr. McLaughlin last week, leading up to the meet- ings. “Our goal is to put the Cayman Islands in the best possible position con- stitutionally to govern our own affairs, to resist con- stitutional overreach by the UK Government and Par- liament, and to continue to thrive and prosper as a modern, progressive and successful democracy.” Other people attending the meetings include Oppo- sition Leader Ezzard Miller, Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers, Commerce Min- ister Joey Hew and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin. says he is still anxious to do more. “I am 70 and I would like to do some more good be- fore I am knocked off my perch,” he said. The plight of children with special needs is close to his heart. His brother Ray has mental and physical dis- abilities and has been in care for 60 years. Mr. Haines said times had changed since his brother was a child, and with the right funding, it was now possible for young people with special needs to lead a normal life. “The more resources you can put into a youngster today, the better chance they have of a better quality of life,” he said. “There is much more chances for a kid with spe- cial needs than when Ray was a kid.” He said he supported the foundation’s aim to get special needs children into mainstream schools. “I would love it if we could raise several hundred thousand dollars. If we could raise half a million, that would be brilliant.” Mr. Haines believes one of the reasons his charity cam- paigns attract support is be- cause every cent contributed goes to the cause. “People know that when they support me, the money is safe. Whenever I have said I am going to do something, I have done it and there has been something to show for it at the end.” The Special Needs Foun- dation has set up a dedicated website for the challenge, to provide information and take donations at www.snfc.ky. The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is also supporting the challenge and a series of events and related fund- raisers are planned between now and May 2019. Nik Tatarkin, chair of the foundation’s board, said the main focus was on im- proving rates of inclusion for children with special needs in the mainstream Cayman community, particularly in schools. “milestone,” Ms. O’Connor- Connolly, along with edu- cation counselor Barbara Conolly and UCCI Board of Governors Chairman Anthony Ritch, took part in helping Mr. Bodden don the ceremo- nial robe and hood of presi- dent emeritus, the first such title bestowed by the school. The minister also took the occasion to announce plans for a UCCI extension campus. “Within the next two weeks, I will announce that we have agreed on a new property on Cayman Brac,” she said. “It’s going to be an extension for students who want to attend UCCI.” That same time period was all she was giving to Mr. Bodden as well. “It’s thank you but not farewell,” she told him. “You have two weeks to check your mango trees.” Alluding to a quotation from the book of Joshua, she told Mr. Bodden to pre- pare himself. “Get some good sorrel and some turtle and good Christmas beef, because there is still much land to possess, and possess it we will.” In his response, Mr. Bodden did not seem to shy away from the challenge. “I shall take some time for respite and I await your call,” he said. It left an open end on what was otherwise a final bow in Mr. Bodden’s career as an educator. Cayman born, he went abroad to earn his col- lege degrees before returning to spend several years as a school teacher. The evening’s master of ceremonies, former legisla- tive assembly member Gil- bert McLean, said when Mr. Bodden was denied the high school principalship he’d been promised, he decided to go into politics. He served in the Legislative Assembly for 16 years. Mr. Bodden joked about the end of his political career. “I was unceremoniously dumped by my constitu- ents,” he said. That rejection happened to coincide with a crisis at UCCI. The previous president had misappropriated funds and left the school deeply in debt. Mr. Bodden told Mon- day’s crowd that he be- lieved it was “ordained that I come to UCCI.” During the evening, which was punctuated by musical and dance performances as well as video tributes, a parade of speakers talked about Mr. Bodden’s success in bringing the school’s fi- nances under control and ele- vating its academic offerings. Many mentioned the way in which he personally en- gaged with the students, fac- ulty and staff on campus. He became well known for his nearly daily strolls around the school, where he talked with students. “He represents two ‘p’s,’ president and po- lice,” chairman Ritch said. “He walks the campus mul- tiple times per day. He knows his students. He knows their goals. He knows their aspirations.” “I shall miss those walks and miss the students’ in- quisitive questions,” Mr. Bodden said, “such as, were there gangs when I was growing up and was I a member? Or was my depar- ture voluntary or otherwise?” Faculty representative Terica Larmond heads the school’s nursing program, one of Mr. Bodden’s signature accomplishments. She said he touched everyone on campus. “He has scripted love and enduring respect on the hearts of all of us,” she said. She likened his leadership to that of Moses. “You have taken the uni- versity to the promised land,” she said. “You have guided us through the financial desert and you have positioned the university college for finan- cial prosperity. “We will always re- member you as a courageous leader,” she added. Mr. Bodden addressed his final remarks to Mr. Ritch, who earlier in the program said that the president had restored national pride in the school. “My passion has been to serve the people of the Cayman Islands,” he said, adding that UCCI should be at the heart of Cayman society. “The education offered at UCCI must be world-class,” he said. “It must be an exem- plar in creating an inclusive society. It must be the soul of a society whose future lies in diversity and tolerance.” He said he believed he was handing off a “well- run organization” to the new president, Stacy McAfee, who takes office in January. “I have come to this mo- ment, this time, this hour and I wish to say to you, sir, from the bottom of my heart, I am humbled by your recog- nition,” he told Mr. Ritch. “I have labored not expecting such a reward, but it is the dream of every president upon completion of a term to be named president emer- itus. I shall long cherish the board’s award.” London trip kicks off with environmental workshop CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Haines to trek across Pyrenees for special needs charity CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 UCCI President Bodden honored as emeritus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 UCCI President Roy Bodden displays the certificate granting him emeritus status at a farewell celebration Monday night. - PHOTOS: MARK MUCKENFUSS Perhaps the most important part of this week’s meetings is Cayman’s discussion with U.K. officials on Friday about the territory’s constitution. Flanked by his wife, Nancy, and Education Minister Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, UCCI President Roy Bodden listens while being honored at a farewell celebration Monday evening.9 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2018 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Half page 6.8222x11.8975.pdf 1 11/29/18 11:42 AM Testimony begins in Grand Court rape trial SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The rape trial of Brandon Jamahl Beckett began in Grand Court on Tuesday with submissions from the Crown counsel and testimony from the complainant in the case. Mr. Beckett is charged with rape, wrongful confine- ment and making threats to kill in relation to an in- cident that occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2017. Crown counsel Toyin Salako read some of the facts of the case aloud on Tuesday, and she said that Mr. Beckett and the complainant had met on Tinder on Oct. 18 and met in person the fol- lowing day. Mr. Beckett began staying with the complainant without incident until the events of Oct. 31, 2017. That night, Ms. Salako said that the complainant had invited Mr. Beckett out to dinner with a group of her friends. After dinner, Ms. Salako said Mr. Beckett began verbally abusing the complainant on the car ride home and that the actions turned physical once they had returned to the com- plainant’s residence. The defendant allegedly forced the complainant to perform oral sex on him, and later, he penetrated her without her consent. The complainant alleges that she contacted police, and the defendant punched her in the face, turned off all the lights and physically restrained her from an- swering the door. The police visited the res- idence three times. The first two times, they left without making contact. And the third time, the police forced open the door and took the complainant to safety. Ms. Salako said that the defen- dant told police the com- plainant injured herself by falling and hitting her face on the ground. The 41-year-old com- plainant testified Tuesday morning and told the court her version of events. She said that a relationship started “pretty much right away” after meeting the de- fendant. He stayed with her that night and gradually began moving his personal effects into her apartment over the next 12 days. Everything changed at the complainant’s celebra- tory dinner with her friends, where she said the defen- dant’s mood “changed im- mediately” and “he became somebody I didn’t know.” The complainant said the defen- dant was very angry on the car ride home and verbally abused her. The complainant told the court that she asked the de- fendant to leave once they arrived at her residence. She asked him to leave “many, many times,” she said, but he did not comply. The defen- dant made no motion to leave and at one point locked him- self inside the complainant’s guest bedroom. “I didn’t want him staying there. I didn’t want him sleeping there,” she said to the court on Tuesday. “I told him he couldn’t stay. I told him he needed to go. I told him he’d hurt me. “I told him I cared about him. I told him he needed to leave. He was scaring me.” The complainant spoke about the physical assault and she said she did not con- sent to the defendant’s ad- vances. In the aftermath, she said she hated herself and that she just wanted him to leave. The defendant briefly left the apartment after the as- sault, and the complainant said Tuesday that she wished she had taken that oppor- tunity to contact the police. Later in the evening, she did try to contact the police, and the defendant physically took her phone away from her. When the police arrived for the first time, the com- plainant said, the defen- dant forced her onto the ground and held her by the neck and mouth. “I thought he was going to smother me to death,” she said. “I thought he was going to kill me.” The complainant ulti- mately tried to leave the apartment after the police left for the first time, but she told the jury that the de- fendant punched her in the face and confiscated her cell- phone. She was able to con- tact her friends on Facebook using her laptop, and they contacted the police for her. The complainant’s testi- mony was interrupted for a lunch break, and the second half occurred after press time. The defense is ex- pected to begin its portion of the case on Wednesday or Thursday. PARIS (AP) – The French gov- ernment’s decision to sus- pend fuel tax and utility hikes Tuesday did little to appease protesters, who called the move a “first step” and vowed to fight on after large-scale ri- oting in Paris last weekend. In a major U-turn for the government, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced in a live televised address that the planned increases, which were set to be intro- duced in January, would be postponed until summer. The backpedaling by Presi- dent Emmanuel Macron’s gov- ernment appeared designed to calm the nation, coming three days after the worst unrest on the streets of Paris in decades. “No tax is worth putting the nation’s unity in danger,” Philippe said, just three weeks after insisting that the government wouldn’t change course in its determination to wean French consumers off polluting fossil fuels. But demonstrations con- tinued around the country Tuesday. Protesters wearing their signature fluorescent yellow vests kept blocking several fuel depots and, on a highway near the southern city of Au- bagne, protesters took over a toll booth to let vehicles pass for free. They put up a sign by the side of the road reading “Macron dictator.” “It’s a first step, but we will not settle for a crumb,” said Benjamin Cauchy, a pro- test leader. In the nearby port city of Marseille, students clashed with police outside a high school. Student pro- tests blocked or otherwise disrupted about 100 high schools around the country blocked or otherwise dis- rupted by student protests Tuesday, according to the French Education Ministry. Many of the demonstrations were over a new university application system. More protests were ex- pected this weekend in Paris. Last weekend, more than 130 people were injured and 412 arrested in the French capital. Shops were looted and cars torched in plush neigh- borhoods around the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue. The Arc de Triomphe, which is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was visited by world leaders last month to mark the cente- nary of the end of World War I, was sprayed with graffiti and vandalized. FRANCE SUSPENDS FUEL TAX, BUT PROTESTERS VOW TO FIGHT ONNext >