ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY ORIGINAL CHICKEN FRIES NEW CHICKEN FRIES Ritz-Carlton unveils sweet Christmas display The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman officially unveiled its Christmas gingerbread and chocolate display Wednesday to the delight of some of its young guests and other visitors. To make the display, the hotel’s executive pastry chef Melissa Logan and a team of some 20 other food preparers used 150 pounds of fondant, 250 pounds of dark chocolate, 75 pounds of white choc- olate, 125 pounds of modeling chocolate, 25 pounds of royal icing, 25 pounds of gingerbread, and 12 ounces of food coloring. The display features Santa’s Workshop, elves, reindeer, a sleigh, and, of course, lots of presents. Ms. Logan said it took about 300 hours to create. - Photo: Ken Silva ‘Nation Building’: Round Two? KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Church of God Bodden Town’s partly finished building on Shamrock Road is, at any rate, a peaceful place. Instead of scriptural verse, an inside wall is adorned with graffiti, reading: “We out here.” Empty liquor bottles rest on top of piled drywall panels. The only “parishioners” are the 30-odd white hens living in a chicken coop in the back of the property. The hulking concrete shell of a building is not what church leaders en- visioned when they started constructing their multimillion-dollar, multipurpose hall eight years ago. And it is not what Cayman Islands government officials had in mind when they invested more than $1 million of public funds from 2009-2013, partly so that the church hall could also serve as a hurricane shelter. The unfinished church hall, which serves as an unofficial landmark for the entrance to Bodden Town, is also a phys- ical symbol of the legacy of the now-de- funct Nation Building Fund, a commu- nity infrastructure program under the government of then-Premier McKeeva Bush that distributed some $13.2 mil- lion to various causes, including more than $5.2 million to 26 churches. Of the churches that received funds for construction, some returned all or some of the money, and most – such as the Church of God Bodden Town PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » Piles of drywall sit inside the Church of God Bodden Town’s unfinished building, a multimillion-dollar construction project that government has committed to complete. Work has recommenced on the long-stalled Church of God Bodden Town’s multipurpose hall, but government has yet to release its budget commitment to the project. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS caymanfirst.comcaymanfirst.comcaymanfirst.comcaymanfirst.comcaymanfirst.com WISHING YOU ALL THE JOYS OF THE SEASON AND HAPPINESS THROUGHOUT 2019! THIS SATURDAY 8th DECEMBER @47 Ashgo Sreet Pinnacle Warehouse From 7am to Midnight THIS SATURDAY 8th DECEMBER Pinnacle Warehouse From 7am to Midnight DEH AMENDS BRAC BULK WASTE SCHEDULE Bulk waste collections in areas of Cayman Brac will begin later than origi- nally scheduled, according to the Department of Envi- ronmental Health. Removal of bulk waste items left on roadsides in communities west of the bluff, including Stake Bay, Cotton Tree Bay, Geor- giana Drive and West End Road, will now commence on Friday, Dec. 14 and con- clude on Monday, Dec. 17. The bulk waste collec- tions schedule for all other Cayman Brac communi- ties remains unchanged. The department has been making bulk waste collec- tions throughout Grand Cayman in recent weeks. The pick-ups for West Bay, the last of the districts on the DEH schedule on Grand Cayman, will begin this weekend and be completed by Dec. 21, according to an advisory issued by the DEH last month. “The bulk waste should be in an area that is easily accessible to DEH collec- tion crews and does not obstruct the roadway. DEH will not collect any items that are put out after sched- uled dates,” the department noted in its announcement of the collection dates. Bulk waste refers to large items, such as old furniture, tires and metal items that are not collected as part of the DEH’s weekly residential pick-up services. For more information on the Brac pick-ups, contact the DEH’s Cayman Brac office at 948-2321 or visit DEH’s website at deh.gov.ky. North Side celebrates Cayman Thanksgiving Schoolchildren joined local seniors and other resi- dents of North Side Saturday to share a meal and discus- sions at a joint Celebrate Cayman and Cayman Thanks- giving dinner last weekend. North Side MLA Ez- zard Miller hosted the event, which was attended by about 50 adults, at the dis- trict’s Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre. The Celebrate Cayman ini- tiative is part of the 60th an- niversary of the unveiling of the islands’ first national symbol, the Coat of Arms. The community dining and discussion experiences, dubbed “Beloved Table Din- ners,” were held across the three islands to enable resi- dents to consider their col- lective vision for the future of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Thanksgiving observance, a weekend-long national celebration designed to honor Caymanian heritage, culture and way of life, cul- minates on the first Sunday in December each year. According to a press re- lease, Mr. Miller, speaking at the event, observed that “food surpasses technology in con- necting us at all levels of so- ciety – certainly in the most meaningful way.” He told the district’s se- niors, “So your generation got it right: Dining together, as you seniors instinctively know, is the most meaningful way of connecting people.” Mr. Miller said that to- day’s seniors’ keen aware- ness of how far the Cayman Islands have come over the past 60 years has equipped them to reliably judge the type of future most befitting the Cayman Islands. Among ideas shared at the dinner was the notion that youth is the greatest “untapped opportunity” for the Cayman Islands. Seniors called for greater attention to education, jobs, and more ap- propriate ways of responding to the needs of the youth sector, especially for the growing at-risk and offending members. They recommended greater emphasis on par- enting training seminars. In addition to employ- ment and education, the range of ideas at the dinner extended to issues such as drugs, the spiralling traffic problems and the need for more effective public trans- portation, and the preserva- tion of the environment, the press release stated. Seniors at the dinner, at which the master of ceremo- nies was Archie Whittaker, said the benefits of living in Cayman that they most value were freedom of religion, the comparatively low crime rate, the relatively peaceful and charitable nature of commu- nities, and good, accessible healthcare. Among the guests at the dinner were Kelcey Huggins, Edna Moyle Primary School’s Year Six teacher, who chaper- oned students who sang the Cayman National Song and a Christmas carol. The eight students who attended were each assigned to different ta- bles at which seniors sat, so that each grouping included one or two children. At the end of the meeting, each adult attendee was presented with a Celebrate Cayman tool kit for hosting Beloved Table Dinners. Feedback on Saturday eve- ning’s discussions has been forwarded to the Celebrate Cayman steering committee for incorporation into the na- tional pool of ideas generated by the Beloved Table Dinners across the Cayman Islands, Mr. Miller said. CORRECTION The Community Cal- endar in Thursday’s Com- pass contained the wrong dates for two upcoming events. The correct details are as follows: The Cayman National Choir will perform its annual Christmas Concerts at El- mslie Church in George Town at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 11 and 13. North Side will host its annual Christmas dinner for the community on Sat- urday, Dec. 15, at 4:30 p.m. at the Craddock Ebanks Civic Center. From left, North Side’s Community Development Officer Flavia Gardner, Edna Moyle Primary School student Simon Hansson, and North Side residents Sue and Andrew Gibb. - PHOTOS: BRIAN WATLER As part of pre-dinner cocktails, MLA Ezzard Miller serves homemade rolls with jam, made by North Side Olympian Ronald Forbes. From left are Carla Watler, Pastor Conway King of Wesleyan Church and Rhoda Smith. www.ndc.ky Is your drug use larger than your portfolio?The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. ART DECO OCEANFRONT RESIDENCES INSPIRED BY THE SEA Two to four bedroom residences priced from US $1.8M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 326 1400 fin@fingrandcayman.com Salt water lagoon Cantilevered glass-bottom pool Private beach Use of a centre console boat exclusive to residents Coral reef backyard protected by the FIN Environment Project in partnership with the Guy Harvey Ocean FoundationThe 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. “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” Thus wrote David Ogilvy, perhaps the greatest “adman” ever, in the world’s most memorable automobile advertisement – ever. We thought of Mr. Ogilvy and the silence of a Rolls-Royce soon after we settled into a Cayman Airways business class seat of our national airline’s brand- new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, which had arrived in Grand Cayman last week from the Boeing factory in Seattle, Washington. What impressed us immediately was the quietude of the cabin – no need for noise-canceling headphones on this aircraft. Unlike on the aging rattletraps of the other airplanes in CAL’s fleet (all soon to be replaced with new Max 8’s), conversation, even at library-whisper levels, was easily audible and comfortable. That was a good thing because we were seated next to Paul Tibbetts, chief financial officer of Cayman Airways, who knows everything, well, nearly everything, about the airline industry and the acquisition of the new planes. Anything he does not know, the fellow in the seat ahead of him certainly does. That would be Fabian Whorms, who is CEO of Cayman Airways. (Both Mr. Tibbetts and Mr. Whorms, along with CAL Board Chairman Philip Rankin, oversaw the highly complex negotiations to acquire the new aircraft.) Additional fellow travelers in the business- class cabin were Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell and his fellow Cabinet minister, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. For practical purposes, we were on the “inaugural flight” of the new plane, joined by about 60 invited guests, mostly CAL employees who were along for a (very) short flight to show off the new plane to our Brac brethren. We made this flight just at the time when a rumor began circulating that the plane (too large) could not land at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (too small). What better way to disprove that “fake news” than a smooth landing with plenty of runway left over? The aircraft itself is marvelous by any measure. From the upholstery on the seats (specially designed to feature Cayman Islands’ colors) to the palm-frond fabric covering of the bulkhead, this is a bespoke aircraft obvi- ously tailored and appointed for the Cayman Islands. (Interesting fact: Cayman Airways is the only carrier in the Caribbean currently to fly this airplane. To date, only approximately 250 have come off the Boeing assembly line; 5,000 are on “back order.”) “Little things” in this aircraft have been meticu- lously attended to. The public address system (Thank Heaven!) acoustically could pass muster in Carnegie Hall; the interior cabin lighting can be adjusted from bright white to any number of complexion-pleasing hues. This weekend, WiFi will be available when the plane enters its commercial rotation. On short trips, the estimated fuel efficiency of the new jet turbines (approximately 20 percent improvement over the current models), of course, does not mean much. A thimbleful of jet fuel will propel this flagship from Owen Roberts to the Sister Islands, but the savings on long- haul trips, say, to New York or Denver, will be substantial and, over time, go a long way toward defraying the costs of these planes. (FYI, a remarkable video exists, produced by Boeing with time-lapse technology, showing the actual construc- tion of the very plane we were on for our Brac trip. Every assembly line step of the building of the aircraft, from its bare-bones beginnings to the final application of the familiar Cayman Airways colors and tailfin logo, is docu- mented. We will try to do a deal with Cayman Airways to allow us to share the video on our Compass website.) In any event, we think the timing of the acquisition of the four new aircraft (the other three will arrive between February 2019 and mid-2020) could not be more appro- priate. Our national carrier will have two of its new planes just in time for the grand opening of its new home base – our much-anticipated new Owen Roberts International Airport. That ribbon cutting is scheduled for late January. Cayman Airways flies into its future on Boeing Max 8 wings FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS BVI’s financial independence BENITO WHEATLEY It should not be taken for granted that the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is today financially self-sufficient or that the Government’s fi- nances are managed by a Minister of Finance ap- pointed from among the elected representatives of the legislature (i.e., House of Assembly). This was not al- ways the case. At the introduction of ministerial government in 1967, finance remained under the U.K.-appointed Gov- ernor, who also oversaw Brit- ain’s financial assistance to the territory, referred to as grant-in-aid. By 1971, the BVI was in a deep recession and the gov- ernment remained depen- dent upon Britain to fund its large budget deficit. How- ever, through prudence and determination, the coalition governments led by the late Chief Minister Dr. Hon. Wil- lard Wheatley, MBE, LLB be- tween 1971-75 (i.e., Wheatley/ Virgin Islands Democratic Party/United Party) and 1975-79 (i.e., Wheatley/Virgin Islands Party), steered the territory out of recession and into a robust economic re- covery from 1974 onward. The exceptional public management of this period encouraged Britain to follow through on turning over re- sponsibility for the finance portfolio from the governor to the elected government under the stewardship of the chief minister. On June 1, 1977, Dr. Wheatley became the BVI’s first minister of finance. By 1978, the government independently closed the budget deficit and ended the year with a budget surplus of $1.3 million. This eliminated the need for further financial assistance from Britain and officially brought an end to grant-in-aid in the territory more than two decades after the BVI became a British colony in its own right. The territory has since re- mained financially self-suf- ficient as successive govern- ments have generally ran budget surpluses or bal- anced budgets. The new finance portfolio endowed the elected Gov- ernment with the fiscal and regulatory authority that positioned the BVI to later re- invent the financial services industry after the termina- tion of the BVI-U.S. double taxation treaty in 1981. The 40th anniversary of the end of grant-in-aid is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the BVI’s financial independence which remains a key pillar of the self-determination of the territory. Benito Wheatley is a Policy Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge and the former BVI Representative to the U.K. and European Union. 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” STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL TRUST Balancing heritage and development The National Trust for the Cayman Islands was disap- pointed to read the Cayman Compass Editorial “Save the Planet, lose the support of the people” (Dec. 5). Individuals and environ- mental groups – both large and small – have the right to voice their concerns using any platform they choose. Freedom of speech is at the core of every democracy; we should never seek to slight those who are using this freedom for good – in this case, to address concerns of protecting our “beloved isles”. Holding our government ac- countable by asking ques- tions, requiring transparency or campaigning for parts of our islands which it is be- lieved should be protected is also a fundamental principle of our democracy, however minor or major the proposed issue is perceived to be. The National Trust is le- gally obligated to fulfill its mandate of protecting en- vironmental and historical places of significance in the Cayman Islands. The Trust will also speak up when the need arises on behalf of its members as it strives to “protect the future of Cay- man’s heritage”. The National Trust, like many environmental groups and individuals, recognizes the need for sustainable eco- nomic development, but not to the detriment of our nat- ural heritage; this is what makes the Cayman Islands unique and is the primary reason people choose to visit. Sustainable development is the key to the long-term prosperity of our islands. The draft National Tourism Plan 2018-2023 calls for the Tourism industry’s growth to be “managed in a way that is socially, commer- cially and environmentally vi- able.” Furthermore, the stated vision of the plan is: “Pro- tecting our environment, cel- ebrating our cultural heri- tage while ensuring a vibrant tourism economy that ben- efits all Caymanians.” At this critical time, it is more impor- tant than ever that each de- velopment project is assessed for sustainability and that en- vironmental, as well as eco- nomic factors, are considered during any approval process. The National Trust is encouraged that so many voices – young and old – are speaking up. It is, after all, our collective responsibility to value and protect our his- toric, natural and maritime heritage for this and future generations. National Trust for the Cayman IslandsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 BAYSHORE MALL, CARDINALL AVENUE & THE STRAND +1(345) 949-7477 • KIRKFREEPORT.COM CHRISTMAS SWEEPST AKES Rolex giveaway is on January 2nd 2019. 3 X US$5,000 CASH WINNERS 5 X US$1,000 CASH WINNERS AND OTHER GREAT PRIZES! 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. DEC 1ST: ENTRY COLLECTION BEGINS Friday 7th US$5,000 Friday 14th US$5,000 Monday 17th - Friday 21st $1000 each day Monday 24th US$5,0006 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Holiday Schedule • Wednesday, 19th December - College closes for the holidays • Thursday, 3rd January—College reopens Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! from the President, faculty and staff of the University College of the Cayman Islands Spring 2019 Registration • Online registration is ongoing • Registration at Sir Vassel Johnson Hall Friday—Tuesday, 4th—8th January 8:30 am—6:00 pm • Challenge Exams Friday, 4th January (appointments must be made in December) UCCI: BLAZING TRAILS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN CAYMAN As the nation’s premier provider of tertiary education, UCCI is the first institution in the Cayman Islands to obtain accreditation from ASIC (Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges & Universities). It was also the first to be granted membership and accreditation candidacy status by IACBE (International Accreditation Council for Business Education), achieving first-time accreditation of its business and management programmes in April 2017. Contact us for further information: W : www.ucci.edu.ky T : 623-8224 E : admissions@ucci.edu.ky CLASSES BEGIN MONDAY, 7th JANUARY 2019 London talks end on financial services, disaster management MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beneficial ownership, tax transparency and disaster management dominated the second and last day of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting between overseas territories officials and the U.K. government in London. Mel Stride, financial sec- retary to the U.K. Treasury, said the U.K. government is committed to assisting the territories in the Eu- ropean Union tax coop- eration process. The EU initiative threatens non- compliant jurisdictions with a blacklisting and puni- tive measures. Mr. Stride said the U.K. had worked to ensure that the process was fair by calling for the use of objec- tive criteria in the EU assess- ment. Several overseas terri- tories encouraged the U.K. to continue its efforts at the po- litical level. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the Cayman Islands has been actively engaged with the EU and is on track to meet its commitments by the end of this year. All British territories and Crown de- pendencies are expected to meet economic substance re- quirements of the EU and the OECD Forum on Harmful Tax Practices. The U.K., meanwhile, con- firmed its plans to make public registers of bene- ficial ownership a global standard by 2023. The U.K. Parliament passed the Sanc- tions and Anti-Money Laun- dering Act in May. The act in- cludes a controversial clause threatening the issuance of an order in council that would impose public regis- ters showing the true owners of companies and other en- tities in the overseas territo- ries, if they have not been in- troduced by the end of 2020. The U.K.’s expectation is that such registers would be fully implemented and op- erational by 2023 and that the order could be drafted accordingly. This type of interference in devolved policy areas has previously been criticized as “colonial,” as it effectively disenfranchises elected offi- cials and their electorate in the territories. As a result, the constitutional relation- ship between the U.K. and its territories has been put under strain. Several territories have subsequently started talks with the U.K. to revise cer- tain aspects of their constitu- tional arrangements. Chloe Smith, parliamen- tary secretary and minister for the Constitution, said the U.K. wants to have posi- tive constitutional relation- ships with the territories, but admitted the passage of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act had caused some challenges. The aim, she said, was to recognize that the overseas territories are self-governing and subject only to the U.K. retaining power to carry out its obligations under inter- national law. Disaster preparedness In the morning session, overseas territories leaders presented updates of their disaster preparedness on Wednesday, with territories impacted by hurricanes last year highlighting the recovery progress they have made. Lord Tariq Ahmad, min- ister in the Foreign and Com- monwealth Office, said the U.K. appreciated the effort by Cayman and others in pro- viding assistance to the terri- tories impacted by the trop- ical cyclones. The U.K. continues to co- ordinate disaster manage- ment planning across the overseas territories for hurri- canes, earthquakes, tsunamis, serious flooding and volcanic activity. An annual planning and readiness meeting will take place between the U.K., its territories and other Ca- ribbean countries that wish to participate. Officials also noted that the U.K. had im- proved its own plans to swiftly respond to disasters in the overseas territories. Minister of Financial Ser- vices and Home Affairs Tara Rivers provided an update on work in the Cayman Is- lands to help enhance its re- silience to natural disasters, as well as strengthen re- gional cooperation frame- works. This includes working with the Governor’s Office and the Foreign and Com- monwealth Office to pilot the FCO’s Crisis Hub, which is a tool to aid in evacuations and in tracking missing persons during disasters. The Cayman Islands has also agreed to participate in a formal regional Overseas Territory Rapid Deployment Team that can swiftly pro- vide support for impacted territories. A new specialist helicopter will be purchased with the assistance of the U.K. for use in the Cayman Islands, as well as to partic- ipate with disaster relief in the overseas territories. The Cayman Islands has already begun implementing a National Emergency Notifi- cation System as well as up- grading the National Public Safety Radio Systems. Premier Alden McLaughlin makes his closing remarks on the second day of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting at Lancaster House in London.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Minnette Amanda Clarke, who passed away on Saturday, December 01, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Church of God Universal, 83a St. Walkers Road, George Town on Sunday, December 09, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Interment will follows at Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com 2018. I n Loving Memory Of Sereco Tracey McLeary Patterson. Sunrise June 8th1976 – Dec 7th 2017. Sadly missed by her mother, son, sister, brother, step-father, aunties, cousins and loving friends. The family of the Late Donovan “Donnie” Smith regrets to announce his passing on Saturday, 24 November, 2018 . Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, 8 December 2018 at the Family Life Centre, Walkers Rd. Viewing will be held from 1:00 p.m. prior to the service and from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, 7 December, 2018 at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers. Rd. The family of the Late Miranda Bodden better known as “Miss Rinnie” regrets to announce her passing on Saturday, 24 November 2018 . Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 8 December 2018 at Elmslie Memorial United Church. Interment will follow in South Sound Cemetery. The family of the Late Miranda Bodden better known as “Miss Rinnie” regrets to announce her passing on Saturday, 24 November 2018 . Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 8 December 2018 at Elmslie Memorial United Church. Interment will follow in South Sound Cemetery. The family of the Late Eric James Bergstrom, MBE regrets to announce his passing on Saturday, 13 October 2018 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A memorial service will be held 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 9 December 2018 at Pedro St. James. Attendees are encouraged to wear “Island smart casual”. Please join Eric’s family after the brief ceremony for refreshments on the Great Lawn at Pedro. Should anyone wish to make a contribution in Eric’s name, funds will be divided between the Cayman Islands Sailing Club and the Zak Quappe Scholarship Fund. Please contact Sheree Ebanks sebanks@me.com or 9162722. Road closures this weekend Harbour Drive and Car- dinall Avenue will be closed between Shedden Road and Fort Street, between 7:30 p.m. Friday night and 3 a.m. Saturday morning, for the Prowess Music Con- cert in George Town, po- lice advised. One lane will remain open between the Port Au- thority entrance and Fort Street to enable drivers to access the Port Au- thority and Elmslie Memo- rial Church. On Saturday, Hawkins Drive in George Town will be closed between noon and 4 p.m. in order to facili- tate the Windsor Park Com- mittee’s Christmas Party. Police are also urging motorists to exercise cau- tion along West Bay Road on Saturday morning, as the New Testament Church of God will hold a fund- raising walk/run that day, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. That event begins and ends at Public Beach on Seven Mile Beach. Partic- ipants will travel south along West Bay Road to the Galleria Plaza Round- about and back. The road will not be closed, but po- lice are asking drivers to be alert to the runners and walkers. Also, while no roads will be closed during the event, police are again asking motorists to exercise cau- tion during the Toys 4 Tots Toy Run, a motorbike ride across Grand Cayman or- ganized by the Cayman Is- lands Motorcycle Riders Association, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The riders will leave from the Margaritaville Hotel on West Bay Road and travel around the is- land, with a 15 minute stop in East End. “No roads will be closed for this event but motor- ists are being informed that they may encounter the procession, which is expected to include up to 60 motorcyclists, at various points across the island on Sunday,” police said in a statement. Christmas beef inspection reminder The Department of En- vironmental Health is re- minding slaughtermen, butchers and livestock farmers of the arrange- ments regarding the inspec- tion of locally slaughtered animals in the Cayman Is- lands during the upcoming Christmas Season. Inspections by the De- partment of Agriculture and the Department of Environ- mental Health will be carried out to ensure safe slaugh- tering standards are met. Both departments must be contacted at least 48 hours ahead of the proposed slaughter time. Ante-mortem inspection, which is the examination of food animals before slaughter, will be conducted by the Vet- erinary Section of the Depart- ment of Agriculture. Slaugh- termen are advised to contact the Department of Agriculture to make arrangements to have this done. Post-mortem in- spection, which is the inspec- tion undertaken immediately after slaughter to determine if the meat is fit for human consumption, is the respon- sibility of the Department of Environmental Health. Meat from carcasses, whether whole or part of lo- cally slaughtered animals, should not be offered for sale unless inspected and ap- proved by the DEH. The DEH also reminds consumers that the carcasses of locally slaughtered animals that have been inspected by its officers and found suitable for human consumption usually bear the DEH Stamp, indicating that the meat has been certified. Consumers should avoid purchasing or consuming local meat that has not been passed “fit for consumption” by the DEH, and should im- mediately report any in- stances where local meat is sold without certification. For more information, call the Department of Environmental Health on 949-6696, the Agriculture Department on 947-3090, Gideon Simms for Grand Cayman on 925-4582 or Patience Eke for the Sister Islands on 916-4201 regarding arrangements for meat inspections. CUC schedules West Bay power outage Some Caribbean Utilities Company customers in West Bay will experience power outages between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday, ac- cording to the company. The outages will occur between the Hell Gift Shop on Hell Road and Reverend Blackman Road, including Dill Lane off Reverend Blackman Road, and on Town Hall Road as far as and including Billy Manderson Drive. Sanchez Villas on Town Hall Road will also be impacted. The outages will also af- fect Fountain Road up to and including Agua Lane. Motorists are asked to drive with caution on those roads as CUC will have a number of vehicles and per- sonnel in the areas. “CUC apologises for this interruption, which is nec- essary to upgrade line hard- ware and provide our cus- tomers with safe, reliable and efficient power,” the company said in a statement. For more information on the outage and areas and streets affected, contact CUC’s Customer Service Team at 949-5200 or email service@cuc.ky. Butchers in East End prepare beef for sale. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Police advise that a number of roads will be closed during events this weekend.9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018 HOLIDAY SPECIAL - TAEKWONDO $49 - 1 Month Membership & Uniform (New Mbrs) Buy your child a gift for a lifetime: Discipline, Respect, Self-Con dence Children and Adult TAEKWONDO Classes, FITNESS & SELF DEFENCE Private, Semi-Private & Group Classes Cayman Islands Taekwondo Academy CROWN SQUARE, Eastern Ave., Open 10am – 5pm, Ph. 749-5348 call : 946-9020 between 9am to 5pm Dr. Wayne R. Porter MD F.A.A.D. Dermatologist Dees Plaza #282 on Crewe Road, GT He will be in office from December 5th - December 14th, 2018 Hair: W/Blow & Flat Iron $25 Relax and set $30 - $35 Wash, Cut, Blow & Curl $40 Rope Twists $80 up Invisible $45 up Full Head Weave $65 - $90 up Lock Dreads $50 up Nails: Full Set Acrylic (w/ gel polish) $35 - $40 Fill In $18 Pedicure $25 Parafin $35 Kyle’s MID-WEEK SPECIALS Mon & Wed During December Innovative Barbers & Beauty Salon Call: 946-6038 for appointments 137 Eastern Avenue Next to Tortuga Patty and McRuss Trial delayed for beautician SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The trial of Zunilda Anaya Baldovino was de- layed again on Thursday and adjourned to a later date. Ms. Baldovino, who has pleaded not guilty to two charges of doing reck- less and negligent acts, is accused of working at a beauty salon and supplying or administering “medicine or poison or dangerous matter” in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or safety. The trial began in Au- gust, and two complain- ants have testified about re- ceiving facial injections from Ms. Baldovino. The court heard from the second com- plainant back in November, and then the court ad- journed to Thursday. How- ever on Thursday, both the Crown counsel and defense requested an adjournment. Due to a scheduling snafu, many of the wit- nesses were told by the Crown that it was not neces- sary to appear on Thursday. Magistrate Philippa McFar- lane asked both sides how much longer they thought the trial would last, and the Crown estimated one ad- ditional day. The defense asked to set aside two days. Magistrate McFarlane directed both sides to be back in court to continue the trial on March 5 and 7. Fake NRA trio plead guilty, receive fines SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three visitors who had pretended to be National Roads Authority employees and charged local businesses to paint lines in their parking lots were fined when they ap- peared in court this week. David Gammel, Patrick Sheridan and John Quilligan wrapped up their legal ob- ligations Wednesday, when the trio pleaded guilty in Summary Court to working without work permits. They had previously pleaded guilty in Grand Court to a pair of charges of obtaining property through deception. Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Quilligan are Irish citizens, while Mr. Gammel is British. They had originally been ac- cused of falsely representing themselves as employees of the National Roads Authority and painting lines in parking lots in multiple locations for profit, despite not having the appropriate authorization. The Crown stated that the charge of “personating an of- ficer” and one of the charges of attempting to obtaining property by deception would lie on file. “They are extremely sorry to the community and apol- ogize for wasting the court’s time,” said defense attorney James Stenning as part of Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. “They are embar- rassed by the media coverage of what they have done and they have brought shame to their families.” The court heard Thursday that Mr. Quilligan, who is 22 years old, Mr. Sheridan, 23, and Mr. Gammel, 20, had no prior convictions and are men of previously good character. Mr. Stenning told the court that the three young men had been forced to spend thousands of dol- lars in hotel fees while pre- paring for their case to be heard in Grand Court and Summary Court. Magistrate Valdis Foldats told the defendants that work permits are an important part of how the Cayman gov- ernment brings in money and told them that by working without a permit, they were defrauding the many workers who have gotten the appro- priate paperwork. “You’re not going to jail,” Magistrate Foldats told the men. “Just so you know, it was very close.” As part of their guilty pleas, the court seized $1,164 that the trio earned as a re- sult of their deception. Part of that money – $450 – was ear- marked to compensate one of the businesses, CashWiz, that had employed the men. Each of the defendants was also fined $280 for their Grand Court violations, and that money was also taken out of the funds seized. The defendants each had to pay $42 on top of the money seized to settle their fines and compensation order from the charges in Grand Court. Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Gammel and Mr. Quilligan were also fined $500 each for their im- migration offense. The court also issued a forfeiture order in relation to equipment police seized from the car the men had been using, which included a paint spraying machine, tins of paints, extension cables, a broom and rolls of duct tape. Magistrate Foldats said that the trio could have their passports and cell- phones back as soon as they had made their pay- ments, and the three were hoping to fly back home on Wednesday afternoon. HOLIDAY BLOOD DRIVE TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com KidsAbility and the Cayman Islands Blood Bank is teaming up next week to make sure that those who need blood can get it over the holidays. The blood drive will be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Smith Road Centre lobby, outside the KidsAbility office. Jennifer Kristensen, founder and owner of KidsAbility, a pediatric therapy clinic, said, “We know that over the holidays is the time the blood bank needs lots of donations.” Kristine Miranda, a medical technologist at the blood bank, said donating blood could help save someone’s life. “This holiday season, if we can collect another 50 units in one blood drive, it will result in an overall im- pact on saving more than 150 lives in the local com- munity,” Ms. Miranda said. Blood donors of all blood types are needed, she said, especially type O negative, the universal blood donor type, which can be used for patients with any blood type. “If there is an emer- gency and we do not know the patient’s blood type, O negative blood can be given right away,” she said. While the blood bank is not experiencing a shortage at present, Ms. Miranda said it is better to have extra stock on hand during for holiday seasons. Privy Council hears Vista Del Mar dispute KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A dispute between Vista Del Mar Developments Ltd. and two people who pur- chased a plot of land there was heard last week by the territory’s highest court, the London-based Judicial Com- mittee of the Privy Council. The dispute is over whether Vista Del Mar – a gated community in West Bay comprised of oceanfront and canalfront lots – has the right to repurchase the plot of land for $462,460. Vista Del Mar won both the Grand Court case and the appeal, but the people who purchased the property were granted leave last year to have their case heard in the Privy Council. According to court doc- uments, Vista Del Mar has contracts with its property purchasers stating that they must build residences on their lots within certain time frames. Otherwise, the resi- dential development has the right to repurchase the land. The property purchasers in this case, Janet Francis and Dwight Clarke, pur- chased their plot in May 2009 and were supposed to commence construction by November 2010, an ap- peals court judgment on the matter states. The purchasers were granted an extension, but still had not commenced con- struction by October 2013. On that month, Vista Del Mar told them that it in- tended to repurchase the plot for its original purchase price, $462,460. More discussions en- sued where the property owners insisted that con- struction would start soon. But with still no building started by October 2014, Vista Del Mar issued its writ seeking to enforce the repur- chase agreement. At the Grand Court hearing, the property owners argued that the repurchase should not be enforced for several reasons, including that the alleged option had lapsed and because Vista Del Mar came to court with “un- clean hands,” in that it had enforced the covenants re- quiring construction of resi- dences in an uneven and dis- criminatory manner. In a September 2016 judgment, Grand Court Jus- tice Ingrid Mangatal re- jected all of Ms. Francis’s and Mr. Clarke’s arguments. A June 2017 appeals court ruling also rejected their arguments. There is no sched- uled date for when the Privy Council will make a judgment. The three men appeared at Summary Court in the courthouse building in downtown George Town on Wednesday.Next >