ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY ORIGINAL CHICKEN FRIES NEW CHICKEN FRIES Renewable energy company disputes OfReg over pricing KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The renewable energy company Cayman OTI released a statement on Thursday dis- puting the characterization by the Utility Reg- ulation and Competition Office (OfReg) that a proposed floating power plant in North Side would not produce energy at a rea- sonable price. Cayman OTI’s statement was in response to a Finance Committee meeting in the Leg- islative Assembly last month, where OfReg Acting CEO Gregg Anderson was asked about why Cayman OTI’s proposed ocean thermal energy conversion project has not been imple- mented yet. Cayman OTI officials said in May 2017 that they hoped to hold public meetings that year to receive approval to begin the proj- ect’s 36-month construction process. However, Mr. Anderson said in Finance Committee that the rates proposed by Cayman OTI will not give consumers the best value for their money. He added that this type of power produc- tion, ocean thermal energy conversion, has not been successfully deployed on a commercial level. The system works by exploiting the tem- perature difference between the warm surface water and cold water piped from 4,000 feet below the surface to power ammonia-driven steam turbines to create electricity. There is an ocean thermal energy conver- sion plant in Hawaii, but that is heavily sub- sidized by government. “So Cayman would be the ‘guinea pig’ for the technology,” Mr. An- derson said. Premier Alden McLaughlin chimed in during Mr. Anderson’s statement, saying that STORM-HIT ISLANDS SUFFER AS CAYMAN TOURISM PROSPERS Regional report highlights dive in tourism in hurricane-hit islands JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The extent to which Cayman’s recent tourism boom has come at the expense of its hurricane-hit neighbors is spelled out in a new regional hospitality market report. The Integra Realty report shows how tourism numbers have nosedived in islands impacted by storms in 2017. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Anguilla all suffered a drop of more than 40 percent in stay-over tourism. The British Virgin Islands and Sint Maarten have seen even bigger losses of 60 percent or higher. Meanwhile the Cayman Islands leads the way for the region in arrival growth, hotel occupancy rates and growth in hotel rates, which hit an average of $422 a night in 2018. The report notes that the pattern of travel BAITED CAMERAS SURVEY CAYMAN’S SHARKS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Researchers are poring over more than 100 hours of footage recorded using baited under- water camera traps as part of a study of the island’s shark populations. The data, collected last month on a network of 52 cameras stra- tegically stationed at 13 survey sites around Grand Cayman, will help scientists build a pic- ture of the distribution of sharks around the island. Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks and blacktip sharks have all shown up on the footage so far. Johanna Kohler, shark project officer, said the team would spend the next two months ana- lyzing the data. She said similar surveys were conducted on Little Cayman earlier this year. The information helps fuel conservation management strat- egies for sharks, which are now a protected species in Cayman’s waters under the National Con- servation Law. “We are currently working on an estimate of our local shark population. But even without an actual number, it is safe to say that we have fewer sharks in Cayman than we need for a Christmas comes early to Cardinall Avenue Hundreds of people turned out to the George Town waterfront Saturday to get in the holiday spirit and enjoy Kirk Freeport Christmas on Cardinall Avenue. The evening, designed for families, offered food, fun and fireworks. Businesses from Harbour Drive to Edward Street welcomed revelers to a backdrop of music, children’s games and seasonal festivities. Please turn to page 6 for more photos. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Bait bags are used to attract sharks, usually shy animals, to the cameras.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) SECOND ACT (PG13) 2:25 I 4:50 I 7:00 VIP I 9:30 VIP I 10:00 MORTAL ENGINES (PG13) 12:40 3D I 3:30 VIP I 6:50 I 9:45 3D ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER (PG) 1:10 I 6:30 ROBIN HOOD (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 I 7:10 I 9:50 SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (PG) 12:45 VIP I 3:35 3D I 7:20 I 8:45 3D THE GRINCH (PG) 1:45 I 4:00 I 6:20 RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (PG) 3:25 3D I 8:35 Another delay in tennis pro fraud case SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The theft and forgery case of Robert Todd Seward was delayed again on Friday as the Crown counsel and de- fense attorneys try to find a path to arraignment and trial. Mr. Seward, the former manager and head profes- sional at the Cayman Is- lands Tennis Club, has been accused of theft of US$22,856.21 and CI$116,398 from his former place of employment. The case originally con- sisted of 72 counts of charges including forgery, theft and obtaining property by decep- tion, but it was condensed into a 12-count Grand Court indictment in July. Mr. Seward was sched- uled to be arraigned on some of the counts on Friday, but Justice Linda Dobbs said the case may benefit from further consul- tation between the defense and prosecution. “This strikes me as a case counsel should be talking to each other about,” Justice Dobbs said. Defense attorney Prathna Bodden told the court that some extra time might be good for both sides. “We had hoped we’d be able to resolve it by the end of the year,” she said. “We haven’t gotten there yet.” Mr. Seward will next ap- pear in court on Jan. 25, and Justice Dobbs indicated that she will expect pleas to be made on some of the charges at that point. Mr. Seward is currently on bail, and he was required to surrender his passport. He must report to police at least two times a week until his next court date. Sentencing delayed in wrongful confinement, assault case SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Brandon Jamahl Beckett’s sentencing date for wrongful confinement, among other convictions, was pushed back due to the lack of a social in- quiry report on Friday. He was also denied bail after an application by defense at- torney Jonathon Hughes. Mr. Beckett halted a Grand Court jury trial in progress on Dec. 5 and pleaded guilty to wrongful confinement, as- sault causing bodily harm and causing intentional ha- rassment, alarm or distress. The Crown offered no evi- dence for rape and threats to kill after Mr. Beckett changed his plea. The social inquiry re- port ordered by Justice Linda Dobbs was not com- pleted in time for the sen- tencing date, and the Justice ordered a mental health re- port to be commissioned for Mr. Beckett’s next court date. He is expected to be back in Grand Court for sentencing on Feb. 27, 2019. Mr. Hughes advanced a bail application because Mr. Beckett has already spent a considerable amount of time in jail while awaiting his trial, but Justice Dobbs said that effort was “rather unrealistic.” “He’s pleaded guilty to a number of offenses,” Justice Dobbs said. Justice Dobbs said Mr. Beckett has been con- victed for previous crimes of violence, and she noted that he was in breach of a suspended sentence and breach of probation at the time of his offense. Justice Dobbs also said Mr. Beckett has previous convictions for crimes of violence. Mr. Beckett will still need to be sentenced in Sum- mary Court for his breach of probation. Justice Dobbs said that she wants to get as early a date as possible to re- solve the case, but she said the court will need the re- sults of the social inquiry and mental health reports to proceed. “Mr. Beckett clearly has a problem with anger and vi- olence toward women that needs addressing,” she said. MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN KNIFE ATTACK A man is in critical con- dition after being stabbed multiple times in the early hours of Saturday. The victim was at- tacked by two men on Mary Street just before 3 a.m., according to a state- ment by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. He was taken to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital where his condition was described as critical but stable. Anyone with information about the incident can contact George Town CID at 949-4222. Tips can also be submitted by calling the confidential tipline at 949- 7777 or calling Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-8477. The case originally consisted of 72 counts of charges including forgery, theft and obtaining property by deception, but it was condensed into a 12-count Grand Court indictment in July. Brazil’s gay couples exchange vows in collective ceremony SAO PAULO (AP) – About forty gay couples got mar- ried in downtown Sao Paulo on Saturday, tying the knot partly out of fear that the new administra- tion of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro could restrict same-sex marriage. Although his campaign did not express views against gay marriage, Bol- sonaro’s record of ho- mophobic comments has caused alarm. In an interview with Playboy magazine in De- cember 2011, he said that he “would be incapable of loving a homosexual son.” In May 2002, he also threatened gay people, saying that if he saw “two men kissing each other on the street” he would “beat them up.” On Saturday, dozens of people exchanged vows during a collective cer- emony held at Casa1, an NGO that provides sup- port to disadvantaged LGBT youth. Casa1 launched a cam- paign a few weeks ago to hold the ceremony “in the face of the po- litical situation” and raised almost $12,000 to cover expenses. “It’s our way of raising the flag for our rights in this new setting,” said Lais Risatto, an NGO member. Luana Hansen, 37, got married to Glaucia Figueiredo, 29, in response to the perceived threat. “We’re combining our desire to love with our de- sire for revolution,” she said. “We don’t know what Bolsonaro may do.” Future Human Rights Minister Damares Alves, a 54-year-old evangelical minister, told the O Globo newspaper in an interview on Dec. 6 that homosexual marriage is an “achieved right that is no longer up for debate.” Gay marriage has been legal in Brazil since May 2013. Bolsonaro takes of- fice on Jan. 1. Woman found unconscious after suspected assault A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspi- cion of attempted murder after a woman was found unconscious in her home in West Bay on Thursday. The victim, who suf- fered serious head inju- ries, was only discovered after neighbors raised the alarm a day after she is believed to have been assaulted. Police were called to the home on North West Point Road around 6 p.m. Thursday by a member of the public who said they were concerned for the welfare of the woman. The person reported that they suspected an alter- cation had taken place the previous night, according to a Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service press statement. Officers forced entry to the residence and found the victim unconscious and suffering from se- rious head injuries. She was taken to the hospital where she was in crit- ical but stable condition on Sunday. A 32-year-old man from West Bay was arrested on suspicion of the attack and was being held in custody as investi- gation continued. The incident is sus- pected to have taken place on Dec. 12 between 11 p.m. and midnight. Anyone with information can call the West Bay Criminal Investigation Department at 949- 3999, call the confidential tipline at 949-7777, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-8477. ROBBERS TARGET GEORGE TOWN BARBECUE SPOT Armed robbers held up Chef John’s barbecue spot in George Town, Friday evening. Police said two men ar- rived at “a business on Crewe Road” just before 6:30 p.m. One of them brandished a firearm and demanded cash. There were several cus- tomers at the venue at the time. No shots were fired, but one of the patrons suf- fered minor injuries, ac- cording to a statement from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. The men fled the scene with a “quantity of cash,” police said. Anyone with information about the incident can contact George Town CID at 949-4222, call the confidential tipline at 949-7777 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-8477. “We’re combining our desire to love with our desire for revolution.” LUANA HANSENThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 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$5,000The 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” The doors were thrown open at Miss Lassie’s house last Friday, as volunteers painted, swept, mopped and tidied the national landmark in a pre-Christmas cleanup that has deep roots in tradition. The porcelain figurines were dusted, the floors were mopped, the conch-edged gardens straight- ened and raked. A fresh coat of yellow paint gleamed smartly in the sun. Individually, their efforts may not have seemed so monumental. Certainly, those we talked with did not seem to think they were making a particularly note- worthy contribution – after all, what’s a few hours spent flicking a paintbrush or pushing a broom? But there was no disputing the fact that the historic home sparkled under their collective attentions. In an important sense those volunteers – and the legion of volunteers who shoulder the immense load of work that makes this such a magical time – ARE Christmas in the Cayman Islands. We cannot – nor would we want to – imagine the season without them. It takes dozens of committed volunteers to coor- dinate and conduct each one of our islands’ dizzying array of holiday toy drives, food drives, bazaars and bake sales, Christmas markets and craft fairs, concerts, plays and visits with Santa. Wherever crowds gather, you can be sure that it took an army of behind- the-scenes workers, donors and coordinators to make the experience such a joyous event. Cayman is especially blessed with an abundance of Christmastime celebrations – many, if not most, offered to the public free of charge. As any church, school, community, charitable group or holiday cam- paigner can attest, without the combined Herculean efforts of donors and volunteers, those festive offer- ings simply could not take place. In return, Cayman’s scores of volunteers are paid not in money, but in appreciation and the personal satisfaction of contributing. That is valuable currency, though it be intangible. As Cayman National Cultural Foundation Education Officer Virginia Foster told us on Friday, “All the volunteers that come have said that they got back more than they gave.” If there is one dark spot on this luminous land- scape, it is that more volunteers do not join their ranks. Perhaps they feel they have nothing to offer. We can assure them, there is much to do – and such a variety of needs and causes that every person can find his or her niche. Whether it is selling tickets for a raffle, baking cookies for a fair, donating equipment, supplies or expertise or sprucing up a cultural landmark, every small effort becomes part of a greater movement toward a greater good. More than joy; more than Christmas spirit, the generosity and caring of Cayman’s volunteers form some of the building blocks of a harmonious and caring community. The wise advise that we should “create the world we want to live in.” Cayman’s community-minded vol- unteers do exactly that. Volunteers embody the true meaning of Christmas MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Clawing back trade power from the president WASHINGTON – In the early 1930s, when Benito Musso- lini was one of the world’s most admired political fig- ures, Franklin Roosevelt pro- claimed in his first inaugural address that there might have to be a “temporary departure” from “the normal balance of executive and legislative au- thority” so that he could wield in domestic policy “broad ex- ecutive power” as great as would be given to him were America “invaded by a for- eign foe.” Such was the allure of unfettered executive power, the Studebaker automobile company of South Bend, In- diana, marketed a model called the Dictator. The Constitution vests in Congress the power “to reg- ulate commerce with foreign nations.” For decades, how- ever, Congress has granted vast trade discretion to pres- idents, for reasons of sloth (setting policy is work), pru- dence (taking responsibility is risky) and ideology (exec- utive discretion is modern; the separation of powers is an anachronistic impedi- ment to energetic govern- ment). Today, however, there is growing legislative resis- tance to some broad powers that presidents possess be- cause legislators improvi- dently – and, arguably, un- constitutionally – delegated them to presidents, particu- larly regarding international trade. Those powers include the presidential imposition of taxes, which tariffs are, paid by Americans. Sens. Rob Portman, R- Ohio, Doug Jones, D-Ala., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, have introduced legislation that would, they say – sacrificing candor to political delicacy – “better align” Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 with its “original intent,” which was to enable presi- dential responses “to genuine threats to national security.” The senators would require the Defense Department to justify the “national security” basis for tariffs. Imagine the generals and admirals today trying to explain the threat posed by imported automo- biles and auto parts, or by steel and aluminum imported from nations (six of the top 10 sources of imported steel) that have mutual-defense agreements with America. In 1903, Winston Churchill, then 28, warned (this is from Andrew Rob- erts’ magnificent new biog- raphy) that by embracing pro- tectionism the Conservative Party would “cause the lob- bies to be crowded with the touts of protected industries.” The Trump administration’s protectionism has turned the Commerce Department – it is now an impediment to the ac- tivity that its name denotes – into a bazaar for such touts. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., raises an issue that impli- cates constitutional issues that are even more funda- mental than those addressed by the Portman-Jones-Ernst measure. President Trump might try to force congres- sional ratification of his United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement by terminating NAFTA. This would confront Congress with an unpalatable choice: embrace the USMCA, or live without an agreement and with economic chaos. Toomey correctly argues that Congress cannot dele- gate the power to repeal stat- utes. Statutes implementing congressional-executive trade agreements explicitly autho- rize presidents to take certain actions, which make implau- sible implicit delegation of the power to terminate such agreements. The president might argue that he can unilaterally ter- minate treaties (although no president did so until 1927), and that congressional-ex- ecutive agreements deci- sively resemble treaties be- cause presidential initiative is paramount. However, the president’s power in foreign relations is plenary except re- garding commerce, where the president has no independent power and where the Con- stitution’s Commerce Clause establishes Congress’ pri- macy. Presidents can make trade treaties that must be consented to by two-thirds of the Senate. But congres- sional-executive agreements like NAFTA are authorized by statutes passed by both houses of Congress, and must be terminated by statutes. In 1952, during the Ko- rean War, the Supreme Court rejected President Tru- man’s claim that his in- herent and implied powers as commander in chief le- gitimated his seizure of steel mills to prevent disruption by labor disputes. In a concurring opinion, Justice Robert Jackson said that presidential powers “fluc- tuate depending on their dis- junction or conjunction with those of Congress,” and presi- dential power is at its “lowest ebb” when the president acts against the “expressed or implied will of Congress.” That will is expressed, not merely implied, in congres- sional-executive agreements like NAFTA. Although today’s swollen presidency will not soon be a museum piece, it is en- couraging that a few legisla- tors want to claw back some of their branch’s powers, thereby reducing the execu- tive to a dimension more com- patible with our constitu- tional architecture. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL Today there is growing legislative resistance to some broad powers that presidents possess because legislators improvidently delegated them to presidents, particularly regarding international trade.5 LOCAL NEWS A festive parade of Santas made its way around Ca- mana Bay Sunday morning, bringing some char- itable holiday spirit to the town center. The an- nual Santa Run 5K supports the Camana Bay Christmas Give, this year benefiting the Cayman Islands Food Bank and its mission to fight hunger. The run is not timed and instead focuses on family and the Christmas season. CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 Runners started at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, departing from the Crescent at Camana Bay. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Families turned out early Sunday for a morning of holiday fun and exercise. Participants were encouraged to wear Santa hats and other festive items.The Christmas-themed run was welcoming to both families and pets.6 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) The annual Kirk Freeport Christmas on Cardi- nall Avenue attracted hundreds of visitors Sat- urday for an evening of family fun and holiday cheer. Guests enjoyed games, food, music and visits with Santa. Businesses around the waterfront participated in the event and remained open later in the evening for visitors. MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Madison and Mia Webb put in their Christmas wishes. The St. Ignatius Catholic School Swing Band entertains the crowd. Dan John and his son Izaak visit Mrs. and Mr. Clause. Ella, Padraig and Sophia Hoare enjoy the Christmas cheer.Bianca and Cienna Hurlston join the fun. Families enjoy an evening of seasonal festivities along the waterfront. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY A balloon artist models a creation for one of the guests. A server hands out finger food to attendees.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Half page 6.8222x11.8975.pdf 1 11/29/18 11:42 AM John Gray students get lesson in adulthood MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Billy Russell has wanted to fix up his house for a long time. He just did not have the resources, he said. Sitting at the southern end of central George Town’s athletic field, Mr. Russell’s home has ill- fitted windows, cracks in the wall and debris in the yard, including stacks of scrap lumber and pruned branches, plastic crates and bottles, an old tire and an old boat trailer. A small fishing boat sits in front of the house. In back is a dilapidated vintage trailer home. On Saturday, a team of 15 John Gray High School students who are part of the Boyz 2 Men program, attacked the house inside and out with paint brushes and rollers, giving the place a fresh coat of paint. They will also be helping to tile the floors of the home in the coming days. “I felt good,” said Mr. Russell, 68, talking about his reaction when he learned of the plans to re- habilitate his home with labor provided by the high schoolers. “They’re good guys. They’re very intelli- gent and mannerly.” Donald Hooker is a counselor with the National Drug Council, which col- laborates with the Boyz 2 Men program. He and Mr. Russell are friends and Mr. Russell appeared in a video on the dangers of alcohol abuse, talking about his own experiences, that was produced by the council. Mr. Hooker said he saw a way to help Mr. Russell and the community as well. “This used to be a bad scene,” Mr. Hooker said, pointing to the surrounding neighborhood. “This was a drug scene.” What he envisions is using Mr. Russell’s home and property as a mini community center. “We’re going to try to use this as a place for AA meetings and youth meet- ings,” he said. Having the teenagers in- vest themselves in the work, he said, makes sense. They are learning practical skills that may help many of them as they enter the working world, Mr. Hooker said, and they are becoming more in- volved in their community. This is the second house the Boyz 2 Men program has painted. In November, some of the members of the group noticed that their bus warden’s home needed some attention. They brought the idea of painting it to Chris- topher Murray, who directs the program and he agreed it was a good idea. “It teaches them a sense of pride in their commu- nity,” Mr. Murray said. “It teaches them teamwork.” The painting projects are a small part of the Boyz 2 Men program, which Mr. Murray established nine years ago to help at-risk boys. Program participants learn etiquette and have the chance to participate in a number of community and vocational programs. This year, boys with model be- havior were also allowed into the group to help serve as examples and to also learn the ropes of becoming an adult. More than 30 boys are in the program. Mr. Murray said he thinks the project on Mr. Russell’s house teaches an important lesson. “They learn a sense of giving without expecting anything in return,” he said. Kendal Zelaya, 15, said his first experience wielding a paint brush was when he helped paint the bus war- den’s house. Such projects, he said, are a good experience. “I like that we come to- gether as one and we’re helping people that need help,” Kendal said. “It teaches us how to moti- vate each other and get the job done.” He said he does not plan to become a painter, but likes it enough that he could see it as a fall- back position. “I really want to be a chef,” he said. “But I could always start a painting business myself.” The materials and paint were donated by Paint Pros, while Edie’s Decor supplied the tile. Both companies had representatives on hand to help guide the project. “Anytime we’re able to help, we’re there,” said John DaCosta, whose family owns Paint Pros. He has helped other nonprofits in- cluding Acts of Random Kindness and Meals on Wheels, he said. He spent time giving the boys some tips before they began slapping paint on the house. “This one is special be- cause these guys are our fu- ture,” Mr. DaCosta said. Devon Edie, of Edie’s Decor, said working with youth helps fill what he sees as a hole in the educa- tion system. “I’m all for teaching young men how to be re- sponsible and showing them there are trades out there that they can make a living off of,” he said. “If these guys see another way of making money, it may save them from making a trip down the wrong path.” In the end, Kendal said, the project feeds into the program’s ultimate goal. “It helps us to be better men,” he said. Kendal Zelaya, left, and Antwon Watler paint the eaves of Billy Russell’s home. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS They are learning practical skills that may help many of them as they enter the working world, Mr. Hooker said, and they are becoming more involved in their community.8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Frank Fleiger Dec. 17, 2017 In loving memory of a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend. We were humbled by your generosity and your love. Step softly, a dream lies here. Rest in Peace The Fleiger family Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Miss Lassie’s house gets spruced up for the holidays JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman National Cul- tural Foundation hopes sprucing up Miss Lassie’s old house will get people in the spirit of Christmas and keep Cayman tradi- tions alive. On Friday, volunteers spent the day re-enacting the days of old by tidying up the home and yard on South Church Street, and enjoying a traditional breakfast of porridge and fish tea. “Preparing for Christmas was a big part of the Cay- manian traditions,” said Marcia Muttoo, CNCF man- aging director who was as- sisting volunteers. One of the paint- ings Miss Lassie did was called “Preparing for Christmas in the Yester- years,” she added. “Since Miss Lassie passed, that inspired us to have a responsibility to come out and prepare the property just a couple of weeks before Christmas Day,” Ms. Muttoo said. They cleaned, dusted and wiped down every little thing and washed all the curtains and linens, she said. They also weeded the yard, repainted the old house and the cisterns, and replenished the sand in the yard. “We just try to live by the spirit of exactly how people used to get ready for Christmas in the yester- years,” Ms. Muttoo said. Volunteer Deston Powery helped sweep the yard and arrange conch shells to make the yard more attractive. He said he felt happy cleaning up Miss Lassie’s old house and helping to preserve some Caymanian history. The late Gladwyn Bush, lovingly known as Miss Lassie, was a fourth gen- eration Caymanian who owned and lived in the house built by her father between 1878 and 1881. An intuitive artist, Miss Lassie began painting at the age of 62, after what she described as a vi- sionary experience. She would mark her visions on the walls of the house, which is preserved by the CNCF today. There will not be an event for Christmas at Miss Lassie’s house, but tours will continue in January, according to Ms. Muttoo. To book a free tour of Mind’s Eye, contact CNCF at 949- 5477 or email culture@candw. ky. For more information on Mind’s Eye and Miss Lassie, visit artscayman.org/minds-eye/. The late Gladwyn Bush, lovingly known as Miss Lassie, was a fourth generation Caymanian who owned and lived in the house built by her father between 1878 and 1881. Cayman National Cultural Foundation volunteers clean up the back of Miss Lassie’s house. Volunteers get Miss Lassie’s house in order for the holidays. Dexter Benliss and Deston Powery put white sand around Miss Lassie’s house.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 17, 2018 “it is a complete and utter myth that somehow the use of renewables reduces the cost of electricity. It doesn’t, at least not that I’ve seen. “There may be other vir- tues, but not what you’re going to pay for the gen- eration of each kilowatt hour of electricity,” the pre- mier said during the Nov. 22 meeting. Mr. Anderson added that his office has not out- right rejected Cayman OTI’s plans, but that OfReg wants the company to pro- pose rates that are more acceptable for consumers. On Thursday, Cayman OTI released its statement disputing Mr. Anderson’s assertions. Cayman OTI said that it has offered an energy price that is “substantially lower” than the current rates in- curred by Cayman con- sumers for energy. “Cayman OTI has of- fered to provide further reductions through sub- stantially lower capacity charges as diesel gener- ating units are retired,” the company said. Cayman OTI added that OfReg accepted the com- pany’s proposed pricing in June. However, the Ca- ribbean Utilities Company later contested such pricing based on its Integrated Re- source Plan, which was commissioned in Au- gust 2016 to study energy and market trends for the next 30 years. Cayman OTI said it is still waiting to receive the Integrated Resource Plan in order to compare its pro- posed pricing with that projected by the Caribbean Utilities Company. healthy reef,” Ms. Kohler said. “In light of the general global decline of shark pop- ulations, it is important to keep an eye on our local shark population. “Monitoring popula- tion trends allows us to as- sess long-term trends and patterns and potentially re- spond quickly to declines by altering management ap- proaches in order to deal with conservation issues.” The Baited Remote Un- derwater Video system uses camera traps to attract sharks, which are generally shy animals. A mesh bag of bait at- tached to an upside-down crate creates a plume of chum, which brings preda- tory fish, including sharks, into the camera’s field of view. Moray eels, turtles and stingrays have also shown up to investigate. The camera records con- tinuously for two hours and the footage is analyzed back on land to provide survey data. Four camera traps re- cord at 13 sites around the island to provide a snapshot of the shark population. Researchers also log data points during recording, in- cluding wind speed, cloud cover, wave height, depth and the strength and direction of the current. The surveys are carried out twice a year in Grand Cayman. “The standardized ap- proach makes the results sta- tistically comparable site to site and year to year so that we can detect meaningful changes in shark popula- tions,” Ms. Kohler added. The BRUV survey is part of Shark Conservation Cay- man’s ongoing shark re- search program, which is a collaboration between the Department of Environment and Marine Conservation In- ternational. The program has been studying sharks in Cayman since 2008 and the continued research now relies entirely on private funding, including from its main sponsor, CayBrew. Other research methods include acoustic tags and a network of volunteer divers who log shark sightings. Ms. Kohler added, “Our re- search goal is to improve the understanding of our local sharks to develop better ways to protect and conserve them and to share the knowledge with local communities.” in the Caribbean region over the past year was disrupted by the destruc- tive storms of 2017. “The year 2018 has in- dicated a continuing and significant gap between those destinations who were affected by 2017 hurricanes and those that were not,” the re- port states. “Although the Carib- bean was virtually un- scathed by tropical cy- clones in 2018, arrivals and hotel performance has been dismal for those destinations that were affected by hurri- canes Irma and Maria last year. Meanwhile, the competing destinations that were not affected by those storms have pros- pered in 2018 with con- tinued growth in arrivals and hotel performance.” The Cayman Islands has seen a 12.2 per- cent growth in stay- over tourism this year, the best in the Carib- bean. The territory’s ho- tels are also reporting the highest average daily room rates in the region at $422.70 per night, an increase of 14 percent on last year. The report high- lights the island among a number of destinations, also including St. Lucia and Jamaica, that are in- vesting in significantly increasing the number of rooms in the market. Against that backdrop, it suggests these countries will have to continue to increase arrival num- bers to fill those new hotel beds. Jim Andrews, se- nior managing director of Integra Realty, which has offices in Grand Cayman, the Virgin Is- lands, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, said the pic- ture looked very posi- tive for the Cayman Is- lands right now. But he said there was a chance that if the cur- rent pipeline of five-star hotels, including a pro- posed Mandarin Hotel at Beach Bay, the Grand Hyatt and Dart’s pur- ported Four Seasons project on Seven Mile Beach, all got built, Cayman could be over- supplied in the five-star property market and vul- nerable to the impact of a recession in the U.S. “Adding the addi- tional hotels can help to strengthen Cayman’s presence in the market by creating a critical mass, up to a point. Be- yond that, and depending on economic conditions in the U.S., the new in- ventory could dilute the market such that the 4.5 and 5-star proper- ties will have to settle for lower rates or occupancy. “Right now the eco- nomic growth in the U.S. is slowing, but it de- pends on disposable in- come as to whether or not we see a direct ef- fect on travel demand to Cayman,” he said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Storm-hit islands suffer as Cayman tourism prospers Renewable energy company disputes OfReg over pricing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Baited cameras survey Cayman’s sharks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Researcher Johanna Kohler prepares one of the camera traps during the survey last month. Other animals, including the occasional curious turtle, showed up to investigate the cameras. Man convicted for indecent assault at Smith Cove SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Valiyaveettil Josepeter was convicted in Grand Court for one count of in- decent assault and ac- quitted on another Friday in a trial related to an in- cident at Smith Cove that occurred in February. Mr. Josepeter was ac- cused of inappropriately touching two girls – age 7 and age 10 – while they swam at Smith Cove on Feb. 4. Both girls allege that Mr. Josepeter touched them in their private areas, but the defendant said that he had not made any inappropriate contact with anyone on that day. Justice Roger Chapple noted that the defendant was of previously good character and had no prior arrests, but he also said that he did not find the de- fendant’s testimony to be believable. Mr. Josepeter will be back in Grand Court for sentencing on Jan. 24. One of the complainants alleged that the defendant made brief and perhaps ac- cidental contact over her swimsuit, and she shouted to her mother from the water that she had been touched inappropriately. The other complainant said that Mr. Josepeter had held her in the water facing away from him and had made inappropriate contact both over and be- neath her swimsuit. Jus- tice Chapple said that multiple witnesses corrob- orate the second girl’s ac- count that she had been held in the manner de- scribed, but they could not corroborate the inappro- priate contact because it occurred underwater. All four corroborating witnesses were credible, Justice Chapple said, and there is no indication that they influenced each oth- er’s testimony. The defendant ada- mantly denied making any contact with any child be- yond accidentally touching one on the hand. Arresting officers smelled alcohol on the defendant’s breath, and he allegedly said during one point of the police interview: “Please give me a break. I won’t do it again.” Justice Chapple said there was “some doubt” in his mind regarding the offense involving the girl who was touched over her swimsuit, and he said there was no independent corroboration of the event. “The prosecution must prove the charge so I feel sure of it if there’s going to be a conviction,” he said. Crown counsel Ni- cole Petit asked for Mr. Josepeter to be immedi- ately remanded into cus- tody, but Justice Chapple elected to maintain the terms of his bail until his sentencing hearing. Jus- tice Chapple also ordered a social inquiry report to as- sess the defendant’s back- ground before sentencing.Next >