ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 High of 83 Low of 71 Rough with wave heights of 6 to 8 feet. A small craft warning remains in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 PLEASE, NO MORE REPORTS ON THE CAUSES OF CRIME LOCAL | PAGE 7 TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE WOWS SKY WATCHERS 190763_PRINT-Ad-Strip-ButterfielPage 1 1/11/19 12:26:42 PM More than $10M in airport cost overruns KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The total estimated cost of the Owen Rob- erts International Airport upgrade was around $64 million as of last August, an overrun of some $10.5 million from original contract prices, according to a report on the project from the Office of the Auditor General. The audit report attributed the cost over- runs to additional features added to the devel- opment, as well as project delays. According to the report, the Airports Au- thority made multiple changes to the project after it started, including upgrading the hur- ricane-impact windows, adding canopies to protect passengers and baggage from the weather, upgrading banners on the roof, land- scaping around the airport, and adding other designs such as the duty-free mall and the CIAA offices. The report, completed in August last year, but released on Monday this week, estimated that these changes added nearly $5 million to the redevelopment price. “Almost $5 million of these cost increases are as a result of additions in scope made to the project after contracts were signed, including hurricane rated glass and cano- pies,” stated Auditor General Sue Winspear, adding, “Making changes to the scope of a project after a contract has been signed is not good practice.” Other cost overruns were attributed to project delays. For example, flaws in the designs of the electrical works led to an eight-week delay in construction starting for Phase 2 of the project, according to the report. Awarding the contract for the baggage-handling system was also 10 months late due to poor quality of tender materials, the report states. “These delays have resulted in the project being rescheduled on more than one occasion and have contributed to increased costs,” the report states. The report included a table that outlines how much each phase of the project has in- creased in cost. The contract for the design, cost and con- tract administration consultant – awarded to NEW BID TO BOLSTER IGUANA CULL ARMY JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com With the law of diminishing returns begin- ning to impact Grand Cayman’s great green iguana cull, officials are making a new plea for people to get involved. So far cullers have removed more than 340,000 of the invasive lizards from the ecosystem. But if population estimates are correct, there is still around another one million to go. The initial success of the cull means the prey is becoming increasingly difficult to find, according to Fred Burton, head of the Department of Environment’s terrestrial re- sources unit. In the early months of the cull, hunters were off-loading around 5,000 iguanas a day at the landfill site. Now that number is down to 2,000 a day. Of the 348 cullers that signed up at the start of the program in November, around TASTE OF CAYMAN POSTPONED Organizers have postponed Satur- day’s Taste of Cayman festival because of expected rainy and windy weather. The event has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 6. For more on this story, see page 2. Cayman explorer Manning reaches the South Pole MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Adventurer Guy Manning is one step closer to completing the Explorers Grand Slam, and the Cayman Islands Cancer So- ciety has about $70,000 more in its coffers. Mr. Manning, 44, recently completed a trek to the South Pole, arriving at the Earth’s lower tip on Jan. 13. He has summited the highest peaks on all seven continents, so only a trip to the North Pole remains in order for him to complete the grand slam. He plans to tackle that in April 2020, again, as he has on most of his excursions, raising money for the Cancer Society. He said he is grateful to everyone who contributed to the most recent fundraising effort. If he is successful in reaching the North Pole, he will be part of an exclusive club. To date, just 63 people have completed all nine challenges. He would be the first from the Cayman Islands to do so. Mr. Manning, a partner at Campbells law firm, said enduring the weeks of cold neces- sary for scaling mountains such as Everest, PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Guy Manning stands at the South Pole on Jan. 13 after completing an eight-day trek across the polar plateau in sub-zero temperatures. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) GLASS (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 4:20 I 9:55 MARY POPPINS RETURNS (PG) 12:40 I 3:35 I 6:30 I 9:25 AQUAMAN (PG13) 1:10 I 3:25 VIP I 6:50 THE UPSIDE (PG13) 1:15 I 4:05 I 7:05 I 9:55 GREEN BOOK (PG13) 1:00 I 3:55 I 6:50 I 9:45 BUMBLEBEE (PG13) 1:45 I 4:15 I 7:15 I 10:00 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: GOODFELLAS (R) 7:00 VIP Visiting Specialist will be available for consultation at Novo Clinic, Britcay House 236 Eastern Avenue from 21 January - 8 February, 2019 For appointments please call +1 (345) 746-6082 clinic@novocayman.com Gynecology, Urogynecology, Cosmeti c Gynecology Immigration officers accused of fraud Assistance allegedly given with English language test CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Crown’s case against five immigration officers and two civilians was opened on Monday, when prosecutor Patrick Moran detailed alle- gations that individuals who needed work permits were re- ceiving improper assistance with an English language test in exchange for money. The seven defendants are charged under the Anti-Cor- ruption Law of 2014. They are accused of conspiring with each other and/or others to commit fraud on the govern- ment, by arranging for the payment of rewards to public officers as consideration for providing assistance to can- didates to pass the test. All seven have pleaded not guilty. The alleged offenses were said to have occurred between August 2015 and June 2016. Mr. Moran explained that people who need per- mits to live and work in the Cayman Islands are re- quired to pass an English language test if they are not from a country where English is the primary lan- guage. The test provides a means of checking that the prospective worker has the ability to speak, read and write English. In the mat- ters for trial, the individuals were from Cuba, Dominican Republic and Honduras. There were four dif- ferent test papers in use, with different questions and a slightly different format, Mr. Moran said. One part of the test consisted of ques- tions read aloud by the of- ficer; the candidate was required to answer in Eng- lish and the officer had to write down whatever the candidate said in response. No video or audio record- ings were made, so the only people who could say what went on at the tests were the people being tested and the officers present. There should be no fee payable to any officer, Mr. Moran emphasized. He supplied jurors with a bundle of documents he said would be evidence in the case. The documents in- cluded text messages from defendants’ phones. The mes- sages referred to individuals coming to Cayman expecting to have to take the English language test. Specific sums of money were sometimes mentioned, sometimes $600. A number of the work per- mits being applied for were for employment in liquor-li- cense establishments. Mr. Moran was scheduled to continue his opening on Monday afternoon. The immigration officers have been further charged with failing to report the so- licitation of an advantage or reward. Amateur chefs prove equally good MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s Zoe Wall made her first venture into com- petitive cooking and came away a champion on Sunday at Cayman Cookout’s Bon Vi- vant Amateur Chef Competi- tion Brunch. Ms. Wall faced Stanny Park of Orlando in the kitchen duel. In a first for the event, the panel of judges – including Eric Ripert, Emeril Lagasse and Andrew Zim- mern – gave the winning nod to both chefs, declaring the contest a tie. Both winners will be flown to New York and be treated to dinner at Mr. Rip- ert’s Le Bernardin restaurant. They also received $500 gift certificates to Kirk Market, a co-sponsor of the event, Jap- anese caviar and other prizes. Ms. Wall said she saw in- formation about the contest on a Facebook post. “I thought, ‘That’s right up my street,’” she said. “But I didn’t expect it to happen.” Both chefs had 30 minutes to complete their creations, working on a stage in front of brunch attendees, who feasted on such things as fresh sushi, spicy shrimp and grilled steak and eggs. Ms. Wall prepared jerk chicken kabobs, while Ms. Park fixed rundown snapper. They each said they spent hours prac- ticing their dishes in order to meet the time limit. Ms. Wall said after weeks of cooking the same dish, she told her husband and as- sistant in the competition, Eliot Wilkie, “If we don’t win, I never want to see a jerk chicken kabob again.” At least Ms. Wall had the use of both of her hands during the cook-off. Ms. Park fell and broke her arm shortly after arriving on Cayman, so her right forearm was in a cast. An admitted chef stalker and longtime cooking dev- otee, Ms. Park said cooking with one arm was not going to slow her down. “I’m in it to win it,” she said. A regular visitor to Cayman, Ms. Park said she chose to prepare snapper, knowing it was Mr. Rip- ert’s favorite. “I did design my dish for Eric,” she said. That paid off, as did having the assistance of her friend, Brandi Holston, also of Orlando. Ms. Holston, who bounced up and down on stage as Ms. Park stood open- mouthed when the co-win- ners were announced, said she learned how to cut fish properly as she was pressed into action not only in the kitchen but with daily tasks Ms. Park could not perform. “I had to be more than sous chef,” Ms. Holston said, smiling. “I had to wash her hair.” She said the win “means I’m going to have to become a foodie.” For Ms. Park, it meant validation. “I am a chef,” she said. “It is my life.” TASTE OF CAYMAN POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL Organizers of the Taste of Cayman say that bad weather this week is forcing them to postpone this Sat- urday’s event until April 6. In a news release from Tower, the event orga- nizer, officials cited “severe weather” as the reason for rescheduling the one-day concert and food celebra- tion, now in its 31st year. Officials said they could only recall Taste of Cayman being postponed one other time due to weather, and were not sure what year that occurred. “A high likelihood of heavy rain and high winds,” is predicted, the release said, “both this week and on the day of the event.” Forecasts for Saturday vary, with the chances of rain ranging from 25 per- cent to 60 percent depending upon the source. The chance of rain from Tuesday through Friday is between 10 percent and 20 percent according to most forecasts. Winds of anywhere between 14 and 21 miles per hour are predicted Saturday. But, organizers said, higher winds are predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday (20-25 mph) and are pro- hibitive to setting up the tents and other struc- tures used on the festival grounds, which have to be constructed days in ad- vance. They said the health and safety of workers was the most important con- cern in making the decision to postpone the event. “We had already begun site set-up,” Tower man- aging director Lynne Byles said in a statement. “How- ever, the forecasted weather would make it unsafe for our set-up crew this week, as well as for all our guests on the day of the event. Safety must always come first. “We did not make this decision lightly and are ob- viously disappointed,” she added. “Our ticket sales are the strongest they’ve ever been, and so we know that all of Cayman were looking forward to it too.” Simply Queen, a tribute band due to headline Taste of Cayman, has agreed to play the event in April, offi- cials said, which will still be held on the Festival Green at Camana Bay. Taste of Cayman admission tickets and food and drink tickets that have already been pur- chased will be valid for the new event date. Ticket holders who want a refund can request one between Jan. 22 and Feb. 4. Ticket holders who pur- chased in person should email kate@tower.com.ky for further instructions. If tickets were purchased on- line, email info@eventpro.ky. Ticket holders may find some consolation in a dis- count being offered by the Cancer Society’s Nation- wide Stride Against Cancer for its half and quarter marathon races taking place Sunday, starting at 6 a.m. Race organizers said those who show a Taste of Cayman ticket will get $5 off the $30 registration fee. The races begin at Public Beach. Registration is re- quired before race day. Brandi Holston, left, and Stanny Park, third from left, react at the announcement of the winners in the Cayman Cookout amatuer chef competition. They were co-winners with Zoe Wall, right, and Eliot Wilkie, second from right. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, January 28th, National Heroes Day (public holiday) For more information call 949.5111 or email sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com HEROES 2019 DAY NATIONAL CELEBRATE THE STAFF OF PINNACLE MEDIA WISHES EVERYONE A SAFE HOLIDAY EDITION DEADLINE Monday, January 28th NO PUBLICATION (CLOSED) Tuesday, January 29th Wednesday, January 23rd Wednesday, January 30th Thursday, January 24th Thursday, January 31st Friday, January 25th Friday, February 1st Tuesday, January 29th Turtle farm credited for revival of species JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The revival of green tur- tles from the brink of extinc- tion in the Cayman Islands is largely due to a project led by the Cayman Turtle Farm, now known as the Cayman Turtle Centre, to reintroduce cap- tive hatchlings into the wild, a new study shows. Researchers analyzed DNA samples from farm tur- tles and from wild sea tur- tles nesting on the island’s beaches in a six-year study. They found that 90 percent of the wild green turtles had a direct family link to farmed turtles. That means the bulk of those turtles were released by the farm in infancy and have now reached adulthood and returned home to nest. The farm, which brought its founder stock from genet- ically diverse turtle popula- tions in Costa Rica, Suriname, Guyana, Ascension Island, Mexico and Nicaragua, breeds turtles primarily for food. But it also released more than 30,000 hatchlings and yearlings between 1980 and 2001 in an effort to replenish wild populations. The study concludes, “We determined that 90 percent of the wild individuals were related to the captive stock. Our results suggest a strong impact of the reintroduc- tion program on the present recovery of the wild green turtle population nesting in the Cayman Islands.” An analysis of the find- ings shows that 12 percent of the wild turtles sampled were direct offspring of tur- tles at the farm, 11 percent were siblings and 57 percent were half-siblings. Only ten percent were not related to turtles at the farm. The report, funded by the U.K.’s Darwin Initiative and produced by University of Barcelona in collabora- tion with the Department of Environment, the University of Exeter, the Cayman Turtle Centre and others, concludes that those releases, com- bined with conservation and protection efforts, including changes in fisheries legisla- tion, succeeded in re-estab- lishing the green turtle spe- cies in the Cayman Islands. The DoE has been mon- itoring turtle nests on all three islands since the late 90s. In that time, the amount of nests has grown from a handful in the early years to more than 200 a year. Green turtles lay multiple nests in a breeding season but do not breed every year, so the number of nests does not correlate exactly to the number of turtles. Dr. Janice Blumenthal, a research officer with the DoE and one of the authors of the study, said green turtles were functionally extinct in the Cayman Islands at the end of the 20th century because of overexploitation. She said the research showed the island’s nesting green turtle popula- tion was currently around 150 – still relatively low. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, di- rector of the DoE, said changes in legislation to pre- vent fishing of sea turtles had also helped replenish wild turtles around the Cayman Islands. She said logger- head turtles, which are not bred at the farm, had also seen a revival. Though the farm’s re- leases in the 80s and 90s ap- pear to have been successful, Ms. Ebanks-Petrie cautioned that the continued, un- checked release of hatchlings into the wild carried risks as well as potential rewards. She said the DoE was working to get the farm to have their health and welfare screening protocols indepen- dently vetted to ensure any turtles released into the wild did not introduce new dis- eases or otherwise harm wild Caribbean sea turtles. “That is a big sticking point for us with the current release program,” she added. “We believe we have a re- sponsibility to the wild turtle populations of the Caribbean and the other countries that also work to protect their nesting populations to ensure whatever we are doing has an overall benefit.” Ms. Ebanks-Petrie ac- knowledged that the releases had played a large role in the revival of the species in Cayman’s waters, saying, “The green population would never have recovered on its own without the injection from these releases.” The question of whether releases are needed in the future and how they should be monitored and managed still lingers. DoE deputy director Tim Austin said it was pos- sible that the population had reached the stage where it could be considered self- sustaining. He said green turtle nests were producing an average of around 20,000 hatchlings a year, which, with proper monitoring and man- agement, could help con- tinue to replenish wild stocks without the need and ex- pense for more releases of captive turtles. Second hunger striker refuses medical care KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three Cubans detained in George Town’s Immigration Detention Centre continued to refuse food Monday, bringing their hunger struck into its seventh day. The protest began last week, with seven men and one women originally par- ticipating, to bring attention to a number of concerns, in- cluding fear of forced repa- triation to Cuba and a sense that asylum applicants have not received a fair process. One man participating in the strike was taken to the hospital over the weekend, according to Cubans at the facility. The man said he was administered an analgesic for headache and saline solution for dehydration. “We can’t give up …. My fear is that we’ll have to continue on [with the hunger strike],” the man told the Compass. “[The Cayman govern- ment] has tossed us aside as if we were nothing. We are human beings and we want them to comply with interna- tional law.” Another individual was re- portedly recommended for medical treatment, but she has refused to be transported to the hospital. The woman said she was fearful that if officials removed her from the facility, she would repatriated to Cuba. In response to this con- cern, the Department of Im- migration said in a state- ment Monday, “if a migrant requires specialised care at the hospital they would be transported to the hospital without fear of repatriation.” Fellow detainees said Monday that they had become concerned over the woman’s condition, describing her as thin, weak and unable to get up from her bed. A doctor apparently vis- ited the facility Monday but further details on the visit were not available. The De- partment of Immigration said Health Services Au- thority doctors visit the fa- cility weekly to render care. As of Monday afternoon, the department said no mi- grants were currently hospi- talized but did not comment on the reported hospitaliza- tion over the weekend. “In keeping with our laws and practices (and historical evidence) migrants in need of medical care are provided with medical care, and due process is applied to all per- sons regardless of venue,” the department said. The hunger strike is the second at the facility in six months and the reasons for the protest remain much the same. Cuban asylum appli- cants held in the facility have long complained about lack of access to sufficient legal counsel, denial of legal aid funding, extended detention periods and poor access to communication – the facility does not provide computer or internet access, and migrants are allowed 10 minutes a week to make outgoing phone calls. Personal cellphones are not permitted at the facility and a recent sweep by prison officials confiscated five mo- bile phones from detainees. In July, nine Cubans launched a hunger strike in response to their prolonged detention at the immigration center. At the time, five men in the center had been detained for more than two years. Six others had been detained for more than one year. Later in 2018, the Cubans were re- leased under government su- pervision while their asylum applications were considered. However, some of them were returned to the center be- cause of issues with finding housing for them. Cuban on hunger strike sent to hospital An analysis of the findings shows that 12 percent of the wild turtles sampled were direct offspring of turtles at the farm, 11 percent were siblings and 57 percent were half-siblings. A six-year study analyzed DNA samples from farm turtles and from wild sea turtles nesting on the island’s beaches. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The hunger strike is the second at the facility in six months.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 find their own way” “One of the frustrating tics of our society’s progressive vanguard is the assumption that every evil it discovers was entirely invisible in the past …” – Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist Local legislator Alva Suckoo deserves recognition for identifying as a matter of urgency the declining social conditions in the Cayman Islands. In response to Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s warning at the 2019 Grand Court opening that judicial facilities are straining under current demand (a caution that has, over the past decade or so, become some- thing of an annual tradition), Mr. Suckoo suggested that government commission a study on the root causes of crime in Cayman. The good news, for Mr. Suckoo, is that many studies already exist. In fact, we suspect there are few subjects that have been studied so thoroughly, here in Cayman and elsewhere, as the origins and effects of criminal behavior. If Cayman’s government were to undertake a new study, there is no doubt the executive summary would draw correlations between crime and the fol- lowing phenomena: poor parenting, lack of education, drug use, adverse childhood experiences, idleness, and generational cycles of criminality and abuse. Locally, our government has studied the issue exhaustively, with voluminous reports ultimately spawning a report on the reports. The current “Bible” on the topic in Cayman is the 2015 summary of major recommendations from various studies on criminality compiled by former at-risk youth officer Michael Myles. That document lays out a comprehensive array of well-established methods, strategies and interven- tions, such as youth diversions, community mentoring, information sharing among youth workers, transitional housing and services for mental health. The problem, we would argue, is certainly not a lack of study by gov- ernment. If you doubt us, just enter a few keywords in the Google search engine. Put another way, despite Mr. Suckoo’s best inten- tions, this government should not waste one more dime on one more study. For the most part, individual crimes are com- mitted by individuals who, in full awareness of the law, nevertheless make the decision to disregard or flout societal norms. To ignore or downplay the role of personal responsibility does a disservice to every law- abiding citizen who faces difficult experiences without resorting to crime. That is, the significant majority of our population. Moreover, to attempt to assign blame to society at-large for an individual’s choices is worse than mis- guided. It is enabling. Which brings us to the really bad news. The reality is that there is very little even the most well-inten- tioned (and well-funded) government can do preemp- tively to stop crime. The tools allotted to the police, the courts and our prisons, unfortunately but realistically, are very crude tools indeed. They are fashioned to deal with malefac- tors AFTER they have misbehaved. Holistically, patterns of criminal activity are expressions of societal and familial expectations – and tolerances. Of course, reasonable public resources should be allocated to fund programs and services aimed at guiding the country’s youth along positive, socially acceptable paths. However, the government cannot possibly hope to extend its reach into the homes and minds of every current or potential lawbreaker. Such a notion is as fanciful in theory as it is impossible in fact. The government’s top priority must be to act where it is most effective: preserving the public safety by holding people accountable when they break the law. That means arresting, prosecuting and, upon conviction, removing criminals expeditiously from the general population. Please, no more reports on the causes of crime TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Engineering a soft economic landing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell faces the tough challenge of engi- neering a soft landing for the economy. The task is made terribly more complicated by economic conditions abroad and new technolo- gies that have broken tradi- tional relationships among growth, employment, infla- tion and interest rates. The nearly three per- cent growth accomplished in 2018 – despite chronic skilled labor shortages – was no accident of nature. Trump tax cuts and a Feb- ruary 2018 budget deal that lifted federal appropriations caps boosted consumer and government spending. Lower corporate taxes permitted businesses to in- vest in labor saving robots, artificial intelligence and workforce training. Trump Administra- tion deregulation slashed private sector compliance costs, and together those boosted labor productivity. More demand, more supply and the economy zoomed ahead at a pace de- fying naysayers in the left- leaning media. In 2019, consumers are getting an additional lift from falling gas prices but the benefits from more gov- ernment spending and per- sonal tax cuts have largely run their course. Businesses should con- tinue to invest but condi- tions in Europe and China are troubling. Brexit, the yellow vest riots in France and the emergence of a populist government in Italy were nominally caused by un- checked immigration, higher taxes on gasoline and reforms that tighten belts for workers and pen- sioners and a left-right co- alition agreement to spend more than EU national debt limits permit. In reality, the onerous regulations imposed by the EU bureaucracy and mer- cantilist policies in Ger- many and a few other northern European econ- omies that impose peren- nial trade deficits and aus- terity elsewhere are pulling the EU apart. The rump of it is Eu- rope cannot grow – and it’s America’s most important export market. China has run the string on credit driven growth, and Republicans and Democrats alike are tired of Beijing’s protectionism imposing a whopping $365 billion trade imbalance and exporting unemployment and social problems here. Donald Trump’s trade war is criticized only be- cause Hillary Clinton, who campaigned on a similar policy, did not win the elec- tion. The Fed would have to deal with the uncertainty created by a trade war no matter who occupied the Oval Office. A decade of low interest rates boosted real estate and stock values in the United States and permitted strug- gling corporations and for- eign governments to avoid reforms that would make them competitive and less corrupt. Now just about anything the Fed does has feedback ef- fects on asset prices, corpo- rate and foreign government finances and ultimately U.S. exports and growth. Finally, tools the Fed uses to navigate are broken. The Philips Curve, which charts the tradeoff between infla- tion and unemployment, is flashing red but the hard economic data say oth- erwise. Even with unem- ployment at 3.9 percent, wage increases of 3.2 pose few inflationary pressures with stronger productivity growth to pay for those. The Yield Curve – the dif- ference between the short and long-term interest rates on Treasuries – has been flattening. Historically, that has proven a pretty good indicator of a recession in the next year or so. Theo- retically, it is supposed to indicate businesses that buy equipment and hire do not believe that prospec- tive sales growth justifies borrowing long-term to fi- nance expansion. The problem is that since the 2000s U.S. long rates have been suppressed by foreign investors. Euro- peans stuck in a lethargic economy, and Latin Amer- icans and Asians fearful that their corrupt govern- ments will ignite inflation to solve their debt prob- lems, have been buying up U.S. real estate and long bonds. Similarly, the dollar has increasingly become the preferred currency for all global trade further in- creasing the demand for U.S. bonds. Those unhinge the re- lationships between busi- ness expectations and in- terest rates. For example, the yield curve has been sending warning signals since late 2017 but the economy sped up instead of slowing. Lacking the Philips Curve and Yield Curve as tools, Mr. Powell is flying without an altimeter and air speed indicator. Not being an economist he has not been to pilot school either. With all this, turbu- lence in stock prices is un- derstandable and cannot be ignored. Along with the hostile press coverage Pres- ident Trump gets no matter his spending or trade policy proposals, falling stock prices could pull the economy into, rather than follow, a recession. The best thing Mr. Powell can do for now is pull back on the stick and announce he is not plan- ning any more interest rate increases until at least this summer. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2019, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI The problem is that since the 2000s U.S. long rates have been suppressed by foreign investors. Europeans stuck in a lethargic economy, and Latin Americans and Asians fearful that their corrupt governments will ignite inflation to solve their debt problems, have been buying up U.S. real estate and long bonds.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 New Pharmacy Law to require English labels for drugs KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com An updated Pharmacy Law has been drafted and should be submitted to Cab- inet within the next two months to be approved for public consultations, ac- cording to Health Ministry Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn. The new law would re- place 40-year-old legislation that, among other things, does not prevent people from using different doctors to ob- tain multiple prescriptions for the same drug. According to a 2017 audit report on Cayman’s health- care system, there are no leg- islated regulations for phar- macies in Cayman. As a result of the loose legislation, “there are no shared information systems to ensure that patients are not receiving multiple pre- scriptions from different phy- sicians and obtaining drugs from multiple pharmacies,” states the audit report, which notes that all Cayman physi- cians can prescribe drugs. Additionally, “we were not able to identify any other policies or guidelines in place to help ensure appropriate quality and safety protocols for prescribing pharmaceuti- cals,” states the report. In one instance, the Au- ditor General’s Office said it found a prescribed drug is- sued with no information in English on the label. Ms. Ahearn said in the Public Accounts Committee hearing on Thursday that she also has heard about cases of people not being able to understand prescription in- structions because they are not written in English. “I have anecdotally heard of concerns from consumers regarding, for example, ‘I picked up my prescription, I opened the box, and, first of all, nothing was in English on the box. And the leaflet inside – there was no English on that either,’” she said. “Surely, that needs to be addressed.” PAC Chairman Ezzard Miller asked Ms. Ahearn how this could be. He said it is his understanding that the cur- rent legislation only allows drugs that were approved by regulators in Canada, the U.S. or the U.K. Ms. Ahearn re- sponded that she would have to check with the chief phar- macist on how drugs with non-English instructions are being prescribed here. Nevertheless, the new Pharmacy Law will fix the above-mentioned legislative lacunas, Ms. Ahearn said. She said that the updated law in- cludes a requirement that prescription drugs imported into Cayman have informa- tion in English. The chief officer also said that the new law requires each pharmacy to have a qualified pharmacist respon- sible for making sure that patient-safety measures are being followed. Efforts have been made since at least the early 1990s to update the Pharmacy Law, but none have resulted in new legislation. In 1991, a new law was drafted after a review was conducted on the pharmacy sector. That law was passed by legislators, but was never enacted and is not in force. In 2011, a Pharmacy Council subcommittee sub- mitted suggestions for revi- sions to the law, but those suggestions were not incor- porated into the legislation, according to the audit report. In 2017, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour said in the Legislative Assembly that ef- forts were being made to up- date the legislation to “pro- vide for prescription drugs monitoring.” This is “a matter of par- ticular importance, as there is evidence that suggests the misuse and abuse of pre- scribed drugs,” Minister Sey- mour said in his November 2017 speech. Ms. Ahearn said last Oc- tober that her ministry was hoping to have the draft law submitted to Cabinet by the end of that year. According to the National Drug Council’s 2016 survey on student drug use, 2.7 per- cent of students reported using prescription drugs for non-medical reasons during their lifetime, while 1 percent of them said they are cur- rently using such drugs. The survey noted that while the percentage of stu- dents abusing prescrip- tion drugs is small, the drug council has seen a notable in- crease in the number of users over the years. According to the U.S. Na- tional Institute on Drug Abuse, the abuse of pre- scription pain relief in the United States caused 19,354 deaths by overdose in 2016, which is more than double the number of such deaths recorded in 2002. Overall, opioid abuse – including non-prescription drugs such as heroin – caused 72,306 deaths by overdose in 2017, a roughly 3.1-fold increase from 2002, the institute’s statistics show. The new law would replace 40-year-old legislation that, among other things, does not prevent people from using different doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions for the same drug. SINGLE-HANDED SAILOR KEITH WHITE DIES KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com British yachtsman Keith White, who set sail from the Cayman Islands in 2016 en route for Britain, has died. An icon in the disability community, Mr. White, 70, was known for his long, solo jour- neys, made even more impres- sive by the fact that he was only able to use his right hand. Mr. White lost the use of his left hand in car accident in 1991, but he never let that hold him back. “I get a lot of motivation from other disabled people, because what I’m doing gives them the motivation to do things,” Mr. White told the Cayman Compass in April 2016. “I tell them you can do anything you want to do.” A tribute from Dart Sail- ability, a British advocacy group for disabled sailors, said Mr. White died suddenly at his home on Jan. 17. The Dart Sailability tribute, written by Tim Trent, who knew him personally, de- scribed Mr. White as “a self- effacing man, with a ready smile, a self-deprecating sense of humour, the courage of a lion, and the determination of a Jack Russell terrier.” Facebook posts by Mr. White showed that he con- tinued sailing on his boat, Marathon, until his final days. His nonstop journey from Cayman to southwest Eng- land’s Falmouth in 2016 made him the first physically dis- abled sailor to complete such a journey. Before embarking on the trip, he said was cautious but never afraid of making long, solo trips. “I don’t think fear comes into it, because you’ve got a job to do, and you get on with it,” he said. “Life’s too short. You do as much as you can while you can.” In 2005, Mr. White be- came the first solo, disabled yachtsman to sail clockwise around the U.K. In 2007, again alone and with no backup, he sailed from the U.K. to the U.S. East Coast and back again. Mistletoe party raises $5K for Lions cancer initiatives A Mistletoe all-white Christmas party held by Am- icus Group at Abacus res- taurant raised $5,000 for the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. The funds will go toward the club’s prostate, colon and pediatric cancer initiatives. “Each year our Club con- tinues to partner with the community to raise funds, bring awareness, provide free PSA testing and donate to the cancer establishments here within the Cayman Islands,” said Stephen Best, president of the Lions Club. As a way to give back to the community, each year the Mistletoe party orga- nizers select a local charity to which it makes a donation. The fundraising event, a glitzy affair hosted by Abacus restaurant in Camana Bay, was a whirlwind of social- izing, tastes and sounds. Now in its 11th year, the Mis- tletoe event continues to at- tract hundreds of seasonal supporters. Mistletoe organizer Mark Connolly said the group is happy to support the Lions Club and community. “As a cancer survivor, I know only too well the im- portance of support, espe- cially financial, as cancer treatment costs are astro- nomical. To receive such sup- port from a long-standing event is indeed an honor, and we are so grateful to re- ceive these funds,” said Lions member Deborah Ebanks. Ms. Ebanks and Mr. Best recently accepted the dona- tion check from Max Mueri, son of Abacus co-owner Marcus Mueri. The Lions Club of Grand Cayman meet on the first and third Thursday of the month at the Lions Community Centre. Police warn of scam using premier’s identity The Financial Crime Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service has received reports of an attempted scam using an account that impersonates Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin. A sim- ilar scam recently targeted the identity of Cayman governor Martyn Roper. The RCIPS said that the fraudulent account, which uses messaging application WhatsApp, has been claiming to negotiate an investment deal with the International Mon- etary Fund. The account has attempted to solicit the yuan equivalent of US$45,000 to be sent to a Chinese lobbyist firm. The Financial Crime Unit reminded the public not to communicate with accounts they may suspect as fraudu- lent and to be wary of any so- licitations for financial details or donations made via What- sApp or any other social media network. If a member of the public receives that kind of solicitation, they can contact the Financial Crime Unit by emailing rcips.fcu@gov.ky. Keith White in Cayman in 2016 - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Max Mueri hands a check to Lions Deborah Ebanks and president Stephen Best, as Neil Bryington, Matthew Wight, Kenrick Ebanks and Mark Connolly look on. Jennifer Ahearn, chief officer, Ministry of HealthThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, JAN. 24 CHRISTMAS TREES RECYCLING: The deadline has been extended through today for the natural Christmas tree recycling program. Residents should remove all wires and ornaments from Christmas trees before placing them in collection bins at Ed Bush Stadium, West Bay; George Town Cricket Field; George Town landfill public drop-off area; Spotts Dock, Savannah; Entrance of Frank Sound Road. Free mulch will now be made available to the public at the George Town Cricket Field on Saturday, Jan. 26, at approximately 8 a.m. ‘EDUCATING RITA’: Starting today and running until Saturday, Feb. 2, the Prospect Playhouse presents Willy Russell’s award-winning comedy “Educating Rita.” Jan. 24, 25, 26, 31 and Feb. 1 and 2. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Happy hour at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Email boxoffice@cds.ky or visit www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, JAN. 25 BURNS SUPPER: A Burns Supper fundraiser for Jasmine, formerly known as Cayman HospiceCare, will be held at Grand Old House from 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person and include a cocktail reception, four-course dinner including haggis, wine and whisky. Dress is black tie – kilts and tartan are welcome. To reserve tickets, email info@jasmine.ky. SATURDAY, JAN. 26 POSTPONED: The annual Taste of Cayman food and drink festival has been postponed until April 6. TEA PARTY: Cayman Brac District Council of the National Trust presents an Octopus Tea Party from 6–11 p.m. at the Brac Trust House off Northside Road at the end of White Bay Road. Tickets $25 include entry, food, tea, entertainment and auction. For more information, contact 547-0892. CHRISTMAS TREE MULCH: The Department of Environmental Health invites residents to collect mulch from recycled Christmas trees from the George Town Cricket Field from 8 a.m. today. Mulch will be provided on a first- come, first-served basis. Residents are invited to come out early and to bring their shovels and bags for the removal of the mulch. SUNDAY, JAN. 27 STRIDE AGAINST CANCER: The annual Nationwide Stride Against Cancer 2019 will be held this morning at Seven Mile Public Beach. $25 early bird registration closes on Jan. 12. $30 standard rate from Jan. 13. No registration on the day. Race packets (T-shirts) can be collected from the Cancer Society office starting the week of Monday, Jan. 21. Sizes are limited, so collect early. The Half Marathon, 13.1 miles, begins at 6 a.m. The Quarter Marathon, 6.5 miles, starts at 7 a.m. Gather for the big group start picture at 6:45 a.m. HATITUDE: The National Trust’s annual fundraiser, Hatitude, a fun family brunch, will take place at Grand Old House under the theme “Birds of the Caribbean.” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $135 for adult members, $165 for adult non-members (includes 2019 membership of the National Trust), and $45 children (4 to 12 years old). MONDAY, JAN. 28 HEROES DAY: National holiday. This year’s ceremony will honor the vestrymen and justices of the peace who were instrumental in getting into place the Coat of Arms for the Cayman Islands. BRAC RACE/RELAY: The Lions Club of Cayman Brac annual Corporate Cup Race/ Relay will be held at Stake Bay Loop. TUESDAY, JAN. 29 SCHOOLS CLOSED: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman schools closed for professional development. THURSDAY, JAN. 31 THATCH PLAITING: Community thatch plaiting class, 7-9 p.m. at the Heritage House, Cayman Brac. Cost $5. GENERAL INTEREST PUBLIC INPUT: The public has until Jan. 28 to share feedback about the National Planning Framework, which sets out long-term goals for land use and physical development as part of the Development Plan for Grand Cayman. More information: www.plancayman.ky. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training at Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. for track, bocce and football, and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. for basketball. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@candw.ky or call 916-2600. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with the association at 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, games, furniture, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary Street. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition needed. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Tuesdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, Cayman Islands Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.optimistcayman.com. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. Email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. Call 946–3067 or 947–1863. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP: MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. LIFE UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION: Meeting luncheons held on last Thursday of each month. YBPW: Meets every third Monday of each month at the Woman’s Resource Centre. RELIGIOUS SERVICES EL MINISTERIO HISPANO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30 p.m., Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Thursday, Jan. 24, is the deadline for depositing natural Christmas trees for collection by the Department of Environmental Health at bins at selected locations across Grand Cayman. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 RS&H in January 2015 – in- creased from $4.1 million in August 2016 to $4.32 mil- lion two years later. Likewise, Arch & Godfrey’s contract for the Phase 1 construction in- creased from $3.6 million in August 2016 to $3.79 million last August. The cost of the baggage handling system, being implemented by B&F Airport Systems, also in- creased from $2.5 million to $2.81 million. The largest in- crease was for Phase 2 and 3 construction, with contractor McAlpine Ltd. revising its price from $42.5 million in August 2016 to $52.4 million in August 2018. One line item in the re- port’s table is redacted, but the total estimated increase was from $53.8 million in Au- gust 2016 to $64.37 million in August 2018. As recently as December 2017, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell told the public that the airport up- grade was on target to meet its $55 million budget. But last April, CIAA CEO Albert Anderson said that is no longer the case, as changes were made to the project that increased its price tag. “We know there have been change orders, we know the project will cost more than $55 million, but negotiations are ongoing and that’s pretty much all I can say at this point,” he said at the time. At an event marking the opening of the facility’s new departure lounge last May, Mr. Anderson again ac- knowledged there had been budget overruns, which he attributed to a mix of un- foreseen problems and ad- ditional features added to the design. He said at the time that the redevelopment would likely be around 10 per- cent over budget once com- plete. The audit report com- pleted in August upped that figure to about 20 percent over budget. However, the audit re- port also estimated that the project would be finalized by next month, and the Air- ports Authority said in an email last week that offi- cials are “optimistic” that the project may be completed by the end of March. The email was in response to an on- going Freedom of Informa- tion request being pursued by the Compass to ascertain exactly how much the cost and the scope of the airport upgrade has increased since its inception. “We are still optimistic of the project being finalized by the end of March 2019, and of the information being re- leased shortly thereafter,” CIAA Information Man- ager Carlene Logan wrote last Wednesday, providing an update on when the au- thority will comply with the Compass’s records request. Denali and Vinson helped prepare him for the polar temperatures that dipped as low as minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit. Windchill made it feel even colder. “There were times when I was literally wearing ev- erything I had and it was still cold,” he said. “You be- come aware how quickly the flesh can freeze.” His did not, although he said he had to be con- stantly mindful not to ex- pose even the smallest area of skin to the elements. A couple of people on the nine-member team that set out from the 89th parallel did get some frostnip on their faces, he said, but no one suffered any frostbite. One of the biggest chal- lenges of trekking across the polar plateau, he said, was the boredom. The group skied for 70-minute stretches six times a day. They traveled single file most of the time, so con- versation was limited, and there was little to look at. “It’s just white, feature- less polar plateau as far as the eye can see,” he said. “It’s still impressive, be- cause you can see for a long way, but it can get mo- notonous. You’ve got hours and hours and you’re com- pletely disconnected.” Cellphone service? No. Wifi? No. Just lots of white with the frigid whip of the wind and the sound of sliding skis. “There is a lot of thinking time,” he said. His own thoughts turned to the home he’s planning to build. “I spent all the time designing the house in my mind. I have a few design features that I thought of.” It was also strenuous. One of his team mem- bers estimated they were burning about 5,000 calo- ries daily. Mr. Manning said he was only eating about 2,500 calories of reconsti- tuted, freeze-dried food. Al- though he purposely put on an additional 10 pounds during the Christmas holidays, he came back 12 pounds lighter than when he left. He compared the weight loss regimen to the South Beach Diet. “The South Pole Diet is quicker,” he said, “just a bit more expensive and a lot more miserable.” Of the nine people who set out on the 69-mile journey, only six completed the trip. The other three fell victim to illness and/ or exhaustion. In the old days, he said, they would have ended up perishing in the elements. But a sat- ellite phone call to the pole brought two snowmobiles stationed there to pick up those needing assistance. Reaching the pole on the eighth day, he said, was a rush. “It’s a satisfying feeling after putting in all that training,” he said. It gave him a new ap- preciation for what earlier explorers endured. “Just thinking about the history of the South Pole and what people have gone through to explore the con- tinent,” he said, especially original explorers such as Roald Amundsen, the first to make it to the South Pole and back, and Robert Falcon Scott, the second explorer to make it, but whose team lost a battle against the elements on the return trip. Those expedi- tions were in the winter of 1911-1912. “In 1911, the zipper hadn’t even been invented,” Mr. Manning said, noting they only had tweed and wool to protect them in- stead of modern, synthetic insulating fabrics. “It’s just incredible what they went through.” This was Mr. Manning’s third trip to Antarctica. He said he does not think he will return. “Never say never,” he said, “but I think there are other challenges out there.” If he’s successful in reaching the North Pole next year, he said, he may look into rowing across the Atlantic. “There’s plenty out there to do,” he said. Cayman explorer Manning reaches the South Pole CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 100 either did not take part or are no longer active. According to Tim Austin, deputy director of the DoE, a core group of around 150 cull teams are active every day. “They are really making a big impact,” he said. In an effort to keep the pressure on and increase the number of hunters in the field, the DoE is holding a second registration drive. Any Caymanian status holder over the age of 18 can reg- ister through cull manager Cornwall Consulting at the landfill site from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 24 through Jan. 31. The site is closed on Sunday and during Monday’s public holiday. Cullers are paid an ini- tial $4.50 per iguana rising to $5 a head if they meet monthly and annual quotas. The DoE has lowered the minimum allowable quota to 200 per month in an ef- fort to encourage wider participation. At this stage, Mr. Burton says there is no consider- ation being given to raising the bounty on iguanas. He said the cull was only a quarter of the way through and officials would con- tinue to monitor and adapt as necessary. A new population survey is planned in the coming weeks to check the im- pact of the cull on popula- tion numbers. Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour will also have to go back to the Leg- islative Assembly in the next few months to ask for new funding for the project. An annual budget alloca- tion of $1.1 million and an additional injection of $1.9 million from the Environ- mental Protection Fund was used to get the cull started. But, as anticipated at the outset, an additional allo- cation of at least $5 million from the EPF will be needed to fund the continuation of the cull through to the end of the year. For more information, visit www.doe.ky. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 New bid to bolster iguana cull army Guy Manning is one challenge away from achieving the Explorers Grand Slam. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS “ There were times when I was literally wearing everything I had and it was still cold. You become aware how quickly the flesh can freeze.” GUY MANNING More than $10M in airport cost overruns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Total lunar eclipse wows sky watchers Occasional cloudy skies and windy weather in Cayman late on Sunday night did not deter sky watchers from gazing upward to view and photograph the super blood wolf moon eclipse. The rare celestial event, which occurs when sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere lights up the moon and seems to turn it red, was visible in North and South America, western Af- rica, and in parts of Europe. In the Cayman Islands, the partial eclipse began at 10:33 p.m., with the total eclipse beginning at 11:41 p.m. It was at its maximum at 12:12 p.m. The eclipse’s name de- rives from three factors – it is the year’s first full moon (wolf moon), the moon is at its closest distance to the Earth (super moon), and a total lunar eclipse which makes the moon appear red (blood moon). Stephen Wilkins shot this image of the lunar eclipse from his back garden in Canal Point on Grand Cayman. – PHOTO: STEPHEN WILKINSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Political deadlock breakthrough in Sweden Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Monday presented his two-party, center-left minority government, ending a four-month political deadlock. Lofven lined up a 21-member government, made up of 17 members of Lofven’s own Social Democratic Party and four from the Greens. Venezuela quells soldiers’ revolt, top court blasts congress CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Ven- ezuela plunged deeper into turmoil on Monday as secu- rity forces put down a pre- dawn uprising by national guardsmen that triggered vi- olent street protests and the Supreme Court outlawed the opposition-controlled con- gress’ defiant new leadership. The mutiny triggered pro- tests in a poor neighborhood just a few miles from Vene- zuela’s presidential palace. It was dispersed with tear gas as residents set fire to a bar- ricade of trash and chanted demands that President Nicolas Maduro leave power. The military said in a statement said that it had re- covered all the weapons and captured those involved in what it described as “trea- sonous” acts motivated by “obscure interests tied to the far right.” It said at around 2:50 a.m. (06:50 GMT), a small group of guardsmen took captive a captain in charge of a police station in western Caracas and then moved across the capital in two military trucks to the poor neighborhood of Petare, where they stole a cache of weapons from an- other outpost. They were caught a few hours later at a national guard outpost 2 miles from the Miraflores presiden- tial palace. A few hours earlier, a group of heavily armed na- tional guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they will not recognize Maduro’s govern- ment, which has come under increasing domestic and in- ternational pressure over a newly begun second term that the opposition-con- trolled congress and many nations consider illegitimate. In one of the videos, a man identifying himself as 3rd Sgt. Alexander Bandres Figueroa, addressing the “people of Venezuela,” urges his compatriots to take to the streets to show support for their rebellion. “You asked to take to the streets to defend the consti- tution, well here we are,” he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background. “You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support,” he added. At daybreak in the ad- jacent neighborhood of Co- tiza, a group of shirtless young men, some with their faces covered, built a barri- cade across the street with a burning car, heavy sewer grates and a large chunk of concrete. An angry group of women shouted that they have lived for too long without running water. “Freedom! Freedom!” they chanted. “Maduro has to go!” “We must defend our homeland,” Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, a 36-year-old manicurist, told The Associ- ated Press, her eyes welling from the tear gas. Hours later, the govern- ment-stacked Supreme Court said it was throwing out re- cent measures by the Na- tional Assembly that declared Maduro’s presidency illegiti- mate, deepening a standoff with the opposition-con- trolled legislature. The justices ruled that the new leadership of congress itself is invalid, and urged the country’s chief prosecutor to investigate whether con- gressional leaders had acted criminally in openly defying the nation’s constitution. Juan Guaido, president of congress, shrugged off the court’s warning and reiter- ated his call for people to take to the streets Wednesday – a historic date commemo- rating the end of Venezue- la’s military dictatorship in 1958 – to demand Maduro abandon power. “The National Assembly is the only institution elected by the people of Venezuela,” Guaido said at a press con- ference at the legislature. Anti-government protesters create burning roadblocks during clashes with security forces, as they show support for a mutiny by a National Guard unit in the Cotiza neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Monday. - PHOTO: AP A group of heavily armed national guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they will not recognize President Nicolas Maduro’s government. EU slaps sanctions on Syrians, Russians over attacks BRUSSELS (AP) – The Eu- ropean Union on Monday imposed sanctions on four Russians blamed for a nerve agent attack in Britain as well as a Syrian research center and its staff as the 28-nation bloc stepped up its action against the use of chemical weapons. EU foreign minis- ters slapped travel bans and asset freezes on nine people and on Syria’s Sci- entific Studies and Re- search Center. Five of those targeted are linked to the Syrian cen- ter’s activities. Britain’s for- eign office said they “have played a central role in the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime against their own people.” The four Russians on the list are the two men ac- cused of planting the nerve agent in Salisbury last March, Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, and their superiors, the head and deputy head of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence unit. The ministers said in a statement from their meeting in Brussels that the sanctions move “contributes to the EU’s efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, which poses a serious threat to in- ternational security.” It’s the first time the EU has imposed sanctions to combat chemical weapons. “Today’s new sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organ- isation, the GRU, which put innocent British citizens in serious danger in Salisbury last year,” British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. Few signs of breakthrough as May set to unveil Brexit Plan B LONDON (AP) – Prime Min- ister Theresa May was set to unveil her new plan to break Britain’s Brexit deadlock on Monday – one expected to look a lot like the old plan that was decisively rejected by Parliament last week. May was scheduled to brief the House of Commons on how she intends to pro- ceed. There were few signs she planned to make radical changes to her deal, though she may seek alterations to its most contentious section, an insurance policy known as the “backstop” that is in- tended to guarantee there are no customs checks along the border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.’s Northern Ireland after Brexit. The EU insists it will not renegotiate the withdrawal agreement, and says the backstop is an integral part of the deal. “This is the text we all invested ourselves in,” Aus- trian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said as she ar- rived for a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. British lawmakers are due to vote on May’s “Plan B,” and possible amendments, on Jan. 29, two months before Britain is due to leave the EU. Britain and the EU sealed a divorce deal in November after months of tense negoti- ations. But the agreement has been rejected by both sides of Britain’s divide over Europe. Brexit-backing lawmakers say it will leave the U.K. teth- ered to the bloc’s rules and unable to forge an indepen- dent trade policy. Pro-Euro- peans argue it is inferior to the frictionless economic re- lationship Britain currently enjoys as an EU member. After her deal was thrown out last week by a crushing 432-202 vote in Parliament, May said she would con- sult with lawmakers from all parties to find a new way forward. But Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called the cross-party meetings a “stunt,” and other opposition leaders said the prime min- ister did not heed their en- treaties to rule out a “no-deal” Brexit and retain close eco- nomic ties with the EU. Instead, May looks set to try to win over pro-Brexit Conservatives and her party’s Northern Irish ally, the Dem- ocratic Unionist Party. Both groups say they will not back the deal unless the border backstop is removed. May’s spokesman James Slack said May’s talks with opposition lawmakers were “genuine,” and that a “signifi- cant number” had expressed concerns about the backstop. He said it was clear “we’re going to have to come for- ward with something that is different” to get Parlia- ment’s approval. Britain’s political im- passe over Brexit is fueling concerns that the country may crash out of the EU on March 29 with no agreement in place to cushion the shock. That could see tariffs im- posed on goods moving be- tween Britain and the EU, sparking logjams at ports and shortages of essen- tial supplies. Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said Sunday that a no-deal Brexit would be “catastrophic,” and it was “inevitable” Britain will have to ask the EU to extend the two-year count- down to exit. Several groups of law- makers are trying to use par- liamentary rules and amend- ments to May’s plan to block the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal. EU leaders, meanwhile, expressed frustration with British indecision. British lawmakers are due to vote on May’s “Plan B,” and possible amendments, on Jan. 29, two months before Britain is due to leave the EU.9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2019 For the poor, the safety net in a shutdown does not feel safe Islamic State targets US convoy in northeast Syria BEIRUT (AP) – An Islamic State suicide bomber tar- geted a joint convoy of U.S. and allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria on Monday, marking the second attack against U.S. troops in less than a week. U.S. military Col. Sean Ryan said there were no ca- sualties among the U.S.-led coalition members. He added: “We can confirm a combined U.S. and Syrian partner force convoy was involved” in the suicide bomb attack. “We will continue to re- view the situation and pro- vide updates as appropriate,” he added. Monday’s attack came days after a suicide attack killed 16 people, including two U.S. ser- vice members and two Amer- ican civilians, in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It also came a month after U.S. President Donald Trump an- nounced his intention to with- draw troops from the war- torn country, declaring that ISIS had been defeated. The extremist group claimed both attacks in state- ments carried by its Aamaq news agency. The Kurdish Hawar news agency, based in northern Syria, said Monday’s blast targeted a Syrian Kurdish checkpoint as a coalition convoy was passing near the town of Shaddadeh. It said two Kurdish fighters were lightly wounded in the blast. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast killed five people and wounded others. The extremist group has been driven from virtually all the territory it once held in Syria and Iraq but con- tinues to carry out attacks in both countries. In a separate development on Monday, the European Union added 11 businessmen and five companies to its list of Syrians under sanctions for backing President Bashar Assad’s government. EU foreign ministers im- posed travel bans and asset freezes on them, saying they “are involved in luxury estate development and other re- gime-backed projects, and as such support and/or benefit from the Syrian regime.” The EU sanctions list now includes 270 people and 72 “entities,” which are usually companies, organizations or agencies. The EU began imposing sanctions on Assad and his supporters in 2011, after peaceful protests erupted against his family’s decades- long rule and the government launched a violent crack- down on dissent. The sanc- tions are reviewed every year. The measures include an oil embargo, investment re- strictions, a freeze on Syrian central bank assets held in the EU, and export bans on equipment that could be used to crack down on civilians. WASHINGTON (AP) – Doris Cochran, a disabled mother of two young boys, is stock- piling canned foods these days, filling her shelves with noodle soup, green beans, peaches and pears – anything that can last for months or even years. Her pantry looks as though she’s preparing for a winter storm. But she’s just trying to make sure her family will not go hungry if her food stamps run out. For those like Cochran who rely on federal aid pro- grams, the social safety net no longer feels so safe. As the longest govern- ment shutdown in U.S. his- tory stretches into a fifth week, millions of poor Amer- icans who depend on food and rental assistance are be- coming increasingly wor- ried about the future. Most major aid programs have not dried up yet. But each day the stalemate in Washington drags on, the U.S. inches closer to what advocates call a looming emergency. Those dependent on the aid are watching closely under a cloud of stress and anxiety. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Cochran said, “and that’s what scares me the most.” With no indication of an imminent compromise, the Trump administration in re- cent weeks has scrambled to restore some services across the government. But two agencies crucial to the federal safety net – the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture – re- main largely shuttered. The USDA announced earlier this month that the Supplemental Nutrition As- sistance Program, which pro- vides food aid to roughly 40 million Americans, will be fully funded through Feb- ruary. But should the shut- down stretch into March its status is unclear: With just $3 billion in reserves, the USDA will not be able to cover the roughly $4.8 billion it pays in monthly benefits. The department was able to stretch the program for an- other month based on a loop- hole in a spending bill. But as a result of congressional rules, food stamp benefits al- lotted for February are being given out early, before Jan. 20. There is no guarantee re- cipients will get food stamps for March, but if even if the program continues without a lapse recipients would have to stretch their current allot- ment for at least six weeks, rather than four. The impact of any lapse in these programs would be dramatic and unprecedented: The USDA says there has never before been a break in food stamp benefits since the program was made perma- nent in 1964. Food banks are already stretched thin thanks to a notable spike in demand from furloughed federal em- ployees, contractors and others out of work due to the shutdown, said Carrie Cal- vert, the managing director for government relations at Feeding America, a hunger relief organization. For every meal Feeding America’s net- work of food pantries serves, federal food aid provides 12. “This is a potentially cat- astrophic situation,” Calvert said. “This could be an imme- diate emergency that grows exponentially.” Since the shutdown began, HUD has been unable to renew hundreds of contracts with private building owners who receive significant fed- eral subsidies to provide housing to low-income fam- ilies, the elderly and people with disabilities. Under these contracts, tenants pay a por- tion of the rent and the fed- eral government covers the rest. But between December and the end of February, roughly 1,700 contracts are slated to expire, meaning that HUD will not be able to make their payments. The agency has asked landlords to dip into their reserves to cover rental costs until the govern- ment reopens, with a promise of reimbursement. Similarly, come February, 700 rental assistance con- tracts administered through a USDA program that offers aid to low-income people in rural areas also will expire. A spokesman said the office “is exploring all options to mit- igate any potential negative impact” to tenants. Those unknowns are causing anxiety and an- guish among America’s most vulnerable. Eneaqua Lewis, 36, lives in a HUD-subsidized apart- ment on Roosevelt Island in New York City. She said she found out earlier this month her building’s HUD contract expired Jan. 9. Lewis, a single mother raising a 10-year-old, was laid off from a construc- tion job in December. Without an income or any significant savings, Lewis said she’d be forced to drain her meager retirement fund to cover the full amount due with no rental assistance subsidy off- setting the expense. “People are really afraid right now and just don’t know what to do,” Lewis said. “I can’t afford market rate rent here. Where would I go? Where would everyone go? One side of the building is all elderly or handicapped. The other side is all families. Where would we all go?” For Cochran, the mother stockpiling food, a disrup- tion could throw her life into chaos. She lives in subsidized housing in Arlington, Vir- ginia, with her 6- and 8-year- old sons. She used to drive a truck, but recent health is- sues have left her unable to work. She relies solely on government subsidies to sur- vive, cobbling together just enough to support her chil- dren using social security payments, food stamps and cash assistance payments. If any one of those federal pro- grams were to stall, Cochran could end up on the street. Cochran said she’s trying to sell some homemade crafts and clothes to second- hand stores to squirrel away a few extra dollars. She re- turned the toys she’d bought for her sons for Christmas – a Hot Wheelz racetrack for the 8-year-old, a Mighty Beanz game for the younger boy – so she could buy them shoes. “It was hard, but you have to make choices,” she said. “I’m experiencing quite a bit of anxiety.” Two agencies crucial to the federal safety net – the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – remain largely shuttered. The Kurdish Hawar news agency, based in northern Syria, said Monday’s blast targeted a Syrian Kurdish checkpoint as a coalition convoy was passing near the town of Shaddadeh. Doris Cochran works on ‘an ugly sweater,’ which she is planning to sell to Buffalo Exchange, in her apartment in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday. - PHOTO: APNext >