ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 High of 84 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 MORRITT’S TORTUGA: HERE’S TO THE NEXT 30 YEARS WORLD | PAGE 10 UK’S MAY SEEKS COMPROMISE WITH LABOUR IN EU DIVORCE DEAL Gov’t lawyer acknowledges case for same-sex civil unions JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government’s lawyers accepted Monday that a persuasive argument had been made for the introduction of civil unions for same-sex cou- ples in the Cayman Islands, though they suggested this should be left to elected politicians to decide rather than enforced by the courts. Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC, con- tinued to present government’s case against the introduction of either same-sex marriage or civil unions by court order. He said rewriting Cayman’s laws to allow for same-sex marriage was a “nuclear option” that should not be considered. He conceded that there was a persuasive case, under the constitution, that same-sex cou- ples had a right to some kind of do- mestic partnership, conferring sim- ilar legal rights to marriage, but argued that the timing of this de- cision should be left to legislators to deal with. Mr. Jowell made those remarks as he closed government’s response to a joint judicial review and con- stitutional challenge brought by Caymanian Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush. The two women are contesting govern- ment’s decision to refuse their ap- plication to marry in April of last year and are asking the court to use its constitutional powers to amend the Marriage Law. They argue that Cayman’s same- sex marriage ban violates their con- stitutional right to a private and family life, freedom of conscience and freedom from discrimination. Mr. Jowell, representing the Cayman Islands government, has argued that a clause in the consti- tution which protects the right of ERIC BUSH TO HEAD NEW MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has ap- pointed Eric Bush to lead the new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs. Mr. Bush’s appointment took effect on Monday, Feb. 4, but he will continue to per- form his duties as the Cayman Islands’ Rep- resentative in the U.K. and Europe, until he re- turns to Cayman in late July. The new ministry, which is not yet opera- tional, “will focus on capitalizing on our cur- rent successes whilst identifying new oppor- tunities to secure the future of the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Bush said. “We will aim to broaden and enhance our international image and to ensure that govern- ment’s interactions across the globe, in areas like financial services, tourism or our aviation and maritime registries, are conducted with one voice.” Mr. Bush said the international focus of the new role had appealed to him together with “fact that I have spent the last two and a half years in the U.K. trying to advocate and represent Cayman and defend Cayman when needed.” Another factor was timing, as his second- ment to Cayman’s London office is coming to an end in the summer. “My family and I have had a fantastic time in the U.K., but there is no place like home,” he said. Explaining the timing of the appointment, Mr. Manderson said, “It was vital that the new ministry has a chief officer as soon as pos- sible, to finalize its development, appoint staff and arrange a budget.” The deputy governor added that Mr. Bush was the only current chief officer who ex- pressed interest in a transfer to the ministry. KAABOO buzz builds as festival approaches MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The KAABOO festival is the talk of the Cayman Islands, at least in a lot of circles. The mutli-faceted event, scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, features music, comedy acts, art and cooking demonstra- tions along with gourmet food. Organizers say they are planning for ca- pacity crowds of 10,000 people each day. “There’s never been anything like it here,” said Caymanian Fraser Barrie, 23. “My group of friends all have tickets. Their parents have tickets. Their parents’ friends have tickets. It just seems to be everyone.” Mr. Barrie has plenty of excited company – people who have been waiting months for the arrival of performers such as Duran Duran, the Chainsmokers, Zedd and Jason Derulo. But there are also those who have not given the festival much thought. Joseph Jacob, 47, of Prospect, said he cannot afford the price of admission, which started at $150 during pre-sale and is now $400 for a two-day basic pass. “I’ve heard people talking about it,” the electrician said. “They’re speaking about how they won’t be able to afford it.” Still, he said, he thinks the event is a good thing. “If it’s going to help tourism and the economy, I don’t see any harm done,” he said. Price was a factor in deciding whether or not to go for many people. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » The KAABOO site is expected to hold up to 10,000 people per day on Friday and Saturday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 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) COLD PURSUIT (R) 1:00 I 4:15 VIP I 7:00 I 10:00 VIP THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING (PG) 12:45 I 3:40 I 6:40 I 9:30 GLASS (PG13) 12:50 I 3:55 I 6:50 I 9:45 THE UPSIDE (PG13) 1:15 I 4:10 I 7:05 I 10:00 WHAT MEN WANT (R) 1:30 VIP I 4:10 I 9:45 MISS BALA (PG13) 1:30 I 4:35 I 7:20 I 9:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: JURASSIC PARK (PG13) 7:00 VIP Cuban hunger strike ends KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com After more than three weeks, a hunger strike at the Immigration De- tention Centre has come to an end, according to government. The hunger strike was being conducted by seven Cuban men and one woman, who were protesting how govern- ment is handling their asylum applications. The protesters believe they have not had their legal rights properly explained to them, they have not received a fair asylum hearing, and they do not have access to channels of communication. Their main fear is being expatriated back to Cuba, one migrant partic- ipating in the protest told the Cayman Compass. At least two Cu- bans were hospital- ized during the strike, with the woman experi- encing cardiac complica- tions that required med- ical attention. Government did not provide details on why the strike has ended. Beach Walk raises $7K More than 200 people took part in a beach walk Sunday morning to help raise funds for charities dedicated to helping people with heart conditions. According to organizers, more than $7,000 was raised at the Heart Warriors and Angels Beach Walk. The walk, which raised money for Hart for Hearts and the Cayman Heart Fund, was held in the memory of Cristiano McK- enzie and Nolan Evans, two young children who lost their battles with heart disease. In keeping with the theme of the walk, which was held during Congen- ital Heart Defect Aware- ness Week, some of the par- ticipants gamely dressed as angels and warriors for the 2-kilometer walk along Seven Mile Beach. Young participants in Sunday’s beach walk show off their angel and warrior costumes. Lions celebrate founder Melvin Jones The Lions Club of Grand Cayman were joined by members from the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, Rotary Central and guests at Grand Old House to cel- ebrate Lions International founder Melvin Jones, who was born in 1879. At the gathering, Lions recognized award re- cipients and induct two new members. Special guest and Vice Area Leader of 1E Mal- colm Kirwan brought greet- ings from the Lions Clubs International Foundation. He spoke of the Cayman clubs’ stalwart reputation throughout the districts, their support of Lions Inter- national and of the commit- ment to community projects undertaken each year for more than 45 years. Melvin Jones Fellowship recipients were Lions Elesha Graham, Rodclif Thompson, Reshma Ragoonath, Siri Jones-Russell and guest A. Joel Walton. Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship re- cipients were Lions Linbern Eden, Malcolm Kirwan, Peter Wight and Robert Powell. The Melvin Jones Fel- lows and Progressive Melvin Jones Fellows awards are named for Lions Clubs In- ternational Founder Melvin Jones. The awards are “the highest form of recognition which exemplifies humani- tarian ideals consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism and are awarded to persons in and outside Lions Clubs worldwide,” according to organizers. “Today is to celebrate our founders’ birthday and to recognize all Melvin Jones Fellows,” said Lion John Ebanks LCIF Club Coordi- nator at the Jan. 26 ceremony. “It gives me great honor to recognize recipients of these prestigious awards. It signi- fies our continued commit- ment to LCIF and takes us one step further to becoming the model Club we aim to be.” Following the awards, Lion Philip Barnes inducted Reshma Ragoonath and Shanna Bodden as new mem- bers of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. The Lions Club of Grand Cayman meets on the first and third Thursday of the month at the Lions Commu- nity Centre. Anyone wishing to attend can reach out to a Lion for an invitation. Woman bailed in East End ganja case CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman charged with possessing ganja with intent to supply was granted bail when she appeared in Sum- mary Court Monday morning. Kristen Shequira Dixon, 24, was arrested in East End on Thursday, Feb. 7, and charged over the weekend, Crown counsel Scott Wain- wright said. He told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that police went to a yard in that district to ex- ecute a search warrant in an unrelated matter. They observed Ms. Dixon sitting close to a tree in the yard. On seeing the officers, she went into a house. Asked by police whey she had left “in haste,” she allegedly told them that she was going to dispose of a small quantity of ganja. Of- ficers found three wraps of vegetable matter and some- thing not yet tested that they believed to be cocaine. The officers checked the area by the tree and found a cellphone, a jar and a car- rying bag. The jar had ap- proximately 15 wraps of vegetable matter and the bag had 105 wraps. The total weight was in the re- gion of half a pound, Mr. Wainwright said. Police searched a ve- hicle parked close by, which was believed to belong to Ms. Dixon, and found $350 in cash. The defendant said she had been given the money by her mother to pay for car parts. She was sub- sequently charged with pos- session of criminal property. Mr. Wainwright objected to bail. He agreed with the magistrate that the quantity of drugs involved could be considered to be “low level supply,” and it was not be- yond the realm of possi- bility that she could get a suspended sentence. He as- serted, however, that it was a criminal offense and a “menace to society.” The defendant has pre- vious convictions for simple possession and consump- tion of ganja, he noted. Defense attorney Rupert Wheeler applied for bail, saying Ms. Dixon had never been in custody before and so she had found the past four days terrifying. He ad- vised the court that she suf- fered from epilepsy and had been prescribed marijuana oil by a doctor, but some- times smoked ganja also. The magistrate said his recollection was that even if a person were charged with low-level dealing, he or she could be admitted to the Drug Rehabilitation Court. The difficulty with people using medical marijuana was that the drug would al- ways be in their system and there was no way to test for illegal consumption, he said. Magistrate Foldats said bail could be granted with strict conditions. These in- cluded a specified residence, a prohibition from being within 25 yards of the place where she had been ar- rested, and a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The matter was set for mention again on Feb. 26. The five recipients of Melvin Jones Fellowships are, from left, Rodclif Thompson, Siri Jones-Russell, Reshma Ragoonath, Elesha Graham and Joel Walton. www.ndc.ky If your drug use isn’t a problem for you, it is for our communities!3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 Mending the littlest hearts 1 (345) 945-4040 | 1 (345) 640-4040 | healthcitycaymanislands.com Worldwide, nearly 1 in 100 new born babies are born with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). We’ve healed the hearts of over 300 children from all around the world affected by CHD. This work is part of our mission to bring high-quality and affordable healthcare to more people. Join us as we recognise the annual Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week from February 7-14. Become #CHDAware. Transforming healthcare. Changing lives. Court upholds order freezing accounts tied to fraud scheme KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The appeals court last week denied attempts by Ba- hamas citizen Kelvin Leach to overturn an order freezing accounts that are alleged to be connected to money laundering and other crim- inal activity. Mr. Leach is one of six in- dividuals accused in a Sep- tember 2014 U.S. indictment of allegedly orchestrating a $500 million offshore asset protection scheme, securities fraud and money laundering. Among other allegations, the indictment states that an undercover law enforcement agent made recorded tele- phone calls with Mr. Leach, where the two discussed the agent’s scheme to conceal his true beneficial ownership of an offshore company, en- gage in market manipulation of publicly traded compa- nies, evade reporting require- ments and the payment of taxes to the IRS and transfer proceeds of fraud in the sale of securities to and from the United States. In response to U.S. De- partment of Justice requests, Cayman authorities obtained an order in October 2014 to freeze “certain accounts” that were connected to the alleged criminal scheme. One of the defendants, Brian De Wit, successfully challenged that freezing order on the grounds that the only evidence used by Cayman authorities to ob- tain the order was a U.S. in- dictment. According to the recent appeals court judg- ment, Grand Court Justice Richard Williams stated in June 2015 that he was not satisfied by what he re- garded as no more than a “regurgitation” by Cayman authorities of the U.S. indictment. However, U.S. authori- ties requested for other ac- counts to be frozen a month later, and Cayman author- ities obtained a restraint order in December 2015. This order was the subject of Mr. Leach’s appeal. Mr. Leach first challenged the restraint order in May 2017, but Grand Court Jus- tice Charles Quin ruled that the accounts should remain frozen. Justice Quin stated that there was evidence that Mr. Leach used shell compa- nies – including one regis- tered in Cayman – to break up and transfer illegal funds to clients in Canada and the U.S. Mr. Leach then took his case to the Court of Appeal, where his attorneys argued that the account freezes were unlawful because there was no criminal investigation started in Cayman and be- cause the evidence on which the orders were made was inadequate. The Cayman authori- ties did not present the original evidence on which the U.S. indictment was based, according to the ap- peals judgment. “The appellants con- tended that absent any state- ments from those involved in an undercover operation in which an FBI agent posed as a stock promoter, and absent the disclosure of the records and the wire taps, the evi- dence was inadequate,” the judgment states. “It was no more than hearsay or hearsay of hearsay.” Mr. Leach’s challenge was similar to the successful one made by Mr. de Wit, who had his restraint order overturned because the Grand Court crit- icized Cayman authorities for their “regurgitation” of a U.S. indictment. However, the appeals court noted that Mr. de Wit’s case is different because he was challenging a domestic restraint order, which did not have statutory rules for the evidence to be presented in court. Mr. Leach’s chal- lenge, on the other hand, was made to an external confisca- tion order, and the legislation for these orders specifically states that authenticated for- eign documents can be used as evidence. While the appeals court dismissed Mr. Leach’s chal- lenge, it also chastised the Crown for not fully disclosing material documents related to the case. According to the judgment, the Crown did not disclose Justice Williams’s judgment referenced above, as well as another judgment from Belize that denied a freezing order in relation to the same alleged scheme. Justice of Appeal Alan Moses wrote that the un- disclosed judgments did not play a significant role in this hearing because they had to do with different points of the law. “But both decisions should nonetheless have been disclosed because they were of assistance in en- abling the defence, on the one hand, to attempt to align the approach for which they were contending in the ap- plication of the discharge of an external restrain order and the Crown to draw the contrast for which it con- tended,” stated Justice Moses, who also wrote that the undisclosed judgments both “concerned the same subject-matter and the same fraud and money-laundering activities.” MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON, ASSAULTING POLICE A 21-year-old George Town man has been charged with arson and assaulting police, as well as 10 other charges. Police said he was charged with two counts of causing fear or provocation of violence, in relation to inci- dents on Oct. 5 and 13, 2018; dangerous driving, driving without being qualified, driving without insurance, and other traffic offenses, in relation to a Oct. 13 inci- dent where he attempted to evade police in an unlicensed and unregistered vehicle; and arson following that Oct. 13 incident when the vehicle in- volved was set on fire. He also faces charges of re- sisting arrest, escaping lawful custody, and assaulting police on Feb. 2, when he allegedly fled from officers attempting to arrest him, and assaulted an officer in the process. He was remanded in cus- tody and is due to appear in court Tuesday.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” Morritt’s Tortuga: Here’s to the next 30 years David Morritt certainly knows how to celebrate an anniversary. As Morritt’s Tortuga resort turns 30, the irrepress- ible developer is doubling down on his original vision for the landmark East End property – planning a new 40-unit main building that he says will help the resort accommodate 30,000 families per year. He told the Compass he intends for this new building to rival some of the 10-story hotels on Seven Mile Beach – an “upgrade” from his original plan, 30 years ago, to build a centerpiece five-story building at the resort. That five-story building was put on hold because of limited finances. Now, Mr. Morritt said, he wants to carry out his original plan. Already, Morritt’s Tortu- ga’s 15,000 members make it Cayman’s largest time- share club. Not content with only that, he is planting a new flag in Canada, in the form of a 15-room resort in Mont- Tremblant, Quebec. It is Mr. Morritt’s intention to expand that 15-room resort into a $25-million, 130-unit property that will be known as Château Morritt. Mr. Morritt believes that expanding his brand to North America will create valuable new synergies – introducing a new pool of customers to the Cayman resort and encouraging longtime visitors of his East End property to patronize Château Morritt. It is a shrewd idea from a key figure in Cayman’s stayover tourism sector. There is little reason to doubt that the Cayman stalwart – as ener- getic, effervescent and forward-looking as ever – will find as much success “up North” as he has “out East.” Readers will recall that Mr. Morritt ventured out to East End long before the idea became popular. Built on the foundations of James and Suzy Bergstrom’s (later Suzy Soto) Tortuga Club, the resort has been an anchor for economic development in the area, including the Morritt’s shopping center, and served as a base of operations for dive and water-sports opera- tors. It is a beloved dining and entertainment venue where everyone can feel “at home.” His significant investment in that area has been instrumental in the lives and livelihoods of count- less Caymanians and other residents who have been employed by Morritt’s or reaped indirect benefits from its considerable presence. Last year, when Mr. Morritt was granted Caymanian status by Cabinet (many felt, quite belatedly), political leaders rushed to heap praises upon the man who has done so much as an employer and philanthropist. “We were convinced that Mr. Morritt deserves the highest status we can award to non-nationals,” said Premier Alden McLaughlin at that time. “It is undeniable that this man has contributed sig- nificantly to this country,” said East End MLA Arden McLean. “He has been invaluable to the employment situation in East End.” It is wonderful to know that even as he sets his sights on Canada, Mr. Morritt will continue deepening his investment in Cayman. As he told a Compass reporter, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Congratulations again to Mr. Morritt and his team on achieving this 30-year milestone. We look forward to many more prosperous years to come. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS More foolish noise from the wealth thrashers Democratic presidential hopefuls are on steroids. Each appears intent to outdo the others with tales of the rich exploiting the downtrodden and proposing new taxes on the wealthy to redress injustices. Applying a timeless pro- paganda technique – make up a lie and repeat it end- lessly – radical liberals have convinced journalists and ordinary voters that wealth and income in America are increasingly unequal, and this concentrates polit- ical power, as never before, among evil plutocrats like the Koch brothers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposes a 2 percent an- nual tax on households with wealth exceeding $50 mil- lion and cites economists Emanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman to bolster her case. Mr. Saez is the sometime re- search partner of Thomas Piketty, who created quite a stir with his 2014 book, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” allegedly docu- menting these trends over the last century. Chris Giles of the Finan- cial Times and others found numerous errors in the sta- tistics and basic computa- tions. And Harvard econ- omist Martin Feldstein effectively argued that death, estate taxes and divi- sion of wealth among heirs – not to mention the pen- chant of scions like Andrew Carnegie to endow chari- table foundations – gives life to the old saw “shirt- sleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” Wealth always begins with savings from income and new ideas. Entrepre- neurs invest – that is how we got Sears, Macy’s and Amazon and IBM, Micro- soft and Google. Eventu- ally, most fall from con- trol of founders and after several generations, these visionaries become por- traits on board room walls and legends of once promi- nent families. If wealth did not so dis- sipate, income would be in- creasingly concentrated, as Messrs. Saez and Piketty al- lege, among a coupon clip- ping aristocracy idle on Palm Beach or active in phi- lanthropy – but it has not. A recent study by a Trea- sury economist and profes- sors at Berkeley, Princeton and Chicago demonstrates that most of the income ac- cruing to top earners is that of entrepreneurs who are still actively managing their businesses – it’s the return on their ideas and manage- ment skills. Once ownership and con- trol are transferred to heirs and professional managers, income and businesses eventually decline. A re- cent American Institute for Economic Research study found that the share of in- come going to the 10 percent of earners has hardly varied from its average over the last century by more than 5 percentage points. Even now Jeff Bezos only owns 16 percent of Am- azon and his pending di- vorce could cut that in half. And those who fear Amazon will eventually run every- thing should consider that Sears once built homes and automobiles, and Ford was in the steel and airplane businesses. Virtually all businesses have limited scope – the crit- ical idea, product or man- agement process reaches market saturation as Ap- ple’s iPhone is now demon- strating. The founders or stewards of their wealth on behalf of the immediate heirs look for other busi- nesses to invest but eventu- ally lose interest or do not do well – GE veered far from its roots in electronical equip- ment and is now collapsing. Similarly, obsolescence kills businesses – soon Sears and likely Macy’s. Contemporary entrepre- neurs throw their weight around in politics but that is nothing new. George Washington was among the richest men in the largest colony and got appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army after a mediocre record in the French and Indian War. These days most “dark money” goes to liberals not conservatives. Do pro- gressive Democrats re- ally want to destroy the billionaires who bankroll their movement? All have grand estimates of the revenues these taxes would raise – Sen. Warren says her wealth tax would yield about $275 billion annually – and promise to dedicate those to noble public purposes – Rep. Al- exandria Ocasio-Cortez on a Green New Deal for clean energy and infrastructure. History teaches wealth has quicker feet than the IRS and a good measure of it will move offshore in the wake of such foolishness. What revenue is actually gained will be squandered. California and New York City have among the highest local taxes and the former abounds with potholed roads and the latter sports a wretched subway system. No doubt, if Sen. Warren or another wealth thrasher wins the Democratic nomi- nation, Michael Bloomberg and Jeff Bezos will put their media machines and for- tunes behind them. And if their candidate proves suc- cessful then do as Fred Trump did – find creative trusts and other vehicles to make certain smaller entre- preneurs and not their heirs ultimately pay those taxes. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI Two weeks ago, I was in Heroes Square proudly hon- ouring the memory of my grandfathers and two uncles, all of whom throughout their lives had worked long and hard to make a better life for fellow Caymanians. Imagine my shame when my sister-in-law, an Amer- ican, had her purse stolen while dining in a well known bar/restaurant on Seven Mile Beach. The thief was no hero and definitely not the kind of person my forebears had in mind. So BE WARNED. Mrs. D. Foster Campbell LETTER Theft was shameful Wealth always begins with savings from income and new ideas. 5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 The Cayman Islands Red Cross volunteers are committed to servicing Cayman by providing critical First Aid for the island’s biggest events. Thank you to our amazing team of volunteers who are making a difference in our community. SAVING LIVES www.redcross.org.ky SUPPORTED BY Cayman Brac divers make rare whale shark sighting Scuba divers on Cayman Brac got the thrill of a lifetime this weekend when the big - gest fish in the ocean showed up to play. The whale shark, estimated at between 18 and 20 feet long, was first spotted on the south side of the island between the Angel Reef and Butterfly Reef dive sites. Brac Scuba Shack and Reef Divers both had boats on the site and it swam be- tween the two. Dive instructor Brett Johnson said he heard about the sighting and raced out with two of his co-workers in a 13- foot Boston Whaler. They found the fish in clear, shallow water, feeding near the surface, off Cayman Brac Beach Resort. “We swam with it for about 30 minutes, it was great,” said Mr. Johnson, “It is my first time seeing a whale shark in Cayman.” Despite their imposing size, growing up to 40 feet, whale sharks are gentle giants. They are slow moving filter feeders that feed on plankton and small fish and are no danger to hu- mans. For many divers, swim- ming with whale sharks is con- sidered a “bucket list” experience. LINEUP NAMED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM Organizers have an- nounced the lineup of speakers for the second an- nual Youth Mental Health Symposium, which will take place at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort on Feb. 22. The symposium will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the group will discuss the future of Cayman’s children and young adults dealing with mental health issues. The symposium, the theme of which is “Ad- dressing Our Past, Sup- porting Our Future,” will include the first nation- ally representative data on mental health issues experienced by children and young adults in the Cayman Islands. Dr. Erica Lam, clinical and education committee lead at the Alex Panton Foundation, will announce results from the 2018 Cayman Islands Student Drug Use survey. “We need to look at the past and current state of mental health issues in the Cayman Islands in order to work together to develop appropriate solutions,” said Dr. Lam. “For the first time, we will be able to get a clear picture of what we are facing and what we need to do to make a signif- icant difference.” A panel of speakers, moderated by Health Ser- vices Authority CEO Liz- zette Yearwood, will be joined by mental health experts who will outline services needed to sup- port the future of mental health in Cayman. Panelists will include professor at St. Matthew’s University, Gerardo Ochoa- Vargas; Paulinda Mendoza- Williams, director of the Department of Children and Family Services; Shannon Seymour, owner and psy- chologist at the Wellness Centre; licensed social worker Natalie Baldwin; and private practice coun- sellor Terry Delaney. Other speakers will include police inspector Kevin Ashworth of the RCIPS Family Sup- port Unit and Dr. Colleen Brown, a psychologist from On Course Cayman. The day will con- clude with a presentation from Dr. Marc Lockhart, chairman of the mental commission, who will speak about “Child and Ad- olescent Urgent Medical Health Services.” For more details, visit alexpantonfoundation.ky. Open wide: The whale shark was spotted off the coast of Cayman Brac over the weekend. - PHOTOS: BRETT JOHNSON Divers estimated the whale shark was between 18 and 20 feet long.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13 LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers Licensing will be available at the Little Cayman District Office from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This is a change in date and no visit is scheduled for Feb. 14. ROAD WORK: The National Roads Authority and subcontractors will be carrying out road paving works on Shamrock Road from Midsummer Drive to the Dr. Tomlinson Roundabout to upgrade drainage and the deteriorated road surface. Works are scheduled for today through Feb. 19, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. Drivers are asked to keep watch for traffic diversions and to drive with caution to ensure their safety and that of the work crews. THURSDAY, FEB. 14 NAU CLOSED: The Needs Assessment Unit advises that due to a staff meeting its office in Grand Cayman will be closed from noon and the Cayman Brac Office will be closed all day. SATURDAY, FEB. 16 WELLNESS AND FAMILY FORUM: The Mothers Union of St. George’s Anglican Church presents Wellness and Family Forum, Balancing the Budget. 6 p.m. in the Church Hall. Admission is free and all are invited. TUESDAY, FEB. 19 SEAFARERS: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association informs all members that there will be a general meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route has been added in George Town, leaving the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Fosters. The bus is blue and marked Bobo $1 Public transport, but there is no charge. THURSDAY, FEB. 21 SISTER ISLANDS SPORTS DAYS: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman primary schools meet for sports days at Cayman Brac Sports Complex 4 p.m. today and 9 a.m. tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 22). BRAC SUMMARY COURT: 10 a.m. at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. SATURDAY, FEB. 23 5/10K RUN OR WALK: SafeHaven Drive, by the Holiday Inn. 6 a.m. Registrations. 6:30 a.m. Walk starts. 6:45 a.m. Run starts. Fee is Adults $10, Children (under 10) $5. Includes refreshments, entry into raffle draw with lots of prizes. All proceeds benefit Girlguiding Cayman Islands. Pre-register at Cayman Active at www. caymanactive.com/guiding. Please, no dogs at the event. THURSDAY, FEB. 28 ROTARY OLYMPICS: Backyard games with prizes. 5:30 p.m. at Sea Alissa, the Thompsons’ home at 702 South Church Street. Register online at www. caymanactive.com. $120 for teams of four; $35 individuals. CONCERT AT LIBRARY: Cayman Arts Festival and the Cayman Islands Public Library Service presents a one-hour concert at the George Town Public Library (historical building). The concert, 6-7 p.m., includes classical music, in addition to poetry and readings from local poets and writers. Tickets available at the door, $20 for adults, $5 for children. The event is part of a monthly series. There will be only 75 tickets per event. PUBLIC INPUT: Today is the last day for the public 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 at www. plancayman.ky. Printed copies of the document can be viewed at the PlanCayman Information Counter, located in the lobby of the Government Administration Building. GENERAL INTEREST SUMMER INTERNSHIP: With the development of Cayman Enterprise City in the Special Economic Zone, training opportunities exist for young people through the summer in the City Internship Program. Registration is currently open, and the application deadline is March 17. For more information on this program, visit www. caymanenterprisecity.com/ enterprise-cayman/intern-in- the-city/ or contact Bianca Mora, Public Engagement Officer at CEC, at b.mora@ caymanenterprisecity.com. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). 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. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www. caymancompass.com/events. The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association will hold a general meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Seafarers Hall. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 m Love at First Bite Local plum tomato bisque with cheese croutons or Fresh Steamed PEI mussels white wine, garlic broth or Coconut lime marinate Yellow fin tuna ceviche Spring of Love Seafood vol au vent Lobster, shrimp, mahi, brandy sauce in, puff pastry shell or Center cut CAB NY strip loin Yukon gold mash potato, forest mushroom, garden vegetables, veal jus or Coconut chicken Coconut crusted fried breast of chicken, mango avocado salad honey mustard dressing Sweet Surrender Rose flavor macaroon Chocolate indulgence, raspberry jelly $39.95 or $49.95 with unlimited bubbles veLoveare Local plu toato bisque ith cheese croutons or Fresh Steaed PEI ussels hite ine, garlic broth or Coconut lie arinate Yello fin tuna ceviche ringSpngoo vegetables, veal jus or Coconut chicken Coconut crusted fried breast of chicken, mango avocado salad honey ustard dressing weSwund Rose flavor acaroon Chocolate indulgence, raspberry jelly $39.95 or $49.95 with unliited bubbles Thursday February 14th. For reservations either call 946 9000 or on line at www.guyharveys.ky/reservations $39.95 or $49.95 with unlimited bubbles e Cruise ship passenger elects Grand Court for gun charges CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An American woman who had been on a cruise ship that visited Grand Cayman appeared in Summary Court on Monday and elected to have charges against her dealt with in Grand Court. Carol Ann McNeill Skorupan faces charges of possessing a .25 caliber handgun and six rounds of ammunition on Sunday, Feb. 3. The items were in a piece of luggage sent by Delta Air Lines to Grand Cayman after it did not arrive at a Florida airport on the same flight as Ms. McNeill Skorupan and her other luggage. When she appeared in Summary Court last week, defense attorney James Sten- ning told the court, “She will say that never did she give instructions for the airline to send her luggage to Cayman.” It appeared that air- line personnel took it upon themselves to ship the bag to Grand Cayman, knowing that her ship – the Celeb- rity Silhouette – would be stopping here. The defendant has a li- cense to carry a concealed firearm in Wisconsin, where she resides, and that al- lowed her to go to other states with it. A summary of her in- terview with authorities in Cayman indicated that she intended to keep the bag with a friend in Florida. The magistrate said if that were true, transporting a gun in the U.S. had nothing to do with the Cayman Islands. He asked when he should schedule a preliminary in- quiry, which is required to de- termine if there is sufficient evidence to send a matter to the Grand Court. Mr. Sten- ning indicated it should be as soon as possible. The magistrate noted that a crucial piece of evidence would be from the airline. Crown counsel Aa- liyah McCarthy said all ef- forts had been made to obtain the necessary infor- mation, but a court order would be required to ob- tain documents. The magistrate said he would put the matter to Thursday, Feb. 14. He pointed out that there was some ur- gency because the defendant is a foreign national and was having to stay at a hotel at her own expense. “I’m trying to move this along as quickly as pos- sible,” he said. Gender Affairs Unit celebrates women in STEM fields Monday was the Inter- national Day of Women and Girls in Science, and the Gender Affairs Unit recognized the day by touting the advances fe- male Cayman students and professionals have made in the fields of science, tech- nology, engineering and math (STEM). Citing data on over- seas scholarships, the unit stated that females comprise 57 percent of the students pursuing STEM majors. Overall, according to government statis- tics, there has been an in- crease of employment in the STEM fields from 2016 to 2017, with infor- mation-and-communica- tions workers increasing from 835 to 908 and sci- ence-and-tech workers in- creasing from 3,087 to 4,352 over that time. Within the Civil Ser- vice, women occupy several STEM-related posts across the subject areas, the Gender Affairs Unit added. According to the unit, posts currently include speech and language pa- thologist, educational psy- chologist, director of eco- nomics and statistics; senior internal auditor; research officer (micro- biology); environmental health engineer officer, di- rector of environment; vet- erinary officer and scenes of crime officer. “These jobs provide an opportunity to participate in leading innovation and invention, as well as an ample income, and in doing so facilitate economic em- powerment for women,” the Gender Affairs Unit stated. Cops, DoA bust cockfighting ring A joint operation by po- lice and Department of Ag- riculture officers has led to the arrest of a Bodden Town resident on suspicion of an- imal cruelty. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, officers conducted an operation on Friday at an address on Brush- wood Way in Bodden Town in response to con- cerns from the community about disturbances and il- legal activities being car- ried out there. During the operation, six roosters that appeared to be used for cockfighting and implements used for cock- fighting were seized by offi- cers from the Department of Agriculture. A 44-year-old man from Bodden Town was arrested on suspicion of animal cru- elty and bailed pending further investigations into the matter. The investigation is being carried out by the RCIPS with the assistance of the DoA. 50 YEARS AGO Men found after 13 days at sea In the Feb. 6, 1969 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the lead story in the news- paper was titled “Two men found,” with the subhead “380 mile, 13 day ordeal – third dead from exposure.” The two previous edi- tions of the paper had re- ported when the men first went missing, and that they were presumed dead and lost at sea. This story read: “A sense of relief tinged with sadness swept over Grand Cayman early on Friday morning, as news spread that two of the three young men thought to be lost at sea had been washed ashore in their skiff on the Mexican coast. “The first news for two weeks came to the Admin- istrator from the British Consul in Mexico City by cable. This read, ‘James Ebanks, Andrew Whittaker, nationals of Cayman Is- lands, were picked up yes- terday on Mexican coast of Puerto Juarez where their skiff was washed ashore. They claim that together with Stallman* Miller, they left Cayman Islands about 13 days ago to go fishing. Their small motor failed and they were set adrift. Miller died last Wednesday or Thursday from exposure and lack of water and was buried at sea by his compan- ions. They say his father is Warren* Miller of George Town, Grand Cayman. Their own next of kin is cousin Miss Vurnell* Ebanks. Ebanks and Whit- taker are without identifi- cation documents. Please instruct urgently.’ “(* These names should read Spellman, Verne and Burnell.) “Our Administrator being in Nicaragua, the Hon. D.V. Watler, Deputy Administrator, immedi- ately replied requesting repatriation of the two men who survived the or- deal of two weeks at sea in an open boat. “Ebanks and Whittaker were due in Kingston yes- terday and should arrive here today. They will be taken care of by the British High Commission while in transit home.” The items were in a piece of luggage sent by Delta Air Lines to Grand Cayman after it did not arrive at a Florida airport on the same flight as Ms. McNeill Skorupan and her other luggage. Citing data on overseas scholarships, the unit stated that females comprise 57 percent of the students pursuing STEM majors.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Millie Molina, 37, of West Bay, said she is kicking her- self for not picking up a ticket early on. “I’m like, ‘Why didn’t I buy my ticket when it was $200?’” she said. “I never thought it was going to be so amazing. When I hear it come again, I will be the first one [in line].” Nicki Guy, manager of Books & Books, said she was in a similar situation. “There’s some bands that I would really like to see,” Ms. Guy said. “But I missed out on the cheap tickets.” Instead, she’s trying to help those that are going make sure they have what they need. A chalkboard sign outside the bookstore encour- ages people to come inside to get outfitted for KAABOO. A display table in the entry way has water bottles, picnic blankets, miniature fans that plug into cellphones, tempo- rary tattoo kits and glitter. Ms. Guy said she drew on her own festival-going expe- rience in choosing the items. “It’s anything that’s fun and festival-inspired that might come in handy,” she said, adding that the dis- play has been “getting a lot of business.” “We have lots of people talking about it,” she said of KAABOO. “A lot of my friends are going. They’re very excited about it.” While many people cited the cost of a ticket as the deciding factor in staying away from the festival, Cindy Conway, 37, of South Sound, had a different reason. She’s not ready to leave her 5-month-old daughter in the care of someone else for two days, but her husband and teenage daughter will be going to the event. A native of Barbados, Ms. Conway compared KAABOO to that island’s well-known jazz festival. “It’s good to have some- thing like this here,” she said. “It’s quite unique to have so many artists in one spot in Cayman. I thought it was such a good idea. “I also think it’s a good tourism product,” she added. “I can see people coming here to go to this.” Allison Rabess, 47, and her husband Damien, 49, came from Toronto, Canada largely to attend the fes- tival. Ms. Rabess said it was mostly her idea. “When I saw the [artist] list, I said, ‘Let’s book it,’” she said. “I want to see Bryan Adams, as a fellow Cana- dian, Magic, another Cana- dian band, Duran Duran, Maxi Priest.” The Rabesses are also vis- iting family on the island, but said the festival determined when they would come. Ms. Rabess said she thinks other international visitors will make the same choice in the future. “I think people will start to look at this place differ- ently,” she said. Alicia Rabess, Mr. Rabess’s sister-in-law, said she thinks KAABOO could increase the profile of the Cayman Islands. “I think maybe it will bump it up there on the list,” she said, “depending upon how it goes. You’re never going to know until you’re there.” couples of the opposite sex to marry effectively func- tions as a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage that buffers a similar pro- vision in the Marriage Law. Speaking Monday, he ac- cepted that this argument may not be valid for civil unions or domestic partner- ships. He argued that the European Court of Human Rights, whose rulings im- pact Cayman because of its constitutional relation- ship with the U.K., had never gone so far as to mandate same-sex marriage as an ob- ligation for member states. He added, “We fully agree that the European Court held that same form of legal protection or domestic part- nership arrangement should be provided for same- sex couples.” Despite that acknowledg- ment, he suggested the social conditions in the Cayman Is- lands were different to Italy and other European coun- tries considered by the Eu- ropean court when it made that decision. Referencing discussions at the time the Cayman Is- lands Constitution was drafted, he said there had been strong opposition to same-sex marriage. He sug- gested this extended to civil partnerships, though he acknowledged there was no evidence submitted to support this. “The question for this court,” he said, “is to what extent the time is now right to declare that arrange- ments for same-sex unions should be implemented in the Cayman Islands, and to what extent that can be achieved within the bounds of the separation of powers.” He said the constitution did not allow the judiciary to compel the elected gov- ernment to introduce new legislation and suggested it would also be going too far for the court, as the couple’s lawyers have suggested, to request the governor of the Cayman Islands use his re- serve powers to intervene. He conceded that the court did have the power under the constitution to amend the Marriage Law, the principal request of the couple’s legal team. But he said this would be a “nuclear option” that would go be- yond the bounds of judicial discretion and threaten the integrity of the legislature. “I really think that would be judicial legisla- tion of an unacceptable kind,” he added. The basis of govern- ment’s case that the constitu- tion does not allow same-sex marriage, is the “marriage clause” which protects the institution of marriage for “opposite-sex couples.” Mr. Jowell acknowledged the marriage clause did not explicitly outlaw same-sex marriage, but said it was the “necessary implication” of the reference to “oppo- site sex.” He said other con- stitutional provisions, such as the right to freedom from discrimination, cannot take precedence over this clause. Asked to explain how it was not discriminatory to deny same-sex couples access to a right enjoyed by oppo- site-sex couples, he said it could be seen as justifiable differentiation rather than discrimination. “There is differentiation. It is a constitutional differ- entiation that has huge force and great gravity,” he said. Beginning his response to the points raised Monday morning, Edward Fitzgerald, QC, representing the couple, said Mr. Jowell had con- ceded that the European court’s judgment in the land- mark case of Italy v Oliari had established civil part- nerships as a minimum right for same-sex couples. “As I understand his sub- mission on this point, he is not seriously resisting the position that Oliari requires a legal structure such as civil partnerships and he is not seriously resisting the point that the requirements of the ECHR are minimum require- ments,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. He said there was no ev- idence to support Mr. Jow- ell’s contention that the “marriage clause” in the con- stitution banned same-sex marriage. He said his ref- erences to what was said during constitutional discus- sions were irrelevant com- pared to the words of the document itself. The case was continuing Monday afternoon. Mr. Manderson said he made the appointment after consultation with Premier Alden McLaughlin, who will serve as minister of the new portfolio. Premier McLaughlin an- nounced the creation of the new ministry in the Legisla- tive Assembly in December 2018, stating that “Cayman must move with the times if we are to maintain a vibrant financial services industry” and “step out of the U.K.’s shadow and stand up for [it- self] when it comes to mat- ters of international trade.” The objectives of the new ministry are to improve Cay- man’s reputation and pro- mote the jurisdiction with “key opinion formers” over- seas, increase inward invest- ment, grow tourism and fi- nancial services business by opening up new markets and attracting new types of busi- nesses, and by bringing a re- newed focus on growing air- craft and shipping registries. In addition, the ministry will take on a coordination function of the international activities and overseas mis- sions of the various govern- ment entities to ensure a more coherent and consis- tent approach. The premier said Mr. Bush’s past experience as a chief officer and the diplo- matic skills that he displayed during his time in the U.K. make him the perfect choice for the new role. “Over the last few years, Eric has helped to raise Cay- man’s profile in the political, private and other sectors of United Kingdom society. This new ministry will give his skills even wider scope and help the Cayman Is- lands stand strong in the world as we move forward into the 21st century,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Priorities for the new min- istry include the opening of the Cayman Islands Govern- ment Office for Asia in Hong Kong, as well as recruiting a small core team, and creating strategic plans in global com- munication and international trade and investment. Currently, there are no plans to recruit staff out- side of the civil service for the new ministry, as second- ment opportunities will be available to existing civil ser- vants until the needs of the new ministry are better de- fined, a government press re- lease stated. In its first year, the min- istry will take stock of the external activities that exist both the in the public and private sector. Mr. Bush ex- pects this will uncover many synergies that can be ex- ploited not just with financial services, shipping or tourism but “Brand Cayman” in mind. The new ministry will not be able to do it alone, the chief officer said. “For this ministry to work effectively and to do its job, we need to work hand in hand with the private sector.” Mr. Bush was seconded as the Cayman Islands repre- sentative for the U.K. and Eu- rope for three years in July 2016. He was previously re- sponsible for strategic policy and oversight of the office from 2013 to 2015, during his time as chief officer with re- sponsibility for the Ministry of Home Affairs. In his role as Cayman’s representative in the U.K., Mr. Bush revived the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands, a group of legislators across the U.K.’s political spectrum. He trav- eled frequently throughout Britain to promote the Cayman Islands and coor- dinated the recent discus- sions with the U.K. govern- ment over constitutional changes, as well as the Cel- ebrate Cayman launch event in May 2018. He is the chairperson of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association and he has served as the Cayman Is- lands liaison to the European Union, attending meetings of the Overseas Countries and Territories in Brussels. Before 2012, he served as deputy chief officer re- sponsible for prisons, police and immigration, in what was then known as the Port- folio of Internal and Ex- ternal Affairs. Mr. Bush has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lynn University in Florida and has worked in both the public and private sector. Government lawyer acknowledges case for same-sex civil unions CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 He conceded that there was a persuasive case, under the constitution, that same-sex couples had a right to some kind of domestic partnership, conferring similar legal rights to marriage, but argued that the timing of this decision should be left to legislators to deal with. Eric Bush to head new Ministry of International Trade CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 KAABOO buzz builds as festival approaches Jobi Berger mans the KAABOO desk where visitors arriving at Owen Roberts International Airport can pick up their passes upon arrival. Reportedly, about 200 passes had been distributed at the desk by Monday morning. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Eric BushThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019 El Chapo deliberations continue Jurors at the trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman got back to work Monday for their fifth day of deliberations. They’re trying to reach verdicts on 10 separate counts. Guzman, 61, could get life in prison if convicted of the multiple drug-trafficking counts. Every day we try to be ok, we smiled when we think of you We remembered happy times and the funny things you’d do But today we feel so very sad, we think of you and cry. We’re missing you so very much and still asking God why? We don’t know what will happen, when we face another day What will tomorrow bring? Will we cry or be okay? is roller coaster of emotions is the worst ride of our lives. Nothing can prepare you for the never-ending strife. We may not handle our emotions the way that we should do But we still thank the Lord for the almost 21 years we had with you. Happy 27th birthday Marco, Rest in perfect peace until we meet again Forever loving and missing you Your broken hearted mother, Susan; stepfather Ricky; sisters Ashantae and Azariah In Loving Memory of our dear Son and Brother Marco Peter Oliver Rankine Feb. 12, 1992 - Feb. 10, 2013 Marco P. O. Rankine February 12 th 1992 On Your 6 th Birthday away from us Today is full of memories, tears and of joy Tears for missing you and joy that we were blessed to have had you in our lives You will always be remembered and we will always love you Love, Mel and Haileigh FIERCE FIGHTING NEAR LAST ISIS FOOTHOLD IN EASTERN SYRIA BEIRUT (AP) – Fierce fighting was under way Monday between U.S.- backed Syrian forces and the Islamic State group around the extremists’ last foothold in eastern Syria, with the besieged mili- tants fighting back with suicide car bombs, snipers and booby traps, a Syrian war monitor and a Kurdish news agency said. An Italian photogra- pher was wounded in the battle between advancing U.S.-backed Syrian Dem- ocratic Forces and the scores of militants holed up in the village of Bag- houz, near the border with Iraq, an Italian news agency said. The Syrian Demo- cratic Forces on Sat- urday launched a final push to clear the area from ISIS under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.- backed coalition. The capture of the ISIS- held village of Baghouz and nearby areas would mark the end of a four-year global war to end ISIS’ ter- ritorial hold over large parts of Syria and Iraq, where the group estab- lished its self-proclaimed “caliphate” in 2014. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the push by the Kurdish-led SDF has been slow due to land mines and sniper fire, as well as the extremists’ use of tunnels and sui- cide car bombs. ISIS are also using civilians as human shields, the Obser- vatory said. On Monday, the Obser- vatory said 13 ISIS mili- tants, including five sui- cide attackers, were killed as well as six SDF fighters. The Kurdish Hawar news agency also reported heavy fighting in Baghouz. ISIS said in a statement posted late Sunday that two of its “martyrdom- seekers” attacked SDF fighters in Baghouz with their explosive-laden car. Syrian state media claimed a U.S.-led coalition airstrike near Baghouz killed two women and two children. More than 20,000 civilians have left the ISIS- held area in recent weeks. U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that ISIS has lost 99.5 percent of its territory and is holding on to under 2 square miles, where the bulk of the fighters are concen- trated in Syria. But ac- tivists and residents say ISIS still has sleeper cells in Syria and Iraq and is laying the groundwork for an insurgency. JFK LIBRARY MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF APOLLO 11 BOSTON (AP) – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Li- brary and Museum in Boston has received a $1.5 million gift from Raytheon to help commemorate the 50th an- niversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Kennedy famously chal- lenged the nation in 1961 to land a man on the moon by the end of that decade. As- tronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. The JFK library plans a yearlong celebration of the Apollo program, featuring a “virtual replica” of the Saturn V rocket and a downloadable app for users to experience their own missions through augmented reality. Several events also are scheduled for “Space Day” on July 20. Waltham-based Raytheon Co. worked with MIT scien- tists and NASA to build the onboard navigational com- puters for Apollo missions. US border security budget talks resume WASHINGTON (AP) – Budget negotiators met Monday to revive talks over border se- curity issues that are central to legislation to prevent key parts of the government from shutting down on Saturday, but an air of pessimism re- mains after talks broke down over the weekend. They collapsed over Dem- ocratic demands to limit the number of migrants au- thorities can detain, and the two sides remained sep- arated over how much to spend on President Donald Trump’s promised border wall. A Friday midnight deadline is looming to pre- vent a second partial govern- ment shutdown. Rising to the fore on Sunday was a related dispute over curbing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the federal agency that Re- publicans see as an emblem of tough immigration policies and Democrats accuse of often going too far. Trump blamed Democrats in the migrant de- tention dispute, tweeting, “The Democrats do not want us to detain, or send back, criminal aliens! This is a brand-new de- mand. Crazy!” The fight over ICE deten- tions goes to the core of each party’s view on immigration. Republicans favor rigid en- forcement of immigration laws and have little interest in easing them if Democrats refuse to fund the Mexican border wall. Democrats de- spise the proposed wall and, in return for border security funds, want to curb what they see as unnecessarily harsh en- forcement by ICE. People involved in the talks say Democrats have proposed limiting the number of im- migrants here illegally who are caught inside the U.S. – not at the border – that the agency can detain. Republi- cans say they do not want that cap to apply to immigrants caught committing crimes, but Democrats do. Democrats say they pro- posed their cap to force ICE to concentrate its internal en- forcement efforts on dan- gerous immigrants, not those who lack legal authority to be in the country but are pro- ductive and otherwise pose no threat. Democrats have pro- posed reducing the current number of beds ICE uses to detain immigrants here ille- gally from 40,520 to 35,520. But within that limit, they have also proposed limiting to 16,500 the number for im- migrants here illegally caught within the U.S., including crim- inals. Republicans want no caps on the number of immi- grants who have committed crimes who can be held by ICE. Trump used the dispute to cast Democrats as soft on criminals. “I don’t think the Dems on the Border Committee are being allowed by their leaders to make a deal. They are of- fering very little money for the desperately needed Border Wall & now, out of the blue, want a cap on convicted vio- lent felons to be held in deten- tion!” Trump tweeted Sunday. Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, in ap- pearances on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and “Fox News Sunday,” said “you absolutely cannot” eliminate the possi- bility of another shutdown if a deal is not reached over the wall and other border matters. The White House had asked for $5.7 billion, a figure re- jected by the Democratic-con- trolled House, and the mood among bargainers has soured, according to people familiar with the negotiations not au- thorized to speak publicly about private talks. “You cannot take a shut- down off the table, and you cannot take $5.7 [billion] off the table,” Mulvaney told NBC, “but if you end up some- place in the middle, yeah, then what you probably see is the president say, ‘Yeah, OK, and I’ll go find the money some- place else.’” A congressional deal seemed to stall even after Mulvaney convened a bipar- tisan group of lawmakers at Camp David, the presidential retreat in northern Maryland. While the two sides appeared close to clinching a deal late last week, significant gaps re- main and momentum appears to have slowed. Though con- gressional Democratic aides asserted that the dispute had caused the talks to break off, it was initially unclear how damaging the rift was. Both sides are eager to resolve the long-running battle and avert a fresh closure of dozens of federal agencies that would begin next weekend if Con- gress does not act by Friday. “I think talks are stalled right now,” Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I’m not confi- dent we’re going to get there.” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who appeared on the same pro- gram, agreed: “We are not to the point where we can an- nounce a deal.” But Mulvaney did signal that the White House would prefer not to have a repeat of the last shutdown, which stretched more than a month, left more than 800,000 govern- ment workers without pay- checks, forced a postponement of the State of the Union ad- dress and sent Trump’s poll numbers tumbling. White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney The push by the Kurdish-led SDF has been slow due to land mines and sniper fire, as well as the extremists’ use of tunnels and suicide car bombs.Next >