F RIDAY MARC H 22, 2019 • CAYMAN C OMPASS Glow for the greater good National Trust tur ns the night neon B3 ■ EVENTS Power of the Purse International author Amanda Lindhout to speak at annual lunch. CAYMAN WEEKENDER Power of the Purse EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BUILDING TRUST IN PUBLIC BOARDS High of 84 Low of 72 Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY T E N D E R J U I CY C R I S P Y M A D E W I T H W H IT E M E A T C H I C K E N Dart tower plan sparks national debate JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The idea of skyscrapers on Seven Mile Beach will be one of the options up for discussion as the Cayman Islands attempts to formulate a Development Plan for the future of the country. Premier Alden McLaughlin called for a na- tional debate on changing building height re- strictions in a speech at the Cayman Economic Outlook conference earlier this month. His comments came as the Dart group revealed its ambition to build a multi-storey tower in Grand Cayman that would stand comparison to some of the world’s most iconic buildings. The Cayman Compass spoke to developers, planners, and sustainability and environ- mental groups about the concept. While some wholeheartedly support the idea of building higher, others fear it could lead to unsus- tainable growth in the island’s already busy tourism sector. Some developers believe taller buildings represent a compromise between develop- ment and the environment, allowing for more building in the lucrative tourism zone without eating up too much oceanfront land. Others argue that skyscrapers would be a better fit for Cayman’s ailing capital city, injecting new impetus to long-discussed plans for a revitali- sation of George Town. The public will get to have its say on the issue as the Planning Department formulates a new planning and zoning strategy for the island in the coming months. PUBLIC INVITED TO ATTEND ROYAL EVENTS Government has released a schedule of public events that Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will attend on Wednesday and Thursday. When the royals arrive Wednesday, there will be an opening ceremony for the redevel- oped Owen Roberts International Airport ter- minal. The public is advised to be at this event by 3 p.m. Car parks around the airport will be closed and there will be no parking in the im- mediate vicinity. The next day, when Prince Charles visits Cayman Brac for the opening of the new swimming pool, the public is advised to ar- rive at the Cayman Brac Sports Complex by 11 a.m. There will be no parking in the imme- diate vicinity. For Prince Charles’s visit to Little Cayman’s Central Caribbean Marine Institute, the public should be there by 12:30 p.m. Again, there will be no parking in the immediate vicinity. Children and parents should contact Clifton Hunter High School to confirm their Superhero comes to Cayman to recharge MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hulk sore. It’s part of the price of a life- time of heavy gym work, the pumping of iron that turned Lou Ferrigno into a world champion bodybuilder and, ultimately, into The Incredible Hulk. Turns out, even superheroes, or at least those who play them, are subject to the aches and pains that come with age. Ferrigno, 67, the man who was made famous by playing the green, muscled giant on tel- evision in the late 1970s and early ‘80s – and later voicing him on the big screen – was in Cayman this week seeking treat- ment that he hopes will allow him to continue to work out and to train others in the gym. It’s a treatment not available in many places. The actor received an infu- sion of stem cells at the Da Vinci Centre. The treatment is de- signed to target inflamed body tissues and repair them. Al- though some stem cell proce- dures are available in the United States – Ferrigno lives in Cali- fornia – this particular method is not approved there, officials at the centre said. “I had other friends who KAABOO picks up Suckerbox again Cayman-based band Suckerbox blaze through a set of rock songs at KAABOO Cayman in February. The band is now part of the just-announced lineup for KAABOO Del Mar, Sept. 13-15, in California. For more, see page 2. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Lou Ferrigno, who starred as ‘The Incredible Hulk’ on TV, pictured at the Da Vinci Centre in Grand Cayman Wednesday, where he is undergoing stem cell treatment. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 925.2290 • West Shore Center Lunch & Dinner Local Produce Best Deals on Island Caribbean Flair Cayman Orthopaedic Group DR. BRADLEY PETRISOR, M.D., F.R.C.S.C. Orthopaedic Trauma, Foot & Ankle Reconstruction Will be at Unit #1, Smith Road Plaza Monday, 25th March, 2019 to Friday, 29th March, 2019 Please call 945-8380 for appointments Suckerbox makes KAABOO Del Mar lineup MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Suckerbox, one of Cay- man’s local bands, turned in a strong set at last month’s KAABOO festival. So strong, in fact, that when the lineup for KAABOO Del Mar – the original festival held in September in California – was announced Thursday morning, there on the last line of the list of 48 bands, beneath such acts as Kings of Leon, Mumford & Sons, and Sheryl Crow, was the pop- punk band that has been a Cayman favourite for years. “The exposure will be amazing,” said band member Derrick McKay. “I think the guys are all ex- tremely excited.” He said the band signed a contract for the Del Mar spot last week, but had to keep it a secret until the official an- nouncement on Thursday, which turned into a busy day. “It’s been blowing up,” McKay said of the reac- tion. “My phone’s been ringing all day.” Playing at a festival five times the size of KAABOO Cayman, in terms of the audi- ence, is an experience McKay said he’s looking forward to. But first the band has to get there. While they may be in- cluded on a roster of big- name bands, they are not ex- actly getting star treatment. “We have to make our own way there,” McKay said. “We’re still in the van.” They also have to find their own lodging when they get to California, but the band is cool with that, he said. “That was explained to us right off the bat,” he said. “It was really our choice to make. We just thought, ‘What a great opportunity for us.’” He said the band plans to play several Cayman concerts between now and Sept. 13-15, the festival dates, to raise money for the travel costs. They also plan to write some new material for the gig, McKay said. He said the band is not counting on the Cali- fornia concert being the band’s big break. “We’ve been at this a long time,” he said. “We’re not going to get our hopes up, but we’ll go with the en- ergy and have some fun with it. You never know where it will lead.” Even if it leads nowhere, McKay said he wants to give Cayman some exposure along with the band. He intends to make sure the California con- certgoers know where Suck- erbox comes from. “We definitely want to be the ambassadors for the Cayman Islands,” he said. “We would love to fly that Cayman flag very high.” Meteorologists retire hurricane names Florence, Michael MIAMI (AP) – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has retired the names of two hurricanes that caused widespread dev- astation from Florida to Vir- ginia last year. NOAA said in a statement that Florence and Michael will be replaced with the names Francine and Milton. The new names will first ap- pear during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Names are retired when hurricanes are so destructive that recycling them would be insensitive. Eighty-eight names have been dropped from the list for the Atlantic and Caribbean since storms were first named in 1953. According to NOAA, Flor- ence caused at least 51 deaths in September amid re- cord flooding across the Car- olinas and Virginia. Michael made landfall in October with 155-mph winds. The hurricane was blamed for at least 45 deaths from Florida’s Panhandle through Georgia, the Car- olinas and Virginia. Fif- teen hurricane names have been retired since 2010, and those storms cumulatively caused more than $430 bil- lion in damage. Ivan, which struck Cayman in 2004, was retired after 2005 and replaced by the name Igor, which was itself retired in the spring of 2011. The 2017 hurricane season saw four names – Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate – retired after collec- tively causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damages throughout the Caribbean and the southeastern sea- board of the United States. Irma and Maria both peaked as Category 5 storms, and Maria caused thousands of deaths in Puerto Rico. Two storms from the 2015 season (Erika and Joaquin) and two from the 2016 season (Matthew and Otto) have also been retired. Compass reporter Spencer Fordin contributed to this story. Playing at a festival five times the size of KAABOO Cayman, in terms of the audience, is an experience McKay said he’s looking forward to. But first the band has to get there. Destruction is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida on Oct. 11, 2018. The names Michael and Florence have been retired from the list of hurricane names. - PHOTO: AP EX-PRESIDENT TEMER ARRESTED IN BRAZIL RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Former Brazilian President Michel Temer was arrested on Thursday on corruption charges, a dramatic devel- opment in a sprawling graft probe that has roiled Latin America’s largest nation and shows no sign of slowing. In a statement, the Pros- ecutors Office in Rio de Ja- neiro said that Judge Mar- celo Breitas had issued an arrest order for Temer, as well as Moreira Franco, a former minister and close ally of Temer, and eight others. Construction company En- gevix paid Temer bribes in ex- change for a contract to build a nuclear power-plant in the city of Angra dos Reis in the southern part of Rio de Ja- neiro state, prosecutors said. One of the Engevix executives told prosecutors in a plea bar- gain testimony that he paid more than US$300,000 in 2014 to a company owned by a close Temer associate, Col. Joao Baptista Lima Filho. An arrest warrant was also is- sued for Lima Filho. Globo Television showed images of the former presi- dent being accompanied by police in Sao Paulo, where Temer lives. Helicopter im- ages showed Temer getting out of a police convoy at an airport, presumably to be brought to Rio de Janeiro and processed.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. ART DECO INSPIRED RESIDENCES WITH UNIQUE FIVE-STAR AMENITIES Only two multi-level Penthouses remain. Priced from USD 3,199,000 Reserve your private tour and discover The Last Word in Luxury + 1 345 326 1400 Guest suites Owners private Aquariva Private wine locker with sommelier service Personal car service & two parking spaces per residence Cantilevered glass-bottom pool FIN.cayman fingrandcaymanThe 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 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 PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” The Central Planning Authority is wise to publicly disclose board members’ and employees’ business, property, financial and other relevant interests, even in advance of a legal requirement to do so. We urge others of Cayman’s vast public boards to follow their lead. We can think of no good reason to wait for Cabinet to get around to formally triggering the requirement, included in the Standards in Public Life Law that first was approved by the Legislative Assembly in 2014, later amended and still – inexplicably – awaiting enact- ment. With few exceptions, the public’s business should be conducted in public view. As it was written and approved, the law requires elected politicians, senior government workers and government-appointed board members to publicly disclose their personal interests. It is a standard adopted by many democratic governments to help identify potential conflicts of interests and build trust in public bodies. As this editorial board has noted, our vast network of boards, commissions and statutory authorities are charged with carrying out important public business – deciding issues as far-reaching as immigration, health, development, business licensing and other areas of regulation or government enterprise. With this con- siderable power comes a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of transparency and professionalism. The Central Planning Authority, in particular, wields considerable power and influence. Appropriately, it has taken meaningful steps toward transparency in recent years, but as an Auditor General’s report released early this year also noted, the work is far from over. Auditors have recommended that the CPA make its voting process more transparent and provide stronger evidence that outside technical advice is being taken into account. Already, the CPA has taken the impor- tant step of making portions of its meetings open to the pubic, but its members continue to deliberate and vote behind closed doors. As Public Accounts Committee Chairman Ezzard Miller said at a meeting of his committee on Wednesday, “It’s the actual act of voting that the public needs to know if we’re going to demonstrate that acts of corruption aren’t occurring and people aren’t being influenced.” Adopting this standard of transparency would mark an important shift for the CPA and other public boards. In its January report, the Auditor General also rec- ommended that the authority diversify its member- ship to avoid the appearance of bias and vulnerability to corruption. Most members of the 13-member board, which has long been chaired by building supply retailer and construction company owner A.L. Thompson, have interests in real estate, development, construction and related enterprises. On one hand, this helps ensure that board members are well familiar with the issues that come before them. On the other hand, as the report noted, it requires extra vigilance against the temptation to allow personal interests to influence board decisions. Personal disclosures help protect against any member leveraging his or her position for private gain. They also protect board members from the appear- ance of impropriety, dispelling rumours and building trust in their work and public institutions in general. As the Compass reports today, it is unclear when, or if, our legislators plan to enact the Standards in Public Life Law. That does not prevent the CPA, or any public board, from adopting policies and procedures that make their workings more transparent and invite public participation in their important public work. Building trust in public boards BUSINESSDAY OF SOUTH AFRICA EDITORIAL BOARD It’s an accepted norm in aviation that when there is a decision to be made about grounding aircraft, it should normally come from the home regulating authority of the manufacturer. In the case of the Boeing 737 Max 8 that crashed in Ethiopia, that would have been the Federal Aviation Ad- ministration in the U.S. For days after the disaster, the FAA did not do that. While countries such as China and Indonesia, to- gether with Ethiopia, al- most immediately banned the model, most Western nations kept flying them, before the U.K. broke ranks, to be joined later by other European na- tions. They, along with Co- mair, which initially said it would keep flying its 737 Max 8 before bowing to public pressure, were probably fol- lowing this convention. They were, rightly, waiting for guidance from the main reg- ulator and evidence of a link between that crash in Ethi- opia and another deadly ac- cident in Indonesia less than five months earlier. In simple terms, this is a system that should be under- pinned by one word: trust. The U.S. is not the only country in the world where there is a worrying trend of individuals moving from companies and then working for organisations charged with regulating their former employers, or vice versa. That may not sound as something to be alarmed about when it’s about taxation, for ex- ample. But when it comes to a life and death issue such as flying, it is worrying indeed. The Washington Post has- reported that the acting head of the FAA used to work for American Airlines and the Aerospace Industries Asso- ciation, which counts Boeing among its most important members. And reports ques- tioning the independence of the FAA will only add to the unease. We must be clear that this is not about Donald Trump. A report by Bloomberg said that as far back as 2012, FAA employees were warning that Boeing had too much say over safety approvals of new planes. That, the news agency reported, led to a gov- ernment probe that found the FAA hadn’t done enough to “hold Boeing accountable” and that some employees had complained of retribution if they spoke out. The Seattle Times pub- lished the results of its own investigation on Sunday, which found that the regu- lator had delegated much of the safety assessment of the 737 Max to the company it- self and pressured safety en- gineers to speedily approve the resulting analysis. The original safety analysis de- livered to the FAA for a new flight control system on the Max planes, which was used to certify the plane as safe, had crucial flaws. That flight control system, according to the newspaper, is now under scrutiny after the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. In an early sign that trust has been broken, Ethiopia said it would ask European, rather than American, experts to analyse the black boxes from the crashed plane. The country’s transport minister said at a press conference on Sunday that there had been “clear similarities” with the crash in Indonesia in October 2018. A preliminary report will be released within 30 days, she said. There are so many areas in which the U.S. has given up its leadership role in re- cent years. Aviation looks like the latest one. © 2019, The Associated Press GUEST EDITORIAL Has US abdicated aviation leadership? FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS PUBLIC STATEMENT Meeting our water needs JULIANA O’CONNOR-CONNOLLY Today we are proud to cel- ebrate World Water Day, and the 2019 theme ‘Leaving no one Behind’. In 2010 the United Nations recognised that the “right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights”. Sadly, today billions of people are still living without safe water. Gratefully, here in the Cayman Islands, we have ac- cess to safe and sustainably managed water for all; and that is thanks, in large part, to the work of Water Au- thority – Cayman. Since its inception, the authority has been hard at work building a water infra- structure that supports the needs of the people of the Cayman Islands. Its network covers the vast majority of Grand Cayman and signifi- cant investments have been made to expand the network in Cayman Brac. Also, the Au- thority has plans for future service in Little Cayman. The Authority works to ensure that when we do turn on our pipes the water is safe, by conducting routine testing of the public water supply distribution network. Water is an essential building block of life. Not only is it essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development. This World Water Day, we are proud to recognise this important aspect of the Authority’s work and the women and men who strive every day to ensure all of the Cayman Islands has access to pure and wholesome water. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly is Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Lands and AgricultureThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Tel: 949-5383 www.tomlinsonfurniture.ky sales@tomlinsonfurniture.ky 9 Walkers Road At the 4-Way Stop by GT Hospital SLEEP BETTER, FOR LESS! NOW ONLY $ 1,799 Sealy Conform Firm cooling Memory Foam Mattress (list price $2,800) TECHNOLOGY With Envy 2.0 adjustable base comes with massage and many other features! SPECIAL SPECIAL BritCay BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Applicants aged 18 years and older, who have been resident in the Cayman Islands for 5 years preceding the start of their studies, should contact hr_manager@britcay.kyfor an application package. The application period closes on 31st May 2019. BritCay has been a provider of retail insurance since 1984. The company is a member of Colonial Group International Ltd. (CGI) and has an ‘A’ (Excellent) rating from AM Best. CGI comprises over 280 employees, managing $430 million in insurance premiums and pension contributions, with offices in Cayman, Bermuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. CGI provides insurance and employee benefits. If you are a young Caymanian considering a future in insurance, BritCay would like to hear from you. The BritCay Insurance Scholarship has a maximum value of USD 25,000 p.a. for up to two years towards tuition, books, accommodation, airfare and meals. Caymanians or permanent residents with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher, who are undergraduate students entering their second or third year at an accredited university, and pursuing studies in the following concentrations may apply: • Insurance • Risk Management • Actuarial Science • Mathematics • Economics • Business or Commerce BritCay Insurance Scholarship: USD 25,000 p.a. britcay BritCay would like to help the class of 2019 become the insurance professionals of tomorrow. BritCay would like to help the class of 2019 become the insurance professionals of tomorrow. Learn more atwww.britcay.ky Charity kiteboarders hit $200K target Biggest single donation to Cayman Islands Cancer Society JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After completing an epic 82-mile ocean crossing from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman, kiteboarders are cel- ebrating another major mile- stone – hitting their $200,000 fundraising target. A charity auction and awards night, held last week, combined with some late donations took them over the edge. The money will go to the Cayman Islands Cancer So- ciety and is the biggest single donation the local charity has ever received. Jennifer Weber, opera- tions manager for the charity, said it would be enough to fund the charity’s financial aid programme for cancer sufferers for half a year. The charity helps pay for treat- ment, flights and accommoda- tion for more than 400 people with cancer in the Cayman Is- lands. It relies entirely on fun- draising and donations. “It is amazing they could raise so much. God bless them,” she said. A group of 16 kiteboarders and support crews took part in the ‘Kite 4 Cancer’ event, which challenged individ- uals and teams to make the crossing from Little to Grand Cayman and raise money for charity. Amy Strzalko, one of the organisers, said it was an amazing feeling to meet the $200,000 target. “We set a high target, and we are so excited to hit our goal.” She said kiteboarding from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman was a great achieve- ment, but raising so much money in the process was arguably an even bigger accomplishment. An auction and awards night at Abacus last week helped them hit the $200K target. A kiteboard designed by Guy Harvey sold for more than $5,000 on the night. Other boards with custom designs painted by Hannah Cook and David Bridgeman, Heather Holt and Morgan Olley sold for several thousand dollars. The Estera Little Grand Race itself was won by Andre Slabbert, who set a course re- cord of five-and-a-half hours. Strzalko said the group plans to host the race every three years. A shorter ‘down- winder’ race from East End to Rum Point is planned as a smaller annual fundraiser. Team Groms, Louis Vagniez, Jake Serpell and Oskar Bjuroe completed the 82-mile crossing as a relay team.Amy Strzalko presents race winner Andre Slabbert with his trophy. – PHOTOS: JULIE CORSETTI Kiteboarders brave large swells to complete an epic ocean crossing from Little Cayman. – PHOTO: ERIC VAGNIEZThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 8 LOCAL NEWS MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) – Nicaragua’s government and opposition began negotiating Thursday how to carry out the release of hundreds of political prisoners arrested in the past year of unrest. President Daniel Orte- ga’s government announced Wednesday it would free the prisoners within 90 days in exchange for the lifting of external sanctions. The prisoner release is the first of five agenda items negotiators plan to tackle after several fitful weeks of meetings to establish ground rules for talks on re- solving Nicaragua’s polit- ical divisions. The Committee for the Liberation of Political Pris- oners, which counts about 640 such prisoners, said in a statement Thursday that the prisoners should be freed within 15 days and that the negotiations should not begin until all are released. Both sides have agreed to ask the International Red Cross to monitor the pris- oner release, but neither the government nor the op- position Civic Alliance have put a number on how many prisoners would be released. The Organisation of American States represent- ative Luis Rosadilla and the Vatican’s ambassador to Nicaragua Waldemar Sommertag have been ob- serving the talks. U.S. Ambassador to Nic- aragua Kevin Sullivan via Twitter applauded the agree- ment to release the pris- oners as a “positive step”. He said the agenda for the talks presented a path back to de- mocracy for the country. Negotiators also planned to discuss electoral re- forms, strengthening citi- zens’ rights and the safe re- turn of more than 52,000 people who have left the country since last April, ac- cording to opposition politi- cian Jose Pallais. Once there is agreement on all points, the Civic Alli- ance would call on the inter- national community to sus- pend sanctions against the government. Also Thursday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolu- tion pushed by Argentina condemning human rights abuses in Nicaragua. FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. William Ivan Wood AKA “Buddy”, who passed away on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Webster Memorial United Church, Bodden Town on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing: Closed Casket In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Alzheimer's & Dementia Association of the Cayman Islands. Tel: 936-1655 E-mail: info@adacayman.com Interment at: Family Cemetery (Pease Bay) Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Nora Gonzalez, who passed away on Monday, March 11, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing: Closed Casket Interment at: Prospect Cemetery Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com f Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Neishelle N. Whyte, who passed away on Saturday, March 09, 2019. A Viewing will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the New Testament Church of God, 26 Bronze Rd, George Town, Cayman Islands from 11:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, April 14, 2019 in Jamaica. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Borko Petrovic regret to announce his passing on Friday, 8 March, 2019. Mr. Petrovic will be repatriated to Serbia. hamily Of Th Late ko Poic rrt tannounchis passin onriday,Marh,2019 r. tro will b rpatriatd td tdrrbra The family of the late Tammy Maria Nixon regret to announce her passing on Thursday, 14 March, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 24 March, 2019 at the George Town Seventh Day Adventist Church. Viewing will be from 2:00 p.m. prior to the service Interment will follow at Tall tree Cemetery, Savannah. New police helicopter touches down Cayman’s new Royal Cayman Islands Police heli- copter arrived at Owen Rob- erts International Airport on Thursday, greeted with a water cannon salute by the Fire Service. The black Airbus H145 hel- icopter made its arrival ear- lier than originally planned after the police’s existing hel- icopter sustained damage during an aborted take-off in February, caused by a tech- nical fault, and currently re- mains out of service. Once the original aircraft returns to service, the RCIPS will operate both helicopters to provide air support to the police’s land and marine units. Local dignitaries and po- lice officers were gathering at the airport at press time Thursday to take part in a ceremony to mark the arrival of the new aircraft. The helicopter was pur- chased for a little over US$11 million after Foreign and Commonwealth Office Min- ister of State for the Over- seas Territories, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, and Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin signed a memo- randum of understanding in London in December last year. According to a press re- lease from the Governor’s Of- fice at the time, the helicopter would be used to “boost Cay- man’s capability in the areas of search and rescue, law en- forcement and border protec- tion operations. The aircraft will also be used to respond to disasters and other emer- gency situations in the other UK Caribbean Overseas Territories”. Under the deal signed in London, the U.K. contributed 25 percent of the purchase price and running costs of the helicopter from the Con- flict, Stability and Security Fund, while the Cayman Is- lands picked up the re- maining 75 percent. See Monday’s Cayman Compass for more on this story. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s new Airbus H145 helicopter lands for the first time at Owen Roberts International Airport on Thursday. - PHOTO: RCIPS Son pleads guilty to manslaughter in father’s death Crown accepts plea CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com In Grand Court this week, Waylon Timothy Rivers pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of his father, Tim- othy Rivers, in North Side on June 8, 2018. Rivers, who was 19 at the time of the incident, entered his plea on Tuesday. Assistant Director of Public Prosecu- tions Candia James-Malcolm indicated that the plea was acceptable and the matter could be set for sentence. She said the defence had sub- mitted a basis of plea and the Crown agreed to it. On Thursday, however, Justice Timothy Owen raised several questions and he asked the prosecution and defence for input. He described the de- fendant as a man of 19 who, throughout his life, had been abused by his father and who had witnessed his mother’s abuse by his father. He said the fatal stabbing followed “a sudden loss of control” and “rage”, in circumstances ac- cepted by the Crown. Nobody detailed those cir- cumstances, but Justice Owen added that there were other issues to consider, such as the defendant’s history of epilepsy and his use of ganja. He noted that Crown and defence also accepted that the son loved his father. He never intended to kill him, but he wanted the father to stop saying what he was saying at the time. The judge suggested that the abuse to which the son was subjected was akin to ‘battered wife syndrome’. Previously, Justice Owen had commented that the plea was effectively on the basis of provocation. The question he wanted answers to about Rivers was, “What was his state of mind on the day he killed his father?” Defence counsel John Ryder, QC, instructed by local attorney Prathna Bodden, said there were medical re- ports that had been prepared when Rivers’s fitness to plead was being questioned. He submitted that the case was one of a “high degree of provocation”. Ryder advised that a psy- chological report had con- cluded that Rivers was fit to plead, but it did not address any question of diminished responsibility. Justice Owen noted that he was scheduled to leave Cayman the next day. It was agreed that the matter would be brought before him be- fore his departure so that ar- rangements could be made for the next step of the sen- tencing process. NICARAGUA GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION MEET TO DISCUSS MASS POLITICAL PRISONER RELEASE Young men wave national flags during a protest demanding the government release hundreds of protesters held in custody since 2018, in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019 Richard Mileham, part of the department’s policy and development unit that has worked on the plan, said po- tentially increasing building heights was one of the is- sues that would be up for discussion. The next stage in that pro- cess, expected to take place later this year, is broad public consultation over a specific area plan for the Seven Mile Beach tourism corridor. “Building heights will be part of the discussion, in the context of the short- and long-range future of the area and its continued attractive- ness to visitors and resi- dents,” he said. The area plan will also look at land use, transporta- tion needs and infrastructure and environment concerns as it charts a course for the fu- ture growth of the island. He said the public would have a big say in how that happens. Dart’s plans Jackie Doak, president of Dart Real Estate, believes flexibility on building heights in certain zones will become necessary given the scarcity, value and demand for land along Seven Mile Beach. She said, “Removing the current height restrictions creates opportunity for fur- ther economic growth with buildings that have a re- duced footprint and in- creased setbacks.” Doak added that Dart would like to see a bold ap- proach, rather than an in- cremental increase in building heights. “The proposed iconic building at Camana Bay would become a tourism at- traction in its own right, in- creasing awareness and vis- itation to the destination. The hospitality component would be a powerful eco- nomic driver for the commu- nity, providing employment and generating direct gov- ernment revenue through the Tourism Accommodation Tax for years to come.” Concern over impact on Cayman and its people Others caution that growth must be managed to avoid negative impacts for Cayman’s people and its environment. Linda Clark, speaking on behalf of Sus- tainable Cayman, said it was encouraging to see pro- gress on a national plan- ning framework that in- cludes public feedback. She expects debate over increased building heights to dominate the discussion in the forth- coming debate over an area plan for Seven Mile Beach. “On an island of only 76 square miles, we must re- member that public areas, such as the beaches, are shared by residents and visi- tors alike,” she said. “Increasing building heights to accommodate an increased head count in Cayman has many implica- tions which should be con- sidered in line with the car- rying capacity of our islands. “A balance must be met between the social, economic and natural environments, to the equal benefit of current and future generations.” She said the United Na- tions Sustainable Develop- ment goals, which include careful management of nat- ural resources and a reduc- tion of inequality, should be factored into any long-term plan. Sustainable Cayman also believes the island’s government should look to- ward the Blue Economy, an emerging concept that en- courages better stewardship of the ocean’s resources, as part of its planning. Hopes for George Town Dart’s proposal is not the first time the concept of higher buildings has been proposed in Grand Cayman. James Whittaker, head of the Cayman Renewable En- ergy Association and owner of Greentech Solar, devel- oped outline designs for a 30-storey building in George Town as a concept to kick- start a national conversa- tion on the revitalisation of George Town. Whittaker believes taller buildings are a legitimate op- tion for the Cayman Islands, and says he has no problem with Dart and the govern- ment exploring plans for an iconic building on Seven Mile Beach. But he believes building higher in George Town would be more po- litically palatable to most Cayman Islands residents and would also inject mo- mentum into efforts to rein- vigorate the capital. “I think vertical building is more beneficial to the country downtown and is an easier political sell,” he said. “If government wants it as the crown jewel of a down- town redevelopment, then, of course, there are plenty of options and partnerships that could facilitate it.” His proposal involved government buying the Sco- tiabank building and part- nering with the private sector to build two sail-shaped towers as the centrepiece of a revived George Town. “I also think it should be iconic. That helps with the ‘sell’ and would make it something Caymanians can take pride in. A tribute to our maritime heritage was our idea, and I still think that makes the most sense,” said Whittaker, who came up with the concept through his NEXT Design & Develop- ment company. He believes there are pos- itives to building higher, but cautions that the govern- ment and Dart’s plan for Ca- mana Bay will cause ripples in the community. “It is an almost impos- sible sell politically if it’s at Camana Bay, because most local people will think that allowing the precedent pro- vides no benefits to the av- erage person. That may not be the reality, but that will be the perspective. I think it’s a much easier sell down- town, and that the people benefitting will be locals in large part.” Demand for high-end property Developer Dale Crighton agrees that downtown is the best location for this type of development. “Instead of looking to drastically increase heights along Seven Mile Beach, the government should look to bring other areas back into play,” he said. “George Town commercial [real estate] is an area which needs a shot in the arm. Why not increase the heights there to create renewed de- mand and interest in this dying sector?” He said allowing sky- scrapers on Seven Mile Beach would likely lead to a raft of new develop- ments that the market could not sustain. “If we suddenly doubled the height along Seven Mile Beach, then you would have 10 or 15 new redevelopments on the books, all with 150- 200 units,” he said. “Such a drastic increase in height would look like a gold mine for developers. However, how would we absorb 1,500 new units? We wouldn’t.” Realtor Kim Lund be- lieves there is pent-up de- mand for high-end property on Seven Mile Beach that could be served by increasing building heights. “I think the die is already cast for Seven Mile Beach, in terms of already being com- mitted to more development and, over time, higher build- ings,” he said. “This area alone is a huge contributor to the economy and it will be hard to slow that engine down.” He believes any increase in building heights should be limited to Seven Mile Beach and George Town in order to leave the rest of the island pristine. He acknowledged there were challenges in bal- ancing increased develop- ment with infrastructure and access to the beach and other amenities for locals. But he said government was seeking to address these concerns by purchasing beach land, in- cluding the recent acquisi- tion of Smith Cove. James Whittaker, the writer of this article, and James Whittaker, the owner of Greentech Solar, are not related. Dart tower plan sparks national debate CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Businessman James Whittaker produced this drawing and others as a concept design to start a conversation about building higher as a means of revitalising George Town. Protesters prevail as 10-storey hotel project rejected JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Plans for a 10-storey business hotel at the “tran- quil” north end of Seven Mile Beach have been re- jected after an unprecedented number of objections to the proposal. The Central Planning Au- thority sifted through more than 200 pages of objec- tions to the Libanon Corpo- ration’s plan for a 129-room hotel named The Shores on the roadside of West Bay Road before turning down the proposal. Around 60 people showed up in person to speak out against the plan at the Cen- tral Planning Authority’s meeting on Wednesday. Chair A.L. Thompson said it was the largest number of objec- tors that had ever shown up to one of its meetings. Several property owners and managers of neigh- bouring condo develop- ments argued that a hotel of that scale and size was out of keeping with the char- acter of the area, which they described as tranquil and peaceful in comparison to the more developed southern end of the Seven Mile strip. They also warned that the hotel did not have direct beach ac- cess and would risk clogging public beach access paths. Attorney Nicholas Dixey, representing owners in The Commonwealth complex, said the hotel design looked like a “grounded cruise ship”. He said the developer had described it at various times as a luxury hotel, a boutique property, an affordable hotel and a business hotel. “It is a nebulous con- cept that keeps changing de- pending on what side of the bed they got out of,” he said. He said there was no ob- vious need for the hotel and there appeared to be no busi- ness plan behind the devel- opment. If it failed, he said, it could leave a monolithic eye- sore, comparable to the old Hyatt property, in the middle of one of the most serene sec- tions of West Bay Road. He said the northern end of the beach was character- ised by small developments that retained Cayman’s old- style charm, and allowing the hotel would “forever change the character of the area”. Several condo owners and managers testified that they believed the development would negatively impact tourism in the area. Dawn Ackermon, prop- erty manager at the Man- dalay complex, urged the board to wait until the con- clusion of Plan Cayman, the national development plan that will look at allowable building heights and styles in all areas of the country, in- cluding Seven Mile Beach. She said the outline of that plan indicates potential to protect and preserve the character of the northern end of the beach. Other property owners highlighted their belief that the northern end of the beach had a distinct character that needed to be retained. Judith Lankford, manager at the Anchorage, said she had seen three generations of multiple families come to visit, year after year. She said these repeat guests were at- tracted to the distinct charms of the area. If major hotel develop- ments were approved, she said, “paradise will be lost”. “This area is the last bas- tion of tranquillity on Seven Mile Beach. Let’s save it.” Sammy Jackson, an at- torney representing owners at the Mandalay, urged the board to listen to experienced voices from the tourism trade saying it would actively damage the industry. The Department of Tourism noted in its written advice on the application that it was advocating for hotel developers to seek other areas within Cayman. “It should be noted that the Seven Mile Beach area has reached capacity with the development of hotels,” DoT officials wrote. Architect Michael Stroh and attorney Michael Alberga represented the developer at the hearing. Stroh of Trio Architects said the project was within all the regulations for devel- opment within that zone. He said it was a business hotel, rather than a resort, and would not have a major im- pact on the beach. He said there was a public beach access a five minute walk away that the hotels guests could use, comparing it to the Sunshine Suites – which is also on the road side of the beach. Alberga said there was a clear need for a business hotel in Grand Cayman. He said new financial services legislation would mean more companies with a greater presence on island and more business travel. He said the Kimpton was the only substantial new hotel built in Cayman in the last 13 years despite a large increase in tourism and im- provements in infrastructure. “I appreciate the concerns of the people in the sur- rounding area, but the fact is that there has been a sub- stantial rezoning and recal- culation of Seven Mile Beach to allow much greater density and much greater height.” He read from planning minutes dating back to 2005 for the development of the Renaissance, pointing out that owners in that complex were now making the same objections that were raised when it was built.Next >