ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 $ 3 99 M EAL D EALS MONDAY - SATURDAY 9pcs MIXED , 2 Sides & 5 BISCUITS NEW FAMILY SUNDAY ALVA SUCKOO STEPS DOWN AS DEPUTY OPPOSITION LEADER JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Newlands MLA Alva Suckoo has stepped down as deputy leader of the official Opposition. Suckoo confirmed his resignation Friday, saying he would remain part of the Opposition group. He declined to give reasons for the deci- sion, releasing a brief statement saying only, “I have resigned as deputy leader of the opposition however I remain part of the opposition to the government.” Opposition leader Ezzard Miller said Suckoo had informed him of the decision Friday morning. He said Suckoo remained part of the group. “I don’t think it affects us in a material way,” he added. A new deputy will be selected in the coming months, he said. It is not clear how the decision might im- pact fledgling plans for some of the Opposi- tion members to run together as a group in the next election. Miller said in January that the group – him- self, Suckoo and MLAs Anthony Eden, Chris Saunders and Arden McLean – planned to for- malise their partnership with the formation of a new political entity to be known as the Cayman Islands People’s Alliance. He said at the time that the group was recruiting candidates to run in every constituency at the next election. Journalist shares story of strength and survival JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ten years ago, Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout was abducted and held captive by insurgents in Somalia for 460 days in an effort to extort ransom money. Today, her story is one of strength, resilience and sur- vival. She shared her incredible and inspiring story with an au- dience of over 475 individuals at the Power of the Purse fun- draising luncheon at The Ritz- Carlton Friday. The fundraiser, hosted by Scotiabank, benefits the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, which of- fers support to victims and sur- vivors of domestic violence. Lindhout encouraged guests to look in their own tool boxes to harness the strength they pos- sess and remember the power that what lies within. Lindhout offered insight and intimate details into the horrors of being kidnapped, sexually victimised and de- prived of the basic necessities of life. She talked about the strategies she used in her ex- perience to survive, and how others can remain positive in traumatic situations. After countless trips to doc- tors for post traumatic stress disorder, Lindhout chose to turn her experiences into a life with purpose and has travelled to over 29 countries to tell her story, detailed in her memoir ‘A House in the Sky’. Working as a freelance jour- nalist in Somalia, she was ab- ducted by a group of masked Amanda Lindhout speaks with the public queuing up to purchase her book, ‘A House in the Sky’. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Nations unite for Red Sky at Night Cayman’s many cultures and nationalities went on display Saturday for Red Sky at Night, hosted by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation as part of its annual Cayfest. Here, representatives from Cayman, India, the Philippines and Kenya show off their cultural pride after the Parade of Nations at the F.J. Harquail Cultural Centre. The arts and culture showcase, rescheduled from its original date earlier in March due to weather, enjoyed an evening of clear skies and community revelry. For more photos, see page 6. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL®IONAL MONDAY MARCH 25, 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) US (R) 12:40 I 4:00 I 7:00 I 9:50 THE KID (R) 1:15 I 5:05 I 10:05 CAPTAIN MARVEL (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 1:10 3D I 3:25 VIP I 4:05 6:30 VIP I 7:00 3D I 9:30 VIP I 9:50 YARDIE (R) 12:30 I 2:35 I 7:35 I 9:45 A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL (PG13) 3:45 I 6:45 I 9:20 WONDER PARK (PG) 12:20 I 3:00 3D I 5:15 I 7:30 3D POLICE IDENTIFY MAN KILLED IN BRAC HIT-AND-RUN JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police have confirmed the identity of the de- ceased in a suspected hit-and-run incident on Cayman Brac as 55-year- old Mitchell Marvin Ryan. La Esperanza Bar and Restaurant owner Ethan ‘Bussie’ Dilbert expressed his sadness over the tragedy. He said he knew Ryan all his life. Dilbert said Ryan lived next door to La Esperanza, and he saw him often. He said the morning of the incident, he last saw Ryan at the bar near closing time around 1 a.m. The next morning, Dilbert heard of the tragic incident. As far as he knew, Ryan had no children and lived life as a quiet man. Ryan’s body was dis- covered after a reported 911 call reported a man had been found unrespon- sive in the street on Wa- tering Place Road in the vi- cinity of La Esperanza Bar and Restaurant. Police and emergency services, including a doctor, responded to scene, according to a press re- lease, where the man was pronounced dead. Police have not yet identified the driver in the suspected hit-and-run. No vehicle was pre- sent at the scene when au- thorities arrived. Circum- stances suggest Ryan was the victim of a hit-and run, according to police. Officers from the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit were deployed to Cayman Brac on Friday to assist in the investigation, which is ongoing. Police continue to ap- peal for anyone with infor- mation about this incident, including anyone in the vi- cinity at the time, who may have seen a speeding or damaged vehicle, to con- tact the Cayman Brac Po- lice Station. Information can also be passed directly to police anonymously at http://www.rcips.ky/submit- a-tip, or externally through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477. Thousands donate to Meals on Wheels JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Thousands of residents took part in Meals on Wheels ‘¢hange for Change Coin Drive’ over the weekend to raise money to feed house- bound and disabled seniors throughout Cayman. Volunteers could be seen shaking collection buckets, and handing out T-shirts and donation stickers to those who contributed to the cause at various establish- ments across Cayman. The Meals on Wheels program feeds more than 230 seniors, five days per week across Grand Cayman. It costs $5 per day to supply a senior in need with a hot, nutritious meal, in- cluding soup, which is deliv- ered by one of 100 delivery volunteers. This is the second year that Davenport Development Ltd sponsored the ‘¢hange for Change Coin Drive’. The company’s sponsor- ship helps cover the cost of executing the event, in- cluding volunteer shirts, lapel stickers and more. Prince Charles and Camilla make first visit to Cuba HAVANA (AP) – Prince Charles and his wife Camilla begin the first official trip to Cuba by the British royal family on Sunday, in a pomp- filled display of disagreement with the Trump administra- tion’s strategy of economi- cally isolating the commu- nist island. The heir to the British throne is expected to land in Havana around 5 p.m. and lay a wreath at the memo- rial to colonial independence hero Jose Marti, near mas- sive portraits of socialist rev- olutionary icons including guerrilla fighter Che Gue- vara. The next two days in- clude visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm and biomedical research centre, and a meeting with entre- preneurs, cultural gala and dinner with President Miguel Diaz-Canel. It does not include visits with political dissidents or other critics of Cuba’s single- party system, a decision prompting criticism from Cuban exiles. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last month asked Charles to cancel his trip based on Cuba’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the is- land’s “decades-long history of persecuting and impris- oning its defectors and re- pressing its people.” Fellow Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also has long advo- cated for isolating Cuba and Venezuela, and the senators have found a receptive audi- ence in the Trump adminis- tration, which has been tight- ening financial sanctions on both countries in the hopes of toppling their governments. U.S. President Donald Trump has seen European and Latin American support for his Venezuela policy, but less backing on Cuba, whose government has already with- stood a 60-year U.S. embargo without showing any signs of losing its grip on power. Sir Alan Duncan, the British minister of state for Europe and the Americas, wrote Scott last month that “like a number of other coun- tries, we believe that the best way to promote human rights and encourage a Cuba that fully respects fundamental freedoms is through prac- tical diplomacy, such as with this visit.” The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall walk along Grand Anse beach during a one-day visit to the Caribbean island of Grenada. - PHOTO: PA WIRE Gustavo Soto makes his Meals on Wheels contribution to Logic volunteers Kristy Clarke, Natasha Rackley, Leona Gerald-Okoli, and Pamela Ebanks- Small in front of A.L. Thompson’s. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW VENEZUELA SANCTIONS PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – The Trump administra- tion stepped up sanctions on Venezuela Friday in re- sponse to the kidnapping of a top aide for a leader the U.S wants to see re- place the embattled – but not yet ousted – President Nicolas Maduro. The Treasury Department announcement came while the President Donald Trump met with leaders from five nations in the Caribbean that generally support the U.S. call for an end to Madu- ro’s rule. Trump hosted them at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and pledged U.S. in- vestment in their countries. The new sanctions, is- sued in response to the kid- napping, specifically target Venezuela’s national de- velopment bank, BANDES, and four additional subsid- iaries that BANDES owns or controls. “The regime’s continued use of kidnapping, torture and murder of Venezuelan citizens will not be toler- ated by the U.S. or the in- ternational coalition” that is united behind Juan Guaido, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. He was refer- ring to the opposition leader recognized by more than 50 countries as the legitimate interim leader following a flawed ballot that resulted in Maduro’s re-election. Earlier this week, forces affiliated with the Maduro government broke into the homes of officials backing Guaido and threatened them with their lives. Guaido’s chief of staff, Roberto Mar- rero, was kidnapped. In an op-ed published Friday in The Miami Herald, Vice Pres- ident Mike Pence said the kidnapping was an “egre- gious violation of the rule of law” and was only the latest example of Maduro’s “bru- tality and despotism.” Brac police are on duty following a suspected hit-and-run near Esperazna Bar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 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 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” Two news items last week showcase our islands’ flourishing health tourism landscape. In the first, it was announced that developers Kim and Ashleigh Lund are moving forward with a new 8-acre ‘healing resort’ that will cater to health tourists looking to rest and recharge through yoga and medi- tation, healthy eating and integrative healing services such as naturopathy and natural medicine. The Lunds hope to break ground on the project this year and open to visitors by the end of 2020, with the aim of providing “a beautiful, organic and natural location where people can go to achieve balance and generate long-term healing and wellness”, as Ashleigh Lund told the Compass. In another article, we learned that bodybuilder and actor Lou Ferrigno – aka The Incredible Hulk – visited Cayman for the first time last week to receive a unique type of stem cell infusion he hopes will allow him to continue rigorous training well into his golden years. He joins an elite cadre who avail themselves of cutting-edge stem cell treatments available on island, whether to heal from injury, like Cayman Olympic runner Cydonie Mothersille, or who, like Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, want to bank their own young, healthy stem cells for possible future use. Other clinics offer personalised immunothera- pies and other unique treatments that attract a global pool of patients. Together with our flagship medical tourism facility, Health City, these providers are building a synergistic network that will benefit resident and visitors, alike. As consultant David Jessop observed in a column published in these pages earlier this month, the Cayman Islands is uniquely well-suited to the highly lucrative and rapidly growing niche market of health and medical tourism – a global market he says is expected to reach somewhere between US$46.6 billion and US$125 billion per year by 2021. Jessop, a consultant to the Caribbean Council, counted among Cayman’s assets our robust air transportation networks, relatively wealthy popula- tion, state-of-the-art technology, and U.K. regulatory framework. He wrote that Health City, specifically, benefits from its association with the internation- ally renowned Dr. Devi Shetty and the profitable Narayana Health global medical group. We would add that in its few short years of operation, the East End facility has earned high praise on its own merits as a world-renowned facility that delivers first-rate, afford- able care. As medical costs continue to increase in the United States, home to the vast majority of our visitors, we can expect more U.S. citizens will turn to medical tourism for high-quality, cost-effective treatments. As word continues to spread about Cayman’s excel- lent healthcare and wellness network, we expect many more health and wellness visitors will find their way here – bringing significant financial and reputa- tional benefits. Stayover tourists will rise dramatically and will include family members and friends travelling with prospective patients. Supporting industries in the medical field will flourish; additional specialised clinics will take root and grow. In his column, Jessop suggested there is signifi- cant demand for small private clinics providing limited services, such as joint replacement, cosmetic surgery, in vitro fertilisation and other specialised fields. Simi- larly, he predicts a high demand for skilled nursing and convalescence facilities, not to mention wellness services. In short, there is ample room to grow this lucrative segment of the market. Health tourism: Just what the doctor ordered MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Here’s what a real meritocracy looks like FAYE FLAM Meritocracy is a popular idea for structuring society, but whether committees are picking students to go to Yale or doling out coveted time on the Hubble Space Telescope to astronomers, it’s often nearly impossible in practice. Merit can be hard to measure - do- able enough in tennis or swimming, but harder to de- fine in art, science or college admissions. When merit can’t be meas- ured, nominally meritocratic institutions tend to assess it by past success, even if that suc- cess was based on subjective judgements and a dose of good luck. That may explain why parents have become desperate enough to resort to bribery to buy their kids one marker of merit - admission to an elite university. But now scientists running the Hubble Space Tel- escope have found a way to im- prove the assessment of merit. And they’ve tested it scientifi- cally. The results could apply to many other areas of life. The Hubble Telescope is a limited resource - it can only do so much science in a day - so a committee has to pick a frac- tion of winners from among hundreds of worthy proposals. Five years ago researchers dis- covered that projects with male leaders had a higher chance of getting approved than projects with female leaders. Was this because the male-led projects were better, or because there was some hidden bias? To probe this question, they decided to try a round of se- lection where they removed the names and affiliations of the applicants. It’s akin to the blinding of studies so that re- searchers and subjects aren’t told who is getting a medi- cation, say, and who is get- ting a placebo. The result was that the sex ratio problem reversed, with women getting a higher rate of approvals for the first time in the 17 years that people have kept track. But there were other consequences as well - written up in detail in a piece for this month’s Physics Today. The authors were two astron- omers, one of whom helped create the anonymous evalu- ation process, and the other, a close observer. They realised that the na- ture of these “double anon- ymous” evaluations would be more challenging, be- cause more than the gen- ders would be obscured: “Re- viewers would need to identify the important underlying in- tellectual questions and eval- uate them, without the help of knowing the prior record of the proposer.” What the authors of the paper found was a noticeable shift in the depth of discussion. The reviewers had to read the proposals carefully and think about them, rather than taking the shortcut and assuming the more famous astronomers should win. With evaluations based entirely on proposal merit, newcomers or people from lesser-known institutions get a chance, and those who are well established will con- tinue to face critical review. According to the Physics Today piece, this experiment was so successful that all fu- ture allotments of Hubble time will be done with an anony- mous evaluation. Something similar could improve the fairness and quality of sci- ence in many other competi- tive processes. I’ve liked the idea of blinding so much that a few years ago, when I sometimes evaluated news coverage for a media criticism site called the Knight Science Journalism Tracker, I would compile the articles with their bylines and publication names removed. That way as I read the pieces, I wouldn’t be influenced by prestige - only by the quality of the information. In his book “The Formula: The Universal Laws of Suc- cess,” Northeastern University physicist Albert-Laszlo Bara- basi wrote of a similar experi- ment, in which people trying out for jobs in the Boston Sym- phony Orchestra would play behind a screen, so the judges could hear without seeing them. This did eventually even out a previously skewed sex ratio, but only after they added carpeting so the judges couldn’t recognise the women by the sound of their dress shoes. As I talked to Barabasi for a previous column, he ex- plained that being really good at something can take you only so far, because meas- uring quality gets tougher at higher levels. Often the same people continue to get all the high positions, the accolades and the awards, because it’s assumed they must be good, and it’s risky to go with an un- known quantity. More blind selection would force judges of merit to think harder and deeper. That should improve the quality of the sci- ence or music or whatever is being judged and give all sorts of people a chance. It might not stop people from thinking that getting into a top college is the only route to success, but more impor- tantly, it would create more routes to success. Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. © 2019, The Washington Post Writers Group. The reviewers had to read the proposals carefully and think about them, rather than taking the shortcut and assuming the more famous astronomers should win.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 SPECIALIZED CARE WITHIN REACH. WITH CLEVELAND CLINIC JUST A SHORT FLIGHT AWAY, YOU’RE CLOSE TO WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR HEALTH. Why? Because you’re close to the best healthcare providers and state-of-the-art medical technology. You’re close to the best facilities and quality of services. And you’re close to the healthcare you deserve. After all, what’s more important than your health? Every life deserves world-class care. Manslaughter sentencing adjourned for psychiatric report Seventeen Grand Court cases mentioned CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justice Timothy Owen ad- journed sentencing in Grand Court on Friday for Waylon Timothy Rivers, 20, who pleaded guilty earlier in the week to a charge of man- slaughter. The victim was his father, Timothy Buel Rivers. The defendant has been in custody since his arrest, which occurred shortly after he stabbed his father on June 8, 2018, in North Side. Justice Owen said he was requesting a psychiatric re- port before proceeding to sentence. He set the matter for Friday, May 3. Sixteen other cases were also mentioned, with several defendants entering pleas of not guilty to charges against them. Crown counsel Toyin Salako represented the Di- rector of Public Prosecutions in all 16 matters. Three men denied charges of sexual offences against children. The Cayman Com- pass is not naming the men at this time or reporting any details that would lead to the identity of the victims. One case concerned six allegations of defilement and eight of indecent as- sault against a total of three young girls. Justice Owen set this matter for mention again on April 5. Another case alleged gross indecency against a child under the age of 16. Trial was set for Aug. 12. The third man was charged with indecent as- sault and causing a child to watch sexual activities for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification. This trial was scheduled for June 24. Jeffrey William Powery, 32, pleaded not guilty to at- tempted murder, but guilty to wounding with intent. The charge arose from an incident in West Bay on Dec. 12. When Powery first appeared in court for attempted murder, the victim was described only as a woman known to him. The matter was set for mention again on April 5. Michael Anthony Stewart and Larry Levers appeared in the dock together, facing charges of manslaughter and child cruelty. The de- ceased, Risco Batten, 14, was a resident of Bonaven- ture Boys Home when he drowned during a group outing in November 2015. Defence attorneys applied to argue a preliminary matter and this was set for April 14. Defence attorney Prathna Bodden advised that Monday, April 8, is the date scheduled for the trial of Robert Todd Seward, formerly employed at the Cayman Islands Tennis Club. Seward faces charges re- lating to the theft of sums of money and has not yet for- mally entered pleas. Other cases included rob- bery, burglary, handling stolen goods and possession of a bul- letproof vest. Bryan seeks full Caymanian leadership Motion calls for leadership training JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Should all leadership posi- tions in Cayman be reserved for sons of the soil? George Town Central legislator Ken- neth Bryan thinks so. Bryan has filed a private members’ motion that calls for government to make it manda- tory for Caymanians to fill all senior positions, from commis- sioner of police to chief officers in all government ministries, within five years. His motion asks govern- ment to implement a five- year strategic plan to select and train Caymanians for those roles. Bryan acknowledged that Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson had done a good job of putting Caymanians in senior positions in the civil service. But he believes that job is not complete. “All leading decision- making positions that af- fect the future of our country should be held by Cayman- ians,” he said. He believes Caymanians, whether by birth or who have applied and been granted status, have a deeper con- nection to the island and would make better decisions in the long-term interest of the country. “The motion calls for a five-year plan. That is suffi- cient time to identify the right people and train and prepare them for leadership positions.” The motion, supported by the member for West Bay North, Bernie Bush, specifi- cally identifies chief officers and deputy chief officers of all government ministries and de- partments, chiefs and deputies of statutory authorities and government companies, and commissioners and deputy commissioners as positions that should ultimately be filled by Caymanians. Bryan acknowledged that Cayman may still need to seek outside expertise in some posi- tions, but he said this should be in a consultancy role along- side a Caymanian leader. He believes it is necessary to mandate in law that those positions should be held by Caymanians, rather than to pursue that goal as a policy. “While you have the option, the door remains open and it easy to be lackadaisical about succession planning. “If we want to actively na- tion build, we should prepare our people to take these roles.” Bryan cited the fire chief’s role as one recent example. “For a very long time we thought we would never have a non-Caymanian as fire chief but as a result of failings in the succession process, we saw that happen,” he said. The next session of the Leg- islative Assembly starts April 3.Kenneth Bryan6 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS R ed Sky at Night returned to the F.J. Harquail Cul- tural Centre Saturday for an evening of arts, cul- ture and celebration of Cayman’s creative com- munity. Dancers, artists, musicians, poets and chefs from across the islands displayed the diversity and breadth of Cayman culture. The evening is part of the annual Cayfest put on by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. Quintessential Movement dancers show off their moves. Akshata Okade, standing, and Seema Wadhwa from the School of Fitness engage in a traditional Indian dance. Artist Reno Jackson creates a painting for guests along the Thatch Walk. A Drum Circle performs at the Moon Stage. Leah Muthoni displays a bag from her company Beaded & Beautiful. Bella Arscott and Ronnie Hughes offer face painting.Mikael and Ren Seffer display works from White Dog Art. Members of the Philippine Dance Troupe show off traditional clothing. Deal Ebanks, left, Rose May Ebanks and Ivanna Powery represent Cayman during the Parade of Nations.Visitors view art along the Thatch Walk. Young dancers from Dance Unlimited perform inside the Harquail Theatre. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Cayman Islands Folk Singers bring island tradition to the Caymanian Village. Images show scenes from old Cayman.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 men along a dusty road. Lindhout spent more than a year as a hostage, surviving on strategy, fortitude and hope in the face of unimagi- nable adversity. The conference Friday brought together women of all backgrounds to ignite their faith, strengthen fami- lies, celebrate women in the community, and provide a forum to network, give back and become inspired. Denise Gower, chair of the Crisis Centre board of direc- tors, said the money raised from the Power of the Purse event will go toward regular operations at the centre. “We need to raise about $325,000 a year just to keep the doors open and all of the programmes running,” Gower said. “Right now the house [we have for women in need] is only a 4-bed- room, 3-bath house serving 34 to 36 clients … people are sleeping on the floor and on couches and it’s bit crowded,” Gower said. At the event, she said she was determined to raise $1 million because that was what they needed to build a purpose-built shelter for vic- tims of domestic violence and their children. She said she will also work to raise the money by hiking the Pacific Crest, a 2,650 mile trail through back country across the United States that starts at the Mex- ican border and finishes at the Canadian border. Her ad- venture starts in April 2020 and ends in October. Power of the Purse con- tinues to exceed fundraising targets, raising over $150,000 to date and helping women, men and children who are impacted by domestic abuse each year, said Dwight Bur- rows, Scotiabank man- aging director. “What makes me espe- cially proud is that 50 per- cent of the Cayman leader- ship team is comprised of dynamic, committed and as- piring women … most of who are here today,” he said. He also acknowledged EY for their continued support and partnership of the event. It would not be a Power of the Purse event without the opportunity to buy a de- signer bag at a discount. Dozens of women attending the event, eager to get their hands on a coveted de- signer purse, got some good deals on new and gently used purses such as a grey, double-flap Chanel handbag and a popular Ralph Lauren black purse, which generated lots of bids during the si- lent auction. Lindhout’s memoir, ‘A House in the Sky’, became a New York Times bestseller after its release in 2013. It was also in high demand at Friday’s event, as women lined up to meet the author and pick up a copy of her in- spiring story. Denise Gower, chair of the Crisis Centre’s board of directors, welcomes attendees. – PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Cyndie Suitor and Kirsty Isbister pose with Amanda Lindhout after getting a signed copy of her book.Julie-Ann Folkes, Regina Clarke and Kira Mathews are ready for a photo at the dress-up booth. Journalist shares story of strength and survival Jessica Williams, left, and Nilani Perera show off a grey Chanel purse.Women from the Pinnacle Media team get into the spirit of the event. Jessica Thomas, front, and Katie Onweller check out designer bags on auction. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Health City reaches out to Cayman student body SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The next generation of Cayman health professionals may come from the local stu- dent population. Health City Cayman Is- lands has expanded its Healthcare Explorers Pro- gram to allow for an even younger group of students who can begin thinking about a medical career as early as eight years old. Charles Bush, pastor and educational coordinator at Health City, has been working to expand the options avail- able to local students. In the long run, he said, Health City is only sustainable if it can at- tract local talent, and the same is true for the other medical facilities here in Cayman. “We always tell students, ‘Your time with us is a success if you decide this is what you want to do. And it’s also a suc- cess if you decide it’s not what you want,’” he said. “We’re here to help you shape your choices. We want to expand the conver- sations teachers and parents are having with the students.” And in some cases, he wants to initiate those conver- sations even earlier than usual. The new Junior Explorers programme is open to stu- dents 8 to 12 years old, and it educates them with essay competitions, career fairs and other events to stimulate their developing minds. The STEM Day Camp, an estab- lished event, has been reclassi- fied for students 10 to 14 from ages 12 to 14. The path for older students, the Senior Explorers, has also been reshaped. Those stu- dents are 13 to 17 years old, and they are taught through field trips, workshops and in- ternship placements. The field trips are especially produc- tive, Bush said, because it al- lows the students to not only see different types of careers in action but also to see local people working in that career. “On a field trip, they’ll get to meet some of our local Cay- manian success stories,” he said. “And we’re very excited about that. If we can see our- selves in the future, then we know, ‘OK, I can do this.’” Some of the Senior Explorers who may be con- sidering a career in the med- ical field can participate in the Shadow a Doctor programme, which allows them to follow in the footsteps of a medical professional as they go about their rounds. In some cases, that could mean a doctor, a nurse or a technician. More than 40 students have participated in the Shadow a Doctor programme this year, and the Health City Explorers have served a record 1,797 stu- dents in 2019. Shomari Scott, Health City’s director of busi- ness development, said the programme follows in the tra- dition of hospital founder Dr. Devi Shetty. “The principle behind why we’re here is to offer the highest quality healthcare at a reasonable price so that people can afford it,” Scott said. “We want to make sure we get Caymanians to come in and to eventually become the Dr. Binoys of the future 25-30 years from now. We should have a slew of Caymanian and Caribbean doctors who buy into the ethos of Health City and Dr. Shetty’s vision. Giving back is something that is part of the vision. We give our time to make sure it can be accomplished.” In fact, Bush said, some of those students will even witness a surgery up close and personal. “I let them into the oper- ating theatre, and when they come back out, it’s like they’ve had this religious experience. Lights have gone off for them,” Bush said. “It really is a very instructive experience. “They’ve watched YouTube videos and they’ve watched ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ They think they want to be a doctor, but when they can get in there and actually see it, it’s real.” Health City also invites classes to the hospital for a tour of the facility, but it’s been expanding the amount of students it can reach by de- veloping webinars they can watch from their school. So far, Health City has pro- duced three educational videos that demonstrate different lessons in healthcare. In one video, Dr. Binoy Chattupar- ambil explains the anatomy of the heart. Another video is a tutorial on how the brain works, and a third is a lesson on bones and joints. The oldest branch of the programme, the University Explorers, is for students 17 and older. That programme introduces students to rota- tions at the University Col- lege of Cayman Island School of Nursing, as well as the Summer Undergraduate Re- search Fellowship, better known as SURF. The SURF programme is now in its fifth summer, and it takes university students who are on a pre-med track and places them at Health City for a month where they will write a detailed research paper. “We don’t want students to start working now if fur- ther education can help them more,” Bush said. “We want to hear what their aspirations are so we can figure out how to be a part of the journey.” Health City is planning on building a medical school in its next phase of construc- tion perhaps five years from now, and the hope is that it will teem with potential Cay- manian recruits over the en- suing decades. To get to that point, though, Health City has to start local kids even thinking about that kind of career. “At the end of the day,” Scott said, “building the capabilities of the Caymanian workforce is something that’s high on our radar. Even if they don’t come back to work for Health City but we spark them to be a part of healthcare and they work elsewhere on the island, that’s a win for us as well.” New helicopter plugs national security gaps Existing police helicopter may also need to be replaced JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new $9 million, state-of- the-art helicopter will help ensure the national security of the Cayman Islands, ac- cording to police commis- sioner Derek Byrne. The commissioner wel- comed the arrival of the new aircraft, which touched down in Grand Cayman Thursday, saying it would be used as the “eyes in the sky” to target drug traffickers as well as for search-and-rescue operations around the islands. He said a drug bust in which 900 pounds of mari- juana was confiscated from armed traffickers in Cayman’s waters last week showed the scale of the threats facing the island. “Last week certainly con- firmed our concerns that we had outlined to the National Security Council that to be without a helicopter could create security gaps that could be exploited by crim- inal elements,” he said. The Joint Marine Unit successfully intercepted the drug boat in last week’s inci- dent, but the new helicopter will increase Cayman’s capa- bility to target drug dealers, Byrne says. “We have state-of-the- art equipment and we will be protecting our bor- ders,” he said. Byrne praised the govern- ment and the Governor’s Of- fice for reacting quickly to expedite the arrival of the new helicopter, following the grounding of the existing aircraft, which was dam- aged after an aborted take- off caused by a technical fault last week. The commissioner said that aircraft was still being reviewed and may need to be replaced. He said the new heli- copter gave police aerial capacity while the other was grounded, but in the long term is intended to supplement it. “We don’t know what the state of that aircraft is going to be – we will be pushing to get that into service or re- placed so we have two heli- copters here at all times.” He said the new helicopter was much more advanced – six models up from the ex- isting aircraft – and was spe- cifically equipped for search and rescue. It will return to the U.S. in December to be fitted with additional equip- ment, including a winch for performing rescues at sea. Two Airbus pilots arrived on island with the helicopter and will operate it for the next week, including during the royal visit if necessary. After that, training pilots are coming in to train the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice’s two pilots on the air- craft. A third pilot will also be hired in the longer term to operate the aircraft. Governor Martyn Roper, speaking as the helicopter touched down in Cayman on Thursday, said it was jointly funded by the U.K. and the Cayman Islands and would provide disaster support across the overseas territo- ries within the region. “This is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment for law enforcement, medevac, air and sea rescue, and for helping other territories that face nat- ural disasters,” he said. Roper said the arrival of the aircraft had been brought forward for national security reasons because the existing helicopter was out of action. “Having it here when the royal couple visit will also be valuable to us,” he added. Premier Alden McLaughlin hailed the partnership with the governor that had helped bring in the new aircraft. “I am looking forward to Cayman’s increased ability to be an asset to the region. To have two helicopters will mean increased surveillance, increased ability to perform rescues at sea and elsewhere and generally make the re- gion safer.” The new police Airbus helicopter prepares to land at Owen Roberts International Airport on Friday. Premier Alden McLaughlin, left, and Governor Martyn Roper, third from left, stand with members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and representatives of Airbus. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY “ We always tell students, ‘Your time with us is a success if you decide this is what you want to do. And it’s also a success if you decide it’s not what you want.’” CHARLES BUSH, pastor and educational coordinator at Health CityThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS MONDAY MARCH 25, 2019 4 buried in Swiss avalanche Swiss police say four people are missing after being buried in an avalanche high in the Alps in the southwest of the country. Rescue crews are on the scene looking for the missing people. Happy Birthday to a loving husband and father Birthdays in Heaven, decorations of gold Where the years come and go and you never grow old. Where you celebrate with Angels and past family there With no illness in sight, just love everywhere. So we don't need to worry how your Birthday is spent Because you're safe in Heaven and our wishes are sent. We know you are safe, even though you're away We love and miss you, a little more today. Happy rst Birthday in Heaven From your wife Ardith and daughters Ebony and Melanie lv ss , lttl r t.iiy Democrats press for Mueller report release WASHINGTON (AP) – Dem- ocrats are pressing for full disclosure of special counsel Robert Mueller’s re- port on the Russia investiga- tion and vowing to use sub- poena powers and other legal means if necessary to get it. Attorney General William Barr was expected to release his first summary of Mu- eller’s findings on Sunday, people familiar with the pro- cess said, on what lawmakers anticipated could be a day of reckoning in the two-year probe into President Donald Trump and Russian efforts to elect him. Since receiving the report Friday, Barr has been deciding how much of it Con- gress and the public will see. Democrats are on a hair trigger over the prospect that some information may be withheld. “I suspect that we’ll find those words of transparency to prove hollow, that in fact they will fight to make sure that Congress doesn’t get this underlying evidence,” Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House intel- ligence committee, said on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ His plan: Ask for infor- mation and if that is denied, “subpoena. If subpoenas are denied, we will haul people before the Congress. And yes, we will prosecute in court as necessary to get this information.” At his resort in Florida, Trump stirred from an unu- sual, nearly two-day silence on Twitter with the anodyne tweet Sunday morning: “Good Morning, Have a Great Day!” Then followed up: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Mueller’s investigation is known to have concluded without a recommendation for further indictments after having snared nearly three dozen people, senior Trump campaign operatives among them. It illuminated Russia’s assault on the American po- litical system, painted the Trump campaign as eager to exploit the release of hacked Democratic emails to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton and exposed lies by Trump aides aimed at covering up their Russia-related contacts. Although the probe ended without any public charges of a criminal conspiracy by the president, it was not known whether Mueller concluded that the campaign colluded with the Kremlin to tip the election in Trump’s favour. Democratic Rep. Jer- rold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Democrats will not be willing to wait long for the Justice Department to hand over full information on the probe into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the elec- tion and whether the presi- dent later sought to obstruct the investigation. “It won’t be months,” he said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ Asked if he still believes Trump obstructed justice, he indicated there has been ob- struction but “whether it’s criminal is another question.” Mueller submitted his re- port to Barr instead of di- rectly to the public because, unlike independent counsels such as Ken Starr, his inves- tigation operated under the close supervision of the Jus- tice Department, which ap- pointed him. Mueller was assigned to the job in May 2017 by Deputy Attorney Gen- eral Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw much of his work, and the regulations gov- erning his appointment re- quire that he submit a confidential report to the Justice Department at the conclusion of his investiga- tion. That is in direct con- trast to Starr, who did not report to Justice Depart- ment leadership and was empowered to release on his own his exhaustive report detailing his investigation into the relationship be- tween President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Barr and Rosenstein ana- lysed Mueller’s report on Sat- urday, labouring to condense it into a summary letter of main conclusions. Barr has said he wants to release as much as he can under the law. That de- cision will require him to weigh the Justice Depart- ment’s long-standing pro- tocol of not releasing nega- tive information about people who aren’t indicted against the extraordinary public in- terest in a criminal investi- gation into the president and his campaign. Democrats are citing the department’s recent prece- dent of norm-breaking dis- closures, including during the Hillary Clinton email in- vestigation, to argue that they are entitled to Mueller’s entire report and the under- lying evidence he collected. Even with the details still under wraps, Friday’s end to the 22-month probe without additional indictments by Mueller was welcome news to some in Trump’s orbit who had feared a final round of charges could target more Trump associates or mem- bers of the president’s family. The White House sought to keep its distance, saying Sunday it had not been briefed on the report. Trump, who has relentlessly criti- cised Mueller’s investiga- tion as a “witch hunt,” went golfing Saturday and was uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter. Not so one of his guests, musician Kid Rock, who posted a picture with the president and the tweet, “Another great day on the links!” He added: “What a great man, so down to earth and so fun to be with!!” The conclusion of Mu- eller’s investigation does not remove legal peril for the president. He faces a separate Jus- tice Department investiga- tion in New York into hush money payments during the campaign to two women who say they had sex with him years before the election. He’s also been implicated in a potential campaign fi- nance violation by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who says Trump asked him to ar- range the transactions. Fed- eral prosecutors, also in New York, have been investi- gating foreign contributions made to the president’s inau- gural committee. In a letter to the Repub- lican and Democratic leaders of the congressional judiciary committees, Barr noted on Friday that the department had not denied any request from Mueller, something Barr would have been required to disclose to ensure there was no political interference. Trump was never interviewed in person by Mueller’s team, but submitted answers to questions in writing. In a conference call Sat- urday about next steps, Del- aware Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Judi- ciary Committee, issued a warning for his fellow Dem- ocrats, some of whom have pinned high political hopes on Mueller’s findings: “Once we get the principal conclu- sions of the report, I think it’s entirely possible that that will be a good day for the president and his core supporters.” A number of Trump asso- ciates and family members have been dogged by specula- tion of possible wrongdoing. Among them are Donald Trump Jr., who helped ar- range a Trump Tower meeting at the height of the 2016 cam- paign with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, and Trump’s son-in- law, Jared Kushner, who was interviewed at least twice by Mueller’s prosecutors. Special Counsel Robert Mueller walks past the White House after attending services at St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Washington, Sunday. Mueller closed his long and contentious Russia investigation with no new charges. - PHOTO: AP May faces pressure to step down to save Brexit LONDON (AP) – Embattled Prime Minister Theresa May was scrambling Sunday to win over adversaries to her Brexit withdrawal plan as key Cabinet ministers denied media reports that they were plotting to oust her. May was ensconced in a crisis meeting at her country residence Chequers with fellow Conservatives and outspoken Brexit advocates like Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and others who would prefer to leave the Eu- ropean Union without a di- vorce deal rather than delay Britain’s departure from the bloc further. The prime minister has found her authority weak- ened after a series of set- backs in Parliament and her inability to win meaningful concessions from EU leaders who refuse to sweeten the Brexit deal. The Sunday Times claims that 11 Cabinet ministers plan to tell May to resign so a caretaker leader can be put in her place to kick-start the stalled Brexit process. She faces growing pressure from within her own party either to resign or to set a date for stepping down as a way to build support for her Brexit plan. The confrontation may come to a head at a Cabinet session expected Monday. Under Conservative Party rules, May cannot face a formal leadership challenge from within her own party until December because she survived one three months ago. But she may be per- suaded that her position is untenable if top Cabinet min- isters and other senior party members desert her. Despite headlines about a Cabinet coup, there was no indication from Downing Street on Sunday that a res- ignation was near. Two of the people mentioned as possible successors – Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington and Treasury chief Philip Ham- mond – expressed strong support for May. Hammond said Sunday that senior party members plotting to oust May were being “self-indulgent.” He said a change of leadership would not provide a solu- tion to the U.K.’s political deadlock on Brexit. “We’ve got to address the question of what type of Brexit is acceptable to Parliament, what type of way forward Parliament can agree on so that we can avoid what would be an economic catastrophe of a no-deal exit and also what would be a very big challenge to confidence in our political system if we didn’t exit at all,” Hammond said. Lidington, mentioned as a possible caretaker prime minister should May be ousted, said Sunday that talk of a Cabinet revolt was far- fetched speculation. He said May is doing a “fantastic job” and that he has no desire to take her place.Next >