ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 High of 85 Low of 73 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE ANIMAL WELFARE LOCAL | PAGE 5 NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR STINGRAY AWARDS Man holds baby at knifepoint JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police arrested a man who held a baby at knifepoint following a violent domestic as- sault in George Town Monday. Officers were eventually forced to use tasers to subdue the assailant during the in- cident, according to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Police were initially dispatched following reports that a man had cut two women with a knife at a residence in Rock Hole just after 5:30 p.m. When they arrived on the scene, the man was on the porch of the home. He was still carrying the knife and holding a baby. He threatened to harm the child if police approached. A police negotiator tried to talk to the man and convince him to give up the baby. Eventually, police deployed tasers and recov- ered the child. Both women and the baby were treated for minor injuries at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital. The man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill, assault and abduction, and was also seen by a doctor. He remained in police custody on Tuesday afternoon. A neighbour said he had heard the commo- tion Monday evening. “Someone came across and told me there had been a fight between a guy and his girl- friend and that someone had got cut,” the neighbour said. “The next thing I heard, the whole entire task force was down here.” He said there had been 15-20 police sur- rounding the home in a lengthy stand-off. WORK UNDER WAY ON ‘AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT’ KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com With the average property in Cayman selling for nearly $500,000, high-end transac- tions have dominated the real estate market in recent years. However, at least one development is under way that will cater towards the territory’s young professionals and other middle-class residents. Work started earlier this month on a 75-unit condo development known as 19 North, located between Willie Farrington Drive and the Esterley Tibbetts Highway in West Bay. Homes at the development start at $212,000 and are going quickly, according to 19 North Development Company director Jon- athan Murphy. He said his company initially put 45 units on the market, and that all but five have been sold. Buyers of the units include companies that want to provide housing for their employees, young Caymanians looking for a starter home, and other investors, he said. “We’ve had a mix of first-time buyers or parents buying for kids,” he said. “We’ve had people buying for investments and busi- ness owners who want to find a solution for their staff.” With four major hotel projects either under way or in the planning phase, Murphy said he sees no end to the need for affordable housing in Cayman. The hotel projects could bring in 300 to 400 workers apiece within a couple of years, he said. “We understand from talking to a number of local businesses that there is a lack of quality, affordable housing solutions that are CARIFTA provides boost for Cayman businesses JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands may not have picked up many medals but the territory won plaudits and gained an economic boost from hosting the CARIFTA Games over the Easter weekend. Athletes, coaches, fans and families filled the island’s ho- tels and restaurants as track and field teams from across the Caribbean converged on Grand Cayman. The event, which attracted thousands of fans to the Truman Bodden Sports Complex over the three-day weekend, came to a close Monday. The 3,000-ca- pacity stadium was sold out on Sunday and Monday and there was barely an empty seat on Saturday. Cayman’s 52 athletes had just one medal in the official tally, Rachell Pascal’s javelin bronze, to show for their efforts. But Cayman received plenty of praise for the way it had hosted the regional sports festival. Lord Seb Coe, a former Olympic gold medallist for Great Britain and now president of the Kaibo Kitefest gives students chance to fly high Cayman’s Kitefest returned for its 10th year Monday, with hundreds heading to Kaibo Beach to celebrate what has quickly become an Easter weekend tradition. The display of colour overhead juxtaposed the mission on the ground: to raise funds in support of young Caymanian students. Raffle sales and donations from the event will benefit the Acts of Random Kindness mentorship program at George Town Primary School. The Mentor-Educate-Reinforce (MER) initiative provides private tutoring for four students at the school. Another 15 students are on the programme’s waiting list. Additional funds will support ARK’s summer programme initiative, to provide low-income students with educational opportunities throughout their school break. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:30 CAPTAIN MARVEL (PG13) 1:40 I 10:00 DUMBO (PG) 4:35 I 7:15 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 1:00 I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:45 Foreign Exchange Revenue from Services in 2017, CI$Million Seniors gather for Easter celebration More than 200 senior citi- zens and their caregivers, in- cluding eight from Cayman Brac and one from Little Cayman, gathered for the annual Seniors’ Easter Cel- ebration at the Family Life Centre last week. The celebration was a joint initiative of the Depart- ment of Children and Family Services and the Seventh-day Adventist Community Ser- vices Department. Seniors entertaining on stage included ‘Aunt Sookie (former MLA Daphne Or- rett) and Friends’, Roy Bodden on guitar, and Curtis and Christine Bar- nett performing a duet fea- turing the song ‘Uncle Gum- my’s Cassava’, composed by Chris Barnett. The programme also in- cluded musical perfor- mances by seniors drawn from the various districts, and dramatic interpreta- tions of song from Cayman Academy children. While the music was under way, senior students of Cayman Academy served as waiters and waitresses. The seniors also were en- gaged in roundtable discus- sions, arranged by Cassandra Fearon, the Department of Children and Family Ser- vices social work manager for the Elderly Services Unit. Social workers and commu- nity development officers, along with pastors and other leaders from a range of churches, led discussions at each table. Fearon said that the re- sponse during the group dis- cussions, in which mem- bers shared issues in their lives and sought to help each other, “demonstrated the ne- cessity and importance of these types of activities for seniors”. Topics included healthy expression of emo- tions, working through unre- solved issues, and concerns related to decreasing social circles, poor health and other life changes. One of the facilitators, Thelma Richards, who is su- pervisor for the Adult Spe- cial Needs Programme operated via the various resi- dential homes, said, “The cli- ents were willing to open up and share their thoughts,” adding that the exchanges obviously brought a degree of emotional release. Teresa Echenique, chief officer for the Ministry of Human Resources, Immi- gration and Community Af- fairs, delivered the opening remarks, before going from table to table during the roundtable discussions, greeting participants. Echenique said, “The value of our older persons far exceeds what words could express,” adding, “Their hard work and dedication pro- vided the foundation for us and opened opportunities that have allowed us to ad- vance to where we are today. We give thanks for the op- portunity that we have to celebrate and enjoy our older persons.” THE ‘DEVIL’ DITCHES HELL FOR A PIECE OF HEAVEN ON CAYMAN BRAC JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The ‘Devil’ will be spending more time on Cayman Brac after Ivan Far- rington, who is renowned for dressing up in his Satan outfit at Hell in West Bay, purchased a home on the sister island. Farrington, 86, will travel between the Brac and Grand Cayman, and on his next trip to the Brac, he said, he will be bringing his dev- ilish costume. Farrington said he has been thinking of moving to the Brac for some time, and bought some beach property there 20 years ago. Now, he thinks he needs a home there. Farrington said he arrived on the Brac on April 15 and worked with various individ- uals to secure a home on the south side of the island. “I’m just getting away from the hell of [Grand] Cayman for a little while,” he said with a chuckle, adding that the home he has found on the Brac is more like heaven than hell. Dressed as the devil, Far- rington can often be found around Hell Road’s Hell Post Office – where tourists can send a ‘postcard from Hell’ – and the Devil’s Hangout store. Hell’s jagged limestone formations attract many visi- tors each day. Farrington was born at a place in West Bay known as Goat Yard, which was named after the many goats that were kept in the area. His family moved to Hell Road when he was 8 years old, he said. After leaving school at age 16, he worked on the roads and helped his shoe- maker father repair footwear. At 18, he went to Mos- quito Key to catch turtles, and then worked at the air- port before shipping out with National Bulk Car- riers in 1954. On his return to Cayman, he said, it wasn’t too hard to get involved with Hell. “I was always a hell- raiser,” he quipped. In 1985, Captain Theo Bodden bought a piece of property in West Bay, on which a post office and three gift shops were built. When Farrington bought the prop- erties, he named the gift shop ‘Paradise’. The business went “straight to hell”, he said. ”No one wanted to hear anything about paradise,” he recalled. “When I had it named Paradise, not even the preachers would come. When I changed the name to the ‘Dev- il’s Hangout’ about 29 years ago, business flourished.” Farrington said he was in Tampa for Halloween when a girl bought him a devil outfit. He brought it home to Cayman but had no in- tention of actually wearing it until one day he decided to don the outfit and wear it to Hell. It was an instant hit, and many tourists since have left the island with photo- graphs of them posing next to the ‘Devil’. Farrington put his prop- erty in Hell on the market a few months ago, he said. “The price is a cool $8 mil- lion. When [people] wanted to find out why so much, I tell them I’m selling Hell, not giving it away.” The DCFS’s Cassandra Fearon, social work manager for the Elderly Services Unit, leans forward during one of the roundtable discussions. Ivan Farrington poses in his ‘Devil’ outfit in West Bay. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 Apply online At www.seafireresortandspa.com/hotel-scholarship-program/ Deadline: May 5, 2019 Candidates are selected through an open application process, following these basic criteria: Be Caymanian, have the ability to prove Caymanian status and have proof of having resided in the Cayman Islands for at least 4 years prior to application Be between the ages of 16 to 20 years of age Possess excellent character, work ethic, and have a genuine interest in the hospitality industry Have been accepted as a full-time student into an accredited associate or technical program in a field related to the hospitality industry, for a maximum of 2 years Each year we at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa seek to recruit passionate Caymanians who are interested in pursuing a career in hospitality through our Seafire Scholarship. The Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa scholarship program offers an award for full-time study at an accredited associate or technical program of up to US $25,000 per year. Left: Jayda Rae Smith, 2018 Seafire Scholarship recipient, with General Manager Steven Andre and Resort Manager Eduardo Del Risco. Are you the next SeAfire ScholAr?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” Thanks in no small part to a fruitful public-private partnership, euthanasia of feral and unwanted dogs and cats has dramatically declined in recent years. As the Compass reported on Tuesday, records show the Department of Agriculture euthanised 544 dogs and 75 cats between the years of 2015 and 2018 – fewer than the number of animals that were euthan- ised in 2012, alone. Although part of that decline is due to a policy change (the DoA no longer traps stray cats, as it had previously), the number of dog euthanisa- tions as a proportion of dogs impounded has also dropped significantly. Instead, more dogs are being turned over to non- profit animal rescue organisations such as One Dog At A Time, which finds suitable homes for the dogs in the United States and Canada. We think the arrangement is a win-win for both animal advocates and proponents of fiscally responsible government. While many would argue that euthanising stray animals should be a last resort, the cost to care for and place each dog seized could quickly become pro- hibitive for government. (A One Dog At A Time rep- resentative told the Compass the organisation spent about $40,000 in veterinary bills and transportation costs to relocate the dogs just last year.) Ideally, there would be fewer loose and stray dogs on our island in the first place. At the end of the day, as we have written, it is dog owners who are legally and ethically obligated to spay or neuter their pets, and to ensure they are properly cared for and restrained. Last year, DoA impounded 388 dogs, according to records reviewed by the Compass. That is more than a dog per day – far too many for our little island. Turtle nesting season begins Already this month, the Department of Environ- ment has recorded a turtle nest along Grand Cayman’s south coast. Over the coming weeks, many more will be established. As we head into nesting season, we all can play a part in protecting our beloved sea turtles: being mindful of nests and, once the hatchlings emerge, not interfering with young turtles’ trek to sea. The DoE asks beachgoers to protect against crushing nests by avoiding driving on the beach, and contacting them before using beach cleaning machines or other heavy equipment in areas where nests may be located. Please remove beach chairs and other obstacles from the beach at night. When having a bonfire, only use a designated barbecue pit. Property owners should protect beach vegetation and turn off, redirect, or shield any lights visible from the beach, which may deter nesting females and diso- rient baby turtles. Avoid getting too close or otherwise disturbing nesting turtles. If you see turtle tracks, nests or baby turtles, call the turtle hotline at 938-NEST. If you see anyone harming or interfering with sea turtles or their eggs, call DoE enforcement at 916-4271 or dial 911 to report the crime. Working together to promote animal welfare I suspect I am not alone in being disgusted by the common restaurant prac- tice of conning patrons to pay a tip, whether the food/ service entitled it or not. The statement, “a 15% gra- tuity has been added for your convenience” is disre- spectful, in my opinion. Not only is this 15% charge a disgrace which should not be tolerated, but I happened to eat some de- cidedly average food at Rum Point the other day, only to see that the bill included a 16% gratuity “for my con- venience!” I would like to state quite categorically that I would prefer to get back to the good old days when – depending upon the quality of food and service – I could leave a tip of my own choosing. I suggest that an- yone eating at Rum Point should deduct the 16% from their total bill, then give a personal tip if this is warranted. But wait, there is still hope. I ate a delicious meal last night at Sunset House and the bill was clearly stamped, “Gratuity not in- cluded.” I was happy to leave the cheerful, efficient waitress a well-earned per- sonal tip, which is the way it should be. B. Wilson WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS I am a 16-year-old Cay- manian boy and a committed Christian. Having read the letter to the Compass ed- itor by Mr. Roger Cockhill, who identifies himself as a 13-year-old committed prac- ticing Catholic, [“Practise what we preach,” April 18], I was impressed by his bravery in writing but somewhat dis- mayed by the misinformation it contained. First, Mr. Cockhill men- tions that he is “disgusted at how homosexuals are being treated in Cayman”. Yet he does not identify ex- actly what treatment he is disgusted by. This certainly conjures an image of victimi- sation and extreme discrimi- nation, something I fail to see any example of in Cayman. Mr. Cockhill states that any person who uses reli- gion “as an excuse to pre- vent same-sex marriage” goes against the will of God. I was surprised that a “committed practising Catholic” appar- ently believes that same-sex marriage is the will of God, considering homosexual mar- riage is contrary to official Catholic teaching and the Bible teaches that homosex- uality is sinful. He then goes on to quote John 13: 34-35 where Jesus says “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Whilst it is true that Christians are commanded to show love, it is a se- rious error to equate love with permissiveness. As Christians, we are not com- manded to condone sin in the name of love. Take for ex- ample the woman caught in adultery, though Jesus did not condemn her, he did not condone her lifestyle, telling her to go her way and sin no more. The Bible teaches that we are to speak the truth in love. Neither truth nor love should be compromised. In encouraging people that sin is godly, we risk deceiving these people and bearing some responsibility for their ultimate fate. I will stress that we must never let anyone feel that they are worthless or that God does not love them as individuals as in the exer - cise of free speech, it is cru- cial to avoid projecting an image of hate that marginal- ises people. I do not believe that Mr. Cockhill’s argument is com- pletely sound or consistent with Christian doctrine, how- ever, I also do not condone hate speech or discrimina- tion against any group, the only solution to this debate lies in unity. It is also worth men- tioning that homosexuality is not the only sin present in our society. There are cer- tainly many others which we should also address, such as domestic violence, yet this certainly seems to be the most divisive. I urge Cay- manian youths to vocalise their opinions and continue reading around the issue. Aiden Watler To the Jewish sailors who landed in Cayman Brac on Shabbat of Passover: Shalom Chaverim (‘Wel- come, friends,’ in Hebrew)! So happy to see that their serendipitous trip fol- lowing Christopher Colum- bus’s 1495 discovery of the Brac and the Cayman Is- lands ended up with their celebrating the Sabbath at Temple Beth Shalom, the Cayman Islands’ first synagogue. Safe travels to Jamaica for the Jewish sailors, Liron Lavi, Itay Ildis, Ofer Ro- zenblat and Matan Dahan, then back to their Prom- ised Land. Chag Sameach! Happy Passover! Nan Socolow LETTERS TO THE EDITOR No command to condone sin In encouraging people that sin is godly, we risk deceiving these people and bearing some responsibility for their ultimate fate. Visit was welcome Gratuity policies are disrespectful5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 Nominations open for Stingray awards The Cayman Islands Tourism Association is calling for nominations for this year’s Stingray Tourism Awards, which rec- ognises the work of individ- uals and companies in Cay- man’s tourism industry. The theme for this year’s event is ‘The Magic of Tourism’ which organ- isers say seeks “to highlight the collaborative efforts made to ensure visitors to our islands have a most magical experience while they are here”. Nominations are now open and CITA is encour- aging member businesses to put forward names. “We look forward to hon- ouring all nominees with personal certificates, and the winners celebrated with cobalt-blue, hand-blown glass stingray awards,” the organisers said in a press release. The awards ceremony will be held at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman on Tuesday, July 23. “It is the CITA’s honour to celebrate all those who faithfully contribute to tourism through their hard work and dedication. Some- times magic happens, and sometimes magic is made. In this case, it is a combi- nation of both a magical place and people coming together to create experi- ences of a lifetime for all who grace our shores,” CITA Board Director and Stingray Awards Committee Chair- person Ash McKnight said in the release. CITA members can nom- inate top performers (man- ager or employee) in the cat- egories of Accommodations (condominiums/villas and hotels); Water sports; Res- taurants; and Allied, At- tractions and Transporta- tion (Allied includes retail, services, media, arts and entertainment). At last year’s awards evening, dive industry vet- eran Nancy Easterbrook re- ceived the lifetime achieve- ment award, and Garfield Ebanks of the Marriott Beach Resort received the Diamond Award, recog- nising his longtime service in the tourism industry. Members of the public are welcome to attend the awards evening. Tickets can be reserved through the CITA office for $106 per person, or $975 for a table of 10. Visit www.cita.ky/stingrayawards for guidelines and the online nomination form. CITA officials congratulate some of the winners at last year’s Stingray Tourism Awards. This year’s ceremony will be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, on July 23. Golden Apple nominations opened Nominations have opened for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The sixth annual Chamber of Commerce event, created in partner- ship with the Ministry of Education, recognises out- standing work by Cayman Islands educators. Students, parents, col- leagues and members of the public may nominate any full-time teacher or prin- cipal working in any of the three islands. Past recipients are not eligible in categories they have previously won, but may be nominated in a new category. Wil Pineau, chief execu- tive officer of the Chamber of Commerce, said it was important to allow nomi- nations to come from any member of the public, given the far-reaching impact of educators. “The awards were cre- ated to thank those who are helping to improve the lives of our children through edu- cation,” he said. “We are thrilled to be able to be able to continue to cel- ebrate all the teachers and principals helping to change the lives of so many in the community,” Pineau added. Last year, the Chamber received more than 500 nominations for the Golden Apple Awards. Chamber President Chris Kirkconnell said, “So many teachers and principals go above and beyond for our young people, whether that is offering weekend exam prep classes or just passing on some words of encouragement during class, our local educators deserve to have all their hard work spotlighted and appreciated.” Nominations for this year’s awards close on May 27. For more information or to submit an entry, visit www.caymanchamber. ky/goldenappleawards-Teacher. Students, parents, colleagues and members of the public may nominate any full-time teacher or principal working in any of the three islands.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS The Management and Staff of Cayman Coating Industries Ltd. would like to inform our valuable customers that due to the passing of Mrs. Selma Eden , Cayman Coating Industries Ltd. will be closed for business on Saturday, April 27, 2019, in order to allow our staff to attend the funeral service. We will be open regular hours on Friday, April 26, 2019 and reopen on Monday April 29, 2019 at 8:00 am. conveniently located for their employees,” Murphy said. “With a pipeline of projects that will serve to booster Cayman’s tourist and service industries, there will be continued pressure on the residential market to provide viable housing options for both lo- cals and expats.” The units range from one to three bedrooms, and the complex’s amenities will in- clude a 60-foot long pool, a gym and public areas. Murphy also touted the fact that the complex is along the bus route. Murphy said the first units should be habitable by April 2020. Original plans called for 126 apartments on the same five-acre site, but those plans were rejected by the Central Planning Authority in No- vember 2017 because it was too densely developed. A scaled-down plan was approved last June. Work to prepare the grounds took place for several months, and actual construction work started this month. International Association of Athletic Federations, said the host nation had done a “re- markably good job”. He said nothing could match the atmosphere of a Caribbean track meet and insisted there was no doubt that the Cayman crowd had witnessed some future Olympic champions over the course of the weekend. “If you are in any doubt about the future of our sport, particularly in the Caribbean, come to CARIFTA,” he said. “I don’t know an atmos- phere anywhere else in the world like this,” he added. “You don’t always need 60,000 people in a stadium. You can generate an extraordinary at- mosphere with people who really get the sport.” Joel Francis, co-chair of the local organising com- mittee, said he was proud of the organising team and pleased with how the event had gone. “I think the Cayman Is- lands demonstrated its ca- pacity, now that we have improved facilities, that we can put on events of a high calibre.” He said it meant Cayman may now qualify to host events like the Pan Am juniors. David Wight, Cayman’s counsellor for sports, said the event had been a year in the making. He said Sports Min- ister Juliana O’Connor-Con- nolly and the local organ- ising committee, led by Lance Barnes and Francis, had made the event a success. “It was really well or- ganised,” he said, “and all credit must go to them and to the volunteers because they were the ones that made it happen.” Off the track, the partner hotels, transport businesses and others were celebrating an economic windfall. Wight added, “It is not just athletes that came in for the event; there were managers, coaches, teams, families, fans. This was big for Cayman.” Tom Mason, manager of Comfort Suites, said the hotel and neighbouring businesses had benefited from the games. “Comfort Suites was proud to host teams from the Bahamas, Haiti, Mar- tinique, French Guyana and Guadeloupe,” he said. “There was great excite- ment within the hotel from both the guests and staff, who really enjoyed the in- teraction with the young athletes who came from all over the region to represent their countries. “The hotel ran full for the duration of the games and I am sure that other busi- nesses and hotels enjoyed the spin-off of people who came for the games and who greatly enjoyed the Cayman Islands experience.” The local organising committee consisted of co- chairs Francis and Barnes, deputy co-chairs Ventisha Conolly and Evelyn Rockett, and members Jacqueline Haynes, Darrel Rankine, Collin Anglin, Osbert Francis, Scimone Campbell and Elizabeth Ibeh. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Track fans from across the Caribbean converged on Cayman for CARIFTA 2019. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY CARIFTA provides boost for Cayman businesses Work under way on ‘affordable residential development’ Buyers of the units include companies that want to provide housing for their employees, young Caymanians looking for a starter home, and other investors. Work has started on a housing development in West Bay that is being marketed to young professionals and other middle-class residents. Above is a rendering of what the development will look like. - IMAGE: COURTESY OF 19 NORTH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Former Olympic great Seb Coe praised Cayman’s hosting of the CARIFTA Games. MIGRANTS FEARFUL AFTER HUNDREDS ARRESTED IN MEXICO RAID TONALA, Mexico (AP) – Central American mi- grants travelling through southern Mexico towards the US on Tuesday fear- fully recalled their frantic escape from police the previous day, scuttling under barbed wire fences into pastures and then spending the night in the woods after hundreds were detained in a raid. Mexican immigration authorities said 371 people were detained Monday in what was the largest single raid so far on a migrant caravan since the groups started moving through the country last year. Journalists from The Associated Press saw po- lice target isolated groups at the tail end of a car- avan of about 3,000 near Pijijiapan, wrestling mi- grants into police vehicles for transport and presum- ably deportation as chil- dren wailed. Now terrified of walking exposed on the highways, some turned in desperation to a tactic that used to be a popular way north, clam- bering aboard a passing freight train bound for the neighbouring state of Tabasco. It’s been years since migrants hopped trains in large numbers. Asked about the deten- tions at a Tuesday morning news conference, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowl- edged that the government is not letting migrants simply go wherever they please. He denied taking a hard line, saying controls are for migrants’ security because human traffickers are allegedly infiltrated among the caravans. “We don’t want for them to just have free passage, not just out of legal con- cerns but for questions of safety,” López Obrador said. His immigration chief, Tonatiuh Guillén, said later that Monday’s incident was “regrettable”, particularly in the case of the children who were frightened. He said it was not something he wanted to repeat. But he also main- tained it was a normal mi- gration enforcement action.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 IMAC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS Million raised $4 48 Students Assisted Formed in 1994 For more information and to download the application form visit the IMAC Scholarship website: www.caymanintinsurance.ky For 25 years, the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman has been supporting the educational development of young Caymanians through its annual Scholarship programme. To date we have raised $4 million , enabling 48 students to pursue their studies across the globe in subjects as diverse as Business, Arts and Medicine. We are delighted to once again invite applications from students who intend to commence their studies. Applicants are free to study any course at an approved University, although preference will be given to those applying for business - related courses. IMAC is committed to awarding scholarships where they can provide the most benefit. As such, preference will be given to those without the financial means to pursue their studies. The Insurance Managers Association of Cayman would like to thank its members and partners for their generous donations. If you share our commitment to supporting the next generation through investment in education and would like to donate to the fund, please visit our website for more details. Deadline for Applications : May 17th 2019 Boyfriend jailed for 9 years for wounding with intent Attack was ‘horrific incident’ for victim and co-workers CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A former boyfriend was sentenced last week to nine years imprisonment after pleading guilty to wounding a female with whom he had been in an “on/off” relation- ship for over two years. Justice Michael Wood imposed the sentence on Thursday, saying he was giving Jaron Calvin Solomon full credit for his guilty pleas because they had been en- tered at the first realistic opportunity. The defendant was 29 at the time of the incident. His victim was 18. Solomon admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to her at her workplace on the evening of July 6, 2017. He also pleaded guilty to car- rying an offensive weapon (a knife), damaging property, three charges of common as- sault against her co-workers when they went to her aid, and one count of using abu- sive words towards one of the co-workers. The judge summed up the incident, saying Solomon had gone to Ocean Frontiers dive operators in East End, where the young woman worked. He was angry and upset, used threatening language towards her and swore he would kill her. He grabbed her by the hair and held the knife to her throat. He repeatedly punched and stabbed her. When a fellow employee attempted to intervene, Sol- omon used abusive lan- guage and slapped him, cut- ting his lip. He then turned his attention back to his first victim, hitting her over the head and repeatedly stab- bing her again. Other employees at- tempted to restrain Sol- omon in order to allow her to escape. They had acted bravely because Solomon still had the knife, the judge commented. Employees attempted to restrain Solomon, but he broke a window and escaped before police arrived. The victim was taken to hospital where the doctor and surgeon found more than eight stab wounds to her neck, left shoulder, back and under her left breast. One of the wounds punctured her left lung. The wounds were serious, requiring time in hospital, the court heard. Solomon was arrested shortly after the incident. When interviewed, he ad- mitted being jealous and in- secure, but said he had no in- tention of killing her. Justice Wood said the incident was “utterly dis- graceful, frightening … and horrific … for all involved”. The judge said he took into account submissions by defence attorney Amelia Fo- suhene and a social inquiry report that spoke of Solomon as having a personality dis- order. The defendant was remorseful and had cried during his interview. He had a few minor previous convictions for damaging property and disorderly conduct. If the case had been con- tested, the sentence would have been 14 years for the wounding, the judge said. Sentences ranging from six to 12 months were imposed for the other offences, but made to run concurrently. A charge of attempted murder was not pro- ceeded with. CAYMANIAN INDUCTED INTO PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC SOCIETY KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caymanian student Wil- liam Stryker Ebanks has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest academic honour so- ciety in the United States, ac- cording to his mother, Steph- anie Ebanks. Her son is a senior at the University of South Florida and a former head boy of Cayman Islands Prep and High School. “Stryker never misses an opportunity to serve as an ambassador for the Cayman Islands, his country of which he is so proud,” his mother said of the induction. “When he gets the rare opportunity to make a trip home, Stryker revels in relaxing on Seven Mile Beach and eating plenty of his Grandmother Elizabeth Banks’s delicious cooking of his favourite island dishes.” Ebanks is scheduled to graduate from the University of South Florida in August with a double major in math- ematics and world languages and cultures. He was one of 67 Univer- sity of South Florida students to be indicted into Phi Beta Kappa on Monday, when the school became the 290th uni- versity to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. “We are delighted to honour these tremendous friends of the university and of higher education, along with our remarkable stu- dents,” chapter president Charles Adams stated. “This is a very important day in the history of the University of South Florida. Sheltering a chapter serves to confirm our standing as a premier na- tional university, and speaks to the quality of our aca- demic culture and the excel- lent education that we pro- vide for our students.” Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa’s members have included 17 US pres- idents, 41 Supreme Court justices, and more than 140 Nobel laureates. Stryker Ebanks8 WORLD®IONAL WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Sri Lanka minister: Easter bombings a response to New Zealand attacks Powerful quake hits Philippines, day after deadly temblor PORAC, Philippines (AP) – A new powerful earthquake hit the central Philippines on Tuesday, a day after a mag- nitude 6.1 quake rattled the country’s north and left at least 16 people dead, in- cluding in a collapsed su- permarket, where rescuers scrambled to find survivors. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude of Tues- day’s quake at 6.4, while the local seismology agency said it was 6.5. The quake was centred near San Julian town in Eastern Samar province and prompted residents to dash out of houses and office workers to scamper to safety. Classes and office work were suspended in San Ju- lian, where cracks on roads and small buildings and a church were reported. Power was deliberately cut as a pre- caution in the quake’s after- math, officials said. Meanwhile, rescuers worked overnight to recover bodies in the rubble of a su- permarket that crashed down in Monday’s quake, which damaged other buildings and an airport in the northern Philippines. The bodies of five victims were pulled from Chuzon Su- permarket and seven other villagers died due to col- lapsed house walls in hard- hit Porac town in Pampanga province, north of Manila, said Ricardo Jalad, who heads the government’s dis- aster-response agency. An Associated Press pho- tographer saw seven people, including at least one dead, being pulled out by rescuers from the pile of concrete, twisted metal and wood overnight. Red Cross volun- teers, army troops, police and villagers used four cranes, crow bars and sniffer dogs to look for the missing, some of whom were still yelling for help Monday night. Authorities inserted a large orange tube into the rubble to blow in ox- ygen in the hope of helping people still pinned there to breathe. On Tuesday morning, rescuers pulled out a man alive, sparking cheers and applause. “We’re all very happy, many clapped their hands in relief because we’re still finding survivors after sev- eral hours,” Porac Coun- cilor Maynard Lapid said by phone from the scene, adding that another victim was expected to be pulled out alive soon. Jalad said at least 15 people died in Pampanga province, including those who perished in Porac town. The quake damaged houses, roads, bridges, Roman Cath- olic churches and an inter- national airport terminal at Clark Freeport, a former American air base, in Pam- panga. A state of calamity was declared in Porac to allow contingency funds to be released faster. A child died in a landslide in nearby Zambales province, officials said. At least 14 people re- mained missing in the rice- growing agricultural region, most of them in the rubble of the collapsed supermarket in Porac, while 81 others were injured, according to the government’s disaster-re- sponse agency. The four-storey building housing the supermarket crashed down when the quake shook Pampanga as well as several other prov- inces and Manila, the Phil- ippines’ capital, on the main northern island of Luzon. More than 400 after- shocks have been recorded, mostly unfelt. The U.S. Geological Sur- vey’s preliminary estimate is that more than 49 million people were exposed to some shaking from the earthquake, with more than 14 million people likely to feel moderate shaking or more. Clark airport was closed temporarily because of dam- aged check-in counters, ceil- ings and parts of the de- parture area, airport official Jaime Melo said, adding that seven people were slightly injured and more than 100 flights were canceled. In Manila, thousands of office workers dashed out of buildings in panic, some wearing hard hats, and res- idents ran out of houses as the ground shook. Many de- scribed the ground move- ment like sea waves. A traffic-prone Manila street was partially closed after a college building was damaged by the quake and appeared to tilt slightly side- ways towards an adjacent building, officials said. Many schools and government of- fices, including courts, in the densely packed Manila me- tropolis were closed Tuesday to allow inspections of their buildings. Philippine seismologists said the back-to-back quakes in the last two days were un- related and caused by dif- ferent local faults. One of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, the Philippines has frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a seismically active arc of volcanos and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) – A top Sri Lanka official said Tuesday the Easter bomb- ings that killed 321 people were carried out by a Islamic fundamentalists in apparent retaliation for the New Zea- land mosque massacres last month by a white suprema- cist, while the Islamic State group sought to claim re- sponsibility for the suicide blasts at churches, hotels and other sites. The comments in Par- liament by Ruwan Wijew- ardene, the state minister of defence, came shortly before IS asserted it was respon- sible for the bombings in and outside of Colombo, al- though the group gave no ev- idence to support its claims. Sri Lankan authorities previ- ously blamed the attack on National Towheed Jamaar, a little-known Islamic ex- tremist group in the is- land nation. Wijewardene also blamed “weakness” within Sri Lanka’s security apparatus for failing to prevent the nine bombings. “By now it has been estab- lished that the intelligence units were aware of this at- tack and a group of respon- sible people were informed about the impending attack,” Wijewardene said. “However, this information has been circulated among only a few officials.” He said the government had evidence that the bomb- ings were carried out “by an Islamic fundamentalist group” in retaliation for the mosque shootings on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zea- land, that killed 50 people, al- though he did not disclose what the evidence was. The office of New Zea- land Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a statement re- sponding to the Christchurch claim that described Sri Lan- ka’s investigation as “in its early stages”. “New Zealand has not yet seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based,” it said. An Australian white suprema- cist, Brenton Harrison Tar- rant, was arrested in the Christchurch shootings. As Sri Lanka’s leaders wrangled with the implica- tions of the apparent intel- ligence failure, security was heightened Tuesday for a na- tional day of mourning and the military was employing powers to make arrests it last used during a devas- tating civil war that ended in 2009. Among the 40 people arrested on suspicion of links to the bombings were the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide attackers and the owner of a house where some of them lived. Authorities announced a nationwide curfew would begin at 9 p.m. The six near-simultaneous attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels and three related blasts Sunday was Sri Lanka’s deadliest vi- olence in a decade that left 321 dead and 500 wounded. In some places, the vio- lence struck entire families. On Easter Sunday, as they did every Sunday, Berlington Joseph Gomez and his wife, Chandrika Arumugam, went to church at Colombo’s St. Anthony’s Shrine. And as al- ways, they brought their three sons: 9-year-old Bevon, 6-year-old Clavon and baby Avon, just 11 months old. Two days later, they were all being mourned by dozens of neighbours gathered at the modest home of Berlington’s father, Joseph Gomez. “All family, all generation, is lost,” Gomez said. Word from international intelligence agencies that the local group National Towheed Jamaar was plan- ning attacks apparently did not reach the prime min- ister’s office until after the massacre, exposing the con- tinuing political turmoil in the highest levels of the Sri Lankan government. On April 11, Priyalal Dis- anayaka, Sri Lanka’s deputy inspector general of police, signed a letter addressed to the directors of four Sri Lankan security agencies, warning them that a local group was planning a suicide attack in the country. The intelligence report at- tached to his letter, which has circulated widely on so- cial media, named the group allegedly plotting the attack, National Towheed Jamaar, identifying its leader as Zahran Hashmi, and said it was targeting “some impor- tant churches” in a suicide at- tack that was planned to take place “shortly”. The report identified six individuals likely to be in- volved in the plot, including someone it said had been building support for Zahran and was in hiding since the group clashed with another religious organisation in March 2018. On Monday, Sri Lanka’s health minister held up a copy of the intelligence report while describing its contents, spurring questions about what Sri Lanka police had done to protect the public. The extent of the damage of St. Catherine’s church is seen following Monday’s magnitude 6.1 earthquake that also caused the collapse of a commercial building in Pampanga province, north of Manila, Philippines. - PHOTO: AP A Sri Lankan man weeps over the deaths of his three children who died in an explosion at St. Anthony’s church on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2019 FREE NEWSPAPER DRESS DOWNFOR CHARITY FRIDAYAPRIL26 THE STAFF AT PINNACLE MEDIA ARE DRESSING DOWN THIS FRIDAY IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN SUPPORT OF On the last Friday of every month, Pinnacle Media will be collecting donations for selected charities. YOU CAN HELP TOO! VISIT OUR OFFICES ON SHEDDEN ROAD AND HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE. CUSTOMERS THAT MAKE A DONATION AT OUR OFFICES WILL RECEIVE ANext >