ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 High of 86 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 AMNESTY OFFERS A CLEAN SLATE FOR VEHICLE OWNERS SPORTS | PAGE 12 MEXICO AND CUBA WIN NORCECA TITLES Sargassum problem ‘here to stay’ JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Environment officials are investigating long-term solutions to the ongoing problem of regular invasions of foul smelling sar- gassum seaweed that have impacted Cayman’s beaches over the past few years. Tim Austin, deputy director of the Depart- ment of Environment, said the issue was not going away. “This is a problem that is here to stay,” he said. Grand Cayman was badly hit over Easter and can expect further influxes of sargassum throughout the summer, Austin warned. Long-term solutions including ‘sargassum boats’, which are specially designed to clear up sargassum before it hits the coast, and off- shore barriers to keep it away from the is- lands’ beaches are being researched. Sar- gassum boats are specially designed vessels that can clear up sargassum before it hits the beaches. In the interim, the Department of Envi- ronment and the Recreation, Parks and Cem- eteries Unit are on standby to assist with beach clean-ups. Austin said the DoE had developed a “task force” with other government agencies to speed up the permission process to allow businesses to use heavy equipment to clear their beaches. And he said his staff was ready to assist and advise on the best methods to clear the seaweed, without causing beach ero- sion or impacting turtle nests. Sargassum is a type of seaweed that floats on ocean currents in large mats that can stretch for miles. It often serves as a nursery for juvenile fish. In recent years, it has bloomed in much larger quantities – a development that re- searchers have linked to warming ocean temperatures. That has meant a significant problem for tourism-based businesses across the region, with Mexico and the eastern Carib- bean among the worst affected areas. Some of those countries have seen their tourism industry impacted because of sar- gassum piling up on the beaches. In Grand Cayman, the impacts have not DECADE-OLD DISABILITIES STUDY STILL NOT PUBLIC Premier promises new Sunrise Centre by 2021 KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin said during his Strategic Policy Statement this month that a new Sunrise Adult Training Centre will be built by early 2021, but government still has not released a study commissioned nearly 10 years ago on the special-needs facilities. The Cayman Compass requested a copy of the study last October, around the time when a reporter toured the Sunrise facilities – ob- serving the daily challenges staff there have training students in a cramped, decades-old, four-bedroom residential duplex on a half- acre parcel of land in West Bay. Along with the outdated facilities, there is also a waiting list of at least 60 people who cannot be served be- cause of the size of the centre. Based on public statements made over the years about the study, Deloitte recommends the new centre be located somewhere between George Town and Prospect. But government has declined to provide the Deloitte study to the Compass. Cetonya Cacho, the acting chief officer for the Ministry of Education, told the Compass that the study cannot be released because the new Sunrise Centre project is still under deliberation. “I can confirm that the Deloitte study forms a part of the Outline Business Case for the new Sunrise Adult Training Facility, currently Premier rides for charity in Monaco Premier Alden McLaughlin, on the invi- tation of Prince Albert of Monaco, cycled 87 miles from St. Tropez in France to Monaco on Sunday to help raise funds for charity. McLaughlin, along with Eric Bush, Or- rett Connor and Andre Tahal, made up the Cayman cycling team in the annual Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation bicycle ride. The course, which winds through towns and mountains, took some seven hours to com- plete, in temperatures of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit and with 23 mile-an-hour winds. All four in Cayman’s team completed the ride, in which more than 100 riders partic- ipated, including several professional bicy- clists, former athletes and business people; most of whom participate every year. This was the first time that a team from the Car- ibbean participated in the charity ride Prince Albert had invited the premier to participate in the event when they met last year. The prince, who recently underwent surgery, was unable to ride, but he was at the finish line in Monaco’s Port Hercules, to greet McLaughlin and the other riders. During an award reception later that evening, also attended by Prince Albert, Or- rett Connor was awarded the ‘silver pedal’ for being the oldest cyclist to enter and finish the course. In a press release from the Office of the Premier, McLaughlin described the ride as difficult but rewarding. He said not only did a cycling platform allow for building new relationships with high net worth individuals and business people across a diverse range of backgrounds in a key market segment for the Cayman Is- lands, it also gave both him and Bush, who is chief officer of the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Af- fairs, an opportunity to firm up relationships with individuals they met last year, including Prince Albert. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Prince Albert of Monaco, centre, with Premier Alden McLaughlin, second from right, Eric Bush, second from left, and other riders at the finish line after the riders completed the annual Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation bicycle ride on Sunday.2 LOCAL®IONAL TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO (PG) 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE (PG) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND(R18) SAT ONLY: 8:00 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AVENGERS: END GAME(PG13) 12:30 VIP I 1:00 I 2:50 I 5:00 3D 6:30 3D I 8:00 I 9:00 BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 12:40 I 3:45 I 6:50 I 9:40 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 12:30 I 4:05 I 4:30 VIP I 10:20 LITTLE (PG13) 1:45 I 4:30 I 7:25 I 10:00 CAPTAIN MARVEL (PG13) 1:10 SHAZAM! (PG13) 9:55 VIP CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: DIE HARD 2 (R) 7:00 VIP 3 months for indecently touching child Incident occurred at popular beach, court notes CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn imposed a sentence of 12 weeks’ immediate im- prisonment after finding a man guilty of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 13. The incident leading to the charge occurred last year at Smith Barcadere (also known as Smith Cove). The magistrate said the lo- cation aggravated the of- fence, as it is “a location for recreation, and the fact of this occurrence has the ability to undermine the ju- risdiction’s reputation as a place for safe family gather- ings and enjoyment”. The magistrate heard ev- idence from the girl, other Crown witnesses and de- fendant Ivin Simon, who had pleaded not guilty. She deter- mined that Simon had used the girl’s hand to touch his penis, which was covered by his shorts. She said Simon was a predator because he had targeted the girl, but the incident was not planned and the offending act was “a fleeting one”. The girl told the court that she was at the beach with two adults and two other children. She said the man started “staring her down” and eventually he started asking her questions. She found his behaviour “weird”. Later, in the water, he asked her if she could swim and she showed him how she swam. Then as she played a water game with other chil- dren, he approached her, grabbed her hand and placed it on his shorts. She grabbed her hand away and got out of the water, telling the other children she was tired. She reported the matter to an adult in her group and that person called police. She said she told the other children not to go near the man because of what he had done to her. When police arrived, they arrested Simon. When cautioned, he replied, “Of- ficer, please understand I did nothing wrong.” In his interview, he said he was in the water and asked some children if they could teach him how to swim and they agreed. He said he acci- dentally grabbed the hand of one of the children, but did not use it to touch himself. He said he then got out of the water and offered a group of children ice cream. Defence attorney Dennis Brady spoke in mitigation, explaining that Simon, from India, worked as a chef in Cayman. He asked for a non-custodial sentence, on the basis that incarceration would lead to expenditure from the public purse. The magistrate said public policy called for imprisonment for se- rious offences. The custody threshold had been passed in this case and there were no appropriate alternatives to custody, she indicated. Sentencing for this level of offence ranged from a community service order to one-year custody. She accepted that Simon, 36, had been of good char- acter and this conviction would no doubt have an ad- verse impact on his ability to provide for his family. In addition to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, she granted a sexual harm prevention order and recommended deportation. The magistrate also or- dered there be no publica- tion of details of the case “in- cluding by social media” that might lead to the identifica- tion of the child victim. The order applies for the duration of the child’s life. The offence occurred in the water at Smith Barcadere. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Iguana cull surpasses 570,000 Last week, cullers removed more than 22,000 green iguanas from Grand Cayman. The total number of iguanas culled during the first 26 weeks of the De- partment of Environment’s programme stands at 571,012 as of April 27. The 22,499 iguanas brought to the George Town Landfill during Week 26 is the largest weekly total since Week 8 (Dec. 17-22), when cullers collected more than 24,000 iguanas. It’s the first time since Week 11 (Jan. 7-12) that the number of culled iguanas ex- ceeded 20,000. Cullers are still above the pace needed to reach the target number of culling 1.3 million green iguanas by the end of 2019. The programme began in late October 2018. Cullers are being paid $4.50 a head, rising to $5 if they meet monthly and an- nual targets, in an effort to wipe out the invasive spe- cies in Grand Cayman. MEXICO LAUNCHES WORK AT NEW AIRPORT PROJECT MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mex- ican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Monday symbolically launched work on a new airport for Mexico City to replace the nearly half- built $13 billion pro- ject he cancelled upon taking office. López Obrador prom- ised the new Felipe Ángeles airport northeast of the capital will not exceed its budget and will save the government money even with the cancellation of the partially built airport. “It’s going to resolve the problem of saturation at the current Mexico City airport, but also be an ex- ample of how you can carry out a rational, aus- tere policy based on hon- esty that needs to estab- lish itself as the way to live and the way to govern in our country,” López Obrador said. The new airport – named for a general al- lied with revolutionary icon Pancho Villa – is at the Santa Lucia military air base and the army is in charge of getting it built for $4.1 billion. It is supposed to begin operating in mid-2021, though construction has not yet begun. Two new runways would be added to its ex- isting one and the commer- cial airport would share the space with the military. Critics have argued that the new airport will have difficulty operating simul- taneously with the existing airport, but in a report by the military, consultant Navblue said they could operate simultaneously in terms of air space. One of the early hitches pointed out in the military’s environmental impact statement is a small moun- tain named “Paula” that sits beside one of the runways. It would be too close for commercial airliners to use that runway, so the report says it would be dedicated exclusively to military use. But the biggest concern raised in the report has to do with water. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 Watchful neighbours help identify vandalism suspects MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Residents of the Websters Estates area in George Town say old-fashioned commu- nity connection along with modern technology led to two suspects being identified less than 24 hours after the neigh- bourhood was vandalised. During the early morning hours Friday, vandals broke car windows and spray- painted vehicles, smashed in the front door of one prem- ises, and defaced walls and signs in Websters Estates, off Walkers Road. The same two suspects, who were arrested and re- leased on bail, have also been tied to a break-in at John Gray High School on Wednesday night. In that in- cident, police said in a state- ment, “several computers were smashed, other addi- tional property was dam- aged and a fire extinguisher was stolen”. Both incidents, which po- lice said involved a dozen offences, have resulted in damage worth tens of thou- sands of dollars. At Web- sters Estate, at least three cars were vandalised and a front door was smashed, in addition to the defaced signs and walls. “I’ve never seen as much damage as this,” said Web- sters Estates resident Steve Hawley of the vandalism in his neighbourhood. “They just went on a spree.” Acting Sergeant Jona- than Kern of the George Town Community Policing Sector said, “Vandalism on this scale is unusual in Cayman, and while it has been unset- tling for the community of Websters Estates, they have come together in a spirit of problem-solving which we have been happy to support.” Much of the graffiti had already been painted over by Monday morning and at least one sprayed-over street sign had been replaced. Hawley said Websters Es- tates has a well-established neighbourhood watch pro- gramme. When anyone no- tices something out of the ordinary, they alert the net- work via email. The first such emails went out shortly after 8am Friday. Police had con- tacted the group by email by 9:30am and sent an officer to the scene. “By the time the police came, there was a wealth of information” gathered by the network, Hawley said. Neighbours checked se- curity cameras and footage showing two youths was later posted on social media. And on Saturday night, the mother of one of the sus- pected youths turned him in to police. The second suspect was arrested the next day. Hawley said the case il- lustrates how effective neigh- bourhood watch programmes can be. He’s hoping others will be encouraged to im- plement similar networks in their own neighbourhoods. MLA Barbara Conolly got word of the vandalism Friday morning and visited the scene. She said she is tied in with several neigh- bourhood watch programmes in the South Sound area she represents and receives alerts mostly through What- sApp groups. The 75 resi- dents that make up the Web- sters group is about average for the neighbourhood watch programmes she’s familiar with, she said. She was happy to see how quickly the incident seems to have been solved by the ap- prehension of two boys. Po- lice have not identified the youths, who were both ar- rested and later bailed into the custody of their parents. Conolly said she believed they were 13 or 14 years old. “I want to commend the mother of one of these boys, who took her son in to the police,” she said. “I would like to meet with the parents.” As the government’s coun- cillor for youth, she said, she is hoping services can be pro- vided to set the children on the right path. “Incarceration is not the answer,” she said. “They’re crying out for attention.” Conolly encouraged inter- ested people to join or get in- volved in establishing their own neighbourhood watch programmes. Websters resident Carol Hay said the neighbourhood watch group has been around for many years. “We had a few incidents of theft 10 to 15 years ago, so we all tend to look out for each other and we all have our own internal network,” Hay said. “If anything suspi- cious happens we immedi- ately get on the internet.” She hopes the case serves as a deterrent for others. “We want them to know that this area will get you,” she said. “Websters will get you, and fast. Not today, Bobo.” Police seeking burglary suspect The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is appealing to the public to help track down a man they are looking for in relation to burglaries in Bodden Town this month. Police on Monday issued a photograph of Daniel Wal- lace Rankine, who they said is known to frequent the Bodden Town area. Detectives are requesting the public not to approach Rankine, but to call 911 if they see him. Anyone with in- formation can also contact Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220.Daniel Wallace Rankine Graffiti featuring a shooting gun was among the items spray-painted on walls in the early hours of Friday morning. - PHOTOS: KEN SILVA Carol Hay and Steve Hawley say their neighborhood watch group helped quickly identify suspected vandals who caused damage to the Websters Estates area early Friday morning. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSSThe 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” A six-month amnesty could help clear thousands of delinquent vehicles from our island and clean up the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing books, moving forward. We encourage readers to avail themselves of the opportunity to start afresh. As the Compass has reported, starting this week through Nov. 1, owners of unlicensed vehicles will be able to re-license, transfer ownership or de-register their vehicles with the DVDL without paying back licensing fees. It is to be hoped that the amnesty will clear out many of the estimated 37,406 unlicensed vehicles in Cayman. Some of these vehicles have been out of compli- ance for years or even more than a decade. Others are believed to have been destroyed, going back as far as 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, without having been properly taken off the books. But our concern is not primarily with these vanished vehicles, rather those hulking heaps that still lurk on our vacant lots and roadsides, attracting vandals, thieves, wildlife and debris as they slowly decompose. Earlier this year, the Department of Environmental Health began aggressively attacking Grand Cayman’s plague of derelict vehicles, advising that the public may drop them at any landfill without paying a fee for disposal, or ask the DEH to retrieve the vehicle from private property for $75. Even so, some owners likely still found it easier to dump their old junkers in an out-of-the-way spot than pay hundreds of dollars in back registration simply to haul them to the dump. DVDL’s decision to waive back licensing fees removes the last barrier, while enabling the department to finally clean up its books. Opposition leader Ezzard Miller publicly objected to the amnesty on the grounds that it gives a pass to noncompliant drivers and fails to hold government accountable. He argued, “By waiving the large backlog of licensing fees, the government is falling back on the politically motivated, non-punitive, forgiving position, because they have found themselves facing the embarrassment of not having insisted on the enforce- ment of the law as fees become due.” On one hand, we can see the logic in Miller’s position. After all, licensing ones’ vehicles is every owner’s responsibility. Given the sheer volume of unli- censed vehicles, government could be giving up any hope of collecting millions of dollars in unpaid fees. But we disagree that a one-time amnesty will nec- essarily reward “neglect of duty” and encourage a “breakdown of respect for the law”. Sometimes the best way out of a seemingly hopeless mess is to simply hit ‘reset’ and start over – provided, of course, that there is a plan to ensure the situation does not again get out of hand. Amnesty offers a clean slate for vehicle owners WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD A tale that appeared to have a happy ending has taken a grim turn: Workers at Google walked out this fall in protest of the company’s workplace culture and pay- offs to male executives ac- cused of sexual harassment. In response, leadership elimi- nated forced arbitration first for harassment complaints and then for all employee dis- putes. But on April 22, two of the organisers accused the firm of lashing out against them afterward. Meredith Whittaker and Claire Stapleton, both long- time Google employees, lodged the claims of retalia- tion in a letter to co-workers on Monday. Google, which has released a blog post de- tailing a new website for em- ployees to report concerns, and is publicly sharing its harassment policies, denies the allegations of retaliation. Reassignment, the company says, is commonplace “to keep pace with evolving busi- ness needs”. But the damage is obvious: The success of the Google walkout was sup- posed to have been a sign to other workers in Silicon Valley that they could change their industry by banding to- gether. Now, they have cause for greater caution. This harmful message ex- tends beyond issues of diver- sity and inclusion. The news that Whittaker’s role would be overhauled came right after Google disbanded its external ethics review board, and at her NYU institute and elsewhere, she has agitated for safeguards around nas- cent technologies such as fa- cial recognition. Of course, objections to a company’s de- cision to, say, reenter the Chi- nese market amid censor- ship concerns may not enjoy the same legal protections as sexual-harassment com- plaints. But something sim- ilar is at stake: the ability of employees, in a business that prides itself on openness, to speak freely about the work- place and world they want to help their companies build. Whittaker and Stapleton convened Google’s staff on Friday to share some of the 350 stories they collected of people who have reported immoral conduct and found themselves “punished, side- lined, and pushed out”. Goog- le’s message in reply must be one that encourages account- ability rather than one that stifles dissent – and its ac- tions must match its words. © 2019, The Washington Post TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Solar farms must make money as well as electricity Last week I was invited for a tour of Bodden Town Solar Farm by CIFMA (Cayman Is- land Facilities Management Association) and joined some 25 of their members who were as curious as I was to see what a solar farm actu- ally looks like. The facility, which was built by US firm Entropy, opened in 2017, but the company pulled out last year stating that it was not a successful investment. In De- cember 2018, BMR, a Richard Branson company that runs clean energy projects in the Caribbean, acquired the com- pany from Entropy. The array of 21,690 solar panels is impressive, but what was really interesting was a briefing from Pip Decker, senior vice president at BMR Energy and his team. En- tropy had stated that the plant produced less energy than planned, but BMR have made big changes using tech- nology to optimise the power produced. Richard Branson is committed to tackling climate change – he says he wants to save Necker [Island] from dis- appearing – but the message from BMR is that his invest- ments have to be profitable. That has not always been the case with solar farms, and lessons have been learned. For BMR, technology is clearly the key to lowering costs and im- proving efficiency. The company’s operations in the Caribbean are run re- motely using SCADA (Su- pervisory Control and Data Acquisitions), a computer system that monitors every aspect of the facilities’ per- formance, cutting labour costs and minimising down- time. Where local interven- tion is required a local firm, Pro Solar, are able to step in immediately. Spare parts are kept on island so there are no costly delays in generating electricity. A weather station monitors conditions which are then compared to ac- tual generation performance, spotting problems such as heavy dust on the panels from the nearby quarry. Hurricane protection is vital to protect the invest- ment: a solar farm BMR ac- quired in St. Croix had been 90% destroyed in Hurricane Irma. The solar panels in Bodden Town are not secured by screw piles, but grounded in troughs filled with con- crete and rebar that are de- signed to withstand winds of 150 mph. Every screw in all the panels is replaced when there are signs of corrosion. Panels are not tilted at the optimum 15 degrees for gen- eration, but at 10 degrees to minimise wind lift in storms. It’s not just protecting the in- vestment – it lowers the high insurance premium and so lowers operating cost. The threats from climate change loom ever larger and low-lying islands like Cayman are especially vulnerable. The UK intergovernmental panel on climate change states that we have to halve CO2 emis- sions in the next eleven years if we are to avoid catastrophic climatic consequences. The Bodden Town plant only gen- erates about 5% of the power CUC uses. We are not doing enough. We must hope that companies like BMR have the right business model that will enable Cayman to push for- ward much faster if we are to reach our National Energy Policy goal of 70% renewa- bles by 2037. Graham Morse The Bodden Town plant only generates about 5% of the power CUC uses. We are not doing enough. Complaints shed bad light on Google5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 CUC will use reasonable diligence to provide a constant and reliable supply of electricity. However, power surges occur in any electrical system and these surges can damage electrical equipment and appliances in your home and office. Although little can shield against a direct lightning strike, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your valuable equipment: Ensure that your home and office are well-grounded. Have a licenced electrician check your grounding system and advise what steps may be needed to bring your system up to standard. Ask your electrician about fitting a Surge Arrestor to your electrical system, which will guard against surges that can wear down the motors on major appliances and destroy electronic equipment. For additional protection, unplug other electrical equipment during a service interruption or lightning storm. Ask your electrician for advice on the purchase of suitable Surge Suppressors for extra protection of your kitchen appliances and sensitive electrical equipment such as televisions, DVD players, computers and stereo systems. Customers are responsible for the protection of their appliances and electrical equipment. CUC shall not be held liable for any damage caused by such transient over-voltages. Please consult your electrician for advice. If you have any queries, please contact our Customer Service Team at 949-5200 or via e-mail at service@cuc.ky. Protecting your electrical equipment The Environmental Management System at the North Sound Road Power Plant is registered to ISO 14001 New 74-home canalfront development planned JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The first phase of a new 74-home development in the Seven Mile Beach Corridor has been approved by the Central Planning Authority. One Canal Point, which includes 17 town homes, 38 one-bed apartments and 19 two-bed apartments, will break ground in August on a canalfront development site opposite Foster’s Food Fair. The group behind the de- velopment says it will be a luxury product but will be affordable for young profes- sionals in the Cayman Is- lands. Prices range from $600,000 to $1.6 million. Mike Treacy, director of Design Developments, the company behind the pro- ject, said rising prices on Seven Mile Beach meant that beachfront property was now out of reach for many. He said the devel- opment provided a “lower entry point” into the luxury market at a prime location. “We are providing a high specification, high- quality product but at a fair price,” he added. He said the company had partnered with Gensler, a re- nowned international archi- tecture firm, to design and plan the community, which stretches across 5 acres. He said it would include a 900- foot “boardwalk dock”, a re- sort-style pool and an app- based car-share scheme. There will also be a dog park and orchard. The development will use modern, energy effi- cient construction tech- niques, including gas ap- pliances and solar panels, with the aim of minimising electricity bills. Planning permission was granted for the first eight town homes after last week’s meeting of the Central Plan- ning Authority. More information is available at www.onecanalpoint.ky. An architect’s rendering of the new One Canal Point development. Refuel’s application to build new gas station turned down KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Central Planning Au- thority has refused an ap- plicaton by Refuel to build a new gas station just south of the Ritz-Carlton hotel on West Bay Road. The $1.16 million project called for building five petrol pumps, one diesel pump and a convenience store on a 5,400-square-foot site. Refuel built its first retail gas sta- tion in 2017 near the airport post office, and the company touts itself as being unlike other competitors in Cayman because it offers E10 gasoline, which is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. However, the Plan- ning Authority refused plans to build a second gas station. The Planning Authority has not yet provided reasons for the refusel. Three objections were filed to Refuel’s application, which was heard by the Central Plan- ning Authority last week. One of the objections came from a single individual, another was signed by two residents, and the third was submitted on behalf of several people. The objectors said the area does not need another gas station. “The expanding presence of gas stations situated along West Bay Road is counter- productive to recent meas- ures taken to diminish the volume and nature of traffic along West Bay Road,” wrote one objector. “There are numerous gas stations already situated on the West Bay Road and there is no need for an additional one,” wrote another. Other objections were made about the gas station having an adverse impact on property values, and sending fumes to nearby properties on Seven Mile Beach. Refuel CEO Dow Travers responded to the objections, stating that his company is looking to build a green- friendly gas station in a low- traffic density area. “The proposed land use is one of relatively low density. Alternative land uses, similar to other developments along [West Bay Road], such as the Grove, would result in much higher population densities and residents who will put larger pressure on the public areas of the beaches imme- diately across from the site,” Travers stated. “The proposed use is unlikely to result in in- creased vehicular traffic on West Bay Road or pedestrians crossing West Bay Road.” Travers further touted the environmental and finan- cial benefits his company has brought to the territory. “Refuel is proud to cur- rently be the only brand bringing the vision of the Na- tional Energy Policy to life, and bringing these emission- reducing fuels to Cayman,” he wrote, adding, “Duke Munroe, the chief fuels inspector for the Utility Regulation and Competition Office [OfReg], said in a November Public Accounts Committee hearing that the Refuel gas station has consistently had 20 to 30 cent lower average prices than its competitors. “Even though our pri- mary goal is to increase the renewable content of fuels in Cayman, we are again proud to have done more to reduce fuel costs in Cayman than anyone else over the past 40 years and we strive to con- tinue to find new ways to lower our costs, increase our volume, and pass these sav- ings onto the local consumer.” Travers told the Compass Monday he will not comment on the matter until he receives an official decision letter from the Planning Authority. TOASTMASTERS TO REPRESENT CAYMAN IN BONAIRE Two members of local Toastmasters clubs will rep- resent the Cayman Islands next month in the Carib- bean District Conference in Bonaire. Sashoy Duncan from the Eminent Orators Club and Ingrid B. Miller from the Scotiabank Pioneer Club will attend the May 15-18 conference. Both took part and triumphed last month in a competition consisting of a Table Topics Con- test and an International Speech Contest. Eight contestants com- peted in the competition on March 20 at the George Town Town Hall. Toastmasters from the Eminent Orators Club, Grand Cayman Club, Elo- quent Speakers Club, EY Club and Scotiabank Pioneer Club took part. In the Table Topics Con- test, six of the contestants were each asked, “When you close your eyes, what do you see?” and were given two minutes to talk, having had no knowledge of the ques- tion beforehand or any time to prepare. The International Speech competition saw four con- testants, some having also participated in the Table Topics Contest, speak on a prepared topic they had chosen previously for five to seven minutes. Duncan came in first place in the Table Topics Contest for the second year in a row, and Miller won the International Speech Contest. Toastmasters Ingrid B. Miller, International Speech winner, left, and Sashoy Duncan, Table Topics winner, will travel to Bonaire next month to represent the Cayman Islands.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or non-profit organisations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Road or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, APRIL 30 SENIOR ACTIVITIES: The Benefit of Natural Remedies. Webster United Church Hall, 10am to 1pm. Contact Flavia Gardner at 926-0490. SENIOR ACTIVITIES: Craft session at East End Civic Centre, 10am to 1pm. Contact Delmira Bodden at 925-5543. BULLYING: Presentation by the Alex Panton Foundation. 6:30-8pm, East End Civic Centre. THURSDAY, MAY 2 FISHING TOURNAMENT: The 2019 Cayman Islands International Fishing Tournament begins today, and continues through to May 5. Visit www.fishcayman.com for more details. FRIDAY, MAY 3 CHILD MONTH: Trivia Game Night, Bodden Town/ Savannah, Savannah United Church, 6-9.30pm. Organised by the Department of Children and Family Services to celebrate Child Month. SATURDAY, MAY 4 CHILD MONTH: Inter- generational Cook-off, Lighthouse School, 6-8pm. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Thrift Shop’s mobile shop will be in Bodden Town at the Rubis parking lot, 6-10am. Items available include clothing and shoes for men, women and children, books, toys, linens and household items. SUNDAY, MAY 5 CHILD MONTH CHURCH SERVICE: First Baptist Church, George Town, 10am to noon. MONDAY, MAY 6 CHILD MONTH: Celebrity Reading Day, Cayman Brac. All schools, 9am to noon. TUESDAY, MAY 7 CHILD MONTH: Snuggle & Read, Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, 6:30-9pm. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 CHILD MONTH: Poetry Slam finals, Radio Cayman, 4-5pm. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 BULLYING: Presentation by the Alex Panton Foundation. 6:30-8pm, North Side Civic Centre. THURSDAY, MAY 9 CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Stage production of ‘Proof’ by David Auburn. Prospect Playhouse. Doors open 6:30pm, show starts 7:30pm. Adults $25, students, $15. Order tickets at www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, MAY 10 CHILD MONTH: Trivia Game Night, East End/North Side, 6-9:30pm. SATURDAY, MAY 11 SEA SWIM: The 32nd annual FLOW 800m Sea Swim takes place today at 4pm from Governors Beach. RAISE THE ROOF TEA PARTY: The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and Mothers Union host a tea party 3-6pm, includes high tea, fashion show, music and auctions. $50 per person, $500 per table of 10. Purchase tickets at www.cicc.ky/events. CHILD MONTH: Circle of Love Breakfast, Mary Miller Hall, 8:30-11am. MONDAY, MAY 13 CAYMAN CUP TENNIS: The Cayman Islands Tennis Club will host the Cayman Cup from today until May 18. There will be a Junior U-18 ITF Tournament and a COTECC U-14 Tournament. In addition, there is also an Adult Championship. More details regarding the tournaments and registration can be found on the Cayman Cup website: www.caymancup.ca. GENERAL INTEREST LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8pm, West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11pm. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socialising with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space and a beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9am till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10am till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 pp for ceramics. $15/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays. THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open Saturdays 8am to 5pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm at 68 Mary Street. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4pm; Tuesday-Friday, 9:30am to 4pm; Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards, etc., in good condition needed. CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centred 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15pm. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15pm on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. EMINENT ORATORS TOASTMASTERS: Want to be a better speaker or leader? Join a Toastmasters Club. The Eminent Orators Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday at Cayman Academy Canteen, Walkers Road, 6-7:30pm. Contact Sashoy Duncan at 939-8847 or email eminentorator stoastmasters@ gmail.com. Visitors and guests welcome. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30pm at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30pm at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7am every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30pm, at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well-being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. RELIGIOUS SERVICES EL MINISTERIO HISPANO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30pm, Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. SPANISH WORSHIP SERVICE: First Baptist Church, Crewe Road, 6:30-8:30pm. Third Sunday of each month. HARBOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH: Meets for Divine Worship and Fellowship at South Sound Community Centre, South Sound, Sundays at 10am www.safeharbourlc.com. MUSLIM PRAYER: Islamic Society of the Cayman Islands advises 5 times salaat/prayer at the Masjid. Fajr at 6am. Dhuhr at 1:15pm. Asr at 5:15pm Maghrib at 7 minutes after sunset. Isha at 8pm website www.isci.org.ky. CATHOLIC CHURCH: St. Ignatius, Walkers Road, Mass 6pm Saturday; 8am, 11:30am, 6pm, Sundays. Christ the Redeemer, West Bay, Mass 9:45am, Sunday. JOHN GRAY MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH: Sunday worship for the family and Children’s Church, 10am. BOATSWAIN BAY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Sundays. 10am. Christian Education for all ages; 11am, Morning Worship with nursery for youngsters; 7pm, Evening Worship. Visit www.bbpca.org. SUNRISE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Harquail Theatre, 10am, contemporary worship. Nursery ministry, children’s church and the Explorers are for ages infant to 11. Community groups meet during the week for fellowship and growth. www.sunrise.ky. FRANK SOUND CHURCH OF GOD: Meets on Sunday at 10:30am and 6:30pm. Children church 10:30am. Bible Studies Wednesday, 7:30pm. Youth Group, Friday at 7:30pm. THE CHURCH OF GOD CHAPEL: On Academy Way and Walkers Road holds Sunday morning services at 9am and 10:45am. HOLY TEMPLE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH: Sundays, Bible class 10-11am, Service 11am to 1:30pm, Night Service, 7:30-9:30pm; Wednesdays, Night Service 7:30-9:30pm; Fridays Youth Service 7:30-9:30pm, 59 Seymour Drive, George Town. All are invited. Contact Elder Vincent Mattocks, 939-1902. CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP: The Savannah United Church invites everyone to a Saturday service that is informal, with contemporary music and conversations about God and life. Child care provided. 6:30- 7:45pm. Church is behind Savannah Texaco. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Cayman Islands Tennis Club will host the international Cayman Cup tournament on May 13-18.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 under deliberation by Caucus and Cabinet,” she wrote in a response to a records re- quest. “As such, it may not be released at this time.” Government officials have promised new facilities since Sunrise staffers were told in 2003 that the duplex would be a “temporary place” for them. Before then, Sunrise operated out of a tiny cottage in the parking lot of Sir John A. Cumber Primary School since 1986. The Deloitte study was commissioned after then-Pre- mier McKeeva Bush promised in 2009 to set aside money in government’s budget for Sun- rise to get “a much-needed new permanent home”. De- loitte analysed the country’s disability provision in 2010 as part of the research into the possibility of building a new centre. At the time, funding was not available to implement the recommen- dations and the report was not released. About four years later, the report’s findings were discussed in Finance Com- mittee hearings. Premier McLaughlin announced in November 2014 that $8.5 mil- lion would be budgeted for the centre. At the time, then-Sunrise director Shari Smith said construction on the purpose- built facility would begin in 2016 with an anticipated opening by 2018. But more planning was apparently needed, and in May 2016 government an- nounced that an outline busi- ness case – a study legally required for major capital projects – would be formed for the project. In January 2017, gov- ernment announced that it would move forward with the project through local devel- opment company Rider Le- vett Bucknall. The company was to com- plete a business plan out- lining the costs of creating a more central location, pro- gramme expansion and in- creased client enrolment, and then submit that plan within 90 days. After that, no public an- nouncements were made about the centre until ear- lier this month, when the premier briefly addressed the project in his Strategic Policy Statement. “Plans are agreed for a new Sunrise Adult Training Facility, and that facility should be fully operational by early 2021,” McLaughlin said in the Legislative Assembly. “It will include better and more modern equipment, and sig- nificantly enhance the oppor- tunities available for learning and personal development for the some 150 adults to which the facility will cater.” On Monday night, the premier and the Cayman delegation, joined by Joel Walton, CEO of the Mar- itime Authority of the Cayman Islands, were scheduled to host a recep- tion for yacht managers and yacht designers. The Maritime Author- ity’s shipping registries account for about 50% of the super yacht registra- tion market, which caters to yachts of 90 feet and larger, and more than 80% of ultra-large super yachts of 262 feet and larger. “Whilst the Cayman Is- lands is a dominant player in this market segment, there are many competitors looking for every oppor- tunity to take our place,” said Premier McLaughlin, who is also the minister re- sponsible for international trade, investment, aviation and maritime affairs. “In a market where relationships are key, it is important to not only show a presence but to do so consistently and whenever possible at the highest levels of Gov- ernment. The new Min- istry intends to not only strengthen our relation- ships and market share in this competitive market, but to increase it.” been so severe, but Austin said some businesses, par- ticularly in East End, had been seriously af- fected by the sporadic sea- weed invasions. He added. “It doesn’t take a lot for it to be an issue. We don’t have the problem they have in the eastern Carib- bean, with huge mats of it washing up, but it only takes a relatively small amount to have a big impact on our beaches.” He said researchers across the region were ex- amining different methodol- ogies, including tracking sat- ellite imagery, to help predict when sargassum would hit. Though this month was expected to be better than the same time last year, he said the prevailing wind conditions dictated whether Cayman got hit. “It it like a hurricane season – it can be a lot less regionally but that is no comfort if you get hit by a category 4 storm,” he said. His department has been asked to research more di- rect methods of dealing with the situation, including potentially using sar- gassum boats to break up the seaweed. Some businesses are ex- amining their own solutions, including positioning bar- riers that would keep the sargassum offshore. Austin said the DoE would work with these busi- nesses. He said Cayman’s system of ocean currents kept it protected from sar- gassum influxes much of the time, but strong winds can push it beyond the reef and onto the beaches. Decade-old disabilities study still not public Sargassum problem ‘here to stay’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sargassum seaweed blankets the shoreline in South Sound earlier this month. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Art instructor Twila Rodgers and client Eric Trumbach, left, along with Faith Brandt and her caregiver, Sonia Allen, draw pictures last September in the Sunrise Centre’s art room, which was converted from the garage in the decades-old duplex in West Bay. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Premier rides for charity in Monaco Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin with Prince Albert after the premier completed an 87-mile bike ride on Sunday.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Spain: Separatists can’t run in EU elections Spanish political party officials say the country’s Electoral Board has ruled that Carles Puigdemont and two other Catalan separatists who fled abroad to escape arrest cannot stand as candidates in next month’s European Parliament elections. Jewish community will ‘stand tall’ after synagogue shooting Airstrikes, roadblocks trap civilians in Libya’s Tripoli CAIRO (AP) – Libyan forces loyal to a former military commander have intensified their airstrikes on Tripoli, where heavy fighting and blocked roads have left civil- ians trapped in their homes, officials said Monday. Field Marshal Khalifa Hift- er’s self-styled Libyan Na- tional Army launched an operation to retake the cap- ital on April 4 and has been locked in heavy fighting in and around the city with mi- litias loosely allied with a UN- supported government. The clashes have killed more than 270 people, including 21 civil- ians, according to the latest UN figures released last week. Libyan officials said LNA airstrikes have targeted the Nawasi Brigade in the Abu Salim district, about 4 miles from Tripoli’s centre. At least four civilians were killed, they said. They said airstrikes hit al- Qaqaa military camp in the town of al-Falah, south of Tripoli. The camp is controlled by powerful militias from the western town of Misrata that are also allied with the Tripoli government. Airstrikes and shelling also hit the towns of Khallet al-Forjan, Ain Zara and al-Twaisha, south of the capital, and heavy fighting was under way in Salah al- Deen, an area that saw earlier clashes between rival militias in September. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity be- cause they were not author- ised to brief reporters. Residents said fighting has been ongoing overnight in residential areas a few miles south of Tripoli. Both sides have used heavy artil- lery and airstrikes, they said. “We cannot move be- cause of the shelling from both sides. Our homes have been damaged. We are trying to leave the area to a safer place,” said Mohammed al- Trapoulsi, a 41-year-old fa- ther of three from Abu Salim. On Sunday, LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mos- mari told a news conference in the eastern city of Beng- hazi that their warplanes tar- geted the Yarmuk military camp in Ain Zara. The two sides have traded control the strategic camp since the of- fensive began. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humani- tarian Affairs said Sunday the clashes have displaced more than 41,000 people. It said the fighting, along with random shelling, roadblocks and roadside bombs, pre- vented many civilians from moving to safer areas and hindered efforts to evacuate them or deliver aid. Hifter, a veteran general who has spent the last few years battling Islamic ex- tremists and rival factions in eastern Libya, says he is de- termined to restore stability to Libya, which slid into chaos after longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafiwas over- thrown and killed in 2011. His opponents view him as an aspiring autocrat and fear a return to one-man rule. Since launching his of- fensive in Tripoli, Hifter’s forces have captured the dis- tricts of Gharyan and Qasr Bani Ghashir, along with sev- eral smaller towns. They also seized the capital’s airport, which was heavily damaged and shut down after an ear- lier bout of fighting between rival militias in 2014. Hifter is allied with ci- vilian authorities based in the eastern town of To- bruk and has received sup- port from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and France. The U.N. supports the government in Tripoli and has called for an immediate cease-fire and the organisa- tion of national elections. Elsewhere in Libya, Hifter’s forces repelled an attack on the Sharara oil field in the country’s southwest. Libya’s National Oil Corporation condemned the overnight the attack, saying production “remains unaf- fected”. It was not clear who was behind the attack. Hifter’s forces captured the oil field in February and allowed the NOC, which has remained neutral in the conflict, to resume opera- tions there. The NOC said Sunday that its monthly oil revenues in- creased by 20% to more than $1.5 billion in March after re- suming production from Sha- rara, which produces around 300,000 barrels a day. The field is operated by the NOC in partnership with a consortium that in- cludes Total, Repsol, Sta- toil, and OMV. POWAY, Calif. (AP) – Eight- year-old Noya Dahan had finished praying and gone to play with other children at her Southern California synagogue when gunshots rang out. Her uncle grabbed her and the other children, leading them outside to safety as her leg bled from a shrapnel wound. “I was scared, really, re- ally scared,” said Noya, re- calling how the group of chil- dren cried out of fear after a gunman entered Chabad of Poway on Saturday morning and opened fire. “I didn’t see my dad. I thought he was dead.” The onslaught on the last day of Passover, a Jewish holiday celebrating freedom, wounded Dahan, her uncle Almog Peretz and the con- gregation’s rabbi. The attack killed beloved congregant Lori Kaye, 60. Authorities said the 19-year-old gunman opened fire as about 100 people were worshipping exactly six months after a mass shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Rabbi Yishoel Goldstein said he was preparing for a service and heard a loud sound, turned around and a saw a young man wearing sunglasses standing in front of him with a rifle. “I couldn’t see his eyes. I couldn’t see his soul,” Gold- stein said. He raised his hands and lost one of his fin- gers in the shooting. And then, Goldstein said, “miraculously the gun jammed.” In the moments that followed, Goldstein said he wrapped his bloodied hand in a prayer shawl and addressed congregants gath- ered outside the building, vowing to stay strong in the face of the deadly attack tar- geting his community. “We are a Jewish nation that will stand tall. We will not let anyone take us down. Terrorism like this will not take us down,” Goldstein re- called telling the community. Authorities said suspect John T. Earnest, who had no previous contact with law en- forcement, may face a hate crime charge in addition to homicide charges when he’s arraigned later this week. He was being held without bail, and it was unclear if he had an attorney. Police searched Earnest’s house and said he was also being investigated in connec- tion with an arson attack on a mosque in nearby Escon- dido, California, on March 24. There were indications an AR-type assault weapon might have malfunctioned after the gunman fired nu- merous rounds inside, San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said. An off-duty Border Patrol agent fired at the shooter as he fled, missing him but striking the getaway vehicle, the sheriff said. Shortly after fleeing, Ear- nest called 911 to report the shooting, San Diego Po- lice Chief David Nisleit said. When an officer reached him on a roadway, “the suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody”, he said. Goldstein described Kaye as a pioneering founding member of the congrega- tion and said he was heart- broken by her death. He said the attack could have harmed many more people had the shooter turned towards the sanctuary where so many were praying. “Lori took the bullet for all of us,” the rabbi said, his hands wrapped in bandages. “She didn’t deserve to die.” He said that Kaye’s phy- sician husband was called to tend to a wounded wor- shipper and fainted when he realised it was his wife. Friends described Kaye as giving, warm and atten- tive to community members on their birthdays and when they were sick. A wife and mother, she loved gardening and made delicious challah for her family and friends, said Roneet Lev, 55. When the gunfire erupted, another worshipper, Shimon Abitbul, said he immedi- ately placed his 2-year-old grandson on the floor and waited for a break in the shooting to grab the boy and sprint away. Libyan officials said LNA airstrikes have targeted the Nawasi Brigade in the Abu Salim district, about 4 miles from Tripoli’s centre. At least four civilians were killed, they said. Leslie Gollub, left, and Gretchen Gordon hug at a vigil held to support the victims of Chabad of Poway synagogue shooting, Sunday, in Poway, California. - PHOTOS: AP Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, centre left, hugs members of the congregation as he leaves a news conference at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, Sunday. Protesters march Friday against military operations by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter’s forces in Martyrs’ Square in Tripoli, Libya. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2019 Death toll jumps to 38 after Mozambique’s latest cyclone Beluga whale with Russian harness raises alarm in Norway ENGLAND, WALES TO URGE CRIME VICTIMS TO HAND OVER PHONES COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – A beluga whale found with a tight harness that appeared to be Russian made has raised the alarm of Norwe- gian officials and prompted speculation that the animal may have escaped from a Russian military facility. Joergen Ree Wiig of the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries says ‘Equipment St. Petersburg’ is written on the harness strap, which features a mount for an ac- tion camera. He said Monday fish- ermen in Arctic Norway last week reported the tame white cetacean with a tight harness swimming around. On Friday, fisherman Joar Hesten, aided by the Ree Wiig, jumped into the frigid water to remove the harness. Ree Wiig said “people in Norway’s military have shown great interest” in the harness. Audun Rikardsen, a pro- fessor at the Department of Arctic and Marine Bi- ology at the Arctic Univer- sity of Norway in Tromsoe, northern Norway, believes “it is most likely that Russian Navy in Murmansk” is in- volved. Russia has major mil- itary facilities in and around Murmansk on the Kola Pen- insula, in the far north- west of Russia. It was not immediately clear what the mammal was being trained for, or whether it was supposed to be part of any Russian military activity in the region. Rikardsen said he had checked with scholars in Russia and Norway and said they have not reported any programme or experiments using beluga whales. “This is a tame animal that is used to get food served so that is why it has made contacts with the fish- ermen,” he said. “The ques- tion is now whether it can survive by finding food by itself. We have seen cases where other whales that have been in Russian captivity doing fine.” Hesten told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the whale began to rub itself again his boat when he first spotted it. Russia does not have a history of using whales for military purposes but the Soviet Union had a full- fledged training programme for dolphins. The Soviet Union used a base in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula during the Cold War to train the mammals for military pur- poses such as searching for mines or other objects and planting explosives. The fa- cility in Crimea was closed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, though un- named reports shortly after the Russian annexation of Crimea indicated that it had re-opened. The Russian Defence Ministry published a public tender in 2016 to purchase five dolphins for a training programme. The tender did not explain what tasks the dolphins were supposed to perform, but indicated they were supposed to have good teeth. It was taken offline shortly after publication. LONDON (AP) – Police in England and Wales are distributing consent forms urging victims of sexual assault and other crimes to turn over ac- cess to mobile phones and other electronic de- vices or risk having their cases dropped. The National Po- lice Chiefs’ Council said Monday that police will only seek access to mo- bile phone data when it is necessary for investiga- tive purposes, but the new policy has already sparked a backlash. It means that victims of rape and other crimes who agree to provide access to their mobile phones, lap- tops, smart watches and other devices will have their emails, texts and photographs available to authorities. The consent form warns that withholding ac- cess could lead to cases being dropped. “If you refuse permis- sion for the police to in- vestigate, or for the prose- cution to disclose material which would enable the de- fendant to have a fair trial then it may not be pos- sible for the investigation or prosecution to continue,” the form states. The police chiefs tweeted that “officers will only ask for access to pri- vate data when neces- sary and proportionate, and advice will be given so victims can make an in- formed decision”. Police said there would be stringent rules to avoid misuse of the informa- tion in court. James Slack, spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May, said police under- stand that the use of per- sonal data in criminal in- vestigations is “a source of anxiety”. He said police will balance a respect for privacy with the need to pursue “all reasonable lines of inquiry”. The forms have been in- troduced after several re- cent sexual assault cases collapsed when crucial ev- idence emerged from mo- bile devices. The independent charity Victim Support said in a statement that giving police access to all the personal information contained on a mobile phone is “very likely” to distress victims and may make them decide not to contact authorities. “We know that rape and sexual assault is already highly underreported,” the group said. PEMBA, Mozambique (AP) – The death toll from Cyclone Ken- neth in northern Mozambique jumped to 38, the government announced on Monday, as flooding and pounding rains hampered efforts to deliver aid to badly hit communities several days after the storm. An estimated 160,000 people were at risk from the second powerful cyclone to hit the southern African na- tion in just six weeks, officials said. It was the first time in recorded history that two cy- clones had targeted Mozam- bique in a single season. Just as most of the more than 600 deaths from last month’s Cyclone Idai were caused by flooding in the days that followed, heavy rains in the wake of Ken- neth have raised fears of a similar scenario. The storm made landfall on Thursday with the force of a Category 4 hurricane. Flooding was ‘critical’ in parts of the country’s north- ernmost province of Cabo Delgado, including Ibo is- land and the districts of Ma- comia and Quissanga, where more than 35,000 buildings and homes had been partly or fully destroyed, the gov- ernment said. Aid workers have de- scribed “total devastation” af- fecting a 37-mile stretch of coastline and nearby islands. The rising waters have made many roads impass- able and hampered air efforts to reach communities outside the region’s main city, Pemba. Authorities were pre- paring for a possible cholera outbreak as some wells were contaminated and safe drinking water became a growing concern. The heavy rains in Pemba caused deadly mudslides. Residents of one poor neigh- bourhood dug for bodies on Monday after two houses were crushed by the collapse of a sprawling dumpsite overnight, resident Manuel Joachim said. A woman’s body had been found, he said. Later, the searchers dis- covered two hands pro- truding from the mud and debris. They tied a rope to one of the hands to try and pull out the body, but the rain started pouring again. Five people in all were thought to be buried there, Joachim said. In other parts of Pemba, some tried to return to a sem- blance of daily life amid the destruction. At a school, chil- dren in blue uniforms trooped into classes. Traders put their wares on street pavements and wooden tables while others were busy removing rubble from homes and yards. Aid workers have described “total devastation” affecting a 37-mile stretch of coastline and nearby islands. It was not immediately clear what the mammal was being trained for, or whether it was supposed to be part of any Russian military activity in the region. Locals and rescuers retrieve a mattress from a site where two houses were crushed by the collapse of a massive, sprawling dumpsite that hit just after midnight when rains poured in Pemba city on the northeastern coast of Mozambique, Monday. Families that had their homes flooded move to higher ground in Pemba city on the northeastern coast of Mozambique, Sunday. - PHOTOS: AP A beluga whale is seen as it swims next to a fishing boat before Norwegian fishermen removed the tight harness, off the northern Norwegian coast Friday. - PHOTO: VIA APNext >