ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 High of 89 Low of 77 Smooth with wave heights less than 2 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BRINGING OUR HISTORY TO LIFE LOCAL | PAGE 5 FORECASTERS INCREASE HURRICANE SEASON OUTLOOK Cayman’s wild banana orchid in full bloom SHORT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY SESSION BEGINS WEDNESDAY 3,000 signatures but still no action on taxi fares KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s national flower, the wild ba- nana orchid, is blooming ‘en masse’ at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. But the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the endemic flower will not last long. The orchid blossoms just once a year, typically in late May and early June, ex- plained the park’s horticultural manager Nick Johnson. “In the wild, you can see it a few on places like the Mastic Trail, and there are lots in our protected areas of the park. There are loads on the trails at the mo- ment,” Johnson said. The Grand Cayman variety of the or- chid, displaying a white colour with a red to purple lip, can be spotted currently outside the Rankine House in the botanic park’s Heritage Garden. The Sister Islands’ variety of the flower, JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three bills, including tweaks to proceeds of crime legislation to meet some of the recommen- dations of a recent anti-money laundering report, will go to the Legislative Assembly in a short ses- sion starting Wednesday. The Opposition also has a handful of private members’ motions and questions and is expected to push the government for more information on the port referendum process. Government plans to bring three bills to the assembly, including the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill. A short introduction to the bill says the amendments are designed to rectify “technical compliance deficiencies” identified in a report by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. The report highlighted major shortcomings in Cay- man’s ability to analyse and understand the risks from money laundering and terrorism fi- nancing. It set a November 2019 deadline for deficiencies in Cayman’s legal framework to be addressed. The bill, which includes provision for the Anti- Corruption Commission to become more closely involved in anti-money laundering policymaking, will likely be debated by lawmakers Wednesday. It also includes amendments making it an of- fence to tip somebody off about a suspicious transaction report. Government is also bringing amendments to the Directors Registration and Licensing Law and the Securities Investment Law. Thursday is expected to be reserved for a slew of private members’ motions being brought by the Opposition. Those include previously tabled JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two years and almost 3,000 signa- tures after starting a petition calling for taxi meters to be used in cabs around the island, Caymanian student Jack Tonge says he is surprised that no action has been taken on the issue. The 21-year-old started the campaign for meters amid concerns about drink- driving and the impact of inconsistent taxi fares on the tourism industry. The petition remains in circulation, with frustrated residents and tourists urging government to do something. Consultants from Deloitte were hired to examine Cayman’s taxi fare system amid outcry from the tourism industry around two years ago. They produced a report in April 2018, which recom- mended the introduction of a simple of- fline app to calculate and regulate fares. The report was not made public until it was released to the Cayman Compass through a Freedom of Information re- quest in February this year. None of its recommendations have been implemented as yet. Asked, at the time, what action had been taken since the report, Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism and the Public Transport Board chair, said work on a strategic plan, which would include a “provi- sion of tools to support the sector”, had A Deloitte consultants’ report produced more than a year ago recommended the introduction of an offline app to calculate and regulate taxi fares. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY A wild banana orchid blooms in front of the Rankine House, located at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park’s Heritage Garden. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 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 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 $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS (PG13) 12:35 3D I 3:50 VIP I 7:00 I 9:35 3D 9:40 VIP INDIA’S MOST WANTED (PG) 12:40 I 3:35 I 6:30 I 10:00 ALADDIN (PG) 1:10 I 4:05 3D I 7:00 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (R) 1:10 I 3:35 I 6:35 I 9:25 ROCKETMAN (R) 1:00 VIP I 4:10 I 6:50 VIP I10:00 AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 12:30 I 4:25 I 8:15 Foreign Exchange Revenue from Services in 2017, CI$Million Health checks mandatory for students A new law requires all students entering govern- ment or private schools in the Cayman Islands for the first time to have health screenings before the start of school in September. This in- cludes those entering recep- tion programmes. The screening includes as- sessments of growth and de- velopment, vision, hearing, dental health and the admin- istration of necessary immu- nisations. Students’ personal medical history will also be obtained. Public Health Depart- ment staff will conduct the screenings, which are free. For those entering schools in West Bay and the eastern districts, health screenings will take place at the district health centres on 3-28 June. For all other students, health screenings will take place at the John Gray High School nurse’s office 4 July to 16 Aug. Appointments can be made at the school the child will be attending. Parents or guardians need to ac- company their children to the health screening. They should also bring the child’s immunisation record. Vac- cines will be offered to chil- dren whose immunisations are not current. Parents may have their child’s health screenings done by a private doctor, as long as that doctor completes the school health screening forms provided by the Public Health Department. The completed forms should be handed in at the John Gray High School nurse’s office from 8.30am to 4.30pm, 4 July to 16 Aug. Outside of these dates, the forms can be taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital’s public health clinic. Once the record has been received, a health screening certificate will be issued, which must then be taken to the school that the child will be entering in September. In Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, appointments for school entry screenings can be made by contacting Public Health Nurse Kedine Hyde at Faith Hospital at 948-2243 or 244-7643. Detailed information sheets for parents and guardians are available at the schools. For more information, contact Nurse Carvell Bailey at 244-2734 or 244-2648. Children entering public or private schools in Cayman for the first time are required to undergo health screenings for vision, dental, hearing, growth and development. - PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Pace to reach 1.3 million IGUANA CULLERS KEEP UP THE PACE GOVERNOR GOES TO BAT FOR CRICKET DEVELOPMENT Grand Cayman’s green iguana cullers delivered more than 24,000 reptiles to the George Town landfill last week, making it the fifth time in the past six weeks that they culled more than 22,000 iguanas. Last week’s total of 24,062 brings the number of culled iguanas to 684,985 (as of 1 June). Cullers remain ahead of the pace needed to reach the target number of culling 1.3 million iguanas by the end of 2019. The Department of Environment pro- gramme began in late October 2018. Cullers are being paid $4.50 a head, rising to $5 if they meet monthly and annual targets, in an effort to wipe out the invasive species in Grand Cayman. Pakistan and England may have been fierce rivals in their Cricket World Cup en- counter in the UK on Monday. But in Cayman the two countries are very much on the same team. Governor Martyn Roper, the UK’s representative in Cayman, and Sania Iqbal Khan, a former member of Pakistan’s national wom- en’s team, came together on Monday to promote the sport. Roper visited St. Igna- tius Catholic School to watch the primary school children in action on the cricket field. Khan, who is Cayman Crick- et’s senior development officer for women and girls, was also there coaching the children. Governor Roper said: “I had a great afternoon watching the St. Ignatius children play cricket. I even had the opportunity to have a bat myself. The Cricket World Cup is a huge event that the UK are hosting with an expected global audience of 1.5 billion. I’m delighted that both boys and girls are involved in the sport in the Cayman Islands, and it’s fan- tastic to hear about the work that Sania Iqbal Khan is doing to increase the number of female cricketers.” Governor Martyn Roper and Sania Iqbal Khan join some young cricketers at St. Ignatius School on Monday.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 T he M c T aggarTs –N o s TraNgers To s oNgs a bouT c ayMaN . The National Song of the Cayman Islands, written by Leila Ross-Shier Singer/songwriter Sarah McTaggart or the “Dream in Cayman” campaign, Caymanian Sarah McTaggart performed a reimagined, modern version of the classic song “Beyond the Sea” to capture the dreaminess and uniqueness of the Cayman Islands. Sarah–a professional singer and songwriter–comes from a long line of Caymanian talent. Her great-aunt Leila Ross-Shier (née McTaggart) wrote “Beloved Isle Cayman,” the National Song of the Cayman Islands. Sarah’s father, Stephen McTaggart, is a long-time Caymanian folk singer and songwriter who wrote hits like “Come Back Home To Your Island.” It was only fitting that Sarah continue the legacy of capturing the natural beauty and unique spirit of the Cayman Islands through song. FThe 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” Those of us who struggled with history in school may remember it as a dull progression of events occurring in unfamiliar places and involving people we’d never heard of; a bland chronology with no clear connection to our aspirations or our daily lives. As we grow older, we often develop a greater appreciation for the real-life stories behind these textbook timelines. As our own lives unfold we come to understand that, in many important ways, the point of studying history is not the rote memorisation of conquests and fallen empires, but coming to terms with the grand trajectory of the human family. Simply put, it is the story of how we came to be here in this place and this moment – part inspiration, part cau- tionary tale. Oral history projects, such as the one facili- tated recently by Cayman International School social studies teacher Kevin Hamlin, help young people make that connection. They spark students’ interest in our islands’ story by presenting it through lived and breathed experience. We are glad to see so many young people taking these lessons to heart. The project asks Grade 8 students to interview older residents about days gone by and their current thoughts about our community. In the process, the students learn much more than tricks for battling mos- quitoes, gathering food in thatch baskets or ‘making do’. They learn about the ways community and circum- stances shape our experiences, our shared values and our lives. In particular, the challenges met by previous gener- ations provide important perspective for today’s young people (and, frankly, many of us who are no longer quite so young). Even better, Hamlin told the Compass he’d like the students to transcribe their interviews and submit them to the Cayman National Archives to preserve these stories for generations to come. Another win for sports tourism Weeks after the competition concluded, we have learned about one more winner of the CARIFTA track and field event: Cayman’s blossoming sports tourism industry. As the Compass reported this week, the more than 2,000 visitors who landed on our shores to watch some of our region’s elite athletes in action also helped lead Cayman to yet another record-breaking month for tourism. All told, our islands hosted 46,079 stayover visitors in April – an 18% increase over the same month last year. As we have written, Cayman’s repeated successes in sports tourism makes ‘winners’ of us all, opening up new revenue opportunities for the sector, diver- sifying entertainment options for our residents and reinforcing the importance of healthy, active lifestyles among our youth. Our islands’ continued growth as a competitive sports tourism destination will only magnify those benefits. Well done to all who are working towards that goal. Bringing our history to life WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Chill out, millennial parents. You are doing fine. JIM SOLLISCH Part of the human con- dition is to believe in a more perfect place called the past. We are nos- talgic creatures, convinced America was a safer place in the 1960s even though the statistics argue other- wise. We are sure people were more civil, despite all the assassinations, riots and cities literally burning. And in this mythic past, parenting was much easier than it is today. Not distracted by all their devices and social media feeds, parents in the past could focus on their children. In the analogue land of yore, there were wholesome family dinners and game nights, fathers and mothers spending tons of quality time with their kids. Today’s parents are a stressed bunch – not sur- prising since they are part of the “Anxious Genera- tion.” A recent American Psychological Association study found that millen- nials report more stress and anxiety than any other generation. If you’re al- ready anxious, wait till you add the duties of caring for a completely helpless little human. New par- ents are either worried that they are over-docu- menting their kids’ lives or that they haven’t down- loaded the Baby Tracker app yet and so don’t know how many ounces of for- mula their child consumed yesterday. They are pretty sure they’re not living in the moment, even as they capture thousands of Insta- gram-worthy moments. Dear parents of young children, I offer you this: You are way better par- ents than those mythical past parents, even on your worst days. You spend more quality time with your chil- dren. You feed them much better food. (And you do not blow cigarette smoke in their faces while they eat.) You keep them way safer. You read to them more. You stimulate their curiosity more. You rarely say, “Be- cause I said so.” You spank them less. And you don’t wash their mouths out with actual bars of soap. The reason you do not realise how much better you are is that you live in an age where you can never be a good enough parent. You are the col- lateral damage of a par- enting arms race. We had Dr. Spock. You have everybody: an army of friends on social media offering advice, a thou- sand apps and bloggers and websites, all devoted to making you the per- fect parent. In fact, 58% of millennial parents re- port being overwhelmed by all the parenting infor- mation out there, according to a Time magazine poll. The result: Every fear, no matter how tiny, gets am- plified until it’s all you can hear. It’s so easy to be con- vinced that you are a bad parent because you check your work email too much on your phone while you are with your kids. And you’re pretty sure parents in the past did not have this problem because they did not have cellphones. Well, my mother did not have one phone – she had seven, mounted to walls and sitting atop counters and desks and nightstands. I know one cellphone is a lot more powerful than seven rotary phones. To- day’s phones can distract you from being present for your children at the park or playground. But at least you take your kids to the park. My mother did not take us. She stayed home, teth- ered to those phones. My mother was what Mal- colm Gladwell calls a con- nector: president of a large, national Jewish women’s non-profit called ORT, com- mittee chair of you-name- it, thrower of dinner par- ties, organiser of surprise birthday celebrations and manager of a large ad- vertising sales staff at a local paper. She was simply al- ways on the phone. When we needed something, my brother and I learned to pull the cord, yanking her back to the here and now. My mother always lived in the moment, just not nec- essarily the same moment I was in. She had a life. Tons of friends. Endless dis- tractions. And she never thought she was not a great parent. And she was. But not as good a parent as you are. So please, stop apologising for living your lives. Almost half of you, according to a Pew Re- search Center report, be- lieve that you are not spending enough time with your school-age kids. Relax. Remember, your child needs you to be more than a parent. She needs to see you as a worker, a friend, a volunteer, a person with hobbies and interests. And to be all that, you will have to ignore her sometimes. You will have to send that text, check that email and post that post. While you are doing that, your kid will just have to entertain her- self for a while. And that may be the best thing you can teach her. Jim Sollisch is a creative director and partner at Marcus Thomas in Cleveland, Ohio. © 2019, The Washington Post. My mother always lived in the moment, just not necessarily the same moment I was in. She had a life. Tons of friends. Endless distractions. And she never thought she was not a great parent. And she was.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 COURT NEWS SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ganja pleas voided, case sent to higher court Four Jamaican men who had previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 400 pounds of ganja had their pleas voided Tuesday and their case sent from Summary Court to Grand Court. Martin Anthony Trench, Kendale Jerome Straumann, Andre Junior Russell and Basil Anthony Smith ap- peared in court Tuesday in front of Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn. The court heard that there was a dispute between de- fence and Crown counsel as to whether the defence had elected to have the case heard in Summary Court. The court’s records in- dicated that no such elec- tion had been made, and the Crown took the oppor- tunity to elect to send the case to Grand Court. Mag- istrate Gunn ordered that the previous pleas would be voided and the defendants will next appear in court on 14 June. Defence counsel Crister Bradyindicated that the de- fendants are likely to plead guilty to the charges in Grand Court. The four defendants were apprehended in September 2018 after police intercepted their boat at sea. They were spotted by members of the Air Operations and Joint Ma- rine Units allegedly throwing packages overboard, and those packages were later re- covered. The boat was said to hold 454.41 pounds of ganja, and the illegal drugs were ordered forfeited to the Crown and destroyed in October 2018. 3 fined for selling lottery tickets Three people were fined $300 each on Tuesday for selling lottery tickets. Devon Everton Chambers, Patrick Anthony Comrie and Tieshia Davis were given a week to make the payments. The court heard that the three defendants were found at a George Town address in close proximity to receipt books on 13 Oct. 2018. A charge of operating a common gaming house was left on file for all three defendants. Magistrate Grace Don- alds ordered that cash seized during the ar- rest would be forfeited to the Crown. Chambers had CI$5,332 seized on the ar- rest date. Davis had CI$354 and Comrie had CI$3,072 and US$986 taken at the time of arrest. Man pleads guilty to cockfighting charge A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of cock- fighting in violation of Cay- man’s Animals Law. Anthony Mitchell Brown pleaded guilty to staging cockfights at some point between 1 Jan. and 15 Aug. 2018. Brown is also charged with another count of cock- fighting, causing unnecessary suffering, cruelty to animals and possession of prescrip- tion only medicines. The Crown will review the remaining charges levied against Brown, who will next appear in court on 26 June. Dog wounding case back in court Two men accused of being involved in the wounding of a dog named Dora in May 2017 were back in court Tuesday. Andrei James Challenger had previously pleaded guilty to failing to exercise proper care and supervision. His fa- ther, James Rolin Challenger, had previously pleaded guilty to causing unneces- sary suffering. The court heard Tuesday that Andrei James Chal- lenger had denied guilt in the matter when meeting with probation officers. The case will appear back in court on 11 June when the Crown and defence attor- neys will discuss a potential trial date. Both Challengers are excused from attending court that day. Forecasters increase storm season outlook KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Forecasting for the At- lantic hurricane season has increased slightly, with me- teorologists at Colorado State University predicting six hur- ricanes, up from their pre- vious forecast in April of five. The outlook now antici- pates a near-average proba- bility that a major hurricane, category 3 or higher, will make landfall in the United States or the Caribbean. The updated forecast, re- leased by the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project on 4 June, excludes Subtropical Storm Andrea, which formed before the 1 June start of the 2019 season. Including An- drea, forecasters predict 14 named storms for the year. Both the April and June forecasts predict two major hurricanes for the season. The probability of such a hurricane tracking into the Caribbean this season was in- creased from the April number of 39% to 44%. The average for the last century is 42%. “We have increased our forecast slightly and now be- lieve that 2019 will have ap- proximately average activity. There remains considerable uncertainty as to whether El Niño conditions will per- sist through the Atlantic hurricane season,” the fore- cast states. “We currently antici- pate that current weak El Niño event conditions will persist, but some anoma- lous cooling in recent weeks weakens our confidence in this assessment.” El Niño conditions dis- courage Atlantic hurricane development by producing eastwardly winds that are unfavourable to formation. Atlantic waters in recent weeks have warmed more quickly than normal, how- ever, and Colorado State me- teorologists say the region now has near-average sea surface temperatures. Colorado State forecasting is based on averages from the 1981-2010 seasons. The 1981-2010 average presents a slightly lower number of named storms, at 12.1, and slightly higher number of hurricanes at 6.4. “Everyone should realize that it is impossible to pre- cisely predict this season’s hurricane activity in early June,” the forecast states. “We issue these forecasts to satisfy the curiosity of the general public and to bring attention to the hurricane problem. There is a general interest in knowing what the odds are for an active or in- active season.” Regardless of forecasting, the meteorologists encourage coastal residents to re- main prepared. “As is the case with all hurricane seasons,” the re- port stated, “coastal resi- dents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them. They should prepare the same for every season, re- gardless of how much ac- tivity is predicted.” To read the full forecast, visit www.tropical.colostate.edu.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS WHAT THE PETITION SIGNERS HAVE SAID: ■■ “I find it difficult to use the taxi service on island because of the fluc- tuation in taxi fares between drivers and the continued exploitation of the customers by the randomised fare pricing and ridiculous charge per head.” ■■ “The fact that fares are unpredictable, subject to negotiation for every ride and seemingly arbitrary depending on what any individual driver thinks he or she can get away with seriously detracts from the attrac- tiveness of taxis on Grand Cayman.” ■■ “I’ve heard of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ but the taxi charging system is a joke. It shouldn’t cost more than $25 to get anywhere on Island.” ■■ “Cayman taxis are a rip-off! CI$123 from the Lions Centre to West Bay? I can nearly fly to Miami for that price!” ■■ “My children have been taken advantage of, being charged any- where from $15 to $50 for the exact same ride home from the club! Disgusting!” ■■ “I come to Cayman often. I never know what I’m going to [be] charged for a taxi, and the fares seem unusually high. For me, I feel it is unfair.” ■■ “We need regulations big time. 2-mile ride costs 18 dollars? Nah, that nah right.” ■■ “A taxi tried to charge me and my friends each $25 from Ragazzi to Westin. I rather drink and pay a fine … ripoff artists.” ■■ “Every time that I get into a taxi I don’t know what my fare is going to be.” ■■ “Stop the ‘per head’ nonsense.” commenced. She was una- vailable for further com- ment this week. Tonge said he was baf- fled that nothing concrete had been done. “There was a bit of pro- gress about six months after the petition was launched, when they came out with the news that they were going to commission a report, but since then there has been nothing,” he said. Though the petition calls for taxi meters, he said an app would be fine and could be a cheaper, sim- pler solution. “The most important thing is to have some inde- pendent way of verifying the fare that takes the human el- ement out of it,” he said. “An app could be produced in a matter of weeks and costs a few thousand dollars.” He said the lack of action on taxis indicated a more general concern that Cayman was slow to react and adopt changing technologies. “It is frustrating,” he said, “and that is why we are still collecting signa- tures and trying to show government that there are thousands of people out there who are concerned about this.” He said his first ex- perience of the idiosyn- crasies of Cayman’s taxi fare system was when he was quoted $90 for a ride from North Side to George Town. At the end of the journey, the driver tried to bill him $115, saying the extra surcharge was for his two suitcases. Since then, he has been charged widely varying fares to make the same journey from his favourite bar to his home in West Bay. Multiple signatories to the petition chipped in with similar stories of being left feeling ripped off after taking a cab. But Tonge says the main concern is around safety. He said taxis were hard to find and increasingly ex- pensive at night and people risked being involved in ac- cidents if they became frus- trated and chose to drive after drinking. Government announced in its Strategic Policy State- ment that it would allocate money next year towards a specialist mass transporta- tion study that will look at public transport in general. 3,000 signatures but still no action on taxi fares Horticultural Manager Nick Johnson views a wild banana orchid blossom at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Cayman’s wild banana orchid in full bloom Short Legislative Assembly session begins Wednesday not currently visible at the park, presents a more yellow colour, Johnson said. The flower’s genus, Myr- mecophila, reveals some interesting characteristics about the orchid. The name is Latin for ‘ant loving”, Johnson explained. “The genus Myrme- cophila … is character- ised by pseudobulbs which hollow over time and are subsequently colonised by ants, which form a mutually beneficial relationship with the plant,” Johnson said. The pseudobulbs are the part of the orchid that pro- vide its name. The thickened stems at the base of the plant resemble a banana. The orchid also has a special relationship with beetles. Gymnetis lanius beetles, rather than bees, serve as the flower’s pol- linator. When the beetle is not able to pollinate the flower, Johnson said park workers will step in and pollinate the plant by hand. While the wild banana orchid is one of Cayman’s more commonly visible na- tive flowers, Johnson ad- vised that the species is delicate. Orchids are sensi- tive to changes in habitat, he said, adding that it can take seven years for an or- chid seedling to become a flowering plant. Botanic park manager John Lawrus encouraged families to come and ob- serve the Caymanian orchid while the opportunity lasts. “I encourage you to stop by the park sometime over the next month as this op- portunity is pretty rare; the banana orchid only blooms once a year. And while you’re here taking in the beauty of our island’s in- digenous flower, you may also get the chance to see a pair of Cayman parrots or one of our beautiful blue iguanas. This is a really great time of year to visit the park,” Lawrus said. The botanic park is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 4:30pm. motions from Chris Saun- ders, the legislator for Bodden Town West, calling for free healthcare for children and an increase in the retirement age for civil servants, and from George Town Central legis- lator Kenneth Bryan, recom- mending a five-year strategic plan to select Caymanians for leadership positions across public service. Newlands MLA Alva Suckoo has also put forward a motion calling on govern- ment to push ahead with anti- bullying legislation to pro- tect children and Opposition Leader Arden McLean has pro- posed changes to development and planning regulations. Suckoo, speaking on be- half of the official opposition group, led by East End legis- lator Arden McLean, said he expected there to be limited debate on government’s brief legislative agenda. But he said the session did represent an opportunity for some of the issues that the opposition group had been pressing for considera- tion for some time. “We are looking for- ward to getting our agenda moved forward and hearing some interesting debate,” he added. The house is expected to go into Finance Committee Friday to deal with requests for supplementary funding. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Free event offers insight on National Conservation Law A free educational ses- sion hosted by the National Trust for the Cayman Is- lands will answer ques- tions about the National Conservation Law. The event includes a presentation by Depart- ment of Environment Di- rector Gina Ebanks-Petrie and a question-and-an- swer panel with National Trust Executive Director Nadia Hardie. Members of the National Conserva- tion Council will also be in attendance. “A number of our mem- bers have approached us with questions concerning the law and how the pro- posed amendments could potentially affect the future environmental well-being of the Cayman Islands,” Hardie said. “This event will give us an opportunity to col- lectively discuss the law prior to public consulta- tion,” she added. The event is open to the public. The session runs from 5:30-7:30pm Wednesday, 5 June at the Family Resource Centre at 87 Mary Street. Registra- tion starts at 5:30 and the event starts at 6pm. To confirm attendance, call 749-1121 or email events@nationaltrust.org.ky. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Man dies after falling from truck JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 65-year-old man residing in North Side died Tuesday after falling from the back of a pickup truck in the early hours of Sunday morning. The man has been iden- tified by family members as George Kelly, originally of Watlers Drive in George Town. The police are investi- gating the incident which, they said, occurred nine hours before police and emergency medical services were alerted, just after 11am on Sunday. He was transported to the Cayman Islands Hos- pital when it was discov- ered that he was suffering from serious and life- threatening injuries and was in critical condition. He succumbed to his inju- ries Tuesday morning. “George was a good person and a good friend,” said Brac resident Elvis McK- eever, who grew up in George Town with Kelly and knew his family well. Kelly, he said, worked on the land, in construction and drove buses. “He lived on the Brac for a couple of years before he moved to Grand Cayman. He was a really good fisherman,” McKeever said. Police are appealing for witnesses to assist with the investigation. Anyone who may have seen the incident or the victim before the incident can call the George Town Po- lice Station at 949-4222, or anonymously contact the RCIPS’s Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777. The police are investigating the incident which, they said, occurred nine hours before police and emergency medical services were alerted, just after 11am on Sunday. “ This event will give us an opportunity to collectively discuss the law prior to public consultation.” NADIA HARDIE, National Trust Consultants from Deloitte were hired to examine Cayman’s taxi fare system amid outcry from the tourism industry around two years ago. They produced a report in April 2018, which recommended the introduction of a simple offline app to calculate and regulate fares. The Legislative Assembly building in downtown George Town.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 Police capture ton of cocaine in Atlantic Portuguese police say they have intercepted a Brazilian trawler in the Atlantic Ocean and found on board cocaine with a street value of more than 30 million euros (US$34 million). A search found 1.1 metric tons of cocaine concealed in a specially designed compartment. Seven people were detained. Making nice, Trump praises outgoing May LONDON (AP) – Making nice at the end, President Donald Trump eased up Tuesday on his frequent criticism of out- going British Prime Minister Theresa May over her han- dling of the tortured Brexit deal, declaring that history will remember her fondly if the United Kingdom can successfully leave the Eu- ropean Union. The latest chapter in the allies’ storied “special rela- tionship” played out as anti- Trump protesters – and the infamous Trump baby bal- loon – thronged the streets of nearby central London. The president’s unex- pected compliments for May come just days before she was set to resign the leader- ship of her party after failing to secure a Brexit deal. She will depart as prime min- ister once her successor has been chosen. “I have greatly enjoyed working with you. You are a tremendous professional and a person who loves her country very much,” Trump told May at a news confer- ence near the prime minis- ter’s Downing Street office. But he couldn’t resist a slight dig, evoking the two years of broadsides he had lobbed at her by recalling that he urged her to sue the EU rather than try to negotiate a departure. Trump said he would have “sued and settled, maybe, but you never know. She’s prob- ably a better negotiator than I am”. And he added that the deal May came away with was a good one and “perhaps you won’t be given the credit you deserve”. May, who fought back tears when she announced her resignation last month, voiced hope her successor will be able to achieve Brexit. “I still believe – I person- ally believe – that it is in the best interest of the UK to leave the European Union with a deal. I believe there is a good deal on the table,” she said. “Obviously, it will be whoever succeeds me as prime minister to take this issue forward. What is par- amount, I believe, is de- livering on Brexit for the British people.” Earlier in the day, Trump jokingly suggested that May “stick around” until a new US-UK trade deal was bro- kered. May and her aides chuckled at that. Trump said Britain and the US would be able to strike a “phenomenal trade deal” once the UK had left the EU – music to the ears of pro- Brexit Britons. But, in words sure to alarm those in Britain concerned about Brexit, he said “everything” – including the National Health Service – would be “on the table” in fu- ture trade negotiations. Most Britons are protec- tive of the state-run NHS, which delivers free health- care to all, and many worry private US healthcare firms could try to gain access to chunks of it as a condition of a trade deal. On a separate issue, Trump said he anticipated “no limi- tations” on the future sharing of intelligence with the UK as the US continues to press its longtime ally to ban Chinese company Huawei amid espio- nage and trade concerns. Traditionally, US presi- dents avoid injecting them- selves into the domestic pol- itics of other nations. But Trump did not hold back – right after claiming that he would not comment on Brit- ain’s internal matters. He renewed his praise of Conservative lawmaker Boris Johnson, who is campaigning to replace May as Conserva- tive leader, and of another contender, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. He said he’d turned down a requested meeting from Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and took new swipes at one of his most vocal critics, London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Trump previously had voiced support for a “hard Brexit”, which could have a devastating impact on the UK economy, according to many experts. That stands in con- trast to a previous White House position that the de- parture should be as pain- less as possible. Others in the UK are pressing for a second referendum that could keep Britain in the EU. As the pageantry of Trump’s British state visit gave way to politics, an eco- nomic meeting between the leaders at St. James’s Palace brought together 10 leading companies – five from the UK and five from the United States. CEOs and senior rep- resentatives from BAE Sys- tems, GlaxoSmithKline, Na- tional Grid, Barclays, Reckitt Benckiser, JP Morgan, Lock- heed Martin, Goldman Sachs International, Be- chtel and Splunk were listed as attending. While the corporate leaders gathered, protesters began to assemble across London. Leaders of Brit- ain’s main opposition party were expected to join dem- onstrators at a rally in Tra- falgar Square, just up the street from May’s Downing Street office. Trump glossed over the protests, saying he saw “thousands of people in the streets cheering” and waving US and UK flags, but just a “very, very small” group of protesters. “It was tremen- dous spirit and love. There was great love”, he said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump toured the Churchill War Rooms, the British government’s un- derground command centre during World War II, after the news conference. They were also to host a dinner at the US ambassador’s residence, to be attended by Prince Charles, his wife, Camilla, and other dignitaries. The day of meetings with May followed a whirl- wind of pomp, circumstance and protest for Trump, who on Monday had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and tea with Prince Charles before a grand state dinner at Buck- ingham Palace. Following Tuesday’s focus on business and trade, Trump will use the next two days to mark the 75th anniversary of the 6 June 1944, D-Day landing, likely the last signif- icant commemoration most veterans of the battle will see. The events will begin in Portsmouth, England, where the invasion was launched, and then move across the English Channel to France, where Allied forces began to recapture Western Europe from the Nazis. French President Em- manuel Macron is expected to use the occasion to call for strengthening multina- tional ties the US president has frayed. “ I have greatly enjoyed working with you. You are a tremendous professional and a person who loves her country very much.” US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO UK PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May greets President Donald Trump outside 10 Downing Street in central London, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP MEXICO HOPING TO AVOID 5% US TARIFF WASHINGTON (AP) – Mexico said Tuesday it thinks there’s likely to be an agreement with the United States this week that will avoid a 5% tariff on Mexican goods an- nounced last week by Presi- dent Donald Trump. “By what we have seen so far, we will be able to reach an agreement,” Mexican For- eign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said during a press confer- ence held at the Mexican em- bassy. “That is why I think the imposition of tariffs can be avoided.” Ebrard added that despite his optimism, his team also will be ready for a non-agree- ment scenario. Ebrard arrived in Wash- ington over the weekend to meet Wednesday with Secre- tary of State Mike Pompeo. Mexico calls the potential tariff hurtful to both econ- omies and useless to slow down the flow of Central Americans migrating north. Mexico plans to stick to its usual strategy of not mixing the topic of migration with trade while negotiating. Trump says he will im- pose the tariff beginning 10 June to force Mexico to keep mostly Central Amer- ican migrants from crossing into the United States. It is unclear what more Mexico can do – and what will be enough – to satisfy Trump, because the United States has not presented con- crete benchmarks to assess whether the US ally is stem- ming the migrant flow from Central America. “As a sign of good faith, Mexico should immediately stop the flow of people and drugs through their country and to our Southern Border. They can do it if they want!” Trump tweeted Monday from London. Trump’s Republican al- lies warn that tariffs on Mex- ican imports will hit US con- sumers, harm the economy and jeopardise the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade pact that the White House wants Con- gress to approve. The tariff threat comes just as the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.8 WORLD®IONAL WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS LONDON (AP) – Thousands of protesters greeted Pres- ident Donald Trump’s UK visit with anger and British irony Tuesday, crowding London’s government dis- trict while the US leader met Prime Minister Theresa May nearby. Feminists, environmen- talists, peace activists, trade unionists and others dem- onstrated against the lavish royal welcome being given to a president they see as a danger to the world, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump’s not welcome here.” “I’m very cross he’s here,” said guitar teacher Sarah Greene, carrying a home- made sign reading “keep your grabby hands off our national treasures” under a picture of one of Queen Eliz- abeth II’s corgis. “I find him scary. My sign is flippant and doesn’t say the things I’d really like to say.” A day of protests began with the flying of a giant blimp depicting the presi- dent as an angry orange baby, which rose from the grass of central London’s Parliament Square. One group came dressed in the red cloaks and bon- nets of characters from Mar- garet Atwood’s ‘The Hand- maid’s Tale’, which is set in a dystopian, misogynist fu- ture America. Demonstrators filled Tra- falgar Square and spilled down Whitehall, a street lined with imposing govern- ment offices. Many paused to photo- graph a robotic likeness of Trump sitting on a golden toilet, cellphone in hand. The robot caught the attention of passers-by with its reci- tation of catchphrases in- cluding “No collusion” and “You are fake news.” “It’s 16 feet high, so it’s as large as his ego,” said Don Lessem from Philadelphia, who built the statue from foam over an iron frame and had it shipped by boat across the Atlantic. Lessem, a dinosaur ex- pert who makes models of prehistoric creatures, said “I’m interested in things that are big, not very intel- ligent and have lost their place in history.” “I wanted people here to know that people in America do not support Trump in the majority. and humour is my weapon,” he said. Leaders of Britain’s main opposition party joined dem- onstrators later at the rally, just up the street from May’s Downing St. office. Police have erected barricades to stop protesters marching past the gates of Downing St. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who de- clined an invitation to Mon- day’s royal banquet for the president, was due to ad- dress the protest. Emily Thornberry, La- bour’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, said Trump was “a sexual predator” and a racist who did not deserve the honour of a state visit hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Thornberry told the BBC that the leader of Britain’s most important ally should be stood up to “the way you deal with a bully” be- cause “if you bow down in front of them you just get kicked harder”. Not everyone in London was unwelcoming. Lewis Metcalfe said he came to the city from his home in northern Eng- land to show support for the president. “I’m obviously going to be a minority today,” said Metcalfe, who wore a ‘Make America Great Again’ cap. “I don’t agree with all his pol- icies. He’s not the greatest president in the world, but he does get things done.” Trump dined with the queen at Buckingham Palace and took tea with Prince Charles on Monday, the first day of his three-day visit. Trump baby blimp flies in London as protests greet US president Trump says trade could triple with UK following Brexit President Donald Trump said trade between the US and UK could as much as triple if the two countries strike a deal after Britain leaves the European Union. “As the UK makes prepa- rations to exit the European Union, the United States is committed to a phenom- enal trade deal between the US and the UK,” Trump said Tuesday in London during a news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May. “There is tremendous poten- tial in that trade deal. I say probably two or even three times of what we’re doing right now.” Trump has advocated for the UK to leave the European Union and aligned himself with some of its staunchest Brexit proponents. Earlier Tuesday, he told May and a group of executives that he sees “a very, very substantial trade deal” between the US and UK once it leaves the EU. May also endorsed a US trade deal. “Mr. President, you and I agreed the first time we met that we should aim for an ambitious free-trade agree- ment when the UK leaves the EU,” she said. “And from our positive discussions today, I know that we both remain committed to this.” The discussion largely glossed over the many com- plications that would arise in trade talks, though the two leaders hinted at one of the most serious points of fu- ture conflict. Trump, echoing other US officials, said that negotiations would involve the whole of the UK economy – including the cherished Na- tional Health Service, which sets prices and pays for hos- pitals, drugs and other med- ical care in the country. “When you’re dealing in trade, everything is on the table,” he said. “So NHS or anything else, or a lot more than that, everything will be on the table.” May responded: “The point about making trade deals is, of course, that both sides negotiate and come to an agreement about what should or should not be in that trade deal for the future.” UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a tweet that “the NHS isn’t on the table in trade talks. Not on my watch”. A trade deal with the US is probably some way off, and will be determined by how sharp a split the UK eventu- ally pursues from Europe. If the UK ends up staying close to the EU – as May’s plan en- visioned – then it will not be free to negotiate a wide- ranging trade deal. Trade negotiations can often take years – Trump’s own with Canada and Mexico, which simply amended an existing pact, took just over one year, and the deal’s fate remains unclear amid objec- tions in Congress. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn assailed the idea of opening the NHS to American companies in a speech to protesters gathered in London immediately be- fore the news conference. “We will not stand for that,” he said. “We will fight with every last breath of our body to defend the principle, for the principle of a health service free at the point of need to everybody, as a human right.” Trump’s comments on Brexit echoed his tweet Monday – the first day of his state visit to the UK – when he dangled the prospect of a “big trade deal” once the “UK gets rid of the shackles”. The White House also released a statement on Monday saying Trump “sup- ports Brexit being accom- plished in a way that will not affect global economic and fi- nancial stability while also securing independence to the United Kingdom”. Asked whether the UK should exit the EU by the end of October, with or without a deal with the rest of Europe, Trump said: “I think it will happen, and I believe the prime minister’s brought it to a very good point where something will take place in the not too dis- tant future.” He and May also joked about Trump’s advice that the UK should have sued the EU over Brexit terms. “We didn’t sue. We went into negotiations and came out with a good deal,” May said, though Parliament rejected it. “I would have sued,” Trump said. “I would have sued, and settled, maybe.” © 2019, Bloomberg A day of protests began with the flying of a giant blimp depicting the president as an angry orange baby, which rose from the grass of central London’s Parliament Square. “ When you’re dealing in trade, everything is on the table. So NHS or anything else, or a lot more than that, everything will be on the table.” US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP A man holding a sign stands on a statue as people gather in Trafalgar Square, central London, to demonstrate against the state visit of President Donald Trump, Tuesday. – PHOTOS: AP A woman takes a selfie Tuesday as the ‘Trump Baby’ blimp is inflated in Parliament Square in central London as people start to gather to demonstrate against the state visit of President Donald Trump.9 REGIONAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE 2019 China handles Tiananmen anniversary with usual silence BEIJING (AP) – Dissidents silenced. Security tightened. References scrubbed from the internet. China imposed an infor- mation lockdown Tuesday on the 30th anniversary of its bloody crackdown on pro- democracy protesters at Ti- ananmen Square, a stark re- minder that three decades later, the possibility of dem- ocratic change has all but evaporated. Extra checkpoints and street closures greeted tour- ists who showed up be- fore 5am to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony at the square in the centre of Bei- jing. People overseas found themselves blocked from posting anything to a popular Chinese social media site. China has largely suc- ceeded in wiping the events of 3-4 June 1989, from the public consciousness at home, where the anniver- sary of the crackdown passed like any other weekday. To Western critics, who this year included US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, China has a simple answer: Our model works. “The Chinese government has long had a clear conclu- sion about the political dis- turbance that occurred in the late 1980s,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to Pompeo. Chi- na’s economic success “fully proves that the development path we chose is completely correct and has been firmly supported by the people”. The seven-week-long Tian- anmen Square protests and their bloody end, in which hundreds if not thousands of people are believed to have died, snuffed out a tentative shift in China towards polit- ical liberalisation. The mantra of the ruling Communist Party has become stability over all else, and the party says the stability it has delivered has been a nec- essary underpinning to the country’s economic growth. For many Chinese, life is better. Incomes have risen, and social restric- tions such as family size and where people can live have been loosened. It’s political freedom that remains strictly controlled. Half a dozen activists could not be reached Tuesday by phone or text. One who could, Beijing-based Hu Jia, said he had been taken last week by security agents to the northeastern coastal city of Qinghuangdao. Chinese authorities rou- tinely take dissidents away on what are euphemistically called ‘vacations’ or other- wise silence them during sensitive political times. “This is a reflection of their fears, their terror, not ours,” Hu said. Under current President Xi Jinping, the government has tightened control over every- thing from religion to the in- ternet in an apparent bid to make the Communist Party central to the future of China. “I don’t think that in the foreseeable future there is the possibility for another mass movement against the regime, because the system of control is so complete,” said Andrew Nathan, a pro- fessor of Chinese politics at Columbia University. Chinese overseas re- ported on Twitter that they were blocked from posting on Weibo, a popular social net- working site. Weibo did not respond to phone and email requests for comment. Even those who know what happened 30 years ago are reluctant to talk about it in public. A 24-year-old designer said last week in Beijing that he thought it was quite a pity when he learned that many had died. “But it’s really not conven- ient to talk about it,” he said, giving only the name he goes by in English, Tony. Any commemoration of the event is not allowed in mainland China, though tens of thousands turned out for an annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong. The Chinese ter- ritory has relatively greater freedoms than the mainland, though even there, activ- ists are concerned about the erosion of those liberties in recent years. Pompeo issued a state- ment Monday saluting what he called the “heroes of the Chinese people who bravely stood up thirty years ago … to demand their rights”. He said that US hopes that China would become a more open and tolerant society have been dashed. He and his European Union counterpart Federica Mogherini urged China to come clean on what hap- pened and how many died. “Acknowledgement of these events, and of those killed, detained or missing in connection with the Ti- ananmen Square protests, is important for future genera- tions and for the collective memory,” Mogherini said in a statement. Geng, the foreign min- istry spokesman, said “some people in the US always re- gard themselves as others’ teachers and interfere in other countries’ internal af- fairs under the guise of so- called democracy and human rights, while turning a blind eye to problems at home. The Chinese people have seen through their hypocrisy and sinister intentions”. The crackdown set the Communist Party on a path of repression, Nathan said, adding that China would likely be a very different place if the nation’s rulers had ended the protests peacefully through dialogue instead of by force. “They embarked on a strategy of not dialoguing with the people,” he said. “The party knows best, the party decides, and the people have no voice. So that requires more and more intense re- pression of all of the forces in society that want to be heard.” Security officials stand guard in front of Tiananmen Gate next to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Tuesday, as Chinese authorities stepped up security on the anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests 30 years ago. – PHOTO: APNext >