High of 90 Low of 78 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. LOCAL | PAGE 7 PRISON JOINS TRADE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE SECOND CHANCE WORLD | PAGE 13 THOUSANDS MARVEL AS TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE DARKENS CHILE, ARGENTINA ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 Regulated in the Cayman Islands as a licensed insurer by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Generali Worldwide is a trading name of Utmost Worldwide Limited. Registered Head Office address: Utmost Worldwide Limited, Utmost House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands GY1 4PA. Regulated in Guernsey as a licensed insurer by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Business (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2002 (as amended). Incorporated in Guernsey under Company Registration No. 27151. www.generali-healthcare.com Contact us to learn more about our new member benefits at 747-2000. Get your Employee Assistance Program for FREE! www.generali-healthcare.com Spray plane targets The Mosquito Research and Control Unit is stepping up efforts to combat mosquitos across Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The MRCU has added new equipment that will enable it to load spray planes on the Brac, which the unit’s director Jim Mc- Nelly said is safer, and by using less fuel, more efficient, than flying loaded planes from Grand Cayman to the Sister Islands. According to an MRCU press release, it is moving away from acting on ad hoc spray requests from the public and instead in- troducing a “sustained approach of surveil- lance-based control, which has been proven to be most effective at tackling mosquito populations”. These surveillance techniques, which in- clude bite counts and portable and baited traps, are new to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, though they are regularly used suc- cessfully in Grand Cayman, the MRCU said. “This practice helps to determine not only whether mosquitoes are in fact present but also to better target mosquito popula- tion control efforts where needed,” the unit stated in a press release. As part of the overhaul, the MRCU is de- ploying new surveillance traps, and a fork- lift, trailer and $90,000 loader truck arrived in Cayman Brac at the start of this month to facilitate loading spray planes, so that Cayman Brac now can be used as a base for Sister Islands mosquitoes Kemarley Maxam, in orange vest on right, learning how to load spray planes in Cayman Brac. - PHOTO: GIS GOVERNMENT FAILING TO TRACK OUTSIDE SPENDING MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Perhaps the most striking sentence in the newly released auditor general’s report, ‘Gov- ernment’s Use of Outsourced Services,’ is the one that starts the Key Messages section: “The government does not routinely mon- itor and report how much it spends on out- sourced services.” The report says those services totalled nearly $48 million over a five-year period ending 30 June 2017. “It is not clear how the government plans or makes decisions about which services to outsource and how those services align with its overarching objectives,” the report says. “We were told that some services had been outsourced to help reduce costs and to reduce management oversight, allowing managers to focus on other things; however, there was no evidence to support this.” The report also says there are too few quality controls on contracts that are issued. “None of the contracts we reviewed had specified success measure,” it said. Government is also not using its buying power to leverage its purchases. The report said the multiple government agencies con- tract for similar services, many with the same suppliers, without coordinating their pur- chasing efforts in order to maximise value and achieve greater efficiency. The auditor general also questioned whether officials might be paying too much. “Government is not carrying out sufficient market testing or pre-tender estimates to en- sure that prices quoted by potential suppliers are affordable and reasonable,” the report said. The biggest outside expenditure was on contracted security services. Over the five-year period, it paid $9.3 million to Security Centre Ltd., which provides the national CCTV pro- gramme and the security services for the Gov- ernment Administration Building. The biggest spender is the Ministry of Ed- ucation, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands, which had outside contracts of $28.8 million. The bulk of that amount, $17.3 million, was for school bus contracts. The report recognised limits on being able to control those costs. The ministry, it said, “tried to stimulate greater competition for school bus routes during the last procurement for these services in 2015-16, but most routes received single bids only.” Man sentenced to 6 years in drunk driving death SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Wilfred Ellington Myles was sentenced to six years in prison and a 10-year disqualification from driving Wednesday for the April dangerous driving incident that resulted in the death of cy- clist Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Kirzner. Myles, 29, pleaded guilty last month to causing death by dangerous driving, taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance or a certificate of roadworthiness. He had previously been con- victed of 26 offences, including two counts of driving under the influence and an additional con- viction for failure to provide a specimen. Justice Roger Chapple noted that the incident occurred a little more than a month after Myles had been released from prison and said it was “tragically, an accident waiting to happen”. Chapple noted that issuing a sentence for death by dangerous driving is one of the most diffi- cult exercises for a judge, and he said that no sentence he passed could bring Kirzner back to life. Kirzner, who had moved to Cayman from Argentina, had turned 22 just nine days before the fatal accident. He was cy- cling to his work at the Kimpton hotel at approximately 4:15am on North Church Street in PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Myles, 29, pleaded guilty last month to causing death by dangerous driving, taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance or a certificate of roadworthiness. 2 REGIONAL NEWS THURSDAY, 4 JULY 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(PG13) 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) ANNABELLE COMES HOME (R) 1:20 | 4:20 | 7:15 VIP | 9:55 VIP MEN IN BLACK (PG13) INTERNATIONAL 1:35 | 4:20 I 7:05 | 9:50 ESCAPE PLAN: (R) THE EXTRACTORS 2:45 | 5:10 | 7:40 | 10:10 TOY STORY 4 (G) 12:45 VIP | 2:00 | 3:15 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 | 9:00 YESTERDAY (PG13) 1:00 | 7:00 | 9:45 SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG) 12:30 | 4:30 | 6:45 | 9:00 Brazil: Protecting environment not only European interest RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazil’s foreign minister said Tuesday that pro- tecting the environment “is not only a European in- terest” after France said it would ratify a free-trade deal between the Euro- pean Union and the South American bloc Mercosur only if Brazil respects its commitment to reduce deforestation. The EU and Mercosur last Friday finalised, after two decades of negotia- tions, an agreement that would integrate the blocs into a market of 800 mil- lion people. But the deal must still be ratified by the legislatures of the countries involved. The French govern- ment said Tuesday that it was yet not ready to ratify the pact, saying Brazil must “respect its commit- ments” to protecting its rainforest. Before the deal was finalized, French Pres- ident Emmanuel Macron had said France would not sign if Brazil did not con- tinue within the Paris cli- mate agreement. Brazilian foreign min- ister Ernesto Araújo re- sponded to France’s com- ments by saying: “No country is ready to ratify [the agreement] from the constitutional point of view. It must be still sub- mitted to parliament and approved.” “Most European coun- tries use more agrotoxins per hectare then Brazil. The agricultural health crisis of mad cow dis- ease began in Europe be- cause of the poor feeding of livestock,” Araújo said at a news conference in the capital, Brasilia. “This issue is not only a European interest, but ours” as well. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has raised fears among environmentalists by promising to open up the Amazon to further de- velopment and because of his close ties to the coun- try’s agro-industry lobby. A survey by the Na- tional Institute of Space Research that was pub- lished Tuesday showed that Amazon deforestation grew 60% in June com- pared to the same month last year, the worst data since 2016. Mercosur is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Para- guay and Uruguay. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has raised fears among environmentalists by promising to open up the Amazon to further development. US sanctions Cuban firm to weaken Maduro’s hold CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – The United States hit Cu- ba’s state-run oil shipping firm Cubametales with finan- cial sanctions on Wednesday, saying it’s a key player prop- ping up Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. “Maduro is clinging to Cuba to stay in power, buying military and intelli- gence operatives in exchange for oil,” US Treasury Secre- tary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. Treasury officials also lifted sanctions on PB Tankers’ fleet of ships, praising the Italian firm for halting deliveries of Venezuelan oil to the is- land nation. While the new sanctions will likely have little di- rect impact on the state-run Cuban company, they could stop firms from buying and selling oil from Cubamet- ales out of fear of drawing Treasury’s ire, just as PB Tankers had. “If you help Cuba suck oil out of poor, starving Vene- zuela, you will be punished,” said Russ Dallen, a Miami- based partner at brokerage Caracas Capital Markets. “But if you promise to go and sin no more, you can get off the devastatingly powerful US sanctions list.” The Trump administra- tion has sanctioned dozens of Venezuelan officials, power brokers and busi- nesses it accuses of raiding public coffers and carrying out human rights abuses against people struggling to survive as the country col- lapses in crisis. The sanctions list in- cludes Maduro, considered illegitimate by the Trump administration since his re- election last year. The US and some 50 nations back oppo- sition leader Juan Guaidó’s campaign to oust Maduro. Maduro, whose main backers also include Russia and China, says the US is leading an imperialist eco- nomic war against Venezuela. That includes sanctions levied early this year against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA. Democratic US Senator Bob Menendez said in a visit to Colombia Wednesday that the sanctions are intended to send a signal to the Cuban government: That supporting Maduro carries more conse- quences than benefits. “The Cubans need to un- derstand that their support of Maduro is negative for them,” the New Jersey sen- ator said. “I think it’s a very appropriate action.” “ Maduro is clinging to Cuba to stay in power, buying military and intelligence operatives in exchange for oil.” US TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN MEXICO FEDERAL POLICE REBEL AGAINST NATIONAL GUARD MEXICO CITY (AP) – Hun- dreds of Mexican federal police were in open revolt Wednesday against plans to absorb them into the newly formed National Guard. Federal police at a Mexico City command centre de- manded a meeting with Mex- ico’s security secretary, uni- formed police blocked a major capital highway in front of federal police offices and yet another contingent blocked the highway between the capital and a state cap- ital, Pachuca, for hours. The protests came as the government was officially starting to deploy the Na- tional Guard to several states to fight crime and control im- migration. They threaten to complicate the formation of a new security force that Pres- ident Andrés Manuel López Obrador has bet Mexico’s fu- ture security on. The National Guard is in- itially being formed by mili- tary police and federal po- lice but is also signing up new recruits. López Obrador has been consistently dis- missive of the federal police, characterising it as a failed security force, and gave mil- itary officers the bulk of the responsibility for the Na- tional Guard. Protesting police at the command centre in the cap- ital’s Iztapalapa borough said that their seniority, rank and benefits are not being recognised within the Na- tional Guard, which is os- tensibly a civilian security force, but whose hierarchy is heavily military. National Guard Comman- dant Patricia Rosalinda Trujillo Mariel, one of the few leaders of the new force who came from the federal police, was jostled by the crowd as she came to meet the protesters and asked them to put for- ward representatives to talk. “I am federal police, I re- spect the principles of my in- stitution and I want to have a dialogue,” Trujillo shouted over the crowd. One police representative who stepped forward without identifying himself said the protesters were waiting for the arrival of Alfonso Durazo, Mexico’s security secretary, who oversees the federal po- lice and National Guard. Tru- jillo said a delegation of pro- testers would be taken to speak with Durazo. Police officer Alejandra Baez Villanueva said the po- lice need their jobs to sup- port their families. “We aren’t protesting, we’re just demanding our rights,” she said. “We just want them to respect our sen- iority, because for (members of) the army and the navy they respect it and for us as federal police they don’t.” In front of federal po- lice offices in Mexico City, another contingent of uni- formed federal police blocked a major highway, the Perif- erico, backing up traffic for a time Wednesday. And more than 100 uni- formed police blocked the highway connecting the cap- ital and Pachuca near Ecat- apec. Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions. Some bus passengers walked from one side of the blockade to the other looking for trans- portation to carry them on. The demonstrations also revealed a vast difference in culture between the federal police and military. When federal police officers are de- ployed they are typically put up in hotels. When the mili- tary is operating outside its bases, soldiers sleep wher- ever available and receive little compensation to cover their meals. Last week, the newly ap- pointed head of the National Migration Institute apolo- gised for calling some federal police officers “fifi” or posh when they complained about difficult conditions in the ef- fort to reduce the flow of mi- gration through Mexico to- ward the United States Mexico sent 6,000 guard members to the southern border to assist in that effort and it has sent thousands more to its northern border to deter illegal border crossings. López Obrador said Wednesday that no federal police would be fired and that those who qualified for the National Guard would maintain their salary and benefits. He said that joining the new force would be vol- untary, but was vague about what would happen to fed- eral police who did not. Critics say the immigra- tion enforcement mission could distract the force from its primary responsibility of getting a handle on vi- olent crime. Mexico is experiencing the highest number of murders is at least 20 years, though the rate of the killings has sta- bilised in recent months. For years, Mexico has relied on the military to confront or- ganized crime, in some cases even disbanding municipal police forces because they were thoroughly infiltrated. Hundreds of Mexican federal police gather outside a police command centre in Mexico City Wednesday to protest against plans to force them into the newly formed National Guard. – PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 #NOTYOURSPOTKY LAZY IS NOT A DISABILITY. “ I’m running late. ” “ I’ll just be a minute. ” “ I can see my car from the store I’m in. ” It’s easy to be tempted to use a vacant disabled parking spot, but every day people with disabilities can’t find parking spaces when they need them. Cayman licence plates a hit with collectors Display wins second prize at international convention in US Grand Cayman resident John Ferguson has returned to the island with a second place award for his display of Cayman Islands vehicle licence plates at the annual Automobile License Plate Collectors Association inter- national convention. Ferguson’s was among international displays of li- cence plates at the 65th an- nual convention in Knoxville, Tennessee, on 26-29 June. The convention was at- tended by some 450 mem- bers, family and guests, who shared a 60,000-square-foot venue to buy, trade and sell licence plates, including eve- rything from common cur- rent issue plates to exotics such as the original plate from Pope Pius XII’s vehicle. As an avid collector him- self, Ferguson’s goal was not only to see what rare plates he might add to his own collection but also to share Cayman’s new system with collectors from all over the world. The Ministry of Com- merce, Planning and Infra- structure granted his request to provide him with a display of the new plates to show- case at the convention. With the ministry’s help, Ferguson assembled a current display of the li- cence plates available in the Cayman Islands, along with a Cayman maritime flag, a conch shell and nu- merous photos of life in Cayman, showing stingrays, blue iguanas, sunsets and Seven Mile Beach. He sweet- ened the look at his Cayman exhibit with a variety of rum cake samples for eve- ryone to enjoy. “I was so pleased and honoured that Mr. Joey Hew and his ministry were able to grant me permission to ac- quire sample licence plates of those now available to all registered motor vehicles in the Cayman Islands,” said Ferguson. “It is with great pride that I, along with all the help from the ministry, was able to represent these Cayman Islands and promote our Caymankind.” Cayman’s Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Li- censing began replacing the old orange-coloured metal plates on registered vehicles with new tamper-proof white plates and electronic tags in 2017, a process which is still ongoing. Out of the 30 international displays that were reviewed during the four-hour judging time frame, Ferguson was awarded second place for his Cayman Islands sample exhibition. First place went to Jerald Griffin with his 1940 to 1945 New Hampshire gov- ernor plates. The Cayman collection now will move to the Cayman Islands Motor Museum in West Bay. Ferguson’s was among international displays of licence plates at the 65th annual convention in Knoxville, Tennessee, on 26-29 June. Licence plate collector John Ferguson stands with his collection of Cayman Islands plates, which won second place at an international convention last month. - PHOTO: KATIE O’NEILL For winning second place, Ferguson received another licence plate to add to his extensive collection.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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” Six condo projects approved ahead of stamp duty change JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Six new apartment com- plexes were given the green light Friday after the Cen- tral Planning Authority con- vened a special meeting to allow developers a chance to have their applications re- viewed before a “loophole” allowing stamp duty reduc- tions is closed. The Mantras, a $15 mil- lion, 50-apartment complex on South Sound Road, Baer Development’s 26-apartment complex in George Town, and Dolphin Point’s $50 mil- lion 43-condo development in West Bay were among those approved. Changes to the Stamp Duty Law, effective 1 July, will close what government describes as a “loophole” that has allowed home buyers to pay stamp duty on the land price, rather than the finished property, for various types of development. That has meant signif- icant savings for buyers, worth tens of thousands of dollars, in some cases. Developers that are granted planning permission before 1 July will still be able to take advantage of the old tax regime and market their properties at lower cost. Several submitted appli- cations before the deadline, and the planning department agreed to schedule an addi- tional meeting in June to ac- commodate them. In total, six new com- plexes were approved across the island with a total esti- mated expenditure of around $85 million. The biggest of those is a $50-million development at Dolphin Point, off North West Point Road in West Bay. The application includes 43 apart- ments on an oceanfront site. The land was the home of a previous development which was damaged during Hurricane Ivan and later demolished. According to paperwork submitted to the CPA, the new complex has been de- signed with increased set- backs and a ground floor parking area to reduce the likelihood of storm im- pacts in future. Applications from South Sound Condos for 14 units on South Sound Road, from Winsome Prendergast for 20 apartments in West Bay, and from One Canal Point, for 17 apartments – another phase of a much larger devel- opment – were also approved. Government passed leg- islation to close the loop- hole in December last year, but added an amendment to the draft legislation delaying implementation. According to an analysis of the legislation by Bedell Cristin law firm, the amend- ment enables those “with planning permission in place by 30 June 2019 to have a year to take advantage of the pre-existing regime for stamp duty on ‘linked property transactions’, provided they enter into their contracts be- fore 31 December 2019”. Government hopes the changes will increase rev- enue, but some developers have warned it could raise the barrier for home owner- ship and have a cooling effect on residential development. Changes to the Stamp Duty Law, effective 1 July, will close what government describes as a “loophole” that has allowed home buyers to pay stamp duty on the land price, rather than the finished property, for various types of development. Brac Rotary Club installs new board The Rotary Club of Cayman Brac installed a new president and board of directors at its annual Changeover Ceremony at the Cayman Brac Beach Re- sort on 25 June. According to the club, Julianne Scott, at age 27, has become the youngest Rotarian to take up the role of president in the history of the Cayman Islands. Also installed during the ceremony were Michael Bryan as vice president, Faith Bodden as secretary, Audley Scott as treasurer, Annie Rose Scott as sergeant-at- arms, and Troy Grant as im- mediate past president. “I feel truly honoured and blessed to become the Pres- ident of the Rotary Club of Cayman Brac, and I am in- deed proud to inherit the legacy of past presidents who have contributed im- mensely towards the growth and development of our club and our island in general,” said the new president in a press release. She added, “The priori- ties for my presidency are to focus on increasing our club’s visibility, enhance- ment of participant engage- ment, breathing life back into our club’s signature pro- jects, and increasing our im- pacts locally and globally. I look forward to a wonderful year doing what we Rotar- ians do best, putting service above self.” In addition to Rotarians, in attendance were the club’s past presidents and charter members, president and im- mediate past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise, mem- bers from the Lions Club of Cayman Brac and family and friends. Nova announces scholarship winner Estevanovich receives award for further studies Recruitment agency Nova has completed its judging process for its second an- nual ‘Love Your Future’ schol- arship, which offers $3,000 to a student who most im- presses the Nova team with their passion for their ca- reer to advance themselves through further education and training. Rita Estevanovich, who works with the Cayman Na- tional Cultural Foundation, is this year’s recipient. She is looking to develop her ca- reer in performing arts by studying a Master of Fine Arts in Actor Performer Training in the UK. Her story inspired the Nova team, who found her extremely passionate to suc- ceed and looking to take her career further and build Cay- man’s global exposure in the performing arts field, inter- viewers said. She spoke en- thusiastically about using her creativity and inherent ability to captivate and tell stories. Louise Reed, client rela- tionship and business de- velopment manager at Nova, said, “As a recruitment team, we meet with talented can- didates daily who are keen to progress their careers and qualifications, but at times have been restrained by the expense of furthering their education. “Our aim, along with our careers advice, online training and coaching, is to help Cay- manians find the career path they are looking for in a role with long-term prospects.” She said the company wanted the ‘Love Your Future’ schol- arship selection process to focus on the areas that are vital to a successful career – drive, passion, integrity and self-reliance. “Rita was an excellent ex- ample of these,” Reed said. “Right through from her ap- plication video to the end in- terview, she was proactive and conscientious in every aspect. She impressed us with her motivation, plan- ning and determination to succeed in her new career path. We are excited to share this journey with her.” 2019 Nova scholarship winner Rita Estevanovich is flanked by Nova recruitment administrator Hannah Jackson, left, and Nova recruitment consultant Jennifer Moseley. Julianne Scott According to the club, Julianne Scott, at age 27, has become the youngest Rotarian to take up the role of president in the history of the Cayman Islands.5 LOCAL NEWS JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some gardeners do eve- rything by the book. Others wing it and watch, but Myrtle Green just has a green thumb for producing beautiful plants. The 65-year-old retired Brac social worker rolled up her sleeves to transform her neighbour’s garden into a lush tropical wonderland. “From a child, I always loved to plant … my fa- ther had more than a green thumb, he had a green hand … I guess I just inherited his love of nature and the earth,” said Green. She said she moved to Cayman Brac years ago from Jamaica to work as a car- egiver with Brac resident Ronnie Tibbetts. After Tib- betts died, Green got a job with the Cayman Brac Chil- dren and Family Services and, in later years, worked at Faith Hospital before retiring with a back injury. To do something mean- ingful after retiring, she started gardening around her own home. It was not until she met neighbour Julie Hislop’s two grandchildren raiding her guinep tree that her gardening hobby would really take root. The children could not wait to get back home to tell grandma how they had caught Green whispering, watering and lovingly talking to her plants to get them to grow and blossom, and she must get her to do the same for their garden. Hislop paid Green a visit and they talked. Before she left, Hislop asked Green if she would take care of and water her plants while she made visits to Grand Cayman. Green agreed. Over the next couple of weeks, Green kept herself busy watering the plants every day. When Hislop re- turned, she was impressed with the work Green had done and gave her the job on a permanent basis. It was a gardener’s dream come true for Green. She began growing everything she could – pumpkins, beans, cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes, sunflowers, elephant ears and periwinkles, as well as sun- flowers that towered 4-5 feet tall, desert roses, Easter lilies and lots more. Her only tools are a gar- dener’s fork, clippers, a little shovel and a stool to sit on because of her bad back, Green said. Hislop’s garden soon be- came the envy of plant en- thusiasts on the Brac. She said the garden shows off the beautiful old house, built in 1929 by her father Aston Rutty. Green said most of her plants come from plant clip- pings sourced around the community, and she gets bulbs from the garden store. “If you do something and you don’t put love and your heart into it, it will not come to anything,” she said. Green uses no harmful pesticides in her garden. To get rid of garden bugs and lice infestations, she plants scallions among the vegetable plants. She also uses raw garlic blended into a sticky paste, mixed with water and placed into a bottle to spray the plants. She waters her plants every day during the hot summer months. The plant that she finds the easiest to grow is ele- phant ears because they are planted by bulbs. The hardest to grow are sweet roses and croton plants. “To tell you the whole truth, all plants are easy to grow, at least for me,” she said. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 Green thumbs creating magic on the Brac 41 graduate from theological training programme JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Centre for Theological Leadership Training held its second annual commence- ment exercise at the Church of God of Prophecy, Victory Tabernacle, on 23 June. Twenty-eight students graduated with diplomas and 13 with certificates from the education programme which offers non-denominational leadership training in Chris- tian ministry work. “Our students have shown much interest and enthusiasm to study the scriptures and the related subjects. They applied them- selves with single-minded devotion,” said the training centre’s director, the Rt. Reverend P.J. Lawrence, who started CTLT in Sep- tember 2017 with the certifi- cate programme. Vernon Webb, delivering the valedictorian address with Debreca Rollins, said when he first started the pro- gramme, he was unsure of what to expect but, as the classes commenced and one semester followed the other, he became more inquisitive concerning the relevant the- ories surrounding the study of theology. He said he realised that CTLT offers the opportunity to discover various aspects of the history of God’s people through to modern times, and how that affects people both individually and collectively. “We were effectively then provided with the necessary insights on how to combat the challenges … which we face from day to day in our attempts to accomplish the will of God. This task is to proclaim Jesus Christ and to promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace,” he said. Webb explained that CTLT offers this experience in a ho- listic environment where par- ticipants are encouraged to explore the various topics of theology with determination and perseverance, while in- jecting some humour in the classroom experience. Rollins said CTLT had enabled its participants “to step outside our comfort zone, to open our minds and view things in ways we never thought about before. It has forced us to challenge our- selves to be more than we thought we could be”. “ If you do something and you don’t put love and your heart into it, it will not come to anything.” MYRTLE GREEN, gardener “ Our students have shown much interest and enthusiasm to study the scriptures and the related subjects.” REVEREND P.J. LAWRENCE Graduates gather for a group photograph at the second annual Centre of Theological Leadership Training commencement ceremony. Myrtle Green with some of the sunflowers she has grown in Julie Hislop’s garden. Plants and flowers abound at Julie Hislop’s Cayman Brac home, built by her father Aston Rutty in 1929. - PHOTOS: SISTER ISLANDS NEWS AGENCYThe 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. THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY, 6 JULY MANGO SEASON AT MUSEUM: The 4th annual Lookya Mango Season at the Museum will be held today, from 10am to 2pm at the National Museum in downtown George Town. BEACH CLEAN-UP: Plastic Free Cayman holds its monthly community clean-up at Sand Hole Beach, Sand Hole Road in West Bay, at 8am. All welcome. Bring a reusable water bottle, hat and gloves if you have them. Chance to win a trip for two with Red Sail Sports. SUNDAY, 7 JULY CONSTITUTION CELEBRATION: The Church of God Chapel West Bay invites everyone to join its annual celebration in honour of the Constitution this morning at 10:30am. The Colour Party will be provided by the Scouts and the guest speaker is Roy Bodden. THURSDAY, 11 JULY THATCH PLAITING CLASS: 7-9pm, Heritage House, Cayman Brac. Cost is $5. Contact bracautumnfestival@gmail.com. FRIDAY, 12 JULY NAU CLOSURE: The Needs Assessment Unit’s Grand Cayman Office will be closed today for a staff function. TUESDAY, 16 JULY SEAFARERS MEETING: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association will hold a General Meeting today at 7:30pm in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Three buses will leave from West Bay Town Hall at 6pm. The Barnes Bus route in George Town will leave the Public Library parking area at 6:45pm, stopping at the Cayman Compass building and the Airport Fosters. The bus marked Bobo $1 Public transport, blue in colour, will pick up from British Caymanian, Uncle Bill’s, Walkers Road, Shedden Road and Crewe Road. The bus from East End will pick up at the school parking lot, gas station and Wreck of the Ten Sail, starting at 5:45pm. North Side pick-ups at Chisholm’s Store and the soccer field, starting at 6:15pm. Bodden Town pick-ups at Lorna’s gas station at 6:45pm, Savannah pick-up at gas station at 7pm. THURSDAY, 18 JULY HUMANE SOCIETY QUIZ: Monthly trivia to raise funds for the Humane Society. 7pm at Fidel Murphy’s. Ann Ghezzi will be hosting. Entry fee is $10 per person, six people per team. Call 949-5189 to book a table. SATURDAY, 20 JULY WOMEN’S DIVE DAY: Divetech will attempt to break its own record of the largest number of women taking part in a single dive today as it celebrates Women’s Dive Day 2019. The event will take place at Divetech’s shore diving site, LightHouse Point and is a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Society. The aim is to have 100 women take part, to break last year’s record of 86. Spaces are on a first-come, first-served basis. $25 to secure a place. Call 946-5658, 7.30am to 5pm, or visit the dive shop. WEDNESDAY, 7 AUG STROKE AND STRIDE: The first of a three-series fundraiser race to support young triathletes and community charities will be held today for swimmers and runners. The swim distance increases each week while the run stays the same at 2 miles. Participate in 1, 2 or 3 of the races – individually or as a team. Race 1 is held today and consists of a 400-metre swim and a 2-mile run; Race 2 is on 14 Aug., a 600-metre swim and 2-mile run; and Race 3 is on 21 Aug., an 800-metre swim and 2-mile run. All races begin at 5:45pm at Sunset House. Entry fees are: Individuals, $15 per race/$35 for all 3; Teams, $25 per race/$60 all 3. Triathlon Association Membership required and is available for $15 at registration. GENERAL INTEREST YMCA SUMMER CAMPS: Camps will take place from 2 July to 23 Aug. across three locations – Field of Dreams, Camana Bay Sports Complex and the Youth Centre at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah. For more information, visit www.ymcacayman.ky. On-site registration is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm at the Field of Dreams. The Day Camp team can also be reached at ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky. To find out about financial assistance, which is available for families in need, email info@ymcacayman.ky. ‘I CAN QUIT’ SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES: The Public Health Department reminds smokers who wish to quit the habit that there are still some spaces left for upcoming smoking cessation classes. Classes start on 5 June, from 5:15-6:45pm every Wednesday for seven weeks in the Public Health Department, Smith Road Centre, second floor. For more information or to sign up, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2889/244-2621, or email sarah.hetley@hsa.ky or nola. sanderson@hsa.ky. COUNSELLING SERVICES: The Family Resource Centre and the Counselling Centre have moved. They are now with the Department of Counselling Services at their new home on Mary Street, at 87 West Apollo House. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9am to 1pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 7pm, and Wednesdays 9am to 4pm. SQUASH CLUB: The Cayman Islands Squash Club hosts a social evening for women on the last Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm, and holds squash beginner lessons for adults every Monday at 7pm. For more information, email info@squash.ky. PIRATES WEEK VENDORS: Food and craft vendors interested in participating in the upcoming Pirates Week Festival can reserve stalls starting Monday, 3 June. Food Festival dates are 8, 9 and 11 Nov. A valid DEH Food Handling Certificate must accompany completed application forms. All food vendors must use biodegradable containers and utensils (available from Pirates Week Festival office – limited supply). Space is limited, please register early. Download the application form at www.piratesweekfestival.com/ participate. To learn more call 949-5078 or info@piratesweekfestival.com. 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: Cayman Islands Humane Society Thrift Shop. Located in Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The Thrift shop is open Tuesday – Saturday 9am to 2pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 945-5596 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; Tues-Fri 9:30am to 4pm; Sat 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers are 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, 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 eminentoratorstoastmasters @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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Plastic Free Cayman will hold a beach clean-up at Sand Hole Beach, Sand Hole Road, in West Bay, at 8am on Saturday, 6 July.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 aerial operations for both Sister Islands. While it will be tack- ling mosquitoes, the MRCU says it is determined not to disturb the local bee populations on the islands while carrying out truck or aerial spraying. The MRCU also has hired three full-time Disease Prevention Of- ficers to help with in- creased efforts. On Little Cayman, Ke- marley Maxam began work as a Disease Preven- tion Officer on 13 May. The 22-year-old Caymanian is the MRCU’s first full-time Disease Prevention Officer on that island. Meanwhile, on Grand Cayman, the MRCU in- creased ground con- trol measures to contend with a mosquito outbreak over the past two weeks. During an aerial spraying operation on 25 June, the unit used a recently pro- cured chemical that targets adult mosquitoes, helped to mop up nearly 7,000 acres in the Frank Sound/ North Side area. To request MRCU spraying services, call 949‑2557 or visit www.mrcu.ky. George Town on 15 April, when he was struck by Myles who was driving on the wrong side of the road. Kirzner was “full of hope and expectations to make a better life for himself”, said Justice Chapple. Myles left the scene of the accident and was later found to have a blood-al- cohol level 2.5 times the legal limit. Justice Chapple said he found little to nothing in the way of mitigation, saying the accident was “the very height of irre- sponsibility, selfishness, stupidity and worse”. Justice Chapple said he was moved by a letter pro- vided by the victim’s family and that he had read it many times before deter- mining the sentence. Myles received credit for pleading guilty at the first reasonable opportunity and for writing a letter to the victim’s family showing re- morse and contrition. Myles was sentenced to six months for driving while disqualified and two months for driving with no insurance, but those sentences were ruled to run concurrently to the six-year sentence. Justice Chapple said the 10-year disqualification will begin when Myles is released from prison. “You are a menace to the roads,” said Jus- tice Chapple. Many of the issues with contract spending, the re- port said, were tied to larger weaknesses across govern- ment financial practices. It said many of the same issues were highlighted in last year’s report ‘Government’s Use of Consultants and Tempo- rary Staff.’ The auditor gen- eral said one of the big weak- nesses found in that process was that, while procurement manuals existed, they largely were not being followed. “The Government told us that the [Central Procure- ment Office] would be issuing new procurement policies and templates that comply with the new legislative re- quirements for use across government,” the report said. “We are not aware that any new procurement manual was issued. “We encourage the gov- ernment to implement the recommendations made in our 2018 report as soon as possible, and we have reit- erated them where relevant,” the report added. In a response, the Cen- tral Procurement Office said it had produced a Procure- ment Portal with “a wealth of procurement templates and other resource and guid- ance materials”, but agreed that “some additional guid- ance would be helpful, and proposes that CPO develop a procurement guidance docu- ment”, and said it would pro- duce one by the end of Sep- tember this year. The relevant agencies es- sentially agreed with all 15 recommendations the au- ditor general made in the re- port as ways to improve how government handles out- side contracts. Other recommendations include monitoring and an- alysing spending on outside services, preparing strong business cases justifying those services, coordinating purchases across ministries in order to leverage collec- tive buying power, making sure government knows fair market price for the services being contracted and “in- cluding appropriate clauses such as consequences for poor or non-performance, and termination clauses” in those contracts. Audit reports are posted on the Office of the Auditor General website: www.auditorgeneral.gov.ky. Spray plane targets Sister Islands mosquitoes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Man sentenced to 6 years in drunk driving death Government failing to track outside spending CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Prison joins trade school to provide second chance JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Prison chiefs are part- nering with Cayman’s new trade school to provide training opportunities for in- mates in an effort to end the “revolving door syndrome” and help cut crime. Though there is no re- liable data on recidivism rates for Cayman’s prisoners, prison director Steven Barrett said there were considerable issues with the same people re-offending. He said helping inmates develop job skills and access career opportunities was one way of preventing them going back to a life of crime. “No one should come into prison and leave without us having made a positive im- pact in their lives,” he said. “One of the ways we do that is to find them employ- ment – not just a job, but a meaningful sustainable career path.” He said the link with In- spire Cayman Training, set up by former government worker and anti-crime advo- cate Michael Myles, who he described as “a social cham- pion”, was a “no-brainer”. Myles has set up a training centre, accredited through the US-based Na- tional Centre for Construc- tion Education and Re- search, that will offer courses in construction, carpentry and air conditioning repair, among others. Six prison officers are being certified as instructors, and will deliver the same curriculum in the prison. Barrett said he hopes to put 60 prisoners through the various programmes in the first year of the partnership. Once inmates return to society, they will be able to continue their courses at the new centre on Eastern Avenue and will get help to find work. “This isn’t a programme that ends in prison,” said Barrett. “When inmates leave Northward, that isn’t the end of our responsibility. We have a social responsibility to ensure their transition back into the community is successful. “One of the reasons people fall back into crime is a sense of hopelessness about what the future looks like. If we can change that in some way then we may just prevent someone becoming a future victim of crime.” Myles said his aim with the training centre was to help both young Caymanians and older people, including inmates, get the training and job skills they need for suc- cessful and lucrative careers in the trades. He said there were 27,000 work permit holders in Cayman, many in trades that could be filled by Caymanians if they got the right training. Myles, who was an at-risk youth officer for government, said he got tired of watching kids graduate and get caught up in crime and in the court system. He said providing good career options was inte- gral to preventing crime. The school’s programmes will also focus on personal skills, including job-read- iness, debt management and conflict resolution in the workplace. Michael Myles has opened a new trade school on Eastern Avenue in George Town. Prisons Director Steven Barrett hopes providing skills training and career opportunities will help prevent prisoners from re‑offending. - PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Kirzner The accident scene on North Church Street on 15 April: Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Kirzner’s mangled bicycle can be seen on the right, by the pavement. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Cayman Brac will now be used as a base for aerial operations for both Sister Islands.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Florida fireball confirmed as space junk Conspiracy theorists took to social media in a flurry of excitement Wednesday after a mysterious orange fireball streaked across the Florida sky, however the Center for Astrophysics confirmed it was merely pieces of a Chinese rocket re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Trump touts 4 July military ‘salute’; critics see politics WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump is mar- shalling tanks, bombers and other machinery of war for a Fourth of July celebration that traditionally is light on military might, while critics accused him of using America’s military as a po- litical prop. Under White House di- rection, the Pentagon was scrambling to arrange for an Air Force B-2 stealth bomber and other warplanes to con- duct flyovers of the celebra- tion on the National Mall. There will be Navy F-35 and F-18 fighter jets, the Navy Blue Angels aerial acrobatics team, Army and Coast Guard helicopters and Marine V-22 Ospreys. Two Bradley fighting vehi- cles were in place Wednesday near the Lincoln Memorial, where Trump will deliver a speech on for the Independ- ence Day celebration. A small number of 60-ton Army Abrams battle tanks were sent to Washington by rail to be positioned on or near the National Mall, though the District of Co- lumbia government fired back with its own verbal salvo. “Tanks, but no tanks,” it tweeted, adding that the Pen- tagon itself said last year that a tank’s steel tracks could damage city roadways. Also scheduled to make ap- pearances over the Mall are the presidential Air Force One and Marine One aircraft. Trump, casting the ex- travaganza as a “Salute to America,” tweeted on Tuesday that military leaders are “thrilled” to participate. If so, they were hiding it well. Pen- tagon officials referred ques- tions to the White House. Mil- itary officials would not even say on the record whether Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plans to attend. “Military Leaders are thrilled to be doing this & showing to the American people, among other things, the strongest and most ad- vanced Military anywhere in the World,” Trump tweeted. “Incredible Flyovers & big- gest ever Fireworks!” “This is raw politiciza- tion,” countered Loren De- jonge Schulman, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a Pentagon and White House official during the Obama ad- ministration. She said in an email exchange that Trump’s use of the military appears to be less about honouring the men and women serving in uniform than about trying to “brag to and humor” his po- litical cronies. Rep. Betty McCollum complained, “Mr. Trump is hi- jacking the celebration and twisting it into a taxpayer- funded, partisan political rally that’s more about pro- moting a Trumpian cult of personality than the spirit of American independence and freedom. The Minnesota Democrat, who chairs the In- terior Appropriations sub- committee, said the Interior Department and the Pentagon have not answered multiple requests for details on how much the event will cost. White House officials sought to counter the criti- cism by stressing that the president would deliver a pa- triotic speech at the Lincoln Memorial during an event that he has billed as hon- ouring the US armed forces. The administration un- dercut its own assertion of it being a non-political event, however, when senior pres- idential adviser Kellyanne Conway said the speech will highlight “the success of this administration in opening up so many jobs for indi- viduals, what we’ve done for veterans”, in addition to cel- ebrating democracy, patri- otism and the military. A fundamental feature of the military’s role in Amer- ican democracy is its insula- tion from politics, which is meant to ensure the armed forces’ loyalty to the Consti- tution rather than to an in- dividual elected leader. That is why, for example, mem- bers of the military are not allowed to participate in po- litical campaigns, and why Trump’s first defence secre- tary, Jim Mattis, slow-rolled a White House plan for a Vet- erans Day military parade last year. Muscular military dis- plays of the kind that are common in authoritarian countries like China and North Korea are not quin- tessentially American, al- though military bands and honour guards customarily participate in holiday pa- rades and warplanes some- times are used in flyovers at big sporting events. The US traditionally has not em- braced showy exhibitions of raw military power as a claim of international pres- tige and influence. Trump had wanted a mil- itary parade of tanks and other equipment in Wash- ington after he watched a military parade on Bastille Day in Paris in 2017. His plan eventually was scut- tled, partly because of cost, though he apparently held on to the idea. Local officials ob- jected at that time, too. Trump insists he’s not dropping citizenship question effort WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that he is not dropping efforts to include a citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 census, even as the US. Census Bu- reau has started the process of printing the questionnaire without it. “News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put the Citizenship Question on the Census is incorrect or, to state it differently, FAKE!” Trump said in a tweet. “We are abso- lutely moving forward.” The White House did not immediately respond to ques- tions about what he meant. Trump’s tweet directly con- tradicted comments made less than 24 hours earlier by Com- merce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Justice Department lawyers that they were standing down, following a Supreme Court de- cision halting the question. “The Census Bureau has started the process of printing the decennial ques- tionnaires without the ques- tion,” Ross said in a state- ment Tuesday. “My focus, and that of the Bureau and the entire Department is to con- duct a complete and accu- rate census.” Justice Department law- yers also notified parties in lawsuits challenging the question, and at least one federal judge who blocked its inclusion, that the company with a $114 million contract to print census question- naires had been instructed to start printing forms without the citizenship question. In the short term, Trump’s comment is unlikely to affect work on the census. But US District Judge George Hazel has ordered Justice Department lawyers to file a written stipulation with him by Monday that the government is no longer seeking to put the question on the 2020 census, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyer Denise Hulett said. Hulett participated in a conference call Tuesday with the judge and lawyers for both sides in the census citizenship case. Hazel is one of three judges who refused to allow the administration to ask everyone about their citi- zenship status in next year’s census. The other judges are in New York and California. Hazel is considering reo- pening the case after the civil rights groups who filed the Maryland lawsuit produced ev- idence from the computer files of a Republican redistricting consultant who died last year that they shows that discrim- ination against Hispanics was behind the push for the citi- zenship question. It’s unclear whether Trump’s comment would affect Hazel’s decision. Opponents of the citizen- ship question said it would discourage participation by immigrants and people who are in the country illegally, re- sulting in inaccurate figures for a count that determines the distribution of some $675 bil- lion in federal spending and how many congressional dis- tricts each state gets. Demonstrators gather at the Supreme Court as the justices ponder key decisions on gerrymandering and an attempt by the Trump administration to ask everyone about their citizenship status in the 2020 census, on Capitol Hill in Washington, 27 June. – PHOTO: AP A Bradley Fighting Vehicle is parked nearby the Lincoln Memorial for President Donald Trump’s ‘Salute to America’ event on Independence Day. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 4 JULY 2019 On The Anniversary of the Day you Went Away Today is the anniversary of the day that I lost you. And for a time it felt as though my life had ended too. But loss has taught me many things, and now I face each day with hope and happy memories to help me on my way. And though I’m full of sadness that you’re no longer here, You influence still guides me and I still feel you near What we shared will never die, it lives within my heart Bringing strength and comfort, while we are apart From your loving Mom, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces & Nephews. What we shared will never die, it lives within my heartn What we shared will never die, it lives within my heart Bringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apart s You influence still guides me and I still feel you nearYou influence still guides me and I still feel you nearYou influence still guides me and I still feel you nearYou influence still guides me and I still feel you nearYou influence still guides me and I still feel you near What we shared will never die, it lives within my heartWhat we shared will never die, it lives within my heartWhat we shared will never die, it lives within my heartWhat we shared will never die, it lives within my heartWhat we shared will never die, it lives within my heart Bringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apartBringing strength and comfort, while we are apart From your loving Mom, Sisters, From your loving Mom, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces & Nephews.Aunts, Uncles, Nieces & Nephews. 9 Years Anniversary Mark Anthony Lopez Jr. July19, 1990 - July 4, 2010 Deals made at secretive EU summit deliver top job nominees BRUSSELS (AP) – In the end, the European Union’s top jobs jamboree had a fa- miliar old-time ring to it. Instead of embracing a transparent future, leaders of the 28 EU nations re- peated the past as they retreated behind closed doors to divvy up a half- dozen jobs for politicians who will be the public faces of the world’s biggest trade bloc. The process was com- pleted on Wednesday, when little-known Italian so- cialist David Sassoli was picked as president of the European Parliament. Two of the three biggest groups in the EU legislature did not field candidates as part of the political compromise sealed by leaders at their secretive three-day summit. Sassoli’s election left a picture of presidents and prime ministers making backdoor deals, of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Em- manuel Macron throwing their weight around but also of smaller nations ganging up to exert influ- ence. It left European legis- lators with little more than a cameo appearance. “We cannot accept that the presidency of this house is being treated as a negotiating chip in old- school backroom Council negotiations,” Greens leader Ska Keller said before she lost her bid for the Parlia- ments presidency to Sas- soli, a legislator few had heard off outside of Italy before Wednesday. Macron himself ac- knowledged the deficien- cies as the whole selection process ground to a halt Monday after 28 leaders negotiated through the night in small huddles to push their interests. “When we have too many hidden agendas, we can’t do it,” Macron said. It was not supposed to be like that this. Not after the European Parliament elections in May showed a marked increase in voter turnout and a new in- terest in EU politics. Par- ties promised closer rela- tions with citizens and a listening ear for their com- plaints and aspirations. A key element of the campaign had been that the lead candidates of the political groups also would be core candidates to head the EU’s executive Commis- sion, perhaps the most im- portant job needing a new occupant by late fall. Yet none of the lead candidates had gotten the big job they craved as of Wednesday, snubbed by an- imosities between leaders and geopolitics. UK recession fears mount amid Brexit and global slowdown LONDON (AP) – Britain’s economy showed alarming signs of a sharp slowdown, possibly even into recession, as uncertainty over Brexit combines with a less benign global backdrop, according to a closely watched survey of business activity in the UK released Wednesday. The survey, from financial information firm IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, showed that the economy contracted in June at its steepest rate since the imme- diate aftermath of the coun- try’s vote three years ago to leave the European Union. The survey also found the second-steepest fall in output since the height of the global financial crisis a decade ago. The survey’s main ‘all- sector’ purchasing managers’ index fell in June to 49.2 from 50.7 the previous month, sug- gesting that a contraction is under way. Though some of the retreat was clearly due to firms adjusting their stock levels after boosting them to record levels ahead of the original Brexit date of March 29, the survey does clearly highlight the scale of the pes- simism among firms. “The overall degree of busi- ness sentiment about the year ahead remains worryingly subdued, characterised by un- certainty over the potential disruption of Brexit, signs of weakening sales growth and a lowering of economic growth projections,” said Chris Wil- liamson, chief business econo- mist for IHS Markit. Like all economies around the world, Britain has had to confront the slowdown in the global economy largely due to mounting trade tensions between the United States and China. However, it has to do that at a time when no one has an idea how Brexit will pan out in the weeks and months ahead. Brexit has been delayed to 31 Oct. after the British Parliament’s failure to back the deal that Prime Minister Theresa May agreed with the EU. Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson, who are fighting it out to replace May as leader of the Conservative Party and to become the next prime minister, have indicated that they’d be prepared to back a “no-deal” Brexit on that date if no revised agreement with the EU is struck. Most economists think such an outcome will lead to a deep recession in Britain as tariffs and other restric- tions to trade are imposed. With so much uncertainty around, businesses remain reluctant to invest in the fu- ture and many are warning they may up sticks and move to the continent where they will have continued friction- less access to the European single market. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney signalled in a speech on Tuesday that the British economy is slowing by more than predicted. He said it looks like “the negative spillovers to the UK from a weaker world economy are increasing and the drag from Brexit uncer- tainties on underlying growth here could be intensifying”. The latest surveys, he said, “point to no growth in UK output.” That was before Wednes- day’s report from IHS Markit and CIPS, which also listed a catalogue of woes afflicting the British economy from the sharpest drop in factory output since October 2012 and the steepest decline in construction since April 2009. Capital Economic has grown more negative about the immediate prospects for the British economy fol- lowing the survey and now thinks it will contract by 0.2% in the second quarter of the year. Its UK economist, An- drew Wishart, does not think there’s any respite coming in the summer. “The fact the surveys have not picked up towards the end of the quarter, and global manufacturing is slowing, means the risk is that the economy fails to bounce back in the third quarter,” he said. If a second-quarter con- traction were followed by another in the third, then the British economy would officially be in recession – widely acknowledged as two consecutive quarters of neg- ative growth. Not exactly the back- drop either Hunt or Johnson would like to have as they take the reins of the economy. RAHUL GANDHI, SCION OF INDIAN POLITICAL DYNASTY, RESIGNS NEW DELHI (AP) – Rahul Gandhi resigned Wednesday as president of India’s oppo- sition Congress party, long led by his politically pow- erful family, to take responsi- bility for its crushing defeat in recent elections. Gandhi announced his resignation on Twitter, saying he was stepping down be- cause accountability is “crit- ical for the future growth of our party”. He said rebuilding the party requires hard deci- sions and “numerous people will have to be made ac- countable for the failure”. “It would be unjust to hold others accountable but ignore my own responsibility as president of the party,” Gandhi said in his resigna- tion letter. It was unclear whether the left-of-centre secular party would accept his resignation. Gandhi’s family, starting with his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, has pro- duced three prime ministers. Two of them – his grand- mother Indira Gandhi and fa- ther, Rajiv Gandhi – were as- sassinated in office. Rahul Gandhi lost his own seat, long a Congress party bastion, in the recent elections, marking the end of an era for modern India’s most powerful political dy- nasty. However, he won a seat from another constituency. He had been talking of quitting since the results of the elections were announced in May, but party officials urged him to stay on. On Tuesday, a Congress activist reportedly tried to hang himself from a tree out- side the party office in New Delhi but was saved by party colleagues. Dozens of other party supporters joined a strike to pressure Gandhi not to resign. In the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won 303 out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, well beyond the simple majority needed to form a government. The Congress party won 52 seats and the All India Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Ba- nerjee won 22. Gandhi said in his res- ignation letter that the BJP used state organisations to help it win the elections. “We didn’t fight a political party in the 2019 election. Rather, we fought the entire machinery of the Indian state, every institution of which was marshalled against the opposition,” Gandhi said. “It is now crystal clear that our once cherished institutional neutrality no longer ex- ists in India.” He said the BJP is “sys- tematically crushing the voice of the Indian people” and that it is his party’s duty “to defend these voices”. “Our democracy has been fundamentally weakened. There is a real danger that from now on, elections will go from being a determinant of India’s future to a mere ritual,” he said. “This capture of power will result in un- imaginable levels of violence and pain for India.” Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney Italy’s David-Maria Sassoli applauds Wednesday after being elected President of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. – PHOTO: AP Rahul Gandhi has resigned as president of India’s opposition Congress party. – PHOTO: APNext >