ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 High of 91 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. LOCAL | PAGE 6 SPORTS | PAGE 12 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY SANDWICHES N E W CIFA president Alfredo Whittaker, right, accepts a gift from FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY FIFA signals CIFA will receive renewed funding SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@compassmedia.ky Cayman was welcomed back into the global football commu- nity Friday, when FIFA Presi- dent Gianni Infantino led a del- egation to visit the headquarters of the Cayman Islands Football Association. Infantino, joined by CON- CACAF President Victor Mon- tagliani, indicated Cayman will soon receive FIFA funding again, signalling the beginning of the end of a financial scandal that rocked the local community. Former CIFA President Jef- frey Webb was one of many FIFA officials indicted on corruption charges in 2015. Two additional men – former CIFA Treasurer Canover Watson and CIFA Vice President Bruce Blake – were charged Thursday with offences including money laundering and false accounting. Despite the announcement of those charges, which follow a lengthy Anti-Corruption Com- mission probe into suspicious loan payments to CIFA dating back to 2013, world football chief Infantino appeared confi- dent Friday that the new CIFA administration has turned a page on its troubled past. “We have been looking at the financial situation of CIFA. We don’t have to hide,” said In- fantino. “We all know that CIFA was under restricted funding for the time being, but the news is very positive in that respect. We are looking to building – with new funds which are there from FIFA – the infrastructure that is PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » ‘HIGH INTENSITY’ CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE CRUISE PORT PLAN JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Government is seeking to hire a public re- lations firm for a new “high intensity’ cam- paign to promote its plan for a new cruise berthing facility in George Town harbour. With more than 80% of the required signa- tures for a people-initiated referendum now verified by the Elections Office, a public vote on the controversial project is inching closer. And the Ministry of Tourism is gearing up for a potential vote. It has put out a Request for Proposals for what it describes as a “public education campaign”. Details of the likely expense of the cam- paign are not included in the advert, but gov- ernment is only required to electronically ad- vertise projects likely to come in at a cost of more than $100,000. In a response to an open records request in late 2018, government acknowledged that it has retained public relations firm Foun- tainhead on a $5,000-a-month contract, worth $30,000 through to the end of January as well FOOTBALL EXEC BLAKE VOWS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION CHARGES Blake and Watson facing money laundering allegations JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Football executive Bruce Blake has vowed to “vigorously defend” himself against corrup- tion allegations after being charged with mul- tiple offences late last week. Blake, who is still officially a vice presi- dent of the Cayman Islands Football Associ- ation, and Canover Watson, the former treas- urer of the association, were charged with a string of offences including money laundering and false accounting, in connection with an ongoing probe. The announcement Thursday evening came more than two years after the pair were first arrested. The Anti Corruption Commisson de- PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » U-14 FOOTBALL GIRLS WIN GROUP SAUNDERS RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT CONSTITUTION CHANGES PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL®IONAL MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 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 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 Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) DORA AND THE LOST (PG) CITY OF GOLD 1:05 VIP | 4:00 | 6:45 SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:30 3D | 3:45 | 9:50 THE KITCHEN (R) 1:30 | 4:15 | 7:05 | 10:10 THE ART OF RACING IN (PG) THE RAIN 1:15 | 3:45 VIP | 7:15 | 9:30 THE LION KING (2019) (PG) 12:45 | 3:45 3D | 6:30 | 9:15 3D F&F HOBBS & SHAW (PG13) 1:05 3D | 4:05 | 6:45 VIP | 7:10 | 9:40 | 9:50 VIP Guatemalans vote in presidential runoff GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – Gua- temalans go the polls Sunday in the second-round presi- dential runoff, pitting ex-first lady Sandra Torres against conservative Alejandro Giam- mattei in a nation beset by poverty, unemployment and emigration. Giammattei, making his fourth bid for the presidency, is the favourite in a CID- Gallup poll which surveyed 1,216 people between 29 July and 5 Aug. The poll estimated support for Giammattei at 39.5%, compared to 32.4% for Torres. It had a margin of error of 2.8 points. Running for the conserva- tive Vamos party, Giammattei has earned a reputation of being tough on crime and wants to re-introduce the death penalty. The 63-year- old doctor, who uses crutches because he has multiple scle- rosis, stridently opposes gay marriage and abortion and endorses family values. Torres was married to – and later divorced – former President Álvaro Colom (2008-2012), but has a record of her own as a business- woman, having run a textile and apparel company. Her campaign platform has focussed on improving education, healthcare and the economy. She also has pro- posed an anti-corruption pro- gramme, but her Unity for Hope party (UNES) has come under fire because some of its mayoral candidates have been accused of receiving contributions from drug traf- fickers for their campaigns. Polling stations open at 7:00am local time and close at 6:00pm, with pre- liminary results expected by late Sunday. There are about 8 million registered voters, but boosting turnout above 50% will be a challenge. The country’s general elec- tions were held 16 June, but no candidate won the neces- sary votes to assume the post after the first round. Sunday’s winner will take office on 14 Jan. and be tasked with attempting to stem the large flow of mi- grants headed towards the United States. At least 1% of Guatemala’s population of some 16 million has left the country this year. On 6 July, outgoing Pres- ident Jimmy Morales signed a pact with the United States that would require Salva- dorans and Hondurans to re- quest asylum in Guatemala if they cross through the country to reach the US. The next president will be forced to decide whether to nul- lify or honour the so-called “third safe country” agree- ment, which could potentially ease the crush of migrants arriving at the US border. This combination of file photos shows presidential candidate Sandra Torres in Villanueva, Guatemala, and her opponent Alejandro Giammattei in Guatemala City. Guatemalans go the polls Sunday in the second-round presidential runoff, pitting ex-first lady Torres against conservative Giammattei, who is the favourite in polls. - PHOTO: AP FILE US HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI VISITS HONDURAS JURY NOTICE All Grand Court jurors who are in the 3 July to 1 Oct. session are advised that the report date of Monday, 12 Aug., has been changed. They are now required to re- port for jury duty on Monday, 19 Aug., at 9:45am. This notice does not apply to Coroner’s Court ju- rors, who must still report for jury duty on Monday, 12 Aug., at 9:45am. Call the Jury Information line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information or email jury@judicial.ky. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Hon- duras on Saturday on the final leg of a tour of Cen- tral America. Pelosi is travelling with a congressional delega- tion to explore the causes of immigration and pos- sible solutions. The dele- gation has already visited Guatemala and El Salvador and still plans to visit mi- grant detention facilities in McAllen, Texas. “The purpose of any of our congressional travel is always to promote se- curity and regional sta- bility,” Pelosi said. “In each of the countries we vis- ited, we made the point that you could not have security unless you end corruption.” Miss Cayman Universe contestants hit the road Contestants for this year’s Miss Cayman Universe pageant traversed Grand Cayman, from West Bay to East End. The pageant’s traditional motorcade took place Saturday. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY NEW PLANNING AUTHORITY BOARD MORE DIVERSE A newly announced board for the Cayman Is- lands Central Planning Au- thority took a step closer to the diversity called for in an audit on the agency re- leased in January. Led by Chairman A.L. Thompson, the board was made up of members who were either developers or who were connected to the building industry. That audit recom- mended the membership of the authority and the Sister Islands board be balanced to include board members not tied to the building and development industry. The new list of mem- bers contains all the pre- vious board members, with the exception of S.T. “Tommie” Bodden. The new members are Jaron Leslie, an associate with Harneys law firm, Roland Bodden, a land surveyor, and Chris- tina McTaggart, founder of the Art Nest studio and former executive director of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Ten injured in crash Ten people were injured when two vehicles collided on Linford Pierson Highway Saturday. A Cheverolet Equinox and a Chevrolet Suburban, both SUVs, were involved in the accident close to the Cayman Equestrian Centre around 1pm. One of the vehicles was carrying eight people, the other was carrying two people. All 10 were taken to hospital for treatment for what was described by police as “non-life-threatening- injuries”. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. Toni Morrison worked to ensure that black lives (and voices) matter TESSA ROYNON The peerless novelist and cultural commentator Toni Morrison, who has died aged 88, never ac‑ cepted the received wisdom about anything. In a writing career that spanned half a century – from the appearance of the first of her 11 novels, The Bluest Eye, in 1970, to that of her last essay collection, Mouth Full of Blood, in February 2019 – she unfailingly cast in new light both aspects of human experience and moments in American his‑ tory that, in our compla‑ cency, we thought we al‑ ready knew. Morrison was born (as Chloe Wofford) in the de‑ pressed Rustbelt town of Lorain, Ohio, to a family of modest financial means and rich cultural and emo‑ tional resources. Her fa‑ ther worked as a welder at the nearby US. Steel plant and her mother was a key member of the Af‑ rican Methodist Episcopal church choir. Her grand‑ parents – who had mi‑ grated north from Alabama and Georgia – were also a significant presence and influence. The music, sto‑ rytelling and reading from the King James Bible that characterised Morrison’s childhood were to indelibly shape the values and aes‑ thetics of her own writing. As the first member of her family to go to college, Morrison attended Howard University in Washington DC between 1949‑53 (where she majored in English and minored in classics) – and was shocked by the segre‑ gation and ‘colourism’ she encountered. She went on to complete her MA in Eng‑ lish at Cornell in 1955 and, after various teaching and publishing jobs, became a trade editor for Random House in 1968. Here, in the New York office, she reshaped the American literary scene by actively seeking out and promoting the fiction of black authors such as Toni Cade Bambara, Leon For‑ rest and Gayl Jones. She also edited the autobiogra‑ phies of Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali. Morrison was able to focus full‑time on her writing after the re‑ sounding success of her third novel, Song of Sol‑ omon, in 1977. Reputed to be one of Barack Obama’s favourite books, this text – which focussed on the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s – is typically Morri‑ sonian in its mock‑heroic blending of the Bildung‑ sroman (conventions about an individual’s progres‑ sion to knowledge through experience), with classical epic paradigms, West Af‑ rican myth and African American folkloric wisdom. It is notably untypical, at the same time, in its focus on a male protago‑ nist (the strangely named Milkman Dead – names and naming were always all‑important to Morrison), and on friendships and family ties between men. The novel for which Morrison is best known, Beloved, was to follow in 1987 and next came her arguably underrated (because it was insuffi‑ ciently understood?) mas‑ terpiece, Jazz (1992). Each of these continues the in‑ tense focus on individuals that both society and his‑ tory have spurned or over‑ looked. These are those Morrison has called the “disremembered and unac‑ counted for”, that she ini‑ tiated with her examina‑ tion of the interior life of the abused “ugly” black girl, Pecola Breedlove, in The Bluest Eye. Both the exploration of an infanticidal, formerly enslaved mother’s quest for atonement in Beloved and the depiction in Jazz of the struggles and triumphs of a middle‑aged couple, mi‑ grants from rural Virginia, in 1920s Harlem, epito‑ mise Morrison at her un‑ canny best. Her work is un‑ flinching in her attention to the brutal realities of innu‑ merable black lives and at‑ tends equally to their crea‑ tive resilience – combining broad historical sweep with an intimate knowl‑ edge of the individual human psyche. Nobel laureate Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize for Litera‑ ture in 1993 and numerous other awards and acco‑ lades have followed. She is read, studied and revered in numerous languages all over the world. But our sense of loss at her passing should not blind us to the fact that for far too long she was at once a celebrity and insufficiently acknowl‑ edged – particularly in the more conservative wings of academia and the media – as a figure of universal (as opposed to ‘minority’) significance. Even now, there per‑ sists some resistance to including her work on ‘high literary’ syllabi. She once observed wryly, at a book reading, that she was taught in the African Amer‑ ican studies departments, in sociology and even in Law faculties, but rarely in the English departments of elite universities. There continues a failure to rec‑ ognise the extent of her contribution to intellectual history that both her fic‑ tion and her extraordinary essays constitute. Her reclaiming of mod‑ ernism as primarily a black experience, as well as her insistence that any distinc‑ tion between the aesthetic and the political is a false dichotomy, and her illumi‑ nations of the way coloni‑ alism and imperialism con‑ sciously fabricated African culture and history as ir‑ relevant, are among her greatest legacies. Public intellectual Morrison herself was acutely aware of the com‑ plex and sometimes insid‑ ious nature of her recep‑ tion, repeatedly addressing this in interviews and com‑ ment pieces. She frequently mentioned the initial New York Times review of Sula, for example, which im‑ plied that such a powerful writer ought really to focus her attention on something more important than the lives of black women in the Midwest. In a 1983 in‑ terview with literary critic Nellie McKay, she famously insisted that she was “not like James Joyce, not like Thomas Hardy, not like Faulkner”. Such compari‑ sons at that time, she be‑ lieved, obscured her spe‑ cific commitment to black politics and aesthetics. Never resting on her laurels, throughout her professorship at Princeton, her guest cu‑ ratorship at the Louvre in 2006‑07, in her retire‑ ment and until the very end, she remained pro‑ foundly alert to the way her books and essays were read, (mis)understood and (mis)represented. In her role as public intellectual and fearless social com‑ mentator, she was pres‑ cient about the racist vio‑ lence that precipitated the Black Lives Matter move‑ ment and prophetic about the regressions that the Trump era has entailed. Although her unwa‑ vering commitment to so‑ cial justice and radical change perhaps occasion‑ ally led her to overexplain – in the forewords she wrote for the Vintage re‑ issues of the novels in the early 2000s, for example, or in her final novel, God Help the Child, which lacks the pitch perfection of its pre‑ decessors – we shall ignore her wisdom about power (and how to subvert it) at our peril. A recent documen‑ tary film, ‘The Foreigner’s Home’, depicts Morrison drawing parallels between the trauma undergone by captured Africans trans‑ ported on the slaving ships’ Middle Passage to the Americas, the experience of black residents of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and the current worldwide migrant crisis. The very making of such connections, and the way she deploys her customary stunning oratory to ex‑ pose uncomfortable truths about the nature of ‘home’ and ‘homelessness’, epito‑ mises all that will endure about the phenomenon that was Toni Morrison. Above all, the insights of this film insist, as does her fiction implicitly, and her Nobel Prize lecture ex‑ plicitly, that the future is “in our hands”. The power and the responsibility for making the world a better place lies not with the great artists whose passing we mourn, Morrison al‑ ways maintained, but with ourselves – the readers and thinkers who have so much work still to do. Tessa Roynon is a Teaching and Research Fellow at the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford. This article is republished from The Conversation. She once observed wryly, at a book reading, that she was taught in the African American studies departments, in sociology and even in Law faculties, but rarely in the English departments of elite universities. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Compass Media Limited Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@compassmedia.ky Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAY A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 EXPERT CANCER CAREFOR CAYMAN ISLANDS PATIENTS © 2019 IPB CAYMAN ISLANDS PATIENTS Pamela R. Breast Cancer Patient At Cancer Treatment Centers of America © (CTCA), we guide you and your family every step of the way, starting with a 3-5 day initial evaluation to develop your personalized cancer treatment plan. A team of clinicians will work together to provide treatments combined with supportive care therapies designed to help manage side effects, boost your energy and keep you strong during treatment. New faces at Cayman Heart Fund Cayman Heart Fund has a new coordinator and board appointees. Angel- ique Bodden has been ap- pointed the coordinator and Ailian Evans, Barrie Quappe and Teri Quappe have joined the board. Bodden has an exten- sive background in finance and management, and has worked in customer service, marketing and sales for over a decade. She is a certified personal trainer and in the process of obtaining a youth training certification. She has two children and hopes one day to start a gym special- ising in nutrition and fitness of children. Born in Cuba, Evans moved to Cayman 15 years ago with her husband Sean. After their son No- lan’s passing with a com- plex congenital heart defect, Evans and her husband and daughter Ashlyn embarked on a mission to raise aware- ness about heart defects in children. Her annual initi- atives are KidFest as well as Heart Warriors & Angels Beach Walk, during Chil- dren Heart Defect Aware- ness Week, which is held in February. Team Nolan has raised more than $46,000 in donations to the Cayman Heart Fund. In September 2018, Evans was given the Cayman Heart Fund Award in appreciation for Team Nolan’s outstanding effort and contribution. Evans has been employed in private banking for over 13 years. She currently serves as international client service officer at EFG Band (Cayman). Barrie Quappe is a di- rector/consultant who helps owners of medical facilities meet national standards for healthcare facilities. Before starting Cayman Healthcare Consulting, she pioneered the role of Health Practice and Facility Inspector for the De- partment of Health Regula- tory Services in the Cayman Islands government and set policies and procedures for inspections of healthcare facilities. After a successful career as a cardiovascular specialist nurse, with experience in the United States and both local hospitals at the time, she was an analyst for the Com- plaints Commission (now the Office of the Ombudsman) working on various investi- gations. She now guides and encourages healthcare fa- cility owners to update their policies and other require- ments in the Health Practice Law. She has served on var- ious medical-related boards such as the HSA and Nursing and Midwifery and teaches CPR classes with St. Mat- thew’s University. She also has a career in the entertainment industry, performing in Sea ‘N B band, numerous theatre pro- jects and is the talk-show host on the television show ‘Cayman Now’. Teri Quappe is a sales pro- fessional with the Cayman Islands Sotheby’s Interna- tional Realty company. She is also a filmmaker, having achieved her Bach- elor of Arts in Practical Film Making at MET Film School, London, UK and her current film has been accepted into 8 Film Festivals as it continues the global festival circuit. Her experience includes working as an EMT-B in Cayman and New York, and serving as a United States Air Force trans- port specialist. She has di- rected multiple stage shows and films. She is a former youth di- rector for the Cayman Heart Fund and is a board member for the Zak Quappe Flight Scholarship. She will serve as one of the fundraising events coordinators for Cayman Heart Fund. Cayman Heart Fund is a non-profit, non-government organisation dedicated to the reduction of heart and circulatory disease in the Cayman Islands. Ailian EvansBarrie QuappeTerri QuappeAngelique Bodden Marketing conference set for September The Cayman Islands Mar- keting Professionals Asso- ciation announced that its sixth annual marketing con- ference, ‘Made to Measure: Crafting Experiences, Shaping Identity & Person- alisation’, will take place 19-20 Sept. at the Kimpton Seafire Resort. The two-day event will focus on personalised mar- keting – one of the newest marketing methods that businesses are using to pro- mote themselves online and drive revenue. according to a news release. “On a small island, the market can get oversaturated quickly, risking consumers ignoring your best planned and executed marketing cam- paign,” said CIMPA Chair- person Catherine Healy. “A personalised message that is relevant is much more likely to attract their atten- tion and seem more cred- ible. We’re excited to bring down some amazing brands that have successfully im- plemented these strategies to achieve their competitive advantage.” The full speaker lineup will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the news release. Tickets for the conference and workshops can be pur- chased at www.cimpa.ky/ conference. Tickets are $300 (full-day conference only), $200 (full- day workshops only) or $450 (workshops and conference bundle) for CIMPA members, and $375 (full-day conference only), $275 (full-day work- shops only) or $600.00 (work- shops and conference) for non-members. For more information, visit www. cimpa.ky/conference. For corporate sponsorship enquiries, contact Natalie Toole, Head of Events, by email at events@cimpa.ky or by calling 623‑8826. NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTS IN TWO WEEKS The new school year starts on the week begin- ning 26 Aug., the Depart- ment of Education Services has announced. New primary school students and their parents are required to attend an orientation day at their re- spective schools on 26 Aug. All primary schools will fully reopen on the 27th. At John Gray High School there will be an in- duction day and welcome assembly for new students on 27 Aug. and the school will fully reopen the fol- lowing day. Clifton Hunter High School has an induction session for new year 7 and year 11 students on 26 Aug. and opens for years 7, 10 and 11 the following day. Full school opening is on 28 Aug. Layman Scott High School on the Brac has an orientation for Year 12 students on 21 Aug. The school opens on 27 Aug. The Cayman Islands Fur- ther Education Centre has an induction for all year 12 students on 29 Aug. and school starts on 2 Sept. The University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands has student orientation on 23 Aug. and registration for new students between 26 Aug. and 30. Classes begin 2 Sept. Board members of the Cayman Islands Marketing Professionals Association pose during the 2019 CIMPA awards, which took place 6 June. The Department of Education Services has announced that the new school year begins the week of 26 Aug.6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Saunders raises concerns about Constitution changes Local blockchain technology survey launched Financial technology consulting firm Cartan Group LLC has launched the first Cayman Islands Blockchain Survey in an at- tempt to gather data on local blockchain technology initiatives. The survey is available online at www. blockchainsurvey.ky from 12 Aug. to 12 Sept. and seeks insight into current opinions and perceptions around blockchain and the potential impact of this technology in the future, according to a news release. “For financial services today, we are on the cusp of change, where decentral- ised public networks can bridge legacy financial sys- tems with blockchain tech- nology to help alleviate performance problems, re- move friction and ease capital flow bottlenecks,” Cartan Managing Member Brandon Caruana said. “In Cayman, while we already believe that there is recogni- tion that the technology can serve as a pragmatic solu- tion to business problems, to keep up with the global industry we need more in- formation on how to imple- ment these new strategies locally, or what they require from government and regu- lators in order to do so.” According to the news release, blockchain tech- nology can also be used to service the ‘underbanked’: people who lack access to basic financial services (savings, lending, payments etc.). For example, the Ba- hamas recently launched its own government-backed digital currency, ‘Project Sand Dollar’, creating an electronic payment system that complies with local fi- nancial regulations, pro- vides equal access to digital payments for all businesses and residents of the country, and reduces cash transactions and ser- vice delivery costs. Cartan is seeking a min- imum of 400 survey re- spondents to ensure a sta- tistically significant sample size of the population. “We do not ask for per- sonal identifiable informa- tion, such as your name, phone number, or email ad- dress, but we do ask for ge- neric demographic infor- mation to help us better understand our respond- ents,” Cartan Managing Member Brian Tang said. “We will then analyse the results across several high- level themes as well as specific segments of the population to help us un- derstand the local senti- ment and views of block- chain technology and its potential role in the Cayman Islands.” The results and sup- porting analysis of the survey will be published on Cartan’s website in October. For more information about Cartan and the survey, email info@cartan.ky or call 233‑0445. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky MLA Chris Saunders says he’s concerned that some of his fellow members are making it too easy to make changes to the Cayman Is- lands Constitution. Saunders has submitted a letter to the United King- dom’s Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Tariq Ahmad, saying he does not think a series of proposed changes to the 10-year-old doc- ument should be made without submitting them to the voting public as a referendum. The representative for Bodden Town West said he wants to make sure Cay- man’s democracy is working. “I am not opposed to con- stitutional changes,” Saun- ders said. “But you can’t have people sitting in the back- room, making decisions on changing the Constitution. Changes should be done by a referendum. It needs to go to the people. We can’t uni- laterally propose changes without their consent. That is really the issue.” Saunders contends that what was initially an effort to prevent perceived over- reach by the British govern- ment, following a change the UK imposed on Cay- man’s beneficial ownership laws last year, expanded to include other elements, in- cluding enlarging the size of the Cabinet, eliminating the governor’s ability to intro- duce legislation and forming a new police commission to assist the governor. He said none of the 13 proposals he lists in his letter are minor or uncon- troversial. Guidelines set in 2009 by the British Foreign Office say any constitutional change not agreed to be minor or uncontroversial by both the premier and oppo- sition leader, should be sub- mitted as a referendum. Premier Alden McLaughlin said when ne- gotiations on the changes took place last December with British officials, both he and then-Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller agreed that none of the issues were controversial. “I’m not suggesting for a minute that any of the changes are minor,” McLaughlin said. “What the UK has acknowledged is these changes are not minor. But as far as the UK is concerned they’re uncon- troversial because it was agreed to.” Miller said he was on board with the changes, as was his deputy Alva Suckoo. “Alva did not object to one single issue that I re- call,” Miller said. “I’m not opposed to a ref- erendum,” he added, “but my position is the Consti- tution does not require a referendum, otherwise the UK government would not have agreed”. Because the Cayman Is- lands are still an overseas territory, it is the British Foreign Office that controls the Constitution and makes any actual changes. “While they will, in most cases listen to what the territories have to say,” McLaughlin said, “on more than one occasion, when they believe certain things should be a certain way, they make them that way.” McLaughlin questioned Saunders’ motives. “It’s never been an issue for anyone except Chris,” the premier said. “He’s con- cerned with politics and being an obstructionist.” He said Saunders “agreed to all these proposals in ad- vance” of the negotiations. Saunders, however, pro- duced screenshots of texts he sent to Alva Suckoo shortly before the negoti- ations commenced saying he did not agree with “any changes to the domestic make-up of Cabinet”. Saunders said he just wants to make sure Cay- maninans have input on any changes to the document. He’s incensed that a mo- tion he recently put forward in the Legislative Assembly was not accepted by Speaker McKeeva Bush. “The motion that I filed sought support and approval for any major or material changes to the Cayman Is- lands Constitution to be ap- proved by a referendum lo- cally,” Saunders wrote in his letter to Ahmad. “Addition- ally, it also sought support and approval that any minor changes be approved by the Legislative Assembly as op- posed to an agreement be- tween the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition.” In a radio interview, McLaughlin said Bush turned it down for legal reasons. “The motion it- self is not constitutional,” McLaughlin said. “It seeks to get the House to do some- thing the House doesn’t have the power to do.” Saunders said he fears the leaders are setting a precedent that will make it easier to change the Consti- tution in the future. “We need to set a very high bar to change that doc- ument,” he said. “ I am not opposed to constitutional changes. But you can’t have people sitting in the backroom, making decisions on changing the Constitution. Changes should be done by a referendum. It needs to go to the people.” CHRIS SAUNDERS , Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders “ We do not ask for personal identifiable information, such as your name, phone number, or email address, but we do ask for generic demographic information to help us better understand our respondents.” BRANDON CARUANA, Cartan Managing Member EY donates $10,000 to Jasmine EY Cayman Ltd. has made a US$10,000 donation to Jas- mine, which provides care to people in the Cayman Islands living with long-term or end- stage conditions. “Jasmine goes above and beyond in providing excep- tional care to the many Cay- manian residents that re- quire their services, and we’re proud to support an organisation so dedicated to helping others,” Keiran Hutchison, EY Partner and Transaction Advisory Ser- vices regional leader, said in a press release. Jasmine’s care is free of charge to all Caymanian res- idents. It provides support to people living with debili- tating pain, as well as spe- cialist comprehensive hos- pice care to people living with life-limiting illness. The charity provides support for both patients as well as family members, care-givers and loved ones. “We’re incredibly thankful for the generous donation from EY as it allows us to continue to provide the much needed medical support to our patients and their fami- lies free of charge,” said Fe- licia McLean, director of op- erations and nursing. “What many don’t realise is the wide range of services the organisation provides, in- cluding hospice, respite and palliative care, which allows the organisation to help even more individuals.” She added that EY’s do- nation would be used to ad- vance the training of fa- cility staff. Both emphasised that Jasmine requires additional financial support as the de- mand from patients and families continues to grow along with the Cayman Is- lands community, and they hope that other organisa- tions and individuals will in- clude Jasmine in their giving so this community service can continue to support people in need. From left, Keiran Hutchison, EY partner; Dr. Virginia Hobday, medical director; and Felicia McLean, director of operations and nursing, with the $10,000 donation.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 Miss World committee hosts EnviroWalk Governor Martyn Roper (centre-left, green shirt) and reigning Miss World Cayman Islands Kelsie Woodman-Bodden (centre-right, green shirt), lead a pack of about 100 people participating in Sunday’s inaugural EnviroWalk. The 5K event held at SafeHaven was organised by the Miss World Cayman Islands Committee to promote the environment. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY needed to give even more op- portunities to play football for the whole community.” Infantino lauded current CIFA President Alfredo Whit- taker for expanding opportu- nities for Cayman’s youth to play on an international stage. Infantino said Friday that re- storing funding to CIFA will not be his decision alone; it will be made by FIFA’s compliance committee. But he said the situ- ation appears positive and that he looks forward to working with CIFA in the future. “We cannot change the past. The past is the past,” he said. “The entire situation in the Cayman Islands football has affected the present, and that’s why the work which was done here by Alfredo and his team has certainly been harder than in many, many other places. I know what I’m speaking about, because the situation I found FIFA in when I arrived a couple of years ago was also not really the best one. You have to roll up your sleeves and you have to work and that’s exactly what has happened here.” Infantino had hoped to meet with representatives of government including Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin and Minister of Sports Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, but that did not come to pass. Still, he said it was a crucial time for him to visit Cayman and an important juncture for CIFA to build upon. “It’s sad of course that these meetings have not material- ised,” said Infantino. “I under- stand the situation. My wish and my hope as FIFA president with my delegation was simply to come here and say ‘Hello,’ to say, ‘Look at what we are doing and how much we are in- vesting now in football.’ Let’s not forget that FIFA has multi- plied by five the investments in football development in every country. It’s US$1.5 million a year which will be invested in football development infra- structure and organisation. … It’s also auditing fully every- thing that happens with that money. This was not the case in the past.” Montagliani said he was pleased that Cayman agreed to host the Caribbean Football Union’s Girls’ Under 14 Chal- lenge and to Nations League games that will be contested in September. That involvement, he said, indicates that CIFA un- derstands the bigger picture in growing the game. “I don’t think we just turn the page. I think the book was thrown away. We’ve written a new book,” he said. “I was here not too long ago. We had a leadership summit here. The facts are the facts, and the facts are that this administration led by Alfredo and his team have worked their butts off. You can see the results. Not only are they doing it for Cayman, they’re doing it for CONCACAF.” Whittaker said he was thrilled to meet with FIFA and that he was prepared to let the investigation and prosecu- tion of Webb et al take its own trajectory. At one point, Whit- taker was asked if CIFA would seek to recover funds improp- erly taken from it if Blake and Watson are convicted. “I cannot make a com- ment on that right now until I meet with my legal depart- ment,” he said. The bottom line, said Whit- taker, is that CIFA cannot change what happened in the past. CIFA is looking to build a better future for Cayman’s youth, which means better in- frastructure, better facilities and increased opportunities for them to play on an interna- tional stage. “I really don’t talk much about the past. The past is the past,” said Whittaker. “I prefer to talk about what is being done, what will be done and what the national team players are enjoying. I think that talks for itself. Whatever is in the past, we throw the book away and we move forward.” scribed the investigation as “complex and protracted”. In a statement through his lawyer Steve McField, Blake maintained his inno- cence and vowed to contest the allegations in court. He was charged with one count of ‘secret com- missions’ contrary to the Anti-Corruption Law 2008; two counts of acquiring or retention of criminal prop- erty (money laundering) contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Law 2008; and two counts of false accounting, contrary to the Penal Code. Watson has been charged with two counts of secret commissions, three counts of money laundering and two counts of false accounting. Both have been bailed to appear to appear in Sum- mary Court on 20 Aug. Watson and Blake were initially arrested in 2017 in relation to a probe involving US$1.2 million in funds that were “loaned” to the Cayman Islands Football Associa- tion in 2013. News of the charges broke as Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, arrived on is- land to offer support to the new CIFA administration, led by Alfredo Whittaker. Whittaker, who was elected as CIFA president in 2017, and has spoken about moving on from the financial scandals of the past with a new administration, said he was happy for the investiga- tion to run its course. Speaking at a press con- ference, Friday, he said, “The situation that happened yes- terday is nothing new. I re- ally don’t have much com- ment to it. The authorities are doing their job. CIFA re- mains fully supportive of the authorities on the job. What- ever has to be done, let the authorities deal with it.” Asked why Blake was still VP of the associa- tion, he said that was not his call. “I did not bring Mr. Blake back to the executive committee. Mr. Blake pre- sented his case to the ap- peals committee. The ap- peals committee decided to rule in his favour. As per our constitution he was re- instated to our executive committee.” Though he retains the role, Blake is suspended from all CIFA activities pending the outcome of the court case. In the statement through his lawyer, Blake denied any wrongdoing. “From the time of his arrest, Mr. Blake denied and continues to strongly deny these allegations against him. Therefore, Mr. Blake’s legal team will vig- orously defend Mr. Blake’s innocence in regards to these charged allegations,” the statement indicated. “We take this opportu- nity to restate that these charges brought against Mr. Blake are not yet proven. Our constitution Order 2009 clearly states that Mr. Blake, having been charged with crim- inal offences, is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty according to Law. Mr. Blake looks forward to vigorously defending his innocence in the court through the process of a fair trial.” as spending an additional $25,000 on advertising. The new RFP, advertised to pro- spective bidders on govern- ment’s public purchasing portal, describes the cruise berthing facility as “the largest infrastructure project proposed by the Cayman Is- lands Government to date”. It states that government is now in a position to share more information with the public following the selec- tion of the preferred bidder. Verdant Isle Port Partners was announced last month as the winning bidder on the project, which also involves upgrades to the cargo port and has a total estimated cost of $196.5 million. The RFP states govern- ment’s belief that the project is “likely to be the largest single determinant of the future prospects for cruise tourism in this jurisdiction”. It indicates the min- istry is seeking a “specialist public relations, marketing and advertising agency with strong experience in cam- paign development and implementation”. The winning bidder will “provide strategic and tac- tical marketing communica- tions support for a focussed, persuasive, high intensity public education campaign,” the advert states. It indicates that govern- ment is seeking to step up its public relations cam- paign, now that the exten- sive procurement process is reaching its conclusion. “Government is now in a position where it can embark on a high intensity, compre- hensive PR and marketing communications public edu- cation campaign to provide information to the public that previously could not be disclosed due to the ongoing procurement process. “Government’s lawful re- quirement to keep details of the negotiations confi- dential until this stage had been reached has led to ac- cusations of lack of trans- parency and has given rise to misinformation circu- lating in the community, which this public educa- tion campaign will seek to address by providing the facts.” FIFA signals CIFA will receive renewed fundingFootball exec Blake vows to fight corruption charges CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘High intensity’ campaign to promote cruise port plan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “ We cannot change the past. The past is the past. The entire situation in the Cayman Islands football has affected the present.” FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO Police in Norway’s capital say the shooting at a mosque that wounded one person is being investigated as an attempted terrorist attack and that the alleged perpetrator is also a murder suspect in a separate case. The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Norway mosque shooting a terror attempt MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Epstein dies, but abuse probe carries on NEW YORK (AP) – Jeffrey Ep- stein died of an apparent suicide in his jail cell, now prompting an additional fed- eral investigation into his death along with one already examining allegations of sexual abuse and conspiracy against him. Epstein, a wealthy fi- nancier accused of orches- trating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, was found Saturday morning unrespon- sive in his cell at the Metro- politan Correctional Center, according to the Federal Bu- reau of Prisons. He was later pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital. Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after he was found a little over two weeks ago with bruising on his neck, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorised to dis- cuss it publicly. But he was taken off the watch at the end of July and therefore wasn’t on it at the time of his death, the person said. Attorney General William Barr, calling for an investiga- tion by the FBI and the Jus- tice Department’s inspector general’s office, said he was “appalled” to learn of Ep- stein’s death while in fed- eral custody. “Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” Barr said in a statement. Epstein, 66, had been de- nied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on fed- eral sex trafficking and con- spiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial. The federal investigation into the allegations remains ongoing, US Attorney Geof- frey Berman said. He noted in a statement Saturday that the indictment against Epstein includes a conspiracy charge, suggesting others could face charges in the case. Epstein’s death raises questions about how the Bu- reau of Prisons ensures the welfare of such high-profile inmates. In October, Boston gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia where had just been transferred. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Saturday in a scathing letter to Barr that “heads must roll” after the incident. “Every single person in the Justice Department – from your Main Justice head- quarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer – knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him,” Sasse wrote. Epstein’s removal from suicide watch would have been approved by both the warden of the jail and the facility’s chief psychologist, said Jack Donson, a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades. On Friday, more than 2,000 pages of documents were released related to a since-settled lawsuit against Epstein’s ex-girlfriend by Vir- ginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. The records contain graphic allegations against Epstein, as well as the tran- script of a 2016 deposition of Epstein in which he re- peatedly refused to answer questions to avoid incrimi- nating himself. Giuffre, in an interview with The New York Times, said she’s grateful Epstein will never harm anyone again, but is angry that there would be no chance to see him answer for his conduct. “We’ve worked so hard to get here, and he stole that from us, too,” she told the newspaper. Sigrid McCawley, Giuf- fre’s attorney, said Epstein’s suicide less than 24 hours after the documents were un- sealed “is no coincidence”. McCawley urged authorities to continue their investiga- tion, focusing on Epstein as- sociates who she said “par- ticipated and facilitated Epstein’s horrifying sex traf- ficking scheme”. “ Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night- shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk.” NEBRASKA SEN. BEN SASSE In this 2008 file photo, Jeffrey Epstein appears in court in West Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. - PHOTO: AP FILE Island or European nation? Rival views of UK shape Brexit LONDON (AP) – British his- tory has become a Brexit battleground. British voters’ decision three years ago to split from the European Union was fuelled by a sense that the UK is fundamentally separate from its continental neigh- bours – a sceptred isle, rather than a European power. Brexit-backing Conserva- tive lawmaker Jacob Rees- Mogg has compared Brexit to historic British military victories on the continent, saying “it’s Waterloo, it’s Ag- incourt, it’s Crecy”. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage fires up crowds with air-raid sirens and the theme from World War II thriller ‘The Great Escape’. Such patriotic mes- sages strike a strong chord in an era of surging nation- alism. But anti-Brexit politi- cians and historians say that view is too simplistic – and could end up making the UK weaker rather than stronger. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown argued Sunday in The Observer newspaper that “a destructive, popu- list, nationalist ideology” was leaving the United Kingdom “sleepwalking into oblivion”. Brown, the Labour Party leader who was prime min- ister between 2007 and 2010, accused current Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson of “conjuring up the absurd and mendacious image of the patriotic British valiantly de- fying an intransigent Europe determined to turn us into a vassal state”. Richard J. Evans, professor emeritus of history at Cam- bridge University, lamented an increasing tendency to “talk about Europe as if it’s somewhere separate, as if Britain is not part of Europe”. “I went to Gatwick Airport recently and there’s a huge ad- vertisement there for an air- line that says ‘Europe is closer than you think,’” he said. “And I thought, well, it’s closer than you think – we’re in it.” Evans said the view of Britain as an exception to the European rule ignores “the multiple connections be- tween England and the conti- nent over the centuries”. “If you look at our sover- eigns, they have been vari- ously French and Dutch and German,” he said, noting also how culturally inter- twined Britain is with conti- nental Europe. Like Evans, University of Toronto history professor Margaret MacMillan argues that Brexit is being “driven by a very false picture of the past” and by nostalgia for the days when Britain’s empire covered a quarter of the globe. MacMillan said many people in Britain – and espe- cially in England, which ac- counts for five-sixths of the UK population and saw the strongest vote to leave the EU in 2016 – “are having an existential crisis about who they are”. “I think they lost their em- pire and lost being a major world power and they seem to have accepted that, but I think there has been a lin- gering sense that ‘We were once great and now we’re not,’” she said. Brexit-supporting his- torians reject that notion, viewing the EU as an undem- ocratic obstacle to British sovereignty. Cambridge University his- torian Robert Tombs says the fact that Britain did not ex- perience 20th-century occu- pation or dictatorship sets it apart from many of its neigh- bours. But he thinks Brit- ain’s historical differences from the rest of Europe are often overstated, and Brexit was driven by more imme- diate concerns. Tombs argues that at a time of international insta- bility, Britain is better off outside the fractious bloc. “I think a relatively cohe- sive and relatively democrat- ically governed unit is much more likely to be able to ride out whatever storms may be coming than a really rather ramshackle and unpopular and very weak confedera- tion,” he said.As the 31 Oct. deadline for Britain’s depar- ture from the EU approaches, the country is facing a po- litical crisis. Johnson’s Con- servative government is de- termined to leave with or without a Brexit divorce agreement, yet Parliament will try to block him from taking Britain out of the EU without a deal. Johnson’s al- lies have suggested he could suspend Parliament or refuse to quit if he lost a no-confi- dence vote, triggering a crisis for Britain’s ancient but partly unwritten constitution. “ We certainly had less commitment to the whole idea of European integration than countries like France or Germany.” ROBERT TOMBS, Cambridge University historian Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as prime minister following her resignation last month after Parliament repeatedly rejected the Brexit withdrawal agreement she struck with the European Union. A man holds a British flag with the words ‘Leave Means Leave’ in front of the Winston Churchill statue during a rally by Brexit supporters in Westminster, London, Friday. - PHOTOS: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019 Biden is still the Democrat to beat Families mourn, bury those killed in Ohio, Texas shootings Rivals see weakness DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – In a barn down a gravel road in Iowa, Joe Biden tore into President Donald Trump’s moral character, declaring in one of the fiercest speeches of his campaign that the words of the American presi- dent matter. The next day, Biden’s own words tripped him up. He told an audience in Des Moines that poor children are “just as bright and just as talented as white kids”, be- fore immediately clarifying his remarks. The back-to-back epi- sodes magnified the promise and the peril of Biden’s can- didacy. Three months after announcing his White House bid, he remains atop early polling for Democratic candi- dates, buoyed by a long his- tory with voters and a belief among many of them that his decades of experience best position him to defeat Trump. Those attributes appear to have helped the former vice president withstand weeks of attacks on his lengthy record in politics. But Biden’s rivals re- main confident that his fum- bles, like the one in Iowa this week, eventually will catch up to him, undermining his electability argument. “He has been durable,” said David Axelrod, a long- time political strategist for President Barack Obama. “The question is whether that durability is because we aren’t fully geared into the race or whether there are in- herent strengths there.” Biden’s team has been heartened by the consistency of his early polling num- bers, despite the push from fellow candidates to cast the 76-year-old as out of step with the Democratic Party on women’s health issues and race. Nearly every survey, both nationally and in the early primary states, shows him leading the crowded pri- mary field, with Sens. Eliza- beth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris following behind but so far unable to find a way to surpass him. “It’s because people know him. And they don’t know just his name,” said Jack Markell, the former Delaware governor and a Biden sup- porter. “If it were just name recognition, these polls may look different.” Biden’s standing in the race is the subject of much debate within the Democratic Party. Advisers to other cam- paigns contend that polling at this stage of the race is often fluid, reflecting little more than name recogni- tion. Biden aides frequently note that Trump led polls throughout the summer of 2015 and never relinquished the top spot. What is clear is that some of Biden’s rivals see an im- perative to begin taking him on aggressively. Sanders has walloped Biden repeatedly over healthcare, comparing the former vice president’s opposition to a ‘Medicare for All’ system to Trump. Harris, as well as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, has hammered Biden over comments he made about working with segregationists during his early years in the Senate. Biden initially appeared caught off guard by the fe- rocity of the attacks on his 40-plus-year record in poli- tics, particularly Harris’ blis- tering critique in the first de- bate of his past opposition to federally mandated busing to combat segregated schools. Now advisers view that mo- ment as a much needed jolt for the candidate, making clear to Biden that he would need to draw sharper dis- tinctions with his Demo- cratic rivals during the pri- mary and not just focus his fire on Trump. Since then, Biden has drawn contrasts with more liberal Democrats, like Warren and Sanders, over their proposals to do away with private health insurance and replace it with a govern- ment-run system. He’s also vigorously defended Obama, the most popular Demo- crat in the nation who nev- ertheless has faced criticism from liberals who believe he did not go far enough on healthcare and was too ag- gressive in deporting immi- grants living illegally in the United States. “(Biden’s) done a better job since then trying to hug up to Obama as much as possible,” said Jim Hodges, the former Democratic governor of South Carolina, who is yet to en- dorse a candidate. “That’s his strength here.” Indeed, Biden’s campaign is eager to focus more on his eight years as vice president than the decades that pre- ceded his time in the White House. Advisers believe his years serving as No. 2 to the nation’s first black presi- dent resonate particularly well with African American voters, one of the most pow- erful segments of the Demo- cratic electorate. Biden also evolved into a beloved elder statesman for many Demo- crats during those years, particularly after the 2015 death of his son Beau, who succumbed to brain cancer at age 46. “It just hurts me to see what some people are saying about him,” said Linda Robinson, a retired healthcare worker who heard Biden speak in Boone, Iowa. Robinson, who cau- cused for Biden in 2008 but hasn’t decided who has her support this year, called the former vice president a “decent man”. DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Mourners gathered across the country Saturday to remember the lives of a graduate student beloved by friends, a man who died in his son’s arms and a mother who shielded her infant from gunfire. The funerals were among several being held for people who died in mass shootings last weekend in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas. Investiga- tors in Texas said a gunman opened fire at a Walmart on 3 Aug., targeting Mexi- cans and killing 22 people. Less than 24 hours later, an- other shooter killed nine people in a popular Dayton nightlife area. Every seat was filled and the hallways were lined with mourners in Washington, Pennsylvania, at the ser- vice for 25-year-old Nicholas Cumer. The graduate stu- dent in the master of cancer care programme at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, was killed in Dayton. Elementary school teachers, high school friends, fraternity brothers and rela- tives were joined by scores of others as white folding chairs were set up in the parking lot to handle the overflow. “He was just infectious. He had a heart bigger than his chest,” said Pastor Brian Greenleaf of Washington Alli- ance Church after officiating the service. Greenleaf started the ser- vice by saying Cumer would probably be “smiling and laughing throughout this whole service”. “Because the images I have of Nick are just that,” the pastor said. “Heaven is a little bit better today because of Nicholas Cumer.” Hundreds of people, in- cluding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, attended Derrick Fudge’s funeral at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, the Dayton Daily News reported. Fudge died in the arms of his son, Dion Green. He was remem- bered as a loving family man who painted houses and loved to fish and cook. Green said his father spoke often of his willing- ness to die for him. Green previously told the Spring- field News-Sun he believes his father protected him from being killed. Green said Sat- urday that his father, who was 57, was a great person who was always there to help when needed. In a eulogy for her brother, Twyla Southall said Fudge lived a “simple” life, but one he loved. “I don’t understand why my brother died in his son’s arms, but I am so grateful he was there for his father,” Southall said. Burial services for Saeed Saleh, 38, were also held Sat- urday morning in Dayton, ac- cording to the Daily News. Saleh, who was originally from Eritrea and recently im- migrated to the US, was re- membered as a “humble and quiet person” by a spokesman for the family. In El Paso, a requiem Mass was offered for 15-year- old Javier Amir Rodriguez, a high school sophomore and avid soccer player who was at the Walmart with his uncle when he was killed. Burial was also sched- uled for Jordan Anchondo, who died shielding her in- fant son from gunfire. Her 2-month-old son was treated for broken bones, but was or- phaned after Jordan and her husband, Andre, were killed. “ He was just infectious. He had a heart bigger than his chest.” PASTOR BRIAN GREENLEAF Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden meets with supporters before speaking at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding at the Surf Ballroom, Friday, in Clear Lake, Iowa. - PHOTO: AP Mourners gather to attend the visitation services for Jordan Anchondo at San Jose Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas, Saturday. - PHOTO: APNext >