High of 89 Low of 80 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. A beer for kings Samuel Adams ‘Utopias’ is royalty among beers B9 ‘Big Draw’ festival Bring out your inner artist at the annual event B11 Special Event Art & Culture Food & Drink Beautiful Blondie ■ Food & drink Restaurant Month Doggy Beach Day Bring your dog or shelter dogs to the beach for a romp B4 Friday OctOber 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass LOCATE THE ONES YOU LOVE! PocketFinder GPS locators for People, Pets and Vehicles • Use your computer or your Android or IOS cellphone or tablet to view their location at any time. • View historical locations or receive alerts when the device leaves safe zones or enters danger zones you have established. Monthly fee: CI$35.00 (No Long Term Contracts Required) Pets Keep an eye on your pets at all times because they can’t call home. $149.00 CI People The easiest way to locate children, teens, seniors, luggage and more. $149.00 CI Vehicles Theft-recovery and tracking technology for cars, trucks, boats & motorcycles. $249.00 CI T: 938-3463 (938-FIND)E: info@pocketfi ndercayman.com W: www.pocketfi ndercayman.com Blondie is a playful, extremely affectionate kitten who loves to sit in your lap for cuddles. Can you open your heart and home to her? B9 Dine out for less in October B3 cayman weekender Restaurant Month Editorial | pagE 4 Cruise berthing: A promise kept eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FridAy oCtober 2, 2015 1,268 turtles died from illness at Turtle Farm in 2014 ChArles dunCAn cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com From late April through July last year, 1,268 turtles died at the Cayman Turtle Farm from what was described then as a mystery illness. The problem was later identified as an infection from Clostridium, the bacteria that can cause botulism, tetanus and other potentially serious health problems for hu- mans, according to records from the gov- ernment-owned Turtle Farm and interviews with its officials. The infection killed about 20 green sea turtles a day, according to Turtle Farm board meeting minutes. Turtle Farm offi- cials said the infection spread to five tanks containing one-year-old turtles but did not affect the turtles that were of age to slaughter for meat. Officials said the infection did not spread beyond the farming area where tur- tles are raised for meat. “We had an infection, we diagnosed it, we treated it,” said Walter Mustin, chief Seaweed blankets Seven Mile Beach kelsey JukAm kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com The typically pristine shoreline along Seven Mile Beach has been cov- ered in a massive amount of un- sightly sargassum seaweed since Wednesday morning. Clean-up operations were stalled Thursday as more seaweed was ex- pected to wash ashore later in the day. The Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Unit of the Public Works Department has the job of removing the seaweed from public beaches, but the unit was unable to work on removing the seaweed on Thursday because the tractor that is used in such operations is in a shop for mechanical work. “We will have to wait until to- morrow,” Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Acting General Manager Mark Bothwell said, adding that the unit can sometimes clean up the sea- weed by hand, but the amount of sea- weed along Seven Mile Beach is too great for hand removal. “Our crews have been tackling this issue for months now in the other dis- tricts,” Mr. Bothwell said. “As soon as it’s collected, there’s more in the water washing back onto beach, so it’s a never-ending process. Hopefully the wind and currents will take most of it back out to sea.” Sargassum seaweed covers the shoreline in George Town on Thursday. - Photos: taneos Ramsay The entire shoreline along Seven Mile Beach was lined with sargassum seaweed Thursday morning. The influx of seaweed is expected to affect Cayman’s west coast until next week. Almost 1,300 turtles died from an infection at the Turtle Farm over four months last year. - Photo: ChRis CouRt PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday OctOber 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com Mahognay Way Prospect 3 bed, 2 bath, 1950s/f Completely renovated Well sited corner lot All new furniture and appliances CI$285,000 Member CIREBA MLS#404534 REDUCED! TONIGHT NO COVER CHARGE GERMAN FOOD GERMAN BEER AUTHENTIC OKTOBERFEST MUSIC TONIGHT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND AUTHENTIC W est S hor e C en t er , S e v en M ile B each • O p en daily 1 0am -1 0pm • EA T IN! T AKE OUT! • 945.2290 Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Monday, 12 October 2015 Gobble! Gobble! Turkey! Turkey! GET YOUR ORDERS IN EARLY! 945-2290 Hospital reports four patients with TB Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Four people are in the Cayman Islands Hospital with tuberculosis, according to the Public Health Department. Department officials said initial indications are that the cases were all con- tracted overseas. The highly infectious dis- ease spreads through air- borne germs, attacking the lungs, and is characterized by a heavy cough. The Cayman Islands typically has three or four cases of TB per year, but the hospital reported seeing seven cases so far in 2015, public health officials say. Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams- Rodriguez told the Cayman Compass his department is still investigating the four cases, but he said the depart- ment “reasonably believes they’re imported.” He said the cases involve people from “several nation- alities” but would not be more specific due to patient privacy. “TB germs become air- borne when a person who has the disease in the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. People who have close contact for a pro- longed period of time with an infectious patient (i.e. house- hold members, co-workers in enclosed areas, etc.,) are at higher risk of contagion,” Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said in a press release issued by the Department of Public Health Thursday. The TB vaccine is given to children as part of standard vaccinations. Nurse Angela Graham, immuniza- tion manager for the depart- ment, said in the statement, “When given under one year, it provides protection for children against the most se- vere forms of TB.” The Public Health Department notice states, “Symptoms of tuberculosis include weakness, weight loss, night sweats, sneezing, a severe cough (usually for more than three weeks), spit- ting up phlegm and blood and a high fever for three or more days.” The department wants parents to check their chil- dren’s immunization records and make sure they received the vaccine.” Since 2010, the Public Health Department has con- firmed 23 cases of TB in the Cayman Islands. The highly infectious disease spreads through airborne germs, attacking the lungs, and is characterized by a heavy cough. Carnival cruise line could play role in port project James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Carnival Cruise Lines says it is “open to playing a role” in the development of new piers in George Town harbor. Premier Alden McLaughlin announced Wednesday that government plans to proceed with the project despite con- cerns over damage to coral reefs in the harbor. He said the next step would be consultation with the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the cruise lines over a funding model for the piers, expected to cost at least $150 million. He said the cruise lines must have “skin in the game” in order to guarantee pas- senger numbers over the life of the project. The company, whose ships account for roughly 60 percent of cruise ships visiting Cayman, tentatively welcomed the announcement on Thursday. “There is a benefit to our guests, and to the com- munity, through the under- taking of any type of activity that modernizes our port of call and enhances the at- tractiveness of the destina- tion for our guests onboard the ship,” Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival, said Thursday in response to a series of questions on the Cayman port project. “We remain open, as al- ways, to playing a role in these types of activities as a partner in the community,” he added. Mr. Frizzell did not re- spond directly to ques- tions about whether the cruise line would make specific guarantees about passenger numbers. Royal Caribbean, the other major player in Cayman’s cruise industry, did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Michele Paige, president of The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, said it would be a matter for the individual cruise lines to decide whether they want to be involved in building piers in Cayman and whether they are prepared to make commitments on passenger numbers. Ms. Paige said the FCCA is sup- portive of Grand Cayman finding an “environmen- tally friendly” way to de- velop a cruise pier. The final Outline Business Case, produced by PwC, on the port project has not yet been publicly released. The Cayman Compass understands it will not be released until Cabinet has formally ratified the deci- sion to proceed with the port project, which could be several weeks away. The initial draft of the business case outlined a pre- ferred model of partnering with a cruise line or consor- tium of cruise lines to build the dock. It states, “A cruise line or consortium of cruise lines could sign a long-term agree- ment (say 20 years) with the Cayman Islands Government to design, build and control the two piers.” The report says the basis of the deal would be for construction costs to be refunded through a mixture of berthing fees (equivalent to the fees cur- rently paid to tender opera- tors) of around $5 per pas- senger, and a share of the $14 “head tax” collected by the Port Authority on every cruise passenger who comes through the terminal. “In order to make the partnership viable, gov- ernment would need to, as a minimum, contribute a portion of future head tax revenues. The cruise lines would therefore be greatly motivated to maxi- mize the use of the piers to better profit from their in- vestment,” it states. In an earlier interview with the Compass, Giora Israel, senior vice presi- dent of Carnival’s global port and destination devel- opment, said Cayman needs cruise piers if it wants to stay in the business. He said Carnival would be in- terested in the project if it made economic sense for the company. He added, “The ques- tion of whether or not piers should be built? We are way beyond that. Anyone who questions that has to ques- tion their understanding of this business. “Whether you want cruise ships or cruise passengers in your country or not is a dif- ferent matter. That’s a per- fectly legitimate question and a legitimate decision for the government to make. But if you want to be viable as a cruise destination, then a pier is critical.” NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) – Hurricane Joaquin strengthened into a Category 4 storm on Thursday as it roared through lightly popu- lated islands of the eastern Bahamas, and forecasters said it could grow still more intense before fol- lowing a path that would near the U.S. East Coast. There were no imme- diate reports of casualties as the storm reached the is- land chain. Joaquin had max- imum sustained winds of 130 mph and hurricane strength winds extending 45 miles from the eye, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was pre- dicted to turn to the north and northwest toward the United States on Friday. “There’s still a distinct possibility that his could make landfall somewhere in the U.S.,” said a hurri- cane center spokesman. ‘Joaquin’ strengthens to Category 4, batters bahamasThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday OctOber 2, 2015 say hello to your new Samsung S6 $ 79 discoverflow.ky Flow terms & conditions applyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Cruise berthing: A promise kept Friday OCTOber 2, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The members of the Progressives administra- tion like to style themselves as “a government that gets things done.” On the subject of the George Town cruise dock, they have lived up to that promise. Premier Alden McLaughlin’s announcement Wednesday of the government’s commitment to moving forward with the downtown cruise berthing project is, in our opinion, a defining moment in Mr. McLaughlin’s tenure as premier. The cruise dock, which is expected to cost $150 million or more, is the single largest public works project in the history of the Cayman Islands — and is a signature initiative of this Progressives administration. Cruise ships have been anchoring in George Town harbor for some 40 years, and discussions over constructing a cruise dock have been going on for nearly as long. We at the Compass have engaged in this community conversation, culminating in our 16-page special report called “The Dock Debate” that was published July 30 in our print newspaper, and is still available online at the Compass Data Desk, www.compassdatadesk.com. But even the most enlightening and most heated debates must eventually come to an end. We consider Premier McLaughlin’s announcement to be the final word on the question of whether or not Cayman is going to pursue a cruise dock. The premier’s answer, and our government’s answer, and our answer is an emphatic “Yes.” Now that the policy decision has been made, we as a country should rally behind our leaders and behind this national project. For our part, we will offer four guiding principles that should be adhered to going forward. First, when something is to be done, it is best that it be done quickly. There is no benefit, now, in over-consultation or over-analysis that is not aimed at the furtherance of the goal. Delays should be viewed as deleterious. Second, when Cayman sets out to build something of this magnitude, especially in the tourism sector, it must be of the highest quality. Our country deserves nothing less than a world-class project, something that is not only eminently functional but also aestheti- cally pleasing. We urge government to bring aboard, as soon as possible, specialists in landscaping and beauti- fication, to produce a pulchritudinous project that is up to the standards set by Camana Bay, The Ritz-Carlton or the former Hyatt property. The last thing Cayman needs is a concrete-and-chain-link twin to the existing Royal Watler Terminal. Third, the cruise dock project must fall within the financing scheme that government comes up with. We are not so much concerned with whether the project costs $100 million, $150 million, $200 million or more, but that once the price tag and funding model has been established, the government adheres to it strictly from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting. On this point, officials should not unnecessarily squander public resources on uncertain “mitigation efforts” aimed at salvaging coral in the footprint of the dock project. The destruction of the reef is an unfor- tunate, but unavoidable, cost of the project. Politi- cians ought not to attempt to appease opponents of a project by unwisely spending taxpayer dollars. Fourth, while the cruise dock project may be regarded as the catalyst for increased success in cruise tourism, the dock itself cannot be the centerpiece or focus of Cayman’s tourism product. The dock merely aids in the transition of our clients (the cruise tourists) from ship to shore. Each decision made in regard to the design of the cruise dock must take into account plans for downtown George Town, other attractions and the infrastructure that ties everything together. If any one of those elements is missing, it will detract from the potential positive effects of building the dock. Our officials have not arrived at this decision lightly, but have taken input from industry experts, consultants, special-interest groups and the public- at-large. Not surprisingly, the cruise dock project has engendered much controversy and will surely have political consequences. Led by Premier McLaughlin and Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, the Progressives have stood up as one and have chosen this as their course. We support them, we support this project, and we congratulate the members of Cabinet for their vision and, yes, their courage. Cuban-style capitalism? BloomBerg View editorial Board This has been a year of new possibilities for Cuba. Even with the U.S. embargo still in place, the restoration of diplomatic ties has in- jected the socialist redoubt of Fidel and Raul Castro with energy and hope – not to mention tourists bearing dollars and euros. As things stand, though, hopes for a Cuban economic miracle are likely to remain just that. True, the economy grew by almost 5 percent in the first half of this year, a big improvement over last year’s 1.3 percent. Meanwhile, U.S. companies are prospecting. As the shadow of U.S. sanctions recedes, investors from Asia, Latin America, and old and new Europe are looking, too. The trouble is, here’s what they find: a state that ring-fences the choicest in- vestment opportunities; frowns on majority own- ership; is slow to approve new ventures; controls the hiring, firing, and payment of workers and the distri- bution of agricultural and other goods; and reserves the right to expropriate busi- nesses as it sees fit. Recent reforms have allowed some Cubans to start certain kinds of small businesses – a dramatic change by the is- land’s impressive standards of economic repression. But the Cuban state has hardly gone pro-enterprise. Or pro- freedom, for that matter: Its political repression continues mostly unchecked. Could there be such a thing as “capitalism with Cuban characteristics?” That might be the hope of Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez- Callejas, the Cuban army general who runs the state- owned conglomerate con- trolling more than half of Cuba’s economy, from hotels and gas stations to rental car fleets and container ports. If you’re hoping to do business in Cuba, he’s likely to be your partner, as an article in this month’s Bloomberg Markets makes clear. Yet the general is mistaken. In the end, you can have capitalism or Cuban characteristics, but not both. No doubt, the lifting of the U.S. embargo would help to liberalize the economy, partly by making the gains of liberalization bigger, and faster to arrive. But real change depends on a sudden access of wisdom on the part of a vacillating and scle- rotic one-party state facing a major leadership transi- tion when Raul Castro steps down in 2018. Without radical reform, Cuba will struggle to avoid further stagnation. Its state- owned enterprises are uncom- petitive and burdened with bloated payrolls. To make things worse, a demographic challenge looms: Cuba’s pop- ulation is the second-oldest in the hemisphere. Cigars, beaches, and charming old Chevrolets will not suffice to lure US$2.5 billion a year in foreign investment – Cuba’s stated goal, and a small frac- tion, by the way, of what it re- ally needs. The full reform agenda is daunting, but Cuba could do one smart thing quickly. The government should fi- nally abandon the country’s dual currency system, which forces its best and brightest to moonlight as taxi drivers to earn hard currency, cloaks the inefficiency of state enter- prises, and makes it harder for foreign investors to do business. The regime has re- peatedly punted on its time frame for unifying the peso. Will Raul Castro fulfill a pledge to do so before next spring’s big party congress? If he does, a tentative Cuba libre would be in order. © 2015, Bloomberg View Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) 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 PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” A mural of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara decorates a wall in Old Havana. - Photo: Sarah L. VoiSin for the WaShington PoStThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday OctOber 2, 2015 CAMANA BAY / WATERFRONT / COUNTRYSIDE DIGICELCAYMAN.COM 11 YEARS AND COUNTING DIGICEL IS PROUD TO BE CAYMAN’S LONGEST SERVING MOBILE BRAND SINCE 2004 GIVING YOU CAYMAN’S... BEST VALUE PLANS BEST MOBILE RANGE FASTEST LTE NETWORK SERVING CAYMAN6 LOCAL NEWS Friday OctOber 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass Directors’ Education & Accreditation Program(DEAP) Grand Cayman, October 21-23, 2015 Are you an experienced or newly appointed board director looking for the critical knowledge needed to do the job? The Cayman Islands Directors Association has scheduled a Directors’ Education & Accreditation Program (DEAP) session to given by lecturers from The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in Canada from 21-23 October 2015 at the boardroom in Governors Square. DEAP is a sharply focused program, delivering critical content in the areas of Governance, Finance, Strategy and Risk Management. Aside from pre-readings, all of the work and discussions take place during the 3 day session - it is designed for busy people who want to get what they need in a timely fashion. Upon successful completion, you will be awarded the Accredited Director designation (Acc.Dir.) and receive membership in ICSA. This is a great opportunity to work towards continuing professional development while receiving a designation. Cost of the program: US$1,000 for CIDA Members US$1,250 for Non- CIDA Members Agenda Each day begins at 9am with a light breakfast. We break for a provided lunch from 12-1pm and the sessions conclude at 5pm. Assessments are done in class. More information on the course material can be found on our website. Space for this session is limited, for more information and registration please visit our website www.cida.ky and contact us with any questions you may have. CIDA A Big Thank You from Triple C School Our students, parents, teachers, and friends who walked, ran, sponsored our students, or helped in other ways. A Big OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS CORPORATE SERVICES LTD OUR GOLD SPONSORS Mr. Norman Bodden OUR PRIZE & REFRESHMENTS SPONSORS OUR SILVER SPONSORS OUR BRONZE SPONSORS ‘One man, one vote’ heads to legislature Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The final legal step re- quired to change Cayman’s next general election from multimember to single- member voting districts is expected to come before lawmakers this month. Premier Alden McLaughlin’s office con- firmed Thursday, following public statements by the premier, that the Legislative Assembly would receive and debate the final ver- sion of the voting maps in the 2015 Electoral Boundary Commission report at its next meeting, set to start Oct. 14. Approval by a ma- jority of lawmakers is re- quired before the territory’s voting system changes. “I will shortly move the necessary motion in the Legislative Assembly to adopt the Electoral Boundary Commission’s re- port in full and introduce one person, one vote and single-member electoral dis- tricts in time for the next election,” Mr. McLaughlin said Wednesday. Cayman’s next general election is expected to be held in May 2017. A draft of the voting map proposed for the Cayman Islands 2017 gen- eral election, released by the boundary commission ear- lier this year, would add one more representative seat to the Legislative Assembly, for a total of 19 legislators. The single-member con- stituencies proposal cre- ates seven voting areas in George Town district, four constituencies each in Bodden Town and West Bay districts, two on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, and one apiece in East End and North Side. All single- member constituencies, ex- cept for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End and North Side, will main- tain approximately the same number of voters. The change proposed for the voting system ahead of the 2017 election will imple- ment the principle of “one man, one vote,” taking away the ability of voters in the larger multimember dis- tricts of West Bay, George Town, Bodden Town and the Sister Islands to elect more than one representative to the assembly. Electoral Boundary Commission Chair Lisa Handley, an American po- litical scientist who led Cayman’s redistricting pro- cess, noted that it is still possible for lawmakers to amend the draft maps the commission proposed. However, she indicated in August that commission members did not believe that was likely. “You have a pretty good idea what to expect,” she said during a meeting of the boundary commission. Changes The largest change this boundary commission made, compared to the pro- posed single-member con- stituencies voting map the government released in 2010, came in George Town, Cayman’s most densely- populated district. In the 2015 draft voting map, George Town district has been divided into seven constituencies, from George Town North district in the northwest to Prospect in the farthest east. Compared to the 2010 district map, one new constituency – George Town East – has been added to the draft voting map. The territory’s second- largest voting district, Bodden Town, was carved into four constituen- cies with Newlands and Savannah staying in the 2015 version of the map. The single-member districts called Pedro and Bodden Town in the 2010 boundary map have been replaced by Bodden Town West and Bodden Town East. The West Bay district has been entirely redrawn from the 2010 proposal for single- member constituencies, but still has four voting districts. The voting map for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman divides the larger island between Cayman Brac West and Cayman Brac East in much the same way the 2010 electoral boundary proposal did. East End and North Side district bound- aries were largely untouched in the voting map redraw. Police, community leaders tour martin drive Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Martin Drive area in central George Town has been the site of violence in recent months. The short street off Shedden Road, in September alone, was the scene of a stab- bing in an argument over $10, and an incident in which bul- lets hit a car and a building. In July, Jason Powery was shot dead in the area. Members of the Central Scranton Community Committee invited police for a tour of the neighborhood to talk to the people who live there and learn about the is- sues and problem spots in the small, weaving roads that back up to the Government Administration Building. They gave officers a two- hour tour through the narrow streets and small clapboard houses alongside bigger homes. Committee chair Dale Ramoon pointed to open lots and overgrown corners that need to be cleaned up, and took officers to problem spots where drugs and violence are concen- trated. “Some of the youngsters here don’t have any work,” he said. Mr. Ramoon was born and raised in the neighborhood and his 90-year-old mother still lives in a house by Scranton Park. “We need to build trust with po- lice,” he said, “and allow people to feel at ease with the police.” Police Superintendent Angelique Howell said, “We cannot solve every problem, but we can offer to collaborate with them and try to come up with some new solutions and projects that the wider island community, especially business owners, could support. “I was very encouraged by our discussion and we will continue these walk-throughs on a regular basis while our Neighborhood Policing Department and public rela- tions office work on longer- term initiatives.” Chief Inspector Claudia Brady, left, and Superintendent Angelique Howell get a tour of the Scranton neighborhood from resident Dale Ramoon.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Friday OctOber 2, 2015 CAMANA BAY / WATERFRONT / COUNTRYSIDE DIGICELCAYMAN.COM DO MORE EXPECT MORE ENJOY MORE EXPERIENCE MORE ENJOY MORE EXPERIENCE MORE OR JUST GO-WITH-THE-FLOW EXPERIENCE MORE OR JUSTOR JUST THE-FLOW8 LOCAL NEWS Friday OctOber 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass Dear Friends, We and all the rest of the family, are indeed grateful to you for your kind expressions of sympathy in numerous ways, at the passing of our dear Beverly Henning known affectionately as Bev or Bebo. We have been greatly touched by the many visits to the house, cards, telephone calls (both local and overseas), emails, prayers, personal messages, and donations in her memory to The Pines, and of course, the beautiful owers. These have all been a great source of comfort and we thank you one and all. Robert Henning (Bob) Nellie Hurst We have been asked to announce the passing of Dr. Astley McLaughlin who passed away on Sunday, September 13th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at Church of God Full Gospel Hall, South Church St, George Town, on Saturday October 03, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at the Eden Cemetery, behind Tall Tree store, on Pedro Castle Rd. Savannah. Your condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Dr. Astley McLaughlin who passed away on Sunday, September 13th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at Church of God Full Gospel Hall, South Church St, George Town, on Saturday October 03, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at the Eden Cemetery, behind Tall Tree store, on Pedro Castle Rd. Savannah. Your condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Interment to follow at the Eden Cemetery, behind We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Lillian Elizabeth McField, affectionately known as “Mama” who passed away on Thursday, September 24th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, 163 Pedro Castle Rd. Savannah, on Sunday October 04, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from: 2:00 – 2:45 pm In Lieu of owers, donations can be made at the church to the Alzheimer’s Foundation Interment to follow at the Garden of Re ections Cemetery, Old Prospect Rd. George Town. Your condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Lillian Elizabeth McField, affectionately known as “Mama” who passed away on Thursday, September 24th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, 163 Pedro Castle Rd. Savannah, on Sunday October 04, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from: 2:00 – 2:45 pm In Lieu of owers, donations can be made at the church to the Alzheimer’s Foundation Interment to follow at the Garden of Re ections Cemetery, Old Prospect Rd. George Town. Your condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Cayman Islands Baptist Church, 163 Pedro Castle Rd. Savannah, on Sunday October 04, 2015 We have been asked to announce the passing of Happy 20th Birthday in Heaven Tyler Ramoon Your birthday brings back memories Of all the laughter and of tears Of all the celebrations we held For you throughout your precious years Although we miss you always On each and every day It always seems to hit us more, On special occasions such as your birthday. We could always turn to you If things ever went wrong, You would always be there for us Gentle, kind and ever so strong. As you’re now watching over us We hope that you can see How much those memories we made Will always mean to the Family Happy 20th Birthday Ty We love and miss you so much. Mom, Dad & Sis Birthday: October 4th 1995 Departed: Feb 20th 2015 We’ll always cherish the time we had And smile just at the thought. We hope you know the magnitude Of joy your life here on earth brought. On holidays and birthdays It’s so hard to be apart Like every day that falls between Your memory lls our hearts. We wish we could bring you back again For one more hour or a day So we can express all our unspoken love We all still had so many things to say. We know that you’re with us now Wherever we go and in whatever we all do. We’ll be celebrating your 20th birthday But we’ll be spending it missing you. Happy 20th Birthday Ty Ty We miss and love you so much Granny Nelda, Granny Jane, Granny Donna, Papa Kevan, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, India & Friends Tyler M. Ramoon October 4th 1995 - Feb 20th 2015 It’s your 20th birthday up in heaven, and we’re wondering what you’ll do Will there be a celebration, and a cake to honour you? Are the kitchen angels busy, breaking eggs and sifting fl our? Is the angel choir practicing, as it gets close to the hour? Is there vanilla cake made from snowfl akes And some bread pudding made from clouds? Will it be just you and Jesus, or all the happy crowds? We won’t be there to hug you, or to count and pull your ears And we are sure we’ll feel lonely as we shed some birthday tears But we know your heavenly birthday Will be your best one ever! Just remember, we STILL love you – On your birthday, and forever! It’s your 20th birthday up in heaven, Government IT systems open to ‘threats from attack’ BrenT Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment’s information tech- nology infrastructure, in many areas, is not sufficient to protect against either ex- ternal hacking or internal sabotage, the auditor gener- al’s office reported this week. Former Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick reviewed IT security in 2012 and found 19 areas in government’s software systems that were judged to be either high- or medium-risk in their vulnera- bility to attacks on the “confi- dentiality, integrity and avail- ability” of the government’s systems. High-risk areas were de- fined as those that posed an immediate risk and threat- ened the operations, fi- nances or reputation of the government. Four “high level” risk areas were generally identified in the auditor’s review as ex- ternal vulnerabilities from individuals on the Internet accessing data without user names and/or passwords; in- ternal vulnerabilities from users within the government accessing databases they should not have access to; and concerns that cyberat- tackers were able to gain “ad- ministrator-level access” to government computer servers from inside the systems. The 2012 audit of govern- ment computer security is- sues was not published be- cause of concerns it would have alerted hackers or others who wished to do the Cayman Islands harm. Auditors urged govern- ment officials to address the problem at that time. However, a follow-up re- view this year found that the problems with government’s IT security had gotten worse. This year, nine areas in the government IT systems were identified as high risk, and 11 others were consid- ered medium risk. Additional problems included the use of outdated and unsupported software programs and sig- nificant vulnerability of sen- sitive government informa- tion to potential cyberattacks. “Information technology governance and security has not been a priority for gov- ernment managers,” Mr. Swarbrick noted in his re- port. “Management had not mitigated the significant risks and vulnerabilities around the confidentiality, in- tegrity and availability of the IT systems and data.” Another issue identified by auditors was that due to the lack of focus on providing secure IT systems, govern- ment “does not know how much it costs to provide IT to all of its entities.” “There is no overall as- sessment plan that captures all of the IT purchases across government,” auditors found. “The development and acqui- sition of IT systems across government is not guided by a strategic plan, leading to ad hoc development/purchase of IT systems.” A more detailed report on the outcome of specific threats against Cayman’s IT infrastructure was sent to Cabinet and the Ministry of Home Affairs this week, Mr. Swarbrick’s office noted. The full report was not released, again, due to secu- rity concerns. However, Mr. Swarbrick noted that gov- ernment’s apparent inaction after the 2012 IT evaluation had forced his office to re- port on the issue simply to put public pressure on gov- ernment to fix what auditors identified as a huge concern. “There are monetary re- percussions if this goes wrong,” Mr. Swarbrick said Wednesday. “There could be litigation, you could lose data that is sensitive. If gov- ernment is serious about establishing ‘e-govern- ment’ initiatives, this has to be addressed.” Audit office man- ager Martin Ruben noted Wednesday that solutions re- quired to repair security vul- nerabilities are not a “quick fix” and in some cases could take government years to sort out. Moreover, separately oper- ating IT systems used by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the court system and the Health Services Authority were not reviewed as part of the 2015 audit, largely be- cause the third-party pro- viders of those software sys- tems did not assent to the review. In 2013 the government’s Internal Audit Unit reviewed the system used by the RCIPS, but that document was never released because of stated se- curity concerns. The issue of government’s IT security was flagged by Premier Alden McLaughlin during his annual address to the Chamber of Commerce this week. “I have advised the staff in the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that there is a sufficient, urgent focus on data security across gov- ernment,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “There is no place for complacency or second-best when it comes to security and public confidence.” The government’s Computer Services Department, which is respon- sible for the public sector’s IT operations and security, agreed with the findings of the auditor general’s 2015 review. “The [auditor general’s] findings, while limited in scope and duration, provide a clear and accurate overview of the situation at the time of the audit,” the department in- dicated in a statement. The department said it was researching the “root causes” and recommending fixes for the issues identified in the report. The department also noted that the govern- ment has set aside funding for IT security training, de- scribing the costs involved as “significant.” The Ministry of Home Affairs has hired U.K. gov- ernment cybersecurity expert consultants to evaluate com- puter services’ work. “The Ministry...believes that the security flaws dis- covered by the Office of the Auditor General are unaccept- able,” a statement released by the ministry Thursday in- dicated. “The collective find- ings point to issues that are systemic and best addressed through improvements in gov- ernance, leadership, processes and procedures along with the appropriate technology.” IT infrastructure found to pose a security risk has been replaced at a cost of $698,551, ministry officials said without identifying what infrastruc- ture had been replaced. The Cayman Compass has reported on a number of IT security/operation failings in government over the past several years: ■■ Cayman Airways: Internal auditors noted in 2014 that the national airline lacked a formal disaster recovery plan in the event of an IT system crash. Auditors noted the air- line’s attempts to back up data failed too often. ■■ Department of Environmental Health: A review of government trash-fee collection in 2014 noted that six de- partment employees were granted “privileged” ac- cess to its computer- ized financial manage- ment system – EVMAS – for no apparent reason. In addition, the EVMAS software expired in 2012 and tech support for it ended in 2010. ■■ Department of Agriculture: An in- ternal audit report from February 2014 noted a lack of understanding with regard to basic com- puter technology that resulted in the poten- tial for anyone in gov- ernment with sufficient IT know-how to access the department’s finan- cial and personnel files. ■■ RCIPS/Computer Services: Repeated hard drive crashes between late 2013 and early 2014 re- sulted in some data from the RCIPS Marine Unit being lost. Attempts to recover the records were not successful.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Friday OctOber 2, 2015 join us as we celebrate discoverflow.ky This is how we Flow Heritage Square, West Bay Heritage Field, East End Heritage Square, North Side Bodden Town Public Beach One Technology Square, Eastern Ave 10:00am 12 noon 1:30pm 3:30pm 5:30pm Come out Saturday 3 October on the streets of Grand Cayman to help us say hello to Flow and farewell to LIME. Catch some amazing one-day-only offers, giveaways, entertainment and more when the Flow motorcade comes to your district.Next >