CAYMAN WEEKENDER Dirty Vegas in Cayman EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 NEW LEADERSHIP AT JOHN GRAY: A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 RECYCLE YOUR OLD PHONE BOOKS TODAY! Dates for Drop Off: February 22nd through March 18th Foster’s Food Fair Locations Hurley’s Supermarket Camana Bay, Regal Cinema Camana Bay, Mail Boxes Etc. 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Jonathan Clark arrives from Essex secondary school JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com British educator Jonathan Clark has taken over as the principal of Grand Cayman’s John Gray High School. Mr. Clark took up the post just over a week ago. He comes to Cayman from the Passmores Academy in Essex, a school which fea- tured in a British “fly on the wall” television documen- tary about the lives of stu- dents and teachers at a typ- ical British secondary school. Mr. Clark was deputy head at the school, which has around 1,000 pupils and a higher than average pro- portion of children with spe- cial educational needs. The school was rated as “good” by the U.K.’s independent Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, known as Ofsted. According to the Cayman Islands Ministry of Education, Mr. Clark has 22 years of teaching experience, including the last seven in a senior management position at “a school environment similar to our local schools.” “These are exciting times in education, and the Ministry of Education looks forward to having Mr. Clark as part of the team as we continue to work to improve education throughout these islands,” the ministry said in a statement in response to inquiries from the Cayman Compass. John Gray High School West Bay Road speed limit lowered to 25 mph KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com After years of hitting road bumps, speed limit changes on a number of roads across Grand Cayman will go into effect Monday. Changes include reducing the speed limit along part of West Bay Road to 25 mph. Road officials started reviewing proposals for speed limit changes in 2013, launching a public consultation process on the topic. In 2014, a plan was submitted to Cabinet, but more than a year passed before Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts announced that speed limit changes would take effect in May 2015. That deadline passed, and officials said the changes would happen in September 2015. In January, officials said the speed limit changes were delayed as they would be packaged with other amendments to the traffic law. On Wednesday, the National Roads Authority along with fellow members of the Traffic Management Panel (which also includes the Ministry of Planning, the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing and the police), announced in a press release that the proposed speed limit changes would take effect Monday. “The TMP has strongly considered all com- ments and concerns,” officials said in the press release. One notable change is the reduction of the speed limit on West Bay Road from central George Town to Public Beach to 25 mph, down from the current speed limit of 40 mph. There have been several serious traffic ac- cidents, some involving pedestrians, along West Bay Road in the Seven Mile Beach area. In April last year, a 16-year-old tourist suf- fered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a minivan as he was crossing the road near the Marriott resort. In December, a 68-year-old tourist was se- riously injured after being hit by a pickup truck near Peppers Restaurant. Businesses along West Bay Road welcomed the reduced speed limit. “We are always concerned for the safety of our guests and members of the public when crossing the busy West Bay Road,” said Comfort Suites manager Tom Mason. “The cut-off from West Bay Road onto Piper BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Detectives with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service are due to be dispatched to the U.K. later this year as part of an ongoing criminal in- vestigation into the former senior investigating of- ficer of the ill-fated Operation Tempura corruption probe, the Cayman Compass has learned. Martin Bridger, a retired U.K. police officer who led the Tempura investigation between 2007 and 2009, has never been interviewed in connec- tion with the investigation of him that has pur- portedly been under way since mid-2013. The investigation involves an allegation of crime Mr. Bridger made to the RCIPS, stating that he was misled by Cayman’s former governor, Stuart Jack, and other senior officials about police corruption claims. Mr. Bridger has said that if he had not been misled at the time, the Operation Tempura probe would have ended in a matter of weeks. Instead, the probe carried on for more than two years and cost Cayman Islands taxpayers more than $10 million. U.K. sources confirmed to the Compass this week that they were contacted by RCIPS offi- cers seeking to arrange interviews related to the Bridger investigation. An RCIPS spokesperson declined to comment. RCIPS officers previously attempted to meet and interview Mr. Bridger in connection with his initial allegation of crime, but said he abruptly cancelled that meeting days before it was sched- uled to occur. New principal for John Gray High School Speed limit changes start Monday CAYMAN POLICE TO GO TO UK FOR TEMPURA PROBE New John Gray principal Jonathan Clark, in a picture posted on the school’s Facebook page. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com International Women’s Day is Tuesday, but in the Cayman Islands, women will be celebrated with special events all month. March is Honoring Women Month in Cayman, and the Family Resource Centre has organized several events around the theme of “Step it up for gender equality.” The theme is tied to a commitment made by world leaders at the United Nations in 2015 to end discrimination against women by 2030 with “concrete and measurable” actions to kick-start rapid change in their countries. “It starts with self- evaluating what is hap- pening within our organiza- tions, our community, and seeing whether there are ways that men and women aren’t being treated fairly or equally,” Family Resource Centre program facilitator Charmaine Miller said. “Women’s equality isn’t just a woman’s issue, it’s a human rights issue.” Cayman will kick things off with a worship ser- vice Saturday at the King’s Seventh-day Adventist church from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On International Women’s Day, the Family Resource Centre is hosting a free screening of the documentary fi lm “He Named Me Malala” about Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai – her life, her fi ght for children’s educa- tion, and how she and her fa- ther defi ed traditional norms and violent extremists to make a difference. “We thought the fi lm was very fi tting for the theme of the day,” Ms. Miller said. “It speaks of the im- portance of girls’ educa- tion and advocates against gender inequality.” In 2009, at age 11, Ms. Yousafzai began writing a blog for the BBC about the dangers of going to school in the Taliban-held Swat Valley in Pakistan. The blog thrust her into the in- ternational spotlight, and she began appearing on television to advocate for women’s education. Her activism provoked the ire of Taliban leaders, who voted to kill her, and in 2012, a masked gunman came onto her school bus and shot Ms. Yousafzai in the head. A year later, she and her father established the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic im- pact of girls’ education and to empower girls around the world. In 2014, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, at age 17. She was the co-recipient of that year’s Nobel Peace Prize, with Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights and education activist. The documentary will also be shown at the Harquail Theatre Tuesday evening. General admission is free; VIP tickets, which in- clude a small plate buffet, are $15. Doors open at 6 p.m. and local organizations that support Malala’s cause will be present to discuss their work. Individuals who have helped with the advance- ment of girls in sports in the Cayman Islands will be hon- ored at 6:30 p.m. and the fi lm will begin at 7 p.m. There will be a discussion on the issues highlighted in the fi lm fol- lowing the screening. The Family Resource Centre will also show the fi lm earlier in the day at the high schools. “I think even though it’s a global fi lm, it’s defi nitely applicable to people here,” Ms. Miller said. “It’s about standing up for children’s rights and empowering the youth in the community to close the gender gap.” Ms. Miller said the fi lm also “highlights the impor- tance of involving both men and women in working to- gether to promote equal op- portunities for all. “I really want to stress that … we like to think of gender inequality as a wom- an’s issue, but it’s really not, and we still struggle with that here in Cayman, where at times we box ourselves in,” Ms. Miller said. “But we’re promoting the involve- ment of both women and men so that we can work together and create more equal opportunities.” Other events this month include the “Colour Me Purple” 5K Walk/Run on March 12 at Kaibo and on March 13 at Smith Cove. The race is sure to be colorful, as participants will be doused with purple powder. Registration is $20 and all proceeds benefi t the Family Resource Centre. For a full schedule of Honouring Women Month, visit facebook.com/familyresourcecentre. FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Harpist Extraordinaire Eugenio Leon Serenades Tableside Tonight Friday and every Friday! Tarpon Fish Feeding 7:30pm & 9:00pm Nightly Fish FeedingFish FeedingTarponTarpon TONIGHT! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Salsa Tuesdays with DJ Flex starting Salsa with DJ Flex Salsa with DJ Flex with DJ Flex Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man TOMORROW Saturday, March 5th Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky 94-P ASTA [ 947.2782 ] • Marquee Plaza • Everything is made from scratch. • The freshest & nest ingredients. • No deep-frying or microwaving. • Pizza crusts baked in a traditional wood buring oven. Gluten-free crust available. • All sauces are homemade. Cayman stepping up for gender equality New Jamaica PM to be sworn in Jamaica Labor Party leader Andrew Holness is to be sworn in as the na- tion’s newest prime min- ister on Thursday. On Tuesday, the Electoral Offi ce confi rmed that the Jamaica Labor Party had dealt a major upset to Prime Minster’s Portia Simpson Miller’s People’s National Party by winning the Feb. 25 general elections. At the end of a fi nal count by the elec- tions offi ce, Jamaica Labor Party candidates had won 32 of the 63 constituencies while the People’s National Party won 31. Turnout was 47 percent. The Jamaica Labor Party is still hoping to in- crease its one-seat margin by picking up an additional seat. Holness, the leader of the party, was greeted by cheering supporters as he arrived at party head- quarters in the capital fol- lowing the announcement of the results. He pledged to create jobs and grow the economy while improving education and healthcare. “We don’t take it that we have won a prize,” he told the crowd. Simpson Miller became the country’s fi rst female leader in 2006. That fi rst term ended in 2007, but she returned as prime minister in 2011 amid a shrinking economy and one of the highest levels of debt rela- tive to GDP in the world. Her government negotiated a $930 million aid package with the IMF. The Jamaican dollar has declined, the cost of living has gone up and wages have stagnated. The IMF, however, has praised the government for cut- ting debt and making other economic reforms and the stock market was rated among the best performing in the world last year. “It makes no sense we stop the progress now,” said voter Herbert Hall. But Holness’s campaign pledge to make the economy more dynamic with cuts to the income tax and other mea- sures resonates with many in a country with wide- spread poverty and youth unemployment above 30 percent. Many Jamaicans are also fed up with one of the highest homicide rates in the world, mostly blamed on gangs. The country had 1,192 slayings in 2015, a roughly 20 percent increase from 2014. By compar- ison, Chicago, which has roughly the same popula- tion as Jamaica at 2.7 mil- lion, had 468 killings in the same period. The Associated Press and The Washington Post Malala Yousafzai meets with President Barack Obama, fi rst lady Michelle Obama and their daughter Malia in the Oval Offi ce in 2013. A documentary about Malala, an advocate for girls’ education and empowerment, will be shown at various locations around the island this month. - PHOTO: OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY PETE SOUZA VIA THE WASHINGTON POST Mr. HolnessThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 discoverflow.ky/myplan Flow terms and conditions apply. Talk about a deal! Get the latest smartphone right now and spread the cost over 12 months. Then, in a year’s time upgrade your smartphone again – the choice is yours. say hello to a new phone every yearThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (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 findtheirownway” THE TELEGRAPH (LONDON) The story almost seems too absurd to be true. But true it is. The European Commission had intended to launch a crackdown on ap- pliances that use a lot of en- ergy, including some kettles – but decided to shelve the plans for fear that it might drive Britain toward leaving the European Union. The story suggests that Brussels is paying closer attention to the U.K.’s mood than usual. The EU referendum polls are quite balanced in a country where tea-drinking is widely regarded as a near-religious ritual and a human right. Collectively, we get through 62 billion cups of tea a year. The war on the fast- boiling kettle symbolizes everything Britons dislike about the EU: its meddling, its obsession with rules and its determination to enforce conformity. Of course, there are far more serious issues that need to be discussed. The public wants to under- stand, among other things, the role that the EU plays in shaping our laws and trade, as well as its impact on the cost of living. Because there is so much to dissect, and so much that is controversial, the Telegraph has pledged to its readers that it will seek to provide a forensic, detailed scrutiny of both campaigns. We have invited readers to write to us with questions, and we will be launching our biggest ever reader survey to give you a chance to express your opinion on the future of this country. The search for the truth will be long and, possibly, acrimonious. In an ar- ticle for this newspaper, the Prime Minister lays out some very good questions for the Leave campaigners. What trading relationship would Britain have with Europe after leaving? And how secure would Britain be outside the EU? Mr. Cameron asserts that those who want Brexit are advo- cating a “leap in the dark” – and indeed many voters will find the lack of an- swers to the question “what would happen next?” rather troubling. However, we also carry in these pages an in- terview with Iain Duncan Smith, a backer of Brexit, in which he asks some per- tinent questions of his own. At a time when net migra- tion to the U.K. is 323,000 per year, how does the Remain campaign intend to reassert control of Britain’s borders? What will happen to the ailing eurozone in the coming months? And how will the U.K. be affected by European economic turmoil? With all these questions flying around, it is under- standable that pro-Brexit ministers should be con- cerned that Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service, ordered civil servants to deny them ac- cess to government statis- tics and research. Mr. Duncan Smith says that he will defy the ban. Next week the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs select committee will cross-examine Sir Jeremy. It could be argued that Whitehall is duty-bound to support the Government, and given that the official line of the Government is to back Remain, the decision is a not an unreasonable one. Also, the rules will change again when the Whitehall purdah begins in May. Nevertheless, civil ser- vants will not want to be seen to be blocking access to information that could in- form open debate. For in- stance, when Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, ques- tioned whether the Prime Minister’s deal would have full force in law, Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, replied that it surely would and urged Mr. Gove to consult his departmental lawyers on the subject – per- haps underscoring the im- portance of access to good advice. This newspaper has urged the Government simply to publish its legal advice on the matter in full. Otherwise, voters will be forced to choose between one hypoth- esis and another. When all is said and done, the public faces a choice between different sets of risks and opportunities. Nothing can be exactly known for sure: no one can claim to have clairvoyance. But the verdict that the public is being asked to reach should be informed by as much data as possible. Let all the facts be known. Let both sides make arguments rooted in accurate analysis. Then trust the people to make the right decision. © 2016, The Associated Press “Welcome to our new Principal, Mr. Clarke!” — John Gray High School Facebook page, Feb. 24 So read the “official” announcement of one of the most significant developments in Cayman Islands edu- cation to occur in many months … via a photo on the Facebook page of John Gray High School, accompanied by a seven-word caption — including one spelling error. (The new principal’s name is actually Jonathan Clark.) First things first: Principal Clark, welcome to Cayman. We’re sure you’ll discover that your assignment at John Gray contains challenges and opportunities in equally formidable measure. We wish you the best, and share with you our hopeful expectations for the futures of our Caymanian students. In our estimation, being principal at John Gray is among the most important positions in our country’s public education system, second only, perhaps, to chief education officer in the Ministry of Education. Speaking of whom … One of our reporters has been tracking Mr. Clark’s recruitment and hiring for the past several months, starting a correspondence with Acting Chief Education Officer Lyneth Monteith on the issue as far back as mid-December, repeatedly requesting interviews and confirmation of his arrival. Ms. Monteith — who herself was principal of John Gray until last year — staved off our journalist, using excuses such as hectic holidays and an impending press release. Mr. Clark (previously an educator in the United Kingdom) started his new job on Feb. 24 without the amount of fanfare, ceremony and public scrutiny the position warrants. (Thursday afternoon, after notifying the ministry the Compass would be publishing a story, we finally received a five-paragraph statement on Mr. Clark’s appointment.) Keep the following in mind: The government’s centralized public relations apparatus has approxi- mately three dozen employees and an annual budget of more than $2 million. Each year, Government Information Services, Radio Cayman and CIG-TV 20 disseminate hundreds of press releases, broadcast tens of thousands of news items, make thousands of public service announcements and produce several distinct recurring programs. (That doesn’t count PR and communications professionals within the various individual government entities.) The Compass email server is crammed with GIS press releases that are, in terms of substance, the journalistic equivalent of eiderdown. And yet, when it comes time to send out a piece of real news with real heft, our in-basket is empty. Who made the determina- tion that the appointment of a new head for Cayman’s largest and most-troubled public school constitutes neither “government” nor “information?” But back to the matter at hand. Even if the govern- ment isn’t ready to welcome officially Principal Clark to Cayman, we certainly are. Mr. Clark, the Compass is a pro-education publication. We offer you our full support in your mission to nurture the minds of our young people. Any time you would like to share your thoughts or observations on our children’s progress or the state of our education system, call us. Our pages are open to you — just as they are to any person or ini- tiative that pulls in that direction. Again, Principal Clark, welcome to Cayman. We’re pleased you’re here, and we wish you all the best. New leadership at John Gray: A matter of principal FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The EU-UK divide In this Feb. 4 photo, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron cross paths during a press conference in London on the Syrian refugee crisis. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 CAMANA BAY WELCOMES DESIGN STUDIO Discover the Town Centre’s newest retail showroom and only full service interior design firm. Design Studio is an award-winning interior design firm with a reputation for innovation, quality and customer service. The Studio offers full service interior design for residential and commercial projects along with a bright and airy showroom fully stocked with beautiful furnishings and unique accessories. Custom orders are available from a wide array of international suppliers to ensure client needs are met. Located on Market Street Mon-Sat 10am-7pm 345.945.4977 / DesignStudio.tc / Design@DesignStudio.ky CAMANABAY.COM6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS DCI_HALF PG_ SPOT BLUE_ COMPASS AD_ NEW TD LAW.indd 12/17/2016 3:35:29 PM CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A young woman described as being abused by her boy- friend was given shelter by neighbors the month before she was killed, a coroner’s jury heard this week. Queen’s coroner Eileen Nervik read a neighbor’s statement on Wednesday as part of the evidence in the inquests into the deaths of Nichelle Anna-Kay Thomas, 21, and her boyfriend Devon Roy Campbell, 39. Ms. Thomas’s body was found in a closet at the home of her employer on Sunday morning. Feb. 9, 2014. The same morning, Mr. Campbell’s body was found hanging from a tree in the yard. The employer was elderly and ill; Ms. Thomas pro- vided Sunday relief for his full-time helper. The statement read by the coroner was from Chris Alexander Paul, who gave it on Feb. 15, 2014. He said he lived in an apartment in the building where Mr. Campbell and Ms. Thomas lived. He said they were “always living badly,” and he would come home and hear that Mr. Campbell had beaten Ms. Thomas, but he never saw it. On a date in January 2014, his wife phoned him to tell him Ms. Thomas was at their apartment “and wanted us to give her a sleep” and he gave his permission. It was not clear from the statement how long Ms. Thomas stayed, but Mr. Paul described a day when he was home and saw Mr. Campbell at a back window calling for Ms. Thomas. He did not see her in the house, so he told Mr. Campbell she was not there. Later, after his wife came home and spoke with Ms. Thomas, he asked his wife where Ms. Thomas had been and was told she had been hiding in a closet. Mr. Paul said he was upset and told his wife he did not want to get involved in any mix-up between Ms. Thomas and Mr. Campbell. He learned that Mr. Campbell had said Ms. Thomas was in Mr. Paul’s apartment because he was having inti- mate relations with her. The next day, Mr. Campbell apolo- gized to him for saying that. Mr. Paul said he never had any relations with Ms. Thomas, not even conversations. “I allowed her to stay be- cause my wife wanted to help her,” he said. The jury previously heard from acquaintances and rel- atives who said that Mr. Campbell had physically and mentally abused Ms. Thomas. The couple met in Jamaica when she was 17 and still in high school. She first moved to Cayman in early 2012. Her mother said Ms. Thomas had wanted to work and earn money so she could continue her education. Also on Wednesday, fo- rensic pathologist Ashwyn Rajagopalan gave evi- dence via video link about the post-mortem examina- tions he had performed. He said Ms. Thomas died from loss of blood after multiple chop wounds. Dr. Rajagopalan gave the cause of death for Mr. Campbell as hanging and said there were no other inju- ries on the body to indicate a struggle or fight. The coroner said she would instruct the jury on the law and provide a summary of facts on Friday morning. Ms. Thomas’s case is to be considered first. INQUEST: Neighbors offered shelter to abused woman Department changes station commanders BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is reorganizing several senior staff members following the departure of a second high-ranking female commander since the start of the year. Chief Inspector Claudia Brady left the police service Wednesday. She had been in charge of operations at the George Town Police Station, the largest and busiest sta- tion in Cayman. She is de- parting after taking another position in government. Ms. Brady’s departure puts Inspector Lloyd Marriott temporarily in charge of George Town station. The police have also made some changes in the eastern districts’ command, as Chief Inspector Frank Owens takes over opera- tions at the Bodden Town Police Station. Former sta- tion commander, Chief Inspector Brad Ebanks, has taken charge of the Uniform Specialist Unit, including the Marine Unit, K-9 patrols and the police helicopter patrols. Mr. Ebanks’s move will help lighten the workload on Superintendent Robert Scotland who was just put in charge of uniform and dis- trict operations for the three islands – including all pa- trols and oversight responsi- bility for the police stations. Mr. Scotland previously was assigned to oversee spe- cialist unit operations and at one point was overseeing about two-thirds of all the active RCIPS officers. Mr. Scotland was ap- pointed following the de- parture of Superintendent Angelique Howell who, at the time, was the RCIPS’s highest- ranking female officer. Ms. Howell left to pursue an articled clerkship at the Mourant Ozannes firm after receiving her law degree. She is on a leave of absence for 18 months and is ex- pected to eventually return to the department. The other two RCIPS sta- tion commanders, Chief Inspector Harlan Powery in West Bay and Inspector Wendy Parchment in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, will remain in those posts. In other police staffing moves, Inspector Leo Anglin has been promoted to lead Joint Marine Unit opera- tions under Mr. Ebanks, and Chief Inspector Raymond Christian takes over the RCIPS Professional Standards Unit. Second high-ranking female officer departs RCIPSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The family of the late Dorothy (Dodie) Ebanks, Who departed this life on Sunday February 28, 2016. She leaves to mourn: her son, Mark Alexander, sister, Marjorie, Brothers John and Davis, and many relatives and friends. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A memorial service will be announced later. We regret to announce the passing of Denvil Roy Mitchell Who departed this life on Sunday, 21st February 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 5th March, 2016, at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay. Viewing will be from 5-7 pm Friday 4 March 2016 at Bodden Funeral Service, Walkers Rd. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the N.C.V.O. We regret to announce the passing of Winson “Mr. Vincent” Miller Who departed this life on Thursday, 25th February 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 12th March, 2016, at the William Pouchie Presbyterian Church, Northside. Viewing will be prior to the service from 1:30 p.m. Interment will follow in Miller Cemetery, Northside. We regret to announce the passing of Caleb Vaughn Samuel Orrett Who departed this life on Thursday, 25th February 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, 12th March, 2016, at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in Northwest point Cemetery. Hotel rates rise while occupancy drops CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Average daily rates for Cayman’s hotels, signifi- cantly higher than most in the Caribbean, continue to rise, while average occupancy declines. But the premium price more than makes up for selling fewer nights. According to a new re- port from Integra Realty Resources, revenue is in- creasing for all of Cayman’s hotels. The average rate for a hotel room in Cayman last year was about US$365, com- pared to the Caribbean av- erage of $226. Regionally, occupancy rates increased from about 67.8 percent to a little more than 69 per- cent, according to the report, but Cayman’s occupancy rate dropped by 2.5 points to 68 percent. Revenue per room, how- ever, went up in Cayman by about 3 percent in the past year to more than US$245. The revenue increases in Cayman are about half of the regional 6 percent average revenue increase in the past year, according to data col- lected by Integra. Integra’s Jim Andrews said in an email, “Room rev- enues for those hotels will be about 3 percent higher than the prior year with the higher [average daily rates] and lower occupancy in 2015; and there will be some sav- ings on the expenses since some costs are tied to occu- pied room nights.” Mr. Andrews said he ex- pects hotel rates will con- tinue to climb, even when new rooms become available when the Kimpton Seafire re- sort opens this fall. “Adding new product helps to promote the destination and add to the critical mass,” he said. “Hotels are competing against sim- ilar product on other islands just as much as they are with properties in Cayman. “There still may be a ceiling where [average daily rates] can go before it sig- nificantly affects occupancy. At this level I would suspect that hotels will be testing that by managing their rates closely and experimenting with raising them for future months where the occupancy already looks good.” Cayman has not per- formed as well regionally re- garding number of tourists. The Caribbean region had a 7 percent uptick in visitors last year, but the increase in the Cayman Islands was less than 1 percent. Recently, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the near-flat growth in stay-over arrivals was expected be- cause the country has not added new hotel rooms in re- cent years. The minister said, “We have no more rooms, our rooms are full, so we’re going to be flat now until November when the Kimpton opens. It is not a fair assess- ment to look at Cayman and say because we didn’t have 6 percent growth that we’re not doing well. You need to look at the whole package and say ‘room rates are up, they’re doing extremely well.’” The average rate for a hotel room in Cayman last year was about US$365, compared to the Caribbean average of $226. An artist’s rendering of the Kimpton Seafire resort that is due to open on Seven Mile Beach in November. Integra Realty Resources’ Jim Andrews says he expects hotel rates to continue to rise, even when new rooms become available when the Seafire resort opens. Public sector agencies change job application forms BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Cayman Islands public sector agencies have pledged to change applica- tion forms for future recruit- ment efforts following rev- elations that a number of government entities were asking questions about appli- cants’ “nationality at birth.” The Tourism Attraction Board, which advertised for two positions recently, one in 2015 and another early this year, asked appli- cants for their “nationality at birth” and “nationality now” in an apparent attempt to differentiate between ap- plicants who were born in Cayman and those were born elsewhere but obtained Caymanian status. Tourism Attraction Board Chief Executive Gilbert Connolly was asked Tuesday whether there was another possible reason for putting such a question on a job ap- plication form. “That’s a good point,” Mr. Connolly said. “We intend to change that.” He said the application form the agency posted came from an old central govern- ment template that had been in circulation many years ago but is no longer in use. In any case, the nation- ality “at birth” question did not affect the person hired for the post during last year’s ap- plication process. The person who was hired is a non-Cay- manian permanent resident. The Health Services Authority also pulled its ap- plication form that asked for the applicant’s nationality “at birth” in connection with a position it is currently adver- tising. That form has been re- placed, said Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood, who noted that the prior form was used by mistake. The Cayman Compass found other examples of public authorities in the Cayman Islands asking for applicants’ “birthplace” and marital status and requesting a photograph – all ques- tions that could be consid- ered unlawful discrimina- tion in the U.K. According to the U.K. gov- ernment, British law sets out certain “protected character- istics” of a person, including age, race, sex, sexual prefer- ence, disability or religion against which employers are not allowed to discriminate. The Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009) al- lows for discriminatory prac- tices in employment but only when it involves the prefer- ence of hiring Caymanians over non-Caymanians. The constitution makes no dis- tinction between someone who is born Caymanian and someone who received that status through an immigra- tion application process. The central government service in Cayman uses a standard application tem- plate that does not request information such as nation- ality at birth and marital status. It does ask for a work- er’s current nationality if they are employed here as a work permit holder. However, outside author- ities – like the HSA, or the Tourism Attraction Board – are not subject to civil service employment law, known as the Public Service Management Law. This can create some dif- ferences regarding employ- ment practice. One of the aims of the long-discussed Public Authorities Bill, which is expected to go to the Progressives-led government caucus in April, is to bring hiring practices for all gov- ernment entities in line. Mr. Connolly said the application form the agency posted came from an “old” central government template that had been in circulation many years ago but is no longer in use.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 Way outside of Coconut Joe’s is always a concern due to the low levels of lighting at the intersection, which make it difficult for drivers to see tourists who can tend to be unaware of their surroundings and also who are not used to the direction that the traffic comes from. “Perhaps a lower speed limit in this busy area will help [to] ensure the safety for both the motorist[s] and the general pedestrian public as a whole.” Coconut Joe’s manager Dave Chowtee said he fre- quently sees cars speeding along West Bay Road as if they are on a racetrack. “I think the change will be a really positive one,” he said. The speed limit will also be reduced on Austin Connolly Drive in East End, from the east of John McLean Drive near Morritt’s Tortuga Club and Royal Reef Resort, from 50 mph to 35 mph. On Crewe Road between the Silver Oaks roundabout and the DMS roundabout and on Shamrock Road in Red Bay between Selkirk Drive and the Dr. Tomlinson roundabout, the speed limit will be lowered from 40 mph to 30 mph. Some of the speed limit changes will allow traffic to speed up along various roads. The speed limit will increase from 25 mph to 30 mph in various sections of roads in West Bay, in- cluding parts of North West Point Road, Town Hall Road, Batabano Road and Rev Blackman Road. The speed limit will also increase from 25 mph to 30 mph on Hirst Road in Savannah and on Anton Bodden Road, and from 25 mph to 35 mph on North Sound Road/Thomas Russell Way from Bobby Thompson to the Butterfield round- about, and the Esterley Tibbetts connection to Willie Farrington Drive. New speed limit signs re- flecting the changes will be up by Monday. One road left out of the speed limit changes is Frank Sound Road. An International Roads Assessment Programme survey released last year found that Frank Sound Road was particularly hazardous for motorists, mo- torcycle riders, pedestrians and cyclists, and cited the high speed limit on that road – 50 mph – as a problem. National Roads Authority transportation planner Marion Pandohie said the traffic management panel considered lowering the speed limit on Frank Sound Road, but “it was not po- litically desirable given that it would add to motor- ists’ travel time to and from George Town.” Businesses along West Bay Road welcomed the reduced speed limit. Speed limit changes start Monday The speed limit on West Bay Road will be reduced from 40 mph to 25 mph starting Monday. Dart plans children’s resort in new SMB tourism district Two new hotels to anchor resort area JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A children’s resort is being planned as part of a new tourism district sur- rounding Dart’s new hotels on Seven Mile Beach. The developer revealed this week that it is plan- ning to build a five-star hotel next to the 10-story Kimpton Seafire resort, currently under construction next to Public Beach. Dart Realty’s chief operating officer, Jackie Doak, says the two hotels will anchor a new resort dis- trict which will incorporate the developer’s land hold- ings from the North Sound to Seven Mile Beach. Plans for the zone are under discussion but will likely include a “children’s re- sort,” said Ms. Doak. She said the resort could include daily activities and excursions around the zone, including zip-lining, kaya- king, climbing walls, swim- ming pools and slides. Features like tree houses dotted around the resort dis- trict and a “lazy river” al- lowing kids to float through parts of the property are also planned. Aimed primarily at tour- ists from all over the island, it is also envisaged as in- cluding bunks for “sleepover” activities, allowing parents to take a night off or make a side trip to the Sister Islands. Family destination Ms. Doak said the aim is to create a venue that makes Cayman a top destination for families. She said she saw the “component parts” at var- ious locations on her own travels with her children, in- cluding at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and on Disney cruises, but she hopes the developer can create a unique attraction. The resort will have a headquarters between the two hotels but will feature activities all over the “resort zone,” she said. “Each hotel will have their own kids clubs,” she sad, “but this is going to pro- vide amenities and activities that don’t currently exist in Cayman. “It is in the conceptual stage at the moment, but the aim is that it will be devel- oped in parallel with the five- star resort.” She said the plans involve a headquarters around a beach and pool area close to Tiki Beach, and that the en- tire concept could drive new visitors to the islands. “It has huge potential to attract families to the Cayman Islands,” Ms. Doak said. “We want to make it so Cayman is the number one destination that comes up for families with children when they are researching where to go on vacation.” Master plan She said the finer details of what will be included in the wider resort zone will be determined in a master plan for the area. Dart took the first steps in the application process for the five-star hotel next to Tiki Beach this week with the submission of a coastal works application to explore the removal of beach rock to create a safer and more comfortable water entry on that stretch of Seven Mile Beach. “We want to make it so Cayman is the number one destination that comes up for families with children when they are researching where to go on vacation.” JACKIE DOAK, chief operating officer, Dart Realty 100-plus remain in detention The Cayman Islands government on Tuesday sent home 32 Cuban mi- grants who were part of a wave of men and women who showed up on Cayman’s shores in the first months of the year. A total of 102 migrants remain in the Immigration Department’s detention center in George Town and in community centers in East End and Bodden Town. Several Cuban nationals are also in Northward Prison, sentenced to serve time for illegal landing when they left their boats after ar- riving on the islands. Cuban migrants are al- lowed to pass through Cayman’s waters, but if they come ashore, they are held by the Immigration Department and repatri- ated to Cuba under an agreement between the two governments. Migrants from Cuba regularly pass by the Cayman Islands on their way to Honduras, where they typically take a land route north through Mexico to the United States. The uptick in Cuban mi- grations has been blamed on fears over the end of the U.S. “wet-foot, dry-foot” policy, which gives prefer- ential treatment to Cuban migrants who make it to U.S. soil. A total of 102 migrants remain in the Immigration Department’s detention center in George Town and in community centers in East End and Bodden Town. 32 Cuban migrants sent home CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >