High of 90 Low of 80 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. LOCAL | PAGE 8 CAYMAN MOSQUITOES: WILD, VARIED, PLENTIFUL AND ANNOYING EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CIVIL SERVICE: JUDGES ARE NOT HR MANAGERS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Personal Insurance In 1984, customers knew us as BritCay. In 2016, they and the next generation still do. Your insurance cover with BritCay is supported by a group of companies managing $390 million in insurance and pension contributions. More cover, more benefits, more security. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp PREGNANT WOMAN AMONG NEW ZIKA CASES CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman now has 17 confirmed lo- cally transmitted cases of Zika, including one pregnant woman, according to public health officials. All of the confirmed local cases are in George Town. The total number of cases confirmed with laboratory results, including those suspected to have come from overseas travel, is now 26, with an additional 15 cases suspected, public health officials announced Tuesday at a town hall meeting in George Town. Of the suspected cases, two are in West Bay and four in Bodden Town, the remaining nine are in George Town. The biggest concern with Zika is for preg- nant women. Babies born to women infected with the virus can have severe birth defects. STORM WATCH CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The big storm spinning through the Eastern Caribbean was officially named Mat- thew Wednesday morning as winds topped 60 miles per hour and it continued to move west, according to the U.S. National Hurri- cane Center. As of Wednesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Matthew was about 25 miles south- west of St. Lucia and moving west at 20 mph. Forecasters expect the system to slow its westward movement as it enters the eastern and central Caribbean. BIN LADEN SHOOTER GUEST SPEAKER AT YCLA The former U.S. Navy SEAL who claimed to have killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden will be the guest speaker at the Young Caymanian Leader Awards ceremony in November. The Young Caymanian Leaders Foundation announced Tuesday that Robert O’Neill will speak at the event, which will be held at the Kimpton Seafire hotel on Saturday, Nov. 5. On May 2, 2011, he was a member of Navy SEAL Team 6 when they New Festival Green bridge takes shape JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The six giant beams that will form the backbone of a new bridge at Camana Bay swung into place this week. Using a large crane, Decco, Dart’s development manage- ment company, moved the 95- foot beams into place for the new Maris Avenue Bridge, which will connect the central island and Festival Green to the mainland. Dart estimates that the bridge, the first of its kind in Grand Cayman, will be com- pleted early next year. The bridge will provide access from the town center to Festival Green, the site of a tennis court and helipad and the location for events like the Taste of Cayman festival and the Legends Tennis tournament. The dirt causeway which currently provides access to the island will be removed once the bridge construction is complete. The bridge will span 100 feet across the water and will include pedestrian and cycle paths. Boats extending up to 18 feet above the water level will be able to pass under the bridge to enter Camana Bay Harbour. Dart says the purpose of building the bridge is to help provide swift, pedestrian and cycle-friendly access to Fes- tival Green. As Camana Bay continues to expand, Dart says it is keen to ensure connec- tivity between locations. Speaking to the Cayman Islands Journal in July last year, Dart’s Chief Executive Officer Mark VanDevelde said the bridge was originally de- signed for the 101 condomin- iums project, and the decision was made to build the bridge now even though that project was put on hold. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » A giant crane towers over the landscape as the beams for the bridge are moved into place. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The bridge will provide a link for cars, bikes and pedestrians to Festival Green in Camana Bay.2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 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. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (PG13) 12:30 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:50 KUBO AND THE TWO (PG) STRINGS 3D 9:35 2D THE QUEEN OF KATWE (PG) 1:30 | 4:20 | 7:10 | 10:00 STORKS 3D (PG) 1:00 2D | 4:00 | 6:40 2D | 9:00 WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS (PG13) 1:10 | 3:50 | 7:30 | 10:05 BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (R) 1:20 | 4:10 | 7:00 | 9:55 - THURSDAY - Visiting Gynecologist will be available for consultation at Dr. Vivek's offi ce at Smith Road Plaza from 24th September to 6th October, 2016 For appointments please call (345)945-6077 +1 (345) 323-7840 www.drbarryrichter.com The Cayman Islands Veterans Association will be having its Annual General Meeting on Friday, 7th October 2016 at the Casanova’s Restaurant at 1:00 p.m. All members are asked to make every effort to attend in order for the selection of officers and to address other matters. The meeting will be followed by lunch and spouses are welcome. BY ORDER: Capt. Dale M. Banks, CMH President, CIVA RSVP: Graham Walker, Hon. Secretary gwalker@candw.ky or 926 2501 Illegal lander sentenced to 30 days Man found in home of immigration officer CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd A man found in the home of a senior immigration of- ficer was sentenced on Monday to 30 days impris- onment for illegal landing. Antonio Bullard, 30, pleaded guilty to landing in Cayman on or before Aug. 25, the day he was found at a Savannah residence with two other men and two women. One of the women was the immigration officer. Few details of the circumstances of Bullard’s arrest were aired in Summary Court at the sentencing hearing. Crown counsel Darlene Oko began her summary of the facts by explaining that a man in Prospect was watching TV on Aug. 21 when he heard a number of shots outside. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats noted that Bullard was charged only with il- legal landing and asked whether there was a di- rect connection. Told no, he suggested that “There was an incident that required police attention …” Ms. Oko adopted this opening and continued that as a result of a report to po- lice, a search warrant was executed at a residence in Savannah on Aug. 25 and Bullard was located. There was an investigation as to whether he had status on the island and it was found that he did not. He told authorities he had been working on a fishing boat from Jamaica and was caught in bad weather. He drifted to Cayman and swam to shore. He begged for food and water on the street and slept in a truck near the shore. Bullard said he met someone he had known in Jamaica and was taken to the house where he was found. A police report issued at the time was not referred to in court. It stated that the senior immigration officer was accused of harboring an illegal immigrant. It also in- dicated that a firearm had been recovered at the house along with ammunition and a small quantity of ganja. Since then, one of the men arrested has been charged and is before the court for possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ganja. As of Wednesday, there was no in- dication that any charge had been filed against the immi- gration officer. Attorney Dennis Brady spoke for Bullard on Monday. He explained that the defen- dant is Bahamian, but had gone to Jamaica to seek work and had lived there for some time. Recently, he had joined a fishing vessel of a size that sends out smaller boats while it remains anchored as a “mother ship.” When the bad weather came up, Bul- lard was unable to commu- nicate with the mother ship and he drifted to Cayman. Mr. Brady said Bullard was trying to avoid a depor- tation reputation, so he was hoping to leave Cayman as quietly as he had come. The magistrate said he did not think Bullard would be in trouble if he had gone to police or immigration au- thorities and explained what happened. Mr. Brady replied that Bullard recognized that now. The defendant had pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, but the Crown had evidence that there was an outstanding warrant for Bullard’s ar- rest in the Bahamas, but it was not clear what the war- rant was for. Sentencing was delayed until that question was clarified. On Monday, Mr. Brady explained that warrant con- cerned an incident in which Bullard had been with friends who borrowed and returned a boat belonging to a relative of one of the friends. He said efforts were being made to get Bullard’s passport from Jamaica so that he could make his way to the Bahamas to straighten out that matter. The magistrate said that if a person comes to Cayman by accident, he or she should go to the authorities. “When you start to hide, you commit an offense,” he said. He pointed out that there must be a deterrent sentence so that Cayman borders are not breached. He imposed the 30-day term of imprisonment and gave credit for time al- ready in custody. Fogger used to clear birds from airport Operations staff at the Owen Roberts International Airport are using new equip- ment – a fogger – to re- duce the number of bird at the airport. According to a statement issued by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority Tuesday, its Operations Department in collaboration with the Safety Office, is now using “an en- vironmentally safe device” to keep the birds away. The fogger “deploys a light haze of bird repellent that irritates the bird’s mucous membrane,” the Airports Au- thority officials said. “The effect doesn’t harm the bird, however, it does create an unpleasant sen- sation which causes the bird to leave the area,” the statement continued. Cayman Islands Airports Authority Chief Safety Officer Andrew McLaughlin said the measure had been put in place because bird strikes are a big issue for airports, so “it’s important that we do ev- erything we can to keep birds and other wildlife away from the aerodrome.” He added, “We are once again in the middle of a very busy bird season, and I am pleased with the way the fogger has been working so far. The fog is harmless and many motorists may also notice a very fragrant grape scent coming from the area where the fogger is lo- cated, since it consists of a substance used in flavoring many types of food.” The Airports Authority is also urging members of the public to do their part in keeping the airport area clear of wildlife by covering trash cans, picking up garbage and not feeding the birds in the areas surrounding the airport. A Wildlife Hazard Working Group meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 28 to alert the public to methods the airports authority is using to mitigate wildlife. Airport Operation Duty Officers Armando Ebanks, left, and Jerad Ebanks with the bird fogger. CARGO PICK-UP URGED As Cayman keeps a close eye on the storm developing in the Eastern Caribbean, the Port Authority is calling on its customers to pick up their cargo. All customers who still have uncollected cargo in the port are asked to pick it up not later than Friday from the Cargo Distribution Centre. Two charged with jewel robbery A West Bay man and woman have been charged in connection with the rob- bery of Mitzi’s Fine Jewelry nearly a year ago. The man, 31, has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. The woman, 38, has been charged with rob- bery. They will appear in court on Oct. 4. The store on West Bay Road was held up on Nov. 18 last year. Six months after the robbery, in May of this year, police released photographs of 26 sep- arate pieces, including emerald and diamond rings and necklaces, which they said were taken during the rob- bery, in an effort to find the perpetrators. The store on West Bay Road was held up on Nov. 18 last year. The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 © 2016 DCB Holding Ltd. and its affiliates. www.deloitte.com/ky Data theft. Are you secure? Cyber Risk Services Cyber culture is growing more rapidly than cyber security, and everything that depends on cyberspace is potentially at risk. Private data, intellectual property and cyber infrastructure can be compromised by deliberate attacks, inadvertent security lapses, and the numerous, imminent threats of a rapidly evolving online world. The Deloitte approach to cyber threats With a global network of over 11,000 professionals, Deloitte’s Cyber Risk practice is widely acknowledged as the leading security consulting practice in the world. Recognized by Gartner as leader in both Global Risk Management Consulting Services and Security Consulting Services, we are eminently qualified to help clients respond to evolving cyber threats in a secure, vigilant, and resilient manner: • Secure: Enabling enterprise business innovation by protecting critical assets against known and emerging threats across the ecosystem. • Vigilant: Reducing detection time and developing the ability to detect the unknown. • Resilient: Strengthening your ability to recover when incidents occur. Our Cayman Cyber Risk Services team hold the relevant certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (“CISSP”), Certified Ethical Hacker (“CEH”), Certified Information Privacy Manager (“CIPM”), Certified Information Privacy Technologist (“CIPT”) and CompTIA Security+, among others. We work hand-in-hand with our clients to plan and execute an integrated cyber approach to harness the power of information networks, in order to enhance business operations, increase mission performance, and improve customer support, without compromising security or privacy. Meet the Deloitte Cayman team of Cyber Risk specialists Lise Baril, Director CIA, CISA, PMP Certified Internal Auditor Certified Information Systems Auditor Certified Project Management Professional Cyndie Suitor, Senior Manager CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Alexandra Simonova, Manager CISSP, PMP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certified Project Management Professional Shawn Birkett, Senior Consultant CEH, CISA, CISSP, WCNA Certified Ethical Hacker Certified Information Systems Auditor Certified Information Systems Security Professional Wireshark Certified Network Analyst Glen Mernett, Manager CISSP, EnCE, WCNA Certified Information Systems Security Professional EnCase Certified Examiner Wireshark Certified Network Analyst John White, Senior Manager ACE, EnCE, RCA Access Data Certified Examiner Certified Cellebrite UFED Mobile Device Examiner EnCase Certified Examiner Relativity Certified Administrator Wayne Green, Director CEH, CISSP Certified Ethical Hacker Certified Information Systems Security Professional Nick Kedney, Director CFE Certified Fraud Examiner Rosworth McLaughlin, Consultant CIPM, CIPT Certified Information Privacy Manager Certified Information Privacy Technologist Ricardo Stewart, Senior Consultant CCNA, MCSE, Sec+ Cisco Certified Network Associate Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer CompTIA Security+ For further information on how we can help protect your business from cyber threats, please contact Wayne Green at +1 (345) 743 6256 or wagreen@deloitte.comThe 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. In 1987, on the heels of yet another losing season for the Detroit Lions NFL team, then-head coach Darryl Rogers famously exclaimed, “What does a guy have to do to get fired around here?” A similar expression of exasperation could be articu- lated in the context of the Cayman Islands civil service. Consider the following excerpts from a story in Wednesday’s Compass: “Loretta Doralyn Grizzel, an executive officer in Department of Children and Family Services in Cayman Brac, pleaded guilty to stealing $16,050 [from the department] over a two-year period.” … “Grizzel was arrested and interviewed in October 2015 and made full admissions. She was suspended from work, but was asked to come back in December 2015.” That’s right. A government employee stole money (intended to pay for clients in residential care homes), admitted to the theft … and then was allowed to return to work. For the record, Grizzel has now been sentenced to one year in prison. Although it is disgraceful to steal taxpayer money meant to benefit a vulnerable segment of the population, the primary focus of this editorial is not the Grizzel case. Our broader concern is the appearance of the following trend in the civil service: the conflation of the “criminal standard of guilt” with the “professional standard of employment.” On numerous occasions, we watch as civil servants are accused, arrested and charged with illegal activity — yet remain on the public payroll, or even in their positions (sometimes of considerable influence) until and unless they are convicted in court. The threshold for dismissal of an employee is not equivalent to criminal charges, convictions or prison terms; rather, it is an independent standard set by the individual employer that, in general, can be described as “acceptable professional behavior.” During the hearing of the Grizzel case, a Department statement referenced a directive issued in late 2015 by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, stating that indi- viduals placed on required leave for disciplinary reasons were to be returned to duty in a different capacity. It is difficult to reconcile that supposed directive with Deputy Governor Manderson’s February 2015 announce- ment that “Civil servants who consistently provide poor customer service will be required to separate from the Civil Service,” or his February 2016 declaration that “Inadequate performance continues by some staff. I have, therefore, made dealing with poor performers my top priority for the year.” We hope that Deputy Governor Manderson’s “required leave” statement does not represent the codification of lowered standards for the civil service. As stated above, this issue is not limited to the Grizzel case. Take, for example, the Cayman Brac customs officer arrested on suspicion of possessing an unlicensed firearm. After the arrest, Customs Collector Charles Clifford admitted he couldn’t take any disciplinary action against the officer — that, bizarrely, would have to come from Brac District Commissioner Ernie Scott … who elected to remain silent on the matter. Or consider the litany of legal accusations lodged against top Department of Immigration officials, some who remain on paid leave (including Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans, who faces allegations of “admin- istrative” misconduct) and some who are still working (including Deputy Chief Immigration Office Garfield “Gary” Wong, who has been charged with DUI, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident without reasonable cause, in relation to a December 2013 two- vehicle traffic accident). And of course, there’s the “racing inspector” from the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, who crashed a car he was test driving on July 11. As of last month, the vehicle inspector was still working at the department. In mid-September, police submitted a case file to public prosecutors to consider whether charges will be pursued. We could go on … Instead, we’ll conclude with a quote from American performance consultant Tony Robbins: “The quickest way to improve your life is to raise your standards.” The same holds true for organizations. As does the reverse. The quickest way to diminish respect and regard for the entire civil service is to lower the standards for employment within the civil service. Civil service: Judges are not HR managers THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Has finance peaked? NOAH SMITH It’s time to ask a scary question: How much of the financial industry will soon be obsolete? There are many exam- ples of technologies that have been replaced by something newer and better – film re- placed by digital cameras, typewriters replaced by word processors. Finance isn’t quite like that – businesses will always need to finance their investments and their day-to-day expenses, prop- erty buyers will always need mortgages and everyone will always need places to save their money. As long as capi- talism lives, there will be a fi- nancial industry. What’s happening, how- ever, is a winnowing. Fi- nance may have outgrown the sustainable limits of its role in the U.S. economy, and might now have to en- dure a long and painful era of retrenchment. That’s a scary prospect for workers in the industry, most of whom would find it hard to know whether their posi- tions would be the ones to be eliminated or reduced in importance. Already there are signs of a culling, as New York City loses finance jobs and bankers’ bonuses get squeezed. For the past seven de- cades, but especially since 1980, finance has grown fat indeed. The share of gross domestic product going to the finance, insurance and real estate industries rose from less than 4 per- cent in the early 20th cen- tury to more than 8 per- cent by the start of the 21st. Here, from a paper by econo- mist Thomas Philippon, is a picture of the change: Financial-industry profits also soared, briefly topping 40 percent of all U.S. busi- ness profits in the first years of the century. Compensation for financial sector employees far outpaced that of workers in other industries, even after accounting for their average higher skill levels. It’s a cliché by now to ask whether this explosion of finance represents an en- during greater need for fi- nancial services, or an un- sustainable boom. Instinct says that it’s some of both. But to the degree that it’s the latter, that leads to the next question: Which areas of finance will shrink? Where will the job and wage cuts come? One obvious area is in trading. All markets need market makers to provide li- quidity and match buyers and sellers. In the olden days, that job was done by armies of humans on phones, or in a trading pit. Now much of it is done electronically. That opens the way for robots – aka algorithms – to take the jobs of human traders. That includes the dreaded high-frequency traders, of course, but it isn’t limited to them. Thanks to algo traders, bid-ask spreads have come down immensely. Since those spreads rep- resent income to market makers, it means the only market makers who can earn a living are the ones who can execute huge vol- umes of trades. In other words, robots, not humans. Asset management is a second area that will prob- ably be squeezed by the double fists of technology and regulation. As Philippon has shown, asset manage- ment, along with real estate, is one of the two sectors re- sponsible for most of the fi- nancial industry’s growth. But that might just make it ripe for compression. As with trading, the big- gest force putting pressure on asset management is new technology. Electronic trading has made it easier to exchange assets in bulk and manage diversified portfolios such as exchange- traded funds. Cheaper di- versification means more investors will diversify – a move aided by the general shift to passive investing. Instead of picking stocks, many asset managers will now just stick their clients’ money into a basket of ETFs and index funds, and let it stay there. But that’s not a very time- consuming job. It means each asset manager will be able to handle much larger vol- umes. That’s probably driving the rise of titanic asset-man- agement behemoths like Van- guard and BlackRock. Passive investing also means that each dollar of as- sets takes less time and ef- fort to manage. That should naturally lead to lower prices – in other words, to lower management fees. It’s not just passive funds whose fees have dropped – active ones are getting cheaper as well. That prob- ably reflects increased com- petition from passive funds, which are gaining in pop- ularity as more and more investors realize how few funds consistently beat the market. It also probably results from the drop in trading costs. What about wealth-man- agement fees? These are often much higher than mutual-fund fees. But here too, technology and regula- tion are on the march. The U.S. Department of Labor’s new fiduciary rule is trans- forming the business – by reducing the commissions that some advisers earn, it will also cause them to lower their fees. But again, technology may have the final say. The rise of robo-advisers – stripped- down online solutions for wealth management – will cause fees to shrink. Robo- advisers such as Betterment and Wealthfront typically charge a quarter of a per- cent or less a year. That com- pares with the 1 percent or more charged by traditional wealth managers. Fee compression will drive asset managers to be- come larger-volume, lower- margin businesses – a common result in many in- dustries disrupted by tech- nology and restricted by regulation. That implies a lot of wealth management firms bite the dust as the in- dustry consolidates. Trading and asset man- agement are not the only areas of finance – real es- tate and insurance are also huge, and retail banking, private equity, traditional investment banking and hedge funds are all substan- tial. But each is under at- tack, mainly from disruptive technologies, and to a lesser extent, regulatory changes. There are still lots of op- portunities in the financial sector, and plenty of value to be created. That will al- ways be true. But this does look like an industry that is bound to shrink. It isn’t an easy time to be in finance. Noah Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion. © 2016, 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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Murder witness gets 18 months for firearm Defendant had gun for protection, court hears CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A witness who acquired a gun for protection after giving evidence in a murder trial was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison for possessing an unli- censed firearm. Justin Alvin Ebanks, 22, was subject to the mandatory minimum sentence of seven years after pleading guilty to possessing an unlicensed Be- retta semi-automatic pistol and three rounds of .25 am- munition on Jan. 30, 2016. Defense attorney John Furniss submitted that there were exceptional circum- stances that Justice Charles Quin should consider and then reduce the sentence. He said Ebanks gave “material and compelling” evidence in the trial of Justin Ramoon and Osbourne Douglas. After trial in April this year, both men were found guilty of murdering Jason Powery on the night of July 1, 2015. Threats received The fatal shooting took place in the vicinity of the Globe Bar, off Shedden Road. Although there were upward of 15 people in the area at the time, only Ebanks and one other man came forward as witnesses. Ebanks received threats before and after the trial, Mr. Furniss pointed out. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran shared U.K. case law set- ting out the principle that possession of a prohibited firearm for the purpose of self-defense cannot amount to exceptional circumstances, no matter how serious or significant the perceived threat may be. Justice Quin commented, “There has been a marked in- crease in serious gun crimes in the Cayman Islands over the last seven years, which has led to the loss of the lives of many young Cayma- nians and, further, has led to many businesses being sub- ject to very serious armed robberies in which unli- censed firearms were em- ployed. It would not be an understatement to say that guns have become a curse here in the Cayman Islands – leading to so much untold grief and anguish.” ‘Major threat to security’ Justice Quin said he wanted to make it clear that possession of an unli- censed firearm for self-de- fense or defense of others cannot amount to excep- tional circumstances. “If the court were to decide other- wise, such a decision would inevitably lead to the fur- ther breakdown of law and order. The possession of il- legal firearms is a major threat to the security of so- ciety in the Cayman Islands and can never be tolerated,” he declared. “What is absolutely vital is for the community to as- sist police in identifying, ap- prehending and bringing to justice persons who are in possession of … unli- censed firearms or indeed any information in relation to unlicensed firearms and their locations.” He then addressed the question of Ebanks’s assis- tance to police. U.K. cases in- dicate that an offender who assists by giving information that leads to the apprehen- sion or conviction of other of- fenders can expect a discount from his own sentence. The amount of discount would depend on the quality of the material disclosed, its accu- racy, the willingness to con- front other criminals or give evidence against them The normal discount could be one-half to two thirds. Only in the most exceptional cir- cumstances would it exceed three-quarters. The English Court of Ap- peal stated that the judge must tailor the sentence so as to punish the defen- dant for his own offending, but also reward him as far as possible for the help he has given “in order to dem- onstrate to offenders that it was worth their while to disclose the criminal activi- ties of others for the benefit of the law-abiding public in general.” Justice Quin agreed with Mr. Furniss that Ebanks’s de- termination and continued resolve to give evidence in the murder trial was a vital development in Cayman be- cause many high-profile trials had been unable to proceed as a result of wit- nesses refusing to give evi- dence even though they had given statements to police. He quoted a police in- spector who described Ebanks as a crucial wit- ness who went into the wit- ness stand in spite of ex- ceptional pressure and showed “incredible courage and honesty.” Taking all these fac- tors into consideration plus Ebanks’s early guilty plea, only one previous convic- tion and good references from his employer, Justice Quin arrived at a sentence of 18 months. Time in custody will count. The judge said he hoped Ebanks would be re- leased shortly and get back to work. “Your assistance was commendable,” he told the young man. Police arrest ATM scam suspect Police arrested a 35-year- old Bulgarian man Tuesday in connection with the sus- pected fraudulent use of “cloned” gift cards in ATM machines over the weekend. Detectives from the Fi- nancial Crime Unit arrested the man on suspicion of money laundering. According to police, the Financial Crime Unit received reports of “suspicious ac- tivity” at ATMs at local banks over the weekend, when a man was seen trying to with- draw cash with the gift cards at two different banks. Police issued a description of the suspect based on his attempt to withdraw money at a bank at Buckingham Square on West Bay Road on Saturday afternoon. The Financial Crime Unit is reminding the public to be conscious of suspicious ac- tivity at ATMs, including the use of multiple gift cards, credit cards or ATM cards by one individual. “In general, cardholders should also exercise care to secure their PIN number and also to check the ATM to en- sure there are no skimming devices attached,” police ad- vised in a statement. Although there were upward of 15 people in the area at the time, only Ebanks and one other man came forward as witnesses.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Bodden Town THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Call for political change In the Sept. 28, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Haig Bodden wrote: “There is no secret that politically our island is in an appalling state. That some change in the near future is necessary cannot be denied by even the most faint hearted. At the last election, many a cry was heard about change of con- stitution and change to in- ternal self-government. Al- though the cries have died out with the election cam- paign, there still remains an undercurrent of dis- satisfaction even amongst the highest bodies in the island. “So many issues are dealt with behind the backs of the people’s represen- tatives, and without their knowledge or approval, that it seems like the time is now ripe for an investigation into the matter. “If a commission of in- quiry is set up, its findings will be sure to astonish the entire populace. Of course, we have seen fact-finding committees in the past, but the movements of their members have been closely circumscribed, and as a re- sult it was always impos- sible to interview anyone outside the little clique … “Congratulations are in order for the police depart- ment in taking immediate action in placing a stop sign at the junction of the Manse Road and Guard House Hill. A new speed limit sign has been put up where it can be seen. After all, why should a light on a hill be hidden from sight? “It is regrettable that no such congratulations can go out to the road board for any improvements on the road at this particular spot … “Miss Esther Watson, a former nurse at the hospital in Georgetown, Guyana, ar- rived by B.W.I.A. on Sunday, Miss Watson is a daughter of the Rev. James Watson of Agricola. “Esther was met at the airport by her fiance, the Rev. Compton Williams of the Bodden Town Church of God. The couple will be married on Saturday Oct. 1 at 5 o’clock. The cere- mony will take place at the Church of God in this dis- trict and will be followed by a reception. “Also arriving on Sunday from Jamaica were Mrs. Li- lith Watler and her daughter Darlene. Darlene is a nurse in training at the University of the West Indies hospital. “Mr. Clifton Hunter ar- rived in the island on Sunday evening. He had ac- companied his son George to Miami where George will be taking a course in elec- tronics at the Lindsey Hop- kins training centre. “Miss Lillith Thompson, nurse, returned to her work in New Orleans after having an enjoyable visit with her relatives at Savannah. “Mr. and Mrs. Astor Watler of Pedro spent 2 weeks in the island. Mr. Astor is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Bunyan Watler, and it was a great joy for them in having their son and daughter in law. “The Branch of the Wom- an’s guild here sponsored a Harvest Service on the af- ternoon of the 23rd. The de- votional service was con- ducted by the Rev. Lewin Williams, and members of the Guild rendered a mu- sical selection. “The highlight of the occasion was the way in which the Sunday School children brought up their little harvest baskets, and then sang a harvest hymn. The freewill offering and sale of gifts amounted to 18 pounds, 3 shillings, and 7 and a half pence.” JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com When her mother died, a young girl’s 67-year-old grandmother put her artistic abilities to work to create a happy envi- ronment for the child. Brooklyn Bodden’s mother died at the age of 32, when Brooklyn was just 3 years old. Since that time, her grandmother, Sa- vannah Newlands resident Corinthia Bodden-Wilson, has spent countless hours turning her home into an expression of childhood happiness bursting with col- orful characters. The child’s room is decorated from ceiling to floor with vibrant creations. There are painted flowers, stingrays and dolphins, along with happy-face starfish, jellyfish, sharks and turtles munching on sea grass. Colorful butterflies, birds and chickens play among the trees. A multi- hued bedspread and bedside lamp match the decorated walls. In the bathroom, a multitude of brightly colored cartoons and storybook characters adorn the walls. A happy donkey painted at the door lifts a hoof in greeting. Bunnies, porky pigs, yellow sunbursts, beach slippers, cats, dogs, mice, more happy fish and orange carrot sticks fill the room. “My expression of childhood happiness is anything that makes you positive and happy,” said Ms. Bodden-Wilson. She had five children of her own when her husband disappeared, leaving her with the children to raise and making sur- vival her only focus from the moment he left, she said. “I felt like I was the only one there for them, from the time he went missing up until this day, so I had to do anything to make them happy,” she said. “My children say I am mad, and who wouldn’t, since I call myself the “Ass- tist” instead of an artist, but I am just a normal happy person,” she said with a laugh, adding her grandchildren think she’s a big toy. She said her moniker of “Asstist” came about from a confrontation with her boss when he called her an “ass” while she was trying to work on her artistic talents. Now, her children have encouraged her to use the word as the basis of her creations and every piece of her work carries the trademark. Ms. Bodden-Wilson not only paints, she also writes books, decorates, does tiling and builds children’s furniture. One time she wanted to dance on televi- sion, but when that did not come about, she bought a Mickey Mouse suit and danced at a children’s party instead. She said her second husband thinks what she does “is a bunch of nonsense,” she admits. “He said I can’t see anyone throwing away anything and [not coming and taking] it, and put it in [our] yard. I agree I have lost a little piece of the brain, in a good way. So they can expect anything from me,” she added with a giggle. A kaleidoscope of paintings littering her front yard and house walls is an in- dication of the creative passion within. Around a brightly decorated kiddie pool sit decorated animals, birds, children’s benches and chairs made from wood and collected stones. Not all of Ms. Bodden-Wilson’s cre- ations and amazing finds sit in her front yard. Some items from her collection can be found at the Farmers Market in George Town. Brooklyn Bodden develops her artistic talent under the watchful eye of her grandmother Corinthia Bodden-Wilson. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Grandmother’s artwork reflects childhood Corinthia Bodden-Wilson created a poster to remind her that life is like DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Teen’s artwork on display in Camana Bay offices JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Bodden Town teen is bursting with excitement after seeing eight of his digital paint- ings displayed at a Camana Bay office space. Brandon Saunders, 16, and his mum Shawnette were impressed when they recently paid a visit to FTI Consulting on Market Street and were shown the display by An- drew Morrison, one of the compa- ny’s senior managing directors on Saturday, Sept. 24. “Wow! I actually did that,” said Brandon after seeing them on dis- play for the first time. At the office, his paintings were the center of attention for the com- pany’s entire staff, along with Mary McCallum, ONQ Marketing art di- rector and curator, who had turned out to congratulate the young man on his achievement. Brandon’s talent was discov- ered when the company went seeking local art to display in its Camana Bay office and sought ad- vice from the Poinciana film, music and arts festival’s creative director, Badir Awe. Mr. Awe suggested that the Poinciana Gallery might pro- vide such inspiration. Brandon had entered his pieces in the festival’s Adobe Image photography category on the advice of his art teacher and emerged a finalist. “Brandon’s work caught our eye for its original dynamic and con- temporary look,” said Mr. Morrison. A colorful abstract sea turtle was chosen for the reception area, and Brandon was asked if he could create other pieces along similar Cayman themes, which led to his eye-catching interpretations of an iguana, stingray and parrot. “We are displaying a total of eight of Brandon’s pieces in our re- ception, boardroom and open-plan office space for our team and clients to enjoy,” said Mr. Morrison. A painting of an apple dis- played in the boardroom is Bran- don’s favorite. He said it was in- spired by a trip to New York, the Big Apple. Brandon drew an apple, painted it black and infused it with an image. In his other im- ages, the iguana, he said, wants to disappear into the clouds, and the Cayman parrot’s head is an explo- sion of colors splattered in every direction on canvas. “Brandon is an incredible young talent and we look forward to seeing his career in the creative arts develop. We have no doubt that his future is bright,” said Mr. Morrison. Ms. McCallum said she first met Brandon when he participated in a pop-up art gallery at the Pe- ripheral Spaces Summer Art Se- ries she directed in 2015 at Camana Bay. Months later, he submitted two pieces of work to the Poin- ciana Adobe Photography category and his pieces did very well in the closed judging, where he was a runner-up, as well as in the People’s Choice Awards. Brandon, a St. Ignatius student involved in art and design, drama, information technology, philos- ophy and ethics, says his love and passion for music and other hob- bies allows him to be creative and expressive. His work is a mixture of painting and digital art. This, he says, comes from his love of both abstract and digital art. “This is why I get these inter- esting photos which look somehow ‘real’ splattered on the canvas,” he said. He said he got started three years ago on his iPad, and as he got better he convinced his parents to get him a laptop and Photoshop. Brandon said that during his mother’s pregnancy she loved to color, and ever since he was born he’s had a fascination with dino- saurs and colors, even though in school he got low grades in art class. Over the years, he got better and discovered he truly loved art after taking part in a digital art poster project. After seeing how much people like having them on their walls, Brandon now anticipates printing more of his artworks. He hopes to print more on canvas and start selling them, to assist in financing his interests. Young artist Brandon Saunders, seated right, and FTI Consulting senior managing director David Griffin hold a copy of Brandon’s work featuring a Cayman parrot. Staff at the back from left are: Kieran Linton, Laurence Dawkes, Kelsey Hedgecock, Anna Morel, Kayla Anderson, ONQ curator Mary McCullum, Andrew Morrison, Tracey Hydes and Sandipan Bhowmik. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Brandon Saunders signs a copy of his stingray artwork.8 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS CAYMAN MOSQUITOES Wild, varied, plentiful and annoying TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Mosquitoes are so tiny – their average weight is 2.5 milligrams, their fastest flight is 1.5 miles per hour; and they drink only 5-millionths of a liter of blood when feeding. At most, their wingspan is be- tween 7 millimeters and 9mm – and that is for the largest species, Psorophora ciliata. The wings on the related Psorophora columbiae extend only between 4mm and 4.5mm from tip to tip. The disease, disruption and dismay they cause, however, is world-class, beyond all proportion to their size. The time and money governments, research institutions and private organizations spend to exterminate them boggles the mind. The Cayman Islands bud- geted nearly $6 million for mos- quito control in 2015-2016 – and the Cayman Islands has only a handful of genuses. In fact, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, founded in 1965 by Marco Giglioli, lists only seven, although within those seven, 36 species occur locally. The psorophora genus alone, for example, boasts 51 species globally. The MRCU lists only two in Cayman, however, ciliata and columbiae, which are the largest of our local “mozzies” – and among the most annoying. The website for the City of Jacksonville Mosquito Control states the obvious: “Psorophora columbiae are definitely a pest mosquito,” going on to describe a situation anyone familiar with pre-1965 Cayman will recognize: “These mosquitoes have been known to kill cattle because of the high volume of adults that swarm at one time. This can result in suf- focation and severe blood loss … in the animals.” Black-and-silver and some- times called the “dark rice field mosquito,” the creatures do not carry disease, however. They breed in standing water on pasture land and hatch in large numbers after heavy rains. Curiously, ciliata larvae feed on the larvae of other mosqui- toes, particularly some of the aedes genus, three of which (and mainly the Aedes aegypti) plague Cayman, spreading chikungunya, Zika and dengue fever. Aedes aegypti, nicknamed the “Yellow Fever” mosquito, comes with a list of medical horrors – neurologic diseases, meningoen- cephalitis, cranial nerve palsies, rheumatic disorders, spondylo- arthritis, undifferentiated poly- arthritis, myocarditis, two kinds of ocular diseases, acute renal disease, severe bulbous lesions – and particular cautions for the pregnant. Since July 28, the MRCU and U.K.-based genetic engineering firm Oxitec released millions of modified male mosquitoes in a 300-acre area of West Bay, seeking to control a Zika outbreak. A court challenge to the release led some to ask why “safer” ciliata could not Wild, varied, plentiful and annoying tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Mosquitoes are so tiny – their average weight is 2.5 milligrams, their fastest flight is 1.5 miles per hour; and they drink only 5-millionths of a liter of blood when feeding. At most, their wingspan is be- tween 7 millimeters and 9mm – and that is for the largest species, Psorophora ciliata. The wings on the related Psorophora columbiae extend only between 4mm and 4.5mm from tip to tip. The disease, disruption and dismay they cause, however, is world-class, beyond all proportion to their size. The time and money governments, research institutions and private organizations spend to exterminate them boggles the mind. The Cayman Islands bud- geted nearly $6 million for mos- quito control in 2015-2016 – and the Cayman Islands has only a handful of genuses. In fact, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, founded in 1965 by Marco Giglioli, lists only seven, although within those seven, 36 species occur locally. The psorophora genus alone, for example, boasts 51 species globally. The MRCU lists only two in Cayman, however, ciliata and columbiae, which are the largest of our local “mozzies” – and among Aedes aegypti Aedes aegypti, nicknamed the ‘Yellow Fever’ mosquito, comes with a list of medical horrors, and can carry the Zika Virus. - ILLUSTRATION: JARAMILLOSERGIO be substituted for the altered Ox- itec creatures. The answer, according to the Entomology and Nematology De- partment at the University of Florida, is that not only are the numbers of ciliata larvae insuf- ficient, but, frankly, “the pestif- erous nature of [ciliata] adult fe- males effectively undermin[es] any potential benefits of using the larvae as a biological control agent.” Simply said, they are too great a nuisance to be useful as a control method. Aedes aegypti is comple- mented locally by the relatively benign aedes albopictus, which, according to Oxitec, “has the ca- pacity to spread diseases, but is relatively inefficient at … trans- mission.” While the aegypti “feeds almost exclusively on humans,” lives “in and around the home” and often helps itself to “multiple bites to get a blood meal,” its albopictus counterpart “is an aggressive biter and will tend to secure its blood meal more easily from a variety of sources,” biting dogs, birds, cattle and other creatures “more in for- ested areas and underbrush.” The third aedes mosquito in Cayman is aedes taeniorhynchus, the “black salt-marsh mosquito.” The MRCU calls it “the most- abundant pest mosquito in the Cayman Islands,” requiring most of the unit’s operational efforts to control. Two “culex” species, quinque- fasciatus and nigripalpus, in- habit Cayman. Both, according to the American Mosquito Con- trol Association, “are painful and persistent biters.” “They readily enter dwell- ings for blood meals,” although “birds usually are preferred over man, cows, and horses,” the group says, warning that nigripalpus has transmitted St. Louis encephalitis to humans in Florida. “Culex mosquitoes are gener- ally weak fliers and do not move far from home, although they have been known to fly up to two miles,” the website says. “They live only a few weeks during the summer,” but females emerging late in the season hibernate until spring when warm weather brings them out “in search of water on which to lay their eggs.” Finally, the MRCU lists the genus “anopheles” and its several, if unnumbered, species as the last genus in Cayman. “They breed mostly in fresh water and are easily identified when biting as they stand ‘end- up,’ unlike other mosquitoes that keep their bodies flat,” says the unit’s website. One anoph- eles species, albimanus, can carry malaria. The Florida Keys, in 2001, re- ported a whole new anoph- eles species, grabhamii, and the Galveston County, Texas, mos- quito control unit reports two other indigenous groups: anoph- eles quadrimaculatus – found pre- dominantly in marshes, breeding in grass fields and retention ponds and preferring cattle to hu- mans – and anopheles crucians, the dominant species. They are active year round, although, curi- ously, they prefer colder weather, although otherwise are similar to quadrimaculatus. Aedes albopictus Anopheles Culex nigripalpusAedes taeniorhynchus Psorophora columbiaePsorophora ciliata Two culex species found on Cayman ‘are painful and persistent biters.’ - PHOTO: MICHELE M. CUTWA-FRANCIS The columbiae and ciliata are the largest of our local ‘mozzies’ – and among the most annoying. - PHOTO: MICHELE M. CUTWA-FRANCIS Ciliata larvae feed on the larvae of other mosquitoes, particularly some of the aedes genus. - PHOTO: BOB WEBSTER This ‘is an aggressive biter and will tend to secure its blood meal more easily from a variety of sources.’ ‘They breed mostly in fresh water and are easily identified when biting as they stand end-up.’ - PHOTO: RAHUEL CHAN The ‘black salt-marsh mosquito’ is ‘the most-abundant pest mosquito in the Cayman Islands.’ - PHOTO: SEAN MCCANN The Mosquito Research and Control Unit lists only seven genuses, although within those seven, 36 species occur locally.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Oct 11, 1969 – Sept 29, 2015 Missing you more than ever my angel. Happy Anniversary in Heaven Love you forever, your wife Carmen To my loving husband Anthony ChristianAnthony Christian Missing you more than ever my angel.Missing you more than ever my angel. Oct 11, 1969 – Sept 29, 2015 raided bin Laden’s com- pound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In a 2014 inter- view with the Washington Post, Mr. O’Neill identified himself as the SEAL who fired the shots that killed bin Laden. Mr. O’Neill has report- edly held combat leader- ship roles in more than 400 missions and is one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of recent times. Other high-profile missions he has been in- volved in include the rescue of Captain Richard Phil- lips from the merchant ship Maersk Alabama. That incident was later made into the “Captain Phillips” movie, starring Tom Hanks. Mr. O’Neill has been decorated more than 52 times with honors, in- cluding two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Com- mendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit citations, and two Navy/Marine Corps Com- mendations with Valor. He now works as a motiva- tional speaker. The nominees at this year’s YCLA are Kristina Maxwell, Brianna Ebanks, Alexandra Bodden, Shena Ebanks and Tedrick Green. Chris Duggan, director of the Young Caymanian Leadership Foundation, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming Robert O’Neill back to the Cayman Islands as our special guest at this year’s YCLA gala. Rob is a truly inspirational man and in his line of work, instant, critical deci- sion-making is a necessity for success. “His mantra is ‘never quit’ and I know his ability to motivate and encourage leadership through trans- lating his elite SEAL training techniques into ac- tionable decision-making traits is sure to impress all of our attendees, including our five amazing finalists.” Visit www.ycla.ky for more information. Tropical storm-force winds are extending out from the center of the storm more than 200 miles. Forecasters expect Mat- thew, the 13th named storm this year, to continue strengthening and turn into a hurricane by Friday morning with winds of at least 74 mph. Projections from the Hurricane Center in Miami show the storm turning to the north over the weekend and passing directly over Jamaica, possibly as a Cate- gory 2 storm with winds as high as 105 mph. John Tibbetts, director general of Cayman’s Na- tional Weather Service, said the storm could bring some rough weather to the islands early next week. “The general consensus it that it will go over the top of Jamaica,” he said, but people should pay attention to forecasts because the Cayman Islands are still within the cone of Mat- thew’s potential path. If the storm stays on track, Mr. Tibbetts said, Cayman could see weather similar to a Nor’wester, with rain and rough seas. Forecasters say a cold front moving across the U.S. will push the storm north to Jamaica and then over Cuba. On Wednesday, Matthew soaked the Windward Islands, with the Hurricane Center ex- pecting 4 to 8 inches of rain there and in the southern Leeward Islands through Thursday. The latest round of test re- sults confirmed that a preg- nant woman living in the Swamp area in George Town had contracted Zika. Dr. Samuel Williams-Ro- driguez, acting medical of- ficer of health for the Health Services Authority, said ultra- sounds showed the baby was developing normally but doc- tors will continue to monitor mother and baby. “We are having an outbreak of Zika in the Cayman Islands,” he said, centered in George Town. Public health officials said the cases have shown up across George Town, but they have seen more in Windsor Park, Swamp, Rock Hole and Prospect areas, and along North Sound Road. Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said the total number of cases is likely much higher as most people will never show symp- toms. “Estimating the number of people potentially infected with the Zika virus is not very precise,” he said in a later email responding to the questions. “Assuming that 26 labo- ratory confirmed cases com- prise the 20 percent showing symptoms, the total number of persons potentially in- fected could be as high as 135,” he said, stressing that the number is a “rough es- timate” and the exact figure could not be known. People who do show symptoms of Zika can have a rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes), mild fever and joint or muscle pain. Dr. Williams- Rodriguez said he hoped anyone with a combina- tion of those symptoms will see a doctor. Controlling mosquitoes to combat Zika The Zika virus is trans- mitted by the Aedes ae- gypti mosquito, which is also responsible for carrying dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Bill Petrie, head of the Mosquito Research and Con- trol Unit, told the roughly 20 people at the town hall meeting that the Aedes ae- gypti is notoriously hard to combat. The mosquito, originally from Africa, has adapted to living with hu- mans and prefers to lay its eggs around homes and gar- dens in any receptacle that can hold a little rainwater. The Aedes mosqui- toes will breed in old tires, clogged gutters, dog bowls, even bottle caps – anything that can catch rainwater. They do not breed in swamps like the types of mosquitoes that come out at dusk. Mr. Petrie said people should go through their yards and overturn buckets, clean up any litter, clear gut- ters and make sure there is nothing around to col- lect rainwater. He said this method of “source reduc- tion” does not work very well in big cities, but “Cayman is quite amenable to this.” He said cleaning up and making sure there is not any standing water can go a long way to keeping Aedes aegypti away from someone’s home. The MRCU is also spraying pesticides from its plane and fogger trucks to keep the Aedes population down. Mr. Petrie said his unit has been applying “barrier treatments” around schools, the airport, district clinics and around the homes of pregnant women. The barrier is a pesticide that sticks to walls, trees and whatever else it is sprayed on, and the mosquitoes die when they land on it. The other unique factor with Aedes aegypti, Mr. Petrie said, is that they bite during the day, most often in the three to four hours before the sun goes down. Mr. Petrie said Aedes ae- gypti did not become estab- lished in Cayman until after Hurricane Ivan. “Derelict ve- hicles after Ivan were a huge problem for us,” he said, giving the mosquitoes lots of places to breed and take hold on Grand Cayman. More meetings scheduled Health officials have four more meetings scheduled across the island so people can have a chance to get an update and ask questions di- rectly to the experts. The Public Health Department will host meetings at the Bodden Town Civic Centre on Tuesday, Oct. 4; at West Bay’s Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall on Thursday, Oct. 6; at the East End Civic Centre on Tuesday, Oct. 18; and at the North Side Civic Centre Tuesday, Oct. 25. All meetings will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Storm watch: TS Matthew heads to Jamaica Pregnant woman among new Zika cases Cayman’s leading public health official Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, left, and Mosquito Research and Control Unit Director Bill Petrie give an update on the fight against Zika at a town hall meeting in George Town Tuesday evening. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ex-Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill will speak at this year’s YCLA awards ceremony. Bin Laden shooter guest speaker at YCLA On May 2, 2011, he was a member of Navy SEAL Team 6 when they raided bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >