High of 86 Low of 74 Seas: Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 6 feet today, rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet tonight. Small craft warning in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TITLE OF EDITORIAL SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX 23 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Ride, Santa, ride! EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WESTWARD HO! CAYMAN’S FUTURE IS SEVEN MILE BEACH ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 MADE WITH 100% BEEF SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY (COMING SOON) Volunteers boost holiday traffic patrols BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than a dozen Cayman Islands res- idents will give up their time this holiday season to help keep the rest of us safe on local roads. Fifteen special constables with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, who are unpaid, volunteer officers, are joining with the regular police traffic unit to staff roadblocks and traffic checkpoints and perform routine traffic stops over the next few weeks. The RCIPS holiday traffic initiative will last through the first week of January. Special Constables Commandant Chris Duggan said the volunteer unit has been assisting police officers with traffic patrols over the past year or so, and members have had some training in the use of radar guns and breathalyzer machines. “We’ve identified about 15 special con- stables who all went through the training [for traffic enforcement].” Mr. Duggan said, adding it is probably a bit more complex Restaurant group steps up to help JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com For struggling families across Grand Cayman wondering where their next meal is coming from, the surprising answer might be two of Cayman’s top restaurants. Grand Old House and The Wharf have begun delivering free meals to needy families on a weekly basis. The project started in East End last week, where five families – 24 people – were served Cayman-style beef prepared by the chefs at Grand Old House. Luciano De Riso, head of operations for both restaurants, said, “For us, preparing extra food like that is not a big issue. It is a busy place and it doesn’t cost us too much FORMER PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO MLAS ‘ORCHESTRATED’ ROBBERY CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The former personal assistant to two George Town MLAs was found guilty on Wednesday of robbery and posses- sion of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offense. Christine Rae Smith was charged with three counts of robbery relating to an inci- dent at Elegant Nails & More in George Town on the night of July 10, 2015. The three counts pertain to the co-owner and two women who were in the salon at the time. Rae Smith was also in the salon at the time. Two masked men dressed in black and carrying what ap- peared to be firearms entered and stole cell- phones, jewelry and a total of $693 by means of putting the women in fear of being sub- jected to force. During her trial last month, Rae Smith told the court that she did not help plan the armed robbery. She said she had gone into the salon earlier in the day and made an appointment for that evening; she maintained she also was a victim. She said she surrendered her watch, a cellphone and $50 to the robbers. The trial was by judge alone, at the defen- dant’s request. In delivering his verdicts, Jus- tice Charles Quin summarized the evidence and commented on Rae Smith’s previous good character. He said he found the women in the salon to be honest and reliable, while the defendant’s evidence had been vague, in- consistent and implausible. He detailed the 11 texts between Rae Smith and one of the robbers, Paul Myles, in the 12 or 13 minutes Five-star dining delivered to needy families PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Nadine Holness and Luciano De Riso prepare meals for delivery. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Be the ‘Rogue One’ Buy tickets to advanced screening event hosted by Rotary Grand Cayman B10 What a race it was! See pictures and results from the Cayman Marathon B13 Books Events Movies Christmas ballet on screen ‘The Nutcracker’ returns to Regal Camana Bay B4 ■EVENTS Ride, Santa, ride! The Toys 4 Tots run takes to the roads once again. B12 Mythical stories of the mangroves Author Martin Keeley explores tales and legends from Cayman and beyond B6 STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.com Fine Wine and Spirits PROSECCO & ROSÉ SPARKLING WINES FROM ITALY For the Month of December 2 for $ 33 TORTUGA® PHOTO: CHRIS COURT Traffic officers Sgt. Alain Belanger, left, and PC Kenville Holder will be getting some help from volunteer constables during this year’s holiday crackdown. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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 burning oven. Gluten-free crust available. • All sauces are homemade. New Years EveNew Years Eve BAREFOOT MAN & Sea N’ B Playing No Cover Charge with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Salsa Tuesdays Friday Happy Hour 50% Off Tapas and Selected Wines Playing No Cover Charge Special a la carte menu and spectacular reworks at midnight and dancing all night long. Call 949-2231 or email: info@wharf.ky “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Friday, December 16th Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm “BOOGIE NIGHTS”“BOOGIE NIGHTS” No Duty is more important than returning thanks. www.caymannational.com Thank you for showing us customer loyalty, we appreciate your business as it helps us to grow and to take care of your needs. As a token of our appreciation we invite you to join us for refreshments as we come together to celebrate you. Our Annual Customer Appreciation Days: Little Cayman Monday December 12th, 9:30am - 2:30pm Cayman Brac Tuesday December 13th, 9:00am - 4pm We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, call us on 345 949 4655 or visit our website at www.caymannational.com. PERSONAL BANKING | BUSINESS BANKING FUND SERVICES | FIDUCIARY & INVESTMENT SERVICES No case to answer for two men charged with firearm possession Judge calls police work ‘regrettable’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two men charged with pos- session of an unlicensed firearm last year were found not guilty on Wednesday after Justice Charles Quin determined that there was no case for them to answer. The judge listed four police-re- lated issues which he described as “regrettable” in his decision to dis- charge the defendants and enter not guilty verdicts. Otis Brown, 25, and Marlon St. Aubyn Miller, 36, were jointly charged with possession of a nine-millimeter Browning semi-automatic pistol and a clip loaded with seven rounds of ammunition on June 7, 2015 outside a Bodden Town residence. When the men appeared in Sum- mary Court last year, Crown counsel Scott Wainwright explained that po- lice had received a complaint re- garding an incident between a woman and Brown on June 3. As a result, officers obtained a search warrant. When they went to the Bodden Town address early on the Sunday morning, they found Brown and Miller apparently asleep in a vehicle in the yard. Brown was in the front pas- senger seat and Miller was in the driver’s seat. Mr. Wainwright said the men were ordered out of the ve- hicle and officers saw a gun in the footwell on the passenger side. The gun was partially wrapped in a green T-shirt, but readily visible, he said. Photographs were taken and produced to the court. Those photographs were pro- duced in evidence when the men’s trial began in Grand Court on Monday. They showed the gun and T-shirt on top of a red bag. Defense attorney Laura Larner said it was Miller’s case that he had given a ride to Brown and Brown had brought the red bag into the vehicle. Defense attorney Amelia Fos- uhene said it was Brown’s case that the red bag was already in the ve- hicle when he got in. Both attorneys raised points as to why there was no case to answer and Justice Quin commented on them in his decision. There was a partial multiple- source DNA profile on the gun, but forensic analysis showed that nei- ther man was a contributor to that profile. A partial DNA profile was ob- tained from the T-shirt, but neither man was a contributor to that profile. No fingerprints were found on the gun. Photographs also showed the presence of a pair of shoes in the footwell of the vehicle. Justice Quin was told that the photographs were taken two hours after the men were arrested. He pointed out that there was no live evidence or even a statement from a police constable to say what could and could not be seen and the po- sition of items at the time the men were arrested. There was some evidence that some items had been returned, but it was not clear which defendant had received them from the police. In dis- cussion during the no-case submis- sions, Justice Quin had remarked, “We don’t know if there was a re- ceipt. If there was, we haven’t got it.” The prosecution’s case was based on the photographs and agreed facts and the judge said the Crown failed to show either man having any actual involvement in the possession of the firearm. He described it as “regrettable” that the police had failed to retain the red bag and the shoes. He said it was also regrettable that the bag and shoes had not been forensically examined. Further, it was regrettable that the potentially vital statement of the officer in charge of the case, made at the time of the incident, had gone missing and despite the Crown’s best efforts could not be found. It was particularly regrettable, Justice Quin stated, that the of- ficer in charge of the case was not present during the trial to answer crucial inquiries from the prose- cutor and the court. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – that unless there are very compelling reasons for the officer in charge of the case non-attendance, the court expects, and indeed the Di- rector of Public Prosecutions requires, that the officer in charge of the inves- tigation should be in court to answer any questions and, regrettably, this hasn’t happened in this case.” Mr. Wainwright had argued that it defied logic for anyone to say that a front seat passenger would not be aware of the gun, if it was posi- tioned on top of the red bag as seen in the photos. If it was not there, where did it come from? he asked rhetorically. The suggestion seemed to be that both men fell asleep and when they woke up, “Lo and behold, there is a firearm.” Justice Quin said he harbored deep suspicions but, regrettably, due to lack of crucial testimony, he found it was his duty to stop the case without calling on the defen- dants for their defense. His only sat- isfaction, he indicated, was that he could order the destruction of the firearm and ammunition. After the not guilty verdicts, a statement was issued by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, as follows: “We are aware of the observa- tions of Mr. Justice Charles Quin today after the prosecution of a 2015 case involving firearms charges was discontinued. The concerns Mr. Jus- tice Quin raised about the police in- vestigation in the case will be part of an internal review of the matter, and any investigative deficiencies will be addressed. The confiscation of illegal firearms, as well as the successful prosecution of those who possess them, has always been and continues to be a major priority for police as a matter of public safety.” The judge listed four police-related issues which he described as “regrettable” in his decision to discharge the defendants and enter not guilty verdicts. Two incidents over the weekend Police sent an alert to the media this week warning of tool thefts around Grand Cayman. Officers note they re- ceived two theft reports last weekend. Someone stole tools from five locked containers in In- dustrial Park, and in an- other incident on Hirst Road in Bodden Town, police said. Both thefts were dis- covered Sunday. According to police, “The tools stolen range from power saws, a drill, tile cut- ters, a jack hammer and other items, and are pri- marily of the [brands] Bosch and Makita. The value of the stolen tools from last weekend is estimated to be a few thousand dollars.” Police cautioned against buying used tools and asked that people call police about anyone selling “sizable quan- tities of used tools.” Police warn of tool theftsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 The Cayman Islands are beautiful, but the main thing is to have the opportunity to talk to people who come from a large cross-section of the financial community. Dr. Philippa Malmgren Founder DRPM Group The only investing event investors need to put on the calendar for their year. Michael D. Underhill Chief Investment Officer Capital Innovations, LLC ““ ““ DATE: FEBRUARY 15-17, 2017 LOCATION: GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS VENUE: KIMPTON SEAFIRE RESORT+SPA WWW: CAYMANSUMMIT.COM It’s been a pleasure for to be involved as a participant, speaker and sponsor of what I think is quickly becoming one of the premier events on alternative investments around the world. Mark Yusko CEO and CIO Morgan Creek ““ REGISTER NOW @ CAYMANSUMMIT.COM PANTONE 130 PANTONE 179 PANTONE 425 Executive Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Bringing together great minds from all over the world in one of my favourite places in the world: what’s not to like? Mark L. Hart III Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Corriente Advisors, LLC ““ IMS Others Bronze THE FUTURE OF ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS IN EXCEPTIONAL TIMESThe 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. “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.” ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Over the past decade, the closest thing the Cayman Islands government has had to a unified tourism and development plan is the “Go East” initiative – meant to “spread out” economic activity across Grand Cayman, rather than concentrating it on Seven Mile Beach. Like most bureaucratic attempts to centralize the management of a country’s economy, it appears that our government’s vision of private sector trends was less than 20/20. Today, the Seven Mile Beach corridor is more robust than ever. Developers are pouring massive quantities of money, capital, concrete and steel into the densest and most economically electric area of the country. Understanding this long-term pattern, Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush recently made headlines with his suggestion that Cayman consider allowing the con- struction of 20- or even 30-story buildings in the Seven Mile Beach area, in effect doubling (or tripling) down on Cayman’s greatest asset. In contrast, the eastern districts of Grand Cayman, along with the Sister Islands remain, shall we say, ideal and idyllic places to nap in a hammock. (There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with that. Quite the opposite. When we pitch the attraction of our islands to visitors and prospective employees, we high- light our country’s variegated tapestry and the individu- ality of our districts. Some are dense and noisy, some are charming and restful. All have character.) Yes, there has been significant development “out east” in the past few years, including at Health City Cayman Islands, Morritt’s Resorts and the planned Ironwood golf resort. However, those are “outliers,” each of which seeks to be a largely self-sufficient destination unto itself, taking advantage of the area’s characteristics (seclusion, quietude, and widely available vacant property) rather than fighting against them. Given the greater quantity and lower expense of land to the east, what is it about Seven Mile Beach that secures a laser-like focus from investors? Consider the following: Q. “Why does Cayman have so many hedge funds?” A. “Because that’s where the hedge funds are.” Put another way, Cayman dominates the hedge fund market because the hedge fund market was created here, and all the necessary supporting services, legal structures and regulatory environment already exist, tailor-made for the market. That reasoning can be extended to understanding what makes Seven Mile Beach so special from a tourism and development standpoint. Distilled into three points, Seven Mile Beach possesses the advantages of geography, history and infrastructure. Other than commenting that Seven Mile Beach itself is nature’s gem bestowed upon Grand Cayman, and accord- ingly the tourism sector grew up along it, we won’t dwell any further on the first two points. The third, infrastructure, merits elaboration. It would be easy to gesture to the Dart Group (and its Camana Bay, Kimpton and future hotel projects) and say that this single entity is responsible for Seven Mile Beach’s vibrancy. Just this week, Dart began a trial removal of beach rock as a preliminary step in the possible construc- tion of a new five-star resort. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the test has encouraging results. Sure, Dart is a primary driver of Seven Mile Beach development — but there are a multitude of other economic engines, including the owners of The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Westin, shopping plazas and condominiums. More so than any single residential or commercial devel- opment, it is Dart’s infrastructure projects (i.e. the expan- sion and widening of the Esterley Tibbetts highway, and the new automotive “underpass”) that have raised the ceiling for possible progress in the Seven Mile Beach corridor. The government deserves credit, too, for those road projects. By the same token, the government also bears responsibility for the one thing that continues to hamper Dart’s plans for Camana Bay – its noxious and toxic neighbor to the south, the George Town Landfill. So, pardon us if, when officials try to tell us to focus on all the possibilities that lay out to the east, we keep our gaze fixed to where the sun sinks into the sea each evening. Cayman’s past, present and foreseeable future favors the economic climate along Seven Mile Beach. Westward ho! Cayman’s future is Seven Mile Beach FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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” The War on Christmas was settled a long time ago. Christmas won. RAY CAVANAUGH Special To The Washington Post “‘Merry Christmas’ – be- cause Donald Trump is now the president, you can say it again.” That’s how former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski teed it up for Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. Just a year ago, then-candidate Donald Trump told supporters, “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again, that I can tell you.” The election, read by these lights, looks like a salvo in the now decades-long, Bill O’Reilly–inspired contre- temps known as the War on Christmas. And now we’re firmly in that time of year when cable talking heads flip out and blame the forces of politically correct secularism for Target cashiers who greet us with “Happy Holidays” and Starbucks baristas who pour peppermint lattes into agnostic red paper cups. The catch: There already was a war on Christmas in the United States. It hap- pened centuries ago, and Christmas won decisively. There was a time when Christmas faced far more op- position than it ever could now. For a good chunk of the 17th century, Christmas was flatly outlawed in a number of places in Puritan America – not exactly a hotbed of sec- ular political correctness that might draw Trump’s scorn. Many Puritans contended that Christmas lacked bib- lical justification, since the Bible makes no explicit refer- ence to Dec. 25. They viewed celebrations as the sort of pageantry and idolatry en- dorsed by “papists” (a de- rogatory term for Catholics, whom they reviled). They looked askance at the holiday because it meant, well, mischief. While some re- garded Christmas as a time of religious devotion, Steven Nissenbaum argues in “The Battle for Christmas: A Social and Cultural History of Our Most Cherished Holiday” that “such people were always in the minority,” describing Dec. 25 as an often-disor- derly affair of binge-eating, binge-drinking, parading and brawling. Gender and class roles were toppled, as the lowest-ranking members in the social hierarchy imi- tated gentlemen (competing for the distinction of “Lord of Misrule”); men dressing and acting like women, and vice-versa, as they literally exchanged clothes, among other things. All this prompted Puri- tans – who had scant use for the day’s licentiousness – to refer to Christmas as “Foolstide.” The pilgrims who came here in 1620 spent their first Dec. 25 doing construc- tion. But the next Dec. 25, when William Bradford, gov- ernor of Plymouth Colony, saw newcomers playing stool-ball (an early version of baseball), “he broke up their amusements and declared it was against his conscience that they should play while others worked.” The no-nonsense Gov. Bradford, who died in 1657, would’ve been gratified that two years later, in 1659, the Massachusetts Bay Colony banned Christmas celebra- tions. Even taking the day off was made illegal, unless of course it was a Sunday. Not so, of course, in other areas of the New World, where Christmas cheer re- mained very much alive. A good deal of mirth, even cel- ebratory gunfire, was made in parts of the South. But in much of colonial America, Christmas was Scrooged. Even when the Mas- sachusetts law forbidding Christmas was repealed in 1681, the day remained an object of contempt, and its celebration taboo. Anti-Christmas sentiment wasn’t exclusive to Puritans. Bruce David Forbes’s book “Christmas: A Candid History” points out how, at various times, Congregationalists, Methodists and Quakers, among others, joined in “de- emphasizing or eliminating the observance of Christmas.” Though legal restrictions would relax, the negative at- titude toward Christmas was sustained far beyond the Mayflower generation. Even in the early 19th cen- tury, Christmas often went neglected by the newspa- pers, and was a day of signif- icance only for certain slices of the population. However, the mid-1800s saw a Christmas renaissance. No longer was it cool to be a Scrooge (a newly infamous character thanks to Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol”). After the Civil War, Christmas cele- brations were one way the country began to embrace a renewed national unity. Fi- nally, in 1870, Christmas be- came a federal holiday. In the original War on Christmas, it was the cele- brating itself that was seen as the cultural breakdown. In the war Lewandowski imagines – and I do mean imagines – his side is all that stands between us and the breakdown of our traditions and values. Except there’s never been a time in our lives devoid of Christmas shopping, music, trees, cards or greetings. The First Amend- ment guarantees our right to observe it. And our right, if we choose, not to. We’ve never not been free to say “Merry Christmas,” and saying “Happy Holidays” at the mall won’t change that. It won’t be the first time Trump has made hay of a nonissue. Or taken credit for settling something that’s long since been settled. But whatever. As long as he eventually learns that the War on Christmas was al- ready fought, it’s over, and Christmas prevailed.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Holiday iveaway CAMANABAY.COM Check off your Christmas list at Camana Bay and enter to win with lots of amazing prizes up for grabs, including a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card. Receive a raffle ticket for every purchase of CI$25 or more at participating locations. The raffle runs 22 November through 21 December. Visit our website for full details. Happy holidays from your friends at Camana Bay! Win a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card! CAMANABAY.COM Check off your Christmas list at Camana Bay and enter to win with lots of amazing prizes up for grabs, including a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card. every purchase of CI$25 or more at participating locations. The raffle runs 22 November through 21 December. Visit our website for full details. Happy holidays from your friends at Camana Bay! Win a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card! $10k CAMANA BAY’S Most youth not signed up for election 5,000 Caymanians not registered to vote BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Even though it has esti- mated a record number of registered voters for next spring’s general election, the Cayman Islands Elec- tions Office said this week that it appears a majority of younger Caymanians are not taking part. As of Oct. 20, the elec- tions office had 19,448 reg- istered voters, the highest number this British Over- seas Territory has ever re- corded. Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell said he ex- pects that by registration deadline – which is Dec. 31 at present – there will be more than 20,000 voters registered for the first time in Cay- man’s history. Mr. Howell said this growth in eligible voters was expected, largely because the number of Caymanians has grown since the last election, with both status-holders gaining the right to vote and more younger Caymanians reaching the age of the ma- jority (age 18), when they are allowed to vote. However, Mr. Howell said elections office staff noted a disturbing trend as they went door-to-door in the dis- tricts over the past month to review voter eligibility: Younger people did not want to register. “We spoke to young Cay- manians during these visits about how to register and many said they weren’t inter- ested,” he said. “The reason a lot of them gave was they didn’t want to be chosen for jury duty.” According to statistics compiled by the Elections Office comparing the total population to the number of registered voters in each age group, people aged 15-24 made up about 17 percent of the islands’ population, but just 2.6 percent of the reg- istered voters. The stats are skewed because people ages 15-17 cannot register to vote, but Mr. Howell said it was clear the younger age group was not exercising their democratic right as much as they could. By way of compar- ison, older Caymanians ap- peared far more likely to vote in the upcoming elec- tion. Individuals age 50 and up accounted for nearly 33 percent of those regis- tered to vote in the next election, according to the elections office. Mr. Howell also noted that although Cayman would have a record number of voters registered ahead of the May 24, 2017 general election, close to one-quarter of eli- gible voters had not regis- tered as of late October, the latest numbers available. “We estimate about 5,000 people are eligible, but haven’t registered to vote,” he said. The elections office has competed its door-to-door voter canvassing exercise as of this week, save for a few areas in George Town district, Mr. Howell said. It’s the first one the office has done, since the requirement to perform the voter check ended about 20 years ago. Mr. Howell said, with the advent of single-member voting districts, it is particu- larly important to determine that registered voters ac- tually live at the residence they have stated on the reg- istration form. The largest districts on the new 19-district map will have just 1,100 voters and some smaller districts, such as East End, North Side and the Sister Islands’ districts will have approximately 600. A hotly contested race could be decided by just a few hundred ballots. The elections supervisor also said he was satisfied that most voters understood the concept of ‘one man, one vote’, being adopted for the first time since the 1950s in Cayman. He acknowledged that some voters, used to the multimember district system, are disappointed they cannot vote for the candidate “they really want” if that candi- date does not seek election in their area. Deputy Elections Supervisor Sheena Glasgow and Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell prepare for the May 24 general election. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY “The reason a lot of them gave [for not registering] was they didn’t want to be chosen for jury duty.” WESLEY HOWELL, elections supervisorThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 182580_PRINT2-Ad-Community-GivinPage 1 12/7/16 6:27:55 PMThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS extra to cook more. “We have been in busi- ness for 50 years and we want to give something back to the community, especially for those who can’t afford to come to our restaurant.” The two restaurants will deliver to different families each week, step- ping up to twice a week as Christmas approaches. Nadine Holness, who works part-time as an ac- countant at Grand Old House, came up with the idea and is hoping to get more restau- rants on board. Initially she said she had donated money herself and started a GoFundMe page to help buy food for people who could not af- ford to pay for groceries on a regular basis. Once Grand Old House and The Wharf got involved, she said, the project expanded. The Department of Chil- dren and Family Services provides a list of families for the project, she said. “The list we have is very large, so it will be different families every week, but we will circle back to them. We are trying to find people who aren’t necessarily looked after at the moment.” She said her main focus is on the elderly and families with a lot of children. Any other businesses that want to get involved, or individuals who want to help, may contact caymangivers@outlook.com. than most people would think. “It’s a whole process, writing up a simple traffic ticket so it can go to court.” The volunteer constables have been getting some “on the street” experience as well since late last year, but Mr. Duggan said this is the first time they have been used for a holiday enforcement effort. The RCIPS Traffic Man- agement Unit has conducted some form of holiday traffic crackdown every year for at least the past decade. Newly appointed unit inspector, Ian Yearwood, said the public will notice more roadblocks and other high-visibility interdiction efforts over the next few weeks. The enforcement effort started Wednesday afternoon during rush hour with a police checkpoint on the southern end of West Bay Road. The traffic unit has been depleted over the past sev- eral years as officers were di- verted to other crime-fighting areas deemed to be more cru- cial at the time. RCIPS Superintendent Robert Graham said this week that police would look to staff up the unit in the coming months. Until that happens, Mr. Duggan said special constables can help “make up the numbers.” “Specials are normally used as crowd control at events or other administra- tive duties, but they have all the powers of a paid RCIPS constable and can be used for things like traffic enforce- ment while the regulars are out enforcing more serious crime,” he said. Special constables will not investigate scenes of fatal or serious injury collisions. Those incidents are left to the traffic unit and accident reconstruction experts. “But I think we’re going to be out there, be a lot more visible than we have been,” he said. Traffic unit The new leadership at RCIPS, including Superin- tendent Graham and Police Commissioner Derek Byrne, have both said in the past few weeks that they want to see more “focused” efforts on traffic enforcement. This month, Mr. Graham said, the RCIPS will put ad- ditional patrols on the streets using all three available mo- torcycle units and the special (volunteer) constables unit to bolster those efforts. Police traffic enforcement has been a focus of criticism from the public for a number of years. The decline, partic- ularly in speeding enforce- ment, occurred largely after the RCIPS dismantled its former Traffic Management Unit in 2010/11. According to data exam- ined by the Cayman Com- pass, the more than 5,700 speeding offenses detected by police during 2007 dropped to 1,956 by 2011. The num- bers continued to decline in 2012 and again in 2013. By 2014, the number of speeding offenses dropped below 700 for the entire year. SMALL CRAFT WARNING IN EFFECT FOR WEEKEND CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Forecasters say higher winds and rough seas will likely move in Friday and stick around for the weekend. The National Weather Service has a small craft warning in effect as fore- casters predict 15 to 20 knot winds will bring 4- to 6-foot seas starting late Friday and lasting through Sunday. Forecaster Shamal Clarke said a cold front is sitting over Florida, while a high pressure area moves across the United States. “We are watching that cold front,” he said, “but it’s not expected to get into our area.” Mr. Clarke said winds will come from the east to northeast and the rough seas will likely be from the same direction. The Weather Service does not expect rain for the weekend, giving about a 20 percent chance of precipi- tation through Sunday. Low temperatures will be in the mid-70s, with highs in the mid-80s. BOAT STOLEN IN SAVANNAH A boat owner re- turned to Cayman Tuesday to find his 26-foot out- board boat stolen from the dock at Sunrise Landing in Savannah. The 26-foot Stingray Census, with the name Makaira painted on the hull, has a 225HP Honda engine, center console, blue Bimini top and white hull. Volunteers boost holiday traffic patrols CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Traffic unit officers, including Inspector Ian Yearwood, front, PC Orville Harris, right, and Acting Sgt. Alain Belanger will be out in force this holiday season. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER Five-star dining delivered to needy families CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Thushara Siriwarda, executive chef at Grand Old House, at work in the kitchen. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY This boat was stolen while the owner was off-island.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 9, 2016 The Family of the late Vernon L. Jackson OBE, JP Wishes to thank the many family, friends and members of the Cayman Islands and overseas community Who telephoned, sent cards, fl owers, and food and who visited the family during this sad time. We have been comforted by these expressions of sympathy and respect. God Bless You All. Vernon L Jackson, OBE, JP 18 December 1928 - 23 October, 2016 of the Cayman Islands and overseas communityof the Cayman Islands and overseas community Who telephoned, sent cards, fl owers, and food and Who telephoned, sent cards, fl owers, and food and who visited the family during this sad time.who visited the family during this sad time. We have been comforted by these expressions We have been comforted by these expressions of sympathy and respect.of sympathy and respect. God Bless You All.God Bless You All. of the Cayman Islands and overseas communityof the Cayman Islands and overseas community Who telephoned, sent cards, fl owers, and food and Who telephoned, sent cards, fl owers, and food and who visited the family during this sad time.who visited the family during this sad time. We have been comforted by these expressions We have been comforted by these expressions of sympathy and respect.of sympathy and respect. God Bless You All.God Bless You All. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. L. Maud Salmon, affectionately known as “Maudie” and “Aa Maud” of Watering Place, Cayman Brac, who passed away on Friday, December 2, 2016. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 10:00a.m. at the Veteran’s & Seaman’s Centre, Ashton Reid Drive,on the Bluff, Cayman Brac. Viewing will be from 9:00-9:45a.m. Interment follows at Watering Place Cemetery. www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. L. Maud Salmon, affectionately known who passed away on Friday, December 2, 2016. Ashton Reid Drive,on the Bluff, Cayman Brac. Interment follows at Watering Place Cemetery. Remembering Ramona Joylette Christian February 24, 1932 – December 10, 2015 You blessed this earth but for a while with your sweet, kind precious soul. You were truly fi lled with the pure radiant love of God and gave it freely to all you encountered. Whether with words of wisdom, advice or song, You brought us warmth, smiles and infectious laughter. The priceless moments spent with you in time are immeasurable and resonate within our hearts. They echo of your presence daily, still illuminating, still glowing, still bringing us peace. We love you to infi nity and beyond, All of our love, LeeAnn, Lesley and Cameron We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dwayne Damean Seymour, better known as “Deebo” of George Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Monday, November 28, 2016. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dwayne Damean Seymour, better known as “Deebo” of George Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Monday, November 28, 2016. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. We have been asked to announce the passing of Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com before the robbery took place. He said they showed that Rae Smith was orches- trating the robbery. Almost every text said what Rae Smith did not in- tend, or didn’t say what she did intend, the judge com- mented. For example, one of her texts to Myles said that the laptop and iPad were in the reception desk. Rae Smith told the court that “in” was supposed to be “on” and she was insinuating that there was no debit card machine on the desk, so she would not be able to use her debit card to pay for having her hair braided. But the mes- sage never contained the word “debit.” Another text, referring to locking the door from the in- side, was interpreted by Rae Smith to refer to the pas- senger door on her truck, which Myles had borrowed. But the message did not con- tain the word “truck.” The message, “I’ll give you the when,” was ex- plained by Rae Smith as indicating that she would text Myles when he should come and pick her up. An- ther message referred to two women leaving and five people still in the salon; Rae Smith said she was just expressing frustration at having to wait. Justice Quin said Rae Smith was an educated and articulate businesswoman. She had worked as personal assistant to George Town MLAs Roy McTaggart and Winston Connolly. She had formed a company with Mr. Connolly. She had no pre- vious convictions and was a woman of good character. The judge said he had lis- tened and watched as she gave evidence, which he found to be riddled with lies and unworthy of belief. He praised the police officers investigating the matter, saying they had exercised great patience and diligence in chasing the phone evidence and putting it together. (One of the phones was found in a cistern.) After the guilty verdicts, defense attorney Lee Hal- liday-Davis asked that Rae- Smith’s bail continue while a pre-sentence social inquiry report was prepared. Justice Quin said the matter was too serious and he remanded her in custody until Jan. 27. The Crown’s case was presented by Deputy Di- rector of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran. The two men who pleaded guilty to the robbery, Myles and Antonio Kelly, have not yet been sentenced. In March this year, Cay- man’s Labour Tribunal awarded Rae Smith $2,632 for unfair dismissal from her job with the MLA office. At the time, she said she de- clined to cash the check and accept the tribunal’s award because she believed she was owed more than $9,000 according to her employ- ment contract. Former personal assistant to MLAs ‘orchestrated’ robbery CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Demand for travel to Cuba softening (AP) – Demand for travel to Cuba may be flattening, with soaring hotel prices on the island, American Airlines cutting some flights, and un- certainty over whether new travel restrictions could be imposed when Donald Trump takes office. Gregory Geronemus, co- CEO of smarTours, a tour company that is taken 3,000 Americans to Cuba, con- firms there has been a soft- ening in demand. In part he blamed hotel prices on the island, which have nearly doubled since 2015 and which are set by the government. “There’s still demand but there’s only so much people can afford,” he said. Cheaper lodging is avail- able through Airbnb and other services, but not all travelers want the hassles and uncertainty of traveling on their own in Cuba. Geronemus said “Zika has cast a shadow” on the region too, despite the Cuban gov- ernment’s assertion that mos- quito abatement efforts have been successful. Zika, a mos- quito-borne virus, can cause birth defects. While an increasing number of airlines are of- fering flights, American Air- lines is cutting three of its 13 daily flights to Cuba begin- ning Feb. 16 and switching to smaller planes on some routes, said spokesman Matt Miller. He added that adjust- ments are common with new service and that the reduction was made before the presi- dential election. ForwardKeys, which compiles data based on global reservations transactions, says it has not detected a drop in bookings for Cuba. And Cuban government statistics show an 80 percent increase in visits by Americans the first six months of this year over the same pe- riod in 2015, from 76,183 to 136,913. In the last few weeks, several U.S. airlines started regular commercial flights to Cuba. United Airlines launched Newark-Havana flights Nov. 29 and Saturday service from Houston on Dec. 3. Spokesman Jonathan Guerin said the air- line is “prepared to work with the new administration” going forward. JetBlue, which also just launched service, would not provide specifics but said “we are pleased with how flights to Cuba are selling.” Tanner Callais of Austin, Texas, who runs a cruise website called Cruzely. com, had hoped to cruise to Cuba in 2017. But “now with some of the things I’ve heard about tight- ening up restrictions on travel to Cuba, we’re taking a wait and see approach,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is put a lot of money down for a trip and then have the cruise cancelled due to new restrictions put in place.” Others are booking trips as soon as they can, fearing a Cuba travel ban under Trump. “Ordinarily we book trips three to six months ahead but people are calling this week to register for trips three weeks from now,” said Kimberly Haley-Coleman, executive di- rector of GlobeAware, which organizes volunteer trips. Though Geronemus says the softening started “long be- fore Trump was elected,” some travelers are asking for reas- surance that they’d be covered if travel gets banned between the time they book their tickets and their planned trip. That has smarTours prom- ising a full refund or credit for a discounted trip else- where should new rules make it impossible to go ahead with a trip, Geronemus says. Erika Richter, spokes- woman for the American So- ciety of Travel Agents, says “some people we talk to are convinced that everything will be rolled back on Jan. 21. Others think, as a hospitality industry leader, (Trump) will not follow through. So, I think it’s probable but not guaran- teed that we see a roll back in early 2017.” Tourists walk outside the Bodeguita del Medio Bar, frequented by the late American novelist Ernest Hemingway, in Old Havana, Cuba. – PHOTO: AP/DESMOND BOYLANNext >