SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Fashion and footwear on the runway See the latest styles and trends at Summer Sizzle this Saturday B2 Flying out to Fort Lauderdale for a change The new route from Southwest Airlines offers a nice alternative to Miami B4 Events Events Travel ■ ART & CULTURE Cayman Drama Society A brief history, and how anyone can share the show. B6 Calling all cowgirls! The 11th annual dance-off competition heats up at Lone Star in August B3 Laughter is the best medicine at Margaritaville The Laughter Lounge brings back the chuckles, giggles and guffaws B5 SUNDAY, JULY 30 | 3 PM THE VENUE – CARIBBEAN PLAZA (formerly The Bistro) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC $4 STOLI COCKTAILS JOIN US THIS SUNDAY AND SEE WHO WILL CAPTURE CAYMAN’S STOLI VODKA CROWN. Fashion and styles and trends e ‘Wait Until Dark,’ Nov. 1971 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Cayman Drama Society EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ROYAL GAZETTE: WHEN A FREE PRESS ATTACKS FREE SPEECH High of 90 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 WITH SWEET & SPICY BBQ SAUCE NEW! Police to get bigger budget, more officers BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police Commissioner Derek Byrne revealed plans this week to create a community po- licing force of more than 30 officers in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Speaking at a community meeting Wednesday night in George Town’s Scranton neighborhood, Mr. Byrne said department budget plans are still being finalized, but he said he would request hiring additional officers. Some of the new hires would go to com- munity policing efforts, which are proposed to be expanded to 28 full-time police constables, two supervising sergeants and an inspector to run the operation. That would represent nearly 10 per- cent of the police officers now employed in the service, not including volunteer spe- cial constables. “We expect to see an increase in re- sources … a dedicated, ring-fenced commit- ment to community policing to avoid … ab- straction of police officers for other purposes,” Mr. Byrne told a group of about 25 George Town residents. A number of the Scranton residents ex- pressed concerns about community “beat” of- ficers – such as former Constable Cornelius Pompey, who was well-known and well-re- garded – being reassigned or promoted during times when crime reports spike. “You put one here this month, and then next month you move them out,” one resident told Mr. Byrne. Mr. Byrne said, if and when he does bring in the new community policing officers, they will be dedicated solely to that task. Premier Alden McLaughlin promised government would provide the necessary funding for the additional community offi- cers in the upcoming budget, which begins on Jan. 1, 2018. “I am anxiously awaiting the commission- er’s plan, but I promise him that we are going to do whatever … we need to do, to ensure that CAYMAN’S MOSQUITO CHIEF HEADS TO MIAMI JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The head of Cayman’s Mosquito Control and Research Unit, one of the driving forces behind the use of genetically modified mos- quitoes on the island, is leaving the role. Bill Petrie confirmed Thursday he has taken up a new role as head of mosquito con- trol in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He said his departure is unlikely to af- fect the pioneering, and at times controversial project taking place in Cayman, to fight insect- borne diseases such as Zika and dengue fever with genetically modified mosquitoes. An islandwide rollout of the GM mos- quito project is scheduled to begin in Feb- ruary, following a successful test deploy- ment in West Bay. Mr. Petrie, in his new role, will be in charge of scaling up mosquito-fighting efforts in Miami-Dade County, which suffered a signifi- cant outbreak of the Zika virus last year. The county is tripling the size of its mos- quito control division in response to the health scare and hired Mr. Petrie to head up operations. He said officials in Miami are aware of the success the Cayman Islands has had in controlling mosquito-borne diseases. He said the Zika outbreak put new atten- tion internationally on the value of fighting mosquitoes for public health reasons, and of- ficials were looking to the Cayman Islands, which has been targeting mosquitoes for de- cades, for solutions. “Whereas, for us in Cayman, it used to be more about economic control, now it is much more about disease control,” Mr. Petrie said. “It has become a much bigger as- pect here in Cayman, throughout the region Bad weather blamed for lower cruise figures KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com While Cayman’s cruise ship tourism con- tinues to grow, passenger arrivals for 2017 are expected to fall below the 2016 total, in part due to bad weather during the first quarter of the year. Port Director Clement Reid said he ex- pects to see numbers pick back up in Oc- tober, but does not expect the year to surpass last year’s 1.7 million arrivals. “We’re hoping there will be some positive growth. It won’t be as great as last year, but there will be positive growth,” he said. During the first six months of the year, 885,643 cruise passengers arrivedin Cayman, down 9 percent year-to-date. However, the total beats the 10-year average by 28.5 percent. The Port Authority forecasts cruise ar- rivals to continue growing over the next 30 years to a maximum of 2.4 million annual ar- rivals. The Cayman Islands reached a record number of cruise passengers in 2006 with 1.9 million arrivals. Cruise berthing facility To accommodate the increased pas- senger load, the port will be moving for- ward with berthing facility plans in George Town to accommodate larger vessels and more foot traffic. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » Cruise ship passenger numbers are expected to be lower in 2017 than in 2016, in part due to inclement weather in the Cayman Islands early in the year. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Open daily 10am-10pm • West Shore Center, SMB Whole Jerk Chicken Feast $29.99 CELEBRATE JAMAICAN INDEPENDENCE WITH CHICKEN! CHICKEN! $29.99 RICE & BEAN STEAMED VEGE TABLES JAMAIC AN STYLE COLE SLAW FESTIV ALS HOME BREAD PUDDING JAMAIC AN STYLE COLE SLAW FESTIV ALS HOME BREAD PUDDING $29.99 AUGUST 4TH, 5 TH & 6 TH FOOTBALL CAMPS Exciting Summer REGISTER TODAY: info@esmcayman.ky 924-8797 / 925-5032 Week 1: July 3rd - July 7th Week 2: July 10th - July 14th Week 3: August 7th - August 11th Week 4: August 14th - August 18th Indecency trial starts for former coach Ato Stephens elects to be tried by judge alone CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial began in Grand Court on Thursday for former Cayman track coach Ato Modibo Stephens, who is accused of indecently as- saulting a 14-year-old female member of his track club. Stephens faces charges of indecent assault, gross in- decency and using an ICT network to abuse, annoy or harass by sending inde- cent messages. Justice Michael Wood, who is hearing the matter without a jury, as the defen- dant elected, ordered that there be no reporting of in- formation that could lead to the identification of the girl, including the names of the girl’s parents, and the names of other children who would be mentioned during the course of the trial. Evidence began with tape recordings of two interviews with the girl conducted by officers from the Family Support Unit at the begin- ning of the investigation. In the tapes, the girl told police that she and Stephens had communicated via WhatsApp. She said the first time, they just had a regular conversation about her performance that day and then he asked her to send him a picture of herself with no clothes, just underwear. She said she asked him why and he told her because he needed it to help him relax. In all, she sent him “probably 20 or more” pictures, she said on the tapes. She said he asked for other pictures, but she never sent him any nude photos. He then started sending her messages about what he would like to do to her and what he would like her to do to him. She said she did not re- spond for a while, but then he told her he needed her to play along in case he got caught by police, in case he got in trouble. The indecent touching oc- curred when he would drive her home after training, after he first had dropped off other team members, she said. This happened two or three times. Sometimes he took his pants off in the ve- hicle and tried to get her to touch him, but she did not, she told police. Asked if Stephens knew her age, she pointed out that he would need to know ath- letes’ dates of birth when he registered them for meets. She told police he had told her to delete the messages so there would not be any ev- idence, but she kept them: “I’m not exactly sure why.” She said she sent Ste- phens the pictures because she did not want to get kicked off the team. The situation was dis- covered when the girl’s mother found pictures on the girl’s phone. The girl was asked in the police interview how she felt now that her mother knew. She said she was scared because she did not know what would happen. She was worried about her track career and the team. The officer told her she was a child. “You’re not at fault,” he said. Asked if Stephens knew her age, she pointed out that he would need to know athletes’ dates of birth when he registered them for meets. Death toll in Venezuela civil unrest hits 100 CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Days before a polarizing vote to start rewriting its con- stitution, Venezuela is con- vulsing to a rhythm of day- time strikes and nocturnal clashes. The most recent vi- olence drove the death toll from months of unrest to 100 on Thursday. Most of the dead in anti- government protests that began in April are young men killed by gunfire. The toll also includes looters; police allegedly attacked by protesters; and civilians killed in accidents related to roadblocks set up during demonstrations. The count has been highly politicized, with the opposi- tion and other government agencies reporting varying tolls and causes of death that focus blame on the other side. The protests began over moves by President Nicolas Maduro’s government to restrict the powers of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. But the mounting deaths of demonstrators have be- come a separate source of outrage for the young people who march during the day and assemble nightly to fight the police and national guardsmen at improvised barricades across the country. “The ones who have fallen fighting repression moti- vate us to keep fighting,” said Sandra Fernandez, a 21-year- old university student. The country’s chief pros- ecutor reported Thursday on Twitter that a 16-year- old was killed at a pro- test in the capital overnight while a 23-year-old man was slain at a demonstration in Merida state. The two killings pushed to the century mark the human toll of a political crisis that has brought the oil-rich South American country al- most four months of near- daily protests, thousands of injuries and arrests and a two-day general strike that shuttered businesses nation- wide this week. The death toll appears likely to keep rising in the coming days. Opposition leaders have called on supporters to con- vene in the capital Friday at the end of a 48-hour general strike that began Wednesday. On Sunday the government holds a vote that will start a process of rewriting the con- stitution by electing mem- bers of a special assembly to reshape the charter. The opposition is boy- cotting that vote, saying the election rules were rigged to guarantee Maduro a majority and arguing that a new con- stitution could replace de- mocracy with a single-party authoritarian system. The chief prosecutor’s of- fice has released little infor- mation about the victims of the unrest, but at least 44 are believed to have been shot while participating in pro- tests. Many of those deaths are blamed on armed motor- cycle gangs of government supporters known as “col- ectivos” who are often seen shooting indiscriminately at protesters while police and troops stand by. “The level of impunity is extremely high, and that con- tinues on to a situation like this,” said David Smilde, a Tulane University expert on Venezuela. “If you look at the violence it would appear that this time around, most of it is coming from pro-govern- ment forces, either National Guard and police or ‘colec- tivos’ that are aligned with the government.” Security forces have been accused of excessive force but have used mostly non- lethal arms, a tactic that has kept protest deaths rel- atively low in comparison with the overall level of vi- olence in a country with one of the world’s highest homicide rates. An average of 78 people a day died violently last year in this country of 31.5 mil- lion, according the non-gov- ernmental Venezuelan Vio- lence Observatory. According to an AP review of prosecutors’ reports, the victims of the political unrest have overwhelmingly been male with only six women killed. They are also mostly young, averaging 27 years old. The youngest was 14 and the oldest 54. A demonstrator touches a poster of Neomar Lander during a tribute in Caracas on Monday to those killed in the recent wave of protests against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 For full event details and more Town Centre happenings, visit CAMANABAY.COM Saturdays, July 8-August 26, 3-5 p.m. Splash, play and escape the summer heat while grooving to family-friendly tunes. Young budding chefs prepare family picnics to share during Moonlight & Movies. Tuesdays, July-August, 7 p.m. Enjoy free, family-friendly movies on our giant outdoor screen. MOONLIGHT & MO VIES SIDEWALK SALE Saturday, July 29 From 11 a.m. Shop ‘til you drop and save! For one day only, enjoy special offers and discounts at participating Camana Bay shops and restaurants. Live broadcast by Z99 with the chance to win spot prizes! Premier: Social services programs ‘failing’ Ministry eyes budget cuts BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A number of government- funded social services pro- grams are “not succeeding” in the various purposes for which they were created and may come under the budget knife, Premier Alden McLaughlin told a group of George Town residents Wednesday night. “There’s a huge range of programs that we have in place, some for many years that … at least in name, ap- pear to be dealing with soci- etal issues,” Mr. McLaughlin said during a commu- nity meeting at Central Scranton Park. “The reality, I believe, is most of our pro- grams are failing, are not at all fit for purpose and are not addressing the issues that we face.” Wednesday night’s meeting was held with top Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service officials, in- cluding Commissioner Derek Byrne, and about 25 resi- dents to discuss concerns about growing crime in the troubled Scranton area, a narrow strip nestled between Shedden Road and down- town George Town. Residents told the pre- mier, district Legislative As- sembly member Kenneth Bryan and senior police of- ficers that drug dealing in the neighborhood is com- monplace and that a number of high-profile shootings have occurred there in recent years – including the murder of Damean “Deebo” Seymour and a gang retaliation attack where about a dozen shots were fired at a home. Premier McLaughlin said his administration would sup- port additional funding for the RCIPS, particularly in the area of hiring more commu- nity policing officers to work full-time in local districts. However, the premier said – as minister of community af- fairs – simply continuing to hire police would never pre- vent the “root causes” of Cay- man’s growing crime problem. “It is a reflection of the failure of many of our in- tervention attempts,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “If we look at the makeup of Northward prison, we will see that most of [the population] is young Caymanian males, generally under the age of 30. “Unless we get a grasp on those issues, these secu- rity concerns are just going to continue to escalate and the need for policing, greater security, burglar bars and se- curity systems is just going to increase.” Of the ongoing review of government’s social services, Mr. McLaughlin said, “I am not going to be very popular over the next year or so.” The problem with gov- ernment-funded social ser- vices and welfare programs was identified in 2015 from a broader perspective in a report from former Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick. The audit pointed, in par- ticular, to a need to improve organization and management of the Needs Assessment Unit, which is responsible for most of the government’s major so- cial welfare programs. “The audit found that there is no overall strategy that sets out the results being sought and the priorities to be pursued with the more than $50 million of public funds appropriated to so- cial assistance programs,” Mr. Swarbrick wrote. “These programs are not coordinated to ensure an ap- propriate assignment of re- sponsibilities and a coherent approach to addressing cur- rent and emerging social needs. Further, in the absence of any measurement of re- sults achieved, there is no ef- fective accountability to the Legislative Assembly for this major portion of government expenditures.” Mr. McLaughlin said Wednesday that in addition to the central government’s core social welfare efforts, a sig- nificant amount of money is paid each year to nongovern- mental organizations, sports groups, community services and the like. The individuals who organize and support these programs are earnest and dedicated, the premier said, but too often there is no way to measure the effective- ness of what they do. “Every week … some person, some organization, some church, some school comes to government and says ‘we have a great idea, we just need government to fund it.’ “How successful [the programs] are is the ques- tion we have to answer,” the premier said. Mr. Swarbrick, speaking at the time about the result of his 2015 report, noted, “Gov- ernment has not taken the necessary steps over the years to ensure it is providing assis- tance in the right amount to the right people at the right time, and thus [is] ultimately failing the people they are supposed to serve.” A community meeting about crime in Scranton, George Town Wednesday night turned its focus toward social issues. Pictured here are attendees, from left, Dale Ramoon, RCIPS Superintendent Robert Graham, Commissioner Derek Byrne, Premier Alden McLaughlin, George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan and political assistant to the premier Frank Cornwall, Jr. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER “The reality, I believe, is most of our programs are failing, are not at all fit for purpose and are not addressing the issues that we face.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLINThe 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. FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS At the age of 75, I’m coming to realize that I may never know for certain what happened to Amelia Ear- hart and her navigator Fred Noonan on their round- the-world flight that disap- peared in the South Pacific in July 1937. I have been in love with her forever and it’s painful to have no resolution, only the same old theories. Like Hansel and Gretel dis- appear into the woods and some think they got baked by the witch and others think they were deadly allergic to gingerbread containing glu- tens. I like to think Amelia was rescued by Howard Hughes and lived with him secretly at the Royal Flush in Las Vegas, had a child, and gave him up for adoption by my parents John and Grace Keillor in Anoka, Minnesota, but it’s a theory based on al- ternative facts and has been suppressed until now. A recent TV documentary tries to prove she crashed and was captured by the Jap- anese and it brings forth a blurry photograph of a dock on Jaluit Atoll in the Mar- shall Islands and a slight woman with short-cropped hair sitting, her back to the camera, a hundred feet away, who purportedly is our Amelia. We want it to be her, but it could also be your Aunt Sadie of Schenectady. Meanwhile, a Japanese gen- tleman comes along to say he spotted that very photograph in a book published in 1935, two years before the flight. It is hard to believe that one of the most famous women in the world could walk away from a crash in a populated area, then vanish without anyone taking note. Very hard. I can live with the mys- tery of Jimmy Hoffa’s dis- appearance — he’s gone, it’s done, bada bing bada boom. I don’t care about the identity of Jack the Ripper. I am satis- fied that Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that day in Dallas. It matters little if Ed- ward de Vere or Christopher Marlowe or the Duke of Earl wrote Shakespeare’s plays, let’s just enjoy them. My faith in the Resurrection does not depend on the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. Bigfoot is a fake, ditto the Loch Ness Monster. D.B. Cooper died; parachutes are no cinch for jumping out of a jetliner and into a national forest. Stone- henge is a circle of ancient stone blocks erected by some people for some purpose, probably religious: I don’t need to know any more. But I need to know about Amelia. She was a sweet- heart, a Kansas tomboy who was not out to make a state- ment so much as she simply loved to fly and feel the wind in her hair. In newsreels, she grins as she climbs out of cockpits, a dashing fem- inist in the Age of Dowa- gers. She wore pants. She was lithe and limber. She enjoyed her fame. She flew solo across the Atlantic, solo from Hawaii to California, she was the forerunner of the spirited feminists we’ve known and loved, who bore no grudge against men but prevailed thanks to wit and smarts and perseverance and a terrific smile. OK, she was not a great pilot. She was careless at times. She was a self-pro- moter who married her pub- licity guy and agent. She used her fame to pitch Lucky Strike cigarettes, Beech- Nut chewing gum, Longines watches, Mobil Oil and her own line of women’s clothing. She was no Dorothy Day or Pearl Buck. I forgive her all of that for her gumption, her ebul- lient spirit in the midst of the Great Depression, and also for the fact that, in 1913, when she was 17, she lived in St. Paul, a few blocks from where I live, and at- tended Central High, as her alcoholic father struggled to hold onto his job at the Great Northern Railroad. In fact, 1913 was the year my dad was born. I am not putting forth the theory that the 17-year-old Amelia moved to St. Paul to hide her preg- nancy and that she gave up the boy to my grandpar- ents Dora and James Keillor of Anoka, but the truth is that Dad was more glam- orous than anyone else in his family, obviously an im- port. He had a big romance with my mother and they eloped in 1937, the year the plane went down. Mere coin- cidence? We may never know for sure. The past is wreathed in shadows as we fly on into the mists, looking for an is- land that according to our maps is somewhere out ahead and if not, we will be swallowed up by history. May it be kind to us all. Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality. © Garrison Keillor, distributed by The Washington Post News Service with Bloomberg News. “It is correct to recall that the previous PLP government left the country’s finances in a state of disrepair, and it is correct to state that the OBA arrested that decline and then began to turn around the economy … “But for failure effectively to be projected by one of our own Bermudian business leaders before the PLP even steps foot in the newly refurbished Cabinet Office is disappointing at best, seditious at worst.” – Bermuda Royal Gazette, July 24, 2017 There’s an old bromide about the power of newspa- pers that cautions against starting a war of words with someone who “buys ink by the barrel.” It seems the Bermuda Royal Gazette has forgotten the Cayman Compass also buys ink by the barrel. (For the record, environmentally friendly soy-based ink which we daily apply to 100 percent recycled paper.) We feel duty-bound to expend some of that ink and paper to respond to the Gazette’s recent, and rather remarkable, editorial that attacked one of Bermuda’s most highly regarded financial professionals for the seeming “offense” of talking on the record to another newspaper – namely ours, the Cayman Compass. For the record, Robert Pires practices his trade of offering financial services to high net worth individuals and other investors both in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. He is well known in both jurisdictions, highly educated, well read and well traveled, and, if we may say so, a consummate gentleman. And it was this same Mr. Pires that the Gazette associated with the blasphemy of “sedition” for voicing publicly the whispers of thousands of Bermudian busi- nessmen and others regarding the victory of the Pro- gressive Labour Party which, in its previous tenure in office, piloted our sister isle to the brink of bankruptcy – financial ruin from which it may never recover. As Mr. Pires told our reporter, “The antagonistic approach to business during the PLP’s previous 14 years in power caused many businesses to move staffing to other jurisdictions due to the difficulty in gaining work permits, as well as its general antagonism.” The PLP’s return to power, he said, “further increases the likelihood of reduced investment in [Bermuda], as well as a shrinking of the tax base, should international business move positions to other jurisdictions.” Believe us, Mr. Pires can interpret a balance sheet far more astutely than the best politicians (and newspaper editors), and his views merely echo what the world already knows: Bermuda is in serious financial trouble. Astonishingly, the Gazette attacks Mr. Pires pri- marily not for his mainstream views (which ironically the Gazette historically has agreed with,) but for articu- lating those views beyond the boundaries of Bermuda. In the 21st century, this is a strange position for anyone to take – but especially a newspaper which, after all, one would think would be a champion of responsible free speech. Further, the notion that Ber- muda’s elections are solely a Bermudian issue is anti- quated, myopic and wrong. On the global stage, where Bermuda – and Cayman – play important roles as international financial centers, there are no closed doors, there are no walls, and there are no borders. For summertime reading, we would highly recom- mend to Gazette editors Marshall McLuhan’s prescient tome, “The Global Village,” in which he foretells of one world connected by an electronic nervous system. That world has come to pass. What the Gazette publishes in Bermuda, or the Compass publishes in Cayman, is almost instantaneously shared far beyond our respective shores. “Seditious?” The Gazette owes Mr. Pires an apology. When speaking of sin, and possibly publishing (and, no, they are not synonymous), transgressions may be considered either venial or mortal. Journalistically the Bermuda Royal Gazette has committed the latter. Royal Gazette: When a free press attacks free speech A lifetime of thoughts about Amelia Earhart GARRISON KEILLOR GARRISON KEILLOR 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” It is hard to believe that one of the most famous women in the world could walk away from a crash in a populated area, then vanish without anyone taking note. – EDITORIAL –The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS! THANK YOU FOR MAKING TASTEE PATTIES CAYMAN’S FAVOURITE PATTY! Available island-wide and baked fresh every 30-minutes at the following locations: • TORTUGA Factory Snack Shop • Discount Liquors – Pasadora Place • Discount Liquors – Shamrock Road • Discount Liquors – West Bay Also Available at Discount Liquors – Fort Street Location THANK YOU FOR MAKING TASTEE PATTIES CAYMAN’S FAVOURITE Available island-wide and baked fresh every 30-minutes at the following locations: TORTUGA Factory Snack Shop Discount Liquors – Pasadora Place Discount Liquors – Shamrock Road Discount Liquors – West Bay Also Available at Discount Liquors – Fort Street Location IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS! Available island-wide and baked fresh every 30-minutes at the following locations: • TORTUGA • Discount Liquors – Pasadora Place • Discount Liquors – Shamrock Road • Discount Liquors – West Bay Also Available at Discount Liquors – Fort Street Location Pick up your patties and other snacks and beverages from the comfort of your car with our drive-thru Tastee Patty service. NEW AT THE TORTUGA FACTORY – THE PATTY EXPRESS DRIVE-THRU BAKED FRESH EVERY 30 MINUTES6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Jury finds man guilty in firearms trial Defendant remanded in custody until sentencing CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Michael Fernando Jef- ferson, 24, was remanded in custody on Wednesday after a Grand Court jury found him guilty of posses- sion of firearms. Jefferson was charged with possession of a .38 auto caliber Bryco pistol and two rounds of live ammuni- tion at his residence along Hirst Road in Newlands on June 11, 2015. The panel of five men and two women began their de- liberations just before noon on Tuesday and were sent home at 4 p.m. to resume the next day. The verdicts were unanimous. Jefferson had pleaded not guilty and gave evi- dence, saying he did not have any knowledge of the gun being at the premises. He did not know who put it there or why someone left it there. Police found the firearm after obtaining a search warrant and taking Jef- ferson from his workplace to his residence. In his closing address to the jury, defense attorney Laurence Aiolfi described the premises as “relatively open” and “not terrible se- cure.” Other people – in- cluding relatives of his girlfriend – lived in the four- bedroom house. Some DNA had been found on the gun, but it was not sufficient for testing pur- poses, the attorney noted. He said Jefferson did not make any admissions of ownership of the gun, as a police officer testified. That alleged confession was not recorded in the incident log, he pointed out. Another issue Mr. Aiolfi identified was the condition of the firearm, which had a broken firing pin and there- fore could not discharge a projectile. Senior Crown counsel Ni- cole Petit, who conducted the case for the prosecution, called two firearm experts. In summarizing their evi- dence, she said it would have been easy to replace the broken part for under $10 or $20 and all that would be needed was a screwdriver. A car with a broken part does not cease to be a car if it can be fixed, she said by way of analogy. Justice Charles Quin re- manded Jefferson in custody and ordered a social inquiry report. Sentencing was tenta- tively set for Aug. 31. NEW CHALLENGE TO HOSPITAL IMMUNITY CLAUSE JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Health Services Au- thority could be facing an- other legal challenge to a controversial immunity clause used to protect doc- tors from medical neg- ligence claims. Bilika Simamba, a lawyer who previously worked in government’s legislative drafting department, claims he suffered health issues due to medical negligence at the hospital. The Health Services Au- thority has applied to have the case dismissed, partly on the basis of an ear- lier court decision that Sec- tion 12 of the HSA Law pro- tects hospital staff from such lawsuits. In that case, Justice Richard Williams ruled that Donette Thompson, a child born with cerebral palsy after what her mother claims was the negligent management of her birth, could not legally sue the Health Services Au- thority because of the immu- nity conferred by Section 12. Mr. Simamba believes he has a strong case, given that Section 12 was repealed in the wake of that decision, that the law was never intended to confer such immunity. However, a Grand Court judge ruled last week that his case must wait until an ap- peal is heard in the case of Ms. Thompson, the original Section 12 defendant. Justice Ingrid Mangatal wrote in a ruling published Wednesday that it did not make sense for her to hear the case until the Court of Appeal had given its decision on largely similar issues. “The Court of Appeal’s determinations will be au- thoritative and binding on the Grand Court and it plainly would be inappro- priate for me to press on to a hearing in advance of the Court of Appeal’s determina- tion,” she wrote. Mr. Simamba had sought to argue that his case could be considered under the re- vised law, introduced in the wake of the Thompson deci- sion. Though the alleged neg- ligence took place before the repeal of Section 12, he ar- gued that because no deci- sion had been made on his claims, the amended law could be applied to his case. Mr. Simamba, in his ef- forts to have his case heard, is also seeking to make the alternative argument that the original Section 12 does not actually bar anyone from bringing lawsuits against the hospital – it just bars them from being finan- cially compensated. The clause states, “Nei- ther the authority nor any director or employee of the authority shall be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge of their respective functions or duties unless it is shown that the act or omission was in bad faith.” Mr. Simamba is seeking to argue that even if the clause is deemed to protect the hospital and its staff from paying damages, it does not prevent the court from con- sidering the facts of a case and making a declaration. He said this would be helpful to victims seeking out-of-court settlements. To this point the courts have not examined the merits of Mr. Simamba’s claims, which include that he lost a tooth as a result of med- ical error and that in a sepa- rate incident, he suffered ill- health due to side-effects of medication, which he was not warned about. Justice Mangatal’s de- cision relates to whether or not the court can con- sider the case. She wrote, “In all of the circumstances, I am of the view that the most just way of dealing with this case is to stay the proceedings, pending the determination of any ap- peals in the Court of Appeal in the Thompson case.” In his closing address to the jury, defense attorney Laurence Aiolfi described the premises as “relatively open” and “not terrible secure.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mrs. Juanita Whittaker 18 April, 1950 - 28 July, 201518 April, 1950 - 28 July, 201518 April, 1950 - 28 July, 201518 April, 1950 - 28 July, 201518 April, 1950 - 28 July, 2015 Two long and lonely years have gone by since you have been gone. Two sad years I’ve been alone, all I have are memories, and pictures of you that I see each day. But they are memories that will never go away, Many days I just sit and cry, Remembering how happy we used to live. Life is empty since you’re gone. It’s just a house, it’s no longer a home. But one day soon, I don’t know when, But I hope that we will be together again. I miss you so much, I will never forget you. From your loving husband, Who cares for you so much. Glenn We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Nashila Melinda Moore of George Town, who passed away suddenly at her home. A Graveside Service will be held on Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 3:00p.m. at Prospect Cemetery We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Marlon Harold McLaughlin, affectionately known as “Milo” of George Town, who passed away on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 10:00a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, Walker’s Road, George Town. Viewing will be from 9:00-9:45a.m. Interment to follow at Prospect Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Nashila Melinda Moore of George Town, who passed away suddenly at her home. A Graveside Service will be held on Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 3:00p.m. at Prospect Cemetery Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Elizabeth Machado regret to announce her passing on Tuesday, 18 July 2017. A memorial service will be held 4:00 PM Saturday, 29 July 2017 at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers Rd. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Richard M. de Lacy Q.C. regret to announce his passing on Monday, 24 July 2017. Funeral services being held in London, U.K. will be announced at a later date. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Cristiano McKenzie regret to announce his passing on Tuesday, 27 June 2017. A funeral service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, 29 July 2017 at Church of God Chapel, Walkers Rd. Viewing will be from 10:00 PM prior to the service. Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. Cause of fuel terminal fire still unknown JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An initial investigation into the cause of a fire in a diesel tank at the Jackson Point fuel depot proved incon- clusive, according to a press statement from Sol Petroleum. The fire, which took eight hours to contain, caused the evacuation of homes and businesses within a mile ra- dius of the facility on Sunday. Sol apologized for the in- convenience caused to its neighbors and vowed to re- view its safety procedures and work with various inves- tigators to ensure there was no repeat of the incident. A statement released Thursday, read: “Sol has com- pleted the initial stage of the investigation, which is not con- clusive because this process re- quires an internal physical in- spection of the tank which must be fully emptied and ventilated before it can be safely entered; such processes may take several weeks to schedule and execute. “The tank is in a safe con- dition and effectively quar- antined. Sol will continue to work closely with the govern- ment inspectors and agencies [and] industry professionals to determine the root cause of the incident and will share the investigation findings as they become available.” The statement said the company had been part of the South Church Street commu- nity since 1960 when the ter- minal was first constructed. “Since then, Sol has not experienced a Lost Time In- cident since February 1994, which means no Sol employee or contractor has missed a minute of work due to a work- place incident since 1994. To achieve this record Sol main- tains a robust health, safety and environment policy with an established ‘Goal Zero’ pro- gram, meaning zero incidents and no harm to people. “Sol promotes a culture in which all Sol employees and contractors share this com- mitment through on-going industry training and con- tinuous learning. This commit- ment is proven, as our track record in safety is without a major incident of this nature.”Firefighters attend the scene of Sunday’s fire at the fuel terminal at Jackson Point. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Local community mourns barrister SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Richard M. de Lacy, a bar- rister, thespian and musician, passed away Monday evening at the age of 62. Mr. de Lacy is survived by three children, Barbara, Ed- ward and Philippa, and by a grandson, Felix. His family will celebrate his life in a memorial service in London in the autumn. Mr. de Lacy, a former head of litigation at Ogier LLP’s Cayman office, moved to Cayman in 2011 and quickly set about involving himself in the island’s creative world. He played the viola in the or- chestra for Cayman Drama Society renditions of “Jekyll and Hyde” and “Rent,” and provided memorable acting performances as part of the cast for “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Yes Minister.” The barrister was edu- cated at Cambridge Univer- sity and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in July 1976. He served as Queen’s Counsel and barrister for 3 Stone Buildings in London for eight years, and worked for Ogier LLP for nearly three years in Cayman before moving to Smeets Law, now known as FrancisGrey. Janet Francis, an at- torney at FrancisGrey, spoke Thursday about the loss of Mr. de Lacy. “He was very knowledge- able on many areas of the law and we relied on him in contentious matters. As a person, apart from being a practitioner, he was very giving,” she said. “He was in- deed very talented in the arts. He was fluent in French and had a fine appreciation for the arts. He spoke knowl- edgably about art and he was in fact a great contrib- utor to the music arena at his church, St. George’s [Anglican] Church.… He worked for us since December of 2015 and his contribution will defi- nitely be missed.” Mr. de Lacy was born in Kingston Upon Hull, East Yorkshire, U.K., in 1954, the oldest of three brothers. He was a Classics scholar and a member of the Chapel Choir during his time at Clare Col- lege, Cambridge. He mar- ried Sybil del Strother in 1980, and they were married for 21 years. He specialized in litigation centered on banking, insol- vency and negligence. In addi- tion to his legal career, Mr. de Lacy worked as a visiting pro- fessor for the Centre for Com- mercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London from 2009 to 2011 before relo- cating to the Caribbean. He practiced as a bar- rister with the Eastern Carib- bean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands) and later served as deputy chairman of the Cayman Islands Con- ditional Release Board from 2016 until his passing. Peter Gough, strategic ad- viser to the deputy governor, said that Mr. de Lacy and the release board interviewed more than 50 offenders and victims before making deci- sions on conditional release and the imposition of license conditions and recalling pa- rolees to prison. “Richard was an excellent lawyer and mentor,” said Ra- chael Reynolds, who worked closely with Mr. de Lacy at Ogiers. “He loved the law and had a phenomenal memory. He was impressive in court and was admired as an advo- cate. He will be missed, and fondly remembered by all of us who worked with him.” Sheree Ebanks, chairman of the Cayman Drama So- ciety, said he left an indel- ible impression. “From a personal perspec- tive, Richard was not only an intellect but also had a great sense of humor,” she said. “… Richard moved at his own pace and played each char- acter with aplomb, with the director never really knowing what Richard will bring. He was an incredible talent on stage, as well as musically. His intellect, talents and humor will be missed by all who knew him.” Barrie and Chuck Quappe, who played with Mr. de Lacy in the orchestra, remembered their peer as a talented artist known for his love of music and his ability to engage with fellow musicians. He had a sharp mind, quick wit and we will miss the many discussions shared after performances were done. He was a gift to our creative com- munity. He is already sorely missed. A bit in shock, many are,” Barrie Quappe said. Richard de LacyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017 FORM 1 NOTICE THE DORMANT ACCOUNTS LAW, 2010 (SECTION 6) Name of financial institution: SCOTIABANK & TRUST (CAYMAN) LTD. Number of financial institution: 66001 Address of financial institution: Scotia Centre, 6 Cardinall Avenue, P.O. Box 689 GT, Grand Cayman KY1- 1107, Cayman Islands Previous names of financial institution: Scotiabank (Cayman Islands) Ltd. The Bank of Nova Scotia The Public is hereby given notice that Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Ltd. holds the following dormant accounts: 1. Unless one or more of the following transactions are effected on a dormant account listed above on or before 31st December next following, the monies in the dormant account will be transferred to the general revenue of the Islands without further notice - (a) increase or decrease the amount held in the financial institution; ¹ (b) present the passbook or other record for the crediting of interest or dividends in respect of the items enumerated in section 4(6) (a) and (b) of the Dormant Accounts Law, 2010; (c) correspond in writing with the financial institution concerning the monies; (d) in the case of a trust, make a claim under the trust; or (e) otherwise indicate an interest in the monies as evidenced by a memorandum concerning the monies written by the financial institution. 2. Subject to the Dormant Accounts Law, 2010, on the transfer of the monies in the dormant account to the general revenue of the Islands, the dormant account holder will no longer have any right against the financial institution to repayment of the monies transferred, but the dormant account holder will have against the Government such right to repayment of the monies transferred that the dormant account holder would have had against the financial institution. 3. Any interested person should contact the financial institution mentioned above to establish if that person is a dormant account holder. ¹Interest paid by a financial institution on monies held in the financial institution shall not be regarded as a transaction which increases the amount held in the financial institution pursuant to section 4(5) of the Dormant Accounts Law, 2010. Dwight Burrows Managing Director & Country Head 1000215501 Aug 2000 1000256307 Jun 2001 1000303922 Apr 2002 1001412028 Jan 2009 700168510 May 2007 700138719 May 2006 700091526 Jan 2005 1001342926 Aug 2008 1001351517 Sep 2008 100146614 Jun 2009 100171743 Mar 2011 1001474624 Jun 2009 102161013 Mar 1998 Account NumberDate OpenedAccount NumberDate Opened 54601714 Aug 1997 3503219 Aug 1998 3307920 Oct 1976 3510502 Sep 1994 3514028 Sep 1995 3515127 Jan 1997 3526203 Feb 1997 1000439003 Jan 2003 1000511703 Sep 2003 1000842525 Oct 2005 1000926219 Apr 2006 1001096804 Apr 2007 102161013 Mar 1998 Eastern Ave. G.T. Drive Thru 949-7104 CAYMAN’S FULL SERVICE DRY CLEANERS AND LAUNDERERS Now using the most popular and ECO-Friendly cleaning solvents. For all your wearing apparel needs, drapes and household items. Let Puritan take care of all your dry cleaning and laundry needs. FREE PICK-UP AND DELIVER Y Fax: 949-6860 puritangc@candw.ky www.puritan.ky With four convenient locations to serve you! Savannah Country Side 946-1884 Centennial West Bay 945-4508 Elgin Ave. George Town 949-2452 he has the resources to be able to have dedicated beat officers in the key commu- nities across Cayman where there are perennial prob- lems,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “We can look, as a country, to a significant increase in the money that is spent on policing and I hope that I don’t hear the usual … com- plaints from the usual quar- ters about how much the government is spending,” the premier said. “I don’t believe any issue is more critical now than national security.” Commissioner Byrne pointed out in March that the RCIPS has about 10 fewer police officers overall than a decade ago. At the time, the RCIPS had 356 uniformed officers on staff, compared to the 365 it maintained in August 2007. Aside from the overall numbers, RCIPS Superinten- dent Robert Graham said a well-run community policing force can add an extra di- mension to a police service, giving officers insight and sometimes valuable intelli- gence about what’s going on in a particular neighborhood. “Having a community po- lice officer is key to gaining the trust of the community,” Mr. Graham said. While dedicating officers to that task is a good idea, Mr. Graham said, there’s nothing to stop regular pa- trol officers from developing relationships in the neighbor- hoods they patrol. “A lot of police officers tend to spend too much time driving from A to B,” he said. “I still would expect the of- ficers that we have to be spending time on foot patrol … I’m talking about having a purposeful conversation.” Police to get bigger budget, more officers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 RCIPS officers on bicycle patrols speak with visitors along the George Town waterfront in August 2016. Residents are clamoring for more community interaction with local ‘beat’ officers as a way to help deter crime. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY DEADLINE FOR IMMIGRATION SURVEY ENDS TODAY A survey to gauge the level of service offered by the Department of Immi- gration ends at midnight, Friday, July 28. Participants who cannot or do not want to participate in the “Process Improve- ment Project” survey online can use a paper version, ac- cording to a government press release, which stated that the survey is available at the Department of Immi- gration headquarters. The survey was issued as the “first step of the project, with the main goal being establishing a National Human Resources Depart- ment,” the statement read. Premier and Minister for Human Resources and Immigration Alden McLaughlin said in the statement, “We want to know how the DOI can better assist all customers and stakeholders who use their services. This is your opportunity to help guide government as we work to create a sustainable de- livery model for the entire organisation.” As of Wednesday after- noon, around 600 people had taken part in the online survey. Chief Officer for the Ministry of Human Re- sources and Immigra- tion Wesley Howell said, “We want to ensure ev- eryone has an opportunity to provide their input. So, for someone who may not have the resources to ac- cess the survey online we want to hear from you this … Friday, because this is your time and platform to express the changes you want to see.” To access the online survey, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ ImmigrationReform_2017.Next >