ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 High of 91 Low of 82 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 AUDITOR GENERAL: A WATCHDOG THAT COULD USE MORE ‘BITE’ SPORTS | PAGE 17 BUCKETS OF FUN FOR SHOOTING STARS Personal Insurance In 1984, customers knew us as BritCay. In 2017, they and the next generation still do. Your insurance cover with BritCay is supported by a group of companies managing $390 million in insurance and pension contributions. More cover, more benefits, more security. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp Government contemplating licenses/fees for WiFi hot spots BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s telecommunications regulator is reviewing licensing for businesses that operate WiFi “hot spots” to determine which businesses, if any, should have to pay government fees. The topic was raised earlier this year fol- lowing a notice from OfReg, Cayman’s newly formed utilities and commodities regulator, which indicated that a number of businesses charging customers to use their wireless in- ternet service should be paying licensing fees to government. “There are currently no WiFi hot spot pro- viders licensed by the office to offer such ser- vice within the Cayman Islands,” the notice is- sued in February states. Government ICT officials told the Cayman Compass in May that at least nine companies were “illegally” charging customers for wire- less internet access. However, OfReg has not taken any enforce- ment action since then and has acknowledged that current rules set out under Cayman’s In- formation and Communications Technology Law may not reflect “reality and the rapidly changing landscape of technology.” Alee Fa’amoe, OfReg’s executive director for information and communications tech- nology [abbreviated as ICT], said the most re- cent enforcement notice issued under the law dates to 2011. It states: “The authority has … determined that all ICT services that use an ICT network to provide services to the public, whether or not for a fee or for commercial profit, are re- quired to be licensed …” Strictly interpreted, this notice seems to require that every business providing WiFi to its customers would have to pay for a license. If that interpretation were to be adopted, it would mean that every corner coffee shop DATA PROTECTION LAW SET FOR 2019 START BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Cabinet has proposed a start date of January 2019 for strict privacy protection rules that will affect every private and public sector entity involved in processing someone’s personal information. Before that date, a “working group” con- sisting of both private sector leaders and gov- ernment employees will review the law to help draw up plans to implement the paradigm shift in local privacy protection. The working group will be chaired by Acting Information Commissioner Jan Liebaers. The seven-member panel will include local attorneys Peter Broadhurst, Tim Dawson, and Peter Colegate, as well as Cabinet Office staffers Nadira Lord and Garfield Ellison, and Paul Morgan of OfReg, Cayman’s utilities and commodities regulator. Once the Data Protection Law takes ef- fect, enforcement and monitoring will be the responsibility of the newly created Office of the Ombudsman. As of Wednesday, the gov- ernment had not named anyone to fill the om- budsman’s post. Mr. Liebaers said, while it appears the majority of the law’s provisions will come into force simultaneously, the working group would review possibly phasing in certain sec- tions of the law, where necessary. “In the course of drafting the regulations, the working group will likely consult with a wide variety of stakeholders, and we are also Bounty hunter: Lionfish culler claims 10,000th kill JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The invasive and voracious lionfish eating their way through Cayman’s reefs may finally have met their match. Last weekend, East End dive instructor Nigel Coles killed his 10,000th lionfish since the species was first spotted in Cayman Is- lands waters. That is an average of 3.5 lion- fish a day since September 2009, when Mr. Coles and other divers began noticing lion- fish on the island’s reefs. The predatory fish, which feast on ju- venile reef fish, pose a threat to the is- land’s underwater ecosystem because of their rate of reproduction and the fact that as an introduced species, they have no natural predators in the Atlantic. Scuba diving cullers have helped keep the surge in population under control in the Cayman Islands, and few have had a greater impact than Mr. Coles, who works for Tortuga Divers. He has logged the size and weight of every lionfish killed to provide the information PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Nigel Coles poses with lionfish he caught in a single dive. He has culled 10,000 of the invasive species since 2009. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 4.70% OFFER EXTENDED!* 185315-Ad-Strip-SandCastles-30Sept.indd 17/21/17 5:00 PM Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - ATOMIC BLONDE (R) 1:00 VIP I 3:30 I 7:10 VIP I 10:00 DUNKIRK (PG13) 12:45 I 3:25 I 6:35 I 10:05 VIP SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 3D (PG13) 12:45 2D I 3:50 I 7:00 2D I 9:25 GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:20 I 4:10 I 7:00 I 9:20 WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 3D (PG13) 12:20 I 3:40 2D VIP I 6:15 2D I 9:10 DESPICABLE ME 3 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:35 2D I 4:55 I 7:10 2D I 10:00 Foul-mouthed man let go after yelling at police High-profile lawyers targeted in Mexico spyware scandal CUBA STOPS ISSUING PERMITS FOR SOME PRIVATE ENTERPRISES MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico’s surveillance scandal widened Wednesday to encompass a pair of prominent human rights attorneys probing a multiple homicide case whose victims include a pho- tojournalist and an activist. The internet watchdog Cit- izen Lab said Karla Micheel Salas and David Pena were targeted in 2015, weeks after they questioned prosecutors’ handling of the killings of ac- tivist Nadia Vera, journalist Ruben Espinosa and three other women in a Mexico City apartment in July that year. The victims were tor- tured and shot to death. The lawyers’ cellphones were targeted by messages designed to infect them with the same spyware that Cit- izen Lab previously deter- mined was sent to 19 Mex- ican individuals or groups, the cyber-sleuths said in a re- search note. One said she be- lieved she was infected by it. Other Mexican targets of the sophisticated Pegasus spyware, made by Israel- based NSO Group, have in- cluded journalists investi- gating high-level corruption, opposition politicians and activists, and international experts critical of the govern- ment’s probe into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers college. NSO Group says it only sells Pegasus – which lets at- tackers siphon away the con- tents of cellphones and clan- destinely convert them into eavesdropping devices – to governments for use against criminals and terrorists. President Enrique Pena Nieto has dismissed any suggestion that his govern- ment is responsible. The At- torney General’s Office, one of the state agencies that bought Pegasus, has opened an investigation. But victims have said they doubt its im- partiality and have called for an independent, inter- national probe. Salas and Pena were both targeted with links sent to their cellphones that Citizen Lab said pointed back to the same online infrastruc- ture used to sow the Peg- asus malware in the other Mexico cases. “I think the only people interested in spying on us are state agents,” Salas told The Associated Press. Pena said he did not fall for either of two infec- tion attempts. But Salas said she did, on Oct. 1, 2015. The message purported to include infor- mation about a wake for a friend’s deceased father. Salas is worried. Her phone contained sensitive information that could put lives in jeopardy. The two attorneys have constantly questioned offi- cial accounts in high-impact cases, including their repre- sentation of the families of Vera and two of the women killed with her. Vera and her friend Espinosa had fled the state of Veracruz after re- ceiving death threats from agents of the state govern- ment, which was then headed by Javier Duarte, who is cur- rently in prison facing cor- ruption charges after being extradited from Guatemala. Pena said he thinks he and Salas could have been targeted because of their handling of the quintuple ho- micide “for its relevance, for its complexity and to find out what we know, which has im- plications in Veracruz and with groups of hitmen oper- ating in Mexico City.” HAVANA (AP) – The Cuban government announced Tuesday that it was placing at least a temporary hold on the opening of a pri- vate sector that employs more than a half-million people and has become a significant force in the island economy. Authorities will suspend the issuance of permits for a range of occupations and ventures, including res- taurants and renting out rooms in private homes, the government said in the Communist Party newspaper Granma. The suspension in- cludes the growing field of private teachers as well as street vendors of agri- cultural products, dress- makers and the relatively recent profession of real es- tate broker. The announce- ment did not say when the issuing of permits would resume and said that enter- prises already in operation can continue. “No one assumes that the goal of these measures is to roll back the develop- ment of self-employment in Cuba,” the article said. “Nothing could be farther from reality.” Despite that assurance, there are fears that the move could have long-term consequences. President Raul Castro expanded an opening of the economy to private- sector employment in 200 categories of business in 2010. The government says nearly 570,000 people are employed in the en- terprises, including hun- dreds of restaurants and guest houses. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A video recorded from inside a vehicle that was stopped at a police roadblock on Grand Cayman caught a man cursing the police com- missioner and swearing at officers manning the traffic stop. The vehicle he was in was allowed to go through the roadblock without incident. “This is what you doin’, [expletive] this time of night?” the man can be heard saying to officers. “Why the commis- sioner [expletive] with people this time of night?” The man can be heard telling officers that he is re- cording the stop and telling them to check the vehicle’s coupon and registration, which he says are up to date. As the vehicle drives through and past the road- block, the man can again be heard using foul language, cursing at the police officers. Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice officials reviewed the re- cording Monday, but could not identify when it had oc- curred. It appeared to be at a roundabout intersection on Grand Cayman. The officers involved did not pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and did not confront the man. “It is unfortunate that the man who posted this video chose to behave in such an obnoxious manner toward of- ficers who were simply going about their duties to keep the community safe,” an RCIPS statement read. “Officers have discretion in such instances insofar as how to manage such behavior and are trained to exercise forbearance; in this instance the driver did stop and a check of the car was made, and no further ac- tion was taken, despite his disrespectful attitude.” Police also noted in the statement that such be- havior is sometimes exhib- ited during traffic stops around the islands. “However, this must al- ways be balanced against the many other [members of the public] who support and assist us in our objective to strengthen public safety,” the police statement said. “We hope that this man will un- derstand that the possible apprehension late at night of a dangerous suspect, or dis- ruption of criminal activity, is well worth a few moments’ delay, and that his response was unwarranted.” Violence against police Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has voiced con- cern a number of times in re- cent months over situations where his officers were tar- geted in violent attacks. Mr. Byrne said earlier this year that the problem of officers being assaulted while doing their jobs can be addressed by commu- nity policing and rebuilding relationships. “Police officers are mem- bers of the community who are asked to go out and po- lice that community,” Mr. Byrne said. “I’m seeing a lot of aggression, a lot of abuse [toward those officers].” Mr. Byrne recently an- nounced plans to increase his community policing force to 31 officers, plans which he said he would present to government in the up- coming budget. “It is unfortunate that the man who posted this video chose to behave in such an obnoxious manner toward officers who were simply going about their duties to keep the community safe.” RCIPS The lawyers’ cellphones were targeted by messages designed to infect them with the same spyware that Citizen Lab previously determined was sent to 19 Mexican individuals or groups. A restaurant worker sits outside his closed restaurant along the Malecon seafront after the death of former leader Fidel Castro, in Havana, Cuba, in 2016. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 Attempted murder charge dropped Defendant admits firearm possession CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After Kevin Curtis Bowen pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of an unli- censed firearm, the Crown offered no evidence against him on two other charges – attempted murder, with causing grievous bodily harm as an alternative. Bowen, 35, had pleaded not guilty to all three charges and the jury was chosen for a trial that was to have started on Tuesday. On that day, defense at- torney Laurence Aiolfi told Justice Charles Quin that Bowen was asking for an indication of what the sentence would be if he did plead guilty to the firearm charge. All three charges related to an incident in which a man was shot outside a res- taurant on Gresscott Lane in the Rock Hole area of George Town in the early hours of Aug. 7, 2016. Justice Quin heard the circumstances of the case and submissions from both Mr. Aiolfi and Crown counsel Scott Wainwright. On Wednesday, he said the lowest maximum sentence he could indicate was eight and a half years. The judge noted that he had confined his thoughts to the firearm charge only and had ignored the other charges. In particular, he took into account the basis of plea. “I accept that there is no evidence that the defendant pulled the trigger …. There was no evidence that at the time he was in possession of the firearm that it was loaded,” Justice Quin said. Mr. Aiolfi asked for a short adjournment so that his client could con- sider the judge’s ruling. He subsequently asked for the charge to be put to Bowen again: that on Aug. 7, 2016, at Gresscott Lane, he was in possession of a shotgun without a firearm user’s license. Bowen pleaded guilty. Justice Quin told him, “I think it’s a very wise and sensible step you’re taking.” He then said he would order a social inquiry re- port and a victim im- pact report before pro- ceeding to sentence. The eight-and-a-half-year sentence he indicated is the maximum term he could im- pose; information in the re- ports and other mitigation could lower the sentence. Mr. Wainwright advised the court, “In light of devel- opments in this trial, the plea is acceptable in full sat- isfaction of the indictment. The Crown offers no ev- idence on counts one and two.” Those first two counts referred to the charges of at- tempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm. Given the time it takes to prepare reports, as well as the schedules of the judge and defense, the sen- tence hearing was set for Wednesday, Nov. 1. Justice Quin thanked the waiting jurors for their pa- tience and released them until Monday, Aug. 7. The Firearms Law sets seven years as the minimum sentence when a defendant pleads guilty to possession of a shotgun without a li- cense. In this case, Mr. Aiolfi had accepted that there were aggravating factors. It was expected that full details would be set out at the sen- tencing hearing. Dr. David A. Chernin, a dental specialist and au- thor, has donated a new set of books and DVDs to the George Town Library. The new collection in- cludes illustrated children’s books, such as “Jamal’s Journey” by Michael Foreman and “Cleonardo, the Little In- ventor” by Caldecott award winner Mary GrandPre. Library staff are working to have all the materials on the shelves within the next few weeks, according to a press release. Dr. Chernin, who works at the Health Services Authority, is the author of “A Sourcebook of Dental Medicine” and is ex- ecutive director of the Amer- ican Academy of the History of Dentistry in Brookline, Massa- chusetts. He has donated hun- dreds of books since 2015. According to Library Ser- vices, the books include first editions, as well as fiction and non-fiction in many genres. The books and DVDs are selected for donation by Dr. Chernin and Katie Kircher, assistant editor of Horn Book Inc., which publishes the Horn Book Guide , a re- source for reviews and news about children’s and young adult books published in the United States. Library Director Ramona Melody said, “As a result of Dr. Chernin’s and Ms. Kirch- er’s generosity and contin- uous support for literacy, each of our library branches now has more varied and in- teresting reading materials available for our patrons.” MLA Juliana O’Connor- Connolly said, “As the min- ister responsible for educa- tion, I am most appreciative for the significant contribu- tions that Dr. David Chernin and Ms. Kircher have made to our country’s library branches on an annual basis. The generosity of community members and citizens from abroad who are passionate about literacy helps to ensure that our children will con- tinue to thrive and maximize their potential when they visit our libraries.” The library is in the pro- cess of adding many more biographies and mem- oirs, such as “Jack London and the Klondike Gold Rush” by Peter Lourie and “Mighty Be Our Powers” by Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee. The books were shipped from Miami to Grand Cayman thanks to the gener- osity of Jacques Scott/Island Supply Company. NEW BOOKS, DVDS DONATED TO GEORGE TOWN LIBRARY From left, Emily Jackson, Kaitlan DaCosta, Ramona Melody, Kevin Goring, Dr. David Chernin, Carol Terry and Paul Robinson with some of the donated books.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS As reporters, we now find ourselves reporting about “reports about reports.” We refer, of course, to the latest submission of Auditor General Sue Winspear which lamented the lack of government’s progress in carrying out the recom- mendations of a number of previous reports. We appreciate Ms. Winspear’s exasperation (probably too strong a word), but she has chosen a profession, and accepted a position and title in Cayman that suggests she has considerable power and authority when, in fact, she has very little. Fundamentally, there is the issue of who would love an auditor (except, of course, another auditor)? Think about what auditors do. They rummage around in other people’s drawers and, if they happen to come across some “dirty laundry,” it’s a good day — maybe even a great day. Auditors do not win popularity contests. And yet, we must confess we are inordinately fond of auditors and, in particular, Auditors General such as Ms. Winspear, who do, if not God’s work, certainly ours, meaning the people of the Cayman Islands. It was auditors’ keen eyes, after all, that uncovered civil servants’ abuses of the GASBOY fuel system — leading to reforms that helped prevent the continua- tion of widespread siphoning of public funds for private use. (But no arrests, or as far as we can tell, demo- tions or firings.) It was auditors who raised red flags about debt financing arrangements for the Boatswain’s Beach/ Cayman Turtle Farm project. And perhaps most importantly, it was auditors who deserve credit for the fact that we have regular finan- cial reporting from government at all, after a 2008 review revealed that the Legislative Assembly had gone for five years without receiving complete financial statements of government spending — representing a total of about $1.5 billion in unaudited expenditures. But seemingly for every audit report that rouses the public (and consequently politicians, then the public sector) to action, there are many others that never result in reforms. For example, our country sails blissfully on with a woefully out-of-date development plan, which is two decades old. Calls to make the deliberations of powerful, appointed planning boards more transparent have gone unheeded. This is not to argue that every recommenda- tion made by the Auditor General should be followed without consideration and examination. Ministry leaders might not have the resources to implement changes, or may disagree with the recommendations themselves. Their voices are vital to the process. But regardless of whether reports and their recom- mendations are accepted, rejected or tabled, govern- ment’s “customers” — those of us who live, work and pay taxes in Cayman — deserve to know why. We are encouraged by the determination that Ezzard Miller, MLA from the District of North Side, brings to his post as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which reviews Auditor General reports. To the credit of Mr. Miller, his PAC meetings are open, and therefore trans- parent, to the public and the press. If you think of the Office of the Auditor General as a watchdog with more enforcement bark than bite, it certainly would benefit from the support of Mr. Miller, who has often been likened to a bulldog and never, to our knowledge, to a pussycat. Add in one more player, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Commissioner Derek Byrne, and the team begins to sound formidable. A hotline phone con- necting Auditor General Winspear directly to Commis- sioner Byrne should contain one simple instruction: “In case of fraud or corruption, press one.” – EDITORIAL – Auditor General: A watchdog that could use more ‘bite’ Lack of trust in government and the bungles in Vietnam One day [Marine Theo- dore Wallace] saw an of- ficer casually aim his rifle and try to shoot a Viet- namese boy in the distance. “Sir, what are you doing?” he’d asked. “He’s probably sup- plying the [North Viet- namese Army],” the officer said. “What’s he doing out here anyway?” “It’s his country!” said Wallace. — Mark Bowden, “Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam” WASHINGTON — As Viet- nam’s 1968 Tet holiday ap- proached, Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces there, cabled the Joint Chiefs in Wash- ington that he had a plan. He would serenade, perhaps into dissolution, the com- munist forces that he was certain would concentrate on attacking U.S. forces based at Khe Sanh near the demilitarized zone: “The Vietnamese youth is quite sentimentally dis- posed toward his family, and Tet is a traditional time for intimate family gatherings. The Vietnamese PSY War [Psychological Warfare] people have re- cently written a highly sen- timental Tet song which is recorded. The Vietnamese say it is a tear-jerker to the extent that they do not want it played to their troops during Tet for fear their desertion rate will skyrocket. This is one of the records we will play to the North Vietnamese sol- diers in the Khe Sanh-Con Thien areas during Tet.” This surreal nugget is from Mark Bowden’s magnificent and meticu- lous history, which tells, with excruciating detail, a story that is both inspiring and infuriating. His sub- title is an understatement. As the epicenter of North Vietnam’s Tet offensive throughout South Vietnam, the swift capture of Hue, the country’s third-largest city, by communist forces — and of the 24 days of fe- rocious fighting that ex- pelled them — became a hinge of American history. A month later, President Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek re-elec- tion in an America where opposition to the war and trust in the government were moving inversely. After the battle’s first day, Jan. 31, Westmore- land told Washington that the enemy had about 500 men in Hue’s Citadel. “He was,” Bowden writes, “off by a factor of 20.” So it went with U.S. intelligence. A few months earlier, Walt Rostow, Johnson’s national security adviser, had told a Hue-bound reporter on “deep background” that the war was essentially al- ready won because a crop called “IR8 rice” was going to stymie the communists’ revolution with a green revolution. Rostow’s theory was slain by this fact: The Vietnamese disliked the taste of IR8 rice. The communists ar- riving in Hue immediately began advancing the rev- olution by purging “en- emies of the people” in what quickly became an orgy of violent score-set- tling. While Westmore- land remained fixated on Khe Sanh — “Never,” writes Bowden, “had a general so effectively willed away the facts” — a secret U.S. plan- ning group met in Okinawa the day after the offensive began to consider a plan, code-named Fractured Jaw, involving tactical nuclear weapons. Westmoreland said these were not needed “in the present situation.” Bowden’s interviews, almost half a century on, with those who fought, on both sides, have produced unexampled descriptions of small-unit combat. The communists’ many months of large-scale infiltra- tion and preparation were matched by their military skills. “To a man,” Bowden writes, “the American vet- erans I interviewed told me they had faced a disci- plined, highly motivated, skilled and determined enemy. To characterize them otherwise is to di- minish the accomplishment of those who drove them out of Hue.” In June 1968, Westmoreland was relieved of his command. What Bowden calls “one of the great shots in the annals of combat photog- raphy” is of a U.S. tank in Hue draped with dead and wounded Marines. None were identified. Until, more than four decades later, Bowden found that the 18-year-old with a hole in his chest, who looked “dead, or nearly so,” was Alvin Bert Grantham from Mobile, Alabama, whose story Bowden tells. During house-to-house fighting, Marine Eden Jimenez was clearing rooms — tossing in gre- nades, then spraying the room with bullets — in one of which he found a tall wardrobe that he had rid- dled. In it was a mortally wounded woman holding a rifle and a baby. Bowden writes: “When he was an old man, living in Odessa, Texas, he still wondered al- most every day about that woman and child. ... Who was she? How would he have felt if he had killed the baby, too?” Hue, like the war that pivoted there, continues to haunt some elderly men who live among us. And the war’s legacy lives in Amer- icans’ diminished trust in government. Since 1968, trust has not risen to pre- Vietnam levels. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group. 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” GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE The war’s legacy lives in Americans’ diminished trust in government. Since 1968, trust has not risen to pre-Vietnam levels.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 Home Options BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Be insured and be prepared! Save on your buildings cover and claim a free storm kit or $250 gift certificate! Take out home insurance with BritCay and receive some free essentials with our free storm kit.! If you don’t need the storm kit, you can still claim a $250 gift certificate. BritCay is a member of a group of companies managing in excess of $400 million in premiums and pension contributions. Your home is in safe hands if you insure it with BritCay. CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky FREE $500,000 public liability (home insurance) Interest free monthly payment option (home insurance) SAVE when you claim! Motor deductibles from £200 SAVE 10% on car insurance with home insurance FREE Roadside recovery (comprehensive insurance) cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *Choice of $250 BritCay gift certificate OR Storm Kit applies to new buildings insurance policies only FREE STORM KIT... with new home insurance policies. 5 gallon bucket 100’ rope Lantern/flashlight (rechargeable) AM/FM Radio (rechargeable) First Aid Kit Large tarpaulin 6-in-1Game Set (chess, checkers, backgammon, tick-tac- toe, dice, playing cards) New mental health facility to be based on model farm in US TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com When health officials signed a nearly $900,000 con- tract 10 days ago to design a long-term home for the mentally ill, Cayman offered hope to dozens of people and their families. While modest to start, the nine-cottage, 42-bed residen- tial community will provide a dedicated, modern facility for those who have long suf- fered the stigma of an illness no one can see and some do not understand. The shame of being shunned by their neighbors and sometimes even their fam- ilies is often felt, and the insti- tutional alternatives for care are inadequate. The Cayman Islands Hospital has eight short-term beds for stabiliza- tion of acute cases; Northward Prison, ill-equipped to manage mental illness, currently holds as many as 12 mentally ill in- mates; and an estimated 15 people are in residential set- tings in Jamaica and Florida, where treatment is hard to monitor and family contact sporadic, according to a re- port weighing creation of a residential facility. Others are cared for by families, while others are indigent. “I’ve been saying this for 16 years, that the community needed a long-term facility” said Dr. Marc Lockhart, head of the Mental Health Com- mission and Cayman’s most prominent advocate for people with mental health issues. “In the last five years or six years, though, there has been a groundswell that has started to resonate in the community.” He estimates that 4,000 people in Cayman are plagued with some degree of mental illness, though the new facility will not treat all of them. Jennifer Ahearn, chief of- ficer at the Ministry of Health, long a supporter of the project, said, “The chronically mentally [ill] or the severe mentally ill will be accommodated … [that is], persons who have serious and persistent mental illness requiring care in a holistic, safe and secure environment using a therapeutic approach.” According to the Ministry of Health, the $898,285 design contract on the 15-acre East End site would be followed in June 2018 by a tendering process for construction. Ms. Ahearn hopes that six cot- tages and a central admin- istration building will open in early 2019. Other cottages would follow as needed, pos- sibly housing overseas med- ical tourism patients. Working model Dr. Lockhart said the fa- cility will provide occupa- tional therapy, offering gar- dening, animal husbandry with goats and cows, wood- working, a bakery, cheese- making and a public gift shop. The vision is based on Gould Farm, a Massachusetts- based residential community founded in 1913 on 700 acres in Monterey, near Boston. The farm houses 40 “guests” – as patients are called – in three units with 11, 14 and 16 beds. Residents have their own room and share bathrooms and living areas. The residents are at least 18 years old and, according to Gouldfarm.org, “we help adults with depression, bi- polar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and other challenges begin to re- build and regain their lives.” Daily activities include a range of jobs: collecting eggs, preparing meals, clearing trails, feeding animals, tap- ping trees for maple syrup, planting and harvesting pro- duce, baking bread and “flipping pancakes” at the farm’s commercial Roadside Store and Café. ”Working on various teams inspires a sense of dignity, self-worth and pride in doing for oneself and others,” the website says. Gould Farm Ex- ecutive Director Lisanne Fin- ston told the Cayman Com- pass that the jobs rarely change, but the “guests” do “as they gain skills, and begin to settle into new patterns of relationships, activities, etc., over time. “They move through var- ious work teams as they in- crease their comfort and competencies,” she said. “For example, a guest who has some cognitive impairment as a result of medication or trauma may move from simple repetitive tasks like chop- ping wood [and] slicing vege- tables to more complex tasks like milking cows and making cheese, which require higher cognitive functioning, memory recall and multiple steps, re- membering and following san- itation procedures, etc. “As guests progress and start thinking about next steps, they begin working with our transition counselor who helps them identify interests and goals and begin exploring life after Gould Farm.” Ms. Ahearn said the farm was “recommended as a po- tential model for the [Cayman Islands facility] … intended to be a therapeutic facility with a range of occupational therapy offerings that we an- ticipate will include some farming activities.” “However, it is not intended to be solely a farm,” she said, referring to the model in KP- MG’s Outline Business Case. The document is a study of design, administrative, re- habilitation and treatment, staffing, education, security, maintenance, expansion, cost and technological issues. Treatment scenarios vary Both Ms. Finston and Dr. Lockhart cautioned against ambitious expectations for residents. “Some people need several years of treatment,” Dr. Lock- hart said. Treatment is on- going and “cures” are qualified, seeking modest, stable produc- tivity and a return to the com- munity, augmented by ongoing maintenance and monitoring. KPMG notes an average stay at the mental health fa- cility at between 12 and 18 months, although some may require a stay that could ex- ceed 24 months. “A few outliers will stay virtually indefinitely,” the consultants said. Ms. Finston estimates the average stay at the farm is 12 to 15 months. Most make some degree of improvement, she said, but recovery is not easy to define. “Recovery is not linear,” she said. “Recovery is a journey and each person man- ages their recovery differently. “What we do see is most people gaining skills – life skills, emotional regulation skills etc. – [and] reducing symptoms, expanding rela- tional, social and supportive networks, increasing cogni- tive functioning, strengthening pre-vocational skills, etc.” Government funding Dr. Lockhart estimates overall building costs between $10 million and $15 million, and annual operating costs of $1 million. Funding will come solely from government, ac- cording to consultant KPMG, “We don’t get this all at once,” Dr. Lockhart said, meaning costs will be spread across several years, “but [we] have enough to get this up and running. “We are saving money, be- cause we no longer have to send [patients] abroad,” nor will government pay monthly fees between $2,000 and $3,000 for at least 11 patients in Jamaica – some of whom, Dr. Lockhart said, have been there for two decades – and another $9,500 per month for four patients in the U.S. “Cayman spends more than $1 million each year” – largely funded by the Cayman Islands National In- surance Company – sending people overseas, he said. “Now we can keep it in the Cayman Islands and we can employ people.” Dr. Marc LockhartThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, AUGUST 4 STEM AT UCCI: Today is the deadline to register for Science Technology Engineering Math Summer Camp. Aug. 21-23, for ages 14 to 16. Subject areas include robotics, astronomy, environmental science, math, chemistry, app development. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fee is $75, and includes activity kits, lunch and snacks. Contact events@uccied.ky or 623-0561. SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST: The Youth Services Unit is hosting breakfast to send a culinary team of four young chefs to compete at CARIFESTA. The public is invited to attend at the Market@Cricket Grounds, George Town from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Breakfasts will be prepared on site by the team. Menu includes omelettes, porridge or fritters. Each is available for a voluntary donation. Fixed price offerings are stewed turtle, $15 and Cayman- style beef, $12. Proceeds benefit the National Youth Culinary team competing in Barbados, Aug. 23-27. HOME AND GARDEN TOUR: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A new tour created by The National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Money raised will go toward the restoration of Cayman’s historic properties. Cost is $75 for adults, $35 for children under 12. Call 749-1121. BOOK SALE: The Red Cross Thrift Shop will have books for sale outside Foster’s Strand 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardcover books, $2. Softcover books, $1. Children’s books, 50 cents. MONDAY, AUGUST 7 YOUTH RALLY: Calvary Baptist Church. Today through Friday. 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. For ages 13+. Activities and discussions relative to today’s youth. TUESDAY, AUGUST 8 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Camana Bay’s Gardenia Court. Free. 7 p.m. DARKNESS TO LIGHT: Free training program, 6:30-9 p.m., for parents, teachers and others who work with or provide services to young people. Cost is free. Gain knowledge and skills to prevent child sexual abuse, recognize signs of abuse and learn how to react responsibly. Pre-registration is required. Contact vrm@redcross.org.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Immigration and Permanent Residency. 9–11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for Chamber members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST: The Youth Services Unit is hosting breakfast to send a culinary team of four young chefs to compete at CARIFESTA. The public is invited to attend at the Market@Cricket Grounds, George Town from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Breakfasts will be prepared on site by the team. Menu includes omelettes, porridge or fritters. Each is available for a voluntary donation. Fixed price offerings are stewed turtle, $15 and Cayman- style beef, $12. Proceeds benefit the National Youth Culinary team competing in Barbados, Aug. 23 – 27. NCVO SALE: Sale of household items, clothing including lightly used school uniforms, baby supplies, furniture. 6 to 10 a.m. in parking lot outside National Council of Social Services, 90A Anthony Drive, off Smith Road (behind The Pines). FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 LIQUOR LICENCES: Today is the deadline to submit applications for liquor license renewals, including music and dancing licenses. Application forms can be downloaded from the Department of Commerce and Investment’s website www.dci.gov.ky. For more information, contact Shelise Jeffery on 244-2202. For Sister Islands operations, contact Lolita Bodden at 948-2400 or Dave Tatum at 244-4401. SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 STUFF THE BUS: Deadline to gather school supplies for families with children needing assistance. Purchase them and drop them off at boxes located inside Cost-U-Less or Caribbean Alliance Insurance Office at 203 Alissta Towers. Supplies needed include pencil pouches, pencil erasers, #2 pencils, blue or black pens, 24-packs of crayons, wide-rule single subject notebooks and 150-page packs of wide-rule loose leaf paper. DARKNESS TO LIGHT: Free training program, 9-11:30 a.m., for parents, teachers and others who work with or provide services to young people. Cost is free. Gain knowledge and skills to prevent child sexual abuse, recognize signs of abuse and learn how to react responsibly. Pre-registration is required. Contact vrm@redcross.org.ky. TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 BRAC WORKSHOP: The Family Resource Centre holds a three-day domestic violence intervention workshop at the Brac Reef hotel. The free training will take place Aug. 29-31, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop is for front-line professionals who interface with domestic violence victims and their families. Contact FRC at 949-0006 or email frc@gov.ky for further information or to register. SUMMER CAMPS, VBS VBS: The Church of God Chapel West Bay will be having Vacation Bible School Aug. 7 through Aug. 11, 6 to 9 p.m. nightly. For more information call 949-1794. ART OF NATURE: The Art Nest Creative Studio Art of Nature Summer Camp supporting National Trust. For ages 6 to 12. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $325 a week for Trust members. $350 for non-members. Includes snacks, lunch, daily field trips and art materials. Contact artnestcayman@ gmail.com or 949-0107. SUMMER OF ART: The National Gallery offers this series every Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4 p.m. in the Susan A. Olde Art Studio until Aug. 17. Space is limited to 20 students per session on a first-come, first-served basis (no pre-registration necessary). Sessions are free and all materials are provided. Summer camps and large groups can book art sessions and tours separately. For more information, visit www.nationalgallery.org.ky or email education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. KIDS ABILITY: Preschool and Kindergarten readiness for ages 2.5 to 4.5. 8:30-11:30 a.m., until Aug. 11. $275 per week. Social skills camps for ages 5 to 7, 7 to 11. Weekly themed camps, till Aug. 11. Also baby play times. Contact info@kidsability.ky. GENERAL INTEREST LAW SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Applications are being accepted for one of the new postgraduate programs offered by the Truman Bodden Law School – the LL.M Master of Laws in International Finance, Law and Regulation and the postgraduate diploma in International Finance, Law and Regulation. Full details on the admissions procedure are available at www.lawschool.gov.ky. NATIONAL GALLERY: All are invited to view the new temporary exhibition Mediating Self, a display of works from the Cayman Islands National Collection that illustrates the ways in which our bodies are used to create and navigate our personal and collective identities. Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The thrift shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed on Sunday and Monday. Phone 945-5596. DVDL REPLACES TEMP PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing is replacing all Temporary Registration Plates. Customers who have been contacted by the department are asked to collect their new registration plates. They are reminded to bring the temporary registration plates, windshield coupon (if not expired) and log book. CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The deadline for residential and building contractors was June 30; trade contractors’ deadline is Aug. 31. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. OPEN STUDIO: Every Thursday 10 a.m. till noon and every Monday 1-4 p.m. at Watler House Studio on grounds of Pedro Castle. Offered by Visual Arts Society to adults/youth who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. For more information, email info@visualartcayman.com. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay every Wednesday, noon till 8 p.m. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale. For details, email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee, easels provided. For more information, send an email to info@ongart.com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Students are being invited to sign up for Science Technology Engineering Math Summer Camp, which will run on Aug. 21-23. The deadline to sign up for the STEM camp is Friday, Aug. 4. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 $ 2,500CASH BACK $ 1,000CASH BACK $ 1,500CASH BACK CASH BACK SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 OLYMPICS OLYMPICS YMPICS TEAMS MUST CONSIST OF • 2 x adults • 2 x kids 6-12 years of age GRAB YOUR TEAM OF FOUR FOR AN ALL AGES WAR, OF FUN! We’re excited to bring you an afternoon of fun and laughs with your family. Think crazy relays meets hot potato. Even if you don’t want to participate, you’re not going to want to miss out on the show! » FANCY TAKING PART? Be the rst 30 teams to download the application form and return to Marketing@HurleysMedia.ky. » GET THE FORM HERE: https://www.rooster101.ky/ les/3/596d2d54cafae.pdf » Trial date for senior immigration officer Defense still awaiting disclosure CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new trial date for se- nior immigration officer Jeannie Lewis has been set for Nov. 22. The defendant was charged following a pre- dawn raid at her residence on Aug. 25, 2016, when four other people were also ar- rested. She pleaded not guilty in December and her trial was set for June 15. The trial could not go ahead on that day and the matter was mentioned twice more be- fore the November date was agreed last week. Lewis is charged with per- mitting a premises to be used for consumption of a con- trolled drug and knowingly assisting a person to land il- legally in the Cayman Islands. Defense attorney Richard Barton told Magistrate Grace Donalds that he was still awaiting CCTV footage to be disclosed. Mr. Barton expressed con- cern about the illegal landing charge because the illegal lander “has been made to leave the jurisdiction,” but he said the illegal lander’s testi- mony had exonerated Lewis. Anthony Bullard pleaded guilty to landing (remaining) in Cayman between Aug. 1 and Aug. 25, 2016. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment and deported. Mr. Barton also let the court know that he was taking issue with the charge of permitting a premises to be used for drug consump- tion, asserting that this pro- vision required knowledge on the part of the accused. He said he was letting the court know his position at this time so that there would be “no surprises” at trial. CAYMAN STUDENT RECEIVES $5K EDUCATIONAL GRANT Gabriella Castillo, who attended Clifton Hunter High School and gradu- ated in May from the United World College Costa Rica’s International Baccalau- reate program, is the recip- ient of the Island Heritage Insurance Co.’s first edu- cational grant. Ms. Castillo will be at- tending the University of Western Ontario in the fall to pursue a degree in polit- ical science with minors in economics and Spanish. She was selected by a committee of Island Heritage staff. Criteria for selection in- clude academic excellence, demonstrated leadership experience, and community engagement and service. The award offers US$5,000 to be used to- wardtuition, accommoda- tion, books or travel, re- lated to full-time study at an accredited college or university. “Integrity and leadership are fundamental values at Island Heritage and Gabri- ella embodies these values,” said Glen Gibbons, general manager of Island Heri- tage. “We are delighted that the selection committee has found in Gabriella a very worthy recipient for our first educational grant. “This was not an easy decision,” he said, noting that the company had 27 applications “from very strong candidates.” “During the interview process, it became very ap- parent that Cayman has many bright and talented young men and women …we wish all of the appli- cants success in their uni- versity education and expe- rience,” he said. In association with the 20th anniversary of Island Heritage last year, its board of directors announced the creation of the grant to sup- port a young Caymanian student looking to pursue a university education with the ultimate aim of re- turning to Cayman and con- tributing to the success of the territory. Adventist churches prepare for regional summit Event will be held in March 2019 Cayman’s Adventist churches are planning for a regional summit in Grand Cayman in March 2019. A meeting of churches at the Walkers Road Kings Church on July 29 was in support of the regionwide “Lord Transform Me” initia- tive, which was started lo- cally in January 2016. Lord Transform Me, or- ganized in phases over five years, aims to inspire and motivate church members to forge and strengthen per- sonal relationships with God and develop their tal- ents in the service of God, their church and the wider communities, according to a press release. Pastor Jeff Jefferson and Elder Joshua Lawrence led the planning drive at the Kings Church. For the March 24-31, 2019 Cayman summit, nine inter-American division Lord Transform Me leaders, along with delegates from churches in this area of the Caribbean, including Cayman, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas, are ex- pected to attend. Similar summits are being orga- nized in selected countries. The event will be orga- nized in nine centers on Grand Cayman, according to the release. Gabriella Castillo, right, receives her grant from Glen Gibbons, Monique Bush and Kathy Powery, grant committe members.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS that now provides free WiFi for customers would have to pay for a licensing fee. Hotels that provide in- ternet access, whether or not for free, would have to have a license. The OfReg notice is- sued in February states: “If you are providing or reselling an ICT service without a license, you should stop immediately.” However, the OfReg notice at the time applied only to those businesses that were charging customers for the service. The WiFi provider will not be licensed in the same way large telecommunica- tions companies, such as FLOW and Digicel, are li- censed. Rather, Mr. Fa’amoe said, it would operate sim- ilar to the noncommercial use of radio waves. “While WiFi has tra- ditionally been used for private, noncommercial uses, there are poten- tial commercial applica- tions for WiFi, and the of- fice is considering how we might offer licenses which would actually en- courage that kind of en- trepreneurial use of the technology,” Mr. Fa’amoe said. “We would envision that kind of license at- tracting a low fee, certainly nothing approaching the kind of fees which a tra- ditional [telecom] license would attract.” Mr. Fa’amoe said OfReg will provide clarity on the issue for business owners and customers “very shortly.” to the Department of Environment. This weekend he took his tally past the 10,000 mark – an achievement that has not only helped protect East End reefs, but has also paid for his boat. Mr. Coles, who dives with his wife and “spotter” Deby, sells his catch to chefs at Morritt’s Tortuga Club and the Rum Point restaurant, which serve them to tourists. “I think it is a big achieve- ment,” he said. “I don’t like killing them because they are such beau- tiful fish, but when I see what they are doing to the local fish populations and the damage they could do, partic- ularly to juvenile fish inside the barrier reef, I recognize we have to do what we can to get rid of them.” He estimates his total haul weighs in at more than 50,000 pounds. Mr. Coles believes lion- fish numbers are starting to come down, but emphasizes that constant culling is es- sential to keeping the inva- sion under control. “Until natural predators learn to start targeting them, we are the only predators they have,” he said. anticipating a general public consultation, subject to ap- proval by the Cabinet,” Mr. Liebaers said Wednesday. “This is an important initia- tive that will protect the pri- vacy rights of individuals and bring Cayman in line with its international busi- ness competitors.” The legislation and ac- companying regulations have major implications for local businesses and international firms in Cayman, as well as for any outside entities that have data processing functions here. The law’s enactment is seen as vital to the finan- cial services industry, which is keen to access European markets – most of which have been operating under data protection laws since the mid-1990s. Mr. Liebaers said last month that Cayman busi- nesses should start preparing now for the advent of data protection, but noted that many of the larger financial firms and law firms will al- ready be quite familiar with the concept and already ad- here to international best- practices. However, many smaller, locally operating companies may be unfa- miliar or entirely unaware of what is required. Mr. Liebaers said he hopes the legal changes will be viewed as generally positive. “We’re at a point where … either individuals, by means of good laws and regulations, are going to retain some con- trol over their personal in- formation, or that control is going to be entirely lost and be entirely in the hands of private business and big gov- ernment,” he said. Mr. Liebaers said several key changes to the law were made from previous versions of the bill, most notably the exclusion of a requirement for government to maintain a register of all “data control- lers” – those workers or busi- ness entities whose job it is to handle personal information. The data controllers are given the responsibility of using an individual’s records “fairly,” processing that infor- mation only for the legal pur- pose for which it was pro- vided. For instance, a bank teller giving out details of a person’s accounts to a third party, or accounts receivables clerk leaving records con- taining personal information out in a space where they can be viewed by other indi- viduals, could land their em- ployer – the “data controller” – in trouble under the new law. Cybersecurity is vital when conducting business online, and becomes even more critical with initiatives such as e-government that Cayman is now moving to- ward, Mr. Liebaers said. He said a number of entities would probably have to look at basic encryption methods for data kept on computers and flash drives. Compliance with the law can be particularly important during instances where data breaches occurred that are largely beyond the control of the company or entity in- volved, according to Maples attorney Martin Livingston. “The law requires that a data controller has appro- priate organizational and technical safeguards to en- sure that there is no unau- thorized use of personal data, or loss, damage or destruc- tion of personal data,” Mr. Livingston said. “Therefore, [a company] will have a duty to implement such safeguards. “Any liability for a hacking would therefore presum- ably depend on the extent to which the company has com- plied with such a duty and is able to demonstrate steps taken for the purposes of such compliance. It should also be noted that there is a duty to report any personal data breaches and what steps have been taken to mit- igate against the adverse ef- fects of the same.” The law sets punitive measures for those who mis- handle data, but protections have also been inserted for companies or public enti- ties to allow them to make representations in their own defense to the information commissioner/data protec- tion commissioner. Viola- tions of the data protection requirements can draw up to $250,000 in fines, ac- cording to the law. Compass journalist Kayla Young contributed to this report. Bounty hunter: Lionfish culler claims 10,000th kill CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gov’t contemplating licenses/ fees for WiFi hot spots CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Data protection law set for 2019 start First embryo gene-repair holds promise for inherited disease WASHINGTON (AP) – In a first, researchers safely re- paired a disease-causing gene in human embryos, tar- geting a heart defect best known for killing young ath- letes – a big step toward one day preventing a list of inher- ited diseases. In a surprising dis- covery, a research team led by Oregon Health and Sci- ence University reported Wednesday that embryos can help fix themselves if scien- tists jump-start the process early enough. It’s laboratory research only, nowhere near ready to be tried in a pregnancy. But it suggests that scien- tists might alter DNA in a way that protects not just one baby from a disease that runs in the family, but his or her offspring as well. And that raises ethical questions. “I for one believe, and this paper supports the view, that ultimately gene editing of human embryos can be made safe. Then the ques- tion truly becomes, if we can do it, should we do it?” said Dr. George Daley, a stem cell scientist and dean of Har- vard Medical School. He wasn’t involved in the new research and praised it as “quite remarkable.” “This is definitely a leap forward,” agreed develop- mental geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge of Britain’s Francis Crick Institute. Today, couples seeking to avoid passing on a bad gene sometimes have embryos created in fertility clinics so they can discard those that inherit the disease and at- tempt pregnancy only with healthy ones, if there are any. Gene editing in theory could rescue diseased em- bryos. But so-called “germ- line” changes – altering sperm, eggs or embryos – are controversial because they would be permanent, passed down to future generations. Critics worry about attempts at “designer babies” instead of just preventing disease, and a few previous attempts at learning to edit embryos, in China, didn’t work well and, more importantly, raised safety concerns. In a series of labora- tory experiments reported in the journal Nature, the Or- egon researchers tried a dif- ferent approach. They targeted a gene mu- tation that causes a heart- weakening disease, hyper- trophic cardiomyopathy, that affects about 1 in 500 people. Inheriting just one copy of the bad gene can cause it. The team programmed a gene-editing tool, named CRISPR-Cas9, that acts like a pair of molecular scis- sors to find that muta- tion – a missing piece of ge- netic material. Then came the test. Re- searchers injected sperm from a patient with the heart condition along with those molecular scissors into healthy donated eggs at the same time. The scis- sors cut the defective DNA in the sperm. Normally cells will re- pair a CRISPR-induced cut in DNA by essentially gluing the ends back to- gether. Or scientists can try delivering the missing DNA in a repair package, like a computer’s cut-and- paste program. In a surprising discovery, a research team led by Oregon Health and Science University reported Wednesday that embryos can help fix themselves if scientists jump-start the process early enough. Lionfish were first spotted on Cayman reefs in 2008.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2017 Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot dies Ken Wilkinson, one of the last surviving Spitfire pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain, has died at age 99. He was one of ‘The Few,’ the pilots who took to the skies to defend Britain against German bombers as Adolf Hitler attacked in 1940 ahead of a planned invasion. Polling firm: Venezuela election results were ‘tampered with’ CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – The number of Venezuelans who participated in the elec- tion for an all-powerful con- stituent assembly was tam- pered with – off by at least 1 million votes – in an official count, the head of a voting technology company asserted Wednesday, a finding cer- tain to sow further discord over the super-body that has generated months of nation- wide protests. Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica said results recorded by his systems and those re- ported by Venezuela’s Na- tional Electoral Council indi- cate “without any doubt” that official turnout figure of more than 8 million participants was manipulated. The international soft- ware company has been pro- viding electronic machines in Venezuela since 2004. “Even in moments of deep political conflict and divi- sion we have been satisfied with the voting process and the count has been com- pletely accurate,” Mugica told reporters in London. “It is, therefore, with the deepest regret that we have to report that the turnout figures on Sunday, July 30, for the Con- stituent Assembly in Vene- zuela were tampered with.” Mugica did not say if his company’s figures showed 1 million more – or 1 million fewer – voters participated in the election. The assembly will be granted vast powers to re- write the nation’s consti- tution and override every branch of the government. Opposition members boy- cotted the election, claiming the terms to select delegates were heavily rigged to favor the ruling party. President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to use the assembly to target his enemies and solidify Ven- ezuela as a socialist state. Maduro says the body will help end the violence and pro- tests that have engulfed the country since March, with at least 125 reported dead. Despite the unrest and plummeting popularity rat- ings, Maduro appears to have maintained the full support of the country’s most im- portant institutions, notably the armed forces. Top mili- tary figures have been given special status and are scat- tered throughout the govern- ment. They also are in charge of strategic areas such as food distribution in which Venezuelans say bribery is widespread. An independent exit poll concluded Sunday’s turnout was less than half that re- ported by the election com- mission. Opposition leaders who stationed observers in every municipality also ques- tioned the count. Julio Borges, the presi- dent of the opposition-con- trolled National Assembly, said lawmakers will ask the nation’s chief prose- cutor to investigate com- mission members for po- tential crimes. “They want to give total power to an assembly who people with more than 10 years managing the elec- toral process in Venezuela say with all certainty, ir- reversibly, with hard data from their own servers, that the announced result was crooked,” Borges said. The assembly is ex- pected to be sworn into office Thursday. Opposition leaders are calling on Venezuelans to gather in Caracas for a mass protest. Despite widespread in- ternational condemnation, Maduro has appeared un- deterred in his plans to seat the constituent assembly this week. He has threatened to use the assembly’s virtu- ally unlimited powers to go after his opponents – and the jailing of two prominent op- position leaders Tuesday ap- peared to show he is willing to proceed with full force. Leopoldo Lopez and An- tonio Ledezma were dragged from their homes by heavily armed security agents and thrown into a military prison. The nation’s Supreme Court is accusing them violating the terms of their house ar- rest by plotting to escape and releasing video statements criticizing Maduro. Both men’s supporters de- nied the charges and vowed to continue to try to push the ruling socialist party from power. However, they gave little indication of how they planned to do that, and the capital was unusually quiet after months of sometimes violent protests. Smartmatic, which now supplies services across the world, was founded by Vene- zuelans and began providing voting technology during the presidency of the late Hugo Chavez. In the past, oppo- sition members have ques- tioned the validity of results, but the firm has consistently maintained its impartiality. Mugica said the com- pany’s automated election system is designed to make evident when results are ma- nipulated, but requires audi- tors to be monitoring. “It is important to point out that this would not have occurred if the auditors of all political parties had been present at every stage of the election,” he said. Luis Emilio Rondon, one of five members on the elec- toral commission and the only who has sided with the opposition in the past, said after the election that he had grave doubts about the accu- racy of the vote count, in part because the commission had ordered fewer audits than in previous elections. He said it did not use permanent ink to mark voters’ fingers to ensure no one votes twice. In a series of Tweets Wednesday, Rondon called on the commission to pub- lish vote counts from all the nation’s polling sites and for Smartmatic to provide an audit. The commission has provided a total vote count and lists of individual win- ners but no details on how many votes each person re- ceived, or how many votes were cast in each region, as it has in previous elections. Maduro called the vote for the constitutional assembly in May after weeks of pro- tests fed by anger at his gov- ernment over food shortages, triple-digit inflation and high crime. Many people accuse the ruling party of corruption and mismanagement. The Trump adminis- tration on Monday added Maduro to a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials targeted by finan- cial sanctions. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Trump administration was “eval- uation all of our policy op- tions as to what can we do to create a change of condi- tions where either Maduro decides he doesn’t have a future, and wants to leave of his own accord, or we can return the government processes back to their constitution.” Maduro scoffed at the sanctions, saying he would use the assembly’s powers to bar opposition candidates from running in gubernato- rial elections in December unless they negotiate an end to protests that have resulted in at least 120 deaths and nearly 2,000 injuries over the past four months. Anti-government lawmakers shout ‘fraud’ during a session of Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Wednesday. - PHOTO: AP www.seidegrees.com Regional Office: 27499 Riverview Center Blvd., Suite 223, Bonita Springs, Florida 34134, USA • Tel +1 239 444 4399 • Fax +1 239 444 4398 info@SEIdegrees.com APPLY NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2017 INTAKE 100% FLEXIBLE 100% ONLINE 100% RELEVANT NEW MBA/MBM Exceptional value — earn an accredited UK MBA or MBM for under US$10,000 • Can be completed in 18 months • Specialisations: Banking, Entrepreneurship, Events, Finance, Health Management, Hospitality & Tourism, HRM, Info. 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