High of 91 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 DVDL: A DEPARTMENT THAT FAILED ITS ‘INSPECTION’ SPORTS | PAGE 18 CAYMAN PREP WINS GIRLS PRIMARY OPENING RALLY ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 4.70% 3 YEAR FIXED* 185331-Ad-Strip-SandCastles-3yearfixed.indd 19/4/17 12:16 PM 25,000 vehicles with ‘expired’ registrations, $14.9 million lost in uncollected DVDL fees Auditors: Licensing department in violation of Traffic Law BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing repeat- edly failed to perform one of its most basic functions properly, contravening the Traffic Law and costing the public purse millions in uncollected fees, the Cayman Compass can reveal. According to an October 2016 report from the government’s Internal Audit Ser- vice made public after an open records re- quest filed by the Compass: “We concluded that the department was in contravention of the Traffic Law as [it] did not properly maintain the register of motor vehicles and drivers.” The audit findings reveal, in large part, the reasons the government decided to switch to an electronic vehicle registra- tion system this year, requiring that some 45,000 vehicles change from the old yellow- orange colored sheet metal plates to the new, white electronic plates. The change is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. Despite the department stating its in- tention to replace some 45,000 plates, au- ditors found DVDL records indicated that more than 74,000 vehicles were on the reg- ister in mid-2015 and more than 63,500 drivers’ licenses were recorded. Of the more than 74,000 vehicle registrations, MARIA GROWS TO CAT 3, NEARS ALREADY BATTERED CARIBBEAN SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Hurricane Maria grew into a Category 3 storm on Monday as it barreled toward a po- tentially devastating collision with is- lands in the eastern Caribbean. Fore- casters warned it was likely to grow even stronger. The storm was on a path that would take it near many of the islands already wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward a possible direct strike into Puerto Rico on Wednesday as a Cate- gory 4 hurricane. “This storm promises to be cata- strophic for our island,” said Ernesto Morales with the U.S. National Weather Service in San Juan. “All of Puerto Rico Girlfriend arrested in NS man’s death BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 25-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the stabbing death of her boy- friend Sunday evening in the Frank Sound area. Azzan Sherieff, 23, died at the Cayman Islands Hospital after he was stabbed in the neck. The woman remained in po- lice custody Monday but had not been charged as of press time. The incident occurred at a home the woman rented at the junction of Frank Sound Road and Union Street in North Side, where the two had gone after a trip to Rum Point earlier in the day. DVDL cash handling ‘accountability’ questioned Certain cash-handling procedures in the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Li- censing raised red flags for internal audit staff who reviewed the department in October 2016. In one of the procedures, the audit staff described a “lack of accountability.” The procedure, known as the “mid- morning” cash transfer, raised red flags with the Internal Audit Service. “We noted that licensing officers would give large bank notes from their cash drawers to the supervisor and, at a later point in the day, the supervisor would pro- vide smaller denominations [i.e., change] to the licensing officers,” the report stated. When auditors questioned this practice, they were told it was done to avoid going to the bank to collect the smaller notes needed to provide change to customers. Normally, change of custody forms for the cash held at the start and end of daily operations were filled out, but no similar documentation was used for the “mid- morning” cash transfers. This internal control for the mid-morning Auditors found that of the more than 74,000 vehicle registrations, more than half related to vehicles with expired tags or those for which the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing had no licensing details. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Azzan Sherieff PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS I 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. - TUESDAY - IT (R) 12:30 VIP I 3:50 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:40 VIP THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD (R) 1:00 I 3:45 I 7:05 I 10:00 GIRLS TRIP (R) 4:00 I 9:55 DARK TOWER (PG13) 1:30 THE NUT JOB 2 3D (PG) 12:30 2D | 2:50 I 5:10 2D I 7:30 2D | 9:50 AMERICAN ASSASSIN (R) 12:55 I 3:40 VIP I 7:10 I 10:05 MOTHER! (R) 1:05 I 3:55 I 6:55 I 10:00 Judge urges minimum sentence for unlicensed ammunition Brazil’s new top prosecutor takes over massive graft probe MAN CHARGED WITH INDECENT EXPOSURE SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazil’s new attorney general took of- fice on Monday amid ques- tions about how aggressively she will pursue the country’s massive corruption probe. Raquel Dodge, 56, re- places Rodrigo Janot, who last week charged President Michel Temer with leading a criminal organization and obstruction of justice. In July he formally accused the pres- ident of corruption. Temer appointed Dodge from a three-person list of nominees submitted by fed- eral prosecutors. He passed over the top nominee, who is considered an ally of Janot. The first woman to hold the position of attorney gen- eral in Brazil, Dodge said at her swearing-in ceremony that no one is above the law and that Brazilians “do not tolerate corruption and expect results.” She did not mention the charges against Temer, who attended the event. During his term in office, Janot played a key role in the so-called “Car Wash” probe into inflated construction con- tracts and enormous kick- backs that has led to the jailing of dozens of the country’s elite and charges against the cur- rent and former presidents. Janot’s office brought 35 charges against political fig- ures and opened 450 inves- tigations into politicians, of- ficials and business leaders. It reached 159 plea bargain deals that have been used to amass evidence against other suspects. Dodge has a more re- served style, preferring lengthy investigations before bringing charges. But she has shown a will- ingness to go after politi- cians. In 2010, she oversaw an investigation that led to first arrest of a sitting gov- ernor in Brazilian history. Several allies of Temer were charged in the case. It will be up for Dodge to decide whether Temer will be once more charged of corrup- tion. Brazil’s Supreme Court has authorized further in- vestigations into allegations linking the president to al- leged favors for a company. Skeptics have criticized Dodge for holding an off-the- agenda visit with Temer after being nominated, and one of her staunchest supporters was Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, who has been flamboyantly critical of the Car Wash prosecutions. Celso Villardi, a criminal law professor at the Fun- dacao Getulio Vargas, a uni- versity and think tank, said he believes Dodge will face severe pressure, but will not shy away from Car Wash. In his final days in of- fice Janot was hyperactive, bringing charges against sev- eral politicians, including former Presidents Luiz In- acio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff as well as Temer. The president could be suspended from his job if two thirds of federal deputies decide to send the case for trial in the country’s Supreme Court. A 48-year-old West Bay man arrested by police last week has been charged with indecent exposure. Police arrested the suspect at a residence in West Bay on Tuesday, Sept. 12 after receiving reports of a man inde- cently exposing himself in public view in the area. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Citing the “massive in- crease” in firearm offenses in Cayman over the last seven or eight years, Jus- tice Charles Quin on Monday suggested there should be a minimum sentence for possession of ammunition without a license. Justice Quin made his comment in the sentencing of Jay Calvert Ebanks, 23, who had pleaded guilty to illegal possession of 10 rounds of ammunition. Ebanks, recently found not guilty of possession of an unlicensed firearm, was sen- tenced to time served. He had been in custody since August 2016 and was bailed last Thursday – a total of more than 12 months. Justice Quin said, “It is stating the obvious, but fire- arms and ammunition need each other. A gun without ammunition cannot dis- charge a bullet and kill or cause grievous bodily harm. Ammunition by itself causes no harm. When you have the two together – that is when victims are killed and that is when victims sus- tain grievous bodily harm,” he pointed out. “In my view, if we seri- ously want to control fu- ture firearm offenses, con- sideration should be given to a minimum sentence for the illegal possession of am- munition. That’s obviously a matter for the legislature,” the judge said. He commented on the Grand Court sentence passed earlier this year in the case of Kimesha Walters, who had appealed a sentence of 10 years for possession of four unlicensed bullets. Justice Michael Wood had called that sentence “clearly unlawful” and substituted a term of im- prisonment of three months. Justice Quin said he found this sentence to be too lenient. He also shared his view that it was “odd” for the Fire- arms Law to include ammu- nition in the definition of what a firearm is, but not im- pose a minimum sentence for ammunition, although there is a minimum sentence for le- thal-barrelled weapons – the other items included in the definition of firearm. He referred to the nu- merous cases of possessing ammunition without a li- cense that come to Sum- mary Court. They almost in- variably relate to tourists, he pointed out. More often than not, the tourists had a license in their home state, but the ammunition be- came illegal once he or she landed in Cayman. The tourist was usu- ally unaware of the fact that possession of ammuni- tion is illegal, he continued, adding, “Local residents cannot be under the same misunderstanding.” Ebanks intentionally had possession of 10 rounds “with full knowledge of the country’s stern approach to firearms and ammunition,” Justice Quin said. In his view, the starting point for persons possessing 10 rounds of live ammuni- tion should be two years. In Ebanks’s case, there were no aggravating features, the judge said, although he found the defendant’s story of finding the bullets while walking his dog to be implausible. However, Ebanks had pleaded guilty early and co- operated with police. The judge considered his good work record and character references. Tragically, Ebanks had lost his father when he was 6 years old, but had a close and loving relationship with his mother and con- tributed financially to the maintenance of the family home. His mother had pro- vided a strict but sup- portive upbringing. These mitigating factors reduced the two-year starting point sentence to 18 months, the judge determined. With one-third credit for the guilty plea, he further reduced the sentence to time served – 382 days, from Aug. 29, 2016 to Sept. 14, 2017. He urged Ebanks to stay away from all ammunition, all individuals who have any- thing to do with illegal fire- arms, and all illegal drugs. He noted that the social in- quiry report had referred to Ebanks as a very good foot- baller. Injury might have af- fected his ability to play, but he could do coaching, the judge suggested, “so you wouldn’t waste your talent and knowledge.” “In my view, if we seriously want to control future firearm offenses, consideration should be given to a minimum sentence for the illegal possession of ammunition. That’s obviously a matter for the legislature.” JUSTICE CHARLES QUIN PERU’S LEADER NAMES NEW PRIME MINISTER, CABINET LIMA, Peru (AP) – Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuc- zynski appointed a former economy minister as his new prime minister Sunday, two days after a no-confi- dence vote by the opposi- tion-led congress forced the entire Cabinet to resign. Mercedes Araoz, who is also a lawmaker and one of Peru’s two vice presidents, is the new chief minister in a reconstituted Cabinet. She served as economy minister during part of the 2006-11 administration of President Alan Garcia. Araoz replaced Fer- nando Zavala, who lost Fri- day’s vote of confidence by lawmakers. The single- house congress is led by the opposition party of Keiko Fujimori, who is the daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori and loser of a close 2016 presidential runoff election to Kuczynski. All 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet were forced to resign under Pe- ru’s constitution because of the no-confidence vote. Kuczynski reappointed six of the 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet. The upheaval forced the president to cancel a trip to participate in this week’s meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. Kuczynski was to have met with U.S. President Donald Trump, along with the presidents of Brazil and Colombia, during the trip to New York. The no-confidence vote followed a heated debate in which lawmakers insulted Zavala and called for Peru’s education minister to re- sign over her handling of a 60-day strike by teachers. Kuczynski rejected that demand and asked for the vote of confidence in his entire Cabinet, which he lost by a wide margin. It was the first time under Peru’s 1993 constitution that the legislature has taken such a step. Newly appointed Attorney General Raquel Dodge talks with Supreme Court Judge Gilmar Mendes after her inauguration ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, on Monday. - PHOTO: AP All 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet were forced to resign under Peru’s constitution because of the no-confidence vote. Kuczynski reappointed six of the 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 C AP TURE YOUR OCEAN HAVE YOU SNAPPED THE PERFECT PICTURE THAT SHOWCASES THE OCEAN OR OCEAN CONSERVATION IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS? WE WANT TO SEE IT! Enter our photography competition for the chance to have your photo displayed at an outdoor photography exhibition in Camana Bay. To enter, log on to www.caymancompass.com/contests by the end of September and upload your picture. Full terms and conditions can be found on the website. THREE REMANDED FOR GANJA OFF EAST END CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three Jamaican nationals appeared in Summary Court on Monday, charged with importing ganja into the Cayman Islands. One of the three men, Derrick Anthony Adlam, has two previous con- victions for the same offense. Adlam, 53, is charged with Demarco Deinton Cun- ningham, 37, and Leroy Johnoton Morgan, 31. In ad- dition to importation of an unspecified amount of ganja on Sept. 14, they are charged with possession of the illegal drug with intent to supply, and illegal landing. No papers about the case were available to defense at- torneys and no bail applica- tions were made. The matter was set for mention again on Sept. 26. All three men are from the Whitehouse area of Westmoreland. Compass records show that Adlam was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ impris- onment for ganja offenses in 1999. He was sentenced to 18 months in 2011 for human smuggling. In 2014, he was sentenced to 45 months for his role in the importation of 174 pounds of ganja to Cayman Brac in September 2013. Since that was not his first such offense, he was subject to a maximum of 15 years instead of seven years. Police issued a press re- lease last week about the latest incident. When officers of the Joint Marine Unit were on patrol off the eastern side of Grand Cayman around 11 p.m. on Sept. 14., they came upon a canoe, which they in- tercepted after a brief pur- suit. During that pursuit, packages were thrown over- board from the canoe. The three men were taken into custody on suspicion of im- portation of drugs, and a large quantity of packages was recovered. The release noted that caged roosters were also on board and confiscated. No charges were before the court pertaining to the fowl. New Esterley Tibbetts lanes open Wednesday Road currently used will be closed for reconstruction On Wednesday, two new lanes on the Esterley Tib- betts Highway between the Camana Bay South round- about and the Butterfield roundabout will be open, and the two lanes vehi- cles have been traveling on will be closed, according to a press release from the Dart Group, which is under- taking the project. Traffic will be redirected on the new lanes while the old ones undergo recon- struction, stated the press release. The reconstruction will include the old lanes being elevated by five feet to be level with the new road, said Dart Senior Marketing Communications Coordi- nator Alyson Hay. Ms. Hay said Dart does not have a confirmed date at this time for the con- struction to be finished, but she said the work will take “a few months.” Residents who live in the Lakeside condos beside the Esterley Tibbetts Highway will be able to access the de- velopment through a tempo- rary cut-through road that runs across the future north- bound lanes, Ms. Hay said. Once completed, the road will be a four-lane highway and is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area. This means the Esterley Tibbetts Highway will be a continuous four-lane, dual carriageway from Batabano Road in West Bay to the Butterfield round- about in George Town. Future road to Cayman International School Butterfield Roundabout Camana Bay N WEST BA Y ROAD Traffic Shift In addition to importation of an unspecified amount of ganja on Sept. 14, they are charged with possession of the illegal drug with intent to supply, and illegal landing.The 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. As a newspaper, we prefer to tell you what you do not already know, but no one in this fair land of ours does not already know that there are issues, major issues, with the performance of the Cayman Islands Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing. Everyone knows this because every one of us, at least every driver or vehicle owner, is compelled to deal with the DVDL. People who work for a living must somehow carve out of their schedules anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to get their vehicles inspected, renew their drivers’ licenses, change addresses, transfer ownership titles or whatever. We are familiar with clever “customers” who have actually developed strategies to interact with this nightmare department. Some actually visit the DVDL headquarters on Crewe Road, poke their heads inside for a peek at how long the lines are and, more often than not, leave to return at a less busy time on a better day. Those perhaps in a higher-income bracket simply buy their way out of the ordeal: They pay someone to suffer for them through the process and the paperwork. And then there is the third category. These drivers and vehicle owners simply ignore the DVDL altogether. They do not get their vehicles inspected or registered, and they don’t renew their drivers’ licenses. There are literally thousands in this “to hell with ’em” category. On today’s front page, we relate a tale of depart- mental dysfunction that is remarkable by any accept- able standard. The Compass was able to secure a heretofore “secret” 2016 report compiled by the gov- ernment’s Internal Audit Service. Auditors reviewed more than 74,000 vehicle reg- istrations and found more than half were for vehicles with expired tags or with no licensing details at all. In fact, more than 25,000 vehicles had “expired” regis- trations. Some records had not been updated since the 1980s. It is impossible to know which, and how many, of these vehicles are traveling Cayman’s roadways, what condition they are in and whether they constitute public safety risks. Not insignificantly, the auditor estimated than the DVDL had neglected to collect $14.9 million in registra- tion and licensing fees. Moreover, the auditor castigated DVDL manage- ment for their “lack of accountability” in handling daily cash transactions. In simple terms, they were doing the equivalent of leaving the vault door wide open. It’s worth a pause here to ask the question publicly why the auditors’ report was not made public. Who was hiding this from whom? And why? At the Compass, frankly, we should not have to be filing a never-ending flood of freedom of infor- mation requests for information that the govern- ment should routinely be making public on its own. The FOI process is lengthy, cumbersome and costly, and it’s no substitute for government making these documents routinely, if not automatically, available. Do we think they are hiding something from you (our readers, their voters)? Yes, we do. The director of the DVDL, David Dixon, said his department just cannot handle its workload with current resources. We believe him, but that does not absolve him of his responsibilities as head of this critical department. If Mr. Dixon needs more resources – people, money or whatever – let him make his case to the sharp-pen- ciled “budgeteers” in central government. What he cannot do is simply ignore the mess in the department he oversees. In the meantime, take a number, and get to the end of the line. This may take a while. Cayman’s resi- dents deserve an efficient civil service that makes it easy (dare we say even pleasant?) to do business and comply with the law. Perhaps what is needed is further examination and intervention from top offi- cials such as Governor Helen Kilpatrick or Deputy Governor Franz Manderson. The DVDL: A department that failed its ‘inspection’ TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS A lesson about the many burdens of progressivism WASHINGTON – Life is ex- hausting – and daily choices are unbearably burdensome – for some Americans who are so comfortably situ- ated that they have the time and means to make them- selves morally uncomfort- able. They think constantly about what they believe are the global ripples, and hence the moral-cum-polit- ical ramifications, of their quotidian decisions. And they are making themselves nervous wrecks. If your anthropological curiosity is aroused, venture to gentrifying Brooklyn, in the spirit of Margaret Mead going among the Samoans. It is not necessary to actu- ally go to Brooklyn. You can observe Karen Kipple’s ago- nies while she drives herself to distraction and her life into a ditch as the protago- nist of Lucinda Rosenfeld’s novel “Class.” It is a book with which to begin an- other school year. The drama swirls around two elemen- tary schools that because of the vagaries of neighbor- hood boundaries, are phys- ically proximate but so- cially miles apart. Karen works for a non- profit – what else? – and has been “trying to write” an op-ed “for the past two years.” Her daughter, Ruby, attends Constance C. Betts Elementary, which epito- mizes Karen’s fervent belief that “racially and economi- cally integrated schools” are essential to “equal opportu- nity.” Still, Karen is vaguely troubled because Ruby’s class “completed the same study unit on [Martin Lu- ther King] four years in a row. Ruby could even recite the date he’d married Coretta (June 18, 1953). At Betts, it sometimes seemed to Karen that every month was Black History Month – except when it was Latino His- tory Month. In keeping with the new Common Core cur- riculum, Ruby had recently written an ‘informative text,’ as essays were now known, on Caesar Chavez’s advo- cacy on behalf of Latino mi- grant workers.” “Over the past several weeks,” Ruby’s teacher tells a parents’ meeting, “your awesome kids have been busy creating their own amazing community.” The parents, however, are prob- lems, including some white mothers, “new to the school and likely soon to depart it, who were constantly com- plaining about how the milk served in the cafe- teria came from hormone- treated cows” rather than from “aseptic eight-ounce cartons of organic vanilla milk” suitable to wash down seaweed snacks. Karen knows that “the outsize importance” that people like her place on food has “become a dividing line between the social classes, with the Earth Day-esque ideals of the 1960s having acquired snob appeal.” Karen, who favors single- origin organic coffee from Burundi, takes Ruby to the artisanal ice cream shop with flavors such as Maple Fennel, and no corn syrup. When Ruby, pausing over her organic Applegate turkey sandwich on European rye, pronounces a classmate’s lunch – white bread sand- wich, Cheetos, grape soda – “disgusting,” Karen frets that in her effort to simultane- ously save “both the health of her daughter and that of the planet” she has produced “a hideous food snob.” Ruby became such at her mother’s knee. Karen has one of her tsunamis of disap- proval when another mother brings to a playdate choc- olate-chip cookies with em- bedded Reese’s Pieces. “Dark visions of polyunsaturated cooking oil” addled Karen’s head. Her adherence to the “urban-farming movement” – evidently there is one – is strained by a restaurant of- fering “pan-seared locally sourced pigeon.” Reluctant to disadvan- tage her daughter because of her own progressivism, Karen lies about her resi- dential address in order to sneak Ruby into a school that is less diverse than Betts but more financially flush, thanks to more af- fluent parents – the kind who arrange playdates by saying, “Have your nanny text our nanny.” Karen is, however, a virtuoso of guilt, and to assuage hers she embezzles money from the new school and mails it to Betts. By the time her lies and stealing are revealed, she realizes that her “neg- ativity was like a wisteria vine that if left to its own devices, would creep into every last crevice of her conscience.” So she returns Ruby to Betts, leaving be- hind the school where “the experimental puppeteering troupe Stringtheory is per- forming a kid-friendly ver- sion of ‘Schindler’s List.’” Rosenfeld’s novel is a glimpse of how arduous life is for progressives, bowed as they are beneath the crushing weight of every choice’s immense social sig- nificance. Convinced that people, like the planet, are frightfully fragile – vulner- able to ingesting refined flour and countless other dangers – it’s no wonder progressives want a caring government to superintend our lives. This is for our own good, so they are, in their meddle- some way, nice. They also are tuckered out by their in- continent conscientiousness, so take one to lunch, if you can think of something he or she will eat. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE 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” Rosenfeld’s novel is a glimpse of how arduous life is for progressives, bowed as they are beneath the crushing weight of every choice’s immense social significance.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 Exploring the Relationship BETWEEN NUTRITION And Health MINISTRY OF HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT CULTURE & HOUSING Registration Now Open www.healthcareconference.ky KEYNOTE SPEAKER DR. SONALI RUDER The Foodie Physician Healthy Eating Through the Different Stages of Life OCTOBER 19TH - 21ST, 2017 The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman 19th – 21st October 2017 Brain surgery on awake patient performed at Health City A Cayman Islands man who underwent what has been described as the first brain surgery on an awake patient in the English- speaking Caribbean said he is feeling strong and getting back to his normal life. After showing signs of a possible stroke, the watch- maker was referred to Dr. Romnesh de Souza at Health City Cayman Islands earlier in the year. Testing revealed the man had not experienced a stroke, but rather suffered from a tumor in the left side of his brain. The growth, while not ag- gressively malignant, began impairing the right side of his body, provoked seizures, and threatened loss of speech and motor skills. An “awake craniotomy” al- lowed doctors to operate on the tumor, while monitoring and preserving functions in surrounding areas of the brain. The procedure enables surgery in otherwise high- risk and delicate locations. Dr. Susheel Wadhwa ex- plained that conventional neurosurgery with general anesthesia can impair the ability to monitor brain ac- tivity during the procedure and can lead to significant loss of functions. Keeping the patient awake and interacting with doctors provided greater certainty that damage was not being done to normal tissue. “This is the first opera- tion of this nature at Health City. But fortunately for us, we had the entire team. Right from the technicians to the nurses to the anes- thetists to the surgical team, it was the same team which was performing these sur- geries in India, and so the surgery could be carried out smoothly,” Dr. Wadhwa said in a Health City statement. The patient’s scalp was numbed with local anesthetic and he was administered a small amount of anesthesia for sedation at the beginning of the procedure. During the middle part of the surgery, the patient was kept awake and guided doctors with verbal and motor commands. Dr. Wadhwa said early diagnosis and removal of the tumor was a pri- ority for doctors. “By decompressing the tumor, we save normal and important areas of the brain. It also gives an opportunity to safely biopsy the tumor to understand its exact nature and plan further therapy,” Dr. Wadhwa said. Doctors were able to re- move a significant part of the tumor. The patient’s last follow-up showed no further growth. Months later, the pa- tient commended doctors for their quick response and his speed of recovery. “For me it’s my livelihood, and to have those motor skills, it is extremely important for everybody, but especially my profession where I work with the smallest of pieces, being a watchmaker,” the man said. “It has been over three months, and now I feel re- ally good. It’s almost as if I never had an operation.… I am still having a hard time to see it as a major surgery, since I am feeling really good and I am back to where I was before.… It’s a lovely future. Life is good.” The patient will undergo brain scans every three months for the next year to monitor the tumor. Ad- ditional appointments will focus on controlling seizures. The neurosurgery team at Health City Cayman Islands performs the first awake brain surgery in the Cayman Islands on a local patient.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days West Bay TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Sir John A. Cumber celebrates new school year with prayers Sir John A. Cumber Pri- mary School held a dedication ceremony on Friday, Sept. 15, to mark the new school year. Members of staff, stu- dents, parents and clergy assembled at the school in Fountain Road to partici- pate in the ceremony, which began with a rendition by the student body of the praise and worship song “Welcome Holy Spirit.” Enrique Matienzo, senior pastor of the Ministerio In- ternacional Reino en Vic- toria (Kingdom of Victory In- ternational Ministry), offered prayers for the Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services at the ceremony. He asked that they govern fairly and according to God’s word, a press release states. Pastor Maurice Chambers of the Berea Seventh-day Ad- ventist Church prayed for the faculty, and Pastor Jason Knox of the Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church prayed that the students would be respectful to their teachers and that they would enjoy learning as they embarked on the new school year. Teacher Courtney Perrin, an ordained elder, then prayed that the parents and guardians would always have gainful employment so that they would be able to pro- vide for the daily needs of their children. Sir John A. Cumber Prin- cipal Paul Samuel praised the students for their pos- itive attitudes toward work and learning so far and their demonstration of respect, responsibility and being safe. Two of the students, Mi- kaelie Foster and Jorge Ro- driquez, participated in the ceremony by reading Scripture texts. Daphne Tomlin sang a solo, “It is Finished,” and Mr. Perrin and Corry Cham- bers sang a duet, “More Than Wonderful.” The event also marked the final day of teaching service for Mr. Perrin, to whom the school paid tribute, wishing him well in his retirement. Mr. Perrin was also celebrating his birthday that day. Dewayne Bennett, head of Key Stage One, read a citation of Mr. Perrin’s tenure at the school, and Gerriann Foster and Shekina Bush presented him with special gifts on the behalf of the school. The ceremony was or- ganized by Esther Rivers and Ms. Chambers and chaired by school counselor Elysia Murray. 50 years ago: Quarry blast shakes island In the Sept. 20, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing story, titled “2 tons of explosives go off un- expectedly,” appeared on the front page “About 2:25 a.m. on Sunday, there was a terrific explosion which was even felt on Cayman Brac. The Chief of Police was imme- diately informed by the Sta- tion Guard and the Police Land Rover was the first ve- hicle to arrive at the Quarry operated by Hadsphaltic at Spotts where the blast had occurred. “The area was devas- tated and nothing what- ever remains of the block building in which was housed a little over two tons of explosive 80% gelignite and 60% dynamite. “The Caymanian is in- formed that the Police are not convinced that this was caused by heat and humidity and are en- deavouring to trace a car which passed the scene about 10 minutes before the explosion. “Some young men from East End whose car had broken down at Red Bay were affected by the blast and have made their report to the police. “The Chief Fire Officer carried out an investigation at the scene soon after the occurrence and it appears that entry had been forced into another building by sawing through the hasp. “It is conjectured that if there was foul play, a deto- nator could have been low- ered through the vents in the roof or the main door could have been forced open. “Fortunately, there ap- pears to be little or no damage to the equip- ment which was dispersed about the area and the only ‘victim’ was a cat. “On the same night, entry was forced into the Airport building and on the night when the storm was ex- pected, the Drug Store was broken into and £7 in cash removed from the till. Not long ago, thieves entered the Snack Bar premises of Mr. A.B. Bush, attached to the Islander Theatre. Thus, it seems that ‘light-fingers’ are on the prowl again and the need for business premises to be properly protected by burglar bars should be reiterated.” Daphne Tomlin sings at the assembly, accompanied on guitar by Courtney Perrin. Jorge Rodriquez reads one of the Scripture texts.Student Mikaelie Foster reads as teacher Corry Chambers looks on. Principal Paul Samuel addresses the assembly.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 OCTOBER 7, 2017 The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky Featuring Special Guest Speakers PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speakers Rancic Bill & Giulianna THANK YOU TO OUR SPECIAL MENTION SPONSORS will experience hurricane force winds.” The U.S. territory on Monday imposed rationing of basic supplies including water, milk, baby formula, canned foods, batteries, flash- lights and other items. The U.S. National Hurri- cane Center said Maria had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph Monday after- noon. It was centered about 45 miles east-northeast of Martinique – or 70 miles east-southeast of Dominica – and heading west-north- west at 10 mph. Hurricane warnings were posted for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Gua- deloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Marti- nique and St. Lucia. A trop- ical storm warning was issued for Antigua and Bar- buda, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Anguilla. Forecasters said hurricane conditions should begin to affect parts of the Leeward Islands by late Monday, with storm surge raising water levels by 6 to 9 feet near the storm’s center. The storm was predicted to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain across the is- lands, with more in isolated areas. Officials in Dominica closed schools and govern- ment offices on Monday and urged people to evacuate and seek shelters. “We should not take this storm lightly,” said Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. “Let us continue to pray for our safety.” Officials in Guadeloupe said the French Caribbean island of would experience extremely heavy flooding starting Monday afternoon, and they warned that many communities would be sub- merged overnight. In nearby Martinique, au- thorities ordered people to remain indoors and said they should be prepared for power cuts and disruption in the water supply. All schools and non-essential public ser- vices were closed. The storm has hurri- cane-force winds that ex- tend about 15 miles from the eye, and tropical storm force winds out as far as 120 miles. The current forecast track would carry it about 22 miles south of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands late Tuesday and early Wednesday, ac- cording to territorial Gov. Kenneth Mapp. “We are going to have a very, very long night,” Mapp said as he urged people in the territory to finish any preparations. St. Thomas and St. John are still recovering from a di- rect hit by Hurricane Irma, which did extensive damage and caused four deaths on the two islands. On Wednesday, Maria was expected to be near or over Puerto Rico, which was spared the full brunt of Irma, although much of the island had its power knocked out. Nearly 70,000 people remain without power, and Gov. Ri- cardo Rossello on Monday warned of another wide- spread outage. Forecasters said the storm would dump up to 18 inches of rain across Puerto Rico and whip the U.S. ter- ritory with heavy winds for 12 to 24 hours. Officials said the Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency was ready to bring drinking water and help re- store power in Puerto Rico immediately after the storm. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said officials had prepared about 450 shelters with a capacity for nearly 68,000 people – or even 125,000 in an emer- gency. There are still nearly 200 people in shelters from Hurricane Irma. Schools were canceled for Monday and government employees would work only a half day. Farther north, long-lived Hurricane Jose continued to head northward off the U.S. East Coast, causing dan- gerous surf and rip currents. It was not expected to make landfall but tropical storm watches were posted along the coast from Delaware to Massachusetts’ Cape Cod. Jose was centered about 265 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Caro- lina, and was moving north at 9 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The ocean washed over parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks as Hurricane Jose passed well to the east, and five people were knocked off a coastal jetty in Rhode Island by high surf caused by the storm. Officials said res- cuers had to fight through rough surf to load the injured onto stretchers and get them to shore. All five were taken to a hospital with minor and major injuries. Pacific threats In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Norma’s threat to Mexico’s Los Cabos resort area at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula seemed to ease as forecasters said the storm’s center was likely to remain offshore. Norma had winds of about 50 mph and it was centered about 175 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. The Baja Cal- ifornia Sur state government prepared storm shelters and canceled classes for Monday. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee weakened into a tropical depression far out in the Atlantic while Hur- ricane Otis weakened far out in the Pacific. Neither threatened land. Maria grows to Category 3 hurricane, nears already battered Caribbean Men remove boats from the water ahead of Category 3 Hurricane Maria in the Galbas area of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe early Monday. - PHOTO: AP Hurricane warnings were posted for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Martinique and St. Lucia. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 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. TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 HURRICANE RELIEF: The Adventist Church has started a fund in aid of Hurricane Irma victims in the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Financial contributions may be made at the local office, 209 Walkers Road, during business hours, or at the nearest Adventist Church. Donations may also be deposited at the Royal Bank of Canada, to ADRA account number 500-6234. CHAMBER COURSE: Challenging Conversation Skills. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $225 for members, $300 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FIGURE DRAWING: Last day to register. Visual Arts Society offers six-week figure drawing workshop Sept. 19 to Oct. 24, 7–9 p.m. Watler House Studio at Pedro St. James. This is an opportunity for intermediate artists to develop their figure drawing skills. Fee is $130 for members, or $180 for non-members and includes use of studio/ easels & boards, live model, guidance from a qualified art instructor. Drop-in fee is $25/$35 per session. Email info@visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: A meeting is scheduled to advise on the new law, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Room 1038, Government Administration building. All organizations that accept donations or funds from the public must register. For more information, persons are asked to contact Policy Officer Wilbur Welcome at wilbur.welcome@gov.ky, in the Department of Financial Services Policy and Legislation. THURSDAY, SEPT. 21 PUB QUIZ: Fidel Murphy’s, 7 p.m. All proceeds to Cayman Islands Humane Society. $10 per person. Teams of six people maximum. To reserve a table call 949-5189 or email sarah.dyer.81@gmail.com. FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 HANNAH’S HEROES BIG SHAVE: All are invited to attend the fifth annual Hannah’s Heroes Big Shave at The Wicket in Cricket Square. The event raises money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which supports childhood cancer research. The shave event was started by Cayman residents Gaylene and Nigel Meeson after their daughter Hannah was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2012. Visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/ hannahsheroes or email team@hannahsheroes.ky for more information. SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 COVENANT MORAVIAN CHURCH: The church holds its 30th anniversary banquet at Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, 7-10 p.m. Formal attire. Contribution $75. Call 947-7935 for tickets and more information. THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre today and tomorrow. SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 OUTDOOR MOVIE: Family Empowerment Cayman presents the movie “Flywheel” at the park at Seven Mile Beach, next to the Kimpton resort. Free. Doors open 7:30 p.m. Contact familyempowermentgroup. com or 916-6182. HIGH SCHOOL REUNION: The Cayman Islands High School Class of 1987 celebrates its 30-year reunion, 7 p.m. at the George Town Yacht Club, North Sound Road. Tickets are on sale for $75 at Funky Tang’s or by calling Cassandra Ebanks Powery on 925-1930. Please purchase tickets by Sept. 25 so preparations can be made. SUNDAY, OCT. 1 CUT-A-THON: Hair and beauty salons offer services at huge savings in this fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. Participants include Eclipze Hair Design and Spa, Focus Hair and Beauty, Artista Salon, Spa Esprit and Privé Beauty Studio. Wet cuts for men, women and children, mini manicures and eyebrow threading, $1 a minute massages, reflexology at $2 a minute. These last two services can be scheduled in advance. GENERAL INTEREST CAYMAN DRAMA SOCIETY: Performances of the comedy “Sistahs” are at the Prospect Playhouse on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to Sept. 23. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Curtain 7:30 p.m. Tickets for all performances are $25 for adults, $15 for students/children. Book tickets at www.cds.ky. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers needed for weekly sports training. Tuesdays – Track, bocce, football. Wednesdays – Lighthouse School swimming at Lions pool. Thursdays – Basketball. Saturdays – Adult swim. Golf is starting soon if interested. Contact Darrel Rankine, national director at soci@candw.ky or 916-2600. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM: The Savannah After School Enrichment Programme is enrolling primary-age students for their program, held at the Savannah United Church Hall, Mondays to Fridays, from 3–6 p.m. The program is particularly convenient for children who attend Savannah Primary and Bodden Town primary schools. For registration and fees, call the church office at 947-6071 or email info@savannahunited.ky. MENTORING CAYMAN: The Chamber of Commerce is calling for business and community leaders to volunteer as a mentor for the 2017/18 program. Deadline is Sept. 30. Call 743-9123 for further information or visit www.caymanchamber.ky/ mentoringcayman. BE A MENTOR: Training provided. Starting at the end of September for one year, mentor a Year 11 student at John Gray High School to help him or her achieve their potential in life and in school. Tuesday or Thursday lunchtime meetings from noon to 1 p.m. in term time at the school. Contact Laura on 328-0300 or Karen on 325-0318. TOBACCO LICENCES: Tobacco license holders are reminded of the 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, deadline to apply for their annual license renewals. Annual registration renewal fees are $500 for a retailer, $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor. LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: The Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 2018 program. Improve your leadership skills by applying today. Deadline is Oct. 27. Call 743-9121 for further information or visit www.caymanchamber.ky/ leadershipcayman. SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2018/2019. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 7, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply. GAMEBIRD SEASON: The Department of Environment reminds hunters that the open season for blue-winged teal opens in September (three-bird bag and possession limit). For white- winged doves, the season opens in October (12 bird bag and possession limit). LAW SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Applications are being accepted for one of the new postgraduate programs offered by the Truman Bodden Law School – the 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 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. Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Plaza Venezia, 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. 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. 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. ARTISAN MARKET: Every Wednesday, noon–8 p.m. at Camana Bay Farmers Market. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand- crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale with 3 tents on display by KARoo Restaurant/Bar. For more info or to inquire about tables space email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee. Easels provided for artist of all levels to come out and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. info@visualartcayman.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. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. An aerial shot of Turks and Caicos taken last week from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service helicopter shows some of the extensive damage and flooding from Hurricane Irma. The Adventist Church has started a fund in aid of hurricane victims in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 A number of Cayman Islands residents saw the couple together during the day on Sunday with two other friends at the popular beach spot and noted that nothing seemed amiss. On Monday, devastated family members were still trying to piece together what happened. “All I know is that he was stabbed and that the police arrested his girl- friend,” said James “Ernie” Sherieff, Azzan’s father. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said they were called to the stabbing scene around 5:20 p.m., where “a man had been stabbed and had difficulty breathing.” CPR was administered to the victim, who was taken to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital in George Town where he was pronounced dead. Mr. Sherieff said his son most recently worked at the Crystal Caves tourism attraction in North Side but would more likely be remembered by the local community as a top-class fisherman – managing the charter boat Lady Luck II. “He won fisherman of the year two years ago,” Mr. Sherieff said of his son, who often participated in local fishing tournaments winning prizes for the “big catch” of the day. The downtown hos- pital was packed with more than 100 visitors Sunday night as people came to pay their respects after hearing about what happened. “He was just so well- liked and popular, so easy- going. People are just in shock and denial that this could happen,” said Caren Thompson, a longtime family friend who worked at Caribbean Utilities Com- pany with Azzan’s father. Olympic champion hur- dler Ronald Forbes, who lives next door to the Sherieff family home in North Side, said he was crushed to learn of Azzan’s killing in what he described as a “senseless incident.” Mr. Forbes, who is about 10 years older than the victim, said he knew Azzan from the time he was a little boy in North Side. “It’s just a tragedy; it still has me shocked,” said Mr. Forbes. “He didn’t live a lifestyle that you’d think ‘Oh, he had that coming.’ He was very well-mannered and very respectful.” Mr. Forbes said Azzan had “such a promising life head of him.” “To say that this inci- dent is unfortunate is an understatement. My sincere condolences go out to the Sherieff family at this time and I implore the public to be respectful of his family in this time of grief. “I encourage the young men and young women of the Cayman Islands to please think before acting, as your actions can be ir- reversible and cause much long-lasting grief to loved ones.” just more than half related to vehicles with expired tags or those for which the de- partment had no licensing details at all, the audit ser- vice reported. More than 25,000 vehi- cles had “expired” registra- tions, some of them which hadn’t been updated since the 1980s and 1990s. Thou- sands of those vehicles on the department’s records ex- pired after Hurricane Ivan struck the islands in 2004, rendering a large number of cars inoperable. According to auditors, no one at the department termi- nated these registrations and it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, in 2015 to determine whether the vehi- cles were still being driven. Although many of the vehi- cles – particularly during the Hurricane Ivan period – were no longer being driven, some of them would be driven. “The department does not terminate registration of ve- hicles for which licenses have expired for a continuous pe- riod of three years … termi- nations of vehicle registra- tions only occur upon the request of registered owners,” auditors stated. The Department of Ve- hicle and Drivers’ Licensing had assessed, but not col- lected, about $14.9 million in vehicle registrations and un- paid drivers’ license fees over a period of years, according to auditors’ estimates. Almost all of that amount, about $14 million, was owed in vehicle registration fees. In its response to the audit, DVDL management stated it had a responsibility to inform vehicle owners in advance that their registra- tions or licenses were being terminated and that its present resources simply do not allow for that. Attempts to use the government’s debt recovery unit to collect un- paid registration fees also failed because of lack of staff. The new electronic ve- hicle registrations will allow the DVDL to maintain up-to- date vehicle and licensing re- cords, department officials told auditors. The department “will as- sess” vehicles with expired registrations between 1985 and 2011 (before the current Traffic Law came into force) to remove them from the reg- ister. However, it noted there is “no mechanism” to col- lect any outstanding reg- istration or licensing fees owed before 2012. Auditors noted that since the department does not au- tomatically terminate vehicle registrations, the amount owed could be “overstated” if a significant number of the older vehicles had been taken off the road. However, if those cars were driven without proper registration for any length of time, auditors noted: “It makes it more un- likely that DVDL will be able to collect these amounts.” Electronic licensing The Compass reported in February that the govern- ment had spent $1.5 mil- lion on the new electronic licensing system. The govern- ment started switching out license plates in May. The number plates and the windscreen coupons are fitted with Radio-Frequency Identification chips – com- puter chip/antenna devices that can store relatively small amounts of information. “They may simply be scanned by au- thorities, with only insurance and other vehicle particulars available to system users,” DVDL Director David Dixon said at the time. The imme- diate access to the registra- tion and licensing information from the scan would make it much easier to determine if the vehicle is being operated illegally, Mr. Dixon said. One practical law enforce- ment use for the new tech- nology could be in the area of traffic stops initiated by po- lice. For instance, an officer using an electronic plate- reading device at a roadblock could immediately scan and receive information that re- veals whether the vehicle is registered or not. At present, officers must pull over the ve- hicle, check license and reg- istration and contact the 911 Emergency Centre by radio to obtain the data. Mr. Dixon said there would be no change in the present data exchange pro- cess between the RCIPS and the DVDL in regard to pros- ecuting someone for ex- pired tags or failure to reg- ister their vehicle. Under the Traffic Law, the police must make a request to extract the information and receive a certificate of validity from the DVDL, a process that takes up to three days. Ministry of Planning offi- cials said there are other op- tions for using the technology in the future, including put- ting electronic transmitters on stop lights or power poles to scan vehicle registrations. Those devices can tell system users where a vehicle was at a given time and date, but placing those scanners in enough places to physically track a vehicle as it traverses the island is considered cost- prohibitive at present. The Cayman Compass contacted DVDL Director Dixon, senior ministry offi- cials and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson regarding the internal audit’s findings, seeking answers to addi- tional questions arising from the report, but received no re- sponse by press time Monday. The department’s responses to the internal audit findings are included in the story. transfer was “inadver- tently overlooked,” auditors were informed. “We are concerned that in the event of a discrep- ancy, it will prove difficult to assign responsibility for the error and/or financial losses,” the Internal Audit Service reported. The DVDL responded that a senior management post, filled in January 2017, would assist with further docu- menting cash handling pro- cedures and would “make corrections” as necessary. Internal auditors also found some concerns re- garding how cash was stored in the safe at the depart- ment’s Crewe Road offices in George Town. “The transfer of funds in and out of the safe is not doc- umented,” the report noted. The safe, which stored the department’s revenues over- night, was routinely being ac- cessed by one department employee who had access to both the safe combination and keys needed to unlock it. The combination code was never changed, auditors found. “We are concerned that single entry access to the safe and the lack of docu- mentation of movement of funds greatly increases risk of theft/misappropriation of assets,” the report stated. The DVDL management agreed to make safe security changes as recommended by auditors and said they would do so by Oct. 31, 2016. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com For the 17th year, Eclipze Hair Design is going to cut hair to raise money for chil- dren who have lost their hair to cancer. The Cut-a-Thon charity event supports children who would benefit from a wig. All of the proceeds are donated to “Locks of Love,” a nonprofit or- ganization that provides wigs made from natural hair to chil- dren suffering from hair loss. After losing an aunt to cancer 17 years ago, the sa- lon’s owners, sisters Darla and Darna Dilbert, wanted to help fight against the disease and decided to use their profes- sional cosmetology skills to create a rewarding fundraiser. The team at Eclipze will be joined by salon and spa profes- sionals from Focus Hair and Beauty, Artista Salon, Spa Es- prit and Privé Beauty Studio. They will be offering sav- ings on services such as wet cuts, mini manicures and eye- brow threading. Also included on the menu are $1 a minute massages and reflexology at $2 a minute. These two services can be scheduled in advance. Also joining the event this year is international stylist Roby Powers from the TIGI New York City Academy and Douglas Rosales of TIGI Miami Academy. Mr. Powers will donate two hair cuts and styles and Mr. Douglas will do- nate two makeup sessions to help raise money. Also, local volunteers have committed to cutting off at least 12 inches of their hair. Each volunteer is trying to raise a minimum of $1,000 toward their cuts. They are seeking sponsors to reach their goals and encourage other volunteers to join them for a good cause. The fundraiser is from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1, at Eclipze Hair Design and Day Spa at Suite 6103-D, 10 Market Street, Camana Bay. All pro- ceeds will go to the Lions Club of Tropical Garden’s Breast Cancer Awareness Fund. Organizers hope to meet or exceed the more than $15,000 raised last year. Raffle Tickets for a raffle with a wide range of prizes are al- ready on sale at the salon. Prizes include haircuts and makeovers, a one-night stay at Morritt’s, dinner for two at the Lobster Pot, dinner for two at Casanova by the Sea, gift cer- tificates from Cayman Airways and Hemingways, and a “gold” facial from Eclipze. Tickets are on sale at the salon. Prize drawings for the haircuts and makeovers will be held on Monday, Sept. 25, as these will take place at the Cut-A-Thon on Sunday, Oct. 1. The remainder of the raffle will be drawn on Oct. 31. Eclipze cuts hair to support children with cancer 25,000 vehicles with ‘expired’ registrations, $14.9 million lost in uncollected DVDL fees CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 DVDL cash handling ‘accountability’ questioned Girlfriend arrested in NS man’s death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A customer at an earlier Eclipze Cut-a-Thon donates her hair to Locks of Love. The house where the stabbing occurred is cordoned off by police tape Monday morning. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLERNext >