SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX SPECIAL FEATURE Christmas Holiday Guide EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THIS SEASON, DECIDE NOT TO DRINK AND DRIVE High of 86 Low of 75 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has de- nounced last Sunday’s disruptive motorbike ride around Grand Cayman, which he said demonstrated that the rogue bikers involved “have no regard for their safety or for the safety of anyone else.” “Masked riders menacing other road users and flouting road laws is totally unacceptable, and the lack of an established [motorbike] track on island is no excuse for such behav- iour,” Mr. Byrne said in a press release. Hundreds of bikers took to the streets for most of the afternoon and early evening Sunday, popping wheelies, swerving in and out of traffic, blocking lanes and causing havoc, including the storming of a police road- block in Bodden Town. However, Commissioner Byrne, making his first public statement about the incident since it occurred, noted that while an “exhibitionist rogue element” within the motorbiking com- munity put on a “deplorable public spectacle,” some of those involved in the ride did not be- have dangerously or illegally. He also said that not all bikes involved in the ride were unregis- tered or uninsured. “In such situations as took place last Sunday, police are presented with a range of tactical options which are largely depen- dent on the prevailing conditions,” Mr. Byrne said. “Very careful consideration and risk assessment is required to ensure that the actions of the police do not result in serious or fatal injuries to motorcyclists or innocent motorists or pedestrians. “With regard to the prevailing conditions last Sunday, the tactical option employed was one of disruption as opposed to pursuit and arrest, which could have caused serious or fatal injuries to motorcyclists or road users. The event was disrupted, one person was ar- rested, and ten bikes were seized. The key out- come for the police and community is that there was no loss of life and no injuries.” Police chief condemns rogue bikers CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two people charged with illegally importing a type of possum known as a sugar glider appeared in Summary Court on Thursday, when their matter was adjourned again until Jan. 11. Meanwhile, representations were being con- sidered by the Crown in respect of the case, de- fense attorney Nicholas Dixey told Magistrate Grace Donalds. Defendants Jimel Martin McLean and Sabrina Robin Walton are charged with importing an alien animal on June 7 without a valid import permit as required by the Animals Law. McLean, 31, is also charged with importing a biological product without a valid permit – 25 doses of a canine distemper vaccine – on the same date. Magistrate Donalds adjourned the case until January, after hearing further comments on the matter. Mr. Dixey, representing McLean, explained that certain recommendations were going to be con- sidered by senior Crown counsel. “This is a case that will be resolved. It may well be that on the next occasion, the matter is disposed of, but if not, we will be able to fix dates [for the matter to continue],” the attorney told the court. He noted that if legal arguments resulted, the matter might take more time and be expensive. Walton’s attorney, Richard Barton, said he ad- opted Mr. Dixey’s submissions. The magistrate ex- tended bail for both defendants until Jan. 11. It is illegal to import any animal without a valid import permit issued by the Department of Agriculture. The charges arose after an incident aboard a Cayman-bound jet, when the sugar glider report- edly got loose. SUGAR GLIDER CASE ADJOURNED TO 2018 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s Department of Labour and Pensions is required to approve any transfers of pension funds to retirement savings accounts outside the territory’s borders, but thus far, local pensions administrators said they have received little or no guidance as to what criteria will be used by government to green-light those funds transfers. As of Dec. 31, 2019, private sector pension plan partici- pants will no longer be able to “cash out” their retirement sav- ings after leaving the islands, although they can still transfer their funds outside Cayman after that date to another similar pen- sions/retirement savings fund. However, the process for how those transfers are to be effected is not well under- stood, even by some of the pensions fund administrators. “It was … the various plan providers’ understanding that Gov’t must approve pensions fund transfers A merry Christmas go round A vacant lot off West Bay Road has been transformed into a mini amusement park, which will be in place for six weeks throughout the Christmas season. The Cayman Winter Carnival is scheduled to open Friday night, promising a mix of rides and attractions for all. For more on this story, see page 6. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS CARIBBEANCAFEA Lunch /Dinner 11am-10pm Daily A Missing boaters found near Honduras KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Graham Rankine was going about his business on Wednesday night when he said he received a phone call from a friend in Honduras, who told him he had found two men drifting on the sea near Honduras from the Cayman Islands. After speaking with his friend, Honduras resident Leonard Holder, Mr. Rankine said he found out that the men were the two boaters who have reportedly been missing at sea since Oct. 25. He said the men were Caymanian Thomas Owen Robert Bush – who Mr. Ran- kine used to coach in foot- ball – and a Jamaican na- tional whose name he does not know. Mr. Rankine said he does not know how the men be- came lost in the first place, but that Mr. Holder told him that the rainy conditions might have saved their lives by providing drinking water and shelter from the sun. “[Mr. Bush] is in good health, but has a lot of blis- ters,” he said. Mr. Rankine said the men were on the island of Gua- naja, and that Honduras au- thorities have been notified about their presence. Police in Cayman con- firmed that they had received reports that 30-year-old Mr. Bush, of North Side, had been found alive by a Hon- duran fishing vessel. “The RCIPS is in the course of confirming these reports with the family of Mr. Bush and the Honduran au- thorities; it remains officially unconfirmed at this time,” the police statement said. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service initially made on announcement on Nov. 2 that the two men were missing after going out to sea on Oct. 25. “Mr. Bush was last seen in the Windsor Park area wearing jean shorts and T- shirt, and was said to have left for sea in a 28ft canoe,” police said at the time. “The police are currently trying to determine a possible lo- cation of the vessel in which Mr. Bush departed in order to deploy further search and rescue efforts.” On Nov. 16, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice sent out another an- nouncement on the matter, stating that the search for the men was ongoing. “Early last week, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified and then dispatched an air- craft to search an area based on calculations of Bush’s last known location. However, there were no sightings,” that announcement stated. “The USCG has also alerted their assets in the Caribbean as well as ships in our area.” The two men that have been missing at sea since Oct. 25 – an unnamed Jamaica national, left, and Thomas Owen Robert Bush – were reportedly found near Honduras on Wednesday. - PHOTO PROVIDED BY GRAHAM RANKINE A Digicel worker was robbed at gun- point Wednesday night after leaving the com- pany’s George Town wa- terfront store. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said a lone male brandishing what appeared to be a firearm took a backpack that held some cash from the store’s business takings, as well as some personal items. The robbery was re- ported just after 7 p.m. The suspect ran north on North Church Street after the hold up. No one was injured in the rob- bery and no shots were fired, police said. No arrests were re- ported Thursday. Police said the suspect was de- scribed as being between 5 feet, 7 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall, of medium build, with a long-sleeved hoodie and a cloth tied around his face. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – Protests were growing in Honduras Thursday as in- cumbent President Juan Or- lando Hernandez emerged with a growing lead for re-election following a re- ported computer glitch that shut down vote counting for several hours. Challenger Salvador Nas- ralla has alleged fraud and said he will not respect the official results. He’s watched an initial five-point lead di- minish in recent days as offi- cial results have trickled out. On Thursday, Hernandez was ahead by about 28,000 votes, with nearly 90 per- cent of Sunday’s votes pro- cessed. He had 42.6 per- cent of the vote to Nasralla’s 41.6 percent. Opposition supporters protested through the night outside the electoral court’s facilities, setting up some highway roadblocks and lighting fires in the streets. Police responded with tear gas as calls to main- tain calm were increas- ingly unheeded. Other protesters from the country’s interior gath- ered on the capital’s out- skirts Thursday, preparing to march in protest. Riot po- lice equipped with batons and tear gas closed two cen- tral boulevards. Vehicles with water cannons for crowd control were visible. Many schools and uni- versities in the capital an- nounced they would be closed through the weekend to keep students out of harm’s way. The Association of Banking Institutions rec- ommended branches close Thursday afternoon in antici- pation of street clashes. Nasralla via Twitter asked his supporters to continue to protest peacefully and not be provoked into violence. Luis Zelaya, candidate for the Lib- eral Party, who was running a distant third in the tally, called for his supporters to “defend democracy.” Caritas de Honduras, the social service arm of the Catholic Church, scolded all parties Thursday for calling their supporters into the streets. “That situation every day makes integration of society and the recovery of govern- ability more distant,” it said in a statement. Court president David Matamoros said complete results will be available Thursday afternoon. Former President Manuel Zelaya, whose Libre party was part of Nasralla’s co- alition, called for observers from the Organization of American States and Euro- pean Union to organize a public count of ballots to alleviate concerns of ma- nipulation. He spoke on Honduras’ Canal 5 televi- sion Thursday. “That is a practical and definitive solution to exit the crisis Hernandez has gotten us into,” said Zelaya, who was ousted from office in a coup orchestrated by Hernandez’s National Party in 2009. He was accused of plotting to violate the con- stitution by seeking just the sort of re-election that Her- nandez is trying for. But the ruling National Party showed no sign of backing down. Party di- rector Jesus Mejia told The Associated Press that with the remaining votes coming from rural areas, Her- nandez would win by more than 50,000 votes. Both candidates have de- clared themselves the winner. Late Wednesday, Nasralla disavowed an agreement he and Hernandez had signed with the Organization of American States to respect the official results. “I signed that document before the electoral court’s computing center went down, and that was a trap,” Nas- ralla said at a news confer- ence. “The agreement with the OAS was to respect trust- worthy results without al- terations … and the court has altered the documents in the last two days. That is unacceptable.” Hernandez said he would respect the result and called for calm while the final votes were counted. Matamoros said the com- puter problem was resolved and did not affect the vote. A section of West Bay road between Lawrence Boulevard and Galleria Roundabout will be closed during nighttime hours on Sunday and Monday to facilitate concrete work on the West Bay Road Underpass. According to a statement from Dart Real Estate, which is building the underpass, resi- dents and employees and cus- tomers of businesses operating in the road closure zone will have limited access, gaining entry from the Galleria Round- about for properties and busi- nesses north of the underpass and from the Lawrence Boule- vard entrance for those south of the underpass. The road will be closed from 10 p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday, and from 10 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday. The road was also scheduled to be closed Thursday, Nov. 30, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The robbery was reported just after 7 p.m. Employee robbed outside Digicel store Protests rise as vote count in Honduras drags on NIGHTTIME ROAD CLOSURE FOR UNDERPASS WORK Supporters of presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla chant slogans against Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is running for reelection, as they protest what they call electoral fraud in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Wednesday. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 Rolex giveaway is on January 2nd. BAYSHORE MALL, CARDINALL AVENUE & THE STRAND +1 (345) 815 7492 • KIRKFREEPORT.COM CHRISTMAS SWEEPST AKES THIS CHRISTMAS MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK US$40,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES WILL BE WON! 3 X US$5,000 CASH WINNERS 5 X US$1,000 CASH WINNERS AND OTHER GREAT PRIZES! Every US$100 purchase at any Kirk Freeport store made before noon on December 23rd qualifi es for all prize draws! Winners will be announced on Z99 and Rooster 101.9 at 6pm each drawing date. RULES AND REGULATIONS: Minimum US$100 purchase to enter. One entry per purchase. Receipts can be combined to reach US$100 requirement. Winner must claim prize at Kirk Freeport on Cardinall Avenue within 7 days of announcement. Non- winning valid entries from Kirk Freeport Christmas Sweepstakes will be included in the Rolex Drawing. Kirk Freeport employees and immediate family members are not eligible to enter. DEC 1ST: ENTRY COLLECTION BEGINS Dec 8th US$5,000 Dec 15th US$5,000 Dec 18th - 22nd US$1,000 each day Dec 23rd US$5,000The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS If criminal sanctions, decades of awareness cam- paigns and frequent “cautionary tales” in the form of drunk driving-related accidents (and deaths) have not been enough to eliminate the scourge of drinking and driving on our islands, frankly, we’re not sure what will. The sight of a car, mangled beyond recognition (not to mention the people trapped inside) should be more than enough to scare any person “sober” – to entice them to hand their keys to a designated driver, call a friend, hail a taxi, ride a bus … anything to avoid taking the steering wheel into their own hands, along with the lives of themselves and others. Clearly, that is not always the case. But why? Especially on Grand Cayman, where there are so many options for alternate transportation? It seems like an obvious question, particularly in the clarity offered by sunshine and sobriety. However, people (who normally number themselves among the “responsible members of society”) tend to become emboldened by the very libations that make them a hazard to their own health and public safety. They slip into the driver’s seat, turn the ignition and take a chance. If luck is on their side, they arrive at their des- tination unscathed, and without causing harm to innocent people. This time. It’s a high-risk, low-reward chance that’s not worth taking. Choosing to drink and drive is a poten- tially life-altering (or -ending) decision that, unfor- tunately, is made on a daily basis in the Cayman Islands – but perhaps never more often than during the holiday season. These next few weeks, when Christmas spirits (and alcoholic “spirits”) flow freely, have traditionally been some of the worst in terms of drinking and driving. We urge police to step up their presence on the roads over the next few weeks, enforcing driving and safety laws. In Cayman it is illegal to drive under the influence of either alcohol or drugs – a violation that is punishable on first offense with a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months imprisonment or both. Those penal- ties double for repeat offenders, and if a judge wishes, he or she can suspend an offender’s license to drive for a year or even more – even on the first offense. Legal punishments, though tough (but fair), pale in magnitude when compared to the grief and anguish of accidents, injuries and death. There is good reason impaired driving is illegal – it is incredibly dangerous. Alcohol slows brain functioning, dulls hand-eye coor- dination, slows reaction time and clouds a person’s judgment – all skills that are needed in abundance when you get behind the wheel. Already, too many warm holiday memories have been marred by tragic alcohol- and drug-related accidents. Do not add more names to the list of the bereaved, or any more white memorial crosses on Cayman’s roadsides. By all means, enjoy the season. But if you choose to partake in “Christmas cheer,” choose not to drive – to make it easy on yourselves, make plans for trans- portation home, before you leave the house, and long before that first sip. It is one of the simplest and most valuable gifts you can give to your loved ones and to your community. This season, decide not to drink and drive Choosing political allegiance over the economic reality Why is it that those who have been right in the past are often ignored, while great attention is paid to those who have been wrong? Many “politi- cally correct” forecasters’ words are accepted as gospel by the media despite dismal records. The debate about cli- mate change, the minimum wage and the proposals for tax reform illustrate why so many get it wrong. All of the major climate models forecast a much more rapid rate of global warming than has actually occurred, yet rather than admit error, many forecasters and their media allies have doubled down. For some reason, advo- cates of a higher minimum wage have “determined” that $15 per hour is a “liv- able wage,” whatever that may mean. Despite the fact that advocates are unable to give a coherent answer as to why it is $15, rather than $14, $16, $10, $20 or even a $100 per hour, they have many cheerleaders in the mainstream media who characterize those who op- pose it as heartless rather than rational. There is a union-backed group demanding that Walmart raise its wages de- spite the fact that Walmart pays about the same av- erage wage as Amazon for similar jobs. They argue that Walmart can “afford it,” ignoring the fact that it is in a very competitive re- tail market and would prob- ably have to raise prices for its customers (many of whom are low-income), lay off some workers and close some stores. Amazon’s chief is the politically correct Jeff Bezos, who also happens to own The Washington Post. Mr. Bezos’ wealth topped $100 billion this past week, so he most certainly “can af- ford” to raise the wages of his workers. But because he dislikes President Trump and owns major main- stream media, he gets a pass from those who attack other “greedy capitalists.” The debate about the tax rate cut proposal shows this same reality disconnect. Mi- nority party leaders Nancy Pelosi and Charles Schumer and many of their colleagues claim it is a tax cut for the rich when, in fact, almost all low- and middle-income people will receive a mean- ingful tax reduction. And yes, in Mrs. Pelosi’s San Francisco and Mr. Schum- er’s New York, some of their fellow wealthy constituents might pay higher taxes. Some economists argue that the tax bill will cause little additional growth, and almost all state it will in- crease the debt (in the ab- sence of cutting useless spending and waste). Pres- idents Reagan and Obama promulgated very different tax policies to deal with the recessions they both inher- ited. The Reagan recession was longer and shallower, while the Obama recession was deeper and shorter. President Reagan cut the maximum individual tax rate from 70 percent to 50 percent and, ultimately, to 28 per- cent. President Obama raised the individual tax from a maximum of 35 percent to 39.6 percent. Yet, the debt under Mr. Obama increased much faster in both nom- inal and real terms than it did under Reagan. Once their programs were in place, real growth in the Reagan years was more than double that in the Obama years. The growth stemming from Reagan’s program per- manently raised the real level of gross domestic product (GDP), resulting in a boom in real incomes and jobs. The deficit soared after both recessions. But as tax revenue recovered and federal government spending approached its re- cent historical average of about 21 percent of GDP, deficits returned to the 2-3 percent range. When comparing fed- eral government revenues and outlays the years Pres- idents Reagan and Obama were elected and the years they left office, it appears that changes in marginal in- come tax rates have a much greater effect on economic growth rates than on overall government revenues. The majority of econo- mists claimed at the time that the economy could not grow nearly as fast as it did after the Reagan tax rate cuts – and they were wrong. The majority of economists and major institutions, such as the Federal Reserve and the International Monetary Fund, also forecast that the economy would grow much faster than it did after the Obama spending “stimulus” – and they were wrong. Most economists under- stand that high taxes on cig- arettes and sugary drinks discourage consumption. Why then is it that so many seem to have such a hard time understanding (despite the empirical evidence) that lower tax rates on work, saving and investment will stimulate economic growth and grow the tax base? Why do members of the media (e.g., The New York Times ed- itorial page) give more cre- dence to those who failed in their past predictions than those who got it right? Is it political bias or ignorance of history that causes the re- ality disconnect? Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN 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 findtheirownway” Why do members of the media (e.g., The New York Times editorial page) give more credence to those who failed in their past predictions than those who got it right?The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 Start spending today for your chance to win! rbc.com/spreadthemagic Win US $3,000 just for using your RBC® Visa‡ debit and credit card Every time you spend US $100 or more, you’ll receive one entry into the draw, and two entries for an online or foreign transaction. Wherever you want to spend, you can do it safe in the knowledge that you have maximum fraud protection, so you won’t be out of pocket. Promotion runs from November 6th to December 31st, 2017. Promotion is open to all business credit card holders and personal debit and credit cards holders. Clients get one entry for every local purchase and two enteries for international and foreign transactions of US$100 or more made with your RBC Visa debit and credit card. All valid entries are eligible to win the grand prize of US$3,000 and second and third prizes of US$500 each. Winners will be selected by random draw and notied via phone on January 30th 2018. Prize money will be credited to the winners’ credit card account by February 12th, 2018. There can be no transfer, assignment, cash redemption or substitution of the prizes. ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s). Make the magic possible We’re spreading the magic of the season by giving you the opportunity to win US $3,000 in our prize draw! 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Winter Carnival arrives in Cayman JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Carnival season officially returns to Cayman for the first time in two decades on Friday with the opening of an amusement park for a six- week run through Christmas and New Year. A small vacant lot off West Bay Road has been rapidly transformed into an arena for rollercoasters, bumper cars and a variety of other fairground attractions. “We’ve got the Skyfall, Vertigo, Orbiter, the Cliff- hanger,” said Dominic Vivona, one of the owners of Amuse- ments of America, which has brought its traveling car- nival to Grand Cayman, as he oversaw set-up of the rides this week. “Some let you down, some spin you around, some take you high, they all do different things. For the teenagers, they are all favorites.” Matthew Leslie’s Cayman Mardi Gras promotions com- pany contracted Amusements of America to bring the event to Cayman. The com- pany takes its carnival on the road throughout the U.S. year round and has traveled to the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico previously. Mr. Vivona said, “We are one of the largest car- nival companies in the U.S. We take this all over America, the Caribbean, South America. This is our first time in the Cayman Is- lands and we are very excited about being here.” Mr. Leslie hopes to see 30,000 people through the gates over the next six weeks. He said the event, dubbed the Cayman Winter Carnival, would provide some excitement, especially for young people over the festive season. “This island can be quite boring when it comes to nighttime activities,” he said. “This is something for the whole family to do. “A lot of parents can’t afford to go to Disney World. This is on a much smaller scale obviously, but it is something the family can enjoy.” He said the event would also provide casual work for many Caymanians over Christmas, putting money in the pockets of around 200 people over the course of the event. The rides were in place Thursday and the site was undergoing final safety in- spections ahead of opening at 6 p.m. Friday. Bill Essick, a safety in- spector from Wagner Con- sulting Group, which has been contracted to oversee the set-up of the park, said engineers were looking at every component on the rides to ensure they were running smoothly. He said Amusements of America was a reputable company that had a good record and the event was on course to open on time Friday. “If my 4-year-old and 6-year-old were here, I would put them on any ride as long as they were tall enough,” he said. Entry is $25 for adults, $20 for under-15s and free for seniors and under-5s. In the background to the event, Mr. Leslie has filed a lawsuit against the website Cayman Marl Road and its purported owner Sandra Hill over an article the site pub- lished alleging the carnival “may be a scam.” The basis for the article appears to have been a Pho- toshopped image of a ship- ping container carrying the carnival’s logo. Lawyers for Mr. Leslie argue in a court filing that it should have been obvious to the blogger that the images were “promotional materials” and not the actual shipping containers bringing the car- nival to the island. The court document also highlights a passage in the web story which stated, “Cayman Marl Road has sufficient reason to be- lieve the much anticipated Cayman Winter Carnival may be a scam.” The statement of claim suggests those words were intended to imply Mr. Leslie was engaged in a dis- honest business venture with the purpose of de- frauding the public. Mr. Leslie said the article had already been proven to be completely untrue. Ms. Hill said she would defend herself against what she described as a “frivolous lawsuit.” She said Mr. Leslie had acknowledged that he “doctored a photo” in his ef- forts to promote the event. She added that Cayman Marl Road was incorporated in the U.S. and questioned whether the Cayman courts had legal jurisdiction to deal with his claim. Walk/run aids Brac kids pantry program Brac Breeze Fusion second annual 5K Walk/Run raised $1,200 in support of the Lions Club of Cayman Brac Kids Pantry program last weekend. The funds raised will pro- vide nutritious snacks to children who would other- wise go to school hungry. More than 70 runners and walkers, including students, civil servants and tourists, took part in the 5K event, or- ganized by Radio Cayman and Breeze FM. Madi Brandes, 17, and Sean-Douglas Valentine, 14, were the female and male champions of Saturday’s 5K Walk/Run, which started from South Side Public Beach. Declared the overall male champion, Sean-Douglas posted the best overall time of 19:09 minutes. Madi had an overall time of 30:05 in the fe- male category. “It was such a delight to be home on the Brac for the second annual Walk/Run and see how it has already grown in numbers,” said Pau- lette Conolly-Bailey, deputy director of Radio Cayman. “I was also elated at the wide age group of participants who joyfully came out to sup- port the worthy cause.” The event also saw the involvement of visitor Mi- chael Rosen, 52, who finished second overall, just half a second behind Sean-Douglas. “I first heard about the Cayman Brac 5K the night before,” said Mr. Rosen. “I was going to run anyway so why not help out a local charity along the way.” Other top finishers were Curtis Hunt, age 13, with a time of 23:12, Di’Jhaney Val- entine, 12, who finished in 31:53, and Catrise Connor, 12, with a time of 45:17. For more information on the Annual Brac Breeze Fusion 5K Walk/ Run, or to become a corporate sponsor or volunteer, email rcsales@gov.ky or call 949-7799. More than 70 runners and walkers, including students, civil servants and tourists, took part in the 5K event. Organizer Matthew Leslie stands in front of the Cliffhanger ride Wednesday as final touches are made to get the Winter Carnival ready for its Friday opening. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Paulette Conolly-Bailey presents top male runner Sean-Douglas Valentine with his award. Radio Cayman’s Paulette Conolly-Bailey presents top female runner Madi Brandes with her prize.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 OUR PRIZE WINNERS And “Thank You” to everyone who sold or bought a ticket! GRA ND PRIZ E WIN NER Music Extravaganza 2017 $40,000 winner CARDELL MCLAUGHLIN SELLER: Audley Williams. TICKET #05179 Congratulations and a BIG For full details on all winners please visit our website www.rotarycentral.ky or our Facebook page Rotary Central Cayman Islands ROTARY CENTRAL Altered Mind’s Sea-n-B Dr. Bob’s Experiment Al La Kebab Al Thompson’s Home Depot Alee Artifacts Ltd. Associated Industries Atlantis Submarines Beyond Basics Bon Vivant Brand Source Canton Chinese Restaurant Casanova’s Restaurant Cayman Turtle Centre Cox Lumber Dr. Bob & Friends Every Bloomin Thing Funky Tangs Kirk Freeport Kirk Home Centre Kirk Office Equipment Massive Equipment Red Sail Sports Roper’s Enterprises LTd Sound Solutions Treats Restaurant Uncle Bill’s Foster’s Supermarkets • Hurley’s Supermarket • Funky Tangs • A.L. Thompson Home Depot • Gas Stations • Kirk Supermarket • Cost-U-Less • Government Administration Building • Kirk Home Centre 22nd Annual Rotary Central Cayman Islands 22nd Annual Rotary Central Cayman Islands 25th November 2017 MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA TICKET OUTLETS:ENTERTAINMENT: EVENT SUPPORTERS VENDORS & SPONSORS: 2ND PRIZE Johann Carter $4,000 Winner Seller: Audley Williams (yes, you read that right) Ticket #04002 3RD PRIZE 3RD PRIZE DEANNE BURROWS Seller: Phyllis Moxam. Ticket #04270 GUILLERMO VASCO Seller: June Bryan. Ticket #00091 3RD PRIZE ADELFA TUTOR Seller: Genna Powery. Ticket #04051 3RD PRIZE 3RD PRIZE 3RD PRIZE COREY CHRISTIAN Seller: Corleen Goodman. Ticket #01252 JEN SKRINSKA Seller: The Greenhouse. Ticket #05567Seller: Andrea Bodden. Ticket #00817 SIMONE WHITTAKER8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Efforts to open a small trade school are quietly under way in Grand Harbour. Youth worker Michael Myles is setting up a training facility for mechanics in a new partnership between Hope Academy and several private sector partners in the auto industry. Mr. Myles said the pro- gram – similar to a now de- funct training scheme run through the Superior Auto garage – would use class- room space at the school and a workshop being de- veloped in a converted ship- ping container. He said the program would be accredited through the Jamaican German Au- tomotive School, the training program for me- chanics in Jamaica. Private sector sponsors have donated around $10,000 in tools, engines and other equipment, as well as a dis- used shipping container, which the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is outfitting. Mr. Myles said he expects the work and the accredi- tation process to take until March to complete. He said the program would be a night school and would qualify students to work as entry-level me- chanics on island. “It will be similar to the program that ran at Superior Auto,” he said. “They weren’t able to do it any longer so there is currently no me- chanics program on island.” Mr. Myles, formerly gov- ernment’s at-risk youth of- ficer, now operations and de- velopment manager at Hope Academy, said Owen Knight, the instructor for the me- chanics program, was now working at Hope. He said, “No one uses Hope Academy after 3:30 p.m. and we decided the fa- cility needs to be used. We already have an accred- ited instructor.” He said students would have to pay to take part in the program, but would likely be eligible for government scholarships. “It is not a free pro- gram, we need to pay for the teacher, to put the lights on at night,” he said. “There is more to it than just playing with engines. You need math, English, science, you need to understand IT.” He said there was scope to expand into other areas, like cosmetology, barbering and electronics, if the me- chanics program is a success. “The average mechanic is not Caymanian, the average barber is not Caymanian, most waiters and bar staff are not Caymanian. These are career paths we have to open up for our people. “I’m not sitting around waiting for government to do anything. If they want, they can partner with us, but if not, students will have to apply for scholarships.” The Family of the late Henry Ashburn Rivers Extend sincere thanks and appreciation for all your support, prayers, phone calls and visits during our time of bereavement. May God’s richest blessings be upon you all. The Rivers’ Family T h a n k Y o u The family of the late Evadney Williams nee Thomas Are deeply grateful for all your prayers, support and encouragement during our time of bereavement Each act of kindness touched our hearts, and we are forever grateful. Thank You Treasured Memories on your Birthday Brother Thomas Rupert Joseph Hubbell December 1st, 1972 – June 12th, 2017 I thought of you today But that is nothing new I thought of you yesterday And will tomorrow too. I think of you in silence And make no outward show For what it meant to lose you Only those who love you know. Remembering you is easy I do it every day. It’s just the heartache of losing you That will never go away. Love and miss you Thomas Your Baby Brother Anthony Butler and family. Thomas Rupert Joseph Hubbell December 1st, 1972 – June 12th, 2017 My Son It broke my heart to lose you, But you did not go alone A part of me went with you The day God called you home. A million times I’ve thought of you A million times I’ve cried, If loving could have saved you You never would have died. Forgive me lord, I’ll always weep For my son I loved so much But yet I could not keep. Sweet Dreams My Angel Love Isabella Hubbell, Anthony, Aaron and family. Happy 1st Birthday in Heaven The family of the Late Matilda “Tilly” Elnora McLaughlin regrets to announce her passing on Thursday, 23 November , 2017. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A Funeral service will be held 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 3 December 2017 at Church of God (Universal) East End, viewing will be from 1:30-2:15 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in East End Cemetery. Auto school to open at Hope Academy “The average mechanic is not Caymanian, the average barber is not Caymanian, most waiters and bar staff are not Caymanian.” MICHAEL MYLES, youth worker Michael Myles surveys the shipping container which is being transformed into a shop for trainee mechanics at Hope Academy in Grand Harbour. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Customs: Online ‘challenges’ mostly fixed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands cus- toms officials said Thursday that most of the technical “glitches” afflicting its online registration platform for im- porters have now been ad- dressed, and more than 300 customs declarations have been processed via the new Customs Online Service (COLS) portal. “Thus far, over 600 im- porters have been registered and verified as recognized traders with customs and this [number] is increasing daily,” a statement from the department indicated. Customs officials ad- dressed some complaints made by local businesses in Thursday’s edition of the Cayman Compass, indicating problems with the online reg- istration system were holding up various construction proj- ects because builders could not access needed materials from the Cargo Distribution Centre in George Town. Cox Lumber General Manager Joe Shetler said Wednesday that about half a dozen construction proj- ects had been affected as his company was awaiting delivery of various retail items, including windows, lumber and other construc- tion materials, to distribute to the builders. Normally, Mr. Shetler said, those items would have arrived on a Sunday or Monday for de- livery to Cox on a Tuesday. By Wednesday of this week, that had not happened. “[HM Customs] is saying they’ve got issues that are delaying the release of our containers and that is af- fecting a lot of job sites,” Mr. Shetler said. Customs officials said Cox is not using the COLS system to submit any decla- rations for imported goods, but rather is using a cus- toms broker that submits “hardcopy declarations that take a longer time to process through our legacy systems.” “According to our records,” the customs statement reads, “we received the declaration for the windows and other goods late Monday after- noon the 27th of November, 2017, and they were cleared and released around 3 p.m. [Wednesday] afternoon.” Customs officials said they “reached out” Cox Lum- ber’s broker and urged them to register the com- pany on the COLS system as soon as possible. “For the interim, customs continues to allow importers to use our legacy system to clear their imports; how- ever, we encourage importers to get registered in COLS as imports using this system will be given priority,” the statement read. Certain imported items considered “priorities” for clearances like food, medi- cines, and live animals, would be processed quickly, regard- less of the method used. Customs Collector Charles Clifford said the department would reevaluate toward the end of the year whether it should continue using the old “hard copy” declaration system into 2018.9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2017 75 mobile phones seized since January BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com It is against Cayman Is- lands law to have a mo- bile phone inside the walls of Northward and Fair- banks prisons. Yet, a total of 75 such de- vices have been recovered from prisoners at the two fa- cilities since the beginning of this year. According to court testi- mony in one recent case, the law did not stop Northward inmate Andy Errol Barnes from admittedly “abusing” his domestic partner using a stashed mobile device for a period of five months, begin- ning in October 2016. At the time abusive text messages were being sent, prosecutors said Barnes was awaiting trial at Northward for possession of an unli- censed firearm. He was later found guilty of the firearm offense and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Barnes had used just one of 75 mobile phones seized from inmates at North- ward and Fairbanks since January, according to data provided to the Cayman Compass by Her Majesty’s Prisons Service. The adult male and female prison fa- cilities combined are aver- aging just under seven mo- bile device seizures per month during 2017. In the past, prisoners at Northward have used smug- gled mobile devices to post pictures of themselves on social media, or even ar- range for crimes to be com- mitted “on the outside” of the prison facilities. Prisons Director Neil Lavis has long acknowledged that mobile phone communica- tions from inside Northward, in particular, are a problem and has taken steps in recent months to prevent their use via new technology. Mr. Lavis said this week that he has secured funds from the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office to purchase cellphone jamming equipment. “This technology should be in place before April 2018,” a statement from the prisons service noted. Similar attempts to block phone signals at Northward men’s prison were unsuc- cessful during 2011 and 2012, largely because of signal in- terference with the devices being inadvertently emitted from a radio tower in the area. However, prisons offi- cials said the equipment now eyed for purchase has been “successfully trialed in other establishments.” “This technology has been significantly improved since it was originally pi- loted in the prison and it is anticipated that negative ef- fects like jamming of signals to customers who reside in close proximity to the prison, which were experienced at that time, will no longer be an issue of concern,” the statement noted. There will still have to be more “old-fashioned” methods employed to keep cellphones out of the prison. Authorities conduct regular security sweeps of the North- ward perimeter fence, which remains a favorite spot for individuals who toss phones and other contraband over the wall into the secured compound. Visitors who come to the compound are searched and prisoners who have been released for med- ical or legal appointments also face routine searches, officials said. “The prison takes its role in preserving public safety very seriously and the di- rector and his senior team encourage any member of the general public who be- comes aware that an inmate has access to a personal mo- bile phone to report the same so that corrective action can be taken, with the assurance that their identity will be kept confidential,” the prisons service statement noted. The only inmates who would receive cellphones would be those “lower risk” inmates who are serving the remainder of their sen- tences on the prisons’ Re- lease on Temporary License program. Certain of those in- mates would be given mo- bile phones as part of the ef- fort to reintegrate them back into society. When the license pris- oners return to their respec- tive compounds, the phones are returned to the prison staff, officials said. Land- line phones are used in- side the prisons for inmates’ calls to family members, at- torneys and the like. Those calls are recorded for secu- rity purposes. “[Phone-jamming] technology should be in place before April 2018.” STATEMENT FROM PRISON DIRECTOR NEIL LAVIS’S OFFICE Court case highlights prison phones problem Mobile phones are illegal at Northward Prison, nonetheless a total of 75 have been found there, and at Fairbanks Prison, so far this year. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYNext >