ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 High of 90 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A WORKABLE SOLUTION TO SOCIAL WELFARE LOCAL | PAGE 2 CAYMAN AIRWAYS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS PremierHealth Think of a number, then think of a health plan. BritCay settled 257,684 health claims in 2017. 97% in 5 working days and 60% automatically. Premier Health is number one for great numbers! British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Limited acts solely as an agent on behalf of Colonial Medical Insurance Company Limited and it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Council plans rollout of education changes MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com After nearly a year of studying the issues, Cayman Islands Education Council Chairman Dan Scott said it’s time to make a move. Mr. Scott said he and the other council members, along with Minister of Education Juliana O’Connor-Connolly have looked at such things as increasing teacher compensa- tion, rebalancing the power structure between the ministry and the classroom, revamping the curriculum and elevating expectations for student performance. Officials have launched a plan of action that will be defined and implemented over the next year, he said, stressing that action is the key term. “This stuff’s going to change quickly,” Mr. Scott said. “If these things are executed, you’re going to see, in very short order, the government school system will become competitive and very attractive.” One immediate change will be increasing compensation for teachers, one of the first is- sues Ms. O’Connor-Connolly talked about after becoming minister last year. A 2011 re- port, the most recent figure available, said the majority of teachers are paid between $3,500 and $4,800 per month. The minister has argued that the minimum pay should be $5,000 per month. “She’s right that she has to compensate at a level that’s attractive,” Mr. Scott said. Cayman has struggled to recruit off-island teachers, not only because it has traditionally started the process late in the game, but also because its salaries are less competitive than in other jurisdictions. Mr. Scott said increased pay would im- prove the morale of the existing faculty and help to bring in more high-quality instructors. He said it will help in “making sure we get SOME EMPLOYERS STYMIED BY SCHOOL SPACE SHORTAGE MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Many expatriates living in the Cayman Islands who have children know the chal- lenges of finding space for them in the private schools here. For some, it can be a disqualifying factor in deciding whether to work in the islands. Will Koutney, a recruitment consultant for CML, an international recruiting firm, said the problem is very real. “Right at the moment, I have a call sched- uled,” he said, with a company consid- ering hiring one of his clients. “The reason they haven’t hired yet is the candidate, this mom, had a 7-year-old boy and couldn’t get into a school.” Mr. Koutney said the company was consid- ering having the woman work from her cur- rent London home for the next year, hopeful that she will be able to enroll her son in the fall of 2019. While the issue is not a daily challenge, it does come up periodically, he said, and he’s seeing it more often. In the past, a client might complain about not being able to get their child into the school of choice. “We never used to hear that one kid just couldn’t get in school,” he said. He said he often discourages candidates for whom it may be a problem. “A lot of times we put people off if they have a family.” The reason is twofold, he said. One is the school issue; the other is that, often, the amount of income being offered in the Report: More court records being kept secret Grand Court disputes OffshoreAlert’s findings KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Grand Court’s financial services di- vision is keeping an increasing number of court records from the public, according to a report published this week by Offshore- Alert, a financial services website that pub- lishes Cayman- and other offshore-related court records. OffshoreAlert’s research states that the number of financial cases sealed from the public has been steadily rising over the last decade – a trend that the site’s owner, David Marchant, criticizes as a “repugnant” effort to conceal fraud and other cases by a ju- risdiction that prides itself on being trans- parent. The Grand Court, however, has dis- puted OffshoreAlert’s report, stating that most of the cases not currently public are winding-up petitions, which are subject to a “special procedure” that delays their pub- lication until a judge can ensure that the petition has merit. When the Grand Court’s financial ser- vices division was created in 2009, the re- cords for all of its 67 cases were publicly available. Only around 1 percent of the cases were sealed from 2010 to 2012, but PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » The number of financial cases before the Grand Court that have been sealed from the public has been steadily rising over the last decade, according to OffshoreAlert. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE DARKEST MINDS (PG13) 1:50 I 4:25 I 7:00 I 10:00 VIP MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 12:45 3D I 3:30 VIP I 6:45 VIP I 9:30 3D THE EQUALIZER 2 (R) 12:40 VIP I 3:45 I 6:35 I 9:15 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (PG) 1:35 I 6:45 TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (PG) 12:35 I 2:50 I 5:05 I 7:00 I 9:25 INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 4:00 I 9:10 MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:25 I 10:00 Cayman Water sends aid to Meals on Wheels SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Water and its customers have come to- gether to aid a local charity. The utility company pre- sented a check of $800 to Rob Imparato, the chairman of Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels, on Wednesday to cap a company promotion related to billing. Cayman Water pledged a $1 donation to Meals on Wheels for every customer who elected to have a paperless bill. “We’re very grateful,” Mr. Imparato said. “We’ve been very excited to be partners with Cayman Water. They’ve been a longtime partner of Meals on Wheels and they’re a great supporter of our mis- sion. They share our values in trying to help out in the com- munity and end senior hunger. It’s very uplifting to think that a company of their stature is willing to step up and help us in any way possible.” Five days a week, Meals on Wheels serves a lunch of soup and entrée to about 200 people, and there are another 200 people on the waiting list. Each lunch purchased by Meals on Wheels from its providers, which includes Champion House restaurant, costs $5, and the charity is seeking more contributions from the community. Mr. Imparato said there’s a need for more vol- unteer drivers. Right now, Meals on Wheels has about 100 vol- unteers to drive the meals to their final destination. On any given day, there will be about 20 volunteers drop- ping off between eight to 10 meals each. Manuel Thomaz, general manager of Cayman Water, said the company is thrilled to be a source of support for Meals on Wheels and that he hopes to deepen their rela- tionship in the future. “We want to give back,” Mr. Thomaz said. “Partnerships like this one are very impor- tant to us because we have the opportunity to give our customers a chance to con- tribute to the welfare of the island. And especially for the people who really need help. I’m already thinking about a new project to be involved with Meals on Wheels. This was just the start. We’ll surely have more partnerships.” Anyone who would like to make a contribution to Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels can visit www.mealsonwheels.ky. Rob Imparato, left, chairman of Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels, accepts a ceremonial check from Manuel Thomaz, general manager of Cayman Water. Cayman Airways celebrates 50 years Cayman’s national air- line celebrated its 50th anni- versary Tuesday. Cayman Airways is marking its half century by offering discounted fares to many of its destination. Earlier this year, the airline added 50th-anniversary logos to the fuselages of all its planes. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell issued a video message to congratulate the airline on its anniversary. “We have so much to be proud of in the many milestones we have been able to achieve as a country because of Cayman Airways,” he said. “From its humble begin- nings as Cayman Brac Air- ways connecting the Sister Is- lands to Grand Cayman, to its opening of the first U.S. inter- national market, Cayman Air- ways has been our islands’ lifeline since 1968.” The airline’s official anni- versary date is Aug. 7. Mr. Kirkconnell described Cayman Airways as a trail- blazer for Cayman Islands’ tourism product. He said that with every new gateway the airline has established routes to and from, it has been the face of Cayman, acting as am- bassadors for the islands. Cayman Airways has a staff of more than 400 and op- erates three Boeing 737-300 aircraft, one Boeing 737-800, two SAAB 340B+ and a pair of Twin Otters. Fabian Whorms, CEO of Cayman Airways, cuts a 50th anniversary cake while mascot Sir Turtle and members of the airline’s staff look on at the Cayman Airways headquarters. ACLU LAWSUIT ACCUSES U.S. OF WRONGFULLY DENYING ASYLUM HOUSTON (AP) – The Amer- ican Civil Liberties Union sued the U.S. government Tuesday over its efforts to prevent immigrants from seeking asylum due to do- mestic and gang violence in their home countries. The ACLU’s lawsuit asks a judge to invalidate At- torney General Jeff Ses- sions’ June 11 decision to restrict the kinds of cases that qualify for asylum. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 parents and children who the ACLU says were wrongly found not to have a credible fear of return. If Sessions’ memo stands, the lawsuit ar- gues, people “desperately seeking safety will be un- lawfully deported to places where they fear they will be raped, kidnapped, beaten, and killed.” Asylum can be granted to someone who was perse- cuted in their home country or could be persecuted if forced to return. Thousands of people seek asylum each month at U.S. Customs and Border Protection stations along the southwest border. Most are from Central American countries torn apart by violence, gangs, and corruption. Top officials in President Donald Trump’s administra- tion say the asylum process is being exploited by immi- grants who are counting on passing the initial credible fear screening and being re- leased into the country. The new lawsuit, filed in Washington, widens the ongoing battle between the ACLU and the U.S. gov- ernment over immigration policy. A federal judge in San Diego ordered the reunifica- tion of thousands of families separated under the Trump administration’s zero-tol- erance policy for border crossers, after the ACLU sued there earlier this year. Sessions’ June memo overruled a 2014 decision by the Board of Immigra- tion Appeals in favor of a Guatemalan woman who fled her husband after what the board called “repugnant abuse.” The board found that the woman was a member of a particular social group eligible for asylum – in this case, married women in Guatemala who could not leave their relationship. Immigration courts and judges operate under the Justice Department, and Sessions can overrule the board. In this case, he said the board had erred. Many asylum seekers “are leaving difficult and dangerous situations,” Ses- sions said in a June speech. “But we cannot abandon legal discipline and sound legal concepts.” The decision had im- mediate impact. Immigration lawyers say people who they ex- pected would pass cred- ible fear screenings began to fail them, and lawyers say immigration judges are signing off on more denials during appeals.. SOCCER’S MARADONA CAN PURSUE EX-WIFE CASE IN U.S. MIAMI (AP) – Argentine soccer great Diego Mara- dona can pursue a lawsuit in the U.S. against his ex-wife claiming she misappropri- ated some of his money to buy Florida real estate, an appeals court ruled Wednesday. The state 3rd District Court of Appeal decided that a lower court correctly re- fused to dismiss the lawsuit against Claudia Villafane. Her lawyers argued the case be- longed in Argentina, but the judges disagreed. The court found that Mara- dona’s claims are barred in Ar- gentina because a statute of limitations on them has ex- pired in that country. In the U.S., however, he can still pursue the lawsuit and his at- torneys have argued that the alleged improper conduct hap- pened in Florida. Maradona and Villafane were married from 1989 to 2003. The lawsuit filed in 2015 in Miami claims she improp- erly used millions buy six con- dominium units.3 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 BREAK FREE from Home. Call 233-4427 or order your tank refills online at cleangas.ky Lower propane prices are a Clean choice. You are free to choose your propane supplier. Don’t be misled by long-term contracts! They do NOT guarantee low pricing. And you can break free! Clean Gas is the clean choice. We offer everyday low prices and deliver 20lb, 100lb or 200lb propane tanks directly to your home. Did you know? Rise in welfare linked to cost of living JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of Cayma- nian families receiving help with food and rent pay- ments from government rose sharply in 2017, according to the government’s latest Com- pendium of Statistics. The Needs Assessment Unit paid rent for 573 fami- lies last year, compared with 392 the year before. The number of people receiving food vouchers was also up, from 732 to 1,109 in the same time period. Overall, the unit pro- vided assistance to more than 1,000 families across a range of programs, including rent, food, electricity, water bills and burial expenses, in 2,049 instances last year – up 13 percent. The longer-term trend shows fluctuation in most of those categories, though the number of people receiving rental assistance had re- mained stable until last year when it spiked sharply. The rising cost of living on the island – in particular increased rent prices in the private sector – have been blamed for the trend. The Compass reported earlier this year that the Needs Assessment Unit was increasingly forced to house homeless families in hotels as it struggled to find afford- able accommodation within its budget for its clients. The NAU offers between $800 and $1,200 for monthly rent, in- cluding bills, depending on the size of the family. The charity Acts of Random Kindness has called for those totals to be in- creased to keep up with the market prices and pre- vent the NAU from having to spend thousands of dollars on hotel rooms. Michael Myles, a former social worker and at-risk youth officer and now a di- rector of the Youth Anti- Crime Trust, said wages had remained stagnant while rents had gone up. “It is hard to live in Cayman if you don’t earn good money. A lot of people are working full time and still have to go to NAU for assistance.” He said a variety of inter- linked social and economic issues were driving an in- creased reliance on welfare. He added, “The fig- ures don’t surprise me. The prison is full so you have more men incarcerated that, one way or another, were the breadwinners in their fami- lies. You have an incredible amount of elderly people without pensions, you have a lot of people that are men- tally ill and not getting treat- ment. There is a generation of Caymanians that have been left behind in this eco- nomic climate.” He said a 2015 Au- ditor General’s report had highlighted serious sys- temic problems with the way welfare was handled in Cayman and pointed to nu- merous potential solutions. But, he said, not enough of its recommendations have been followed up. “They still don’t have one program that helps people get off welfare,” Mr. Myles said. “Where is the invest- ment in training people that everybody ran on in the last election? The only program I see being pushed is the Na- tional Community Enhance- ment that gives people a week’s work. That’s nice but it is not a long-term solution.” Government has launched the Ready2Work program, which helps get people into jobs, and is currently in the process of launching the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) agency, which will be respon- sible for workforce, residency and labor-related issues. There is no direct link be- tween those programs and welfare, however. A $180,000 KPMG report published last year, in the af- termath of the Auditor Gen- eral’s report, recommended doing away with Cayman’s variety of programs and making monthly payments to all welfare recipients derived from a “standard rate” based on the cost of food, shelter and other basic needs. Those recommendations have yet to be implemented. FAMILIES ASSISTED BY NAU OVER LAST TWO YEARS Year2015/162016/17 Rent 392573 Food Vouchers7321,109 Electricity256365 Water Bills187270 Propane73157 Preschool2162 Burial expenses4065 Other37131 VENEZUELA PRESIDENT TIES OPPOSITION LEADER TO DRONE ATTACK CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Pres- ident Nicolas Maduro went on television Tuesday night to ac- cuse one of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leaders of being linked to a weekend attack with drones that the government called an attempt to assassinate Maduro. Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects already arrested pointed to in- volvement by Julio Borges, an opposition leader living in exile in Colombia. “Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The in- vestigations point to him,” Maduro said, though he pro- vided no details on Borges’ alleged role. Borges did not immediately comment on Maduro’s accusation. Critics of Maduro’s so- cialist government had said immediately following Sat- urday evening’s attack that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up op- position politicians as he seeks to dampen spreading discon- tent over Venezuela’s devas- tating economic collapse. In the attack, two drones armed with explosives det- onated near Maduro as he spoke outdoors during a mil- itary celebration. Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky at one blast and then hun- dreds of soldiers scrambling. Prosecutors have arrested six people who face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism. The president also named opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens, seen in a video widely circulating on social media being arrested by Ven- ezuela’s political police force. As elected lawmakers, Borges and Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law. But Di- osdado Cabello, the powerful socialist party leader and president of the National Con- stitutional Assembly, said in a tweet Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation stripping lawmakers of this protection.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. 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” The Cayman Islands economy is a rising tide. However, there is a small but significant, and apparently growing, segment of the population that is not equipped or positioned to benefit equally from our country’s general prosperity. Consider the following: In 2017, Cayman’s esti- mated Gross Domestic Product (a standard method for assessing the size of a country’s economy) increased by 2.9 percent from the previous year, according to data from the Economics and Statistics Office. But during the same period, requests for assistance from the government’s Needs Assessment Unit increased by more than 13 percent. The requests were for all types of assistance, ranging from rent to utility bills, to school uniforms and medical care. In total, families accessed social services assistance 2,049 times last year, up from 1,805 instances the previous year. To an extent, in a capitalistic system the existence of some economic inequality is inevitable, and, as long as the vast majority of society has satisfactory or greater living standards, is not inherently problematic. Although it may be somewhat counterintuitive, it is not surprising that more and more of the lowest-income earners find themselves unable to keep up with the rising costs of living (particularly housing prices) that accom- pany developmental growth and uplift in demand from the upper end of the economic scale. (Look at prosperous places such as San Francisco and New York City to see where entire communities have been “priced out” of their own neighborhoods by the multiplication of those with means.) Just because the phenomenon can to a degree be anticipated does not mean it is not cause for concern. In the context of Cayman’s continuing economic boom, the magnitude (large) and trend (increasing) of our country’s welfare-seeking population is troubling for an island of our limited size and resources. The statistics underscore the well-established problem – the disconnect between the needs of employers, and the skills, aptitudes and attitudes of a certain portion of Cayman’s workforce. In an atmosphere of strong demand for services, too many Caymanian adults are unable or unwilling to hold down steady jobs that would allow them to provide for their families. Short-term work programs, such as this summer’s NiCE cleanup project, will beautify our country while filling workers’ pockets with much-appreciated cash, but those programs do not constitute a long-term strategy. There is little similarity between performing a job for two weeks and maintaining a fulfilling career. There is no single or simple solution to the persis- tent problem of unemployment. Nevertheless, few would disagree that in order to inoculate future generations against poverty, a society must provide access to excel- lent market-sensitive education. Every young Cayma- nian must be prepared to compete in the local and global economy, which is increasingly one and the same. Additionally and importantly, for individuals who are able to work, social services should be structured to provide temporary “lifeline” assistance, not access to a lifetime of welfare dependency, which too commonly evolves into an multigenerational cycle. With few exceptions (such as the elderly or disabled), the goal of social services should be to find the shortest path to gainful employment and self-sufficiency. A workable solution to social welfare THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The sizzling US economy LETTER TO THE EDITOR SMB restaurants will be missed I read with dismay about the eventual closing of Calico Jack’s, Royal Palms and Hemingways. We had heard rumors it would happen when we were on the island in June. Where will all the visi- tors to Seven Mile Beach go for food and drink? If memory serves me correctly, if you take out Calico Jack’s, Royal Palms and Hemingways, and with Tiki Beach gone, there is nowhere to stop for refresh- ments from the Marriott to the Kimpton, except for ho- tels like the Westin and Ritz and any new hotels on the drawing board. Considering that the hotels have “trouble” now with beach visitors using their chairs and facilities, those facilities are going to be even more attrac- tive because they will be the only place visitors can get a drink or food. Will those ho- tels welcome all the cruisers and visitors and allow them to use their beach chairs, etc., all day if food and drink is purchased? Will they tolerate hundreds of cruisers sitting on their chairs every day, using their pools and other ameni- ties? Are their guests, who are paying premium rates, going to tolerate sharing those? I find it difficult to think that will be the case. Being “chased” from these places won’t leave a very good im- pression with visitors. You only have to look at the Royal Palms or the old Beach Suites/Hemingways on “cruise days” to see people want a fa- cility with food, drink, sea toys and a comfortable place to enjoy the beach. They aren’t looking for a “hotel beach ex- perience” nor do they want to pay hotel prices. After all these places are gone, where will they people where they are welcome and which will be reasonable in cost? If the public beach has become almost unmanage- able with crowds, vendors and, now, petty thieves, what beach product is going to be available to the cruisers and to others who want to enjoy a day in the sun, sand and sea? Tourist numbers are up. Obviously, some of that is due to the other Caribbean islands being damaged in last year’s storm. It will be difficult to sustain those numbers in any event after the other islands are up and running. It will be made more diffi- cult in a few years when tour- ists come to Grand Cayman and discover that, while there is a lovely beach that stretches for miles, there is no place left to truly enjoy a day on it. There needs to be more than a place to throw down a beach towel. Cindy Smith West Des Moines, Iowa The economy is deliv- ering for Donald Trump, but the liberal media and econo- mists have taken to trashing his performance. When the Commerce De- partment reported 4.1 percent GDP growth for the second quarter, New York financial sector economists, not known for their conservative leanings, quickly rebutted that strong growth is not sustainable and President Trump’s trade wars put the recovery at risk. The Oracles of Wall Street cranked draconian assumptions about Mr. Trump’s tariffs into their forecasting model, as if he had not just accomplished detente with the EU and agreement to form a united front against Chinese protectionism. They do not even seem to read the newspapers up there – or at least only the ones who repeat their echo chamber utterances. And cynical polemics it is. I can make Mr. Trump’s pol- icies look like the roads to heaven or hell by pumping the “correct” assumptions about tariffs into their models. It’s as if knaves on Wall Street were campaigning for the Blue Wave. Let’s do something novel – how about some facts. One quarter’s growth does not mean a lot. It’s like base- ball – what matters are their averages over the season and their careers. President Obama’s average was much advantaged by inheriting an economy in a mess – growth usually gets a big bounce after recessions but in his case only a bleep materialized. His pen- chant for regulation and taxa- tion created an economy that averaged a whopping 1.9 per- cent annual pace. Through the second quarter, the Trump economy has averaged 2.7 – for the less numerically inclined on Wall Street and in the lib- eral media that is more than 40 percent better. Mr. Trump was overly optimistic in as- serting we could look forward to a regular diet of 4 percent growth going forward. Dissecting the numbers, the second quarter GDP esti- mates indicate some sources of strength not likely to repeat – in particular, unusually ro- bust export growth partially due to foreign customers buying U.S. products before tariffs hit. However, that only goes so far – the Chinese have been clamping down on U.S. exports in anticipation that trade tensions escalate to try to rattle Mr. Trump before he acts on his bolder threats. What was really missing from the second quarter num- bers was the kind of surge in investment CEA Chairman Hassett and Treasury Secre- tary Mnuchin promised from their corporate tax cuts. Objective research indi- cate that the 15 percent cut in taxes on business profits enabled by corporate reforms should increase investment between 7.5 percent and 15 percent every year going for- ward. And in the current en- vironment of deregulation, the higher figure should more closely apply. In addition, new home construction has been weak recently. We are witnessing one-time adjustments in prop- erty values from limits on property tax and mortgage in- terest deductions imposed by the new tax law – the impacts of those on new home con- struction should abate soon. And trade tensions are dampening foreign invest- ment in U.S. real estate. Though purchases of ex- isting property do not count in GDP, reduced foreign in- terest is depressing demand overall in the housing sector and is an important reason new home sales and con- struction slowed. Resolving trade tensions with Europe will prove impor- tant and should encourage a rush of new investment from our old allies into America. This should offset diminished interest by Chinese buyers in California homes. Wrapping it all together, average growth at about 3 percent is possible and likely going forward. As measured against the Bush and Obama presidencies that would make Mr. Trump a 300 hitter with power in baseball parlance. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. PETER MORICI5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 Bringing together leading thinkers and experts in the renewable energy industry to explore low carbon options for Cayman and the wider Caribbean. Register now at cteccayman.com to get $150 off full price ticket. Early bird discount ends at midnight tomorrow. LAST CHANCE FOR $350 EARLY BIRD TICKETS September 13-14, 2018 | Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE CREA 2018 Dr the Honourable Kedrick Pickering Deputy Premier & Minister for Natural Resources & Labour, British Virgin Islands Ronald Jumeau Seychelles Ambassador to the United Nations Jerry Barber Inventor & Chairman of the Board, Barber Wind Turbines KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Adrian Grenier Actor & UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador Financial services manager arrested in United States Suspect was before Cayman court in drug probe BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A private equity funds manager who was ar- rested at his office in Grand Cayman this spring in con- nection with a drugs probe conducted by local police and customs officers has found himself on the wrong side of the law again in Con- necticut, USA. Ryan Kenneth Schroeder pleaded guilty in Cayman Is- lands Summary Court July 3 to possession of 0.064 grams of cocaine, as well as con- sumption of cocaine. His sen- tencing was set for Sept. 26. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, Mr. Schroeder, 40, was given his U.S. passport and allowed to travel following a July 4 appearance before the Cayman Islands Drug Court. Bail was granted with a cash bond of $8,000 and a local surety of $1,000, according to court records. The stated purpose of the travel was to undergo drug rehabilitation, after which Mr. Schroeder was expected to re- turn to Cayman to face sen- tencing. His initial arrest oc- curred May 24 at Intertrust. Mr. Schroeder appeared this week before the Con- necticut State Court charged with misdemeanor larceny and was ordered to appear again on Aug. 27 after police said he ran out on a US$178 taxicab bill. Police in Darien, Connect- icut, said Mr. Schroeder was picked up at New York’s La- Guardia Airport on July 25 and driven to an apartment in the small town. Police said he attempted to pay the hefty cab bill with a credit card – it was declined – after which Mr. Schroeder went to his apartment and did not come back to the taxi. The driver called po- lice, who went in to search the apartment. According to a Darien Po- lice Department report on the incident: “Officers ob- served that the door to [the] apartment had been forced open and was unsecured. A short time later, a sub- ject identified by his United States passport as Ryan Schroeder came to the door. Schroeder stated that he just moved to the apartment from the Cayman Islands and said that he forced the door into the apartment be- cause he didn’t have a key and his other family mem- bers were not home. “Schroeder stated that he was unaware why his credit card was declined and that he had no other means of paying the driver. He also claimed that he had lost his wallet as soon as he entered the apartment. Phone con- tact was then made with Schroeder’s family members who verified that his name was on the lease and he was permitted to be at the apartment, but had arrived unannounced.” Mr. Schroeder was ar- rested because he could not pay the outstanding cab fare and had to appear in the Con- necticut court on Monday. RCIPS officials confirmed Mr. Schroeder was expected to return to Cayman for sen- tencing, but said they could not give more information re- garding the Cayman drugs in- cident because the probe was being led by HM Customs ser- vice. Emails seeking comment on the case from customs of- ficials were not returned by press time Wednesday. HM Customs has made a number of drugs arrests since early this year, including the arrests of two of its own of- ficers and a Cayman Airways employee during May. Those arrests followed an April 29 arrest of two men, including a second Cayman Airways employee, at Miami International Airport on drugs importation charges. Thus far, department leaders have not connected any of the arrests. Compass journalist Carol Winker contributed to this report. Ryan Schroeder SECOND FISHERMAN WENT TO TREES TO HIDE GANJA CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The second of two defen- dants charged with posses- sion of unlicensed firearms told the court on Wednesday he denied putting guns under the “flip-flop” or “shoe” tree in South Sound, where two hand- guns were found shortly after midnight on June 25, 2017. However, he admitted going to the area to hide ganja. Rico Roy Walton began giving evidence after co-de- fendant Gerald Jaleel Bush completed his testimony on Tuesday afternoon. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charge, telling the court that they were in a boat in South Sound because they had gone out fishing, but came back because they forgot their bait. In his interview, read to the jury last week, Mr. Walton de- nied leaving the boat in the vi- cinity of the shoe tree, saying he had dropped Mr. Bush near Old Crewe Road so he could walk to the gas station to get bait. Then, he said, he went back to the South Sound dock to see if bait was in their truck. He denied stopping at the shoe tree or leaving the boat until he got to the dock. The shoe tree, which Mr. Walton referred to as the “slipper” tree, is between the two locations. Jurors and Justice Francis Belle visited the area last week with the defendants and attorneys. On Wednesday, Mr. Walton told the court that, on the night in question, he did get out of the boat in the area of the trees that he had told police he did not go to. He said he went there to secure the ganja he had with him on the boat so he could pick it up later. He said at no time did he go near the shoe tree, but put the ganja near an- other tree closer to the dock. Mr. Walton said he did this because he and Mr. Bush had seen the police helicopter hov- ering overhead. He explained that he had a conviction for ganja years ago but had stayed out of trouble ever since. He said he did not know why police did not find his ganja, since he had put two rocks around it and they were supposed to have se- cured the scene. Asked why he did not simply throw the ganja over- board, he said it was good quality. Asked why he did not head back out to sea when he became concerned about the helicopter, he said he had no reason to run away: “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Mr. Walton was scheduled to continue his evidence after the lunch adjournment.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 GEORGE TOWN ROAD CLOSURE: Police advise the public of the following road closures to facilitate the Rumpy Weekend event taking place on Harbour Drive on Friday, Aug. 10. Tonight, Harbour Drive will be closed between Shedden Road and the Port Authority entrance from 6:30 p.m. until setup is complete. FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 GEORGE TOWN ROAD CLOSURE: Police advise the public of the following road closures to facilitate the Rumpy Weekend event taking place on Harbour Drive tonight. Cardinall Avenue and a portion of Albert Panton Street will be closed from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. Harbour Drive will be closed between Shedden Road and the Port Authority Entrance from 6:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. BRAC DLP: Representatives from the Department of Labour and Pensions will visit Cayman Brac today to assist clients with any issues or disputes. The DLP officials will be available from 9 a.m. to noon, and will reopen 1:30-3 p.m. to further assist clients. The Brac DLP office is located at 256 Creek Road. Appointments can be made by contacting Simone Whittaker at simone.whittaker@gov.ky or 244-4038. SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 BACK TO SCHOOL FAIR: Students from George Town South and George Town West constituencies attending government primary schools are invited to the South Sound Community Centre 4-6 p.m. Activities will include marble games, rope skipping, musical chairs and competitions. Refreshments will be provided. MONDAY, AUG. 13 SUMMER WORK: Registration and orientation take place at the Lions Centre today from 9 a.m. to noon. The two-week NiCE Summer Project will cover repairs and maintenance, gardening, as well as cleaning parks, beaches, beach access, garbage collection and roadside verges. Applicants must bring a completed application and supporting documentation with them to prove immigration status. The project is open only to unemployed Caymanians and spouses of Caymanians who are 18 years old or over. Those accepted will be required to attend work daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Application forms can be picked up at all district libraries in Grand Cayman, from district MLA Offices, the Needs Assessment Unit, the National Workforce Development Agency and the Government Administration Building reception. NCVO BARGAIN SHOP: The NCVO New To You Bargain Shop extends opening hours for the rest of August. From today, the Bargain Shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Sundays. Customers can find lightly used products on sale, including household items, baby supplies, toys, shoes, books, clothes (including select school uniforms) and craft items. The shop is located at 90A Anthony Drive, off Smith Road, (beside the rear entrance of The Pines Retirement Home). Sales benefit the NCVO’s children’s programs. For more information on the shop, its donation policy or volunteering, contact Mona at ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky or 949-2124/526-1078. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15 SELF-HARM PREVENTION: The Ministry of Community Affairs invites the public to a presentation on identifying self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The free presentation, being hosted with the support of the Alex Panton Foundation, will educate parents, residents and the community on how to identify self-harm and suicidal thoughts/ behaviors. Attendees will also be advised about how to respond and who to reach out to for help, guidance and support. 6:30–8 p.m. John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay. THURSDAY, AUG. 16 PUB QUIZ: Fidel Murphy’s, West Bay Road. 7 p.m. $10 per person, teams maximum of six members. Humane Society fundraiser. To reserve a table, contact 949-5189 or sarah.dyer81@gmail.com. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17 SCHOOL HEALTH SCREENINGS: All students entering government or private schools for the first time are required to have health screenings before the new school year. Today is the last day for screenings at the John Gray High School Medical Centre. Screenings continue at the Public Health Department, Cayman Islands Hospital, Aug. 20-31. Completed forms from private physicians should be submitted to the Public Health Department, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For screenings in Cayman Brac, call the Public Health Nurse on 948-2243. TUESDAY, AUG. 21 SEAFARERS: The Seafarers Association advises all members that there will be a General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route in George Town leaves the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue in color; there is no charge. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS: License holders, including those with music and dancing licenses, are reminded that today is the deadline for applications. The Annual Liquor License Meeting is Sept. 13. SATURDAY, AUG. 25 BRAC CONCERT: The Brac Community Theatre Company presents a variety concert and fashion show at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. Doors open 7 p.m. Show time 7:30 p.m. Contact 924-8446 for more info. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29 SELF-HARM PREVENTION: The Ministry of Community Affairs invites the public to a presentation on identifying self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The free presentation, being hosted with the support of the Alex Panton Foundation, will educate parents, residents and the community on how to identify self-harm and suicidal thoughts/behaviors. Attendees will also be advised about how to respond and who to reach out to for help, guidance and support. 7–8:30 p.m. Bodden Town Civic Centre. THURSDAY, AUG. 30 LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLES: Vehicle licensing. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Little Cayman District Office. BRAC COURT: Summary court today and tomorrow. Aston Rutty Civic Centre. SUMMER CAMPS TRADITIONAL CAYMAN COOKING: Wednesdays and Fridays, 2-4 p.m. until Aug. 31. Ages 7-12. $15 per class. Contact the National Trust on 749-1121. BRAC YMCA: Summer Camp. $90 per camper, per week. Aug. 13-17, 20-24. Contact ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky for more information. KIDSABILITY: A variety of programs for various ages, with activities from school readiness to bike riding. Contact www.kidsability.ky. GENERAL INTEREST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The Family Resource Centre hosts a Domestic Violence Intervention Training workshop for frontline professionals and interested members of the community Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 29-31. The free three-day workshop will be held in George Town Library, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. As well as taking part in interactive presentations from external facilitators, participants will learn about ways to support individuals and families dealing with domestic violence. For further information and to register for the workshop, contact the FRC at 949-0006 or email frc@gov.ky. The program for Cayman Brac this month has been canceled. COMMERCIAL GARBAGE FEES: The Department of Environmental Health reminds all business operators/owners/strata in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, who pay their fees by biannual installments, that garbage fees are now due for the period ending June 30. Garbage fees are payable by cash, check, debit or credit card. Debit and credit card payment options are only available on Grand Cayman. In Grand Cayman, payments can be made at any of the local post offices or at the DEH main office, located at 580 North Sound Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. In the Sister Islands, payments can be made at District Administration. For additional information, contact the DEH at 949-6696 or dehcustomerservice@gov.ky. STUFF THE BUS: School supply drive to benefit students assisted by Department of Children and Family Services, Needs Assessment Unit, Crisis Centre and Boys and Girls Homes. Supplies can be dropped off at donation boxes located at Caribbean Alliance Office at 203 Alissta Towers, Cost-U-Less or Hurley’s Media in Camana Bay or can be handed directly to event organizers and charity group representatives that will be hosting live drive events at various locations on the island on Aug. 11 and 18. For more information or to organize a mini- collection, visit Facebook @StuffTheBusCayman or call Caribbean Alliance on 949-9744. PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION: For students 10 to 14. Photos need to creatively demonstrate sun safety (hats, sunglasses, sunscreen) while having fun. It could be at the beach, soccer field, in town, anywhere outside, doing anything fun. Email photo – one per person – to fununderthesun2018@ gmail.com. The best five will win prizes. Competition runs until Aug. 31. Organized by the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. The store is open every Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. plus every Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which run down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. NEW LICENSE PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing has uploaded its list of new electronic license plates that are ready for collection. An additional 1,200 plates are now ready to be picked up from the DVDL office on Crewe Road. Vehicles owners are reminded that they must bring in the temporary/old plates, the windshield tag, as well as their logbook. The list can be viewed on the department’s website at www.dvdl.gov.ky. EARLY CHILDHOOD FEES: The Ministry of Education provides financial assistance for Caymanian children between 3 and 4 years of age before Sept. 1, 2018, to assist with fees at an early childhood center between September and June 30. Application forms can be downloaded from www.education.gov.ky or collected from the Government Administration Building, the Department of Education Services and all early childhood centers. Contact Renee Barnes at 244-5735, Turnette Stewart at 244-5724 or email ecap@gov.ky. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Workmen clean up a roadside in George Town in December 2016 as part of that year’s annual government-sponsored NiCE cleanup. The government is launching a summer cleanup this year and is inviting unemployed Caymanians to sign up on Monday, Aug. 13. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 OCTOBER , The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speaker Shannen D hert THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR East End’s John McLean Drive: Place of safety in a storm JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Located off Sea View Road, past East End Pri- mary School, John McLean Drive, once known as “Up on the Hill” runs up a steep hill leading from the coastal Sea View Road. Many residents of the district have sought refuge there from storms over the years. John McLean Sr. put through the road after he was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for East End in 1976. Members of the community requested that the road, which was ap- proved in 1977, be named in Mr. McLean’s honor. Today, several roads lead off John McLean Drive to the East End coastal road, which gives residents quick and easy access to high ground in the event of an emergency. In 2014, district commu- nity activist Edney McLean and a group of volunteers spent several weekends making improvements to a local footpath off Fiddler’s Way. The group built 15 con- crete steps on a steep cliff face footpath that made a popular shortcut safer. Residents of the area say they believe that several lives were saved during Hurri- cane Ivan because someone had the foresight to create a makeshift escape route from East End’s main coastal road to John McLean Drive. People tied a rope from the Church of God Universal on Sea View Road to a car parked on John McLean Drive to guide themselves up the hill to the Civic Centre as Hurricane Ivan blew through their homes. Resident Wardley Con- nolly said he believes that the rope leading to higher ground is what saved him and his family during the storm. Getting up the steep hill was once a challenge for residents who lived on the hilltop years ago. Back then, it was home to six or eight families, and was famous lo- cally for cattle rearing and crop growing. Today, more than 200 homes occupy the hilltop after a road was put in by government. Now, there are churches, a civic center, shops and restaurants, and many access ways and businesses can be found in the area. “Getting up and down the cliff was a journey done by foot by residents years ago,” said 69-year-old Alvin McLaughlin. He remembers there being no hand railings or support as residents care- fully made their way up and down the steep paths. “When I was growing up, I think [there were] maybe four or five paths that made their way down to the coastal road. The biggest and widest footpath came off the cliff in front of the old Hurley’s Su- permarket on Sea View Road, which was totally demol- ished during Hurricane Ivan in 2004,” he said. “All the people that went inland and came out with donkey loads of produce had to use this road be- cause the others were too steep,” he said. A second footpath came out by the Heritage Playing Field, adjacent to Captain George Dixon Community Park. Another was between the homes of Johnnie McLean and Quiznell McLaughlin, lo- cated just before the East End Public Library, while yet another came out in front of the Church of God Universal in an area known as “Point.” Mr. McLaughlin said the area around John McLean Drive was mainly used for farming and rearing cows. It also con- tained a water well known as “Miss Evelyn,” which was lo- cated down a dirt road known as Fig Tree Lane, across from Huswell Rankin’s house, and which all the local residents used for drinking, watering plants and feeding animals. This article is one in a continuing series that explores the stories and history behind some of Cayman’s road names. Residents of the area say they believe that several lives were saved during Hurricane Ivan because someone had the foresight to create a makeshift escape route from East End’s main coastal road to John McLean Drive. John McLean Drive in East End. Resident Edney McLean points to steps which give him quick access from his home to John McLean Drive. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS then the number started creeping upward steadily from 3.8 percent in 2013 to 8.7 percent in 2014, and then to 15.7 percent last year, ac- cording to OffshoreAlert. So far this year, roughly one-third of the court’s 133 financial services cases are not publicly available, Off- shoreAlert’s research states. Mr. Marchant explained that he gleaned these numbers by having his researcher com- pare the total number of cases listed in the court book with the number of publicly avail- able writs, liquidation peti- tions and other originating motions in the Grand Court Registry’s book of writs. Along with financial ser- vices cases, about 13 percent of civil cases this year are not publicly available, according to OffshoreAlert. “I’m won- dering whether these are cases involving politicians or attor- neys?” Mr. Marchant asked. However, these numbers are disputed by the Grand Court, which told the Com- pass via email on Wednesday that only 3 percent of the fi- nancial cases in 2017 and 4 percent so far this year have been sealed. “Such order[s] are of course made only for good reason, such as for the protection of sensitive trade, industrial or financial information pending the outcome of the case or (more typically) until further order is made by the Court,” according to the court’s state- ment, sent by Court Admin- istrator and Chief Officer of Judicial Administration Su- zanne Bothwell. Moreover, these sealing orders are “temporary,” the statement noted. The rest of the unavail- able records are winding- up petitions that are tempo- rarily withheld while a judge reviews them for merit, ac- cording to the Grand Court. The number of these cases has seen an even more dra- matic spike since the Grand Court published practice di- rections last August that gives the court wider powers to keep petitions to wind up a company from the public, ac- cording to OffshoreAlert. Mr. Marchant said he thinks many of the sealed cases have to do with these petitions, including invol- untary winding-up peti- tions, which are often filed when there are allegations of wrongdoing within a com- pany. There are only two in- voluntary winding-up peti- tions that have been made public so far, compared to 12 or more in each of the last three years, according to OffshoreAlert. Again, the Grand Court disputed OffshoreAlert’s con- tention, stating that winding- up petitions are usually made public within 72 hours of their filing, after a judge de- termines that they have merit. “The purpose of the rule is to ensure that the inter- ests of companies (and those who have an interest in them such as shareholders and creditors) are not dam- aged by the undue publica- tion of an unjustified peti- tion by it being placed upon the Public Register of Writs and Actions for want of vet- ting by a judge as required by the rules. It is to be em- phasized that this is a short temporary process which does not involve the sealing of the file,” the court noted in its statement. The Grand Court’s prac- tice directions from last Au- gust state that winding- up petitions should only be made accessible for public inspection after there is a hearing date scheduled for the matter. In cases where the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority presents the peti- tion, it would not be made public until after a judge di- rects it to be advertised or entered on the register. Also, if the assigned judge makes an order restricting the filing or publication of a creditor’s petition, it may not be entered on the register until further order of the court, according to a briefing on the matter by the law firm Conyers Dill & Pearman. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie explained when is- suing the directions that the “filing of a petition to wind up a company can cause ir- reparable harm to its repu- tation, even if the petition is ultimately dismissed for lack of merit.” Law firms also were in favor of the new directions. “In the age of the internet, it has become increasingly difficult to control wide- spread and immediate publi- cation of petitions once they are placed on the publicly available court files,” stated a Harneys legal brief that ex- plained the directions. “A new practice direction issued by the Grand Court seeks to ad- dress this problem by up- dating the procedure for the presentation and filing of winding up petitions.” Harneys further explained that the practice direction of- fers “some relief” to compa- nies faced with the threat of a winding-up petition from creditors seeking to pressure the company into settling disputed debts. However, OffshoreAlert criticized the practice, noting that “keeping the petitions from the public means that foreign investors, creditors, and clients of Cayman-do- miciled hedge funds and other companies will not be alerted to insolvencies and other problems.” “Cayman’s rampant court secrecy, concealing liquida- tions, fraud and other cases from foreign investors and clients … [is] truly repug- nant,” the financial services website stated. financial sector for young workers is not sufficient to support a family. “If you have a hus- band and wife with two kids and the collective income isn’t $200,000 or more, it’s going to be tough,” Mr. Koutney said, adding that private school tuitions typically run into the tens of thou- sands of dollars. Most of the people he recruits, he said, are single. Michele Aubert is man- aging director for Affinity Recruitment. She said 95 percent of her candidates are single, so it’s not often a problem, but she knows it can be for others. “I’ve heard sto- ries,” she said. Some of those stories affect even large compa- nies. In a statement, Juliet Du Feu, senior vice presi- dent of human resources at Dart Enterprises, said the issue is hampering re- cruitment efforts. “The lack of available school spaces, particu- larly in Cayman’s primary schools, has already begun to impact our ability to re- cruit candidates with chil- dren of school age,” Ms. Du Feu said. “It is an issue we have experienced our- selves, and one we have heard anecdotally from other businesses who, on occasion, need to recruit from overseas.” Cayman International School, which is housed in buildings provided by Dart Realty, is planning an ex- pansion in the coming year, adding space for nearly 500 more students. Such additions, said Dan Scott, managing partner at financial firm EY Cayman, are needed. Without them, he expects the problem will only grow with time. “Many of the people we’re recruiting are not necessarily coming with families,” Mr. Scott said. “We don’t have an acute issue today, but if it’s af- fecting others, it’s going to affect us.” Growing the private schools is the obvious an- swer, he said. “There’s no question in my mind that there is far more need for capacity in the schools,” he said. “It’s such a no-brainer.” the right talent.” While there are many excellent teachers already in the system, he said, the level of expectation will rise with an increase in pay. Some teachers, he said, may not measure up. “The reality is to make sure [Minister O’Connor-Con- nolly] has the right people playing on the team,” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same players.” Increased expectations also need to be placed on students, Mr. Scott said, by raising standards. A recent report by the Office of Edu- cation Standards noted that the current goals for student achievement are too low. “The standards we have to be targeting are stan- dards that are held in major countries around the world,” Mr. Scott said, adding that Cayman is currently having to import skilled workers from such countries in order to compete on the global market. “Anything short of that, we’re just pretending. We simply can’t set our standards low.” A long-standing criticism of the Ministry of Education – and of many government agencies – is that control is too centralized. Schools, Mr. Scott said, often feel they have to conform to “cookie cutter” policies. That needs to change, he said. The Education Council, he said, will recommend re- balancing authority within the system to give schools and classroom teachers greater autonomy. “When you talk to teachers,” he said, “you hear, ‘Hold us accountable, but give us the flexibility to do what we have to.’ Let’s have some faith that I don’t need to be telling them everything they have to do. “When you peel everything back, what is education?” he added. “To give to the stu- dents the necessary skills and knowledge they need to compete and succeed. The best chance of doing that is where they interact with the teacher in the classroom.” He said people he has spoken to at the ministry level understand this. “People at the center get it,” he said. “The teachers get it. And under this minister, it’s, ‘OK, let’s just go do it.’” The council is also exam- ining ways to incorporate Year 12 into the government schools. Currently, students graduate after Year 11, but must complete an additional year, either by attending a private school, the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands or by going abroad. Mr. Scott believes a separate facility would be needed to provide the additional schooling. The cost of such a facility could in part be paid for by what the government would save by not having to provide schol- arships for Year 12 study. “I think it’s absolutely warranted,” he said. “And if you’re incorporating Year 12, you’ve got to do Year 13 (for those studying for A-Level exams). You need to do both.” Mr. Scott said the school curriculum also needs to be revamped – a recently com- pleted report by the Office of Education Standards called for a wholesale overhaul – part of which, he said, needs to be reintroducing textbooks, increasing the use of com- puters in the classroom and bolstering school libraries. All of these proposed changes need to take place quickly, he said. He acknowl- edges that improvements have been made in recent years, but he said they are happening too slowly. “I think the commu- nity has been speaking loud and clear for a long time,” he said. “They’re saying it’s time for action. “Every year that passes by and we don’t do something, we have to look these kids in the face when they say, ‘Why not?’” he added. “Now is the time to pick up the pace.” Report: More court records being kept secret CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Some employers stymied by school space shortage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Council plans rollout of education changes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dan Scott Mr. Scott said the school curriculum also needs to be revamped – a recently completed report by the Office of Education Standards called for a wholesale overhaul.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2018 China mobile tower owner debuts on HK market Shares in the state-owned monopoly China Tower Corp., which operates China’s vast network of mobile phone towers, ended its first day of trading flat at 16 U.S. cents per share Wednesday in the company’s stock market debut in Hong Kong after raising $6.9 billion from investors. Eastern Ave, GT Drive-Thru P: 949-7104 WITH FOUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU www.puritan.kypuritangc@candw.ky Centennial West Bay P: 945-4508 Savannah Countryside P: 946-1884 Elgin Avenue, GT P: 949-2452 FREE PICK-UP AND DELIVERY Call 949-7104 Puritan Cleaners now using the most popular cleaning and eco-friendly solvent. (Excluding wedding gowns) 16% OFF PRE-PAY ORDERS On all men’s & women’s apparel I’ve got some beautiful clothes, I know just where they go. Meet the world with Puritan Cleaners, they are there for you and me, best cleaners you will see. THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST C om e ce leb rate Puritan Cle an er s You Feel Good When You Look Good Rain or Shine For Indonesia’s earthquake survivors, life grinds to a halt KEKAIT, Indonesia (AP) – Ever since 33-year-old Rafikah es- caped her crumbling home when a massive earthquake struck the Indonesian is- land of Lombok on Sunday, life in the lush rural village she grew up in has come to a screeching halt. No children are going to school. No adults are working. Nothing is open anymore. “This quake paralyzed ev- erything,” said the trauma- tized mother of two, who spoke under a large blue tent perched on the same field she has slept in with her family since the 7.0 magni- tude quake. “Our lives have just stopped.” The problem in impov- erished places like Kekait, where most people’s homes were either destroyed com- pletely or cracked so badly they are no longer safe to in- habit, is that nobody knows when or even how they will manage to rebuild them. In the meantime, “there’s hardly anyone left in our vil- lage,” Rafikah said. “It’s like a ghost town now.” Rafikah, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, is just one of at least 156,000 people known to have been displaced so far, according to National Di- saster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who put the current death toll at 131 with nearly 1,500 severely wounded. On Wednesday, emergency workers pulled out one of the latest victims from the ruins: the body of a woman who died when a mosque col- lapsed in Bangsal district. The government and pri- vate groups have been step- ping up food and medical de- liveries across Lombok as the extent of damage has become clearer. The military also dis- patched five planes from Ja- karta carrying food, medi- cine, blankets, field tents and water tankers. But for many of those af- fected by the crisis, the effort has fallen short. In the remote village of Mekar Sari, reachable only on narrow dirt paths by motor- cycle, residents said no aid had been delivered at all. Along main roads in Lombok, desperate survi- vors – some of them chil- dren – held open cardboard boxes begging for donations from passing drivers. Others held signs that said simply: “We are earthquake victims. Please help us. We need food.” In Kekait, which was home to several thousand people wedged in a palm- fringed valley between steep hills, displaced residents said state-run agencies had been handing out vital supplies, in- cluding rice, eggs, dry noodles and water. Most said they needed much more, though, including blankets and basic necessities like toilets. Dr. Mohammad Fikhan Zulkarnain, the only doctor in Kekait, said he had treated more than 300 people. The initial patients suffered mostly broken bones, frac- tures and cuts. But now people were coming mostly with respiratory infections and diarrhea, the result of living outside in dusty and unhygienic conditions. Zulkarnain said he was running precariously low on supplies. He pointed to a blue table with antibiotics, acet- aminophen, cough syrup and other medicines and said it would only last a day. “I’m giving people sleeping pills, but nobody is sleeping well,” he said, speaking under a blue tent while he monitored a man lying on a stretcher with a bandage wrapped around his forehead. “They’re still trau- matized, they’re still in shock. They do not feel safe because they don’t feel this is over.” The government says there have been more than 300 aftershocks since Sun- day’s quake. The latest, on Wednesday morning, sent panicked residents of Kekait running into open areas for safety. No new injuries were reported. While hundreds of resi- dents huddled together under large tents in adjacent fields, most of the village’s nor- mally bustling streets were empty, littered with rubble and debris and doorways opened onto leveled homes without roofs. Some people ventured into their destroyed dwellings for the first time, though, to re- trieve valuables and mats and pillows to sleep on. A handful had not left. Mu- hammad Muzaki, a 60-year- old construction worker, was one of them. But looking at the remains of his home, he was despondent. “We will have to demolish it all to rebuild it,” he said. “There is no other way. We can’t live like this anymore.” A worker checks electric power at a damaged house affected by Sunday’s earthquake in Kekait village, North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday. - PHOTO: AP Boys rescued from cave, formerly stateless, get Thai citizenship MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) – Three young soccer players who were trapped with other team members for almost three weeks in a cave in northern Thailand have been granted Thai citizenship, along with their 25-year-old coach. All four had been state- less, and their lack of citi- zenship deprived them of some basic benefits and rights, including the ability to travel outside of Chiang Rai, the northern province where they live. The area is home to ethnic minori- ties with roots in neigh- boring Myanmar. The boys and coach were among 13 people who were trapped in the cave until their rescue by scuba divers. The head coach of the Wild Boars team said they received official Thai ID cards on Wednesday, along with another team member who had not been in the cave but also applied for citizenship. Mongkol Boonpiam receives an identity card denoting Thai citizenship from Somsak Kunkam, Sheriff of Mae Sai, during a ceremony in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province on Wednesday. - PHOTO: CHIANG RAI PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE VIA APNext >