High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 MORE INPUT SOUGHT ON TOURISM PLAN: HERE’S OURS WORLD | PAGE 2 AFTERSHOCK HITS VENEZUELA FOLLOWING 7.3 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 Road User Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Enjoy comprehensive cover with free roadside assistance, $200 deductible, zero windscreen deductible and many other free benefits! Ask for a quote! Stalker used 7 cell numbers in ‘campaign of harassment’ NiCE work if you can get it Workers on Cayman’s community summer cleanup were putting in a full shift Wednesday, clearing bush and weeds from an old cemetery in West Bay. The crew, part of the National Community Enhancement program, known as NiCE, are among 460 unemployed Caymanians who signed up for a week’s work over the summer. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A spurned ex-boyfriend waged a “relentless” six-month campaign of harassment against his former girlfriend in what is believed to be Cayman’s first stalking case. Brett Moor, 28, was given an eight-month prison sentence, sus- pended for two years, and was banned from having any contact with his victim, after he admitted a charge of causing harassment, alarm or distress in Summary Court this week. Mr. Moor, who had a brief re- lationship with the woman in Canada, followed her when she moved to Grand Cayman, getting a job on the island and renting an apartment in the same complex. The relationship remained friendly at first until Mr. Moor began bombarding her with mes- sages. Despite attempts by the woman to convince him to stop, he persisted, using seven different cellphone numbers and multiple 5-year plan aims to manage tourism growth JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Tourism chiefs have released a five-year plan for the industry aimed at maximizing the benefits and managing the problems associ- ated with increased arrivals. Suggestions in the 55-page document include better management of overcrowded attractions like Stingray City, creating a workforce development plan specifically for tourism, and attracting boutique-style hotels to the eastern districts. It also recommends the creation of a “credit facility” to make loans on favorable terms to entrepreneurs interested in creating tourism businesses or attractions. The report also highlights concerns around overcrowding and a clash between the demands of cruise tourists and the ex- pectations of stay-over visitors as numbers grow in both sectors. It states, “The Cayman Islands are being promoted as an exclusive, luxurious destina- tion and many of the accommodation providers are delivering on this promise. These efforts are undermined when large numbers of cruise ship passengers visit the beach areas of these prop- erties and overcrowd the attractions.” On the subject of cruise berthing, the re- port notes that the Cayman Islands has seen an increase of more than 100 percent in cruise arrivals over the last 20 years, from 800,000 in 1996 to more than 1.73 million in 2016. But it suggests that these numbers cannot be maintained without new cruise piers amid in- creased competition from other destinations. It states, “Building a berthing facility, where cruise ships can anchor alongside a pier and passengers can disembark directly to shore, will increase visitor spending and help the Cayman Islands remain competitive as a cruise ship destination.” However, it acknowledges that increased cruise tourism is already bringing problems, particularly at key sites. “The convergence of stay-over and cruise WONG GUILTY OF LEAVING ACCIDENT SCENE 12.5 YEARS FOR ‘BUMBLING DRUG DEALERS’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Four years and eight months after Garfield (Gary) Wong was ar- rested on traffic charges, he was found guilty of careless driving and leaving the scene of the accident, but not guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. Magistrate Grace Donalds handed down her verdicts on Wednesday, noting it was the twelfth time the matter had been before her since trial began in January 2017. Mr. Wong, a senior immigration officer, was arrested in the early hours of Dec. 27, 2013, after his truck was in a collision with a car on Shamrock Road, in the vicinity of Hibiscus Gardens. The magistrate referred to Mr. Wong’s own evidence. He said he was driving west toward his home when his cellphone fell from the seat to the floor of the truck. He said he checked his rear-view mirror and the road ahead, did not see any- thing, and then bent down to pick up the phone, taking his eyes off the road in the process. By doing so, the magistrate said Mr. Wong had shown a lack of critical judgment and he had failed to conform to the standards KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn sen- tenced former Department of Im- migration staffers Stephen Wayne Hurlston and Oscar Lee Watler to 12.5 years’ imprisonment on Wednesday for possessing 1.61 pounds of cocaine with intent to supply in October 2015. The defense attorneys for the men both said that they intend to appeal Magistrate Gunn’s convic- tion and sentence. Mr. Hurlston, 28, and Mr. Watler, 34, were allegedly found by police in October 2015 while they were parked in a secluded lot near Pat- rick’s Island. Magistrate Gunn said the police officer testified that he found multiple packages of cocaine, a scale and a razor blade before ar- resting Mr. Hurlston and Mr. Watler. Magistrate Gunn said during her verdict in May that the defense sought to prove reasonable doubt by pointing out that neither defendant’s DNA was found on the packages of cocaine. The defense also noted during the trial that no significant quantities of cash were found on the defendants or at their homes. However, the magistrate pointed to the “close proximity” of the defendants to the packages of PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 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) MILE 22 (R) 2:00 VIP I 4:10 I 7:30 VIP I 10:00 ALPHA (PG13) 12:45 I 3:10 3D I 5:30 I 7:50 3D I 10:10 THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (R) 4:20 I 9:50 THE EQUALIZER 2 (R) 1:25 I 7:00 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:00 I 4:00 I 6:30 I 9:00 THE MEG (PG13) 1:35 I 4:35 3D I 7:10 I 9:50 VIP MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 1:00 3D I 4:20 VIP I 6:30 I 9:40 3D Adventist Church aids in back-to-school season The Adventist Church is assisting families as they prepare to send their kids back to school. Around 350 children, most accompanied by par- ents, attended a back-to- school giveaway and fun day at the Airport Park on Sunday. Students were gifted 250 school bags and 80 packages filled with school supplies, and organizers also distributed pens, crayons, geometry instruments and writing paper. The school supplies were made available from a com- bination of donations by church members and pur- chases by the Commu- nity Services Department. The department’s director, Pastor Caple Thompson, and Assistant Director An- gela Hall presided over the effort to supply the ar- ea’s students. Church members across Grand Cayman’s Adven- tist churches collected the supplies, and the Commu- nity Services Department met last Saturday to orga- nize and prepare them for distribution. Children ranging in age from kindergarten to high school enjoyed complimen- tary drinks, hot dogs and hamburgers on Sunday, and they had the chance to play on bouncy castles. The elected representa- tive of George Town Central, Kenneth Bryan, attended the event, as did Chief Education Officer Lyneth Monteith and Paulinda Mendoza-Williams, the deputy director of the Department of Children and Family Services. Mr. Bryan thanked the Ad- ventist Church for its focus on education and for its con- tribution to the welfare of the community’s students. “When you receive your supplies,” said Mr. Bryan to the students assembled at the event’s opening ceremony, “I encourage you to work as hard as you can to show your gratitude.” Ms. Mendoza-Williams re- minded the parents that their children need them to be in- volved in their schooling and that the students can ac- complish great things with their support. “Without your consis- tent effort and involvement,” Ms. Mendoza-Williams said, “your children’s success cannot be guaranteed.” It was all hands on deck among Savannah Church members as they assembled and packed school supplies in advance of the giveaway and fun day at the Airport Park on Sunday. Aftershock hits Venezuela following nation’s biggest quake since 1900 CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – A strong aftershock jolted Ven- ezuela’s northeastern coast on Wednesday following the most powerful earthquake to hit the area in more than a century, though officials said neither caused major damage or deaths, apparently due to their depth. The magnitude 7.3 quake Tuesday was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, according to the U.S. Geolog- ical Survey. But at a depth of some 76 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, it appeared to have caused only limited damage even near its epi- center a few miles off the Ca- riaco peninsula that stretches into the eastern Caribbean. The magnitude 5.8 af- tershock at 9:27 a.m. on Wednesday also was cen- tered relatively deep, 61 miles below the surface. It was felt lightly in the capital. “Shaking does die off at a distance,” said seismologist Lucy Jones, a research asso- ciate with the California In- stitute of Technology, adding that the earthquake’s consid- erable depth likely prevented a tragedy. In Cumana, the biggest city near the quake’s center, supermarket shelves came crashing down on Tuesday. In downtown Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, concrete from the top floors of the un- finished Tower of David sky- scraper fell to the sidewalk, forcing firefighters to close off traffic. A block away, chil- dren wearing surgical masks stretched their necks to peer at the 620-foot building after fleeing a building housing a foundation for children suf- fering from cancer. “We felt something strong and they told everyone to run,” said Marisela Lopez, who was at the foundation with her 7-year-old daughter when the quake struck. Construction of the Tower of David began in 1990 as a symbol to the OPEC na- tion’s ambitions of becoming a regional finance center. But it was abandoned after a banking crisis and in the past two decades of socialist rule has become a symbol of urban blight and has been occupied by squatters until 2015. Power outages were re- ported across nearby Trin- idad, where people ran into the street and gasped as large glass panes at one su- permarket shattered and falling concrete smashed several cars. The quake was felt as far away as Colombia’s capital of Bogota, where authorities briefly closed the interna- tional airport to inspect for runway damage. The confusing moments after the quake were cap- tured live on Venezuelan state television as Diosdado Ca- bello, the head of the all-pow- erful constitutional assembly, was delivering a speech at a march in support of the so- cialist government’s mea- sures aimed at countering economic crisis. “Quake!” people yelled as Cabello and others looked from side to side with a mix- ture of laughter and concern. “It’s the Bolivarian revolution speaking to the world,” Ca- bello thundered to applause. Experts have long warned that Venezuela’s cash- strapped government is ill- prepared to deal with a major natural disaster. Hospitals have scant supplies, many ambulances are idled and food and water are among goods that have disappeared in a country suffering from inflation estimated by the In- ternational Monetary Fund to reach 1 million percent this year. The earthquake also was felt in Guyana, Barbados and Grenada. Residents stand outside their apartments in a street near the ‘Tower of David’ skyscraper, which suffered an inclination after a powerful earthquake shook eastern Venezuela Tuesday, causing buildings to be evacuated in the capital of Caracas. - PHOTO: AP Community Services leaders and other volunteers assemble for a photograph to commemorate this year’s back-to-school giveaway and fun day at the Airport Park.3 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 Make a CLEAN BREAK from Home. *Price includes delivery area from West Bay to Countryside Shopping. Please enquire about delivery outside of those areas. Call 233-4427 or order your tank refills online at cleangas.ky Lower propane prices are a Clean choice. Did you know? You are free to choose your propane supplier. Don’t be misled! Choose Clean Gas and get a 20lb propane tank delivered for only $29*. Webb seeks 8th new sentence date in FIFA racketeering probe BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands busi- nessman Jeffrey Webb has asked that a U.S. court delay his sentencing in connection with the ongoing FIFA rack- eteering probe again. Federal prosecutors did not object to the request filed Aug. 20 and if the court in the Eastern District of New York agrees, it would be the eighth time Mr. Webb has re- ceived a sentencing date from the U.S. court. Mr. Webb’s attorney, Ernie Gao, has asked to postpone six months be- yond the currently sched- uled Sept. 7 sentencing date. That would put Mr. Webb’s sentencing into March 2019 – nearly four years after he was first arrested in Zu- rich, Switzerland. The former FIFA vice president was arrested in May 2015 and pleaded guilty in November 2015 to seven counts in a U.S. federal court indictment alleging he and dozens of other defendants conspired to rig sports mar- keting contracts for various world football events in ex- change for millions of dol- lars in bribes. The scheme described by U.S. prosecutors alleged Mr. Webb and others at FIFA so- licited bribes from sports marketing companies in ex- change for directing lucra- tive broadcast and commer- cial rights deals for various football tournaments to the bribe-payers. Dozens of U.S. banks were used to make those alleged bribe payments to Mr. Webb and others, prosecutors said. It is unclear what Mr. Webb’s fate will be once his U.S. sentence is de- cided and any jail time as- signed is served. He has been under house arrest since 2015, being allowed to ven- ture out only for court-ap- proved reasons, according to public records. The Cayman Islands na- tional is facing separate charges of conspiracy to de- fraud the local government in connection with the CarePay public hospital swipe-card scandal, and Anti-Corrup- tion Commission investiga- tors are looking into another matter involving the Cayman Islands Football Association, of which Mr. Webb was presi- dent for more than 20 years. During earlier U.S. court proceedings, the presiding judge in the case noted that deportation was a likely re- sult of Mr. Webb’s crim- inal conviction.Jeffrey Webb TWO INJURED AFTER CAR HITS WALL Two occupants of a car were injured when the ve- hicle hit a wall of a house in Bodden Town Tuesday night. Police said they received a 911 report of a single-vehicle accident shortly after 9 p.m. The accident occurred when a Honda CR-V veered off the side of the road and hit a concrete wall of a resi- dence in the vicinity of Spice Drive, off Shamrock Road, ac- cording to a police statement. The man driving the ve- hicle was able to exit, but the female passenger was stuck in the car and had to be re- moved by the Cayman Is- lands Fire Service. Police said both sustained serious but non-life-threat- ening injuries and were trans- ported to the Cayman Islands Hospital for treatment. The vehicle was exten- sively damaged, as well as the wall it collided into. The man has since been discharged from the hospital. The woman remained in hos- pital Wednesday in stable condition awaiting fur- ther treatment. EX-BRAZIL SOCCER BOSS SENTENCED TO 4 YEARS IN FIFA PROBE NEW YORK (AP) – A former South American soccer of- ficial convicted on corrup- tion charges in the sprawling FIFA bribery scandal has been sentenced in New York to four years in prison. Jose Maria Marin is a former president of Brazil’s soccer federation and was sentenced on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court. The government had asked for 10 years in prison for him. The defense had sought the approximately 13 months he has already served, citing the 86-year-old’s advanced age and poor health. Dozens of people and enti- ties have been charged in the U.S. with a scheme to extract hundreds of millions of dol- lars in bribes and kickbacks. Most have pleaded guilty. The former presi- dent of Peru’s soccer federa- tion, Manuel Burga, was ac- quitted in December. Dozens of people and entities have been charged in the U.S. with a scheme to extract hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. The postponement would put Mr. Webb’s sentencing into March 2019 – nearly four years after he was first arrested in Zurich, Switzerland.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” We agree, in principle, with the idea of a strategic plan outlining goals and priorities for the Cayman Islands’ critical tourism sector. We also would concede that government has a necessary role in establishing the broad parameters in which the tourism industry must operate. That interest is properly expressed through the enactment of laws (no gambling or topless beaches), regulations (zoning, noise, Sunday retail restrictions) and establishing and enforcing practices that are conducive to domestic tranquility (safety and security, in particular). Beyond that tourism is, and should be, primarily, a private sector undertaking. Whenever government trespasses into that space – say by either owning, operating or subsidizing attractions (think the Cayman Turtle Centre and Pedro St. James), it competes with private operators and diminishes the real demands of the marketplace. It is in this context that we comment on the five- year tourism “plan,” prepared by the Ministry and Department of Tourism and released yesterday. Ironi- cally, the five-year plan has taken more than two years to produce, and it’s far from done. The current draft itself is largely based on public comment already solicited this spring at community meetings held on all three islands. And now the ministry is seeking yet more public input. As Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell explains, “It is imperative that the community remains involved in the process because ultimately, this very important economic pillar of our society can only thrive with your support.” Well, maybe … At some point, public input and decision-making-by- consensus becomes more of an exercise in CYA than in leadership. Reports are delayed (this one is months behind its due date) and leading-edge recommenda- tions are diluted – or eliminated entirely. In this case, the draft contains largely a long list of known problems and challenges, including: Slow and frustrating airport experiences; deficiencies in public transportation and taxi regulation; inadequate solid waste and recycling services; congestion and over- crowding in key areas; chaotic concessions on public beaches; and a general lack of forward thinking. Let us dare state what the report did not address (other than acknowledging its existence): This country has yet to resolve whether its future lies in being a high-end stay-over jurisdiction or a mass-market cruise ship destination. BOTH may be the safe answer. Certainly, each makes substantial contributions to the economy – but the reality is they may not be mutually compatible. Simply put, cruise tourism is a volume industry – the more the better – while stay-over tourism is about quality over quantity. Adjectives such as “exclu- sive,” “private” or “elite” are attractions to an upscale market but anathema to those with both limited dollars and time. Already Cayman crams into its extremely limited land mass more than 1.7 million cruise ship visitors, and the proposed new cruise pier project supposedly would need to add a few hundred thousand more, for hours longer each day, in order to be financially viable. As the report points out, already Cayman’s most desirable attractions (Seven Mile Beach and Stingray City) are becoming so overcrowded that they are becoming less desirable. In the immortal words of seer and sage Yogi Berra, “Nobody goes there any more. It’s too crowded.” So which is it to be? Stay-over tourism or cruise ship tourism? Answer that question and then it will be much easier to address follow-on questions such as: Should we build the $200 million cruise dock or should we plan to expand, replace or relocate Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport? More input sought on tourism plan: Here’s ours THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Reducing the high cost of living Cayman is a world leader in some instances, while an increasing number of persons each year have to go on wel- fare. Why is this? Cayman is one of the leaders in offshore business – recently I read we had lost 7.8 percent of our business to outsourcing. We must ad- dress the issues we face now. Cayman is blessed. We still have a population of perhaps 65,000, but it must happen now, before we reach the 100,000 mark. In Singapore, one of the countries that is attracting our companies, the cost of living is 44 percent less and the wages 20 percent less than in Cayman. This tells the story. Legislators, please help. Government presently col- lects a stamp fee on several things (checks, policies, doc- uments, etc.), which probably amounts to an average of 0.5 percent to the average con- sumer each month. If gov- ernment would include bank transactions – electronic transactions, drafts, wires and deposits – going with a minimum figure (for example, .00007 percent), then it could remove duty from food, gas, diesel, propane and reduce li- cense fees. This would bring the high cost of living down 25-30 percent; all will benefit. Eletta Soto When bureaucratic bullies are in charge There is a natural ten- dency to try to dominate or bully our fellow man or woman. Now, it is often done by the use of government in- stitutions and procedures. The leaders of small tribes conquered other tribes. Even- tually, these conglomerates of tribes evolved into nation states – most often led by kings with absolute power and all of the property rights. Occasionally, kings lost power, most often to a group of oli- garchs; but, in rare cases, most male citizens (with the exception of slaves) acquired some temporary power, as in the Greek city-states. The modern idea of indi- vidual liberty and the right to own and control property is of very recent vintage. In the English-speaking world, it is most often traced back to the Magna Carta of 1215 — orig- inally a treaty whereby King John granted a number of his barons some property rights and liberties in exchange for debt forgiveness. It was not until the Glo- rious Revolution in 1688 that as many as 12 percent of the English population had voting rights and clear title to property. And it was not until the passage of the American Constitution in 1789 that property and voting rights were extended to all males (except slaves) – unique for the world at the time. Liberty, voting and prop- erty rights continued to be ex- panded in the United States, with the freeing of the slaves in 1863, the granting of women voting rights in 1920 and the end of Jim Crow laws in 1965. Democracy, liberty and property rights expanded in much of the rest of the world from the two centuries from the birth of the United States through the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Unfortunately, there has been some retrogression in the past two decades as a new class of bullies has emerged. Freedom of speech is under attack. Socialism has gained an audience with many young people and those in the media seemingly un- aware that socialism requires coercion and a loss of liberty, and ultimately destroys eco- nomic well-being and lives. Large nation states and alliances, notably the Euro- pean Union, are employing thuggish tactics against small states that choose dif- ferent laws and tax systems. Several months ago, the EU blacklisted 17 countries, warning 47 others they also may be listed for the sin of not matching up to “interna- tional standards” as defined by the bullies that run the EU. The EU and the interna- tional institutions they con- trol, like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, demand that other countries destroy fi- nancial privacy, private prop- erty protections, and require business to engage in non- productive and costly regu- lation. Many countries under attack have only recently be- come prosperous and the de- mands would reverse many of the economic gains that have been made. There is a long history of government bureaucracies caring little about the people they are supposed to serve, but only about their own well-being and power. Exam- ples can be found at all levels of government – from the ef- fort to impose global tax and financial regulatory schemes to banning the use of plastic drinking straws. Politicians and bureau- crats are proving themselves to be petty, incompetent, un- reasonable and stupid when it comes to the drinking straw issue. The claim has been made that Americans use 500 million plastic straws a day. The source of the number comes from a 9-year-old stu- dent who made the estimate for his science project. There has been no cost- benefit analysis of banning plastic straws. Plastic straws make up far less than 1 per- cent of all the plastic waste generated in the United States. Last week, I went to a res- taurant where I was given an uncomfortable metal straw for my ice tea. The waiter told me they needed the straw back because they wash it for the next customer. Has anyone determined how much energy it will take to wash each straw – and how can we be assured that the washing will be done sufficiently well? Of course not, because the real issue is not plastic waste but the extension of govern- ment control over our lives. If government bullies can legally destroy our finan- cial privacy and dictate the means by which we consume beverages – and everything in between – are we really free? Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 TICKETS ARE CI$500 REGISTER TODAY AT CTECCAYMAN.COM September 13-14, 2018 Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman 2018 MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE CREA DISCOVER OUR PLANET WITH NASA. Don’t miss out on discovering our planet, as you’ve never seen it before. Science On a Sphere is a giant, animated globe which uses unique technology to display captivating images of our Earth’s environment, including: Ocean temperatureClimate changeAtmospheric storms Students head back to the books MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Rowan McLean is not looking forward to the early alarm going off on Monday. Its buzz will mean the end of summer and a re- turn to school. School, said Rowan, 15, is not what’s hard. “Just the waking up part,” he said. And the loss of lazy days, which, he said, he did not get enough of. “I feel like I need more time with my friends, just hanging out,” said the young man who spent his break as a counselor-in-training with the YMCA summer camp program. For most Cayman students, this is the last week of summer. Gov- ernment schools start back up on Monday, except for the Cayman Is- lands Further Education Centre, where classes begin Sept. 3. Most private schools kick off classes ei- ther this week or next, although Wesleyan Christian Academy and Cayman International School are al- ready back in session. Rowan was talking over the background buzz of about 100 kids of all ages preparing for their next activity at the summer camp, at the Little League’s Field of Dreams. The camp is winding up an eight- week stretch. If Rowan is reluctant about re- turning to the classroom, Lucia Phillips-Hernaez, 8, is raring to go. “I like summer, but I’m also ex- cited that school’s going to start,” she said with a big smile. “It’s a new year and you start fresh.” Lucia, who would like to be a scientist, said she is hoping to learn to play a new musical instrument this year. “I already play the piano,” she said. “We’ve been learning about the ukulele and I find that very interesting.” Campmate Macks Robertson, 10, will be starting his first year at John Gray High School. Macks, who would like to pursue a career as a pilot, said he is not anxious about entering high school, but would take a few more days of summer if he could get them. He’d like to have a little more time at the pool, he said, and some unstructured hours “just to get more freedom.” The start of school marks the end of the busiest time of year for Jenny Stuesser, YMCA camp director. “We welcomed over 600 campers over the summer,” she said. Now she has to switch gears. “We are excited to launch our af- terschool programs,” Ms. Stuesser said. “We’ll look forward to con- tinuing to grow those programs.” At least until next summer rolls around. School start times for fall semester GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS All government primary schools reopen on Monday, Aug. 27, at 8:30 a.m. An orientation day at the public primary schools will be held on Friday, Aug. 24, for all new students, who are required to be accompa- nied by their parent/guardian. GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLS John Gray High School Aug. 27: Orientation day for new Year 7 students and new Year 11 students only, 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Aug. 27: Orientation day for new students to the school/ transfers in Years 8 to 10 only, who should report to main office at 8 a.m. for induction, which will last until 10 a.m. Aug. 28: Years 7, 10 and 11 students only, 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Aug. 29: School reopens for all students at 8 a.m. First day back for students in Years 8 and 9. Clifton Hunter High School Aug. 27: New Year 7 and new Year 11 students only, 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Aug. 28: Years 7, 10 and 11 students only, 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Aug. 29: School reopens for all students at 8 a.m. First day back for students in Years 8 and 9. Layman E. Scott Sr. High School Aug. 27: School reopens for Years 7–12 at 8 a.m. C.I. Further Education Centre Aug. 27: Year 11 students col- lect exam results and re- ceive initial consulting: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 28: Year 12 students collect exam results. Aug. 31: Class induction for all Year 12 students. Sept. 3: School reopens for all stu- dents at 8:10 a.m. PRIVATE SCHOOLS Cayman International School Aug. 21: School reopened Triple C School Aug. 24: School reopens Montessori By The Sea Aug. 27: School reopens Hope Academy Aug. 27: School reopens St. Ignatius Catholic School Aug. 28: School reopens Grace Christian Academy Aug. 28: School reopens, half day Cayman Prep and High School Aug. 29: School reopens First Baptist Christian School Sept. 3: School reopens Cayman Academy Sept. 4: School reopens Wesleyan Christian Academy Aug. 21: School reopened AUG. 24 ORIENTATION SCHOOLTIME Sir. John A. Cumber9-11:30 a.m. George Town Primary9-11 a.m. Red Bay Primary9 a.m. to noon Lighthouse School9-10 a.m. Savannah Primary 8:30-10:30 a.m. Prospect Primary 9-11:30 a.m. Bodden Town Primary 8:30-11 a.m. Edna M. Moyle Primary9-10 a.m. East End Primary8:30 to noon West End Primary 11 a.m. to noon Creek & Spot Bay Primary Schools9-10:30 a.m. Little Cayman Education Services9:30-10:30 a.m.THURSDAY, AUG. 23 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: The Savannah After School Enrichment Programme holds registration for new students today 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Savannah United Church Hall (behind the Rubis Gas Station). The Programme will resume on Monday, Aug. 27, 3 p.m. for all students. SASEP is designed to engage primary school students in wholesome learning activities. The program is delivered by caring, qualified and experienced teachers. FRIDAY, AUG. 24 PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Government primary schools hold orientation this morning for NEW students and they need to be accompanied by their parent/guardian. All primary schools (including the Little Cayman Education Service) reopen on Monday, Aug. 27 at 8:30 a.m. ART OF FASHION: Opening reception at the National Gallery, 6-8 p.m. An exhibition featuring new collections by designers Isy B and Jawara Alleyne, inspired by the National Art Collection. Free admission to members. Guests may purchase a $25 guest membership for entrance to the event. Exhibition runs until Nov. 30. 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 Board meeting is Sept. 13. SATURDAY, AUG. 25 SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Back- to-school supplies will be given away at Airport Park 2–6 p.m. while supplies last. Free event, all ages welcome. Organized by Pursuit of Excellence, the Lloyd Barker Foundation. 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 information. MONDAY, AUG. 27 WEST BAY TRUST: West Bay District Committee of the National Trust AGM will be held 6:30 p.m. at the John Gray Memorial Church Hall. All members and interested persons are invited. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29 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. 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 EAST END MEETING: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a District Community Meeting at 7 p.m. at the East End Presbyterian Church Hall. The meeting is open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend in order to express concerns and ask questions. Refreshments will be served. 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. FRIDAY, AUG. 31 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. Screenings are 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. PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION: Last day to enter. 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. Organized by the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Presented by the Cayman Drama Society. Opens tonight and continues Sept. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Matinees Sunday Sept. 9 and 16 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets Adults $25, Students $15. Tickets available online at www.cds.ky. GENERAL INTEREST UK SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 6, 2018, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply. Visit www.chevening.org/ apply/guidance for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications. Contact Gill Skinner on 244-2431 or gillian.skinner@fco.gov.uk NCVO BARGAIN SHOP: The NCVO New To You Bargain Shop extends opening hours for the rest of August. 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. 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 due for the period ending June 30. In Grand Cayman, payments can be made at any post office or at the DEH main office, 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. 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. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. FARMERS ARTISAN MARKET: Noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society artists sell arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics and more at the VAS tents by KARoo Restaurant. For more information or to inquire about table space, email info@visualartcayman.com. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacyman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. The local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. 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 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Aug. 31 is the closing date for a sun safety photography competition organized by the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. Students between the ages of 10 and 14 are invited to submit photos that creatively demonstrate sun safety (hats, sunglasses, sunscreen) while having fun.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 Steve Higgins & Friends returning to Cayman Steve Higgins & Friends will return to the Cayman Islands early next month to help raise funds for cancer- related programs on island. The Sunday, Sept. 2 con- cert will be the Jamaican ten- or’s second show in Cayman in a little over a year. Organizers said the show, called “Embracing Romance,” will include music from var- ious genres, including clas- sical, jazz, love songs, bal- lads and well-known Broadway favorites. In May last year, a full house of patrons at the ARC in Camana Bay at- tended “An Enchanting Eve- ning of Musical Excellence,” where Mr. Higgins appeared along with the Cayman Na- tional Choir and Orchestra. He subsequently presented checks from the proceeds of the show to the Cayman Is- lands Cancer Society and the Cayman National Choir and Orchestra. This year, proceeds will go to outreach programs run by the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens and the Cayman Is- lands Cancer Society. Mr. Higgins was the head- liner in the Birmingham Com- monwealth Association and the Association of Jamaican Nationals in Birmingham’s tribute in June 2016 that cel- ebrated the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. He toured Scotland, per- forming in Edinburgh, London and Manchester, en- gaging in musical workshops in several cities. In 2017, he delivered workshops at the University College of the Cayman Islands, and other educational institutions. In his concert at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Re- sort next month, he will be joined by sopranos Dahlia Wynter and April Marr, and creative dancer Amaya Lewis. The show begins at 6 p.m. For tickets, call Funky Tang’s at 949-0998, or Superstitch at 939-3141 or 916-5008. Organizers said the show, called “Embracing Romance,” will include music from various genres, including classical, jazz, love songs, ballads and well-known Broadway favorites. Steve Higgins, with Dahlia Wynter, left, and April Marr will be visiting Cayman next month to hold a concert. Robotics team returns from international contest A hastily assembled team of three high school students who spent a month building a robot for the FIRST Global In- ternational Robotics Chal- lenge, Aug. 16-18 in Mexico City, Mexico, have returned home to Cayman. The team’s robot, dubbed the Kraken, faced off against entries from 160 other countries. Cayman came out 23rd overall and 101st in match play against other robots. Adrian Phillips-Her- naez, Ethan Cronier and Joe Allom-Perez worked eight- hour days, four days a week for a month to build their robot – essentially a remote- controlled vehicle with an articulated arm for picking up and placing objects – from basic components that the competition organizers provided to them. Because of limited time, the 2018 team was selected based on members’ grades and interest in science and engineering. Dart’s Minds Inspired, which sponsored the team, plans to hold a local ro- botics competition to se- lect the 2019 team. Schools in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac will be given information as soon as it becomes available. Cayman team members Ethan Cronier, right, Joe Allom-Perez, third from right, and Adrian Phillips-Hernaez, fourth from right, prepare to engage their Kraken robot in competition at the FIRST Global International Robotics Challenge, in Mexico City.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 social media accounts. He also showed up at her work and watched her when she was playing golf, ac- cording to a summary of the evidence from prosecutor Emma Hutchinson. In a victim impact state- ment, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she feared for her safety and was forced to move house because of his actions. Passing sentence Tuesday afternoon, Magistrate Valdis Foldats said Mr. Moor’s be- havior had been frightening. “This was not a case of misguided romantic over- tures. This was unhealthy, abnormal stalking,” he said. The suspended sentence meant Mr. Moor walked free from court Tuesday but is li- able to be jailed for eight months for this offense if he commits any other crime in the next two years. He was also ordered to pay $300 in costs and comply with the conditions of a Pro- tection Order which pre- vents him from having any contact or communication with the victim. Both the lawyers and the magistrate acknowl- edged that specific anti- stalking legislation does not exist in the Cayman Islands and during the sentencing hearing looked to guidelines on stalking from the U.K. Mr. Foldats said the per- sistent nature of Mr. Moor’s behavior was an aggra- vating factor. He said, “The defendant engaged in a six-month re- lentless campaign of harass- ment that persisted even after he was warned by the police. His actions were un- wanted and destructive to the victim’s sense of security. “Although the defendant did not escalate to physical violence, his obsession was so irrational and unpredict- able that anyone would fear he would take the next step.” The magistrate said this was the “first case of stalking that we are aware of in the Cayman Islands” and the court wanted to send a message that “per- sistent, abusive conduct like this will not be tolerated.” He said he was mindful that the defendant could lose his job and be forced to leave the jurisdiction but said he only had himself to blame. “His actions damaged the victim’s life and may also damage his own life,” he said. “Those consequences would be appropriate and proportionate.” Outlining the facts at the two-part sentencing hearing on Monday and Tuesday, Ms. Hutchinson said Mr. Moor and his victim had worked together in Canada and had a brief relationship. She said they had remained friends after she had moved to Cayman and he had contacted her to inquire about potential jobs for his sister. Instead, he got a job and moved to the is- land himself, finding an apart- ment in the same complex as his ex-girlfriend. The relationship was ini- tially cordial until he began sending her a lot of mes- sages and she stopped re- plying. She asked him to stop messaging her and blocked his Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, Ms. Hutchinson said. But he continued to pester her, creating new accounts and email addresses to send a string of messages that fluctuated between apologies and name-calling. A 50-page sampling of the messages was presented to the court. Ms. Hutchinson said the woman had called the po- lice and Mr. Moor had made a signed statement in the officer’s notebook agreeing to stay away from her, but failed to do so. Gregory Burke, repre- senting Mr. Moor, said he ad- mitted to the behavior de- scribed and was remorseful for his actions. He said he had arrived on the island to take up employ- ment and, feeling “isolated and lonely,” he had sought to rekindle the relationship. He said the messaging had started after long shifts and consuming alcohol. Though the majority of the mes- sages expressed affection, he acknowledged that some did not. The prosecution de- scribed some of the messages as abusive and highlighted one as “grossly offensive.” Cayman Compass reporter Carol Winker contributed to this story. THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS cocaine and said the only reasonable conclusion was that the drugs were being prepared for supply. Magistrate Gunn also said she found the testimony of the police officer to be largely consistent and credible. During a sentencing hearing last week, defense attorneys pleaded leniency for their clients, saying that they were not hardened drug dealers, but simply “incompetent amateurs” and “nothing but bumbling drug dealers.” The two defendants were not experienced drug dealers, but found the co- caine, said Mr. Watler’s defense attorney, John Furniss. Instead of rightly turning it over to the au- thorities, in their excite- ment, they decided to keep it in their possession, ac- cording to the attorney. Magistrate Gunn said on Wednesday that she be- lieved the defendants in- deed found the cocaine and did not purchase it. However, she said, the fact that police also found scales and small baggies showed that “their enter- prise was already at an ad- vanced stage.” The magistrate deter- mined that sentencing guidelines called for the starting point to be at 15 years for the defendants. She said the fact that they found the drugs, they had no prior convictions and other mitigating factors warranted their sentence to be reduced to 12.5 years. At the end of Wednes- day’s hearing, Mr. Furniss and Mr. Hurlston’s at- torney, Steve McField, both announced their in- tentions to appeal Mag- istrate Gunn’s conviction and sentence. 12.5 years for ‘bumbling drug dealers’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Despite attempts by the woman to convince him to stop, Moor bombarded her with messages, using seven different cellphone numbers and multiple social media accounts. Stalker used 7 cell numbers in ‘campaign of harassment’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 visitors at popular coastal and marine attractions, such as the most visited tourist attraction – Stingray City and Sandbar – does present unique challenges from the perspectives of environmental impacts and visitor experience.” It recommends a new visitor management pro- gram, including a desig- nated staff member to work with “management teams” for key attractions. Other concerns high- lighted in the report, which looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the island’s tourism product, include the need to get more tour- ists to go east. It states, “Attractions and activities on the western side of the island are ap- proaching capacity limits and are now faced with a variety of significant vis- itor management challenges, while the eastern half of the island, which offers a less congested, more diverse, and more authentic ‘Cayman’ experience, is being under- utilized. Efforts need to be made to strike a better bal- ance, promote more diverse visitor experiences, gen- erate economic benefits for more residents, and enhance Grand Cayman’s competi- tive position.” Another issue, high- lighted in the report, is the need for better education and marketing of tourism as a career opportunity. Suggestions include ex- panding the hospitality school and working with the private sector to identify and better understand the needs of employers. To enhance business op- portunities, it recommends the creation of a public-pri- vate body, called the Vis- itor Experience Challenge Fund, to provide grants, fi- nancing, business planning and development services, and marketing support to entrepreneurs with work- able ideas for new attrac- tions. It also suggests cre- ating a government-backed financing program for such start-up businesses. The plan was developed by the ministry and depart- ment of tourism, along with their private sector con- sultants, and involved con- sultation with businesses and the public. The ministry is now looking for feedback on its draft, which can be viewed at www.caymanntp.ky. 5-year plan aims to manage tourism growth CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of a reasonable and pru- dent driver. Questioned by Crown counsel Scott Wain- wright, he had agreed he was driving without due care and attention. Mr. Wong had also told the court that as he picked up his phone, he felt a bump and heard a thump. He said he thought he had hit a pothole. Photos of the two vehicles showed considerable damage to both of them. The force of the impact must have been significant, the magistrate commented. The noise should have alerted Mr. Wong that he had been in an accident and the final resting place of the other vehicle should have made him aware, she said. Given the damage to his own front wheel, he should have been aware that he had been in an accident, she concluded, and found him guilty of leaving the scene of an accident. The magistrate detailed evidence presented about the breathalyzer test given to Mr. Wong at the Bodden Town Police Station after the accident. It had produced a reading of .184. The legal limit in Cayman is .100. The officer administering the test explained the proce- dure he had followed. When he was asked if the arresting officer was in the room for the test, he said he could not confirm that. The magistrate pointed out that either the arresting officer was present or he was not. If he was present, she would have expected the of- ficer to say so. The magistrate said she was of the view that this response should have been clarified to remove any doubt as to whether the of- ficer was present or not. This inability to unequivocally confirm the officer’s presence raised a doubt – It appeared that there may not have been strict compliance with the law, so that the breathalyzer certificate should not have been admitted into evidence. The Traffic Law states that the constable operating an alcohol-in-breath mea- suring device shall do so in the presence of another con- stable and the result of the breath test is to be signed by him and “countersigned by the constable in whose pres- ence it was made ….” Without evidence of the alcohol-in-blood level, the magistrate found Mr. Wong not guilty of this charge and acquitted him. Mr. Wainwright said the Crown would be asking for costs because an expert wit- ness had to be called to reply to the defense witness. De- fense attorney Dennis Brady indicated there should not be any costs awarded because Mr. Wong had been acquitted. Mr. Wainwright then noted that leaving the scene of an accident is a very se- rious offense and he asked for time to place authorities be- fore the court. Mr. Brady did not disagree and sentencing was set for Tuesday, Sept. 18. Wong guilty of leaving accident scene CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 VENEZUELAN EXECUTIVE PLEADS IN $1.2B MONEY-LAUNDERING SCHEME MIAMI (AP) – A former Swiss bank executive has pleaded guilty to his role in a $1.2 billion money-laun- dering scheme involving Venezuela’s state-run oil and natural gas company. Federal court records show that 44-year-old Mat- thias Krull pleaded guilty in Miami federal court on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit money laun- dering. The German na- tional and Panamanian resident is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 29. Authorities say the scheme began in 2014 with bribery and fraud at the state-run PDVSA oil and gas enterprise and grew over time. A criminal com- plaint contends the scheme involved members of the Venezuelan elite, money managers, brokerage firms, banks and real estate in- vestment firms. Krull acknowledged joining the conspiracy in 2016. Officials say Krull and others used Miami real es- tate and sophisticated false- investment schemes to con- ceal the embezzled money. The draft of the five-year plan includes suggestions for better management of overcrowded attractions like Stingray City.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY AUGUST 23, 2018 Iran: Britain will help redesign reactor Iran says Britain will help it redesign a reactor following the U.S. withdrawal from Tehran’s nuclear agreement with world powers. Initially, experts from the United States and China were to help Iran redesign the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. 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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 Hawaii residents brace themselves as Hurricane Lane gathers strength HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii resi- dents rushed to stores to stock up on bottled water, ramen, toilet paper and other sup- plies as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf as a strength- ening hurricane continued to churn toward the state. The National Weather Service said that Hurricane Lane had become a Category 5 hurricane, which means that it is likely to cause cata- strophic damage with winds 157 mph or above. The hurricane was about 465 miles southeast of Hono- lulu before dawn Wednesday and The National Weather Service extended a hurri- cane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island to include the island of Maui. Meteorologist Melissa Dye shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday said the hurri- cane was 320 miles southeast of Hilo and moving north- northwest at about 9 mph. “We are starting to see some of the rain show up on the Big Island radar,” she said. Offshore buoys also had detected wave action associ- ated with the storm. The weather service in a special statement said trop- ical-storm-force winds could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon or evening on the Big Island. On Tuesday night, the Na- tional Weather Service an- nounced that Hurricane Lane had become a Category 5 hurricane, which means that it is likely to cause cata- strophic damage with winds 157 mph or above. A hurricane watch re- mained in effect for Oahu and other smaller islands, meaning tropical storm- force winds, excessive rain and large swells could arrive starting Wednesday. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing dam- aging winds and life-threat- ening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hur- ricane Center warned as it got closer to the state. There’s uncertainty to Lane’s path, said meteorolo- gist Gavin Shigesato. “It is much too early to confidently determine which, if any, of the main Hawaiian islands will be directly im- pacted by Lane,” the weather service said. But the hurricane center said the storm will move very close to or over the islands from Thursday through Sat- urday. Even if the center of Lane does not make land- fall, the islands could be wal- loped with rain and wind. Public schools on the Big Island and in Maui County are closed Wednesday until further notice. Hawaii Gov. David Ige is al- lowing non-essential state em- ployees on the Big Island and Maui to go on administra- tive leave from Wednesday to Friday as Hurricane Lane ap- proaches. Employees on Ha- waii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons are required to report to their jobs, the governor said. Longtime Hawaii resi- dents recalled a devastating 1992 hurricane as they pre- pared for Hurricane Lane. Kauai resident Mike Mi- randa was 12 when Hurri- cane Iniki devastated the is- land 26 years ago. “A lot of people are comparing the similarities between Iniki and Lane,” he said. Iniki’s turn into the is- lands was sudden, he recalled. “I remember how very little rain fell. But I re- member the wind being the strongest force of nature I’ve ever witnessed and probably the scariest sounds I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said. Utility poles were down all over the island, and his 7th-grade classes were held in Army tents for several months. Miranda said his family is used to preparing for hur- ricane season. “A lot of people who moved here and never expe- rienced a hurricane. they’re the ones rushing to the store,” he said. Bryce and Dom Boeder of Waimea, Kauai, load their truck with storm supplies, Tuesday in the parking lot of the Walmart store in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. - PHOTO: AP Trump mocks Cohen, trying to shrug off fallout President Donald Trump on Wednesday ridiculed his longtime lawyer and fixer Mi- chael Cohen, who implicated him a day earlier in a crim- inal plot to hide alleged af- fairs from voters, displaying little concern about any po- tential legal or political damage to his presidency. He also maintained his attacks on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who secured the conviction of Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, on bank and tax fraud charges on Tuesday at practically the same time Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felonies. In effect, Trump appeared to brush off developments that several of his aides and confidants said amounted to one of the worst days of his presidency. “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t re- tain the services of Michael Cohen!” Trump said in a tweet Wednesday morning. He added that he didn’t think two campaign finance viola- tions to which Cohen pleaded guilty – six-figure hush- money payments to women who claimed to have had af- fairs with Trump, and that Cohen said were directed by Trump – were crimes at all. Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis meanwhile indicated in morning television inter- views that Cohen would not seek a pardon from Trump and had information to share with federal prosecutors that could damage the president. Trump defended Manafort, praising him in an- other tweet as “a brave man.” “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family,” the president said. “Unlike Michael Cohen, he re- fused to ‘break.”’ In private, Trump was de- scribed by associates as taci- turn. On the way to West Vir- ginia aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, the president watched Fox News coverage of the Manafort verdict and Cohen’s plea, two people fa- miliar with the matter said. One said Trump asked aides how the news was playing. The people described Trump as somber but calm and added that he said nothing critical about Manafort or Cohen. Con- gressman Alex Mooney and Senator Shelley Moore Capito, both of West Virginia, and Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado accompanied the president and tried to dis- tract him with conversation about legislative issues and other topics, the people said. Some of his aides and al- lies were worried about the consequences of the day’s events. Two of them said it was likelier Democrats would win the House of Represen- tatives in November. Two others expressed concern for the country. © 2018, BloombergNext >