SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Christopher Robin’ brings back Pooh Ewan McGregor stars as the grown-up protagonist B4 National Gallery’s focus on fashion Latest exhibit hails local designers B5 Food & Drin k Artists & Exhibits Movies National Trust offers passport for adventure Learn more about the heritage of the island, one site at a time B2 ■ EVENTS Miss Cayman Islands 2018 Meet Caitlin Tyson, the new queen. B6 Island Bites serves up the good stuff Chef Huey Crawford cooks unforgettable chow B3 STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July THE CHARACTER OF 1938. THE SMOOTHNESS OF 2018. A limited edition vodka made of: DRINK WITH CARE.STOLICHNAYA®80th ANNIVERSARY EDITION VODKA. 40 % Alc./Vol. Distilled from Grain. ©2018. All rights reserved. ® – STOLI and STOLICHNAYA are registered trademarks, depending on the country, of ZHS IP Americas Sàrl, ZHS IP Europe Sàrl, ZHS IP Worldwide Sàrl. 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THE SMOOTHNESS OF 2018. n more about the heritage of the island, one site at a time PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE CAYMAN WEEKENDER Miss Cayman Islands 2018 EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A NO-COMPROMISE COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION High of 90 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 9 PCS OF THE BEST DRESSED CHICKEN, 2 LARGE SIDES & 5 BISCUITS Public school teachers get pay increase MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The real pay increase for teachers will come next year. As part of a broad scope of changes, minimum pay for new teachers will increase Sept. 1 to $4,300 a month, Education Min- ister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly announced Thursday to 600 gov- ernment school educators who were attending a daylong program of training seminars at Red Bay Primary School. The announced increase is just $100 more than the current minimum and well short of the $5,000-a-month goal the minister announced last year. But, Ms. O’Connor-Connolly added, the minimum salary will in- crease to the $5,000 mark starting Sept. 1, 2019. She also said the in- crease at the bottom rung would trigger incremental increases across the pay scale. “It will be a gradual increase all the way up,” Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said in comments after her address. The minister also addressed plans to restart construction of the new John Gray High School. (See page 8 for that story.) Trilby Lingard has been teaching music in the government schools for 25 years. She welcomed the news. “I’m very happy these adjust- ments are being made,” Ms. Lingard said. “The minister has fulfilled her promises, so we’re very happy.” The most applause during Ms. O’Connor-Connolly’s speech came when she announced a new policy that would allow for teachers to take personal leave on a case-by- case basis. She said Lyneth Mon- teith, director of the Department of Education, or her designee has the authority to grant paid days to teachers who might need to travel to see their child graduate col- lege or get married, for example. Currently, any such leave is unpaid. The minister cautioned teachers not to abuse the new policy. Other new policies announced included the following: ■■ To address a reported hiring hurdle, teachers hired during the middle of the year will now be paid over summer break. ■■ An extra $1 million is being made available so that school inspections can be done every two years instead of every four. ■■ The ministry plans to fund a study to look at the in- crease in students desig- nated as special needs. ■■ An additional 10 special needs teachers, including a speech therapist and occupational ther- apist will be hired, with two dedicated to Cayman Brac. ■■ Artificial cover for sports fields at East End, North Side, Bodden Town and Red Bay primaries and Creek and Spot Bay junior school will be provided this year, with four more schools get- ting such fields in 2019-2020. ■■ Replacement of specific ve- hicles, including a new 65-seat bus for Bodden Town Primary and two special needs vehi- cles with wheelchair lifts. Dan Scott, chairman of the Edu- cation Council, said he believed the scope of the announced changes was “unprecedented” but that things had been put in place to make them happen. “I think the time is right,” Mr. Scott said. “People are ready to re- ally pick up the pace.” SYBIL MCLAUGHLIN, NATIONAL HERO, TURNS 90 10 weeks pass, no word on governor Sybil McLaughlin, Cayman’s only living National Hero, turns 90 years old today, Friday, Aug. 24. Ms. Sybil, as she is fondly and widely known, was born in the U.S. and moved to Cayman at the age of 4. She went on to become the first clerk and first Speaker of the House at the Legislative As- sembly, and was made a National Hero in 1996. For more on this story, see page 2. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Wednesday, Aug. 22, marked 10 weeks since the announcement of the sudden, temporary removal of Gov- ernor Anwar Choudhury from his post without further explanation from U.K. officials. On Thursday, Head of the Gover- nor’s Office Matthew Forbes said he had “nothing further” to add at this stage regarding the fate of Cayman’s absent governor. The most recent commentary by anyone on the subject came from the U.K.’s Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wim- bledon who wrote in response to Cayman Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller on Aug. 2. “It is important that the investiga- tion process is able to proceed in a manner that is fair and protects the privacy of all involved,” Lord Ahmad, the minister for the British Overseas Territories, wrote. “It is therefore in- appropriate for me to comment on the specific nature of the investigation until it has concluded. “I do hope that the investiga- tion process can be concluded as swiftly as possible for the benefit of all concerned.” Governor Choudhury, 59, was “tem- porarily withdrawn” from office on or about June 12 by the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office amid un- specified allegations. It was later re- vealed that complaints had been made against the governor by staff mem- bers, but U.K. officials have repeatedly declined to discuss those matters. An open records request filed with the U.K. government on the PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Sybil McLaughlin enjoys a dance with her caregiver Erica Kidd. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Governor Anwar Choudhury About 600 government school teachers were on hand Thursday morning at Mary Miller Hall to hear details of new education policies announced by Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS FREE DELIVERY TO SMB & CAMANA BAY AREA Cayman Orthopaedic Group Please call 945-8380 for appointments DR. VIR SENNIK, MD, FRCS(C) Orthopaedic Surgeon and Knee, Hand and Upper Limb Surgery will be at Unit #1, Smith Road Plaza Monday 27th August, 2018 to Friday 7th September, 2018 Specializing in: Ladies & Men’s Haircuts Children’s Haircuts Colour/Highlights & Lowlights Beauty Treatments: Braiding • Keratin Treatment • Manicures • Pedicures Acrylic Nails • Waxing Facials • Massage • Full Body Treatments Eyelash & Eyebrow Tinting Tel: 949 8809 Open: Mon - Sat 9am - 6pm West Shore Centre, West Bay Road Ondina – Hair Stylist | Eugene – Hair Stylist Kalpana – Beauty Therapist Our experienced staff: National Hero living contented life at 90 JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Sybil Ione McLaughlin, Cayman’s only living Na- tional Hero, turns 90 years old today, Friday, Aug. 24. To celebrate this remark- able woman who made her mark on Cayman society, her family and friends will host a tea party in her honor. Saying she feels quite con- tented about how life has turned out, she took a little time on Tuesday with the Cayman Compass to share memories, future plans and give thanks for the people and many good things that happened in her life throughout the years. The story of her life was told in the 2015 book “Is- land Girl to National Hero,” written by author Heather R. McLaughlin. Enjoying humble begin- nings, the woman known widely simply as Ms. Sybil was somewhat of a tomboy. She loved to climb trees, so much so that the children in the neighborhood nicknamed her “Monkey,” she said. Though she was only 4 at the time, she remembers the peace and security of her childhood being shattered by the 1932 storm, which stands in Cayman record books as the worst ever in terms of loss of life. Shortly before her 18th birthday, Ms. Sybil cycled into George Town and re- ported for work at the first Government Administra- tion Building. She went on to become the first clerk and the first Speaker of the House at the Legislative Assembly. She was declared a National Hero by the government of the Cayman Islands in 1996, the second individual (after the late Jim Bodden in 1994), the first living person and the first woman to be so honored. Telling it like it is and being true to herself has al- ways been Ms. Sybil’s way. “It’s nice being a senior … you learn some good things over the years, and it’s nice knowing you have done some good things too … that’s the way it’s supposed to happen,” she said. “I go to church and pray to God to give me peace and contentment … I’m just grateful for the things that God has blessed me with over the years,” she added. Daughter-in-law Heather McLaughlin – no rela- tion to author Heather R. McLaughlin – said, “Ms. Sybil is very happy, healthy and has a wonderful disposition.” Ms. Sybil says she is not making any birthday plans before her birth date, though she is looking forward to seeing friends. “I’ll think about it when that day comes … I’m sure not thinking about it today,” she said with a laugh. Sleeping is no problem for her. When she finishes her work for the day, she picks up the Bible, reads a few chapters and she’s off to sleep, she said. “We all get up early in the morning. After you have good night’s rest, then we can do whatever … it prepares me for the day after a good night’s rest,” she said. Ms. Sybil was born in 1928 in Mobile, Alabama, where there were a large community of Caymanians, to parents Captain Charles Christopher Bush and his wife Lottie Verona Bush. After her father died, her mother returned to Cayman with Sybil and her brother and sister. They moved into their father’s family home in South Sound. When her mother moved back to the U.S. to work, Sybil and her siblings stayed in Cayman, where they were mostly raised by their aunts Annie and Rebertha, apart from a four-year period when Sybil lived with another aunt, Ella, in Nicaragua. When she came back to Cayman, shortly before her 8th birthday, Sybil attended the George Town Primary School and later attended the Baptist College in Ma- nagua, Nicaragua, where she graduated, fluent in Spanish, and completed a com- mercial course. In 1945, she returned from her studies overseas and found employment in the Commissioner’s Office as a clerk-typist. In 1949, she married police officer Delworth McLaughlin of East End. The couple had two sons, Gordon and Chris. In 1959, when Cayman re- ceived its first written con- stitution, Ms. Sybil was ap- pointed as the first clerk of the constitution com- mittee. She was also the clerk of the Executive Council, now termed Cab- inet. She received an MBE in 1967 for organizing the first Commonwealth Par- liamentary Association re- gional conference to be held in the Cayman Islands. She retired as clerk of the Legislative Assembly in 1984. She became the first Speaker of the Legislative As- sembly in 1991 and served in that capacity until she re- tired in 1996. During her retirement, she has remained active, sup- porting clubs and charities with which she has been in- volved for many years, in- cluding the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Sunrise Rotary and the Cayman Islands Tennis Club. “Ms. Sybil delights in seeing friends and close as- sociates,” said her daughter- in-law Heather. “It’s nice seeing people I haven’t seen in a very long time,” Ms. Sybil said. When asked if she still loves to dance, Ms. Sybil said, “Obviously, I can still move around.” To prove her point, she got up from her chair and danced with her caregiver Erica Kidd who had quickly pulled up a tune on her cellphone. “I can make a joke out of anything and I love to talk about my parrot,” Ms. Sybil said, as the parrot gave a loud squawk in agreement. “She’s very loud,” Ms. Sybil said with a laugh. Ms. Sybil still does a lot of reading, and does so without the assistance of spectacles. Her favorite book currently is “From Island Girl to National Hero” because it brings back fond memories. Ms. Sybil is content spending her days sitting around and taking care of herself, and not at all inter- ested in having fights with anyone at all. “I listen to the news, turn on the television, read a book or participate in anything I can get from life around me.” Sybil McLaughlin, right, at the book signing of ‘Island Girl to National Hero’ with Heather R. McLaughlin in 2015. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Ms. Sybil and other volunteers help out at the Pines Retirement Home. Shortly before her 18th birthday, Ms. Sybil cycled into George Town and reported for work at the first Government Administration Building. Ms. Sybil receives an honorary doctorate at UCCI in 2016.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. ART DECO OCEANFRONT RESIDENCES INSPIRED BY THE SEA Two to four bedroom residences priced from USD$1.5M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 326 1400 fin@fingrandcayman.com Salt water lagoon Cantilevered glass-bottom pool Private beach Use of a centre console boat exclusive to residents Coral reef backyard protected by FIN Environment Project and in partnership with the Guy Harvey Ocean FoundationThe 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. “Discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life’s problems. Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems.” – Dr. M. Scott Peck, “The Road Less Traveled” The Alameda Unified School District School Board, which presides over Oakland, California, and cities in the San Francisco Bay area, this week amended its student dress code to allow students to attend classes in halter tops, tube tops, ripped jeans and pajamas. Sombreros apparently are out (offensive to certain ethnic groups). In contrast in Cayman, where students will return to public schools on Monday after their summer break, they also will be adjusting to a revised dress code, announced on Monday by Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Con- nolly and Education Council Chairman Dan Scott. No tube tops here. The code itself is no-nonsense – uniforms, pants worn at waist height (not halfway down the butt), short hair (no Mohawks or shaved lines or words), no flip-flops and no jewelry other than watches. Clearly, this new policy is about more than simply attire and couture. It is intended to send an unambiguous message that the classroom is a serious sanctum for learning, order and decorum. It is a message we wholeheartedly support. In recent years, teachers in exit interviews just before they depart the Cayman school system have consistently cited lack of discipline, especially at the high school level, as a key factor in their decision to leave. One quote is illustrative of many others – and of the problem: “I think it is of great detriment to not have an alterna- tive education building that is large enough to house the students on island that need such a thing. This resulted in students that had absolutely no interest in pursuing an education, wandering the grounds, disrupting the learning of others.” According to a recent report on Cayman’s primary schools, the discipline problem was evident even in Cayman’s lower grades. Sir John A. Cumber Primary School was singled out: “Poor student behavior and teachers’ ineffective classroom management were common features of the lessons observed in Year 4-6 classes.” Let us be clear: Effective learning cannot take place in a disorderly or chaotic environment. Period. No single student, or clusters of multiple students, should EVER be allowed to disrupt the education of an entire class. Tough- ness is called for here – “understanding” can come later. Most important, principals, the education ministry, the education bureaucracy (meaning the administration), and parents, must privately, and publicly, support our teachers in their quest to do what they were hired to do – teach. Everything else is secondary to that basic mission. As we begin the new school year, we would encourage parents to take a MUCH greater role in the education of their children and the performance of their schools. We are a huge supporter of competent caring teachers – we think they deserve, and will get, a free pass through the Pearly Gates – but we are not so naïve to think that ALL teachers meet the high standards we must demand. Again, we will be direct and declarative: Bad teachers must be identified and fired – no “retraining,” lateral reas- signment, transfers to “administration,” or never-ending labor appeals – none of that. All good teachers know who the bad teachers are. So do the principals. Ask them with this thought in mind: An ignorant teacher multiplies his or her ignorance by the size of their classes. We can assure our readers that going forward, the Compass will be reporting much more frequently and in much greater detail on the performance of our public schools – and on those charged with preparing our precious children for meaningful and productive lives. In 1980, Compass Publisher David R. Legge wrote in “D” (Dallas) Magazine the following in an editorial entitled “This Chaos Must End”: “The seeds of social unrest are sown in the classroom but flower in the street.” We still believe that, and we must not allow it to happen in our beloved isles Cayman. A no-compromise commitment to public education FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS US is overdue for another Lehman-like episode WASHINGTON – Eric Seva- reid (1912-1992), the author and broadcaster, said he was a pessimist about tomorrow but an optimist about the day after tomorrow. Regarding America’s economy, prudent people should reverse that. As of last week, according to the Financial Times’ Robin Wigglesworth and Nicole Bullock, “the U.S. stock market will officially have enjoyed its longest-ever bull run” – one that rises 20 percent from its low, until it drops 20 percent from its peak. And Sept. 15 will be the 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Bros., the fourth-largest U.S. invest- ment bank. History’s largest bankruptcy filing presaged the October 2008 evaporation of almost $10 trillion in global market capitalization. The durable market rise that began March 6, 2009, is as intoxicating as the Lehman anniversary should be sobering: Nothing lasts. Those who see no Lehman- like episode on the horizon did not see the last one. Economists debate, in- conclusively, this question: Do economic expansions die of old age (the current one began in June 2009) or are they slain by big events or bad policies? What is known is that all expansions end. God, a wit has warned, is going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding. When He, or something, de- cides that today’s expansion, currently in its 111th month (approaching twice the 58- month average length of post- 1945 expansions), has gone on long enough, the contrac- tion probably will begin with the annual budget deficit ex- ceeding $1 trillion. The president’s Office of Management and Budget – not that there is a meaningful budget getting actual man- agement – projects that the deficit for fiscal 2019, which begins in six weeks, will be $1.085 trillion. This is while the economy is, according to the economic historian in the Oval Office, “as good as it’s ever been, ever.” Leavening administration euphoria with facts, Yale’s Robert Shiller, writing in The New York Times, notes that since quarterly GDP enumer- ation began in 1947, there have been 101 quarters with growth at least equal to the 4.1 percent of this year’s second quarter. The fastest – 13.4 percent – was 1950s fourth quarter, perhaps pro- duced largely by bad news: The Cold War was on, the Ko- rean War had begun in June, fear of the atomic bomb was rising (New York City in- stalled its first air-raid siren in October), as was (con- sequently) a homebuilding boom outside cities and “scare buying” of products that might become scarce during World War III. Today, Shiller says, “it seems likely that people in many coun- tries may be accelerating their purchases – of soy- beans, steel and many other commodities – fearing future government intervention in the form of a trade war.” And fearing the probable: higher interest rates. Another hardy perennial among economic debates concerns the point at which the ratio of debt to GDP sup- presses growth. The (sort of) good news – in that it will satisfy intellectual curiosity – is that we are going to find out where that point is: Within a decade the national debt probably will be 100 percent of GDP and rising. As Irwin Stelzer of the Hudson Institute says, “If unlim- ited borrowing, financed by printing money, were a path to prosperity, then Venezuela and Zimbabwe would be top of the growth tables.” Jay Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, says fiscal policy is on an “un- sustainable path,” but such warnings are audible wall- paper, there but not noticed. A recent IMF analysis noted that among advanced economies “only the United States expects an increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio over the next five years.” Amer- ica’s complacency caucus will respond: But among those economies, ours is performing especially well. What, however, if this is sig- nificantly an effect of ex- ploding debt? Publicly held U.S. government debt has tri- pled in a decade. Despite today’s shrill dis- cord between the parties, the political class is more united by class interest than it is divided by ideology. From left to right, this class has a permanent incentive to run enormous deficits – to charge, through taxation, current voters significantly less than the cost of the gov- ernment goods and services they consume, and saddle fu- ture voters with the cost of servicing the resulting debt after the current crop of poli- ticians have left the scene. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL Do economic expansions die of old age (the current one began in June 2009) or are they slain by big events or bad policies? What is known is that all expansions end. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 Stearns & Foster, Sealy, Beautyrest Serta & icomfort!! 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No legislation on stalking exists in the Cayman Islands and although the victim al- leged that the man had fol- lowed her from Canada to the Cayman Islands, moved into the same apartment complex and even started showing up at her work, it was initially difficult to identify a specific law that had been broken. In this case, the per- petrator used seven cell- phone numbers and mul- tiple social media accounts to pester the victim, con- tinuing even after police had warned him to stop. A 50-page sampling of those messages, including one described by prosecu- tors as grossly offensive, was ultimately used as the key evidence for a charge of causing harassment, alarm or distress. Brett Moor, 28, admitted the charge and was given an eight-month suspended prison sen- tence this week. But the investigating of- ficers, lawyers in the case and the magistrate who dealt with it, all indicated that the offense fit the profile of a stalking case, rather than tra- ditional harassment. Magistrate Valdis Foldats, in his sentencing remarks, indicated that the case was the first of its kind that he was aware of in Cayman and looked to U.K. guidelines on stalking to help guide him on sentencing. For the police officers who investigated the case, the absence of specific leg- islation made the investi- gation tricky. “If we hadn’t have had those messages it would have been much more dif- ficult to bring charges,” said Police Constable Jonathan Kern. He said the crime in- volved a pattern of legal be- haviors that cumulatively amounted to stalking. “It is not one identifi- able criminal offense; it is multiple legal behaviors that collectively add up to a criminal offense. Turning up at her work, getting seven different numbers to con- tact her – none of those things are offenses on their own,” he said. “Specific stalking legisla- tion would assist us in inves- tigating patterns of behavior like this,” he said. Harassment usually re- quires threat or fear of vio- lence which, while present in this case, was not the domi- nant feature of the behavior, Mr. Kern said. Specific stalking statutes in other jurisdictions con- sider the combined effect of persistent unwanted contact in curtailing the freedom of the victim, even if that con- tact is outwardly affectionate. In this case, for example, the victim moved house to avoid Mr. Moor after he moved in to the same apartment complex. The U.K. introduced anti- stalking legislation through the Protection of Free- doms Act in 2012. Guidance on the legisla- tion, published by the U.K. Crown Prosecution Ser- vice, states that it was intro- duced to deal with the types of behavior demonstrated in the Moor case. “In many cases, the con- duct might appear innocent (if it were to be taken in iso- lation), but when carried out repeatedly so as to amount to a course of conduct, it may then cause significant alarm, harassment or distress to the victim,” it states. Tweaking legislation in the Cayman Islands would likely begin with adding a definition of the offense to the harassment statutes in the Penal Code, according to Inspector Kevin Ashworth, manager of the RCIPS Family Support Unit. He believes legislation on stalking could also give offi- cers power to curtail such be- havior before it escalates. He said police would like the option to issue a kind of cease and desist notice to the perpetrator, particularly in low-level cases, notifying them that their behavior is perceived as stalking and in- structing them to stop. “That basically lets them know that their behavior is not wanted and any repeat will result in arrest,” he said. In the initial stages of such cases, the harass- ment can be as simple as a handful of unwanted texts or phone calls that persist once the victim has clearly asked for it to stop. In those cases, Constable Kern believes victims are not necessarily looking for the police to press charges, they simply want the ha- rassment to stop. “The victim in this in- stance came to us with a simple request. She wanted it to stop. If someone gives a clear message saying ‘Leave me alone,’ that should be enough. That is really the only responsibility the victim has in cases like this.” Mr. Kern said he hoped the bravery of the victim in this case and the fact that of- ficers were able to secure a conviction would persuade men and women in the same situation to come forward. Mr. Ashworth said adding specific stalking legislation would also likely result in more reports. “I think victims would be more willing to come forward and be heard if we addressed it within this sphere,” he said. But, he added, the con- viction Tuesday showed that police can and do prosecute such offenses. “We want people to know that we take it seriously and we want people to come for- ward,” he said. FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Stalking case highlights legal lacuna “It is not one identifiable criminal offense; it is multiple legal behaviors that collectively add up to a criminal offense.” POLICE CONSTABLE JONATHAN KERN POLICE: PROSPECT HOUSE FIRE ‘ARSON’ The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is investigating a suspected arson in Prospect, George Town Tuesday night. Flames broke out at a home on Almond Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. No one was injured in the fire, but several people inside the home had to evacuate. “The Cayman Islands Fire Service has investigated the incident and determined that this fire is an act of arson. As a result, a full police inves- tigation has been launched into this incident,” an RCIPS statement read.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 Apply for the RBC Harry Chisholm Scholarship today! The enhanced RBC Harry Chisholm Scholarship is now open to Caymanian students wishing to pursue or pursuing Bachelor level studies in Banking, Business Administration, Finance or any Finance related programme. Applicants must currently be a recipient of or awaiting confirmation of an Education Council local scholarship. This two year scholarship also includes a paid internship with RBC Royal Bank in addition to tuition, books and other school related expenses. The internship with RBC Royal Bank will help the recipient gain valuable skills, work experience and access to professional networks. Application period is 24 August – 7 September, 2018. *Terms and conditions apply. ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, find out more by visiting www.education.gov.ky/scholarships MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH, SPORTS, AGRICULTURE & LANDS CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNMENTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS We regret to announce the passing of Monica Bryan who departed this life on Tuesday 7 August 2018. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A Thanksgiving service for the life of Mrs. Bryan will be held at St. Georges Anglican Church on Saturday 25 August at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the Prospect Cemetery Donations can be given in lieu of flowers Colorful attire is preferred Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. John Alfredo Miller Snr, who passed away on Tuesday August 21, 2018. Details of a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. The family of the Late Whitmore Harlod Ebanks regrets to announce his passing on Friday, 17 August, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com A funeral service will be held 4:00 p.m. at Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church on Sunday, 26 August, 2018. Service attendees are encouraged to wear colorful attire. Interment will follow in Boatswain Bay Cemetery. 10 weeks pass, no word on governor matter was denied. A six-week deadline set at the beginning of the in- vestigation against Mr. Choudhury was passed on July 25 with no ac- tion being taken. Offi- cials acknowledged the delay was partly due to the death of Mr. Choudhury’s mother in July. The two-month mark was passed on Aug. 8. Since Mr. Choudhury’s removal, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has stepped in as acting gov- ernor. Mr. Manderson also responded on Aug. 2 to sep- arate correspondence from Mr. Miller on the subject. “It is important that the investigation is allowed to conclude in a manner that preserves and respects the rights of all involved,” Mr. Manderson wrote. In his July 27 memo to Mr. Manderson, Mr. Miller noted that an attempt by the acting governor and Mr. Forbes to quell community concerns via a “letter to the editor” to local media out- lets sent on July 26 had done the opposite. “If indeed the ‘Head of the Governor’s Office’ is also the chief complainer, the signing of the [July 26] letter would amount to a one-up- manship over [Mr. Choud- hury] that would all but concede that the complainer was justified,” Mr. Miller wrote. “This would fly in the face of your letter’s as- sertion that the foreign and commonwealth office was committed to an ‘investiga- tion … that is fair to all.’” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said the fact that the govern- ment currently has a surplus is a key factor in making the changes possible. “We’re in a financial po- sition to meet more of the needs in a short span than previously,” she said. Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush said he was happy to see some of the sur- plus going to education. “For years, some of these changes have been talked about,” Mr. Bush said. “We have been stymied in one way or another. [Now] the budget will sustain the increase.” Ms. O’Connor-Connolly also discussed the recently announced systemwide dress code, which requires, among other things, conservative dress and hairstyles, a ban on makeup and jewelry, and proper grooming. “The million dollar ques- tion is how are we going to enforce this policy?” she said. “It has to start at home.” She said she had been contacted by one mother whose child wears an afro- style hairdo. She wanted some guidance on how long was the “long hair” prohib- ited in the new policy. “I could not help but think how far have we deviated, that we don’t know what is moral and decent for the child?” the minister said. She said the system should be strongly enforced and sug- gested a “three strikes and you’re out” approach that ap- plied to every child, no matter their pedigree. She did not de- tail what might be done with children reach the third strike. “Let’s not systematically set up our children to fail,” she said, emphasizing her belief in the importance of a standard of appearance. “We must take pride in our stride.” Education Minister Juliana O’Connor- Connolly said the minimum salary will increase to the $5,000 mark starting Sept. 1, 2019. She added that an increase at the bottom rung would trigger incremental increases across the pay scale. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, right, chats with teachers after her Thursday morning address at Mary Miller Hall, among them Domonique Watler of George Town Primary. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS Public school teachers get pay increase Minister: John Gray High School construction to restart In her start of the school year address, Education Min- ister Juliana O’Connor-Con- nolly talked about the on- going project of building the new John Gray High School. “I went out on a limb last year,” Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said of her promise to in- crease teacher salaries. “I’m going to go out on a bigger limb this year.” She said she believed things are lining up to pro- ceed in earnest on the long- stalled project. “I want it for a Christmas present in December 2020,” she said. That is well ahead of the August 2021 completion dis- cussed when the ministry recently held a market en- gagement day to update local contractors who wish to bid on the completion of the new campus and two other construction projects that will create a new edu- cation complex. Presenta- tions were made on each of the projects: ■■ Complete the new John Gray campus, by adding to the partially con- structed structures to make them into a con- tiguous high school building complex. ■■ Refurbish the existing George Hicks site (the current John Gray High School) for the following users: Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, Department of Educa- tion Student Services, Corner Stones, Parenting and Pregnant Teens and UCCI. This would be substantially com- plete by February 2022. ■■ Demolition of the cur- rent CIFEC campus, ex- cept for the main hall, for construction of a new John Gray High School sports field. This would be substantially com- plete by September 2022. In a statement, Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said the newly constructed high school would set an example. “In the same way that we have five-star tourist facili- ties, our children deserve a world-class facility that will demonstrate education as a major priority of the country,” she said, calling the project an important component of nation building. The new design incor- porates features from high- performing institutions, the minister said. “This modern design also takes the best from the schools here in Cayman,” she said, “providing a learning environment that is right for our people and our culture.” Jonathan Matthews, se- nior project manager of the Public Works Department’s major projects office, said the new plan is “based on research connecting school design with improved edu- cational outcomes and on ex- tensive input from all stake- holders, including teachers, students and parents, to en- sure that their feedback is in- corporated into the design. It was also determined from the start that the revised school design should be functional and practical, paying less at- tention to empty architec- tural elegance.” Mr. Matthews said the de- sign also takes into account feedback from those who will use the facility. The PWD’s major project office along with a KPMG team presented the plans to the contractors, and are creating the outline busi- ness case that will be pre- sented to Cabinet for approval next month. Pro- curement is expected to com- mence in October. “I want it for a Christmas present in December 2020.” JULIANA O’CONNOR- CONNOLLY, education minister Construction is due to commence soon on the unfinished John Gray High School. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY AUGUST 24, 2018 Next >