ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 High of 90 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BEGINNING TODAY, LET’S ALL GO BACK TO SCHOOL WORLD | PAGE 9 JOHN MCCAIN, WAR HERO AND POLITICAL MAVERICK, DIES SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Pan Am squash tourney kicks off in South Sound KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Pan American Squash Champion- ships kicked off on Sunday at the South Sound Squash Club. The event has drawn hundreds of people to Cayman, with more than 128 competi- tors from 18 teams representing countries such as the United States, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. Some of the top players in the world are participating, including 11th-ranked Diego Elias from Peru and Chris Binnie, an eight-time Caribbean champion repre- senting Jamaica. The stakes are high in the weeklong event. The top eight women’s teams and the top 12 men’s teams will advance to next year’s Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. Seven gold medals will be on the line: There will be a men’s and women’s sin- gles bracket as well as men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. Team titles will be contested for both men and women. The finals for the individual men’s and women’s brackets will take place on Wednesday, as will the semifinals and the finals of the doubles competition. The team competition will start Thursday, and it will not be completed until the end of the tour- nament on Sunday. For Cayman, the tournament offers local players a chance to compete against the world’s best, said Cayman coach CAYMAN STUDENT TEST SCORES A MIXED BAG MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com There were a few high- lights in the preliminary Year 6 and GCSE test scores an- nounced on Thursday at the annual Educational Profes- sionals Welcome, although the scores show Cayman stu- dents still struggling to rise to international standards. Lyneth Monteith, director of the Department of Edu- cation, presented the data to the crowd, saying the scores were generally im- proving. She touted “overall scores of about 10 percent above last year.” Ms. Monteith presented two charts, one showing re- sults for tests given to stu- dents finishing Year 6 at the end of Key Stage 2 (which covers Years 4 through 6), the other providing the ini- tial scores for GCSE English and math exams. Perhaps most notable in the Key Stage 2 results was the increase in Level 5 scores. In a recent annual re- port, the Office of Education Standards suggested that CHRISTEN SUCKOO TRANSFERRED TO OFREG Cetonya Cacho to be acting chief officer KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Christen Suckoo has been seconded to serve as the chief operating officer at the Utility Regulation and Com- petition Office, known as OfReg, after serving as chief officer in the Ministry of Ed- ucation, Youth, Sports, Agri- culture and Lands. Cetonya Cacho will serve as the ministry’s acting chief officer while govern- ment searches for someone to fill that post on a permanent basis. Mr. Suckoo was ap- pointed chief officer in Oc- tober 2015. Before that, he was the deputy chief officer in that ministry, with a focus on finance, administration, and major capital projects. In his new role at OfReg, Mr. Suckoo “will bolster key functional areas of OfReg, including budgeting, pro- curement and human re- sources,” government said in its announcement. Cayman’s Jacob Kelly, right, squares off against Brazil’s Diego Gobbi on Sunday during the first day of the Pan American Squash Championships. Gobbi won that match 11-1, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY AUGUST 27, 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:20 I 6:35 VIP I 9:55 ALPHA (PG13) 4:30 I 9:20 MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 1:00 I 6:30 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 12:50 I 2:00 I 6:50 SLENDER MAN (PG13) 3:10 I 5:30 I 7:45 I 10:00 THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (R) 3:25 I 5:40 I 7:55 I 10:10 MILE 22 (R) 12:50 I 4:10 I 9:45 THE MEG (PG13) 1:35 I 3:40 VIP I 7:10 I 9:25 VIP 12-year-old boy found not guilty of firearms charge KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 12-year-old boy ap- peared in Grand Court on Friday to face allegations of illegally possessing ammu- nition, a charge that can po- tentially carry a multi-year prison sentence. “Not guilty,” the boy said in a barely audible voice after the indictment was read to him. But instead of scheduling a date for trial by a jury of the boy’s peers, Crown Counsel Scott Wainwright said the prosecutors would not present any evidence, and a verdict of not guilty was entered. The prosecu- tion had wanted to drop the case against him, but the boy’s name was already in- cluded in an indictment, so it had to be read and a plea had to be entered for proce- dural reasons. Grand Court Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop asked the Crown to read the indictment so she could know the circum- stances surrounding the case. According to the indict- ment, the boy was found in possession of “some rounds” of “2022” ammunition in a bag at Lehman Scott High School on the Brac on Sept. 21, 2017. The boy allegedly told po- lice that another person gave him the bag to hold. Before she let the 12-year- old Cayman Brac resident exit the defendant’s stand, Justice McDonald-Bishop cautioned him against accepting un- identified items. “You be careful next time, you understand? Don’t take anything from anyone unless you can see what it is and know it’s lawful,” the justice advised, adding that things might go worse for the de- fendant next time if he’s not more cautious. “You walk carefully now.” The boy’s case is connected to that of Brac resident Erbin Tibbetts Jr., 47, who is ac- cused of being reckless or negligent while in possession of ammunition. Details of the charge are that, on or before Sept. 20, 2017, within the vicinity of Sloop Way off Frigate Drive, Cayman Brac, he acted in a manner “so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or safety” in that he omitted to take proper precautions against any possible danger from a firearm – namely ammunition in his posses- sion or control. The charge did not specify any quantity of ammunition and no background informa- tion was provided in court. Mr. Tibbetts Jr. is sched- uled to appear in Grand Court again on Sept. 14. Ministry: Wong stays in job after conviction Deputy Chief Immi- gration Officer Garfield “Gary” Wong will re- main in his job for now, following two convic- tions on traffic-related of- fenses last week. Magistrate Grace Don- alds found Mr. Wong not guilty of DUI Wednesday, Aug. 22, but convicted him of careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. “The Ministry will reevaluate Wong’s circumstances once the court’s actions on these traffic matters are con- cluded,” a statement from the Ministry of Immigra- tion issued Friday read. Mr. Wong is due to be sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The three charges arose from a December 27, 2013 collision be- tween Mr. Wong’s truck and a BMW on Shamrock Road, in the vicinity of Hi- biscus Gardens. Medical emergency forces CAL to make early landing A Cayman Airways flight traveling from New York to Grand Cayman was forced to make an unplanned stop in Miami Friday morning to address a passenger’s medical emergency. Flight KX793 landed in Miami around 9:35 a.m. local time. Medical personnel met the aircraft on the ground and provided assistance to the passenger. “The passenger was able to be deplaned and taken for the necessary med- ical attention. Other pas- sengers remained onboard while the aircraft was refu- eled,” Cayman Airways said in a statement. The plane departed from Miami for Grand Cayman at 10:12 a.m. later that day. Latecia Bush wins Miss Teen Cayman Latecia Bush of Bodden Town was chosen as Miss Teen Cayman at a pageant held at the Lions Centre on Saturday night. Ms. Bush, 16, com- peted against three other teenage beauty queens Sat- urday – Soleyah Greene, 16, representing George Town; Caitlin Seymour, 17 of Bodden Town, and Aliyah Harrison, 17 of West Bay. Ms. Harrison won the Peo- ple’s Choice Award. Ms. Bush was crowned by the outgoing Miss Teen Cayman Kevie-Ann Peirre. Jury notice The Judicial Admin- istration office is ad- vising all Grand Court jurors who are in the July 4 to Oct. 2 session that the report date of Monday, Aug. 27, has been changed. The new report date for jury duty is Monday, Sept. 3, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information or email jury@judicial.ky. Colombians vote on anti-corruption referendum BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Co- lombians are voting Sunday in a first-of-a-kind refer- endum that aims to curb cor- ruption in a country where white-collar criminals are fast replacing drug gangs and paramilitary groups in penetrating the upper eche- lons of power. The referendum seeks to slash the salaries of Co- lombia’s Congress members and to bring laws that make public spending more effi- cient and transparent. But while most Colom- bians agree that corruption is a plague that needs to be exterminated, some believe putting it to a vote is not the best way to do so. The referendum has been boycotted by Colombia’s judges over fears it will lead to wage cuts in the judicial branch since a law states that salaries for top magis- trates should be the same as those of Congress members. “We already have lots of anti-corruption laws,” said Hermens Lara, a Bogota mu- nicipal judge who is director of the Board of Judges and Magistrates of Colombia. “The problem is imple- menting them.” Newly elected President Ivan Duque and most of Co- lombia’s main political par- ties say they back the mea- sure, but they have done little to promote it or to lure voters to the polls. Voters on Sunday will be asked seven questions that include whether to hand down tougher penalties on corrupt officials who now often serve out sentences in multi-million dollar homes; whether term limits should be imposed on lawmakers, and whether the salaries of members of Congress should be reduced by 40 percent. Colombian law cur- rently sets senators’ salaries at about $124,000 per year, more than what parliamen- tarians make in countries like Holland, Sweden and France. The measures focus on Congress and some experts question whether the changes would do anything to curb corruption elsewhere, such as within the judiciary or police. “Some of the proposals have no impact on corrup- tion,” says Marcela Anzola, a consultant for the Inter- American Development Bank. Still she said that passage would “give greater legiti- macy to anti-corruption ini- tiatives and send a strong message to politicians.” According to Colombia’s inspector general, corrup- tion in the country is equiv- alent to 4 percent of gross domestic product each year. One recent study by Trans- parency International found that 63 percent of companies in Colombia feared losing business if they did not en- gage in bribery. The prosecution had wanted to drop the case against him, but the boy’s name was already included in an indictment, so it had to be read and a plea had to be entered for procedural reasons. Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected legislature, in Bogota, Colombia, last month. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 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” Beginning today, let’s ALL go back to school Even as thousands of Cayman’s students return to school today, tens of thousands more should also be hitting the books – meaning all of us. Just as play- wright George Bernard Shaw once remarked, “Youth is wasted on the young,” the same could be said about education. It should begin at childhood and end at, well, “the end.” When Cayman public school students return home at the end of their first day, many parents will ask, “What did you learn today?” The students should ask their elders the same question. A common refrain is that, historically, Cayman’s schools were slow – or even negligent – in providing a first-class education to the youth of these islands. Frankly, we share in that concern. Too many adults educated in Cayman’s public schools today find them- selves handicapped in competing in a global job market which, by definition, includes all leading finan- cial centers and upscale tourism destinations. But the good news is that no one on these islands – or anywhere, for that matter – needs to think that their last day in the classroom was the final day of their learning. It was not. The publisher of this newspaper recalls with fondness a summer many years ago when a young lady, who had just completed high school, reported to him to begin her internship on the Editorial Page of The Washington Post. Like so many others, she was bright and eager but not particularly well educated and certainly not well read. The conversation began something like this: “I don’t know what, if anything, I can teach you about journalism, but I do know that when you leave at the end of the summer, you will have a thorough knowledge of English grammar and a pretty good introduction into classical literature.” Our next stop was a bookstore where we bought two copies of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and a traditional textbook on English grammar. We each began on Page One together, and soon dozens of other Post employees, from white collar executives to blue collar craftsmen, joined in. We became, albeit inadvertently, what Dr. Peter Senge, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, describes as a “learning organization.” Cayman as a country, could, and should, do the same. Every person at every level could be improving themselves every day through education. The educa- tion need not be formal, but it can be. Both UCCI and ICCI have a fine menu of offerings for Caymanians who want to re-enter the world of learning. Likewise, Cayman’s educators, and those among us who want to continue our educations, should famil- iarize themselves with Coursera, which presents online courses on every subject imaginable and which boasts 31 million registered learners. These courses are taught by some of the world’s most esteemed professors at many of the world’s leading colleges and universities, including Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and dozens more. As of today, more than 2,500 courses are available online FREE, with new courses opening this morning in subjects as diverse as “A Life of Hap- piness and Fulfillment” and “Computational Investing.” Sign up, sign up! At Pinnacle Media, the parent company of the Compass, we’ve recently begun a book/reading club for all of our managers and anyone else who wishes to join in. We expect our people to read (and not only our newsroom staff whose job it is to write). Companywide, our current title is “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey. It’s a highly regarded guide to getting things done – such as re-igniting the quest for learning, knowledge and inspiration. Feel free to join in and begin your own school year! MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The economics of convergence A key insight of interna- tional economics is that there should be “convergence” be- tween rich countries and poor countries, which is just an- other way of saying that low- income nations – all other things being equal – should grow faster than high-income nations and eventually attain the same level of prosperity. The theory is sound, but it’s very important to focus on the caveat about “all other things being equal.” As I have explained, countries with bad policy will grow slower than nations that follow the right policies. When I discuss conver- gence, I often share the data on Hong Kong and Singapore because those jurisdictions have caught up to the United States. But I make sure to ex- plain that the convergence was only possible because of good policy. I also share the data showing that Europe was catching up to the United States after World War II, just as predicted by the theory, but then convergence ground to a halt once those nations imposed some bad policy – such as costly welfare states. In other words, conver- gence is a choice, not destiny. Countries with small gov- ernment and laissez-faire markets are the ones that grow and converge. The na- tions with statist policy lan- guish and suffer. Or even de-converge (with Argen- tina and Venezuela being de- pressing examples). Simply stated, partial lib- eralization can lift people out of poverty. But it takes comprehen- sive liberalization for a na- tion to become genuinely rich. Some new research from the St. Louis Federal Re- serve examines the topic. They want to understand why some nations converge and some do not. They examined 10 fast- growing economies and 10 “development laggards” and found that “institutional barriers” played a key role. Researchers found, “un- necessary protectionism, government misallocation, corruption, and financial in- stability have been key in- stitutional barriers causing countries to either fall into the poverty trap or lag be- hind without a sustainable growth engine. Such bar- riers have created frictions or distortions to capital mar- kets, trade, and industrializa- tion, subsequently preventing these countries from ad- vancing …. By reviewing the previous country-specific de- tails, one can see that the 10 fast-growing countries have all adopted an open policy … Their governments have undertaken serious reforms, particularly in both labor and financial markets …. Thus, the establishment of correct institutions and individual incentives for better access to capital markets, international trade, and industrialization can be viewed as crucial for a country to advance with sus- tained economic growth.” Interestingly, the study includes some country-spe- cific analysis. About India, which suf- fered during an era of statism but has enjoyed de- cent growth more recently thanks to partial liberaliza- tion, researchers found that major economic reforms in the 1990s tripled the annual growth rate of per-capita in- come. (For what it’s worth, I am semi-pessimistic about India. Simply stated, there’s has not been enough reform.) Regarding Argentina, which is mostly a sad story of ever-expanding govern- ment, the research showed per-capita income fell by more than 20 percent from 1975-90, as a government spending spree, rising wages and inefficient production combined to produce chronic increasing inflation – ulti- mately resulting in the econ- omy’s eventual collapse. They found some good news in Chile, where free market reform led to rapid increase in exports and per- capita income – leading Chile to become one of Latin Amer- ica’s healthiest economies. Not only has Chile be- come the richest nation in Latin America, it also has enjoyed significant conver- gence with the United States. About 40 years ago, according to the Maddison database, per-capita GDP in Chile was only about 20 percent of U.S. levels. Now it is 40 percent. The bottom line is that there is a recipe for growth and prosperity. That is the good news. The bad news is that very few nations follow the recipe since economic liberty means restricting the power of spe- cial interests and the po- litical elite. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL LETTER TO THE EDITOR Birds on the Brac Feral cats are endemic on Cayman Brac, and have been since Year Dot. It is way past time to hu- manely trap those feral cats – spay and neuter them, and then release them back into the Brac dump and Bluff environs. The cats will not repro- duce like rabbits, and the boobies (and birds of all species on the Brac) will be safe and no longer en- dangered by the feral cat population. Feral cats need humane culling. Lionfish and green iguanas have been culled to death mercilessly in the Cayman Islands. A little mercy regarding culling cats on the Brac, please! Nan Socolow5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 Light agenda for Cayman Brac Legislative Assembly session JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A relatively light legisla- tive agenda is expected when Cayman Islands lawmakers head to the Brac next week. Only two new govern- ment bills have been tabled ahead of the three-day legis- lative session, which starts on Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. One of those, an amend- ment to the Penal Code, seeks to introduce new criminal of- fenses to deal with sex of- fenders who use cellphones and social media to groom potential victims. The other is a proposed amendment to the Anti-Cor- ruption Law seeking to allow the unit’s officers to carry body armor, batons, Tasers, pepper spray, handcuffs and other restraints in spe- cific situations. It had been anticipated that legislation to form the new Workforce Opportuni- ties and Residency Cayman (WORC) agency – which will combine aspects of the ex- isting labor and immigra- tion departments in one unit – would go to the Legislative Assembly this session. But it appears that the under- pinning legislation for that agency has not been finalized. The Brac meeting is offi- cially the first of the 2018/19 legislative session. A spokes- woman for the premier said it was expected to last three days but would continue in Grand Cayman the following week if necessary. The deadline for mem- bers to submit parliamentary questions in advance of the meeting was Thursday and the deadline for private mem- bers’ motions is Tuesday. Opposition leader Ez- zard Miller has sub- mitted two motions. One calls for the govern- ment to hold a referendum to decide the future of the controversial cruise berthing project. The other calls for funds to be freed up to im- mediately implement the rec- ommendations of the Edu- cation Council on reform of the system. Deputy Opposi- tion leader Alva Suckoo said the group would persist with the motion despite govern- ment’s announcement that it would be allocating addi- tional funds for salary in- creases for teachers. “We put the motion out and I think they reacted to it,” he said. “We are still going to de- bate it because there are still issues in the schools that aren’t being dealt with. The money was primarily for sal- aries but there are still se- rious resourcing issues that need attention. We appre- ciate the efforts but more needs to be done.” Independent member Ken- neth Bryan, who is not a member of the official oppo- sition, said he had submitted six parliamentary ques- tions which he hopes will be dealt with. Those include a question over the validity of contracts of Port Authority staff. Mr. Bryan said he was concerned about the impact of the port project on employment and wants to probe concerns highlighted to him about the contract situation of staff. He also wants answers over whether the proposed merger of labor and immi- gration functions in the new WORC agency will impact job security and salaries of any employees. Mr. Bryan, the representa- tive for George Town central, also plans to quiz the govern- ment over labor laws, amid concerns that charities – in- cluding the Pines Rest Home – that employ large numbers of staff, are not being held to the same standard as the private sector. He also wants to know why the Advisory District Councils Law has not yet been implemented. As well as the assembly session, a Tuesday Cabinet meeting and a ceremony to recognize the anniversary of the Cayman Islands coat of arms will be held on the Brac. The Brac meeting is officially the first of the 2018/19 legislative session. A spokeswoman for the premier said it was expected to last three days but would continue in Grand Cayman the following week if necessary. The next Legislative Assembly session will be held at the Aston Rutty Centre on Cayman Brac on Wednesday, Sept. 5.6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Medical doctors give opinions in beautician’s trial CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Five medical doctors gave evidence last week in the trial of beautician Zunilda Anaya Baldovino, who is ac- cused of injecting two clients with a noxious substance at a beauty salon in October and November 2016. The court heard from one victim/complainant last week, referred to by the Cayman Compass as E to protect her privacy. E said her face be- came red, hot and swollen, with lumps in different spots, after the defendant injected her with what E thought was vitamins. The second complainant was to have given evidence on Friday, but she was off is- land. She was rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 28, when the trial resumes. The first doctor to give evi- dence was dermatologist Re- beca de Miguel, who saw E in 2016. She ordered a biopsy – an examination of tissue from E’s face. She said the lab doing the examination agreed that the tissue contained a sub- stance that was compatible with a silicone product. Dr. de Miguel said silicone is not ab- sorbed by the body and is al- most impossible to remove. Dr. Carlos Sedano, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, saw E a week after she ex- perienced her symptoms. He saw lumps in the corners of her upper and lower lips. He did not know what had been injected, so he prescribed medication for the inflamma- tory reaction. Asked about silicone, he agreed that it is a non-ab- sorbable filler. He noted that injection of silicone was not approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. Dr. Se- dano said silicone was very difficult to remove if injected and could cause deformity and other problems. He said if a person had a reaction to absorbable filler, it would normally clear up in days or weeks, but sometimes up to six months or a year, depending on the individual. The inflammation he saw in E could have happened with an absorbable filler, he pointed out, because reactions depend on the individual. But this kind of treatment was a med- ical, not a cosmetic procedure, and should only be done by a plastic surgeon or dermatolo- gist, he emphasized. Dr. Ciro Adamo’s evidence concerned the complainant who has not yet given evi- dence. He also explained that medical grade silicone was available to medical practitioners and was only used for retinal detachments. The problem with ordinary silicone oil of a non-medical grade was that it could be mixed with other substances. A small amount of silicone could cause inflammation and concentrate tissue lo- cally, he said. He added that it could migrate and be diffi- cult to remove. Crown counsel Darlene Oko asked if it would be dan- gerous for someone not med- ically trained to inject an in- dividual with non-medical grade silicone. Dr. Adamo said doctors and nurses could inject approved sub- stances. Injection of a filler by an untrained practitioner or someone self-injecting was an issue all over the world and there was continuing debate about the products. With ap- proved fillers, the main dan- gers were over-injection or injection at the wrong site. Non-approved material was in “a completely different ballpark” because there was no control and what was in- jected was not known. The next witness was Dr. Pascual Abenoza, a board- certified dermatopathologist with Dermpath Diagnotics in Miami, who examined E’s tissue, sent to him by Dr. de Miguel. He said he was 70 to 80 percent sure that the tests he conducted suggested the substance was silicone. Defense attorney Jona- thon Hughes asked if it were possible to estimate when a foreign material was intro- duced into tissue. Dr. Abenoza said it would take six to 12 months to cause this degree of scarring and fibrosis [hard- ening of tissue]. Dr. Eduardo Barroso, a plastic and reconstruc- tive surgeon who practices in Florida and Cayman, who also treated E, said he found multiple granulomas, which he described as reactions to an irritant. He also found de- formity around her mouth, hardness of tissue, redness and inflammation. Dr. Barroso said E was distressed, coming to realize she had a problem that was permanent with few options. He said her condition was consistent with injection with a foreign body, most likely sil- icone. Any approved product would have disappeared over time, he pointed out. Her con- dition could have come from improper sterilization of whatever was used to do the injection and/or the silicone itself being contaminated. There is no cure for sili- cone granulomas, he said, and it is difficult to remove them without causing defor- mity. He said he told E that the only option would be to remove the ones bothering her the most. Ms. Oko asked his opinion about a non-medically trained or licensed individual giving an injection into another per- son’s face. Dr. Barroso said it would be unethical, unpro- fessional and, as far as he was concerned, criminal. With no training, there was no ability to deal with compli- cations, he pointed out. “You wouldn’t do it to a dog – why would you do it to a human being?” he asked. When Mr. Hughes sug- gested that E could have been injected with a product that was not silicone, Dr. Bar- roso said he had never seen any other product cause the type of granuloma E had. “What she had on her face was a typical silicone reac- tion,” he stated. The final medical witness was Lyria Josephs, a nurse and former deputy director and registrar for Cayman’s Health Services Commission. Ms. Josephs said Zunilda Baldovino was never licensed to practice as a healthcare provider. She said cosmetol- ogists and beauty therapists were not included in the list of “Professions allied with Medicine” under the Health Practice Law. Cosmetologists and beauty therapists are not regulated under the Health Practice Law, she said. Asked if Ms. Baldovino was legally entitled to ad- minister anything by injec- tion, Ms. Josephs replied, “Ap- parently not.” Ms. Baldovino has pleaded not guilty to two charges of doing a reckless and negli- gent act – supplying or ad- ministering “medicine or poison or dangerous matter” in a manner so rash or neg- ligent as to endanger human life or safety. Ms. Oko asked if it would be dangerous for someone not medically trained to inject an individual with non-medical grade silicone. Dr. Adamo said there were two issues – the allowing of the injection and the material injected. World’s largest orchid species blooming at Botanic Park A Grammatophyllum spe- ciosum, believed to be the largest species of orchid in the world, is flowering at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Also known as the “Queen of Orchids” or “Sugar-Cane Orchid,” the flower will be in bloom for at least a month and could reach heights of up to 8 feet tall. “If you have ever wanted to see the world’s largest or- chid in bloom in the Cayman Islands, now is your time to view it,” said Park Man- ager John Lawrus. “The first flowers are opening now, and the scent of the orchid is just starting to float on the breeze. Follow the signs in the Co- lour Garden to see and smell this amazing plant or view it from the gazebo by the lake in the Colour Garden.” “It’s the third time the or- chid is coming into flower and has produced more flower spikes than ever this year,” he said. A previous article in the Cayman Compass stated a Grammatophyllum spe- ciosum bloomed at the park in 2016. Mr. Lawrus said the species of orchid lives among the branches of tall trees in the rainforests of its na- tive habitats in Southeast Asia, with some specimens reaching 33 feet in diameter. The genus name Gram- matophyllum, he said, comes from the Greek “gramma” (letter) and “phyllon” (petal or leaf) and refers to the dark markings that look like writing etched onto the bright yellow petals of the flower. In the wild, this orchid is pollinated by large bees. The flowers at the base of the stem are simple and infertile, but produce huge amounts of scent, which attract the bees to the more complex, fertile flowers at the top of the spike. Horticultural manager Nicholas Johnson, right, and gardners Earl Lewis, center, and Andrew Williams show off a specimen of the largest orchid in the world. The ‘Queen of Orchids’ is in bloom right now at the Botanic Park.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 OCTOBER , The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speaker Shannen D hert THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS Post office celebrates Cayman Airways anniversary with new stamps The Cayman Islands Postal Services has released a new set of stamps to com- memorate the 50th anniver- sary of Cayman Airways. The new stamps, in de- nominations of 5 cents, 80 cents, $1 and $1.50, feature images of Cayman Airways’ current fleet. The 25-cent stamp fea- tures the Boeing 737-300, which CAL has operated for several years. The 80- cent stamp features the Boeing 737-800, which was added to the fleet in late 2016 and marked the start of the airline’s fleet mod- ernization plan. The other two stamps feature aircraft used for the Sister Islands service, with the De Havilland DHC 6 Twin Otter on the $1 stamp and the Saab 340B+ on the $1.50 stamp. A self-adhesive booklet of the 25¢ stamps and a $2 souvenir sheet are also included in the issue. Ad- ditionally, a first day cover is being issued with the stamps at a sale price of $4.35 for collectors. The set, made in collab- oration with Cayman Air- ways, also provides his- torical information about the airline, as well as details about its mod- ernization plan. The stamps are avail- able at all post offices in the Cayman Islands and the first day cover issue is also available at the Philatelic Bureau at the Seven Mile Beach Post Office located in West Shore Centre, at the General Post Office and the Hell Post Office. Transplant survivor joins donor board JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Robert Hamaty believes he would not be alive today if he had not had a “green card” when he needed a heart transplant in 1996. The Tortuga Rum Com- pany owner’s status as a per- manent resident in the U.S. bumped him up the waiting list for an organ donation. Since then, Mr. Hamaty has been campaigning for legisla- tion that would put Cayman Islands residents on an equal footing with other nationali- ties when it comes to organ transplants. That was effectively achieved this month with the enactment of the Human Tissue Transplant Law, which makes Cayman part of an international pool of cooperating countries on organ transplants. Now Mr. Hamaty hopes his unique perspective will enable him to play an impor- tant role in overseeing im- plementation of the new law. He was appointed last week to the Human Tissue Transplant Council, a ci- vilian oversight board for the legislation. The law enables Cayma- nians to become organ do- nors for the first time. That means Cayman can be part of an international network of countries that cooperate on organ and tissue dona- tion, widening the interna- tional pool of donors and giving residents here who need a transplant a better shot at finding a donor. Mr. Hamaty said he hoped people in Cayman would sign up to be donors. “My donor, in his last hour, gave me a lifetime. I have lived 22 years with his heart,” he said. “I am one of only a few transplant recipients in Cayman so I hope that expe- rience can be useful.” The board also includes Dr. Diane Hislop-Chestnut, Reverend Nicholas Sykes, the Commissioner of Police or his designate, and is chaired by lawyer Gina Berry. Ms. Berry said the mem- bers, who have been ap- pointed for the next two years, will have their first meeting next week. “I think it is something that we are all very pas- sionate about. We all have different backgrounds and bring different skills to the table. It is an incred- ible piece of legislation that will put out people up the priority list if they need organ donations.” The law also paves the way for Cayman Islands hospitals to do on-island transplant operations, something that Health City is understood to be investigating. Currently, Cayman Is- lands patients have to go to Florida if they need a trans- plant operation. Ms. Berry said the council would work with the Ministry of Health as an advisory and oversight body as the law begins to be implemented. Heart transplant recipient Robert Hamaty poses in his office in 2016 with a framed poem and photograph of the pilot whose heart he received 20 years ago. Four new stamps have been released to celebrate Cayman Airway’s 50th anniversary.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS the current target of Level 4 for Year 6 students is insuffi- cient. Year 6 students gener- ally score in the 3- to 5-level range on a scale that goes to 6. The scale is used to assess student performance from Year 1 to Year 9. There are subdivisions of A, B and C within the levels. “At Year 6, students in Cayman achieving at Level 4A are judged to be achieving at a ‘high’ level where, in fact, this level of achieve- ment is considered to be the ‘expected’ level in the re- vised English National Cur- riculum for Year 6 students,” the report says. It advocates for increasing the level of achievement de- manded by Cayman schools. With the exception of reading, Level 5 scores in English, math and writing increased in 2018 over 2017. The percentage of stu- dents achieving that level moved from 12 percent to 22 percent in math, an 83 percent increase. English Level 5 performance was up 40 percent, moving from 10 percent to 14 percent. And writing went from 8 per- cent to 22 percent, a change of 175 percent. Level 5 reading achieve- ment dropped from 21 per- cent to 9 percent. Those achieving a Level 4 score on writing also increased, but only by 13 percent – from 38 percent to 42 percent – while reading scores improved by 25 percent, going from 40 per- cent to 50 percent. Math scores were un- changed year-to-year at 40 percent, and English scores ticked up only a single per- centage point, from 46 percent to 47 percent. Still, overall, 65 per- cent or less of students were achieving the expected level or above. 2018 scores for U.K. students showed that 78 per- cent met the requirement in English, while 76 percent did so in math. Just 59 percent of Cayman students met the math standard. For high school gradu- ates, the results were some- what less encouraging. Ms. Monteith said individual subject tests beyond mathe- matics and English were not yet available, so it was not possible to provide the per- centage of students passing five or more GCSE subjects, including mathematics and English. That score has long been the standard in com- paring annual changes. Ms. Monteith presented scores for both Year 11 and Year 12, with the later scores being cumulative results of 2017 Year 11 scores combined with those who retook the exams after Year 12. Scores were down for Year 11 students, dropping two percentage points in English (66 to 64) and seven points in Math (45 to 38). The latter decline was a drop of 15 percent. “I can’t pinpoint why,” Ms. Monteith said regarding the decline. “We really have to an- alyze the reasons.” Year 12 scores improved, with 78 percent of students passing the English exam, up from 73 percent the year before, a 7 percent change. Mathematics scores bumped up four points, from 53 per- cent to 57 percent. “A full analysis of this year’s results and data will be presented later on,” Ms. Mon- teith told the crowd, adding in an interview after her speech that the data presented “is pretty close to what will eventually come out.” In addition, he will aim to enhance good governance by helping implement nu- merous policies adopted by central government over the last several years, including the official travel policy, the anti-fraud policy, the policy on offering or receiving hospitality, entertainment and gifts, the procurement code of conduct, and proce- dural guidelines for Crown estate matters, according to government. OfReg ran nearly a $1.5 million operating deficit in its first year, and has spent at least $387,000 on travel expenses since it was cre- ated in January 2017. The former chief officer was involved in a dispute in late 2017 and early this year, involving a situation where he hired a non-Caymanian to fill the role of ministry human resources director over two Caymanians who also applied for the job and who both scored higher during a panel interview for the position. The Caymanian appli- cant who scored the highest in the interview took her case to the Civil Service Ap- peals Commission, which ruled there was evidence that the ministry “acted un- fairly toward the [Cayma- nian job applicant] during the selection phase of the recruitment process.” The commission ordered that the Caymanian appli- cant be offered the post as of Feb. 15, 2018, and that she receive additional com- pensation for pay she would have received if she had been hired for the human resources job at the date it was first awarded, in late September. The Cayman Islands gov- ernment has requested that a court conduct a judicial review on the dispute, but a hearing has not taken place. Government stated in its announcement that while on secondment, Mr. Suckoo will remain a civil servant, with his substantive post being transferred to the Cabinet Office – the port- folio with responsibility for OfReg. However, gov- ernment has not confirmed whether he will eventu- ally return to the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands. Mark Chaloner. “They’ll put up a good fight, a good showing,” said Mr. Chaloner. “It’s tough at this kind of level of competi- tion. This is the cream of the crop of the Pan American re- gion, so they’re up against the best players of this region.” Cayman’s men’s team consists of Cameron Staf- ford, Jake Kelly, Julian Jervis and David Pitcairn; and the women’s team includes Mar- lene West, Eilidh Bridgeman, Jade Pitcairn and Sa- mantha Hennings. On Sunday, David Pit- cairn fell to the U.S.’s Timothy Brownell, Stafford beat the British Virgin Islands’ Nev- ille Sorrentino, and Kelly lost to Brazil’s Diego Gobbi. Other games involving Cayman players did not finish before this issue’s press deadline. This is the first time Cayman has hosted the Pan American Squash Champion- ships. Mr. Chaloner said it’s a great opportunity for the ter- ritory to showcase itself. “It actually showcases South Sound Squash Club as one of the premier clubs in the region, especially a desti- nation club where people can come and train,” he said. “Ev- eryone loves it here.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman student test scores a mixed bag Christen Suckoo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Suckoo moves to OfReg CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pan Am squash tourney kicks off in South Sound Venezuelan migrants pour into Peru AGUAS VERDES, Peru (AP) – Thousands of Venezuelans fleeing their nation’s eco- nomic and humanitarian crisis rushed to reach Peru on Friday before stiffer new rules go into effect that will make entering the fellow South American nation more difficult. Tired men, women and children, many lugging their belongings in suitcases, lined up at the Peru-Ecuador border to pass through mi- gration authorities before Saturday, when Venezuelans will be required to present a passport to enter Peru. Peru’s new measure fol- lows in the footsteps of other nations that have been swamped with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. Authorities say the measure is necessary to know who is entering the country and what happens to them, but critics and rights groups warn it will only lead mi- grants to take more dan- gerous routes. While Peru does not share a border with Vene- zuela, many migrants try to reach it by going through Ec- uador or Colombia, believing they will have a better shot at finding a job or obtaining legal status. Obtaining a passport has becoming increasingly dif- ficult in Venezuela, where hyperinflation is expected to reach 1 million percent by the end of this year and there are shortages of basic supplies like paper and ink. “We are being very open but we need a correct iden- tification,” said Interior Min- ister Mauro Medina, as he rolled out a new digital fin- gerprint system that also is being put in place. “It’s im- portant for whatever might happen in the future.” The United Nations esti- mates 2.3 million Venezue- lans have fled since 2014 as the country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves plummets into an economic crisis worse than the Great Depression. Most are now leaving by land through Co- lombia, where more than 1 million have arrived in the last two years. Authorities in Ecuador say there are about 200,000 Venezuelans now living in the country, while in Peru the number has rapidly climbed to over 400,000. Peru’s economy is ex- pected to grow by 4 percent this year and many Venezu- elans already have at least one relative living in the na- tion. Some 73,000 Venezue- lans have been given a tem- porary legal status allowing them to live and work in the country while another 108,000 have applied. Former President Pedro Pablo Kukzynski, who re- signed from office amid a cor- ruption scandal earlier this year, was also one of the re- gion’s most outspoken leaders in decrying Venezuelan Pres- ident Nicolas Maduro for human rights abuses and for pushing through the creation of a powerful new pro-gov- ernment assembly to over- rule an opposition-domi- nated legislature. In major cities like Lima, it’s now not uncommon to see Venezuelans selling coffee or playing tropical music along the side of the road. Jacob Kelly of Cayman, foreground, takes on Brazil’s Diego Gobbi on Sunday during the first day of the Pan American Squash Championships. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY 66% 64% 73% 78% 45% 38% 53% 57% 0 20 40 60 80 100 2017 (Year 11)2018 (Year 11)2017 (Year 12)2018 (Year 12) KS4: Performance Indicators EnglishMathematics Lyneth Monteith, director of the Department of Education, presented the data to the crowd, saying the scores were generally improving. She touted “overall scores of about 10 percent above last year.” In his new role at OfReg, Mr. Suckoo “will bolster key functional areas of OfReg, including budgeting, procurement and human resources,” government said in its announcement.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2018 Mass shooting at video game tournament Multiple people were killed in a mass shooting during a video game tournament at a shopping and dining complex in downtown Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday afternoon. Preliminary reports say four people were killed of the 11 people who were shot at the Jacksonville Landing, according to a law enforcement official. INVEST IN EDUCATION TODAY!! Train locally to compete globally! ACCA Diploma in Accounting & Business ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting & Business ACCA Tutorial Services Get a Solid Foundation in Accounting! 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Get AAT Qualified AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting AAT Professional Diploma in Accounting Classes begin week of Sept. 3rd & 10 th Ask about our payment plans for self-sponsored students CBP® Certification Series: Featuring Business Communications & Leadership (2 of 5 available sessions) ICSA® Award in International Finance & Administration ILM® Award in Leadership & Team Skills ILM® Award in Effective Team Member Skills ACCA Accounting Certifications (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – over 100 years strong ) OFFICE TEL FAX E-MAIL WEBSITE Starting Sept. 4th Ask about our payment plans for self-sponsored students AAT Accounting Qualifications (From the Association of Accounting Technicians) Other Certifications – starting in Sept. 2018 Save 5% - 10% Contact us for further details @ 943-4678 INVEST IN EDUCATION TODAY!! Train locally to compete globally! 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Get AAT Qualified AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting AAT Professional Diploma in Accounting Classes begin week of Sept. 3rd & 10 th Ask about our payment plans for self-sponsored students CBP® Certification Series: Featuring Business Communications & Leadership (2 of 5 available sessions) ICSA® Award in International Finance & Administration ILM® Award in Leadership & Team Skills ILM® Award in Effective Team Member Skills ACCA Accounting Certifications (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – over 100 years strong ) OFFICE TEL FAX E-MAIL WEBSITE Starting Sept. 4th Ask about our payment plans for self-sponsored students AAT Accounting Qualifications (From the Association of Accounting Technicians) Other Certifications – starting in Sept. 2018 Save 5% - 10% Contact us for further details @ 943-4678 John McCain, war hero and political maverick, dies WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John McCain, who faced down his captors in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp with jut-jawed defiance and later turned his rebellious streak into a 35- year political career that took him to Congress and the Re- publican presidential nomi- nation, died Saturday after battling brain cancer for more than a year. He was 81. McCain, with his irascible grin and fighter-pilot moxie, was a fearless and outspoken voice on policy and poli- tics to the end, unswerving in his defense of democratic values and unflinching in his criticism of his fellow Re- publican, President Donald Trump. He was elected to the Senate from Arizona six times but twice thwarted in seeking the presidency. An upstart presidential bid in 2000 did not last long. Eight years later, he fought back from the brink of de- feat to win the GOP nomina- tion, only to be overpowered by Democrat Barack Obama. McCain chose a little-known Alaska governor as his run- ning mate in that race, and turned Sarah Palin into a na- tional political figure. After losing to Obama in an electoral landslide, Mc- Cain returned to the Senate determined not to be defined by a failed presidential cam- paign in which his reputation as a maverick had faded. The scion of a decorated military family, McCain em- braced his role as chairman of the Armed Services Com- mittee, pushing for aggres- sive U.S. military interven- tion overseas and eager to contribute to “defeating the forces of radical Islam that want to destroy America.” One dramatic vote he cast in the twilight of his ca- reer in 2017 will not soon be forgotten, either: As the de- cisive “no” on Senate GOP legislation to repeal the Af- fordable Care Act, McCain became the unlikely savior of Obama’s trademark legisla- tive achievement. Taking a long look back in his valedictory memoir, “The Restless Wave,” McCain wrote of the world he inhab- ited: “I hate to leave it. But I don’t have a complaint. Not one. It’s been quite a ride. I’ve known great passions, seen amazing wonders, fought in a war, and helped make a peace …. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times.” Throughout his long tenure in Congress, McCain played his role with trade- mark verve, at one hearing dismissing a protester by calling out, “Get out of here, you low-life scum.” But it was just as no- table when he held his sharp tongue, in service of a party or political gain. Most remarkably, he stuck by Trump as the party’s 2016 presidential nominee even when Trump questioned his status as a war hero by saying: “I like people who weren’t captured.” McCain declared the comment offen- sive to veterans, but urged the men “put it behind us and move forward.” His breaking point with Trump was the release a month before the election of a lewd audio in which Trump said he could kiss and grab women. McCain with- drew his support and said he’d write in “some good con- servative Republican who’s qualified to be president.” By the time McCain cast his vote against the GOP health bill, six months into Trump’s presidency, the two men were openly at odds. Trump railed against Mc- Cain publicly over the vote, and McCain remarked that he no longer listened to what Trump had to say because “there’s no point in it.” By then, McCain had dis- closed his brain cancer di- agnosis and returned to Ari- zona to seek treatment. His vote to kill the GOP’s years- long Obamacare repeal drive – an issue McCain himself had campaigned on – came not long after the diagnosis, a surprising capstone to his legislative career. In his final months, Mc- Cain did not go quietly, fre- quently jabbing at Trump and his policies from the re- move of his Hidden Valley family retreat in Arizona. John Sidney McCain III was born in 1936 in the Pa- nana Canal zone, where his father was stationed in the military. He followed his fa- ther and grandfather, the Navy’s first father-and-son set of four-star admirals, to the Naval Academy. On October 1967, McCain was on his 23rd bombing round over North Vietnam when he was shot out of the sky and taken prisoner. Year upon year of solitary confine- ment, deprivation, beatings and other acts of torture left McCain so despairing that at one point he weakly at- tempted suicide. When McCain’s Viet- namese captors offered him early release as a propaganda ploy, McCain insisted that those captured first should be the first set free. In his darkest hour in Vietnam, McCain’s will had been broken and he signed a confession that said, “I am a black criminal and I have performed deeds of an air pirate.” McCain returned home from his years as a POW on crutches and never re- gained full mobility in his arms and leg. During his final years in the Senate, McCain was per- haps the loudest advocate for U.S. military involvement overseas – in Iraq, Syria, Libya and more. That often made him a critic of first Obama and then Trump, and placed him out of step with the growing isolationism within the GOP. In October 2017, Mc- Cain unleashed some his most blistering criticism of Trump’s “America first” foreign policy approach – without mentioning the president by name – in de- scribing a “half-baked, spu- rious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems.” In this Oct. 11, 2008 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain speaks at a rally in Davenport, Iowa. - PHOTOS: AP In this January 2008, file photo, Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, uses a cheetah hand puppet to make her husband laugh.Next >