ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 PremierHealth Think of a number, then think of a health plan. BritCay settled 257,684 health claims in 2017. 97% in 5 working days and 60% automatically. Premier Health is number one for great numbers! British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Limited acts solely as an agent on behalf of Colonial Medical Insurance Company Limited and it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Cayman to create new trade ministry JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin re- vealed plans to create a new min- istry to fight for Cayman’s inter- ests overseas, saying the territory could no longer rely on the United Kingdom to defend the islands’ economic interests. Delivering his State of the Na- tion address at the opening of the Legislative Assembly 2018/19 ses- sion on Cayman Brac, the premier blamed a “handful of misinformed malcontents” within the U.K.’s Conservative party for attempting to impose public beneficial owner- ship on the territory. He said the “sorry episode” highlighted that the Cayman Is- lands had to “step out of the U.K.’s shadow and stand up for itself.” Mr. McLaughlin said the new Ministry of International Trade and Investment, which he will lead, would take charge of Cay- man’s London office and a new outpost in Hong Kong, and would be irresponsible for advancing the economic and political interests of the territory. In a broad-ranging speech cov- ering his government’s plans for the next year, Mr. McLaughlin also: ■■ Announced plans for a 5-percent pay raise for civil servants; ■■ Pledged to achieve full Cay- manian employment through the creation of a new Work- force Opportunities and Resi- dency Cayman agency; ■■ Confirmed the purchase of the Scotiabank building and plans to erect another new multistory courts building next door; ■■ Announced an increase in personal duty allowance for residents from $350 to $500 – a measure that will cost government $1 million; ■■ Dismissed the need for a refer- endum on the cruise berthing project, saying the people had their say at recent general elections where cruise pier plans had been on the mani- festo (see story on page 7). Brac meeting A police parade and guard of honor was held as schoolchildren lined the streets outside of the Aston Rutty Civic Centre immedi- ately before the assembly session. The event marks the 50th anni- The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service guard of honor lines up outside the Aston Rutty Centre in Cayman Brac for the opening of the new Legislative Assembly session Wednesday morning. - PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush greets Deputy Police Commissioner Kurt Walton outside the Aston Rutty Centre before the Legislative Assembly meeting began Wednesday morning. Unemployment rate drops to pre-financial crisis level MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unemployment in the Cayman Islands has dropped to levels last seen before the financial crisis. Estimates by the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office show the unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in April 2018, the lowest since 2007 when the rate stood at 3.0 percent. The unemployment rate was also significantly lower than the 4.1 percent seen a year earlier in spring 2017. The figures are part of the Spring 2018 Labour Force Survey, carried out in April and May, which estimates less than 1,500 people are unemployed. The number of unemployed Caymanians de- clined to 1,118 or a rate of 5.3 percent, compared to 6.2 percent in 2017. During Wednesday’s ses- sion of the Legislative As- sembly on Cayman Brac, Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin said Cayman’s economy had seen a consistent downward trend in Caymanian unemployment since it reached a peak of 10.5 percent in 2012. “The most recent, Spring 2018 Labour Force Survey is proof of this – with Cayma- nian unemployment having effectively been halved since that peak,” he said. The unemployment rate among permanent residents with the right to work fell from 4.8 percent in spring 2017 to 2.9 percent, and that among non-Caymanians from 1.7 percent to 1.3 percent. The decline in unem- ployment coincided with a 1.5 percent rise in the total labor force. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) REPRISAL (R) 2:00 I 4:25 I 6:50 I 9:25 KIN (PG13) 1:35 I 4:05 I 7:15 I 9:45 CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:20 I 6:35 VIP I 9:55 MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 3:50 I 9:30 SEARCHING (PG13) 2:20 I 4:50 I 7:30 I 10:00 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:25 I 7:00 THE MEG (PG13) 1:35 I 3:40 VIP I 7:10 I 9:25 VIP Visitor causes Brac-wide power outage Court fines and compensation total $1,940 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An American visitor who hit a utility pole with his car and caused an islandwide power outage on Cayman Brac over the weekend appeared in Summary Court Wednesday, when he pleaded guilty to six charges arising from the incident. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said the defendant, Thomas George Alexander, was driving along Gerrard Smith Avenue around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole. Ms. Oko told Magis- trate Grace Donalds that the Cayman Brac Power and Light Company sought $1,140 com- pensation for the outage. Cayman Power and Light informed customers via Face- book postings on Sept. 1 that power was restored to all af- fected customers by 5:46 a.m. Mr. Alexander, 36, pleaded guilty to causing damage to the vehicle he was driving, causing damage to the utility pole, taking the vehicle without the consent of the owner, driving without insur- ance, failing to wear a seat belt, and careless driving. The defendant was heavily bandaged around his fore- head and had several cuts and scrapes on his face. Ms. Oko said he was still at the scene when police ar- rived. No alcohol was de- tected and Mr. Alexander said he had fallen asleep. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Because he had taken the vehicle without the owner’s consent, it was considered to be uninsured. The vehicle owner had confirmed that there was no insurance coverage, but the defendant’s wife had offered to pay for the damage, so the owner did not wish to pursue any claim through the court. Defense attorney Gregory Burke confirmed that pay- ment arrangements were in place. He explained that Mr. Alexander, who is from Pennsylvania, was staying with a friend who lives in Cayman Brac. After dinner, everyone went to bed and, as Mr. Alexander best remembered, he woke up and thought there was a store nearby that was open 24 hours a day and he decided to drive there. After the accident, he was cooperative and as honest as his memory allowed, Mr. Burke said. Mr. Alexander was now keen to make his way home, but he wanted to apol- ogize to the people in Cayman Brac and to the court. Mr. Burke said his client had rearranged his flight and would be able to pay finan- cial penalties. For damage to the vehicle, the magistrate imposed a fine of $100. For damaging the pole, the sentence was a com- pensation order in the sum re- quested, or one month impris- onment in default. Other fines were $250 for taking the conveyance without permission; $125 for driving without insurance; $75 for failing to wear a seat belt, and $250 for careless driving. He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a li- cense for 12 months on the in- surance offense. Mr. Alexander, 36, pleaded guilty to causing damage to the vehicle he was driving, causing damage to the utility pole, taking the vehicle without the consent of the owner, driving without insurance, failing to wear a seat belt, and careless driving. MEGA CRUISE SHIP MAKES EMERGENCY STOP Royal Caribbean’s mega ship Harmony of the Seas made an unsched- uled stop in Grand Cayman Wednesday morning to drop off a passenger who needed medical attention. The Oasis-class ship, which is capable of carrying 5,479 passengers, was trav- elling from Falmouth, Ja- maica, when it pulled into the George Town harbor to drop off the passenger. Cayman was not on her list of calls, according to Joseph Woods, acting port director at the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, After dropping off the passenger, the ship con- tinued to Cozumel, Mexico. Harmony of Seas anchors in George Town to drop off a passenger. Fleeing violence, Nicaraguans encounter hostility in Costa Rica SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – In a tree-shaded downtown plaza, in Central Ameri- ca’s most peaceful nation, few could have predicted the angry mob. Hundreds of men dressed in red shirts and jerseys marched into La Merced park carrying knives, baseball bats and glass bottles stuffed with gasoline-soaked rags. Apparently motivated by false and inflammatory on- line messages, they had come to confront Nicaraguans who had fled their country and turned the park into a base camp, a place to receive free meals and coffee from local churches and charities. “Get out Nicas!” the crowd chanted, according to videos posted online later. Fights broke out. More than 40 people were arrested, govern- ment officials said. The confrontation that un- folded on that Saturday after- noon last month has shaken a country known as a rela- tive oasis of peace in a tu- multuous region where mass migration and gang warfare are common. The arrival of thousands of Nicaraguans in recent months – fleeing Pres- ident Daniel Ortega’s violent crackdown on protesters – have laid bare undercurrents of xenophobia in Costa Rica and prompted the first major crisis for President Carlos Al- varado, who had just com- pleted 100 days in office. His administration is in- vestigating whether Ortega’s government, or its supporters on either side of the border, were involved in fanning the anti-immigrant flames. “Using social media to call people together who were de- liberately inciting hate,” Al- varado said in an interview, “this hasn’t happened before.” Migration caused by po- litical crises and economic collapse has put enormous strain on Latin America. An exodus of more than 2 mil- lion Venezuelans has caused upheaval in Colombia, Brazil and Peru, among others. Al- though Nicaraguans fleeing across the border consti- tute only a fraction of that number, the increase has worried government officials and is testing Costa Rica’s generous asylum policies. “We will protect our country in every way, but these acts are not welcome, nor will they be tolerated in any way,” Foreign Min- ister Epsy Campbell said. “We cannot permit even the smallest space to feed a xe- nophobic attitude.” Since April, Ortega’s se- curity forces and armed mi- litias in Nicaragua have at- tacked protesters in street battles and house-to-house raids. The government crack- down has left more than 350 people dead and has prompted thousands to flee south to Costa Rica. “The level of persecu- tion is such that many of those who have participated in the protests, defended the rights of the protesters, or simply expressed dissenting opinion, have been forced to hide, have left Nicaragua or are trying to do so,” said a report released this week by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights. The exact numbers of those who have fled into Costa Rica since the unrest began is unknown because many crossed the border il- legally and have not identi- fied themselves to authori- ties. So far this year, more than 24,400 Nicaraguans have expressed their inten- tion to apply for asylum in Costa Rica, compared with 58 asylum applications from January to August 2017. But a significant portion of these applicants already lived in Costa Rica and de- cided to apply for asylum given the upheaval in Nica- ragua, immigration officials said. As neighbors with in- tertwined histories, roughly a half-million Nicaraguans lived in Costa Rica when the conflict in Nicaragua began. At migration agency of- fices in the capital, hundreds of Nicaraguans lined the sidewalk earlier this summer, some sleeping in tents for days, waiting to apply for asylum. They receive ap- pointments to come back early next year. Xochil Soto, a 27-year- old accountant at a Catholic church in Nicaragua, and her boyfriend, Moises Ale- jandro Silva, a 25-year-old ac- counting student, applied for jobs at a McDonald’s in San Jose after they fled the unrest at home. But they do not have work permits as they wait for asylum, so they have been making tacos and burritos to sell on the street. “We hope to get by, little by little,” Silva said. “We have faith we can survive here.” Some Nicaraguans spend days loitering in parks and plazas, wearing donated clothes, without homes or work permits. Others bunk where they can, with friends and relatives, in shelters or dingy motels. Scarleth Osorno, 21, and her husband, Cristhian Ro- sales, 19, spent their first nights as refugees in San Jose sleeping on the ground under a tree in La Merced park with their 8-month- old daughter. The couple had given coffee and water to pro- testers manning barricades in their hometown of Diri- amba, the site of one of the deadliest clashes with Nica- raguan paramilitaries. They were later identified as dis- sidents by government loy- alists in their neighborhood, and masked gunmen showed up at their home. “They were armed to the teeth,” said Rosales, a welder. “When they knocked on the door I ran out the back.” The family escaped through a ravine, caught a bus for the border and ar- rived in San Jose in late July. They were at La Merced Park on Aug. 18 when the redshirted mob descended, hurling insults, calling them cowards, demanding that they get out of Costa Rica. Osorno still came to the park each day, hoping someone might donate food for her baby. She looked around as pedes- trians streamed by. “I’m afraid to even be standing in this spot,” she said. “It’s not safe here, either.” © 2018, The Washington Post Nicaraguans in recent months – fleeing President Daniel Ortega’s violent crackdown on protesters – have laid bare undercurrents of xenophobia in Costa Rica and prompted the first major crisis for President Carlos Alvarado.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Don’t Get STUCK at Home. Call 233-4427 or order your tank refills online at cleangas.ky Lower propane prices are a Clean choice. You are free to choose your propane supplier. Don’t be misled by long-term contracts! They do NOT guarantee low pricing. And you can break free! Clean Gas is the clean choice. We offer everyday low prices and deliver 20lb, 100lb or 200lb propane tanks directly to your home. Did you know? Jury finds driver’s death was by misadventure Court hears of difficulties finding witnesses to give statements CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Coroner’s Court jury re- turned a verdict of misadven- ture Tuesday after hearing ev- idence surrounding the death of Rowena Loveta Scott, 25, which occurred on the after- noon of March 11, 2015. Ms. Scott was the driver of a 2014 Kia SUV that hit a wall on Shamrock Road. The jury heard that she was driving at the speed limit, 40 mph, but was not wearing a seat belt at the time. The physical cause of death was transection of her aorta, the main vessel carrying blood from the heart to other parts of the body, the court heard. Accident reconstruc- tionist Colin Redden had told the court that, even at 30 mph, the impact of the driver’s chest coming into contact with the steering wheel would have the force of three tons. The police officer investi- gating the matter, Athelston Watts, gave the court a de- tailed account of his efforts to collate information re- garding the accident. One tip was about a woman who was a possible witness. Mr. Watts went to the church she was known to attend but did not find her. He phoned the pastor several times, but was unable to make contact. Mr. Watts said he “tried to tie up all the loose ends – anything that came up.” He said it came up that there may have been some dis- agreement between Ms. Scott and Joven Fuentes, who was a passenger in her car at the time of the accident. On that basis, he inquired at the two locations they had gone to before their return trip to Sa- vannah. He inquired about CCTV footage at those places, but never got any. Mr. Watts also referred to what he said he had been told about possible evidence from Ernesto Arteaga-Bodden, the EMT who tended to Mr. Fuentes at the crash scene. Mr. Bodden said he was instructed on his arrival to attend to Mr. Fuentes who was lying on the ground and seemed to be in poor con- dition. He was barely con- scious and moaning in pain. Mr. Bodden believed that Mr. Fuentes had sustained a shattered pelvis. His imme- diate concern was to main- tain a clear airway for the victim and keep his neck and backbone aligned. Mr. Bodden said he heard someone say, “He already was hitting her. He did not have to grab the steering wheel.” He saw two females and a male, but he did not know them. He could not say which woman made the com- ment and he had to concen- trate on his duty. When a po- lice officer arrived, and after a collar had been placed on the injured man, Mr. Bodden told the officer that people behind the barricade had made a comment and maybe the officer could take a state- ment. Later, the officer came to the hospital and asked if he could identify the people, but he couldn’t. As previously reported, Mr. Fuentes attended the in- quest when his statement was read into evidence. He said he and Ms. Scott had begun dating in 2009. She had surgery recently and was not supposed to drive, so he had been driving her to her appointments. On the day of the accident, however, she wanted to see how fit she was to drive. She drove with one hand, with her other arm under her breast, which was where she had the sur- gery. She told him to look for her cellphone because she wanted to call her mother. That was when the acci- dent occurred. They were not having a fight and nothing happened in the car, he said. On Tuesday, Queen’s Cor- oner Angelyn Hernandez read the statements of witnesses who did not attend in person. Two of them said they spoke to Mr. Fuentes and he re- ferred to the woman in the car as his wife. A woman said she saw a cellphone on the floor of the car behind the front seat; its screen was smashed. The coroner also read the statement of Carol Ann Scott, mother of the de- ceased. She described Ro- wena as a child who loved going to school and being with family. She was popular and graduated high school with eight passes. Mrs. Scott detailed her daughter’s em- ployment history and adult relationships. In her instructions to ju- rors, the coroner reminded them to consider only the evidence and not pay atten- tion to rumors. The Coroners Law provided that, if they considered they did not have enough evidence to reach a conclusion, they could return an open verdict. Rowena Scott ARGENTINA SEEKING ONLY IMF FINANCING TO STEM CRISIS BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s economy minister says the govern- ment is not seeking other sources of financing outside the International Monetary Fund for help in curbing an economic crisis. Argentina has asked the IMF for early disbursements in emergency funding from a $50 billion loan approved earlier this year. The country has been hit by one of the world’s highest inflation rates and a sharp fall in the value of the Argentine peso. Economy Minister Nicolas Dujovne met with IMF Man- aging Director Christine La- garde. He said Wednesday that they have made great progress and expect to reach a deal in late September. He denied reports that Ar- gentina is negotiating a credit line with the U.S. Treasury or searching for other sources of financing outside the IMF. Argentina’s Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne speaks during a news conference after the private meeting with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, at IMF headquarters in Washington, Wednesday. - PHOTO: APThe 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. Cayman’s beaches, which are our most precious natural resources, underpin the country’s tourism economy, and, therefore, must be respected for the treasures they are. Thieves, drug vendors (and users), the unruly and the unlawful have no place on what, for Cayman, should be thought of as the equivalent of “hallowed ground.” Therefore, we applaud the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s resolve to place greater emphasis on patrolling Seven Mile Beach. We have long been advo- cates of police maintaining a high-profile presence in high-traffic and high-tourist areas. On the front page of yesterday’s Compass, we published a picture of constables Jonathan Kern and Daniel Devine patrolling Seven Mile Beach alongside auxiliary constables Andrew Grant and Franklyn Smith. In subsequent reporting, we learned that marine officers, the police K-9 unit and plainclothes patrols will join the effort to increase the security and safety of our shoreline. They plan to work with beachside businesses and coordinate with other agencies to curb reckless jet ski riders, help keep over-aggressive beach vendors in check, and, in general, maintain law and order on Seven Mile Beach. Police have confirmed that officers will not nec- essarily be heading home at sunset but will patrol at varied times during the days, evenings and nights. The new emphasis on beach patrols does not mean that RCIPS has created special “sunshine squads” whose remit ends where the white sand stops. According to an RCIPS spokesman, the beach patrols will be supplemented, as required, with support from different departments in coordination with the regular beat officers. We are especially curious about how officers will respond going forward when they encounter certain illegal but all-too-common behaviors, such as ganja use on the beach. We presume – and expect – these law enforcement officers will make arrests or issue citations as appropriate, rather than averting their eyes and looking the other way. We want them to be friendly and good ambassadors for our island, but, please, not too much “Caymankind.” Underneath their smiles, we expect our police to be tough – and to enforce the law. We do have a concern, admittedly a minor one, about the attire our officers should be donning as they make their rounds. Surely, sartorially, they should not be required to dress in “full-dress” uniforms (including clumpy-clompy shoes), as they were pictured in our front-page photo. They look sharp, but they may melt when our heat-index approaches triple digits. On the other hand, Speedos (appropriate for … well … Olympic competition) are hardly appropriate either. We are personally partial to the “Palm Beach Look,” where officers wear lightweight shirts and “uniform shorts.” Here’s an idea: Perhaps Cayman fashion designer Isy Obi could be persuaded to design a uniform that would be comfortable, as well as cultur- ally unique to our islands. (And, by the way, Isy, we’ll need outfits for both RCIPS’s male and female finest.) Of course, the true measure of the success of the RCIPS’s beach initiative is not how high-profile (or high-fashion) the patrols are, but whether the increased patrols are accompanied by a sustained reduction in criminal activity. We think these patrols are making a highly visible first step in that direction. Beach patrols respond to crime wave THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS A tale of two pairs of states From the beginning of time, people have moved from less desirable to more desir- able places. In early times, the main driver of migration was the availability of food. In the modern world, the big drivers of migration are eco- nomic opportunity, including well-paying jobs and personal freedom, as well as climate. This past week, the Cato Institute published its fifth edition of “Freedom in the 50 States,” authored by pro- fessors William Ruger and Jason Sorens. The authors include 230 policy variables in developing their index, ranging from tax burdens to the freedom to gamble. They published all of the variables and their relative weights so that individuals can ad- just the weights to fit their own personal preferences and adjust the index to reflect their own values. In the new edition, Florida is ranked as the most free overall, and New York the least free. This result is not surprising, and is understood by most Americans, and dem- onstrated by the fact that Florida has a positive net mi- gration rate of 13.6 while New York has a negative net migra- tion rate of minus 14.1. The neighboring states of Vermont and New Hampshire are also opposites in many respects. People voting with their feet is the strongest indication of whether they approve or disapprove of the policies of any state or country. There is no great line of people trying to move to Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, New York or Ver- mont. The lines are longer in the other direction. Florida and New York present an almost perfect study of what to do and not do. In 1960, Florida had a population of only about a quarter of its current size, while New York had a popu- lation of about 84 percent of its current size. New York for many decades was the most populous state, and then lost its crown to California more than a half-century ago, then Texas overtook it, and fi- nally last year Florida moved past New York. Before WWII, Florida was a relatively poor state, and New York was the great rich state – “The Empire State.” A little more than a century ago, western New York, particu- larly the area around Roch- ester, was the “silicon valley” of the time – with great “high- tech” firms like Kodak and Bausch and Lomb. Now, much of the area is a wasteland. Cities like Rochester and Buf- falo are mere shadows of their past, and population to- tals are far below their peak of decades ago. None of this had to happen. The politicians in the state capital of Albany bled the up- state areas through endless rounds of higher and non- competitive taxes and regu- lations – which drove busi- nesses and then their workers away. The state survives pri- marily on the New York City financial industry, which, be- cause of a unique history, still serves as the financial capital of the world. Travel, enter- tainment and media are still big employers – but all of this is also fragile. New York claims that it still has a high per capita state income, but Florida’s per capita income has risen from less than 70 percent to 90 percent of New York’s; and with the lower cost of living in Florida, most Flo- ridians are better off than New Yorkers in real terms. Florida has no state income tax, and New York has about the highest state and local taxes, thus increasing num- bers of the wealthy are mi- grating to Florida. Florida and a number of other states that have no state in- come tax have proven that it is possible to have a good level of government service sufficient to attract people from other states without crushing tax burdens. New York state politicians have proven to be stupid and mean-spirited by denying upstate New York the great wealth generated by fracking for natural gas. The more en- lightened political class in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia have encouraged the development and fracking of the same shale deposit that also underlies New York. The overblown claims of fracking opponents are not borne out by facts and expe- rience. Ground water wells are near the surface. Oil and gas are most often thousands of feet below the surface. To say you cannot have both safely makes as much sense as saying that airplanes that fly thousands of feet over cars and trucks should not be al- lowed because a plane might crash into a car. Florida does have the ad- vantage of better winter weather and great beaches, but New York has better summer weather and con- siderable natural beauty. People are still moving to New Hampshire that has colder weather than much of New York, albeit many are moving from Vermont that has the same weather but a much more oppressive tax system and overbearing nanny government. America is a federal re- public, which means states can experiment with different policies and allow the evi- dence to show what works – Florida and New Hampshire show that freedom works. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN People voting with their feet is the strongest indication of whether they approve or disapprove of the policies of any state or country. 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” LETTER Honor in naming I was delighted to read that the Bodden Town Pri- mary School has a Molly Far- rell Art Building named after that fine lady, a great friend of ours during our time in Cayman. (1977-89) Cayman does this very well – naming buildings, institutions and roads after people who have made a difference in recent times. Mary Miller and Islay Connolly are two others who spring to mind. Doing so reflects a con- cern for and appreciation of every individual and their contribution. Here in the UK it would seem that we have to go back to Churchill or even Nelson to do anything of a similar nature. With every best wish to our friends and all on the beautiful islands. Mike Spragg 5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 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 SPECIAL MENTION SPONSORS A year later, Eastern Caribbean still recovering from hurricanes Disney cruises return to BVI KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com On Sept. 12, 2005, then- Leader of Government Busi- ness Kurt Tibbetts touted the “miraculous recovery” Cayman had made since being devastated by Hurri- cane Ivan a year earlier. He cautioned, however, that there was still millions of dollars of construction and other re- building efforts to be done before the territory would be fully back on its feet. Today, much of the Eastern Caribbean is in a similar situation as Cayman was 13 years ago, with juris- dictions such as the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and St. Maarten in varying stages of their recovery efforts one year after facing Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017. Puerto Rico, too, grapples with the aftermath of Irma and to a greater extent Hurricane Maria, which struck the is- land a week after Irma. Aug. 30, 2018 was a banner day for the BVI, as Disney Cruise Line sent a ship there for the first time in more than a year. Smaller ships reportedly made calls there in December, but none had visited since April. When the Cayman Compass vis- ited the territory in April, the cruise pier was being used as the territory’s main ferry dock, replacing a terminal that was heavily damaged. Other tourism industries were quicker to recover than that in the BVI. According to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and the United States Virgin Islands were often welcoming more than 10,000 passengers per day by January. “And as of Feb. 16, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was seeing cruise passenger sat- isfaction levels higher than those preceding the storms, and satisfaction levels were also tracking higher than pre-hurricane levels for St. Thomas, USVI and St. Maarten,” stated the FCCA, citing Carnival Cruise Line’s senior vice president of port operations, guest care and international. The return of Disney was not only a positive de- velopment for the terri- tory’s tourism industry; it also signaled how far the is- lands have come in terms of cleaning up debris and hazardous material. Disney Cruise Line stated in May that it would not send ships to the BVI until the is- lands were safe for tour- ists, according to the BVI Beacon newspaper. More cruise ships making calls to the Eastern Carib- bean could impact Cayman, as many ships had been di- verted to here after last Sep- tember’s hurricanes, leading to record cruise passenger arrival numbers. Luxury hotels and re- sorts are also in the process of reopening throughout the Eastern Caribbean. According to USA Today, the Secret Bay Resort in Dominica recently reopened; a major island re- sort in the BVI is sched- uled to reopen in October; and a Marriott resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been open for months. However, basic infrastruc- ture remains an issue in some areas of the affected islands. A quarterly report filed last month by Flow parent company Liberty Latin America Ltd. states that fixed-line phone services still have not been fully restored in the BVI and Dominica. “In addition to network damage, these markets are also dealing with extensive damage to homes, businesses and essential infrastructure,” states the report, which es- timates that it will take an- other US$50 million to repair its networks in the hurricane- impacted areas. The North West Com- pany, which owns the Cost- U-Less stores in Cayman and throughout the Caribbean, stated in its first-quarter fi- nancial report that its store in St. Maarten is scheduled to be fully reopened this month. A Cost-U-Less store in the U.S. Virgin Islands and three of the company’s stores in the BVI require complete re- construction and will take about another year to reopen, according to the report. Puerto Rico was the most badly hit island in the Eastern Caribbean in terms of fatalities, and is still strug- gling to determine how many people died from the storms. Last week, its government released a revised estimate last week that 2,975 died be- cause of Maria’s disaster and aftereffects – up from an original estimate of 64 deaths that was made shortly after the storm. With about 1,100 more deaths than what Hurri- cane Katrina caused in 2005, Maria has been estimated as the deadliest natural di- saster in the U.S. in more than 100 years. A British Virgin Islands resident surveys the wreckage of his home, which was destroyed by Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017. - PHOTO: KEN SILVA Moko jumbie dancers parade through Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands. The Disney Fantasy, docked in the background, was Disney’s first vessel to visit the BVI since Hurricane Irma. - PHOTO: CLAIRE SHEFCHIK/BVI BEACONThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 BRAC LAUNCH: Celebrating 60th anniversary of Cayman’s Coat of Arms. Official launch ceremony, 6:30 p.m. District Administration Lawn. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Presented by the Cayman Drama Society at Prospect Playhouse. Opens tonight and continues Sept. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Matinees Sunday Sept. 9 and 16 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets Adults $25, Students $15. Tickets available online at www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 LIQUOR LICENCES: Liquor Licence holders of Cayman Brac & Little Cayman, including Music and Dancing Licences, are reminded that today is the deadline to submit renewal applications. The annual Liquor Licence Meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the District Administration Conference Room, 10 a.m. Licensees must submit all applications and supporting documents, including inspection approvals, to the DCI Office in Cayman Brac, or to the 2nd Floor of the District Administration Building, Cayman Brac. All licensing fees are to be paid to the Treasury Department, District Administration Building, Stake Bay. SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arts & Recreation Centre. This will be the first weightlifting competition in Cayman and open to weightlifters of all ages, weight classes and skill levels who could represent the Cayman Islands for future Olympic competitions. SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 RUGBY 5K: 6:30-8 a.m. Camana Bay Town Centre. Help raise funds for the Cayman National Rugby 7s team and promote family wellness by participating in this 5K. Walk, run, cycle or use scooter, skateboard, rollerblades or even taking little ones on the run in their stroller. The cost is $15 for kids ages 8-12 and $20 for teens and adults. Contact Robbie.Cribb@ rawlinson-hunter.com.ky WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12 THE BOOKENDS CLUB: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Books & Books at Camana Bay. Join The Bookends Club as they review their latest pick, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. Come share insights and impressions in open discussion. The Bookends Club gathers on the second Wednesday of every month and new members are always welcome. SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 BRAC 5K: Lions Clubs present Brenda Tibbetts- Lund Memorial 5K Walk/ Run 6 a.m. High School to Hospital and back. $10 registration. Contact 928- 5800 for more information. SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 CLAY WORKSHOP: Visual Arts Society studio at Pedro St. James. Today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee is $150 for members, $175 for non-members. Includes terra cotta clay, glazes, firing, use of tools & studio plus light lunch and beverage. Limited space. Register at workshops@ visualartcayman.com. SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 5K FOR RECOVERY: Hope Foundation sponsors this 5K walk/run to raise funds for the residential recovery program. Start at Seven Mile Public Beach. Walk, 6 a.m. Run, 6:30 a.m. Tickets $10 from Brent, 928- 9099; or Chris, 938-0095. Prizes include staycations. GENERAL INTEREST LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Wednesdays and Saturdays at Camana Bay. A produce- only market featuring local farmers. Located in Heliconia Court (the new courtyard next to the building containing Scotiabank). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. UK SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 6, 2018, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/ apply. Visit www.chevening. org/apply/guidance for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications. Contact Gill Skinner on 244- 2431 or gillian.skinner@fco. gov.uk COMMERCIAL GARBAGE FEES: The Department of Environmental Health reminds all business operators/owners/strata in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, who pay their fees by biannual installments, that garbage fees are due for the period ending June 30. In Grand Cayman, payments can be made at any post office or the DEH main office, 580 North Sound Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. In the Sister Islands, payments can be made at District Administration. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which runs down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. EARLY CHILDHOOD FEES: The Ministry of Education provides financial assistance for Caymanian children between 3 and 4 years of age before Sept. 1, 2018, to assist with fees at an early childhood center between September and June 30. Application forms can be downloaded from www.education.gov. ky or collected from the Government Administration Building, the Department of Education Services and all early childhood centers. Contact Renee Barnes at 244-5735, Turnette Stewart at 244-5724 or email ecap@ gov.ky. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@ visualartcayman.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www. caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail. com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www. overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@ adacyman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. The local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www. rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, Cayman Islands Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.optimistcayman.com. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30- 11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. Email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. Call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE: Breast-feeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m. to noon in the Women’s Health Centre. No appointments, no fees. Phone 244–2649. CAYMAN BRIDGE CLUB: Meets Tuesdays 7 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road; Fridays, 9 a.m. at the Rugby Club. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Alex Wood at 947-3693. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP: MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. For more Community Calendar events, visit www. caymancompass.com/events. Several 5K run/walks are being held this month to raise funds for charities or clubs.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 According to the esti- mates, Cayman’s economy employed approximately 42,700 people in April. This is about 2.3 percent more than at the same time in 2017. The number of employed Caymanians grew even faster by 3.4 percent com- pared to the spring 2017 es- timate. Premier McLaughlin said the figures mean that some “3,350 more Cayma- nians are now working and able to support themselves and their families than was the case before we took of- fice in 2013.” The Labour Force Survey estimates that, as of June 2018, Cayman’s popu- lation has reached 64,240, about 2.1 percent higher than 12 months earlier. According to the report, the Caymanian population has grown by 1.8 percent to 36,154. Meanwhile, the number of permanent res- idents reached 5,971, up from 4,376 in spring 2017. The non-Caymanian popu- lation, in turn, is believed to be 4 percent lower than at the same time last year at just under 22,300. New government department Despite the figures, Mr. McLaughlin said, gov- ernment must do more to deliver on its com- mitment to full Cayma- nian employment, “where any Caymanian able and willing to work is able to find employment.” He said red tape, in- efficiencies and ministe- rial misalignments in the past had prompted the cre- ation of the new Workforce Opportunities and Resi- dency Cayman (WORC) De- partment, which is due to launch in the coming year. One of the improve- ments expected from this initiative is a new govern- ment function that will work with key private sector employers to plan for the long-term labor market needs of the economy. Mr. McLaughlin said WORC would also be able to better support Cay- manians in accessing the labor market and im- prove the work permit pro- cess “so that it is fair and transparent for the ben- efit of businesses and em- ployees alike.” In addition, a new ac- creditation system will be launched “that recognizes and rewards the many private sector employers who do play their part in employing and devel- oping Caymanians.” For those businesses that do not, the premier said, government is plan- ning to introduce new leg- islation later this year that will lead to the creation of a Fair Employment Oppor- tunities Commission. “This commission will fill a void that exists and will provide Caymanians with a place to go to com- plain, and more impor- tantly get action, should they believe they have been treated unfairly in the job market – including when passed over unfairly for promotion or not given an opportunity for employ- ment,” he said. versary of the first Legislative Assembly session on the Brac and Mr. McLaughlin was among those to highlight the strong relationship between all three Cayman islands. In his policy address, Mr. McLaughlin said the strong economic performance of the government over the past few years was now paying dividends. He said continued eco- nomic growth was necessary to fund infrastructure im- provements, new schools and pay increases for teachers and civil servants. “I believe the day we stop growing is the day we start dying,” he said. The premier highlighted risks to the future of the fi- nancial services industry, in- cluding the threat from the U.K. of a public register of beneficial ownership. He said that specific threat would be addressed through the courts if necessary but warned the episode showed “we cannot rely on the U.K. to defend, let alone promote, Cayman’s eco- nomic interests.” He said the new Ministry of International Trade and In- vestment would become op- erational early next year and would act as an advocate for Cayman and as a doorway for foreign investment. Mr. McLaughlin again ad- monished the U.K.’s behavior over beneficial ownership as a “constitutional over-reach.” He said he was in talks with U.K. government offi- cials over constitutional re- form “in order to clearly de- lineate local matters from the very few areas where the U.K. needs to retain competence to act directly.” WORC agency On employment, the pre- mier said the new WORC department, which will in- tegrate work permits and workforce development into one agency, would be more effective than the soon-to- be-defunct National Work- force Development Agency. Along with plans for a “Fair Employment Opportu- nities Commission,” he said the agency would help de- liver more job opportunities for Caymanians. “This government un- derstands that we must do more if we are to deliver on our commitment to full Cay- manian employment, where any Caymanian able and willing to work is able to find employment.” He also reaffirmed pay increases for teachers, al- ready announced by Ed- ucation Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and an- nounced a pay increase for civil servants. He said the 5 percent cost of living increase would be backdated to July 1 of this year. He said this, along with another potential in- crease in 2020, would bring civil service salaries back on track after seven years of “playing catch-up.” He said there would also be a broader salary review for police, fire and environ- mental health workers to en- sure those agencies are able to attract and retain staff. Mr. McLaughlin said the promises, along with the completion of previously an- nounced projects, including the new waste management system, airport and mental health facility, had been made possible through sen- sible economic policies. He said his govern- ment had been able to get long-standing infrastruc- ture needs addressed and improve pay and staffing in police and other depart- ments with no new debt and no new taxes. He said the government of national unity was one he was “proud and privi- leged to lead.” “Working together as one, my ministers and coun- cilors have achieved much over the last 15 months and I am proud of all they have done. In the next two and a half years we will achieve much more. There is great strength in unity. The best is still to come.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Unemployment rate drops to pre-financial crisis level Cayman to create new trade ministry CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier defends cruise ship dock plan JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin reaffirmed his government’s commitment to press ahead with plans for a cruise berthing facility in George Town harbor in the face of increasingly vocal opposition to the project. With a campaign group gathering signatures in an effort to trigger a “people’s referendum” and a separate Opposition motion tabled calling for the people of the Cayman Islands to decide the fate of the project, Mr. McLaughlin used his State of the Nation address at the opening of the Legislative As- sembly session on Cayman Brac Wednesday to defend his government’s plans. He said the government had taken the “hard but nec- essary decision” in order to “secure the future of our cruise tourism sector.” He said the development of cruise piers had been part of almost every political par- ty’s platform for more than a decade and the people had “ample opportunity” – in- cluding during last year’s election – to have their say on the question. “The vast majority of the members of this government campaigned on building a cruise and enhanced cargo port – as did the majority of the members in the last ad- ministration,” he said. “Indeed, in every elec- tion over the last 12 or more years, the governments that were formed had a viable cruise dock as part of their election platforms.” The premier added that his government believed it was in the “vital national in- terest” of the Cayman Islands to proceed with the project and suggested that the result of the last election showed the majority of voters agreed. “By allowing larger cruise ships the ability to dock, we are ensuring that we main- tain this critical industry into the future – of this I am sure,” he said. He acknowledged there was a “trade off” in terms of the environment, but said government had worked to reduce the impact of the piers. He also suggested that allowing cruise ships to drop anchor, as they do now, had its own environmental im- pacts, including “decades of massive anchor damage sus- tained by the reefs in George Town harbor, often caused by cruise ships.” He said negotiations were ongoing over the project and insisted it would not repre- sent a “disproportionate risk to government finances.” He added, “Because of the commercially sensi- tive nature of the discus- sions, we cannot provide the kind of running commentary on progress that some have called for, but as the deputy premier has repeatedly prom- ised, as soon as we are able to communicate those details, we will do so.” He went on to insist that the project had been car- ried out in a transparent manner with numerous re- ports published and public meetings held. An opposition motion calling for a referendum on the dock is expected to be de- bated Thursday as the Leg- islative Assembly session on the Brac continues. Cruise ships dock in the middle of George Town harbor. Premier Alden McLaughlin says successive governments have supported plans to create a cruise ship dock in George Town. Currently, passengers are ferried to land from the ships by tender boats. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT Members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service parade on Cayman Brac before the official opening of the 2018/2019 Legislative Assembly session. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS UN to host Yemen peace talks The United Nations is set to host peace talks between Yemen’s Saudi- backed government and rebels including Iran-aligned Shiite fighters for the first time since 2016, aiming to end a grueling war that has created what the U.N. calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Britain charges two Russians over Novichok poisoning LONDON (AP) – Britain charged two alleged Rus- sian military intelligence of- ficers with the nerve agent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury, officials said Wednesday, though authorities held out little hope of being able to bring them to justice. The men, who entered the U.K. under the names Al- exander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, are being charged in absentia with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder and use of the nerve agent Novichok, prosecutors said. Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers that British intelligence has con- cluded that the two men are officers of Russia’s GRU mili- tary intelligence service. May said the attack “was not a rogue operation” and was almost certainly ap- proved at a “senior level of the Russian state.” The charges deepen Brit- ain’s diplomatic feud with Moscow, which denies in- volvement in the attack on Skripal, a former Russian agent who had been con- victed in his homeland of spying for Britain. Sue Hemming of the Crown Prosecution Ser- vice said the U.K. would not ask Moscow to extradite the men because Russian law forbids extradition of the country’s citizens. Britain has issued domestic and European arrest warrants for the suspects, meaning they can be detained if they leave Russia for another Eu- ropean country. But assistant commis- sioner Neil Basu, head of counterterrorism at London’s Metropolitan Police, con- ceded it was “very, very un- likely” police would be in a position to arrest them any time soon, though he said “we will never give up.” Police say the suspects, both about 40, flew from Moscow to London on Rus- sian passports two days be- fore the Skripals were poi- soned on March 4. Basu said the passports were gen- uine but the men were prob- ably using aliases, and ap- pealed to the public “to come forward and tell us who they are.” Sergei Skripal, 67, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found collapsed on a bench in Salisbury, 90 miles southwest of London. They spent weeks hospital- ized in critical condition and are now recovering in a secret location for their own protection. A police of- ficer, Nick Bailey, was also hospitalized. British authorities and the international chemical weapons watchdog say the victims were exposed to Novichok, a type of military- grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Britain blames the Rus- sian government for the at- tack, a claim Moscow de- nies. The poisoning ignited a diplomatic confrontation in which hundreds of en- voys were expelled by both Russia and Western nations. Russian Foreign Min- istry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the names and images of the suspects released by Britain “say nothing to us.” Zakharova called on Britain to cooperate with Russian law enforcement agencies on the investi- gation. She has criticized London for turning down Moscow’s request to see the case files. Six months after the poisoning rocked the quiet cathedral city, police gave new details about what Basu called “one of the most complex investigations” the force had ever seen. The police force released a series of images of the suspects as they traveled through London and Salis- bury between March 2 and March 4. They stayed in a hotel in London, where traces of Novichok were also found. Police did not link the suspects to the budget City Stay Hotel in Lon- don’s east end until two months after the attack, but said people who had stayed there were not at risk. Basu said that traces of Novi- chok were found in a room, but in too small a quantity to be harmful. The suspects made two trips to Salisbury before flying back to Moscow from Heathrow Airport on the evening of March 4, hours after the Skripals were poi- soned, police said. Police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and ap- plied to the front door of Sergei Skripal’s house. More than three months later, the bottle was found by a local man, 48-year- old Charlie Rowley. He was hospitalized and his girl- friend Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents. The Organi- zation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons con- firmed Tuesday that Rowley and Sturgess were also ex- posed to Novichok. Police are still trying to determine where the bottle was between the Skripal poi- soning in March and its dis- covery by Rowley on June 27. As a result, Basu said, police were not yet ready to bring charges in the second poisoning. The charges deepen Britain’s diplomatic feud with Moscow, which denies involvement in the attack on Skripal, a former Russian agent who had been convicted in his homeland of spying for Britain. This combination photo made available by the Metropolitan Police on Sept. 5 shows Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov. - PHOTO: AP Gordon, never a hurricane, killed child in mobile home DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama (AP) – Tropical Storm Gordon never became a hurricane but it was deadly all the same, killing a child by blowing a tree onto a mobile home as it made landfall. The storm later weakened into a depression on Wednesday but remained dangerous, dumping rain, spawning tor- nadoes and kicking up heavy surf in its wake. The National Hurricane Center said Gordon was weakening on a path into Arkansas after striking the coast at 70 mph, just shy of hurricane strength, near Pas- cagoula, Mississippi. The remnants will likely cause flash flooding across parts of seven states and as far north as Iowa in the coming days. The storm was going out swinging: Forecasters said radar spotted possible tor- nados spun off by the storm overnight in southern Ala- bama and the Florida pan- handle, and more were pos- sible through Wednesday night in Mississippi and western Alabama. There were no immediate reports of injuries or signifi- cant damage, other than the child killed by a large oak tree branch that fell onto a mobile home in Pensacola, Florida. Neighbor Amanda Ray told the Pensacola News Journal that she heard a crack and a scream as the limb fell around 9 p.m. Tuesday. “It was just awful,” she said, adding that the sounds were almost indistinguish- able from the storm’s howling winds. The Escambia County Sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page that re- sponding deputies discovered the child had been killed. Of- ficials haven’t released the child’s identity. Escambia county received 10 calls overnight for downed trees in roadways, along with multiple reports of arcing power lines as the storm blew through with peak gusts of 61 mph (98 kph). Beachgoers in the area were being warned Wednesday that it’s too early to return to the water; dangerous rip currents prompted red-flag warnings, meaning it’s illegal to enter the Gulf of Mexico. Driftwood and other de- bris made for hazardous driving early Wednesday on the causeway to Dauphin Is- land, Alabama, which was partly flooded by seawater overnight, leaving people to drive over sand and around lawn furniture on the main road. Siding was peeled off some houses, but Mayor Jeff Collier said “for the most part, we did OK.” Dominic Carlucci drove back to his home on the bar- rier island in his Hummer, and found no damage, just a sag- ging wooden fence. It was not nearly as bad as when Nate, the last hurricane to strike the U.S., came ashore last October in nearby Biloxi, Mississippi. “We’re good,” he said. The center predicted total rain amounts of 4-8 inches (10-20 centimeters) in the Florida panhandle and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Lou- isiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Rainfall could be even more intense in isolated places, dropping up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) through early Saturday. A storm surge covered bar- rier islands as the storm blew through, and some inland roadways were flooded by the rain. The National Weather Service in Mobile cautioned that the Styx River near El- sanor, Alabama, could reach moderate, and possibly major, flood stage later Wednesday. More than 27,000 cus- tomers were without power as Gordon began pushing ashore, mostly in coastal Al- abama and the western tip of the Florida Panhandle around Pensacola, with a few hundred in southeastern Mississippi. Crews were al- ready restoring electricity early Wednesday. Rain was still falling but the lights were on at a Waffle House restaurant in Mo- bile, where factory worker Jerome Richardson said he lost power at 9 p.m. as the storm passed overhead. He was still without electricity as he left before dawn for his 12-hour shift. John Cunningham and Hunter Shows watch the waves crash from Tropical Storm Gordon on Tuesday in Dauphin Island, Alabama. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Treading carefully, Kavanaugh dodges confirmation minefields Early results boost hopes for historic gene editing attempt PHOENIX (AP) – Early, partial results from a historic gene editing study give encour- aging signs that the treat- ment may be safe and having at least some of its hoped- for effect, but it’s too soon to know whether it ultimately will succeed. The results announced Wednesday are from the first human test of gene editing in the body, an attempt to permanently change some- one’s DNA to cure a disease – in this case, a genetic dis- order called Hunter syn- drome that often kills people in their teens. In two patients who got a medium dose of the treat- ment, urine levels of large sugar compounds that are hallmarks of Hunter syn- drome had fallen by half, on average, four months later – a possible sign the treatment is working. Two others who got a low dose have seen little change in these sugars so far. There’s no way to know yet whether the change in the middle-dose patients is due to the gene editing or some- thing else, but the fact their sugars have declined consis- tently since treatment sug- gests it might be. “I cannot absolutely say it’s a treatment effect” but the drop is “really encour- aging,” said the study leader, Dr. Joseph Muenzer of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The main goal of early treatment studies is to test safety, though re- searchers also look for hints that the therapy is working. Muenzer gave the results at a conference in Greece and consults for the treatment’s maker, California-based San- gamo Therapeutics. The company’s president, Dr. Sandy Macrae, said tests in about five months will re- veal more, but the change in the middle-dose group so far “looks really good.” “The most rational expla- nation for this is that what we hoped was going to happen has happened,” he said. Several independent experts agreed. “The results are exciting” and suggest that the gene editing is working to some degree, without safety con- cerns so far, said Dr. Howard Kaufman, a Boston scientist and member of a National Institutes of Health panel that reviewed the study be- fore it began. Dr. Matthew Porteus, a genetics expert at Stanford University who consults for two other companies devel- oping gene therapies, said more time is needed to see how the patients’ immune system continues to react to the treatment and whether the effects last, but added, “I would be excited about con- tinuing to push along” based on these results. How it works Gene editing is intended as a more precise way to do gene therapy, to knock out a bad gene or supply a good one that is missing. Doctors hope it will give a way to ad- dress a host of diseases that cannot be treated well now. In November, a Phoenix- area man with Hunter syn- drome, Brian Madeux, be- came the first person to test this inside the body. He lacks a gene that makes an en- zyme that breaks down cer- tain large sugar compounds called GAGs. These build up in cells and cause havoc throughout the body. Through an IV, Madeux received many copies of a corrective gene and a gene- editing tool called zinc finger nucleases to help put it in a precise spot in his DNA. He was one of the two patients given a very low dose of the treatment, because this first- in-human testing called for extreme caution. Early results In Madeux and the other low-dose patient, levels of the tell-tale sugar compounds in urine rose 9 percent on average after four months. Muenzer said it’s hard to know whether this is a significant change; little is known about the bi- ology of these compounds, in- cluding whether they fluc- tuate during the day or before or after meals. A liver biopsy on one pa- tient given a low dose of the therapy found no evidence that the gene editing had oc- curred, but Sangamo sci- entists said this dose is far below the level at which such signs had been detected in re- search on primates. Two other patients were given a middle dose that was twice what the first two pa- tients received. Their GAG levels declined by 51 percent after four months, on average. Two of the main types of these sugars that accumulate in tis- sues declined 32 percent and 61 percent, respectively. It is not yet known if de- clines like these can improve patients’ health or slow the progression of the disease. “This is not proof that this is a successful therapy yet, that these patients had enough gene editing to now supply them with the enzyme they need for the rest of their life,” Muenzer said. But he said an important goal was met: the treatment seems safe. There were two se- rious side effects – one patient was hospitalized for bronchitis and another for an irregular heartbeat – but those were deemed due to their disease and pre-existing conditions, not the gene treatment. Next steps Two more patients have been given the highest dose being tested – 10 times the starting dose – for a total of six patients in the study. The next step is to start taking pa- tients off the weekly enzyme treatments they have been receiving to see if the gene therapy has changed their bodies so they make enough of the enzyme themselves. More results are ex- pected at a medical meeting in February. “We need to see sustained levels for this to be prac- tical. If this only works for six months, that’s not very ben- eficial,” Muenzer said. “Time’s going to tell.” In an interview at his home in Arizona last month, Madeux, 45, told The Associated Press he volunteered for the study in hope of being able to stop the weekly, three-hour enzyme in- fusions, but also to help find a treatment for future genera- tions with the disease. “I’m old and having Hunt- er’s has done a lot of damage to my body,” Madeux said. “I’m actually pretty lucky I’ve lived this long.” WASHINGTON (AP) – Judge Brett Kavanaugh is treading carefully during his confir- mation hearing as senators bombard him with questions about abortion, presidential power and the independence of the judiciary. Some highlights from the Supreme Court nominee’ con- firmation hearing Wednesday: Roe v. Wade Democrats and liberal in- terest groups have treated Kavanaugh’s nomination as a moment of extreme danger for abortion rights. Abortion opponents hope he will be a vote to uphold additional re- strictions on the procedure and even possibly overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade Su- preme Court decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion. Kavanaugh did not show his hand either way on Wednesday. He did call Roe v. Wade an “important precedent” that has “been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years.” And he noted that a 1992 de- cision of the court – Planned Parenthood v. Casey – didn’t just reaffirm Roe v. Wade in passing. He said that de- cision becomes “precedent on precedent.” Supreme Court justices are generally reluctant to overturn precedent, but that does not mean it doesn’t happen. Last term, the court squarely overturned three precedents. One of those cases was from 1967 and had been reaffirmed in 1992. Also in responding to questions about the Roe v. Wade decision Kavanaugh said that he understands “how passionate and how deeply people feel about this issue” of abortion. He also said he understands the “real world effects of that decision.” Presidential power Kavanaugh declined to answer a series of questions about the powers of the pres- ident, questions important to Democrats particularly be- cause of ongoing investiga- tions surrounding President Donald Trump. Nominees generally de- cline to answer questions they deem could poten- tially come before the court. They say they decide is- sues only after hearing both sides of a case. Among the questions Ka- vanaugh said were too hy- pothetical to answer: Does the president have an ab- solute right to pardon him- self? Can the president pardon someone in exchange for a promise not to testify against him? Can the presi- dent be required to respond to a subpoena? That last question is among the most important at Kavanaugh’s hearing since Trump could face a subpoena in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investiga- tion. Trump has declined to rule out pardons for people convicted as part of that investigation. Alex Kozinski Repercussions of the “Me Too” era made an appear- ance at Kavanaugh’s hearing. The judge was asked what he knew about sexual misconduct allegations against a judge who was a friend and mentor, former federal appeals court judge Alex Kozinski. Kozinski retired in December after sev- eral female former law clerks and colleagues accused him of sexual misconduct. Kavanaugh said that when the allegations became public, they were a “gut punch” for him and for the federal ju- diciary. Asked whether he knew anything about the al- legations before they became public, Kavanaugh responded: “nothing.” He said he was “shocked and disappointed.” Asked whether he was on an email list that Kozinski used to send offensive mate- rial, Kavanaugh responded: “I don’t remember any- thing like that.” Kavanaugh declined to answer a series of questions about the powers of the president, questions important to Democrats particularly because of ongoing investigations surrounding President Donald Trump. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh leaves the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room during a break on the second day of his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday. - PHOTO: AP Brian Madeux prepares lunch Aug. 13, 2018 at his home in New River, Arizona. Madeux was the first person in the world to participate in a gene editing attempt in his body for the inherited metabolic disease Hunter Syndrome. - PHOTO: APNext >