ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 High of 88 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 AN EASY CALL: DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE MEDIA WORLD | PAGE 8 BORIS JOHNSON’S BREXIT ‘SUICIDE VEST’ COMMENT SPARKS TORY FUROR 9 PCS OF THE BEST DRESSED CHICKEN, 2 LARGE SIDES & 5 BISCUITS Gov’t rejects calls for port referendum JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government rejected calls from the Opposi- tion for a referendum to be held on the contro- versial cruise pier project after a lengthy de- bate in the Legislative Assembly that ran into the early hours of Friday morning. Following the failure of the private mem- bers’ motion, Opposition members indicated they would now throw their weight behind a public push for a people’s referendum. A community-led campaign is seeking to collect signatures from 25 percent of the elec- torate in order to trigger a mandatory poll on the port project. Opposition leader Ezzard Miller had sought to persuade government to voluntarily put the decision in the hands of the public. Motion fails 11 votes to 6 Speaking at the opening of the debate at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre on Cayman Brac on Thursday, Mr. Miller said the issue of cruise berthing had been mired in controversy on all sides for decades and a referendum was the best way to resolve it. His motion failed by 11 votes to 6. It was supported by all members of the official op- position and independent member Kenneth Bryan and opposed by all on the government benches, with the exception of West Bay legis- lator Bernie Bush who was not present when the vote was called around 1 a.m. on Friday. Mr. Miller spoke out against cruise berthing in his speech, saying it was a solu- tion to a problem that did not exist. He said cruise tourism had grown 20 percent in the last five years and there was no evidence that a dock was necessary. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, in a lengthy rebuttal, said thousands of Cayma- nian families depended on the cruise industry for their livelihoods. Though recent cruise ar- rival figures have been good, he said, the long- term trend of the industry was toward mega- ships that would not use tenders. DISASTER TEAM TESTS SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS If all phone and internet systems fail in the Cayman Islands, a new satellite commu- nications system is available now for gov- ernment and emergency response teams to contact the outside world, according to the Governor’s Office. Prompted by communications issues that arose following devastating storms in the Ca- ribbean last year, the British government is equipping its overseas territories that face threats from disasters, such as hurricanes, with emergency satellite communications, said Matthew Forbes, head of the Governor’s Office in Cayman. The Cayman system was tested on the roof of the Government Administration Building in George Town on Thursday, Sept. 6. Mr. Forbes told the Cayman Compass that after the havoc wrought by two succes- sive hurricanes, Irma and Maria, in the British Virgin Islands last year, “we decided we needed better satellite communications to be able to basically talk to the outside world if all communications get knocked out.” Mr. Forbes and Danielle Coleman, director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands, were both deployed to the British Virgin Islands fol- lowing last year’s hurricanes, and witnessed firsthand the challenges faced in the after- math, including lengthy telephone and in- ternet outages and a complete loss of commu- nications with outlying islands. Cayman now has a range of communi- cation systems, including a large static unit, which was erected for Thursday’s test run on the roof of the Government Administration Building – home to both the Governor’s Office Cayman weight lifters raise the bar JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Spectators cheered, whistled, hollered and pumped up the 20 athletes who lifted barbells carrying weights of 200 to 300 pounds in Olympic-style weight lifting in Camana Bay this weekend. Weight lifters, ranging in ages from 20 to 55, were competing in the weight-lifting competition at Camana Bay Arts and Recre- ation Centre on Saturday. Athletes performed the “snatch” and the “clean and jerk,” the two lifts contested in Olympic weight-lifting competitions. The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion. With the clean and jerk, two movements are required – lifting the barbell from the floor to above the shoul- ders and then to a stationery position above the head. “This is the first time we were doing the event in Cayman and it was big,” said Mat- thew Barnett, organizer of the event. Mr. Barnett is a professional weight lifter, U.S. baseball player and owner of Cayman CrossFit Gym. Athlete Tomy Wilkerson, lifting 211 pounds and finishing with a clean and jerk at 264 pounds, said the event was fun but nerve-wracking. “It’s different when you are working out in a gym versus being here, and everyone is looking at you,” said Mr. Wilkerson. “It’s you and the barbell and you are trying to find that zone, [but] once you finish you feel good, you feel accomplished, and you want to do that again, or, you think you could have done more. Still, you come away excited and invigorated to see what progress you have made. I am excited to see what happens next,” Mr. Wilkerson said. Cameron Leitch also found the event a Athlete Tomy Wilkerson preforms the ‘snatch,’ the first of two lifts contested in Olympic weight lifting, followed by the ‘clean and jerk.’ - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 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) THE NUN (R) 2:00 I 4:40 I 7:20 I 7:40 VIP REPRISAL (R) 7:30 I 9:45 CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 1:35 I 4:25 I 7:20 I 9:50 MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 1:45 I 3:50 I 9:30 PEPPERMINT (R) 2:20 VIP I 4:25 I 10:10 VIP I 10:10 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:25 I 5:00 I 7:00 THE MEG (PG13) 1:40 I 5:00 VIP I 7:15 I 9:40 Dr. Wayne R. Porter MD F.A.A.D. Dermatologist call : 946-9020 between 9am to 5pm Dees Plaza #282 on Crewe Road, GT He will be in office from September 10th - September 16th, 2018 POLICE SEIZE 500 POUNDS OF GANJA, 4 ARRESTED Packages thrown overboard Police seized 513 pounds of ganja and ar- rested four men on sus- picion of drug offenses after officers of the Air Operations and Joint Ma- rine Units spotted a vessel acting suspiciously more than 20 miles offshore early Friday morning. Officers from the Air Operations and Joint Ma- rine Units were con- ducting border patrols east of Grand Cayman when they spotted the vessel, according to a police press release. “Upon approaching the vessel, officers observed persons on board throwing packages overboard. The packages were retrieved and four men, all Jamaican nationals, age 31, 32, 33 and 45, were taken into custody,” police said. The men remained in police custody Sunday. DECEPTION CHARGES GO TO GRAND COURT Defendant’s bail continued until Oct. 5 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Charges against a woman accused of ob- taining more than $37,000 from the Department of Child and Family Service by deception were sent to the Grand Court after a prelim- inary inquiry last week. Hermine Stoney, 64, has been charged with ob- taining $37,345.56 from the department between Feb. 26, 2014 and April 2017. The deception alleged was falsely representing that she had an income of $250, with no other assets. She is further charged with providing false infor- mation to a public officer. Details of this charge allege that she provided informa- tion to a public officer em- ployed by the Department of Children and Family Services “in the truth of which she did not believe,” thereby causing or knowing it to be likely that the infor- mation would result in fi- nancial assistance to which she was not entitled. She is accused of pro- viding that false informa- tion in February 2014, April 2015 and November 2016. Magistrate Adam Rob- erts committed the matter to the Grand Court, where it is to be mentioned on Friday, Oct. 5. He ex- tended the defendant’s bail until then. Ms. Stoney was rep- resented by attorney Alex Davies. Florence becomes a hurricane, takes aim at US Southeast ATLANTA (AP) – Tropical Storm Florence turned into a hurricane Sunday morning and swirled toward the U.S. for what forecasters said could be a direct hit on the Southeast toward the end of the week. The storm’s sustained winds reached 75 mph, just over the threshold for a hur- ricane, as it made its way across the Atlantic, about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west at 6 mph. The Miami-based center said that it was still too early to predict the hurri- cane’s exact path but that a huge coastal area from South Carolina to the mid- Atlantic region should pre- pare for a major strike late in the week. “All indications are that Florence will be an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurri- cane while it moves over the western Atlantic toward the southeastern United States,” the hurricane center said. The storm brings with it an increasing risk of two life- threatening impacts: storm surge along the coast and freshwater flooding from prolonged rains, the hurri- cane center said. It is forecast to ap- proach the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday. The governors of North and South Carolina and Vir- ginia declared states of emer- gency to give them time to prepare, and the Navy said ships in Virginia’s Hampton Roads area would leave port for their own safety. Dangerous swells gen- erated by Florence af- fected Bermuda and have begun to reach parts of the Eastern Seaboard. The Na- tional Weather Center in Mel- bourne, Florida, warned of dangerous rip currents along the state’s east-central coast, including Brevard County. 32 dogs surrendered to Department of Agriculture Animal lovers stepped up over the past few days to offer foster homes to the ma- jority of 32 dogs that were surrendered to the Depart- ment of Agriculture last week. The department removed the dogs from a single home in Cayman on Wednesday and issued an appeal to local animal welfare societies to try to find homes for them. Canine Friends Cayman was among the animal wel- fare organizations contacted by the DoA after the dogs were surrendered by their owner. The group immedi- ately found a foster home for a mother dog and her five four-week-old puppies. Throughout late last week and the weekend, most of the other dogs were also housed. On Saturday, Canine Friends posted on Facebook: “Since we received the call for help two days ago, we have now, along with other rescue groups, placed 28 of the 32 in safe places and we only have four dogs left.” Casey Keller of Canine Friends said that the Depart- ment of Agriculture agreed to open its facility on Saturday to allow Canine Friends Cayman and others to match foster families with dogs they may potentially take into their homes. The Department of Agri- culture did not return a re- quest for comment. JURY NOTICE All Grand Court jurors who are in the July 4-Oct. 2 session are advised that the report date of Monday, Sept. 10, has been changed. They are now required to report on Monday, Sept. 17 at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information. These puppies were among the dogs fostered after being surrendered to the Department of Agriculture last week. - PHOTO: CANINE FRIENDS Man arrested for cocaine offenses Police and customs of- ficers arrested a 33-year- old man early Friday on suspicion of pos- sessing cocaine with in- tent to supply. The arrest of the George Town man was made after police and cus- toms officers conducted a search of a premises off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway shortly after 6 a.m. “A quantity of suspected cocaine and a significant amount of cash were re- covered and seized,” police said in a statement. IMAGE: NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATIONThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 @supPORTOurTourism Major Milestones & Communications APRIL 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGIC OUTLINE CASE (SOC) • Press release announces approval of the SOC • Press release - Deputy Premier meets with cruise stakeholders re: port development MARCH 2014 W.F BAIRD COASTAL ENGINEERS LTD APPOINTED TO CONDUCT EIA • Press release announces Baird’s appointment, listing all consultants OCTOBER 2013 OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE (OBC) COMPLETE. REFERRED TO CABINET FOR APPROVAL. DRAFTING OF TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR EIA BEGINS • Press release announces OBC approval NOVEMBER 2013 PUBLIC MEETING AT MARY MILLER HALL TO EXPLAIN OBC • 2nd Public meeting to discuss EIA Terms of Reference DECEMBER 2013 RFP ISSUED SEEKING CONSULTANTS TO MANAGE AND PREPARE EIA JUNE 2015 EIA COMPLETE • Public meeting at Mary Miller Hall presenting EIA non- technical summary DECEMBER 2016 RFP SEEKS CONSULTANTS EXPERIENCED IN DBFM MODELLING • Press release announces RFP SEPTEMBER 2015 PWC ISSUES ADDENDUM TO OBC - ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC APPRAISAL • Press release following Benthic Habitat report: confirms coral transplanting possible JULY 2015 MOT ISSUES STATEMENT NOTING INFORMATION GATHERING PROCESS CONTINUES • Press release announces Benthic Habitat Study to supplement EIA MARCH 2017 KPMG APPOINTED FOR COMMERCIAL FINANCIAL AND LEGAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES • Press release announcing KPMG’s appointment OCTOBER 2017 DEPUTY PREMIER RECAPS PROCESS TO DATE IN BUDGET SPEECH APRIL 2018 RECAP OF PROCUREMENT TIMELINE AND PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS PROVIDED TO MEDIA AUGUST 2018 MOT ISSUES STATEMENT REFUTING CLAIMS THAT CBF DEAL HAS BEEN SIGNED OCTOBER 2015 CABINET APPROVES MOVING TO PROCUREMENT PHASE • Press conference announces and explains cabinet’s decision • Press release quotes cruise lines confirming no tendering for Oasis class ships • Press release discusses coral relocation/mitigation costs • Press release announcing PwC Report: confirms economic benefits outweigh environmental impact • MoT issues further information on PwC’s Cost Benefit Analysis and Conclusions FEBRUARY 2018 CIG HOLDS INDUSTRY DAY WITH PRE-QUALIFIED BIDDERS • Press release announces industry day JULY 2016 INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING FIRM ROYAL HASKONING DHV APPOINTED BY CTC FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN WORKS • Press release announces the appointment May 2016 DEPUTY PREMIER RECAPS PROCESS-TO-DATE IN BUDGET SPEECH 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” Decades ago, the editor in chief of “D” (Dallas) Magazine, who now holds the same title at the Compass (talk about a career stall), answered the phone at his desk. He regretted it immediately. On the other end was a woman from Chicago who identified herself as an “account executive” with a public relations agency who wanted to share with the editor a marvelous new product her client was about to introduce into the marketplace. The product, she explained, was not actually a hot dog but the “skin” of the hot dog – nutritious, tasty … actually revolutionary. Having heard about enough, the editor asked the caller if he might ask her a personal question. After a long pause, she said, sure, go ahead. The conversation went like this: “May I ask how old you are?” “Twenty-four,” she replied. The editor responded, “What are you doing with your life?” (She explained she was going to college at nights, was studying law, and planned to get out of her career of flacking hot dog skins as fast as was humanly possible.) Why this tale, why now? Over the years it has become clear to us that few in government – or in the private sector, for that matter – know how to communicate with the media, or get their story (at least their side of the story) before the public. What CEOs, Cabinet ministers, agency chieftains or department heads most often do is hire “intermediaries,” aka, public relations specialists, press secretaries, com- munications officers and so on. In some instances, entire departments, such as Government Information Services, act as buffers between the principals and the press. There is a cost to this. Hired “proxies” carry a heavy burden with the working press, which views them as “bought and paid for.” Consequently, their messages are highly discounted, if not totally ignored. If this editorial needs a sharper point, it is this: Those in positions of authority need never interject spokes- people between themselves and the media. Professional journalists far prefer to “deal direct” with those actually in authority – the higher up the better. In truth, a number of top officials in government, despite having legions of public relations intermedi- aries at their disposal, regularly call Compass reporters, editors or the publisher directly when they have a serious message they want to disseminate, or a major error in an already published story they want to correct. We welcome those phone calls. In many instances, of course, we reach out directly to our leaders and among those most receptive to our calls are Premier Alden McLaughlin, Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, Acting Governor Franz Manderson, as well as some of their colleagues. Even MLA Ezzard Miller, who represents the district of North Side and is not known to be a fan of the Compass, is easily reachable and always courteous in our conversations. Many government officials, however, who should be communicating regularly with the media, are totally incommunicado – off the grid. They do not return calls or emails and appear to be cocooning or hiding. They are doing themselves and the populace a disservice. Does open conversation ensure that officials will get “favorable coverage” in the Compass going forward? Of course not, but no one ever asks for that. The goal we all seek is accurate and fair coverage, informed by the facts. Nevertheless, frequent conversations with our leaders have additional real value. A relationship of trust becomes possible, and that is always important – not just in journalism but in any form of meaningful communication. An easy call: Deal directly with the media The first concern that I would like to mention is that about the footwear which the children at the West Bay Pri- mary School are wearing. In my opinion, a uniform should include the footwear. I would suggest that the Min- istry agree on a particular shoe for the boys and girls – dress shoes would be appro- priate or shoes with velcro and sneakers/keds for P.E. The uniform for our govern- ment schools reflects directly on the Ministry. I had also suggested that our children wear caps when playing P.E. out on the field. It is very hot most days and it would be much better for them to have something on their heads. When the weather does not permit them to be outside, hopefully, the hall can be con- verted to a gym where they can perform P.E. activities. Another concern is about the two-week cleanup this summer. The persons that helped with it are probably available to work all through the year. Our streets should be beautiful and clean all year long. And it is evident that two weeks are not suf- ficient as there is litter still on our streets and bags of garbage, old cars and other household items left on the roadsides to be collected. I suggested that govern- ment place garbage bins on the sides of the roads, post signs such as “Keep West Bay Clean and Beautiful – Please Do Not Litter” and post the litter fine sign throughout our districts. Perhaps a schedule for each district that would allow the same workers to help keep our streets clean on a daily basis. They could use a rotation system and place workers on our main roads with a certain area as their responsibility. Then the two-week cleanup could be mostly for unwanted vehicles and household items. Seeing people keeping our streets clean might also serve as a deterrent for litterbugs! The third concern is, again, about the condition of our roads. One road in partic- ular is the side road from the Cuban restaurant off Rev- erend Blackman Road up to Scholars Park. This road is in great disrepair and needs resurfacing immediately. The potholes are so huge it could cause serious injury to cy- clists and destroy the vehi- cles that use the road. The lighting is also very poor. This road has only received filling up of the potholes, as evidenced by the look, for the past 30-40 years. After a good rain, the potholes are back to square one. Why the NRA is neglecting this road is of con- cern to me. This is a much- used road, by many persons in the community. It would be very good to see it prop- erly fixed by resurfacing it. Lastly, I would like to bring to the attention of our government and the So- cial Services Department the fact that there are a number of people on our island that have no food to eat, some are eating out of the garbage, they have no proper housing. Some do not have facilities to take a bath and there are those that just do not want to take a bath. I do not believe these people with personal issues are seeking assistance from government. Social workers need to go out in the districts and find these people. We do not need this to be happening on our little is- lands. Government needs to pay more attention to our is- lands and the people. Dora A.E. Ebanks MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Clarifying landfill procurement practices The Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing followed a competi- tive dialog procurement pro- cess for the Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) project. This began with a prequalification process to ensure that the seven firms which responded to the re- quest for tenders met the necessary technical and fi- nancial requirements to go on to the next stage of the procurement process. The Ministry then sat down separately with all three firms that qualified, to discuss potential solutions to the challenges that solid waste management faces in the Cayman Islands. The qualified firms were then re- quired to submit outline so- lutions that were evaluated by the ISWMS project team, followed by final tender sub- missions by April 2017. One of the three firms de- cided not to submit a final tender, and as a result two final tenders were submitted last April. Clauses against collusion in the procure- ment process meant that qualified firms were not al- lowed to combine submis- sions into one. Most people will already be aware that the Cayman Is- lands Government is now in negotiation with a preferred bidder to finalise a contract to deliver the Integrated Solid Waste Management System that will transform solid waste management in the Cayman Islands. The preferred bidder, as previously announced, is a consortium of compa- nies led by DECCO, which is the construction/develop- ment arm of Dart. 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To find out more about this special offer contact the Security Centre on 949-0004 or email info@security.ky *The free alarm system and installation is available to new clients when signing up for a 12 month monitoring contract ($660 residential - $860 commercial). 24/7 Alarm Monitoring Secure and protect your property with the Honeywell Lynx intruder protection system. Controllable from your mobile device. Murder defendant wanted time with family before surrendering CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com William Ian Rivers, on trial for the murder of Mark “Hubba” Seymour, sought shelter after the killing inside his partner’s house with her and their children because he wanted to spend time with his family before surrendering to police, a court heard Friday. Justice Frank Williams and a jury of six men and six women heard evidence Friday from Loretta Ebanks, Mr. Riv- ers’s partner. Mr. Rivers is accused of fa- tally shooting Mr. Seymour, an ex-boyfriend of his partner, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, out- side Super C Restaurant on Watercourse Road in West Bay. At the time, Mr. Seymour was 39; Mr. Rivers was 38. In April last year, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. On Friday, defense attorney Crister Brady asked Ms. Ebanks if she were aware that Mr. Rivers had subsequently pleaded guilty to man- slaughter. “Yes,” she replied. The morning of the shooting was like any other day, Ms. Ebanks said. Mr. Rivers spoke to her mother, who told him she was going to town. He told her, “Take care” and asked where his children were. Ms. Ebanks did not know about the shooting until after she heard some noise. Her house was across the street from the restaurant. Then she heard knocking and it was Mr. Rivers. Her grand- mother had been outside and he brought her inside so she would be safe. He said, “Loretta, please help me. I did something wrong. I need you to help me, please.” She did not know at the time what the “something wrong” was – “He just wanted me to stay with him.” At one point he told her, “Stay with me, please. If you don’t stay with me, they will shoot me.” He told the children, “Daddy love you and Daddy sorry. Today might be the last day we see each other.” Ms. Ebanks observed, “Him calming them down was helping him keep calm.” Mr. Rivers told her to call 911. He said he would sur- render to one particular of- ficer, “but not everybody, be- cause he didn’t want them to shoot him. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want his chil- dren to be fatherless.” At another point he told her, “I would never hurt you. My children going to be fa- therless now, I don’t want them to be motherless. I would never hurt you. I love you too much.” Ms. Ebanks said he asked police to give him a little time. He wanted to spend time with his family. “And then he surrendered.” She also told the court about financial problems – Mr. Rivers had been out of work for about a year before the shooting occurred and “was taking it really hard.” When he got angry he would sit and drink. He would get upset, but not abusive and he didn’t hit her, she said. “When he’s left alone, he calms down,” Ms. Ebanks said. She said Mr. Rivers did use ganja, but no other drug. She agreed that she and Mr. Seymour had been boy- friend and girlfriend a long time ago, but that was before she and Mr. Rivers formed their relationship and Mr. Rivers knew about it. She said there were ru- mors going around and people were telling Mr. Rivers that she was “a sell-out be- cause they thought I was taking money from Mark, but it wasn’t true …. Not even one dime.” She said Mr. Rivers did not want anyone else taking care of his family, not even her relatives, but he did ap- preciate what they did. Ms. Richards asked if what people were telling Mr. Rivers just inflamed the situ- ation and Ms. Ebanks agreed that it “made his depression worse.” She also agreed that Mr. Rivers was jealous over her: “He loves me,” she said. He also loved the chil- dren they had together. When his mother gave him $100 for Christmas, for example, he took it and shared it with the four kids. Asked if she wanted to help Mr. Rivers, she replied, “I wish I could help him, but I’m here to speak the truth. I love him. I always will.” She said she did not know where Mr. Rivers got the gun from. She said he told her that a voice was telling him to kill himself, but she did not know of any specific thing he might have attempted. BRAC RAPE CHARGE SENT TO GRAND COURT CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A resident of Cayman Brac was transported to Grand Cayman last week to appear in court on a charge of rape. The man, 31, appeared in Summary Court before Mag- istrate Adam Roberts on Friday morning. He was charged fol- lowing an incident at an ad- dress on West End Road on Monday, Sept. 3. A press release from police indicated that Brac officers received the report shortly after 11 p.m. on that date. The release also indicated that the defendant was known to the woman making the complaint. Crown counsel Darlene Oko agreed with defense at- torney John Furniss that the charge can be dealt with only in the Grand Court. Mr. Furniss said he would make his application for bail in the higher court. He ex- plained that the complainant is in Cayman Brac, so he would be looking for an ad- dress in Grand Cayman where his client could stay while the matter is before the courts. The magistrate set the matter for mention in the Grand Court on Friday, Sept. 14, and remanded the man in custody until then. The matter was brought to Grand Cayman because there is no permanently es- tablished court in Cayman Brac; a magistrate travels there from Grand Cayman once per month – typically the last Thursday and Friday of the month.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mr. Miller, in his initial speech, raised numerous ob- jections to the port plan. He said Cayman was proceeding based on “bullying, intimi- dation and threats” from the cruise industry that were not grounded in reality. He said there was no evidence to support the idea that cruise tourism in Cayman would seriously de- cline without a dock. He also disputed gov- ernment’s claims that the country would not foot the bill for the piers – saying Cayman would lose millions of dollars annually in revenue if passenger head taxes and tender fees were diverted to pay for the berthing facility. Passenger influx The Opposition leader questioned whether the Cayman Islands could even handle the 2.3 mil- lion cruise passengers gov- ernment hopes the planned port will attract to Grand Cayman annually. He warned that an extra half-a-million visitors, on top of current annual arrival levels, could have an impact on already crowded tourist spots, like Seven Mile Beach and Stingray City. Serious overcrowding could end up damaging the more valuable stay- over tourism sector, Mr. Miller said. He said there was no ev- idence that cruise passen- gers were unhappy with tendering and suggested that cruise lines had pre- viously threatened to pull out of Cayman only to come back because their passen- gers demanded it. He acknowledged that government had published multiple reports on the project, including a business case report study citing the potential for significant eco- nomic benefits. But, he said, these reports were filled with holes and inconsistencies. He highlighted the as- sumption in the business case report, produced in 2013, that cruise tourism would re- duce by one percent each year without cruise piers and would increase by one per- cent each year with piers. Many of the financial cal- culations in that report were based on this assumption, but Mr. Miller said it had been proven wrong over the past five years. “Congratulations to the minister; he has turned the whole report upside down,” he said. “We have had 20 percent growth in cruise tourism since he took office. Con- gratulations. There is no in- dication it is going to go the way this report said it was going to go from 2013. The document is irrelevant. It can’t have any significance any more.” In his response, Mr. Kirk- connell said Cayman’s cruise numbers would have de- clined last year if it were not for an influx of ships diverted from hurricane-hit islands in the eastern Caribbean. He said the long-term trend of the industry toward larger ships, that would not tender, would catch up with Cayman eventually. “It is easy to get lost in the status quo and believe the cruise industry is here to stay,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “I can assure you with a de- gree of high certainty that if we sit back and do nothing and rest on our laurels, that will not be the case in years to come. “How can I be so sure? The cruise lines have shown us.” He said the president of Royal Caribbean Cruises had publicly stated its mega- ships would not tender, while Carnival Cruise Line had just ordered a new line of larger ships. When those vessels are put into service, he said, Cayman needed to be ready to accommodate them. He said the opening up of Cuba to tourism posed another new threat to Cayman’s share of the industry and if the country did not build a dock, the cruise business would go elsewhere. $200 million estimated cost Mr. Kirkconnell said the cost of the project, including upgrades to the cargo dock and accounting for a mod- ified design to move the piers into deeper water, was now estimated at around $200 million. He said the exact price and design would be deter- mined through the bid pro- cess. Three final bidders, as yet unnamed, have until No- vember to submit proposals to design, build, finance and maintain the piers. Mr. Kirk- connell said many of the de- tails would be ironed out in this selection process. “We tell exactly what we know and we wait and see what the bidders come back with,” he added. He said government had gone through a painstaking process of hiring some of the best financial, engineering and environmental consul- tants in the world to produce a package of publicly avail- able reports that formed the basis for the decision to pro- ceed with the project. The culmination of this, he said, was the final PwC re- port. He said this had taken into account all factors, in- cluding the financial losses associated with damage to reefs in the harbor and in- dicated an overall economic benefit to the country of somewhere between $400 million and $1.7 billion. ‘Bold decisions’ Looking back to the early days of tourism in Cayman, he said, the island had to be prepared to take bold decisions to prepare for its future. “Think about sea plane when it used to land in the North Sound and a little boat would go next to that plane and tender the passenger to shore. Where would we be today if we had stopped at that point?” he asked. Several other members weighed in on the issue during the 10-hour debate. Opposition Deputy Leader Alva Suckoo said govern- ment’s decision not to sup- port the motion meant the opposition political group would now join the commu- nity push for a people-initi- ated referendum. He said there were too many unanswered questions about the project, including the identity of the bidders and the details of the new design. He also questioned whether a second environ- mental impact assessment would be necessary now that the design had changed. George Town Central MLA Mr. Bryan questioned what the harm of holding a refer- endum would be. He said if government be- lieved the project was sup- ported by the public, then they had no reason to fear a public vote. Austin Harris, indepen- dent legislator for Pros- pect and part of the coali- tion government, said that after 10 years of speaking out against the dock on his radio show, he now supported the initiative. “In the national best in- terest, my eyes have been opened to the potential that these developments repre- sent to the people of the country,” he said. “Only a fool and a dead man can’t change his mind.” and the National Emergency Operations Centre. “What that does is enable us to run a communications center from within the Government Administration Building … and maintain contact with London and other coun- tries and regions, or ships,” Mr. Forbes said. “This helps to ensure that agencies in the U.K. and the region are able to coordi- nate with government teams on the ground and pro- vide essential relief effec- tively,” he added. The new communica- tions equipment also in- cludes a portable static sat- ellite system “which we can take out into [the] middle of [a] field somewhere and create a WiFi bubble and phone system,” Mr. Forbes said. Those mobile units can be taken anywhere around Grand Cayman or the Sister Islands, if necessary. The new communications system also includes hand- held satellite telephones, which can be used anywhere. “This provides quite a step change in the commu- nications reliability of the islands,” Mr. Forbes said of the new equipment, which the U.K. Foreign and Com- monwealth Office funded and supplied. Mr. Forbes said the testing of equipment and regular training for personnel is vital to ensure that key staff mem- bers are familiar with the operation of the communi- cations system. He said the tests had been successful and the system was ready to be used imme- diately in the event of a di- saster locally. little nerve-wracking but was glad he participated. He said he does weight lifting on a regular basis and is looking forward to doing it again. Mr. Leitch lifted 300 pounds. “The crowd was great and showed real apprecia- tion for the event. It shows that there is actual interest in Cayman for the sport,” said Mr. Barnett. The event, he said, was really for the youth of Cayman in the future. “It’s for them to have a road to the Olympics and to have a place where they can train, whether it’s at my CrossFit gym or someplace else,” he said. “Already, we have USA weight lifting and other or- ganizations around the world that want to support Cayman to develop a pro- gram,” he added. He said he had started Cayman Islands weight lifting to develop the sport in Cayman. The competition, he said, depended on the skill of the athletes, but individ- uals were lifting 200 to 300 pounds. “On the Olympic level, athletes lift in the range of 300 to 400 pounds,” Mr. Barnett said. During Saturday’s event, no one hit an Olympic score, but there were plenty of heavy weights lifted. “These are just average people with full-time jobs, and it’s just something they love to do on the side of the gym,” he said. “I coach some of the athletes to the point where they are competent in the lift and where it’s safe for them to do.” He said the event could have been a sanctioned event if the athletes had hit an international score. Two-time Olympian coach Michael Cowen judged the competition. Mr. Barnett got into weight lifting to improve his strength while playing baseball in the U.S. He made it to the Reebok CrossFit Games and landed 43rd po- sition out of several hun- dred thousand competitors. Government rejects calls for port referendum Cayman weight lifters raise the bar Disaster team tests satellite communications CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Staff from the Governor’s Office and Hazard Management Cayman Islands assemble some of the emergency satellite communication equipment on the roof of the Government Administration Building on Thursday. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A private member’s motion calling for a referendum on the cruise ship dock was defeated in the Legislative Assembly Friday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Cameron Leitch takes part in Saturday’s weight-lifting competition at the Arts and Recreation Centre. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 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 Armour Expo set for Wednesday The Armour Expo 2018 – Cayman’s annual confer- ence that focuses on cyber- security issues – is sched- uled for Wednesday at the Marriott Beach Resort. This year’s keynote speaker will be Janine Dar- ling, CEO of data security company STASH and the “2018 SCMedia Women in Security Power Player,” ac- cording to an announce- ment about the event. “In her keynote speech entitled, ‘Cybersecurity: The Myths, The Magic, and the Truth,’ Janine will separate fact from fiction and pro- vide delegates with valu- able insights into tackling today’s security and gov- ernance challenges,” states the announcement. “Using her vast experience gained from working with house- hold names including Sam- sung, Sony, Barnes & Noble, Chanel, Nestle and Star- bucks, she will provide clear guidance and recommenda- tions on how companies can eradicate data vulnerability.” Other speakers include Tyson Macaulay, who will talk about the security and risk challenges posed by to- day’s interconnected dig- ital business world. Mr. Tyson is the chief product officer at Infosec Global and author of “RIoT Con- trol: Understanding and Managing Risks and the in- ternet of Things.” His book will be available for signing at the conference. This conference will be the second year of the Armour Expo. “Information security and data governance are top of mind for executives from the Caribbean and Latin America region,” said Polly Pickering, co-founder of eShore Ltd., which is sponsoring the event. “We have assembled a stellar line up of speakers who are ready to ‘arm-our’ del- egates through knowledge, wisdom, practical tips and insightful strategies on proactively reducing risk and creating policy in areas ranging from Blockchain to Artificial Intelligence and the Dark Web.” For more information and to register, go to www.armourexpo.com. Janine Darling Lions host free public eye-screening campaign JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Lions Club of Tropical Gardens partnered Saturday with Optical Outlook to carry out free vision screenings for members of the public. For decades, the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens has conducted annual vision screenings at public and pri- vate schools throughout the Cayman Islands. “It’s to assist those per- sons that are unable to afford eye screening,” said Maxine Bravo, chairperson of the Tropical Gardens Club. “Glaucoma is the second cause of blindness world- wide,” explained Melissa Huddell, an ophthalmologist at Optical Outlook, as she gave a talk on the disease. “The problem is, you would not even know you had glaucoma until it’s in the very final stages and you start to lose your vision. That’s why it’s important to get your eyes checked,” Dr. Huddell said. She said eye specialists look at the optic nerve be- cause there are things that can indicate glaucoma, such as inner eye pressure, shape and color of the optic nerve and visual field. Glaucoma has different risk factors, with family his- tory being the strongest. Af- rican-Americans, Dr. Huddell said, were a bit more prone to glaucoma. Also, people with myopia (shortsighted- ness), individuals with high or low blood pressure, and diabetics are also prone to the condition. “Even kids can have it, but it’s more rare. It seems to affect more people in their 40s and up,” she said. Kristina Lawrence, an op- tician at Optical Outlook, shared the dangers of how children’s eyes could be dam- aged by watching too much television and spending significant amounts of time on iPads. Blindness and partial blindness was also addressed. “We are excited the public took the opportunity to par- ticipate. We had a good turnout for the short time it was advertised,” said Ms. Bravo. “Clients got to hear a talk on glaucoma and how glaucoma affects the eyes from Optical Outlook pro- fessionals along with the vi- sion screening.” Over the years, the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens has participated in a number of eye-care drives. “We have the glasses drive and persons are offered eye- glass frames for free, which is an ongoing project. We also go in to the schools to do testing,” Ms. Bravo said. Free vision screening will also be available during the Lions Community Health Fair later this year. Michael Church, owner of Optical Outlook, right, performs an eye screening exam on Josephine Thomas, in the company of members of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS UK eyes poisoning suspects in Russia Britain’s interior minister says the U.K. will arrest two men accused of using a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury if they ever set foot outside Russia. Britain blames the Russian state for the attack, a claim Moscow denies. Johnson’s Brexit ‘suicide vest’ comment sparks Tory furor North Korea stresses economy, not nukes, on 70th anniversary PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) – North Korea held a major military parade and revived its iconic mass games to cel- ebrate its 70th anniversary on Sunday, but in keeping with leader Kim Jong Un’s new policies the emphasis was firmly on building up the economy, not on nu- clear weapons. The North rolled out some of its latest tanks and marched its best-trained goose-stepping units in the parade but held back its most advanced missiles and de- voted nearly half of the event to civilian efforts to build the domestic economy. It also brought the mass games back after a five- year hiatus. The games are a grand spectacle that fea- tures nearly 20,000 people flipping placards in unison to create huge mosaics as thou- sands more perform gym- nastics or dance in forma- tion on the competition area of Pyongyang’s 150,000-seat May Day Stadium. The strong emphasis on the economy underscores the strategy Kim has pur- sued since January of put- ting economic development front and center. Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly colored plastic bou- quets filled Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square as the parade began. Residents of Pyong- yang, North Korea’s capital, trained for months for the anniversary and held up the bouquets to spell out words and slogans that can be seen from the VIP viewing area. Kim attended the morning parade but did not address the assembled crowd, which included the head of the Chi- nese parliament and high- level delegations from coun- tries that have friendly ties with the North. At the end of the two- hour event he strolled to the edge of the balcony with the Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, the third-ranking member in China’s ruling Communist Party. The two held up their joined hands to symbolize the coun- tries’ traditionally close ties, though the absence of Chi- nese President Xi Jinping could indicate Beijing still has some reservations about Kim’s initiatives. Senior statesman Kim Yong Nam, the head of North Korea’s parliament, set the relatively softer tone for the parade with an opening speech that emphasized the economic goals of the re- gime, not its nuclear might. He called on the military to be ready to work to help build the economy. After a truncated parade featuring tanks and some of North Korea’s biggest ar- tillery, fewer than the usual number of missiles and lots of goose-stepping units from all branches of the military, the focus switched to civilian groups ranging from nurses to students to construction workers, many with colorful floats beside them. The combining of mili- tary and civilian sections is a familiar North Korean pa- rade format. The past two big anniversaries of North Ko- rea’s founding, in 2008 and 2013, did not feature the Ko- rean People’s Army, only the civil defense units, which are officially called “Worker Peasant Red Guards.” Although North Korea stages military parades al- most every year, and held one just before the Olympics began in South Korea in Feb- ruary this year, Sunday’s pa- rade came at a particularly sensitive time. Kim’s effort to ease ten- sions with President Donald Trump has stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both sides are now insisting on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War. With tensions once again on the rise, a parade fea- turing the very missiles that so unnerved Trump last year, and led to a dangerous volley of insults from both leaders, could have been seen as a deliberate provocation. The North also refrained from immediately televising the event, though North Korean media were out in force to film it, deploying booms and – for possibly the first time – drones with cameras. “This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea,” Trump tweeted. “Thank you To Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office.” The North did show off a battery of big artillery pieces known as self-propelled guns that could be used to threaten Seoul, South Korea’s capital. But the only types of missiles displayed were short-range surface-to-surface missiles, a surface-to-air missile and an anti-ship cruise missile. LONDON (AP) – Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has compared Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan for Brexit to putting the country’s constitution in a “suicide vest” and handing the detonator to the Euro- pean Union – remarks that drew condemnation from col- leagues on Sunday. The attack, and John- son’s choice of metaphor, widened the divide in the U.K.’s governing Conservative Party over Brexit. Johnson, a strong sup- porter of Brexit, quit May’s government in July after re- jecting her proposal for close economic ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves next year. His article in the Mail on Sunday ramped up spec- ulation that he plans to chal- lenge her leadership. Johnson said May’s plan, which would keep the U.K. aligned to EU regulations in return for free trade in goods, was a “humiliation” and amounted to “agreeing to take EU rules, with no say on those rules.” He also said that by agreeing that the U.K.’s Northern Ireland must ef- fectively remain in a cus- toms union with the bloc in order to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland, “we have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitu- tion – and handed the deto- nator” to the EU. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan tweeted that the comments marked “one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics” and should be “the political end of Boris Johnson.” Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, a former army officer, said on Twitter that he had seen the after- math of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, and “com- paring the PM to that isn’t funny.” He said that Johnson should “grow up.” Tousle-headed Johnson is a popular but divisive figure known for Latin quips and verbal blunders that have in- cluded calling Papua New Guineans cannibals and ac- cusing people in Liverpool of “wallowing” in victimhood. Last month, he was criti- cized for comparing Muslim women who wear face-cov- ering veils to “letter boxes.” After Britain’s 2016 EU membership referendum, Johnson pulled out of a race to lead the Conservatives, which was won by May. His increasingly vocal attacks on the prime minister suggest that he wants a second shot at the top job. Last week, Johnson and his wife Marina Wheeler an- nounced they were divorcing after 25 years of marriage – a move some saw as an attempt to neutralize potential stories about his private life before a leadership campaign. Johnson’s relationships have landed him in trouble in the past. In 2004, he was fired as Conservative vice chairman after lying about an extramarital affair. His personal life was back in the headlines Sunday, with tabloids running sto- ries about Johnson’s relation- ship with a former Conser- vative staffer. Many expect May to face a leadership challenge soon if faltering Brexit negotiations with the European Union do not improve. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but divorce talks have foundered amid Conservative Party divi- sions over how close a rela- tionship to seek with the bloc. Johnson and other sup- porters of “hard Brexit” op- pose May’s plan, arguing that a clean break with the bloc will allow Britain to strike new trade deals around the world. Rivals say it would pummel the economy by cre- ating barriers to trade with the EU, the U.K.’s biggest trading partner. Amid the uncertainty, the U.K. government has stepped up planning for a “no-deal” Brexit, in which Britain crashes out of the bloc on March 29 with no agreement in place on future relations. Government officials con- cede that could disrupt trade, transport and a host of other sectors of the economy. Carolyn Fairbairn, head of business group the Confed- eration of British Industry, said Sunday that a no-deal Brexit would be a “catas- trophe” that would leave thousands of businesses un- sure whether they could con- tinue trading with Europe. A document drawn up by the National Police Coordi- nation Center and published in the Sunday Times warned that a no-deal Brexit could lead to shortages of goods and higher prices, with the potential for “widespread protest which could then es- calate into disorder.” Johnson, a strong supporter of Brexit, quit May’s government in July after rejecting her proposal for close economic ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves next year. Soldiers march during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea’s founding day Sunday in Pyongyang, North Korea. – PHOTO: AP Britain’s former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson reacts to seeing photographers taking his picture as he sits in a spectator seat whilst attending a cricket test match between England and India Saturday in London. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 (Better Known as “BEN”) 30th Aug. 1925 - 10th Sept. 2006 In Loving memory of “Our Hero” a man that was so kind and sweet. He helped so many people here and there. Our memories of you will never die, you have given us so much good advice which help us to make the best choices and for this you will forever live in our hearts. Forever may your soul rest in peace. Kenrick, Brittany, Travis, Leta, Marjorie and Erscelle. In Loving Memory of Pershing Ben Allen Webster Obama tells voters to step up or ‘things can get worse’ ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Former President Barack Obama says the November midterm elec- tions will give Americans “a chance to restore some sanity in our politics,” taking another swipe at his suc- cessor as he raises his pro- file campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House. Obama did not mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech Saturday in the key Southern California battle- ground of Orange County but the allusions were clear. “We’re in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there’s always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, be- tween those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear,” he said. His appearance – one day after a strongly worded cri- tique of Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham- paign – touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. “If we don’t step up, things can get worse,” the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center. “In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Repre- sentatives and make sure there are real checks and bal- ances in Washington.” Obama gave shout-outs to seven Democratic candi- dates in competitive House districts across California that are considered crucial to the party’s efforts to oust Re- publicans from control. Four of those districts are at least partly in Orange County, a formerly reliable GOP bas- tion that went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presiden- tial election. “We’re going to put on our marching shoes, we’re going to start knocking on some doors, we’re going to start making some calls,” he said to cheers. Clinton trounced Trump by more than 4 million votes in California in 2016 and car- ried Orange County by 9 per- centage points. A surge in im- migrants has transformed California and its voting pat- terns. The number of His- panics, blacks and Asians combined has outnumbered whites in the state since 1998. Meanwhile, new voters, largely Latinos and Asians, lean Democratic. In Orange County, Repub- licans held a 13-point edge in voter registration 10 years ago but that has shrunk to 3 points while independents, who tend to vote like Dem- ocrats in California, have climbed to 25 percent. Democrats, hoping to build on their 39-14 advan- tage in the state’s congres- sional delegation, are eyeing Republican seats in dis- tricts that Clinton won in 2016. Each of the seven can- didates that Obama cam- paigned for on Saturday fit that description. In Orange County, GOP Rep. Mimi Walters faces a challenge from Katie Porter, a law professor at University of California at Irvine. Envi- ronmental lawyer Mike Levin is seeking an open seat to re- place retiring GOP Rep. Dar- rell Issa in a district that in- cludes part of Orange County. Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose district encompasses part of Orange County, is fending off a chal- lenge from Democratic real estate investor Harley Rouda to secure a 16th term in Con- gress despite barely winning 30 percent of the primary vote. In the other Orange County race, Gil Cisneros, a Democratic philanthropist and Navy veteran, is vying for an open seat created by retiring Republican Ed Royce. Obama also highlighted two races in the state’s Cen- tral Valley, praising venture capitalist Josh Harder in his bid to unseat four-term Re- publican Jeff Denham, and T.J. Cox, who is challenging David Valadao in a district where Democrats hold a 17- point advantage in voter reg- istration. He also made a plug for nonprofit executive Katie Hill in her Los Angeles-area race to unseat sophomore Re- publican Steve Knight, who won an underwhelming 53 percent of the vote in 2016. California Republicans said Obama’s appearance would have little impact and may even help their party. “I wish he would come more often because he re- minds Republicans of eight years of misery,” said Repub- lican National Committeeman Shawn Steel, who lives in Or- ange County. “It reminds the Republicans why these mid- terms are important.” Vice President Mike Pence says it’s disappointing that Obama is back on the cam- paign trail criticizing Trump. Says Pence: “The truth is, the American people in 2016 rejected the policy and di- rection of Barack Obama when they elected President Donald Trump.” Pence com- ments came in a taped inter- view set to air on “Fox News Sunday.” Fox released an ex- cerpt on Saturday. Obama did not mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech Saturday in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County but the allusions were clear. BEIJING (AP) – China’s trade surplus with the United States widened to a record $31 billion in August as ex- ports surged despite Amer- ican tariff hikes, potentially adding fuel to President Donald Trump’s battle with Beijing over industrial policy. Exports to the United States rose 13.4 percent to $44.4 billion, ticking up from July’s 13.3 percent growth, according to customs data. Imports of U.S. goods rose 11.1 percent to $13.3 billion, decelerating from the pre- vious month’s 11.8 percent. That could help reignite U.S. demands that Beijing narrow its trade gap, which has temporarily been over- shadowed by their clash over complaints China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. The two sides have im- posed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of each other’s goods. The Trump adminis- tration is deciding whether to extend penalties to an- other $200 billion list of Chi- nese imports. Beijing says it will retaliate. With no settlement in sight, the spiraling con- flict between the two big- gest economies has fed fears it will chill global trade and economic growth. The Commerce Min- istry expressed confidence Thursday that China can maintain “steady and healthy” economic growth despite the trade pressure. On Friday, Trump he was ready to step up pressure by raising tariffs on yet another $267 billion list of Chinese imports. That would mean penalties cover almost all goods from China sold to the United States. Chinese leaders have re- jected pressure to scale back plans for state-led de- velopment of global cham- pions in robotics and other technologies. Their trading partners complain those violate Bei- jing’s free-trade commit- ments and U.S. officials worry they might erode American industrial leader- ship. But communist leaders see their industry plans as the path to prosperity and global influence. As tensions mounted, Bei- jing agreed in May to narrow its trade gap with the United States by purchasing more American soybeans, nat- ural gas and other exports. Chinese leaders scrapped that deal after Trump’s first tariff hikes hit. Chinese exporters of lower-value goods such as handbags and surgical gloves say U.S. orders have fallen off. But sellers of factory ma- chinery and other more ad- vanced exports express confi- dence they can keep their U.S. market share. The Chinese customs agency took the rare step of announcing August trade data on Saturday instead of a working day. That would give finan- cial markets a chance to di- gest the politically sensi- tive data before trading opens Monday. China’s trade surplus with US hits record $31 billion Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates Saturday in Anaheim, California. – PHOTO: APNext >