ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 9 PCS OF THE BEST DRESSED CHICKEN, 2 LARGE SIDES & 5 BISCUITS Prost! Cocktails for charity EY staffers Steven Bull, Joe Gaastra, Kevin Poczatek and Alberto Schmidberger take a taste of the ‘minEY beer’ cocktail created for a 100 Women in Finance mixology contest and fundraiser on Thursday. EY’s OktobEYfest team won the ‘Best in Glass’ category at the event, which raised money for the Special Needs Foundation Cayman. For more on this story, see page 7. – PHOTO: NICOLE RAMROOP Tourism minister to discuss cruise pier at public meeting Government is holding a public meeting about the proposed cruise berthing project on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Family Life Centre. The meeting will feature Tourism Min- ister Moses Kirkconnell, and is advertised as a forum that will provide the public with facts about the potential development. The cruise pier project has been a divisive issue in Cayman. Campaigners launched a drive to collect signatures to trigger a public referendum on the project. Leaders of the Cruise Port Referendum Cayman Campaign said last week they are around halfway toward their goal of collecting the 5,288 signatures nec- essary to compel government to call a peo- ple’s referendum on the project. Supporters of the referendum began collecting signa- tures on Sept. 1. Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller also brought a private members’ motion to the Legislative Assembly earlier this month calling for a referendum. The motion failed by 11 votes to 6 after a lengthy debate. It was supported by all members of the official op- position and independent member Kenny Bryan, and opposed by all members on the government benches with the exception of Accounting fraternity celebrates milestones Cayman’s accounting frater- nity welcomed new accountants and celebrated its achievements over the past year Saturday night at the Cayman Islands In- stitute of Professional Accoun- tants’ 11th annual awards gala at the Kimpton Seafire resort. Fellow accountants, govern- ment officials, educators, and friends and family attended the awards evening which recog- nized 14 Caymanians for com- pleting their bachelor’s degrees in accounting, five for earning PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » The Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants welcomes newly qualified accountants at its annual gala Saturday night. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » CHAMPION HOUSE FINED FOR LABOR VIOLATIONS KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Magistrate Valdis Foldats on Friday or- dered Champion House Ltd. to pay a $500 fine and $10,689 in wages that the restau- rant owed to a former employee since at least October 2014. However, no conclusion was reached in the matter of Champion House failing to make more than $177,000 in pension pay- ments on behalf of 32 employees from 1999 to 2008. That matter has been in the court for some 10 years. Attorneys and Magistrate Foldats spent most of Friday’s hearing discussing how best to resolve the long-outstanding pensions case. Magistrate Foldats pointed out that by law, he has the right to fine Champion House $500 per day for each day the pension payments were in arrears. The magistrate calculated that this could add up to a fine of more than $1.8 million. Crown counsel Greg Walcolm said gov- ernment is not interested in penalizing the company as much as it is recovering the owed pension payments so that the former employees can be compensated for their losses. But even without a fine, Champion House owes more than $249,000 as of May when in- terest payments are added on to the prin- cipal amount owed, according to statements MORE WALLS SMASHED IN CAYMAN ACADEMY BURGLARY KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Last Wednesday’s high-profile burglary at the Cayman Business Park entailed bur- glars who broke into four establishments by smashing through drywall and tiles early that morning. About six days before that, a sim- ilar burglary happened at the Cayman Academy, according to the school’s principal, O’Neil Duncan. Mr. Duncan said that around midnight on Thursday, Sept. 13, criminals broke into the school’s math room, which did not have bur- glary bars. From there, they smashed through walls to enter the language room, and then the main office. Most of the items taken did not have much monetary value. Mr. Duncan said stolen items included reams of documents, such as teacher files, assessment performances and other papers. “No, we don’t see why anyone would be in- terested,” he said. A few cellphones were also stolen, he added. Mr. Duncan said the matter was reported to police, and that he understands that the in- vestigation is ongoing. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 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 PREDATOR (R) 1:00 3D I 2:50 3D I 4:20 VIP 7:00 VIP I 9:00 I 10:00 3D A SIMPLE FAVOR (R) 1:40 I 4:20 I 9:55 CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:00 I 9:45 BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 3:40 I 6:40 I 9:30 VIP THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (PG) 1:25 I 4:00 I 6:30 BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (PG13) 1:15 VIP I 7:00 THE NUN (R) 12:30 I 5:20 I 7:40 I 9:40 CAYMAN’S HOME EXPO GIFTS | DISCOUNTS | DEMOS | VISITING EXPERTS | PRIZES | FOOD & DRINKS Friday & Saturday September 28 & 29 STARTS IN 4 DAYS | PRIZES | FOOD & DRINKS Friday & Saturday September 28 & 29 4 DAYS EAST END POST OFFICE ATM DAMAGED JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com An ATM at the East End Post Office was dam- aged just 18 days after it was installed by Cayman National Bank. The safe connected to the ATM did not sus- tain damage and was not accessed, and no cash was taken, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice confirmed. The incident was re- ported to police around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 17. Ac- cording to Cayman Na- tional Bank Vice President and Operational Risk Man- ager Jewel Hydes, the East End Post Office ATM was installed on Aug. 30. According to Ms. Hydes, “The bank, as in all cir- cumstances, takes appro- priate measures to pro- tect its assets.” When approached by the Cayman Compass, Postmis- tress Laurie Welcome had no comment to make about the damage to the ATM. Police are still investi- gating the incident. South Sound tire-fill fire extinguished on Saturday KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A fire that had been smol- dering in a pile of shredded tires in South Sound since at least Thursday was ex- tinguished on Saturday, ac- cording to the Cayman Is- lands Fire Service. The Fire Service stated that the seat of the fire had been dug out and was fully extinguished Saturday. Fire pumps at the scene have been returned to the fire station. “At no time did the fire pose a danger to persons or property in the area,” the statement noted. It added that the site would be checked again on Sunday morning. The owner of the property, at the rear of Vela Condos on South Sound Road, was using the recycled tire-derived ag- gregate for ground fill, ac- cording to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The material likely came from the George Town land- fill, where nearly 6,700 metric tons (14.8 million pounds) of shredded tires have been produced since March 2017, when government contracted a private company to shred the tires and sell the re- sulting tire-derived aggregate to various developers. Jim Schubert, the senior project manager for the gov- ernment’s solid waste man- agement system, said in July that about 5,000 metric tons of shredded tires have al- ready been sold to Davenport Development to fill the site of a condominium the company built in South Sound. The remaining 1,700 tons are expected to be sold to the Dart Enterprises Construc- tion Company, or DECCO, as part of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Project, which aims to close Cay- man’s current landfill and open a waste-to-energy plant. A security guard at the entrance of the site where the fire occurred referred the Cayman Compass to Daven- port Development director Paul Pearson. Mr. Pearson did not return calls from the Compass seeking comment about the fire. Tropical Storm Kirk moves westward over Atlantic The U.S. National Hurricane Center advised Sunday that Tropical Storm Kirk was moving rapidly westward over the eastern tropical Atlantic. The center is also monitoring a newly formed tropical storm, Leslie, which on Sunday afternoon was located about 1,000 miles west-southwest of the Azores. At 11 a.m. Sunday, Kirk was lo- cated about 545 miles southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, with sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and moving west at 21 miles per hours. An even faster westward motion across the tropical Atlantic is expected through Tuesday. The Cayman Islands Weather Service said that Kirk and remnants of Tropical Depression Eleven posed no threat to the Cayman Islands. The National Hurricane Center stated that Tropical Storm Kirk is likely to weaken during the middle to latter part of the week. Firefighters attend to a smoldering mound of shredded tires, which was destined to be used as ground fill, in South Sound Thursday. CORRECTION In an article published on Sept. 20, the Compass in- correctly identified Dwayne Glasgow – who was fined for stealing a jackhammer from the Cayman Islands Fire Ser- vice – as a former fire officer and a fireman. Mr. Glasgow was a maintenance technician for the Cayman Islands Fire Service, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. 345.945.7447 www.caymanhospicecare.ky SOURCE: NOAAThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 Cruise Berthing Means Jobs + Economic Growth @supPORTourTOURISM *Royal Caribbean’s Oasis & Harmony don’t stop in Cayman = 13,076 max # passengers @ 89.8% disembarkation rate X $115 per day spend No cruise berthing = no oasis class ships = $1.35 MILLION* SAILS BY EVERY WEEK RIGHT NOW! TOURISM = 25-30% OF OUR GDP CI$200 MILLION 490 JOBS 900+ US $ 115 PER DAY CRUISE BERTHING = A BETTER GUEST EXPERIENCE. TODAY’S CRUISE PASSENGER IS TOMORROW’S STAY OVER GUEST TO OUR ECONOMY EVERY YEAR DURING CONSTRUCTION NEW FULL TIME JOBS EXPECTED 1 PASSENGER SPENDS THOUSANDS OF CAYMANIANS EMPLOYED IN CRUISE TOURISM INDUSTRY Source: Cayman Finance OF OUR TOURISM COMES FROM CRUISE 80% PASSENGER SPENDThe 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” I’ve repeatedly argued that faster growth is the only ef- fective way of helping the less fortunate. Class warfare and redistribution, by contrast, are not effective. Such policies are based on the fallacy that the economy is a fixed pie, and proponents of this view fixate on inequality because they mistakenly believe additional income for the rich means less for the poor. The Census Bureau re- cently released its annual re- port on Income and Poverty in the United States. That publication includes data showing annual inflation-ad- justed earnings by income quintile between 1967-2017. To see if my left-leaning friends are right about the rich getting richer at the ex- pense of the poor, I calcu- lated the annual percent change for each quintile. Lo and behold, the data actually show a very clear pattern of how all income quintiles tend to rise and fall together. The lesson is clear. If you want policies that help the poor, those also will be pol- icies that help the middle class and rich. And if you hate the rich, you need to realize that policies hurting them will almost certainly hurt the less fortunate as well. One other lesson is that all income quintiles did par- ticularly well during the 1980s and 1990s when free- market policies prevailed. P.S. Many people (including on the left) have pointed out that the Census Bureau’s num- bers under-count compensation because fringe benefits such as healthcare are excluded. This is a legitimate complaint, but it does not change the fact that all income quintiles tend to rise and fall together. For what it’s worth, adding other forms of compensation would boost lower quintiles com- pared to higher quintiles. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. The government’s goal of generating 70 percent of our islands’ electricity from renewable sources within the next two decades involves two important “ecos”: the ecology and the economy. It is an ambitious challenge, and one that needs to be guided by both common sense and the best science – which will evolve dramatically over the next 20 years. Currently, Cayman’s energy mix includes less than 5 percent of renewables. Even government’s announce- ment last week – that it intends 10 percent of its vehic- ular fleet to run on electricity within the next five years – will only inch us closer to our ultimate goal. Today, almost all of Grand Cayman’s electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Charging an electric vehicle using electricity that was created from burning diesel is only a half-step, but as Cayman Renewable Energy Association President James Whittaker (who is no relation to Compass reporter James Whittaker) has said, government will need to “act aggressively” to reach its targets. The private sector may be a better vehicle on this “road to the future” than government which, of course, has a role to play in passing enabling legislation and employing sensible and stimulative regulation. Private capital will follow if the technology is economically feasible and will yield a suitable return on investment. We suggest a reasonable short-term goal would be to establish Cayman Brac as an islandwide pilot, tran- sitioning the island to 100 percent renewable-sourced energy. The Brac is small enough to be manageable, yet with a significant enough population that the con- version would be meaningful when looking for technol- ogies and strategies that will scale. On its face, the Brac appears to be an ideal location to test out new ideas and emerging technologies, such as floating power platforms and thermal conversion. As an added benefit, a “100-percent green” island would draw headlines and environmentally conscious visitors, yielding secondary benefits of tourism and economic growth. In fact, establishing the Cayman Islands as a “desti- nation of excellence” that leads the region in sustain- able energy is one of the stated goals of the National Energy Policy 2017-2037. The policy sets out corre- sponding targets for reducing Cayman’s greenhouse gas emissions and adopting alternative sources of energy and fuel. We are not overly concerned about the so-called “carbon footprint” of our islands, given their minus- cule size and population. But it is incontrovertible that Cayman’s complete reliance on foreign-sourced fossil fuels puts us at the mercy not only of markets, but also the weather. Committing to energy independence by transitioning to locally sourced, renewable energy would mitigate these risks. Grand Cayman has not been idle or inactive on the “go-green” front. Large developers, especially the Dart group, have invested substantial funds to construct their commercial buildings to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The proposed waste-to-energy facility promises to be a major milestone in generating energy from existing sources and, of course, the Bodden Town solar farm is already operational. Health City Cayman Islands also generates much of its power from solar sources. As technologies become more efficient and less expensive, we expect to see both government and the private sector increasing their investments in innova- tive and sustainable energy solutions. Putting Cayman’s energy into the ‘green movement’ MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Opposition reacts to governor’s removal EZZARD MILLER It was disappointing to learn that Governor Anwar Choudhury will not be re- turning to the Cayman Islands. This is particularly dis- concerting as Mr. Choud- hury had won the hearts of the people of the Cayman Is- lands in the three months he was here, achieving a level of comfort and acceptance that the previous governor had not managed in five years. Because of the affinity he had struck with the people of the Cayman Islands and their concerns, I had held out hope that Mr. Choudhury would have been afforded the opportunity to continue to serve his term and make the changes that are so neces- sary to improving governance and to reducing corruption. We must also express our concern about the high- handed, autocratic tone of the release [from the Governor’s Office], which communicates a lack of respect for every fair-minded Caymanian. The FCO seems to have forgotten that we have ad- vanced since the early 20th century when dictates from our colonial masters were ac- cepted without question. In a modern, democratic approach, the FCO would have, for example, sought to communicate, however obliquely, a reason for Mr. Choudhury’s recall. Instead, the FCO disclosed that Mr. Choudhury would be continuing in a diplomatic post in London, from which, not incidentally, we can only infer that the “allegations” against the Governor could not have risen to any very serious level. I also take much umbrage at the plan to replace Mr. Franz Manderson as Acting Governor with a tempo- rary Governor. This similarly communi- cates disrespect in its impli- cation that Mr. Manderson’s performance has been pro- hibitive of his continuing to act until a replacement for Mr. Choudhury is found. I assert that the recruit- ment process should not be so protracted that it would require an interim governor, with its inherent disruption and lack of continuity. I see no reason for Mr. Manderson being sidelined and we unreservedly sup- port his continuing in the post until a new governor is recruited. Unfortunately, sweeping Mr. Manderson aside only adds further insult to the in- jury that has been inflicted on the people by the way this matter has been han- dled from the beginning, and from today’s high-handed an- nouncement by the FCO via the Governor’s Office. Finally, I also take note of the sustained imperious tone continuing to the close of the release in which the FCO conveyed that it would not be making further comments.” Ezzard Miller is the Leader of the Opposition. Ezzard Miller Why growth is the best way to help the poor DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 One Honeywell Lynx touch wireless residential/ commercial security alarm panel with 4.3” full colour touchscreen display Three wireless door/window contacts (white) One Honeywell pet immune motion sensor (up to 40Lbs.) One 4 button remote keychain Full installation and demonstration 12 months parts warranty WIFI module for the mobile Apps. Honeywell Lynx Intruder Alarm Package Includes: The Honeywell intruder system is linked to our 24/7 monitoring centre to keep your family and your property safe. Upon system activation our experienced monitoring station staff will handle the situation. The Total Connect app allows you complete control of your security system from your mobile device. 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. George Town Primary school still weak on mathematics MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com George Town Primary School still needs work on how it teaches students math- ematics, but it is satisfactorily addressing the other issues inspectors recently raised, ac- cording to a new report. A follow-up report pub- lished Thursday, Sept. 20, by the Office of Education Stan- dards said the school was improving on five of six de- ficiencies identified in a survey conducted in January. George Town was rated sat- isfactory in meeting the var- ious abilities of students, providing regular extended writing exercises, extending the scope of reading assign- ments, providing clear objec- tives and an adequate pace in lessons, and grading work promptly with clear indica- tions of the improvements that need to be made. “Inspectors noted some improvement to the quality of teaching in mathematics,” the report said, noting that new strategies had been put into place by the administration to address weak performance by students. And while students in Stage 1 (Years 1-3) showed signs of improvement, “stu- dents’ progress was found to be more erratic and subject to the greater range of vari- ability which was noted in teaching in Key Stage 2.” Inspectors said goals set for individual student achieve- ment had not proven effec- tive and “the number of stu- dents anticipated to achieve at the expected level in 2019 in Year 4 to Year 6 was noted to be low and not significantly better than previous years.” As a consequence, the progress on this issue was rated weak by the inspectors. That assessment means the school will once again be in- spected in six months to see how it is doing. The survey follows a year- long assessment of all the primary schools during the 2017-2018 school year. In- spectors looked at prog- ress made since a series of inspections in 2014-2015. This academic year, inspec- tors will visit the three government high schools and the private schools in the Cayman Islands. The number of George Town parents participating in a survey conducted by in- spectors went from 43 in January to 70 for this report. The additional respondents seemed to be more critical in their assessments. In January, 86 percent of parents said they thought George Town was providing a good education for their chil- dren. This time, only 78 per- cent felt that way. Among the 23 teachers and staff members surveyed, the trend was just the oppo- site, with 100 percent saying they felt the school was pro- viding a good education for students. That compares to a January survey in which 93 percent of 15 faculty and staff said the same was true. The full report can be found at www.gov.ky/portal/page/ portal/esahome. Click on Publications and then click on the George Town follow-up survey. LIQUOR STORE ROBBED SATURDAY NIGHT An armed robber held up a West Bay Road liquor store Saturday night. The robbery reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m. when a man entered the store, brandishing what appeared to be a handgun and demanding money from the cashiers and customers, police said. The man was described as wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, blue jeans and a base- ball cap. Police said that after stealing a small quantity of cash, he left the location on foot in the direction of cen- tral George Town. The statement issued by police did not specify the name of the liquor store. Police said the incident is being investigated by the George Town Criminal Inves- tigation Department. Anyone with information can contact ADS Kenval Bryan at 938-1378 or call the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. ARMED ROBBERY AT WEST BAY HOME A man was robbed at gun- point by two men at his home in West Bay on Wednesday, according to police. Police officers responded to the report of the rob- bery off Mount Pleasant Road shortly after 10 p.m. on Sept. 19. “A man reported that he had been outside his res- idence when he was ap- proached by two males un- known to him, one of whom brandished a handgun and demanded that he enter the residence,” police said in a statement. Once inside the house, the robbers struck the man on the head with the handgun and then made off with cash and other personal items. Emergency services at- tended to the man at the scene, who was then trans- ported by private vehicle to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where he was treated and subsequently released. One of the suspects is described as being about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with brown skin, wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt and jeans. The second suspect is said to be about 5 feet, 6 inches in height, with brown skin, and wearing a black T- shirt and jeans. The assessment means the school will once again be inspected in six months to see how it is doing.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS their master’s in accounting, and 11 who attained their professional accounting designations. Three special awards were also presented: Garth Ebanks received the Rising Star award, Elaine Graham received the Outstanding Member award, and the Pi- oneer award went to Theo Bullmore. These awards recognize contributions to the accounting profession and the greater community. Addressing the audience of more than 300, CIIPA CEO Sheree Ebanks noted the contributions of CIIPA volunteers. “Thank you for giving your time to ensure CIIPA is relevant to all of its members, ensuring quality in the profession, and sup- porting young Caymanians coming up through the ranks,” she said. CIIPA President Joel Dodson congratulated the newly qualified accoun- tants, saying, “You are building a strong founda- tion for a career that can take you anywhere.” The honorees celebrating receiving their bache- lor’s degrees were: Briana Bodden; Latoya Bush; Geof- frey Butler; Dayana Capote Ebanks; Simone Crooks- Chamberlain; Shirley Cul- bert; Giovon C. Ebanks; Ch- antelle Esau; Steve Gray; Derick Johnson; Mia Miller; Schizandra Porter; Ashley Ritch; and Danielle Soto. Those who had re- ceived their Master’s in Accounting were: Adam Ebanks; Jamal Hinds; Al- exander McCallum; Kim- berli Miller; and Kelsie Woodman-Bodden. The 11 who attained their professional designa- tions were: Nicole Dibben, CPA; Angie Genao, CPA; Kimi Grant, CPA; Travis McLean, CPA; Jeremy Morain, CPA; Jenna Nicholson, ACCA; Kadie Prospere, ACCA; Joe Torbey, CPA; Cara Leeland, CPA; Kirsten Walmsley, ACA; and Stephon Wright, CPA. Formerly known as CISPA, the CIIPA was formed in the Cayman Is- lands in 1970 and is now one of the largest pro- fessional societies in the Cayman Islands, with more than 1,000 members. The honorees who received their bachelor’s degrees in accounting gather at Saturday’s CIIPA gala at the Kimpton Seafire. - PHOTOS: MAGGIE JACKSON Acting Governor Franz Manderson, left, and CIIPA President Joel Dodson Accounting fraternity celebrates milestones CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pioneer Theo Bullmore, center, with former colleagues, from left, Simon Whicker, Andrew Stepaniuk, Jenny Frizelle, Roy McTaggart, Sheenah Hislop and Joel Dodson Special awards recipients: Theo Bullmore (Pioneer), Elaine Graham (Outstanding Member) and Garth Ebanks (Rising Star) CIIPA President Joel Dodson, left, and RBC Country Manager Malynda Gibson-Nixon present Theo Bullmore with the Pioneer Award for 2018. Master’s honorees: From left, Adam Ebanks, Alexander McCallum, Kelsie Woodman-Bodden, Kimberli Miller and Jamal Hinds From left, Alicia Law, Elsa Cummings and Byron Coon from the International College of the Cayman Islands7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 Want to hear the FACTS about the cruise berthing project? @supPORTourTOURISM Join Hon. Moses Kirkconnell, Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism for a Public Meeting • Family Life Centre • Wednesday September 26, 2018 • 6:30pm Light refreshments will be served Raising a glass to 100 Women in Finance Fifteen corporate teams descended on the breezeway at Camana Bay near KARoo Thursday to take part in 100 Women in Finance’s third Annual Corporate Mixology event. Mixologists were tasked with creating a theme and cocktail to serve to more than 200 thirsty attendees. Blue haired Sotheby’s, Mas- sive Media eggs, high tea, the circus, Christmas in Cayman and Alice in Wonderland were just some of the visu- ally stimulating themes that greeted participants this year. EY were crowned “Best in Glass” with their Okto- bEYfest theme featuring a “minEY beer” which was made with Licor 43 topped with fresh cream and a dash of Baileys and served in a mini beer stein. EY staff, fully committed their theme, served homemade pretzel snacks, blasted “oompah” music, and wore traditional German attire, complete with lederhosen for the male team members and dirndls and braids for the ladies. “Our goal was to bring a taste of Bavaria to the Cayman Islands while raising awareness for a remark- able organization. Mission accomplished,” said EY’s Christine Bowers. “Best Bar” was secured by KPMG with their glamorous movie theme, which featured a popcorn machine, popcorn garnished beverage and a red carpet. Cally Daly of KPMG said, “We were very excited to participate in such a unique fundraising event, especially as it supports the Special Needs Foundation.” “With net proceeds ben- efiting the Special Needs Foundation Cayman, our philanthropic charity this year, we are thrilled with the turnout for this event,” said Anne-Marie Lead- better and Laurie Mernett, deputy co-chairs of the 100 Women in Finance Philan- thropy Committee. JTC’s theme was ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Pictured from left are Keisha Irvine, Stuart Wallbridge, Anzita McField and Amini Awe. - PHOTOS: NICOLE RAMROOP The Deloitte lemonade stand was serving a ‘Squeeze the Day’ cocktail. Representatives of 100 Women in Finance present the KPMG team with the ‘Best Booth’ award for their movie-themed booth, from which they served the ‘Golden Glamour’ cocktail.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS made in court. Mr. Wal- colm said that while the Crown is not pushing for a heavy fine, it wants to see at least some interest paid on the principal. “This brings to the fore how serious government takes this by legislating such a serious interest com- ponent,” Magistrate Fol- dats said of his power to tack on the 5 percent above prime rate. These discussions led to the issue of how Champion House is supposed to pay what it owes. Defense attorney Graham Hampson described the Champion House restaurant as a “shoe-string operation” that is struggling to make ends meet. Co-owner Dor- othy Scott never intended to cheat her employees out of benefits, he said, but simply did not have the funds to meet her legal obligations. Matters were further complicated by the fact that a trusted former employee embezzled some $16,000 of funds that were supposed to go toward pension contribu- tions, he said. Ms. Scott works 12-plus hour days to keep the res- taurant afloat, and a sig- nificant penalty in this case would jeopardize her business, according to Mr. Hampson. “She’s told me, ‘Graham, I’m not even sure I can keep things going at the mo- ment,’” he said. “But she has, and her intention has never been to treat people badly. She has not be- come rich as a result of what’s happened.” Mr. Hampson pro- posed that a plan could be put in place to pay off at least the principal sum of what’s owed. The problem, responded Magistrate Foldats, is that he has “zero confidence” that such a plan would be adhered to. The magistrate asked whether any mortgage or sale of assets could be made to repay the employees. Un- fortunately, said Ms. Scott, her business leases the property it operates on. Before he makes his judgment, Magistrate Fol- dats said he wants to assess the financial state of Cham- pion House Ltd. While the law does not give him a power to order an assessment, both parties agreed that an assessment should be undertaken. Mr. Hampson said he wanted Champion House to undergo a financial as- sessment at the outset, but Ms. Scott said she did not have the money to pay the accountants. It was there- fore suggested that financial law enforcement investiga- tors may be the ones making the assessment. Magistrate Foldats ad- journed the case for one more week for the assess- ment to be made. “It will be finalized the next time. If you can’t find a way to assess the company, I’ll make my orders anyway,” he said. Champion House has until March 29 to pay the fine and $10,689 in owed wages. West Bay legislator Bernie Bush, who was not present when the vote was called. Meanwhile, the mo- mentum of the campaign appears to have reinvig- orated supporters of the cruise ship dock proposal. The advocacy group Cayman’s Port, Cayman’s Future has restarted its social media campaign in support of the project. Government is running its own advertising cam- paign advocating for the cruise ship port. Wednesday’s meeting will be the latest in a series of public forums that have been held on the project since at least 2009. The development was first seriously discussed by government in 2003. In a meeting hosted by the Department of Environ- ment on Jan. 13, 2009, that attracted about 150 people, many concerns – ranging from environmental ma- rine damage to the im- pact on stay-over tourism – were expressed. There was also an Au- gust 2015 public consul- tation, when nearly 350 of the 473 comments re- ceived contained objections, arguing that the project would harm coral reefs and historic shipwrecks. Re- tailers mostly supported the project in that con- sultation, with opposition coming mainly from visi- tors and dive companies. Coat of Arms display goes on tour JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, which is 60 years old this year, is on tour across Cayman’s three islands. A display, which outlines the history of the Coat of Arms, is appearing in each district for a two-week pe- riod over the coming months. It has already spent two weeks in East End and will be featured in North Side from this week. Visiting the display at the East End United Church Hall last week was Jasper Mar- tinez, a Honduran national living and working in the dis- trict, who admired the Coat of Arms and another dis- play featuring the Cayman National Song. Reading the lyrics of the song, which begins, “O land of soft fresh breezes, of ver- dant trees so fair,” Mr. Mar- tinez said it expresses the love of the people and the beauty of these islands. “The song was well put together,” he said. The display in East End opened Sept. 4. It is part of a traveling showcase to cel- ebrate the 60th anniversary, curated by the Cayman Is- lands National Museum, and featuring the history and cul- ture of the islands. The exhibit includes spe- cial educational program- ming designed to encourage discussion, thought and learning about the Cayman Islands identity. The display also serves as a preview of the museum’s upcoming exhibition on the Coat of Arms on Dec. 8. East End resident Gwelda Conolly said she enjoyed vis- iting the exhibit. “I knew a little about the Coat of Arms. I knew the stars represent the three is- lands; the pineapple was be- tween us and Jamaica; and the lions was between us and England, and the rope was from Cayman,” said Ms. Conolly. “I looked at the pic- tures, the words of the Na- tional Song and admired the different things they had for children to do … it was very nice.” Alphonso Wright, execu- tive chairman of Celebrate Cayman, a group which was established by government to organize the 60th anniversary celebrations, said the display has been very beneficial to the residents of East End. “So far, we had over 100 people that came out to see it, including the East End Primary School children,” said Mr. Wright. “The chil- dren asked a lot of questions and it was [encouraging] to see they were learning a lot from the display. Mr. Wright thanked the United Church, the Museum and the people who came out to view the display. Queen Elizabeth II con- ferred the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms on May 14, 1958, an event which rep- resented “a seminal mo- ment that started the chain of events that placed the Cayman Islands on the path to modernity,” Premier Alden McLaughlin noted in an open letter posted on the Celebrate Cayman website. “The Coat of Arms is the Cayman Islands’ first inter- nationally recognized symbol of identity. Its rich imagery tells the story of who we are, our history, our culture, our earliest industries, our con- stitutional relationship, and our faith,” he continued. As part of the traveling displays, Celebrate Cayman also has partnered with Cayman Airways to cele- brate the national airline’s 50th anniversary. The display can been seen at the Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre in North Side from Wednesday, Sept. 26 to Monday, Oct. 8. After that, it moves to Cayman Brac, where it can be viewed at Heritage House from Oct. 12-19. It will be displayed at Na- tional Trust House on Little Cayman on Oct. 20-27; in Bodden Town at a venue yet to be confirmed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10; in George Town at a venue yet to be confirmed from Nov. 14 to 24; and in West Bay in a venue yet to be confirmed from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6. For more information on the 60th anniversary celebrations and the Coat of Arms, visit www.celebratecayman.ky. Jasper Martinez inspects the Coat of Arms display. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Tourism minister to discuss cruise pier at public meeting CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Champion House fined for labor violations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Chinese navy hospital ship docks in Venezuela amid crisis LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) – A Chinese navy hospital ship docked near Ven- ezuela’s capital on Sat- urday as the OPEC na- tion’s deepening economic crisis garners the atten- tion of the U.S. and other world powers. Defense Minister Vlad- imir Padrino was on hand to greet the People’s Libera- tion Army Navy’s ship, the Peace Ark, on its latest stop as part of the 11-nation “Mission Harmony” tour announced in June. “This is how you un- dertake diplomacy in the world,” Padrino said, “with concrete actions of cooper- ation and not stoking the false voices of those who beat the drum of war.” Interest in the goodwill visit has been building since the Pentagon announced in August it was sending its own hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to neighboring Co- lombia to provide free med- ical treatment for thousands of Venezuelan migrants fleeing their homes amid widespread food and medi- cine shortages. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, in a visit to Co- lombia last month, called the ship’s deployment a hu- manitarian mission to deal with the fallout of President Nicolas Maduro’s misman- agement of the economy. The United Nations esti- mates that 2.3 million Vene- zuelans have fled the crisis- torn country in recent years, mainly to Colombia, Ec- uador, Peru and Brazil. But top officials in Ven- ezuela’s socialist govern- ment saw the Comfort’s de- ployment as a threat, part of an effort by the U.S. to pave the way for a military intervention on humani- tarian grounds. Padrino on Saturday said the Chinese boat’s visit was part of the gov- ernment’s “strategic de- fense operation.” The Peace Ark’s human- itarian tours around the world have become a sign of China’s outreach efforts and Beijing’s ambitions of gradually expanding its military influence abroad. The ship, which has 300 beds, eight operation rooms and a medical he- licopter, has carried out such missions to more than 40 countries provided free medical services for more than 180,000 people since it was commissioned in 2008. Such goodwill visits have been the mainstay of U.S. diplomacy in Latin America for decades. The Chinese ship has twice before visited Latin America, in 2011 and 2015, but never has stopped in Venezuela. It will also visit the Caribbean island of Grenada and Ecuador on its current deployment. The Peace Ark’s humanitarian tours around the world have become a sign of China’s outreach efforts and Beijing’s ambitions of gradually expanding its military influence abroad.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 Beer flows as Oktoberfest opens in Munich The first keg has been tapped and the beer is flowing as the 185th Oktoberfest gets under way in Munich. Around 6 million visitors are expected at the festival grounds in Munich before the Oktoberfest ends on Oct. 7. Celebrating the life of Mark The family of Mark Luke will be holding a Celebration of his life, at Pedro St. James on Wednesday, 26th September. From 6:00pm – 9:00pm In lieu of fl owers, donations may be sent to Cayman Hospice Care. Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Hebe Georgianna McKenzie, who passed away on Monday, September 10, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Webster’s Memorial United Church, Bodden Town Road, Bodden Town on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. Internment follows at Pease Bay Cemetery. UK’s Labour party mulls backing new Brexit referendum LIVERPOOL, England (AP) – Brit- ain’s Labour Party may hold the fate of Brexit in its hands – if only it can decide what to do. With the U.K. and the Eu- ropean Union at an impasse in divorce talks, many La- bour members think the left-of-center opposition party has the power – and a duty – to force a new ref- erendum that could reverse Britain’s decision to leave the 28-nation bloc. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has long opposed that idea, and a showdown on the issue looms at the par- ty’s annual conference, which starts Sunday in the port city of Liverpool. As delegates gathered, one message was emblazoned on hundreds of T-shirts and tote bags: “Love Corbyn, Hate Brexit.” Ever since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU, La- bour has said it will respect the result, although it wants a closer relationship with the bloc than the one Prime Min- ister Theresa May’s Conser- vative government is seeking. Now, with divorce nego- tiations stuck and Britain due to leave in March, many Labour members think the party must change its course. To drive home the mes- sage, several thousand Peo- ple’s Vote supporters marched through Liverpool on Sunday, waving blue-and-yellow EU flags alongside Union Jacks and holding signs reading “Bin Brexit,” “Exit from Brexit” – and a few ruder slogans. More than 100 local La- bour associations have sub- mitted motions to the con- ference urging a public plebiscite, with a choice be- tween leaving on terms agreed upon by the govern- ment or staying in the EU. Party chiefs will decide later Sunday which motions will be up for debate and votes at the four-day conference. Corbyn – a veteran so- cialist who views the EU with suspicion – has long been against holding a second public vote on Brexit, although his opposition ap- pears to be softening. He said Sunday that he would prefer a gen- eral election rather than a referendum, but added: “Let’s see what comes out of conference.” “Obviously I’m bound by the democracy of our party,” Corbyn told the BBC. Deputy leader Tom Watson was even firmer. “We must back it if La- bour members want it,” he told The Observer newspaper. Still, Labour faces a major political dilemma over Brexit. Most of the party’s half a million members voted in 2016 to remain in the EU, but many of its 257 lawmakers represent areas that sup- ported Brexit. “For Labour to adopt a second referendum policy would spell political disaster in all those Labour seats that voted leave,” said Brendan Chilton of the pro-Brexit group Labour Leave. Since the 2016 refer- endum, Labour has stuck to a policy of “constructive am- biguity” in a bid to appeal to both “leave” and “remain” voters. The party opposes May’s “Tory Brexit” plan but not Brexit itself. It calls for Britain to leave the EU but remain in the bloc’s customs union with “full access” to the EU’s huge single market. Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite trade union, a pow- erful Labour ally, said British voters had decided to leave the EU and “for us now to enter some kind of campaign that opens up that issue again I think would be wrong.” Yet Pro-EU Labour mem- bers, including many law- makers, say the party’s am- biguous stance is becoming increasingly untenable as the risk of an economically dam- aging “hard Brexit” grows. May hits back on Brexit plan; pound falls LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May ac- cused the European Union on Friday of creating an “im- passe” in divorce negotiations by bluntly rejecting her blue- print for Brexit, sending the value of the pound falling as worries about a chaotic U.K. exit from the EU soared. With British newspapers declaring that May had been “humiliated” by EU leaders, the prime minister used a televised statement from 10 Downing St. to insist she was prepared to take Britain out of the bloc without a deal if it did not treat the country with more respect. Declaring that “we are at an impasse,” May said the EU must lay out “what the real issues are and what their al- ternative is.” “Throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect,” she said. “The U.K. expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it.” The pound fell 1.5 per- cent to $1.3066 on May’s comments, which seemed to make the prospect of an ec- onomically disruptive “no deal” Brexit more likely. May’s strong words be- lied her weak position: She is a prime minister without a parliamentary majority, caught between the EU and a pro-Brexit wing of her Con- servative Party that threatens to oust her if she makes a compromise too far. May’s combative remarks were calibrated to appease euroskeptic Conservatives ahead of what’s likely to be a bruising annual party confer- ence at the end of the month. May’s statement fol- lowed a fraught EU summit in Salzburg, Austria, which dashed hopes of a break- through in stalled divorce talks with only six months to go until Britain leaves the bloc on March 29. European Council Pres- ident Donald Tusk said at the meeting that parts of the U.K.’s plan simply “will not work.” French President Em- manuel Macron called pro- Brexit U.K. politicians “liars” who had misled the country about the costs of leaving the 28-nation bloc. The judgment of British newspapers was brutal. The broadly pro-EU Guardian said May had been “humili- ated.” The conservative Times of London said: “Humilia- tion for May as EU rejects Brexit plan.” The Brexit-supporting tabloid Sun branded bloc leaders “EU dirty rats,” accusing “Euro mob- sters” Tusk and Macron of “ambushing” May. UK Brexit Secretary Dom- inic Raab said the bloc had “yanked up the handbrake” on the negotiations. But despite all the heated British rhetoric, the EU’s po- sition was not new. May’s “Chequers plan” – named for the prime minis- ter’s country retreat where it was hammered out in July – aims to keep the U.K. in the EU single market for goods but not services, in order to ensure free trade with the bloc and an open border be- tween the U.K.’s Northern Ire- land and EU member Ireland. EU officials have been cool on the plan from the start, saying Britain cannot “cherry-pick” elements of membership in the bloc without accepting all the costs and responsibilities. Yet British politicians and diplomats were taken aback by Tusk’s blunt dis- missal of the Checkers plan on Thursday – and by his light-hearted Instagram post showing Tusk and May looking at a dessert tray and the words: “A piece of cake, perhaps? Sorry, no cherries.” In a statement Friday, Tusk said the bloc’s posi- tion had “been known to the British side in every detail for many weeks.” He said EU leaders regarded Chequers as “a step in the right direction” but had been taken aback by May’s “uncompromising” stance in Salzburg. Tusk said in Salzburg that an EU summit on Oct. 18-19 would be the moment of truth, when an agreement on divorce terms and the out- lines of future trade would be sealed or would fail. The biggest single ob- stacle to a deal is the need to maintain an open Irish border. Failing to do so could disrupt the lives of people and business on both sides, and undermine Northern Ire- land’s hard-won peace. Britain and the EU have agreed on the need for a le- gally binding backstop to guarantee there is no return to customs posts and other border checks. But Britain re- jects the EU’s proposed so- lution, which would keep Northern Ireland inside the bloc’s customs union while the rest of the U.K. leaves. May said Friday the EU was “making a fundamental mistake” if it believed she would agree to “any form of customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.” May said she wanted to reassure people in Northern Ireland “that in the event of no deal, we will do every- thing in our power to prevent a return to a hard border.” She also said more than 3 million EU citizens living in the U.K. would retain their rights even if Britain left the bloc without an agreement. “You are our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues. We want you to stay,” May said. Dealing with the EU is only part of May’s problem. Pro-Brexit Conservatives, in- cluding former Foreign Sec- retary Boris Johnson, hate the Checkers plan, saying it would keep Britain tethered to the bloc, unable to strike new trade deals around the world. Pro-EU politicians do not like the Checkers plan either, saying it will cut the U.K.’s vast services sector out of the EU’s single market. Many are pushing for a new refer- endum that would let voters choose between accepting whatever deal she manages to negotiate with the bloc and staying in the EU. Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said May was “in denial.” “I don’t understand why she’s failed to hear the mes- sage that the Chequers pro- posal wasn’t going to be ac- cepted by the EU and frankly it’s not going to be accepted by her own party,” he said. May’s strong words belied her weak position: She is a prime minister without a parliamentary majority, caught between the EU and a pro-Brexit wing of her Conservative Party that threatens to oust her if she makes a compromise too far. British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit negotiations with the European Union, at 10 Downing Street Friday in London. – PHOTO: APNext >