SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mastering mixology at home Step away from the colander; get thee a strainer B3 Films at Camana Bay Cinema in October Halloween brings a couple of scary flicks to the screen B6 Events Travel Movies ■ EVENTS Oktoberfest celebrations aplenty this weekend Harbour Grille and Camana Bay are raising a stein (or two) B5 Taking a trip to Colorado Exploring the magic of Denver, Vail and Beaver Creek B8 The Big Shave Hannah’s Heroes aims to raise bucks from bald heads. B11 CAYMAN WEEKENDER The Big Shave EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 NEEDED: A REPORT FROM OUR WOMAN IN BRUSSELS High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY SINGING THE PRAISES OF NATIONAL SONG COMPOSER CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com It is not usual to celebrate the anniversary of the death of a loved one, Alfonso Wright said as master of ceremonies in the old George Town Library on Wednesday night. But it was an unusual occa- sion and the audience was an unusual gathering – relatives and family friends who came to- gether to hear a new recording of Cayman’s National Song and be introduced or reintroduced to its composer, the late Leila Ross Shier (nee McTaggart). Mr. Wright said he never met Miss Leila, but after hearing speakers who shared stories about her and after seeing the premiere of a 19-minute docu- mentary by Awesome Produc- tions, he felt as if he did meet her. And he liked her. Sept. 26 was the 50th anni- versary of Miss Leila’s death at age 81 years and 10 months. More than once during the evening, it was suggested that Miss Leila deserved to be a Na- tional Hero. A non-partisan ob- server might wonder why such an honor should be bestowed because of one song, however lovely it might be. The answers were supplied in abundance by Minister for Culture Dwayne Seymour, former MLA Lucille Seymour, and family OFFICIALS QUESTIONED OVER PORT PROJECT JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A panel of government officials fielded dozens of questions over the controversial cruise berthing project Wednesday night but were unable to give specific information about the cost of the piers, the funding for- mula and the identities of the bidders. Around 500 people packed in the Family Life Centre in George Town to hear infor- mation on the project and pose questions to government and cruise line officials in a public meeting that ran well past midnight. Though the front rows were filled with people in pro-port T-shirts, the vast ma- jority of those who peppered the panel with questions appeared to have concerns about the project or to oppose it outright. Many of the questions, including infor- mation about funding and measures to pre- vent environmental impacts spilling over to neighboring dive sites like Eden Rock and Soto’s Reef, were left unanswered, with officials saying those details were still to be determined in the final stages of the bid process. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said that information would be presented to the public once the preferred bidder has been selected. He said that PwC would be tasked with finalizing its business case at that stage to determine if the bids on the table represented value for money for the country. Speaking to the Cayman Com- pass after the meeting, he said that infor- mation would be presented to the public and Cabinet would make a final decision on whether to proceed at that point. A panel of officials, including Mr. Kirk- connell, representatives from Royal Ca- ribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines, Acting Port Authority Director Joseph Woods, Cayman Turtle Centre Managing Director Tim Adam, and Max Jones and Peter Ranger from the Central Procurement Of- fice gave presentations and fielded ques- tions through the night. Concerns from the audience ranged from the potential impact of increased cruise tourism on the island’s main attractions to the direct environmental impact and the fi- nancial cost of the project. Costs, funding formula remain unclear Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the likely cost of the piers was esti- mated at around $200 million but he said CRUISE LINES: BUILD PIERS OR LOSE PASSENGERS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Representatives from two of the world’s largest cruise lines have insisted they are moving toward operating mega-ships that will not tender in Grand Cayman. Senior bosses from Carnival Corpo- ration and Royal Caribbean appeared alongside government officials at a public meeting Wednesday night to make the case for a new cruise berthing facility in George Town. Both cruise lines say they will still bring some ships to the island, even if piers are not built, but they say the number of passengers they bring to Grand Cayman will reduce substantially as they phase out some smaller vessels and re- place them with mega-ships. Miguel Reyna, director of port business development for Royal Caribbean Cruises, said it was looking to move more of the larger Oasis-class ships to its western Caribbean routes. He said the smaller Freedom-class ships would be phased out and replaced with the larger vessels, car- rying more than 5,000 passengers. He said, “Our projections are that within the next five years, our traffic [into Grand Cayman] may drop from 450,000 passen- gers to potentially 250,000 passengers …. Environment, financial concerns dominate cruise port meeting Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell addresses an audience of more than 500 people who attended Wednesday night’s meeting about the proposed port and cruise ship berthing project at the Family Life Centre in George Town. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Sisters Irma Arch, left, and Lisa Scott with a painting of their great-grandmother Leila Ross Shier at a celebration of the National Song at the George Town Library on Wednesday night. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Gobble! Gobble! Turkey! Turkey! Soon Come to HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING! Monday, 8th October 2018 945-2290 Get your orders in early! Eat-in!Take-out! At West Shore Center, Seven Mile Beach Open Daily 10am-10pm 945-2290 caymanfirst.com YOUR HEALTH MATTERS. GET HEALTHY WITH US. Call 345-949-7028 | Email askus@caymanfirst.com | Visit caymanfirst.com MEXICO EX-GOVERNOR PLEADS GUILTY TO CORRUPTION, GETS 9 YEARS MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mex- ican prosecutors said Thursday that the former governor of Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz has pleaded guilty to charges of organized crime and money laundering. The plea deal was an anti-climactic end to Mexi- co’s highest-profile corrup- tion case in recent years. Javier Duarte took a leave from the governor- ship of Veracruz and fled to Guatemala before being ex- tradited back to Mexico in July 2017 to face justice. Duarte got a nine-year sentence and had 41 prop- erties seized as part of the plea deal. But Duarte will not have to pay repara- tions, and could apply for parole within as little as three years. “In cases like these, we are never satisfied,” said federal prosecutor Felipe de Jesus Munoz. “We have to follow what the law says.” Munoz said that after serving 4½ years – half the sentence – Duarte could apply for parole, and that he will be credited for the 1 ½ years he has already spent in prison. But current Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes said that despite the federal plea deal, Duarte still faces an array of state charges. “It will be many years before Duarte gets out of prison,” said Yunes. Prosecutors said Duarte embezzled millions in state money and used much of it to buy properties. Duarte will not be re- quired to pay back all he took under the federal deal, but Munoz said the value of the properties al- ready seized was “very sig- nificant” and was almost equivalent to reparation. Yunes said that state authorities estimated that a total of about $120 mil- lion in properties, money and possessions had been seized from Duarte. And Yunes revealed that state prosecutors have is- sued a warrant for Duarte in the case of the forced disappearance of over a dozen people in Veracruz during Duarte’s 2010-2016 administration. However, Yunes said Guatemala – which initially agreed to extradite Duarte only to face the corruption charges – must still agree to allow him to be tried on the abduction charges. Charges have already been brought against about 20 former Veracruz law en- forcement officials who al- legedly kidnapped and killed 15 innocent civilians. No surprises expected for Tropical Storm Kirk SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Tropical Storm Kirk con- tinued its westward trek through the Lesser Antilles on Thursday, and it was mea- sured at 2 p.m. AST with a maximum sustained wind speed of 50 mph. The storm is still ex- pected to lessen to a trop- ical depression by Friday eve- ning and should pass south of Cayman on Tuesday. Avalon Porter, a meteo- rologist with the Cayman Is- lands National Weather Ser- vice, said that Cayman might be affected by winds of up to 15-20 knots and partly cloudy skies with widely scat- tered showers on Monday and Tuesday. This weekend, Mr. Porter said, should see mostly calm weather. “This weekend should be partly cloudy,” he said. “We should have winds from east to northeast at about 5-10 knots, and slight seas of about two to four feet at most. If anything, maybe some iso- lated showers.” Mr. Porter said that the storm should lessen from a tropical depression to a trop- ical wave by the time it im- pacts Cayman, and he ex- pects it to pass over Jamaica on Monday. As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center had issued tropical storm warnings for Barbados, St. Lucia, Domi- nica, Martinique and Guade- loupe. A tropical storm watch is in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Restaurant Month begins Monday The Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s an- nual Restaurant Month begins Monday. Throughout the month of October, daytime diners can partake in two or three- course lunches for $15 or $20, respectively, while three- course dinners are being of- fered at $25, $35 or $45, de- pending on where diners choose to eat. Details of all the lunch and dinner offers can be found on CITA’s www.restaurantmon- thcayman.com webpage. Participating restaurants this year include: AVE, Agua, Casanova, Catch, Cayman Ca- bana, Champion House II, Cimboco, Eagle Ray’s Bar & Grill, Edoardo’s, Ferdinand’s, Rackam’s, Ristorante Pap- pagallo, Sunshine Grill, Taco Cantina, The Brasserie & The Brasserie Caboose, The Lob- ster Pot and The Wharf. “Everybody loves food and participating restau- rants always deliver the most incredible lunch and dinner options along with impeccable, Caymankind service,” said Hollie Whi- telocke, CITA’s operations manager and restaurant sector representative. Gift certificate give- aways will be featured on the Cayman Islands Tourism As- sociation Facebook page as well as on CITA’s “Cayman Culinary” Facebook page. ROAD SAFETY CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK The National Roads Au- thority will hold a four-day conference on road safety at The Ritz-Carlton from Monday through Thursday. The event will feature an array of local and interna- tional speakers and will focus on the ways safety on Cay- man’s roads can be enhanced. “This is the first time we are hosting an event like this,” said Edward Howard, acting managing director of the Na- tional Roads Authority, in a prepared statement. “When the public think about our roads and what it takes to make our roads safe, the NRA is usually what comes to mind. “And while they are right in that conclusion, there are many other stakeholders. This conference gives us the oppor- tunity to get all those stake- holders together sharing their knowledge with one another.” Michael Dreznes, the vice president of the Interna- tional Road Federation, will be a guest speaker at the conference. The first day of the conference will focus on road safety interventions in the morning and will feature a speech about the Grand Cayman Development Plan Review in the afternoon. Tuesday and Wednesday will feature workshops on a variety of topics, including road audits and vulner- able road users. The event is open to the public, road safety stakeholders and all government departments, and registration for the conference will cost $150 per person. People interested in taking part in the conference can email anita. smith@nra.ky or call 326-3974. The storm is still expected to lessen to a tropical depression by Friday evening. Source: National Hurricane CenterThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 BradyAnn Wilmot I will be attending Lancaster University in the UK. When choosing a University there were two deciding factors, the academic and social aspects of the University. I believe attending a school that has such high academic standards, is important for my success. Toreandre Thompson I chose to attend Bentley University in the US because the student-faculty ratio is 11:1 with an average class size of 26 allowing us as students to develop our relationships with our teachers. There are over 100 club organizations in place for vast opportunities. Ernest Smith I chose to attend the University College of the Caymen Islands because it’s a great local university that offers accounting degrees. I originally chose to study accounting because it was a subject that was always interesting and made complete sense to me. Errol Simms I will be attending the University of South Florida in the US. I discovered my love for accounting when I got the opportunity to work at KPMG for my school’s work experience program. I learnt so much from my mentor and being in the program. “KPMG promotes academic excellence, personal responsibility and commitment to service our communities. Our Scholars commitment to education and their discipline to persevere through the academic rigors of the program is a direct result of our Island’s incredible mix of intellectual, cultural, economic, and geographical backgrounds that is changing the way our students view the world. We proudly support the leaders of tomorrow.” Sheenah Hislop, KPMG Partner and Head of Local Recruitment kpmg.ky KPMG in the Cayman Islands is proud to award local and overseas scholarships to four outstanding students pursing their Accounting Degrees. Congratulations! © 2018 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm.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. We are not overly concerned – and said so in yes- terday’s editorial – about Minister of Financial Services Tara Rivers’s trip to represent Cayman at the annual Monaco Yacht Show this week. After all, Cayman is one of the world’s super-players in the super-yacht registry business, and waving the proverbial Cayman flag can do no harm and potentially some good. On the other hand, we are far more curious about another of Ms. Rivers’s recent excursions – namely to Brussels – where she met with European Union officials to discuss (negotiate?) Cayman’s response to the EU’s never-ending demands on our financial services industry. Readers will recall that by year’s end, the EU is expected to revise its “blacklist” of so-called non-cooper- ative tax jurisdictions – an arbitrary enumeration based more on political dogma than economic orthodoxy. Ms. Rivers has made several visits to Brussels this year to discuss potential changes in Cayman law that would placate the Brussels bureaucrats, presumably to promote them to remove Cayman from its current spot on the EU’s purgatory “gray list.” The EU’s attempt to coerce duly elected leaders of sovereign jurisdictions to enact policies not in their constituents’ best interests, but in the interests of a handful of European powers, violates the natural right of self-determination. If Cayman, or other offshore jurisdictions, were to accede or capitulate to EU demands, they most likely would have to give ground on an artificial standard called “sub- stantive presence,” which suggests more brick and mortar edifices and more staff on the ground in the jurisdiction. While this might actually benefit the Cayman Islands from a real estate or employment perspective, it would, in fact, contribute little or nothing to the legitimacy of the transactions that take place here. The reality is that inter- national investing and commerce, which constitute the vast majority of what takes place in the financial sector in these islands, do not require a huge physical presence. Multiplying the complexity of Cayman’s current situa- tion are two other upcoming deadlines dangling like dual swords of Damocles. • The first is a report from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force expected early in 2019, which will evaluate Cayman’s compliance with the organiza- tion’s 40 recommendations for combatting terrorist financing and money laundering. • The second is the U.K.’s intention to force Cayman and other British Overseas Territories to establish public registers of beneficial ownership by 2020. While Premier Alden McLaughlin has been suitably vocal – and bellicose – in his public statements regarding the public registers issue, his government has been mainly mute on the ongoing negotiations it is having with the European Union. Given the importance of the outcome of these talks, it is both mystifying and troubling that they are taking place in secret and in silence. Perhaps “a select few” know what, if anything, Premier McLaughlin, Ms. Rivers and others have conceded to the Europeans in order for Cayman to be removed from the gray list or avoid being added to the blacklist, but all of the rest of us – let’s just call this group “the people” – have no idea. Without fail, every time a Cayman Islands government official finds his or her way to a microphone to defend our offshore financial services industry, their remarks are replete with references to openness and transparency. We understand that not every detail of every ongoing negotiation can be shared with the wider world, but in this instance, even a modicum of openness and transpar- ency with the public on a matter of such supreme impor- tance to the Cayman commonweal is long overdue. Needed: A report from our woman in Brussels FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Trade war could end in a stalemate Trade wars are not easy to win – especially against a juggernaut like China – and the escalating commer- cial conflict with Beijing could easily end in a stale- mate. The outcome will de- pend on how much support President Trump gets from Democrats in Congress – es- pecially if they win control of both houses – and the ac- tions of American allies in Europe and Asia. At issue are China’s noto- rious barriers to competitive foreign products – high tar- iffs and a maze of adminis- trative obstacles and indus- trial policies that promote indigenous technology-inten- sive activities through subsi- dies, requirements that for- eign companies form joint ventures and transfer tech- nology to invest in China and access its markets, and ram- pant theft of foreign intellec- tual property through state- assisted industrial espionage and counterfeit goods. Frustrated that negotia- tions – such as the Mar-a- Lago process – failed to yield meaningful progress, Mr. Trump levied 25 percent tar- iffs on $50 billion of imports from China this summer. Now he is adding 10 percent on another $200 billion. Beijing is behaving as if it can ride out Mr. Trump. It sees him low in the polls, widely criticized for his per- sonal style and presiding over a staff that does not fully sup- port his international policies. Beijing reads American econ- omists predicting tariffs will have disastrous consequences for the U.S. economy, and it has levers to lessen the im- pacts of the tariffs in China. The yuan is down 6 per- cent so far this year – obvi- ating most of the effects of the 10 percent tariff on $200 billion – and China’s provin- cial governments and state banks can ladle on subsi- dies and no-payback loans to keep businesses afloat and exporting. It can undertake selective liberalization to at- tract foreign investors. For example, Exxon is working on a deal for a petrochem- ical complex in Guangdong without the usual joint ven- ture partner, and Taiwan- based Foxxcom has a deal percolating for a big semi- conductor project. Beijing can roll back these policies after tensions ease, but it is miscalculating. At stake is not merely the $350 billion bilateral trade imbalance but who accom- plishes global leadership in fields like artificial intelli- gence, robotics, supercom- puting and human brain- computer interface. Democrats on the Hill and leaders in Europe and Japan recognize the poten- tial for these technologies to drive economic growth, create and destroy millions of jobs, alter espionage and warfare, and change re- lationships between citi- zens and governments. Re- garding the latter, Beijing has imposed an Orwellian order to quell minority op- position and impose strict adherence to behavioral norms in its Western prov- inces and elsewhere with facial recognition and ubiq- uitous cameras – do not jay- walk if you want to rent an apartment! Western leaders don’t like how China is using preda- tory trade and industrial pol- icies to seize leadership — and what it will do with it — anymore than do Trump trade hawks Peter Navarro and Robert Lighthizer. Dif- ferences with U.S. allies are over tactics. Industry leaders almost always dislike changes in the regulatory environment. They adjust investments to pro- tectionist policies, and are now objecting strenuously to the change in U.S. policy toward China. We ran into the same problem back in the 1980s and ‘90s, when we liberalized trade in the North American auto sector – the Big Three had configured their invest- ments to conform to pre- NAFTA production require- ments imposed by Mexico and Canada to access their markets. Now, the Business Roundtable is screaming about Mr. Trump’s use of tar- iffs to open China. Ultimately, China has enormous staying power. It has huge dollar reserves, it can selectively liberalize to attract the investments it considers vital and divert what it sends to U.S. mar- kets to Europe, Japan and other destinations. Then it is up to the Europeans and Japanese to act. They will likely insist on negotiations in the WTO, but that is folly. We have been talking with Beijing for the better part of three decades about liberalization, and it simply does not want to em- brace Western norms. At that point, Mr. Trump, or whoever succeeds him if he loses the 2020 election, could manage the commer- cial relationship with China absolutely – tougher tariffs and quotas to force down the trade deficit, strong financial sanctions and limits on Chi- nese students at U.S. univer- sities. And demand that our trading partners expel China from the WTO lest the United States withdraw from the global trading body. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI 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” At stake is not merely the $350 billion bilateral trade imbalance but who accomplishes global leadership in fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, supercomputing and human brain-computer interface.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman community opens up about youth mental health Local golf course listed among world’s best SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Ritz-Carlton is re- ceiving some impressive ac- colades in the golf world. Golfscape, an indepen- dent, online golf reservation service based in London, re- cently named The Ritz-Carl- ton’s nine-hole course on Grand Cayman as one of the 18 greatest golf resorts in the world. The course, designed by golf great Greg Norman, was cited for its “beautiful nat- ural elements: water, man- groves and refreshing albeit challenging trade winds.” The Ritz-Carlton’s course of- fers “challenging play amid breathtaking natural beauty,” according to the review from Golfscape. Stephen Banks, the PGA director of golf at The Ritz- Carlton, said the course is also being considered as one of the world’s top nine-hole golf courses. The course is consistently ranked highly, not only because of its de- sign, he said, but also be- cause of the experience that golfers have while playing. “We are very privileged to be grouped [in] 18 of the best golf resorts in the world,” Mr. Banks said. “It puts Cayman on the world golfing map. Our success is largely due to the first-class service the ladies and gentlemen con- sistently deliver at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman.” Alex Panton Foundation tackles stigma head on KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com In high school, Jada Ramoon considered herself a social, active person. She en- joyed interacting with friends, writing and running track. So it surprised her when, one day, as she was leaving a final exam, her body broke out in cold sweats. At age 17, nothing like this had hap- pened to her before. “I didn’t know what was going on with me, so I ig- nored it,” said Ms. Ramoon, now 20. “Later that night, I woke to feeling like somebody was sitting on my chest, like, I cannot breathe.” She woke her mother and they rushed to the hospital to figure out what was wrong. After running several tests, her doctors finally came to a conclusion: Ms. Ramoon was suffering from anxiety. As a teen who had always been high functioning and high achieving, the initial di- agnosis was difficult to pro- cess at first for Ms. Ramoon, a native of Bodden Town. Her stress became con- stant, at times provoking anx- iety attacks. And she worried about the stress her anxiety was putting on her family. “I became depressed about it. I beat myself up, like, ‘Why can’t I just be normal?’” she said. “I was fine for 17 years of my life and then out of nowhere, I feel like I don’t want to get out of bed, I don’t want to eat, I don’t even run track anymore and track was my life when I was in high school.” Connecting with young people like Ms. Ramoon has been a major goal of the Alex Panton Foundation during its first year of operation. By promoting commu- nity awareness and en- couraging conversation, the foundation’s team hopes to reduce stigma and let young people know they aren’t ab- normal and they aren’t alone, explained foundation chair Jane Panton. “We have been focusing on elevating the community awareness of mental illness and how they can be sen- sitized to and treat people that are affected. We aim to have the community under- stand that mental illness is an illness that can be treated like a physical illness and chances of full recovery in- crease the earlier treatment is sought,” Mrs. Panton said. “We feel that going full throttle at breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness helps young people feel more comfortable about reaching out to others to talk about their internal struggles and get treatment.” One of the first steps to addressing stigma has been opening up the conversa- tion about mental health. Throughout September, recognized in the mental health community as Re- covery Month, the foundation worked with the Ministry of Home Affairs to offer a series of presentations in districts across Grand Cayman on self harm and suicidal ideation. The idea is to get the mes- sage about mental health and recovery directly to the community. Mrs. Panton understands better than most how impor- tant these conversations are. She lost her own son, Alex, at age 16 to suicide. Now, with a community of support behind her, she hopes the foundation that bears his name will help other families affected by teen depression. “The key message I would like to get out to the commu- nity as a parent [is] seek help and get yourself educated on how to respond to your young child who is exhibiting signs of anxiety and depres- sion,” she said. “The parenting that worked for you as a young child does not necessarily work for your child. Speak to them in a positive and non-negative manner at all times and do not make judg- ments when they open up to you. Listen and show you really care about how they are feeling.” While parents of teen- agers know the frequent dif- ficulty of getting them to open up, clinical psychologist Erica Lam, of the Wellness Centre, knows how important they can be in supporting young people through illness. “Lots of time parents think, ‘the child needs to go to therapy, so I drop them off and pick them up and then they are going to be cured,’” she said. “That’s very often not the case.” Just like recovering from a physical illness, mental health recovery requires staying honest to a doctor- recommended treatment plan. While a good clinician will establish clear goals and an evidence-based strategy to treat each client, the legwork must be done outside of the therapist’s office. “A lot of times, young people can’t do that on their own. They need the school, parents, friends and family around them to shift that, the same way with adults,” she said. “If you go to the doctor, you will feel better, but only if you follow through with the treatment plan.” Parental figures may need to help shift the dynamic in the young person’s life, she added. “Be that mental health champion. Don’t be afraid,” she said. For Ms. Ramoon, in fact, support from her par- ents was vital. Rather than pushing them out, she in- vited them in. “Sometimes they are the best ones who can help you through all the problems you’re going through. My parents did help me a lot,” she said. While anxiety still creeps up on her, she feels that following through with a treatment plan, including counseling, helped her be- come a stronger person. When anxiety starts to come on, she now has tools to turn to. She knows to pause, take a walk and breathe. “I feel amazing. Being in school, studying literature, it’s what I love to do, so I don’t feel the stress from it. And I have my friends and my family; they are always supporting me,” she said. Just this month, she won the Cayman Islands Imperial Beauties Scholarship Pageant. With the scholarship she earned, she hopes to study journalism – writing is an- other activity that relaxes her. “Doing my pageants and speech competitions, essay competitions, this has helped tremendously, so I feel like I am doing amazing,” she said. Ms. Ramoon plans to use her platform to raise awareness about anx- iety and depression among young people. Now active with the Alex Panton Foundation, she finds herself in good company for promoting that platform. While Recovery Month is winding down, the work of the foundation is just gearing up. The organiza- tion is now working on or- ganizing further outreach events geared at churches, schools and other community gathering places. The foundation is also ac- tively working toward other goals, such as establishing community outreach ser- vices and a helpline. A second Youth Mental Health Sympo- sium is in the works as well, slated for Feb. 9, 2019 – one day before Alex’s birthday. “There is hope for full re- covery,” Mrs. Panton said. “There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve seen quite a few success sto- ries in this journey since the launch of the foundation in February 2018. Reach out to someone you can trust to talk about your internal struggles. Talking about your internal pain is the first step to healing.” By promoting community awareness and encouraging conversation, the foundation’s team hopes to reduce stigma and let young people know they aren’t abnormal and they aren’t alone. Alex PantonDr. Erica Lam, the Wellness CentreJada Ramoon The Ritz-Carlton golf course is on Golfscape’s top 18 list.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Until made beautiful by love divine thou in the likeness of thy lord shalt shine and he shall bring that golden crown of thine until we meet again before his throne clothed in the spotless robe, he gives his own. until we know even as we are known. Good night. In loving and unfading memory. Of a dear wife, mother, grandmother Valma Hyacinth Ebanks April 11.1931 Sept 28th, 2004. May your soul rest in peace. friend Marylee Rowlandson. Former Speaker of the House Mary Lawrence and attorney Steve McField were among people interviewed in the video, providing vi- gnettes of Miss Leila. Their comments were seamlessly blended with photographs from the first part of the 20th century and tape recordings from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. She was artist, musi- cian, teacher, librarian and church organist. She orga- nized concerts and supported school plays. She was the official Reg- istrar of Births and Deaths. She wrote her siblings’ biog- raphies, essays on topics of the day, and poems for any occasion. She wrote love let- ters for the wives of seamen to send to their spouses over- seas. She wrote hymns, bal- lads and humorous ditties such as “Ping, Ping, Ping – The Mosquito Song.” In those days, the govern- ment high school was be- hind the library, and Mrs. Lawrence recalled Miss Leila standing at the window greeting students by name and letting them know of a book that might appeal to them. Mr. McField paid tribute to her for nurturing his love of reading – a white lady taking an interest in black children at a time when there was segregation in Cayman, he said. Although women built the homes and educated the children while so many men were at sea, it was still a pa- triarchal society and women did not have the right to vote until 1959. Miss Leila was one of the women who signed the petition that led to the granting of that right. Mr. Seymour said that today Miss Leila would be considered an activist and he had often advocated for her to be declared one of Cay- man’s national heroes. He described himself as an ad- vocate for women’s rights, adding with a chuckle for people who did not know, that he has four daughters. He acknowledged the presence of Finance Min- ister Roy McTaggart plus George Town MLAs Barbara Conolly and Kenneth Bryan. He hoped they would support another drive for Miss Lei- la’s nomination. But what of the na- tional song itself? Mrs. Rowlandson, whose contribution was read by her daughter, Alpha Kozaily, ex- plained the significance of having a national song. It is a musical composition, pa- triotic in general, that evokes thanksgiving for blessings and values received, she said. Its purpose is to aid citizens in understanding and ap- preciating their culture. In her opinion, “Beloved Isle Cayman” was one of the most beautiful national songs ever written. Miss Leila appreciated Cayman’s God-given beauty and, in Mrs. Rowlandson’s view, the song could be sung in any cathedral as a hymn of praise and glory to the Creator. Mrs. Lawrence said the song “captured the essence of who we are … It’s home.” Ms. Seymour thanked Miss Leila “for giving us the opportunity to stand in public places and sing re- spectfully a love song to our country.” The evening was hosted by Dan and Lisa Scott. Along with dedicating the last three years to this project, they also underwrote the costs of the video produc- tion, and having the song orchestrally arranged, per- formed and recorded. Mrs. Scott sang the lyrics, Hop- scotch Studio produced the CD and Pinnacle Media printed the sheet music. Mrs. Scott and her sister Irma, great-granddaughters of Miss Leila, sang the song at public events for years, with additional harmony from Karen Ryan, the other member of their trio. Wednesday’s program concluded with surprise birthday cakes for Mr. Wright and Mrs. Olsie Hunter, Miss Leila’s granddaughter. Mr. Wright, chairman of the committee to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cay- man’s Coat of Arms, held a candle as the audience sang “Happy Birthday” because he couldn’t deface the coat of arms design that deco- rated his cake. He called the 19-minute documentary about Miss Leila a most valuable gift. Premier Alden McLaughlin and Cabinet secretary Samuel Rose were off island on of- ficial business, he noted, but at some point there will be a proper presentation to gov- ernment of the video and the new arrangement of the song on CD and sheet music. After the program, Mr. Scott confirmed that he and the family will do what they can to ensure that the music and the story of Miss Leila will be disseminated throughout the islands for the benefit of everyone. Singing the praises of National Song composer The audience watches a documentary of the life of Leila Ross Shier, seen on screen here with her husband Samuel William Shier, at the George Town Library on Wednesday night. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 WARM WATERS BOOSTED 2017’S MAJOR HURRICANE TALLY, STUDY SAYS WASHINGTON (AP) – The At- lantic’s warmer waters trig- gered the unusual number of major hurricanes last year, according to a new study that predicts the region could see a couple of extra whopper storms each year by the end of the century. Six major hurricanes – with winds of at least 111 mph – spun around the At- lantic last year, including Harvey, Irma and Maria which hit parts of the United States and the Caribbean. Since 2000, the Atlantic has averaged three major hurri- canes a year. Before that the average was closer to two. It may go up to five to eight major hurricanes a year around the year 2100, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science. “We will see more active hurricane seasons like 2017 in the future,” said lead au- thor Hiro Murakami, cli- mate scientist and hurri- cane expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So far this year, though, only one Atlantic hurri- cane, Florence, has reached major status. Warm water acts as fuel for hurricanes. Water has to be at least 79 degrees for a storm to form. The warmer the water, the more it can resist forces that would cause it to weaken, said University of Miami hurri- cane researcher Brian Mc- Noldy, who was not part of the study. Murakami found that a combination of natural conditions and man-made climate change made the waters warmer in one key area, which caused more major storms. That area is essentially a large box from south of Florida and north of South America, stretching all the way east to Africa. Some of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes form off the coast of West Af- rica, then chug west to- ward the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast. Water in that large box – the main hurricane devel- opment region – averaged 0.7 degrees warmer than normal for the entire 2017 season, which is unusual for a six-month time pe- riod, Murakami said. SEC SUES TESLA’S ELON MUSK, ALLEGING HE LIED TO INVESTORS The Securities and Ex- change Commission sued Tesla chief Elon Musk on Thursday, saying he lied to in- vestors when he claimed he had secured the funding to take the automaker private. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, fed- eral regulators said “Musk’s false and misleading public statements and omissions caused significant confusion and disruption in the market for Tesla’s stock and resulting harm to investors.” The charges are a dra- matic setback for one of the tech industry’s most promi- nent and polarizing execu- tives. The stock plunged more than 10 percent in after-hours trading. The company did not immediately respond. The SEC said it is seeking to ban Musk from acting as an “officer or director” of any public company, a devas- tating punishment that would radically change Tesla, Musk’s rocket company SpaceX and his other business interests in solar energy and under- ground supertrains. Musk tweeted on Aug. 7 that he had the “funding secured” to complete a massive deal that would take the Silicon Valley automaker private, sending its stock soaring that day by nearly 11 percent. After 17 days, how- ever, Musk announced that he would not pursue the deal, leading the stock to plunge amid growing skepticism over the company’s long-term pros- pects. Neither Musk nor the company ever specified what funding Musk was referring to. © 2018, The Washington PostThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 Sadly missed by your loving wife Jennet, Children, Grandchildren, Great-g�andchildren, Brothers, Sisters, Nieces and Nephews. May God Bless You In Loving Memor� of Delano Roosevelt Bodden Sept 30, 1945 – Dec 31, 2017 Remembering you on your 73rd Bir�hday. Roosevelt it is so hard to believe you are not here any�ore, And I never got to say goodbye. But life has never been the same since you have been gone. I hide my tears when they call your name, or see your pict�re on the wall. But the pain we felt to lose you, will never ever go away. But having you in our hear�s, helps us through each day. We held you close within our hear�s, and there you will remain. For what it meant to lose you, no one will ever know. Remembering you on your 73 Remembering you on your 73 Bir�hday. Bir�hday. Roosevelt it is so hard to believe you are not here any�ore,Roosevelt it is so hard to believe you are not here any�ore, 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. Interment follows at Pease Bay Cemetery. 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. Interment follows at Pease Bay Cemetery. TO OUR LOVING MOTHER DELLIA SEYMOUR ON YOUR 1ST YEAR WITHOUT US WE awake each morning to start a new day But the pain of losing you never goes away. WE go about the things WE have to do And as the hours pass WE think again of you. WE want to call you and just hear your voice en WE remember that WE have no choice For you are not here and now OUR heart cries Just to see you again to tell you goodbye To say Mommy WE love you and WE always will And hope that much of you, in US you’ve instilled. e day that you le US WE just didn’t know at you were going where WE couldn’t go. And now all OUR memories of you are so dear But gosh, how WE miss you and wish you were here. Who now can hear us when WE need to cry? It so hard to tell you “Mama goodbye.” Someday WE know all will be well And WE WILL see you again with stories to tell Of how you were missed and how we have grown And how good it is to nally be home. Until then OUR memories of you WE WILL keep near And WE’LL pass them on to those who are dear. WE miss you MOMMY loving you Your children DWAYNE SEYMOUR, DELENE HURLSTON-POWELL DENNYTON HURLSTON & DENISEA ALLEN Edward C. Warwick Died peacefully at his home in Edinburgh, Scotland on Friday 14th September 2018. A longtime Manager with the Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company and former Secretary of the C.I. Bankers Association. The family of the Late Rhonda Lue Ebanks regrets to announce her passing on Wednesday, 19 September, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com Funeral Service will be held 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 7 October 2018 at Red Bay Church of God Holiness. Interment will follow in Garden of Eden Cemetery. he could not give an exact figure as this was part of the ongoing negotiation process with the final bid- ders. He said it was a com- petitive bid process and it would be up to the bidders to show how they would finance it and what the costs would be. Johann Moxam, one of the advocates for a refer- endum on the piers, said he was concerned about the potential for “crazy costs” that would eventually result in direct taxation on Cay- man’s people. He questioned if there was a ceiling price where government would pull the plug on the project. Mr. Kirkconnell said Cab- inet would make its deci- sion once the bids were in and insisted government would not “compromise the integrity of the Cayman Is- lands budget.” Identity of bidders will not be revealed Several people expressed concern about the reported involvement of the China Harbour Engineering Group in the bidding process. But officials would not entertain questions about the iden- tity of the bidders, saying to do so would compro- mise the process and break their own rules. Mr. Jones said it was against government’s pro- curement protocols to re- veal that information before a bid process was complete. Stran Bodden, chief officer in the Ministry of Tourism, said, “We have to protect the integ- rity of the bid process – the bidders that have come for- ward have entrusted their confidence to us.” Concern over ‘precious’ dive sites Underwater photographer Courtney Platt was among several residents to raise con- cerns about the impact of con- struction and sediment from the use of the docks on nearby reefs. He said he was ex- tremely concerned about the impact of the piers on impor- tant dive sites like Soto’s Reef, Devil’s Grotto at Eden Rock and the wreck of the Cali. He said those sites attracted thou- sands of tourists every year and were worth $9 million an- nually to businesses, as well as being precious to the people of Grand Cayman. Mr. Ranger said the solu- tions would come from the contractors as part of the bid process. He said they would be required to prevent damage spilling outside the footprint of the site, but the details of how they achieved that would be up to them to demonstrate. He said the process would be monitored by environmental consultants throughout. Mr. Ranger added, “There will be no damage to Seven Mile Beach and part of the dredge management plan will be to make sure there is no im- pact on Eden Rock, as well.” Mr. Platt appeared skep- tical, questioning whether anyone ever succeeded in preventing the death of coral within 100 feet of a dredged port. Questions over how many tourists Cayman can accommodate One of the key concerns among the audience was the potential impact of thousands of new cruise passengers on the island’s infrastructure. Cathy Church, who runs an underwater photography business at Sunset House, was among those to query where all the new arrivals would go. “Cayman is a small country. We don’t have Mayan ruins or waterfalls; we have Stingray City and the beach, and they are already over- crowded,” she said. Mr. Kirkconnell suggested the Port Authority would be able to manage the flow of visitors so cruise arrivals were spread throughout the week and visitors were spread more evenly throughout the island. Tim Adam, of the Cayman Islands Turtle Centre, also gave a presentation, sug- gesting the attraction would be one of the key beneficia- ries of cruise berthing. He said the center, along with other underused sites like Pedro St. James and the Bo- tanic Park, could accommo- date additional visitors. Mr. Ranger said the new port would not necessarily mean more visitors on a day-to-day basis. Though the business case indicates as many as 2.3 million passen- gers could arrive in Cayman annually if a cruise berthing facility is built, compared with just over 1.8 million last year, he said. “It is not about get- ting more and more passen- gers,” Mr. Ranger said. “The piers are really to deal with bigger ships, not necessarily put more and more passen- gers through. We had 24,000 passengers [on the busiest day] last year and the island didn’t collapse, not that I read in the press.” Start date for project still a year away Mr. Ranger also gave de- tails on the time line for the procurement process. He said the selection of the pre- ferred bidder was not the end of the process. He said there would be another year of going through final con- tract negotiations, coral relo- cation, and a final design and permitting process before work would begin. Other concerns Questions were also raised about government’s claim that the project would create 900 new jobs. Mr. Kirk- connell was asked to pro- duce a list of the jobs and the likely salaries. He said the project would mean con- struction jobs, more jobs at the Port Authority and entre- preneurial opportunities but did not have a full list avail- able and would provide it at a later date. Asked why other sites were not being considered, he said an initial review had shown that George Town harbor would require the least amount of dredging. He said the government was now five years into the pro- cess with that site and it was not feasible to consider changing at this stage. Asked his views on a ref- erendum, he said govern- ment does not support that initiative and believes it has a mandate to proceed with cruise berthing from the last election. But he said it would have to respect the process and comply with the consti- tution if enough votes were raised to trigger a public vote. “If a referendum takes place and the referendum re- sults are that people don’t want cruise berthing, that is binding and the gov- ernment could not go for- ward,” he said. “We don’t bring the Oasis-class ships to the Cayman Islands, and Royal Caribbean has no plans to tender the Oasis in any port.” David Candib of Carnival Corporation gave a similar message. He said the cruise line was behind its compet- itors in the shift to larger vessels, but was investing heavily in catching up. He said Carnival had 22 ships on order worldwide, nine of which are its new larger class, carrying more than 6,000 passengers. He said the first of those would be deployed in the Ca- ribbean in 2020. “We are now evalu- ating where those ships are going to go,” Mr. Candib said. “They are not being considered to bring to des- tinations that don’t have berthing facilities.” The cruise lines faced questions from the public about the environmental cost of the project. Some accused them of “bullying” the Cayman Islands by ef- fectively presenting the ju- risdiction with an ulti- matum to build piers or lose business. Responding to that ac- cusation, Mr. Candib said they were simply presenting the facts about the future of the industry. He said Carnival would continue to come to Grand Cayman but was not pre- pared to tender its larger ships for practical reasons. He said the company was interested in investing in the piers. “We have been asked through this process would we have an interest in financing or working or being part of that [the pier project] and we said we cer- tainly would,” he said. Some attendees chal- lenged the cruise line exec- utives on the environmental cost. Katrina Jurn, of Sus- tainable Cayman, asked if they wanted the destruc- tion of some 15 acres of coral reef and the potential damage to neighboring reefs to be their legacy in Cayman. Both men said they had followed environmental best practices in other port projects. Mr. Candib said the specifics of the project were still being consid- ered through the procure- ment phase and suggested Carnival would not pro- ceed with the project if it were viewed purely as a negative for Cayman and its environment. Officials questioned over port project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cruise lines: Build piers or lose passengers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “[Mega-ships] are not being considered to bring to destinations that don’t have berthing facilities.” DAVID CANDIB, Carnival CorporationNext >