ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 Starbucks confirms Cayman plans JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Starbucks has confirmed plans to open its first store in the Cayman Islands by the end of the year in a move that could shake up the local cafe scene. The arrival of the American coffee chain has already had an impact on the Cayman market, with Café del Sol confirming that it has not had its lease renewed at Camana Bay. Brad Bargman, one of the owners of the store, said it would close the location at the end of October. He said he had been told by Camana Bay man- agement that the space was being taken by Starbucks. A Dart Real Estate spokeswoman confirmed Café del Sol would be leaving the Camana Bay lo- cation. She said Dart had in- terest from potential tenants but would not comment on potential negotiations. Mr. Bargman said Café del Sol, a founding tenant at Camana Bay, was disappointed to leave, but hopeful that it could compete with Starbucks from its other locations at Marquee Plaza, in downtown George Town, and at a new venue opening in Savannah. Jamaican entrepreneurs Adam Stewart, the CEO of the Sandals hotel chain, and Ian Dear, who runs the Mar- garitaville restaurant fran- chise throughout the Carib- bean, are behind the plan to bring Starbucks to the Carib- bean. They have a franchise agreement through their com- pany, Caribbean Coffee Baristas, NO CONVICTION RECORDED IN ADAM ASSAULT TRIAL SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The trial of former government minister Mike Adam concluded Tuesday with Magis- trate Grace Donalds finding there was a case to be made for common assault, but electing not to record a conviction. Mr. Adam, a former MLA for George Town and former minister for community affairs and housing, was charged with assault following a heated altercation with a neighbor in West Bay. The complainant alleged that Mr. Adam had raised his fist and made contact with the neighbor’s cheek following an argument. The incident occurred on June 17, 2017, and the trial began in March this year. The pro- ceedings were adjourned twice; once because of a conflict in the schedules of the attorneys and the magistrate, and again because a wit- ness was ill and unable to testify in front of the court. That witness, Lissa Adam, Mr. Adam’s wife, testified Tuesday morning. Mrs. Adam said she had witnessed the altercation between the complainant and the defendant. GRAND COURT WILL REVIEW GOVERNMENT HIRING DISPUTE KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Grand Court will review a dispute be- tween the Ministry of Education and the Civil Service Appeals Commission involving a sit- uation where a non-Caymanian was hired to be the ministry’s human resources director over a Caymanian who says she was simi- larly qualified. This information was made public at a hearing Tuesday for the case, where Justice Ingrid Mangatal noted that the ministry’s ap- plication for a judicial review hearing was accepted by the court in May. Court records previously not available at the Grand Court Registry were also provided at the hearing, shedding more light on the dispute that has been taking place behind the scenes for more than a year. In September 2017, after the non-Cayma- nian was hired to be the ministry’s HR di- rector, the Caymanian applicant took her case to the Civil Service Appeals Commis- sion, arguing that the ministry had “acted un- fairly or in a biased manner” in making the hiring decision. On Dec. 20, 2017, the appeals commission, Jolly Roger runs aground for second time in month JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s iconic pirate-themed ship The Jolly Roger ran aground in George Town harbor amid rough seas Tuesday for the second time in a month. The Jolly Roger was leaning precari- ously on its side and taking on seawater near the Lobster Pot public dock, after breaking free from its moorings. A similar incident occurred on Sept. 10. The ship had been moored in front of North Church Street, near Rackam’s Water- front Bar & Grill. Speaking with the Cayman Compass Tuesday, crewmember Ryan Elle said he was notified of the incident by 911 around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. No crew or passengers were on board when the ship ran aground, and no injuries were reported. “We are still investigating what hap- pened,” said Mr. Elle by phone. “The pre- vious one [incident], someone was on board overnight and there was tampering on the last one. I am not entirely clear what hap- pened this time.” He said there were brand-new lines on the ship and that it was attended until 2 p.m. Monday, after which time he does not know what happened. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » The Jolly Roger lies almost on its side on the hardpan in George Town harbor Tuesday morning. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) VENOM (PG13) 12:20 I 4:20 VIP I 7:00 VIP I 7:15 9:00 3D I 10:00 NIGHT SCHOOL (PG13) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:00 I 9:40 THE PREDATOR (R) 2:00 I 4:45 I 9:40 VIP I 9:50 BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (PG13) 1:00 VIP I 3:25 I 9:20 THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (PG) 1:15 I 4:00 I 6:30 SMALLFOOT (PG) 3:00 3D I 5:20 I 7:40 BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 12:45 I 6:40 SUSPECTED DRUG IMPORTER DIES AFTER SWALLOWING COCAINE JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A suspected drug traf- ficker died after swal- lowing pellets of cocaine with an estimated street value of $25,000. The 44-year-old man died on Monday, Oct. 1, at a home in Prospect. The incident was initially reported to po- lice as a medical emergency. A post-mortem deter- mined the man had in- gested what police de- scribed as a “large number of pellets containing what is believed to be cocaine.” Some of the pellets were discovered to have rup- tured. According to police, the man had just returned from a trip to Honduras. Further tests are pending before a cause of death is determined and the coroner is investigating. Detective Superintendent Peter Lansdown said this type of incident was rela- tively rare but not unheard of in the Cayman Islands. He said it was an incred- ibly high-risk strategy. “It has been happening worldwide for a long, long time,” he said. “I under- stand there is an entice- ment, there is potential for financial gain, but they pay a very high price. “Whenever I have en- countered people involved in this, it is either in prison or in the morgue. There are potential for some very se- rious outcomes. It is not even worth considering as an option.” He said police were in- vestigating all the circum- stances and it was too early to say if this was an iso- lated incident or linked to a wider conspiracy. Crown opens case in robbery/cocaine trial Evidence will include CCTV, phone records CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran opened the Crown’s case on Tuesday against three men charged in connection with a robbery on the beach at Mor- ritt’s Resort on Christmas Eve last year. Marvin Gregory Grant is charged with the rob- bery – that he stole a quan- tity of packages from a named person and at the time of doing so put the man in fear of force being used. Fred Allon McLaughlin and Al Elford McLaughlin are charged with aiding and abetting Mr. Grant. All three are charged with conspiracy to supply con- trolled drugs. Mr. Moran explained that the packages washed up on the beach at Mor- ritt’s on Dec. 24. They were shaped like bricks, wrapped tightly in black plastic and green duct tape. Police were called and the packages were put under a chair, with a staff member sitting on the chair to guard them until police arrived. The Crown’s case was that Mr. Grant was the masked man who approached the guard and said, “This is for me,” in reference to the pack- ages. He then took them up in his arms and hurried up the path from the beach to the car park area. He was pursued by the guard who had been waiting for police. A red truck re- versed in a manner that appeared to deliberately block the guard’s path. The Crown alleged that Fred McLaughlin was the driver of the truck. Mr. Moran shared binders of documents with jurors. These included photos taken from CCTV footage around the resort property. They also included tele- phone records. One re- cord showed a call to Al McLaughlin from his wife, who worked at the resort. The Crown’s case is that this defendant organized the rob- bery by telephone after re- ceiving the call from his wife. Records showed several calls between the men within a specific time frame. Mr. Moran said one of the packages that washed up was left behind at the scene and jurors had a pic- ture of the package. Mr. Moran said the package was analyzed and found to con- tain approximately one kilo of cocaine. The other pack- ages have never been recov- ered, he added. Mr. Grant was arrested Christmas Eve night. He said he had been fishing in the af- ternoon and left his car at the East End dock with the keys in it and any of his friends could have borrowed it. Fred McLaughlin was ar- rested and interviewed on Jan. 9. He told police he often drove to Morritt’s to see who was at the bar. On Christmas Eve, he drove up to the beachfront and looked around. He was shocked to see a masked man carrying something away and he be- lieved something unlawful was taking place, so he re- versed back out. Al McLaughlin denied any involvement in the robbery, saying he had been home most of the day. On Jan. 29, police found a set of digital scales at his home and anal- ysis showed traces of co- caine. He denied knowledge of the scales. Mr. Moran cautioned that the Crown had to prove the case against each defen- dant and unless the case was proved, they were entitled to be acquitted. He expected to bring his first witnesses to give their evidence on Wednesday morning. Mr. Grant is represented by attorney Anthony Aki- wumi; Fred McLaughlin by attorneys Laurence Aiolfi and Jonathon Hughes; and Al McLaughlin by attorney Crister Brady. Cayman participates in international congress Three Cayman voices rose as one last month to bring attention to the epi- demic of child abuse and ne- glect in the Caribbean and in the wider world. Cindy Blekaitis, Camila Ferreira and Carolina Fer- reira spoke on behalf of Cay- man’s Protection Starts Here multi-agency working group at the International So- ciety for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’s XXII International Congress on Child Abuse and Ne- glect, held in the Czech Re- public last month. The group showed a screening of local documen- tary “Unspeakable: Con- fronting Child Sexual Abuse in the Cayman Islands” and led a panel discussion about the grassroots prevention ef- forts made in Cayman since 2012. The trio of speakers was the only group from the Caribbean and Central America, and was one of only four media theater presenta- tions that were accepted for this year’s congress. “It was a real privilege to be able to share what we have been doing with such a broad international au- dience,” said Carolina Fer- reira, program manager for child protection and sexu- ality education. “Oftentimes, we focus on how far we have to go without taking into ac- count that we have made real strides, and these confer- ences allow us the opportu- nity to gain and contribute.” Ms. Blekaitis works for the Employee Assistance Pro- gramme, while Camila Fer- reira works for the Ministry of Education and Carolina Ferreira for the Cayman Is- lands Red Cross. More than 30 people from seven different countries at- tended the presentation. “I found that the audience was very engaged and in- terested because it was rel- evant, not only to their com- munities, but also to where their efforts were at,” said Camila Ferreira, program manager for at-risk youth within the Ministry of Edu- cation. “There was one par- ticipant from Singapore who not only engaged us during the session but who sought us out afterwards as a way to get more information on our initiatives, which is al- ways really encouraging and humbling.” The International So- ciety for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect was formed in 1977 and is attempting to prevent cru- elty to children in every form and in every nation. The so- ciety’s congress is held every two years. “We are very pleased that the PSH group was able to not only be present, but to represent the partnership that really makes this group unique,” said Jondo Obi, di- rector of the Cayman Is- lands Red Cross. “This group has done and continues to do great work, and there’s no doubt in our minds that this ‘Cayman model’ can be adapted and adopted throughout the region and the world as more and more people take ownership of keeping children safe in their communities.” Mr. Moran said one of the packages that washed up was left behind at the scene … the package was analyzed and found to contain approximately one kilo of cocaine. The other packages have never been recovered, he added. Protection Starts Here working group members Cindy Blekaitis, Camila Ferreira and Carolina Ferreira at the ISPCAN 2018 conference in Prague. HEAVY RAINS CAUSE DEATHS IN CENTRAL AMERICA SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) – At least 13 people have lost their lives in rains that inundated parts of El Salvador, Honduras and Ni- caragua over the weekend. Disaster agencies in all three countries reported deaths as roofs collapsed and residents were carried away by swollen rivers. Six people died in Honduras, four in Nicaragua and three in El Salvador. Authorities were also searching for a boy swept away by a river in Guatemala. Most of the rain was blamed on a low-pres- sure system off the Pacific coast of El Salvador. Hur- ricane Michael in the Ca- ribbean could have also contributed. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 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. Caribbean musician feted for lifetime achievement SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Earl La Pierre has spent his life bringing Caribbean rhythms to the world. And now, the world is thanking him for it. Mr. La Pierre, a native of Trinidad who has spent ex- tensive time in Canada and Cayman, was feted on Sept. 23 with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean Music & Entertainment Awards. The event was held in To- ronto, where Mr. La Pierre has starred at the local Caribana festival for decades. Mr. La Pierre, a virtuoso on the steel pan, leads a Toronto band named Afropan Steel- band and has taught music at multiple schools in Cayman for more than 30 years. “It means everything,” said Mr. La Pierre of his recent Lifetime Achievement Award. “I’ve been getting awards, awards, awards.” Mr. La Pierre was an in- structor at the University of Toronto when he came to Cayman for the first time. The year was 1986, and he came to town as a performer for Pirates Week. But he fell in love with Cayman and began sensing the opportunity to bring the steel pan to a new Caribbean locale. “It was country,” he said of Cayman’s music scene. “Guys walking around in boots with big hats and big belts. I was like, ‘Wow! How can these guys be looking like a cowboy with the ocean right over there?’” Mr. La Pierre gave a local workshop to school children on that first journey in 1986, and right before he left, he received a phone call from the proprietors of the Trea- sure Island resort. “They said, ‘Hey, we need somebody like you here to play for us,’” he said. “Tour- ists love the steel pan. I was teaching at the Univer- sity of Toronto at that time. I gave that up and I came back and I’m still here.” De- cades later, Mr. La Pierre said the steel pan has really caught on in Cayman, and he dubbed himself “The Godfa- ther” to multiple generations of bands that learned from his tutelage. Even now, Mr. La Pierre said, he is able to pass on his knowledge to children and adults alike. The veteran of stage and song said that he teaches a group of adults at the University College of the Cayman Islands, but the most fertile minds that pick up the instrument are still in grade school. “Especially now, young people are grabbing it,” he said. “I teach the steel pan here in six schools. It’s grown this year. Instead of having 16 kids, I have 40 kids. They’re all in double num- bers now in classes.” The instrument is easy to learn, he said, and it provides immediate divi- dends. Mr. La Pierre is a self-taught musician, and he said that people pick it up pretty quickly with a little bit of guidance. “In a year, they’ll be great,” Mr. La Pierre said. “In my adult class, they meet once a week every Monday from 6 to 8 [p.m.]. When I finish with them, they’ll have at least six songs they can per- form anywhere.”Earl La Pierre shows off his Lifetime Achievement Award. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY POWER OUTAGE ACROSS GRAND CAYMAN Thousands of customers across Grand Cayman lost power Tuesday morning for about an hour. According to the Carib- bean Utilities Company, ini- tial investigations point to “a loss of generation in one of the engine rooms.” The power went out at 6:19 a.m. and the 15,088 cus- tomers affected were restored at 7:05 a.m., CUC spokes- woman Pat Bynoe-Clarke said. CREWE ROAD LANE TO CLOSE WEDNESDAY Traffic traveling toward Crewe Road on the Kings Gym roundabout are ad- vised to use the Linford Pierson Highway instead on Wednesday as the westbound lane of the roundabout will be closed while roadwork in the area continues. The lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Traffic signs will be posted in the general vi- cinity of the work areas and motorists are asked to drive with caution and obey all instructions from staff on the ground. The veteran of stage and song said that he teaches a group of adults at the University College of the Cayman Islands, but the most fertile minds that pick up the instrument are still in grade school.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. “Unfortunately, as a result of information which recently came to the attention of the Board of Direc- tors and which has been investigated, a decision was taken to terminate the employment of the CEO of CINICO with immediate effect. The Board of Directors does not propose to make any further comments at this time.” – Full statement from Cayman Islands National Insurance Company (CINICO) Board of Directors on the dismissal of CEO Lonny Tibbetts The government’s cursory announcement of the firing of Lonny Tibbetts (after eight years’ leading CINICO) mas- querades as information, but it is actually an insult – to the public’s intelligence, and to the public’s right to know. The two-sentence press release, sent via Government Information Services late Monday afternoon, does not include the nature of the investigation, who did the inves- tigating or what were the results. It neither mentions Mr. Tibbetts by name, identifies the CINICO board members who made the decision, nor contains the signa- ture of any individual. It doesn’t hint at next steps for the investigation or the now-CEOless public entity. The contemptuous undertones are practically palpable. When a Compass reporter called CINICO Board Chair- woman Patricia Estwick and requested clarification, she hung up on him. Minister of Health Dwayne Seymour responded to a request for comment with a brief text message saying he was in a meeting. CINICO is a significant public entity and a major force in Cayman’s healthcare market. CINICO’s operating expenses for 2019 are estimated to exceed $90 million (not including an additional tens of millions of dollars per year for medical emergencies locally and overseas) – primarily supplied by the government (i.e., taxpayers). Its eight-member board of directors, appointed by Cabinet, receives collective remu- neration of about $500,000 per year. The government-owned company provides health insurance for more than 15,000 people, including public employees and our country’s most vulnerable populations, such as pensioners, seafarers, veterans and the poor. In other words, the public interest in this issue could not be greater, and Monday’s press release cannot consti- tute government’s sole or final word on the matter. In terms of the grounds required to terminate a public employee for alleged (or even proven) wrongdoing, the threshold established by Cayman’s government typically coincides with criminal conviction in a court of law. Whatever the investigation did reveal apparently was sufficient to cause CINICO’s board to dismiss its CEO. This must not be a case where an employee loses his job and everyone walks away without further comment. Then again, in secrecy in this and other instances, Cayman’s government appears to be adhering to the example set by the United Kingdom, which refuses to offer any explanation as to the removal of Anwar Choud- hury from the Office of the Governor, the highest public position in Cayman. We have, perhaps, belabored all that the CINICO press release did not say. One word, however, did stand out. That word is “recently” – as in the CINICO Board “recently” found out about the investigation. Really? It is our understanding that the investigation into Mr. Tibbetts has been pursued for many months, if not more than a year. If that is true, how is it possible the board had no information until “recently?” If the board felt obligated to take immediate action in regard to Mr. Tibbetts now, why did it not feel similarly obligated to take preemptive or preparatory action before – i.e., suspension, or at minimum formulating a substantive public statement to be issued at the time of termination? No part of our editorial comment should be taken as presumption that Mr. Tibbetts is guilty of anything. Quite the opposite. For legal, ethical and societal reasons, every person possesses a presumption of innocence. The gov- ernment’s muteness on the reason for Mr. Tibbetts’s dis- missal is as damaging to his reputation as would be sub- stantive allegations. Perhaps even more so – because one cannot defend oneself against silence. One important component of government account- ability is holding individuals responsible for their actions. Co-equal with that is transparency – conducting govern- ment business in public to eliminate opportunities for abuse, by individuals or institutions. CINICO CEO fired: Government’s ‘silent treatment’ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Resolving traffic gridlock I write with great concern on behalf of the people of the three eastern districts and as a concerned citizen, com- munity leader, businessman and former minister of gov- ernment. I will be forwarding it to the premier and minis- ters responsible who sit in Cabinet and all representa- tives from the eastern dis- tricts, hopefully for their ur- gent attention. The reason I am doing this publicly is to hopefully encourage some much-needed debate, and to get all of us thinking about possible solutions. I am a fairly regular early morning “walker” for my per- sonal health at the track at Bodden Town Primary School. Prior to the summer holi- days I walked consistently for about three months be- tween the hours of 5:30 and 7 a.m. and saw firsthand traffic flow from the east on the main road, as well as through Condor Road next to the school and track. Re- member now, this time period before summer was when the roadworks were at their peak in terms of the highway work, etc., in the Crewe Road area. Surprisingly, traffic flowed pretty smoothly and steadily, although one could easily identify peak times, as ex- pected. I took a break from my morning regimen in the summer and I have recently started back and SURPRISE, now that the roadworks are largely complete and we have double lanes largely in place from Prospect to George Town central, the traffic situation has gotten worse, and I mean a lot worse! From 6:15 a.m., traffic is mostly at a stand- still from the Bodden Town Public School area, and this gets worse through 7:15 or 7:30 a.m., sometimes backed up as far as my gas station in central Bodden Town. The problem we have now is to find and implement a palatable solution to a con- sumer who is spoilt with the freedom to import, own and drive their OWN vehicle, yours truly included. One thing is for sure: we cannot continue to build roads on this small island, on land that could be better used for housing and much-needed agriculture. Folks, there are NO easy solutions and NO one solution, but there is need for URGENT attention. Here is a possible, but not ex- haustive, list of ideas: 1. We have to restrict the amount of vehicles imported into the country (over 200 a month right now) and set a monthly or yearly quota, and if you miss that quota, then you simply wait for when your car can be imported in a following batch; 2. Restrict the age of cars on the road to 10 years, max. If they are older, they should be disposed of or attract an increased license fee (say, double) e.g., an antique that has an owner with significant disposable income; 3. We should restrict the amount of cars per house- hold to two, and if you desire or feel you need more than this, you pay a premium li- cense fee on the extra vehi- cles. This money will go into a segregated fund toward public transport and roads; 4. Persons here on work permits should NOT own cars, but be encour- aged to use public trans- port and other means of car pooling, etc.; 5. Vehicle depots should be built in the Frank Sound and Prospect areas and a re- liable PUBLIC Bus system (preferably privately run) put in place to shuttle per- sons back and forth from the depot to proper bus termi- nals with shelter and ame- nities for the convenience of the passengers; 6. Incentives should be provided for car pooling, e.g., via license fee reductions to encourage this practice. A car pool lane for cars with four or more passengers is an- other incentive idea. 7. Employers in George Town should offer flex-time to workers between the hours of, say, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., thereby reducing how many persons are rushing in for an 8 or 8:30 a.m. start to the day; 8. Decentralization of ser- vices from George Town by government and private en- terprise is self explanatory. Folks, one cannot please everyone, and a country should be run for the benefit of its citizens and residents and for the pleasure of those who visit our shores. We CANNOT continue with the state of play as far as traffic is concerned, and it’s obvious we cannot “road build” our way out of congestion, as I showed at the beginning of this letter. This is not about poli- tics or any one group of people; this is about our is- land home and the comfort we all should live in. As I said before, it speaks directly to QUALITY OF LIFE and the stress we see around us and the many, young and old, that are dropping down with health issues. Please speak to those sitting in traffic for 60 to 90 minutes each a.m. or p.m. and ask them about their stress levels and what they wish they were doing in- stead (family time, exercise, relaxing etc.,), or to the gar- bage truck driver trying to do his job in the a.m., or the bus drivers trying to get kids to school, et al, and then it will be clear how much this is in need of an early solution. I trust that my plea will not fall on deaf ears, and an urgent bipartisan research commission be formed to propose and implement a number of solutions. I believe there are some quick wins and others can be in the me- dium and long term. Hon. Osbourne Bodden, JP This is not about politics or any one group of people, this is about our island home and the comfort we all should live in. 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 find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 Woman burgled friends’ apartment CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Entering the home of friends as a trespasser with intent to steal is a breach of trust, Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats said on Monday when he sentenced Leidy Montero Gutierrez to 16 months’ im- prisonment for burglary. Ms. Gutierrez, 27, pleaded guilty to the offense, committed on March 29 this year in George Town. Crown counsel Garcia Kelly explained that the defen- dant had been at her friends’ apartment the previous day, when one of the occupants mis- placed her front door key. Ms. Gutierrez found it and kept it. The next evening, two of the occupants left the apartment securely locked and went to a bar. Ms. Gutierrez was there at the establishment. After a while, she left, asking a male patron for a ride. She told him she was going to a family friend’s home, but in fact di- rected him to the complainants’ apartment. While she was gone from the bar, she kept in con- tact with the two women. She then returned to the bar, stayed about two hours and left again. The complainants returned to their apartment around 11:30 p.m. and found that it had been broken into. The back door was wide open and the place had been ransacked, Mr. Kelly said. The two women and a third person who lived there noted that several items were missing, including $1,000 in cash, a gold chain with coin pendants, a gold ring, a Louis Vuitton handbag and two other amounts of cash. They called police. Later, they viewed a neigh- bor’s CCTV and recognized the defendant approaching and leaving the apartment on the night of the burglary. Police obtained a search warrant and went to a West Bay residence where Ms. Gutierrez was staying with a male friend. Nothing was found. She was ar- rested and interviewed, but de- nied being the person in the CCTV and denied the burglary. Police persisted in their in- vestigation, Mr. Kelly told the court. They traced the license number of a vehicle seen on CCTV and obtained another search warrant. The owner confirmed how his vehicle had come to be at the scene of the burglary. In early April, officers re- ceived information that caused them to meet again with Ms. Gutierrez and her male friend. She took them to a grassy area where she had thrown the handbag and then to a West Bay residence where a chain, pendant, ring and about $1,580 in cash were found in a bag under a flower pot. She said that represented all that she had taken. Interviewed again, Ms. Gutierrez admitted to finding the apartment key and keeping it with the intention of committing burglary. She explained that she was soon going home to the Dominican Republic and had nothing to take back with her. Mr. Kelly said the aggra- vating features of the offense included its planning, the ran- sacking, the attempt to con- ceal evidence, and the abuse of trust after being invited into the complainants’ home as a friend. Defense attorney Jonathon Hughes emphasized mitigating factors. He said the ransacking was limited to tossing clothing on the floor. He said the only vandalism was lipstick on a mirror. The magistrate said the lipstick was an effort to point the investigation in someone else’s direction. He said the victims had come home and did not know what they would find: “It’s almost a Hollywood terror movie, with writing on the mirror.” Mr. Hughes said the com- plainants were acquaintances rather than friends and Ms. Gutierrez did not have the gall to burgle a stranger’s home. “She was desperate not to go home with nothing,” he told the court. Ms. Gutierrez had held several temporary work permits in various bars, where she was often not properly re- munerated, he explained. The attorney asked for credit for his client’s early guilty plea and assistance in recovering stolen items. The magistrate said it had to be an aggravating factor that Ms. Gutierrez had stolen from people who were at least acquaintances, if not friends. Stealing from strangers means that they lose goods; stealing from someone you know adds a feeling of “my friend betrayed me,” which had to be more se- rious, he told the defendant. The sentence starting point for burglary of a dwelling is three years, he noted. Miti- gating factors reduced it to two years. With full one-third credit for the guilty plea, the mag- istrate said the sentence was further reduced to 16 months. The court had to send a message to people who might be thinking of committing this sort of crime, he observed: “The crude tool the court has is jail, but that’s how the mes- sage is sent.” This was not an appropriate case for a sus- pended sentence, he con- cluded, so the defendant was taken into immediate custody. CAYMAN POLITICIANS’ NAMES USED IN ONLINE SCAM The RCIPS Financial Crime Unit is advising the public of an online scam on Facebook Messenger and possibly other social media. Calls and messages re- ceived over Facebook Mes- senger purport to be from Cayman Islands politi- cians McKeeva Bush, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly or Bernie Bush, according to police. The scam involves people receiving flyers and other in- formation informing them that they have been selected to receive a US$50,000 grant from the “United Nation Democratic Fund.” Potential victims are instructed that, in order to receive the grant, they have to send amounts ranging from US$150-$750 for government processing fees and shipping fees. Victims are then instructed to send money via Western Union to recipients under var- ious names, and then to send the Western Union receipts via Facebook Messenger, along with a copy of the victim’s ID. “The RCIPS would like to make clear that this is an on- going online scam and that there is no such facility of- fering such a grant to Cay- manians,” police said in the statement. The Financial Crime Unit advised users not to accept friend requests from strangers; not to click unknown links of- fering financial grants; not to send personal information, copies of passports or any other method of identification to anyone online; to change Facebook privacy settings so activities can only be seen by the user and his or her friends; and never to send money to strangers they meet online. “We have seen a significant increase in these types of on- line scams in the Cayman Is- lands, or targeting locals, in recent months,” said Detec- tive Chief Inspector Richard Barrow. “As such, it is more important than ever for people to remain aware and take all necessary precautions when using social media.” Anyone who thinks their online information has been compromised or who has received such a request can contact the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit at RCIPS.FCU@gov.ky or 949-8797.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS and have already opened stores in Jamaica. Mr. Dear told the Cayman Compass in an email, “Both Turks & Caicos and the Cayman Islands fall under our license agreement and we are on track to open our first Starbucks stores, in both islands, by the end of the year.” Mr. Stewart told news site Loop Jamaica that the com- pany had plans for three stores in the Cayman Islands. Nicola Groves, marketing manager for Caribbean Coffee Baristas, said she was not able to confirm store lo- cations at this point. She said the company was committed to growing the Starbucks brand throughout the Caribbean and saw Cayman as an ideal location. “With the majority of Cay- manians familiar with the brand, we believe the re- sponse locally will be a strong one,” she said. The imminent arrival of a global brand with the power and name recognition of Starbucks has sent a ripple of concern through the local business community. But Paul Storey, who runs the Paperman’s Coffee- house, which has several lo- cations across the island, said the local coffee houses were good enough to com- pete with anyone. “I think Starbucks does a great job,” he said. “We have got plenty of great coffee houses here already so they will need to do a great job. There are dozens of places that serve great coffee and great food. We are all com- peting for that food and drink market. People could choose to go anywhere, but they choose to come here. One advantage we have is we bake everything fresh on site every day. “Of course, everyone is going to want to go to Star- bucks because of the name. I’m sure they will do a good job, but so will we.” Café del Sol’s Mr. Bargman said it was a blow to lose the Camana Bay location. “Our lease is not being re- newed and we have been told by management that Star- bucks is coming in here,” he said. Mr. Bargman said Café del Sol, a local company co- owned by him and Leticia Scott, had been at that loca- tion, next to Books & Books for 11 years. He said they had been offered other spots within Camana Bay, but no- where that was suitable. He hopes customers will remain loyal and visit its stores elsewhere on the is- land, including a new café opening in Savannah in a new mall near the Country- side Shopping Centre. “People love us, and the feedback we have been get- ting is that people are very disappointed to see us leave the Camana Bay location,” Mr. Bargman said. “We know people will go to Star- bucks but we believe the local customers will keep coming to us because they appreciate the service and the quality we provide.” He said the fast food market showed that quality local companies could still thrive in the face of com- petition from interna- tional chains. “In Marquee Plaza, you have Wendy’s and Burger King right there, but when Burger Shack opened, they were very successful,” Mr. Bargman said. Ms. Groves said more de- tails would be released soon about Starbucks’ plans in Cayman. “We respect all our competitors, wherever we do business, and what they bring to this market. Any- thing that supports and helps elevate the specialty coffee market is good for ev- eryone,” she said. Dart Real Estate said in a statement that it was ap- preciative of the service Café Del Sol had provided over 10 years in Camana Bay. The statement read: “It is important to maintain a thriving town with offerings representative of the ever- evolving needs of the nearly 2,000 people who live and work in Camana Bay. The commitment to these members of the Camana Bay community, and the visitors who frequent the Town Centre, means assess- ment of services is often undertaken to ensure the best experience possible is being offered. “Dart Real Estate con- tinues to receive interest from potential tenants wishing to open a location in Camana Bay. As is common practice in commercial oper- ations, Dart Real Estate does not comment on any poten- tial negotiations.” The dispute began over boundary markings di- viding their properties and escalated into a heated de- bate. Mrs. Adam testified that the complainant asked Mr. Adam if he was senile at one point in the argu- ment, and she said that her husband approached the neighbor with a raised fist. Mrs. Adam said she did not see any contact between the two men, adding that rather than re- treating, it seemed like the complainant was ad- vancing on Mr. Adam. “I don’t know what you do,” Mrs. Adam said. “Run in the house and lock the door?” Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson said in his closing argument that it was a very unfortunate incident and that it was clear the offense was “a very minor charge on the spectrum of charges.” Later, Mr. Ferguson noted that the witnesses dif- fered on whether there was contact between the com- plainant and defendant, and said, “Common assault can be committed without the touching of bodies.” Defense attorney Waide DaCosta noted that the in- cident was avoidable and stemmed from a “petty” in- terpretation of a boundary marker that was allegedly in the wrong place by “an inch or two.” “Words can also be an assault,” said Mr. DaCosta of the root of the alterca- tion. “[The complainant] was always the aggressor. He was an aggressor with the boundaries.” After listening to the witness and both attor- neys, Magistrate Donalds said that she was convinced that a case for common as- sault had been made. She said that she was prepared to invoke Section 41 of the Cayman Islands Penal Code in withholding conviction for the defendant. “Your clients were very consistent in their evidence, but it’s a common assault,” the magistrate said to Mr. DaCosta. “Most definitely, it was the complainant who provoked this incident.” Section 41 of the Penal Code lays out the circum- stances in which a magis- trate may choose to not re- cord a conviction. It states, in part: “Where, in a trial, a court thinks that the charge is proved, but is of the opinion that, having re- gard to the character, an- tecedents, age, health or mental condition of the ac- cused, or to the trivial na- ture of the offence or to the extenuating circumstances in which the offence was committed, it is inexpedient to inflict any punishment, the court may, without pro- ceeding to conviction, make an order … [to discharge] the accused absolutely.” chaired by former Deputy Governor Donovan Ebanks, agreed that there was ev- idence that the ministry “acted unfairly toward the [Caymanian job applicant] during the selection phase of the recruitment process.” The commission ordered that the Caymanian applicant be offered the post as of Feb. 15, 2018, and that she receive additional compensation for pay she would have received if she had been hired for the human resources job at the date it was first awarded, in late September. The appeals commission also ordered that the non-Caymanian be re- moved from his position, ef- fective Feb. 14, 2018. In its decision, the com- mission expressed “disap- pointment in [former Educa- tion Ministry Chief Officer Christen Suckoo] for failing to acknowledge or reply to the request of the Commis- sion to provide a detailed response answering the al- legations made in the [Cay- manian’s] submissions.” The commission stated that it sent an email and made two calls to the office of Mr. Suckoo – who has since been transferred to the Utility Reg- ulation and Competition Of- fice (OfReg) – but never re- ceived a response. However, Mr. Suckoo claims in a judicial review application against the or- ders that he did not see the email sent to him until he re- ceived a copy of the commis- sion’s decision on Dec. 21. He also said he checked his voicemail and did not find any messages from the Civil Service Appeals Commission, according to the judicial re- view application. “The notice of appeal, the appeal bundle, and related documents ought to have been served on the Ministry by leaving a hard copy with the Chief Officer at his offices or by service upon the Chief Officer through the post,” the judicial review application argues. “The risk of an email going unseen is too great and, as in this case, causes uncertainty.” At a hearing on Tuesday, Kirsten Houghton, who is representing the Civil Service Appeals Commission, noted that her client is not a court of law, and therefore is not bound by Grand Court rules when it comes to serving documents. This argument was not developed in detail, as Tuesday’s hearing was just for case management. But even without Mr. Suckoo’s response, the Civil Service Appeals Commis- sion still should not have made the ruling in favor of the Caymanian, the judicial review application argues. This is because the commis- sion still should have consid- ered the ministry’s interview panel report, which noted that the Caymanian did not have the required experience in managing large HR teams or an in-depth knowledge of budget management – in con- trast to the non-Caymanian, who had such experience, ac- cording to the application. “The Director of HR for the Ministry must be ca- pable of managing the en- tire HR function, with all of its complexities in the largest Ministry of the Gov- ernment, placing that person ultimately in a position to be responsible for recruit- ment, strategic HR and op- erational HR for over 1,000 staff and managing a core team of 9 employees,” the ap- plication states, adding that removing the current, non- Caymanian HR director from his post would amount to a breach of contract, which would have “significant legal and financial implications, since the termination would be without cause.” “[The commission’s] order that the contract of employ- ment with the [non-Cayma- nian] be rescinded … was so outrageous in its defiance of logic and of accepted legal standards that no sensible person who had applied his mind to the question to be decided could have arrived at it,” the Ministry of Educa- tion argued in its judicial re- view application. For these reasons and more, the Civil Service Ap- peals Commission’s deci- sion and orders should be quashed, the ministry argued. At Tuesday’s hearing, dates were set and the par- ties involved in the dispute were determined. For ex- ample, Justice Mangatal said the position of chief of- ficer – not Mr. Suckoo as an individual – should be a party to the case. The Caymanian’s attorney, Natasha Bodden, also said she intends to file an applica- tion for judicial review on be- half of her client. That appli- cation will seek to force the Ministry of Education to im- plement the Civil Service Ap- peals Commission’s orders. Ms. Houghton said that to her knowledge, this is the first time a chief officer has not implemented a decision by the commission. Justice Mangatal or- dered that the Caymanian’s judicial review application should be filed by Monday. If that judicial review appli- cation is also accepted, both cases will be heard concur- rently, she said. “This is an unusual sit- uation in which you have a government entity or of- ficer challenging the decision of another government set- up entity. Ordinarily, a judi- cial review is for the citizen to be protected against ex- cesses of government,” the justice stated. Justice Mangatal encour- aged the parties to reach a settlement in the matter, but Crown counsel Anne-Marie Rambarran said this would be complicated given that the current ministry HR director is already under contract. “Right now, it’s sitting on its side, so it will take a bit more effort to get it going,” he said, adding that the ship was taking on water. He said it had not yet been ascertained how much damage the ship had suf- fered in the grounding. “We have a team coming out to evaluate and take a look at her,” he added. He said the ship was in- sured and he was hopeful it would be back in the water in time for the Nov. 8-12 Pi- rates Week festivities. Port Authority Deputy Director Willem Jacobs confirmed on Tuesday af- ternoon that the listing ship was no danger to other ships. “It was rough weather that actually caused the mooring lines to break in the middle of the night,” Mr. Jacobs said. He said a private team was working to get the ship off of its side as quickly as possible. He added that the rough seas had caused the Port Authority to close the harbor Tuesday. He said two cargo vessels were sitting near the coast off North Side, waiting to see if the weather cleared. Four cruise ships that had been scheduled to stop in Cayman on Monday and Tuesday bypassed the island because of the sea conditions. Following last month’s grounding, the Department of Environment checked the site to see if any damage had been done to the seabed and found that the affected area consisted mainly of hard-packed seabed, but there were a few small coral colonies in the area that sustained serious damage. DoE staff were again at the scene of Tuesday’s grounding. DoE Deputy Di- rector Scott Slaybaugh told the Compass in an email that weather conditions were preventing the de- partment from performing any in-water investigation to assess potential environ- mental damage, but added that this would be done once the weather clears up. No conviction recorded in Adam assault trial CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jolly Roger runs aground for second time in month CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Starbucks confirms Cayman plans CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Grand Court will review government hiring dispute CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 CUSTOMER NOTICE Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Ltd. wishes to advise that due to the announcement by the Federal Reserve to increase the federal funds rate by 0.25% on September 27, 2018, the following changes will occur: • USD Prime Rate 5.00% to 5.25% Effective September 27, 2018 • KYD Prime Rate 5.00% to 5.25% Effective October 11, 2018 All products linked to USD and KYD Prime Rates will be adjusted on the effective dates indicated. ® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Airport ponds too inviting for birds JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Air- ports Authority plans to fill ponds at the Owen Roberts International Airport that are attracting birds and posing a threat to aircraft safety. Canadian civil engi- neering company Stantec was hired in March to complete design work for upgrades to the airside infrastructure at the airport, including filling in the ponds and developing an airport drainage plan. That design work is ex- pected to be completed next month, and then a new bid process will be undertaken to find a company to complete the works, which also include strengthening the runway, expanding the apron and adding a perimeter road for airfield access vehicles. Construction is ex- pected to begin in the second quarter of 2019. The airports authority has tried several different methods, including the use of air cannons, to deter birds from roosting at the airport, amid concerns that they could fly into plane engines. Bird strikes are an issue that airports around the world have to deal with, and Cayman has had its share of incidents over the years, al- though none have been se- rious. In 2017, around 13 bird strike incidents were re- corded by the Cayman Is- lands Airports Authority. Filling in the ponds is considered to be the long- term solution. However, according to Rhonda Verhoeven, the au- thority’s business develop- ment and marketing man- ager, in an email to the Compass, when it comes to the ponds, “it is a very complicated process as one has to consider the ef- fects on rainwater retention and the surrounding areas and must be approached very carefully.” These small culverts of water in the ground at the end of the airstrip, she said, “are collecting water from their surrounding areas” around the airport. During rain, culverts at the end of the airstrip fill with water and insects come to the surface, attracting birds in search of food. “The ponds are what we consider a natural attrac- tant for birds and other wildlife; however, no bird strike has ever been attrib- uted to the ponds directly,” Ms. Verhoeven said. However, she said, an air- craft recently experienced a bird strike, with no effect on the operation of the aircraft. After landing, the aircraft was inspected for damage and subsequently continued operations for the day She also said the largest types of wild birds that fre- quent the ponds are cattle egrets. However, from time to time, flocks of smaller birds, such as swallows and sparrows, are also seen in the area. She said the natural North American migration of birds going south for the winter is usually experienced from September to December. Some of the birds return be- tween March to May when they go north to breed. The Cayman Islands Air- ports Authority has a Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Plan. According to Ms. Verho- even, the plan includes pro- cedures for habitat modi- fication, such as removing attractants like trees and seeds on the airside of the airport, as well as proce- dures for reporting wildlife during aircraft operations. She added that special pro- cedures are in place to re- move any hazard and no- tify aircrews. The airport has consid- ered using dogs to deter the birds. Ms. Verhoeven said the airports authority has been approached by dog trainers, but because the bird problem is so erratic – birds one day, no birds the next – they have not come up with a response that is economically feasible for a sustained operation on their part. The use of insecticides was not being considered as a means to rid the ponds of birds, she said. “As a responsible corpo- rate citizen of the Cayman Islands, we are cognizant of the environment and would not be introducing any in- secticide into the ponds, as it will certainly make its way to our water table,” Ms. Verho- even explained. Cattle egrets wander through grass at the Owen Roberts International Airport. An engineering company is currently drawing up plans to fill the ponds at the airport that attract birds to the area. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Lighthouse School dedi- cated Friday to mark National Cerebral Palsy Day. Cerebral palsy, a neu- rological disorder that af- fects movement, motor skills and muscle tone, is caused by brain damage that de- velops while the baby is still in utero or during or shortly after birth. Treatments include medication, physical and oc- cupational therapy, behav- ioral therapy and surgeries to treat deformities. “We are raising awareness about disabilities such as ce- rebral palsy, Down syndrome, visual and hearing impair- ment, social needs and spe- cial needs teachers who ad- dress these needs,” said Sarah Warwick, a special needs teacher at the school. Students gave $2 to par- ticipate in the dress-down day and throughout the day were congratulated on their achieve- ments during a special as- sembly in the hall. “It’s to put a positive spin on disability so that kids can feel more positive about it,” Ms. Warwick said. Nicolas Tormo-Ortiz, a teacher of the visually im- paired, worked with students on visual exploration and stim- ulation in the Sensory Room. “We are also trying to raise awareness on cortical visual impairment, or CVI, a term used to describe visual impair- ment that occurs due to a brain injury,” Mr. Tormo-Ortiz said. “CVI is a type of visual im- pairment that is not caused by any eye problems. It’s dealing with how the brain processes visual information, therefore, it’s difficult to spot,” he added. Working with an iPad in a darkened room and wearing black so there was no interfer- ence with colors, Mr. Tormo- Ortiz said the school created an environment in which stu- dents could concentrate fully on the visuals. He said Cere- bral Palsy Day, which fell on Saturday, Oct. 6 this year, was a good time to bring aware- ness to this visual disorder. Lighthouse School spreads awareness of cerebral palsy Lighthouse School students gather to mark Cerebral Palsy Day on Friday. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Haiti quake death toll rises to 17 Officials say nine people died in the northern city of Port-de-Paix, seven in Gros Morne and one in Saint-Louis de Nord as a result of the weekend’s 5.9 earthquake. The government said late Monday that at least 7,783 families are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Stan eld DaCosta Barton July 11th, 1924 - October 1st, 2018 Who passed away peacefully at home in Clarendon, Jamaica. A anksgiving Service will be held at Rock Hall Methodist Church, St Andrew, Jamaica at 11am on Saturday October 20th, 2018 Viewing will be held from 10am-11am Interment will follow at the Church cemetery. We regret to announce the death of Hurricane Michael gains strength, takes aim at northern Florida MIAMI (AP) – Hurricane Mi- chael intensified into a Cat- egory 2 over warm Gulf of Mexico waters Tuesday amid fears it would strike Florida on Wednesday as an even stronger hurricane. Manda- tory evacuations were is- sued as beach dwellers rushed to board up homes just ahead of what could be a devastating hit. A hurricane hunter plane that bounced into the swirling eye off the western tip of Cuba found wind speeds rising. By 8 a.m. Tuesday, top winds had reached 100 mph, and it was forecast to strengthen into a “major” hurricane, with winds topping 111 mph. The speed of the storm barreling toward the Florida Panhandle – Michael was moving north-northwest at 12 mph – was among the hazards worrying forecasters at the National Hurricane Center on Tuesday morning. Hurricane Center Di- rector Ken Graham said there were just hours left until Mi- chael’s wind gusts and rain bands would start whipping the coast. “Guess what? That’s today,” Graham said. “If they tell you to leave, you have to leave.” Gov. Rick Scott warned people across northwest Florida at a news conference Tuesday morning that the “monstrous hurricane” was just hours away, bringing deadly risks from high winds, storm surge and heavy rains. His opponent in Florida’s Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson, said a “wall of water” could cause major destruction along the Panhandle. “Don’t think that you can ride this out if you’re in a low-lying area,” Nelson said on CNN. Mandatory evacuation or- ders went into effect Tuesday morning for some 120,000 people in Panama City Beach and across other low-lying parts of the coast. Forecasters said parts of Florida’s marshy, lightly populated Big Bend area could see up to 12 feet of storm surge. Michael also could dump up to a foot of rain over some Panhandle communities be- fore it moves over Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia Wednesday night and Thursday. Forecasters said tornadoes could be spun off by the storm, and 3 to 6 inches of rain could cause flash floods as it barrels over a corner of the country still recovering from Hurri- cane Florence. Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan bluntly ad- vised residents choosing to ride it out that first-re- sponders will not be able to reach them while Michael smashes into the coast. “If you decide to stay in your home and a tree falls on your house or the storm surge catches you and you’re now calling for help, there’s no one that can respond to help you,” Morgan said at a news conference. Michael was not quite done wreaking havoc in the Caribbean on Tuesday. Fore- casters warned of up to a foot of rain in western Cuba, triggering flash floods and mudslides in mountain areas. Disaster agencies in El Salvador, Honduras and Ni- caragua reported 13 deaths as roofs collapsed and resi- dents were carried away by swollen rivers. Six people died in Honduras, four in Ni- caragua and three in El Sal- vador. Authorities were also searching for a boy swept away by a river in Guatemala. Most of the rain was blamed on a low-pressure system off the Pacific coast, but Michael in the Caribbean could have also contributed. In Florida, Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties, from the Panhandle to Tampa Bay, activated hun- dreds of Florida National Guard members and waived tolls to encourage evacua- tions. The governors of Ala- bama and Georgia also made emergency declarations. With just a month to go before Election Day, Florida voters in evacuation zones were also given one more day to register to vote, once of- fices reopen after the storm. Scott also warned care- givers at north Florida hos- pitals and nursing homes to do all possible to assure the safety of the elderly and in- firm. Following Hurricane Irma last year, 14 people died when a South Florida nursing home lost power and air conditioning. “If you’re responsible for a patient, you’re responsible for the patient. Take care of them,” he said. In the small Panhandle city of Apalachicola, Mayor Van Johnson Sr. said the 2,300 residents were fran- tically preparing for what could be a strike unlike any seen there in decades. Many filled sandbags and boarded up homes and lined up to buy gas and groceries before leaving town. “We’re looking at a signif- icant storm with significant impact, possibly greater than I’ve seen in my 59 years of life,” Johnson said of his city on the shore of Apalachicola Bay, which where about 90 percent of Florida’s oysters are harvested. Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, left, helps Eboni Sipling fill up sandbags in Tallahassee, Florida, Monday. - PHOTO: AP COURT MOOD JOVIAL AS KAVANAUGH TAKES HIS PLACE ON BENCH WASHINGTON (AP) – Brett Ka- vanaugh took the bench with his new Supreme Court col- leagues for the first time Tuesday in a jovial atmo- sphere that was strikingly at odds with the tension and rancor surrounding his high court confirmation. The new justice dived into his new job, asking a handful of questions in the first ar- guments of the day following a traditional welcome from Chief Justice John Roberts, who wishing Kavanaugh “a long and happy career in our common calling.” Kavanaugh took his seat at the end of bench to Rob- erts’ far left just after 10 a.m., a visible manifesta- tion of a moment that Re- publicans have dreamed of for decades, with five sol- idly conservative justices on the court, and Democrats have dreaded. His path to confirma- tion was turbulent – opposi- tion to him intensified after Christine Blasey Ford ac- cused him of sexually as- saulting her, allegations Ka- vanaugh denied. In court, Kavanaugh asked questions of both sides in arguments over in- creased prison sentences for repeat offenders. He jumped in with his first question after most of the other jus- tices had spoken. Questions from Kava- naugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s two high court picks, suggested they could vote against the Trump administration and side with a criminal defen- dant from Florida who is fighting an increase in his sentence from just over six years to possibly more than 15 years. There were no disrup- tions in the courtroom and the justices laughed at each other’s jokes. Justice Sonia Sotomayor even appeared to playfully pinch Gorsuch’s arm as she asked a ques- tion about the kind of phys- ical force necessary to have a crime be treated as violent under a federal enhanced sentencing law. The newest justice’s wife and two daughters were in seats reserved for justices’ guests, along with retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Ka- vanaugh replaced Kennedy on the bench.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2018 Brazil leans toward unsparing vision of far-right Bolsonaro Hubble Space Telescope is limping after a mechanical failure Two of NASA’s premiere space telescopes, Hubble and Kepler, are currently out of commission – sad, if not en- tirely surprising, news for astronomers who depend on data from NASA’s aging fleet. The 28-year-old Hubble went into temporary safe mode on Friday after de- tecting a mechanical failure with one of its gyroscopes – the spinning instruments that keep the telescope pointed steadily toward its targets. Meanwhile Kepler, the powerhouse planet hunter that has detected some 4,000 new planets since it launched in 2009, has been in sleep mode since Sept. 26 to pre- serve dwindling fuel before its next data dump. Both tele- scopes are nearing the ends of storied careers in space. NASA stopped servicing Hubble in 2009, shortly be- fore ending the shuttle pro- gram. Two of the six gyro- scopes installed during the 2009 repair mission have al- ready broken down, and the one that recently stopped working had been exhib- iting what NASA called “end of life behavior” for about a year. It was no surprise when the slumping device stopped working a few days ago. But then the backup gyro did not kick into action, creating a “very stressful weekend” for staff at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Sci- ence Institute, deputy mis- sion head Rachel Osten said on Twitter. All astronomy work is on hold while re- searchers attempt to figure out what is wrong. If they aren’t able to get the “problematic” device up and running again, Hubble will revert to reduced gyro mode, using only one of its two remaining gyroscopes at a time. This mode would limit where Hubble can point but prolong the overall mission. “It buys lots of extra ob- serving time,” Osten said, “which the astro[nomy] com- munity wants desperately.” At one point, NASA had hoped that Hubble would stay in the sky long enough to observe in concert with the James Webb Space Tele- scope, a gold-plated Goliath that will be capable of cap- turing the oldest light in the universe. But repeated budget snafus and human failures have delayed the Webb tele- scope’s launch by more than a decade; it is now not ex- pected to launch until at least 2021. NASA’s current oper- ations contract for Hubble ends that year, though op- timists say the spacecraft could last into the 2030s. Many of NASA’s top space telescopes are more than 10 years old. The Chandra X-ray observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope, Swift Observa- tory and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have all ex- ceeded the planned duration of their original missions by at least five years. The end for Kepler is even nearer. The spacecraft has al- ready operated for more than double the length of its orig- inal 3.5-year mission – func- tioning even after the second of four reaction wheels that keep it oriented was lost in 2013. It’s long been expected to run out of propellant sometime this year, but zero gravity makes it hard to mea- sure how much fuel is left in the spacecraft’s tank. “It’s like trying to decide when to gas up your car. Do you stop now? Or try to make it to the next station?” Ke- pler system engineer Charlie Sobeck wrote in a blog post this year. “In our case, there is no next station, so we want to stop collecting data while we’re still comfortable that we can aim the spacecraft to bring it back to Earth.” The recent decision to put the telescope in sleep mode is intended to preserve its re- maining fuel until Kepler can make contact with the Deep Space Network, the global system of antennae through which spacecraft communi- cate with Earth. When Ke- pler’s allotted DSN time be- gins Oct. 10, it will switch on and beam back data on more than 30,000 stars and galaxies in the constellation Aquarius collected during its most recent 27-day ob- serving campaign. There is no guarantee that the spacecraft will be able to transmit the science data. “The fact that we man- aged to collect data in light of Kepler’s low fuel pres- sure is yet another incred- ible achievement by our en- gineers,” the mission’s guest observer office tweeted last week. “If successful, it would be an unexpected bonus.” Once NASA decides to close out the mission, engineers will command the space- craft to turn off its transmit- ters – preventing “pollution” of the airwaves. Then the space- craft will be allowed to drift, alone in the dark. Its wide, Earth-trailing orbit around the sun means that it will fall farther be- hind our planet until Earth effectively “laps” it, giving the spacecraft a gravity boost that slings it forward until it nearly catches up with Earth from behind. This graceful gravitational dance may con- tinue indefinitely, with Kepler never coming closer than the moon, until the sun expands into a red giant and engulfs the inner solar system or some other cosmic phenom- enon intervenes. In the meantime, Kepler’s demise does not signal the end of humanity’s planet hunting. The spacecraft’s suc- cessor, the Transiting Exo- planet Survey Satellite (TESS), was launched into orbit around Earth in April and has already sent back its first science images and detected two potential planets. Like Kepler, TESS is de- signed to scan the sky in the visible part of the light spectrum, but its specialty is finding planets around bright, nearby stars. Re- searchers anticipate that it may discover 10,000 worlds during its mission. “Kepler broke open the field in a rather dramatic way,” TESS principal investi- gator George Ricker said be- fore the launch in April. “But TESS is opening an entirely new window on the universe.” © 2018, The Washington Post RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The far-right former army captain who looks likely to become Brazil’s next president prom- ised nothing short of a com- plete overhaul of Latin Amer- ica’s largest nation, vowing Monday to combat the evils of corruption by gutting government ministries and privatizing state companies. He also pledged to promote traditional values that would roll back the rights of gays and other minorities. With his pledge of “Brazil above all,” Jair Bolsonaro has catapulted from the fringes of Congress, where he served as a member of mar- ginal parties for 27 years, to a stone’s throw from the pres- idency. A rabble rouser who has reminisced fondly about dictatorship and promised an all-out war on drugs and crime, he just missed outright victory in Sunday’s vote and will face former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers’ Party in an Oct. 28 runoff. Bolsonaro only needs a few more points to secure victory, and Haddad’s sup- porters vowed Monday to launch a tough fight to make up ground after their candi- date finished a distant second. The election was a seismic shift for this nation of more than 200 million people, where the left has won the past four elections but deep divisions have opened in the wake of a massive corruption scandal and the 2016 im- peachment of then-President Dilma Rousseff. Brazil’s move fits into a global trend among voters – in the United States and Europe, among other places – who are choosing anti-establishment and often far-right or populist candi- dates who target minorities and promise a return to “tra- ditional values.” “The evils and damages of corruption hurt the people in many ways. It’s they who don’t have a bed in the hos- pital, who don’t have secu- rity in the streets or money in their pockets,” Bolsonaro tweeted Monday. “A cor- rupt government encourages crime in all spheres.” His solution? “Reduce the number of ministries, get rid of and privatize state companies, fight fraud in (a popular so- cial welfare program for low- income families) … decen- tralize power giving more economic force to the states and municipalities,” he said on Twitter, one of his favorite forms of communicating. Bolsonaro’s Social and Liberal Party was a tiny, fringe group until the can- didate began surging in the polls through his use of social media and carefully orches- trated rallies. Bolsonaro has often praised Donald Trump, and his campaign took many pages from the U.S. presi- dent’s playbook, from his echoing of Trump’s “America First” slogan, to bashing the mainstream media to using the candidate’s adult chil- dren as proxies. Bolsonaro’s party took a whopping 52 seats in the lower house of Congress – up from just one in the last elec- tion – giving it 10 percent of that house and making it the second-largest party after the Workers’ Party, with 56. If elected, Bolsonaro has promised a total overhaul of Brazil’s government. The pro- posals that have attracted the most attention – and criti- cism – focus on how he would slash rising crime rates. Brazil has long been the world leader in homicides, with a re- cord 63,880 people slain last year, according the Brazilian Public Security Forum, an in- dependent think tank. To this thorny problem, Bolsonaro has proposed simple solutions: Give police more freedom to shoot first and give ordinary people freer access to guns. Critics have expressed concern that police violence, already a major con- tributor to the high homicide rate, will only worsen if police are given carte blanche. “Bolsonaro is very good at picking a one-sentence sum- mary of the issue and a one- sentence solution to the issue and then one name to resolve it,” said Matthew Taylor, an associate professor of Latin American politics at Amer- ican University. While Brazilians say that deteriorating security is one of their major concerns, crime – and efforts to crack down on it – have become almost a metaphor in Bol- sonaro’s campaign. He has painted a Brazil not only at war with criminals but, in many ways, with itself. Bolsonaro often uses crime as a lens through which to sketch out a broad indictment of the left: What he calls its coddling policies toward the poor, marginal- ized and criminal and its push to protect the rights of minorities at what he says is the expense of the majority. He has vowed to end the designation of indigenous lands, saying such reserves impede development and give special privilege to na- tive peoples that others do not get. His education policy calls for removing “premature sexualization” from schools, a nod to criticism from the right that “leftist ideas” like sex education have taken hold in the curriculum and morality is absent. In an interview Monday with a friendly radio station, Bolsonaro indicated he would not change his hard-line views on issues like gay marriage. The constitution “recognizes the stable union between a man and a woman,” he said, adding: “We can’t think that gays can have super powers” to influence laws. Many are concerned that his veneration of the armed forces, including his praise of the country’s 1964-1985 dic- tatorship, signal that he will erode democratic values and rule with an authoritarian hand. He has said he will sur- round himself with former military officers, like his run- ning mate who is a retired general. In an interview late Monday with Brazil’s most watched TV news program, Bolsonaro pledged to be “a slave of the constitution.” “My administration will have authority, not authori- tarianism,” he said. While Bolsonaro was ex- pected to come out in front Sunday, he far outperformed predictions, blazing past competitors who had more financing, the institutional backing of traditional parties and much more free air time on television. Two of the six gyroscopes installed during the 2009 repair mission have already broken down, and the one that recently stopped working had been exhibiting what NASA called “end of life behavior” for about a year. Workers’ Party Presidential candidate Fernando Haddad, left, and Jair Bolsonaro of the far-right Social Liberal Party will face off in a second-round vote in Brazil. – PHOTO: APNext >