ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 High of 87 Low of 77 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ANOTHER $4.53M IN LIFE SUPPORT FOR CINICO LOCAL | PAGE 5 POSTAL SERVICE LAUNCHES CHRISTMAS POSTAL BOXES 187202_HR2-Ad-Strip-BOTY2017-6coPage 1 10/29/18 11:04:38 AM Record tourist arrivals edge toward 2 million JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nearly 2 million tourists arrived in the Cayman Islands by air and sea in the first ten months of 2018 – the highest number in history. A total of 1,928,534 visitors arrived in the territory through the end of October, eclipsing the previous record, set in 2006. The figure represents an 18 percent in- crease – nearly 300,000 additional tourists – over the same period last year. In the more lucrative stayover market, a total of 372,812 visitors arrived by air in the first ten months of the year – an 11.5 percent increase on 2017, which was itself a record year for air arrivals. Cruise arrivals are up 20 percent. Nearly 1.6 million passengers had arrived at the cruise port by the end of October. That figure is expected to swell to 1.94 million by the end of the year. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell attributed the surge in cruise tourism arrivals to the hurricanes that impacted the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and other competitor destinations last year. He said, “From August 2017, the Cayman Islands began receiving cruise calls from ships that had been diverted from ports in the Eastern Caribbean. This unexpected boost in passenger arrivals allowed us to end 2017 one percent up over the previous year’s arrivals. Had this not occurred, cruise arrivals for 2017 would have registered a significant decline. “In 2018, Grand Cayman has continued to benefit from additional cruise calls while ports in the Eastern Caribbean incrementally come back on stream.” He said this windfall of passengers was expected to reduce next year as more ships return to their original schedules. Cruise ar- rivals are forecast to drop by 5 percent to 1,848,511 passengers in 2019. Mr. Kirkconnell said he was satisfied with DRIVER RUNS DOWN POLICE OFFICER AT ROADBLOCK Police commissioner condemns ‘disturbing attack’ JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A police officer was injured Saturday night after being struck by a hit-and-run driver at a roadblock in West Bay. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne con- demned the incident as a “disturbing attack” on an officer performing his duties. The victim was treated at the Cayman Islands Hospital for injuries sustained in the incident and has since been discharged. The driver pulled into the roadblock on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, close to Yacht Drive, around 11:30 p.m., according to a police press release. The officer exited a marked police car and approached the vehicle, a dark sedan, and attempted to speak to the driver and passenger. When he got no response, he moved to the front of the vehicle to check the license plate. “The driver of the vehicle then drove off and struck the officer with the car, then sped off and broke through the roadblock entering into West Bay,” according to the statement. Police described the incident as a “reck- less and unwarranted attack on a police of- ficer carrying out his lawful duty, which could have resulted in serious injury and even the loss of life.” In a later statement, Commissioner Byrne spoke out about the attack and called for anyone with information to come forward. He said, “Such incidents threaten the re- lationship between law enforcement and the NCAA teams face off in Cayman MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Harold Lingard only has time to catch a little bit of basketball during the daytime hours, squeezing it in during his lunch hour, but he still bought a pass to this week’s Cayman Islands Classic basketball tourna- ment. The quality of play is that good, he said, and as a former North Carolina resi- dent, he’s a big Clemson University fan. On Monday, he was enjoying the second half of a hard-fought game between Clemson and the University of Akron in the John Gray High School gym along with about 300 other spectators. “This is huge,” Mr. Lingard said of the eight-team college tournament, now in its second year. “This is something Cayman has been aspiring to do for years. Cayman couldn’t have asked for a better product.” The tournament tipped off Monday morning and continues until Wednesday evening. Tournament director Maury Hanks said the success of last year’s event helped sell it to some of the teams that signed up this year. “The coaches [from last year] talked to the coaches this year about how easy the travel is, how nice the gym is and the ho- tels, and the friendliness of the people here,” Mr. Hanks said. He said he’s pleased with the way the tournament is progressing from an interna- tional perspective. Locally, coach Victor “Voot” O’Garro, president of Caymax Sports, said he was PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Clemson player Elijah Thomas goes up for a shot against Akron during the first game of the Cayman Islands Classic basketball tournament, which got under way Monday at the John Gray High School gym. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 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. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AIR STRIKE (R) 4:15 I 10:00 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (PG13) 12:15 I 3:20 I 6:30 THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB A NEW DRAGON TATTOO (R) 1:15 | 7:00 | 9:50 THE GRINCH (PG) 12:20 I 1:15 VIP | 2:35 | 4:00 3D | 6:30 3D | 9:30 FANTASTIC BEASTS THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD (PG13) 1:00 3D | 3:45 VIP | 8:45 NOBODY’S FOOL (R) 4:50 | 7:25 WIDOWS (R) 12:50 | 3:45 | 6:50 | 9:40 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: THE SOUND OF MUSIC (G) 7:00 VIP Local artist featured in traveling exhibit Local artist Simon Tatum, who is also an assistant cu- rator at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, is one of 24 Caribbean artists in- cluded in a new traveling ex- hibit, “Arrivants: Art and Mi- gration in the Anglophone Caribbean World.” The exhibit opened at the International Mu- seums Conference in Bar- bados, Nov. 7-10. Mr. Tatum’s piece, “Trop- ical Forms,” is a three-di- mensional construction of monotone paintings of legs, arms and other parts of the human form. It was inspired by Mr. Tatum’s discovery, during a residency in Leipzig, Ger- many, that male Cuban con- tract workers had been sent to that city as temporary factory workers during the years of communist rule in East Germany. The piece is meant to ad- dress issues of labor mi- gration, belonging and displacement. National Gallery di- rector Natalie Urquhart said Mr. Tatum’s selection is one of the first successes of the gallery’s efforts to provide broader access to the local art community. “We have been working hard to increase opportuni- ties for Caymanian artists re- gionally for the past several years,” Ms. Urquhart said, “which has included inviting curators and leading Carib- bean artists to the Cayman Islands to engage with our local art scene, as well as supporting network opportu- nities, residencies and artists exchanges.” The National Gallery pro- vided funding for Mr. Tatum’s time in Leipzig, as well as for a trip to Barbados, where he trained with exhibition cu- rators and the installation team and met other artists in the show. Other work featured in the exhibition includes rec- ognized Caribbean masters such as Stanley Greaves, Au- brey Williams, Phillip Moore, James Boodhoo, Karl Brood- hagen, Eddie Chambers and Ras Ishi Butcher, as well as a number of contemporary Ca- ribbean artists. Plans are now under way to showcase the exhibition in the United Kingdom, be- fore exploring opportunities to travel the collection within the region. ‘Tropical Form’ by Cayman artist Simon Tatum is part of a traveling exhibit featuring 24 Caribbean artists. Simon Tatum’s piece, “Tropical Forms,” is a three-dimensional construction of monotone paintings of legs, arms and other parts of the human form. ANOTHER DELAY IN TRIAL OVER BURNED DOG SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Andrei James Chal- lenger and James Rolin Challenger, two men charged in an animal cru- elty case involving a dog named Dora that suffered extensive burns, had their trial date put off Monday for the second time. The two men will be back in court for a case management hearing on Nov. 29. They were originally slated to stand trial in March, but the date was pushed back. Monday was expected to be their new trial date, but a number of witnesses in the trial did not show up at court. The Crown counsel and defense attorneys spoke about which witnesses would be needed for trial, and Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez gave the Crown time to properly coordinate with its witnesses. Nominations open for ‘Proud of Them’ The twice-yearly “Proud of Them” award scheme is once again seeking to recognize ex- cellence among young people in the Cayman Islands. The public is invited to help spotlight youth achievement by nominating candidates in the twice- yearly platform. The nomination period for Round 10 of “Proud of Them” runs until Friday, Dec. 7. Young people between the ages of 10 and 25 who are excelling in academics, sports, career, culture, busi- ness or community service can be nominated. The 12 successful awardees will be announced at a reception on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Each recipient will receive a financial award and their photograph will be featured for six months on billboards across the Cayman Islands. “This programme holds an unparalleled place as a means of recognizing and ap- plauding outstanding youth in the Cayman Islands. Too often we only hear about youth in a negative light,” Youth Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said in a press release. “Proud of Them is a well- needed reminder that our community can take heart from the many hardworking and motivated youth that are outstanding role models for others,” she added. “Our youth are our link to the future,” said the Rev. Don- ovan Myers in the release. “Proud of Them recipients represent all the excellence we can be justifiably proud of now, as well as draw from in future years. Their example will inspire many of their peers to redouble their efforts in achieving both long- and short-term goals,” he said. Proud of Them started recognizing exceptional young people in 2012. To date, 108 young men and women have been featured in the campaign. The Ministry of Youth partners with the National Youth Commission to con- tinue the program. VIP at the Cayman Classic Congratulations to Dave O’Driscoll, pictured right with Coach Victor ‘Voot’ O’Garro, for winning the Cayman Compass Cayman Islands Classic VIP Package. The Compass teamed up with Kelly Holding to provide Mr. O’Driscoll with two VIP tickets to all of the Cayman Islands Classic games, food and drink throughout the event, an invitation to the VIP welcome party and a signed shirt from the winning team of the tournament. For more Pinnacle Media giveaways, visit www.caymancompass.com/contests. Youth Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly with a group of Proud of Them award recipients this summer.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” When our minds are in top form, they tend to turn to the “big topics.” When it comes to the future viability of countries, there is perhaps no single larger issue than healthcare. This is certainly true in the Cayman Islands, where our public health insurer CINICO (aka the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company) expends more than $90 million on an annual basis, plus tens of millions of dollars more for medical emergencies locally and overseas, to pay for healthcare for about 15,000 people, including civil servants, pensioners, seafarers, veterans and the poor. On Monday’s front page, we reported that Cabinet has approved an “equity investment” of an additional $4.53 million for CINICO so that the insurer can maintain an adequate level of capital to conform with regulations issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. As East End MLA Arden McLean and Bodden Town MLA Chris Saunders noted during the debate in the Leg- islative Assembly, CINICO’s depletions of capital and Cabinet’s concomitant transfusions of cash occur on a regular basis. It’s now become more a matter of routine than emergency. Meanwhile, as Mr. Saunders pointed out, CINICO’s losses are occurring as private sector insurers have earned more than $100 million in profits during the past four to five years. At this point it may seem somewhat obvious to observe that something is seriously wrong with Cayman’s healthcare system generally, and with Cayman’s public health insurer specifically. The last time CINICO made headlines in the Compass, it was after CINICO’s appointed Board of Directors sum- marily terminated the employment of ex-CEO Lonny Tibbetts, who had served in that position for eight years. Neither at the time or since has any public official given any reason, explanation or clarification as to why Mr. Tibbetts was fired, beyond “information which recently came to the attention of the Board of Directors and which has been investigated” … Aside from lingering inquiries about Mr. Tibbetts’s departure, there are many questions about Mr. Tibbetts’s successor, chief among them being, “Who is it?” Who is in charge, right now? Who is running CINICO? In the grander scheme, on numerous occasions over the years we have published warnings, in the form of gov- ernment’s own estimates, of Cayman’s increasingly exorbi- tant public healthcare liability of $1.7 billion over the next 20 years. Nothing, to our knowledge, is being done to prepare for that – certainly not the economically elemen- tary (but politically risky) step of passing on some health- care costs (in the form of premiums, deductibles or copay- ments) to individual civil servants on CINICO’s plan. In the Legislative Assembly, Finance Minister Roy McTaggart said his ministry and CINICO are preparing an analysis of CINICO and its operations and “whether what they do continues to be fit for purpose.” The easy response is “No, of course not” – but that would be answering the wrong question. Far more relevant for our country’s future is this: • How should healthcare be delivered in the Cayman Islands? • How do we afford it? That is what’s vexing large nations across the globe. Perhaps we are overly optimistic, but we think it is entirely possible for this small and wealthy jurisdiction not only to address the issue of healthcare long term, but in doing so provide an inspirational example for the rest of the world. If officials share our vision for creating a model health- care system in Cayman, their first order of business should be to make one very important phone call – to Dr. Devi Shetty, founder and chairman of India’s Narayana Health, including Health City Cayman Islands – and to listen to what he has to say, and to take meticulous notes. The Compass will even pick up the long-distance charges. Another $4.53M in life support for CINICO TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Regarding import rules for Christmas trees I refer to your editorial of Nov. 5 (“Red tape stran- gles Cayman’s supply of Christmas trees”), which con- tained factually inaccurate information, which is mis- leading to the public and cast the Department of Agricul- ture (DoA) in an unfair and unfavorable light. It is the job of the DoA to safeguard the plant health of the Cayman Islands (agricul- ture, horticulture and envi- ronment) and to mitigate the risk of introduction of pests of quarantine importance. This is a regulatory respon- sibility under the Plants (Im- portation and Exportation) Law and the National Con- servation Law that we take very seriously. Essentially, it is our mandate to safeguard these Islands and prevent the importation and introduc- tion of quarantine pests and other invasive species, while striving to strike the appro- priate balance between pro- tection and trade facilitation. To offer some background, in 2015 the Department’s In- spectors noticed an increase in the interceptions of live pest specimens in shipments of Christmas trees. The situa- tion continued in 2016. How- ever, in both years this was linked to imports from one geographical region only. Al- though internationally ac- cepted standards allow for return or destruction of in- fested shipments, in both in- stances the Department opted to work with importers to treat the trees post-entry, to eliminate the pest threat. De- spite halting imports from the region that was the source of infested trees in the previous years, in 2017 live specimen samples were found in every shipment inspected. In total, 61 live specimen samples were collected and sent off is- land to experts for taxonomic identification. Of these, six- teen samples contained pests of or potentially of quarantine importance, including several known to be serious pests of agricultural crops and 10 which have never previously been recorded in the Cayman Islands. Again, recognizing the importance of the ship- ments to importers and the public, the Department opted for post-entry treatment, and after expending over 82 hours of inspectors’ time, was able to successfully eliminate the pest risk and release the trees. Based on the experience of 2017 and following extensive consultations with other regu- latory authorities in the Carib- bean, the Department updated its Conditions for the importa- tion of fresh Christmas trees in May 2018, which were in turn shared with importers at a meeting on June 5, 2018. The Editorial stated that, “Officials’ initial idea was to require growers, in Canada, to spray the trees before they are shipped to Cayman. The only problem is that the spray DoA wanted growers to use is banned in Canada. (How could the DoA not be aware of this? Anyway, why are they advising the use of a poison that has been banned in a large first- world country like Canada?)” This is simply not true; at no time did the Department require such a treatment. The Conditions provided an either or option; that is, either post- harvest fumigation, which would be guaranteed to elimi- nate any pest in the shipment, or conduct a pre-harvest treat- ment three to six weeks be- fore harvest using a mixture of approved pesticides. The Department was and is fully aware that Canada no longer uses the fumigant in ques- tion. However the United Sates does and as it is the only fu- migant that would eliminate virtually all pests without killing the trees, leave no res- idue on the fumigated product and is still used in interna- tional trade, it was provided as an option, particularly for potential imports from the U.S. In the case of Canada ex- porters, they could avail them- selves of the alternative of a pre-harvest treatment. Additionally, as some spe- cific insects and diseases are known to be difficult to control with pesticides, and given the feedback from ex- porters in Canada that they inspect their fields and select trees for export only from fields free of these listed pests, an additional require- ment for a declaration cer- tifying that the trees were harvested from fields free of these listed pest was included in the import conditions. In July 2018, the DoA re- ceived feedback from the ex- porters that the Canadian au- thorities would not certify the fields to be free of the listed pest and hence would not sign the necessary phytosan- itary certificates required for export. In light of this and on consultation with the Regional Plant Protection Organization (RPPO) for the Caribbean, the Department decided to modify the conditions to remove the requirement for certifica- tion of harvest from pest-free fields. These revised condi- tions were circulated to both USDA-APHIS and CFIA (Cana- dian authorities) and after re- view (which took time) both authorities agreed the condi- tions were acceptable and the required phytosanitary export certificates could be issued. The updated conditions were not a “workaround” as described by the Compass editors but a carefully re- viewed and considered deci- sion, because the preferred condition could not be cer- tified to by the authority of the exporting country; its re- moval would facilitate trade while maintaining an accept- able level of risk mitigation. The Department again met with importers on Aug. 16, 2018 to apprise them of the updated conditions. The ac- tual treatment requirements remained unchanged from June 2018. The change in Au- gust did not add any addi- tional conditions for exporters to meet and simply removed an inspection and certification requirement that would have had to be met at the time of harvest in October. It is unfortunate that the Compass editorial team chose to publish an editorial based on hearsay without checking and verifying the facts with the Department of Agricul- ture. Further, to imply that necessary and internationally accepted phytosanitary regu- lations endorsed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Food and Agriculture Or- ganization (FAO) and the In- ternational Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) as the ap- propriate mechanism for as- suring safe trade in fresh ag- ricultural and plant products are merely “red tape” seems to indicate a lack of appreciation for science-based regulatory decisions designed to protect countries from the movement of invasive pest species. The potential economic and environmental impacts of invasive pests are real and serious. In Turks and Caicos, a new scale insect introduced via Christmas trees is deci- mating their native “pineyard” ecosystem, and with no effec- tive control available could well lead to the complete loss of their native pine. Many in- sects are polyphagous and non-host specific, and what may not be a pest in its na- tive country may become one in a new environment. In the PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5 »The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 United States, a 1999 Cornell University study estimated that invasive species cost that country US$123 billion a year in economic losses. As stated previously, trying to maintain the ap- propriate regulatory bal- ance between protection and trade facilitation is a complex and ever-changing challenge, and one that the Department of Agriculture takes very seriously. De- spite its small size and lim- ited staff, rather than failing in this goal, as the editorial implies, the Cayman Islands Department of Agriculture has on multiple occasions been recognized regionally for its accomplishments and its professional stan- dards with regard to the implementation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary regula- tory measures. I hope that the facts stated above have given you a different perspective on the issue of the Christmas tree shortage, and that it will inform your reporting moving forward. I am happy to meet with you to clarify or further explain the DoA’s position. Thank you for your time. Adrian R. Estwick Director of Agriculture CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Regarding import rules for Christmas trees Lawmakers amend evidence rules MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Members of the Legis- lative Assembly voted to amend the Evidence Law on Friday, in an effort to mod- ernize the rules for admitting hearsay evidence and witness statements at trial. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin said some aspects of the law had become out- dated and it was necessary to bring the Evidence Law in line with current thinking in the common law world. The bill amends a statute that removed the prosecu- tion’s ability to draw an adverse inference when a defendant does not give ev- idence at trial. The attorney general said there was no need for this section of the Evidence Law because the issue of adverse inference is now dealt with in the Police Law. Another amendment pro- vides that if a person at trial attacks someone’s cred- ibility and then chooses not to give evidence, the court may allow evidence to be given about that person’s bad character. The bill also gives a wide definition of the word “fear,” including “fear of the death or injury of another person or of financial loss.” The attorney general said this particular provision was helpful in cases of domestic violence where a spouse will make a complaint to the po- lice and there is evidence of trauma, but later refuses to give evidence out of fear. The bill inserted sev- eral new provisions dealing with the use of documents to refresh the memory of witnesses; inconsistent statements; additional re- quirements for admissibility of multiple hearsay state- ments; documents produced as exhibits; credibility issues; and the court’s general dis- cretion to exclude evidence. “I do not see any reason why the opposition would not support this bill,” said Acting Opposition Leader Alva Suckoo. “These changes, from what I can tell, [are] bringing our laws in line with what has become the standard, in particular the Criminal Jus- tice Act in the U.K.” Attorney General Samuel Bulgin said some aspects of the law had become outdated and it was necessary to bring the Evidence Law in line with current thinking in the common law world. Postal Service launches Christmas postal boxes This year, people sending parcels overseas, or locally, via the Cayman Postal Ser- vice can give the parcel re- cipients a little taste of CaymanKind. The postal service has launched a product line of colorful postal boxes that feature scenes and creatures from Cayman, including a stingray, a Cayman parrot, a coral reef and an un- mistakable image of Seven Mile Beach. The boxes are available at all post offices on all three islands. Each sturdy cardboard package accommodates a weight limit of 22 pounds and can be shipped for a flat rate of $25 locally, or to any country the Postal Ser- vice currently services at a cost of $40. The boxes are available in one size. The words “Cayman Is- lands” are printed on the box with the Sir Turtle logo. The names of the three is- lands, Little Cayman, Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, are also featured. The box has a folding lock top to keep items secure. “This is going to be great for individuals, and especially cottage indus- tries who want to estab- lish an overseas market or develop an internet pres- ence. It can help support e-commerce growth of outbound local products,” said Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow in a press release. “The postal in- dustry, across the world, is trying to support e- commerce customers and suppliers.” She said any product that fits into Cayman Postal Ser- vice’s branded boxes can be easily shipped to overseas buyers, and the availability of the boxes eliminates the need for customers to look for other packaging for posting their products. Starrie Scott, owner of well-known Brac jew- elry and craft store NIM Things, kicked off the sales by posting the first package containing Christmas- themed craft items to a buyer in Berne, Switzerland. “This is a great boon for small store owners like us. At a glance, the boxes in which the packages will be sent highlight the unique beauty of the Cayman Is- lands. The boxes themselves are very attractive and I am very pleased that … the containers so vividly repre- sent the Cayman Islands,” Ms. Scott said, lauding the new line of postal products. The product is a joint venture between the Postal Service and Department of Tourism. At the launch at the Brac Stake Bay Post office, Ms. Glasgow expressed grati- tude to Finance Minister Roy McTaggart, Deputy Pre- mier Moses Kirkconnell, De- partment of Tourism’s Rosa Harris and Jessica Pawlik and Postal Service staff for their work. For recommended postal dates over the Christmas season, call the Post Office on 949-2474. ADVICE TO MINISTERS CAN REMAIN SECRET AFTER FOI LAW CHANGE JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Policy advice to Cab- inet ministers will no longer be considered for release to members of the public under changes to the Freedom of Information Law passed Friday. The amended law carves out new exemp- tions allowing records of opinions, advice and rec- ommendations made to government ministers to be kept under wraps. The change expands on an existing exemption that applies to deliberations of Cabinet. Deliberations of the National Security Council and advice to the governor and government minis- ters to formulate policy are also now exempt under the amended legislation. The changes were criti- cized by opposition legis- lator Chris Saunders, who also questioned other as- pects of the FOI (Amend- ment) Bill. Opposition members voted against the legislation, which passed on the strength of votes from the government bench. Attorney General Sam Bulgin justified the exten- sion of the exemptions to include advice to ministers, saying it was important to protect the integrity of the policymaking process. He said officials and min- isters would “clam up” and be reluctant to speak openly if their considerations and policy recommendations were open to FOI. He said, “The way that government works is that you ought to be able to have a free and frank ex- change of ideas in order that you can make policies. If every shifting impulse is subject to an FOI law, then that will undermine that process. That is the basis on which this has been in- cluded and it is as sensible as it is understandable.” The bill, which largely deals with administrative and “housekeeping” matters to bring the law in line with the Data Protection Law that will come into effect in Sep- tember 2019, also includes some new exemptions. It expands the agencies that can be considered as “security and intelligence services” to include the agencies responsible for customs, immigration and prisons, as well as financial and tax information inves- tigatory authorities. “The effect of this amendment is to provide that the law does not apply to these agencies in effect of strategic or operational intelligence gathering ac- tivities,” Mr. Bulgin said. The new law also allows exempt records, which or- dinarily become declassi- fied after 20 years, to remain under wraps if the Om- budsman deems it necessary. Mr. Saunders and inde- pendent legislator Kenneth Bryan raised questions about some of the amend- ments. Mr. Saunders said it was an important part of the democratic process that the public had access to in- formation to keep legisla- tors in check. The bill passed for a second reading by 8 votes to 4. It later passed a third reading, meaning it will be- come law, by 8 votes to 3, with one abstention and 6 absentees. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Starrie Scott of NIM Things, left, and Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow show off the colorful CaymanKind boxes at the launch of the new product at Cayman Brac’s Stake Bay Post Office.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, NOV. 20 SEAFARERS ASSOCIATION: Members are advised that there will be a General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route in leaves the George Town Public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue in color; there is no charge. BREAKERS DVDL CLOSURE: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing’s vehicle inspection pit at the Breakers office will be closed today and for the remainder of the week. All other transactions can still take place at the Breakers office. People seeking an inspection can visit the Crewe Road Office, or one of DVDL’s private garage partners. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 CHAMBER ELECTIONS: Members of the Chamber of Commerce are invited to attend the elections and a member appreciation event, 4-6 p.m. at the Wharf Restaurant. Come out and celebrate Chamber Champions of 2018, hear the annual report, and elect the new Chamber Council. THURSDAY, NOV. 22 LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLE INSPECTIONS: The Department of Vehicle Licensing will be on Little Cayman today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District Administration Building. FRIDAY, NOV. 23 MOVEMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT: Also known as “MOpen.” Players are invited to take part in this tournament at the North Sound Golf Course. 12:30 p.m. until sunset. For more information, visit www.movember.ky. SATURDAY, NOV. 24 PINK LADIES CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: The annual bazaar will be held at the Arts and Recreation Centre in Camana Bay. 2-5 p.m. $5 entrance ticket includes homemade tea. The event will feature country kitchen, handmade crafts, a plant sale, white elephant, kids’ arts and crafts, book sale, musical entertainment, a silent auction and raffle prizes. SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE: Today and tomorrow. 6-8 p.m. Lions Centre. Free event. TURKEY TROT: The annual Meals on Wheels Turkey Trot 5K and 10K begins at 6:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn. 6 a.m. check-in. See www.caymanactive.com for more information. BRAC BREEZE FUSION: The Brac Breeze Fusion 5K Walk/Run starts at 6:30 a.m. on South Side Public Beach. Visit www. caymanactive.com for more information. GT BULK WASTE COLLECTION: The Department of Environmental Health will begin its collection of bulk waste in the district of George Town on today. SCHOOL BAZAAR: St. Ignatius Catholic School holds its 7th annual Arts and Craft Bazaar, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Loyola Hall. CHURCH MEMORIAL WALK: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church in West Bay invites all to attend its Annual Memorial Walk. 6:30 a.m. Meet at the church at 6:15 a.m. for transportation to Centennial Towers. SUNDAY, NOV. 25 EPIC JOURNEYS: Concert by Cayman National Choir and orchestra. The Westin Ballroom. Family matinee 2 p.m. Tickets $15 and $7.50. Features Cayman Youth Choir. Full concert, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25 and $10. Visit www.eventpro.ky for tickets. FOUNDER’S DAY SERVICE: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church holds it 88th anniversary “Founder’s Day” service at the church. 11 a.m. All are also invited to attend the church’s anniversary concert “Singspiration” at the church at 7 p.m. MONDAY, NOV. 26 DR. HORTOR’S TOMBSTONE: All members of the public, especially those who donated to the purchase of a tombstone for the late Dr. William Alfred Conrad Hortor, are invited to view the recently installed tombstone between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. today at the West Bay Cemetery, across from the fire station. CAYMAN ARTISTS: Artists resident in the Cayman Islands or artists of the Caymanian diaspora are invited to submit photos of work (or work concept drawings/photos), with an accompanying artist’s statement relating the work to the exhibition synopsis for consideration, in electronic format, directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Today, 5 p.m., is the deadline. For more information, contact public.engagement@ nationalgallery.org.ky. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 CIVIL SERVICE CREDIT UNION AGM: The 43rd annual general meeting of the Civil Service Association Co-operative Credit Union will be held today at 5:30 p.m. at the Family Life Centre. THURSDAY, NOV. 29 LIGHT UP A LIFE: Cayman HospiceCare’s Light Up A Life ceremony will be held this evening at Cassia Court in Camana Bay. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to dedicate a light in memory of a loved one on HospiceCare’s Community Memorial tree. The tree will shine brightly with hundreds of lights dedicated to someone special over the Christmas season. The ceremony will include music by the Cayman National Choir, a special blessing, a moment of silence and an opportunity for every guest to place their lights on the tree. To sponsor a light, HospiceCare is asking for a minimum donation of CI$10 per light. SUNDAY, DEC. 2 DINNER CONCERT: Organized by the East End Seventh-day Adventist Church. At The Ritz- Carlton, 7 p.m. Entertainment by international artist Carey Sayles and local performers. Tickets are $150 each, available at SDA Conference office, off Walkers Road; or call Constance Ebanks at 525-0941. Proceeds for Pathfinders and Pioneers Fire Adventure. MALE VOICE CHRISTMAS CONCERT: The Male Voice Choir Concert will begin at 7 p.m. at Elmslie United Church. GENERAL INTEREST SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training at Truman Bodden Sports Complex 5:30 p.m. for basketball skills, track, bocce and football. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@candw.ky or call 916-2600. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rental every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with the association at 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. LIFE ON THE COLONY: Exhibition of artwork by Gordon Solomon at the National Gallery. Through Dec. 5. For related events and school tours, email education@nationalgallery. org.ky. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Wednesdays and Saturdays at Camana Bay. A produce-only market featuring local farmers. Located in Heliconia Court (the new courtyard next to the building containing Scotiabank). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which runs down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition needed. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit overcomersoutreach. org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. The local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322- 9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Pink Ladies gather at last year’s Christmas bazaar. This year’s bazaar will be held on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Arts and Recreation Centre at Camana Bay.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 NOVEMBER 19 to 21, 2018 TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: Smoothie King, Funky Tangs, Reflections Food4Less Airport location COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ENDORSED BY THE NCAA 2018 Cayman Islands Rum MEDIA LTD. HURLEY’S FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS VISIT WWW.CAYMANISLANDSCLASSIC.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS VISIT The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS the upward trajectory of the tourism industry as a whole since 2013. He at- tributed this to government activity, public-private col- laboration and community participation. The Tourism Min- ister also announced that Southwest airlines will be adding seasonal service on Saturdays between Bal- timore/Washington and Grand Cayman effective June 15, 2019. community, and negatively impact everyone’s safety. The matter is now under investigation and every ef- fort is being made to locate and prosecute the offender.” It is not the first time in his two-year tenure as com- missioner that Commis- sioner Byrne has been com- pelled to speak out about acts of violence against his officers. In May 2017, two police officers responding to a bur- glary report in George Town were violently attacked by a suspect. In October the same year, Detective Super- intendent Peter Lansdown suffered serious injuries after being assaulted at the scene of a traffic accident. Earlier this year, two police cars were set on fire in a suspected arson attack. Anyone who can identify the vehicle involved in Saturday’s hit-and-run or its two occupants is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Tips can also be submitted at www.rcips.ky/submit-a-tip, through the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477. hoping for a bit more interest. “It’s a better response [than last year],” he said, “but not as good as I’d like it to be.” “What we have seen,” he added, “is a positive impact on the school children.” He estimated the tour- nament has increased in- terest among young players on the island by as much as 25 percent. Having local athletes see the caliber of play the tourna- ment brings, he said, “makes coaching easier. They realize you have to work hard.” Mr. O’Garro said there are 17 Cayman basketball players who are currently on a college or university team overseas. “My big dream is to see a Cayman player playing on one of the teams coming to the tournament,” he said. The tournament concludes with the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. In ad- dition to Clemson and Akron, this year’s teams include Creighton, Georgia State, St. Bonaventure, Georgia, Boise State and Illinois State. Sitting courtside in a red Illinois State T-shirt was none other than Santa Claus, fresh from his appearance at Ca- mana Bay’s tree lighting cere- mony on Saturday. He said he had forged a bond with the school during an earlier part of his life. “Santa doesn’t have a fa- vorite team,” he insisted. “I’m kind of reluctant to wear this Illinois State shirt, but I can’t help myself.” An admitted sports fan, he was enjoying the great bas- ketball play during his time in Cayman, visiting with groups of school children during the halftime period. No one plays the game at the North Pole, he said. “The elves are too short,” he said. “They can’t dunk it.” The tournament also at- tracted Minister of Sports Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly. The ministry invested $90,000 in the tournament, she said, as a way to boost tourism and potentially inspire young athletes. “It’s a treat to get some wholesome sports activity,” said Ms. O’Connor-Connolly, who said she’s a fan herself. “I’m a Miami Heat girl.” A sizeable number of Akron and Clemson fans raised the noise level in the gym, cheering for their re- spective teams. The opening game of the tournament was closer than many had an- ticipated. Akron led at one point in the first half before Clemson pulled away during the second half. But Akron came back at the end to finish just one long basket short. The final score was 72-69. Clemson fan Virginia Brewer was hoping the team would play well for the rest of the tournament. She has traveled the world watching the team play, attending tour- naments in Italy and Spain. She and her husband make the 5½ hour drive from their Rocky Mount home to Clemson, South Carolina, for most of the home games, she said. This is her first time in Cayman. None of the hotel tele- visions had the Clemson football game on Saturday when the Brewers and other boosters arrived. They ended up at Legends. Ms. Brewer said she enjoyed the restau- rant, as well as a visit to Calico Jack’s. She said the group was trying to decide on other activities for the week. “We’re debating whether the stingrays will creep us out or not,” she said, of a po- tential trip to Stingray City. Diane McMaster-Perry is just as diehard of a fan, but roots for Akron, the school she graduated from in 1978. She estimates she attends 95 percent of Akron’s home games, as well as some away games, and was voted “Fan of the Year” three years ago. She vacationed in Cayman in 2000 and said she was en- joying her second visit. “I love the snorkeling here,” she said. “We’re going to go snorkeling today and we have an organized trip to- morrow.” But her focus will be on the team. “I hope to win two out of three games for sure,” she said. Tournament game tickets start at $50 and are available at www.caymanislandsclassic.com. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Driver runs down police officer at roadblock CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Record tourist arrivals edge toward 2 million Communities flee eruption at Guatemala’s Volcano of Fire GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – About 4,000 residents fled Guatema- la’s Volcano of Fire Monday as red-hot rock and ash spewed into the sky and cascaded down the slopes toward an area devastated by a deadly eruption earlier this year. Guatemala’s volcanology unit said that explosions from the 12,300-foot high mountain shook homes with “constant sounds similar to a train lo- comotive.” Incandescent ma- terial burst as high as 1,000 meters above the crater and flows of hot rock and ash ex- tended nearly 2 miles down one flank of the volcano. Hot blasts of pyroclastic material pushed down canyons on the slopes, while a column of ash rose nearly 23,000 feet above sea level and drifted toward Guatemala City to the east. Hundreds of families heeded the call of disaster co- ordination authorities to evac- uate 10 communities, piling into yellow school buses for trips to shelters. The national disaster commission said 3,925 people had been evacu- ated by early Monday. The Volcano of Fire is one of the most active in Central America and an eruption in June killed 194 people. Another 234 are officially missing, al- though organizations sup- porting the communities have insisted there are thousands of missing persons. It spewed more ash and hot rock in Oc- tober, prompting warnings for the nearby communities. The biggest danger from the volcano are lahars, a mix- ture of ash, rock, mud and debris, that can bury entire towns. However, by Monday, there had been no reports of such flows reaching popu- lated areas, though authori- ties were taking no chances; they were harshly criticized for not calling for evacua- tions earlier in June. Four shelters have been set up for evacuees. Dora Caal, 26, and five members of her family took refuge under a nylon tent at a sports stadium in the nearby town of Escuintla. “Last night we heard the volcano roar, you could see fire, we couldn’t sleep,” said Caal, whose town of El Rodeo was largely evacuated. “At dawn we said we’d better get out, we were afraid,” Caal said as the sun beat down fiercely at the im- provised shelter. People like Caal are still reeling from the effects of the June eruption. The Volcan de Fuego, or Volcano of Fire, spews hot molten lava from its crater in Antigua, Guatemala, early Monday. - PHOTO: AP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NCAA teams face off in Cayman Cruise ship tourists arrive at Spotts dock earlier this year. The first 10 months of 2018 saw nearly 1.6 million cruise ship tourists land in Cayman. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Schoolchildren attending the Cayman Classic hang out with Santa, who swapped his red and white Christmas outfit for an Illinois State Redbirds T-shirt. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2018 London sells water cannons for scrap London Mayor Sadiq Khan says three used water cannons bought for police under predecessor Boris Johnson have been sold for scrap, at a loss of more than $385,000. The government banned them, citing safety risks and saying they could be counterproductive. UK’s May confronts party rebels as EU prepares Brexit summit LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May sought to seal business support for her Brexit deal with the Eu- ropean Union on Monday, but remained on a collision course with a group of law- makers seeking to unseat her. The draft agreement has triggered an avalanche of criticism in Britain and left May fighting to keep her job, even as she races to firm up the final deal before a cru- cial EU summit. May told business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry that “an in- tense week of negotiations” lay ahead to finalize the framework for future rela- tions between Britain and the bloc before EU leaders meet on Sunday to rubber- stamp the deal. Last week – after a year and a half of tense negotia- tions – Britain and the EU agreed on the terms of their divorce. But while the 585- page, legally binding with- drawal agreement is com- plete, Britain and the EU still need to flesh out their far less detailed seven-page declara- tion on future relations. May told her business audience Monday that the “core elements” of the future relationship were in place. She said the deal “fulfils the wishes of the British people” to leave the EU, by taking back control of the U.K.’s laws, money and borders. May confirmed the gov- ernment’s plan to end the automatic right of EU citi- zens to live and work in the U.K., saying Britain’s future immigration policy will be based on skills, rather than nationality. “It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, re- gardless of the skills or ex- perience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi,” May said. The deal has infuri- ated pro-Brexit lawmakers in May’s Conservative Party and sparked a leadership crisis. The Brexiteers want a clean break with the bloc and argue that the close trade ties called for in the agreement will leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules it has no say in making. Two Cabinet ministers, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, resigned in protest, and rebels are trying to gather the signatures of 48 lawmakers needed to trigger a no-confidence vote. One of the rebels, Simon Clarke, on Monday urged wavering colleagues to help trigger a leadership challenge. “It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks,” Clarke said. Even if May sees off a leadership challenge, she still has to get the deal approved by Parliament. Her Conser- vatives do not have a parlia- mentary majority, and it’s not clear whether she can per- suade enough lawmakers to back her agreement. May argues that aban- doning the plan, with Brit- ain’s withdrawal just over four months away on March 29, could lead to a disorderly and economically damaging “no deal” Brexit – or to a sit- uation in which Britain’s exit from the EU is postponed indefinitely. Some Conservative Brex- iteers, including Raab, say May should stay in post but try to renegotiate the deal – something May and other EU leaders insist is impossible. Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said Monday that “the withdrawal treaty is as good as it will get,” while Luxembourg Foreign Min- ister Jean Asselborn also said there is “no better” Brexit deal for Britain. EU chief negotiator Mi- chel Barnier said the EU min- isters “have agreed to the principle” of a one-off exten- sion of the post-Brexit tran- sition period if the two sides need more time to finalize a trade deal. Under the divorce agreement, Britain agrees to be bound by EU rules during the transition, due to end in December 2020. Barnier would not give a specific end-date for the ex- tension. It’s a delicate issue for May, because some in her party worry the extension could be used to trap Britain in the EU’s rules indefinitely. May says any extension must be finished before the next U.K. election, scheduled for the first half of 2022. Striking a defiant note, May said “we have in view a deal that will work for the U.K. And let no one be in any doubt – I am determined to deliver it.” In Brussels, Austria’s minister for Europe, Gernot Bluemel, struck a more mel- ancholy note. “A painful week in Euro- pean politics is starting,” he said. “We have the divorce pa- pers on the table; 45 years of difficult marriage are coming to an end.” Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the CBI annual conference in London, Monday. - PHOTO: AP Rain could hinder search for victims of California wildfire PARADISE, Calif. (AP) – The search for remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfire has taken on new urgency as rain in the forecast could compli- cate those efforts while also bringing relief to firefighters on the front lines. Up to 400 people fanned out Sunday to search the ash and rubble where homes once stood before flames roared through the Sierra foothills town of Paradise and sur- rounding communities, killing at least 77 people in the dead- liest U.S. wildfire in a century. Wearing white coveralls, hard hats and masks, teams of volunteers and search and rescue crews poked through the smoky debris for frag- ments of bone before rains can wash them away or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste. The so-called Camp Fire has destroyed more than 10,500 homes. A team of 10 volunteers, accompanied by a cadaver dog, went from house to house in the charred land- scape. They scrutinized the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehi- cles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange “0” near the house and moved on. Robert Panak, a volunteer on a team from Napa County, said he tried to picture the house before it burned and think where people might have hidden. His morning search was fruitless, but he was not deterred. “I just think about the pos- itives, bringing relief to the families, closure,” Panak said. Sheriff Kory Honea said it was within the “realm of possibility” that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze. He also questioned whether the search for remains could be completed by midweek when rain is forecast. “As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don’t know if that’s possible,” Honea said. About 1,000 names re- main on a list of people un- accounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County about 140 miles north of San Francisco, authorities said. Authorities do not be- lieve all those on the list are missing and the roster dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they were not missing. On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, “We will rise from the ashes.” People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first fire- fighters, rescuers and search teams: “We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now.” Paul Stavish, who re- tired three months ago from a Silicon Valley computer job and moved to Paradise, placed a battery-powered votive candle on the altar as a woman played piano and sang “Amazing Grace.” Stavish, his wife and three dogs managed to escape the fire, but the house is gone. He said he was thinking of the dead and also mourning the warm, tight-knit community. “This is not just a few houses getting burned,” he said. “The whole town is gone.” Hundreds of search and re- covery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes where they received tips that someone might have died. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, “door- to-door” and “car-to-car” search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, who is helping oversee the search and rescue effort. The search area is huge, Moses said, with many struc- tures that need to be checked. The fire also burned many places to the ground, cre- ating a landscape unique to many search-and- rescue per- sonnel, he said. The death count only grew by one Sunday and firefighters managed to expand contain- ment to 65 percent of the 234 square mile burn zone. Rain was forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 20 mph sustained winds and 40 mph gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. A recovery dog searches for human remains Friday in Paradise, California. - PHOTO: AP May confirmed the government’s plan to end the automatic right of EU citizens to live and work in the U.K., saying Britain’s future immigration policy will be based on skills, rather than nationality.Next >