ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 High of 86 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. A small craft warning is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 & 5 2018: THE YEAR IN EDITORIALS WORLD | PAGE 11 QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE RIFFS ON WISDOM, FAMILY’S BUSY YEAR BritCay BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Happy New Year! The management and staff at BritCay wish you a happy and healthy 2019. Our offices will be closing at noon on December 31st. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp UCCI’s new president has big dreams MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The new president of the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands would like to see the school play a more vital role in helping to shape the future of the territory. Stacy McAfee, who will take charge of the campus on Jan. 2, said that while UCCI has made impressive progress under the guidance of retiring president Roy Bodden, she thinks the college still has untapped potential. Ms. McAfee, who is coming to UCCI from the University of the Pacific in California, where she served as associate vice president, spent two weeks on campus in December, meeting with faculty, staff and local leaders. She said she is still listening and learning, and expects to be working in that mode for some time. But certain avenues she would like to pursue have already made themselves ap- parent to her. She said she envisions the college and its faculty serving as a resource to government agencies and even the private sector when it comes to directing the nation. “People are seeking expert guidance that will ultimately shape what their nation be- comes, and UCCI can and should be the objec- tive research base that should be consulted,” Ms. McAfee said. “It’s an under-realized poten- tial the university has.” Much of the research the college faculty does, she said, is related to local issues and could provide valuable insight and data to MAN SHOT DEAD EARLY ON CHRISTMAS DAY Darrington Ebanks, a 29-year-old West Bay resident, was the victim of a fatal shooting incident in Boatswains Bay Road in West Bay shortly in the early hours of Christmas Day. Police and emergency services received a report of shots fired about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and were dispatched to the vicinity of King Road and Florence Lane. Mr. Ebanks was unresponsive when emer- gency medical services and police arrived on the scene. He was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital and later pronounced dead. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice closed off a portion of Boatswains Bay Road and Kings Road until 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. Officers are appealing to the public for assistance. Anybody with information about the shooting can call the Major Incident Room at 649-3008. Anonymous tips can also be provided directly to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via the Miami-based call center of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). A look back at the year that was The year 2018 was an eventful one for the Cayman Islands. A new governor appointed to take over from Helen Kilpatrick lasted in the position a mere 11 weeks before being withdrawn from the post and replaced; the British par- liament voted to force the Cayman Islands and its other overseas territories to make the names of company owners public; and the Cayman government launched an ambi- tious islandwide green iguana cull aimed at killing a million of the invasive species. It was also the year in which Grand Cayman’s airport, Owen Roberts Interna- tional, underwent a major multimillion- dollar face-lift; the islands saw record tourism numbers; and developers an- nounced plans to bring big hotel names, like the Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental, to the territory. In the Cayman Islands courts, after nearly two years and an estimated US$100 million, the biggest case in Cayman’s his- tory came to an end in June when Chief Justice Anthony Smellie dismissed rival claims made by the Saudi Arabian Al- gosaibi family and Kuwaiti-born busi- nessman Maan Al-Sanea, finding both to have defrauded scores of banks out of about US$126 billion over more than two decades. Also, since May, Cayman has been pre- paring itself for its biggest ever music fes- tival after organizers of San Diego’s pop- ular KAABOO event announced they would be bringing the festival here in February 2019, with Duran Duran, Blondie and Bryan Adams headlining. Turn to pages 6, 7 and 8 for a month-by- month look at the events that shaped 2018. Dozens dash through the sand on Boxing Day A group of Cayman’s heartiest and healthiest runners came out to hit the beach and work off their holiday indulgences on Wednesday for the 22nd running of Dashing Thru the Sand. The holiday event, which took place on Seven Mile Beach near the former Hemingways restaurant, started at 7:30 a.m. on Boxing Day and drew dozens of participants for a 1.5-mile walk and run along the beach. The weather was perfect for the holiday stroll. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AQUAMAN (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 2:05 3D I 3:45 I 6:35 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 3D SECOND ACT (PG13) 5:00 I 7:30 MORTAL ENGINES (PG13) 12:40 3D I 3:40 I 6:50 ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER (PG) 12:15 I 4:50 BUMBLEBEE (PG13) 1:00 I 3:55 VIP I 7:00 3D I 9:25 I 9:50 VIP ROBIN HOOD (PG13) 1:20 I 10:00 SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (PG) 5:20 I 9:50 THE GRINCH (PG) 2:30 I 7:05 Green iguana cull total passes 275,000 Heading into the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, Grand Cayman’s iguana hunters pushed the total of culled lizards past the 275,000 mark. During Week 8 (Dec. 17-22) of the Department of Envi- ronment’s program, cullers dropped off 21,885 invasive green iguanas at the George Town landfill. That is the lowest weekly total since the government- funded program began, but overall, cullers remain well ahead of the pace required to meet the project’s goal of re- moving around one million green iguanas from Grand Cayman in the first year of operation. So far, the more than 300 licensed iguana hunters have culled 278,202 of the reptiles. Governor and family enjoy festive party The governor and his wife enjoyed a festive Christmas party at Government House last week at their last official function of 2018. Governor Martyn Roper and wife Lissie welcomed guests to the event, at which the choir sang “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and a host of other well-loved Christmas standards, such as “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High” and “Silent Night.” An eight-foot Norway Spruce Christmas tree, dec- orated with a tiny hand- knitted nativity scene, a fa- vorite of the Ropers, gave the home a festive cheer as guests made their way to the beachside patio. Introducing the Cayman National Choir, Governor Roper said that the evening had been arranged to invite many people who had never been to Government House before. He said he was eager to extend similar invitations to people from all walks of life who have not previously visited the residence, and urged guests to suggest ways in which he could achieve this objective. Mr. Roper thanked the people of the Cayman Islands for making him and his wife feel so welcome in his first few months in office, and they were now looking for- ward to a family Christmas with his in-laws and chil- dren on island. The choir singing under the stars were accompanied by the music teacher Naomi Allnut. Guests also got the opportunity to mingle and socialize before and after the caroling. The Roper children, Matthew and Jessica, who are spending their first Christmas in Grand Cayman, helped serve drinks and food. The reception was at- tended by the Premier Alden McLaughlin, Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller and other dignitaries. Government prize money boosts song competition The top three winners of this year’s Pirates Week Na- tional Song Competition had some extra spending money for Christmas shopping this year. The trio were presented with a combined $10,000 in cash prizes last week. Taking the top prize of $5,000 was Matt Brown, with the song “Mutiny,” written by Ben Hudson. Veteran mu- sician Mitchell “Jah Mitch” Ebanks’s calypso number, ti- tled “Pirate’s Time,” won him the second prize of $3,000 and singer Erica Assai took third place with a cash prize of $2,000 for her song “All I Have.” The event was sup- ported by the Ministry of Culture, the Tourism Attrac- tion Board and the Cayman Music and Entertainment As- sociation, who sponsored the first, second and third prizes, respectively. At the check presentation, Dwayne Seymour, minister for culture, said, “I believe that for music and musi- cians to grow in the Cayman Islands we have to support our artists in a very sub- stantial way.” Patrick Thompson, di- rector of the Tourism Attrac- tion Board, said the agency was pleased that the min- ister had committed to spon- soring the competition, as that was the boost it needed to revive. “The TAB recog- nizes the need to invest in our local talent who will one day rise to be ambassa- dors of the Cayman Islands. This is one way for us to do so,” he added. The National Song Com- petition had been a fixture at the Pirates Week Festival in earlier years, but had been absent from its calender for several years. Festival Manager Melanie McField noted in a press re- lease that with the injection of sponsorship from the three entities, the competition was met with enthusiasm. “We had over a dozen applicants this year and through the competition, we hope to en- courage musicians to pro- duce original songs that can be celebrated though our Na- tional Festival for years to come,” she said. CMEA President Jean-eric “Notch” Smith is also hoping the event will become a cata- lyst for the continued devel- opment of local music. “The National Song Competition was one of the biggest high- lights of the Pirates Week events of yesteryear; I’m re- ally excited to see us bring this key component of the overall festival back,” he said in the release. He added, “Through this partnership between the Ministry, the TAB and the CMEA we can better incen- tivise new and seasoned mu- sicians to continue to create original regional composi- tions; adding to Cayman’s ever-growing cultural land- scape through the creativity of music. I can’t wait for next year.” 93,519 129,892 161,398 193,745 226,046 256,317 278,202 53,953 39,566 36,373 31,506 32,347 32,301 30,271 21,885 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 Week 1 (Oct. 29-Nov. 3) Week 2 (Nov. 5-10) Week 3 (Nov. 13-17) Week 4 (Nov. 19-24) Week 5 (Nov. 26-Dec. 1) Week 6 (Dec. 3-8) Week 7 (Dec. 10-16) Week 8 (Dec. 17-22) Green iguana cull update Total culledIguanas culled The National Choir brings festive cheer to the Government House. From left, Minister for Culture Dwayne Seymour, Pirates Week Executive Director Melanie McField, top three competition winners Mitchell ‘Jah Mitch’ Ebanks, Matt Brown and Ben Hudson, and Erica Assai, and CMEA President Jean-eric Smith.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 Customs officer in cocaine importation case takes stand Defendant claims he only purchased gold statues SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Customs officer David Karl Lobo took the stand in his own defense Thursday and Friday, offering testi- mony in the Grand Court trial of conspiracy to im- port cocaine. Mr. Lobo, who is charged with being concerned in the sale of cocaine, testi- fied about his involvement in two smuggling operations that brought drugs from Co- lombia to Cayman. He told the jury that he believed he was making a purchase of pre-Colum- bian art from a Colom- bian-based smuggler named Lesme Perez Ruiz. Alan Taylor Dominguez, a friend of both Mr. Lobo and Mr. Ruiz, allegedly acted as an intermediary. Both Mr. Perez Ruiz and Mr. Dominguez have pleaded guilty to their roles in bringing cocaine into Cayman twice in June of 2017, and they testified that Mr. Lobo purchased the co- caine from them. Mr. Lobo strenuously denied those claims on Thursday when asked about his role in co- caine importation by defense counsel Amelia Fosuhene. “One billion percent, I was never involved in any conspiracy or any conversa- tions dealing with importing cocaine to the Cayman Is- lands or anywhere else in the world,” said Mr. Lobo, who worked in the Customs De- partment’s Fraud Enforce- ment Division. Mr. Perez Ruiz was caught in a hotel room with 1.8 kilograms of cocaine on June 2, and Mr. Lobo was ar- rested separately after being seen at the hotel. Shortly after driving away from the hotel, Mr. Lobo was ar- rested with $13,400 in cash in his car. The scale Mr. Lobo admitted bringing a digital scale to Mr. Perez Ruiz, and he was asked to explain CCTV footage of himself buying the scale at A. L. Thompson’s. Mr. Lobo al- legedly used another phone number instead of his own when purchasing the scale. “Anything we purchase, it’s my mother’s number that we use,” he said of making the purchase. “I knew cam- eras were there. I know cam- eras are everywhere. I don’t know why the prosecution and their witnesses have made a scale such a heinous crime to own. God forbid you have a scale at home and a police officer finds it.” Statues, not drugs Mr. Lobo, who has been on required leave from Customs department since last June, told the court that he was hoping to buy statues, not drugs, from Mr. Perez Ruiz. “Lesme said these statues are national treasures. That they belong to the govern- ment,” he said. “To me, it was no concern about what they were doing. If it was il- legal for them to bring them out, it was not illegal to bring them into Cayman.… Even if they were pure gold, it would not be illegal to bring into Cayman. They would be duty-free.” Patrick Moran, the acting director of public prosecu- tions, questioned Mr. Lobo about purchasing statues from another country as part of his cross-examination. Mr. Lobo testified that he did not think it would be a crime to purchase the statues, even if they had been stolen from the govern- ment of Colombia and smug- gled to Cayman. He also told the court that he had purchased castor oil and brought it to the smugglers, but he said he thought it was for polishing the statues. Mr. Moran also ques- tioned Mr. Lobo about a se- ries of wire transfers he had sent to Mr. Perez Ruiz in Colombia. The Crown demonstrated through receipts and wit- ness testimony that Mr. Lobo had wired $300 to Mr. Perez Ruiz on May 11 before his first journey to Cayman, and then $1,000 on May 25 and May 30. Mr. Perez Ruiz testified in court that those payments were meant to aid in bringing cocaine to Cayman, but Mr. Lobo said that they were meant to be loans. “It was reasonable for me to lend him,” he said. “I’m a very reasonable person. Now, in this case, I realize I go too far and beyond. Now I realize I was taken ad- vantage of.” Mr. Perez Ruiz, who is awaiting sentencing, told the jury earlier in the trial that Mr. Lobo had paid him $10,000 and still had to pay the remainder of around $13,000 for 1.8 kilograms of cocaine. Mr. Lobo visited the hotel on numerous occasions while the smugglers were con- verting the cocaine back from liquid to powder. Mr. Perez Ruiz claimed that Mr. Lobo would have seen the drugs as they were being con- verted, but on the witness stand Mr. Lobo denied having seen them. Mr. Moran attempted to demonstrate that Mr. Lobo had successfully paid for a kilogram of cocaine and subsequently sent it to the U.S. the first time Mr. Perez Ruiz had visited Cayman. The second time, they were thwarted by law enforcement, but Mr. Lobo countered that the cash was earmarked for purchasing a car and that he never would have paid for drugs without leaving the premises with them. “Had I paid Mr. Lesme any money, if I was involved with drugs, I would’ve taken the drugs with me,” he said in response to Mr. Moran. “I would not leave this man with $10,000 and not take the drugs as you suggest.” The case was adjourned for the Christmas holidays and will return to court on Jan. 2. Mr. Lobo, who is charged with being concerned in the sale of cocaine, testified about his involvement in two smuggling operations that brought drugs from Colombia to Cayman.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 2018: The year in editorials The editor’s editorial is a newspaper tradition the Compass is pleased to continue as an expression of our commitment to community lead- ership. Today, as part of our year- end review, we look back at ex- cerpts from notable editorials published over the past year. Drive, drag or tow: Derelict cars have got to go (Jan. 5) … In the height of tourist season, visions of broken-down or abandoned vehicles are hardly postcard-perfect. The images of immobile automobiles are more aligned with hurricane relief missions than luxury vacations. The problem is not just one of perception. In many cases, these vehicles can present clear safety hazards, as they are being left for days or weeks alongside (or even on) some of the busiest stretches of asphalt in Cayman, including the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and West Bay Road …. The problem has come up publicly in the past, but this latest iteration has been accumulating since last fall, when the Department of Environmental Health began curtailing – and eventually stopping altogether – the acceptance of cars and scrap metal at the George Town landfill …. The collection and disposal of automobiles must be accounted for in long-term waste manage- ment plans (whether they are to be executed by the government or the Dart Group, which has been chosen to build and operate the country’s new waste manage- ment facility). But in the short term, the so- lution might be much simpler, re- quiring only two ingredients: a tow truck and a parking lot. The government owns several plots of flat land that might well serve as suitable cemeteries for these once proud, but now expired, me- chanical beasts. Major (but not terminal) problems arise at new airport (Feb. 1) The Compass published, with some reluctance, an article and photograph on Page One of yester- day’s newspaper, which depicted, verbally and visually, an incident nothing short of misery at the newly opened arrival hall at Owen Roberts International Airport. Our initial reluctance stemmed from our awareness that any enterprise as complex as the opening of a new airport facility is going to have glitches, snafus and, inevitably, some confusion and missed cues. “Opening nights,” on Broadway or elsewhere, rarely go according to script. Nevertheless, we were hopeful that there would be a simple cause – perhaps mechan- ical failure of baggage conveyor belts – to explain the long lines of arriving tourists snaking from parked planes, into the airport proper, through the immigration checkpoint, on to baggage re- trieval and customs checks, and eventually off to various resorts, hotels or other final destinations. Alas, we learned that, unfortu- nately, there was no “one-off” me- chanical failure …. Indeed the os- tensible problem – long lines of unhappy tourists – was, in fact, simply a manifestation of a mul- titude of operational mishaps – many of them emanating from bad (or nonexistent) planning, others simply from bad luck …. To their credit, Minister [Moses] Kirkconnell, Airports Authority CEO Albert Anderson, Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith and other airport brass and staff were in nonstop meet- ings yesterday to deal with what is obviously an intolerable situa- tion …. C’mon, Cayman. We need to, and can do, better than this … Best wishes to Governor Kilpatrick as she departs our shores (March 5) When Governor Helen Kilpat- rick arrived in the Cayman Islands in the summer of 2013 … She brought with her a valuable skill set, given our position as one of the world’s offshore financial cen- ters and our challenges in respon- sible fiscal management, finan- cial controls and timely reporting …. During her tenure as governor, Ms. Kilpatrick oversaw implemen- tation of “one man, one vote” elec- tion reforms and improvements in financial reporting by govern- ment and its statutory authorities. She made appointments to key government positions – including police commissioner, auditor general, and our islands’ first om- budsman – that will shape our is- lands going forward. She leaves the office in the capable hands of Deputy Gov- ernor Franz Manderson, who will serve as acting governor until in- coming Governor Anwar Choud- hury arrives on March 26 with his family …. Consultants’ reports: What did we get for $35 million of advice? (March 14) … In the best cases, consul- tants can offer experienced, im- partial analysis and recommen- dations for government action. Having said that, it is difficult to adjudge, in a vacuum, whether the nearly $35 million govern- ment spent on outside consul- tants over the past five years was too much, too little or ex- actly the right amount. Such an assessment depends on the value of what was received in return – and government’s willingness to act on that information …. Auditors report that govern- ment does not routinely mon- itor how much it spends on con- sultants, nor does it consistently consider the return on investment (the proverbial “value for money”) when engaging consultants. They found that while many of the contracts were awarded through a competitive open pro- cess, others (which should have been) were not. Auditors learned that gov- ernment does not have standard terms and conditions for con- tracts, nor does it regularly eval- uate consultants’ performance – both of which, in most large functioning organizations, consti- tute routine standard procedure. And then there is the question of what government officials do with the expertise they have re- quested, purchased and received. In basic terms, the “consul- tant tree” yields only one type of “fruit” – reports – usually filled with observations and recom- mendations. It is the managers of an enterprise, in this case gov- ernment officials, who decide whether or not to act on the re- ports, how and to what extent. Positive marks for new school inspections regime (April 9) Education officials appear to be delivering on their promise to evaluate thoroughly govern- ment schools’ performance and to make their findings public. That is a welcome change from the past, when critical reports were massaged, edited and even buried from view …. The new inspection process, designed by Peter Carpenter, di- rector of the Office of Education Standards, aims to be collabora- tive, factual and in greater align- ment with accepted accreditation methods. School administrators, teachers, parents and students play a role in the process …. A more rigorous inspection re- gime will not “fix” Cayman’s trou- bled government schools system – we believe that will require a fundamental transformation in our model of public education. Whether our elected leaders have the foresight or political will to carry through such a revolution remains, at best, unclear. That being said, the new ap- proach to school inspections does appear to be a positive de- velopment, perhaps primarily in that it injects a much-needed spirit of honesty and account- ability into our all-important ed- ucation system. Government’s failure to pick up the trash: How hard can it be? (April 20) … For months, local residents, including North Side MLA Ez- zard Miller and Newlands MLA Al Suckoo, have been airing com- plaints about the Department of Environmental Health’s incon- sistent collection of garbage …. Garbage collection is among the “unsexiest” functions of govern- ment, but it is a fundamental ser- vice that impacts a diversity of core government responsibilities, including environmental health, public health and economic vi- brancy. What tourist (or resident) would want to spend money in a place littered with unsightly and unsanitary refuse? As our readers are well aware, dysfunction at the Department of Environmental Health goes be- yond missed garbage pick-ups. When workers do collect the garbage, the problem then be- comes where to put it. The land- fill, or at least certain sections of it, is practically full or ap- proaching capacity …. We know that Christmas only comes once a year, but given the untenable situation of uncollected garbage, perhaps it’s time for a heavy- duty spring cleaning campaign. Straightening out Sunday liquor sales: That is the spirit (April 25) Last Friday marked the end of one of the more, let’s say, “in- teresting” chapters in Grand Cay- man’s regulatory history, as the Liquor Licensing Board gave the official green light to 12 busi- nesses seeking to sell alcohol on Sundays …. It appears that the new chairman has brought a much-needed sense of law and order to the board’s delibera- tions, and by extension the com- petitive landscape of Cayman’s liquor industry. For the record, the Compass never took a position on the ques- tion of whether businesses should be allowed to sell alcohol on Sun- days. What we have stood for, and will continue to advocate for, is that the Liquor Licensing Board – and all governmental bodies – op- erate in a transparent, impartial and consistent manner …. When it comes to liquor licensing, Cay- man’s patchwork scheme of ad hoc regulations, “grandfathered” exceptions and individualized permissions should be swept away and replaced by rational, universal standards for any and all applicants. Investigations into government employees continue to grow (May 1) A probe into the possible misuse of government resources adds yet another name to the al- ready-lengthy list of public offi- cials who have been sidelined by investigation. National Roads Authority Managing Director Paul Parch- ment has been placed on leave by the authority’s board of directors, which also has commissioned an investigation into allegations “into possible misuse of NRA re- sources by a senior employee,” ac- cording to a statement issued by Board Chairman Donovan Ebanks last week …. Given the number of times government has found itself in this situation, one would think a quick, decisive routine would have been firmly established by now. Not so …. As Governor Anwar Choudhury continues to develop priorities for his term, we urge him to pay close attention to this issue. From where we are sit- ting, the bar for dismissal from the Civil Service appears to be set absurdly high. Using Cayman’s charities as pawns in a ‘rigged game’ (May 11) The altruistic individuals who comprise the Cayman Is- lands charitable community toil tirelessly (and for the most part, for no pay) to make our commu- nity safer, kinder and healthier …. But after reading the severely worded email sent this week from the Ministry of Financial Services and Home Affairs, one would be forgiven for thinking our nonprofit community con- stitutes a syndicate of criminals, thieves and money-laundering terrorists …. Cayman’s new law … requires nonprofits to register and submit financial records and information about directors, con- trollers and owners to the Gen- eral Registry …. The quixotic legislation targets the best-be- having members of our commu- nity …. It distracts them from their good works, creates new layers of administrative overhead (and government bureaucracy) and discourages donations from privacy-conscious individuals … and for what? To try to look good for outside organizations that are so inherently opposed to the idea of offshore finance that they will never be satisfied by either appearances or reality. Britain and Brussels: The double threat to Cayman’s economy (May 24) At the beginning of May, the U.K. House of Commons acted to force public registers of beneficial ownership upon the Cayman Is- lands and other British Overseas Territories. Now, that the House of Lords has acquiesced to the lower chamber’s version of the relevant legislation, the betrayal of Cayman and our sister terri- tories by the U.K. Parliament is complete …. Meanwhile, on the “eastern front” of the war against offshore financial centers, the Eu- ropean Union is poised to decide (most likely in December) which jurisdictions make its “white list,” “blacklist” or perhaps remain on its “gray list,” where Cayman now resides. Financial Services Min- ister Tara Rivers is in Brussels this week, lobbying on our behalf. In regard to the British legis- lation, Premier Alden McLaughlin has been both active and vocal …. Regardless of the best efforts of our elected members, at home and abroad, we must not lose sight of the fact the Cayman’s “A Team” cannot be found on gov- ernment benches but rather in the financial services industry PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5 »5 OPINION&LETTERS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 Notable positions taken by our editorial board itself. Cayman’s private sector, understandably, is far more knowledgeable and able in all matters financial than its public representatives, and it is, there- fore, paramount that they inform and participate in our strategy going forward …. The governor’s ‘withdrawal’: What happened? (June 15) Just more than two months after his arrival, the Governor of the Cayman Islands is gone – in bureaucratic-speak, “temporarily withdrawn.” What is unspoken, but readily presumable, is that he is unlikely to return. Whatever the actual inten- tions of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in con- junction with top officials in the Cayman Islands), the manner in which they have handled the sit- uation involving Anwar Choud- hury has had the direct effect of besmirching the name and character of a 15-year diplomat with decades of service in the U.K.’s public, private and mili- tary sectors. Additionally, the mystery- cloaked “withdrawal” of the gov- ernor has left Cayman without the leader of our executive branch of government, the “CEO” of some 6,000 employees in the public ser- vice, and the titular head of the country, deriving his authority from Her Majesty the Queen. What is Mr. Choudhury’s al- leged offense? Did it happen in Cayman, or elsewhere? What is the nature of the “number of complaints?” Who made the com- plaints? What does the FCO’s in- vestigation entail? What are the potential consequences? What has happened to our governor? … A workable solution to social welfare (Aug. 9) The Cayman Islands economy is a rising tide. However, there is a small but significant, and ap- parently growing, segment of the population that is not equipped or positioned to benefit equally from our country’s general prosperity. … Although it may be some- what counterintuitive, it is not surprising that more and more of the lowest-income earners find themselves unable to keep up with the rising costs of living (particularly housing prices) that accompany developmental growth and uplift in demand from the upper end of the economic scale …. There is no single or simple solution to the persistent problem of unemployment. Nev- ertheless, few would disagree that in order to inoculate future gen- erations against poverty, a society must provide access to excellent market-sensitive education. Every young Caymanian must be pre- pared to compete in the local and global economy, which is increas- ingly one and the same. Additionally and importantly, for individuals who are able to work, social services should be structured to provide temporary “lifeline” assistance, not access to a lifetime of welfare dependency, which too commonly evolves into an multigenerational cycle. With few exceptions (such as the elderly or disabled), the goal of social services should be to find the shortest path to gainful employment and self-sufficiency. A no-compromise commitment to public education (Aug. 24) The Alameda Unified School District School Board, which pre- sides over Oakland, California, and cities in the San Francisco Bay area, this week amended its student dress code to allow stu- dents to attend classes in halter tops, tube tops, ripped jeans and pajamas …. In contrast in Cayman, where students will re- turn to public schools on Monday after their summer break, they also will be adjusting to a revised dress code, announced on Monday by Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Education Council Chairman Dan Scott. No tube tops here. The code itself is no-nonsense – uniforms, pants worn at waist height (not halfway down the butt), short hair (no Mohawks or shaved lines or words), no flip-flops and no jewelry other than watches. Clearly, this new policy is about more than simply attire and cou- ture. It is intended to send an unambiguous message that the classroom is a serious sanctum for learning, order and decorum. It is a message we whole- heartedly support …. Effective learning cannot take place in a disorderly or chaotic en- vironment. Period. No single stu- dent, or clusters of multiple stu- dents, should EVER be allowed to disrupt the education of an entire class. Toughness is called for here – “understanding” can come later. Most important, principals, the education ministry, the ed- ucation bureaucracy (meaning the administration), and parents, must privately, and publicly, sup- port our teachers in their quest to do what they were hired to do – teach. Everything else is sec- ondary to that basic mission …. Iguana eradication: Funding the war Cayman must win (Sept. 4) The Department of Envi- ronment appears to be moving closer to implementing a massive cull intended to stop the spread of invasive green iguanas on Grand Cayman. They are asking government for a $7 million funding infusion and are seeking bids from private companies to manage the multi- year program that aims to exter- minate 1.4 million of the beasts in the first year, alone. We sup- port and applaud their initiative and encourage government to fund fully this effort. It is an eco- logical battle we must not lose. The stakes could hardly be higher: Every year – indeed, every day – that Cayman’s green iguana population goes unchecked, its population grows exponentially. Frankly, we are taken aback that this issue has gone unnoticed or unaddressed for so long by successive governments. Now we’ve got a gargantuan mess on our hands …. Cruise pier: To be or not to be? (Sept. 21) … After years, even decades, of discussion, the contentions for and against building cruise piers in the George Town harbor are no doubt familiar to many of our readers. Although cruise berthing proposals have been around nearly as long as cruise ships have been visiting Grand Cayman, the idea has arguably never been closer to realization …. Trans- forming the George Town harbor by investing in a cruise dock con- stitutes a very serious, long-term commitment by Cayman to the cruise tourism industry. Petitions are circulating with the purpose of forcing a refer- endum on the cruise project. Whether or not Caymanian voters do get that chance to weigh in at the polls (and many would argue that did happen during the 2017 general election), Cayman as a country must have both eyes wide open to the potential benefits and risks of this landmark project …. ‘Conspiracy of silence’ surrounding the Choudhury affair (Sept. 26) If British officials believe last week’s two-sentence statement on the removal of the territory’s governor will be the final word in the story of Anwar Choud- hury in the Cayman Islands, they are dreaming “happy dreams.” … We assume we will never learn much more about the governor’s removal from the FCO or Mr. Choudhury, but information may come out through other sources. Certainly, Premier Alden McLaughlin is under no obligation to maintain the FCO’s brand of si- lence …. Remember, the governor and the FCO work for the Queen, but the premier and our MLAs work for the people of Cayman. Godspeed and good tidings to Cayman National (Oct. 18) For good reason, many people think of Cayman National Bank as “the people’s bank” – a home- grown success story with deep community ties …. And so, it is in some ways understandable that the bank’s pending sale to The Republic Bank of Trin- idad and Tobago (Barbados) Ltd. would engender strong feelings locally, including some concerns and even fears. Frankly, we look at it some- what differently. Cayman National may right- fully be considered a community treasure by many, but it is also a publicly traded company with du- ties and fiduciary responsibilities to its shareholders …. As business decisions must be, the board’s rec- ommendation and investors’ ul- timate decision were based on careful consideration of facts …. The Compass Editorial Board takes no position on the share- holders’ decision to sell the bank. We would only point out that sands shift and times change. Cayman today is not the same as Cayman yesterday, nor will it be the same Cayman tomorrow. No company – or country – can be governed by either nos- talgia or resistance to change. But that does not prevent us from observing, with a touch of sentimentality, that Cayman Na- tional is moving on to its next evolutionary stage …. A heartfelt welcome to our new governor (Oct. 22) Perhaps the third time will be the proverbial charm. In re- cent months, Cayman has had two short-term governors … Now Martyn Keith Roper will soon take up the Governor’s post full time. … By all accounts, Mr. Roper is superbly qualified to excel in his new assignment …. We in Cayman would be wise to remind ourselves that U.K. representatives are here, first and foremost, to represent the inter- ests of their home country. All high-level diplomats on foreign soil have to deal with that re- ality. The best of them do it with grace and aplomb, but no one in Cayman should be displeased or surprised when Mr. Roper puts the interests of England above those on the ground in Cayman. That is part of the “bargain” that goes along with territories being part of the U.K. family …. Mr. Roper, and his predeces- sors, have broad – even Draco- nian – powers to enforce and ensure such notions as “good governance,” national security (meaning particularly the police), and, ultimately, the performance of the civil service. These are consequential re- sponsibilities and, at this mo- ment in Cayman history, all are in need of serious review, if not outright remediation and repair. But, it is not the intent of this editorial to frighten Mr. Roper and his wife “Lissie” (as he calls her) away. Quite the contrary. We are confident they will find our “verdant isles” to be pop- ulated by a people who are gen- uinely friendly and universally welcoming. All are eagerly antic- ipating their arrival and looking forward to their stay among us. First days: Mulling the culling debut (Nov. 1) Grand Cayman’s deputized bands of iguana hunters are fo- cused on the iguanas, while the general public apparently is shifting its focus to the cullers themselves. To be certain, the “numbers” the cullers are producing, ad- mittedly based on the earliest of returns, are nothing short of impressive. By the close of opening day on Monday, cullers turned in to the landfill 13,819 “former” iguanas. On day two, they depos- ited an additional 9,835 iguanas, meaning that, within a span of 48 hours, nearly 24,000 iguanas were removed from Cayman’s trees, lawns and swimming pools. Clearly, as time goes on, these numbers will decline as the iguana population shrinks and the “easy kills” will become fewer and fewer …. Let’s get on with this unpleasant business. Because of government’s unfor- giveable idleness and unbeliev- able silliness (Lizard Lottos?) in combatting our iguana invasion, we find ourselves in a horrible human, animal and environ- mental mess. Let’s get it behind us as fast as is humanly (not necessarily humanely) possible. Another $4.53M in life support for CINICO (Nov. 20) … The last time CINICO made headlines in the Compass, it was after CINICO’s appointed Board of Directors summarily termi- nated 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 clarifica- tion 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 nu- merous occasions over the years we have published warnings, in the form of government’s own es- timates, of Cayman’s increasingly exorbitant public healthcare lia- bility of $1.7 billion over the next 20 years. Nothing, to our knowl- edge, is being done to prepare for that – certainly not the economi- cally elementary (but politically risky) step of passing on some healthcare costs (in the form of premiums, deductibles or copay- ments) to individual civil ser- vants on CINICO’s plan …. A closer look at our country’s ‘foreclosure’ law (Dec. 6) The Law Reform Commission is inviting public comment con- cerning several suggested modi- fications to the Cayman Islands’ “foreclosure” regime …. It is crit- ical that laws governing mort- gages and forced sales of property be simple, clear and fair …. In the discussion paper, the commission questions whether borrowers ad- equately understand lenders’ legal rights in regard to forced sales, whether the current legislation causes the incurrence of too many legal fees (passed along to the bor- rowers, who as a rule are already in financial distress), and whether a bank-forced sale advertised as a “Bank Sale” or “Foreclosure” ar- tificially deflates the true “market value” of a property (primarily to the disadvantage of the borrower). Tales of lost homes are often poignant and full of sorrow. From the standpoint of policy and prin- ciple, though, the ultimate re- sponsibility for understanding and adhering to contractual com- mitments falls upon the indi- viduals who are signing on the dotted line. Yes, legal contracts (in- cluding mortgage documents) can be lengthy and abstruse. Lawyers who can translate legalese into plain English can be expensive. But when it comes to a significant financial and emotional invest- ment, such as the purchase of a home, it is absolutely mandatory that you know exactly the com- mitment you are making …. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46 THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS YEAR IN REVIEW JANUARY Dart revives Camana Bay hotel idea The Dart group applied to extend the underpass on West Bay Road by 171 feet, and included a future plan to build a five-star hotel on Seven Mile Beach on the cur- rent site of the Royal Palms bar. That hotel will require a separate application but was included to illustrate Dart’s long-term goals for the site. Earthquake sparks tsunami scare Cayman’s emergency alert capability was called into question by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the coast of Honduras and briefly sparked fears of a po- tential tsunami. The quake hit at 9:52 p.m. on a Tuesday night and registered as a minor tremor 190 miles away in Grand Cayman. Calypso Cowboy shot outside home Dexter Bodden, a local musician known as the Ca- lypso Cowboy, was shot outside his George Town home on Jan. 15. Mr. Bodden was shot while sit- ting in his car after ar- riving home. He suffered a wound to his lower ab- domen and was taken to Cayman Islands Hospital to recuperate. Young father killed in Eastern Avenue shooting Omar Bailey, a 28-year- old father of two, was shot multiple times in a car park outside a barber shop on Eastern Avenue on Jan. 20. Mr. Bailey, who worked in the construction trade, was standing by his car when he was shot. The RCIPS made an arrest two days after the shooting occurred. Arrivals wing opens at Owen Roberts The new arrivals hall, a key development in the $55 million upgrade of Owen Roberts International Air- port, opened in January. The hall included new cus- toms, baggage and immi- gration areas. The new fa- cility features five baggage carousels and gives Cay- man’s visitors more space and convenience. FEBRUARY Hyatt signs deal for 5-star Pageant Beach hotel Hyatt Hotels Group re- vealed that a Hyatt affiliate had entered into a franchise agreement with Pageant Beach Hotel Ltd. to operate a 351-room hotel planned to open on Seven Mile Beach in late 2020. The hotel is ex- pected to feature six cafes and restaurants, three pools, shops and a private screening room. Government backs away from GM mosquito rollout The government signifi- cantly scaled back its plan to release genetically modi- fied mosquitoes amid con- cerns that the technology is still unproven. The govern- ment was close to agreement on a two-year deal worth US$8 million, but settled in- stead for a smaller program costing CI$940,000 in 2018. Estella’s murderers sentenced to 40 years Two men – Kirkland Henry and Larry Prinston Ricketts – were sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2008 murder of rights ac- tivist Estella Scott-Roberts. Ms. Roberts was abducted from a car park on West Bay Road on Oct. 10 of 2008. Mr. Henry and Mr. Ricketts will have to serve at least 40 years before they can apply to the conditional release board for release on license. Major music festival planned for Cayman KAABOO, a major arts fes- tival that drew more than 100,000 people to San Diego in September 2017, committed to bringing a major event to Cayman in February 2019. Or- ganizers said the inaugural two-day KAABOO Cayman festival, to be held near the Kimpton Seafire resort, would bring musicians, artists, chefs and comedians to Cayman. It is expected to attract 11,000 people on each of its two days and could bring $13.9 million to the island. MARCH Man gunned down in street Dougmore Wright, 44, was shot and killed as he walked along Prospect Drive on March 6. It was the second major incident in the same Red Bay neighborhood in the space of a few days. Earlier, a pair of armed robbers ex- changed gunfire with police following a car chase through the back streets of Prospect in the aftermath of an armed robbery at the Czech Inn in Bodden Town. Congestion in the skies Cayman’s tourism boom caused logistical problems at the airport in March. Con- gestion at the terminal, in- cluding lines snaking out- side the building, was reflected in the skies. Several planes were diverted or held on the tarmac in Florida be- cause the airport was too busy for them to land. Air- port officials attributed the logjam to an unprecedented number of private planes arriving at peak times on a busy Saturday. Cayman makes deal with Airbnb The Cayman Islands gov- ernment signed an agreement with Airbnb, the company which started as an informal couch-surfing service and was once considered a threat to traditional tourism busi- ness and government rev- enues. Officials said they hoped the deal would make it easier to allow Caymanians to rent rooms or second homes through the online marketplace without govern- ment losing tax revenue. North Side honors Bo Miller at beach dedication Derrington “Bo” Miller was honored in a bittersweet cer- emony when a public beach in North Side district was dedicated in his name. More than 100 people turned out to the event, which was a cel- ebration of Mr. Miller’s life. At that time, the well-known businessman and community leader was fighting cancer. He died in April. Governor Choudhury sworn in Anwar Choudhury arrived in the Cayman Islands with his family on March 26 and was sworn in as governor the same day. Mr. Choudhury, who stepped off the plane with his baby daughter Emilia in his arms, said he was humbled to take on the role. APRIL Kemar Hyman excels at Commonwealth Games Sprinter Kemar Hyman came within inches of a Com- monwealth Games medal, fin- ishing fifth in the 100-meter sprint in Australia. Caymanian Hyman had blitzed through the heats as the second fastest qualifier. He finished the final in 10.21 seconds – two hun- dredths of a second short of a place on the podium. International School plans $45m expansion Cayman International School revealed plans for a $45 million expansion to meet growing demand for places. The school planned a new purpose-built high school and early childhood center as part of a project to double the capacity of the school. Woman killed on highway bridge A 56-year-old woman from the Philippines was killed after she was struck by a vehicle while walking on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway Bridge north of the Kimpton Seafire hotel. Susan Simoy Sumalapao, who died at the scene, was a mother of three who worked in Grand Cayman as a nanny. Ghost net found off Cayman Fishermen made the hor- rific find of hundreds of dead fish and sharks tangled in an abandoned net drifting off Grand Cayman. Researchers said the ghost net may have been drifting for months, trap- ping and killing everything in its path. It was later relocated close to the island and hauled out the water. The net was processed for recycling. Police car arson attack Two new police cars being outfitted at a George Town auto dealership were set alight in an apparent arson attack. Severe damage was caused to one of the patrol cars in what police commis- sioner Derek Byrne labeled an “unacceptable attack on law enforcement.” MAY UK to force Cayman, territories to make company owners public The House of Com- mons passed the U.K. Sanc- tions and Anti-Money Laun- dering Act which includes a clause that demands Britain’s 14 overseas territories, in- cluding the Cayman Islands, introduce public registers of beneficial ownership by the end of 2020. If they do not, the act in- structs the U.K. government to issue an order in council to force Cayman and the other territories to do so. The at- tempt by British lawmakers to impose legislation on 2018 Year in Review: A look back at the year that was Cayman Islands Airports Authority CEO Albert Anderson leads media on a tour of the new arrivals hall at Owen Roberts International Airport in January. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Governor Anwar Choudhury, center, flanked by Premier Alden McLaughlin and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, arrives in Grand Cayman on March 26. By June 12, he had been removed from office. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY A discarded fishing net, dubbed a ‘ghost net,’ was found off Grand Cayman in April. The net was later recovered from the sea and recycled. - PHOTO: PIERRE LESIEUR PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW matters that are effectively devolved to the Cayman Is- lands using powers that date back to the colonial era was met with wide- spread criticism. Airport departure lounge opened The opening of the new departure lounge was an- other major milestone in the three-year, multimillion- dollar redevelopment project. The completed departure lounge features up to six se- curity lines and 11 gates. The project was expected to run 10 percent over its budget of $55 million. A tender process subsequently filled 18 slots for restaurants, cafes, duty- free and other shops. JUNE Governor Choudhury ‘temporarily withdrawn’ from post On June 12, the U.K. For- eign and Commonwealth Of- fice “temporarily” withdrew Governor Anwar Choudhury from his post pending an in- vestigation into “a number of complaints” against him. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson took up the post of acting governor in Mr. Choudhury’s absence. Mr. Choudhury never re- turned to his post and the FCO did not make any fur- ther statement about his re- moval. The nature of the com- plaints remains unknown. Mr. Choudhury was replaced in late October by Governor Martyn Roper. Mandarin Oriental signed on to Beach Bay hotel project The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced in June that it will manage the long-planned luxury resort and residences at Beach Bay, Grand Cayman. The Hong Kong-based group agreed on a deal with New York-based Melkonian Capital Management, which has been planning a major project at the site in Bodden Town since 2014. The Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman, is slated to become a 100-room beach- front resort with 89 branded residences, opening in 2021, according to the hotel chain. Historic fraud trial ended After almost two years and at an estimated cost of more than US$100 million, the longest and most expen- sive trial in Cayman Islands history concluded in June. In his 1,348-page judg- ment, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie described the affair, prompted by a complex feud involving one of Saudi Ara- bia’s biggest business em- pires, as a “cauldron of fraud.” He dismissed the claims of Saudi family conglomerate the Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi and Brothers that its collapse in 2009 was the consequence of a spectacular $6 billion fraud perpetrated by Maan Al-Sanea, who had married into the family and managed its financial businesses. AHAB claimed Mr. Al- Sanea had racked up billions of dollars of unauthorized debt and transferred some of the proceeds to his compa- nies in the Cayman Islands. Chief Justice Smellie said AHAB and Mr. Al-Sanea were partners in the fraud. Customs form scrapped for most Cayman travelers Customs scrapped a re- quirement to fill out bu- reaucratic forms for the ma- jority of travelers to Cayman. A goods declaration form for inbound travelers is no longer required, if they have not exceeded their duty- free allowances when flying into Cayman. The regime will not apply to cruise passengers but pas- sengers arriving by air can pass straight through the “green channel” in the cus- toms arrivals hall, if they are bringing in less than $350 of dutiable goods ($700 for fam- ilies) and they do not exceed established allowances for alcohol and tobacco prod- ucts. Later in the year, the al- lowance was raised to $500. Launch of green iguana meat exports A Cayman Islands com- pany announced the launch of green iguana meat exports to consumers in the United States. After a lengthy vet- ting process, Spinion Ltd. ob- tained the necessary permits to process both lionfish and iguana at its George Town processing plant for export to the U.S. The business es- tablished an online store in the U.S. and aims to export an average of 500 pounds of iguana meat a month. JULY Cuban migrants launch hunger strike at detention center Nine Cuban migrants at the Immigration Detention Centre launched a hunger strike on July 1 in response to what they called human rights abuses by government. The migrants, who were seeking asylum here, said they considered themselves “political prisoners” due to their prolonged detainment. Authorities refuse to release details of Choudhury complaints Government declined to release the contents of staff complaints made against withdrawn Governor Anwar Choudhury, stating that all such records belong to the United Kingdom government. Then-Acting Governor Franz Manderson said the terri- tory’s Freedom of Informa- tion Law “does not apply” in this instance because “the requested records belong to the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office also declined a Compass open re- cords request seeking in- formation about staff com- plaints made against Mr. Choudhury. The foreign of- fice confirmed that it does hold information relevant to the request, but declined to provide it because it would breach “personal data” re- lated to third parties. C3 stops airing World Cup games The telecommunications company C3 stopped airing World Cup games after re- ceiving legal threats from Logic, the company that owned the exclusive rights to broadcast the tournament in Cayman. C3 had alleged anti-competitive behavior by Logic and Flow because the former company leased its exclusive rights to the latter, leaving C3 in the dark. OfReg advertises for new CEO The Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) said it would hire a new CEO to replace outgoing chief J. Paul Morgan, whose con- tract was set to expire on Aug. 6. OfReg was plagued with budgetary deficits since being formed in January 2017, stemming in large part to multi-million-dollar ex- penses on traveling, confer- ences and professional and legal fees. AUGUST All Cuban asylum- seekers released from detention center All of the 13 asylum- seeking Cubans housed at the Immigration Detention Centre were released after being detained for more than a year. The migrants were to live in the community while their asylum applications were processed. Some have since been granted asylum, while others are challenging their application rejections in the Grand Court. Trinidad bank makes ‘possible offer’ for Cayman National Local bank Cayman Na- tional Corporation Ltd. an- nounced that it had received a “possible partial offer” from the Republic Bank Trin- idad and Tobago (Barbados) Ltd. to buy between 51 per- cent and 74.99 percent of its shares. Republic Bank’s offer for Cayman National stock- holders was US$6.25 per share, which was a US$3.25 premium over what the stock was trading at at the time. Cayman Airways announces Denver route The government-subsi- dized Cayman Airways an- nounced that it will begin flying direct to Denver in March. Tourism and airline bosses said the new route was part of a strategy to target increased tourism from cities on the West Coast. Push for people’s port referendum A group of residents an- nounced that they would begin collecting signatures in the hope of triggering a referendum on govern- ment’s proposed cruise pier development project. Cay- man’s constitution allows for a “people initiated refer- endum” on any topic of na- tional importance if a peti- tion signed by 25 percent of the electorate is presented to Cabinet. SEPTEMBER Top local cyclist killed The Cayman cycling com- munity was stunned when 2018 Year in Review: A look back at the year that was CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » New Governor Martyn Roper and his wife Elisabeth arrive in Cayman on Oct. 29. Three Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers patrol Seven Mile Beach. The police service launched the beach patrol initiative in September. Police Constable Fabian O’Connor proved to be one of the most popular characters on island in 2018. Nicknamed the ‘dancing policeman,’ PC O’Connor kept traffic flowing and saw pedestrians safely across the road in downtown George Town throughout the year. He went on to win the RCIPS Diversity Award at the annual police service awards. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY8 THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS YEAR IN REVIEW Geoff Cornwall, 56, was killed Sept. 11 during an early morning ride on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. Mr. Corn- wall, who was training for an Ironman event in Mexico, struck a car that was stopped on the side of the road. Governor officially removed The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office an- nounced that Anwar Choud- hury was being officially re- moved as governor of the Cayman Islands after a stint of less than three months. Mr. Choudhury had been suddenly summoned back to England in June, with no explanation. No reason was given for his official removal. Police step up beach patrols The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service started an ini- tiative aimed at reducing trespassing, thefts, burglaries and other crimes, particularly along the Seven Mile Beach corridor. Officers were issued uniforms of Bermuda shorts and yellow and black shirts to patrol along the beach. Port issue spawns series of meetings Both the government and the opposition hosted meet- ings at various locations during the month to promote their views on the conten- tious cruise port issue. Peti- tioners continued to gather voter signatures to force a referendum on the project. Beachfront development approved Officials approved a 10-story condominium project, to be built by the Butler Group, for Seven Mile Beach at a site between Mar- garitaville and the Marriott Beach Resort. Hemingways, a favorite dining spot for many, closed its doors, facing an uncertain future. Dart an- nounced it would revamp the Beach Suites, the site for Hemingways, and reopen it as a boutique hotel before year’s end. Teacher salary increases detailed Increased salary fig- ures for government school teachers were announced on Sept. 3. While there had been some cost-of-living and incremental adjustments, it was the first salary in- crease for teachers in more than a decade. OCTOBER Near miss Tropical Storm Michael gained hurricane strength in the Western Caribbean, but tracked away from Cayman, bringing only some rain and high surf on the west coast. It later made landfall in Florida, devastating some beachfront towns in its path. Not so Jolly Roger The high seas kicked up by Hurricane Michael landed Cayman’s pirate-themed ship, the Jolly Roger, on the rocks in George Town. It was the second time in a month that the ship had run aground. It was rescued from its plight and put in dry dock for repairs. Another new governor Martyn Roper was named Cayman’s new gov- ernor in the wake of the removal of Anwar Choud- hury. A career diplomat, Mr. Roper arrived in Cayman on Oct. 29, after serving as minister and deputy head of mission for the U.K. in Bei- jing, China. Coffee king invades Cayman Since Cayman has round- abouts, there will not be one on every corner, but Camana Bay announced that Star- bucks will be coming to its shopping complex by the end of the year. It will take over the space occupied by Cafe del Sol. Iguanas have price on their heads A massive culling effort to eradicate more than 1 mil- lion invasive green iguanas got under way. Launched on Oct. 30, 100 registered cullers brought in nearly 14,000 on the first official day of the culling. By the end of the first week in December, officials reported more than 200,000 of the lizards have been killed. More than 340 cullers had signed up to take part. NOVEMBER Wong fined $500 After 15 hearings in a case that spanned nearly five years, senior immigration of- ficer Garfield (Gary) Wong was fined $500 and his driv- er’s license was suspended for two months for careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The incident leading to the charges occurred in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2013, after his truck was in a collision with a car on Shamrock Road. Road Authority chief fired Paul Parchment, head of the National Roads Authority, was fired six months after being suspended by the au- thority’s board of directors. Mr. Parchment was placed on leave in April. NRA board chairman Donovan Ebanks said the board had commis- sioned an investigation into “possible misuse of NRA re- sources by a senior em- ployee,” later revealed to be Mr. Parchment. Government settles in HSA case Government settled out of court with the family of 13-year-old Donette Thompson, born with cere- bral palsy as a result of what her mother believed was neg- ligent management of her labor. In 2016, the family had been barred from using the courts to claim compen- sation because section 12 of the Health Services Authority Law amounted to an “immu- nity clause” that protected medical professionals from legal action. Government later repealed the clause. Lawyers acting for the family had appealed and the case had been scheduled to be heard in September. New UCCI president announced The University College of the Cayman Islands an- nounced that Stacy McAfee, 54, had been appointed as the college’s new president. She will take over the reins from Roy Bodden, who will step down as president at the end of December after nine years. Carcinogens in Cayman wetlands Waste dumped in wet- lands by the National Roads Authority was found to con- tain carcinogens. Tests on the waste were conducted after a Cayman 27 reporter filmed the NRA dumping ma- terial it cleans out of storm water wells into the wet- lands in June. Child buried alive Travis Webb, 26, of Bodden Town was charged with the attempted murder of a 3-year- old child after emergency ser- vices rescued the child who al- legedly had been buried alive. Mr. Webb also faces a charge of cruelty to a child. His case is still before the courts. Gambling law amendments shelved Government shelved plans to increase penalties for il- legal gambling amid calls for a review of the prohibition on gambling in the Cayman Is- lands. The bill proposed mas- sive increases in penalties – in some cases 25 times greater than in the current legisla- tion – as a deterrent for people running underground lotteries known as the numbers game, and other forms of gambling. The proposal caused public outcry, with former Minister Osbourne Bodden and others voicing concerns. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin con- firmed the bill had been with drawn to allow government to take a further look at the pro- visions of the entire law. Cayman top in underwater photography Scuba Diving Maga- zine ranked the Cayman Is- lands as the Caribbean’s top destination for underwater photography. The island also ranked as the best spot for advanced diving and among the best overall dive destinations in the region in the magazine’s annual readers poll. RCIPS gets approval for second helicopter A second helicopter ap- proved for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will cost US$11 million. It is expected to be in use by mid- to late 2019. Officials said the new H145 chopper will boost Cay- man’s capability in the areas of search and rescue, law en- forcement and border protec- tion operations. The aircraft will also be used to respond to disasters and other emergency situa- tions in the other U.K. Carib- bean Overseas Territories. UK agrees to new ministry The U.K. Government for- mally agreed to Cayman’s plans of establishing a new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, as well as a Cayman Islands Govern- ment office in Hong Kong. The U.K. government had to approve the initiatives be- cause, under the Cayman Is- lands constitution, foreign policy and external affairs are functions reserved to the governor. High seas batter Cayman High waves around parts of George Town, West Bay and Seven Mile Beach waterfront created unsafe conditions and impeded travel, forced businesses to close and roads to be blocked on the weekend before Christmas. Several restaurants and businesses reported damage from the sea surge. 2018 Year in Review: A look back at the year that was CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 The pirate-themed Jolly Roger ship ran aground twice in the latter part of the year before being dry-docked for repairs. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY George Town harborfront is covered with sargassum seaweed and seawater after large waves battered the capital on Dec. 21 and 22.9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2018 Phase 2 of affordable housing scheme in Bodden Town opens Bodden Town afford- able housing scheme has 16 new homes. Housing Minister Dwayne Seymour joined the staff and board of the National Housing Development Trust at the opening ceremony for the homes. The houses are the first to be built by the Trust as part of Phase 2 of the Affordable Housing Initiative. Ten of the homes are al- ready occupied. Some of the existing homeowners, as well as people interested in pur- chasing the homes, attended the opening. “We are striving to create opportunities that will em- power Caymanians to ensure that they can enjoy a stan- dard of living that is both high and at the same time af- fordable,” Mr. Seymour said at the opening. The new development, which cost about $2.5 mil- lion, was funded from rev- enue from previous Na- tional Housing Development Trust sales. The homes are located on a 10-acre site off Lake Des- tiny Drive, where there are already 20 affordable homes, constructed in 2012. Last August, while fin- ishing touches were being put on the new construction, the Trust board and staff hosted an open house, which gave potential buyers a chance to purchase two- and three-bedroom house models. According to a press release, some 35-40 people attended, including current residents, affordable housing advocates and the general public. Trust Chairman George Anthony Powell said, “We used the opportunity to pro- vide more information about the process from pre-appli- cation to post-ownership. From the feedback that they shared, I believe we are on the right path. “We remain committed to engaging homeowners and the community alike to en- sure that we deliver homes that meet the public’s needs.” East End is the next dis- trict set to benefit from Phase 2 of the Affordable Housing Initiative, with plans for West Bay after that. According to the Trust, the remaining six homes are available for sale at between $110,000 and $125,000. El- igible applicants must be first-time Caymanian home- owners, with single appli- cants earning no more than $36,000 per year, or joint ap- plicants earning no more than $50,400 a year. Once applicants have been pre-approved under the Affordable Housing Ini- tiative criteria and finan- cially assessed by the NHDT, they will be referred to local banks for financing. For more information, contact the NHDT at 945-7649 or visit nhdt.gov.ky. Education Ministry outlines steps to improve high schools KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Ministry of Education released a statement on Sat- urday in response to a new re- port from the Office of Educa- tion Standards, showing that government high schools in the Cayman Islands are well short of where they need to be to meet accepted standards. The newly published re- port says schools need to be assessed as good to meet the “expected level” of quality, but all government high schools fell below that mark. Two schools, John Gray and Layman E. Scott, were judged satisfactory, while Clifton Hunter was deemed weak. The report also made rec- ommendations to improve the schools’ performance, in- cluding having principals make unannounced visits to observe classroom teaching, and align their own assess- ments of teaching quality with the framework provided by the Office of Education Standards. In response, the Ministry of Education said it has al- ready either started or will soon start many of the re- port’s recommendations. For managing student performance, school leaders now regularly work to re- view and identify particular students who are failing to meet their potential, and im- plement interventions to help the students close the at- tainment gaps, according to the ministry. “As part of this process, schools are also working to use data on student perfor- mance to inform teachers but also to help inform stu- dent learning and self-eval- uation,” the ministry stated. For managing teacher per- formance, the ministry stated that education officials are continuing to use targeted professional development sessions to help staff acquire and/or strengthen skills in the areas of teaching and learning. The teachers’ per- formance standards have been aligned to the Office of Education Standards’ frame- work since the beginning of the current school year, the ministry added. Furthermore, the min- istry stated that it soon will implement announced and unannounced observations of lessons, and that walk- throughs of classroom are al- ready happening. Finally, the ministry said it will review the Key Stage 3 curriculum to ensure the chil- dren have a smoother transi- tion from primary to early secondary school. Teaching at the Key Stage 3 level was a particular area of weakness emphasized by the report. “We are committed to en- gaging with partners like the [Office of Education Stan- dards], as well as all other stakeholders, to help achieve a world-class future for our children, and it is our inten- tion to keep the public in- formed of our progress,” said Education Ministry Acting Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho. The summary Office of Education Standards report on government high schools is now available online at www.bit.ly/SSRDEC2018. Housing Councillor Eugene Ebanks, left, NHDT Chairman George Anthony Powell, center, and Housing Minister Dwayne Seymour tour one of the 16 affordable homes built in Bodden Town. Housing Minister Dwayne Seymour and National Housing Development Trust Board Chair George Powell, with government and NHDT officials, cut the ribbon to officially open the first 16 homes of Phase 2 of its Affordable Housing Initiative. “As part of this process, schools are … working to use data on student performance to inform teachers but also to help inform student learning and self-evaluation.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION STATEMENTNext >