ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY ALSO AVAILABLE IN Ezzard Miller resigns as leader of Opposition Duchess Sarah Ferguson to speak at cancer gala JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Speed cameras could be on the horizon as police seek to get to grips with bad and dangerous driving on Cayman’s roads. There were, on average, more than six traffic accidents every day – a total of 2,353 collisions – in 2018. That included eight fatal accidents and 35 others where victims were seriously injured. Road safety advocates warn those sta- tistics spell out the sorry state of driving standards in the Cayman Islands. Graham Walker, a driving instructor and author of the ‘Drive Safely in Cayman’ hand- book, said it was time for everyone coming to the islands to be required to take a practical driving test before being issued a licence. “The driving standard on the island is quite honestly dreadful,” he said. He highlighted speeding, tailgating, failing to use indicators, blinding LED headlights, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking and an inability to use round- abouts as among the problems he sees on the road every day. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has revived its traffic unit and significantly stepped up enforcement over the past year. More than 2,000 speeding tickets were issued in 2018, more than triple the number of tickets handed out the pre- vious year. The policy is starting to pay off, with the number of collisions down 14% compared with 2017. But police acknowledge there is more work to be done. JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com North Side legislator Ezzard Miller announced his resignation Thursday from the role of official Op- position leader. Support for Miller among the collection of independent backbench legislators had crumbled in recent months. First, his deputy leader Alva Suckoo resigned, citing concerns over Miller’s lead- ership. Then, the rest of the opposition group wrote to Miller requesting that he do not speak on their behalf unless explicitly authorised. That letter stopped short of asking him to resign and Miller had previously indi- cated he intended to con- tinue in the role. However, he issued a press release Thursday afternoon confirming he had written to Governor VICTORIA WHEATON vwheaton@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Breast Cancer Foun- dation of the Cayman Is- lands revealed Thursday that the guest speaker for its 2019 gala, to be held on Oct. 5 at The Ritz-Carlton, will be Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The Duchess joins a long line of distinguished guests who have spoken at the gala over the years. Previous speakers have included Bill and Giuliana Rancic, Cyn- thia Nixon, Joan Lunden and Hoda Kotb from ‘The Today Show’, who is also the foundation’s patron. The Duchess stated that she is looking forward to her trip to the island, saying, “I am very interested in the work [the Breast Cancer Foundation] is doing and I am delighted to be [travel- ling] to Cayman.” One year on Cayman’s roads 2,353 accidents 8 road deaths 2,128 speeding tickets PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of YorkEzzard Miller PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Award-Winning Caribbean Chicken! Fresh, Healthy & Delicious! West Shore Center, SMB chicken@chicken2.com ® Dine-in!Take-out! 945.2290 Ask about our Mother’s Day Deals FREE Estimates on services o ered - Janitorial - After Party Clean up - Junk Removal - Int. & Ext. Cleaning & so much more… Phone: 329-9010 E: acecleaning.ky@outlook.com Like us on Roads to be closed to traffic for Batabano events Hundreds quarantined on cruise ship in St. Lucia because of measles infection Health officials on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia have quarantined a cruise ship after discovering a case of measles on board, the country’s top doctor said Tuesday. Authorities confirmed the case on Tuesday morning, said Dr. Merlene Freder- icks James, St. Lucia’s chief medical officer. The vessel was locked down later that day, an attempt to stymie any potential spread of the highly contagious disease that is sickening people in the United States at a record pace, fuelled by anti-vaccina- tion misinformation. “No one was allowed to leave the ship,” Fredericks James said in a statement. “Because of the risk of poten- tial infection, not just from the confirmed measles case but from other persons who may be on the boat at the time, we thought it prudent to make a decision not to allow anyone to disembark.” The island has avoided an outbreak of the disease lo- cally since 1990, the acting national epidemiologist, Dr. Michelle Francois, said in an- other statement. But as mea- sles cases continue to surge in the United States and other areas with tourism ties to St. Lucia, residents have been bracing themselves, fearing the virus could find its way there aboard plane or boat. Nearly 300 passengers are currently on the quarantined ship, and the confirmed case was found in a female crew- member, NBC News reported. Health officials did not identify the cruise ship, but a sergeant with the St. Lucia Coast Guard told NBC that the vessel is ‘Freewinds,’ the 440-foot boat owned by the Church of Scientology. Representatives of the Church of Scientology did not respond to requests for comment. The ship tracking web- site MarineTraffic.com shows a Freewinds – the only pas- senger ship it has on record by that name – docked at a St. Lucia port. Photographs of the craft there appear to match those on Scientolo- gy’s website. The controversial reli- gious organisation calls the Freewinds “a very spe- cial place”. For a Scientol- ogist, boarding the ship is “the most significant spir- itual accomplishment of his lifetime and brings with it the full realization of his immortality”. A video tour of the glitzy ship, posted to Scientology’s YouTube page in 2013, prom- ises a “distraction-free en- vironment for ministering the highest level of spiritual counseling available in the Scientology religion” – so- called “auditing”, which in- volves a crude lie detector device and the revealing of one’s deepest, most intimate secrets and fears. In an interview with the website Beliefnet, Scientology Rev. John Carmichael said the organisation has no offi- cial rules about vaccinations. “Scientologists are pretty independent people, though I will say this: they tend to do a little more research, per- haps, on the effect of various medical procedures or what- ever,” Carmichael said. “They make their own decisions, but those aren’t decisions that the church tries to influ- ence in any way.” However, the Hollywood Reporter has written that “a notable number of the highest-profile immunization dissenters are Scientologists” who have helped “inflame the vaccine wars”. As measles – and the fear of it – has spread, quaran- tines and scares have become increasingly common. Last week, hundreds of students, staff and faculty at two Cali- fornia universities were quar- antined after officials learned they may have been exposed to the disease on campus. The orders in St. Lucia and California, as well as other urgent public health measures in New York and across the United States, come as the number of cases in the country has hit a 25-year high. This year, more than 700 people have been infected – the highest number of cases since mea - sles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. © 2019, The Washington Post There will be a number of road closures on Friday and Saturday as festivities for the annual Batabano Carnival get under way. On Friday, from 6:30pm, to fa- cilitate the Outta Da Blue fete, Har- bour Drive, between Shedden Road and Fort Street, will be closed until 3:30am, police advised. Port staff will still have access to the Port Au- thority entrance during those times. Cardinall Avenue, just west of the junction with Albert Panton Street, also will be closed during those hours on Friday. On Saturday, Albert Panton Street, where the Batabano Food Festival will be located, will be closed from 8am until midnight. Parade closures The parade, which organisers say is expected to attract 4,000 mas- queraders, begins at Seven Mile Public Beach on West Bay Road at 1pm on Saturday. West Bay Road will be closed be- tween the junction of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and Duke’s res- taurant from noon. Only local ac- cess will be granted north of Lime Tree Bay Avenue. The parade will proceed south along West Bay Road and road junc- tions will be closed ahead of the pa- rade as it proceeds, police said. As the procession passes closed junc- tions, these will be re-opened to af- ford motorists the use of the road to the rear of the procession. The parade will continue past North Church Street, onto Harbour Drive, turn onto Fort Street, then onto Edward Street, and will end on Cardinall Avenue. Last Lap fete The post-parade party, the Last Lap fete, begins at 5:30pm on Sat- urday, as revellers arrive into George Town, and continues until midnight. In addition to Albert Panton Street, Harbour Drive and South Church Street will be closed be- tween Boilers Road and Fort Street. Cardinall Avenue will also be closed. Free bus transportation The Your Choice Campaign has partnered with the National Drug Council and Websters Tours to pro- vide free bus transportation for Ba- tabano revellers. The buses will leave from the George Town Town Hall at 12:30am and provide trans- portation to West Bay and the eastern districts. Junior Batabano Parade Police also announced road clo- sures for the Junior Batabano Pa- rade, which takes place on Saturday afternoon, May 11. Elgin Avenue will be closed be- tween Hospital Road and Claude Hill Road (formerly Humber Lane) from 1:30pm until 6:30pm. The parade begins at 3pm and travels west from the old Glass House on Elgin Avenue, turns left onto Shedden Road, right onto Har- bour Drive, right onto Fort Street, right onto Edward Street, then con- tinues onto Elgin Avenue and fin- ishes back at the old Glass House. Officers will be closing sections of these roads ahead of the parade and reopening them once the pa- rade passes. Motorists are asked to exercise caution in these areas. See the Weekender for more coverage of this weekend’s Batabano events. The parade, which organisers say is expected to attract 4,000 masqueraders, begins at Seven Mile Public Beach on West Bay Road at 1pm on Saturday. Revellers fill the streets during last year’s Batabano Carnival parade. Police are advising the public to be aware of road closures during Saturday’s parade. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The Freewinds cruise ship is docked in the port of Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, Thursday. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 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 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 PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” w Finance Minister Roy McTaggart may be correct in saying Cayman’s unfunded pension liabilities are “not a reason for immediate concern”. That does not necessarily mean there is – again using his words – “no cause for alarm”. In our view, government’s failure to spend the recommended $18.4 million annually that it will take to address the shortfall over the next 20 years is a cause for grave concern, if not outright alarm. And it begs the question: Why? Government has the figures at its disposal: To address the $197.2 public pension shortfall, it must spend more than $18.4 million annually over the next two decades. If the government does not, it will be faced with even steeper obligations. Worst- case scenario, it will be unable to honour its com- mitment to pensioners who retired under the previous defined-benefit plan. To argue that because government is currently able to make monthly pension payments there is no cause to worry is to miss the bigger picture. Skimping on payments now only leads to bigger payments in the future. (In 2016, consultants advised government to spend about $16 million annually over 20 years to eliminate the unfunded liability. In 2020, another valuation will again revise the estimates.) But as the Compass reported this week, government spent only $10 million last year to fund past service liabilities – a little over half of what is required. This year’s budget included $11.1 million for the payments, boosted by $4 million in supplemental spending approved by legislators last month. Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson told the Compass that lawmakers could allocate even more money before year’s end if they record a greater- than-expected surplus, bringing it closer to the $18.4 million target. We do not see the logic of taking such a piecemeal approach. Why not budget for the full payment at the outset, and do away with all this uncertainty? Even more concerning, if not alarming, is the fact that this particular IOU is not government’s only unfunded liability. In fact, it almost pales in compar- ison to astronomical anticipated healthcare liabilities for current and retired civil servants – estimated at $1.7 billion over 20 years (in current dollars) in 2017. Last spring, Financial Secretary Jefferson warned the Public Accounts Committee that, left unchecked, the healthcare obligation could reach hundreds of millions of dollars per year, over- whelming the government’s budget. Still, our leaders have been unable to make even the most modest changes to prevent careening off this projected fiscal cliff. If anything, we would take comfort in seeing our elected officials express a bit of alarm when dis- cussing these issues, if only to signal that they understand the gravity of the situation. Better yet, we wish they would act to address these looming obligations instead of kicking the can down the road. Funding shortfall is cause for grave concern, if not alarm WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD “He just started shooting during our final presentations and we all ran out. We were just doing presentations and someone started shooting up the room …. Why here? Why today? Why UNC Charlotte? Why my classroom? What did we do?” That was the frantic tweet of a student at the scene of Tuesday’s mass shooting in North Carolina, in which two students – 19-year-old Ellis Parlier and 21-year-old Riley Howell – were killed. Three days earlier, in a synagogue near San Diego, a 60-year-old woman – Lori Gilbert Kaye – was killed by a gunman armed with an as- sault weapon who authori- ties say was motivated by anti-Semitic hate. Saturday’s shooting at Chabad of Poway, in which the rabbi and two other people, including a young girl, were injured, came exactly six months after 11 people were killed in another hate-inspired mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. So far this year – that is some 120 days – there have been more than 100 other mass shootings, more than 4,500 gun deaths (not counting suicides) and more than 8,400 gun injuries. And so there is no question that is more pertinent than the one asked by that terrified UNC Charlotte student: “Why?” We, of course, know the answer: There are too many guns. Americans make up about 4.4% of the global pop- ulation but own 42 percent of the world’s guns. Access to firearms – even weapons made for war such as the one wielded by the sociopath who fired on the California wor- shippers celebrating Passover – is pretty much unfettered. That the United States stands apart from much of the world in its acceptance of gun violence was underscored by the striking personal ex- periences of an Australian physician. Nikki Stamp, a heart and lung surgeon in Perth, Australia, said in a Wednesday Post op-ed that in more than 16 years of prac- tice, she has had to deal with only two instances of gunshot wounds. One was a man who had accidentally shot himself and the other an attempted suicide. Contrast that with doctors in the United States, who, in response to being told by the National Rifle Asso- ciation to “stay in their own lane” in the gun policy debate, took to Twitter with stories of treating gunshot victims on a daily – even hourly – basis. Australia’s lack of gun vio- lence – why Dr. Stamp has the luxury of viewing gunshots as an oddity – is, in large part, because of the gun-control measures the country put in place after a mass shooting in 1996, in which 35 people were killed. It may not be pos- sible to completely replicate Australia’s success, but why there has been no effort even to try is a question that puts national lawmakers to shame. © 2019, The Washington Post FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS PUBLIC STATEMENT Defending media freedom MARTYN ROPER World Press Freedom Day [May 3] is about cel- ebrating the fundamental principles of media freedom and defending journalists and media workers as they go about their job. The work the UK is doing to push the media freedom agenda for- ward is one of the top For- eign and Commonwealth Of- fice priorities. Having a global spotlight shone on these kind of issues helps raise interna- tional awareness. Here in the Cayman Is- lands we are fortunate to have a lively and vibrant media. The media have an important responsibility for integrity and accuracy. A free media protects our right to speak out and our right to information. It ena- bles society to be free, fair and open and can be the foundation for economic prosperity. It is important that we continue to see the media as underpinning the values of democracy and not as an adversary. Martyn Roper is governor of the Cayman Islands. Governor Martyn Roper says the UK Foreign Secretary has launched an international campaign, ‘Defend Media Freedom’, which aims to shine a spotlight on media freedom. GUEST EDITORIAL Shootings set US apart from worldThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 Apply online At www.seafireresortandspa.com/hotel-scholarship-program/ Deadline: May 5, 2019 Candidates are selected through an open application process, following these basic criteria: Be Caymanian, have the ability to prove Caymanian status and have proof of having resided in the Cayman Islands for at least 4 years prior to application Be between the ages of 16 to 20 years of age Possess excellent character, work ethic, and have a genuine interest in the hospitality industry Have been accepted as a full-time student into an accredited associate or technical program in a field related to the hospitality industry, for a maximum of 2 years Each year we at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa seek to recruit passionate Caymanians who are interested in pursuing a career in hospitality through our Seafire Scholarship. The Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa scholarship program offers an award for full-time study at an accredited associate or technical program of up to US $25,000 per year. Left: Jayda Rae Smith, 2018 Seafire Scholarship recipient, with General Manager Steven Andre and Resort Manager Eduardo Del Risco. Are you the next SeAfire ScholAr?The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 The Breast Cancer Foun- dation’s chief adminis- trator, Janette Fitzgerald, said she had been working on having the Duchess as a guest speaker for the past two years, and was thrilled that her efforts were finally coming to fruition. “The Foundation is ex- cited and proud to say that Sarah, Duchess of York, will be here to support us at this year’s gala dinner,” said Fitzgerald. “She is someone on the world stage, passionate in high- lighting the issue of can- cers in young people and the global problem of obe- sity, which has a proven link to breast cancer.” Although not a breast cancer survivor herself, Ferguson has been a strong advocate for wellness and health for over 20 years. From 1997-2007, she served as US spokesperson for Weight Watchers Interna- tional and during that time became a passionate propo- nent for healthy weight loss and weight management. She was a founding supporter of the Amer- ican Cancer Society’s ‘Great American Weigh In’, an an- nual campaign aimed at raising awareness of the link between excess weight and cancer. She was also a vol- untary spokesperson for the American Heart Association. In 2006, she estab- lished the Sarah Ferguson Foundation in New York to fund programmes that pro- mote education and well- ness worldwide. For more information about the Breast Cancer Foundation and the gala, visit www.breastcancerfoundation.ky. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said he was also concerned about driving standards and he plans to partner with government, the National Roads Au- thority and others to formu- late a road safety strategy that can run in tandem with increased enforcement from police. He said traffic enforcement cameras – which can be mounted at the roadside to detect motoring offences, including speeding – could be part of the solution in the long term. “Those discussions have taken place but there is a lot of work that has to be done,” Byrne said. “It is not an off-the-shelf solution. It is something that requires physical infrastructure and back-office administration. It is a pretty big project.” He said the National Se- curity Council had asked for a road safety strategy and he was working on that along with other agencies. He said the solution was about more than just en- forcement, and making the roads safer would involve both public education and engineering. Byrne said there are cur- rently too many collisions on Cayman’s roads. “When you are looking at a population of 60,000 plus and a vehicle population that we are aware of, of 41,000 plus, there is an awful lot of traffic on the road. We are seeing an awful lot of intem- perate habits and some really bad driving,” he said. International comparative statistics for collisions on a country-by-country basis do not exist. Bermuda, which has a similar population to the Cayman Islands, and has 47,000 registered vehicles on the roads – a mix of cars, mo- peds and motorbikes – had 1,240 collisions in 2017, ac- cording to the news site Bernews. That amounts to around half the number of collisions seen in Cayman. Walker believes the root of Cayman’s problems is 120 different nationalities with different driving back- grounds and experience cre- ating a confusing melting pot on the islands’ roads. He said a mix of left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles and different road layouts, in- cluding roundabouts – which are not familiar to many – and four-way stops, exacer- bate the problem. He believes closer anal- ysis of accidents may help isolate the root causes. “I think things are dete- riorating at the moment,” he said. “Everybody coming to this island should have to take a practical road test.” He said drunk driving was still not treated as seriously as in other jurisdictions. Police booked 328 people for driving under the influ- ence in 2018, up from 253 the previous year. “There is probably that many people drink driving every night in Cayman,” Walker said. He believes it will take a concerted campaign to change habits. “It took 10 years in the UK for people to get used to the idea that if you are drinking, you don’t drive,” he added. FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS One year on Cayman’s roads CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Duchess Sarah Ferguson to speak at cancer gala CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Assaults linked to late-night drinking JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A rise in assaults has been linked to an increasing number of fights outside bars and nightclubs. The number of assaults causing actual bodily harm rose from 379 in 2017 to 448 in 2018. Police had previously ex- pressed concern that a de- cision to extend opening hours in 2016 could cause an increase in violence. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said his of- ficers were not seeking to have that decision re- versed. But he said officers would be working with the liquor licensing board and club owners to deal with the problem. “We do link with the li- censing board to tell them we do have some difficulties in terms of crowds gath- ering at nighttime,” he said. “There are flash points late at night and in the early hours of the morning at some of the discos and late-night outlets and we do have some concerns around that.” He said police increased patrols on weekends and made a lot of arrests for as- sault and public order sit- uations around bars and clubs. Byrne added that it was important for late-night establishments to have proper security. “We are not trying to in- terfere with the economic aspect of it at all. What we are trying to do is ensure we are there when we are supposed to be there and that security and CCTV are working at the premises. Those that don’t provide ad- equate security, we will deal with that through the li- censing board,” he said. “ There are flash points late at night and in the early hours of the morning at some of the discos and late-night outlets and we do have some concerns around that.” DEREK BYRNE, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Commissioner Police keep up pressure on drug smugglers JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police will keep up the pressure on criminal gangs shipping drugs into the Cayman Islands after con- fiscating more than $1 mil- lion of ganja in six major marine raids during 2018. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said plans for a new coastguard unit and the arrival of a new high- tech helicopter meant air and sea patrols would only increase in coming years. Though cannabis is widely smoked in Cayman and there have been calls in some quarters for the drug to be legalised, Byrne de- nied that it was an ‘exer- cise in futility’ for police to pursue smugglers. Responding to questions from reporters at a press conference Wednesday, he said the drug trade was linked to a host of other crimes and police would not treat it lightly. “The fact that cannabis is commonly imported from a neighbouring country is a criminal offence and it leads to all aspects of money laundering and criminal enterprises both in Jamaica and here in the Cayman Islands,” he said. “It is something we are right to be concerned about. In some of the ship- ments firearms have been recovered. It is not any- thing I would like to ignore. We do treat it seriously.” According to a recently published police statis- tics report, the six major marine drug interdictions last year led to the seizure of approximately 2,250 pounds of ganja, worth an estimated $1.125 million, 24 arrests and the recovery of two illegal firearms. There has already been at least one major drug bust in 2019. Police fired on armed drug smugglers during an extended boat chase in Cayman’s wa- ters in March. Around 900 pounds of ganja, worth more than $800,000, was eventually seized and three men from Jamaica were ar- rested. It was hailed as the biggest drug bust in more than a decade. Traffic statistics Incident20182017 Collisions2,3532,732 Fatal collisions83 Collisions resulting in serious injuries3531 DUI328253 Using phone while driving613594 Speeding2,128652 Driving without being licensed139118 Driving without insurance331231 Failing to wear seat belt189231 Careless driving124200 Dangerous driving1423 Death by dangerous driving01 Other traffic offences3,5712,677 Total traffic offences7,4374,980 Police stepped up traffic enforcement activities over the past year, nabbing 2,128 speeding drivers in 2018. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY More than 2,000 speeding tickets were issued in 2018, more than triple the number of tickets handed out the previous year. The policy is starting to pay off, with the number of collisions down 14% compared with 2017. Lydia Forbes, left, and Janette Fitzgerald, of the Breast Cancer Foundation, alongside Pinnacle Media Publisher Kathleen Capetta, centre, announced on Thursday that the Duchess of York will be the guest speaker at the Oct. 5 fundraising gala. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 IMAC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS Million raised $4 48 Students Assisted Formed in 1994 For more information and to download the application form visit the IMAC Scholarship website: www.caymanintinsurance.ky For 25 years, the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman has been supporting the educational development of young Caymanians through its annual Scholarship programme. To date we have raised $4 million , enabling 48 students to pursue their studies across the globe in subjects as diverse as Business, Arts and Medicine. We are delighted to once again invite applications from students who intend to commence their studies. Applicants are free to study any course at an approved University, although preference will be given to those applying for business - related courses. IMAC is committed to awarding scholarships where they can provide the most benefit. As such, preference will be given to those without the financial means to pursue their studies. The Insurance Managers Association of Cayman would like to thank its members and partners for their generous donations. If you share our commitment to supporting the next generation through investment in education and would like to donate to the fund, please visit our website for more details. Deadline for Applications : May 17th 2019 Alee Fa’amoe, OfReg acting CEO Utilities regulator wants more law enforcement muscle OfReg: Communications providers uncooperative with investigation KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some of Cayman’s com- munications providers did not provide information sought by the Utility Compe- tition and Regulation Office for an investigation last year, according to the regulator’s acting CEO, Alee Fa’amoe. To make sure that does not happen again, OfReg wants government to ex- pand its powers to obtain search warrants for the pur- poses of investigating tele- coms companies and other utility providers. Currently, OfReg has the power to obtain a ju- dicial warrant if utilities companies are suspected of engaging in anti-com- petitive behaviour, such as price fixing. But Fa’amoe said OfReg’s investigation in the past year was not looking into anti-competitive behaviour. Therefore, the regulator was limited in the powers it had to compel companies to pro- vide information. Fa’amoe wants that to change. “In the past year, OfReg came to the tentative con- clusion that some of the sec- toral providers in the Infor- mation and Communication Technology sector did not fully and properly provide information requested by and needed for an investi- gation by OfReg; an investi- gation which did not involve anti-competitive behaviour,” he said. “To better ensure the cooperation of the sec- toral provider, OfReg con- cluded that the additional measure of potentially seeking the assistance of the Court to obtain information from their premises would serve the public interest.” Another potential situ- ation where OfReg would need a search warrant would be if the regulator is inves- tigating illegal or malfunc- tioning radio transmitters that are interfering with air traffic control or the police radio band, Fa’amoe said. “In those circumstances, in the interest of public safety, the Office may need to enter a premises to either inspect or shut down the transmitter,” he said. The acting OfReg CEO added that seeking a war- rant is an “action of last resort”. In response to OfReg’s proposal, C3 Managing Di- rector Randy Merren said he is fine with OfReg having the power to obtain war- rants when investigating il- legal practices. But Merren said he also wants OfReg to use its powers to investigate all service providers – not just the licensed ones. “What about the people who are unlicensed? Are they going to open investi- gations on them as well?” Merren asked, referencing unlicensed subscription tel- evision providers and other unlicensed telecoms compa- nies in the territory. Flow and Logic did not respond to Compass re- quests for comment before this issue’s deadline. Digicel, for its part, said, “We note the OfReg’s pro- posal to make suggestions to the Minister to make legisla- tive changes across a range of issues. We look forward to the Minister seeking the views of all stakeholders and interested parties be- fore a decision is taken on what changes, if any, are required.” Along with expanded in- vestigative powers, OfReg also wants government to make other amendments to its underlying legislation. Proposed amendments in- clude the enhancement of the confidentiality provi- sions, the sharing of infor- mation with other regula- tors in the region for the better regulation of service providers, and the option to report suspicious trans- actions when discovered in the accounting records of licensees. OfReg also would like an amendment to the key phrase “administrative determi- nation”, which is the action OfReg takes after conducting a public consultation on an issue. For example, OfReg is currently conducting a con- sultation on its proposal to issue a set of rules designed to curtail anti-competitive behaviour. Once that consul- tation is finished, OfReg will issue an administrative de- termination on what those rules will be. “Currently, [‘administra- tive determination’] is de- fined in a manner which may include a penal deter- mination or a licensing de- termination,” OfReg states in its 2019 annual plan. “The unintended conse- quences are numerous, and include, arguably, a need to consult publicly on a fine to be imposed.” Other amendments sought by OfReg include one to “modernise” the fi- nancial records that must be kept by licensees, as well as one to expand reporting requirements in the Dan- gerous Substances Law to include operators of ma- rinas and permitted vehicles that provide mobile retail fuels sales. “Also, the administra- tive fine regime would be improved if it was to be ex- panded to cover those ser- vice providers who have ne- glected to apply for a licence to operate or have not ap- plied for a renewal or rein- statement of a previous li- cence,” OfReg’s 2019 annual report states. “It would ben- efit from clearer due process provisions.” Along with expanded investigative powers, OfReg also wants government to make other amendments to its underlying legislation.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Family of the Late Morgan Lee Callan regrets to announce his passing on Friday, 19 April, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 5 May, 2019 at George Town Seventh Day Adventist Church, viewing will be from 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to Team Morgan-racing wheelchairs, at the service. The Family of the Late Marvelle Norine McLaughlin Regrets to announce her passing on Friday, 26 April 2019 Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Funeral services will be held 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, 05 May, 2019 at East End Civic Centre, Viewing will take place from 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in the East End Cemetery. The Family of the Late Sharon Johnson nee Farrington regrets to announce her passing on Sunday, 28 April, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A memorial service will be held privately. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Cayman Islands Humane Society. The Family of the Late Patricia Mary Tibbetts regrets to announce her passing on Sunday, 21 April, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A Funeral Mass will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 4 May, 2019 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church . Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the CI Breast CancerFoundation. Funeral attendees are asked to wear colours of the sea. The Family of the Late Olcie Marie Ebanks regrets to announce her passing on Friday, 19 April, 2019. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 5 May, 2019 at Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church, viewing will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Saturday, 4 May, 2019 at Bodden Funeral Service. Interment will follow in Boatswain Bay Cemetery. We regret to announce that Mr. William S. Powery (better known as Billy) passed away at his home in North Carolina aft er a short illness on Sunday April 28, 2019. He leaves a host of relati ves and friends who mourn his passing. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. March 7, 1936- April 28, 2019. National Trust to open bird sanctuary Birdwatchers and nature lovers may soon be able to get a little closer to the winged inhabitants and visitors of a North Side lagoon after the National Trust purchased land bordering Malportas Pond. The trust, which bought 5.17 acres of shoreland at the site, plans to open a new gated bird sanctuary overlooking the pond. According to the Trust, Mal- portas Pond is one of a series of landlocked saline lagoons throughout the Cayman Islands, which are vitally important feeding sites for a range of resident and migratory herons, egrets, waders, ducks and other water birds. The pond is owned by the Crown and forms part of the Central Man- grove Wetland, an internationally recognised ‘Important Bird Area’. It is considered by bird-watchers to be a hot spot for shore birds, herons and ducks in the Cayman Islands. “Our vision is to create a gated bird sanctuary, complete with a bird hide, interpretive signage and tele- scopes for use by the public,” said Nadia Hardie, executive director of the National Trust in a press re- lease. “We hope to create a flagship attraction for the enjoyment of both visitors and locals.” Peter Davey, chairman of the Trust’s Environmental Advi- sory Committee and a founding member of the National Trust, was instrumental in identifying the site as a place of environmental importance and in acquiring the site, the Trust stated. “In recent years, the pond’s im- portance has escalated for Grand Cayman’s population of the en- dangered West Indian Whistling Duck, which breeds in the fringing mangroves,” Davey said. “Snowy egrets also utilise the mangrove island in the pond as an overnight roost. The shores of the pond are important breeding grounds for Least Terns, whose numbers in the Cayman Islands are reported to be declining due to habitat loss and predators.” Migratory visitors have in- cluded flamingos, Roseate Spoon- bills and, just a few weeks ago, six avocets. The section of environmen- tally sensitive land acquired by the National Trust is also known to be frequented annually by some 500 white-rumped sandpipers which visit during their 9,000-mile migra- tion journey from southern South America to northern Canada. The land and future bird sanc- tuary is protected in perpetuity from development under the Na- tional Trust Law. The total land protected under the National Trust’s environmental programme is 3,531 acres. The red lines show the 5.17 acre of land beside Malportas Pond which the National Trust has bought. - MAP: COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL TRUST A flamboyance of flamingos wades in Malportas Pond in November 2014. The nine birds took up residence temporarily in North Side after being blown off course during a storm. - PHOTOS: GERARDO OCHOA VARGAS. A pelican stands in the mud at Malportas Pond.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 to customers, at 99.98%. This equates to an average service interruption during the first quarter of less than 30 min- utes per customer. This was in line with the company’s goal under its Re- liability 2.0 initiative to at- tain 2 hours or less of total annual outage time per cus- tomer, CUC said. The amount of renewable energy on the CUC grid in- creased to 4.3 million kWh between January and March, compared to 3.5 million kWh in the first quarter of 2018. More rooftop solar instal- lations that are part of the company’s Customer Owned Renewable Energy (CORE) pro- gramme and an increase in pro- duction of the 5 MW Entropy solar farm in Bodden Town meant that the share of re- newable energy on CUC’s grid reached 2.8% of total energy. The utility provider aims to have 25% of energy on the grid come from renewable sources by 2025. The acceptance of CUC’s Integrated Resource Plan by the Cayman Islands Utility Regulation and Competi- tion Office during the pe- riod bodes well for further integration of renewable en- ergy, Hew said. During the fourth quarter of 2018, the company sub- mitted its 2019-2023 Capital Investment Plan for $273 mil- lion to the regulator for ap- proval. CUC has also sub- mitted an additional $77 million in proposed pro- jects for battery storage and grid enhancement for re- view by OfReg. These projects are ex- pected to be financed directly by consumers outside of the company’s rate cap and ad- justment mechanism. After the adjustment for dividends on the preference shares, earnings on Class A ordinary shares for the quarter amounted to $4.4 million or $0.13 per share, compared to $2.6 million or $0.08 per share in the first quarter 2018. CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Lileith Hilda Murray, who passed away on Thursday April 18 2019 A Thanksgiving Service will be heldat Church of God Chapel, 22 Academy Way, George Town, Grand Cayman on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing: 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Interment at: Prospect Cemetery Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com f Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Myrtle Beatrice Aiken, who passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2019. AThanksgiving Service will be held at the Agape Family Worship Center, 50 Fairbanks Road, Grand Cayman on Saturday, May 04, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Viewing will be from 9:00 –9:45 a.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com f Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Robert De Jong, who passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 A Thanksgiving Service will be held at William Pouchie Memorial United Church, North Side, Grand Cayman on Saturday, May 04, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Interment at: Old Man Bay Cemetery Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Churchill’s Funeral Home Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Raymond Rivers, who passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Elmslie Memorial United Church, 48 Harbour Drive, George Town on Friday May 03, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing: 1:00 –2:00 p.m. Interment at: Prospect Cemetery In Loving Memory of Donley Wood February 14, 1945-May 3,2005 To my loving husband. It’s hard to believe 14 years have passed. I think of you daily and can’t wait to see you again one day! Love always Kinsley, your children & grand children The Johnson family are saddened to announce the death of PATRICK JOHNSON, on April 12th, 2019 in England. A memorial service will be held at Elmslie Memorial Church on Saturday May 4th, 2019 @10am. In lieu of owers the family reqests that donations be made to Jasmine (Cayman Hospice Care) Death Announcement CUC reports higher sales and earnings in first quarter 2019 MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caribbean Utilities Com- pany reported higher earn- ings on the back of a 4% in- crease in kilowatt hour sales, lower transmission and dis- tribution costs and lower fi- nance charges. The Toronto Stock Exchange-listed utility recorded net earnings of US$4.5 million in the first quarter 2019, about $1.8 mil- lion more than during the same period last year. Earnings figures were also impacted by a $0.6 mil- lion shortfall following the implementation of the de- mand rate in the first quarter of last year. Cayman’s only electricity provider spent a total of $11.9 million on capital expendi- tures, which included the new Seven Mile Beach sub- station. This represented a $2 million increase compared to the same period in 2018. The new substation will increase safety, system re- liability and resiliency and will accommodate load growth within the popular Seven Mile Beach tourist area for the long-term fu- ture, CUC said. Citing an estimated 3.6% increase of Cayman’s GDP in the first nine months of 2018, figures released by the Cayman Islands Eco- nomics and Statistics Of- fice in March, CUC said eco- nomic growth supported a 2% growth in the number of customers to 29,945 in the first quarter. In addition, the average kWh usage by residential and commercial customers in- creased during the period. President and CEO Richard Hew said the com- pany was “off to a good start in 2019 with earnings growth, improvement in re- liability of service to cus- tomers, progress on signifi- cant capital projects and an increase in the amount of re- newable energy on the grid when compared to the same period last year”. The company said it had improved its reliability per customer by 33% over the same period in 2018 with the Average Service Availability Index (ASAI), the percentage of time power was available Martyn Roper formally resigning from the post, effective May 31. He wrote, “Effectively performing this role de- mands dedication on the part of a committed team. “It has become increas- ingly clear that the level of cohesion, industry and com- mitment necessary for any opposition to serve in the best interest of all the people of these islands is not pos- sible given the current slate of independent members who made up the group.” There is no clear fa- vourite to replace Miller as leader of the Opposition. Though individuals have formed alliances over var- ious issues, the Opposition group is made up of inde- pendent members with no common platform. Miller had earlier an- nounced plans for greater cohesion among the group ahead of the next gen- eral election. In his New Year’s mes- sage, he announced plans for a new political entity to be known as the Cayman Is- lands People’s Alliance with the intent of running a full slate of candidates in 2021. Miller was not avail- able Thursday to elaborate on his press release. But he insisted at a recent press briefing that he would con- tinue with plans to lead a political group into the next election even if he was ousted as leader. Neither Suckoo nor Chris Saunders, two of the leading figures in the Op- position group, were imme- diately available for com- ment Thursday. Miller said in his state- ment that he was proud of his contributions as Oppo- sition leader and left the role with a sense of pride. “Resigning from the post is an opportunity to refresh and renew my energy, and to focus more fully on the future of the Cayman Is- lands and on the needs and goals of the Caymanian people and my constitu- ents, and of the population as a whole,” he added. “As the elected represent- ative for North Side, I will remain firmly committed to the concepts of participa- tory democracy and robust, constructive opposition as integral to the democratic functioning of government.” He said he would con- tinue to offer constructive criticisms and alternate so- lutions in response to gov- ernment proposals. “ It has become increasingly clear that the level of cohesion, industry and commitment necessary for any opposition to serve in the best interest of all the people of these islands is not possible given the current slate of independent members who made up the group.” EZZARD MILLER Ezzard Miller resigns as leader of Opposition CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hour-long power outage hits 14,000 customers More than 14,000 CUC customers lost power Wednesday night when an “equipment failure” blacked out portions of West Bay, George Town, Prospect and Savannah for nearly an hour. CUC said in a state- ment that power went out at 11:35pm and was restored to all customers by 12:30am. The equipment failure took place at the power-gen- erating facilities. CUC spent $11.9 million on capital expenditures, which included the new Seven Mile Beach substation.Next >