ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 Regulated in the Cayman Islands as a licensed insurer by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Generali Worldwide is a trading name of Utmost Worldwide Limited. Registered Head Office address: Utmost Worldwide Limited, Utmost House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands GY1 4PA. Regulated in Guernsey as a licensed insurer by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Business (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2002 (as amended). Incorporated in Guernsey under Company Registration No. 27151. www.generali-healthcare.com Proud partners of the Cayman Islands Blood Bank www.bloodbank.ky Celebrate Blood Donor Day June 14th by giving the gift of life. www.generali-healthcare.com CONCERNS RISE OVER ISLAND-WIDE MOSQUITO ‘INFESTATION’ JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The air around North Side has been so thick with mosquitoes in recent weeks that Carol Saunds makes her sons wear a protec- tive rash guard before they go outside. At the kids after-school programme, coor- dinator Nerrie Campbell keeps the children “inside more than out”, because of the mos- quito menace. The district’s representative in the Legisla- tive Assembly, Ezzard Miller, says North Side is facing the worst infestation it has seen in more than 50 years. “The mosquitoes have not been this thick since the 1960s,” Miller said. “In some areas residents cannot go outside even in the middle of the day and schoolchil- dren cannot play on the field unless they are covered in bug spray. This is terrible and un- acceptable in modern-day Cayman,” he said. Mosquito Research and Control Unit di- rector Jim McNelly acknowledged that the Cayman Islands was facing a “bad infestation” of swamp mosquitoes. He said above average populations had been seen since May, first in North Side and East End, but also in West Bay and other parts of the island. He accepted that surveillance units – which monitor the mangrove swamps – had failed to pick up on an increase in larvae pro- duction earlier this year, contributing to the recent infestation. He added that “low inventory” of a chem- ical used to target adult mosquitoes had com- pounded the problem. He said the MRCU was in the process of switching to a different chemical from a different supplier, and that process had led to stocks running low. He ex- pects new supplies to be on island next week and the spray plane, which has been grounded since Friday, to resume its work. He acknowledged the unit “could have played the situation better” and vowed to learn lessons from the experience and beef up surveillance in the swamps. Government watchdog contends with years of police complaints KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com When the first Cayman Is- lands ombudsman, Sandy Her- miston, stepped into the job in September 2017, her office im- mediately assumed years’ worth of backlog. The Police (Complaints by the Public) Law, 2017, had come into effect just months before, rel- egating seven years of unpro- cessed statements to the newly established office. In 2018, the Office of the Om- budsman took on 143 cases of police complaints. Sixty- seven of those cases were car- ried into 2019. That category represents just one of many that the office has been tasked with as part of its mandate to serve as an inde- pendent watchdog over govern- ment operations. There are also whistleblower cases, data protection concerns, government maladministration complaints and freedom of infor- mation requests to contend with. Much of the Office of the Om- budsman’s work during its first year and a half in operation has involved setting up procedures for managing such complaints. Hermiston said the experience has been akin to building a plane while it’s being flown. “I was fully aware of how chal- lenging it would be – as aware as you can be. I’m not very surprised by what I found when I got here [from Canada]. I was excited by the challenge of trying to take it on and make it work,” she said. “There is a lot to do to set this Sandy Hermiston - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNG PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » Michelle Lockwood of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman group hands over a bundle of petition documents to Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell on Wednesday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY ‘Historic moment’ as cruise petition handed over Elections Office will hire 100 staff to verify signatures JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The petition calling for a people’s vote on the controversial cruise berthing pro- ject was handed over to the Elections Office Wednesday in what was described as a “his- toric moment” for the Cayman Islands. It is the first time a group of voters has attempted to trigger the clause in the terri- tory’s Constitution allowing for a people-in- itiated referendum on issues of national im- portance. The campaigners submitted two thick bundles which they say contain signa- tures from more than 5,300 registered voters. A notarised copy was also handed over to the Governor’s office. Katrina Jurn, of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, said it was an honour for the group to present the petition on behalf of the thou- sands of people who had signed their names to the cause. Wesley Howell, who accepted the docu- ment on behalf of the Elections Office, said the process to verify the list would begin im- mediately. He will take a temporary leave of absence from his day job as chief officer in the Ministry of Employment and Border Control to lead the process full-time and will report directly to the governor. Howell said around 100 temporary staff will be hired in the coming weeks to begin a door-to-door verification of every signa- ture on the list. He said they would not stop until they had reached everyone or they had hit the threshold of verifying 25% of the elec- torate – roughly 5,300 voters – required by the Constitution to initiate a referendum. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL®IONAL THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO (PG) 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL(PG13) 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE (PG) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND(R18) SAT ONLY: 8:00 • 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) ALADDIN (PG) 12:45 I 3:45 3D I 6:45 | 9:50 3D GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS (PG13) 1:15 3D I 4:00 VIP | 7:00 | 9:45 VIP | 10:00 3D MA (R) 12:35 I 3:00 I 5:25 | 7:50 | 10:15 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (R) 1:05 | 9:45 ROCKETMAN (R) 4:05 I 6:55 AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 12:30 I 7:45 SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG) 12:30 | 4:15 3D | 5:30 3D | 7:45 X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX (PG13) 1:00 VIP | 2:45 | 7:00 VIP | 10:00 CORRECTION A story titled ‘Health checks mandatory for students’ that appeared in the Cayman Compass mistakenly re- ported that a new law required first-time school students to have health screenings. The mandatory requirement had already been in place, and there is no new legislation. IGUANA CULL TOTAL SURPASSES 700,000 Grand Cayman’s green iguana cullers delivered nearly 24,000 rep- tiles to the George Town landfill last week, bringing the total number of culled iguanas past 700,000 over 32 weeks. Including last week’s total of 23,729, cullers have eliminated a total of 708,714 iguanas (as of 8 June) since the Depart- ment of Environment programme began in late October 2018. Cullers remain ahead of the pace needed to reach the target of culling 1.3 million iguanas by the end of 2019. Cullers are being paid $4.50 a head, rising to $5 if they meet monthly and an- nual targets, in an effort to wipe out the invasive species in Grand Cayman. Marathon record holder Grunewald loses cancer fight International distance runner Gabriele Grunewald, a Cayman Island Marathon record holder who made headlines for her sporting achievements as well as her long-running battle with cancer, has died. Multiple news agen- cies have reported that Grunewald, 32, died Tuesday at her home in Minnesota, Minneapolis. Grunewald ran Cayman Islands Marathon’s half-mar- athon in 2013 in a time of 1:21:12, breaking Abby Ander- son’s 2011 record of 1:24:44 by more than 3½ minutes. Grunewald’s husband, Justin, holds the men’s marathon record and ran the event several years. In message posted on Ins- tagram Tuesday, Justin wrote: “At 7:52 I said ‘I can’t wait until I get to see you again’ to my hero, my best friend, my inspiration, my wife. I al- ways felt like the Robin to your Batman and I know I will never be able to fill this gaping hole in my heart or fill the shoes you have left be- hind. Your family loves you dearly as do your friends. “To everyone else from all ends of the earth, Gabriele heard your messages and was so deeply moved. She wants you to stay brave and keep all the hope in the world. Thanks for helping keep her brave in her time of need.” Gabriele Grunewald did not really excel at running until late in her college ca- reer. A walk-on at the Uni- versity of Minnesota, she became an NCAA all-Amer- ican in her senior year in the 1,500 metres. By that time, she was al- ready fighting cancer. She was first diagnosed with adenoid cystic carci- noma, a rare form of cancer that usually originates in the salivary glands, in 2009. A day after being diagnosed, she clocked a personal best in the 1500 metres, com- peting for the University of Minnesota. She had multiple rounds of chemotherapy and sur- gery over the ensuing years as cancer was found in dif- ferent parts of her body. She had a long scar across her abdomen from the removal of a tumour on her liver. She missed a spot on the 2012 US Olympic team by one place at the Olympic trials and had said recently that she was training for the 2020 games in Tokyo. Perhaps the high point of her career was winning the 3,000 metre run at the United States indoor championships in 2014. Pace to reach 1.3 million 4 Jamaican fishermen detained on Coast Guard ships WASHINGTON (AP) – Four Ja- maican fishermen were held for nearly a month aboard US Coast Guard vessels in the Car- ibbean Sea, most of the time chained outside in the blis- tering sun and through strong storms. That is according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. The men were picked up 14 Sept. 2017. The Coast Guard would not comment specifically on the litigation, but said the crew were seen dumping marijuana into the water. The Coast Guard said the Jamaican authorities gave permission for the men to be taken to the US for prosecu- tion. The men pleaded guilty to providing false information about their boat’s destination. They served 10 months and were deported in August. The ACLU lawsuit was brought under maritime law that would allow for dam- ages for the trauma the men say they endured. The Coast Guard said the Jamaican authorities gave permission for the men to be taken to the US for prosecution. Athlete Gabriele Grunewald, who holds the record in the Cayman Islands Marathon half-marathon, succumbed to cancer on Tuesday. Tourism director receives Jerry Award Director of Tourism Rosa Harris received the coveted Jerry Award from the Caribbean Tourism Or- ganization at a gala cere- mony in New York City on Thursday, 6 June, for her work in promoting tourism. “Tourism and Hospi- tality is my passion and I have spent almost 20 years in the industry, starting as a summer intern and working my way up. It is a privilege to serve my country, the Cayman Is- lands, as the director of tourism,” she said in her acceptance speech. She continued, “I work every day with the people of the Cayman Islands as my top priority. I consider myself to be a global cit- izen. I am deeply hum- bled to be one of the re- cipients of the 2019 CTO Jerry Award.” Conceived in 1997 in memory of the late Jerry Magit, who represented the Allied Members on the Caribbean Tourism Organ- ization board of directors, the award recognises an individual who has dem- onstrated a passion for the development of the region and has dedicated time, energy, financial, personal and professional resources to its development. Chair of the CTO Foundation Inc Jacqueline Johnson, left, presents Cayman Islands Director of Tourism Rosa Harris with the Jerry Award.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 Two sentenced to prison for importing 800 pounds of ganja Third man to face additional charges SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Jamaican nationals received prison sentences Wednesday for their roles in importing more than 800 pounds of ganja to Cayman. Xavier Shane Watson, 43, and Malson Campbell, 66, pleaded guilty to im- portation of ganja, importa- tion of cannabis oil and im- portation of cannabis resin. Watson was sentenced to 30 months in prison by Magistrate Valdis Foldats, and Campbell was sen- tenced to 28 months. The court heard Wednesday that the pair and a third co-conspir- ator, Dalton Alphonso Wright, were apprehended on 18 March after being approached by police of- ficers while on a boat lo- cated 11.5 nautical miles away from Grand Cayman. During a brief chase, Watson and Campbell were seen throwing packages over- board which were later de- termined to contain ganja. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said that the police re- covered 810 pounds of ganja, 1.29 grammes of cannabis oil and 2.1 pounds of can- nabis resin once the vessel was stopped. Oko said that the street value of the ganja was CI$939,000, but nei- ther Watson or Campbell played a leading role in the operation. “They are not the master- minds,” she said. “They don’t appear to be the organisers.” Oko also said that very little could be said of aggra- vating or mitigating factors in the case. Watson was said to have a prior conviction record of theft and illegal landing in Cayman. Prathna Bodden, Wat- son’s defence counsel, said that the facts of the case were admitted. Watson has two children in Cayman, she said, and he had no pre- vious convictions for drug-re- lated offences. Oliver Grimwood, who represented Campbell, said he was a man of good char- acter who was not proud of his actions and who had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Magistrate Foldats said that importation of ganja carries a starting point of four years’ imprisonment, and he gave Campbell credit for having good character. He awarded Watson par- tial credit for having no drug-related convictions on his record. Campbell was awarded six months off for good char- acter and a full one-third re- duction for pleading guilty early, bringing his sentence to 28 months. Watson was given three months off for having no prior drug-re- lated offences and a one- third reduction for an early plea, bringing his sentence to 30 months. “Mr. Watson, I accept you’re remorseful,” said Mag- istrate Foldats. “You’ve been convicted before. You went to jail. … That wasn’t enough to make you change your lifestyle.” Campbell and Watson were also sentenced six months for importation of cannabis oil and six months for importation of cannabis resin, but those sentences will run concurrently. “Drug abuse in the Cayman Islands continues to be a significant problem,” said Magistrate Foldats. “I hope you now think about what you’ve done and realise how wrong it was.” The third member of the group, Dalton Alphonso Wright, will next appear in court on 20 June. In addition to the importation charges, he also faces a charge of possession of an imita- tion firearm with intent to commit an offence and reck- less and negligent acts. The court heard Wednesday that Wright is accused of bran- dishing a firearm at officers and also ramming their boat with the drug vessel. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said that the police recovered 810 pounds of ganja, 1.29 grammes of cannabis oil and 2.1 pounds of cannabis resin once the vessel was stopped. SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dexter Bodden, a musi- cian popularly known as the Calypso Cowboy, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding Tuesday following a Good- year hearing in Grand Court. Bodden had also been charged with causing grievous bodily harm. A Goodyear hearing al- lows the defence to request an indication of the likely maximum sentence should the defendant plead guilty. Justice Patrick Brooks or- dered a victim impact re- port and a social impact re- port to be conducted, and he requested information re- garding potential compensa- tion to the complainant. Bodden will next be in court for sentencing on 8 Aug. ‘Calypso Cowboy’ pleads guilty to wounding The RCIPS released this image of approximately 800 pounds of ganja, seized on 18 March.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” One could almost hear the groans of dismay this week as Cayman’s gridlock-weary drivers learned that annual vehicle imports have doubled in the past decade, potentially adding thousands more cars, trucks and SUVs to our already-congested roads. As the Compass reported, 4,457 vehicles were imported last year, up from 2,298 in 2009, with the most significant increases in the past five years – far surpassing the number of derelict vehicles that were processed at the George Town landfill over the same period of time. It does not take a mathematician to calculate the net result: A proliferation of vehicles on Grand Cayman which, if not the source of our traffic woes, can certainly not be helping. Extrapolate the numbers a few years and it is not difficult to imagine a full- blown ‘car-tastrophe’, bringing to mind Will Rogers’ famous first law of holes: “If you find yourself in one, stop digging.” Put another way, when your island already is strug- gling with overwhelming traffic congestion, perhaps you should consider importing fewer cars. But, as several Compass readers pointed out in online comments to the news article, drivers, not cars, are at the heart of Grand Cayman’s traffic problem. As Jared Yochim wrote in one such comment, “Even if you own four vehicles, you can only drive on the roads with one at a time.” Even more pointedly, this editorial board would trace the problem back to a transportation network that offers few safe, reliable alternatives for people looking to get from point A to point B. After all, it is telling that personal vehicles continue to be the go-to choice for most residents and many visitors, even if it means enduring stop-and-go traffic on logjammed roadways crammed with hundreds of other drivers doing the same. Clearly, a ‘radical new approach’ to public transpor- tation must be part of the solution, as Premier Alden McLaughlin asserted in his Strategic Policy Statement in April. We anticipate that the National Roads Author- ity’s commitment to ‘complete streets’ – which support safe use by pedestrians and cyclists – will also help. The NRA recently announced it will install lighted pedestrian crossings along the CNB roundabout arteries and the new roundabout at the intersection of Crewe Road and Printers Way. The NRA says the system, a pilot scheme intended to improve pedestrian safety and minimise traffic disruptions, will be identical to the lighted crossing on Elgin Avenue between the Government Administration Building and the offices of Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman. Just as the designated sidewalks that have been incorporated into that road improvement project, we believe the lighted crossings are a wise investment that will not only help separate pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic, but could also encourage more resi- dents to walk or cycle the short distance rather than hopping behind the wheel. The shaded path under construction alongside the Esterley Tibbetts highway near the National Gallery is yet another example of the types of modest infrastruc- ture improvements that could go a long way towards untangling Grand Cayman’s traffic headaches. More than anything, all these efforts must be part of a comprehensive, forward-looking plan. Road work: A wide variety of traffic solutions THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 10 things people in finance should never say BARRY RITHOLTZ At a recent event in New York City, I chatted with a money manager whose pres- entation had impressed me. At least, I was impressed until he uttered one of those hackneyed phrases that just make me flinch. This is an occupational hazard in the world of economic and market commentary. Any of us can lapse into lazy short- hand. But it is something best avoided: Use of trite or clichéd formulations nei- ther reflects well on us nor shows respect for the reader or listener. I shared my dislike of wince-worthy platitudes with financial-Twitter, and received more than 500 examples of most-hated phrases. Indeed, cringe-in- ducing financial nonsense that sounds smart but falls apart upon closer inspection seems to be everywhere. As a public service to consumers of financial news, I am hereby undertaking a campaign to urge my fellow pundits to shun the worst of these. Here are some of the most egregious offenders, in no particular order: No. 1. “This is the next Amazon (or Apple or Google or … ) “: The laziest of all ways to titillate stock in- vestors is to dangle the po- tential of a giant winner in front of them. Just im- agine how much money you will make if XYZ is the next Amazon, although odds of it going broke are infinitely greater. Despite the rise in popularity of in- dexing, this stratagem still seems to work. No. 2. “But what’s that worth adjusted for infla- tion?”: I have long been an inflation sceptic, believing that the Bureau of Labor Statistics understates in- flation. But pre-financial- crisis inflation scepticism morphed into something entirely different in the de- flationary post-crisis era. Inflation truthers refused to accept any data, es- pecially if it showed the economy was improving under former President Ba- rack Obama. Recall the en- tire argument that quanti- tative easing would cause hyperinflation. That didn’t happen, of course. Using in- flation to critique anything you dislike is an exercise in bad-faith argument. No. 3. “The stock market hates uncertainty”: This one may rate as the worst. Buyers and sellers operate probabilistically, not with certainty. Without some de- gree of uncertainty, who would ever buy when you want to sell, and vice versa? Second, uncertainty isn’t the same as risk. When the range of outcomes is under- stood, you don’t have uncer- tainty. Last, the only times I recall that there was cer- tainty was in late 1999, when everyone was sure markets had no limits, and again in March 2009, when everyone believed markets were going to zero. It seems whenever there is certainty, the herd is wrong. No. 4. “The easy money has already been made”: This was a common refrain in 2010-11, often by traders who missed the rebound from the March 2009 market lows. But buying at a bottom and selling at a peak is one of the hardest trades you are ever going to make. If you are wrong, or even a little too early, you kick yourself for being such an idiot. It is never easy money. No. 5. “Without quanti- tative easing/zero interest rates/the Federal Reserve, markets would tank”: To channel Bridgewater Asso- ciates founder Ray Dalio, investors must embrace reality as it is, and not some version of how they want it to be. Regardless of your views of the many post-crisis interventions, they were, and remain, real. Arguing that they are misguided, wishing they would go away or ignoring them won’t help. Financial crises, and for that matter the smooth functioning of a modern economy, ALWAYS requires government ac- tion. You may not like it, but ignore this truism at your own financial peril. No. 6. “It’s Uber for …”: This is the venture-capital version of the ‘next-Am- azon’ trope. Any long-shot idea is given a patina of re- spectability by comparing it to a successful VC-funded startup. Try it yourself; it’s surprisingly effective. No. 7. “Virtue signal- ling”: A dishonest but clever way to attack not an idea but the person stating it. Unless you are showing problems such as conflicts of interest or a history of fraud, going after a person’s motivations is simply an unacceptable ad hominem attack. Instead, debunk the idea, not its author. No. 8. “How much is that in yen?”: The last refuge of wayward commodity traders, this currency dodge operates to make a bad trade look better. It works like this: You bought gold at $1,600, but it fell to $1,200. Rather than ac- knowledge a mistake, cite a different currency to make the trade look like a winner. No. 9. “The future obli- gations of Social Security and Medicaid will bank- rupt the country”: This rep- resents the mistake of only looking at one half of a bal- ance sheet – the liability side. Extrapolating the in- creased costs of these (or other government) pro- grams while ignoring the increases in the revenue side is misleading, or worse – an argument advanced by those who want to undo the social safety net. No. 10. “Homebuyers caused the financial crisis.” The cause(s) of the finan- cial crisis still remain mis- understood by much of the public. (The short, rather un- satisfying answer: it’s com- plicated). However, there are some people who intention- ally make false statements about the crisis, mainly for ideological reasons. I will stop at 10, but the list could run to the hun- dreds. What it is about fi- nance that invites these terrible, vapid pronounce- ments? Do these trivialities reflect a lack of intellectual rigour, or are they merely a refuge for those who do not want to get pinned down? Barry Ritholtz is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He founded Ritholtz Wealth Management and was chief executive and director of equity research at FusionIQ, a quantitative research firm. He is the author of ‘Bailout Nation.’ © 2019, Bloomberg Opinion. What it is about finance that invites these terrible, vapid pronouncements? Do these trivialities reflect a lack of intellectual rigour, or are they merely a refuge for those who do not want to get pinned down?5 LOCAL NEWS Summit to coincide with Celebrate Cayman 60th anniversary celebrations The governments of the UK overseas territories will meet in the Cayman Islands later this month to coordinate the agenda items of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting in November in London. At the annual event, gov- ernment leaders will also re- ceive an update on the work of the United Kingdom Over- seas Territories Association over the past year. The meeting will be fol- lowed by an inaugural UK and Overseas Territories In- ternational Trade Summit at the Kimpton Seafire to en- able high-level government discussions between UK and overseas territories govern- ment leaders and officials. The Trade Summit is jointly hosted by the Cayman and UK governments and is the first event organised by the new Ministry of Interna- tional Trade, Investment, Avi- ation and Maritime Affairs, responsible for attracting in- ternational trade and invest- ment to the Cayman Islands. Premier Alden McLaughlin said in a statement, “This in- augural UK/OT International Trade Summit is an oppor- tunity to showcase what the OTs have to offer, but to also discuss trade opportunities with and for all OTs as we all look for ways to diversify our economies and take advan- tage of the opportunities that will be afforded after Brexit.” Director of the Overseas Territories Department Ben Merrick said the event would bring international trade is- sues to the forefront of the discussions between the UK and overseas territories gov- ernments and provide a plat- form to address “how we can better work in partner- ship on trade”. The event will discuss op- portunities to engage with UK trade initiatives, as well as with the Commonwealth through the Enterprise and Investment Council. The summit will also ex- amine business sectors such as fintech, tourism, health- care and the blue economy, a term that refers to the eco- nomic use and preservation of the marine environment. “This is a very exciting time for Cayman, as we cele- brate our 60-year anniversary of our first written constitu- tion. We are now at a cross- roads of our country’s his- tory,” said Eric Bush, chief officer of trade and invest- ment ministry. “Our forefa- thers have built a strong and vibrant economy for us all to enjoy. It is now our time to further build on these founda- tions and bring Cayman to the world stage, showing them who we are, what we have to offer, and seek to enhance trade and investment from our neighbours, near and far.” The trade summit is timed to coincide with the Cel- ebrate Cayman 60th anni- versary celebrations, with special invitations to celebra- tions being extended to UK government and overseas ter- ritories delegates. Alfonso Wright, execu- tive chairman of Celebrate Cayman, said, “This is a won- derful opportunity to show- case Cayman Islands history and culture with the UK and Heads of Government from the Overseas Territories. At such a significant time for the Cayman Islands’ relation- ship with the UK it is invalu- able to be able to invite such high-level attendees to join our celebrations.” “ This ... is an opportunity to showcase what the OTs have to offer, but to also discuss trade opportunities ... as we all look for ways to diversify our economies and take advantage of the opportunities that will be afforded after Brexit.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 Cayman to host overseas territories meeting and trade summit Cayman teams take on international robotics challenge Two school teams, the John Gray Aqua Lasers and Layman E. Scott Brac Bots, represented the Cayman Is- lands at the 2019 Interna- tional SeaPerch Challenge in College Park, Maryland, earlier this month. The Brac Bots came in fourth overall in the High School Division and the Aqua Lasers came in elev- enth place overall in the Middle School Division. This was the second time both teams competed at in- ternational level. SeaPerch is an under- water robotics programme that equips teachers and students with the resources they need to build an un- derwater remotely operated vehicle in an in-school or out-of-school setting. The International Chal- lenge includes three events that are combined for the overall score: Obstacle Course, Rescue and Re- cover Mission, and Engi- neering Notebook. The Brac Bots stood out in the Rescue and Re- cover Mission, taking second place. Following the competi- tion, which was held on 1 and 2 June, the Aqua Lasers spent the day exploring the museums and monuments of nearby Washington, DC. Desmond White is the coach of the John Gray High School Aqua Lasers. He said the SeaPerch event had become more chal- lenging over the years “as teams look to experiment with new materials and in- novative ways of making their remotely operated ve- hicles more efficient”. He added, “Our Cayman teams have risen to the oc- casion and have proven that we are not just ‘showing up’ but are there to compete. This is a true testament to the quality of our local competition and I believe the perfor- mances this year will serve as added motivation for all our local schools, which will no doubt fur- ther strengthen our per- formance at both the local and international competi- tions going forward.” Layman E. Scott High School Brac Bots Coach Michael Bryan said the school was looking for- ward to the continued en- richment of its students through this STEM pro- gramme. “We have seen the value of the pro- gramme and will con- tinue to work with the students in the future in order to help them achieve better results.” Presented annually by Dart Minds Inspired in collaboration with Maples Group, Women’s Interna- tional Shipping and Trade Association and London & Amsterdam, the Cayman Islands SeaPerch Chal- lenge is a hands-on inte- gration of science, tech- nology, engineering and mathematics, with appli- cations both inside and outside of the classroom. Dart Senior Manager Education Programmes Glenda McTaggart said in a statement, “These incred- ible results are testament to the time and effort the Brac Bots and Aqua Lasers put into designing, con- structing and testing their underwater Remote Oper- ated Vehicles (ROVs). The level of competition was extremely high and they rose to the challenge.” Maples Group Partner Sherice Arman added, “It is fantastic to be part of this important initiative that helps students in our community explore and engage in STEM activities. The response to this year’s competition was brilliant, and we congratulate and commend all those who participated in this year’s challenge.” The Brac Bots came in fourth overall in the High School Division and the Aqua Lasers came in eleventh place overall in the Middle School Division. Premier Alden McLaughlin The Layman E. Scott Brac Bots team The John Gray Aqua Lasers teamThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS up and get everybody ready to really do the job. So we’ve always continued to accept complaints but we haven’t been out there looking for more work. I’ve maintained a bit of a low profile for a very good reason. If we are going to have people coming to us, we need to be ready for them.” Right now, the office is working to add three more positions to its 13-person team and expects to move into new offices soon, in an effort to improve workflow and capacity. Backlog Deputy Ombudsman Ted Miles, hired in lieu of sec- onded deputy Sharon Roul- stone, has been tasked with the heavy lifting of processing old police complaints. Miles said his depart- ment is now working to un- bury itself from under the pile with the ambitious, yet admittedly unlikely goal, of processing the backlog by the end of the year. “One of the biggest chal- lenges on my side of the house right now is that … for a period from 2010 until that point in time when that [police complaints] law be- came enacted, no one had the authority to deal with complaints by the public. The [complaints] commission did not,” Miles said. “So, although the RCIPS continued to collect those complaints through the pro- fessional standards unit, they were never brought to a conclusion or to fruition. So they’ve sat on the shelf.” The task has been akin to that of a cold case detective. As the team works to track down old complainants, they have found many no longer wish to pursue their cases, while others have not been found. For those cases the of- fice has been able to re- open, however, each has been a trial of its own for the ombudsman. “It’s always the test, when you receive a complaint, how well the process is going to work. It’s all that kind of fine-tuning. I think we’ve had a really good chance to do that on the police side and we’re getting closer to having a solid idea of how those go,” Hermiston said. So far, she said govern- ment bodies have been open to her recommendations and that none to date have been refused. The willingness of gov- ernment to play ball with the ombudsman is important to the office’s functionality. Without enforcement power, the ombudsman must de- pend on government’s will- ingness to do the right thing. “My job isn’t to be an at- tack dog. My job it to be a watchdog; and those are two really different things,” Her- miston said. “I think some people sometimes expect me to be an attack dog but that’s not what an ombudsman does. An ombudsman is supposed to be fair to both sides. We are impartial. So we don’t take the government’s side and we don’t take the com- plainant’s side. That’s been a balancing act that we are al- ways mindful of.” While Hermiston cannot dictate, she can persuade. “We don’t have enforce- ment powers. We like to call it ‘moral-suasion’. That we need to use moral-suasion in order to convince them that this is something that they should adopt,” she said. If the day comes when government rejects a recom- mendation, however, Miles said they are prepared. At this point, he said their of- fice would make the matter public and employ the power of the press to shed light on the issue. Another measure to keep government accountable, which Hermiston hopes to pursue in the future, is an ‘own motion’ investiga- tion. In such cases, the om- budsman takes it upon her- self to pursue a matter, without the prompting of a complainant. “I can say, I see this thing here that looks like we should look into it and then we’ll do an investiga- tion and the report about it. Those kinds of reports are sort of like what you would do as an investigative jour- nalist,” she said. One small example of an ‘own motion’ initiative was the recent release of a 2010 report by Deloitte on the needs of the Sunrise Adult Training Centre. When Her- miston read in the press that the nearly decade-old report had been kept private, she went behind the scenes to persuade government to re- lease the document. She said she hopes to take on more ‘own motion’ cases in the future. For now, Cayman’s pending Data Protection Law, taking effect 30 Sept., will take up much of the of- fice’s resources. Preparing small businesses for the leg- islation is a major priority. “It’s really awareness at this point,” Hermiston said. “The people I worry the most about are the small business owners. It is not going to be onerous for them. We’re looking at putting some tools in place to help them comply. Our view is that we’re not out there to play whack-a-mole. We’re out there to help people comply with the law.” The Office of the Om- budsman offers free work- shops to businesses about data protection. In the last quarter of 2018, Hermiston said they conducted 45 ses- sions, each with 10 to 40 people in attendance. She is expecting to conduct many more workshops in the coming months. To read more about the Office of the Ombudsman, visit https://ombudsman.ky. “It is disappointing that it has got to this point where people are being im- pacted,” he added. Concerns over the issue were brought to light by Miller, who issued a press release Wednesday morning calling on govern- ment and the MRCU to ex- plain why the spray plane had not been in action. Miller highlighted an ap- parent shortage of chem- icals among a number of concerns about mos- quito control and ques- tioned why there had been no request for supplemen- tary funding. Miller said in his state- ment that there was no ex- cuse for not having chemi- cals in stock. “Such incompetence at all levels cannot and should not be tolerated by Caymanians,” he added. North Side residents told the Compass the mos- quito situation was the worst they could remember. Saunds, president of the Parent Teacher Associa- tion at Edna Moyle Primary School, said, “The situation is intolerable. Inside the house, outside the house, at all times of day, they are everywhere. “I have lived in North Side for 10 years and I have never experienced an avalanche of mosquitoes like this.” Campbell, who runs the kids after-school pro- gramme, said it was difficult to go out- side at any time of day without repellent. “We keep the children inside more than out,” she said, “and if they are out- side we have to keep them on the run. “I live in North Side too, and there are so [many] mosquitoes right now, we don’t know what is going on.” He added that he was confident his staff would be able to complete that pro- cess quickly and efficiently. As well as conducting house calls, staff will host commu- nity events and reach out by phone to people overseas, and signers of the docu- ment can come into the Elec- tions Office. “We will do everything in our power to verify the names on the list. I doubt that we are going to have huge num- bers of persons that we won’t be able to find or that can’t find us,” Howell said. Even if the petition is ver- ified, there is still no guar- antee that a vote on the dock will take place. Premier Alden McLaughlin has said gov- ernment has taken legal ad- vice and will take the “appro- priate and advised” course of action once the verified peti- tion is received by Cabinet. Matthew Forbes, who ac- cepted a copy of the peti- tion on behalf of Governor Martyn Roper, said he would not pre-judge Cabinet’s deci- sion on that aspect. He said the governor, who is in London at the mo- ment and was unable to be present at the handover of the petition on Wednesday, had committed to ensure a fair process. “Once this is verified, it will go to Cabinet and the governor has been very clear that he will ensure that this is done in a fair and trans- parent manner in accord- ance with the law and make sure that the constitution is upheld at every turn,” Forbes said. There are no time limits for the verification process, but both Howell and Forbes expressed confidence that it could be done quickly. Howell said that, in the ab- sence of clear laws or regu- lations around petitions, the legal advice to the Elections Office was that it must verify every signature, rather than using sampling or other statis- tical methods. Speaking after the hand- over, one of the campaign or- ganisers, Johann Moxam, said the campaigners were taking legal advice on their next steps. He said it was a proud mo- ment for the group and a his- toric day for Cayman, but ac- knowledged this was just “step one” of the process and cau- tioned that “strategies and tactics” were expected from government. “We are comfortable and confident that we have done everything we are supposed to do,” Moxam said. “Today is a good day for participatory de- mocracy. It is the first time the Cayman people are standing together and putting actions behind their concerns. “We are confident we will be on the right side of history.” Ted Miles - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government watchdog contends with years of police complaints Concerns rise over island- wide mosquito ‘infestation’ ‘Historic moment’ as cruise petition handed over CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CPR Cayman’s Michelle Lockwood presents petition documents to the head of the Governor’s Office, Matthew Forbes. The MRCU spray plane, which has been grounded since Friday, is expected to be back in the air next week. - PHOTO: FILE Representatives of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman gather with officials from the Elections Office and the Governor’s Office outside the Smith Road Centre, where the Elections Office is based, on Wednesday afternoon for the petition handover. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1F ATHER’S D AY SPECIAL FEATURE 7 JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Father-of-two Ellis Burke, 63, gently calls his son over to the table as he carefully opens an iPad. Jeremy, 25, who is autistic, takes a seat. Pictures of Dr. Seuss charac- ters fill the screen. “Jeremy, would you like to help me read the book?” Burke asks. “Yes,” Jeremy responds. Burke’s other son Joel, 28, is at work. He is married with two kids of his own. Parents with multiple children often struggle to balance their kids’ individual needs. When one of those children has ‘special needs’, it can be more challenging. Burke’s sons are on dif- ferent ends of the achieve- ment range, but that does not stop him from having the same level of commitment in seeing that both his sons achieve at the highest level. For this Father’s Day, Burke shares five of the lessons he has learned from his two sons over the years. Caring “I had to adjust. Jeremy is not a high flyer,” Burke said. “He has special chal- lenges and although I want him to become the best that he can be, I cannot put him in the same light as Joel. Jeremy, as a special needs kid, has challenges, and we have to accept that. He’s on the autism spectrum and for him I have to go slowly, repeat things to make sure he understands.” Burke said he is still trying to figure out when he says to Jeremy ‘to do this or that’, what actually goes on in his mind. He understands that he has to really make a lot of effort when he speaks to Jeremy and not get anxious or angry. This, Burke said, has help him become more caring and understanding of others’ needs. “I know parents can get angry with their special needs children, but some - times [the children] do not really understand,” he said. When he talks to his son, Burke said, Jeremy may hear the words, but some- times does not have a clue what the words mean. If he gets angry with him, Jeremy does not understand why. He said of his sons, “They are both special, but they are at opposite ends of the spec- trum. … The gifted one tends to be very independent and the other very dependent.” Organisation For Jeremy, organisation is key. Everything has to be in place, which Burke said is part of his son’s unique make-up. “He reminds me that I must not leave my slippers at the door and he knows what slippers I wear at different times,” he said. “He does help us to stay organised,” Burke said. Papers must be placed in the bin and books must be put away … Joel, on the other hand, did not have that same level of organisation. He was more focussed on reading books and sourcing material online. “I believe we spent more time organ- ising Joel’s space than Jer- emy’s,” Burke said. Patience In the early stages of Jer- emy’s life, up until age 3, Jeremy’s development was pretty much on target, but later on, the Burkes real- ised he was not talking as he should. It was very dif- ficult for them as parents, Burke said. “We prayed about his condition and waited on the Lord to change him,” he said. “We actually thought he would change, and got his uniform for Red Bay School and turned up with him the September morning of registration. We were believing for a miracle he would change.” However, they soon real- ised he could not attend a classroom of 30-40 chil- dren, so they took him over to the Lighthouse school. Jeremy settled in nicely and graduated from the school. “Over the years, we really have learned to be patient with his develop- ment,” said Burke, “once we realised he was not pro- gressing like Joel. Joel had a clear set mind as to what he wanted to do, right from the get-go. He married and purchased his first apart- ment at age 20.” Love There is nothing Burke said he would not do for his two sons. He wants the best for them and wants to be there for them, point them in the right direction, listen and not be judgemental. “I want to know they are getting the best in every- thing, it’s really to say we are here for you … the love we have for them is an uncon- ditional love, and our love is never unkind or abusive,” Burke said. The two boys, he said, get on fairly well. In his teenage years, Joel was very con- cerned about his brother’s development. He prayed for him to be normal and wanted a brother he could communi- cate with better, Burke said. As time went by, he realised Jeremy was not going to be that brother, but loved him nonetheless. Perseverance The family continues with an ongoing programme for Jeremy to work on his edu- cational and physical devel- opment, which includes walking in the mornings, playing basketball in the eve- nings, solving puzzles and working on iPad education. Joel is encouraged to take good care of his family, and any time he needs his fam- ily’s support, the door is Ellis Burke works with his son Jeremy on an iPad. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY always open. “Father’s Day is not just about gift giving,” Burke said. When his sons were young, they sat down and enjoyed a family meal together, a tradition that they continue today as adults. “Fathers, love your chil- dren, respect them, realise that they are unique, because no two children are identical. We are uniquely assigned by our eternal Father,” Burke said. “Each person is unique, just like our palms, everyone has a different fingerprint, and so we most appreciate the uniqueness of each indi- vidual and care for them in that way,” he added.8 F ATHER’S D AY SPECIAL FEATURE Sean Clarke Sean Clarke would like nothing more than for parents to spend a few minutes with their children at their school. Spending time with his son Sean Jr., has become the norm for him, and through that inter- action, he said, the other kids started interacting with him. Three to four days a week, during his lunchtime, Clarke leaves his work at the health information records office at the Cayman Islands Hospital to eat lunch with the kids, play ball, watch over them or chat. He also works with the teachers in moni- toring the school grounds during lunchtime. “Children complain about little stuff so I will take them aside and one on one tell them not to worry about it, you are going to be fine,” he said. “It’s amazing what you see when a parent goes to the school and interacts with their kid or all the other children. Parents can learn from these little segments.” He said today’s classrooms are different from when he was growing up. For him to get a sense of what’s going on to help his son JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Each Father’s Day, we celebrate the men in our lives who have helped to shape the people we are today. In honour of these special individuals, the Compass is highlighting two fathers who have had a positive impact on their own children and children in the community. Like all good fathers, Hoyt Ramoon, 58, and Sean Clarke, 50, know that being an effective parent means making children a top priority in their lives. Hoyt Ramoom A group of children at George Town Primary school thinks Hoyt Ramoon is the greatest. Ramoon has been involved in the lives of kids at George Town Primary from the time his own son David enrolled in Year 1 at the school. Every lunchtime, from Monday to Friday, he sits with his son to have lunch at the school. Over time, other children gradually joined them at the table. He uses this time to talk to the students, and encourage them to get good grades and work hard. “I’m looking forward to summer break when a party will be hosted for the children for getting good grades,” he said with a smile. “Some of the young children these days just need guidance. They need that love, and as a father, I try to get close to them and help them out by talking and encouraging them to listen to their teacher,” he said. “If you don’t have education, you’re not going far, that is the thing I preach to my little boy. Education is the key to most suc- cesses,” he said. He feels more fathers should make an effort to visit kids at school. “You don’t have to come every day, but just show up and see that your child is okay,” he said. He advises parents to check with teachers to see how their children doing at school, and to try to get more involved. Growing up, he said, his mother was the one that was mostly involved in his everyday life. His father was a seaman. His mother provided lunch, took care of his clothes and assisted him with homework. “She was the driving force behind us,” he said. Ramoon said he never gave any trouble and would always listen to his mother. “Our father wasn’t there but mama was there, and she would put us in place,” he said. Ramoon mostly played football after school with his peers in the George Town area. If he had the chance to go back a day in his childhood, Ramoon said it would be to play football with his friends and brothers. “It was enjoyable and fun to get together with the bigger boys and play the game,” he said Later in his teenage life, he played football with Cayman Islands national team, which he said gave him the opportunity to make many trips over- seas to competitions for the Cayman Islands. His greatest role model in life, he said, is his oldest brother Dale Ramoon. “The kids today are not much dif- ferent from when I was growing up. I just think they have more today, and more for them to achieve than in my time,” he said. is promotion will run from June 1st up until June 16th 2019 Father’s Day Special 20 % off Recliners Hoyt Ramoon and son David - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Sean Clarke plays ball with his son and classmates. 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Burger & Fries$8.00 Add Cheese or Bacon$1.00 Chicken Tenders with Fries$9.00 Quesadillas Veggie$8.00 Chicken$10.00 Shrimp$12.00 Vanilla Ice Cream Carrot Cake$6.00 Blue Berry Cake$6.00 Chocolate Lava Cake$6.00 Cassava Cake$6.00 Refreshments Smoothies$6.00 Daquiries$8.50 Beers, Wine, Mix Drinks, Tamarind Juice, Ice Tea & Lemonade 2 $6.00 Desserts Kids Menu KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com For older men, opening up about mental health can be particularly difficult. Problems such as social isolation and depression are often compounded with age, and with that comes an elevated risk of alco- holism, drug abuse and suicide. In 2017, men aged 45-49 accounted for the highest suicide rate in the United Kingdom and overall, men were three times as likely as women to take their own lives, according to the UK Office for National Statistics. For men who struggle to put their feelings into words, an international movement hopes to help them build social connections – and improve their quality of life – in a more hands- on way. Men’s sheds began as an initiative in Australia, to bring men together in a collaborative, community setting where they could roll their sleeves up, work with their hands and, hope- fully, build new friendships. The movement has now spread across Europe, North America, and now the Cayman Islands. The island’s first men’s shed, housed in the Cayman Catboat Club on North Church Street, is slowly gaining steam. A small wood- working shop has been set up with donated tools, tables and most importantly, time. Mark Nicoll, one of the shed’s founders, said the concept is simple: while men often do not do well face- to-face, they do well shoulder to shoulder. He envisions men coming together to build personal projects, mentor each other and inadvertently, connect with like-minded people. “Sheds are a way to get men away from the television, out of the house, to come in, have a cup of tea, [and] saw,” Nicoll said. He and other founding members are now working to get the word out about the shed and drive member- ship. The organisation will host its first open house over Father’s Day weekend on Saturday, 15 June, from 9am to noon. The event is an opportunity for men – and women – to explore the facility and start sharing ideas. Kevin Ashworth described the end goal of the shed as “health by stealth”. “The people who engage in this facility won’t realise the potential and full benefit it will have to them. They’ll just feel better. Studies have shown over the years now that men particu- larly who use a shed, over 99% have said it has had a positive effect on their lives,” Ashworth said. It may seem that 99% is an impos- sible figure, but the statistic is backed up by research. A study of men’s shed in Aus- tralia, released in 2007, found the benefits of such programmes to be immense for participants. Men surveyed by the study, com- missioned by the Australian gov- ernment, expressed a strong sense of belonging, well-being and health associated with the shed, with 97% of them saying they “felt at home in the shed”, and 99% saying they had “made good friends in the shed”. “Men’s sheds are particularly successful in attracting older men that have proved difficult to engage through conventional health, employment, education and training initiatives. Many of these older men are facing issues associated with sig- nificant change, including ageing, health, retirement, isolation, unem- ployment, disability and separation,” the study states. “[Sheds] provide mateship and a sense of belonging through posi- tive and therapeutic informal activ- ities and experiences with other men. Men’s sheds achieve positive health, happiness and well-being outcomes for men who participate, as well as for their partners, fami- lies and communities.” The opportunity to make friends is one aspect that attracted Ivan Jones to the shed. He stumbled across the building recently and out of curiosity, he decided to explore. He discovered a space to pursue his long-time interest in woodwork and to learn alongside other men. As a recent transplant to the island, the social aspect appealed to him. Ivan Jones, left, Kevin Ashworth and Mark Nicoll hope to drive interest in the recently opened Men’s Shed on North Church Street. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »Next >