High of 90 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. LOCAL | PAGE 3 POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED OVER BANK BURGLARY SPORTS | PAGE 12 WIMBLEDON: DJOKOVIC EDGES FEDERER IN 5 SETS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 $ 3 99 M EAL D EALS MONDAY - SATURDAY 9pcs MIXED , 2 Sides & 5 BISCUITS NEW FAMILY SUNDAY Cayman rocks Gibraltar at Island Games Overhead scanners to help police traffic offences DART BUYS COMFORT SUITES National team secures 30 medals, including 11 golds BEN MEADE Cayman’s athletes wrapped up the XVIII NatWest International Island Games with three gold medals on the final day and a grand haul of 30 medals overall at the bien- nial showcase of sport held this year in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Across the week of the games, medals were won by Cayman athletes in six of the 10 sports they competed in: athletics, bas- ketball, beach volleyball, shooting, squash, and swimming. Cayman’s 30 medals – 11 gold, 10 silver, and nine bronze – was good for 10th place among the 22 is- lands competing. Basketball repeat The final medal won was in men’s basket- ball. After breezing by opposition in their pre- vious five games, including against Guernsey in the semi-finals, Cayman’s men got a legiti- mate challenge in the final. Saaremaa made Cayman earn the top spot on the podium in a tight battle that saw the Caribbean side trail for the first time in the tournament. In the end, Cayman prevailed 75-63 in front of a lively crowd at the Bayside Arena. Captain Samuel O’Garro, Shaad O’Garro Traffic cops to get new mobile scanners JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Overhead scanners could soon be collecting data from vehicles on Cayman’s roads. The first scanner, which will be fitted to a gantry over the roadway, is being assembled and will be lo- cated on South Sound Road. It will read the details from each vehicle’s electronic number plate to determine if it is licensed, registered and insured. The data will be pro- vided to police. Tristan Hydes, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said the South Sound gantry would be the first of a network of scanners cov- ering the island’s major roadways. Eventually, he said, the network could evolve to link with the court system and issue tickets electronically for a variety of motoring offences. “That is some way in the future,” he acknowledged. For now the machines will simply provide data to police to follow up on. They will also provide traffic volume statistics at key loca- tions around the island. Charles Brown, the ministry’s point person on the new system, said the scanners would look sim- ilar to those used to track payments on toll roads in the US, like the Florida SunPass system. “When your car goes under the gantry it will read it and send the information back to us,” he said. The fixed scanners are one part of a new enforcement system. The DVDL has switched over thousands of the cars on Cayman’s roads to new electronic license plates fitted with radio frequency Dart has entered into an agreement to buy the Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach hotel, ac- cording to a statement from Dart and hotel owner Seven Mile Suites Ltd. “This decision marks a new chapter for the hotel,” said Gary Rutty, managing director of Seven Mile Suites Ltd. “We have built a great business over almost 20 years due to the ef- forts of our dedicated staff and management team. We are proud that Dart sees the value in our business, which continues to deliver an excellent product and service to our guests, and feel this is an exciting outcome for the fu- ture of the hotel.” According to the news release, about 90% of the Comfort Suites hotel staff are Caymanian, and “all existing staff will be offered the op- portunity to continue employment under the new ownership”. Dart Chief Executive Officer Mark Van- Develde said, “With the planned purchase of Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach, we can en- sure a range of accommodation offerings for a variety of visitor demographics. “We recognise the strength of the ho- tel’s performance and the dedication of its staff and management team towards its con- tinued success.” Dart built and opened the Kimpton Sea- fire Resort in 2016 and purchased The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman, in 2017. The com- pany purchased the former Hyatt hotel and Grand Cayman Beach Suites resort in 2015, and recently renovated and reopened the latter. In 2017, Dart purchased the Royal Palms property, which in the longer term is expected to be a part of the developer’s master plan for the expansion of Camana Bay, which includes a proposal for a new hotel. Dart also owns the Paradise Villas resort in Little Cayman and this year announced it was acquiring Cayman Brac resort Le Soleil d’Or. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » Cayman’s gold-medal relay team in the 4X100 freestyle – Jillian Crooks, Kyra Rabess, Alison Jackson and Avery Lambert – pose atop the podium. - PHOTO: BEN MEADE2 REGIONAL NEWS MONDAY, 15 JULY 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 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: • 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) CRAWL (R) 4:25 | 6:55 | 9:30 SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:40 VIP | 1:00 | 3:40 VIP | 4:00 | 6:40 VIP | 7:00 | 9:40 VIP | 10:00 TOY STORY 4 (G) 1:30 | 4:00 | 6:30 | 9:00 SUPER 30 (PG) 1:00 | 9:10 MEN IN BLACK (PG13) INTERNATIONAL 1:35 I 4:20 | 7:05 | 9:50 SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG) 2:15 | 4:30 | 6:45 FLORIDA SCHEME TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS TO ARGENTINA BUSTED JAMAICAN MAN GETS 21 YEARS IN U.S. PRISON FOR PEOPLE SMUGGLING MIAMI (AP) – Another person has been charged in Florida with taking part in a massive weapons smuggling operation to Argentina and elsewhere in South America. Federal court re- cords filed in Miami show that 47-year-old Cristian German Barrera of Palm Beach County is charged with violating arms export laws by allegedly shipping thousands of AR-15 rifle parts to Argentina. Two other people were previ- ously charged in the case. Court records did not list an attorney for Barrera, who has a bail hearing set next week in Miami federal court. Homeland Secu- rity Investigations offi- cials say the probe led to seizure 52 AR-15 rifles, 189 other long weapons, 156 handguns, 30,000 rounds of ammunition and $110,000 in cash. Argentine authorities arrested several other sus- pects in that country. MIAMI (AP) – A Jamaican man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison in the United States for running a human smug- gling operation. Court records show 44-year-old Michael Sta- pleton was extradited to the US last year and sentenced Thursday to 21 years and 10 months. A federal jury in South Florida found him guilty of 47 counts related to a people smuggling scheme. Prosecutors say Sta- pleton coordinated the smuggling of undocumented immigrants to the United States from around the world through Freeport, Ba- hamas. Witnesses testified that Stapleton used the vul- nerability of the immigrants to exploit them by de- manding more money from them after they were in his power, keeping them in de- plorable conditions, mis- treating them and sending them out in unsafe boats. The probe led to seizure 52 AR-15 rifles, 189 other long weapons, 156 handguns, 30,000 rounds of ammunition and $110,000 in cash. Top Puerto Rican officials resign over profanity-laced chat SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico’s Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced Saturday that his chief financial officer and secretary of state will step down following their participation in a private chat that used profanities to describe an ex-New York City official and a federal con- trol board overseeing the is- land’s finances. The US territory’s CFO Christian Sobrino, who is also the governor’s represent- ative to the control board, announced he was stepping down via Twitter on Saturday. Its Secretary of State Luis G. Rivera Marín also offered his resignation. Rosselló later released a statement saying he would let go members of his admin- istration who participated in the chat on a messaging system used by government officials. The release of the chat’s contents in local media had led to calls for the gover- nor’s resignation. Rosselló apologised for the comments late Thursday, saying he’d been working 18-hour days and releasing tensions when he called former New York City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Vi- verito the Spanish word for ‘whore’ and in English told the oversight board to “go f*** yourself” followed by a string of emojis with the middle finger raised. “Aware that the current en- vironment cannot be main- tained, I have communicated to all the other public officials involved in the chat that I will have to dispense with their services and/or their advice,” he said in the statement. He said he would ask Ri- cardo Llerandi to remain as Puerto Rico’s secretary of the interior and Anthony Mac- eira to stay as secretary of Public Affairs. “This is a very painful sit- uation for me, as Governor, as a human being and as a Puerto Rican,” Rosselló said. “But I recognize there is no other way out and there is no worthwhile forgiveness on my part that does not include corrections and clear signs of intent to change.” Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez announced that she was appointing a spe- cial task force to deter- mine whether any laws were broken regarding the chat and comments made. The comments had drawn the ire of many Puerto Ricans who said they were ashamed of his language and of how this might affect the reputa- tion of the US territory, which had already come under scru- tiny earlier this week with the arrests of former govern- ment officials including the island’s education secretary. Rosselló said late Thursday that he had not yet spoken to Mark-Viverito, who posted a lengthy state- ment on Twitter that read in part, “A person who uses that language against a woman, whether a public figure or not, should not govern Puerto Rico … this type of behavior is completely unacceptable.” In the chat, Rosselló wrote that he was upset Mark-Vi- verito had criticised Tom Perez, chair of the Demo- cratic National Committee, for supporting statehood for Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin, who was men- tioned in the chat with a homophobic comment, urged Rosselló to step down. Rosselló has also lost the support of top members from his pro-statehood party, in- cluding the presidents of Puerto Rico’s Senate and House of Representatives and the Federation of Mayors of his New Progressive Party. Rosselló has said he will not resign. The turmoil comes as Puerto Rico battles a 13-year recession, a debt crisis and tries to from devastating hur- ricanes in 2017. Days earlier, FBI agents arrested Julia Keleher, Puerto Rico’s former education sec- retary, and five others on charges of steering federal money to unqualified, politi- cally connected contractors. Officials said the alleged fraud involves $15.5 million worth of federal funding is- sued between 2017 and 2019. They said $13 million was spent by Puerto Rico’s De- partment of Education while Keleher was secretary and another $2.5 million spent by Ángela Ávila Marrero when she was director of Puerto Rico’s Health Insurance Administration. Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello Cuba debuts modern Chinese train as rail overhaul begins HAVANA (AP) – The first train using new equipment from China pulled out of Ha- vana Saturday, hauling ex- cited passengers on the start of a 516-mile journey to the eastern end of the island as the government tries to over- haul the country’s ageing and decrepit rail system. The 14 gleaming Chi- nese cars and a locomo- tive departed the city’s cen- tral train station and will wend their way through nine cities before ending in Guantanamo 15 hours later. It has four air-conditioned wagons and a rolling res- taurant car. Previously the trip could take days because of equipment breakdowns and track erosion. It marks a first step of an overhaul Cuba’s communist government started early last year, repairing some 2,600 miles of ageing tracks and dozens of tumble-down stations scattered around the island. “It’s a blessing from God because we had to take this trip and private cars are very expensive, but we got a very good low fare and we are proud to be taking this train,” said 69-year-old passenger Virginia Pardo. But much remains to be done to bring Cuba’s ailing train system up to ac- ceptable standards with miles of rusting tracks and just a handful of reliably equipped trains. Cuba received a shipment of 80 new train carriages and locomotives in early May, part of a promised consignment of 250 pieces of new equip- ment by the end of 2019. “We have more work to do because there needs to be better organization to travel on the train, so people don’t get so overworked and desperate to travel on it,” said 57-year-old passenger Angel Matamoros. The government hopes a revamp of the system will re- store one of the region’s first countrywide rail services, heavily used to move goods and people around the island. It is part of a plan that runs until 2030, when the govern- ment hopes the system will be fully functional. According to the Cuban Transportation Ministry, trains carried 6.7 million passengers in 2018, a sharp drop from almost 11 million passengers in 2004. The gov- ernment hopes to increase ridership by 1 million in 2019 on long distance routes. Train service to the far-eastern cities of Santiago, Holguin, Camaguey and Guantanamo are heavily used by locals. The Havana-Guantanamo trip costs from 200 Cuban pesos (US$8) roundtrip, to as little as 20 Cuban pesos (80 US cents) between Havana- Matanzas, the first stop on the islandwide circuit. The first train using new equipment from China pulls out of Havana, Cuba, Saturday. – PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 Legal practitioners elect association’s council SPENCER FORDIN AND MICHAEL KLEIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com, mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s legal profession has completed its changing of the guard. The Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association, a new representative body formed by the merger of the Cayman Islands Law Society and the Caymanian Bar as- sociation, has completed its first election. The new council presi- dent will be David Collins, and he will be supported by secretary Wanda Ebanks and treasurer Erik Bodden. The other members of the council will be Richard Barton, Cline Glidden, David Ritch and Al- asdair Robertson, the former president of the Cayman Is- lands Law Society. Collins, who is a partner at Walkers, said Sunday that the association has 546 members, which comprise about 80% of the attorneys in Cayman. Sev- enty percent of the member- ship voted, and every position on the council was contested, said Collins, leading to a body that can truly represent its constituents and community. “The elected council has a clear mandate,” said Col- lins of the new CILPA hier- archy. “We’ve never that sort of turnout in Cayman before. Clearly, there’s a lot of excite- ment in the profession.” The Cayman Islands Law Society and Cayma- nian Bar association elected to merge in October of 2018, and CILPA will take on the task of supervising and rep- resenting the disparate inter- ests of the Cayman law com- munity. Five members of the elected council will represent firms that have more than 10 lawyers employed there, and two members of the council will represent firms with 10 or fewer lawyers. CILPA has been desig- nated as the anti-money laundering supervisor for at- torneys, a role found lacking by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force evalua- tion of Cayman’s anti-money laundering regime. Over the next two years, CILPA will focus on the de- velopment of its supervisory and representative capabil- ities, including supporting smaller law firms and sole practitioners, the asso- ciation said. In the short term, that means finding facilities and staff to begin the hard work of monitoring the legal com- munity and making sure that all firms, large and small, are represented fairly. “Under the old structure, the members were firms. Under the new one, the law- yers are members,” said Col- lins on Sunday. “It’s more rep- resentative. It gives a voice to individuals who feel they can participate in that capacity. We’re more reflective of the profession. There’s a lot of work to be done, and the suc- cess of the association will be in part driven by getting the members involved.” CILPA will set about finding a way to make re- sources available to smaller firms for regulation and com- pliance, and it will contribute to consultation in the legisla- tive process. Cayman is still seeking to pass a new Legal Practitioners Bill, and CILPA will play a role in advising the Legislative Assembly. The senior members of the association – the attor- neys who have experience of working with the Bar asso- ciation and the law society – will be integral in advising and shaping the future of CILPA. And the younger at- torneys will play a role in forming the infrastructure and charting a course for the future. “CILPA is going to be dy- namic and inclusive,” said Ebanks, a partner at Ma- ples. “I’ve been a lawyer for 28 years, and this is probably as close as you’re going to get to truly representative of the profession.” Barton, one of the council members who represents Cayman’s smaller firms, said that law students will have an opportunity to get in- volved in representing their profession from an early age. He said it is impor- tant to balance the needs of the larger firms with the requirements of their smaller brethren. If CILPA had not man- dated that at least two council members came from smaller firms, it would run the risk of the larger firms completely overshadowing the smaller firms in the elec- toral process. “The profession is reinvig- orated. The climate now is re- flective of optimism and high hopes,” he said. “Not only do I think it’s fair representation, it’s an opportunity for us to ensure representation.” “ Under the old structure, the members were firms. Under the new one, the lawyers are members. It’s more representative. It gives a voice to individuals who feel they can participate in that capacity.” CILPA PRESIDENT DAVID COLLINS Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association President David Collins POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED OVER BANK BURGLARY JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A police officer has been arrested in connection with the burglary of a bank in 2016. The 46-year-old officer was arrested on Thursday and has been suspended from duty by the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service. Police did not release the name of the suspended of- ficer, but the Cayman Com- pass understands it was Wade Gordon. He has not yet been charged and police have re- leased few details. The Cayman Compass understands the arrest is linked to a break-in at the Royal Bank of Canada on Shedden Road, George Town, in June 2016. Media reports form the time indicate the bank was targeted in an overnight raid. The burglars were not able to get into the bank’s vault but took money from tills behind the cashiers’ desks, according to reports.The letter to you, printed 8 July, ‘Equating LGBT rights to coloni- alism is ‘rubbish,” by Leonardo J. Raznovich, appears to be an all-out attempt to destroy the harmony of the Cayman Islands, the reputa- tion of elected representatives and the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009, all so that some people can pursue their sexual desires, is nothing short of infuriating for most of us and heartbreaking for others. First, I would like to state a common observation: There is no law that says that anyone must re- main in the Cayman Islands with the exception of a court-ordered in- carceration/flight restriction. Who- ever is not content in this country are free to leave to live in an en- vironment that suits their fancies. There are countries that I will not be travelling to visit or live in be- cause I would not want to run afoul of their laws, nor would I want to bring offence to the people of those countries by acting in a manner different than what they are ac- customed to. So, with all respect to the Romans, I will live in this country and stay out of Rome. I si- multaneously expect the same level of respect to and in my country of those whom have decided to call these Cayman Islands ‘home’. As far as the Caymanians who choose to live a homosexual, lesbian or transsexual lifestyle, it’s also their choice to remain here with the es- tablished norms and mores of this country. We have coexisted with LGBT here for as long as I can re- member myself, but we have never been forced to legalise it. And we are not going to bend or bow under the current pressure neither. If the elected officials are not meeting the fancy of anyone who has chosen to move here, this peaceful land of sunshine, please return home to yours. The ones here are elected to represent the will of the people in this country. I am not throwing stones at yours; leave mine alone. As for MLA Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, may her service to this country continue fearlessly and stalwartly as it has, amidst all the pressure from special interest groups and the LGBT directly. When she offered the legal knowl- edge about objections to marriage, she stated the law; be assured, there were many who were going to do just that even without her prompt. God bless you, Ms. Juliana! To suggest that the governor create a law that is offensive to the people and against their will is not only detestable but proof of your true view regarding democracy. You are not fighting for democracy; you’re fighting to have your way, like a tyrannical, spoiled child. Regarding S81, there is no need nor urgency to create a Bill relating to marriage in the Cayman Islands, as we have a marriage law and a lex specialis in the Constitution that defines marriage. There are no EU matters directly affecting the CI as per S55 (4) (e) “European Union matters” because the European Court of Human Rights declared in Chapin and Charpentier v. France (n°40183/07) (2016) that same-sex marriage is not a human right, stating: “… the authorization or prohi- bition of same-sex marriage was governed by the national laws of the Contracting States. It held that marriage had deep-seated so- cial and cultural connotations that could differ significantly from one society to another and recalled that it should not be in a hurry to substitute its own appreciation for that of national authorities, better placed to appreciate the needs of society and respond to them. It therefore concluded that Article 12 did not impose on the respondent Government the obli- gation to open the marriage to a same-sex couple …” There is no international law that says that same-sex marriage is a human right either. Absence of the above facts makes it appear as though the Cayman Islands government has gone rogue on its citizens’ rights. Nothing could be further from the truth and the bullying expressed in the letter against Cayman- ians, as are the elected officials, needs to stop. Mr. Raznovich, your bogey-man antics and detestable behaviour against this country’s laws, citi- zens, politicians and Constitution, disrespect for the elected officials and the laws of this country has become intolerable. You are here as a dependent. Respect that and the people of the country. Bullying and name-calling be- cause of an opposing view is hateful bigotry. This is exactly what the LGBT supporters do; they try to instil fear and shame with anyone who does not share their view. Are they heterophobes and Christophobes? In summary, same-sex ‘mar- riage’ is not a human right, the primary laws of CI do no conflict with the Constitution which de- fines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and this is an affair for the people, not you nor the governor (with all due respect). Kattina Anglin The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 Opinion & Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Same-sex marriage is not a ‘human right’ We have coexisted with LGBT here for as long as I can remember myself, but we have never been forced to legalise it. 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” VISITING A MYSTERIOUS OCEAN WORLD THE PROVIDENCE (R.I.) JOURNAL Even beyond its ambitious plans to send human beings to other worlds, NASA can still inspire. The space agency sparked imagi- nations again the other day when it announced the next of its unmanned missions to other worlds. This time it will send a car-sized helicopter called Dragonfly to explore the frigid surface and atmosphere of Titan, an intriguing moon that orbits Saturn. Everything about the adventure is appealing. For a man-made machine to touch down on Titan, to imagine its cameras looking overhead at the belt of rubble that rings Saturn, to be able to probe greater distances than a wheeled rover – this is dazzling stuff. For scientists, the real draw of Titan is the promising stew of com- pounds that make-up the moon’s environment. There are reservoirs of liquid methane. There is methane in the atmosphere too, suggesting that the ingredients for life exist on Titan, or that life once existed there. As NASA missions go, this one is a relative bargain. It’s part of the agency’s New Frontiers programme, which sends probes to new destina- tions at a program cost of less than $1 billion each. This is what humans can do, given the time, resources and spirit of adventure. Americans remain a remarkable people in many ways, in- cluding in their capacity to explore the frontiers of the imagination. © 2019, Associated Press5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 New hires and promotions at MRCU The Mosquito Research and Control Unit has re- cently welcomed three dis- ease protection officers to its team. Two of the new recruits were hired following recent promotions within the team, while the third will take charge of MRCU’s expanding services in Little Cayman. Philip Bent and Rico Reid, who began work at the MRCU in May and June, will both be based in Grand Cayman. Kemarley Maxam, who joined the team in May, is MRCU’s first dis- ease protection officer to be permanently based in Little Cayman. Minister for Health, En- vironment, Culture and Housing, Dwayne Seymour said, “it is always inspiring to see young Caymanians pursue a career serving the people of the Cayman Is- lands in whatever way they can.” MRCU Director Jim Mc- Nelly said, “I am proud to see the next generation of Caymanians become part of our team and help to con- tinue the MRCU’s commit- ment to researching, sur- veying and controlling the mosquito population across our islands.” The three Caymanians join 13 other DPOs in the MRCU team. Each is respon- sible for managing the sur- veillance and treatment of mosquito populations within a specific geographic area across the islands. For the first time, this approach includes a ded- icated person perma- nently responsible for Little Cayman. In the past, the is- land’s mosquito population was managed through ad hoc requests. Mosquito surveillance will form the largest part of the new officers’ daily du- ties. Training included tech- niques for checking the aquatic stages of mosquito development; taking, main- taining and recording field samples and performing res- idential, swamp and pasture inspections. As part of control training, the new recruits were taught safety procedures for spray application and which spray formulations are most effec- tive at controlling mosquito populations under different conditions. The new faces come as two veteran MRCU em- ployees were promoted to Senior DPOs after 55 com- bined years with the unit. Marcus Grizzel, who started with the MRCU in 1987, and Leonardo Rodri- guez, who started in 1995, have been in their new roles since February. “ I am proud to see the next generation of Caymanians become part of our team and help to continue the MRCU’s commitment to researching, surveying and controlling the mosquito population across our islands.” MRCU DIRECTOR JIM MCNELLY Philip Bent collects surveillance traps for inspection. Maples mentors young entrepreneurs Twelve Maples Group employees volunteered as business mentors to local high school students in the 2018/2019 Junior Achieve- ment programme. During the 18-week pro- gramme, local high school students formed small busi- nesses, and created and pro- duced their own products with the assistance of cor- porate volunteers who acted as business mentors and ad- visers. The students elected a president and vice presi- dent and formed a board of directors. CayHome Creations was one of the companies formed under the guid- ance of Maples Group vol- unteers. They collected four awards at the 2018/2019 Junior Achievement awards ceremony held at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Re- sort. For their products, Cay- Home Creations developed holiday wreaths and a va- riety of cooking herbs in hand-decorated planter jars which were sold at various venues, including Red Sky at Night and the annual Agri- culture Show. CayHome Creations won the following awards: ■■ President of the Year (Ciara Bradley) ■■ Most Promising Female Achiever (Danielle Bryan) ■■ 1st Runner-up Vice President of Finance (Hannah Welcome) ■■ 1st Runner-up Vice President of Marketing (Tadeu Gollnick). “The Junior Achieve- ment programme provides a fun opportunity for stu- dents to experience running a small business and learn practical business concepts, such as marketing, budgeting and collegiality,” said Ashley Watler, of the Maples Group and an advisor for Cay- Home Creations. “The Maples Group would like to congrat- ulate all Junior Achievement participants in this year’s programme and commend CayHome Creations and the individual award recip- ients on their recognition at the Junior Achievement Awards evening.” Since 1991, Junior Achievement Cayman Islands has been empowering young people to own their economic success. They are part of the world’s largest not-for-profit educational organisation of- fering in-school and after- school practical business programmes. JA programmes inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy through educational programmes focussed on business, economics and free enterprise.6 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS HSA physicians complete doctorate course Customs, K-9 unit visit with governor Eleven new Customs and Border Control officers were greeted by Governor Martyn Roper on the first day of a 21-week training course. The recruits will receive training in relevant laws, interview techniques, evi- dence handling and collec- tion, writing statements, and import and export protocol, among other subjects. “I was impressed with the commitment of the new re- cruits. The in-depth and in- tensive training they will re- ceive will help them to work on the front line of our na- tional security,” Roper said in a government press release. The training is part of the reformation of Cayman’s cus- toms and immigration de- partments, as the two merge to form a unified agency with greater focus on preventing drugs and firearms traf- ficking and financial crime. “New procedures and techniques are being intro- duced to enable CBC to op- erate on an intelligence-led basis with the assistance of new technology and coop- eration from the airlines,” a CBC press release stated. “It is hoped that the new procedures will lead to faster processing of passen- gers at Owen Roberts Inter- national Airport and clarify the procedures for arriving passengers, including the discontinuation of cus- toms declaration forms for passengers with no goods to declare.” The governor was also present for a K-9 unit training exercise involving the search of a Customs warehouse for contraband. New dogs from the United Kingdom have re- cently joined the unit, with the goal of enhancing detec- tion of illicit drugs, firearms and currency. “The strengthening of CBC, including the impres- sive K-9 Unit, will help to deliver a new approach to border security at a time when the threats facing us are changing and expanding. We are already beginning to see the value of this new ap- proach with some successful seizures of narcotics and the illicit proceeds of crime,” Roper said. “I am also pleased that the UK Border Force secondee is making an important contri- bution as we shift into the in- telligence-led approach.” Three physicians of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) have obtained their Doctorate of Medicine in Family Medicine at the HSA, which is accredited by the University of the West Indies as a postgraduate training facility for the doctorial level degree. By completing their degrees, Drs. Glaister Bell, Carmen Martinez and Lorna Jackson have all advanced from being junior physicians to con- sultant physicians in the practice of family medicine. Accredited by UWI four years ago, the four-year programme offered by the HSA provides high-quality post- graduate medical education to phy- sicians through core clinical rota- tions across different specialties within the HSA. “Family medicine specialty is the branch of medicine that concerns all family members from birth to end of life and entails the holistic care of in- dividuals continuously and compre- hensively,” Dr. Bell said. “We were trained by a highly skilled and ex- perienced faculty that was always ready to provide us with expert and proficient guidance. The course mod- ules covered every aspect of paedi- atric, adult and community medicine ensuring that we were capable of meeting the growing demands of our diverse patients. We believe that this programme is the way forward for all junior doctors who envision family medicine as their goal and passion.” “The discipline of family medi- cine is gaining prominence as a ve- hicle for promoting effective primary healthcare,” said HSA’s Medical Di- rector Dr. Delroy Jefferson, who initi- ated the accreditation process. “This degree aims to strengthen primary care by developing competent family physicians who are empowered to become leaders and advocates for the future of the profession. The pro- gramme will enhance the skills of our doctors, allowing them to de- velop into expert family physicians whose approach will provide con- tinuous, coordinated, comprehensive and cost-effective care to patients and the community.” The physicians complete a large percentage of their studies on-island and the remainder at the UWI campus in Jamaica. “The course can be very de- manding because you have to balance your studies along with your personal life, and while working full-time as a physician,” said Dr. Martinez. “None- theless, everything we have learnt has been current, valuable and has broad- ened our experience and knowledge, which will help us to enhance the quality of care we deliver to patients.” “Through this challenging pro- gramme we were enlightened to the process of obtaining evidence based medicine, which is very important in the implementation of best practices in modern-day medical treatments,” Dr. Jackson stated. Many physicians after com- pleting their Doctorate of Medicine seek advanced and a more concen- trated training through a fellowship. Likewise, Dr. Martinez has accepted a fellowship to pursue her master’s in haematology at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom for a year beginning 1 Sept. All physicians entering the Doc- torate of Medicine programme at the HSA have obtained their first-level medical doctor degree. The Doctorate of Medicine is a doctorial level and specialised degree, equivalent to a Ph.D. Upon completion of the first two years, the student receives an advanced diploma and after the final two years, they receive their Doc- torate of Medicine degree. Currently there are eight physi- cians at the HSA registered in the Doctorate of Medicine, family med- icine programme. Of these physi- cians, Drs. Dominic Caudeiron and Maeve Ulett were successful in ob- taining the advanced diploma in family medicine, with Dr. Caudeiron receiving a distinction. Both physi- cians are progressing to the Doc- torate of Medicine. Drs. Anna Matthews and Paul Williams, physicians in family med- icine, serve as facilitators for the current students. “I am extremely proud of our physicians, who never stop ac- quiring new knowledge and skills in their drive to provide the best possible care for their patients,” said Dr. Jefferson. “I congratulate them as they continue to excel, em- bracing the culture of continued learning within the service.” The governor was also present for a K-9 unit training exercise involving the search of a Customs warehouse for contraband. CAYMAN REAL ESTATE AGENT FEATURED ON HGTV Provenance Properties Cayman Islands’ Sales Ex- ecutive Ruth Gustafsson was featured on an episode of HGTV’s television show, House Hunters Interna- tional. This episode, filmed in the Cayman Islands in Feb- ruary 2019, featured a New Jersey couple seeking a prop- erty in Cayman. Ms. Gustafsson was se- lected as the real estate agent of choice to assist the couple with their prop- erty search in the episode, which first aired on HGTV on Wednesday, 3 July. “The filming was defi- nitely an eye-opening ex- perience for me because I didn’t realise what it took to put together a pro- gramme like that,” Ms. Gustafsson said. “It was very intensive but a lot of fun.” Provenance Properties is the brokerage arm of Dart Real Estate. Properties featured on the TV show included a Provenance Properties listing at Casa Luna in South Sound, a beachfront condo at Regal Beach Club and a family home in Bri- tannia, according to a news release from Dart. Dr. Lorna JacksonDr. Glaister BellDr. Carmen Martinez Governor Martyn Roper poses with new Customs and Border Control officers. - PHOTOS: SUBMITTED Governor Martyn Roper visits with members of the K-9 Unit.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 Customer Service and Frontline Destination Training EASY AS ARE YOU working in a tourism-related field? ARE YOU trying to tap into the cruise passenger market? 12 DO YOU want to build a culture of service excellence in your organization? 3 To find out more and register for this COMPLIMENTARY training visit: If you answered YES to any of these questions, then AQUILA's Customer Service & Frontline Destination Training is for you! Breakfast and lunch are provided. Space is limited so book now! www.visitcaymanislands.com/pride Choose from two dates: Friday, 2 Aug 2019 or Monday, 5 Aug 2019. 123 identification tags. Traffic police are getting RFID readers that will be able to scan the plates or tag and immediately tell them if the car’s license, registra- tion and other details are up-to-date. Answering concerns that the police did not appear to have the required readers and were not using the system in a major way at this stage, Hydes said there had been a marginal rollout with a small number of readers. He acknowledged there had been delays in imple- mentation but government and its private sector partner, Sistemat, S.A. Tonnjes C.A.R.D. International, were collabo- rating on a newer version of the readers, which he expects to be available to all traffic cops by the end of this year. Government entered into a 5-year $1.5 million contract with the Panama-based com- pany to implement the new electronic license plate and vehicle registration system in early 2016, according to pre- vious news reports. Hydes said the new- generation readers would be provided as part of the same contract. “They are releasing a newer version,” he said, “We are hoping for Q3 to see it in operation, and after that we will be talking with the police about how many they need.” Brown said the long-term goal was to integrate govern- ment’s computer systems to allow police to use the scan- ners to check for motoring offences linked to the ve- hicle or driver. Eventually he said it could be used for auto- matic ticketing. “The long-term game is to capture road offences, things like suspended drivers li- cences, disqualifications and insurances. “The changes in the traffic law give us the opportu- nity to link with the court system when the court is ready,” he said. At this stage though, the scanners will simply allow police to quickly determine if a car is licensed, registered and insured. Brown said the system also helped prevent fraud, by linking a licence plate di- rectly to a vehicle. “If you scan the car and it says it is a black Taurus and you are looking at a white Honda then you know there is a problem,” he said. He said the new system was also designed to make life easier for motorists, allowing them to renew their vehicle li- cence online rather than wait at the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing. An amnesty for unlicensed vehicles is also helping of- ficials clean up their reg- ister and eliminate vehi- cles which have been junked or destroyed. Brown said the amnesty was enabling people who had kept their cars off-road for a number of years to get back in the system without being hit with severe back fees. Overhead scanners to help police traffic offences CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 FTC approves record $5B fine for Facebook (AP) – At $5 billion, the fine the US Federal Trade Com- mission is about to levy on Facebook is by far the largest it’s given to a technology company, easily eclipsing the second largest, $22 million for Google in 2012. The long-expected pun- ishment, which Facebook is well prepared for, is unlikely to make a dent in the social media giant’s deep pockets. But it will also likely saddle the company with addi- tional restrictions and an- other lengthy stretch of strict scrutiny. Multiple news reports on Friday said the FTC has voted to fine Facebook for privacy violations and mishandling user data. Most of them cited an unnamed person familiar with the matter. Facebook and the FTC de- clined to comment. The 3-2 vote broke along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition to the settlement, according to the reports. The case now moves to the Justice Department’s civil division for review. It’s un- clear how long the process would take, though it is likely to be approved. A Justice De- partment spokeswoman de- clined to comment on the Fa- cebook matter. For many companies, a $5 billion fine would be crippling. But Facebook is not most companies. It had nearly $56 billion in rev- enue last year. This year, an- alysts expect around $69 bil- lion, according to Zacks. As a one-time expense, the com- pany will also be able to ex- clude the amount from its adjusted earnings results – the profit figure that inves- tors and financial analysts pay attention to. “This closes a dark chapter and puts it in the rearview mirror with Cambridge An- alytica,” said Wedbush ana- lyst Daniel Ives. “Investors still had lingering worries that the fine might not be ap- proved. Now, the Street can breathe a little easier.” Facebook has earmarked $3 billion for a potential fine and said in April it was an- ticipating having to pay up to $5 billion. But while Wall Street – and likely Facebook execu- tives – may be breathing a little easier, the fine alone has not appeased Facebook critics, including privacy ad- vocates and lawmakers. “The reported $5 billion penalty is barely a tap on the wrist, not even a slap,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. “Such a financial punishment for a purposeful, blatant ille- gality is chump change for a company that makes tens of billions of dollars every year.” He and others ques- tioned whether the FTC will force Facebook to make any meaningful changes to how it handles user data. This might include limits on what information it col- lects on people and how it targets ads to them. It’s cur- rently unclear what meas- ures the settlement includes beyond the fine. Privacy advocates have been calling on the FTC to come down on Facebook for a decade, but over that time the company’s money, power and Washington influence has only increased. “Privacy regulation in the US is broken. While large after-the-fact fines matter, what is much more important is strong, clear rules to pro- tect consumers,” said Nuala O’Connor, president and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. The CDT is pushing for federal online privacy legislation. Some have called on the FTC to hold Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally liable for the privacy viola- tions in some way, but based on the party line vote break- down, experts said this is not likely. Marc Rotenberg, presi- dent of the non-profit on- line privacy advocacy group Electronic Privacy Informa- tion Center, said he was “con- fused” as to why the Demo- cratic commissioners didn’t support the settlement and said he suspects, without having seen the actual settle- ment, that this was due to the Zuckerberg liability question. “But I thought that was misguided,” he said, adding that EPIC instead sup- ports more wholesale limits on how Facebook handles user privacy. Since the Cambridge An- alytica debacle erupted more than a year ago and prompted the FTC investiga- tion, Facebook has vowed to do a better job corralling its users’ data. That scandal re- vealed that a data mining firm affiliated with President Donald Trump’s 2016 cam- paign improperly accessed private information from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a quiz app. At issue was whether Fa- cebook violated a 2011 set- tlement with the FTC over user privacy. Other leaky controls have also since come to light. Fa- cebook acknowledged giving big tech companies like Am- azon and Yahoo extensive access to users’ personal data, in effect exempting them from its usual privacy rules. And it collected call and text logs from phones running Google’s Android system in 2015. Wall Street appeared un- fazed at the prospect of the fine. Facebook’s shares closed at $204.87 on Friday and added 24 cents after hours. The stock is up more than 50% since the beginning of the year. In fact, Facebook’s market value has increased by $64 billion since its April earnings report when it an- nounced how much it was expecting to be fined. Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Is- land, said in a statement that the fine gives Facebook “a Christmas present five months early. It’s very disap- pointing that such an enor- mously powerful company that engaged in such se- rious misconduct is getting a slap on the wrist. This fine is a fraction of Facebook’s an- nual revenue”. Cicilline leads the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, which is pursuing a bipartisan investigation of the big tech companies’ market dominance. The fine, however, does not spell the end of Face- book’s troubles. The company faces a slew of other investi- gations, both in the US and overseas, that could carry their own fines and, more im- portantly possible limits to its data collection. This in- cludes nearly a dozen by the Irish Data Protection Com- missioner, which oversees privacy regulation in the Eu- ropean Union. For many companies, a $5 billion fine would be crippling. But Facebook is not most companies. It had nearly $56 billion in revenue last year. The Federal Trade Commission has voted to approve a $5 billion fine for Facebook over privacy violations. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Magnitude 7.3 quake hits Indonesia A strong, shallow earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Sunday, damaging some homes and causing panicked residents to flee to temporary shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and authorities said there was no threat of a tsunami. UK says seized Iranian oil tanker could be released Leaked UK memo says Trump axed Iran deal to spite Obama LONDON (AP) – A UK news- paper published more leaked memos from Brit- ain’s ambassador in Wash- ington on Sunday, despite a police warning that doing so might be a crime. In one 2018 cable pub- lished by the Mail on Sunday, UK ambassador Kim Darroch says President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran as an act of “diplomatic vandalism” to spite his predecessor, Barack Obama. The memo was written after then-Foreign Secre- tary Boris Johnson visited Washington in a failed at- tempt to persuade the US not to abandon the Iran nu- clear agreement. “The outcome illustrated the paradox of this White House: you got exceptional access, seeing everyone short of the president; but on the substance, the ad- ministration is set upon an act of diplomatic van- dalism, seemingly for ide- ological and personality reasons – it was Obama’s deal,” Darroch wrote. Darroch announced his resignation last week after the newspaper pub- lished cables in which he’d branded the Trump admin- istration dysfunctional and inept. The White House re- sponded by refusing to deal with him, and Trump branded the ambassador a “pompous fool” in a Twitter fusillade. UK police are hunting the culprits behind the leak – and, contentiously, have warned journalists that publishing the documents “could also constitute a criminal offence”. Yet both Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, the two con- tenders to become Britain’s next prime minister, have defended the media’s right to publish. “We have to make sure that we defend the right of journalists to publish leaks when they are in the na- tional interest,” Hunt said. British officials have said they have no evidence that hacking was involved in the documents’ release, and that the culprit is likely to be found among poli- ticians or civil servants in London. Police are investi- gating the leak as a po- tential breach of the Of- ficial Secrets Act, which bars public servants from making “damaging” disclo- sures of classified material. Breaking the act carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, though prosecutions are rare. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Britain will facilitate the release of a seized Ira- nian tanker if Iran can pro- vide guarantees the vessel would not breach European sanctions on oil shipments to Syria, Britain’s top diplomat said late Saturday. The comments by Jeremy Hunt could help de-escalate tensions that have spiked in recent days. In apparent re- taliation for the seized tanker, Iranian paramilitary ves- sels tried to impede the pas- sage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, only turning away after re- ceiving “verbal warnings” from a British navy vessel accompanying the ship, the British government said. Hunt said he held a “con- structive call” with Iran’s For- eign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and reassured him “our concern was the destination, not the origin, of the oil”. Hunt wrote that Zarif told him Iran is not seeking to escalate. The Foreign Office elabo- rated in a statement, saying: “This was about the enforce- ment of EU Syria sanctions: action was taken because of where the oil was going – a sanctioned Syrian entity – not because it was from Iran.” Ali Rabiei, an Iranian gov- ernment spokesman, said British authorities would re- lease the ship because “the tanker’s destination was not what the British announced”, according to state TV. Iranian officials had earlier denied the ship was bound for Syria. A day earlier, Iran had re- iterated its demands that the British navy release the tanker, accusing London of playing a “dangerous game” and threatening retribution. The tanker’s interception came on the heels of already high tensions in the Persian Gulf as the Trump admin- istration continues its cam- paign of maximum pres- sure on Iran. President Donald Trump pulled the US out of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers a year ago and has since re-imposed tough sanc- tions on Tehran’s oil exports, exacerbating an economic crisis that has sent its cur- rency plummeting. The US has also sent thousands of troops, an air- craft carrier, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and advanced fighter jets to the Middle East in recent weeks. Iran recently begun sur- passing uranium enrichment limits set in its 2015 nuclear deal, saying these moves can be reversed if the other par- ties to the agreement – Ger- many, France, Britain, China, Russia and the European Union – come up with enough economic incentives to effec- tively offset the US sanctions. The Iranian supertanker, carrying 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil, was seized with the help of British Royal Marines earlier this month off Gibraltar, a British overseas territory near the southern coast of Spain. Hunt told reporters on Saturday that he told Zarif if the UK could receive suf- ficient guarantees that the tanker was not headed for Syria “then we would be able to resolve the situation fol- lowing of course, due process in the Gibraltar courts”. In recent days, Hunt has called for “cool heads” to pre- vail to ensure there is no “un- intended escalation”. The UK, meanwhile, is ac- celerating the dispatch of the HMS Duncan to relieve the HMS Montrose, the frigate operating in the Persian Gulf that warned away the Iranian vessels. The HMS Duncan, a destroyer, is larger than the HMS Montrose. Police in Gibraltar said Friday they arrested four crewmen of the Iranian ship, including its captain and chief officer. All are In- dian nationals. A senior Spanish official had said the interception was carried out at the request of the United States, but later Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fa- bian Picardo told parliament no other government had asked the territory to act. The comments by Jeremy Hunt could help de-escalate tensions that have spiked in recent days. The memo was written after then- Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Washington in a failed attempt to persuade the US not to abandon the Iran nuclear agreement. HONG KONG POLICE FIGHT WITH PROTESTERS AMID RISING TENSIONS HONG KONG (AP) – Police in Hong Kong fought with protesters on Sunday as they broke up a dem- onstration by thousands of people demanding the resignation of the semi-autonomous Chinese terri- tory’s chief executive and an in- vestigation into complaints of po- lice violence. The protest that began at about 3pm in the northern district of Sha Tin was peaceful throughout most of the day. But some scuffles broke out after nightfall, when police with helmets and shields started clearing streets in the densely crowded area of high-rise buildings. Hundreds of protesters, many wearing helmets and surgical masks, retreated into a shopping complex, where some threw umbrellas and water bottles at police. Police fol- lowed them, and reporters could see the two sides along walkways of sev- eral floors of the complex hitting each other with umbrellas and grab- bing each other’s helmets. The demonstration added to an outpouring of grievances over the past six months against the former British colony’s leaders. Critics complain they are eroding Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy and are more responsive to the Beijing government than to the ter- ritory’s people. Protests that began last month in opposition to a proposed extra- dition law also have swelled to in- clude complaints about an influx of mainland Chinese into Hong Kong. On Sunday, protesters demanded an investigation into complaints that police assaulted participants in earlier demonstrations against the extradition law. Some carried signs reading “Police Are Liars.” Other signs read “Defend Hong Kong.” The protests reflect mounting complaints that Hong Kong’s leaders are eroding the freedoms and au- tonomy promised when the territory was returned to China in 1997. Some protesters carried Amer- ican or colonial-era Hong Kong flags. The government of Chief Execu- tive Carrie Lam suspended action last month on the extradition bill, which would have allowed Hong Kong crime suspects to be trans- ferred to the mainland, where the ruling Communist Party controls the court system. Lam apologised for her handling of the legislation, but critics are de- manding she resign. The HMS Duncan, a Type 45 Destroyer, will relieve HMS Montrose in the Persian Gulf as Iran threatens to disrupt shipping. – PHOTO: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE/AP Hundreds of journalists present a banner with words ‘Stop police violence, defend press freedom’ during a silent march to police headquarters and the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Sunday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY, 15 JULY 2019 NEW YORK (AP) – A power outage struck the heart of Manhattan on the anniver- sary of a 1977 blackout– stranding passengers on sub- ways, gridlocking drivers that had to navigate the streets without traffic lights and bringing the curtain down on Broadway shows. The outage, which stretched 30 blocks from Times Square to the Upper West Side, left around 73,000 customers without power Saturday night for about four hours. Con Edison CEO John McAvoy said a problem at a substation caused the 6:47pm power failure. Electricity was restored to customers and businesses affected by the outage by around midnight, according to a statement from the utility. McAvoy said the exact cause of the blackout would not be known until an inves- tigation is completed. The outage stymied subway service throughout the city, affecting nearly every line. New York Gov. An- drew Cuomo said no in- juries were reported and praised emergency officials for their response to the blackout, which he called “unacceptable”. “You just can’t have a power outage of this magni- tude in this city” Cuomo said. “It is too dangerous, the po- tential for public safety risk and chaos is too high, we just can’t have a system that does that, it’s that simple at the end of the day.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was campaigning on the presidential trail in Waterloo, Iowa, when the power outage struck. His press secretary, Freddi Gold- stein, tweeted just before 10pm that de Blasio cut short his Iowa visit and was headed back to the city. The mayor commended New Yorkers for handling the blackout “with that trade- mark NYC grit and tough- ness” in a tweet. The outage comes on the anniversary of the 1977 New York City outage that left most of the city without power. Thousands of people crowded the streets Sat- urday evening, using their cellphones as flashlights while they tried to stay cool amid the humid July evening, where temperatures hit the low 80s. Home & O ce Repairs and Supplies The #1 Choice for your Shutter Needs! Lorenzo A. Henry Manager westradeky@gmail.com 345-917-7310 P.O. Box 2519 KY1 – 1104 Grand Cayman • Railings • Patio Covers • Windows • Doors • Painting • Accordion Shutters • Panel Shutters • Bahamian Shutters • Rollup Shutters • Alumnum Screen Enclosure Residential & Commercial Licensed/Insured Sale & Installation of: Gulf Coast keeps guard up as Barry’s downpours continue NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Weak- ened but still potent, Barry inundated the Gulf Coast as it continued its slow advance Sunday morning, bringing fresh fears of flash flooding to Mississippi’s capital city even as it appeared unlikely to deluge New Orleans. In Mississippi, up to 3 inches of rain had al- ready fallen in the Jackson area before dawn Sunday – and more was on the way. That prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for the city and some of its suburbs. President Donald Trump asked people across the re- gion to keep their guard up, saying on Twitter: “A big risk of major flooding in large parts of Louisiana and all across the Gulf Coast. Please be very careful!” Forecasters warned of a continued threat of storm surge and heavy rains as the centre of the storm slowly trudged inland and rain bands along its back half moved onshore. The US Na- tional Hurricane Center said Sunday parts of south-cen- tral Louisiana could still have rainfall totals of up to 12 inches, with isolated pockets of up to 20 inches. “This rainfall is expected to lead to dangerous, life- threatening flooding,” fore- casters wrote in an advisory Sunday morning. Still, the storm’s first wave had not inundated New Orleans as feared, with the city experiencing moderate rain Saturday. Forecasters downgraded rainfall estimates for the city through Sunday to between 2 to 4 inches. Earlier forecasts of quadruple that amount had raised concerns that water pumps strength- ened after Hurricane Katrina would be overwhelmed. National Weather Ser- vice forecaster Robert Ricks cautioned, however, that it was too early to say for cer- tain that New Orleans was in the clear. “We’re about at the [halfway] mark of the mara- thon right now,” he said Sat- urday evening. In other parts of Louisiana on Saturday, Barry flooded highways, forced people to scramble to rooftops and dumped heavy rain as it made landfall near Intra- coastal City, about 160 miles west of New Orleans. Down- pours also lashed coastal Al- abama and Mississippi. After briefly becoming a Category 1 hurricane, the system weakened to a trop- ical storm, the National Hur- ricane Center said. By Sunday morning, its maximum sus- tained winds had fallen to 45 mph, the National Hur- ricane Center said in its latest briefings. In Mandeville, a city on the north shore of Lake Pon- tchartrain across from New Orleans, storm surge and choppy waters sent waves pushing over the seawall and into nearby communities. Elsewhere, Coast Guard helicopters rescued a dozen people and two pets from flooded areas of Terrebonne Parish, south of New Orleans, some of them from rooftops, a spokeswoman said. None of the main levees on the Mississippi River failed or were breached, and they were expected to hold up through the storm, Gov. John Bel Edwards said. But a levee in Terrebonne Parish was overtopped by water for part of the day, officials said. Many businesses were also shut down or closed early in Baton Rouge, and winds were strong enough to rock large pickup trucks. Ricks said forecasters also downgraded their rainfall estimates for Baton Rouge to between 6 and 10 inches through Sunday, with up to 15 inches in some spots. Oil and gas operators evac- uated hundreds of platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 140,000 cus- tomers in Louisiana and another more than 4,000 customers in Missis- sippi were without power early Sunday, according to www.poweroutage.us. Barry was expected to continue weakening and be- come a tropical depression Sunday, moving over Arkansas on Sunday night and Monday. But forecasts showed the storm on a path towards Chi- cago that would swell the Mississippi River basin. Forecasters warned of a continued threat of storm surge and heavy rains as the centre of the storm slowly trudged inland. A vehicle passes a toppled gas pump canopy in Berwick, Louisiana, Saturday following a severe weather assault from Tropical Storm Barry. – PHOTO: AP THOUSANDS IN DARK DURING NYC POWER OUTAGE Pedestrians cross the street near emergency response vehicles at 50th Street and 8th Avenue during a power outage, Saturday in New York. – PHOTO: APNext >