WHAT’S HOT WEEKLY WHAT’S HOT WEEKLY Bella Arscott LOCAL | PAGE 6 ‘CITIZEN SCIENTISTS’ INVITED TO SURVEY LITTLE CAYMAN CORAL High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Air crew: Dorian’s devastation ‘50 times worse’ than Irma Cayman crew returns from humanitarian mission in the Bahamas JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s RCIPS air crew returned from their week-long humanitarian mission to hurricane-hit Bahamas Thursday with har- rowing fi rst-hand accounts of the devasta- tion in Abaco and Grand Bahama. Captain Nigel Pitt, a former military pilot, said the destruction wrought by Hur- ricane Dorian in the Bahamas was the worst he had ever seen. “We took the old helicopter across to Turks and Caicos after Irma. That was bad. This was 50 times worse,” he said. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Heli- copter, X-ray One, fl ew 42 missions from Nassau to the affected islands, carrying 125 passengers, including eight young children and 20 adult evacuees. They shipped per- sonnel and desperately needed supplies in- cluding tarpaulins and communications equipment to many inaccessible locations. Pitt said the crew had been proud to be able to assist, though some of the scenes were hard to witness. “Some of it was very emotional,” he said. “When we fi rst went to the point of the disaster at Marsh Harbour and you see the devastation, you have a lump in your throat, tear in your eye, you can’t even talk about it among yourselves because you knew or could imagine what the people had been through.” The Cayman team, involving three pi- lots and four tactical offi cers, worked with the Bahamas Defence Force, UN agencies, the British military and the British High Historic fi rst as Cayman heads for port referendum Governor vows to ensure fairness JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Campaigners were celebrating a historic fi rst for the Cayman Islands this week after the Elections Offi ce confi rmed the target had been reached to trigger a people-initiated ref- erendum on the cruise port project. The fate of the planned $200 million devel- opment in George Town harbour now lies in the hands of the public. More than 25% of the electorate, 5,305 reg- istered voters, signed a petition calling for a referendum and fi lled out an affi davit con- fi rming their position to Elections Offi ce staff during a three-month verifi cation process. The announcement Wednesday is the cul- mination of a year-long effort from campaign group Cruise Port Referendum Cayman. Linda Clark, an accountant and marine sci- ence masters graduate, who was heavily in- volved in the campaign, said it was a land- mark moment for democracy in the Cayman Islands and the overseas territories. The public vote on the project, expected to take place later this year, possibly as early as mid-November, will be the fi rst people-initi- ated referendum in any of Britain’s Overseas Territories. Clark said Caymanians from different backgrounds had come together and put in countless man-hours to get to this point. She said their success in triggering a referendum PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » Premier Alden McLaughlin, Governor Martyn Roper and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson meet the pilots and crew on their return from the Bahamas Thursday. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 15 »2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 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. - FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) HUSTLERS (R) 1:30 | 4:10 | 6:50 | 10:15 VIP 47 METERS DOWN: (PG13) UNCAGED 10:20 (SAT ONLY) SUN: 2:15 | 4:40 VIP | 7:20 | 9:25 VIP | 9:45 THE ANGRY BIRDS (PG) MOVIE 2 10:30 (SAT ONLY) SUN: 2:15 VIP | 5:00 | 7:00 VIP IT: CHAPTER TWO (R) 1:50 (SAT ONLY) | 2:00 VIP (FRI ONLY) | 2:30 VIP (SAT ONLY) | 3:20 (FRI ONLY) | 6:35 VIP | 7:30 (FRI ONLY) | 9:30 KIDS CLUB (G) DUMBO (1941) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) GOLDFINCH, THE (R) 1:00 | 4:40 | 8:00 DORA AND THE LOST (PG) CITY OF GOLD 10:15 (SAT ONLY) SUN: 2:20 | 4:35 ANGEL HAS FALLEN (R) 11:00 (SAT ONLY) | 12:30 | 4:20 | 7:10 | 10:00 F&F HOBBS & SHAW (PG13) 1:15 | 10:00 SUN: 3:55 | 7:00 | 10:00 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (PG13) SUN: 3:15 | 6:50 | 9:40 CHHICHLORE (PG) 12:45 | 4:00 | 7:00 SUN: 3:30 | 7:00 | 8:30 PASTA, PIZZA & SEAFOOD 3 Course Dinner CI$19 4pm - 7pm DINE IN ONLY Cimboco - A Caribbean Cafe 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza THANK YOU! We would like to thank God, Dr. de Alwis and his staff. Dr. de Alwis was the epitome of professionalism and skill. He guided us through the entire pregnancy and was always conscientious and caring. He did everything possible to ensure that everything was fine. We have now a beautiful baby girl. - Glenn & Lizza Halili - T: 949-7400 E: drschambers@caymanclinic.ky E: administration@caymanclinic.ky Dr. Sharon Chambers Rheumatologist Pipe-laying ship to depart soon IRIS STONER istoner@compassmedia.ky Five days after an enor- mous pipe-laying vessel first moored off Grand Cayman, causing a flurry of rumours as to why it was here, a local agent for the Saipem 7000 said it will be leaving as soon as it finishes changing some crewmembers. The 650-foot-long vessel usually stops in the Bahamas to replace crews but the dev- astation Hurricane Dorian left in its wake there has ne- cessitated the ship seeking other ports. John MacKenzie, owner of West Indian Marine Group, which is acting as port agent for the Saipem, explained that crew changes happen “quite a lot with passing ships” and this is a common occurrence here that has been going on for decades. Noting its location as a cross- roads for two major shipping routes, he said, “Cayman is a great place” for vessels to change crew. However, the Saipem 7000 is too large to come close to shore, so the only options to move crew are by either hel- icopter or boat. In this case, the sailors are being car- ried by boat to and from shore, with 205 coming on board and 56 disem- barking this week. Since the crew hail from all over the world, travel ar- rangements require a bit of juggling to book all the nec- essary flights home. As plane departures are organised, the crewmembers are fer- ried to shore in time to catch their flights. The number of crew leaving depends on the number of seats that can be booked that particular day, MacKenzie explained. As of press time Thursday, MacKenzie estimated the changeover would be finished “within a couple of days”. Students bake for the dogs Two primary students from Cayman Prep and High School spent some of their summer vacation raising money for charity One Dog at a Time. Toni Wagner and Nina de Saram, both age 8, baked cookies and organised other refreshments to sell to their neighbours and friends, with Toni explaining, “We love dogs and we wanted to help our favourite charity by do- nating money to help pay for some vaccinations.” Nina added, “We had a great time making everything to sell and we raised over $50, which is amazing as most products were 50 cents.” ODAAT vice president Caroline Johnston said she welcomed the funds. “I was thrilled when the girls do- nated the money and told me that it was all their own idea to help us,” she said. “We have lots of dogs and pups that need vaccines to guard against serious illnesses such as parvovirus, which can be fatal.” Support from the commu- nity is vital for charities such as ODAAT to continue their work, Johnston added. To make a donation or find out ways to help the charity, email info@odaat.ky or like the group on Facebook at onedogatatime13. Nina de Saram, left, and Toni Wagner show off the money they raised for One Dog at a Time. UNMARKED POLICE CAR HITS POLE An unmarked po- lice vehicle, with lights and sirens activated, hit a utility pole after swerving to avoid a private car Thursday morning. The police car was trav- elling westbound at around 9:30am on Bodden Road in George Town, when it ma- noeuvred to avoid a col- lision with a private ve- hicle and, as a result, struck the pole. No one was injured in the collision. The road was tempo- rarily closed on Thursday as an investigation was carried out. POLICE NAME WOMAN FOUND DEAD Police have named Sheron Andrea Clarke- Smith, 51, as the woman found unresponsive at an address off Owen Rob- erts Drive in George Town, Monday, 9 Sept. The police are now inves- tigating the circumstances of the death of the Cayma- nian status holder who was originally from Jamaica. The Saipem 7000 sits off Grand Cayman as the sun sets. The pipe-laying ship has been in local waters since Sunday while it changes its crew. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY EL SALVADOR SENDS POLICE, SOLDIERS TO PATROL BORDER LA HACHADURA, El Salvador (AP) – El Salvador is de- ploying 800 police and soldiers to patrol blind spots along its borders where migrant smugglers and transnational crimi- nals operate. Justice and Public Safety Minister Rogelio Rivas said Thursday that the contingent will be joined by about 300 im- migration agents. It will target criminal struc- tures that traffic people, in addition to violent groups who force Salva- dorans to flee the country. “We are determined to improve public safety, and that’s why we’ve come here to launch our new system of border patrols,” Rivas said. “This will be a stra - tegic arm that we will wield to combat transna- tional crime.” The patrols made up of three immigration agents and two police of- ficers will set up control points along El Salvador’s borders and work in the country’s airports.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. ART DECO OCEANFRONT RESIDENCES INSPIRED BY THE SEA Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 326 1400 fin@fingrandcayman.com Salt water lagoon Cantilevered glass-bottom pool Private beach Use of a centre console boat exclusive to residents Coral reef backyard protected by the FIN Environment Project Two to four bedroom residences priced from US $1.9M4 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@compassmedia.ky Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAY A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Governor brings his steel pan talents to Sunrise Centre KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky Governor Martyn Roper continued his steel pan tour of the island on Wednesday. The governor’s Caribbean stylings have been in high demand since he premiered his secret musical talents for the Queen’s Birthday in June. On Thursday, Roper ap- peared with his teacher Earl La Pierre and pianist Glen Inanga at Sunrise Adult Training Centre in West Bay, to share two more songs. The performance served as more than entertainment for the clients and staff. It also represented a budding relationship between Govern- ment House and the special needs facility. The trip to the centre was the first by a sitting Cayman Islands governor since di- rector Kimberly Voaden began working at the facility in 2013. “It’s always a pleasure to have special guests visit us because it’s so important for our clients to get to share their talents and their time and for people in the regular community to get to see the good work that is happening here at the Sunrise Adult Training Centre,” Voaden said. The visit provided an op- portunity to highlight the needs of the centre, located in a retrofitted duplex, and to showcase the barriers that clients and staff alike have overcome together. “I hope that he has learned and appreciated the wide va- riety of good work that is done at the Sunrise Adult Training Centre, the training opportunities that we strive to offer, as well as opportuni- ties that government has, and our wider community has to increase inclusion of our clients with special needs,” Voaden said, adding that the relationship with Govern- ment House appears to be moving in the right direction. One Sunrise client, for ex- ample, is beginning an in- ternship with the Govern- ment House catering team. Governor Roper was pro- vided a full tour of the fa- cility, where he saw the cen- tre’s gardening, arts and music programmes in action. He also witnessed the dif- ficulties clients and staff face navigating the facility, which was not designed as a school or day facility. Tasks such as moving wheelchair-bound clients, for example, prove difficult inside of the duplex. Roper said plans for a bigger facility are in the works and that an up- grade was clearly needed. Despite the challenges, he said the staff was doing a fantastic job. “I wanted to come to say thank you to the staff for the wonderful job that they do, because this is difficult and we all recognise that it is difficult and challenging, Roper said. “What I saw today were incredibly dedicated people who are really doing their best for our adults,” he added. Steel pan performance Roper closed his visit by recording two songs on steel pan, alongside La Pierre and Inanga, in the Sunrise Centre’s music studio. He officially in- augurated the space, which will serve as a creative and therapeutic outlet for clients. The musical trio then per- formed two songs for the centre, resulting in a standing ovation by clients and staff. Roper has been studying steel pan with La Pierre since April with weekly lessons at Government House. “The governor just wants to be part of the culture in this kind of Caribbean at- mosphere and he has done a wonderful job. He’s one of my best students,” La Pierre said. Given the public recep- tion, it looks like Roper will not be abandoning steel pan anytime soon. “We have been getting calls left, right and centre for this sort of thing,” La Pierre said, adding that he has re- ceived questions about the governor’s performances from as far away as Toronto, Canada and Trinidad. Governor Martyn Roper visits one of the training classes at the Sunrise Centre. Earl La Pierre, left, Governor Martyn Roper and Glen Inanga perform for the Sunrise Centre. Governor Martyn Roper prepares to record steel pan music alongside teacher Earl La Pierre in the Sunrise Centre studio. - PHOTOS: KAYLA YOUNG Man convicted in stabbing case ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A Grand Court jury on Thursday found Charles Walton III guilty of wounding with intent, but not guilty of assault. The charges stemmed from a fight that occurred in May this year, during the annual Batabano street fes- tival. On the night in ques- tion, at around 7pm, Walton was said to be walking with two friends, and stopped by a food vending stall to pur- chase water. During the trial, the jury heard that Walton and his friends refused to pay for the water, and when they became disorderly, they were asked to leave. The jury heard that one of the three men punched the vendor in the face, while an- other retrieved a knife from the waist of his trousers. The vendor’s nephew, who inter- vened, was stabbed during the incident, which only lasted a few seconds. Walton was also stabbed but man- aged to leave the area. He later collapsed outside the li- brary, a short distance away. During the trial, the jury also heard from an off-duty police officer who was in the crowd at the time. The officer said he saw a man walking towards him holding his side as if he were in pain. A few moments later, the man col- lapsed. That man was Walton. The court heard that Walton made admissions during a police interview, which he would later contra- dict. In one account, Walton said he and his friends pur- chased a beer, and then went on to pick up water from an- other vendor. Shortly after that, Walton said he felt a sharp pain in his side, and when he lifted his shirt, he saw blood. In the other ac- count, Walton acknowledged to police that the stabbing had happened, but said it was self-defence. On Thursday in the Grand Court, the jury returned with unanimous verdicts against 21-year-old Walton. As he walked to the holding cells below, he wiped tears from his eyes and kissed his family and friends who attended the proceedings. Earlier, Walton also pled guilty to charges of theft and escaping police custody. The day after the incident, on awaking in hospital, he managed to escape from po- lice who were tasked with watching him. He fled the Cayman Is- lands Hospital through the back doors and when out- side stole a bicycle from a man who was riding nearby. He rode as a far as Ultra Lounge before he was spotted by a family member who picked him up and took him home. However, the fol- lowing day, he was returned to the hospital. Walton, who has been in custody since May, was re- manded until his sentence, which is expected to be in the coming months.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS PROLIFERATION FINANCING SEMINAR SEPTEMBER 17 | 8:30-11:30 AM The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa Tuesday 17 September, 2019 8:30am - 11:30am SPONSORED BY Knowing the key requirements of the new Cayman Islands framework, identifying the risks and mitigating them. SPEAKERS: Dr. Togzhan Kassenova Senior Fellow, Project on International Security, Commerce & Economic Statecraft, University at Albany International expert on nuclear politics, weapons of mass destruction, nonproliferation and financial crime prevention, and a former member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament. A global risk - the main PF risks, methods used by criminals, and how to improve your institution’s risk management. Ms. Kim France Sanctions Coordinator of the Cayman Islands Financial Reporting Authority The Cayman Islands anti Proliferation Financing framework. www.ftscayman.com/events USD $225 | CI$189 REGISTER NOW MINISTRY OF FINANCIAL SERVICES & HOME AFFAIRS ‘Citizen scientists’ invited to survey Little Cayman coral Data to promote understanding of bleaching events KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky The story of Little Cay- man’s coral population is one of survival. Much like reefs elsewhere, rising water temperatures, increasingly acidic oceans and other man- made factors have placed this ecosystem under im- mense stress. Many predominant coral species in Little Cayman, such as staghorn and elk- horn corals, are critically endangered and have been red-listed by the Interna- tional Union for Conserva- tion of Nature. Despite a constant bar- rage of environmental pres- sures, the Little Cayman reef has managed to sur- vive, explained the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, and understanding its re- silience may help protect reefs elsewhere. “It’s one of the few reefs in the world to recover after the 1998 El Nino year, which caused record-high sea sur- face temperatures around the world and took a huge toll on coral reef health (some coun- tries lost 90% of their living reefs) due to the massive coral bleaching events which followed,” the institute said in an email. Scientists would like to better understand how Little Cayman’s coral fares during bleaching events, and the public can help play a part. CCMI is making a call for citizen scientists to par- ticipate in surveying Little Cayman’s coral population during its next expedition with the Earthwatch Insti- tute on 1-7 Dec. “We need the help of cit- izen scientist volunteers from the Earthwatch Institute to survey our coral reefs for evidence of these now an- nual coral bleaching events. Citizen scientists also assist our research team with map- ping surveys, which allow us to assess the different types of coral growing in specific locations and the environ- mental conditions that sup- port or seem to degrade them,” CCMI said. Earthwatch volunteers and CCMI scientists have gathered five years of data in Little Cayman, including more than 1,000 surveys on coral bleaching conducted throughout the year. “This has enabled CCMI to have a large multi-year database outlining trends of stony coral health before po- tential coral bleaching events occur, during bleaching events (if they occur), and the effects of stony coral health whilst they recover after these events,” CCMI said. Volunteers require no prior knowledge to participate, but they are encouraged to prac- tise snorkelling as often as possible before arrival. Before work begins, volunteers are provided with a briefing that includes online tutorials to identify stony coral, fish spe- cies and invertebrate species. For more information on the programme, visit https://earthwatch.org/Expeditions/ Helping-Endangered-Corals- in-the-Cayman-Islands. CCMI is making a call for citizen scientists to participate in surveying Little Cayman’s coral population during its next expedition with the Earthwatch Institute on 1‑7 Dec. Citizen scientists in Little Cayman can help researchers better understand coral bleaching events. An Earthwatch Institute volunteer takes data on coral in Little Cayman in 2017. - PHOTOS: SUBMITTEDThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. HazelDeen Amanda Solomon, who passed away on Thursday September, 05, 2019. AThanksgiving Service will be held at the Webster Memorial United Church, 261 Bodden Town Road, Bodden Town, Grand Cayman on Saturday, September, 14, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 2:00 -2:45 p.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. . . Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. ChalisaChambers, who passed away on Friday, September 06, 2019. Details of a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com The Family of the Late Giovani Jerome Berry regret to announce his passing on Monday, 2 September, 2019. A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 15 September 2019 at Church of God Chapel, Walkers Rd. Interment will follow at the Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page The Family of the Late Henry Eddingston Miller regret to announce his passing on Sunday, 1 September 2019. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 14 September 2019 at Bodden Funeral Service, 117 Walkers Rd. Viewing will be from 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow at the Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page The Family of the Late Austin Bryan Bothwell regret to announce his passing on Friday, 6 September 2019. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, 14 September, 2019 at John Gray Memorial United Church, West Bay. Viewing will be from 1:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m. prior to the service, and Friday, 13 September, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Bodden Funeral Service 117 Walkers Rd. Interment will follow at the West Bay Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page The Family of the Late William Stanley Ebanks aka Stano regret to announce his passing on Thursday, 5 September 2019. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, 18 September 2019 at Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church. Service attendees are encouraged to wear bright colors. Interment will follow at the Boatswain Bay Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Jasmine formally Cayman HospiceCare. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Albert Arnold Berry, who passed away on Sunday, September 01, 2019. A Graveside Service was held at the New Pease Bay Cemetery on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. Viewing: Closed Casket Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Clifton Hunter’s new principal wants new mindset MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky Richard Wildman is big on Visible Learning. The new principal of Clifton Hunter High School is promoting the 10‑year‑old strategy for improving class‑ room teaching and is deter‑ mined to implement it at his new campus, much as he did at John Gray High School. Wildman served as the deputy principal at John Gray for four years, following 11 years of being in charge of teaching, learning and as‑ sessment at the school. While there, he saw the value of ed‑ ucator John Hattie’s Visible Learning programme, intro‑ duced in 2009 via Hattie’s book of the same name. The idea of the teaching approach is that instructors must set specific goals for students, regularly analyse whether or not those goals are being attained and ad‑ just their teaching methods accordingly. Wildman said Cayman schools need to focus on data‑driven assessments to determine what students are learning and how best to meet their needs. Given that, you might ex‑ pect Wildman to be a number cruncher who spends hours cloistered in his of‑ fice analysing tables and spreadsheets. But each morning, he’s out in front of the school, greeting students as they get off the buses and asking them about their studies. “I say, ‘Good morning’, ‘How are you?’ I’m attaching their faces to a name,” he said. He’s hoping in time to learn most, if not all of them, he said, adding that it’s im‑ portant for teachers and ad‑ ministrators to engage with the students. “It makes them feel impor‑ tant to know that the prin‑ cipal knows them,” he said. It’s just one aspect of what he calls a world‑class ethos, something he plans to infuse Clifton Hunter with. That and world‑class outcomes, he said, combine to provide a world‑class education. Given that the school’s performance was judged to be weak by inspectors from the Office of Educational Standards twice in the past year, such goals might seem immediately unrealistic. But Wildman claims most, if not all, of the tools are on hand to make it happen. “It’s here,” he said of the ethos. “We just need to get it integrated into everything. Schools grow. This is just the next step in that growth.” He knows from experience what it takes, he said. “John Gray has been on this journey,” he said. “I’ve done the journey already.” When he has the pro‑ gramme established at Clifton Hunter, Wildman said, the two schools will be the first Visible Learning schools in the Caribbean region. But before he can change what’s happening in the class‑ room, he said, he will have to change the way students and teachers think. “The greatest challenge of any change is mindset,” he said. “One of the revolu‑ tionary things we’re doing is a focus on attitude. We say to students, ‘It’s not enough just to come to class.’” They need to come pre‑ pared to learn, he said. “We talk about owning your learning,” he said. “The biggest challenge is to get students to believe they can learn anything. We’re going to give them the tools [to feel] ‘I can learn algebra.” For some, that will in‑ volve such things as spe‑ cial preparations for lessons, pulling students out of the classroom when they need additional help and pro‑ viding resources students can use at home. He’s also pushing a greater emphasis on the school‑based assessment portion of the CXC and GCSE exams students take at the end of Year 11, as a way to improve test performance. For teachers, Wildman said, there will be regular support from administrators. “One of the things we are doing now is walkthroughs,” he said. He checks to see that learning goals are specifically stated, that students are re‑ ceiving feedback, that there is clarity and well‑defined next steps, and that there is a way to evaluate the impact of the lesson. “We go back and have a conversation” with the in‑ structor, he said. “We de‑ termine where we need to improve.” Wildman has spent most of his education career in Cayman. A Jamaican by birth, he first studied at the University of the West In‑ dies before earning a mas‑ ter’s degree at the Univer‑ sity of Liverpool. He later earned a doctorate through an online programme with Walden College in Minneap‑ olis, Minnesota. He taught briefly in Ja‑ maica and Turks and Caicos before coming to Cayman in 2004, one week before Hurri‑ cane Ivan arrived. “It was an interesting wel‑ come,” he said. Some might have jumped ship, but Wildman stayed. He spent all of the intervening years at John Gray. He’s still adjusting to being a first‑time principal. “When the buck stops with you, it’s a greater sense of responsibility,” he said. “I make it my duty to empower people. On the ground, it’s not about the principal, it’s about the team.” “ The greatest challenge of any change is mindset. One of the revolutionary things we’re doing is a focus on attitude. We say to students, ‘It’s not enough just to come to class.’” RICHARD WILDMAN, principal, Clifton Hunter High School Richard Wildman is the new principal at Clifton Hunter High School. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2019 Conference to explore disaster management, climate change The speakers slated for the upcoming annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference will cover topics including disaster risk man‑ agement, climate change and the ‘One Health’ approach. Registration is full for the 10th annual conference, which is set for 26‑28 Sept. at The Ritz‑Carlton, Grand Cayman, but organisers said the sessions will be live streamed, with videos avail‑ able on the event website, www.healthcareconference.ky, for anyone who wants to watch them for continuing medical education credit. The symposium will fea‑ ture experts from Utah State University, the Pan American Health Organization, Public Health England, the Cayman Islands Department of Ag‑ riculture and St. Matthew’s University. Dr. Kerry A. Rood, exten‑ sion veterinarian and as‑ sociate department head at Utah State University, will present on ‘One Health’, an initiative that deals with ex‑ panding interdisciplinary collaboration in all aspects of healthcare for humans, ani‑ mals and the environment. He will speak on ‘The Veterinarian’s Role in Com‑ bating Antibiotic Resistance, Zoonotic Disease and Climate Change’, and then participate in a related panel with other experts that will be moder‑ ated by Dr. Samuel Williams‑ Rodriguez, medical officer of health at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority. “Antibiotic resistance is a serious global threat. Because of the unique human‑animal bond, the risk of zoonotic disease caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites that spread between animals and humans is increased,” said Dr. Rood. “Couple the threat of antibiotic resistance and the fact that many newly emerging diseases are an‑ imal related, the conversa‑ tion of One Health is timely. Attendees will appreciate the unique position that vet‑ erinarians hold at the in‑ terface of humans and ani‑ mals and will be inspired to embrace the conversation of One Health.” Nasolo Thompson, PAHO consultant for family, health promotion and the life course, will talk about the challenge of climate change and health for the Caribbean, touching on issues including the in‑ fluences of weather, such as extreme heat, hurricanes, heavy rains and storm surge, on human health; tempera‑ ture‑related death and illness due to increasing concentra‑ tions of greenhouse gases, and vector‑borne diseases brought about by high‑ and low‑temperature extremes. Professor Virginia Murray, head of global disaster risk reduction at Public Health England, will round out the conference agenda with a presentation on ‘Disaster risk management through a health lens’. She will address questions including what are the health emergencies, dis‑ asters and environmental threats and how to tackle the effects from them; how are international agencies working together; and what should Cayman be thinking about at the government, in‑ stitutional and domestic levels to mitigate these public health threats. For more information, including conference agenda and speakers, go to www.healthcareconference.ky. The symposium will feature experts from Utah State University, the Pan American Health Organization, Public Health England, the Cayman Islands Department of Agriculture and St. Matthew’s University. Dr. Kerry RoodProfessor Virginia Murray In the 11 Sept. 1969 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the front page carried a report headlined ‘We are Decimal’. It read: “Monday, 8 Sept., ‘C’ Day – the change‑ over to a decimal currency – is now past and we are decimalised! “The 5c, 10c, 20c and 25c coins have been in circulation for some time, and this week we have been introduced to the 1c coin and the four new notes J$10 bearing the portrait of George William Gordon, J$2 Paul Bogle, J$1.00 Sir Alexander Busta‑ mante and 50c Marcus Garvey, national he‑ roes of Jamaica. It has been announced by the Jamaican Government that a J$5.00 bill will be introduced, on which the portrait of the late Mr. Norman Manley will appear …. “All commercial banks in the island were closed on the 5th and opened on Monday with all their accounts converted to J$ and cents. Managers report that all went well internally over the weekend. “Barclays Bank had the responsibility of distributing 1c coins and currency notes to the other banks, and this operation went very smoothly. “For many in the Cayman Islands, it is disappointing to see the head of Her Maj‑ esty the Queen disappear from the face of our currency. We hope this will be restored if and when the Cayman Islands are able to introduce a currency of their own. “It is a little early yet to comment on whether the change‑over has been a smooth one, but there is no doubt that the Cur‑ rency Committee appointed by Government in January has worked very hard to ensure that there are as few problems as possible. “Monday was described as ‘confusion day’ by one store supervisor and the new notes were the main topic of discussion, in George Town at least, on that day. People who had been apathetic about the change‑ over were brought up with a jolt and con‑ version tables were in demand. “Public opinion still indicates that the problems we will have to face in Cayman will be in respect of the interchange of the US with the Jamaican dollar, for £.s.d. will disappear within a few months. In this latter connection it will be in the public interest for everyone to exchange any £.s.d. they have for decimal currency, at any commercial bank. “Our reporter heard one criticism of the arrangements regarding the change‑ over, i.e. a businessman felt all banks should have had new chequebooks and deposit books printed in $ and cents and have posted these to all their customers with a request that they be put in use from the 8 Sept. This would have elimi‑ nated all the alteration of deposit books on Monday morning. “No doubt in time we shall forget we ever had £.s.d. Meantime we battle with dollars, cents and decimal points.” 50 YEARS AGO Cayman switches to decimal currencyNext >