ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 LOCAL | PAGE 6 DOE REGISTERS 60 CAYMAN PARROTS IN AMNESTY EFFORT High of 88 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. LOCAL | PAGE 7 RECORD STAYOVER NUMBERS FOR YEAR TO DATE Deadline for January voters list passes SHUT-OFF DEVICE LAW IMPACTING AIRBNB HOSTS Finding your way in the billion-dollar gaming industry Elections Office sees increase in voter registration RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Eligible voters headed to the Elections Office on Tuesday in a bid to beat the 1 Oct. deadline to get on the January electors list. It was the last day for voters to reg- ister to be added to the official electors list to be eligible to vote in the cruise berthing referendum if the vote is held in January. Those voters will not be able to vote if the referendum is called before year’s end. As of 1 Oct., a total of 21,217 individuals were registered and are now able to vote in the Cayman Islands. That updated list be- came official on Tuesday. Voters on that list will be able to cast their ballots in the refer- endum if it called in or before December. First-time voter Kacey Glidden, of Pros- pect, said she was not going to let her chance to be part of the historic vote on government’s $200 million cruise berthing project pass her by. “I became a Caymanian a year ago and I have decided that this is what I need to do to help this country. The referendum vote is exciting and that is the main reason I came today, to try to get in for the referendum vote. It will be very exciting,” Glidden said. The feeling was the same for May Douglas. “I registered today so I can make for the referendum vote. It is important to register MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky Home-share operators across Grand Cayman are having to look at their pools and determine if a new regulation requiring emergency shut-off devices applies to them. The regulations apply to any pool that has public access. The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, a recognised international standard when it comes to pool construction, has made emergency shut-off devices a requirement for recreational pools and Cayman’s Department of Environmental Health issued a similar re- quirement last week aimed at Airbnb and other home-share hosts. The shut-off devices are designed to pre- vent swimmers from being trapped at the bottom of a pool or spa due to the suction cre- ated by the drain. Drownings have occurred in such circumstances. Jay Ehrhart, spokesman for the Depart- ment of Tourism, said the office has been fielding calls from concerned home-share op- erators, although he was unable to provide specific numbers. As of January this year, there were 760 registered Airbnb operators in the Cayman Islands. Anthony Kirby, operations manager for Eco Pools, said he has been getting lots of calls from customers with questions about whether the new requirement affects their pools, and requesting estimates on installing a new shut- off device. Kirby said he expects as many as 30% of Cayman’s residential pools may be ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Generations of gamers gathered at the annual Gamers Bay convention on Saturday, 28 Sept. Now in its fourth year, Gamers Bay is a one-day convention that gives players, young and old, the chance to try their skills at timeless classics such as Mortal Combat and Super Mario, as well as more modern games like Mine- craft, Call of Duty and Fortnite. The event was also a chance for patrons to learn how they could get their share of the billion-dollar gaming industry. In 2018, Forbes mag- azines valued the gaming industry at US$138.7 billion. All indications are that the revenue will see sustained growth throughout 2019 and into 2020 and beyond. For the last few years, Gamers Bay has enlisted the help of people profes- sionally known within the gaming in- dustry. This year, Trevor Martin, who runs the TmarTn2 Youtube gaming channel, was one of several professional influencers on hand who provided in- sight into the industry, as well as gen- eral tips and tricks of how people could capitalise on it. Martin says people need to rethink the gaming industry. “The generation before ours just doesn’t understand it. It’s going to take a lot of time,” he said. “I have a mas- ter’s degree in engineering, but I was making more money from YouTube videos. In fact, I bought my house using YouTube money.” First-time voter Juzan Minzett shows off her new voter ID card. She became eligible to vote on 1 Oct. - PHOTO: RESHMA RAGOONATH A student tries out a virtual reality game at Gamers Bay. - PHOTO: ANDREL HARRIS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 2 LOCAL NEWS 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) (PG13) 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 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) ABOMINABLE (PG) 2:10 | 3:20 VIP | 4:40 3D | 7:05 | 9:30 3D DOWNTON ABBEY (PG) 12:30 VIP | 4:15 | 9:45 HUSTLERS (R) 7:25 | 10:05 IT: CHAPTER TWO (R) 1:35 | 5:15 | 9:00 RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (R) 1:20 | 7:10 | 10:00 VIP AD ASTRA (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA (TBC) ROGER WATERS: US + THEM 7:00 Please be advised that our Reception Area has been temporarily relocated to upstairs. George Town Primary students bring joy to Pines residents JEWEL LEVY jlevy@compassmedia.ky George Bothwell, 69, bursts into a huge grin after being hugged by two boys from George Town Primary School Year 6 class. The kids visited The Pines Retirement Home for a day of fun and fellow- ship on Friday. Resident James Myles was also all smiles at the help and attention given to him by Year 6 student Romario Aransevia. “I love when I colour with the seniors. They’re the kindest people. I told him his co- louring was good and I wanted to spend the day with him,” Aransevia said. Resident Warrington Bodden who felt too contented to open his eyes, sat with a smile on his face as he held the hand of a student next to him. “It’s so good to have the children visit. “This one is family to me,” he said of the boy whose hand he held. Quiet chatter and laughter could be heard around the room as the 29 students made their way around the circle of residents. Student Shaya Pryce said he loved the elderly because they tell him about their past. “They try to make us learn to stay on the right path rather than the wrong,” he added. Classmate Rayne Harding enjoyed seeing faces that he knew and also interacting with new people. “I love the elderly because they are calm. We can be re- spectable to them and they will react with kindness and they accept that respect,” he said. Lynda Mitchell, manager of the Pines Retirement Home, said they were always de- lighted to have the children visit the seniors. “Their interaction brings lots of joy and warmth and anytime they can come and visit we always welcome them, and the seniors love when they come,” Mitchell said. The Year 6 students were accompanied by teachers Casy Swaby, Kadian Bo- land, Rodeshia Thomas and Marilyn Parker. Mechanical issues with Department of Environmental Health garbage collection ve- hicles last week means pick- ups will be done a day later than usual, according to the department. The West Bay col- lections were resched- uled for Tuesday. Revised pick-up times in the following areas will be carried out throughout this week: Wednesday, 2 Oct. • Eastern Ave., Swamp, Godfrey Nixon Way; • South Church St., Walkers Rd. to Denham Thompson Way; • Walkers Rd., Goring DEH reschedules garbage collection times George Town Primary students gather with Pines resident James Myles. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY • Hirst Rd. from College Cl. to Windward Dr.; • Moonbeam Dr. (on the right - Nathan Merren Dr., Candlewood Dr. to Brushwood Way) North Sound Estates; Saturday, 5 Oct. • Shamrock Rd. from Will T. Dr. to Northward Rd. en- trance via Star Apple St., Hudson Dr. Figtree Rd, Northward Rd.; • Will T. Dr. to Northward Rd. entrance via Shamrock Rd., including side roads; • From the entrance of Northward Rd. to Belford Estates via Condor Rd.; • Shamrock Rd. from the en- trance of Condor Rd. to in- side Midland Acres.; • Bodden Town Rd. from the entrance of Midland Acres to John McLean Dr.; • Austin Connolly Dr. from the entrance of John McLean Dr. to Old Man Bay, then from the en- trance of Hutland Rd. to Cayman Kai; • Frank Sound to Hutland Rd. Call 949-6696 or email dehcustomerservice@gov.ky for more information. Ave. to inside Denham Thompson Way; • Central Town, Elgin Ave, Hospital Rd., Mary St., Scranton, Myles Rd., Rock Hole, North Sound Way; • West Bay Rd. from Watlers Rd. to Snug Harbour; • North Sound Rd. from Red Gate Rd to the end, Breezy Way, Shedden Rd., Smith Rd. Tem- pleton Pine Lake; • Seymour Dr. to Web Rd., Brinkley Dr., Swallow Ln., Wahoo Cl., Mer- rendale Dr., Ms. Keppie Ln., Casper Walk, Short Ln., Theresa Dr.; Thursday, 3 Oct. • Central Town, Windsor Park, Banana Walk; • Prospect Point Rd., Man- grove Ave, Mahogany Way, Patrick Island, Prospect Dr.; • Marina Dr. plus side roads; • Randyke Gardens, Halfway Pond, Bobby Thompson Way to Oak Mill St.; • South Sound Rd, Old Crewe Rd., Legacy Dr., Tropical Gardens, containers in Tropical Gardens; • From IMP to Morningside Dr. in Prospect Dr.; • From Jose’s Gas Station on Crewe Rd. to Tropical Garden entrance.; Friday, 4 Oct. • The Frank Hall Homes of the East-West Arterial (in the area of the Patrick Is- land), Anise Estates, Sham- rock Rd. from Ocean Club to inside Spotts Newlands; • From Spotts Newlands entrance to inside Pedro Castle Rd. The Frank Hall Homes off the East-West Arterial (Adventure Street); • Shamrock Rd. from Tall Tree to Will T. Dr. entrance (side roads included); • Hirst Rd. from Ed- ison Dr. to inside Moon- beam Dr. (continue left to Elderberry Dr.);CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CaymanCompass.com ANEW LOOK newspaper Soon Come! Relaunching Monday, 7 OctoberWEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 4 LOCAL NEWS Participants included Paul Calle, chief veterinarian and director of the Zoolog- ical Health Programme at the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Kenneth Conley, senior pathologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Conley, the release stated, has been analysing tissue samples of the blues and communicating with the Trust team for many years, but this was his first visit to the Cayman Islands. “The workshop offered me a much deeper under- standing of the programme and the threats facing the species,” he said. During the workshop, the release said, the Trust and its stakeholders also discussed updating and developing ob- jectives for habitat manage- ment, understanding the breeding and dispersal of the wild populations and meeting ever-increasing threats to blue iguana sur- vival from invasive spe- cies and disease. Participants visited the National Trust’s Colliers Wil- derness Reserve, Salina Re- serve and the Queen Eliz- abeth II Botanic Park, the Trust’s three chosen blue iguana release sites. While at the Salina Re- serve, attendees hiked to the latest land addition, which was recently purchased by the Royal Society for Protec- tion of Birds in conjunction with the Rainforest Trust. The land was leased to the Na- tional Trust. They also got to see an adult male blue iguana in the wild. The Trust said the work- shop was funded using money from the Darwin Plus Initiative Grant it secured in 2018, as well as with contri- butions from the Department of Environment and Wildlife Conservation Strategy. It brought together in- ternational industry experts from the San Diego Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Institute for Conserva- tion Research, the Fort Worth Zoo, the Conservation Spe- cialist Planning Group, and local partners from the DOE, QEII Botanic Park and Island Veterinary Service. Opposition ‘concerned’ over cruise lines visit Top UK pianist to hold recital Groundwork begins for 2020-2025 blue iguana recovery plan LETTER TO THE EDITOR: WHY NO SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES? Opposition politicians say they are “deeply concerned” by the visit of cruise line ex- ecutives to the Cayman Is- lands to promote a $200 mil- lion project to build a new cruise berthing facility in George Town harbour. Members of the Verdant Isle group, which is the pre- ferred bidder on the contro- versial project, are on island this week to discuss the plans and answer questions from different groups about the proposal and the financial ar- rangements for the project. The group, which includes executives from Royal Ca- ribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines, is meeting with com- munity groups, such as the National Trust and Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, the campaign group that forced a people-initiated referendum on the project. In a press release yes- terday, Verdant Isle, said, “The meetings are the first in a se- ries of planned stakeholder meetings being conducted by Verdant Isle over the coming months, which will also include an open town hall meeting.” Opposition members have taken exception to the visit however, accusing the cruise lines of “meddling in local political issues”. Highlighting the appear- ance of Carnival and Royal Caribbean executives at a public meeting held by Tourism Minister Moses Kirk- connell on the project last year, the opposition group said it was the second time the cruise lines had tried to influence public opinion. Leader of the Opposition Arden McLean took aim at the government in his press release, suggesting they had facilitated this week’s visit to help drum up sup- port for the port ahead of the referendum. “I am very concerned that the Deputy Premier would encourage this visit at such an inappropriate time. The country is preparing for the referendum and here we have the ‘selected bidders’ ar- riving in Cayman to influence public opinion.” He questioned the immi- gration status of the cruise line executives on the is- land and added, “These corporations need to under- stand they are required to stay out of local politics, more specifically they need to stay out of the upcoming People’s Initiated Referendum, it is not their business.” Deputy leader Alva Suckoo also commented on the visit, saying it was designed to “disrespectfully ignore their (the people’s) voices and in- vite their business partners in to deny the people a fair vote and outcome.” The Opposition has also called for overseas ob- servers to be brought in for the referendum. Speaking on behalf of Ver- dant Isle Port Partners in an earlier press release about the visit, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said the meet- ings were to share informa- tion about the cruise berthing and cargo enhancement project and to listen to stake- holder needs and concerns. “We are committed to being a proactive, approach- able and positive community partner, emphasising stake- holder relationships based on transparency and authen- ticity,” he said. Cayman Arts Festival con- tinues to present entertaining, high-quality events to Cay- man’s music lovers. Following a well-established tradition, the piano recital on Thursday will introduce one of the most experienced pianists from the UK, Martin Roscoe, to the Cayman Islands. He is one of the living masters of the genre, who has had an expan- sive career and has influenced many of the newer genera- tion of pianists. With a repertoire of over 100 concertos performed or recorded, Roscoe continues to work regularly with many of the UK’s leading orches- tras, including the BBC Phil- harmonic Orchestra, BBC Na- tional Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Or- chestra, Hallé Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Phil- harmonic Orchestra, where he has given more than 90 performances. He also per- forms widely across Europe, Canada, Australia and the Far East, sharing the concert plat- form with eminent conduc- tors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder and Christoph von Dohnányi. Also performing on Thursday will be the 2019 runner-up of the Butterfield Young Musician of the Year, Cameron Gilson. The concert will be held at St. George’s Anglican Church (67 Courts Road) starting at 6:30pm. Tickets are US$75 for a family package (two adults and two children over 7 years old), US$35 for adults and US$10 for students, and they can be bought at www.caymanartsfestival.com. For more information, email enquiries@caymanartsfestival. com or call 922-5550. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Work has started on laying the foundation for the Na- tional Trust’s 2020-2025 Spe- cies Recovery Plan for Cay- man’s blue iguana. The Trust, in a media statement Tuesday, said it held its first comprehensive planning exercise for the ini- tiative through an intensive three-day workshop recently. It involved more than 20 local and international stake- holders and specialists in the zoological field. In addition to delivering the 2020-2025 Species Re- covery Plan, the workshop will update the National Bio- diversity Action Plan 2009 for the blue iguana, the Trust statement added. It said this was the first time in 10 years that ex- perts and stakeholders came together “with the focus of re- fining the vision for the Blue Iguana programme”. Luke Harding, operations manager of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, said the workshop was “a great oppor- tunity to network, brainstorm, share our experiences and ul- timately determine what is best for the livelihood of the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana and what steps will be essen- tial for a successful Phase II”. I have for some time wondered why school buses are permitted not to have seat belts when all other vehicles do. Surely, school buses, given their precious cargo, should be a priority. The recent accident in East End brings this to front of mind, and my youngest daughter also asked me this week why this is the case, as it is not consistent with our messaging as parents on the importance of always wearing seat belts. Richard McMillan 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 Martin Roscoe, master pianist, will be performing in Cayman on Thursday night as part of the Cayman Arts Festival calendar.CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 The islands’ most-trusted news source 5WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 LOCAL NEWS DoE registers 60 Cayman parrots in amnesty effort Urges more owners to come forward RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Sixty Cayman parrots have been signed up for reg- istration so far under the De- partment of Environment’s ongoing amnesty. The department said 54 birds on Grand Cayman and six on Cayman Brac have been signed up. The six-month am- nesty began this month and is scheduled to end in February 2020. It is illegal to possess a Cayman parrot, but the DoE opted to give those keeping the parrots as pets an oppor- tunity to register the birds, rather than confiscating all parrots being kept as pets. Additionally, the depart- ment does not have the re- sources to deal with so many seized birds. The DoE, in a statement to the Cayman Compass, said the amnesty efforts have been going well. “We have already re- ceived a good response to the amnesty programme and ap- preciate the public’s support. We are hoping even more res- idents will come forward to register their Cayman par- rots, as we know there are more birds being kept as pets,” the DoE said. The department said its officers will initially begin to register the parrots they have been notified about be- tween 3 and 9 Oct., when the DoE will have the as- sistance of an avian veteri- narian from the US. “There will be ongoing ef- forts to register the birds after that date through the end of the amnesty period,” the DoE said. Jane Haakonsson, ter- restrial research officer with the DoE, said regis- tered birds will remain with their owners. “We want to reassure the public that the amnesty is undertaken as a way to en- sure legal ownership of these Cayman parrots. Anyone who registers their parrot during the amnesty period, which lasts through 29 Feb. 2020, will be able to legally keep their bird,” she said. Once the amnesty pe- riod has passed, any unreg- istered Cayman parrots that are still being kept as pets may be seized by DoE conser- vation officers, and the bird owners can be fined for pos- sessing or keeping them ille- gally. Those fines can range as high as $500,000 and/or four years in prison. “During the initial con- tact, we will take down basic information such as loca- tion where the birds are kept, number of birds and the resident’s availability to register the bird. We can an- swer any further questions prior to the registration,” the DoE said. Under the project, all captive birds will have unique identifiers and will be outfitted with one identification leg band and a free microchip implantation procedure. The DoE said these identifiers “will enable en- forcement officers to readily identify poached parrots and enforce the law”. The department, in its re- lease in the ongoing amnesty efforts, said registration will be carried out through house calls upon request. “Registered parrot owners will receive a free health check for their bird, as well as educational material re- garding how to care for their parrot,” it added. The terrestrial resources unit of the DoE is seeking to register all captive Cayman parrots within a Native Bird Registration System. The Cayman parrot is the common name for two parrot subspecies that are found only on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. The DoE said the Cayman par- rots were originally listed as a game bird, but were given full protection under the Animals (Protection) Regulations, 1989. Residents who own parrots can contact the DoE at either its main office line on 949 8469 or via email at doe@gov.ky. The six-month amnesty began this month and is scheduled to end in February 2020. S ah, che THANK YOU TO OUR PINK RIBBON SPONSOR OCTOBER 5, 2019 The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky Featuring Special Guest Speaker Cayman Islands Civil Service Association Co-operative Credit Union Limited Anyone owning a Cayman parrot has until 29 Feb. 2020 to register it. - PHOTO: STUART MAILERCAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 7 LOCAL NEWS If you think you have fallen victim to any type of online fraud, contact your bank directly or the RCIP Financial Crime Unit on 949-8797. This message is brought to you by: Sponsored by our member retail banks: DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! If it looks suspicious, do not interact. Notify local authorities of any suspicious activity. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Only share information with those you trust. Remove fraudulent content and block senders. ONLINE BANKING SAFETY HOW TO BE CYBER SMART YOU COULD BE SCAMMED! Cayman Islands retail banks recommend taking precautions to ensure that you practice safe online banking. Do you have your online banking logins and passwords automatically saved on your web browser? Have you had the same online banking password for longer than a year? Customs comes under the microscope PAC hearings resume RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Operations at Cayman’s new Cus- toms and Border Control depart- ment will be examined Wednesday as the Public Accounts Committee resumes hearings. CBC Director Charles Clif- ford, together with Financial Sec- retary Kenneth Jefferson and Im- migration and Human Resources Chief Officer Wesley Howell, are set to appear before the Ezzard Miller-led committee. The PAC will be reviewing the Of- fice of the Auditor General’s report on Customs in the Cayman Islands, which was released in May this year. In that report, the auditor general flagged a lack of a strategic plan at the newly minted agency “to provide vision and clarity of organizational objectives and priorities”. The report also said that CBC “did not use performance informa- tion effectively to demonstrate its ef- ficiency and effectiveness, or to iden- tify areas for improvement”. The Office of the Auditor Gen- eral stated in its report that there was no workforce plan or corpo- rate training plan to help plan and manage staff effectively. The report also reiterated that there continued to be “significant weaknesses in the approach to awarding and managing revenue concessions”. The PAC is also set to call wit- nesses on Thursday as it reviews the Office of the Auditor General’s June report on government’s use of outsourced services. In that report, the auditor general found “government does not rou- tinely monitor and report how much it spends on outsourced services”. Those services totalled nearly $48 million over a five-year period ending 30 June 2017. The biggest spender was the Min- istry of Education, Youth, Sports, Ag- riculture and Lands, which had out- side contracts of $28.8 million. The bulk of that amount, $17.3 million, was for school bus contracts. On Thursday, the Education Min- istry’s Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho is scheduled to appear before the PAC to address the findings of the report and respond to questions. She is ex- pected to testify at 2pm. In the morning session, Finan- cial Secretary Jefferson will be back before the committee. He will be followed by Taraq Bashir, director at the Cayman Islands Procurement Office. The committee hearings will begin at 10am on each day and will be broadcast live on CIGTV. PAC chairman Ezzard Miller The PAC will be reviewing the Office of the Auditor General’s report on Customs in the Cayman Islands, which was released in May this year. Stayover tourism num- bers for the Cayman Islands for the year through August have set a record for arrivals. The 369,650 stayover visi- tors to Cayman for the first eight months of 2019 rep- resented about a 10.7% in- crease over the 333,975 air arrivals registered during the same period last year, ac- cording to a Department of Tourism press release. The 37,356 air arrivals in August this year also marked a nearly 10% rise over the 33,963 tourists who came to Cayman the same month in 2018. However, total cruise ar- rivals for the first eight months decreased by 6% from 2018. Comparing Au- gust figures for 2018 and 2019, the 116,806 passen- gers this year represented a 7.5% drop over the same month last year. Commenting on the most recent figures, Minister for Tourism Moses Kirkcon- nell said, “As a ministry we set out to flatten season- ality and to ensure growth of the economic benefit of tourism for all. Preliminary estimates show total visitor spend from January to Au- gust 2019 at approximately US$663 million.” Kirkconnell added that the numbers show the ministry is meeting its objectives. “August arrivals to the destination have demonstrated that we are accomplishing our goals with August’s contribu- tion marking continued re- cord stayover tourism perfor- mance,” he said. In the release, the tourism department noted the re- cord numbers were sup- ported by a “strategic focus” on diversifying target mar- kets, as well as increasing first-time visitors and building partnerships. At the same time, airlines have recently extended and increased service, including Air Canada, which has ex- panded service from Toronto, and Cayman Airways, which added a Denver route ear- lier this year. Record stayover numbers for year to date In the first eight months of this year, 369,650 air arrivals touched down in the Cayman Islands, breaking previous records. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The Ministry of Commu- nity Affairs has appointed former National Drug Council director Joan West-Dacres as its deputy chief officer, as of Tuesday, 1 Oct. As head of the NDC, she was instrumental in initi- ating and developing research methodologies used to de- velop programmes and poli- cies, according to a ministry press release. Chief Officer Teresa Ech- enique said of West-Dacres, “Her professional qualifi- cations made her an out- standing and compelling can- didate. She brings with her counselling, social work and strategic leadership compe- tencies that will be invaluable in helping the ministry reach new levels of service provi- sion and accountability.” During her time as NDC director, from 2007-2019, she advocated for legal re- form to ensure a preventa- tive and proactive approach to drug and alcohol abuse. Most recently, this included providing feedback on the Liquor Licensing Law revi- sions and Bullying Policy and Legislation development. West-Dacres has more than 20 years of related ex- perience, mainly in the social and community-related sec- tors of the Cayman Islands, and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. She said she is looking forward to working with Ech- enique and the ministry staff. “I am excited about de- veloping strategies to sup- port our most vulnerable per- sons and ensuring they can contribute successfully to our communities,” she said, adding she applied for the key post because of the min- istry’s focus on strategic and policy initiatives. “This work is long term and you don’t always see quick results and I am looking forward to working with the team to ensure pos- itive long-term outcomes to our communities,” she said. COMMUNITY AFFAIRS MINISTRY NAMES DEPUTY CHIEF OFFICER Joan West-DacresWEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Finding your way in the billion-dollar gaming industry Deadline for January voters list passes Shut-off device law impacting Airbnb hosts Low barriers to entry mean aspiring professional gamers based in Cayman shouldn’t have much trouble breaking into the market. “All you need is smart- phone with relatively good internet connection,” said Martin. “Nowadays, smart- phones allow you to record the video, edit the video and even add filters.” While the barriers to entry may be low, Martin warns that establishing one- self in the “over-saturated market” could prove to be an uphill battle. “Can you make it if you really try? Yes. It’s overly sat- urated, but there are different ways that you can help to find yourself. However, it definitely is difficult,” he said. Difficult or not, making a name for oneself in the gaming industry is a chal- lenge that many gamers in Cayman seem to be keen on exploring. “I think a lot of young people want to be profes- sional gamers,” said Ethan Whittaker, 13, an aspiring po- lice officer who prides himself on his ability and skill level in Fortnite. He says parents should support their chil- dren if they want to become professional gamers. “If they really want to, then, yeah. If they put in the hours and they really want to, then go ahead,” said Whittaker. James Myles, the acting director of the Youth Ser- vices Unit, says his office has partnered with the organ- isers of Gamers Bay for the last two years. “It’s not only about playing the games. We want them [the students] to start thinking about how to gen- erate wealth on the internet and finding a career path in that way,” said Myles. “We’ve also partnered with the Art Institute of Tampa to put on workshops, not only here but also in Cayman Brac.” And while this new ‘vir- tual gold rush’ is tempting, Myles warns that drop- ping out of school to play video games isn’t an op- tion that parents or students should entertain. “You will need to know how to read if you are going to negotiate a potentially lu- crative contract agreement,” he said. “You will need to know how to make sure you have been paid the proper amount, so dropping out of school is not something that we suggest.” so you can have your vote heard in the Cayman Islands,” said Douglas. Elections Office man- ager Gina Whittaker said her team has seen an increase in voters coming into register since last week. She said preliminary numbers have shown that, as of Tuesday morning, 125 people had signed up overall to get on the January list. The office stayed open later than usual, until 9pm, on Tuesday evening to facilitate late-registering voters. “(Monday) was a really pretty busy day,” Whittaker said, a trend which continued throughout Tuesday. Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell said he was pleased to see voters coming out to get signed up. “We have seen more people than normal,” he said. Youth vote matters First-time voter Juzan Minzett proudly displayed her voter card Tuesday as she stressed the need for young people to have a voice in decisions that impact the Cayman Islands. “As a young Caymanian, I believe it is very important that we as individuals have to be involved in the voting pro- cess. We need to make sure we are aware of what goes on in our community and to have a voice for ourselves to say that ‘Oh, we know that this is going on and this also needs to be done,’” she said. Minzett said young Cayma- nians also need to encourage each other to register to vote. “And when the election time comes up, we come out and actually vote,” she said. affected by the new regulation. The older the pool, the more likely it will need to be retrofitted. “It was kind of a surprise for a lot of people,” Kirby said of the law. “A lot of people were caught with their pants down. They weren’t expecting it to happen so soon.” He said costs for upgrading the pools can run from just under $500 to more than $3,000, depending upon whether owners decide to install a manual shutoff switch or some kind of automatic shutoff valve. While it may be a pain for owners, he said, he backs the Department of En- vironmental Health regulations. “What they’re doing is a good thing,” he said. “We can’t put a price tag on somebody’s life.” The regulations affect any pools that can be defined as public pools, including those at condominium or apartment complexes, cottage colonies, guesthouses and hotels. Pools at private homes where one or more rooms are being used for home sharing, would also be considered public, according to the Department of Environmental Health. Richard Simms, director of DEH, said it is especially important for home sharing operators to be aware of the new regulations since they must pass an annual inspection. “We try to inspect pools as often as we can,” Simms said, noting that the rules apply to all public pools, “but they are mostly done for people who are li- censing (their homes). “We want to make sure the visitors to this island are safe,” he added. He said at minimum, manual shutoff switches need to be in place to meet the new standards. But he encouraged pool owners to consider installing automatic shutoff valves as well. Operators with questions should contact the DEH engineering department, he said. A grace period is in effect, with com- pliance being mandatory by 30 April 2020. Failure to meet the requirement, DEH officials said, will mean the pools do not meet the requirements of Hotels Licensing Board and thus would not be licensed to host visitors in the tourism short-term pool. It is unclear from the release whether the rules apply to all pools at hotels and apartment or condominium complexes. The Department of Environ- mental Health did not respond to sev- eral requests for clarification. Swimming pools in Cayman will be required to have mandatory emergency shutdown devices. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hong Kong police shoot protester in chest HONG KONG (AP) – In a fearsome escalation of vio- lence, Hong Kong police shot a protester in the chest at close range Tuesday, leaving the teenager bleeding and howling on the ground. Tens of thousands joined anti-gov- ernment demonstrations that spread across the semi-au- tonomous Chinese territory in a challenge to Beijing’s dominance as the Commu- nist Party celebrated 70 years in power. The officer fired the single pistol shot as protesters swarmed towards him, Po- lice Commissioner Stephen Lo said, hitting the 18-year- old on the left side of his chest. Lo defended the ac- tion as “reasonable and lawful”, saying the officer feared for his life and had no other choice. Hong Kong’s hospital au- thority said the teen was one of two people in critical con- dition, with a total of 66 in- jured as fierce clashes be- tween protesters and police wracked China’s freest and most international city. While officers have fired warning shots in the air on multiple occasions during months of unrest, this was the first time a protester has been struck by gunfire. The shooting marked a dramatic surge in violence that spread chaos to multiple areas. Lo said there was no order for police to shoot if they are under threat but they can use appropriate force. He described protesters as “rioters”, saying they have committed widespread crim- inal acts – from attacking po- lice officers, including 25 who were injured, to destroying public property and van- dalising shops and banks linked to China. “The officer was under at- tack, his life was threatened …. He made a very quick de- cision and shot the assailant. I believe it was his best judg- ment at the time,” Lo said. He added that although the officer also had a rifle for rubber bullets, the event un- folded very quickly. He did not answer questions on why the officer fired at the teen’s chest and not his limbs. Apart from the incident in Tsuen Wan, where the teen was shot, he said officers also fired five warning shots in four other areas, although no one was injured. Police arrested more than 180 pro- testers, he added. Local TV stations showed two officers with bloodied faces pointing pistols as pro- testers who sought to spoil the 1 Oct. anniversary of Com- munist rule fought pitched battles with riot police. Video that spread quickly on social media ap- peared to show the officer opening fire as the masked teenager came at him with a metal rod, striking the of- ficer’s shooting arm. Taken by the City University Stu- dent Union, it showed a dozen black-clad protesters throwing objects at a group of police and closing in on the lone officer who pointed his gun and opened fire. The protester toppled backward onto the street, bleeding from below his left shoulder. Black-clad protesters stand near burning tyres in Hong Kong, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP Scores of students attended the Gamers Bay event on Saturday. - PHOTO: ANDREL HARRISCAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2019 9 LOCAL&WORLD Curriculum information remains on hold Traffic changes planned to improve congestion JOHNSON: UK WILL SUBMIT CONCRETE BREXIT PROPOSALS SOON To ease congestion and improve morning west- bound traffic flow, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice is temporarily ad- justing road movement in the Prospect, Crewe Road and the Linford Pierson Highway areas. The changes, which went into effect Wednesday, 2 Oct., during morning rush hour from 6-9am, will focus on the Red Bay roundabout, according to an RCIPS press release. During these hours, east- bound traffic will be di- verted left along Sham- rock Road after passing Grand Harbour and will not be permitted to travel along the East-West Arterial until reaching the Chrissie Tomlinson roundabout. Westbound traffic will not be permitted to turn left onto Old Prospect Road before the Chrissie Tomlinson roundabout. Traffic will also be di- verted at the roundabouts by Kings Sports Centre and the Linford Pierson Highway (at the junction with Agnes Way). While traffic officers will be directing road users in the affected areas, the RCIPS is advising drivers to pay attention to all road signs and traffic diversions, and to follow all directions given by police. MANCHESTER, England (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Tuesday that Britain will make firm proposals for a new divorce deal with the European Union within days, saying “this is the moment when the rubber hits the road”. Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc at the end of this month, and EU leaders are growing impa- tient with the UK’s failure to set out detailed plans for maintaining an open border between the UK’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland – the key sticking point to a deal. Johnson said details would be disclosed “very soon”. The UK plans to send them to Brussels within days after the governing Conser- vative Party conference ends Wednesday in Manchester, northwest England. Johnson says Britain will leave the EU on the sched- uled 31 Oct. date with or without a deal. A Brexit agreement between the EU and his predecessor, The- resa May, was rejected three times by the UK Parliament, largely because of opposi- tion to the “backstop”, an insurance policy designed to ensure there is no re- turn to customs posts or other infrastructure on the Irish border. An open border under- pins both the local economy and Northern Ireland’s peace process. British Brexit sup- porters oppose the back- stop because it would keep the UK tightly bound to EU trade rules in order to avoid customs checks – lim- iting the country’s ability to strike new trade deals around the world. “There is no point in doing Brexit if you stay locked in the (EU) customs union and locked in the single market with no say,” Johnson told the BBC. He did not say what Brit- ain’s proposed alternative is. So far the UK has floated the idea of a common area for livestock and agricul- tural products, plus largely untested “technological so- lutions”. The EU says that is inadequate. Ireland’s deputy prime minister also rejected an idea raised in preliminary UK proposals for customs posts 5 to 10 miles away from the border. Simon Co- veney called the idea a “non- starter” and tweeted: “Time the EU had a serious pro- posal from the UK. Gov’t if a #Brexit deal is to be achiev- able in October. NI and IRE deserves better!” Johnson said the idea was not going to be included. “That’s not what we’re proposing at all,” he said – but added that it was a “reality” that some checks would be needed to create a “single customs terri- tory” for the UK. Johnson insists he wants to strike a deal with the EU to replace May’s re- jected Brexit agreement. He also says the UK can handle any bumps that come from tumbling out of the bloc without a deal, which would mean the instant im- position of customs checks and other barriers between Britain and the EU, its big- gest trading partner. But the UK govern- ment and businesses say the disruptions would be substantial. Trade Minister George Freeman told lawmakers at the Conservative conference that “if we leave without a deal, it’s going to be very bumpy”. He said the flow of trade across the Channel between the English port of Dover and the French port of Calais – the UK’s most important trade route – could be cut in half as cus- toms and vehicle checks were introduced. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky The Ministry of Education has en- listed the help of a local public rela- tions agency to promote the new cur- riculum being implemented in its primary schools, but so far little in- formation on the programme has been released. The ministry hired Massive Media on 13 Aug. Records show the ministry paid the agency $31,000 on 9 Sept. “to produce a campaign to educate the public on new education improve- ments/enhancements such as the new curriculum implementation”. The payment, a spokeswoman said, is meant to cover the entire 12-month period of the campaign. In addition to direct expenses, the amount billed to the ministry included 187 hours at $150 per hour. The spokeswoman said this is not the first time the ministry has em- ployed an outside public relations firm. Other ministries, including tourism and financial services, have also hired such agencies. So far, Massive Media has produced two videos, at a cost of $2,200. It also put out a press release providing an overview of that meeting, which, un- like past years, was not open to media coverage. News agencies were given access to a video of a teachers wel- come-back meeting in August, the week before schools resumed. In early September, Massive Media officials contacted the Compass, re- questing consideration of materials outlining the new curriculum. How- ever, those materials were never re- ceived. On Tuesday, an official with the company said it remained “on standby,” awaiting feedback from the ministry before it could release the information. The ministry announced plans last year to revamp the primary cur- riculum. A group of officials took two trips to England to observe and gather information on the curriculum being used there. That curriculum is being used as a model for Cayman. In an April address to the Legisla- tive Assembly, Education Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly detailed some of the anticipated changes. “Children are expected to learn more at an earlier age,” she said, such as mas- tering their times tables by age 9. More emphasis will be placed on spelling, grammar and handwriting. Students will learn to write computer code. In science, she said, “There will be a shift toward hard facts and scientific knowledge.” A mandatory second language, Spanish, will be introduced in Key Stage 2. Social studies, she said, will incor- porate a strong local component to educate children about Cayman his- tory and culture. The ministry also invested an un- determined amount of money to en- sure that every primary teacher had a laptop computer to help implement the new curriculum. The spokeswoman at Massive Media said she did not have an ex- pected date when information on the new curriculum might be available. The ministry announced plans last year to revamp the primary curriculum. The changes, which went into effect Wednesday, 2 Oct., during morning rush hour from 6-9am, will focus on the Red Bay roundabout. EU leaders are growing impatient with the UK’s failure to set out detailed plans for maintaining an open border between the UK’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauds as he listens to Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he delivers his speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, Monday. – PHOTO: AP Eastbound traffic will be diverted left onto Shamrock Road. - PHOTO: RCIPSNext >