News Sarah, Duchess of York, wows at Breast Cancer Foundation gala Page 2 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS (funding local journalism)Monday, 7 October 2019 The $200M port question: YESNO PHOTO COMPOSITEBREAKTHROUGH (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 admit- ted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) 10 MINUTES GONE (R) 12:45 | 3:00 | 5:15 | 7:30 | 9:50 ABOMINABLE (PG) 1:10 3d | 2:30 | 3:50 3d | 7:05 | 9:30 3d DOwNTON ABBEY (PG) 1:00 VIP | 4:15 | 7:00 | 9:50 VIP AD ASTRA (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 | 7:00 | 10:00 HUSTLERS (R) 2:05 | 4:45 | 7:25 | 10:05 jOKER (R) 1:15 | 3:50 VIP | 7:00 VIP | 10:00 wAR (PG) 5:00 | 8:30 KEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson was the keynote speaker Saturday at the Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual gala at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman. She sat down with the Cayman Compass for a one-on-one interview prior to the event, where she candidly spoke about cancer’s impact on her life, weight and self- esteem, and Prince Andrew. Explaining how she became involved with the Cayman Islands Breast Cancer Foundation gala, the duchess said several of her family members had died of cancer and she wanted to help others fight or avoid the disease. Her father, the late Major Ronald Ferguson, had melanoma and prostate cancer. “So, when it came to be invited to come here for breast cancer awareness, it was so important," she said. "Because it’s that sort of hidden, sort of frightening thing - the word cancer. The ‘Big C’. “I worked for many years on action research for cancer and have built round about 28 teenage cancer units in hospitals over 30 years.” The duchess’s battle with weight has been well-documented throughout the years and she said she relates to those in the community who are dealing with obesity and its related diseases, like diabetes. “I had a huge weight problem most of my life because I was a comfort eater,” she said. Her advice for others facing such problems is: “Don’t worry, just because you are obese or you think you can’t speak because no one is going to listen to you, please, someone is going to listen to you," she said. “And I think it’s horrible when you do feel obese and you feel as though you’ve lost your way, and you beat yourself up because you think it’s your fault that you’ve put on weight. Don’t worry about it. We are here with helping hands and we’re here to help you.” Her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, recently has been included in media reports allegedly linking him to Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender who was arrested in July on federal sex trafficking charges before he was found dead in his jail cell in August. She said of Prince Andrew, “He’s the finest, most wonderful person. He’s a man of great integrity and he’s a fabulous father to my girls.” To watch the full interview with the Duchess, visit caymancompass.com and the Cayman Compass Facebook page. See Tuesday's Compass for more photos. Sarah, Duchess of York, wows at Breast Cancer Gala Amount raised: $209,300 (Anonymous donor to match total) Possible gross total: $418,600 – Preliminary figures, unconfirmed Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, speaks at the Breast Cancer Gala Dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman hotel on Saturday night. - Photos: Stephen Clarke Duchess of York shared her thoughts on cancer, weight issues and her ex-husband Prince Andrew. 2The Cayman Compass has been relaunched and is once again positioned at the heart of the community. T oday’s paper is the result of months of intensive planning, consultation and re- imagining the islands’ tried-and-trusted daily news source. “The goal is not only to reflect our local community, but foster it as well,” said Publisher Kathleen Capetta. “The emphasis on community is at the heart of the changes. We want to reconnect and engage with our readers.” The new-look Compass features five dedicated sections: News, Issues, Living, Business, and Sport, all with a local angle. The print version is complemented by continually updated content on multiple platforms including caymancompass.com and social media channels Facebook (caymancompass), Instagram (@ cayman_compass), and Twitter (@ caycompass). There will also be regular community events related to Compass stories. The redesign comes at a time of several key developments at the media house, including new ownership. Local attorney James Bergstrom acquired the company earlier this year. He and his wife, Laura Aull, a professor of English and Linguistics at the University of Michigan, believe that a free and responsible press is not only vital to a well-run democracy but also crucial as a community builder. “The Compass has been an integral part of our community, and we intend to build on that legacy,” said Bergstrom. “It’s about telling your stories and fostering a better Cayman.” The transition includes rebranding company operations under the umbrella of Compass Media. A strong focus of the re- imagined media house is to integrate multimedia content for the Compass and the company’s other publications, including What’s Hot Weekly, InsideOut, and Cayman Health, and special supplements. “We are a content company, not just a newspaper company,” said Capetta. Compass Café With that in mind, Compass Media is introducing an innovative concept that will serve as a hub of the community: Compass Café. Located at the Compass Centre on Shedden Road, the café will be a welcoming space to relax, meet friends and catch up on the news. Light local fare will be featured on the menu and the cafe will be licensed for social drinks in the evening. A free cup of coffee will be served when purchasing a copy of the newspaper. Celebrating Cayman’s culture and diversity, the multi-purpose venue will feature local arts and crafts, and host events such as meetings, debates, exhibitions, lunch-and-learns, cultural and music performances, and book launches. Patrons will also be able to watch interviews, both in the café and via live streaming, as Compass journalists talk with newsmakers, politicians, and local and visiting personalities. There will also be rooms for hire available to businesses or groups looking for a central location to host a meeting or function. Compass Café will open in early 2020. Content studio A new agency, Compass Content, is also in the pipeline, which will be a full-service multimedia division offering custom marketing and publishing services. This service is complemented by Compass Print, formerly Precision Print, the company’s in-house custom print shop. Head of Printing Donovan Nelson goes through press checks for the new-look Cayman Compass. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay Cayman Compass: New look, new vision The new-look Compass news Keeping you up-to-date and informed with the latest happenings in the Cayman Islands. Covering our island lifestyle, focusing on community events, people and culture. Taking an in-depth look at issues impacting our islands. Reporting on the local business community, along with information and analysis on the financial services sector. Comprehensive coverage of the local sports scene, highlighting our athletes, clubs and sporting events. New price After more than 20 years, the Cayman Compass has today (7 Oct.) implemented a modest price increase. This increase will help support Compass Media’s commitment to quality local journalism and storytelling. It will also provide an essential service to businesses and organisations on-island. The price has been raised to 75 cents Monday through Thursday, and $1 on Friday for the weekend edition. Cayman Compass stories will also be featured on Cayman Islands Government Television. As of today (Monday, 7 Oct.), the CIGTV daily broadcast will include Compass content. This newscast is aired at 6pm and repeated throughout the night, and is also available on the YouTube channel (youtube.com/cigtelevision). The Compass segment, which is independent of government input, is being provided as a service to the community in light of Cayman 27 recently going off air. “I’m very happy that an agreement has been reached with the Cayman Compass,” said Premier Alden McLaughlin. “The agreement enables CIGTV and Compass Media to create and promote a sense of community, providing access for more people to community news through print, broadcast and digital platforms.” Whilst this is a positive effort to fill a media void in terms of community content, the Compass is not receiving payment from government for the service. The arrangement is not exclusive and CIGTV continues to welcome video content from the local media and community partners. “We are thrilled to be working collaboratively with the government to bring important independent community news to a wider audience,” said Cayman Compass Publisher Kathleen Capetta. “This partnership has no impact on our independent coverage of the government.” Compass on TV cayman compass 3 news news cayman N news MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Premier Alden McLaughlin says he is confident government will prevail in the referendum over the $200 million cruise and cargo port project. He defended the decision to hold the vote just six days before Christmas, on 19 Dec., saying it was the earliest practical date available and the country had to get on with it. He said holding the poll would cost $1.5 million but acknowledged it was the “proper exercise of people’s constitutional rights”. The premier said he does not believe more than 50% of the electorate will turn out to vote ‘no’ to the port – the threshold required to stop the project. He said government had invested a lot of political and financial capital – more than $4 million to date – in the six-year planning phase of the project. And he accepted that if there were a strong turn-out and a definitive ‘no’ vote that halted the development, it would be a significant political blow to his administration. “I would certainly have to consider my position as premier and decide whether or not I should continue, but it is early days,” he said in an interview with the Cayman Compass on Friday, 4 Oct. “It would be a small miracle, I think, if they were able to get 50% plus one,” he said. McLaughlin, speaking after the publication of the bill setting the date and question for the vote, said there was no flexibility on the threshold for people- initiated referendums. More than 50% of the electorate must vote ‘no’ to the piers for the outcome to be binding on the government. A simple majority of those voting on the day will not be enough. He insisted that government would proceed with the project, even if more people who turn out on the day vote against the port than vote for it. If the critical number of 10,609 ‘no’ votes is not reached, the project will go ahead. Anyone who stays home and does not vote will effectively be counted in the ‘yes’ column. “We would proceed with the project because essentially people not turning out to vote is a clear indication they are not opposed to the project,” he said. He said the Constitution deliberately set the bar high for this type of referendum because it involved a group of citizens seeking to direct the policy of a democratically elected government. He denied there was not enough information in the public domain for people to make an informed decision, saying the cost, location and concept designs had all been revealed. He acknowledged government had not always been forthcoming with details on the project but blamed this on the rules of the tendering process and the fact that this was a design, build, finance and maintain project, with many of the key details determined through the bid process. He denied that the 19 Dec. date was designed to ensure low turnout, saying anyone who was going to be away for the holidays would still be able to vote. He said the schools would be just finishing their term and insisted it would have been far more disruptive to businesses and schools to hold the vote in January. He added that the country needed closure on an issue that had “dragged out” for more than a year. “We have to get on with the business of government," he said. If the project is to be halted, we need to know now before more money is spent. We have spent more than $4 million to this point. If the project is to go ahead, we need to get on with it.” He insisted that no contract had been signed or would be signed until after the poll. Referendum Bill At a glance When does the vote take place? The date has been set for 19 Dec., which will be a public holiday. What’s the question? Should the Cayman Islands continue to move forward with building the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility? Yes or No. Who can vote? Only registered voters on the electoral roll as of 1 Oct. this year are eligible to vote. That’s 21,217 Caymanians who will decide the future of the project. Does government have to follow the result? The result is only binding on government if a majority of the electorate (50% plus one) vote one way or the other. In this case, 10,609 people would need to vote ‘no’ to halt the project. Government’s expected timeline: 28 Oct.- 1 Nov. Referendum Bill expected to be debated in Legislative Assembly 5 Nov. Referendum Law to be gazetted 6 Nov. Issuing of writ of referendum 7 Nov. Official proclamation declaring Referendum Day 11 Nov. First postal ballot issued 7 Dec. Deadline for receipt of postal ballot requests 9 Dec. Last postal ballot issue 10-13 Dec. Mobile voting 19 Dec. Referendum Day Countdown to referendum not turning out to vote is a clear indication they are Premier Alden McLaughlin Interview WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COM Premier: ‘Let’s get on with it’ $4 million Funds spent to date on planning phase Premier Alden McLaughlin speaks during an interview with the Compass on the upcoming port referendum. - Photo: Andrel Harris MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019 cayman compass 4 news N news MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019“Caymanians now have an opportunity to control their destiny.” JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Campaign group Cruise Port Referendum Cayman has welcomed the publication of the Referendum Bill and called for Caymanians to turn out in record numbers to vote on 19 Dec. The group released a statement Friday afternoon saying the referendum would be an historic moment and a step towards “stronger and more inclusive participatory democracy” in the Cayman Islands. “Caymanians now have an opportunity to control their destiny via the referendum on this issue of national importance, considering the significant environmental, financial and socio-economic concerns,” the statement said. “We are fortunate to be able to cast our vote and voice our position on the direction of our country. We encourage every citizen to have your say and come out to vote in record numbers to make your voices heard.” The group also called for campaign finance limits to be considered ahead of the poll. They again called for government to quickly publish detailed designs, including the dredge footprint, an updated business case and more details of the financial arrangement with preferred bidder Verdant Isle. The citizens group, which triggered the referendum by collecting signatures from more than a quarter of the electorate, is also asking for the timeframe for the updated environmental impact assessment. There was no immediate official response from the opposition group. Deputy leader Alva Suckoo said the group had significant constitutional and legal concerns and would be meeting over the weekend to discuss its response to the bill. He said he was personally dismayed by the timing of the referendum so close to Christmas, suggesting it was an attempt to ensure low turnout and disenfranchise people. “Many will be travelling and because of Christmas activities many will not be focussed on the referendum and may miss important information regarding the port project,” he added. Campaign group calls for record turnout “We encourage every citizen to have your say and come out to vote in record numbers to make your voices heard.” CRUISE PORT REFERENDUM CAYMAN STATEMENT RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Registered voters who may be travelling around Referendum Day, as well as those living off-island, will be able to have their say. Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell, in a recent interview with the Cayman Compass, said every registered voter, according to the 1 Oct. electors list, will be able to participate. “Persons that cannot make it out to the polls because of illness or otherwise, or if they are working on Referendum Day, we can do mobile voting, which is early voting, and persons who are off-island or travelling can vote via postal voting,” Howell said. The vote will be held on 19 Dec. The polls, he said, will be open from 7am to 6pm. The current electors list, containing 21,217 people, will be used for the referendum. Explaining how postal ballots work, Howell said, “That’s a request where you write in and request a postal ballot and [give] the reason why you require a postal ballot and go through a formal issuing process. It is sent to the address for the person to vote and then they assemble their documents and then send those back,” Howell said. He said the postal ballot system will be efficient since the Elections Office will be using express mail. Howell said the referendum operates like an election and voting will take place in all 19 constituencies. The Elections Office will publish details about polling stations, as well as post them on their website, www.elections.ky. Travelling voters can request referendum ballots Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky An independent observer mission from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the UK will be heading to Cayman for the upcoming people’s initiated referendum. Governor Martyn Roper confirmed on Friday that the association has accepted his invitation to oversee the 19 Dec. vote on the cruise-berthing and cargo facility. Last Thursday, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced the referendum date and the question that will be placed on the ballot for the vote. The Referendum Law that paves the way for electors to head to the polls has also been gazetted and is available for public review. An observer mission from the CPA was last in the Cayman Islands in 2017 for the 24 May general election. Governor Roper said he was pleased to have another team return to local shores. “CPA-UK is highly respected in electoral observation and brings lots of experience. International observation of elections and referendums is an important means of providing an independent assessment,” he said in a statement. He pointed out that the CPA is a signatory to the Declaration of Principles of International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, signed at the UN in 2005. Roper said having the additional eyes on the process will be an important asset. “Since this is the first people’s initiated referendum in the Cayman Islands, they will also help us to learn lessons for the future. The Cayman Islands has a good track record of organising free and fair elections and referendums,” Roper added. The date for the arrival of the UK team was not released. International observers to oversee port vote Cost of referendum $1.5 million – SOURCE: PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019 Johann Moxam, Shirley Roulstone and Mario Rankin of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman with the petition documents that have prompted the referendum. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 news N news MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019More charges for Blake and Watson Former Cayman Islands Football Association executives Bruce Blake and Canover Watson returned to court Friday to face two new charges. Initially, they faced a seven-count indictment. The additional charges allege money laundering and concealing criminal property. Lee Halliday-Davis, representing Watson, said a dismissal application would be made on behalf of her client, “so, for now, we will not be entering pleas”. Blake’s defence attorney Jonathon Hughes also asked to defer entering pleas, so that Blake could be arraigned at the same time as Watson. Justice Roger Chapple agreed, but said, “In the interest of discounts for guilty pleas, this is the first reasonable occasion, so any guilty pleas going forward will not receive a full discount.” Watson and Blake were released on bail. Men deny money- laundering charges Three of the five men accused of laundering more than $6 million worth of gold pleaded not guilty in Grand Court Friday. Pedro Jose Benavides Natera, Juan Carlos Gonzales and Kody David Zander are jointly charged with two counts of money laundering. Co-accused Daniel Alberto Aguilar Ferriozi and Francisco Anronio Di Ventura Herra, who each face a single count of money laundering, pleaded not guilty earlier. The men also denied concealing criminal property in relation to more than US$135,000 in undeclared cash hidden inside the private jet used to transport the gold. A five-week jury trial is set for November. Natera and Gonzales were remanded into custody while the other three were bailed. Mental tests needed in burying-child-alive case A man accused of burying a child alive will have to undergo further mental evaluations. On Friday, Crown prosecutor Toyin Salako told Justice Roger Chapple an initial psychiatric evaluation has concluded that Travis Webb suffers from “an abnormality of schizophrenia”, which may have affected his awareness of his actions. Salako said the Crown would instruct its own expert to conduct a further review of Webb. “Our expert has had an initial review and accepts that Mr. Webb does have some sort of mental illness, but cannot agree or disagree with defence experts’ conclusions at this time,” she said. Webb was remanded into custody. Additional evaluations of his mental health will be carried out in November, the court heard. Woman arrested on suspicion of corruption A 38-year-old woman from the Prospect area was arrested Thursday in an ongoing anti- corruption investigation. The Anti-Corruption Commission said the woman was arrested on suspicion of breach of trust. Conviction of such a crime can result in a five-year prison term. The ACC said the woman is a public officer. She was initially detained for questioning but has since been released on bail. cartoon Eastern Traffic - By Caymanman news in brief Commuters air woes over traffic Traffic nightmares: In their own words JEWEL LEVY Jlevy@compassmedia.ky Residents took to the Bodden Town Civic Centre Thursday night to vent their frustrations over traffic jams that have gridlocked Grand Cayman in recent weeks. A crowd of more than 100 people told government ministers and roads officials they were fed up with the recent escalation in traffic problems. Residents in the eastern districts have been worst hit, with some reporting journey times of nearly two hours to reach George Town during morning rush hour. Some said an increase in car imports, with 400 new vehicles arriving on island every month, as well as parents struggling to get their kids to school because of an early start time, were contributing to the traffic nightmare. The meeting was hosted by Bodden Town East MLA Dwayne Seymour, who was joined by Minister of Infrastructure Joey Hew and others. Anthony Eden, MLA for Savannah, said a dependable public transport service was needed. The worst gridlocks were coming off Anton Bodden Drive by Bodden Town Primary School; Will T Road; Condor Road by Savannah Primary School; the Chrissie Tomlinson roundabout; and sections of Red Bay, Grand Harbour and Linford Pierson Highway, according to Tristan Hydes, deputy chief officer in the infrastructure ministry. Hew assured residents the government is working on immediate solutions for the problem, such as finalising initiatives with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the National Roads Authority and supporting funding for off-duty officers to operate at certain roads. Other solutions being considered are adjusting the timing of traffic lights; restricting left turns into certain roads; creating merge lanes; reversing the flow of traffic; adding extra lanes and working on the East-West Arterial. But some residents still weren’t buying it. Andrew McLaughlin said the change of school start times was a major factor contributing to the traffic jams and suggested government move back the times. At the start of the new school year, government moved the start time for some schools from 8:30am to 8am. Hew encouraged residents to lobby their case with the Department of Education to change the school times back. Moderator Vincent Frederick suggested more highways needed to be built. Prospect MLA Austin Harris, NRA Director Edward Howard and Inspector Fernando Soto from the police also joined the panel discussion. Councillor Harris offered his recommendations on how to improve the traffic situation. Among his suggestions were for people selling vehicles to have a trade and business licence; holders of work permits of one year or longer required to purchase cars from local suppliers rather than importing them; private schools to operate buses for students; and vehicles brought to the island to be no more than 10 years old. Seymour said most of the cars imported were moving his way in the Bodden Town area because it was the fastest-growing district. "We need to stop building roads and looking at a tram system,” he said, adding that traffic problems are “too important for us to play politics with”. On Friday, police announced a trial effort to address the traffic jams. Anton Bodden Drive will be temporarily closed to westbound traffic between 6am and 8am this week. Traffic travelling westward along Bodden Town Road, towards George Town, will not be permitted to turn onto Anton Bodden Drive during these hours; only local access will be permitted. Eastbound traffic will be unaffected. The closure will be in effect on a trial basis for one week, until Friday, 11 Oct., after which it will be re-evaluated if necessary. “It’s horrible. A ride from Lookout Gardens that only took 15 minutes is now 90 minutes to George Town.” Andrew McLaughlin, Bodden Town “Last year, I could leave home around 5:30am and get into George Town in 30 minutes. This year, leaving at 5:30am, it’s taking me now one hour to get into town. I think the roundabouts are the biggest problems." Chris Onwubuya Galbraith, North Side Morning rush-hour traffic backs up in the Prospect area on Friday morning. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay “We get on the road between 6 and 6:15 and it’s a battle trying to get from Anton Bodden bypass onto the main road by the Bodden Town Primary School.” Shadden McLaughlin, who says she has to wake her children at 5am 6You smell it, before you see it. That pungent rotten-egg scent that carries on the sea breeze is the first warning sign of an unwelcome visitor to Cayman’s shores. It was impossible to travel around Grand Cayman this summer without encountering sargassum. Thick brown clumps of the stringy seaweed clogged up coastal inlets and swamped beaches for weeks at a time. Hotels and condos were severely impacted. Residents suffered the suffocating odour and saw their beach access diminished. Crews of unemployed people were mobilised to clear the coastline while government and hoteliers were forced to shell out for specialist equipment to maintain the island’s pristine sandy beaches. In comparison to some of our neighbours in the region, Cayman has been lucky. Seven Mile Beach has remained relatively unscathed and the efforts of business owners and government have kept the impact on tourism to a minimum. So far. Scientists agree that regular sargassum landings are likely to be the “new normal” for the Caribbean. For some countries, it may simply be a seasonal irritant; for others, it could be an existential threat to their tourism industries. Where Cayman will fit within that spectrum remains to be seen. In the first of a regular series, where we take a single issue and examine it from all angles, we take a deep dive into the sticky brown weed befouling beaches across the region. Starting today with a look at the impact on the island’s tourism industry, we will examine the cause and effect of the so-called sargassum invasion. Over the next three weeks, we will study the science behind the phenomenon, delve into the economic toll it is taking on the region and highlight the solutions that researchers and innovative entrepreneurs are reaching for. A deep dive into the seaweed DAY 1 issues SARGASSUM INVASION Work crews have been required to clean up the beaches and occasionally the streets on days when Grand Cayman has been inundated. Sargassum has been a growing problem in Cayman for the last few years, clogging up beaches and even landing on the streets of the capital after a storm last year. – Photos: Taneos Ramsay Issues is a new section in the Cayman Compass, where we will examine significant topics impacting both the Cayman Islands and the region over several weeks. If you have ideas, or concerns you believe we should be delving into, email jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky cayman compass 7 I issues MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019“ We would like every child born in the Cayman Islands or Caribbean region to look at becoming world-class doctors, world-class nurses, medical technicians, scientists...the whole perspective of the younger generation will change. And that is important for the Caribbean region, important for the Cayman Islands, important for the rest of the world so that you are cared for by your own people. ~ Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder – Health City Cayman Islands 1 (345) 945-4040 | 1 (345) 640-4040 | healthcitycaymanislands.com | healthcare.explorers@healthcity.ky The future is bright, The future starts here. We believe in preparing the next generation of Caymanian doctors and medical professionals. Our Healthcare Explorers Programme was founded in June 2014 to provide free STEM education pathways for young Caymanians to introduce them to careers in the medical field. The programme has now provided 3,926 STEM education opportunities to Cayman Islands students. Our programmes are offered to students at both public and private schools in the Cayman Islands from age eight through to university students, and include: • Junior Explorers (8-12yrs) •Senior Explorers (13-17yrs) •Shadow a Doctor •STEM education webinars •Partnerships with UCCI School of Nursing •Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Programme cayman compass8 MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019“ We encourage Cayman’s youth to consider a career in medicine and pledge our support and commitment to provide our community with healthcare education opportunities. We have been recognised for our commitment to education by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce as a recipient of the Commitment to Education award at the 2018 Business Excellence Awards. 0 | 1 (345) 640-4040 | healthcitycaymanislands.com | healthcare.explorers@healthcity.ky cayman compass9 MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019Next >