cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS (funding local journalism) Wednesday, 9 October 2019 Crime Man arrested in fatal boat crash case Page 2 Business Cayman commits to public beneficial ownership register Page 12 UK Armed Forces minister to visit Cayman Page 7 Local film about a global issue Page 8 Hew addresses shipping industry in Monaco Page 13 The culling fields See page 3. UK Ared Forces inister to visit Cayan Page 7 – Photo: Taneos Ramsay1:25 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 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) 10 MINUTES GONE (R) 12:45 | 3:00 ABOMINABLE (PG) 1:10 | 2:30 | 3:50 | 7:05 | 9:30 DOWNTON ABBEY (PG) 1:00 VIP | 4:15 | 7:00 | 9:50 VIP METALLICA & SAN FRANCISCO (R) SYMPHONY 7:00 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 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: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAY NEWS PRODUCER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER KEVIN MORALES A MEMBER OF THE INTER- AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Partly cloudy with a 30% chance of afternoon showers. WINDS weather Forecast today Cayman Islands WEDNESDAY 09.10.2019 90°F 78°F HIGH LOW Southerly at 5 to 10 knots SEA STATE Southerly at 5 to 10 knots ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A week of sporadic heavy showers brought 3.74 inches of rainfall across Grand Cayman and some parts of the Sister Islands. Since the beginning of the rainy season in May, Cayman has seen 25.9 inches of rainfall, according to the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. May and June were the rainiest months with 6.29 and 6.65 inches of rainfall, respectively. Together, both months produced more than 50% of the wet season’s rainfall. The recent showers caused flooding in some low-lying communities, as well as in pasture lands across Grand Cayman. So far this month, Cayman recorded 0.62 inches more than throughout the entire of October 2018, when 3.12 inches of total rain fell. Despite the recent heavy rain, Cayman is recording an overall rainfall deficit when compared to last year’s wet season. Between May and September 2018, Cayman recorded 33.65 inches of rainfall. During the same time this year, 22.16 inches were recorded, resulting in a rainfall deficit of -11.49. National Weather Service forecaster Allan Ebanks said that deficit is expected to shrink, but not by much. “We do expect some showers during the next few days,” said Ebanks. “But it is not possible to predict the rainfall in the rest of the month. "However, most of the showers that we expected have already happened.” Between 2016 and 2017, Cayman recorded an 18-month drought, which hampered some sections of the islands’ agriculture. The drought was broken in 2018, and rainfall levels maintained a steady increase right through 2019. However, when compared to Cayman’s 30-year average, rainfall levels are still -10.42 inches. Police have arrested a 35-year-old resident of George Town on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with a boating accident on 11 Aug. that killed two people. The man has been released on bail as the investigation into the accident continues. The fatal accident took place in North Sound, near Harbour House Marina, sometime between 7:30pm and 10pm. The Pepper Jelly, a 32-foot Scarab centre- console boat with two engines, registered to Mango Jam Charters, collided with a single-engine 24-foot Hurricane deck boat owned by Emmanuel Brown, 49, of George Town. Brown and his passenger, John Turner, 70, a UK national living in Cayman, were killed in the accident. A woman in Brown’s boat was severely injured and remains in critical condition in hospital. Police are still looking for witnesses to the accident or to the activities of either boat prior to the accident. Anyone with information can call 649-4501. Man arrested in fatal boat crash case Rainfall deficit persists, despite recent showers 20192018(1981-2010) Monthly total rainfall (inches)30-year average monthly rainfall May6.2910.85.96 June 6.652.346.2 July3.791.25.78 August3.65.815.9 September1.8313.58.74 October3.743.128.65 November 2.396.05 Heavy showers in the first week and a half of this month have brought flooding to some areas. 2MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky Nearly a year’s worth of iguana culling has yielded “spectacular” results, according to officials at the Department of Environment, but that doesn’t mean the battle is over. The DoE's Fred Burton, who oversees the fight to rid Cayman of the invasive species, said an annual survey of green iguanas in August found an estimated population of 103,000, with a margin of error of ±43,000. That marks a 92% drop in the 1.3 million iguanas estimated by last year’s survey, Burton said. The population may actually be larger than 103,000, he said. The year’s hatchlings were in the process of emerging during the population survey. And this year’s crop was likely larger than usual. “In some areas, we saw very large numbers of hatchlings,” Burton said. “I was in the Botanic Park a couple of weeks ago and we were seeing baby iguanas all over the place.” Still, he said, the department is happy with the results. “I think it’s fair to say we’re further ahead than I guessed we would have been,” Burton said. “We had a pretty good idea of what was possible, but there was a big element of uncertainty. I think we’re really pleased with where it has gone. The complaints (from residents) have been reasonably low and the results have been spectacular.” The green iguanas are a nuisance to some residents and farmers as they often feed on houseplants and food crops. They also put pressure on the threatened native blue iguana population. Contractors have been hunting and killing the lizards since late October 2018. Burton said they are nearing 1 million iguanas that have been removed. Even though the numbers are impressive, Burton cautioned that the culling effort needs to continue in force. “These iguanas can literally double their numbers in a year,” he said. “If we stop now, we could be back to square one in three or four years.” In the coming months, he said, further culling may require taking a district-by- district approach. He said there would likely be greater efforts in getting permission for cullers to operate on private property. Aggressive measures need to continue on the Sister Islands as well, he said. Government also needs to decide what the endgame for green iguanas looks like. Cayman will likely never be rid of the reptiles. “Eradication is really unrealistic,” he said. “Even if we could, (Cayman) would be re-infested in no time. Almost all the islands in the Caribbean have this problem.” Culling pays off but battle goes on 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1 million .2 million Week 49 (30 Sept.-5 Oct.) Week 1 (29 Oct.-3 Nov.) Pace to reach 1.3 million 955,871 1.3M Estimated number of green iguanas, as of August 2018. 103,000 Estimated number of green iguanas, as of August 2019. Culler Darvin Ebanks takes aim at a green iguana in a wooded area in South Sound. cayman compass news N news WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019 3- Provide fast & efficient service wherever you are on the island. - We pick up vehicles & get them licensed and inspected at an affordable price. This service I brought to you gives less hassle of waiting in long lines for hours. Let us take care of that for you. Monday – Saturday 8am – 6pm Get your vehicle licensed and inspected with just one phone call. Contact us Today: Tel: (345) 329-2554 Email: laceyjones817@gmail.com Indefensible of Premier Alden McLaughlin to hold the Port Berthing Referendum vote six days before Christmas, 2019! "The country has to get on with it," he said? That "travelling voters" can request referendum ballots? Will the voice of the Caymanian people re: the desecration of George Town harbour be muffled by our premier? Traffic nightmares, legion in George Town, will be nothing compared to downtown traffic jams if the huge concrete mega-cruise ship berthing is constructed against the people’s will in Hog Sty Bay. Seafront development and destruction of Cayman's pristine undersea environment are not ideas that will benefit the Caymanian people during this era of climate warming and change (viz. rafts of Sargasso Seaweed skirting even the seashore of George Town). The Boston Tea Party in America on 16 December 1773 was nothing compared to the Cayman Islands Government's arbitrary Christmas Referendum Party in the Cayman Islands this December. – Nan Socolow The Cayman Compass encourages community dialogue on important public matters and is eager to receive letters to the editor that contribute posi- tively to that discourse. Every effort is made to publish submitted letters in our print and online editions that meet our criteria. Readers are limited to three published letters per month. Letters are accepted at the editor’s discretion based on the following criteria: • Letters must be no longer than 350 words. • Letters must be written with sensitivity to Cayman Islands’ multi-cultural society and in respectful language that avoids inciting violence or is any way derogatory towards others’ race, religion, or sexual orientation. • Letters must be based on verifiable information; the Compass reserves the right to fact-check letters. • The Compass reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and AP style. • The Compass reserves the right to cut letters to fit available space in the print edition. Letters will usually run in full length online. • Letters must be signed by the author and con- tain a contact telephone number and/or email address. • Due to time constraints, the Compass cannot notify individuals as to whether submissions will be published. The views and comments expressed in letters sub- mitted to the Cayman Compass, its website or any associated social media platforms, are those of the writer and not those of Compass Media. LETTERS I’ve been hesitant to wade into the debate around the new cruise port and cargo facility but a recent letter in your paper has compelled me to enter the fray. Not as an adversary either, for I have been absorbing the pros and cons from the side lines of the debate for months now and gaining a clearer understanding. The writer said three things that are true: tourism is vibrant; cruise tendering has been vital to the growth of our cruise industry; and we are a very popular destination for cruisers. I think the local tourist trade is vibrant for many reasons: a great location in the northwest Caribbean, beautiful natural environment, ideal weather conditions, and decent, friendly people who do not harass or intimidate our visitors and low crime. However, I believe the main reason is that, whilst there is some government oversight, the local tourism industry regulates itself and behaves accordingly, with several associations and co-ops to guide the members. Our tour operators and hospitality workers understand that visitors become our friends and return to visit us as stayover tourists IF their experience as a cruise passenger has been a pleasant one. Cruise passengers are their bread and butter! The writer also said that tendering is a successful way to transfer guests from ship-to-shore. Yes, this practice is the norm in Cayman but there are significantly more ships visiting now and many more visitors each year than in the past. As I understand it, the fees/duties paid per head for cruise visitors includes a portion for tendering, which is paid to a privately-owned company. When the piers are built, instead of paying that company, those fees will pay for the piers instead. At the end of 25 years, the country will own a modern facility that belongs to the people of Cayman. For the past ‘forty-leventeen’ years the tender company has received fees for their service, and the country doesn’t even own the boats!... To read the full letter go to caymancompass.com – Jaime A. Ebanks Wading into the port debate Indefensible! Make It Stop! Traffic woes continue It’s a financial problem. Successive governments have failed to adequately invest in our infrastructure. – Brian Tomlinson Why not spend money on this instead of a cruise port that very few ordinary folk actually need. Electric/solar powered light rail line from East End to George Town. – Keith Millar GCM needs a REAL public transit system, not those minibuses, but real natural gas powered buses with set routes and times. I get wanting a personal vehicle for errands and off-hours needs, but this is ridiculous!!! – Michele Willey Irwin 19 Dec. set for referendum vote The 19th of December is fine with some people BECAUSE they do not realise the government’s plan. That a lot of voters will be off island due to it being six days before Christmas. – Brian Bodden The busiest time of the year to get a day off and so many people off island ... no respect for the people. – Ellen Cuylaerts Issues: Sargassum in the Caribbean At least it covers up all the rubbish always on the beach in Bodden Town. – Steve Kro Dr. Krishna Mani dies Our condolences. Dr. Mani was a great man. He did so much for the community. – Suzie Smith Dr Mani was a lovely person, very generous, funny, compassionate and absolutely loved the Cayman Islands. I will miss our chats in his office and at Kirk's. – Christine Maltman What they’re saying online Standards and guidelines Regarding Mr Michael Bayley’s plea to just want to be able to sell a "great vacation", ('Verdant Isle shares port plan’, 3 Oct.) please think to do so without destroying natural beauty, marine wildlife and pristine reefs. It would also be considerate of you to keep the island free of thousands more tourists who do not see Grand Cayman as its locals and long-term, outside visitors do. Why reward these tourists who will casually come in, maybe purchase a trinket or a fast-food meal, then leave; all the while creating more garbage than the island can already sustain? These are people who the island will be sacrificing its reefs for? I need to hear something that makes more sense. This fabulously wealthy CEO claims this is not about money, but selling a "great vacation." I'm not buying it. – Jennifer Arney, Chicago, USA Think about preserving our natural beauty cayman compass 4 WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019 o opinion opinion leaders & letterscayman compass5 WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019cayman compass 6 news N news WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019 We’re Changing our Banking Hours! The South Sound Branch will be changing the customer Banking hours effective Monday November 4, 2019 Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 4:00pm Friday 9:00am - 4:30pm We look forward to welcoming you . ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia Potential voters upset over poll date cartoon It's 3am - By Caymanman newsnews Potential voters upset over poll date referendum had been called in January. From 1 July to 1 Oct., a total of 207 people signed up to be added to that list. However, with the date set for 19 Dec., only the 21,217 voters on the 1 Oct. official list will be eligible to vote. Glidden said she was hoping the referendum would have been held in January. “I think they should have considered us, because it had been advertised that Tuesday was the last day and they [Elections Office] said, ‘Please register by that date so you can vote.’ There were several people I know who registered to vote in order to vote in the referendum and now they cannot,” she said. Another newly registered voter, Jackie Myles, shared the same view. “With the Referendum Bill proposing December 19th for the vote, I will not be able to participate as it stands now,” she said. She said she felt it was important for her to register. She said she wanted Governor Martyn Roper to consider their plight. “The importance of this referendum is monumental for Cayman and, as a citizen, it is important to me to participate in this process as I will certainly have to live with the outcome. Expediting the processing and completion of registrations so that myself and others could vote on 19 Dec., it would be appreciated and can make the difference in the future of myself and my family,” she told the Compass. As for Glidden, she said, it is a lesson learned, “that we should always be registered”. She added, “I lived here for 16 years and just got my status, so I went to get it done. For those that are here and have had the ability to vote for a long time, [registering to vote] is something that should be done as soon as you can and if you are Caymanian and eligible to vote, you should get on it." As for those who can vote, Glidden said, “I just hope that people who are registered will get out and vote.” Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell declined to comment. Premier Alden McLaughlin touched briefly on the issue in an interview with the Compass last week, saying the prospect of a referendum had been on the radar for some time. “Anyone who wanted to prepare to vote had a year in which to register and do all those things,” he said. Meanwhile, George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan has written to Howell requesting that representations be made to Cabinet to allow the names of newly registered voters to be added to the register of electors list so they can vote on Referendum Day. The publication dates for the Official Register of Electors are set out in detail in the Elections Law. There is no legal provision or discretion for the Official Register of Electors publication dates to be changed. The official list is signed off by the revising officer, who is the chief magistrate; the governor does not sign off on the list. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky “I am disappointed.” So said newly registered voter Kasey Glidden as she expressed frustration on Monday over government’s decision to name 19 Dec. as Referendum Day. The Cayman Compass featured Glidden last week as she registered to vote specifically to have her say on government’s planned $200 million cruise-berthing and cargo port project. “That was the reason that I went on Tuesday (1 Oct.) as early as I did, so that I could get in for the referendum, and now I cannot vote. So, it was a wasted trip,” she told the Compass. Glidden was among several voters who turned up at the Elections Office on 1 Oct. to beat the registration deadline so they could be added to the new electors list, which becomes official on 1 Jan. Those on that list would have been able to vote if the “There were several people I know who registered to vote in order to vote in the referendum and now they cannot.” JACKIE MYLES , newly registered voter Kasey Glidden signing her registration form at the Elections Office last Tuesday, the deadline to get on to the 1 Jan. electors list.The UK’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mark Lancaster, is arriving Wednesday, 9 Oct., for a four-day visit. During his visit, the minister will discuss disaster-relief issues with local officials and meet with uniformed departments, including police and Customs and Border Control. He is scheduled to meet with the RCIPS Air Operations Unit to talk about the support offered to the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian. The helicopter and crew deployed to the country last month to support the relief effort. He will also meet with the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps to learn about their training and programmes, and will visit the Red Cross and Hazard Management Cayman Islands to discuss disaster preparedness, according to a press release from government. Lancaster will also tour the police marine base and meet with CBC at the airport. During his visit, he will also address delegates from around the region at a five-day Economic Exclusion Zone Export training course, hosted by the RCIPS and facilitated by the UK Ministry of Defence. According to the press release, since the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was passed, most countries have claimed waters, but few have increased their enforcement agencies proportionately. The EEZ Export Course “encourages nations to optimise their limited resources by developing regional solutions to issues and sharing information and resources with internal stakeholders”. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The latest batch of Cayman’s finest have laced up their boots and hit the streets. The police recruits, 11 men and 11 women, have now been assigned duties. According a police statement, the new constables have embarked on a tutored phase of on-the-job training with an experienced officer. During this phase, they will be assessed for their suitability for independent patrolling. “Continuous assessments throughout their two-year probationary period will follow, until they are eventually confirmed in rank by the Commissioner,” the statement added. The recruits, who graduated on 26 Sept. and range in age from 19 to 41, were the second class of 2019. They completed 15 weeks of training under the Initial Recruit Foundation Course. The class also includes a former RCIPS civilian staff member and seven former auxiliary constables who have made the transition to police constable. Graduate Hershell Thompson, in his address at the graduation, reflected on the rigours of the training they went through. “There’s no doubt that we challenged ourselves physically and mentally. We constantly strove to overcome our weaknesses and replace them with newfound strength and confidence,” Police Constable Thompson said. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne reminded the new constables that “policing is a rewarding and noble profession”. He encouraged the new officers to always put integrity first when it comes to their work. “Police work is a business of partnership, and partnerships rely on trust,” Byrne said. “To be a good officer, you must be trusted and rely on your integrity. Your communications with the community must be open and honest. Integrity is about consistency, you must do the right thing at all times, even when no one is watching.” Governor Martyn Roper commended the new officers as he welcomed the diverse group into what he said can be a “very challenging” career. “I was very pleased to see that among those passing out was again a good contingent of Caymanians, and also 11 female officers, indicating that we are achieving an improving level of gender balance in the recruitment process,” he added. Three of the recruits were given four special awards at the ceremony: PC 253 Delmar Alexander received two awards: Team Spirit and Best in Drill. PC 443 Sherice Williams received the Most Improved award. PC 384 Winsome Anderson received the Best Academic Student award. The RCIPS is accepting applications year-round for local police constables on its website at www.rcips.ky. ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Orane Hare, 28, was sentenced to nine months in prison Tuesday for importing methamphetamine. The court heard that a package arrived addressed to Hare at the airport post office on 10 May this year. Customs officers who inspected the package found a heat-sealed envelope containing 28.3 grams of a white powdery substance, which was later found to be methamphetamine. Officers also found trace amounts of the drug ketamine. A few days later, Hare arrived at the post office, presented his ID and tracking number receipt and claimed the envelope. When officers arrested Hare, he initially told them he was picking up the package for his “cousin” Kevin. When they checked out his story, the officers found he did not have a cousin by the name of Kevin. In court on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Darlene Oko told Magistrate Grace Donalds, “Hare has spent the last five months in remand. However, the Crown finds that it may not be enough, given the amount of drugs that was imported.” Hare’s lawyer, Jonathon Hughes, told the court his client was “economically vulnerable”. “Hare is a Jamaican man who earns $250 per week,” said Hughes. “He was exploited, like so many other young men. The police have indicated there is a network of individuals who disguise themselves, by paying them [young men] to put their name and address on packages and then go and pick it up from the post office.” The lawyer told the court that in the social inquiry report, Hare said, “It was just pure pressure, I just wanted to fit in. … I have learnt my lesson, and I just want to go home.” Magistrate Donalds, in imposing the nine-month sentence, took Hare’s guilty plea into account. The time spent in custody is to be deducted from his sentence, and a deportation order has been made. Cayman's newest police recruits strike a pose on graduation day on 26 Sept. UK Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster UK Armed Forces minister to visit Cayman this week Man sentenced for importing meth 22 new constables suit up 19-41 Age range of new constables The new constables have embarked on a tutored phase of on-the-job training with an experienced officer. cayman compass 7 news news cayman N news WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019VICTORIA WHEATON vwheaton@compassmedia.com C ayman’s community may remember a documentary titled ‘Bright Spot’, released in 2015. In it, health and wellness professional Tamer Soliman looked at the benefits of coconut products, their links to the Cayman Islands’ history and culture, and why they deserved a revival. The film was shown at the CayFilm Festival and was an Official Selection of the Miami Independent Film Festival, among others. Now, Soliman is back with a new film – ‘The Great Disconnect’ – focused on a more universally relatable problem: social isolation. What began as an idea in the mountains of Jamaica ended up taking the crew to cities in Canada and the US. They talked with experts about the phenomenon of people feeling more disconnected from each other than ever before, even in this world dominated by social media. The team is now ready to show the finished product to the public. It will be premiering at the Camana Bay Cinema on 11 and 12 Oct. with two screenings each evening at 6 and 8pm. Each screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the producers and on the first night, there will be an after-party to which ticket holders are invited. It has taken three years to complete the project, which actually began as a shorter film. CayFilm audiences may remember it screening as a 42-minute piece in 2017. In that same year, a distribution agency approached the executive producers to suggest that a longer film would be more marketable. It wasn’t until Nov. 2018 that the 60-minute version was finished, followed by work on a distribution strategy. Although film festivals are normally the well-trodden path that filmmakers take after finishing a new project, this time the producers are going along a different route. They have a distribution contract with a California agency and have had screening requests from international locations such as Australia, Sweden and the UK. They are also licensing the film to non- profits, NGOs and educational institutions looking to screen it at conferences, educational events or town hall gatherings. Q&A with Tamer Soliman You say this all started in the mountains of Jamaica? Yes. Before making this film, I had been aware of the concept of community wellbeing, but I never really thought too much about it, and I definitely didn’t think it was a key factor in achieving optimal health. Working as a health and wellness professional for over a decade, I advised my clients that health was defined by two things: what we ate and how much we exercised. But all of that changed after a trip to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Rob Tyler, my good friend and director of photography, and I stayed a few nights in a small "My hope is that by watching this film, people will reflect on the idea that to be well, we need to find ways to come together." mountain camp, outfitted with just the basics for simple village life. There was just an amazing sense of community there. Obviously technology, smartphones and tablets have contributed to the era of social isolation. What do you feel is the solution to keeping usage in check? What we learned from our interviewees Dr. Tara Gruenewald and Sherry Turkle is simply that people need to engage in more activities that don’t involve screens. [Setting] boundaries in the household, like no gadgets at the dinner table, in the bedroom, while driving, etc. is very valuable [for] keeping us in check. If you’re a parent, you need to model the behaviour you want to teach your child - meaning that we all need to become more reflective of our own screen usage in order to create change around us. The social norms around phones and tablets have changed drastically - not in a good way - and we need to instead focus on creating opportunities for real face-to-face conversation and ‘call each other 'The Great Disconnect' film premiere TAMER SOLIMAN From left, Rob Tyler (co-director, director of cinematography), Jim Morrison (assistant director of photography), Ron Finley (community activist and 'gangster gardner'), Tamer Soliman (director and producer) and Sarah Douglas (writer and story editor). cayman compass 8 L living WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019Everyone always talks about the ‘good old days’ when times were simpler. Each week we will be publishing old photos of Cayman. See if you recognise the places and the people in them. George Town Bayview Hotel, which is long gone and is now the Anchorage Centre. Courtesy: Ivan Burges Looking back in time Native plant of the week Strawberry or White Stopper Species Eugenia axillaris Family: MYRTACEAE Height: 10 feet high x 4 feet wide (large-leaf specimens are 20 feet high x 10 feet wide) Growth habit: Slow-growing erect evergreen Flowers: Small cluster of white flowers Attracting nature: Butterflies and birds Soil requirement: Well-drained soil Light requirements: Dappled shade to full sun Environmental tolerance: Fairly salt- and drought-tolerant This evergreen tree is a cornerstone plant. It is critical to its environment as it provides nectar to butterflies; fruits to birds; and flexible wood to humans for their shelter. Culturally, the Strawberry Tree's branches were weaved to make Caymanian wattle-and- daub walls in old houses and jam was also made with the fruit. This plant is found in two varieties, with small or large leaves. While some of the large- leaf specimens have an interesting red-on-green-leaf pattern, most have bright red new leaves that are quite showy. Horticulture potential: This versatile, slow-growing evergreen tree is also well suited for manicured hedges. It is an all-around perfect landscape material with its striking white blooms and colorful berries that invite butterflies and birds to your garden. bio: Joanne Mercille Mercille has called Grand Cayman home since 1997 and she has a keen interest in local flora. She is curator for the National Trust Herbarium and has created an online database for public viewing of the physical herbarium. She is also webmaster for www.caymanflora.org and owns Caribbean Blooms – a native plant nursery. Website: www.caribbeanblooms.ky. She is an avid gardener and member of the Garden Club of Grand Cayman. out’ when we are sliding into bad habits (i.e. unnecessarily checking phones during meetings, dinner parties, etc.). What is the best way to get the message across to the public? Is not social media one of the necessary ways to spread the word, and does that not in some way counteract the message behind the movie? Social media is definitely a tool we are using to market the film. In ‘The Great Disconnect’ we caution people to be aware of the time they are spending online and/or on screens. In an ideal world, we would be able to engage in online communities and social media to complement our ‘real world’ activities and relationships, but because of the addictive nature of these devices and applications, many people struggle with finding a balance. Our goal by promoting our movie online is to encourage people to have more meaningful and frequent in-person experiences. What did you learn about isolation affecting wellbeing? [When] I met with experts in economic, social and urban design, I discovered how multifaceted this idea of community wellbeing is, and the ill effects that happen as a result of community breakdown. These issues not only impact personal health and wellbeing but the health and wellbeing of communities on a much larger scale. Loneliness and social isolation are being labelled as epidemics - epidemics that may become one of society’s biggest challenges of the 21st century. Making this film has changed my definition of what it really means to be healthy - physically, emotionally, and socially. My hope is that by watching this film, people will reflect on the idea that to be well, we need to find ways to come together. The health of society as a whole depends on it. l Engage in a healthy diet l Exercise regularly l Create and maintain meaningful friendships l Join in social activities to meet new people l Learn something new l Find a hobby l Get a pet l Become an active member of your community through volunteering Tips to combat social isolation Rob Tyler, director of cinematography, sets up a shot. cayman compass 9 L living WEDNESDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2019Next >