cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Wednesday, 6 November 2019 Cayman boxers fly to Bahamas for tournament Page 12 Winter NiCE registration begins next week Page 6 CUC: Hot weather brings record power demand Page 9 School-zone speeding Police nab 100 Page 3• 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) BLACK & BLUE (R) 1:30 | 4:15 | 7:00 | 9:35 GEMINI MAN (PG13) 12:50 | 3:45 | 10:00 HARRIET (PG13) 12:45 | 3:45 | 6:50 | 9:50 JOKER (R) 4:00 VIP | 10:00 VIP MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (PG) 12:55 | 3:40 | 6:25 MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (R) 12:30 | 6:40 | 9:10 TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (R) 12:45 VIP | 3:40 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 MUSIC @ THE CINEMA SLAYER: THE RELENTLESS KILLOGY (R) 7:00 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” Cloudy skies with a 60% chance of showers and some thunder weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 90°F 78°F HIGH LOW WINDS Southerly at 5 to 10 knots SEA STATE Southerly at 5 to 10 knots Iguana cull reaches one year Just over a year ago, the Department of Environment launched its island-wide cull of invasive green iguanas. As of 2 Nov., the cullers had removed 1,028,305 of the animals from the population. The cull began on Monday, 29 Oct., and in its first week, cullers delivered 53,953 of the animals to the George Town landfill – the largest number recorded in a single week, though it is likely that many had been culled beforehand and delivered to the landfill once the exercise officially began. Over the past year, the weekly numbers have fluctuated from its high in the first week to a low of 4,925 in its 40th week, 29 July to 3 Aug. In fact, the cull numbers slowed throughout the summer months, as hunting efforts were impacted by heavy rainfall during the wet season. The iguana cull topped the one-million mark last week. The Department of Environment had set a target of 1.3 million iguanas by the end of this year, but at the current rate, Fred Burton of the DoE, who is spearheading the culling initiative, said it seemed likely that 1.1 million would be culled by the end of 2019. Cayman’s green iguana cullers are being paid $4.50 per iguana, with that sum rising to $5 if they meet monthly and annual targets. The latest green iguana survey, carried out by the DoE in August, indicated that the cull appears to be working, with population numbers dropping more than 90% since last year’s count. Earlier surveys, done over the previous five years, had shown that the green iguana population had increased fivefold from 2014 to 2018, from about 254,000 to about 1.3 million. 0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 Week 1 (Oct.29 -Nov. 3) Week 53 (28Oct - 2Nov) Cumula�ve totalPace to reach 1.3 million Free flu vaccines available This year’s flu vaccine has arrived at the Health Services Authority hospitals and clinics. Director of Primary Health Care, Dr. Samuel Williams- Rodriguez, said in a statement that the vaccine for the seasonal flu will be available at Cayman Islands Hospital, district health centres in Grand Cayman, Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac, and the Little Cayman Clinic. The flu vaccine is free to all residents and no appointments are necessary. “We recommend that people get vaccinated as soon as possible and definitely before the peak of the flu season, which ranges between December and January,” Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said. For more information, call 244-2621 or 244-2889, or email publichealth department@hsa.ky. Local students receive grants Three Cayman teenagers have become the first recipients of an annual grant from the recently established Derek De Silva Charitable Family Trust. Aleek Rose, 16; David Deandre Ebanks, 18; and Michael Pearson, 17, received cheques from Derek De Silva last month. “The recipients this year are all local students enrolled in various programmes at local learning institutions and are currently pursuing their dreams of being a nurse, pilot and film actor, respectively,” stated a press release announcing the grants. De Silva said he was grateful that the students had come forward and allowed him to assist with their needs. He requested the students “pay a good deed forward to assist others in need”. He said, “This gesture of financial assistance was made more special having met the three students in person. I promised to meet with them again in six months to assess their progress.” He added, “It also brought back memories of my teenage years and the opportunities provided to me by total strangers.” The purpose of the Derek De Silva Charitable Family Trust is to distribute a financial grant of a maximum of $10,000 each year “to relieve Caymanians resident anywhere in the Cayman Islands who are in conditions of need or distress by reason of their social and economic circumstances,” the release stated. The next application period will start on 31 May 2020. Derek De Silva with grant recipients, from left, Michael Pearson, Aleek Rose and David Deandre Ebanks. cayman compass 2 news N news WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019cayman compass 3 WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019cartoon Cayman Holidays - By Caymanman 100 face prosecution for speeding in school zones More than 100 people have been warned for intended prosecution and 10 have been disqualified from driving this year after speeding in a school zone. Police said most of the infractions occurred at the Red Bay and Savannah primary school zones. The speed limit in school zones, during designated drop-off and pick-up times, is 15 miles per hour. The penalty for breaching the speed limit is $40 per hour over the limit, double the usual fine of $20. If drivers exceed double the speed limit in school zones, they can lose their licences for more than six months and get a speeding fine. School zones are active Mondays to Fridays, at 7-9am and 2-4pm. Police noted that officers had also issued more than 330 speeding tickets in October. In about 60 of those cases, drivers were caught exceeding 60mph, meaning that, at minimum, those motorists face fines of $400 each. “Speeding continues to be one of the leading causes of road collisions and fatalities in the Cayman Islands. Traffic officers are imploring that all motorists observe the speed limits in each area and ensure that they do not speed or drive in a reckless manner,” the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said in a statement. The police outlined a number of commonly seen motoring infractions, also highlighting “the unsafe manner in which passengers travel in the back of pickup trucks”. Police said such a practice was “extremely dangerous as passengers have no way of securing themselves in the vehicle in the event of a motor vehicle collision”. Drivers of pickup trucks carrying passengers on the truck bed will be ticketed $100 for driving a vehicle with an unsecure load or passenger, police said. Officers also reminded the public to use their indicators when approaching a roundabout and when making turns on and off of public roadways. “During morning and evening commutes, officers have noticed that persons using the roundabouts are not indicating to the lane they wish to exit and this in turn causes a build-up of traffic to occur,” the RCIPS said. The offence of failing to indicate carries a traffic fine of $100. The use of cellphones while driving also continues to be an issue, police said. Drivers using their cellphones, if caught by police, face a fine of $150. In addition, “In the event of a motor vehicle collision, distracted drivers may be charged with careless driving and other similar offences,” police said. Police issued 330 speeding tickets last month. School zones are active Mondays to Fridays, at 7-9am and 2-4pm . Miller flags North Side Pirates Week committee’s spending RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Legislator Ezzard Miller said he will be asking two investigatory bodies to look into the finances of the North Side District Committee and its use of public funds. This follows a Pirates Week Office announcement last week that district day activities planned for 14 Nov. in North Side had been cancelled. “Given the continuing financial reporting failures of the Pirates Week Committee in North Side, I would be asking the Auditor General to look into the use of public funds by the North Side Pirates Week Committee. I will further be reporting the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation into whether there has been any misuse of public funds,” North Side MLA Miller said in a letter to the Cayman Compass Tuesday. The Pirates Week Office said in a statement that the North Side District Heritage Committee, responsible for making arrangements for its Pirates Week festivities, had become inactive. Miller said that he will be requesting the national Pirates Week Office confirm receipt of adequate, proper and complete accounts from the North Side District Council for all funds received by the council to assist the district’s Pirates Week Committee in 2018. In his letter, Miller said he was only made aware last week of the situation with the district’s Pirates Week preparations when he was contacted by the Pirates Week Office. “Explaining the situation, the Pirates Week Office disclosed that [it] had not received an entry for the district for the float parade and that, from all appearances, arrangements for the district’s observance in the usual Heritage Day event were not in train,” Miller said. He said, when the Pirates Week Office asked for his help, he enquired as to the problem. “I was told that the office could not advance the funds because, yet again, proper accounts, other than a spreadsheet with no supporting documentation, had not been submitted by the Pirates Week Committee,” he said. Miller said, for his part, he was “concerned, disappointed and somewhat embarrassed” that, for the first time since its inception, Pirates Week would not be formally observed in North Side. Miller said this was not the first time that financial issues had arisen with the committee. He said when he assumed elected office in 2009, he established the North Side District Council, which subsequently assumed the management of the Pirates Week Committee. In 2012, the then-tourism minister transferred the district’s Pirates Week Committee from the ambit of the North Side District Council, he said, and appointed Jay Ebanks to the committee’s chairmanship. Miller said that, in 2017 and 2018, the North Side Pirates Week Committee had difficulties securing advances from the Pirates Week Office for the district’s float and Heritage Day activities because of failures in the provision of proper accounting. The District Council, he said, stepped up and, with his support, received the requested funding from the Pirates Week Office for the district’s Pirates Week Committee. “Subsequently, the District Council submitted to the Pirates Week Office invoices and other documentation of spending from the funds disbursed by the Pirates Week Office,” Miller said. Responding to Miller’s comment, Ebanks, who resigned as chairman of the North Side Pirates Week Committee in 2016, told the Compass that there was no impropriety involved. In an emailed response, Ebanks said, “I am confident in my team and all records that we have and, at the end of the day, everything will be fine. We have done nothing wrong. "We will be publishing our financial records for 2016 for everyone to see. I'm disappointed in the Pirates Week Office that they would allow this to go on when they know better." Miller and Ebanks were competing candidates for the North Side constituency in the 2017 elections, which Miller won. 4The 8 th Annual KPMG Brain Bowl Tournament We were excited to host our annual KPMG Brain Bowl Academic Tournament that took place on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. The entire event was streamed live which is available for viewing at anytime on our KPMG in the Cayman Islands Facebook Page . First place went to Triple C School, with Clifton Hunter High School and St. Ignatius Catholic School placing second and third respectively. Triple CClifton HunterSt. Ignatius Denise SuicoChad Powell Jr. Adam Godfrey Gabriella KingCharlotte DowellKieran Finch Manusri PrabhakarChloe McClymontMax Marland Michael HancockRuby PiletaOisin McGeough Nasier LevyThaddeus SolomonSahil Jyoti This year we introduced a new team award, the “Team Sportsmanship Award” which was presented to Layman Scott High School for their display of great team work during the event. In our continued effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we also introduced the use of Boogie Boards - a writing tablet that students used instead of paper to solve mathematical or spelling questions while competing. Congratulations to all students that participated in the tournament representing twelve of our Island’s high schools. kpmg.ky © 2019 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm. 1 st Place - Triple C 2 nd Place - Clifton Hunter 3 rd Place - St. Ignatius Team Sportsmanship Award - Layman E. Scott cayman compass 5 WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019Government will open registration next week for the winter edition of its National Community Enhancement (NiCE) programme. Registration is set for Wednesday, 13 Nov., at the Lions Centre at 9am. The latest iteration of the project will begin on Monday, 25 Nov., and run until Friday, 13 Dec. According to a government statement, registration is only open to unemployed Caymanians and spouses of Caymanians for three weeks of work. The sign-up and orientation session will end at noon, and latecomers will not be allowed to register. Government also ran a NiCE programme during the summer this year to help deal with the influx of sargassum washing ashore, and 486 Caymanians signed up for that project. Application forms are available at district libraries in Grand Cayman, MLA offices and at the Government Administration Building. YesterdaY's sOLUtIONs 1234567 8 9 10 11 1213 14 151617 1819 20 21 22 23 1234567 8 9 10 11 1213 14 151617 1819 20 21 22 23 Puzzle 16214 ACROSS: 1 Caustic, 4 Curia, 7 Away, 8 Fallible, 10 Play possum, 12 Seeing, 13 Ravine, 15 Hit the roof, 18 Remedial, 19 Core, 20 Naked, 21 Exposed. DOWN: 1 Cramp, 2 Unawares, 3 Classy, 4 Calculated, 5 Ruby, 6 Average, 9 Open-minded, 11 Timorous, 12 Saffron, 14 Strafe, 16 Field, 17 Amok. aCrOss 1 Glittering (9) 8 Proportion (5) 9 Share of the spoils (4-3) 10 Develop gradually (6) 11 A breed (6) 12 Disgraceful (8) 15 Be overbearing (8) 18 Assault (6) 20 Discern (6) 21 Appropriate (7) 22 Free (5) 23 Straight away (4,1,4) dOWN 2 Respond (5) 3 Room to manoeuvre (6) 4 Endless (8) 5 Unimportant details (6) 6 A rich English cheese (7) 7 Become frenziedly violent (2,7) 11 Run away (9) 13 Temporarily (3,1,4) 14 Feeling (7) 16 Silvery-white metal (6) 17 Standing (6) 19 Division of long poem (5) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16215 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. Victim fights back ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A convicted murderer, paroled in 2013 after serving 24 years in prison for killing a female shopkeeper in West Bay, returned to jail Tuesday for breaking into a woman’s home. Court documents reveal that during the early morning hours of 1 May 2019, a single mother of two was asleep in the bed she shared with her children when she was woken by a noise. Upon realising the intruder was in her bedroom, she sprang into action “to protect her children”. According to court documents, the woman punched the man, causing him to stumble. She then grabbed him by the shirt collar and slammed him against a bookshelf. As she restrained him against the bookshelf, he grabbed her handbag. The woman then began punching him in the face, stomach and neck. The man freed himself and tried to make off with her handbag. However, the woman slammed the door on his hand before he could escape, causing him to drop the bag. Although he made off on foot, police tracked him down eventually. He was identified as Phillip Glennon Ebanks, 54, of West Bay. On 5 Aug., Ebanks pleaded guilty to a single count of burglary in the Summary Court. On Monday, 4 Nov., Justice Roger Chapple sentenced Ebanks to four years and six months behind bars. In 2013, Ebanks was freed ‘on licence’ under the Conditional Release Law. He had been convicted for the 1989 shooting death of Una Yates, a West Bay shopkeeper known as ‘Miss Che-Che’. This is not the first time since his release that Ebanks has been sentenced for burglary. In 2016, he was imprisoned for four years for two 2015 burglaries - both occurring two years after he was released from prison after serving his sentence for murder. For the newest burglary, Ebanks will be required to serve a minimum of two-thirds of the four- and-a-half-year sentence handed down by Justice Chapple, which means he will be eligible for release in mid-2022. Paroled murderer jailed for burglary NiCE registration opens next week 486 Caymanians took part in the last NiCE programme. ANDREL HARRIS Aharriss@compassmedia.ky The trial of a man accused of raping a woman multiple times began in the Grand Court Tuesday. The 48-year-old man faces four counts of rape, as well as three counts of indecent assault. During the opening of the case, the jury heard that the defendant allegedly raped the woman in January and February last year in a communal home shared by the defendant, the complainant and others. Each incident was said to have occurred at night. “The complainant did not want to have sex with [the defendant], and she told him so,” said Crown prosecutor Toyin Salako. “Whenever he asked her for sex, she just did it because she was afraid to say no. He told her if she did not comply, there would be trouble for her family, and she believed him.” The alleged rapes came to light after the woman’s sister told their uncle, who then took the complainant to the police station to make the report. The defendant accepted that there was sexual intercourse and other sexual activities, but said it was all consensual. The trial continues this week. Trial begins for man accused of raping woman four times NiCE workers take part in the summer programme. The next work project begins later this month. 6BE INFORMED supPORTOurTourism.com Cruise and Cargo Port Facility PUBLIC MEETINGS The conversation about whether or not to build a cruise terminal has been ongoing for more than 25 years. We now stand at a pivotal point and must choose which way to go. Come and hear officials from Government and Verdant Isle Port Partners speak about the project and have your questions answered. ALL MEETINGS START AT 7PM TUESDAY12th NovemberMary Miller Hall, Prospect & Red Bay THURSDAY14th NovemberFamily Life Centre, George Town East, South & West SATURDAY16th NovemberVenue TBC, George Town, North & Central TUESDAY19th NovemberJohn A Cumber Primary School Hall, West Bay SATURDAY23rd NovemberSavannah Primary School Hall, Savannah & Newlands TUESDAY26th NovemberBodden Town Civic Centre, Bodden Town East & West TUESDAY3rd DecemberEast End Civic Centre, East End THURSDAY5th DecemberNorth Side Civic Centre, North Side Existing Cargo Port 2015 Design New Design LEGEND The Insurance Broker for all your Insurance needs Unit# 10B Cayman Falls | P.O. Box 11118 Grand Cayman KY1-1008 Tel: 345-943-2475 | Fax: 345-943-2472 Email: info@cipil.net www.cipil.net Relax You’re with us. Public Holiday Publication Deadlines PLEASE BEADVISED There will be no newspaper on Monday, November 11 Remembrance Day (Public holiday) Edition Monday, November 11 Tuesday, November 12 Wednesday, November 13 Thursday, November 14 Friday, November 15 Booking Deadline No Publication Wednesday, November 6 Thursday, November 7 Friday, November 8 Tuesday, November 12 Day Remembrance cayman compass 7 WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019ADVENTURE AWAITS Career is an adventure. We can take you where you want to go. steppingstonesrecruitment.com GEORGE NOWAK “Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria and terrestrial invertebrates such as fireflies. In some animals, the light is bacteriogenic, produced by symbiotic organisms such as Vibrio bacteria; in others, it is autogenic, produced by the animals themselves.” Gee, thank you Wikipedia for all those fancy words. Actually, Darwin described it better for the average non-marine biologist. “While sailing on one very dark night, the sea presented a wonderful and most beautiful spectacle. There was a fresh breeze, and every part of the surface, which during the day is seen as foam, now glowed with a pale light. The vessel drove before her bows two billows of liquid phosphorus and in her wake, she was followed by a milky train. As far as the eye reached, the crest of every wave was bright, and the sky above the horizon, from the reflected glare of these livid flames, was not so utterly obscure, as over the rest of the heavens.” The bioluminescence marvel also takes place on land. I recall, as a young lad, my friends and I would collect fireflies, also called lightning bugs, and place them in a mason jar where they would light up our makeshift tent in my backyard. We’d observe them, shake them and talk to them until the wee hours of night before they’d succumb to a lack of oxygen by daybreak. Nowadays, you can actually buy custom-made jars for the glowing beetles on eBay and Amazon. Overseas in non-tropical, densely populated areas, fireflies are disappearing, and it’s not because of the awful kids who incarcerate them. Urbanisation, it seems, is killing the firefly that thrives in meadows, woods and swamps. Fortunately, in Grand Cayman’s North Sound, in an area known as Bio Bay, we can still experience the marine version of these glowing organisms. Bioluminescent Bay is situated just north of Starfish Point. East End’s White Sand Sports which is located at the Wyndham Resort leaves (on clear calm nights) from Starfish Point around sunset time, for the 20-25 minute moderate paddle to Bio Bay. This is one of a few companies on the island that offers the Bio Bay excursion. Once entering the bay you’ll see the water go from a sparkle to a glow, with a few extremely bright clusters of bioluminescence. The vibrant light is clearly visible under the double-seated glass bottom kayaks, which truly enhance the experience. If you happen to see a firefly, please just catch, release, and watch them fly away. Cayman’s glow-in-the-dark tour Everyone 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 people in them. Looking back in time Do you remember who used to run the Cayman Arms in the old days? Let us know your answer on the Cayman Compass Facebook page. A harbour view of George Town. The Union Jack flag marks the location of the English Shoppe and upstairs was home to the old Cayman Arms. Question: The way to experience Bio Bay is by kayak, getting you in close to the water. cayman compass 8 L living WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky Higher than average temperatures in the third quarter of 2019 and a corresponding increase in air conditioning usage have pushed Caribbean Utilities Company’s sales by 8%, to 184.4 million kilowatt hours, compared to the same period last year. The average monthly temperature for the quarter of 86.5 degrees Fahrenheit was 1.1 degrees higher than in the third quarter of 2018, CUC noted in its latest earnings report. President and CEO Richard Hew said the period continued a trend of positive quarterly financial results for the company, which was continuously reinvesting in modern equipment in response to the record level of electricity demanded by CUC customers. CUC experienced a new system peak demand of 113.5 megawatts on 28 Aug. In 2017, peak demand was 105.6 MW after 103.6 MW in 2018. The company's installed generating capacity is 161 MW. Renewable capacity connected to the grid increased to 10.3 MW in September 2019 from 9.7 MW in September 2018. The company has invested $43.7 million in physical infrastructure so far this year to meet present and future demand. CUC anticipates investments of more than $270 million towards system extension and upgrades during the next five years, in line with its recently approved 2019-2023 Capital Investment Plan. Hew said major projects such as the new Seven Mile Beach and Prospect substations and the control room and control system were progressing as planned. In addition, CUC is planning to commence the recently approved battery storage project which will connect more renewable energy to the grid. “The company expects that the initial savings to the customers from the battery storage project will be approximately $1 million per annum," the chief executive said. CUC's $9.7 million operating income in the third quarter was $0.3 million higher than the same period in 2018. The company also saw a 2% increase in the number of customers to 30,254 compared to the third quarter 12 months ago. The growth in electricity sales revenues was partially offset by higher depreciation and maintenance expenses. Quarterly net earnings of $10.4 million were up $1.2 million year on year with lower finance charges and higher other income contributing to the growth. However, interest on long-term debt increased and foreign exchange gains declined. A one-off write-back of previously recognised bad debt expenses of $1.1 million by subsidiary company DataLink positively impacted the company’s other income. CUC had reserved the bad debt after regulator OfReg determined in 2017 that the way DataLink charged reservation fees to telecommunication companies for attaching communication cables to CUC’s electricity poles was contrary to the Information and Communication Technology Authority Law. OfReg ordered DataLink to negotiate a refund of the fees charged, but the company was granted a stay of the decision and filed for a judicial review. On 25 July 2019, the Grand Court decided in CUC’s favour and quashed the determination by the regulator. Butterfield is rebranding the identity of all Butterfield Group companies with a new logo that will feature a modernised version of the wyvern, a mythical sea dragon. The wyvern, which represents protection and valour, has been part of the bank’s corporate identity for over 60 years, said a bank press release. It was originally part of the coat of arms of the Butterfield family, who established the bank in Bermuda in 1858. The bank’s new corporate colours are “deep blue” and “warm gray” and, according to the bank, symbolic of sea and land in a reference to the island locations where Butterfield has its major operations. Michael Collins, Butterfield’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a press release it was the right time to rebrand, because of the group’s expansion to 10 international locations and a wider shareholder base, following the public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2016. The new brand will be adopted by Butterfield businesses in all markets. To minimise waste, the changeover from the previous marque will be phased in over several months. Clients will begin to see the new brand identity on select marketing materials in the coming weeks, but the complete conversion of all Butterfield materials, signs and online footprint will extend well into 2020. “With over 50 years of community banking and trust services in Grand Cayman, we are excited to unveil our refreshed brand to the Cayman market,” said Mike McWatt, Butterfield’s managing director in the Cayman Islands. “Our new brand reflects a sense of the modern as we continue to expand, while maintaining a firm sense of our heritage that has always been distinguishable within our Cayman community.” McWatt added the first Butterfield Banking Centre to use the new logo and updated interior design will be Camana Bay, which is anticipated to open in the coming months. Trust and fund service group ZEDRA announced the acquisition of LJ Fiduciary, from investment firm Alvarium. LJ Fiduciary will be rebranded and merged into the existing ZEDRA network. The deal is subject to local regulatory approval. LJ Fiduciary’s Swiss and Isle of Man offerings encompass global private client, fund and corporate administration services that will add to ZEDRA’s services for wealthy families and individuals, ZEDRA said in a press release. “This acquisition will give us an important opportunity to fast track our growth by diversification into different client segments in these two jurisdictions, Switzerland and the Isle of Man,” said Ivo Hemelraad, ZEDRA Group director. “It will reinforce mutual strengths and strong existing market positions. LJ Fiduciary has a first-class client and staff base and we look forward to welcoming both into the ZEDRA Group.” The deal adds nearly 50 new staff to ZEDRA’s existing headcount of over 500 industry experts across 13 countries, spanning Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe. Total staff in Switzerland will grow to more than 70 while in the Isle of Man, staff numbers will exceed 100. Robert Burton, head of LJ Fiduciary, said, “By joining forces with Zedra we believe our clients will benefit from enhanced global reach and a very positive cultural fit in a combined firm which will continue to focus on delivering high quality services to meet client needs.” ZEDRA recently announced the acquisition of Talenture, an independent corporate services provider specialising in delivering consulting and corporate services solutions for international entrepreneurs and corporations in Lugano, Switzerland. Last year, ZEDRA announced a strategic partnership with Corsair Capital in which the private equity group plans to take a majority stake in the group. Mike McWatt Butterfield unveils new corporate look ZEDRA reaches agreement to acquire LJ Fiduciary CUC: Hot weather brings record electricity demand Ivo Hemelraad CUC experienced a new system peak demand of 113.5 megawatts on 28 Aug. cayman compass 9 WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2019 B businessNext >