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For you and your team. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Thursday, 30 January 2020 New head of pensions boards Page 2 Landfill fire ‘fully extinguished’ Page 2 Man convicted in home invasion case Page 6 Earthquake aftermath Pages 3, 4 and 5 boards age 2Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) 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. 1917 (R) 1:00 VIP | 3:50 | 7:05 | 10:00 BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (R) 12:40 | 3:55 VIP | 7:05 | 9:55 VIP DOLITTLE (PG) 1:15 | 4:00 | 6:35 | 9:10 JO JO RABBIT (PG13) 1:30 | 4:15 | 6:55 | 10:00 PANGA (PG) 3:50 | 9:40 JUST MERCY (PG13) 12:45 | 6:50 THE TURNING (PG13) 12:30 | 2:55 | 5:15 | 7:35 | 10:05 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK THURSDAY, JANUARY 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-IN-CHIEF KEVIN MORALES Partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of showers. weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 84°F 73°F HIGH LOW WINDS Easterly 15 to 20 knots. SEA STATE Slight with wave of 1 to 3 feet FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Sheree Ebanks replacing Kenneth Jefferson Sheree Ebanks has been appointed the new chairperson of the Public Service Pensions Board. Ebanks’ appointment became official in November 2019, according to a press release from the board on Wednesday. The release stated that she takes up the role during “a critical time as the Public Service Pensions Plan has just surpassed US$1 billion in assets”. Ebanks said in the statement: “To take on the role of Chairperson now is exciting as the PSPB is going to be making many advancements in the next couple of years that will benefit all plan members.” Ebanks, who is Caymanian, was appointed to the board on 6 March 2018, and since then has served as chairperson of the PSPB Investment Committee. She is currently the CEO of the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants. “With the Fund now over US$1 billion and continuing to grow, the PSPB needs a very dynamic and capable leader for the Board and Mrs. Ebanks is a demonstrated professional with expertise in many critical areas and we are going to appreciate having her leadership and governance oversight as we move forward with new initiatives to better serve our plan members,” said Jewel Evans Lindsey, CEO of the PSPB. Ebanks has held various senior management positions at a major bank in the Cayman Islands, is a board member of the Caribbean Utilities Company and the RBC Royal Bank of Canada (Cayman) Ltd., and has decades- long experience in Cayman in investment management, fiduciary services, operations, marketing and business development. According to the release, she worked closely with the Cayman Islands government in the passing of the Accountants Law and accompanying regulations to ensure compliance with IFAC, the global accountancy body of which CIIPA is a member. This includes ensuring the Cayman Islands is a respected and preferred financial centre through compliance with global standards in areas such as professional development, ethics, quality assurance, auditing and accounting, as well as anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. She was also previously chairperson of the board of the University College of the Cayman Islands from 2003 to 2005 and deputy chair of the National Roads Authority. Ebanks replaces Kenneth Jefferson, who had served as chairperson of the PSPB since 2004. Jefferson will remain on the board as a director and continues to provide guidance to the PSPB, especially in the areas of audit, governance and budgeting, according to the press release. Simon Cawdery, host of Radio Cayman’s ‘Money Sense’ weekly morning show, has joined the board. A certified financial analyst with extensive investment experience, Cawdery is taking on the role of chairperson of the PSPB Investment Committee, a sub-committee of the board of directors. New head for Public Service Pensions Board The fire at the vehicle-recycling plant at the George Town landfill has been fully extinguished, ac- cording to the Cayman Islands Fire Service. A press release issued via the Government Information Service stated that full control of the site was handed back to Island Recycling, which runs the plant, on Tuesday morning, “with appropriate monitoring control measures in place to ensure a very quick response should any signs of fire be noted”. The Fire Service is continuing to monitor the recycling plant “as a precaution”. As of Wednesday afternoon, CCTV footage from the site showed no sign of any smoke. Controlled burn scheduled The department is also advising that a controlled burn will take place at the site on Friday, as part of a two- day joint waste-management training course between the Fire Service and the Department of Environmental Health. “Residents and businesses are advised that this well-managed small burn with controlled and segregated material may cause a small amount of smoke to be visible from the site. This will be closely managed by CIFS and DEH colleagues who will be on site undertaking this essential training,” the press release stated. The training course was organised last year, before Friday’s fire at the site, which sent large plumes of black smoke across George Town, the Fire Service said. It will be delivered by waste-management sector expert Tony Sperling and aims “to improve both waste management operational practices and fire fighting tactics in the event of an incident at the landfill or vehicle recycling plant”, the release stated. Fire Service: Landfill blaze ‘fully extinguished’ “To take on the role of Chairperson now is exciting as the PSPB is going to be making many advancements in the next couple of years that will benefit all plan members.” Sheree Ebanks , chairperson, Public Service Pensions Board Sheree Ebanks 2No significant structural damage identified RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Although Cayman was given the all clear following Tuesday’s earthquake, officials have urged residents to prepare accordingly for aftershocks. “We will potentially experience aftershocks for the next couple of weeks. So, we’ve got to make sure everyone’s being vigilant and knows what to do if by chance we experienced this again,” said Danielle Coleman, Hazard Management Cayman Islands director. Overnight Tuesday and throughout Wednesday, several aftershocks were registered following the initial 7.7 magnitude quake that struck Tuesday at 2:10pm. Public Works Department and National Roads Authority crews were out and about Wednesday filling in sinkholes that appeared following the earthquake. On Wednesday morning, local leaders addressed the emergency response in the aftermath of the quake at a press conference at the Government Administration Building. “I am really, really proud of the way that we have been able to respond and get things back to normal,” Premier Alden McLaughlin said as he commended Cayman’s emergency and Hazard Management teams. McLaughlin pointed out that there was no significant damage to any structures that he was aware of, as he described Cayman as “an incredible jurisdiction”. He said the islands did not lose power in the aftermath of the earthquake, but there were issues with water supply. “Although there was significant damage to some of the pipes, Water Authority has worked like Trojans all through yesterday afternoon, all through last night, to isolate where the leaks were and to have most of the island now back on water,” he said. Governor Martyn Roper, who also spoke at the media briefing, said Cayman should be pleased with the speed of notifications issued to the public and the effort from emergency responders. “We should also, I think, take credit for the fact that we’ve got the islands up and running again very quickly,” he said. “The port is open, the airport is open. We have six cruise liners here today; water very quickly restored in some areas; and checks going on,” said Roper. “We’ve done an awful lot very quickly to get back to normal. Often, in these crises, ‘keep calm and carry on’ is the mantra and I saw a lot of that in action yesterday, and I think Caymanians and our citizens can be proud of that response.” He said an assessment of the response and the lessons learned will be conducted. “There were things we did very well. I’m sure there are things we could do differently or do better, and we will be doing that at that lessons- learned exercise. And that should happen after every one of these crises,” he said. “I do think our crisis- management plans are in very good shape. They were tested yesterday and have come out well.” Deputy Police Commissioner Kurt Walton said Tuesday’s traffic chaos in George Town following the earthquake was “quite challenging”, but he was proud of his officers’ response as they remained on duty, and off-duty officers came out to help. “The three key priorities were just simple preservation of life, maintaining public safety, and just looking at all the assessments of damage. Then, how we were able to provide collaboration and [work] with the HMCI in providing a message, ensuring that the messages that were coming out of the centre were being properly delivered to members of the public,” Walton said. Coleman added that members of the public should resist the urge to rush out onto the roads following an earthquake since sinkholes and potential tsunamis can happen in the aftermath of a tremor, creating further danger for motorists who may be trapped in gridlock. Residents urged to stay vigilant after quake Hazard Management advises residents to create response plans RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Work is continuing on the creation of a mobile notification app to assist in sending out critical information to the public in times of emergencies. Hazard Management Cayman Islands director Danielle Coleman said Wednesday the app, which will be available for download, which be ready by April or May. She said the app is part of phase two of the National Emergency Notification System and will provide an integrated approach to informing the public about national emergencies, including issuing SMS and social media alerts. “We strongly encourage everyone to download this app because again, those notifications would come directly through that as one voice,” Coleman said as she addressed a media briefing Wednesday on Cayman’s response following Tuesday’s earthquake. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 2:10pm, and following the tremor, the Hazard Management emergency response began, she said. Coleman said HMCI activated the NENS, triggering a radio interruption alert across 16 radio stations at 2.27pm. She said this was only done after the potential tsunami advisory was verified by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. However, she said, prior to that verification, other alerts were issued on social media, www.Caymanprepared. ky and Facebook. “I feel very confident. It was a very robust response given that both the social media and the emergency notification radio interrupt came through within nine, 10 minutes,” Coleman said. She said a debriefing is planned for Friday. “There’ll be lessons learned from this,” she added. Coleman said Hazard Management will be working with stakeholders, including police, to ensure its response continues to be as “effective and responsible as possible”. Premier Alden McLaughlin, commenting on the response, said it could have been a different situation if the earthquake had happened at night. “I think we need to do some evaluation, some assessment ourselves, and determine how we would respond if that were to be the case,” noting that unlike for hurricanes you cannot prepare for earthquakes. “You’re flailing, quite frankly, to think about how do we respond to this? What do we do?” Coleman agreed, saying families should have an emergency plan. She also said residents should always be prepared with supplies in case of emergencies. Both she and McLaughlin addressed the issue of misinformation that spread throughout the community in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake. They both said the public should stick to getting information from official sources. They added that sharing unverified information contributed to confusion. Coleman also addressed concerns from the public about mixed messages on what to do during an earthquake. Some alerts said to stay indoors, while others said to get outside. “If you feel a very strong earthquake, like we did yesterday, don’t wait for the notification. You need to make sure you evacuate vertically as much as possible, but also, again, have a family plan in place now [for] every eventuality,” she said. Coleman said businesses should also have a plan for staff. “Family plans and work plans need to be very solid. Continuity [of] operations in a business needs to be very solid,” she added. She also said the Public Works Department was assessing structural damage of public buildings, but private buildings, like homes, would have to be done privately. The Planning Department, she said, is also performing assessments. Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers said the minimal damage sustained was a “testament” to Cayman’s building code. “Our building code, I think is second to none. The fact that our buildings have withstood such a magnitude of earthquake is a testament to that,” she added. Members of the media also took a tour of the HMCI office where the emergency response was coordinated. Coleman, during that tour, said assessments of damage around the islands were being collected and collated through an internal app to which emergency responders are all linked. Mobile emergency response app in works HAZARD MANAGEMENT TIMELINE 2:10pm Earthquake felt 2:17pm Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issues alert of 7.3 magnitude earthquake, tsunami advisory issued based on tremor size 2:20pm Hazard Management updated social media, website 2:26pm Tsunami advisory message with arrival times verified by PTWC 2:27pm NENS alert issued 2:30pm Joint Communication Service (government comms team, RCIPS and others) activated 2:34pm United States Geological Survey reports 7.7 magnitude earthquake 2:48pm Estimated a wave expected for Cayman Islands 3:04pm Alert that tsunami unlikely to impact Cayman Islands 3:49pm All clear given Hazard Management Director Danielle Coleman looks at data screens at the HMCI emergency command centre at the Government Administration Building. A large sinkhole at Seven Mile Beach.A sinkhole at Invicta Drive in West Bay. 31234567 8 910 11 12 131415 16 1718 19 2021 2223 1234567 8 910 11 12 131415 16 1718 19 2021 2223 ACROSS 1 Private (8) 5 Woodwind instrument (4) 9 Utmost extent (5) 10 Strongly resisting change (7) 11 Troops treated as expendable (6,6) 13 Irritable (6) 14 US inventor (6) 17 Menacing antagonist (4,8) 20 Largest anthropoid ape (7) 21 Excel (5) 22 Resound (4) 23 Systematic investigation (8) DOWN 1 Heap (4) 2 Growing unchecked (7) 3 Neglected and ignored (3,2,3,4) 4 Impassioned (6) 6 Insipid (5) 7 Permanent (8) 8 Unsurpassed (6,2,4) 12 Strive vigorously (8) 15 Take cover (7) 16 Getaway (6) 18 A deciduous conifer (5) 19 A winged insect (4) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16288 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. YeSteRDAY'S SOLUtIONS Puzzle 16287 ACROSS: 1 D’Artagnan, 8 Omega, 9 Warrior, 10 Poetic, 11 Kennel, 12 In a flash, 15 Hardship, 18 Remove, 20 Rescue, 21 Parable, 22 Nadir, 23 Mad Hatter. DOWN: 2 Adage, 3 Tyrant, 4 Ghoulish, 5 Nod off, 6 Neutral, 7 March Hare, 11 Katharina, 13 Approach, 14 Crusade, 16 Squirm, 17 Impart, 19 Value. CAROLINA LOPEZ clopez@compassmedia.ky The day after the earthquake, landscaper Curtis Bush found himself staring down a sinkhole in West Bay Cemetery, at the edge of which a small gravestone balanced precariously. On Wednesday morning, he and other workers were assessing damage at the graveyard following Tuesday’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake. “We saw some holes in the cemetery,” he said, pointing to the grave and saying, “It looks like it’s a TALES OF THE QUAKE Sinkholes, jellyfish and diving Curtis Bush points at a small grave that is partially hanging into a sinkhole at West Bay Cemetery. Lee Bush, dive instructor at Reef Divers, describes experiencing the earthquake while diving. cartoon Jake Fuller baby grave that has gone down, and the ground looks kind of cracked up.” Bush said that there were no holes visible on the beach. He was at his home when the quake struck. “I was at home lying in bed and my head started to feel funny, and after that I felt my bed start to shift. When I got up out of the bed, I almost fell,” he said. “When I got to my dining room table, the chandelier was going back and forth, and some pictures were dropping off the wall.” Neighbour Pam Johnson said she had been pulling into her home in her car when the earthquake hit. “As I opened the garage door, [it] was shaking, and I thought, ‘What the heck is going on?’ It sounded like it was stuck or something,” she said. “It was just rattling and I got out of the car and then I realised that everything was moving; our whole studio above the garage was moving.” Johnson said she was surprised how long the tremor lasted. Shortly afterwards, she said, she noticed lots of jellyfish washed up along the beach. Lee Bush, a dive instructor and boat captain at Reef Divers, was 40 feet underwater when he experienced his first earthquake in Cayman. He and three other divers were at Sandhole Reef when it struck. “It felt very much like a boat that was coming close to you because when you’re underwater you can hear boats and the noise was getting louder to the point where we almost thought the boat was on top of you,” he said. “But, obviously, it wasn’t, because there wasn’t a boat, but it was just very unnatural, very unnerving. At this point, you can feel your heart beating almost out of your chest.” Lee Bush said the rumble he felt go through his body built up for about 25 seconds. “It started off really slowly, it’s like a great crescendo. At that point, all the fish from the top of the reef just came straight off the wall and down, and just behind that, it looked like all the sand was coming off as well,” he said. He added that the visibility in front of him went from about 100 feet to just three or four feet. “It looked like fog rolling over mountains, the sand just came through everything and then it just literally covered everything,” he said. “In 10 years of diving, I’ve never experienced anything like that whatsoever. Never seen fish behaviour like that, never seen the way the sand moved like that, and never felt that real deep rumble before.” A sinkhole also opened up beside the roadway outside West Bay Cemetery. cayman compass 4 news N news THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY 2020Ristorante Pappagallo 16 February 2020 11:30a - 3:00p Tickets $150 ~ MC Vicki Wheaton Music Through The Ages Theme Costumes Welcome! ~ For Reservations & Ticket Sales contact: Angelique Bodden Tel. 916-6324 or info@caymanheartfund.com Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Brunch Hero’sHero’sesHero’sro’Hero’sHero’sHero’sHero’sHero’s Heart JEWEL LEVY jlevy@compassmedia.ky Chanze Dawson was walking to her daughter’s school when her body started swaying left and right. She ran under a doorway. After about a minute passed, she still couldn’t gain her balance and felt dizzy and lightheaded. The West End, Cayman Brac resident was experiencing her second earthquake. Her first was the one in December 2004. When the magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the shores of the Cayman Islands on Tuesday, many residents of the Sister Islands didn’t know was happening at first. After the shaking stopped, they made their way to shelters or higher ground. Tate McFarlane, District Administration’s district officer for Little Cayman, said he was in his office in Blossom Village when the earthquake hit. “The entire building was vibrating non-stop. It was a big hit … we didn’t feel no aftershocks though,” McFarlane said. Afterwards, he was contacted by Hazard Management Cayman Islands about the threat of a tsunami. He said everyone was put on alert and either contacted by telephone or by the police knocking on doors for people to get to higher ground, which on Little Cayman is either a little bluff in the middle of the island or the shelter along Spot Bay Road. “There was no panicking from locals or visitors, and everything went well,” he said, adding that people stayed in the shelter for about two hours until the all-clear was given. “No one received any injuries, there were no sink holes opening up or structural damages to report,” McFarlane said. Bracker Barry Morgan said it felt horrible. “I see the building moving … the government 25-metre pool spilled about 10,000 gallons of water. It looked like an ocean going across the road. I felt earthquakes before but this one [was] scary,” he said. In Watering Place, Channings Connor said that after 2pm he was sharpening his machete when he felt the ground shaking and the vibrations getting stronger every minute. His truck started moving, he was losing his balance. At first, he said, he didn’t know was going on. “The first thing that came to mind was go get my daughter. It was a frightening experience,” he said. Pam Andrews, who vacations on Cayman Brac, said she was underwater when the earthquake struck, and it sounded like the biggest boat ever was coming her way. And it kept getting louder and louder. “It was scary because we had never heard a boat that loud and we just dived deeper; 24 feet of water is not a good depth to avoid that size of a boat,” she said. Andrews said the water got silty. “My ears started hurting and I kept trying to depressure my ears. We dove for another half hour and found out later it was an earthquake,” she said. Julia Hislop in Stake Bay was taking an afternoon nap on her couch when her husband shouted there was an earthquake. “The house was swaying, there was a huge roar like thunder, we ran in the garden and the gardener said all the trees were swaying and he was having a hard time standing up. We then realised we were having an earthquake. It was quite scary,” Hislop said. Dacia Henriquez, 36, who has lived on Little Cayman since 2011, said she had just arrived at the school to pick up her daughter’s report card when the earthquake struck. “The building starting shaking. At first, I thought it was from the construction next door until the children started hollering ‘Earthquake’ and dived under the desks. I went under the desks with all the kids too,” Henriquez said. She said they waited with the four children until the shaking stopped; then the phones started ringing from the Cayman Brac School. They told them to get to the shelter or higher ground. She was also told to check the shoreline to see if the water was receding and to assist with evacuation if it was happening. “But where could we go? We were already at the highest point,” she said. She said people start filling the shelters, some driving, some walking there. Even the tourists that were staying at the resorts went to the shelters, she said. “The tourists were scared because some said they had never experienced an earthquake before,” she said. Despite the threat of a tsunami, Henriquez said most people were calm and didn’t panic. TALES OF THE EARTHQUAKE Sister Islanders shook Clockwise, from top, Pam Andrews, Barry Morgan, Channings Connor, Julia Hislop and Chaze Dawson. cayman compass 5 news N news THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY 2020To find out more about these highly regarded academic and professional programmes please contact Marjorie Corbridge at marjorie.corbridge@port.ac.uk HR PROGRAMMES TO BE DELIVERED IN CAYMAN ISLANDS IN 2020 THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH is delighted to be offering 2 CIPD accredited HR programmes in 2020 • Masters in HRM (MSc HRM) • Certificate in HR Practice (CHRP) These are fully taught on island by Faculty with substantial Cayman Islands experience. Master’s in HRM (MSc HRM) Starting 27 April 2020 Professional Certificate in HR Practice (CHRP) Starting 19 May 2020 This programme is perfect for HR profession- als and senior managers who want to enhance their people management knowledge and skills and gain a Master’s degree in HRM. The Master’s classes are delivered on island over 2 years with 5 daytime teaching blocks in each of years 1 and 2 plus a final research project The Master’s will develop your professional knowledge and understanding of HR to a high level and also your business skills: YEAR 1 SUBJECTS: 1. Resourcing and Talent Management 2. Skills for Business Leadership 3. Organisational Learning and Development 4. Leading Managing and Developing People YEAR 2 SUBJECTS: 1. Managing Employment relations 2. HR in Context 3. Issues and Debates in International HRM 4. Researching in HR FINAL YEAR: Supervised research project This Certificate in HR Practice is per- fect for those working in HR or aspiring to work in HR, team leaders, supervisors or managers looking to develop people management skills and knowledge. CHRP classes are delivered on-island in 6 daytime workshops – 20 days of teaching from May to November 2020 The Professional Certificate in HR Prac- tice will develop your HR knowledge and skills in: 1. The role of HR and the strategic business context: 4 days 2. Managing performance and rewarding employees: 4 days 3. Managing HR information: 2 days 4. Professional Development in HR: 2 days 5. Labour law, discipline, dismissal, gender equality: 4 days 6. Talent planning, recruitment, selection interviewing and on-boarding: 4 days ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Elmer Wright of George Town was convicted of robbing an elderly couple in a home invasion, and for having 112 rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, along with a string of other offences. The charges arise from two separate incidents which resulted in two separate trials, that were prosecuted by two different attorneys and heard by two different judges. The charges in relation to the ammunition and bulletproof vest dates back to July 2017 when police found the items tied in a plastic bag in a bushy plot of land along Desmond Avenue in George Town. During a two-day trial last week, prosecutor Nicole Petit told Justice Philip St. John-Stevens that a single fingerprint had been recovered from the plastic bag. That fingerprint returned a positive match to Wright’s left forefinger. The court also heard that in July 2017 Wright was fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. Data downloaded from the monitor showed Wright was in the bush for five minutes. During that five-minute window, the monitor tracked Wright at five different locations. When giving evidence, Wright said he remembered going into the bush, but he could not remember what he was doing on the day the monitor recorded his movements. “I went into the bush to [defecate] and to hunt crabs and iguanas,” said Wright. “But right now, I feel like I am being set up, because I’m hearing police saying they have my fingerprint on a bag. I don’t know anything about any bullets, or bulletproof vest. I handle [a lot of] bags and jars in that area, so someone might have just taken up a bag that I touched and used it to hide the bullets and vest.” Justice St. John-Stevens called Wright a “consummate liar”, saying he had arrived at the guilty verdicts largely by “common sense”. “I am convinced that both the ammunition and the bulletproof vest were left by the same person,” said St. John-Stevens. “I reject that some other person placed it there. He is a consummate liar and I’m sure his explanation on why he visited the bush was a lie from start to finish.” St. John-Stevens returned his guilty verdicts on Tuesday morning. Later that afternoon, Wright returned to the dock before Justice Roger Chapple to hear the verdict for his role in a home invasion and robbery. However, midway through the verdict, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocked the courthouse, forcing everyone to evacuate, and the proceedings were suspended for the day. Home invasion and robbery On Wednesday morning, Justice Chapple resumed his judgment delivery. Wright, together with brothers Nikel Thomas, 25, and Cain Thomas, 19, and a fourth man who is still facing related charges, are all said to have played varying roles in a string of offences on 17 June 2017. The Compass is not identifying the fourth man ahead of his trial. Nikel Thomas admitted to being the lookout for a police presence. Although he was not at the site of the actual burglaries, he pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and simple burglary at the start of the judge-alone trial last year. Cain Thomas pleaded guilty to attempted burglary, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence, damage to property, aggravated burglary and robbery. He then went on to give evidence against Wright. He also implicated the fourth person. Cain Thomas told the court that he, Wright and the fourth man stole a Honda car. He said, from there, the trio attempted to burgle a West Bay home. However, after being frightened away by an alarm, they moved on to Prospect where they broke into an elderly couple’s home. He testified that they kicked down the door on the sleeping couple, and then bound them to chairs with duct tape and threatened to kill them while brandishing a gun, which was never recovered. They then robbed the couple of cash and jewellery and stuck the elderly man on the knee with a hammer. At the time, all three men had their faces covered. When returning his verdicts, Justice Chapple said he relied on the testimony of Cain Thomas, cellphone data and DNA evidence. “I’m convinced that Cain Thomas’ evidence is credible and can be relied upon,” said Chapple, who then went on to reject Wright’s evidence. The judge said he did not believe Wright’s claims that he was not present at the crimes, and he rejected the notion that someone else would have stolen Wright’s phone and brought it along to commit the crimes. He added that although it is possible that someone else could have transferred Wright’s DNA onto the clothing recovered from the robbery, it was more likely that it was Wright who was wearing the clothing at the time. Chapple found Wright guilty of attempted burglary, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence, damage to property, aggravated burglary and robbery. Justice Chapple acquitted Wright of theft in relation to the stolen car. Wright was remanded into custody. Following the conclusion of Wright’s trial in late November, the fourth man was arrested in relation to the same matter. He has since made an initial court appearance and has been remanded into custody. Man convicted in home invasion case cayman compass 6 news N news THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY 2020LAURA DURSTON ldurston@compassmedia.ky The journey of women to find a place in maritime industries has not been an easy one. We’ve all heard the nautical superstitions that women on board a ship were bad luck, sure to distract sailors and anger the sea (redheads also shared this burden). “Although it was probably not believed by everyone, it was symptomatic of the male-dominated industry for centuries,” said Sherice Arman, president of the Cayman Islands’ chapter of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, an organisation for women in management positions involved in the maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide. “For example, both land- and sea-based jobs in the industry were typically held by men. It would be unheard of to have a female captain or senior crew member,” she added. The industry has always been male dominated, with any women involved being exceptional and playing mainly background roles. While they pop up in maritime history at times as famous pirates, merchant captains’ wives, sailors disguised as men, nurses on hospital ships and wartime shipyard workers, evidence of their involvement is more muted than stories of male counterparts and reveals very limited roles. Challenges for women in maritime In addition to ideological barriers to assuming any form of command, women have faced various obstacles in the maritime industry, even in modern times. “In many countries, women are not allowed to be recruited to nautical courses, or even once trained, they may face prejudice when seeking employment,” said Tannya Mortimer, single point of contact for the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs. “In addition, women working in shipping also face other issues such as having to overcome unconscious bias, developing leadership confidence, as well as having to contend with a lack of prominent role models,” she said. Challenges also include more practical ones. “There are challenges that women in the industry continue to face including appropriate unisex work attire and ensuring that the work environment is equipped with adequate facilities such as separate cabins and washrooms,” Arman noted. Shifting tides Times are changing, however. Not satisfied with a background role, women in today’s maritime industry are stepping forward and upward. Their impact - in shore-based and seagoing roles including female seafarers, captains of mega-ships, CEOs of shipping companies, and maritime lawyers, to name but a few - is thankfully becoming increasingly hard to ignore. While their place in the industry is undeniable, and numbers are growing, there is still a way to go. According to the International Maritime Organization, women represent only 2% of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers and 94% of female seafarers are working in the cruise industry. It is often difficult, however, to pinpoint exact numbers, especially in areas where official training is not necessary. In late 2019, the IMO initiated a study with WISTA International to collect and analyse data on the number of women employed in the maritime sector to improve accuracy of statistics. Increasing diversity Organisations worldwide are working to increase these numbers, expose women to the industry, enhance their contribution and move them from the peripheries of the maritime sector and into the mainstream. “Although women represent only 2% of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers, their numbers and influence are growing steadily,” Mortimer said. “Over the last decade, shipowners, international shipping organisations and companies have set out to create greater awareness and have launched initiatives to highlight career opportunities for women and contributions they are making in maritime professions.” Arman added, “The attitude of the industry towards female participation is changing significantly and consciousness of inclusion and gender diversity is at an all-time high, culminating with the theme for the IMO’s World Maritime Day celebrations 2019 being ‘Empowerment of Women in the Maritime Community’. The inclusion of women is now seen as a position to aspire to and men are now quite often the largest advocates for female participation and inclusion.” Initiatives and advocacy seem to be working. One big example of results is that Celebrity Cruises has increased the percent of women working across the brand’s growing fleet from 3% in 2015 to a record 22% in 2019. The Celebrity Edge, a frequent visitor to Cayman’s waters, has a bridge team made up of 30% women, who will be led by female captain Kate McCue this year. The cruise line, whose CEO is Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, also launched the #crewupwithwomen initiative, taking the conversation about diversity and gender equality public and challenging companies worldwide to join in. The existence of such initiatives is evidence that challenges still exist for women in today’s maritime industries. “Although it has not stifled women adamant about a career in maritime, the fact that various international efforts are ongoing to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women, signifies a glass ceiling to women in shipping does exist,” Mortimer said. “Notably, the year 2019 was said to have been the turning point for women within the shipping/seafaring industry due to the IMO launching the theme ‘Empowering Women in the Maritime Community,’ for the 2019 World Maritime Day. This certainly sent a strong message that there is an important role for women to play within the industry but more so, raised awareness that there’s more to gain by having capable women in top management positions.” While numbers are still low, women are taking up positions in a range of maritime industries. “Generally, I believe that women have become increasingly active in less traditional, formerly male- dominated careers insofar as maritime education, training and leadership positions,” Mortimer said. Arman agreed, noting a shift in reliance on physical strength in historical roles to a focus on training and brain power on modern ships. “The shipping industry itself has changed with changes in technology, the rise of digitalisation, globalisation and environmental consciousness over the last 50 years. The types of jobs in the maritime industry have also changed, giving rise to further opportunities, including for women in the sector, especially with a growing shore-based element to the industry,” she said. “In addition to careers at sea, women can now find career opportunities in maritime administrations, ports, logistics, software development, artificial intelligence and the advent of autonomous ships, shipping agencies, ship-management companies, naval architecture firms and engineering companies,” Charting a course: Women in modern maritime industries Sherice ArmanTannya Mortimer PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7» Tannya Mortimer In her role as single point of contact for the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, Mortimer has the responsibility to coordinate, monitor and report to the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency on matters such as the National Maritime Strategy; as well as to support the Cayman Islands Coordinating Body whose mandate is to oversee the Maritime Administration’s compliance with the International Maritime Organization Instruments Implementation Code (III Code). Sherice Arman Sherice Arman is partner and head of shipping on Maples and Calder’s finance team in the Maples Group’s Cayman Islands office. She is recognised as an industry leader in asset finance, in particular for ship and aircraft finance. Arman is also president of the Cayman Islands’ chapter of WISTA, an international organisation for women in management positions involved in the maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide. Formed in 1974, the group connects a network of more than 3,500 female professionals from all areas of the maritime industry. 7Arman explained. “Globalisation and world trade has changed the industry completely. Ninety-seven percent of goods traded globally are carried by sea. It is still the most economical means of transporting bulk cargo and the industry will need more and more talented people for it to thrive.” Bright future With increasing opportunities and role models such as Captain Radhika Menon, the first female captain in the Indian Merchant Navy, and Celebrity’s Captain McCue, the future looks bright for women in maritime industries, both those looking to enter and those looking to climb the ladder. “As world trade grows, technology develops and stereotypes are broken, there will be more opportunities for women in the industry,” Arman said. “Roles that have always existed will be filled by more women and as decision-makers embrace diversity, women will increasingly put themselves forward for roles – feeling more empowered and more confident to challenge expectations of the industry.” Mortimer agreed, saying, “[The recent WISTA conference held in Cayman] emphasised not only how women in the maritime world today are strong, powerful and challenge old-fashioned perceptions; but also that there is a new generation of talented women who are responding to career opportunities which are opening for women; proving that in today’s world, the maritime industry is not about your gender, but about what you can do.” CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS Guest column As the very originators of our seafaring heritage, ancestral Caymanians deserve our undivided attention in a day and age when many of our traditions run the risk of erasure. They are deserving of such attention, in part, because although patriotic impressions of Caymanian history are frequently voiced, it has become increasingly easier, amid the contemporary hustle and bustle, to miss just how essential our forefathers and -mothers were in framing the very emotional and existential stuff on which native Caymanian identity was built. To begin, a less known part of our seafaring heritage takes us back to the era of slavery in Grand Cayman, which spanned 1734 to 1835. Despite the widespread racial animus that typified chattel slavery, those slaveholding white and near-white Caymanian fishermen who had seafaring slaves, known as inferior mariners, were by May 1835 splitting their turtle and fish yields with the latter at a rate of 50%. Given that slavery was prematurely dismantled in Cayman, enslaved mariners, especially, were able to make the unprecedented jump from absolute subjugation to, in a manner of speaking, unequivocal freedom. This seafaring state of affairs effectively introduced a cultural dimension in which racial considerations became ancillary to basic understandings of remunerative parity in an economy teetering on the brink of obliteration following emancipation. It is unfortunate that there is simply not enough historical information to comprehensively chronicle the palpable- enough black (and general non-white) presence in a decidedly European seafaring tradition throughout 18th and 19th century Cayman, although this presence, as I have attempted to briefly demonstrate, was bound to leave some sort of imprint on a seafaring, Caymanian cultural identity in its prototypic stage. Implicating the continued importance of the ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE LEADERS Apply to the Articles of Clerkship Programme today. maples.com/articlesofclerkship I have been afforded the opportunity to work with leading international practitioners in the Cayman Islands and across the Maples Group’s global network. HAILEE ROBINSON ARTICLED CLERK | UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL GRADUATE How Cayman developed a seafaring identity sea and the seaman in the native Caymanian cultural imagination, Caymanian seaman Edrei McLaughlin hastens to supply a validating response for the indispensability of seamanship in shaping Caymanian culture when he provides an answer to the question of why it was that “Caymanians got this good reputation for being seamen” throughout the first six decades of the 20th century. McLaughlin’s response is confidently expressed: “We just learnt. . . . [We had] our own experiences . . . sailing boats”. Similarly, Caymanian Tenson Scott’s understanding of himself as the consummate seaman during a time of material dearth and economic hardship, links with a great seafaring past. He tells of Jamaican fishermen being angry with him “because of [his] fishening [fishing] skills…”; according to him, he was able to catch fish between his toes “when they could hardly catch anything . . . in their pots!” We can appreciate that the foregoing representations of the past positively reveal the experiences and behaviours of the experienced Caymanian seaman, thereby amassing a long-standing sensibility that can be embraced by younger Caymanians especially. Such auto-definitions of the Caymanian seaman as skilled, and by extension hardworking and perseverant, have indeed compelled many contemporary Caymanians to resurrect and perpetuate their glorious ethnic past in hopes of achieving a more complete Caymanian identification that may be expressed as follows: “We understand that our convenient and progressive lifestyle means that it is not necessary for us to live as our ancestors did; however, as history is foundational to our Caymanian existence, we should strive to memorialise our ancestral past with the knowledge that it is our past and without it, we would not be who we are today.” The survival of our heritage hinges on the passing down not only of ideas from generation to generation but, more importantly, on the passing down of emotions. According to Jean Klein et al., “[t]o be human is to be related”; as human beings, we are typically drawn to the need to associate with our familiars, notably our blood relatives. This association is, in many instances, made possible by an initial emotional contact, where emotion can be understood as a “felt experience”. To those Caymanians who are dismayed by the possibility of a dying heritage, recognise, without apology, that you are already emotionally attached to your ancestors, and so you do not need to live as they did to safeguard your past – your past has already been lived and thus felt on your behalf. Continue to immerse yourself in the history of your ancestral making, and by so doing, your past, and by extension your heritage, will achieve conscious immortality, never to be demolished by anyone or thing. Christopher A. Williams, PhD, is an associate professor of history and sociology at the University College of the Cayman Islands. His new book ‘Between a Past and Present Consciousness: Critiques of the Development of the Caymanian People’ is out now. For more information, contact Dr. Williams at cwilliams@ucci.edu.ky. Christopher Williams Women in modern maritime industries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 cayman compass 8 I issues THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY 2020Cross Island Relay is Organized by Cayman Hash House Harriers. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Special Olympics Cayman Islands. Come out and participate in the oldest running event in the Cayman Islands. Teams of 6 people run 4 miles each starting from Colliers Public Beach and finishing at Smith Cove. T-shirts for all participants. Trophies awarded in male, female and corporate divisions. Register early to avoid disappointment—race limited to 100 teams. Register online at www.caymanactive.com until 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31st, 2020. Race packet pick-up and in-person registration at Camana Bay Visitor Centre between midday & 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 1 st , 2020. Race route and rules on www.caymanhash.com. Any questions? Email caymanhash@gmail.com. REGISTER NOW 46 th ANNUAL HASH HOUSE HARRIERS CROSS ISLAND RELAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2 nd , 2020 Start Time: 6:00 AM Awards: 10:00 AM Entry Fee: CI $120 per team or US $150 per team Luxury yachts represent modern maritime business KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky While Cayman long ago exited the business of ‘exporting seafarers’, the jurisdiction has not entirely left the maritime industry. On island, diving and tourism rank among the most visible sectors that derive value from the sea. But off island, Cayman maintains a strong reputation in the shipbuilding business. In particular, Cayman has risen as a recognised and reliable jurisdiction for managing yacht construction, overseeing 43% of new builds in the superyacht business, according to statistics from the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands. That means that worldiwide more than four out of 10 new yachts over 30 metres are under Cayman supervision, and most of those clients will go on to fly Cayman’s nautical flag. While that may seem like a significant chunk of the market already, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry is aiming higher. Kenrick Ebanks, MACI’s director of global operations, hopes to reach a 50% share of the market. “Certainly, from the yachting aspect of it, the world looks to Cayman as the leader,” he said. “We are the leader.” By the end of 2019, Cayman had 2,288 units of all types under its registry, the vast majority – 1,959 – of which were ‘pleasure yachts’. The number of overall vessels registered with Cayman pales in comparison to jurisdictions like Panama and the Bahamas, where many cruise and merchant vessels are registered. But where Cayman offers value is in the yachting sector. When it comes to planning and ensuring these luxury ships are up to code, Cayman stands out. “A lot of the other flags are very restrictive. The answer’s ‘yes or no’, whereas they see us as being accommodating,” Ebanks said. “You tell us what you want, and we’ll figure out a solution.” Cayman’s place in the global shipping registry market wasn’t always so clear. As a British Overseas Territory, the jurisdiction faced restrictions that other locations, such as Panama, did not have. The relationship with the UK meant additional costs and regulations when it came to aspects such as annual inspections. “The UK itself was its own enemy because it was ‘our way or you can’t do it’. So that pushed away a lot of clients,” Ebanks said. While Cayman is still bound by UK oversight, the jurisdiction has been strategic over the decades in cornering the yacht market. This has meant active collaboration with the UK in penning updated yachting codes. In 2010, MACI worked with the Red Ensign Group to establish a Passenger Yacht Code that applies to pleasure yachts carrying up to 36 passengers. Growth in the shipping registry world also meant careful consideration of where the island offers the greatest value. “We said, where do we go? What is the angle that we can actually be successful in what we do?” Ebanks said. “So we knew at that time that yachting was transitioning. It was becoming an industry. And we could actually add value.” So far, the work has paid off. “Today, people actually seek us out,” he added. “They come to us and say the owner wants Cayman. The reputation kind of precedes the name and it helps a lot. That was how we were able to dominate the European yards, the American yards.” An area where it has not been so easy for Cayman to break into has been with cruise ship registries. Local laws regarding gambling and marriage have complicated that business for Cayman. “Obviously, those are two key lines of business on cruise ships. We have gotten over the hurdle of the gambling. The marriages have just proven to be a little more problematic,” Ebanks said. The jurisdiction has found a workaround for gambling restrictions. While cruise ship passengers are not permitted to gamble once they are in Cayman waters, such ships would be allowed to permit gambling en route from one international port to another. Overcoming additional hurdles in cruise ship registries remains a major goal for MACI. “Cruise ships, as much as some might think it’s different, a cruise ship and a yacht aren’t that much different. They’re both leisure- related crafts,” Ebanks said. Diversifying the Cayman portfolio into new areas is what keeps the registry staff motivated. “Yachting will never go anywhere,” Ebanks said, adding that merchant ship registries are important to the jurisdiction as well. “But we believe in diversification. No one would say that you should put all your eggs in one basket.” Cayman maintains shipbuilding tradition with a twist As of the end of 2019, 2,288 ships and boats were registered in the Cayman Islands and fly the Cayman maritime flag. cayman compass 9 I issues THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY 2020Next >