Contact us about Employee Assistance and other Member Benefits at 747-2000 www.generali-healthcare.com Get on solid ground with our free EAP cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Thursday, 6 February 2020 200% increase in 9-1-1 calls following quake Giant floating net recovered off George Town Rush hour roads hazardous for cyclists and runners Pages 8 and 9 Page 4 Page 3Matinees (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 | 7:00 VIP | 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 GRETEL & HANSEL (PG13) 12:35 | 2:50 | 5:10 | 7:25 | 9:40 RICHARD JEWELL (R) 12:45 | 3:45 | 6:45 | 9:45 THE TURNING (PG13) 12:30 | 2:55 | 5:15 | 7:35 | 10:00 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 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 85°F 74°F HIGH LOW WINDS Easterly 15 to 20 knots. SEA STATE Rough with wave heights of 6 to 8 feet. A small craft warning is in effect. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass cayman compass 2 news N news THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Local legislators have approved a private members’ motion calling for the creation of a climate change policy for the Cayman Islands. The motion, brought by Newlands MLA Alva Suckoo, was debated as the last order of business during Friday’s Legislative Assembly sitting. Suckoo stressed the need for a policy since it is a critical concern for these islands which are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. “This could be viewed as a political thing, but it’s not. It is a genuine effort by all of us because it is a real threat to our very existence in the long term. Most of us have young children who depend on decisions we make here today [Friday] to secure their future and their children’s future,” Suckoo said during closing of the debate. Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour acknowledged the need for the policy. A draft policy was previously created, but he said it never advanced for adoption by the government. “Given the time that has passed since that draft policy was produced, this draft policy now needs to be updated,” Seymour told the LA. He pointed out that the model used to produce, for example, predictions for temperature changes, rising sea levels and rainfall, also needed to be revisited to take into account the acceleration in climate change that has recently been documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Seymour said government considers climate change to be a very important issue, given Cayman’s potential vulnerability and the significant possible impact across a wide range of areas. “A paper is being prepared to be presented to the National Security Council outlining what steps the Cayman Islands government should be taking to address climate change,” he added. The issue, Seymour said, is also a priority for the UK, and it will form part of the discussions at this year’s Joint Ministerial Council meeting in March. He also told lawmakers that an energy policy coordinator, Kristen Augustine, was appointed last October and she is working with government entities on a facility audit of all government-owned buildings. “She has also been working on an RFQ [Request For Quotations] to obtain the cost of an energy audit which will provide information on the buildings that would benefit from the installation of solar,” Seymour added. Prospect MLA Austin Harris also highlighted what he called government’s commitment to a “cleaner, greener Cayman”. He said a planning application was submitted last month for a carport with a solar panel array for the Government Administration Building. He added that it is anticipated that the construction will be completed by the third quarter of this year. George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan shared a copy of a document he called a ‘parliamentarian’s toolkit on climate change’, which he received during his recent trip to Uganda for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting. In it, he said, were a number of resources and information about what Commonwealth countries were doing to work together to access funding in an effort to address climate change strategies from a parliamentary perspective. Suckoo welcomed the government’s initiatives and all contributions to the debate. “The Cayman Islands is still a young nation,” he said. “We’re still developing, we still have a long way to go. I think, collectively, we can give our country the best opportunity to survive, to nurture us and to sustain us, and to continue to grow into its full potential.” Climate change motion gets the green light Alva Suckoo pic of the day Family Resource Centre staff recently completed the Stop Now and Plan Train the Trainers programme. The SNAP evidence-based intervention programme teaches children with behavioural problems and their parents how to make better ‘choices in the moment’, and addresses angry thoughts and feelings, self-control, problem-solving and bullying. FRC Programme Coordinator Charmaine Miller said in a press release, “Having more of us trained at a trainer level on SNAP will allow us to train more of our new staff and train members of youth-based organisations on island interested in delivering SNAP.” Trainer Alyssa Keel, fourth from left, is pictured with FRC programme facilitators and certified SNAP trainers, Renee Ebanks, Julianne Thompson, Anne-Marie Diaz, Miles Ruby, Charmaine Miller, Brenda Dawkins and Robert Lynch. FRC staff complete SNAP trainingcayman compass 3 N news THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020 DoE rejects Marriott plan, endorses alternative proposal JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky A $1.25 million government-led ‘beach nourishment’ project has been proposed to counter erosion at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach. The proposal, endorsed by the Department of Environment, has been suggested as an alternative to a project put forward by the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort to rebuild its disappearing beach. The hotelier says it is losing millions of dollars in revenue because seasonal erosion reduces its beachfront to a sliver of sand. The DoE and its consultants Olsen Associates dismissed the Marriott’s complex proposal, which involved a system of sand-filled mattresses and ‘geotubes’, as unsightly and unworkable and has urged Cabinet to reject it. Instead, they advise a beach- nourishment programme along a 1,000-foot stretch of coastline fronting the Marriott, Tamarind Bay, Regal Beach Club and South Bay Beach Club. Wendy Johnston, of the DoE’s technical review committee, said this measure would involve depositing a large amount of sand – around 12,000 cubic yards – along the shoreline. She said it was a “short-to- medium-term” solution that should restore a viable beach in the area. But she warned erosion on this scale is a consequence of development too close to the shoreline and is likely to get worse as sea-level rise impacts Grand Cayman in the coming decades. The long-term recommendation is to move infrastructure off the active beach. “There is a process called managed retreat, which some countries, including Hawaii, have adopted to start removing and repositioning hard structures off the active beach,” she said. “In the long term, there are limited options to hold back the sea against development positioned too close to the water. Beaches advance and retreat naturally and we need to give them enough room to flex through the use of appropriate development setbacks.” That approach is endorsed in a consultant’s report, published Wednesday as an appendix to the DoE’s technical review of the Marriott application. It states, “The other parallel, reliable solution is selected local strategic retreat. Any opportunity to remove at least parts of an existing seawall to create additional upland for the beach is a means to create reliable beach recreation area and guests’ wading entry to the sea.” The Marriott’s pool and some other structures are currently built on the active beach. The report, by coastal engineers Olsen Associates, acknowledges that the hotel and adjacent properties are “experiencing both current and long-term seasonally acute beach erosion problems, and that a ‘do-nothing’ approach” is not sustainable. It recommends using 12,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand – enough to fill four Olympic-size swimming pools – for a beach- nourishment project alongside the Marriott and an additional stretch of shoreline, spanning 1,000 feet in total. This would achieve a beach- width advancement of 50 feet at mid-tide level and leave at least 15 feet of dry beach at all times, the consultants predict. The sand could be sourced from the Bahamas, for example, at a total cost of US$1.5 million, the report notes. It is not clear how this would be funded and the DoE report of 26 Nov. 2019 indicates that advancing the project will require urgent discussions between the ministries of planning and environment, which have not yet occurred. The Olsen Associates report notes the costs could be split among the property owners. “Apportioned among the four resort properties along 1,000 feet of shorefront, the individual cost may be on the order of between $300K and $450K per property, by shorefront length, without subsidy,” the report said. Compiled by the company’s president Kevin Bodge, the report is unequivocal in its recommendation that the Marriott’s proposal be rejected. “In my experience, misappropriate beach management, such as unaesthetic geotubes-mattresses and/or an over-eroded beach, has far-reaching consequences to the Cayman Islands beyond just the subject property,” he wrote. “Guests’ perception of an ugly, absent, or unusable sand beach along one major property quickly spreads like a cancer to the remainder of the beachfront, warranted or not.” He added that something should be done to address the issue in an aesthetically pleasing way. “The reputation of Seven Mile Beach as a whole can become rapidly tarnished by the lack of beach at a few discrete properties along SMB. Accordingly, prudent action to ensure the value and attractiveness of the beach along any few single properties along SMB is of great overall value to all of the properties along SMB and the Cayman Islands in general.” Million-dollar solution to restore eroding beach Sandbags were placed in front of the South Bay Beach Club on Seven Mile Beach to try to keep the sea from encroaching on the eroding sandy beach in October 2019. Cayman’s 9-1-1 emergency call centre experienced a 200% increase in calls in the hour following last week’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake, according to officials. The calls were from people reporting small fires, the smell of gas and alarms going off, as well as sinkholes and road damage, following the strong tremor that shook the Cayman Islands on Tuesday, 28 Jan., the Department of Public Safety Communication, which operates the 9-1-1 centre, stated in a press release. The Cayman Islands Fire Service responded to 20 emergency calls relating to those reports that afternoon. The 9-1-1 operators shared relevant information from the reports with the Fire Service, Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the Health Services Authority, officials said. Department officials said call taking and dispatching services continued uninterrupted during the afternoon of the quake as no damage was evident to the 9-1-1 centre. Prison response The release also addressed a decision not to evacuate Fairbanks women's prison following the strong earthquake, saying there had been no damage to the prison facilities, so “it was believed the best decision to ensure safety of all prisoners and staff was not to evacuate”. It stated that nine staff were on site at Fairbanks, including Prison Director Steven Barrett, when the earthquake struck. “The safety of all 14 prisoners and staff on site was ascertained quickly and in a calm and measured manner. Once the initial tremor had passed prisoners were advised to get under the protective cover of the metal frame beds,” the release stated. “A radio check was immediately undertaken to assess individuals’ safety across all the HMCIPS facilities,” according to the release. Prison officials said that, since the earthquake, a team of psychologists and counsellors has been engaging with prisoners and staff at Fairbanks. Similar sessions will be organised for Northward prison in the coming days. “As is the case with the aftermath of any unprecedented event, Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service has commissioned an internal review of contingency plans as part of a lessons learned exercise, which will include arrangements to support staff and prisoner emotional welfare,” the release stated. 200% increase in 9-1-1 calls following quake Fire Service officers responded to 20 earthquake-related emergency calls on 28 Jan.123456 7 89 1011 12131415 16 17181920 2122 23 123456 7 89 1011 12131415 16 17181920 2122 23 ACROSS 1 Furtively secret (10) 8 Shade of purple (5) 9 A review (5-2) 10 Follow winding course (7) 11 Apportion (5) 12 Black Sea port (6) 14 Church official (6) 17 Father’s brother (5) 19 Composer of William Tell (7) 21 Deportment (7) 22 Situated (5) 23 Fascinated (10) DOWN 2 Admire excessively (7) 3 To massage (5) 4 Frustrate (6) 5 To mimic (7) 6 Stretch of time (5) 7 Of good character (10) 8 Meaningless ritual (5,5) 13 Germ-free (7) 15 Instruction (7) 16 Sparing (6) 18 Stupid (5) 20 Discharge of guns (5) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16294 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 16293 ACROSS: 1 Hectic, 4 Walrus, 9 Weather, 10 Offer, 11 Infer, 12 At an end, 13 See the light, 18 Malaria, 20 Lapse, 22 Depot, 23 Nucleus, 24 Tremor, 25 Strewn. DOWN: 1 Hawaii, 2 Chaff, 3 Inherit, 5 Aroma, 6 Refresh, 7 Stride, 8 Greasepaint, 14 Ellipse, 15 Illicit, 16 Amidst, 17 Lesson, 19 Ratio, 21 Piece. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky A fishing device with a ghost net, measuring a total length of 877 feet, was found floating off George Town harbour Tuesday. While it is unclear if any marine animals were discovered in the device, which was described as a fish aggregating device (FAD), the Department of Environment said the discovery is troubling. “Our concern is obviously that marine life will become entangled in these nets,” a DoE spokesman told the Cayman Compass Wednesday. The DoE spokesman said one cargo net or ‘ghost net’ was attached to the FAD which was found floating in the water. “Both devices are dangerous for marine life,” the spokesman said. Mark Orr, DoE chief conservation officer, said the device and net were found floating in the harbour behind one of the cruise ships. “Harbour patrol officers from the Port Authority found what appeared to be a broken-away FAD made up of several buoys, pieces of cargo net and a long rope, drifting off of George Town harbour Tuesday morning and reported it to the Department of Environment. Conservation officers responded and removed the FAD from the water,” he said. The Port Authority kept watch on the net until DoE officers arrived and pulled it from the water onto their boat. “The FAD would have been a serious threat to our marine life, including coral reefs, if it had become entangled around the coral,” Orr added. The origin of the device is unknown but it is believed to have floated for many miles in the open ocean. While the total length was 877 feet, when stretched out on a single line, it reached more than 2,100 feet. “When people find these things, if they can safely remove them – go ahead. If not, please contact the DoE conservation unit at 926-4271 and we will go out to retrieve it,” the DoE said. Ghost nets are not new to Cayman waters and have often left a trail of death in their wake. In 2018, one of the largest ghost nets on record was discovered floating in Cayman’s waters. The tangled weighted netting spanned 40 feet across and was an estimated 40 feet deep. Various species of animals, including sharks and turtles, were found trapped in the net. Some of those animals were so badly decomposed, it was impossible to tell what species they were. Photographs of that net drew international attention. In that instance, local fishermen spotted the net and alerted the DoE. Floating net found off George Town The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained that FADs are floating objects that are designed and strategically placed to attract pelagic fish, which are fish that live and feed away from the bottom of the sea. They pose an entanglement risk to turtles and other marine animals. What is a FAD? “The [fish aggregating device] would have been a serious threat to our marine life, including coral reefs, if it had become entangled around the coral." Mark Orr , Department of Environment This fish aggregating device was found floating of George Town Harbour on Tuesday. cartoon No Fish - By Caymanman 4 THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 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 Hero’s Heart cayman compass 5 news N news THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020 Manslaughter trial in teen's drowning continues ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Youth worker Michael Anthony Stewart, who is accused of manslaughter in relation to the drowning death of a 14-year-old boy who was in his care, told a jury Wednesday that he not tried to help the boy because he could not swim. Stewart, who is on trial along with colleague Larry Levers, described to a jury the events that led up to Risco Batten’s death in the water in South Sound in November 2015. Taking the stand on Wednesday morning to give evidence, Stewart told the jury he came to Cayman in 1991 as a high school teacher. Shortly after, he went on to work for the CAYS Foundation, where he became a youth worker and was eventually promoted to supervisor, and was relocated to the Bonaventure Boys Home. The home is a government- owned facility tasked with taking care of youth deemed to be in need of care. Stewart, together with Levers who was also employed at the boys home, took a group of boys on a fishing excursion on 29 Nov. 2015. The plan was to fish off the ironshore near the Cayman Turtle Centre in West Bay. However, rough weather forced them to relocate. “At round 10am, we went to fish between Burger King and Reflections on the waterfront [in George Town],” said Stewart. “We caught three fish, but the weather got rough and it started to rain so we moved onto Paradise [restaurant] on the waterfront. We were there for about 15 minutes but left because we didn’t get any bites.” Stewart said the group then moved to South Sound, where the boys resumed fishing. However, this time, they ventured into the water. When Stewart’s attorney, Paul Keleher, QC, asked why the boys were allowed to enter the water to fish, Stewart responded that he had not thought any danger could come of it because he had seen many people do it. “It was not uncommon to see individuals across the Cayman Islands fishing in the water,” said Stewart. The jury heard that the boys went about 45 feet out from shore and began to separate while fishing. “They were in about waist- deep water, if that much,” Stewart said. “Prior to them entering, I had inspected the area and could see no visible signs of danger. Later, the water became choppy, so I advised them to come back to shore.” Stewart said he noticed Batten was farther out than the rest of the boys and at that time the water had reached his chest. “I did not enter the water because I was not confident of my swimming abilities,” Stewart said. “I was confident that he [Batten] would have been able to make it back to shore. However, I told Mr. Larry to call the police out of an abundance of caution. In my thinking, I knew my limitations.” Stewart told the jury neither men knew the exact location of where they were at the time, and therefore they had trouble trying to give police directions. “Mr. Larry told me to go to the road, and wait for the police, so I did,” said Stewart. “When I left, I could still see Batten’s head was above the water.” Stewart told the jury that his supervisor knew that he could not swim. “She was aware of my inability to swim,” he said. “She told me that it would be good if I learnt to swim.” Stewart and Levers are facing charges of manslaughter and cruelty to a child. Batten drowned after encountering difficulties while in the water. The prosecution claims both men failed to exercise a duty of care by taking the children to the location which is known for its strong currents. Both men deny the charges and the trial continues. Youth worker tells jury he could not swim “I did not enter the water because I was not confident of my swimming abilities.” Michael Anthony Stewart Risco Battencayman compass 6 N news THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020 Trump uses State of Union to campaign; Pelosi rips up speech WASHINGTON (AP) — Standing before a Congress and a nation sharply divided by impeachment, President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to extol a “Great American Comeback” on his watch, just three years after he took office decrying a land of “American carnage” under his predecessor. The partisan discord was on vivid display Tuesday as the first president to campaign for re- election after being impeached made his case for another term: Republican legislators chanted “Four More Years”. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of Trump’s speech as he ended the address. “America’s enemies are on the run, America’s fortunes are on the rise and America’s future is blazing bright,” Trump declared. “In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America’s destiny. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back.” Holding out the nation’s economic success as the chief rationale for a second term, Trump’s speech resembled a lower-volume version of his campaign rallies, providing something for every section of his political base. But while he tweets daily assailing his impeachment, Trump never mentioned the “i-word” in his 78-minute speech. That followed the lead of Bill Clinton, who did not reference his recent impeachment when he delivered his State of the Union in 1999. Trump spoke from the House chamber, on the opposite side of the Capitol from where the Senate one day later was expected to acquit him largely along party lines. Pelosi, a frequent thorn in Trump’s side, created a viral image with her seemingly sarcastic applause of the president a year ago. This time, she was even more explicit with her text-ripping rebuke. Trump appeared no more cordial. When he climbed to the House rostrum, he did not take her outstretched hand though it was not clear he had seen her gesture. Later, as Republicans often cheered, she remained in her seat, at times shaking her head at his remarks. When Pelosi left, she told reporters that tearing up the speech was “the courteous thing to do considering the alternative”. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said her behaviour marked a “new low.” Trump, the former reality TV star, added a showbiz flavour to the staid event: He had wife Melania present the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, to the divisive conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who recently announced he has advanced lung cancer. He stunned a young student in the gallery with a scholarship. And he orchestrated the surprise tearful reunion of a soldier from overseas with his family in the balcony. Trump stood before the very lawmakers who have voted to remove him from office – and those who are expected to acquit him when the Senate trial comes to a close. Among Trump’s guests in the chamber were Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has been trying to win face time with Trump, his most important international ally. The president offered Guaidó exactly the sort of endorsement he’s been looking for as he struggles to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power. Trump called Guaidó “the true and legitimate president of Venezuela”. Japan quarantines cruise ship as coronavirus toll virus grows TOKYO (AP) — Large white sheets covering them head-to- knee, people suspected of being infected with coronovairus were led by gloved and masked of- ficials Wednesday off a Japanese cruise ship that’s being quaran- tined amid growing worry about the spread of the outbreak. The quarantine of 3,711 people aboard the Diamond Princess is part of a global health emergency that seems to worsen by the day. The virus has killed 490 people in mainland China, officials said Wednesday. But it has also spread panic and discrimination around the world as the number of cases grow. More than 1,800 people on another cruise ship were being screened in Hong Kong after three passengers on a previous voyage were diagnosed with the virus. Thousands of hospital workers in Hong Kong were striking to demand the border with mainland China be closed completely. And on the mainland, patients were being treated in newly built or converted hospitals while some at overcrowded facilities sat on the floor. Tokyo Olympics organisers said they are increasingly worried about the disruption the virus is causing ahead of the games, which open in less than six months. As examples of anti-Asian discrimination mount, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for “international solidarity” and support for China and other countries hurt by the virus. He urged a stop to any stigmatisation of innocent people. In the port city of Yokohama, just outside Tokyo, health workers, some in protective white jumpsuits, transferred 10 patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship to a Japanese coast guard boat next to it. The 10, covered in sheets to protect their identities from cameras, were taken to a dock and put on ambulances bound for hospitals for treatment in isolation. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said all the people on board will be quarantined on the ship for up to 14 days under Japanese law. The ship had 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members. Tests were pending on 273 people who had symptoms or had contact with a man who was diagnosed with the virus after leaving the ship in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, hospital workers were striking to demand the border with mainland China be shut completely to ward off the virus. Hospitals said they had to cut some services due to striking workers’ absences. The territory’s beleaguered leader, Carrie Lam, criticised the strike and said the government was doing all it could to limit the flow of people across the border. Almost all land and sea links have been closed, but the striking workers want the border shut completely. The latest mainland China figures showed an increase of 65 deaths from the previous day, all the new deaths from Wuhan. The number of new cases increased to 24,324, a rise of 3,887 from the previous day. Outside mainland China, at least 220 cases have been confirmed, including two fatalities, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines. The infections on the cruise ship raised Japan’s total to 33 cases. South Korea and Thailand reported recent cases among people who had not been to China, raising concerns about how easily the virus might be spreading in other places. UK government, at odds with media, eyes BBC funding change LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government announced Wednesday it is considering a change in the way the BBC is funded that would severely dent the coffers of the nation’s public broadcaster. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government, which is increasingly at odds with the country’s news media, said it would hold a “public consultation” on whether to stop charging people with a criminal offence if they don’t pay the annual levy that funds the BBC. The broadcaster gets most of its money from a licence fee paid by every television-owning household in the country, which currently stands at £154.50 (US$201) a year. Failing to pay can result in a fine or, in rare cases, a prison sentence. In 2018, more than 121,000 people were convicted and fined for licence fee evasion. Five people were imprisoned for not paying their fines. The BBC is Britain’s largest media organisation, producing news, sports and entertainment across multiple TV, radio and digital outlets. The BBC’s size and public funding annoy private-sector rivals, who argue the broadcaster has an unfair advantage. Its critics, who include many members of the governing Conservative Party, say the BBC’s funding model is no longer appropriate in a digital media world. Some Conservatives also claim the BBC’s coverage of politics amid the UK’s divisive national debate over Brexit has a liberal bias. But the government denied that its decision to rethink the broadcaster’s funding was politically motivated. It said “the broadcasting landscape has changed dramatically” with the rise of Netflix and other streaming services, triggering a decline in traditional television viewing. Although it says it will consult the public, the government made clear it that favoured the proposed change. “As we move into an increasingly digital age, with more and more channels to watch and platforms to choose from, the time has come to think carefully about how we make sure the TV licence fee remains relevant in this changing media landscape,” Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said. “Many people consider it wrong that you can be imprisoned for not paying for your TV licence and that its enforcement punishes the vulnerable.” World news in brief House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears up her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address after he delivered it to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Tuesday night. Vice President Mike Pence is at left. The World Dream cruise ship docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong, on Wednesday. A Hong Kong official says more than 3,600 people on board the cruise ship that was turned away from a Taiwanese port will be quarantined until they are checked for the coronavirus. Britain’s government is considering a change in the way the nation's public broadcaster, the BBC is funded.Regional news in brief Jamaica: Three killed, eight injured in shooting Police investigators on Wednes- day were piecing together clues into a drive-by shooting in St. Andrew, Kingston, that left three people dead and five oth- ers injured, The Jamaica Gleaner reported. The police have identified the murder victims as 33-year-old Omar Morris, 45-year-old bus driver Evroy Hibbert and 18-year- old Adonis Hibbert. The police report that about 8:15pm, the eight men were standing along the roadway in Ackee Walk when they were pounced upon by armed men travelling in motor cars who opened gunfire, hitting them. A resident reported that men driving in a Toyota Corolla motor car opened fire for a sustained period. The injured victims remain hospitalised on Wednesday, with some reportedly in very serious condition, the newspaper reported. Damage reported after 5.0 quake strikes near Puerto Rico SANTA ISABEL, Puerto Rico (AP) — A magnitude 5.0 after- shock rattled southern Puerto Rico on Tuesday, causing some cracks but no reported injuries in a region that has been shaken by continuing quakes for more than a month. Officials in the southwest coastal town of Guayanilla reported a cracked wall and arch near a municipal pool that had already been closed to the public. It also prompted re-inspections of homes, schools and other buildings. “The fear is that that they’ve once again been affected,” Guayanilla spokesman Danny González told The Associated Press. “It was a strong one.” A couple of homes in the nearby city of Ponce also were damaged, prompting authorities to close several streets in the downtown area for safety as engineers inspected deep cracks. The 10:45am quake struck 9 miles south-southeast of Guanica at a shallow depth of 4 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. It was felt across the island. Víctor Huérfano, director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, told the AP that the quake is part of a string of tremors that have followed a 6.4 earthquake that hit 7 Jan., killing one person and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and schools. The new quake re-energised the area, leading to 10 aftershocks in the hour that followed, he said. “This is going to continue, and it’s going to continue for some time,” Huérfano warned. Some 1,000 people remain in shelters in Puerto Rico’s southern region, and officials expected that number to rise with the latest quake. Authorities have noted that the majority of those sheltered are simply scared to return home but have reported no damage in their house. Miami sees a return to Cold War cultural hard line on Cuba MIAMI (AP) — Platinum- selling reggaeton act Gente de Zona were barred from a New Year’s Eve concert in a Miami park. The mayor of Miami declared another Cuban singer persona non grata and her concert in a private club was cancelled. Fellow artists Jacob Forever y El Micha were shut out of a 4 July concert in the neighbouring South Florida city of Hialeah last year. As President Donald Trump tightens the trade embargo on Cuba, some members of the United States’ largest Cuban- American community are once again taking a hard line on performers from the island who support its communist government or don’t speak out against it. “We’ve gone back to the Cold War,” said Andy Gómez, a political analyst and former director at the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban- American Studies. He said he believed that much of the offensive against Cuban artists was tied to 2020 electoral politics, both national and local. The degree of support for a hard line on Cuba among South Florida’s roughly 1.2 million Cuban-Americans could influence the 2020 presidential election. Partly because of Republican anti-communism, Cuban-Americans have long been an historically GOP-supporting bloc in a swing state with 29 electoral college votes. While some polls in recent years have shown weakening Cuban-American support for the embargo, observers say Trump’s attempts to cut off the government’s income is emboldening activists who want to punish the Cuban government and its supporters in hopes of fuelling regime change. One of those activists is Alex Otaola, a 40-year-old Cuban- born YouTube personality who has organised boycotts of figures like Gente de Zona and singer Haila Mompié that have led to de facto bans on their performing in South Florida. Gente de Zona earned Otaola’s wrath by praising Cuban President Miguel Díaz- Canel. Mompié was blacklisted for praising and kissing revolutionary leader Fidel Castro during a concert in 2010. “These are artists with ties to the Cuban dictatorship, who are used as tools of the dictatorship,” said Otaloa, who emigrated from Cuba in 2003. Randy Malcom Martinez and Alexander Delgado of the Cuban duo ‘Gente de Zona’. The platinum-selling reggaeton act were barred from a New Year’s Eve concert in a Miami park as President Donald Trump tightens the trade embargo on Cuba. cayman compass 7 news N news THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020Q&A: JEROME AMELINE Why do you think more people don’t ride bikes instead of joining the traffic queues in their cars? There are several issues; a lack of cycling lanes, lack of businesses to provide showers for their staff, lack of buses to take kids to school therefore parents have to drive their kids to school then go to work. Businesses could promote their staff to cycle to work. Let’s imagine the government building encouraging 100 people to start work at 6:30am and ride their bike to work (before heavy traffic) and then get off work at 2pm and ride back home. Those 100 people would get a smaller working day as an incentive, they would become fit and more productive/less sick and this system would remove 100 cars from rush hours. 100 cars less for pollution, and 100 cars less to provide car park for. Is it safe for cyclists on Cayman’s roads? Cycling in Cayman is going to be as safe as you make it. Don’t choose to ride in heavy traffic (from 7am to 9am and from 4.30pm to 6pm on week days around George Town). If you ride for exercise, ride early. For commuters and cyclists exercising, wear bright clothes and a helmet, have rear red and front white lights anytime it is dark and respect traffic rules. Police should enforce the rules for cyclists to get lights. What are the main safety concerns? Avoid rush hour traffic. People getting off work are usually driving while checking their phone. I wish the police would do a bit more about ticketing speeding/ dangerous driving and driving with the phone. Anytime I get cut off while riding my bike, 9 out of 10 times, the driver is on the phone. People talking on the phone while driving is actually not so bad, the worst are the ones texting or checking their screen and reading email or Facebook while driving. Police also need to address bad drivers who overtake dangerously (passing a cyclist with less than 3 feet is normally illegal) What do you think would make people give up their cars and ride bikes? Better cycling lanes, financial incentive or shorter working day with the same pay from businesses or for government employees. It would be good to have some police patrolling on bikes to show the example to other road users. Could bikes be a solution to the congestion problem? Let’s be realistic, promoting bikes alone would not fix the problem as most people are not willing to quit driving, but more bikes would help along with better public transportation. Do we need more cycle lanes, both besides roadways and as standalone routes around town? Yes for cyclists and yes for commuters. The few cycling lanes we have from Camana Bay to West Bay/Batabano road and the lane on the Savannah bypass are great. Making more cycling lanes is great, but maintaining them and keeping them clean is essential. Most of us will not ride our bike on a dirty cycling path as we often find broken glass from beer bottles or wires from car’s old tires and we end up getting flat tires in no time Any other ideas on how to deal with traffic congestion? To avoid traffic, be better at time management. Change the time you get on the road. Wake up earlier, drive to George Town, take part of a spin class or other activity and then go to work. I often remind people that doing spinning at Revolutions before work will make them wake up just a bit earlier but they will be already in George Town once the class is finished (we have showers available). Same story for after work at 5pm, people could easily do a work out in our gym and get on the roads after class at 6.15pm once the traffic has cleared: they will arrive at home almost the same time but will have squeezed a work out instead of being stuck in traffic. With the estimated average speed of rush hour traffic around George Town coming in at less than five miles per hour, most able-bodied people could run or bike to work quicker than using their cars. Yet very few people commute on foot or by pedal power. Two of Cayman’s best known athletes, cyclist Jerome Ameline and road runner Derek Haines explain why. A cyclist's verdict: ‘Better bike lanes can be part of the solution’ Jerome Ameline Rush hour roads hazardous for cyclists and runnersz cayman compass 8 I issues THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020News: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky | Tel: (345) 815-0095 Display advertising: sales@compassmedia.ky Classifieds advertising: classifieds@compassmedia.ky | Tel: (345) 949-5111 Sign up for the Compass e-newsletter delivered daily to your inbox. The Cayman Islands’ most trusted news source and #1 website in the Cayman Islands. CaymanCompass.com receives 50,000 unique views, 200,000 media impressions each week. ardous for cyclists and runners GUEST COLUMN BY DEREK HAINES RCIPS Inspector Dwayne Jones recently said that poor driving is the root cause of traffic accidents. I agree with him and, while the majority of the thousands of motorists on our roads are law-abiding, too high a number of the drivers become horned beasts when they get behind the wheel. Some of their driving is far below the poor standard and appalling seems a better adjective. As a regular runner I witness numerous blatant and willful transgressions of the traffic laws that threaten to put other road users at extreme risk of serious injury or worse. I am amazed that I have survived for so long. Amongst the offences being committed that I observe daily include: Speeding. The posted speed limits are not advisory or for the driver’s discretion. Yet vehicles whistle along the roads at far greater speeds than those posted. Overtaking. A solid white line painted down the centre of the road is an instruction not to overtake. There are a number of sections on the South Sound Road that have these. One is from Bel Air to the dock and yet every morning I see vehicles flashing down the outside of traffic in contravention of the law. Added to this risk are drivers who are turning left from an entrance or side road. Many of these only look right and pull out if it is clear that way. Unfortunately for some they then meet an overtaking vehicle traveling head-on. Most runners face the oncoming traffic. A big danger comes from vehicles coming from behind them. overtaking through the gap between the vehicle they are passing and a runner. Too close. Many drivers do not give walkers, runners and cyclists enough clearance when passing them. For safety several feet should be left between them as the air pressure caused, particularly at speed, can cause a stumble or create a situation where those people can be pulled into the vehicle. Cell phones. There remains a high percentage of drivers who chat or, even worse, text when on the road. I was driving behind a dirty, blue Toyota Yaris the other day that slowed down, sped up and swerved side to side as the driver used his cell phone. No lights. At dusk and dawn too many drivers fail to switch on their lights. The lights on vehicles are not just to illuminate the way for the driver but allow others to see the vehicle. Please light up in the gloom and inclement weather. Walkers, runners and cyclists also have obligations, though, and I urge you all to wear bright-coloured clothing and wear a light on your vest or shorts. The cost, in personal loss, finance and in police manpower, of road traffic accidents is huge, particularly when there is serious injury or death. It behooves us all to concentrate on our road using skills and obey the traffic laws. Check Monday’s paper for the next installment in our traffic series. Send your comments and suggestions to jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky A road runner’s verdict: “I’m amazed I have survived this long…” ardous Derek Haines cayman compass 9 I issues THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2020Next >