The front page of the 10 Oct. 1974 edition of The Caymanian Compass contained the dramatic tale of Capt. Cheslie Parsons, whose vessel, Night Train, had been detained in Cuba for almost a month. Parsons, along with Chief Mate William Yates and cook Timothy E. Ebanks, had been bringing the ship from Miami to Cayman with a load of construction material, but developed engine trouble on 4 Sept. and started drifting toward Cuba. They couldn’t repair the vessel and, two days later, were towed to the Isle of Pines. After being held aboard for the first 12 days, they were then given daily shore leave. Finally, on 3 Oct., the disabled Night Train was towed back to Cayman by a Cuban tug. Parsons, though unsure of his plans, was definitive in declaring, “I don’t want to go through that experience again.”
The front page also had a photo showing the presentation of the Sir Turtle Award to Cayman Islands Hotel Association president Rudi Selzer by Warren Conolly, the Executive Council member for tourism. Selzer was given the award on behalf of government for his “outstanding contribution to tourism” in Cayman.
The editorial, ‘The Dawn Of A New Day’, was about the upcoming establishment of the Government Health Service. Following the previous week’s editorial on the new Public Health Law, this time the focus was on Cayman operating its own service, which was called “a great step forward and a recognition that we ourselves as Caymanians … are playing a vital part in stating the conditions under which our health services are to be administered”.
There was also a story on Philip Flora, 24, of Roanoke, Virginia, who “is becoming one of the more important figures in the roller skating industry” in the southeastern US. His company had been granted approval to build a bowling centre, skating rink and outdoor tennis club on Grand Cayman.
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