The front page of the 20 Feb. 1975 edition of The Caymanian Compass had a striking photo of the charred remains of a home in Red Bay. The owner, Larry Hunter, along with two other people, was injured, but his wife and 7-month-old daughter escaped unhurt. George Klinkenburg, who was renting the adjacent flat where the fire apparently broke out about 6:45am, suffered burns and cuts, but got out through the bathroom window. Hunter said of the fire, “There was nothing at all left in the flat and George escaped with just his underwear.”
Also on page 1 was the story titled ‘Severe Penalties Await Ganja Offenders’. A judge issued a warning that anyone found guilty of possessing or importing forbidden drugs, like ganja, would be very severely dealt with. He then imposed three-year sentences with hard labour for both crimes on a man who was arrested at Owen Roberts Airport with more than 10 pounds of ganja in sealed tins marked Milo, Ovaltine and coffee. The sentences were to run concurrently.
Little Cayman’s airfield featured on page 2 in a story about resuming passenger service to the island in two weeks to a month, once approved by the director of civil aviation. Cayman Airways had stopped service from 1 Jan. on the director’s orders, who said the unsafe condition of the airfield warranted the decision. Meanwhile, a fire engine purchased in Miami was expected within two weeks, and arrangements had been made to clear the airfield and remove any obstacles, so it could be ready as soon as possible.
The ‘Around and About the Islands’ section had a story on the opening of a rollerskating rink in Pease Bay, with more than 100 people attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony. A speech given on behalf of the owner said that the rink belonged to “everyone who wished to enjoy the facilities, which were a medium through which moral and physical benefits could be increased”.
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I have fond memories of CAL’s DC3, it was on this aircraft that I first arrived in the Cayman Islands in 1969. I had landed in Kingston on a BOAC flight from London and this was my connecting flight to Grand Cayman. It was a little bit noisy and “air conditioning” was provided by a series of electric fans , but otherwise a very comfortable flight. As we were on final approach I looked out of the window and was a bit worried as the island looked a lot more undeveloped than I had expected. When we landed I conveyed my concerns to a fellow passenger – he had a good laugh and explained this was Cayman Brac!.