An unexpected visit by a seaplane to Cayman Brac caused quite a stir, as noted on the front page of the 20 March 1975 edition of The Caymanian Compass. The pilot had to make an emergency landing in Brac waters after the plane were blown off course and ran low on fuel. The pilot and his companion – pictured by the seaplane – were understood to have asked for Customs and Immigration, an indication that their “motives were above board”, according to the story. After getting fuel brought in from Grand Cayman, the two Americans flew to Little Cayman for a few days, before returning to the Brac and “taking off for an American base in Cuba”.
On page 4, Dr. Roy McTaggart was given space for the first of an expected series of articles “on various matters of interest which deeply concern the development of our Island”. His first one noted that “something is amiss in our Government structure”. He explained that the Caymanian Protection Board was supposed to safeguard the rights of Caymanians, but said that government had awarded a contract for the printing of the Gazette to an overseas firm. McTaggart argued that government should have offered the contract to companies in Cayman. He asked: “Is this in truth and in fact protection for the Caymanian? What is the point of having a Protection Board?”
Page 6 carried a story on the opening of The Caboose, a restaurant at Harbour House Marina that was formerly called The Galley. Providing musical entertainment were Radley Gourzong and his band. Shown in the accompanying photo were, from left, Mike McTaggart, Cardinal DaCosta, Keith Gourzong, Henry (no other name given), Radley and Barbara Oliver.
Then on page 10 was a photo headlined ‘Four in One’ showing a young Dale Crighton holding four unusual apple bananas that were grown on Rex and Cecile Crighton’s property.
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These stories of the past are wonderful to read and I’ve been here long enough to remember most of them. Please keep this going, there must be many lovely stories in the archives.