ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life BritCay Holiday office hours The management and staff at BritCay extend sincere holiday good wishes to you, your family and your friends. Our offices will be closing at noon December 24th and 31st. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp TEACHING QUALITY, STUDENT SCORES FAULTED IN LATEST REPORT MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new report from the Office of Edu- cation Standards shows that government high schools in the Cayman Islands are well short of where they need to be to meet ac- cepted standards. The newly published report says schools need to be assessed as good to meet “the ex- pected level” of quality. Two schools, John Gray and Layman E. Scott, were judged satisfactory, while Clifton Hunter was deemed weak. Hurting the schools most were stu- dent performance on standardized tests and the quality of instruction. In evaluating teacher performance, the largest numbers fell within the designation of satisfactory, with that category accounting for 37 percent of teachers overall. There were a few bright spots in the re- port. Eight of John Gray’s 128 teachers were assessed as excellent. Layman E. Scott was judged good on student behavior, curriculum, and support and guidance. Low points included the fact that 37 per- cent of teachers at Clifton Hunter received weak scores on their classroom performances. Student achievement and progress was weak in English, mathematics and science at the school. At John Gray, student achievement was similarly weak in all three subjects. Student progress at the school, measured by improve- ment during the year, was weak in mathe- matics, but satisfactory in English and science. The report found quality teaching was es- pecially lacking in Key Stage 3, Years 7-9. “Across the three schools there was a rela- tively high proportion of weak teaching,” the report said. “This was particularly notice- able in Key Stage 3 classes, especially Years 8 and 9. Inspectors identified better quality of teaching overall in the examination classes at Year 11.” Christmas miracle for George Town family Home transformed in year-long community project JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A year ago, Treasan Myles was contemplating a bleak Christmas in the ramshackle timber home she shares with her young daughter Kelana. The roof leaked, the walls were coming apart, there was mold throughout the property and sewage was spilling from a backed-up pipe. The building was literally falling to pieces. “There were holes in the roof, holes in the ceiling. There was a hole in me,” she remembers. In a notebook, Ms. Myles wrote out a prayer for her fami- ly’s future. Now, 12 months later, she sits in the bright, painted sitting room of her refurbished home after a massive commu- nity effort that has seen her house and her life transformed. “My prayers really all got an- swered,” she said, as she showed the Cayman Compass around the home. The rotted timber has been replaced with polished wood Famous for walking the campus, UCCI president steps away MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some administrators disappear without notice. Cloistered in their offices, there is little evidence that they have moved on, other than the appearance of a different vehicle in their reserved parking space. J.A. Roy Bodden, who is stepping down as president of the University College of the Cayman Islands at the end of the month, is not one of those. From the beginning of his nine-year tenure, Mr. Bodden has made his pres- ence known on the small campus. A tall lanky figure with an ambling gait, he is fa- mous for walking the grounds on an almost daily basis, engaging with students and staff alike. “If you were to come to campus early in the morning, you would see him talking to the students,” said Vice President and Pro- vost Livingston Smith, the man who hired Mr. Bodden as an adjunct professor in the early 2000s when Mr. Bodden was still Min- ister of Education. A former teacher, the president spent 20 years in politics before taking the helm at UCCI. Student Charles Lewinson Jr., student council president, said Mr. Bodden’s em- phatic greetings and conversations were an PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Roy Bodden, pictured at the University College of the Cayman Islands campus on Monday, will step down as president of the university at the end of this month. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » Treasan Myles, left, said the renovation, orchestrated by ARK’s Tara Nielsen, right, had transformed her life as well as her home. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) SECOND ACT (PG13) 2:25 I 4:50 I 7:00 VIP I 9:30 VIP I 10:00 MORTAL ENGINES (PG13) 12:40 3D I 3:30 VIP I 6:50 I 9:45 3D ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER (PG) 1:10 I 6:30 ROBIN HOOD (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 I 7:10 I 9:50 SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (PG) 12:45 VIP I 3:35 3D I 7:20 I 8:45 3D THE GRINCH (PG) 1:45 I 4:00 I 6:20 RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (PG) 3:25 3D I 8:35 Drug raids on Brac Police arrested a 57-year-old man on Cayman Brac Tuesday on suspicion of possessing co- caine and ganja after car- rying out drug raids on the sister island. According to police, early on Tuesday morning, a team of officers from the Joint Task Force, Joint Marine Unit, Air Opera- tions Unit, Tactical Fire- arms Unit and the Customs Department “conducted an intelligence-led op- eration on Cayman Brac which resulted in a number of searches.” During a search at one of those locations, sev- eral ounces of suspected cocaine and a quan- tity of suspected ganja were recovered. The arrested man was transported to Grand Cayman, where he remained in custody Wednesday as investigations continue. Hazard Management promotes self-heating food JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Hazard Manage- ment experts are promoting a way residents can get hot dinners and snacks when the power is out and water sup- plies are low in disasters and emergency situations – add self-heating meal packets to preparedness kits. For some, the idea of prac- tically indestructible ready- to-eat meals stored for years might not seem that appe- tizing, so the Hazard Man- agement team decided it was time for a taste, demonstrate and distribute test. On Tuesday, the team gathered at the staff entrance of the Government Adminis- tration Building. They dem- onstrated the basics of rip- ping open the top, inserting the entrée package, and put- ting in just the right amount of the included salt water solution, then folding the packet and giving the chem- icals time to heat the meal. The flameless heater reaches boiling point, and 10 minutes later, dinner is served. Some observers gave the meals a wry eye and steered away, while others tried the meal-in-a-box and gave it the thumbs up. Others said they would stick to breadfruit and fried fish in the event of emergencies, but most people were curious and inter- ested in this product, which some thought was used only for soldiers in combat, training exercises or NASA space trips. The self-heating meals come in a number of options, such as potatoes and sau- sage, Spanish-style rice with spicy beef, Italian chicken pasta, Southwest-style chicken with rice and beans, Tandoori-seasoned chicken with brown rice, oatmeal dishes, snacks, and desserts. They are designed for easy storage with no refrigeration or freezing required. But what exactly are people getting in the little self-heating packets? “They’re very low in sodium and very high in calories,” said Dan- ielle Coleman, director of Hazard Management. “Each box is about 1,000 calories … in the aftermath [of a di- saster], one might need that energy to keep going and to keep moving,” she said. Although Hazard Man- agement only keeps a stock of ready-to-go meals for the Shelter Management Team and the National Emer- gency Centre, Ms. Coleman said the organization’s goal is to encourage supermar- kets to bring in the “Heater Meals Plus.” “It’s a great thing to buy,” Ms. Coleman said, adding that they come in handy when there is no food in the house or the gas runs out and you don’t want to cook. Five years ago, Hazard Management’s former di- rector McCleary Fredrick brought in the initiative. He thought that it was a good idea to have some emergency food supplies available just in case, said Simon Boxall, acting deputy director of Hazard Management. Mr. Boxall said a few of the meals are stored at hur- ricane shelters but they do not want to encourage people to depend on them. They are just part of the contingency plan if extra food is needed. Ms. Coleman said ev- eryone coming into a shelter should bring nonperish- able food with them and the Heater Meals would come in handy. “We wanted to see what was out there by introducing the product,” she said. “We al- ways encourage persons to [assemble] hurricane kits, but again if we can get these on island, we would like to see people get these in their kits because it is such an easy way of cooking in an after- math of any disaster.” Iguana cull continues to pay dividends Cullers continue to keep up the pressure on the inva- sive green iguanas. Another 30,271 culled lizards were dropped off at the landfill site last week. In just seven weeks, cullers have removed 256,317 green iguanas from across Grand Cayman. More than 300 licensed cullers are taking part in a government-funded program to rid the island of the inva- sive species. The Department of Envi- ronment-led project aims to remove around one million green iguanas from Grand Cayman in the first year of operation. 93,519 129,892 161,398 193,745 226,046 256,317 53,953 39,566 36,373 31,506 32,347 32,301 30,271 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 Week 1 (Oct. 29-Nov. 3) Week 2 (Nov. 5-10) Week 3 (Nov. 13-17) Week 4 (Nov. 19-24) Week 5 (Nov. 26-Dec. 1) Week 6 (Dec. 3-8) Week 7 ( Dec. 10-16) Green iguana cull update Iguanas culledTotal culled SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT WITNESSES SOUGHT IN GUN INCIDENT Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident early Saturday morning in which a man brandished a firearm during an argu- ment with two people at a West Bay Road bar and shots were reportedly fired. Police received the re- port shortly after 12 a.m. The bar, which po- lice said was located just south of Seven Mile Public Beach, was not named in the RCIPS statement on the incident. After they received the report of the man with the firearm, other reports were received about what sounded like shots fired in the location before that in- cident, police said. The suspect is described in the police statement as being of brown complexion and was wearing a black shirt and black shorts. Police are asking for anyone who may have wit- nessed the incident or have any information to contact George Town CID at 949- 4222, the RCIPS confiden- tial tip line at 949-7777, or via the Miami-based Crime Stoppers call center at 800-8477(TIPS). 916.0923 info@feedourfuturecayman.org www.feedourfuturecayman.org The Cayman Hazard Management team hand out ready-to-eat meals at the Government Administration Building on Tuesday. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 Seniors enjoy Christmas at Pedro It was a festive night for Cayman seniors enjoying the Savannah Newlands annual Christmas party at Pedro playing field Monday night. Santa and his elves greeted the seniors as Or- ville Daniels played several Christmas specials. Savannah Newlands Com- munity Development Ac- tion Committee Chairwoman Heather Bodden was all smiles as she watched the guests dancing, laughing, re- ceiving gifts and having a good time. Elizabeth Smith won an angel, Stanton Ebanks a nice warm blanket, and Mary Lawrence won some Christmas decorations. Hart- mann DaCosta sang a song. Olive Miller, Olga Gourzong and Marissa Crawford en- joyed the fellowship, and Savannah stalwarts Sally and Albert Hislop, along with other seniors also won several gifts. Several businesses in the community provided gifts for the seniors, some as old as 97 years. Ms. Bodden thanked those who donated time, money, donations, food and desserts, especially Melba Nixon. Lions of Tropical Garden servers delivered the tradi- tional Christmas meal.Olga Gourzong, Olive Miller and Marissa Crawford are all smiles. Beulah Tatum receives her gift from Mrs. Claus. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Betty Lou Thompson wins a tin of Christmas cookies.Mary Lawrence poses with Mrs. Claus.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” As Christmas spirits rise, and holiday “spirits” flow, please do not drink and drive. Your lives (and ours) depend on it. Hand your keys to a sober companion, phone a friend or hail a cab – anything other than getting behind the wheel if you have imbibed. Alcohol is a social lubricant, safely enjoyed by many this holiday season. We are not such Grinches as to suggest that merrymakers limit themselves to liba- tions no stronger than tea. Raise a toast with the beverage of your preference: Champagne, sorrel, fruit punch or plain tap water will all do. But do not let your festivities lead to fatalities, or your holiday turn into a nightmare. Know and respect your limits, and assess those limits before you start drinking. Do not trust the liquid “courage” that leads to overconfidence in one’s ability to drive. Remember, good judgment dissolves in alcohol. Nobody is immune from alcohol’s inebriating influ- ences. Motor skills are muddled, judgment clouded, vision significantly impaired. Each drink you take inten- sifies these effects. Two (or three) sheets to the wind, encased in steel and careening down a public road, you jeopardize your own life, the lives of your passengers and that of any unlucky person who happens across your wobbly path. Our country’s problem with drinking and driving is well-documented. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, 339 people have been arrested for driving under the influence so far this year – including 21 just in the first two weeks of December. Inspector Ian Yearwood, head of the RCIPS’s traffic department, told the Compass this week he believes alcohol is a contributing factor in many vehicle col- lisions, which occur in Cayman at an astonishing average rate of 10 per day. Police are once again conducting their annual show of force in an attempt to clamp down on drunk driving during the holidays. Extra officers and special constables will join Inspector Yearwood’s traffic unit patrols to seek out and remove impaired drivers from Cayman’s roads. (They will be removing those drivers into custody, into court, and perhaps into prison.) With roadblocks planned throughout the Christmas holiday and into the New Year, police are on height- ened alert for reckless revelers who are driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs – a violation that is punishable on first offense with a fine of up to $1,000, and up to six months of incarceration. That goes double for repeat offenders. Inspector Yearwood told the Compass, “It is not worth the risk. At the minimum, you will suffer the loss of your driving license for a year. In the worst case, you could be involved in a collision that results in injury or loss of life to you or someone else.” On New Year’s Eve, generous-hearted sponsors are again funding the Purple Ribbon Bus Service to shuttle partiers home. (More than 1,000 people availed themselves of the free “designated driver” service last year). There is no excuse for excessive drinking, which leads inexorably to erratic driving, at any time of the year, but perhaps especially at Christmas. Celebrate the season responsibly, and keep yourself – and these islands – holiday safe. Don’t drink and drive: The celebration stops when the engine starts THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Barkers is a special place for many people Barkers has become this unexpected special place for me. Stories on our timeline and in our local press all point to a changing land- scape for Barkers. Future de- velopment not only seems in- evitable, but unstoppable. Construction, a pier for boat landings and the removal of natural turtle-grass and all its inhabitants seem like part of the normal Cayman chatter. If it’s not per- fect, we need to fix it or, it seems – move it! So for a moment, I digress … Friends, family and tourists have loved growing up with Calico Jack’s – vol- leyball events, New Year’s Eve celebrations and week- ends hanging with friends – where locals and tour- ists mingle. This spot al- ways seems busy and the location is already devel- oped and easy to get to. So why the move? My opinion, for what it’s worth. It’s the clean and shiny and all that glitters … no wait, that ends with “… is not gold.” We can make ev- erything precious, shiny and new. But you are just taking what is truly pre- cious about Cayman out of the appeal. Remember the old Hol- iday Inn and its atmo- sphere? Remember the times over the last year when lo- cals and tourists came to- gether at Hemingways? (Oh. I could go on.) Soon you will be saying the same thing about Royal Palms: “Do you remember?” Does anybody believe that tourists visit for a taste of Cayman? A little bit of rustic, Caribbean music and Caymankind? Or is that all to be totally lost? Yes, yes. I know we need to move forward … but oh, for some foresight. So back to Barkers and my selfish thoughts. Right now, this peaceful piece of paradise offers tour- ists horse rides and dirt bike adventures. I see locals walking their dogs – we pass and the comments are, “This is my church.” I see people picking up trash for the good of their community, young families heading out in a kayak to swim in the clearer water beyond, a lone fish- erman standing in the shal- lows. The kiteboarders have their neat spot, kept immac- ulately clean, where they gather to enjoy the breeze. No music, no sun- loungers, some makeshift benches, the sand, the man- grove, the birds, the turtle- grass. I guess I want to hold on to a little bit of Cayman past. Call me sentimental, call me selfish. Or maybe, I am just getting old. Nicola Agemian I have visited Grand Cayman many times since the mid-1970s and, of course, over time things change, not al- ways for the better. During a recent visit I was informed that there are plans to develop the beaches at Barkers in West Bay. Once one part of the area is developed, then plans will be submitted for further de- velopment and Barkers will end up like Seven Mile Beach, with miles of hotels, restau- rants and shops. Doesn’t your planning and tourist board realize that tourists come to see idyllic spots such as Barkers, snorkel at Eden Rock, swim off Smith Cove and not see high-rise ho- tels and the like? So come on, Cayman, preserve your heri- tage for the future. Kathleen Young Preserving Barkers The coastal road at Barkers, which is the center of debate over potential development. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSS5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 Workers put the roof structure of the Rotary Education Centre in place at the new Children’s Garden project at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Wednesday. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Work begins on education center for Botanic Park Children’s Garden The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park has started con- struction of the Rotary Ed- ucation Centre on the site of its newest attraction, the Children’s Garden. Construction is expected to be completed in about 12 weeks. The building is the first phase of the project, which is scheduled to be fin- ished next year. The educational facility is the result of a combined ef- fort of all the Rotary Clubs in the Cayman Islands. “This project is a great dis- play of community partner- ship,” said the park’s general manager, John Lawrus. “We are grateful for the Rotary Clubs joining forces to positively impact envi- ronmental education for our youth and beyond,” he added. The Queen Elizabeth II Bo- tanic Park is managed by the Tourism Attraction Board. The board’s director, Patrick Thompson, said in a press re- lease, “I am delighted with the progress that we have made thus far. The private sector has consistently contributed to this project and we sincerely appreciate their support.” Mr. Thompson said Cab- inet recently approved an eq- uity injection of $100,000 for the project. “This underlines the commitment of the gov- ernment in seeing this project come to fruition and makes this truly a remarkable public–private partnership.” The Children’s Garden, once completed, will also in- clude a grow zone, sensory garden, observation tower, maze, discovery pond, splash pad, lawn and tunnel area. To help raise funds for the Children’s Garden, the Garden Club of Grand Cayman will host a Family Fun Day at the park on Sunday, Jan. 20. Two appointed as full-time magistrates Governor Martyn Roper announced on Wednesday the full-time appointment of Angelyn Hernandez and Philippa McFarlane as magis- trates of the Summary Court. Both Ms. Hernandez and Ms. McFarlane had been serving as acting magistrates since February 2014. “I am pleased to welcome Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Mc- Farlane to the judiciary as permanent appointments,” Mr. Roper said. “Their tenure as Acting Magistrates over the past four years have been invaluable to the Summary Courts, and will allow them to continue seamlessly into their new roles.” Chief Justice Anthony Smellie also congratulated the new appointees, saying, “Their service as Acting Mag- istrates has been invaluable for ensuring that the Sum- mary Courts dealt in a timely and efficient manner with its heavy caseload.” “I also look forward to their resolution of cases without the need for acrimo- nious trial by the application of their skills as certified me- diators” he added. Before her appointment as acting magistrate in 2014, Ms. Hernandez practiced law in Cayman in both the public and private sectors. She was called to the Bar in 1990. Ms. McFarlane practiced as a barrister in Cayman from 2009-2017 and in the United Kingdom from 2001- 2009. She was called to the Bar in 2001. Angelyn Hernandez, front left, and Philippa McFarlane were appointed as full-time magistrates. Behind them are Courts Administrator Suzanne Bothwell, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, Governor Martyn Roper, and Chief Magistrate Nova Hall.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS flooring, the roof has been rebuilt, the exterior walls reinforced, the kitchen re- modeled and outfitted with appliances. An adjoining building has been reno- vated to create a bedroom for Treasan and a separate room for 6-year-old Kelana, complete with a bunk bed. There is also a room for Ms. Myles’s sister. The sewage problem has been resolved and she says the house is now a safe place for her daughter to grow up. The final phase of the transformation was com- pleted this week by a crew from Rawlinson & Hunter – the latest selection of volun- teers assembled by charity Acts of Random Kindness – for the year-long project. ARK, through its Cayman CASA program, coordinates with local businesses and in- dividuals to provide funds, labor and expertise to reno- vate unsafe housing for fami- lies in need. Tara Nielsen, who runs the charity, said hundreds of volunteers had stepped up to help. Despite working full time, she said Ms. Myles would not have been able to change her situation without the community’s help. Photo- graphs of the home, pub- lished in the Compass in February last year, helped inspire the effort. “The people in this country really care for each other,” said Ms. Nielsen. “It took hundreds of acts of kindness from the whole community to get this done. People donated time, re- sources, money, skill, labor. There is hardly a gift I can mention that they haven’t given to this family. “There was no way she was going to get out of this situation without help and I am proud to have been part of it and to have met Treasan and her family. They have been gracious and humble and have mucked in and helped with all the work.” Ms. Myles says she can never repay the kindness of the community. “I am very grateful for all the help that has been given to me and my family and there is nothing I can really say that expresses that. Hopefully, I can help someone else the next time ARK does this,” she said. For ARK, the work con- tinues. In the new year, Ms. Nielsen will review a long list of requests for help from scores of families living in unsafe housing. With re- sources limited, the charity can only help one or two families a year, and focuses on picking worthy candidates and cases where children are at risk. Ms. Nielsen said she hopes the “ripple effect” from the good work done on the Myles home will in- spire others to help on the next project. “This community has shown time and again that it is a caring, generous com- munity,” she said. “That is why we are still in business after 13 years. So now we will move on and try to help another family and ask the community to help us and continue to pay it forward.” Multiple businesses helped on the Myles home project, including Phoenix Group, Carne Global Finan- cial Services, Rugs.KY, KA Associates, Elite Marble and Granite, Dream Maker Bath and Kitchen, Ogier, The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman, Digicel, Otis Air, IWC, Cayman Consignment and 7 Mile Strength and Fitness. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Christmas miracle for George Town family Before: A bedroom in the home pictured before the renovation. - PHOTO: COURTESY OF ARK After: The same room less than 12 months later. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Before: The kitchen was riven with mold and cracked tiles. - PHOTO: ARK After: A year later, the kitchen has been redecorated and features new appliances. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY After: The walls have been reinforced and brightly painted. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Before: The house was literally falling down. - PHOTO: ARK Treasan and daughter Kelana at the door of their home at the start of the renovation work. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 important part of his UCCI experience. “He would say, ‘Good morning. How are you doing?’” Mr. Lewinson said during a recent event hon- oring the president. “He would think of inspira- tional sayings.” He said Mr. Bodden often told students, “You are braver than you seem, stronger than you believe and smarter than you think.” Mr. Bodden himself did not have that kind of con- fidence when he took over as president in 2009. The campus was still reeling from a scandal involving the pre- vious president, Hassan Syed, who had been accused, and was eventually convicted, of embezzling more than $700,000 from the university, leaving it deeply in debt. The atmosphere was also less than ideal. He said he began walking the campus as a matter of necessity. “In the first semester I was here, there were three student fights where the po- lice had to be called,” he said. “The atmosphere was rough. It was a kind of jungle. “I said, ‘I have to set the example. I have to establish myself,’” he added. “I started walking the campus. The stu- dents began to talk to me and engage. That was a change to a more collegial atmosphere.” The students, he said, told him they struggled with confidence and felt little en- couragement. He talked to them about his own young life in Bodden Town and helped them set goals for themselves. He said he soon learned the responsibility he had taken on. “One morning I was out and a lady came to drop off her daughter,” he recalled. “She wound her window down and said, ‘I want you to know that you are the reason I’m bringing my daughter here. I trust you.’ I prayed to God to help me to live up to that. I wanted to prove that a Caymanian could do a good job as president.” With the school teetering on the brink of insolvency, that was no easy task. “The first thing was as- suring the financial integ- rity of the institution,” Mr. Bodden said, “making sure the breaches were closed and there was accountability. It was a tall order. At the time it seemed next to impossible.” It took substantially longer than he expected. “I thought at the begin- ning, I would just stay three years,” Mr. Bodden said. “But I couldn’t get it stabilized in three years.” The school typically now operates with a modest sur- plus. He gives a lot of the credit to the school’s chief fi- nancial officer. “I had a great CFO in Ansel Tempral,” he said. Such praise is not un- usual. Mr. Bodden regularly attributes his success to a supportive staff. “I want to give credit to the people with whom I’ve worked,” he said. “Thanks to the help of many people and the Almighty, I have done what I wanted to do.” Those things include the construction of the campus observatory, the addition of a nursing program, a push to grow the science, technology, engineering and math-related curriculum, introducing a performing arts program and establishing a social work program. He also strength- ened the ties the school has with international universi- ties, providing transfer pipe- lines for students, and set the campus on a pathway toward international certification. Former UCCI Board of Governors Chairman Lemuel Hurlston said Mr. Bodden has a strong legacy. “He can be proud of what UCCI has become under his leadership,” Mr. Hurlston said. “The institution has really ma- tured from being a commu- nity college to serving a much broader constituency, and it’s doing so without an enormous increase in the amount of re- sources. If it had greater cap- ital investment, I think it would be much more successful.” Rating the campus on a scale of one to 10, he said, “it was probably a two or three when he took it over and I would say it’s probably around a seven or eight now.” Mr. Bodden said he rec- ognizes there is still much to be done. “There have been some spectacular successes,” he said. “But there have been some miserable failures.” His efforts to engage the community with the campus have largely been stymied, he said. He expected the per- forming arts might be a ve- hicle for engagement, but it did not create the bridge he’d hoped for. He thinks es- tablishing an open campus, where the public can drop in and listen to a course lecture, might help. “I want to have the campus owned by the community,” he said. He’s also disappointed that government has not moved on rehabilitating the campus’ physical plant. Mr. Bodden said he be- lieves a new site needs to be found and a new college constructed. “These buildings are old and decrepit,” he said, refer- ring to structural deficien- cies and leaky roofs. “If some- thing’s not done, the physical condition is going to af- fect morale and academics and success.” Those and other chal- lenges sometimes got to him, he said. “When I go home at night and talk to my wife, some- times I have to cry because I got beat up,” he said, refer- ring to a bad day. “But I also tell her, ‘You know what I heard today? A student said, “I’m sorry to see you go.”’ And I say, ‘Yes!’” That student support, he said, is most important to him. He said he tried to see each student on campus as his own. Mr. Bodden’s secretary, Wendy Lauer, has been with him since he came to UCCI as president. She said his commitment to the students often went beyond mere encouragement. “President Bodden often referred to himself as a priest, a fisher of students, with the responsibility of shepherding every student in their educational pursuit,” Ms. Lauer said in an email. “Indeed, he went further than that. Students who came to college hungry, he provided meals to. Those who could ill afford tuition fees and text- books, he aided. And to those in need of a listening ear, counselling and encourage- ment, he was reachable.” While Mr. Bodden said he will miss those relationships and other aspects of his job, he said he’s happy to be leaving his post. He’s handing the reins to Stacy McAfee, who takes over on Jan. 1. “I would like to make a clean break,” he said. “I want to go away for a while. Per- haps a long while.” He had planned to retreat to a life of writing, penning a mix of memoir, fiction and poetry. He said his biography is due to be published in the spring and he is working on a novel. He also has a small farm he wants to tend to. Those plans may have changed somewhat at his retirement ceremony, when Education Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly an- nounced she plans to ask Mr. Bodden to write some Cayman-based textbooks for local schools. Mr. Bodden said he’s anx- ious to hear the minister’s proposal – which she prom- ised in the coming weeks – but does not expect to make a full-time commitment. “We shall see,” he said. “I will take the minister’s offer as seriously as I can. It de- pends on what I’m expected to do. I think I could probably balance that [with his other writing] and do both well.” Either way, he said, he is at peace with his UCCI career. “I’m satisfied I have done the best I can do,” he said. “I feel good that I have left a mark. I wanted to make a contribution to this land that I love so much.” The authors recom- mended that principals make unannounced visits to observe classroom teaching and align their own assess- ments of teaching quality with the framework pro- vided by the Office of Edu- cation Standards. Perhaps most troubling was a substantial drop in Year 11 performance on standardized GCSE exams, which plunged 14 per- cent from the previous year’s scores. Cayman students had generally been making steady progress on im- proving their scores on the exams, which are crit- ical for gaining entrance to universities in the United Kingdom. But 2018 was a substantial setback in that progress. The largest drop was in figures for Layman E. Scott students passing five or more Level 2 passes, in- cluding the subjects of English and mathematics. In 2017, Year 11 students there led the three govern- ment high schools, with an 83 percent pass rate. That figure plummeted to 48 percent in 2018, a 43 percent decline. The next biggest drop was in Clifton Hunter’s pass rate for five or more Level 2 passes in any sub- ject. The success rate dropped from 52 percent in 2017 to 43 percent this year, a decline of 18 percent. A request for comment from the Department of Ed- ucation was unanswered. “The Ministry of Edu- cation and school leaders should review perfor- mance management and self-evaluation ar- rangements in the three schools,” the authors say in their report. “The quality of teaching and the curriculum offered at Key Stage 3 are not yet at the required standard to guarantee ongoing im- provement to students’ at- tainment in core subjects.” Famous for walking the campus, UCCI president steps away CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Teaching quality, student scores faulted in latest report CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 HIGH SCHOOLEXCELLENTGOODSATISFACTORYWEAKTOTALS John Gray High School8434631128 Clifton Hunter High School1363241110 Layman E. Scott High School11528751 Total10 (3%)94 (33%)106 (37%)79 (27%)289 Evaluation of teaching quality in Cayman Islands government high schools during the 2018 OES inspections SOURCE: OFFICE OF EDUCATION STANDARDS “I started walking the campus. The students began to talk to me and engage. That was a change to a more collegial atmosphere.” J.A. ROY BODDEN UCCI President Roy Bodden, third from left, is flanked by his wife, Nancy, and Cayman’s Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, during a farewell celebration on Dec. 3. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS NIKE JORDAN, REEBOK, PUMA, ADIDAS, UNDER ARMOUR, FILA, NEW ERA, GUESS, LEVIS, DOCKERS, LAND ROVER & CONVERSE HOT ZONE SPORTS WISHES YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR ! NEW ARRIVALS RECEIVED DAILY 3 LUCKY WINNERS WILL WIN GIFT CERTIFICATES 1ST PRIZE $250.00 2ND PRIZE $150.00 3RD PRIZE $100.00 DRAWING 31ST 2018 NEW ARRIVALS RECEIVED DAILY NEW ARRIVALS RECEIVED DAILY SELEC TED XMA S SPEC IALS Shopping Hours 2 LOCATIONS CANNON PLACE ROAD GT 949-3254 & PLAZA DEL SOL WB 943-3254 THURS – SAT 9:30AM TO 8PM SUN 12PM TO 6PM – MON 9:30AM TO 10PM THURSDAY, DEC. 20 CUSTOMS OFFICE HOURS: Customs collection office open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CLASSICAL MUSIC AT LIBRARY: Cayman Arts Festival and the Cayman Islands Public Library Service present monthly one-hour concerts at the old George Town Public Library. 6-7 p.m. Includes classical music, poetry and readings from local poets and writers. Tickets available at the door, $20 for adults, $5 for children. Please note that there will only be 75 tickets available per event. HUMANE SOCIETY QUIZ: 7 p.m. at Fidel Murphy’s, Anna Haydon is hosting. Cost $10 per person. Six people per team. FRIDAY, DEC. 21 CUSTOMS OFFICE HOURS: Customs collection office open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts a Blue Christmas Service at 7 p.m. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOUR: Visit some of Cayman’s best Christmas lights displays. The National Trust’s Christmas Lights Bus Tour leaves the Trust Visitors Centre at 6 p.m. SATURDAY, DEC. 22 UWC CAYMAN WINTER SOCIAL: United World Colleges Cayman Islands invites all alumni and supporters of UWC for its annual winter social. A short film titled “We Will Live” starring alum Hailee Robinson will be featured. The Attic, West Bay Road. 3-6 p.m. CUSTOMS COLLECTION OFFICE CLOSURE: Customs’ collection office will be closed today. DVDL OFFICE CLOSURE: Breakers and West Bay DVDL offices closed to the public. SUNDAY, DEC. 23 SERVICES HELD: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts services for The Fourth Sunday of Advent 7 a.m.; 9 a.m. Youth Sunday. CHOIR CANTATA: “Christ has Come.” John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay, 10 a.m. SERVICES HELD: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church. 11 a.m. morning service is children’s program; and evening service at 7 p.m. is Christmas Cantata with congregational carol singing. MONDAY, DEC. 24 SPOT BAY CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING: The Spot Bay Committee on Cayman Brac presents Christmas caroling on foot and door- to-door gift distribution to seniors starting at 7 p.m. IMMIGRATION HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The Immigration headquarters, including public counters and the passport and visa offices will close to the public at 11:30 a.m. NAU HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The Needs Assessment Unit offices on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac will be closed from noon today. NWDA HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The National Workforce Development Agency office will close to the public at noon today. DVDL OFFICE CLOSURE: DVDL Crewe Road Office open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Breakers and West Bay offices closed. TUESDAY, DEC. 25 DEH HOLIDAY CLOSURE: No garbage collection services; Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman landfills closed. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26 DASHING THRU THE SAND: The annual Dashing Thru the Sand run will be held this morning at 7:30 a.m. at Seven Mile Public Beach. SERVICES HELD: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts services for St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr at 8 a.m. NORTH SIDE GARDEN PARTY: All are invited to North Side on Boxing Day for food, fun and fellowship at the annual Garden Party at William Pouchie Memorial United Church, 815 North Side Road, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Enjoy live music, fun, fellowship, children’s games. To help raise funds, the church will offer for sale seafood, barbecue chicken, sides, desserts and much more. THURSDAY, DEC. 27 SERVICES HELD: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts services for St. John Apostle and Evangelist 8 a.m. DVDL OFFICE CLOSURE: Breakers and West Bay DVDL offices closed to the public. ST. IGNATIUS ALUMNI SOCIAL: All St. Ignatius graduates and former students are invited to attend the schools’ annual Christmas Social today at 7 p.m. at Sunset House on South Church Street. Anyone who ever attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help or St. Ignatius School is welcome. Catch up with friends, swap stories, and enjoy the sea breeze! FRIDAY, DEC. 28 SERVICES HELD: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts Holy Innocents Mass and Children’s Fun Day at 10 a.m. SATURDAY, DEC. 29 CUSTOMS COLLECTION OFFICE CLOSURE: Customs’ collection office will be closed today. SUNDAY, DEC. 30 SERVICES HELD: St. George’s Anglican Church hosts The First Sunday after Christmas services at 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. SINGSPIRATION/ WATCHNIGHT: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m. MONDAY, DEC. 31 IMMIGRATION HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The Immigration Department headquarters, including public counters and the passport and visa offices, will close to the public at 11:30 a.m. NAU HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The Needs Assessment Unit offices on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac will be closed from noon today. Both offices will be closed tomorrow, Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and resume normal hours from Wednesday, Jan. 2. NWDA HOLIDAY CLOSURE: The National Workforce Development Agency office will close to the public today from noon. DVDL OFFICE CLOSURE: DVDL Crewe Road Office open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Breakers and West Bay offices closed. GENERAL INTEREST SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training at Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. for track, bocce and football, and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. for basketball. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@ candw.ky or call 916-2600. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICES CHRISTMAS EVE, MONDAY, DEC. 24: ■■ Stella Maris Catholic Church (Cayman Brac): Mass, 4 p.m. ■■ St. Ignatius Catholic Church: Children’s Christmas Play, 5:15 p.m. ■■ St. Ignatius: Children’s Mass, 6 p.m. ■■ Elmslie Memorial United Church: Joint Charge Candlelight Service, 6:30 p.m. ■■ Safe Harbour Lutheran Church: Lessons and carol service on the beach at Sunset Cove (behind the Margarita- ville Resort, off West Bay Road), 6.30 p.m. ■■ St. Alban’s Church of England, Shedden Road: Christmas Eve Fes- tival of Lessons and Carols, 7 p.m. ■■ John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay: Service at 7 p.m., caroling at 8:15 p.m. ■■ Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, West Bay: Carol service, 7:30 p.m. ■■ Christ the Redeemer: Mass, 8 p.m. ■■ St. George’s Anglican Church: Christmas Eve Carols and Mass, 10:45 p.m. ■■ St. Ignatius: Carol service, 11 p.m. ■■ St. Ignatius: Midnight Mass CHRISTMAS DAY, TUESDAY, DEC. 25 ■■ St. Ignatius Catholic Church: Mass, 8 a.m. ■■ St. George’s Anglican Church: Mass, 8 a.m. ■■ Savannah United Church, Bodden Town: Service, 8 a.m. ■■ Elmslie Memorial United Church: Service, 9 a.m. ■■ William Pouchie Memorial Church, North Side: Service, 9 a.m. ■■ Gun Bay United Church, East End: Service, 9:30 a.m. ■■ Christ the Redeemer: Mass, 9:45 a.m. ■■ St. Ignatius: Mass, 10 a.m. ■■ Safe Harbour Lutheran Church: Service at the South Sound Community Centre, 10 a.m. ■■ John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay: Service, 10 a.m. ■■ Webster Memorial Church, Bodden Town: Service, 11 a.m. ■■ East End United Church: Service, 11 a.m. ■■ Church of God Universal: Service, 11 a.m. ■■ Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church, West Bay: Service, 11 a.m. ■■ St. Ignatius: Mass, 11:30 a.m. The annual Dashing Thru the Sand run will be held on Boxing Day, Wednesday, Dec. 26, at Seven Mile Public Beach.9 OBITUARY CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018 THANK YOU From the family of the late David Jonathan Ebanks Jr, GMM We would like to say thank you to those who have contributed in any way-whether big or small. We would like to thank our immediate family, especially my parents and siblings, special thanks to my sister Bernadette and my bother Dean our Swanky family, Lam and Judy Seymour, Samuel and Elkie Rose, Al and Melissa Thompson, Minister Dwayne Seymour, Kurt and Shirley Ann Tibbetts, Ida Jane Ebanks, Rolando and Dawn Hydes, Kara Coe, Kristy Watler, Dennie Warren Jr, as well as our Midland Acres Family, especially Carl, Hazel and Annikki Brown, Dr. Sushell Wadhwa, Dr. Manjunatha Kandala and the staff at Health City Cayman Islands, Trisha’s Roses, Webster’s Tours, Hopscotch, the Cayman music team and its association fraternity. Many thanks to the Management of Peppers Restaurant and the countless others. Blessings to All. Our family is grateful and incredibly blessed by the love, prayers, encouragement, support, visits, and sympathy shown to us during this time of bereavement. Finally, we would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Cayman Islands and International community for the outpouring of love and support during this diffi cult time. Love Always, Cindy, Jonellé, Jordan and Justine We would like to say thank you to those who have contributed in any way-whether big or small.We would like to say thank you to those who have contributed in any way-whether big or small. We would like to thank our immediate family, especially my parents and siblings, special thanks We would like to thank our immediate family, especially my parents and siblings, special thanks to my sister Bernadette and my bother Dean our Swanky family, Lam and Judy Seymour, to my sister Bernadette and my bother Dean our Swanky family, Lam and Judy Seymour, Samuel and Elkie Rose, Al and Melissa Thompson, Minister Dwayne Seymour, Kurt and Samuel and Elkie Rose, Al and Melissa Thompson, Minister Dwayne Seymour, Kurt and Shirley Ann Tibbetts, Ida Jane Ebanks, Rolando and Dawn Hydes, Kara Coe, Kristy Watler, Shirley Ann Tibbetts, Ida Jane Ebanks, Rolando and Dawn Hydes, Kara Coe, Kristy Watler, We would like to say thank you to those who have contributed in any way-whether big or small.We would like to say thank you to those who have contributed in any way-whether big or small. We would like to thank our immediate family, especially my parents and siblings, special thanks We would like to thank our immediate family, especially my parents and siblings, special thanks Remembering David Jonathan Ebanks Jr. David Jonathan Ebanks Jr., the firstborn and only son of Virginia Lovella and David Jonathan Ebanks Sr., was born in the Cayman Islands Hospital on June 1, 1960. His father was a seaman and, like most Caymanian fa- thers at that time, he would be away for long months, sometimes years of his son’s childhood. His mother, Vir- ginia, was a hard-working woman and a live-in cook at her employer’s home on Seven Mile Beach. Eighteen months after Jon was born, he was joined by a little girl, Emma Lou. “EmmLou” as he called her, would be his only sibling and close companion for life. Jon was an energetic Cayma- nian boy. He could not keep still and was always outdoors playing with his cousins and friends, riding a bike, playing with a toy truck, marbles and gigs, which he made himself. He was beloved in the neigh- borhood of the Hutland, al- ways doing something, with a full head of black hair and a noticeable cow lick. It was discovered very early on that Jon was born with a special musical gift. From the day he received his first guitar for Christmas when he was about six, he found his purpose in life. It was a little plastic toy that had no strings but Jon made music, even if it was just the scraping sound of him using the plastic tie from a loaf of bread as a pick. From those first imaginative, sound- less moves came a musical legend. He loved to beat the arms of the metal chairs in the house, but when he had destroyed all the chairs, his parents bought him a set of drums. At Sunday School at the North Side Pilgrim Ho- liness Church, he got his hands on his first real in- strument – a harmonica. With their parents often away from home for work, Jon and Emma Lou spent most of their childhood in the house of their paternal grandpar- ents, Alvernie and Bertram Ebanks. Miss Alvernie saw Jon’s passion for music and encouraged it, sending him to piano lessons with Dr. E. Mellino McCoy every Sat- urday morning at the Presby- terian Church in North Side. Jon treasured these early lessons and spoke very highly of Dr. McCoy’s training well into his adult- hood, giving him credit for the only formal musical ed- ucation he received, which would lead to a life dedicated to musical performance. Jon was a natural. He could pick up any instrument and play a tune. However, his true passion was the guitar. His Aunt Pat taught him the basic chords and his Uncle Paul showed him a few more. Perhaps one of the happiest days of his life was when he received his first electric guitar and amplifier. As one of his friends recently said, it was a joy on a Saturday morning to open the front door of their house and listen to Jon lighting up the whole Hutland with the sound of that guitar. While his musical edu- cation began early and he dedicated himself to it, his guardians recognized that he would need other skills for life. Jon was sent first to the North Side Primary School for two years. He was moved to Cayman Prep School for the rest of primary school and then to Cayman Islands High School. In school, it was discovered that he was not only a talented musical artist, but highly gifted in language arts as well. Already growing into the giant of a man that he would become, he also played football in high school in the position of center back. However, without question, music, even then, was his first love. From the day that Jon played his first gig with Mel McCoy and Ronnie Miller at a garden party at the North Side Town Hall, he was on the path to become one of the most prolific professional musicians in the Cayman Is- lands. At that first gig, they had no means of transporta- tion and they ended up trans- porting their equipment on Ronnie’s S90 motorbike. They had no microphone stand, so playing their instruments meant that their hands were not free. Therefore, they had to hang the microphone from the ceiling. Their set list for that event was “Bad Moon Rising,” “Hey Joe,” and “Honky Tonk Woman.” Anyone who knew Jon knew of his admiration for Jimi Hendrix. It is believed that he first heard Jimi’s music on WGBS radio station broadcast from Miami. Jon and whoever cared to join him would listen to WGBS on the radio under the mango tree or the naseberry tree in the yard in the Hutland. He would practice on his guitar for hours and hours hanging out with JR (Cloden Douglas), Denver Douglas and Richie Smith, to name a few. After high school, Jon joined his dad in the family business. The elder David Jonathan was a contractor and Jon followed in his foot- steps for many years. He be- lieved he did not belong be- hind a customer service desk or a computer watching ac- counts grow. His job was behind something else – a guitar. During the day, he worked with his dad tearing houses down and putting them back together. At the end of the day, he put his daytime tools down for his first love – the guitar. While he would go on to make a career out of music, after working first with his father, he later moved on to doing maintenance at Lacovia Con- dominiums and the Grand Caymanian hotel on West Bay Road. Jonathan also did his own contracting, working on numerous projects, the largest of which was con- tructing a retention seawall for Esso at the Jackson Point Terminal. With the help of his father and Rodney Rivers, he also built his family home in Midland Acres. After that first gig at the North Side garden party, hun- dreds, perhaps thousands, of gigs would follow. In the early days, he would play at Cayman Kai with JR Douglas and Lins- ford Whittaker. In 1978, he began playing with the leg- endary Memory of Jus- tice Band, known as MOJ, hitching rides to George Town to team up with Lammie, Greg and Gigo. This was usually the easier leg of the journey. Having to hitch back to North Side after practice was no easy feat. He would often find himself arriving home in the early hours of the morning having walked large stretches of the journey between town and North Side – thick with mosquitoes. Music was his passion and quitting was not an option, despite the challenges. It was during a gig at the Bodden Town Pirates Week Heritage Day that he met Cindy Wood. They were both very young and very soon in love. In 1986, Cindy and Jon welcomed baby girl Jonellé. She was his pride and joy. In 1989, he decided it was time that they got married and he and Cindy tied the knot. Jonellé was joined by their only son, Jordan. Jon and Cindy built their home in Midland Acres and moved in with their little girl and newborn son. Jordan was fol- lowed by Justine, the final addition to the young family. All three children were smart, strong, and as musically tal- ented as their father. It was one of Jon’s favorite things to have his daughters join him on stage to perform together as a family. From that first plastic toy guitar, Jon began his collec- tion of guitars and got his hands on some very special prizes. There was an acoustic six string that was dear to him. He had numerous elec- tric guitars and bass guitars over the course of his career, and a little piano. However, his signature instrument and prized possession was an 11-string Dyer Model harp guitar that was 115 years old, purchased by his sister-in- law Burnadette as a special thank you gift after he had completed a major renovation project for her. From 1978 to 2016, Jon played in several bands, in- cluding Cayman Kai House Band with JR Douglas and “Booga,” MOJ, Mel & Jon, Frenz, Hi Tide, the Gary Ebanks Quartet and many more. At the time of his passing, Jon was the lead guitarist in both the JR Douglas Band and the Swanky Kitchen Band. He was also a highly sought-after session musi- cian and worked with various producers, including Gary Vandy, Jim Wirt, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Jason Gilbert and Stephen Dowd, to name a few. Jon was also a song writer with 32 song writing credits on albums recorded from 1978 to 2016. With a career span- ning more than 40 years, Jon played in some of the fore- most venues and events in the Caribbean and opened for acts like Chaka Khan, Third World, Ziggy Marley and Maxi Priest. He played with MOJ at Reggae Sunsplash in 1984, performed with Kymani Mar- ley’s band as lead guitarist at the singer’s Cayman concert, and appeared with his own band, the Jonathan Ebanks Band, and with the Gary Ebanks Quartet and Hi Tide at various Cayman Jazz Fests. In the early 1990s, he went on tour for six months in the U.S. with local band UBU. In 2011, he spent six months on tour in the U.S. with Mi- chael LeClerc. He performed in Panama and New York in 2012, Barbados for CARIFESTA in 2017 and London in May 2018 presenting Cayman’s indig- enous culture in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with Swanky Kitchen Band. Jon received several ac- claimed Music Awards in- cluding CMEA Guitarist of the Year, CMEA Long Service Award, and the Order of the Cayman Islands, Medal of Merit Gold (GMM). He was a man who lived his passion, fueled by the in- fluences of his grandmother Alvernie Ebanks, Jimi Hen- drix, Bob Marley, Allan Hold- sworth, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Earth Wind & Fire, Burning Spear, Santana, The Beatles, John Coltrane, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Eric Johnson, Eric Gales, Bob Dylan, Doobie Brothers and Led Zeppelin.Despite his many accomplishments and travels, David Jonathan Ebanks Jr. was one of the most humble men one could ever come to know. As he went about dil- igently creating a life filled with love and music and be- coming a natural legend, he would avoid calling at- tention to himself as much as possible. In January 2016, Jon’s dad David Jonathan Ebanks Sr. passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. For his only son, this was a life-changing event. Jon deeply cared for his dad, doing what he could to ease his pain, and began to reflect on his own mortality. He had several conversations with Cindy about the way he would want his own arrange- ments to be made. He told her that if he had a choice, he would like to go quickly, sit- ting down in his favorite chair on his porch looking out over his mahogany tree. For many years, Jon suf- fered with chronic pain in his neck due to what would even- tually be diagnosed as cer- vical spondylosis. On Nov. 14, 2017, he underwent surgery at Health City Cayman Islands and experienced immediate, but not total, relief. Exactly one year later, Jon came home after re- hearsal and walked onto the porch with some diffi- culty. He told Cindy that he had a terrible pain in the back of his neck and he just needed to sit in his chair on the porch for a minute. Not long after he sat down, around 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2018, Jon took his last breath. David Jonathan Ebanks Jr. was preceded in death by his father, David Jonathan Ebanks Sr., his grandparents, and his nephew Liam Wilson. He is survived by his wife Cindy; three children Jonellé, Jordan and Justine; mother Virginia; sister Emma and her husband ‘Bugs’; nephews Jon-Michael and Jair, niece Kirstin, aunts, uncles and a host of relatives and friends. As we mourn, let us be re- minded of Jon’s musical phi- losophy that extended to his legendary life. “Music is a river. There will be rapids. Follow the music.” Submitted by Cindy Ebanks. Jonathan Ebanks, June 1, 1960 - Nov. 14, 2018Next >