cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Tuesday, 14 January 2020 News Attorney: Amended port vote question more neutral Page 2 News DPP interview: Fighting crime in the digital age Page 3 Drone found beside airport runway Page 5 Vinnie Jones to speak at Breast Cancer Gala Page 7 Runners of the four-legged and two-legged kind raise funds for animal charity Page 5 On the run for the Dog Jog Photo: Taneos Ramsay Vinnie Jones to speak at Breast Cancer Gala Page 7 Miss Gwen: Matriarch of Cayman seafarers Page 8PRINTED 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 NEWS PRODUCER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER KEVIN MORALES A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 84°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. Matinees (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. THE GRUDGE (2020) (R) 2:00 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 9:40 JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL (PG13) 12:45 VIP | 3:45 | 6:30 | 9:25 LIKE A BOSS (R) 12:45 | 3:00 | 5:15 | 10:00 SPIES IN DISGUISE (PG) 1:40 | 4:20 | 6:50 STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (PG13) 12:30 | 3:40 VIP | 6:45 | 9:20 UNDERWATER (PG13) 1:10 | 3:40 | 7:30 | 10:00 CLASSICS @ CINEMA HEAT (R) 7:00 VIP WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Government’s amended port referendum question is a welcome change for the team behind the legal action challenging the vote on the $200 million project. However, attorney Kate McClymont said the new wording still does not address the issue of separation of cruise berthing from cargo port. “The new wording of the question is more neutral than it was before, which is one of the things sought by our client in the judicial review challenge. Critically, though, the new wording still conflates two discrete issues, being the cargo port and the cruise berthing port,” she said in a statement to the Cayman Compass over the weekend. The issue is one of the main points of contention raised by Cruise Port Referendum member Shirley Roulstone in her judicial review case contesting the government’s handling of the referendum. McClymont is representing Roulstone in that case. The original referendum question approved in the Legislative Assembly stated, “Should the Cayman Islands continue to move forward with building the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility?” The amended version says, “Should the Cayman Islands continue to proceed with building the cruise berthing and enlarged and refurbished cargo port facility?” The amendment was made in the referendum regulations and was a Cabinet decision, according to an Office of the Premier statement last week. McClymont said a number of key issues remain in relation to the amended referendum question. “This concession addresses part of Ms. Roulstone’s claim, just as the stay of the referendum has; however, there are still live issues to be addressed by the court, including whether there should be campaign financing restrictions in the referendum legislation to address the inequality of resources available to either side of this debate, for campaigning purposes,” she said. The attorney also maintained that cruise berthing and cargo are different aspects of the project and should not be intertwined. “These two issues can and should be considered separately as different considerations apply. In addition, the petition that triggered the people-initiated referendum related only to the proposed cruise berthing facility, not the cargo port,” she said. Attorney: Amended port vote question more neutral New referendum question: “Should the Cayman Islands continue to proceed with building the cruise berthing and enlarged and refurbished cargo port facility?” • CPR member Shirley Roulstone was granted leave for judicial review of the referendum last month. • The court delayed the referendum, which had been set for 19 Dec. 2019. • The judicial review trial is scheduled for 22-24 Jan. • Apart from the referendum question itself, Roulstone’s judicial review queries the timing of the poll since it excluded 220 newly registered voters, the lack of campaign financing rules or restrictions, and the allowances that were made for the sale of alcohol on Referendum Day. • Last week, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie granted Roulstone a protective costs order which shields her from having to pay government’s legal costs should her court action fail. The Garden Club of Grand Cayman will hold its annual Family Fun Day at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Sunday, 26 Jan. From 10am to 3pm, there will be a host of activities for the whole family, including craft- making, games, live music and a magic show. Organised each year by the Garden Club, the aim is to encourage residents to visit and experience the Botanic Park’s offerings, while raising funds for and increasing awareness of the Children’s Garden, which is currently under development at the park. Raffle tickets, food, drinks, treats and plants will also be on sale. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children under 12. For more information on the event, contact park manager John Lawrus at manager@ botanic-park.ky, Tourism Attractions Board marketing coordinator Mona Meade at marketing@tab.ky or Garden Club member Jill Wood at vjwood@icloud.com. Garden Club to host fun day Children have their faces painted at an earlier Garden Club Family Fun Day. Lawyer Kate McClymont, left, with her client Shirley Roulstone, pictured outside court last month. Case at a glance cayman compass 2 news N news TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020DPP says more training, tech-based skill sets needed RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky As criminals get more sophisticated in their approach to breaking laws, those in the criminal justice system have to up their game to catch them. At the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, newly confirmed DPP Patrick Moran is leading the charge to help make that happen. “I hope not only to secure more lawyers, but also to secure more training for our lawyers on top of that,” Moran said as he sat down the Cayman Compass recently to discuss his plans. He was confirmed as DPP late November after serving as deputy DPP from 2015 to 2018, and then acting DPP from 2018 until his confirmation. Focus on training Moran said his focus will be on training his team and equipping law enforcement with investigatory tools to uphold justice in the courts. “Last year, our lawyers attended numerous training sessions particularly relating to financial crime, money laundering, and terrorist financing. We have a very strong focus on that right now,” he explained. He said criminals are becoming more sophisticated and, as a result, law enforcement has to become more sophisticated. “Cases are becoming more complicated, and the volume of evidence is becoming bigger – particularly digital evidence. The overseas territories digital hub opened here and we should be so proud to have it on island. That is likely to generate higher volumes of digital evidence, which itself requires broader skill sets for investigators and prosecutors,” Moran said. The digital hub, which opened last month, is a project that is co-funded by the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, and will be used to help safeguard children from child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as to combat various other forms of cybercrime, which are not restricted by borders. Moran said the hub will be an asset for investigators, but it also brings with it a bigger case load. “Crime is becoming more complex. Even simple crimes can have a digital context, which can lead to an increase in the size of our files. I hope very much that the recent increase to our budget will stand us in good stead as we move on to fighting more sophisticated crime,” he said. A total of $6.8 million has been allocated to the DPP’s office over the next two-year budget cycle for prosecutions and victim support. Moran said the resources will be used to enhance the office’s abilities and recruit more lawyers to help with the workload, which he said is increasing. “Another thing that people may not realise is that the regular workload doesn’t go away; simple matters like a drug-dealing case or a case involving violence, that is a constant, but what is increasing is the complexity of some of our cases, especially those involving multiple defendants, or financial crime cases,” he said. More than prosecuting Moran said a key part of his office’s function focusses on training of new police officers, as well as other investigative agencies, which at times can be a strain on his limited personnel. At present, the office has 25 permanent members of staff, 16 of whom are qualified lawyers. “We are the sole prosecutor on the island, and so we do a lot of behind the scenes. We’re trying to assist law-enforcement agencies from the investigation stage and they’re a lot more enforcement agencies than just the police,” he said. He said the team tries to get involved at an early stage of investigations as well, so that the quality of case work and investigations is enhanced. “We are doing a huge amount of work in the fight against international money laundering, and other forms of financial crime, such as terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Several members of our team sit on various working groups to enhance our ability to ensure that dirty money does not wash through these islands,” he said. “That’s a huge responsibility. Some of our team also sit on international working groups dealing with financial crime. What we do at our office is much more than what can be seen in court.” Managing public perceptions Moran said the role of a prosecutor is not an easy one, but it is a necessary one, as it is needed to ensure justice prevails. He said he suspects people may not see prosecutors as human beings because of the effects of prosecution, but he assures the impact of the job they do is very real to them. “If a case results in a conviction, that’s not a source of pleasure, and there is no celebration in this office. A conviction simply shows that the criminal justice system is working as it should. That is a relief, not a success,” he said. Those at the office, he said, are not measured by success, but by playing a part in the criminal justice system which should work as expected. “We are dealing with people who have done some very bad things. We deal with people when they’re at their worst, and we deal with people when they are at their weakest. We see a very different side of life, a side which most people are fortunate not to know,” he added. Fighting crime in the digital age • 3,000 requests for written legal advice/charging decisions; • 2,000 offences before the Summary Court; • 100 indictments before the Grand Court; • 20 matters before the Court of Appeal; • 35 incoming requests for international legal assistance. Projected 2020 statistics for Office of Public Prosecutions (based on 5-year trend) Patrick Moran The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s Security and Firearms Licensing Unit is reminding the public that the special firearms licences issued to cullers registered with the 2018-2019 green iguana cull project have expired and need to be renewed. Iguana cullers who held these licences are no longer permitted to use air rifles in residential areas or within 40 miles of a public road, police said. “These special firearms licences, which are issued in addition to the standard firearms licence, will not be renewed until cullers have re-registered with the Department of Environment for the 2020 Cull,” the RCIPS said in a statement. Cullers who want to renew the licences should visit the Security and Firearms Licensing Unit in Windjammer Plaza, police said. Otherwise, owners who only plan to cull on their own property, and not within 40 yards of a public road, can continue to use air rifles under the standard conditions of their existing firearms licence. “We advise all firearms licence holders to review these conditions to ensure compliance with their licences,” said Inspector Gerald Joseph, who heads the unit. “Breaching these conditions will result in having your firearm seized and your licence revoked.” Last year, cullers killed more than one million iguanas in the nationwide effort to rid the islands of the invastive species. Police remind cullers to renew firearms licence The Alex Panton Foundation has announced its 3rd annual Youth Mental Health Symposium will take place on 22 Feb. at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman. The symposium, which is free to attend, will include in its four- hour agenda the importance of equipping the country’s youth with the tools to recognise peers struggling with mental health issues and how to help, the organisation stated in a press release. The event will feature local and international speakers, panels and an exhibition area with a variety of relevant products and services of interest to those in the mental health community. Jane Panton, chairperson of the Alex Panton Foundation, said that last year’s symposium attracted around 300 people. “It’s important that not only the adults in our community know the language and tools to address mental health concerns but also our young people,” Panton said. “This way we are not only helping our children and young adults but also empowering them to help themselves and their peers in hopes of creating a ripple effect of mental wellness throughout the community.” Panton said the works of the Youth Ambassador Programme launched last August will be explained by a panel of three youth ambassadors at the event. To register or for more information on the event, visit alexpantonfoundation.ky. Youth Mental Health Symposium to be held next month Cullers who want to use their firearms to hunt iguanas will need to renew their special firearms licences. 3 news N news123456 78 9 10 11 1213 14 1516 17 1819 2021 123456 78 9 10 11 1213 14 1516 17 1819 2021 ACROSS 1 Thrive (7) 4 Primary (5) 7 Accustomed (4) 8 Done with great effort (8) 10 Instigator of action (5,5) 12 Cold and cheerless (6) 13 Hold in respect (6) 15 Facing a reprimand (2,3,5) 18 Liable to error (8) 19 Rung of ladder (4) 20 Strictly observed (5) 21 A good-for-nothing (7) DOWN 1 Flop down (5) 2 Dutiful (8) 3 Sanity (6) 4 No longer functional (6-4) 5 Certain (4) 6 An analgesic (7) 9 Remember (4,2,4) 11 Autocrat (8) 12 Severe reprimand (4,3) 14 Insincere (6) 16 Drive back (5) 17 Beat with a whip (4) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16274 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 16273 ACROSS: 1 Calligraphy, 9 Adviser, 10 Pluto, 11 Duly, 12 Astonish, 14 Ruined, 16 Menial, 18 Nitrogen, 19 Spot, 22 Donor, 23 Grimace, 24 Penetrating. DOWN: 2 Anvil, 3 Last, 4 Garish, 5 Approved, 6 Houdini, 7 Hand grenade, 8 To the letter, 13 Resource, 15 Intense, 17 Merger, 20 Plain, 21 Gist. cartoon I write once more to make a plea for our government to up the ante and seriously embark on a practical (even if in phases) national disaster plan. I make this appeal based on what is happening regionally and worldwide due to climate change. In Puerto Rico, for example, the island has not even begun to recover from hurricane damage and yet is now confronted by challenges of recovery from a disastrous earthquake. In Australia, a prosperous country prior to the bush fires, hundreds of farmers face bankruptcy as a result of farms lost in fire. These are but two glaring examples of what can happen due to climate change. In these islands, rising sea levels, pollution from a proliferation of automobiles, rising sea levels, destruction of the mangroves from greed through ever-increasing building of expensive apartments for the rich and now, most ridiculously, the development of a regiment to assist in times of disaster. • I propose the establishment of at least one hurricane-resistant shelter in each district. • The establishment of civilian defence units trained to international (Red Cross) standards • A rapid response team of medical experts, psychologists, counsellors, etc., in case of large-scale national disaster. Now is the appropriate time to begin such action, especially as our finances can sustain such an investment. Delay is dangerous and only fools believe that we can “dodge a bullet” every hurricane season. J. A. Roy Bodden Cayman needs national disaster plan Letter to the editor National Trust officially opposes cruise port The port is a VERRRYYY bad idea. – Dennis Allen Good. Nothing good for the harbour will come from it. – Dawn Veek Wondering how many members are eligible to vote in the referen- dum, non-eligible voters should not have a say. – Roger Ebanks Good news indeed. – Janet Reed Price National Trust can be trusted. – Ann Bouchard I agree CI needs the port expan- sion and the increased cargo facili- ties, but NOT the cruise ship piers. – Jim Hinckley I wish they would separate the two projects, the cruise ship berth- ing and the port expansion. To me, they are too very different projects, so you may have folks saying yes to the port expansion but not want- ing the berthing arms. – Sarah Curtis As regular visitors, this is our 9th winter visit, and not on the cruise ships. We can only say that we would hate to see the berthing docks happen. If there was some way to move the cargo docks to another area and enlarge them, that would make the George Town harbour very welcoming to the cruise ship visitors when they ar- rive by tender. I have been told by friends who have come to Cayman that the tender experience made the Cayman stop more memorable for them. – Melanie Harrold Trespass concerns remain as iguana cull begins And now they need to work on the chickens too. – Kathy Leggatt Jackson I was livid to find a guy from a local gardening firm had entered through a gate into my garden without permission to catch an iguana without asking. I gave him a mouthful and sent him packing. Not right at all when I have kids playing and a dog outside too. – Laura Tonner Dang it, we love the iguanas when we visit but understand they are a nuisance. – Jesse Cervene Cleanest kitchen or dirtiest diner? I guarantee you would see much better conditions across the board if it was public. – Be Solomon I also think the list should be public. In the UK it has been in the public domain for years, and restaurants openly display their hygiene rating in the window. People want to be informed, particularly when it concerns their health and wellbeing. – Liz Malkin I think the list should be made public. It’s our health! – Margot Weber-Dommisse Still no consumer protection. -Amar Sheow Online What they’re saying Readers gave the thumbs up for the National Trust's stance on opposing a cruise berthing facility in George Town. 4ADVENTURE AWAITS Career is an adventure. We can take you where you want to go. steppingstonesrecruitment.com The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands has issued a warning about the use of drones near the airport after a disabled drone was found last week beside the runway of the Owen Roberts International Airport. According to a statement from the CAACI, there has been an increasing number of sightings of drones reported in the vicinity of the airport. On Thursday, the disabled drone was found inside the perimeter of the airport “very near to the runway”. The authority said the drone’s operation “in such close proximity to arriving and departing aircraft is both illegal and extremely irresponsible”. Anyone convicted of flying a drone illegally near an airport in the Cayman Islands faces a maximum of a two-year prison sentence, a $5,000 fine, or both. The CAACI is reminding the public, in the interests of aviation safety, that it is prohibited to fly any form of unmanned aircraft within three nautical miles of Owen Roberts, Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac and the Edward Bodden Airfield on Little Cayman. “This prohibition is in place to protect arriving and departing aircraft during the critical stages of their flight when a collision with, or the ingestion of, a foreign object has the potential for very serious consequences,” the CAACI said. According to Article 176 of the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order 2013, “A person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or any person in the aircraft.” The use of drones is also prohibited within one mile of Northward Prison. Alastair Robertson, CAACI’s director of Air Navigation Services, told the Cayman Compass in an email that, so far, it had not been necessary to divert or delay any aircraft locally due to drone activity. He said that, while there had been several reported sightings of drones near the airport in recent weeks, “it is not possible to confirm the actual number as all but one are anecdotal rather than supported by ‘hard’ evidence”. He added, “However, the one confirmed by CIAA personnel, together with the drone found on the airfield and a previous incident where footage of a drone operating on the airfield at ORIA was posted on social media, is more than sufficient evidence to suggest that a risk exists.” Drones have caused problems for other airports internationally. For example, sightings of drones near London’s Gatwick Airport in London closed that airport for two days in 2018, when up to 1,000 flights were cancelled. Robertson said that where there is sufficient information available, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is notified about illegal drone activity and has "taken action on previous occasions”. Cayman currently has no drone registration programme in place, he said, but added that consideration is being given to establishing one here. Meanwhile, the CAACI is urging members of the public who see any drone activity near Cayman’s airports to report it to the Airport Operation Command Centre on 244-5835. Drone found beside airport runway Pet owners and dog walkers brought along their canine friends to take part in the second annual Dog Jog at Safehaven Drive on Sunday morning to raise funds for animal charity One Dog At A Time. The charity’s Paula Wythe said the event raised $1,725, which will go towards paying January’s veterinary bills. In all, 68 adults participant, “plus some younger children and lots of dogs,” she said. One Dog At A Time is a foster-based dog rescue group which rescues and rehomes unwanted dogs and pups from the streets and from the Department Of Agriculture pound. Dogs and their owners covered 5 kilometres in the Dog Jog.Not all dogs wanted to run. Dave O'Driscoll with two of his dogs. On the run for the Dog Jog Owners keep apace with their enthusiastic four-legged pals. It is illegal to use a drone within three miles of an airport. cayman compass 5 news N news TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020Daily Horoscope THE LOCKHORNS By Bunny Hoest & John Reiner ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 19) Because you are in a practical frame of mind today, you will accomplish a lot. Look around and see what needs to be fixed or improved. TAURUS (APRIL 20 TO MAY 20) This is a good day to do the nec- essary legwork for future travel plans, because you do want to travel this year! You also might check out possibilities for schooling and training. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) You are in a practical mindset today, which is why you might look at the money and funding you have for future holidays or social occasions. CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) Get busy and make an ambitious to-do list, because you will get a lot done today. You are focused and patient, and you have endur- ance. That’s what it takes. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) If shopping today, you will buy long-lasting, practical items because you are in a sensible frame of mind. You also might have some solid business ideas. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) Today the Moon is in your sign lined up with Saturn and Pluto. This will help you see how to improve your image in the world. LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) You will be successful researching or working behind the scenes today because you have the energy to begin and to finish. SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) Listen to the advice of someone older or more experienced today, because this person will benefit you. He or she might help you improve something, especially if you have to take it back to the basics. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) You are high-viz today, which means people notice you more than usual. Fortunately, the impression you create will be solid and reliable. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) Do something different today to shake up your world. Learn some- thing new or go someplace you’ve never been before. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) A discussion about inheritances or shared property will go well today because you will not over- look details. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MARCH 20) Be patient with a partner or close friend today, because your interaction with this person can benefit you. Someone might have the practical know-how you need to acquire. BY FRANCES DRAKE TUESday, JaNUaRy 14, 2020 CURTIS By Ray Billingsley BLONdIE By Y. Marshall PEaNUTS By Charles M. Shulz HägaR THE HORRIBLE By Chris Browne THE aMaZINg SPIdERMaN By Stan Lee and Alex Saviuk cayman compass 6 TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020VICKI WHEATON vwheaton@compassmedia.ky Being a cancer patient is difficult enough without having to deal with a distant or unsupportive partner. Husbands and wives that support their partners as they battle the disease should be recognised and supported, hence the choice of this year’s keynote speaker for the 2020 Breast Cancer Gala: Vinnie Jones. Jones is an English actor and former professional footballer, who lost his wife Tanya to cancer in July 2019. As a footballer, he played as a midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Wales. He has since transitioned into a successful film and TV career, featuring in some Guy Ritchie films (‘Snatch’, ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’) and countless action movies. He was also a regular in the TV series ‘Arrow’, playing the part of Danny ‘Brick’ Brickwell. In an interview with Moves magazine, he confessed that this was the last career path he expected to follow. Keynote speaker for 2020 Breast Cancer Gala announced Almond trees can be found throughout the island and are an excellent source of hardwood. JEWEL LEVY jlevy@compassmedia.ky Often mistakenly referred to as a nut, the almond is actually a drupe or stone fruit, and in Cayman the kernel inside is eaten raw or used to make almond candy. Cayman wildlife, especially bats, love this fruit. Almonds are dark green and glossy that turn different shades of orange, red or yellow when in season. The fruit is small and turns a darker purplish colour when fully ripe. The outer layer of the fruit is edible and quite sweet though acidic. The almond seed is quite tricky to open. Grasp the almond at the point, turn it to the side that has a ‘seam’ and strike it with a hammer three times until you hear a ‘plop’. Then, put down the hammer and pry open the shell with your fingers to get to the almond kernel. Almonds are a healthy snack, filled with carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins and essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium. According to ‘Wild Trees of the Cayman Islands’ by Fred Burton, almonds are not native to Cayman. The Indian almond, which is found in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and Australia, has been planted widely in tropical regions around the world, and so grows wild in Cayman. The trees are an excellent source of hardwood. Locals previously burned the dried wood to repel mosquitoes and used it as firewood for outdoor cooking. The wood is strong but flexible and fairly water resistant. Like many of the fruit trees that grow in Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, the almond tree serves a number of important purposes including providing shade through its leafy canopy. The tree is closely related to Cayman’s endemic and rare Black Mastic, with both a favourite food of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a woodpecker that creates neat rows of holes in the trunks as it drills for sap. However, almond trees also attract rodents, which collect and store the fruit, and the falling leaves often create weekly gardening woes for homeowners, according to Burton. Almond The seeds can be eaten raw or used to make candy. Tickets for the gala are $375 per person and tables can be booked, but be aware that the majority of the seats have already been sold. This gala sells out well in advance. Call 923-1135 for more information and tickets. Cayman's native fruit Vinnie Jones has acted in numerous films and TV shows. “We are genuinely honoured that actor Vinnie Jones, who sadly lost his wife Tanya to cancer last July, will be our keynote speaker this year.” – The Breast Cancer Foundation "The actor seems to take his unbelievable career trajectory in stride, remaining grounded and ambitious, not letting his success soften him - especially for a guy who never really considered acting growing up: 'I thought I’d be a football coach or something,' he says in his charmingly accented growl, a voice that perfectly suits both his face and his movie roles. "Perhaps it was his down-to-earth (with an edge) personality that made him such an attractive movie star in the first place. 'We did 'Lock, Stock' and we were riding on that wave and the great fun it was, and then one night I got a call to my house and it was Jerry Bruckheimer, and he wanted me to be in 'Gone in 60 Seconds'. I wasn’t about to say no to that opportunity, and I couldn’t just nip off and do that project, so [leaving football] was a big decision. But I thought if it doesn’t work out, I can always come back and be a coach.' It worked out." - Moves magazine cayman compass 7 L living TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020LAURA DURSTON ldurston@compassmedia.ky Behind every great man is a great woman. The phrase was never so true as in the case of Miss Gwendolyn Lily Bush, who in fact was the great woman behind thousands of great Caymanian seamen. Bush was assistant to A. Colin Panton, owner of Pan Carib Agencies. Panton had adopted his late father’s company in 1956 and was agent for National Bulk Carriers in New York; Papachristidis, based in Montreal; Esso of Canada; and Bernuth Lembcke, helping provide berths with these companies for Caymanian seamen. The personnel department of National Bulk Carriers, owned by Daniel K. Ludwig, would telegraph their requirements to the Government Telegraph Office in Cayman that would be delivered to Panton’s office. “Ludwig, like so many others, had learned of the excellent reputation of the Cayman Islands seamen,” Panton told the Cayman Compass. “Gwen would study the names of who was ‘called’. She invariably knew them and where they lived. It was very easy to get the word to them,” he explained. There were usually one or two men sitting around expecting to get their call and the names of those called travelled like wildfire to every district. Capt. Keith Tibbetts was the agent in Cayman Brac and, when necessary, his men were overnighted in a guest house in George Town arranged by Bush. “Gwen made sure that passports and all necessary documents were in order,” Panton said. “She was a fast and accurate typist.” Seafaring was an industry that allowed Cayman to grow economically, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. The earnings from seafaring jobs fed families, built houses and started businesses, and Bush was the humble facilitator of much of this success. A single mother, raising two children on her own, she never owned a passport, or left Cayman’s fair shores. She did not own a car, cycled to work and also did not have a college education; far from it, in fact. “My mother, like most Caymanians [at the time], went to school for three years and studied everything from three books, aptly named Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3. After that, if your family could afford it, you might be sent to Jamaica for further education, otherwise you made your way as best you could with three years of education behind you,” explained Bush’s son John Bodden. “My mother had a thirst for knowledge and would read anything that she could lay her hands on. She always encouraged everyone to take every opportunity to get more education, often citing it as one of the few things that nobody would ever be able to take away from you.” Despite her lack of formal education and travel experience, it was due to the work of Panton and Bush that Caymanian seafarers reached ports in the far corners of the world. “She was a kind and loving person,” Matriarch of Cayman seafarers The Southwell Years The book ‘The Southwell Years: Recollections of Caymanian Seamen and Those Who Served at Home’ is filled with mentions of this great woman. Linford A Pierson referred to her as the “mother of all the boys who sailed with National Bulk Carriers during those Southwell days”, and Will Jackson said she was the “sweetheart of the seaman”. ‘The Southwell Years’ details her ability to get men ready to board a ship within six hours of an appeal for seamen to head out - an impressive feat in a time with no telephones, and when families would need to pack the man’s belongings for a long journey at sea. Miss Gwen would type up letters of introduction, complete immigration forms and even sign names, as many seamen could not read or write. “I will do all that I possibly can to make it as easy as I can for them to get to the ship. Once on the ship, I know that I don’t have to worry about them,” she is quoted in the book as saying. Miss Gwen: cayman compass 8 I issues TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020h of Cayman seafarers said Panton, who noted that she never missed a single day at work. “Regrettably, there were occasions when we had to deliver the sad news to the family of the death of a loved one while at sea. I could not do this alone and she was my rock … I do not hesitate to repeat again that I loved her as a sister.” Family links to the sea While not a seafarer herself, the profession, and fortitude that accompanies it, was in her blood. “She came from a long line of sea captains, which instilled a certain resilience and survival instinct that was handed down from one generation to the next. Gwen’s grandfather built the house which is now called Lassie’s Minds Eye at the junction of Walkers Road and South Church Street, which is where her father was born, and that area was where the family built and sailed schooners from for many generations,” explained Bodden. “In 1932 when Gwen was 12 years old, a hurricane destroyed all of the family’s schooners and the storm surge washed away the house that she was living in in Red Bay. She was able to escape in the middle of the night with the rest of her family to safety down towards Crewe Road, but it wasn’t until the 1960s before anyone ever considered building in Red Bay again,” Bodden said. “She came from a time when everyone’s life was inextricably linked to the sea, and I suppose she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, but everyone knew the sea as a good servant but bad master.” Miss Gwen’s 'boys' At any given time, there were hundreds of Caymanians at sea, and to Miss Gwen they were all 'her boys'. “She called them her ‘boys’ because most of them were mere boys of around 16 years of age going to sea on oil tankers as their first job,” Bodden said. “In the early days, i.e. 1950s, many of them were seasoned sailors, having gone to work on Cayman schooners in the turtling industry, sometimes as young as 11 or 12 years old, depending on their size.” Miss Gwen would see off groups of her boys from the airport as they departed for Miami or further. “LACSA, a Costa Rican airline, was used in those days,” Panton recalled. “Gwen never failed to see her ‘boys’ off, whether one or 20, as I recall was the number on one occasion.” Darwin Ebanks, who first went to sea in the 60s when he was a teenager, remembers Bush as “very open, but also very private” woman. “It is my opinion, and the opinion of just about all other seafarers, that Miss Gwen deserves to be made a national hero.” Miss Gwen’s boys did their best to take care of her, often sending her contributions and building her two homes. Their final act of thanks for her hard work was when the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association pulled together to purchase a marble slab and headstone for her grave with the inscription, “She was a Seafarer at Heart.” Her impact will surely be felt by generations of future maritime workers, as the Ministry of Education, along with the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association and Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation created the Gwen Bush Memorial Scholarship to promote careers in the boat-building trade and other maritime careers. well Years s: Recollections of Caymanian Seamen and Those Who Served at Home’ is eat woman. Linford A Pierson referred to her as the “mother of all the boys Carriers during those Southwell days”, and Will Jackson said she was the her ability to get men ready to board a ship within six hours of an appeal for essive feat in a time with no telephones, and when families would need to pack ng journey at sea. Miss Gwen would type up letters of introduction, complete sign names, as many seamen could not read or write. n to make it as easy as I can for them to get to the ship. Once on the ship, I know ut them,” she is quoted in the book as saying. A. Colin Panton, age 18 Miss Gwen and Garlon Jackson. en: This clip from the 20 Oct. 1965 Caymanian Weeklyhighlights one of the many 'calls' to sea. cayman compass 9 I issues TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020Next >