100% hoppe r® 0% Beef 100% Whop per ® 0% Beef 100% Whop per ® 0% Beef Patty made from plants. TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. Impossible is a trademark of Impossible Foods Inc. Used under license. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 15-21 January 2021 New dive tour package aims to educate as well as thrill. Page 11 Photo: Jon Barron, Ocean Frontiers Close encounters Tourism stipend may increase Page 3 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 15-21 January 2021 The fi rst step Suicide has been decriminalised, but campaigners say more must be done to help those suffering from serious mental illness. Page 12Matinees (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. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK HONEST THIEF (PG-13) (SUN) 4:10 | 7:00 | 9:40 THE HORIZON LINE (PG-13) (FRI & SUN) 4:40 VIP | 7:15 | 10:00 VIP | 10:20 (SAT) 1:40 | 4:45 VIP | 7:15 | 10:00 VIP | 10:20 (MON-THURS) 4:30 VIP | 7:15 MONSTER HUNTER (PG-13) (FRI) 6:30 VIP | 9:30 (SAT) 1:30 VIP | 6:30 VIP (SUN) 4:45 | 6:30 VIP | 9:30 (MON & THURS) 6:30 VIP PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (R) (FRI & SAT) 4:15 | 7:20 VIP | 9:45 (MON & THURS) (MON & THURS) (MON & THURS 4:15 | 7:00 VIP (TUES & WED) 4:15 | 7:20 VIP SHAKEELA (R) (FRI & SAT) 7:05 (MON-THURS) 7:05 THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (FRI) 3:45 VIP | 3:35 | 6:45 (SAT) 1:00 | 1:15 VIP | 3:45 VIP | 4:35 (SUN) 3:45 VIP | 4:35 | 6:45 | 7:30 VIP | 9:207:30 VIP | 9:207:30 VIP (MON, TUE, THURS) 3:45 VIP | 4:35 | 6:45 (WED) 4:35 | 6:45 THE DOORMAN (R) (FRI) 4:20 | 10:00 (SAT) 1:15 | 4:20 | 10:00 (MON-THURS) 4:20 WONDER WOMAN 1984 (PG-13) (FRI & SUN)3:30 | 4:15 VIP | 7:00 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 1:00 VIP | 3:30 | 4:55 VIP | 4:55 VIP | 4:55 VIP 7:00 | 8:30 VIP |8:30 VIP |8:30 VIP 9:00 VIP (SUN) 3:30 | 4:15 VIP | 7:00 | 4:15 VIP | 7:00 | 4:15 VIP8:00 VIP | 8:00 VIP | 8:00 VIP 9:00 VIP (MON & THURS) 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP (TUE & WED) 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 7:00 | 7:40 VIP (MON-THURS) 7:05 CULTURE 42ND STREET THE MUSICAL SATURDAY 8PM For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KID CLUB MATLIDA (PG) SATURDAY 10AM (TUE & WED) 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 7:00 7:40 VIP KID CLUB CLASSICS SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (R) VIP TUESDAY 7PM PRINTED 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 EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather 86°F HIGH 73°F LOW Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. SEA STATE Smooth to slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. SAT 84°F HIGH 70°F LOW SUN 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW MON 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW TUES 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW WED 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW THUR 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to northeast at 5 to 10 knots today, 5 knots or less tonight. Local transmission case considered false positive Chief Medical Offi cer Dr. John Lee reported on 14 Jan. that among the latest COVID-19 results was a suspected false positive case involving an individual who had travelled to Cayman from the UK several weeks earlier. The person had tested negative following the mandatory two-week quarantine but returned a “weakly positive” result after undergoing a PCR test at Doctors Hospital during what was described as routine screening on 13 Jan. Offi cials have not included this case among Cayman’s overall COVID-19 positive statistics. As of 14 Jan., 367 cases had been recorded in Cayman; 40 of which are currently active, and six are symptomatic. COVID-19 vaccines distributed Most of the COVID-19 vaccines earmarked for use in Cayman were administered within days of arriving on island, health offi cials said. By late Wednesday, 13 Jan., 3,525 people had been vaccinated across all three islands. Cayman’s 9,750 Pfi zer-BioNTech doses are intended to be given in two doses 21 days apart, meaning there is enough to inoculate 4,875 people. Those eligible in the fi rst round of vaccinations include people working or volunteering at healthcare facilities, those over 70, frontline workers such as airport and immigration staff, and people with specifi c medical conditions. Blake, Watson deny CIFA fraud charges Two former soccer offi cials have denied multiple corruption charges linked to claims they fraudulently funnelled cash through the Cayman Islands Football Association bank account. Bruce Blake, who was vice president of CIFA, and Canover Watson, former treasurer, appeared in Grand Court on Wednesday, 6 Jan. Blake was charged with one count of acquiring criminal property, while Watson faces two counts of transferring criminal property, and one count of secret commissions. Blake and Watson, both 37, also were each charged with one count of false accounting and one count of entering into an arrangement with the other. The charges allege that between February 2013 and December 2014, they used Panama-based Cartan International Sports Management Inc. and Forward Sports Management Inc. to fraudulently transfer millions of US dollars to a Cayman Islands bank account. They pleaded not guilty to all charges and were released on bail. Cayman’s oldest woman dies at age 105 Stella Louise Welcome, Cayman’s oldest female resident, passed away on 7 Jan. at the age of 105. Welcome was born in East End on 20 Oct. 1915, when Cayman’s population was a mere 5,500 people, the country had no running water or electricity, and was still under the stewardship of Jamaica – which was a British colony at the time. “It was a time when people didn’t have much, and they shared what little they had,” said Donald McLean, one of Welcome’s 13 grandchildren. The matriarch of her family, Welcome seems to have inherited her longevity from her mother Jannette Wood, who lived to be 103 years old. Welcome is survived by her two daughters, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren. Man arrested over machete attack Police arrested a 35-year-old man on 12 Jan. on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm following a machete attack in George Town on New Year’s Eve. A video of the attack has been circulating on social media. Police said that shortly after 12:30am on 31 Dec., offi cers responded to a report of an altercation involving several people outside a bar on Smith Road, but when they got there, the people had left. Later the same morning, an injured man who had been assaulted with a machete during the incident attended George Town Police Station. The suspect was released on police bail with conditions as investigations continue, police said. Brac aviation fi rm fi lls disputed turtle kraal A stand-off between opponents and a new aviation fi rm on Cayman Brac escalated on 12 Jan. after the company fi lled an old turtle kraal at the site where it plans to station an airfi eld and helicopter hangar. The presence of the kraal, which objectors say is an important national heritage site, was cited as one of the key reasons for an appeal against the Development Control Board’s decision to grant planning permission for the project. Aviation fi rm Dagarro Ltd. says the kraal was fi lled after the company received the appropriate planning permission and in the presence of environmental offi cials and was done in order to address safety issues due to trespassers. Training begins for fi rst Coast Guard recruits Six women are among the fi rst 16 recruits undergoing eight weeks of training to become members of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard. The recruits, all Caymanians, will undergo a series of training sessions in preparation to build out the Coast Guard, which was formed in 2018 after an amalgamation of the police marine units. Coast Guard Commander Robert Scotland said the class is the fi rst of many recruitment drives the entity tasked with search and rescue and maritime security will undergo. The recruits were selected after a rigorous summer recruitment drive which started last July. More than 300 Caymanians across all three islands applied to be part of the unit. news in brief Stella Louise Welcome Training begins for the fi rst Coast Guard recruits. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021Efforts follow Grand Court judge calling corruption 'rampant' at the department formerly known as immigration ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia,ky Nearly six months after a Grand Court judge called corruption in Cayman’s civil service “rampant”, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said stamping out such behaviour within government requires a proactive approach. The case – believed to be the largest civil service corruption case in the country’s history – involved immigration officers taking money to give foreign workers passing grades on the required English-language test. Three people were sent to prison, including two civil servants. When handing down his judgment, Justice Roger Chapple said the convictions were proof that corruption was rampant throughout the immigration department because when one corrupt officer was not available to continue the racket, another was easily available to step in and take their place. “That case proved that there was corruption, and it was not just one officer involved,” said Manderson. “But we accepted that, and we owned up to it. Some of those persons are doing time in prison and they are still there.” Manderson says he believes his office is cracking down on these types of cases. “I don’t hear allegations of corruption, not anymore, those things don’t come across my desk at all,” said Manderson. Since taking the helm of the civil service in 2012, Manderson said much effort has been spent on educating civil servants on the varying forms of corruption and how to prevent it. He said, “We launched our anti- fraud policy, which talked about the ‘Dos and Don’ts’; do not put yourself in a compromising position where you feel like you need to break the rules.” The latest data from the Anti- Corruption Commission shows that between July 2019 and June 2020, the ACC received four tips, each resulting in an investigation. During that reporting period, the ACC pursued 14 active cases, conducting 74 interviews which led to three people being arrested and 11 being charged. Manderson said he believes the immigration corruption case is an isolated incident, and the true forms of corruption would often come in smaller, less-organised instances. He has implemented an audit and risk committee comprising members of both the public and private sector. Manderson said the group meets regularly to analyse and eradicate opportunities for corruption. “One of the things that people must understand is that austerity can bring about corruption. When persons can’t feed their families honestly, sometimes they will do things they wouldn’t normally do,” he said. Manderson said recent pay increases within the civil service has helped to offset the austerity measures. However, in the cases where civil servants are driven to commit acts of corruption, where the custody threshold has been met Manderson said a swift investigation is implemented. A byproduct of additional anti- corruption measures inevitably leads to more bureaucracy. Manderson said finding the balance between less red tape and greater security boils down to trust, and when that trust is broken the courts will step in. When he asked about rumours of corruption involving the former directors at the Cayman Islands Port Authority, and the National Roads Authority Manderson said, “I’m not aware of those cases; those are statutory cases, they do not fall under my remit. I’m responsible for the civil service entities. “But I am well aware that if allegations are made, if evidence is collected, I believe the system works and they will be prosecuted as well.” DG works to stamp out corruption RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Government is considering increasing its tourism stipend, Finance Minister Roy McTaggart has confirmed. The monthly stipend, which is being paid to Caymanian tourism workers impacted by Cayman’s border closures, was initially $600 and later increased to $1,000. McTaggart, speaking on the 13 Jan. episode of the Cayman Compass talk show ‘The Resh Hour’, said government is looking at boosting that figure further after pleas from affected workers. “We have received a lot of representation over the Christmas holidays with regard to the level of the stipend,” McTaggart said. “Some of the things that… people are telling us is they are welcoming it, they thank government for it, but with the continuing [border] closure, this thing is just continuing longer than anyone anticipated. They’re now facing making some really harsh decisions. Do I pay my rent this month or do I put food on my table?” He said he hoped that government will be able to say more on the issue soon, but noted that a formal decision had not been made on the increase or its amount. In December, government extended the stipend to June 2021. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, in a statement in Parliament in December, said that, since last March, government had spent $15.6 million on tourism stipends for almost 2,900 workers to help tide them over until tourists can return to local shores. McTaggart, during the Compass interview, said that Cayman’s finances had performed “remarkably better than any of us could have anticipated”, and he expected that performance to continue. The minister acknowledged that the decision to close borders led to significant hardship, but he said it was a necessary step. “That was probably one of the darkest days of my political career, having to make a decision like that because there was so much unknown... I don’t think countries had [ever]... actually shut down any economy and shut down businesses countrywide. It was extremely hard. It was excruciating,” he said. However, McTaggart added, despite the criticism, “history has proven the decisions that we made were the right ones, and I’m so grateful for that”. The country, he said, “is so much better than what we see even in those countries around us who took risks and are now paying a price for taking those risks, and we were criticised”. Pointing to current government finances, McTaggart said there was enough cash to keep operations going for the next few months without having to borrow money. A $330 million-plus line of credit from local banks, which has been secured by government if needed, expires in mid- 2022. McTaggart said he is hopeful that if things go well and Cayman’s borders reopen in March, there may be no need to draw down on the line of credit, which “would be an incredible outcome for the country as a whole”. Gov’t mulls increase in tourism stipend “They’re now facing making some really harsh decisions. Do I pay my rent this month or do I put food on my table?” Finance Minister Roy McTaggart Franz Manderson These tenders remain out of service as Cayman's borders remain closed to cruise ships and commerical travel. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 20211234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 In relation to (7) 5 Financial resources (5) 8 Affect social superiority (3,2,4) 9 Bring an action against (3) 10 Move very quickly (4) 12 In decline (8) 14 Unsophisticated (6) 15 Intention (6) 17 Serene (8) 18 Widely held but false notion (4) 21 Hang down under weight (3) 22 Self-control (9) 24 Vestibule (5) 25 Hasty (7) DOWN 1 A yellowish gemstone (5) 2 Clever humour (3) 3 Foul-smelling (4) 4 Long thin piece cut off (6) 5 Erroneous (8) 6 Extreme economy (9) 7 Make more agreeable (7) 11 Violent attack (9) 13 Inadvertent revelation (4-4) 14 Quick sharp reply (7) 16 The community in general (6) 19 Able to bear cold (5) 20 Stimulus (4) 23 To court (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16589 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. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS xx ACROSS: 1 Towards, 5 Means, 8 Put on airs, 9 Sue, 10 Zoom, 12 Decadent, 14 Rustic, 15 Design, 17 Peaceful, 18 Myth, 21 Sag, 22 Willpower, 24 Entry, 25 Cursory. DOWN: 1 Topaz, 2 Wit, 3 Rank, 4 Sliver, 5 Mistaken, 6 Austerity, 7 Sweeten, 11 Onslaught, 13 Give-away, 14 Riposte, 16 Public, 19 Hardy, 20 Spur, 23 Woo. Smoking kills, I read. However, there are many people on our islands that continue to smoke. Some smoke tobacco products and some smoke cannabis/herb. I will use the word ‘herb’ as this is what it is commonly called on our islands. People that smoke tobacco products can buy and consume as many as they like. There is no limit because it is legal. Should these products be legal if smoking kills? Having read/heard so much about the consequences of smoking, I have wondered for so long, how our government could even legalise the sale of tobacco products? I have read that smoking can cause cancer, clog our arteries, and increase the risk of blindness, infertility and impotence, to name a few. And when our children see us smoking, chances are that they may become smokers. There we go for an unhealthy society! Knowing all these things, should we continue to legalise tobacco products?. I have, however, heard/read about many things that herb is good for including asthma, tuberculosis and the flu. Herb is natural and can be grown in one’s yard and used straight from the tree. Some drink it and/or smoke it. Tobacco, on the other hand, has a lot of chemicals added to it when made into other forms. These added chemicals make it harmful to our bodies and others around us. I am a believer in equal rights so I say if the Cayman Islands government can legalise the sale and consumption of tobacco products (without limit) then the CIG can and should, with immediate effect, legalise the use of cannabis in our islands. No more prison time and no more bad police records for persons who choose to use cannabis. Our government has been legalising things that the majority of we Caymanians disapprove of. The gay marriage issue is one. I also suggested, years ago, that the CIG set a moratorium for investors in our islands. The majority feel it should be done, yet it was not. Many Caymanians believe that no one should have any more rights than the other person, so I suggest, we either make tobacco products illegal or make the use of cannabis/ herb legal. Do what the singer Peter Tosh says, “Legalise it... Don’t criticise it.” Dora A.E. Ebanks Stop building so close to the high-water mark. Setbacks are there for a reason and need to be respected. – Jennifer Woodford To all of those developers that went ahead and built so close to the water’s edge, “I beg your pardon, Cayman or Mother Nature never promised you an indefinite rose garden.” Deal with it your- selves. You all were warned not to build so close to the water...dah wha unna get. – Josephine Jackson They asked for setback waiv- ers, they got them. Now move the property backwards in a managed retreat – the development has already depleted the sand bank. – Linda Clark Stop developing on the sand, dredging the sea and tearing down the trees and beach understorey. [What] did you think would happen?! – Eden Hurlston Despite the warnings from local knowledgeable people, they went ahead with these buildings on the beach. They should expect no help or be given any. I’m of the opinion that if they block the path along the beach they should be removed. – Desle Francis How is it that these developers and their clients knowingly break the law by building too close to the waterline, get barely more than a slap on the hand... and then want the government they defied to help them because the inevitable happened? – Kelly Reineking So these people want govern- ment to give them an arm and a leg, too. Are you serious? How much help do they want. I’m sorry but that’s up to them to clean their own properties. – Jamie Montero No question the government should assist in the rebuilding of one of the most iconic and scenic features of Grand Cayman. – Gord Le’on What about all the business owners in Cayman who have restaurants that closed or are not doing well due to COVID! – Cara La Scala- Bongiovanni Get in line. The displaced tourism employees still waiting for health insurance – Allison Hidalgo Legalise cannabis in Cayman What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor cartoon What you got - By Caymanman Cayman’s oldest woman dies at 105 She is now a legend and an inspiration to all who knew her! May God bless her loved ones and her soul. – Diane Johnson My condolences to her family, friends & the Cayman Islands community, but I also celebrate such a wonderful, rich life filled with history of these beautiful islands and the people. – Lou Powers Condolences to her entire family. Such a treasure has now gone on to be with her maker. Rest easy, Ms Welcome, you are now in God’s arms. – Sanya Moya Chief justice: lack of courtrooms have led to backlog I had to go to court three days in a row once for a speeding ticket. I get that I was in the wrong but maybe if the focus was put on more serious things for a courtroom and not minor traffic offences, this wouldn’t be such an issue. Also, legalise pot. – Rob Tyler All these vacant buildings in town and court- rooms are an issue? If they build a multi-storey courthouse they will also need to build larger prisons and implement better rehabilitation prac- tices within the system to minimise re-offenders, like Norway has done with their prison system. – Kendra Smith Beach-loss properties want gov’t help cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Starting Thursday, 14 Jan., Cayman will require a negative COVID-19 test from all travellers 72 hours prior to entry, a move that has triggered changes in travel plans for some and concern for others. Master dive instructor Petro Kotze is among those rejigging travel plans in response to the new requirement that was announced by Premier Alden McLaughlin last week. While Kotze understood and welcomed the change, she said it poses a challenge as she would have to source tests for herself and her wife Karen Perkins before they return to Cayman. The local divers are travelling to Mexico this month and were scheduled to return on 2 Feb. “We had to postpone our flight back into Cayman until the 9th as it’s the first flight available back in... We were due to fly in from Cabo San Lucas... to Miami on 1 Feb. and then catch a flight back to Cayman. Now we are changing that,” she said. Kotze said they have delayed their return leg by a week to ensure they get their tests sorted. Although the flight change and additional stay comes at a cost, Kotze said it worked out as they will get to spend time with Perkins’ sister who is undergoing cancer treatment in West Virginia. “We will have to get a test in Charlotte to go and visit her as well. So all those things are in the making, but that all came out of the (COVID pre-testing changes),” she said. Kotze, however, said the change was needed. All of Cayman’s cases since the 1 Oct. soft opening have been from travellers in quarantine. The last locally transmitted case was that of a Red Bay Primary School student that month. “[Pre-testing is] another step. We’ve been thinking a long time about what else to do to open up the country and we do need to open up a little bit more, but safely, and this is one of the steps that I think is very necessary,” Kotze told the Cayman Compass. New requirement necessary McLaughlin, last week, said Cabinet approved pre-testing, in response to the spread of new and more infectious variants of COVID-19 which have been found in 45 countries including the UK, US and Denmark. This week the UK also announced it will be requiring pre-testing for all travellers, including those from Overseas Territories. Cayman UK representative André Ebanks said his office is working with Caymanians and residents in the UK to assist with the new requirements. “Thus far, though pre-flight testing adds to travel preparations, we have found travellers to be understanding of the rationale for new pre-flight testing requirements once they have up-to-date information. “Therefore to assist from the UK end, our office in partnership with our affiliate Cayman Connection has compiled and shared a link to a list of UK testing centres for ease of reference of returning Caymanians and residents and [the] link is available to the public” via the cigouk. ky website, he said in his statement. Caymanian Lisa Evans has expressed concern that the new change will place her in a precarious position when she travels later this month. “I fail to see the point in pre-testing if you have to quarantine anyway. Secondly, how can you deny a Caymanian entry to their country,” she said via Facebook messenger. Evans said she has to travel to the US and believes the new requirement could leave her stranded in the States. “It’s one more thing to do and if I do test positive I’ll be stuck in the US,” she said. For mom-of-two Izzy Gray-Pearce the change in local travel requirements has made her move from the UK to Cayman a bit more chaotic than expected. “My challenge was... I could get hold of only one of the testing centres in town where we live,” she said via Facebook messenger. Getting the test results in time to catch her flight proved challenging but she eventually was able to arrange tests for her family at the centre closest to their UK home. Saying it was “lucky” she was able to get that appointment, she added, “Mind you, my household [goods] get collected on the very same Monday [as the test results]... [so] if one of us test positive, we are doomed,” she said. Despite the logistical issues, Gray-Pearce said she understood the need for pre-testing, but it made their moving to Cayman all the more risky. She said she is hoping all goes well and the tests come back negative. A positive test would result in losing the money already spent on the flight and the quarantine accommodation once in Cayman. “And considering the shipping company is collecting our belongings on 25th January, we might be left with nothing in the house,” she added. Ebanks said his office has been receiving many enquiries about flights post-January between London and Cayman. The approved dates are yet to be released by Travel Cayman. “Though BA may be accepting post January bookings, I’d also like to reiterate post January flights have not been authorised by Government as yet and making such bookings with any airline on a flight that has not been authorised by Government will likely result in change fees at the traveller’s expense. However, we hope to receive confirmation about future approved BA flight dates shortly,’’ Ebanks added. Travellers adjust to new pre-testing requirement Izzy Gray-Pearce with her daughters Mila (background) and Wren. – Photo: Submitted André Ebanks, Cayman's UK Representative Petro Kotze says she and her wife had to extend their travel plans by a week following the announcement of the new pre-testing requirement. – Photo: Submitted Cayman accepted tests: • UK-UKAS accredited laboratory or the National Health Service. • USA/Americas/worldwide JC (Joint Commission) or JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited laboratories ISO or COLA (Commis- sion on Office/Laboratory Accreditation) accredited laboratories National Public Health Laboratories or other government-approved providers. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021Public splash park planned at Kimpton NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The Central Planning Authority has approved a plan for a children’s splash park at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, which will be open to both the public and hotel guests. The 14,000-square-foot park, which is being designed for use by toddlers to primary school age children, will take over part of the beach-side car park to the north of the property. It is set to open in autumn this year. There were no objections to the planning application, which was heard by the CPA on 16 Dec. The resort’s general manager, Steven Andre, in a press release about the new play area, said elements of Cayman Islands’ native flora and fauna will be incorporated throughout the design. He added that the Kimpton’s “newest fun zone ... will be an escape for the children and adults alike, offering interactive, water-based fun and activities. With the design incorporating itself into our tropical oasis feel and curated landscaping – it will be a tropical forest look from our Ocean View and Ocean Front guest accommodations.” The splash park, or splash pad, will include water slides and fountains. During the planing permission application process, the Department of Environment highlighted that the proposed site for the splash park was adjacent to a turtle nesting beach, which is also owned by the Kimpton, and directed that turtle-friendly lighting be used at the site, which the company has undertaken to install. Dart interior designer Gina Powell led design on the project, creating the theme of the main structure, according to the release. “We wanted to create a unique experience that was visually stimulating for children and connected to the local environment,” Powell said. “It was incredibly special for me as a Caymanian to help create a custom theme design that had a sense of place; a true reflection of the unique natural environment of the Cayman Islands.” Dart creative professional Keri Lawrence created the graphic design on the splash pad structure, which includes images of iconic local animals and plants, like the blue iguana, Cayman parrot, silver thatch and wild banana orchid. “We wanted the splash park to become a part of the environment and community, we found inspiration through the local plants and animals around us,” Lawrence said. “It was most important to include these aspects of Cayman’s culture because while we wanted to create a fun environment, there was also a chance to add in a learning component.” The area will also have a ‘woodland walk’ around the perimeter of the splash park, that will include native flora. Senior design manager, landscape architecture, Nicholas Forari Denney, said, “Woodland walks immerse children in native vegetation and reveal additional play opportunities. To tell the story of the woodland meets shoreline, we have selected trees such as sea grape, birch, and mahogany. Plantings, including trees, shrubs, and groundcovers, were also selected to help attract native fauna, such as butterflies and birds.” Parking spots that will be taken over by the splash park will replaced at other areas of the hotel site, the planning application noted. A model of the splash park planned for the Kimpton hotel. - Image: Supplied by Dart RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky With Cayman’s border reopening projected for March, property owners and businesses impacted by beach loss along Seven Mile Beach are racing against the clock to ready themselves to receive clients. However, they say they are receiving little government support to help them as they move to replenish their beachfront that was lost due to storm surges during the hurricane season and persistent battering from rough seas. Dr. Gregory Richmond-Peck, executive board member and condo owner at South Bay Beach Club, has said time is of the essence if properties like his are to be ready for a March reopening. “Every poster you see of the Cayman Islands has a picture of a pristine beach and people expect that. If they don’t find that they’re going to go elsewhere and consequently, we’re going to lose income and it’s going to cost the government a lot of money in the long term from lost revenue from tourist taxes and from stamp duty on condos,” Peck said in an interview with the Cayman Compass. Richmond-Peck said the loss at the luxury condos was equally devastating, one he blamed on the growing effects of climate change. “We’re losing coastline all over the world, not just the Cayman Islands, but we are losing a lot of coastline... “ that has been exacerbated by the hurricanes and storms that come in, he said, adding that is what takes the sand away. Richmond-Peck suggested that a man-made cove similar to the one built at Sunset Cove may be an option for long-term protection of the beach. John Hazard, Grand Cayman Marriott’s General Manager, in a written statement to the Cayman Compass, agreed with South Beach Bay Club that there should be a sense of urgency regarding finding a workable solution to the beach- loss issue. “Ideally, we would like the Government’s approval and support of previously proposed plans and discuss a viable beach re- nourishment strategy. The hotel is currently in discussions with third- party local marine consultants and we request the immediate engagement of the Government to re-start the conversation about receiving permission to pursue our initial proposed plans. If the Government does not support our proposal, we ask that they provide workable alternatives so that they can be explored and implemented as soon as possible,” Hazard said. The resort had proposed a proposal that included geotubes along the impacted area to stop the beach loss. The DoE, in a recent assessment of the beach loss, suggested beach nourishment as an option, as well as removing/rebuilding infrastructure away from the sea, to combat the erosion. Margaret Mendes, manager at South Bay Beach condos, said the property owners are actively looking at beach nourishment and have secured DoE approval to extract 200 cubic yards of sand from the Watermark development site. However, after applying for planning permission to commence the exercise, the Seven Mile Beach property was told it would need a coastal works application to move forward with its plan. Mendes said decisive action is needed from government to deal with the beach loss. “If we’re planning to reopen the borders fairly soon in the next three months... six months, it is pressing. They need to come up with a long- term plan. Right now we will have to re-nourish with the sand; that’s a short-term plan, but we would like to see or hear of some long-term plan from the government as to how we can really mediate the problem that we’re having with the beach,” she said. She said beach nourishment will be an expensive exercise and suggested that government assist through funding and sourcing the sand. Hazard added, “We believe that the success of such an endeavor which addresses this ongoing beach loss issue relies on the collaboration of all the properties involved as well as us working together with the Government. It is in all our collective interest to find a viable resolution to ensure that the whole of Seven Mile Beach is on its way to be ready for international tourists to enjoy when they do finally return to Grand Cayman.” In preparation to the airport reopening, the resort was proactively engaging and communicating with all its international partners to regain their interest and confidence. “We are also ensuring that we have the resources available and ready for international guests when they do arrive. Having said that, we welcome the announcement of the Government’s reopening plan of our borders so that we can ensure that we are fully aligned with their strategy,” he said. Gov’t working to address issues Infrastructure Minister Joey Hew, responding to concerns, said the issue of beach loss in that area is very much on the government’s radar, but it is not a simple fix. “The only way to address the current issue is to move the sea walls. We do hope to address this in the Plan Cayman review of Seven Mile Beach corridor by adjusting set backs and land uses,” he told the Compass. At the moment, he said, government is dealing with the safety issues caused by the beach loss. “We were assisting the property owners and replenishing that sand in order to firstly... improve the safety of the area and the security of the property, but also to help with the aesthetics,” Hew said. In South Beach Bay’s case, he said, a coastal works application is required and that has not been submitted as yet. Beach-loss properties want gov’t help Dr. Gregory Richmond-Peck shows how much of the beach has been washed away at South Beach Bay Club along Seven Mile Beach. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath Beach nourishment, also referred to as beach renourishment, beach replenishment or sand replenishment, describes a process by which sediment (usually sand) lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced from sources outside of the eroding beach. (Source: Climate Technology and Network) What is beach nourishment WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COM cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2021Next >