Cayman Compass - 22 January, 2021

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, 22-28 January 2021 Fireﬁ ghters involved in crash to sue government Page 5 Commission probes beach access claim Page 6 Expat exodus: 5,000 left in 2020 Page 18 All signed up The ﬁ nal day to register to vote has passsed, and attention now turns to the 2021 general election. - Page 3 Photo: Alvaro SereyMatinees (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 lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK HONEST THIEF (PG-13) (SUN) 3:20 VIP | 5:40 VIP | 7:15 | 9:10 VIP THE HORIZON LINE (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 7:00 | 9:25 (SUN) 7:00 | 9:25 (MON-THURS) 7:00 | 9:25 MONSTER HUNTER (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:20 (SAT ONLY) | 4:25| 6:40 VIP | 9:35 (SUN) 4:25| 6:40 VIP | 9:35 (MON) 1:20 | 4:25 | 6:40 VIP | 9:35 (TUES) 4:25 (WED & THURS) 4:25 | 6:40 VIP MARKSMAN, THE (PG-13) (FRI & SUN) 4:15 | 7:10 VIP | 9:50 VIP | 10:20 (SAT) 12:45 VIP | 1:40 | 4:15 | 7:10 VIP | 9:50 VIP | 10:20 (MON-THURS) 4:15 | 6:30 VIP PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (R) (FRI & SAT) 5:15 VIP | 6:50 | 9:10 (MON & THURS) 1:00 (MON ONLY) | 5:15 VIP | 6:50 | 9:10 VIP THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (FRI & SUN)4:00 VIP | 4:05 VIP | 6:30 (SAT) 1:00 | 1:15 VIP | 4:00 VIP | 4:05 | 6:30 (MON - THURS) 1:00 (MON ONLY) | 1:15 VIP | 4:00 VIP | 4:05 | 6:30 (MON ONLY) WONDER WOMAN 1984 (PG-13) (FRI & SUN)3:30 | 3:40 VIP | 7:00 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 (SAT) 12:40 | 1:45 VIP | 3:30 | 3:40 VIP | 7:00 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 (MON) 12:40 | 1:45 VIP | 3:30 | 3:40 VIP | 7:00 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 (TUE - THURS) 3:30 | 3:40 VIP | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP ) 1:00 (MON ONLY) | 5:15 VIP | KID CLUB FINDING NEMO (PG) SATURDAY 10AM FINDING 10AM CLASSICS BUCKET LIST, THE (PG-13) TUESDAY 7PM VIP 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 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. SAT 86°F HIGH 70°F LOW SUN 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW MON 84°F HIGH 73°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. Skylar Mack: ‘I made this mistake’ A contrite Skylar Mack, who was jailed in Cayman last month for breaching quarantine, admitted she had made a mistake and that she deserved the punishment she received for putting the local community at risk. Speaking on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, 19 Jan., after returning home following her release from jail, the teen said, “The anger, the disappointment – it’s all justiﬁ ed. I deserved it all, you know. I made this mistake.” Asked if she was aware she was breaking the law when she removed her monitoring bracelet on the morning of 29 Nov., just two days into her 14-day quarantine, Mack, 18, admitted, “It was a conscious decision,” but she could not give “any good reason for it”. The pre-med student from Loganville, Georgia, took off her government-issued geofencing wristband and spent hours at a beach in South Sound where her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, a 24-year-old professional jet-skier, was taking part in a competition. She and Ramgeet were both sentenced to two months in prison on 15 Dec. but were released after a month after being granted pre- discharge leave. Police warn Hammer over video, close investigation Police in Cayman have warned Hollywood actor Armie Hammer over a video on social media featuring a scantily clad woman whom he implied was Miss Cayman. The Miss Cayman Islands Committee reported the matter to the RCIPS. In a brief statement issued on 20 Jan., police said, “On January 15, 2021, the RCIPS received an allegation of misuse of ICT in relation to a suggestive video which had been posted on social media. Ofﬁ cers investigated the matter and spoke to the suspect, who was warned about his conduct, in accordance with the wishes of the complainant. The matter is now closed.” Earlier in the week, the actor issued an apology about the video, saying, “I would like to clarify that the person in my video, which was stolen from my private Instagram, is not Miss Cayman. I am genuinely sorry for any confusion my foolish attempt at humour may have caused.” In the video, Hammer takes viewers on a tour of his Cayman Islands hotel room, as a woman in underwear kneels on his bed. The woman’s face is not visible. Text under the video refers to having sexual relations with ‘Ms Cayman’. Two small landﬁ ll ﬁ res reported Firefighters tackled two separate fires at the George Town landfill on 18 and 19 Jan. The first fire was blamed on a discarded cellphone battery that had ignited after a vehicle carrying out compacting work rolled over it. Both fires were extinguished. The fires prompted Fire Service and Department of Environmental Health officials to appeal to the public not to include old batteries among general household waste. Woman robbed at gunpoint in West Bay Two men, one armed with a handgun, robbed a woman at a parking lot of an apartment complex in West Bay on the night of 18 Jan. Police said the robbery occurred just before 10pm on Town Hall Road. The woman was pushed to the ground and the men stole her handbag, which contained cash, as well as electronic and personal items, police said. The robbers ﬂ ed on foot. Man killed in West Bay crash Shayne Anthony Ewart, 24, died Saturday morning after the Honda Accord, in which he was a passenger, drove through a chain-link fence and crashed into concrete steps at the front porch of a house on West Bay Road, across from Foster’s Republix supermarket. Police said shortly before the single-car crash, ofﬁ cers had signalled the vehicle to stop at a check point near the Yacht Club roundabout, but instead the driver sped off. “Ofﬁ cers activated blue lights and sirens and followed the vehicle at a safe distance, however, they soon lost sight of the vehicle and the decision was made to return to the checkpoint,” according to the RCIPS statement. The driver and another passenger were also injured. The Ofﬁ ce of the Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the crash. Storyteller Vargas passes away Bodden Town storyteller and social activist Twyla Vargas passed away on Sunday, 17 Jan. She was 71. Vargas was well known in Bodden Town and among the wider community of Cayman for her work in the ﬁ eld of arts and her storytelling abilities. She published four books of Caymanian folk tales, and her stories regularly can be heard on ‘Caymanian Stories’, which airs on Saturday mornings on Radio Cayman. Vargas was also one of ﬁ rst people to receive the Order of the Cayman Islands after it was introduced in 2011. Her funeral service was scheduled to be held at the Church of God Chapel Bodden Town, on Saturday, 23 Jan. 2pm, with viewing at 1pm. Howard appointed as full-time MD of NRA Edward Howard has been appointed the full-time managing director of the National Roads Authority, after serving in an acting role for almost three years. Howard has been the deputy managing director for the past 17 years, during which he completed several stints as acting managing director; the latest beginning in April 2018, according to a statement from the NRA board. news in brief Actor Armie Hammer has been in hot water after messages and videos on his private Instagram account were leaked. Skylar Mack,during her interview on ABC's Good Morning America, her ﬁ rst TV interview since being released from prison for breaching quarantine in the Cayman Islands. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021Voters turn out for last call to register First-time voter Tiffany Jeremiah fills out her voter registration form. – Photo: Alvaro Serey 272 forms handed in before deadline RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky A total of 272 new voters beat the deadline to hand in their paperwork to register to cast their ballots in the 26 May general election. Voters turned out in their numbers at the Elections Office on 20 Jan., the last day of registration, to get signed up to get on the April electors’ roll. According to statistics shared with the Cayman Compass, 272 new applicant forms were received and 136 forms for change of address handed in at the Elections Office. Over 400 emails were also received seeking to register to vote as well as change addresses. “We received emails up until 11:59pm and are currently still receiving applications today [21 Jan.], however those persons will not be eligible to vote in the May Elections. They will be [added on] the July 1, 2021 Official List of Electors,” an Elections Office official said. With documents in hand, first- time voters like Tiffany Jeremiah joined the queue at the office’s Bay Town Plaza headquarters to file the forms required to be added to the Official Register of Electors. “I think it’s very important that young people have a say in politics,” Jeremiah told the Cayman Compass. Jeremiah said her father, Pastor Michael Jeremiah, encouraged her go to the Elections Office to register and she believes it is an important exercise for every young person. “With this being my first time voting I was forced to now learn how our country works and our government works. So that was an opportunity for me to learn,” she said, adding that was important for her as a teacher as well. She encouraged others to do the same. “Ignorance is not an excuse to not come out and vote. I mean, yes, it takes some time to really learn and know my districts and everything, and who’s running and know their policies, but it is important and so I would challenge young people to get involved. That’s one way they can make their voices heard,” she said. Pastor Michael, of Calgary Baptist Church, said every one in his family is registered to vote and now that his daughter is of age he brought Jeremiah to register. “I believe it is important that every citizen of a country can express their right to choose their government. I believe it is so important that we have this freedom that we enjoy to vote. Many people in many countries do not have that freedom and that liberty. So I think it is important for young people, particularly, [though] of course all citizens, to take that opportunity in a free democratic country,” he said. “You have an opportunity to make a difference,” Pastor Michael added. Sadie Thomas she was happy to take her husband Ainsley to the Elections Office to get him registered to vote. “I registered many years ago and it’s been a struggle to get him [to], but today we finally did it. He is getting registered to vote,” she said. Thomas urged others to get signed up. “If you want your voice to be heard, this is the way you get it heard. You cannot complain about what is happening in your country if you don’t come out and exercise your [civic] right,” she said. Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell said he was pleased with the interest shown by the public and social activist groups to get people to register. “We have been busy all week. We have actually been busy since January 4th. To date, just this month alone we have received over 700 forms and we are still entering forms from [Tuesday]. Persons would have registered from October 2nd all the way through to today [Wednesday],” Howell said. The elections supervisor said his office was closing in on 1,000 new applications that will be added to the 1 April 2020 Official Register of Electors which will be used for the 26 May general election. He said a number of people have also taken the opportunity to change their name and address on the register. Angela Sevilla, another first-time voter, said her dad called her to remind to go register. The process did not take long at the Elections Office, she said. “I was in and out in five minutes. I was pleased with how fast they were and nice,” Sevilla said. She said she came Wednesday because it was the last day to register and “I wanted to be able to have a voice in the elections so it was important for me to register.” She added, “I thought it was funny that our last day to register is the same day as the inauguration of US President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris... It was like a reminder why you should vote.” Sevilla said she has to return to the office in April to get her photo taken and collect her voter ID. She said she went at lunchtime and the crowd was “not bad at all”. “There was a group of people filling out forms, but there was also a lot of Elections Office staff helping people... and telling them what they needed to do,” she said. Howell said the first of three training sessions for elections staff was held on Tuesday. “What we have is a lot of our staff members were trained up for the referendum back in 2019. So this is a bit of a refresher for them. So we were all geared up for a nomination date on the 31st of March and then we were off to the races in relation to printing ballots and then dispatch,” he said. He said the training had to be divided into batches as getting all the staff together at one time, along with extra volunteers, would have gone over the 500-person limit mandated under COVID-19 suppression limits. “So we split it up. It also keeps us safer. We’re fairly safe here in Cayman, but we are not completely out of the woods. So we’re [managing] the risk by separating,” he added. Voters line up at the Elections Office on 20 Jan. to register to get on the electors' roll to vote in the 26 May general election. – Photo: Reshma Ragoonath cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021 31234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Tree of Acer genus (5) 4 Peevish (7) 8 Snare (3) 9 Recklessly carefree (4-5) 10 Accomplish (7) 11 To conduct to a place (5) 13 Display clearly (6) 15 Unchanging (6) 18 Bit (5) 19 Pagan (7) 21 Sell to a bidder at auction (5,4) 23 Variety of shade (3) 24 Slip back again (7) 25 Faithful (5) DOWN 1 Tycoon (7) 2 Climactic point in a joke (5,4) 3 Happen afterwards (5) 4 Pale straw-coloured (6) 5 Tire out (7) 6 Dandy (3) 7 A thickness spread on surface (5) 12 Go to bed (3,3,3) 14 Thorough examination (5-2) 16 Coagulate (7) 17 Royal power and dignity (6) 18 Gambling card game (5) 20 Declare invalid (5) 22 Nocturnal bird of prey (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16595 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 Puzzle 16595 ACROSS: 1 Maple, 4 Fretful, 8 Gin, 9 Slap-happy, 10 Achieve, 11 Usher, 13 Evince, 15 Static, 18 Piece, 19 Heathen, 21 Knock down, 23 Hue, 24 Relapse, 25 Loyal. DOWN: 1 Magnate, 2 Punch line, 3 Ensue, 4 Flaxen, 5 Exhaust, 6 Fop, 7 Layer, 12 Hit the hay, 14 Check-up, 16 Congeal, 17 Throne, 18 Poker, 20 Annul, 22 Owl. Should proof of a COVID-19 vaccination be a requirement for visitors to the Cayman Islands? cayman compass UndecidedYes No ONLINE POLL 64% 30% 5% cartoon Free squid - By Caymanman What a lovely tribute to Derek Tyler from Debra McLaughlin [Cayman Compass, 15-21 Jan.], capturing the essence of the man perfectly. I was a colleague of his for 12 years at the high school and could not agree more that you could not have failed to be charmed by his good nature and concern for others, his cheerfulness and his bonhomie. In short, a real pleasure to have around. Thank you for a fine encomium. Mike Spragg Skylar Mack: ‘I made this mistake’ I am very happy it all ended well. Watching the interview it is clear she is still just a child. Lessons learned. – Morne Botes So she gets fame and national recognition here in the US for purposefully breaking the laws of your country. Shameful. Sorry on behalf of the rest of us who would follow the rules if we were allowed to come visit. – Melanie Spiegelberg Thank you, Skylar Mack, for accepting the seriousness of your actions and taking full responsibility today. It’s something many people older than you struggle to do, especially publicly. Lesson learned, price paid, maturity gained. I wish you a good future from here on. – Antonia Hawkins She seems less than sincere in this interview. She seems to be kind of ﬂ ippant and, just saying what she thinks people want to hear. She does not look very serious. Or contrite. – Starr Lori Her grandmother should apologise for the statements she made trying to get her out and for trying to use the US government to get her out. Her action cost US taxpayers. She should never be allowed to return to Cayman. – Dawn Veek Trouble was she knew what she was doing! I was in quarantine at the same time [and] never thought about disobeying the law. That’s why we signed the paperwork. Very selﬁ sh! – Jennifer Davis She did not seem sorry. She just knows that most of the world thinks she is a selﬁ sh brat and deserved to do more time than she did. – Tracy Stone I appreciate her admission to her mistake for breaking the law. How many of us did not learn from stupid mistakes at the age of 18 or even before ? Some persons much older still making them. I am certain she has learned a valuable lesson in all of this. – Michel Lemay Storyteller, social activist Twyla Vargas passes away Such a huge cultural loss for our island. Sleep in peace, Ms Twyla Mae! – Faith Gealey Larger than life, a legend. Our community will never feel the same. – Annikki Brown Condolences to the family may her soul RIP you will surly be missed, especially on the talk shows. – Rhonda Terry RIP. Ms Vargas certainly made an impact on the cultural fabric of Cayman. – Forest Anda Former teacher Derek Tyler remembered Hopefully he gets a block at John Gray dedicated to him. What a man and teacher. He helped mould many students into who they are today. Condolences to his family. – Patricia Bryan RIP Derek. You were such a lovely man to work with and will be sorely missed. Deepest condolences to your family. – Tracey Padgham Wonderful mentor in my early years at John Gray High School; wonderful, kind and above all fair. – Tim Parker He was an amazing teacher and an all-around great person! – Margo Zechman What they’re saying Remembering Derek Tyler Letters to the editor cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021Had been involved in ﬁ re truck crash in Cayman Brac ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia,ky Two ﬁ re ofﬁ cers have been cleared by the court to sue the government for breach of statutory duty after they were injured during a maintenance exercise that ended with their ﬁ re truck overturning. At the time of the accident, which occurred on 5 Jan. 2017, Jason Phelan McCoy and Garﬁ eld Marcelo Ritch were both employed by the Cayman Islands Fire Service and stationed at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, in Cayman Brac. On 31 Dec. 2019, the men ﬁ led an initial civil lawsuit against the Cayman Islands government for an undisclosed sum of money. In that lawsuit, McCoy, 37, and Ritch, 54, both say they “suffered personal injury, loss and damage” due to government’s negligence. According to an accident reconstructionist’s report on the crash, a rusted bolt was to blame for the mechanical failure that caused the truck to tip on its side. McCoy, who was the driver, was attempting to turn the vehicle while travelling 27 miles per hour. The report stated that neither McCoy nor Ritch, who was the passenger, were to blame for the crash. However, before the lawsuit could proceed, government attorneys ﬁ led an application requesting it be dismissed. In that application, which was ﬁ led 8 Sept. 2020, government attorneys claimed the ﬁ re ofﬁ cers’ lawsuit “had no prospects of success” because the government was protected against these types of legal proceedings. In the dismissal application, the government claimed Section 9, subsection 5(b), of the Fire Brigade Act prevents a ﬁ re ofﬁ cer from suing the Crown. Section 9-5(b) states that, “No action for damages may be brought… in respect of death, injury or loss incurred by any person occasioned in the course of carrying out any other responsibility or duty imposed by this or any other law.” In their response to the dismissal application, the ofﬁ cers claimed they were not barred, and that Section 9-5(b) should be interpreted differently. The ofﬁ cers claim that the legal limitations imposed by the Fire Brigade Act prevent them from suing the government in cases where injury or death results from their own actions, or in the course of carrying out their duty. However, they say the law does not protect the government from litigation where it has provided faulty equipment to the ofﬁ cers, who in turn get injured. Pointing to the Crown Proceedings Law, the ﬁ re ofﬁ cers argued that even though they were not directly employed by the Cayman Islands government, they were still owed a duty of care because the CIFS was acting as an agent of the government. The ofﬁ cers claim there was a “vicarious liability” imposed on the government by Section 3 subsection 1(b) of the Crown Proceedings Law, which reads in part, “… the Crown is subject to all those liabilities in tort… in respect of any breach of those duties which a person owes to his servants or agents at common law by reason of being their employer”. When returning her decision, Grand Court Judge Margaret Ramsay-Hale said, “The claim cannot be said to have ‘no prospects of success’ in the circumstances.” She dismissed the government’s application. It’s not clear when the lawsuit, which seeks an undisclosed sum of money, will be heard. Fire ofﬁ cers cleared to sue gov’t Police Helicopter X-Ray 1 ﬂ ies over the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport to observe the crash scene. An accident reconstructionist takes pictures of the wrecked ﬁ re truck. Ofﬁ cers process the crash scene on 5 Jan 2019. Our mission To inform, educate, celebrate, and convene our community through quality storytelling, all with the goal of making the Cayman Islands a better place, each and every day. The Heart of Your Community Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass FIND US ONLINE cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The Public Lands Commission has confirmed it is dealing with a complaint concerning obstruction of an unregistered beach access path at the end of Uncle Bob Road in West Bay. The blocked access has been drawing criticism from some in the community, but the adjacent landowner has said he did nothing wrong when he blocked access. Public Lands Commission Chief Inspector Winsome Prendergast, responding to queries from the Cayman Compass, said a complaint about the blocked access was received late last year and “we are in the process of dealing with the matter”, noting that was all she was prepared to say on the issue for now. The unregistered path is on private property owned by John Burke, according to the 2017 Lands and Survey Beach Access Report. Burke, in an emailed response to the Compass, said he was not aware that any access was on his property. “There is no legal access for the general public. In regards to the unsavory people that used to loiter at the site, create noise disturbances and perform illicit activities, they are not welcome,” Burke said, adding it was those types of characters he was seeking to keep off his property when he constructed a gate at the site. Burke said he is willing to “authorise vetted individuals” to have access to the water once they “adhere to common decency rules”. “I am sure that the surrounding community is appreciative of my efforts to regulate,” Burke said. A recently erected gate blocking access to the path was flagged on social media this week, with commenters saying the path has been used by the public for years. People commenting on Facebook referred to the access as ‘Uncle Bob Barcadere’, saying that fishermen in the area would often use the access. Cayman’s Prescription Law gives the public the right to use any beach or adjoining path that has been used by the public without interruption for 20 years. It also allows for the public to apply to the Grand Court to have a beach access easement formally recorded with Lands and Survey. Burke said he is within his right to block his land. “As per the title for the property there was no indication of any access, it was free and clear. This was checked before purchasing the property,” he said. The businessman said he had no plans to take any legal action to secure his property as it was “not necessary”. According to the Lands and Survey report, the beach access is on private property and starts at the end of Uncle Bob Road. It is an unregistered, clear access, according to the report. “The beach access is comprised of sand and grass pathway. Vehicles can drive to water front. There is no obstruction on this beach access except for minor bushes and overhang trees. There is no beach access sign to indicate the position of this beach access,” the report said back in 2017. Fast forward to 2021, and the trees and bushes are all gone and the access in question is closed off from public access. The path has been obstructed with large boulders and debris. An iron fence bearing the sign “No authorised entry for security reasons”, has also been erected. When viewing the beach access report, Burke said it was the first time he’d seen the path outlined as a beach access by any government entity. He said documents he has seen at both the planning, and lands and survey departments do not illustrate the path as such. This latest matter is not the first time a complaint had been lodged against Burke for activity at the site. Last year, the Department of Environment had raised concerns after the developer began clearing mangroves from the site without planning permission. An after-the-fact application was made to the Central Planning Authority last January after a stop notice was issued to Burke when DoE staff visited the site and found it had already been mostly cleared. His application was approved. “It should be noted that the initial clearing before permission was done in the swamp land away from the coastline. This inland area has been a difficult area for (the Mosquito Research and Control Unit) to control the mosquito problem,” Burke said. He said he has been struggling to get his project off the ground for more than a year because of numerous delays. Probe into West Bay blocked access underway The Lands Commission is looking into the blocking of this unregistered beach access at the end of Uncle Bob Road. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay The Prescription Law gives the public the right to use any beach or adjoining path that has been used by the public without interruption for 20 years. It also allows for the public to apply to the Grand Court to have a beach access easement formally recorded with Lands and Survey. This excerpt from the Lands and Survey Beach Access report in 2017 shows the unregistered beach access at the end of Uncle Bob Road, West Bay. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021During Cayman’s COVID-19 lockdown, people across the islands kept some visual records of the experience, capturing – in technicolour or black and white – moments that in normal times would seem surreal. Families gathered on their home’s porches, waving at neighbours across the road. Masked shoppers lining up six feet apart outside supermarkets. Eerily empty streets. Sandy beaches soaked in sunlight and devoid of a single human being. A tiny lizard perched atop cash left outside a home to pay a food-delivery person. A giant flashing ‘Stay at Home’ sign on a roadside. The National Gallery this week launched ‘2020 Vision: Lockdown Experiences from the Cayman Islands’ – an online exhibit developed in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Government’s Covid-19 Commemorative Project. According to a press release on the launch, the exhibit “seeks to explore our community’s diverse experiences of lockdown – reflecting how we, individually and collectively, are dealing with this unique moment in our history”. The project, which was developed from a country-wide ‘Open Call’ for photographs in late 2020, features 42 photographers showing life during lockdown and as restrictions began to ease. Organisers said three major themes emerged through the camera’s lens: ‘Home/Family Life’, ‘Wellness/Outdoor Time’, and ‘Community’. Home/Family Life captures the domestic environment: working from home, spending time with family, online learning, and time for reflection. Wellness/Outdoor Time illustrates the importance of connecting to the natural environment, even if limited to the then 90-minute daily allowance. Community reflects the various experiences of being outside generally, whether shopping for groceries, receiving healthcare, witnessing the bravery of frontline workers, or being assisted by essential service providers that continued to support residents during lockdown. “While many of these lockdown events are now in the past tense in Cayman, we recognise that this state of affairs is an ongoing experience for many across the globe. Our unique position consequently allows our community to reflect on these situations while we continue our efforts in keeping our islands safe,” the statement noted. “We are living through unprecedented times both locally and on a global scale. As our community continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and its aftereffects, documenting our experiences is incredibly important,” the statement continued. “These personal photographs of how the pandemic has affected daily life will help us keep a record of what it was like to live through these times – both the challenges we have faced as individuals and as a community, and the resilience of our people throughout. We are grateful to all of the participating photographers for sharing their experiences via the exhibition.” Featured photographers include: Claire Birchall, Lennon Christian, Lisa Collins, Julie Corsetti, Ayana Dacres, Mariasol Danziger, Thaís de Souza, Ryan Carlo J. Dumaguing, Al Ebanks, Sheree Ebanks, Shane Nobee Edwards, Jim Gates, Svitlana Gilyun, Cassandra Greene, Francis Guevarra, Heather Holt, Christopher Humphries, Joanna Humphries, Maggie Jackson, Paige Jordison, Whippet McCallum, Destinie McField, David McGibbon, Bridget McPartland, Heather Meinen, Tiyen Miller, Phillippa Miller, Jenna Nicholson, Alysha Pearson, Lori Peterson, Kaiman Photo (Kris), Nikole Poirier, Graziela Portela, Rebecca Raige, Lisa Reid, Elizabeth Riley, Dione Scotland Rivero, Brandee Romanica, Simone Scott, Tricia Sybersma, Davina Valaydon, Michaela Walker, and Tony Walton. The online exhibition can be viewed at www.nationalgallery. org.ky until 31 May. This exhibition is an ongoing project and the local community is invited to continue submitting works, with a short description and contact details, around one or more of the central themes. These will continue to be uploaded for the duration of the exhibition. Select images will also appear in the Cayman Islands Government Covid-19 Commemorative publication project. | For more information, email project coordinator Paige Jordison at assistantcurator@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Online exhibit captures ‘Lockdown Experiences’ Work Mode, Mask On, June 2020, by Ryan Carlo J. Dumaguing. #stayhomeCayman 2020 by Claire Birchall and Graziela Portela. Mango season as the beaches re-open. O is for Octopus, June-August 2020, by Brandee Romanica. Empty Space, by Al Ebanks. cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021 8RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Case files on three of six quarantine breaches have been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review, police confirmed on 19 Jan. The remaining three are still active investigations. Initially, Travel Cayman had indicated in December five cases were being investigated. However, on Tuesday, the Compass was told one of those cases has since been split into two because it related to separate breaches involving the same individual, which takes the overall cases under investigation to six. In all cases, the alleged breachers were warned for intended prosecution. It is unclear how long the DPP will take to decide on the cases. Four cases prosecuted Among the cases under investigation are alleged multiple breaches by a 19-year-old, which included going to the gym. In the last reported breach, an individual who went for a COVID-19 test at the end of the 14-day quarantine period did not return to isolation while awaiting the negative result. The Compass understands another individual was removed from home isolation and taken to a government- run quarantine facility after allegedly breaking COVID-19 protocols on 20 Jan. Travel Cayman is yet to confirm this incident. This latest breach would take the total number of breaches under invesigation to seven. To date, four people have been prosecuted under the COVID- suppression regulations. Canadian couple Pascal Terjanian, 52, and Cristina Gurunian, 34, pleaded guilty to breaching quarantine in November and were each fined $1,000 for tampering with their geo-fencing wrist monitors and leaving their residence while isolating. In December, US citizen Skylar Mack, 18, and her 24-year-old Caymanian boyfriend Vanjae Ramgeet, were jailed for two months following a quarantine breach in November. Mack and Ramgeet were both released Friday, 15 Jan. The US pre-med student is banned from returning to Cayman while COVID-19 protocols are in place. On 18 Jan. Mack appeared on US talk show ‘Good Morning America’ where she admitted that she had made a mistake when she breached quarantine to attend a water-sports event in which Ramgeet was competing. In her first TV interview since her release, Mack said she deserved the punishment she received for putting the Cayman community at risk. “The anger, the disappointment – it’s all justified. I deserved it all, you know. I made this mistake,” she said. Three of six quarantine cases now with DPP Public prosecutors are considering bringing charges in three of six confirmed quarantine breach cases. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay Public Health Law Under the law quarantine breachers are liable for a fine of up to $10,000 and a prison term of up to two years. Additionally, a continuing offence after conviction incurs a fine of $500 for each day of infraction. cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2021 news NNext >