EASTERN AVENUE Hello Family. Meals. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 20-26 August 2021 UNGRACEFUL Assessing the damage, planning for the next storm - Page 5 CUC works through the night to restore power - Page 8 Compass photographers chronicle Tropical Storm Grace - Page 10 Photo: Taneos RamsayUS military helicopters stop in Cayman en route to Haiti Eight helicopters carrying US military personnel landed in Grand Cayman on Sunday and Monday, en route to Haiti in a humanitarian relief mission. The visit was part of US efforts to provide assistance to the Caribbean country, following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in its southwestern part on 14 Aug. The aircraft, which included three US Army CH-47 Chinook, three UH-60 and two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, will provide heavy and medium airlift services to any planned US Agency for International Development-led mission assisting Haitian disaster- response capabilities. The helicopters and personnel are assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo, based in Soto Cano, Honduras. In October 2016, members from Joint Task Force-Bravo stopped in Grand Cayman on their way to support US AID foreign disaster work in Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. In September 2017, helicopters carrying 40 members of the Honduras-based US Marine Corps briefly landed in Cayman as part of regional Hurricane Irma relief operations. Higher population estimate used for vaccination rates Government’s decision to use revised population figures to calculate COVID vaccination rates has increased Cayman’s estimated population by about 8%, from 65,786 to 71,106. The move, announced on 16 June, also made it significantly harder to reach the vaccination rate of 80% of the population required by government under its phased border-reopening plan. Documents obtained by the Cayman Compass, in response to a freedom of information request, show that most of the population increase was the result of government using the upper limit of a statistical 5% margin of error, rather than the midpoint of the error range used in all other previously published population statistics. This alone increased the estimated population by 4,900 people. Actual changes based on records of births and deaths, changes in work permits and permanent resident grants, and net migration of Caymanians increased the population estimate by only 420 people between the Fall 2020 Labour Force Survey and April 2020. Baby dolphin rescued on Seven Mile Beach A baby dolphin was discovered on Seven Mile Beach on 14 Aug., where it was treated for an injury and later released back into the ocean. The Department of Environment, on its official Facebook page, said the dolphin was found in distress on Seven Mile Beach on Saturday morning and attended to by DoE volunteers, staff and others. “The dolphin had an old, healing wound in its side and experienced some bleeding from cuts on its fin(s) from washing ashore in the surf. The dolphin was tended to and escorted out to deeper water with a DoE vessel,” the post stated. Veterinarians from the Turtle Centre and Dolphin Discovery Grand Cayman worked with the DoE team to help the dolphin. Dead sharks prompt warning from DoE Two dead juvenile reef sharks recently found on a Newlands boat dock have prompted the Department of Environment to issue a reminder to the public about the illegality of harming or killing sharks. Taking to social media, the DoE shared pictures of the dead sharks, along with the fins of a nurse shark which were found at the Lobster Pot dock in George Town. “The reef sharks were neonate, born within the past two to three weeks, evidenced by their belly buttons which were still visible,” the post said. “It is illegal to kill, harm or possess a shark or any part of a shark in the Cayman Islands.” The DoE said summer is the reproductive season for sharks, which will increase the likelihood of fishermen encountering shark pups while fishing off the shore in shallow waters and/or in mangroves. “The DoE asks that fishermen stop fishing while there is a shark around and quickly attend to any accidentally hooked sharks to help improve the newborn’s chance of survival,” the department said in its statement. Police investigate report of attempted abduction The RCIPS is investigating a case of suspected kidnapping after a woman reported that two men attempted to force her into their vehicle. Police said the incident happened just after 8:25pm on 15 Aug. when the woman was walking alone along Safehaven Drive, George Town. She was approached by two men in a white utility-type vehicle. “The men demanded that she [get] into their vehicle and made attempts to grab her,” the statement issued by the RCIPS said. “The victim managed to escape their attempts at abducting her after being assisted by a man and a woman who were passing by.” Police said the couple saw what was happening and “engaged the perpetrators in an effort to assist the victim”, which caused the men to get back in their vehicles and speed off in the direction of West Bay. The men were said to have been masked, and were of slim build with a dark brown complexion. Police said the couple left the location before officers arrived on the scene and are asking for the public’s help to locate them. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Alternatively, tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via their confidential tip line 949-7777 or via their website. A US Army CH-47 Chinook sits on the tarmac at Owen Roberts International Airport. A multi-aircraft contingent was given permission to land in the Cayman Islands before heading to Haiti to provide humanitarian relief to the country after it was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 14 Aug. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay news in brief 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. 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SEA STATE Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to southeast 10 to 15 knots 89°F HIGH 77°F LOW 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 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KEVIN MORALES FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021Investing in the future. Javon Lewinson $30,000 Javon recently completed his A-Levels at Cayman Prep & High School and will commence his studies in Medicine & Surgery (MBBS) at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica in September. Javon aspires local community. with proven academic achievements and leadership follow their career progress. recipient Javon. butterfieldgroup.com Address: 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Devoid of pity (5) 4 Barely able (4,3) 8 Insane (3) 9 Prevailing influence (9) 10 Classify (7) 11 Large marine mammal (5) 13 A puzzling thing (6) 15 East Mediterranean island (6) 18 Shout for joy (5) 19 Having expressionless face (7) 21 Colluding (2,7) 23 Sheltered side (3) 24 According to law (7) 25 Predilection (5) DOWN 1 Fellow soldier (7) 2 Being shot at (5,4) 3 Burdened (5) 4 Obstruct (6) 5 Fugitive (7) 6 Play on words (3) 7 Frequently recurring melody (5) 12 Ancient citadel in Athens (9) 14 High-ranking military officer (7) 16 Unfeigned (7) 17 Utter foolishness (6) 18 Feverish cold (5) 20 Valuable quality (5) 22 Projection on toothed wheel (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16775 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 16775 ACROSS: 1 Cruel, 4 Hard put, 8 Mad, 9 Dominance, 10 Arrange, 11 Whale, 13 Enigma, 15 Cyprus, 18 Cheer, 19 Deadpan, 21 In cahoots, 23 Lee, 24 Legally, 25 Taste. DOWN: 1 Comrade, 2 Under fire, 3 Laden, 4 Hamper, 5 Runaway, 6 Pun, 7 Theme, 12 Acropolis, 14 Marshal, 16 Sincere, 17 Idiocy, 18 Chill, 20 Asset, 22 Cog. Tropical Storm Grace Thanks to CUC and hope the crew stays safe. Appreci- ate the updates on social media and appreciate the efforts being undertaken to restore power service. Stay safe! Hoping folks stay home, stay off the roads and make things easier for emergency responders and utility crews to do work. – Taura Ebanks Only imagine the dev- astation if we’d had a direct hit. This is an even bigger wake-up call, for [the Cay- man Islands Government], than the beach erosion video and UN Climate Report. – Lisa Butz By Grace we have dodged a hurricane. – Ivor Lee Thanks for keeping us updated. I’m in Scot- land but my daughter and family are in Cayman so it’s nice to know what’s happening. Hope you all stay safe. – Gillian Massie Kerbside drop-offs/ pickups at Owen Roberts to stop I certainly hope they’ve sorted out the parking ticket system. It rarely worked and then it would take forever for someone to come and let you out. I miss the good old days when there was an actual attendant who could deal with issues. – Carol Rouse Heavens above. Every airport I’ve ever been to in the US has kerbside drop off/pick up. Are you telling me they’re all flouting “security requirements”? – Steve McIntosh They’d better make sure the security arms etc. work. They never have. – Judy Kesanko Ridiculous idea. No cover from the frequent rain and uneven road will ruin your suitcase wheels. Five minutes is not long enough for us oldies to get out of a car, open the boot, battle out our suitcase and allow our kind friend to exit. Sounds like a money- making racket to me. Where is the Cayman kindness in this ill- thought-out nonsensical idea? Part of the charm of living here is kerbside pick up and drop off. – Beverley Jean Sutherland Please consider people with disabilities and allow drop offs at kerbside for them. – Jonathan Kern What they’re saying Online Editorial EDITORIAL As the Cayman Islands picks up the pieces after Tropical Storm Grace, we have much to be thankful for. While the storm flooded some neighbourhoods, uprooted trees, damaged properties and downed power lines, the sobering reality is that it could have been far worse. Thankfully there were no deaths or serious injuries and – at least on initial assessment – the impact to homes and businesses appears to have been relatively minor. In some ways, Grace served as both a test run and a wake-up call for our community. It was a chance for our institutions to put their procedures and protocols into practice. It was also a timely reminder that we all need to prepare for the possibility that the next storm could be much more severe. The good news is that our emergency services, our government and our people passed this examination with flying colours. Special credit must go the Caribbean Utilities Company crews who laboured in difficult conditions to restore power to almost every household in the Cayman Islands by the early hours of Thursday morning. Thanks, too, to the workers from the National Roads Authority, the Department of Environmental Health, the Cayman Islands Regiment and the host of other agencies and volunteers that ensured the roads were clear and the danger from fallen trees and debris was limited. The National Emergency Operations Centre, led by Hazard Management Cayman Islands, coordinated an efficient cross- government response that kept people safe and ensured the discomfort and inconvenience that inevitably come in the wake of a storm were kept to a minimum. It can often seem as if there is much division in this community, but there were no signs of that Wednesday. Instead, what we witnessed was people coming together to support and look out for each other – neighbours working in partnership to clear fallen trees, perform running repairs to homes or simply to ensure the most vulnerable (and the least prepared) had food and water. It is that spirit of cooperation and kindness, along with the robust and well-drilled government response, that help keep Cayman safe through these events. More of the same will be needed in the coming weeks as the full extent of the damage becomes clear. The reality is that there are three more months of hurricane season left. It is right that we celebrate the strength of our national response to this tropical storm. But any post- game analysis must also identify and highlight potential weaknesses. On both a national and a personal level we must all take an honest look at our state of readiness and ask how we might have fared if this had been a more serious storm. Climate science, bitter experience and the law of averages tells us that we need to be prepared for the possibility that the next direct hit could come from a Category 4 or 5 storm. While we pray for the best, we must prepare for the worst and continue to look out for one another. Cayman unites to weather tropical storm Tropical Storm Grace left a trail of destruction in its wake, demolishing the White House deck in Bodden Town. - Photo: Submitted cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 202160 6 95 Most of Grand Cayman left in the dark, trees and power lines downed RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Tropical Storm Grace made her mark on the Cayman Islands leaving almost all of Grand Cayman in the dark and felling numerous trees during her passage on Wednesday, 18 Aug. Residents and government agencies spent most of the following day clearing debris from the roadways and getting power restored. At its closest point of impact, Grace passed 20 miles southwest of Grand Cayman at 8am on Wednesday, bringing hurricane- force wind gusts of up to 95 mph and heavy rains that continued throughout the day. The storm, according to National Weather Service forecaster Kerry Powery, was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane around 10am on 18 Aug. when it was 65 miles away from Grand Cayman. Damage widespread There were reports of damage to properties across the island, with roof tiles ripped off and balconies destroyed in some homes and condo complexes. After Grace had passed, Hazard Management Cayman Islands Director Danielle Coleman, speaking with the Cayman Compass on 19 Aug., had a serious message for residents. “We are just at the start of the really busy season so we could get a lot more storms this year,” she said, while noting that the National Emergency Operations Centre turned out to be busier than expected. “But, at the same time, it is a lesson for everyone to be really, really prepared.” She said Grace was not what had been expected, reinforcing the need to adequately prepare for any eventuality. Governor Martyn Roper, in a statement to the Compass, said, “I thank everyone in the community for their resilience and support to family, friends and neighbours,” he said. “It could have been much worse and we can be thankful that it wasn’t. That is especially so as we look at the devastation caused by weather events in many different parts of the world just this year and are reminded we are dealing with the very real impact of climate change.” Ahead of the storm, seven shelters were opened on Grand Cayman, one on Cayman Brac and one on Little Cayman. Coleman said about 16 to 20 people had used the shelters at different times on Grand Cayman. There were no reported injuries during the height of the storm, but there were incidents of residents having to be evacuated by the Cayman Islands Regiment due to damage to their roofs and impassable roads caused by fallen trees and flooding. Regiment Commander Colonel Simon Watson told the Compass, in an interview on 19 Aug., that teams were better prepared this year as they deployed newly purchased equipment which was able to clear debris and trees to enable emergency vehicles to pass. However, he stressed, while they Tropical Storm Grace: Lessons learned “It could have been much worse and we can be thankful that it wasn’t.” - Governor Martyn Roper A CUC worker repairs power lines. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6» A George Town home left destroyed by Tropical Storm Grace. - Photos: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021Congratulations to the 2021 KPMG Scholarship Recipients Lesli Tathum Ethan Bush Zhane Miller Kimeria David Lesly Lopez Ryan Frick Simba Gurure Aryana Grant KPMG celebrates the hard work, exceptional academic achievements and dedicated community involvement of our young people in the Ignite Your Future program. We are proud to congratulate the following students and we look forward to supporting them in the furtherance of their education. © 2021 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved. To see the full interview, see the video on caymancompass.com were able to work, he could not overstate the importance of residents keeping off the roads so emergency teams could do their jobs unimpeded. “If there is a puddle and someone’s car goes down in that puddle and blocks that road, vehicles cannot get through. The emergency vehicles we’re using are designed to get through those types of water obstacles but they can’t do it if someone’s vehicle is parked in the road blocking it. So, it is really key that people stay off the streets,” he said. Added to this, Coleman said she was disappointed to see some businesses resume operations before the all-clear was given at 6pm on 18 Aug. While she said there was no legal provision to force closures, she urged the business community to consider the safety of their employees and customers, especially after long lines were seen at some fast-food outlets in George Town. Watson, who was out in the trenches with his troops, also assisted in the evacuation of a mom and her infant in George Town following Grace's passage. It was one of several instances in which the reservists were called upon to act. Storm assistance Premier Wayne Panton met with his government early on 19 Aug. to discuss proposals for emergency funding to help clean up the worst impacted areas. The storm became a Category 1 hurricane by the time it struck Mexico on 19 Aug. Speaking to the Compass late on Thursday, 18 Aug., he said the aim was to release around $15,000 for each of the 19 constituencies to fund repairs and clean-up operations. He said the money could be allocated by area MPs to clear yards and back roads and help repair homes and re-establish trees. Government and Opposition members met later Thursday to discuss the post- storm strategy. Phase one of that effort has already begun with the clearing of parks and roadways, and providing immediate roof protection in the various constituencies, according to a press release from the premier’s office. Phase two, which will involve support for further home repairs, will come when members assess the needs in their neighbourhoods. Jon-Andrew Japal, head of the infrastructure cluster under the National Emergency Operations Centre, said assessments were being conducted and the full scale of damage was yet to be determined. However, he said the preliminary findings indicated that there was not significant damage around the island, but some coastal areas were affected. “There has been some minor damage recorded at government buildings,” he said, adding that there were some calls to 911 reporting lots of power lines and trees downed. As for the civil service, acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon and head of the National Hazard Management Council, gave the green light for limited government services on 19 Aug. and allowed for remote working where possible. She also commended the emergency teams’ response to the passage of Grace. Additional reporting by James Whittaker Cayman Islands Regiment Commander Colonel Simon Watson comforts an infant on 18 Aug. as reservists assist in evacuation of a family impacted by Tropical Storm Grace. - Photo: CI Regiment Flooding on Watercourse Road in West Bay. Tropical Storm Grace: Lessons learned CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021WIN BIG! 1 2 HAVE a BLAST this SUMMER. Use your Cayman National Personal Visa Card at any participating attraction for a chance to win cash prizes Post a photo on social media enjoying an experience from one of the attractions with #bestsummerever #caymannational and tag Cayman National, Compass Media and the vendor and you could win a grand prize get all the details at compassmedia.com GO PARASAILING DINE with a PRIVATE CHEF RIDE an ATV GO SCUBA DIVING PROVE IT with the WINNING SHOT! get all the details at caymancompass.com cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021cgcoralisle.com | @cgcoralisle Good Like That. British Caymanian Insurance Company Limited BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 74, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands tel: Grand Cayman 949-8699 | Cayman Brac 948-1760 Hurricane season is here. There’s no time like now to assess how you are protecting your home. Call us to ensure you have the right coverage at the right value. Don’t waste time until there’s no time to waste. power lines and plunged some 27,000 people into darkness. “We lost quite a few of the circuits due to the wind impact, trees on the line and a few poles down,” said CUC President and CEO Richard Hew in an interview with the Cayman Compass. CUC’s total grid comprises 25 circuits; only four remained online through the storm. Hew said initial efforts to restore power were hampered after the company’s system became unstable and collapsed, causing the entire grid to shut down. Despite the systemwide shutdown, Hew said no more than 5% of the total grid was affected. “If we were to look at… percentages of poles and percentages of miles of... lines, it is very small,” he said. “If you compare this to Hurricane Ivan, where we had… around 25% of damage, this, I would say, is maybe between 1-to-5% of the system.” CUC’s crews took to the streets, and after working through the Wednesday night – on into mid- morning Thursday – electricity was restored to 21,500 customers. “It’s been a long haul,” he said. “In terms of our crew both out on the lines and here in the control room, we have to limit them to 16 hours of continuous work for safety reasons. “We are actually having to, for some of them, plead for them to stand down because they want to continue working, but in our line of work it’s too dangerous to work without rest.” Designed for storms, not for landscaping Hew said CUC has invested millions of dollars into trimming trees that encroach on power lines, but those efforts are often thwarted during storm activity due to landscaping designs. “Most of the impact is where trees are blown into the lines,” said Hew. “The lines are designed to [withstand] the high winds, but not for [a] couple thousand additional pounds of trees dropping on [them].” He added, “We are constantly trimming trees, but we can’t keep up with it if… trees [are consistently] planted under or near power lines.” Other utilities Customers of the Cayman Water Company experienced outages after the utility service decided to preemptively disconnect the water supply for three and a half hours, which affected all the homes and businesses along West Bay Road and into West Bay. Internet and telephone services were also impacted for hundreds of customers over all the telecommunication providers. As of press time, there were no exact details about which services were affected and the progression of their restoration. A utility pole blocks a stretch of Mount Pleasant Road, West Bay. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay CUC crews were deployed island-wide to help restore power in the wake of Tropical Storm Grace. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay Power, water, telecoms saved after Grace “Most of the impact is where trees are blown into the lines. The lines are designed to [withstand] the high winds, but not for [a] couple thousand additional pounds of trees dropping on [them].” - Richard Hew, CUC President and CEO 27,000 left without power at height of the storm ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky At about 4:30am on Wednesday, 18 Aug., Tropical Storm Grace became more than a minor inconvenience for nearly half of Grand Cayman, as it downed cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021 8cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021Next >