cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 1-7 July 2022 Government extends pension holiday Page 10 Little Cayman cat cull resumes Page 16 Brac boaters hailed as heroes Page 7 Unmasking Cayman Brac boaters hailed as heroes Cayman Art Week in photos Page 14 CayMAS this weekend Page 24 New chapter begins as mandatory masks, pre-arrival testing ditched. Page 5Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $9.00 (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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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 NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES BUSINESS EDITOR MICHAEL KLEIN ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER LIVING EDITOR VICKI WHEATON HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of showers. SEA STATE Slight with a wave height of 1 to 3 feet. WINDS East at 5 to 10 knots. 88°F HIGH 76°F LOW Missing plea deal stalls COVID-19 breach sentencing An incomplete plea agreement between prosecutors and the defence counsel has delayed the sentencing hearing of Richard Lonnie Parchment and Mario Abarca Cervera, who have both admitted to breaching Cayman’s quarantine restrictions. Parchment and Cervera were each charged with a single count of failing to comply with the Control of COVID-19 (No. 3) Regulations, 2020 (SL 157 of 2020). The charges stem from an incident in March 2021, when Parchment visited and interacted with Cervera, who was at home in mandatory self-isolation. Appearing before the Summary Court on 28 June, Parchment and Cervera listened on as Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez expressed her dissatisfaction with the delays and a lack of correspondence between the lawyers and the court. “This court finds it utterly disrespectful to have received radio silence,” said Hernandez, who stressed that although the Crown and the defence counsel were in agreement on the need for a further adjournment – such approval was at the discretion of the court. “These discussions have been ongoing since April,” replied Hernandez, who noted that this was the second time the sentencing hearing had been delayed. When bailing Parchment and Cervera to return to court, Hernandez said, “When we return in August, it will be for sentencing.” Man arrested in double-stabbing case Police have arrested a 31-year- old man, of Bodden Town, in relation to the stabbing of two men outside a bar in Seven Mile Shops on West Bay Road in the early hours of Friday, 24 June. In the attack, one man was stabbed in the eye. He remained in hospital this week with what police described as “life- changing, but no longer life- threatening injuries”. The other victim, who was stabbed in the abdomen, has been released from hospital. The stabbings occurred during an altercation outside the bar shortly before 12:40am on 24 June. Police said the suspect has been bailed on strict conditions, as the investigation continues. Death of comatose man ruled an unlawful killing The coroner’s court has ruled that the 2017 death of Wesley Clarke was an unlawful killing. “This is the case of a 40-year- old man who was stabbed in the neck, which left him in a vegetative state for four years,” said Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez, as she gave a broad overview of the case to the inquest jury. Clarke was stabbed while attending a party in Windsor Park in June 2012. “His last words were, ‘Dem kill me now’,” Detective Inspector Joseph Wright told the jury. He said Clarke had been rushed to the hospital by private car for treatment; he was stabilised, but slipped into a coma, from which he never awoke. Hernandez told the jury that, when contemplating their verdict, they had to consider whether Clarke’s death was directly connected to the stab wound, or whether there was an intervening act that broke the connection between the stabbing and his passing. After a brief deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of unlawful killing. Ironshore Group launches Cayman-based record labels New Cayman music company, Ironshore Group, has announced the launch of two record labels, Ironshore Records and Everheart Records, dedicated to giving the Cayman Islands a presence in the world music industry. The goal is to provide a platform for local talent to connect their music to a global audience. Jake Olde (stage name Jake Oni), Caymanian music artist and founder of the Ironshore Group, said the record labels were conceived to expand the reach of Cayman-based independent musicians and help emerging talent earn fair representation. “Our goal is to showcase the incredible and diverse talent the Cayman Islands has to offer, working to help [them] reach their potential in the business and getting their work into the hands of the people who matter most – music fans,” he said. CBC: No other accommodations available for Cubans The Customs and Border Control department says no other accommodations are available to house Cuban detainees who have opted to sleep on the ground outside the Immigration Detention Centre in a bid to avoid contracting chickenpox in an outbreak at the facility. Additionally, the CBC told the Compass that it has been advised by Public Health that the Cubans “cannot be allowed to mix” with the general Cayman community due to their exposure to the contagious virus. The Cubans, in a statement, said they had moved outside the centre because they did not want to contract the chickenpox virus, and are asking to be relocated from the detention centre in George Town. Last month, when the outbreak was first detected, some of their compatriots had been transferred to a separate facility so they could be isolated from the detention centre population. news in brief Cubans gather together in a prayer circle over the weekend of 25-26 June. – Photo: Submitted cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022The Concierge team is standing by, the pools are lled and ready for dips, the wine lockers are stocked, the Teslas are charged, the boats are wet and the oceanfront lagoon awaits. All that is missing is you! Either for a quick break or a longer jaunt, the FIN Rental Program o ers both short and long term options. Beautifully appointed single level homes or multi-level penthouses with private rooftop garden and plunge pool, are ready to purchase and/or rent. Book a viewing or call today to discover why FIN is the Last Word in Luxury. Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. BOOK YOUR STAY IN GRAND CAYMAN’S ART DECO ICON Penthouses for sale from US $4.1M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 526 7777 n@ngrandcayman.com FIN.cayman ngrandcayman The Concierge team is standing by, the pools are lled and ready for dips, the wine lockers are stocked, the Teslas are charged, the boats are wet and the oceanfront lagoon awaits. All that is missing is you! Either for a quick break or a longer jaunt, the FIN Rental Program o ers both short and long term options. Beautifully appointed single level homes or multi-level penthouses with private rooftop garden and plunge pool, are ready to purchase and/or rent. Book a viewing or call today to discover why FIN is the Last Word in Luxury. RENT THE LAST WORD IN LUXURYINTERNATIONAL BEST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CARIBBEAN FIN Company - The Last Word in Luxury by FIN Company Ltd 2017-2018 PROPERTY AWARDS DEVELOPMENT CARIBBEAN BEST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CAYMAN ISLANDS FIN Company - The Last Word in Luxury by FIN Company Ltd 2017-2018 PROPERTY AWARDS cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022Follow the rules of the road The recent expansion of the double lanes on Bobby Thompson Way leading to/from Linford Pierson Highway have seemingly backfired thanks to the inability of drivers in Cayman to follow the simple rules of the road. Currently, the two lanes leading from the cricket field traffic lights up to the mini roundabout, before forging left onto Linford Pierson or straight across into the residential area, are causing exactly the same backup and delays as previously experienced with a single lane. This is purely because traffic in the right-hand lane, which is marked specifically as a no left turn lane, is pushing up to the roundabout and then doing a full circle before joining Denham Thompson, thus cutting off the traffic which is rightly sitting in the left turn lane. And thus causing the cars behind, some of which are indeed attempting to go straight, to have to back up and wait. This defeats the whole object of a left lane and a straight lane, for goodness sake! I pulled over recently and counted – out of 478 cars in the 'straight only' lane, 423 of them pulled this sneaky manoeuvre, causing major delays down the entire double lane. That’s 89% of the drivers doing the wrong thing... all in the space of half an hour. All it would take is to place a policeman on that roundabout each day at 4:30pm, not that anyone seems to take note of traffic enforcement unfortunately – but unless and until there is police presence, this situation is going to continue. What a waste of government money and the attempt to ease congestion in that area, very frustrating indeed! – Priscilla Walsh Special report: Overpopulation fuelling animal abuse and neglect I think it’s shocking that people can decide to adopt an animal when they come here, but then abandon it when they leave - if you cannot commit to having the animal for the rest of its life, don’t adopt it! There seems to be zero accountability – perhaps time to insist that, as well as spaying/ neutering, all animals should be chipped, and the owners traced and fined if they are abandoned. – Tracey Padgham Micro-chipping should be mandatory, as should spay and neuter. – Tracey Goldie Fostering, even for a limited time, is better than keeping dogs in those shelters. – Anita Kristensen 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 A speech (7) 5 Hazardous (5) 8 Without much effort (5,4) 9 Silvery white metal (3) 10 Report of recent events (4) 12 Discard as unwanted (5,3) 14 Place of supreme bliss (6) 15 A good quality (6) 17 Become established (4,4) 18 Once more (4) 21 Price paid for a service (3) 22 Manually clumsy (3,6) 24 Live as paying guest (5) 25 Compunction (7) DOWN 1 Deathly pale (5) 2 Put on (3) 3 Relaxed (4) 4 Mollify (6) 5 To attempt to escape (3,3,2) 6 Enter (3,4,2) 7 Principal river of China (7) 11 Pusillanimous (4-5) 13 Diminish (8) 14 Odious (7) 16 To arrest (6) 19 Use unprofitably (5) 20 Pretend (4) 23 To spoil (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17045 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 17045 ACROSS: 1 Address, 5 Risky, 8 Hands down, 9 Tin, 10 News, 12 Throw out, 14 Heaven, 15 Virtue, 17 Take root, 18 Anew, 21 Fee, 22 All thumbs, 24 Lodge, 25 Remorse. DOWN: 1 Ashen, 2 Don, 3 Easy, 4 Soothe, 5 Run for it, 6 Set foot in, 7 Yangtze, 11 Weak-kneed, 13 Decrease, 14 Hateful, 16 Collar, 19 Waste, 20 Sham, 23 Mar. This shouldn’t be an issue in a country with so much wealth… A country that takes care of its people takes care of its animals. Time to step up and fix this crisis, Cayman Islands Government. – Krystal Arch This country isn’t even taking care of its people, much less the animals. People are struggling to survive and feed themselves. – Brianna Morales-Smith But it’s not only the overcrowded shelters that are an issue because of the lack of neutering the animals. Also, there is passive abuse, like negligence, causing the surrender of animals to safer hands (thanks to the people who report cases). There are so many dogs in poor hands – people who have the dogs as live alarm systems or as ornaments. They say they love their dogs but chain them up day and night outside, often to a short lead and in very unsanitary conditions – so very, very sad. The laws have to be tightened against this inhumanity! – Emmanuela Quesada This is such a shame. What does it take for pet owners to be responsible and have their pets spayed and neutered? It is a crying shame to see how the people at the Humane Society try so hard and still it’s overrun with these beautiful animals. – Valda Hilton Taylor Part of the problem is the cost of spay and neuter, and although the Humane Society is trying to help with this, there are so many animals to do and it has limited resources. The government could allow the students of St. Matthew’s to help... Another part of the problem is that people don’t want to spay or neuter their animals as it will make them less aggressive and they are there to protect their property, (although I would argue that an aggressive animal on the end of a short chain would not do much to protect). Lastly, those who breed dogs and sell the pups to anyone, it’s all about the money. But the charities keep trying, and will keep trying until someone who actually cares enough for animals in the government does something about the current situation. The worse part is, it is only going to get worse. Over 200 feral cats on Grand Cayman alone, according to conservative estimates, need fixing NOW! And that’s just cats. – Wanda Viscount Disgusting this is still an issue in 2022. – Lynn Daly Webster Opposition: Lifting of restrictions ‘reasonable first step’ It’s time to move forward with our lives. It is clear that anyone can get COVID, even those that are vaccinated. It’s not going away, so let’s learn to live with it and leave it in the past. Let’s get on with our lives! – Jason Gautreau If anyone in Government had the presence of mind to assess the situation as it unfolded from 2020, we wouldn’t have been led down the 'mad hatter hole' that we have been in for the last year and a half. – Renwick Conolly The one time I agree with this man. They need to scrap all of it. Give us our lives back. Enough is enough. – Gerald Bush Get rid of Travel Cayman. – Brayden Jay Myers The Opposition needs to help find ways to make life easier for Caymanians. Obviously, the tourists are doing just fine! – Lilly Jane While you’re at it, Mr. McTaggart, please tell the other countries to allow OUR (Cayman’s) unvaccinated people into their country if we allow their unvaccinated citizens to come here! ‘What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander!’ – Mena Ebanks I was wondering when someone would push for allowing unvaccinated visitors. I have brought a group of 8 to 10 business people to Cayman every year for several years (pre- COVID). We were looking forward to returning this fall, but due to the current vaccination mandate, we are making plans to hold our meetings elsewhere. – Dale Fenwick Time to release the hold fear has on our world. Agreed, let's live and let live. Let's get busy with it. – Zoe Foster Regiment takes to roads and beaches in training exercises The troops should watch out for the idiot car drivers on the roads! – Andrew Veganic Training for what exactly? Just curious as how camping in the bush is training on our island? – Shelley Solomon What they’re saying Online cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022From 30 June, the wearing of masks is no longer mandatory in the Cayman Islands. - Photo: File RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky For the first time in almost a year, Cayman is mask-free, as a mandate to wear face coverings in schools, restaurants, bars, buses and indoor public areas ended on Thursday, 30 June. This date also marks the first time since March 2020 that people can fly into Cayman without providing a negative COVID test. Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton, speaking on the 29 June episode of the Cayman Compass weekly Facebook talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’, said the relaxation of COVID regulations is based on “scientific advice”, including a decrease in hospitalisations and Cayman’s high rate of vaccination. “We are not seeing the catastrophic effects of COVID that was there at the beginning of the pandemic or when the Delta variant came in, where in many countries there were lots of deaths,” she said. She added, “We have a very good first and second dose, and also decent third dose, [vaccination] coverage... and this is why we are confident to say we’re not going to see thousands of deaths. Our numbers are very low, amongst the best in the whole of the Caribbean, basically.” While pre-arrival testing has been lifted, incoming passengers are still required to complete a travel declaration form on the Travel Cayman website no less than 72 hours prior to departing for the islands. The need to keep the approval process going and track the arrival of vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, she said, is necessary at this stage, adding that other countries are still maintaining that position, including the US which, similar to Cayman, requires full vaccination for entry for non- residents. Unvaccinated tourists are still not allowed to come to Cayman, although unvaccinated Caymanians and residents, as well as those with close ties to the islands, and children travelling with vaccinated parents or guardians, can enter. “These [regulations] again will be reviewed at some point because it all depends on how things go internationally,” she said, adding, “Now how do you know whether somebody’s vaccinated or not? That’s where Travel Cayman and the declaration comes in because there is no other very effective way of establishing whether somebody’s vaccinated.” Anyone arriving in Cayman with COVID symptoms could be required to be tested and to quarantine until they are no longer infectious, as specified by the Medical Officer of Health. The new regulations expire on 31 Aug., when they will be subject to either an extension or modification. Although the wearing of masks is now voluntary, the owner or operator of any business or facility can still require those on their premises to wear a mask, and can legally bar entry or ask a person who refuses to do so to leave. Tourism industry welcomes easing of restrictions Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan told the Compass the lifting of these restrictions eased “some of the hurdles” facing businesses in the tourism industry and heralded a return to full tourism. “Obviously, this is the next step and fully recovering post- COVID, even though it’s not over, but trying to get back to normal, it is a difficult task of balancing health and safety, and then improvement and recovery of your economy,” Bryan said. He added that the removal of the mask mandate and pre-arrival testing were “two key components that the industry wanted”. The scrapping of these two restrictions in particular has been embraced with a sigh of relief from those within the tourism industry and the community. Hailing the latest changes in Cayman’s COVID-19 rules as “wonderful news”, Cayman Islands Tourism Association President Marc Langevin said they will help the rebuilding of the industry. “The announced changes to ease our regulation by the [Cayman Islands government] is another positive step leading to our tourism full recovery, making our destination more attractive for visitors,” he said. While Langevin said it comes “too late” to impact this summer’s flight schedule, he believes the announcement will assist in rebuilding “the confidence of our business partners who are so instrumental to our success, such as airline companies, travel advisors and meeting planners”. “We applaud our government, who took such important and critical decisions, and encourage them to announce their next step in advance of our winter season to allow the full recovery of our businesses and the wellbeing of so many families associated to our tourism industry,” he added. The mandatory requirement to wear masks on aircraft bound for Cayman is also being lifted. Bryan said this change was important, especially for the national flag carrier Cayman Airways, since the mandatory mask rule had placed it at a competitive disadvantage. “Ever since the US airlines [removed the requirement of] wearing masks on their planes, it has been putting Cayman Airways at a disadvantage, one that affects the bottom line for Cayman Airways, because people will sometimes decide not to fly with our airline due to the fact that they were required to wear a mask on the plane, but not required to do so on other airlines,” he said. Restaurant Director and CITA Treasurer Marcus Mueri, who has been vocal about lifting the mask mandates, shared his excitement about the changes. “This is great news for our industry and also for the people of Cayman. Travelling without restriction and to be afraid to test can create hardship. With this out of the picture, families are able to plan ahead, Caymanians and visitors alike,” he said. The next step is to plan for the upcoming 2022/2023 tourism season and “make an incredible impact as the prime destination in the Caribbean”, he said. Opposition: ‘Reasonable first step’ Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, in a statement following the release of the new regulations, said the changes are “a reasonable first step to removing the restrictions on those living in our Islands while also improving the ease for visitors to travel here and help regrow the tourism sector”. However, he pointed out that like many places, the Cayman Islands will continue to disallow unvaccinated tourists, other than unvaccinated children, from travelling here. “As more countries begin to allow entry to unvaccinated travellers, particularly within the North American market, we will also need to revisit this. Tourism cannot return to ‘normal’ levels without us accepting unvaccinated tourists. I do hope that Government will provide all of us with their plans or thinking, including a potential timeline, for removing the remaining restrictions,” he said. With these measures now in place, McTaggart added that government must also seriously redouble its efforts to get boosters in the arms of those who have not yet received them. “We have almost 92% of the population fully vaccinated, but only 36% with a booster. And so, I repeat, Government must do much more to encourage those already vaccinated to get a booster and to make it easy to obtain,” he said. Quarantine exit testing ends Another new regulation that commenced on 30 June was the scrapping of exit testing at the end of the required isolation period for people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The required isolation period for people who contract COVID – six days for vaccinated persons and nine days for unvaccinated persons – remains unchanged. Anyone who tests positive on a lateral flow test is still required to report this to health authorities and undergo a confirmatory PCR test. Newton said that confirmatory test is important because it enables the laboratory to use genomic sequencing so that medical professionals can determine what strain of the virus is prevalent in the community. She said, so far, no cases of the latest BA.5 variant, had been detected in Cayman. Newton added that, even though the mask mandate has been lifted, anyone who feels more comfortable or safer wearing a mask in public should continue to do so. A maskless Cayman Mask mandate, pre-arrival COVID testing lifted cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022 5JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky A major international telecoms company is seeking permission to connect a new sub-sea fibre- optic cable from the US to the Cayman Islands. The proposed project, provisionally named the Cayman Express, would help bring higher speed internet and increased competition on prices to the islands, according to application documents seen by the Cayman Compass. Experts say the project would be an important step towards the goal of “faster, cheaper, better” internet for Cayman. Broadband internet costs in Cayman are currently among the highest in the world. A system of sub-sea cables, criss-crossing the ocean floor for thousands of miles, is the network through which data travels around the globe. Everything from Netflix shows to WhatsApp messaging services and Zoom meetings are routed to Cayman via this data highway. Seaborn Networks, which already owns and operates cables between Florida and Brazil, is behind the new application. It is not clear at this point if its plans, which include a link from Sarasota to both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, are intended as a standalone project or as part of a wider regional network. The need for a third sub-sea cable into the Cayman Islands to supplement the MAYA-1 link from the US and the Liberty cable from Jamaica has been identified as a priority by government, which allocated $30 million towards an exploratory project in the last budget. A ‘feasibility study’ was commissioned earlier this year, with Minister Jay Ebanks describing the infrastructure project as key to ensuring ‘world class connectivity’ for the islands’ economy. Seaborn’s application is completely independent of government’s process. If approved, it could eliminate the need for public funds to be spent on a complex project that could cost as much as $100 million. Seaborn and its investors would cover the expense of building and maintaining the cable and local telecoms providers would pay them for capacity. The planned cable would provide a direct telecoms link to the US, according to documents submitted to OfReg. Currently, Cayman’s four internet providers – Digicel, Flow, Logic and C3 – all use the MAYA- 1 cable, which is part-owned by Flow’s parent company Cable and Wireless. They also have capacity on the older cable from Jamaica. In documents submitted with its application to OfReg, Seaborn claims that both systems are approaching end of life. Limited competition It states that Cayman has a “non-competitive market” with “two older systems” leading to high prices on island. The business case for the project states that “limited competition in sub-sea cables and COVID-19” had triggered the Cayman Islands government to explore ways of improving internet costs, speed and accessibility. “The pandemic demonstrated the need to transition to a digital economy to improve people’s lives and the ease of doing business,” it states. As well as providing ‘disruptive pricing’, the business case states the Cayman Express cable would provide a ‘direct link’ to the US and loop Cayman Brac into a high-speed fibre network. The addition of a new sub- sea cable would also create redundancy in the islands’ telecoms infrastructure, meaning high-speed internet access could be maintained even through an outage on one of the cables. Bob Taylor, a tech entrepreneur and the former CEO of WestStar in Cayman, said an additional subsea cable is critical to the islands’ economy. But he said legislation and regulations should accompany the development to ensure it becomes a win-win for businesses and customers. “Cayman needs a project like this,” he said. “It should lead to more competition, better pricing, higher internet speeds and better reliability.” Sonji Myles, executive director of information and communications technology at OfReg, said the application is currently being reviewed by the regulator. He said an additional cable could provide redundancy in Cayman’s telecoms network, as well as competition that could lead to lower consumer prices. Speaking generally, he said, a third telecoms cable could support Cayman’s economic growth, making it a more attractive destination for businesses that depend on fast and reliable data connections. “If the financial sector, the med-tech sector, the ICT sector is trying to grow, there’s an argument for increasing and diversifying capacity.” Seaborn is a Massachusetts- based company that operates more than 250,000km of sub-sea cable, according to its website. Caymanian lawyer and former MP Winston Connolly is listed as a consultant on the Cayman project in documents submitted with the application. Flow has disputed the need for a new cable, as well as characterisation of MAYA-1 as approaching the ‘end of life’. It claims there is enough capacity on the cable to meet all Cayman’s data needs and that prices of local telecoms providers are competitive. New sub-sea cable could bring ‘faster, cheaper, better’ internet The planned cable would provide a direct telecoms link to the US, according to documents submitted to OfReg. A network of undersea cables keeps the world connected. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky In a race against time, Cayman Brac father Carlton Lenaris Ebanks led a group of boaters on a mission to rescue his stranded son Terrell, 21, and his friend Andre Nixon, 38, after their boat engine died while out at sea. Now, the men are being lauded for their actions in rescuing the pair, whose vessel had been drifting at sea for about six hours on Sunday, 26 June. Engine trouble off Pickle Bank It was a call to Nixon’s brother, Craig Smith, in the US that triggered the rescue mission, as Nixon said he was unable to raise anyone on his satellite radio around 10:30am, when he encountered engine trouble just off Pickle Bank. “To be honest, I wasn’t worried because my brother… if it’s one thing I know about him, he would make sure, no matter what it took, that I got help. It boiled down [to]… as a father, Mr. Lenaris Ebanks just didn’t wait for the authorities to try and do [something],” Nixon told the Compass in a telephone interview. Some in the Brac community, over social media, were critical of the timing of the response by the Coast Guard and the RCIPS helicopter. They also took issue with how the authorities reported the incident, which indicated they had participated in bringing the men ashore. However, the senior Ebanks, a firefighter on the Brac, said he would have made the same decision to divert resources, as his son and his friend were already assessed as safe before the police helicopter proceeded to a medical evacuation, and the Coast Guard was occupied with a potential life-and-death situation at the time. “As a firefighter, even though that was my son, I would have made the same calls... he was drifting, but he was OK. There was a person here [on the Brac]... their life was on the line, so obviously, I think the helicopter made the right call as to come along and deal with that,” he said. On 29 June, the RCIPS clarified information it had released the day before which indicated the Cayman Islands Coast Guard had escorted the stricken vessel to safe harbour. The RCIPS said, “It has since been established, that although this was the instruction dispatched by the Operation Rescue Coordination Centre to the CICG, by the time their boat reached the Brac, the vessel in distress had already arrived back to shore.” It added, “The delay in reaching the vessel in distress was due to the CICG completing a response to another vessel in distress, and then attending to a mechanical issue that they rectified on the way to the Brac. In addition, when the police helicopter located the vessel in distress, and established that the persons on board were in good health, they provided coordinates of its location for the rescue efforts and confirmed assistance was on the way, before continuing on its medevac journey.” Radio message prompts father’s response Nixon, who said he regularly goes fishing in his spare time with the younger Ebanks, said when his boat battery died, he called several people on his satellite radio to no avail, then eventually his brother Craig Smith picked up in the US. “[Smith] did contact a couple of people and then he contacted the Coast Guard. I sent him my coordinates through the [satellite] phone because it has that feature. So, after that, I turned the sat phone off, [then] every 45 minutes to an hour, I would turn it back on and send him the [new] coordinates and call him. He told me that they were coming, so I said OK, waited another 45 minutes,” Nixon explained. That wait would extend into hours. Nixon said he was disappointed by the delay from authorities. Meanwhile, on shore, Ebanks’ father was getting ready to mount his own rescue before light faded. He was on duty at the Cayman Brac fire station when the call first came in about trouble out at sea. “One of the other firefighters heard [a message about a boat in distress] and alerted me,” he said. “I started to make some inquiries [and] finally got it clear from the police helicopter – which was on the way here for medevac – that they had diverted and found the boat. It was a red boat with two people on board, which automatically [tipped] me off that that would have been the boat that my son was on,” Ebanks said. Worried about his son He said, earlier in the morning, when his son set off for the fishing trip, he spoke with him and he reported all was well. That was around 5:45am. After hearing the message about the boat in distress, he said he tried to call Terrell again and did not get hold of him. “Hearing it first was not a good feeling, to be honest with you, because, you know, we only got the message the boat was in distress; we didn’t get what the problem was. So, of course, as a parent, that was not a good feeling because I’m not sure whether the boat was sinking, or what was happening – we only heard the call the boat was in distress, not drifting. If I had heard the boat was drifting, I would have looked at it a little bit different,” he said. Ebanks said he knew where they were, based on the coordinates that the police helicopter gave, so he gathered his friends for the rescue mission after he handed over duty to another fireman of the same rank. He said he was concerned for both men. Together with boaters Keshan Ritch, Tate McFarlene, Garfield Ritch, Dennis Bodden, Evol Dilbert and Luciano Lazzari, in different vessels, Ebanks headed out to bring his son and Nixon home. Shipmaster Raymond Scott also enlisted the support of a passing vessel to keep watch over the men until help arrived. Ebanks said it was a comforting feeling when they got to the boat and he saw his son was safe. “We [tried] to get in as fast as possible while we had as much light as possible,” Ebanks said, adding that one of the other boats, which was faster than his, got there first and radioed back to say that the two men were safe. “I was definitely relieved that [they were] OK,” he said. For Nixon’s part, he was grateful the boaters on the Brac responded in the manner they did. He also said he was relieved the situation ended positively, as he would not have been able to carry on if something untoward had happened to his friend. “Because, if it was just me, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but when you have another person on board that you are responsible for, you know, it’s a kind of a messed-up feeling,” he said. Nixon, who was able to get the boat back to shore after getting a boost, said he plans to head out fishing this weekend and has replaced his batteries so he is sea-ready. Cayman Brac residents Terrell Ebanks and Andre Nixon were rescued at sea by local boaters after their vessel lost power. - Photo: Submitted Brac boaters hailed as heroes after rescue “The delay in reaching the vessel in distress was due to the CICG completing a response to another vessel in distress, and then attending to a mechanical issue that they rectified on the way to the Brac.” – RCIPS spokesperson cayman compass 7 news N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Nimbly balancing a large pizza on a wooden slab in one hand, while holding an assortment of entrées in the other, Seaford Russell Jr.* navigates the restaurant floor on a busy Friday afternoon at Harbour Grille as if it was second nature. However, at 15 years old, it is still a novel experience for him and a handful of his John Gray High School classmates, who are getting their first appreciation of a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work. “It all started when I said to the whole year group of 210 students, ‘There are six places available and, if you are interested, come and see me at lunch time’,” said Glen Hewell, the school’s Student Progress Leader. “At lunch time… 82 turned up and I thought to myself, this is an amazing, wonderful problem to have.” In light of the high demand, Hewell went back to the employers and was able to double the entry-level job openings. After a string of initial meetings, the group was reduced to 32 students, each of whom was given 30 seconds to state in a nutshell why they deserved the job. “In the interview… they were saying ‘I need to get money to help my parents’, ‘I need the money to buy things’, ‘I need the experience’,” said Hewell. “All successful people worked when they were younger... we learned to handle money, we learned to be on time, we learned to handle pressure. It can only be a good thing.” Russell was one of the standout students. He told the Cayman Compass, “When I heard about the jobs, I thought about my mom and my two sisters, and I wanted to help out with the bills and get some experience.” Young people want to work In previous years, John Gray High School had a thriving student internship programme which placed dozens of high school seniors in entry-level job across numerous industries on a temporary basis. However, the programme had collapsed, and students seeking jobs and work experience were forced to join the line and compete with Cayman’s wider employment market. In his new role as progress leader, Hewell said it was clear the students wanted to work, not just during a two-week stint, but as interns during summer holidays. Now, the fledgling programme is getting a reboot and is seeking to place students aged 14 and 15 in extended part-time employment. “Young people want to work. They want to work at weekends, they wanted to work for obvious reasons,” Hewell said. “We started to contact local companies, and there were three in particular – [the] fantastic Alan Simpson from Sharkeez and Hard Rock Café, Matthew Clubbe from Salty’s, and Ms Una [Flanagan] from Eats and Legendz – ... [who] said we would like to employ John Gray kids on the weekends.” Collectively, these restaurants are employing 12 of the teens, but with several dozen students still hopeful of securing employment, Hewell said they need more companies to come on board if the budding programme is to be successful. Clubbe, general manager of the Harbour Grille group of restaurants which includes Salty’s, believes that while summer internships are a great way to introduce students to employment, he believes meaningful experience and exposure can only be gained through long-term employment. “With this, they are given some responsibility and they rise to the occasion,” he said. He added, “Monday to Friday 9 to 5 is great but we need them to be able to work weekends and public holidays and at different times.” But with the new employment prospects, there must be a balance, says Flanagan, a manager at Eats Cafe and Legendz Bar and Grill. “Before the students begin to work, we meet with them and their parents and clearly outline what is expected of them, and what the role entails,” she said. “Our student employees are treated no different from our regular employees, in that they are paid and expected to work a set amount of hours.” She added, “But we make sure to schedule them so that they can get their hours in on Friday and Saturday night or even a Sunday morning and then be able to get home do their school work and rest for the Monday morning start.” Shifting mindsets to employment Hewell said since his arrival at John Gray, more than a decade ago, there has been a fundamental shift in stigmas which once would have dissuaded students from working in the service industry. “Back in the day, a lot of people, not everybody, but a lot wouldn’t be seen dead working in the fast-food industry. They said that it just wasn’t their thing,” said Hewell. “But now, the young people want to work, they are prepared to get their hands dirty, they are prepared to turn up. Obviously, they want the money and the experience and it’s a different culture.” Aijulon Thomas, 15, is a Year 10 student who represents that shift in mindset. She still remembers her first day on the job. “I was so nervous, I kept walking around the place asking people what to do, because this was my first job,” said Thomas. She said she spent her first day polishing silverware and setting tables at the Hard Rock Café. Through its Life Skills class, John Gray High provides students with a chance to prepare their resumes and practise interviewing skills. However, Thomas notes that even with the prior preparation, the job market is extremely competitive, which could leave students at a disadvantage. The most recent snapshot of Cayman’s employment market, the 2020 Fall Labour Force Survey released in March 2021, showed there were at least 1,759 unemployed Caymanians. With the country still reeling from the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, John Gray Students must now compete with adult Caymanian job-hunters. “I think other business owners should help to provide part-time jobs for us, because a lot of my friends want to work as well, but there are enough spaces,” said Ariana Chambers, 14, who works in the Hard Rock clothing store. Russell, who intends to keep his job for some time, is also calling on his classmates to join the search. “Look online, look in the papers, reach out and do your part,” he said. “There are jobs out there, some of them you just have to search a little harder for.” But, with at least another 60 students hoping to secure work, Hewell said there must also be greater community participation. *Editors Note: The Seaford Russell Jr. featured in this article is not the same Seaford Russell Jr. who is employed as a journalist with Cayman Compass. Seaford Russell Jr. is one of 12 John Gray High School students to secure extended part-time work as part of a new initiative at the school. - Photo: Andrel Harris John Gray Job Hunters plea for community support “The young people want to work, they are prepared to get their hands dirty... it’s a different culture.” Glen Hewell, Student Progress leader, John Gray High School John Gray students are still seeking jobs cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022FORM 1 NOTICE THE DORMANT ACCOUNTS LAW, 2010 (as amended) (Section 6) Name of Account Provider: BUTTERFIELD BANK (CAYMAN) LIMITED Number of Account Provider: 77003 Address of Account Provider: 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman Previous name of Account Provider: BANK OF BUTTERFIELD INTERNATIONAL (CAYMAN) LIMITED The public is hereby given notice that Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited holds the following dormant accounts: The public is also hereby given notice of the following: 1. Unless one or more of the following transactions are effected on a dormant account listed above on or before 31st December next following, the monies in the dormant account will be transferred to the Government without further notice: (a) increase or decrease the amount held by the account providor1; (b) present the passbook or other record for the crediting of interest or dividends in respect of any sum payable with respect to any general deposit, demand deposit, savings deposit or deposit for a fixed period, made in the Islands with the account provider, or any sum payable on cheques certified in the Islands by the account provider; (c) correspond in writing with the account provider concerning the monies; (d) otherwise indicated an interest in the monies as evidenced by a memorandum concerning the monies written by the account provider. 2. Subject to the Dormant Accounts Law, 2010 (as amended) on the transfer of the monies in the dormant account to the Government, the dormant account holder will no longer have any right against the account provider to repayment of the monies transferred, but the dormant account holder will have against the Government such right to repayment of the monies transferred that the dormant account holder would have had against the account provider. 3. Any interested person should contact the account provider mentioned above to establish if that person is a dormant account holder. David Brosnan Authorised Officer Dated this 1st day of July 2022 1 Interest paid by an account provider on monies held by the account provider shall not be regarded as a transaction which increases the amount held by the account provider pursuant to section 4(4) of the Dormant Accounts Law, 2010 (as amended). 100140290 25-May-11 100039641 22-Feb-10 100153909 01-Sep-14 100152203 01-Sep-14 100151262 01-Sep-14 100151849 01-Sep-14 100154245 01-Sep-14 100154405 01-Sep-14 100147518 20-Sep-13 100126684 22-Jan-08 100035610 28-Nov-03 100145761 22-Feb-13 100114659 12-Mar-13 100120525 28-Apr-06 100155232 13-Oct-14 100122228 06-Oct-06 100153161 01-Sep-14 100117885 23-Sep-05 100123140 10-Jan-07 100147478 06-Sep-13 100120166 23-Mar-06 100155102 02-Oct-14 100156470 11-Feb-15 100151137 01-Sep-14 100149299 28-Mar-14 100122783 07-Dec-06 100153537 01-Sep-14 100148212 05-Dec-13 100155279 16-Oct-14 100110333 10-Jun-02 100150847 01-Sep-14 100153316 01-Sep-14 100152281 01-Sep-14 100118494 02-Dec-05 100151403 01-Sep-14 100150779 01-Sep-14 100153127 01-Sep-14 100151423 01-Sep-14 100151938 01-Sep-14 100147518 20-Sep-13 100126684 22-Jan-08 100111379 23-Jan-03 100129875 13-Jan-09 100145866 07-Mar-13 100126319 18-Dec-07 100123161 11-Jan-07 100147257 21-Aug-13 100149775 20-May-14 100147478 16-Sep-13 100155102 02-Oct-14 100144690 01-Nov-12 100156520 17-Feb-15 100150123 03-Jul-14 100146333 07-May-13 100147166 03-Aug-13 100150422 05-Aug-14 100146825 05-Jul-13 100151107 01-Sep-14 100116247 16-May-06 100142752 17-Feb-12 100140962 22-Jul-11 100125707 18-Oct-07 100149299 28-Mar-14 100122783 07-Dec-06 100123029 03-Jan-07 100143138 19-Apr-12 100148833 10-Feb-14 100039526 25-Nov-09 100126997 25-Feb-08 100148652 21-Feb-14 100153601 01-Sep-14 Account #Account #Account #Account # Date account was opened Date account was opened Date account was opened Date account was opened 201350-Ad-Compass-FP-dormant-acc1 16/24/22 5:41:17 PM cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 1 JULY 2022Next >