GOODBYE SNOOZE © 2022 Burger King Corporation. Hello Ultimate Pancake Platter cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 22-28 July 2022 Gillie Seymour: A coach of football and life Page 6 Issues: PACT education performance report Pages 18-20 Jarvis hits big time Page 24 Under siege Tourism businesses struggle beneath weight of sargassum threat Page 5 Photo: Taneos RamsayMatinees (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 lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. ELVIS (PG-13) (FRI) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 6:40 | 9:25 VIP | 9:30 (SAT) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 6:40 | 6:50 VIP | 9:25 VIP 9:30 (SUN) 3:45 | 6:40 | 7:00 VIP | 9:15 | 9:25 VIP (MON) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 6:40 | 6:50 | 9:25 VIP | 9:30 (TUES) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 6:40 | 9:25 VIP | 9:30 (WED-THURS) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 6:40 | 6:50 | 9:25 VIP | 9:30 JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION (PG-13) (FRI) 3:25 (SAT) 3:25 (SUN) 3:35 | 9:30 | 9:50 VIP (MON-THURS) 3:25 MINIONS:THE RISE OF GRU (PG) (FRI) 1:00 VIP | 4:45 (SAT) 1:00 VIP | 4:45 (SUN) 3:45 VIP | 4:45 | 7:10 (MON-THURS) 1:00 VIP | 4:45 TOP GUN MAVERICK (PG-13) (FRI) 10:10 (SAT) 10:10 (SUN) 6:50 | 10:10 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK NOPE (R) (FRI) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (SAT) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (MON) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (TUES) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:15 VIP | 9:50 | 9:50 VIP (WED) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (THURS) 12:20 | 3:30 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK (PG) (FRI) 12:45 VIP | 1:30 | 3:15 VIP | 4:05 | 7:00 (SAT) 1:30 | 2:00 VIP | 4:05 | 4:30 VIP | 7:00 (SUN) 4:05 | 4:30 VIP | 6:45 (MON-THURS) 1:30 | 2:00 VIP | 4:05 | 4:30 VIP | 7:00 THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (PG-13) (FRI) 1:05 | 4:00 VIP | 6:35 VIP | 7:20 | 10:15 | 10:20 VIP (SAT) 1:05 | 4:00 VIP | 6:35 VIP | 7:20 | 10:15 | 10:20 VIP (SUN) 4:00 VIP | 6:35 VIP | 7:20 | 10:15 | 10:30 VIP (WED&THURS) 1:05 | 4:00 VIP | 6:35 VIP | 7:20 | 10:15 | 10:20 VIP KIDS CLUB UP SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) KIDS CLUB THE LION KING (1994) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) SILENCE OF THE LAMBS TUESDAY 7PM VIP (R) CLASSICS FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass 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 NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES BUSINESS EDITOR MICHAEL KLEIN ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER LIVING EDITOR VICKI WHEATON HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCHGILLIES 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 to southeast at 5 to 10 knots. 85°F HIGH 79°F LOW Health minister tests positive for COVID Minister of Health Sabrina Turner tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, 18 July, according to a statement released by the Offi ce of the Premier. Turner, who is the MP for Prospect, was described as being “mildly symptomatic”, and will remain at home for seven days following her positive test. Premier Wayne Panton, in the statement, wished Turner a speedy recovery on behalf of himself and his colleagues. Lengthy prison term upheld for drug dealer The Court of Appeal has upheld four drug convictions and an 11- year prison sentence for convicted street dealer and pimp Wayne Carlos Myles. This is the second time he has lost such an appeal. Myles, who in 2019 became the fi rst person to be convicted in Cayman of pimp-related charges, in this case was convicted on two charges of possession of cocaine with intent to supply and two charges of being concerned in the supply of cocaine between 10 Oct. 2014 and 15 June 2016. Myles had denied of having any intention of supplying cocaine, claiming he was “a drug user, not a drug dealer”. “A sentence of 11 years for the sale of 11.7 ounces of cocaine over a 20-month period by a street dealer carrying out his own business cannot possibly be said to be manifestly excessive,” wrote the judges in their written judgment which was handed down on 18 July. Myles, who appeared via video link from Northward Prison, expressed his desire to appeal the judgment to the UK Privy Council. Police recover handgun, arrest three Police arrested three people on Friday, 15 July, after fi nding a loaded gun and ganja at a home in Tropical Gardens in George Town. Offi cers arrested two women, ages 18 and 45, and a 26-year- old man after executing a search warrant at the residence, under the Firearm Law, police said in a statement issued Monday. The man and the 45-year- old woman were both charged with possession of ganja with intent to supply, and possession of drug utensils, while the man was also charged with possession of an unlicensed fi rearm and ammunition. Both appeared in court on Monday where the man was remanded to Northward Prison and the woman was offered court bail. Both will return to the Grand Court on Friday, 5 Aug. The 18-year-old-woman was bailed pending further investigations, police said. Doppler radar back in action The Cayman Islands National Weather Service’s Doppler radar is back online after being out of service for nine months, but more repairs need to be carried out on the radar’s dome. A joint statement, issued by the CINWS and the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, confi rmed that the Kearney Gomez weather radar was “restored to full working order” on Thursday, 14 July, by experts from German-based company LEONARDO. The radar went offl ine on 21 Oct. last year following the passage of Tropical Storm Grace. Initial attempts to repair the radar were marred by a lack of funding and supply chain issues caused by COVID-19. The radar is used to detect moisture and water droplets up to 250 miles from the Cayman Islands, and has been praised as an important tool in tracking storm activity during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Although the weather radar is now operational, more work needs to be done to repair the dome which houses the weather instruments. The dome was damaged in Tropical Storm Grace. Ganja smuggler jailed for 18 months A woman has been jailed for a year and a half for attempting to smuggle 18 pounds of ganja into Cayman in hollowed-out compartments of her suitcase. After arriving aboard a WestJet fl ight on 10 Feb. from Toronto, Canada, Toni Lee Danso, of Canada, was stopped by Customs and Border Control offi cers who had noticed a “strong odour of glue” emitting from Danso’s luggage. Offi cers 18 heat-sealed packages of ganja, weighing a total of 18 pounds, beneath a false bottom on both sides of the suitcase, the court was told. Danso pleaded guilty to a single charge of importation of ganja and was sentenced last month by Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez to 18 months’ imprisonment, with a recommendation for deportation upon completion of the sentence. Cayman Airways to resume Montego Bay routes Cayman Airways Limited has announced it will be resuming its service between Grand Cayman and Montego Bay Jamaica this summer, with non-stop fl ights starting from 4 Aug. The fl ights to and from Montego Bay will operate once a week, every Thursday. Flight KX2602 departs Grand Cayman at 6:15pm and arrives in Montego Bay at 7:15pm. On the return, Flight KX2603 departs Montego Bay at 8:15pm and arrives on Grand Cayman at 9:10pm. News in brief Wayne Carlos Myles' sentence and drug convictions were upheld by the Court of Appeal. - Photo: Facebook The Kearney Gomez Doppler radar is working again after nine months out of commission. - Photo: File cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 22 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, 22 JULY 20221234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Instrument of violin family (5) 4 To hone (7) 8 Provide with personnel (3) 9 Boisterous merrymaking (4,5) 10 Proper (7) 11 Shadowy (5) 13 Madness (6) 15 Supremely courageous (6) 18 To free from blame (5) 19 Disperse (7) 21 Keenly alert (4-5) 23 In the past (3) 24 Love story (7) 25 A recorded reckoning (5) DOWN 1 Funny (7) 2 Extending well into future (4-5) 3 Brownish-yellow (5) 4 Things worth seeing (6) 5 Deem (7) 6 Cooking vessel (3) 7 Objectionable (5) 12 Deficit (9) 14 Indisputable (7) 16 Perfunctory (7) 17 Getaway (6) 18 Crouch in fear (5) 20 Thoroughly proficient (5) 22 Faint (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17063 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 17063 ACROSS: 1 Cello, 4 Sharpen, 8 Man, 9 High jinks, 10 Correct, 11 Dusky, 13 Lunacy, 15 Heroic, 18 Clear, 19 Scatter, 21 Wide-awake, 23 Ago, 24 Romance, 25 Tally. DOWN: 1 Comical, 2 Long-range, 3 Ochre, 4 Sights, 5 Adjudge, 6 Pan, 7 Nasty, 12 Shortfall, 14 Certain, 16 Cursory, 17 Escape, 18 Cower, 20 Adept, 22 Dim. In the 8 July edition of the Compass, stunning drone footage, captured for this publication, showed the public a bird’s-eye view of the East-West Arterial from its current end at Hirst Road, through the route of its proposed extension to Frank Sound. The aerial images show the course of the road, which will span almost 200 acres and four lanes, winding through the ecological heartland of Grand Cayman, bisecting the Central Mangrove Wetlands. But they also illustrate a quandary that goes beyond one road; successive governments have failed to propose and implement a plan or policy that takes more of a panoramic approach to Cayman’s traffic congestion issues. And so, we continue to tackle only one facet of a more complex problem. Building more roads remains the only plan, while, simultaneously, we acknowledge it fails to remedy anything long term. Undeniably, there is intrinsic value in cutting journey times from the eastern districts, such as unlocking land for development outside the George Town nucleus that will help young families and essential workers secure a foothold on the property ladder. Upgrades to the islands’ road infrastructure are clearly necessary; carving out a transport artery set back from the water’s edge would alleviate pressure on older, coastal roads and provide a disaster-relief corridor for the more remote districts, in the event of Cayman being hit by major weather. But if highways beget housing, as they have in the past, the road extension can’t reduce traffic in the long term. It might stop commutes escalating exponentially, but for how long? NRA data, shared with the Compass, forecasts that – even with the road development – journey length will rise as the population grows. The East-West Arterial extension, labelled a priority by PACT, has been a major project goal of previous administrations since its gazettal in 2005. But things have changed in the 17 years since then. While traffic may have worsened, potential solutions have emerged that could be more impactful. A coordinated approach to planning, managing and shaping the islands’ future is badly needed. An updated Development Plan, which languishes as a work-in-progress, would ensure any road infrastructure upgrades worked, strategically, in consort with other land use. Joined-up planning and development must take account of Cayman’s transport requirements, what land is zoned and needed for, climate resilience and preservation of unique habitats. The environmental impact Final frontier: Road project will bring development to Cayman’s last wilderness We need this road, like, yesterday... end of story. If not, then build a darn bridge across the North Sound. People from the eastern districts cannot continue to deal with the traffic congestion forever. – Shaun Ebanks Why can’t we say responsible development rather than NO development, and let our efforts and resources be poured into the how? – Selvin Richardson Has there been a commitment to ensuring that there will be safe bicycle lanes going in both directions for the entire length of this road? – Anne Evans It is very unfortunate to cut a road through the last remaining piece of untouched forest in Cayman, but the island’s population is growing and people are moving into the eastern districts. Traffic is a real concern, so either restrict the number of vehicles on the roads or build more roads… you can’t just bury your head and pretend there isn’t a problem with this issue. – Debbie Hand So sad. Stupidity, plain and simple. So happy I have left as couldn’t bear to see our beautiful islands destroyed more than they already have been by no actual planning, uncontrolled development, etc. It’s always about making a quick buck now, with no thought for future generations of Caymanians. – Nadia Stradling Hardie In ecology terms, there is something called a “tipping point” in terms of viability of eco- systems, after which they all fail and break down. Serious impact studies need to be conducted here as we have a very finite amount of land and once it’s gone we can never go back. – Charlotte Cloete If building roads cannot resolve the traffic problem long term, why is it the only concrete proposal on the table? assessment on the extension road, if conducted and executed well, would ensure the mangroves – a vital flood plane and storm barrier – are protected. But how far can they truly be protected if development of the surrounding area is allowed to spring up haphazardly? It’s time to stop solving old problems with outdated solutions. Roads can only ever be a single ingredient in the recipe for remedying what is essentially a transport and planning problem. Reducing car use, either through congestion charging or restrictions on ownership, is a radical step that has proved effective in other jurisdictions. That can’t be achieved, however, without first offering the alternative of a clean, safe and fully functioning public transport network. Bermuda is oft cited as an example of a functional bus and ferry system, working hand-in- glove with a culture of moped, rather than car, use and a policy of limiting car ownership by household. If Cayman’s leaders are prepared to grasp this difficult issue head- on, then the routing of a highway through to the eastern districts need not be an entirely bad thing. The repurposing of the coastal roads for cyclists, pedestrians, electric vehicles and green buses, with heavy traffic routed on to the central highways, creates an opportunity for a greener future, even as Cayman grows. If car-sharing, cycling and walking were incentivised and made safe and practical alongside proper public transportation, a dreamscape of life in Cayman starts to emerge. With that kind of integrated approach, the inevitable sacrifice of mangrove wetland and dry forest to create the road may not be in vain. Without it, this project risks being a road to ruin for Cayman’s natural world. What they’re saying Online Editorial The planned expansion of the East-West Arterial Highway will cut through this expanse of forest and wetland in the eastern districts. cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky An unwelcome return visitor to Cayman’s shores is putting a dampener on the tourism recovery for bars, restaurants and hotels across the island. Floating brown mats of sargassum weed continue to swamp the shoreline, clogging up bays and inlets and bringing noxious smells that linger for weeks at a time. It’s not just tourists that are impacted. Residents, particularly along the south coast and in the eastern districts, face some of the worst impacts. Fishing, swimming or simply walking on the beach are no longer an option in some areas. At the Grape Tree Cafe, Osbourne Bodden has had enough. The former MP, who also runs the neighbouring gas station, said the foul smelling brown weed was piled waist deep on the beach by the cafe at times. “It feels like we are under siege,” he said. “We can’t continue like this. “For a little business like mine, the whole point is to sit out on the beach and have a meal.” ‘Nothing but the stench of sargassum’ It’s not just his business that is impacted. “Once you hit Bodden Town, right until you get to Morritt’s, there is nothing but the stench of sargassum. It is horrible for the businesses, but it is horrible for residents too. They are the ones that have to live with it,” Bodden said. At the neighbouring Turtle Nest Inn, any guest who arrived expecting sandy beaches and clear blue waters left disappointed. Proprietor Marleine Gagnon said the waters around the small hotel were frequently clogged with sargassum. A new government dock, with a barrier extending below the water line, may have contributed to corralling the seaweed in certain spots. So far, she said, visitors had been understanding and willing to explore the island in search of the snorkelling spots that make Cayman famous. But she worries that they will think twice before coming back to her small guest house, which is still bouncing back from the impacts of the pandemic. Sharlene Brenkus, manager at the Wyndham Reef Resort on the eastern tip of the island, said the sargassum incursions had been intense over the past few months. She said most guests were understanding, but some asked to relocate when they saw the beaches. Staff at the East End resort work “daily and tirelessly’ to make the beach usable, she said, but the sargassum issue does impact guest experiences and the reviews on TripAdvisor can harm the business. She said there were concerns about the smell and possible health impacts. ‘Guests take a whiff and walk out’ At Tukka restaurant, further along the coast, owner Ron Hargrave is facing a double impact. Customers at his East End venue are “used to it”, he says. There’s a broad expanse of water in front of the restaurant and the impact is not as bad as in other places. But Tukka West, which recently opened at Morgans Harbour, is often deluged. Once the sargassum drifts into the North Sound, it stays there until the winds sweep it ashore. “It seems to get stuck there at times,” Hargrave said. “People walk into the restaurant, take a whiff and walk right back out.” “The forecast was for one of the worst years ever and it is certainly living up to that,” he said. At the South Coast Grill, owner Tony Powell is thinking about solutions. He said his restaurant was occasionally impacted, but its ironshore coastline protects it from the worst of the deluge. “The fact of the matter is that it affects everybody,” he said. Farmers can help Also a farmer, Powell says he offered the previous government a plot of land to dump the weed and dry it out to use as fertiliser. The offer wasn’t taken up and he has since found another use for the plot, but he believes the farming community would be more than willing to help out. “We could still pile it up and wash it out during the rainy season, mix it with the top soil and the farmers can use it,” he said. Bodden said it was past time for government to be looking at solutions. He highlighted the extent of the problem as far back as 2019 as part of a Compass series that looked at possible solutions. In a special report, the Compass highlighted how entrepreneurs in St Lucia were creating fertiliser, and businesses in Mexico were using specially adapted boats to collect the seaweed in the water and keep their beaches clean. While the pandemic diverted attention away from the issue, Bodden believes that if this unwanted repeat visitor is not dealt with, businesses and residents will continue to suffer. He wonders if the fact that the sargassum is now impacting South Sound might prompt action. “Government is dragging their feet on this,” he said. “I know if it was on Seven Mile Beach, this would have been fixed a long time ago.” Under siege Sargassum invasion dents tourism recovery Sargassum seaweed blankets the shoreline in South Sound on 21 July. Businesses along Grand Cayman's coastlines say the mass influx is impacting customers. - Photos: Taneos Ramsay A heavy machinery operator removes sargassum from the Frank Sound public dock, boat ramp and adjoining beach. Still got it: Coach Gillie Seymour pulls off an audacious back- heel. - Photo: James Whittaker cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022 6 Coach Gillie has helped shape several generations of young men JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky On a sunny morning at the George Town annex, there’s a respectful hush as the coach gets up to speak. “I will be fair, I will be firm, I will be your friend and your father,” he tells the group. “What I expect from you in return is discipline, determination, dedication and desire.” Ernie ‘Gillie’ Seymour has been delivering that sermon to generations of youngsters for almost 40 years. He estimates he’s said those words “100,000 times”. Michael Myles heard it as his very first training session, as a 10-year-old goalkeeper in one of Gillie’s first international youth teams. He heard it again this week as the wiry veteran initiated a new group of young ballers with his tried and trusted formula. “Football is life and life is football,” says Seymour, who uses his coaching sessions to prepare youngsters for the world beyond the soccer pitch. Myles was back at the Annex last week as a donor, helping to fund Seymour’s programs at Cayman Athletic Sports Club, and to talk to youngsters at the soccer camp. He credits the coach first with keeping him off the streets, then with getting him into college, and inspiring him to pursue a career in social work. “I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for Gillie and people like him who put me on the right path,” he said. “A lot of us in my generation grew up in single-parent families and he filled that father figure role for us.” When Gillie says he will be a ‘father’, he means it. When he started out in the 1980s, he had an old station wagon that he would drive around the island to pick up kids for practice and drop them off afterwards. “There must have been 20 of us crammed into that little station wagon,” Myles recalls, “and he would drive from West Bay to Bodden Town to make sure we got home safe.” Life skills Gillie didn’t just teach soccer. He taught life skills and encouraged them to get an education. And when they needed direction and discipline, he dished it out with kindness. More than a coach, Seymour has been a father, a mentor and a fixer for generations of Cayman youth. He describes it as his calling, and insists that while he may no longer work for the Department of Sports, he certainly hasn’t retired from coaching. As the head of Cayman Athletic Sports Club, he is rarely away from the field. “I’ve given back more than I have received,” he commented earlier this month when his retirement from the Department of Sports was announced. But the rewards come in other ways. At an East End A coach of football and life Safe hands – Michael Myles, pictured front right as a young goalkeeper, says Coach Gillie (far right) was a mentor to countless young people.Gillie was a respected footballer in his day. Velvety free-tailed bats are one of nine bat species found in the Cayman Islands. - Photo: File cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022 7 bar with a friend, a few weeks ago, he ordered two bottles of Dragon Stout. The barman, a former player, wouldn’t let him pay. “I can rarely pay for a drink or a meal,” he said. His proteges are everywhere. Paying it forward Myles, who now runs the Inspire Cayman training school, pays it forward by helping youth find careers and direction in the working world. Gillie also looks with pride at the children that have come through his programmes and have gone on to success off the field. Richard Hew, the CEO of Caribbean Utilities Company, and Albert Anderson, the CEO of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, smile back from a faded team photo he keeps on his phone. Countless others have gone to college. Some he is happy to have kept out of jail and on the path to a productive life. Despite his efforts, others did end up behind bars. “Some of the best footballers in Cayman are up in Northward,” he said. He never gave up on them, and from time to time he will get a call from the prison, “Coach, help us settle this dispute.” Energetic children need an outlet, he believes, and without football many more would have ended up in trouble. He worries for today’s children, growing up in single-parent families where “the Xbox is the babysitter”. Seymour can’t count the number of kids he has coached. And few forget his influence. As if to prove the point, while we are sitting in the shade of the bleachers listening to him talk about Pelé and the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting and passing he tries to instill in his players, a former star player drifts by. Marlon Bailey is in town for a short while with his family. He lives in Miami now but wouldn’t visit Cayman without paying respects to his coach. They reminisce for a minute over the winning goal Bailey scored in a famous 1-0 win over Jamaica in the Caribbean Under-20 World Cup qualifiers. Bailey traces his fingers across the memory of a bruise left by a tough Jamaican defender in that clash. He credits Seymour with keeping him and his teammates on the straight and narrow. “These are great memories,” he says, looking out at the youngsters chasing a ball around the Annex, under the watchful eye of assistant coach Lovane ‘Pelo’ Joven. The children at the camp on Friday are almost as effusive, screaming “Coachie, pass” in undisguised glee as he joins in a small-sided game, showboating his repertoire of flicks and back- heels in the summer heat. “He’s the best… ,” one of the youngsters says simply. Mentor For Gillie, the joy of being out on the field is pure. “I will be coaching till I fall over and can’t do it no more,” he says. That’s a great thing, Myles agrees. But he wonders where the next generation of Gillie Seymours is coming from. He hopes those who came through his programmes will give back to the young people coming through today. “He mentored a lot of fatherless children and there are many more out there today that need that help. It is up to us, the ones that benefited from his coaching, to try to be those mentors,” he said. Rumours of Gillie’s retirement may have been exaggerated, but when he does finally hang up the whistle, Myles says, his legacy will extend far beyond the football field. “I will be coaching till I fall over and can’t do it no more.” Coach Ernie ‘Gillie’ Seymour RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The Department of Environment is turning the spotlight on Cayman’s local bat population and is using a technological approach to track the number of the nocturnal animals locally. It has designed a bat reporting app and is appealing to volunteers to download the app to assist in tallying the numbers. John Bothwell, DoE Manager, Legislation Implementation and Coordination Unit, in an emailed response to the Cayman Compass on the survey, stressed the importance of tracking local bat numbers. “This survey is to tally and keep track of the improvement or deterioration of the Cayman Islands bat population. This is important because bats have a crucial role in the sustainability of our environment,” he said as he encouraged the public’s participation. Bats serve important functions, he said, the main two being seed dispersal and, perhaps “more appreciated, mosquito control or insect management”, which is why a healthy population is needed. He said back in December 2020, 60 bat houses were surveyed and a ‘population index’ of 6,603 bats was recorded. “The major limitation of this survey is that it only represents one of the nine species of bats we have in the Cayman Islands, and our survey is only conducted at the identified bat houses around Grand Cayman,” he explained. This, he said, is because those bats are much more accessible for counting than the bats spread out in the wild, in a variety of habitats, around Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. However, he said, it does give the DoE a way to reputably monitor the population of “these important insect-eating bats”. Bothwell said the public can get involved by volunteering to visit sites and tally their results using the DoE app. “They start by emailing DoE@gov.ky. We then provide them a pdf with instructions on where the publicly accessible bat houses are, how to download our bat reporting app, and how to count the bats as they fly out of their bat house. This way, all of the volunteers are set up to help us with this important job,” he said. Counting bats 6,603 The number of bats recorded in the last population count, in December 2020 “This survey is to tally and keep track of the improvement or deterioration of the Cayman Islands bat population.” John Bothwell, Department of EnvironmentCCRIF now invites international reinsurance broking firms to express their interest in providing Placing Broker services to CCRIF SPC. About CCRIF SPC CCRIF SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) is the world’s first multi-country, multi-peril risk pool based on parametric insurance. CCRIF provides parametric catastrophe insurance for Caribbean and Central American governments, and for electric utility companies. CCRIF offers parametric insurance for tropical cyclones, excess rainfall, and earthquakes and for the fisheries and electric utilities sectors – insurance products not readily available in traditional insurance markets. The Facility operates as a development insurance company – as the goods and services it provides are designed to enhance the overall development prospects of its members. CCRIF has 23 members – 19 Caribbean governments, 3 Central American governments and 1 Caribbean electric utility company. Since its inception in 2007, CCRIF has made 54 payouts totalling US$245 million to 16 of its members. All payouts are paid within 14 days of the event. CCRIF was developed under the technical leadership of the World Bank and with a grant from the Government of Japan. It was capitalized through contributions to a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) by the Government of Canada, the European Union, the World Bank, the governments of the UK and France, the Caribbean Development Bank and the governments of Ireland and Bermuda, as well as through membership fees paid by participating governments. In 2014, a second MDTF was established by the World Bank to support the development of CCRIF SPC’s new products for current and potential members and facilitate the entry of Central American countries and additional Caribbean countries. The MDTF currently channels funds from various donors, including: Canada, through Global Affairs Canada; the United States, through the Department of the Treasury; the European Union, through the European Commission, and Germany, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and KfW. Additional financing has been provided by the Caribbean Development Bank, with resources provided by Mexico; the Government of Ireland; and the European Union through its Regional Resilience Building Facility managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and The World Bank. Request for Expressions of Interest: Placing Broker The principal responsibilities of the Placing Broker include implementation and administration of reinsurance and other risk transfer mechanisms. The Placing Broker also is responsible for obtaining the best reinsurance pricing and terms and conditions – in accordance with best reinsurance market practices – for the Facility on behalf of its constituent Segregated Portfolios. The Placing Broker will be responsible for all aspects of risk transfer to the traditional reinsurance market and/or alternative risk transfer markets. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, general qualifications and number of key staff, and so forth). The information package must include evidence of licenses to place reinsurance and capital markets risk transfer instruments in all global markets. Interested firms are required to declare conflicts of interest. The full request for expressions of interest is available at: https://www.ccrif.org/request-expression-interest-placing-broker Expressions of interest must be submitted via email to: procurement@ccrif.org before 5pm Cayman Time on 4 August 2022. Email receipts will be issued for all submissions meeting the deadline. CCRIF NEWSPAPER AD_Cayman Compass_2022.indd 1CCRIF NEWSPAPER AD_Cayman Compass_2022.indd 119/07/2022 12:18:36 pm19/07/2022 12:18:36 pm NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky For 22 years, Cayman has been home to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, but only virtually. This year, when the latest inductees step up to receive their plaudits, it will be at the new physical home of the organisation. Work is continuing apace at Pedro St James to create what will be a permanent location of the hall of fame, which will double as a museum honouring not only the many divers from around the globe who have been inducted over the past two decades, but the long and storied history of scuba diving. Up until now, the hall of fame has existed as a website, with annual induction and awards ceremonies being held at local hotels. The plan to create an actual home for the hall of fame was announced back in 2019, with the intent that it would be ready for the 2020 awards ceremony. However, the COVID-19 pandemic – as well as subsequent supply chain issues – delayed those plans for two years. Leslie Leaney, executive director of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, says the new site will include a museum highlighting scuba diving history, not just in Cayman, but around the world. Leaney says he hopes the museum will become a focal point that can be built on, with additional items being added to the permanent exhibit on a regular basis. “The room at Pedro St James is a little larger than the space we had at the National Museum when we had the Legends of Scuba Diving exhibit a few years ago... We saw how we could do this. It proved it could work,” he said. The year-long exhibit at the National Museum of the Cayman Islands, which launched in November 2016, marked the first physical home, albeit a temporary one, of the diving hall of fame. That exhibit featured some unique items of dive history, including a regulator developed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emil Gagnine in 1943, a pair of World War II-era wooden fins marketed by a California spearfisherman, and dive equipment used by TV and movie star Lloyd Bridges. Keeper of dive history Leaney knows his dive history. He is the co-founder of the Historical Diving Society USA, and founder of The Journal of Diving History, a quarterly publication that features articles on all aspects of dive history, from tales of exploration by early divers to dive helmets through the ages. He is also the historical columnist for PADI’s Undersea Journal. Leaney and other members of the Historical Diving Society, in 2018, also established the Leaney-Brooks Diving History Archive and Endowment at the library of the University of California, Santa Barbara, to ensure that the research and historical items collected over several decades endures. He was recently awarded the 2022 California Scuba Service Award by the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, of which he is also a founder, for “turning his passion for diving’s history into a way for thousands to understand and discover theirs”. Leaney is also an inductee of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2012, He wears many different hats in the diving world, but is currently in Cayman in his role as the executive director of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, which he has been working with since 2003. He says the hall of fame, featuring the museum pieces, will be unique to Cayman. “When we speak about the tourism element of the hall of fame, nobody else in the industry internationally has anything like this,” he told the Cayman Compass. “This will be the first. There are other awards groups but they don’t have a physical presence right now. It’s all cyber. The potential is huge.” Cayman has long had a reputation as a world-class dive destination. “Since the '60s, it has been a place to come for dive tourists,” said Leaney. What this means is there is also “a huge back catalogue” of historical material on Cayman diving to draw on. “Nobody else really has that,” he said. This year’s inductees There will be four inductees at this year’s ceremony, scheduled for September. They are: Jill Heinerth (Canada), Tom Ingram (USA), Avi Kapfler (Israel, for Cocos Island) and Jim Gatacre (Canada). Also, Divers Alert Network (USA) will be recognised in the Pioneer Category. They were all originally supposed to be the 2020 inductees, but with Cayman’s borders closed, and later travel and testing restrictions making it difficult for people to visit the islands, the directors of the hall of fame decided to wait for an in-person ceremony, rather than hold it virtually. So far, more than 100 divers from 32 countries have been inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. New home for scuba diving hall of fame draws closer The year the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame was established in the Cayman Islands Leslie Leaney Pedro St James will be the location of the new home of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. - Photo: File cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022MARK GAUS 345 946 9961 mark.gaus@remax.ky www.remax.ky Each office independently owned and operated. Member of CIREBA 2020 RE/MAX Agent of the Year | RE/MAX Hall of Fame Recipient 2020 #1 Top Producer RE/MAX Caribbean and Central America YTD AS OF 20 JULY 2022 24 Sales Transactions Closed | 11 Rental Transactions Closed BEST VALUE IN SOUTH SOUND | BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION • ICF Construction • Hurricane Impact Windows and Doors • Solar Ready • Pet and Family Friendly • Fenced Back Garden • Private Beach Access • Gated Community • 2 Pools with a Club House and Gym Located a few steps from the sandy beaches of South Sound comes the newest, eco-friendly residential development, The Mantras! These modern two and three bedroom residences boast tremendous family friendly features and amenities such as two pools, club house, fenced back garden and private beach access. This gated and pet-friendly community is the perfect size with just 50 units and is extremely hurricane protected and energy efficient. Hurricane Impact Rated Doors and Windows add to the energy efficiency and overall strength of the property. #6 EXECUTIVE OCEANVIEW RESIDENCE CI$949,000 MLS 414710 COMPLETION DUE IN 2022 #14 2 BED TOWNHOME CI$649,000 MLS 414712 COMPLETION DUE AUGUST 2022 #29 2 BED TOWNHOME CI$635,000 MLS 414716 READY TO MOVE IN MANTRAS THE cayman compass 9 news N news FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022 ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky For more than a hundred years, a modest traditional Caymanian wattle-and-daub dwelling has sat on the same patch of grass while the world around it changed. But those days are swiftly coming to an end, as work to uproot and relocate the home has begun. The property, known as the Aldine Franklin House or Miss Cassie’s House, was acquired by the Foster’s grocery store chain, which is now moving it across island to make way for a $2.2million expansion of its Republix supermarket. On Wednesday, 20 July, when Cayman Compass attended the location, workmen had already begun removing the interior walls, floors, and ceilings – all that remained was an empty shell. The Compass understands that the remainder of the building will be loaded on to a trailer and driven to Frank Sound, while the modern cement structure, which is attached to the rear of the house, will be demolished. Built 114 years ago by Samuel Matthew Ebanks III, the home has been designated a “historic overlay zone” and is registered with the Cayman Islands Heritage Registry as WB 019. Foster’s supermarket managing director Woody Foster said the expansion of the store will occur in phases, once the house is moved. He added that the removal of the structure is “imminent”. Foster has previously said moving the house and selling it to someone with the “wherewithal and the mindset” is the best option to preserve the historic building. Speaking at a Central Planning Authority meeting in December last year, he said that option will preserve the house’s “history and its heritage – the only thing it won’t do is be in its current location”. Foster has said that the buyer in East End plans to use the building as a functioning home, and refurbish it to closely resemble its origins. The relocation has been met with staunch criticism and a virtual petition with more than 1,300 signatures calling on the supermarket chain to reconsider its position. Despite its historic overlay designation, there is no law that prevents the home or any other traditional dwelling from being relocated or destroyed. Foster, at the CPA meeting, said the debate over the historic house has presented an opportunity for a broader national discussion on the topic of preserving Cayman’s built heritage, and he said his company was committed to supporting that process, “which means putting money behind that and putting our name behind that… to try to push that agenda. We want to be a part of that.” He told the Compass on Thursday, 21 July, “It is a good chance for national dialogue but I don’t think anyone is seriously interested in doing anything. I met with several people and entities following my appearance at Planning but movement is excruciatingly slow. However, I have set up a meeting with the National Trust preservation committee to continue trying to push the agenda.” The house is being moved to make way for an 11,000 square feet expansion of the supermarket and its carpark. Work on relocating century-old home begins The interior fixtures and fittings of the 114-year-old house were being removed on 20 July. - Photo: Taneos RamsayNext >