© 2023 Burger King Corporation. Seven Mile Beach location still open! Use the temporary entrance (normally exit) on West Bay Road cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism Weekly, 31 March - 5 April 2023 Farewell to Governor Roper Departs after four-and-a-half years - See special section inside Photo: Taneos Ramsay Landfill deal dubbed ‘unaffordable’ Pages 18-19 In photos: Orchid Show Page 14 Family of hit-and- run victim crippled by loss Page 7Matinees (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. BEACON FARMS (PG-13) (WED) 7:00 CREED III (PG-13) (FRI) 4:00 VIP | 4:15 | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP | 9:50 | 10:20 VIP (SAT) 12:45 | 1:00 VIP | 4:00 VIP | 4:15 | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP | 9:50 | 10:20 VIP (SUN-THURS) 4:00 VIP | 4:15 | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP | 9:50 | 10:20 VIP DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (PG-13) (FRI) 3:25 VIP | 3:30 | 6:30 VIP | 6:35 | 9:35 | 10:05 VIP (SAT) 12:25 VIP | 12:30 | 3:30 | 3:30 VIP | 6:30 VIP | 6:35 | 9:35 | 10:05 VIP (SUN) 3:30 | 3:30 VIP | 4:15 | 6:30 VIP | 6:35 | 7:20 | 9:30 VIP | 9:35 | 10:05 VIP | 10:20 (MON, WED-THU) 3:25 VIP | 3:30 | 6:30 VIP | 6:35 | 9:35 | 10:05 VIP (TUES) 3:25 VIP | 3:30 | 6:35 | 9:35 | 10:05 VIP JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 (R) (FRI) 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 7:30 | 9:35 VIP (SAT) 12:20 VIP | 12:35 | 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 7:30 | 9:35 VIP (MON, WED-THU) 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 7:30 | 9:35 VIP (TUES) 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 7:30 SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS (PG-13) (SUN) 4:20 VIP | 7:00 VIP SHAZAM! (PG-13) (FRI, SUN-TUES, THURS) 4:00 | 7:10 | 10:10 (SAT) 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:10 | 10:10 (WED) 3:30 | 9:00 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK THE GODFATHER TUESDAY 6:45PM VIP (PG) CLASSICS KIDS CLUB THE LION KING (1994) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (G) KIDS CLUB THE LORAX SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) 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 weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. SEA STATE Rough with a wave height of 4 to 6 feet. WINDS East to northeast at 15 to 20 knots. 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Three held in waterfront jewellery heist Three George Town men, ages 27, 29 and 36, have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a George Town jewellery store on 28 March. The robbery occurred shortly after 9:50am, when three masked men, one armed with a firearm, held up the store on Seafarers Way, during which they smashed display cases and stole several pieces of jewellery. No shots were fired, and no one was injured in the hold-up. Afterwards, the three men fled in a white Honda CR-V, which police later found parked, unoccupied, in Grescott Lane in George Town. A quantity of jewellery, suspected to have been taken during the robbery, has been recovered, police said. This was at least the third armed robbery reported in George Town in March. Dead sharks found in 'ghost net' A fisherman found three dead sharks entangled in a large abandoned fishing net about a mile off the west coast of Grand Cayman on Sunday, 26 March. On towing the net back to shore, two of the sharks came loose, but the third was later identified as a Caribbean sharpnose shark – a rare species that is declining in numbers. Charles Ebanks, who has fished in Cayman waters for 38 years, told the Compass the 150-foot-long net “was all tangled up in a mess and then there was a piece of it hanging down in the water that was kind of open and free, and from the surface I could see three sharks.” He called the Department of Environment to alert them, before spending the next two hours towing the net to shore. There were also dead fish and crustaceans trapped in the net. Ebanks said it is important to remove these plastic nets, which likely come from large commercial fishing boats, because they kill many species of fish and sharks. “I can’t save the world but it just takes that one person or anyone to help out and if I can in any way at all, I will,” he said. This was the third time Ebanks found an abandoned fishing net, known as a ghost net, in the area – the last was in 2018 when he spotted a huge net about three miles off Rum Point. Gilbert McLean leaves NRA post Former legislator Gilbert McLean is no longer the chairman of the board at the National Roads Authority, though it appears he did not formally accept the post before it was gazetted in a government notice. The NRA confirmed that McLean resigned as chairman in mid-February and that Cabinet is in the process of considering a new chairman for the NRA board. McLean, who is also the chairman of the University College of the Cayman Islands board of governors, declined to comment. His appointment was approved in Cabinet on 17 Jan. to be effective for three years, through 31 Dec. 2025. The appointment was then gazetted on 20 Jan. However, the Compass understands that McLean, who was set to replace former NRA chairman Alric Lindsay after he resigned last year from the board, did not formally accept the appointment. Following the gazettal, the appointment letter was issued, but McLean declined the post, creating a situation where a government notice affirming him as chairman was published without his official acceptance. Since the appointment had already been published, McLean, the Compass was told, had to issue a resignation letter for the post. Deputy chairman Stanley Panton will be the acting chair until Cabinet makes a formal appointment to the post. Fiona, Ian retired from storm name list Fiona and Ian are the latest storm names to be retired from the World Meteorological Organization’s rotating list for the Atlantic Hurricane basin. During the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Ian narrowly missed Cayman before veering north, where it swiftly developed. A statement issued by the WMO’s hurricane committee on 29 March said Fiona and Ian are being replaced by Farrah and Idris, respectively, and will next appear on the 2028 list. “Fiona was a large and powerful hurricane, which hit communities in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos,” said the WMO. “It then moved northward over the western Atlantic and struck Canada as a strong post-tropical cyclone in September 2022, bringing significant damage and loss of life along its path.” The committee added that Ian “struck western Cuba as a major hurricane and made landfall in southwestern Florida as a category 4 hurricane”. According to the WMO, Fiona was responsible for a combined 29 direct and indirect fatalities, as well as US$3 billion worth of damages across the Caribbean and Canada. Ian is estimated to have been responsible for 150 direct and indirect deaths, and US$112 billion in damages – making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history and the third costliest in the United States. Fisherman Charles Ebanks towed this 150-foot-long abandoned net to shore. - Photo: Department of Environment cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023Members of the media were prevented from asking questions about the reshuffled Cabinet, during a hastily arranged ‘press briefing’ on 21 March. - Photo: Cayman Islands Government Facebook cayman compass 3 news N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Premier Wayne Panton, nearly one week after the exit of his former deputy, took to government radio on Monday, 27 March, to address the situation, saying MP Chris Saunders was offered a chance to resign before having his appointment revoked. Panton, who has yet to address media questions on the situation that were submitted following a briefing the previous week, broke his silence on the ‘For the Record’ talkshow on government station Radio Cayman. He said he wanted to “clarify” what he termed “misinformation” on what transpired when Saunders parted ways with the PACT administration. Issues of conduct Panton said when he met with Saunders on Tuesday, 21 March, he offered the Bodden Town West MP an opportunity to resign after raising concerns about issues surrounding “conduct”. “I outlined to Mr. Saunders the number of issues that I had real concerns with, and I offered him the opportunity to resign. He did not accept the opportunity to resign at that time,” Panton said, adding that he then asked Governor Martyn Roper to revoke Saunders’s appointment. Saunders, however, through a WhatsApp broadcast message, said he resigned from his post and the government, citing differences with the premier. He also told the Cayman Compass in a subsequent interview that their different “ideologies” made it difficult to continue working with Panton. The premier, in his short statement issued on 21 March – at what was first called a press briefing but later changed to an ‘address to the nation’ – had only indicated that Saunders would “no longer serve in Cabinet”. He had not, at that time, mentioned any issues surrounding the MP’s conduct as the reason for his exit from the front bench, and the media was not given a chance to ask questions. Panton, on Radio Cayman six days after that address, took issue with Saunders’s statement that there were differences between the two, saying they had a “fairly good working relationship”. “There weren’t any material differences between us. The issue simply was, unfortunately, that there were issues of conduct with Mr. Saunders and I ended up having to make a very, very difficult decision. It was a very sad decision to have to make,” Panton said. Saunders, speaking with the Compass following Panton’s interview, questioned what had happened to make the premier change his “tune” between the 21 March address and his 27 March Radio Cayman interview. “Clearly, the premier is singing from a different hymn sheet. I don’t know who spoke to him since the email got leaked between myself and the governor,” Saunders said. The email to which Saunders referred contained correspondence between him and Roper, outlining a disagreement between the two men over the government's failure to pass legislation legalising a national lottery and putting criminal sanctions in place to combat illegal gambling, known as numbers. Letter outlines concerns around conduct In his radio interview, the premier said he received an official letter from Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, the head of the civil service, “outlining a number of conduct-related issues that had nothing to do with anything like that [the row with Roper]”. He added, “I felt that I had to take action. I have to make really difficult decisions at times, decisions that are laced with sadness, the decisions that I know have impacts on various relationships and even obviously, families and people involved.” Panton claimed he was compelled to act and had a responsibility to ensure safe environments in which people live and work. “That they can do so without being bothered, without being harassed, without being berated, without being unfairly or unjustly treated,” the premier said. The Compass reached out to Manderson on the allegations against the Bodden Town West MP. In a brief emailed response, the deputy governor, said, “Complaints brought to my attention concerning the behavior of former Minister Saunders towards certain civil servants were raised with me, which I subsequently shared with the Premier, who has authority to take action in matters pertaining to the Ministers of Cabinet.” Manderson declined to comment further on the specifics of “any allegations made in this current matter,” however, he added, “it is also my duty to ensure that the civil service remains apolitical. I will ensure that the civil service continues to serve the elected government and their priorities to make the lives of those we serve better.” He did not confirm if any investigations were initiated or completed into the complaints he received. Saunders has refuted claims of bullying and misconduct, saying it was the “first time” he had heard anything like that, and asked to be informed of the accusations so he could have his lawyers write to the complainants directly. Saunders said he sought to hold people accountable in doing their jobs. “As labour minister, immigration minister and finance minister, you don’t do those jobs without being firm with people, and if people have a problem being held accountable for doing their job, then that is that,” he said. Saunders fires back The Bodden Town West MP, shortly after the premier’s interview, issued a broadcast message pointing to the “material differences” between Panton and himself, the first of which was the ReGen landfill project. “If you want the truth to what is really going on, I implore you to ask the Hon. Premier, Wayne Panton, to release the report from the Office of the Auditor General on the ReGen project,” he said, adding that the last set of numbers he saw makes the project “unaffordable” for the public purse. (See Issues, pages 18-19) “There is absolutely no way I would have signed off on that project when I was Minister of Finance,” he said, adding that the last figure pegged the project at $2 billion. Panton, who is now finance minister, said in his radio interview that the ReGen deal is close to being signed. The Compass had asked for a copy of the report last year; however, Auditor General Sue Winspear denied the request as the negotiations were ongoing. Last week, the Compass requested once again to see the report, but Winspear said the report still has not been published and “will not be until after the government signs the final contract, due to the commercial sensitivities”. Premier Panton: ‘I asked Saunders to step down’ Chris Saunders is refuting claims of bullying. Premier Wayne Panton says he raised concerns about issues of “conduct”. “[U]nfortunately... there were issues of conduct with Mr. Saunders.” Premier Wayne Panton1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 State of gloom (5) 4 German measles (7) 8 To regret (3) 9 An illusory discovery (5,4) 10 Receive as legacy (7) 11 A fraternal society (5) 13 Short and thick (6) 15 A blue dye (6) 18 Urge insistently (5) 19 Bode (7) 21 Turning point in affairs (9) 23 Single (3) 24 Long curly lock of hair (7) 25 Unconcealed (5) DOWN 1 Of the heart (7) 2 Hospitality to all visitors (4,5) 3 Take exception (5) 4 An uncommon thing (6) 5 Instrument of oboe family (7) 6 Fib (3) 7 Vary (5) 12 Make understood forcefully (5,4) 14 Small falcon (7) 16 Something left over (7) 17 Outcome (6) 18 Government (5) 20 Sound broadcasting (5) 22 Silvery-white metal (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17279 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 17279 ACROSS: 1 Cloud, 4 Rubella, 8 Rue, 9 Mare’s nest, 10 Inherit, 11 Order, 13 Chunky, 15 Indigo, 18 Press, 19 Portend, 21 Watershed, 23 One, 24 Ringlet, 25 Overt. DOWN: 1 Cardiac, 2 Open house, 3 Demur, 4 Rarity, 5 Bassoon, 6 Lie, 7 Alter, 12 Drive home, 14 Kestrel, 16 Oddment, 17 Upshot, 18 Power, 20 Radio, 22 Tin. What they’re saying Online Unlicensed vendors face court action after Seven Mile Beach raid Maybe these online buy, sell, trade sites should be checked out. There are plenty of people running businesses by posting regularly and often to sell online, when not having a business licence. These people are easy to catch. I even see work-permit holders doing it – ordering online, bringing merchandise in, and then reselling it for profit. A good hefty fine will put a stop to it, and money collected will go back into the islands’ revenue instead of being sent off island. Jim Norris About time. They all need a licence, no matter how long it takes government or, shall I say the civil servants, to actually do their job... to approve it. Graeme Thomson If you want to operate on the beach, just do the right thing and apply for a licence. Robert Baraud Approval granted for gun club’s new shooting grounds How absolutely disgusting! A total disregard of the environment! Each shot of a shotgun is around 30 grams of lead, and multiply that by thousands, that’s a horrendous amount of lead polluting the environment, plus the plastic wad from the cartridge. What happened to building Cayman back greener? Andrew Veganic Not many people actually use lead shot anymore you might want to pick something else to worry about. Ryan Sebastian Well, in the near future, Caymanians are going to be crying there are no more fish. You continue to let your government allow people to destroy the fish habitat, such as hatching grounds and mangroves. No fish means no fishing and no diving, thus few tourists. Stephen Williams This is terrible; it is criminal. A terrible loss to the fishing stocks in North Sound and it is Crown land! What with all the horrible discharge and the removal of mangrove buffer, you are allowing the slow death of North Sound. Melanie Carmichael I don’t really know why we have environmental experts here. When someone wants to build something, it just gets approved, regardless of any consequences. Caymanians and expats alike don’t care about this island anymore. Might as well pour concrete over it all and just be done with it. Rob Tyler Economist: ‘Cruise profits not worth the cost’ She is spot on. We need more data to really examine where the best tourist dollars come from. Milly Serpell Can she also talk some sense into National Roads Authority and whoever is ordering them to build more roads and pave over the already diminishing green areas. Claire Hughes [Applause for] Marla Dukharan for stating such important information. It has long been a point how the cruise ship industry can do more harm than good, and take a beautiful pristine location and change it for the worse. As the cruise ship industry keeps building these gargantuan ships, what will that bring? Case in point: St Barts. Cruise ships primarily dock at the island of St. Martin, located 15 miles from St. Barts. From there, ferries will tender you to the island. So odds are you will not get 10,000 people ferrying over. Think long and hard to preserve my beautiful home away from home, never losing its heart and soul for the dollar, because, in the end, you will lose. Evelyn C. I suggest the new deputy premier lobbies to have all future cruise ships diverted to Cayman Brac on a permanent basis. That will solve our traffic chaos and keep the Brackers happy. Grand Cayman needs to forget these masses and concentrate on upmarket stayover visitors who contribute far more to our economy. Trusty2man D. Cayman’s environmental neglect exposed in watchdog report For far too long, it appears that all that has mattered to some is profit and, as much as possible, with little consideration for the environment. Unfortunately, the islands are paying the price of it. An island basking in sunshine should have had solar panels from the outset but $$$$$ were more important. All plastic could be recycled and money could be made from it, just like waste cardboard and paper, as well as glass. Jerry Young Who owns the now-defunct glass crusher? CIG or Dart? Why can’t we get a new one? Sara Harbison Mackay Celebrations have been held in districts all over Grand Cayman to honour the Caymanian women who demanded and won the right to vote 65 years ago. In Bodden Town on Tuesday, 28 March, Premier Wayne Panton, Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and fellow ministers unveiled a plaque thanking the district’s activists. In attendance was Algar Wood, one of the last surviving petitioners (pictured here with the deputy premier), who signed her name at the time as ‘Mrs. James Wood Jr’. - Photo: Rebecca Bird Saluting suffragettes pic of the week cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman Islands Tourism Association President Troy Leacock says vendors on Seven Mile Public Beach and operators in the North Sound should be regulated as Cayman rebuilds its post-COVID tourism industry. Leacock, commenting on last week’s raid on unlicensed vendors at Public Beach, welcomed action on the illegal vending, but said the situation is indicative of a lack of planning when it comes the industry. “If you go back to 20 years ago, nobody was selling anything on the public beach… mainly local residents used the public beach. As you develop and you place more strain on your infrastructure, as more of the empty beach sections are now having condos built on them, there’s more pressure being put on that little piece of beach. Cruise visitors come, and suddenly you got chairs, you got vendors, you got all sorts of things going on,” he said when he appeared on the Cayman Compass Facebook show ‘The Resh Hour’ Wednesday. Beach inspectors ordered all traders off Public Beach during the 16 March raid, taking enforcement action following months of complaints. Any traders still operating at the beach next week can be arrested and brought to court and have their wares confiscated and destroyed, according to the Public Lands Inspectorate. Leacock said the situation at the beach raises a number of issues, paramount of which is public and visitor safety. “You can’t have jet skis going in and out of an area where people are swimming and snorkellers are snorkelling out to the reef and getting hit in the head by a jet ski that’s going or coming. So for safety, for level of service, it has to be regulated. But then, is it fair to say ‘Oh well, only these 10 vendors are going to be able to vend’ when there’s another 30 out here that want to make a living,” he said. It all comes down to how the country is planning for its development and its tourism industry, he added. “What is your capacity for that asset? … Do you just leave it for a free-for-all for anybody to come down and vend on the beach? You really can’t have that, for safety reasons,” he said. Cabinet has yet to announce the approval of a planned permitting process which would allow the Public Lands Commission to grant or deny vendor applications. This is expected to happen in the coming weeks. Manage boat number limits at Stingray City/Sandbar Leacock also took issue with what he described as a lack of management of the Wildlife Interaction Zones at Stingray City and the Sandbar, stating that the same lack of regulation seen on Public Beach is happening at those two popular marine tourism attractions. “I’m not quite sure what the solution is on the public beach, but I know that it has to be managed, it has to be licensed in some way. It’s the same issue with the North Sound and the licensing. You can’t have an unlimited supply of boats every week. There’s another boat that’s being added to the pool that’s going to the Sandbar,” he said. While there is a limit on the number of boats allowed into the Stingray City and Sandbar WIZ zones, he does not believe that limit is being monitored or enforced. He questioned what was happening with a WIZ taskforce that lawmakers unanimously voted in favour of in Parliament last year after West Bay MP McKeeva Bush brought the suggestion of forming such an entity through a private members’ motion. Bush’s motion, which also included a recommendation to freeze the issuance of new WIZ licences, called on legislators to look into the capacity, licensing regime and protection of Caymanian operators at Stingray City and the Sandbar. Under the existing WIZ licensing stipulations, vessels cannot enter the Sandbar or Stingray City if there are already 20 tourist boats at the sites. The number of people allowed at any one time is 1,500, and vessels are not permitted to carry more than 100 passengers per trip. Leacock said the Sandbar is getting so crowded these days that there are boats waiting to get into the sites as vessels with guests engage with the stingrays. “It just changes the whole feel of it when it’s under pressure, and I feel that we need to be less reactive to certain situations. We need to start being more proactive and start planning. What do we want the shape of our tourism and the product and service that we’re offering to be?” he asked. CITA boss: Regulate beach vendors, Stingray City operators Interview: Troy Leacock A variety of watersports equipment is available for hire on Seven Mile Beach where inspectors recently carried out a raid on unlicensed vendors. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay “You can’t have an unlimited supply of boats every week.” Troy Leacock, CITA president WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COM Adventure loading... 1,500 The number of people allowed at the Sandbar at any one timeCayman Clinic welcomes Dr Nadia Balleram as the newest addition to our wonderful team of doctors. To book your appointment with Dr. Balleram call 949-7400 or email: info@caymanclinic.ky Having already worked with the Health Service Authority she is a familiar face within the local community and to quote Dr. Hobday “ We are very excited to have Dr. Balleram on board with all her experience we will be able to enhance our current services and offer more flexibility with appointments.” Dr. Nadia Balleram graduated from the University of the West Indies with her Bachelor Medical Sciences in 2009 and went on to gain her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2012. She then obtained her Postgraduate Training in Family Medicine with Distinction in 2017. Dr. Balleram previously worked as a Primary Care Physician and District Medical Officer for the Ministry of Health, Trinidad & Tobago for 4 years. During this time, she was involved in many projects including Diabetes Research with Yale University as well as Policy Implementation in both Cervical Cancer Screening and Childhood Obesity. Dr Balleram was awarded Membership to the Caribbean College of Family Physicians in 2018 and is currently also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and World Organization of Family Doctors. After moving to The Cayman Islands with her family in 2018 she joined the General Practice Clinic at Cayman Islands Hospital in 2020 and was recognized as one of the Covid19 frontline responders who delivered continuous essential services to the island during the pandemic. Her areas of interest include women and child health, adolescent health, dermatology as well as managing both chronic diseases and acute illnesses for patients of all ages. Dr. Balleram is a kind, professional and caring physician who loves to build long term relationships with her patients and their families and always goes the extra mile when seeking their best interest. cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023 REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky An animal-rescue organisation, which has saved a dog and two puppies that were in an “emaciated state”, has approached the Department of Agriculture about potential prosecution in the case. One Dog at a Time was alerted to the condition of the animals by a concerned neighbour who posted a photo of the larger dog on social media on Friday, 24 March. “We have the emaciated mangy dog reported to us on Friday… thanks to the team that jumped into action this morning,” ODAAT said in a Facebook post. On arrival at the home in West Bay on Monday morning they also found two puppies in a similar state with open sores on their heads, and asked the owner to surrender the animals. Paula Wythe, ODAAT secretary and treasurer, told the Compass: “They are in that condition because they have been neglected”, adding they were emaciated with severe mange. “The pups are the size of eight- week-old pups but are actually eight months old due to lack of food etc,” she said. The mother, who has severe heartworm, and her puppies, will remain boarded at a veterinarian clinic until they are more stable and can be put into foster homes. Animal-rescue group saves neglected dogs The team is looking for help to pay the vet bills. “Any help, even $1 is appreciated,” the group said. “Thanks to everyone who can support. This family has been let down by our community. Things will be better for them now.” The group is in discussion with the Department of Agriculture about potential prosecution in this case. The Compass has reached out to the Department of Agriculture for comment and is awaiting a response. Funds needed One Dog at a Time is a foster- based dog rescue group founded in 2013 after a boom in Grand Cayman’s pet population. It gained its non- profit status in 2017. The group rescues unwanted dogs and puppies from the streets and from the Department of Agriculture’s pound where they are at risk of euthanasia. Fundraising events and donations help to cover the cost of veterinary care, spaying and neutering, and treating for heartworm or other issues such as ringworm. Funds also pay for collars and leashes, dog crates, dog bowls, pet waste bags, food and medication while the dogs are in foster homes, and for transport to the United States. The group rescues and re-homes between 10 and 20 dogs a month and has about 10 to 15 canines on its books at any one time. It needs to raise at least $4,000 a month to cover these costs. It encourages the public to let them know of any animal-welfare issues. Reports can be made to 911 in the event of an emergency or through the DOA’s website. Animal-cruelty investigations do not include dangerous animals or barking dogs. Those should be reported to the police. Donations to ODAAT can be made online through Butterfield Bank KYD account number 1361674940011 or via PayPal to onedogatatimeky@gmail.com This rescued mother dog had severe heartworm and mange. - Photos: One Dog at a Time Two puppies were among the dogs rescued from a West Bay home.© 2 02 3 E YG M L im ite d. A ll R ig ht s R es er ve d. E D n on e. How can what you learn transform who you become? The mindset and skillset to navigate what’s next. It’s yours to build. The EY Scholarship is awarded annually and is valued at up to US$30,000 a year. Applicants must be enrolled full-time at an approved college or university, working toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or other appropriate major with a strong academic record. The scholarship is renewable for a maximum of five years, provided the recipient meets the required criteria as determined by the scholarship committee. Recipients will have the opportunity to gain meaningful and dynamic work experience as an intern during school breaks and fulltime upon graduation. Learn more about the EY Scholarship by visiting ey.com/bbc or by scanning the QR code. Applications are accepted until 15 April 2023. ey.com/bbc #BetterQuestions cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023 ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Many in the community awoke on the morning of Wednesday, 29 March, to the news of the death of Daniel McFarlane, a 23-year-old cyclist who was killed in a hit-and- run collision the night before. It was the second fatal hit-and- run this month. The death of McFarlane, the father of a 3-year-old son, has left his family in a state of disbelief and grief. “My heart is broken, my other family members’ hearts are broken, it has been truly crippling for us all,” his sister Daniella McFarlane, 21, said. “When we were younger, we were inseparable, like Jack and Jill,” she said. “We were always getting into trouble together, or trying to build a tree-house, and we actually did build a few. “Now we are grown up and that has translated into more positive conversations when we meet up.” Daniel and Daniella have seven other siblings and, of all their other brothers and sisters, she says they were polar opposites but that only helped to strengthen their bond. “He was more of a hands-on kind of person and he would come to me to do the more administrative stuff,” she said. “In fact, you could say that, although he was my older brother, in a way, I was his older sister. “He was skinny, I was thicker, and his pet name for me was ‘Chubby’, and it stuck. Now I would give anything to hear him call me Chubby one more time.” No chance to say goodbye She recalls being awoken by a phone call from a close friend who delivered the horrifying news about an hour after the collision, which prompted her and her mother to rush to the hospital. “It was so unreal because he was involved in a bike accident several years ago that left him in the hospital for a week with bleeding in his brain, but he pulled through,” she said. “On our way to the hospital, we were singing hymns and praying, trying to remain hopeful, but by the time we got there, we were too late.” She said the doctors were able to restart her brother’s heart, but he never regained consciousness, so there was no chance for a final goodbye. “This accident didn’t just take away my brother, it took away my mother’s son, a cousin and friend that was loved by many in the community,” she said. During these difficult times, she said, she has found strength in the outpouring of support from the community.”My phone has been blowing up all night, text and WhatsApp messages and calls from so many people, even people I don’t know,” she said. “We are so grateful for this love and it just goes to show that he was really loved throughout the community.” But her brother’s death is made all worse because he leaves behind a toddler. “We haven’t told him yet, but how do you tell a 3-year-old your father is not coming home, and you will never see him again?” Second fatal hit-and-run McFarlane died after being struck while riding his bicycle at around 9:30pm along Frank Sound Road, near Botanic Road, in North Side. Another cyclist riding alongside him was also struck and was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital with serious but non- life-threatening injuries, and later discharged. The driver of a Chevrolet Blazer, a 47-year-old North Side man, was later arrested by police on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident and causing death by careless driving. “I don’t really live with any form of hate, but I wish he would’ve stopped and checked,” Daniella said. “All I’ve been thinking about is, if the driver had stopped, could that have made a difference, could he have given a little bit of help, or even comfort?” Her brother’s death comes three weeks after another hit-and- run collision on the other side of the island. Italian waiter Abele Hiwet, 38, died when his electric bike was struck by an oncoming vehicle on 8 March. The driver fled the scene but was subsequently arrested and charged with a string of offences. Family of hit-and-run victim crippled by loss Daniel McFarlane with his son Jordan. - Photo: Supplied by family A young Daniel McFarlane at his grandmother's house in East End. - Photo: Supplied by family2023 ISLANDS CAYMAN NOMINATIONS ARE LIVE SCAN BELOW TO START NOMINATING NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS, RESTAURANT, OR SERVICE TODAY NOMINATIONS CLOSE 19 APRIL BESTOFCAYMANISLANDS.ORG cayman compass 8 WEEKLY, 31 MARCH 5 APRIL 2023Social Development and Innovation Minister André Ebanks presents the Courage award to 13-year-old Darragh O'Regan. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky When Michael and Jackie Myles started Inspire Cayman Training Centre four years ago, they had a dream of upskilling Caymanians who otherwise may not have had the chance in life to succeed. Now, after providing training for 500 Caymanians, Inspire owner and director Michael Myles said the Grand Harbour-based facility wants more young people to make use of the opportunities to get job-ready. “It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about courage, and courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. Our honourees have shown tremendous amounts of courage, perseverance, and excellence. At Inspire, we inspire citizenship, hopefulness, persistence, hard work, commitment, accountability, dedication,” Myles said Saturday night at the Inspire Cayman Training achievement ceremony held at the Marriott. Premier Wayne Panton, who also spoke at the event, lauded the efforts of the training centre to retool tourism workers and upskill young Caymanians. Caymanian opportunities As he pledged the government’s support, Panton urged Caymanians, working or not, to make use of the 4,000 professional development training programmes across diversified industries available at the training centre. “We have 34,000-plus work permits. Our problem is not generating jobs for our people. Our challenge is to make sure that are people who need to earn more money, who need to upskill themselves, who need to better their lives for their families and themselves, take advantage of programmes like this to be able to do that, and it’s phenomenal that we have this available,” he said. He called on Caymanians to invest their free time in themselves and watch the training programmes rather than Netflix. After launching in 2019, the Inspire Cayman team was forced to pivot when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and, though it posed a challenge, the change in plans also helped to fuel online courses. “Logic supported us in becoming connected to the world. The organisation sponsored free internet service, which [has] allowed us to connect our 300 students to accredited courses,” Myles said, as he honoured both Logic and CUC as early supporters of the training facility. At Saturday’s ceremony, which was themed ‘Inspiring Hope’, recent graduates of the International Yacht Training ‘Labour of love’ as Inspire Cayman turns 4 “Our honourees have shown tremendous amounts of courage, perseverance, and excellence.” – Michael Myles, founder, Inspire Cayman cayman compass 9 WEEKLY, 31 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2023 news N newsNext >