2 9 $ for Yumbo Ham & Cheese Whopper® Crispy Chicken Original Chicken Sandwich Big Fish Mix n’ Match © 2022 Burger King Corporation. Make it spicy Make it spicy cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 19-25 May 2023 In photos: Builders Expo & Taste of Cayman Pages 10, 19 Meet Cayman’s ‘Diplodog’ Page 6 27% + 37.5% = ? FAILING GRADE Majority of government school students do not meet the required academic standards Pages 14-15 Boggy Sand case before appeals court Page 3 Matinees (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. 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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 weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of showers. SEA STATE Slight with a wave height of 1 to 3 feet. WINDS South to southeast at 5 to 10 knots. 88°F HIGH 76°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Shot fired from car in West Bay A single gunshot is thought to have been fired from a vehicle travelling along Bankers Road, West Bay, on Sunday evening, 14 May. Officers received a report of the incident just after 10:10pm and attended the location where they conducted inquires and a search of the area. They found a single spent bullet casing. Anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the incident or any suspicious activity in the area, can contact West Bay CID on 949-3999. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS on the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or on its website. Dozens of tickets issued for multiple driving offences Police efforts to curb bad driving across Grand Cayman have resulted in more than five dozen tickets being issued over the past long weekend, the majority of which were for speeding. In a statement released by the RCIPS on Thursday, 18 May, police said ‘Operation Borage’ continued with a renewed focus on the eastern districts, where officers demonstrated a “huge presence on our road ways”. “[O]ver the past week, more than 65 tickets were issued in the Eastern District and just under half of those were issued for speeding,” said police, who also noted that “a significant amount of tickets” were also issued for vehicles with expired vehicle fitness and registration. Although police did not say when the operation was officially launched, excessive police presence became apparent in the days following an early morning single car crash that claimed the life of Channah Connor on 30 April. Connor, aged 22, of Bodden Town, was the most recent death on Cayman’s roads following a spate of fatalities, which included 38-year-old Abele Hiwet, who was killed in a hit- and-run collision on West Bay Road; 23-year-old cyclist Daniel McFarlane, who was also killed in a hit-and-run collision in March; and 28-year-old Kieron Watler, whose motorcycle was hit on Walkers Road in April. Now police say, since the operation was launched, they have noticed a difference in the manner in which drivers are operating. “The officers observed that there was a noticeable improvement in the driving behaviour of the public and as a result there were minimal calls to service for vehicle collisions in the eastern districts,” said police. Police say Operation Borage will continue into the foreseeable future and urge motorists to drive safely. Conviction and jail time upheld for arsonist The Court of Appeal has upheld two arson convictions and a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a George Town man who torched a police office and an abandoned car. Rupert Spence took his case before the appeals court with the hopes of having his convictions overturned on the grounds of contaminated DNA evidence. However, in a judgment, which was published on the court’s website last week, the appeal judges rejected Spence’s case which they claimed was “wholly without merit”. Spence was initially convicted in March 2021 on two counts of arson. Both fires occurred on Walkers Road, one of which caused $158,389 in damages at the RCIPS Professional Standards Unit, Criminal Records Office and the Firearms Licensing Unit at Windjammer Plaza. According to the judgment, one of the grounds for Spence’s failed appeal argued that by placing two DNA swabs together in the same packaging, the evidence, relied on to convict Spence, had been contaminated. However, the judges rejected this argument. “Although there were two swabs placed into one sealed container… there was no question of one swab having contaminated the other. Both swabs were from the same source, namely, the can. That was why they were stored together in the same container,” the judgment stated. The appeals court judges also raised questions about how the case had managed to secure legal aid and questioned whether the expenditure from the public purse was justified. CITA boss: Stingray mishandling ‘unacceptable’ A social media video showing a stingray being taken out of the water and placed on top of a couple has prompted an investigation by the Department of Environment. Cayman Islands Tourism Association president Troy Leacock, responding to the video, which was posted to a local Facebook group on 10 May, said he trusts that DoE will “respond with appropriate action”. “This is unsafe and harmful handling of the stingray and is completely unacceptable. Stingrays should never be taken out of the water. DoE has issued clear guidelines on the proper handling of stingrays and every licensed operator and employee should know these guidelines and work accordingly,” Leacock told the Cayman Compass on 11 May. DoE’s John Bothwell said the department was aware of the video and has contacted the company in question. He said DoE was investigating the incident. “Stingray Handling best practices guidance notes were reissued in October 2022 and are distributed with WIZ licenses. The Stingray Handling guidelines apply to everyone,” he noted. In the video, a tour operator can be seen in the water at the Sandbar holding onto a stingray by the snout and tail. The tour operator proceeds to take the stingray towards a couple where he then lifts it out of the water and places it onto both of their backs and then their heads as they pose for photos. The video has sparked outrage with commenters calling the action “disgraceful” and “cruel”. “For this to still be happening is really disappointing and concerning, because, at this point, now there is no excuse for any operator operating in the North Sound with a WIZ license to be mishandling rays. We have dealt with this years ago about keeping the rays in the water,” Leacock added. Cayman’s Coat of Arms, along with heraldic shields from all UK overseas territories and crown dependencies, now form part of two stained glass windows unveiled 9 May at the House of Commons Speaker’s House. Governor Jane Owen and Tasha Ebanks Garcia, Cayman’s representative to the UK, attended the official unveiling of the ‘British Family’ stained glass windows, which are shown on each side of the doors in the photo. cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Court of Appeal judges are hearing arguments from lawyers this week on whether the Central Planning Authority was right to grant planning permission to a developer to rebuild a seawall and a cabana on Boggy Sand Road in West Bay, next to a protected marine area, after the National Conservation Council directed the planning body to turn down the application. The landmark hearing, which pits two government entities against each other, will determine whether the planning authority should have abided by a directive given by Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie, under delegated powers from the National Conservation Council, that planning permission should not be granted because of the likely adverse impact on the marine environment. The CPA, represented by Sir Jeffrey Jowell, KC, is appealing a judicial review decision made in August last year by Grand Court Justice Alistair Walters, who ruled that the conservation council had the power to direct an entity on a planned course of action which was likely to have an adverse effect on a protected area. On Wednesday, 17 May, the first day of the hearing before the three appeal- court judges, Justice Sir Richard Field told the parties involved, “It seems to the court that the central issue is whether the CPA lawfully decided that the requested permission would not likely have an adverse effect, directly or indirectly, on a protected area or the critical habitat of a protected species.” Flawed decision? The National Conservation Council says the CPA’s decision to grant permission for the work on the seawall and cabana to go ahead was flawed, while lawyers for the planning board and the developer insist that it was not. Jowell, making his submissions on Wednesday morning and afternoon, argued that because the developer – Cayman Property Investment Ltd., which appeared as an interested party in the judicial review and the appeal – had agreed to construction measures that the planning board believed would “eliminate” the risk of an adverse effect on the protected marine environment off Seven Mile Beach, there was no requirement for the board to consult the NCC nor follow its directive. He stated that the planning board had invited the NCC under the Planning and Development Act to give its input on the application. Jowell said that under this Act the CPA has discretion on whether to take the advice or directive of the conservation council. In its response, he said, the NCC “jumped the gun” by directing the planning board to refuse the application under Section 41 of the National Conservation Act, which states that every entity, except Cabinet, must obtain permission from the council on matters likely to have an adverse impact on protected areas. Jowell told the judges that the planning authority was only required to consult the NCC under the National Conservation Act if it considered that granting planning permission would likely lead to a detrimental effect on the environment. In this case, he said, the board did not consider there would be any adverse effect because the developer had agreed to build the new seawall inside the existing, deteriorating seawall before demolishing the original wall; install silt screens during construction; and pump any sediment- laden water onto land instead of out to sea. The appeal judges questioned this rationale, stating that this seemed to suggest that the CPA could avoid ever having to refer to the conservation council under the National Conservation Law by determining that conditions imposed on a developer negate potential adverse environmental effects. “If the planning authority decide the conditions imposed will eliminate the risk, they can then ignore, or not fulfil their obligation, under section 41(4) of the National Conservation Act,” Justice Sir Alan Moses said. That section states: “Every entity, except Cabinet, in accordance with any guidance notes issued by the Council and regulations made under this Law, shall apply for and obtain the approval of the Council before taking any action including the grant of any permit or licence and the making of any decision or the giving of any undertaking or approval that would or would be likely to have an adverse effect, whether directly or indirectly, on a protected area or on the critical habitat of a protected species.” Environmental concerns considered Jowell told the appeal judges that the CPA was well aware of the concerns of the National Conservation Council, based on its submission on an earlier planning permission application for a two-storey house on the site which had been rejected. He submitted that the CPA had sufficient expertise in relation to environmental issues to determine that the potential adverse risks had been eliminated in this case. He also stated that the planning board has the statutory power to make decisions on planning applications, while taking economic, cultural, environmental and other factors into account. He told the court that, contrary to the contention of the NCC and its lawyers, the minutes of the CPA meetings and other documentation showed that the planning board did take into consideration the NCC’s concerns when coming to its decision to grant planning permission to Cayman Property Investment Ltd. Late on Wednesday afternoon, Chris Buttler, KC, representing the conservation council, began his submissions, in which he stated that the CPA was statutorily obliged to consult the NCC over the planning application, as it was obvious from a guidance note issued by the conservation council and from the fact that the application dealt with construction immediately adjacent to a protected marine zone, that an adverse effect on the environment was likely. He told the judges that the likelihood of this adverse effect would have triggered the requirement of the CPA to consult the conservation council under the National Conservation Act. At press time, attorneys said they were likely to complete their arguments on Thursday, 18 May. The judges welcomed detailed submissions from the parties, noting that this case required “very careful analysis”. Court of Appeal hears landmark Boggy Sand seawall case Director of the Department of Environment Gina Ebanks-Petrie, left, and lawyer Kate McClymont of Nelsons, who is the solicitor representing the National Conservation Council, beside the cabana and seawall at Boggy Sand Road in West Bay, following the Grand Court ruling in August last year. – Photo: Supplied The existing seawall and cabana on Boggy Sand Road, adjacent to a protected marine area along Seven Mile Beach in West Bay. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 3 news N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 20231234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Kind of West Indian music (7) 5 Difficult question (5) 8 Take care of (4,5) 9 Variety of lettuce (3) 10 Expel (4) 12 Expression of agreement (4,4) 14 Jovial (6) 15 Separate into parts (6) 17 Austrian composer 1797-1828 (8) 18 Fruit grown on tree (4) 21 Tavern (3) 22 Listen attentively (2,3,4) 24 Intrusive (5) 25 Economically sound (7) DOWN 1 Large stringed instrument (5) 2 Fifth sign of zodiac (3) 3 Highest level (4) 4 Means of exit (6) 5 Picture of a person (8) 6 Disinclined to communicate (9) 7 Keep back for later use (7) 11 Have hallucinations (3,6) 13 As like as not (8) 14 Soften effects of (7) 16 Gap created by battering (6) 19 Hazardous (5) 20 Tiny jumping insect (4) 23 Fitting (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17321 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 17321 ACROSS: 1 Calypso, 5 Poser, 8 Look after, 9 Cos, 10 Oust, 12 Hear hear, 14 Cheery, 15 Divide, 17 Schubert, 18 Pear, 21 Inn, 22 Be all ears, 24 Nosey, 25 Healthy. DOWN: 1 Cello, 2 Leo, 3 Peak, 4 Outlet, 5 Portrait, 6 Secretive, 7 Reserve, 11 See things, 13 Probably, 14 Cushion, 16 Breach, 19 Risky, 20 Flea, 23 Apt. What they’re saying Online Lane changes planned for Grand Harbour roundabout If I had a unit at Grand Harbour, I’d sell it now. That’s ludicrous! Angela Pretorius What a stupid “solution”. Jenna Nicholson It’s about time! I’m sick and tired of fighting traffic in the morning to drop my child at school from all the homeowners in the area cutting through the Hurley’s parking lot rather than going to the correct roundabout to get to Crewe Road or South Sound. If they won’t follow the rules, make it impossible for them to cheat. Good move, National Roads Authority. Graeme Thomson Just demolish the roundabout and make a stoplight as an equally ineffective concept! No other commercial area has a ‘one-way roundabout’ near it that’s subject to this much traffic. This is insane. Eden Hurlston Essentially, this is no longer a roundabout as it now completely defeats the point. Honestly, if drivers would stop speeding up coming into it and would actually use their turn signals, there really would not be an issue. The cones that have been put up also have just made it more dangerous, as opposed to helping in any way. Rob Tyler Good old-fashioned, tried-and- trusted traffic light works in such a situation or a combination of both – a signalised roundabout would be better since these people do not know how to use their indicators. Natasha-Gillian Bunting Maybe if we actually enforced traffic laws and ticketed the bad drivers on a point system, we wouldn’t have to reinvent the roundabout for those that don’t know how to use them correctly. Jesse La Probably going to affect businesses in Grand Harbour. Also, people will be less inclined to stop off for groceries, etc., if it will involve a massive detour. Laura Brind Taking away the ability to go around it makes it into a useless block of land serving no useful purpose. Why not take this opportunity and turn it into a junction with traffic lights, solving all the problems? In fact, smart traffic lights could be installed at all roundabouts, including this one, to make them effective and safer. Marv Elous ‘Growing pains’ with Taste of Cayman’s digital payments People got robbed again by this system, just like I did at Capella. I suggest adding an option to send receipts to customers’ emails after each purchase. That way we can track our account balances. Not only was I robbed but one particular vendor kept charging $0.01-$0.10 extra for each purchase, which meant I was short for future purchases. I’m not buying that it was accidental because that extra amount never showed up on screen. Marvin Gordon CITA boss: Stingray mishandling ‘unacceptable’ Absolutely disgusting behaviour! The captains of the boats should be held accountable and park rangers [should have] adequate powers to arrest or fine for such vile behaviour. Andrew Veganic No excuse for this handling of stingrays. If one of the tourists had been injured, would the handler be held accountable? Terry Bonnie Smith They need to go to Starfish Point. I always get into situations when I see people taking them out of the water. I start talking loud and they quickly put them back. Ridiculous. Susan Poy Fong-Ramkissoon Starfish shouldn’t even be touched. Education is key, though. It starts with the tour operators making sure every customer they have knows that, simply put, starfish absorb oxygen from water through channels on their outer body. You should never touch or remove a starfish from the water, as this could lead to them suffocating. Sunscreen or the oil on our skin can harm sea creatures, which is another reason not to touch them. Skipper Em ‘It broke my heart’: Families still banned from visiting COVID patients This is heartbreaking. Families should be provided with appropriate PPE (N95 respirators such as 3M Aura 9205+, which are comfortable and extremely protective), and eye protection. COVID is airborne, spread by respiratory aerosols exhaled by infected people. And COVID is still very much a threat, especially to elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised folk. But seeing visitors is very important for patients and families. In fact, providing all staff and visitors with appropriate and comfortable respirator masks (N95/KN95, not baggy blue surgical masks which leak) would ensure that those already in need of medical care do not pick up COVID or other airborne viruses, which continue to circulate in the community. My sincere sympathies to those grieving, and those caring for sick loved ones. Rachel Osborne The Department of Environment is calling out a tour operator for ‘harmful handling’ of stingrays at the Sandbar. - Photo: File cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky New experimental satellites destined for low-Earth orbit are expected to provide hurricane- prone areas with a revolutionary view and insight into potentially deadly storm systems. The technology, which is still in the development stages, is called Investigation of Convective Updrafts or INCUS. Spearheading the project are researchers from Colorado State University who have been awarded a US$177 million grant from NASA to develop the experimental technology with a projected launch date of mid-2026. CSU is one of two sources from which the Cayman Islands National Weather Service garners its storm- tracking data each year when monitoring storms in the Atlantic hurricane basin. The INCUS project seeks to build on two radar programmes which are currently being deployed by CSU. The first is a radiometer called Tempest-D which was developed as a cost-effective way of gathering wave frequency data from storms, and the second is RainCube which is used to sends radar signals through a storm to gather precipitation data. “The sum of the two parts in INCUS will allow scientists for the first time to see 3D structure of storms and bring a new dimension to the dynamical understanding of Earth systems,” wrote CSU in a statement published on their website. How it works The two-year mission in space is expected to provide scientists with a top-down view of rain, hail and lightning-laden storms. The satellite system consists of three units, each no bigger than a microwave, and travelling seconds apart one behind the other in a direct line. Initial renderings of the instruments show them travelling along a path just north of the equator. According to CSU, each satellite will beam down a radar through a developing weather disturbance, enabling it to scan storms to determine the amount of water vapour rising and the type of precipitation that is developing. “The greater the mass of water and air transported up, the larger the risk of extreme weather conditions,” wrote CSU. “Yet the exact physics of this vertical transport of moisture, called convective mass flux, is a unicorn in weather and climate science. “There have never been systematic measurements of such processes in real time because the miniaturization of instruments necessary to fly these combined sensors in a train of small satellites has not existed until now.” An artist’s rendering of the INCUS satellites flying in formation. - Image: NASA/JPL ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Though the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is still two weeks away, forecasters say the first storm of the year has already come and gone in a rogue system that passed through in January. According to the US-based National Hurricane Center the system was a subtropical storm that formed off the northeastern coast of the US in mid-January and therefore posed no threat to the Cayman Islands. Because the system did not strengthen into a tropical storm, the NHC did not use one of the 21 approved names for the upcoming season. “This subtropical storm is being numbered as the first cyclone of 2023 in the Atlantic basin and will be given AL012023 as its system ID,” wrote the NHC in a statement which was published on its website Thursday, 11 May. The NHC added, “As a result, the next system that forms in 2023 in the Atlantic basin will be designated as AL022023, and advisories will be issued… If the system begins as a tropical depression, then it would be given the designation ‘TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWO’, and if it becomes a tropical storm, it would be New satellites to provide 3D models of hurricanes The year the satellites are expected to begin their two-year mission The first tropical storm of 2023 will be named Arlene First storm of 2023 formed months ago 2026 cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Benji, a friendly black Labrador who swapped snow for sand when he accompanied his owner, Governor Jane Owen, to the Cayman Islands last month, was somewhat of a diplomat in his own right at her previous posting. The 13-year-old dog, who is becoming a regular sight along Seven Mile Beach where he goes for his morning and evening walks, isn’t just a pretty, furry face. Benji has played a diplomatic role in informing people of Brexit regulations and COVID rules, among other important, duties during his time as ‘Diplodog’ in Switzerland. During his six years in the Swiss capital of Berne, where Owen was based as the UK ambassador from 2017 to 2023, Benji had his own Twitter ‘Diplodog’ hashtag and featured in informational videos for the embassy. He highlighted the new rules for Britons travelling with their pets in Europe after the introduction of Brexit in one video, and in another he helped spread the word on new COVID-safety regulations for public transport during the pandemic. Benji was also pressed into service as a canine analyst for an important meeting of nations – the 2020 UEFA Euro football match between Wales and Switzerland. When asked to predict the winner, Benji opted for Wales, but the match, perhaps in apt diplomatic fashion, ended in a 1-1 draw. Asked if he’d be taking up more ‘Diplodog’ duties now he’s in Cayman, Phoebe Donnelly, the governor’s daughter, who was taking Benji for a stroll along the beach Friday, said he might do so if the occasion arose. In the meantime, he’s already a friendly ambassador for the new governor and her daughter, who have been meeting people on the daily walks who want to say hello to the gentle giant of a dog. “He’s certainly a good talking point along the beach, especially with his swimming,” Donnelly said. If all else fails, it seems he could double as a spy, as he’s proven adept at hiding from Government House staff. “He sometimes sleeps in my wardrobe,” Donnelly said. “It’s like his little den. People would be looking for him and can’t find him anywhere and think he’s escaped, but he’s in the wardrobe.” Like any Labrador, Benji has an impressive appetite and eats just about anything, and can be found snuffling around in the sand for tidbits. But he’s partial to sweet potatoes, carrots and bananas. While Benji seems to have made himself right at home – already well known to the morning beach walkers and their dogs – he’s still getting used to the Caribbean heat. “It’s hard for him,” Donnelly said. “He’s definitely used to colder climates.” As a result, he goes for his walks in the early mornings and in the evenings. And those walks inevitably turn into swims, as even at sunrise and sunset, he still gets a bit warm and takes a dip in the ocean to cool off. One typical Cayman sight that does not seem to bother him is the population of wild chickens, many of which wander around the garden at Government House. “He sees them and might look at them but then just moves along,” Donnelly said. A sandy Benji in the garden of Government House after his morning stroll, swim and roll on the beach. - Photos: Taneos Ramsay Phoebe Donnelly, the daughter of Governor Jane Owen, takes Benji for a walk along Seven Mile Beach, where the Labrador is becoming a familiar sight. A Facebook posting featuring Benji, from the British Embassy in Berne, Switzerland, during COVID. ULTRA LIFE Sagicor Ultra Life is an equity-linked insurance plan that gives you and your family the protection you need and attractive investment benefits. Take this flexible approach to your personal financial planning. Juliet Osbourne (345) 916-0500 April 2023 OUTSTANDING ADVISORS cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023 Benji, Cayman’s own ‘Diplodog’REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky The government’s senior animal welfare officer has urged the public to report any instances of animal cruelty or neglect to the Department of Agriculture. “Protecting the welfare of all animals in the Cayman Islands is not only the right thing to do, but it is a legal requirement,” Erik Bodden said this week. But animal-rescue charity One Dog at a Time thinks people may be deterred from reaching out to the department because they are not seeing the matters prosecuted. Two serious cases of neglected and abused animals in Grand Cayman are among those that have been reported over the past few months. In March, an emaciated dog and her two puppies were rescued from a West Bay home, while in April a Savannah family found their four puppies dead after being poisoned. The Department of Agriculture is continuing to investigate the first case, Bodden told the Compass on Tuesday, and police are investigating the death of the puppies in Savannah. To date, no arrests have been made. Two-fold problem Paula Wythe of One Dog at a Time, which rescued the mother dog and her puppies, said she has had no update on the case since the animal charity gave its report to the department. She told the Compass on Tuesday, 16 May, that when members of the public are not able to see any action on animal- cruelty cases, they become reluctant to report them. Wythe suspects the lack of action may be due to the low number of officers in the Department of Agriculture, along with a slow public- prosecution process. “There is a lot of animal cruelty happening in Cayman and DoA are getting reports but there is insufficient staffing to investigate swiftly so it continues longer than it should,” she said. “They have half the staff they used to have and have been that way for at least six months, maybe longer. “Once investigations are carried out, prosecutions appear to be slow but that is an Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions issue not down to Department of Agriculture.” The Compass has reached out to the ODPP for comment and is awaiting a response. ‘Bring offenders to justice’ In a press release issued 16 May, Bodden said he is aware the community wants to see animals better protected and appropriate consequences administered for cases of abuse. “For that to be done we rely on the assistance of the community to make an official complaint for these matters to be addressed and investigated as needed,” he explained. Animal welfare officers have a wide range of powers under the Animals Act (2015 Revision). They can enforce animal welfare, and investigate and prosecute people for animal-cruelty offences, with the same rights and immunities as police constables. “It’s important for the community to not be afraid of reporting any acts of animal cruelty or animal welfare concerns as our officers conduct their duties with the strictest level of professionalism and confidentiality for each complaint,” Bodden said. “Persons should be prepared to assist our animal welfare officers and RCIPS officers in any legal proceedings from a complaint to bring offenders to justice.” All farmed or domesticated animals are entitled to a standard level of care for their welfare, health and safety under the Animals Act and in accordance with the ‘Five Freedoms’. These are freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; freedom from discomfort (physical and thermal); freedom from pain, injury and disease; freedom to express normal behavioural patterns; and freedom from fear and distress. Animals must never be abandoned; should be kept confined to their property and not allowed to roam; and worked, ridden or used only in ways that are legally and humanely appropriate. Investigations Anyone who witnesses or suspects an animal is being abused or neglected can file a report or complaint noting the location of the animals. An animal welfare officer will visit the location and assess the situation. If required, the officer will discuss the situation with the owner and identify the necessary improvements through a verbal or written notice. The owner may be given a fixed period of time to implement the changes. In some instances, the animal may be housed at the department’s pound until the recommended improvements are made. If the situation reaches the threshold of animal neglect or cruelty, officers can confiscate the animal based on safety grounds established by a licensed veterinarian. In those cases, animal welfare officers will follow the same investigative procedure as any police constable, in gathering all necessary evidence and statements. Once a case file is complete it will be submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions which will decide if the matter reaches the standards required for prosecution. An animal-welfare issue can be reported by calling 947-3090 or 916-3051, or via email at reportanimalcruelty@gov.ky. Reports can also be made anonymously through the DoA website. In cases of dog attacks or dogs dangerously out of control, reports should be made to a local police station or by calling 911. Animal welfare officer urges public to report cruelty “There is a lot of animal cruelty happening in Cayman.” Paula Wythe, One Dog at a Time Bravo, one of four puppies found dead in a family’s fenced-in yard. - Photo: File Acting Police Sergeant Jonathan Kern and animal welfare officer Erik Bodden greet a dog at the entrance to a home in Rock Hole. - Photo: James Whittaker Two puppies were among the dogs rescued from a West Bay home. - Photo: One Dog at a Time cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 19-25 MAY 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky On a quiet field off Hirst Road in Newlands lies a wall of a ruined building and some stone steps that has lain undisturbed for years. Known as Jackson’s Wall or Manor, and believed to date back to the 1800s, the site is now coming under scrutiny in a bid to uncover clues to its past. The National Trust for the Cayman Islands, working with archeologist Elysia Petras, a PhD student at Philadelphia’s Temple University, and a team of volunteers, began work last week to try to unearth the long-lost secrets of the site’s origins. Petras specialises in historical archaeology, especially in the area of inter-islands trade and general living conditions of indigenous people. The National Trust, which manages 12 heritage sites, admits that “very little is known” about Jackson’s Wall, which it describes as one of its “more obscure sites”. Most of the information that the Trust has about Jackson’s Wall comes from the records of George S.S. Hirst, who served as commissioner of the Cayman Islands from 1907-1912. Those records referring to Jackson’s Wall “are somewhat vague and not corroborated”, the Trust notes. According to the National Trust, the structure is believed to have been built by John Shearer Jackson. The National Trust’s website, which includes some information about Jackson and the site, states that he arrived in Cayman in 1770, and was among the first inhabitants of Batabano, in West Bay. It notes that he married Elizabeth Bodden, daughter of ‘Governor’ William Bodden. The name governor was a colloquial term at the time and did not relate to any official office. In around 1828, the Trust website states, Jackson built a large, two-storey house in Savannah, which would later be known as the Jackson Manor, and now, as a ruin, Jackson’s Wall. It is believed the home burned down not long after it was built, and the remains stood for nearly two centuries before being damaged further in 2004 during Hurricane Ivan. Just some stones and the steps remain today. Stuart Wilson, historical programmes manager at the National Trust, told the Compass that it is hoped the archeological exploration will be able to uncover the history of the site, which he believes may have been connected by trade to Pedro St. James. “We’ve found everything from bones to bullets before we even started digging,” Wilson said. “All over the site, there are artefacts from the 1700s and 1800s. This is on the surface, let alone beneath the ground.” He added, “It’s a really rich resource... It’s a postcard from the past.” Even a quick glance at the fenced-off site immediately shows a tiny window into the past, in the form of little bits of coloured pottery, which archeologist Petras will be collecting and examining to determine where they were created and what it may show about trade with other islands. Frank Roulstone, National Trust executive director, in a social media video posting by the Trust, said it was time to put the site to proper use as a public park. “Prior to making it into a park that the public can enjoy, we wanted to ensure we knew everything about the site that we possibly could know,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of written history that can tell us what we need to know, so we’ve brought down an archeologist from Temple University in the United States. She’s working with some volunteer archeologists who live on the island, and other volunteers, and we’re trying to make a determination of the history of the site through what is actually in the ground.” The National Trust is also hoping that Caymanians themselves, with their knowledge of the area passed down through generations, will be able to help reveal more about Jackson’s Wall. It is inviting residents of Newlands or anyone else who may have some information about the site to attend a meeting at McLaughlin Hall at the International College of the Cayman Islands at 6pm on Wednesday, 17 May. ‘Postcard from the past’ Archeological dig begins at historic Jackson’s Wall Archeologist Elysia Petras, right, and volunteer Mateusz Bednarczuk examine an area of the site. The archeologists take measurements of the remains of the structure. - Photos: Lisa Collins TRUNK SALE SATURDAY, 10 JUNE 6-10 AM COMPASS CENTRE PARKING LOT REGISTER FOR A SPOT TO SELL YOUR GOODS! 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With decades of orthopaedic experience between them, this husband and wife medical team is set to bring their extensive surgical and diagnostic skills to all the people of Cayman. Start living your best pain-free life today Dr Nabil Khan Dr Olivia Antos Book your consultation at Cayman Orthopaedic Group today. WhatsApp (345) 917-6848 cayman compass 9 WEEKLY, 19 25 MAY 2023Next >