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The Clean cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 9-15 June 2023 MPs question legality of road EIA Page 7 Surging mortgage rates impact families Pages 22-23 House explosion under investigation In photos: Cayman Art Week Pages 16-17 Page 6Matinees (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 FAST X (PG-13) (FRI-THURS) 6:45 | 9:45 VIP GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 (PG-13) (FRI-THURS) 3:30 SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (PG) (FRI) 3:20 VIP | 9:25 VIP | 9:55 (SAT) 12:20 VIP | 12:20 | 6:25 VIP | 9:30 VIP | 9:55 (SUN) 6:25 VIP | 9:30 VIP | 9:55 (MON-THURS) 3:20 VIP | 6:25 VIP | 9:30 VIP | 9:55 THE BOOGEYMAN (PG-13) (FRI-THURS) 10:05 THE LITTLE MERMAID (2023) (PG) (FRI, SUN-MON, WED-THURS) 3:35 VIP | 3:50 | 6:40 VIP | 7:00 (SAT) 12:45 | 3:25 VIP | 3:50 | 6:40 VIP | 7:00 (THURS) 3:35 VIP | 3:50 | 7:00 TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (PG-13) (FRI, SUN-MON, WED) 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 6:30 | 7:00 VIP | 9:25 | 10:00 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 1:00 VIP | 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 6:30 | 7:00 VIP | 9:25 | 10:00 VIP (TUES) 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 6:30 | 6:45 VIP | 9:25 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK KIDS CLUB ALADDIN SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (G) CLASSICS SAVING PRIVATE RYAN TUESDAY 7PM VIP (R) KIDS CLUB THE IRON GIANT 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 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 cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023 Grand Harbour roundabout changes postponed Plans to permanently redirect traffic on the Grand Harbour roundabout have been put on hold after residents publicly voiced strong objections to the changes. The National Roads Authority’s board announced the decision on 2 June on its Facebook page just days before new measures were due to be enforced. It said it will now be completely reassessing “all available options to improve safety and reduce congestion” outlined in a recent study of traffic in the area. “This review and analysis will ensure the optimal course of action is taken for the entire road corridor from the CUC Roundabout to the Red Bay Roundabout.” The NRA’s former plans would have seen orange posts erected along the lane leading from the Grand Harbour exit to prevent drivers joining the roundabout. If they needed to travel onto South Sound or Crewe roads, they would have had to head east along Shamrock Road and circle the next roundabout to return to the original roundabout. On 18 May, more than 100 people attended an Opposition-led public meeting on the proposal at the Seafarers Association in Red Bay where they expressed their upset and confusion over the upcoming changes. In its social media post, the NRA board asked the public to “exercise utmost vigilance” when navigating the roundabout. It recommended that motorists leaving Grand Harbour for South Sound or George Town exit left and navigate the next roundabout “mainly during peak congestion periods”. “We are confident that this is the safest route available,” the authority added. Plumber jailed for smuggling drugs into prison Plumber Joshua Malazarte Garra has been jailed for six months for smuggling ganja and phones into HMP Northward Prison last year. Garra received the half-year sentence, on 7 June, following his guilty pleas on three counts of smuggling contraband. The charges stem from an incident on 17 June, 2022, when HMP Northward experienced flooding in its kitchen due to blocked plumbing. Garra, a Filipino national, was employed by a private company hired by the Cayman Islands Prison Service to clear the blocked pipes. Prosecutor Alexander Barbour, speaking in court, said, “When the work was completed, officers inspected the area near where the men’s truck was parked, and that’s when the contraband was discovered. Mr. Garra and his co-worker were taken into custody and interviewed, during which Mr. Garra made certain admissions stating that he was paid $2,000 to smuggle in the contraband.” Magistrate Philippa McFarlane, who presided over the matter, heard that Garra was supposed to hand over 84.92 grams of ganja and two cellphones to an individual in the prison, but later changed his mind and opted instead to throw it into a nearby bin. McFarlane started with a 12-month sentence but reduced it due to the early guilty pleas, and the defendant’s previous good character. Boat engines stolen from Brac Customs compound Police are investigating a break-in at the Customs and Border Control compound in Cayman Brac in which thieves made off with three boat engines and damaged five vehicles. The break-in occurred sometime between midday on Saturday, 3 June, when staff left the compound locked up, and 9am Monday morning when they returned to work. When they arrived, the staff members noticed a section of the chain-link fence surrounding the compound had been damaged. Further checks revealed damage to the five vehicles and a store room door. The three boat engines that were stolen had been subjects of investigation, according to police. The engines – two Yamaha Enduro 40HPs and an Evinrude 15HP – were from from three separate vessels.cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 20231234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Fanatical (5) 4 Antiquated (7) 8 Great amount (3) 9 Decoration (9) 10 Daunt (7) 11 Additional (5) 13 Hollow between wave crests (6) 15 Behave obsequiously (6) 18 Genuine (5) 19 Extreme right-wing (7) 21 Tedious (9) 23 Lubricate (3) 24 A detail (7) 25 To erect (3,2) DOWN 1 Exclude (4,3) 2 According to the rules (2,3,4) 3 Series of exciting events (5) 4 Portuguese Atlantic islands (6) 5 Frankness (7) 6 The ‘one’ in card games (3) 7 Provide supply of food (5) 12 Try to settle dispute by talks (4,2,3) 14 Unyielding firmness (7) 16 Accidentally reveal (3,4) 17 At sea (6) 18 Ability to act (5) 20 Go majestically (5) 22 Long-eared horselike animal (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17339 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 17339 ACROSS: 1 Rabid, 4 Archaic, 8 Lot, 9 Adornment, 10 Overawe, 11 Other, 13 Trough, 15 Grovel, 18 Pukka, 19 Fascist, 21 Wearisome, 23 Oil, 24 Respect, 25 Put up. DOWN: 1 Rule out, 2 By the book, 3 Drama, 4 Azores, 5 Candour, 6 Ace, 7 Cater, 12 Have it out, 14 Granite, 16 Let slip, 17 Afloat, 18 Power, 20 Sweep, 22 Ass. What they’re saying Online Letter to the editor As president of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, I am writing to mark World Environment Day (5 June) to address the urgent need for protecting and preserving our precious Caribbean environment. Our beautiful islands, with their pristine coastlines and delicate ecosystems, face significant challenges that demand our attention and action. Residing in low-lying islands, we are acutely aware of the threat posed by rising sea levels. Our coastal areas are prone to flooding, which jeopardises our homes, businesses, and way of life. The impacts of climate change, including more frequent and intense hurricanes, exacerbate these risks further. In addition, pollution has become an immediate and pressing issue that requires our immediate attention. Our marine ecosystems, the lifeblood of our region, are suffering – from micro- plastics to sargassum. This pollution not only harms our marine life but also affects our tourist product and the overall health of our communities. With one of our highlighted areas in lionism being the environment, we have a responsibility to be leaders in environmental stewardship. Let us actively embrace sustainable practices in our daily lives, focusing on recycling, planting trees, and reducing the use of plastics. By setting a strong example, our service club members try to inspire others in our community to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Together with others today, we wish to use our collective voice to advocate for meaningful action. Let us engage with our local businesses and organisations to implement policies that prioritise sustainability and protect our natural resources. Together, we can build partnerships and collaborate to address the environmental challenges we face. Education and awareness play crucial roles in fostering a culture of environmental consciousness. By empowering our fellow citizens with knowledge, we can ignite a sense of responsibility and encourage widespread action. To mark World Environment Day, I urge you to join me in celebrating and protecting our beautiful Cayman Islands. Together, let us work towards a future where our islands remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come. As concerned citizens, we have the power to make a significant difference. Mike Havlin A Cayman Airways Express Twin Otter plane lands on the runway strip at Little Cayman. - Photo: Norma Connolly Foster environmental consciousness of passing the buck to every ministry and/or department? Peach D. Great news! In the absence of an updated and proper development plan, and sustainable development strategy, at least the Central Planning Authority (in this instance) is using whatever tools it has to try to manage this ‘runaway train’ in these islands. Mario E. Jetways not part of upcoming airport projects But $42 million in public money to subsidise a private jet terminal for literal billionaires. They are mocking you. Rory Joe McDonough Is it that hard to prefab some covered movable walkways even if it’s not elevated jetways? Oh, and the solar-covered car park while we are at it. James Whittaker We are supposed to be one of the Caribbean’s top islands and we don’t have jetways. Still walking up and down stairs or a ramp. People with disabilities have a hard time and so do the elderly. Renee Bernardo Of course, we the people and elderly are never considered, only tourists. Lorna Yvette Whitelocke-Angus At a minimum, please use ramps for all flights instead of those horrible stairs. Tamara Dietzel The idea of expansion is to attract bigger planes and jetways, [which] makes it easy to move around for passengers connecting or on their final destination. Expanding the runway and not the flow of passengers is like opening the flood gates and not knowing what to do with the flow. By the way, the rainy season is here to stay. Tom Isaac What a shame! Seriously... just like the new John Gray High School... not a bit of covered area to drop the kids and pick them up without them getting soaked in the rain! Jan Taylor Grand Harbour roundabout changes postponed Pretty simple solution… dig up some of that grass on the Grand Harbour side and create a merging lane on to the bypass. Rob Tyler It’s sad that things are being paused for only a few select residents. Government needs to think safety and bigger picture. Mallory Warnock-Dracket Funny how the residents complaining. Selkirk Drive residents were forced to do this every day because of the way the road was rebuilt to begin with, and they have no options. Jenna Nixon Guess it was not about safety after all. Graeme Thomson Why not trial it? Does that not make more sense? If it helps evening traffic and sees a reduction in accidents, keep it; if not, abolish it. That’s the only way we’re going to know. David Holliday Again and again. An overpass (flyover) will solve the problem. Norman L. New airport for Little Cayman on hold Little Cayman will lose its charm with a bigger airport. Glad they have put this on hold – hopefully, indefinitely. Heidi Edmunds Good! Paul Brazier Planning board reverses decision on Legoland apartments in West Bay The board needs to be dismissed. They make hasty decisions without foresight and proper analysis and historical data. Everyone living in West Bay knows that area floods! The current developments are low-lying, not adequately structured for filling without proper drainage. Water will find somewhere to go. Ha ha. Betty Ebanks What in the world? How about mandating developers, owners submit permit applications in time and the board doing their job in a timely fashion instead cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023cayman compass 5 WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023cayman compass news N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023 6 The cause of a house explosion in Newlands on Monday, 5 June, which sent four people to hospital and left a family of five homeless, remains unknown as investigations into the blast continue. Homeowner Rex Watler, 44, remained in hospital as at 8 June, following the blast at his Bayfield Crescent home, which occurred just after 1pm on Monday 5 June. The three others who were hurt in the incident have since been released. Watler was being treated for “serious injuries”, police said. Explosion shook many Eyewitnesses recalled that the blast sounded “as if something dropped from the sky”. The explosion was heard as far as away as Patrick’s Island in Prospect. Christie (who just gave her first name), who lives near the site of the incident on Bayfield Crescent in North Sound Estates, off Hirst Road, told the Compass, “It was like an earthquake, but not from the earth.” “We wondered if a plane crashed or someone drove into a gas tank by our house or something. The wind, when the explosion happened, the wind hit us, we felt the impact all the way on Leonce Drive,” she said. Alexander Henry, who lives on Bayfield Crescent, told the Compass he was about to have lunch when he heard “a loud bang, it sounded like a bomb had dropped”. He said he assessed his home for damage given “it was such a heavy, heavy impact” and then checked in with his neighbours, one of whom said he feared the foundation of his home may have shifted as a result of the force of the blast. The home where the explosion occurred received “major damage” police said on Monday, adding “some nearby structures were also damaged”. An eyewitness, who lives opposite the house and called 911, told the Compass the explosion caused the windows of her own house to blow in and the AC vents to fall. “There was debris everywhere,” she said, adding all of the nearby homes would have sustained damage too. “It almost felt like a very loud firework, but you’re standing right next to it,” she said. Another eyewitness at the scene told the Compass the explosion caused windows in their home nearby to “boom and rattle”. Premier and MP for Newlands Wayne Panton, who visited the site of the blast with parliamentary secretary Heather Bodden on 5 June, said, “It was a scary scene, reminiscent of a war zone.” In a Facebook post, Panton wrote: “Under the circumstances, I am extremely grateful that there was no loss of life and pray those injured will make a full recovery” as he offered “prayers and thoughts” to victims, neighbours, families and friends affected by the explosion, on behalf of his family, the government and the wider community. A woman living on Bayfield Crescent told the Compass on Tuesday that she thought something had exploded in her house when she first heard the blast. “I was frying chicken in my deep fryer so the first thing I thought it was that,” she said. The neighbour, whose windows shattered in the blast, said she opened her bedroom door and ran out to check on her dogs, rabbits and cats in her back yard, who were in shock. The neighbour told the Compass of the alarming moment she saw the destroyed home. “And then I just saw it,” she said. “I just ran down the road and when I got down everyone was just coming out their house looking. “So, I went to the yard and started shouting, ‘Is there anyone in the house? Anyone in the house?’ “I saw the guy that was in the house walking around the back and then I saw a woman and a baby just standing in all the dirt and stuff dropping.” She said she called to the woman, “Miss, you need to come out here, come out,” but she just stood in shock holding the baby. “So, I made my way through and tried to get her to step forward and she wouldn’t move, so I was like ‘Give me the baby, miss’ and I took the baby out of her hands.” Community rallies around family The family members have been temporarily moved to a local hotel with assistance from their insurance company, a source close to the Watlers said. She said the family of six, which includes two kids, aged 6 months and 3 years, and four adults, are looking to move into an apartment next week. A fundraising drive for the impacted family was started in the aftermath of the explosion and the community responded with donations of food, toys and cash. A shopping cart set up at Foster’s Countryside, labelled ‘Donation for Watler family’, was packed with food items, book bags and other supplies on 7 June, in a sign of the Cayman community’s trademark generosity. “I am not surprised at all by the response, it is the definition of Caymankind. It has been lovely to see the response,” a source close to the family told the Cayman Compass in a telephone interview on 7 June. She said the Watlers have been touched by the community support and welcomed all kind donations. “It has been really great. We have received cash, food, toys for kids, even an offer for a bed,” she said. The family are praying for Watler’s recovery, she added, and have been praising God that the children were not in the house at the time of the blast. The area, she said, is still cordoned off and the homeowners cannot go into the property to look for their belongings so they need as much help as people can provide. She said so far “the community has been very supportive”. Governor Jane Owen, speaking on the 7 June episode of the Compass talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’, noted the “terrible house explosion”, and sent out her “thoughts to all the people affected”. She said the Cayman Islands Regiment was deployed in the area at the request of the police and was “able to offer some support there as well with cordons and helping to manage what was a very difficult scene, particularly in the early hours of it”. This, she said, shows that the regiment has “great valuew… well beyond hurricanes”. Police have said that they will keep the area of the blast cordoned off for the time being and will advise the public when it is cleared. As to the explosion, the RCIPS said, “at this point investigations continue and the cause of the incident is unknown. No arrests have been made in relation to this incident.” A shopping cart for donations of clothes, food and toiletries will remain at Foster’s Countryside in Savannah. Anyone wishing to make a financial donation for the family can send an email to jolene.nelson876@gmail.com for more details. Anyone whose property was impacted by the incident and needs assistance or who would like to assist those involved can call the Newlands community office on 943-7652. Reporting by Reshma Ragoonath, Iris Stoner and Rebecca Bird House explosion under investigation Bayfield Crescent was completely closed off in the aftermath of the blast as police and Cayman Islands Regiment cordoned off the scene for investigations. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay A fundraising drive was started for the affected family with a trolley set up at Foster’s Countryside for collections. - Photo: Supplied Debris from the explosion was scattered up and down the street. - Photo: Taneos RamsayNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Members of Parliament have questioned the legality of an environmental impact assessment on the East-West Arterial extension which was ordered by the National Conservation Council, now that the council is not operating because several of its members’ terms have expired. Referring to the council as “defunct” and “obsolete”, McKeeva Bush, Chris Saunders and Dwayne Seymour demanded to know under what legal authority a subcommittee of the council – the Environmental Assessment Board – is continuing to advise the government and National Roads Authority on the $3.4 million impact study. During a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon, 7 June, Saunders opened the fractious questioning of Premier Wayne Panton over the road EIA, pointing out that the House had voted in April to drop the environmental study on the first section of the East-West Arterial extension and asking Panton, “When will the will of the people be carried out?” Panton, who had also voted in favour of Bush’s private member’s motion to discontinue plans for an EIA for the road section between Hirst Road and Lookout Gardens, said two meetings had been held in recent weeks between the National Roads Authority and the Environmental Assessment Board. As a result of those meetings, he said, the timeline for the completion of the road had been moved up from December 2025 to July 2025. He said government had received legal advice from the Attorney General’s Chambers that “notwithstanding the vote of parliament or the view of Cabinet, neither Parliament nor Cabinet could direct that the environmental impact assessment be terminated”. Legal standing Asked by Saunders what legal standing the Environmental Assessment Board has at this point, the premier responded that the attorney general had advised that even though the National Conservation Council itself does not currently have enough members to have a quorum, the board can still engage in the process, on an advisory basis, and is not making any decisions. Bush argued that it appeared a decision taken by Parliament, when it voted in favour of his motion, was being “railroaded” by what he described as a sub-committee of a council “that does not exist”. He warned that the government was leaving itself open to a judicial review. Part of the extension of the East-West Arterial will pass through the Central Mangrove Wetland, which prompted the National Conservation Council to determine an environmental impact assessment was necessary. - Photo: File MPs question legality of East-West road EIA Legislators say National Conservation Council is ‘defunct’ REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky The first section of the Airport Connector Road will be completed by the end of September, the infrastructure minister has told Members of Parliament. Jay Ebanks, Minister of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, was put on the spot at the first sitting of the latest meeting of Parliament on Wednesday, 7 June, with all three of the parliamentary questions directed at him. Joseph Hew, MP for George Town North, asked for an update on plans to complete the Airport Connector Road, including the anticipated completion date. Ebanks said the ministry and the National Roads Authority are happy to share that section one of the road – from the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to Allie B Drive – is progressing well. “The sub-base works are substantially completed and construction of the base layer is now progressing,” he told members. “Drainage wells are being drilled, which will be followed by the installation of the catch basins, and by mid-June the curbing installations will be commenced.” He said other key activities to follow will include the installation of street lighting and the final base preparation and paving. “It is anticipated that the project will be completed before the end of September 2023,” the minister told parliament. “That is good news,” Hew said. “In fact, the timing couldn’t be better just before the anticipated tourism season.” He asked if all of the necessary infrastructure Airport Connector Road nearing completion The aim of the Airport Connector Road is to alleviate traffic at the Butterfield roundabout. - Photo: Rebecca Bird “If there is no National Conservation Council, what is the approval process now for this road?” Chris Saunders MP Former Finance Minister Chris Saunders raised questions about the lapsed membership of the National Conservation Council during the 7 June Finance Committee meeting in Parliament. - Photo: Screengrab from CIGTV cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The UK Royal Navy’s most advance destroyer vessel HMS Dauntless has been deployed to the Caribbean for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane season, Governor Jane Owen has confirmed. Owen, speaking on the Cayman Compass weekly lunchtime talkshow The Resh Hour on 7 June, said the naval ship, a Type 45 destroyer, should be in the Caribbean within the next two to three weeks. “It has around 200 people on board, I think, and, very importantly, those people have the sort of skills that we might need to respond to a natural disaster,” the governor said. “So you’ve got engineers and mechanics and you’ve got lots of strong men and women with the capability to get out into the community and respond.” The ship, she added, has a helicopter which “will be a useful adjunct to the two helicopters we’ve also got here on the island.” Last year, the UK’s Royal Navy ship HMS Protector was deployed for hurricane season. Support when needed Owen said having a ship like HMS Dauntless is welcomed as “it will be there to support us whenever we need it”. “I’m really pleased that this is what we’ve got. I think it’s the best piece of kit that we could have asked for,” Owen added. According to a Royal Navy release on the ship’s deployment, the HMS Dauntless has three new efficient engines – replacing two original diesel units – to “ensure the 8,500-tonne destroyer has a more reliable, robust source of power to propel her through the water at speeds in excess of 32kts – and also power the cutting-edge equipment on board”. The ship was declared ready for operations last month “after nine intensive months of training, passing all demanding trials, tests and finally a gruelling assessment of her crew and all weapons and systems”. The HMS Dauntless will be in the Caribbean to respond to natural disasters during hurricane season from June to November, the Royal Navy said, adding that it will be “visiting island communities as a reassuring presence, working with local services and authorities to ensure the most rapid and effective aid is provided should nature strike”. Owen said no plan has been formalised for the ship to visit the Cayman Islands while it is deployed within the region. “I think the ship will want to be pretty flexible in terms of its plans, so that it can be in the right place at the right time without having anything that’s too set, because I think it will want also to be able to respond to the weather patterns that are developing,” she said. Patrolling Caribbean Dauntless will also patrol the Caribbean to counter illicit activities, in particular working with US Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in the region. HMS Dauntless Commanding Officer Ben Power, in the Navy press release, said Dauntless was “raring to prove herself on the world stage again” after several years out of action and nearly 12 months of intensive training at sea. “It has been a phenomenal journey taking the ship from Liverpool following the upgrade to the power and propulsion system through to our departure on time for operations, which highlights the performance of the equipment and the dedication and hard work of the crew,” he said in the statement. The Royal Navy statement said that the new engines proved their reliability during the ship’s Operational Sea Training, with the ship available throughout and missing none of her planned days at sea. “It meant Dauntless completed that training off the South Coast [of the UK] in only four months, regenerating quicker than expected and faster than most of her fellow Type 45s,” it said. While in the Caribbean, HMS Dauntless will also head for ‘Exercise Unitas’ and mark the 200th anniversary of the Colombian Navy. “Unitas (Latin for ‘united’) is the oldest and largest maritime exercise in the region dating back to 1959 as a South American and US regional exercise designed to demonstrate a united stance against the spread of the Soviet Union’s influence and presence in Latin America,” the Royal Navy statement said. DUIs hit 100 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Governor Jane Owen has expressed concern that even in the face of stiffer penalties, drink-driving remains an issue in Cayman, with 100 people arrested for driving under the influence in the last five months. “It is still a problem,” Owen said, on the Cayman Compass talkshow, ‘The Resh Hour’ on Wednesday, 7 June. Though Cayman is seeing some impact from the stricter rules through compliance and more people being picked up for DUI, Owen said the issue is driver behaviour rather than enforcement. She said while many may think those arrested for DUIs are young people, half of the arrests are those aged 35 to 50. “It is kind of the responsible age group, which is interesting, isn’t it? Which is why I think it comes back again to the problem is not so much the rules and the enforcement... but it is again the personal responsibility to decide not to do it,” she said. In 2022, there were 234 arrests for DUI offences, which was an average of 19.5 arrests per month. From January to May 2023, there were 100 DUI arrests, an average of 20 per month, so similar to last year. Excessive speeding continues Owen said she takes her responsibility for safety and security seriously and what she has seen playing out on local roads is a matter of concern. She said a road safety/traffic proposal is currently under consideration and she wants to ensure that consultation with various stakeholders is done in the formulation of the plan. Pointing to the issue of excessive speeding, she said people have to follow the rules. Over the last three weeks, in the eastern districts, the governor noted that police issued 150 tickets as they try to clamp down on speeding. Owen said while there is a component of public education needed, like advising people who are new to the island of the existing rules, ultimately all road users should adhere to safe-driving practices. “The other side of the coin is people taking their own personal responsibility... That is to not speed, to decide to not drink and drive, especially on a Saturday or Sunday night, to avoid taking that phone call in the car,” she said, adding, “Just pull over because you know that if you’re distracted that is a danger to other people... [and] to take responsibility to wear your seat belt. In all of these areas, I think there’s a lot more we can do.” Owen said there is a mix of solutions being considered to address road issues, including the introduction of speed cameras. However, she said if Cayman chooses to install the cameras, the funding has to be made available and there has to be a commitment for the whole project. “It’s not just a case of going out and putting in place a lot of cameras. It’s also about who is going to monitor them... what is the IT system behind it, how do you do the tickets? As we discovered in the United Kingdom over many years, it’s a major exercise but it may well be one that’s necessary in Cayman,” Owen said. Drugs, use of firearms concerning The governor also acknowledged the concerns in the community over the number of robberies being committed – 17 in the last four months, 12 of which involved firearms. (See page 13 for related story.) However, she assured that the police are working to keep Cayman safe, but said it takes community partnership to stamp out crime. “It’s about communities. It’s about us all coming together and if we have got information on things that we’re really concerned about, it is about sharing that information so that we can all work together to keep each other safe,” she said. Owen said she thinks the connection between police and the community is developing and while it does not work perfectly here, “it is an area that I feel we can continue to build up”. “Community engagement, knowing what is going on, it’s a way of helping and supporting those in our communities who’ve got into difficulties or who might be involved in crime... Whereas if you just ignore it and push it under the rug, then probably those people are just going to continue on what is a really bad path, so that is an area that I expect and hope we will do more work on in the future,” she said. Governor calls for more responsible drivers HMS Dauntless left Portsmouth late last month to head to the Caribbean for hurricane season. - Photo: UK Royal Navy UK destroyer ship deployed for hurricane season 8,500 tonnes Total displacement 500 feet Total length 30+ knots Top speed To see the full interview, see the video on caymancompass.com By the numbers Governor Jane Owen Police made 100 DUI arrests between January and May this year. cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023 WEDNESDAYS AT NOONNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Covered jetways that enable passengers to move between Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport terminal and arriving and departing aircraft are not included in the airport projects recently approved by Cabinet, officials have confirmed. The lack of such jetways, or passenger boarding bridges, in the construction of the $74 million modernised terminal that was officially opened in 2019 has been criticised by airport users, especially during rainy season. Currently, airline passengers are using mobile boarding ramps to get on and off planes. Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, speaking at a press conference last week to announce four multi- million-dollar airport projects, confirmed that while jetways are a component of a new 20-year Airport Master Plan, government at this time does not have the budget to include them in upcoming improvements at Owen Roberts. “We are doing the projects that we can afford at this particular point,” Bryan said. The four projects include expanding the existing runway 1,900 feet into the North Sound, constructing a new general aviation terminal for private aircraft and upgrading air traffic control surveillance at Owen Roberts, and carrying out runway end safety area works at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac. Cabinet recently approved outline business cases for those four projects, which are estimated to cost a total of almost $76 million and which will be paid for by a $20 increase in passenger fees. These projects are included in an overall Airport Master Plan, which outlines recommendations for development and improvements at all three of Cayman’s airports, at a cost of $800 million over the next 20 years. Bryan told reporters that government had decided to move ahead with the four earmarked projects because two of them – the general aviation terminal and the runway expansion – would be major revenue generators, while the other two – the Brac runway safety work and the air traffic control upgrades – had to be done as a priority to comply with regulatory requirements. He said the expanded runway would enable larger aircraft to land in Grand Cayman, and would attract more long-haul flights, therefore bringing in more passengers, while expanding the general aviation facilities would mean more usage of the airport by private jets. “[The] revenue body will increase, which then allows you to be in a financial position to go ahead and pay for the other things that are part of this plan, like, for instance, the jetways and airport parking space,” the minister said. Cayman Islands Airports Authority project senior manager, Roy Williams, confirmed that jetways are included in a future plan to expand the existing terminal. As well as new jetways, the terminal expansion would also address issues such as the mixing of arriving and departing passengers, lack of parking space, and capacity at the security screening checkpoint and check-in areas as usage of the airport grows, he said. Officials estimate that, with the expansion of the runway and the new facilities for private aircraft, air arrivals at Owen Roberts will grow by 1.9% each year. Pre-COVID tourism air arrivals in Cayman was more than 500,000, a number the Ministry of Tourism is hoping to return to and surpass. Jetways not part of upcoming airport projects $800 million The estimated cost of the projects under the 20-year Airport Master Plan cayman compass 9 news N news WEEKLY, 9-15 JUNE 2023Next >