cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 7-13 July 2023 Captain Eldon Kirkconnell laid to rest Page 7 In photos: CayMAS Pages 8-9 Message in bottle brings families together Page 23 Cayman swimming legend leads charge for ‘Dope Olympics’ Page 24 Going for gold at Island Games in Gibraltar Page 26 Message in bottle brings families together Page 23 3 airports, 2 decades, 1 master plan Pages 19-21 Phot o: T aneos Ramsa yMatinees (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 BIRCHGILLIES news in brief Four arrested after spate of robberies Police have arrested four men suspected of being involved in the recent spate of robberies. The RCIPS said in a statement that those arrested include three men from George Town, ages 21, 22 and 29; as well as a 20-year-old man from Bodden Town, in operations carried out between Friday, 30 June, and Sunday, 2 July. The men were subsequently released on police bail, pending charges to be brought against them for a range of crimes, including robbery and drug- related offences, police said. New Bodden Town voting district considered Cayman’s Electoral Boundary Commission is contemplating creating a new constituency in Bodden Town to account for the growing number of voters in the district. Commission chairman Lisa Handley said, “We are actually putting out a recommended map which maintains the 19-seat Parliament and we are also putting out an alternative map that suggests adding a seat to Bodden Town. “If we kept the four constituencies, all of the constituencies are very vastly overpopulated and if we had fi ve seats there, we could draw districts that fell within international standards,” she explained. Eco group launches petition to protect coastal lagoons A team of conservation campaigners have launched a petition demanding that Cayman’s coastal lagoon ecosystems are protected from destructive development. Amplify Cayman is inviting the public to sign the online appeal, which went online on Friday, 30 June, and will be presented to Cabinet as part of a wider campaign. The petition urges the government to carry out environmental impact assessments before any major development which may damage areas such as the Central Mangrove Wetlands. New hospitality training plan Dart has announced a collaboration with Florida- based Lynn University to enhance the syllabus of its Hospitality Training Programme, which provides young Caymanians with three months of paid on-the-job training and exposure across a variety of roles. As part of the emerging collaboration, a faculty member from Lynn University’s hospitality programme will be delivering a two-week curriculum. This allows participants to get training from an accredited institution to bolster the learning opportunities across Dart’s portfolio of hotels, including Kimpton Seafi re Resort + Spa, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and Hampton by Hilton, Grand Cayman, according to a press release from the business. Head of new mental health facility appointed The former head of Jamaica’s Bellevue Hospital, the Caribbean's largest psychiatric institution, has been appointed as director of the new long-term mental health facility in East End, the opening of which has been delayed by another three months. Marcia Amoy Mullings- Thompson, former chief executive offi cer at Bellevue, which, according to its website, treats more than 700 patients and has 23 wards, will take up her new post at Cayman’s much smaller 54-patient facility on Monday, 10 July, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced. The $15 million facility, after years of delays, had been slated to open by the end of this month, but government offi cials said Friday this has been pushed back to 30 Sept. Kirkaldy appointed Rotary district governor David Kirkaldy has been installed as district governor of Rotary District 7020, which covers 10 countries in the northern Caribbean – the fi rst time in a decade that a person from the Cayman Islands has held the title. On Friday evening, 30 June, in the presence of family, friends and fellow Rotarians, Kirkaldy was installed as governor general of the region, which includes 129 Rotary and Rotaract clubs. Dart and Lynn University representatives during a recent meeting. David Kirkaldy is the new district governor of Rotary District 7020, which covers the northern Caribbean. - Photo: Maggie Jackson cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 7 13 JULY 2023cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 20231234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Languish from weariness (5) 4 Clue (7) 8 Encountered (3) 9 Inauspicious (3-6) 10 Think quietly (7) 11 Smartly dressed (5) 13 A long angry denunciation (6) 15 Member of learned society (6) 18 Consecrate (5) 19 Be enough (7) 21 Vital force (9) 23 Fetched (3) 24 To supplement (7) 25 Investigate (5) DOWN 1 Fault (7) 2 Misaligned (3,2,4) 3 Dignity of manner (5) 4 Courteous (6) 5 Enormous (7) 6 A silvery metal (3) 7 Rosy-cheeked (5) 12 A reprimand (7-2) 14 Incapacitate (7) 16 Grapple (7) 17 Accompany as guard (6) 18 A lightweight wood (5) 20 Sick and tired (3,2) 22 A tree-borne fruit (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17363 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 17363 ACROSS: 1 Droop, 4 Pointer, 8 Met, 9 Ill-omened, 10 Reflect, 11 Natty, 13 Tirade, 15 Fellow, 18 Bless, 19 Suffice, 21 Lifeblood, 23 Got, 24 Augment, 25 Probe. DOWN: 1 Demerit, 2 Out of true, 3 Poise, 4 Polite, 5 Immense, 6 Tin, 7 Ruddy, 12 Talking-to, 14 Disable, 16 Wrestle, 17 Escort, 18 Balsa, 20 Fed up, 22 Fig. What they’re saying Online pic of the week Fireworks lit up the night sky over Camana Bay on the 3 July public holiday to celebrate Cayman’s Constitution Day. The public holiday is held on the first Monday of July every year to mark the introduction of Cayman’s first written Constitution in 1959. Compass photographer Taneos Ramsay captured the colourful display. Pyrotechnic pageantry Environment director says no to more seawalls What is it that these people don’t understand? Is money all they have? No more seawalls. Those that exist on Seven Mile Beach need to be removed! Darlene Glidden Mrs. Ebanks-Petrie, the director of the Department of Environment, has been against these seawalls and all forms of destruction of the mangroves and environment in general. It is so very unfortunate that her pleas are usually ignored, despite the hard evidence that looks us in the face! Lorna E. Bush Planning Board, please, listen to the experts. Please, simply look at the negative impacts of existing seawalls in Cayman. The article said: ‘The applicants said they knew the former owners of their property and “know first- hand the damage that occurred to the house without a seawall”.’ So if they knew the damage that was occurring to the house, should they not have looked for a different house to buy? Concerned C. Does the Department of Environment like large jetty boulders which, in fact, are extremely effective and frequently used in the Texas gulf coast region to allow sand to move, but also create beaches by slowing the water surf and tide strength? Chad K. If the government is serious about fixing Seven Mile Beach erosion, they need to move the older properties that are too close to the sea by using managed retreat. As long as any seawalls are allowed, it will continue to impact other properties. The government needs to provide financial incentives, planning exceptions, and duty-free development to encourage to redevelopment of existing older properties to meet current setback requirements. Spending millions bringing in new sand, only to be swept away, is a big waste of money. Samuel R B. Civil partnership law stands following appeals court ruling That any government can be so blatantly ignorant to attempt to legislate who can marry whom based on the shape of the genitalia is preposterous. Nick R. Carnival: After the glitter comes the litter We were in Tokyo, Japan, a few years ago. We couldn’t understand how the streets were spotless but there were no litter bins. A Japanese person explained that, from kindergarten onwards, children were taught civic responsibility and, among other things, take their trash home. Can we not teach our children the same? Norman L. Litter is pervasive on this Island. It’s not just after a public event. I challenge you to walk anywhere without seeing trash that someone has tossed into the bushes. Yes, we need to teach our children. And we need to enforce the fines for littering on the adults that set this terrible example. Anne Evans It is very disheartening that year after year taking part in Earth Day cleanup, I see as much, if not more, litter lying around than the year before. For many years, the Pink Ladies have cleaned up the Barcadere at George Town Yacht Club. The amount of litter does not decrease. The Pink Ladies group is in the process of having wooden frames made from donated pallets to “house” garbage cans for this area. Nancy W. Eco group launches petition to protect Cayman’s coastal lagoons This is a campaign and a cause which must be joined by every citizen who cares about the future sustainable development of the Cayman Islands, and preserving a legacy for future generations. It may not be popular, but it is right! Mario E. Cayman’s cruise sector must sink or swim in new dynamic Reducing cruise tourism, limiting population growth, indecision over vital infrastructure, flip flop on this, vacillate over that, stifle genuine entrepreneurial activity. What will Cayman actually decide to do positively on anything to develop in a world that mostly has no idea of its existence? The next-gen Caymanians had better get ready for a diminished Cayman from what it has been over the last 20 years. Nigel Von Sachsenburg Might I suggest that the Director of Tourism organises exit interviews for all cruise ship passengers on a random basis, to ascertain what they actually spend ashore. I am sure she would be surprised at how little they spend on Caymanian vendors/ service providers. The general sentiment amongst residents is fewer cruise-ship visitors, so we can market ourselves as an upscale destination for our ever- increasing, and far more valuable, stayover tourists. Trusty2man D. cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 2023WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 2023REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky The Court of Appeal has ruled that it was within the former governor’s rights to enact the Civil Partnership Act 2020 allowing same-sex legal partnerships in the Cayman Islands. In his judgment, published on Tuesday, 4 July, appeals court president Sir John Goldring dismissed an appeal over an application for judicial review held in the Grand Court in 2021. He agreed with Justice Richard Williams’ verdict that Martyn Roper’s use of his reserved power under section 81 of the Cayman Islands Constitution was not in error. According to Colours Caribbean, LGBTQIA+ advocacy group and the intervener in the case, 93 couples who entered civil unions have been “thrown into limbo” over the past two years. In a press statement, the non-profi t organisation said, “It is our sincere hope that those with a difference of opinion can respect this judgement and this matter can now be laid to rest. “At the end of the day, same-sex couples have a human right to build and nurture their families per the Civil Partnership Act and the Constitution. “We as a society should support and respect the rights of the vibrant members of our LGBTQIA+ community.” ‘Years of uncertainty’ In his judgment, Goldring said it seemed clear that on any proper analysis, attorney Kattina Anglin’s application for judicial review was bound to fail. He said it was brought by someone who had “no direct interest in the outcome”. Goldring added that the description of the proceedings by Colours Caribbean’s lawyer Alex Potts, KC, as an "academic exercise" was “not without substance”. “The unfortunate consequence of the proceedings has been years of uncertainty for those who entered civil partnerships in the understandable belief that the CPA was lawful,” he said. Goldring stressed it is always open to a judge at the leave stage of an application for judicial review to invite the respondent – in this case, Roper – to attend and make submissions. “Had that happened here, it may well be that these proceedings, conducted, as I understand it, entirely at the public’s expense, would have been stopped at the outset.” Colours Caribbean shared concerns that the Grand Court should not have granted permission to proceed, partly because Anglin lacked standing to bring the case forward. “The Court of Appeal rightly admonishes the Grand Court for failing to invite the governor at the permission stage,” the Cayman Islands-based group added. Two years later Anglin’s application for judicial review was fi rst heard on 2 Dec. 2021 before Justice Richard Williams. She argued that the governor erred in law by using section 81 of the Constitution to enact the Civil Partnership Act 2020 and said it was beyond the scope of his responsibility. Meanwhile, the respondent said the UK government was entitled to instruct the governor to push forward the legislation due to inaction from the Legislative Assembly, now Parliament, to pass a bill. Williams concluded that the governor was entitled to exercise his reserved power and enact the law. “I am satisfi ed that the governor has not acted contrary to the Constitution or other laws in force in the Cayman Islands,” he said. Anglin, represented by Hugh Southey, KC, appealed the decision and the matter was heard in the Court of Appeal on 9 and 10 May this year. She submitted that if the British government wished to introduce a law in the Cayman Islands, it should have followed section 125 of the Constitution. This provides reserved power to “[His] Majesty to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Cayman Islands”. In his judgment, Goldring said the government of the Cayman Islands was in breach of its international obligation to abide by the European Convention on Human Rights. He said the governor’s action in enacting the civil partnership law was a “paradigm example” of the sort of case for which power is reserved. “It refl ects the balance struck under the constitutional settlement between local democracy and the protection of the international obligations of the Cayman Islands for which the United Kingdom was responsible,” the appeals court president said. He concluded, “It is in my judgment clear that the governor… far from failing to respect the Constitution, acted entirely in accordance with it.” Goldring dismissed the appeal. Civil partnership law stands following appeals court ruling Veterinarian testifi es in animal cruelty trial ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A police dog most likely died from ‘heat stroke’ after being locked in his kennel without water on a summer day during which temperatures reached 104 degrees, a court heard on Tuesday, 4 July. The details of the dog’s death, at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service compound in George Town, came to light during the trial of police constable Timothy Munroe. Veterinarian Dr. Olivia Benjamin testifi ed that Baron, an otherwise healthy 6-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd mix, had died after suffering prolonged exposure to the sun. Munroe has denied one count of cruelty to an animal. The charge against the offi cer does not allege that his actions led to the animal’s death; instead, he is accused of causing unnecessary suffering to Baron by failing to provide the animal with proper shelter, food and water. Testifying on the fi rst day of the trial in Summary Court, Benjamin, a senior veterinarian at Veterinary Clinic and Specialty Pet Boarding, said, “I knew Baron personally. I was his vet ever since he arrived on the island in 2017 to serve the police.” According to Benjamin, Baron last came to her clinic in February 2022 for an annual health checkup, during which no medical anomalies were discovered. “During that visit, we did his blood work and de-wormer, and overall physical examination, and there was no cause for concern. He was a happy and healthy dog,” she said. However, on Saturday, 9 July last year, Benjamin said she got a call informing her that Baron was lying motionless with no signs of life. “When I began examining him, it was clear that rigour mortis had already begun to set in, which means he would have died between fi ve and 12 hours prior,” she explained. “Further exams revealed that there was also decomposition of the soft tissue, which is consistent with a body left in the hot sun.” Benjamin told Summary Court Magistrate Vanessa Allard that preliminary examinations revealed no injuries, broken bones, blunt force trauma or any other cuts or bruises. “The most likely cause of death was hyperthermia, caused by a heat stroke,” she said. “We looked at the heat index on the day Baron died and, according to the National Weather Service, the heat index was between 95 degrees and 104 degrees.” Benjamin added that Baron’s playful nature meant he would have likely been very active while in his enclosure on the day of his death. When summarising what could have caused the heat stroke, the vet cited the combination of the outside temperature, prolonged exposure to the sun, and the fact that the concrete surface that formed the base of the kennel radiated heat. “There were also other factors, such as Baron’s colour. He was a black dog, and his coat was very thick, which made it diffi cult to dissipate heat,” said Benjamin. During cross-examination, she accepted that it was possible that Baron could have contracted or developed an illness between his check-up in February and his death in July. However, she added, there was no proof that this happened. “Were the defendant’s actions the cause of Baron’s death?” asked Dennis Brady, Munroe’s lawyer. Benjamin responded, “I cannot say that his actions caused the death of Baron as the offi cial cause was a heat stroke.” She also ruled out that Baron could have died as a result of something he ate. “His [stomach] was empty, no harmful chemicals were observed or found during the tests,” she said. The vet added, “Although he had not eaten that day, that was not the cause of his death; given the size of Baron, he could have survived without food for that time.” Munroe, who denies the allegation, graduated at the top of his recruitment class and has been an offi cer with the RCIPS since March 2021. The trial was set to resume on Friday, 7 July, during which the prosecution was expected to show the court CCTV footage of the last few hours of Baron’s life. Heat stroke ‘likely cause’ of police dog’s death, court hears K9 Baron died in the police kennels. cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 7 13 JULY 2023RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky A month into the Atlantic hurricane season, the Resilience Cayman charity is helping Cayman’s vulnerable get their homes storm- ready. “We’re talking mould on the walls, babies on mattresses that have water leaking down on them, so it is quite serious,” Resilience Cayman director Jan Gupta told the Cayman Compass. “It’s a health and safety issue for many families who don’t really have anywhere else to go. It’s not as easy as to just go off and rent somewhere else, with the cost of rents.” West Bay resident Waldo Hilton Parchment is one of those in need of a helping hand to have his home ready in case a hurricane hits. Speaking with the Compass recently at his home, Parchment expressed hope that his pleas for help are being heard and his family will be dry this hurricane season. “It will give me more assurance that the windows and [repairs] they do [will make my home] semi-protected until I put my shutters on,” he said. His home, which urgently needs repairs of its windows and roof, is one of at least 30 residences set to benefi t from the new hurricane-preparedness programme which is being funded through a $500,000 donation from the R3 Cayman Foundation, Gupta said. However, Gupta said, there is a pressing need in the community and she is hopeful more people will step forward with donations to protect those who need the help. She said the charity needs donations and materials. She added that there is a need for doors, windows and roofi ng materials especially. “Anything will help, as well as hands on deck. If there are contractors who would want to adopt a home... and be able to provide a crew to do the repairs, that’s something that we would defi nitely welcome,” she said. Parchment’s home, like many others listed for hurricane-preparedness repairs, requires much more work, but Gupta said, for now, the priority is protection from any storms that may come this way. “In the interest of trying to make sure, at a minimum, that that family in that home was safe and dry, we redefi ned the scope of work with the private [donation] portion of the programme to be more geared towards roof repairs and windows and doors and structural damage, because, in some cases, we actually had homes that had an exterior wall that was collapsing,” she explained. She said, in cases like Parchment’s, homeowners are being advised that storm- preparation repairs will be taken care of immediately so homes are ready for the hurricane season. “We realise that other repairs are needed as well, but they’re not as high a priority... [S] hould funding become available in the future, we will revisit,” she said, adding that she is hoping for more fi nancial support to be able to assist. Parchment said he would like government to support the programme, so he can have his electrical wiring, which dates from 1973, upgraded. He added that he doesn’t have enough power “to put in air conditioning in the house”. He added that upgrading his wiring would enable him to do a lot of the other interior work himself, as he constructed his home from the ground up with his own two hands. “I’m one of those type of people that are very independent. I don’t really want people doing things for me,” he said. But he acknowledged that he needs help with the larger repairs at the house, so “I would like graciously to ask that they look into the major needs, and maybe a little further than that, make sure that local people get jobs so that they can help themselves”. Shifting gears Resilience Cayman, which was established during the pandemic to assist local families struggling as borders closed, shifted gears last year to provide home-repair assistance to vulnerable families in the community, with help from government. That initiative began in February 2022, with 339 homes identifi ed for assistance. However, Gupta said, inspections of some of those homes showed the scale of the work needed was beyond what was initially envisioned, and quickly the $1.5 million grant from the Social Development Ministry was exhausted. By the end of last year, 209 of those homes were repaired under the original initiative, but with the arrival of Hurricane Ian last year, which compounded damage already caused by Tropical Grace in 2021, some of the homes in the pipeline for repairs had to be bumped up the queue. “What’s key about this [programme] is that it’s all spread out over the island, so it isn’t just one district or one neighbourhood that we focus on. We go looking at the extent of the damage in the homes and the personal situation for that family. That’s really how we’re prioritising it. We have a certain percentage that were done in East End, in Bodden Town, West Bay and George Town,” Gupta said. The focus for the general home-repair programme right now, she said, are homes in East End and North Side. The non-profi t organisation will continue that initiative with the funding that remains, she said, adding there are about 175 homes still in need of work. Anyone interested in assisting the storm-repair programme, can email Jgupta@resilience.ky. A helping hand to protect vulnerable homes from hurricanes West Bay resident Waldo Hilton Parchment and Resilience Cayman director Jan Gupta in front of one of the old windows at Parchment’s home that needs to be replaced. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath To see video on caymancompass.com cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 7 13 JULY 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Elder statesman, mariner, entrepreneur and beloved family man Captain Eldon Kirkconnell was laid to rest Saturday, 1 July, following a service attended by hundreds who came to mourn his passing and celebrate his life. Pat, his wife of 68 years, sat in the front pew of the Church of God Chapel on Walkers Road surrounded by her family, as relatives, government officials and friends paid tribute to her late husband. Captain Kirkconnell passed away peacefully on 8 June – following a long illness – at the age of 96. Some described him as a business and political “visionary”. Others spoke of him as a man deeply grounded in his faith in God, and his great-granddaughter Alexandra Rose Kirkconnell told the congregation he was a “ray of light”. All spoke of him with deep respect and love. As during his lying in state at the Parliament building on Friday, Captain Kirkconnell’s coffin was draped in the Cayman Islands flag, and flanked by two uniformed officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Coast Guard and the Fire Service, who alternated every few minutes. The chapel was filled to capacity, with the overflow of the congregation seated at the Family Life Centre next door, where a live broadcast of the service was screened. Family members and others in the congregation wore lavender in honour of Captain Kirkconnell. It was his favourite colour. Before the service, photographs from throughout his life were displayed – from his early days as a young seafarer; he went to sea at age 19 – to his wedding with childhood sweetheart Natalie Patricia Rutty in 1954, and to more recent times, when he was surrounded by his 14 great-grandchildren. In a video presentation recorded before the service, which featured highlights from the late captain’s family life, his wife Pat recounted moments from their long and happy marriage. She described 24 Nov. 1954 as the “happiest day of my life. That was the day I married the love of my life.” She added, “The deep love we had for each other joined us together for almost 78 years. Our love stood the test of time. We had a wonderful marriage, a happy life and a beautiful family.” After the couple married, they settled initially in Cayman Brac, building a house there, before moving to Jamaica for seven years when Kirkconnell returned to sea, often accompanied by his wife on his trips to Honduras, Tampa or Cuba. Their two children, Gerry and Debbie, were born in Jamaica. The family spent vacations on the Brac, before moving back after Eldon’s father Charles Gerald Kirkconnell passed away suddenly in 1961. A couple of years later, they moved to Grand Cayman and opened a supermarket. This business grew and evolved over the years, and now Kirk Market, Kirk Freeport, Kirk Motors, Kirk Office and Kirk Home Centre are owned by the family. While Captain Kirkconnell’s business acumen and his role in politics were highlighted at the service, speaker after speaker told of his deep religious faith. He became a born-again Christian following a serious illness and was baptised in the cove at Hog Sty Bay. He read and studied his bible regularly, setting aside an hour a day to his devotions. Grandson Father Joseph Kirkconnell, who led the congregation in the opening and closing prayers, told of a visit to his granddad when he saw him kneeling and praying beside his couch after his bible time. “It was just a very powerful image to me, because this man, who we’ve heard of all his achievements and all he had; with humility, he knew it was all a gift, and so he acknowledged our Lord for everything that was given to him.” Pastor Alson Ebanks, who delivered the sermon, said Captain Kirkconnell’s faith was his “driving force”, and explained that his religion had led him to decide never to open his stores on Sunday or venture into business that sold alcohol. Premier Wayne Panton, delivering a tribute on behalf of the government, spoke of Captain Kirkconnell’s “indelible contribution” at a pivotal time in Cayman’s history. Between 1962 and 1972, he served two terms as an elected member of the Legislative Assembly and one term as a member of the Executive Council. He was Minister of Communications and Works when Cable and Wireless set up in Grand Cayman, and he made the first official long-distance phone call from Grand Cayman to England. Also, during his time as minister, Radio Cayman was established. Panton told the congregation, “The timeline of this incredible life’s journey would, no doubt, have coincided with the Cayman Islands’ emergence from the era of iron men in wooden ships to a new era of mastering some of the world’s largest motorised vessels, the cultivation of our national identity in the form of our coat of arms, our first constitution, the decision to remain a part of the United Kingdom, and the development of a thriving tourism and financial services industry. It is almost impossible for many of us to truly fathom the changes Caymanians of Captain Eldon’s generation would have witnessed in their lifetime.” Tributes by son Gerry Kirkconnell and daughter Debbie Guyton, who took over the business when he retired, told of their deep love for their father, and of his for them and their children and grandchildren, as well as the example he had set throughout their lives. “He encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do and did whatever he could to let me reach my goals,” Gerry stated in his tribute, which was read out by Brian Wight. He noted, “The best tribute I can think to give to my Dad is to say I am truly proud he was my Dad.” Daughter Debbie’s tribute, read by Dr. Diane Hislop-Chestnut, described her father as her hero, saying he had raised her and her brother “to be honest, kind and respectful in life. He taught us that integrity was everything and no one could take away your good name.” She noted, “Dad told me more than once he was not afraid of death and that he looked forward to going to heaven. Dad, you are now where you looked forward to going. May your sweet, loving, caring, beautiful soul rest in eternal peace.” Captain Eldon Kirkconnell laid to rest Captain Eldon Kirkconnell, 23 June 1926 – 8 June 2023 Members of the congregation were invited to sign attendees books. A photo of Captain Eldon Kirkconnell, right, with his brother Charles, is displayed as part of a photographic montage above the flag-draped coffin at the funeral service for Captain Eldon at the Church of God Chapel. RCIPS officers carry the Cayman Islands flag- draped coffin from the Church of God Chapel to the hearse, following the funeral service on Saturday, 1 July. - Photos: Norma Connolly cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 2023cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 2023 The annual CayMAS street parade and carnival, held 1 July, was a riot of sound, colour, sequins and feathers. Hundreds of revellers danced and jumped their way from George Town to Seven Mile Beach under the blazing sun. Here is a selection of some of the best shots of the day by Cayman Compass photographer Taneos Ramsay.cayman compass 9 news N news WEEKLY, 7-13 JULY 2023Next >