© 2023 Burger King Corporation. Limited time only.© 2023 Burger King Corporation. Limited time only. Now available in Hot Honey Garlic! cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 1-7 September 2023 Seaweed swamps Seven Mile Page 5 Traffi c returns as school-bus debate stalls Page 6 Football chief: ‘You can’t please everyone’ Page 28 For a few dollars more $6 minimum wage under the spotlight Pages 20-22 Photo: Taneos RamsayMatinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $9.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. 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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 Likely isolated showers. SEA STATE Slight to moderate with a wave height of 2 to 4 feet. WINDS Southeast at 10 to 15 knots. 90°F HIGH 80°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Man dies at Spotts Beach Police sought help from members of the public to identify a man who died after losing consciousness in the waters off Spotts Beach on Monday afternoon, 28 Aug. A relative later named the victim as 21-year-old Rovyn Jerone Cameron, a Jamaican national living in Cayman. The man was fully clothed when he entered the water from shore, police said. They released a description of him, including that he had a recent injury on his thumb, in the hopes of someone recognising him. He had been pulled from the water around 4:40pm on Monday by members of the public who administered CPR until emergency services arrived. After being taken by ambulance to the Cayman Islands Hospital, he was pronounced dead, police said. World’s largest cruise ship makes emergency stop The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, made an unexpected call on Cayman Wednesday, 30 Aug., for a passenger’s medical emergency. Royal Caribbean told the Cayman Compass “the ship deviated to Grand Cayman to debark a guest needing additional medical care”. The Oasis-class ship resumed its journey after the passenger disembarked. The medical situation was the second incident of the night on board the 18-deck ship, which has a carrying capacity of 7,084 passengers. Prior to the unscheduled stop in Cayman, Royal Caribbean issued a man overboard call as it made its way to Mexico. The cruise company confirmed to the Compass that a guest sailing on the Wonder of the Seas went overboard Tuesday. “The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities. Out of respect for the family, we will not share further details about this unfortunate event,” Royal Caribbean’s emailed statement to the Compass said. The two incidents, the Compass understands, were not related. Coast Guard rescues boaters after distress call The Cayman Islands Coast Guard responded to a distress call on Saturday, 26 Aug., from two boaters who found themselves in difficulties a few miles offshore. The Coast Guard posted a video to its Facebook page of the incident in which a patrol vessel could be seen towing another boat back to shore. “The vessel was located approximately 2 miles east of the Rum Point Channel, and the vessel and crew were safely transported to Rackley Canal launching ramp,” the Coast Guard wrote in its post. The cause of the distress is not clear. However, at the time of the incident, Tropical Depression 10, which became Hurricane Idalia, was passing several hundred miles west of Grand Cayman. In the video of the rescue, a distant thunder shower, associated with the outer bands of Idalia, can be seen lighting up the night sky with several streaks of lightning. “This incident highlights the importance of mariners diligently checking weather developments,” the Coast Guard said, noting that cellphones “can be unpredictable, which can potentially lead to difficult situations for mariners”. It also reminded people that practising “safe boating procedures and staying informed about weather conditions are essential during hurricane season and throughout the year”. Cops issue warning as scammers target CNB customers Police are warning Cayman National Bank customers against divulging personal information, after reports that scammers have been targeting individuals claiming to be from the local bank. The RCIPS said it had received reports that local banking customers were getting calls from individuals claiming to be from their bank and encouraging them to return the call and provide banking details. When the number is dialed, the caller will hear the automated Cayman National Bank’s voice greeting. The fraudulent telephone number being utilised is 1-866- 233-9717. Police advise the public not to call the specified fraudulent telephone number. “Police advise banking customers to always be vigilant and not provide any personal banking details over the phone to anyone claiming to be from your bank,” police said. Thieves steal 76 air- conditioning units Police are investigating the theft of 76 air-conditioning units from a container in West Bay. According to the RCIPS, the units were taken sometime between the hours of midday, Thursday, 17 Aug., and 12:30pm, Thursday, 24 Aug. The thefts were reported to police on Wednesday, 25 Aug. “The units were individually boxed and stored in two padlocked containers located on a vacant lot on Up The Hill Road, West Bay,” police said, adding that the thieves cut the padlocks to get to the units. The 76 units are all Comfort Star split unit air-conditioners with a combined value of $14,000. Police believe the units will most likely be shipped off island or sold within the construction industry locally. Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, moored briefly off George Town on 30 Aug. to drop off a passenger with a medical emergency. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023Anew primary school has opened in Cay- man today, off er- ing classes from Recep� on to Year 6, and will provide another 350-quality school primary spaces to support Cayman’s growing popula- � on. Set on 3.5 acres in But- tonwood Park, with all grass fi elds and over 100 trees on site, the school has been eagerly announced its arrival into the Cayman educa� on space a li� le over a year ago, and working with an incred- ibly � ght � meline, managed to complete its construc� on and is ready to welcome it’s fi rst students, with classes star� ng today, September 1st. Island Primary Director and CEO Jennifer Cowdroy said excitement has been building for the opening of the school, a project that has been two-and-a-half years in the making since the very fi rst concept designs were sketched out. From the outset, the idea was to create a school that went back to the roots of what a community school should feel like, with a lot of open-air spaces, and with a design to connect students to nature, but also to each other as the building is set around a central courtyard that is considered the heart of the school. With a team of highly experienced teachers and specialists, the school has developed an extremely strong team to support learners of all abili� es. “As the community con- � nues to grow, the compe� - � on to get into a school has become fi erce and we’re proud to welcome students of all abili� es.” With ap- proximately 190 students currently registered, spaces are s� ll available, par� cularly at the lower year groups of Recep� on and Years 1 to 3, with spaces in the upper year groups nearly full now. Island Primary’s Principal, Stephen Coles, expressed his gra� tude to all who have played a part in the dream becoming a reality. “Island Primary represents a huge commitment to a collec� ve vision and we’re so enormously grateful to ev- eryone involved for the com- bined eff orts and exper� se required to reach the point where we can fi nally throw open the gates and welcome our families. Our school is ready, our staff and curriculum are in place, and now it’s � me to set our sights on building a school community worthy of the hope and an� cipa� on that have built up over the course of the past several months. “On behalf of the Island Primary team, I want to warmly welcome our new students and their families. It’s going to be a wonderful fi rst year!” Island Primary Opens for September Bu� onwood Park, George Town Box 30622 SMB, KY1-1203 | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Jenn Cowdroy Director & Project Manager “As the community con� nues to grow, the compe� � on to get into a school has become fi erce and we’re proud to welcome students of all abili� es.” Sponsored Content cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 1 7 SEPTEMBER 2023WEEKLY, 1 7 SEPTEMBER 20231234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Tartan cloth (5) 4 Distressing (7) 8 Conduct fraudulently (3) 9 Misaligned (3,2,4) 10 Feeling of moral doubt (7) 11 Approximate (5) 13 Stay in hiding (3,3) 15 Usual (6) 18 Rhythmical throbbing (5) 19 Fictitious (7) 21 Devoid of hope (2,7) 23 Driving-off place in golf (3) 24 Type of oil derived from flax (7) 25 Evil spirit (5) DOWN 1 Careful study (7) 2 Look promising (5,4) 3 To flag (5) 4 Sales pitch (6) 5 Intense heat (7) 6 A long way (3) 7 Avaricious hanger-on (5) 12 Final statement of terms (9) 14 Supervise (7) 16 Offended indignation (7) 17 To venture (6) 18 Small medicine bottle (5) 20 Least amount (5) 22 Put on (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17411 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 17411 ACROSS: 1 Plaid, 4 Painful, 8 Rig, 9 Out of true, 10 Scruple, 11 Rough, 13 Lie low, 15 Wonted, 18 Pulse, 19 Assumed, 21 In despair, 23 Tee, 24 Linseed, 25 Demon. DOWN: 1 Perusal, 2 Augur well, 3 Droop, 4 Patter, 5 Inferno, 6 Far, 7 Leech, 12 Ultimatum, 14 Oversee, 16 Dudgeon, 17 Hazard, 18 Phial, 20 Shred, 22 Don. What they’re saying Online pic of the week Planning authority rejects $21M West Bay housing plan Cool. While housing/ residences are needed, they need to be the right type and in keeping with the area. Now, stop the Aqua Bay mega tower redevelopment on West Bay Road. That doesn’t fit the area either. We don’t need a tower beside Cemetery Beach. Ted N. Owners apply to replace historic house with modern duplex I wonder how easy and what’s the cost to relocate a building like that? Shirley Lolita Bodden Arch This makes me so sad. I love my Cayman cottage. Beverly Edgington If our government wanted to preserve this house, it could easily be done as they have moved historic homes in the past in collaboration with the National Trust! Elizabeth Larsen I love that house and hope it can be saved! Katie O’Neill This property’s charm is not just the building but also the always impeccable bright white Cayman sand yard with conch- lined edging and native plants. If the structure is moved, it would be lovely to have those aspects kept intact too! Jeanette Verhoeven I’m so sick and tired of these people destroying what’s left of Cayman history, and Planning don’t care and will allow it to happen. Sora Kazue I wonder if it is registered as a historical property. Regardless, it is a treasure and I’d hate to lose another Cayman cottage. I wonder how much has been altered, and the age. Besides all that, if someone wants to buy it and move it, I’m sure they’d sell. Richard Nathan Parson It’s so unfortunate that so many cottages are now a distant memory. Rhonda Maydanski From COVID infamy to happily-ever-after for Cayman jet-ski champ Great news and may God bless this young couple and the new addition to their family. Patsy Rowan Who cares? She came to this island, broke the law and willingly put other people’s health at risk and we are supposed to celebrate her now? Iain Kenny Knowing what we know now, that most COVID measures were useless and totally unnecessary, we can look back at the cruelty and extreme reaction to the pandemic that served no scientific purpose. Hindsight is 20/20, but… it’s hard to justify all the over-the-top suffering imposed on the population during the pandemic. Stories like this remind us of that. Peter L. World’s largest cruise ship makes emergency stop in Cayman This brings memories of how COVID started in Cayman. Lenie Hulse Rosado Of course, the mega ships will stop for medical [reasons], but they don’t want to visit, because of the port. We are only good enough when it suits them. Diane Rankin Environment director says ‘high level’ policy needed on seawalls The Laguna Del Mar seawall was 130 feet from the shoreline when first constructed. It’s closer now only because the beach has eroded, bringing the shoreline closer to the buildings. It should be replaced. Norman L. Many of us who are residents in this area have tried time and again to engage with government agencies, and we are met with deafening silence about beach erosion and replenishment. Phone calls, emails, letters from the various stratas are not returned, just ignored. It’s a shambles. The property market there has ground to a halt, as have vacation rentals. Those resorts and the Marriott are producing far less tax income for government and fewer jobs. This will be like the iguanas. Once the middle part of the beach recedes and the international press pick up on it, government will react. At this point, we’d even be grateful for a raffle! Just engage with us for heaven’s sake. Not Surprised A. The existing sea walls need to come down! Darlene Glidden Isn’t it strange that most of the erosion is really in only a relatively small stretch of Seven Mile Beach? Maybe they should take a look at what’s been artificially put into the ocean nearby, with photos prior to/after, to potentially have changed currents to cause this effect. Jon Soto While Grand Cayman was spared the full force of Hurricane Idalia, as the storm passed a few hundred miles from here, it made itself known locally nevertheless with associated rough seas and high waves. Restaurants along the coastline were lashed, such as Macabuca in West Bay, which was battered overnight Monday, 28 Aug. and subsequently closed to the public on Tuesday. Cayman Compass photographer Taneos Ramsay snapped this picture of a man walking along Seven Mile Beach, as crashing waves bombarded the shore, courtesy of Idalia. Stormy seas cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Wave surges fuelled by Hurricane Idalia deposited large mounds of marine algae on Cayman’s prized Seven Mile Beach overnight Tuesday prompting emergency clean-up operations on Wednesday. Though initial reports suggested sargassum made its way to the prized tourist attraction, Department of Environment Deputy Director Tim Austin, in response to Cayman Compass queries, said it was in fact seaweed that had washed up along Seven Mile Beach due to the recent strong waves. “This is not sargassum, but marine algae torn off the seafloor by the wave action. This is a natural process and the removal of the algae from the reef is often beneficial as it prevents the faster growing algae from smothering hard corals that compete for space and light,” he explained. When the Compass visited the beach Wednesday work was well under way to clear the seaweed from the coastline. Rough seas Idalia, which hit Florida Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane with life-threatening storm surges, sent rough seas Cayman’s way as it headed to the US. Austin said as the tropical storm, which became a hurricane, was forming to the north of Cayman it generated “large waves that propagate out and can travel large distances”. “Once the waves calm down and the usual offshore breezes reestablish that should be the end to this event. Of course, if another storm generates more wave activity on SMB then we will likely have a repeat of the seaweed washing ashore,” he said. However, he said, there is less algae out now since it had been washed off the reef. “So that could reduce the size of the next influx; but it recovers quickly, so we can definitely expect it to happen again,” Austin said. He said “seaweed strandings” often occurs after “large wave events” on Seven Mile Beach. However, for Steven André, general manager at the Kimpton Seafire Resort, the appearance of the seaweed was unexpected, saying the amount on the beach at the hotel “in the last 24 hours certainly caught us by surprise”. “[Tuesday] morning we had nothing, but today [Wednesday] it is a very different story,” André said in an emailed comment to the Compass. The beachfront near the popular hotel appeared to be the hardest hit by the seaweed that, unlike the troublesome sargassum, had a green and dark brown hue. Beachgoer Whitney Foster said she was stunned by the sight when she went for a walk on the beach by the Kimpton Tuesday evening. “As we approached the water line, I thought I was seeing an optical illusion. The waves were completely black with seaweed. I’ve never seen anything like it. The smell was also horrendous. I have a lot of sympathy for all of the guests trying to enjoy their evening meal at Coccoloba [at the Kimpton], because it was a very strong and unpleasant smell,” she told the Compass via email. Foster said that as she continued walking down the beach the volume of seaweed began to decrease; however, the walk was not an easy one. “My feet kept falling under the sand since there was a thick layer of seaweed under the top layer of sand. From what I could see, it didn’t look like just sargassum, there was regular seaweed and moss in there too... sprinkled with litter, of course,” she added. Clean-up timeline not fixed After discussing the situation with the DoE, André said, the hotel has started the clean-up process. “It will take a day or two to get the beach back in order. Our guests obviously don’t appreciate the inconvenience caused,” he said, adding, “overall everyone has been fairly understanding of the situation”. Austin said Cayman Beach Solutions, who had the contract to clear the area, contacted the DoE before starting work. “Our team visited the site to mark out the existing turtle nests so that the heavy equipment used in the clean up would not impact them,” he said. Austin pointed out that Cayman Beach Worker clear the marine algae from the beachfront at the Kimpton Seafire on Seven Mile Beach. Seaweed swamps Seven Mile Solutions is using specially designed beach- cleaning equipment. “Anyone attempting to clean a beach with heavy equipment must contact the DoE to ensure that the proper clean up permissions and procedures are adhered to. This is particularly important during turtle nesting season,” he added. Austin said wave direction has a big part to play with where the “seaweed strandings” occur. “Due to the interaction of the shape of the coast line and direction of waves there tends to be hotspots for collection, so I doubt this will have occurred along the whole of the beach,” he said. However, the full assessment will have an accurate measure of impact, he added. As for the effect of the strong waves on turtle nests, Austin said, the DoE is “still taking stock of the impacts of the rough seas on the nesting beaches”. One of Cayman Beach Solutions specially designed pieces of equipment at work on Seven Mile Beach. - Photos: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023 THE HURRICANE SEASON CONTINUES STAY VIGILANT! The hurricane season is not over. Stay prepared with us Visit our website for hurricane preparedness tips www.waterauthority.ky Water Authority - CaymanMISS UNIVERSE CAYMAN ISLANDS 2023 MISS UNIVERSE CAYMAN ISLANDS 2023 COMPETITION FINALS & CORONATION COMPETITION FINALS & CORONATION UNITEDUNITED WEWE Private schools not yet ready to get on board RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky After a summer of relative quiet on the roads, gridlocked traffic is set to return with the start of the new school term. Relatively swift journey times, in the absence of school traffic, have reignited debate about the greater use of buses for children during term time as a possible quick- win solution. But the debate appears to have stalled and private school leaders who spoke to the Compass, said they had no current plans to introduce bus services. While they were not against the idea, they said it would require greater discussion with parents and financial support from government. Legislators, in April, voted in support of a motion from Red Bay MP Sir Alden McLaughlin to mandate private schools to get buses, which he said would have a quick, positive impact on traffic congestion. The motion suggested that duty concessions should be granted to private schools purchasing buses for transporting students. However, it appears little progress has been made to bringing those recommendations to fruition for the start of this academic year. Education Ministry Chief Officer Lynette Monteith told the Cayman Compass the ministry has “started the ground work”. However, private school officials stopped short of promising to introduce bus services for their students, saying the buses may only be a temporary fix to a wider problem. “Yes, this could help in alleviating some of the traffic pressures,” Jim Urquhart, Cayman International School director said. “It would not be a panacea, noting the number of cars on the road with one driver and no passengers, as well as the number of apparent cars and physical size of the vehicles per household on island. “These and other factors are significant contributors to traffic congestion.” In May, Premier Wayne Panton noted that the number of cars on local roads was part of the problem, proposing a ban on importing pre-2016 vehicles as a traffic solution. The importation restriction, he said then, was “aimed at reducing traffic congestion and at increasing the fuel efficiency, emission standards, and overall safety of vehicles on our roads”. The impact of that ban on traffic is still to be felt as it applied to vehicles coming into Cayman, not to those already on the roads. School buses only will not work Jennifer Cowdroy, director at the new Island Primary School, at which classes will start on Friday, 1 Sept., said school buses “would definitely alleviate the problem, particularly on the Walkers Road area where so many schools are congregated”. However, she said there must be coordination between the private schools and government for a cost-effective solution. “Most private schools just don’t have the resources to provide this, so a public/private partnership would be the first step and I think allow the private schools to start the ball rolling. “Partnering with the local bus providers would be a great step as well, as many have faced a drop-off in business with the cruise ship industry at lower levels than previous years, but these drivers would need training in child protection and first aid,” she said. Cowdroy suggested that as a first step government should develop a survey in partnership with schools to send out to families to gauge interest. “The survey needs to have specifics, though (cost, routes, times) so parents can make an informed decision on whether they would take it up,” she said. Education Minister Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, speaking in Parliament in April, pointed out that previous negotiations with private schools to voluntarily use buses “did not go quite well” and were “vigorously” opposed. Service will take discussion, support While not opposed to a bus service, both Urquhart and Cowdroy contend finances and a proper system will require government intervention. “To get a school bus service off the ground would entail a multi-faceted approach. “For example, training for drivers and support staff to ensure safety, procurement of right-sized buses and regular maintenance schedules, nuanced changes to roads to ensure safe and reasonably spaced pick-up and drop-off locations,” Urquhart said. Additionally, he said, it would require changes in family mindsets and noted that the majority of children have after-school activities which vary the students’ leaving times. Families, he added, tend to drop children off on the way to work and the addition of bus services could potentially result in a situation where more vehicles might actually be on the road because children would be on a bus and their parents would still be using a vehicle to get to work. “Some extensive trial runs would need to take place to gather more data on traffic flow and timing. Other green solutions, such as enhanced bike lanes, may be studied further too, considering cycling and walking is not only ‘greener’ it is less costly and comes with health benefits,” he said. Urquhart added when considering buses as a method to mitigate congestion, it is also helpful to look further into the future and consider “more affordable housing options that are close to school areas, as well as having schools closer to residential areas rather than schools coalescing in the same areas”. Both school administrators say they are not considering introducing a school bus for the new academic year. Urquhart said CIS, as a solution, has increased the number of bike racks and “those biking to school (staff and students) appears to be on the rise – though students have only been on campus since August 23”. In Cowdroy’s case, she said the Island Primary location at Buttonwood Park is along the newly expanded Linford Pierson Highway, and “with the future [National Roads Authority] plans we’re quite lucky where we are, but the traffic starts miles before folks reach the George Town area”. She said the issue has been discussed quite a bit within her team, even if it’s a simple bus drop to a couple of locations such as Camana Bay and Grand Harbour. “The tricky part is the insurance on the buses for liability is quite eye-watering. “Many private schools have considered this; however, the sheer cost not only of the bus and driver, but liability insurance and logistics of staffing have held most back. If the school provides the service there is an added consideration of also providing staff trained in child protection on board, as the children are still in the care of the school whilst on the bus,” she said. While there have been some improvements to the road networks during the summer break, work on the expansion to the East-West Arterial, which has been promoted as a way to deal with traffic congestion, is still in the environmental impact assessment stage. School-bus debate stalls amid traffic chaos Traffic congestion has returned with the start of the school year. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Following a report of a teenage boy becoming unwell from ingesting ganja edibles ordered through a food delivery app, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Gent has issued a warning that the sale of cannabis products for anything other than medical use in Cayman is illegal. Gent, in a statement Thursday, said there was a “misconception” that certain cannabis products, such as the edibles the boy consumed, are allowed to be imported and offered for sale without prescription, because they are available in many US states. “This is absolutely not the case,” he said, noting that Cayman is guided by the local law, the Misuse of Drugs Act. His warning came after the mother of a 15-year-old boy reported to police and media outlets that her son had become ill after accessing ganja edibles from a local pharmacy through a Cayman- based delivery app. The mother said in an email in May that she had noticed her son displaying unusual behaviour after he returned home from a friend’s house. She said he was nauseous and dizzy and had bloodshot eyes, “causing great alarm”. She said his distress grew as his symptoms worsened, leading her to ask if he had consumed any substances. “Eventually, he confessed that he and his friends had experimented with THC edibles, an admission that left me stunned,” she said. She added that she was further shocked by her son’s claim that these edibles were readily available for delivery through a local food delivery app. The app has since pulled the product from its pharmacy section. Following his inquiries into the woman’s claim, Gent said, “it became evident, fairly early on, that some health care professionals are not certain of what relevant Cayman laws permits or prohibits when it comes to products containing cannabinol or its derivatives.” Gent said, “There are concerning misconceptions where many professionals believe that local law allows for the importation and general sale of products containing cannabinols if derived from hemp and products containing certain forms of psychoactive cannabinol derivatives – mainly the tetrahydrocannabidiol isomers or THCs.” Cannabinol is a chemical found in the cannabis sativa plant. The chief medical officer further clarified to the Compass that “any product containing any quantity of cannabinol or cannabinol derivatives, whether for eating, vaping, or any other purpose is not legal under Cayman Islands Law, unless it is explicitly prescribed under Section 2A of the Misuse of Drugs Act (2017 Revision) by a registered medical practitioner”. Gent has issued advisory notes to all local health care professionals registered as clinical practitioners outlining exactly what the law says. “Our aim is to ensure that all health care professionals are informed and compliant, so I encourage any health professional who needs further guidance and assistance to contact me directly,” he said. The Misuse of Drugs Act allows for the use of “cannabis extracts and tinctures of cannabis for medical or therapeutic purposes”, where prescribed by a medical doctor, licensed in accordance with the Health Practice Law, as part of a course of treatment for a person under that medical doctor’s care. Health chief issues warning over sale of ganja products A complaint over a teenager consuming cannabis edibles has led to a warning to healthcare professionals from the chief medical officer. cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023 Better Connected Buy 10-Dy Prime Pro Bundle in 10-Day PRIME PRO BUNDLE PRIME PRO BUNDLE $ 28.90 Only Entert inment Dt 10GB Loc l (On & Off Net) Voice Mins GET MORE MINUTES ON US Enjoy Endless Voice Minutes to Connect with Friends and Family IslandwideANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A serial con-woman at the centre of a rental scam that tricked more than two dozen people out of nearly $70,000 has entered guilty pleas, claiming she took the money to satisfy an apparent gambling addiction. Appearing before the Grand Court on Friday, 25 Aug., Judith Douglas, 57, of Bodden Town, entered guilty pleas to 26 of 36 charges of obtaining property by deception. For the remaining 10 counts, Douglas entered partial guilty pleas to six charges and four not guilty pleas. In total, Douglas admitted to stealing $69,790, as part of a plea deal with the prosecution. “The prosecution is content with the guilty pleas that have been entered by the defendant,” said prosecutor Kerri-Ann Gillies. In the cases of partial guilty pleas, the Crown noted, that partial refunds were made and where not guilty pleas were entered, either a full refund had been given or the complainant in the matter did not want to proceed. The charges stem from a series of scams initiated by Douglas between December 2022 and March 2023, during which she collected cash deposits from her unsuspecting victims, with the promise that the money would be used as a security deposit and/or for the first month’s rent for a premises on Diaz Lane in George Town. It was later discovered that although Douglas, through her family, had connections to the property she did not have any authority to lease the unit. In the plea deal between Douglas and the prosecution, which the Compass has seen, the con-woman attempted to explain the circumstances behind the incidents. Prosecutors have stressed that while they accepted the pleas, they did not accept Douglas’ version of events. Douglas claimed that she had initially rented out the apartment in good faith to a prospective tenant, but the tenant that was occupying the unit had not moved out as expected. “I was unable to return the deposit to the prospective tenant, as I had already spent it feeding a pernicious gambling addiction,” stated Douglas as the basis for her guilty pleas. She continued, “In order to pay back the prospective tenants, I agreed to rent the property to further new tenants, in the hope that I could recover my gambling losses and pay everyone back. Unfortunately, this started a vicious cycle of taking from Peter to pay Paul.” According to her comments in her basis of plea, Douglas continued gambling with the hopes that her “fortunes would change, and everyone could be paid back”. Although the prosecution has accepted the guilty pleas, they have remained hesitant to accept Douglas’s apparent gambling addiction as the cause of the problem. Her attorney, Jonathon Hughes, told the court that his client made the admissions during a police interview, and that there were supporting WhatsApp messages on her phone, which was surrendered to police, that proved her addiction. In March, when the scam came to light, Douglas turned herself in, and has since been in custody. The mention date to set a sentencing hearing has been scheduled for 20 Oct. Ahead of her sentencing, a psychological report has been ordered, specifically to address her gambling addiction. Con-woman says she gambled away victims’ money $69,790 The amount of money Douglas admitted stealing from her victims ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky “She is a thief! A wicked unconscionable woman who should never be let back out of prison!” Those are the words of one of Judith Douglas’s most recent 36 victims who fell prey to her rental scam between January and March of this year. Douglas, 57, a serial con woman, had been released from prison on a probationary license, after serving more than 60% of a five-year sentence, for a $1.9 million immigration scam. On Friday, 25 Aug., she entered 28 guilty pleas, six partial guilty pleas, and four not guilty pleas to 36 counts of obtaining property by deception. The charges stem from an unsophisticated scheme in which Douglas collected cash deposits from multiple people for a rental unit on Diaz Lane, George Town. Although Douglas, through her family, was connected to the property, she was not the owner of the residence nor did she have permission to rent the property; and her victims were unable to move into the apartment – with no refunds offered in most cases. “It looks like as soon as she got out, she got back to scamming people,” said the recent victim, who asked not to be identified. “Imagine, she knew that I had a 6-month- old baby girl at the time, and I needed a bigger place to stay, so I gave her one month’s rent plus one month’s deposit – and she took my money knowing my circumstances, and that this was a scam.” According to the victim, he had given his then-landlord notice that he would be moving out. So, his landlord rented the place to another person, leaving him without a place to stay. “My wife, my baby girl and I were all basically homeless. I had to borrow more than $2,000 from my boss just so that I could go get a place to stay,” he said. “Now, you tell me, how can one woman be so wicked?” Douglas swindled her victims out of a total of $69,790 with people paying anywhere from $700 to $4,600. Another victim who spoke to the Compass and also asked not to be identified, said Douglas was deliberate about who she targeted and how she approached them. “I posted an ad on social media, saying ‘I’m urgently seeking a place,’ and, within a couple of hours, she messaged me,” said the second victim. “She said that she had other people asking about the room, but if I had cash, then she would be able to give me the place instead.” The woman said she jumped at the opportunity, although, in the back of her mind, she had doubts. “I went to the place and I saw it for myself, that’s why I gave her the money,” she said. But within a couple of hours of both victims handing over their cash, social media posts appeared with dozens of people complaining that Douglas had scammed them. “When I went to the police station to report the matter, I saw dozens of people. Everybody was there complaining about the same ‘tiefing’ woman,” he said. Rental scam victims lament their losses “When I went to the police station to report the matter, I saw dozens of people. Everybody was there complaining about the same ‘tiefing’ woman.” Scam victim of Judith Douglas This rental property on Diaz Lane in Rock Hole, George Town was used by Judith Douglas to scam victims out of $69,790. - Photo: Andrel Harris Judith Douglas is led away in handcuffs on Friday, 25 Aug., after admitting to stealing nearly $70,000. cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The small size of Little Cayman’s Edward Bodden Airfield plays a vital role in restricting new construction on the island in the absence of a development plan, the director of the Department of Environment has said. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, speaking at a recent National Conservation Council meeting where members discussed plans for an environmental impact assessment on a proposed relocation of the airport, noted that neither of the two Sister Islands – Cayman Brac and Little Cayman – have development plans. “Obviously, the Department of Environment is concerned about any increase in the ability to increase the number of people who can access Little Cayman and the availability of goods and services getting onto the island more quickly without having a development plan for the island,” she said. About 30,000 passengers a year travel to Little Cayman – which has a population of around 2,000 people – on Cayman Airways’ small fleet of 19-seater Twin Otters. “That airport is one of the major control valves on development, both the rate and the scale of it on Little Cayman,” the DoE director said. “Removing some of the constraint that’s imposed by the size of the current airport will have a significant impact on the development potential for the island.” She added, “We think, as the DoE, that there needs to be very serious consideration given to putting a development plan in place for the island before we lift the only control valve we have for development on the island.” Proposal for new airport Canadian design consultancy firm Stantec, which helped draft the Cayman Islands Airports Authority's new Airports Master Plan, previously stated there was an urgent need to address the Little Cayman aerodrome, as it is unlicensed, is located on privately owned land, and does not meet international safety regulations. The airport, near Blossom Village, currently operates under a recurring ‘exemption of airworthiness’ from the Civil Aviation Authority. The consultants have suggested a new airport and runway could be constructed on government land, near the current Public Works site, which had previously been cleared. Ebanks-Petrie also noted that there were concerns over the location of the proposed new site for the airport, as frigate birds and red-footed boobies would fly across that area to reach the Booby Pond nature reserve, which is located south of the site. Government announced in May that while a new airport for Little Cayman was not among the immediate projects outlined in the Airports Master Plan, an environmental impact assessment on the proposed new site for the airport would be carried out. The master plan also calls for EIAs to be completed on expansion and redevelopment projects at the Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman and the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac. The conservation council voted in favour of setting up a single Environment Assessment Board to oversee the impact assessments on all three airport projects. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority released its Airports Master Plan last month, outlining short-, medium- and long-term development for each of the islands’ three airports. General aviation terminal The council also voted that while it was not recommending an EIA for a general aviation terminal beside the Owen Roberts International Airport, it was asking for the replenishment of mangroves that would be removed in the construction of the facility. Lauren Dombowsky, manager of the Environmental Management Unit at the Department of Environment, who presented the EIA options to the conservation council, explained that an area of the mangrove buffer zone at that site had previously been cleared, but has since regrown. In her report, she recommended restoring 1.5 acres of the mangrove buffer zone to offset the loss of 3 acres of mangroves at the site – a proposal the council agreed to. Ebanks-Petrie noted that the National Conservation Council could not direct the Cayman Islands Airports Authority to restore the mangroves, because the mangrove buffer zone is not a protected area under the National Conservation Act, and therefore it has no other option than to strongly recommend that the mangroves be partially restored. Cayman Brac runway extension Delivering a report on the planned extension to the Brac airport, Dombowsky said there were some environmentally sensitive areas adjacent to the site. These include a nesting area for the Sister Islands rock iguanas and a proposed critical sea turtle nesting habitat. The airport is also next to a protected marine reserve, and the Westerly Ponds which are home to birds and mangroves. The Airports Master Plan calls for the extension of the runway and the safety area to the west, which would bring it close to the turtle nesting area, Dombowsky said. The proposal involves partially filling the neighbouring ponds, and adding a taxiway, control tower and weather station to the north of the existing runway. She noted that Cayman Brac does not have an abundance of marine habitat, and the Westerly Ponds, though “not pristine, they are still very important as a stopover site” for wetland and wading birds. “With that in mind, the recommendation from the DoE is that an environmental impact assessment would be required,” Dombowsky said, adding that it would focus only on the ecological issues. She added that it was also recommended that the EIA look at drainage and water quality, “because those ponds are quite close to some of the main tourist areas on the Brac, and if the water quality in those ponds are impacted and they become eutrophic, that could have a big impact amenity issue for those properties on the south”. Environment chief: Little Cayman’s airport a development ‘control valve’ A Cayman Airways Express Twin Otter plane taxies across Guy Banks Road after landing on the airstrip at the Edward Bodden Airfield on Little Cayman. - Photo: Norma Connolly cayman compass 9 WEEKLY, 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2023 You paid to insure this... but you own this. If you have a loss, you will only be paid for a proportion of your claim. Are you at risk of underinsurance? To fi nd out if you’re at risk, call us at +1 345 949 7280. islandheritageinsurance.com/underinsurance Underinsurance –it’s just not worth it. AD IH KY_underinsurance_4.0218x13.6654_vert_cay.compass_FINAL_run.sept.1.2023.indd 125/08/2023 3:58 PM news N newsNext >