cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 Weekly, 23-29 August 2024 Legend Dave Martins passes away Page 5 Calls for mental health centre to open soon Pages 21-23 Cricket star David Warner in Cayman tournament Page 32 Skate park wipeout Frustrations and sadness over Black Pearl closing Pages 3, 14 Phot o: T aneos Ramsa yMatinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $10.00 (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. BORDERLANDS (PG-13) (SAT) 12:45 (SUN) 7:15 | 9:50 | 10:00 VIP DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (R) (FRI) 12:45 | 1:00 VIP | 3:45 | 6:50 | 7:00 VIP | 9:30 VIP | 10:00 (SAT, MON, WED-THURS) 12:45 | 1:00 VIP | 3:45 | 6:50 | 7:00 VIP | 9:30 VIP (TUES) 12:45 | 1:00 VIP | 3:45 | 6:50 | 7:15 VIP | 9:30 VIP DESPICABLE ME 4 (PG) (SAT) 1:45 (SUN) 3:30 | 4:15 VIP IT ENDS WITH US (PG-13) (FRI) 12:30 | 4:00 VIP | 7:00 | 10:00 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 4:00 VIP | 10:00 VIP (SUN) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:30 VIP | 10:00 (TUES) 12:45 | 4:00 VIP | 10:00 VIP TRAP (PG-13) (FRI, MON-THURS) 1:30 | 3:30 VIP | 4:20 (SAT) 3:30 VIP | 4:20 (SUN) 3:45 VIP | 4:30 | 6:45 VIP | 7:25 | 9:20 VIP | 10:00 TWISTERS (PG-13) (SUN) 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:35 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK KINDS OF KINDNESS (R) (FRI) 12:30 VIP | 3:30 | 6:45 VIP | 9:35 (SAT, MON, WED-THURS) 12:30 VIP | 3:30 | 6:45 VIP (TUES) 12:30 VIP | 3:30 ALIEN: ROMULUS (R) (FRI-SAT, MON-THURS) 12:45 VIP 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 10:00 MY PENGUIN FRIEND (PG) (SUN) 4:15 THE CROW (R) (FRI) 12:50 | 4:05 VIP | 7:30 | 10:15 VIP (SAT) 4:05 VIP | 10:15 VIP (MON-THURS) 12:50 | 4:05 VIP | 10:15 VIP CLASSIC TUESDAY 7PM VIP SUPERMAN 4: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (PG) MOANA (PG) KIDS CLUB SATURDAY 10AM AUD/VIP DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (PG) KIDS CLUB SATURDAY 10AM AUD/VIP 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 chance isolated showers SEA STATE Smooth with a wave height of fewer than 2 feet WINDS East to northeast at 5 to 10 knots 92°F HIGH 82°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Compass Media is growing its team and enhancing its digital content offering with a new video production strategy that will include the expanded delivery of streaming content on new multimedia platforms. The investment in enhanced video production and programming comes as part of a wider expansion in other areas of Compass Media, including new additions to the newsroom and expanded footprint in radio. It will allow the media house to connect with audiences on any platform at any time, in all three Cayman Islands and across the world. This expansion comes on the heels of ongoing commitment from Dart Media and Entertainment, following its acquisition of the company last year, that saw Cayman Compass content become free to all readers in February with the removal of the online paywall, eliminating the charge for the weekly Cayman Compass print edition and increased newspaper distribution in the community. The company produces content across digital, social, print, video and radio. “When we acquired Compass Media, our intention was to fuel resources that would allow the organisation to address the evolving needs of the community. Our investment in growing the team and launching enhanced video production and programming is a demonstration of that commitment,” said Dart Media and Entertainment Director, Jackie Doak. “Online streaming has become a staple in today’s modern society, with an increasing demand for high- quality video programming and we’re ensuring we are responsive to the market.” Steering the expansion is new Publisher Tripp Donnelly who brings unique experience to the helm of Compass Media. A seasoned technology and multimedia executive, Donnelly has decades of experience in growing multi-platform businesses and a successful history of doing business between the Cayman Islands and the US that dates back 15 years. “As we prepare to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Compass next year, we remain focused on delivering on our promise as the most trusted name in media. These investments across new and expanding platforms will bring quality news and entertainment to the people of Cayman with unparalleled access,” said Donnelly. “We look forward to rolling out these new and exciting initiatives to engage more with our readers, viewers and listeners in the months ahead.” The continued investment by Dart Media and Entertainment ensures a strong future for the Compass Media family of brands and underscores the value of local news and the importance of robust journalism. Compass Media will continue its longstanding community focus through quality news, current affairs and entertainment, along with journalism scholarships and showcasing Cayman as a centre for training and cultivating the next generation of media professionals. “Ken Dart’s continued investment in Dart Media and Entertainment is a reflection of his confidence in Cayman as a global leader in innovation,” said Doak. “Tripp’s experience in driving growth through new media platforms and technology makes him ideally suited to propel Compass Media forward and build on its 60- year foundation with Cayman’s national newspaper as its cornerstone.” In addition to the Cayman Compass, its other publications, including InsideOut and Cayman Health + Wellness, and its popular live events, Compass Media also operates four radio stations – Z99 FM, Rooster Cayman Country FM, Gold FM and Island FM. No charges yet for youth in minister’s collision case Police say charges have yet to be filed against the three Bodden Town youth arrested over alleged interference with the CAT excavator arm that Border Control Minister Dwayne Seymour collided with on 8 Aug. The Bodden Town East MP, who was driving a black Chevrolet Tahoe, crashed into the excavator around 12:30am. He was transported to hospital with head injuries and later released. Three young people, whose ages were not released, remain on bail on suspicion of carrying out a reckless and negligent act, having allegedly moved the excavator and placed its extended arm onto the road on Anton Bodden Drive. Police, in response to Compass queries on whether the excavator’s owner would also face charges, said, “the investigation into the collision remains ongoing and all avenues will be explored”. The RCIPS declined to share any further details on the internal investigation launched by Police Commissioner Kurt Walton into the failure to retrieve a blood sample from Seymour after the collision. “No further comment on the matter will be made at this time,” the RCIPS said, when asked for a timeframe on the probe and which unit was conducting the internal inquiry. One hurt in George Town wounding One man has been hospitalised following a wounding incident on School Road in George Town on 21 Aug. Police, in a statement issued the following day, said the man was found bleeding and unconscious. He was being treated for lacerations to his face and head. Police said the man was assaulted and they are investigating the circumstances surrounding his wounding. “Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward and provide any information that may assist with the investigation,” the statement said. Police said just after 2pm on 21 Aug., officers and other emergency services responded to a report of a person in distress on School Road. Emergency medical services assessed the injured man and transported him by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated by the attending physician for “serious injuries”, according to police. The RCIPS said officers who attended the scene spoke with persons in the area but they were unable to get any information pertaining to the incident or positively identify the scene where the wounding took place. Anyone with information can call the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. Special announcement: Compass team grows and plans streaming content expansion cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky It was a bittersweet moment for Paige Burkholder and Paxton McCoy walking into the Black Pearl Skate Park on Friday afternoon, 16 Aug., knowing that it would be one of the last occasions they enjoyed the Grand Harbour facility. The skate park, one of the largest such outdoor facility in the world, will be closing at the end of the month. Michael Myles, who runs the non-profit Cayman Islands Skateboard Association that operates the park, confirmed the looming closure. Burkholder, 22, said the park holds special meaning for her, as many of her childhood memories were made there. “Most of the scars on my knees were from the fun times in here,” she said. Both Burkholder and McCoy recounted spending many of their childhood and adolescent afternoons at the skate park. “I have been riding my scooter here since I was 7 ... Every lunchtime we would scooter and skateboard and just run in the skate park and play dodgeball in the bowl ... and it was just really fun,” Burkholder said as she recalled spending her breaks at Hope Academy in the park. McCoy said he could not believe that after all this time, the park will be closed. The facility initially opened in 2005 and, after several stops and starts, has been in continuous operation since 2013. “Why do they have to take something that’s for the kids and the children of the community out? What’s the reason for it? Is it that much that you really need to just build condos or a plaza here or something? Don’t you think there’s enough development going on? I was hoping [government] would step in,” he said. Myles also shared McCoy’s hope and reached out to various governments over the years to seek their intervention to save the park. “It is an iconic park,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that as a country, we did not maintain it. I felt that our government should have stepped in and purchased this park probably 15 years ago. There’s so many things that we could have done more in this park,” he said. Myles said he was informed that the park has been sold and was given notice this month that it will be closed at month’s end. He said he was not told what will happen to the facility, but judging by the surrounding boom of development in the Grand Harbour area, he said it was easy to guess the future of the park. “This has been really a home away from home for a lot of young people,” he said, adding that it was “disappointing” to see it all go away. The Grand Harbour Commercial Centre, originally owned by the Bell family, was put up for sale in 2014. In 2022, the Central Planning Authority granted permission for the Black Pearl Skate Park and the neighbouring defunct water park to be subdivided from the adjacent car park and outdoor bar. Missed opportunity Myles said the Bell family had done a tremendous job in building the “phenomenal park”, which has seen many of the world’s best pro skaters drop in over the past two decades. World-renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk officially opened the park in 2005. The facility also attracted skaters like Shaun White and Bam Margera. Hawk’s management team declined to comment on the closure. Myles said he believes the community has missed an opportunity to protect a space for local kids to safely play, as well as the chance to develop potential Olympians. “We could have done better in putting more money in this,” he said. “We now have skateboarding as an Olympic sport. We have BMX riding as an Olympic sport. All of those people have come down here and have said this is perhaps the best park in the world to do this sort of stuff. So, that’s the frustrating part is that we miss so many different possibilities.” Skateboarder Philipp Richter agreed that Cayman has lost a training ground with the coming closure of the skate park. He said the skateboarding community is looking for other places to continue the sport, including a site established in Prospect’s Mariners Cove and in George Town. He said the community already knew the “writing was on the wall” for the skate park as there has been a steady decline in people using the facility. “It was also, in a sense, an unsustainable business model, because not really many kids [attended]. It would fluctuate. Sometimes a [family] would throw a birthday party and there would be a lot of scooter kids. But on average, there is not that many people, and not many new blood [skaters] coming in to keep it going,” he said. Myles said he will be donating the equipment from the skate park and, unfortunately, the Caymanian youth he employed to help manage the park will now have to find alternative employment. Lack of family- friendly spaces Myles said the situation is “heart wrenching” as he has put a lot of sweat and tears into keeping the facility alive. He said he has been doing soul searching about the situation, but he knew it was coming for the last two years. “I will basically be terminating the [skateboard] association. There’s nothing else for me to do. I believe at the end of the day, my responsibility now is to continue to build Inspire Cayman Training, and hopefully we can do other things where we could give Caymanians opportunity,” he said. Myles said he is sad to see the facility go, as his kids grew up in the park just like many other Caymanian children, who benefited from the positive outlet. Marley Myles, his 10-year-old daughter, said she was disappointed that the park was closing. “There’s a lot of places I could go to skate, but not a lot of places that are like this,” she said, adding that she will miss the park. “There are so many people who love this skate park,” she said, adding, “If you could do something, or just keep it at least, then other people can take care of it.” Mother Janet Ebanks, together with her husband Shane and son Asher, also uses the skate park on a regular basis, making the trek from their West Bay home to Grand Harbour. She said she was distressed to hear that the facility was closing. “I think it’s sad really, because what is there in Cayman for children to do? [It’s] a safe haven that they can come and relax, and express their talents as well ‘cause a lot of people have learned to master different jumps with the skateboard and the bicycles and the scooters,” she said. She said her fear now is that kids will end up on the street and “we’ve already seen results of that by not having a lot of positive things for them to be involved in”. Ebanks said the skate park offered an avenue for exercise and friendship for kids. She said rather than sitting at home or scrolling social media, kids were out having fun. “It’s a sad situation that we’re taking away something again that children can be a part of and be in a safe environment ... I just pray Black Pearl Skate Park during its glory days. - Photo: File Heartbreak and frustration as Black Pearl Skate Park closure nears West Bay mum Janet Ebanks, together with her husband Shane and son Asher. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath Paige Burkholder and Paxton McCoy expressed disappointment over the coming closure of the Black Pearl Skate Park. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath The skate park has attracted not just skateboarders over the years. Pictured here in 2017, professional scooter rider Dejion Taylor puts on an impressive show. – Photo: File cayman compass news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024 31234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Unimaginative (7) 5 Having precedence (5) 8 Be offended by (4,5) 9 Pull hard (3) 10 Put into common fund (4) 12 Offensively contemptuous (8) 14 Breach of the peace (6) 15 Tunefulness (6) 17 Supporter of a party (8) 18 Conception (4) 21 Loud continued noise (3) 22 Generally (2,7) 24 Poverty-stricken (5) 25 To fall (7) DOWN 1 Dishonestly devised (3-2) 2 A hard durable wood (3) 3 Continuously (4) 4 Customer (6) 5 Disregard claims of (4,4) 6 Emotionally inclined (2,3,4) 7 With justice (7) 11 Remote possibility (3,6) 13 Clean amended transcript (4,4) 14 Careless freedom of action (7) 16 Present (2,4) 19 In front (5) 20 Supreme Ancient Greek god (4) 23 A primate (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17717 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 17717 ACROSS: 1 Prosaic, 5 Prior, 8 Take amiss, 9 Tug, 10 Pool, 12 Insolent, 14 Affray, 15 Melody, 17 Adherent, 18 Idea, 21 Din, 22 On average, 24 Needy, 25 Descend. DOWN: 1 Put-up, 2 Oak, 3 Away, 4 Client, 5 Pass over, 6 In the mood, 7 Rightly, 11 Off chance, 13 Fair copy, 14 Abandon, 16 On hand, 19 Ahead, 20 Zeus, 23 Ape. What they’re saying Online Photographer John Paul Ramos snapped this picture of a black-necked stilt at a cow pasture on Batabano Road in West Bay on Sunday afternoon, 18 Aug. These delicate, long-legged waterbirds can grow up to 15 inches tall, and the largest of them can have a wingspan of almost 30 inches. Ramos says the stilts at the site, which is popular among birdwatchers, were guarding their chicks on the day he stopped by to take photos of herons. pic of the week Walking tall Lighthouse School grapples with rising demand for special needs services Sadly, this needs an expansion, as well as does Sunrise Adult Training Centre, more than the Brac needs a $50 million school, but apparently the Cayman Islands government priorities seem to be messed up, especially when the current minister of education has been around for a little while so should know of these problems. Wanda Viscount Special needs have been neglected. So sad. We need summer programmes and camps. When these special needs children graduate, there is nothing for them to do. Martini Angel We need to open another school similar to Lighthouse School to facilitate and educate our growing population of special needs children! As more children are diagnosed, the demand for special education services increases. A family who cannot afford to send their child to a private clinic is presented with limited options. Alisha Tugman What’s additionally massively needed is a specialised school with smaller classes and specialised teachers for kids with dyslexia/ dysgraphia and others. Jon Soto Alongside this, the students with an SEMH (social, emotional and mental health difficulties) need are in need of provision as they can’t always cope in mainstream [schools] and require specialist support and approaches. Theses students are never mentioned. Penny Taylor Compliance sweep disrupts Cayman residents’ bank accounts This is normal in modern financial services. Use the mailbox in their online banking to ask questions – very quick responses. The customer service desk at Albert Panton Street will certify all your documents for free; just bring the original and a copy for them. I do agree in Cayman the utility bill can be a difficult requirement, but I think the other option is a copy of your current lease. Scott EB It seems that Butterfield is constantly a mess. Why would anyone bank there? If they keep screwing up, move to another bank. Many good options on island. wallstpete It’s not just the banks wanting a heap of documents, it’s also the pension companies wanting to know where the money is coming from, even though it has been paid directly from the employer for 10 years. ausjamcayman I have had this problem with Butterfield and they asked stupid questions. The government should do something positive to end this absurd hassle of its clients. I am retired, 75 years old and get money from a small investment on the island. I was harassed for a couple of months They even wanted a copy of my marriage licence. I only have one in Hebrew. Bruce L. The question I would like to pose to the bank: If I have been a client for 20 years, have a credit card, a mortgage, business loans and take my relationship manager for drinks every Christmas, why the hell do I have to keep providing documents year on year and with threats to lock/block my accounts? Isn’t having a relationship and in good standing with the bank part of knowing your clients? What the banks are doing is harassing customers and treating everyone like drug dealers and politicians. On top of this now, they are charging a compliance fee each month? Well, no more drinks for [my relationship manager]. I have to lower my costs. Hugh J. The response of the bankers demonstrates how compliance derangement syndrome through the means of deranged compliance officers distorts what was originally sensible legislation. By all means, require notarised validation of any changes but if the response to the query is “unchanged”, why make the customers go through it all again? Boff D. Grand Hyatt developer plans water-sports dock on Seven Mile An environmental impact assessment will be required, yes? Terry Bonnie Smith Here goes the rest of southern Seven Mile Beach eroding into the sea. Very sad indeed. Cathy Gonzalez That’s where the Gamma wreck is. Many tourists swim there to see a wreck close to shore. I take almost all our visitors there. I hope the powers that be realise this, and say NO. Carolyn Schmidt Knapp The making of a champion Such an amazing story. Big congratulations to Jordan, his coaches and family. Bertram Blackman What a fantastic article! Bethany Miller Finally, the recognition coach Caleb so fully deserves! He left the same imprints on our lives here in Virginia both as a coach and a person! Congrats, Jordan! Kimberly Vosper Owens cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024SHANDA GALLEGO sgallego@compassmedia.ky Calypsonian and leader of the band The Tradewinds, David ‘Dave’ Anthony Martins, passed away on 18 Aug., at the age of 90. His wife Annette Arjoon confirmed his passing in a Facebook post, writing, “Eternally grateful to have shared fifteen years of unconditional love, support, and especially shared passions for everything Guyanese with my soulmate.” Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali also issued a statement, saying he is “deeply saddened to hear of Martins’ passing”. “Dave’s talent, passion, dedication and patriotism were truly inspiring, and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched,” Ali said. Many took to social media to express their heartfelt condolences and give tribute to Martins, originally from Guyana and who made Cayman his home for more than 20 years. He established his footprint in Cayman’s music and culture scene, creating the popular theatre comedy revue ‘Rundown’ in 1991, which would raise generations of Caymanian performing artists. In a Facebook statement, the Ministry of Heritage said the cultural icon left an “indelible mark” on Caymanian culture and heritage. “As the creator of the beloved comedy revue Rundown, Dave brought both laughter and reflection to our community, showcasing our unique stories and humour. His contributions to music, particularly with The Tradewinds, resonated throughout the Caribbean,” the ministry said. The Cayman National Cultural Foundation expressed “profound sorrow” on the passing of Martins, calling him “an extraordinary Caribbean cultural visionary and leader” who “blended dynamic rhythms with poignant social commentary”. “Beyond music, Dave’s contributions to the Cayman Islands’ culture was immeasurable,” the foundation said, noting his work to establish the Batabano carnival with Rotary and designing Cayfest. “His leadership extended to his roles as Chairman of the Cultural Foundation, Executive Director of the Pirates Week National Festival, and President of the Cayman Music & Entertainment Association,” the foundation added. “Dave Martins was a true Caribbean son, and his loss is felt not only in Guyana and the Cayman Islands but throughout the entire region. His legacy will live on in his music, his writings, and the many cultural institutions he helped build. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and all who were touched by his remarkable life.” Former CNCF artistic director Henry Muttoo, who worked closely with Martins for more than 40 years, told the Compass that Martins was “a deceptively uncomplicated visionary whose work as artist, musician, poet, journalist, actor, cultural advisor, editor and author, carry all the nuances of the creative process”. He added, “I have lost one of my closest friends and Cayman, a man who, for 25 years, made this land his home, became Caymanian and made signal contributions to our cultural development and preservation. Only in his native Guyana, where he remains a National Cultural Treasure, is Dave more loved than he is, in Cayman. This speaks volumes about the meaning of Caymankind. “Dave loved this country. As late as a year ago, he told me how much he wished he could return to Cayman for one final visit. He never made it in the flesh, but I assure you, he is here in spirit and in the tremendous contributions he has made to our cultural development,” Muttoo said. Body of music Martins was widely known for singing, producing and performing with The Tradewinds, which he formed in 1966. Over the years, the band, which also included members Jeff Japal, Richard Terry, Clive Rosteing and Harry Cupid, became a household name and released popular hit songs, including ‘Not a Blade of Grass’, ‘Guyana Coming Back’, ‘Cricket in the Jungle’, and ‘West Indian Alphabet’. Fans across the Caribbean and North America were touched by the sounds and rhythms of their music, which embodied Caribbean storytelling, culture and sayings. Cayman’s Swanky Kitchen Band paid tribute to Martins, whose idea for a new generation of kitchen band performers “started out as a tiny seed which landed on fertile soil”. “Swanky Kitchen Band owes its very existence to a phone call between Mr. Dave and Samuel Rose in August of 2003 where he suggested that Samuel get together with Nicholas Johnson and Daniel Augustine to keep the kitchen band genre alive,” the band told the Compass. “His fear was that without the younger generation’s involvement, this uniquely Caymanian art form would be lost forever. It is perhaps a touching end to the story that he has passed 21 years to the month of that initial conversation,” the band stated. “We owe Mr. Dave a tremendous debt of gratitude and consider ourselves a part of his incredibly rich musical legacy. We extend our sincere sympathies to all of his family, friends and the surviving members of The Tradewinds.” In 2014, Martins was awarded the Pioneers Award at the National Heroes Day celebration for significant cultural contributions to the Cayman Islands from 1960 to 2003. In 2022, Martins was also conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Guyana. Lasting impression Matt Brown, an original cast member of ‘Rundown’ and creator of the ‘Wha Happening’ comedy show, told the Compass, “I grew up watching Dave on stage, and his signature mannerisms, unique voice, and easygoing style left a lasting impression on me. “It has been an honor to be part of the ‘Rundown’ story created by Henry Muttoo and Dave Martins, and I hope that our spin- off, the ‘Wha Happening’ show, upholds the same standard of comically addressing the issues and topics our community needs to confront. Dave’s work and music will endure, and I hope that future generations of young Caymanians will feel the same spark when they hear his lyrics,” Brown said. Actress and original cast member of ‘Rundown’ Rita Estevanovich said told the Compass it was a “pleasure” performing with Martins over the years. “We had an unforgettable time with him and Ms. Consuelo, Mr. Herbie, Mr. Alan and many others. We were all like family, and no matter what rifts came between us, you found us back to do it all again the following year,” Estevanovich said. “Mr. Martins was always kind to me, and we shared in our sentimentality. I teared up one day after he sang, ‘That’s Cayman’ and he came over to me and said, ‘Never lose that about you’. “May he continue to strum the cuatro and bring joy to all in the afterlife.” Childhood musical idol As a close friend of Martins, Morgan DaCosta recalled to the Compass that he met Martins as teenager going to his dad’s gas station to buy fuel for his car. “I remember the first day that he pulled up and said, ‘fill it up please’, I was star struck! I had grown up listening to his music in our family home, seen him when he performed on stage but now, he was asking me to fill up his car in real life. From that moment on, he was a friend, and I was the coolest because I [met] the lead singer for The Tradewinds.” DaCosta shared that he ran into Martins years later and had the opportunity to audition for ‘Rundown’, for which he acted and sang alongside his “childhood musical idol for 17 years”. “A trailblazer he was and had a consciousness about the Caribbean and the place we held in the world as a collective Caribbean nation. His music told the stories of the region. I will miss him,” DaCosta said. “We have a body of work to hold on to for generations, and I am glad to have played a little part in it.” Martins’ wife announced on social media that a private funeral and a public memorial will be held at a later date. Caribbean cultural icon Dave Martins mourned Dave Martins - Photo: Annette Arjoon Facebook page The legendary Dave Martins in action. - Photo: CNCF Facebook page Martins and Rita Estevanovich on the Rundown stage. - Photo: CNCF Facebook page cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Hundreds of ordinary Cayman Islands residents are being hit with onerous banking compliance requirements amid increased scrutiny over money-laundering threats. Some say their accounts were locked – with implications for this month’s salary and bill payments – when they failed to meet strict deadlines to hand in the paperwork. Customers, many of whom have had the same bank account and the same job for decades, are being asked to provide proof of funds for their current account as well as notarised or certified identity documents. Several account holders told the Cayman Compass they had internet banking blocked or had their accounts locked completely because they did not provide the requested documents in time. Butterfield Bank customers were alerted to the requirement, in most cases by email, and warned that they risked having their accounts being impacted if they did not comply within 30 days. However, several account holders told the Compass the emails went into their junk folder and they were unaware of the requirement until they found their accounts blocked. One customer told us his account was locked and he was unable to receive his salary until his employer cut him a check. Another individual said they only became aware of a problem when their debit card was declined. “I had received their email while I was off island but it had gone into my spam folder,” he said. Several others were similarly impacted. One customer told us their internet banking was blocked, preventing them from paying bills. They had not received any communication about the document requirements. Upon investigation, he said, it turned out the bank had sent a letter to an old PO box, despite his address having been updated in their system. The Compass has had scores of complaints and calls from a variety of individuals about the same issue over the past four months. In all cases, those customers said they had accounts for many years with Butterfield Bank, had already provided the information requested previously and had never been asked, until now, for renewed information. Money-laundering vigilance An email from the bank to customers stated the information was necessary as part of ongoing compliance with standard ‘know your client’ laws in Cayman and around the globe. Banks are required to know and to verify the identity and source of funds of their clients in an effort to prevent money laundering. The email requested certified/ notarised copies of a passport, a certified/notarised utility bill with current address, a letter from an employer stating salary and source of funds, and tax status forms. Customers were advised to provide the information within 30 days to “avoid disruption to your accounts”. Despite the short timeline and the requirement for certified or notarised documents, several customers told the Compass they were unable to get through to the bank with queries about the documentation required. Others said they were unable to get clear answers to queries about the required paperwork, like how to provide a utility bill if their living arrangement did not include one. One account holder said he had simply found the requests “too much hassle and quite frankly too nosy” and closed his account after 20 years. Another customer said she found it absurd that people with just a few thousand dollars in their accounts – and a clear source of funds from a local employer – were being impacted by regulations intended to stop the global flow of illegal money around the world. They also questioned whether the bank had made enough effort to contact customers before taking action to impact their accounts. She said she had almost ignored the email, assuming it to be another phishing message. Ironically, she said, the next email she received from the bank was an alert warning about phishing attempts and indicating it would not request personal information over email. That email, sent to multiple customers, begins, “We have been made aware of a fraudulent e-mail that has been received by some clients in the Cayman Islands requesting customers to confirm personal information associated with their accounts. This e-mail is fake, and designed by criminals to obtain account information. Please do not respond to it or click on any links within it.” Butterfield Bank declined to answer specific questions about the issue, characterising it as a routine compliance exercise required by law, and referring us to a more general statement from the Cayman Islands Bankers’ Association. “Local banks operate in compliance with all Cayman laws and regulatory standards, and we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the Cayman Islands’ financial sector,” the association said in a statement. “To ensure compliance, and to prevent money laundering and other financial crimes, local banks must conduct regular reviews of all client relationships, requesting ‘know your client’ (“KYC”) documentation and information to facilitate appropriate monitoring of accounts. “We understand that requests for information and documentation may be considered onerous, and we sincerely appreciate our clients’ timely cooperation with such requests.” The Cayman Islands was recently removed from the international Financial Action Task Force’s ‘grey list’ of countries that were considered not to be doing enough to fight money laundering. Compliance sweep disrupts Cayman residents’ bank accounts Some Butterfield Bank customers have been irked by compliance requirements. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay One account holder said he had simply found the requests “too much hassle and quite frankly too nosy” and closed his account after 20 years. cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky A water sports dock for dive boats, catamarans and tour operators is planned as part of a major ongoing hotel development at the southern end of the Seven Mile Beach strip. The 10-storey Grand Hyatt will be the “largest hotel in the Cayman Islands once constructed”, according to developers. The group behind the partially built project, first approved more than six years ago, is now seeking a coastal works application to add a dock to the design. Paperwork submitted with the application indicates, “The proposed development wishes to offer water sports facilities for its guests (including members of the public).” The largest proposed boat to be berthed at the dock is a 60-foot catamaran operated by Red Sail Sports, the application states. Docks and piers have traditionally not been approved on the main Seven Mile strip. But there is no official policy on this and the location of the Grand Hyatt, close to the Wharf restaurant at the southern end of West Bay Road, is beyond the main beach. Designs submitted with the application show a linear pier extending outward from the ironshore coastline adjacent to the pocket beach fronting the hotel property. Plans indicate it would be a reinforced concrete construction of around 1,400 square feet. The application indicates vibratory hammers and silt screens would be used during construction to mitigate impacts on the marine environment. Plans for a large resort hotel on the site of the old Pageant Beach property were first approved in 2018. But the development was delayed due to disruptions from the pandemic and financing challenges. The project gained new traction in 2023 when Sterling Global Financial announced it was partnering with Pageant Beach Hotel Ltd to take the project to completion. Since then, work has accelerated at the site with a 2025 opening targeted. Located on a seven-acre site, the development will include 190 hotel rooms, 88 ‘condo-hotel’ guest rooms and 76 one-, two- and three- bed ‘condo hotel suites’, according to advance publicity from the developer. It is also slated to include six restaurants, three resort-style swimming pools, a 12,000-square- foot destination spa and fitness centre, and a 25,000 square- foot indoor-outdoor conference meeting space. Work is well under way with at least seven stories already built. Along the site’s waterfront is a mix of sandy beach, ironshore and hard- pan bottom alongside the remnants of man-made structures, possibly associated with the old property. Grand Hyatt developer plans water sports dock on Seven Mile The Grand Hyatt, currently under construction, is at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach where the coastline bends towards George Town. NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The Cayman Islands government has agreed to refund Doctors Hospital $300,000 in import duty it paid on medical equipment. The decision was announced in the brief minutes of a Cabinet meeting held on 8 Aug., and released on Friday, 16 Aug. While the minutes did not specify how much money was being refunded to the hospital or for what equipment, Doctors Hospital chairman of the board Dr. Yaron Rado confirmed the value to the Compass and said it was a duty refund on two major pieces of medical machinery the hospital imported in 2021. “We are very thankful the government is giving us a tax abatement that we applied for in 2021, when we brought in the best CT scanner in the Caribbean, our 500-slice CT scanner, and a state- of-the-art MRI with deep learning, like AI, which gives you much better image quality,” Rado said. Legal wrangling over import duty It appears this is the first rebate given to the hospital since 2021, when it launched a legal challenge against the government’s ongoing arrangement of offering duty-free importation of medical equipment to Health City Cayman Islands. In an application for a judicial review at the time, Doctors Hospital argued that it should also be able to avail of such a waiver. Under a contract signed in 2010 between Health City and the UDP government, Health City is entitled to import-duty waivers on the first US$800 million it spends on importing medical equipment. Once that was exhausted, it would receive reduced waivers over the following 30 years, according to the agreement. The government subsequently agreed to grant similar concessions to Aster Caribbean Holdings Ltd. for a hospital it planned to build, though it appears that project will not be going ahead. Doctors Hospital had argued at the time that giving such a wide- ranging and long-lasting waiver to other healthcare establishments was anti-competitive. Rado told the Compass on 16 Aug. that he believed Doctors Hospital was “investing at least as heavily in healthcare in the Cayman Islands as Health City is”, adding that almost all of the profits are reinvested in the hospital, which now employs 45 doctors across many specialities. Justice Richard Williams, in his ruling on the case in 2022, said the granting of the decades- long duty waivers to Health City was “inappropriate” and that subsequent governments were not bound indefinitely by an agreement made by a previous administration. The lack of transparency regarding import duty waivers, often granted to developers as an incentive to invest in Cayman, was highlighted nearly a decade earlier in an auditor general’s report. In September 2015, the then Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick issued a report on “poorly managed” revenue waivers, noting that there was “no checklist with established criteria and requirements against which revenue waiver applications were assessed for approval or rejection”. Swarbrick added that such a checklist would help ensure that applications were assessed “fairly and consistently”. Williams, in his ruling on the Doctors Hospital judicial review in August 2022, pointed out that, in response to Swarbrick’s report, government had agreed to implement a concessions criteria by 31 Dec. 2016. The judge said government “would be well advised and would be acting in a manner consistent with good governance if it did so, something it seems to have recognised since publicly stating in 2015 that it would draft and publish a policy”. No policy on duty concessions has been released publicly by the government. The issue was discussed at a Public Accounts Committee in May 2022, when Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson outlined repeated efforts to have a draft duty concessions policy finalised by politicians. The Compass has reached out to the Ministry of Finance to ask if a concessions policy has been drawn up and whether government continues to grant duty waivers to Health City. Import duty refund granted for Doctors Hospital The coastline around the half-built Grand Hyatt resort is part sandy beach, part shallow pools and part ironshore. - Photos: James Whittaker cayman compass 7 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024Introducing Cayman’s family album Explore Cayman life since 1965 through photos you have never seen Presented by Collection 3 now available With the generous support of our project partners cayman compass 8 WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024Introducing Cayman’s family album Explore Cayman life since 1965 through photos you have never seen Presented by Collection 3 now available With the generous support of our project partners cayman compass 9 WEEKLY, 23-29 AUGUST 2024Next >