In days gone by, this Editor’s Message was the only forum your editor had for serious commentary on serious issues. Being somewhat of a hard-nosed journalist, at heart, the subject matter of these columns was sometimes in disharmony with the positive tone and content of Grand Cayman Magazine.
A valid question was, and is, Do our readers, although curious, cosmopolitan and urbane, really expect or desire to encounter columns on politics, crime or pollution in a magazine dedicated to “The Best of the Good Life in the Cayman Islands”?
Probably not.
In recent years, however, that issue has pretty much been resolved since our company acquired the newspaper, the Cayman Compass. We now have a daily forum (the editorial page of the newspaper) to pontificate on the serious, sometimes ponderous, issues of the day.
Grand Cayman Magazine, we think, rightly should focus on the sunnier side of things. It’s a good news publication, and there’s plenty of good news to tell.
In this current issue, we are particularly pleased to steer you to an article (“Reaching unheard of heights: culinary, enological and altitudinal”) by the inimitable Vicki Wheaton.
Vicki is as close to a celebrity as we have in our organization. She is the island’s premier emcee who headlines nearly every major on-island charitable gala. As an auctioneer for good causes, her pickpocketing skills rival the best of Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Her singing surpasses the best to be heard in Broadway’s musicals. Her writing? Well, please turn to Page 52. You won’t be disappointed.
Also in this issue, we celebrate two anniversaries, the Harquail Theatre which turns 30 (Page 60), and its somewhat younger sibling, the National Gallery, which marks its 20th year (Page 66).
What these institutions share is that both were founded by passionate pioneers who refused to be waylaid by the travails that always accompany worthwhile ventures. It is true that each institution benefitted enormously by wealthy benefactors, but both were moved forward by dozens of local artists, actors, cultural pioneers and ordinary citizens. Each institution has contributed immeasurably to the quality of life and culture in these islands.
Also in this issue, we debunk the myths and demystify the complexities of Cayman’s offshore financial services sector. No country, or industry, has been targeted and tarred with more misinformation than Cayman’s financial industry.
Uninformed or opportunistic politicians, woefully ignorant media, mystery authors and Hollywood screenwriters have concocted what amounts to a calumny about the Cayman offshore industry.
In what amounts to “straight-talk,” business writer Michael Klein explains (Page 110) in layman’s language why hedge funds, trusts, insurance companies and banks attract billions of dollars to our shores.
Lastly, we’ll end where we began – with good news about the Cayman Islands. Let us direct you to our special report, entitled “Big, Bold, Beautiful” (Page 85) which enumerates the building and development boom – highways, hotels, the expansion and enhancement of our infrastructure – which collectively amount to a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of these islands.
