Governor heads east on Cayman tour
Governor Choudhury meets102-year-old East End resident Stella Welcome
(CNS Local Life): Governor Anwar Choudhury last week visited East End attractions and places of interest as his continues touring and learning about the Islands. The tour, on Friday, 13 April, started off with a visit to the Blow Holes, led by East End resident and tour guide Alan Ebanks.
Choudhury was accompanied by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and the district’s MLA Arden McLean.
The party then visited the district’s eldest resident, Stella Welcome, at her home. The 102-year-old chatted with the governor before the pair went for a stroll along Seaview Road, a press release stated. The visit with the former community activist ended with her inviting Choudhury to visit again soon.
The governor experiences the East End Blow Holes
The party stopped at the cabana across from the United Church, where the governor spoke to residents including Evelyn McLaughlin. As one of the owners of the Winters Land Cistern, he took the group to see Grand Cayman’s largest freshwater lens.
The visit to the inland also featured walking across ironshore through a large and shady copse of ancient mahogany and ironwood.
The governor commented on the natural beauty of the site, with McLean pointing out the body of water is an invaluable resource to the island, and to the livelihood of East End residents in particular.
The trip to the water lens was followed by a short stopover at McLaughlin’s 40-acre pasture. The group talked about the uses of the trees in past years and the governor wondered about the practicability of commercially growing mahogany in the Cayman Islands, said the press release.
(L-R) Arden McLean and Evelyn McLaughlin discuss the significance of the Winters Land Cistern with Governor Choudhury
Next up was the Wreck of the Ten Sails., with McLean recounting the history of the English ship and explaining plans for the development of the land with a visitors’ centre and cabanas.
The tour ended with lunch at Vivine’s Kitchen, in the company of several of the district’s leading civic and business representatives. The governor discussed his priorities such as increasing security measures including cracking down on residential and drug crimes. He also spoke about valuing the unique character of the Cayman Islands and protecting it.
One invited guest, Carmen Conolly, gave a homemade thatched hat to the governor along with a thatched bag she made for his wife, Momina.
Category: Community
