The top article in the Tuesday, 21 Sept. issue of the Caymanian Compass was “Taekwon-do champions return” and reported that the Cayman team had returned from the Caribbean International Taekwon-do Tournament in Kingston, Jamaica, sporting six trophies. It was the first time the school entered any competition and the first time Cayman had ever competed in martial arts, so it could be “rightly proud of having its flag hung in the Kingston National Arena”.

The youngest of the group was a blond-haired boy named Woodrow Foster.

On the front page of the Friday, 24 Sept. issue, an article headlined “Nomination Day brings a few surprises” reported that 10 members of the last House were seeking re-election, with four others who sat previously striving to regain membership. Ten newcomers are also in the field, along with four others who have run successfully,” making the total 28 candidates for the 12 seats in the six constituencies, which have a total of 6,525 voters”.

A small article appeared saying that “Radio Cayman will most probably go on full schedule and begin its A.M. frequency within the next 14 days, if all the parts arrive in the island by then.”

A lengthy article on page three, titled “Another economic boom is forecast for Cayman Islands”, reported that Financial Secretary Vassel Johnson was hopeful for Cayman’s economic future. “The recession has ended … and it’s time for a recovery. Within a short while the country should be booming again … However, he warns that the duration of the expected boom will depend to a large measure on outside influences,” the story noted.

The article stated that Johnson, who served with the government for 31 years, since 1945, said that, judging from the economy in the days just after World War II and the trend of thought in the early post war years, “one would hardly have visualised the Cayman Islands becoming a financial centre attracting a large number of the world’s leading financial institutions”.

The editorial on page four, titled “The battle is on”, discussed the surprises in the number of candidates, as some names had been kept out of the limelight until the proverbial eleventh hour. It noted that the biggest surprises were the nominations of Oliver Hill, a complete newcomer to politics, in the North Side electoral district, and of veteran legislator Ormand L. Panton, attorney at law, in George Town.

“The whole key to the campaign and election itself is the fact that the residue of power is in the hands of people. In all countries, a people gets the government it deserves,” the editorial stated.

An advertisement for Kentucky Fried Chicken appeared on page three, which offered hamburgers and a hotdog special along with its “Finger Lickin Good” chicken. A meal special that included a hot dog, French fries and a Coke cost $1.05.

The Cayman Compass searchable archives, going back to 1965, are now available here.