Guyana Chronicle E Paper 11 06 2017

Astronomical Society aims for the stars Page 7

‘Vulgarians’ denounced No. 105088

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2017

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–– PPP unparliamentary conduct draws wide condemnation

50-year leases for Mocha residents

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Primary school students steal $1.8M Page 8

CoI unravels scheme behind illegal aircraft

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The deplorable state of this bridge, which has been posing a challenge for Mocha-Arcadia residents to traverse, will soon be replaced by a spanking new $10.7M bridge, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson says during a ministerial outreach to the East Bank Demerara community on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

Battered teacher found unconscious in City

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Better drainage for D’ Edward Village Page 9

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

50-year leases for Mocha residents by December –– major infrastructural works to be undertaken in coming months

By Svetlana Marshall WITHIN the next eight weeks the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) will commence the issuing of 50-year leases to residents of Mocha-Arcadia as the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) community positions itself to undergo further infrastructural transformation.

GL&SC Chief Execu-

the Mocha-Arcadia Primary School, Benn said qualified residents will be granted 50year leases within the next eight weeks.

Putting the land programme into perspective, the GL&SC CEO explained that when this administration took office in 2015, it was inundated with complaints from the residents of Mocha-Arcadia that they were treated unfairly with respect

Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) CEO Trevor Benn tive Officer Trevor Benn made the announcement on Sunday evening during a ministerial outreach to the community led by Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes; Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson; Chairman of Mocha-Arcadia Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Rudolph Adams; Chief Executive Officer of Central Housing and Planning Authority, Lelon Saul; and Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Water Incorporated, Dr. Van-West Charles, were among the officials present.

Addressing the scores of residents that turned out to the public meeting at

to the distribution of lands in the area.

By June 2016, the minister of state and GL&SC had met with residents with the aim of resolving issues surrounding the allocation of lands in the area.

“Ever since then we have been working to ensure that the residents of this community receive justice in relation to the lands previously held by their foreparents,” Benn said.

He noted that at the time, there were some 1700 acres of land at the back of the village, which was allocated to four individuals, none of whom lived in the community. After recognising that the lease holders were in breach of the agreement, a decision was taken to cancel

those leases, Benn further explained.

Once the 1700 acres of land became available, he said GL&SC immediately made the lands available to residents of the community.

Some 320 lots for housing and agricultural purposes have been made available to residents along with 58 larger plots strictly for agricultural purposes.

“We received substantiated claims from at least 123 residents and in December of last year we offered provisional leases to each of those 123 claimants. Today, we are finalising the survey of the lands, which will make these lots permanently available to the community and within the next eight weeks we expect that we will be able to commence issuing 50-year leases to the residents,” Benn disclosed to loud rounds of applause.

FARMING Based on the fact that Mocha-Arcadia is a farming community, the GL&SC CEO said a decision was taken for qualified residents to be granted plots of land that would enable them to farm.

“The lots are one acre each and for those who are seriously involved in agriculture, we have differentiated size lots at the back that will begin to be available to you before the end of 2017,” Benn assured.

CH&PA CEO, delivering brief remarks, said the authority is also taking the necessary steps to ensure that lands are made available to residents in Mocha- Arcadia.

“I know it is of concern [to] the NDC, in relation to those lots in Barnwell, CH&PA and the NDC will go into that community and confirm and verify all those unallocated house lots, and the people of Mocha-Arcadia would be given priority for

those lots,” Saul assured.

He disclosed that shortly, CH&PA will commence the electrification programme in the community of Barnwell.

Alluding to what he considered to be a “sensitive issue” for the people of Mocha- Arcadia -- the Broad Street Resettlement -- Saul said that the CH&PA has reached a position and the process is moving forward, but gave the assurance that the concerns of residents were being addressed.

Residents had expressed security, health and infrastructure-related issues, and according to the CH&PA CEO, the authority is working with the relevant government ministries and agencies to have those concerns addressed.

BETTER SERVICE Speaking on GWI’s programme for the community of Mocha-Arcadia, Dr. Van- West Charles told the residents that they are now receiving better services because of the works done in recent years.

“For 2018, as the plans for housing are concretised, then we will move to ensure that a new well comes into place to address the full

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, updating residents on the infrastructural works being done in Mocha-Arcadia needs of Mocha-Arcadia,” would be met next year. he posited.

“We want you to unResidents of Mocha-Ar- derstand that come 2018 cadia are also in line to ben- your Burnham Drive will be efit from the construction of fixed. This is what Minister a $10.7M bridge, which will Ferguson is saying, Burnham replace the current one that Drive will be fixed, hold me is presently in a deplorable to that,” she assured. state, Minister Ferguson said She was keen on pointas she took to the podium. ing out that when the adFerguson said the Public ministration entered office, Infrastructure Ministry is the main access road in the cognisant of the other infra- community was without structural needs of the com- lights and in a deplorable munity with respect to roads state, but those issues are and bridges, and those needs now things of the past.

Residents at the ministerial outreach at the Mocha-Arcadia Primary School on Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

‘Vulgarians’ denounced –– PPP unparliamentary conduct draws wide condemnation

THE Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been roundly condemned for what has been described as their “despicable” behaviour in the Parliament chamber last week with President David Granger labelling them “vulgarians.”

The Guyana Chronicle has been reliably informed that government will likely make a formal complaint to the Speaker of the House Dr Barton Scotland, with a view to having the PPP Members of Parliament (MPs) sanctioned for the placard-bearing protest last week in the House that interrupted the President’s address.

The PPP has since tried to defend its behaviour, but only their supporters have sought to justify their actions.

Speaking over the weekend at the 5th Biennial Con-

the parliamentary record of Guyana.”

DISGUSTING EPISODES “It will go down as one of the most disgusting episodes of parliamentary misbehaviour,” Demerara Waves reported.

According to the report, President Granger, who is also the leader of the PNCR, said Thursday’s behaviour demonstrates clearly that “No other party at this time or in the future can give Guyana the quality of leadership…” it deserves.

“Another reason why we are here today is because more than ever I am convinced that the PPP does not deserve to run the government of Guyana. Its disdain for democracy, its contempt for culture…,” Demerara Waves quoted him as saying.

Additionally, the head-

Former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo holds a placard while protesting during President David Granger’s address to the 71st sitting of the National Assembly last Thursday. The placard has the word “dividing” spelt incorrectly as “deviding” (Taken from Facebook) ference People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) North American Region held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, President Granger said, “Another good reason for me to be here, as I said last night, is that I need to take refuge from the vulgarians… the vulgarians can get you down and you come under severe attack. It’s good to be among friends. Look at here, no placards and I can speak without interruption.”

Online media entity, Demerara Waves, reported too that the President referred to last Thursday as “a day of infamy in the annals of

of-state in passing referenced Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s placard which contained the word divide incorrectly spelled as “devide.”

“The PNC is the face of the future. We are what Guyana looks like, not the people that you saw on Thursday.

We can spell,” he stated, while declaring that his party is the “conscience of the country.”

On Thursday, at the opening ceremony of the 71st Sitting of the 11th Parliament, the President outlined his administration’s plans while highlighting achievements over the past two years.

However, his address was inaudible due to a vociferous protest by the opposition. The opposition MPs held placards which said, “Granger’s first attempt to rigging the elections”, “untrustworthy”, and “strangling democracy” to name a few.

The move by the PPP to protest in such a manner has been condemned by many.

On Sunday, Stabroek News in its editorial reminded that Parliament is no longer what it was in the past, noting that parliamentarians are ever more disrespectful within parliamentary confines.

“Of course, what happened on Thursday is also a reflection of the lack of communication and the polarisation in society at large.

It is too a reflection of an inability to understand the role certain institutions have to play if any meaningful society is to be built, and the respect they must of necessity be accorded.

“If such institutions -- and Parliament is one -- are just treated like any old building where gang members, for example, gather to lime and shout at one another, then the nation can never evolve, because there will be no venerable traditions on which to found it,” the editorial titled ‘The President and Parliament’ stated.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly and attorney Ralph Ramkarran in his weekly column also published in the Stabroek News on Sunday described the PPP’s protest during the President’s speech as “unparliamentary behavior.”

Meanwhile, veteran trade unionist and columnist for the Guyana Chronicle, Lincoln Lewis, opined that the protest events, in and around the National Assembly confirms Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo’s threat to the Government of his party’s “intent of engaging in non-cooperation and protests will be supported by actions.”

TURN OF TABLE “Those placards, including Jagdeo’s, that attracted the public’s attention and amusement with dividing spelt as ‘deviding,’ brought into sharp focus how the table has turned,” said Lewis, who noted that as President Jagdeo was intolerant of dissent.

“It is important to remind society as the current PPP leadership has the temerity to talk about democracy

being under threat and the constitution violated, positioning itself on a moral perch as guardians of, this group has no moral leg to stand on. It was under this leadership [that] the constitution was stomped on, and citizens’ democratic rights and freedoms taken away or curtailed,” Lewis declared.

The opposition since the appointment of Justice (ret’d) James Patterson as chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has maintained that it will not cooperate with the administration.

In fact, they see the appointment of Justice Patterson, as a move by the coalition government to rig the upcoming 2020 elections.

Patterson has since said he has no political affiliation.

The opposition had submitted 18 nominees for the said post

President David Granger but all were deemed rejected

by President Granger.

On Sunday too, Working People’s Alliance (WPA) member and columnist, in the Guyana Chronicle, Dr. David Hinds in his column called for the scrapping of the Carter- Price formula which was in place prior to the 1992 general elections.

He reminded that the central tenet was that the two major parties, the PNC and the PPP, were afforded equal representation on the commission and that the chair enjoyed the confidence of both sides. The formula also broadened the selection of the chair to include inputs from the opposition leader. Up until then, the selection was the sole power of the President.

“Critically, while the formula broadened the process, the ultimate power of the President to make the final choice was left intact,” said

Dr Hinds, who noted that with the formula being placed in the constitution of Guyana, the provisions are subject to interpretation.

He opined that the constitution does not clearly state at what point the President can act unilaterally.

“I think he can only do so if the system breaks down, because the lists provided by the opposition leader violate the spirit of the constitution and that the electoral system is threatened by the absence of a GECOM chair.”

Additionally, Dr Hinds is of the strong view that the Carter formula does not say in expressed language where the ultimate power to choose lies, thereby leaving it up to interpretation.

“And in a politically volatile society like Guyana, that is a political liability,” he opined.

Opposition Members of Parliament protest in Parliament while President David Granger delivers his address last Thursday (Delano Williams)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Texas church shooting leaves 26 dead At least 26 people have been killed after a gunman opened fire at a church during Sunday services, officials say.

The attack happened at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small town in Wilson County, Texas, USA. The gunman, who is reported to have been killed in the aftermath, entered the church and opened fire at around 11:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the death toll and said it was the worst mass shooting in the history of Texas.

“This will be a long, suffering mourning for those in pain,” he said at a news conference on Sunday.

Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin said the

ages of the victims ranged from five to 72 years old.

Authorities said at least 20 people were also injured and taken to hospital.

Martin described the suspect as a young white male in his early 20s, dressed in all black and wearing a ballistic vest as well as tactical-type gear.

He was armed with an assault-style rifle.

He began shooting outside the church before he entered and opened fire, Martin said.

A local citizen “grabbed his rifle and began shooting” at the suspect, before the gunman fled in a vehicle.

The citizen pursued the suspect, who drove off the road and crashed his car at the Guadalupe County line. Police found the suspect dead in his car, but it is unclear if he died

from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from returned fire from the citizen, Martin added.

The gunman has been identified as Devin P Kelley, 26, according to US media reports. Police have

not confirmed the suspect’s identity.

The First Baptist Church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, has told ABC News that his 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, was killed in the shooting.

Monday, November 6th, 2017 -05:00hrs Tuesday ,November 4th , 2017-05:00hrs Wednesday,Novemer 5th, 2017 - 08:30hrs

Pomeroy, who was out of town in Oklahoma at the time, described her as “one very beautiful, special child” in a phone call to the television outlet.

At least 10 victims, including four children, were being treated at the University Health System in nearby San Antonio, the hospital said in a tweet.

Sheriff Joe Tackitt said authorities do not know the names of any of the victims yet as they continue to work the crime scene.

Officials said 23 people were found dead inside of the church while two people were fatally shot outside. Another individual died in hospital, authorities said.

One witness, Carrie Matula, told NBC News: “We heard semi-automatic gunfire… we’re only about 50 yards away from this church.

“This is a very small community, so everyone was very curious as to what was going on.”

Sutherland Springs is a small rural community with just a few hundred residents, which lies about 30 miles (50km) southeast of the Texas city of San Antonio.

The San Antonio FBI branch said its agents had been deployed, and there was no indication of the gunman’s motive.

The FBI also said that while only one shooter was reported, it was looking into other possibilities.

Photos and video from the scene showed the area sealed off with tape by local law enforcement.

A number of helicopters have arrived to transport the wounded, KSAT 12 reporter Max Massey said.

President Donald Trump, on a tour of Asia, condemned the “act of evil” and said Americans would pull together.

“And through the tears and through the sadness, we stand strong, oh so strong,” he added.

The shooting comes just a month after a gunman in Las Vegas opened fire on an outdoor music festival, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Belize Governor General assents to legislation for decriminalisation of marijuana ONE week after the Senate in Belize gave the green light to the passage of legislation decriminalising 10 grams or less of marijuana, Governor General Sir Colville Young has assented to the bill.

The Dean Barrow government had successfully piloted the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act that also provides for monetary and non-recordable penalties for possession on school premises and in

specified circumstances make smoking on private premises no longer an offence.

Despite opposition from the churches in Belize, legislators voted in favour of the measures and Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte is, however, warning that it is still very much a crime to grow and retail marijuana.

“So the document has been assented to and the law has been officially passed.

It will go for mass printing

…at Print Belize and then from there we’ll go for distribution in the gazette, the next issue of the gazette.

“But the law is here, if you’re an adult and you have in your possession 10 grams of marijuana or less, you are within the law and it’s totally legal. You can be anywhere with those 10 grams or less, except on school property.”

Peyrefitte said he was urging people not to go overboard regarding the use

of marijuana, adding that “like any other drug, please enjoy it responsibly and know that we want to keep it, like any other legal drug, away from children.

“You are not allowed to smoke it in public. So you have your 10 grams or less and you want to go home tonight and watch the game or do whatever you do at home or in your yard, whatever, you are free to smoke your marijuana tonight.”

Speaking on television

in Belize on Friday night, the Attorney General also brushed aside criticism from the churches on the decriminalisation of marijuana.

“Given what the church has been found guilty of in recent years, I think priests and pastors have no moral authority to try and judge anybody out here who wants to smoke marijuana. The churches don‘t rail against cigarettes, they don‘t rail against alcohol and there’s

nothing to prove that marijuana is any more dangerous than those two perfectly legal drugs.

“My question for the church would be what is their true motivation behind this. They coming out late, I just think that when you look at the pastors and the different people who want to object, they just want to object for object sake.

They just object for object sake,” he told television viewers. (CMC)

Jamaica well positioned for health and wellness tourism – PM JAMAICA Prime Minister Andrew Holness says health and wellness tourism is a growing market on which Jamaica is uniquely poised to capitalise.

Holness, who was speaking at a function in the western city of Montego Bay recently, said the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conference in Montego Bay from November 27 to 29 offers the perfect opportunity for the country to showcase the world-class medical facilities and services it now has at its disposal.

“Jamaica is ideally poised for this

growing market, which was valued at approximately US$20 billion in 2016. It is now estimated that it will reach approximately US$47 billion by 2021,” Holness said.

The Prime Minister said the UNWTO conference will offer the forum where Jamaica will be able to highlight how far it has come in the area of health and wellness and its ability to now use it as a strategic marketing tool.

The Prime Minister also noted that Jamaica has a competitive edge as it relates to medical tourism, pointing to “the availability of quality professionals, the island’s strate-

gic location, increasing diagnostic facilities, and, importantly, Government’s support to facilitate growth in this market”.

“Jamaica must continue to diversify and expand our tourism product in order to meet emerging market demands. Travellers today are more discerning. In some cases, due to ageing and complex health conditions, the availability of world-class health facilities is

considered when making decisions to travel for vacation, business or to return home,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister, however, said that even with the best of intentions and all the best-laid plans in the world, unless the crime situation is brought under control, everything, going forward, will continue to be a challenge. (CMC)

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Editorial

Lies have dangerous national consequences IT has been said that politicians are the biggest liars, because it is a natural part of their tools of trade. They either indulge in such dangerous falsity as a means of inflating their egos, or simply to out-do their political opponents, in order to catch the vote. But not all politicians do lie. They are easily identified by their personal lifestyles, and consistency with what they advocate and the resultant achievements.

However, be it as it is, lies in the armoury of any politician, is indeed very dangerous, and must unreservedly be condemned, since for that particular charlatan, it is going to be deployed by any means, in the pursuit of power.

Unfortunately, Guyana, has since May 2015, seen such politics in a manner and intensity as never before, deployed by the defeated People’s Progressive Party/Civic, in its frantic efforts to destabilise the President David Arthur Granger-led coalition, A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change government (APNU+AFC).

Emphatically, lies used by any politician, anywhere, are unacceptable. In western democracies, any politician caught lying, especially in Parliament, becomes electoral history. He/she becomes disgraced.

However lies, naked lies that are used by any political party and its leaders, in a state divided by problems of ethnicity, is a highly toxic mix that can only serve to threaten national peace. It has dangerous national consequences.

This has been the strategy of Bharat Jagdeo, as he travels to particularly his party’s known strongholds in a desperate bid to regain power.

To be employing the dangerous race card in a multi-ethnic society such as Guyana, is fraught with imminent danger, since it is done by a leader who has no regard for the thousands of mixed ethnic marriages/ relationships, and their numerous progeny that are a fact of a diverse society. Despite our ethnic tensions, there have been many lifelong friendships among members of the two major ethnic groups in this country.

To be using such a filthy and distorted mechanism at the well-known, infamous bottom house meetings, by peddling ridiculous descriptions of a particular race’s physical anatomy, as a fear factor to keep supporters in line, is as ridiculous and dark as the minds that are responsible for such evil.

How can Jagdeo be accusing the coalition government of spiting the Indo-Guyanese sugar workers, by planning to close GuySuCo, when he and the PPP/C government would are responsible for its collapsed state? How can he be speaking about young people not having employment opportunities, when about four/five years ago, during his government, a survey taken among youths, revealed that about 45% responded that if given an opportunity – they would migrate!

Where is the run-away crime that this dangerous liar

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

continues to manufacture? Is he not ashamed to be so evil in mind, spouting such putridity, all in the name of seeking power? Crime is down, despite some grey areas which the law enforcement agency is seeking to bring under control.

The above examples are all challenges that have been the hallmark of the over two decades of PPP/C government. They did not commence since May, 2015, as Jagdeo desperately seeks to highlight in shameless hypocrisy, in another desperate attempt to mislead his supporters.

Any political leader like Jagdeo, who spews such wicked lies in this type of society with its modern history of ethnic problems, cannot be a democrat, much less a patriot. This is a politician who is driven by a crazy lust for power, even if it means undermining the peace that the many ethnic groups still want in this country.

Political lying is generally wrong, as is the exploitation of ignorance generally. That having been said, the routine use of lying and exploitation of public ignorance probably cause more harm than good. It also likely contributes to the atmosphere of suspicion and partisan hatred that helps make public opinion even more ignorant and illogical than it otherwise would be. The truth is: liars are never trusted; they are not to be trusted; and will never be trusted.

For Jagdeo, it is power at all costs, even risking the welfare of the nation, inclusive of his supporters. He has proven to be a colossal, moreover a dangerous liar inimical to the best interests of this country.

Disrespectful of a nation’s laws Dear Editor, SO, we are now hearing from another of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s chieftains, Priya Manickchand, the former minister of government, well known for her now infamous “feral blast’’ attack on the distinguished person of the former United States Ambassador to Guyana, Dr. Brent Hardt. It was one of the most shocking

moments in Guyana’s bilateral relations, occurring at the official residence of the envoy.

She is now responding to suggestions as to possible sanctions against her political party, for what is now the day of infamy, relating to the party’s shameful display in the National Assembly.

Her statement, on the party’s behalf, can be summed up as: “We do not care a damn.”

Do we expect anything

different from a former high potentate of this disgraceful opposition? Not really. Not if one remembers her unapologetic stance in the face of national condemnation over the “feral blast” incident.

Of course, she was just the purveyor, willingly, of what was a concerted effort to disrespect the diplomat. As usual, for her – the PPP/C was correct in its desultory behaviour.

Editor, this is yet another

instance of a party being bold enough to defend a senior transgression, giving it sanctification, all in the name of legitimate protest. How can a nation’s parliament, a place of lawmakers, be reduced to a place of lawlessness?

Ms. Manikchand, an attorney by profession of many years’ practice, should know that even if there is disagreement with a judge’s decision in the matter of a court case that the recourse is to appeal.

She also is aware, that to display any conduct of dissent that suggests disrespect to the person of the judge and court, will attract instant reprimand, in the form of contempt proceedings taken. This is what makes Ms. Manickchand’s defence of her party’s behaviour in Parliament so disgusting.

But as a nation, nothing better can be expected from such a person, who believes that protocols are to be ig-

nored, and time-honoured principles trampled upon.

After all, such has been her political upbringing in a party that has left this nation with a manual of how to flagrantly be disrespectful to a nation’s laws.

What more can the nation expect from such a person, who ought to know better?

Yours truly Disgusted citizen

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

UG Astronomical Society aims for the stars

By Vishani Ragobeer IN August there was a buzz of excitement almost everywhere in light of the ‘Great Solar’ eclipse. Many curious locals gathered alongside the fewer astronomical enthusiasts to witness this great phenomenon.

How many people, however, pay keen interest to studying and appreciating the stars or the magnificence of other celestial bodies?

The University of Guyana Astronomical Society (UGAS) has been around since the late 1960s, but despite its reasonably long existence, it has only about 20 dedicated members.

While small in number, their love for the field of astronomy shines brightly and they are now seeking others to join them.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, UGAS President Athar Khan related that he joined the society in 2013 after being introduced by one of the university’s professors.

“I love astronomy, always have,” Khan said. However, it was his interest in the stars that fuelled his drive to become actively involved in astronomy.

He explained that stars have been the guide for mankind through the ages, both literally and philosophically.

They are seen as the jewel of the night sky since ancient times and have featured in age-old stories.

Another member of the society and UG staff Penelope DeFreitas, related that she was always drawn to the mysteries of the universe and its sheer beauty.

As a result, when she saw a poster earlier this year advertising the society, she grasped the opportunity to join the club and expand her knowledge.

More than this, however, DeFreitas alongside a few other club members were afforded the opportunity to attend a

University of the West Indies (UWI)/Carina Conference in Trinidad and Tobago in May, 2017.

She noted that the conference provided the group with insights into the state of astronomy in the region as well as numerous ideas for the club here in Guyana.

COURSE IN ASTRONOMY The conference also presented a unique opportunity for the enthusiasts to interact with scientists actively engaged in astronomical research.

This was opportune, since as related by the club’s Advisor, Head of Department for Mathematics, Physics and Statistics at UG, Dwayne Renville, plans are already in place to offer a course in astronomy in the next two years.

“The new Bachelor’s of Science programmes will have options for special courses, one of which is Introduction to Astronomy,” Renville said, noting that the UWI offers a similar course.

Aside from the academic opportunities arising from the development of astronomy locally, the contingent that attended the UWI conference also began raising awareness about astronomy.

The society in a bid to attract more persons to the field, has decided to organise a number of fun activities while promoting education in the field through lectures.

For the solar eclipse this August, the club hosted a viewing where many persons came to show their support.

However, according to another club member, Farnaz Baksh, persons would show up to such events to support or interact, but many would not register for club membership.

In terms of the more academic side of this field, Baksh

The University of Guyana Astronomical Society (UGAS) contingent that attended the UWI/Carina Conference in Trinidad and Tobago with UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith

also said that the first astronomy seminar was held in Guyana on September 14 through collaboration between UGAS and the Amateur Astronomer Association of Guyana (AAAG).

The seminar was addressed by President of the Barbados Astronomical Society, Greg Merrick.

The event helped to strengthen ties between the local astronomical associations and the Barbados astronomical society. Baksh said both the UGAS and AAAG are the local bodies where enthusiasts can meet and share their appreciation for the field.

Meanwhile, in fulfilling its mandate of raising awareness of astronomy in Guyana, UGAS plans to initiate community outreach programmes geared at educating individuals and to build its first telescope and an observatory.

A University of Guyana student looking at the partial solar eclipse during the viewing organised by the University of Guyana Astronomical Society (UGAS)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Primary school students steal $1.8M

NINE students from a Region Nine primary school sometime this year stole $1.802M, the Auditor General’s Report on the Public Accounts of Guyana and on the accounts of ministries, departments and regions for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, said.

At the time of reporting in September 2017, $700,000 was repaid, leaving the sum of $1.102M to be recovered.

The matter is currently engaging the attention of the court.

“The parents of the students had entered into an agreement to repay the amount stolen on a monthly basis commencing from April 2017,” the report said.

Meanwhile, at the Maruranau Primary School, also in Region Nine, the sum of $1.524M was misappropriated by the former headmaster in 2012. Thus far, the sum of $230, 200 was recovered, leaving $1.294M outstanding.

The Auditor General’s report noted that for all the schools visited, the receipts and payments cash books were not properly written up. It was

also observed that there was a lack of segregation of duties in relation to the storekeeping procedures, while stock ledgers and goods received books were not properly written up and maintained.

“There was no evidence of the records being checked by any member of the management committee of the school… meetings were not held by the management committee,” the report added.

Additionally, the treasurers kept unspent balances in their personal possession and bank accounts were not reconciled for the period under review.

The Ministry of Finance has since been informed of the matter and action has been taken to have deductions made from the head master’s gratuity. As it relates to the other lapses, the ministry said corrective action has been taken.

Notwithstanding that, the Audit Office has recommended that the ministry ensure strict adherence to the financial instructions and requirements of the stores and financial regulations.

That aside, in the case of security grants amounts totalling $302.819M

were expended on security services for nursery, primary, secondary and post-secondary or tertiary education.

An audit examination carried out on a sample of 18 schools revealed that the bank accounts were not reconciled, security services were paid in advance by the schools, no contractual agreements were entered into with the security firms and cash books were not properly maintained by the schools.

The head of the budget agency has since advised that corrective action has been taken this year. The Audit Office has recommended that the ministry comply with the financial regulations.

Additionally, amounts totalling $322.829M were paid to eight private security firms for security provided to 34 locations. However, contract documents and tender board awards were not presented for audit examination.

“Therefore, it could not be determined whether tender procedures were followed to select the security firms and also whether payments were made in accordance with the conditions of the contract,” the report stated.

The head of the budget agency has since explained that contract documents would be made available to the Audit Office.

Budgets for several constitutional agencies slashed THE majority of the annual budgets for constitutional agencies put forward for consideration by the Ministry of Finance have been slashed.

In the document, the 2018 annual budget proposals of constitutional agencies, tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday, only those of the Teaching and Judicial Service Commissions and the Human Rights Commission remained intact.

Parliament Office has requested $1.739B representing a combination of capital and current expenditure, but the Ministry of Finance has recommended a budget of $1.578B, noting that it takes into account the “economic outlook for 2018 for revenue, expenditure and growth in the economy, challenges in implementation encountered in 2017 and annualisation of salaries.”

Last year, Parliament Office’s actual expenditure stood at $1.326B. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance in its comments noted that the Budget 2018 submission did not fulfil the requirements of the 2018 Budget Circular, paragraph 4.4 which speaks to procurement plans being submitted for next year’s budget.

Identical reasons were put forward for the other constitutional agencies. In the case of the Audit Office, a requested $844, 422M was slashed to a proposal of $783; 876M; however, next year’s proposed sum is $82M more than the entity spent in 2016. Despite the Public and Police Service Commissions requesting $158, 709M, the ministry is recommending that the total be cut to $95, 140M. In the case of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), its budget request for $3.715B was slashed to a proposed $2.900B, some $800M less than requested. This year, the commission received $2.029B for the execution of its functions.

The Ministry of Finance, in justifying its proposal to reduce the requested amount to $2.9B, said “substantial increase in allocation is due to the hosting of Local Government Elections in 2018,” but also noted that no procurement plan was submitted by the agency.

The actual expenditure for GECOM in 2016 amounted to $3.098B, the same

year, Local Government Elections were held after a long hiatus. Having expended $1.712B in 2016, the Supreme Court has requested $2.753B in its budget for 2018, but the Finance Ministry has proposed that the court receive some $1.874B. Similarly, the Director of Public Prosecutions Office’s actual expenditure stood at $152, 337M last year. They have budgeted for $223, 882M, but the Ministry of Finance has submitted a proposal for $174, 290M, an increase of $22M. The Finance Ministry has recommended a budget of $57, 823M for the Office of the Ombudsman, though that office requested $64, 098M; $43, 237M was the agency’s actual expenditure. Likewise, in the case of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, $105, 550M has been requested by the entity but the Finance Ministry has recommended that $51, 884 be allocated.

The Ethnic Relations Commission budgeted for $142, 269M, but only $86, 534 out of that total has been recommended by the ministry, while the Indigenous People’s Commission, which had an actual expenditure of $21, 242M in 2016, requested $27, 372M of which the ministry recommended $25, 683M. Meanwhile, the newly constituted Public Procurement Commission has requested $251, 912M for 2018, but the Finance Ministry has recommended $177,666M. In the case of the Rights of the Child Commission, $53, 805M was requested with $42, 695M recommended by the Finance Ministry, while a recommendation has been made for the Women and Gender Equality Commission to receive $43, 135M as opposed to the $45, 997M requested.

In the case of the three constitutional agencies whose requested budgets remain the same, the Teaching Service Commission requested $125, 158M, while the Judicial and Human Rights Commissions requested $10, 020M and $31, 113M respectively.

The 2018 budgetary requests by the Constitutional Agencies (capital and current expenditure) stand at $10B, while the recommended amount stands at $8B. The proposals will be considered at the next sitting of the National Assembly.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Better drainage for D’ Edward Village

––bids out for construction of vital $300M sluice THE Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) is calling for bids from eligible contractors for the construction of a $300M four-door sea sluice at D’ Edward Vil-

lage, West Bank Berbice.

The invitation for bids has been advertised in the local newspapers and contractors have until 09:00 hrs on November 21 to submit construction tenders for the four-door

sluice.

A contract will then be awarded to the successful bidder.

MMA/ADA General Manager Aubrey Charles recently disclosed that the construction of the structure itself is expected to

‘Sadam’ causes terror on Cove and John Public Road THE driver of a motorcar heading east along the Cove and John Public Road on Sunday afternoon, lost control and slammed into a utility pole, ripping it down before careening into a parked pick-up truck.

The driver, Anand Gildharie also known as “Sadam,” was said to be under the influence of alcohol and has since been taken into police custody.

Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

Below are scenes of the accident.

be completed within 18 months after the contract is awarded.

The new sluice is intended to enhance drainage of all residential areas and agricultural lands along the coast between the Abary and Berbice Rivers, which is the Abary/Berbice Sub-Region of Region Five.

It will complement the operations of six other sea sluices along the coast between the Abary

and the Berbice Rivers and will bring additional relief to flood-prone areas along the coast at times of heavy rainfall.

Plans by the MMA/ ADA to replace the aged and defective 50-year-old structure at D’Edward were first disclosed by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder earlier this year.

“Right now there is a three-door sluice at D’Edward and that will be replaced by a fourdoor sluice. The whole aim is to get rid of more rainfall floodwaters by gravity and a sluice is

far more efficient than a pump,” Holder had said.

Charles had also said that the new sluice will be constructed adjacent to the old three-door sluice which is currently at D’Edward, but is not fully operable.

The old sluice will also be rehabilitated to facilitate the discharge of flood- waters caused by heavy rains into the Atlantic Ocean even faster for the benefit of villages along the coast between the Abary and Berbice Rivers.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

‘STEP PARENTS’ – their impact on children CHILDREN who come from broken families suffer in a variety of ways. Many of them grow with either a psychological pain, a complex or at a disadvantage, which is caused by them not having both parents play a balanced role in their development.

So imagine the negative effect that a new step-parent can have on an already ‘troubled’ child. The child may feel sidelined and unloved. Issues of trust and jealously may prevent a child from ever accepting his or her new step-parent into the fold: even more so if the step-parent shows little interest in the child. Step-parents are usually provided to fulfil the needs of the mother/father, but very seldom are the needs of the child or children in the family taken into consideration.

Today on 4 minutes 4 change we share Olivia’s story.

OLIVIA’S STORY When you are a child big people make decisions and you have to go along with them, they do not ask for your opinion.

My stepmother never liked my younger brother or me from the beginning. She met us when we were five and four years old, so she had plenty of time to get used to the fact that our father had children.

We were living with our biological grandmother on our mother’s side at the time because our mother had left us with a neighbour and gone into the interior, so we had more or less been abandoned. Our father would visit granny once a week and bring food items for us, so granny was glad to give us to him when he asked, she thought he’d take good care of us. But even before we got to know our father properly, we found ourselves living with him and his fiancée. We were eight and nine years old when we moved in with them.

It soon became apparent that there had been no discussion between them beforehand

about how we would live as a family and nothing fell into place. Our step-mother’s resentment towards us was plain to see, she had nothing good to say about my brother or me and would pass remarks about our ‘good-fornothing’ mother and our grandmother, whom she claimed ‘threw us out in the street.’

My father must have known that the arrangement wasn’t working, but he did nothing. He didn’t pull her up for talking to us in a cold, ‘piggish’ manner, neither did he say anything when she made us do chores literally all day with no time for play.

I began to wonder why our Father took us from our granny in the first place; he certainly wasn’t showering us with his love or giving us much attention and he made no attempt to protect us or represent us when our step-mother made our lives hell. The experience of growing up with them made me feel empty inside, all the natural love and affection that I needed to share with caring adults became stifled by their nonchalant attitude towards me and by brother. I didn’t show affection because I wasn’t receiving any. I wasn’t proud of anything I achieved because there was no one to share my achievements with; in short, it was just a very unfulfilling childhood.

After having such a negative impact on our lives, my step-mother and our father eventually split up and at the age of 18, I was sure of two things in life: one, that horrible people really do exist in the world and two, that I was going to pursue a career where I’d be able to help children.

Since then I haven’t met anyone quite in her league, thank goodness and I am currently working towards my ‘Masters’ in Child Psychology.

I used my negative upbringing to propel me in the right direction. Now I can help children who may be suffering from childhood trauma. I can show them the care and attention that were so lacking in my own childhood.

Driver jailed for causing death of pregnant woman A DRIVER whose car crashed into a lantern post alongside the Number Two Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) roadway, causing the death of a pregnant woman and her foetus earlier this year, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment.

West Berbice Magistrate Rhondell Weever imposed the prison term on the hire car driver Lancelot Ferguson, 46, of Belladrum Village, West Coast Berbice, after she found him guilty at the end of his trial.

Nine witnesses led by Police Prosecutor Corporal Raquel Mars, including police ranks and eyewitnesses, gave evidence about the accident which occurred on January 9.

Donnis Higgins, 24, of Lot 103 Semple Street, Hopetown Village, WCB, lost her life as a result of the accident.

The woman was pregnant at the time and doctors tried desperately to save her unborn child, but the child subsequently died.

It was reported that the accident occurred after Ferguson lost control of the car while negotiating a sharp bend on the road.

Ferguson had pleaded not guilty, claiming that he had lost consciousness or “blacked out” while driving his car around a turn at Number Two Village, West Coast Berbice highway.

He had claimed that he was hypertensive and was totally unaware of what had happened.

Under cross-examination by the prosecutor, the defendant failed to prove that he had been receiving treatment for any serious medical condition prior to the accident.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Hundreds turn out at Linden cancer walk

By Vanessa Braithwaite

HUNDREDS of Lindeners came out from every nook and cranny to take part in the annual awareness walk, running, jogging, cycling and skipping activities organised by the Women on the Move Cancer Awareness group on Sunday.

The streets of Mackenzie were flooded with participants who proudly wore their pink outfits and braved the heat of the morning sun to finish the stretch of walk which started at the Linmine

Secretariat and culminated at the Linden/Georgetown bus park.

The march was supported by organisations such as Bosai Minerals Group Guyana, the Linden Hospital Complex, Linden Mayor and Town Council, Virtuous Women on a Mission and the Lions Group, among others.

At the end of the walk, a cancer awareness talk was delivered by Dr. Karen Pirrerra and Nurse Colwin Allen of the Linden Hospital Complex.

Copping the trophy for

the biggest group was the Virtuous Women on a Mission, headed by former Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon, while the One-Mile Health Centre copped the best-dressed group with the best banner award.

All of the 10 families who participated were honoured; while the Kadir family won the prize for the largest family. Also participating in the walk were four cancer survivors who were honoured.

The organisers of the activities also visited other cancer patients after the walk and

Lindeners during the walk held by the Women on the Move Cancer Awareness group

delivered hampers to them.

Women on the Move for Cancer Awareness representative Judy Gravesande – Noel, told the Guyana Chronicle that this is the 17th year that the group has successfully hosted the activities and is looking forward for more support and sponsorship, especially from the government, so that cancer survivors and local cancer institutions can be given donations.

“We plan to reach out to the public because we want to form a care group, because it is too many of us coming down with this epidemic,” Gravesande-Noel said. Participants and residents of Linden expressed appreciation for the initiative taken by the group and believe that the objective was met in bringing the necessary awareness on how those fighting the disease can be supported, as

well as how one can apply preventative measures in one’s life.

Cancer Awareness Month was observed in October and several organisations, , schools and individuals hosted walks and sensitisation activities in an effort to generate awareness of the disease.

The month of October was referred to as ‘Picktober’.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Battered teacher found unconscious in City

A 22-year-old teacher of Richard Ishmael Secondary School was found in an unconscious state at the corners of Princess Street and Louisa Rowe, Georgetown, early Sunday between 05:00 hrs and 06:00 hrs.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the woman who is currently hospitalised is on life support and suffers from brain injuries and a broken foot.

The teacher, Kescia Branche of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), had left home for a night of partying which from all indication changed for the worse.

According to her friend who was left to care for her (Branche’s) three-year-old son, the woman had planned to go to Palm Court on Saturday night with a male friend who had cancelled the date.

In fact, the woman’s friend Akeila (only name given) told the Guyana Chronicle that Branche had initially told her she was headed to Palm Court and left her apartment located in First Street, Cummings Lodge, at approximately 22:00 hrs.

It was Branche’s intention to catch the Kescia Branche stands alongside ladies free special, but given the time, it was First Lady Sandra Granger at an event (Facebook photo) not possible.

She told her friend that the person who 11:32pm from here… I don’t know why or was taking her to Palm Court was going to for what, but I couldn’t answer because I was pay for her to get in but shortly after leaving, sleeping,” Akeila stated, while noting that she returned home and seemed a bit upset. she is unaware of any problems her friend “I asked her what was wrong, because she may have . seemed a little upset and she said the person Akeila said she regrets not questioning her had an emergency and so she returned home. friend more before she left Saturday night.

Then she said nothing seemed to be going “She didn’t share anything with me, she right,” Akeila told this publication. didn’t give me any names… when she left the But her disappointment did not prevent first time, a male friend came for her in a car. her from heading out again, this time she I didn’t see the colour of the car.” called a taxi and told her friend that she will The woman explained that she has no inbe home by 02:00 hrs. formation about the child’s father as she and “I wake up and it was after 06:00 hrs Branche never spoke of it. and she wasn’t home. I got worried and Branche asked Akeila to keep the todthen though maybe she decided to stay out dler on Thursday when they met at a sua bit later,” said the concerned friend. But permarket in the community, an indication as time passed, her worry increased and that she had planned her outing Saturday pushed her to place credit into her mobile night. In fact, at that time, Akeila said she device. made a joke with Branche, “Like you get car man,” but her friend only laughed it MISS CALLS off.

She called her friend but the phone was turned off. It was then she noticed that she REALLY SAD had two missed calls from Branche.

Akeila noted that she saw her friend “Two missed calls came through at enter a silver-coloured car, that day. “I am

really sad; I should have insisted she tell me who she was going out with… I am sad, I wasn’t able to answer when she called,” the distraught woman told the Guyana Chronicle.

When Branche left her apartment, she was wearing a short, black jumpsuit, and sported a pink purse, Akeila said. She travelled to her destination in a taxi from one of the three services in the community. When she was found this morning, her purse, phone and other items were missing.

Meanwhile, the woman’s father Alfred Branche said he does not know what transpired or the source of the problem, but told the Guyana Chronicle that his daughter was found Sunday morning at the corner of Princess Street and Louisa Rowe by someone who alerted an am-

bulance.

His daughter was then taken to the hospital.

“She is unconscious… she suffered a broken leg and injuries to her head, she is on life support, in a critical but stable state… the doctors are observing her condition,” Alfred Branche said.

He disclosed that his daughter and her three-year-old son live alone and as far as he knows, she has no enemies. Alfred described his daughter as a friendly person and like Akeila, has no information about a boyfriend or her child’s father.

“My main concern is her recovery,” said the distraught father. Persons with information on what may have transpired are asked to call Kescia Branche’s family on 677-8733.

Gov’t officers reportedly linked to illegal activities –– relative to discovery of foreign aircraft, CoI report says

SOME government officers were allegedly involved in illegal activities relative to the discovery of a foreign aircraft which entered Guyana illegally and landed near the village of Yupukari, Rupununi, Region 9, in 2016, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) established to investigate same, revealed.

The report which was tabled in the National Assembly last Thursday, was compiled

by Brigadier (ret’d) Edward Collins, who highlighted a number of concerns arising from the inquiry.

“The Commission is very concerned about the Special Branch report of a serving member of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and consequently a prominent personality within the Lethem community might have been in collusion with the perpetrators.”

According to the report, it was the same person who passed information to the police on September 13, 2016.

“Without official sanction, he was taken on the operation by the police commander and likely would have compromised the operation,” the report added.

In fact, Head of the Special Branch at the time, Lindon Denny, reported to the Commission that “discrete enquires conducted between 2016-10-07 and 2016-10-08 at Lethem suggested that Rayan Khan, tax officer 11, GRA ,was linked to the activities of the aircraft that was discovered and was also allegedly involved in human smuggling, particularly Cuban nationals across the border from Guyana into Brazil.”

As such, Denny made it clear that such information points to Khan’s character being questionable and recommended that the tax officer be transferred immediately from Region Nine.

“In the circumstances, it is my fervent view that not only in the interest of the public and the state as a whole, but to facilitate a thorough investigation into the discovery of the aircraft, I vehemently wish to recommend that Khan be immediately transferred from his current location pending the outcome of the investigations.”

That aside, the Commission also expressed concern as it relates to a Special Branch report that persons who were connected to the aircraft might have been in the vicinity during the operation.

Denny said, “Recent information stated that on 2016-10-05, persons suspected to be foreigners and attired in camouflage clothing, who were involved with the activities of the

aircraft, were hiding in the bushes in the vicinity of where the aircraft was discovered.”

Additionally, the former head of special branch said those persons were supplied with food and other necessities to survive by residents of nearby villages.

FLED “Further, information indicated that since the discovery of the aircraft, a prominent businessman of Lethem who was suspected to have been involved in the activities of the aircraft fled to neighbouring Brazil.”

Meanwhile, close friend of Khan, Rene Melville, who was granted a one-on-one interview with the Commission, corroborated the findings of Denny. He told the Commission: “The people were there when we been in there, the Columbian people. They were in there. Wednesday night (September 14, 2016) they get away to Brazil. The night about 2 o’clock to 3 o’clock in the morning or midnight, they foot it out the camp to Santa Fe where they have a crossing there. The lady (Clara George) crossed them there. The boss, the Brazo man, same Brazo man and his wife went back to Brazil. They got away…”

In a transcript of the one-on-one interview with Commissioner Collins, Melville committed to telling all of what he knows.

“This thing wuk going on is a big thing an’ it going on long. I know, I know about it long… and people from the PPP government, who was before… the ministers and all of them was involved,” said the man.

He told the Commission that the first aircraft arrived in Marakanata where he lives.

The man explained that when the aircraft first arrived there he called a minister whose name he could not remember.

“The minister said don’t tell nobody what you told me, I am going to send in the army… but the army never came. Couple months after I got to people telling me that the man who I did make the report to…I don’t know how they know that I make a report to this man… you see, that man is involved. I mek a report to dis man- yuh see, that man (the minister) is involved in it… but I can’t tell you is which minister,” said Melville.

Asked why he called the minister, Melville said he was advised to do so. He told the Commission that that transpired at the same time they found the illegal See page 14

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

British investor intends to transform local coconut industry

AFTER recognising the lucrative future of Guyana’s coconut industry, British businessman Duncan Turnbull and his partners have invested in a 1,000-acre estate in the Pomeroon River.

The company, Pomeroon Trading Inc., is currently rehabilitating the estate which was acquired from the Stoll family. The company is planting 5,000 trees every month and experimenting with innovative inter-cropping techniques.

Turnbull said that he intends to use technology to improve the value chain and transform the local coconut industry.

National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oudho Homenauth, said he was more than happy to welcome the investors to Guyana since it will boost the coconut industry.

He said NAREI has been promoting the local coconut industry and encouraging persons to invest in advanced operations. A lot of promotional activities were done at the Coconut Festival held in October 2016.

“I met with these guys when they just took over the Stoll Estate from the family. The 1,000 acres, which is very significant for the Pomeroon, was operating under-capacity. It used to be flourishing, but with the decline of the industry years ago, it became semi-abandoned,” NAREI’s CEO said.

He indicated that Turnbull and his partners started in the right way. “They are rehabilitating the current estate as

well as doing some replanting. It’s an investment we welcome. I believe they will help the estate reach its true potential.”

NAREI will be assisting the company in selecting the planting materials that are

“Pomeroon Trading Inc. seems to be very progressive and they have the necessary finances to do so and that is why we are going to be partnering with them,” NAREI’s CEO said.

According to the British

seedlings, thereby tackling one of the most severe challenges faced by the local coconut industry.

“Existing estates are often ageing and unproductive -- without the right planting materials the industry cannot

are not cultivated and there is much to be had from the added value of coconut, if this part of the industry is exploited.

“There are about 70,000 acres of land that are not cultivated. Imagine the

Businesswoman robbed, car hijacked A WELL-known businesswoman was on Saturday afternoon held at gunpoint and relieved of her Toyota Allion motorcar and other valuables, along with money.

Ryhann Shaw, 66, who is also an Indian rights activist, was

Businesswoman Ryhann Shaw

An aerial view of the 1,000-acre coconut estate more suitable for the Pomeroon area and providing training for its 30 workers.

“Our nursery at Charity will be supplying them with planting materials and partnering with them on pioneering new intercrops that, to date, have not achieved scale in Guyana. The company is looking at crops that will have market value, both locally and internationally,” Dr. Homenauth said.

businessman, the company has secured sizeable investments from Europe to pour into the local industry.

“We’ll be setting up a project to train more women to join the workforce and partnering with local schools on an education project.”

Additionally, Turnbull said that the estate is building a coconut- seedling nursery, which will produce a consistent supply of high-quality

revitalise,” Turnbull said.

He noted also that the global coconut industry is at a critical junction with a rising demand for the commodity due to an increased awareness of its health benefits and stagnant supply from the established exporters.

President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce (ECC), Dileep Singh, had estimated that some 70,000 acres of land in the Pomeroon

amount of money that can be earned here, both in terms of regular coconut cultivation and from the value-added [sic] of coconut… if these things are done, the current G$1 billion generated from the Pomeroon annually will shoot up to anywhere around G$15 billion annually in a short space of time,” the chamber president told the Guyana Chronicle.

robbed at Irving Street, Georgetown.

According to police, the incident occurred at about 13:20hrs and involved three men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

The victim was reportedly on her way home when the suspects pounced on her, held her at gunpoint and demanded the keys of her vehicle which she had just exited.

Police said subsequently one of the suspects snatched the keys, entered her silver grey Toyota Allion, bearing Registration Number PLL 1127, and made good his escape with other valuables, heading north on Irving Street along with his two other accomplices.

No arrests have yet been made.

Seven held in separate guns, ammo finds POLICE on Sunday arrested a 28-year-old after a .32 Pistol with three matching rounds of ammunition were found under a pillow in a bedroom in a house located at Bourda, Georgetown.

In a statement, the police said it acted on information and conducted a search at the house at about 04:30hrs where the firearm and ammunition were found.

In a separate incident, six persons between the ages of 18 and 39 years old are in police custody after a .32 pistol with a magazine was found by a police Anti-Crime Unit patrol at about 23:30hrs on Saturday, at Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara.

The men were at the junction on Norton Street when they were intercepted.

The .32 pistol with magazine found at Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara

The .32 pistol with three matching rounds of ammunition found in a house at Bourda

rri

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Ituni residents feel forgotten

By Vanessa Braithwaite

RESIDENTS of Ituni, Region 10, are of the opinion that the lack of telephone service and Internet connection, coupled with bad roads and other developmental issues are keeping their community behind and making them feel forgotten.

According to the residents, they have raised these matters with the authorities and their complaints seem to have fallen on deaf

wifi services and we can’t. All we get in this area is edge on our phones and we have school-aged children who need to do assignments and we can’t help them,” the resident bemoaned.

Griffith, along with other residents recently did a research on the credit revenue in the community and concluded that vendors are making approximately $350, 000 per week on the commodity.

The cost of credit, she said, is a finan-

One of the roads in bad shape at Ituni that residents have been calling on the authorities to fix ears.

They told the Guyana Chronicle that the major issue of disconnection lies with the unavailability of Wi-Fi or 4G Internet service in the community.

Most of the residents are also without land line phones, though applications for same were made to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) over 10 years ago.

As a result of this, the close to 1000 residents are forced to spend an unreasonable sum of money on credit and data services, which they deem as very poor.

Concerned and frustrated resident Keisha Griffith told this publication that in addition to being disconnected, the main victims of the situation are the school- children who cannot effectively get their school assignments and research done. “We have been using both GTT and Digicel services for over 10 years now and it seems as if everyone else around us are being given the opportunity to enjoy

cial burden on residents given the stagnant economic situation in Ituni and lack of job opportunities.

“We are not up to date with technology, with current affairs, we are really suffering here,” Griffith said.

The deplorable roads linking the community to Linden and Kwakwani are another major concern for the residents. A few weeks ago, a mother delivered her baby on the Ituni trail and while the ambulance tried to transport the team to the Linden Hospital Complex, it broke down twice since it could not keep up with the road.

It was revealed that after that incident which was reported in this newspaper, another mother has since delivered on the trail.

Residents are calling on the relevant authority to purchase a heavy-duty vehicle to serve as the ambulance, since the regular automobiles cannot withstand the road and is resulting in danger to both life and limb.

Gov’t officers reportedly ...

From page 12

aircraft.

Additionally, the Commission expressed concern over the fact that the illegal airstrip remained intact despite the removal of the illegal aircraft from the strip to Timehri.

DEEPLY CONCERNED “The Commission is deeply concerned that no effort seemed to have been made with respect to rendering the illegal airstrip incapable of further use.”

The aircraft was flown out from the airstrip to Lethem on Friday, September 30, 2016 and then the following day to Timehri.

The Commission visited the airstrip on Sunday, October 2, and again on Sunday, October 23; 21 days apart. The latter visit was specially organised for the toshaos and senior councillors of nearby villages. There was evidence that the airstrip had been recently used.

“All of the village leaders agreed that the tyre

marks were freshly made. It was clear to all and sundry that the tyre marks seemed to have been recently made,” the report stated.

It was noted that residents who had initially said they did not hear or see anything volunteered to testify that they heard sounds of aircraft landing nearby.

“It should be noted that all of this voluntary reporting occurred after the Commission visited the airstrip with the toshaos and senior councillors of the nearby villages,” the report said.

On September 13, 2016, a plane, bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials by residents of the area. A Joint Army and Police team, inclusive of Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), was dispatched to the location to conduct investigations launched into the sightings of the aircraft.

The CoI was appointed on September 28, 2016 and the report handed over in October, 2016.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Flanagan is first American woman to win NYC Marathon in 40 years

….Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor wins men’s title (REUTERS) - Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman to win the New York City (NYC) Marathon in 40 years when she claimed a dominant victory over Kenyan three-times champion Mary Keitany on Sunday.

The men’s title went to Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor, who held off countryman Wilson Kipsang.

Flanagan, who had never won a major marathon, clocked two hours, 26 minutes 53 seconds for the stunning victory at the age of 36.

Keitany struggled home in 2:27:54 for second with Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska third in 2:28:08.

“This is the moment I have dreamed off since I was a little

Forde reigns supreme...

From Backpage

cided to work together.

“Actually, the two of them (Missigher and Thomas) did the work, I didn’t had to. We thought we would’ve moved away from Cox because we know he has a good 2K or so, but then, coming down to the end, we had to change that strategy,” said Forde.

Last Sunday, in Paramaribo, Suriname, Forde ran 34:5.08 which was much slower than yesterday’s time. However, Forde said “we know these times are ridiculously slow, but we weren’t looking at the time, we were looking at the position.

I know in these condition, we just wanted to do something

decent. You know, in these conditions, we just have to ensure we have a good finish.”

Speaking at the presentation of prizes at the National Park, Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion who also holds the responsibility for sports, said that he was disappointed at the turnout of athletes, but lauded the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) for pulling off the event.

Norton, who also severed as a Vice President of AAG, believes that next year, with better planning, and help from his Ministry, the Guyana leg of the South American 10km race will be the best.

GFSCA retain Masters crown...

Shalane Flanagan celebrates her historic win. (Elsa / Getty Images)

girl,” Flanagan said after the race, tears streaming down her face.

“It’s been a tough week for New Yorkers and a tough week for our nation and I thought of what a better gift than to make Americans smile today,” she said, referring to Tuesday’s truck-ramming attack that killed eight in what authorities described as a terrorist act.

Thousands of police lined the course as part of heightened

security because of the incident.

“So I was thinking of other people when it started to hurt,” said Flanagan, the 2008 Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist.

American women had not won in New York since Miki Gorman claimed her second consecutive title in 1977.

Keitany, winner of this year’s London Marathon and the fastest ever in a women’s only marathon, had been ex-

Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor holds off fellow countryman Wilson Kipsang to win men’s title.

pected to run away with the race but a slow pace allowed Flanagan and others to stay with her early.

When crunch time came it was Flanagan, not Keitany, who dominated, impressively leading the final three miles.

While Flanagan was an overwhelming winner, Kamworor was not assured of his first major victory until the closing metres.

After taking the lead in the 23rd mile, the 24-year-old 2015 New York runner-up had to contend with Kipsang, whose final push brought him ever so close to his countryman.

But in the end it was Kamworor who won by three seconds in 2:10:53 with Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa third in 2:11:32.

“This is fantastic for me for this is my first victory in (a major) marathon,” said Kamworor, who was running his fifth marathon.

Former winner Meb Keflezighi, who was running his final competitive marathon at age 42, finished 11th in 2:15:29.

Swiss athletes swept the wheelchair titles.

Manuela Schaer stunned five-times champion Tatyana McFadden in the women’s race, defeating the American by almost three minutes in 1:48.09.

McFadden clocked 1:51:01 and third went to compatriot Amanda McGrory in 1:53.11.

Repeat winner Marcel Hug gave Switzerland the men’s title in equally dominant fashion, defending his championship in 1:37:21, more than two minutes ahead of British runner-up John Charles Smith. The title was Hug’s third in New York City.

Japan’s Sho Watanabe took third in 1:39:51.

From Backpage

second over.

Arjune and Eon Abel (18) tried desperately to repair the innings, adding 45 for the fourth wicket before Abel departed. Thereafter, wickets fell at regular intervals as GFSCA kept a tight rein on the proceedings.

Arjune eventually went, stumped for a top score of 30, the ball richocheting off the wicketkeeper’s foot unto the stumps. Raymond Harper (15) and Eric Thomas (11) had starts but failed to build on them as Regal were restricted to 101 for 9, a total that proved inadequate at the end.

The game was marred by an injury to Regals’ David Harper, who was trying to retrieve a ball from the boundary and injured his shoulder and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

Karibee girls started the day’s action by winning from Trophy Stall Angels by 12 runs, while Blairmont made it a double for Berbice by inflicting a crushing 88-run win over Georgetown Cricket Club in the Under-13 final, the first of its kind since the commencement of the tournament seven years ago.

South Africa Racing Tips Flamingo Park 08:20 hrs Wintry Night 08:55 hrs Bletchley 09:30 hrs Portman Square 10:00 hrs Easy To Please 10:30 hrs Quantity

10:50 hrs Best Of Days 11:20 hrs Ply 11:50 hrs Boy In The Bar 12:20 hrs Glenn Coco

English Racing Tips Southwell 09:00 hrs French Seventyfive 09:30 hrs Powerful Symbol 10:30 hrs Cliffside Park 11:00 hrs Stepover 11:30 hrs Sky Pirate 12:00 hrs Luck Of The Legion Kempton 09:20 hrs Ocala 09:50 hrs Meccabah 10:20 hrs Kitty Boo

Plumpton 09:40 hrs William Hunter 10:10 hrs Am I Appopriate 11:10 hrs Chef D’Equipe 11:40 hrs Orchestrated 12:10 hrs Posh Totty American Racing Tips Finger Lakes Race 1 Beltany Race 2 Frosty Zen Race 3 Too Wild To Repent Race 4 Traispe In Utopia Race 5 Firestar Race 6 Beyond Discreet Race 7 Stone To Gold Race 8 The Doc Is In Race 9 She Remembered

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Strauss calls for ‘clarity’ over Ben Stokes case ANDREW Strauss is “keen” for “clarity” on whether Ben Stokes will be charged by Avon & Somerset Police. Stokes remains in England waiting to hear whether he will be charged after his arrest on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm in Bristol on Sept 25. He was released under investigation and England coach Trevor Bayliss has ruled out his involvement in the Ashes.

Strauss, the director of England cricket, said: “The situation in a word is complicated. There’s two different potential disciplinary procedures he has to go through, one is the ECB’s own internal one and the other is any potential police action.

“Until we know more from the police it’s very hard for us

Ben Stokes remains in England as his England team-mates prepare for the Ashes series Down Under - PA

to put a timeline on anything.

What we all want is clarity on what that situation is and how much cricket he will be missing. We’re keen to get into that and move this forward but we’re in the hands of the police.

“Ben has been and is developing into a world-class cricketer.

The fact he’s not out in Australia is a blow to the England team.”

Strauss also spoke about his eagerness to see England avenge the 2013/14 Ashes series, when Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash. “I’m sure the guys who were there last time and suffered the chastening defeat at the hands of Mitchell Johnson will want to put that right,” he said.(The Telegraph).

Red Force, Scorpions play to a draw on final day

THE Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and the Jamaica Scorpions could make no headway against each other in their Windies Professional Cricket League 4Day game at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Sunday.

The game, after a high-scoring affair in the first innings, petered out to a draw, with the Red Force on 84-3 in chase of 192 for victory.

The Scorpions had started the affair on the front foot, scoring 431 courtesy of 169 from Fabian Allen and 98 from Brandon King.

However, the Red Force would respond in kind, through the efforts of Yannic Cariah, 127, and Tion

Imran Khan

Webster, 178.

The Red Force’s 380-7 declared, though impressive, maybe took too much time, so though they skittled out the Scorpions in the

second innings for 141, finding a win in the time remaining was very unlikely.

Imran Khan was the man who threatened to make a game of the situation, bagging 6-59 in that second innings against skipper Paul Pamer Jr, who scored 52 valuable runs.

Palmer’s innings soaked up 184 deliveries and along with Derval Green, 30, may have saved the match.

Chasing down 192 was never going to be easy and despite Denesh Ramdin’s unbeaten 31 from 42 deliveries, the Red Force never got close, still needing a further 108 for victory at stumps.

SCOREBOARD SCORPIONS 1st innings 431 Red Force 1st innings 380-7 decl.

Scorpions 2nd innings (overnight 29 for one) T Griffith c Richards b Primus 10 G Garvey b Imran Khan 20 A Fudadin c wkp Jangoo b Imran Khan 8 B King lbw b Richards 3 *P Palmer lbw b K Pierre 52 D Green c and b Imran Khan 30 +R Morris c Solozano b

Imran Khan 5 F Allen b Imran Khan 0 D Bulli lbw b Imran Khan 3 J Dawes not out 2 P Harrison c Charles b Pierre 3 Extras (b3, nb2) 5 TOTAL (all out, 83 overs) 141 Fall of wicket: 1-18, 2-37, 3-40, 4-48, 5-100, 6-106, 7-106, 8-119, 9-137, 10-141.

Bowling: Richards 11-6-131, Primus 5-2-16-1, Imran Khan 37-12-59-6, Pierre 19-540-2, Charles 11-7-10-0.

RED FORCE 2nd Innings (target: 193 runs) +A Jangoo c wkp Morris b Green 8 J Solozano b Green 17 R Primus run out 9 *D Ramdin not out 31 T Webster not out 15 Extras (b1, w3) 4 TOTAL (3 wkts, 19 overs) 84 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-29, 3-46.

Bowling: Green 9-0-55-2, Dawes 7-0-23-0, Harrison 2-0-2-0, King 1-0-3-0.

Five more programmes planned for BVA 2017 season--Levi Nedd PRESIDENT of the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) Levi Nedd says another five programmes will be staged to bring the curtains down on what has been a successful season so far.

The most active volleyball Association of the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) will run off its Annu-

al Balram Shane Inter-Club First Division tournament which will be played at either the Albion Sports Complex or at the Port Mourant Volleyball Court, along with the Three Door Strikers Second Division tournament which is slated for the D’Edward ground, West Coast Berbice, and a one-day Beach Volley-

ball tourney planned for the #63 Beach before the end of next month.

The BVA also plans to hold workshops and courses for its referees and coaches.

The association will also be continuing its training for under-19 male and female teams that are preparing for the 2018 Inter-Guiana Games.

Graf backs Williams to break Court’s record

Selena Williams

ZHUHAI, China (Reuters) - Serena Williams can “absolutely” surpass Margaret Court’s alltime record of 24 grand slam singles titles if the American returns to tennis after giving birth earlier this year, former world number one Steffi Graf said on Sunday.

Williams has not competed since winning the Australian Open in January but the 36-year-old posted several videos on social media showing her hitting balls during her pregnancy.

Williams was about two months pregnant when she captured her 23rd grand slam singles title in Melbourne, one short of the all-time record held by Australian Court.

“Absolutely, yes,” Graf told fans and reporters ahead of Sunday’s WTA Elite Trophy singles final in Zhuhai.

“I think a lot of it is determined on her drive and if that is what she wants to do.”

Graf won 22 grand slam singles titles which was eclipsed by Williams

in January.

Williams told Vogue magazine in August about her ‘outrageous plan’ to defend her title in Australia, where the year’s first grand slam will be played from Jan. 15-28.

“It sounds from what I hear that she is looking to come back to tennis and, you know, everything that she has shown over her career just makes you believe that if she has that in her sights then she will go after it and achieve it,” Graf said.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Persaud moves into 3rd place at Commonwealth Shooting Federation Test shoot GUYANESE marksman Mahendra Persaud was in top form yesterday as he rose to third place in the Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships being held at the Belmont Shooting Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

Persaud, who recorded 50.4 at 300yds, 50.2 at 500yds and 50.4 at 600yds for a grand total of 150.10Vs, finished in second place for the day and third overall.

In tricky and fishtailing wind conditions, Persaud was only one of two shooters on the day to register scores of 150.

Shooting 2 sighters and 10

rounds to count referred to as a Queens 2 over 300, 500 and 600 yards, Persaud and fellow Guyanese Lennox Brathwaite recorded five possibles between them.

Braithwaite who was leading after day one, having shot flawlessly with a total of 105:14 on the first day, continued his fine form with 2 possible at the 300 and 500, but could only get 47 at 600 yards.

The Guyana team continue to excel at the CSFC here. This is the same venue where the Commonwealth Games 2018 will be held.

The top Fullbore shooters from all the Commonwealth countries have gathered to test

themselves and the conditions as a warmup for the games.

Now three shooters are tied on 254 with Vs separating them, having only dropped one point after two days of intense competition.

There was a scheduled practice at the ranges over the long distances on Sunday for the shooters to get a feel of the conditions which have tested their skills since the CSF started.

All eyes will be on the shooters from 10:00hrs today as they shoot the final Stage 3 (Queens 3) with 15 rounds to count at 900yds and 15rd also at 1,000 yards. It could be anybody’s game as it

is all won and lost at 1,000 yds The continued support from the Guyana Olympic Association and Secure Concepts & Innovations Inc. of our international sports ambassadors is applauded by the Guyana NRA as its proving wise to have sent our shooters to attend this Championship and having Guyana recognized on the world stage as having top marksmen.

The leader board with the grand aggregate 1st Australia - Jim Bailey 254:31 2nd South Africa - Petra’s Haasbroek 254:24

Cottrell helps Windies ‘A’ level series with Sri Lanka ‘A IN a low-scoring final One-Day match between the Windies ‘A’ and Sri Lanka ‘A’ at the Trelawny Multiplex in Jamaica, it was the bowling of Sheldon Cottrell that made all the difference.

Deciding to bat, the Windies were skittled out for just 152 but returned to obliterate Sri Lanka for just 107.

Shamarh Brooks, 35, Andre McCarthy, 27, and Sunil Ambris, 20, were the main scorers for the Windies, who were devastated by the bowling of Vimukthi Perera, 4-25.

Perera was well supported by Lahiru Kumara, 2-30, and Shehan Madusanka, 2-35. There was also a wicket for Amila Aponsu, 1-25.

In response, Cottrell was

even more devastating, grabbing 4-19. Kyle Mayers had 3-24, while Rahkeem Cornwall bagged 2-23 and Odean Smith had 1-15 to leave the Sri Lankans well short.

Only Nipun Karunanayake offered any support for the Sri Lankans, scoring a patient 47 from 113 deliveries until Cottrell had him caught by Cornwall to be the last man out in the 39th over.

The Windies lost an opportunity to even the series on Friday when rain left play impossible at Sabina Park, this after Sri Lanka clipped the first encounter, winning another low-scoring affair by two wickets.

Cottrell was again in the thick of things, grabbing 4-44 in the losing effort.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

COMPLIMENTS OF: THE TROPHY STALL Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE 176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)Dave Houghton-121 (vs IND, Harare, 1992) (2)Lawrence Rowe-214 (vs NZ, Sabina Park, 1972) Today’s Quiz: (1)Who won the second Test of the recent WI/ZIM

series?

(2)Who was declared Man of the Match at the

end of the second Test of the recent WI/ZIM series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Mahendra Persaud

3rd Guyana - Mahendra Persaud 254:16 4th England - David Luckman 253:33 5th England - Parag Patel 253:23 6th Guyana - Lennox Braithwaite 252:29

7th Guernsey - Peter Jory 252:26 8th Canada - Jim Paton 251:29 9th Australia - Peter Thurtell 251:25 10th Wales - Chris Watson 251:24

Guyana’s junior cyclists perform creditably in Barbados Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell grabbed four for 19

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES A M Hodge c wkp Weerakkody b Perera 1 R Cornwall c Silva b Perera 18 S Brooks c wkp Weerakkody b Perera 35 S Ambris run out 20 A McCarthy c wkp Weerakkody b Kumara 27 J Campbell c wkp Weerakkody b Kumara 8 *+J Hamilton bAponsu 19 K Mayers c Hasaranga b Madusanka 3 S Cotterell b Madusanka 0 O Smith b Perera 9 R Beaton not out 0 Extras (lb2, w9, nb1) 12 TOTAL(all out, 44.1 overs) 152 Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-22, 3-63, 4-93, 5-115, 6-122, 7-129, 8-129, 9-152, 10-152.

Bowling: Perera 9.1-0-25-4, Kumara 8-0-30-2, Madusanka 8-2-35-2, Aponsu 8-1-25-1, Jayasuriya 10-1-31-0, de Silva 1-0-4-0.

SRI LANKAA +S Weerakkody b Cottrell 6

N Karunanayake c Cornwall b Cottrell 47 R Silva b Cottrell 3 *D de Silva c wkp Hamilton b Smith 3 C Asalanka c Campbell b Cornwall 10 W Hasaranga lbw b Cornwall 0 S Jayasuriya c Cornwall b Mayers 13 S Madusanka b Mayers 0 AAponsu c Cornwall b Mayers 2 V Perera c Campbell b Cottrell 13 L Kumara not out 2 Extras (lb4, w4) 8 TOTAL(all out, 38.3 overs) 107 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-12, 3-28, 4-53, 5-53, 6-68, 7-68, 8-80, 9-102, 10-107.

Bowling: Cottrell 8.3-2-19-4, Beaton 9-0-22-0, Smith 3-0-151, Cornwall 10-2-23-2, Mayers 8-0-24-3.

Player-of-the-Match: Sheldon Cottrell.

DESPITE not finding a place on the podium, Guyana’s Curtis Dey, Briton John and Jonathan Ramsuchit turned in creditable performances at the 2017 Caribbean Junior Road Cycling Championships Time Trial which was held Saturday last in St. Phillips, Barbados.

According to reports emanating from the Land of the Flying Fish, In the junior category, Dey managed to place eight out of 15 competitors in the twolap course, registering a time of 31 minutes, 08.85 seconds.

John, one of over six riders who suffered as a result of poor management of the course, ended 12th in 33 minutes, 19.95 seconds.

Riders from Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago also contested the event.

In the juvenile category which was a one-lap af-

fair, Guyana’s 14-year-old Ramsuchit placed sixth of nine riders, returning a time of 17 minutes 06.33 seconds.

According to reports published in another section of the media, Guyana Cycling Federation’s (GCF) president Horace Burrowes, who has accompanied the team as coach, lauded the efforts of the Guyanese wheelsmen, saying “I was proud of the cyclists despite issues with the course.”

Adding, “ These guys did their best despite the challenges they encountered due to a lack of personnel to direct them and keep them on course.

We were not the only nation affected, but we did our best.”

All five Guyanese riders – Dey, John, Ramsuchit, Nigel Dugid and David Hicks were expected to be in action in yesterday’s 100-mile road race.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 6, 2017

Persaud retains Guyana Open golf title ... Sukhram reclaims female division

By Rajiv Bisnauth DEFENDING men’s champion Guyanese Avinash Persaud was in excellent form in retaining his title while Christine Sukhram secured the lion share of prizes in the ladies category at the rain-affected two-day Guyana Open Golf championships played at the Lusignan Golf Course over the week-end.

Persaud shot a gross 149 over the two days, beating

his closest rival, Avinda Kishore, by two strokes.

Persaud, who first won the title in 2006 when he was only 16 years old, shot a gross 78 on the second day, following his 71 on day one.

Kishore, who is the brother of Persaud, placed second with a gross 151 from scores of 74 and 76 over the two days, while third place was taken by Mohanlall Dinanauth.

In the ladies category,

Former CONCACAF president and FIFA vice- president, Jeffrey Webb, has sold his Loganville, Georgia home and handed over the payment to the United States Justice Department.

Webb had pleaded guilty to several counts of racketeering and corruption relating to a widespread FIFA probe two years ago and is to be

sentenced next July.

The former CONCACAF president, who had agreed to forfeit US$6.7 million in assets as part of his guilty plea, would have initially had the house taken by the justice department, but was said to have already entered into an agreement to sell.

The US Justice Department had then agreed to take the money from

Sukhram reclaimed the title with the best overall gross of 171. Last year’s winner Joaan Deo secured the best net (144).

Sukhram edged out Deo, who finished with a gross 180 while last year’s second place winner, Shaunella Webster, finished with a gross 185.

Meanwhile, Sukhram related that her hard work leading up to the tournament has paid off.

“It feels great again to win, it was challenging out

there today (yesterday), but I still managed to come out successful despite my obstacles,” the champion woman revealed.

Persaud in his interview said while the tournament was a challenge, he anticipated the end result. “Yea, definitely it was a challenge, but after day one I was leading, so I know today (yesterday) it will be very hard for the rest of my competitors to beat me,” the 28-year-old said.

Avinash Persaud and Christine Sukhram pose with their respective Guyana Golf Open 2017 titles. (Rajiv Bisnauth photo)

Webb sells house, hands over money to prosecutors

Former CONCACAF president and FIFA vice–president Jeffrey Webb.

the house’s sale.

Only recently, Webb’s aide, Costas Takkas, who had pleaded guilty to funneling US$1.75 million in bribe money to Webb, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

That money, it was alleged in court, was used to build a swimming pool on the property Webb was forced to sell. (Sportsmax.com)

Ambris replaces Kyle Hope in Windies Test squad for NZ tour ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Vincentian stroke-maker Sunil Ambris has been rewarded for his recent prolific scoring and named in a West Indies 15man squad for the two-Test tour of New Zealand starting later this month.

The 24-year-old, who played a single One-Day International in the five-match series against England last September, is the only new face in the unit, replacing Kyle Hope who failed in successive series against England and Zimbabwe recently.

Ambris smashed 608 runs at an average of 43 for Windward Islands Volcanoes in the last first class season and was one of the leading scorers in the Regional Super50 earlier

this year when he pummeled 423 runs at an average of 70.

Last month, he tipped the scales heavily in his favour with two hundreds in the three-match “Test” series against the touring Sri Lanka A, as he emerged the leading batsman in the series with 278 runs at an average of 55.

Sunil has replaced Kyle Hope in the squad, and this is on the basis of his consistent performances across formats and his outstanding returns for the Windies ‘A’ team in the ‘Test’ series against Sri Lanka ‘A’,” chief selector Courtney Browne said.

“This type of consistency is very welcomed by the panel.”

Hope has struggled in in-

ternational cricket, gathering just 41 runs in six Test innings on a difficult tour of England.

The 28-year-old righthander also failed to produce against minnows Zimbabwe, managing just 60 runs in three innings.

“Kyle is encouraged to return to the first-class championship and turn in the strong performances his talent suggests he can deliver,” Browne said.

Apart from Hope, selectors have kept faith with the unit that lost 2-1 to England last August but impressed in winning the Caribbean side their first Test on English soil in 17 years with the stunning result at Headingley.

They completed a 1-0 vic-

Sunil Ambris … named in the Test squad for New Zealand.

tory over Zimbabwe last week, winning the first Test by 117

runs before being held to a draw in the final match, and Browne said this series win was underpinned by a strong collective effort.

“The panel congratulates the players and the entire team management unit on the series victory in Zimbabwe,” the former Test wicketkeeper said.

“It was a strong team effort and highlighted by those players that did not do as well as expected on the recent tour of England, playing critical roles in the team’s success.

“Their success augurs well for the selection process and the philosophy of continuity which has underpinned our selection for the tour of New Zealand, and not the chopping and changing mentality.”

West Indies will undergo a camp in Brisbane starting next week before travelling to New Zealand where they open that tour with a threeday match against New Zealand A starting November 25.

The first Test bowls off December 1 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, with the second starting eight days later at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

SQUAD – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-captain), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach.

Webb sells house, hands over money to prosecutors See Page 23

Forde reigns supreme at South American 10km Guyana leg - ...Thomas, Missigher round off clean sweep for Guyana

By Rawle Toney

Guyana’s Cleveland Forde crossing the finish line unchallenged at yesterday’s South American 10km.

Cleveland Forde (first from left) about to make a move on the leading pack on the Rupert Craig Highway (Samuel Maughn photos)

CLEVELAND Forde, one of the Caribbean’s leading distance athletes, reigned supreme at yesterday’s South American 10km, leading a clean sweep for Guyana.

Forde clocked 33 minutes, 42 seconds (33:42.0) to finish ahead of countrymen, Cleveland Thomas (33:51.0) and Winston Missigher (34:05.0), who finished second and third, respectively.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Curtis Cox settled for fourth after crossing the line with a time of 34:18.0, while St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Junior Ashton (35:53.0) wrapped up the top five finishers, finishing fifth.

Linda McDowall from St Vincent and the Grenadines was the first female to cross the line, running 39:50.0 to finish ahead of Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal (40:44.0) and Guyana’s Maria Urquhart (44:20.0).

Meanwhile, Forde, when the race started in front of the GTT Earth Station, was never in the lead, but ensured that he remained in contention to utilise his trade mark finish.

Missigher and Thomas, along with Cox and Ashton, carried the race for the most part, until the leading pack reached the Camp Ayanganna, Thomas Lands, entrance where Forde used his trademark sprint to the finish.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport after winning another leg, having done the same in Suriname last weekend, Forde said that prior to the start of the race, along with Missigher and Thomas, they deTurn to Page 20

GFSCA retain Masters crown with crushing win over Regal

By Frederick Halley DEFENDING champions Guyana Softball Cricket Association(GFSCA) made it two in a row with a crushing nine-wicket victory over archrivals Regal All Stars Masters when the seventh edition of the Guyana Softball Cup climaxed at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground last evening.

Set a moderate 102 for victory after restricting Regal for 101 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, GFSCA rushed to their target in 12.3 overs with opener Yunis Usuf unbeaten with an attractive 61, decorated with six fours and two sixes. Regal’s lone wicket was that of Ravi Lutchman who was bowled for five in the fourth over.

Thereafter, it was the Usuf show as he singlehandedly took his team to victory and the coveted $600,000 first prize. Usuf shared an unbeaten stand of 76 with veteran Ramesh Narine (12) as the GFSCA players and supporters celebrated yet another victory over Regal after also defeating them in New York earlier this year.

Earlier, Regal innings started disastrously after they were asked to take first strike, losing the wickets of the in-form Mahase Chunilall ((0), bowled by Clyde Canterbury and then Mahendra Hardyal (0), run out at the non-striker’s end without facing a delivery.

Things got even worse when David Harper and skipper Mahendra Arjune ended up in the same crease as the former became the second run out victim with just four runs on the board in the Mrs. Devi Sunich hands over the winning Trophy Stall trophy and cash prize of $600,00 to GFSCA captain Ramo Malone as other members celebrate their win. (Delano Williams photo) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Turn to Page 20 MONDAY,NOVEMBER, 6, 2017