Guyana chronicle 25 12 2017

DEAR readers, the next edition of the Guyana Chronicle will be on Thursday, December 28, 2017.

You can however follow us on the non-printing days on our website www. guyanachronicle.com and our facebook page for all the latest in news and current affairs.

The board, management and staff of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited take this opportunity to wish every Guyanese a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2018.

No. 105137

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

Embrace culture of peace, goodwill

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– President Granger urges

Still going strong at 106

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Father of six found with throat slit

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President David Granger being greeted by shoppers during a walkabout at Stabroek Market Square on Christmas Eve (DPI photo)

Three killed in separate accidents

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Christmas not the same without her

–Kescia Branche’s Page 14 father says

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Embrace culture of peace, goodwill – President Granger urges

THE sacred festival of Christmas which celebrates Jesus’ birth – in a lowly manger, in the obscure little town of Bethlehem – was a sign of the Divine desire for worldwide peace and compassion for the common folk, President David Granger said.

In his Christmas message, the President said Jesus’s birth brought a message for mankind that

is recounted in St. Luke’s gospel in the Holy Bible which proclaims: “Glory to God in the highest and, on earth, peace, good will toward men.”

“Christians and non-Christians alike can observe this festival by promoting peace and goodwill between each other – in our homes, factories, fields, offices and schools and in our neighbourhoods and communities.

“Let us embrace the universal values of peace and goodwill and extend to everyone the Guyanese tradition of hospitality this year and in the future.

“Let us all work together towards creating a culture of peace and goodwill.

Happy Christmas!” President Granger urge

President David Granger

Prime minister: celebrate the magic moment Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

MY fellow Guyanese, I extend to you wishes for a Merry Christmas and happy cheers for the festive season from the Office of the Prime Minister and from my entire family.

The observance of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is embraced as a significant religious event around the world.

Here, in Guyana, as a respect for our multi-religious culture, Christmas is observed as a national holiday. It is also part of the festive season that embraces New

Year celebrations.

At Christmas we all wish for the ideals in life – love of humankind, peace and goodwill, and joy to the world.

For some of us, it is when we become children again. We re-live simple pleasures, remembering what had been, when we were swirling in the sweet smell and smiles of our caring parents.

Christmas then and now brings not only sweet nostalgia, but magical moments in an unreal world of twinkling lights and bright hopes. It is the hope for a gift that

would bring sparkling smiles on the faces of grateful children. For the elders, our soul is intoxicated with the joy of giving back the kindness and hospitality that we once enjoyed during our childhood.

Today, I send greetings to all Christians everywhere on this auspicious occasion, and to all our Guyanese brothers and sisters living here and visiting from the diaspora. I share with you that special Guyanese feeling of home and family, of hospitality and grace.

Merry Christmas, Guyana!

Celebrate in love, friendship and camaraderie –– Minister Harmon

FELLOW Guyanese, I am happy to bring warmest Christmas greetings of love, peace, joy and best wishes for the holiday season.

Even though Christmas is a Christian celebration, it transcends the entire society and touches the lives of all of our citizens, both in its spiritual aspect of peace and goodwill and its commercial significance and value as a time of celebration and intensified spending in relation to decoration, renewal and renovation of our homes and surroundings.

The Guyanese Christmas is like no other anywhere in the world with our deep traditions, religious practices, spirit of camaraderie, and good neighbourliness; and I wish to welcome all of

our friends, relatives and guests who have come home from the diaspora and farther afield to celebrate with us.

At this time of goodwill, we must reflect and give due recognition to our citizens for their efforts and contributions to national development and the greater good and welfare of the wider society.

In this regard, even though we have all in some way contributed, I wish to make special mention of our workers across Guyana, our public servants; our teachers; our nurses; our private sector workers; and, the members of our disciplined services. I wish to thank you for your efforts, made in many cases under not-so-ideal circumstances and in conditions that are in need of

Minister of State Joseph Harmon improvement.

As for your government, we have in just over one month passed the midterm of our Administration and we have spent the first half correcting the political fissures, social anomalies and economic imbalanc-

es in our society and to re-position our nation on a legitimate, balanced, viable and sustainable development trajectory on the basis of transparency and international best practices. Our task has not been easy, but with your assistance we have made significant progress.

The second half of our first term in office will see an intensification of our efforts to move this process along on the basis of social cohesion within our national “green” development strategy, even as we continue to nurture and promote a spirit of nationhood.

As we approach the end of the year, it is customary for us to do some measure of stock-taking.

As we so do, while things have not always been perfect, I am happy to report that our government has worked assiduously to

improve the lot of all of our people, especially our workers and senior citizens with such measures as increasing the minimum wage of public servants by over 50 per cent, or from $39,540 to $60,000, while Old Age Pensions and Public Assistance [have been] increased from $17,000 to $19,500 and $6,500 to $8,000 per month, respectively. We have provided G$31 Billion in financial support to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) in order to prevent the total collapse of the sugar industry and to protect the livelihood of our sugar workers. The sugar industry is not being closed, but consolidated and all avenues will be explored to ensure its return to financial viability.

Fellow Guyanese, as we reflect on the past year, we look with great hope

and expectation to the new year. As you would have heard in the recent presentation of the 2018 Budget, there will be increases in government spending in the areas of Education, Public Infrastructure, Public Health, Agriculture and Public Security. There is also great expectation with regard to the emerging oil-and-gas sector which promises brighter prospects for our development.

Therefore, we should not be distracted but remain focused on the task of nation-building, each of us committed to the task of achieving the “good life.”

Fellow citizens, even as we celebrate in this festive season, let us proceed with a sense of moderation and remember our less fortunate brothers and sisters with a spirit of sharing, giving and goodwill.

A blessed and joyous Christmas to you all!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

President, prime minister interact with shoppers, vendors

PRESIDENT David Granger on Sunday morning led a ministerial team on a tour of the Stabroek Market Square, while Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo led a similar team from the Bourda Market to Camp Street vicinity, along Regent Street.

The head of state spoke with vendors and shoppers, listened to their concerns, and answered several questions.

The team accompanying President David Granger included Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes; and Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson.

The second team led

by Prime Minister Nag-

President David Granger during his walkabout at Stabroek Market Square

amootoo included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge; Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn Hastings-Williams; Minister of

Education, Nicolette Henry; and Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma. This group also in-

teracted with shoppers purchasing last-minute items and business owners getting in Christmas Eve sales.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo greets a shopper on Regent Street on Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Peter’s Hall man killed in accident A PEDESTRIAN is dead after a minibus crashed into him while he was crossing the Bagotstown Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The minibus driver, who fled the scene, is now wanted by

the police.

Dead is Vincent Scipio, 38, of lot 14 Peter’s Hall, EBD. The fatal crash, which occurred at 00:10hrs on Sunday, involved minibus BLL3140 and the pedestrian.

Reports indicate that the minibus which was allegedly being driven by Domain Walcott of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, was proceeding south along the western side of the

eastern carriageway reportedly at a fast rate when the pedestrian crossed the road.

Police Press Officer, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, said it was reported that after the minibus collided

with the pedestrian, he was dragged some distance by the vehicle before it came to a halt.

Ramlakhan said the victim was taken in an unconscious state to the Diamond Diag-

nostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is currently at Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem and the police have launched a search for the driver.

Requiem to a dying tradition Father of six found --that Christmas with a Guyanese twist

By Vishani Ragobeer

YOU hear the drums beating amidst the sounds of vehicles passing along Regent Street,and you see young children dressed in multi-coloured clothing prancing around,sometimes in the middle of the road.

You hear it; you see it; you know it’s the masqueraders.

The masqueraders in the street signal that the Christmas Season is upon us with a Guyanese twist of jubilation.

For Claudia Garraway, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle, these masqueraders present a creative expression for Guyana that reminds us of our history.

“I believe it gives individuals the opportunity to express without the worrying about our identity,” she said.

This identity she spoke of dates back to the planation days of enslavement, where the masquerade style of dance was one of the very few traditions to survive the cultural erasure that occurred in that era.

It has its origins in the Yoruba and Ibo traditions of Nigeria, but would over time entrench itself in the Afro-Guyanese culture and much later, the wider Guyanese culture.

But nowadays, how much can be said of the preservation of this tradition? Where is the traditional ‘Mother Sally’, the ‘Long Lady’ or the ‘Mad Cow’?

What you might see at the traffic stops is a group of young males adorned in red, green and yellow or orange clothing dancing around with their arms outstretched, hoping to collect some money from vehicles passing by.

You might hear and even see another group at the side of the road beating drums of different sizes, but it would

truly be a surprise if you saw someone playing the flute or the triangle, another tradition which has seemingly been forgotten.

What has happened to these features of the mas-

Georgetown during the busy shopping season, it came as no surprise to see the ‘masqueraders’, but it was not until Christmas Eve that you saw the emergence of the ‘Mother Sally’, ‘Mad Cow’

The drummers accompanying the ‘masqueraders’ on Mandela Avenue while other masqueraders appear to be taking a break (Photos by Adrian Narine)

querade band? Weren’t these the very same things that would make the masquerade band, well, a masquerade band?

SPELL-BOUND “When I was younger I was fascinated to see the masqueraders perform.

It was always a way that welcomed you into the Christmas spirit in Guyana, and encouraged you to be a part of it,” teenager, Adiah Gomes reflected.

She, however, bemoaned the fact that it seems like the sense of Christmas brought by the masqueraders has somewhat diminished into being just a nuisance. For her, it would appear as though those persons parading as masqueraders don’t even try to learn that distinctive heel-to-toe dance technique and are just concerned with the monetary donation.

“If this could change and return to the days when I was younger, it could somewhat help usher in the Christmas spirit within Guyanese once more,” Young Adiah said.

Walking the streets of

or even the ‘Long Man on Stilts’.

And, as for the sound of the flute? There was one drummer whistling at the corner of Camp and Robb Streets, trying for all he was worth to imitate the sounds.

Perhaps, in their own way, these masqueraders are trying to keep the tradition alive. Or just maybe the acquisition of monetary donation overshadows the love and joy for masquerading.

But more and more, persons are seeing this as a way of scoring a small change rather than a promotion of Guyanese traditions and culture.

While echoing sentiments shared by Gomes, one young man, Jude Corlette shared his feelings about the masqueraders.

“This might surprise you, but my honest opinion is that they are a nuisance; holding up traffic,” he said.

Don’t get him wrong, he said. He doesn’t mind the masqueraders soliciting funds for a cause, or keeping their culture alive. Just,just do it on the sidewalks!

GDF band member dies in Houston accident OWEN Travis Carrington, 22, a Guyana Defence Force officer (GDF) stationed at the Band Room, Camp Ayanganna, died in an accident along the Houston Public Road, East Bank Demerara, on Sunday.

According to reports, Carrington, of Isaacs Street, Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, was proceeding south along the western side of the (eastern carriageway) of the Houston Public

Road at a fast rate of speed swerving in and out of the traffic.

It is alleged that while Carrington was negotiating a left turn he started to overtake the line of traffic and in the process of doing so, the left handle bar struck an unknown vehicle and he lost control of the motor cycle.

The motorcycle skidded, ended up on the western side of the road and collided with the

right side of PPP 5567, which was being driven by Marissa Sawh.

As a result of the collision, the motor cyclist received injuries to his head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is reported that the driver of the motor cycle was not wearing a helmet at the time.

The driver of the motorcar is in police custody and is assisting with the investigation.

with throat slit

A FATHER of six was discovered with his throat slit in his Lot 50, Friendship Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, home on Sunday.

The discovery was made around 07:00 hrs by one of his sons who was visiting him for the holidays.

Dead is Anand Sukhram called “Radesh” and “Halfway”, 42, a labourer, who was last seen alive by one of his brothers around 21:00 hrs on Saturday.

The family is of the view that his murder came at the hands of two known characters who live in the same village.

According to relatives, the suspects are allegedly involved in illegal activities and “Halfway”, exposed it.

Since then, the brothers have been threatening to kill him.

“Just two days ago, the suspect say he gon guh kill am and put him in he grave. A while back one of he (Anand) little son, one of the brothers cut out he ears just because them want he to do them bad work.”

According to a brother of the dead man, Allan Sukhram, 49, a sluice operator, who lives a short distance away, he was leaving for work when he recognised two

Anand Sukhram

known brothers “Saltfish” and “Raju” standing by a lamp post armed with a cutlass and a hunting knife.

“Them two persons get problems with meh brother, when I see them with the cutlass and Rambo knife, I back away from them and catch a

car fuh go open the koker. Me didn’t think is me brother they would ah attack.”

While in the vehicle, he recalled seeing his brother walking home and asked the driver to slow down to talk to him, but the driver was in a hurry.

On Christmas Eve morning, he received the dreaded news of his brother’s death.

“When I go to the scene I see he on the bed, them cut the throat and from what I see is like them hold down he foot on the bed cause it left plait,” the grieving brother said.

The Christmas holidays for the Sukhram family have now turned into mourning and they are calling on the police for justice.

The family is also seeking the assistance of the public to offset the funeral expenses of their dear one. Persons desirous of helping can contact the family on either of these two numbers: 6870720 or 331-0746.

According to a police source, one of the suspects has been held and is helping the police to find the other.

WaterChris Hotel owner passes on VETERAN businessman and the owner of WaterChris Hotel and Restaurant, Gregory Christiani, called “Peppers” succumbed Saturday after being ill for some time.

Relatives said the

64-year-old died from a brain aneurysm at a city hospital early Saturday morning.

An aneurysm is the bulging of an artery or cardiac chamber walls. There may be no symptoms, but,

Cane harvester killed by ‘speeding’ pastor AN early morning accident on Christmas Eve along the Nigg Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, has left 41-yearold cane harvester, Mohammed Safraz Haniff, dead after his pedal cycle collided with a motorcar driven by a pastor.

The incident occurred about 09:30 hrs and involved motor car PRR 2961, driven by Ronald Campbell, 41, of Corentyne and pedal cyclist Haniff of Chesney village, Corentyne.

According to reports, the motorcar was proceeding west along the southern side of the Nigg Public Road at a fast rate of speed. The cyclist was also proceeding in the same direction, but in front.

It is alleged that when the car was about to overtake the cycle, the cyclist suddenly swerved north into the path of the car and was struck down. The cyclist was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver is in custody at the Albion Police Station and is assisting with the investigation.

Dead: Gregory Christiani, called ‘Peppers’

if the walls rupture, it can be fatal.

The Waterchris Hotel, 184 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg, G e o rg e t o w n , c a t e r e d for touring international cricket teams and major regional and international conferences that were held in Guyana up to the mid2000s.

Christiani was described by many as an extraordinarily kind person, who went out of his way to help others.

Editorial

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

The power of the Christmas moment

IT is Christmas again -the time of the year when the world pauses to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas is truly a rare universal moment that breaks down the inevitable human barricades. It is a religious moment that transcends the religion from which it flows. It’s also a truly global moment that transcends political, social, cultural and national borders. It is a moment with a narrative of hope, love, goodwill and peace from which we continue to draw strength and resolve to correct our failings as a species.

The birth of Jesus gave the world hope that a better future was possible for God’s children. Hence, it is a moment that is pregnant with optimism about humanity. The moment told us and

continues to tell us that ours is not doomed to be a world where mankind must live in perpetual hostility—we can live in peace and mutual love. Hence, the Christmas moment is more than a narrow Christian moment; it is Christianity’s gift of love to the world.

It is for that reason that despite the recent commercialisation of Christmas, the moment still retains a certain level of authenticity.

Not even the lure of markets and profits can diminish this special moment. The human spirit has a way of digging beneath the surface to discover the essence of our being. And the Christmas moment facilitates that process of digging and discovery.

There is no doubt that Christmas brings out our softer, gentler and gracious sides. It is as if all our fail-

ings and frailties are forgotten during the Christmas season. It is the time when families come together to commune. We travel long distances to be with our families and loved ones. We bring gifts of joy to share and we pool our earnings to prepare meals for all to partake of. Even if we are not able to be physically in one place, we find ways to link and celebrate together.

There is indeed power in the Christmas moment.

At Christmas time we sing joyful songs—songs of love and optimism that befit the birth of hope and goodwill. We go to our places of worship in larger numbers than usual and we connect with our God in real and symbolic ways. It is a time when the bells chime differently and when the smell of Christmas tells us that we

are alive in a special way.

Christmas is indeed a season of giving and loving.

The beauty of humanity is laid bare as we rediscover our possibilities for peace, sisterhood and brotherhood.

We are at our most vulnerable for kindness and mutual love. One wonders what our world would be like if we can sustain the Christmas spirit beyond the Christmas moment.

And the Christmas moment is also a time for little children, for it was the birth of a special child that triggered the Christmas tradition. We remember our children and lavish them with gifts because they are the hope that Jesus’s birth engendered. In a season of hostility to and violence against children, let the Christmas moment draw us to the frontlines of the

struggle to make our world a safer place for our children.

The Christmas story itself reminds us of the violence that was unleased by the agents of terror at the news of the birth of Jesus. Just as he survived the violence of that time we can survive the violence against children of our time.

The Christmas moment is, therefore, the opportune time for us as a nation and as communities to reflect and draw strength to overcome our divisions, most of which are products of our collective neglect of the Christmas spirit. The Christmas spirit must mean something to us beyond symbolism. If people of different faiths and religions can celebrate

Christmas together, then we can celebrate Guyana together.

This past year we have endured our fair share of pessimism born of our seemingly intractable appetite for discord and division. Our history is littered with these narratives of doom, but if we let the power of the Christmas moment into our consciousness, we can see another more noble side of our existence. So, on this Christmas day, let us reach for the sobering power of the Christmas moment to turn back our drunken state of division and make the coming year a more cohesive experience for our nation.

Live a life of hope this Christmas

By Rev. Gideon Cecil Dear Editor,

THE life and influence of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, throughout history has always produced great changes in the lives of men and women, and of all nations. Wherever His teachings and influence have gone, there have been a multitude of other changes that have been made for the good of mankind. Individual lives are also dramatically changed through the teachings of Jesus Christ. His works throughout His own time as teacher, healer, and His overall purpose for existence have influenced many.

We must ask ourselves some serious questions about life itself. Questions such as: Who am I? What is my purpose in this world? What can I do to contribute to society? What is my destiny after I am gone from this life? Jesus came to offer the world answers to life’s deep spiritual and moral questions.

He came to save all mankind from sin and to offer us life after death.

We see the effect of His teachings from the Bible, and how His morality has shaped the minds of many good people.

Jesus began His ministry by announcing, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” His calling was based on the vision of the Kingdom of God. He shared this vision with ordinary people, fishermen and tax collectors; and seeing their potential, shaped 12 of them into a team. Jesus demonstrated His character as a servant leader, and when faced with opposition and conflict, responded with humility and integrity.

Was that His mission? His mission was to guide us and to let us know Him. It also was to show us a better path, full of truth, so that no one who believes in Him is lost. It also was to show and to remind us of the love of His Father and what He wants for us. Jesus Christ came to redeem humanity from sin. Jesus came to deliver truth in a world of false beliefs. Our greatest need is a spiritual need, which we cannot fulfil with the gain in this life, such as profits

or pleasure, but by lasting peace in Christ.

His mission was to change our way of thinking, so that we would know the love of God. He came, driven by an immense love, to suffer for us and to purge our sins, showing us how to live. He came to live in this world to complete His mission, which was to suffer and die for our sins on the cross. Right now, He is in us so we can follow His path, full of love, as He showed us, to have a better life, to obtain the glory in the eternal life, and to follow the commandments that He left us.

Jesus’s life and teachings influenced some of the greatest men that ever lived. His Sermon on the Mount influenced the great Mahatma Gandhi.

In the words of Gandhi about Jesus, he said: “A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including His enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.”

Mother Theresa said the following about Jesus: ”I believe in person-to-per-

son. Every person is Christ, for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment.” “Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth and goodness.” — Martin Luther King Jr. These are just a few people. The illustrious Billy Graham preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to over one billion people around the world face to face. He is one of the greatest preachers and international scholars, he is still alive today at age 99.

One of the greatest scientists of our time, who is widely studied universally, said the following about Jesus: “I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful.” He further added: “No man can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.

No myth is filled with such life.

Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.” — Albert Einstein

– scientist and mathematician.

Today the gospel of Jesus Christ has produced over one billion followers and believers of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to teach us the philosophy of love and forgiveness for all. Charles Dickens, one of the greatest English novelists, said these profound words about Jesus: “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I now most solemnly impress upon you the truth and beauty of the Christian religion as it came from Christ Himself, and the impossibility of going far wrong if you humbly but heartily respect it.” — Charles Dickens, British writer, 1812-1870 The illustrious William Shakespeare wrote his Epitaph with the following words, using Jesus’s name: ”Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare.

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.”

Shakespeare also men-

tioned this magnificent statement in his Will. ”First, I commend my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assured believing through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting and my body to the Earth whereof it was made.”

As we commemorate another Christmas, let us be reminded that Jesus’s teachings are for all mankind from all walks of life.

As we enter into the new year 2018, let’s join with each other to build a better nation, let’s join to eradicate crime and illiteracy, let’s join and pray for our political leaders, let our political leaders pray and ask God for divine guidance for them to rule this nation justly; and let’s not break the laws of the land by bribery and corruption. May God bless and guide us as we build a Guyana devoid of hate as One People, One Nation, One Destiny. A blessed 2018 to all Guyanese.

Regards REV. GIDEON CECIL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

OP-ED

Important lessons from the Christmas story

By Pastor Jumoul Sancho

TOO many people argue and fight unnecessarily over the exact date of Christ’s birth and whether or not Christmas should be celebrated. But don’t you think we can make better use of our time and energy? Here are some important pieces of advice for us all during the season.

We can improve our attitude towards God and others during the season. It will do us well to empty our hearts of junk such as envy, hatred, malice, anger and bitterness and make room for Jesus to live within our means. Avoid getting into unnecessary debt. Guard against overindulgence in appetite. Shun extravagance in decoration, dress and entertainment. Spend quality time with family and friends. Share the love of Jesus, especially with the less fortunate.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, careful examination of the Christmas story reveals some important lessons that require our careful attention. The undeniable truth is, the Christmas story is replete with

powerful lessons that we can ignore at our peril, deny to our destruction or learn from to our advantage.

Firstly, the Christmas story teaches us that it is possible to demonstrate unbelievable ignorance and inconceivable indifference to major events, although we are in possession of precise and relevant information.

Despite the fact that the Jews were knowledgeable of the prophesies regarding the Messiah and despite the fact that they anticipated his birth for centuries, when Christ was born Jerusalem was quiet. The enquiry of the wise men concerning the child’s birth was met with indifference from the chief priests. What an incitement! Hence, each Christmas ought to be a solemn reminder that we should not be ignorant and indifferent towards major events such as the imminent and literal return of Jesus, especially when we have all the information at our disposal.

Secondly, the Christmas story teaches us that we should beware of the tom cat mentality. I was recently reminded by Brother Lincoln Green of the fact that the tom cat is so obsessed

with himself, that in an attempt to maintain power he would kill younger tom cats.

King Herod had the tom cat mentality. When he heard that a ruler in the person of Jesus was born, he made every attempt to kill him. It is horrendous to think about what people would do to secure and maintain power.

This season should remind us that we should beware of the tom cat mentality, but rather be gentle and humble.

Thirdly, Christmas reminds us that high ideals should be exemplified in marriage and family life.

Through the experience of Mary, we recognise that God places a high premium on purity. When God wanted a woman to give birth to the Messiah, he chose a virgin. The experience of Joseph teaches us that the world has men who love their spouses unconditionally and willingly obey the word of God. Fourthly, the Christmas story teaches us that God is Love. After the sin of Adam and Eve man needed a saviour. In love, God predicted that Jesus would come in the flesh to be man’s saviour. In love, Jesus left all the glories and conve-

niences of heaven to take up temporary residence on sinful earth. In love, Jesus humbled himself and was born in a lowly manger to poor parents. In love, Jesus showed us how to live an overcomer’s life based on an unbreakable relationship with God, the Father. In love, Jesus lived to help the helpless; heal the sick and bring deliverance to captives. In love, He recruited, trained and deployed unlearnt men to add value to people’s lives. In love, Jesus died as man’s saviour and redeemer. But prior to His death, He predicted His death and promised to return to eradicate evil and reward the faithful with everlasting life.

So this season and throughout the year, I urge you to be alert to the plight of those around us; be gentle and humble; seek to be of help to those in need, as best as you can; think about the less fortunate; spend time with family and loved ones; share love; reflect on the wonderful gift of life given us through Jesus’s death, and above all, make room for Jesus in your heart and home.

Jumoul Sancho Director, Personal Ministries & Community Services Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

--with all the trimmings, housemother promises

By Michel Outridge FOR the eight girls living at the Sad’r Shaheed’s Girls Orphanage in Oleander Gardens, East Coast Demerara, this Christmas will be just as if they were at their own homes, with all the goodies, the decorations, and the Christmas Tree.

According to Shanti (only name given), a trained housemother, the girls are treated as normal children and not

as orphans, as they all have parents; just that they come from difficult circumstances.

The girls are aged six to 17, and regarded as ‘one big family’, in that they live like sisters and help out with the chores. And under her guidance, they also help each other with homework.

Shanti told the Guyana Chronicle that the children benefit from well prepared meals of their choice, are well cared for, and attend school regularly. At Christ-

mastime, the meals are even more sumptuous, and there are toys galore.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the orphanage a few days ago, the girls were observed putting the finishing touches to the decorations in the living room.

The huge Christmas Tree was fully decorated, with ornaments and fairy lights, and there were a number of gift-wrapped items strewn beneath it.

“For the girls here,”

The Sad’r Shaheed’s Girls Orphanage in Oleander Gardens (Photos by Michel Outridge)

The tastefully decorated reception area of the orphanage

Shanti said, every day is like Christmas because they get the best of the basic necessities, including food, from donors on a daily basis.”

At Christmastime, too, the older ones also get to enjoy a few non-alcoholic beverages, and they also have a huge Christmas party with a little music and so on.

They also get to attend their respective school’s Christmas Party.

The six-year-old told this

newspaper that for Christmas, she would like to have some dolls to add to her collection of ‘pretty dolls’, while the nine-year-old said that she, too, likes dolls. The older girls said they are not interested in toys; just the goodies.

Recently, two of the girls went home to their families, while some have been there for many years, just like Shanti, 58, who left her Essequibo Coast home and her family to be a housemother

to the girls.

A humanitarian at heart, Shanti said it’s not about the money, as she genuinely likes what she does. Being a housemother, she said, comes with a lot of responsibilities.

It’s also a lot of work; roundthe-clock, because she does it single-handedly.

According to the girls, Christmas at the Sad’r Shaheed’s Girls Orphanage in Oleander Gardens is something to look forward to.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Working the night shift, Christmas or not –– the rigours of getting a newspaper out on time

By Shirley Thomas THROUGHOUT the years, Christmas has always been regarded as a time for the family, particularly for Caribbean people.

It is a time that has traditionally been known to draw families closer together: husbands and wives, children and parents.

And generally, we look forward to positive changes.

It is a time when parents will even go the extra mile to ensure they buy gifts for the children, and vice versa. Moms and dads will exchange gifts. Dad suddenly sees the need to spend more time in the home with the family, and there will suddenly be more attendance at church as a family.

And party lovers though we Caribbean people are, it seems we always attach that reverence or importance to going to church as a family, even if it means a husband or father having to miss a Christmas Eve night party or lime, just so as to be able to attend that Christmas Day church service as a family.

Indeed, Christmas has been known to draw families so close together, that even delinquent fathers have turned to spending more time in the home, and making conscious efforts to be fathers of whom their wives and children can be proud.

It is said that a family that prays together, stays together, and while ideally, in the Christian or other religious setting, it is expected that families attend Church together all the time and not just seasonally, there will always be those who honour this more in the breach than in the observance.

Meanwhile, for families where there is an ongoing rift between mother and father, it sometimes seems that Christmas suddenly takes on therapeutic properties, since it is sometimes looked forward to as having the ability to bring some sort of healing to relationships gone sour. But general-

Joseph James Patterson, called ‘Joe’, Photolithographer ly, Christmas is a time when families are drawn closer together; make more time for each other; share the joys of togetherness, and in every way work towards strengthening relationships in the home and family.

THE EXCEPTIONS But while this is so, there are fathers, and to a lesser extent mothers, who, out of necessity find themselves robbed of the opportunity of spending quality time with their spouses and children.

It just might be that their jobs are exacting, demanding that one partner has to be out of the home and on the job indefinitely, almost to the extent of neglecting their health and missing out on some of the joys of sharing in family engagements from time to time.

A classic example of a job situation that exerts exacting demands on the employee (and closer home) is the job of pressmen working at a newspaper company; mechanical technicians whose duty it is to be on the job round the clock, Christmas or not, so as to effect repairs whenever this becomes necessary; those inserting pages into the finished newspaper, as well as the dispatch clerks.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to some of those very people, many of whom have been on the job for as long as 20 to 30 years, making invaluable contributions not just to the company, but to our readership as a whole.

Joseph Patterson is what is known in newspaper parlance as a photolithographer.

What this means, in essence, is that he heads a shift in the Pre-Press Department. His day usually commences around 20:00 hrs, but given his passion for the job, he would normally arrive on the plant as early as 16:00hrs, returning home just before dawn.

Basically, ‘Joe’, as everyone calls him, is always willing to go the extra mile. He is responsible for taking the ‘flats’ from the layout technicians who design and lay out the pages.

In newspaper language, a ‘flat’ also called a ‘flat plan’, is a diagram of sorts of what particular pages of the finished newspaper would look like.

When staff of the Layout Department have finished their task, Pre-Press examines the pages to ensure that everything is alright and there are no mistakes. On completion of the plate-press process, they then send it to the press.

This is a key and very vital area,

and ensures the job is done in a flawless manner, and that it’s done speedily and efficiently.

FAMILY VOID Asked about the void his absence creates in the family, especially at Christmas time when he cannot be at home with them at nights, Joe’s response was: “I’ve been going through this for 37 years.

Sometimes it aches me, but this is my job, and I have to get it done. Duty calls and one must serve.”

What is even more remarkable, according See page 11

Shelly Alleyne, Circulation Clerk

10

Still delivering ‘Christmas – after 19 years at it Day Babies’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

By Michel Outridge

DIANA Grimes admits being a workaholic, so as a registered midwife attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Maternity Unit, she doesn’t mind having to often work beyond the call of duty.

This year, Diana will be spending Christmas on the job, delivering babies as has been her wont for the past 19 years.

At 61, she said she still likes her job even though it does have its challenges.

But all in all, it is very rewarding, as when mothers

Registered Midwife, Ms Diana Grimes

The GPHC Maternity Unit and babies get to go home, it gives her a certain sense of accomplishment.

This midwife, who is always up for a friendly chat, told the Guyana Chronicle

that a lot of babies are born at this time of year, and that Christmas at the GPHC Maternity Unit is like being home away from home, as the nurses would decorate

the wards, and serve patients meals specially prepared for them on Christmas Day. That day, too, President David Granger would visit and chat with expectant mothers and those who would have given birth to Christmas babies.

She recalled that last year when the President visited, he was accompanied by the First Lady, and together they presented each mother with a gold coin for their babies.

Grimes said that at this time of year, members of both the public and private sectors as well as private citizens, especially those who live overseas, would visit the Maternity Unit and distribute gifts to the newborns and their mothers on Christmas Day. The GPHC, she said, would also present the young mothers with Christmas tokens.

Said Nurse Grimes: “The atmosphere at the Maternity Unit does be nice for both the staff and patients, because we treat them like family and make them as comfortable as possible.”

The mother of three pointed out that Christmas is usually the ‘peak season’ for the delivery of babies, in that more than 55 patients

tend to visit the Maternity Unit per day.

By the end of the season, she said, the Unit would have seen more than 100 pregnant women daily, and done about 20 deliveries for this period alone.

Grimes said that during this festive period, nurses work through and sometimes work double shifts if needed, because the GPHC is the referral hospital for high-risk pregnant women, including teenagers, diabetics and those troubling with anaemia.

She disclosed that oftentimes they double-up to accommodate all expectant mothers, since some women would journey from afar to give birth.

“The aim of any midwife,” she said, “is to safely deliver babies and provide the relevant after-care for both mother and child, which is a team effort which comprises of midwives, nurses and doctors.”

She is also an immunization nurse, which means that as soon as a new baby is born, she gets to give it its very first vaccine.

Her simple motto, she said, is “Aiming to please”, which allows her to get the job done with relative ease.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Working the night shift, Christmas ...

From page 9

to him, is that even though there is a shift system in place, by some quirk of fate, he always manages to fall into the one that requires him to work on holidays. But, his wife and children have come to understand and accept it.

“Thirty seven years have passed, and I am still around; it wouldn’t kill me,” he said.

“But thank God for an understanding

and compassionate wife and children.” He also has the satisfaction of having won a few awards for quality performance.

Shelly Alleyne is a dispatch clerk cum cashier, and she, too, works nights to get the paper out on the streets, and on time.

“I feel comfortable, because it’s been five years since I’ve been working here.

So I’ve gotten accustomed to it,” she said.

“Sometimes it is difficult, but it’s my

The jolly and undaunted group of pressmen at the GNNL: Standing from left are: Kensell Gibbons, Pressman B; Kamnathan Harripersaud, called ‘Harry’, Senior Pressman; and Clint Bastian, Senior Pressman. Stooping is Sean Thompson, Mechanical Technician

Pressmen and Mechanical Technician at work on the Press

job; and so I don’t complain.” Her day begins at midnight and goes until 08:00hrs.

That’s from Monday to Friday. But on Saturdays and holidays, it starts from 22:00hrs and goes until 08:00hrs the next day. But fortunately for her, her children are abroad, so, in that regard, she is not challenged.

Asked what his job as a senior pressman entails, Kamnathan Harripersud said: “Well, our job is to make sure the Guyanese people get the paper on time as is expected. I have been doing printing for over 30 years and I am dedicated to that type of job.”

The press usually starts rolling around midnight, but the pressmen tend to arrive on the plant by 21:00hrs. And, should everything go well,they would be done by 02:00 hrs or thereabouts.

But if per chance the press suffers any mechanical defects, printing has to be held up, delaying the process. If the mechanical technician is not available, the company is forced to seek printing services from another company; and that is stressful.

A father of three, Harripersud is married and has been in the pressroom business for the last 30 years or so, and would not give it up for anything.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Still going strong at 106 – and looking forward to seeing many more Christmases

By Shirley Thomas

IT’S Christmastime and the Guyana Chronicle joins in wishing all Guyana a Happy Christmas and a Bright and Prosperous New Year.

But today, we’d especially like to extend greetings to Guyana’s oldest centenarian, Mr. Gladstone Mack, who, on October 31, turned 106, and is about to enter his 107th year.

Mr. Mack has been a widower for the last seven years, following the death of his dear wife, Viola Mack, née Fortune, after a wonderful and productive union of 60 years. Together, they parented 10 children, all of whom are still alive, and have given them 30 grand-children; 70 great-grand-children; and five great-great-grands.

Ever since his wife’s passing, Brother Mack, as he is fondly called, has been in the care of his eldest daughter, Ms. Viola Crawford and her family at their Block ‘E’ Sophia home, where he is the pride of the family, and where love literally abounds.

His offspring, he says, are proud examples of the values and principles he stands for.

This newspaper asked the former Methodist Church elder how he feels to have seen 106 Christmases, and whether the season still holds

much excitement for him these days.

He readily responded by giving thanks to God for bringing him this far to see 106 Christmases, and stressing that Christmas should be all about the celebration of Christ the King, as without Him, there would be no Christmas.

“I feel happy and give thanks to God for keeping me,” Brother Mack said, adding: “And yes, I would like to see more birthdays and more Christmases, since Christmas is all about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.”

MORE CHRISTMAS CAROLS But, much as he is still excited about Christmas, what bothers him is the way the focus has been shifted from things sacred to what he calls “a grand secular jubilation.” And where before all roads led to Christmas Eve Night church service, sadly, that is no longer so today.

Even to carolling, which brings about that sacred and nostalgic feeling of ‘Christmas in the air’, he said, is now sadly missing.

“In fact, even in some churches, you hardly hear carols during the Christmas season. And that is sad,”

Brother Mack said.

He recalled that as a young man living at Aurora, on the Essequibo Coast, every Christmas Eve Night there was carol singing. He vividly remembers going from house to house carolling as a youngster, and the mothers of those homesteads serving them black cake and ginger beer.

He also reflected on the fun times he and his family had at Christmas time, and how love kept them solidly bonded.

“Then there was this notion of ‘gifting’,” he said.

“And so, when I grew up and raised my own family, it wasn’t easy to buy gifts for 10 children, but my wife and I taught them to be contented.

And so they never frowned if they did not get exactly what they wanted.

“With 10 children to raise, it was generally hard to make ends meet. But my wife and I always ensured our children had a good Christmas, and that the entire family was present in church.”

These days, though unable to walk, and confined to bed, he is thanking God that he used his organs, while they were intact, for his glory. But he sits upright, and continues to enjoy his favourite television shows, particularly ‘Judge

Judy’, even though he is visually impaired. He also keeps abreast with current affairs.

FAVOURITE DISHES As to favourites in foods, his daughter Violet says that apart from boiled provision and stewed chicken, he has a particular liking for Church’s Chicken and French Fries and Royal Castle Chicken and Fried Rice. He also loves pholourie and grapes.

That apart, his spiritual food is also assured, since his pastor visits his home every second Friday and takes Holy Communion for him.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited him on his 105th birthday last year, he’d complained of feeling somewhat down, and was experiencing pains on and off. In fact, on that occasion, he said he was ready to go with his `Maker’ who had prepared a special place for him.

This time around, however, it was different and he was even said he would like to be around to see more Christmases and birthdays. He eventually admitted to still feeling the loss of his dear wife, Viola with whom he had shared 60 wonderful years.

But while that is so, Brother Mack says he is eternally grateful to his caregiver, his eldest daughter,Viola, who takes absolute care of him. “I cannot complain,” he said. “She is always there for me, and likewise

Mr. Gladstone Mack, who recently celebrated his 106th birthday. In his right hand is the award he received last year from the Government of Guyana during the Independence Jubilee celebrations for being the oldest surviving man in Guyana. At left is his eldest daughter, Mrs. Winifred Camacho (Photo

by Samuel Maughn) the other siblings and her children as well. I cannot desire better, and I thank God for them all and their tender loving care.”

Meanwhile, bringing added pride and joy to his heart are accolades and recognition he received for being:The oldest male centenarian in Guyana in 2015

(during Guyana’s Independence Jubilee celebrations held in May, 2015 and years ago, was also awarded by the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) for his sterling contribution to the agricultural sector whilst he was a farmer working on the Essequibo Coast.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Christmas Day at the Lusignan Prison

13

–where there’ll be plenty to eat and drink

By Michel Outridge

THEY won’t be at home, but they won’t be missing out on much either, as prison officials have gone the extra mile to make Christmas at the Lusignan Prison this year as memorable as they possibly can for the 100 or so inmates housed there.

According to the Officer-in-Charge of the Lusignan Prison, Superintendent Olivia Cox, like other members of the Disciplined Services, they at the Lusignan facility will have to work throughout the holidays, but they will ensure that inmates feel at home.

And this year, she said, they have a lot going on at Lusignan to make inmates enjoy the festive season, even though they are behind bars.

In addition to a concert today, where there’ll be music, karaoke, and dancing, they’ll be having the traditional pepperpot, black cake and other Christmas goodies, and even a few non-alcoholic beverages.

The concert, she said, is geared towards inmate participation as a means of helping them forget where they are, and enjoying the

‘When the inmates are happy, they are well behaved. So we try to make them comfortable, because we want them to feel as if they are at home...’ -- Superintendent Olivia Cox holiday festivities, while the foods are prepared by their own hands under supervision of prison officials.

Cox said that at each and every prison in Guyana, there’s a huge Christmas tree in the yard, and that a concert, to which the community is invited, would usually be held for the traditional Christmas tree light-up.

On those occasions, she said, the villagers of those communities in which the prison is located would get the rare opportunity to interact with prisoners as they provide entertainment at the ceremony.

And while the relatives of convicted prisoners are not allowed to take them food at Christmas, they can at least sit and chat and have a meal with their loved ones during “Family Bonding” week.

The children of inmates are also allowed to visit during that week, and whereas the prison would usually buy gifts so their fathers could give them, this time around they won’t be able

to do so because of the tragedy earlier in the year at the Camp Street prison.

Cox said that although prisoners are not allowed alcohol on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, they are given a few cigarettes and sweets, compliments of the Guyana Prison Service.

As for those on Death Row, they are segregated and their meals are prepared separately. They are, however, allowed visitors during the festive season.

Most of them, she said, are housed at the Mazaruni Prison following the fire at the Camp Street prison.

At Christmas, she said, the service ensures that every inmate participates in the concert, while on every holiday, special meals are prepared for them in observance of those holidays.

“When the inmates are happy,” she said, “they are well behaved. So we try to make them comfortable, because we want them to feel as if they are at home, considering we have to spend

long hours with them.”

They also try to give them a sense of belonging behind bars, and get them to participate in such activities as decorating the Christmas tree and fixing up their dormitories.

“As a prison officer,” the mother of two said, “I love my job even though it entails long hours and a lot of time away from my family.”

Ms Cox has been a member of the Guyana Prison Service for the past nine years, and previously served at the New Amsterdam Prison before being posted to Lusignan.

Superintendent Olivia Cox (Delano Williams photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Christmas not the same without her –Kescia Branche’s father says

By Navendra Seoraj

CHRISTMAS was a little more than Christmas when Kescia was around, said her father Alfred Branche, as he reflected on the times they shared during the festive season.

The 22-year-old teacher of the Richard Ishmael Secondary School, who was a resident of First Street, Cummings Lodge, was found unconscious on the roadway at Louisa Row. Her left leg was broken and she had sustained multiple head injuries. She was hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she succumbed.

This was a story that brought tears to the eyes of her father, who took deep breaths after every sentence during his reflection on the happier days that his family

spent together, especially at Christmas.

“Unfortunately, for this period, I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing, because Christmas Day happens to be my birthday,” Branche told the Guyana Chronicle during an interview at his home in Annandale, East Coast Demerara, on Friday.

Branche said Kescia and her sister would usually compete to see who could wish him happy birthday and merry Christmas first.

He remembered how she would call and wake him out of his sleep to say: “Daddy, you still sleeping? It’s your birthday, wake up!”

TALK FOR HOURS After she was successful in waking him up, they would talk for hours, since they did not live

together. But later in the day, he said, they would come together as a family and have a gathering at his mother’s house.

“I am the only child for my mother,” he said, “so those were her only grandchildren… Christmas was a little more than just Christmas, because a birthday was involved.”

He said Kescia will definitely be missed this year and every year to come. His grandmother also passed away a few days ago in the U.S., so the family would not be doing a big celebration this year.

Instead, they intend to pass the time quietly, and reflect on the better times they had together.

Death is inevitable and it is something that no human can really prepare for, Mr Branche said, adding that Kescia’s sister got mar-

future,” he said, adding: “Her son meant the world to her, and as he grows, we’ll build new memories. But all we can do now is cherish the memories we had of her… God knows what’s best.”

But try as he might, he’s still to fully come to grips with the fact that she is gone, because the latter part of her life they did not live together, but always reached out to each other

Father of the late Kescia Branche speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Friday at his home (Photo by Adrian Narine) ried in May of this year in Barbados, and that he and Kescia had planned to keep a celebration in Guyana next May for her sister’s first anniversary.

Of course, that would not be possible anymore, but he told the Guyana Chronicle that he will try to get Kescia’s son to spend the day with them.

Speaking about Kescia’s child brought back memories of her as a child.

Her father said she had a fire about her, and it was evident because she was very determined to work tirelessly towards her goals.

Kescia was remembered as someone who was very active in community activities while growing up, and even prior to her demise she was part of the Volunteer Youth Corps.

MEANT THE WORLD “She had a lot of life in her, and had plans for the

The late Kescia Branche (Facebook photo) frequently.

Still stricken with grief, Branche said he still has lingering thoughts that she is still around and will call whenever she needs something. But he knows he is only fooling himself by thinking that.

He is beginning to think that December is not his month, because in 2014 around this time, his father and sister died. They were both involved in a car accident at Rosignol, West Coast Berbice (WCB) but only his sister died in the accident. However, due to grief, his father committed suicide a few days later.

Clearly devastated by all that’s happened, Branche said that he does not intend giving up because God knows what is best.

Asked if he was pleased with the ongoing police investigation into the death of his daughter, Branche said judging from the amount of work that would have been done, he is satisfied, but hopes that justice will be served soon.

REMANDED TO PRISON Taxi driver Matthew Munroe has been remanded to prison and was instructed to make his next court appearance on January 9, 2018, for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the matter.

Persons reported seeing her being touched inappropriately by the man, and she also appeared to have been under the influence.

Persons also recalled seeing her at the popular Seeta’s Bar on Station Street, Kitty.

There are many families out there whose stories have gone untold, but Branche would like to advise those persons who are experiencing similar struggles to believe that God does not make mistakes and whatever happened, happened for a reason.

Quoting a popular saying, Branche said: “If your hands are filled, you cannot receive your blessing because there is no place to accept.”

The distraught father would also like to urge persons to take things in good faith and let go, because God knows best.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Apples and grapes for Christmas anyone?

By Vishani Ragobeer

AT Christmastime, there are many distinctive things about Guyana. There is the pepperpot and black cake that must be in your kitchen, and the masqueraders and busyness of Regent Street.

During this time, too, it is almost equally as important to have apples and grapes on your kitchen table, as it is to have a big ol’ Christmas Tree in your home.

You must have heard eager fruit vendors shouting, “Five apples fuh $300!” or “$700 ah pound ah grapes!” some time while doing your Christmas shopping. You might even find someone with a trolley passing by you, seeking to sell these fruits.

Or perhaps you bought groceries from the supermarkets where you would have seen

shelves laden with apples and grapes in many shapes and colours. And alongside the butter cookies, walnuts and assortment of chocolates and candies of course!

But why do these fruits play such an integral role in the Guyanese Christmas celebration?

According to one fruit vendor named Kwesi on the northern outskirts of the Stabroek “Big” Market, apples and grapes have been part of his family’s Christmas tradition for as long as he can remember.

“It’s a Christmas thing,” he said, adding: “It’s to decorate the table, yuh know!”

It was Kwesi’s opinion, too, that Guyanese preferred these fruits over the local juicy mangoes, cherries and pineapples because they are imported fruits. He explained further that this doesn’t mean that Guyanese are ‘for-

Narine’s fancy setup outside Stabroek Market (Photos by Delano Williams)

Some of Kwesi’s apples and grapes being sold in the environs of the Stabroek Market eign-minded’, but simply because Christmas represents a culmination of festivities and the year in general, thus these fruits reflect their willingness to celebrate grandly.

Another fruit vendor wedged between the busy Robb Street traffic and the overflowing pavement, named Harry explained that the importation of apples and grapes increase exponentially during the Christmas season.

He opined that Guyanese seem to prefer these imported fruits during this season because they would get local fruits throughout the year. But, like Kwesi, he thinks that Christmas is a time to splurge.

And finally, Narine, another fruit vendor with an immaculate and extensive setup of apples and grapes (and bananas) just in front of the Stabroek Market related that these fruits add to the colour of the season.

Maybe he was speaking about the bright red and green apples and grapes aligning with the season, which is associated by those colours. Or maybe he meant that in a more general sense, where people like having them because their bright colours made them attractive.

A sudden torrential downpour deterred him from explaining further what he meant to the Guyana Chronicle though.

Local Christmas celebrations reflect entrenched traditions birthed from the unique blend of the country’s ethnic groups or those cultures that would have been changed or adapted due to the process of acculturation.

And while it may be unclear how this apples and grapes tradition also became entrenched, it is certain that it is a healthy one that Guyanese are eager to bite into.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Greetings from the desk of GNNL chair

Fellow Guyanese,

I EXTEND greetings to you on this merry occasion.

As the curtains come down for 2017, on behalf of the Board of Directors and Staff of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support and look forward to your continued partnership in the New Year. I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect, count your blessings -- there is so much to be thankful for, give praise, keep the faith alive, and stay positive. As a newspaper, we have much to celebrate.

Christmas is a time for reflection, rejuvenation and hope for the future. This is the season to have the spirit of caring, sharing, to love and to be generous; this is what connects us all during the festive season.

As we look back, 2017 has been a year of successes and challenges. These past couple of months seems like a full year since my appointment. Our newspaper during this time encountered many difficulties and

GNNL Chair, Geeta Chandan- Edmond

challenges, but we have lived through it all -- moments of glory and difficult times.

Importantly, it has earned us valuable experiences, and we can safely say that we will be going forward in the New Year on better footing.

The Guyana Chronicle as the State’s newspaper is here to serve responsibly in the interest of the Guyanese people both here and in the diaspora.

For the past 40 years it has had the special responsibility of serving as the State’s paper. The Guyana Chronicle of today is not only a vehicle for quality journalism but for vigorous, unrestricted debate on issues affecting the Guyanese society.

We have stuck to this mandate as we seek to improve both content and coverage of our newspaper.

We must celebrate our defiant growth, but like the saying goes, growth managed under harsh conditions hardens a plant for all weather and for all times.

We are pleased that our reputation as a responsible newspaper has been growing and

we hope that in the near future, the Guyana Chronicle will reach every household in Guyana.

This will be a feat we can all proudly celebrate. I am convinced and I believe that our papers will continue to contribute to a greater understanding on issues and developments taking place within our country.

I urge all Guyanese to continue to be interested in the affairs of our country and to become engaged in our affairs. We will continue to work on producing news that you can trust -- news that is credible and responsible.

Since our rebranding three years ago, the Guyana Chronicle has changed considerably in terms of quality of content and is progressively developing into a brand of excellence.

Testimony to this fact is the tremendous success we have enjoyed at the prestigious Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) media awards for excellence See page 19

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Every day should be Christmas Day

By Dr. David Hinds THIS is primarily a political column. So, when the editor asked for a Christmas column—something light and Christmas-like, I realised he was subtly saying he didn’t want a political column. Not on Christmas day. I wondered what I would say on Christmas day that is not political.

Or put another way, what does one say about politics on Christmas day that is not political?

If I had my way, writing about politics on Christmas day should be mandatory, since the man whose birth we observe today, was essentially a political man. And the very fact of his birth spurred political responses—Herod’s order to kill all little boys two years and younger. Yes, Jesus was born in politics and lived a very political life—fighting injustice at every twist and turn.

So, it is quite ironic that as we celebrate his birth, we tend to push politics into the background—we take leave of politics for the season. It is an irony that is best explained by the theologians and experts on the life and times of Jesus. Suffice to say, we go with the flow; we emphasise all non-political things this time of year. Everyone writes about peace and goodwill towards men—so why not me? You see, the origins of Christmas are Christian, but its celebration is beyond Christianity. Maybe, just maybe, it is the one time of the year that we come closest to dropping our ethnic guards. In that sense, every day should be Christmas day.

I actually like Christmas. Apart from the good food and drinks and the opportunity to be with friends and family in an atmosphere of love, you do get to see things you never thought would be possible.

Only a few weeks ago we were shouting down each other in the National Assembly and vowing fire and

brimstone. But today these very warriors greet each other in Jesus’ name. Oh, the power of Christmas to bring a bit of calm to the land. Maybe, we should have Christmas every day of the year.

You see all politicians and political parties share gifts to children—spreading the Christmas joy to all.

And the children are happy to receive their gifts—why not? They get to see and feel their leaders and watch them smile and laugh—the children get to realize that these big bad and cantankerous people they see on TV, and in the parliament hollering for rape and beating policemen and abusing the speaker, are actually human beings. Their parents get to realize that the very people who talk about their children education and health care in strange other-worldly languages are really human beings after all. Maybe, they too wish that every day is Christmas day.

And then there are people like me, who grew up in the church, baptized there, confirmed there, took communion there and was an altar-boy right there, but who don’t go to church often these days. However, at Christmas we make the pilgrimage to church, looking holier than those who go every Sunday. We close our eyes and pray and ask God to grant us the discipline to go to church more often.

You see, in my case, when the revolution that took me away from church is over, the church—the one foundation—is still there. You open your eyes and you are compelled by conscience to give a bigger collection than normal, because you are not there often enough to give regularly. I am sure that when the church elders see the larger number of worshippers, they too must be saying—every day should be Christmas day.

Christmas is not what it used to be when I was a boy or a young man. The

smell is not the same. The pepper-pot and black-cake and garlic pork and ginger beer are still here, but they don’t taste the same.

The elegance of yesteryear is gone—you no longer “dress to kill” for the Christmas parties, because the times demand a different dress code. Nostalgia, I know—but grant me that.

The world moves on and so

must we. But even as we move on, we tend to hold on to the past.

If Christmas partly means plenty to eat and drink and share, then some of us have Christmas every day. But for many, that Christmas symbolism is not even a dream.

It is at times like these that we must ponder our reality—are we living up

to the promise that Jesus’ birth brought forth?

The commercialization of the Christmas season cannot be stopped, but surely it can be tempered.

Christmas must never be a time to flaunt our material belongings. To the contrary, it must be a time of thanksgiving and recommitment to the ideals of the child in whose name

we celebrate.

Merry Christmas to all.

More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www. guyanacaribbeanpolitics. com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Christmas greetings

Honour Christ’s teachings, PNCR urges

THE miraculous birth of Jesus Christ – celebrated by most Christians on the 25th December – is recorded in the Gospel according to St Luke as heralding an era of “peace on earth and goodwill toward men.”

Jesus’s humble birth took place in a common manger in a tiny town in an obscure country. He was able, nevertheless, with a small band of disciples, to preach a gospel that transformed the world in a most fundamental way and created a remarkable Christian civilisation of which we are all heirs.

Guyana being a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is in a unique position to benefit from the teachings of the religions of all of its peoples. Christmas is, therefore, not only for members of the Christian community, but for all

Guyanese in a very real sense. There is abundant evidence that the teachings of Christianity and its practices have influenced the lives of all of our people.

In other words, this country has seen the benefits of the policy of allowing all religions to flower in Guyana. Christian beliefs go well beyond the religious and have had a notable effect on all aspects of life in Guyana, in terms of the production of art, literature, our way of living and our objective of building a harmonious and tolerant society.

The Christian spirit of charity continues to inspire Guyanese of all religions. Ordinary people everywhere reach out with compassion and generosity to help their brothers and sisters in distress.

We call to mind the plight of the

aged, the poor and other vulnerable citizens. We remember our servicemen and soldiers who will spend this joyous festival separated from their families at sea and on our far-flung frontiers. We recognise the service of our nurses, servicemen, technicians and working people who maintain our utilities, sanitary facilities and security services to ensure that citizens could be safe and that the nation could be secure.

The biblical promise of peace on earth and good will toward men, however, remains unfulfilled. Guyanese are urged on the occasion of this sacred festival – through thought, word and work – to make Jesus’s message of mercy and his ministry to the poor and needy the main motifs of their celebration.

Happy Christmas to all Guyanese!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Jesus an inspiration to all mankind ––PPP/C THE season of Yuletide is here, a time when families gather in affectionate embraces and friends and neighbours warmly share the joy of the season by celebrating in different ways.

Our children especially, look forward to the treats, the gifts, and of course the special dishes. It is in this spirit, that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) extends Christmas greetings to all Guyanese and more particularly our brothers and sisters in the Christian Community.

The birth of the Christ child, was meant to revive hope, turn sorrows and mourning into celebration, knowing that the world would no longer be in darkness because that bright star did appear to guide mankind to new hope.

In the journey of Jesus’s life from abject poverty and a mere unknown; born in a

manger, to a life of becoming an ineffable figure, he crossed barriers, broke down walls of prejudice, embraced the outcasts, defended the voiceless and engaged the powerful and by doing so, he brought salvation to the whole world.

Our wish is that in this season, our elderly, differently-abled, and underprivileged will be specially remembered, and in our caring and sharing, our arms be extended to even the stranger.

In the true Guyanese spirit, as a multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, the message of love is apt.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic joins with all Guyanese in celebration of the birth of the Christ child, while reflecting on its true meaning and significance. Merry Christmas!

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Greetings from the desk ...

From page 16

in journalism.

It cannot please us more to report that this year we have won 33 awards of excellence in journalism, covering diverse areas from health, agriculture, human rights, business and finance, to politics and local government, science and the environment and investigative journalism.

The number of awards and the latter award won are a first in the history of the Guyana Chronicle.

This is the time to celebrate, and in keeping with the spirit of the season, a few days ago we had our inaugural Christmas tree light up and our staff and their children had a great time.

This year, we also joined the campaign to eliminate violence against women and girls and hosted an awareness programme, which will now become an annual event.

I have full confidence in the staff of the Guyana

Chronicle and as we go forward into the New Year, we will do so with renewed energy and enthusiasm with the aim to improve on the gains made in 2017.

It is our hope that the Guyana Chronicle becomes the newspaper of choice, but for this to happen, we require the support of all Guyanese.

Let me end by once again thanking you all for your support; we at the Guyana Chronicle pledge to

work even more strenuously in 2018.

I wish you all, my fellow directors, our staff, our vendors, our advertisers, our readers and their families a safe and happy Christmas and a New Year filled with peace, joy productivity and prosperity.

God bless us all Ms. Geeta ChandanEdmond Chairman GNNL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Just when the fun begins,the -late-shopper finds out, much to her dismay

By Navendra Seoraj THE season of sharing, caring, giving and enjoying is here once again, and many Guyanese will

be looking forward to what the late Burl Ives famously described as “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”

But heading into the new year, or post-Christ-

mas season, might not be financially pleasing for people who fail to work with a budget and avoid the traditional “late shopping.”

A shopper enquires about the price for a tray of eggs in the Bourda Market An average Guyanese would say Christmas is not Christmas without persons bumping into each other, or stepping on someone’s shoe, as they try to manoeuvre their way through the packed stores on Regent Street just one week or even a few days before December 25.

Well at least, that was the view of Shondell, a shopper who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday after she had concluded her Christmas shopping at a store on Robb Street.

She was one of the many shoppers who were making their way through heavily crowded stores to find the right gifts for their loved ones, or much-needed appliances for their homes.

And of course, business owners would never complain about a crowded store, because in a sense, that’s their opportunity to make a little more money than they usually do throughout the year.

There are, however, some cases where businesspeople utilise the opportunity to exploit shoppers with overpriced products and goods that would usually cost far less throughout the year.

But customary during the latter weeks of December, the prices for basic commodities and other items increase, costing consumers a lot more than it would on a regular basis.

Shondell’s shopping basket was testimony to the increase in the price for certain items that

would have cost her less three weeks ago.

SCOUT AROUND Like any smart shopper, she’d scouted around weeks before actually purchasing the items, but she didn’t budget for an increase in the prices of those items.

For instance, she bought a toy truck for $1,500, but had priced the same item at $800 when she was scouting.

In order to get the toy that might have been wanted by an eager child, Shondell had to pay $700 more, instead of having that money to purchase or do something else.

There were more items in her basket that might have had the same effect on her pocket, but she wasn’t too eager to know about the rest.

Like many other shoppers, despite the odds, she said without the hassle and late shopping, Christmas would not be fulfilling.

Shopping for household and gift items were not the only fulfilling things shoppers were looking for, since a main aspect of the festive season is a table filled with all types and kinds of tantalising delicacies.

A Guyanese house would not be “Christmasy” without the smell of pepperpot or garlic pork emanating from the kitchen.

The Guyana Chronicle took a walk through “Big Market,” otherwise known as the Stabroek Market, and Bourda Market to

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

e prices go up Flashback: Persons flock the Bounty Supermarket to do their last-minute shopping (Photos by Delano Williams) find the grandmothers and mothers who were shopping for ingredients to make Pepperpot.

The atmosphere in the markets was similar to that of Regent Street, but instead of just a crowded walkway, torrential rainfall left flooded paths which persons followed just to get their meat and cassareep to make a sumptuous meal.

But by the time the women of the family decided to buy their ingredients, the cost would have already been doubled or marginally increased.

For instance, an elderly woman explained that because she cooks for herself, during the year her Pepperpot would cost roughly $850.

But because she chose to be a traditional Guyanese and shop a few days before the holiday, she had to pay close to $1,600 for her pot this year.

COW HEEL RAISE Instead of saving $750, she had to pay $500 per pound of cow heel instead of $350, and $1000 for a bottle of cassareep instead of $500.

The woman said she was aware that the cost of the ingredients would rise, but she preferred to join the thousands of shoppers who storm the markets and stores just days before the holiday.

Proprietor of Pauline and Sons Meat Centre, Darren, told this publication that at the end of the year, prices tend to go up

all around, because farmers and everybody capitalise on the opportunity.

“Yes, the price for everything does go up, but only by like $20 to $80. Things like beef and pork,” he said, “would cost like $400 per pound during the year, but around Christmas, it does raise to like $450.”

He pointed out that even the price of a basic breakfast item such as eggs would increase, because that commodity would be used when baking cakes and so forth.

The price moved from the usual $700 per tray of eggs to $1200.

Although the businessman was glad for the business, he advised shoppers to get their things weeks before Christmas in order to avoid going over their budget.

Back in 2014, the local magazine, Guyana Premier ran an article relating how consumers can safeguard themselves against increased prices.

With the holiday season still ongoing, the article advised, persons can shop wisely by finding out about the product before they buy it; think about the facts of the product; visit or call three reputable stores or supermarkets to compare the prices of an item in order to get the best deal; think about what you are getting for your money; and check expiry dates and bar codes.

Remember to be safe and shop smart this Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Proprietor of Pauline and Sons Meat Centre preparing meat for sale

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

A teenager’s Christmas at Kwakwani

By Lincoln Lewis

MY father Stephen Lewis was employed by Reynolds Metal Company, aka Reynolds Bauxite, that had its operations at Kwakwani (aka KK) and Everton. He lived in one of the company’s houses in KK in an area called the Park, which was not far from the playground.

Stephen, who was originally from No. 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, owned a house there but due to his job, KK became his second home and somewhat mine, too.

As his son I made frequent visits to KK to spend time with him. This allowed me opportuni-

ties at a very early age to know (what) I wanted to do with my life. You see, Stephen was not only a man of huge physical frame, but he also possessed a big heart and an independent mind. He was not only my father, but held the greatest influence in my life as a mentor and friend.

Like him, I knew early that I would be working in the bauxite industry, because I felt it could have provided me the best platform to serve my country. He was by profession an electrician and I a mechanic. Later, he was elected the local trade union leader in KK and rose to the level of President of the Guyana Mines Workers Union. Later, I

too followed his footsteps into the movement.

Stephen had a passion for justice and seeing improvements in the quality of life for people.

He was driven by a strong sense of his African-ness and the struggles and successes of his forebears. Daily I take with me his advice that trade unionism is not about getting rich and achieving status; it is about service to and satisfaction for the people who have placed their confidence in you. This was a man, as a trade unionist, who had the privilege to address the British House of Commons, but never lost focus as to whom he was elected by and to whom he was in service,

i.e. the workers.

Whenever the opportunity arose to journey to KK I looked forward to the trip with much anticipation, knowing that I would be sitting at the feet of my father and getting the best university education, which was his education on life, his work, values and interpretation of world events.

Unlike me, Stephen was no cook. I learnt to cook at an early age, given my love for food and I always felt the best person to prepare my meals is me. Aunt Maude (Maude Mingo), the cousin of his mother Mabel Carmichael (aka Aunty Mai) was living with him and assumed the duty of cooking. Her cooking

was good and for Stephen who knew little or nothing about this craft, Aunt Maude’s was the best.

Going to KK meant that I would not only enjoy Aunt Maude’s cooking, but that of the community and since I consider myself a great cook, I looked forward to tasting the hands of others.

I’ll arrive in KK as soon as the Christmas holidays began.

First order on my visit list were cousins Maude Bethune, Ineze Alleyne and Johnny McPherson.

Christmas for us was about family foremost and making that connection was priority. After paying due respect, I’d go and look for my friends, some of whom too were my relatives. I can recall pleasant encounters with persons like Kenneth McFarlene, Harlan Bethune and Orin Roberts.

On Christmas Eve, with the smell of pepperpot on the stove, cake, bread and buns in the oven, ham and garlic pork wafting through the air, the carollers in the Park went from door to door singing. By this time the last-minute hustle and bustle to do the fine cleaning that would see a sparkling house at the crack of Christmas Day also marked part of the festivities. Thankfully for me, a visit to KK freed me of the responsibility of doing chores because dear Aunt Maude had already taken care of that. What I did with great pleasure was lime.

Compared to the villages on the West Coast of Berbice, KK was considered a modern community and it delighted me being in this more progressive part of Guyana. There were continuous electricity and water, a total sewage and garbage-collection system, a commissary where everyone shopped, and a well-equipped cottage hospital.

However, amidst the evidence of development there was this great divide between the company’s management and rank-and-file workers, that had the characteristics of race, class and status.

Such disparity was not lost on Stephen and as his child, I too had to take note, share in the discussions of the importance of ensuring that systems such as these were toppled as pivotal to bringing about equality. As Stephen’s son, I was well aware that emancipation was just the attainment of one milestone in the journey to freedom.

Other hurdles such as independence, achieving, deepening and strengthening citizens/workers’ rights still has to be fought for, and even in the presence of festivities, conversations were not devoid of issues attending to discrimination in KK, Guyana and the wider world for he was an avid reader and follower of global events.

Come Christmas Day daddy, myself and other members of the family would have breakfast at his home which was prepared

by Aunt Maude. There was no material gift-giving for he felt the birth of Christ and having each other were the greatest gifts to be had. So as we ate Aunt Maude’s breakfast of bread and pepperpot, washed down with set ginger beer and Ovaltine, we talked stories about religion, family, history, current events and politics.

After this I would meet with friends and walk around the

Park visiting everybody. KK is a small community and everybody knew everybody. There are times you would turn up at a home and no one was there, but it did not prevent you from entering, taking a drink in their absence or a slice of black cake already laid out on the table for any who visited. It was a time when stealing was not heard of in the community and persons could have left their doors unlocked without having to fear.

Away from my father ’s home I looked forward to Maude Bethune’s baked turkey and roasted pork. These were spicy and succulent. Cousin Inez, Albert Straker’s mother, used to prepare an array of local wines and as a youth you took delight in sampling them, thereafter to suffer the consequences of having to walk on cloud nine, and only being able to come back to earth after sleeping off the experience. There was Christmas after imbibing and stuffing myself, when I woke up I was at the bottom of the stairs only to learn that I rolled and counted every stair as I could not steady my gait or stand.

Families used to invite you to come in and eat, it was a pride and joy for them. A home I never passed was Leone and Dodridge McFarlene’s. When you arrived it was food and drinks galore.

This family would invite you to eat and drink over and over again and you begin to feel like rice being stuffed in the runners to make black pudding. The McFarlenes are still alive and residing in Canada.

This year Dodridge marked his 100th birthday and no doubt his longevity is due in no small measure to the way he ate and drank from Leone’s kitchen.

Then there was the ‘meat gang’ that ensured the community was well supplied for the season -- Ivan Monah, Small aka Slims, and Reddock aka Docs.

These men would kill cow, pig and any wild animal to sell. As they sold the meats on the side were pots boiling with meat broth and beef rice that anybody could have stopped and participated in.

KK had three clubs- one each for the rank-and-file workers, the supervisor, and the senior managers. At Christmas these bars were well stocked with local and foreign drinks.

The credit system, via chits, made these accessible and affordable for employees of the company. Since residency in the Park at the time had to do with having employment with the company, nearly every home enjoyed the privilege of the club.

Boxing Day there were parties at the Lodge Hall or club that I attended, tried out my dancing skills and charm on the lovely young ladies in the community.

As a teenager, visiting KK did not only prepare me for manhood, it made me feel like a man, given the level of freedom to imbibe and hang out without curfew. There wasn’t a time I left that I wanted to leave nor didn’t look forward to returning, for etched in my memories are experiences that cannot be truly quantified. I love KK and the life it offered me.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

A sampling of Christmas memories

By Scheherazade Ishoof Khan

WHENEVER the holidays roll around, most families have at least one person who ensures that the festivities, food and family are gathered and treasured. That togetherness and love are always the prevailing underlying tenets, regardless of any grinchyness that may occasionally spice up the celebrations.

In our family, that was always my grandmother, Jastina Khan. She absolutely loved Christmas and pampered her family with whatever she could, disregarding infirmity and the maladies of age. Her Christmas tree was a jumble of branches most of the year, but when December started, she would extract it from storage and have the dust shaken off and the sections reattached.

Little Scheherazade Ishoof Khan with her grandfather, Jerry DeNobrega

Usually this process took some time as the tree was always hastily stored from the year before.

Although I am not much of a black cake aficionado, as a child, it didn’t escape my notice that she soaked her fruits, usually carambola, raisins, cherries, an assortment of ripe, sweet fruitiness that was steeped in a potent brew for some time.

Then, out would come her hand grinder, and the bucket of fruit metamorphosed into a deliciously fragrant paste that would then be used to bake her specialty: black cake. A tiny slice of that usually made for a happy, slightly giddy child!

One of my grandfathers was a crotchety old Portuguese gentleman named Jerry DeNobrega.

He was married to my grandmother’s eldest sister, and throughout the entirety of his life, he played an important role in our family.

More than likely, I gained an early appreciation of coffee, as he would brew the most delicious local coffee, liberally lacing it with sugar and milk. For many years, I thought this was simply ‘Portuguese tea’ which was how he explained it to my

skeptical grandmother when we would be running around, unwilling to ‘take on’ her threats of bringing out the wild cane if we didn’t get to bed.

Papa, as we affectionately all knew him, would snicker, fully well knowing he had played a part in our endless rambunctiousness. But, this special treat was only during the holidays, as our parents certainly were not going to serve their children Pomeroon coffee disguised as tea.

He was constantly tinkering with his car, so much so that years later when I read Naipaul’s short story about ‘Uncle Bhakcu’, one of the denizens of ‘Miguel Street’, I could have sworn he knew Papa.

Except that my grandfather definitely knew whether or not the ‘tappet was knocking’, and would definitely be able to fix a loose tappet; testimony to the superior skills of our Guyanese mechanics!

Every Christmas he and Mama (our great-aunt) would bundle all of us children into his latest masterfully repaired vehicle and drive us downtown to look at the showcase windows at the Fogerty’s and Bookers stores. We usually went at night, stopping at Brown Betty afterwards for an ice cream cone. Once, I saw the most amazing lifesize doll in the windows, it was literally the most fascinating thing I’d seen in my life, all 6 years of it. But, now that I think back on that, there was something slightly creepy about this pale doll who bore a vague resemblance to some of our modern day horror movie dolls...alrighty then, let’s move off of that particular memory!

Papa would set garlic beef several days before Christmas, consisting of generous bits of garlic, local thyme and vinegar.

That marinated until it was thinly sliced and fried on Christmas morning, the fragrance unlike any other. Eaten with slices of buttered fresh plait bread was easily the most heavenly breakfast one could imagine. This particular tradition was transplanted to Miami when we migrated, as my father then took up the mantle of chief garlic beef fryer. There will always be those who, in an attempt to adhere to the faux piety of some self-imposed orthodoxy, claiming that Muslims should not celebrate the dubious, possibly pagan-linked birthday of a Prophet whose original teachings actually constitute part of our belief system.

Many in my family would vehemently and immediately disagree with this notion.

Religious holidays create memories and remind the young of how beloved they are. Though, my grandmother Jastina was the main Christmas guru, insisting on taking us to the stores and buying whatever fanciful sartorial choice we made. She was from the school of thought that we girls should dress in lovely pastels and colours that reflected happiness.

She regularly scolded me for my penchant for wearing black, perhaps in an attempt to dissuade me from future fashion faux pas. While her homemade black cake was easily the most intoxicating scent in the kitchen, she also prepared the staple, a truly Guyanese pepperpot. It was a dense stew, richly flavored with large pieces of beef and the omnipresent wiri wiri pepper. She had spent a considerable amount of time in the Northwest, helping to build the business she and my grandfather founded, and had a uniquely knowledgeable understanding of what went into

a ‘proppa’ Guyanese pepperpot.

Her other specialty was the most succulent crab soup possible. Although most of the time eating it was spent cracking the claws, amassing a large pile of shells and a well-rounded tummy, topped off with ice cold Icee soda or swank. So much of my best holiday memories are of food, it’s no wonder that we’ve never been known as a ‘skinny’ family! When we migrated to Miami, the other activity that then became a tradition was our Christmas expedition to Lionel Playworld, which was rebranded as Toys r Us.

My parents would set us free, a bit like opening up the gate to a wildebeest paddock as we tore around looking at everything, evaluating what seemed like a limitless number of choices before finally settling on what our little hearts felt would bring us the most joy. While we can all relate to the endless foodie choices, chocolates, lights, visits, the excitement tangible in every bit of air; what makes Christmas in particular so special is that it is a commemoration and celebration of one of civilization’s most humane, benevolent people.

It doesn’t require a belief in divinity or miracles to appreciate that goodness, kindness, compassion, giving of what one has been blessed with, sharing with those less fortunate, in every way, are universal values we can try to inculcate in our lives. Setting aside negativity and greed, even for a small instant is certainly something we should all make an effort to do. There is a need for more humility, simplicity, honesty, and less arrogance and selfishness in our world. Those values make us better humans, regardless of the faith we choose to follow.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Current CWI system allows extension of Chanderpaul’s career, says Cameron

By Rajiv Bisnauth

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) President Dave Cameron says the region’s current cricketing structure has allowed the extension of the career of veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Chanderpaul has called time on his illustrious 22year international career January 2016, eight months after being axed from the Test squad, but continued his trade at the first class level.

“As a result of the current system we were able to extend Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s career. He is now 43 years old and still contributing to our Cricket West Indies system. With the new system he is now able to play in the regional and go off to play county cricket and return to provide his great skills and support to the Guyana Jaguars and is no wonder they are the defending champions,” Cameron said during

his feature address at the Guyana Cricket Board annual awards ceremony last Wednesday evening.

Chanderpaul, who played a record 164 Tests, was controversially axed by West Indies selectors following a run of low scores.

The former West Indies captain amassed 11,867 runs at an average of 51 and lies second on the all-time West Indies list of run-scorers behind Brian Lara who scored 11,953 runs.

He struck 30 centuries and 66 half-centuries.

Chanderpaul also played 268 One-day Internationals, garnering 8,778 runs at an average of 41, and also suited up for 22 Twenty20 Internationals.

He made his Test debut as a 19-year-old against England back in 1994 and proceeded to become a feature of West Indies’ batting over the next two decades.

Renowned for his unconventional batting stance and his ability to concentrate for

long periods, Chanderpaul consistently scored runs for the regional side despite their fluctuating fortunes in Tests.

He was one of Wisden’s five Cricketers-of-the-Year in 2008, the same year he was voted the ICC Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, under the new system being rolled out by the then West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), now CWI, and supported by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), each territory has become a franchise.

Each of these franchises will select 10 players who will be paid a retainer and who will earn increased match fees from an extended first class season.

By the way, players who are on the fringe will be placed into a pool and each franchise will be able to select players from that pool to make up their full squad complement.

With this new initiative, Cameron had indicated that

the region truly have a cricket industry where the game is now a formal occupation.

“We have retained umpires as well, match referees, curators, coaches and administrators, so I urge all cricketers present, both male and female, to ensure you take part and get qualified that after you finish playing the game, there are other opportunities for you.

We have the most players in any sport as professionals in this region, approximately 140 players are being paid as professional cricketers in this region today. In the just concluded Bangladesh Premier League, we had 22 players registered playing in that league, while at the same time the four-day tournament was running and at the same time we had a Test team in New Zealand; so cricket now is a formal occupation under this new system,” the Jamaican businessman pointed out.

Genius’ Narine dangerous at both ends of the pitch, claims Badree Top-ranked T20 spinner Samuel Badree has listed teammate Sunil Narine in a list of top five spinners in the world, but more surprisingly as also one of the most difficult batmen to bowl to.

Badree, currently ranked as the fourth best T20 bowler in the world, listed a top five leg spinner list that included South Africa’s Imran Tahir, India’s Kuldeep Yadav, Australian Brad Hogg and sensational Afghan spinner Rashid Khan.

“He is really good. He is so young, he has so much potential. No batsman in the world seems to have got the better of him as yet. It is early stages in his career, he will need to develop some more variety as batsmen get more familiar with him.

But he has tremendous potential,” Badree told Espncricinfo.

The 36-year-old, however, paused to give special commendation to Narine, despite the player not being

listed as a leg-spinner.

“I must include Sunil Narine, although you said leg-spinner. He is a genius.”

In recent years Narine has also carved out a spot as a batsman at the top of the order for several franchises

in the shortest format of the game, even getting the better of Badree in an IPL showdown last season.

“In the West Indies, Chris Gayle obviously. David Warner has been really difficult to bowl at. This

might sound strange, but Sunil Narine had the better of me twice. He knows all my tricks. Aaron Finch is the right-hander that I find difficult,” the bowler said when asked for his list of most challenging batsmen.

Samuel Badree (left) claims Sunil Narine is good at both ends of the wicket

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Williams to return Lukaku more than goal scorer next week (BBC) - SERENA Williams will return to tennis in Abu Dhabi next week, almost four months after giving birth.

The American, 36, will play world number seven, Jelena Ostapenko, in an exhibition match on 30 December during the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Williams, who has won an Open-era record

23 Grand Slams, said she was “delighted to be returning to the court”.

She gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in September.

Former world number one, Williams, has not played since winning the Australian Open in January.

Coach Patrick Mouratoglou said in November that no decision had

been made over whether Williams would play in the season’s first Grand Slam.

Australian Open director Craig Tilley has said Williams is “very likely” to defend her title at the 2018 tournament, which starts on 15 January.

Ranked 22nd in the world, she would not need a wildcard.

Rafael Nadal, Milos

Raonic and Stan Wawrinka have pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, which runs from 28-30 December.

Latvian Ostapenko, whose match against Williams will be the first between women to be played at a tournament first staged in 2009, said: “It is a huge honour to be part of that history.”

Romelu Lukaku’s

Zinedine Zidane had planned to bring on Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale at 1-0, but they were 2-0 down and had 10 men by the time they came on

No regrets for Zidane after 3-0 Barca dubbing (BBC) - ZINEDINE Zidane has “no regrets” and “will not change” despite Real Madrid’s 3-0 home defeat by leaders Barcelona.

Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal scored as unbeaten Barca opened a 14-point lead over the champions, who had Dani Carvajal sent off.

“I’m here to make decisions,” Zidane said. “If we had scored in the first half, things would have been different.

“I take responsibility.

Everyone seems to think that La Liga is done and dusted but I don’t think that it is.”

Zidane has won two Champions Leagues - making Real the first club to retain the trophy - and last

season’s La Liga in just under two years in charge.

But they sit fourth in the table - only two points closer to Barcelona than the relegation zone.

“We’ve got a week to rest up well and we’ll come back stronger than before,” said Zidane. “Real Madrid never give in.

“We didn’t deserve to lose in this fashion, but that’s football and it happens sometimes.

“We aren’t in too much of a bad place. Football can change very quickly. This summer Barcelona were on the rocks, now it is us.”

Real were level until the 54th minute, and 1-0 down when Carvajal was sent off for trying to save a goal-

bound shot with his hand.

Messi scored the resultant penalty to effectively seal victory in the first league Clasico of the season.

“We made a mistake for their first goal and the game was uphill from then on,” Zidane said. “Just as I wanted to make the substitutions, the second goal went in and everything changed with the sending-off.”

Dani Carvajal was sent off for handling Paulinho’s shot - with Lionel Messi scoring the penalty to make it 2-0 Barca boss Ernesto Valverde - who is yet to lose a La Liga game since his summer appointment - does not think the title

race is over, despite Barca being nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid.

All four teams behind Barcelona in the league Atletico, Valencia, Real and Sevilla - lost this weekend.

“The first half of the season isn’t even over yet.

We’re ahead of our rivals, but we’re not focused on that. We want to win our games and avoid losing any,” he said.

“We figured out how to beat Real Madrid’s pressure in our end. The game was wide open, and neither team clearly dominated play. And we persevered until later on when we took control of the match.”

MANCHESTER United have created fewer chances than Southampton in the Premier League this season, but after Romelu Lukaku’s performance as a creator against Leicester City, Jose Mourinho may have found a new way for United to stay in the title race.

United made a blistering start to the season, winning four of their opening five league games, scoring 16 goals in the process, with the attack spearheaded by new striker Lukaku.

However, after scoring 10 in his first nine games in all competitions, the goals have dried up for the Belgian, with Mourinho’s side now trailing league leaders Manchester City by 13 points.

United welcome Burnley to Old Trafford in the league on Tuesday with a busy festive schedule kicking in - the perfect time for Lukaku to have found a new facet to his game when not scoring.

On Saturday, the striker fulfilled an unfamiliar role, with no other player at the King Power Stadium creating more chances for team mates.

“Lukaku’s role has been different,” former United defender Gary Neville said. “The chances that he has created should have killed the game off. His contribution will please Mourinho.”

Lukaku created two big chances for Martial and Jesse Lingard with defence-splitting passes, but both were not converted which cost United as Leicester snatched a last-gasp point.

Such profligacy against Burnley would mean that United’s hold on second place in the standings would be under threat, as Chelsea lurk three points behind in third.

Paul Pogba has five assists to his name despite having played just nine Premier League games, but such ability on the ball makes him a marked man. Lukaku, on the other hand, is a relative unknown in the creativity department. Having created just three big chances all season prior to Saturday, Lukaku proved he can adapt his game to give Mourinho more options.

Over a busy festive period, where any slip up by runaway leaders Manchester City could see United at least put pressure on their rivals, Lukaku could silence his doubters in other ways than just scoring goals.

37

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Aussies looking to demoralise England (Reuters) - AUSTRALIA will look to extend their Christmas cheer into the dead rubber Boxing Day test by subjecting a demoralised England to a fourth consecutive loss in the Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Anchored by the brilliant batting of captain Steve Smith, the hosts have barely put a foot wrong in the fivematch series and will head to the MCG confident of pushing England towards a second successive whitewash on home soil.

However, they will have to do it without their pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, who is nursing a heel injury and has been replaced by Jackson Bird.

While Starc’s absence is a big relief for the tourists, Tasmania paceman Bird has been in impressive form in the domestic Sheffield Shield.

Right-armer Bird also has ample MCG experience, having made his test debut against Sri Lanka at the Melbourne colosseum and also bowled in last year’s Boxing Day test against Pakistan.

More of a line and length bowler, Bird’s inclusion robs

Steven Smith studies the pitch at the MCG © Getty Images

Australia of the express pace, swing and left-arm variation of Starc, however.

“They’ve had three bowlers who can all bowl 90 miles an hour (144 kph),” England paceman James Anderson told the BBC of Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

“But you look beyond that, they’ve got problems.”

England have a few of their own issues to deal with, not least the worrying form of their senior players.

With opening batsman Alastair Cook and paceman Stuart Broad both enduring a poor series, pundits have called on selectors to be ruthless and start the regeneration of Joe Root’s team now rather than later.

The calls are almost certain to be ignored given the players’ long service and lofty standing, but the pair will hope to prove they still belong at the highest level in the final tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

England’s pace stocks have been gutted by injuries and they are another man down with Craig Overton ruled out of the Melbourne match with a broken rib.

The tourists’ lack of

pace has been exposed on Australia’s flat wickets, so selectors might opt to recall Durham fast man Mark Wood rather than pick the slower Jake Ball.

Queries over Moeen Ali also linger, the all-rounder struggling with the bat and his off-spin doing little to support England’s fast bowlers.

Uncapped Mason Crane, a legspinner with an average of 43.98, is in reserve in the squad but battling Australia’s pressure-free batsmen in front of a huge Boxing Day crowd could prove a harrowing debut for the 20-year-old.

England’s last trip to Melbourne was a miserable one, as Michael Clarke’s Australia thrashed Cook’s tourists by eight wickets to take a 4-0 lead in the series.

Dead rubber aside, the Boxing Day test is one of the great carnivals of Australian sport but a heavy security blanket at the MCG will add a sombre tone.

A driver with a history of mental illness but with no known extremist links injured 19 people in the nearby CBD on Friday when he ploughed through Christmas shoppers.

India sweep T20 series against Sri Lanka

India completed their home season with another clean sweep

(Reuters) - INDIA completed a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka on Sunday following their five-wicket victory in the final Twenty20 International at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Chasing a modest 136 to win, the hosts lost opener

Lokesh Rahul early, but standin skipper Rohit Sharma made 27, Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 30, and Manish Pandey top scored with 32 to set India on course for victory.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers did manage to inject some excitement towards the end,

leaving India needing 15 runs from the last 12 balls.

Dinesh Karthik, who remained not out on 18, then hit Nuwan Pradeep’s final delivery in the penultimate over for a six to tilt the balance in the hosts’ favour.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni,

who made 16 not out, sealed India’s victory with four balls to spare when he sent Thisara Perera’s miscued yorker to the leg-side fence.

Earlier, India’s bowlers laid the foundation for their win by restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 135-7 after Sharma

won the toss and opted to field.

Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the Indian bowlers claiming 2-15, while Hardik Pandya also claimed two wickets.

Asela Gunaratne made 36 and Dasun Shanaka scored 29 not out down the order

but Sri Lanka could not put enough runs on the board to give their bowlers a fighting chance against their hosts.

India, who beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in the three-test series, prevailed 2-1 in the one-dayers before stretching their domination in 20-overs.

38

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

The FIFA trial with the drama of a Mafia movie

By Richard Conway

“There are mysteries to be solved; there are whodunits. This isn’t one of them.”

The closing argument of Assistant US Attorney Sam Nitze in summing up a month’s worth of startling evidence in Brooklyn was very clear.

“Some things are just the way they appear,” he said.

The trial of two former South American football officials, accused of rampant corruption while leading their respective football federations and at FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, is now over.

The wait continues for the third man - Manuel Burga - with jury deliberations over a conspiracy charge set to get underway again on Tuesday.

After days of lengthy deliberations, the jury agreed with Nitze and the US government’s accusations against Jose Maria Marin and Juan Angel Napout.

This case though has been likened to one involving the Mafia.

It’s easy to see why.

Some of New York’s most infamous mobsters would no doubt be proud of the tactics apparently employed in recent weeks.

The only difference is that this trial involved members of the so-called “football family” and not gangsters from the Gambino or Lucchese clans.

It began in November when prosecutors sought an anonymous jury, claiming alleged attempts to intimidate witnesses and obstruct justice, and swiftly progressed in the first week to claims in court that Burga made throat-slitting gestures toward the prosecution’s star witness.

It was, according to Burga’s lawyer, a simple misunderstanding. His client was merely scratching a rash on his neck and was not threatening the man delivering devastating testimony against him. The judge disagreed.

Juan Angel Napout of

Paraguay and Jose Maria Marin of Brazil are far from household names in Europe.

And yet, following these guilty verdicts, they join a long and tawdry list of executives we now understand used football as their personal cashpoint.

They stand in disgrace alongside many others who viewed the sport as a giltedged opportunity to command multi-million dollar

CALLS TO POP STARS & QATAR QUESTIONS The court has also witnessed a number of bemusing moments.

One came when the prosecution called Kevin Jonas, of the American pop band the Jonas Brothers, to establish that a Paul McCartney concert in Buenos Aires had taken place. Napout had not only denied receiving $10,000 worth of tickets but also the very existence of the event.

Tournament organisers in the Gulf country have denied any wrongdoing and say they stand by the integrity of their successful bid to host the competition.

IS THIS REALLY A ‘FIFA TRIAL’?

These guilty verdicts are the result of many years of investigation work.

It was back in May 2015, in a dramatic dawn raid at a Zurich hotel close to FIFA’s

thorities having been banned from football for six years

by Fifa over allegations of financial misconduct involving UEFA’s former president Michel Platini.

Insiders at the world governing body have privately complained in recent weeks that the ‘FIFA trial’ is a misnomer. They have railed at how the trial involved fraud concerning Latin American TV rights’ deals and that the organ-

Jose Maria Marin (pictured), Juan Angel Napout and Manuel Burga -- have been charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering

bribes in return for handing out lucrative rights’ contracts to anyone willing to grease their palms.

They once rubbed shoulders with the game’s greatest players, had the best seats in the stadium, travelled firstclass and stayed at the finest hotels.

They are now facing up to the prospect of significant time in American penitentiaries, enjoying radically different conditions to the luxury lifestyles they once enjoyed.

The case has been touched by tragedy too.

An Argentine government official, Jorge Delhon, who helped administer the country’s state owned portfolio of domestic TV football rights, killed himself just hours after being named in court as receiving millions of dollars in bribes.

Fifa will hope to contain the fallout from these verdicts but it may not be over the worst just yet.

Marin’s successor as head of the Brazilian football federation, Marco Polo Del Nero, was provisionally suspended by FIFA last week following evidence presented in court that he was complicit in bribe taking.

He has remained in charge despite being wanted on charges of corruption

by US authorities since 2015.

Then there were the repeated references during court testimony of alleged payments made to the men on trial, and other officials, in connection to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Those providing the evidence were unable to say what the payments were for.

hill top headquarters, that the world became aware of on-going efforts by American law enforcement to ensnare football and TV executives enriching themselves through football.

42 people were indicted.

24 of those caught have pleaded guilty, cooperating with prosecutors in the hope of securing reduced sanctions and sentences.

The results of the investigation prompted massive upheaval at Fifa, with its beleaguered president Sepp Blatter eventually succumbing to huge pressure and agreeing to stand aside in what was supposed to be an orderly transition of power.

He was however denied the graceful and triumphant exit he so desperately craved.

Blatter remains under investigation by Swiss au-

isation itself was at arm’s length to it all.

And yet others, now departed from their roles, speak of the tone set by the senior executives and former presidents at FIFA during the time period the three defendants were senior officials.

Taking part in bribery schemes, they say, was a question of grabbing what you could. Those involved saw it as their rightful spoils for successfully navigating their way to the top of the snakes and ladders board, they claim.

FIFA’s current leadership says things have changed since 2015. Those days have gone they insist, marked with a series of sweeping changes in corporate governance.

Speaking to me in his New York office one of the organisation’s current vice-presidents, Sunil Gu-

lati, believes reforms are starting to take hold and the culture is changing.

“We still have work to do. It’s going to take time,” he said. “The tone at the top has been set but for that to now get through the entire system it’s going to take time.

“You can ruin your reputation in a day and it takes a long time to get it back.

FIFA’s behaviour has improved dramatically and I think that will continue. But it will take time for people around the world to accept that.

“We’ve come a long way but there’s still some distance to go. As behaviour changes, as people’s attitudes change - and that’s not just at FIFA. It’s at the confederations and at member associations - that’s when we can say there’s been a huge step forward.”

And yet doubts remain in the minds of many about FIFA, especially given the curious dismissal of the organisation’s independent ethics and governance chiefs in May and the excuses that were provided both then and now.

The sudden leap to action against Del Nero in Brazil also serves to highlight years of inaction against a man authorities believe is complicit in corruption.

And then there’s a recent Council of Europe report that severely criticises the suitability of the new ethics investigatory supremo as stating she lacks the skills to do her job properly.

Particular focus was placed on her lack of English or French language ability and the inevitable heavy reliance on FIFA officials for translation and guidance - the very people she is charged with watching over.

This trial, ultimately, has served as a reminder that FIFA must still confront major challenges if it is to become a trusted name in sport once more.

The jury may have returned with a number of verdicts in Brooklyn.

It’s still out in Zurich.

39

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 25, 2017

Law rips into Windies

Gayle to be rested for rest of NZ tour

Chris Gayle

West Indies Head Coach Stuart Law tore into the side following their second defeat earlier this week

(CMC) - HEAD coach Stuart Law has instructed his West Indies team to put up or shut up in the remaining matches they have on this tour.

Law was speaking after the Windies slumped to a 204-run defeat in the second One-day International against the New Zealanders on Saturday at Hagley Oval.

West Indies trail 0-2 in the three-match series, after the Black Caps also won the first ODI two days earlier at Cobham Oval by five wickets.

The final ODI is on Boxing Day, Tuesday, also at Hagley Oval, and will be followed by three Twenty20 Internationals against the same opponents this coming Friday at Saxton Oval in Nelson, and New Year’s Day and January 3 at

Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

“As I said to them before they left (the ground) and I mentioned it, words are cheap, we’ve got to see actions now,” said Law. “There’s so much talent in this squad of people. I don’t think what we saw in the first two games is a fair indication of how well these guys can play.

People talk about poor execution, but if it’s the same dismissal over and over again it rivals lunacy.”

Law came down hard on his side, after this were bowled out for 121, chasing 325 for victory, as Windies suffered their heaviest defeat in ODIs against New Zealand.

“The batters know they made mistakes and we’re

far better than what we showed,” he said. “Hitting balls into the wind, it’s not very smart, particularly when we spoke about it leading into the game.

“We were trying to get 300 in 25 overs, when we had 50 overs to get it. Our guys want to be positive and play an attractive brand, but you can’t be reckless with it. You’ve got to be smart in the way you go about it.”

The performance did nothing to restore confidence in Jason Holder’s side and build momentum ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup qualifying tournament next March in Zimbabwe which West Indies have been forced to play, due to missing out on direct entry because of a lowly World ranking.

“We need to settle on a group of players to take us forward,” said Law. “The earlier we can come up with those names (for the World Cup qualifiers) and come up with a plan for those guys leading up to that tournament (the better).”

For now, Law is looking for his side to sign out of the ODI series with a victory, avoiding a clean sweep, and hoping that talismanic left-handed opener Chris Gayle can return to the line-up following injury and give them a spark.

“Fingers crossed, he should be right for the next one,” said Law. “I saw him at breakfast and he seemed to have a little bit more life about him. It’s moving in the right direction.

Windies star Chris Gayle seems a major doubt to play any part in the rest of the One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand after apparently failing to fully recover from the effects of a mystery illness.

Gayle made 22 runs before being dismissed in the first ODI against the Black Caps but did not return to the field for the host’s successful runs chase, which eventually saw them register a five-wicket win. The regional team’s head coach, Stuart Law, and captain Jason Holder, explained that the player would undergo further assessment after being diagnosed with an unspecified ailment.

The 38-year-old Gayle was, as a result, deemed not fit enough to take part in the second match; a lopsided 204 runs loss in Christchurch. With the series well and truly lost and the Windies set to play in the crucial World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe later this year, it seems unlikely the talismanic batsman will be risked for the rest of the series.

“You know he’s at that age in his career where we just wanna give him the best chance to prolong his career, but you know we’ve got to be smart about things when it comes to people’s health,” Holder said when asked about the possibility of the player returning.

Gayle is, however, in the West Indies squad for the three-match Twenty20 series that follows the ODIs.

Beaton reported for suspect action CMC – CHRISTMAS celebrations for West Indies were marred, after news broke on Sunday that Ronsford Beaton has been reported for a suspect bowling action.

The ICC, the sport’s

world governing body, said in a media release that the 25-year-old fast bowler was reported following the second One-day International against New Zealand which the Windies lost by 204 runs on Saturday at Hagley Oval.

Beaton ended the match with figures of 1-60 from eight overs and the match officials’ report, which was handed over to the management team of the Caribbean side following the game, cited concerns about

the legality of his bowling action.

Beaton’s bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20

Internationals.

He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Beaton is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known.

West Indies trail 0-2 in the three-match series, after the Black Caps also won the first ODI two days earlier at Cobham Oval by five wickets. The final ODI is on Boxing Day, Tuesday, also at Hagley Oval.

Current CWI system allows extension of Chanderpaul’s career, says Cameron See page 35

CWI Boss Dave Cameron

Shivnarine Chanderpaul played a record 164 Tests.

Beaton reported for suspect action See page 39

Williams to return See next week page 36

Ronsford Beaton has his appeal turned down.

Law rips into Windies

See page 39

Williams has won the Australian Open seven times

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2017