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Children receive school supplies from Dharmic Naujawan, Sangha Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyana-times.com

Issue No. 2969

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, September 5, 2016

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

GPSU reminds Govt of infamous 57-day strike

Brittany Singh P9 crowned Miss India Guyana

Page 3

– says Ministers’ 50% salary increase now unpardonable

Suspects confess to shooting Essequibo barber Page 2

Cash-strapped GuySuCo sells more land

P2 NATA concerned about Ogle Airport congestion

Page 9

More ex- P11 cops want to rejoin Force – Ramnarine Anna Regina Town Council demolishes P8 single mother’s stall

Miss Guyana Universe 2016 delegates sashed

Page 12

The 14 beauties vying for the Miss Guyana Universe 2016 crown pose for a photo-op on Sunday during the sashing ceremony held at the Gravity Lounge, Camp and Regent Streets, Georgetown

Cummings Lodge woman found – relative in custody stabbed to death Page 8

P10 New Amsterdam celebrates 125 years as a municipality

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NEWS

monDAY, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Suspects confess to shooting Essequibo barber ed to be Hercules’ and a .32 pistol with 11 matching rounds. Information revealed that the two unemployed men were seen earlier at Queenstown village at the same barbecue Hercules was attending on the night of his birthday.

At the time, Hercules was reportedly wearing several heavy gold chains, rings and a band worth $3.5 million. Investigations revealed that the duo tailed Hercules to his home and when he exited his vehicle, they attacked, shooting him four times as they relieved him of his belongings.

Hercules was rushed into the theatre at Suddie Public Hospital on Saturday morning for

Injured: Troy Hercules

A

The injured man on life support

fter intense grilling by detectives from G Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands), the two suspects who were apprehended in connection with the violent robbery committed on a barber have confessed.

Forty-two-yearold Troy Hercules, also called “Akee”, was shot on Saturday by gunmen in front of his Henrietta, Essequibo Coast home.

Hercules is presently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Suddie Public

Hospital.

Sixteen-year-old Mahindra Giranandan, also called Anish, of Adventure, Essequibo and 23-year-old Mark Rafino, of Queenstown village, Essequibo have admitted to Police that they indeed

robbed and shot Hercules.

Both suspects were trying to escape the Region (Pomeroon-Supenaam) when Police nabbed them at Supenaam and Parika respectively.

During a search of one of the suspects, detectives discovered a quantity of jewellery suspect-

emergency surgery. The four bullets were successfully removed from his chest and legs.

According to the victim’s reputed wife, Sheoma Critchlow, his condition is improving and he has regained consciousness. She, however, noted that he was crying out for pain about his body.

Family members of the injured man are calling on the Police to thoroughly investigate the matter, contending that the gunmen should be dealt with according to the law.

Hercules is the owner of the popular barber shop, Future Cut. Police are continuing their investigations and charges will soon be laid against the duo.

NATA concerned about congestion at Ogle Airport – calling for establishment of National Airport Authority

T

he National Air Transport Association (NATA) of Guyana would like to register its concerns over the effects of serious congestion at the EF Correia International Airport as a result of inequitable development at the Airport and the mixing of international and domestic flights.

The Association, in a press release, noted that there were over 100 domestic flights operating daily which contributed significantly to hinterland and national development, and which were seriously affected by confinement on the runway, apron and taxiways.

Presently, nine aircraft operators have no recourse other than sharing one older winding taxiway to access the runway which leads to much congestion and costly delays, NATA stated.

“This situation has worsened over the years as newer operators came into being and older operators expanded their opera-

tions without the enabling infrastructure, such as a new taxiway to the runway which is essential for efficient and safe operations.

This unhealthy situation is further compounded by congested airspace. NATA is extremely concerned about the issues of operational safety under the present environment,” the release added.

According to NATA, the body has made representation to Ogle Airport Inc (OAI) on behalf of its members to no avail and, as such, it is urging the Government to accelerate the review process undertaken by focal Minister, David Patterson, for remedies to the “present anti-competitive and inequitable development” of the Airport.

“We are also calling for the urgent establishment of the long overdue National Airport Authority which would ensure a fair, equitable and safe environment for both domestic and international operators,” the statement added.

NEWS

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, September 5 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, September 6 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, September 5 – 06:10h-07:470h and Tuesday, September 6 – 06:40h-08:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

10% ‘final offer’

GPSU reminds Govt of infamous 57-day strike

…says Ministers’ 50% salary increase now unpardonable

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions interrupted by light rain showers in the late morning and early afternoon hours can be expected. Clear skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 25 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 06:35h and 18:49h reaching maximum heights of 2.63 metres and 2.61 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:26h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.

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GPSU President Patrick Yarde

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ith more than $6.8 billion set aside in the 2016 Budget to cater for salary increases for public servants—none of which was spent—the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is warning the Government to be guided by history, inclusive of the 1999 strike which lasted for 57 days that led to arbitration over the deadlocked salary talks.

GPSU President Patrick Yarde over the weekend accused government of horse-trading over its publicly stated position that it will go ahead and make an arbitrary award in face of the union’s refusal of the differentiated 10% to 1% salary increases for public servants.

Yarde has since also sought to remind the parties that form the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) government,

that it had campaigned on a promise to pay public servants decent wages/salaries.

According to Yarde: “Rather than address workers’ wages/salaries and conditions of work, the government instead opted to increase its own salaries by as much as 50 per cent.”

He said, “this act is unpardonable in this society…For the government to believe that their decision will be easily forgotten, much more has to be done at the bargaining table for workers not to believe that the increases paid to the cabinet and MPs were not self-serving.”

Yarde, in his public missive over the weekend, said the outcome of any negotiation that is considered just, is one where the results are agreed upon by the parties involved.

He said the GPSU rejected the wage/salary offer and for the government to state that the position put forward to the union is final; and it will go ahead and implement it even if the union has not accepted same, is a breach of trust and can be described as evidence of bad faith negotiations.

He proclaimed that, “negotiation requires constructive engagement, built on mutual respect, which would guide arriving at a package agreed on by the employer and workers’ representatives…This government has failed in upholding these basic principles, and is urged to

President David Granger

learn and be guided by the lesson of history, and return to the negotiation table.”

Seeking to draw reference to history and precedent, Yarde in his publicity, “Industrial relations are not about gut feelings…They are guided by a body of knowledge grounded in conventions, time-honoured principles, established rules and laws.”

According to Yarde,

“representatives of this government are advised of the importance of arming themselves with an understanding of these tenets or they will continue lurching from one crisis to another on matters pertaining to workers’ welfare…There are precedents in this society which can serve as guides as against the present big stick method being pursued.”

TURN TO PAGE 11

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monday, september 5, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Schools and “education” T

oday, more than 200,000 children – over a quarter of our population – will be trudging off to school from the nursery to the secondary levels. In Guyana, with our history of slavery and indentureship, education was seen as the ladder that would take us into the spheres of life that had long been denied to us. When inculcated, education would allow the fulfilment of the potential that lies in all humanity.

But what has been our experience with “education” in the 178 years after slavery and 99 years after indentureship?

Few would dispute the assertion that the promise has not been delivered. But President David Granger has consistently promoted the value of an “education” and had continued the tradition of the PPP Administration that allocated the largest segment of the budget to “education”.

While most would agree that education is necessary but not sufficient for delivering the good life everyone wants, there is also a lack of clarity about what education should and can deliver. In his launching of “Education Month” that coincides with the opening of the new school year in September, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine called upon parents and “other stakeholders” – community leaders; Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); religious organisations and development partners – to partner with the education sector to deliver the product to the students. But are these “stakeholders” on the same page when it comes to agreement of what is the purpose of the touted “education”?

Over the ages, the purpose of education has constantly shifted both in form and substance, even with different civilisations, but it was conceded by all that it was a way of “socialising” the young into the manners and mores of the society in which they would live. After slavery the “schooling” was taken over by the Christian Church, which saw its mission as extirpating from the ex-slaves, indentured servants and Indigenous people of their “Pagan and Heathen” ways. How much of this still remains in our “educational system”.

For the children of their own elites, the British introduced a replica of their boarding schools with Queen’s and Bishops’ to create “scholars and gentlemen”. How much of this remains and how much has it evolved with the evolution of the Western model under the influence of the ethos of the USA. In addition to the social aspect of “creating citizens”, education was linked to the satisfaction of economic needs, and this has now taken centre stage.

We can see this tendency expressed in the constant exhortation that our students must focus on the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Recently, some sociologists have argued that modern schools exist primarily to serve a practical credentialing function in society to place workers into different strata in the maws of a globalised working class.

While this may have a practical purpose based on a realistic appraisal of the global economy, there is still, in the end, the need for people to live in harmony together. This will not be delivered by accident.

In our present education system, there is not enough emphasis on the creation of citizens, taking into cognisance the plural nature of our society. Just recently, President David Granger had to upbraid one community religious leader for being insensitive to the nuances of the mores of Indigenous people. It was obvious that the religious leader was not being malicious, but he just was not educated about the culture of another group in the Guyanese mosaic.

Within the ambit of increasing “social cohesion” in our society, all stakeholders and especially parents must accept and endorse this need for an “education” that fulfil social needs such as social and moral responsibilities. There has been talk of a “Civics Education” component introduced into the curriculum of our schools, but from the above discussion, this needs to be widened.

We hope the promised Strategic Plan of the Education Ministry take these concerns on board.

Last-minute shopping! Parents flock this Regent Street vendor to get school supplies in time for the start of the new academic year today (Marceano Narine photo)

Frightening outlook for sugar industry Dear Editor, The report by GuySuCo’s CEO, Errol Hanoman, in another section of the media on September 2 that “GuySuCo is in US$410M debt and selling 2,000 acres to raise cash” is not only mind-boggling, but rather frightening with respect to the future of the sugar industry and the perpetuity of government’s subsidy.

Editor, GuySuCo’s current debt of US$410 million or G$82 billion needs to be carefully analysed. First, we must recall that in 2014 the then CEO of GuySuCo, Paul Bhim, reported to the National Assembly Economic Service Committee that GuySuCo had incurred a debt of G$58 billion. It means that for 2015 and 2016 yearto-date, the company has incurred an additional $24 billion debt. In 2015 and 2016 year-to-date, the government has provided 12 and 9 billion dollars to GuySuCo, respectively; a total of $21 billion.

In 2015 the company produced 227,000 tonnes sugar.

Assuming that the average price for bulk and packaged sugar was US$420 (using a more-than conservative price for bulk raw at US15 cents per pound or an overall US21 cents), the revenue from the sale of sugar would have been US$95 million or G$19 billion, an amount that’s barely sufficient to cover its

annual employment cost.

The company’s total operating expense was in the vicinity of G$30 billion, as such the subvention from the government last year of $12 billion went towards subsidising the company’s operating expense. It means that there was no major capital works, and of course there was no increase in pay for the workers.

An agriculture-based company as geographically diverse and operationally complex as GuySuCo, being starved of capital investment will have far-reaching deleterious effects on its operations and potential productivity, and a company that’s labour intensive and managerially challenging being deprived of adequate pay increase will suffer from low morale, declining productivity, low attendance, shortage of suitable and talented human resource and poor labour relations. All of which are anathematic to the progress of the sugar industry.

With the poor 1st crop 2016 production of 57,000 tones (a drop in the target by 30%), this year the situation wouldn’t be any better.

It’s highly unlikely that this year’s production will exceed 200,000 tonnes, for even to achieve this the company has to produce 143,000 tonnes in the current 2nd crop, and with the production for the

four weeks since the crop started being only 9000 tonnes, it is not encouraging.

200,000 tonnes is estimated to yield revenue of G$18 billion, taking into consideration the current world price of sugar of US20 cents per pound and with such anticipated low production this year, not much sugar will be available for packaging; since the contracted European and the highly-subsidised domestic market will have to be fulfilled.

If the annual production is about 200,000 tonnes this year, the G$9 billion approved for this year as government’s subsidy will be inadequate, together with the company’s own revenue, to meet the total operating expense of G$30 billion, which takes into assumption that it remains the same as last year; albeit the costly expense of El Niño earlier this year.

It means that there will be the need for an additional G$3 billion from the government’s coffers (a total of G$12 billion this year), unless the company endeavours to borrow the amount from commercial banks and thereby increasing its current debt of G$82 billion. The overall debt or subsidy situation will be exacerbated if production falls below 200,000 tonnes.

The question to be asked is: What are the reasons for

the company incurring an additional G$24 billion in the last 18 months (2015 and 2016 year-to-date), if the government’s subsidy together with its own revenue was adequate to cover its total operating expense?

Editor, on the selling of 2000 acres of land to “raise cash” to offset G$82 billion it would require selling an acre of land for $41,000,000 or $941 per square foot. If bought by land developers for housing schemes, a modest 8000 square foot of houselot would cost $7½ million each; so at what price will this be re-sold to a potential homebuyer?

GuySuCo’s main problem is its low sugar production and high operating costs, and these factors are by no mean mutually exclusive. Unless, there is a dramatic increase in sugar production, a reduction in its operating expense, and expansion of its valueadded sugar products with aggressive marketing strategies, the scenario cited above will continue in perpetuity, which is the government will have to continuously subsidise the sugar company each year in the vicinity of 12 to 15 billion dollars.

Diversification will not salvage it from its dilemma.

It will only add to its woes.

Yours faithfully, Dmithri Ramsunai

Hamilton Green gets what he should not from City Hall Dear Editor, The motion moved by Mayor Patricia Chase Green and seconded by Councillor Heston Bostwick at the Georgetown City Council’s most recent statutory meeting to have the services of the City Constabulary Department extended to former Mayor, Hamilton Green, with the provision of security guards at his residence, is deceptive, disingenuous, and self-serving at best, but more importantly, it contributes to gross impropriety.

This motion seeks to mislead persons into believing that this service will now be provided to this gentleman, when in fact, Mr Green nev-

er stopped enjoying it after demitting office as Mayor, five months ago. The benefits of round the clock City Policemen posted at his residence for static security, along with 24 hour body guard protection, a chauffeur, gardening staff, etc, all paid for by citizens of Georgetown, never stopped after he left office.

So why the motion now?

Is someone becoming afraid that the cover will be blown on this transgression and that it will become another big scandal at the Council?

Why did the current Mayor decide to move this motion?

Is she hoping, in the next seven months when her term

comes to an end, that she too will be provided with these benefits? And why did the motion not include the entire battery of staff that is being provided for Mr Green by the council? Are they afraid that the citizenry will cry out about this financial burden that has been foisted upon them? These facilities that are being provided to a former Mayor are unprecedented and exceed those given to former Presidents of this country. How shameful.

But what the Council needs to know is that passing a motion to commit an illegal act does not make it legal. This expense was not budgeted for, which makes it

more illegitimate. The hypocrisy is that this Mayor told the Deputy Mayor that he is not entitled to such facilities and then turns around and flippantly awards them to a former Mayor. This is exactly the reason why persons are reluctant to pay their property rates, because they know that City Hall will unlawfully squander it. No former Mayor or Prime Minister is entitled to or benefits from such perks, but the Council could care less. It is just perks for their pals. The rape and pillage of the city continues.

Yours, Sean Moniz

news

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monday, september 5, 2016| guyana-times.com

Central Demerara Lions awards four NGSA students T

he Lions Club of Central Demerara awarded the top four students from schools along East Bank Demerara highway in recognition of their excellent achievement at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination.

The bursary presentation was held at Central Demerara Lions residence in Providence, East Bank Demerara, on Sunday. The students’ teachers and parents were also recognised for creating the path to excellence.

The top four performers earned placements at one of the country’s premiere secondary schools, Queen’s College: Ruben Cush of KuruKuru Primary gained 555 marks; Joshua Kaladen of Peter’s Hall Primary

Lions Club members along with beneficiaries

gained 554; Chandrapaul Sukhu of New Diamond Grove Primary scored 548: and Jonathan Arjune of Covent Garden Primary gained 543.

The President of Central Demerara Lions, Dwarta Singh congratulated the

top performers who are all males, and noted that at the previous bursary awards, the recipients were all females.

He challenged the young men to reappear before him in the next five years when they have completed their

Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations.

Education officer Loren Park who delivered the feature address urged the students to remain focused at secondary school and not “get lost through the

cracks”. He urged parents to not shelter their children too much but to take them to places where they can be inspired and add values to people’s lives: “When my daughter reaches 12 years old I will take her to the area around the post office, Georgetown Public Hospital and Bourda Market for her to see how life is different for many other individuals. So she can be sensitive to the things around here and be humane and humble.”

Park further encouraged the boys to be respectful and humble in their pursuit of secondary education.

Past president Lion Ivor English of Central Demerara Lions expressed his delight at being able to offer words of wisdom to the top performers.

He briefly remarked that these top students have a tendency of operating “as they have arrived” at these top schools and forgetting the need to continue working; however he thanked the children for humbly accepting the bursaries from Central Demerara Lions.

Top student Cush spoke on behalf of his fellow peers, noting their thankfulness to God and their families, who he described as “cornerstones”. Cush also thanked the teachers and headteachers of their respective schools for the great input in their achievements.

Central Demerara Lions disclosed that the group is seeking to undertake greater projects besides painting pedestrian crossings and offering bursaries.

Concerns are being raised about Guyana’s growing debt Dear Editor, CONCERNS are being raised in many quarters about Guyana’s growing debt. The latest report states that our debt is climbing. It is now more than 60 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

No doubt this concern stems from our recent experience. The previous PNC regime had saddled our country with huge debt which had a devastating impact on every aspect of life in society.

Much of the country’s revenues had to go towards servicing debt. As a result, the economy declined, social services deteriorated (health, education, housing, etc) and our physical infrastructure was in a state of disrepair (roads, bridges, etc). As the economy slumped, poverty became widespread. Our per capita income was just about US$300.

The PPP/C government was able to turn that around. It repaid a large part of the debt - more than US$1billion - and managed to negotiate other forms of debt relief, including debt write offs. The ratio of debt to GDP fell to about 40 percent of GDP at the end of 2014. The servicing of debt was reduced to 5 percent of revenue in 2014.

The PPP/C government managed to develop a strong infrastructure, both social and physical; our economy

grew strongly and the borders of poverty were rolled back. Our per capita income reached more than US$3000 and was steadily rising.

That was the trend. Guyana was no longer a Heavily Indebted poor country. It is now being described as a Middle Income Developing Country.

The APNU/AFC regime is now putting these gains in danger. The debt is on the rise, while economic activities have slowed down greatly. But that is not all.

Of greater concern is the fact that the APNU/AFC regime has done nothing to encourage economic growth.

Indeed most of their actions have had a discouraging effect on production and productivity in Guyana. Their prognosis too for the future points to further decline.

Their attitude is seen in stark relation to the sugar industry. Sugar makes up approximately 17 percent of GDP. Therefore, the regime should be paying closer attention to this sector.

True, it is going through difficulties, but the answer is not the closure of the industry. In fact closing factories and cultivation will have further negative impact on the economy. What is needed is more investment to develop value added products. Shutting or contracting the sector will limit the economic opportunities

of the country. More unemployment and greater social problems will result, including in more crime.

They have not identified anything to replace sugar. The mistaken belief that they will save, will come back to haunt our nation.

The attitude is seen in almost every productive sector. The rice farmers are warned not to expect any help from government, they were told that the industry is private and therefore, no business of the regime. No noticeable efforts are being made to find new markets and better prices. Things seem to be on auto pilot. In fact, duty concessions on machinery that the PPP/C gave to farmers are being taken away by this APNU/ AFC regime.

Small miners in the sector are also being denied those concessions as well, and as a result, they are being pushed out of the sector.

In the meantime, many important projects have been sidelined or scrapped.

The most noticeable is the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

That project has the possibility of accelerating economic growth. The regime seems to have abandoned it.

Their attitude in the area of taxation is unbelievable.

While writing off billions for some big companies, they have been pressuring the small producers and service providers. Persons planting cash crops in their yards are being made to pay taxes, the donkey cart operators must now pay for licenses. This is causing a crippling effect on

small businesses.

In the meantime, they are not defending our revenues. We see them in some cases settling for what many believe, are persons who made donations to their parties.

As if these are not enough, the regime is de-motivating the working people of our country. Imagine that one of the first acts of this APNU/AFC administration was to give members of the Cabinet a 50 percent increase in pay. They have also bumped up allowances for themselves. However, workers are being offered

a pittance. Leadership is also by example. The example of this regime is taking as much as they can get for themselves. The masses must fend for themselves.

The road that this regime is taking Guyana along will certainly lead to greater debts and contraction of economic growth and social services. It is important for the democratic forces to speak out now. It is not too late to arrest the decline.

Yours truly, Donald Ramotar, Former President

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monday, september 5, 2016

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guyana-times.com

Foundation

A parent’s guide to surviving the teen years

(Part 2)

Tips for parenting during the teen years

L

ooking for a roadmap to find your way through these years?

Here are some tips:

Educate yourself

Read books about teenagers. Think back on your own teen years. Remember your struggles with acne or your embarrassment at developing early – or late. Expect some mood changes in your typically sunny child, and be prepared for more conflict as he or she matures as an individual. Parents who know what’s coming can cope with it better. And the more you know, the better you can prepare.

parent/child discussion. The later you wait to have these talks, the more likely your child will be to form misconceptions or become embarrassed about or afraid of physical and emotional changes.

And the earlier you open the lines of communication, the better your chances of keeping them open through the teen years. Give your child books on puberty written for children go-

matter, like tobacco, drugs and alcohol, or permanent changes to their appearance.

Ask why your teen wants to dress or look a certain way and try to understand how your teen is feeling. You also might want to discuss how others might perceive them if they look different – help your teen understand how he or she might be viewed.

Set expectations

Teens might act unhap-

Know the warning signs

Talk to children early and often

Starting to talk about menstruation or wet dreams after they’ve already begun is starting too late. Answer the early questions children have about bodies, such as the differences between boys and girls and where babies come from. But don’t overload them with information – just answer their questions. If you don’t know the answers, get them from someone who does, like a trusted friend or your paediatrician.

You know your children. You can hear when your child starts to tell jokes about sex or when attention to personal appearance is increasing. This is a good time to jump in with your own questions such as: * Are you noticing any changes in your body? * Are you having any strange feelings? * Are you sad sometimes and don’t know why?

A yearly physical exam is a great time to talk about this. A doctor can tell your preadolescent – and you – what to expect in the next few years. An exam can be a jumping-off point for a good

actually makes it more likely that they’ll act responsibly when the time comes. Share your family values with your teen and talk about what you believe is right and wrong, and why. Know your child’s friends – and know their friends’ parents. Regular communication between parents can go a long way toward creating a safe environment for all teens in a peer group. Parents can help each other keep track of the children’ activities without making the children feel that they’re being watched.

ing through it. Share memories of your own adolescence.

There’s nothing like knowing that mom or dad went through it, too, to put children more at ease.

Put yourself in your child’s place

Practice empathy by helping your child understand that it’s normal to be a bit concerned or self-conscious, and that it’s OK to feel grown-up one minute and like a child the next.

Pick your battles

If teenagers want to dye their hair, paint their fingernails black, or wear funky clothes, think twice before you object. Teens want to shock their parents and it’s a lot better to let them do something temporary and harmless; save your objections for things that really

py about the expectations their parents place on them.

Still, they usually understand and need to know that their parents care enough about them to expect certain things such as good grades, acceptable behaviour, and sticking to the house rules.

If parents have appropriate expectations, teens will likely try to meet them. Without reasonable expectations, your teen may feel you don’t care about him or her.

Inform your teen – and stay informed yourself

The teen years often are a time of experimentation, and sometimes that experimentation includes risky behaviours. Don’t avoid the subjects of sex and drug, alcohol, or tobacco use. Discussing tough topics openly with children before they’re exposed to them

* A certain amount of change is normal during the teen years. But too drastic or long-lasting a switch in personality or behaviour may signal real trouble – the kind that needs professional help. Watch for these warning signs: * extreme weight gain or loss * sleep problems * rapid, drastic changes in personality * sudden change in friends * skipping school often * falling grades * talk or even jokes about suicide * signs of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use * run-ins with the law Any other inappropriate behaviour that lasts for more than 6 weeks can be a sign of underlying trouble, too. You may expect a glitch or two in your teen’s behaviour or grades during this time, but your A/B student shouldn’t suddenly be failing, and your normally outgoing child shouldn’t suddenly become constantly withdrawn. Your doctor or a local counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can help you find proper counselling. (to be Continued)

Reduce backto -school tween and teen stress

BY CRISTY CLAVIJO-KISH

A

t this point it seems that all children are back to school in some way or another – be it via year-round schooling, home schooling or standard classes resuming after the summer.

In my casa we’re just trying to get our groove back as the saying goes. The stress level is at an all-time high with trying to figuring out time for increasing homework, new projects, friend outings, sports teams and scouting (Girl Scouts in my house) which all equals more drama from various angles.

We spoke earlier in the week with our Los Tweens Expert Counsellor Lina Sandoval of the Nest Miami and she actually made Katherine and I feel at ease understanding that we as parents are part of the stress the children are feeling.

What? We’re causing the stress too? I’ve been trying to create a sense of calm but Lina made us realise that the children’ growing independence and shutting us out at times from their world is actually quite normal. It’s part of their natural brain and psychological development. And when we’re trying to soothe them but perhaps not really listening to their issues, it causes stress.

Wow – that was an eye opener! The conversation started to make sense when I really thought about the types of discussions we have been having lately.

So I wanted to give a few tips that I’ve discussed with other tween and teen parents facing the same issues and based on our talk with Lina. You’ll be seeing an invitation very soon to a parents-only online discussion we’ll be hosting so we all can share in the learnings and insights together.

Tips to reduce stress and listen to tween and teen frustration: Ask yourselves as a family: Are the children (and therefore parents who are driving them around) over scheduled with too many activities? This is a huge question that we’ve been pondering in my house. As children get older helping them to learn to focus on the activities that they’re most passionate about can alleviate the need to ‘be in everything.’ Perhaps participating in two sports is too much and becoming better at one,

or switching sports depending on the season, can help alleviate the pressure to do well in many.

Alleviate morning stress by packing and picking outfits, including hair accessories, the night before. I love that my children have uniforms for their school as it alleviates the clothing decision headaches, but even ‘how to do my hair’ seems to be dramatic with tween and teen girls. Boy moms tell me it can be a hassle for them as well! Really try to instil night-time preparation to reduce sending them off in the morning to the classroom already frustrated.

Know what’s for homework and project deadlines.

I’m a procrastinator by nature- I need deadlines to get me motivated to finish tasks.

But I’m happy to report that with my husband’s help (an exceptional early planner) we have instituted planning for project deadlines ahead of ‘the night before.’ Your school teachers likely will give you deadlines ahead of a project. PLAN FOR THEM – help children learn to be proactive. As they get older, this trait will certainly help with high school and other more complex projects.

Create quiet times

Try to make time to sit and talk and walk away from the cellphones (even the children’ cellphones). This may be our hardest challenge as working parents and I know from experience that I have to work at this. But time truly is the greatest gift we can give our children.

Give them space to talk to you. They may not be ready to talk to us when we want them to, so some space can be good. Even though you’re giving them time to speak with you, do stay vigilant in watching for warning signs of issues at school.

My last tip is one that I have to sing to myself almost daily! Enjoy this time period.

Sometimes we get lost in our own stress and helping our children get through their assignments that we lose sight we’re supposed to be enjoying it somewhere along the way.

Children in this age group from seven to 17 fascinate me. They have so much to teach us! Open yourself to the possibility of learning together and that also will help your own attitude about parenting. (lostweens.com)

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monday, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Deteriorating Diamond Diagnostic Centre

Frustration creeping in on doctors, other staff Diamond, the President promised to “develop the capacity” of that facility, along with that of the Leonora Hospital, while Minister Norton had promised to address the challenges.

However, to date, these challenges have not been addressed, even as more challenges have surfaced.

As it relates to the shortage of medical supplies and medication, similar situations exist across the country, where most hospitals and health centres are without basic medication, like aspirin and Panadol.

The decision to have each regional administration procure its own drugs and med-

ical supplies was seen as the major reason behind the national drug shortage.

At the end of December 2015, some $600 million allocated to the regions to purchase drugs and medical supplies were returned to the treasury after the regions were unable to procure these supplies.

President David Granger and his team in the main operating theatre of the facility on December 28, 2015

H

ealthcare facilities across the country continue to deteriorate and many are of the view that those in authority seem unconcerned about the impact this will have on providing quality services to citizens, especially those who are not financially able to procure private medical services.

This is precisely the situation at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, popularly known as the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, for well over two years – a situation which many described as “getting from bad to worse”.

Many healthcare providers attached to the facility have complained about the unsuitable conditions under which they are expected to provide quality healthcare to citizens along the East Bank corridor.

The facility, according to Doctors and other medical personnel based there, is in a deplorable state with many departments having non-functional equipment.

A source said that patients have to be told daily to purchase their own medication since the facility is without any, while certain basic tests cannot be done, owing to a lack of basic medical supplies, including latex gloves.

Further, the X-Ray and Ultrasound Departments are non-functional.

“My issue is my col-

leagues and I turn up every day to work and many times the materials needed to do the work are not there,” one Doctor complained, “How is it a diagnostic centre if the tools needed to diagnose are not there?”

When asked what has been management’s response to the concerns of the staff, one employee remarked, “They are always working on it”.

The medical personnel said while the authorities were doing very little to rectify the situation, when things go wrong, doctors and nurses were the first to be blamed.

“When things go wrong, the first persons to be blamed and place in front the heat are the healthcare providers,” a seemingly frustrated Doctor remarked.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton could not be reached for a comment as his mobile phone was “turned off”.

The facility, which opened its doors to serve the public on October 12, 2007, treated over 75,000 patients in its first year of operation, but by 2011 complaints began trickling in about the poor service being offered, causing many persons to opt for the Georgetown Public Hospital, where, despite having to wait for many hours, the quality of service was better. The institution has never recovered, but instead, the situation wors-

ened, as there was evidence of declining physical infrastructure, shortage of medication and non-functioning equipment.

When questioned about the declining state at the facility, then Health Minister , Dr Bheri Ramsarran had placed the blame on the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Administration, which he said was responsible for maintenance of the facility.

In July 2015, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, after a visit to the facility, proposed a total overhaul.

After meeting with senior staff of the facility and listening to their complaints, Dr Cummings had concluded that that was the only possible solution to the woes experienced at the medical institution, since its capacity was limited while it was required to serve a large catchment area.

Then, in December 2015, President David Granger, accompanied by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Minister Norton, embarked on a ”fact finding” mission at the facility, as well as the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

During the visit to

East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, Diamond

CARPHA records 303 confirmed cases of dengue in Guyana

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he Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has recorded 303 confirmed cases of dengue in Guyana, as of the first week of August.

According to a report released by the Agency, the laboratory confirmed 303 cases – which is a long climb from 142 probable cases in 2015. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) had published a Zika-Epidemiological Report on Guyana and had reported the rise in dengue cases.

However, that report indicated that there were 303 probable cases of the disease which had not yet been confirmed. According to the report, there was an incident rate of 37.5 cases per 100,000 of the Guyanese

population.

Of recent, dengue has been eclipsed by the emergence of Chikungunya and Zika, all of which are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The symptoms of all three of the viruses are identical, making it difficult to differentiate them. The symptoms include fever, rash, headache, and muscle and joint pain.

Although, the Public Health Ministry has embarked on an intense fogging exercise and donation of treated mosquito nets, critics are calling on the institution to set up a strong education and awareness programme against the spread of the virus and its agent.

Also, while the CARPHA has trained two Guyanese medical technologists from the National Public Health

Reference Laboratory to test for the three vectorborne diseases, Guyana continues to send samples to the Agency in Trinidad and Tobago for testing.

The laboratory in Guyana was selected to be the principal testing site, since the cases of mosquito-borne diseases in the country were on the rise.

So far, there have been 5375 reported cases of Chikungunya, with 264 confirmed cases and 35 confirmed cases of Zika in Guyana.

The Ministry has urged persons to get rid of breeding sites for mosquitoes by disposing of old tyres and containers in their yards that have stagnant water.

They were also urged to keep their drains and waterways clean and dispose of their garbage properly.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Cummings Lodge woman found stabbed to death — relative in custody

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he battered body of a woman was discovered Sunday afternoon by her son who had just returned home from work.

The dead woman has been identified as Anita Mohan called “Sandra”, 48, of Lot 315 South-East Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the woman was found in a pool of blood in her kitchen. The discovery was made just before 17:00h.

The dead woman’s son, Imtiaz Khan, 27, told reporters shortly after the discovery, that from the injuries his mother sustained about her body, it appears

as though she was stabbed to death.

The mason and part-time car washer recalled that he left home sometime around 07:45h Sunday morning for work and that was the last time he saw and spoke with his with his mother. At the time he noted that his cousin, who lives in the house, was also at home.

Khan noted that when he came home he did not notice his mother or cousin but thought nothing of it. He added that it was when he went into the kitchen that he made the gruesome discovery and alerted relatives, who live nearby.

“I see she on the floor with one set of blood around

she…I was in shock, I couldn’t move and after I catch myself, I call for my aunty and uncle them who live opposite to come see what happen,” the man recalled.

He noted that after the relatives came and saw his mother’s lifeless body, they immediately summoned the police.

Crime Scene Investigators came and dusted the kitchen and other parts of the house, before removing the body.

According to the son, the house was ransacked but at the time he could not say whether anything was taken from the premise.

The Police have since ar-

rested the nephew who lives with them. However, Khan does not believe his cousin committed the gruesome act. He explained that the suspect told him that he left home around 15:00h to gather their cattle.

Meanwhile, residents close by do not recall seeing or hearing anything strange at the house but noted that loud music was blaring from the house. They suspected that Mohan was killed sometime when the music was on hence neighbours did not hear any strange noise or screams.

The woman’s body had been taken to the Lyken Funderal Parlour, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Anna Regina Town Council demolishes single mother's stall

A frustrated Sattie Narine pointing to the remains of her stall

By Indrawattie Natram

A

Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) single mother is now contemplating her next move after officials from Anna Regina dismantled her stall last week.

Clothes vendor Sattie

Narine of Capoey Village, Region Two, is calling the actions of the Anna Regina Town Council (ARTC) “unfair” after she found several zinc sheets and boards ripped from her stall when she turned for work early Wednesday morning.

Speaking with Guyana

Times the woman explained that around 06:30h that day, a delegation from the ARTC visited the area where she and several others vend on a daily basis and dismantled her stall, without her knowledge.

The single mother said that she spent $300,000 to construct her stall and although it’s not a permanent structure, it was destroyed by the council. She is contending that if the ARTC was on a dismantling exercise to remove permanent stalls from the road shoulders then they should have commenced from the beginning of the market instead of just going to her stall.

Narine is of the view that it was an act of discrimination and she is calling on the council for an explanation.

“I come out daily here to vend, I am a single mother, I am earning honestly, why put me out of business? Who is going to give me money?” the woman lamented.

The vendor pointed out that since 1989 she has been doing business and on several occasions she was removed without any explanation.

When asked by this newspaper if she was issued any notice from the Council in the past the woman said yes.

However, the frustrated vendor is contending that her stall is not a permanent one and as such the council should have given her some time.

Meanwhile, when Guyana Times visited the market area Wednesday morning, several other stall owners were still on the road selling. They, like Narine, also have their stalls on the road shoulders.

One of the vendors selling in the market, Simone Lashley, said that Council was unfair with their treatment of Narine. “If they wanted to remove stalls then they should have started from the first, why just Narine stall only?”

When asked if she is given a stall inside the market if should would relocate, Narine said she is prepared to do so in order to continue earning her livelihood.

However in an interview with Guyana Times Anna Regina Town Clerk, Diane Critchlow, said that the Council had given Narine a permanent stall spot on the eastern side of the market, which she refused to occupy.

Critchlow explained that the dismantling crew had visited the market Wednesday to dismantle stalls on the roadway. However, she was informed that only Narine’s stall was destroyed and could not say why this was done.

Nevertheless, the Town Clerk pointed out that vendors along the road shoulders at the Anna Regina old market area were given notices since a month ago to remove all permanent structures.

Eyew tness

Where Oh where...

A

...are we going?

fter the continued lapses in “good governance” in our poor, abused land, there were some who said all we needed was probity at the top...and all else would follow. By and large, most folks see Prezzie as “decent” as you would want...but the moral and operational lapses in his Administration continue with alarming frequency.

Are we then doomed like that old Greek miscreant who had to expiate his transgressions by schlepping a boulder up a hill and then repeating the labour again and again for eternity because as soon as he neared the top, it fell off his shoulders and rolled to the bottom again?

There was hope in some breasts we’d get near the top of the hill when Burnham was ensconced into power by the US back in 1964.

After all, they were fat and rich and had all the things we wanted for the “good life”...by being on their side, wasn’t our bacon browned? It wasn’t, we found out to our cost. We had to start even further down the bottom of the hill from where we’d started when Burnham died. Then came Hoyte, who picked up the boulder and fetched up, up a mite. But he had to let go when he was overtaken by events.

The PPP under the leadership of the old Jagan and then the young Bharrat Jagdeo took charge of the Boulder and there were great hopes for finally reaching the top of the mountain. They did move the rock a good ways up. But they too had to start over after an armed insurrection. And we reach the present where we are clearly enmeshed in futility.

What our experience demonstrates is we can’t just depend on just the bona fides of a leader to break out of our tragedy. As in all tragedies, we also have to deal with the circumstances in which we find ourselves. And unlike what Burnham or Prezzie thinks, our circumstance isn’t just “indiscipline” which will be resolved by militarisation of our society (Burnham) or military fellas running most of our institutions (Granger). Or as Jagan and Jagdeo thought, through economic growth.

Our circumstance just happens to be a divided society where each group wants to see their own leaders in the ruling strata. But we’ve allowed our circumstance to become our fate or destiny – a house divided that will always fall – because we pretended one group’s leader can represent all. Hasn’t happened and ain’t gonna happen even though we may have all the best ideas or plans.

In the end, our rock will slip down the hill, unless our leaders come together.

...are our oversight bodies?

The problem with the PPP – according to the APNU and AFC when they were in Opposition – was they weren’t willing to have anyone looking over their shoulders as they were presumably managing the people’s business with access to the Consolidated Fund. In the new dispensation, all of this would be corrected.

There was supposed to be a Code of Conduct promulgated (within 100 days!) that’d set the parameters of acceptable “conduct becoming a governmental officer”. The country may suffer from induced asphyxiation as they hold their breaths for these guidelines – now appended to PROPOSED Integrity Legislation. One hopes the Government concedes that the 50% hike in ministerial salaries didn’t eliminate the temptation for graft, and the Code with teeth is still necessary.

Then there’s the Procurement Commission the AFC was so hot about, they were ready to endorse the PPP’s AML/CTF Bill if this was out in place.

Not a squeak’s being heard from that quarter now!!

...all the water money

In an endorsement worthy of beatification (a la Mother Teresa), Mrs Van West Charles – nee Burnham – argued for the reinstatement of Goring, the sacked Collections Officer for her husband’s GWI. What say she now that only half of the claimed $1.9B collected is in the coffers?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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monday, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Cash-strapped GuySuCo Brittany Singh crowned Miss India Guyana sells more land T

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he cash-strapped Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is gearing up to dispose of more of its transported lands, in a bid to secure cash for its operations.

The Sugar Corporation has advertised for sale several acres of land, inclusive of vacant properties at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where the entity houses its headquarters.

In inviting bids, GuySuCo said it was looking to sell portions of its transported freehold lands situated at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, Liliendaal and Ogle ECD. Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, Professor Clive Thomas, had earlier alluded to the fact, notwithstanding, that the entity had asked for a sum of $12 billion this year and had received $9 billion, a review was ongoing to see how best it could utilise its considerable land holdings – a significant portion of which is unused.

He is quoted in sections of the media as saying, “What we are trying to do is to use land sales as an important means of financing over the next four to five years… we are looking at our land holdings to see what is

possible, then we will decide on how to structure the sales.”

According to Professor Thomas, “We asked for $12 billion this year and we got $9 billion… the rest has to be supplied by land sales.”

On Sunday, this publication reported that the entity was set to receive another $3 billion in subsidy, in addition to the $9 billion it had received earlier in the year when Finance Minister Winston Jordan presented the 2016 Budget.

Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde told the opening of the General Council that the Union’s delegation “in the current negotiations on wages, salaries and allowances was notified

Dr Clive Thomas

that a further $3 billion is to be provided to GuySuCo”.

The transfer, when effected, will mean the cash-strapped company would have been supported to the tune of $12 billion.

This past week, President David Granger had alluded to the bailout of GuySuCo as among the reasons Government was constrained in making a bigger offer to public servants.

According to the Head of State, GuySuCo is being bailed out to the tune of $10 billion annually and this is in addition to the problems being faced with the falling prices for sugar, gold and bauxite, some of Guyana’s main revenue earners.

GuySuCo has already recorded a whopping $6 billion deficit in its accounts for the first half of 2016, but this has been masked by the $9 billion subsidy that was handed to the beleaguered entity by Government.

In fact, while the $9 billion transferred was earmarked for the Corporation to be disbursed for the entire year, all of the money has already been transferred.

Finance Minister Jordan had documented in his 2016 Mid-Year Report that the reason the allocation was disbursed in its entirety by the end of June 2016 was “because of a deterioration in the Corporation’s cash balances that was due to a severe shortfall in production”.

The subsidy that was transferred to GuySuCo has in fact allowed the company to record in its books an operating surplus of $2.9 billion, down from an operating surplus of $3 billion for the corresponding period last year.

wentyyear -old Brittany Singh was crowned Miss India Guyana 2016 at the Marriott Hotel on Sunday afternoon, amid controversy.

The event, which was organised within a short time span, saw Singh, 25- yearold Tahirih Boodhoo and 21year-old Abigail Mohabir, vying for the crown.

The three finalists competed in the people’s choice segment which saw them rallying votes through Facebook. That segment contributed to 40 per cent of the overall score for the contestants.

The other 60 per cent was awarded through the contestant’s talent pieces, along with the scores from the Indian wear, evening gown and interview segments.

The public favourite was Boodhoo, the sister of Roshani Boodhoo, who was crowned Miss India Guyana 2011.

When her name was not announced as the winner, pandemonium broke out.

Singh’s crowning was marred by distasteful remarks from within the audience, questioning the results.

The young woman, however, put on a brave face and accepted her crown with a smile. Speaking with Guyana Times, Singh said that she was speechless at the results, but overjoyed and grateful.

She noted that the competition was stiff as her competitors were all very beautiful and talented, expressing delight that she was able to win.

“I’ve done it, not only for me but for my country and for my mom and I want

Miss India Guyana 2016 Brittany Singh

to thank all for the support that I’ve received,” she proudly announced.

She encouraged others who are considering taking the pageant route to chase after their dreams as anything is possible.

This publication also caught up with Boodhoo who noted that she had full faith in the decision of the judges.

When questioned about the audience’s reaction when she did not win, Boodhoo said the final result was all part of God’s will ,

noting that they all participated because they believed that they had what it took to be queen.

She gave her support to Singh, stating that “with a little grooming Brittany can bring that international crown home”.

Mohabir, the other contestant, also said that she thought that the decision by the judges was fair, noting that they all put their best into the pageant, but “Brittany deserved the crown, she did well”.

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news

monday, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

New Amsterdam Sebai, 1st beneficiary celebrates 125 years under new Hinterland as a municipality Housing Project – to receive new homes and refurbished roofs

The one-month celebrations commenced on Thursday

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he town of New Amsterdam celebrates 125 years as a municipality. The one-month celebrations commenced on Thursday, but it was on Friday that the birthday cake was cut by Mayor Kurt Winter.

It was on September 1, 1891, that legislation was enacted to have New Amsterdam become a municipality.

New Amsterdam developed as a settlement besides Fort Nassau some 55 miles up the Berbice River. Around 1784, as a result of the fluctuating fortunes of Fort Nassau, the Dutch relocated the town to its present site.

The original Nieuw Amsterdam grew up during the first half of the 18th Century. It was a small township with buildings mostly strung out parallel to the river bank. The inhabitants were required to pay a fixed sum annually to the Dutch Reformed Church and the Hospital, and were required to keep the public paths and the dividing land between

their lots free of bushes and/ or grass.

At some point after 1784 the town of New Amsterdam was born. This site was obviously selected because it provided a natural outlet and entry point for a very extensive and productive hinterland.

The name New Amsterdam was chosen because most of the colonists originated from the province of Amsterdam in Holland.

Between 1785 and 1790 New Amsterdam was established as the seat of Government for Berbice. At that time, the town was little more than a forest settlement, with houses scattered here and there, with no roads and drains.

In May 1825, an Ordinance to establish a Board of Management for the town was passed. The Board of Superintendence lasted until 1 September 1891, when legislation was enacted to incorporate the Town into a Municipality.

Neil Ross McKinnon KC, who was president of that Board, was appointed the

town’s first Mayor.

The Electric Lighting Order of 1900 gave the Electricity Undertaking legal status as an entity owned and controlled by the New Amsterdam Town Council. As a utility, the Council was able to satisfy its citizenry with an essential service, while at the same time earning a fair amount of revenue, which was ploughed into other capital works of the Town and to keep the levying of rates at a minimum.

However, due to a world crisis in October 1973 interims of the availability and sudden rise in the price of fuel, oil and subsequently on spare parts and services, it became uneconomical for Power Stations within close proximity to operate independently.

Consequently, in keeping with the economic policy of the government, the New Amsterdam Power System was absorbed into the larger system of that of the Guyana Electricity Corporation on September 1, 1979.

T

Sebai Council members selecting beneficiaries

he first 15 families to benefit from improved living conditions under the US$3.1 million new Hinterland Housing Project, hail from the community of Sebai, in the Matarkai Sub-District of Region One (Barima-Waini).

Five of the 15 selected, will benefit from full house construction, while the remainder will benefit from roof replacement.

The houses carry rainwater harvesting system, and the construction of improved pit toilets are also catered for. The houses are to be completed before the end of 2016.

According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), these first beneficiaries were chosen following a visit to the village on Friday by Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and representatives of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) including Senior Community Development Officer, Donna Bess-Bascom, representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), including Housing and Urban Development Specialist, Patricio Zambrano-Barragán, and Region One Chairman, Brenthnol Ashley.

The minister and officials first concluded meetings with the Village Council where they presented a list of names to be among the first 2016 beneficiaries of the project. The list was compiled by the CHPA from 65 applications submitted by the village.

The modified list was presented and approved to the residents in a later meeting.

As per the Amerindian Act, more than two-thirds of the meeting attendees agreed on the decision of the council.

The minister also noted that selecting Sebai to start the project and promising to

deliver the houses and roofs before year end is the best gift that the government could bring to the community during the Indigenous Heritage Month celebrations: “I personally as Minister do not believe in bringing hand-outs to an Indigenous community. You come here and you give a little chain

we would have also included houses that might not have been on the list of the council, but we considered, based on the conditions that we see as being one of the houses that can be considered for the project.”

Bess-Bascom also explained that Sebai will be the only community to ben-

One of the houses constructed in Oronoque under the project (2009-2015)

saw… but when you give projects where the village must be involved, then there is buy-in and ownership, and that is different.”

The minister also reminded that the project is part of government’s vision of building strong cohesive communities across Guyana, by addressing sustainable housing and by putting in place the proper infrastructure, such as water and sanitation.

CHPA’s Donna BessBascom explained that the agency started engaging Sebai just over a year ago in the process of getting the project started.

Selection criteria

Bess-Bascom further explained that those persons shortlisted for the project are those who scored high, based on the CHPA assessment: “…we basically walked through all of the community, looked at all the houses recommended, and

efit from the project in 2016.

As per the project design, the CHPA is to provide two persons for the houses and roof construction, and the beneficiaries are expected to provide three. Women are not excluded from being labourers, Bess-Bascom explained.

The new Hinterland Housing Project is being funded through an IDB loan.

Under this project 12 communities in Regions One and Nine are to benefit, with a total of 306 full houses being constructed and 122 roofs being replaced.

The other communities include Whitewater in Region One and Katoka, Kwatamang and Massara in Region Nine.

Under the first hinterland project, 122 houses were constructed and 86 roofs replaced. The communities that benefitted were Oronoque and Manawarin in Region One, and Apoteri and Annai in Region Nine.

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monday, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

More ex-cops want to return to GPF – Ramnarine

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cting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine disclosed on Saturday that there has been an increase of applications from former members of Guyana Police Force (GPF) who want to rejoin the Force.

Speaking on Saturday where he addressed junior ranks on corrupt practices within the GPF, Ramnarine pointed out that most of these applications are from persons who claimed to have been wrongfully dismissed.

“Within the recent past, we have seen an increase in applications to rejoin the Force but I’ll tell you what, 99 per cent (of the applications) no way!” he stated.

According to the acting Top Cop, these persons have

written to senior government officials claiming that they were “unjustifiably dismissed” among other reasons but a look at their file, a different story is often told.

“When the staff officer brings up the file and you see a constable, with small number of years of service, has 40 charge sheets and has over 400 days sick leave, are you telling me that this is someone we should reemploy in the Guyana Police Force? That must be the height of stupidity for me to agree for reinstatement,” declared Ramnarine.

He further noted that from six applications from ex-members with questionable characters that he has responded to, there has since been no word from the

Acting Top Cop David Ramnarine

applicants.

“I thank God for that, because there ought to be no reply,” he stated.

Ramnarine remarked that persons can write to

whomever they want, pointing out that the Force is now a public place with nothing to hide. He outlined too that he has no problems with former members turn-

ing to government officials instead of approaching the Force itself for reinstatement; however, the acting Police Commissioner cautioned that there would be repercussions.

“There is no problem, that’s the way things are now and it’s been so for a while but it’s the response that will be given, where your dirty conduct will be exposed now. It was remaining quiet in a file but it will go public now because you want it that way, you didn’t give me any choice,” he posited.

Moreover, Ramnarine stated that because the applications were sent to the government, he would hand over the files to the Public Security Minister so that it

can be seen how they lied about their dismissals from the GPF. “So the Minister would see how lying you are when you wrote about the injustices. The file is there as proof, I didn’t put anything in the file and your officers didn’t put anything in the file… so there it is. That’s the way forward,” he said.

According to the acting Commissioner, this same practice obtains within the Police Force, whereby ranks go over their Divisional Commanders and write to the Commissioner of Police about issues that can be dealt with at the divisional level. Ramnarine noted that he will not encourage such practice where ranks undermine their commanders.

Expired goods seized in New Amsterdam

Some of the expired items seized

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Municipal Health Inspector Ackloo Ramsudh

he Environmental Health Department (EHD) of the New Amsterdam Municipality has seized a quantity of food items considered unsatisfactory for human consumption. The Department is continuously appealing to supermarkets and shop owners to desist from selling expired goods, while warning against the consequences of them being caught doing so.

Despite this a number of supermarkets and shops in the New Amsterdam Municipality continue to vend expired goods and this was brought to the limelight as the EHD seized a quantity of expired goods from supermarkets and shops in the

town which is currently celebrating its 125 anniversary as a Municipality.

Among the items seized were drink mix, tomato ketchup, cake mix, chewing gum, biscuits and beverages.

Head of the Department, Municipal Health Inspector, Ackloo Ramsudh, stated that there is no schedule time of visits to businesses but from time to time all of them have been found with expired goods displayed for sale.

“I am appealing to business owners to check the date markings on items before they put it on the shelf for sale, they also need to check the condition of the packaging material; for example there

are some packaging material which have rodent damaged, stained and some in dented cans, these are not things which are fit for human consumption and should not be displayed on shelves for sale to the consuming public,” Ramsudh declared.

According to Ramsudh, his team is working to rid the shelves of harmful items but he is appalled at the callous behaviour of some businesses in the township that are bent on breaking the law. He posited that they must have respect for themselves and the general public.

“Time and again officers from the department revisits particular outlets, and

GPSU reminds Govt of...

He pointed to the fact that in 1999 the Janet Jagan government had decided that it will respond negatively to the public sector unions’ demand for an increase in wages/salaries, on the pretext that the International Monetary Fund’s Structural Adjustment Programme prevented offering a decent increase.

He said the government felt the trade union was weak, but underestimated the workers who were en-

raged by the treatment, mobilised among themselves, and proceeded to strike action and the union leadership had to comply.

The GPSU head recalled that the 1999 strike lasted for 57 days and the parties had to resort to arbitration to have the matter resolved.

He also referred to the similar salary talks breakdowns in 1979 and 1964 salary impasse for public servant’s wages and said “One

from page 3

would have expected that these experiences would serve as lessons to guide negotiations with the GoG and the GPSU ? and the GTU.” GPSU this past week rejected the final offer made by government for salary increases for public servants even as head of State, President David Granger said in such an eventuality government would be prepared to go ahead and make an arbitrary payout.

seize a number of expired goods on display with tampered labels,” he stated.

To this end, the health inspector is asking consumers to be alert and aware when making purchases and to scrutinise items they are purchasing.

“Ensure that you understand the date markings properly; these are the production date and the expiration date, ensure that they are not tampered with and also within the time specified. Every consumer has the right to thoroughly examine the products that he

or she is purchasing and ask questions,” he added.

Moreover, the Municipal Health Inspector is also calling on the public to refuse to make purchases at those habitual law breakers’ places and report any case of expired items or goods to the municipality or other relevant authorities forthwith.

In recent times, the department has had to remove peanut butter, canned milk, biscuits, jam, mayonnaise and confectionery on shelves of shops and supermarkets that were beyond the expiry dates

12 News

monDay, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Miss Guyana Universe 2016 delegates sashed T

he 14 delegates vying for the coveted title of Miss Guyana Universe 2016 were on Sunday sashed by their respective sponsors during a sensational ceremony at Gravity Lounge.

The grand finale will be held at the Marriott Hotel on September 17, 2016. A rumour circulating on social media has it that a prince and celebrity will be attending the grand finale.

The 14 beauties were first unveiled to the public earlier last month and they have since been promoting themselves on social media.

At the sashing ceremony, franchise holder Jyoti Hardaat announced that one can expect an extravagant event with multiple items on the programme, in addition to the pageant.

She explained that a preliminary competition will be held at a yet to be decided venue which will incorporate a swim wear segment by renowned “Kandice Pelletier” a usual sponsor of Miss United States of America (USA).

Hardaat said that she was proud of all of the delegates and expressed confidence that they will all bring their ‘A’ game throughout the competition.

The contestants are Soyini Fraser, Rafieya Hussain, Ariella Basdeo, Malika Russell, Ashley John, Keleisha Kelly, Xameria Kippins, Meleisa Defreitas, Iman Jaisingh, Odessa Grogan, Ayana Whitehead, Denisha Rogers, Ashley Cameron and Aysya Kelly.

Fraser, who has sever-

Miss Guyana Universe 2016 delegates

al national titles under her belt , including an international one, told this publication that the Miss Universe is the most elite pageant that exists, which provides

a wider spectrum for her many advocacies.

Hussain who has been successful in many pageants, most recently the Miss World where she

copped a place in the top ten, explained that it was largely due to the fact that she won a Beauty with a Purpose award for her focus on domestic violence.

She explained that she sees the Miss Universe pageant as another way to advocate for women.

Russell caught the attention of the audience with her drive towards women’s empowerment in the agricultural sector while noting she is aspiring to become an Agriculture Minister.

The delegates have been involved in intense training for several months. The fashion guru Dereck Moore was present at the ceremony and cheered all the beauties.

The delegates after their sashing took time to mingle with special invitees. The amazing delegates are all optimistic about winning the coveted title, claiming that they have been training hard to get the perfect posture for the big night.

New Global Human Order (NGHO) …to be deliberated at UN General Council Meeting

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ew Global Human Order (NGHO) – an initiative piloted by the late Dr Cheddi Jagan in 1994, which has found favour with over 160 countries across the globe, will in a matter of days come up for deliberation and a possible vote and call to action, at the world’s highest forum – the United Nations General Assembly, as it meets for its 71st General Council Meeting.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the political party that Dr Jagan founded, this past week called on the current Administration to recognise the importance of the NGHO at the UN General Assembly and to put

by former Ambassadors, Ministers, President and other dignitaries when they met at the National Library this past weekend for a public gathering to discuss, ahead of the UN General Assembly’s confab, Guyana’s position on the matter in light of the fact that Dr Jagan’s party was now in Opposition.

‘Baby … bathwater’

Dr Cheddi Jagan

its full weight behind the initiative when the matter holds the attention of world leaders once again.

This was the clarion call

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee addressing the modest gathering at the National Library on Friday evening urged that the current A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government “not throw out the baby with the bathwa-

ter”.

In attendance were former Ambassador to Brazil, Merlin Udho; former Ambassador to Cuba, Mitra Devi Ali, brother of the late Dr Walter Rodney, Lawrence Rodney; former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill and a host of other high-profile PPP/Civic figures in addition to the current Russian and Chilean Plenipotentiary Representatives to Guyana.

Dr Jagan’s NGHO was first publicised in 1994 following his ascension to office.

He called for a different approach in the relationships between the developed and the developing countries.

Rohee, in his presentation to the gathering, said his party had been pushed into posing the question to Parliament and was told

by Vice President Carl Greenidge that “Government will continue to pursue issue as we move forward,” but not before saying that the initiative had essentially expired and had been overtaken by time.

Rohee said that it was this uncertainty in the responses provided by Government that caused the Party to hold the public forum to remind of the importance of the Guyanese initiative despite of the political party in office.

Caricom support

He said the Vice President’s answer was “good news on paper”, but urged that the Party members not sit on their “laurels” and be complacent.

He said the PPP has already written to members of Caricom, reminding of the importance of the occasion and again calling for their support.

According to Rohee, “We thought it would be useful to have this (Public) forum to discuss the matter, precisely because of this session of the UN General Assembly.”

He questioned, “…how could an important matter like this be up for discussion on the highest forum in the world and the country that has proposed that this matter be on the agenda remain silent?”

Still relevant

Addressing the primarily PPP supporters gathered in the National Library, Rohee conceded that aspects of Dr Jagan’s NGHO would have to be refined since it was always proposed as an agreement between countries that had been crafted some time ago that recognised the need for continuous reviews.

He argued nonetheless that the main tenets of the agreement were still relevant in today’s reality—moreso now.

Disorder

“This is an evolving concept,” Rohee said, even as he spoke to its relevance in the 21st Century, since according to him, the world has been plunged into a state of disorder.

Speaking directly to the response provided by Government, Rohee said, “I agree, I fully support the idea that this work can be revised, can be edited, but I don’t agree we throw out the baby with bathwater…the concept is still relevant in today’s world.”

He said what might have been applicable in 1994 may not be applicable in 2016, but as the situation evolved “obviously the necessary changes will have to be made”.

Rohee nonetheless expressed optimism that the concept advanced by his Party’s founder which had found favour with Caricom, the Commonwealth and further afield including the RIO Group would in fact be represented seriously at the UN forum.

Copenhagen

Dr Walter Rodney’s brother, Lawrence, who filled in for former Ambassador Rudy Insanally –initially slated to speak – also spoke to the importance of the NGHO, to not just Guyana but the world at large.

He reminded that in 1995 when the late President launched the initiative at Copenhagen, he was the only Third World leader to be given a standing ovation and subsequently invited to give presentations across the European territories.

Rodney also conceded that the Jagan initiative was not a stand-alone process and had found favour with more than 160 countries, given its merits.He said Dr Jagan’s NGHO, as presented to the world, “was a comprehensive strategy for a new kind of social partnership” between countries According to Rodney, the NGHO had been crafted at a time when the world had just come out of the Cold War and the United States “was behaving like a nuclear bully”.

He said it was a time too when the world had come to begin to realise the disparaging effects of the disparities that existed and continue to exist across the globe and the need for a different approach to remedy the state of affairs given the dire consequences that have become more pronounced today.

New World Order

Rodney and each of the other presenters spoke to the fact that the threats of terrorism, the refugee crisis and many of the other human catastrophes across the planet were as a result of the inequalities that Dr Jagan had recognised and was attempting to remedy.

He spoke to the fact too that Dr Jagan’s NGHO had also taken cognisance of environmental strategies and ideas – so pronounced now given the climate change phenomena.

According to Rodney, Dr Jagan’s initiative was well researched and analysed which is why it has managed to gain the respect of world leaders hence its place on the UN Agenda.

First published in 1994, Dr Jagan’s initiative was officially taken on as a UN resolution in 2000 and over the years, has been reviewed garnering support over time from more and more countries The concept of the New Global Human Order calls for a people-centred sustainable development policy and programme aimed at the eradication of poverty and the establishment of a just and more humane system of international relations.

13 Children receive school supplies from Dharmic Naujawan, Sangha NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

school drive was one of the many charity works done by the Ashram under Shiva Shankaranandaji’s stewardship.

Meanwhile, at a simple handing-over ceremony on Saturday, held at Airy Hall Mandir, Chairman of the Essequibo Coast Dharmic Naujawan, Nandram Prabhu, told parents that the back-to-school drive was held with the aim of assisting parents to send their children off in the new school term all prepared for the academic year ahead.

He also called on parents to send their children to school regularly and punctually. Prabhu noted that the

back-to-school drive was one of the many charitable works undertaken by the youths in the religious organisation to assist the less fortunate.

Among the items distributed to the about 15 children were bag packs, stationery, and footwear.

Parents expressed their gratitude towards the youths of the organisation for the timely intervention.

Most of the families that benefited from the assistance were headed by single parents. Several other executive members of the Essequibo Naujawan were also present at the handingover ceremony.

Members of the Essequibo Naujawan along with the families that benefited from the back-to-school drive

T

he youth arm of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Essequibo Coast branch, Dharmic Naujawan, and the Guyana Sevashram Sangha, commonly called the Cove and John Ashram, located on the East Coast of Demerara, distributed school supplies to children in various communities on the Essequibo Coast, Region

Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

On Wednesday and Thursday, school items, including stationery and clothing, were handed out to children at two different locations by Swami Shiva Shankarnanadaji of the Ashram.

He underscored the importance of an education and the need for parents to send their children to school.

The Swami further posited that it was the Ashram’s hope that the items distributed would in some way contribute in assisting parents to send their children back to school. Copies of Hindu scriptures were also given to the beneficiaries.

Several parents expressed their gratitude to the Ashram for the timely contribution. The back-to-

Some of the children who benefited from the Ashram’s donation

GAWU awards top NGSA Linden charity donates students in Berbice over 200 backpacks

L

Some recipients pose with their new backpacks

The bursary awardees pose with GAWU’s Harvey Tambron

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welve students who were successful at the 2016 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination received bursaries from the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) Berbice branch The awardees are Monesh Ramupt and Shekky Momipen from Skeldon Estate; Anthony Umrao, Geneva Hitnarine, Saeed Mohamad and Malika Gansawh from Rose Hall Estate; Manisha Nanda, Amy Inderdat and Youvandra Balgobin from Albion Estate, Simron Ramsahai and Sonie Karan from Blairmont Estate as

well as Crystal McPherson from the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI).

At a simple ceremony held at GAWU’s New Amsterdam office on Friday, Branch Coordinator, Harvey Tambron, pointed out that there is no age limit to learning.

In congratulating the students, Tambron noted that their success came with great input from their teachers, who might, in some cases, have also been their parents.

“Our union wishes to encourage them (parents and teachers) to continue

to support and encourage you to continue your studies and learning. You teachers must also be commended for your success so far,” the GAWU representative stated.

Three students received double awards since their parents are members of the credit union.

Tambron also reminded that GAWU places much emphasis on education, explaining that the GAWU Labour College established in 2010, allows workers from the many workplaces where the union is a representative, to attend classes.

inden-based nongovernmental organisation (NGO) – the For the Children Sake Foundation (FCSF) – on Saturday distributed over 200 backpacks and school supplies to children in the community.

Executive Director of FCSF, Vernon Todd, said the purpose of the organisation's ‘Back-to-School Backpack and School Supply’ distribution is to ensure that lowincome and underprivileged children in the Linden community start the school year with the tools they need, feeling prepared and ready to learn.

“This year, we planned to serve more than 200 children/adolescents for back-toschool season in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Each child in our programme is given a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies. We serve the

children during the back-toschool season and distribute the goods in time for the first day of school. These items make a difference. We serve underprivileged and low-income students entering nursery, primary and secondary school,” Todd said.

He added that many families are struggling with unemployment, and that more than 500 students are enrolled in the organisation's free and reduced meal programmes, adding that many parents are unable to provide the basic school supplies their children need.

“In addition, schools across the country are facing severe budget cuts and lack the funding to purchase necessary supplies,” the executive related.

Moreover, FCSF’s Programme Manager, Tishon Fraser, said the items made a huge impact on the students' lives and were a huge motiva-

tion for them to start school.

Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer, Fiano Braithwaite, expressed gratitude to the Linden Fund; Bobby Noel; Adolescent Health Programme/Maternal Child Health (MOPH); Regional Education Officer, Marcia Andrews; Dr Gregory Harris; Minister Nicolette Henry; Food For The Poor; among others, for their contributions.

So far, over 600 backpacks equipped with school supplies have been distributed to students of nursery to secondary school and 25 adolescents received $5000 each to assist with materials for University under the initiative.

Todd said the For the Children Sake Foundation and Linden Fund are two organisations that exist to remove the barriers that local families may have in relation to learning.

14

guyana-times.com

monday, september 5, 2016

Regional

Fair to failing grades Tropical wave with low storm for T&T Government potential drenches Lesser Antilles

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Dr Keith Rowley and his then appointed Cabinet Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago September 11, 2015

W

ednesday will make it one year since the People’s National Movement (PNM) led by Dr Keith Rowley won the General Election and took over the governing of the country from the People’s Partnership coalition.

Political analysts graded the Government’s performance in seven key areas and comment on how it has managed the country over the last 12 months, and it received fair to failing grades.

One analyst, Dr Maukesh Basdeo said in addition to setting up a joint border protection agency and strengthening the Police Service,

better handling of the economy and crime would have assisted the Government’s performance.

He added that adoption of an intelligence-led national security model and immediately developing a policy on prison management upon assuming power would have also made a difference.

Finally, Dr Basdeo urged the Government to engage criminal justice stakeholders to re-engineer the structure to provide an efficient and legitimate system as the foundation for crime prevention. He explained that law enforcement and protection of human rights was another area that could have im-

proved the Government’s rating. Another analyst, Dr Winford James said there was no movement on crime.

“The old problems remain despite increased allocations to the Ministry of National Security. In fact, the levels of unchecked criminality seem to be rising.”

In education, he noted, there were no big ideas yet, though recently established committees seem to be preparing some. He advised that the Government focused on removing violence and violent students from schools, making schools ready, healthy and comfortable for students and teachers. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Baby among 4 shot in Jamaica

F

our people, including a baby, were on Sunday shot and injured in Denham Town, West Kingston.

Information surrounding the shooting incident is unclear.

Earlier in August a twoyear-old, Demario Whyte was shot in his head at pointblank range by the gunman

after his injured father left him at the gate while trying to escape the gunman’s bullet.

The boy along with his father and uncle were shot after gunmen drove into the community and started firing on the corner where the men were sitting.

The child’s father was reportedly shot twice in his

foot and once in the stomach while his brother was shot in the face. Both men are said to be in stable condition at the Kingston Public Hospital.

The shocking executionstyle killing of the toddler on Luke Lane in downtown Kingston left residents in the community in fear and outrage. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

he islands of the Lesser Antilles have been drenched with heavy rains and also experienced gusty winds, thunder and lightning as a result of a tropical wave inching towards them. But it is not expected to become a storm anytime soon.

Forecasters say any development of the system will be slow to occur as it continues to approach the Lesser Antilles and then moves

into the Caribbean Sea. The wave is located a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles and is moving towards the west.

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami said that the wave was producing winds to near tropical storm force, but “the upperlevel winds are not expected to be conducive for significant development of this disturbance while it moves westward at 15 to 20 mph

through the Caribbean Sea this week”.

The wave has a low chance – 30 per cent – of formation within the next five days and 20 per cent chance of formation within the next couple days.

“Regardless of whether or not development occurs, this wave will produce locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds over portions of the Lesser Antilles through early Monday,” the NHC said.

(Caribbean360)

Anti-Maduro protesters freed after Venezuela demonstration

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enezuela has released all but one of dozens of protesters rounded up after an angry, pot-banging crowd reportedly surrounded President Nicolás Maduro amid mass protests over the country’s crippling food shortages.

Of around 30 protesters detained, only one – apparently a journalist who released videos of the chaotic protests on social media – remained in custody Saturday, Alfredo Romero of the NGO Venezuelan Justice Forum said on Twitter.

He said there had been “many arbitrary searches and seizures of dissidents”.

The incidents erupted Friday in the resort city of Porlamar on Margarita island off the country’s Caribbean coast. They came just a day after anti-Maduro critics had mobilised a vast march that filled the main streets of Caracas.

The embattled Maduro – whose State-led leftist Government is fighting crip-

A woman holds a placard during one of the protests

pling shortages of everything from hard currency to food and toilet paper – had gone to make a speech at the opening of some remodelled public housing in Porlamar.

But social media images appeared to show Maduro finding himself surrounded by an angry crowd, which followed him closely down a street, banging pots and insulting him.

Dozens of protesters were swept up in an ensuing crackdown by authorities,

reports said.

Social media images of the incident were difficult to confirm independently, but Maduro’s critics said they showed the extent of the public’s impatience with his handling of the economy.

Information Minister Luis Marcano, however, accused local media of exaggerating the protest. Writing on Twitter, he said the potbanging “reflects what remains of the right (wing).”

Barbados’ response to Jamaican’s 7 Caribbean nationals poor treatment claim not apprehended following formal, says Foreign Ministry

multimillion-dollar drug seizure

A

mbassador and Director at the Diaspora and Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Jamaica, Sharon Saunders has said that the response from Barbados’ Division of Defence and Security in the Office of the Prime Minister regarding Sonya King and her son Kaleb Joseph, was not formal.

In a statement on Thursday the division, which has responsibility for immigration, said it was satisfied that immigration officers who were on duty “did everything possible to make (Sonya) King and her son as comfortable as possible, especially considering that events unfolded during the wee hours of the morning, and said it has found no evidence to substantiate the charges of mistreatment of a Jamaican and her son when

(Excerpt from AFP)

S Sonya Kinga and her son Kaleb Joseph

they arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport on August 27.

But Saunders, who had made initial contact with the Jamaica Observer to assist King in meeting with the Jamaican High Commissioner and filing an official complaint, explained that the official report on the matter has to come from Barbados’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and not the Division of Defence and Security.

“They [Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Barbados] are the ones to whom we report and relate. That is the only diplomatic channel, and they have not yet responded,” she said. Saunders added: “It is not to say that the information now out in the media didn’t come from a credible source, but we can’t follow that. We will just have to wait until the Foreign Affairs Ministry there replies….”(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

even Caribbean nationals have been apprehended following a two massive drug seizures by the United States Coast Guard in the Region.

On Friday, the Coast Guard said it seized contraband – with an estimated value of US$33.9 million on two separate occasions.

In the aftermath of the seizure, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico will be filing a criminal complaint against the suspected smugglers – three Jamaicans, one Antiguan and three from the Dominican Republic.

The seizures were both made late last month – the first was made off the coast of Venezuela when a suspicious go-fast vessel was detected.

On interception 525 packages of marijuana, weighing just over two thou-

sand pounds were seized.

The Jamaican and Antiguan were held in this operation.

In the second case, another go-fast vessel was intercepted, this time off the coast of San Juan.

The Coast Guard found 48 bales of cocaine and held the men from the Dominican Republic.

The seven detainees and contraband shipments were transported to San Juan, where they were

transferred to US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration for further processing and investigation.

On Sunday, the Coast Guard offloaded the seizure – approximately 2367 pounds of cocaine and 2074 pounds of marijuana in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. (CMC)

monday, september 5, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the world

Pope declares Mother South Sudan agrees to accept Teresa a saint 4000 more UN peacekeepers

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The Pope described Teresa's work as "eloquent witness to God's closeness to the poorest of the poor"

P

ope Francis has declared Mother Teresa of Calcutta, known as the "saint of the gutters" during her life, a saint, just 19 years after her death.

Applause erupted in St Peter's Square at the Vatican even before Francis finished pronouncing the rite of canonisation at the start of the Mass for the nun on Sunday, with the attendance of tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Pilgrims streamed into the square from early morning ahead of a service to honour the nun and Nobel Peace Laureate, who worked among the world's poorest in

the slums of the Indian city now known as Kolkata.

"For the honour of the Blessed Trinity ... we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata) to be a Saint and we enrol her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church," the pontiff said in Latin.

Francis said that even though the nun had been declared a saint, she would always be Mother Teresa to the Catholic family.

Echoing his own vision of a "poor church for the poor", the Pope described Teresa's work as "eloquent witness to

God's closeness to the poorest of the poor".

To applause, he added: "Mother Teresa loved to say, 'perhaps I don't speak their language but I can smile'.

"Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey, especially those who suffer."

Millions of Catholics revere the nun as a model of compassion, and more than 100,000 people were expected at the mid-morning ceremony in front of St Peter's Basilica, decked out with a canvas of the late nun in her trademark blue-hemmed white robes. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

outh Sudan has agreed to allow 4000 additional United Nations peacekeepers enter the country, after first rejecting the regional protection force as a breach of national sovereignty.

The announcement late on Sunday came after a meeting in the capital, Juba, between President Salva Kiir and Ambassadors from the UN Security Council's 15 member states.

"The transitional Government of national unity gives its consent for the deployment of the regional force," the Government and the security council said in a joint statement, which

was read out by Martin Elia Lomoro, the South Sudanese Cabinet Affairs Minister.

The threat of an arms embargo on South Sudan loomed over the meeting amid warnings by the Security Council, which had approved the deployment of the protection force in mid-August, that it would pursue such action if the Government in Juba did not accept the additional peacekeepers.

Kiir had previously said that the deployment of the peacekeeping force was a violation of South Sudan's sovereignty.

A force of some 12,000 UN peacekeepers is al-

Syrian forces renew siege on rebel-held Aleppo

Merkel's CDU suffers MecklenburgWestern Pomerania poll blow

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erman Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU party has been beaten into third place by an anti-immigrant and anti-Islam party in elections in a north-eastern German state, partial results have shown.

The Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party took about 21 per cent of the vote behind the centre-left SPD's 30 per cent.

The German Chancellor's

CDU was backed by only about 19 per cent of those who voted, according to the partial results.

The vote was seen as a key test before German parliamentary elections in 2017.

Before the vote in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, all of Germany's other parties ruled out forming a governing coalition with the AfD. However, the party's

strong showing could weaken Merkel ahead of the national elections next year.

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, in the former East Germany, is where the Chancellor's own constituency is located.

Under her leadership, Germany has been taking in large numbers of refugees and migrants – 1.1 million last year – and anti-immigrant feeling has increased.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Zimbabwe: Mugabe blasts Judges over protests

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President Robert Mugabe

imbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has accused the country's judiciary of recklessness for allowing anti-Government demonstrations, ahead of a legal challenge against an official ban on protests.

A High Court hearing is set for today on the constitutionality of the Government's ban, which came into force on Thursday following weeks of protests against Mugabe's rule and his handling of the country's ailing economy.

Violence erupted more than a week ago at an anti-Mugabe protest when police used tear gas and water

cannon to disperse marchers angered by spiralling unemployment, a plummeting economy and allegations of Government corruption.

Mugabe said Judges would be acting with "disregard" for peace if they ruled to give permission to more demonstrations.

"We can't allow that to continue, (to have) these violent demonstrations unimpeded. No. Enough is enough," Mugabe told a conference of the ruling ZANU-PF's youth wing on Saturday, according to a report in the country's Sunday News weekly. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

ready in the country, and South Sudan has been wary of giving it more authority amid ongoing clashes with Opposition forces.

Protecting civilians has become a critical issue for UN peacekeepers following fighting that erupted in Juba in July between forces loyal to Kiir and Opposition Leader Riek Machar, threatening to send the world's youngest country back to all-out civil war.

Hundreds were killed and thousands were displaced, while Machar, a former First Vice President, fled after the outbreak of violence. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

At least 300,000 people live in Aleppo's rebel-held areas, now surrounded by pro-Government forces [Reuters]

T

he rebel-held half of Aleppo in northern Syria has once again been cut off by Government forces, after heavy bombardments and repeated attempts to drive rebel fight-

ers out of territory they took last month.

Pro-Government forces, backed by heavy Russian air strikes, recaptured on Sunday a strategic military complex in the Ramosa dis-

trict on Aleppo's south-western outskirts, according to Syrian State media and a monitor.

Rebel forces had captured the complex last month in an assault that broke through a Government siege on Aleppo's Opposition-held eastern neighbourhoods – home to some 300,000 people.

The Government takeover of the area has effectively reimposed the siege on the city's rebel-held neighbourhoods.

"The Army has managed now to control many areas within the vast complex that houses military installations. Rebel factions say that they are going to reunite in order to launch a counter offensive," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from the city of Elbeyli on the Turkish side of the SyriaTurkey border, said. (Excerpt

from Al Jazeera)

Hong Kong counts votes from 1st post-protests poll

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otes are being counted after Hong Kong held its first major elections since the pro-democracy protests in 2014.

Turnout was the highest since the territory was handed over to China in 1997, with long queues at some polling stations as voting drew to a close.

Some 58 per cent of Hong Kong's 3.8 million registered voters turned out, compared with 45.2 per cent in 2008.

The main parties competing are divided by their stances on the territory's relationship with Beijing.

Voters will choose 35 lawmakers based on geographical constituencies and 35 people to represent selected trades.

The city has partial democracy and not everybody can vote for all the seats.

Radical activist Avery Ng throws a sandwich at CY Leung (2nd right) as the chief executive arrives to vote

Thirty seats are decided by a pool of just sis per cent of the population.

The vote does not elect the chief executive, who is the head of government, but

many analysts believe the outcome of Sunday's vote could have an impact on whether China grants current leader CY Leung a second term in office. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

16

monDAY, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say

I SAY...

What are your views on the Government's decision to raise public servants' salaries by 1%-10%?

Caesar McAlmont –Linden

Danny Mohabir – Georgetown

“Why they couldn't give the public servants 25 per cent? And they're saying 10 per cent is all they could afford, but when it was time to increase salaries for Ministers, they got more.

So, why is it that they can't give more in this case? If the public servants don't go to work then they (Ministers) can't get paid.

It seems like no matter who is in power, they do the same thing when it comes to increases for these public servants. We need to get rid of old politics.”

“Well, in some ways I think it’s fair, as the public servants might take their jobs more seriously. We had a conversation at work where we came to a conclusion that public servants are horrible people to deal with.

And one thing we agreed on is maybe if they had better salaries, it may encourage them. But then, most of them make cash on the side already by encouraging public to pass some cash if they want their stuff done.

Alex Hilken – Georgetown

“The Government's proposal to the hardworking public servants is nothing but a direct spit in the face. It has been said

that the initiative to increase Ministers’ salaries is so as to discourage them from accepting bribes and engaging in corrupt practices. Fair enough; shouldn't this same method be applied to the public servants also? These are the very persons whose hard work goes unnoticed and unappreciated, namely: our teachers, nurses, Policemen and women as well as our judiciary staff.

In a society where accepting a "small piece" is the order of the day, how could our elected officials truly expect our people to believe that this is the "best" it could do at the moment, especially when we have already been betrayed so many times in just the space of a year?”

Faaizah Mustafa – Georgetown

“Due to the fact that cost of living is increasing, I welcome the increase, but 10 per cent is too negligible for public servants who are earning less than $100,000 per month.”

Gavin Greenidge – Linden

“Well, I think that the increase for public servants could have been a little bit more. Right now, at least a 15 per cent and next year to about 20 per cent.”

Devin Sears – Linden

“Based on what I've read and the

Ashelle Clement – Georgetown

“It’s an amazing initiative, even though I believe that there should be a more significant increase. Over the years, the Private Sector has been dominating the Public Sector

facts that I've been given, I believe it's somewhat fair. We see a proposal being placed on the table that was somewhat unrealistic, I believe, based on the current economy and the current standing of our country.

The Government in, ensuring a better life for all public servants has considered and approved a 10 per cent increase. I think this year provides a level playing field when it comes to salary increases. Is it enough? No. We have a far way to go to ensure our public servants are satisfied with their earnings.

But based on the current standing of our economy, this decision of 10 per cent was made and I believe it is fair at this stage and time.”

especially in the call centre arena, and the thing is, foreign countries have been making a great amount of profit from outsourcing, while we're being underpaid by the very same Private Sector but can't do anything to resolve the issue due to the fact that our public sector is not being paid any better… for example, the teachers who try their utmost to give every child the knowledge needed to become leaders, etc, or the Police Officers who risk their life to protect our loved ones, or even those in the offices of the Ministry who ensure that files are kept safe and done with accuracy, they are all being underpaid. Raising their salaries by a mere five per cent isn't good enough, but it’s better than nothing.”

Hilroy Browne – Georgetown

“I personally feel it is unfair to public servants to only receive 1-10 per cent increase when they were promised much more, while the government gave themselves a 50 per cent increase. It is unfair to the public servants!”

Zika blood samples must be submitted within 5 days of 1st symptoms

— CARPHA urges

T

he Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has announced that blood samples for Zika testing must be taken and sent to the agency no more than five days from the onset of the first sign or symptom.

According to its Executive Director, Dr James Hospedales, CARPHA uses RT-PCR (molecular) tests for laboratory confirmation of the Zika virus. He indicated that samples sent after the 5-day period may not be valid for PCR testing.

CARPHA is one of only two laboratories in the English-speaking Caribbean

that has the technical capacity to accurately test for the Zika virus, and the Agency continues to work on offering additional testing methods that are valid beyond five days.

Since dengue and chikungunya are still circulating in the Region, and the symptoms are similar, CARPHA routinely tests all samples for these three diseases. There are currently 35 confirmed cases of Zika in Guyana, with seven unconfirmed cases.

The Public Health Ministry had confirmed that there were four pregnant women who had contracted the virus. Two of the mothers

had a normal delivery, while one of them had a miscarriage and the other opted for abortion.

Since its emergence in Guyana, the Health Ministry has embarked on intense fogging exercises to kill the mosquito that is carrying the virus. Pregnant mothers were also receiving treated mosquito nets at their clinics, both public and private.

Meanwhile, transmission of the virus has been reported in 45 Caribbean and Latin American States, with almost all CARPHA member-states having confirmed cases.

In countries where transmission has already been con-

firmed, there is no need for everyone to be tested. In light of this, only persons who are in ‘high risk’ categories, namely pregnant women, children under the age of 5, adults over 65-years, hospitalised patients and persons with comorbidities (with chronic illnesses), will be tested.

The CARPHA urges persons, especially pregnant women, to take necessary steps to prevent mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved clothing and pants, using insect repellents as recommended by health authorities, sleep under mosquito nets, and monitor and clean their surroundings.

Local governance to be brought to schools

I

n preparing young minds for local governance, the Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA), with support from the Commonwealth Foundation, are training persons to enhance secondary school students’ understanding of local governance.

This is being undertaken under a project titled “Fostering a democratic culture in schools and local communities”.

Workers representing the three municipalities in Berbice completed a four-day Train the Trainers workshop on Friday at the Rose Hall Town Council boardroom.

Facilitator of the workshop,

Mohammed Shaheed explained that CALGA developed a module to offer training in areas of local governance. He said it focused on communication, skills in debating, public speaking, as well as understanding cultural diversity and heritage, ethnic biases and gender equity.

“The whole aim is to raise the awareness as it relates to municipal governance; how does the local authorities operate and to bring forth this wanting in students to become councillors and community leaders as they grow older,” Shaheed explained.

The initiative is being carried in five municipalities: Corriverton, Rose Hall Town,

Participants engaged in a session at the Rose Hall Town Council boardroom

New Amsterdam, Linden and Anna Regina.

According to Shaheed, a simi-

lar project is being done in three other Caribbean countries: The Bahamas, Trinidad and St Lucia.

This is the third year since the programme started.

“In Anna Regina, the programme was executed and is going successfully. Some attempt was made in Linden to get a start and we are now in Region Six doing what is called a “train the trainers’ workshop” with participants from each municipality,” he said.

Those who would have received training and acquired the skills to impart knowledge on local governance will be required to volunteer their time to impart such knowledge to student councils.

Back in March, Guyana held Local Government Elections for the first time in over two decades.

Village Feature17 monday, september 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

T

he West Bank Demerara village of Pouderoyen was a former sugar cane and coffee plantation and was spelt Pouderoijen. It has Dutch origins and includes a subdivided section called Klien Pouderoyen to the north – ‘Klien’ being the Dutch word small.

According to a historical account, the plantation has connections to the Swaen family who came from the small village of Pouderoijen in the Gelderland Province, Netherlands. A Dutch koker, now derelict, built in the second half of the 1700s still stands as a testament to the village’s Dutch heritage.

The village, located near the mouth of western side of the Demerara River, has been modernised over the years.

However, it retains some aspects of its rural features.

Several important agencies such as Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI)’s office, the Best/Klien Pouderoyen Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), and well as the local offices of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) are all

GECOM office

New Testament Church of God

found in the community.

The village has several schools that cater to the various levels of the education system.

There is the Shirley Merle Field Ridley Nursery, which was originally housed at the NDC office, in Phoenix Park and the West Demerara Secondary School which was destroyed by fire in 1993 but rebuilt some years later. The old building of the secondary school was the former residence of Captain Coglan, who was said to have recommended the bridging of the Demerara River.

Pouderoyen also has private education institutions that cater to Primary and Nursery-age students– the K Comprehensive School and Institute of Professional Education.

There are also a number of businesses: shops, supermarkets, restaurants, lumber dealer, funeral home as well as many temporary stalls to sell some traditional Guyanese snacks such as chicken-foot, blackpudding, plantain chips, cassava chips, and others. The majority of businesss are on the roadside, while aspects of rural

This historical koker was said to have been built in the second half of the 1700s

life could be found in the streets, most of which were mud dams.

Phoenix Town, more commonly known as Coglan Dam is similar to the Broach Road communities of Mahaica and Mahaicony as almost the entire north section of the road has rice fields. Many young boys in the area and surrounding environs would meet especially during the school vacation periods and on weekends to swim in the access trenches to rice fields.

According to residents these boys would be the recipients of ‘sound thrashings’ from elder family as permission is hardly ever sought for frolicking in the muddy waters.

In the past, Coglan Dam residents who were not rice farmers would still plant albeit kitchen gardens while others were employed with the now defunct Versailles Sugar Estate.

Today, many residents transit to their jobs in the capital city, with a significant number of them using the defunct Vreed-enHoop Ferry Stelling to cross the river with water taxis.

Between Samaroo Dam, which still has cane fields

towards the back, and Coglan Dam lies Bella Dam which also had cane fields in one section but has since been converted into house lots.

During the lifetime of Captain Coglan, few people lived in Bella Dam and he prohibited most of them from accessing their homes through their own street which meant that they had to take the longer route through Coglan Dam. Guyana Times was told that the Captain, who was English, married a descendant of the Dutch Swaen family. The Swaen family property was near Bella Dam. Today, the main ethnic groups of the village have remained the same throughout the years with Coglan Dam and Bella Dam retaining mostly an Indo-Guyanese population while Samroo Dam and Middle Street are predominantly AfroGuyanese. There are a number of churches, with the New Testament Church of God, traditionally commanding the largest membership. In Coglan Dam, the Radha Krishna Mandir can also be found.

West Demerara School Sandy's Funeral Home

Radhay Krishna Mandir

Shirley Merle Field Ridley Nursery

18

guyana-times.com

monday, september 5, 2016

ARCHIE

Keep your values out in the open for all to see in order (March 21- to gain respect and ward off April 19) any attempt to force you onto a path you don’t want to take.

Romance is encouraged.

ARIES

Express your feelings and

dilbert

TAURUS plans. You’ll get valuable in(April 20- put, as well as some interesting May 20) solutions that will help shape what’s to come. A partnership looks promising.

You’ll be tempted by someGEMINI one who isn’t giving you an (May 21honest assessment or the June 20) facts you need to make a good decision. Protect your reputation and self-respect.

Share your thoughts and CANCER plans with someone who can (June 21- help you make your dreams July 22) come true. An emotional awakening will be tough, but will help you move forward.

Peanuts

Size up your professional LEO and domestic situations, and (July 23make the changes or adjustAug. 22) ments that will get you moving in a positive direction.

Romance and commitment should be your priorities.

VIRGO Look at the past and use (Aug. 23- your experience to network Sept. 22) your way into a position that excites you. If you love what you do, you will do it well.

Calvin and Hobbes

Procrastination will result LIBRA in someone else making deci(Sept. 23sions for you. Do all you can Oct. 23) to make a difference and do what’s best for your situation.

Be willing to set the record straight.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

What you do for others SCORPIO will stand out. Choose your (Oct. 24battles wisely and refuse to Nov. 22) give in to those making selfish demands. It’s the underdog who needs help, not the whiner.

Don’t be fooled by what SAGITTARIUS others say or give in to temp(Nov. 23- tation. Be cautious with Dec. 21) whom you share personal information and beliefs. Help yourself first.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Be careful not to take anyCAPRICORN thing for granted. Keeping a (Dec. 22- watchful eye over what’s goJan. 19) ing on around you will ensure that things will turn out the way you want. Don’t cave under pressure.

Fix whatever isn’t workAQUARIUS ing for you. If you look at your (Jan. 20situation, you will come up Feb. 19) with a plan that will satisfy your needs. Romance is encouraged, along with stronger commitment.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES You should share your (Feb. 20- feelings and be prepared to March 20) make some changes if it will make your life less stressful.

It’s OK to be different, as long as you are practical.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Guyana suffer opening losses at Chess Olympiad

A

ccording to reports coming from Baku, Azerbaijan, the Guyana women’s chess team lost their opening match against Singapore as the 42nd Chess Olympiad got underway on Saturday.

The Guyanese wom-

en team lost the match 0-4 with Maria VaronaThomas (black pieces) losing to Qianyan Gong, Jessica Clementson losing to Ruiqi Tin, Yolander Persaud losing to Emmanuelle Mei-En Hng and Sheriffa Ali losing to Kai Xin Siew.

The team later lost to Wales by 3-12 points to half a point with only Varona Thomas earning a draw.

Varona Thomas rated 1775, drew with Olivia Smith rating 2002 on board one but saw Clementson losing to Imogen AL Camp,

Persaud losing to Shayanna Sivarajasingam and Julia Clementson going under to Venetia Sivarajasingam.

Meanwhile the Guyana men’s team also lost their opening match to the Republic of Macedonia 0-4 with Anthony Drayton losing to Grandmaster Trajko Nedev, Taffin Khan going under to International Master F. Pancevski, Ronuel Greenidge losing to Grandmaster A. Colovic and Haifeng Su losing to Toni Lazov.

Bolt, Pogba, Maradonna have something that can’t be taught — Jurgen Klopp

L

iverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has sung the praises of Manchester United midfielder by comparing him to two other greats, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, and Argentina’s Diego Maradona.

According to the Liverpool gaffer, Pogba has something about him that he has seen in greats like Argentina’s most famous footballer and the larger-than-life Jamaican sprinter.

“Usain Bolt, every time, it has to be right. That’s not just about being quick: three times in a row, 12 years, always right,” said Klopp about Bolt’s historic triple triple, completed at the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“That’s not just talent.

In my managerial career, I learned some of the best players have a physical ability you cannot train. A better base: they don’t fall. It’s not that they work 500 per cent harder. They might have a little bit of that, but it’s more

US Open 2016...

Pouille knocks out 2-time champion Nadal

F

rance’s Lucas Pouille claimed the biggest win of his career as he beat two-time champion Rafael Nadal in a sensational US Open last-16 match.

The 22-year-old recovered from a break down in the fifth before converting his fourth match point in the tie-break to win 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6).

“It took everything. I could not dream better than that,” the world number 25 said after his four-hour victory.

Pouille will play compatriot Gael Monfils, who beat Marcos Baghdatis.

Elsewhere Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, also of France, ended American interest in the men’s singles by beating Jack Sock.

The ninth seed will play the winner of world number one Novak Djokovic and British number four Kyle Edmund’s meeting.

But that evening session at Flushing Meadows will begin late after Pouille and

Lucas Pouille

Nadal’s enthralling encounter.

Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Nadal had dropped only three games in an emphatic win in the pair’s only previous meeting, but Pouille has been on a steady rise through the rankings since that 2015 defeat in Monte Carlo.

On his first appearance on the centrepiece Arthur Ashe court, he showed why with an assured touch at the net and a relentless determination to attack his groundstrokes.

Having led two sets to

one, it seemed that Pouille might have to be content with valiant defeat when Nadal moved 4-2 up in the decider.

But the Wimbledon quarter-finalist prised his way back into the match and it was Nadal who faltered in the tie-break, netting a short forehand at 6-6 to hand his opponent a fourth and fatal chance to close out the match.

The defeat means that 2016 is the first year since 2004 in which Nadal, 30, has failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. (BBC)

2018 World Cup Qualifiers…

Adam Lallana

complex,” he said.

Klopp used the example of Pogba’s first game for Manchester United after his Summer vacation and his exploits in the European Cup as an example of what he is referring to.

“We all saw Paul Pogba.

He was here, he was there, selfie, selfie, 9,000 of them, all summer. And then he comes to Manchester United has, what, two training sessions, and plays 90 minutes against

Southampton. You think, how?,” he said. According to Klopp, the same is true for Maradona, who he saw play as a youngster.

“Watching him warm up, I could not close my mouth. It was so low intensity. He was walking. And then he went and outplayed the whole stadium. Unbelievable,” said Klopp, referring to a game Maradona played for Napoli in Stuttgart many years ’ago.

(SportsMax)

Hamilton battles to 2nd as Rosberg wins Italian Grand Prix

N

ico Rosberg cut Lewis Hamilton’s championship lead to just two points with victory in the Italian Grand Prix.

Hamilton lost what had looked set to be a certain win with a poor start after he had taken pole position with a scintillating performance on Saturday.

The world champion dropped to sixth at the first corner and despite fighting back to second and closing on Rosberg he could not challenge for the win.

Hamilton told his Mercedes team the poor

19

Nico Rosberg

start was his own fault.

Hamilton had been on pole position by nearly 0.5 seconds - a massive margin on a track with relative-

ly few corners and his dominance left Rosberg curt in his media exchanges afterwards.

But the race fell into

Lallana strike gives England winning start

A

dam Lallana spared England’s embarrassment with an injury-time strike as Sam Allardyce’s reign started with victory in Slovakia.

England struggled to break Slovakia’s resistance in this opening World Cup qualifier - even when they were reduced to 10 men after captain Martin Skrtel’s 57th-minute dismissal for a foul on Harry Kane.

Allardyce claimed before the game that he might be satisfied with a draw against a Slovakian side who shut England out in a 0-0 group-stage draw at Euro 2016 - but that would not have been the case had they failed to profit from their numerical disadvan-

the German’s lap when Hamilton stuttered away from the line and was swamped by the cars behind him, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel moving into second ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

As Rosberg streaked away into a race of his own at the front, Hamilton start-

Adam Lallana

tage here in Trnava.

Lallana had been England’s best hope of a goal as he struck the post and forced a fine save from Slovakia keeper Matus Kozacik before his decisive intervention seconds from the final whistle.

Liverpool’s midfield man

had failed to score his 26 previous England appearances but snatched the winner here as his low shot squeezed under Kozacik just as Slovakia thought they had survived a spell of sustained pressure near the end. (BBC)

ed his recovery, passing Ricciardo at the second chicane on lap two and Bottas into Turn One on lap 11 before the Ferraris pitted out of his way on their two-stop strategy.

Hamilton, like Rosberg on a one-stop plan, was 15 seconds behind his teammate by the time he was into second place on lap 17.

He closed that to 12.2secs on lap 23 before

Rosberg made his single stop the next time around, Hamilton following him in a lap later.

After the stops, Hamilton reduced the gap to 9.1secs by lap 31, with 22 to go, before Rosberg responded and it became clear that Hamilton did not have enough pace while keeping his tyres in shape to catch up before the end of the race. (BBC)

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Sri Lanka v Australia, 5th ODI, Pallekele…

Warner century seals Australia’s dominance F

or the fifth time in the series Sri Lanka batted first and a vaguely familiar match played out as Australia ran down the hosts’ 195 in the 43rd over, zipping up the series 4-1.

Mitchell Starc was denied his customary early wicket this time, but Sri Lanka’s middle-order collapse happened anyway, as it often has in the past two weeks.

Australia’s top order then delivered another consummate performance on a spinning track; the margin of victory was five wickets, but it seemed even more comfortable than that.

It was David Warner, who provided the spine to this particular chase. He capped an outstanding eight days as captain by scoring Australia’s first ODI century in Sri Lanka - his 106 from 126 balls measured and delicate, in contrast to his usual maurauding style. Warner’s 132-run third-wicket stand with George Bailey effectively ended the contest.

The pair had come together at 25 for 2, but Sri Lanka’s score always seemed about 40 runs light.

The hosts had squandered their best start of the tour in their own innings, losing batsmen in clusters, then failing to produce significant partnerships before the next cascade of wickets came around. Dhananjaya de Silva and Danushka Gunathilaka were surging along happily against the new ball - making 73 for

David Warner came back into form with a hundred © Associated Press

the first wicket - then three wickets fell for five runs.

Before they had properly recovered from that dive, the next set of rapids was upon them. Sri Lanka lost their fourth and fifth wickets for eight runs, and sixth and seventh wickets for 20. And the last three fell within 11 runs of each other. Sachith Pathirana scored a fourth 30-odd of the innings, in the company of the tail, to go with those from the openers and Kusal Mendis.

Starc made up for missing out on his customary early wicket by helping blast out the tail and taking 3 for 40. Each of the other five Australia bowlers also made at least one breakthrough.

As has been the case for much of the tour, Australia’s bowling was disciplined rather than devilish, but Sri Lanka’s batsmen folded alarmingly when even a little pressure had built up. De Silva mis-hit James Faulkner to mid-on in the

14th over to set the collapse in motion. Six balls later, Gunathilaka misjudged the line of an Adam Zampa ball, and had his leg stump rattled when he missed a lap sweep. Dinesh Chandimal and Mendis were both out poking outside the off stump - though the latter did play some sublime strokes before the dismissal. Upul Tharanga slapped a Travis Head ball to point, and Dasun Shanaka was bowled by a Zampa slider. Starc’s full and straight deliveries were beyond the skill of Sri Lanka’s lower order to defuse.

The new ball nipped around under lights for Suranga Lakmal, and Dilruwan Perera immediately had the ball spinning sharply, but beyond the first 12 overs, Sri Lanka failed to exert substantial pressure.

Having opened the innings in place of Aaron Finch, who had injured a finger while fielding in the slips,

Matthew Wade gloved a ball behind as he attempted to sweep, and Usman Khawaja was soon caught off the leading edge.

Warner and Bailey had close calls themselves in the initial period, but soon began to sweep, reverse sweep, and advance down the track, with increasing confidence.

Bailey was merely tapping into a body of strokes that has brought him success right through the tour, but Warner’s attempt to return to form was the more compelling of the two innings. He collected his first four with a reverse-lap off Dilruwan in the second over, but was content to score in singles and twos for much of his early stay - his second boundary did not come until the 21st over.

Dinesh Chandimal rifled through his many spin options, and though half chances were created throughout the partnership, edges continued to fall into space, and marginal decisions went against the hosts. By mid-innings, the track had begun to take dramatic turn, yet Warner and Bailey marched on, scoring off the loose balls, and scratching together runs the ball sometimes traveling to unguarded spaces off unintended parts of the bat.

Warner reached his first half-century of the series off his 72nd delivery, then hit three fours off the next five balls to herald a more attacking approach. His sec-

ond fifty came off 39 balls, and the celebration upon reaching his first ODI ton in Asia was uncharacteristically restrained, as the innings had been.

Bailey fell with 39 runs to get, then Head and Warner followed not long after, but the wickets merely served to narrow the winning margin, rather than provide Sri Lanka with any real hope.

Just about the only area of success for Sri Lanka was their opening partnership, which survived past the fifth over for the first

time on tour. De Silva was particularly good against Starc again, driving him gracefully through the covers in the first over, then cutting and flicking him to the fence in the fifth.

Gunathilaka was punchier, putting John Hastings into the sightscreen in the fourth over then leaning back to slap him over the point region soon after. Sri Lanka’s first 50 runs came in 9.1 overs, but once the wickets began to fall, they could not arrest the slide.

(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka innings (50 overs maximum) D de Silva c Starc b Faulkner 34 M Gunathilaka b Zampa 39 BKG Mendis c †Wade b Hastings 33 D Chandimal* c †Wade b Starc 1 U Tharanga c Zampa b Head 15 MDKJ Perera† lbw b Head 14 M Shanaka b Zampa 13 S Pathirana c Faulkner b 32 Boland MDK Perera b Starc 5 0 R Lakmal b Starc M Aponso not out 0 Extras (lb 2, w 6, nb 1) 9 Fall of wickets 1-73 (de Silva, 13.5 ov), 2-77 (Gunathilaka, 14.5 ov), 3-78 (Chandimal, 15.2 ov), 4-121 (Mendis, 23.5 ov), 5-129 (Tharanga, 26.5 ov), 6-145 (MDKJ Perera, 30.6 ov), 7-165 (Shanaka, 34.5 ov), 8-184 (MDK Perera, 37.4 ov), 9-184 (Lakmal, 37.5 ov), 10195 (Pathirana, 40.2 ov) Bowling: Starc 9-0 -40-3 (1nb, 3w), Hastings 7-1-30-1, Boland 6.2-0-28-1, Faulkner 7-0-30-1

(2w), Zampa (1w), Head

6-0-43-2 5-0-22-2

Australia innings (target: 196 runs from 50 overs) D Warner* c & b de Silva 106 M Wade† c †MDKJ Perera b 3 MDK Perera U Khawaja c Gunathilaka b 6 MDK Perera G Bailey lbw b MDK Perera 44 T Head c Lakmal b de Silva 13 J Faulkner not out 8 J Hastings not out 8 Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 7) 11 Total (5 wickets; 43 overs) 199 Did not bat: AJ Finch, MA Starc, A Zampa, SM Boland Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Wade, 3.2 ov), 2-25 (Khawaja, 5.5 ov), 3-157 (Bailey, 32.4 ov), 4-179 (Head, 38.1 ov), 5-189 (Warner, 40.6 ov) Bowling: Lakmal 8-1-30-0 (3w), MDK Perera 10-1-51-3 (1w), Pathirana 10-0-36-0 (1w), Shanaka 2-0-10-0, Aponso 6-0-33-0, de Silva 7-0-35-2

England v Pakistan, 5th ODI, Cardiff...

Sarfraz, Malik help Pakistan avert whitewash P akistan achieved their fifth-highest successful ODI chase to avert a whitewash at the hands of England in Cardiff. Sarfraz Ahmed led the way with 90 from 73 balls during a record fourth-wicket stand for Pakistan against England as he and Shoaib Malik finally provided the fibre lacking through so much of the series for the tourists, as they overhauled a target of 303 with four wickets and 10 balls to spare.

England’s 302-9 came via 87 from Jason Roy and Ben Stokes’ 75, but they took only 42 runs off the last eight overs in a slide of five wickets for 64.

They were stifled by some impressive pace bowling from Hasan Ali, who took 4-60, and Mohammad Amir (3-50).

Eoin Morgan’s men also gifted wickets as a result of their desire to attack whatever the situation - a new approach to one-day cricket that has brought a dramatic improvement and spectacular results since the 2015 World Cup, including the record-breaking total of 444-3 in the third ODI. England end the series as 4-1 winners, missing out on a first 5-0 home whitewash, and complete their summer with a T20 at Old

Sarfraz Ahmed became the leading run-scorer in the one-day series © Getty Images

Trafford on Wednesday.

Pakistan, outplayed throughout the series, were firmly on the back foot when the extra pace of Mark Wood bowled Babar Azam and saw Azhar Ali caught behind in the same over.

But Sarfraz and Malik combined to compile the highest Pakistan fourthwicket partnership in an ODI against England.

When on nine, Malik offered a difficult chance to a diving Joe Root at short cover but, apart from that, the England attack had few answers.

Sarfraz, favouring the leg side, dished out some particularly brutal treatment to debutant left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

Malik played the sup-

porting role, but followed Sarfraz in needlessly holing out off Dawson and, when a Jonny Bairstow direct hit ran out Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan had lost three wickets for 26 runs.

With 37 still required, Mohammad Rizwan and Wales-born Imad Wasim absorbed the pressure and ensured there was no further drama, delighting a large contingent of raucous Pakistan supporters in the crowd.

England once again shuffled their side, leaving out spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali partly because of the grey conditions in Cardiff and also to look at Hampshire’s Dawson before the winter tours to Bangladesh and India.

If the amount of turn in the surface showed selecting only one spinner to be a mistake - Pakistan left-armer Imad was particularly effective for figures of 1-33 then the visiting batsmen ensured Dawson endured a mixed debut.

Sarfraz swept and used his feet to hit through the leg side, while Malik lofted two huge sixes. Although Dawson would eventually remove both men, he and the recalled Chris Jordan went for a combined 122 from 15.2 overs.

Still, it was posting a score that was no more than par that ultimately led to England’s defeat. While Roy sparkled off his pads and down the ground, and Stokes peppered the boundary after a slow start - the first 32 deliveries of his 76ball stay yielded only 12 runs - the imposing total that looked likely at 170-4 from 30 overs did not materialise.

Bairstow pulled Umar Gul to deep square leg, Stokes lapped Hasan to short fine leg, Chris Woakes played on off the same bowler, Dawson miscued Amir to mid-wicket and David Willey was caught in the deep on the leg side.

With Hasan and Amir cleverly bowling the ball into

the pitch, England were left to bat out the overs, falling

short of a score good enough to complete the clean sweep.

SCOREBOARD

England innings (50 overs maximum) J Roy c Hasan Ali b Mohammad Amir 87 A Hales c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Amir 0 J Root b Hasan Ali 9 E Morgan* c & b Imad Wasim 10 B Stokes c Umar Gul b Hasan Al i 75 J Bairstow† c Mohammad Rizwan b Umar Gul 33 L Dawson c Umar Gul b Mohammad Amir 10 C Woakes b Hasan Ali 10 D Willey c Mohammad Nawaz b Hasan Ali 6 C Jordan not out 15 M Wood not out 8 Extras (b 4, lb 6, w 5, nb 1) 16 Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 302 Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Hales, 4.5 ov), 2-64 (Root, 9.1 ov), 3-92 (Morgan, 14.3 ov), 4-164 (Roy, 27.3 ov), 5-219 (Bairstow, 37.4 ov), 6-258 (Stokes, 41.4 ov), 7-270 (Woakes, 43.2 ov), 8-274 (Dawson, 44.3 ov), 9-283 (Willey, 48.1 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Amir 100-50-3, Umar Gul 10-0-77-1 (2w),Hasan Ali 10-0-60-4 (1nb), Shoaib Malik 6-0-40-0 (1w), Imad Wasim 10-0-33-

1 (1w), Mohammad Nawaz (3) 4-0-32-0 (1w) Pakistan innings (target: 303 runs from 50 overs) Azhar Ali* c †Bairstow b Woo d 33 Sharjeel Khan c Wood b Woak es 10 Babar Azam b Wood 31 Shoaib Malik c Roy b Dawson 77 Sarfraz Ahmed† c Hales b Dawson 90 Mohammad Rizwan not out 34 Mohammad Nawaz (3) run out (†Bairstow) 2 Imad Wasim not out 16 Extras (w 10, nb 1) 11 Total (6 wickets; 48.2 overs) 304 Did not bat: Umar Gul, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Sharjeel Khan, 4.5 ov), 2-76 (Babar Azam, 13.3 ov), 3-77 (Azhar Ali, 13.5 ov), 4-240 (Sarfraz Ahmed, 37.4 ov), 5-256 (Shoaib Malik, 39.6 ov), 6-266 (Mohammad Nawaz, 42.2 ov) Bowling: Woakes 7-0-47-1, Willey 8-2-32-0 (2w), Wood 10-0-56-2 (1w) Stokes 8-0-47-0 (1nb), Jordan 7.2-0-520 (3w), Dawson 8-0-70-2

YELLOW PAGES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 | WWW.GUYANA-TIMES.COM

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s the celebrations continue in the 21st annual Middle Pocket Pool Competition at the Middle Pocket Arena located in Middle Road, La Penitence, Sunil Mangru battled some 68 opponents to be crowned the king of the pool table.

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Pocket Arena was victorious in that decider, having won Ian Rodriguez to win $10,000 and a trophy.

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Action in the Middle Pocket Pool Competition

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Haywood spins UG to 9-wicket win over Ace Warriors

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lovers Fitzgerald first got past Marvin Yaw two games to one to secure a place in the final.

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Earlier in the Men's Singles- Christopher Fulton

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ational dart champion Sudesh Fitzgerald on Friday evening proved that there is no mountain too high for him to climb as he overcame all challenges to be crown champion of the Trophy Stall Dart Tournament.

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The respective winners pose with their accolades upon the conclusion of the tournament

won 2/0 from Adrian Damon to move into the finals. Yaw loss to Fitzgerald in the second semis but won 2/0 over Damon to secure third place.

In the Women's Singles category Jaswantie Hiralall - won with six points after taking two points from Mary Correia, leaving her and Melissa Smartt both with five points each which resulted in a tie breaker of which Correia secured her second position and Smartt got third.

Luck of the Draw - Adrian Damon and Fitzerald won 2/1 from Hemwattie Amyan and Anthony Chandro to secure their place in the final while Miguel Ramirez Merlano and Melissa Smart won 2/1 from Mary Correia and Joseph Allen to enter into the final.

Amyan and Chandro won 2/1 to secure third place and Damon and Fitzgerald won 2/1 to secure the title from Ramirez-Merlano and Smartt.

Mangru is Middle Pocket pool champion

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Fitzgerald tops competitors to win Trophy Stall Dart title

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ff-Spinner Dennis Haywood took 6-16 in a mesmerising spell of bowling on Sunday in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), New Building Society (NBS) 2nd Division 40-overs cricket competition, to lift the University of Guyana (UG) to a commanding nine-wicket win over Ace Warriors.

Playing at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Ace Warriors took first strike in sunny conditions and a fast outfield but failed to make

Dennis Haywood

good use of the opportunity as they were bundled out for a meagre 91 in 15.2 overs, with extras accumulating to 50.

When the students took strike, they motored along to 94-1 in 10.5 overs, with opener Dwayne Dodson stroking an attractive 42 (6x4s) and Mahendra Persaud 19 (4x4s) being the not out batsmen; Melroy Stephenson (04) was the only causality.

The competition continues this weekend.

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Forde races to 6th consecutive Massy 10K title C

By Romario Samaroo

leveland ‘Little Kenyan’ Forde has once again demonstrated his dominance in the longer formant of road racing as he raced his way to his 6th consecutive title in the seventh annual Massy 10K road race title on Sunday.

For the first time in the history of the event, the race began on the East Bank of Demerara, starting in front of the Diamond branch of Republic Bank where runners would only run in a northern direction to cross the finish line situated in front of the Massy Headquarters, Ruimveldt.

Forde crossed the finish line in an impressive 33 minutes 11 seconds piping second paced, Winston Missigher who finished in a time of 33 minutes 31 sec-

Cleveland Forde raced to the finish line in 33:11

onds and Police Track Club’s Nathaniel Giddings (33:33).

Cleveland Thomas clocked in 34:01 while Quacy Morgan ran 35:16 to finish 4th and 5th respec-

tively.

Forde, Missigher and Giddings were all bundled coming down to the last 3K but it was in the final stretch Forde accelerated from the pack.

Forde who had earlier set his sights on running around the 32 minute mark pointed out that it was a different environment than running from Vreed-enHoop and indicated that the breeze was a bit strong.

It was due to this that he was unable to run as expected but still managed to win the event he loves.

Forde acknowledged the efforts of Missigher, stating that the 28 year-old ran better than expected and posed a threat.

On the other hand, Missigher was satisfied with his performance noting that the sun was affecting him to an extent due to the late

start, throwing his preparations off track.

Both runners have highlighted that this event was used as a warm up for the Venture 5K race to be hosted in Trinidad and Tobago later this month.

In the senior female division, Ashanti Scott copped first place in a time of 42:21 followed by Alicia Jack (46:52), third placed, Shion Boyer (49:32) and Nikita Wilson (54:25).

Odwin Tudor was the leader in the junior male category, finishing in 34:21.

Anferne Headecker came in second, one minute later while Rickey Williams rounded off the podium in 35:47.

The junior female category was won by Claudrice McKay (41:32) while Maria Urquart completed the task in 47:52 followed by Leanna Charles (50:11).

Winston Missigher finished second with a time of 33:31

Michael Davidson dominated the Masters Male division (40-54 years), finishing 39:45 while Gary Hartag finished in 41:26. Shawn Agard was third placed in this event at a time of 43:13.

In the senior male race (55 years and over), Ian Archibold completed the race in 41:22 closely trailed

by Wendlyn Gardner (42:30) as Kenneth Prescott managed a time of 51:58.

In the 35-year and over female category, Cyleen Phillips was the top runner, registering a completed race at 53:44. Carla Benjamin ran 54:34 in second while 59:09 brought Carla Adams to third place.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson indicated that the event was a total success and was pleased to see it was an incident free race.

In addition to the road race prizes, participants also got the chance to win in a raffle style drawing, one Dell laptop, a bag pack of school supplies and a 10 inch tablet.

GSSF hosts yet another phenomenal steel challenge Guyana Men’s Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships...

— McKinnon and Phang declared Division Winners

Winner of the Production Division, Andrew Phang (kneeling left) and Winner of the Limited Division Ryan McKinnon (kneeling right) surrounded by other Prize Winners

T

he Guyana Sport Shooting Federation (GSSF) hosted yet another phenomenal and successful Steel Challenge match was sponsored by CompuServ, one of Guyana’s leading technology & IT consultants.

Shooters competed in the Limited and Production Divisions (requiring the use of 9mm or higher caliber pistols.

The match was declared open by Match Director Mr. Rajiv Latchana, who emphasised the need and priority for safe shooting practices.

Shooting commenced on the Smoke & Hope stage which is the most popular, consisting of the largest targets; thereby allowing the shooters to really exercise their trigger fingers in the fastest display of the day. It was followed by Showdown stage, and finally the Roundabout Stage.

In every stage competitors were required to shoot five different steel targets set out at various angles and distances, one of which

is designated as a “stop plate” which is shot last.

Registering a hit on the plate stops the time. The total time it takes to hit all five plates is used for the score.

Every miss and penalty adds 3 seconds to the time. Scoring is done using a digital timer which records times according to shots fired. The competitor’s best four scores out of

Shooting Association (SCSA) that consists of eight standardized stages with steel targets, ranging in size from 10" (25 cm) round plates to 18x24" (45x60 cm) square plates.

Competitors are scored solely by the time it takes them to complete each stage, and the match winner is the competitor with the lowest overall time.

Shortly after the final

presence, support and participation of the Regional Director for IPSC Harold Hopkinson. Mrs. PersaudMcKinnon made mention of the encouraging number of female participants in the Match. She was pleased at the turn-out and expressed the hope that more women will continue to become involved in sport shooting.

Trophies were presented to 1-3 in both Divisions and Medals to 4th and 5th Place.

The Federation extended its sincerest gratitude to the Managing Director of CompuServ, Romesh Latchana, for sponsoring the exciting event.

The Federation also thank the Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Phillips, GDF Colonel Doodnauth, GPF Asst. Commissioner Ramnarine, GPF Commander Hicken, GPF OC TSU Superintendent Dehnert, GPF Corporal Dunn and the ranks of

MATCH WINNERS Limited Production Shooter Time Shooter Time 57.08 Andrew Phang 88.27 First Ryan McKinnon Second Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon 67.68 Michael Blake 90.37 74.57 Rajiv Latchana 102.20 Third Pravesh Harry 79.05 Odel August 129.08 Fourth Romesh Latchana 83.06 GarfieldNewton 134.94 Fifth Shawn Smith five strings of fire on each stage was then beadded together for collective score.

The lowest total time/score for all stages wins the overall match.

The Steel Challenge Matches are a speed shooting competition governed by the Steel Challenge

shot was fired, the Match was declared closed and at the closing ceremony, President of the Federation Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon in her closing remarks commended the Match officials for the high standard of the Match, thanked the sponsors and acknowledged the

the GPF Armoury and TSU. The GSSF, an affiliate of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), continues to pioneer this simple, yet action-packed shooting sport to local pistol shooters by organising such matches on a regular basis.

team through to semi-finals

G

Kyle Edghill

Nigel Bryan

uyana men's team consisting of Shemar Britton, Nigel Bryan and Kyle Edghill avenged a loss from two years ago against St. Lucia with a 3-0 drubbing on Sunday to progress to the semi-finals of the Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships in the Dominican Republic.

Today the youthful team will clash with the top seeded home team and progression would mean they are bound to receive a medal at championships which consists of players with greater experience than the Guyanese contingent.

In the St. Lucia match, Bryan defeated Adrian Albert 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 12-14, 11-6); Britton had the same scorline against Omarie Ferdinand winning 116, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8. While Edghill disposed of Daniel Andrews 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 13-11).

In the opening rounds, the trio of Britton, Bryan and Elishaba Johnson defeated number four seed-

ed Barbados men's team 3-0. Britton won 3-0 against Marcus Smith; Bryan 3-2 against Tyresse Knight and Johnson won 3-2 against

Elishaba Johnson

Daughtry Kristen.

The team which is being coached by the experienced Linden Johnson will be action from 09:30 hrs today.

The other teams participating in the championships are: Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Curacao.

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Jaguars Franchise League 3-day…

23

West Demerara humble East Bank — Upper Corentyne, Essequibo and East Coast also in winners’ row

W

est Demerara rebounded from a humiliating defeat in the first round of the Jaguars Franchise League to East Coast, to thrash East Bank by a mammoth margin of 200 runs yesterday on the third and final day of their match at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

The West Demerara bowling attack was very destructive on Sunday as they wrecked East Bank’s batting for 129 all out, with Raymond Reifer (3-14) and Richie Looknauth (3-45) being the chief wreckers.

Mark Rhobe (40), who batted deep in the order at number eight along with Sherfane Rutherford (32) and Vishal Singh were the only batsmen for East Bank to reach 20. One of East Bank’s senior player Steven Jacobs lean run continued as he was sent packing for just seven.

Earlier West Demerara resumed the day on 1645 but lost their remaining five wickets quickly for 72 runs as leg spinner Ershad Ali made constant inroads to finish with seven wickets

Anthony Adams

in the innings. Nevertheless West Bank made 236 in their second innings to set a total of 329 for East Bank to achieve victory.

In pursuit of the target East Bank lost early wickets and never recover as they slipped to a huge loss.

Notable performers in the match were West Demerara’s Travis Persaud and Tagenarine Chanderpaul for scoring half centuries along with brilliant all-round effort from Reifer and Romario

Shepherd. Meanwhile Ali was the lone standout for East Bank throughout the match.

Scores in the match; West Demerara 253 and 236 and East Bank scored 160 and 129.

At Young Warriors ground in Cumberland, Essequibo recorded a come from behind victory over West Berbice by six wickets.

It was Kevin Boodie’s heroic knock with the bat and Ricardo and Anthony Adams all-round performances that inspired Essequibo to the win.

Set 215 to win, Essequibo reached 216-4 thanks to Boodie’s (102) century and Ricardo Adams 49. Ricardo Peters chipped in with 29.

Bowling for West Berbice Kevin Jawahir took two wickets.

Earlier West Berbice was rattled for 163 in their second innings with Aveshkar Sewkarran being the principal scorer with 40 while West Indies U-19 captain chipped in with 35. Ricardo Adams and Anthony Adams were the chief wicket takers with 5-25 and 3-25 respec-

Ricardo Adams

tively.

Scores in that match; West Berbice 171 and 163 and Essequibo 119 and 2164.

Over at Albion Community Development Centre ground, Georgetown’s poor performance continued as Lower Corentyne won by nine wickets.

Resuming the final day on 249-6 Lower Corentyne was routed for 290, with a lead of 78 runs. In their second turn at the crease,

Caribbean Motor Racing Championships...

Georgetown made a paltry 140 as only Robin Bacchus (57) made a significant score.

Left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul took his tally in two matches to 19 wickets as he snared five wickets. He was supported by pacer Raun Johnson, who has been bowling well since the first match.

Set 62 to win, Lower Corentyne reached 65-1, with the competition leading scorer Jonathan Foo, making 26 not out and Surujnarine Kandasammy 24 not out. Devon Clements was the only casualty in the chase.

Scores in the match; Georgetown 212 and 140 and Lower Corentyne 290 and 65-1.

East Coast recorded victory early on the final day by six wickets over Upper Corentyne. The winners started the day with 83 runs adrift from winning the match with nine wickets in hand. They further lost three wickets but reach the target of 117-4, to record a comfortable win.

It was their second win in

Kevon Boodie

two matches. Chanderpaul Hemraj made 34 while Rajendra Chandrika was unbeaten on 31.

The tournament will continue on Thursday with four matches. At Everest, East Bank will play Essequibo.

Upper Corentyne and Lower Corentyne will clash at Port Mourant, Georgetown and East Coast will meet at Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Bourda and West Berbice and West Demerara will do battle at Young Warriors ground.

Guyanese Montfort helps spin Canada HP to victory

Elliot, Matthew Vieira dominate Super Stock G

By Akeem Greene

T

he duo of cousins Elliot and Matthew Vieira produced separate master classes to dominate the Super Stock category at the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) in Barbados on Sunday at the Bushy Park Circuit.

Elliott, who is the defending champion, entered this round in fourth place, and won two of his three races before crashing in his final outing; Elliot recorded a best lap time of 1:05.615 with his Kawasaki ZX-6R. Similarly, Matthew came up short behind his cousin on two occasions but used his Yamaha R6 to speed to first place in his final race in a time of 1:07.724.

When Guyana Times Sport spoke to Matthew he expressed great satisfaction with his performance considering the fact he faced difficulty with the rainy weather. The ace rider also revealed that he has now moved into pole position for the champion rider after entering this round in second place, just 17 points behind cousin Stephen, who failed to pose a challenge due to suffering a hand injury the qualifying rounds.

On the four-wheel aspect of the championship, defending champion Guyana, had a satisfactory outing, despite their two competitors for

this leg, Shan Seejattan and Nazim Gafoor faced some car troubles.

Group two driver, Seejanttan copped two fourth places and a fourth in a group four race; during his last race the right frontwheel of his Honda Civic ran slack, prematurely ending his participation.

On the other hand, Gafoor used his Mazda Miata to secure a third place finish in group three with a time of 1:19.273; he also finished in fourth and fifth respectively in other races.

The group four action saw Barbadian Mark Maloney taking the che-

Matthew Vieira (Photo by Samuel Maughn)

hard fought race, never easing the pace off of countryman Barry Mayers who won both of the previous races in the group. Maloney got the break and went for it.

Elliot Vieira

quered flag in the 3rd and final Group 4 race of the day.

Based on reports, it was a

Barry, trying to overtake to regain the lead and get the hat trick, spun and never regained the opportunity

In the Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Kristian Jeffrey won the last radical race in a time of 1:00.442 while finishing in second and fifth place in the second and first races respectively.

Mark Vieira got a second in the second race, clocking a time of 1:09.465 while Calvin Ming secured a fourth place finish in the second race with a time of 1:00.887.

Heading into the third leg, the overall points standing saw Trinidad and Tobago leading with 799 points, followed by Jamaica on 465 and Guyana on 276 points.

Barbados and Cayman Islands round off the table with 202 and 60 points respectively. However, there was no confirmation on the new points standing up to press time.

The final leg is slated for November 13 at the South Dakota Circuit.

uyanese off-spinner Mark Montfort claimed five wickets as a Canada High Performance XI beat Bermuda by two wickets in their opening tour match at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, Canada.

Montfort’s five for 34 from 9.3 overs helped dismiss Bermuda for 228 inside 45 overs before an unbeaten 119 from 120 balls by their Sri Lankan-born captain Srimantha Wijeratne guided the home side to victory with seven overs to spare.

All-rounder Kamau Leverock was unlucky to be on the losing side after taking the batting and bowling honours for the visitors, following up his 63-ball 70 at number six with four for 38 from eight overs.

A left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm fast medium, Leverock, 21-yearold nephew of burly former Bermuda slow bowler Dwayne Leverock, featured in a fifth-wicket stand of 102 with vice-captain Dion Stovell (54) and then reduced Canada to 49 for four before Wijeratne, batting at number five, took control.

Wijeratne found a useful partner in Varun Sehdev, who earlier took three for 25, as the pair added 88 for the fifth wicket.

Bermuda, who will face the same opponents at the same venue on Saturday before taking on Mississauga Ramblers on Tuesday and a Canada select team next

Mark Montfort

Wednesday, are using the tour to prepare for an ICC World Cricket League Division Four tournament to be held in Los Angeles between October 27 and November 4. Bermuda’s opponents will be the United States, Denmark, Oman and Italy.

Summarised scores Bermuda 228 in 44.3 overs (Kamau Leverock 70, Dion Stovell 54; Mark Montfort 5-34, Varun Sehdev 3-25), Canada High Performance XI 2308 in 43 overs (Srimantha Wijeratne 119 not out; Kamau Leverock 4-38, Greg Maybury 2-52). (CMC)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

Forde races to 6th consecutive Massy 10K title Pg 22

All winners in the Massy 10K road race pose for a group photo with Massy ambassadors

Jaguars Franchise League 3-day…

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Senior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships...

West Demerara Guyana Men’s humble East Bank team through to semi-finals

—Upper Corentyne, Essequibo and East Coast also in winners’ row

Raymon Reifer took 3-14 to help bundle out East Bank for 129

Shemar Britton and his teammates have advanced to a stage where they can vie for a spot on the podium

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