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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3157

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, March 19, 2017

PRICE

NEW GPC blasts fake Kaieteur News article Page 3

…company delivered full 2015 contract Another week, WCD another scandal businessman – Nandlall …more contracts unlawfully Page 11

Page 10

beaten, robbed

awarded under APNU/AFC

Skeldon factory was set up to keep sugar alive – Jagdeo Page 7

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Parking meter burden P11

Citizens still being intimidated

by SCSI enforcers

…even as By-laws suspended

Wales P12 residents call for more social programmes

Proposal for UG business school being explored – Vice P17 Chancellor Berbice P15 businessman takes GRA, Finance Minister to court

Wales fallout

In this composite photo, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressed sugar workers in Berbice on Saturday, after listening to their plight and hardships as a result of Government’s decision to downscale the entire sugary industry

Consumers forced to pay high rates for foreign currency …as frustration grows over bank, cambio shortages …Govt maintains scarcity contrived Page 9

P16

Contradiction ensues over severance pay – Chand

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NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, March 19 – 09:00h-10:00h and Monday, March 20 – 10:00h-11:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, March 19 – 08:00h-09:30h and Monday, March 20 – 09:10h-10:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

NEW GPC blasts fake Kaieteur News article …company delivered full 2015 contract

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

WEATHER TODAY Heavy and light rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tides: 08:28h and 21:02h reaching maximum heights of 2.36 metres and 2.23 metres respectively.

Low Tides: 02:02h and 14:31h reaching minimum heights of 0.91 metre and 0.87 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS O

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DAILY MILLIONS 02 05 15 16

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LUCKY 3 3 3 9

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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SunDAY, march 19, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kaieteur News Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris

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ne of the Caribbean’s leading manufacturing giants, in repudiating yet another misleading report in a local notorious newspaper, is urging politicians to focus on the real issues in the health sector rather than embarking on a campaign aimed at smearing the reputations of others.

NEW GPC INC on Saturday made it clear that it has supplied all drugs for all its contracts with the Government in 2015, including all rollover contracts.

The pharmaceutical manufacturing company was responding to the fake news item published in Saturday’s edition of the notorious Kaieteur News under the headline “$1B drug contract awarded three days before 2015 elections… NEW GPC fails to deliver – Ministry of Public Health.”

The manufacturing giant posited that the article is blatantly erroneous, noting that evidence is available to confirm that all contracts, which were awarded to the company, were honoured.

“The delivery notes and other necessary documents are available as proof of this statement and available for inspection,” the firm stated.

NEW GPC also noted that the

Auditor General’s Office, which would have conducted their audit during 2016, can attest to the veracity of its statements.

The company has observed that the KN’s article is a word for word reprint of the identical story carried by the newspaper on May 12, 2015, under the headline, “US$12.8M drug contract to NEW GPC”. The only addition is the claim NEW GPC did not deliver any of the pharmaceuticals for which it won the bids to supply.

It also called out the Stabroek News for falsely reporting that a $400 million contract for drugs to the Georgetown Public Hospital was awarded to NEW GPC. The NEW GPC, one of the local companies sidelined in the awarding of a $606 million contract to ANSA McAL for “emergency drugs” to the Georgetown Public Hospital, said it only obtained an order for $20 million of medical supplies in 2017 –- which were already delivered.

“We do not know if this was an ‘emergency’,” the company noted.

NEW GPC said it notes the billions of dollars in sole sourced contracts to other pharmaceutical suppliers, including ANSA McAL in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

“We expect the authorities would have better explanations for the contracts that were all sole sourced, other than for “emergencies”, which was also the explanation for the Albouystown “warehouse” lease,” the company stated.

The NEW GPC said it is concerned about the apparent compulsion by public officials to use the KN to smear the reputation it has laboriously rebuilt over the last two decades.

Under the circumstances, the company called upon the politicians to desist from using fake news as diversionary tactics from serious problems in the health sector.

“It is our fiduciary duty to the

Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall

shareholders of NEW GPC, which includes the Government, to leave no stone unturned to defend their interests. The NEW GPC prides itself on its professional approach, as the leading Caribbean manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, to maintain the supply chain in an area of national life where it is literally a matter of life and death for our citizens,” the company stated.

One of the problems in the health sector is concerning the deliberate creation of an emergency shortage of drugs at the Georgetown Public Hospital, which would have caused deaths and aggravated illnesses in patients lacking medication.

Many stakeholders including civil society, transparency groups and political leaders have criticised the Government for using the health sector as a playing field for corrupt activities.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence recently admitted that ANSA McAL was handed the multimillion-dollar contract to “fasttrack” the supplies of drugs to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Lawrence also said that ANSA McAL donated four refrigerators to the hospital, something which no other company, which has been supplying the hospital with drugs over the years has done.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Rice and sugar neglect

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ne of the largest millers and exporters of rice from Guyana, Alesie Rice Group, announced its decision to close operations here and place its extensive holdings on the market. Alesie was a Surinamese-origin player than helped to transform the sector more than two decades ago, when it exploited a loophole to ship rice tariff-free into Europe and doubled the price for paddy to local farmers. Farmers rushed back into rice cultivation and achieved the 600,000 tonne mark last year. In an industry where the vast majority of farms are below 10 acres each, it provides employment and livelihoods to over 100,000 Guyanese.

The announcement by the Chairman of the Group, Turhane Doerga, was as noteworthy for the reasons offered by him for the decision, as was the shock to an industry that is still reeling from the body blow of losing the extremely lucrative 200,000+ tonne Venezuelan market. Doerga, who had openly supported and campaigned for the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) at the last elections, declared his loss of confidence in the Agriculture Minister for failing to propose a “coherent set of policies” to turn around the industry and for the agriculture sector that was in overall free fall.

In consonance with revelations in other areas of the economy, he accused the Government of favouring one set of operators over others – presumably including his company – by giving them preferential treatment that created an uneven playing field. This State intervention to distort the free-market operations in the rice sector, if true, reveals a disturbing hypocritical stance since the Government has insisted as a private industry, the beleaguered farmers are “on their own”.

Doerga’s case may seem to be a matter of “sour grapes” but it does highlight that the Government is not even grasping at straws in the agriculture sector. Over a year and a half ago, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, followed by the Agriculture Minister, ostentatiously announced they had secured new markets in Mexico that would replace the lost Venezuelan deal.

Events since then proved our position that these Ministers have no conception of the fundamentals of the world market in rice.

This month, it was revealed that Guyana still has not complied with the phyto-sanitary stipulations demanded by Mexico, which receives most of its rice from next-door USA. There should have been a team assembled by the Agriculture Ministry with the securing of the Mexican market as its sole responsibility. As it is, the matter has drifted desultorily like a feather in the wind.

Not that it would make a difference to rice farmers, who have taken huge loans to expand production which they cannot now service and will be thrown into bankruptcy.

But Doerga’s location of the abdication of the Government for the entire agriculture sector is very apropos especially in sugar, which is clearly is in death throes through the Government’s adamant refusal to heed the recommendations of its own Commission of Inquiry into the industry. There was no question that the APNU/AFC Government inherited a challenging situation in sugar and in fact before the elections, the leader of the People’s National Congress and APNU had announced the industry should be privatised forthwith. After its coalition with the AFC, it changed its tune but it is now clear this was just an opportunistic sop.

Wales was closed with no alternative employment prospects for the 1700 workers employed there and three other closures are pending. Two days ago, the Agriculture Minister, took the Ministers of Public Security and Telecommunications along with him to address irate Wales workers who demanded their severance pay. The Ministers’ lack of familiarity with the sugar industry was revealed when they insisted that demanding cane cutters transference to Uitvlugt was not inhuman. Even during slavery, this was never done.

It was not surprising the workers walked out on the Ministers, just as Alesie Rice Group gave up hoping the Government would get serious about the crisis in agriculture they are just exacerbating.

You would be hard pushed to come up with any period not incorporated into this 12th-century Norman castle “with later additions”. Set in two acres outside Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, Wilton Castle is a scheduled ancient monument with features from the Norman, Tudor, Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian eras (The Guardian)

Tell Guyanese the truth

Dear Editor, The preamble to the Guyana Constitution says: “We the Guyanese people... forge a system of governance that promotes concerted effort and broad-based participation in national decision-making, in order to develop a viable economy...”

When you are the Government, you make the rules. Blaming all and sundry, except yourself, for policy mistakes is the act of weak leaders. Today the private sector is being accused of not investing in the economy, but the Government refuse to accept this state of affairs is a direct consequence of their own policy paralysis.

Worse yet, the workers are being penalized with oppressive taxes on essentials such as electricity and water, and yet the Granger Administration expects them to be highly motivated and productive. This is being utterly delusional!

Leadership is about delivering for the people in an environment permeated by high morals and ethical standards. When one observes the financial happenings in this Granger Administration, one wonders what changes they were advocating for on the 2015 campaign trail.

It is unfortunate that

President Granger seems to be trapped in this web of deception. It makes him less impactful when it comes to acts of state abuses being committed under his watch. This leadership lethargy just continues to undermine his potential legacy. Who really is making the decisions in this PNCled Government? Is there an “Imperium in Imperio” in the Granger Administration?

The latest allegation of massive corruption involving this Granger Administration are the revelations that the Public Health Minister found the need to bypass the National Tender Board and sole-source some G$605 million in medical supplies from an alleged financial sponsor of the PNC in past elections.

So, was the PNC promise to bring an end to sole-sourcing in the procurement of medical supplies during the 2015 campaign just a ruse to fool the people?

Then there is that abomination on the appointment of Permanent Secretaries, which happened in March 2017. Of the sixteen (16) identified Permanent Secretaries, only one person of East Indian ancestry was deemed qualified to serve in the Granger Government at this senior level. This state of affairs was quite a letdown for many peo-

ple, who have ancestors that served our country at all levels for over 175 years.

This situation is nothing but a grave insult to many East Indians, and exposes how indifferent and insensitive the Granger Administration is to this whole question of social cohesion and national harmony. It is nothing but a big joke!

But it is also a grave insult to the right-thinking nonEast Indians who are open to moulding a society where merit is the principal criteria for getting ahead, not which tribe you belong to, or whether you have a military buddy in the Ministry of the Presidency.

Shame on you, President Granger, for allowing such a situation to occur under your watch! This new low from the PNC would never have happened under the more ethnically sensitive Mr. Desmond Hoyte. Even Burnham was more ethnically sensitive with his appointments. Only a fool would think that this act of tribal supremacy could develop a multi-racial, multi-religious country like Guyana.

When a leader refuses to commit in words and deeds to the growth of all of the people of the nation, then that leader must know he would never be able to tap the primal energies of the majority of the people.

In such a situation further economic collapse is guaranteed, and thus, as a consequence, there would be rapid expansion of poverty. Do you expect any right-thinking UG graduate would stick around for that eventuality?

If we continue on this road, we can kiss goodbye to any thought of economic recovery in 2018 and 2019. An opportunity to serve should be driven by competence and suitability, not by the criterion of “who has a godfather” in Plantation Sophia, or who is acquainted with a former military buddy.

If you want to inspire the best from all of your people, the ground rules must be well-defined and clearly communicated, so that all have a fair shot at getting ahead in an environment saturated with fairness. Such an environment does not exist under President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

As I reflect on President Granger’s Inauguration Speech, and to these specific words that he said: “Let us co-operate for Guyana”, I wonder whether they were merely words.

Sincerely, Sase Singh

The Venezuela option

Dear Editor, The PetroCaribe deal that facilitated the export of rice to Venezuela as a form of payment for fuel imported from Venezuela is an avenue that should be pursued with the highest priority. The expanding foreign currency crisis in Guyana is in no small way linked to the unilateral cancellation by Venezuela of the PetroCaribe Agreement between Venezuela and Guyana.

Currently, Guyana must pay to the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (PETROTRIN) the full price of its oil purchase in United States dollars in advance of receiving the shipment.

Guyana has, from the latter part of 2015, been unable to source significant amounts of its fuel imports at discounted prices, and obtain generous credit facilities from Venezuela. This includes an

initial moratorium of two years on the financed portion of the fuel purchase, with the financed portion of fuel import ranging from 40% to 60% of the purchase price of fuel, and the financed portion was repayable over approximately twenty-three years.

Also, the PetroCaribe Rice Offset Arrangement created a boom to our economy by generating increasingly high levels of rice exports at premium

prices, where close to 500,000 tonnes of rice were exported by the end of 2014; employment opportunities increased in the rice industry and its many sectors; economic prosperity was created for many of our rice farmers and millers; and the Guyana economy was boosted by this key driver.

The economic downturn we are now experiencing could worsen exponentially. continued on page 5

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Scrapping 2017 VAT policies Disgusted at disparaging

Dear Editor, Economists today stand as the most dangerous and socially destructive non-combatant professionals after politicians. Here is a de facto source of advice on managing an economy: the ill-advised policies of economists and politicians can wreak havoc on economies, giving rise to inflation and depressed welfares, which fuel crime, stagnation of investment and employment creation, and a wasting of scarce financial resources on unnecessary and ill-timed infrastructure projects.

The social discord caused by the VAT policies in the 2017 Budget, combined with the strenuous support from the Minister of Finance and Government so far, suggests that something is very wrong with the thinking of the Finance Minister, at the very least. Both the Minister and Government may be of the opinion that opposition to the 2017 VAT policies is rooted in

the PPP’s own efforts to have these policies removed from the budget, but this is wrong, and is a grave miscalculation that is exacting severe political costs for the Government.

What is unfolding so far is that the private sector is unhappy and unwilling to get involved in any long-term investment plan under the current policy framework. The entire country is upset about VAT, and members of the middle class in Georgetown are screaming about the parking meters’ affair. Only sterling protest action has seen a recent roll-back of the parking meter fiasco, but bowing to these or anything else perceived to have social and developmental consequences would create avenues for more ridiculous policy ideas, which would further erode the economic gains made thus far.

Unfortunately, we have to start talking about economic gains made, because

the PNC-led Government seems intent on doing a lockstep dance that would take us back into our dark past – during the PNC’s infamous previous reign. There seems to be a lack of basic common sense; we do not realize that we have us scrap the 2017 VAT policies that make this act a no-brainer. This decision escapes the Minister, and is something that needs social pressure to get corrected. In the United States, they say, ‘Call your congressman/woman!’ Here, I have to say, ‘Get on the protest line!”

Societies and countries the world over have had their share of mad men occupying high offices. We ourselves have had enough firsthand experience as such a young country. We have to stand together, and start booting our elected officers who would trample us.

Yours faithfully, Lance Cumberbatch

SOCU and SARU are biased Dear Editor, In every society, including Guyana, an accused is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But this principle does not seem to hold in Guyana when it comes to SOCU and SARU as relating to recent acts pertaining to Pradoville 2 and other matters. SOCU and SARU prejudice public opinion by making biased pronouncements regarding the accused. They prejudge their cases. SOCU and SARU act as a body of laws unto themselves; they are not accountable to anyone or any institution. They were investigators, police, prosecutors, juries, judges and executioners all in one when they arrested PPP opposition figures, prosecuting and judging the accused (as well as convicting them).

As one educated in constitutional law, I can say without any fear of contradiction that the role of the police is to investigate allegations or suspicious acts. Their job is not to prosecute or judge the accused. If they find evidence of wrongdoing, their job is to send the file to the DPP or prosecutors for directives or

actions. Instead, the SOCU agents or police have been making statements that are not in consonance with their remit or responsibilities.

SOCU and SARU agents have stated in the media that former PPP ministers and affiliates were involved in theft, and that they stole billions of dollars every year. Only the court can make such a determination, not the police or SOCU or SARU, or PNC or AFC, or Nagamootoo or Ramjattan, or Granger or David Hinds, or Ogunseye or Eric Phillips.

The accused should have been given due process. They are entitled to fairness and equity before the court. PPP affiliates have so far been primarily targeted for investigation and questioning. PNC affiliates aren’t quizzed. Over the last 21 months, affiliates of this PNC/WPA/AFC coalition have been accused of corruption – allegations supported with solid, incontrovertible evidence, yet not one of the accused who is affiliated with this coalition has been arrested or investigated. It is fair to ask when the police would quiz and/or ar-

rest those PNC affiliates who looted the state during the 28 years of ethnic dictatorship.

When will the police or SOCU investigate and arrest those who had beaten and robbed Indians? Or prosecute those who were involved in arson?

And/or those who rigged elections? And/or those who had pilfered from the state during PNC rule?

There are several individuals currently in the coalition to rob the state of billions under the PNC, and they had been involved in political murders. Not one of them has been quizzed or arrested.

The Police, SARU and SOCU have to prove their case in a court of law and in the public domain. Their actions are politically motivated, vindictive and racist.

They need to stop trying opposition figures, or anyone in the court of public opinion! Let the courts judge the accused after perusing solid evidence. The police must stop making pronouncements which are not in keeping with their police duties.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

remarks Dear Editor, I noticed that in a recent release regarding the now infamous pharmaceutical award to ANSA McAL, ‘officials’ from the Public Health Ministry have been quoted as saying that many of the drugs which are imported and supplied come from Third World countries.

Wow! It’s a fact that the overwhelming quantity and type of drugs being imported outside of Europe and North America come from India.

The comment from the officials of the MoPH has to mean only one country – ‘India”. I agree that India is a Third World country, but not because the imports are coming from India it means that the imports are bad, unfit, are of poor quality, or are smuggled into Guyana.

Third World India, depending on the yardstick

you use, has the third to fifth largest economy in the world.

It is responsible for hundreds of technical (albeit Third World) graduates of scholarship awards to Guyanese; It provides tens of millions of Third World US dollars in grants and gifts to Guyana; Its Third World brain and leadership keep the USA and UK economies at First World status because of the brain power and financial investments it provides.

India can supply the medication to cure the foot-andmouth disease which these MoPH officials seem to have contracted. The Indian High Commission should take umbrage at this comment.

Guyana’s drug crisis, I do agree with Minister Lawrence, is man-made.

Singularly, this department has slowed the importation of drugs into Guyana. The long delays and piecemeal

discoveries of lacked documentation have caused long delays and increased costs by as much as six to eight per cent. Most of the “original certificates and extra documentation that are required cost importers as much as US$500 and another US$200 demurrage, in addition to the time delays.

These factors, coupled with the VAT of 14 per cent, will drive up the cost of medication by at least 25 per cent.

I am confident that if the FDD had applied the same standards to the ANSA McAL importation – ie: for every item, original certificates from the manufacturer along with the certificates from the originating country – these emergency drugs would still not have been supplied!

Yours sincerely, Manzoor Nadir

The Venezuela...

The sugar, rice and forestry industries are haemorrhaging, and revenue from the huge oil find in offshore Guyana will not be received

by Guyana until 2026, based on recent media reports and assuming anticipated oil production is not sold by the Guyana Government at discounted values.

Regarding the revenue-sharing arrangement with ExxonMobil, based on comments in the media attributed to Hon. Minister Raphael Trotman, it was clearly stated that Guyana will not receive any revenue from production until ExxonMobil has recovered its investment cost. The investment cost is presently projected to be US$6 billion by the time production commences in 2020. Assuming production of 100,000 barrels per day starts in 2020, at current market prices, the US$6 billion in exploration and production costs will not be repaid until 2026. Thus our Hon. Finance Minister

must look to the most likely economic opportunities that would revitalize the economy over the next several years.

Recently, the Democratic Labour Party of Barbados reached out to former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who held the post of Prime Minister from September 1994 to January 2008, appointing him on March 1, 2017 as Chief Economic Advisor to the ruling Administration.

The Right Honourable Owen Arthur is from the Barbados Labour Party, currently the major opposition party in Barbados.

My recommendation is that the Guyana Government appoint two of our former Presidents – Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo, who are both known to have very good relationships with the President of Venezuela, Hon. Nicolás Maduro – to reactivate the Guyana/Venezuela PetroCaribe Agreement with the rice offset component.

Sugar might even be added

from page 4

as an offset option to the fuel imported.

The economy of our neighbour Venezuela is not going through the best of times; however, Venezuela has oil in abundance, and their oil reserves are the largest proven oil reserves in the world. The reinstatement of the PetroCaribe and Rice Offset Agreements between Venezuela and Guyana would certainly allow Guyana’s economy to right itself and halt the decline in our foreign exchange rate, among other positive benefits.

Let us unite in our efforts to achieve the greatest benefit for all Guyanese. We are capable enough to diplomatically deal with Venezuela’s claims to western Guyana and large parts of Guyana’s Atlantic waters, while we seek economic trade arrangements with Venezuela that would benefit both countries.

Sincerely, Nigel Hinds

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Foundation Homeward bound!

“Born in the land of the mighty Roraima, Land of great rivers and far stretching sea; So like the mountain, the sea and the river Great, wide and deep in our lives would we be”

D

Anu Dev

uring my psychiatry rotation these past two months, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a number of patients who have a variety of mental illnesses. And it was an eye-opening experience for sure; it was another facet of medicine that I was allowed to explore.

This was also my last fourth-year rotation before my elective rotation. It’s finally starting to sink in that year 5, my final year, is lurking right around the corner.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, I’ve begun the process of packing my bags to come home. I’ve chosen to do my elective rotation right here at home, so I’ll be home for the next six weeks – six glorious weeks of being home. I’ll be using that time to consume copious amounts of dhall, pickled mango, cook-up, and all of the other things I’ve been missing out on while I’ve

–“The Song of Guyana’s Children”, W. Hawley-Bryant been away.

For me, the past couple of months were really stretched out, and it feels like I haven’t been home in forever. And with each passing month my homesick feelings rose exponentially. But being away has also given me a greater appreciation of home. I used to sigh exasperatedly when we had to sing national songs in school, but I’ve caught myself on more than a few occasions randomly belting out “Born in the land of the mighty Roraima…” in my apartment. That’s a catchy one, that.

And I relish the moments when I encounter someone with some link to Guyana; no matter how tenuous the link, we’re going to get along. And then there are the even better moments when I meet someone actually from Guyana. It’s all I can do to maintain my composure.

For me, one of those

times ended up being something that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. I was still in paediatrics and I was interviewing this mother about why her son had to be brought to the hospital. We got to the part of the interview where we were discussing her pregnancy and the birth of her son, when she mentioned that her son was actually born in Guyana.

And then she went on to say that she was actually from Guyana, and that she had emigrated some years ago.

I’m sure at that point my expression was one of unbridled joy. Another Guyanese?

We ended up spending a long time talking. As another Guyanese living in Trinidad, she also had to deal with all of the stereotypes Trinidadians have of Guyanese. They have so many negative stereotypes about us: about the way we’re supposed to speak, or how they expect us to behave. I remember quite viv-

idly we were on the wards one day and this patient was speaking in such broken English that she was almost incoherent. And somehow that seemed to make my house officer assume that the patient was Guyanese.

So she asked the patient if she was Guyanese. The patient was Trinidadian, born and raised. I’d be lying if I didn’t feel the tiniest bit vindicated. So when I met this Guyanese mother, it was so nice talking to someone else who has to deal with the same things on a day-to-day basis, and learning how she copes with it and with being away from home. The conversation ended up being exactly what I needed to hear at the time. So I’m going to get back to backing now, because I’m really looking forward to coming back home.

I know Guyana isn’t some utopia, but it’s my home; I’m a daughter of Guyana, and I’ll say it loud and I’ll say it proud wherever I go.

Pacifiers: Pros, cons, and smart ways to use them

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Should I give my baby a pacifier?

s a new parent, comforting your baby is one of your highest priorities, and you may find a pacifier very helpful.

Some babies can be soothed with rocking and cuddling and are content to suck only during feedings. Others just can't seem to suckle enough, even when they're not hungry.

If your baby still wants to suck after having her fill of formula or breast milk, a pacifier may be just the thing.

A pacifier isn't a substitute for nurturing or feeding, of course, but if your baby is still fussy after you've fed, burped, cuddled, rocked, and played with her, you might want to see if a pacifier will satisfy her.

There's another benefit to using a pacifier: Some studies have shown that babies who use pacifiers at bedtime and nap time have a lower risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). These studies don't show that the pacifier itself prevents SIDS, just that there's a strong association between pacifier use and a lower risk of SIDS. Also, a pacifier habit is easier to break than a thumb-sucking habit. After all, you can dispose of a binky!

What are the disadvantages of pacifier use?

Pacifier use may increase the risk of middle ear infections in babies and young children. Because the risk of these infections is generally lower in young babies, using a pacifier until your baby's half birthday (when his need to suck is greatest) and weaning him from it soon after may work just fine – especially if he's prone to ear infections.

It used to be thought that babies who used a pacifier before they got the hang of nursing sometimes experienced nipple confusion, which interfered with successful breastfeeding. But experts now say the research is conflicting, and there aren’t any studies that conclusively show whether the two are related.

But if you're breastfeeding your baby, you may still want to wait until he's a proficient nurser before offering a pacifier. Sucking on a pacifier and sucking on a breast are different actions, and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that you wait until your baby is breastfeeding well and your milk supply is established.

His one-month birthday should be about right, though that's just a guideline. If your baby is nursing well, gaining weight, and has a routine feeding schedule, you can start earlier. Give him the pacifier after his regular feedings to make sure he gets all the nourishment he needs.

Sucking on a pacifier can easily become a habit, and many parents don't introduce one because they don't want to deal with having to take it away later (or because they don't like the thought of their three-year-old walking around with a pacifier in his mouth).

If you allow your child to use a pacifier but want to avoid binky battles, take it away when he reaches his first birthday. Being careful not to overuse the pacifier can help make sure your child doesn't become dependent on it.

How to manage your baby's pacifier use

If you decide to introduce a pacifier, keep these guidelines in mind: Let your baby guide your decision. If she takes to it right away, fine. But if she resists, don't force it. You can try again another time or just respect her preference and let it go.

Offer the pacifier between feedings when you know he's not hungry.

Avoid using a pacifier to delay your baby's feedings or as a substitute for your attention. That said, sometimes your baby does have to wait to be fed or comforted (in the checkout line at the grocery store, for example, or in her car seat five blocks from home). In these instances, a pacifier can be a godsend. (babycenter.com) TO BE CONTINUED

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Skeldon factory was set up to keep sugar alive – Jagdeo

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo met with a large gathering of Berbice sugar workers on Saturday, and made it pellucid that unlike the misinformation being peddled by the Government, the Skeldon factory was set up with the specific purpose to keep sugar going for years to come.

After listening to the plight of the families of sugar workers from Canefield in Canje and Port Mourant on the Corentyne in East Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Saturday afternoon, Jagdeo urged the women to go out and support the call for Government to pay more attention to the sugar industry and the welfare of workers.

“The entire family should come out and protest! Bring out the children too!” the Opposition Leader urged.

Jagdeo refuted Government’s claim that, under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration, too much money had been spent on the Skeldon sugar factory. Noting Government’s claim that the entire sugar industry has to pay for the excesses of money spent on that factory, Jagdeo said: “The money spent on Skeldon did not come from the industry, it came from loans which the Government was servicing. If you net off the money you received from the European Union, you will see that the Government has put very little into sugar in terms of these loans,” Jagdeo explained.

He noted that from 1976 to 1996, the sugar industry was paying a sugar levy. “So, for 20 years it paid money into the treasury.

It’s only in 1997 that we cancelled the sugar levy. And so GuySuCo

Sugar workers and their families at the Rose Hall meeting

[Guyana Sugar Corporation] made a positive contribution all those years. And this is based on Greenidge’s (Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge’s) own figures!” Jagdeo said.

Addressing the issue of the proposed closure of some sugar estates by the current administration, the Opposition Leader said, “If we spent too much on sugar, how is it that, in 2015 and 2016, the Gold Board lost $27 billion? That is more than the entire cost of the entire Skeldon factory. Banks DIH is suing the Government for $28 billion because of a decision they made to give DDL some tax writeoffs. The lawsuit alone will cost us more that the cost for the entire Skeldon factory. How can they find fiscal space for those reasons and they can’t find fiscal space to help the sugar industry?” he asked.

He also reminded workers that, in the 1980s, Guyana had spent some $220 billion on the bauxite industry; and he said that in today’s dollar value, that money is equivalent to about US$1.5 billion (G$300 billion).

“That is what we put into bauxite, leaving out the community cost for electricity. Sugar made a contribution all these years. It is only from about 2007, what the world market changed and we had problems here too, that we started giving sugar some subsidy and help,” Jagdeo said.

He noted that $32 billion over a three-year period is affordable in a $700 billion budget in three years.

“But the President has made it clear, ‘I don’t want sugar on the books’. So now that he has said

that, in spite of all that they are arguing about, they have to now close some estates, like they are planning (to do) at Rose Hall and Enmore and several of the cultivations. They have to do this because the President doesn’t want to spend a cent on sugar, although sugar only needs transitional help because it could turn around in the future,” Jagdeo explained to his audience.

The Opposition Leader noted that if GuySuCo were to reduce the amount of sugar it produces, production costs would become more expensive because of the inability to capitalize on economies of scale.

He said that following a study of the local sugar industry, which showed that the Berbice estates were producing sugar at a cheaper rate than the Demerara estates, the then administration had taken a decision to increase sugar production at the Berbice estates.

Hence Government’s decision to invest in the Skeldon Estate.

He outlined that in Guyana sugar is not a company, but an industry, hence Government needs to be more thoughtful when making decisions about the industry.

“No viable decision can be made

A section of the gathering at the Port Mourant meeting on Saturday

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

without a feasibility study,” he said. “So this is a political decision.

The fact that they shut down the factory at Skeldon for the first crop (means that they are) in preparation for (its) privatisation.”

Jagdeo noted that the privatisation deal is being orchestrated by a close relative of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, and that that individual’s involvement in the deal in likely coming at a cost. He noted that while Government has been saying that the Skeldon Sugar Factory was a bad deal made by the previous administration, the Prime Minister’s close relative is lobbying to have investors buy it.

Sugar workers from Wales Estate walked out of a meeting held last Friday with several Government Ministers, after they were plaintively informed that Government is unable to pay them their severance packages.

8 news

SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Family wants justice following fatal Phagwah night accident

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Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) family is pleading with the relevant authorities to ensure justice is meted out, following the loss of one of its members in an accident which occurred on Monday last on the Le Ressouvenir Railway Embankment Road.

The accident resulted in the death of a 58-yearold motorcyclist Motiram Deonarine of Lot 65 Zohora Street, Better Hope. His wife, 57-year-old Bibi Deonarine, who was a pillion rider on the bike, sustained serious injuries.

According to the couple’s son, Ricky Deonarine, his parents were returning home after Phagwah celebrations at relatives in Mon Repos, ECD, when the accident occurred sometime before 18:30h. He told Guyana Times that eyewitnesses related to him that two cars were speeding along the Railway Embankment road, when one attempted to overtaken the other. However, another vehicle was coming the in opposition direction, forcing the overtaking vehicle to retreat back into its lane.

As the car – bearing registration number PLL 2194

Motiram Deonarine and his wife in happier times

– tried to merge into the lane, it collided with the back of the motorcyclist.

One eyewitness claimed that upon impact, Motiram was flung several feet away onto a concrete bridge, while his wife fell unto the bonnet of the car as the vehicle kept moving.

The witness explained that the woman fell off the car and onto the roadway several feet away, with the vehicle coming to a stop an additional few feet from where the woman fell.

The eyewitness continued that he immediately rushed to the unconscious motorcyclist, who had sustained a broken leg and his chest swollen. The man related that he administered CPR, who after regaining

was informed about the death of his father but two days later, the driver of the car responsible for the accident was released on $100,000 station bail, instead of being charged.

Commander of C Division, Marlon Chapman, has been reported as saying that charges have not been instituted as yet since investigations into the accident are still ongoing.

However, Ricky believes the Police are dragging

The mangled motor car and the motorcycle following the accident

consciousness, provided a contact number for his family and they were informed about the accident.

The couple was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital – the wife still unconscious – where they were both listed as critical. Motiram sustained broken legs and ribs which punctured his organs.

He subsequently died on Tuesday at around 15:00h.

A post-mortem examination on his body further revealed that his hip was dislocated and he had spinal injuries. Meanwhile, his wife, who sustained a fracture to her pelvis, was discharged from the hospital but remains bedridden.

According to the son of the deceased, the Police

their feet on the matter.

In fact, he told this newspaper that when the Police returned to the accident scene the following day, the driver of the car was misinforming them about strategic points of the accident.

“The driver was showing them the part where my mother fall and telling them that that’s where he hit the bike and the stop a little further up. He the eyewitnesses say he hit them way further from where my mother fell off the car,” the distressed man stated.

Ricky is urging that all efforts be expedited so that his family can get justice for the death of his father and the injuries his mother is now forced to live with.

Waiting…

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…for Wiki-blow

ikiLeaks just released its latest treasure trove of hacked secretes, dubbed “Vault 7”. It was the first of its “Year Zero” leaks that’ll hone in on the CIA ops across the world. In this initial blast, they revealed the CIA’s deepest secrets – long assumed but now confirmed – that once you own any one of the hundreds of “smart” electronic devices that’re now ubiquitous, the agency can eavesdrop on you!

And since even tribes in deepest Amazon, Papua New Guinea or the Congo now use those devices, it means there are no secrets in the world any more. Even those Smart TV’s you have in your living room and bedroom?

Yup!! They can be hacked to pick up your sweet nothings/ somethings you murmur to your paramour or partner in crime! You never did read the fine print in your TV purchase from, say, Samsung, did you?

Now you may ask what this has to do with little old backwater Guyana? Well just that if we remember the first batch of WikiLeaks documents, we do know the Agency has a presence here. And with Venezuela in meltdown and us having all that oil offshore and with Exxon as the main player and their previous CEO over at the State Dept, even us being the armpit of the world and all, would still have bumped that presence upwards!

So since Wikileaks has assured all and sundry that while they started out releasing the CIA’s hacking capabilities, they’ll soon move on to release SAMPLES of those capabilities’ mining. And it’s for this reason, quite a few smart flies are shitting bricks right here in Guyana!

One of them being Glenn “the Mook” Lall, who owns the Muckraker and who’ll go down in infamy for being exposed in the first WikiLeaks as snitching of some who thought he was their “friend”. The snitching, of course, was to get back his Green Card which had been taken away activities that made the consulate label him as a shady character with a “sketchy past” who consorted with the underworld.

More specifically, he was identified as a “backtracker” who was able to bypass Homeland Security’s ICE systems to get all sorts of people into the States. This, the agency would be interested in, wouldn’t they? Especially when so much of the white powder’s being shipped through Guyana now! Well, we will soon find out when the dirty linen starts coming down the pike in the coming months – courtesy of WikiLeaks!

There are all sorts of conspiracy theories also floating around about various Foreign Players getting involved once again in our affairs.

Who will the Mook snitch on this time?

…for the next Nobel winner

Dereck Walcott’s passing reminds us that the creativity the Caribbean has spawned since it became an experiment in human bondage more than three centuries ago seemed to have been depleted. And not only in literature where we produced a Naipaul along with the great Walcott who both earned Nobels. There, of course, are the incomparable trio of CLR James, Cheddi Jagan and Walter Rodney in the Marxist tradition and Arthur Lewis in more orthodox Economics.

They all tried to grapple with our condition which, in more ways than one, presages what the rest of the “developed” word is only now catching up with. Namely the consequences of universalising their particulars and forcing the rest of the world to greater or lesser degrees, become black faces with white masks. We are at a historic conjuncture when some successors to our great ones are presented with the opportunity to once again become world teachers.

The former third countries that are now challenging the old world order need our wisdom!

…to exhale

Signing his letter, “Professor Justice Duke Pollard”, the venerable legal luminary weighed in once again on the case which some dub “third term” but which is about “sovereignty” residing with the citizens of a Republic.

Sadly, he was more deflective than reflective.

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

NEWS

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SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Consumers forced to pay high rates for foreign currencies …as frustration grows over bank, cambio shortages …Govt maintains scarcity contrived

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

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oth Finance Minister Winston Jordan and Governor of the Central Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobind Ganga, are maintaining that there is no shortage of foreign currencies in Guyana.

Dr. Ganga has said that despite stern warnings from authorities, businesses are suspected to be hoarding foreign currencies, and commercial banks and cambios are claim shortages in order to cause customers to resort to paying exorbitant rates for foreign currencies, even purchasing elsewhere

in light of the contrived scarcity.

And Finance Minister Winston Jordan recently announced on a radio programme that the Central Bank has no record of shortages at commercial banks.

“The Governor has assured me that he doesn’t know anything about that, because the banks haven’t approached him for foreign exchange,” Jordan stated on the radio programme.

Usually, when commercial banks experience a shortage, they turn to the Bank of Guyana to purchase the currency to meet the demands.

Jordan recently announced that the foreign exchange reserves at the Bank of Guyana are in excess of US$600 million, but commercial banks and cambios across the country continue to turn away customers, claiming a shortage of the US dollar; and based on the findings of this newspaper’s investigations, popular cambios are turning away regular patrons who are interested in purchasing foreign currencies. This has re-

ey changers have already raised their rates for the US dollar to G$220, although the rate currently hovers at G$210.

Hoarding

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma

sulted in businesspersons and the average Guyanese being forced to buy foreign currencies at exploitative rates.

Around the city, mon-

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that Naughtron lived alone in the 15’X8’ single-storey wooden structure, and was out with friends at the Charity Back Street when he was informed that his house was on fire. By the time he arrived on scene, his home was completely gutted. Firemen who were summoned to the scene could not extinguish the

Governor of the Central Bank of Guyana, Dr Gobind Ganga

for some friend or some special customer.”

Nonetheless, he does not believe the situation warrants a probe. According to the Junior Finance Minister, Government cannot control what the commercial banks and cambios tell their customers.

Questions

Questions are now being raised about why commercial banks and cambios are turning away local customers interesting in purchasing US currency, and why the banks and cambios are

Labourer in custody after setting cousin’s home on fire

36-year-old labourer of Charity Squatting Area in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is in Police custody assisting with investigations concerning the burning down of his cousin Elvin Naughtron’s Lot C 925 Charity Squatting Area home following an argument last Friday.

This newspaper was told

During the mentioned radio programme, the Finance Minister said he believes there is a deliberate attempt to starve the economy of foreign currencies.

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma has also opined that commercial banks and cambios are hoarding foreign currencies in order to get better prices from preferred markets.

He told Guyana Times on Saturday: “Maybe they tell the customers ‘no’ so they could get a higher rate.

Maybe they are keeping it

blaze.

Following his arrest, the suspect allegedly told Police that he and Naughtron had had an argument over money he had loaned Naughtron.

The suspect’s story is that he and his cousin had had a scuffle over the money, and he had threatened to burn Naughtron’s home down.

not informing the Central Bank if they claim a shortage exists.

Sharma explained that the only way Government can launch an investigation is if commercial banks visit the Central Bank with the supportive documents to prove they are experiencing a shortage but are being denied opportunity to purchase foreign currencies.

The Junior Finance Minister emphasised that no commercial bank has visited the Central Bank claiming a shortage.

Warning

Government had signalled its intention to move sternly against businesses hoarding foreign currencies, because such a practice has the potential to destabalise the economy.

Jordan contemplates the possibility that hoarding is being practised in order to create depreciation in domestic currency.

He also noted that some exporters and importers are conducting mutual foreign exchange transactions outside of the exchange market structure.

10 news Another week, another scandal – Nandlall sunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

…more contracts unlawfully awarded under APNU/AFC

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ormer Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, in his weekly feature “Unruly Horse”, has posited that in the 22 months of its being in office, the Coalition Government has violated the country’s procurement laws in regard to the award of State contracts more times than it had accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) of doing in over a decade.

“I will argue – and if necessary provide the evidence to demonstrate – that there have been more contracts awarded ultra vires and in violation of the Procurement Act (2003) between May 2015 (and) March 2017, (22 months) than from 2003 to May 2015 (over 12 years)!”

Nandlall posited.

Violations

Among the violations to which he alluded were: handpicking an awardee for the Fedders Lloyd contract for construction of the Specialty Hospital; the hundreds of millions awarded for the clean-up of Georgetown; the billions spent on construction of the D’Urban Park; the Parking Meter contract; the Wind Farm project; the $400 million fertilizer deal; contracts for drilling of several deep-water wells, given out

by Guyana Water Inc (GWI); the hundreds of contracts being gifted in the Regions in due disregard of the regional tendering system; the rental of the Drug Bond at Sussex Street Charlestown for $14 million per month, and the more-than-$3 billion

test was) a facility available under the Procurement Act. Neither was any of these awards ever challenged in the courts on the ground that they were infected with bias, (were) capriciously done, or (were) done in a manner contrary to/and in contravention of the Procurement Act or any other law,” he posited.

The only such challenge the former Attorney General recalled was one filed by a

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

GPL meter contract.

Nandlall charged that none of these contracts was executed within the public tendering system, and all were given in violation of the Procurement Act. This despite transparency and accountability in the public procurement process having been the most fundamental issues on the APNU/AFC political platform while they were in opposition, and the greater scrutiny they had been placed on contracts awarded in the public health system, especially those awarded to the NEWGPC. “With the barrage of allegations made of irregularities (in regard to the awarding of contracts to the NEW GPC) over the years, not a scintilla of credible evidence was every presented to support the avalanche of allegations. Significantly, one can hardly recall even a protest being lodged against any of the awards (being granted under the former regime, even though lodging a pro-

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

competitor of NEW GPC, alleging that the Ministry of Health’s public procurement process and that of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) were designed and skewed to create an unfair advantage in favour of NEW GPC, and thus were discriminatory against the applicant. However, Nandlall related that after the applicant had presented to the court all the requisite procedures, manuals and guidelines, including those

from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Procurement Act – all of which had formed the amalgam of the Ministry’s procurement methodology – the case was dismissed because the applicant abysmally failed to prove the allegations.

The former Attorney General outlined that while such pronouncement from a High Court should have put such a matter to rest, the selfsame allegations continue to abound unabated. This, he noted, comes on the heels of the Government finding itself in the midst of widespread scrutiny and criticism following the $605 million sole-sourced contract handed to a foreign company for the acquisition of pharmaceuticals for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The contract was awarded by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence.

“It is uncontroverted that this humongous procurement was done ultra vires and in contravention of the Procurement Act, and is therefore illegal and unlawful. Indeed, NPTAB was informed after the fact. A week after the matter was made public, the Minister offered her explanations in a statement,” Nandlall explained.

Drug shortage

Nandlall contends that the Public Health Minister’s statement raises more questions than it provided answers. turn to page 17

Road March S

atiricus was smiling as he eased into the Back Street Bar. The joint was jumping, since it was Saturday night, but that was not the source of his good humour. He told the waitress the next round was on him -- along with a fresh serving of “Bunjal Duck” -- as he passed her on the way to his table at the back, where the fellas were already seated with a set of empties.

“Suh how come yuh a skin yuh teeth?” asked Bungi sourly. “Yuh get somet’ing a house or wha’?” “’Victory is mine!’ says my Minister,” Satiricus announced as he sat down. “I always getting something at home, Bungi!”

“Yeah, right!” replied Hari with a grin. “Which one of your ministers you talking about? Bungi is pretty upset with Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat.”

“OK Bungi, you first,” said Satiricus generously, as the beers and cutters arrived. “What did my leaders do this time?”

“Well, Nagga Man bin a Rose Hall fuh rememba how dem bin shoot and kill 15 cane cutta,” Bungi said. “And he nah even tell dem he guh close dong dem estate!”

“But maybe they won’t close it down now, Bungi,” responded Satiricus. “Give the man a chance! And what did Rum Jhaat do?”

“He went to Wales,” Hari butted in, since Bungi was getting visibly angrier, “and tell the cane cutters the Government don’t have $300M to pay the 300 cane cutters’ severance.”

“But the Gov’t REALLY don’t have money!” pleaded Satiricus to Bungi. “What you want then to do?”

“Suh how come dem gat money fuh pay $300m EXTRA OVER PRICE to dat Trinidad company fuh drugs?” demanded Bungi.

Satiricus was stumped. Hari tried to smooth things over, and asked him, “So what was that victory one of your ministers won?”

“Well, Patto just put a clamp on Smart Man City Parking,” Satiricus said. “He stop them from having meters on Main Street. Is a Government road.”

“Suh he bin fuget de bigges’ street in town all dis time?” asked Bungi.

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SunDAY, march 19, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

WCD businessman Parking meter burden Citizens still being intimidated beaten, robbed

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The supermarket at Meten-Meer-Zorg that was robbed

he proprietor of the Lucky Supermarket at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, was on Saturday attacked, beaten and robbed by two armed men who confronted him at about 06:45h as he was about to start his daily chores.

Ke Toung Wu, 45, of Lot 13 Meten-Meer-Zorg, was beaten to the head and had to receive five stitches at the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

Reports reaching Guyana Times indicate that the two men, who were armed with metal bars, gained entry into

the lower flat of the building as the businessman was cleaning. Having pounced on the man, the men took him to the upper flat of the business where they demanded money and other valuables.

The businessman’s reluctance to cooperate caused the men to terrorise the Chinese national. They took away the key to the safe that the man had in his possession and collected the money that was kept in it.

Guyana Times understands that close to $600,000 was taken by the bandits.

However, as the men were opening the money safe, the businessman ran out of the house, scaled a fence and ran to his neighbour’s house to seek refuge.

The neighbours immediately contacted the Police but by the time they arrived, the men opened the locks to the gate, walked onto the public road and boarded a minibus.

Shortly after, the Police arrived at the scene and started their investigations.

The man was taken to the Leonora Hospital where he was treated for the injury to his head.

When this publication arrived at the scene, the businessplace was closed but the neighbours explained that they did not hear any strange sounds but saw the businessman jumping his fence into their yard. They are still at a loss as to how the men got access to the lower flat of the building.

Meanwhile, Police have secured the surveillance footage of the entire ordeal which is being reviewed.

Based on reports, the two armed men were identified as “Spanna Toe” and “Tattoo Boy” of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

The Police are now on the hunt for the two men as they continue their investigations into this robbery.

by SCSI enforcers … even as By-laws suspended

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he Georgetown metered parking By-laws have been suspended on the orders of the person who signed them in the first place; Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan. The order was made on Friday by Bulkan under the Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28:01, Section 306.

According to the suspension order, “the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are in default of their functions with respect to the Georgetown metered parking By-Laws.”

The order, which was cited as the Georgetown Metered Parking (Suspension) Order 2017, quotes a declaration from the Minister that “I hereby direct the Mayor and Councillors to suspend the Georgetown Metered Parking By-Laws for three months commencing on the 17 March, 2017.”

In an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday, Minister Bulkan expressed optimism that the suspension order would allow for further consultations. Out of those consultations, he was hopeful that parts of the project considered oppressive by the populace can be revised.

“The central government had engaged the Council and

SCSI employees out in full force on Saturday

had advanced the position that the rates were onerous, burdensome and some of the other areas like the fees for clamping, so this period is to allow these concerns (to) be satisfactorily addressed to allow central government to have confidence in the project and to allow for its resumption,” he said.

Bulkan’s suspension comes against the backdrop that the Government refused to support the parliamentary Opposition when it brought a motion to debate the contentious project in the National Assembly earlier this year.

This resulted with the project moving ahead and now escalated.

It is not clear what consensus can be reached to fur-

ther abrogate the oppressive clauses of the amended contract and the By-laws. Town Clerk of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), Royston King, had been defiant towards the Minister soon after the order was announced.

According to reports in other sections of the media, the Town Clerk had written a letter to the Minister expressing the inability to suspend the project.

Reports indicate that the Minister was also told that the three-month suspension as was recommended by Cabinet would result in a breach of the agreement signed with Smart City Solutions (SCSI). turn to page 12

12 news

SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Wales residents call for more social programmes

By Shemuel Fanfair

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n light of a reported increase in crimes and other social ills, residents of Wales, West Bank Demerara, have called for more social programmes and access to lands to establish recreational spaces. These calls were echoed at an engagement with several Government Ministers at the Wales Community Centre Ground on Friday, where residents highlighted problems affecting youths in the area which many feel will continue with the recent closure of sugar operations the Wales Estate.

“When the youths leave school, they have nothing to do; we no training facilities for our youth and they are all about on the road,” a resident noted. She added that teenage pregnancy as a major concern while other residents cited the prevalence of

illicit drug use and other issues surrounding unemployment.

Another resident called for lands to be developed for recreational purposes and also asked the Government Ministers for financial support to this end. The resident, who identified herself as a youth activist, requested that the surrounding communities to be given lands currently owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). In response, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan commented that while he is sure such lands are available, permission has to be sought through the relevant chains, including the Agriculture Ministry.

One teacher noted that the ground at a nearby school is in a deplorable state and cannot be used by the children who live close by and those who attend the

Residents share their concerns at the Wales Community Centre on Friday about social issues affecting their community

Patentia Secondary School.

“I don’t want the NDC (Neighbourhood Democratic Council) to fix [the school’s] ground, I’d like central government to come and intervene and fix the ground. We have a lot of children coming out of school pregnant… because they don’t have a place for proper recess so they find

the activity more exciting that running on a ground which has a lot of cow holes in it,” the school teacher expressed. There is an existing ground at Wales, maintained and controlled by GuySuCo but residents noted that Toevlugt-Patentia NDC is charging a fee from residents who wish to use

the facilities there.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon pointed out that the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture Youth & Sport has some of the requisite facilities to assist in correcting the problems with the grounds. He noted too that sport equipment is available for use but

suggested that residents organise themselves to advocate for their requests.

He also acknowledged that there needs to be more planning in the curriculum for schools to address many of the social ills, especially underage pregnancies.

In years gone by, many saw the estate as a saving grace, which in its heyday provided employment for hundreds of workers in the factory and the field and countless others via shops and the market at Wales. When word spread of the estate’s closure in January 2016, sugar workers and other residents had contended that social ills, especially crime would have increased. This fear was one reason why many Wales employees rejected proposals for them to be transferred to Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara. Sugar operations at Wales ceased in December 2016.

UG-Giftland launch VIP Card

Students of the University of Guyana signing up for their Giftland Mall’s VIP Card

T

he University of Guyana, in collaboration with Giftland Inc, has unveiled the University of Guyana VIP card, which grants staff and students attached to the educational institution special discounts on purchases of clothing and shoes, as well as purchases

at the Giftland Department Store, the Giftland Stationery Department, and the Giftland Documentation Centre.

The unveiling ceremony took place on Friday morning in the University’s Education Lecture Theatre (ELT), where Chairman of the Giftland Mall, Roy Beepat, expressed

appreciation for the launching of this initiative and thanked University of Guyana Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith for his continued patronage of the shopping entity. The business mogul also declared that he is looking forward to being of service to the students and staff of the University.

Citizens still being intimidated...

This, the letter had stated, would create a situation whereby the company would have to be reimbursed all of its investment. Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor Sherod Duncan had stated on Friday that despite central government’s intervention, City Hall’s administration remained intransigent.

Quoting the authority, he exercises as acting Mayor (Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen is said to be out of the jurisdiction) and on the advice of the Town Clerk, he stated that an “Extraordinary Statutory Meeting will be convened to allow for the full deliberation and a decision by the Council.”

Business as usual

But despite the order, it is alleged that clamping (the booting of vehicles deemed

to be in default of those Bylaws), was still being carried out by employees of the private parking meter company, SCSI. Guyana Times was able to verify that SCSI workers were out in full force, toting clamps.

In a press release on Saturday, a representative of lobby group Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) expressed disgust that despite central government’s suspension of the parking meter By-laws, SCSI “continues to bully citizens in the streets of Georgetown.

The usual intimidation tactics could be seen in full force on Saturday 18, 2017.”

It noted that the company cannot enforce the parking rules that they had previously put in place and “they have no legal basis upon which to collect money or clamp the ve-

from page 12

hicles of citizens.”

The group called on all citizens to not submit to any form of intimidation and further, called upon the Guyana Police Force and the judicial system to “protect the people of Guyana.”

“Nowhere else in this world can a company of Guyanese origin, disregard the laws of a foreign country and its Government in this way without consequences.

What or whom has emboldened Smart City Solutions?”

“If this is allowed to continue, it speaks volumes of how badly our national systems have failed us,” the group said, adding that while the three-month suspension is a positive step, it would continue to call for a complete revocation of both the Parking Meter Contract and its supporting By-laws.

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SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Surrendering to survive?

By Ryhaan Shah

T

he introspection that has come with the centenary commemoration of the abolition of the indentureship programme does not forecast an optimistic future for Indians in Guyana.

More than the bleak economic prospects with sugar, rice and business sector under siege, the social infrastructure of Indian marginalisation in every sphere of Guyana’s political and cultural life favours an invisibility and diminution Ryhaan Shah that are supported by state policies which appear punitive and which seem to directly target the Indian Guyanese community.

Minister of Culture Nicolette Henry’s lack of knowledge about the Hindu festivals of Phagwah and Deepavali is not just a faux pas at the highest level of Government, but should be taken as a clear indication of Government’s lack of concern and regard for the Indian Guyanese community in general. It unmasks the state’s social cohesion programme as so much empty rhetoric, and gives credence to the widely held belief that the loss of our ethnic and cultural rights is acceptable collateral damage in a high-stakes game for absolute power.

The creeping authoritarianism of the Granger Government is evident in its flouting of law, the Constitution, and of even the optics of ethnic equality that might serve to dispel some of the pessimism that pervades the Indian Guyanese community.

It is not just that the size of our population has dropped from 51 percent to a mere 40 percent, if that much, because of large-scale emigration to safer locations in North America, where we would not be targets for racial/political violence; but that those of us who remain are bombarded with the message – subtle and not-so-subtle – that to be Guyanese means surrendering our heritage and identity to the dominant African Caribbean culture. This is both unconstitutional and a violation of our human rights; but neither matters in a society where successive Governments have paid little heed to such overarching laws and principles. The incessant propaganda gains a measure of success because not many Indian Guyanese can stomach the abuse and accusations of racism that are hurled at those who speak from a position of truth about their ethnic identity. The bullying is now a societal norm, and comes from all quarters; but the still-largest minority, Indians, are expected to subsume their identity in order for Guyana to achieve national unity. So the script goes; it does appear odd, and bears some investigation.

The many stories of our fore-parents’ revolt and bravery in their fight for justice on the sugar plantations share a common factor in that all the rebellions and disturbances arose from within the indentured community. There were no unions or politicians organising or directing them. Leaders rose up from among the labourers themselves, and they fought valiantly; many being killed and wounded in the process for their rights.

These were people – both men and women -- with an independent and fighting spirit, who spoke and acted against injustice and had no need for anyone to galvanise them to right action.

Then what happened? And what has happened to that fighting spirit? Because denial of any Indian identity and control of the unity message emanate from officialdom, some Indian Guyanese are rightly confused, while others are very comfortable with cultural loss and displacement, being acceptable prices to pay for societal inclusion.

Professors from Indian universities who were here for the centenary commemoration were pleasantly surprised at how much our community has retained by way of religion and culture after 179 years. The very fact that we retain so much of our heritage and values indicates that these attributes are important to us; and in a truly just and plural society, this retention would be commended and respected as part of our nation’s rich diversity.

However, talk of respect for such diversity is also part of the tired political rhetoric, while age-old suspicions, jealousies and hatreds are stoked and encouraged in the name of “oneness”. Were this not the case, Indian Guyanese would be employed in representative numbers along with every other ethnic group in every state institution; our artistic expressions would be showcased at every national celebration; and our narrative would be part of the fabric of our nation’s history and literature.

Every group would condemn an attack on any other group, because we would all uphold the ethos that an attack on one is an attack on all. This, however, is not the state of the nation; and, unfortunately, there is no political will that promises that it would ever be. Indian Guyanese take note, and many respond with flight or with surrendering their ethnic identity.

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

Capoey youths being sidelined – Toshao …calls for villagers to be given priority for jobs

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oshao of Capoey, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Melrose Henry, is calling on the personnel department within the Region Two administration to give youths living in that community first preference for job opportunities that exist there.

The Toshao said she is very peeved at the current situation where teachers are venturing in the community to teach when youths within the community are qualified and not considered for those positions.

She was at the time speaking at a community meeting held on Thursday in observance of International Women's Day. Henry said several youths from her area applied to teach at the community's school and their applications were not considered. Henry said instead, the Department of Education is instead sending in teachers from other communities hence costing the administration more.

"Why send in teachers when we have youths right in Capoey that can do the job, there are many applications

Toshao Melrose Henry

pending no one is calling the applicants, instead they are sending in new faces, is this fair? As a Toshao I will not tolerate that, give the youths in my area the opportunity to excel and serve their community," Henry said.

At present, she noted that the Capoey Primary School has vacancies and she is waiting to see who will fill those vacancies.

"I am very staunch and all the residents have to support me in this, I will turn the boat back if one of the youths in this area is not given that job," Henry said.

The Toshao also explained that whenever teachers are sent to the community, they often leave the job after a short period. She noted that when that happens, the children from the community are left to suffer until the vacancies are filled. The Toshao is therefore calling on the Department of Education within the region to examine those applications that were sent by youths for her community for teaching positions.

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SunDAY, MARCH 19 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region 2 Seventh-day Adventists celebrate 130th anniversary of Adventism in Guyana

Younge’s Take

Drug procurement scandals

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Members of the Seventh-day Adventist congregations on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two on Saturday participated in a grand Gospel Motorcade in celebration of the church’s 130th Anniversary in Guyana

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undreds of members from various Seventh-day Adventist churches along the Essequibo Coast in Region Two on Saturday participated in a most auspicious activity to celebrate 130 years of Adventism in

Guyana – a grand Gospel Motorcade and Rally that commenced at Supenaam and concluded in the evening at Charity.

During the motorcade and rally, floats were displayed to mark the 130 years of Adventist

Heritage, more than 2500 books were distributed, and services were conducted in seven different locations along the coast.

At Supenaam, Peoples Progressive Party RDC Councillor Arnold Adams congratulated the organ-

isation for taking such a bold initiative to mark this momentous anniversary, and various participants lauded the efforts of the Church in spreading their spiritualism and teaching persons about their culture.

he current Government of Guyana continues to demonstrate high levels of incompetence and corruption in its management of the country’s health sector. It also appears comfortable with the now soap-opera like scandals that erupt almost weekly surrounding its procurement practices in the sector which has led to widespread criticisms at home and abroad.

Before the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition secured Executive office in May 2015, it appeared to have all of the answers and expertise within its fold to solve the ailments facing the country’s health sector.

Drs George Norton, Karen Cummings and several other Michael Younge members of the then Opposition had vocally criticised the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the way it was running the country’s health sector. They blamed the PPP/C’s incompetence for drug shortages, high levels of maternal deaths and poorly managed hospitals and health centres.

Recall the fiery budget debates where the APNU/AFC Opposition spared no effort to demonise Drs Leslie Ramsammy and Bheri Ramsarran, alleging that a conspiracy was afoot to defraud the country and rape the Treasury in order to benefit the “best friend” of former President Bharrat Jagdeo with the award of lucrative contracts. The Parliament was told on countless occasions that the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Company was not delivering drugs of high standards and on other occasions was the sole beneficiary of the system of sole sourcing.

The APNU/AFC politicians promised to end the systems of prequalification and sole sourcing. They told Guyanese to expect a very transparent and accountable procurement system for the supply and delivery of medical drugs. They also promised, ever so often, to ensure that the NEW GPC INC is disciplined and not favoured. Now after two years in office, this APNU/AFC Government has made the alleged sins of the PPP/C appear minimal. It has committed unspeakable wrongs against the people of this country by attempting to insult their intelligence by trying to hide its own sins and shortcomings in the health sector.

As a matter of fact, the coalition Government is now responsible for the decline of the once promising, improving and buoyant health sector. The hospitals service is poor, and unfortunately the doctors and nurses employed there are still underpaid and therefore lack high levels of motivation. Maternal deaths are still high and now the sector is facing prolonged shortages of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals because the Government foolishly abandoned excellent systems like prequalification that made such a situation unlikely.

The current Administration went to all lengths to avoid awarding the NEW GPC and other well established local entities procurement contracts even when it was clear that they met all of the prerequisites and could deliver. They hatched and plotted at the Ministry of the Presidency and Congress Place all sorts of plans in order to sideline the company. But these plans are continuously backfiring and no amount of shifting around personnel will conceal the true nature of the Government’s expressed will.

The multimillion-dollar bond scandals, continuous breach of the drug procurement process in favour of foreign companies and financiers of the APNU/AFC, and the current scandalous drug shortages altogether will continue to undermine progress in the sector. The Government must stand on principle or it should not stand at all. Its continued interference and manipulation of the Public Health Ministry staff is disgraceful. Business is business.

Unless the NEW GPC and other companies have broken laws, then they should not be prosecuted and tried without due process. The information leaks and scandalous reportage in sections of the media who do not understand the basics processes governing the business of procurement of medical supplies is also most unfortunate.

In the end, the public is suffering and the Government’s reputation is declining as its politics of vendetta and vengeance continue to be exposed. The horror stories told by citizens about their experience at public health institutions here are appalling and the level of confidence in their elected officials is on the decrease.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and other principled politicians in the Government must speak out and challenge their colleagues in the Cabinet to look past scoring political points if it will jeopardise the nation’s health. The Private Sector Commission and other transparency bodies locally and internationally must bring pressure to bear on the Public Health Ministry so that taxpayers get their monies worth. More must be done by the officials there to uphold the laws and deal with every company bidding to serve the public fairly, justly and honestly. The monies awarded are not the Government’s monies but the people’s monies. They deserve better health care and they demand an end to the scandals that continue to plague the sector.

NEWS

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Berbice businessman takes GRA, Finance Minister to court

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erbice businessman Inshanally Bacchus, Chief Executive Officer of I&R Bacchus Trucking Service of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, was granted an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari, directed to Finance Minister Winston Jordan and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), quashing decisions made in relation to the operation of his business.

The Finance Minister had on November 23, 2016, terminated an Investment Development Mineral Prospecting, Mining and Stone Quarrying Agreement between the Guyana Government and the businessman, which was entered into on March 13, 2014.

The court made the order on the grounds that the decision by the Finance Minister to terminate the agreement was “capricious, whimsical, arbitrary, in breach of the rules of natural justice, in violation of the Applicant’s legitimate expectations, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

The Finance Minister was called upon to show causes why the order to

quash the decision should not be made absolute.

Moreover, the GRA’s Head of Law Enforcement, Fitzroy Corlette, had demanded by letter dated November 22, 2016; that the businessman pay $212,378,021 as customs duties and taxes in respect of certain machinery, equipment and motor vehicles for which tax exemptions were lawfully granted.

The court also stated that the decision by the GRA was “capricious, whimsical, arbitrary, in breach of the rules of natural justice, in violation of the Applicant’s legitimate expectations, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

The GRA’s Officer was called upon to show cause why the order should not be made absolute.

The court also ordered that an Order or Rule Nisi of Prohibition be issued directed to the GRA, a statutory body corporate and a public authority, restraining it and its servants and/or agents from seizing, forfeiting and/ or disposing certain machinery, equipment and motor vehicles as contained in a scheduled herein, all being

GRA building, Camp Street, Georgetown

properties of the businessman.

In court documents seen

by Guyana Times, the businessman explained that on October 29, 2013, he made and entered into a written agreement with Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc, a mining company carrying out certain mining operations mainly at Kurubuka, Upper Berbice River, Guyana, whereof he was contracted to excavate and transport bauxite overburden at the company’s mining operations site at

69 graduate from BIT’s Linden programme

From left to right in front row: BIT Technical Officer Richard Maughn; Assistant Director National Community Development Council Sandra Adams; Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott; Region 10 MP Jermaine Figueira; Assistant Director of Youth Leslyn Boyce; along with the 69 graduates of the BIT Youth Empowerment training project

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ixty-nine youths from Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) graduated from the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) executed by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Courses offered during the training include auto mechanics, welding and fabrication, catering and cake decoration, Information Technology (IT) and office procedure, personal computer repairs, heavy-duty equipment operation, care for the elderly, catering and commercial food preparation, and other life skills.

The graduation, which was held on Friday at the Linden Technical Institute, saw the attendance of Minister within the Social Protection Ministry, Keith Scott; Assistant Director of

Youth Leslyn Boyce; Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian; and Region 10 Regional Executive Officer (REO), Gavin Clarke.

Minister Scott encouraged the graduates to take into consideration the cooperative movement, stressing that it is the way to go.

Minister Scott noted that the Co-op movement has the ability to be an economic driving force for the development of Linden.

He pointed out that over the years, Linden has produced persons who have contributed significantly to the development of Guyana. Region 10 Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, said the graduation of the youths marks the achievement of a milestone.

The training programme also saw several persons with disabilities partici-

pating and graduating. MP Figueira also commended them, stating, “we have in the midst some young people who are differently able, who are graduating with you today, and I believe that is indeed commendable.”

“It goes to show that when opportunities are provided and they are grasped, irrespective of our abilities that some might want to judge, if we take that time and employ the efforts that are needed, I believe success will come despite the disadvantages some of us may have,” Figueira is quoted by the Government Information Agency as saying.

The MP also encouraged the graduates to take advantage of the lending institutions and make use of the skills by becoming entrepreneurs. turn to page 15

Kurubuka, Upper Berbice River, Guyana on certain terms and conditions, more fully set out in the agreement.

He said by letter dated November 14, 2013, he applied to the then Natural Resources and the Environment Minister, Robert Persaud, for a waiver of duty and taxes on a list of trucks and machinery as per a quotation which was submitted with the letter from NM Trucking, Auto Sales and Agricultural Machinery.

“In the aforesaid letter, I

explained to the said Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud that I was granted a contract with the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc to excavate and transport bauxite mineral to and from various locations. This application was duly processed and I was informed by telephone to attend the office of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Upper Brickdam, Georgetown. I duly attended the office of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission where I was presented with an Agreement already prepared for my signature,” he outlined.

The businessman said he was asked to apply to GRA for VAT exemptions on the equipment. This was granted for eight heavy-duty Caterpillar machines. He was also later granted concessions by GRA on eight Caterpillar trucks and one excavator costing $464 million.

Bacchus said he applied for and was granted more duty-free concessions in 2015, where he spent almost $960 million more.

However, that same year, the businessman’s contract ended with the equipment parked for several months.

In August 2016, the businessman said he was contracted by China Harbour Inc to transport sand and loam for the construction of a new international airport at Timehri, East Bank Demerara. He used some of the equipment he had purchased for the bauxite project.

However, in November last year, the businessman said that GRA and Fitzroy Corlette wrote him and pointed out that his equipment and concessions were under investigation.

GRA told the businessman that he had breached the conditions of the concessions when he also utilised some of the motor vehicles and equipment at the CJIA expansion project, “contrary to the purpose for which the concession was granted by GRA”.

But the businessman’s attorney, Anil Nandlall contended otherwise in responce to the GRA via letter and subsequently took the matter to court.

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SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Wales fallout

Contradiction ensues over severance pay – Chand

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GAWU President Komal Chand

undreds of sugar workers from the now defunct Wales Estate continue to agitate for the payout of their entitled severance packages, but discrepancies over Government’s position on the payout have surfaced through contradictory utterances made by senior Government officials.

President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, told Guyana Times on Saturday that Government ministers have expressed differing positions on the severance pay matter from the position articulated by the Guyana Sugar

Corporation (GuySuCo).

“The Agriculture Minister [Noel Holder] said the people got their severance pay; GuySuCo said they are required to take up work at Uitvlugt; and now Minister Khemraj Ramjattan (has) said, ‘Okay, we can’t find the money to pay them.’ So it’s contradicting what they said,” Chand noted.

Minister Ramjattan had on Friday told sugar workers assembled for a meeting with Government ministers at the Wales Community Centre on the West Bank of Demerara that Government could not afford to payout some $375 million in severance pay. His disclosure prompted an immediate exodus of angry sugar workers from the meeting with Government ministers and GuySuCo officials.

At the meeting, to which GAWU was not invited, according to Chand, Ramjattan had said: “Those that got the severance payment at the appropriate time, we had to pay $339 million in severance payment. GuySuCo is practically bankrupt; the figure now for those who would want (severance payment) is going to be $375 million more.”

In an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday, GAWU President Komal

Chand, a long-time sugar representative and Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), stressed that the workers have to be paid what they are owed.

“The point remains that the people are entitled legally to their pay, and GAWU is following up that matter to ensure that workers get their pay,” he stressed.

He disclosed that GAWU’s legal team is currently preparing to pursue litigation at the High Court in an effort to seek redress for the workers’ benefits. The legal team includes

And commenting on Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s statement: that he would not see sugar die, Chand explained that workers at the remaining estates would learn from the experience of their colleagues at Wales.

“The Prime Minister is trying to be not truthful. He knows that sugar is significantly impaired by the decision to close [Wales Estate] and two other (estates), and to sell out the Skeldon Estate. To say that sugar wouldn’t die is not realistic. It’s deception to justify

Sugar workers expressing their frustration at last Friday’s meeting

Senior Counsel Ashton Chase, who is a noted expert on industrial law, and former Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

all these anti-working class, unconscionable decisions by this Government,” he noted.

At a community-level meeting between Wales residents and Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, and Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, the workers stormed out of the

meeting after being told by the panel that Government had no money to pay the severance to which the workers are entitled.

At that meeting, one worker had explained that he had gone to work at the Uitvlugt Estate, only to be given menial tasks, or alternately told to clean drains or scrub steps. The worker expressed great emotion over his impoverished state since the closure of the estate.

Ministers Hughes and Ramjattan had reminded the crowd of the billions which have been invested into GuySuCo since the Government had taken office.

Against the backdrop of claims that there is no fiscal space, sugar workers have reminded the Ministers that in 2015 they had taken a retroactive raise of pay, in some cases by 50 per cent.

In response, Ramjattan had retorted that the amount they had paid themselves, a figure he put at $28 million, was too small to compare with what was now required to address the issue of severance payment.

Many workers have been without severance packages since December 2016, and they have long stressed that they want to move on with their lives.

“Our biggest concern is that the Minister of Agriculture declared that Wales Estate would be closing on 31 December (2016), so people need to move on with their lives. You close the estate, you giving one set of people severance and

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has said that GuySuCo is practically bankrupt

you denying the cane harvesters severance. The people have mortgages, families, (and) they have things to do,” a sugar worker had noted outside of the meeting.

Government had, in early 2016, announced the end of sugar operations at Wales Estate, citing cost as the main factor for its closure. It was later disclosed that rice would be planted as part of the estate’s diversification plans, but at present no rice has been reaped.

As recently as on March 10, 2017, Wales cane harvesters, transporters and their families have staged a protest outside of the Ministry of the Presidency. They then moved to outside of the National Assembly, where a sitting of the country’s legislators was in progress.

Guyana to participate in cybercrime forum

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abinet has granted approval for persons to attend the Caribbean stakeholders’ meeting in Cyber Security Cybercrime. This was revealed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday.

Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum will attend the workshop which will be held in Antigua and Barbuda on March 24.

The Minister said, “the meeting will inform delegates of the state of cybercrime in the Caribbean, (and) provide insight in building a strategic cybersecurity awareness programme,” and to develop an ideal cybersecurity awareness and education campaign for the region.

In August, the Cybercrime Bill was laid in the National Assembly. It was sent to a special select committee for consideration.

The Bill seeks to combat cybercrime through creating offences of cybercrime to make provision for penalties, investigation and pros-

ecution of the offences and related matters.

Cabinet also granted approval for persons to attend the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) extortion course which will be held in San Salvador, El Salvador from March 27 to 31.

The course will enable participants to improve their skills in investigative techniques and prosecutorial methods for dismantling criminal enterprises involved in extortion, Minister Harmon explained. A team from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been selected to attend the course along with Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Assistant Commissioner, Earl Daniels and Junior Legal Officer, Jason Moore.

The Minister said that GPF Superintendent, Traffic Chief Deon Moore will be participating in a study tour sponsored by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) which will be held in Mexico and Colombia from March 25 to April 1, 2017.

The study tour is aimed

at analysing the urban transport problems and trends; it will also strive for providing recommendations on matters regarding the public transport infrastructure, operations and financing and institutional organisation.

Additionally, a research officer from the Public Security Ministry will be attending the seventh meeting of the Technical Work Group (TWG) of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The meeting will be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago from April 4-6, 2017 Minister Harmon noted that the meeting will focus on at-risk youths and vulnerable populations, to develop a strategic plan to reach high risk youths, evidence-based decision-making and the implementation of a work programme.

The Public Security Ministry awarded the 911 business solution emergency service system contract to Digicel, the local telephone service provider. The contract is valued over $27 million.

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SunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

A self-inflicted economic crisis cannot “right” itself

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hen Finance Minister Winston Jordan said that the economy would mysteriously “right itself”, perhaps he was referring to Adam Smith’s free market invisible hand theory, which suggests that private investments from individuals and businesses resulting in voluntary private markets are more efficient in stimulating economic growth than a government-run economy.

However, the idea that selfAnna Correia driven individuals contribute – whether consciously or unconsciously – to the economic growth of a society can only materialise if they’re given space to thrive and invest. Such an environment, in turn, must imperatively be modelled by Government through the creation of favourable economic policies and market regulations. But if this is what Jordan meant when he alluded to Guyana’s economy eventually “righting” itself, then evidently he has underestimated the conditions required to make this possible.

Unfortunately, Guyanese are confronted with an economic dilemma which continues to literally suffocate businesses; it results from the Government’s disastrous policy-making. If Jordan really wishes the economy to “right itself”, then he must make a first step in this direction by reversing the harsh economic measures that were forced undemocratically upon the Guyanese people.

Otherwise, how would the economy “right itself” for the small woman and man?

For instance, the small cash crop and poultry farmers living in Canals Polder 1 and 2, who now have to integrate the charges of a 14 per cent VAT increase on water and electricity into their production cost, are also confronted with the massive job cuts resulting from the closing of the Wales Estate. Subsequently, as prices increase for local production, the demand has simultaneously declined on local markets situated on the West Bank Demerara; as well as in Bourda Market, which sources fruits and vegetables primarily from the Canals, Parika Backdam and West Berbice. As a result, farmlands are being abandoned and the livelihoods of people are under threat. This unfavourable environment leaves no room for economic growth for the small woman and man, and therefore cannot miraculously resolve itself on its own.

But if those at the bottom suffer, the big businesses have eventually come to feel the backlash from the domino effect of detrimental economic policies. Businesses across sectors such as Barama, Digicel, and now Alesie are closing shop and cutting thousands of jobs. As a matter of fact, we are yet to determine how many jobs have been lost in the private sector, considering that Barama and Digiciel alone laid off 2000 employees. Alesie’s decision to close down comes as a shocker, since its owner, Turhane Doerga, was one of the Coalition supporters who, during the presidential campaign in 2015, climbed the podiums to promise rice farmers $3000 per bag of paddy – a promise which was never forthcoming. Ironically, the same Doerga is now being driven out of business on the local market, and forced to admit that the Coalition has mismanaged the economy, stifled growth, and reduced space for development.

The massive tax increases slapped on every single sector imaginable in Guyana without prior national consultation or periods of progressive adjustments and transition resulted in thousands of job cuts; the loss of consumer purchasing power, which is the driving force of any economy; and the loss of both local and foreign investments; a foreign currency crisis, and the loss of public trust. These are not the consequences of world market or regional trends, as Minister Jordan is trying to make us believe. These are the immediate results of the APNU/AFC’s irresponsibility and incompetence; and moreover, its penchant for anti-democratic military-style leadership, which has no place in a growing democracy.

The economy prior to the Coalition’s installation in 2015 benefited from nine straight years of sustainable growth, fluctuating between 3.3 per cent and 7.2 per cent, with the exception of 2008 (due to the world financial crisis). This sustainability was obtained not because of an invisible hand, but because business investments – both local and foreign – were encouraged, while those who pillar the traditional income earning sectors, the rural people, were guaranteed State protection. It was also rendered possible because the Government at that time explored new solutions to boost local industry and production, such as the LCDS-funded Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, which would have been at little cost to taxpayers while liberating the country from its dependence on fossil fuel. The said project was scrapped by the Coalition.

Au finale, it seems that besides selling cook-up and waiting for things to clean themselves up, the Coalition has no vision to uplift Guyana from this self-inflicted crisis.

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Proposal for UG business school being explored – Vice Chancellor

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lans are being made to have a business school established for the University of Guyana (UG). This is according to UG’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, who called the proposed school a school of ‘entrepreneurship and business innovation’.

Griffith made this pronouncement during the recent Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) Annual General Meeting (AGM). He stated that a team was assembled and had looked at the feasibility of the project.

According to Griffith, he will take a formal proposal to establish the school to the University council on March 30.

“I assembled a team and I asked them to help us plan to construct and establish a school of entrepreneurship and business innovation. In August of last year, the feasibility team met with stakeholders in the business and civil community.”

The Vice Chancellor stated that the team was able to submit the first draft of the report four weeks ago. Detailing the consultations, he revealed that the draft report was shared with stakeholders in order to get feedback, before a final recommendation would be made to the University council.

“We travelled to Corriverton, spent half a day and then we went to Port Moraunt, Tain Campus, meeting with businesses, high school students, meeting civil society, and then the day after we travelled to Anna Regina.

We went to Linden. And then there was a final session at Herdmanston Lodge where we had a mix of cri-

ried the experiences. We will have written and video cases. We want to ensure that the students know a little more about the success and failures of companies in Guyana and the Caribbean.”

Funding

Vice Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith

tiques and suggestions.”

“I’ve identified the person who will be the founding Dean. He is a member of the feasibility team, a professor of Business in Maryland. I’ve identified the person who will be the Assistant Dean of that school, Diana Gobin, currently the Assistant Dean of Social Sciences.”

“We’re looking at a property to house that school. And the curriculum we are going to be using for that school is a curriculum that will resonate with the needs and interest of the business environment of the larger political landscape with an economic project.”

He gave assurances that the school’s curriculum will be an interface with theory and the real world and therefore would not focus solely on theory. He added that both regional and local case studies would play an important role in the students’ curriculum.

“We have lots of examples of successful companies in this country and region, but we have not catalogued and invento-

Describing the University as a “sea with troubled waters”, he noted that the problems with the institution will not be managed by “simply standing and lamenting and hoping to cross the sea.” He therefore expressed the need for funding for the university, besides Government allocations.

“We all know a University of Guyana is a significant player in our society in the construction of social and economic and the political architec-

The University of Guyana

ture. But we are accustom to a university with significant investment from the Government and very minimal from other stakeholders. Ladies and gentlemen, those days are over.”

Another week, another...

He questioned on what basis the Public Health Minister had concluded that there was an emergency shortage of drugs when, for months, in and out of the National Assembly, she, her predecessor and the Government had vehemently denied that there was any such shortage.

“As recent as a month ago, the issue was raised in the National Assembly, and Minister Lawrence stoutly denied any shortages. She accused the Opposition of misinforma-

tion… The Minister must proffer a reason for her sudden volte-face,” he insisted.

Nandlall further outlined that the former GPHC Board under the Chairmanship of Dr. Max Hanoman had even accused the then Minister, Dr. George Norton, of refusing to even acknowledge that there was a massive shortage of drugs in the public health system.

Conspiracy

Addressing

claims

“We cannot look to the Government to be the most significant contributor only and continuously. We have to broaden the base and bring under the tent every possible stakeholder. The business community, in my view, is a significant shareholder in the educational investment called the University of Guyana, even if only in the school of entrepreneurship.”

Under the Department of Business and Management studies, UG offers Diplomas in Accountancy, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Personnel and Industrial Relations. There are also Degrees in Accountancy and Management.

This will be a complement to plans ongoing to establish a law school, the JOF Haynes Law School, at Turkeyen. A Memorandum

made by Minister Lawrence that a conspiracy had been hatched between employees of the Public Health Ministry, employees of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and suppliers of pharmaceuticals – to sabotage the public health system and hold it to ransom in order to supply expired and inferior drugs, thereby costing the treasury billions and exposing the nation’s citizens to serious health perils, the former Attorney

of Understanding has already been signed between the Government of Guyana, the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and the Law College of the Americas (LAC).

from page 10

General had this to say: “Those are grave and astonishing accusations.

It is unbelievable that the Government has not yet unleashed the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to investigate (those claims).

Moreover, it is incumbent upon the Minister to make public the names of those involved in this malevolent plot.”

69 graduate from BIT’s...

The skills acquired by the youths, according to MP Figueira, can create niche markets in Linden. “You have a skill, a skill that is needed in our community and our country, but that skill I believe should not be given to an employer, but

for you to create your own employment,” the MP explained.

The Assistant Director of Youth said that she was extremely proud to see the youths graduating from the BIT training programme.

Meanwhile, Region 10

REO Clarke also congratulated the youths on their achievement. “What you would have achieved here today, is not anything small, it is great… and you should be proud of yourselves.”

However, the REO noted that what they have

from page 15

achieved should not be the end, but encouraged them to use it as a stepping stone to achieve greater things.

Clarke noted that the Regional Democratic Council will continue to support the youths’ development in the region.

18

sunday, MARCH 19, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Trinidad PM vows to G20 Finance Ministers drop bring back hangings anti-protectionist pledge …as missing Policewoman latest murder victim

The body of Nyasha Joseph being pulled from the sea. Inset is the deceased Policewoman. (Photo credit: CNC3)

F

ollowing the discovery of the decomposing body of a 22-yearold Policewoman who went missing last week, law enforcement officials have vowed to bring the killer to swift justice and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has made it clear his Government will be taking whatever steps are necessary to resume hangings.

Joseph’s body was found by a fisherman in the Gulf of Paria near Port of Spain on Wednesday, six days after she disappeared.

It had been disposed of in a crocus bag, but it became snagged in the fisherman’s net and he brought it to the surface. He will receive a $25,000 reward that had been offered by Crime Stoppers for information about Joseph’s whereabouts.

At least three people, including a woman who is said to have had an argument with Police Constable Joseph days before she disappeared, have been detained by police in connection with the murder. (Caribbean360.com)

Mom, baby beaten

T

wo forest rangers on duty near the Mt St Benedict Monastery prevented the possible murder of a 32-year-old woman and her one-year-old daughter whom they rescued from two men, who were savagely beating both mother and child on Thursday morning.

One of the men beat the woman with an iron wheel spanner.

The drama did not end there, as one of the two suspects was later nabbed at

a Police station where he had gone to make a false report of robbery committed against him. The woman, who is now warded in serious condition at hospital, became hysterical on seeing her attacker as she too was at the same Police station making a report on the attack. One of the suspects, is a man whom the woman had brought up in the Pt Fortin Magistrates Court for failure to maintenance for the one-year-old child. (Excerpt from T&T Newsday)

Teen model killed by train during photoshoot

Teen model Fredzania “Zanie” Thompson

A

n aspiring model was struck and killed by a train in Navasota, Texas on Friday while posing for a photoshoot on the tracks that she hoped would help

launch her career.

Authorities report that Fredzania "Zanie" Thompson, 19, and her photographer were standing between two sets of tracks at a railway crossing taking photos at around noon.

According to The Eagle, one set of the tracks belonged to BNSF and the other to Union Pacific, and the teenager was standing on the former, facing towards an oncoming BNSF train. She then tried to cross the tracks in order to avoid it, but was struck by a Union Pacific train coming from the opposite direction on the other set of tracks. Buzzfeed reports that Thompson was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. (yahoonews!)

F

inance ministers from world's biggest economies have dropped an anti-protectionist commitment after opposition from the US. G20 ministers left the two-day meeting without renewing their long-standing pledge to bolster free trade.

Last year, the group of the world's 20 largest economies vowed to "resist all forms of protectionism".

But since then, President Donald Trump has taken office, and is aggressively pursuing an "America First" policy.

His policies include penalties for companies which manufacture their products abroad.

Speaking after the meeting ended, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he would not read too much into his country's de-

sire to change the language behind the comminique, as "what was as in the past" releases was "not relevant".

Mnuchin added he had been "very clear that we do believe in free trade but we believe in balanced trade".

The communique, which was published at the end of the meeting in Baden-Baden with the agreement of all attending delegates, also failed to include a vow on climate

change. Trump has already promised to slash environmental funding.

The exclusion of the two issues in the communique was disappointing, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said. However, it did include pledges on a determination to fight tax avoidance, clamp down on terrorist financing and strengthen private investment in Africa.

(Excerpt from BBC)

China urges ‘cool heads’ on North Korea

C

hina's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the US to remain "cool-headed" over North Korean tensions.

The situation was at a "crossroads", but must not be allowed to develop into a conflict, he said after hosting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson spoke of "dangerous levels" of tension, a day after suggesting the US might launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.

North Korea is working to develop nuclear missiles that can reach the US. Last week, it launched four ballistic missiles - defying United Nations resolutions.

Tillerson is in Beijing in the final leg of his East

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Asia tour, which has been dominated by anxieties over North Korea.

In South Korea on Friday, he said a US military response would be on

the table if North Korea threatened South Korea or US forces. President Donald Trump tweeted that North Korea was "behaving very badly".

He added that China - Pyongyang's main ally had done "little to help".

Wang defended the Chinese position, saying all parties were duty-bound to implement UN sanctions against Pyongyang, but also to seek dialogue and diplomatic solutions.

Tillerson did not repeat his threat in Beijing, but stressed that the US and China shared "a common view that tensions on the peninsula are quite high right now - and that things have reached a rather dangerous level". (Excerpt from BBC)

Hate crime charge added in attack on Indian American man

F

ederal prosecutors have added a hate crime charge against a Pennsylvania man, already awaiting trial on state charges, saying he used anti-Muslim slurs and physically attacked an Indian American man while drunk at a restaurant.

Fifty-four-year-old

Jeffrey Burgess, of Bethel Heights, would face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of targeting someone with violence based on their ethnicity or perceived ethnicity.

Authorities say Burgess was at a Red Robin restaurant in November when he began insulting an Indian American man sitting next

to him. Authorities say Burgess repeatedly elbowed Ankur Mehta in the head.

Mehta is not Muslim.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and acting US Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of

Pennsylvania announced the indictment, reported PTI. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Burgess was quoted by witnesses as saying, "I don’t want you sitting next to me...you people," in addition to his anti-Muslim racial slurs. (Excerpt from Indiawest.com)

Brazil meat-packing giants 'exported rotten beef'

T

he authorities in Brazil suspended 33 Government officials amid allegations that some of the country's biggest meat processors have been selling rotten beef and poultry for years. Three meat processing plants have also been closed and another 21 are under scrutiny. Much of the meat produced by the companies accused is exported to Europe and other parts of the world. Brazil is the world's largest red meat exporter.

Operation Weak Flesh was launched in the ear-

ly hours of Friday in six Brazilian states after a twoyear investigation.

Federal police carried out raids in 194 locations, deploying more than 1,000 officers.

The investigators allege that some managers bribed health inspectors and politicians to get Government certificates for their products.

They accuse more than 30 companies of a number of unhygienic practices.

Among them are JBS, the world's largest beef exporter, and BRF, the world's top

Both JBS and BRF say they are co-operating with the Police

poultry producer. Brazilian federal police said they have

evidence of at least 40 incidents. (Excerpted from BBC)

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, MARCH 19, 2017

CWI/ Digicel PCL Regional 4-Day

19

Jaguars hold slim lead – Fudadin, Reifer hit 50s

T

rinidad and Tobago Red Force bowlers combined to effect seven dismissals between them so far as seven wickets fell on day two for Guyana Jaguars, who have a slim 44 runs lead heading into the third day at the Queen’s Park Oval.

T a g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul’s replacement,

Assad Fudadin hit 57 before he was caught and bowled

by Charles while Raymon Reifer continues to enjoy an outstanding all-round run this season with an unbeaten even 50. Night watchman Devendra Bishoo scored 39 while there were starts for Vishaul Singh 22 and Veerasammy Permaul 24.

Richards have so far

claimed figures of 4-34 from 20 overs while Charles captured 3-70. The other wicket taker is left arm orthodox spinner Khary Pierre.

Jaguars are currently 246-8 from 100 overs replying to Red Force first innings total of 202 all out.

Meanwhile, Barbados Pride are eying a third day victory if they could take the remaining five Windward Volcanoes’ wickets early on day three. Volcanoes are currently struggling at 34-5 with a lead of a mere three runs.

Pride scored 324 all out on day two replying to 293 made by the Volcanoes in their first innings. Skipper Kevin Stoute top scored with 61 while Sherman Lewis and Shane Shillingford claimed three wickets apiece.

Miguel Cummins and Roston Chase have caused disaster for the Volcanoes’ batsmen so far in their second innings, collecting three and two wickets respectively.

Raymon Reifer is unbeaten on 50

Overnight batsman Devendra Bishoo played a few shots before he got out for 39

SCOREBOARD Trinidad Tobago Red Force 1st innings 202 Guyana Jaguars 1st innings S Hetmyer c Pierre b Charles 15 R Chandrika c Cariah b Richards 17 D Bishoo c † Katwaroo b Richards 39 A Fudadin c & b Charles 57 L Johnson c † Katwaroo b Richards 7 V Singh c Mohammed b Pierre22 R Reifer not out 50 A Bramble lbw b Charles 4

V Permaul lbw b Richards 24 R Shepherd not out 1 Extras (byes 8, wides 1, no balls 1) 10 Total (wickets 8, 100 overs) 246 Fall of Wicket: 27( Hetmyer, 6.3), 47(Chandrika, 11.1), 136( Fudadin, 50.4), 144(Bishoo, 55.2), 149(Johnson, 59.3), 196(Singh, 79.6), 201( Bramble, 80.4), 243(Permaul, 97.6) Bowling: Richards 20-9-34-4, Phillip 5-1-25-0, Charles 31-8-703, Khan 18-0-63-0, Pierre 110-29-1, Mohammed 15-5-17-0

GKC taking on Sophia Training School

T

h e Guyana Karate College whose aim and objective it is, to motivate, empower and support young people through the martial art of Karate-do, has begun providing training to the residents of the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre is located in the compound of the Sophia Training School.

Sixth Degree Black Belt Sensei Jeffrey Wong who is the Vice Chairman and Vice Chief Instructor of the GKC is personally conducting the classes, as he firmly believes that while young people are usually naturally passionate about sports and have a lot of energy, they should be further encouraged and guided to spend that energy through the practice of sporting activities.

Sensei Wong opined that Karate-do helps in a significant way in making people

become disciplined and respectful of others, and with the introduction of the GKC karate programme, a big opportunity was being offered to the targeted young people of the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre to lead a better life.

The Guyana Karate College sees as part of its social responsibility contributing of an enabling environment to help the juvenile offenders reformed in a real sense. They believe that karate can help the youth when they leave the Centre to integrate into the society more smoothly as a consequence of the positive and health-related impacts of sports.

According to sports research evidence, sporting activities can contribute to both physical and psychological development and will ultimately have a positive impact on the lives of young people. Sports and recreation, along with arts and crafts, have the potential to supply elements that are otherwise missing in the lives of disadvantaged youth. Therefore, sports can have a positive effect, if not on crime prevention directly, but on other factors that contribute to youth violence. These factors include enhancing

Digicel Triple Treat attracts 24 teams

A

fter an initial set back the second Digicel Triple Treat Softball Cricket competition on the Essequibo coast will bowl off today at the Perseverance beach at 13:00h 24 teams.

The action was expected to get underway two weeks ago but the delay gave more teams the opportunity to register and additional time to prepare for today’s opening. The preliminary matches will run until April 9 with matches on the weekends at the beach.

The public is encouraged to go and support their favorite teams and cricket generally while cashing in on the great deals including reduced prices on handsets and giveaways with Top Up compliments of Digicel.

The Finals will be played on Saturday April 22 at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground when the Curried Duck competition and Stage Show will also take place to bring the curtains down on the exciting Triple Treat. Admission to all matches is free including the finals.

Digicel is reminding all curried duck teams to sign up early as spots are going fast. Registration forms can be found on Digicel Guyana's Facebook page and registration is free.

Sensei Jeffrey Wong (left) with Yvette Sancho and Karateka Samuel Munroe (right)

self-esteem, learning the value of teamwork and developing greater self-discipline.

Thus, effective sports-based policy depends on the recognition of the conditions necessary to effect positive change in youth, including the factors that can help young people resist the urge to engage in violent behaviour.

The Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre is the first facility of its kind locally for the reception, care and custody of children and young persons under the orders of the court from age ten and over, but under the age of seventeen, who have come into conflict with the law, but who are not to be detained in the same manner like adult offenders. These include juveniles who have been held pending a charge, etc. and/or on remand and of juveniles who have completed the period of their sentence and are awaiting rehabilita-

tion.”

Ms. Yvette Sancho the Administrator of the Centre who ensures that the operations of the holding centre are administered in an efficient and effective manner is supportive and enthusiastic about the introduction of karate-do and expressed hope that it will motivate some to decide to change their lives for the better.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Commander Clifton Hicken whose initiative it was to introduce Karate-do to the juveniles is very interested to see how these youths are handled and is committed to investing time in the children of the nation.

Commander Hicken has asked the Karate College to continue to show the juveniles love, care, kindness, and patience, as they make them martial artists and good citizens.

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sundAY, MARCH 19, 2017

Akil Johnson: Combining his love for football & law to succeed

By Akeem Greene

F

rom Green Acers Primary School to Queen’s College to The Bishops’ High and now to Brevard College in the United States of America, Akil O'Neal Johnson is another epitome of the cliché that “hard work pays” as the 19-year is the newest Reela Smc student athlete.

This young man is a shining example of the wonders that can be derived when academics and sports are promoted since he is expected to start Brevard College in fall as a freshman, pursuing a law degree while playing defensive midfield or center back for the Tornadoes.

Guyana Times Sport reached out to the elated Johnson who was more than more

make sure that I've lived a comfortable life pay off.”

Johnson won’t be the only one from his family who aspires to have a profession in the legal fraternity since his uncle Roger Yearwood is a prominent Attorney-at-law, and along with his mother Cecile Johnson were some of the persons who kept Akil focused on the journey at hand.

“I was even more anxious to even get here and go to the college to mark my footprint on a new beginning but my mom, Cecile Johnson, my uncle Roger Yearwood and big brother, Quincy Johnson insisted that I remain patient and it would happen when the time is right. I am guessing that they knew something I didn't,” he joyfully expressed.

Just having completed his studies

Johnson (black top) engages in a game of football at Brevard College

happy to tell his story of getting an opportunity that most youths can only dream of achieving.

Asked on the feeling of being accepted into the institution to further his studies, he stated, “I feel very blessed to be having the opportunity to attend the college on a scholarship because I'm seeing all the hard work and sacrifices that my family has made to

at the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the student would have only done initial studies of the area and no with no surprise for the sport fanatic, he named football as his greater love due his late father’s presence in the sport.

“The greater love would have to be football for personal reasons because my dad [Raol Johnson] was a lover of the sport and

was very involved with Guyana Football Federation and I guess it brings that closeness to him every time I set foot on a field and perform to my best ability thinking that I would be making him proud,” Johnson emotionally stated.

Though the love for the “beautiful sport” stands out, his focus remains on being qualified to return to Guyana and make a difference in society while still having the illustrious thoughts of being professional footballer.

“My main focus is on my academics and achieving my degree and continuing to further my studies to come back to Guyana and serve as a member of society and being able to be in a position to give back and see my country become excellent in the field of sports, however it is a dream of mine to play professional football at any level just right after I get my degree, that's the most important thing,” said the fan of Brazilian footballer Thiago Silva.

At the age where social media is widely embraced, how does this teenager find time to play football, basketball and the occasional cricket while still being a strong family person? Well according to Johnson, the key is discipline.

“Managing football and academics was never easy and there were times that I wasn't allowed to play because of my need to focus on academics when I was slacking off but after a while I got accustomed to it; It would call for a lot of discipline and sacrifice to both factors to balance them equally, sometimes even a lack of sleep,” he explained.

He added, “The main thing to becoming a good student athlete is discipline, you could have all the skills in the world on a football field and you could be the brightest bulb in the class but the discipline to not only manage both football and academics but to also be able to take advice from coaches and peers is the most important thing.”

The inspiration to remain focused on discipline was only a self-imposed attribute since his uncle was a “big inspiration and advising him in areas in where to better myself

Akil Johnson in my studies in the field.”

He further revealed that “a good friend of mine, Rejan McKay, father, Rex McKay, when I have had the privilege of seeing him has often given me advice.”

With close friends such as Olympic Swimmer Hannibal Gaskin, top motor biker Elliot Vieira, multi-talented national table tennis player Shemar Britton, Michael DeCosta, Michael Williams, Jamaal Skeete, Akil Stewart and Shamal Beaton and his brother Quincy, who fancies skills with the basketball, the competitive edge is ever present with the youngster.

In giving a word encouragement to those who may want to emulate him, he urged that they remained focused and keeping working hard.

“Just keep focusing and keep working hard, Reela SMC was a dream come through for me, Gregory Samuels and Albert Cappell, the directors, have made this possible for me and others like myself and we are just the foundation for this organization, there is much more in store and soon enough your hard work will pay off.”

The second eldest of three siblings plans to said that he plans to start on fresh slate as be beings a journey that will shape what certainly looks to be promising future.

GCA/NBS 2nd Division

TSC stuns Everest to reach final

T

Ashkaya Persaud

ransport Sports Club (TSC) dominance in Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) second division tournaments for the 2016/2017 season continued yesterday as the Thomas Land side prevailed over a strong Everest Cricket Club unit in a thriller to book their place in the final of GCA/ New Building Society 40 overs tournament.

Played at Everest Cricket Club Ground, TSC defended seven runs in the final over to win by a slim margin of four runs, compliments of a brave effort from all-rounder Oslyn Batson, who operated with an injured bowling hand to seal

the deal.

In search of victory Everest last pair got one off the first ball of Batson’s final over, before a dot ball the second delivery followed by a single off the third which amounted pressure and Avishkar Ramgobin charged down to go for a maximum off the fourth only to be stumped by wicket keeper Chemroy Kendell, who completed an excellent day at the office after being involved in four dismissals.

Earlier, TSC won the toss and opted to bat, scoring 159 all out in 35.3 overs, with one of their most consistent batsman Sunil Singh

Oslyn Batson

tras.

The hosts’ response started poorly as they lost two wicket with just three runs on the board, but due to a solid third wicket partnership between skipper Persaud and Khemraj Ramdeen, who is arguably the most consistent of all batsmen playing at the second division level in GCA’s cricket, worth 57 runs they were able to return to course and at one time was comfortably place to win the match until a few casualties.

After Ramdeen’s dismissal for 35, a few rash shots caused from tight bowling by the visitors’ bowl-

ers saw Everest chase slump in the latter stage before they enter the final over needing seven runs.

Persaud batted superb for 80, but apart from him and Ramdeen none of the other batsmen showed determination. Batson and Shawn Massiah were TSC’s best bowlers with two wickets each.

TSC will now have to get past powerhouse Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in the final to claim the title. Can they get past that final hurdle? Keep abreast with GCA news to witness the final in the upcoming weeks. (Delvon Mc Ewan)

Sunil Singh

hitting top score of 51. In an unusual manner, Singh operated in aggressive mode as he got off the mark with a timed pull that went sailing over the midwicket boundary for six. He accounted for another six and three fours and added 60 in his team most effective partnership with opener Charwayne McPherson, who made 24.

Former national youth players Richie Looknauth and Ashkaya Persaud claimed three wickets apiece for the hosts while Azad Mohamed captured two scalps.

However, accuracy and discipline was not in Everest bowlers’ execution as TSC benefitted from 25 ex-

Action in the GCA/ NBS second division semifinal match between Transport Sports Club and Everest Cricket Club on Saturday

sports

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21

Grass track thrills returns to Anna Regina N

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fans with the best possible experience on race-day.

The organizer is urging fans to go and show their support since he reflected on the success the event had in 2016 and the riders are eager to showcase more daredevilry this time round.

In April at the South Dakota grass track, there will be another meet which should be inclusive of Suriname riders while on June 25, the daredevilry is slated to move to West Coast Berbice followed by a trip to neighbouring Suriname in July.

The packed grass track calendar have Hampton Court as the venue for the next Essequibo meet on August 27 followed by action in the Mining Town of Linden who will be treated on October 29. The grand finale is slated for November 26 at the Ogle Community Centre Ground.

To date 22 riders from Berbice, Essequibo and the East Coast of Demerara have confirmed their participation this is in addition to the Surinamese who are hoping to participate in all the legs as well.

Race days will have 10 races are carded across three categories; Professional, Novices and Chappy.

The professional riders will have five races at 12 laps each while the Novices will have 10 laps and the Chappy will ride around five times.

At the last finals, daredevil ‘Andy’ Wong rode away with the overall title and was trailed by Ramcoomar in second and Stephen Nobrega third.

Up and coming Avo Ramkumar, conquered the circuit in the novice division and another exciting and competitive season is in the making.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, march 19, 2017

Permaul picked for T20 series against Pakistan –Mohammed, Carter also included

A

fter consistent performances for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul has been selected to play for the West Indies in the upcoming four-match series against Pakistan in the Caribbean beginning on March 26.

The 27 year old Berbician has so far played 60 domestic T20 matches picking up 42 wickets is among three uncapped players that are included in the squad of 16. Jason Mohammed and Jonathan Carter who featured for the West Indies in the recent ODI series against England are the others.

Mohammed who plays in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) alongside Permaul for the Amazon Warriors scored two half centuries in the three-match series when West Indies were white-washed at the hands of the visiting English side.

The 30 year old has so far played 53 T20s scoring 631 runs at an average of 23.37 and a strike rate of 98.23 runs per hundred balls. The Trinidadian is also handy with the ball with his right are off breaks while in the field he is considered an asset in the deep with his safe pair of hands.

Jonathan Carter who plays for the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in CPL and also featured against England in the recent series showed some form with scores of 52, 39 and 46.

Also included for the West Indies are international T20 super stars Kieron Pollard,

Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Samuel Badree and Marlon Samuels. The side will be captained by Carlos Brathwaite.

The series opens in Barbados, where the first Twenty20 will be played at the Kensington Oval on Sunday, March 26; then moves over to Trinidad and Tobago for three additional Twenty20 matches that are scheduled for Thursday, March 30, Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 respectively, at the Queen’s Park Oval.

West Indies full squad reads; Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite (Captain), Jonathan Carter, André Fletcher, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton and Kesrick Williams.

GCA/ Carib Beer T20

Jonathan Carter

DCC trounce UG by 142 runs

– MSC, GCC, Police also in winners’ row performance after he hit 68 in Police total of 181-6 from 20 overs. Mark Rhobe 39 and Sherwin McPherson 20 contributed with the bat for Police.

Jermine Grovesnor and Ryan Shun snared two wickets apiece for GNIC. If the competition continues in this fashion it means

F

Christopher Barnwell heave one during his top score of 60 for club team DCC

ive half centuries recorded in a batsmen friendly start to Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/ Carib Beer T20 tournament as a total of 1190 runs were scored in four exciting matches in the City.

Christopher Barnwell, Surujnarine Kandasammy, Ryan Shun, Ovid Richardson and Kelvin Leitch are the batsmen that scored fifties to set their 2017 campaign off to a good start.

At Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) ground, the host MSC defeated Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by 31 runs. Hosts Police Sports Club edged Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) by six runs. Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) hammered University of Guyana (UG) by a mammoth margin of 142 runs and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) won by seven wickets against visitors Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

A poor batting and fielding display by GYO helped MSC to a comfortable victory. The visitors floored five catches as MSC registered 155-4 in 20 overs.

Kandasammy top scored with 50 from 34 balls and received valuable support from skipper Steven Jacobs 41 and Stephan Browne 33 while Kellon Carmichael scored 13.

Kandasammy and Browne added 75 for the

first wicket before the former was dismissed making way for Jacobs, who up the tempo immediately after entering the crease to help MSC score more than 80 runs in their last 10 overs.

Darshan Persaud and Prakash Chowtie collected two wickets each for GYO, who finished on 124-9 in 20 overs in their reply.

Chris Deonarine 18 and John Champagne 12 got things started with a 24 run opening stand but the visitors lost nine wickets for 42 runs subsequently. At 66-9 GYO were steering at a heavy defeat but the last pair of Kishan Singh 26 and Irfaan Alli 33 added 58 runs in an unbroken partnership in just 7.4 overs, hitting seven sixes between them.

Jacobs dominated with ball as he grabbed 2-28 from his quota of four overs while Carmichael, Brown and Edward Burnette captured a scalp each.

At DCC, Barbados Tridents new addition Barnwell blasted 60 to inspired DCC to 255-6 in 20 overs against UG. Sherfane Rutherford 48, Brian Sattaur 40, Kemol Savoury 37 and Paul Wintz 30 all played significant parts in DCC’s total. Linden Austin 2-36 and pacer Ray Newton 2-57 led the bowling for the students.

It was always going to be an uphill task for the minnows and by the time their overs expired they were

at 113-9. Darnell Douglas scored 31 and Royston Alkins 10 was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Cohen Ismond spearheaded DCC’s bowling with figures of 4-25 while Steven Sankar and Trevon Garraway supported with two wickets each.

In a low scoring match GCC got past GDF with one over to score at Bourda.

GDF made 93 all out in 19.4 overs, with Leon Andrews making 22. Robin Bacchus 3-23 and Anthony Adams 2-9 spearheaded the hosts’ bowling.

GCC successfully reached their target of 94-3 in 19 overs as Martin Pestano-Belle scored 31 and Renaldo Ali Mohamed 25 not out ensured they got there.

In the closest match of the day, Police prevailed over GNIC although the latter benefitted from eight penalty runs before the start of the last over because of time wasting and were left with eight to get from the ultimate over.

However, they only managed two runs. Ryan Shun 80 and Ovid Richardson 50 scored fifties as GNIC made 175-6 in the chase. Raun Johnson 3-15 from four overs and Jason Heyliger 3-9 from two overs were the best bowlers for the lawmen.

Kelvin Leitch bowled four overs for 24 runs to complete a quality all-round

an average 149 runs would be scored per innings which would make it a very competitive one.

Action in the competition continues today with four matches. Banwarie and Isaacs will be officiating as DCC hosts GNIC while over at PSC, the lawmen will face a challenge from TSC with

Persaud and Feassal in the middle.

Everest will entertain GYO with Mario Nicholls and Andre Hurry doing onfield duties and over at, MSC, the home team will encounter GCC under the duties of Ashook Bridgekumar and Yisrael. (Delvon Mc Ewan)

Linden Mayor is patron of international football game

Mayor of Linden, Carywn Holland (third from right) and GFF President, Wayne Forde confirm the deal in the presence of other members of the football body

T

he Guyana Football Federation has appointed Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland as the official patron of the upcoming international friendly match between Guyana and Martinique on Tuesday March 28, in Linden.

The clash between the Golden Jaguars and a powerful Martinique side warming up for its fifth appearance at the CONCACAF Gold Cup marks the return of international football to Linden after a six-year hiatus.

GFF President Wayne Forde made the patronage announcement during a preparatory inspection visit to Linden on Friday.

“Mayor Carwyn Holland,

on behalf of the Guyana Football Federation Executive Committee, you are now the official patron of the international friendly – Guyana versus Martinique,” GFF President Forde said following a meeting with Mayor Holland.

“Congratulations to the Linden community. This is an exciting opportunity for Linden to show itself a worthy recipient of such an important friendly match.”

The game is scheduled for 20:00h on Tuesday, March 28 at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground, with tickets priced at $1,500.

The GFF is encouraging all fans to wear yellow to show their support for the Golden Jaguars.

“We want to thank you on behalf of the people of Linden – the home of football in Guyana – and I can assure the people will be coming out in full numbers and we will be looking forward to wearing our yellow,” Mayor Holland said.

“It should be a great day for all of Linden and a great day for football in Guyana.” The GFF delegation, including Executive Committee member Keith Ojeer, Technical Director Ian Greenwood, Competitions Director Ian Alves and Marketing and Sponsorship Director Dario Mcklmon, also met representatives of the McKenzie Sports Club to discuss logistical planning for the clash.

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, march 19, 2017

GMR&SC ‘Reaction’ Dragz Meet…

Best of the quarter-mile light up South Dakota today

T

he day that both the fans of drag racing and drivers has arrived since the South Dakota is expected to be in hive of activity as the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) hosts ‘Reaction’ meet.

The threatening Surinamese have arrived yesterday and in speaking to the media sent out an ominous warning as there are out to spoil the home side’s fun.

Team Suriname comprises eight cars and three motorcycles and the drivers have stated that, “There is our surprise Honda that’s always improving; it does 10 seconds in the quarter-mile but what’s under there (the hood) is a big secret and it gets faster and faster.”

Guyana will be represented by a strong contingent headed by reigning champion Sean Persaud in his Toyota Caldina which destroyed all opponents at the season ending Meet in October last year.

Expected to provide adequate support for Persaud are Anand Ramchand, Peter Daby in their Mitsubishi Evo and Mazda RX7 machines respectively, while the confirmation of Rondell Daby’s Toyota Supra is always a welcomed feature.

The Toyota Supra is one of the most feared machines to take to the starting line in local Drag racing and providing that it is confirmed for today’s impending showdown it is anticipated that South

Dakota will buzzing with excitement as fans will be eager to witness the confrontation between Daby, Persaud and the rest of the Dutch-speaking neighbours.

The Nissan GTRs owned by Mohammed’s Enterprise could be in line for stern test once more from counterparts from Suriname since Surinamese driver Prakash Lachman, whose fleet of cars includes a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, is confident that his machine can hold-off the anticipated assault of the GTR Nismo.

The Nismo, which was undefeated at the last drag meet, is tuned by Switzer Performance, which is known for producing some of the fastest GTRs in the

world.

Among the categories to be contested are the F Class – 14 Seconds Bracket, E Class – 13 Seconds Bracket, D Class – 12 Seconds Bracket, C Class – 11 Seconds Bracket, B Class – 10 Seconds Bracket, A Class – 9 Seconds Bracket and the 8 Seconds Bracket.

The Porta Tree Timing device with specialised starting lights will be used throughout the day.

Official free runs start at 9:00h with Qualifying set for an hour after while Knockout will begin at 11:00h.

Admission is $1,000 for adults while children under 12 years of age will pay $500.

The smoke and tyre burn return to the South Dakota Circuit today and lots of trills can expected for fans

23

Registration extended for Regal Sports Softball

The Regal Masters ahead of their final in the Florida Cup 2017

T

he long awaited Regal Sports Softball Tournament will now begin on Sunday March 26 at the Carifesta Sports Complex ground in tow categories; the Male Open and Male Masters.

The masters category comprises players 40 years and older and will be 20 overs per side while the Open category will be 15 overs per side.

The small supreme balls will be used for the open and the white balls will be used for the masters.

There is no entrance fee to enter the tournament but teams have until Friday March 24 to indicate their participation by calling Teams can contact Mahendra Hardyal on 623 2704 or 610 7902 and Russel Jadbeer on 225 4802 for information on registration.

The winning team in each category will pocket $100,000 each for their efforts. The losing finalists in each category will not walk away empty-handed but will collect a trophy and $25,000 each.

Additionally, Outstanding teams from this tournament will be selected to compete in the upcoming President’s Cup. Since the Florida Cup at the end of February, play in the softball arena was a pedestrian pace but with this competition the rivalry will resume at a very highly competitive level.

After sweeping the Florida Cup, Regal Masters and Regal All-Stars will begin as favourites but playing with the small supreme balls the All-Stars team could expect stiff competition from the underdogs. Regal Sports which is a member of the Regal Stationery and Compute Centre sells sports equipment and the entity would from time to time give back to young athletes so as to enhance their talent.

Petra/ Milo U-18 Secondary Schools Football championships 2017

Carmel crushes Everest Masters Brickdam 12-0 win T&T Goodwill Series

T

he Everest Cricket Club Masters team journeyed to Trinidad and Tobago for a three-match series recently and came out victors after winning two encounters convincingly against quality opponents who played highly competitive cricket.

First game against Munroe Road Masters was played on March 9 in Chaguanas and after taking first strike, Everest muscled their way to 165 for 2 off their 20 overs. Basil Persaud made 92 (4x7; 6x3) and was supported beautifully by Richard Sukhdeo who made 47 not out (4x3).

In reply, Munroe Road Masters were restricted to 141 for 8 off 20 overs with former T7T national player Richard Mangolie hitting the top score of 37 and Lookesh Rampersaud got 29. Bowling for Everest Masters, Ucil Armstrong claimed 4/10 from his 4 overs, Ronald “Sticky” Jaisingh picked up 2 for 18 from 4 overs and Rabindranauth Seeram claimed 2/11 from 4 overs to give Everest Masters victory by 24 runs and a good start to the series.

The Everest Masters then turned their attention to Clarke Road Veterans.

In the game that was played in Penal the hosts leveled the series after a 21run victory.

Clarke Road batted first and scored a challenging 172/6 off their 20 overs.

Former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies opening batsman Suruj Ragunauth scored 53 (4x4; 6x2), Ramesh Bhagoo made 32 and Mukesh Persaud 35 not out (4x2; 6x2). Bowling for Everest Masters Rakesh Gangaram had 2-16 from 4 overs and Rabindranauth Seeram had 2-22 from 4 overs.

Everest Masters replied with 151/8 with Hafeez Ali blasting 46, Richard Sukhdeo stroking 24, Hemraj Garbarran compiling 25 while Imtiaz Sadik got 24 (6x3).

With the series locked at 1-1 it was all to play for as Everest Masters took on P.Y.O Masters at the Eddie Hart Savannah with nothing less than victory on their minds. Everest batted first and scored 165/8 off 20 overs with Rabindrtanauth Seeram showing con-

The victorious Everest Masters team in Trinidad after clinching the series 2-1

C

armel Secondary ensured they ended the final round-robin matches of the 5th Petra Organised Milo Schools Football Championships on a high as they crushed Brickdam Secondary 12-0 on Saturday at the Ministry of Education Ground.

mered three goals into the net in the 55th, 57th and 60th to outdo Patrick Joseph’s double (19th and 40th).

In another close match, Queenstown got the better of Cummings Lodge by 4-3 on the back of a brace

by Denzel Ross who netted in the 36th and 52nd and

Hafeez Ali

sistency in scoring 43 while Richard Sukhdeo and Hemraj Garbarran were also among the runs again hitting 29 and 28 respectively. Bowling for P.Y.O. Brian Singh had 3-12 from 4 overs.

After a promising start, P.Y.O. Masters slipped and were eventually halted at 138/8 off 20 overs with Robert Perreira making 54 not out and Brian Singh 21. Bowling for Everest, Rajesh Singh picked up 2-16 from 4 overs, Imtiaz Sadik had 2-11 from 3 overs to Everest Masters victory by 27 runs and the series 2-1.

Trophies for best batsman, best bowler and winners also medals were presented and sponsored by Hafeez “Mr. Rockaway” Ali of the Rockaway group of companies of New York. The executives and members of Everest Cricket Club express heartfelt gratitude to Rockaway group of Companies, Carib Food Distributors Inc. Trophy Stall and New Doctors Clinic for making the trip possible.

Brickdam Secondary could not withstand the constant attacks

by Carmel Secondary on Saturday at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue

Shaquille Cox led the route with a hat-trick, netting in the 9th, 14th and 37th and received support from Darron Niles (17th and 20th), Romel Maxwell (19th and 28th), Shaquille Baptiste (2nd), Ryan Fredericks (3rd), Shawn Harvey (12th), Stefon Duke (46th) and Romel Smith (51st).

Similarly, Adrian Aaron hat-trick (5th, 10th and 16th), Meshach Barratt (41st) and Tyrese Forde eased Sir Leon’s Lesson to 5-1 over Richard Ishmael; Shemar Albert netted for the losers in the 21st. South Ruimveldt Secondary edged Christ Church Secondary 3-2 thanks to the heroics of Nergal McBean who ham-

with support from Jermaine Padmore (26th) and Shaquille Stephens (50th). In a valiant effort by the East Coast unit, Keon Hamer (14th), Britton Capriano (19th) and Leonardo Wilson (21st) brought to the brink of victory.

The tourney will continue today at the same venue with another four matches. At 11:00h, Central High engages School of the Nations while former winner St. George’s battle Tutorial Secondary from 12:30h. The third fixture at 14:00h will bring together Queen’s College and Mae’s Secondary whilst Dolphin Secondary opposes North Georgetown from 15:30h in the final game of the day.

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Permaul picked for T20 series against Pakistan –Mohammed, Carter also included

Pg 22

CWI/ Digicel PCL Regional 4-Day

Jaguars hold slim lead – Fudadin, Reifer hit 50s

Assad Fudadin marked his return to the Jaguars with a fluent half century

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Pg 19

Sunday March 19, 2017

Times

Star Times Bollywood:

Sonam Kapoor raises funds for children suffering from cancer See story on page 14

Magazine

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Page 3

Historic Monuments in Guyana

Page 7

Page 8

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 19 , 2017

Times Feature

Taan Revitalization

By Dr. Vibert Cambridge, AA

T

his year marks 100 years since the end of the importation of Indian indentured labor to Guyana. This is an appropriate time for us to explore the “spirit of innovative syncretism” that has been associated with Indian music in Guyana.

The late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud and Temple University’s ethnomusicologist, Peter Manuel, have identified Taan as a new musical form that emerged out of the churn of the experience of living in the former colony. Taan is described as a genre of Indian classical and semi-classical music developed and popularized by Indian immigrants in British Guiana, Trinidad, and Suriname.

It is a genre that draws upon the raga - a melodic system that is central to Indian classical music and is based on different times of the day or seasons. The dominant ragas are: Prabhati, Bhairavi, Malkauns, Bihag, Thumri, and Draphud. The documentary, “Taan Singing of Trinidad and Guyana”, produced by Peter Manuel and narrated by Pritha Singh of the Rajkumari Cultural Center, is an invaluable documentation of the origins, growth, and continuing decline of the genre. This two-decade old documentary speaks to the pivotal role of Guyana in the development of the genre as well as identi-

G

uava (Psidium guajava) is a tropical fruit produced by the guava tree, and is very popular in Guyana. It is commonly eaten fresh or made into beverages, jams, and other foods. The fruit, leaves, and juice are also used as medicine.

Maybe you can recall your parents boiling the fruit’s leaves to provide relief from diarrhea. But

Taan singing in Guyana

fying some of the efforts to preserve a folk art for that is intimately associated with the Guyana story.

Encouraged by our three-year effort to heighten awareness of another declining Guyanese folk art, Masquerade, we, the members of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc. (GCA), will, over the next three years, facilitate several activities aimed at telling the story of Taan in Guyana and its linkage with India’s musical traditions. We anticipate organizing

the fruit’s benefits include much more. People use guava for colic, diabetes, cough, cataracts, high cholesterol, heart disease, and even cancer. It is important to note, however, that researchers still need more evidence to rate the effectiveness of guava for these uses.

Guava is a source of vitamin C, fiber, and other substances that act like an-

colloquia, workshops, special displays, and the development of a dedicated link on our website to tell this story. We also envision programs that will encourage innovations in performance. The anticipated that the culminating event in this awareness-building initiative will be series of concerts, in Guyana and Brooklyn, which will showcase contemporary performers of the folk-art form.

Through our “Bridgin …” program the updated story of Taan

in Guyana and its diaspora will be shared with the wider Guyanese community.

We are looking forward to working with Guyanese organizations and individuals at home and in the diaspora on this project.

Background of GCA The Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc. a non-profit organization, was created in 2001 to document, showcase and celebrate the multiple roots of Guyana’s cultural heri-

tage. Through GCA’s work, members preserve, promote and propagate their cultural heritage and make it available through various channels to inspire future generations of Guyanese at home and in the diaspora.

Its signature events and programs are the vehicles through which the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., support the study and execution of Guyana’s rich multi-ethnic heritage and advocate for the preservation of this heritage. They also provide an opportunity to celebrate Guyanese achievements and to encourage intergenerational dialogue.

Additionally, these signature events are invaluable to the cultural life of New York, especially for the multi-generational Guyanese community and its networks. The annual Guyana Folk Festival season in Brooklyn is a popular ‘summer’ destination for Guyanese, other Caribbean folk in the Diaspora, and those who wish to learn about Guyana’s multi-ethnic culture.

GCA’s work with Guyanese and Caribbean community organizations, as well as Brooklyn Arts Council, has allowed it to spark change through collaboration, creative and strategic partnerships.

(Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. on-line Magazine)

tioxidants.

Antioxidants slow down or stop the harmful effects of oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to a chemical element or compound.

Guava leaves also contain chemicals with antioxidant and other effects. It is not known how guava works for medical conditions.

Guava leaf tea may also benefit your heart and cir-

Guava leaf tea provides relief for many illnesses

Inside of the fruit can either be pink or white

culatory system, according to laboratory research and a few small clinical studies.

Compounds in the leaves may help reduce blood pressure and heart rate, according to a laboratory study published in 2005 in "Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology" which found that laboratory animals with high blood pressure fed guava leaf extract had reduced blood pressure and heart rates, compared to a control group. Drinking guava leaf tea might also improve blood lipids, according to several small clinical studies reviewed in a 2010 paper in "Nutrition and Metabolism" that found guava leaf extracts may help lower blood cholesterol and unhealthy triglycerides in human sub-

jects, although larger trials are still needed to confirm this.

You can make guava leaf tea by steeping leaves in hot water for five to 10 minutes. Guava leaf tea is considered safe and without significant side effects, although it might cause constipation in some people, and its safety hasn't been established during pregnancy or breast-feeding. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, stick with food amounts until more is known.The tea might also interact with diabetes or anti-diarrhea medications.

Talk to your doctor about guava leaf tea to decide if it might be helpful for you.

Also, it might be helpful to talk with “older folks” who are familiar with the fruit’s benefits.

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 19 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

H

Utility poles on Lombard Street, British Guiana circa 1903

ave you ever looked at the towering trees on Main Street or around Georgetown and thought of when tree planting in the capital city began? Or thought of the history of the installation of street lights?

Gas lighting According to the book “The story of Georgetown”

by James Rodway, Stabroek was lighted in early times with lanterns fastened to wallaba posts. The oil used was probably train oil. In 1860 kerosene was introduced and iron lamp posts erected. Rodway also said in his book that gas lighting

had been mentioned many times before it was seriously considered; it was proposed in 1838.

The Town Council back then seriously considered the introduction of gas in 1860. It was spoken of as likely to be a great improvement, but there were doubts as to whether people generally would adopt it. It was not to be supposed that the town lighting alone could support a gas company. However, several persons came forward with projects: the first being T. C. Jenkins, an American Consul. This offer was withdrawn after news of the impending war of secession.

Then came James Appleby, who offered to get up a company in London; his estimate was £4 4s. per street lamp, and 12 shillings per thousand feet for the public. The most serious offer was by S. R. Dickson, who, in 1861, proposed to establish the Demerara Gas Light Company. He asked for a lot of land for the works and offered to light 300 street lamps at $25 per annum and to supply light to private persons at $5 per 1,000 feet. He also stipulated that half the shares should be subscribed in the colony. The result of his action was a petition to the court and an ordi-

Trees on Main Street in early 1900s

Trees decorate the Public Buildings, British Guiana

nance dated August 2, 1862, which stated that the establishment of gas works in Georgetown would be of public advantage. The petitioners were S. R. Dickson, H. I. de Jonge, Jos. Kaufmann and Jas. Brady.

Nothing appears to have been actually done, and in 1864 a new ordinance was passed on the petition of A. W. Perot, F. A. R. Winter, J. S. Hill, J. Kaufmann and others. This also failed or at least did not get into working order in the time given by the ordinance and a new charter was granted in 1870.

The preamble stated that the Demerara Company ordinance having ceased, A. W. Perot and G. H. Oliver, directors of that company, agreed with G. W. Harris, A. Williams, and others in England, to apply for a new ordinance to establish the Georgetown Gas Company.

At last, in March 1873 gas lighting became an accomplished fact. The Georgetown Gas Company did fairly well, and although there were complaints of the high price, still there was small ground for anything like dissatisfaction.

Electric lighting Early in 1889, Julius Conrad, R. Allan, W. S. Turner and R. Dodds applied to the Town Council for a conditional promise to support an electric light company, and as they wanted a monopoly they were referred to the government. Their request for a monopoly for 30 years and for permission to use the streets were considered by the court and referred to the Town Council.

Nothing was actually done until the following year, when a meeting was held at the house of Jacob Conrad on March 25, at which it was agreed to form a company.

On May 5 the town coun-

The impressive Rain Tree on Main Street

cil agreed to refer a motion of Mr. Gibson that a test of 50 electric street lamps should be made to the lighting committee, which ultimately arranged for such a test. At the first general meeting of the company, on August 6, it was reported that 650 private lamps and 50 street lamps had been ordered and works expected to start on January 1, followed by lighting the greater part of High Street from Brickdam to Kingston.

On January 17, 1891, crowds of people filled the street to look at the new lights being turned on. Since that time, electric slowly, but surely, replaced gas, until the gas company was compelled to discontinue its operations and gas lighting came to an end.

Tree planting The first attempt at tree planting in the streets was a short line of Fiddlewood trees, with here and there a bat-seed, Andirainermis, in Commerce Street. These were planted before 1870. A great impetus was given to ornamental planting by the laying out of the Promenade Gardens in 1853, when many

trees and shrubs were imported from the Trinidad Botanical Gardens and elsewhere.

An early attempt to decorate Main Street was by a double line of Oleanders on either side of the canal, but these bushes never looked well due to them being damaged by the public.

An avenue of Mahogany trees in Le Repentir Cemetery dates from about 1870, and the coconut palms near the seawall were planted about the same time.

Rodway in his book stated, “All these were but poor attempts at street decoration, and we must thank the Botanic Gardens for almost everything [regarding trees] we have today.”

A sign on one of the trees, obliquely to Walter Roth Museum on Main Street, reads: “Rain Tree, scientific name: Samaneasaman.

Interesting facts: Native to Tropical America, grows up to 50m tall and spreads as wide as 200 human steps, seeds are chewed for sore throat.” (Information from “The story of Georgetown” by James Rodway)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 19 , 2017

Times Feature

K

not-tying has long been a part of Scouting program and for good reasons. It promotes discipline and focus, and it teaches useful skills that can be used immediately. Most people can tie just one knot (the “overhand”); many Scouts know more than a dozen.

Despite technology, knots are still as necessary as ever. All knots have a purpose and it is just as important to understand what that purpose is, and when the knot is used, as having the ability to tie it.Using the wrong knot in an activity or situation can be dangerous.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Enoek Alves, who has been in the Uniform Club, a youth arm in his church, for over 12 years and is currently in the Master Guide program, explained the importance of knot-tying. He mentioned that the Uniform program is divided into three stages: the Adventurer Program caters for children between the ages of 6 to 9; the Pathfinder program caters for children ages10 to 15; and the Master Guide caters for youths who are 16 years old and above.

“Knots are very impor-

tant, especially when you are in the Pathfinder and Master Guide Clubs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church [the church he attends]. The knots are used for building camps and making of camp furniture when

we go camping. The knots are also used in First-Aid and in any form of rescue mission, as the need arises.

At age ten, in the first class of the Pathfinder program, the Pathfinders begin learning knot-tying,” he noted.

Enoek also pointed out that knots in scouting are endless. For instance, the Master Guides must know as much as 40 knots. He said the more knots one knows, the better.

“The Sheep Shank is a knot used to shorten or strengthen a rope.The Sheet Bend is mostly used when tying two ropes of different thicknesses together.

Bowline is a rescue knot used mainly to tie around a person or animal. Clove Hitchis used to fasten the end of a rope to a pole or fixed object and is used for commencing and ending the square lashing [a lashing is a series of wraps tying twopoles together],” Enoek listed briefly.

There is also the Tautline Hitch, which is said to be adjustable and trustworthy. Anyone who uses a tent should know this knot.It is the best way to adjust your lines to the tent-poles, and is considered the most simple of the adjustable knot family.

The Timber Hitch is used to attach a rope to a log. This knot tightens under strain, but comes undone extremely easily when the rope is slack.So it must be kept tight. This knot is also useful for dragging logs back to the camp fire, or clearing forest.

Enoek mentioned that in the Master Guide program,

there is a ‘Knots Honor’.

When doing this honor, the Master Guides have to complete eight requirements, which include knot-tying demonstration and knowing the practical uses of knots. The Master Guides have to complete an assignment which varies based on the choices of the instructor.

Enoek's 'Knots Board'

They must also write a test basedon what was taught, do a practical session of knottying, and must complete a ‘Knots Board’ with about 30 of the knots learned on display. At the end of this honor, the Master Guides would earn themselves an‘honor’ or badge.

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MARCH 19 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

By Shemuel Fanfair

R

Samantha Lall has been at Wales Primary School for the past 20 years

ecently, we celebrated International Women’s Day, which highlights the many achievements and outstanding goals of women who want to attain true gender parity. However, with the closure of operations of one of the country’s oldest sugar estates, women in several lower West Bank Demerara (WBD) communities have seen their lives significantly altered over the last year.

It has been over two months since the official end to sugar processing at Wales and this, to a large degree, has started to show its impact on the lives of sugar workers and their families with the female population standing to be greatly affected.

However, in the midst of the recent celebration, many women told Guyana Times that in spite of their prevailing challenges, they are not prepared to sit idly by and be consumed.

Rather, they will take charge to support their families as many of their spouses have encountered difficulty in finding consistent employment.

Many noted the expense of paying bills, reduced earnings for shopping and financial setbacks from sending their children to school. Marilyn Weekes, who has been a vendor at a small market in her native village Patentia for the past four years, makes the arduous journey from Stewartville a few times a week in hopes that her customers will continue supporting her. Marilyn, who joined her mother, also a vendor, noted that over the past year, since the closure was announced, much of her produce takes considerable time to be sold. Although

she is unsure of being able to continue to travel such long distances, the mother of two finds it necessary to maintain herself and support her husband.

She said that the reduction in finances has affected her churchgoing. Marilyn added that her mother even assists her financially and would also support her daughter.

Samantha Lall, avendor and a single working woman, offered her perspective on the impact of the Estate’s closure. She mentioned that the estate workers would normally support her by purchasing her snacks. However, due to the closing down of the Estate,Samantha’s only hope is selling to the students of Wales Primary School. She has been a vendor at the school for the past 20 years, taking over the trade from her mother. When Guyana Times sought to interview her, she was busy attending to many schoolchildren. The woman noted thatit would be quite difficult when the school shuts its doors for the holiday season.

“I have been in this business long now, so I’m not finding it so hard unless school close; then I’mout of crop,” Samantha said.

Looking at the Estate, Samanthacommented, “You can see dullness, everything at a standstill.” She, however, pointed out that the women of the area have to utilise their skills to earn for themselves.

“They got to get themselves more involved.

Instead of being home doing nothing, they should try and get themselves organised…they can’t sit down their whole lives, because life takes different turns;

who got them skills, show it out…sewing, knitting,” Samantha urged.

The hardworking woman explained that she tended some cows to support her upkeep on her off-days. In a light-hearted reference, the seller remarked that she may even have to seek out a partner with the forthcoming challenges.

“This time, I probably will have to get a husband and marry,” the vendor quipped.

Gail Garnett, a homemaker from Patentia, high-

lighted the challenges of her family as a consequence of the closure. She explained that her son narrowly escaped the many severance payment-related issues that arose with the closure of Wales Estate. This is because the young man left to work as a prison guard about two years ago.

She, however, added that her husband, Donald,worked with the Guyana Sugar Corporation for the past 28 years as a cane cutter. He still awaits his severance package.

Donald was one of the numerous workers who refused to go to Uitvulgt Sugar Estate, noting that he could not leave his wife and family members alone for hours.

“Since December when the Estate closed, it affecting us [because] our husbands can’t go to work; they threatening to take them off the pay list. It especially affects us who have children to go to school; it really hard,” Gail expressed. She mentioned that the women of the community have no choice but to adjust to the situation that faces them.

“Most of the women will start looking for jobs, doing things to help, because we cannot sit down and wait and nothing ain’t doing. We might get fight down, but we still got to try; we can’t give up so easy. I think if the Estate didn’t close, it wouldn’t be so hard, but it close now and you got to see

Roshini Budhram

Gail Garnett

things in a different way, a different aspect, as now we got to start adjusting to the system with what going on,” Gail declared.

The mother, who described the local economy as “slow, but steady”, holds an optimistic outlook for the future. “One thing for sure is that it will be tough on we in here, but we’re holding up, we’re keeping faith because I believe that with God, all things are possible.”

Another vendor, Jenny Yessuf, has been selling at Patentia Secondary for about two weeks now. She said the majority of the challenges were not affecting her directly, as she lives outside the community. However, Jenny will face indirect consequences due to the closure.

“When you got to the market, it was so packed, but I went recently and you could walk in the stand and pick up anything, because the workers aren’t there; the people don’t have money,” she noted.

Jenny added shedepends on the secondary school to earn a living by selling her snacks.

“As parents, we try to give our best to children, no matter how hard it is,” she declared.

Based on her assessment of the challenges females in the area face, the vendor reasoned that women have no other choice than to seek employment to support their families, rather than just depending on their spouses.

“They got to go out and look for a job; you have nothing else to do. If the husband not bringing enough money, you got to get up to do something,” Jenny posited.

Homemaker Roshini Budhram noted the many

challenges her family has faced owing to the closure of the Estate. She highlighted that it was only this month that her husband of eight years was able to get a job after months of being out of employment at Wales Estate.

She noted that her husband had received an offer to transfer to Albion Estate, but owing to their children’s education, current house loan and having to pay house rent in Albion, they decided to remain at Patentia.

Budhram said her family encountered much difficulty when her husband, Gowtam, was out of work.

“It was tough, because since we start paying the mortgage, we don’t get no big sort of savings, because we got bills, the two kids to look after.”

She also noted that over the past year, she sold broilers at home to offset their expenses. However, with the official closure of the Estate, many persons in the community cut back on their spending, which affected her business.

The mother of two – a toddler and Ravindra, who is seven – noted that women have a future in the world.

“Women got future, women these days don’t sit down because when I had my son alone I used to work,” she said, adding that she opted not to continue working after giving birth to her second child.

It was in early 2016 that the decision to close the Wales Estate was confirmed. As a result, hundreds of workers, their families, and the local economies of several lower WBD communities, including Patentia, Vriesland, Wales, Good Intent, Sisters’ and Bellvue have faced the brunt of the impact.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 19 , 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

W

omen were always writing but, for various reasons, spawned in and by a male-dominated world; they were not acknowledged and given the recognition they deserved.

Some may have even penned books

or parts thereof, which were credited to their male partners/spouses!

And one day we would be astounded when such evidence is made public.

Scholars are now more aware of hidden literary treasures, especially since two Guyanese

literary treasures were discovered years after they were penned. One of those two gems is the diary from which the book “The First Crossing being the Diary of Theophilus Richmond, Ship’s Surgeon Aboard the Hesperus, 1837-8”

Janet Naidu

Ryhaan Shah

was collated and published. And the other was the discovery of a copy of the first Guyanese short story collection, “Scriptology”,

by Egbert ‘Leo’ Martin first published in 1885.

Women were always featured in the literature written by both male and female, but often they were designed to fill that space in the periphery, clouded in stereotypical fancy. Indian women in Guyanese literature suffered this indignity to an even greater degree. This was the case in the first novel “Lutchmee and Dilloo” by a non-Guyanese featuring Indians, to the first Guyanese novel featuring Indians, “Corentyne Thunder”.

That inequitable situation did not change much until ‘modern’ Guyanese literature came into being when we find examples of writers, both male and female, making an effort to exhibit the true value of women in paying tribute to them. Popular examples come from J. W. Chinapen in his poem, “O Woman, what are you?”; “I love you Woman” by Cleveland Hamilton; “Per aji” by Rajkumari Singh; “Ever waiting” by Shana Yardan – How can you walk into the garden of my life/And trample on the neatly laid out beds of habit?; “A Silent Life” by Ryhaan Shah; and “Coolie Woman” by Gaiutra Bahadur.

The 1960s was a fertile period for writing by women as numerous women writers surfaced, wedging themselves almost imperceptibly into the literary arena. One example of this thrust became evident when they made their presence felt in becoming mem-

bers of literary groups, contributing to a number of publications of the day. Rajkumari Singh, the first major woman writer of Indian ancestry, found herself in company of Sheila King, Evadne D’Oliviera, Cecile Nobrega, Doris Harper-Wills and Syble Douglas.

The literary and cultural work of Rajkumari Singh is worth an article nay a whole book, but that is for another occasion. Suffice it to say she was prolific and versatile in producing works of short fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.

Lest we forget altogether the lesser acknowledged names, I hasten to include some at this point: Bhagwandai, Janet Jhondorie, Rosetta Khalideen, Ada Debidin, Oma Persaud, Kuntie K. K. Ramdat, Rohanie, Leela Singh, Seeta Mohamed (Dr. Seeta Shah Roath), Parvati Persaud Edwards (Sacred Stones), Rajcoomarie Somir, Leela Sukhu (Scattered Leaves), Zorina B. Ishmael, and Jamila.

And the post-independence period saw a flowering of writing by women and the birth of the novel writing tradition by women. Many of these women have attracted world attention, some winning international, Commonwealth and Guyana literary prizes. Some of the women are Shana Yardan, Mahadai Das, Jan Lo Shinebourne, Parvati Persaud-Edwards, Janet Naidu, Narmala Shewcharan, Oonya Kempadoo, Paloma Mohamed, Ryhaan Shah, Elly Niland, Julia Kanhai, and Ashley Anthony - the first Guyanese woman writ-

Oonya Kempadoo

er to publish a novel of speculative/fantasy fiction.

In the novel writing tradition, focusing on the Indian presence in Guyana, Ryhaan Shah has three novels to her credit: “A Silent Life”, “A Death in the Family” and “Weaving Water”.

In the area of drama, there are a handful of Indian women writers who have published their work through performance, but not in printed form: Janet Naidu, Radha Singh, Dr. Seeta Shah Roath and Dr. Vindhya Persaud.

There are many reasons for coughing up such a short list of women writers in the pantheon of Guyanese literature, and there are many other reasons for the much shorter list of women writers of Indian ancestry.

In the last 50 years, women-writing has developed with flair as such only women can add to any aspect of life, and it is imperative that we take note. In the last 50 years, women writers have added to the shaping of Guyanese literature; we look forward to more from their pens.

At the time of writing, there are many other Indian women writers awaiting publication and acknowledgement, waiting to add their voice to the fuller experience and the fuller enjoyment of the continuum of life.

We salute you, Woman!

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com What’s Happening: Coming soon - A new pocketbook, “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry”

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 19 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

St. George's Cathedral

A

1763 Monument

monument includes any building, structure, object or other work of man or of nature whether above or below the surface of the land or the floor of the sea within the territorial waters of Guyana and any site, cave or excavation.

Monuments are as varied as their creators. They represent the hopes or aspirations of the people, built to withstand the sands of times. In Guyana, national monuments are the vested responsibility of the National Trust and are gazetted as such, after cabinet has approved them. At present there are nine gazetted national monuments in Guyana.

The 1763 Monument Situated at the eastern end of Brickdam, the 1763 monument was unveiled by former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham on Guyana’s 10th independence anniversary celebrated on the May 23, 1976. It commemorates the 1763 slave rebellion; the first revolt that came close to success.

Cuffy, as the leader of that insurrection, has been declared to be one of our national heroes. His legacy has been immortalized in bronze. This monument was described by Guyanese painter Aubrey Williams

as “the greatest standing sculpture of the Caribbean”.

It was constructed at a cost of $38 000. Philip Moore was the sculptor of this impressive work of art. The monument, which stands 18ft high and weighs 2.5 tons, was cut into sections and the moulds were cast and reassembled through welding. The plinth, on which the monument stands, was designed by architect Albert Rodrigues. It symbolizes the struggle of the Guyanese people for their liberation.

Umana Yana and the African Liberation Monument The African Liberation Monument was unveiled by the former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham on Namibia Day, August 26, 1974, in memory of those who have struggled and continue to struggle for freedom from human bondage.

Geroge Henry was the architect of the monument, which consists of five tall ‘bull forehead’ greenheart poles encased in a jasper stand on a granite boulder. The varying height of the logs are representative of the different ages of the martyrs, the slab of granite is indicative of the strength of the freedom movement and the pebbles at the base of the monument symbolise the millions of people involved in the fight against

human bondage. The monument is located in the compound of the Umana Yana.

Fort Nova Zeelandia and the Court of Policy Fort Island, located approximately 16km from the mouth of the mighty Essequibo River, is home to two historic structures: Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy or Dutch Church.

Fort Zeelandia was constructed in 1744 to protect the interests of the Dutch West India Company from European rivals, including the English and French who frequented the eastern coast of South America in search of the spoils of war. This brick fort, which replaced a wooden structure, was constructed in accordance with a design submitted by the then Secretary of the Colony of Essequibo, Laurens Storm Vans Gravesande (the colony’s longest serving Dutch Commandeur 1738–1776) to conserve funds.

The Court of Policy dates back to 1744 when construction of the brick edifice commenced under Governor Laurens Storm Vans Gravesande, who had appealed to the Dutch West India Company for permission to construct a church for the colonists of Essequibo.

This structure measures forty feet in width and sixty feet in length. The Court of Policy served multiple

The Umana Yana with the African Liberation Monument (right)

functions. It was a store and at the same time a church, court, seat of government and a sales office; today it houses the Dutch Heritage Museum. Inside the Court of Policy are the tombs of three Dutch officials.

It is the oldest non–military structure in Guyana. To this day, church services are held there.

Fort Kyk–Over–Al Kyk–Over–Al, meaning “to see over all”, is a small island, approximately 1.5 acres in size, which is located at the junction of the

Indians who brought cotton, tobacco, annatto, balsam copaibo, and others to satisfy the demands of the Dutch.

Fort Nassau Fort Nassau, constructed in 1627 by Abraham Van Pere (a Dutch merchant) and his colonists, is located approximately 88km from the mouth of the Berbice River. This was the seat of government in Berbice, which was governed as a separate colony prior to the unification of the three colonies, Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, in 1831.

plastic. These were sculpted in the countries from which the founding leaders originated. They are mounted on a concrete plinth with a base made of quartz stone from the Mazaruni district.

Four jasper rocks from the Orinduik waterfall adorn the front of the monument in a pool decorated with colourful stones from the riverbeds of Guyana.

St George’s Cathedral This Gothic cathedral holds the distinction of being the tallest timber church in the world, standing at 143ft

State House

Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers in the Essequibo. This was erected at Cartabo Point in the Essequibo River; various historians have related differing dates of construction.

Jan Jacob Hartsinck claims that work on the Fort commenced in 1613 and finished about1623, while Major John Scott claims that its works commenced in 1616.

It is reported that the building was finally completed between 1623 and 1627. The ruins of the Fortsuggested that it was not a very large edifice. The ground floor was used as a storehouse and a magazine for food imports, goods received from the Indians and ammunition. There were three rooms on the top floor: one for the soldiers, one for the Commander, and one for the Secretary. All that remains of this fort is an arch. There were provision grounds around the Fort and benabs for the conduct of trade with the indigenous

The Non–Aligned Monument The Non–Aligned Monument is strategically located in the Company Path Garden. This monument commemorates the 1972 Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned countries when it was held in Guyana from August 8-11, 1972.

The monument was unveiled by His Excellency, Mr. Arthur Chung, the first President of Guyana, in honourof the foundersof the Non-Aligned Movement: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, President Pandit Jawaharlall Nehru of India, and President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia; the leaders who initiated the conference of Afro-Asian countries.

There are four busts sculpted to the likeness of the founders of theNonAligned Movement; three are of bronze and one of

tall. The cathedral was built between 1877 and 1892. Its foundation stone was laid on November 21, 1889 and it was consecrated on the 50th anniversary of the Bishop on St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24, 1892.

At a cost of $160,000, the cathedral was designed

by Mr. Arthur Blomfield of Montague Square, London.

The church was opened on March 26, 1893. Constructed from greenheart and English oak, the original edifice had an Elizabethan look before its studs and bracing were covered with greenheart siding. The church has a beautiful wrought-iron chancel screen, rose window and stained glass panels on the easternside of the building.

The cathedral is the fourth building constructed by the Anglican Diocese in Guyana.

It is built in the shape of a cruciform of greenheart wood. The nave and roofs Continued on page 8

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 19 , 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

A Jabiru Stork standing at the edge of a pond at the foot of the Kanuku Mountains near Parikwaranau Village, Region Nine

G

uyana boasts an irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty, pristine rainforests, immense waterfalls, and amazing wildlife blended with a vibrant indigenous culture and rich heritage.

Some are very honoured to see this natural beauty on a daily basis; one such person is Matt Hallett.

Matt is a Wildlife Biologist, PhD candidate and Research Assistant at the University of Florida. He has been researching and exploring Guyana’s biodiversity for many years. He is also an affiliate of the Rupununi Learners Inc. and has been volunteering his time and knowledge in giving back to indigenous villages.

His recent project is to document the number of jaguars that are in the Guyana’s Kanuku Mountains Protected Area. This he does by setting up remotely triggered cameras in Guyana’s deep jungle.

Matt has also been photographing breathtaking areas in the Rupununi region. Sunday Times Magazine features a few of his scenic landscape photos of Rupununi.

For more information on Matt’s projects in Guyana, visit Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit on Facebook. Cover: Dugout canoe docked along Awarikuru Lake along the Rupununi River near Yupukari Village

Breathtaking scene in the Rupununi

Vaquero Rickford Bartholomew leads the way marching across the flooded Cajuero side of Karanambu Lodge during the rainy season

Pirara River, Region Nine

Waking up to this view never gets boring

from page 7

are sustained by iron columns in Gothic style reminiscent of the cathedrals in London.

Red House (Kamana Court) This building with its distinctive red colour is situated on High Street in Kingston, between Young and Barrack Streets.It is built of timber (pitch-pine) and is covered with red wallaba shingles. It is not certainwhether the verandah and the ground floor were part of the original building. The Colony of British Guiana acquired the Red House in 1925. Sir Eustace Woolford, a Speaker of the Legislature, was one of the

early owners of the house.

Between 1925 to1953, numerous Colonial Secretaries resided there.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan also lived there from 1961 to 1964 while he served as Premier of British Guiana.

Subsequently from 1965 to the early 1990’s, the Red House was used as government offices, for instance the Public Service Ministry.

The house was left vacant until 1999 when the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre was established in the building.

State House This house, with its 100 windows, was built during the 1820s on land belonging to the Anglican

Church in British Guiana.

Several governors, including Governor Lyght and Governor Barclay, resided there. A rent of 240 pounds each month was paid by the governors who resided there.

In 1852 and 1863, ordinances legislating the purchase of the building to establish a home for the British governors were passed. The original building had two storeys and a double stairway and faced Carmichael Street, Georgetown.

Over time, many changes were made to the building. By 1894, the present building’s main entrance was in Main Street. Known as “the Grande Dame of

Non-Aligned Monument

Main Street”, this elegant wooden building exhibits fine wooden architecture.

Many of the ornate designs of the interior of the building are credited to Caesar

Castellani, one of the most prolific architects of the colonial era.

Restored to its former glory, this house is now the official residence of

the President of Guyana.

(Excerpts and photos from National Trust, http://nationaltrust.gov.gy)

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MARCH 19 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

tween sleep loss and lower pain threshold. Unfortunately, being in pain can make it hard to sleep.

Researchers have found that getting good sleep can supplement medication for pain. If pain is keeping you up at night, there are also medications available that combine a pain reliever with a sleep aid.

Boost energy with a protein-rich breakfast nclude protein at breakfast.

Our bodies repair during sleep, and this takes energy, which needs replacing.

“You’re already waking up at a deficit,” says Debra Basch, a registered holistic nutritionist from Toronto. She suggests including Greek yogurt, flaxseeds or hemp seeds.

Flax seeds have been consumed as food for around 6,000 years and may have very well been the world’s first cultivated superfood! Flax seed benefits could help you improve digestion, give you clear skin, lower cholesterol, reduce sugar cravings, balance hormones, fight cancer and promote weight loss…and that’s just the beginning!

I

Snack smart for an energy boost Snacking can sustain energy levels, Basch says, provided you’re reaching for nutritious foods. Try apples or nuts; the fibre and protein will help hold you over until you next eat.

Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

Avacados to boost energy

dreaming occurs.

REM sleep is important because it is the restorative part of our sleep cycle. Typically, you begin the sleep cycle with a period of non-REM sleep followed by a very short period of REM sleep. The period of non-REM sleep is made up of stages 1 to 4. Each stage can last from 5 to 15 minutes.

Boost energy by banishing stress Stress is an energy zapperfeeling sluggish might be your body’s response to tension. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests activities like meditation, yoga and tai chi to help with agitation.

Workout fads come and go, but virtually no other exercise program is as enduring as yoga.

It's been around for more than 5,000 years. Yoga does more than burn calories and tone muscles. It's a total mind-body workout that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation. There are more than 100 different forms of yoga. Some are fast-paced and intense. Others are gentle and relaxing.

Fight fatigue with physical activity A little workout goes a long way when it comes to boosting your energy. A 2008 study from the University of Georgia revealed that after only 20 minutes of low-intensity exercise on a stationary bike (comparable to a leisurely walk), participants who had initially reported persistent tiredness had 65 per cent lower fatigue scores.

The benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight management. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular physical activity can help protect you from several health problems including Heart Disease, Stroke, High Blood Pressure, Obesity and Depression among others.

Don’t look for an energy boost in a bottle Skip the nightcap. While alcohol reduces the amount of time it takes to nod off, studies have shown that it interferes with REM sleep, the restorative stage in which memories are stored and

Not all fat is bad fat At mealtimes, “your best source of energy is fat,” says Dr. Jonny Bowden, a nutrition specialist based in California and coauthor of Smart Fat. Incorporate such foods as avocados and walnuts into your diet.

Yoga helps banish stress

Occasionally, add an avocado to your salad. It's a great source of monounsaturated fat, which is linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Boost your energy with a belly laugh Laughter may well be the best medicine. Research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests that exposure to humour, even 12 short minutes of it, can increase your energy. Have a funny online video on standby to get you through that afternoon slump.

Laughter increases your immunity. Negative stress causes chemical reactions in your body that decrease your immunity, making it more likely you will get sick. A hearty laugh fuels your immune system with diseasefighting powers that will help you stay healthy and energetic.

Stay well hydrated Dehydration - severe or mild - leaves us feeling tired. Drink plenty of fluids and eat fresh produce such as cantaloupe, which contains high concentrations of water.

In the world of thirst quenchers, watermelon weighs in as a major contender. Based on its name, it’s no surprise this fruit is made up of 92 percent water! But its salt, calcium and magnesium are what make it ideal for rehydration, according to a 2009 study at the University of Aberdeen Medical School. It is also a good source of potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Reconnect with nature for an energy boost To reboot, get outside. A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that being surrounded by elements like trees and fresh air, for as little as 15 minutes, is linked with greater feelings of vitality.

Research indicates that spending time in nature supercharges the benefits of exercise, a proven stress reliever. Doctors recommend that patients seek out green space to optimize their mental and physical wellness.

Soak up some rays Research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives states that the vitamin D from sunlight can improve not only your energy, but also

your mood and sleep quality.

Vitamin D levels lower than 40 ng/ml, (now considered “normal “ since the widespread use of air-conditioning), cause sleep disorders: insomnia, sleep apnea, REM related apnea, unexplained awakenings to light sleep, inap-

Boost your energy with caffeinated tea If coffee makes you jittery, try caffeinated tea instead. The drink’s combination of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that has a relaxing effect on the brain without causing drowsiness, can make tea both energizing and calming.

Tea contains fluoride, which has a well-established link to dental health. Studies have shown that tea can provide up to 70 percent of the fluoride you need. It’s also thought that antioxidants in tea may help inhibit the growth of the bacteria that cause plaque.

Chew a stick of gum Gum may do more than just freshen your breath. In 2012, a group of researchers at Coventry

Watermelon to stay well hydrated

propriate body movements during sleep.

Boost energy by getting more sleep Fatigue and lack of nighttime rest go hand-in-hand. “Everybody has a baseline sleep requirement that is non-negotiable,” says Dr. James MacFarlane, the Torontobased director of education and clinical consultant at MedSleep clinic. Most of us need somewhere between 6.5 and 8.5 hours of sleep to remain alert throughout the day.

If you have chronic pain or acute pain from a recent injury getting enough sleep may actually make you hurt less. Many studies have shown a link be-

University in England put individual participants in a dark room for 11 minutes on three separate occasions. In the first instance, they chewed gum; in the second, they didn’t; and in the third, they mimicked chewing. Chewing gum reduced the extent of daytime sleepiness. This might be because the act causes “heightened cerebral activity” or due to the “arousing effects” of mint flavour. Now, that’s something to chew on.

Psychologists say that chewing gum can help in improving memory and enhance cognitive powers. They found that people who chewed throughout tests produced significantly better scores than people who did not. (Readers Digest)

Flaxseeds

10 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 19 , 2017

Times Fashion

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ward-winning Guyanese designer Sonia Noel recently showcased a chic all-white collection at the Hilton Barbados – and it was a showstopper.

The collection outshone at the prestigious fashion show, Eye Catcher 11, which was produced by legendary Barbadian fashion icon Betty West.

“The audience went crazy for the all-white collection from Guyana. This was my first big show in

Barbados. Fifteen years ago, I was with this phenomenal woman [Betty West], who I respect so much.

It felt great to be part of this prestigious production,” Noel said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Outfits featured today are available at Makin’ Style Boutique located at the Courtyard Mall. Call 684-8129 for more information. (Photos by Stephan Squires)

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Star Times Hollywood

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inkin Park is an American rock band. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album Hybrid Theory (2000), which was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries. Their following studio album Meteora continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200 album chart in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium.

Having adapted nu metal (a form of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk and grunge) and rap metal to a radio-friendly yet densely layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight (2007). The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third-best debut week of any album that year. The band continued to explore a wider variation of musical types in their fourth album, A Thousand Suns (2010), layering their music with more electronic sounds and beats. Their fifth album, Living Things (2012), combines musical elements from all of their previous records. Their sixth album, The Hunting Party (2014), returned to a heavier rock sound. Their upcoming album, One More Light, is expected to be released May 19, 2017. The band has collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay Z in their mashup EP Collision Course, and many others on the remix albums Reanimation and Recharged. Linkin Park has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards.

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Times Hollywood

Demi Lovato thanks fans as Former 'Power Rangers' she marks five years sober star pleads guilty to murder

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emi Lovato has thanked her fans as she marks five years without an alcoholic drink.

The singer posted a heartfelt Instagram message alongside a progress tracker from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

"So grateful. It's been quite the journey.

So many ups and downs," she wrote.

The 24-year-old has been open about her struggles with substance abuse, eating dis-

orders and depression.

The former Disney Channel star says she turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

In 2010 she checked herself into rehab after a violent argument with a friend and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Since then she's found help and has become a spokesperson for mental health awareness.

She was honoured with the Artistic Award of Courage earlier this month in LA for her work as a mental health advocate.

Demi's also released a book and a documentary about people who struggle with mental health problems.

"So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession," she continues in the Instagram post.

"I'm so proud of myself but I couldn't have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else who supported me.

"Feeling humbled and joyful today.

Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me." (BBC)

Black Eyed Peas and Marvel to release graphic novel

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icardo Medina Jr., a former actor who was famous for his role as Lion Wild Force Ranger in "Power Rangers Wild Force" series, has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The 38-year-old admitted that he killed his roommate, Josh Sutter, with a sword back in January 2015. He entered his plea in Antelope Valley Court on Thursday, March 16.

Medina's attorney, Stanley Friedman, said that it made sense for his client to plead guilty. "It was an offer that was definitely worth it for him to take," he said. "It mitigated his risk of potentially getting a life sen-

tence."

Medina was arrested in 2015 but then released because there wasn't enough evidence to build a criminal case against him.

Medina at the time claimed that he acted on self-defense. A year after he was released and free from any charges, the case was opened again in 2016 and he was charged with first-degree murder, but apparently there was still not enough evidence to put him in jail.

The investigators said that the "Power Rangers" alum killed his roommate after Sutter barged into Medina's room while they had an argument about the way Medina's girlfriend had parked her car.

Out of anger, Medina stabbed Sutter's abdomen multiple times with a sword he kept in his room.

The victim's sister, Rachel Kennedy, admitted that she was relieved to hear Medina finally admitted his guilt. "This was the first step in maybe getting some of my life back," Rachel said. "We just want him where he belongs, and to start trying to live again.

That's what Josh would want."

According to Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Medina faces up to six years in state prison when he is sentenced on March 30. (AceShowbiz)

Selena Gomez gets approval from The Weeknd's mother

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arvel and The Black Eyed Peas have teamed up to create a "retro futuristic zombie thriller".

The graphic novel is called “Masters of the Sun - The Zombie Chronicles” and will be released later this year.

It's all about aliens, zombies and hip-hop in Los Angeles.

Peasfrontman will.i.am wrote the story and said: "We've been working on this original story for years and partnering with Marvel to bring this book to life is more than a dream come true."

The graphic novel centresaround the character Zulu-X, a hip hop lover in LA.The city is under attack from an ancient alien god sent to earth to turn its inhabitants into zombies.

Zulu-X and his crew go head-to-head with a nefarious ancient order to settle a score thousands of years old.

Artwork is by Damion Scott, who has worked on the Marvel series “Deadpool” and “Spider-Man” in the past, while the story is co-written by producer and writer Benjamin Jackendoff and will.iam.

According to Marvel, the graphic novel "fuses together the genres of music and comics and tells the complete tale of a retro futuristic zombie thriller."

"Few artists have done more to embed hip-hop in popular culture than will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas," says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.

"So we are thrilled to present this deeply personal story that speaks directly to hiphop aficionados, comic book fans and the intersection of those communities."

The comic itself was created by the Black Eyed Peas, while Marvel is acting as the distributor. (BBC)

elena Gomez just got an approval from The Weeknd's mom Samra Tesfaye. Right after he finished his "Starboy: Legend of the Fall" Tour in Europe, the "I Feel It Coming" hitmaker jetted to Toronto, Canada, along with his lady. The "Hands to Myself" crooner was then introduced to the "Earned It" singer's mother and they definitely loved each other.

"The Weeknd's mom lives less than an hour away from downtown Toronto and yes, she and Selena have met," said a source to HollywoodLife.com. "They absolutely adore each other," the source added. "She treated them both to a homemade Ethiopian dinner."

The insider went on saying, "She also got a chance to meet some other family members, and a couple of close friends." The source shared, "Selena hopes to spend more time with his family, especially his mom, when Abel [The

Weeknd's real name] returns for a couple of shows in May." Selena and The Weeknd were recently spotted during a movie night in Toronto. The Weeknd reportedly rented out an entire VIP section of the movie theater so he and his

girlfriend could watch a private screening of comedy horror film "Get Out".

An eyewitness told eTalk, "She was super cute with him, arms around his neck," before adding that the couple kept showing affection during the private viewing.

(AceShowbiz)

Shaquille O'Neal helps dog attack victim S

haquille O'Neal has bought furniture for the family of a girl who was mauled during a dog attack in America.

The former NBA star invited Syrai Sanders and her parents to a Rooms to Go store in Atlanta after the five-year-old was released from hospital.

She spent two months being treated for injuries she received.

Syrai's classmate, six-year old Logan Braatz, was killed in the attack, which took place while they were walking to their school bus stop.

The family of Syrai Sanders,

who needs to be fed through a tube, told Fox 5 News in Atlanta that Shaquille O'Neal has been involved with the family since the attack took place in January.

It's unclear why Shaq offered to buy the family new furniture.

Syrai Sanders and Logan Braatz were followed and attacked by a group of dogs owned by a man named Cameron Tucker.

He was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Children who were with the pair tried to pull the dogs off.

Police shot and injured one of them, a border collie, while a pit bull mix was captured and taken to an animal control centre.

A crackdown on irresponsible dog owners is being considered in Atlanta.

After leaving hospital, Syrai told local TV news station WGCL-TV that she'd tried to cling on to her cousin but couldn't manage to get away.

"The dogs made me fall on the street. And then they bite me on my head and my ear. I said, 'Help, help, somebody help me.'" (BBC)

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

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iya Sen is an Indian film actress and model. Riya, who comes from a family of actors including her grandmother Suchitra Sen, mother Moon Moon Sen and sister Raima Sen, began her acting career in 1991 as a child actress in the film “Vishkanya”.

Her first commercial success in her film career was with “Style”. Some of her other notable films include producer Pritish Nandy's musical film, “Jhankaar Beats” (2003); “Shaadi No. 1” (2005) and Malayalam horror film “Ananthabhadram” (2005). Riya was first recognised as a model when she performed in Falguni Pathak's music video “Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi” in 1998.

Since then, she has appeared in music videos, television commercials, fashion shows, and on magazine covers. Riya has worked as an activist and appeared in an AIDS awareness music video with the aim of dispelling popular myths about the disease. She also helped raise funds for pediatric eye-care.

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Times Bollywood

Sonam Kapoor raises funds for Priyanka Chopra: ‘I’m very secure children suffering from cancer in who I am, the work I do’

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onam Kapoor, the brand ambassador of Cuddles, a charity foundation that helps meet the nutritional needs of children afflicted with cancer, has taken a step further to promote the cause. Sonam hosted a charity gala dinnerto raise funds for children suffering from cancer.

Sonam was recently spotted at Tata Memorial Hospital, spending time with the kids at the children’s cancer ward. A source says, “She spent a lot of time, reading out stories, poems and distributing gifts to the kids. She is actively involved with the doctors and nutritionists to ensure that these kids get the best of the facilities available.

To take things into her own hands, she decided to host a charity gala dinner, which was a fund raising event that will help the foundation gather funds to help cancer patients.”

Talking about it, the “Neerja” actor says, “We end up taking things that come easy to us for granted, including the food we eat.

When I heard about the work the foundation is doing, it made me realise how important correct nutrition is during cancer treatment.

This dinner, I hope will shed light on all

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their work at the foundation and also raise funds for these little fighters. (Hindustan Times)

Lata Mangeshkar: ‘The soul is missing from songs nowadays’

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hether it was “Lag jaa gale” in 1964 or “Luka Chuppi” in 2006, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s renditions have touched generations of music lovers who continue to enjoy her golden tracks. But she says she finds the “soul” missing from today’s music.

“I think playback singing has a lot to do with voice acting. I would suggest to all the youngsters to understand the character, situation and the story behind the songs. That is when you can add soul to the rendition which, I think, is missing in today’s music,” the 87-yearold said in an interview at her Prabhu Kunj residence in Mumbai.

She observed that “perhaps that is why people still love to listen to retro songs, and new songs are going out of listeners’ memory faster”.

“As a singer, you have to bring the soul to the song,” said the industry veteran, hailed by many as the Nightingale of India.

One of the most decorated singers in India, Mangeshkar has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Dadasaheb Phalke Award and multiple National Film Awards, among others.

Adding to her portfolio of awards was an honour by radio station Big 92.7 FM, which announced a listeners’ choice award -‘Hit Thhe Hit Rahenge’ -- to commemorate the magic of Indian cinema by remembering and appreciating the evergreen movies and iconic stars in five categories.

Mangeshkar won the ‘Best Singer’ award and her song “Lag Ja Gale” won the ‘Best Song’ award.

Mangeshkar says awards are a token of respect. “More than the trophy, it is the love and affection that people shower on me by listening to my songs years after years, that touches me. For me, awards are a token of respect that people are giving me. So no matter how many awards I am receiving, I always feel emotion-

al,” said the melody queen, dressed in a beautiful white sari and with her trademark bindi on her forehead.

While her musical journey is too well known to the world, it is interesting to know that Mangeshkar is not only a food connoisseur, but also a good cook. “I love eating food and cooking for others. Unfortunately, my food habit has changed due to age and health issues and I am not allowed to eat most of my favourite dishes, specially hot and spicy food.

I must tell you that I cook very good ‘mutton pasanda’ that I learnt from Majrooh Sultanpuri’s wife.

“These days, whenever I get time, I cook for my grandchildren,” she said.

(Mumbai)

ollywood has opened its doors to many Indian stars who are bagging noticeable roles in various projects. A case in point is Deepika Padukone.

Priyanka Chopra, one of the most popular exports to Hollywood from India, says gone are the days when actors used to feel insecure with others’ success.

“That is such an age-old stereotype and definitely not in my DNA,” said Priyanka when asked if actors today have become more open when it comes to appreciating the work of their colleagues, unlike the common perception that they have cat fights due to jealousy.

“I’m very secure in who I am and the work I do. These are my friends and colleagues, and I like to share in their achievements and happiness. Good work should be applauded.

I believe that there is enough work out there for everyone. We don’t live in the dark ages anymore,” she added.

Priyanka’s journey in showbiz started at the age of 17 when she was crowned Miss World. It was followed by her Bollywood debut in 2003 with “The Hero: Love Story of a Spy”.

She later bagged the role of FBI agent Alex Parrish in “Quantico” for which she won the People’s Choice Award -- the first South Asian actress to do so. The “Quantico” fame also got her a role in “Baywatch”, a mov-

Salman Khan to fight wolves in new movie D

irector Ali Abbas Zafar is leaving no stone un-turned in the making of “Tiger Zinda Hai”. The film, which is currently being shot in Austria, has on board a full-fledged Hollywood stunt-and-action crew led by “X-Men” and “The Dark Knight” stunt director Tom Struthers.

According to recent reports, this coming week“Tiger Zinda Hai”, starring Salman Khan, will be shooting an action scene where he will have to fight off a pack of wolves.

An insider close to the film's production told DNA, "It is producer Aditya Chopra's vision that the film matches with an international standards of action and the crew is going the extra mile to ensure that the spy drama ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ delivers on that vision.

Salman will be seen fighting off a pack of wolves in a high-octane action scene in the snow laden forests of Austria."

Ali Abbas Zafar has ear-

Shahid Kapoor: ‘Vandalism on ‘Padmavati’ set unfortunate’ S hahid Kapoor says it is unfortunate that the set of his upcoming film “Padmavati” was vandalised in Kolhapur district.

The set of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, which also stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, was vandalised by unidentified persons at Mhasai Pathar in Kolhapur.

Around 20 unidentified

people torched the costumes and the animal feed kept there for the horses featuring in the period drama, the police said. “I am aware there has been some disruption that happened, I am aware that a certain amount of costumes got burnt, I am aware everybody is safe and nobody got harmed.

The shooting has wrapped up and the team is coming

back,” said Shahid.

“What I am not aware of is who has done it. It is unfortunate that something like this has happened for the second time. As soon as there is some more clarity, the production house will respond to it. But no principal actors were there (when the incident happened),” he added.

Following the incident,

ie alongside Hollywood A-listers Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

It’s not just films she is busy with, but brand endorsements too. Priyanka was announced the newest global brand ambassador of hair care brand Pantene.

Priyanka says she prefers to be careful about choosing the brands she endorses. “I have to believe in a brand to endorse it. I look at products that I endorse as a consumer...

Is it something I would use, do I like what it offers? If my name and brand are being used to advertise a product, then it’s something I believe in,” she said. (Hindustan Times)

the film’s crew was provided police protection, Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar said yesterday.

In January this year, some members of Karni Sena, a Rajput community group, had attacked Bhansali and stalled the film’s shooting at Jaigarh fort in Jaipur. (Hindustan Times)

lier directed Salman Khan for the epic blockbuster “Sultan” for Yash Raj Films.

Four years prior to “Sultan”, Salman starred in Kabir Khan's spy thriller “Ek Tha Tiger”, produced by Yash Raj Films.

The source further added, "The international action crew is taking all cautionary measures to ensure

the wolves are taken care of by their trainers, who have been working with the team for several days now, and the action sequence will follow all guidelines."

“Tiger Zinda Hai” will see Katrina Kaif reprising her role from “Ek Tha Tiger”.

The film has a tentative release date of December 22, 2017. (India Today)

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15

Times Feature

Trending NOW

Star of the week

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ashion is always changing and this season, it's all about the bell sleeve.

Throw on a cream or white top with some faded denim and you're working the trend to be seen in at the moment. It's a pretty versatile trend too as you can keep it simple, opting for a muted tone or experiment with fabrics, patterns and texture.

Below are some styles that should give you some inspiration as to how to style your own bell sleeve look.

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nspired by the love for his homeland and mother, a passionate conservationist, Alex Arjoon aims to help Guyanese, through his popular television show ‘Round Town, to appreciate their “identity” and country. You may know Alex as an award-winning national squash player. His accomplishments in the sport include multiple junior national squash titles in every age group, as well as five senior national titles. Though he does not play professionally at the moment, his love for the sport is still present.

However, the enthused conservationist’s focus right now is to “create awareness, tell stories and get Guyanese to appreciate their identity” via his show, ‘Round Town, aired on E1 on E-Networks. ‘Round Town highlights the “culture and beauty of Guyana in a new and unique way, bringing to light topical issues within Guyanese society”. Alex mentioned he is “still learning a lot on video production” and that the process has helped to put his “life in perspective”.

To learn more about Alex’s hit TV show, visit https:// www.facebook.com/alexroundtown/

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Times Art

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verseas-based Guyanese artist Suchitra Mattai’s artwork examines the general themes of identity and globalization through landscape.

Mattai was born in Guyana and also grew up here, but migrated to the US as a child. She now lives and works in France.

The artist received an MFA in painting and drawing, and an MA in South Asian art, both from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

She has exhibited her work in Philadelphia, New

York, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Denver, Austin, Berlin, Germany, and Wales, United Kingdom.

Her paintings have appeared in the publication “New American Paintings”.

Additionally, she just completed a residency at RedLine Contemporary Art Centre, Denver.

Suchitra often appropriates found objects to create mixed-media drawings, paintings, sculpture and installations. Her disconnected landscapes are created from history, memory, travel and pop-culture, and Artist Suchitra Mattai

invert the familiar in order to complicate assumptions about race and gender.

Currently, the artist is working on a series, “El Dorado”, thinking of her homeland, Guyana, as the idealized ‘El Dorado’. Her new mixed-media work is “all about re-imagining the past”. She is presently working on creating two bodies of work.

“I am currently living in France and have access to European historical documents. I am particularly interested in the period of European colonialism. The ‘Untitled’ piece with the ‘colonized’ woman bound by threads comments on the struggles of colonized peoples. The woman melds into the background pattern. This body of work investigates the position of women during this period,” Suchitra explained in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Her second body of work

"Surface tension" (2016). Mixed-media on vinyl

“references landscape, particularly bodies of water and idealized places”.

Suchitra pointed out that she has always been interested in the relationship of the natural world to the built environment. Hence, her artwork “Surface tension” depicts reflections of nature in a pool. Lately, she has become “obsessed with the idea of El Dorado and the search for an idealized place or home”. Having left as a child, Guyana is now her “remote idealized homeland”.

“Art has always been a way of living for me. My father wrote in my baby journal that I only wanted to draw since I could pick up a pencil. I have always made art. Painting and

"Clearing" (2017). Gouache and watercolour on contact paper

Untitled (2017). Watercolour and gouche on paper

"Lost' (2017). Watercolour and gouche on paper

drawing have always been close to my heart. I spent a lot of time by myself, as my sisters are much younger than me. This time led me to internalize experiences in a peculiar way and art has proven to be the best path for me to express my thoughts and attitudes. I also had one artist role model as a child – our family friend and a fellow Guyanese, Suresh Hanuman, was a source of inspiration,” Suchitra recalled.

The artist mentioned that she is the happiest when using her hands to create. Creating not only brings her joy, but also allows her to communicate the ideas she wants to voice.

For 13 years Suchitra has taught art to university students, but chose to resign from teaching “in order to focus on making art”.

She plans to continue to

pursue exhibiting her work across the globe so that she can continue to be part of “this worldwide art conversation”.

Her advice to young artists is to “follow your dreams in any way that you can, but realize that every life experience contributes to your success as an artist. Develop your technical skills, but really think about what it is that you need to say through your art. It is the marriage of form and content that produces the most amazing artwork. It took me many years to be a ‘professional artist’, but I always created art. Initially, I studied statistics and mathematics in an effort to be practical, and then art history, but in the end I have pursued my passions. Being an artist comes with struggles and sacrifice, but the path is entirely worth it!”

"An Education" (2017). Thread and gouache on 19th century European print

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Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Accessibility on iOS

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ith built-in accessibility features, Accessibility APIs, and a host of developer tools and utilities, iOS provides an extraordinary opportu-

Tech BYTE

nity to deliver a superior mobile experience to every customer, including those with special needs. Awardwinning features include VoiceOver—the revolution-

ary screen reader for blind and low vision users, Switch Control, playback of closed captioned or audio described video, Guided Access, Text to Speech, and more.

Captioning and Audio Descriptions iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch support captioned or audio described videos across a range of apps. iOS allows users to configure captions and audio descriptions, and apps to display either during video playback. Apps that use AVFoundation have support for captioning and audio descriptions during playback through those APIs. Display Customization iOS supports a range of features to customize the display including Larger Dynamic Type, Bold Text, Button Shapes, Reduce Transparency,

Darken Colors, and Reduce Motion. Using the Visual Accommodations API accommodates a range of low vision and other customer needs.

Speech iOS devices can read selected text from your app out loud in over 30 languages, and you can adjust the voice’s dialect and speaking rate. The AVSpeechSynthesizer class produces synthesized speech from text on an iOS device, and provides methods for controlling or moni-

toring the progress of ongoing speech.

VoiceOver VoiceOver is a screen reader that interacts with objects in your apps so users can drive the interface even if they can’t see it. Ensure that the user interface elements in your apps are accessible and useful.

Guided Access Guided Access helps people with autism or other attention and sensory challenges stay focused on the task at hand. A parent, teacher, or therapist can

limit an iOS device to stay on one app by disabling the Home button, and even restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen.

Implementing the Guided Access protocol in your apps allows you to specify which portions of your apps are functional depending on the user’s need. Caregivers will be able to easily control access to sensitive areas, like Settings or Help, that can make it hard for students to remain focused. (https://developer.apple.com/)

Teenagers build app to tackle bullying Tech news

Ludacris loves his iPhone

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our students have created an app to help teenagers talk about being bullied and get access to counselling.

For Me was originally a school project but the NSPCC's Childline has turned it into reality.

"I hope that young people now realise they have somewhere to go," one of the creators, Laura Hindle, tells Newsbeat.

The app features a private "locker" area where users get a daily mood tracker and can write down their thoughts.

It also lets users chat with a counsellor.

"I can't believe this app is a reality and is out there for people all over the country to access and use," Laura tells Newsbeat.

"It's absolutely amazing that we've been on this journey and been involved in this process.

"I hope people find it useful and they

I

can get the support they need when they're going through troubled times.

"I hope that young people now realise they have somewhere to go and with the support they need they can overcome their problems."

"We've always said there should be an app for adults as you can only use For Me until you're 19," Laura explains.

"Problems don't stop once you become an adult - they're around your workspace wherever you are.

"It would be amazing if there was an app like this for adults.

"It would be pretty amazing to see that happen."

The app is now available as a free download from the iOS app store and an Android version is due to be released in the coming weeks. (BBC)

Indie games get a permanent home on the App Store

ndependent games have always been a crucial slice of the iOS app market.

Now, Apple is adding a new section to the App Store to better highlight these games from smaller studios, which can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of bigbudget titles and free-to-play behemoths.

The new Indie Game Showcase will feature new games and also highlight older titles, and will be curated by Apple’s editorial team in a manner similar to other featured apps on the store. In addition to the individual app showcase, Apple is also

adding a permanent sub-section for indie titles to the App Store.

It’s an important move on Apple’s part given today’s app economy, which is heavily tilted toward bigger developers who can afford the marketing budgets to promote their games in a way that smaller dev teams typically can’t match. Apple’s new indie section could help provide a more level playing field for new independent developers, similar to the early days of the App Store when the market wasn’t so crowded.

(The Verge)

t should come as no surprise that Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, one of the stars of the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise, isn’t a fan of self-driving cars.

“I honestly feel that no one can ever take the place of a human being when it comes to actually driving, especially when it comes to that last-minute instinct if something happens to go wrong,” Ludacris, 39, told CNET during a cover shoot in his hometown of Atlanta.

“The same way computers crash every now and then, I feel like cars that are gonna drive people, there’s a slight chance that it may crash,” he said in December, ahead of reprising his role as tech guy Tej Parker in “The Fate of the Furious,” also known as “Fast & Furious 8”.

“I don’t think it’s for me.”

That’s not to say he’s leery of tech. While

not quite the techie he plays on screen, Ludacris says his house has all sorts of gadgets he controls through his iPhone apps.

He also relies on apps to help him with his music. But the hip-hop artist also thinks we should put our tech down every once in a while. “There’s a time to disconnect,” he says. “There’s nothing like actually interacting with other human beings.” (CNET)

Separation from your phone 'makes you stressed within minutes'

P

sychologists have found that the answer is probably only a few minutes - at least among people aged 18 to 26.

In a study, people whose phones were taken away from them were more likely to show "stress behaviour" than those who had their phones on them.

Participants who were given another mobile showed less signs of stress too, even though it wasn't their own phone.

The comfort from the mobile phone is a substitute for real human interaction, say the researchers.

They even compare it to how a baby can be comforted with a blanket when they are away from their parents.

The study was conducted by scientists from Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary and is published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

Veronika Konok, one of the authors, says: "Objects can be the subject of attachment, like photos of important people, or toys.

"The mobile phone is special because it's not only an important object, but also represents our other social connections."

The study was done with a group of 18 to 26-year-olds, who were filmed and whose heart rates were monitored.

Half of the group had their phones taken away and put in a cupboard.

Each of the 87 participants would sit in a room on their own and asked to do sums and puzzles on a laptop.

In the three-and-a-half-minute break between activities, those without their phones were more likely to hover around the cupboard where their phone was, and within that time showed signs of stress such as a change in heart rate variability.

Those without phones were also likely to fidget, touch their faces or scratch - all signs of stress, according to the psychologists who ran the experiment.

The subjects were also tested for their reactions to emotive words, and were found to respond more to words to do with separation, for example "break up" and "loss".

The fear of being apart from your phone has even got a name - it's called nomophobia, which is an abbreviation of "no-mobile-phone phobia". (BBC)

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Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

By Cindy Yanasha Angulo

N

obody wants to spend countless hours tilling up land. Raised bed gardening is an easy way to take the toil and trouble out of gardening.

Ingredients 4 rustic potatoes 5 tablespoons butter, melted 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste Cooking oil spray for the pan

There's no limit to how large a raised garden can be

Method

Preheat oven to 425Ëš. Cover a glass Pyrex dish with foil and spray to coat with cooking oil.

Put the garlic cloves inside the butter so they begin to infuse.

Wash and dry potatoes, then take them one by one to cut on a cutting board. You're going to want to lay two chopsticks on either side of the potato to avoid cutting straight through the bottom (so the potatoes fan out like the picture above).

Cut about 1/4 inch thick slices through the entire potato (until your knife hits the chopsticks). Do the same for all four potatoes.

Place the potatoes into a bowl of cold water as they are finished being cut. This

Raised gardens can also be quite lovely. Check out this stone bed for some inspiration

T

Greatest Cooking Tips

he simplest and most immediate way to deal with overripe fruit is to puree and freeze it. Cut away any soft or spoiled areas, zip it through a blender or food processor, then freeze it in ice cube trays.

When you deep-fry, hold each piece of food with long tongs as you add it to the oil. Hold it just below the oil's surface for five seconds before releasing it. This will seal the exterior and stop it from sticking to the pot or the other food.

For best results when you're baking, leave butter and eggs at room temperature overnight.

S You don't need open fields to garden. Here’s a raised garden made of bricks

will wash out some of the starch from inside the potato before you bake it. Make sure they are dry before baking, though.

Arrange the potatoes in the Pyrex dish and fan them out slightly with your hands.

Sprinkle salt and black pepper as desired.

Brush the garlic butter mixture on top of each potato. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Take the potatoes out of the oven, uncover them, and then brush more of the butter mixture on them.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of each potato, trying to get some inside the little slits. Brush with more butter and bake again uncovered for another 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and cooked through. (www.yanashaskitchen.com)

Home Help

pray your plastic ware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces for no more stains.

To remove marks left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it.

Using clean foam meat trays between each plate of fine china when stacking for storage will help prevent scratches.

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Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

W

JOKES

D

Did You Hear?

ID YOU HEAR about the judge who demanded order in the court?

The defendant asked for a hamburger on a roll with mustard, and a drink as well.

DID YOU HEAR about the absentminded professor?

He poured ketchup on his shoelaces and tied knots in his spaghetti.

A

family that spent their vacation on a farm the year before wanted to return. But the only thing they thought was wrong with the farm was the noise made by the pigs. So they wrote to the farmer to ask him if the pigs were still there.

The farmer wrote back: “Don’t worry.

We haven’t had any pigs on the farm since you were here.”

J

ames and Josh decided to explore the hills on a two-seater bicycle. As they reached the first hill, the going got hard, especially for Josh at the back. At last, they reached the top.

Short of breath and perspiring, Josh said, “That was tough! But we finally made it!”

“Yes,” said James. “Luckily, I had my hand on the brake. Otherwise we would have rolled all the way down!”

T

wo mountain climbers had reached the end of their exhausting climb. At the point of collapse, they made it to the top!

“It almost cost us our lives to climb this mountain,” the first climber gasped, “but just to plant our country’s flag on the top here is worth it. Our people will be proud; this is the proudest moment ever in my life! Please hand me the flag.”

The second mountain climber stared at him in surprise. “I thought you had it!?”

hile fruit drinks, sodas, and other sweet beverages bear the brunt of the too-much-sugar finger-wagging, new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that food choices can contribute significantly more addedsugar calories to your child's diet than beverages. That is why reading labels carefully is so important. Additionally, avoid foods with more than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Some sneaky sugars you may have missed: Low-Fat Peanut Butter Manufacturers take out the fat out of low-fat peanut butter, but to give it the texture and taste of regular peanut butter, they add sugar. The fat that is

naturally occurring in peanut butter is healthy, so go with the regular peanut butter.

Cereal Some children's cereals contain a lot of sugar. Ideally, you want to select a cereal with 5 grams of sugar or less per serving. Or you can mix a healthier low-sugar cereal with a pre-sweetened one.

Packaged Fruit The little bit of sugar you get from eating whole fruit is a good thing, since it's also packed with nutrients and fiber, which helps fill you up. With canned fruit, however, the good-for-you element is less beneficial and the sugar is higher—especially if you're buying

the syrup-packed variety. Always look for water-packed fruits. If you accidentally get the syrupy one, thoroughly rinse the fruit in water.

Flavoured Milk Keep this to an occasional treat.

Instead of premade varieties, make your own with skim milk and Ovaltine or Carnation Instant Breakfast, both of which have additional vitamins and less sugar.

Yogurt Since milk already contains sugar, thanks to naturally occurring lactose, added flavours can really up the quota.

Your best bet is to buy plain or vanilla and add your own sweetness by way of berries or banana chunks.

STORY TIME

O

ne day, Jack the monkey asked the King to marry one of his daughters.

The King told him, “If you want my daughter, you have to catch the biggest caiman and then you will marry her.”

So Jack went to try his luck and found a big caiman floating on the river.

“Hey, what you want?” the caiman asked.

“I want a partner like you,” said Jack.

“A partner like me?” wondered the caiman.

“Yes, I want you and me sleeping together,” responded Jack.

The caiman and Jack now went on the land to sleep.

“I can’t sleep just like that you know.

I need a piece of wood as a pillow for my head,” said Jack. And he went in search for a piece of wood.

After the caiman fell asleep, Jack took the piece of wood and knocked the caiman on his head, but he missed. The caiman woke up in shock, “What you doing, man?”

“That wasn’t me,” responded Jack, “a tree fell in the middle of the night.

Look, it nearly hit me too”.

“If it had caught my dead spot, I would have been dead,” shouted the caiman angrily.

“So where’s your dead spot?” asked Jack cleverly.

“Right behind here,” the caiman pointed at a spot on the side behind his eyes.

“Ah!” thought Jack excitedly, dis-

covering the caiman’s dead spot. Jack gave one blow to the caiman’s dead spot while he was asleep, which instantly killed the caiman.

Jack then tied the caiman’s feet and took him to proudly present to the King.

He said, “King! King! I caught the biggest caiman, now I can marry your daughter!”

Jack was dancing up and down because he was so happy.

“Ok,” said the King, “but I want you to do more thing: catch for me the biggest kamudi (tinki in Makushi).”

The next day Jack carried a canister into the forest and put it underneath a tree. He climbed up the same tree and waited until a huge kamudi passed by.

“You want anything?” asked Jack from the top.

“What I want? I want you!” responded the snake.

“Me? No man, but I got a nice canister for you there. You could go there.

I want to give you something,” Jack told the kamudi.

“How am I going to fit in that canister?” the kamudi asked.

“That going to fit you nice, you know. You just got to curl up,” Jack said convincingly. So the kamudi crawled inside, curled himself and his whole body disappeared into the canister.

Jack jumped off the tree and quickly closed the canister.

Then he ran to the King’s palace and shouted, “King! I caught a pet for you. I caught the biggest kamudi!” he said.

“You lie!” replied the King. “No, I am not lying, now I can get the girl,” responded Jack.

So the King’s workers went to collect the heavy snake. It really was the biggest kamudi they had ever seen.

And the King said, “Ok, you can have my daughter.”

But when the King presented his daughter, she was so disappointed at the sight of Jack that she started crying.

“Oh no! Not him please,” she cried out. The monkey tried to convince her, but with no luck; the girl didn’t want him. Screaming, she said that she did not want a monkey!

Seeing that he could not change her mind about him, the monkey disappeared, weeping.

That is why, until this day, we have the ‘weeping Capuchin monkey’. (By Guyanese storyteller Abigail Buckley, with the help of her daughter Shania; www.pantaniblog.org)

T

he trio of their, there, and they’re can confuse writers at all levels. The confusion stemming from these words is that they are homophones, meaning they have the same pronunciation, but differ in meaning and derivation. Let’s explore the differences between the three.

Their is the possessive case of the pronoun they, as in: “They left their cell phones at home.” Their is generally plural, but is increasingly accepted in place of the singular his or her af-

ter indefinite singular antecedent, such as ‘someone’: “Someone left their book on the table.”

There is an adverb that means “in or at that place,”

as in: “She is there now.” In this sense, there is essentially the opposite of here.

There is also used as a pronoun introducing a sentence or clause, as in: “There is

still hope.”

They’re is a contraction of the words ‘they’ and ‘are’, as in: “They’re mastering the differences between three homophones!”

If you find yourself coming up blank when trying to determine which one to use, take a hint from the spelling of each: Their has the word ‘heir’ in it, which can remind you that the term indicates possession.

There has the word ‘here’ in it. There is your choice for talking about places, whether figurative or literal.

They’re has an apostrophe, which tells you that it’s the product of two words: they are. If you can substitute they are into your sentence and retain the meaning, then they’re is the correct homophone to use!

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MARCH 19 , 2017

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Times Sunday Puzzle

I

n each sentence below, two words are incomplete. The two words end in the same three letters, so they look like they should rhyme, but they don't. See if you can figure out the missing letters in each sentence.

Example: One symptom of bronchitis is a ro___ co___. (The two words are: rough, cough.)

1. Now that I can fly a kite, I don't m___ the w___.

2. Children in Alabama could be called the Deep So___ yo___.

3. That bully must ce___ to te___ his fellow students.

4. By his 18th birthday, the prince had gr___ into his cr___. see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

T

he brown hoplo, Hoplosternum littorale, is nearly unmistakable with its plate-like armour consisting of two rows of large bony scales running along the length of each side of the body. The armoured appearance of this animal gives it the alternate common name armoured catfish or ‘hassar’ in Guyana.

Individuals range in colour from dark brown to black. Two pairs of long chin barbels (a slender, whisker-like sensory organ near the mouth) are present.

This fish species is widespread in South

GEOZONE

America, east of the Andes and north of Buenos Aires, including the Rio Orinoco, Trinidad, coastal rivers of the Guianas, Rio Amazonas basin, Rio Paraguay, lower Rio Parana and coastal systems in southern Brazil.

Males build floating nests in vegetation near shore that consist of bubbles covered with plant material. Eggs are released by the female below the nest. The male fertilizes them and then takes them into his mouth and blows them up into the floating nest. The eggs hatch in about four days.

Amazon River basin

S

outh America has three important river basins: the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraguay/Paraná.

The Amazon River basin has an area of almost 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles), making it the largest watershed in the world. The basin, which covers most of northern South America, is fed by tributaries from the glaciers of the Andes. Every second, the Amazon River empties 209,000 cubic meters (7,381,000 cubic feet) of freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Orinoco River flows north of the Amazon. The Orinoco flows in a giant arc for more than 2,736 kilometers (1,700 miles), originating in the Guiana Highlands of northern Brazil and discharging in the Atlantic Ocean in Venezuela. The Orinoco

Word Search

Please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

River basin covers an area of about 9 4 8 , 0 0 0 square kilometers (366,000 square miles) and encompasses approximately 80 percent of Venezuela and 25 percent of Colombia.

T h e Paraguay/ P a r a n á River basin covers almost 2.8 million square kilometers (1,081,000 s q u a r e miles), which is much of southeastern Brazil and Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The Paraná River includes Iguazu Falls, a massive series of waterfalls that extend for 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles).

Along with the Uruguay River, the Paraná River empties into the Rio de la Plata estuary between Argentina and Uruguay. The Rio de la Plata is the most populated region of both countries. The capital cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, practically face each other across the estuary.

The Paraguay/Paraná River basin supplies water to the plains biome, or Pampas, of South America. The Pampas have rich, fertile soil and predictable rainfall patterns. They are the most important grazing and cropland areas on the continent.

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MARCH 19 , 2017

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

New playing pieces in the Venezuelan bakers arrested for making brownies latest version of Monopoly

F

T

he boot has been booted, the wheelbarrow wheeled out, and it's thumbs down for the thimble in the latest version of Monopoly.

In their place will be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a penguin and a rubber ducky.

The switch has come after a worldwide public vote over which tokens to save, as part of the brand's "Monopoly Token Madness" campaign.

The original pieces have been a staple of Monopoly boards around the world since the game was launched in 1935.

It's the second time a piece has been re-

moved from play following public consultation.

The iron made way for a cat back in 2013.

The remaining pieces, including a battleship and a boot, all trace their roots back to the Great Depression.

Thimbles are used to prevent pricking a thumb with a sharp needle while sewing.

Choices for the new pieces included a hashtag, an emoji, a flip-flop and a rubber duck.

Games featuring the new piece will be available in August 2017. (BBC)

Bhutan puts happiness before prosperity M

ost countries focus on industrial output to measure their worth,

boasting their high GDPs (Gross Domestic Product). But that's not the case in Bhutan, a

Brain Teaser Answer 1. mind wind 2. south youth

3. cease tease 4. grown crown

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

tiny Himalayan kingdom tucked between India and China. Bhutan focuses instead on a concept they call GNH, or Gross National Happiness.

Often cited at the 'most authentic country in the world,' Bhutan is often seen as "a magic time machine," and it has a long history of isolationism in attempts to preserve its unique identity. After defeating Tibetan forces and feuding warlords in the 16th century, Bhutan's leader unified the country and cultivated a unique culture to differentiate itself from warring powers. A distinct Bhutanese identity emerged which emphasized a communal relationship with nature and a lifestyle centered around Buddhism.

Bhutan avoided globalization and preserved its society in isolation for centuries. As the rest of the world modernized, Bhutan still had no currency, telephones, hospitals, or paved roads. It wasn't until the late 1960s that Bhutan cracked open its doors to the outside world and started to focus on development. But instead of hurriedly adopting western reforms, Bhutan's beloved Fourth King Jigme Singye Wang chuck invented Gross National Happiness to guide his country's progress. (Discovery News)

our bakers have been arrested in Venezuela for illegally making brownies and other pastries.

It's part of a crackdown by the government, which now requires 90% of the country's wheat to be used in loaves rather than cakes.

sants and other products.

Two more bakers were taken into custody for making brownies with out-ofdate wheat.

This is all part of the government's attempt to combat shortages and long lines for basic products during a

week: "Those behind the 'bread war' are going to pay, and don't let them say later it is political persecution."

The group representing bakers, Fevipan, has asked for a meeting with Nicolas Maduro, saying most shops can't make ends meet with-

President Nicolas Maduro has threatened to take over bakeries in the capital Caracas as part of a new "bread war".

He's sent inspectors and soldiers into more than 700 bakeries this week to enforce the rules.

V e n e z u e l a ' s Superintendency of Fair Prices said two men were arrested because their bakery was using too much wheat in sweet bread, ham crois-

three-year economic crisis.

The ruling Socialist Party claims businessmen are hoarding products and pushing up prices.

Critics say the government's to blame because of failed price policies and currency controls.

Breadmakers are blaming politicians for a national shortage of wheat, saying 80% have none left in stock.

President Nicolas Maduro said earlier this

out selling higher-priced products.

New rules brought in mean bakeries in Caracas must use 90% of flour to bake savoury bread and only 10% for pastries and cakes.

They are also required to provide a constant supply of bread throughout the day from 7am to 7pm and make sure there's bread the next morning by holding over loaves from the previous day. (BBC)

Man dresses as a parrot to sell house

T

his man is trying to sell a house by dressing up as a parrot, but no-one knows who he is.

The mystery man appears in every image of the property in the Blackrod area of Bolton, England.

With bright green legs and coloured feathers, we see him relaxing inside the ÂŁ225,000 home and even using a barbecue on the patio.

It's on the market with local estate agent Platinum Properties who say the homeowner was "up for a

laugh".

Estate agent Steve Laycock tells Newsbeat "the parrot has requested anonymity but he tends to squawk rather than tweet".

"It's a macaw showing off the decor."

The three-bedroom property also features "a gloss black kitchen with granite work surfaces".

There's also a "magnificent outdoor entertaining area, featuring a granite terraced patio with decked seating area".

This odd approach to marketing seems to be working.

Steve told the Bolton News: "We've already done a couple of viewings.

"We always like to think we do some of the best photography of the estate agents in the area."

There's also parking, a terraced patio and stainless steel fencing to keep both children and parrots safe "while giving the whole area a continental feel". (BBC)

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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Fun Times

Archie

Taking a day trip or attending a conference that (March 21will help inform you about April 19) something you want to pursue is favored. Enjoy yourself with a loved one. Romance is highlighted.

ARIES

Make changes to your TAURUS agenda, finances or health (April 20- regimen. Taking care of busiMay 20) ness will help you move forward with other pursuits.

Don’t make a fuss and just do what needs to be done.

Partnerships will not be GEMINI as they appear. Ask questions (May 21if you want to avoid being June 20) surprised by someone’s position. Choose peace and love over discord and chaos.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Demands will be put on you if you are too passive.

Make choices instead of letting others railroad you into situations and pursuits that aren’t in your best interest.

Bypass anyone giving you a difficult time. Don’t give in to pressure or unfair demands. Focus on fun, indulgence and romance. Enjoy the bright side of life.

Get organized and be ready to work alongside others to bring about change. A positive mental and physical attitude will chase away opposition.

LIBRA Put work aside. Don’t try (Sept. 23- to change something that can’t Oct. 23) be changed. Look for unique ways to stabilize your current personal situation. Positive change is within reach.

Peanuts

Vocational uncertainty SCORPIO (Oct. 24- will give you reason to rethink Nov. 22) what you want to do next.

Assess your skills and qualifications, and redirect what you do best to suit current trends.

Look at any situation you SAGITTARIUS face rationally. Refuse to let (Nov. 23- emotional deception, accuDec. 21) sations or uncertainty create problems or cause jealousy. Offer understanding and a helping hand to those you love.

Calvin and Hobbes

Emotional problems will CAPRICORN crop up if you make a prom(Dec. 22- ise you cannot deliver. Make Jan. 19) your gestures clear, and put what you are willing to do in writing. There is no room for error.

An unexpected encounAQUARIUS ter will change your life. You (Jan. 20- will receive a gift or winFeb. 19) ning, or a lost item will be returned to you. Celebrate your good fortune with a loved one. Romance is highlighted.

Delays can be expected if PISCES (Feb. 20- you travel or deal with peoMar. 20) ple who are emotionally unstable. Take a step back from any situation that appears to be heading in the wrong direction.