Guyana times, november 12, 2017

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3390

Sunday, November 12, 2017

PRICE

PPP declares no confidence in Procurement Commission Page 3

…says lukewarm commitment made to investigate scandals

Love-struck Dominican fined, deported

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Linden/Lethem Road upgrade

Tenders P13 for design consultancy out – Patterson

GECOM appointment challenge

Former AG blasts Govt’s claim that court has no P9 jurisdiction

Page 8

“New buildings won’t transform UG” – valedictorian Pages 5&12

Opposition cry foul at P7 attempts to gag them in Parliament …slam Govt for lagging reports, motions

Contractors criticised for damaging NA main access roads P16

Daylight carjacking

…says changes in attitude needed …as over 2100 students graduate Rose Hall Estate closure

Page 17

“It’s not too late to reconsider” – workers

Early morning gunshots terrorise Puruni Landing Page 2

GECOM nominee P2 disappointed with Police inaction

Linden Mayor decries P11 lack of job opportunities

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news

SUnDAY, november 12, 2017 guyanatimesGY.com

Daylight carjacking

GECOM nominee disappointed with Police inaction

O

ne week after gunmen made off with her motorcar from outside her Queenstown, Georgetown home, businesswoman and GECOM nominee Ryhaan Shah is not

pleased with efforts by the Police to probe the matter, with the aim of capturing the culprits and possibly recover her vehicle.

According to Shah, there has been no follow-up

from the Alberttown Police Station regarding her case.

She told Guyana Times that after conducting independent investigations, she contacted a Police Sergeant and informed him of some

information about a possible lead on the case. At the time, she did not have the contact phone number of the person with the relevant information and indicated to the officer that she would call him

GECOM nominee Ryhaan Shah

back with such.

However, numerous calls to the officer, via a cell number he gave to her, continuously went unanswered.

Moreover, despite being told of a possible lead, the officer has made no attempt to contact the victim on his own.

Additionally, the Police had initially taken the contact number of a witness who could give a “good description” of the carjackers.

But the witness is yet to be contacted by the Police, Shah said.

“It is very obvious that the Police have absolutely no interest in solving this crime,” Shah pointed out.

She added, “I’m very disappointed with the lack of

response. Where does anyone go for help if the Police themselves show absolutely no interest?”

At about 13:20h on November 4, the businesswoman was attacked by gun-toting bandits moments after pulling up in front her Irving Street, Georgetown home.

Shah had told this newspaper that after arriving home, she exited the car and was about to open the gate when she was confronted by a man armed with a handgun.

“He scrambled me and in reacting, I was trying to fight back in a sense. Then next thing I knew, he was scrambling my hand. I thought he was after my watch, but he took the car keys out of my hands.”

Shah disclosed that there were two other perpetrators nearby and the gunman threw the keys to one of his accomplices. The trio then hopped into the silver-grey Toyota Allion motor car, bearing registration number PLL 1127, and drove off.

The businesswoman had noted that while the hijackers were not masked and while she did not get to have a good look at their faces.

Early morning gunshots terrorise Puruni Landing

R

esidents of Puruni, Mazaruni (Region Seven) are fearful for their safety as gun-related activities at a bar in the area continue to terrorise them.

The bar, located at Puruni Landing and owned by a Brazilian national named “Junior” (only name given), has again come into focus after two sets of gunshots were heard during a 20-minute period in which loud quarrelling and sporadic fist-fighting took place among patrons there. The incident occurred at some time around 01:30h on Saturday.

One eyewitness related to Guyana Times that persons within the vicinity were seen scurrying away from the bar during the first gunfire, running into nearby areas for their safety.

Neighbouring business owners have related that when they heard the gunshots, they also became afraid also for their safety, resulting in them taking cover by throwing themselves flat onto the ground for a lengthy period throughout the night.

One of the proprietors, who at about 02:00h, managed to get a look at the commotion nearby, recalled observing a man with his back bloodied. He said that throughout the remainder of the night there was loud quarrelling and fighting around the bar area.

Another businessperson stated that around the said

time, they also witnessed six males chasing after an Amerindian man, who literally ran through a nearby zinc fence to make good his escape.

The second gunshots were heard just after 02:00h in another direction away from the bar.

This is not the first time that such indiscriminate gunfire had being heard around the Puruni Landing late in the night, the residents complain.

This newspaper was told that the foster son of a popular dredge owner in the area was seen firing off gunshots indiscriminately around the Puruni Landing area.

The ‘Junior Bar’ is said to be the hub of all night time activities on the Puruni Landing, especially since it normally houses “Spanishspeaking ladies of the night” a resident told this publication.

“Whenever they get wind of a likely visit by authorities, these ‘Spanish ladies of the Night’ at this bar on the Puruni Landing would normally be seen scurrying around and away from the area to keep out of sight of authorities during their visit,” this publication was told.

In light of these events, which have driven fear amongst residents and the business community of Puruni Landing, calls are being made for the permanent presence of Police to ensure law and order is maintained in the area.

news

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 12 – 13:00h-14:30h and Monday, November 13 – 14:00h-15:30h.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

PPP declares no confidence in Procurement Commission …says lukewarm commitment made to investigate scandals

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, November 12 – 12:10h-13:40h and Monday, November 13 – 13:10h-14:40h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from East North-easterly to Easterly between 3.12 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 11:53h reaching a maximum height of 2.21 metres.

Low Tide: 05:13h and 17:51h reaching minimum heights of 0.95 metre and 1.04 metres respectively.

The D’Urban Park Project is another matter to be examined

I

n September, the parliamentary Opposition had written to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to investigate the award of a contract to Dutch company, LievenseCSO, for a feasibility study into the new Demerara River bridge.

It had also sought an investigation into the D’Urban Park Project and the Government’s rental of a “bond” at Sussex Street for drug storage. However, according to the People’s Progressive Party, in separate responses, the Commission has said it will investigate all three matters.

But the Opposition has little confidence in a thorough probe being done, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira declared on Saturday at a press conference. According to Teixeira, this is due to the fact that while Chairperson Carol Corbin promised to look into the matters raised with the relevant entities, she also wrote that this would be done “within the confines of (the Commission’s) work programme and available resources.”

On Saturday, the Opposition party expressed concern about the Commission’s response, noting that the law mandates it

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has to investigate complaints.

Teixeira, who wrote requesting the probe of the feasibility contract, even described the Commission’s response as scary, when its responsibilities are considered.

“The issue to flag is that phrase, within the confines of our work programme and available resources. Now the Constitution makes it absolutely clear that once there is a complaint, the PPC has to investigate it.”

“It cannot say, well we have a work programme and we have these 10 items, we have to do these first. Or we don’t have enough resources.

This is unacceptable, this is a constitutional body,” Teixeira expressed.

Teixeira bluntly stated that she had no confidence the Commission would do an investigation.

Meanwhile, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall sought to stress that even constitutional agencies can be held accountable. He noted that since the Commission spends millions

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Representatives of Dutch Company LievenseCSO hand over their feasibility study to Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry Annette Ferguson. The PPP requested a probe in this matter

The letter PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin sent to PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

in taxpayers’ money, it is accountable to the people.

“All (such) institutions must understand that (they) are accountable, though they are the beacon of accountability and perhaps one of the chief scrutinisers of public spending.

With the intent of deciphering accountability and bringing about transparency, it must understand that it must be acceptable and transparent. And it is being run with a lot of public funds. Check the salary of those people. And the rental they are paying.”

“Their functions and mandates are outlined in the Constitution. So it’s not a capricious or whimsical schedule that they can construct.

They have to have a work programme that is within their constitutional mandate.

And the matters requested in the letter are matters that ought to find priority within their constitutional mandate.

I can’t understand (them) having anything more important to do than investigations and make recommendations. That is the substance of their function,” Nandlall continued. Turn to page 9

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sunDAY, november 12, 2017

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

The PNC General I

n what has to be an unguarded moment, President David Granger, who has taken great pains to control his utterances by reading prepared speeches and has been criticised, for instance in not subjecting himself to a press conference with half his term completed, made some startling, spontaneous statements to a People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) overseas group in Atlanta, Georgia.

He revealed to the 5th Biennial Conference of the PNCR’s North American Region (NAR), for the very first time, that he had been a member of the PNC for some 52 years. This would mean he joined the PNC in 1965, the year he was sent as a 20-year old Queens College Cadet to the Mons Officer Cadet Training Course in England, even before he returned to Guyana to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the newly-formed Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

This factoid explains much of Mr Granger’s subsequent history, both in and out of the GDF. For instance, after the April 1970 aborted Army coup in Trinidad against the Eric Williams Government, Prime Minister and PNC leader Forbes Burnham rushed to ensure that the GDF did not go down that road. He launched an “Education Corps” to explicitly politicise the Army.

As documented in the GDF magazine, “Scarlet Beret Vol 1 #1; p54” Burnham’s declared to officers and new recruits of the GDF on October 26, 1970: “I do not share with the British the concept that the Army is separate and distinct from everything else and loyal to the government of the day. As Prime Minister, I expect you to be loyal to this Government.

If there is any other government, it is a matter for you to decide about that, but as far as I am concerned I don’t want any abstract government.”

“I have now arranged with the Chief-of-Staff that, in future, all recruits, apart from their military training, will also have to attend a course of lectures on the philosophy and ideology of the Government and the Co-op Republic”.

It had surprised some that the officer in charge of this PNC ideological training was the 25-year-old David Granger. That Granger was a card-carrying member of the party explains this trust by Burnham to designate him as the “Education Officer of the GDF in charge of the “Education Unit”.

According to then Professor George Danns, “…the officer corps… all belonged to the Social, Political, and Economic Council (SPEC) which was set up by Minister of Information Elvin Mc David as a body for doing “backroom research” for the PNC. On p72 of the magazine, Mc David explained the Army’s new role in greater detail: “The Education Unit is the People’s institution in the People’s Army charged with the task of establishing complete understanding of the new role.

For it is to be successful, it will mean that it has to receive the support of the whole Army in a militant programme of political education of the people, regardless of whether it is in direct opposition groups whose roots are in traditional society and in whose interest it is to forestall the course of relevant development.”

The People’s Progressive Party, of course, was the major Opposition group “whose roots are in traditional society” – read “Indian society”, which was by definition “backward” and inevitably resistant to “relevant development”. This had always been Burnham’s position on the Indian Guyanese community as was elaborated in his book, A Destiny to Mould. Now that President Granger had confessed to being an un-reconstituted “Burnhamite”, this may explain his posture on sugar and rice.

And also explain the three questions President Granger posed to his Atlanta PNC audience: “You have to ask yourself how did the PNC gain office in 1964. Ask yourself how did the PNC remain in office and what did it do during that period.

Ask yourself how the PNC regained office in 2015 and ask yourself how would the PNC retain office after 2020.”

As Guyana and China celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties, an evening of Sichuan ABA song and dance was hosted at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday evening

President Granger needs to respect our Constitution (Part 2) Dear Editor, President Granger’s unilateral decision to appoint an 84-year-old man with ties to the People’s National Congress (PNC) as the new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, is nothing more than shameful. He has disregarded his own criteria in selecting the 84-year-old retired Justice James Patterson in violation of Article 161-2 of the Guyana Constitution.

Earlier, in a letter to the Leader of the Opposition, President Granger insisted that the new GECOM Chairman must have “wide electoral knowledge and capable of handling electoral matters.” There is no evidence that Justice Patterson has any electoral knowledge or experience. Granger also insisted that the person to be selected as the new GECOM Chairman must “not be an activist in any form; gender, racial or religious nor should that person have any political affiliation or should not belong to any political party in any form, apparent or hidden.” The 84-year-old Patterson was a pallbearer

at Merriman’s Funeral Home at the funeral of former President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, where all the other pallbearers were hard core leaders, activists and supporters of the PNC. In addition, Justice Patterson is known to be a preacher of religion.

The President also said the person to be appointed as the GECOM Head, “should have a general character of honesty, integrity, faithfulness and diligence in the discharge of their duty as Chairman of GECOM.” When asked why he decided to handpick the 84-year-old for this position, the President said it is because of his extensive experience as a former Chief Justice of Grenada.

But here is the problem…

Patterson LIED on his résumé. He was never a Chief Justice of Grenada, and it took two weeks of hounding by journalists before he finally admitted that it was “a slip of the pen” that caused him to lie on his Curriculum Vitae (CV). Retired Justice Patterson should also now retire as the new GECOM

Chairman.

Justice Patterson was not truthful, not transparent, and lacks the credibility to be fair and impartial in his capacity as the Chairman of GECOM. It is obvious that President Granger was determined to disregard the process of due diligence in his appointment of Patterson for the same reason he has failed to withdraw his appointment for lying on his CV. The People’s Progressive Party has an obligation to condemn, expose and embarrass the illegal and unconstitutional actions of this President before he turns into a full-blown dictator like his idol, the late Forbes Burnham.

I believe President Granger was looking for a confrontation with the Opposition by coming to Parliament so soon after his highly controversial decision to unilateral appoint retired Justice Patterson as the new GECOM Chairman. He wanted to ‘test the waters’ to determine the level of our “non-cooperation”. And now, he should realise just how se-

rious we are. Dis time na like lang time.

This President does not respect our Constitution; he does not respect the people. He does not respect the Leader of the Opposition; he does not even respect his own word. President Granger issued a joint statement saying he would work with the Leader of the Opposition collaboratively to appoint the GECOM Chairman. He mislead both the Leader of the Opposition and the nation.

The late Malcolm X, a courageous advocate for the rights of black Americans once said, “I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he’s wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.”

I have the greatest of respect for the Office of the President, but this President will get none from me. David Granger is no angel, he is a budding dictator. He does not deserve our respect.

Sincerely, Harry Gill PPP/C Member of Parliament

Interpersonal violence remains unacceptably high

Dear Editor, The recent spate of violence perpetrated on citizens in Guyana, in particular against women and children, compels the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) to once again unfortunately have to publicly voice its extreme concern.

It seems to be no longer the exception but rather the norm to several times a week be apprised of vio-

lence being experienced and perpetrated on persons in most dramatic and heinous ways. Examples that may be identified are: the death of the teenager Leonard Archibald and the alleged surrounding circumstances; the tragic beating death of a school teacher; and alleged shooting-suicide by a young Policeman.

Some members of our society appear to have become so intemperate towards each

other as if intending to outdo each other to paint as terrible an image as possible and inflict maximum pain on the victim. The apparent increase in such a trend suggests that there may be an awakening or existence of a disturbing psyche that no longer values human life nor cares to have one’s behaviour checked by the fear and likelihood of being caught and prosecuted.

While the GAWL rec-

ognises the efforts of the authorities to curb crime, interpersonal violence remains unacceptably high and its symptoms must be addressed. We urge our fellow Guyanese citizens to be more vigilant and caring about the other person. Be aware of issues which may be affecting children as it is incumbent on the adults to protect them.

Continued on page 5

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News

51st Convocation Exercise

Over 2100 graduate from UG

Keynote speaker, Dr Dhanpaul Narine

By Shemuel Fanfair and Paula Gomes

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total of 2,165 students from across seven faculties graduated at the University of Guyana’s 51st convocation exercise on Saturday, and two separate ceremonies were held – the first at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) and the other at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

At the morning ceremony at the NCC, the graduates were urged to unite in their diversities with the aim to develop and advance Guyana. This was expressed by keynote speaker Dr Dhanpaul Narine, a US-based UG Education Resource Ambassador and native of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo.

Dr Narine told the graduates of the early struggles he faced before his current success, and disclosed that his mentors included persons from various ethnic groups. To this end, he underscored the need for Guyanese to work in unity to achieve the nation’s objectives – an expressed world view which was expanded through his interactions with Indigenous peo-

ple during a two-year stint in the Upper Mazaruni.

“We have a system of governance that is broken. We can’t continue with this thing, after 50 years in this country, of ‘us and them’; we can’t have that anymore. As graduates, we have to work and facilitate dialogue where everybody in this country is a winner,”

Keynote Speaker, Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow

Dr Narine observed.

He said citizens should see Guyana as their mother country, and he encouraged the university administration and leaders of the country to work out differences to advance Guyana.

Dr Narine then led the gathering in singing a moving rendition of Bob

Interpersonal violence...

From page 4

In keeping with our motto of “Women Supporting Justice and Equality”, GAWL stands ready to provide support to any initiatives which would help to address this disturbing trend, whether governmental in nature, or otherwise.

The GAWL is eager to assist in being part of the solution and will continue its programmes in educating the

Marley’s “One Love”.

The University Chancellor, Professor Nigel Harris, formally opened the day’s proceedings, and congratulated this year’s graduates for their respective feats.

“I wish you well in whatever paths you will undertake. I hope that you will remember and support the University of Guyana in years to come,” he highlighted.

He further related that the 2017 class is poised to capitalise on the “potential resources” that would be garnered from Guyana’s oil find, and he urged the graduands to strive to not only improve their own and their families’ fortunes, but those of the country as a whole.

UG Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, stressed that the graduates

public throughout the country as it has been doing for the past 30 years.

It is important that there be decisive action. We all have to see what part can play to reduce this disturbing trend which is taking hold of our society.

Sincerely, Guyana Association of Women Lawyers

must be courageous in their endeavours. He also said that this year’s convocation saw the highest ever num-

One of the graduating students collecting her certificate from University Chancellor, Professor Nigel Harris during the 51st Convocation Exercise at Sophia Exhibition Centre, Georgetown

ber of graduates being bestowed with degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The Vice-Chancellor added that 915 students were conferred with such honours at the National Cultural Centre, while the remaining students received theirs at the evening ceremony at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

International Relations major Elsie Harry was awarded the President’s Medal for Best Graduating Student, and was this year’s valedictorian.

Delivering the feature address at the afternoon ceremony hosted at the Sophia Exhibition Centre was Guyana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow. He shared with the graduands the life lessons he had learnt since leaving the University of Guyana in 1975.

The ambassador declared that life is full of challenges and opportunities, but noted that one must be discerning enough to recognize the challenges as opportunities. He also acknowledged that Guyana is still experiencing the pains of a growing country.

“By choosing the path of higher education, you’re giving yourself the tools you need to rise to those challenges. You have more computing power in the cell phone you have in your pocket than the American astronauts had on the spaceship that took them to the moon and back...knowledge is freely available at the click of the mouse…,” he said, while positing that no previous generation has had the tools or opportunities, technology or artificial intelligence available today.

Moreover, Ten-Pow em-

phasised that what sets today’s generation apart from any other is the speed of change in the world -- the ability of a man to adapt to the fast changes being an indicator of how successful he will be.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change,” he said, quoting Charles Darwin. Nonetheless, he added that adaptation is not enough, as he charged the graduands to be the agents of change by shaping change to suit their evolving needs, rather than having change being imposed upon them.

In closing, he expounded on the power of imagination to bring about change in society, and advised the graduands to have in possession a set of personal values to guide them throughout life.

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

– Ralph Marston

By Paula DavisLaack JD, MAPP

B

K

Anu Dev

ack when I was rotating through Family Medicine, we had a lecture on the concepts of “Heath behaviour” and “illness behaviour”, which I believe may be useful to the general reader.

Heath behaviour refers to any action a person undertakes to promote, maintain, or protect health. And illness behaviour refers to the actions taken when sick to get better.

It made me remember that, at the beginning of med school, I was struck by how finely balanced all our regulatory systems are, ensuring that all of the processes in our body are in sync. Makes you sympathetic with those who believe there had to be a “master watchmaker”!! And think how elaborate our immune system is, to prevent us from getting sick all of the time. There are an awful lot of bacteria and viruses out there launching attacks on us, but we don’t spend every waking moment sick, warding them off, do we? That’s because our immune system is fighting off the invaders all the time.

And I realized how much we take these things for granted.

We eat what we want when we want, not caring about what the nutritional content of the food or our irregular eating times might be doing to our bodies. Or we adopt a sedentary, couch potato lifestyle with nary a thought as to what is happening to our body that evolved over hundreds of thousands of years being quite active. And while we take in the car every 3000 miles for the oil and filter change, we don’t make regular check-ups with our doctor just to check if the systems are OK. Until we get sick, that is. We place more importance on our illness behaviour than our health behaviour.

But being healthy isn’t just about being physically healthy.

The WHO thus defines health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

And you’d be surprised as to how many “physical” illnesses are cause by “mental” disequilibrium. One medical expert, in the book, “Lives of a cell”, hazarded a guess that it might be as high as 50%!

There might be interminable arguments by philosophers about where the mind might be located, but there’s no question mental health is as important for normal-functioning as any of the other aspects of health.

Mental health is defined as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” (OK...that one’s from the text! But it’s pretty complete.)

What about social health... we are social beings, aren’t we? Well that deals with your lifestyle choices. Do you want

to die early from lung cancer?

Then by all means keep chainsmoking those cigarettes. But secondary smoking is even deadlier to those around. So just quit! Smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol are all lifestyle choices that you should say no to if you (or those around you) want to stay healthy. Remember: alcohol and domestic violence are highly correlated in our culture.

Other decisions you can make about your lifestyle are about the food you each.

Eat smarter, eat healthier. In Guyana, we’re at high risk for diseases like hypertension and diabetes. These diseases don’t have absolute cures, just ways to manage the illness. So let’s take preventative measures to prevent ourselves from getting these diseases.

Let’s try adjusting our health behaviour, because prevention is always better than cure!

atrina Alcorn recently published a memoir about her struggle with work-life balance as a working mom, and her subsequent burnout. As a non-mom, I learned a great deal from Alcorn’s story about the rigors of trying to work and raise children, and as a former burnout sufferer, I wanted to outline strategies to help parents better cope with stress and prevent burnout.

Six specific sources of burnout have been identified, and to date, much of the research about these sources has been related to work; however, I am surprised at how well they translate to non-work and specifically, to parenting. The six sources are as follows: Lack of control: Your sense of control over what you do in undermined or limited, and you don’t have a lot of say in what’s going on.

Va l u e s conflict: There is a disconnect between your core values and the core values of “it” (“it” is work, according to the research, but could also be something bigger, like society or culture).

Insufficient reward: You feel taken for granted, not recognized and/ or undercompensated (I think this describes most mom’s I’ve ever met).

Work overload: Work is too much, too complex, or too urgent.

Unfairness: You or others are treated unfairly, there is a culture of favouritism and assignments and promotions are made in an arbitrary fashion and discussed behind closed doors.

Breakdown of connection/ community: You have to work with patronising colleagues, there is no mechanism for conflict resolution, and feedback is non-existent.

The three big warning signs of burnout are: * Feeling overly cynical, frustrated or even resentful

* Exhaustion to the point of withdrawal or emotional detachment from your kids * Feeling ineffective and as though nothing you do is good enough Here are five strategies to help you better manage the stress that comes with being a parent and prevent burnout: Replace perfection with “good enough.”

It took me years to realise how destructive the pursuit of perfection really is because for most perfectionists, perfection isn’t about striving for excellence but rather, it’s about fear of failure. Every single parent I know wants to do their best and not fail at what they consider to be the most important job on the planet, but perfection has a cost. According to research professor, Dr Brene Brown, “Perfection is correlated with depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis or missed opportunities. The fear of

failing, making mistakes, not meeting people’s expectations, and being criticised keeps us outside of the arena where healthy competition and striving unfolds”.

Have a vulnerability outlet. When my brother and I were younger, my mom used to get together with other moms and play bridge. This was really code for “let’s talk about our kids.” Parents deal with new situations regularly, and having resources to call and ask, “Is this normal?” is invaluable (and necessary to preserve sanity!) This “vulnerability outlet” lets you drop your guard and confront the fears you might have about failing as a parent, while being reassured that parenting is messy business for everyone.

(psychologytoday.com)

news

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sunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition cry foul at attempts to gag them in Parliament …slam Govt for lagging reports, motions

A

s the 72nd sitting of the National Assembly draws near, the parliamentary Opposition is expressing apprehension that there is an ongoing deliberate campaign to muzzle them.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is of the view that despite the National Assembly’s order paper being called a “Private Members Sitting”, the matters on it are all Government matters sent for hearing. During a press conference on Saturday, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira was heavily critical of this situation.

She revealed that the situation has reached the point where the party has had to write a letter of complaint to the Parliament Office. She noted that a token inclusion of “Private Members Sitting” on the order paper is meaningless.

“We have written a letter to the Parliament Office, protesting that this order paper is called Private Members Sitting when the matters are all Government. It isn’t private members day, because our business hasn’t taken precedence.”

“These are all indications of authoritarianism, of muzzling the Parliamentary Opposition.

And this Government in particular (does not have) a major majority. This Government is ruling with less than one per cent difference, if one puts aside the elections petition momentarily,” Teixeira told the local press.

There are a number of motions, which the PPP had plans to move. Some of these motions have, in reality, been gathering dust for months, she added. One such motion, which comes from Opposition MP Priya Manickchand, was submitted since April of this year.

In the motion, Manickchand calls for the immediate revocation of the 14 per cent Value Added Tax imposition on private education. The motion states that impact of the onerous budgetary measures has caused great consternation and anxiety for parents and students and the future of students’ rights to access education of their choice, inclusive of private educa-

tion, as provided for in the Constitution.

Another emanates from MP Irfaan Ali, seeking to have a forensic audit into the Parking Meter Project conducted by the Auditor General’s Office. That motion was subsequently deferred, with sections of the media reporting that the decision was taken because the matter is sub judice (under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere).

ERC

Other matters in limbo include the appointment of members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC); a matter which has already been dealt with by the Committee on Appointments.

The Commission has been virtually dysfunctional since 2011, when then Opposition Leader Robert Corbin, has secured an injunction against the body, barring the Chairman and two Commissioners from taking any decision, recommendation or issuing any direction on behalf of the

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

constitutional body.

“The ERC names have been sitting there since April of this year. So when we hear the different people talking about the ERC, we have finished the process (and they) have been sitting there since April of this year. Is it accidental?

(Is it) coincidence? (Is it) that this Government has no interest in having the ERC appointed?” Teixeira questioned.

According to Teixeira, there are also 13 reports which are sitting on the

agenda; some of which date back as far as November 2016. She described this situation as unprecedented, noting that it has never happened in the history of the National Assembly.

“You have at least four reports going back

to November of last year.

Then you have reports from March, April and July. So when the President says all these fine things are happening, maybe he is not being properly advised or maybe he doesn’t know.”

Teixeira noted that

even the creation of the Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering of Financial Terrorism (AML/CFT) authority is also languishing. She noted that the nominees to the authority have been in limbo since July.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

$550M cocaine bust

Key witness to give 4 hour-long testimony

T

he main witness in the trial of the $550 million cocaine bust, which saw the arrests and later charges being laid against race car driver Nazim Gaffor; his father Tazim Gafoor; along with biker, Stephen Vieira and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) agent, Sherwayne DeAbreu, was on Friday brought before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

Hakeem Mohammed, also a drug trafficker who agreed to testify against his counterparts in exchange for leniency from the courts, is scheduled to begin his testimony on February 6, 2018. His testimony is expected to last for four hours, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford told the court on Friday.

In May of this year, ranks of the AntiNarcotics Unit swooped down on a lumber yard at Lot 227 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where they conducted a search on a truck that was laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber being prepared for export to the United States.

A total of 84.986 kilograms of cocaine was discovered stashed in the lumber.

An investigation carried out led to the

Prostituting…

From left: Sherwayne DeAbreu, Stephen Vieira, Nazim Gaffor and Tazim Gafoor

arrest of the Gafoors, Vieira, DeAbreu and Mohammed. In May, the Gafoors and Vieira appeared before Magistrate Liverpool and plead not guilty to the charge read to them.

That charge alleged that between March 1, 2017 and May 12, 2017, they aided Hakeem Mohammed in trafficking 84.9 kilograms of cocaine at Narine Lall’s Sawmill at Lookout, Parika, EBE. They were all remanded to prison.

However, Justice Roxane George granted bail to the younger Gafoor and Vieira when their representing Attorneys, Latchmie Rahamat and Stanley Moore made a bail petition in the

High Court.

Special reasons posited that no evidence was ever presented to the court which proves that the defendants were in possession of any drugs.

Documents previously presented to the court also indicated that the younger Gafoor suffers from epilepsy.

It was also put forward to the acting Chief Justice that the trial would take a long time, since the prosecution has secured 31 statements and the two men are not flight risks.

The older Gafoor along with DeAbreu were also later granted bail.

Loves-truck Dominican fined, deported

A

Dominican woman who claimed that she fell in love with a

Guyanese and as such overstayed in the country was on Friday fined and ordered de-

ported by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Jane Uribe, 22, admit-

ted that between August 11 and November 3, 2017 at Georgetown, she failed to comply with conditions under which a permit was granted; that is, having been granted a stay for the period of July 12 to August 11, she overstayed her time in Guyana.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, told the Court that Uribe entered Guyana and was granted a one-month stay.

However, on November 3, a raid was carried out by the Police, along with officials of the Social Protection Ministry, on the Bollywood Club at Providence, and she was found at the drinking spot.

In a plea of mitigation, Uribe told the Chief Magistrate that she had come to Guyana on a holiday but subsequently met a Guyanese man and fell in love. When questioned as to the whereabouts of the man, Uribe could not answer.

As such, she was deported and fined $15,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in three weeks’ imprisonment.

K

…the PhD en Danns has thrown his hat into the ring once again. A fella with a decent PhD in Sociology from Stonybrook, NY, back when Burnham was busy constructing his dictatorship and Rodney was undermining him from within, Danns studiously sat on the fence while teaching at UG. He finally jumped off into the PNC camp as a candidate from the “Reform” wing in 2001.

He was one of five Guyanese who were brought together by the US military - SOUTHCOM - in 2011, just after the elections of that year, to analyse the “strategic culture” of Guyana. And not so incidentally, explain why the PPP needed to be ousted from a standpoint of securing US strategic interests. Why isn’t it surprising that Ivelaw Griffith, the 10th - and only anointed Vice Chancellor - was the organiser, chief cook and bottlewasher?

Anyhow Danns got a gig as a columnist for the Chronic (along with Barrington Braithwaite, David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis, etc. Get the drift?) In his most recent column, he strained mightily at a gnat to dub the PPP’s declaration of non-cooperation as “sabotage”!! The PPP, of course, was reacting to Prezzie’s latest act of political unilateralism -appointing (Chief?) Justice James Patterson as the GECOM Chair.

Danns tried polish up his blatant piece of political propaganda to justify the pressures the PNC will unleash against the PPP between now and 2020 -- as announced internationally in Georgia and domestically at Mocha. He cited the theorist Thorstein Veblen’s definition of sabotage - “the conscientious withdrawal of efficiency” - but dubbed it “euphemistic”!!

Fact of the matter is Veblin took pains to demonstrate that the modern negative connotations of the word was introduced by the US capitalists who opposed workers’ efforts to better their working conditions!! “Sabotage” as “the conscientious withdrawal of efficiency”, Veblen showed, lies at the heart of the modern economic system, in that production is curtailed and controlled to prevent “overproduction” and falling prices!!

Danns came up with a list of five kinds of sabotage “industrial sabotage, the sabotage of estrangement, the sabotage of ritual, the sabotage of incompetence and indolence, and political sabotage” - to hone in on the last, which he dumped on the PPP and which was “the most egregious form of sabotage”!! If Danns hadn’t sold out his credentials to the PNC, he would’ve noted Veblen had advised that sabotage was never to be automatically condemned.

Rather, the anarchist sociologist pointed out that many forms of sabotage are recognized as “indispensable to the common good” and sanctioned by statute and common law, as well as the “public conscience”!

Like the PPP’s programme of civil disobedience against Prezzie’s unilateralism. …strategic culture Knowing your interest is piqued by your Eyewitness’s reference to the SOUTHCOM Conclave, he’ll quote the bare essentials”. It defined “the Origins of Guyana’s strategic culture, (b) probes the values and beliefs of its Keepers, (c) examines territorial disputes, drugs, and crime as core enduring rivalries and emerging Challenges, and (d) discusses the vicissitudes of the November 2011 elections and deficits in capabilities for credible national defense and public security as key aspects of Continuity and Change.”

“As regards the Keepers, the top leaders of the major political parties are important. The PNC and the PPP have dominated the political scene, thereby significantly influencing elite beliefs. The PNC began as a nationalist and anti-colonialist party, but later touted Cooperative Socialism. The PPP preached Marxism, anti-imperialism, and anti-colonialism, until winning power in 1992, when it faced the practical realities of governing in a post-Cold War world.”

“Race-based politics has led to a new discourse about an “ethnic security dilemma,” which presumes that each of the major ethnic groups is obliged to develop its own security strategy vis-à-vis the other. The nation has been witnessing East Indian triumphalism beyond the political domain. The promotion of “Indian-ness” by the PPP Keepers has been a key aim and value for them.”

Not a word about the PNC and “African-ness”!!

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

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM appointment challenge

Former AG blasts Govt’s claim that court has no jurisdiction

Attorney General Basil Williams

A

fter the unilateral appointment of a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman was challenged in the courts, the Government has responded by telling the court in its affidavit that the President’s decision is above the ambit of the courts. However, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Saturday blasts the Government’s contention saying that the court indeed has jurisdiction.

Commenting on Government’s response in an Affidavit to the court, Nandlall, it is the same attitude that caused President

David Granger to declare that the Chief Justice’s ruling on his GECOM appointment criteria was merely an opinion.

“What is important is the continuous contention by the Government that the President’s actions are beyond review by the court; and that is reflected by this affidavit.

The contention advanced here is that the court has no jurisdiction to review the exercise of presidential power. And if you understand the philosophy behind such a contention, then it answers a lot of what you see unfolding in relation to violations of the Constitution; because you have a Government which believes its head is beyond the rule of law,” Nandlall said.

According to Nandlall, the Constitution would never allow one arm of Government -the Executive -- to override it without having another arm -- the Judiciary -- to check its action. As such, Nandlall explained, it is the doctrine of separation of powers which empowers the Judiciary to review the Executive’s action in the first place.

Solicitor General Kim Kyte

PPP declares no...

D’Urban Park and Sussex St ‘bond’

This publication made contact with Opposition parliamentarian Juan Edghill, who confirmed that the Commission also responded in similar fashion to his request for probes into the D’Urban Park Project and the Sussex Street bond.

In a letter to Procurement Commission Chairperson Corbin, Edghill identified aspects of the D’Urban Park Project the party is most concerned about. Edghill, a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), noted that despite promises to the contrary, no account of donations received between September 2015 and January, 2016 was made public. It therefore queried the procurement process used for works on the project; as well as the scope a private company has to engage con-

From page 3

tractors and receive funding for a public project. The party queried the budgeted and actual cost throughout the project, as well as the final cost. In addition, the party demanded information on what payments were made to individuals and contractors up to June.

In the case of the Sussex Street bond, Edghill also approached the PPC to call for an investigation into the contract inked between the Public Health Ministry and a known financier of the coalition Administration.

Edghill had also indicated that the political Opposition was demanding “a definitive pronouncement specifically addressing if this award was done in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner according to our procurement laws.”

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

in her Affidavit on behalf of respondent Attorney General Basil Williams, argues that the court should not even hear the matter, because to do so encroaches on the doctrine of separation of powers.

According to the Affidavit, “For the judicial arm to entertain and grant such an application would encroach on the very principles of separation of powers and the spirit and intendment of the constitution, and (would be) an affront to the rule of law. I will further contend that such a direction would be

tantamount to a usurpation of the powers of the executive arm of government by the judiciary, who cannot govern.”

Clause 54 goes on to state: “His Excellency the President, in the exercise of his functions under the constitution or any other law, shall act in accordance with his own deliberate judgment, except in cases where, by this Constitution or by any other law, he or she is required to act in accordance with the advice or on recommendation of any person or authority.”

Clause 55 of the affidavit then declares that the President is not required, under the proviso of Article 161 (2) of the Constitution, to consult with the Opposition Leader when exercising his judgment.

In the Affidavit, the AG’s Chambers is seeking the dismissal of the legal challenge filed on the Opposition’s behalf, with “substantial costs” being awarded to the Attorney General.

“I will further contend that this entire application is ab-

Justice James Patterson

surd, misconceived, and void of legal reasoning and merit, and ought to be dismissed with substantial costs, since His Excellency the President cannot be directed to choose a person from the lists of eighteen which he specifically rejected,” the affidavit stated.

The affidavit denies that new GECOM Chairman James Patterson’s theological training and experience as a pastor are sufficient grounds to rule him out. It also says that Patterson has not served as a pastor since 2005.

The affidavit also affirms

that Patterson serving on the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy enhances, rather than reduces, his suitability for the GECOM role.

According to the Affidavit, Patterson’s omission of “acting” from his curriculum vitae was not meant to deceive, and does not negate the fact that he performed the functions of the office.

The Solicitor General also noted that since one of the nominees, Major General (retired) Joe Singh, was appointed to more Commissions of Inquiry than Patterson, the elderly GECOM Chairman could not be ruled out on such grounds.

According to Clause 49, (a) “His Excellency the President is not obligated to select a person from the three lists provided, and (b) His Excellency acted within the constitution to resort to the proviso in accordance with Article 161 (2) of the constitution when selecting Justice James Patterson.

The matter is scheduled to come up in the Supreme Court on November 16.

10 news

sunDAY, november 12, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Skeletal remains found at Takutu for overseas DNA testing

A

lmost one week after the skeletal remains suspected to be that of 18-year-old John Friday of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), who went missing in August, were discovered; the Police have confirmed that samples of the remains will have to be sent overseas for DNA testing.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Rabindranauth Budhram when contacted told Guyana Times that unless the remains are confirmed to be those of Friday, the Police cannot institute charges.

Although there are reports which suggested that several

Missing: John Friday

pieces of clothing of the missing teenager were found at the scene, the Police are yet to make an official confirmation.

Budhram nevertheless

confirmed that the Police are in possession of a missing person’s report which stated that the young disappeared.

The senior Police rank explained that an investigation has been launched and family members of the missing young man were contacted and are being questioned. He also stated that several other persons who worked with Friday up to the time of his disappearance will soon be questioned.

Friday was last seen in August after he was accused by his employer of theft. Upon the discovery of the skeletal remains on Monday last at the Takutu River in an area

referred to as “Break Away”, his colleagues have reportedly positively identified a pair of trousers and other items belonging to the man that were found at the scene.

After his disappearance, his relatives were of the belief that he went to Brazil to take up residency. It was reported that a worker who found the remains claimed that he was also brutalised by his employers; the same person who accused Friday of stealing.

Guyana Times also understands that the worker was threatened by the said employers, who reportedly said if he is caught stealing, he would end up like his “buddy”.

Nostalgia ‘64 S

atiricus was brooding. The last time he had barely dodged the bullet at the Back Street Bar about Prezzie’s speech in America, where the man swore on his heart (and hope to die!) that he was always a real die-hard Burnt Hamite.

Satiricus didn’t care much for Prezzie’s beliefs…but feared he’d have to explain why his leaders, Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat, still hadn’t spoken out.

“Sato, leh me aks yuh somet’ing,” began Bungi, before Satiricus could even start on his beer. “Burnt Ham people na bin gi’e Nagga Man wan good trashin’ wan time?”

“That’s right!” said Satiricus brightly. “Nagga Man’s been fighting the Pee an’ See over fifty years, you know!”

“An’ ‘e nevah get wuk unda Burnt Ham, right?” asked Cappo, as he polished off his beer.

“That’s right!” repeated Satiricus. “He had to carry Jamet’s purse for a long time, to feed his family!”

“But if Burnt Ham victimised him so much?” added Hari. “Now that Prezzie admitted he’s always been a Burnt Hamite, isn’t he worried?”

“Especially when ‘e seh ‘e guh do wha’ Burnt Ham do in 1964!” grinned Bungi.

“Why should Nagga Man be worried?” asked Satiricus.

“Fish ah play ah sea, but ‘e nah know watah ah boil fuh am!” exclaimed Cappo. “Yuh fuget afta Burnt Ham get pawah ‘e dump ‘e pardna like when yuh done suck aringe dry?”

“But Pressie and the Pee an’ See need our KFC votes!” protested Satiricus, while he put down his beer.

“Sato, me fr’en, nah tek yuh mattie eye fuh see,” said Bungi shaking his head sadly. “Ah wha’ yuh t’ink Prezzie put Patto fuh count de vote?”

“I know I’m not the brightest bulb in the room fellas,” said Satiricus. “But you think Nagga Man stupid?”

“Nah! ‘e na schupit, ‘e greedy!” said Cappo sadly. “But ‘e sh’uld rememba: wa sweet ah goat mouth ah sour ah eh backside!”

“Let’s drink to that!” said Hari.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Linden Mayor decries lack of job opportunities

L On human decency

By Ryhaan Shah

I

t probably seems strange, about being carjacked, to start a column with a headline about human decency, but I’ll come to that. The carjacking, which occurred a week ago in broad daylight on a busy street, was bold and daring, and the three carjackers got away with it. There has been not a single follow-up call from the Police that would have given some indication that our law enforcers take these criminal activities seriously.

Is this why the boldness from the bandits? That the Police can’t be bothered? Or that even if the carjackers are caught, they will serve a few months in prison, or even win a presidential pardon? After all, Granger had such compassion for the thieves of cell phones that he released them back into the world. How far a stretch from pardoning the snatching of a cell phone to the snatching of a car, once you start down the slippery slope of pardoning lawlessness?

In the days following the carjacking, friends, neighbours, even strangers visited or called to commiserate and offer support. Everybody had a story to share of a robbery, burglary, home invasion, or a handbag being snatched. It was either a personal account or one that involved a family member or friend. Everyone is touched by the crime, the fear and the violations; and, in all the accounting, there was not a single expression of faith or trust in the police.

No recounting ended with a positive resolution of articles recovered and bandits caught.

On Tuesday, I heard the story of a young Guyanese family returning to their home in Ogle early Monday evening. Walking along the roadside, they were attacked by two young bandits on a CG bike, who robbed them of their cell phones and gun-butted the woman on her head – she had to have stitches -- when she tried to hold on to her handbag and shield her little daughter from being assaulted. Men in that community came out with cutlasses, and the bandits sped off with the earnings of their night’s work.

This particular area has had a spate of robberies by youths who are believed to live in the Plaisance area, who target women. The Sparendaam police readily show off their long list of robbery reports, but apparently have no strategy in place to combat the high crime. Are they being loyal “kith and kin”?

After all, if wholesale thievery of state resources can be perpetrated daily by Granger and his Cabinet, why should Burnham’s small man not become a real man, this time around through his own “tiefing”?

Where every country would be alarmed by any rise in crime, and urgently establish zero tolerance programmes, Guyana’s lawlessness is the state’s political strategy, and Granger’s vow to return Guyana to Burnhamism is a chilling indictment of his Government.

Indecency has grown steadily over the past decades, and Guyana now rewards vulgarity, mediocrity, corruption and lawlessness. These, then, are the norms, and the high officials appear quite comical when they prate and pontificate with straight faces as they conform to the norms that depend on lies, lowness and indecency.

There is nothing more surreal than anyone painting the Burnham era in glorious terms. It insults the intelligence of everyone who lived through it and survived. Yet Granger does just that, and is applauded by PNC supporters who now live in Georgia and elsewhere precisely because they fled Burnhamism.

They enjoy their life in a democratic state while condoning Granger’s growing dictatorial manoeuvres.

They have not forgotten why they fled, yet they applaud.

This can never be reconciled with human decency.

However, there is still a high ground above the filth and vileness, where human decency and doing the right thing reside. I know this to be true. During my carjacking ordeal, motorists slowed down, hung out of their car windows and gaped and gawked out of dead, soulless eyes that would not be much different from the carjackers,’ if compared.

Moments after the carjackers sped off with my vehicle however, a stranger drove up and offered help. Her name is Marisca. She, too, could have passed by and done nothing.

But she has what most of Guyana now lack: human decency, kindness, empathy, and compassion. Marisca stopped and offered assistance to someone in need.

She occupies a very rare high ground in Guyana. That she is there at all is the only hope we all have of surviving what lies ahead. How many will choose to put aside partisanship and stand with Marisca will be the deciding factor in Guyana’s future.

imited job opportunities remain a serious issue for residents and officials in the bauxite mining community of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The community which many had once flocked in the glory days of bauxite, to pursue employment within the industry, has continued to struggle in the area of employment since the decline of that industry. This is according to Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland, who recently said the lack of jobs is “a sore issue” in the community.

He pointed out that this is due to a lack of investment in the community. “In terms of jobs, I must say it remains a sore issue in Linden as a result of lack of investment… We’re still seeking investors to come to the mining town of Linden,” the Mayor said.

Holland has often contended that Linden is strategically positioned to be the manufacturing hub,

the agro-processing centre and the Silicon Valley of Guyana; and he has stressed that in order for the community to advance, investment is needed.

Holland has just recently made a call for the reopening of the Linden Call Centre which was closed two years ago. The Centre was one of the largest employers in the community; and resulting from its closure, more than 90 persons, mainly women in the Linden community, lost their jobs.

Several companies and individuals have since expressed interest in conducting business in the building once occupied by the call centre, but the building, termed state property has since remained inaccessible. This continues to be a cause for concern for both residents and officials in the community, noted for its high level of unemployment.

Municipal Councillor Neola Rogers had also pointed to the fact that the call centre had provided much

ment issue.

“Everywhere I turn I meet a young man or a young woman who wants to earn money legally and morally; and they can’t because there is no job opportunities for young people. This is disheartening and frustrating to the point of hopelessness. To the leaders of this beloved country of ours: please, I beg of you on their behalf...please look into this matter as priority number 1,” the resident said.

James added that the leaders of the country are failing the young people imLinden Mayor Carwyn Holland mensely.

The community’s youths, needed employment opporthe newspaper was told, tunities for many young have often stressed the need women in the community, for more diversified job opand had served as an exportunities, citing that apart cellent entry requirement from nursing and teachinto the world of work. ing, such is lacking.

Many Officials have since tried to have stressed that secondhave the operation up and running again, to provide ary school achievers and much needed employment to university graduates find it hard to secure employment Lindeners.

Linden resident Michael in Linden. As a result, many James has also expressed leave the area in search of concern over the unemploy- better opportunities.

12 News

SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

“New buildings won’t transform UG” – valedictorian …says change in attitude needed

T

he 25-year-old International Relations student who copped

the Best Graduating Student prize at this year’s convocation believes an overhaul in

attitudes will bring transformation to the University of Guyana, rather than new

buildings. Elsie Harry was the 2017 valedictorian and she dubbed her speech a ‘personal renaissance’. She attributed her success to a re-evaluation of her life’s plans, adding that her achievement was a testament to her family, faith and devotion to fully capitalise on her potentials. Harry told her peers in her address that no one is irreplaceable, hence why one should prize being of service to their community and country.

“It is my sincere hope that the excess of two years sitting outside the four walls of a classroom did not make us blind to the outside world to things that matter most in the world: human contact and human impact... Do not think that you have done your duty to this country by simply graduating with your degrees and diplomas. Do not fly out and abandon Guyana. I need you to dig deep within yourselves and figure out what you can do to accelerate your own renaissance,” the valedictorian posited.

She called on the university’s administration to improve the quality of service offered to students, calling for changes in attitudes.

UG’S 2017 Valedictorian Elsie Harry

“New buildings will not transform the University of Guyana, a change in attitude will. UG in my opinion is a microcosm of Guyana, therefore the same inefficiencies can be experienced in the country at large,” she observed.

Harry, who secured a perfect 4.0 grade point average, sees herself as one day becoming President of Guyana.

“Among the graduates, there are young entrepreneurs; web, graphic and fashion designers; chefs, poets, singers, electrical engineers, accountants and future Presidents,” she said, further noting that all of the sustainable requirements to build a strong country, are right here in Guyana.

Having received the President’s Medal for best graduating student, the International Relations graduate from the Social Sciences Faculty triumphed over 2000 students in the six other faculties of Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences and Technology.

Harry was also awarded the Council of the University Prize for making the greatest contribution in other areas of university activities.

She received a third award for having attained the highest-grade point average and a fourth prize – The Dennis Irvine Award – for the student who made the greatest contribution to the cultural life of the University.

Meanwhile, Aarif Baksh, from the Natural Sciences Faculty copped the Chancellor’s Medal for second best Bachelor’s Degree student while Zainab AbdulKarim secured the Prime Minister’s Award for best graduating student from Medical School. Mahendra Swinarine, who received his Degree in Public Management received the Prime Minister’s Medal for best graduating student in his field while the ProChancellor’s Medal for best graduating Law Student was awarded to Kalesh Loakman.

The KA Juman-Yassin Sport Award was bestowed upon Dwanye McKinnon from the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden/Lethem Road upgrade

Tenders for design consultancy out – Patterson

P Agonism; not antagonism

W

hile I have condemned the politics of entitlement unleashed in Guyana, I have always been wary of the Liberal promise that lions and lambs can sit around a table and, through rational discussion, arrive at consensuses on which they can all act and live happily ever after. Maybe lions and lions, but never lions and lambs. Our present politics is about lambs struggling to become lions, and the lions fending them off. In Guyana, however, it is tough for the Opposition PPP lambs to now become lions when they refused to acquire fangs and claws during their time in power.

This proclivity to struggle is ineradicable because humans, pace the liberal view, do not only act out of cold, rational calculus. There is always the messy business of predispositions, feelings, and emotions that coalesce in group Ravi Dev solidarities, exclusions and antagonisms. All societies are therefore “plural” to a lesser or greater degree. In our plural society, where our divisions are not just around economic class issues, but include ethnicity and religion -going to the very heart of ascriptive identities -- the emotional affects are with us in spades because of their entanglement with personal and group worth. Consequently the tendency for our political struggles to get out of hand.

This view of politics, that places conflict at the centre, goes beyond the old familiar school of “conflict theorists”, such as the Marxists. The latter, for instance, propose that while class conflict is immanent in the present capitalist “conjuncture”, once the working class assumes power, the conflict will disappear. Utopia would have arrived. I believe this to be a fairy tale. Humans will find one or other reason to divide themselves and deal with the “other” aggressively.

There is, however, a school of thought that accepts this tendency of humans to cleave into groups that manifest hostility towards each other: “agonism”. Rather than treating each other as enemies to be obliterated, the “other” is considered as adversaries with positions we cannot agree on, but yet respect. Rather that pretending, as liberalism does, we can always rationally discuss away the immanent hostility between deeply divided groups, agonistic politics aims to challenge and channel it in non-destructive, institutionalised ways. If this is not done, then violence and pacification become the order of the day. The goal is not to find consensus at any cost, but to manage dissensus.

Each polity has its unique blend of incommensurable pluralism generating its own volatile melange of conflicts, and consequently there is no one silver bullet to confront them all. However, we can observe the trends in polities that have exposed the hollowness of both Marxist and Liberal utopian thinking to deal with deep pluralism.

ACDA had grasped the inadequacy of our specific political model to deal with our pluralism, but their solution was still firmly positioned within the failed liberal premises. I’d asked on several occasions why they invoked the advice of Sir Arthur Lewis on plural societies re coalitions but never about Federalism. They have now even abandoned “coalitions”. I have advocated we carry Federalist devolution all the way down to the village level, which would facilitate agonistic politics at that level, and hopefully vent the hostilities that can tear the country apart.

The present tensions ought not to be fanned, but given expression institutionally, and certainly not be moralised as a struggle between “civilised” and “vulgarians”, which segues into “good” and “evil”. This reinforces the feeling that the “other” is the “enemy,” to be eliminated. No one gains when there are explosions. More pertinently, for peaceful political change, open hostilities scare away key constituencies that can secure legitimate victory.

Unless a system is introduced that equitably distributes power among the various groups, the present winner-takeall political arrangements will ensure whichever side wins the election, the inevitable resentment in the “remainder” will erupt sooner or later. After all, even lambs can grow into rams with powerful horns, while lions can grow old and lose their teeth.

In a distributed system of power, best exemplified by Federalism, there will be “something” for everybody, without the need for the beneficence of future lions and rams.

ublic Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has stated that the upgrade of the Linden to Lethem Road will commence sometime next year.

Speaking at a recent public event, the Public Infrastructure Minister disclosed that Government has already embarked on the tendering process.

“The tender for the consultancy to start the design of the first quarter – which is from Linden to Mabura – is out now. It is anticipated that, with the tenders in, the works will commence in 2018,” Patterson stated.

It was previously reported that the Government is seeking to engage a consulting firm that is multi-disciplined and transport sector-experienced to assist in preparation of the two-component capital project.

The components in the project’s first phase include

covering approximately 122.5 kilometres of laterite road from Linden to Mabura Hill, including drainage, and the construction of a bridge across the Essequibo River at the Kurupukari ferry crossing, which is some 600 metres long.

This phase is being funded by the United Kingdom (UK) Government through its UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) programme.

In September 2015, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron had announced a £300 million investment in vital new infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and ports, to help drive economic growth and development across the Caribbean region. Guyana was named among nine Caribbean states to benefit from the grant.

The final cost of Phase One of the project is not yet known, but will be deter-

mined by the detailed design study being funded by the UKCIF. While the proposed road upgrade applies only to one section of the Linden-Lethem road, Patterson also outlined that, in the meantime, Government is looking for a suitable partner for the second phase of the capital project, which includes completion of the remaining 331.5 kilometres of laterite road from Mabura to Lethem.

In fact, Government had engaged the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on possible funding to complete the second phase. Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson had met with officials from IsDB back in January and had made a pitch on the project.

Moreover, talks in this respect were held between Guyana and Brazil during a bilateral engagement in July.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Lethem observes National Day of Villages

Attack on teacher

‘Child father’, associate, 2 Cops remain in custody

I Persons participating in the cricket competition

R

esidents of Lethem and surrounding communities, including Aranaputa, Annai, Kumu and St Ignatius, participated in a Village Day activity on Friday in observance of National Day of Villages.

The event, organised by

A challenging game of volleyball

the Region Nine administration, was aimed at fostering unity among the people in the region. The residents participated in football, cricket, volleyball, table tennis and domino matches, as well as novelty competitions like bun-eating and lime-and-spoon rac-

es. There was also an exchange of culture, and a variety of food, drinks, and art and craft items on display and for sale.

At a simple opening ceremony at the Community Ground, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock noted the

significance of such an event in the development of the communities, the region, and the country. “The Village movement is a very important ingredient for the development of Guyana,” Minister Allicock is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

He urged the residents to recapture that spirit of cooperation which existed among their forefathers.

He also advised that they use the event to reflect on their role in the unification of their communities and country.

“Lethem is a new town, and you must play your role in its development.

Stop complaining and start contributing. We, as a Government, can’t do it alone, we need your support; let us work together for the development of this region,” Minister Allicock urged.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) Sherwyn Wellington explained that the event also presents a platform for the people to share ideas, identify issues, and develop possible solutions for their respective communities. He said it was in keeping with the Government’s approach to building cohesive communities.

nvestigators are still questioning the four suspects taken into custody for the gruesome murder of 22-yearold Kescia Branche, who was found exactly one week ago in a battered and unconscious state.

On Friday, detectives arrested an “associate” of the young woman. “The deceased was in contact with a male on several occasions via cellphone in the early hours of that morning. This person has been identified and is in custody assisting investigators,” Police said in a statement on Friday.

Guyana Times understands that upon examining the cellular phone of the deceased, detectives came across the number, and as such, tracked down and arrested the associate.

Investigators also hauled in Branche’s former partner, the father of her son, for questioning on Thursday. He, too, remains in custody.

Even as these two civilians are being questioned, the two Police Constables with whom the young woman was seen leaving a city night club also remain under close arrest.

Additionally, two other

ranks are being questioned after phone records show they were in constant contact with one of the Constables after he left the night club in company of the now dead young woman.

Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination conducted on Friday morning revealed that Branche died as a result of brain haemorrhage and blunt trauma to the head.

The unconscious Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher was found in the vicinity of Princes Street and Louisa Row, Georgetown last Sunday sometime around 05:00h.

She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she remained in an unconscious state hooked up to life support machines until last Tuesday, when she succumbed to her injuries at some time around 17:00h.

Branche, who had resided in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was last seen on Saturday, November 4, 2017, when she left for a night out with her friends. The Police are seeking the public’s assistance to determine what may have transpired that resulted in the inhumane beating the young woman received.

$1M to be given away at Chronixx Show …retired Cop becomes a millionaire

W

hen his wife Janice asked him to purchase tickets for them to go to the Chronixx show, it was not in his wildest dreams that that single act would make him a millionaire. Such is the story of 56-year-old retired Policeman Maynard Carmichael, who was made the first millionaire at the launch of GTT’s $1 million Smiles Christmas Campaign.

The launch which was held at the Stabroek Market Square on November 6, was attended by hundreds of persons all vying for a chance to win the first million. The process for a chance to win was quite simple; GTT customers had to electronically Top Up $1000 or more in a single transaction, or purchase a ticket for the Chronixx show slated for November 18.

It was the purchase of the Chronixx ticket which entered Maynard into the draw, since with every ticket purchased for $3000; one thousand of that amount is given in Top Up to the purchaser.

Carmichael said he was reluctant to buy the ticket since he is not a reggae fan but eventually gave in after he heard of the GTT promotion.

The father of five said when the phone rang the first two times to give him the good

news, he did not hear the ring, since he was busy talking with a friend. It was the third call which he answered and realised he was the lucky winner.

He jokingly said his wife has since made her claim to the money, since she is convinced that she was the one who encouraged him to buy the Chronixx ticket.

Carmichael said he will give part of his winnings as a donation to the Number 28 Village Anglican Church and the Prospect Assembly of God Church. He will also select and feed needy children.

Carmichael retired from the Guyana Police Force in September last year after serving for 34 years.

The GTT promotion continues in communities across Guyana, where customers will be given even more options to enter for a chance to smile as they win millions.

The campaign makes its way to Linden on November 17; Bartica on November 24; Essequibo on December 1; Berbice on December 15 and return to Georgetown for the grand draw on December 18, where four winners will selected for $1 million each.

GTT will also give away $1 million at the Chronixx Show on November 18.

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sunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guard remanded for assaulting wife

A The political economy – Politics and economics

I

n today’s discussion, I chose to deal with an area that is a little outside of my comfort zone – politics. It is more or less – an unorthodox piece of literature, which to my mind, is relevant and appropriate with the view of soliciting, stimulating and inspiring a wider societal discussion, understanding and enlightenment of the inherent fabrics of our political economy. I begin by making this comment because readers of this column would have recognised that unlike other analysts and commentators – I am not a political commentator. Rather, I deal with issues from an objective, factual, empirical and practical standpoint.

It is, however, difficult to ignore the implications of politics in the conduct of any economic policy analysis. In fact, the irony is such that, politicians are charged with the central responsibility to formulate and implement economic policy and by extension, management of the economy. Often times, the Presidential Candidates are not trained economists or highly qualified finance specialists.

In these cases, they rely on the advice of qualified advisors in the field and the Finance Minister – who ought to have the requisite qualifications and experience. As we all know, the current Opposition Leader who is also a former President, is a trained economist while the current leader of the country – the President of the Republic of Guyana, is a historian by virtue of his qualifications and a trained military personnel. But, empirical evidence suggests that despite these factors – whether the Presidential Candidate is an economist or not – the nature and intricacies of politics tend to triumph as the supreme attribute; to the extent where it is likely to blur the objective and professional thinking abilities of politicians in general, and thus shape their political agendas otherwise – that may not be in the best interest of prudential economic governance of the economy.

So what is politics and what is economics? The most basic definition of politics – is it has to do with power and the retention of power. Other basic text book definitions of politics are: Politics is the exercise of power; public allocation of values; resolution of conflict; and politics is the competition of individuals, groups or states pursuing their interests; or, as (Robert Dahl) puts it: “A political system is any persistent pattern of human relationships that involves power, rule or authority.”

Economics on the other hand is simply the study of the allocation of scarce resources to meet unlimited human wants – and macroeconomics is concerned with the aggregate performance of the entire economic system.

Within this context, and in a reflective manner, I have attempted to somewhat make an assessment of the current political and economic climate in Guyana and to also provide some kind of insight on whether the hypothesis discussed here, is deemed meritorious.

In this respect, I highlight a few dominant politically driven events currently – the Guyana Electrions Commission (GECOM) fiasco and a particular speech made by the Head of State recently on one of his recent trips to the US. In that presentation, the President of Guyana – in his capacity as the leader of the largest political party that has dominated the coalition Government; the central theme was based on their retention of power in 2020. Contrary to this, we saw that the Minister of State, in one of his weekly press conferences and in response to questions raised by media operatives on the matter of the GECOM chairmanship, and more specifically – fears of not having a free and fair general election in 2020: to this he hasten to respond that election is far away and there is much more to do – implying the day to day business and affairs of the country.

Now, I would not regurgitate those two public declarations here – as they are both in the public’s domain. My contention in this regard, nonetheless, is that if one was to examine both speeches and/or missives, one would agree that the two positions – the one taken by the Minister of State and the Head of the State – both contradicted each other, quite logically.

In order to corroborate the essence of the discussion presented here – I present you with two examples stemming from the recently held Business Summit which was organised by the Private Sector Commission. The Head of State in his presentation at that forum, lamented to the Private Sector members – that other countries are investing in Guyana and so, why is it that the Private Sector cannot invest? He further went on to describe the six sisters – the productive sectors namely: gold, bauxite, sugar, rice, fisheries and timber as a ‘curse’. Such a statement is dangerous to make and could pose serious consequences for the economy.

A second example at the same forum, this time a statement from one of the panel members who was representing the political opposition: on the issue of access to financing – raised as a concern at the forum, claimed that the central government has crowded out the Private Sector in the domestic capital market, given that they account for a higher proportion of borrowings relative to the Private Sector and thus competing with the Private Sector as the reason for making it difficult to access capital in the domestic capital market. Nevertheless, this is far from the reality because – in fact, there is excess liquidity in the system and the commercial banks are more than adequately capitalised. This therefore has deemed the Opposition member’s assertion unmeritorious or I should say incorrect.

When it comes to the economic affairs of the country, not everything needs to be politicised as is the case with our politicians on both sides – as it may seem. They need to speak responsibly and objectively on such matters; if, as they project themselves as being serious about developing this country. Suffice to say, some of their actions and positions on key economic matters tell the nation a different story altogether – for those who are intellectually paying attention.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

63-year-old security guard was on Friday remanded to prison after he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly charged for assaulting his 58-year-old wife.

Lyndon Thomas of Lot 61 Princes Street, Georgetown denied that he unlawfully assaulted Kim McDonald on November 8, 2017 when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

According to Police Prosecutor Richard Harris, Thomas was in a drunk-

Lyndon Thomas

en state when he pushed his wife and later picked up a cutlass and threatened to kill her. According to the prosecutor, the Virtual Complainant (VC) who became fearful for her life reported the matter to the East La Penitence Police Station.

In court on Friday, the VC told Magistrate Daly that her husband is in the habit of abusing her when he consumes alcohol.

The tearful woman told the court that she has en-

dured similar abuse at the hands of her husband for over 16 years.

However, Thomas told the court that he cannot recalled behaving in such a manner and as such denied that the incident took place.

Prosecutor Harris objected to bail being granted based on that fact and explained that Thomas might even be a danger to himself.

As such, Magistrate Daly remanded Thomas to prison.

The cased will continue on November 15.

Region 2 RDC objects to blockage of Cotton Field trench

T

he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) objected to the blockage of a trench in front of the Department of Education at Cotton Field.

Guyana Times was told that this is being done without the knowledge of the RDC nor the Mayor of Anna Regina.

As such, the RDC notes with deep concern the fact that the trench is being blocked with loads of sand, which has created drainage challenges in an area that is already affected by floods even during minimal rainfall.

“What is of major concern is that several key institutions are located within the vicinity; these include the Cotton Field Secondary School, Anna Regina Secondary School, Anna Regina Secondary Dormitories, the Guyana School of Agriculture, Cyril Potter College of Education, Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, the Department of Education, the National Communications Network, and several Government quarters and residences,” Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt told this publication.

He noted that he wrote the Regional Executive Officer (REO) over a month ago for information regarding the need to block the waterway, but is still awaiting a response.

The Chairman added that he also contacted the Mayor to verify if approval was granted by the Anna Regina Municipality and was told that no such request was made to the municipality.

As such both the RDC and the municipality are in the dark as to why the trench was blocked or what project will be conducted in the area.

“This the RDC views as a total disregard for the local authority bodies. In fact, at a recent community consultation organised by the municipality, serious objections were raised on the indiscriminate dumping of sand in the said drainage trench,” Ramdatt said.

The Regional Chairman further argued that such actions are disrespectful for local governance and sets a bad example to the public,

Sand being used to fill the trench at Cotton Field, Essequibo Coast

particularly when residents have to follow approved procedures if they intend to undertake similar projects.

The RDC reiterated its position that “consultations with residents and key stakeholders whenever pub-

lic funds are to be used is a priority,” the Chairman said.

He added that the region’s RDC however remains convinced that the utilisation of tax dollars ought to focus on positively impacting the lives of residents and not create negative effects on the environment.

“The RDC strongly objects to the blockage of the trench and recommends that the new engineer do proper feasibility studies or assessments before he implements another poorly designed project,” the Chairman added.

He said that the RDC is monitoring the situation and is prepared to take all appropriate actions to represent the best interest of residents.

Efforts to contact the REO and the regional engineer for a comment on the issue proved futile.

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Contractors criticised for damaging N/A main access roads …residents up in arms over unnecessary inconvenience

A section of Main Street where the contractor has dug up 200 metres of solid asphalt

V

ehicle operators are up in arms over the state of two roads in New Amsterdam after contractors downed tools subsequent to digging up two main streets in the capital town of Region Six, (East Berbice/Corentyne) and leaving them inaccessible to pedestrian traffic and

partially closed to vehicular traffic.

According to residents in the area, what is happening could best be described as chaotic.

One of the contractors has said the Public Infrastructure Ministry (MPI) is paying him to mill out eight inches of solid as-

phalt to replace same with one and a half inches of asphalt on Main Street. This work started six weeks ago, and to facilitate it, Main Street was closed, shutting off vehicular access to four secondary schools.

Residents told this publication that no arrangements were made to first repair the section of Water Street in New Amsterdam which is now being used.

A $19 million contract was signed by the MPI with Associated Construction Services (ACS) for patching damaged parts of Main Street between King Street and Philadelphia Street.

Member of the Regional Tender Board (RTB), Zamal Hussain, told this publication there is no way the RTB can monitor what the contractor is doing. He noted that the Regional Administration has tak-

The section of Republic Road where the asphalt has been removed

en note that the contracting firm has removed solid asphalt, which has been there since 1972, and has been taking off the heaviest vehicle.

“The situation is reaping havoc in terms of the inconvenience for driv-

ers and commuters within the New Amsterdam area. We have also seen that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure or the contractor is digging out about eight inches of the asphalt and the foundation is a solid foundation and it is also being dug out. I don’t know what they will be replacing it with, but I only hope that what they will be putting will be better than what they are taking out,”

the road and remove all of the asphalt and the 19 inches of foundation which, according to Lewis, is intact.

He is also claiming that the engineer has instructed that whatever is removed from the road be placed on the existing carriageway until the project has been completed.

Now Lewis has said the ACS has been instructed to return to the original design after the solid asphalt and some of the foundation had been removed.

Lewis is claiming that, for the past three weeks, he has been trying to get a revised Bill of Quantity from the engineer. He said the ACS cannot continue to work because the contract will require more material.

Meanwhile, Hussain is blaming the Government for the chaos that is being created in the area.

“As a Regional Councillor, we have not seen the Bill of Quantity.

None of the jobs that the Ministry is doing, they are not notifying the region or

Drivers attempting to manoeuvre along Main Street, New Amsterdam

he said.

Managing Director of ACS, Peter Lewis, told Guyana Times that he was asked to put one and a half inches of asphalt on the road.

According to him, what he is being asked to do has been changed on three occasions. He said the engineer has, on three occasions, instructed the company to vary from the specifications as stipulated in the contract.

“Firstly it was to remove the top layer of asphalt and replace it with crusher run. Then the company was told that the project has changed and we were to excavate all the asphalt and replace it with sand and loam before the oneand-a-half-inch asphalt (is laid),” Lewis explained.

He said ACS was then told to change again -- mill

any NDC [Neighbourhood Democratic Council] or Municipality in this region; so I think this is of great concern, and I am looking forward to Central Government to change their attitude towards awarding and executing contracts in Region Six,” Hussain told this publication.

Meanwhile, Associated Construction Services is calling on the relevant authorities to send an experienced engineer to work in Region Six before more of the roads in the region are destroyed unnecessarily.

At Republic Road, New Amsterdam, a similar situation exists, where the contractor had removed the asphalt from a section of the road and has left it like that. (Andrew Carmichael)

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SunDAY, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Rose Hall Estate closure

“It’s not too late to reconsider” – workers

Some Rose Hall Estate workers

W

orkers attached to the Rose Hall Sugar Estate in East Berbice have, in a bid to save their livelihoods, said it is not too late for Government to reconsider closing the estate at the end of the crop.

The workers addressed the media on Wednesday at a press conference organized by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) at the union’s New Amsterdam office.

Reading a prepared speech, Glen McCloud, one of the workers’ representatives, declared the workers were hopeful that there would have been a relook at the intention, recognizing the obvious hardship that would result from the estate’s closure.

Ever since announcement of the estate’s imminent closure, the workers, backed by the unions GAWU and NAACIE, have taken to the streets in several protest demonstrations to signal to Government the negative impact that closure would have on workers and the

economy as a whole.

However Government, three weeks ago, said it was a done deal, and that it would proceed with the closure.

“For us of Rose Hall, closure can be seen as a death knell for so many hardworking people and their families.

For us of Rose Hall, closure means that our plans for life, our dreams for a better tomorrow, and our aspirations for our children and grandchildren have all but been dashed. For us of Rose Hall, closure will bring about uncertain times and many difficult, misery-filled days ahead.

For us of Rose Hall, closure can be seen as a death knell for so many hardworking people and their families.”

Another worker pointed out that for families of Rose Hall, the closure means that their life plans, dreams for a better tomorrow, and aspirations for their children and grandchildren have all but been dashed.

“For us of Rose Hall, closure will bring about uncertain times and many difficult, misery-filled days

ahead.

“For us of Rose Hall, closure brings about real questions, like where would our next meal come from? How would our children and grandchildren go to school?

And how would we earn and meet our obligations?

“For us of Rose Hall, closure means difficult choices have to be made. Would we eat, or would we pay the electricity bills? Would we send the children to school, or would we buy clothes?

Would we starve, or do we have to do something not necessarily right to put food on the table.”

According to the workers, they were hoping that decision-makers, recognising the difficulties which now face the people of Wales, would have harboured second thoughts.

“Rose Hall’s closure brings about real questions, like where would our next meal come from? How would (our) children and grandchildren go to school? And how would (we) earn in order to meet the obligations, which

include electricity and water bills?” the worker said.

Meanwhile, three weeks ago, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench 2,500 workers by the end of this year.

GAWU said the downsizing and subsequent closure of sugar estates would

lead to the loss of more than 15,000 jobs and the potential threat of poverty for between 50,000 and 100,000 people.

Responding to reporters, McCloud said the Government has made no provision for the workers who will be sent home.

He said there is nothing that they can believe, since they have been told several different stories of plans for displaced estate workers, including that they will be absorbed in the NDIA drainage crew.

Turn to page 18

18 news Border villages need health care boost – ACTO summit A sunday, november 12, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

s the two-day Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) technical meeting on indigenous health care in the border regions of Guyana came to a close on Friday at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper

Takutu-Upper Essequibo), several border villages have been identified as needing a boost in the health care system.

The conference, which focused on recommendations for improving an

Indigenous Health Care system in the Border Regions between Brazil, Guyana and Suriname, was declared opened on Wednesday evening at the Hotel Amazonas in Lethem by Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister

Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock and delegates representing Guyana, Brazil and Suriname take a photo at the closing of the two-day Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) meeting in Lethem, Region Nine

Sydney Allicock.

This project targets information sharing and exchange of experiences to contribute to the elaboration of an epidemiological and demographic diagnosis (population, indigenous peoples, and communities), identify common criteria among member countries based on the experiences of participants in the tri-national event, and assess the capacities in the region to deal with emergencies. This year’s conference also serves as a follow-up on the recommendations of the first tri-national meeting held in 2014, and to identify criteria that can be considered in the health guidelines of the par-

ticipating countries.

At the opening ceremony, the minister reminded the delegations representing the three countries (Guyana, Brazil and Suriname) of the significance of the meeting, since it is a very important point in the development of Guyana, and more so the development of a better relationship with the eight countries in ACTO. Upon conclusion on Friday, the two-day session was dubbed “highly successful” by the Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry – that which builds the foundation for significant improvement in the lives of Guyana’s indigenous peoples, and one which is supportive of one

“It’s not too late...

Inderjeet Bhopaud, another workers’ representative, told reporters that in East Canje, the economy has almost come to a standstill, even though everyone is still on the job and receiv-

of the Government’s top priorities, which is to build a healthy nation.

Among the recommendations agreed on are the signing of a memorandum of understanding to facilitate timely sharing and access to information; training of indigenous health agents; making available information on vaccination campaigns between the countries; and sharing of information on the clinical situation of patients across the border.

According to the minister, this was a step in the right direction, and Guyana looks forward to continue working with ACTO to improve cross-border relations.

From page 17

ing their wages.

The workers are calling on the Government to put in place competent persons to manage its resources, claiming that the sugar company is currently headed by

persons who have a vendetta against sugar workers, who were instrumental in those persons’ dismissal before they were rehired under the current administration.

(Andrew Carmichael)

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Jeffrey edges Mayers for pole position L

– Team Mohamed’s Enterprise control Super stock grid

ocal Group Four driver Kristian Jeffrey will start today in pole position after edging Barbadian counterpart Roger Mayers in the qualifying rounds for the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships at the South Dakota Circuit on Saturday.

Jeffrey in his Mitsubishi Evo was timed at 33.205 seconds

second fastest time of the day (36.283s), followed by Stefan Jeffrey (36.722s).

Team Mohamed’s overseasbased riders control the top three sports with Jason Aguilar on pole with 33.419s, followed

by Matt Truelove (33.543s) and Bryce Prince (33.808s).

They are followed by the local trio Matthew Vieira (35.017s), Kevin Persaud (35.971s) and

emerged champions. Narine Dasrat won the Street Tuner ahead of Raymond Seebarran, Roshan Ali, Vickey Persaud and Azaad Hassan in that order.

The Sport Tuner was won

by Daniel Dookie ahead of Mohamed F. Ahmed, Adrian Fernandes, Azaad Hassan and Jad Rahaman, while Anand Ramchand was impressive in winning the Starlet Cup,

Kristian Jeffrey and his Mitsubishi Evo (Photo courtesy of Avenash Ramzan)

Team Mohamed’s Enterprise riders occupy the top three pole positions (Photo courtesy of Avenash Ramzan)

ahead of Mayers, who clocked 33.273s in his Ford Focus.

Mark Vieira will start third on the grid with a time of 34.585s, followed by Mark Maloney (34.673s), Kevin Jeffrey (35.110s) and Andrew King (35.209s).

Danny Persaud and his Mazda Miata leads Group Three with a time of 35.742s.

Vishok Persaud’s Lotus had the

Raveiro Tucker (37.160s).

Mohamad Shiraz Roshandin is holding in a close group two battle with a time of 38.179s. He is followed by fellow Guyanese Chet Singh (38.489s) and Barbadian Mark Thompson with a time of 38.582s.

Meanwhile, three races were held on Saturday and all those who started on pole

finishing ahead of Rameez Mohamed, Vishal Sawh, Motilall Deodass and Riaz Allie.

Today’s action will commence at 08:00h and apart from the regular groups, the Radicals and Drift cars will take the track. Tickets cost $2,000 for adults (18+) and $1,000 for 12+. Children under 12 and vehicles will be admitted free.

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guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, november 12, 2017

John is ‘Dash for Cash’ champion J amual John triumphed yet again over nemesis Geron Williams on Saturday in the National Park to win the “Dash for Cash” race.

The event was hosted

by United We Stand Cycling Club as the end of the cycling season quickly approaches and with a number of cash prizes up for grabs it was no surprise that top cyclists turned out in their numbers. However, some of them left disgruntled as the prize money was a bit too little.

In the early stages of the

The happy bunch after a successful race on Saturday in the National Park. From left: Warren McKay; GCF Racing Secretary, Joseph Britton; Briton John; Jamual John and Geron Williams

30-lap race it was clear that first place would go to either of three cyclists; those wheelmen were Geron Williams, Walter Grant-Stuart and Jamual John.

It all boiled down to endurance and tactics at the end as John held off Williams and Grant-Stuart to cross the finish line in first place with a time of one hour six minutes 25.65 seconds.

Williams had to settle for second place for the second time in a row while Walter Grant-Stuart came in third.

Meanwhile in the Veteran’s field, Warren McKay held off a quality field to finish first while Briton John beat Curtis Dey in the Juniors category.

Of the eleven prime prizes up for grabs, it was split between Jamual John, Andrew Hicks, Williams and GrantStuart.

“Dash for Cash” signaled the end of circuit action for the cyclists this season however, the overall cycling season is still alive with at least two more road races on the cards.

Inaugural PM Softball Cup deemed a success

F

ollowing the conclusion of the first ever, Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup, the organizers Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. (GSCL Inc) are singing praises for everyone who contributed to the overall success.

Secretary of the GSCL

Inc, Telisha Ousman said that had it not been for the fans, sponsors and well-wishers, the tournament would not have been possible. “Thanks to the Honourable Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo first and foremost for endorsing the tournament and for his support at the finals with his

contribution and presence, Ousman said.

She further pointed out the efforts of the commentators, Onkar Singh, Inderjeet Persaud and John Ramsingh who kept the spectators and players informed and entertained with assistance from the Caribbean Hot Shots

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (right) receives a token of appreciation from Telisha Ousman at the finals

Band, the cheer leaders and the Raju Tassa troupe who she also expressed her gratitude to.

In the three-day tournament that began on October 27 with 14 All-Star teams and six Masters teams concluded in spectacular fashion on Sunday October 29 at the Everest Cricket Club Ground, Camp road and Carifesta avenue Georgetown.

Speed Boat won the AllStar title and $600,000 while Regal Masters ruled the over-45 years old category and copped $500,000 and the championship trophy.

Additionally, there were lots of individual prizes but Safraz Esau; who was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the All-Star category to ride off with a Hero Motor Cycle compliments of Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales and Mahesh Chunilall who was the Masters MVP and won a 55” television set from Regal Stationery and Computer Centre were the ones to cash in the most.

The GSCL Inc wishes to thank the following for their support; Fly Jamaica Airways, Banks DIH, Hero Motorcycles, Regal Stationery

and Computer, Regal Sports, C. Mohan General Contracting Inc., Crown Mining Supplies, Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Ink Plus, Industrial Sullpies and Services, P and P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd., Starr Party Rentals, Pyeo General Store, Clear Waters, Chung’s Global Enterprise, Gafson’s Industries Ltd., WJ Enterprise, Lucky Star, Ryan and Reuben General Store (Bartica), Massy industries, Guysons Engineering, Dino Enterprise (Bartica), Scott Service Station (Bartica), Swiss Machinery Establishment, Express International, Office of the Prime Minister and Jap Restoration Inc (New York), the management of Everest CC, YMCA, Malteenoes CC, GNIC Sports Club and DCC for the use of their venues.

Ousman said, after the inaugural tournament “everyone is probably expecting us to say next year it will be bigger and better but we will simply say that the next Prime Minister’s Cup will be the biggest and best tournament ever.”

SUNDAY, november 12, 2017 www.guyanatimesgy.com

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property for sale One wooden/concrete two story building painted, for sale at Wales Patentia Housing Scheme, W.B.D. Price 6 million dollars. Contact 610-8963.

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One male to work on a chicken farm in the interior. Must have knowledge and experience with poultry rearing. Contact: 680-2702 One male to work as handyman in the interior. Meals and accommodation provided.

Contact: 680-2702 Vacancies exist for the following positions: SemiSkilled Construction Workers Requirements: •Identification (ID) •TIN •NIS •Police Clearance •Two (2) References (Previous Employer).

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– Victoria Kings, Buxton in third place playoff

By Michelangelo Jacobus

F

ruta Conquerors FC shook off some rust and overcame some stout defending by Victoria Kings FC to eventually win 5-1 and book a spot in the final of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag “Big Four” tournament.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC was also in action and managed to get past Buxton United FC 2-0 to book their spot alongside Fruta Conquerors in the final this evening.

Playing in the first semi-final encounter on Friday at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora, West Coast Demerara, Fruta Conquerors had the reliable Eon Alleyne and

Fruta Conquerors’ players greet the Victoria Kings’ team

Maid Needed. Contact Tony: 218-0167 Waitress for bar 612-2522

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Business upliftment, marriage problems, pregnancy, remove blockage impotent and many more. Tel: 6121608, 683-5228 Surinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 651-9663/600-7719.

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Contact: Ashone Kumar (certified treacher) 609-3701

A Buxton defender shields the ball from a GDF Player

Anthony “Awo” Abrahams to thank for their victory as the former snared a hattrick while Abrahams netted a brace.

The eventual score-line did the game no justice however; Alleyne netted his first goal in the sixth minute but the Victoria defense quickly closed up shop for the remainder of the half while going close to drawing themselves level on a few occasions. Their (Victoria) poor finishing would come back to

haunt them as Alleyne and Abrahams had a 20-minute blitz in which four goals were scored.

It began in the 72nd minute with Abrahams producing a clinical finish to double his side’s lead; six minutes later Alleyne had his second before Abrahams made it 4-0 in the 82nd minute. A poacher’s goal fell Alleyne’s way in the 84th minute and he buried it with much aplomb to cement his side’s victory. In added injury time the Kings

grabbed a consolation goal which came off the boot of Kenneth Oparaemotuche.

Meanwhile, two first half goals ensured that GDF progressed to tonight’s final at the expense of Buxton United.

The GDF side looked a well-oiled unit as they outpassed and outmatched their beleaguered opponents. It only took 11 minutes for GDF to go in front after a Buxton defender unwittingly pulled down a

GDF player with the referee instantly pointing to the penalty spot.

Up stepped Delroy Fraser who calmly deposited the ball into the back of the net despite the Buxton keeper diving in the right direction. The second goal came off of a Buxton player and was awarded as an own goal in the 19th minute to the dismay of the trailing side.

The rest of the match petered out without the score line changing as GDF were shoddy in front of goal.

The third place match which is set for today will begin at 17:30h at the same venue while the final will follow at 20:00h. Admission to the venue is $500.

The winner will pocket one million, five hundred thousand dollars (G$1,500,000); second-placed club will earn seven hundred thousand dollars (G$700,000) while the third and fourthplaced clubs will grab five hundred thousand dollars (G$500,000) and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) respectively.

The “Big Four” is a knockout tournament among the four top clubs from Season II of the Stag Elite League.

Sans Souci Primary is Wakenaam’s Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket champion

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GDF, Fruta Conquerors set up epic final

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ans Souci Primary School were crowned champions of the Wakenaam leg of the Guyana Cricket Board Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket competition which was contested recently at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success.

Sans Souci Primary defeated Arthurville Primary by 41 runs in the final. Sans Souci Primary batted first and managed 223 off their allotted 12 overs. Mohamed Khan made 11.

Arthurville Primary were restricted for 182 in reply. Khan returned to take 3-16.

In other games, Sans Souci overcame Maria’s Pleasure Primary while Arthurville beat Zeelandia Primary. According to the rules of the competition, each team shall commence its innings with 200 runs and 10 runs being deducted for each wicket that falls.

The victorious Sans Souci Primary School team with Coach Nandkishore Andrews (right) following their win

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, november 12, 2017

Courts/Malta Schools Pee-Wee Football…

Sensational Daniels storms West Ruimveldt to title A superb helmet-trick by forward Ian Daniels handed West Ruimveldt their maiden Courts/Malta Schools PeeWee Football title by hammering Marian Academy 4-0 when the final of the seventh edition was played Saturday at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park Ground.

Daniels, who won the golden boot award with a whopping sixteen goals, broke the hearts of numerous Marian Academy supporters with his eye-catching skills with the ball.

The forward made his first mark in the 10th minute, with a crunching shot from inside the box. Six minutes later, he was awarded a penalty and once again made no mistake.

Inaugural champions,

Marian looked impressive finding each other in the spaces but most of their attacks lacked the cutting edge to change the scores at half-time.

When the second stanza begun, West Ruimveldt unit took control once again with Daniels’ skilfully controlling the ball then unleashing a piercing strike from the right in the 28th minute.

Two minutes later, he went on the prowl and was served another goal, this time sliding one past the defender and the keeper’s left to signal another emphatic celebration by teammates and numerous fans.

Marian Academy had a late opportunity for a consolation goal but spilled the penalty due to smart keeping from Daniel Sutton,

Champions! West Ruimveldt players celebrate their success along with the organisers and sponsors

who won the best keeper award.

Teammate Jonathan Andries won the Most Valuable Player award

while Marian, in addition to their second place prize was deemed the most disciplined school.

Meanwhile, in the third place play-off, Sophia won 5-3 on penalty kicks against Enterprise after the match ended in a goalless stalemate.

In five to eight placement matches, Stella Maris defeated St Agnes 1-0 after Fidel Norville scored in the 20th. Redeemer got the better of School of the Nations via a 3-0 win. Nicholas

Watts had a double with goals in the 3rd and 10th while Nikolio Sandiford scored in the 7th.

Over in the 9-12 matches Parfait Harmony hammered F.E Pollard 3-0 with Samuel Lematt netting in the 2nd and 33rd while an own goal in the 23rd further sunk F.E Pollard.

Mae’s edged South Ruimveldt 3-2 with Danesh Persaud scoring in the 7th and 31st with support from Daniel Charles in the 17th.

On the mark for South were

Elijah Dotson in the 11th and Collin Saul in the 16th.

For the 13-16 spots, St Ambrose lost 1-2 to Tucville after John Harry (11th) and Ryan Greene (12th) sealed the match in the first half.

Rovin Henry scored for St Ambrose in the 19th. Goed Fortuin were also gathered success, winning 2-1 against Den Amstel with their marksmen being Kristoff Deochan (13th) and Joshua Bobb (29th) while Keshawn Humphrey scored in the 9th for Den Amstel.

Windies’ Pakistan tour finalised for March Malik Barker created some chances for Marian Academy (Akeem Greene Photo)

- USA matches also on the agenda

Windies and Pakistan last played T20 matches in the Caribbean this year April

T

he Windies T20 tour of Pakistan has been pushed forward to March of next year and also added to the cricket calendar for the next five years, officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced.

The regional team was expected to visit the Pakistan city of Lahore later this month, but saw the tour postposed after the region became enveloped in smog. The match would have been the team’s first return to the Asian coun-

try since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka tour bus caused it to be blacklisted as a venue. In addition to the smog, however, other logistical issues had placed a shadow over the proposed tour. One issue stemmed around reciprocity surrounding the prosed tour.

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi insists those issues have now been resolved.

“There were talks to play the series in November, but due to un-

foreseen weather, we didn’t take a risk so we will start our first series from March next year followed by the one in the USA,” Sethi said in Lahore.

“From then onwards, they will keep coming to Pakistan for the next five years and we will reciprocate by playing in the USA. But the series we will play in the USA will be a tri-series with the third team to be decided later.”

The three games are slotted for March 29, 31 and April 1. (Sportsmax)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2017

CWI/Digicel Regional 4-Day Championship 2017-18

CAC Hockey Qualifiers 2017, Jamaica

Steady Hurricanes leave Jaguars on the ropes ̶ Singh misses ton

D

efending Champs Guyana Jaguars endured a tough third day as they clawed their way back into the game but only marginally as they trail the Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 153 runs heading into the final day of the 2017/18 Cricket West Indies (CWI)/ Digicel Regional 4-Day tournament.

Played at the Warner Park Ground, St Kitts, Guyana were 53-2 from 41 overs batting a second time when stumps were drawn on the penultimate day with captain Leon Johnson on 27

23

Clinical Guyanese men and women book CAC spots

– both teams in finals action today

T

he Guyanese men and women’s national hockey teams have both qualified for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia 2018 after some superb per-

not out and night-watchman Veerasammy Permaul unbeaten on six. Openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (16) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (00) were the batsmen to be dismissed by Nkrumah Bonner (1-6) and Mervin Mathew (1-8), respectively.

After the Hurricanes racked up an imposing 4129 declared, the champions folded in their first innings for 206 with centurion from the last match Vishaul Singh narrowly missing out on his eighth First Class hundred after being left stranded on

two draws compared to Jamaica’s 13 points, four victories and a draw.

They will play Jamaica in the final today at 15:30h for the winner’s trophy and the top spot.

Meanwhile, the

SCOREBOARD STUMPS DAY 3 Leewards Hurricanes 1st innings 412/9 dec Guyana Jaguars 1st innings (Overnight 53-6) T Chanderpaul c Cornwall b Louis 3 C Hemraj c Carty b Simon 23 L Johnson* b Louis 2 V Singh not out 97 V Permaul run out (Thomas) 0 S Chanderpaul c Hamilton b Cornwall 5 A Bramble c Louis b Ward 0 K Paul b lbw Ward 4 S Rutherford c Hamilton b Ward 32 R Shepherd c Louis b Ward 13 K Joseph c Bonner b Cornwall 15 Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-0, nb-4) 12 Total: 63.4 overs (for 10) 206 FOW: 1-6, 2-8, 3-39, 4-39, 5-47, 6-35, 7-57, 8-117, 9-131, 10-206

Bowling: Louis 15-2-52-2, Mathew 6-4-8-0, Cornwall 23.46-62-2, Simon 8-0-28-1, Ward 10-1-48-4, Bonner 1-1-0-0 Guyana Jaguars 2nd innings (following on) T Chanderpaul b lbw Bonner 16 C Hemraj c Hughes b Mathew 0 L Johnson* not out 27 V Permaul not out 6 Extras (b-4, lb-0, w0, nb-0) 4 Total: 41.4 Overs (for 2) 53 Still to bat: Sherfane Rutherford, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Keon Joseph, Keemo Paul, Vishaul Singh, Romario Shepherd FOW: 1-2, 2-35 Bowling: Louis 8-7-1-0, Mathew 8-6-3-1, Cornwall 9-3-17-0, Simon 5-1-15-0, Ward 7-3-7-0, Bonner 3-1-6-1, Carty 1-1-0-0 Position: Jaguars trail by 153 runs with 8 wickets in hand

Guyana’s Tamala Glenn (No. 22) scored as Guyana booked a qualifying spot on Saturday Jeremiah Louis

97, as his teammates crumbled around him.

All-rounder Sherfane Rutherford had the next best score of 32, followed by Hemraj with 23 as Terance Ward (4-48), Jeremiah Louis (2-58) and Rakeem Cornwall (2-62) did the bulk of the damage bowling for the Hurricanes.

With the huge lead on first innings of 2016, the Hurricanes maintained

their strangle hold by asking the Jaguars to bat again with 41 over still available in the day’s play.

Things were not going to get better for the visitors as the Hurricane look to finish off the Jaguars for the third consecutive time by removing out-of-sorts Jaguars openers in the second innings.

Today’s final day action bowls off at 10:00h.

formances at the JN Hockey Field in Kingston where they are taking red hot in the qualifiers.

At the start of the qualifiers, it was known that the top two placed teams in each category will have their spots in CAC next year guaranteed and the Guyanese were determined to play in Colombia.

With their showing in Jamaica so far, both teams will be in finals action today against Jamaica’s Men and

Guyanese men suffered their first defeat on Saturday against the Jamaicans in a closely contested game that ended 3-2.

The Jamaicans were looking as though they would win easily leading at 2-0 deep into the second half after George McGlashen and Kemar Gobern had scored in the fourth and 41st minutes.

However, Jamarj Assanah and Aroydy Branford equalized with two quick goals in the 48th and 49th minutes

Escarraga cops MACORP Invitational title

By Clifton Ross

L

ocal pro golfer Guillermo Escarraga showed his class as he outputted the competition to snatch the 11th annual MACORP Invitational title on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Course.

Played among roughly 50 competitors under brilliant conditions suited for golf, Escarraga, the Product Support Manager of MACORP ended with a Gross of 90 and a best Net of 63; beating off some seasoned pros like; Clifford Reis, 8-time Guyana Open Champ Avinash Persaud, Gavin Todd, MACORP CEO Jorge Medina and other high-profile players.

Nearest to the Pin was also won by Escarraga who dominated the Greens to walk away with a number of

MACORP Invitational winner Guillermo Escarraga receives his trophy from MACORP CEO Jorge Medina

awards. Third place winner Mohanlall Dinanauth also copped the Best Gross award for his Gross 73/Net 66 while finishing third with 33 points on the Back 9.

Ansa Mcal executive Troy

Cadogan came in second place after enduring a good outing, shooting a gross of 40 on the frontline but it was Escarraga who emerged the top golfer this edition, walking away with the winning

trophy along with a state-ofthe-arc MACORP watch.

Following the presentation ceremony, CEO Medina said the company was happy to support the event which brings a lot of Guyanese together in a friendly yet competitive environment. He said it was good for the sport to have the support of the LGC members as well as the community of Lusignan.

Meanwhile, LGC President Hilbert Shields thanked the sponsors MACORP and Medina specifically for their support throughout the years and their support in making the event highly recognizable and fun for all golfers. Shields lauded Medina for not only his financial support but for providing the necessary machineries required to keep the Course in sublime condition.

Guyana’s Kareem McKenzie shields the ball from a Jamaican player

Women.

The women played their final round robin game on Saturday against Guatemala and won comfortably three goals to nil.

Tamala Glenn who is on her international debut season opened proceedings for Guyana in the 14th minute before the consistent Marzan Fiedtkou slotted home in the 28th leaving Aliyah Gordon to seal the deal for the Guyanese in the 55th minute.

After five games the Guyanese ladies finished undefeated with 11 points, three victories and

only for Duvaughn Henlon to break Guyanese hearts with the decisive goal in the 51st minute. The teams will clash again today at 18:00h for top honours since both teams will be jetting off to the CAC games next year.

Jamaica finished top of the table after four games with 12 points, four victories while Guyana finished second with three victories, one defeat and 9 points.

In the third vs fourth place ladies’ fixture, Puerto Rico will take on Bermuda and in the men’s competition Puerto Rico will face Guatemala.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Courts/Malta Schools Pee-Wee Football…

Sensational Daniels storms West Ruimveldt to title

Pg 22

Man of the moment! Ian Daniels is embraced by fans and teammates after scoring another one of his four goals (Akeem Greene Photo)

CWI/Digicel Regional 4-Day Championship 2017-18

Steady Hurricanes leave Jaguars on the ropes Pg 23

̶ Singh misses ton

Escarraga cops MACORP Invitational title Pg 23

Guillermo Escarraga (centre) is flanked by executives of MACORP along with LGC President Hilbert Shields (far right)

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November 12, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

Drake lands major role on British TV Page 14

FREE DISTRIBUTION

Page 3

Inside Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc.

Providing lifesaving medical treatment

Page 8

Page 2

Page 4

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Feature

Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc

Shazim Samad

I

n 2015, a six-year-old Shazim Samad was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with second and third degree burns to forty per cent of his body (lower anterior extremities and his lower posterior extremities).

The incident occurred when an object exploded in a heap of burning garbage next to where he was playing, consequently his clothes caught on fire.

US, he also attended the SHEA charity annual fundraising dinner and dance in New York, where he was presented with an Apple iPad, courtesy of Mr Mohamed Hussain. He was also privileged to meet some of the amazing donors who helped to save his life and thanked them in person.

Shazim expressing his thanks at a SHEA event with assistance from the organisation's founder, Lori Narine

The Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc. (SHEA) charity was contacted in 2015. The organisation immediately started to work on securing treatment service for Shazim in the United States, since the treatment he requires is not currently available in Guyana.

Shazim was kept in stable condition at GPHC, while SHEA worked on finding treatment service, secure funding, legal compliance and immigration matters.

Shazim arrived in Texas, US, on January 19 and immediately began his treatment course, which consisted of several skin graft surgeries, physical and psychological therapy and onhospital-campus schooling.

He progressed week-byweek and his doctors were optimistic he would soon head home to Guyana, which he did on April 11, 2016.

After completing his first round of treatment, Shazim returned home to Guyana.

Since his return home, Shazim has readjusted to a life of complete normalcy.

He has re-enrolled in school and spends his free time with his family.

He then returned to the US for follow-up sessions in August 2016 and January 2017.

On September 13, 2017, the now eight-year-old travelled to the United States where he received reconstructive surgery as well as laser treatment to combat scaring caused by his burn injuries. While in the

Shazim is now safely back in Guyana with his family, however, he must return to the United States for further treatment in April 2018. He continues to lead a

medical needs of individuals in impoverished countries. Beginning in Guyana and the Caribbean and seeking to expand to other geographic areas in need as funds come available, SHEA supports and empowers patients who cannot afford crucial medical treatment due to poverty or lack of appropriate services in their home nation.

The organisation’s vision and methodology are to: identify individuals in impoverished communities with the most need; locate and leverage funding for medical aid and/or humanitarian services on a caseby-case basis; and through partnerships of compassion and expertise, positively impact and improve health conditions one person at a time.

Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc. will develop into a sustainable and replicable model for improving emergency health outcomes and, within a holistic framework of strategic partnerships and will create, fund and implement healthcare plans that provide diverse individuals in need with life-saving medical treatment and services.

With his mom, Bibi

healthy and happy life.

Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc.

Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc. is a humanitarian organisation that provides financial assistance and coordinates free or low cost treatment to address the emergency

For more information on Shazim’s journey, visit http://savinghandsemergencyaid.org If you know of a child like Shazim who needs SHEA’s help, please email at shea@ sheacharity.org or visit SHEA on Facebook.

Shazim's burns have significantly improve with SHEA's assistance of medical treatment overseas

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Focus

Award-winning sculptor of Guyanese heritage stuns the world with his breath-taking underwater art

J

ason deCaires Taylor is a British sculptor, environmentalist and professional underwater photographer. Born in 1974 to an English father and Guyanese mother, Taylor graduated from the London Institute of Arts in 1998 with a BA Honours in Sculpture.

His permanent site-specific works span several continents and predominately explore submerged and tidal marine environments. His multi-disciplinarily sculptural works explore

Jason deCaires Taylor

made me want to explore both artistic boundaries and the vast sea.”

A prolific sculptor, Taylor became the first of a new generation of artists to shift the concepts of the land art movement into the realm of the marine environment. He gained international notoriety in 2006 with the creation of the world’s first underwater sculpture park, situated off the west coast of Grenada in the West Indies. Now listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World

single sculpture located in the Bahamas.

Taylor’s artworks are essentially artificial reefs, formed of carefully manufactured sculptures installed at various locations around the world. Each sculpture is created using nontoxic, pH neutral marine grade cement, free from harmful pollutants, becoming an integral part of the local ecosystem. The cement is highly durable with a rough texture that encourages coral larvae to attach and thrive, while nooks and dark cubbyholes formed of folds of clothing provide homes for fish and crustaceans. The timing of installation is significant to ensure they are in place downstream before the larval coral spawning occurs, yet not so early that other sea life colonises it before the coral can take hold.

His pioneering public art projects are not only examples of successful marine conservation, but works of art that

'Silent Evolution', also at Musa, consists of nearly 500 figures, cast from people of the village of Puerto Morelos

modern themes of conservation and environmental activism.

Over the past 10 years, Taylor has created several large-scale underwater ‘museums’ and ‘sculpture parks’, with collections of over 850 life-size public works.

When asked how he developed a love for the sea, Taylor said: “As a child, I used to live near coral reefs. My parents would often rent a boat at the weekend and we explore pristine islands in Thailand and Malaysia. I was very fortunate to be exposed to such amazing experiences at the early age of seven, or eight. It left a lasting impression in my mind, and

by National Geographic, the park was instrumental in the government declaring the site a National Marine Protected Area. This was followed in 2009 when he co-founded MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte), a vast collection of over 500 of his sculptural works, installed between Cancun and Isla Mujeres in Mexico.

Other major projects include Museo Atlantico (2016), a collection over 300 submerged sculptures and architectural forms in Lanzarote, Spain, the first of its kind in European waters. The Rising Tide (2016 Thames London) and Ocean Atlas, a monumental 60-ton

seek to encourage environmental awareness, instigate social change and lead us to appreciate the breath-taking natural beauty of the underwater world.

He has received numerous sculpture and photography awards and was awarded 2014 Global Thinker by Foreign Policy, described as the Jacque Cousteau of the Art world.

An Underwater Art Museum

Visiting Taylor’s underwater museums allows visitors the opportunity to broaden their minds and educate themselves on fields that are outside their daily lives, and experience samples of worlds beyond their

'The Raft of Lampedusa'

'Inertia', an exhibit at Musa, off the coast of Mexico

own in a safe and non-destructive manner.

“We call it a museum for a very important reason.

Museums are places of preservation, conservation and education. They’re places where we keep objects of great value to us, where we value them simply for being themselves,” Taylor explained.

As Taylor describes, in both the conservation and preservation of marine ecologies and in the ability to educate the world about the health of the oceans, his underwater museums have an essential role to play in fostering care and understanding of marine ecologies.

Each artwork is brought alive through its union with the biological marine life that attaches to it and thrives. There is a distinct interactivity between the living organisms

and the sculptures. The various forms of ocean life complete the sculptures, transforming them from concrete to textured, living organisms like the figures in Viccisitudes in Grenada; a name that reflects the changing conditions of the planet. In this installation a ring of people stand holding hands as the ocean takes them, coving their bodies with motley of coloured pinks, vibrant oranges, greens and greys. These colours shift with the changing filtered light that shines down upon them creating a patterned circlet on the ocean floor. These changing colours and tones and the gentle play of light are qualities that all of Taylor shares and it gives them a sense of calm and peace, and an ambience of mystery.

On a global level, Taylor’s works reached an audience of

over 1 billion over the past 10 years, opening a virtual portal or window to the underwater realm, bringing the ocean into the living room and underlining the importance to urgently conserve it.

As most of the projects are centralised in small areas, entrance fees are charged to visitors. This crucial revenue is then put towards conservation projects and help fund marine park rangers who are able to monitor and protect the coastlines. Admissions and donations for entering the museums also provide a crucial role in providing revenue for marine conservation initiatives and alternative employment for local fishermen.

To learn more about Taylor’s underwater art, visit www.underwatersculpture. com (Cover photo: Viccisitudes)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Feature

F

Member of Green Dupatta helps with the renovations of the centre

ounded in 2014 by Nirmala Ramprasad, Green Dupatta is a Canada-based registered charitable organisation devoted to advancing sustainable development and agriculture.

The core of sustainable development is found in an organisation’s ability to sustain itself and eventually become self-sufficient. Hence, Green Dupatta provides communities with the base necessities to create programmes that are not solely reliant on funds from abroad.

In 2013, Nirmala travelled to Guyana for the first time, in her visits to family and friends, and came upon an abandoned building, which she was told her grandfather, Harry (Judge) Ramprasad helped build. Nirmala could not bear to see the building go to waste. When she returned to Canada, Nirmala told her friends about the building she had seen, and what great potential it held. They decided to take on the restoration of this building as their first project, and hence, Green Dupatta was born.

Green Dupatta’s core committee consists of four girls with a passion for change.

Nirmala Ramprasad is the acting president and holds a

Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Arts in Anthropology. Keisha Singh is the organisation’s secretary and media director.

Keisha is currently working as a Behavioural Therapist and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Toronto in 2015. As well, the role of creative director and volunteer coordinator is done

by Rhea Bhim. Rhea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Society and is currently working to help rehabilitate patients with severe brain injuries. Jasmine Sukhu is the team's most avid traveller.

When she is not off on an adventure, she works feverishly as the organisation’s treasurer and finance manager.

Jasmine recently completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. Together these four women use their education and talents to further develop Green Dupatta’s core values and goals.

The charity’s current project is the restoration of the abandoned community centre in Leonora, Guyana. The centre had numerous safety issues and was no longer in use, but after two years of fundraising, Green Dupatta was able to begin renovations in August of 2015. It has suc-

cessfully replaced the building’s roof, fence, bathrooms, first-floor interior and created a community garden. The building is currently being used as an after-school daycare with classes for children.

“Funds are raised thanks to our generous sponsors and donors as well as a wide variety of activities throughout the year. Our team attends fairs throughout the summer, such as the Unionville Street Festival, the Durham Caribbean Festival and the LiveGreen Festival hosted at Yonge and Dundas Square, Canada. At these fairs, committee members and volunteers offer henna and face painting to attendees. Also every year, Green Dupatta hosts a Charity Banquet, a gala filled with food, performers, and dancing! This is the organisation’s biggest fundraiser of the year,” Nirmala said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

With the completion of Green Dupatta’s first project just around the corner, works for a new project are underway. Their commitment to sustainable development, youth leadership and education has led them to their next project - the development and restoration of an elementary school. With the help and encouragement of community members, sponsors and volunteers after the completion of its first project, the organisation will begin the restoration of an abandoned school. This will not only provide young minds with space to learn and explore, but will house a basketball court and running track that will be opened to the public.

“There are so many ways for one to get involved in or help our organisation. Funds can be donated online at www. greendupatta.com, or directly to any one of our committee members. However, monetary donations are not the only ones that help. Volunteering time or services is always a great help. If you or anyone you know is interesting in donating funds, time or services please feel free to contact us at greendupatta@gmail.com,” Nirmala encouraged.

Leonora Community Centre under renovation thanks to Green Dupatta

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

F

arah Delicia Hussain was born in Guyana, but moved to New York when she was four years old. She is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and Thai massage therapist.

Her family’s cultural and religious history, coupled with the trials of being an immigrant and a first-generation American, instilled a desire for self-exploration and healing. Her philosophy of yoga honours self-study balanced with a deep responsibility to enhance community and environmental health.

While Farah was introduced to yoga poses as a child, she started practicing meditation 14 years ago.

The wisdom of the practice and its power to transform led Farah on a pilgrimage to India to study mantra and pranayama and its effects on the mind. Eventually, she found her way to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health for formal yoga studies, where she received her certification.

She has also done additional training in various aspects of yoga, including Ayurveda (Dr. Vasant Lad and Swami Mayatitananda), Iyengar Yoga (Rodney Yee), Tantra (Yoganand Michael Carroll), yoga therapy (Gary Kraftsow and Dr. Loren Fishman), and Thai Yoga Bodywork (Lotus Palm) — resulting in over 500 hours

Farah values her meditation sessions

of teacher training and 1,000 hours of teaching experience. Farah is currently continuing her education in Integrative Yoga Therapy, Ayurvedic Medicine, and Thai Yoga Massage.

With a degree in International Development

& Public Affairs from Cornell, Farah has worked for over a decade in NGO development and community organising with a strong focus toward improving the health, education and economic welfare of marginalised groups. Her profes-

sional background includes providing technical support for small business owners through Alternatives Federal Credit Union, facilitating countywide youth leadership training and managing youth programs through Cooperative Extension, building capacity for a global technology cooperative, developing home permaculture gardens, and training health caregivers in rural South African clinics.

With a deep love for process-work, she spent three years in Sub-Saharan Africa working under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. She consulted with HIV/AIDS NGOs, community-based organisations, and micro-enterprises on capacity building initiatives related to strategic planning, programme design and implementation, financial systems and organizational development. She has also taught yoga in rural African villages, retreat centres, ashrams, yoga studios, and at Cornell University.

Currently, she sees clients one-on-one for yoga therapy and Thai bodywork, as she prepares for graduate studies in clinical social work.

Thai yoga massage

Farah is forever grateful to her family for the rich culture they have bestowed upon her and for all their sacrifices. She thanks her husband for his devotion and commitment to being on this journey with her. She bows

to the wisdom that came before her and has gratitude for all her teachers both past and present, of all spiritual and religious paths.

Learn more about Farah’s work at www.farahdelicia.com

6 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Literary Corner

Preserving our literary heritage

By Petamber Persaud

“

D

erailed” could be an appropriate subtitle to the novel, “Karma Curry”, because evil plots, machinations and schemes are derailed, in the world of humankind, and in the sphere of the gods, even many good intentions are derailed and, also, the world of the author does not escape slices of derailment.

In this novel, the world of the immortal and the world of mortal feed off each other for survival, a novel approach to storytelling.

“Karma Curry” is about love, lust, betrayal, unrequited love, filial responsibility, revenge, remorse and atonement. “Karma Curry” is about reaping what you sow through how your actions in previous lives affect your current life. “Karma Curry” is, on one hand, about the continuation of tradition and, on the other hand, the challenging and breaking of tradition. This conflict is sustained throughout the lives of each main player and throughout the novel and it is this conflict that accounts for the novel been a cut above novels exploring similar themes.

The main story of “Karma Curry” is centred on the life of Karam Mohandas – his formative days in Guyana, growing pains, youthful tryst with love and lusting, his weaknesses, cowardice and failures - and his life in America, a failed attempt to outrun his fate, ending in suicide on his way home, by way of deportation. In the novel, suicide seems to be the only way out of predicaments as many players either prefer or contemplate that method of ‘solution’.

The other main character of the novel, in the humankind world, is Priya Etwaroo who is abandoned in Guyana

by Karam and who eventually finds herself in America where the denouement of

O

the story occurs, about four years after the man had escaped to that country. The other woman who suffers similar fate at the caprice of Karam is Gaitri Kumar who, in a series of coincidences, also finds herself in America. The Guyana chapter on those two is documented, but nothing else is known about either women until they arrival in America, seeking revenge and plotting the downfall of Karam. (There are, at least, two other women who could have reported Karam’s illegal status, namely Asha and Elizabeth.)

All of the above machinations are directed and misdirected by gods and goddesses whose sphere is replete with similar characteristics displayed in mortals, even names and events share characteristics. For

ne afternoon a grand and wonderful ox was on his daily stroll when he was noticed by a small haggardly frog. The frog was too impressed with the great ox, impressed to the point of envy.

"Look at this magnificent ox!" he called to all his friends. "He's such a grand size for an animal, but he's no greater than I am if I tried."

The frog started p3uffing and swelled from his normal size.

"Am I as large as the wonderful ox?" he asked his friends.

“No, no, not near as grand as the ox," they replied.

So, the frog puffed himself up more and more, trying to reach the state of the ox.

"Now? now?" asked the frog.

instance, in ‘Brahmjoog’, where there is an appearance of democracy, the reader encounters places like ‘Bacradom’ where the ‘tribes’ have the freedom of choice, ‘Jhaiberia’ – a place for reindoctrination and the ‘dreaded Bhundstapo’. This subplot is intriguing where there is jockeying among the gods and goddesses for position in the hierarchy and where there is at least one subcommittee which is male dominated. The author does an admirable job at parodying the sphere of gods and goddesses, leaving the reader with questions.

The novel unfolds in a series of stories within stories showing an influence from the great Indian texts like the Puranas and Mahabharata but in the novel each character is introduced with a sometimes

"No, no. But please, don't try anymore," pleaded his friends.

But the frog continue to puff and swell, larger and larger until he fi-

Notice to Readers

too detailed backstory. This has two effects in that it slows the action and decrees the suspense with foreshadowing of the end – a bad end to it all. However, these stories would make a great collection of linked short fiction.

Foreshadowing seems to be a favourite technique of the author. For instance, the pandit is always withholding, from the parties involved, information from his ‘readings’ when he ‘open book’; the said information to which the reader is privy.

This brings into focus pitfalls of first novels where eager writers want to pack everything between two covers with over-description and over-explanation, leaving nothing to the imagination. Another distraction is head-hopping which works sometimes but this happens throughout the novel where the reader is given differing viewpoints by the parties involved to the same action/ scene.

Despite these niggling distractions, the author redeems himself through some excellent writing in which he captures the nuances of life in the countryside of Guyana and its capital city, Georgetown, and the metropolis of New York. The author seems to be poking fun or having fun with societal norms with humour sneaking up on the reader.

His eye for details and fluid use of language are endearing to the reader.

Readers and publishers would love this new (cosmic) approach to age-old and ageworn story patterns.

“Karma Curry” is a first novel by Jerry K. Durbeej, published 2017 by CreateSpace Independence Publishing Platform, North America.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

nally burst.

Moral: Be true to your own character.

If you have a poem and/or short story you would like to publish on our Literary Corner page, please email to guyanatimes@gmail.com. Kindly include your correct name and a contact number in your email. If you have any questions, please call 223-7230 or 223-7231.

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

7

8 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

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Travel & Tourism

Houses across the river from the Paruima airstrip

P

aruima Village, with a population of about 800, is located in Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven. It is said to be the only Arecuna speaking community in Guyana.

The Paruima and Panasima Falls are scenic waterfalls in that territory. Located in the CuyuniMazaruni region between Guyana and Venezuela, the area also hosts

stunning views of the Kamarang River leading to Venezuela.

There are also huge rock formations between which children enjoy playing hide and seek.

Paruima Village also contains a place of worship, sports ground and a college named the Davis Indian Industrial College. (Photos from Annette Arjoon-Martins’ Facebook page, Is WE Own)

Paruima airstrip

Paruima Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Picturesque football field

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Diet and Breast Cancer D

iet is thought to be partly responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. No food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer.

But some foods can make your body the healthiest it can be, boost your immune system, and help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible.

Research has shown that getting the nutrients you need from a variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, can make you feel your best and give your body the energy it needs. Eating food grown without pesticides may protect against unhealthy cell changes associated with pesticide use in animal studies.

More research is needed to better understand the effect of diet on breast cancer risk. But it is clear that calories do count -- and fat is a major source of calories. High-fat diets can lead to being overweight or obese, which is a breast cancer risk factor. Overweight women are thought to be at higher risk for breast cancer because the extra fat cells make estrogen, which can cause extra breast cell growth. This extra growth increases the risk of breast cancer.

Steps you can take Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (more than 5 cups a day). Most dietitians agree that a diet rich in plant foods may be healthier than a diet that contains a lot of animal products.

Fruits and vegetables have lower fat content and higher fiber content compared to animal products, and most are packed with nutrients. Some easy ways to add more vegetables and fruit to your diet: Buy a new fruit or vegetable every time you go to the grocery store. Healthy eating means you are eating a variety of foods. Sure, carrots are full of vitamins, but if all you ate were carrots, you wouldn't be healthy.

Don't be afraid to try something new! Put some eggplant or asparagus into your cart.

Add chopped squash, mushrooms, onions, or carrots to jarred or fresh spaghetti sauce (serve on pasta for a great dinner). The more vegetables the merrier!

Eat tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes — raw in salad, sandwiches, salsa, juice, alone (like a piece of fruit), or cooked in sauces.

Cooking actually enhances a tomato's nutritional value.

Eat whole fruit rather than drinking fruit juice.

Whole fruit reduces calories, adds fiber, and increases feelings of fullness. While dried fruit has just as much fiber as fresh fruit, the calories per serving are much higher (dried fruit also can make you gassy).

Add chopped scallions, shredded lettuce, or cabbage to potato salad.

Add broccoli, tomatoes, or zucchini to scrambled eggs or omelets.

Limit your fat intake.

Try to eat no more than 30 grams of fat per day and get no more than 10% of your calories from saturated fat.

Avoid trans fats, which are the fats found in shortening, stick (or hard) margarine, and many storebought cookies, crackers, snack foods, fried foods, pastries, and other baked goods.

Eat less salad dressing. Use a non-fat or lowfat dressing, or put a small amount of your regular dressing on the side and dip your fork in it before spearing your salad.

Cook with broth or bouillion — chicken broth or vegetable stock — instead of margarine.

Eliminate some foods with the highest fat content, especially if they have trans fats (fried foods, margarine), and gradually lower the amount of fat you eat.

Avoid processed meats and cold cuts. They're usually high in fat, salt, and other preservatives.

Choose lean cuts of meat, fish, and poultry.

Trim fat from meat, poultry, and fish.

Remove the skin from poultry and fish.

Mix up your protein options. Some research suggests that there may be a link between eating red meat and breast cancer.

Most of the concern is about processed meats (because of high fat, salt, and nitrate levels) and beef given extra hormones and antibiotics. If you'd like to limit how much red meat you eat, vary your protein sources.

Try fish or lamb instead of beef or pork.

Have an omelet for dinner. Use beans or lentils as your main dish.

Opt for chicken one night a week.

Try non-nitrate turkey bacon instead of regular pork bacon.

Add healthy choices to your diet. Here are some tips to ease you into healthy cooking and eating: Choose non-fat (skim) milk and other dairy products. But if you're used to drinking whole milk, mix whole milk with non- or low-fat milk to ease you through the change. You may want to buy organic dairy products to get higher levels of certain nutrients, such as conjugated linoleic acid (an antioxidant) and to avoid extra hormones given to dairy cattle to increase milk production.

Avoid salt-cured, pickled, and smoked foods. They tend to have a lot of salt and nitrates, which can contribute to high blood pressure in some people.

Choose small portions (about 6 ounces cooked) of lean meat and poultry (without skin) per day.

So if you eat meat twice a day, each portion should be about 3 ounces.

Bake or broil food.

Decrease the amount of calories in your food by baking or broiling it rather than frying.

Cover your plate with the low-calorie foods. Fill two-thirds of your plate with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, or beans, and one-third or less with meat and dairy products. Try spinach lasagna, vegetarian chili, or steamed or sautéed vegetables to get more vegetables in your diet.

Choose 100% juice and whole-grain breads at breakfast. While it's better to eat whole fruit rather than drink juice, if your morning isn't complete without it, make sure it's 100% juice and not a blend with added sugar. Add fresh or frozen fruit to your oatmeal. Add a banana or berries to your cold cereal. If berries aren't in season, look in the freezer section for frozen organic blueberries — they thaw in the bowl and keep your milk cold.

Eat healthy snacks. Try organic baby carrots, bell pepper strips, orange sections, fat-free yogurt, or a handful of almonds.

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Health

Eat more fiber. Besides easing constipation, fiber can help lower cholesterol and glucose levels. It also can make you feel full longer, so you're less likely to overeat. Unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. Choose a high fiber breakfast cereal (5 or more

grams of fiber per serving), or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal. Use whole-grain flour for half or all of the white flour when you bake. Add kidney beans or black beans to soups and salads. Toss vegetables into pasta sauce.

Consider buying organ-

ic. There's a real concern that chemicals used to grow food may cause health problems, including an increase in breast cancer risk. To reduce your exposure to pesticides, you might want to buy organically grown food or organically produced dairy products. (www.breastcancer.org)

Health News

Patients need rest, not antibiotics, say int’l health officials

M

ore patients should be told to go home and rest rather than be given antibiotics, according to health officials.

Public Health England (PHE) says up to a fifth of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary as many illnesses get better on their own.

Overusing the drugs is making infections harder to treat by creating drug-resistant superbugs.

PHE says patients have "a part to play" in stopping the rise of infections.

It is estimated that four in 10 cases of bloodstream E. coli infections now cannot be treated with first-choice antibiotics and by 2050, drug-resistant infections around the world are expected to kill more people than currently die from cancer.

Antibiotics are vital in cases of sepsis, pneumonia, bacterial meningitis and other severe infections. But PHE says antibiotics are not essential for every illness.

Coughs or bronchitis can take up to three weeks to clear on their own, but antibiotics reduce that by only one to two days, it says.

Prof Paul Cosford, medical director at PHE, told the BBC: "We don't often need antibiotics for common conditions.

"The majority of us will get infections from time to time and will recover because of our own immunity."

He said patients should not go to their doctor "expecting an antibiotic".

Instead, for infections that our body can handle, the advice is to: have plenty of rest; use pain relief such as paracetamol; drink plenty of fluids.

Prof Cosford said: "A doctor will be able to tell you when an antibiotic is really necessary.

"The fact is if you take an antibiotic when you don't need it then you're more likely to have an infection that the antibiotics don't work for over the coming months."

Apocalypse Bacteria are incredibly cunning - once you start attacking them with antibiotics, they find ways of surviving. People have died from bugs resistant to all antibiotics.

England's chief medical officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, has already warned of a "post-antibiotic apocalypse".

If the drugs fail, then not only do infections become harder to treat, but common medical procedures such as caesarean sections and cancer treatments could become too risky.

The most serious drug-resistant infections are sent to PHE's laboratories at Colindale, north London, for analysis.

Prof Neil Woodford, the site's head of antimicrobial resistance, said the most potent antibiotics, like carbapenems, were failing more often.(BBC)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Fashion

M

iami-based Guyanese textile artist, Sonia King Mitchell, under her label, SoniaSamantha, is designing her life. Three years ago she began to manifest her concept of colourful, comfortable clothing suitable for warmer climates.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Sonia related that her mother was an “amazing seamstress in that she could cut and sew a dress all within an hour”.

Designer Sonia King Mitchell

T

he tie is an accessory that can dress up a smart-casual outfit some more. It will take you up a notch in the fashion department whether you wear it with a full suit or just a shirt.

This week we’ll look at the step-by-step instructions for the Four-in-Hand Knot and the Half Windsor. Next week we’ll look at the Full Windsor Tie Knot and the Pratt Knot.

The Four-in-Hand Knot

Equipped with an innate talent for designing, Sonia started her journey with her love of batik - a technique of hand-dyeing fabrics by using wax as a dye repellent to cover parts of a design and dyeing the uncovered fabric with colour(s), and dissolving the wax in boiling water. Sonia taught herself this process and was intrigued by the many possibilities of fabric arts.

Today, Sonia only does batik as special orders because of the complexities of this medium.

“I began to experiment with what I have learned on silk scarves; some horrendous, some promising. I kept at it because it had become my fuel to unfold the fabric to spy the results. Even the horrendous ones were gifts because I worked to improve the process on the next try. I then decided I need a larger canvas to showcase my designs and so the dream was born to make clothing that was effortless and comfortable that transitioned easily from day to night. It’s also about having vacation- type clothing on every day,” the designer declared.

Self-taught, using only natural breathable fabrics of cotton gauze, rayon, linen and silks her kaftans, dresses and lounge wear designs emerged.

Sonia explained each of her designs is hand-cut, coloured and sewn, which make them unique and a limited edition because no two pieces ever come out of the dye bath the same.

Presently, the designer is obsessed with the ancient Japanese technique Shibori, which is featured in her 2018 Handmade in the Tropics collection.

You can view this collection by visiting www.soniasamantha.com

First up is the Four-in-Hand Knot, because it’s the easiest to learn. It’s a small, slightly asymmetrical knot that is best suited for narrow collars. This is the knot that is most appropriate for casual situations, since it doesn’t look like you spent too much time in front of the mirror meticulously tying it. Also, if you’re ever in a hurry, this is the knot to know.

Begin by crossing the wide end over the narrow end.

Fold the wide end underneath the narrow end.

Pass the wide end horizontally over the narrow end again.

Take the wide end up and through the loop around your neck.

Take the wide end through the knot in front. Proceed to tighten the knot and pull it up to your collar.

The Half Windsor

The Half Windsor is an easier version of the traditional Full Windsor knot. While it’s more modest than its full counterpart, it’s equally formal, so it’s advisable not to wear it casually. It’s much better suited for the office environment.

Begin by crossing the wide end over the narrow end.

Fold the wide end underneath the narrow end.

Pull the wide end up.

Take the wide end back down through the loop.

Move the wide end horizontally over the narrow end.

Take the wide end up through the loop.

Pull the wide end through the knot in front. Proceed to tighten the knot and pull it up to your collar.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Puzzles

Crossword

1

5

11 17

21 22

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24

25 26

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31

33

35

36 37

38

41

42

43

44

48

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51

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53

54

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57

58

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60

61

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64 65

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69 70

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73 74 75

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97

ACROSS "Fernando" band Rush violently Lead ore Misrepresent Duck or hue Lopsided Joined forces Improve the road Raison d'-Totaled Addison's partner "Put -- -- on it!"

Echo's beloved Not infrequently Trees with shiny leaves Nudges, perhaps Dislodges Grades Barracks dwellers Make an offer Cleared the dishes Vt. neighbor Anagram for snare Still closed Put the finger on Bath fixture Flat broke (2 wds.)

Kept the engine running Very serious Silly mistakes (hyph.)

Nigerian people Stadium section Counted the minutes Protruding Financial obligation Escort's offering Hindu sacred writings Big bashes Waterfall Rescued for a price Chitchat Jr. naval officer Pullover Dice spots Wield, as oars Joule fraction Blanch Withdraw Princess perturber Ballet step Contractors Farm measure Chesterfield, e.g.

Bikini sporters Mary -- cosmetics Angled a nail Volga outlet Bit parts Geishas' apparel Fiesta shout Woodstock era "Take -- --!"

Hound's clue Oklahoma state tree

99 Always, to Keats

100 Looks mischievous

101 Salad follower

102 Japanese immigrant

103 Icy remark?

104 Jangle

105 -- tai (rum drink)

106 Fitness center

107 Mercator's tome

109 Jeweler's lens

110 Yellow jackets

112 Secondhand tire

115 Fluid rock 116 Kinds

120 "Take -- -- from me . . ."

121 Form a thought

123 Hero sandwich

125 Periodic table info (2 wds.)

126 "-- Lisa"

127 Broken in, as a horse 128 Scallions

129 Latch onto

130 Over again

131 Cactus habitat

132 14-line poem

133 Fashion magazine

DOWN

1 Pharaoh's god

2 -- -carotene

3 Roseanne of sitcoms

4 Noted wise guy

5 King of Jordan

6 Just bought

7 Romulus' twin

8 Zoo staffers (abbr.)

9 Jamie -- Curtis

10 Check signer

11 What the windstorm did

12 Gambling stakes

13 Mortgage, e.g.

14 Summer in Cannes

15 Nervous - 16 "I thought we had -- --!" 54

55 17 Thinner

56

18 Leafy vegetable

59

19 Like Mr. Hyde 60

20 Takes the plunge

61

30 Sacked out (2 wds.)

63

32 Graze 64

34 Radius companions

65 36 Seethed 67

37 Mates, informally

68

38 Bunkhouse strings

70

39 A Gandhi

72

40 Like many oaths

73

42 -- in the woods

74

43 Repeating word for word

75 45 Farewells

76

46 Loose rock 77 47 Blotchy

78

49 -- diem

79

50 Herd follower 80 51 Wobbles

81

52 Macho motorcycle

82

Facets Clingy seedpod Add- -- (extras) The Sun Devils' city Elbow Was bold enough Cancels Reimburse Puts on the block Velocity Ice Age remnant Slammer and clink More energetic Attend a banquet Thick soup Zen breakthrough French schools Doctrines Theater come-ons Cook's vessel Swindles Sweden's Anita -Old blues singer Ma --

83 Computer network

85 Kind of shelter

86 New World alliance

87 Departing

90 Scotland Yard div.

91 Lorelei's river

92 Autumn mo.

94 Hotel offering

95 Plains tribe

96 Marsh bird

98 Type of snowshoe

100 Down in the dumps

101 Least difficult

103 No-goodnik 104 Forceful 105 Leatherneck

108 Clan chieftain

109 Down the road

110 Prairie schooner

111 "The boards"

112 "-- Lama Ding Dong"

113 Collar style

114 Fork prong 115 Earned

116 Like a peacock

117 "-- cost you"

118 Organic compound

119 "And then --!"

122 Magazine execs

124 She loved Lennon Solution on Pg 13

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- ASTERISK (ASTERISK: AS-tuh-risk: A symbol used in text to indicate an annotation or footnote.)

Average mark 54 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 70 or more words in ASTERISK? arise asker assert asset aster astir sake saki sari sate satire sear seat seta siesta sire sister sitar

site skat skate skater skier skies skirt skit stairs stake star stare stark steak sties stir strake streak

stria strike take taker tare task teak tear tier tike tire trass trek tress tries tsar east raise

rake raki rase rate resist rest rise risk rite irate kaiser kart kiss kisser kite krait

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed.

3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

Apple's next iPad will have face Making YouTube recognition instead of home button Tech tip

Safer for Children

Y

ouTube has a Restricted Mode you can enable in the settings for the mobile app, or within the web browser used to watch the videos. Restricted Mode attempts to scan and filter out the adult-oriented content posted to the site so young viewers do not see it, but YouTube admits the setting is not 100 percent accurate.

To evaluate videos, the site uses information from posted clips, like a video’s description, title, community-guideline reviews, metadata embedded in the file and any age restrictions added by the person who posted it. YouTube has been known to tinker with the filter settings to keep them current, although doing so last spring inadvertently banned nonexplicit L.G.B.T. content — a move that the company, which issued an apology, reversed. (As a general

civility bonus, however, Restricted Mode also blocks any comments posted to videos.)

Schools, libraries and other public computers may have Restricted Mode already enabled, but you can activate the setting on the computers and devices you use. To turn on the setting in a web browser, select your YouTube account icon in the top-right corner of the screen, and when the menu opens, select Restricted Mode and flip the button to the On position. Older versions of the YouTube web interface have a Restricted Mode button at the bottom of each page. If you use multiple browsers on your computer, you need to turn on Restricted Mode in each one.

To activate the content filter in the YouTube app for Android, make sure you are signed into your YouTube or Google account, and tap your profile picture or the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. From the menu, choose Settings, then General and then Restricted Mode.

To do the same in the iOS app, tap your profile icon in the corner, select Settings and then tap Restricted Mode filtering. Select the Strict option to start screening out inappropriate clips.

If you are trying to keep children from stumbling into inappropriate video content, setting them up with the YouTube Kids site instead is another option; apps are available for Android and iOS devices, along with a parental guide for using the service. Depending on your hardware and software, you may also be able to use parental controls built into the operating system to restrict access to apps and sites you would rather the children not see; thirdparty programs to police online activity are also available.

Crossword Solution

A

pple Inc. is working on a redesigned, high-end iPad for as early as 2018 that incorporates key iPhone X features such as slimmer edges and facial recognition, according to people familiar with the matter.

However, the new version of the tablet is unlikely to include an OLED screen, which provides more vivid colors and sharper clarity, the people said. They asked not to be identified talking about private product development.

At least one new iPad model with a screen size similar to the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is planned to include Face ID for unlocking the device, making payments, and sending animated emojis. The feature would replace the iPad home button that has come with a fingerprint scanner since 2014, one of the people said. The updated tablet is expected to be released later next year, a little more than a year after the last major iPad Pro upgrade, the people said.

By removing the home button, Apple plans to noticeably reduce the size of the edges on the top and bottom of the device for the first time since its introduction in 2010, bringing the design closer to that of the recently released flagship iPhone X. The new version will mark the first revamped look for the iPad since the first iPad Pro debuted in 2015.

An Apple spokeswoman de-

Tim Cook, CEO, holds an iPad Pro after his keynote address to Apple's annual worldwide developer conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California, U.S. June 5, 2017

clined to comment.

Apple still sees the iPad as its future for mainstream computing and has upgraded the device’s capabilities in successive years to appeal to business and professional users. It last updated the device in June by adding a 10.5-inch screen size option to the iPad Pro and a ProMotion screen that makes jumping between tasks smoother. Earlier in 2017, Apple released a cheaper version priced at $329 to boost sales.

One key iPhone X enhancement that is unlikely to make its way to iPads next year is an OLED -- or organic light-emitting diode -- screen, according to people familiar with Apple’s supply chain. OLED screens more accurately reproduce colors, but are more difficult to produce in mass quantities than

standard liquid-crystal displays. Samsung Electronics Co., which supplies OLED panels for iPhones, would be the only display maker with the capacity to produce the new screens for iPads in 2018, but technical and financial constraints still make that unlikely, according to a person with knowledge of Samsung’s display operations.

Face ID, the

iPhone X’s main new feature coming to the next iPad, lets users unlock the device with their face and a glance of their eyes instead of a password or fingerprint. Early reception has been positive for the feature, which also allows for payment authentication and sending Animojis, an animated emoji based on a user’s facial movements and speech. Given that the new iPad model is about a year away from release, the plans could change due to supply and manufacturing constraints on Face ID components, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.

Like the iPhone X, the new iPad is expected to include a faster processor and a custom Apple graphics processing unit, one of the people said. Apple is also preparing a new version of its Apple Pencil stylus and new software tools for using the stylus, the person said.

Tech news

H

umans rather than algorithms will view the naked images voluntarily sent to Facebook in a scheme being trialled in Australia to combat revenge porn.

The BBC understands that members of Facebook's community operations team will look at the images in order to make a "fingerprint" of them to prevent them being uploaded again.

Facebook will notify the person once the photo has been "hashed'.

It will then be up to the sender to delete the image.

The trial, which could be extended to other countries, is seen as a way of of allowing users greater control over their intimate photos - offering a pre-emptive protection against future misuse of the pictures by disgruntled ex-lovers.

Users wanting to take part in the scheme must first complete an online form on the Australian esafety commissioner's website.

Then they need to message themselves their nude photos via Messenger and the e-safety commissioner's office will notify Facebook of their submission.

A Facebook community officer can access those photos to "hash"

them, and they will then notify the person via the secure email provided via the commissioner's website.

Revenge porn is a growing issue in Australia where studies suggest that one in five women aged 18-45 may have been victims.

Experts in the field have welcomed the initiative but have warned that it will only tackle the problem on Facebook and its associated sites, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Prof Clare McGlynn, from Durham Law School, said that the UK should establish a similar organisation to Australia's e-safety commission.

"We must redouble efforts to challenge the root causes - challenging those who share images without consent," she said.

"We must condemn such forms of non-consensual sexual activity in the strongest terms, and work with young people on this." (BBC)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 12, 2017

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Bollywood/Hollywood

Vidya Balan: ‘I did face a fair amount of sexism in the initial phase of my career’ L

I

n the wake of recent sexual misconduct claims made against the big names of Hollywood, Bollywood actress Vidya Balan has revealed that Bollywood can be really sexist too.

The star shared that the film industry can be really sexist and she did face a fair amount of sexism in the initial phase of her

career.

When asked if she faced any kind of sexism in the industry, she said, “The film industry has been really nice to me. I’m quite head-strong. But I think it can really be sexist. In the initial phase of my career, I did face a fair amount of sexism. I used to be really angry about that.”

“I was told he has been given dates, so you have to work around them, but I was never asked like that. The male actor would always get a bigger van, a bigger hotel.

People would always say like, ‘do you need to listen to story?” she said.

The actress shared that she has been very lucky to have step into the industry with a movie like ‘Parineeta’, as no one questioned the set of rules she set for herself.

“I was lucky I got into the business with a movie like Parineeta, no one questioned the rules I set for myself. I have been told that a female actor’s life is not much, so you have to look younger. You got to look glamorous. I always told myself no, it is not like that,” noted Balan.

The actress will be next seen in Suresh Triveni’s ‘Tumhari Sulu’. The movie is about a competent woman who chances upon the opportunity of becoming an RJ and grabs it with both hands. (ANI)

upita Nyong'o has accused Grazia magazine of removing part of her hair for the front cover of its November edition.

She said she was "disappointed" it changed her hairstyle to "fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like".

The actress posted the original image on Instagram alongside the published version - which appears to show some of her hair missing.

In a lengthy Instagram post, the Oscarwinning actress said: "I embrace my natural heritage and despite having grown up thinking light skin and straight, silky hair were the standards of beauty, I now know that my dark skin and kinky, coily hair are beautiful too."

The “12 Years a Slave” star went on to say if she had been consulted she wouldn't have supported the "omission of what is my native heritage".

Lupita, who's from Kenya, added there

was "still a very long way to go to combat the unconscious prejudice against black women's complexion, hair style and texture".

The UK-based magazine has apologised.

(BBC Newsbeat)

Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan face-off confirmed

I

f it is Eid, it is almost a certain that a Salman Khan film is releasing.

The actor books Eid weekends much in advance and 2018 is no exception. Next year, Eid will see the release of “Race 3”. On the same day, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s “Fanney Khan” will be releasing.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “It’s official... #FanneyKhan confirmed for Eid 2018... Stars Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao.” A Mid-Day report quoted a source as saying, “It will be an exciting clash, since Aishwarya and Salman’s relationship continues to hold the audience’s attention, even years after it went kaput. While Salman boasts of

tremendous box-office pull, Ash and Anil too have a huge fan following and will draw the audience to the theatres.”

According to the report, Aishwarya and Anil were on-board with the decision to release the film on Eid despite the clash with “Race 3”.

Producers Arjun N

Kapoor, Prernaa Arora and Bhushan Kumar released a joint statement saying, “We have locked the release date of Fanney Khan on Eid 2018 (June 15). We decided on Eid because the lead character Fanney Khan, played

by Anil Kapoor, is a Muslim character and there’s no better day than Eid (to release it).” (Hindustan Times)

M

aisie Williams says she's looking forward to “Game of Thrones” finishing so she can spend more time making independent films.

She's told Newsbeat that the thought of not being in the series is "nerve wracking" but she can't wait to be "free".

The actress has played Arya Stark in the HBO fantasy drama since the first series, when she was 14.

She's now 20, and the series is heading into its eighth and final season.

Maisie says she has been enjoying some time off set before things get intense again.

"I'm really excited for Game of Thrones

to finish and there's going to be time for me to do whatever I want.

"I've just started a production company, so I'm now realising how hard the industry can be.

"That's just incredibly exciting and it will be nice to pick roles that I want to do.

I can show the world what sort of actress I want to be and shape my career a little bit."

Next year Maisie will be in “X-Men: The New Mutants”.

"On one hand it's really nerve wracking to know that I won't have that support blanket and safety net, but on the other hand I'm free.” (BBC)

etflix has confirmed that it is working on a new season of BAFTA-winning UK drama “Topboy” in which the rapper, who bought the rights to the show, will act as executive producer.

“Topboy”, which originally debuted on Channel 4 back in 2011, is based around the lives of East London street gangs and stars British actor Ashley Walters and grime star Kane 'Kano' Robinson. Despite its first season being widely popular with over one million viewers tuning in each week, the show was dropped by Channel 4 after a disappointing second season.

However, that's all old news as Topboy's number one fan Drizzy has saved the day.

The new season is set to air on Netflix in 2019.

Walters, who plays gang leader Dushane, took to Instagram to announce the news by sharing a picture of the cast posing with the Canadian rapper. In the caption, he wrote:

"So after years of speculation and anticipation I can finally reveal that we have managed to secure a brand new home for the new season of TOPBOY! In all honesty I'm more happy for you guys than myself. You have been waiting for a while! It is going to be epic!!! "We're going back to Summerhouse. @TopBoyNetflix 2019" Drake has previously starred as Jimmy Brooks on “Degrassi: The Next Generation”, made several small film appearances and put on an unforgettable performance in the music video for "Hotline Bling". (Glamour)

Varun Dhawan’s stalker threatens to commit suicide, actor files complaint Drake lands major role on British TV N

V

arun Dhawan has filed a police complaint against a woman stalking him online.

According to a report in Mid-Day woman had long been sending him messages on Whatsapp, following which, he blocked her number on the messaging service. He then received a call from an unidentified number through which the caller claimed that the woman will commit suicide if he didn’t respond to her messages.

Varun then filed a complaint with the Santacruz police in Mumbai. “We have received a complaint from Varun

Dhawan and are in the process of finding out details about the person who had called him. The number has been switched off ever since the call was made,” a senior police officer confirmed.

The actor was last seen in “Judwaa 2” with Taapsee Pannu and Jacqueline Fernandez. The film was a hit at the box office. Varun is working in Shoojit Sircar’s “October”, which will release in 2018. (Hindustan Times)

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

Joint finances, contracts and settlements need (March 21- to be looked over carefulApril 19) ly. Uncertainty dealing with an institution, government agency or corporation will be based on false claims. Do your research.

ARIES

It’s best to openly show TAURUS how you feel when dealing (April 20with relationships. Talks will May 20) end in emotional discord, but affectionate action will help smooth things over.

GEMINI (May 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Be perfectly clear about what you are and are not willing to do. Emotional matters will cause confusion and disrupt your plans. Get along with others and be honest.

Host an event at your home or do something special for someone you love. Socializing with people from different backgrounds or attending a reunion and reconnecting with old friends is favored.

Put restrictions on spending, eating and drinking if you want to avoid emotional confrontations with someone all too willing to make complaints and criticisms.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Honesty will be necessary if you hope to resolve an issue with someone you live with or are close to. Be willing to stand by your feelings.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Reconnecting with people from your past will affect the way you feel about your current direction. Take pride in what you’ve achieved and don’t lose sight of your dreams.

Someone will mislead you SCORPIO emotionally. Indulgence will (Oct. 24- be your downfall. It’s OK to Nov. 22) have fun, but do so with discretion. Do your best to protect your reputation.

Do a little soul-searching to SAGITTARIUS gain a better understanding of (Nov. 23the people around you. Being Dec. 21)

honest about what you do and don’t like is a good place to begin.

An unexpected gain or gift

CAPRICORN will surprise you. Don’t be (Dec. 22- afraid to do things differentJan. 19) ly. You’ll be praised for your

Calvin and Hobbes

insight and ability to excel.

Celebrate with someone you love.

A day trip to visit relatives AQUARIUS or people you look to for com(Jan. 20fort or solutions will be enFeb. 19) lightening. You may not like everything you hear, but it will help you move forward.

PISCES Emotional self-deception (Feb. 20- and disillusionment will set Mar. 20) in if you don’t have all the information required to make a wise choice. Put your decision on hold and focus on personal growth instead.