Guyana times 11 june 2017

LOOK INSIDE !

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Skeldon Energy Inc unable to obtain loan guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3238

Sunday, June 11, 2017

PRICE

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Russia Day celebrated in Guyana

…Govt pledges to strengthen ties with Russia P13

Page 3

... as Govt unwilling to release GuySuCo’s assets

Several rice fields flooded in Region 2

Page 2

Govt living off PPP investment initiatives – Jagdeo Page 9

Taxi driver beaten, car hijacked P8

Several P16 arrested for Omai Landing murder State appointments

P5 Govt not serious about national unity – commentators

Flood waters receding in Mahdia P12

Breaking tradition: The Anglican Church in a historical move has ordained the first female deacon in the Diocese of Guyana. Sister Rita Hunter of Jawalla, Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was ordained at Christ Church on Saturday by Bishop Charles Davidson. Sister Hunter is also the first Indigenous woman to be ordained. The decision to have women serve as Anglican priests was taken during the 144th Synod session of the regional Anglican Diocese in 2016

Siblings injured in ECD accident Page 2

“Shame on you!”

Diaspora protest AG’s visit in New York Page 7

GNBS to establish building authority

P17

2

NEWS

SUnDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Several rice fields flooded in Region 2 S

everal rice lands within the Sparta and Hampton Court areas on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are inundated and rice farmers are becoming frustrated over the situation.

Farmers reported the issue to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) prompting a field visit. During the visit lead

by Chairman of the RDC, Devanand Ramdatt and other senior officials to the cultivated lands, sluices and pumps within the affected area, farmers expressed dis-

Sparta rice lands flooded

satisfaction over poor drainage.

Some 300 acres of rice was recently sown and are now inundated. Farmers, engineers, drainage and irrigation staff, along with representatives of the Water Users Association (WUA) were present during the field interaction. Drainage in the area is affected since one of the sluices at Hampton Court has to be repaired. Another issue which has compounded the situation is the lack of fuel to facilitate the pumps working longer hours.

According to the Regional Chairman, the RDC will examine all possible options to make adequate use of resources available to implement both recommendations along with the regular clearing of the outfalls as shortterm solutions. This, he said, will assist farmers in the short-term until a more lasting solution can be effected.

The farmers were assured that monitoring and

reporting systems will be intensified by the RDC Works and Agriculture Committee since residential areas between Sparta to Hampton Court are usually affected by frequent floods as well.

Field outreaches to other areas in the region will be conducted in the new week.

The Regional Chairman indicated that he will communicate his findings to the Agriculture Ministry and the Guyana Rice Development Board while support from National Drainage and Irrigation Authority will be sought.

He said the RDC is keen on seeking Government's intervention in addressing these challenges at the earliest, in an effort to support farmers who deserve better since they are already struggling due to poor paddy price in recent years.

Farmers’ plight

Several affected farmers are seeking support from Government to assist them with fuel for pumping water off their fields which is very costly. They lamented that field extension staff do not visit them during their periods of suffering. Farmers said they were faced with similar challenges during the last crop and no meaningful follow-ups were done to assist the them.

One farmer from Sparta village, Jai Singh, said his land has been under water for over two weeks and he is worried about his crop. He also spoke about duck weed infestation, adding that farmers are not knowledgeable on how to control same.

(Indrawattie Natram)

Siblings injured in ECD accident

A

brother and sister are hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital after they slammed into a minibus at Foulis Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Injured are 18-year-old Bisson Suedatt and 17-yearold Seermattie Suedatt, both of Lot 175 Fourth Street, Foulis, ECD. Police reports state that at about 16:45h, a minibus bearing registration plates BTT 4262 and driven by a 55-year-old Golden Grove, ECD resident, was travelling East along the northern side of the Foulis Public Road. As the bus was passing another minibus which was stationary on same side of the road, it collided with

Bisson Suedatt, who rode a motorcycle out of a street on the northern side of the road, in front of the stationary minibus.

The front of the minibus on the left hand side collided with the motorcyclist, causing Bisson as well as the pillion rider, Seermattie, to be flung from the motorcycle and onto the road, some feet away.

Public spirited persons rushed to the siblings’ assistance and took them to hospital where they were admitted. Bisson suffered a broken jaw while his sister sustained head and neck injuries.

The driver of the minibus is in Police custody assisting with investigations.

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, June 11 – 05:30h-07:00h and Monday, June 12 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, June 11 – 05:10h-06:40h and Monday, June 12 – 05:40h-07:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery rain showers with light cloud cover can be expected throughout the day, while light cloudy skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly and Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 05:18h and 17:44h reaching maximum heights of 2.63 metres and 2.50 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:19h and 23:30h reaching minimum heights of 0.58 metre and 0.73 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, June 10, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS 05 12 13

14 15 25

18 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 13 14 21 23 26 LUCKY 3 2 8 7 Afternoon Draw

6

5

Skeldon Energy Inc unable to obtain loan

... as Govt unwilling to release GuySuCo’s assets

FERRY SCHEDULE

H

3

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

2

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 02 05 06 09 10 17 DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

S

keldon Energy Inc (SEI), is unable to secure any finances – finance it critically needs to fix the US$30 million co-generation plant if is to continue to supply any significant electricity to the national grid and the people of Berbice.

The company requires US$17 million to remedy the defects to the US$30 million plant acquired two years ago from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Minister within the Finance Ministry this past week was facilitated on a tour of the facility, and SEI Chairman Lloyd Rose confirmed the state of affairs.

However, during the tour the media were informed that Government has never legally vested the assets owned to SEI, meaning the company has no collateral to approach any financial institutions to secure a loan or raise capital despite having an ambitious plan to raise the US$17 million capital needed.

Government is looking to attach the co-generation plant to any deal it enters with an investor for sale of the Skeldon Sugar Factory.

This was confirmed by Minister Sharma, who told media operatives this past Friday that Government continues to hold onto the assets since it could possibly be bundled with any deal in a sale of the sugar factory, since no investor would want to purchase one without the other.

SEI Chairman this past week told media operatives that the company at present requires an immediate US$2.5 million expenditure simply as a ‘stop gap’ measure in order to restart the plant.

The assets however have never been officially turned over to SEI, which means the company, despite its lofty plans, is dependent on the possible sale of the Skeldon Sugar Factory, since the co-generation plant could very well

be part of the deal.

In fact, Minister Sharma hinted that there have been several unsolicited proposals which has since indicated that the ‘sharks are circling’.

He told media operatives the negative reports emanating from the plant have led to persons—the sharks – wanting the plant for next to nothing.

The media learnt this week that only $11 million was turned over as a loan, and the remaining US$10 million announced was simply cancelled debt.

This means GuySuCo never actually received US$30 million for the co-generation plant, but rather $20 million; and to compound the situation, the assets have never been

was purchased from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for an announced price of US$30 million by SE – a special purpose company owned by the government’s holding company, NICIL and GPL. The damning state of affairs was laid bare this past week by SEI Chairman Rose, who had moments earlier wrapped up a guid-

The current state of the Skeldon factory

Sharma indicated that Government will soon be looking to incorporate a special purpose company in order to facilitate the sale within a few months.

But the financial situation at SEI is not as previously reported.

SEI is a Government owned company – owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Power and Light.

NICIL is the company responsible for looking after the affairs of GPL for Government.

The transaction saw GPL putting US$4 million as equity to purchase the plant, while NICL fronted US$5 million. US$21 million was announced to be loaned in the debt and equity project. This was however never obtained. It was reported that GuySuCo owed GPL a significant amount of money for heavy fuel oil used for the plant.

turned over officially to SEI. The company on paper has an installed capacity of 30MW – 40MW from the baggasse component, and 10MW from the Wartsila gensets.

It has been supplying on average 8MW to the grid.

The Skeldon co-generation plant was described by Minister Sharma as a ticking time bomb that currently requires US$2.5 million in immediate expenditure as a stop-gap measure in order to restart the 30MW bagasse-fuelled component of the facility, and an additional US$17 million in order to fix the deficiencies identified – identified a few months after the generators were turned on.

The co-generation plant

ed tour of the facility in Berbice for subject Minister Jaipaul Sharma.

It was explained that apart from the badly deteriorated state of the facility – six years into its 25-year life span – the boilers being used at the facility are simply not for use in Guyana’s conditions.

During the guided tour of the boilers, it was observed that the piping used to circulate the pressurized steam has eroded to a point where it now poses a safety hazard and risks an explosion.

Other visible deficiencies on the boiler were evident at the furnace doors, where the insulation was almost completely burnt out as a result of the heat.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, june 11, 2017

Views

Swadish

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

That oil contract T

he adamant refusal of the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition to release details of the oil production contract it negotiated with the ExxonMobil-led consortium is more than troubling; it is frightening.

This obdurate stance comes in the face of calls by a wide swathe of civil society organisations – including the local Transparency International (TI) body and the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) – and not only the Political Opposition, the PPP, but a member of the coalition body that makes up APNU – the WPA. At a minimum, one can say the majority of the country is demanding that the contract details be made public. It is not that the citizens of Guyana believe the consortium, comprised of the US companies ExxonMobil and Hess Oil, and the Chinese CNOOC, is particularly rapacious; but it is just that they are au fait with the standard practices of oil companies across the Third World – particularly in Africa, where countries are at a state of development that is similar to Guyana’s. And those practices demonstrate that countries have to be vigilant.

Realising that the rationale offered by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for non-disclosure – it would jeopardise ongoing negotiations on the Venezuelan Border controversy – was risable, Minister of State Joseph Harmon attempted what can only be labelled “damage control”. He offered, in addition to the “security concerns” articulated by the PM, that there were also “legal” barriers raised by the governing 1997 Petroleum Act. He was presumably referring to Part II, Section 4, which states: “no information…by a licensee shall be disclosed to any person who is not a Minister, a public officer or an employee of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, except with the consent of the licensee”.

But even at a most cursory examination, the terms of the contract are not “information (by the) licensee”, to which the Petroleum Act refers. From the practice of the industry, “information (by the) licensee” is, for example, proprietary information gleaned by the licensee in its exploration activities or from its plans on developing and exploiting the field. In other words, it is information that can offer its competitors on the market a competitive advantage.

What are the salient aspects of the contract that Guyanese are interested in? The royalty percentage is one – and that this has been the one detail revealed by the Government is very disturbing. It is disturbing because the average royalty imposed on oil production in Africa which were “frontier” oil territories like us because of the undeveloped infrastructure – is over 10%. And these are countries that regularly complain of being given the short end of the stick in negotiations with oil companies. If the PNC-led APNU/AFC Government is willing to boast about negotiating a measly and pitiable 2% royalty rate, the mind boggles at the details it refuses to reveal.

To rub salt into the wound of non-disclosure, the Government is being quite dishonest – not disingenuous – when it insists on labelling the 2% royalty as a “200% increase of the 1% imposed on the original contract negotiated by the PPP in 1999”.

The PPP had signed a contract even before anyone had any evidence there was oil offshore. The US Geological Survey had not yet released its data gathered from spacebased mapping. Tullow was not to discover oil off Ghana until 2007, and then speculate that across the coast of South America, from which Africa had split off eons ago, there might be “mirror fields”.

In 1999, the PPP Government had to be on its knees to entice Exxon to commit to exploration. But last year, when the PNC-led APNU/AFC Government began negotiating with Exxon, the contract had expired by its own terms, and the billion-barrel oilfield had already been confirmed. The Government was now in a stronger position to negotiate.

If a 1% increase in royalty is the best the Government can do, imagine what the figures on “cost-oil vs profit oil” or corporate taxes on Exxon’s profits will be. All Guyanese must demand this information.

The Indian Commemoration Trust on Saturday treated the public to an international food and drinks festival dubbed “Swadish” at the Indian Monument Gardens, Georgetown. In this Carl Croker photo this lad is about to indulge in one of the many delightful treats on show

Create a modern elections commission Dear Editor, An impending visit to Guyana by a major delegation from the Trinidad Energy Chamber prompted an article in the Trinidad Guardian (June 9, 2017) captioned “Guyana: trouble again?”

The article focused on Guyana’s turbulent electoral history, and culminated in the following manner: “Oil revenues should start to flow from 2020. And 2020 is also election year. Stakes are high.”

Linking investor interest in oil and gas to Guyana’s threadbare electoral system captures what is at stake between the leaders of Guyana’s two major political formations in Monday’s meeting, which is aimed at resolving the impasse over nomination of the Chairperson for GECOM. If the exchanges leading up to that meeting are a guide, one side will be haggling about the phrases “fit and proper person”, and “fitness to be a judge”; and the other side will be issuing veiled threats about ‘consequences’. This is neither what the vast majority of Guyanese need nor want.

They want national leadership that is aimed at creating a modern, independent, de-politicized Elections Commission; not tribal lead-

ership aimed at prolonging elections as an ethnic census.

The Carter-Price Formula has been debased into a tool for prolonging a tribal census. It is outdated, and should eventually be replaced by a modern, professional hiring-and-selection process that is completely out of the hands of the political parties. Nothing less can either guarantee Guyanese their right to genuine democracy, or investors the assurances they need.

The Carter-Price Formula, however, still allows huge improvement in the Elections Commission, if the political will is available to so interpret that formula.

The formalities of the Leader of the Opposition providing a list to the President, as required by Section 161 of the Constitution, imposes no restrictions whatever on how that list is generated. Nor need it be restricted to the Chairperson. An agreement by both men to create a professional, public, transparent and impartial process which generates a list of people who are capable and willing to be commissioners could then, as a formality, be presented by the Leader of the Opposition to the President for his acceptance.

All of this is entirely feasible within the current con-

straints of Article 161 if the national interest were motivating the exercise.

Barricading themselves within a pedantic interpretation of Section 161 of the Constitution, or invoking the need for constitutional reform as a way of avoiding electoral reforms, would be unacceptable to everyone, except the leadership of the two major parties.

An authoritative review of electoral practices around the world concluded that “Conclusive evidence from all regions of the world shows that, in 80% of all democracies, elections are run by independent electoral commissions either in a full manner (53%) or by supervising the work of agencies from the executive branch of government (27%).” In other words, Guyana’s current arrangements are associated with the more backward and autocratic minority countries, rather than with the range of modern approaches employed in established and emerging democracies around the world.

A reformed selection process could ensure selection of men and women who are perceived to be level-headed; impartial; possessing managerial capacity; collectively understand logistics, human resource management, technology, media and the

country’s contemporary history. In terms of character, they must have sound leadership ability, an even temperament, be persons of integrity, and persons who are able to strengthen inclusivity. The key requirements are not legal; legal advice should always be independent, in any case.

However, given the bizarre current arrangement of appointing GECOM Commissioners for life, the process outlined above should be accompanied by a request from both leaders to all the current members of the Commission to voluntarily resign.

The GHRA is under no illusion that those steeped in ethnic politics would have difficulty finding ample excuses to prolong the current arrangements.

However, should the two leaders fail to provide the national leadership required for electoral reform, they must accept the responsibility for the inevitably prolonged race downwards to a 2020 election that is embroiled in ethnic antagonism and fuelled by desperation to control the new El Dorado of oil and gas.

Sincerely, Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, june 11, 2017

5

News

State appointments

Govt not serious about national unity – commentators … say social cohesion talk “pure propaganda”

I

n light of Guyana’s state of affairs with respect to the appointment of former Guyana Defence Force officers and predominantly one ethnicity of Permanent Secretaries, social commentators are of the belief that the Administration is not serious or genuine about its national unity and social cohesion agenda.

This position was taken by former Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Sase Singh, who last week had highlighted that 16 of the 17 Permanent Secretaries within the public service are Afro-Guyanese.

Singh had accused the coalition Government of creating a “situation of ethnic bias”.

However, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who has responsibilities of the public service, refuted the situation was a deliberate one, saying that the economist was being “factious”.

Harmon had justified the situation, explaining that his Administration did not bring any one to take up the Permanent Secretary positions but merely promoted public servants that were already within the system.

“There is nobody that we brought into the system and put them as PSs. Many of them were PSs before in the previous Administration and we took them over… All we’ve done is move some of the PS from one Ministry to the next. So to say we have deliberately gone around looking for one race group to put them there, Mr Singh is being very factious,” the State Minister had said.

But in rebuttal, Singh pointed out that the

Economist Sase Singh

Minister is not making any sense with his explanation, questioning if whether public servants of other ethnicities were not qualified to be promoted.

“So there are no Indians or no Chinese or no Amerindians in the Public Service that are promotable?

Is that what he’s saying, that there is no Amerindians, no Chinese, no Portuguese that are promotable in the public service,” asked the economist.

According to the former AFC Executive, back on the 2015 campaign trail, the coalition had painted a picture of a new Guyana for young people; one with social cohesion and national unity.

“Now how will you promote social cohesion and national unity if you impose an executive leadership on the nation that is so stacked with people from one race.

What happened to the other people of the country? Don’t they deserve an opportunity to climb, don’t they deserve an opportunity to be able to

serve at the highest level?” he further questioned.

Singh went on to point out that President David Granger preaches about national unity and social cohesion at every occasion he gets but when one looks at the state of affairs in the country, the reality is that this Government seems to be doing everything that is against social cohesion and national unity.

“There’s a grave inconsistency in the Granger Administration at the highest level, between their words and their actions. And this needs to be addressed because the inconsistency is causing great harm to the moral fibre of the nation,” the economist said.

Moreover, Singh challenges Minister Harmon to prove that he is being “factious” and provide the correct information to support that majority of the Permanent Secretaries within the Public Sector are not Afro-Guyanese.

The coalition Government has come in for much criticism over its appointments to State posi-

Commentator Ramon Gaskin

tions – whether it is about racism or the apparent militarisation of the country.

This latter criticism comes in light of frequent appointments of ex-Army men to high Government posts.

Local commentator, Ramon Gaskin, has since cautioned that Government needs to be careful of this practice.

“It is also clear to me that this Government when they have a vacancy and when they looking for people, they always go to some retired Army officers to put in those

positions,” he posited.

Gaskin clarified that he is not saying that any retired Army officer should be denied a job in the public service, especially if he is young and qualified. But at the same time, he added, Government needs to be cautious of the message it is sending the public.

“They have to be very careful of this militarisation of the public service and while we have to make sure that trained and qualified military men should be allowed to continue to serve their country, it has to be done in a proper competitive manner. And they must advertise the positions just like the others and the army officers get the positions on their own merits,” the local commentator asserted.

Furthermore, Gaskin opined that the whole talk of social cohesion coming from Government is nothing but “pure propaganda, it’s all nonsense.” He noted that the coalition Administration has not done, and is not doing, anything to promote social cohesion.

To this end, Gaskin tout-

Social Cohesion Minister George Norton

ed that in order to get or improve social cohesion in Guyana, Government first has to determine the factors that are hindering this.

“We have to find out what it is first of all that’s preventing the communities from being cohesive… To get cohesion, you have to do an analysis of the non-cohesion and deal with those problems one at a time and that’s how you get cohesion, not by propaganda and talking nonsense,” he posited.

6

SunDAY, june 11, 2017

Page

Foundation

Mindfulness “The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”

– Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Anu Dev

F

or me, yesterday was just one of “those days”. You know that type of day -- when you’re all in your head, you’re just a tangled knot of anxiety, and it feels like nothing is going your way. It’s the type of day wherein you feel like maybe Zeus has gotten his toga in a twist and is taking it out on you personally.

Realizing that I really wasn’t managing to get anything productive done, I decided to take a moment and step away from the ever-growing mountain of things I needed to do. I made a cup of tea, cooked myself a nice meal, and took some time to just relax.

Normally, when I cook, I put on some TV show to look at while I’m in the kitchen; but yesterday I decided to instead try out something I read about ‘mindfulness’.

I’d been hearing a lot about mindfulness, and during

guyanatimesgy.com

my psychiatry rotation, I learnt about it being a useful way to deal with stress.

Mindfulness is simply a Western adaptation of the ancient Eastern practice of "stilling the mind", which is the goal of meditation.

It’s the psychological process of bringing one's attention to the internal experiences occurring in the present moment.

So I decided to give it a go.

As I was cooking, different thoughts started popping into my head -- most of them trivial and more than a little ridiculous. But then the more serious ones started to bubble to the surface; thoughts like, “Did I fail my last exam?” And instead of doing the usual of just stuffing the thought into a drawer in the back of my brain, I decided to deal with it head-on. I needed to acknowledge the thought and how it made me feel.

Of course the thought of failing an exam made me extremely anxious. But would I be able to fix anything about that test now?

No. All I could do is wait for results to come out. I needed to change my perspective -- instead of looking at that test with regret and guilt, I needed to look at it as a lesson for things I could do differently moving forward. By acknowledging that, I was able to feel less anxious.

And, for the rest of the afternoon, I just tried to be in the moment. Instead of being all caught up and swept away in my thoughts, I acknowledged thoughts and worries as they cropped up, dealt with them as best I could, and moved on. I finished cooking and enjoyed my meal. I lingered over my cup of tea, and really just tried to appreciate the little things.

When it was time for me to get back to work,

my head was clearer and I got much more done that I thought I would. I would say that the mindfulness experiment was a success.

I also figured out why the Japanese have such an elaborate "tea ceremony" and why Hindu Pujas can be so relaxing.

I think everyone experiences anxiety at some point. And many of us tend to get into our heads about it and, as the old folks would say, just “gotay” the problem -- make it revolve in a never-ending series of circles. It’s important to take a step back, examine our thoughts, and try to notice when our thoughts are derailing us. By acknowledging and being more selfaware about our anxieties, we can start to deal with that anxiety in a productive way, before it spirals out of control.

So maybe you should give mindfulness a try; you might find it helpful!

Guyana pursuing women, children health agenda

G

uyana is adopting a 15-year global blueprint on women, child and adolescent health, which aims at protecting their physical and mental well-being and open up economic and social opportunities.

The universal strategy with a 2030 wind-up focuses on nine core areas; that is country leadership, health systems resilience, community engagement, humanitarian and fragile settings, accountability for results, resource and rights, financing for health, individual potential, multisectoral action and research and innovation.

The covenant targeting women, children and adolescents was scrutinised at the recently-held United Nations (UN) Secretary General Global Strategy for Women’s Children’s and Adolescent’s Health 2016-2030, convened in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Director of the Maternal Child Health attached to the Public Health Ministry, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton; Senior Medex of the Ministry’s Regional Health Services (RHS) Department, Lolitta Rebeiro; and Specialist Family and Community Health of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Guyana Office, Dr Janice Woolford, comprised the team representing Guyana at the forum.

The consultation was organised by the Regional Coordinating Mechanism for the adaptation of the Global Women's, Strategy for Children's and Adolescents' Health to the Latin American and Caribbean context.

The strategy envisions a world in which every woman, child and adolescent in every setting enjoying the rights to physical and mental health and well-being, has social and economic opportunities, and is able to participate fully in shaping sustainable and prosperous societies.

The Bridgetown sub-regional consultation was aimed at building synergies for the implementation framework which wants to end preventable deaths while simultaneously achieving health and well-being of women for the target group.

The forum also eyed expanding the enabling environments for this grouping to thrive utilising three key objectives: survival by

Director of Maternal Child Health, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton

ending preventable deaths; thriving: via ensuring health and well-being; and transformation by expanding all enabling environments.

Hamilton explained that the Public Health Ministry will be looking at the broad aspect of survive, thrive and transform so that no woman, adolescent or child is at risk of preventable death.

She noted that the rightsbased approach is of vital importance to Guyana and adapting this principle to the context of the Caribbean is imperative in maintaining a healthy population.

“Guyana will be looking closely at the multisectorial approach to women, children and adolescent which is very important as well as the community base platform. The IDB funding that we have is going to support the beginning of the preview which will focus primarily on reproductive health,” Hamilton said.

Guyana continues to face the challenge of reducing its maternal mortality ratio, its neonatal mortality ratio as well as its fertility rate for the adolescent population.

These threaten the medical system and also have grave social implications which can translate to negative economic growth for the country.

A glance at the Public Health Ministry’s budget indicates that chronic NCDs continue to get the largest chunk of the annual budget because most unhealthy habits are developed during the adolescent years and focusing on it can help reverse poor choices by this group.

A UNICEF study on Guyanese women and children show that those of Indigenous origin continue to be most vulnerable.

news

7

sunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Shame on you!”

Diaspora protest AG’s visit in New York A

visit by Attorney General Basil Williams and other officials of the coalition Government to New York to attend a fundraiser quickly turned ugly, as members of Guyana’s Diaspora turned up in their numbers to pro-

bly upset protesters. When the protesters shouted for Williams to “go home” and to “stop wasting taxpayers’ money”; however, a chastened Williams retreated back to the lounge.

The Attorney General has been under a barrage of

Attorney General Basil Williams can be seen exchanging words with the protesters outside Zen Lounge, Richmond Hill, New York

test the AG’s presence.

The protest occurred on Saturday outside the Zen Lounge, a restaurant and night club in Richmond Hill, New York.

In footage seen by Guyana Times, which was posted on social media, Williams could be seen approaching and exchanging words with the visi-

criticisms from several corners, particularly after a High Court Judge, Justice Franklin Holder, walked off the bench without adjourning a case. This happened after an exchange of words with Williams, who was present in the courtroom as the State’s representative.

The Judge, in a report complaining to the

Judiciary, said he walked out of the courtroom without adjourning the matter because of Williams’ behaviour. He had also requested an apology, but Williams had on different occasions said there was no need for him to apologise and instead suggested that the Judge recuse himself.

The case had involved embattled Trade Unionist Carvil Duncan, who had moved to the courts to challenge the tribunal set up to determine if he should be removed from several constitutional posts in light of charges which were laid against him.

However, the High Court proceedings were left at a standstill because of the impasse between Holder and Williams.

Justice Holder subsequently did recuse himself from the case, but accusations of interference in the Judiciary surfaced since the Judge’s recusal came days after Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo also requested that he do so.

Justice Holder had subsequently insisted that he made this decision in the interest of the administration of justice. The Judge, giving reasons for his recusal, had

A section of the protest as members of Guyana’s Diaspora protested the AG’s presence

explained to the court that the matter became politicised, and accused Williams of “egregious and disrespectful” behaviour which was “not necessarily contemptuous”.

Overseas trips

The Government has been under increased scrutiny for its expenditure on overseas trips, after it was revealed that President David Granger used a chartered plane to fly to The

Bahamas on a State visit in March.

The President had arrived in The Bahamas on March 2, as part of a threeday State visit which has been dubbed an ‘economic mission’.

Transparency Institute Guyana Incorporated (TIGI) had called for Government to disclose the costs of the trip. TIGI head, Dr Trevor Tomas, had stressed that if questions are raised about the spending of tax pay-

er monies, the Government has a responsibility to respond to them.

TIGI has not been the only individuals calling for full disclosure. The parliamentary Opposition has also questioned the expenditure. And explanations from Government officials that the chartered plane was the most feasible option appear to not even scratch the surface, as the Opposition wanted specifics.

8 news

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Taxi driver beaten, car hijacked A

Kitty, Georgetown shop owner and taxi operator on Saturday recounted the horror of being beaten and robbed of his car by three armed attackers at Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara early last week.

Bridgenandand Persaud, of Dowding Street, Kitty, who operated at the Stabroek Market area for the past 15 years, is yet to locate his Silver-grey Toyota Premio with registration plates HC 7851. Persaud said he purchased the vehicle just six weeks ago.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Persaud recalled that at about 15:00h on Tuesday last, two men hired him at Stabroek Market and requested to be taken at Atlantic Ville, ECD. He related that he did not think anything was amiss but moments after he entered the Atlantic Ville area and before the men could pay, they each pulled guns and wrestled him.

“The one at de front pull up to de window and pull out a gun from a small gift

The reportedly stolen Silver-grey Toyota Premio

bag and placed it to my head but I didn’t want to come out de car. I hold on pun de steering and he pulled me out de vehicle. The others came around, pulled me and take away de key, they drive away with de car,” the man explained.

The taxi driver also said that he was beaten to his back and head. After the ordeal, Persaud lodged a complaint at the Sparendaam Police Station, giving Police a description of his attackers and the weapons that they used.

Based on information received, he had travelled to

Mahaica, ECD, thereafter to Berbice to track down his car and would have stopped at the Police stations along the way but the ranks were unaware of the carjacking.

His two-day search from Tuesday to Wednesday and a subsequent search on Friday all proved futile. Police however disclosed that the car drove West from the area towards Georgetown.

Persaud said some five years ago, he was almost robbed while plying his trade around Agricultural Road, Mon Repos, ECD, but he drew a weapon and managed to avoid that robbery. The

businessman stated that he is still shaken up by Tuesday’s carjacking, telling Guyana Times he believes the Police should have done more to assist him in retrieving his vehicle.

“Nobody anit come or call my phone or update me and I feel hurt because the Police never call and say to go somewhere and look around. No Police never advised me anything,” the father of four claimed.

He added that his family became worried after his ordeal and noted that it has put a strain on all of them.

Meanwhile, Commander of C Division (East Coast Demerara) Calvin Brutus told this publication on Saturday that investigations into the matter are continuing, confirming that Police are working with the description that Persaud provided.

“We are collaborating with the other divisions to recover the car,” Brutus explained.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the motor vehicle is asked to contact the nearest Police station.

Smart flies…

L …and May’s upcoming “Mayday!!”

ooks like politics in the “Mother of all Parliaments”, at Westminster, is going to be a tad more uncertain than we were tutored before Independence. And it’s all because Theresa May overplayed the hand she received after the Brexit vote.

For those who may still remember the nursery rhymes we were taught by the British, it’s the story of “The dog and the bone” all over again! You remember the story, don’t you, dear reader? Crossing a bridge on his way home with a bone in his mouth that he’d found, a hungry dog sees his shadow reflected in the water.

Thinking it’s another dog with a bone, the greedy mutt tries to grab it. But his own bone falls into the water lost forever! Theresa May came out of the 2015 elections with 331 seats -- 6 over the 325 majority in that 650seat Parliament; but after the ringing endorsement on the Brexit vote, she got greedy and wanted a bigger majority. So, three years ahead of schedule, she called a snap election -- and ignominiously lost 13 seats, leaving her with 318 - eight short of a majority!! Her main rival, Labour’s Jeremy Corbin, picked up 30 seats, but is still far short of a majority, with 262 seats.

This is analogous to the situation we had here in 2011, when none of the parties had an absolute majority, and a “hung parliament” resulted.

May’s announced she won’t be resigning; and, as a matter of fact, she’ll be asked to form the next government, since she holds the largest bloc of seats.

But she also doesn’t want a coalition with any of the several small parties, which could give her the majority; since she’ll be forced to give them Ministries and share her manifesto. So how will she form a government that needs a majority??

Well, the English Parliament has an arrangement known as “confidence and supply”, which could tide over a “minority government” without it being a coalition. Here, one or more of the smaller parties would agree to support the Tories’ main legislation, such as a budget and Queen’s speech which, if not supported by a majority, could fall on what becomes a “no-confidence” vote. But the smaller party wouldn’t formally take part in government.

May has made clear she’s going to try to strike a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (NDU), which has 10 seats.

Your Eyewitness predicts that May will soon be sending out a “Mayday!” call, since the NDU won’t roll over and play dead, like the AFC in Guyana.

Some parties have some shame. And b*lls.

…the Burnham “mould”

As Venezuela careens into the abyss, from which it’ll take decades to claw out of, Guyanese should reflect on the parallels between the Burnhamite regime and Chávez/Maduro’s – and, of course, their identical denouement. They both claimed they weren’t “communists,” but merely “leftists” who wanted to help the poor and the powerless. The small man would become the real man. And how would this be done??

Well, both countries were rich in resources; and while Guyana didn’t have oil to rake in the big bucks, Burnham nationalised the sugar industry at a point after prices had hit historic highs, just as Venezuela nationalised oil.

They both announced programmes that would “assist” the poor - by giving them handouts. But this has never worked anywhere, has it? Firstly, the “leftist” approach assumes a “commandantist” system, which excludes the Opposition. That approach is a recipe for corruption, as “insiders” determine to whom the largesse would be directed. The country becomes more divided, incentives to produce are destroyed, and all business deteriorates.

And we’re promised a return of “Burnhanism” here!

…and WI Cricket

How low can we fall? Your Eyewitness thought not lower that not qualifying for the Champion’s Trophy, but the loss to Afghanistan has shown that our abyss is much deeper.

Can’t someone rid us of this WICB albatross?

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

9 Govt living off of past investment initiatives – Jagdeo NEWS

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

… has done little to create new jobs, investments

T

he parliamentary Opposition is contending that after being in office for over two years, the coalition Government has done little to create new jobs as it inherited most of the major job creating investments currently in place.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo took a swing at the Government when he questioned what new jobs were being created by the Administration, not-

about the land policy in relation to the Marriott Hotel, there’s a structure there today that this Government enjoys.

And Teleperformance started under the PPP. And now the latest thing is Qualfon campus. That land was given by the PPP to Qualfon to construct that facility, as a result of which you got a US$5 million investment and a thousand Guyanese will be employed there. What have they done?”

President David Granger during a recent investment conference in London

ing that most major investments currently contributing to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating jobs were brought in under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

“Almost every single (investment they have,) they’ve inherited. This Government has done nothing new to create jobs since it took office.

After criticising us for selling out the land on the public road at Liliendaal, we see now a major construction activity going on there (MovieTowne),” Jagdeo said at a recent press conference.

“And after criticising us

Jagdeo pointed to the recent investment conferences in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom that have been attended by President David Granger, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and other senior officials.

“The President goes off on investment conferences, not a single investment. We’ve had investment conferences to Miami, Canada, London; (and) nothing materialises out of these frequent visits abroad. They’re living off of past investments and past flows, not creating new values or new jobs.” The Opposition

Leader added that two of the thriving gold fields along with the oil and gas sector investments were all negotiated under the PPP Administration.

“What have they done?

They’ve not done anything.

They have no plans for the future because when you ask them, they’re still working on plans for the future. This is their third year in office,” Jagdeo asked.

Investments

Despite Guyana’s abundance of natural resources and acres of arable farm lands, the dire state of foreign direct investments in Guyana is one that even Minister Gaskin has acknowledged.

During the recent Heads of Mission conference in Guyana, Gaskin had told the gathering that Guyana had no investment opportunities to offer for the time being. He had noted that while the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) is promoting Guyana’s image, GO-Invest faces challenges.

“Investors generally want to know what specific projects we have for them to invest in.

And we have none. And therefore we tend to lose the interest of the investor because there are other countries competing for those limited investment funds that have tangible investment projects to offer,” he said.

“So the truth is that right now we’re not speaking a language that investors are looking to hear. You may have noticed that for the most part investors are looking for some kind of partnership with the

Government. That is their preference because it gives them the confidence and security they are looking for. This is especially so for foreign investors including Diaspora investors,” the Minister had added.

Jobs

Last year, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) revealed in its annual report that unemployment in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 8.1 per cent in 2016. This,

ILO had said, represented the highest unemployment rate in a decade. And due to slow growth forecasts for 2017, the organisation had warned of a potential increase in the job less.

Since the rate was 1.5 per cent higher than the rate in 2015, they had adjudged that some five million people had joined the ranks of the unemployed.

There is no updated data at present on the rate of unemployment specific to Guyana.

However, the Government has plans to conduct a Labour Force Survey in the second quarter of 2017.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

10

sunDAY, june 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

News

Policeman injured in NA collision

P

olice Constable 23554 Tofan Reid of Lot 42 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam Berbice was reportedly driving motorcycle CJ1329 south along Main Street in New Amsterdam on Friday evening with his cousin Jerry

Hawker as his pillion rider when, at about 19:50h, hire car HC6430 drove out of the intersection at Main and Philadelphia Streets and collided with Reid and Hawker on the motorcycle.

The impact flung the two men several feet

GeCome or GeGone?

The damaged helmet following the collision

from the scene of the collision and caused Reid to sustain a fractured leg and abrasions to the upper body, while Hawker, of 45 Stanleytown, received head injuries. They were both rushed in an unconscious state to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where they were admitted as patients, while the driver of the car, a 31-year-old man from West Canje Berbice, was taken into custody and is assisting police with the investigation.

One eyewitness related that the car collided suddenly with the back of the

motorcycle, and it was fortunate that the men were both wearing helmets, while Reid related that he was returning home from an errand he had run for his mother when the accident occurred.

The 18-year-old police constable has been stationed at the Anna Regina Police Station for the past five months. He was in Berbice on a short vacation, and was expected to return to work the day after the accident. He had taken his 26-year-old cousin along for the ride when he left to run the errand for his mother.

Dear Diary, Dis is High-in-the-Field, and I tell you, dear diary, I enjoying dis questioning. I just came back from dis PacMan Committee who checkin’ out how we spend de money we get at GeCome.

Like dey forget I is an ole army officer and was trained to not break down under interrogation!

I also train in misdirection, since dat is a basic military manoeuvre.

Remember when de Auditor Marshall tell me to explain how come we buy $100M worth of radio equipment - but never used them? Well, how de arse I could use dem when none of dem ever wuk? Anyhow, I tell he dat I does report to de Pacman Committee, not to he.

And when de PacMan people ask me about de $100M radios, I tell dem de Auditor Marshall checking into dat!! And dey fell for it!!

Den dey ask me why I bruk up de 8 contracts for paper and ink all less dan $15M! Dear Diary, imagine they ask me why I didn’t send the whole $90M contract to Cabinet? They think Cabinet woulda done things different? They crack me up!!

I just did it like dat because in de army we learn that those officers above us must always have “deniability”!!

And deh had this nonsense about dat $6000 pliers. Schuups! Do dey think an ordinary pliers can open dose ballot boxes to slip fake SOPs into dem? We need de right tools for our job!!

But, Dear Diary, I am surprised de Opposition wasting all their time submitting lists for the GeCome Chair. Dat Chair already fixed!! And really, it just doesn’t matter.

Dey just appoint me to be in charge for another three years. Till 2020, Dear Diary. An’ I still got my special pliers!!

GeGone!!

news

11

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Collapsed monument

Govt used weaker variation to original design – former Minister

W

Downsizing the Sugar Industry: the economic and social impacts on the economy (Part III)

hile the Government has sought to blame the previous Administration for the collapse of the base of a monument it constructed, the previous Minister is not having it and has called them out for the deficiencies.

According to the for-

Anthony, the design used by the coalition Government was a much weaker variation of what the consultant, under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had designed.

“The then Ministry hired a consulting firm to design and come up with the en-

C

ontinuing from where I left off last week, let’s assume that all of the money is deposited in one bank; let’s call it “Bank A”. “Bank A” would lend $5 billion at an interest rate of, say, 12 per cent per annum. This results in $600M new money created. As this process continues, “Bank A” lends this money to “Company X”. “Company X” then deposits it into “Bank B.” “Bank B” then lends to another set of companies at 12 per cent interest; that’s another $600M. This cycle will go on for as many times as possible.

Assume it goes on to the other 4 banks through lending, and each bank, at an average rate of 12 percent, creates $3.6 billion in totality from a single deposit of $5 billion. The $5 billion would, in one year through the banking system, increase effectively to $8.6 billion.

Imagine then that, in actuality, this process could turn over 20 times; this would be equivalent to about $12 billion new money created in one year. Tying this demonstration -- of how the multiplier effect works, and its role in the economy relative to economic growth -- to real figures recorded for 2016, this is what I found, having extrapolated same from the 2016 Annual Report of the Bank of Guyana: total money supply in 2016 grew by $36.9 billion, while total credit grew by $198.8 billion as at the end of 2016.

It must be borne in mind that the $5 billion we assumed had been spent in the economy as consumer spending would also find its way into the banking system, and thereby contribute to the multiplier effect process as well.

The amount that is paid in the form of income tax, as mentioned earlier, goes back into the national treasury and contributes to Government spending. Payments to NIS (National Insurance Scheme) amounted to more than $1 billion dollars. It should be mentioned that NIS is a state-owned entity, and hence the profits that it declares belong to the state or the national treasury.

How does NIS make profits? NIS, the average person would know, collects pension funds which are paid by an individual who started working at the age of 16 and retires at 60 -- Fortyfour years later. NIS would then make monthly payments to that person as his or her pension. Effectively, the entity would have large surplus funds, which it would invest in various investment instruments (both locally and abroad) and developmental projects to make a profit. This is another method used by Government to generate revenue.

Sugar is one of this country’s largest export-earning commodities. 2016 export earnings from sugar amounted to US$73.4 million (BoG, Annual Report, 2016). So if we are to reduce the level of sugar production, thereby reducing export of sugar, the obvious consequence would be that the foreign currency inflow would be reduced drastically, and this will eventually deplete the country’s foreign reserves. The exchange rate would depreciate, as there would be a shortage of foreign currency (a subject I recently wrote extensively on). The value of the local currency would deteriorate. There would be hyperinflation (a similar situation exists in Venezuela). Further, with a depletion of foreign assets, or foreign currency, the country would not have the ability to import foreign goods. Think of all the commodities and consumable items which we currently enjoy; importation of such goods would be constrained.

Sadly, this is what the future of the country would be like, given the destructive policies being pursued in this respect and the direction policymakers are seemingly headed in regard to the touted actions they are seriously considering to pursue in respect to the future of GUYSUCO. They also seem unmoved, unbothered, uninterested, and unsympathetic towards the sugar industry and the country at large.

It is grossly misleading and incorrect to say that the Government injected $23 billion in GuySuCo in eighteen months and completely ignore the above-stated economic and financial reality in regard to the economy and how the economy works. The implication is that, by injecting this sum into the operation of GuySuCo, Government is ‘bleeding the country’. An injection of $23 billion in 18 months is almost equivalent to $15.3 billion, on average, in one year. Clearly, we have seen on a broader spectrum what it would cost the economy should we downscale the industry via closure of the estates (Next week I will expound on this some more). From next week, I will be focusing on the ‘State White Paper on the Future of the Sugar Industry’. I was perplexed when examining the paper. For a moment I thought I was a reading a high school student’s essay. It is far from what a real white paper should be in that, from the perspective of a critical analysis, there are many omissions and weaknesses contained therein.

The paper lacks rigour, robustness, and sound economic and financial credibility. It is, in my view, an unscholarly piece of work coming from the highest offices in the country’s bureaucratic and hierarchical political structure.

Former Culture, Sport Minister, Anthony

The base of the Indian Arrival Monument, at Palmyra Village, East Berbice, Corentyne. The site which was commissioned by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo crumbled recently. The base of the monument, which was expected to be ready for May 5, collapsed as workers were getting ready to add a three-tonne $35 million bronze structure on it

mer Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank

gineering specifications for the monument, which

Youth and Dr Frank

was done,” Dr Anthony explained. “So that preliminary design was done and when they did the engineering and preliminary design, they would have followed the necessary engineering protocols.” “And the technical people in the Ministry would have monitored for that. At that time when we did those preliminary drawings and estimates, they far exceeded what the Government even-

tually allocated.”

He noted that the initial sum was close to $125 million and the technical specification for the base of the monument was far different from what was eventually built.

Anthony queried what the Government may have cut back in, since the monument’s eventually cost was $97 million and the original contract cost estimate was in the vicinity of $125 million.

“If you compare the preliminary drawings from the PPP time and what eventually the Government was building, they look like two different things. Where did they cut back on? Did they compromise in the base, what did they do?”

In a bizarre twist, the coalition Government had cast blame for the collapse of the Indian Immigration monument at the feet of the previous governing PPP, affirming that the project had started under them. turn to page 12

12 news

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Flood waters receding in Mahdia

‌ as relief efforts continue in Chenapau, Ireng River communities

R

esidents in the community of Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) are recovering from an intense flash flood, which resulted in blocked roadways and several feet on inundation.

Acting Regional Executive Officer (REO), Gavin Gounga on Saturday explained that because the community is

in a mountainous area, the floodwaters would normally recede quickly. This is what transpired over the weekend, and such, the impact was not as devastating as what occurred in other sections in Region Eight where much farmland was affected following days of flooding.

He stated that most sec-

tions are dry and all roads are passable again. The Region Eight REO also disclosed that relief efforts in Chenapau and communities along the Ireng River are continuing as residents there are still rebuilding their lives after they had been under several feet of water.

On Friday last, Mahdia

One of the inundated homes at Mahdia last week

Region Eight REO Gavin Gounga

residents woke to find their roadways and parts of their yards completely under water after a night of heavy rainfall. The Mahdia Creek had overflowed and the water snaked its way through the community, completely covering the roadways.

However, no major damage was reported.

Gounga had said that such floods are expected whenever it rains heavily during the May-June rainy

Last month, several villages in Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight were washed away by severe flooding. Fortunately, no one lost their lives since water reached as high as 20 feet in some areas. The villages are still battling to rebuild and require immense support to bring their lives to some form of normalcy.

The CDC and other stakeholders are working to assist those communities.

season. Residents reported that the flooding was the worst they had seen in over 20 years. Over 400 homes were affected and road access to the airstrip was cut off but all is largely back to normal.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon at his weekly post-Cabinet press-briefing had told media personnel that the Government along with the CDC was monitoring the situation.

Govt used weaker variation ...

from page 11

That was according to a statement from the Department of Public Information. The project has since been handed over to the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

The project includes the construction of a base for a three-ton monument depicting six persons. The six-foot statue depicting six bronze figures of three men, two women and a child illustrates Indians in their ev-

eryday life.

When it collapsed, the Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) administration had blamed the secrecy in the way Government undertook the construction of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra, East Coast Berbice for the embarrassing collapse.

The construction of a base for the Indian Arrival Monument is one of the most recent projects for which the

Regional Administration had allegedly requested information but got nothing and Regional Councillor Zamal Hoosain has said the collapse of the monument base should provide enough evidence that Government should send information to the region.

The base of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra crumbled on April 26.

13 Russia Day celebrated in Guyana news

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

… Govt pledges to strengthen ties with Russia

The order line

T

he “order line” is the spot designated on every sugar estate for the cane-cutters to assemble daily before “daybreak” -- latest by 5 am -- to be transported to the location of their day’s labour.

During my childhood, cane-cutters would be carried in punts pulled by mules, like the stalks of sugar cane they would “cut and load”. Those stalks of cane are taken to the factory to be ground and squeezed and boiled and centrifuged to produce sugar and bagasse. To my eyes, the workers themselves were being ground into bagasse that would soon be fuel for the cremation fires.

My Nana and Nanie, who raised me, both worked in the fields of Uitvlugt, starting as children in the “Creole Gang” at the age of six.

This was the gang that Ravi Dev “seasoned” the workers into the discipline and punishment regime that was to structure their lives to the end of their days.

My Nanie would graduate into the Weeding Gang, from which she retired at the age of sixty, not long before I moved in with them. She received a pension of $2 per week for the fifty-four years she had worked.

My Nana’s career was a bit more chequered. He had graduated into cane cutting, where he earned the sobriquet “Steel Rod” for his indomitable will to “cut and load” his “three tons” of cane despite his slim physique. He left the industry for a while to launch a “saw-pit”, but returned to finish his working life as a shovel man and receive a pension of $5 weekly.

While most readers would probably pity my grandparents for their “poverty-stricken” lives; to the child they raised, they were anything but “stricken”. Most important to them was they “worked for their living” and did not have to ask anyone for anything. They were very proud of that: they had “garv and izzat” - pride and dignity. They insisted that I focus on an education, because their successful “saw-pit” had to be sold because both of them were illiterate in English. The demands for conversions into “BM’, writing of receipts and keeping of accounts were too much. He made a profit, but returned to the fields because not to work when you were healthy was not something he could conceive of.

I remember them frequently nowadays, when I think of the fate of the ten thousand sugar workers who will be thrown out of work with no provision made for them to find alternative employment. What will they do? What can they do? How will they be able to live lives of pride and dignity?

The Government blithely talks of “leasing land” to the fired workers to produce crops that will be identified by them (the Government).

If the Government had any idea of what they are talking about, shouldn’t they have started this project at Wales, which is already closed? Why have they started cultivating rice, for which there is no market?

I recently participated in a panel discussion wherein the question of the motive for the Government’s unilateral action was raised. I said we can never know what lies in the hearts of men when they act; we can only consider the impact of those actions. Accused once in the seventies by the PPP (during their “unity talks”) of racist discrimination against Indian Guyanese, Burnham said it was not “racial”, merely “political”.

In the present, with Indian Guyanese once again inordinately affected by a Government they see as “PNC”, we do not see them appreciating the fine distinction between the “racial” and the “political”. And this even though Wales has a large number of African Guyanese farmers and workers.

From what is already happening there, we can project an intensification of all the pathologies that are endemic in rural Guyanese communities - alcoholism, suicide, and domestic violence.

It will be particularly harder on the females, who always bore the burden of providing for the family in their darkest hour. I can see a return of the 80s, when Guyanese fled to every port to escape their poverty by “doing a hustle”.

I exhort the Government to follow the recommendations of their own CoI -- to gradually replace the “order line”, but not with the “bread line”. Leave the workers with their pride and dignity.

N

ational Day of Russian Federation was celebrated in Guyana on Friday.

Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Nikolay Smirnov, along with wife Tatiana Smirnov on Friday evening hosted a reception at the Russian Embassy, Kitty, Georgetown, to mark the day.

National Day of Russian Federation, more commonly known as “Russia Day”, is observed each year on June 12 and Russians use the occasion to demonstrate national pride.

Some celebrate Russia’s economic and social achievements and pay tribute to famous Russians on June 12.

On the occasion, Ambassador Smirnov highlighted progresses made in his homeland and reflected on the country’s history.

He also used the occasion to reiterate Russia’s commitment to broadening its relationship with Guyana and the Guyanese people.

Delivering remarks, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo noted that Russia and Guyana have enjoyed cordial relations for a number of years; this year to mark three years short of the Golden Jubilee of the long standing relationship.

According to the Prime Minister,

Russian Ambassador Nikolay Smirnov along with wife Tatiana Smirnov share a toast with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State Joseph Harmon

the relationship between the two countries is one that is built on respect, mutual trust and understanding, and has contributed to expanding programmes of cooperation. The Prime Minster recognised the contributions of Russia to Guyana’s development; saying “Russia has played an important role in Guyana’s development, though we recognise that much more could be achieved in areas of investment, trade and tourism. Russia has reached out to Guyana when we were in need of assis-

tance. Cooperation in other fields such as health, fisheries, culture, and visa-free travels have also brought our countries closer. Consequently, the Government and people of Guyana are very appreciative of the support and valuable contributions from the Government and people of the Russian Federation for a small, developing country such as ours.”

Among those who attended were members of the Opposition, the diplomatic corps and members of Government.

14 news

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Juvenile Justice Reform Bill

by October – Ramjattan … cost analysis currently being done by UNICEF

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he long awaited Juvenile Justice Bill is expected to be laid in the National Assembly in October, with the Public Security Ministry currently awaiting a cost analysis being done by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

This is according to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who gave this assurance during a recent interview with Guyana Times.

He said the Bill has been completed and had been reviewed by himself and a committee that included the parliamentary Opposition.

According to Ramjattan,

ational and training centres.

In addition, the analysis will likely give figures on how much training for those who process these juveniles will cost.

He noted that he, along with the Attorney General, the Social Protection and Public Health Ministers, were on the committee.

“After I get the costing, I can be better prepared to tell people when we pass it in Parliament, that these are the things that we have to do to get the Act implemented, whether its new centres that we have to create, recreational facilities and diversion measures to take young people away (from being

The recent fire at the Sophia Detention Centre reinforced the need for alternative holding methods

the cost analysis being done

by UNICEF will be complete

by July. This, Ramjattan said, would give the necessary information on expenditure needed to provide supporting mechanisms for the Bill in place, such as recre-

jailed).”

Ramjattan stressed that whenever bills are passed in the National Assembly, budgetary allocations are necessary in order to administer it. In this case, the Minister pointed out that the Juvenile

Justice Bill represents a major overhaul of the juvenile justice system.

Jagdeo and the PPP

O

NOC

The New Opportunity Corps (NOC) is one of Guyana’s better known juvenile correctional and rehabilitative institutions. While the juveniles in this institution would have been detained for various infractions, they are eventually trained in different skillsets.

Former UNICEF country representative, Marianne Flach, had expressed concern over the large number of juveniles (75 per cent) who were in the institution for wandering. UNICEF has consistently argued that preventing contact with the law is a crucial element of a juvenile justice policy.

According to UNICEF Guyana’s website, “investing in preventing children from coming into contact with the law, through the provision of adequate human, financial and institutional resources, and strong policies and partnerships at all levels for enforcement (including with parents, children, government, civil society and development partners) is essential to the protection of children’s rights.

The provision of quality social services, including Health and Family Life Education, and programmes which support protection,

Younge’s Take

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

health and adolescent development, will empower children and reduce their vulnerability when coming into contact with the law whether as perpetrators, victims or witnesses,” the website states.

Consultations

Last year, a number of consultations throughout Guyana had been held to familiarise members of the public with the Bill. These consultations also served the dual purpose of getting feedback from the public on what the Bill ought and ought not to contain.

It is expected that the Bill will seek to make sweeping changes to existing legislation, including removing status offences such as wandering. There were even proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years.

Some of the measures the Bill is expected to contain are an emphasis on alternatives to detaining delinquents.

More alternative sentencing has for some time been advocated by rights groups and international organisations.

In 2016, a Commission of Inquiry into a deadly prison fire had recommended strong programmes for alternative, community based sentencing be put in place. This was recommended because of rampant overcrowding in the prisons and the risks of first time offenders being corrupted by hardened criminals.

At present, an international expert is in Guyana to conduct a study on alternatives to pre-trial detention. The expert was hired through the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP).

The consultant’s tasks include conducting initial meetings with key stakeholders and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of Guyana’s approach to the provision of alternatives to incarceration, along with opportunities for reform and development.

It was only last week that juveniles in the Sophia’s Detention Centre set fire to a mattress. According to reports, three inmates tampered with a light switch at the facility and used the wires to ignite a fire on tissues which they then used to set the mattress ablaze.

The trio allegedly moved the burning mattress into the hallway so as to prevent access by any rescue party.

ver the past two and a half years, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has achieved a lot of success as far as rebranding itself is concerned. The party has also apparently changed the manner in which it conducts its internal business, with special emphasis and care being placed on modernizing its organizational structure to meet the changing demands of the country’s political culture.

Additionally, the party is also practising a new type of proactive politics, which is aimed at exposing the misgivings, incestuous corruption, injustices and wrongdoings of the current APNU/AFC Administration.

This perhaps is one of the most fundamental changes that the PPP has undergone Michael Younge since losing the elections. This change has resulted in the tone, style and substance of the party’s press conferences and media disclosures becoming more interesting and meaningful from the public’s standpoint. It has also caught the Government off-guard and has resulted in its high ranking officials facing enormous levels of embarrassment, public ridicule, and pressure whenever the PPP releases information about the APNU/AFC mishandling of the public’s business -- especially the economy, which is still on a steady path of decline.

Internally, the PPP has been swift in changing its guards in the 10 administrative regions. It has embarked on a subtle course of replacing those respectfully ‘old’ stalwarts, who have toiled with the party over decades and are no longer capable of keeping up with the taxing demands of the changing body politic within their constituencies. The party has been quietly (and with their consent) promoting younger talent and members who are more capable of handling the affairs of their region in a manner that would see the party’s agenda advanced. It has been extremely careful in its selection of allies in this respect, and has so far managed to remain objective.

Also, since losing the elections, the PPP has avoided major internal rifts. The party appears more united and in sync. Its leaders, despite internal differences and quarrels, have avoided berating each other in the press and exposing their anger over policy differences for all to see. This is a most pleasing development, as it points to the party’s return to the ideological beliefs of Cheddi Jagan, who never supported the airing of one’s dirty linen in the corridors of the public. Jagan strongly believed that while all members were free to disagree and choose any medium for airing their disagreement, they were duty bound to think first about the damage their actions could have on the image and stability of the party in both the short and long terms.

More youths are also flocking the PPP than in previous years, as the APNU/AFC continue their march towards a dictatorial regime. Young people, especially professionals who are feeling stifled or wronged by the policies of the new regime, are slowing seeing the PPP as the only viable option and last frontier against the coalition’s attempts to steal their hard-earned freedoms, limited incomes, and democratic rights.

The PPP’s appeal has increased two-fold among hinterland youths and those young people who sat on the fence during the last elections, and much of this has to do with the party’s silent activism among young people in the various communities that have been neglected by the APNU/AFC coalition since it grabbed power in 2015.

Business people and leaders from a wide cross-section of civil society groups are also engaging the PPP with a view to restoring ties, as the level of executive lawlessness grows in the APNU/AFC camp.

Much of these gains must be credited to Bharrat Jagdeo and the small circle of trusted politicians that he has working with him around the clock to ensure that the party regains enough electoral support to win the next elections. Jagdeo has also developed a new approach of inclusivity and political maturity. He is engaging all of the party’s strongmen, including former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Sam Hinds, with a view to ensuring buy-in whenever sensitive decisions have to be made.

As General Secretary and Opposition Leader, Jagdeo continues to wield enormous influence over his comrades at all levels of the party’s structure. It is as if he were President all over again; and surprisingly, many who had concerns about Ramotar have given in to Jagdeo’s ideology. They trust him because he not only has proven his competence in both posts, but he is also working extremely hard to rebuild a party that had become one of the most negatively viewed by its membership and the electorate at various points and time in its history.

Jagdeo appears to have accurately calculated his formula for achieving success at the 2020 polls, because already this is increasing infighting in the Government and its coalition. The APNU/AFC are now convinced that it is possible for Jagdeo to win the next elections by a landslide, and so they are in panic mode. They are involved in all sorts of political overtures and machinations aimed at rebuilding lost ground, but at the expense of focusing on the mandate given to them by the electorate.

Next week, I will focus on the shortcomings of the party over the past two and a half years, and offer some critical insight regarding the personalities within its leadership that must die a natural political death in order for the party to live well past 2020.

15

sunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

16 news

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Sophia murder suspect still at large

A

lmost one week after a brawl in B Field Sophia, Greater

Georgetown, left Roy Beckles dead, the prime suspect, Troy Tasho is still on the run. This

is according to Commander C Division (East Coast Demerara), Calvin Brutus

during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Saturday.

The Commander posited that thus far, the Police have not received any useful information that would lead to the arrest of the wanted man but at the same time, stated that the Police are continuing their search for the suspect.

He nevertheless urged members of the public to come forward if they are in possession with any information that would lead to his arrest. The wanted man is described as being of mixed race and his last known addresses were listed as B Field Reserve, Sophia, and Back Circle, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

On Monday last, Beckles

and Tasho were involved in a heated argument after the latter failed to pay the other money that was promised to him for completing a job.

Their argument reportedly escalated to the point where both men armed themselves with cutlasses and started to trade blows. Tasho reportedly dodged his blows and managed to disarm Beckles.

Though Beckles attempted to flee, the suspect caught up with him some distance away and allegedly stabbed him once to the right shoulder.

The suspect fled the scene while an injured Beckles was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving med-

Murder suspect, Troy Tasho

ical attention.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest Police station or dial 911.

Several arrested for Omai Landing murder

A

s Police in F Division (Interior locations) intensify their investigations into the murder of Carlos Wong, who was chopped to death at Omai Landing, Essequibo River on Friday, several persons were taken into custody.

According to Commander Rabindranauth Budhram, the Police acting on information received arrested several persons who are being questioned in connection with the murder.

However, he noted that the eyewitness failed to show up to confirm if those arrested were involved in the chop-

ping to death of the miner who hailed from Half Mile, Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Budhram further stated that the Police will make every attempt to locate the eyewitness so that an identification parade can be conducted.

Wong, 45, was chopped to death during an alleged misunderstanding with two men over a water pump.

The now dead man was reportedly chopped to his right hand by one of the suspects, who armed himself with a cutlass and chopped Wong during the argument.

After the chopping incident, the two men fled the scene, and it is believed that the man bled to death from the wound he received.

After the incident, Wong was picked up and taken to the Linden Hospital Complex, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Police are hunting for the two men.

Meanwhile, the Police in a release in May reported that a total of 35 murders were recorded up to the end of April 2017, compared to 53 during the same period in 2016. This means murders have seen a 34 per cent decrease.

News

17

SunDAY, june 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

International Day of

President Granger now absolute authority on Indigenous rights?

T

wenty-one Amerindians from Chenapau, the Amerindian village juxtaposing the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) in Region 8, were recently charged with illegal mining within the boundaries of the said protected area.

The Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry (MoIPA) remained mum, despite being fully cognizant of the fact that floods attaining up to 25ft had last month affected Chenapau and neighbouring communities, destroying farms and other means of daily subsistence. The Allicock administration maintained its usual passive stance, despite that among the 21 persons Anna Correia detained at Eve Leary figured a mother and her baby.

Reports accuse authorities of inadequacies in accommodation and dietary provisions, while the people complained of the insalubrious conditions in which they were detained. Yet, it was the responsibility of MoIPA to intervene on behalf of the detainees, who were in a situation of need and distress.

Released from police custody after their nationallybroadcasted humiliating ordeal, these Patamona natives are now forced before the Mahdia Court, after the Government had invoked several sections of the Protected Areas Act # 14 - 2011, as well as the famous Presidential Order which initiated the arrest.

However, Part VI of the said Act relates to the management of protected areas and provisions for the traditional rights of Amerindians with respect to land, and this implies their needs in terms of subsistence and livelihood. Part VI S. 73, for instance, states: “In order to protect traditional rights, the management authority for a national protected area may enter into an agreement with each Amerindian community and Amerindian village which has traditional rights in the national protected area, and the agreement may provide for [inter alia] (…)

- (b) Systems for monitoring and recording the exercise of traditional rights; (…)”

Interestingly, “traditional rights” here encompass all means of subsistence, including mining, which has been practised by the indigenous peoples of South America long before the Europeans even anchored.

While it is comprehensible that the Government would want to enforce the legislation protecting the KNP, one must ask what measures have to date been implemented to cushion the impact of restrictions imposed on Amerindians, who are now constrained in the use of their ancestral lands.

If the people’s livelihood is threatened by climatic conditions, are we expected to let them starve in the name of a law established in 2011? Are Amerindians expected to suffer the consequences of economic disparity deliberately imposed by the Government, while other prominent Guyanese, such as Minister Broomes, are allowed to mine on proposed-title Amerindian lands?

What are the measures put in place by the KNP management and the Protected Areas Commission to guarantee food security and the livelihood of their Amerindian inhabitants in exchange for the millions of dollars generated annually through Statecontrolled tourism and other activities?

What percentage of the KNP annual income is invested in the development of the neighbouring Chenapau village?

Are we insinuating that Amerindians are a threat to the environment, even though the indigenous peoples of South America were already guarding the continent in a pristine state long before the other peoples arrived?

And is President Granger the new and absolute authority on indigenous rights in Guyana? This question finds its legitimacy as much in this scenario as in the case of the Commission of Inquiry into African land reparation claims and indigenous land rights, recently forced upon Amerindians by Granger without their free, prior and informed consent. Why wasn’t a Presidential Order dispatched to Minister Broomes to interrupt her mining on Akawaio traditional lands, since she is part of the encumbrance to the village’s land titling process?

If the Coalition continues to ignore indigenous minority rights, what policies does it propose to ensure that Amerindians can keep up with the pace of national socioeconomic development?

Further, how do these policies guarantee Amerindians accessibility and inclusivity in the national decision-making process overlooking their social, economic and political rights?

If President Granger and his administration, in their neglect of internationally recognized indigenous rights, cannot compensate with durable policies which would guarantee the uplifting of Amerindians to the same socioeconomic level as other Guyanese citizens, then they are responsible for the marginalisation of our First Peoples. Since those who deliberately hinder Amerindian land titling, such as Minister Broomes, are not admonished in like manner, then the Government is guilty of bias in the exercise of its duties.

It is therefore our role as citizens to remind the President that a democracy, even in its developing state, cannot accommodate autocratic penchants and ethnic discrimination.

S

(HINDUS for SELFLESS SERVICE) E-mail: hssguyana@gmail.com

ummer is rapidly approaching and everyone wants to trim some fat off before they hit the lakes in beautiful Guyana or hope on that plane to another country. Our hectic lifestyle and workloads do not let us live in a healthy way. The craving for junk food and stress filled environment gives us an unhealthy body. The area around the waist and thighs is usually flabby.

The risk of diseases and ill health increases with the fat around these areas. A fitness routine and a good diet will help to reduce these risks. Since some people prefer not to sweat too much while exercising, yoga is the best option.

By adopting the methods of yoga one can reduce weight, control the body and soul. Along with these benefits, one can also experience mental peace. Losing weight and staying in shape will also build self-esteem and reduce the stress levels.

In today’s edition, we will be looking at two postures that will help us get in shape. Once you have been practicing our previous postures, then you should make very light work of these.

Navasana or Boat

Sit down on a mat, and stretch out thighs should be tight and your toes should the ground and bring your legs to a 45 degree avoid bending your knees. The spine should be Raise your arms to the shoulder level. This tummy fat. It will increase your lower and upper

your legs. Your knees should be pulled up, be pointed out. Now try to raise your feet of angle. Inhale while you raise your feet and straight and your body should make a V shape. pose will increase your stamina and also cut down body strength.

Ustrasana or Camel Pose

Sit on your feet with your knees and calves close together. You need to use some soft cloth under you to prevent pain. Now come onto your knees and place your hands on your hips. Stretching out the torso, look above. Hold your heels slowly, one hand after the other. Bend backward and stretch out the chest and tummy. You can feel the weight in your arms. This position is useful to melt the fat in almost all the areas of the body.

The instructions above will be able to help you in effectively stretching the muscles around the hips, waist, abdomen, legs and hands.

This will eliminate the fats and give you a healthier, lighter body. They help you to lose unhealthy fatty tissue in the body. Constipation, stress and nervous tension are reduced by these poses. Following these yoga poses for weight loss will help you get a sound mind and a sound body.

Keep practicing all the postures that we have brought to you so far. Why? Well, because on June, 25, 2017, we would like to see you participating in our International day of Yoga event hosted at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, from 4pm to 5pm.

All the yoga postures that we have introduced will be on demonstration and you, YES YOU, will be doing them on that day. So get those yoga mats out and keep working.

GNBS to establish building authority

T

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is looking to establish a building authority to reinforce the importance of standards and accreditation in the construction and building sector.

This was revealed on Friday during the World Accreditation Day (WAD) forum held at Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street, Georgetown for stakeholders in the local building and construction sector in observance of WAD. World Accreditation Day 2017 is being observed under the theme, “Delivering confidence in construction and the building environment”.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Local Economic Development Coordinator attached to the Communities Ministry, Roger Rogers, said the forum will help to highlight the importance of upholding the standards and accreditation in the development of the construc-

Local Economic Development Coordinator attached to the Communities Ministry, Roger Rogers

tion and building sector in Guyana.

Rogers noted that standards are the foundation used to market services and products available to consumers.

“The development of standards and the pursuit for accreditation plays a key role in the development of the coun-

try, though it is a widely understood that development cannot be achieved without any minimum standards that can lead our societies to advance and organise in a sustainable manner”, he explained.

Rogers pointed out that it is the Government’s responsibility to support valued-added regulatory environment to ensure that citizens receive value for their money, instead of mediocre services which will cause repeated remedial works to be done. He noted that acquiring environmental accreditation is one example of how Guyana can transition towards becoming a green state.

Upholding the standards in the construction and building sector is not only aimed at accomplished contracting companies but small business contractors as well, Rogers pointed out.

GNBS Executive Director Candelle Walcott-Botswick said through the initiative created by the International

Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC) to foster the importance of accreditation, it also helps to encourage regulators to continue to push for safety and standards in the construction environment.

Walcott-Bostwick noted that the construction and building environment industries provide critical employment opportunities in communications, design, engineering, infrastructure, and transportation while playing a crucial role in the realisation of safe homes, secure businesses, and reliable platforms for transit, commerce, and education.

Faulty construction, inexperienced contractors among other areas were highlighted as weak points in the construction and building environment which will need to be addressed in the push for building standards and accreditation, Walcott-Bostwick said.

18 news

SunDAY, june 11 , 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Region 3 CCI gets new management committee

T

he Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) is now under new management as a new committee was installed.

The new committee was elected at the CCI’s Annual General Meeting held at the Aracari Resort, West Bank Demerara.

Ramesh Rameshwar is the newly elected President of the chamber while Haleem Khan was is Vice President. The new General Secretary is DC Mayers while the Treasurer is Asgar Bacchus.

The new Region Three Chambers of Commerce and Industry management committee

Mohan Singh is now the new Organising Secretary with Praem Rambharak elected as the new Public Relations Officer.

Elected as other commit-

tee members are Khushial Dat, Richard Sukhdeo, Omar Ramlakhan, Deodat Persaud, Rebenaut Tularam and Shakir Ali. The new President

pledged his commitment to work along with the new committee to diligently carry out its mandate.

He noted that the new committee’s objective is to operate within the confines of the constitution of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

However, he used the opportunity presented to him to call on businesses for their support and coop-

eration as “collectively we can create and operate in a business environment conducive to expansion and growth.”

Rameshwar also stated that all businesses will be represented impartially and the new management committee stands committed to effectively address all issues affecting businesses in the region, while leaving no stone unturned.

Amelia’s Ward roads to get $92.4M in upgrades

R

oads in Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) are set to receive a $92.4 million upgrade under the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) rehabilitation and construction to roads at Phase 2 project.

On Thursday, engineers attached to the project conducted a site visit to pinpoint areas which will benefit.

Some 6.7 kilometres of existing road in the area will be upgraded to asphalted concrete surface and the construction of approximately 5.7 kilometres of new roads to be completed with laterite surface.

The upgrade to the roads will also include the construction of curb walls and soak ways to deal with the issue of drainage in the area. The entire project, which will see all roads in the area benefiting, has a five-month duration. Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland who was on site to uplift the Procurement of Works document, noted how pleased the administration was for the commencement

Civil Engineer and Project Engineer, Anthony Ragnauth handing over bidding documents Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland

of the project.

He added that the administration is also looking forward to the contractor commencing work immediately since he would like to see improvements before the Christmas season.

“Also we would be looking for quality work. We also have someone from the Council who will be coming to check to ensure that we’re getting quality work,”

Holland said.

Among those who were on the site visit were Civil Engineer and Project Engineer, Anthony Ragnauth, CH&PA’s Junior Whittington, Inspector of Works on the ground, Surveyor Xavier Alley and a contractor representative. The project was awarded to S Jagmohan and Son Hardware and General Supplies.

sunDAY, june 11, 2017

19

French Open 2017…

Jelena Ostapenko

Ostapenko mounts stunning comeback to seal title

F

rom 6-4 3-0 down, Jelena Ostapenko completed a remarkable turnaround to defeat Simona Halep and secure a memorable French Open triumph.

Jelena Ostapenko completed her fairytale French Open campaign in fitting fashion, staging a remarkable comeback to defeat Simona Halep 4-6 6-4 6-3 in a breathless final on Saturday.

The unseeded Latvian had never before been beyond the third round at a grand slam but she showed maturity beyond her 20 years to keep her cool in roasting conditions in Paris, even when facing three break points at 6-4 3-0 down.

Ostapenko roared back in that second set, winning six of the next seven games and maintained that momentum in the decider as Halep was consigned to her second Roland Garros final defeat in four years, following her loss to Maria Sharapova in 2014.

By contrast Ostapenko - a three-time runner-up on the WTA Tour - became the first player to win her maiden trophy at a grand slam since Gustavo Kuerten in Paris on the day Ostapenko was born in 1997.

The world number 47 had come from behind to win three times in her remarkable run to the final and she climbed the proverbial mountain again when it mattered most in front of Court Philippe Chatrier crowd that lapped up every second.

The match represented a stark contrast in styles, pitting Halep's stoic defence against the gung-ho approach of her raw opponent, who drew gasps of astonishment from the spectators with the ferocity of her groundstrokes en route to the most stunning of slam successes.

Ostapenko - who had never won a match at Roland Garros before 2017 - vowed in Friday's news conference that she would stick with the attacking approach that has served her so well and she proved good to her word in the first game, breaking to love in stunning fashion with a series of backhand winners.

Halep was unbowed, though, and hit back instantly as Ostapenko thrashed a forehand into the tramlines having already saved two break points, the Romanian holding to love to consolidate.

Some further fearsome hitting earned Ostapenko a second break for 3-2 but once again she failed to press

home her advantage as a litany of unforced errors saw Halep respond to love.

Halep's gutsy hold for 4-3 elicited the first signs of frustrations from Ostapenko, whose mood was not improved as a pair of wayward forehands three games later relinquished the first set.

Halep rescued three break points at the start of the second and things began to unravel for Ostapenko as she sent a forehand wide to fall further behind.

Ostapenko's unforced errors were starting to outweigh her winners but it was her turn to save three break points and get herself on the board in the next and the Chatrier crowd, enthralled by the entertainment before them, were delighted to see the Latvian get proceedings back on serve at 3-2.

A further courageous hold prompted another roar from the galleries, bettered only by the one that greeted Ostapenko's forehand volley to break for 4-3.

She again failed to consolidate but Halep, perhaps feeling the pressure, dropped serve to love and Ostapenko picked an ideal time to produce her first emphatic hold of the set, sealed with a fizzing forehand down the line.

Ostapenko went long to hand Halep the momentum and a 3-1 lead in the third but still the youngster refused to relent and redeemed herself with a forehand return winner right on the line to hit back immediately.

A huge slice of luck went Ostapenko's way at a crucial juncture in game seven as a backhand up the line thumped into the net cord and dropped on Halep's side to seal a break in the most fortuitous circumstances.

And victory was secured in fitting fashion, a rasping double-handed backhand winner down the line rendering Halep motionless while Ostapenko was left to soak up the adulation of the crowd following a stunning triumph. (Sportsmax)

Champions Trophy, Group A

Stokes ton closes the door on Australia E

ngland were far too good for Australia at Edgbaston, with defeat for Steve Smith's side ending their participation in the Champions Trophy.

Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan dazzled with the bat as England beat Australia by 40 runs on the DLS method at Edgbaston to dump their arch rivals out of the ICC Champions Trophy and send Bangladesh through to the last four.

Needing victory in their final pool game after two washouts, Steve Smith's men were comprehensively outplayed by the host nation, who had already qualified and will head into the semi-finals with a 100 per cent record.

Mark Wood and Adil Rashid were chiefly responsible for limiting Australia to 277-9, bowling superbly en route to respective figures of 4-33 and 4-41, before skipper Morgan and Stokes shared a thrilling stand of 159 to res-

cue their side from 35-3 in reply.

Morgan was needlessly run out for 87, but Stokes (102 from 109 balls) brought up his hundred just before rain arrived to force a premature close in the 41st over, with England 38 runs from their target with six wickets in hand and well ahead of the DLS par score.

When Josh Hazlewood followed Mitchell Starc's first-over dismissal of the under-pressure Jason Roy (4) by having Alex Hales (0) and Joe Root (15) caught behind the wicket, Australia would have had high hopes of claiming the two points they required.

However, following a brief shower that disrupted Australia's momentum, Morgan and Stokes counter-attacked superbly and it was not long before England were in command.

Morgan was the initial aggressor and hit five leg-side sixes in his 81-ball innings, while Stokes took a liking to

Pat Cummins in a typically powerful knock that featured 15 boundaries.

By the time Morgan was run out, having been guilty of ball-watching when Stokes almost spooned a catch to mid-off, an Australia defeat looked inevitable.

Jos Buttler (29 not out) was dropped by Glenn Maxwell at backward point to add to Australia's misery and Stokes moved to three figures one ball before the players were taken from the field.

Australia will rue their failure to make the most of a solid platform after they were inserted by Morgan.

Although David Warner fell for 21, caught behind off the outstanding Wood, Aaron Finch and Smith struck 68 and 56 respectively to leave a total of 300 plus looking likely.

However, a succession of soft dismissals hampered Australia, Finch skying Stokes to cover before Moises

on 71, did little to dispel the notion Australia were short of what they needed. Despite

England's poor start in reply, that proved to be the case.

(Sportsmax)

SCOREBOARD

Ben Stokes’s century sealed Australia’s elimination © Getty Images

Henriques (17) and Smith offered simple catches to midon and mid-off respectively off Rashid and Wood.

The score still read 2394 with eight overs remaining, but Wood and Rashid then combined to take five wickets for 15 and a late flurry of boundaries from Travis Head, who held firm amid the chaos to finish unbeaten

Australia innings (50 overs maximum) D Warner c †Buttler b Wood 21 A Finch c Morgan b Stokes 68 S Smith* c Plunkett b Wood 56 M Henriques c Plunkett b Rash id 17 T Head not out 71 G Maxwell c Roy b Wood 20 2 M Wade† c & b Rashid M Starc c Root b Rashid 0 P Cummins c & b Rashid4 0 A Zampa b Wood J Hazlewood not out 1 Extras (lb 8, w 8, nb 1)17 Total (9 wickets; 50 overs)277 Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Warner, 7.2 ov), 2-136 (Finch, 22.5 ov), 3-161 (Henriques, 27.4 ov), 4-181 (Smith, 32.1 ov), 5-239 (Maxwell, 42.3 ov), 6-245 (Wade, 43.3 ov), 7-245 (Starc, 43.6 ov), 8-253 (Cummins, 45.6 ov), 9-254 (Zampa, 46.4 ov) Bowling: Ball 9-1-61-0 (1w),

Wood 10-1-33-4, Plunkett 8-0-49-0 (1nb, 1w), Stokes 8-0-61-1 (4w), Rashid 10-141-4, M Ali 5-0-24-0 (2w)

England innings (target: 201 runs from 40.2 overs) J Roy lbw b Starc 4 A Hales c Finch b Hazlewood 0 J Root c †Wade b Hazlewood 15 E Morgan* run out (Zampa) 87 B Stokes not out 102 29 J Buttler† not out Extras (lb 2, w 1)3 Total (4 wickets; 40.2 overs) 240 Did not bat: MM Ali, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett, MA Wood, JT Ball Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Roy, 0.2 ov), 2-6 (Hales, 1.2 ov), 3-35 (Root, 5.4 ov), 4-194 (Morgan, 31.5 ov) Bowling: Starc 10-0-52-1, Hazlewood 9-0-50-2, Cummins 8-1-55-0, Head 2-0-9-0, Henriques 1-0-6-0, Zampa 8.20-52-0 (1w), Maxwell 2-0-14-0

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, june 11, 2017

Centrobasket U-17 Championships…

Trophy Stall Annual Independence Badminton…

Ramdhani outstanding on his Core of CBC U-16 Team to represent Guyana return to local competition N

arayan Ramdhani marked his return to local competition with a commanding victory over Nicholas Waldron on the opening night of the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA)/ Trophy Stall Annual Independence Badminton Tournament on Friday at the National Gymnasium.

Playing in the quarterfinals of the event, Ramdhani who recently returned from his first break of his scholarship in Canada defeated Waldron 21-12, 21-6 in a lopsided affair.

The young prodigy will now move into the semifinals of the tournament along with Ronald Chang Yuen, Marlon Chung and Jonathan Mangra.

Meanwhile, in the Ladies category, Priyanna Ramdhani and Greer Jackson will battle for top honours after easy wins in their semifinal matches.

The following are the results from the opening match of the tournament.

The Matches Played off were:

Part of the action on the opening night

Men Singles First Rounds: Ronald Chang Yuen defeated Medharishi Ramdhani: 21-12, 21-6, Marlon Chung defeated Akili Haynes: 25-23, 21-13, Gokarn Ramdhani defeated Tyrese Jeffrey: 21-15, 17-21, 21-14, Jonathan Mangra defeated Ravin Singh: 21-11, 21-5.

Men Singles Quarter-Finals: Narayan Ramdhani defeated Nicholas Waldron: 21-12, 21-6, Ronald Chang

Yuen defeated Darrell Carpenay: 2118, 21-16, Marlon Chung defeated Eton Hubbard: 21-11, 21-13, Jonathan Mangra defeated Gokarn Ramdhani: 21-9, 21-10. Ladies Singles QuarterFinals: Shivannie Persaud defeated Ayanna Watson: 21-16, 21-17.

Ladies Singles Semi-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Venessa Shelto: 21-5, 21-7, Greer Jackson defeated Shivannie Persaud: 21-5, 21-7.

National Schools’ Basketball Festival….

Adult Education stuns St Rose’s

– Bishops’ High girls continue dominance

I

Action between Adult Education and St Rose’s High School

n the National Schools Basketball Festival’s feature game of the night, the Adult Education Team came from behind in a spirited effort to upset the more experienced St Roses High School boys team 31 to 29 points at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Shamar Keiler scored a game high 8 points along

with 4 rebounds and 4 steals, while Terrence Ardain and Dominic Fields added 7 points each for Adult Education.

St Rose’s Anthony Yansen was his team’s top scorer with 12 points and 5 rebounds, while Mark July added 8 points.

The Bishops' High School Girls continued to

show why they are among the best women’s unit in the country, dismissing the hapless St. Roses High females 32 to 7.

National U-19 player Demelza Nicholas top scored with 14 points, Kesann Charles scored 8 and Ruth Sanmoogan 6 for the Bishop’s High team.

St Rose’s best performer was junior national player Ashley Khan, who scored 6 points.

The Bishops’ Under-19 boys followed suit by battling their way to a 4738 points’ victory over Tutorial High.

While Stefan Hamilton top scored with 9, Shamal Beaton’s 8 points and 13

rebounds proved decisive for Bishop’s.

Zion Gray scored 12 points and 5 rebounds, while Denzil Logan added 12 points for Tutorial.

President's College gained a walkover on St. Joseph’s High, who forfeited their game.

The final set of firstround matches will be played tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall beginning from 16:00hrs, with the girls of School of the Nations looking for a victory when they face the St Rose’s High School unit, while their male colleagues will look to upset the St Rose’s Males as well.

Action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall during trials for the Centrobasket Championships

By Michelangelo Jacobus

T

he core of the team that represented Guyana last year at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) U-16 Tournament will form part of the squad that is going to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic on July 25 for the Centrobasket Under-17 Championships.

The first day of the trials were conducted on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where Guyana Times Sport spoke exclusively to Head Coach Lugard Mohan.

“I have to be positive because I have to send over that message to the team, but CAC (Central American and Caribbean) basketball is no joke. These kids can play, they are at a high level. Most of them are going into division one college. This is an experience for them (Guyanese players) to represent their country and to get better. It is going to be a tough task, but we are stepping up to the challenge,” Coach Mohan revealed.

Two overseas-based players -- Captain of the U-16 team, Jordan Alphonso, and Kevon Wiggins who migrated after last year’s Championships -- are returning to the squad.

They both were outstanding at the CBC tournament, obtaining accolades for being the leading scorer and rebounder respectively.

Guyana qualified for the Centrobasket Championships when they finished second in the CBC, behind The Bahamas last year. Jamaica, who was third in the CBC tournament, also qualified for the championships.

Training sessions at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will continue with the reduced squad as follows: June 17 – 18, June 24 – 25, July 1 – 10, and July 14 – 24 (Encampment).

The Guyana U-17 team will depart for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Tuesday, July 25, and return to Guyana on Monday, July 31.

The Federation had initially shortlisted 21 players to participate in the trials. Those had included some outstanding U-15 players.

The following is a list of the players shortlisted: Yannick Tappin, Linden; Leon Benjamin, Linden; Shamar France, Berbice; Kelmar Carmichael, Berbice; Garfield Benjamin, Berbice; Andrew Johnson, Georgetown; Nigel Bowen, Georgetown; Roydon Glasgow, Georgetown; Akeem Crandon, Berbice; Jermaine King, Berbice; Kareem Boyle, Berbice; Jordan Alphonso, Berbice; US-based Kevon Wiggins, Berbice; US-based Jahleel Young, Georgetown; Zion Gray, Georgetown; Jeremy Campbell, Berbice; Denzil Ross, Georgetown; Kadeem Dover, Kwakwani; Isaiah Hintzen, Kwakwani; Jether Harris, Georgetown; and Anthony Yansin, Georgetown.

sports

CLASSIFIED ADS sunday, june 11, 2017 www.guyanatimesgy.com

ACCOMMODATIONS Conferences and retreats – full service: Hotel, Catering & Facilities.

Aracari Resort WBD – 264-2946 Alex Wayne Weddings and anniversaries: Rental or full service: Banquet Hall & Catering. Aracari Resort 264-2946 Alex Wayne Aracari Hotel, WBD (Near Harbour Bridge) – All modern amenities, rates from $25. Phone 264-2946-8

FOR SALE ONE SAMSUNG CAM CORDER WITH TRIPOD (NEW) FOR DETAILS PLEASE CALL 667-0887 One Greenheart 3-Bedroom Wooden Building only with all accessories, grill, sliding door etc. Bargain Rate.

Call: 227-4285

SALON / SPA COSMETOLOGY – FULL COURSE $100,000. TECHNICIAN $40,000.

Aracari Salon & Spa, WBD 264-3312, 600-3927

spirituality & ASTROLOGY Dutch spiritual healing in removing evil spirit, bad luck, evil sickness, spells, reuniting lovers and prosperity to business. Call: 6126417, 687-5653 Surinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 223-6834/600-7719.

Suriname’s Astrology, Palmist and Hindustani Spiritual Healer, solve all purpose problems, 100% confidential guaranteed.

Phone: 602-8997

taxi services GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 2257878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

TO LET

21

Xtreme Cleaners/GT Beer Gold Rush Futsal…

Sparta Boss, Back Circle progress to quarter-finals C

rowd favourites Sparta Boss and Back Circle had managed to progress to the quarter-finals of the inaugural Xtreme Cleaners/GT Beer Gold Rush Futsal Championship when round-robin play concluded on Thursday evening at the National Gymnasium.

Future Stars, Albouystown, Broad Street Bullies, Bent Street, Sophia and Tucville are also progressing to the knock-out rounds.

Sparta outclassed Sophia 3-0 by virtue of goals from Solomon Austin (4th), Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson (12th) and Dennis Edwards (14th minute).

Back Circle likewise hammered Tiger Bay 3-0 by virtue of Selwyn Williams scoring a double -- in the second and fourth minutes -- while Jermaine Beckles netted in the seventh minute.

The thriller of the night came when Tucville overcame a 4-1 deficit to draw 4-4 with Agricola.

Orson Francois bagged a brace in the third and fourth minutes for Agricola, while Domini Garnett and

Lloyd Matthews netted in the first and eighth minutes. For Tucville, Jermaine Junior recorded a double in the seventh and 15th minutes, while Jahaal Greaves and Raphael Edwards scored in the 12th and 17th minutes.

Bent Street edged Broad Street 3-2.

Keith Caines, Job Caesar and Daniel Wilson netted in the ninth, 11th and 16th minutes respectively. For the losers, Daniel Favourite and Rocky Gravesande scored in the fourth and 10th minutes each.

The quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Albouystown versus Broad Street at 20:00hrs; Sophia versus Bent Street from 20:30hrs; Back Circle battle Tucville at 21:00hrs; and in the final game of the night, Sparta Boss tackle Future Stars from 21:30hrs.

The semi-finals will be played on Thursday, June 15th, while the final is set for Saturday, June 17th.

The winning team will receive $500,000 and the Championship Trophy, while second, third and

Guyana to host Barbados & Cuba in CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Qualifiers

Part of the action between Sparta Boss and Sophia which the former won 3-0 to progress to the knock-out stage

fourth-placed finishers take home $200,000, 100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The Most Valuable Player will collect $50,000.

Other sponsors on board are Fas

Grafix, Jefford’s Distribution and Sales, Giftland Distribution Store, Windjammer International Cuisine & Hotel, and FARMSUP Mining Investments Inc.

GCB/Hand-in-Hand Insurance U-19 Three-Day Inter-County

Day 2 of second-round matches abandoned

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT 12x12 SQUARE FEET, WELL GRILLED WINDOWS AND DOORS, LIGHT, WATER, WASHROOM AND PARKING FACILITIES AVAILABLE. LOT 60 BRICKDAM TELE: 226-1836 Three storey 75ft x 30ft. building/bond, Open floors, 2 offices, 2 washrooms, driveways. 25B Princess Street, Charlestown. Tel: 223-0654/225-0605

VACANCIES Marketing firm seeking Content Writers. Excellent communication skills (great writers only please).

College diploma/degree/journalist.

Experience preferred. Virtual position - work from home via Skype, GoToMeeting, email, texting, etc.

Modern PC, good internet & power w/ UPC back-up and/or generator is mandatory. M-F 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST. Salary $100,000/ month.

Email resumes to careers@consultpr.net.

WANTED ONE HAIR DRESSER/COSMETOLOGIST AND NAIL TECHNICIAN, APPLY IN PERSON TO MODERN HAIR FASHIONS SALON; SHARON’S BUILDING, CHARLOTTE AND KING STREETS.

Classified Ads $5+VAT per word

Call:

223-7230 Ext 50

The situation at Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary was the same on Friday and Saturday

T

The group placement for the qualifiers

he qualifiers which will serve to decide the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, wherein three teams will qualify for the World Cup in Uruguay, will see Guyana host Barbados and Cuba in the CONCACAF Qualifiers from August 9 to 13, at a venue to be announced by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

At a recent interview, GFF President, Wayne Forde, explained: “The team will be one that all of Guyana will be proud of, and will represent the ongoing Women’s National Programme, the one set out by Technical Director Ian Greenwood”.

He added, “While the current team is ‘all local’, the GFF is open to representation from the diaspora, and persons are encouraged to reach out”.

The tournament will feature 18 countries in five groups, configured as follows: Group A: Trinidad and Tobago, US Virgin Islands, Grenada and Curacao; Group B: Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Anguilla, and The Bahamas; Group C: St. Lucia, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, and Aruba; Group D: Guyana, Barbados, and Cuba; and Group E: St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Jamaica.

The winners of each group would advance to the final round to join Haiti, where they are divided into two groups of three teams, with the top three teams qualifying for the final tournament as the CFU representatives.

The 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championships will be the 6th staging of this tournament -- the biennial international youth football championships organised by CONCACAF for the women’s Under-17 national teams of the North, Central American and Caribbean regions.

T

he entire second day of the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Hand-In-Hand Insurance Under-19 Inter-County Three-Day tournament was abandoned because the outfields became wet from overnight and early morning rains in the city.

The second day of the match was completely washed out, leaving today as the only day of play available, weather permitting.

The matches were scheduled to get underway at two venues at 10:00h, but both grounds were affected by the rain. At 12:15h and 12:30h, the day’s play in the respective matches was called off at the Police Sports Club Ground at Eve Leary and at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

The matches are expected to get underway today at 10:00h, with reigning champions and favourites Demerara taking on the Under-17s at Everest Cricket Club Ground, while Berbice and Essequibo are set to battle at Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

The teams are as follows: Essequibo: Mark Williams, Sachin Persaud, Kurt Lovell, Adrian Campbell, Mark Ramsammy, Joshua Jones, Quintin Sampson, Beesham Moses, Leslie Allen, Sheldon Charles, Mahindra Persaud, Chanderpaul Mohabir, Kellin Davis, Joel Fortune, Azeem Habib, Loaknauth Persaud (Manager) and Andy Ramnarine (Coach).

Berbice: Adrian Sukwah, Kevin Sinclair, Sasenarine Sukhoo, Veramootoo Senwasane, Javid Karim, Matthew Hardyal, Daniel Samaroo, Emmanuel Seecharran, Karan Arjpaul, Keith Simpson, Deon Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Raymond Vankenic, Steve Deonarine, Michael Newland (Manager) and Adrian Amsterdam (Coach).

Demerara: Bhaskar Yadram (Captain), Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (Vice Captain), Joshua Persaud, Raymond Perez, Navendra Persaud, Ramnarine Chature, Richie Looknauth, Keshram Seyhodan, Stephon Wilson, Sagar Hatharamani, Dwayne Dick, Kishna Singh, Garvin Bodwah, Dambuka Nqgando, Darshan Persaud, Mark Jeffers, Kennard Moonsammy, Mark Ramsammy, Himanauth Dindyal and Omar Hussine (Manager), Rayon King (Coach) and Dhanpaul (Assistant Coach).

Guyana Under-17s: Alex Alvin Algoo, Sachin Stefan Singh, Orlando Jailall, Junior Alvin Sinclair, Kevlon Alston Anderson, Kevin Imran Christian, Robin Williams, Lance Rusell Roberts, Alphius Malcolm Bookie, Rajendra Singh, Nigel Deodat, Ashmead Romanno Nedd, Pradesh Ballkishun, Kelvin Umrao, Mark Gary Rankin, Gevon Shemar Schultz, Reyaz Khan, Qumar Tychicus Torrington, Nazeer Mohamed (Manager) and Orin Bailey (Coach).

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, June 11, 2017

RAN South Zone Title…

– retain title with 24-17 victory

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana’s national rugby team, Green Machine, solidified their dominance over Trinidad and Tobago by retaining their Rugby Americas North (RAN) South Zone title via a clinical 24-17 victory on Saturday afternoon at the St. Stanislaus College ground on Carifesta Avenue.

The soggy conditions did not hamper any of the usual fluency showcased by the ruggers, as they displaced great tenacity and awareness to unravel the flaws of a timid Calypso Warriors.

The visitors took the early lead via a James Phillip try in the 9th minute, and Keron Alexander who had missed an early penalty had a chance to convert and increase the lead, but failed.

The experienced Richard Staglon then levelled the scores with a try in the 16thminute;

unfortunately, captain Ryan Gonsalves missed the conversion that came after.

The robust Avery Corbin then slinked another try in the 19th minute, and this was followed by a successful conversion by Gonsalves, to leave the score 12-5 at half-time.

The United States-based

Ahmed Isaacs, who had battling his way close to the goal line, eventually broke the shackles and nipped through a small space created, to increase the lead in the 59th minute. The captain had another chance to put Guyana further ahead, but he missed the conversion. With the match becoming more a one-sided fixture,

Sweet Joy! The Green Machine celebrate after their comprehensive victory on Saturday afternoon (Akeem Greene Photo)

Vallon Adams (No.8) continues to power through Trinidad (Akeem Greene Photo)

Alexander looked to resuscitate his team’s chances with a try in the 73rd minute, after Johnson Allen had converted to put the score 1712 and a rejuvenated Trinidad began pressuring the home side.

It set the stage for what has to be the highlight of the engrossing encounter, as the burly Corbin took the ball from half-field and burst through all in his way to score a sensational try in the 78th

minute, evoking vociferous cheers from the sizeable crowd in attendance. The skipper then nailed the conversion, and it was all but over for the Warriors. Trinidad’s Samuel Roberts scored a try in the 84th minute, but it was not enough to threaten the outcome of the match. The Green Machine will now travel to Mexico on July 1 for a rematch of the North versus South Championship.

MoE/NSC coaching workshop…

24 teachers in Region 6 equipped with cricket knowledge T

he latest of the Ministry of Education/National Sports Commission (NSC) Cricket Coaching workshop occurred in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) and was facilitated by Latchman Yadram.

A total of 24 teachers from schools within the East Berbice/Corentyne region participated in the three-day programme,

held at the Port Mourant Community Centre Ground.

Teachers were exposed to both theoretical and practical sessions, during which they were guided through the basics of batting, bowling, fielding, catching, wicket-keeping, sessions’ planning, running between the wickets, and ways of getting batsman out, among other im-

portance aspects of the game.

Yadram urged the teachers to coach, organize, and manage sessions in a disciplined manner.

Teachers welcomed the initiative and declared the course very informative.

Yadram thanks NSC Sport Organiser Godwyn Allicock for organising the workshop.

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, june 11, 2017

Windies battling to stay alive against Afghanistan

T

he shorter the duration of a game, the closer the difference between a higher and a lower-ranked team. The NBA playoffs series' are a race to four. Grand Slams in tennis are best of five sets. And Tests in cricket can last five days. The reason is that the better team is able to sustain itself over extended periods of pressure. Afghanistan's tour has already thrown up a paradoxical situation.

They may well have found some success in the T20s had they not looked like their first ride from the airport was to the ground. They were harried for pace while batting, and didn't have their own fast-bowling firepower. Although it wasn't entirely unsurprising that conditions were tough for batting in the first ODI - pitches in the West Indies have been primarily slow this decade - it played right into Afghanistan's hands. Rashid Khan, quickly rising in confidence and ability, spun his way past both edges to finish with the fourth-best bowling figures in ODIs. Afghanistan had found just the right pace.

West Indies, it seemed, had misread conditions in St Lucia. Playing four seamers in slow conditions disallowed them from gaining an advantage with spin. And when they batted, they found the difference. The absence of their best ODI batsmen showed as they continued to fail to pick Rashid.

Shai Hope, Jason Mohammed, Roston Chase and Jonathan Carter have played a combined 45 ODIs. In the series against Pakistan and in the

23

Albert Rose Memorial Road Race set for Linden today

Michael Anthony was the winner of the inaugural Albert Rose Memorial Road Race

West Indies will need a bigger contribution from Shai Hope

first ODI against Afghanistan, their inexperience was evident from their inability to hit gaps. On a slow pitch, they'll need to find ways to push the score along without just boundaries.

Rashid Khan earned himself an IPL contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad by flummoxing Associate batsmen.

Then he troubled the elite at the IPL. Subsequently, his confidence, a crucial factor in sport, supplemented his leg-spinning prowess. Now, he has taken a seven-for too. West Indies need to find a way to pick his variations or develop a method of playing him off the pitch.

The surface was the first ODI was symbolic of how pitches have turned in nature from pacy and bouncy to low and slow. Those characteristics are un-

likely to change much, and if the second match is played on the same surface, don't expect high scores. There isn't a high chance of rain today.

Match time is 14:30 hrs.

West Indies Squad: Jason Holder (c), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell Afghanistan Squad: Asghar Stanikzai (cpt) Noor Ali Zadran, Javid Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Rahmat Shah Zarmati, Nasir Jamal, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari, Gulbuddin Naib, Rashid Khan Arman, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapoor Zadran, Amira Hamza Hotak, Dawlat Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Farid Malik.

T

he Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club (LBFCC) and the Rose Family of Linden have teamed up to hold the second staging of the Albert Rose Memorial Road Race today.

The 50-mile event will commence from the GTT entrance at David Rose Street at 08:00hrs, proceed to Moblissa Hill on the Linden Soesdyke Highway, then return to finish at Bamia Hill.

While juveniles would receive only trophies, cash incentives will be at stake for the other categories of competitors.

Close to $200,000 in cash and other incentives, as well as trophies, will be at stake. The senior segment of the race also has at stake 10 prime prizes valued at $2000 each.

Albert Rose, one of Guyana’s leading cyclists in the 70s and 80s, died of a heart attack two years ago. To keep his memory alive, the LBFCC and the Rose Family have organised this event, which is in its second year. Michael Anthony was the winner of last year’s inaugural race, which had attracted only Linden riders.

This race will, from this year, be a national race in which cyclists across the veterans, seniors, juniors and women’s categories respectively will do battle for cash prizes and trophies.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

RAN South Zone Title…

run Calypso Warriors ragged Pg 22

– retain title with 24-17 victory Avery Corbin (with ball) about to blast his way to a sensational try on Saturday ( Akeem Greene photo)

Centrobasket U-17 Championships…

Pg 23

Core of CBC U-16 team to represent Guyana

Pg 20 Some of the nation’s top youth basketballlers attempted to give a good account of themselves to be selected for national duty

Windies battling to stay alive against Afghanistan Leg-spinner Rashid Khan took 7-18 rip West Indies to shreds in the first ODI

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

June 11, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

Rihanna responds to body-shaming article See story on page 12

FREE DISTRIBUTION

Emblazoned with messages of unity, US-based Guyanese artist Derek Browne aims to bring together people via his art

L Page 7

Page 16

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Feature

I

t is said that the Guianas are considered the first to plant coffee on the continent of South America, with the Dutch introducing it on their Dutch Guiana territories before the French and later British. According to some accounts, the Guianas were the first territories in the New World to cultivate and export coffee.

George Hanneman Bennett in his book, “An Illustrated History of British Guiana” wrote that coffee was cultivated on the colony since 1721 after it was introduced from what is now Surinam. Inland and coastland plantations were laid out by the Dutch, where it was often cultivated alongside sugar, indigo and cocoa.

By the time of Bennett’s 1866 book, explorers were regularly discovering long abandoned Dutch coffee plantations in such places like “Ooropocary, some 120 miles up the Essequibo River”.

Eventually, for a period, both coffee and sugar plantations would dot the colony’s coastland before sugar became the main export,

and coffee estates were sold, abandoned or converted to sugar plantations.

William H. Ukers writes in “All about Coffee” (1922) that the plants were brought

tivation continued to increase. Exports amounted to 10,845,000 pounds in 1803; and to more than 22,000,000 pounds in 1810, he notes.

Then there was a decline,

In 1849 British Guiana exported only 109,600 pounds.

In 1842, the London Gazette recorded that the coffee plantations Java and Recht-door-Zee, Uitkourst,

1922 coffee map of the world. Inset shows areas of coffee cultivation along the Guianas coasts at the time

first into Dutch Guiana, but there was no planting in what was at the time British

By Ramona Luthi

I

Guiana (then a Dutch colony) until 1752.

Twenty-six years later, 6,041,000 pounds were sent to Amsterdam from the two ports of Demerara

n an effort to improve daily shopping experiences and promote local businesses, Guyanese inventor Larry Morgan is set to launch his debut app, MatrixShopping.

and Berbice, and after the colony fell into the hands of the English in 1796, cul-

The 36-year-old Berbice resident’s aim is to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to promote their businesses and for buyers to shop hassle-free.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Morgan mentioned that via his app, which can be accessed worldwide,

and the production in 1828 was 8,893,500 pounds and 3,308,000 pounds in 1836.

and Bourdeaux in Canal, No. 1 were up sale, while in 1844, Two Brothers and an

he hopes to “transform how Guyana does business, as we need to catch up when it comes to technology”.

Morgan pointed out that while the app has not yet been officially launched and is currently in a testing phase, it is being used by many.

“The app is on the Google Play Store and people are using it. We have received positive feedback. We plan on rolling out more exciting features of the app before the end of the year,” he stated.

When the MatrixShopping app is officially launched, main features such as niche markets and a forum connecting entrepreneurs and customers countrywide will be available. Additionally, Morgan plans to establish an online transportation service and develop a social media platform.

“Normally people upload items in Facebook groups and try to sell them that way. But with our ‘formula’, you will be able to reach a bigger audience, therefore giving you a better chance of selling your items or services,” Morgan explained.

Morgan described the app as a “space

estate called Mes Delices on the West Bank of Demerara were two other coffee plantations for sale.

Writing in 1922, Ukers notes that for a long period there was little production, and practically no exportation. Exports in 1907, for instance, amounted to only 160 pounds.

With the next year, however, a revival of exportation began, and continued to increase. In 1908, exports were 88,700 pounds, and by 1912 had increased to 144,845 pounds.

Despite a decline in 1913, exports reached 238,767 pounds in 1914; in 1916, 501,183 pounds and in 1917 reached 267,344 pounds.

But coffee export never again reached the volume of the early-mid 19th century, and eventually ceased altogether.

Even at the time Bennett writes of the colony’s coffee plantations, he noted that there were few estates remaining, and coffee cultivation halted by “hostile tariffs”, while labour was too expensive to be profitable.

MatrixShopping app creator, Larry Morgan

for buyers and sellers to communicate quickly, as well as allow them to speak directly to the creator of the platform to make recommendations, if need be”.

Interestingly, being in the tech field was not Morgan’s initial career plan.

However, his ambition to be successful led him on such a path. Now, his mission is to not only to be successful, but to do his part in the development of his country.

“This free app not only helps businesses to grow, but also the country in general. It also simplifies lives in that it offers customers a convenient and safe place to shop,” Morgan pointed out.

The Matrix Shopping app is now available for download on the Google Play Store.

A screenshot of the Matrixshopping app

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

W

Michael Yearwood at Ogle

Yearwood at pilot training in Trinidad

hile Guyana is noted for its brain drain, 23-year-old Michael Yearwood is one of the few young people who is enthusiastic about returning to live and work in his homeland.

Pursuing his commercial pilot license in Trinidad, Yearwood, who is also an award-winning University of the West Indies (UWI) graduate, is already looking for opportunities in Guyana.

“I love Guyana and I have always planned on coming back someday,” Yearwood stated in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, emphasizing his desire to significantly contribute to his homeland, instead of pursuing opportunities abroad.

Yearwood resides in Freeport, Trinidad, but was born in Georgetown.

His parents divorced when Yearwood was just threeyears-old. His mother later remarried, and the family subsequently migrated to Canada when Yearwood was eight. After living there for about seven years, the family returned to the Caribbean, but settled in

Trinidad, where Yearwood advanced his education.

Some of his fondest memories of Guyana were spent on a Pomeroon farm owned by his grandparents, Jumrattan and the late John Dennis Gildharie of Jacklow. And when his 82-year-old grandmother was at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, to welcome him on his inaugural flight to Guyana in May 2017.

The pilot usually flies throughout Trinidad, to Tobago and Grenada, and while training in the United States earlier last year, he flew to several states.

The young man holds a Private Pilot License (PPL) with Instrument Rating Add on from the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA-TT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAAUSA).

He secured the TTCA license while training parttime at the BRIKO Flight School in Trinidad during his final year studying at UWI. He later secured the FAA license at the American Flyers Flight School in Ft. Lauderdale.

He is now in the final stages of commercial pilot training at the Aerial World Services Limited in Trinidad.

UWI Awardee

Last year, Yearwood graduated from UWI with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Major) with Biology (Minor) and Analytical Chemistry (Minor). He was awarded the Cheryl Bowles Prize for the Best Final Year Student Project in Analytical Chemistry. His research was based on the cancer-causing parabens in hand sanitizers.

Previously, he completed a two-year CAPE Diploma.

“My plan includes obtaining a job as soon as I am qualified, and to pursue higher ratings on as many different types of aircraft as possible. I dream of one day being the Captain of an Airbus A380 which is the largest Commercial aircraft carrier,” Yearwood said.

The talented young man was inspired to become a pilot while in his final year at UWI, when his mother related a conversation she had with a T&T Air Guard.

“I enrolled at BRIKO

With his grandmother, Jumrattan Gildharie, at Ogle Airport

Flight School under one condition: I had to maintain good grades and finish my BSc. at UWI or my parents threatened to stop paying for flight school,” Yearwood recalled.

‘Be positive’

When not flying, Yearwood enjoys playing guitar and keyboard. He also continues to volunteer, which he has been doing since high school.

“I was taught to be humble, kind and generous.

Giving monetarily and volunteering my time to helping others is a part of me.

I especially love teaching and sharing knowledge,” Yearwood noted.

He has on several occasions participated in charitable events benefiting children and young people.

“My mom is my biggest role model. She is the epitome of positivity. From growing up on a farm in the Pomeroon River to becoming the woman she is today, mom taught me that

you can achieve anything in life by working hard, being humble and positive,” Yearwood expressed.

His advice for other young people: “Let your parents guide you. They have maturity, experience and wisdom. Also, read, any and everything. Young people need to know that we all have the ability to achieve anything we set our minds to. But, be prepared to do the necessary work, and be patient. Most importantly, put God first.”

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Feature

Alex Arjoon is a patriot on a mission to showcase the beauty of Guyana and promote a ‘green’ economy

F

Alex capturing the beauty of Guyana's interior

ounded in March 2017, Reel Guyana, founded by Alex Arjoon, core business is primarily the acquisition of high quality raw video footage of the natural environment and rich culture throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. This footage will be available to

the national, regional and international markets.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the 24-year-old talks about what he hopes to accomplish via his company.

Sunday Magazine (SM): What prompted you to start Reel Guyana?

Alex Arjoon (AA):

Throughout my childhood, my mom always made sure we were aware of the environment and the consequences our actions have on the environment. This was a frequent life lesson that many Guyanese are just not exposed to. Today, with the implication of the Green State Development Strategy, there are lots of factors that focus on environmental protection. However, Guyanese don't quite understand these implications or why it's such an important feature.

Reel Guyana allows them to be exposed to parts of our beautiful landscapes, which not many people have traversed, and shows them what we have and why it should be protected as we continue to develop as a nation.

SM: What do you hope to accomplish via Reel Guyana?

AA: I hope to use the company as a platform to

Deep in Guyana's jungle

voice positive messages to the public; use it to shine a light on the beautiful parts of our culture, which many have taken for granted; and to use it as a means to help solidify the Guyanese identity, which I believe has not yet been fully understood or defined.

SM: How do you overcome challenges?

AA: Every day I face challenges in life, most not being work related. I think in dealing with any type of adversity in life it's important to understand what's important to you. For me, it's my family. At the end of the day, the world could be falling apart and things can seem helpless, but knowing my family is behind me let's me know that things are going to be okay.

SM: What’s Reel Guyana’s contribution to the Green State Development Strategy?

AA: I think it definitely touches on many key concepts the Green State Development Strategy has.

Obviously, environment is Exploring Guyana's savannahs

a big one, but we also have done work with education for sustainable development, so that ties in as well.

The company is proud to have been of service to the Ministry of Education with the development of an Education for Sustainable Development series, as its long term goal is to establish itself as a major production house that can effect real change, starting with youths.

SM: What’s your advice for youths who may want to pursue a similar path?

AA: I guess this profession is one where you have to constantly be thinking of concepts with meaningful messages. Sometimes that doesn't always goes as planned, but it's really important to collaborate. I believe most people have something to offer, and something that can push me and make me better.

You can have all the talent or ability in the world, but without the hunger to keep improving, you've automatically set a limit on your po-

tential. I think collaboration and sharing of ideas can essentially be in a number of other aspects, not just video production.

SM: What are your future plans for Reel Guyana?

AA: I just want to be able to make a living doing what I love and knowing that I’m contributing to my country.

Nothing surpasses my love for Guyana and Guyanese people, even though things can become difficult here.

But more than anything, I want to be an example for people like me who are just trying to find their way in the world. I want to let them know that it's okay to think outside the box and do or be something that doesn't conform to what's traditionally expected. We are such an amazing group of people and need to love ourselves a little more.

Reel Guyana had its launch at the Timehri Environmental Film Festival and would like to thank Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund and Iwokrama for their support.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

Times Women

Alisha “Sasha Melody” Hamid

A

lisha Hamid, popularly known by her stage name ‘Sasha Melody’, is an international recording artiste who hails from a musical background. Her passion for music began since she was just three years old.

Alisha is the first in her family to be born in the U.S. She credits her parents, natives from Guyana, as her influence for pursuing music at an early age. Her father, who liked to DJ in his spare time, would play soca music from renowned artistes such as Byron Lee, Arrow and Sparrow, which is how she discovered her love for soca music.

“I come from a musical family. My grandfather is a pastor in Brooklyn, NY. At the age of three, I began singing on the church stage where my grandmother would play the organ and sing backup vocals for me, and my uncles would play the guitar - forming a family band,” the 31-yearold recalled in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

In school, Alisha sang in the Monarch High School Concert Choir and began acting and vocal training at the Academy of Performing Arts School in Denver, Colorado at The Academy of Art. In 2000 Alisha competed in the World Championships of Performing Arts where she was awarded three gold medals - one each for singing, acting and spokes modelling. These achievements landed her a role on the first nationally syndicated show in television history – Soul Train, hosted by Hollywood actor Shemar Moore. For three years Alisha remained on the show, which was filmed at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA. At the age of 17, Alisha graduated from high school as a junior and was accepted in Five Towns College, New York. While in school, Alisha was an intern at Universal Music Group, Atlantic Records, and VP Records. Before her 21st birthday, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management (Music Business).

In 2006, Alisha recorded “Whinin School”, “Fyah” and “Music”, which were all produced by Jason Lee (former band member of Atlantik), also the person who gave her the name ‘Sasha Melody’.

By 2008, the singer had performed in various cities in California, Louisiana, Florida and New York. Additionally, she appeared as a dancer in the music video for T.C., featuring Capelton called ‘Bounce’.

In 2013, Sasha Melody recorded “Land of Soca” in Trinidad, which was released for the 2014 carnival season.

The award-winning artiste’s multiple hits include “Ah want ah whina”, “Get on

With Shemar Moore on the hit show, Soul Train

Performing in Trinidad

Bad”, “Fiya”, and “Whinin Away”, featuring soca artiste Ronnie Homer.

Outlining her future plans, Alisha said she aims to “put out more music; shoot a music video; and expand the Sasha Melody brand in other countries”.

Though not born in Guyana, the talented artiste proudly identifies herself as a

“Guyanese”. Notably, Alisha cherishes her Guyanese parents and heritage, which laid the foundation for her successful music career.

For more information on the artiste, visit Sasha Melody (Official Fan Page) on Facebook; @sashamelody1 on Twitter; and Sashamelody1 on Instagram.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Book World

By Petamber Persaud

Promoting Our National Patrimony

T

he book has some inherent and generic functions. However, additional roles are sometimes thrust upon it, expanding its ambit and increasing its benefits.

Increasingly, the book is being used to mark certain occasions like significant anniversaries and milestones, both public and private.

At a recent ceremony to mark the 51st Independence Anniversary of Guyana, three publications were (officially) released, namely: “National Bibliography of Guyana 1966-2016”, “50 Nations Builders” and “50 Creative Icons of Guyana”.

These books were produced to mark Guyana’s Golden Jubilee of Independence in 2016. The last two books, in which I was directly involved, were attempts to inspire and encourage further research in order to acknowledge the contribution of our creative icons and nation builders to the development of Guyana.

Each book has its basic objective (s). For instance, according to Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry, “50 Nation Builders of Guyana” is “to pay homage to a number of outstanding stalwarts”, to ensure that we do not forget or do not show a lack of appreciation for the “rich legacy our progenitors have left for us to enjoy”, and it is hoped that “this book will awaken in all of us a sense of commitment as to what we can do to build on the legacy left by our ancestors”.

The scope and limitation of the book were outlined by its editor, Alim Hosein, in his introduction.

Mr Hosein says the book gives “a concise account that will provide some idea about the efforts and achievements of these nation builders”. He acknowledges the book’s limitations by stating “to make any list of nation builders is to invite controversy, especially when the list contains

only fifty of them”, and that there are many other “lessvisible nation builders” and unsung heroes.

The sister book, “50 Creative Icons”, is to elicit national pride by showcasing our creative men and women and “their invaluable, if often unacknowledged contribution to Guyana’s development”.

Minister Henry, states that the creative icons are not only regarded for their “beautiful works of art or exciting entertainment, but because they take us to different levels of thinking, stimulating reflection and change”.

The book’s editor, Mr Hosein, puts the contribution of creative icons in proper perspective: “Many persons regard songs, dances, novels, poems, plays and the like as mere entertainment… but not worth much more than this… However, the Arts and our creative people do make a major contribution to nationbuilding, and they are as

important as public figures, business people and other such persons… Indeed, it can be argued that our artists preceded our politicians, businessmen and others in the creation of the Guyanese nation.”

The editor also acknowledges the shortcoming of such a publication, saying this book “is not intended to be a definitive compendium of creative Guyana” and therefore a list was appended to encourage the seeking out of others to be accorded some sort of recognition.

The “National Bibliography of Guyana” was a very ambitious and commendable production despite a few lapses.

The foreword, written

by Ms Debra Lowe, gives a background to the compilation and eventual completion and publication of the current ‘National Bibliography’. Ms Lowe writes that the compilation of this National Bibliography “has a long

history which began on the 9th October 1945 when His Excellency the Governor, Sir Gordon Lethem K. C. M. G. appointed a Committee for the purpose of ‘compiling and publishing a Bibliography of British Guiana’”.

Almost five decades later, Dr James Rose enters the picture during his tenure as Chairman of the National Library and ViceChancellor of the University of Guyana making overtures to the National Trust and the Department of Culture to complete the Bibliography. Eventually, the project gained impetus as part of plans for the celebration of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee of Independence when “the idea… was presented to the National Commemoration commission as a marquee Jubilee Project and it was readily embraced”. Subsequently, in 2015 a new committee was formed, leading to the document that is now in the public’s domain.

The foreword also explains why the Library of Congress Classification was chosen in preference to the exiting Dewey Decimal Classification.

A National Bibliography is important for many reasons, but primarily, in this instance, showcases government’s policy, and public and private interest towards our literary output.

Included on the printed programme of this event was a fourth book, “Guyana at 50”, edited by Arif Ali. It is touted as “the premium 50th commemorative publication that captures the essence of all things Guyanese” (more on this in a subsequent article).

All of the above books are important to our national patrimony in preserving, promoting and disseminating the country’s unique heritage.

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

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

T

ime changes everything, and some things are forgotten, some remembered, and new memories made.

This week, Times Heritage looks back at

Guyanese historical architecture, decayed by neglect, dismantled to make way for modern development, or tragically destroyed and now lost to the passage of time.

Sacred Heart Church in 2004 before it was completely destroyed by fire.

In 2015, a rebuilt Sacred Heart Church was officially opened to the public

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, once located on Brickdam, foundation stone was laid April 21, 1868 by Governor Hincks. It was consecrated August 25, 1878. The remarkable feat of timber craftsmanship was designed by celebrated architect, Cesar Castellani. On March 7, 1913 it was destroyed by fire. The Brickdam Cathedral a stone edifice, replaced the structure.

Park Hotel, circa 1900s

Park Hotel

Sacred Heart Church

In 1860, the construction of the Sacred Heart Church commenced to accommodate the vast numbers of Roman Catholics in British Guiana. Once designed in a rectangular shape, the original building measured 30.5m x 9.1m. An eastern façade, which became the main façade, was designed by architect Cesar Castellani and erected in 1872. This church, once situated on Main Street, Georgetown, was destroyed by fire in 2004.

The Park Hotel was built during the 1900s and was owned by the Kissoon family. Its colonial architecture, evident in the use of timber, Demerara shutters and its veranda, was common at that time. Once located in Main Street in the heart of the city of Georgetown, this landmark hotel was destroyed by fire in May 2000.

The St. Barnabas' Church before it was demolished in 2011 (Photo by Amanda Richards)

Remains of the old New Amsterdam Hospital (Photo was taken in 2010

by Amanda Richards)

St. Barnabas Church

New Amsterdam Hospital

The old New Amsterdam Hospital, once located in Region Six, Berbice, in the town of New Amsterdam, was one of Guyana’s outstanding historical buildings. It was built in 1844 and designed by renowned architect Cesar Castellani, and described as a “timber architectural masterpiece”. The building was declared unfit to function as the primary hospital of the region and it was left abandoned where it collapsed over time due to constant vandalism and deterioration.

The Alms House was renamed the Palms

The Anglican Church of St. Barnabas, where it once stood at Regent Street and Orange Walk, Bourda, opened as a rather small building in 1884. It was consecrated in 1938. The St. Barnabas Church with its flying buttresses and massive towers was sold and later demolished in 2011.

Guyana’s historical architecture, indigenous languages and various customs and cultures of our diverse ethnicities are just as susceptible to time since they all need to be maintained or remembered in order to survive over time. Looking back at sites, places and cultures past, whether recently or long ago, could be either a nostalgic experience or a deliberate rejection of a long ago ideal or way of life.

(Cover photo showing New Amsterdam hospital as it once looked in the 50s - a beautiful and impressive structure)

Alms House

The architectural design of the original Alms House, in Brickdam, was again the ingenuity of architect, Cesar Castellani. It was completed in 1878. Since its original construction, other structures have been added in the complex to accommodate its growing population of the elderly and disabled. The Alms House was renamed the Palms but the nature and objectives of the institution remained the same. Over time the original Alms House slowly deteriorated and was later demolished.

Main Street, Georgetown (1924)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

C

henapou is a small, remote village on the banks of the Potaro, Region Eight, about a two-hour journey by speedboat upriver from Kaieteur Falls.

The residents in the village are from the Patamona nation who still uphold their heritage, such as speaking in their indigenous dialect, although English is also spoken. Their way of life is dependent on the forest and the river, with a considerable amount of their diet consisting of different forms of root vegetables, such as cassava.

The Chenapou Primary School is a small school situated in the heart of the village.

Children hanging out at the creek

Chenapou Primary School

Paddling a dugout canoe in Chenapou

guyanatimesgy.com

June 11 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

10 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Fashion

G

uyanese designer Keisha Edwards is currently making waves in the fashion industry with her latest bridal collection, ‘Unconventional Wedding Gowns’.

Under her label, ShaSha Designs, the designer recently launched her second bridal collection catering for those brides who prefer an “unconventional” look on their big day.

“Modern brides don’t want to wear the traditional white gowns.

This collection is for the ‘unconventional’ bride. The collection also caters for those brides who want to wear their gowns after the wedding,” Keisha explained in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Check out ShaSha Designs on Facebook for more information on the collection. (Model and MUA: Renee Chester. Photos by Infinity Photography)

Designer Keisha Edwards

Sunday Times Magazine 11 JUNE 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Star Times Hollywood

R

amón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1977), known by his stage name Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Ramón is popularly known as the “King of Reggaetón” by music critics, and fans alike. In 2004, he released his internationally acclaimed single “Gasolina”, which is credited with introducing Reggaeton to audiences worldwide, and making the music genre a global phenomenon. Since then, he has sold over 18 million albums. Ramón’s album, Barrio Fino, made history when it became the top selling Latin music album of the decade (2000-2009). On April 28, 2016, he was awarded the Industry Leader Award during the 2016 Latin Billboard Awards. In 2017, Ramón, in collaboration with Latin pop singer Luis Fonsi, released the hit single “Despacito”. It became the first song primarily in Spanish to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena (song)” in 1996. The single gained global success due to Justin Bieber lending his voice to the remix version of the song.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Hollywood

Rihanna responds to Selena Gomez praises Justin Bieber’s performance body-shaming article S

R

ihanna has responded to a blogger who body-shamed her in true Rihanna fashion.

She posted a meme of Gucci Mane, showing his weight loss since 2007.

The original article,

which appeared on sports website Barstool Sports, said she looked like "she's in a sumo suit".

Rihanna's fans also came to her defence, with the writer of the article claiming he is now being "cyber-bullied".

Up until now, Rihanna had not responded to the article or the tweet, both of which have been taken down.

But fans think her most recent Instagram post is finally her "clapping back".

The meme is two topless photos of rapper Gucci Mane, captioned with: "If you can't handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane, you don't deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane."

This comes after the writer of the post, Chris 'Spags' Spagnuolo, claimed he was being "cyber-bullied" by her fans.

He posted some of tweets which had been sent to him in response of the article.

(BBC Newsbeat)

elena Gomez has praised ex Justin Bieber's moving performance at the One Love Manchester concert.

Speaking to radio station SiriusXM, Selena commented: "I thought Justin did great."

She continued: "It was really beautiful."

The 24-year-old had only good things to say about the entire event, stating: "Everyone did such a beautiful job. It was so gorgeous. I loved how grand he ended it."

Selena and Justin dated on and off between 2011 and 2014. Both singers have written songs that many believe are about each other. Selena's recent song “Bad Liar” could even be interpreted as an ode to JB. She is now dating The Weeknd.

(Glamour)

Taylor Swift and Spotify end feud T

aylor Swift has seemingly ended her long standing feud with Spotify by announcing all of her music will become available on the platform. it all started in 2014 when Taylor removed all of her music from Spotify.

Speaking of her decision, Taylor told Yahoo: "If I had streamed the new album, it's impossible to try to speculate what would have happened. But all I can say is that music is changing so quickly, and the landscape of the music industry itself is changing so quickly, that everything new, like Spotify, all feels to me a bit like a grand experiment.

And I'm not willing to contribute my life's work to an experiment that I don't feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music."

Now, she’s announcing her music will be available to stream.

The star is putting her music back onto

all streaming services in order to celebrate her ‘1989’ album selling 10 million albums worldwide. (Glamour)

T

he 39-year-old rapper is believed to have expressed his wish of having more children with Kim Kardashian during their family trip to the Bahamas.

After going through a very tough year, Kanye realizes that his family is his priority and wants to focus

on them. "Kanye loves his family so much and really wants more kids," a source tells HollywoodLife.com.

Although it will be good for the couple to have more children, they still have to consider Kim's health condition. "He definitely brought it up on the trip. Kim would love to [have more children]

as well in a perfect world, but the reality is that pregnancy is so hard on her it may not happen," the source continues.

Kim recently confessed that she "has been begging Khloe Kardashian to be [her] surrogate" because conceiving naturally "is not looking good for her."

Earlier this year, Kim underwent a surgery to repair her uterus.

Last week, Kanye and Kim jetted off to the Bahamas as an early celebration for Kanye's 40th birthday on June 8. They were said to have an amazing time there. "Kim, Kanye and their kids are having an amazing time together on vacation," a source revealed.

"Kanye is finally feeling happy, healthy and pleased to be able to take everyone to a private island oasis for some much needed family time," the source said. "Persevering the tough times together - the health scares and the robbery - cemented their bond as a family and as a married couple."

(AceShowbiz)

Jerry Seinfeld refuses to hug Kesha

J

erry Seinfeld snubbed Kesha and the awkward moment was caught on camera. The singer approached the 63-yearold comedian when he was

being interviewed and she asked for a hug, but he said "no" repeatedly.

The incident happened at National Night of Laughter in Washington,

D.C. "I'm Kesha, I love you so much!" she said, to which he responded, "Oh, thanks." She then asked, "Can I give you a hug?"

When he replied with a "no thanks," she pleaded, "Please? A little one." But he was still unmoved, "No thanks."

Kesha looked disappointed as she walked away. Seinfeld apparently had no clue who she was. "I don't know who that was!" he told the interviewer.

When he was told it was Kesha, the comedian looked taken aback. "Oh, Ok. Well, I wish her the best," he said while turning around, trying to spot her among the guests. (AceShowbiz)

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

A

myra Dastur, born May 7, 1993, is an Indian film actress.

She made her Bollywood debut in “Issaq”, opposite Prateik Babbar. She started her career as a model at the age of 16. She was seen in Mukesh Bhatt's sci-fi thriller “Mr. X” alongside Emraan Hashmi. Amyra had also acted in the Tamil movie, “Anegan”, for which she was awarded the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Actress Tamil. The actress’ first international project, “Kung Fu Yoga” (released in February 2017), saw her starring alongside Jackie Chan. Amyra will soon be seen in “ K a a l a g a n d i ”, starring Saif Ali Khan.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan Jacqueline graces won’t attend ‘Cosmopolitan’ cover IIFA in July J

S

hah Rukh Khan will miss this year’s IIFA awards, which is scheduled to take place in New York. His production “Jab Harry Met Sejal”, directed by Imtiaz Ali, is the reason. The film is schedule to be released in August and the star will remain busy with its promotion leading up to its release.

Shah Rukh plays a Punjabi tour guide while Anushka Sharma plays a Gujarati girl in the film, which has been extensively shot in Budapest, Punjab and Prague.

There is yet another reason for SRK skipping the film: his son Aryan injured

his nose while playing football in school and is in need of a surgery. Soon after the awards, the actor would have to travel and he doesn’t want two trips so close to each other.

“Shah Rukh’s son Aryan broke his nose while playing football at school. Aryan is already on medication, but the doctors have advised him to undergo surgery. SRK will be travelling abroad for that. It has been scheduled around the same time as the award function, and his priorities are very clear. The concerned father will obviously prefer being by his son’s side,” DNA quoted a source as saying. (DNA)

acqueline Fernandez has gotten candid over ‘besties, boy trouble and Bieber’ for “Cosmopolitan”.

The 31-year-old actor oozes hotness in the June issue of “Cosmopolitan” magazine, flaunting her toned tummy.

She has given perfect body goals with her pose on the cover.

Jacqueline is seen in a pair of denims and denim jacket with an orange corset top. Adding on to her look was her voluminous curly hair and glowing makeup.

The magazine posted the picture on its Instagram handle and wrote alongside, “It’s here! Meet our gorgeous June cover star @ jacquelinef143 as she talks about besties, boy troubles and Bieber in this month’s Cosmo.”

On the work front, Jacqueline will be next seen in her upcoming movie “A Gentleman” along

with Siddharth Malhotra directed by Krishna DK

and Raj Nidimoru. “A Gentleman” will tentatively

release on August 25, 2017.

(Hindustan Times)

Ranbir Kapoor: ‘Katrina is a machine of super hits’

B

ollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has said Katrina Kaif is a “big star”, who delivers super hit films time and again. He would even like to make a film “only for her” in the future as a producer.

“I think Katrina is a machine of super hit films. In the future, when I will produce a film, I would like to make a film only for her,” Ranbir said to the actress at a promotional event.

Katrina replied: “Thank you very much.”

The actors have also shared screen space in films “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” and “Raajneeti”.

Ranbir, who is currently busy shooting for a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt - directed

by Rajkumar Hirani - feels safe and blessed to have a

wide range of films in the pipeline.

“Last few years weren’t that good at the box office, but even then I’ve got the opportunity to work with Raju sir, Anurag Basu and

Ayan Mukerji. I feel very fortunate and blessed. They are putting their vision in a film and gifting it to me.

So, I really hope that I can repay that with my talent,” said Ranbir. (IANS)

Dimple Kapadia turns 60

D

imple Kapadia is elegance and beauty personified. The yesteryears actor, who shot to instant fame with her debut film “Bobby” (1973) opposite Rishi Kapoor, turned 60 on Thursday. And even at 60, Dimple can give young stars a run for their money.

Many might not know that Dimple was

16 when she was launched by legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor in the film, but soon after she made her debut in “Bobby”, she tied the knot with actor Rajesh Khanna and took a sabbatical from acting for as long as a decade.

She married Khanna six months before the release of her debut film “Bobby” and then retired from the industry to raise her daughters Twinkle and Rinkie.

In 1984, the actor made a comeback to films with “Zakhmi Sher”, which was followed by a string of successful films that made Dimple one of the leading heroines of the ‘80s.

Having played lead roles, Dimple moved on to portraying supporting characters and in the recent times, her performance in films such as “Dil Chahta Hai” (2001), “Patiala House” (2011), “Cocktail” (2012), “Finding Fanny” (2014) and “Welcome Back” (2015) were much appreciated by fans and critics alike. (Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Times Trends

Star of the week

S

teven Bagot is an athletic, charismatic and talented individual. In 2010, the Berbice resident won the Guyana Model Search competition, the same year his teaching career began. Since copping the Guyana Model Search crown, Steven has modelled for several Guyana Fashion Weekend events. Other than modelling, Steven’s passion includes educating young minds. The primary school teacher is currently pursuing a Degree in Education.

Interestingly, Steven is an ardent churchgoer and a musician for his church in Berbice.

His other interests include public speaking, classical violin music, dancing, drawing and playing volley ball. Steven lives by the adage: “If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hands.” His advice to youths is: “Never give up; great things take time.”

Trending Now

Feather brows

W

hile not as glam as false lashes or as eye-catching as red lips, eyebrows are incredibly expressive. Finding the right shape can change your whole life or at least your whole face like the most recent trend, ‘feather brows’.

Stella Sironin, a makeup artist from Helsinki, Finland, accidentally started the trend when a friend of hers randomly brushed her eyebrows in a ‘feather’ design.

She posted the photo online “for fun”. To her surprise, feather brows became an instant trend among makeup artists.

Here are a few trending feather brow styles to try - if you’re the daring type.

Lightly 'feathered' eyebrows

Plain feather brows with dramatic eyeshadow for a trendy look

A peacock feather design

Feather brows with glitter

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Art

E

mblazoned with messages of unity and hope, US-based Guyanese artist Derek Browne aims to bring together people of all creeds and ethnicities via his art.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Browne pointed out that through his art he would like to “show humanity that unity and order can be attained in this chaotic world that we live in...” adding that, “aesthetic order is the objective” in all his art.

Derek Browne was born in the village of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, but grew up in Georgetown where he attended Smith Church Congregational and Bedford Methodist Primary

schools. He also attended Central High School where he had begun his formal education in art, and from there went on to the Burrowes School of Art, which was located in Eccles, East Bank Demerara at that time. Browne later migrated to the U.S. and is currently residing in Queens, New York.

Recalling his initial interests in the arts, Browne stated, “As far back as I can remember, I had begun showing interest in drawing and playing musical instruments. During the course of going to primary and secondary schools to be educated, all I ever thought about was becoming an artist and musician. So I guess by na-

ture, I was born an artist.”

The artist’s first major painting was titled “Carambola in Season”. It was a picturesque painting featuring a few bunches of ripe five-finger fruits with leaves hanging from branches. It was an image captured from a tree growing in his backyard. This artwork was one of two that shared the first prize in painting at the National Exhibition of Visual Art held at the Umana Yana in 1981.

This painting is now part of the National Collection at Castellani House, located on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Browne described much of his artworks as “pictorial designs”, as they maybe

"A Tropical Scene" (acrylic paints on stretched canvas).

A commissioned piece for a client's private collection

floral, abstract, posters, or things from nature.

“I also like landscapes. I am not really a figure painter. I have gotten a few com-

missions for these and have sold some of my art,” he disclosed.

Another notable piece of Browne’s collection is “Market Splendour”. This artwork was the only first prize winner at the National Exhibition of Visual Art in 1982. That painting is also now part of the National Collection. “‘Market Splendour’ is a digital rendering of the artwork that won first prize in painting in 1982 at the National Exhibition of Visual Arts held in Georgetown, Guyana. It features familiar market scenes in Georgetown. I was able to reconstruct the composition and add colour digitally using the computer program DrawPlus. The original artwork was done in oil paints and was large in size, approaching 6ft in height,” the artist outlined.

His thought-provoking “Oneness Under The Sun” painting features “hands of varying skin complexions protruding out of the ground and making the peace sign”. Browne explained the hands in the artwork are actually modelled after his own.

“This artwork’s theme is

intended to denounce and dismiss the labels that are applied to groups of people according to skin colour, which are causing divisiveness and strife amongst the human race. One such label is ‘people of colour’, which singles out a certain group of people as only being of colour, when in fact all humans walking on this earth are of colour no matter how light or dark the skin is. As a person who deals with colour almost on a daily basis, I don’t see a person as ‘white’ or ‘black’. We are all of colour!” the artist declared.

Browne described himself as a “designer” because when executing an artwork, he allows himself to be guided by the principles of design.

Other than art, Browne loves music. His main instrument is the guitar.

Additionally, he is an avid gardener and creates scenic landscapes.

When asked about his inspiration, Browne said in “the fine arts he is not inspired by humans, but feels divine inspiration”. (Cover photo: "Oneness Under The Sun" (2016). Acrylic on bristol board)

"A Bunch Of Carambola" (2007). Coloured pencil

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Most interesting new features in iOS 11

W

hen iOS 11, the new, free iPhone/ iPad OS upgrade comes later this year, you won’t gain any big-ticket feature. Instead, you’ll get a whole lot of tiny nips and tucks. They seem to fall into five categories: Nice Tweaks, Storage Help, iPad Exclusives, Playing CatchUp, Fixing Bad Design.

Nice Tweaks

A new voice for Siri - The new male and female voices sound much more like actual people.

One-handed typing There’s a new keyboard that scoots closer to one side, for easier one-handed typing.

Do not disturb while driving - This optional feature sounds like a really good one. When the phone detects that you’re driving—because it’s connected to your phone’s Bluetooth, or because the phone detects motion—it prevents any notifications (alert messages from your apps) from showing up to distract you. If someone texts you, they get an autoresponse like, “I’m driving.

I’ll see your message when I get where I’m going.” (You can designate certain people as VIPs; if they text the word “urgent” to you, their messages break through the

Tech news

I

blockade.)

up PDFs just by starting to write on them. A new feature lets you snap a document with the iPad’s camera, which straightens and crops the page so that you can sign it or annotate it. Handwriting in the Notes app is now searchable, and you can make drawings within any Note or email message.

Storage Help

Running out of room on the iPhone is a chronic problem.

Apple has a few features designed to help: Camera app.

Apple is adopting new file formats for photos (HEIF, or High Efficiency Image Format) and videos (H265 or High Efficiency Video Codec), which look the same as they did before but consume only the half the space. (When you export to someone else, they convert to standard formats.)

Messages in iCloud.

When you sign into any new Mac, iPhone, or iPad with your iCloud credentials, your entire texting history gets downloaded automatically. (As it is now, when you sign in on a new machine, you can’t see the Message transcript histories.) Saving the Messages history online also saves disk space on your Mac. Storage optimization.

The idea: As your phone begins to run out of space, your oldest files are quietly and automatically stored online,

Playing Catch-Up

leaving Download icons in their places on your phone, so that you can retrieve them if you need them.

Fixing Bad Design

Some of the changes repair the damage Apple made to itself in iOS 10. For example: Redesigned apps drawer in Messages - All the stuff they added to Messages last year (stickers, apps, live drawing) cluttered up the design and wound up getting ignored by lots of people. The new design is cleaner. (Excerpted from Yahoo)

iPad Exclusives

Many of the biggest changes in iOS 11 are available only on the iPad. A file manager - A new app called Files lets you work with (and search) files and folders, just as you do on the Mac or PC. It even shows your Box and Dropbox files.

Pencil features - If you’ve bought Apple’s stylus, you can tap the Lock screen and

India launches 'monster' rocket

ndia's space agency has successfully launched its heaviest rocket.

The 640-tonne rocket blasted off from a launching site off the Bay of Bengal in Sriharikota.

As one website put it, "it's been a big day for India". The rocket will reduce the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) reliance on European vehicles to launch heavy satellites.

The coverage of the launch has been euphoric, and often colourful, with websites comparing the rocket to the weight of 200 elephants, or five jumbo jets.

Such comparisons highlight the importance of the launch for the country, which is aggressively competing to get a bigger share of the global commercial satellite launch market.

India has so far relied on other countries to send heavy satellites into space, which is expensive and a drain on Isro's budget.

The GSLV Mark III can carry put a payload weighing more than three tonnes into the high altitude orbit occupied by the spacecraft that relay TV, telephone calls and broadband connections.

But it's far from being the world's heaviest rocket because Nasa's Saturn V,

start taking notes right away. You can mark-

With every new OS from Google ( G O O G , GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), or Apple, there’s a set of “us, too!” features that keeps them

all competitive. This time around, it’s: Lane guidance - When you’re driving, Maps now lets you know which lane to be in for your next turn, just as Google Maps does.

which was used between 1967 and 1973, still holds that record, with total mass at lift-off about four times that of India's GSLV Mark III. The NDTV website says the rocket is as heavy as five Jumbo jets. And the weight matters because communication satellites are quite heavy.

Experts say the rocket gives India more flexibility in launching different kinds of satellites.

"We were able to send [satellites weighing] up to two tonnes previously. This is a double quantum jump for India," Ajay Lele from the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses told the AFP news agency.

Isro hopes that the rocket, called the "monster" by one newspaper, will be able to carry an astronaut to space by 2024.

India wants to become the fourth country after the US, China and Russia to send a person into space.

Experts say the successful launch will give impetus to India's indigenous space programme.

The launch follows Isro's other recent achievements, including a mission to Mars, and the launch of more than 100 satellites in a single mission earlier in the year. (BBC)

Tech BYTE

R

Computers trained to spot fake online profiles

esearchers have trained computers to spot social media users who pose as somebody else - a practice known as catfishing.

They say their algorithms can identify users who lie about their gender, with more than 90% accuracy.

Most dating website users say they have encountered at least one fake profile, according to consumer group Which?

And the number of people defrauded by dating scams reached a record high in 2016.

Analysing data from 5,000 verified public profiles manually checked by employees on adult content site Pornhub, the algorithms learned how men and women of different ages interacted with others, how they commented on posts and their style of writing.

That allowed them to trawl the rest of the website in search of those lying about their gender and their age.

The study suggested almost 40% of the site's users lied about their age and 25% lied about their gender, with women more likely

to deceive than men.

Dr Walid Magdy, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, said: "Adult websites are populated by users who claim to be other than who they are, so these are a perfect testing ground for techniques that identify catfishes."

"What was interesting was that it seems that for many the reason for lying was to get more friends and subscribers."

Dr Magdy said the algorithms, developed by computer scientists at Edinburgh University, in collaboration with Lancaster University, Queen Mary University, London and King's College, London, could "lead to useful tools to flag dishonest users and keep social networks of all kinds safe".

"It has many applications such as people who fake accounts on Twitter for political reasons or for children who fake accounts to access adult websites," he said.

The study will be presented at a conference in Australia on the future of social networks. (BBC)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Decorating With Floor and Table Lamps

N

ot only are lamps essential to a well-lit room, but they also make a big impact on a home's overall look and feel. Illuminate your space and amplify your style with these tips for choosing the right floor and table lamps for your home.

If you're going for a modern or contemporary look, think simple and streamlined when selecting lamps. Currently in vogue, slim bases and drum-shaped shades can add height and drama to a space without overpowering its other decor.

By Jehan Powell

Ingredients 3 cups plain mashed potato 1 tsp crushed garlic ½ tsp chopped parsley ¼ tsp black pepper ½ tsp salt

½ cup cheddar cheese (you can also use montery jack) 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk 1 cup flour 1 ½ cup panko Oil

Method

In a large bowl mix mashed potato, garlic, parsley, black pepper, salt and cheese. Next add egg yolk then mix well. Then, beat the 2 whole eggs in a bowl and set aside.

Add flour to a plate and add panko bread crumbs to another plate. Use a spoon to scoop up about 3 tablespoon of the potato and using your hands roll into balls.

Gently roll the ball in the flour and coat evenly; shake off excess. Next dip the flour coated ball into the egg and coat evenly. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. Next roll into the panko bread crumbs then place on a baking pan. Repeat this process. Place the potato balls in the fridge for 30 minutes so that it can become firm.

Place enough oil, about 4-5 inches deep, in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. You want the oil to be deep enough to cover the balls. When the oil is hot, remove the balls from the fridge and fry in small batches. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Once the balls are brown, place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Repeat this process until all of the balls are cooked.

Serve warm. (www.jehancancook.com)

Greatest Cooking Tips

Shades with a tapered shape tend to blend well with traditional decor. Pair an antique ceramic lamp with colourful Indian textiles and a Chinese wall hanging for a look that's both worldly and classic.

Acidity, salt and horseradish bring out full flavours in food.

Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta; it will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.

For safety, put a wine cork on the tip of a knife before putting the knife in a drawer.

When you’re going to sauté garlic, slice it rather than mincing it — it's less likely to burn that way.

Home Help

If you need to add colour or texture to a room, an interesting lampshade will add just the boost you are looking for. Look for a shade with a bold pattern, an interesting texture or decorative touches like beads or tassels.

Pick a cloudy day to clean windows. Direct sun makes the cleaner dry too quickly, leaving streaks behind.

It's tempting to toss armfuls of wet clothes straight into the dryer in as few moves as possible. Twists in your T-shirts and bulky clumps of damp dresses might exit the dryer the exact same way — mussed and wrinkly. So give each item a quick shake before it hits the dryer.

Cloudy drinking glasses? All you have to do is soak your cups/ glasses for five minutes in white vinegar. Since it's acetic, it will dissolve the minerals in a snap. If stubborn spots still persist, gently rub them off with baking soda. Then rinse the glasses by hand and dry them with a lint-free towel before drinking out of them again.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Things a Pediatrician Wishes You'd Stop Doing P

JOKES

Frog prince An 80 year-old woman was walking down the main street in her hometown one evening when she heard a low voice say, "Hey lady."

She looked around to see who was talking but upon seeing nobody there she shrugged it all off and continued walking. Before she got another five feet, she heard the same voice, only a little louder, say, "Hey lady!"

She once again looked around and didn't see anybody, but when she went to walk again she saw a frog sitting at her feet looking at her.

The frog then opened his mouth and said, "Could you please help me?"

The elderly woman was shocked at first but picked up the little frog and asked him what he needed. The frog proceeded to tell the woman that he was actually a handsome young prince that had been turned into a frog. All the lady had to do was to kiss the frog on the lips and he would turn back into a handsome prince, and would then be eternally grateful to the woman.

Well, the woman thought for a moment and then quietly slipped the frog into her purse. As she was walking away she quietly muttered, "At my age I'll have more fun with a talking frog."

Lump A carpet layer had worked all day installing wall-to-wall carpeting.

When he noticed a lump under the carpet in the middle of the living room he felt his shirt pocket for his mints, they were gone.

He was not about to pull the carpet back up, so he went outside for a two-by-four. Stamping down mints with it would be easy. Once the lump was smoothed, the man gathered up his tools and carried them to his truck.

Then two things happened simultaneously. He saw his mints on the seat of the truck, and over his shoulder he heard the voice of the woman who owned the house.

"Have you seen anything of my parakeet?" she asked.

Flattered minister A pastor was leaving his area and was saying farewell to his congregation at the Church doors for the last time. He shook the hand of an elderly lady as she walked out. She said, "Your successor won't be as good as you."

"Nonsense,” said the pastor, in a flattered tone.

"No, really", said the old lady, "I've been here under five different ministers, and each new one has been worse than the last."

My dad's better than your dad Three young boys were walking on the sidewalk arguing over whose daddy was the greatest.

One said, "My dad is the greatest because he is the president of the town bank."

The second boy said, "That is pretty good, but my daddy owns two grocery stores in town!"

The third boy said, "That's nothing, my dad is a preacher, and he owns hell. He came home last night and told my mom that the Church Board gave it to him!"

Gifted hamster A guy goes into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, “No way. I don't think you can pay for it.”

The guy says, "You're right. I don't have any money, but if I show you something you haven't seen before, will you give me a drink?"

The bartender says, "Only if what you show me ain't risqué."

"Deal!" says the guy, and reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a hamster. He puts the hamster on the bar and it runs to the end of the bar, climbs down the bar, runs across the room, up the piano, jumps on the key board and starts playing a tune. And the hamster is really good.

The bartender says, "You're right. I've never seen anything like that before. That hamster is truly good on the piano."

The guy downs the drink and asks the bartender for another.

"Money or another miracle, or else no drink,” says the bartender.

The guy reaches into his coat again and pulls out a frog. He puts the frog on the bar, and the frog starts to sing. He has a marvellous voice and great pitch. A fine singer.

A stranger from the other end of the bar runs over to the guy and offers him $300 for the frog. The guy says, "It's a deal."

He takes the three hundred and gives the stranger the frog. The stranger runs out of the bar.

The bartender says to the guy, "Are you some kind of nut? You sold a singing frog for $300? It must have been worth millions. You must be crazy."

"Not so,” says the guy. "The hamster is also a ventriloquist."

arenting doesn't come with a handbook, so unsuspecting moms and dads are left to figure out a lot on their own. Go-to sources of advice - friends, the internet, parents - might not have the most reliable, upto-date info. Then when you get to the pediatrician's office, you’re either too stressed, rushed or embarrassed to ask questions. Doctors are great at telling you what to do, but even they might be hesitant to be upfront with parents about what not to do.

Below are tips/advice by paediatricians on things parents should stop doing, now.

1. Stop looking to the internet for medical advice When you're freaked out about your child's symptoms, the first place to turn is usually Dr. Google. And while trusted sites like the American Academy of Pediatrics can have useful info, it's still impossible to diagnose your kid over the internet. Instead, take your concerns to your doctor.

2. Stop going to the ER for everything “Except for extreme emergencies, getting a phone call in to your physician's office gives time for the child to calm and the family to make assessments, and for us to determine if there's an alternative place we can have you seen,” Dr. Bill Bush, M.D., pediatrician-in-chief at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, says. An urgent care facility or the pediatrician's office the next day may be better options.

3. Stop requesting anti-

biotics It's natural to want your kids to get better as soon as possible, but Dr. Bush says antibiotics aren't always the answer. "There are times when it's absolutely appropriate to give the antibiotic when they have a bacterial infection, but for the majority of the patients we see with viral illnesses, it's not," he says.

"Colds and coughs don't need an antibiotic, they just need time to heal." Plus, giving antibiotics too often can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are then harder to fight off.

4. Stop refusing vaccinations and demanding alternative vaccine schedules Ironically, just as some parents rush to medicine, others are scared by vaccines.

Even if parents agree vaccines are a good thing, they're concerned about giving many at the same time. "Very solid evidence exists that immunizations prevent many deadly and debilitating childhood diseases," Dr. Bush says.

"The FDA requires any new combination of vaccines to prove equal effectiveness as if they were given on separate dates so we're not overwhelming the immune system." The

problem with delaying vaccines, especially with babies, is children then go unprotected for longer. "When you start spreading them out, you put more kids at risk," he says.

5. Stop allowing unlimited screen time Dr. Bush says to make sure your kids have outdoor play for exercise, and face-toface interaction for social development. "Life's about interacting with other people, so encourage children to play with their friends in person instead of texting or playing video games online," he says.

6. Stop blaming your child's cold on being outside This is one myth that just won't die. But your kid is not going to catch a cold by going jacket-less for the 10-second walk to the car, so it's probably not worth fighting that battle. "Viral illnesses such as colds come from the spread of germs—kids touching everything and then they touch their eyes, nose, and mouth," Dr. Bush says.

7. Stop skipping wellchild visits We all lead busy lives, and when it comes time for what we consider "non-essential" appointments, it's easy to let them pass by. But Dr.

Bush says that's a mistake.

"If we switch from providing sick care to well care, we can do a better job of preventing or managing certain diseases," he says. This includes hearing and vision problems, heart murmurs, blood pressure elevations, kids who are failing to grow and spines that may be developing scoliosis. Plus, the visits give you and your child a chance to feel more comfortable with your doctor, so you'll be more likely to discuss any concerns in the future.

8. Stop using Q-tips to clean your child's ears You may think you're helping your child's hygiene, but you're really just pushing wax further into the ears.

"Kids will come in sometimes with ear pain or decreased hearing because their ears are just so packed with wax from the Q-tip not bringing it out, but pushing it back," Dr. Bush says. Instead, allow some water to get into your child's ears at bath time, because the moisture should help wax naturally work itself out.

9. Stop freaking out about your child's temperature It can be alarming when your child develops a fever, but once they are out of the newborn stage when it may be dangerous, it's just something else to report to your doctor. "It's a symptom like a runny nose, cough, or pain, part of the collection of information that helps us make decisions on what's the appropriate diagnosis and treatment," Dr. Bush says. "It's very rare that a fever alarms us." (www.parents.com)

STORY TIME

The Farmer and the Stork

A

stork of a very simple and trusting nature had been asked by a carefree party of cranes to visit a field that had been newly planted in order to steal from the farmer.

But the party’s cheerfulness was short-lived when all the birds became entangled in the meshes of the farmer's net.

The stork begged the

farmer to spare him.

“Please let me go,” he pleaded.

“I belong to the stork family who you know are honest and birds of good character.

Besides, I did not know the cranes were

going to steal.”

“You may be a very good bird,” answered the farmer, “but I caught you with the thieving cranes and you will have to share the same punishment with them.”

Moral of the story: You are judged by the company you keep. (An Aesop's fable)

The Indian Maid, Demararie The Indian maid who lightly trips, The Dryad of the Guava grove, The zone of Venus round her hips, And graced with youth, and blessed in love!

Gold rings adorn her nose and arms, And leaves of beads veil naked charms.

Or if she quits the golden wood, Pierced by the scorching solar beam, She plunges in the cooler flood, And swims the Naiad of the stream: Adores the god in ev'ry air And smiles the maid without a care.

Or if more distant creeks invite To fish, to fowl, or seek her love, She paddles the canoe upright, Where Christian maids would fear to move; On some fair tree her hammock swings, Nor envies she the beds of

kings.

Like other belles of other shores, She daubs her limbs, her face, her hair.

Rauccoo and launa¹ stop the pores Against mosquitoes and the air.

But these, I trust, nor spoil her skin, They're to defend - not lure to sin.

A beauteous bronze she stands confessed, Venus nor Hebe more complete; With various feathers tricked and dressed, Perfumed with Tonkay² flow'rs most sweet!

And when she moves, her mien and grace Prove her the goddess of the place!

Edward Thompson (October 27, 1781) ¹ Paints used by the Indians; the first red, the latter black. ² Tonkay tree, one of the largest of the creation. It bears a sweet flower, which sets in a bean, and smells like new hay.

20 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Puzzle

T

wo definitions for two different words will be given. These words will differ only by their vowels.

To change a word, both adding a vowel and changing a vowel is allowed, as long as the consonants are the same and in the same order. For example: A sticky product of trees to a type of dried fruit.

Answer: Resin to raisin. Now try these:

1. A black bird to a chasm 2. Round object to a fee 3. Part of the body below the leg to a great achievement see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Brazilian Rainbow Boa

T

he Brazilian rainbow boa is a mediumsized terrestrial boa that is native to the Amazon River basin. It is named for its iridescent skin that refracts light and creates a rainbow-coloured effect.

Brazilian rainbow boas are brown or reddish brown snakes with three parallel black stripes on the top of the head and large black rings down the back that give the appearance of dorsal blotches. The round lateral blotches are black with an orange or reddish crescent across the top. There is a great deal of variation in colour and marking among this species.

These boas are a medium sized, roundbodied terrestrial boa and range from 4 to 6

Spot the Difference Can you spot 10 differences between the pictures?

feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) in length. The head is not particularly large, but it is distinctly wider than the neck.

The Brazilian rainbow boa is found in the Amazon River basin, coastal Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and southern Venezuela. A primarily terrestrial boa, the Brazilian rainbow boa lives in humid woodland forests and can sometimes be found in open savannahs.

In the wild, their diet consists of rodents, birds and possibly some forms of aquatic life and lizards. Like other boas, the Brazilian rainbow boa is non-venomous. To capture and consume meals, they ambush and constrict their prey.

Maze Daze

Find the correct way from start to finish.

The Pantanal

W

Please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

ith a total area of almost 195,000 square kilometres (or 75,000 square miles), the Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world. The vast majority of it is in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, but it also extends into Mato Grosso and the separate countries of Paraguay and Bolivia, which neighbour Brazil.

As such a vast tropical wetland, the Pantanal is a very precious resource of Brazil, home to an array of plant and animal species. In fact, up to 12 subregional ecosystems have been identified within the Pantanal, each of which has its own unique identity and characteristics.

Because about 80% of the wetlands are submerged during the wet season, the species there include aquatic ones, making it an even more diverse and fascinating destination to consider. The water can rise by up to five metres during the wet season.

Notably, during warmer seasons, the nights in the Pantanal can become crisp and cold.

The biomes within the Pantanal (which include semi-arid woodland, tropical Amazonian rainforest and savannah) are

home to approximately 3,500 known plant species, with more discovered and identified by scientists on a regular basis.

Because some of the wetlands suffer from drought during the dry seasons, certain vegetation experience waterstress.

A plethora of animal species can be found in the Pantanal. There is estimated to be about 1,000 bird species, 300 mammals and 9,000 invertebrates, in addition to countless fascinating insects and other species. Some of the very rare and/or endangered animal species include: Marsh Deer; Giant River Otter; Hyacinth Macaw; Crowned Solitary Eagle; Jaguar; Maned Wolf; Bush Dog; Capybara; South American Tapir; Giant Anteater; and the Yacare Caiman.

The Pantanal’s dry season extends from April to October of each year. During this time, it is possible to access the region by road.

During the wet season, however, visitors may be forced to enter only by aeroplane. Because this area is popular amongst tourists, there is ample accommodation available, as well as organised tours and activities.

22 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

Eating in front of a mirror makes meals taste better, say scientists

A E

ating in front of a mirror makes meals taste better, a new study suggests.

Previous studies have found that people rate food as more flavoursome and, eat bigger portions, when they dine with company, a phenomenon known as ‘the social facilitation of eating.’

But researchers at Nagoya University in Japan wanted to find out whether the effect could be recreated by simply using a mirror, to trick the brain into thinking another person was present.

"We wanted to find out what the minimum requirement is for the social facilitation of eating," said lead author Dr Ryuzaburo Nakata.

"Does another person have to actually be physically present, or is information suggesting the presence of others sufficient?"

For the experiment, 16 adults aged between 65 and 74, were invited to eat salted or caramel popcorn for 90 seconds and then rate their enjoyment when sitting alone, in front of a mirror, or watching a monitor showing a video of them eating.

The researchers found that people eating alone reported food as tasting better, and ate more of it, when they could see themselves reflected in a mirror, compared with when they ate in front of a monitor. Eating in front of a mirror improved sweetness

Brain Teaser Answer 1. Raven to ravine 2. Ball to bill 3. Foot to feat SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

by 25 per cent, goodness by 21 per cent and quality by 12 per cent.

In a further experiment, when the researchers replaced the mirror with photos of the volunteers eating, they discovered that the volunteers still experienced an increase in the appeal of food and ate more.

The researchers are hoping that the findings could help lonely older people enjoy their food more and eat larger portions.

"Studies have shown that for older adults, enjoying food is associated with quality of life, and frequently eating alone is associated with depression and loss of appetite," added corresponding author Dr Nobuyuki Kawai.

"Our findings therefore suggest a possible approach to improving the appeal of food, and quality of life, for older people who do not have company when they eat for example, those who have suffered loss or are far away from their loved ones."

The research was published in the journal Physiology & Behaviour.

(Telegraph)

n 81-year-old who set up an all-woman rubbish collection team in her village in Lebanon now has a stream of visitors asking how she did it. For nine months in 2015 and 2016 rubbish piled up on the streets of the capital, Beirut, and even now a lack of landfill sites means some of the city's waste is being thrown in the sea.

Zeinab Mokalled has shown that when government fails, do-it-yourself local initiatives can work.

"There used to be dirt everywhere and the kids were filthy," Zeinab Mokalled tells me.

She is remembering the 1980s and 90s, when Israel occupied part of the south of the country for 15 years, and waste collection came to a halt in her village, Arabsalim.

As the years went by, it piled up, and Mokalled went to the regional governor to ask for help.

"Why do you care? We are not Paris," he told her.

"I knew that day that I had to take it upon myself," she says.

Mokalled called on the women of the village to help, not the men - partly because she wanted to empower them, and partly because she thought they would do a better job.

It would also have been up to the women to sort the recycling, and probably to put out the rubbish. So Zeinab needed volunteers to go door-to-door to get the message to the women in every house - and for this job, in a Lebanese Muslim community in the mid1990s, men would have been inappropriate.

They had no equipment, and no infrastructure. So how to begin?

Mokalled's friend Khadija Farhat bought a lorry out of her own pocket. Mokalled herself turned her back garden into a storage area for recyclable waste.

It didn't seem likely that the 10,000 villagers would pay to have their rubbish collected, so the volunteers paid for it themselves. Nineteen years later they still do, each of 46 members putting in about US$40 each year.

"Household recycling was the best way forward," says Mokalled, who named the organisation Call of the Earth.

To begin with, they recycled glass, paper and plastic. Recently they started collecting

electronic waste and have employed a researcher to find the best way of making compost in the hot and dry conditions of southern Lebanon.

The only help the waste collectors received from the local authorities, after three years' work, was a gift of 300 plastic bins and a piece of land, which enabled Mokalled to get her garden back.

At the same time they started renting a lorry to work alongside Farhat's, and hired a male driver - though they continued to accompany him to ensure he was not alone when approaching women.

After 10 years they received a grant from the Italian embassy to build a warehouse, which is where Mokalled now receives visitors - schoolchildren, students and activists - who come to study how Call of the Earth works. And the numbers have increased since the closure of Beirut's main landfill site in 2015 led waste to pile up around the city, and the surrounding area of Mount Lebanon.

As well as ensuring that Arabsalim is clean and tidy, Mokalled also found time to study for a PhD in Arabic studies, which was awarded at the age of 70.

"Planting the idea in people's minds that caring for the earth is our responsibility in this part of the world. Whether we do it or not, our politicians won't care. It's down to us.

"If everyone does what we did in Arabsalim, there'd be no rubbish problem anywhere in Lebanon." (BBC)

Tenants stranded upstairs after landlord removes stairs CROSSWORD

T

he residents of an apartment complex in the US state of Georgia were shocked when they tried to leave home - only to find they were stuck, as their stairs had been removed.

The emergency services were eventually summoned to help free residents of Maple Walk Apartments in Decatur who lived above the ground floor.

Tenants had found notices on their doors saying they would have no access to the stairs until this Thursday.

“They gave us no notice. No nothing.

They were already taking the stairs down when we got the notice this morning,” resident Shawnta Tiller told WSB-TV. “This is crazy. How can you cut off access to the stairs and everybody's in their apartments?” added neighbor Andre Williams.

Some residents had received a letter last week saying that the stairs needed emergency repairs, and that tenants would be reimbursed for hotel costs for the time they'd be required to move out.

However, they say that the stairs were abruptly removed on Monday morning, with no prior warning having been given.

The stranded residents were eventually freed when local reporter Sophia Choi called in firefighters to help.

Workmen told Choi that work on the stairs will be completed before the end of the week. (Telegraph)

24

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 11, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

Don’t let emotional issues cloud your vision or cause a (March 21temper tantrum. Go with the April 19) flow and channel your energy into something that will help you make physical improvements.

ARIES

High energy will help you

TAURUS accomplish your goals. Making (April 20- travel plans or spending time May 20) with friends or family is encouraged. Attending a retreat or self-help group will be enlightening. Romance is favored.

Don’t leave anything to GEMINI chance. Take care of finan(MAY 28- cial, legal or health issues June 20) that could pose a problem if left unattended. Use your negotiating skills judiciously.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Devote your copious energy to helping others, planning a fun family outing or making romantic plans that will secure an important relationship. Live for today.

Get your personal business in order. Your delusions regarding your worth or health need to be addressed. It’s time to make some changes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You’ll stand out at a social event for your unique way of doing things. Your actions will be remembered, whereas your words are likely to get you into trouble.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Look for unusual ways to alter your current living situation. It will help you find the peace you need during a time that is hectic and unforgiving. Use your intelligence to avoid a dispute.

Taking a day trip or SCORPIO spending time with a friend, (Oct. 24relative or loved one will Nov. 22) help you make an important decision about how you live your life.

Look at the past as well as SAGITTARIUS the future. Consider what you (Nov. 23must do to head in your deDec. 21) sired direction. Added discipline will help you reach your goal.

Calvin and Hobbes

Keep a low profile. Avoid CAPRICORN getting involved with people (Dec. 22- or projects that are too deJan. 19) manding. Take time to enjoy your home, family and favorite activities.

Get involved in projects

AQUARIUS that address issues that con(Jan. 20- cern you. The people you enFeb. 19) counter will offer unexpected

favors that will help you get ahead. Personal changes are featured.

Emotional energy should PISCES (Feb. 20- be spent wisely. Focus on Mar. 20) your love life, home and family. The gestures you make to help others will ensure that you build solid and secure relationships.