Guyana times november 5 ,2017

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3383

Sunday, November 5, 2017

PRICE

Guyana Times columnist Ryhaan Shah’s car hijacked at gunpoint

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Indian P13 national robbed of car, money on Kitty seawall

Page 7

Govt’s misuse of Contingency Fund “executive lawlessness” – PPP Page 3

Digicel commissions tower in Coomacka

Sophia man killed during row over “girlfriend” Page 2

Page 17

Foster Care Month

CC&PA seeking prospective foster parents

…over 600 children in system P13

British investor P14 seeks to transform local coconut industry

Charity P10 residents calling for road upgrade

Signal for the first time! The community of Coomacka, in Linden, Region 10, will now benefit from reliable cellular phone service and Internet connectivity as Digicel commissioned one of the highest towers in the country in the community on Saturday. In photo, these two youngsters test the strength of the signal as the young lady smiles with delight for the service being received

Auditor General 2016 report finds

$120 vat included

GPHC parliamentary visit

Environmental disaster Emergency unit plagued looming at Kato Page 9 by systematic deficiencies

Page 11

…doctors overworked

…surgeries cancelled due to overcrowding

Illegal aircraft

Govt moves to strengthen communication P5 with communities

2

news

SUnDAY, november 5, 2017 guyanatimesGY.com

Sophia man killed during row over “girlfriend” A Sophia, Greater Georgetown man was on Friday evening shot dead by a teenager following an argument at Black and White Bridge, C Field Sophia.

Dead is Jamaul Monroe, a labourer also of C Field Sophia. He was reportedly shot multiple times about his body by the 19-year-old suspect, who has been identified only as “Mark.”

According to reports, the incident occurred at around 22:45h when the two men had an argument over the victim’s 32-year-old girlfriend. During the argument, the woman had also

accused the suspect of stealing a mobile phone ,thus resulting in the matter escalating.

The suspect retaliated by whipping out a handgun and discharging rounds in

The house where Monroe lived with his girlfriend

the direction of 24-year-old Monroe, hitting him several times. The suspect then fled the scene and was up to press time still in hiding. Monroe was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital in a semi-unconscious state but died while receiving medical attention.

When Guyana Times

visited the home of the dead man, no one was willing to relate what occurred.

His girlfriend was at the Turkeyen Police Station, but she too refused to speak claiming that she does not want the story in the media. Investigations into the fatal shooting are continuing.

news

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 5 – 05:30h-07:00h and Monday, November 6 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, November 5 – 16:30h-18:00h and Monday, November 6 – 05:45h-07:15h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Early morning sunshine is expected to be interrupted by heavy rain showers that will last throughout the day. Partly cloudy to thundery showers can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly to East North-easterly between 2.68 metre and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 05:01h and 17:14h reaching maximum heights of 2.85 metres and 2.95 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:49h and 23:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.46 metre and 0.33 metre respectively.

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Auditor General Report findings

Govt’s misuse of Contingency Fund “executive lawlessness” – PPP

T

he Government’s misuse of the Contingency Fund, as highlighted

by Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his 2016 report, is being described by the political Opposition as “executive lawlessness.”

During a press conference on Saturday, People’s Progressive Party parliamentarian Juan Edghill took the Government to task for dipping into the Contingency Fund. These withdrawals were for what the Auditor General had described as “routine expenses.” According to the law, the Fund should only be accessed for emergency purposes.

Speaking to reporters at the Opposition Leader’s office

Guyana that they would never do it.”

Zeroing in on withdrawals from the Contingency Fund for the D’Urban Park Project, Edghill was highly critical of the fact that payments for works on the edifice even featured on the statement of receipts. He noted that the structure was used for entertainment and national celebrations and as such, could not be classified as emergency expense.

The 2016 Auditor General Report had red flagged the fact that the Consolidated Fund of Guyana is in an overdraft status. As at the ending of last year, the Fund reflected an overdraft of $67.5 billion and the cash book, $86 billion.

be paid into and from one Consolidated Fund.”

Article 217 stipulates that money cannot be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except: “(a) to meet expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by this Constitution or by any Act of Parliament; or (b) where the issue of those (sums of) money has been authorised by an Appropriation Act; or (c) where the issue of those (sums of) money has been authorised under Article 219.”

PPP parliamentarian Juan Edghill

ing affected against the appropriation allotments after December 31, 2016, by activating the controls within IFMAS (Integrated Financial Management System).”

Article 216 of the Constitution of Guyana states, “All revenues or other (sums of) money raised or received by Guyana (not be-

Contingency Fund

The report had also found that Government made withdrawals that totalled over $900 million from the Contingency Fund. The monies were used for expenses related to the Army, the D’Urban Park Project, and the Sussex Street drug bond. The Sussex Street bond had come in for much public scrutiny after it was discovered that is

The controversial Sussex Street bond, for which $63.5 million was withdrawn from the Contingency Fund

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on Church Street, Georgetown, Edghill pointed out that the Contingency Fund is a subset of the Consolidated Fund.

“About two per cent of the Consolidated Fund is in the Contingency Fund. So more than (what) should have been used was used, so that’s one breach. The second breach (is that) to get access to the Contingency Fund is only based upon certain criteria, according to the fiscal management and accountability act.”

He added that the Government broke the law when they tapped into the Contingency Fund for monies for “normal expenditure which should have been drawn from the Consolidated Fund. It’s what is called executive lawlessness. They accused us of doing those things when we were in Government and promised the people of

In 2015, the Fund was overdrawn by $42.6 billion.

According to the Auditor General, the difference of $18.5 billion between the bank and the cash book was due to a deposit of $6.7 billion not being debited to the cash book.

There was also some $22.7 billion in un-presented cheques.

It was also revealed that deposits totalling $5.3 billion were not credited to the bank account, while debit advances of $1.6 billion were not credited to the cash book.

In its response, the Finance Ministry affirmed that the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 makes provisions for the account to be overdrawn in order to make up for cash shortfalls while implementing the budget.

“The Ministry of Finance also ensured that no further expenditures were be-

The D’Urban Park facility accounted for withdrawals of over $400 million

ing revenues or other sums of money payable by or under an Act of Parliament into some other fund established for any specific purpose; or that may, by or under such an Act, be retained by the authority that received them for the purpose of defraying the expenses of that authority) shall

was owned by a A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change party affiliate.

In his statement on the issue, the Auditor General had expressed disappointment that for the period under review, nine advances were granted from the Contingency Fund for routine expenditure.

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sunDAY, november 5, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Governance brinksmanship

I

n his address to Parliament last Thursday, one hopes President Granger appreciated the irony of the sentiments he expressed and the unprecedented tumultuous protests it elicited from the entire Opposition, numbering just one seat less that his Government’s. The President intoned: “The Constitution, at Article 65 (1), enjoins Parliament to: “…make laws for the peace, order and good government of Guyana.

The Nation continues to consolidate this happy state of comity which it has enjoyed over the past thirty months.

“A multi-party coalition assumed office and ushered in an opportunity for consensus-based politics. This form of government wrested the Nation from the vice of divisive and destructive winner-takes-all politics and laid the basis for a system of inclusionary democracy – the form of governance prescribed by the Constitution, at Article 13. That is the form that seeks cooperation for the ‘common good’ rather than one that fosters confrontation and chaos.”

On the other hand, Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo explained his party engaged in its protest because the President refused to address, “the major issues affecting Guyanese –the crime and how he will tackle the increase in crime; how he will tackle the increased loss of jobs in our economy; how he would tackle investments. (And) Then we got a lecture about the rule of law and good governance, when, effectively, what he has been doing is undermining the rule of law by acting unconstitutionally.”

While the Government may believe it is governing for the “common good”, they would be hard pressed to justify the President’s claim the country has “enjoyed” a “happy state of comity…over the past thirty months.” In the end, “good intentions” are not what counts but the actions to make those intentions manifest. For instance, even though it campaigned on a commitment to form a “Government of National Unity”, including even members of the PPP, after it acceded to power with a razor-sharp majority its actions demonstrated a complete occupation of the national political space to the exclusion of even the minority members of its coalition.

As Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo intimated, the President has become characterised by his set rhetorical deliveries in Parliament and other ceremonial occasions, which are belied by his unilateral partisan actions. This gap, which over time has grown into a yawning chasm, appears to be fuelled by the major partner of the coalition government - the Peoples National Government (PNC) via its leader President Granger and its confrontational actions appears to have been the ultimate cause for the Opposition PPP’s parliamentary protest rather than the latter’s unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson to the GECOM Chair, which can be seen as the latest proximate cause.

Some of those inflammatory actions would include the arbitrary dismissal of scores of top level government officials and technocrats in government agencies; the scrapping of the PPP’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) for Amerindians and the abrupt “downsizing” of GuySuCo. These impacted the PPP’s constituencies so overwhelmingly, they elicited cries of “ethnic cleansing” from some quarters. While the latter charge was certainly exaggerated in light of what actually constitutes that term, it connoted the dire impact precipitated by the government’s actions vis a vis its promises.

The proximate cause of the unilateral GECOM appointment , however, symbolises President Granger’s leadership insistence of style over substance. He arbitrarily abandoned the GECOM process in which he had personally participated (his name had been submitted twice by President Hoyte) without objection. He dismissed the interpretation of a specially crafted Constitutional provision by the very persons that legislated it and even of the Court that was asked to evaluate his idiosyncratic “perception”. He insulted the competency of thatA coequal branch of government when he referred to the ruling of the Chief Justice (ag) as her “perception”.

The Government has criticised the PPP’s protest in Parliament as not observing the “forms” of parliamentary proprietary. The question that has to be asked is whether the President and his government have not violated the substance of parliamentary governance.

Over the years, many cricket matches were held up due to animals on the playing area including dogs, cats and birds but at the Palam ground in New Delhi, India, a man deliberately drove onto the pitch periodically halting the Ranji game between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Friday. International players like Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma and Rishabh Pant were in action

How can Government justify this spending?

Editor, The spending of almost $20M on overseas trips

by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, is a matter that comes on the heels of the Coalition Government dealings with the Guyana Teachers’ Union and other unions.

The reports from the media say that Mr Nagamootoo spent this money on cultural events and diaspora engagements, among others.

How can the Government justify this spending? What did Guyana get from Mr Nagamootoo’s multimillion-dollar trips?

Editor, average Guyanese are already facing hardships as a result of actions taken by the APNU/ AFC Government, which promised us better, and in face of these hardships we see how taxpayers’ monies are being used.

The prime minister was

in the front line talking about “fat cats” under the last government. What is he saying now?

The Guyanese people deserve straight answers on this.

Sincerely, Baldeo Mathura

Undoing the prefix in Guyana Dear Editor, There is a Guyanese proverb, “Wha rain can’t full, dew can’t full.” It means, if it didn’t work, nothing else will make it happen. This proverb seems to be a reality in the politics of Guyana.

We have tried hard to unite the nation through various means but invariably, we have failed because of the divisive political adherents.

On the part of the political arena, we have tried to unite this nation or not? We have to acknowledge humbly that humans are selfish beings and by all means we will try to put forward an ideology that suits our own selfish interests. The last few weeks have proved that politicians can never unite this nation that is supposed to uphold the slogan, “one people.”

In the wake of the political situation in the nation, should the church or religious bodies speak up?

Should we prove the aforementioned proverb untrue?

True religion will cer-

tainly care for the holistic growth of its believers, namely, body and spirit or temporal and spiritual. If the religion does not care for these two realities of the devotees, then the religions will fail in its teachings of justice and peace, for every religion must promote justice and peace, which are two important attributes of God. The Catholic Social Teaching emphasises two important aspects, namely, life and dignity of human person and solidarity as one human family. Every Christian must uphold these aspects because we believe that God created humans in his own image and likeness.

If we try to divide the people based on political ideologies or the colour of their skin, we certainly go against the teaching of Christianity by distorting the image and likeness of God. Are we subtly led by our leaders to distort the image and likeness of God?

There is a fearful tendency among church people that politics is a dirty game and this dirty game must be played in the church. This makes one to stay away from any political issues in the nation. This tendency is the hot cake for the political leaders. Hence, on the one hand, people remain cold towards political differences; and on the other hand politicians truly enjoy because it matches their way of life. In other words, politics is the opium of the mass. As long as this opium is ingested, politicians will keep enjoying their freedom.

In this nation, politicians have got freedom and the people have not yet got the freedom. They still live under the colonisation of the elect few. This is the new way of colonisation. Just think for a moment, how many of the politicians truly care for the poor? How many political leaders have true concern for the poor who still live in ‘logies’ and in the

swamps? How many of our politicians have ever donated their fat salary to build a decent shelter for the poor?

Our political situation must be everyone’s concern. We need to begin with “Politics Matters”, hence, every religion, organisation, and institution must speak up objectively by applying those teachings of Christ – life and dignity for all humans and care for the poor and vulnerable. No politician should tell us you are Indo-Guyanese or AfroGuyanese. The prefix must be erased and only the suffix should matter to us because we are truly Guyanese and we are citizens of Guyana and not citizens Indo or Afro-Guyanese. If we can organise our families, business and institutions so well, why not organise our own nation.

After all, we make the nation, not one or two political leaders. Let us go and get it.

Sincerely, Name withheld

NEWS

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Illegal aircraft

Govt moves to strengthen communication with communities

F

ollowing last year’s discovery of an illegal aircraft off an airstrip in Yupukari, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and subsequent recommendations made by a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) established to probe the incident, the Guyana Government has since taken certain steps to strengthen communication between residents at the community level and authorities at both the regional administration and security levels.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters on Friday when questioned about actions taken by Government in response to the recommendations by the CoI, “We have also put in place regular communication between these communities and the region and the centre. So we have now

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

a facility to pass information much quicker than we had in the past”.

The CoI report was presented to the National Assembly on Thursday last.

“So, some of these things were the direct result of

the Commission of Inquiry which was done. We have also re-established communications with some of the persons in the villages, persons who can provide information on a timely basis to the Administration,” he added.

Among the findings of the Inquiry, which was led

by Brigadier (Ret’d) Edward Collins, was information relating to the illegal activities involving aircraft and airstrips in the Rupununi, was in the intelligence community but not shared. The Commission noted too that there was no existing structure in the Joint Services to disseminate information received by either of the services deployed in the region to end users.

To this end, it was recommended, among other things, “That the structure

and functions of the Regional Intelligence Committee be reviewed to cater for the involvement of the Village Intelligence Committee.”

Consequently, the Minster of State outlined Government had a closer look at the way in which the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in region were structured including their command structures.

“We’ve already made some changes based on that recommendations, we’ve made some changes at the senior level of the management of the Police Force in the region and we’ve actually looked at the way in which the Police and the Army patrol those communities,” the Minister said.

He went on to say they have recognised that there was a failure to regularly

The illegal aircraft found at Yupukari

communicate with the citizens of the far flung communities, and as such efforts were made to re-established two structures aimed at improving intelligence sharing at all levels. These structures are the Regional Intelligence Committee and District Intelligence Committees.

“These (District) Committees comprise of citi-

zens in the communities, the Police and military officers where there are military posts, as well as the administration represented in that region. So when they meet, sometimes on a fort-nightly basis or sometimes on a monthly basis, they will have a collaboration of information,” Harmon stated. turn to page 16

Dignified way we carry The GECOM situation out our business here does not bode well Dear Editor, Last Wednesday, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and its members were out exercising their first amendment rights in peaceful protest. That protest was conducted first on the streets, then in a classic display in the Parliament chambers itself. It was a people’s protest. We, the people, were showing this Government of sorts, that we would not be bullied into acceptance of a blatant violation of our Constitution. We, the people, are standing up for our rights, we are showing the Granger Government that bullyism and a disregard for the democratic norms that govern society would not be tolerated. And I am glad that it was done be-

fore the watchful eyes of the international community, in the presence of the USA Ambassador in particular.

And Mr Ambassador, there were no channa bombs, no shootings or looting, no killings, Georgetown was not a towering inferno. We had none of that! The international community by verbal note needs to report to their respective jurisdictions the dignified way we carry out our business here. I rest my case.

Now, I will pause here to address a few of the local spin doctors who saw this exercise as disrespect to the President? Oh please! Why throw the blame over on our side, please address the issue at stake here, and don’t hide your head in the sand like an ostrich. President

Granger has shown total disregard for law and order, he has thrown down all the established norms that govern society.

So, the Granger Administration has a serious problem on its hand and will continue to have the uphill task of stemming the democratic fervour that has been engraved in the psyche of this nation. Mr President, you have a very daunting task ahead of you, I wish you well.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, The new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, James Patterson is already facing questions about his ability to act in an impartial way in heading the Elections Commission, as well as questions about his integrity.

Integrity, according to President David Granger, is an important factor in deeming a person “fit and proper” to be appointed as GECOM Chairman. So while Patterson admits that he lied on his CV, does that not speak about his lack of integ-

rity? Should he not resign as the GECOM Chairman?

The Guyana Times newspaper on Friday, November 3, 2017, reported that Patterson admitted to being friends with former People’s National Congress (PNC) Leader Desmond Hoyte. This second admission and the fact that Patterson was a pallbearer at a private PNC funereal ceremony for Hoyte, brings us back to the question about Patterson’s ability

to act in an impartial manner. If Patterson remains in the post, more questions about why the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government wants him in that position will be raised.

This situation does not bode well for the state of confidence in future electoral processes.

Regards, Cedric Lord

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

MEDICAL W TOURISM

7 reasons to consider travelling for medical care

By Josef Woodman

I

Anu Dev

t's November, which means that it's Tourism Month again. This year, the theme is "Sustainable tourism- A Tool for Development" I was a bit surprised, however, that medical tourism wasn't touted at the launch of the Month, since this is one of the most lucrative and growing areas of tourism. A few years back, when I was still at Queen’s, medical tourism was in the air in conjunction with the proposed “Specialty Hospital”. But even if the latter has been shelved, it doesn’t mean the former has to die. Just like other types of tourism, “medical tourism” -as the quote above reminds us -- is a special reverse type of import; here, the import (the medical tourist) actually comes to buy the product (medical treatment), and leaves the foreign funds here, rather than sending it abroad!

And those “foreign funds” are astronomical. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), medical

Medical tourism can be considered a kind of import: instead of the product coming to the consumer, as it does with cars or sneakers, the consumer is going to the product - James Suroweicki tourism contributed 9 per cent of global GDP (more than US$6 trillion) and accounted for 255 million jobs in 2011.

So, while our regular tourist numbers are inching ever upwards, I believe we should keep on keeping on in that area; especially since we have several medical schools here, and another is slated to open next year -- which I understand will have an adjunct hospital.

Medical tourism brings in more than twice the spending of foreign tourists; so while we’re not going to be exactly overrun by tourists in downtown Georgetown, you’d be surprised how many relatives, friends and ‘significant others’ of patients will fill up the Marriott, Pegasus, Ramada Princess, and all the other smaller hotels that now dot our dare I say it – once and future Garden City.

With angioplasties (for instance) going for $100,000 in the US (and we are talking about US greenbacks here!)

versus the $11,000 that India charges -- even if we go to $15,000 -- there’s still a lot of wriggle room for the surgery to be done here. And rake in all the side benefits of regular tourism.

And what the studies on the major players in medical medicine – India, Thailand -- have shown is that, having come for the medical treatment, the foreign patients do get an opportunity to see the country and its attractions. And why shouldn’t they come to see our dear land of Guyana? We have so many beautiful sights to behold and places to visit.

The land itself has done half of the work, all we Guyanese have to do is to market the beauty! And medical tourism can be another arrow in our marketing quiver to do this.

Brazil is also a big player in medical tourism.

Another type of medical tourist that we can attract would be our Guyanese diaspora in the US and

Canada, which is fighting socialised medicine tooth and nail – no matter what they say about Obamacare. For some reason, not many officials talk about the number of these “foreigners” who return here to have their dentures replaced. They cost at least ten times less than in the US. Maybe our Speciality Hospital can also do dental surgery, as for instance Costa Rica does.

In the latter country, dental care can cost as much as 70 per cent less than in the United States. More than 40,000 medical tourists visited Costa Rica in 2011, a third for dental care. Guyana, like Costa Rica, is but a short trip from the United States, and it offers orthopedics, cardiology, spine, cosmetic and bariatric (obesity) surgery.

So let's think – and act outside the box and watch our tourism revenues swell! And not so incidentally provide higher paid employment to our swelling number of doctors!

hy go abroad for medical care? Here are seven reasons.

1. Cost savings. Most people like to get the most for their dollar. The single biggest reason Americans travel to other countries for medical treatment is the opportunity to save money. Depending upon the country and type of treatment, uninsured and underinsured patients, as well as those seeking elective care, can realize 15 to 85 per cent savings over the cost of treatment in the United States.

The costs listed in this table are for surgery (except as noted), including the hospital stay in a private, single-bed room. Airfare and lodging costs are governed by individual preferences. To compute a ballpark estimate of total costs, add $5000 to the amounts shown in the table for you and a companion, figuring coach airfare and hotel rooms averaging $150 per night.

2. Better-quality care.

Veteran health travellers know that facilities, instrumentation, and customer service in treatment centres abroad often equal or exceed those found in the United States.

Governments of countries such as India and Thailand have poured billions of dollars into improving their healthcare systems, which are now aggressively catering to the international health traveller.

Physicians and staff in treatment centres abroad are often far more accessible than their US counterparts. "My surgeon gave me his cellphone number, and I spoke directly with him at least a dozen times during my stay," said David P, who travelled to Bangkok for a heart valve replacement.

3. Excluded treatments.

Even the most robust health insurance plans exclude a variety of conditions and treatments. You, the policyholder, must pay these expenses out of pocket.

Although health insurance policies vary according to the underwriter and individual, your plan probably excludes a variety of treatments, such as cosmetic surgeries, dental care, vision treatments, reproductive/ infertility procedures, certain nonemergency cardiovascular and orthopaedic surgeries, weight loss programs, substance abuse rehabilitation, and prosthetics – to name only a few. In addition, many policies place restrictions on prescriptions (some quite expensive), postoperative

care, congenital disorders, and pre-existing conditions.

4. Specialty treatments.

Some procedures and prescriptions are simply not allowed in America. Either Congress or the Food and Drug Administration has specifically disallowed a certain treatment, or perhaps it's still in the testing and clinical trials stage or was only recently approved.

Such treatments are often offered abroad. One example is an orthopaedic procedure known as hip resurfacing, a less expensive alternative to the traditional hip replacement still practiced in the United States.

5. Shorter waiting periods.

For decades, thousands of Canadian and British subscribers to universal, "free" healthcare plans have endured waits as long as two years for established procedures. "Some of us die before we get to the operating table," commented one exasperated patient, who journeyed to India for an openheart procedure. Here in the United States, long waits are a growing problem, particularly among war veterans covered under the Veterans Administration Act, for whom long queues are becoming far too common.

6.

More "inpatient friendly." As US health insurance companies apply increasing pressure on hospitals to process patients as quickly as possible, outpatient procedures are becoming the norm. Similarly, US hospitals are under huge pressure to move inpatients out of those costly beds as soon as possible. Medical travellers will welcome the flexibility at the best hospitals abroad, where they are often aggressively encouraged to spend extra time in the hospital postprocedure.

7. The lure of the new and different. Although travelling abroad for medical care can be challenging, many patients welcome the chance to blaze a trail, and they find the creature comforts often offered abroad a welcome relief from the sterile, impersonal hospital environments so often encountered in US treatment centres. For others, simply being in a new and interesting culture lends distraction to an otherwise worrisome, tedious process. And getting away from the myriad obligations of home and professional life can yield healthful effects at a stressful time. What's more, travel – and particularly international travel – can be a life-changing experience. (Excerpted from health.usnews.com)

news

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sunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Times columnist Ryhaan Shah’s car hijacked at gunpoint

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un-wielding bandits on Saturday afternoon attacked and hijacked a motorcar from Guyana Times columnist and cultural activist and novelist Ryhaan Shah outside her Irving Street, Georgetown home. The incident occurred sometime around 13:20h as the woman pulled up in front her house.

Speaking with this publication, a traumatised Shah recalled that she arrived home and exited the vehicle to open the gate, when she was pounced upon.

“There was this guy with a gun and he scrambled me… in reacting, I was trying to fight back in a sense, and then next thing I knew he was scrambling my hand. I thought he was after my watch, but he took the car keys out of my hands.”

Shah, who was also a nominee for the GECOM Chair on the Opposition Leader’s first list disclosed that there were two other perpetrators nearby and the gunman threw the keys to one of his accomplices. The trio then hopped into the silver-grey Toyota Allion motorcar, bearing registration number PLL 1127, and immediately drove off.

“I stood out there screaming and shouting for thief but nobody helped. It happened so quickly, in a

easy to attack her.”

Shah further detailed that the hijackers were not masked and while she did not get to have a good look at their faces, they were three young Afro-males.

In recent months, there

Carjacking victim Ryhaan Shah shortly after the incident

matter of a couple seconds.”

When asked, Shah could not say where the men appeared from or if they were nearby waiting on her.

“I wasn’t paying attention to who was there… It’s a busy road, and there is a bus stop right there so if you see people standing around you wouldn’t think much of it. I wasn’t conscious that I was in any danger or that there was anyone around looking at me. It was just very, very sudden.”

According to Shah, a neighbour saw what transpired and called the Police.

“She too said the guys suddenly appeared and then, she realised it was a robbery and immediately called 911 and give them the number of the car and

the direction in which they went.”

Shah noted that the woman had her son in the vehicle, so she could not have given chase after the hijackers.

Nevertheless, she assisted in taking the political activist to the Alberttown Police Station to make a report.

“I don’t know if they’ve taken the car to go and do a robbery, and will then abandoned it after or if they going to strip the car.” The woman believes that the perpetrators were watching her for some time and knew her movements.

“I think they had probably seen me coming in before and know that I’m alone…

So they thought she’s vulnerable and it’s probably

has been a spike in vehicular hijacking cases. The Guyana Police Force had previously warned taxi operators of carjackers, who have amped up attacks on Toyota Allion and Toyota Premio motorcars under

the pretext of wanting taxis.

However, these perpetrators have since upped their modus operandi and are now going directly to owners, attacking them and hijacking their vehicles.

8 news

SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

TB-stricken murder accused to remain under guard at GPHC ...pending doctor’s advice

H

aving finally been captured after evading Police for six years, murder accused Carlton Blake was taken to be arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

He was, however, ordered to be returned to the isolation unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) after Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan became skeptical about tolerating a person with a contagious disease not only in her courtroom, but to dwell among the general prison population.

Blake remained in the holding area while medical staff from the hospital ap-

peared before the chief magistrate to explain that the prisoner is suffering from tuberculosis and diabetes.

As such, it was recommended that he should not be kept in a populated area in the prison, hence he is being held under Police guard in the isolation unit at the GPHC.

Magistrate McLennan has indicated that doctor’s advice will be sought as to when the accused would be ready for arraignment in court on the charges he faces.

This decision was made in consideration of the welfare of the public and the risk to which Blake would expose the prison population.

In December of 2011, Blake was allegedly involved in a robbery which

left Cleveland Smithet dead and two others injured at the Black Sand Five Star Backdam in the North-West District (Region One).

Reports indicate that the deceased, in the company of his brother and another miner, was on his way out of the mining area when the travelling party was accosted by gunmen who demanded gold. Not satisfied with what they received, the men fired shots at Cleveland Smithet, killing him, even as they proceeded to discharge bullets at the others who attempted to escape, injuring them.

Blake was reportedly identified as one of the suspects, but he had been on the run since the incident.

He was recently nabbed by Police. The matter has been put down to December 4.

Hysteria…

T

…by PM

he year hasn’t even come to a close and our peripathetic (sic) PM has already clocked up $22 million is airfare for himself and his better half.

But then you really can’t blame the fella, can you?

Promised a very onerous job description as a PM on steroids in a signed, sealed and witnessed Accord, what is he to do when he discovers he’s gotten Larwah?

He might as well enjoy the ride (literally!! After all the only responsibility he actually got was to be the nominal head of “government business” in the National Assembly. And we emphasise “nominal” since when the Speaker looks over to check what the Government intends to do during sessions, he sure doesn’t look over to the PM!! And don’t say it ain’t so, Joe!!

Anyhow, with the AFC’s support disappearing faster than a snow cone in Hell, the PM has obviously put some thought to how he can keep on getting those perks -- apart from the jet-setting -- that he’s become used to in his old age. How do you keep him down at Whim, once he’s seen the bright lights of Main Street??!! Come to think of it, the PM never did report back to the Guyanese people as to how were the digs on Main Street, after he threw out the rats from the ovens and had the place redone, refurbished, relit and air conditioned. And those land cruisers do have some real bright lights!!

Anyhow, with the AFC having been confirmed as “dead meat” for some time now, we can discern the PM’s ploy to secure his sinecure in the post-2020 rigged future. He’s going to be the attack dog against the PPP in general and Jagdeo in particular. Did you see or hear him in action defending those dastardly PPPites who were attacking his dearly beloved Prezzie?

Nagamootoo actually accused the PPP and Jagdeo of practising “domestic terrorism” and “guerrilla warfare” in Parliament with their placards and chants!!

Domestic terrorism?? Wasn’t he amongst the PPP MPs who introduced and passed the local “Domestic Terrorism Act”? He’s supposed to have passed his legal exams…did he even read the Act? If Jagdeo terrifies him, that doesn’t count as “domestic terrorism”!!

Even we all know he’s very domesticated!!

But has he forgotten the fella who he swears was his political guru and after whom he’s patterned his life - Cheddi Jagan - behaved worse in Parliament? In fact, Cheddi actually knocked down law books and even the Mace - the symbol of the power of Parliament!!

In fact, if the PM had any guts (Now! Now! Dear Reader…not THOSE guts!!) he’d act up in Parliament to get what Cummingsburg promised!!

…about Police Top Brass

In the brouhaha over the Affaire Patterson, folks seem to be missing our Guyanese version of Stalin’s Great Purge extending into the Police Force. In the original version, of course, Stalin would extend the purge to every institution of the state in his quest to become the Supreme Ruler. Here, in grubby old Guyana, the efforts are inescapably on a smaller scale - but no less vicious and effective.

First, they came for the PPP appointees in the Civil Service and Government “autonomous” corporations… thousands of them. And no one said anything. Then they came for the bigger ones via the “Forensic Audits” -- which are the fig leaves, not to necessarily convict them of any crimes, since none was committed, but to murder the accused reputations.

And now they’re turning on their “own”, because they’re not quite “PNC born”. They’re starting with the entire top brass of the Police Force, and where they’ll stop, who knows.

If Joe Singh can be deemed not “fit and proper”, who cannot be purged?

…by the Chronic

The Chronic claimed “the PPP hurled unsavoury comments towards Prezzie” when he was giving his speech. And what were these “unsavoury statements”, pray tell? “Pay the teachers more”! “More jobs for young people”.

Ah well…this is a country just for old men!!

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

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Auditor General 2016 report finds

Environmental disaster looming at Kato

A view of a pristine river in Kato

T

he 2016 Auditor General Report has found that the $62.9 million project aimed at rehabilitating the Kato airstrip has been delayed. But more worrying is that it has also been found that there is a looming environmental disaster and danger to residents of the area, caused by improperly stored toxic chemicals intended to be used in the project.

It is understood that a physical verification of the lagging project was carried out on July 3, 2017. In his report, Auditor General Deodat Sharma noted that while the advance bond was still valid, no works or mobilisation had been started. The physical verification also revealed huge quantities of bituminous chemicals being stored in perforated and leaking drums.

Bitumen is a black substance composed of hydrocarbons which can be derived from petroleum distillation residue or are naturally obtained. It is solid, semi-solid or vicious and is primarily used in the paving of roads.

Kato, located in PotaroSiparuni region, is well known for its exceptional beauty, pristine waterfalls and tourism potential.

But according to the Auditor General, the improperly stored bituminous chemicals will result in environmental issues if it comes into contact with the community’s waterways or wells.

Ministry takes no responsibility

In its response to the Auditor General’s findings, the Public Infrastructure Ministry threw the blame at the contractor. According to the Ministry, the drums of bitumen are the property of the contractor and its storage is thus the entity’s responsibility.

However, the Ministry admitted that it was notified subsequent to the drums being stored on the site that some were punctured. It noted that this most likely happened during transportation.

“However, the Ministry would raise this issue with the contractor,” the Ministry stated in response. “The leak was later contained by covering with sand and it was reported that there are no other leaking drums. We do acknowledge the grave environmental implications and the potential of the pollution of waterways. However, we believe that the mitigation measures will adequately contain the leak and prevent seepage into the ground or surface water.”

In its recommendations, the Auditor General urged that all bituminous material be properly stored in order to avoid spillage.

The Kato project is part of a larger multimillion-dollar project to build and upgrade Hinterland/Coastal airstrips. Some $241.5 million was allocated to complete the Mahdia airstrip, as well as to rehabilitate the Kato, Eteringbang, Annai, Paramakatoi, Kurupung, Kopinang and Monkey Mountain airstrips.

A supplementary allocation of $110 million was also issued, bringing the total revised allocation to $351.5 million. According to the Auditor General, $310.4 million was expended as of December 31, 2016.

Delay

The contract itself was signed on October 10, 2016 and gave the contractor a 40-week timeframe for completion and a defects liability period of 12 months.

A defects liability period is supposed to ensure that contractors can remedy any defective work following the completion of a project.

The works were supposed to comprise of clearing vegetation and debris from areas within the airstrip and excavation of soft spots, supplying and replacing granular sub base material. In addition, they were supposed to compact the bitumen and apply a double bituminous surface treatment (DBST).

In addition, the contractor was supposed to grade and compact the runway

shoulder and install a wind sack. As at December 31, 2016, $22.9 million in total was paid to the contractor.

In its response to the Audit Office’s comments about the delays, the Ministry noted that the contractor presented a work plan stipulating that the Kopinang airstrip would be worked on first, then Kato.

The Ministry noted that while its initial assessment backed this plan, the onset of rainy season threw a wrench in the plans. It noted that the rain made the trail impassable and the contractor’s request for an extension up to October 30, 2017, was approved. It admitted that while the advance payment was not recovered, the payment bond was still in effect.

The Auditor General recommended that the Ministry explain why no action was taken against the contractor for not proceeding with the work. It also requested copies of the Advance Payment Bond and Performance Bond be submitted for audit examination.

10 news Charity residents calling for road upgrade sunDAY, november 5, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Drivers trying to navigate their way through potholes on one of the roads in Charity

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esidents of Charity and surrounding communities in Region Two (E/bo Coast) are expressing concern at the deplorable condition of several roads within

the Charity/Ursara Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

Roads into the villages, including the main access road, are filled with huge potholes, and during the

rainy season, these holes make it difficult for drivers to access the area or to continue their journey.

According to residents, vehicles accessing the area were on several occasions stuck in the huge potholes.

Residents contend that despite several reports having been made to the Regional Administration, nothing has been done.

Only recently, Chairman of the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce, Deleep Singh, posted on his social media facebook page what he termed the “struggles residents/ drivers have to go through.”

Singh said he also had made representation on behalf of residents, but, to date, instead of being upgraded, the roads have worsened. Singh has since called on the Government to intervene to have the regional administration look into the situation.

Order in the House

S

atiricus was all agog at the goings on in Parliament.

As usual, he knew he’d have to defend his leaders Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat in the Back Street Bar gyaaf. He felt very lonely nowadays as day by day, his friends in the KFC were jumping ship as it headed onto rocky shores.

“Budday! Who ah de Security Minista?” asked Bungi even before Satiricus could take his seat. “Rum Jhaat or Nagga Man?” “Rum Jhaat,” answered Satiricus, uncertainly. “Why you ask?”

“Man, me hear Nagga Man call Jaggo Bai wan “domestic terraris’!” Bungi chuckled. “Yuh know if ‘e check wid Rum Jhaat?”

“Rum Jhaat gat ‘e own trouble,” grinned Cappo. “Yuh notice how dem a fyah all ‘e Police big wan dem!”

“But let’s get back to Nagga Man getting his buckta all in a knot,” said Hari. “How he could accuse Jagdesh of crossing the line when he calls waving a placard “domestic terrorism?”

“Well it’s the context, you know,” offered Satiricus.

“This was Parliament!”

“Suh Prezzie can stick ‘e finga in abee country eye, an’ Jago must skin ‘e teet’ in Parlament?” demanded Cappo.

“Well, Prezzie has his opinion and Jagdesh has his,” said Satiricus. “Can’t they agree to disagree?”

“Sato old friend,” said Hari. “This isn’t whether Jago like Banks and Prezzie likes Stag. This is promising Jago one thing for the country’s good and then doing the opposite!”

“But na only da,” interrupted Bungi. “Pick sense fram nansense. Wha’ mek Prezzie guh pick dis big fight fuh Patto?”

“Chief Patto!” grinned Cappo before Satiricus could answer. “’Wha’ mek ‘e pick Dessie ole fr’en if nah fuh rig de elekshan?”

“But we don’t know that!” protested Satiricus.

“Suh if wan cyar knack yuh down waan time, and yuh see ya come again,” said Cappo. Yuh guh wait fuh ‘e knack yuh dong before yuh jump a-side?”

Satiricus knew when to stay quiet.

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

GPHC parliamentary visit

Emergency unit plagued by systematic deficiencies …doctors overworked …surgeries cancelled due to overcrowding

Placing race above the law A W

and that the deficiencies in drugs need to be addressed.

They also suggested that referral patients coming to the hospital who were not critical can be attended to at their respective health centres. The doctors expressed safety concerns for the staff, since there have been incidents before where staff were verbally and physically abused,” the report states.

By Jarryl Bryan

By Ryhaan Shah

henever the talk turns to race relations in Guyana, two clichés are commonplace: we talk of “healing the divide”; and that the Indian/African conflict is contained to the elections cycle. Neither statement is true but there is a general willingness to embrace the untruths because there is, as yet, none of the courage needed to confront and effectively deal with the reality.

To speak of “healing” the divide assumes that there was once a wholeness that became broken and which must now be mended. This was never the case. The Indian indentured labourer from the moment of his arrival was an individual who was dismissed as an alien, latecomer, outsider, interloper, etc, by the freed Africans slaves. Like the Portuguese and Chinese labourers before him, he was viewed with hostility by Africans who felt that his presence reduced their bargaining power with the plantation owners.

To the British colonials, the Indian was simply a tool of labour and any animus that arose naturally among the various race groups suited their “divide and rule” stratagem which assured their security from any largescale rebellion.

When the campaign to end the indentureship programme began in India, the League of Coloured People in then British Guiana supported it but not for any of the humanitarian reasons.

The African community, by then, feared that the growing population of Indians would eventually outnumber them and rob them of the social, economic and political inheritance they felt was rightfully theirs because of their prior longer presence and their history of slavery and suffering.

This idea of greater African Guyanese entitlement is continuously forwarded by various African Guyanese groups and recent letters to the press from the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Rastafarians, and other African Guyanese associations on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chair issue reveal that this entitlement gives paramountcy to racial considerations even over the law.

In its commendation of Granger’s illegal move to fill the GECOM chair with People’s National Congress (PNC) affiliate James Patterson, a group of Rastafarians has stated that it is a headcount of how many Africans and how many Indians that matters for “our sacred space and consciousness” rather than any constitutionality.

As for Indian Guyanese not wanting to be ruled by an “African Leader”, as stated by ACDA, it is not only that Indians voted for the APNU/AFC coalition to give them that slim majority that returned the PNC to power, but that over the years Indian Guyanese have fled to other Caribbean states – Barbados, Antigua, Suriname – which will always have African leadership.

Juxtapose this willingness with the solid vote cast for the PNC by African Guyanese in 1992 after nearly 30 years of the PNC dictatorship which left the country in ruins. It remains one of the most racist acts ever documented in Guyana’s political history and reveals the complete unwillingness of African Guyanese to be governed by an Indian-led Administration.

This racial solidarity has never been shaken and while African Guyanese feel fully entitled to thinking and acting as a racial bloc, they hardly ever recognise that other ethnic and race groups should be extended the same privilege.

There is no level playing field when one group asserts more rights and privileges than every other and can ever be allowed an ad hoc adherence to the law. This said, the PNC has a history of operating outside of the law through rigged elections, and human rights and press freedom violations that were hallmarks of its past dictatorship.

Whether this too arises from a feeling of greater entitlement, it should be noted that the Constitution of Guyana is the sacred, common ground of democratic values and principles formulated to guide our nation’s development and to act as the sole and just arbiter in matters that threaten stability and order.

For any one group to try and upend the role of this globally recognised civilising force would threaten the very foundations of the state. And Guyana has been there before – during the Burnham era.

The outcome of the GECOM chair issue will determine whether Guyana will be returned to that state of affairs or have a chance to build on the democratic gains made since 1992.

While most of the citizenry view the unilateral appointment of Patterson as the dangerous first step to the rigged electoral system that kept the PNC in power before, the PNC’s support base of African Guyanese are defending the move in a show of solidarity that places race above all considerations of constitutionality and the law.

These are perilous times and Guyana’s future is in jeopardy of being a repetition of the PNC past.

visit to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) by the Social Services Committee of Parliament has unearthed systematic deficiencies affecting the health-care service being provided to the average citizen.

A special report from the committee details that staff at the Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E) of the hospital, are grappling with cramped space, shortages of staff and drugs and poor maintenance of equipment in this most critical of units.

The parliamentary delegation, which was led by Chairperson of the Sectoral Committee, Dr Vindhya Persaud, was debriefed by Dr Zulficar Bux upon arriving at the unit. According to a report from that visit, the A&E has 18 beds and a staff of 16 doctors assisted by nurses.

These beds, the reports noted, are expected to cater for 60 to 100 patients.

Dr Bux revealed that these 16 doctors see between 100 to 200 patients per day, including referrals. There have been cases, the report revealed, where elective surgeries we're cancelled due to this overcrowding.

The parliamentary report notes that the supervisor of the nursing school informed delegates that indeed there is a shortage of nurses across Guyana. It was pointed out that advertisements have been sent out in an effort to employ more nurses.

The A&E unit, which Dr Bux noted was critical and should be given priority concern, is equipped with three Electrocardiograph (ECG) machines. It also features 18 monitors. But maintenance is an issue.

"Dr Bux noted that the issue of maintenance of equipment has been challenging to the department, since there is a lack of qualified persons in the country to maintain those equipment, hence maintenance could take some time," the report reveals, adding that equipment such as the ECG machines are vital to the department.

Other issues in the department which Dr Bux brought to the committee's attention was the length of time, six to eight hours, it took for lab results to be returned. He noted that there is also no portable X-Ray machine in the department, which adds to the woes in delivering efficient patient care.

According to the report, GPHC Chairman

Recommendations

Head of the A&E unit Dr Zulficar Bux

Kesaundra Alves informed the Committee that the GPHC Board had invited several departments to submit a document outlining their needs. These departments; A&E, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics and the Maternity Ward, were asked to include requests for drugs, machines, equipment and medical supplies in this document.

The Committee noted that when asked, other doctors reiterated the need for more staff as the current staff were overworked and burnt out due to long hours of work.

"They further stated that elective surgeries are cancelled due to emergencies in the department

The Committee recommended a number of measures it deemed necessary to improve health services being offered at the facility to the citizenry and those in need. As a start, it recommended the A&E staff complement be boosted with 30 doctors and nine nurses. In addition, it recommended that a trained specialist be kept at the department to maintain its machines and equipment.

“Remuneration package for nurses should be reviewed in order to retain them. The GPHC should be manned by armed security personnel, male and female, on a 24-hour basis.

Security system should be put in place to protect staff against unruly patients or their family members,”

the Committee also recommended in their report.

The Committee also urged the hospital management to address issues with space in the A&E unit as soon as possible.

And it was recommended that a Paediatric section, an isolation room for tuberculosis patients and a decontamination room be created within the unit.

“The A&E department should have a lab in the department to assist it with its work. A portable X-Ray and two additional portable ultrasound machines should be acquired for this department. Training should be made available on a continuous basis for both doctors and nurses,” the parliamentary committee further recommended.

At the time of the Committee’s drama filled visit, May 3, 2017, they had already visited several other health centres and hospitals around the country. GPHC was the fourth such visit. Their report on the visit was presented to the National Assembly since August 4, 2017.

With the National Budget scheduled to be read later this month, it remains to be seen what provisions will be made for Guyana’s primary public hospital.

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Indian national robbed of car, money on Kitty seawall The duo subsequently shouted for help, and two young men in the area went to their assistance.

The duo was taken to the Kitty Police Station, where they reported the incident, but after visiting the scene with a Police rank, they were advised to instead make a report to the Alberttown Police Station.

The two men who had

The politics of entitlement

L

ast week, I reprised one explanation of the dynamics of our politics in Guyana from a paper I wrote in 1998, after the “disorders” of Jan 12 of that year, when several hundred Indians were beaten in the streets of Georgetown by PNC supporters protesting the results of the Dec 1997 elections. I did so because I saw unfortunate signs of its recurrence.

Donald Horowitz summarised those dynamics in a simple equation: Group Worth + Group Legitimacy = Group Entitlement Last week, I wrote about the proclivity of groups in plural societies to compare their situation against other groups, and their predilection to categorise the actions of “out groups” negatively. When questions of group worth arising from the comparison are coupled with claim by group(s) to Ravi Dev greater legitimacy, this translates into a “politics of entitlement”; i.e., the latter groups will demand greater entitlement to the national patrimony.

With the state as the arbiter of the allocation of who gets what, when and how, the perception of being denied their “due greater share” precipitates a struggle to control the state. Where the group that has suffered in comparison to its “group worth” is also the group that is claiming greater group legitimacy (eg, “greater suffering”) but this claim is contested by the other groups, the potential for extreme behaviour rises exponentially because of the politics of entitlement they will pursue. The claim is contested most often when the groups are of comparable size, as in Fiji, Guyana or Trinidad.

The assertion of greater legitimacy is the dominant posture of the African community in Guyana today (1998), as is their politics of entitlement that demands abandoning the norms` of equal treatment and opportunity. Normally, such groups will demand greater educational or business opportunities, but the real problem arises when such groups do not concede the right of any other group than themselves to govern. They will insist on departure from the majoritarian principle of democracy, and in fact would even go as far as imposing a minority dictatorship. This is the position of the PNC on behalf of the African community in Guyana since its formation in 1958, and is the fear behind Indian’s resistance to President Granger’s unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chair Indians and Africans in Guyana do not only view those who are the “rulers” from an instrumental standpoint, but from a symbolic perspective that is at the heart of “group worth”. It is not the individual per se who is important, but which group he is seen to symbolise or represent. Power thus becomes an end in itself. Because of the experience of the domination and humiliations by the previous masters, much emotion is invested into the identity of ruler: the symbolism is crucial. This process is magnified in the instance of Africans who had been enslaved, which was the most extreme alienation from power.

The PNC has done a great disservice by not pointing out to its African supporters that Africans still control most of the bases of power in Guyana: the Disciplined Forces, the Bureaucracy, the Judiciary and control of the capital of Georgetown. In 1998, by implying the office of the Presidency possessed all power, the PNC incited their supporters into violence to recapture their “birthright”.

Today with the PNC in power, they will do the same to keep it all.

The “group entitlements” are economic, psychosocial, political, etc “goods” which the group believes it is justifiably entitled to; and while historically determined, the economic and the political have become paramount.

These will normally be evaluated versus the conditions in the society that determine the group’s chances of getting what they believe they are “legitimately” entitled. Those conditions, such as support from the police, armed forces, and civil service (“kith and kin); and now capture of the government, will be exploited to literally “deliver the goods”.

But even when the goods are not delivered, as shown by the 1992 HIES, African-Guyanese still voted en masse for the PNC. In “the politics of “legitimacy”, groups do not judge their position in absolute terms and by intrinsic criteria, but by how well or not their opponents are doing.

The Indians had not done better.

T

The car with which the bandits escaped from the Kitty seawall

he Police have launched a manhunt for two bandits who relieved an Indian national of his motorcar, cash and cell phone in the vicinity of the Kitty Seawalls in Georgetown.

Based on information received, the 55-year-old man, an Engineer with Guyana Times, had gone to the Kitty Seawalls for a stroll, and he parked his car in the vicinity of the 1823 Slave Rebellion monument.

He met a friend and sat for a chat, but shortly afterwards, the female friend explained, she was feeling a gun to her rightside waist, and suddenly someone was instructing her not to move or raise an alarm.

She immediately looked up, and saw that another man had placed a knife to the Indian national’s neck.

The bandits relieved the man of his mobile phone. This newspaper was told that the attacker, who was wearing a black striped t-shirt and a pair of red jeans, then went into the man’s pocket and relieved him of $12,000

and two sets of keys -- one for his car and the other for his apartment.

As the ordeal continued, the bandit asked the Indian national to separate the car keys from the house keys. Upon doing so, the men ran towards the car, bearing registration number PNN 3428, and drove away, leaving the duo stranded on the seawalls.

attacked the duo were not masked, and were neatly dressed. The Indian national has been residing in Guyana for the past 11 years, but this is the first time, he has had such an experience. The motorcar, he noted, was not fully insured, but was under the third-party insurance.

Police are continuing their investigations.

14 news

SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Foster Care Month

CC&PA seeking prospective foster parents Younge’s Take …over 600 children in system

I

n observance of Foster Care Month, the Social Protection Ministry (MSP), in collaboration with the Childcare and Protection Agency (CC&PA), held a media workshop with the aim of raising awareness of the foster care programme, while looking to increase the list of prospective foster parents.

The programme was launched under the theme “Open your hearts, open your home and foster a

child.”

Speaking to media workers on Saturday, Director of CC&PA, Ann Green, said the workshop is aimed at sensitizing the media about the newly introduced mentorship programme as a value support system for young people in foster care.

Green further noted that family-based care is what is needed for children, and the agency is trying to provide that for those children.

Meanwhile, manager

of the programme, Colleen Khan, stated that foster care is considered an alternative care option for children who are abused and need to be placed in a safe and stable environment. Foster care also provides an appropriate family lifestyle for children who, for a variety of reasons, cannot live with their biological parents.

“It’s the agency policy to ensure that that child has a foster care placement in a residential care,” she told

Fit and Proper

the gathering. As such, the agency is asking for persons to get on board with the programme and sign up to be a foster parent.

Khan added that as at the end of October 2017, statistics showed that more than 600 children were placed in residential care, and 167 in state care.

The foster care programme was introduced to the Guyanese public in 2010 by the then Human Services Ministry.

British investor seeks to transform local coconut industry

H

aving recognised a lucrative future for Guyana’s coconut industry, British business entity Duncan Turnbull and Associates has invested in the acquisition of a 1000acre estate in the Pomeroon River, and has named the entity Pomeroon Trading Inc. British entrepreneur Duncan Turnbull has said he intends to utilize technology to improve the value chain and transform the local coconut industry.

Pomeroon Trading Inc is in the process of rehabilitation, whereby some 5000 trees would be planted on a monthly basis, and innovative intercropping techniques are being experimented with.

An aerial view of the 1000-acre coconut estate owned by Pomeroon Trading Incorporated

Commenting on the venture, Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr Oudho Homenauth, indicated that he was more than

happy to welcome the investors, whom he has no doubt would boost the nation’s coconut industry.

“The 1000 acres (estate) – which is very significant for the Pomeroon

-- was operating under capacity. It used to be flourishing, but with the decline of the industry years ago, it became semi-abandoned,” Dr Homenauth said.

He has applauded the manner in which the new investors went about executing their business plan.

Rehabilitation of the Pomeroon Trading Inc’s estate is a welcome investment which would help the estate to reach its full potential, Dr Homenauth has opined.

NAREI has pledged to the company its support in selecting the planting materials suitable for the Pomeroon area and providing training to its 30 workers.

“Our nursery at Charity will be supplying them with planting materials, and partnering with them on pioneering new intercrops that to date have not achieved scale in Guyana. The company is looking at crops that will have market value both locally and internationally… Pomeroon Trading Inc seems to be very progressive, and they have the necessary finances to do so, and that is why we are going to be partnering with them,” the NAREI CEO has indicated.

British investor Duncan Turnbull has said the company has secured sizeable investment from Europe, which would be poured into the local industry. continues on poge 15

P

resident David Granger’s Government continues every day to trample on the rights of the ordinary and poor people, which it vowed to protect, when it entered office back in May 2015. His Government does not appear to grasp or fully understand its role in office and its obligations to the populace. Years after coming to power, Granger’s Administration has failed miserably to better the lives of the people despite promising to do so on countless occasions. One is left to draw the conclusion after examining all of the blunders and blatant mistakes so far that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government may not be fit and proper to govern Guyana or take it into a golden age.

The recent Auditor General’s Report which was tabled in the National Assembly exposes the financial sins of Granger’s Government. It points out a pattern of reckless spending and the continued abuse of the Consolidated and Contingency Funds. The report also highlights the APNU/AFC’s inability to adhere to the laws governing contracts and procurement. This is most unfortunate because it was this very Michael Younge coalition that pledged itself to higher levels of transparency, accountability and adherence to the financial laws governing this country. It had lambasted the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on countless occasions for overspending, overpayment to contractors, financial mismanagement and the wastage of taxpayers’ funds. Now, these things have doubled under its watchful eyes according to the AG’s 2016 report even if no one in Granger’s Government will admit it.

Secondly, it is most unfortunate that over $175 million was spent on Commissions of Inquiry (CoIs) at the behest and sole discretion of President Granger, while citizens complain that they are unable to convince the Government that it should allocate more financial resources towards the immediate upgrade and rehabilitation of key access and community roads, better drainage and irrigation structures, more low-income house lots and better health care. The fact that so much money was spent on CoIs willy-nilly and the Government is still struggling to implement a significant portion of their recommendations is appalling to say the least.

Even if one was to put aside the fact that most of CoIs were unnecessary because they were investigating matters which were well ventilated in the public before or were subject to past inquires, the Government has to explain its inaction on the findings or its inability to achieve more policy positives and solutions as a direct result of these inquiries. Also, while Commissioners who were handpicked by the President and his men pocketed hundreds of thousands and in other cases millions of dollars, public servants were struggling to make ends meet with their minimum wage salaries and yearly five per cent top up. That money could have been spent directly on the people.

Thirdly, corruption under this Government is reaching alarming levels and it is becoming clearer that the coalition will not be able to lecture anyone on this subject matter. People are stealing and filling their pockets left, right and centre. While corruption was naked and barefaced under the PPP in some instances, it is now wearing make-up and clothes. It is now more dangerous and hard to detect unless one looks closely and has insiders working as moles to expose the misuse and abuse of taxpayers’ funds. In many instances, the Government is caught shamefully defending corruption and financial skullduggery. It has to adopt this approach because it is complicit and benefiting personally and politically from the proceeds of the corruption taking place at all levels of its bureaucratic machinery. How else can you explain the fancy upgrades and renovations taking place at Congress Place or the fact that taxpayers are made to pay for the education of part-time Ministers who still appear incompetent and overwhelmed by the demands of their portfolios? How else can you explain the millions spent to ensure that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has million-dollar upgrades at his reside and office? While the politicians within this Government enjoy the ‘good life’ and fancy cakes, citizens are left to make do with the crumbs.

Fourthly, public safety and security has not improved significantly under this heavily padded and militarised Government. Everyday honest and hardworking citizens are robbed and left to the mercy of criminals.

Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s incompetence aside, the Police Force is failing to arrest the crime situation because it is busy taking political directives. It is been transformed from a professional and independent State actor to an arm of the coalition. The CoI into the alleged assassination plot against the President was an excuse to undermine those senior lawmen who are opposing the interference and meddling in day to day operations of the Force. Which fit and proper Government does that in this modern age unless its game plan is to hold onto power and influence while using the Police to suppress its opponents? Guyanese must brace themselves for hard days ahead as 2020 approaches, because this Government’s end will justify its means. It should be more focused on improving the conditions of the lawmen, boosting their confidence and ability to have better relations with the public in order to effectively fight crime, and increasing its resources. Instead, it seems satisfied with the provision of bicycles instead of motor vehicles, more financial aid, Police stations and outposts, personnel and machinery. Criminals are happy because they are not being perused as vigorously as the Government is going after Jennifer Westford and others connected to the PPP. Finally, the Government has aimed but the mark in so many areas, including social cohesion, better race relations, protecting democratic freedoms and norms, good governance, building trust and wealth creation.

It seems however to have a knack for murky politics. It has an obsession with power and control. It believes that arrogance is confidence and the creation of alternative facts is more important than telling the truth. If this Government does not improve the quality of its politics, Guyana will continue on its downward trajectory. The APNU/AFC Government must occasion a policy shift and set its priorities right. It must put people first and politics after. It derives legitimacy from the people and its power is limited.

Granger’s Government is not fit and proper to govern this democracy and until it does introspection and implements changes, Guyanese must reject them and speak out against all its excesses.

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Mental health counselling centre underway tiative and it will help persons to deal with the stresses of life,” Green told the gathering of media workers.

The project is said to have special focus placed on

The efficient market hypothesis and Guyana’s financial market:

Is there any relevance?

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oday’s presentation is largely academic in nature. But, in the end, I sought to draw a conclusion on whether this topical discussion is of relevance to Guyana’s Financial Market in respect to its operation and inherent structure – in practice.

The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) assumes that Financial Markets are efficient in terms of a plethora of information, news and communication involved, basically the availability and accessibility of information with respect to financial markets activities regarding the values of financial securities. Theoreticians of financial economics advocated that efficient markets constitute large numbers of market participants, characterised as rational profit maximizers actively competing to predict future values for individual securities on the basis of freely available current information within the market. Thus this assertion implies that, effectively, both individual and aggregate stock market fully reflect available information, and can integrate in current stock prices.

EMH encompasses three differently distinguished forms: strong form, semi-strong form, and weak form efficiency. A strong form efficiency exists where information (public, personal and confidential) is fully reflected and is incorporated in stock pricing; and therefore this in effect prohibits investors from achieving competitive advantage in their investment processes and strategies.

A semi-strong form exists where stock prices reflect publicly available financial information such as balance sheets, assets, announcement of listed companies etc.; and a weak efficiency exists where current stock prices reflect historic information, past stock prices to be specific, and as such they cannot be utilized for future predictions.

The Global Financial Crisis and the Efficient Market Hypothesis Many economists and analysts placed the blame on the efficient market hypothesis as one of the main contributors to the global financial crisis. However, others challenged and refuted this assumption. Proponents of the EMH highlighted that this claim was ‘wildly exaggerated’. It was argued that, despite the efficient market theory constitutes many obvious limitations, all good theories have limitations. In support of this premise, they pointed to the occurrence of the 1637 Dutch Tulip ‘mania’ as the first event of an asset bubble that has been recorded, followed by the South Sea Company Bubble, the 1926 Florida Land Bubble, among a few others, all of which had taken place long before the appearance of the efficient market hypothesis in the financial economics theory.

Further, it was posited that market efficiency does neither predict nor implicitly imply in any way that it should predict remarkable failures of large banks or investment banks. In this sense, reference is made to the collapse of large financial institutions such as the Lehman Brothers among other institutions that collapsed during the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Case in point: the demise of the Lehman Brothers conclusively illustrates that taking massive risky positions financed by phenomenal leverage, in a competitive capital market, incurring a huge loss is bound to happen one day in spite of how prestigious and large the institution may be. Furthermore, if the EMH could have predicted the crisis or a market crash, then this would mean the market prices are inefficient, because they would not have reflected the information embodied in the prediction.

The efficient market hypothesis constitutes two facets: it combines the simple competitive economic theory with an information-based view of security prices. This framework irreversibly changed the way the financial markets are viewed today. This is the case even if it may not represent completely how markets behave, in the same way like all other important insights. Despite the inevitably obvious limitations of the efficient market framework, its impact has thus far proven to be durable, and therefore it seems likely to continue to be relevant in the context of its impact and effects of its applicability and use on financial markets.

A theory is an abstraction of reality, and is not necessarily sacrosanct and perfect when applied in real world context. It is not a conclusive fact of reality. Unlike scientific experiments that develop and enhance scientific theories which are more justifiable in a factual and realistic sense, in the field of economics and finance, theories are not developed on scientific experiments. Rather, they are developed based upon studies and assumptions. The fact that it is not practical nor possible to carry out a study on every single organisation in the world to develop or support a theory, this in itself sufficiently proves that all theories existing in the economics and finance field are not perfect, are not comprehensively factual, and all must have limitations. This very fact is the fundamental reason why a critical approach and analysis is necessary by experts in the field.

In fact, it is concluded that, indeed, while it may appear paradoxical in light of its critics, the efficient market framework remains relevant and highly endorsed by many in the field, as it relates to the operations of financial markets.

And finally, Guyana’s financial market is obviously characterised as a weak form efficiency. Put differently, it is not truly efficient; or, as the theory suggests, strong form or even semi-strong form in nature. The reason for this is very simple. It is largely so because it is not structurally advanced. The stock exchange, for example, is not technologically driven, it is still operated manually; and, more importantly, stock prices are not affected by any adverse or positive non-financial developments of the firms in question. In the advanced economies, on the other hand -- the U.S, for example -- those markets are highly efficient in that regardless how financially sound a firm may be, if there is any negative event that would tarnish the reputation of that firm, that information would have an instant impact on the stock price, which would of course likely cause stock prices to fall, thus causing investors to incur huge losses.

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

Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency Ann Green

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irector of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CC&PA) Ann Green has announced that Government will be building a new dropin centre, where families with mental health issues can be housed and counselled together.

According to Green, a plan to also implement mental health counselling at community health centres across the country will soon be in place so persons could have a better understanding of the issue.

Green made the announcement during a media workshop on Saturday in observance of Foster Care Month.

The aim of this venture is to increase awareness of mental health, improve understanding of mental health issues and develop support systems for those who live in communities with high levels of mental health issues.

“We need to start dealing with this issue, mental health is a big issue, and we can’t just pretend it’s not. So this will be a very good ini-

British investor... from page 14

“We’ll be setting up a project to train more women to join the workforce, and (we’ll be) partnering with local schools on an education project,” said Turnbull, adding that the estate is constructing a seedling nursery to produce consistent supply of high-quality seedlings in tackling one of the most severe challenges faced in the local coconut industry.

According to Turnbull, existing estates are often ageing and unproductive, and cannot be revitalized without the right planting materials. The foreign investor believes the global coconut industry stands at a critical juncture, where there is a growing demand for the commodity owing to increased awareness of its health benefits, and stagnant supply from renowned exporters.

addressing concurrent disorders, suicide prevention and coping mechanisms.

Mental health has been a major issue for Guyana, with the country recording

one of the highest suicide rates in the world. A number of programmes have since come on stream to assist with issues of mental health in Guyana.

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ACTO conference commits to new journey

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he two-day Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) conference, which concluded on Friday, was deemed a success by Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock.

ACTO is an intergovernmental body aimed at the promotion of sustainable development of the Amazon Basin.

The regional technical exchange was held under the theme ‘Community Protocols and Access and Benefitsharing related to Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous Peoples.’

The conference saw attendance from the ACTO members states which include Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Suriname.

“A new journey you have embarked on. It is a journey that is long awaited and I think today, I can see that we

Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock and Minister within the Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe (seated at centre) along with representatives of the member state countries

have a team that is going to move this forward in the right direction,” Allicock told the participants.

The Indigenous Affairs Minister urged the attending countries to make use of the information attained from other countries.

He however used the opportunity to encourage the Indigenous people of Guyana, saying” for too long our Indigenous peoples have been in the dark and now is the time to give them the opportunity to help in nation-build-

ing.”

Meanwhile, Minister within the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe added that Indigenous studies programmes should be included at the University level so that Guyanese can benefit from honorary degrees in Indigenous studies.

“I think we should also look at legacy, what we want to leave for our younger generation and add to what already exists. We can boast about what our ancestors left

for us; the food, the craft, agriculture… We now need to look

at how we can add to that. Are

we going to translate our languages and document them so that they can be stored electronically? Are we going to go into green energy? Are these the benefit we want to leave with our people,” Minister Garrido-Lowe explained.

Minister Garrido-Lowe also applauded the participants for engaging in intense consultations during the twoday meeting and urged them to make use of the outcomes.

Govt moves to strengthen...

According to the State Minister, information received from the District Committees will be collated and passed onto the Regional Intelligence Committee, held by the Regional Chairman and officers of the respective regions, and then to intelligence centre.

He further pointed out that in the past, there was break in communication at the level of the communities because the District/Village Intelligence Committees hardly met and the only way information was passed onto the security forces is during a patrol or scheduled visits.

In this vain, the State Minister posited that the systems put in place will now facilitate the passage of information at a much faster pace than what existed in the past.

On September 13, 2016 after receiving reports from a resident, a Joint Service patrol discovered the illegal twin-engine Cessna 441 aircraft hidden under a green tarpaulin and dry branches just off of the Yupukari Airstrip, with what was later discovered as a false registration number N-767-Z. However, it was later confirmed that the actual registration was N-533-M, a United States registration up until December 16, 2015 when it was de-registered and sold to a Mexican buyer.

The aircraft, according to the COI report, departed a town outside Medellin, Colombia, on August 18, 2017, and while in the southern Guyana territory, it developed an engine failure,

from page 5

which eventually resulted in the emergency landing on the illegal airstrip.

It was reported that the aircraft was piloted by a tall “white” man of Brazilian descent and accompanied by a “short, slim woman believed to be of mixed Colombian descent with long, flowing black hair”.

According to the CoI report, the foreign aircraft entered Guyana’s airspace virtually “undetected” by any of the country’s security agencies.

The commission further found a logistics/admin Camp of sorts some three kilometres of the airstrip, and it was operated by Brazilians, Colombians and Lethem businessmen with residents of nearby villages as auxiliaries for the odds and ends job.

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SunDAY, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

Digicel commissions tower in Coomacka to extend its services to a new location -- something which was not done in a long time, as recent works have primarily included upgrading services in already existing locations.

The project was executed as a means of killing two birds with one stone, it was explained, and the minister referred to connectivity issues faced in small neighbouring communities.

“One of the reasons for that is (the height of the tower) to improve the links to those other communities, (and) also to serve those communities here… We did a drive this morning, and so far, way up to Three Friends and Marie Elizabeth have been having signal, and I’ve heard (that communities) up the river as well are having signal..” Dean said.

The next few weeks will see improvements done in the Coomacka area (based on the results of the drive test) as

Tricia La Rose: an Indigenous woman of inspiration

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ricia La Rose-Persaud is a special person. Born and raised in Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini), this young mother of Arawak descent is a pilot by profession, as well as a FAA (Federal Aviation Association) advance instructor in the US. She is also a MBA graduate and businesswoman who invested in the aviation sector in both Guyana and North America.

Tricia owes her success to what she describes as her “gogetter” spirit as well as the inspiration she drew from her husband later on. Coming from a single-parent home and one of four children, she recalls her father being absent while her mother was mentally unstable.

As a result, she was brought up by her grandmother who she describes as having been resourceful and extremely hard-working, raising her Anna Correia grandchildren in Indigenous traditions.

Growing up with limited resources, life was not easy, said Tricia, who remembers her grandmother loosening the stitches on her school uniforms to be able to turn them over so that she could use them again another year. And because they couldn’t afford new school uniforms, they would walk everyday a mile to school and back bare-feet. Most days she and her siblings would not go home for lunch because “there wasn’t any”. Instead they would join the line at school to benefit from the school-feeding programme.

But rather than becoming a victim of her circumstances, Tricia refused to place limits to her abilities and believed in “reaching for the sky”. Sports and cultural activities enabled her to find an escape from the hardships she endured as a child. From the age of five, she would get up at 05:30h every morning to swim with her class. She later became involved in school athletics, as well as dancing in Mashramani costume competitions, and playing the flute in church (Catholic). At the age of 10, she was already representing her region in athletics.

By then she would have won medals for swimming and running.

At 11 she represented her region in the Mashramani under-13 costume dance competition. Dressed as a Kanaima, she secured the 3rd place.

After her grandmother died, Tricia was forced to migrate to the Essequibo Coast to attend secondary school. However, the foster family she lived with couldn’t afford to provide for her school needs and as a result she dropped out of school and began working as a domestic cleaner, saving every dollar she earned. At age 14, she left for Georgetown in search of better opportunities. There, she took care of a younger cousin in exchange for boarding. She later secured her first real job as a cashier before investing her earnings in Information Technology (IT) courses and obtaining her Caribbean Examinations Council Certificate. During this period, she was also integrated into a girls rugby club where she later became the Vice President for her team.

At age 21 she became a store manager and later a department manager for a Courts Inc branch. With encouragement and support from the man who would later become her husband, she invested in a small trading venture in Moruca. She describes her husband as being one of the greatest inspirations who would motivate her to become a pilot.

Today, Tricia has become a success story for her family and continues to maintain and exert a positive influence for those in her entourage. After elevating herself, she was able to take care of her mother as well as reunite with her three other siblings.

Though the youngest, she has become the backbone of the family, providing advice and support to her older brother and sisters.

When asked what advice she could give to young Indigenous women, this is what Tricia had to say: “I crept before I walked and it was not an easy road for me but I like to give every challenge my best shot. My advice to young women in general is to never think different about yourself. Never diminish yourselves as Amerindians. Never give up in your dreams but always push yourself to achieve them.

Always be humble, but never let anyone make you feel little because you’re Amerindian. Regardless of your race, everything is possible, it just depends on your ability to turn that possibility into reality. Anything a man can do professionally, a woman can do. As a pilot, I’m a living proof of that!”

Tricia hopes one day to give back to young people in her community who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Contact sundayarrow@gmail.com

The newly commissioned tower in Coomacka, Region Ten

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he Region Ten community of Coomacka will now benefit from reliable cellular phone service and internet connectivity, as Digicel has commissioned one of the country’s highest towers in the community on Saturday.

P u b l i c Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes applauded the telephone company for the expansion, and adding that Digicel has become an important partner in taking Guyana a step forward to becoming ICT (information and communications technology) capable.

The minister noted that Digicel did not merely seek to provide cellular phone service, and she urged the community to seize the opportunity by utilizing the services of reliable reception and internet connectivity for training and entrepreneurial services, to assist in the development of their community and Guyana as a whole.

“Internet (connectivity) is an inducement to be used to surf the Web. I want to use it to find out what business opportunities may lie in store for you... To get creative with the fruits and vegetables that you grow in your communities… How you can sell your products online. It is interesting to know what we can do with information,” the minister posited as she recognised some services which can be advertised online.

With that said, the minister announced that the Government was now ready to set up an ICT hub to service the community.

“We will bring the computers here, we will make it available, we will provide the training that you will need,” she assured.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digicel, Gregory Dean, indicated the company is pleased

Chief Executive Officer of Digicel, Gregory Dean

well as other locations around the country, by switching to 3-G network. These upgrades are expected to be completed before the end of this year.

Representative of the Coomacka community, Dexter Harding, expressed his gratitude to Digicel for making such an investment, which would not only service the community, but other neighbouring villages as well. According to Harding,

this implementation is the fruit of successive connections with the service-providing company, which he considered a leap from the aerial, which offered poor services in the past. “Working along with Digicel, we were able to achieve the great opening of this tower here…this would change our lives forever” he said. He has recognized, from his tenure on the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the communication struggles faced by the communities.

Harding made reference to an extreme situation in Three Friends, where persons created “phone booths” using bottles and pieces of wood placed at strategic points where they were able to access cell phone service.

Successive discussions with the service company proved effective, because now gone are the days of “phone booths”, thanks to Digicel, he declared.

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sunday, november 5, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

George Bush Sr calls Trump a Saudis intercepted 'blowhard', voted for Clinton missile near capital

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ormer US Republican President George Bush Sr has confirmed he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, labelling Donald Trump a "blowhard". His son, George W Bush, said he worries that "I will be the last Republican president," even though President Trump is a Republican.

"This guy doesn't know what it means to be president," the younger man said.

The pair's comments come from a new book, titled The Last Republicans.

Preview excerpts from the book were published by US media outlets.

"I don't like him. I don't know much about him, but I know he's a blowhard. And I'm not too excited about him being

York Times.

George W Bush, adding to his remarks that Mr Trump "doesn't know what it means to be president," said "you can either exploit the anger, incite it, or you can come up with ideas to deal with it." The younger Bush's comments are in keeping with a speech he gave in late October widely seen as a critique of the new president, though it did not name him.

Former US Republican President George Bush Sr and his son, George W Bush

a leader," said George Bush Sr, who was president between 1989 and 1993.

He also told the author of the book, Mark Updegrove,

that he felt Mr Trump ran for the presidency because he had "a certain ego", in remarks reported by US media outlets including CNN and the New

Voting for Clinton During the 2016 presidential campaign, neither former president endorsed Donald Trump. But in the new book, George Bush Sr confirmed that he voted for the rival party's candidate in Hillary Clinton.

George W Bush, however, said he simply left his presidential ballot blank. (BBC)

S

audi Arabia says it has intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen, after a loud explosion was heard near Riyadh airport.

The missile was destroyed over the capital and fragments landed in the airport area, officials quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency said.

A TV channel linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen said the missile was fired at the King Khalid International Airport.

The civil aviation authority said that air traffic was not disrupted.

Saudi forces have reported shooting down Houthi missiles before, though none have come so close to a major population centre.

The rebel group are believed to have access to a stockpile of Scud ballistic missiles and home grown variants. Saudi forces have previously brought them down with Patriot surface-to-air missiles purchased from the US. The Houthis fired a missile towards Riyadh in May, a day before US President Donald Trump was due to arrive in the city for a visit, but it was shot down 200km (120 miles) from the capital.

Yemen has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement. (BBC)

sunDAY, november 5, 2017

Inter-Jamaat Memorial cricket bowls off November 12

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Georgetown qualifiers begin Nov 17

A

nticipation keeps growing ahead of the seventh edition of the local street futsal phenomenon labeled the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition and teams are intensifying preparations as they seek to treat fans to terrific displays on the tarmac on the way to fantastic prizes.

With the multitude of fans now focused on the shorter version, Organisers Banks DIH under its Guinness brand is promising to create an exciting and colourful atmosphere for

supporters and teams.

They’ve decided to outfit every team in the tournament with colourful uniforms from the opening day while the balls will also have a vibrant outlook. These new developments are a first for futsal.

Three Peat Promotions who’ve been chosen by the Organisers to supervise this year’s Georgetown Zone has commenced an aggressive registration drive to have more teams participate in the qualifying phase set to be played over three days from November 17, at the

Meadow Brook Tarmac.

Registration closes on November 16.

The teams will be battling for sixteen (16) spots to join the 16 automatic choices for the November 22 start.

The other confirmed playing dates are: November 23, 25, 30, December 2, 7, 9, 14 with the grand final scheduled for Saturday December 16.

The venues identified to host are Demerara Park, National Cultural Centre Tarmac, Burnham Basketball Court, Albouystown Tarmac and

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the East Ruimveldt Tarmac.

Winner of the overall event will walk-away with $500,000 and the championship trophy along with automatic qualification for the National Playoffs.

The runner-up, third and fourth placed finishers will receive $250,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Forms can be uplifted from Banks DIH Limited ‘Caesars Place’ Durban Street location or Referee Coordinator Wayne Griffith on 697-7777 or Three Peat Promotions Rawle Welch on tele: 688-1776.

he Muslim Youth Organization of Guyana (MYO) will be hosting the Brother Amanat Baksh Inter-Jamaat softball cricket competition schedule to start on Sunday November 12, 2017.

The memorial for the late Baksh who was a part of the Queenstown Jama Masjid, will be contested at the MYO Ground, Woolford Avenue, Thomas Lands with registration fee $3,000 per team. All Jamaats interested in participating in the competition are kindly asked to make contact with Brother Imran Ally on 231-9822/689-7425, Brother Ralph Khan on 625-4330 or Brother

The late Brother Amanat Baksh

Abdool Kumar on 6708207.

Registration closes on Thursday November 9 at 18:00h.

There will be lots of trophies and cash incentives will be at stake during the tournament.

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sunDAY, november 5, 2017

BFA/GT Beer, Candy Boss, Antics promotion 8-a-side Football…

Monedderlust stun Orealla Falcons in thriller

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he GT Beer/BFA/ Candy Boss and Antics Promotion inaugural invitational Inter Club 8-A -Side Football Tournament kicked off on Friday night with a tripleheader at the All Saints School Ground on Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

In the opening game, Monedderlust came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 over Orealla Falcons. Ricardo Morgown opened the scoring to give the boys from the Corentyne River community the lead, but Jamal Joseph answered back for the West Berbice team with an equalizer.

Orealla took the lead again when Kevin Dick scored and went further ahead when Veral Felix registered his name of the scor-

ing cards.

At halftime, the score was 3-1 in favor of Orealla but Kevin Cottoy scored a hat-trick to turn the table around by the time the final whistle came.

In another game, Fyrish Black Sharks were unable to take full points from Mahaicony FC and had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their encounter.

Linden Joseph scored for the Black Sharks while Mahaicony got their goal off the both of Ruel Chester.

Hopetown FC got a rude awakening when they came up against Orealla ‘A’ (Siparuta) and despite taking the initial lead. Darrel Douglas sent them into the lead but it was short-lived as Issac Williams equalized to ensure a 1-1 draw.

Action in the competi-

Jamal Joseph (left) and Kevin Cottoy with his hat-trick scripted the great come back for Monedderlust

Issac Williams (left) of Orealla ‘A’ Siparuta and Darrel Douglas for Hopetown played well in the feature game

tion continues tonight with three more games.

It the opening game Edinburgh Gunners will take on Republic FC at 19:00h to be followed by the encounter between Golden Star and Young Strikers FC. The final game of the evening will bring together Georgetown Police and Corriverton Links FC. Eighteen teams will be participating in the tournament with two groups of four and two of five teams each.

Group A consists of

Monedderlust FC, Orealla Falcons, Wool's United FC and Mahaica Determinators FC. Group B; Mahaicony FC, Black Sharks FC, GT Police and Corriverton Links FC; Group C Siparuta FC, Hopetown FC Ann's Grove, Berbice Police and Beacons FC; Group D Edinburgh Gunners FC, Republicans FC, Rosignol United, Golden Stars FC and Young Strikers FC. Matches will be played on a round robin basis in the group stage with the top two in each group advancing to the knock out stage.

Games will be played on Friday and Sunday evening at the same venue. The final is listed for New Year’s Day. The winning team is assured of $500,000 with an equal amount to be shared between the other three top finishers to round out the $1M cash prizes.

M e a n w h i l e , Monedderlust won the march pass held on Friday evening to kick off the tournament.

Rain, no play

– series ends today

N

ot a ball was bowled in the second One-day match between Windies “A” and Sri Lanka “A” on Friday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, due to wet conditions caused by rain.

Windies “A” trail in the three-match series 0-1, following a two-wicket defeat in the first Oneday match on Wednesday at the same venue.

The series concludes today at the Trelawny Multiplex in Florence Hall on the Jamaica north coast where the home team need a win to draw level.

sports

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FOR RENT Space to let, entire bottom flat 225 F New Market Street, 1350 sq feet, suitable for doctor’s office, clinic, pharmacy, etc. Tel: 624-7471 or email: rravier@gmail.com

FOR SALE Gas Stove and Small Refrigerator.

Total Price: $13,000. Contact Tony: 218-0167 ONE OLD MODEL TOYOTA PREMIO, PTT SERIES, INTERESTED PERSONS CONTACT: 694-5297

JOB OPENING Administrative Assistant for Pro business Builders, we are looking for a highly motivated person to assist a corporate executive and be a part of our team. Your spoken and written English are superb. Send resume to jannessa.kalloo@probusinessbuilders.com

NOTICE AFTER SERVING TWO PRESCRIPTIVE RIGHTS, ACCUMULATING TO TWENTY SIX YEARS, AT BOTH 3218 BUTTERCUP PLACE, SOUTH RUIMVELDT PARK AND 469 KISKADEE DRIVE SOUTH RUIMVELDT GARDENS, IT IS HEREBY DECLARED TO THE PUBLIC THAT RAYMOND ANTHONY IS THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THE AFORMENTIONED PROPERTIES.

property for sale Two-storey concrete, 4-bedroom, one self-contained, two bathrooms, toilet. 2320 Tuschen, E.B.E. $20M, price negotiable. Phone 664-9310 or 626-8190.

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

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Specialized in patra reading, book opening, removing of grahs and solutions to all your problems and gives permanent protection. Call 618-6119 or 693-5049

MEDITATION You are invited to attend an introductory lecture on transcendental meditation on Nov. 9, 2017 at 5:30 pm at John’s Place 114 Garnet St, Newtown, Kitty, obliquely opposite Kanhai’s electronics. T.M is world renowned for easy and effortless stress reduction with over 600 science studies documenting the benefits from mental protection, health, relationship and peace.

Contact: Ashone Kumar (certified treacher) 609-3701

2017 MotoAmerica champion

headed to CMRC – Team Mohamed’s Enterprise out to break records

N

ext Sunday’s C a r i b b e a n Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) continued to grow exponentially regarding the level of talent expected to attend as 2017 MotoAmerica Champion AMA/FIM North America Superstock 600 Championship Jason Aguilar is now on the roster of team Mohamed’s Enterprise roster.

MotoAmerica is the highest level of professional motorcycle road racing in the United States, attracting an international field of competitors representing 6 continents, which shows the quality of the 21 year-old.

Aguilar joins 2016 champion Bryce Prince and British rider Matt Truelove.

Aguilar replaces Josh Herrin on the team after he was ruled out with a shoul-

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taxi services GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 225-7878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

(From left) Pro Golfers Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and Guyana Cup PRO Aleem Hussain share a photo following the conclusion of the opening day

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2017 MotoAmerica Jason Aguilar joins Mohamed’s Enterprise fleet of international riders

der injury.

According to team Principal, Azruddin Mohamed they will be looking to continue their dominance and break the existing track record of 33.3 seconds which was set by Truelove last year.

Mohammed stated that fans should come out in their numbers and support this event given the trills.

Prince and Truelove had their debut season last year and in rampant fashion,

made a clean sweep of all the races they competed at South Dakota.

Prince a former MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion continued with Team Mohammed’s Enterprise for the 2017 season and has already clinched the championship title winning all of his races in record times in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados.

All three of the riders are expected in Guyana on Thursday. (Akeem Greene)

LGC/ Guyana Open 2017…

GUYANA TIMES Persaud, Sukram comfortably

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21

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M

inister of Communities and veteran golfer Ronald Bulkan said the 2017 Guyana Open Cup Golf tournament which teed off on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Course, will inevitably help to raise the international standards of the sport in Guyana.

Guyana Times Sport caught up with the Minister following Saturday’s opening day of the tourney. He shared his views on the tournament which has been the premier event of

the LGC, saying “It will be nice if the title remains in Guyana but the idea of an open championships is to attract a very competitive field of international players which will help to raise the standard of golf locally.”

Minister Bulkan further praised the executives, sponsors and organisers of the Cup for maintaining a top calibre annual event despite numerous challenges. “I’d like to congratulate the executives for hosting a superb 2017 Open Cup, the

... tournament sets international benchmark – Minister Bulkan club has been faced with challenges; weather related and other factors. It has been a struggle to maintain the profile and visibility of the sport as well as the golf course, so in this regard I’d like to congratulate all the executives for ensuring we have a large open this year,” said the Minister.

Following a competitive opening day, seven time defending champ Avinash Persaud ended nicely with a gross of 71 and a 69 net while his brother Avinda Kishore ended with a gross/ net of 74 and 70 points respectively, heading into the final day.

The Minister was also in full support of Persaud who he said would be very hard to beat given his vast knowledge of the LGC Greens. “It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to get close to him (Avinash) but there’s a lot of golf left to be played but I think it will be very difficult to beat Avinash given his knowledge of the golf course and the competitive nature he has shown over the years.

It’s not about big shots; it’s about playing well under pressure.”

When asked on his

thought regarding strategies players could likely turn to with a final day remaining, Bulkan declared that the final Back 9 of the day will be crucial for the golfers. “In any tournament, in particular, one like this with golfers vying for the title, the first day has very little relevance.”

He continued, “The tournament is always decided at the Back 9 of the final day, so there’s a lot of golf to be played because even the front 9 will be of little relevance. This will separate the men from the boys so by this time tomorrow we will see which of these players can withstand the pressure because it will be enormous.”

In the Female category, Best Gross went to the highly touted Christine Sukram who opened her 2017 campaign on top with a Gross of 82 and a 72 Net. She was followed in second place by Shanella Webster (86/69) who also ended the first day with the Best Net of 69 while defending champ Joaan Deo came in third with 89/71.

The action concludes today.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, november 5, 2017

Stage set for ‘fast’ horse racing today

W

Persaud and Company Limited, Golden Gloves Speed Boat Service, Kris Jagdeo, Punai’s Pharmacy, Guinness Bar (Rose Hall), Touch of Class Boutique (Rose Hall), Trophy Stall (Bourda Market), Fazal Habibullah and jockeys Kumar Singh and Wayne Nelson of New York City.

The exciting ‘J’ Class will see the thoroughbreds

ith excellent weather along the Corentyne coast in Berbice over the last few days, jockeys and horse trainers and owners were fine tuning their preparation for today’s spectacular event at the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) at Bushlot Farm.

Today’s six-race programme is organized by Eon, Quaicy and Keyno in collaboration with the number 28 Bushlot/ Adventure in Action Group and promMaurice Collins with Princess Saria lead Luckosciusqko and trainer Ganpat in a warm up routine ahead of today’s big race

Jockey Appadu gives Lucky Lucky an extended run during practice

ises to exceed expectations with the organizers not leaving any stones unturned.

Bushlot/ Adventure in Action Group is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and the proceeds from today’s event will assist with the ongoing school feeding programme and to give the children of the area a much deserved Christmas party.

The races will run un-

der the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority with the first event set for 13:00h with admission set at $1,000 admission for adults and $500 for junior turfites.

The feature event is the ‘H’ and Lower with $450,000 at stake as the horses are set to gallop over a distance of seven furlongs. The winner will ride away with $240,000 while the second place finisher will pocket $120,000

while the third and fourth place finishers are guaranteed $60,000 and $30,000 respectively.

The following horses have been registered and are expected to be at the starting gates in their respective categories; Red Fire, Red Jet, Red Region, Little Star, Plane Land, Short Man, Princess Saria, Flow Joe, Southern Flight, Daddy’s Dollar, Mary Ann, T and T, Wise Thom, King Stanley, Slim Shady, Black Beauty, Little Kevin, Miss Angalie, Blue Lightening, Royal Pay Master, Royal Progressive, Massaupequea Doctor, Red Weasel, Country Boy, Easy Lion, Perfect Return, Release the Heat, and Kockosciusqko.

While corporate came from Ansa McAl Trading, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Collin Elcock, Rumors Racing Stables, the National Sports Commission (NSC), Nand

covering a distance of six furlongs with the winner set to ride away with $170,000 while the second place finisher will get $85,000 and third and fourth place winners will pocket $42,500 and $21,250 respectively.

There are four other races that will cover fiver furlong each with the ‘K’ and Lower class fetching an overall purse of $225,000;

the winner of the ‘L1’ and Lower class race will get $100,000 and the ‘L2’and Lower class will see the battle for $150,000 in total up for grabs.

The unclassified event usually provides lots of excitement with reputation and bragging rights at stake and will see the winner becoming $40,000 richer.

Braithwaite on top in shooting championships

‘down-under’ V

eteran sniper Lennox Braithwaite pulled out the stops as he outshot the competition in Stage 1 in the 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Federation (CSF) championship held in Australia.

Stage 1’s overall aggregate saw five shooters ending with scores of 105 with Braithwaite who prevailed with the highest V count of 14 and 105.14

Lennox Braithwaite endured a brilliant opening stage

points. Australian Jim Bailey racked up 105.13 points, Peter Jory of Gurnsey 105.12 points, South Africans Jacobus DuToit (105.12 points) and Jan Jonck 105.7 points, capped off the top five spot.

Braithwaite shot scores of 35.7, a perfect score with all shots being in the V-Bull at 300 yard ranges, 35.4 at 500 yards and 35.3 at 600 yards, highlighting an outstanding day for Braithwaite and Guyana alike.

Full-bore Captain Mahendra Persaud also endured a g o o d day, shooting 104.6 points; with scores of 34.2 at 300 yards, 35.2 at 500 yards and 35.2 at 600 yards.

The fullbore marksmen are attending the Championship in preparation for next year’s Commonwealth Games which are scheduled for the same range. The Guyanese were also part of the Canadian National Fullbore Championships last August.

The CSF Championship continues with two more Stages which concludes on November 8. Team Guyana are extremely grateful to the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc for their support in the team’s quest for supremacy.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, november 5, 2017

CWI/ Digicel Regional 4-Day Championships 2017-18 Rd 2…

Jaguars crush Volcanoes in 3 days D

efending champions, Guyana Jaguars completed an easy seven-wicket win over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on Saturday with a day to spare.

The home team began the penultimate day on 54 for 1 still trailing by 150 runs with former Test batsman K i r k Edwards on 12 and captain Tyrone Theophile on 36.

The Volcanoes’ batsmen did much better than 153 in the first innings but only set the three-time defending champions a meagre 41 runs to win after they were restricted to 244. Edwards top scored with a workmanlike 54 while Kavem Hodge got 44, Theophile scored 37 and Shane Shillingford was last man out for 36.

The Jaguars will now have an extra day Sherfane Rutherford of rest thanks mainly to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul whose good form allowed him to pick up four wickets and West Indies A fast bowler Keon Joseph who finished with three for 53. Rookie all-rounder, Sherfane Rutherford had two for 50 to end the match with an eight-wicket haul and a half century.

Set a mere 41 runs for victory, Jaguars lost three wickets before stumbling over the line, to follow up their victory over Jamaica Scorpions in Georgetown last weekend and will remain on top of the points standings.

Chandrika top-edged an ill-advised pull at a short ball outside off-stump from pacer Obed McCoy and was caught

by Hodge at short leg for seven with the score on nine.

With the score on 25, Chandrapaul Hemraj fell for seven, nicking an uncertain prod at pacer Ray Jordan (2-23) and captain Leon Johnson flashed at a wide one from the same bowler and was taken at gully by Audy Alexander for four, with five runs added.

The Jaguars will move on to St Kitts where they will play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes while the Volcanoes will travel to Trinidad for their third round match at the Queen’s Park Oval. Both matches begin on Thursday.

SCOREBOARD Volcanoes 1st innings 153 Jaguars 1st Innings 357 Volcanoes 2nd Innings (Overnight 54/1) D Smith c Rutherford b Joseph 0 T Theophile* c Chandrika b Joseph 37 K Edwards c Chandrika b Rutherford 54 R Kato c Johnson b Shepherd 19 K Hodge b Joseph 44 G Benjamin c Singh b Permaul 17 S Shillingford c wkpr Bramble b Permaul 36 A Alexander c Chanderpaul b Permaul 11 R Jordan c Permaul b Rutherford 0 O McCoy not out 0 Extras (b-3, lb-6, w-4, nb-2) 15 Total (All out; 65.3 Overs) 244

FOW: 1-10, 2-58, 3-116, 4-120, 5-163, 6-198, 7-211, 8-236, 9-237, 10-244 Bowling: Joseph 16-4-53-3, Shepherd 13-5-43-1, Paul 7-0-360, Permaul 20.3-5-53-4, Hemraj 1-1-0-0, Rutherford 8-1-50-2 Jaguars 2nd Innings (Target 41 runs) T Chanderpaul not out 11 R Chandrika c Hodge b McCoy 7 C Hemraj c Benjamin b Jordan 8 L Johnson c Alexander b Jordan 4 V Singh not out 8 Extras (w-2, nb-1) 3 FOW: 1-9, 2-25, 3-30 Bowling: McCoy 3-1-8-1, Jordan 7-1-23-2, Cato 4.5-0-10-0 Result: Jaguars won by 7 wickets with a day to spare

M

L

uis Ortiz had been scheduled to fight Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title on Saturday before failing a drug test a month ago.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) has suspended heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz for one year for a failed drug test.

Ortiz failed a random urine test by the Voluntary AntiDoping Association on September 22, the 38-year-old's second failed drug test in three years. He tested positive for two banned diuretics that are commonly used as masking agents for performance-enhancing drug use.

The Cuban-born fighter, undefeated in 27 fights with all but four wins coming via knockout, was the mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua's WBA title.

His recent failed test had already led the World Boxing Council (WBC) to drop Ortiz from a scheduled November 4 heavyweight title fight against Deontay Wilder in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Bermane Stiverne will now face Wilder in that bout.

Ortiz's WBA suspension means his status as title contender is revoked, he is removed from the WBA rankings, and he may not fight in a WBA-sanctioned fight until September 22, 2018.

The 38-year-old did not deny taking the two banned diuretics, chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide, but said they are present in high blood pressure medication he is taking. (Sportsmax)

Fans thrilled

Marian, West Ruimveldt arian Academy and West Ruimveldt Primary will contest the final of the seventh annual Courts/ Malta Schools Pee-Wee Football Tournament after contrasting semi-final victories on Saturday at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park Ground.

Marian won 1-0 against Enterprise, an outcome which was no surprise given the solid defence of the inaugural champions coupled with their attacking powers. Malik Barker made the difference when he scored in the fourth minute. It was a goal which came after fluid flow of play from the boys in blue.

The other semi-final took extra time to determine the winner between Sophia and West Ruimveldt after scores were locked 1-1 at regulation time. Ian Daniels, who moved his tally to 10 goals in the tournament, opened the scores in the 2nd minute but three minutes later the prolific David Weeks equalized for Sophia.

It was until the six minutes into extra time (40+6) that Daniels again made the conversion. The final is slated for Saturday at the same venue.

Ortiz suspended by WBA for failed drug test

Luis Ortiz

Courts/Malta Schools Pee-Wee Football

to vie for championship honours

23

at CMRC machines

Triple treat. The three motor bikes from Team Mohamed’s Enterprise had heads turning at the Giftland Mall on Friday

M

omentum is picking up strongly as the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) gets closer and anxious fans enjoyed a preview of what they can expect on the track this weekend.

Friday evening Motor biker Kevin Persaud, Mohamed’s Enterprise three motor bikes and one of Calvin Ming’s radicals left flockers of the Giftland Mall in amazement.

Fans and curious onlookers took the opportunity to interact with the riders and also took the opportunity to take photos. Many passers-by enquired of the functioning of the super machines as well as the risks the drivers take to compete.

The championship action at the South Dakota will be largely different this year after the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) unveiled a 27-race programme which

will encompass racing this Saturday and Sunday.

The club has confirmed the participation of two professional drift cars from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as, four SR-3 Radicals from Barbados, in addition to the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship(CMRC) competitors that are expected.

Saturday, will be treated as just another race day, with adults being charged $1000 per entry and children 12 -18 being charged

$500. On Sunday, adults will be charged $2000 and children 12-18, $1000.

Qualification will also be held on Saturday morning from 10:00, with races beginning from 14:00.

Scrutineering will take place on Thursday and Friday, and before the qualification on Saturday.

There are weekend passes and VIP passes available for those patrons desirous of viewing both days of action.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Fans thrilled Pg 23

at CMRC machines Courts/Malta Schools Pee-Wee Football

Calvin Ming’s radical certainly had many of the visitors thrilled on Friday evening at the Giftland Mall

CWI/ Digicel Regional 4-Day Championships 2017-18 Rd 2…

Pg 23

Jaguars crush Marian, West Ruimveldt Volcanoes to vie for championship in 3 days honours Pg 23

It was tough going for Enterprise Primary (orange) since they missed some chances against a compact Marian Academy

Veerasammy Permaul brushed aside the Volcanoes tail to finish with figures of 20.3-5-53-4in the second innings

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.

November 5, 2017

Star Times Bollywood:

Aishwarya Rai has never spent a day in the gym, says Abhishek Bachchan Page 14 FREE DISTRIBUTION

Inside

GUYPEX 2017

Page 4

Explore the world through stamps

Page 3

Weaving good dreams

Page 5

History & Heritage

The Growth of Georgetown Page 7

Exploring Nappi Page 8

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Feature

Special Needs for Life Guyana

T

he Special Needs for Life Guyana (SNL) was founded to foster and promote education among the disabled, particularly the deaf, through collaborative efforts with the education ministry, and to attend to grassroots needs of disadvantaged communities

and the indigenous populations of Guyana.

Mark Adams, a passionate humanitarian, wanted to make a difference so in 2004 he founded Special Needs for Life Guyana.

The organisation, located at Lot 743, Kilcoy Fields, Corentyne in

Berbice, is funded through grants provided by the Australian, Finnish and Japanese governments.

Presently, at its Kilcoy Centre, in collaboration with the Education Ministry’s Region Six Department of Education Special Needs Unit, SNL is providing a three-year

Mark Adams (seated right) works to develop indigenous communities

certifiable programme in Deaf Education and Culture to the regions’ nursery and primary heads of schools and senior masters or mistresses.

Additionally, through the provision of grant funding and in tandem with local indigenous communities, SNL is involved with the construction of learning/training facilities in Region Nine.

These facilities enable indigenous youths to boost possibilities of self-employment and income generation in the region.

In 2014 SNL, by

ed over on NOVEMBER 51, 2015 by the Embassy of Japan, T&T to the NRDDB in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Sydney Allicock.

Notably, SNL helped address the water conservation considerations of a number of communities in North Rupununi via a project funded by the Australian DAP, which provided water tanks and plumbing spares to help with rain water harvesting.

More recently, SNL appointed a Project Officer with the aim of targeting young minds in the pri-

electricity supply and provision of water to the student population of St. Ignatius Secondary School via a solar grid project.

Recently, Special Needs for Life Guyana completed another Australian High Commission DAP Water and Sanitation Project.

This one will benefit the Kuma/Kumu community in the vicinity of the Kanuku Mountains in Central Rupununi.

“It is hoped that Emeric Francis and his villagers will make the most of the amenities provided. Thanks to the DAP team for their continued

SNL recently completed another Australian High Commission DAP Water and Sanitation Project

Special Needs for Life Instructional Centre in Berbice

way of funding from the Australian government’s Direct Aid Programme (DAP) in the Caribbean, refurbished the physiotherapy department of the Community Based Rehabilitation Programme, at Port Mourant Centre. In that same year, with Japanese government ‘grassroots’ funding, SNL built and equipped its Kilcoy Centre and admin office in Corentyne.

In 2015, having met with and discussed the local needs of the Annai, Rupununi community, a tripartite effort with the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SNL saw the Japan Grant Assistance for Grassroots Funding Project fund the construction of the Bina Hill Skills Training Centre.

This facility was hand-

mary education system in one of the leading suicide areas in Guyana, the Back Bush Polder community. This project, again in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Dept. of Education, Region Six, seeks to help Grade 5 and 6 students in the four primary schools in this sub-region gain coping skills as well as practical instruction on resisting and combating suicidal tendencies, attitudes and anti-social behaviours.

SNL continues to support initiatives geared at assisting and bettering education opportunities of the disabled and disadvantaged. In 2016, SNL worked with two organisations in Central Rupununi, which were recipients of grant funding from the GGP to build a Centre for Disabled persons in Region Nine, Lethem Special Needs Group, and improve the

support aimed at improving the lives of indigenous peoples in southern Guyana as well as other parts. Thanks to High Commissioner, Hon. John Pilbeam, and his executive assistant, Lorraine Fanan, for attending the August 29 handover ceremony at Kuma Village,” Adams expressed.

Additionally, there was another Special Needs for Life project completed in the Rupununi. This time in Central Rupununi with the Quarrie Village some 30-minute drive from Lethem. In tandem with the direct AID Program from the Australian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago, a grant was provided to undertake a Water Conservation and Sanitation Project for the indigenous community there.

For more information, visit Special Needs for Life Guyana on Facebook.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Focus

A mural depicting a sugar factory (Guyana Heritage Museum and Toucan Inn, 2012)

slaves.

Walton Hall is near The Jib and Hampton Court, north of Anna Regina on the road to Charity.

In The Argosy, published in 1883, Walton Hall is recorded as being part of Hampton Court, the most northerly plantation in the colony: “This fine property formerly consisted of four separate sugar estates, viz., Walton Hall, Devonshire Castle, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle. The three latter were vacuum-pan estates in a small way, but from want of labourers to

An estate manager's house, British Guiana

J

ohn Sargent, of Yorkshire, England, often shares online some of his most valuable postcards and photos of British Guiana, when Georgetown was known as a “Garden City”.

Sargent’s interest in Guyana and collecting old photos of the country were prompted by 19th century British naturalist, Charles Waterton.

“I have no connection with the Watertons apart from the fact that I live in the village of Walton in Yorkshire, England,” Sargent told Sunday Times Magazine, “the village was once the home of Squire

Charles Waterton (1782 - 1865) of Walton Hall.

Waterton was a pioneering naturalist and created the world's first nature reserve at his home, Walton Hall in England. He spent some time in Guyana, and I thought that it would be interesting to visit the country itself.”

Sargent has visited Guyana once, in 2012, as a tourist.

“I stayed in Georgetown and had a very enjoyable time with a number of excursions to places such as Mibiri Creek, Fort Island, the coastal strip across the Demerara, and Kaieteur Falls. A short stay, but very

enjoyable,” Sargent recalled.

The pictures he shares today were either bought online, in auction houses in Britain, or from photos other persons have shared with him.

Such spare time as he had, Charles spent with his paternal aunt Anne Daly and her husband Michael at their estate, Bellevue.

This became his second home. He also met Charles Edmonstone who lived at Mibiri creek; the friendship endured the test of time.

Waterton’s family owned plantations at La Jalousie, Walton Hall and Fellowship and he managed them for a while. When he inherited them from his father, he disposed of them.

Later, Waterton wrote his "Wanderings in South America" about his journeys

Anne's christening in 1812, on his return from his first wandering; 17 years later, this infant became the wife of the Squire.

Edmonstone had originally been a timber-cutter and merchant, in partnership with William Reid (a fellow Scot).

Reid had married an Arawak named Princess Miranda, daughter of a chief.

Their daughter, Helen, married Edmonstone.

William Reid lived on Kamuni Creek. Charles Edmonstone lived at Warrows Place, Mibiri Creek, a tributary of

Georgetown with a view of the St George's Cathedral n.d.

Who was Charles Waterton?

Charles Waterton arrived in Georgetown in 1804 to manage the plantations of his father (Walton Hall) and his uncle, Christopher Waterton (La Jalousie and Fellowship), who had returned to England. One of his uncle's estates, of which the principal crop was coffee, had no less than 500 slaves working on it. The other estate produced sugar and cotton, worked by 300 The Market Square, circa 1911

carry on the proper cultivation of the soil, one by one ceased to have an independent existence; and in the course of time the Colonial Company became sole owners of this fine block of land.”

in South America. His wife also had connections with Guyana.

Waterton eventually married Anne Mary, Edmonstone's second daughter. He had attended

Demerara River, not far from Santa Mission.

For more information and photos of British Guiana, visit http://overtown.org.uk (Cover photo: Canal in Georgetown 1930s)

Water Street looking south, Georgetown circa 1910 postcard

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Feature GUYPEX 2017

NOVEMBER 51 at 5pm.

You do not have to be present to win. All ages are welcome.

Guyana Philatelic Society

P

Ann Wood (left), GPS president, presented over 60 philatelic books to the National Library of Guyana in 2016

roviding the opportunity for youths and adults to learn about the world through postage stamps and fuel creativity and inspire persons to become a stamp collector is the mission of the Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS).

Currently, GPS is holding yet another exciting stamp exhibition, which started on November 4 and will conclude on NOVEMBER 52.

At GUYPEX 2017 Stamp Exhibition, persons get the chance to explore displays, view philatelic books, gather free stamps of interest and meet other stamp collectors.

The stamp exhibition continues on November 9-10, 2017 from 9am to 4:30pm at the Guyana National Library, 76/77 Church and Main Streets, Georgetown.

Then from NOVEMBER 5112, 2017 from 11am to 5pm

at the Giftland Mall.

Additionally, at the exhibition there are free stamp appraisals and free stamp giveaways. Admission is free.

At the events also you can register to win an unused set of the 1954 British Guiana Queen Elizabeth II Pictorial Issues (15 Stamps) – Catalogue value USD$100. Drawing will be held at Giftland Mall on

Students carefully inspect stamps at the exhibition

GPS aims to create greater interest and activity in the study of British Guiana and Guyana stamps and postal history.

It is a source of information for British Guiana and Guyana collectors, where they can connect via exhibitions and group meetings, and by using the Society’s social media internet sites being developed.

With these tools, GPS facilitates a collectors exchange or the buying and selling of stamps by its members. This includes all philatelic materials, envelopes, collections, books, to name just a few. The Society also offers philatelic advice from its experts and conduct appraisals of single stamps or collections of stamps from Guyana.

The purpose of GPS is to provide up-to-date information on Guyana stamps; assist collectors to build bigger and better collections by providing greater opportunities to obtain philatelic material; and educate the youths of Guyana on stamp collecting.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ann Wood, founder and president of the Guyana Philatelic Society, related that the Society was started in 2012 as a non-profit organization based in California, U.S.A. “I started out by holding a small stamp show with displays of British Guiana stamps at the Sleepin’ Hotel in Brickdam. I was pleasantly surprised at the attendance and interest in stamp collecting. It seemed like everyone that came was a collector during a period of their life or knew someone that was a stamp collector. Needless to say during that show, I felt compelled to start a stamp club to renew the interest and provide support for collectors in Guyana, thus GPS started. In 2013, I contacted the former Postmaster General, Mr. Henry Dundas, about exhibiting at GPO in Georgetown, since the Philatelic Bureau is located there. He gladly welcomed us and we have been exhibiting at GPO regularly since then,” Ann recalled.

Students in Guyana examining various stamps at a past GPS exhibition

Get a chance to win at GUYPEX an unused set of the 1954 British Guiana Queen Elizabeth II Pictorial Issues (15 Stamps)

Ann is originally from Kitty, Georgetown, and has lived for more than 30 years in the United States.

As a child, she became fascinated by the stamps on the letters that her father, Dr. Sam Ramphal, a radio evangelist, received as a result of the radio program, “Deliverance Time”. During that period, she started her collection and is still an avid collector of British Guiana and Guyana stamps.

Over the years, Ann acquired most of her Guyana stamps through the mail with the help of the Guyana Philatelic Bureau where she has held an account for more than 30 years. She also regularly attends stamp shows throughout the world and searches the internet to find stamps.

Ann is a member of the American Philatelic Society, The Royal Philatelic Society London, the British West Indies Study Circle, The British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group and other specialized stamp clubs. In addition, she is an expert with the American Philatelic Society for British Guiana and Guyana stamps.

The avid stamp collector travels from the US to Guyana twice a year to organise stamp exhibitions, workshops and school visits, and gives away free stamps

at all events to promote the hobby.

In 2014, Ann, with the guidance of former Postmaster, Henry Dundas, visited and photographed all 70 of Guyana post offices, something that has rarely been done by anyone. She has also created postcards of the post offices.

Ann continues shares her knowledge, time and resources so that others can enjoy and learn from stamp collecting just like she does.

“We hope to use stamp collecting as an educational tool in schools across Guyana; to help collectors increase their knowledge of stamp collecting by providing access to philatelic books and catalogs for research; and to provide philatelic resources for collectors,” Ann noted.

GPS has grown to more than 200 members in several countries and continues to grow rapidly. Its members are people from all walks life: those who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets. Above all, GPS stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who give advice on all aspects of collecting.

Visit Guyana Philatelic Society on Facebook for more information.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

Rena Rufino

O

riginally created by American Indians, dreamcatchers today come in a variety of different sizes and styles. They usually consist of a small wooden hoop covered in a net or web of natural fibres, with meaningful sacred items like feathers and beads attached, hanging down from the bottom of the hoop.

Real authentic, traditional dreamcatchers are handmade and crafted only from all natural materials, measuring just a few small inches across in size. The circular shape of the dreamcatcher represents the circle of life, with no beginning and no end. This is significant to many Native Americans because they believe that death is a part of life and that the spirit lives on.

The dreamcatcher is woven to resemble a spider's web, and a single bead represents the spider. Multiple beads represent trapped dreams.

The legend of the dreamcatcher is that it captures the bad spirits and filters them.

Protecting us from evil and letting through only the good dreams. It is believed that each carefully woven web will catch bad spirit dreams in the web and disappear by perishing with the first light of the morning sun. The good spirit dreams will find their way to the centre and float down the sacred feather.

Dreamcatchers are also believed to bless the “sleeping ones” with pleasant dreams, good luck, and harmony throughout their lives. It is said that this is how many people remember lessons in our community and get their visions. Also, it is believed that when you get a good night sleep you can remember when the spirit has talked to you. Notably, dreamcatchers were given to new born and/or hung on an infant’s cradle for good dreams.

In Guyana, the significance or even what dreamcatchers look like may not be popularly known, but crafter/

artist Rena Rufino wants to change, as this is part of her indigenous heritage.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the 27-year-old who hails from Shea Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine, said that she attended private craft classes in Paraguay.

Additionally, she lived in Mexico and Paraguay with renowned indigenous Guyanese artist/archaeologist, George Simon and family.

“I would visit museums and attend art and craft festivals. I became more interested in art and craft while I was in Paraguay. I attended art and craft festivals every first Sunday of each month and I would observe artists and crafters demonstrating their work. Out of all I saw, I chose to create dreamcatchers because it helps me to be patient and creative and keeps my mind active. Dreamcatchers also have deep meaning,” Rena noted.

She also mentioned that for now dreamcatchers are the only craft she creates. This is so because crafting is something Rena has come to appreciate after seeing her late grandmother and her mother make cotton hammock.

“I have been creating dreamcatchers for almost two years. Apart from creating dreamcatchers, I am a certified DOULA, which means a trained professional in child birth who provides emotional, physical and educational support to a woman before, during and after delivery,” she pointed out.

For her future plans, Rena hopes to create a network with other crafters and artists.

Later this month, she will be meeting with George Simon and team in Georgetown as she begins to build her network. Notably, Rena was one of the organisers for the art and craft festival in Georgetown last September.

For more information, check out Rena Dreamcatchers on Facebook.

A few of her smaller dreamcatchers

6 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Literary Corner

Preserving our literary heritage

Guyanese Writers: Clement Aloysius Yansen (1906-1976)

By Petamber Persaud

C

lement Aloysius Yansen was an educator for over 50 years; teaching at Queen’s College, Berbice High School and Modern High School, teaching during the colonial and post-independent periods, teaching the classics including English, Latin and French, yet he chose to leave his legacy in a book on local dialect, “Random Remarks on Creolese”.

There is more to this unusual tale. His nickname, The Roman, was conferred on him because of his great love for the classics. At Queen’s College, he gained distinction in Latin for five consecutive years and won many prizes in English. His speech delivered in a soft mellifluous sway was impeccable as was his manner of dress and his gait striding down hallowed halls or astride his ‘big-ben’ bicycle. Further, he was in the first panel of judges at the inaugural staging of the Patrick Dargan Debating Competition, pronouncing on the proper use of the English Language - enunciation, pronunciation, elocution and articulation.

In 1929 he, along with other luminaries of the day,

founded the Modern High School - an institution that produced significant leaders and notables who relied heavily on the proper use of the English Language, including Sir Harry Annamanthado, Professor Drayton, Bishops Benedict Singh and Randolph George, Justice Guya Persaud, R. B. O. Hart, Balram Singh Rai, Carl Blackman and Lloyd Searwar. Yansen along with others was instrumental in having Queen’s College built and expanded in Camp Street in order that more Guyanese future leaders would be groomed.

He wrote a column called ‘Random Remarks’ for the Daily Chronicle on topics like education and music.

His programmes on classical music - “On Wings of Song” and “Music in the Air” - were broadcast on local radio stations during the 1930s, ranking him as a pioneer in broadcasting in Guyana.

Why then a book on creolese? In his foreword to “Random Remarks on Creolese” (revised edition, volumes 1 and 2 combined), published in 1979, Yansen declared: “Creolese is a living thing and clearly reflects the activities of all Guyanese in every walk of life: their

hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, vices and virtues, achievements and failures… and, above all, their sense of humour, without which life indeed will not be worth much.” So it’s not surprising that Yansen staked his life on this edition – he died days after final editing, after leaving Guyana for England in the sole pursuit of publishing that book.

‘Random Remarks’ was first published in 1966 - the year of Guyana’s independence, a time of national identity fostered by a peculiar way of speech, creolese.

But that’s only part of the story of ‘Random Remarks in Creolese’. In 1968, Yansen gave a talk on the BBC, an institution that is the leader in use of the Queen’s English; since then his friends prompted him to put his random remarks in a book form. Yansen was honoured by Queen’s College for his work in education and conferred with a National Honour – The Golden Arrow of Achievement (awarded posthumously) for his works in linguistics and education.

And this is what Yansen would have contributed to the current debate/discussion in the local newspapers concerning English and creo-

lese: “English must, and will be, at least in the foreseeable future, the official language; but Creolese, modernized and streamlined, will ever remain the true idiom of all Guyanese. The reason for this belief is clear.

In Creolese today, as has always been the case, there are patent signs of enduring strength. All the elements of such strength are there. In spite of what its critics and detractors may wish, say, or do, Creolese will continue to flourish in every walk of Guyanese life.”

Educator, columnist, broadcaster, Clement Aloysius Yansen gave his last breath to creolese, dying a few days after editing the second edition of “Random Remarks on Creolese”.

Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065 of email oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s happening: Over GYD$1,000,000 in prize monies up for grabs in the 2018 issue of he Guyana Annual. Closing date for entries to the various competitions is November 30, 2017.

For further information, visit The Guyana Annual on Facebook or email theguyanaannual@gmail.com

Moral Tales

The Hare and His Ears T

he lion had been badly hurt by the horns of a goat, which he was eating.

He was very angry to think that any animal he chose for a meal should be so brazen as to wear such dangerous things as horns to scratch him while he ate. So he commanded that all animals with horns should leave his domains within twenty-four hours.

The command struck terror among the beasts. All those who were so unfortunate as to have horns, began to pack up and move out. Even the hare, who, as you know, has no horns and so had nothing to fear, passed a very restless night, dreaming awful dreams about the fearful lion.

And when he came out of the warren in the early morning sun-

THE DANCE OF THE SUN I see you raise O my darling sun in the east, And kiss the west wind with your captivating face.

I see you dance over the earth early in the morning, When I look to the East I see you as my radiant darling.

O dance for me, O golden sun, for me to see your face!

Smile over my native land among so many lovely races, Let me see your magnificent face dance to my eyes, That kisses me from afar under the wings of the skies.

I see you smile over this earth, O my lovely sunset!

Over the stormy sea waves that pose to you no threat; I see your brilliant eyes watch over the ravenous sea, To set and rise again to dance on a fresh new day for me.

COME TO ME Come to me my darling and love me once again, Come and kiss my lips in a thin shower of rain.

Give me your love and be my virtuous wife, Join your soul to mine and be the treasure of my life.

Love me again when you are gone from my eyes, Give me a place in your heart for my soul to cry.

Come back to me my love like the sea birds at night, Let me see your immaculate face in the brilliant moon light.

shine, and there saw the shadow cast by his long and pointed ears, a terrible fright seized him.

"Goodbye, neighbour cricket," he called. "I'm off. He will certainly make out that my ears are horns,

Notice to Readers

no matter what I say."

Moral: Do not give your enemies the slightest reason to attack your reputation. Your enemies will seize any excuse to attack you.

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

Your love is like the sea waves coming in the distant rain, Your kiss is like a doctor's medicine to heal my heart's pain.

Your beauty outshone the sun on a brilliant morning, Come give me your heart again and be my blessed darling.

Poems by prolific Guyanese poet, fiction writer and freelance journalist, Gideon Cecil

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

History & Heritage

The Growth of Georgetown

B

etween 1783 and 1800, small ‘towns’ grew up around Stabroek. First was New Town, which was originally established by the French in 1782. In this area, American traders set up offices close to the river and built a wharf where American trading ships discharged and loaded their goods. This wharf became known as ‘American

In 1804, its owner, Daly, obtained permission to convert part of the plantation into a town. This section was bought by a Mr. Lacy who renamed it Lacytown and built three bridges over the boundary canal to link it with Stabroek and a neighbouring new ward, Cummingsburg, originally owned by a Scotsman, Thomas Cumming.

Cummings Street, which was divided into residential lots, was given the name Cummingsburg. At that time, the locations where Main Street and Cummings Street currently occupy were canals connected by other canals running east to west to the Demerara River. As time went by, some of these canals were filled in to form streets.

Artistic illustration of Georgetown harbour, circa 1850

ous services. An attempt was made by J. C. de La Coste in 1790 to publish a newspaper. He imported a printing machine for this purpose, but the newspaper was not successful. A post office was set up by the government in 1796. In the same year, the

she began publishing the first known Guyanese newspaper, the Royal Essequibo and Demerara Gazette.

Medical services were first organised during the French occupation (178283). However, the first hospital, occupying the site of the

the National Museum.

When the British reoccupied Guyana in 1803, the entire urban area at the mouth of the Demerara River was referred to as Stabroek.

In 1812 it was renamed Georgetown, and Stabroek, like other "burgs" which de-

Main Street n.d.

Stelling’ and the road in the vicinity became known as America Street.

The main street of Stabroek was Brickdam, which was about one mile long. A muddy embankment, which was erected to keep back the river, became known as Water Street.

This street was gradually strengthened with the debris of fires that spread on its surface.

It was the British, after 1796, who began to expand road-building in the town. In 1797 a road, which later be-

Later, Plantation Vlissingen came under the ownership of Joseph Bourda and from this plantation were later carved out Robb's Town (Robbstown) and Newtown. Robb's Town, in its early period, was known as Bridgetown because of the Barbadians who settled there. However, when John Robb leased a large part of the district and started a housing scheme, the area became known as Robb's Town.

Cummingsburg was originally an estate known as La

Kingston started when barracks were built there to house British troops. This ward eventually incorporated a plantation owned by Eve Leary. Soon the elite of the society set up residences in that locality.

Werk-en-Rust was originally a plantation south of Stabroek. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the owners began selling off land near to the Demerara River to saw-millers. At first people did not want to live in Werk-en-Rust because a cemetery was located there.

Stabroek Market n.d.

idle newspaper printing machine was bought by Mrs. Volkerts and by employing two Barbadian printing technicians she obtained contracts to print Government notices. Not too long after,

present-day Guyana Stores, was built by the British in 1796 to treat British troops afflicted by yellow fever. A few years later, a hospital for sailors was built at the site currently occupied by

veloped, became "wards" of the newly renamed capital of Essequibo-Demerara. (“The Guyana Story From Earliest Times to Independence” by Dr. Odeen Ishmael)

Street scene in Georgetown as illustrated in the London News, 1888

came known as High Street, was built. Camp Street was laid out in 1805, and by 1806, other roads were completed.

At around this time, Plantation Vlissengen, a coffee plantation, occupied a large area north of Stabroek.

Bourgade owned by Thomas Cumming, who served as a member of the Court of Policy. He sold off lots along the bank of the Demerara river to merchants who wanted to build storehouses there. The area east of what is now Main Street to

However, as the demand for living space arose, more and more people decided to settle there, and by 1799, it became an extension of Stabroek.

As the urban area expanded, there came a need for the establishment of vari-

Water Street, Georgetown circa 1890s

8 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Travel & Tourism

Nappi Eco-Lodge (Photo by Lynn & Kitch on Flickr)

N

appi Village, in Region Nine, is a small indigenous community in the southern end of the north Rupununi savannahs, 20 miles from Lethem. Though the community is small, the village itself spreads out across the savannahs.

Nearby Nappi is scenic Maipaima, whose forests teem with plants and animals.

Both Nappi and Maipaima creeks flow with crystal clear waters.

Surrounded by dense forest, the creeks are oases for tourists who want to relax and enjoy a refreshing bath after exploring the area.

Making farine in Nappi (Photo by Chickadeee on Flickr)

Jungle surrounds Nappi creek

Homes in the village (Photo by Chickadeee on Flickr)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Fashion

T

here's a certain kind of woman who appears effortlessly styled wherever she goes. This woman is often referred to as “the fashion girl” — the type who just gets outfit proportions, layering tricks, and how to pull off the trend of the moment.

Featured today are some styling secrets fashion girls live by.

Y

ou need just one thing in your sartorial arsenal – a strong shirt. Styles for a neat-yetlaid-back addition to your wardrobe are what you need to complete your distinct urbane look.

Sonia Noel Designs offers chic, breathable, comfortable and

sophisticated shirts. These bespoke pieces are made from durable fabric and are ideal for any guy who wants to “stand out from the crowd”.

For more information, visit Sonia Noel Designs on Facebook.

For waist definition or an added outfit perk, fashion girls know the value of belting it. A skinny one lends polish to finish an ensemble, while a wider leather belt can define curves and slim the body.

Fashion girls aren't above the basics; they just know how to rock them.

T-shirts, skinny black pants, and a classic pump are all among stylish women's must haves.

Whoever said you couldn't wear stripes with polka dots had no idea just how cool they would look together. Fashion girls never play by rules like that, mixing up splashy prints with ease. If you're new to the print game, look for patterns that have a similar colour scheme to start, then work your way up to bolder, brighter combinations.

While boyfriend jeans are cool, fashion girls know they're even cooler when you juxtapose them with more sophisticated, dressedup pieces, like heels and great jewels. It's the fashion girl's take on sexy, and it works every time.

Tees are meant to be twisted, rolled, and knotted — and stylish girls are adept at working them all the right ways. Knotting them at the waist is an essential styling trick that helps define your figure and can help you repurpose a dress as a skirt. Simply add a button-down or t-shirt over your dress and knot it at the waist to create the illusion of a top and skirt.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Recipe of the week

Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

2 tbsp margarine 1/3 cup sugar

Boho-Rustic Tablescapes and Place Settings

C

ultivate a collection of natural accessories and be ready to transform any table setting into a rustic, cozy or intimate dining experience.

1/4 cup cold water 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt margarine. Add sugar, vanilla and water and stir. Add flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Place cupcake wrappers into a muffin pan. Divide batter equally. You should get 8 brownie bites. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Tip: You can under cook brownies so they remain gooey. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel. (Photo and recipe from www.jehancancook.

Swap everyday coasters for decorative-but-purposeful fabric doilies. They're pretty and affordable.

com)

Greatest Cooking Tips For a quick pickle, whisk a little salt and sugar into some white vinegar. Pour over thinly sliced raw vegetables.

Wait 20 minutes. Eat. Carrots, squash, tomatoes—these vegetables have a natural sweetness that’s enhanced by a dash (just a dash!) of sugar.

Don’t toast bread, fry it! Warm some butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Lay in bread and fry until golden on both sides.

Always keep lemons in the fridge. They’ll keep longer that way, so you’ll always be able to add fresh lemon juice to everything from dressings to cocktails. Plus, you can use the squeezed rinds to clean and deodorize your wooden cutting boards.

Make candles a mandatory part of your rustic tablescape. Whether you're incorporating real flame or LED, a natural wood centerpiece that glows is guaranteed to make your setting all kinds of cozy.

Home Help

Keep your bathroom cleaner longer by using a liquid soap with a pump or a hands-free soap dispenser instead.

Eliminating the grimy soap dish will help your sink and countertop stay goop-free.

Make your microwave interior easier to wipe down by heating a cup of water and a chopped-up lemon on high until the microwave's window is steamy. Let the bowl sit for 15 minutes before you open the door, and clean away any grime with ease.

About half all women's bags have fecal bacteria on them, so give it a swipe with a disinfectant wipe.

Spray paint found leaves gold (or silver, or white or black), and then use a paint pen to hand letter your guests’ names for each place setting. Natural touches from the outdoors work wonders when it comes to designing your own elegant tablescape.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Puzzles

Crossword

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ACROSS Masseuse employers Kind of numeral Whale of a mammal Balance Trace of smoke Interstellar dust cloud Gotten up Jai -Helm position Kitchen gadget Nashville's -- Pearl David Bowie's wife Table protectors Yak's home Chantey singers Leaves laughing Scares away Dice roll "Wham!"

Hirt and Pacino Mover's challenge Geologic division Less exciting It's seldom seen Fireplace tool Bad hair -Horse Rust or patina Overindulge Brave deeds Biol. or astron.

Cholesterol raisers Vast multitude Undertones "Faster -- a speeding bullet" Hard water?

Guys Hum Thin pancake Like a mortarboard Bon -- (witticism) Capone foe Squinted at River source Chop down "Gross!"

Flowers-to-be Slacks off Unpaid Squirrel hangout Statue descriptor (hyph.)

Lithe Louis L'Amour genre Hangs ten Reagan nickname Musical symbol Rubbernecking Not plain "-- get me wrong!"

Above, in verse Fish in a can Intuition Wolfgang's thanks Plunder Gas-pump abbr.

Merriment Not as quiet Revival shouts Aurora, to Plato Maureen or Scarlett Wk. day

106 Boombox platters

107 Munch

109 Like ski slopes 110 Employed

112 Board game

115 -- nova

116 Sign of fear (2 wds.)

120 Melville novel

121 Long, silky wool

123 Muss up

125 Tell -- -- (falsify)

126 Ukraine capital

127 Doghouse

128 Summer top

129 Crater edges

130 Circular current

131 Fuse unit

132 Rose-petal oils

133 Oktober ending

DOWN 1 Barter

2 Insufferable sort

3 Cruising

4 Technical details

5 Exception

6 Gets out of debt

7 Is a party to

8 Hot cross - 9 Seine moorage

10 Hannibal's city

11 Panda fodder

12 Iroquois speakers

13 Yarn fuzz

14 Mil. branch

15 Teahouse hostess

16 Poet's adverb

17 Scenic transport

18 Brat in "Blondie"

19 German industrial region

20 Cookie sheets

30 Raise spirits

32 Smoke detector output

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34 Wee bits

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36 Burn slightly

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37 Auditions

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38 Benefit from

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39 City near Monte Alban

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40 Jots down

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42 Bodies of water 81

43 Set aside for

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45 Dog-team runner

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46 Break loose

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47 -- in (curbed)

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49 Psyche components

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50 Bushed

51 Crane

52 Vaccine amts.

54 Was an omen of

55 Wheel center

56 Rage

59 Wahines' dances

60 Engineering sch.

61 Lock or curl

63 Tractor pioneer

64 Swear solemnly

65 Yields territory

67 Book holder

68 Convention

70 Like a cumulus cloud

72 Iditarod team member

73 John, in Glasgow

Thin-barked tree Puget Sound port Shining brightly A Curie Morning moisture URL suffix Out to -Wry Spaced out Gains admission 1914 headline Compass pt.

-- Monica, Calif.

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- SIGNIFICANT (SIGNIFICANT: sig-NIF-ih-kent: Meaningful; important.)

Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 58 or more words in SIGNIFICANT? saint sang satin sating scan scant scat sift sifting sign

sing snag snit stag stain staining stannic sting icing inciting

infant insignia gain gait giant gift gist gnat naif niacin

facing fact faint fainting fang fast fasting fiat fining finis

fisc fist fistic caning cant casing cast casting cist citing

acing acting angst anti antics tang tannic ting

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

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Traipse Like a kitten U-boat movie "-- Boot" Seaweed-wrapped delicacy Longfellow subject View from an oasis Pizza extra Conductance units Frontiers Grammy-winning rapper Reduced (2 wds.)

Flour grinder Port near Kyoto

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More achy Shade-loving plant Tower over Jab playfully In the thick of Sorority member Archaeologist's find Kind of film Journalist -- Ducommun Draws a bead on -- tube Econ. indicator Grain morsel Solution on Pg 13

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Tech tip

Switching to the Sound of Silence for Facebook Videos

To disable the audio in a video that plays automatically when you browse your news feed, go into the Facebook app’s settings and flip the appropriate button from the on position (shown here) to off. (Credit: The New York Times)

F

acebook announced earlier this year that it was making changes to the way videos work on its service, particularly for mobile devices. In a blog post that explained the new features, the company said that mobile users “had come to expect sound when the volume on their device is turned on” and that it heard positive feedback about the audible autoplay behaviour. The sound of the videos fades in and fades out as you scroll through your News Feed, and the videos are not supposed to be audible at all if you have the main volume level on your phone set to silent. However, if you prefer to keep your phone’s volume set to a normal level and do not want Facebook videos blaring in public when you browse your news feed, you can disable the function in

the app’s settings.

In the Android version of the Facebook app, tap the three-lined menu button in the toolbar and scroll down to App Settings. Next to “Videos in News Feed Start With Sound,” tap the button to the Off position. If you do not want videos in your feed to play automatically at all, tap Autoplay toward the bottom of the list and tap “Never Autoplay Videos” on the next screen before leaving the Settings area. In the iOS version of the Facebook app, tap the three-lined menu icon in the corner of the screen and choose Settings. Select Account Settings and then Sounds. Turn off the button next to “Videos in News Feed Start With Sound.” You can find the preferences for autoplay videos in the Videos and Photos section of the main Settings screen.

Crossword Solution

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech Apple will share face mapping data from iPhone X with third-party app developers

A

pple plans to share facial mapping data captured by the iPhone X’s series of frontfacing cameras and sensors, according to a report

by Reuters. The revelation, contained in a developer agreement detailing the use of Apple’s new facial recognition software, would appear to undermine statements Apple made during the iPhone X reveal back in September. The company’s executives at the time made an effort to placate privacy concerns with talk of strict on-device storage and endto-end encryption.

However, there’s quite a bit of unpacking to do here regarding what developers actually have access to and under what terms. According to the developer agreement, third-party app makers only have access to the visual facial mapping data, and not the same mathematical representation of it that is used to unlock the iPhone X using Face ID. Apple claims the latter is encrypted on the device itself, so not even its own employees have access to it. Yet developers do still have access to a map of a user’s face as part of the True Depth camera, along with data on as many as 50 facial expressions that could

Tech news

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Y

bans if violated, as safeguards against the misuse of Face ID data. Apple did not respond to a request for comment to confirm these aspects of Face ID or what the user permission process looks like. It’s unclear if permission can be granted on

Google 'drops everything' to fix burger emoji

oogle CEO Sundar Pichai has tasked employees with one key objective: fix the burger emoji.

The tech giant's big cheese stepped in after a tweet from author Thomas Baekdal highlighted inconsistencies in different tech companies' burger construction.

Posting a picture from emojipedia, Mr Baekdal said it was: "time to have a discussion about how Google's burger emoji is placing the cheese underneath the burger, while Apple puts it on top".

In the image, Google is

Tech news

tell a developer how exactly you raise your eyebrows or move your mouth, to name a few telling instances. This is how Snapchat’s iPhone X-specific filters, demoed onstage during the phone’s reveal, appear more sophisticated than standard ones.

There are of course restrictions here. Apple says the data can never be used for advertising or marketing, and it cannot be bundled and sold to analytics companies or data brokers. Apple also bans developers from creating profiles of otherwise anonymous users by using identifying facial capture information. Apple cites its rigorous app review process, and its hardline stance on privacy issues that would result in App Store

an app-by-app basis, similar to location services.

Despite the apparent protections, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union are concerned that an era of widespread facial recognition technology, no matter the intentions or safeguards of its creator, could yield unexpected results. “Apple does have a pretty good historical track record of holding developers accountable who violate their agreements, but they have to catch them first - and sometimes that’s the hard part,” Jay Stanley, an ACLU senior policy analyst, told Reuters. “It means household names probably won’t exploit this, but there’s still a lot of room for bottom feeders.” (The Verge)

the only company which places its cheese underneath the meat.

Mr Baekdal clearly has his finger on the social zeitgeist, as the discussion he wanted took off online. His initial tweet has attracted 17,500 retweets, more than 36,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

People really care about burgers, and some were unimpressed with the effort made by both companies.

The debate came to the attention of Google's CEO Sundar Pichai on Sunday.

"Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday if folks can

agree on the correct way to do this," he tweeted.

His pledge to act quickly and decisively was the sig-

nal fans of burger puns had been waiting for as a torrent of witticisms was unleashed.

(BBC)

You might get your iPhone X sooner than expected

Apple says this is the strongest glass used on a smartphone

ou might get your Apple iPhone X sooner than expect-

ed.

While initial reports suggested Apple was

struggling with supply and wouldn't be able to meet demand, some iPhone X units are shipping out ahead of previous estimates.

An iPhone X I ordered from T-Mobile, for example, wasn't supposed to ship until sometime between November 3 and 10. It has already shipped on schedule for delivery on November 3, which is launch day.

Apple said it will have limited supply in stores,

too, in case you weren't able to order one on time.

This isn't to say there are enough units to completely meet demand.

Apple's site still says most models won't ship for 5-6 weeks for orders placed today. For folks who ordered last Friday, when the phone initially went on sale, however, there might be some news of earlier than expected shipping waiting for you in your inbox. (CNBC)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Bollywood/Hollywood

S

A

ishwarya Rai Bachchan is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world. But for her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, she is much more than just being an ageless beauty.

In a recent interview, Abhishek shared an insight on how Aishwarya does everything for their daughter Aaraadhya and has become a “supermom”.

“When she became a mother her career took a backseat. Today, she does everything for Aaradhya. She is supermom. Soon after Aaradhya was born, the media went at her about her weight gain. Nasty things were written, which really upset me,” he said.

Adding, “If that upsets her, she said nothing.

‘Water off a duck’s back’ she said when she saw me perturbed. Anyone who knows her would know that she has never spent a day in the gym. The only time was when we were shooting Dhoom 2 (2006), and Uday Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and I dragged her.”

The “Guru” star also shared that he has never seen her complaining about anything even with the hectic travel schedules and erratic work hours.

“Till date people refer to her as the most beautiful woman in the world, and I know she is immensely grateful for the love. She values

her fans and enjoys the adulation as well as the trappings of her career. Even with the hectic travel schedules and erratic work hours, I’ve never heard her complain about front or back of the plane, Maruti or Mercedes. Her focus isn’t on the trivial. It’s these things that leave me charmed,” said Abhishek.

Aishwarya turned 44 on Nov. 1 and she visited Siddhivinayak Temple with daughter Aaradhya Bachchan and mom Vrinda Rai. On the professional front, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be next seen in “Fanney Khan” opposite Rajkummar Rao and Anil Kapoor.

(ANI)

Shah Rukh Khan: ‘Longevity of stardom will be less in future’

A

s the reach of a star is growing at a rapid pace, the concept of stardom is changing and affecting its longevity, says superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has clocked over 25 years in Indian showbiz and continues to rule the hearts of millions.

On his 52nd birthday on Thursday, Shah Rukh told the media, “Honestly, I think the longevity of stardom will be less in future, unlike our time, because of the simple logic of faster reach to the audience. I think the concept of superstardom will change. In fact, it has started changing. Earlier, it used to take three months for a film to get released all over India. Now it takes three seconds for a film to reach our mobile phone. For me, from when I made a debut to becoming a star, it took 10 years because people took some time to know me, then slowly they became fans... Now, for a young actor, it just takes a year to gain pop-

T

he first look of Tiger Shroff’s “Baaghi 2” is out and the actor has taken everyone by surprise with his intense and gritty new look. With a subtle moustache and bulging biceps, the actor looked quite a grown-up.

Tiger has been shooting for the film since September and has often been spotted hiding his look with a beanie in all his public appearances.

In the picture, released by the makers, Tiger is walking to the film sets to shoot for an action sequence.

ularity. So, the longevity of 30 years will go down a bit. Things are going to come and go faster.”

The actor was overwhelmed with the “sea of love” -- the crowd outside his house on his birthday -- and umpteen wishes on social media for his special day.

Talking about how digital entertainment was posing a challenge for the cinema world, Shah Rukh said, “I think when it comes to cinematic experience, we can offer a much bigger canvas because that is possible through digital shooting, camera, 3D and other technology. What we can do today with cinema is unfathomable. In the near future, we can experience interactive cinema, where we all can watch a story on big screen with a different experience. Therefore, I think cinema won’t die, but a new way of experiencing cinema will come.”

Shah Rukh will be attending the upcoming International Film Festival of India in Goa. He believes that Indian cinema should be celebrated globally and he is excited to welcome artistes from all over.

“I think it is our responsibility to welcome and invite filmmakers and actors from all over the world to celebrate cinema, and with each passing year we are growing. We Indians are known for our hospitality and I will be there in Goa, to welcome all the dignitaries to celebrate cinema at the festival. I will also go to Kolkata International Film Festival, and it is also growing every year.” (IANS)

“Baaghi 2” will feature Disha Patani with Tiger, their second project together after a music video. The film is a sequel to Tiger’s 2016 action flick “Baaghi” which also starred Shraddha Kapoor in the lead role. While the first part was directed by Sabbir Khan, the sequel will be directed by choreographer Ahmed Khan.

Tiger and Disha’s pairing has already created a lot of buzz among fans who are waiting to see the duo share screen once again.

(Hindustan Times)

elena Gomez and Justin Bieber have been spotted hanging out for the third time this week leading fans to believe they're back on... again.

Selena, who very recently split from boyfriend of 10 months The Weeknd, was seen enjoying a romantic bike ride and coffee date with Justin yesterday. The two looked happy as they linked arms and cuddled up to one another while strolling around Los Angeles - it was all very adorable.

Earlier this week, the young stars spent the day at Justin's mansion and were even seen attending Bible study group together.

T

Following her recent kidney transplant, Selena also hosted Justin at her home last Sunday.

A source tells TMZ that it took some convincing on Justin's part to prove to Selena that rekindling

yrese Gibson broke down in tears in an emotional video he posted on Facebook on Wednesday, November 1. Amid his contentious custody battle over his only child, 10-year-old Shayla, the 39-year-old actor was seen in the nearly-7-minute video sobbing while pleading his ex-wife Norma not to "take my baby."

"Don't take my baby. This is all I got.

Don't take my baby, okay?" so Tyrese said in the video as tears started rolling down his cheeks. "I've been away from my baby for two months," he continued, adding that he "just want my baby and no one's listening cause no one's in the courtroom."

The "Fast and Furious" actor continued to cry and pace around the room before he started talking directly to Norma again. "I'm at $13,000 a month, what more do you want from me?" he said loudly as he started crying again. "I don't hate you Norma. I don't know why you hate me, but I don't hate you. But you just can't wake up on September 11th and accuse me of something I didn't do!"

Hours later, Tyrese took to his Instagram account to assure fans that he's doing okay.

In another video he shared, the Roman

their romance was nothing but a good thing for both of them. The source adds that Selena's kidney transplantation was the one which made Justin reconnect to Selena. (Glamour)

Pearce depicter said, "Contrary to what some of y'all may believe, I'm actually okay." He continued, "And I'm not putting this up to calm people down.

If people are having conversations about what's going on in my personal life... my private life has always been private."

"I'm not a singer, I'm not an actor, I'm not a producer, I'm not a writer, I'm not a celebrity," he continued.

"I'm a father. Okay?

I'm a father, it's a universal thing." He added, "So please, ladies, I love y'all. Our angels wouldn't be here if it wasn't for y'all. But this is not about men vs. women. This is men vs. liars."

In court documents, Norma accused Tyrese of abusing their daughter on August 19, alleging that the actor "pushed our daughter to the ground, pinned her face down, put his knees on her back, grabbed her hands with one arm and beat her with the other."

Norma, who was married to Tyrese from 2007 to 2009, alleged her ex-husband hit their daughter "between 12 and 16 times."

The child allegedly later told her mother that she couldn't sit down due to pain as saying, "Mum, Dad beat me so hard that it hurts when I sit down." (AceShowbiz)

‘Stranger Things’ star reveals she is deaf in one ear

M

illie Bobby Brown seems to continuously amaze and inspire the world after her breakthrough role as 11 on the wildly popular Netflix show "Stranger Things".

The young actress, who always amazes anyone she has ever worked with even though she never received any formal voice training or formal acting classes, told Variety that she was born with partial hearing loss in one of her ears. She had tubes for years only to find out that her hearing completely faded away.

She admitted that each time she performed, be it acting or singing, she could not fully hear herself. Even so, she never let her hearing loss become an impediment. She never lost her confidence and simply did the best she could in every performance. "You can talk

with your face," she said.

"It's very easy for someone to say, 'I'm mad. I'm sad.

I'm angry.' I have to just do it with my face," she firmly stated. "You don't have to be good at singing. You don't have to be good at dancing or acting. If you like to do it, if you genuinely enjoy doing it, then do it. No one should stop you," she encouraged the readers and her fans.

In an interview with W Magazine earlier this year, she said that she aspired to be a singer since she was three. During her visit to "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in September, where she showed off her musical talent by rapping Nicki Minaj's verse from the track "Monster", she revealed that she specifically wanted to be in a musical "Matilda". "I like her wittiness. She's funny and also just extremely

smart, all at the same time," she explained her reason.

Even though her co-stars who appeared in Broadway productions warned her of the grueling rehearsal schedule, Brown said that she was unfazed and possibly even excited by the thought. "That's why I would like to. I think Broadway's such a tough kind of routine." (AceShowbiz)

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

A new interest will motivate you to take on novel chal(March 21- lenges. Money can be made if April 19) you combine something you love to do with a service others are willing to pay for.

ARIES

A joint venture will take TAURUS plenty of energy, but if you (April 20stick it out and do your part, it May 20) will be beneficial. Rely on experience to help you excel.

GEMINI (May 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

You’ll be up for a challenge. Sign up for a marathon or engage in energetic activities with friends. A passionate approach to life will enhance your relationship with a special someone.

Put a little money and muscle into your home. Getting your place up to par will lift your spirits and prompt you to invite friends and family to enjoy your space.

Keep your money in a safe place. Unnecessary spending, lending or borrowing will lead to trouble. Confusion and uncertainty regarding health or legal issues should be dealt with curtly.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Communication can solve your problems. Share your point of view and be willing to work alongside others. A team effort will help you achieve your goal faster and will present new opportunities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

A personal arrangement with someone special will change the way you move forward physically, emotionally and financially. A steady pace and moderate approach will lead to a better future.

Emotional problems will SCORPIO crop up if you have been reluc(Oct. 24- tant to discuss how you feel or Nov. 22) what you want. Honesty will be necessary to avoid unwanted changes at home.

Consider your current diSAGITTARIUS rection and what will ensure (Nov. 23success. Check out job possibilDec. 21) ities or make a personal change that enhances your appeal and confidence. A pet will bring you joy.

Question someone if you

CAPRICORN feel you aren’t getting the (Dec. 22- whole truth. Channel your enJan. 19) ergy into something that will

Calvin and Hobbes

help improve your health, fitness and valued friendships.

Fix any minor repairs you AQUARIUS want to make around the (Jan. 20house. Buying and selling obFeb. 19) jects, property or something homemade will be gratifying.

Plan a garage sale or attend a flea market.

PISCES Take what you hear and (Feb. 20- digest it carefully. Someone Mar. 20) will lead you astray or push you in a direction that isn’t in your best interest. Think big, but practice moderation.