Guyana Times Sunday February 2, 2020

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4184 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, February 2, 2020

PRICE

Blocked Berbice River

$120 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Hundreds of loggers lose jobs

See story on page 3

…forestry operation halted until river cleared

India to P6 explore Guyana as additional oil supplier $27B GRA tax increase from widened tax base P11

Bee invasion forces P8 closure of National Park

Abusive Police, DPP should son beats take action against mother in drunken lawbreakers – rage former AG Failure to declare assets

See story on page 5

Timehri attempted murder

Husband succumbs after ingesting poison P17

See story on page 14

Despite firing over 7000 workers

Caretaker President says he "preserved" sugar industry Page 7

Enough! – sand truck drivers to Police on harassment P16 Murder convict appeals life sentence P14

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Blocked Berbice River

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, February 2 – 10:30h – 12:00h and Monday, February 3 – 11:30h – 13:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, February 2 – 09:20h – 10:50h and Monday, February 3 – 10:35h – 12:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 19 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 10:11h and 22:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.25 metres and 2.18 metres.

Low Tide: 03:41h and 16:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.99 metre and 0.97 metre.

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Hundreds of loggers lose jobs

…forestry operation halted until river cleared

T

he protest action by workers attached to RUSAL Bauxite Company, Upper Berbice River, Region 10, is now having a severe impact on other companies operating in and around the area.

While bauxite workers have blocked the river to aid their cause, their action has resulted in hardships for others who are employed with other Private Sector companies in the area.

In fact, the blocked river has now caused major problems for loggers in the area.

Managing Director of NS Bacchus logging operation at Hururu, Ameer Bacchus during a recent visit to the area, explained that the blocking of the river has put a hold on his sawmill. He said that workers are unable to use the river to transport logs and as such his sawmill is suffering. He said that it has been over a week since the river was blocked and he is now forced to send home his workers temporarily until the situation is resolved.

“We had to lay off our workers at the sawmill and within the concession. We had to stop all operations because there is no movement to pass the rope that they establish across the river there and so the vessel can’t pass.”

According to Bacchus, more than sixty workers both temporary and permanent staff - have been sent home.

At least two other vessels belonging to different companies are waiting to go up the Berbice River to collect logs. Reports are that several others up the river are also waiting to trans-

A section of the blocked Berbice River

port logs to New Amsterdam and Rosignol on the West Bank of Berbice.

RUSAL and workers

The dispute between RUSAL and its workers started on January 23, when the company announced its decision to lay off workers after Government ended its duty-free importation of fuel arrangement.

Some 142 bauxite workers were part of the initial staff cut. This led to workers blocking the upper Berbice River to all vessels traversing.

As a result, an additional 146 workers were sent home last week. The company put out a notice on Wednesday advising that it has been forced to further reduce operations and lay off employees owing to adverse operating circumstances including shipment interruption because of the blockage of the Berbice River.

The letter stated that the lay off of employees will be recalled as soon as the situation returns to normalcy.

Workers attached to the

Russia-based bauxite company have always been up in arms with its management.

The workers have been pushing for a satisfactory wage hike.

Over the past decade, wage increases ranged between one per cent and three per cent.

In protest last February, the workers blocked the upper Berbice River.

According to one employee, Ivan Leacock, this blockage is also for the same issue.

“Last year when we took action, we took action because they give us one per cent increase. You can’t even see one per cent. Their salary

is big; their allowance is big.

Everything for them is great and we Guyanese – next to nothing,” he told Guyana Times last week.

“We don’t want anything extraordinary; we want what is due to us. We want what we are demanding,” the worker declared.

Meanwhile, RUSAL’s management on Friday met with officials from the Social Protection Ministry. Next week, the Ministry’s Labour Department is expected to engage representatives from the Union, who have been calling for the discussions to be declared a deadlock and the matter sent to arbitration.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

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, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Of oil prices and oil contracts

I

n the midst of new concerns raised about the contract it signed with the three-party consortium to develop the oil reserves in the Stabroek Block, the Department of Energy’s Head – the environmentalist Dr Mark Bynoe – reiterated that Guyana will be shipping its first millionbarrel share of “2% royalty and 12.5% profit oil” later this month. This means that Exxon, Hess and CNOOC, would have already lifted and shipped their 85.5% shares. Guyana’s oil will be sold to a division of Royal Dutch Shell, which won a controversial bid for the rights to market Guyana’s first three cargoes of crude oil.

The Energy Department’s hand-selected companies that competed for the rights were operators Exxon, Hess and CNOOC along with oil majors BP, Chevron, Total and Eni. The Department did not invite the more aggressive independent oil sellers that dominate the market. The Department announced that “The sale has been premised on a Dated Brent price basis which reflects the tradable, spot market value of crude oil”. It promised that “pricing details” will be publicly disclosed in the future.

The PNC-led Government had been pushing for Guyana’s “first oil” to be shipped by this month ever since caretaker President David Granger announced that the long-delayed elections would be held on March 2. It clearly wanted to use the occasion as a campaigning ploy to demonstrate that Guyana was actually receiving “oil money” to fund all the promises they have been making on the campaign trail. However, it would seem they were too smart for their own good since, in only the last week, the benchmark Brent spot price has dropped US$4 per barrel from US$60 to US$56 – a 6.6% decline which will continue primarily due to decreased demand from China and the airline industry because of the coronavirus pandemic. Even if prices slide to US$54 by the time the shipment is made, Guyana would be losing US$6 million or GY$1.2 billion.

On another front, it was announced that the British NGO “Global Witness” has written to the local Exxon subsidiary to claim that the terms of the contract the Government of Guyana negotiated with the consortium of International Oil Companies (IOC) for developing the Stabroek Block containing 7.9 billion barrels of oil is not “fair”. Rather than the 52% share of profit oil Guyana receives, it should be getting 69%. Based on this latter metric, Global Witness calculated that at a price of US$65 (sic) per barrel, Guyana would be “losing” some US$55 billion over the 40 years it would take to deplete the field. Global Witness insists that this contract is “exploitative and unjustifiably bad” and “Exxon should renegotiate the Stabroek licence so that Guyana obtains a fair deal”.

But what Global Witness has omitted is very revealing: the contract was negotiated by a sovereign country named Guyana run by its APNU/AFC coalition Government – and represented by its Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. Guyana has had dealings with foreign multinationals in the extractive mining sectors of bauxite and gold for decades and should have had the institutional memory to at least accept that it needed to hire experts in the oil sector to bargain effectively.

Yet, Global Witness, adopting their paternalistic firstworld assumptions of the “natives” being incapable of “negotiating” with the modern corporations uttered not a word on the failure of Minister Trotman to negotiate a better deal for Guyana. Not so incidentally, the PNC and Trotman have always touted the vaunted negotiating ability of Trotman based on his “first world” education at Tufts University. After the contract, President Granger praised his “sterling contribution” to developing the oil sector.

On another related front, there are claims that a “Bridge Deed” which was created by Trotman to have the original Licence and Petroleum Agreement with the operators extended so as to create a new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), which was done outside the ambit of the law.

It is clear that Minister Trotman’s actions on oil should be subjected to legal examination.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Ministeriral Candidate Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips share a photo moment with this Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) teen on Saturday guyanatimesgy.com

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

APNU/AFC’s indecency, dishonesty, lack of integrity Dear Editor, Every day, at every turn, APNU/AFC makes the case there is nothing decent, honest about them. Not being able to ask Guyanese to vote for them based on their track record, not able to press the case for progress to continue, or for going forward and not backward, not able to talk about the “good life”, APNU/ AFC settled on “honesty, decency and integrity” as their tag line for the 2020 general elections. But at every turn, every single day, with every new opportunity to open their mouths, their indecency, dishonesty and a lack of integrity are fully exposed.

David Granger telling people at the APNU/AFC’s Anna Regina rally that APNU/ AFC brought banks, roads, restaurants, factories etc to Essequibo was dishonest and indecent. Never mind that even among the assembled people in Anna Regina, most were from outside of the region, having been boated and bussed-in with Government resources, including extra ferry service.

In the last five years, the Granger-led APNU/AFC has done little to nothing in Region Two - Essequibo.

The banks were there before 2015, a legacy of the PPP/C. The fire station was there before 2015. After 2015, no new roads were constructed, no new housing scheme, no new schools and God knows what factories Mr Granger was talking about. Which restaurants exactly is Granger taking credit for? Those giving Mr Granger those talking points should be severely re-

buked. I want to believe Mr Granger is being fed drivel by those around him. The false boasting taking credit for things done before 2015 is dishonest, indecent and a total lack of integrity. Is Mr Granger a victim of false information or is he knowingly boasting about things they never did? Let people judge for themselves.

APNU/AFC lied to the rice farmers of Region Two and around the country.

They promised better paddy price, doing so on TV in Region Two, at public meetings and at their 2015 Anna Regina rally, promising rice farmers $9000 per bag of paddy. In the five years, rice farmers have had paddy prices less than they had in 2014.

They promised rice farmers more and better market for Guyana’s rice. They lost markets and export less rice today than in 2014, exporting more paddy, resulting in less export earnings.

They boasted recently that Venezuela is still the largest market. But the truth is the government-to-government Venezuelan market was squandered by the Grangerled APNU/AFC. Today, private millers have been making their way back into the Venezuelan market, but at prices that are just about 50 per cent what it used to be. The Mexico market was always there for the taking, we just wanted them to buy our rice, not our paddy.

The Panama market which should have reached 200,000 tons in 2020 is even less than the 2014 amount. They betrayed rice farmers and the

rice sector, there is nothing decent and honest about this.

Mr Granger did not explain to farmers why his Government removed the subsidies for agriculture equipment, thus raising the production cost. He did not tell them why his Government removed waivers on all taxes on agriculture chemicals. He failed to tell them why there is no fuel subsidies. Mr Granger should have told the people of Essequibo, even if most of the people he was directly talking to were not from Essequibo, why assisting farmers to get quick payment for their paddy was stopped by his Government, on the basis that the farmers are private and that the Government has nothing to do with them. He failed to explain why farmers have had no help and a missing in action Minister of Agriculture when they battle paddy bugs, floods and droughts.

He failed to tell them that the Lima pump they commissioned with great fanfare in 2015 was a project under the PPP, one that started in 2014. He failed to tell them why the Devonshire Castle Pump, a project slated to start in 2015 is only now getting started, that is assuming it is not an election gimmick.

Mr Granger did not explain why the Aurora Agriculture Land Development Scheme which was intended to open up 4000 hectares of land for farmers was abandoned in 2015.

Mr Granger did promise that cash grants to families with school children will be

one of the uses of oil money.

But he failed to explain why his Government immediately stopped the cash grant that was already in place in 2014, the PPP doing it without oil money. Why should people believe him now that the cash grant to families with school children will resume? Has he forgotten that the very first oil money arrived in Guyana in 2016 and that it was his Government that hid the $US18 million from the Guyanese people, with the money placed in a secret Bank of Guyana account? Has he forgotten that just a few days ago, Jordan, his hand-picked Finance Minister, told the nation he thought it was a gift? A gift to whom? He could have used a minute or two to finally come clean and tell the Guyanese people where the US$18 million oil money is.

The truth is that the Anna Regina rally was another occasion that exposed the indecency, dishonesty and lack of integrity of the Granger-led APNU/AFC. There is nothing decent, honest about their behaviour throughout this campaign. There is nothing decent, honest in not facing up to the truth. It is time they apologise to the Guyanese people for betraying them, for making empty promises. Essequibo was neglected for all of the five years under APNU/AFC. It is indecent and dishonest to now fly into Essequibo to beg them for their votes in front of a bussed-in, boated-in crowd.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

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News

Failure to declare assets

Police, DPP should take action against lawbreakers – former AG I n keeping with its constitutional responsibilities, the Integrity Commission has published a list of a number of public officials including Ministers, who failed to declare their assets last year.

Making the list are a number of Ministers and former parliamentarians.

During an interview on Saturday, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall described the violations as a manifestation of “lawlessness” on the part of the Government. He noted that such breaches of the law should not go unpunished.

“It’s a question of lawlessness and lack of accountable governance. The law is being violated and the Integrity Commission has a duty to secure compliance with the law.

The Police Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions [Shalimar AliHack] should be engaged.”

“In any lawful and democratic society, that would have happened. Yet, after these vulgar violations, this bandwagon of politicians is asking Guyanese to vote for them on the basis that they are honest and decent,” the attorney-at-law noted.

Nandlall questioned why those who were flagged would be reluctant to make declarations, particularly since President David Granger has founded his electoral campaign on slogans like “honesty and decency”. Nandlall noted that the expectation is that public officials must at all times be ready to give account for as-

sets and any wealth in their possession.

“This is another manifestation of the lawless culture being practised by this Government. Every time the President speaks on the issue of law, he professes to obey the Constitution and the laws of this land and commits his Government to constitutionality and lawful conduct. However, the reality is largely the opposite.”

“You will recall that after being in Government for little over a year, we challenged the Ministers in parliament to declare their assets and make public their integrity declarations and their income, so that the population [could see]. We were prepared to do the same, after being in Government for

23 years. They blatantly refused to do so.”

The list

According to the list gazette by the Integrity Commission, as of January 24, 2020, a total of eight Ministers failed to declare their assets. The list is led

by Nandlall’s successor as Attorney General, Basil Williams.

Other names on the list are Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton. Also included are Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Karen Cummings, Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Junior Minister of Agriculture Valarie Adams-Yearwood and Minister within the

What would this Granger Govt be best remembered for?

Dear Editor, The Granger Government would best be remembered for its lies, innuendos and most certainly, lavish and extravagant lifestyle, and I make that brief but comprehensive appraisal of their track record in office and power. The fact is this Government says things that on the surface level looks good, but in reality, it is virtual trash talk. The situation gets worse as General Election draws nearer when this Government now finds it convenient to dole out another set of promises of the “good life”. It is either Granger is losing his mind, or he believes Guyanese are a pack of fools.

You cannot tell me that you were in power for nine years and still promise Guyanese a good life when the people are experiencing what you were doing these nine long years? You would have noticed that I said nine and not five years because that is the time, they wielded power in Parliament, 20112020. So, for nine long years, they fattened themselves on the good of the land while most of the people lived on the edges of society. This is the poor and distressing legacy they caused this country to endure. So, for brevity purposes I shall highlight the horrible life we were forced to endure these last five (5) years: 1. Soon after taking office they closed four sugar estates putting over 7000 persons out of jobs 2. They fired 2000 plus more of our Amerindian brothers and sisters 3. Took away the $10,000 “Because we care” cash grant to poor single-parent families.

4. Robbed civil servants

of the much-needed pay rise and reduced or either took away other social allowances 5. Took away the Joint Servants Christmas bonuses and replaced it with more idle promises.

6. Paid millions into the ill-equipped and structurally unsound “D’Urban Park Project” 7. Squandered millions and continue to squander millions more in all, and I repeat all capital infrastructural projects such as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Project, The East Coast and West Coast Road Developments. The East Bank and West Bank roads as well as the East Coast to East Bank Bypass Roads project. Not forgetting The Amaila Falls HEP Mega Project.

8. The decommissioning of the Ministry of Labour and replacing it with a “Department of Labour” and a Minister who is clueless as to what constitutes labour and labour relations.

No wonder we are burdened with so many massive layoffs and labour unrests in the bauxite, gold and logging industries for starters.

9. We have over 200 new taxes and restrictions on ordinary taxpayers as the meagre and distressing existence we have already borne becomes more distressing.

10. While all of this is going on the PNC-led coalition raised their salaries and emoluments by over 50 per cent when compounded will amount to over a 100 per cent increase. So while the nation grovels in the dust, its Government wines and dines and dance on their graves.

Like I said, Granger is now making all kinds of promises to the electorate as he seeks to hunt around

for votes. The latest of these is the promise of land to the sugar workers whom he so vindictively fired when he closed those sugar estates.

His arbitrary closure of the sugar estates with no backup plan for the employment of those displaced workers was the most horrible and inhumane thing Granger could have done to those hardworking people and we will not forget. Even the payment of their severance (which was reluctantly given) came one whole year later. So, this latest ploy of a land giveaway to the jobless sugar workers

is the most blatant form of con-artistry, Granger has to do better than that, we are more aware of our situation now than when they bamboozled us with those lies prior to 2015. We can see them for who they are now, we can see through them like transparent glass. Finally, we say down with the lies you cannot fool us again Granger. It would be very hard to convince anyone with those newfound lies far less to accrue votes.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

Ministry of the Presidency, Simona Broomes.

A number of former Members of Parliament from the Government side, who served in the last Parliament just before it was dissolved to pave the way for elections, were also included on the list. No members of the parliamentary Opposition members were on the list.

Staff of the National Assembly were not spared, as both Speaker of the House Dr Barton Scotland and Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Issacs, were flagged for not making their declarations. Also included were Permanent Secretaries and technical officials from a number of state agencies and Ministries.

Only recently, Integrity Commission Head Kumar Doraisami had said that they did not have funds to publish delinquent public officials. In response, some local newspapers including this publication, had offered to publish the names free of cost.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan had said in response that the Integrity Commission can gazette the

name, which could publish names for free. The Integrity Commission Act Chapter 26:01 says that all public officials must declare all assets in their names, as well as the assets of immediate family, every year.

Failure to do so can see the Integrity Commission holding a tribunal into the affairs of the offending official. Persons failing to make declarations “shall be liable, on summary conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for a term not less than six months nor more than one year.”

“And where the offence involves the non-disclosure, by the declarant, of property, which should have been disclosed in the declaration, the Magistrate convicting the persons shall order the person to make full disclosure of the property within a given time and on failure to comply with the order of the Magistrate within the given time, the said offence shall be deemed a continuing offence and the person shall be liable to a further fine of $10,000 for each day the offence continues.”

6 NEWS India to explore Guyana South Africa: Search for killers of miners as additional oil supplier 'stoned to death' A P SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

s the country prepares to sell off its first lift of crude sometime this month, India has renewed its interest in not only buying oil from Guyana but also exploration offshore here.

In a recent interview with Guyana Times, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr KJ Srinivasa told Guyana Times his country’s energy needs is massive.

“India is an energy-hungry nation and 85 per cent of our petroleum requirements are imported. So we would love to work with the Government of Guyana to import oil, if possible, from Guyana on a long term basis,” he stated.

Only Friday, Head of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe revealed that Guyana’s first lift of its share of crude from Liza Phase-1 Development will be shipped sometime this month. It was announced back in December that Shell Western Supply and Trading, which is Barbados’ branch for Shell International, will be buying Guyana’s first three oil lifts.

Guyana has adopted a two-phase approach to lifting and marketing its crude.

While the first phase is a direct sale process, the second will be an open market Request for Proposals (RFP) to be launched early 2020 for a marketing agent to market Guyana’s crude entitlements from the Liza 1 field on a term basis.

According to the Indian Diplomat, there have not been any formal indications on India’s behalf to buy Guyana’s oil. But he stressed that this is something still on the cards.

“We are open to all possibilities because this is an event that is in progress. So as and when Guyana reaches its full capacity, I think they will also be searching for people who can buy that oil and India would try then to work out a deal which is favourable to both coun-

tries,” Dr Srinivasa stated.

This issue of India potentially buying oil from Guyana was first raised back in February 2018 when a high-level ministerial delegation travelled to the Asian country. During that visit, the Guyanese delegation which included Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman met with India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan.

High Commissioner Srinivasa had previously told this newspaper that Indian companies such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Bharrat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) – all State-owned companies – would be interested in buying crude from Guyana in the future.

He had explained that his country’s refineries are geared towards refining and processing the oil from across the world. India’s primary source for oil is the Gulf region, and up to recently, Venezuela.

However, the Asian powerhouse also has oil stakes in many territories spanning the globe from Russia, Siberia, to Central Asia and even South American.

“In 2018, your Natural Resources Minister was in India and he held discussions with our Minister and our Minister was quite frank because he said India has great experience in exploration and exporting of oil.

We already have oil blocks in collaboration in Siberia, Brazil etc so we have the necessary experience and expertise so we would be ready to collaborate when the new blocks open,” Dr Srinivasa told Guyana Times recently.

In February 2019, Guyana’s Energy Director had said the country will be moving to have its first open bid round for oil

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa

blocks in the first quarter of this year. Dr Bynoe had explained that they created a new production sharing agreement (PSA) template, which will be used to guide future oil contracts.

However, he noted that the template would not be a one-size-fits-all given the varying exploration conditions but will ensure the best deal for both the country and investor.

“This is going to be used in new licencing rounds going forward. Let me emphasise, it’s a template, meaning that we will have varying conditions depending on how we are engaging… It will always be a balancing act on what Guyana wants and how Guyana perceives to get what Guyana wants” Bynoe had stated.

India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister had stated on his twitter handle in February 2018 that the high-level meeting with

the Guyanese ministerial delegation was useful, since they “discussed the possibilities of E&P (Exploration & Production) activities

by Indian companies in Guyana”.

Another issue that came out of that meeting was India agreeing to work with Guyana and share its experience in the oil and gas sector – an offer which it’s High Commissioner said still stands.

“In the meantime, if Guyana needs any help in expertise development we’d be very happy to deal with that… We’re offering to the Government of Guyana that we can train the oil experts of Guyana because we have big public sector enterprises in India who are dealing with oil, both upstream and downstream, so we can really help to collaborate and participate in this whole venture,” Dr Srinivasa reiterated.

olice in South Africa have launched a manhunt for killers of nine illegal miners who were stoned to death in a western district of Johannesburg.

The bodies of the miners from Lesotho were found lying in the streets of Matholeville, while another seriously injured victim was rushed to hospital.

Thousands of illegal miners, known as "zama zamas" ("those who try their luck" in Zulu) work in the country.

Violent clashes between rival groups of workers are commonplace, reports say.

Friday's attack came about 24 hours after the police raided the area.

Police have arrested 87 people for questioning, but they are seeking more information.

"We condemn this barbaric attack and we will ensure we leave no stone unturned in making the people of Matholeville and Roodepoort to feel safe," said Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Elias Mawela in a state-

Thousands of illegal miners, known as "zama zamas", work in South Africa

ment.

"The suspects will be arrested as soon as possible and the police will not sleep until we find them," he added.

The Police Chief also said he had summoned officers from other units in Johannesburg to join in the manhunt.

South Africa is one of the most violent countries in the world. According to the Government data, at least 58 murders a day were recorded last year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Arab League rejects Trump's Middle East plan

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives for the emergency meeting in Cairo, Egypt [Mohamed Abd el-Ghany/Reuters]

T

he Arab League has completely rejected US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan during an emergency meeting in Egypt's capital, saying it would not lead to a just peace deal.

In a statement on Saturday, the pan-Arab bloc said it "rejects the US-Israeli 'deal of the century' considering that it does not meet the minimum rights and aspirations of Palestinian people."

Arab states also agreed "not to ... cooperate with the US Administration to implement this plan," adding that Israel should not implement the initiative by force.

They insisted on a two-state solution that includes a Palestinian state based on borders before the 1967 war, when Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. They also called for East Jerusalem to be the capital of the future Palestinian state.

The session was request-

ed by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), who urged Arab nations to take a clear stance against Trump's proposed plan.

The 181-page proposal was unveiled by Trump last week at the White House as he spoke standing next to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The plan, dubbed by Trump as the "deal of the century", was presented on Tuesday after being negotiated with Israel but with no input from the Palestinians, who had cut off all ties with the Trump Administration after its 2017 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The proposed plan envisions the Israeli annexation of large swaths of the West Bank, including illegal settlements and the Jordan Valley, giving Israel a permanent eastern border along the Jordan River.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Despite firing over 7000 workers

Caretaker President says he “preserved” sugar industry

Rose Hall Sugar Estate

APNU/AFC Presidential Candidate David Granger

D

espite the closure of four massive sugar estates and the firing of over 7000 workers under his tenure in office, caretaker President David Granger believes that his Administration has “preserved” the industry.

He shared this position during at a campaign rally at Leonora on West Coast Demerara on Friday evening. Granger addressed the gathering as Presidential Candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition, as the date for the polls draws nearer.

Shortly after his Administration took office back in 2015, estates along

the sugar belt at Wales, Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore were closed leaving thousands jobless. However, Granger is of the belief that operations across the industry are intact.

“We had to make a hard decision but we thought hard and long and we said we must protect and preserve this sugar industry in Region Three. We protected the sugar industry. In East Berbice, we protected the sugar industry…and we protected the sugar industry in West Demerara,” the told the gathering.

During a visit to Wales last year, retrenched workers told Guyana Times that they were still struggling to find jobs. While they were promised lands by Government to supplement their income, this was never fulfilled.

In their campaign for the March polls, Granger has

yet again promised land distributions should his party emerge successful at the polls. This was the same promise given to Wales’

a State Land Resettlement Commission so that people who have been put out of work because they had been on the sugar plantations will be given access to lands so that they can start all over again. We’re not leaving the sugar workers on their own,” he stated.

With the Wales Estate being closed, there had been much interest in the land left behind, particularly for farmers. In fact, earlier this year, land from the Wales Sugar Estate was snapped up by lo-

Enmore Sugar Estate

workers in 2016 but was never materialised.

“We did not throw Wales under the bus. We amalgamated Wales and Uitvlugt.

We are going to establish

cal and overseas farmers and over a thousand acres was set aside for rice cultivation.

In 2017, almost a year after the estate was closed down, the Government had

Wales Sugar Estate

claimed that the decision to offer the land to the fired workers was to have them employed in feasible alternative ventures.

Extra Virgin Coconut Products (EVCP) and Amazonia Expert Services Incorporated (AESI) are the two companies who received 680 acres of land from the estate’s assets. However, a statement emanating from the companies admitted that EVCP negotiated the lease long before the AESI was created. Alec Paul Singh, a retrenched worker from Wales, had told this publication that he was one of many persons who applied for a plot of land but this arrangement never materialised.

“They said that they

would share the land to the cane cutters them, [so] that they could do farming and maintain the family and children. We apply and we didn’t get. They get us going all over to find out. We ask them what would be the rental for this land and nobody don’t know. Nothing they couldn’t tell we but we still apply and hope that land would come through,” he recalled during an interview last year.

He had added, “We feel neglected because we supposed to get the first opportunity for the land because all my grandparents and father turn the soil for this estate and we have no benefit to get. Things very rough here”.

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bee invasion forces closure of National Park A bee invasion has forced authorities to close the National Park. In a notice by the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) on Saturday, it stated that the National Park, Thomas Lands, Georgetown,

called in to handle the situation.

However, the Commission further announced that the park will remain closed today as the experts will continue working on locating the bee’s

T Patrons standing outside the closed facility

The National Park’s main entrance closed

is temporarily closed to the public after a suspected bee invasion was reported in the park. PAC noted that bee experts have already been

hive, after failed attempts on Saturday.

“The National Park is temporarily closed until further notice as there seem

Too late…

to have been an invasion of bees. We are working feverishly to investigate and have this mattered sorted as soon as possible,” the PAC said in a statement. It added that the decision to close the facility is to ensure that all persons are safe and unharmed.

“Operations personnel

and the bee expert will resume their work at 6:00 am (06:00h) on Sunday 2nd February 2020,” the statement read.

When Guyana Times visited the area on Saturday afternoon, the gates to the park were closed and persons were seen waiting outside of the facility.

…shall be the PNC’s cry he PNC held its rally at the Leonora Track and Field Stadium in Region 3 last Friday night. Since in 2015, the PNC-led coalition received a literal handful of votes from Leonora – a die-hard PPP constituency – a whole lot of bussing-in had to take place to present a decent audience for the cameras. But we couldn’t expect the Chronic to show us a pic of the parking lot with more busses than Big Market Square on a Friday afternoon at 4 pm, could we?? Naah…another editor-in-chief would’ve been in for some serious busin’ from Nagamootoo’s lap dog!!

And so lo and behold, it was there that Granger announced to the “multitude of supporters” (said the Chronic biblically to ensure we knew were hearing from a man who attends church!) that he will be giving lands to the 7000 sugar workers he fired when he shut down four of the seven sugar estates if he were to be re-elected!! Wales was shuttered just before Christmas 2016 and the others the following year…but only now Granger remembered the fired sugar workers were still jobless?

Too late, shall be the cry when Granger’s day of judgement comes on March 2. Imagine this man, who’s as out of it as his Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder (which takes some doing!) when it comes to agriculture, claiming, “…we did not throw Wales under the bus, we amalgamated Wales and Uitvlugt and many of the people from Wales have gotten jobs from Uitvlugt.” Amalgamated, eh?? Was a single acre of the 8000 acres of cane cultivated at Wales “amalgamated” into Uitvlugt’s acreage? Of the 1700 workers from Wales, could he say how many are cutting cane at Uitvlugt, 22 miles away? Does he remember that the 237 workers “amalgamated” into Uitvlugt all demanded severance when they couldn’t manage the “commute”??

And what about the cane farmers of Wales who used to supply 30% of the cane to that factory?? Did Granger remember the road Holder promised to build to bring their canes to Uitvlugt?? Your Eyewitness knows that because of his advanced senility might pose a challenge to him, but surely he remembers that at the same time he was throwing those 7000 workers into the streets, he’d arranged for a $2 billion loan from the CDB to clear the lands and canals behind four villages – Ithaca, Buxton, BV and Mocha – and provided seed money and seedlings, plus cattle to the villagers to make them sustainable cash crops and livestock farmers. Is he going to provide the same support for the fired cane workers??

On March 3, there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in Granger’s Camp!

Time longer than twine!! …as usual Remember that “bat dung” respiratory problem with those Chinese workers opening some manganese ore tunnels at Mathews Ridge in Region 1?? They had to be flown into Georgetown Hospital and one died. Eventually, they had to be flown back to China. We found out that we really didn’t have quarantine facilities to handle even a dozen patients.

So your Eyewitness was quite surprised when confronted by questions on our response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s roiling the entire world’s health systems, Health Minister Volda Lawrence blithely stated Guyana’s “prepared and equipped with what is needed to handle the situation”!! Really?? For instance, how many “negative-pressure airborne infection isolation rooms” do we have ready and waiting to handle the cases that are sure to come our way??

After all, scores of Guyanese and Chinese businessmen who’d been going back and forth between here and China since the outbreak??

Even the US has admitted they’re unprepared for the disease. So who’s Lawrence fooling? …for hyping One of the major reasons the PNC held out till March to schedule elections was that it wanted oil money to start flowing.

So even though oil prices are plummeting because of coronavirus, Energy Czar Bynoe announced our first million-barrel sale’s scheduled for later this month.

Before March 2!!

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

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

$27B GRA tax increase from widened tax base T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been able to increase its revenue by $27.4 billion for last year, which it has attributed to an increase of the tax base and certain categories of collections.

This was revealed at a press conference organised by the tax agency on Friday. According to GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, the Commission collected $230 billion in revenue for last year.

“Our revenue collections would have increased, to just under $230 billion in 2019, which is 27.4 billion more than 2018. That’s 13.8 per cent more than we would have achieved for 2018. That is a sizeable revenue growth, we have constantly been in double figures growth since 2016.”

“We have actually moved revenue collections from 2016 when it was $145 billion, now 2019 it is $230 billion.

According to Statia, a number of factors are responsible for the increase.

Among those factors, as cited

by Statia, is the widening of the tax base - in other words, GRA collecting more taxes from people.

“You can see that the efforts of GRA, where it was wide-ranging in making

11

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

On being hyphenated Guyanese “I trot out this article every five years or so”

O The Guyana Revenue Authority

changes and the widening of the tax base, would have led to certain increases… there have been significant increases in gold production and declaration.”

“Significant amount in withholding taxes [has been collected]. Significant amount in taxes on motor vehicles and these things… there has been a reduction in excise tax,” the Commissioner General also said.

Tax collection has been on the rise for a number of years, with GRA collecting $170 billion in revenue for 2017. In 2018, the agency collected $199 billion in revenue, an increase of what had

originally been projected.

While increased tax collection amounts to money for the State coffers, the parliamentary Opposition has long argued that from an economic sense, tax collection without corresponding growth in the economy is a bad combination.

Back in 2017, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had pointed out that when the 200 new tax measures he said were introduced in 2016 fully kick in, Guyanese will feel the squeeze. It has since formed an important part of the Opposition’s campaign.

“You will see the cost of living going up, the business community will be unable to

survive in the new tax environment,” he had prophesied, adding that with the pressure from GRA, these businesses will not feel driven to invest and create more jobs in the future.

“So, you would see not only deterioration in terms of cost of living going up, but less jobs being produced in the future because no one wants to invest in this country. And right now, people are losing jobs rather than them creating jobs that they [Government] promised,” Jagdeo had further stated.

Over the past few years, industries like the agriculture sector and mining have shown contractions.

ne of the most poignant and persistent cries heard around Guyana – especially around elections time – is, “Why do we have to hear about Africans and Indians or Amerindians? Why can’t we all just be Guyanese?”

The poignancy is a bit ironic, however, because those same Guyanese, by and large, have been going into the voting booths and voting along ethnic lines for the past fifty years and more.

And creating the problem they implicitly bemoan: divisiveness and lack of a national ethos. What is the Ravi Dev problem? Are we so much sheep that we are led by the politicians to vote in a way that we don’t want? The reality is a bit more complex than that and we intuitively know it.

Part of the problem is that the issue is presented as if the fact of our diverse heritage and ethnic identities are in contradiction to being “Guyanese”. This is a false dilemma.

Our reference to ourselves to being “African” etc is simply an acknowledgement of our particular heritage – we shouldn’t try to erase it because history has shown that it’s an almost impossible task that in the end is not really necessary. For most of mankind’s history, this was how we defined ourselves and it was not per se the source of conflicts. The problem arose only a few hundred years ago when Europe, led by England and France, constructed “states and citizens” and a new way of defining identity – by the territory in which one happened to be residing.

The experience of the British (who bequeathed their model of identity to us) should be an object lesson to us. The rationale for the imposed “nation-state” unity was that it was necessary for the people as a whole to apply themselves in a joint endeavour to build their common prosperity. What happened, in reality, was that, contrary to expectation, the particular identities did not disappear. One of the main reasons was that the various ethnic groups did not, in fact, believe that they were being treated fairly or equally by the state, which remained in the control of the English. After Brexit, the Scots, for instance, are still making up their minds.

This is what we need to do in Guyana today. The ethnic conflict that defines our politics – and our frustration – could be an “effect of” as well as an “affect on” the iniquities of the political operations of the state on the various groups. The task of politics and politicians today in Guyana is therefore to create a Guyanese state that promulgates the values of Guyanese citizenship without regard to race, religion, ethnicity etc. Once this is done, much of the negative aspects of ethnicity will have disappeared. Today, for instance, to ask an Indian Guyanese to forget that he is “Indian” when he believes to his bones that he is discriminated as an Indian by the state is to ask too much. The immediate task is to remove the discriminatory condition, which the Indian person has to react against for his very survival.

We, the citizens of Guyana, must see our state and country as a “common venture”. Whether we like it or not, the modern state is a reality and the unit within we act and which has sovereignty in the international arena. Yet, at independence, we inherited a state but not a nation and one does not identify with the state just like that – that’s partially why we have clung to our ethnicities so rigidly. The problem before us is: how do we construct a “unity” of the peoples within our state that does not seek to obliterate our diversities?

We can situate this construction of a national outlook within what has labelled “Project Democracy” – the creation of conditions where we are all treated as one, equally, by the state. Equality of opportunity, human rights, encouragement of diversities, due process, justice and fair play and rule of law may seem dry compared to the warmth of the blood ties of “nation”, but they can engender the unity of public purpose and the recognition of individual worth where we can be proud of our common citizenship. Citizenship of Guyana has to become something that has concrete meaning to all of us. Institutions have to be organised around values that are consonant with the goals of the particular society. The prime value being equality.

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14 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Murder convict Abusive son beats Living in appeals life sentence mother in drunken rage harmony with A nature: Dead: Alissa McPherson

Sentenced to life in prison: Shivanand Roopnarine

wenty-six-yearold Shivanand Roopnarine, who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his 18-year-old girlfriend, is challenging the sentence in the Court of Appeal.

Roopnarine was initially charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Alissa McPherson, who was stabbed to death at a party in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, in April 2015. However, at his High Court appearance, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

But after being handed a life sentence three weeks ago, Roopnarine, through his attorney, is arguing that the sentence imposed by trial Judge Sandil Kissoon is unduly severe. He is there asking the Appeal Court to reduce or overturn it.

According to reports, McPherson left her home and went to a party in Sophia with a male friend.

While at the party, McPherson was confronted

by Roopnarine, who accused her of cheating on him with the male friend.

However, the victim denied the accusation and an enraged Roopnarine took her to the back of the yard, pulled out a black object from the waist of his pants and stabbed her.

The teen was discovered in the toilet area with stab wounds and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post-mortem report later revealed that McPherson was stabbed 41 times about her body.

During his address to the court, a remorseful Roopnarine begged his girlfriend’s family for forgiveness.

The Judge considered several factors before handing down the sentence: the age of the deceased, the manner in which she was killed and the fact that a weapon was used.

T

Best Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD) mother is now nursing a broken arm and lacerations to her body after she was beaten by her drunken son.

Sixty-seven-year-old Joyce Lall was severely beaten by her son at her Lot 17 Best Village, WCD home on Friday evening.

Guyana Times understands that the woman’s son and daughter-in-law were imbibing at the back of the house when a dispute arose. Neighbours said that

The injured woman showing the abrasions suffered at the hands of her son

it was a frequent feature for the man and his wife to curse the woman when they are drunk. However, on Friday evening, the verbal abuse went further and

2020 biodiversity super year

Injured Joyce Lall

the victim’s son threatened to kill her.

According to reports, the drunken man armed himself with a piece of wood and dealt his mother several lashes about her body while her frightened daughter and granddaughter looked on helplessly. A neighbour responded to screams from the woman and her daughter and rushed the Lall to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. Lall suffered a broken arm and bruises about her body.

Police Commander of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean, when contacted on Saturday revealed that the suspect is in Police custody. He said that the suspect will be charged shortly.

T

he United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) has at the core of its operation the promotion of sustainable development.

Undoubtedly, biological diversity is not just about plants, animals, micro-organisms and their ecosystems, but also about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air, water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live.

2011 -2020 was declared UN decade of Biodiversity with the development of a Strategic Plan for the period, along with 20, Aichi Biodiversity targets. Parties were required to take action at the national level through the development and implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). Guyana developed its NBSAP for the period 2012-2020. Moreover, our 9 strategic objectives were aligned with those of the UNCDB strategic plan and address 13 of the 20 Aichi targets.

2020 marks the end of the UN decade on biodiversity.

Hence, it’s called the biodiversity super year, a period to reflect and celebrate on our many accomplishments in biodiversity management and conservation. However, it’s also a time to learn lessons of the past, address new and emerging challenges and forge a better path for living in harmony with nature. As such, the post-2020 biodiversity framework is currently being developed.

The Convention recognises the importance of all voices in the conversation for global biodiversity conservation efforts, youth being a critical group. Consequently, the Agency encourages the young, enthusiastic, brilliant, visionaries of Guyana to submit an application and have their voice at the 2020 Global Youth Biodiversity Summit in Japan, later this year.

See attached flyer for more details!

Continue to follow us throughout the year, as we share

Guyana’s accomplishments and events to celebrate, as well as, plan for the way forward.

Remember though, it only takes one person to make a difference and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment. Yes! One person can make a difference, your simple action can inspire hundreds more, to safeguard nature and all of us who depend on it.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY, 2 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

16 NEWS Enough! – sand truck drivers to Police on harassment D SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ozens of sand truck drivers stationed at Ruimveldt Industrial Site are complaining of constant Police harassment.

The drivers, who were relocated from Lombard Street to Ruimveldt Industrial Site some time ago, told Guyana Times last week that Police and more so, a particular police officer, has been harassing them for about a year now.

When this publication visited the area late last week, the drivers said that the police informed them that the sand that they have loaded in the trucks are affecting a nearby business.

“Every morning the police come and move from here, they say sand going in the man paint. That place is a seal place…all these truck does cover… I can’t understand how sand going in the paint when all them truck get on paulin on them,” one of the drivers said.

Another driver lamented, “this is where the truck

Some of the sand trucks parked on the side of the East Bank corridor

park here. This is where we come every morning to make a hustle and every morning they coming and move we from there.”

“We got permission from the previous Government, the previous Government bring we hay and they trying to move me,” another driver

said.

According to one of the drivers, it has been five years since they were moved from Lombard Street, Georgetown, since the trucks were causing traffic congestion in the area.

“Nobody in even coming and tell we nothing, all they

doing is coming and bully we out from here, we just want somebody come and tell we where we can go and what we have to do. If they put we somewhere when people come, they want see what they buying, you can’t tell a man look I get a truck here, he want see wah he buying”, the sand truck driver said.

Meanwhile, the drivers were told to move to another corner of the road but they claimed that they were fearful since the location is a haven for thieves.

In March 2017, sand truck operators were hit with an abrupt decision to stop them from plying their trade along the East Bank Demerara corridor.

Two of the sand truck drivers who told this publication that they are being harassed by the Police

On March 20, 2017, they turned up to ply their trade and found workers from a Government agency painting a “No parking for lorries” sign on the roadway.

At the time they had said that life has gotten harder for them as they complained of having to grapple with low prices for their commodity and reduced working hours owing to the restriction barring them from travelling on the roadways between peak hours.

The sand truck operators formerly plied their trade on

Lombard Street, but were removed by authorities in 2014 to ease traffic. They were placed in front of a paint supplier on the East Bank Highway but were subsequently removed to the opposite side of the road after the owner complained about dust particles getting into the paint. Despite reaching out for a comment on the matter, the police, Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the Government agency with responsibility for the area, were not forthcoming on the issue.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Timehri attempted murder

Husband succumbs after ingesting poison

International trade & macroeconomic stability: macroeconomic instability, shocks and unsustainable current account deficits

T

he most recent Bank of Guyana Quarterly Statistical Abstract that is available for 2019 is for the third quarter which ended September 2019. The report revealed an unsurprisingly affirmative position articulated in previous writings by this columnist with regards to the trade balance position and the potential implications on macroeconomic stability.

To this end, particular attention is focused on the balance of payments where the overall balance recorded a lower deficit of US$50.8 million compared to US$168.3 million deficit for the same period last year. This was due to a higher capital account surplus attributed to increased foreign direct investments in the oil and gas sector.

Conversely, the current account deficit expanded to US$1386.3 million from US$992.5 million for the same period in 2018. This resulted from a larger merchandise trade deficit of US$880.5 million from US$652.4 million recorded for the corresponding period in 2018, thereby reflecting a 22% growth in imports to reach US$2039.1 million.

The Bank of Guyana international reserves amounted to US$528.3 million which was equivalent to 1.5 months import cover at the end of the third quarter of 2019.

High and rising current account deficits pose a serious threat to an economy. They reflect domestic imbalances which ultimately will have to be restored. This would require an appropriate domestic adjustment. The adjustment may take place automatically in the market place. Alternatively, the adjustment may require changes in government policies. The risk of large current account deficits is that they may become “excessive” as investors lose confidence and demand repayment or re-financing of loans and/or as countries lose foreign currency reserves. In brief, some current account imbalances are sustainable, others are not.

The distinction between persistent and transitory current account deficits primarily arises from the difference between permanent and transitory shocks. The question has been raised as to whether this distinction has implications for the way in which current account balances change. It is possible to argue, for example, that a persistent decline in terms of trade (due to, for example, a collapse of commodity prices) will widen the current account deficit because people are more likely to increase savings and, hence, reduce consumption as a short-term phenomenon rather than on a persistent basis. On the other hand, as argued

by Obstfeld and Rogoff (1995a), transitory productivity shocks may move the current account into surplus but may not be accompanied by a growth in investment reflecting responses of investors to new opportunities generated by the growth of productivity.

The nature of shocks – ie whether they are persistent or transitory – affects both the “investment” side of the macroeconomic balance as well as “savings”. As the study of Obstfeld and Rogoff (1995a) indicates, the shocks of productivity changes – as an example – may affect investment decisions. The critical question for policymakers is whether these shocks lead to a permanent change in savings behaviour or not. A transitory increase in productivity will not be translated into a permanent improvement of the current account balance while a permanent increase in productivity will have that result (World Trade Report, 2004).

The nature of shocks will affect the way in which economic agents respond to these shocks and decide whether the current account deficit can be financed by running down reserves or by borrowing, or whether an adjustment is necessary to restore external balance. The academic “wisdom” would suggest that temporary imbalances should be financed by borrowing or lending depending on the nature of the imbalance. Permanent imbalances should be addressed by adjustment through policy changes. Thus, the challenge for policymakers is to manage shocks with the appropriate balance between discretion and recourse to policy rules. Part of this challenge, for all economies, is to avoid overreacting when correcting macroeconomic imbalances (World Trade Report, 2004).

In previous articles, it was argued by this author that with oil and gas-related activities, and now that oil production has commenced in December last, import will grow rather exponentially and will, in turn, expand the trade deficit thus placing undue pressure on the Bank of Guyana Reserves and exchange rates. These have inherent implications on macroeconomic stability. Already, as is evidenced by the report, the BoG international reserves are well below the standard minimum benchmark of three months import cover to 1.5 months import cover. Over the last ten years, the BoG reserves were well above 4 months import cover in some cases, and as high as six months at one time. When the foreign companies start to repatriate their profits, the net foreign assets in the banking system will be depleted thus, inducing exchange rate pressures, if not sharp depreciation, and rising inflation rates.

(The author is an experienced macro-finance and research analyst, Lecturer and Business & Finance Consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail. com).

T

he 24-year-old man who stabbed his reputed wife to the neck before consuming poison on Thursday evening in a churchyard on Timehri Base Road, East Bank Demerara, died on Saturday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Clifton Richmond, a bus conductor, stabbed his reputed wife, Sheria Khalil called “Sherry”, 22 a bank teller attached to Republic Bank, during a dispute.

Reports are the incident occurred at about 21:30h on Thursday evening.

When contacted on Saturday, Commander of Region Four (B) (EcclesMoblissa), Superintendent Kurleigh Simon, told Guyana Times that Richmond died at GPHC on Saturday morning.

“His body is at the hospital morgue awaiting a postmortem and recommendations,” Commander Simon said.

Commenting on Khalil’s condition, the Commander noted that she is still hospitalised and is “recovering”.

Prior to the incident, Richmond had made arrangements to pick up his reputed wife at her workplace. However, when he went there, she had already left. He then went to their Lot 25 Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home and she arrived at about 21:15h.

Reports are that Khalil disembarked a Route 42 minibus and Richmond, who was in the yard, walked towards her on the public road where an argument ensued.

This newspaper was told that during the argument, Richmond lifted his wife off the ground and took her into a nearby churchyard.

Khalil’s family reported that they heard her screams and rushed to that location where they noticed the 22-year-old bleeding profusely from a stab wound at

Clifton Richmond and his injured wife Sheria Khalil, called “Sherry”, in happier times

the left side of her neck.

Upon realising that his in-laws had arrived, Richmond then consumed a substance and jumped into the Demerara River.

He was subsequently taken out of the water in an unconscious state and rushed the Diamond Diagnostics Centre. They were later transferred to GPHC.

18 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

China's isolation grows as coronavirus toll reaches 259 C

hina faced deepening isolation over its coronavirus epidemic on Saturday as the death toll soared to 259, with the United States and Australia leading a growing list of nations to impose extraordinary Chinese travel bans.

With Britain, Russia and Sweden among the countries confirming their first infections, the virus has now spread to more than two dozen nations, sending governments scurrying to limit their exposure.

China toughened its own quarantine measures at the centre of the outbreak in Hubei province, a day after the United States temporarily barred entry to foreigners who had been in China within the past two weeks.

"Foreign nationals, other than immediate family of US citizens and permanent residents... will be denied entry into the United States," Health Secretary Alex Azar said.

Australia said it was barring entry to non-citizens arriving from China, while Australian citizens who had travelled there would be required to go into "self-isolation" for two weeks.

Vietnam suspended all flights from mainland China and Hong Kong effective from Saturday. Taiwan also initially appeared on the list of banned routes but references to the self-ruled island were later removed.

Similar expansive restrictions have been announced by countries including Italy, Singapore, and China's northern neighbour Mongolia.

The United States, Japan, Britain, Germany and other nations had already advised their citizens not to travel to China.

Britain said Saturday it was temporarily withdrawing some diplomatic staff and their families from across the country, a day after the US State Department ordered embassy employees to send home family members under the age of 21.

Unkind

Beijing insists it can contain the virus and called Washington's advice against travel to China "unkind".

"Certainly it is not a gesture of goodwill," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

The US emergency declaration also requires Americans returning from Hubei province to be placed in mandatory 14-day quarantine, and health screening for American citizens coming from other parts of China.

The virus emerged in early December and has been traced to a market in Hubei's capital Wuhan that sold wild animals.

It spread globally on the wings of a Lunar New Year holiday rush that sees hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel domestically and overseas.

The economic fallout continued Saturday as Apple announced that all its China stores would be closed until February 9.

China's central bank said it would offer financial

support to businesses hit by the public health emergency.

Mea culpa

With public anger mounting in China, Wuhan's top official admitted late Friday that authorities there had acted too slowly.

"If strict control measures had been taken earlier the result would have been better than now," said Ma Guoqiang, the Communist Party chief for Wuhan.

Wuhan officials have been criticised online for withholding information about the outbreak until late December despite knowing of it weeks earlier.

China finally lurched into action last week, effectively quarantining whole cities in Hubei and tens of millions of people.

Unprecedented safeguards imposed nationwide include postponing the return to school, cutting bus and train routes, and tightening health screening on travellers nationwide.

On Saturday, authorities in Hubei extended the new year holiday until February 13 and announced a suspension of marriage registrations from Monday to discourage public gatherings.

The city of Huanggang, east of Wuhan, said only one member of each household would be permitted to leave the house every two days to buy necessities.

But the toll keeps mounting at an ever-increasing pace, with health authorities on Saturday saying 46 more people had died in the

preceding 24 hours, all but one in Hubei.

Another 2,102 new infections were also confirmed, bringing the total to nearly 12,000 -- far higher than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak of 200203.

SARS, which is caused by a pathogen similar to the new coronavirus and also originated in China, killed 774 people worldwide -most of them in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency on Thursday but later warned that closing borders were probably ineffective in halting transmission and could accelerate the virus's spread.

But authorities around the world pressed ahead with preventive measures.

Latent racism

Thai health officials on Friday said a taxi driver became the kingdom's first case of human-to-human transmission.

Thailand joins China, Germany, Japan, France and the United States with confirmed domestic infections.

The health crisis has dented China's international image and put Chinese nationals in difficult positions abroad, with complaints of racism.

More than 40,000 workers at a vast Chinesecontrolled industrial park in Indonesia -- which also employs 5,000 staff from China -- were put under quarantine, the facility said

on Friday.

On the same day, China flew overseas Hubei residents back to the centre of the outbreak in Wuhan on chartered planes from Thailand and Malaysia, citing "practical difficulties" the passengers had encountered overseas.

Countries have scrambled to evacuate their nationals from Wuhan, with hundreds of US, Japanese, British, French, South Korean, Indian, Bangladeshi and Mongolian citizens evacuated so far, and more governments planning airlifts. (AFP)

China reports outbreak of H5N1 bird flu

C

hinese authorities are culling thousands of chickens after an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in Hunan Province, which neighbours the coronavirus-hit province of Hubei.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday that 4500 chickens had died of avian flu caused by the H5N1 virus at a farm in the city of Shaoyang.

The authorities have culled about 17,800 birds to prevent the spread of the disease.

The H5N1 type of bird flu virus is known to infect humans and cause serious symptoms.

Last year, an outbreak of the same strain was reported at a poultry farm in north-eastern Liaoning Province.

A man infected with the virus reportedly died in the inland province of Sichuan in 2015.

Chinese authorities are on high alert in response to the bird flu outbreak given the continuing spread of the new coronavirus among humans. (NHK World)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

19

BCB 2020 Cricket Developmental Outreach Programme…

National Senior Table Tennis BCB clubs benefit from Championships commence $400,000 worth of balls ꟷVan Lange, Ninvalle, Billingy among winners

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he National Seniors Table Tennis Championships commenced at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall at 16:00 hrs on Friday January 31, 2020 with all the players seeming poised and ready for action.

The first category to be contested was the Male U21.

There were four groups in this category, and each group was comprised of four players.

According to the rules, after the first stage, the top two players from each group would advance to the knockout stages.

The first encounter featured Elishaba John and Colin Wong.

This matchup was easily won

by John, with scores of 11-6, 11-9 and 11-5. He then won his second encounter, against Peter Persaud, 11-1, 11-6 and

11-5. John eventually topped Group One to advance to the knockout stage alongside Wong, who came in second.

In Group 2, Kaysan Ninvalle and Krystian Sahadeo were the qualifiers. Ninvalle made light work of his opponents, defeating Chad Outar 1-11, 114, 11-8, but losing to Sahadeo 2-3 as a total of five matches were played, with Sahadeo besting him.

Jonathan Van Lange also headed into the knockout stages, after another flawless victory; as did Terrence Rausch of Group 3 and Jamal Nicholas and Isaiah Layne of Group 4.

Open “C” Class Sixteen persons contested this category of the competition, with four groups each comprising of four players. Topping Group

One was Jasmine Billingy, who defeated Narren Persaud 116, 11-6, 6-11, 5-11, 11-9; and Mohammed Baksh 11-0, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9.

Persaud emerged second in the group, after defeating Baksh 3-11, 10-11, 11-5, 117, 11-5; and thrashing Mark Evans.

Group Two saw Gerendra Mookram and Yuteshwar Persaud emerge as victors.

Mookram defeated Samara Sukhai 11-5, 11-8, 11-7; Uriel Isadore 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, and Persaud 15-10, 9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5.

Persaud placed second, after winning his matches 3-1 and 3-0.

Also qualifying were Kyle Chung and Abdool Aleem Rahim of Group 3, and Troy McRae and Peter Persaud of Group 4.

T

he President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Hilbert Foster, on Thursday last handed over $400,000 worth of red cricket balls to clubs and sub-associations to officially launch the board’s cricket development outreach programme for 2020. Under the programme, the vibrant cricket board assists clubs in the Ancient County with a wide range of items, including gears, stumps, scorebooks, trophies among other things in an effort to get them to fulfill their mandates.

Since the election of the current administration in February 2018, over ninety clubs have benefitted from over $6M worth of cricket balls, cricket gears, rain coats, bicycles, stumps, scorebooks, trophies, medals, uniforms, sponsorship, school bags, educational materials and food hampers, among other things. For 2020, however, Foster stated, the BCB would only assist its 13 permanent members, 3 sub-associations and clubs which have junior teams playing in BCBorganised tournaments.

Over time, the 90 clubs have received cricket balls at the cost of over $2M, but things would be done differently in 2020. Clubs which have no interest in youth development would not benefit any longer, as the BCB

BCB President Hilbert Foster poses with representatives of the clubs after presenting them with the balls

cannot continue to invest in clubs which have entire memberships over the age of 30 years. The BCB hopes those clubs get involved in youth development if they want to benefit.

The BCB in 2020 would be hosting cricket tournaments at the Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 19, Under 21, Under 23 levels, and clubs which participate in at least three of these tournaments would be listed to benefit. Two boxes of red balls valued at $22,000 were given to Blairmont, Paradise, Achievers/West Berbice, Bush Lot United, Edinburgh, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, East Bank Blazer, RHTY&SC, Albion, Port Mourant, #73/ Scottsburg. Those clubs are participating in the ongoing Lewison General Store Under-15 Tournament.

Permanent members of the BCB: Mental Hospital, Mt. Sinai, UCCA, Guymine, Young Warriors, BRCA and Police have each received

one box of balls.

Foster disclosed that the balls were donated by a Berbice medical doctor who resides overseas and who was very impressed by the high standard of work being done in Berbice Cricket.

The President, who over the last two years has spearheaded a massive marketing drive that has raised over $30M in cash and kind, urged representatives of the clubs to appreciate the hard work of his executives. Berbice, he stated, is unmatched in its achievements, despite not receiving a single cent of assistance from either the GCB or CWI since 2008.

The BCB recently clinched a $500,000 trophy sponsorship with the Trophy Stall. A similar package worth $400,000 would be unveiled shortly with a business entity for meals at cricket finals, while a sponsorship for office stationery would also be launched shortly.

BCB 2020 Cricket Season…

Premium Asphalt and T/R Construction T20 Tournament launched ꟷ as sponsorship continues to pour in

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday last launched another cricket tournament as it strives to fulfill its president’s commitment to host at least twenty tournaments in 2020 at all levels.

The BCB has secured sponsorship from the Management of Premium Asphalt and T/R Construction of No1 Road, Corentyne to host an internal zone 2020 knockout tournament for twenty teams in the Lower/Central Corentyne area.

BCB President Hilbert Foster has stated that the BCB intends to host at least two tournaments in each subassociation for teams in the zones.

This would enable clubs to play among themselves and have an opportunity to win a tournament, while promoting the game of cricket at the grassroots and inter-village levels.

One of the highlights of Berbice Cricket over the last two years has been the return of crowds to cricket matches, and Foster has said that the main reason has been the large number of matches been played.

The teams that would participate in this new tournament are: No1 Road, Courtland, Fyrish, Fyrish Road, Chesney, Kilcoy, Jai Hind, Albion Open, Belvedere United, Tamarind Root, Rose Hall Tigers, Port Mourant, Tain Block 4, Whim, Kildonan, Kennard Memorial and Ramnarine Memorial.

Powerhouses Rose Hall Town Bakewell and Albion have been debarred from the tournaments as an encouragement to the other teams.

Matches would start at 13:00h, while captains who fail to be at the venue at 12:45h would forfeit their rights to the toss. Teams have to submit at least

15 players, and a player is allowed to represent only one club in the calendar year, unless permission is obtained from the BCB. Only players living in the sub-zone are allowed to play, and they must have a record of playing for their respective clubs.

Foster and Chairman of the BCB Competition Committee, Leslie Solomon, at the launching of this tournament at the Area H Ground, urged the clubs to invest in youth development if Berbice Cricket is to develop. Each team would be required to play one Under 19 player in their final eleven.

Foster cautioned the teams that the BCB would only assist those clubs that have a junior team. Solomon spoke at length about the importance of team discipline, as the BCB intends to take a hard stance on indiscipline.

Therbhuwan Jagdeo hands over sponsorship cheque to Leslie Solomon, Chairman of the BCB Competition Committee

Solomon also urged the teams to look around their villages and to get youths involved in playing the game.

Foster expressed gratitude to the Management of Premium Asphalt and T/R Construction for joining the long list of BCB sponsors, and reassured them that the tournament would be well organised and promoted.

Mr. Tevindra Jagdeo, the sponsor,

said he and his brother are very pleased with the remarkable work of the Berbice Cricket Board, and as such decided to come forward.

He expressed confidence that tournament would be successful and would achieve its objective of promoting cricket at the grassroots level.

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden zone…

First-time winners in waiting

Nadir entrusted to lead Everest CC for another term

ꟷ Quiet Storm silence Silver Bullets …Swag Entertainment thump Amelia’s Ward

A

team that would be first-time winners in the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden Championships will be crowned on Saturday, February 8th, when Swag Entertainment and Quiet Storm come up against each other in a quest for championship glory, considerable monetary reward, and bragging rights.

These two teams have recorded respective semifinal wins on Friday at the Christianburg Hardcourt. Swag Entertainment dismissed former twotime champions Amelia’s Ward Russians 2-0, with Kendolph Lewis recording a double in the lopsided contest.

His first conversion came in the second minute of the 30-minute encounter when he slotted from the right side of the field after latching on to a pass from Deon Charter.

With the score remaining unchanged heading into the halftime interval, Lewis registered his second goal of the night in the 17th minute when he sealed the result with a powerful shot from the left side of the field.

That win sealed Swag Entertainment’s second appearance in the championship match, whereas Quiet Storm earned their maiden appearance in the final by defeating Silver Bullets 2-1 on penalty kicks following a nil-all score at the end of regulation time.

The losing teams would face each other in the third-place playoff.

Tournament coordinator Rawle Gittens has said, “This edition of the tournament has certainly featured unpredictable results. This is evident by the fact that a newcomer will be crowned champion, and (this) gives credence to the fact that the event is evolving and improving. It also highlights the emergence of smaller teams who now have the ability to challenge the traditional giants, so I am pleased with the outcome.”

He added: “Again, I would like to thank the fans and players for their continued support in making the tournament a spectacle and creating that environment and atmosphere that has become synonymous with the event.”

In the Plate Championship, dethroned champion High Rollers crushed Capital Storm 2-0 when Jonah Simon recorded a double in the third and 11th minutes.

Winner of the Linden zone of this tournament will pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy, while the second-placed side will pocket $150,000 and the respective accolade. Third and fourth-placed teams would respectively receive $100,000 and $75,000 and a trophy.

Winner of the Guinness Plate Championship would pocket $60,000.

Complete Results

Semifinal-1

Swag Entertainment: 2, vs Amelia’s Ward Russians: Nil. Kendolph Lewis scored in the 2nd and 17th minutes.

Semifinal-2

Silver Bullets: Nil, vs Quiet Storm: Nil. Quiet Storm won 2-1 on penalty kicks.

Plate Section

High Rollers: 2, vs Capital Storm: Nil. Jonah Simon scored in the 3rd and 11th minutes.

Fixtures for Saturday 8th Final

Swag Entertainment vs Quiet Storm.

Third Place

Silver Bullets vs Amelia’s Ward Russians.

Newly elected Everest Cricket Club Executives for 2020 to 2021. President Manzoor Nadir is sitting second from right

O

ne of the country’s leading cricket facility, Everest Cricket Club (ECC) re-elected Manzoor Nadir as President for another term when the club held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday January 31.

Nadir who was at the helm for 2019 and his newly elected executive body will however be the first directors to serve for two years after the membership moved a motion to increase the time in office from one year to two years.

The AGM which took place in the club’s banquet hall saw most of the 2019 executives returning while there are three new faces.

Former club manager, Rehana Ragobeer has been elected to serve as Secretary, CEO of V-Net Communications Safraz Sherifudeen is the new assistant treasurer while second division player Joshua Kissoon comes in as an Internal Auditor.

For the highlight of the evening, Returning Officer, Anand Sanasie had little difficulty going through the process of nomination and voting since majority of the club’s membership were in support of Nadir and his executives’ efforts in 2019 thus they were returned mostly unopposed.

After Sanasie invited the newly elected executives to take up their positions at the head table, President Nadir offered brief remarks. “On behalf of the entire executive, I thank you for your confidence placed in us and I guarantee you that we will continue with the ongoing works to keep Everest as the club of choice.”

The political stalwart also charged the membership to play their part and to con-

tinue their support for the much loved club which continues to achieve its objectives as a cricket club that executes its role in Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana and the West Indies.

Earlier, the AGM began with reports from President, Secretary and Club Captain while the Presentation of the Audited Report and Treasurer’s report for 2019 were deferred to an Ordinary Genera Meeting which will be held no earlier than April 2020.

At that point the motion for constitution amendment with regards to life of the executive was proposed, deliberated and passed.

Before the voting process started, Returning Officer Sanasie weighed in on the motion noting that it is the direction in which cricket associations in and out of Guyana is heading.

The following persons were elected to serve in the respective posts for 2020 to 2021; President Manzoor Nadir Senior Vice President Saheed Mohamed Junior Vice President Rajesh Singh Secretary Rehana Ragobeer Treasurer Ramdeo Kumar Assistant Secretary Prakask Balgobin Assistant Treasurer Safraz Sheriffudeen Club Captain Dwayne Adams Committee Members Retired GDF Major Bhageshwar Murli, CEO of Comfort Sleep Dennis Charran, Media Personality John Ramsingh and CEO of General Marine Rahaman Khan.

They Internal Auditors are Javed Khan and Joshua Kissoon.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

21

BCB/Raffik Construction 100 Balls final…

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Clinical Albion thump Rose Hall Town Bakewell to claim title

By Brandon Corlette

T

he Albion Cricket Club got the better of their archrivals Rose Hall Town (RHT) Bakewell in the Berbice Cricket ASTROLOGY & Board-staged final match of the SPIRITUALITY Raffik Construction 100 Balls Work done by : Djuka. For all tournament played at the Port Purposes: Healing, Upliftment for Mourant Community Centre Business, Court Matters, Visa, Evil Ground yesterday.

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continuing to fall at regular intervals, RHT Bakwell lost their last eight batsmen for only 33 runs.

Albion took advantage of the poor running between the wickets to effect four run outs. Keith Simpson looked in rebuilding mode, but his blooming innings concluded when he fell for 12.

Umroa, a former Guyana U-19 spinner, claimed 3-19 in 4.2 overs to be the pick of the Albion bowlers. Leon Cecil, Ramcharran and Sarwan Chaitnarine bagged one wicket each in a collective bowling effort.

In Albion’s rush to victory, their one minor hiccup was the fall of Jitendra Outar’s wicket, run-out after he had made only six runs. He departed with the score on 23-1, then the Sukwah-Ramcharran show began.

This dynamic duo added an unbroken 51 runs to lead the charge for Albion. Sukwah, opening the batting, took his chances early on to end with a blistering 45 which came from 35 balls. His innings was laced with three sixes and two fours.

Warm-up matches confirmed for West Indies ahead of Over-50s WC

A

head of the official bowl-off to the Over50s World Cup in South Africa in March, tournament organizers have confirmed warm-up matches for the 12 participating teams.

Debutants West Indies will look to fine tune preparations when they warmup against hosts South Africa on Sunday March 8 at Rondebosch Cricket Club and again against India a day later at Claremont Cricket Club.

Former South African fast bowler, Alan Donald will be at the helm of the hosts as head coach while his former teammate Jonty Rhodes is expected to make a huge impact as their marquee player.

The Warm-up matches should give the Caribbean side adequate preparation ahead of their World Cup campaign opener against New Zealand on Wednesday March 11 also at Rondebosch CC in a Group A clash.

Along with West Indies; Zimbabwe, India and Namibia are making their first appearance in the Over50s World Cup which was first held in Sydney Australia in late 2018 when the hosts took the maiden title.

West Indies which is being led by Guyanese Zamin Amin is in Group A with New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Australia, Sri Lanka and Canada while the Group B teams are India, Pakistan, Wales, South Africa, Namibia and England.

All matches are scheduled to be 45 overs per-side and are set to begin at 10:15 H South Africa time.

West Indies; Zamin Amin (captain), Rick Ali, Mark Audain, Narine Bidhesi, Julian Charles, Sudesh Dhaniram, Kenny Girdharry, Krishna Harricharan, Fareed Hosein, Howard Jodhan, Allison Johnson, Hafiz Mohamed, Azad Mohammed, Ishwar Maraj (vice-captain), Rajendra Sadeo, Balwant Singh, Raj Singh (Manager), Dave Narine (assistant Manager), John Ramsingh (Media Manager) and Jaggernauth Seunath (PRO).

South Africa; Dave Callaghan (captain), Alan Dawson, Dave Duncan, Neil Fuesdale, Dave Holgate, Kenny Jackson, Louis Koen, Rodney Malamba, Mlungisi Ngece, Anwell Newman, Brad Player, Jonty Rhodes, Warne Rippon, Pieter Strydon, Nazeem White, Henry Williams, Alan Donald (coach), Roy Messer (Manager) and Marc Naidoo (Physio).

India; Shailendra Singh (captain), Parak Ananta, Ashwani Arora, Sanjay Beri, Verinder Boombla, Deepak Chadha, Aadil Chagla, Dilip Chavan, Thomas George, Mayank Khandwala, Iqbal Khan, PG Sunder, Preetinder Singh, Srikant Satya, Pradeep Patel, Tushar Zaveri, Ajoy Roy (coach), Parag Pandya (manager) and JK Mahendra Kanaiya (selector).

Champion team Albion

Classy in his approach, Ramcharran was Captain Marvel personified as he stroked an unbeaten 23 from 16 balls, which was decorated with three elegant boundaries.

Albion finished the contest on 74-1 in 9.4 overs

of domination. The run out of Outar was the only joy for RHT. After the match, Albion received cash and a trophy for their victory, while RHT Bakewell earned a runnerup trophy. Albion skipper Ramcharran thanked BCB

for hosting the final, and congratulated his team on a well-deserved victory.

These two forces will clash today in the BCB Let’s Bet Sports 100-ball final to be played at Albion from 13:00h.

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GUYANATIMESGY.COMOM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

ICC U-19 World Cup…

Patrick, Nedd clinch thriller for West Indies T

Matthew Patrick

he semifinal match for the fifth-place playoff in the ICC U-19 World Cup tournament played in Potchefstroom belonged to the West Indies, who overcame hosts South Africa by four wickets.

Defending just 144, South Africa put up a brave fight, posing a challenge in West Indies’ chase, but the latter turned out too good for them on Saturday (February 1), completing the win with more than eight overs to spare.

After opting to bat, South Africa lost regular wickets, with the West Indian bowlers preventing their batsmen from building substantial stands.

Opener Levert Manje held his end for a resilient 43, but found little support at the other end. Khanya Cotani chipped in with a handy 27, but other than that, there was barely any con-

tribution through the order, with only four batsmen managing to reach double figures before South Africa were bowled out for 143 in 38.2 overs.

Much in contrast, only two of the eight Windies’ batsmen on the day were dismissed for single digit scores when South Africa struck early to dent the West Indies’ chase. Led by skipper Kimani Melius and a good outing from the middle order, West Indies overcame the early blows, after they were reduced to 11/2, to recover and stay on course for victory.

The runs came slow, but their partnerships were prolonged enough to frustrate South Africa. South Africa struck with timely wickets, but the Windies managed to cross the line without much fuss in the end.

West Indies will now play in the fifth-place playoff, while the hosts will play for the seventh place. (cricbuzz)

SCOREBOARD

Ashmead Nedd

South Africa Innings JA Bird c †Julien b Simmonds 1 L Manje run out (†Julien) 43 B Parsons (c) c †Julien b Seales 7 L Beaufort c Melius b James 9 K Cotani † st †Julien b Nedd 27 J Lees b Nedd 7 P Moletsane c & b Patrick 1 T van Vuuren c James b Patrick 7 M Brett run out (Nedd) 1 A Cloete c Nedd b James 10 O Modimokoane not out 0 Extras 18 (b 1, lb 4, nb 1, w 12) TOTAL 143 all out (38.2 Overs, RR: 3.73) Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Jonathan Bird, 3.3 ov), 2-39 (Bryce Parsons, 6.2 ov), 3-64 (Luke Beaufort, 13.2 ov), 4-98 (Levert Manje, 21.4 ov), 5-120 (Jack Lees, 28.2 ov), 6-121 (Pheko Moletsane, 29.3 ov), 7-121 (Khanya Cotani, 30.1 ov), 8-122 (Merrick Brett, 31.6 ov), 9-143 (Achille Cloete, 37.5 ov), 10-143 (Tiaan van Vuuren, 38.2 ov) BOWLING O M R W JNT Seales 7 0 27 1 RR Simmonds 4 0 32 1 JM James 7 1 25 2 NRJ Young 4 0 24 0 AR Nedd 10 1 18 2

MJS Patrick

6.2

2

12

2

West Indies Under-19s Innings KS Melius (c) lbw b Parsons 29 LJA Julien † b Brett 0 KA Anderson b Cloete 1 KSA McKenzie lbw b Moletsane 19 ARD Morris c Brett b Parsons 26 MJS Patrick not out 25 NRJ Young c van Vuuren b Brett 10 JM James not out 15 Extras 22 (lb 6, w 16) TOTAL 147/6 (41.4 Overs, RR: 3.52) Did not bat: AR Nedd, JNT Seales, RR Simmonds Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Leonardo Julien, 0.4 ov), 2-11 (Kevlon Anderson, 3.5 ov), 3-49 (Kimani Melius, 9.2 ov), 4-66 (Kirk McKenzie, 17.3 ov), 5-113 (Antonio Morris, 33.3 ov), 6-130 (Nyeem Young, 38.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W M Brett 9 9 133 2 A Cloete 10 2 40 1 B Parsons 10 4 23 2 P Moletsane 4 0 6 1 T van Vuuren 4 0 16 0 O Modimokoane 2 0 7 0 J Lees 2.4 0 16 0

GFF President reveals plans IOC refutes for Barbados engagement Tokyo Olympic …hails Super 16 as a success

By Jemima Holmes

T

he Guyana Football Federation began the year with a bang, hosting the GFF Super 16 final on January 1st. This final was hosted at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) at Bourda, and it gave a glimpse of Guyana’s football glory of times past, with scores of energetic supporters being in evidence, and a thrilling encounter unfolding between Fruta Conquerors and GDF FC, which was won by the latter.

GFF President Wayne Forde, reminiscing, has declared himself pleased with the way the tournament had unfolded. While it still has a far way to go, he said, the Federation is prepared to return the glory of year-end football. In a question-andanswer session with this publication, Forde revealed the following: Q: Do you see the GFF Super 16 as a success?

Forde: “I think the Super 16 was a very successful tournament, one of the better ones that we’ve been able to pull off in recent times. At the launch at Pegasus, I did make a pronouncement that the management team, my internal staff, and some of our partners… made a commitment, we challenged ourselves to deliver a good tournament. I think in every area of operation we were able to meet some of the goals we set ourselves.”

Q: What were some challenges that you faced?

Forde: “Those were all challenging undertakings, but if you really want to grow the Super 16 brand, you’re

going to have to take the brand into different destinations, if you want the fans to enjoy the football.”

The Quest to return to the Gold Cup With the local competition behind them, the GFF will now shift their focus to a number of international tournaments at the CONCACAF level, inclusive of the male and female Under 20 engagements and Female U17 Championships.

The most important engagement is the Gold Cup 2021 qualification process. Guyana will face off with Barbados in a home-and-away game on March 26 (away) and 31 (home) respectively. After that, if they are successful, they will take on Trinidad and Tobago.

Here’s what the GFF boss had to share about the team’s preparation: Q: How are preparations for the Barbados encounter going?

Forde: “The short answer to the question is that we’re doing what we can afford to do. We have four national teams being prepared at the same time. This is unprecedented for Guyana Football. We have the Under 17 Girls, the Under 20 Girls, the Under 20 Boys and the Senior Men’s National Team.”

Q: Can we expect the National Team to play any friendlies?

Forde: “We are negotiating friendly matches, but whatever final agreements are put into place for friendly matches have to be done in a very economical way. We just do not have the funds that would allow us to engage in international travel

within our power to create the environment, to hire the right people, to help them grow and develop in the game; but they also need to have that hunger and desire.”

Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde

for friendlies, having teams here and hosting them for long periods; we do not have those resources.”

Q: How confident are you that the team will be ready?

Forde: “We’re doing what we can afford to do. I’m very confident that we have coaches that understand the limitations in which we have to operate and will do the best possible job that they can do within those limitations.”

Q: How do you plan to give local players more exposure?

Forde: “We approached the 2018 Nations’ League campaign with a strategy, and the strategy was to get to the Gold Cup; we’ve checked that box. We’re now pursuing a strategy that gives as much opportunity to our local players who need it and who’re hungry for it. We can do everything

Q: What improvements have you seen under Coach Maximo’s watch?

Forde: “We saw in all of the games thus far that our local players really stood out in their performances.

Trayon Bobb, Daniel Wilson, these are guys that have been putting in the work and really stood out. So I think that the work that he’s been doing in developing the local players has been remarkable; and it’s not just a passion, it’s the obligation and responsibility of the national federation to do everything within its power to ensure that the players we develop at home are given equal and fair opportunity to be part of a programme that pushes them to discover the limits of their God-given talent.”

It is safe to say that the Guyanese football fraternity can expect a spirited fight from the Golden Jaguars outfit, as they hope to make a second appearance at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021.

What will be more interesting to see is the number of local players who will be called up for these engagements. Last year’s CONCACAF Nations League teams boasted a balance of local and foreign- based players, quite an admirable gesture.

However, with younger stars on the rise, and GFF’s mandate to develop youth players in place, one can only hope to see some fresh faces featured in Guyana’s national colours.

cancellation rumours T

he International Olympic Committee (IOC) has strongly refuted rumours which suggest the Tokyo Games could be cancelled because of the threat of the coronavirus.

With approximately six months to go before the showpiece, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency. The epicenter of the outbreak is the Chinese City of Wuhan, where over 10,000 people have been infected. The virus has also spread to 20 other countries, including Japan, where 17 people have been infected.

The Tokyo Olympic organisers have however insisted they have been in contact with the WHO, and that they are “not considering” cancelling the Olympics and/ or Paralympics. The IOC has revealed that various countermeasures are already being examined.

“Countermeasures against infectious diseases constitute an important part of Tokyo 2020’s plans to host a safe and secure Games,” the IOC said in a statement.

“Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate with all relevant organisations which carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases, and will review any countermeasures.”

The outbreak has already affected other scheduled competitions, including the Olympic Qualifying tournament in China. Women’s football has been moved to Australia and basketball to Serbia. The Asian-Oceania boxing qualifiers have been moved to Jordan. The World Indoor Championships, which were to have been held in Nanjing in March, were postponed for a year. (Sportsmax)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

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

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ICC U-19 World Cup...

Pg 22 Pg 22

Patrick, Nedd clinch thriller for West Indies

GFF President reveals plans for Barbados engagement

…hails Super 16 as a success

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden zone…

Pg 21

Pg 20

Firsttime winners in waiting

ꟷ Quiet Storm silence Silver Bullets …Swag Entertainment thump Amelia’s Ward

BCB/Raffik Construction 100 Balls final…

Clinical Albion thump Rose Hall Town Bakewell to claim title

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

FEBRUARY, 2 2020

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Completely blanketed in greenery, this benab stands alone at the base of Schomburgk's Peak - one of the highest points of the Kanuku Mountains (Photo by Reel Guyana)

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Feature

By Utamu Belle

E

ver since the debut of the ‘Twist It Up’ urban styling comb in Guyana last year, the product has been making waves in the natural hair industry. The invention which was initially created years ago, stemmed from the simple idea of utilising a tennis racket to form curls in natural hair.

The mini version of a tennis racket has over the years blossomed into a fast-selling product of choice for natural hair fanatics. One of the visionary and creative minds behind the product is 34-year-old overseas-based Guyanese Leon Labistide. Labistide, who is an established author and poet, was born in Linden and is currently marketing the product in his hometown as well as the capital city, Georgetown.

The young entrepreneur, who is the nephew of Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell migrated to the United States (US) when he was just 7 years old.

The Sunday Times Magazine recently caught up with Labistide, who has developed his own version of the Twist It Up comb, the “GreenStateTwistItUpComb” under his family brand “Leon the Poet”. The comb is a patented invention developed by himself and partners Noel Durity who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder, Adrian Brown who is the Social Media Platform Manager.

Labistide, in an interview with this publication, reminisced on how the idea for the comb came about with the founder utilising a tennis racket to curl and style his natural hair.

“We were thinking about something to curl up your hair with, and the founder, he was using that as a tool to curl his hair.

Because he wanted something to do his hair, but nothing was out there on the market. And then, he said what if he invented a smaller version [of the tennis racket]. Then, he got me on board and brought another guy on board and we came up with this”, Labistide mused.

He said the idea was pitched to them around 2015 and it was developed within a year, after which they all jumped on board with it. The combs, which are a mini version of the tennis racket, come in a variety of colours including black, red, blue, pink, yellow and green. It defines the curl pattern for persons with afro-centric, kinky or curly hair without the use of too much chemicals.

“You just curl it up and then you put in your conditioner, or mousse or any type of sheen just to hold it, but this is a easy way to give you the curls. It works on short hair, it works on a lot of afros...” Labistide explained.

While there are other hair curling products out on the market presently such as the sponge, Labistide explained that some advantages of the comb are that it is durable, reusable, easy to clean and can be used by multiple people. It has since been dubbed the number one selling twist comb in the world.

“And that’s big for us because we’ve outdid the twist sponge, by far”, Labistide boasted.

The Twist It Up styling comb was officially launched between 2017 and 2018 and Labistide explained that a lot of marketing has since been done to promote the product.

He and his partners also had it featured on ‘Shark Tank’, a reality show on a television channel, ABC, which provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the chance to pitch their business models to investors with the hope of them investing in it.

Labistide boasted that over a hundred per cent profit was recorded within 2 years, which is prior to the product being featured on the show in 2018. The show, however, created the opportunity for investors to come on board.

“When the show did air on national television, we got two deals from two individuals and they invested...the rest is history”, he noted.

The comb officially debuted in Guyana early last year. Labistide explained that once the product came on board and he got to patent his own colour, he sent approximately 50 back home to Guyana which were sold out within a month. He reported that another batch of combs which was later sent was also sold in no time.

This, Labistide said, motivated him to travel to Guyana to do his own groundwork. On his trip back to his homeland, he brought a hundred combs with him which are being distributed to major stores. According to Labistide, the comb has been selling like “crazy” in the US and is marketed on all platforms, including Instagram, Amazon, Spotify, Facebook and its website at www.twistitupcomb.com.

The comb is marketed under “Leon the Poet”, which is a family brand in which his brother Levon does the graphic design for the comb’s logo.

Challenges

The team has been working hard to promote the comb, however, he highlighted some disadvantages, one of which is ‘bootleggers’ stealing the idea.

“A lot of the barbers in New York have them and all of the 51 states, but the thing with America is people can take your product and manufacture it any way they want”, Labistide said.

This has caused the team to put out a blast informing persons to report any such products since the original has been patented and copyrighted. Labistide said it’s also harder to place the product directly in stores in the US owing to the $24 dollar price range it is sold at, which he admitted might be considered ‘over the top’ by some. However, he noted that the comb which is made of stainless steel is durable and can last for years, making it worth the price.

In Guyana, the styling comb can be found through distributors which include the natural

hair store “Koko” on King and Robb Streets in Georgetown and Classic Cuts barbershop at the Wismar Market in Linden.

It can also be purchased from himself and the “Twist it Up” and Twist it Up_Guyana Instagram pages. Presently, Labistide is working to have other natural hair beauty supply stores in the country come

on board. The comb is manufactured and made in the US and is retailed in Guyana at $3000 once purchased from him or any one of his distributors. It is wholesaled at $2000.

Labistide explained that he has had great responses and testimonials so far from users of the styling comb. The sales response, he noted, was, however, unexpected as he had initially thought it would have been a slow process. His ultimate goal now is to put the product in stores.

More than just a comb

Labistide said the idea behind the product is “more than just a comb”, since he has utilised the platform to create employment for others and bring other young entrepreneurs on board.

“What I did was I brought people on board who didn’t have jobs...I educate them about the comb...they used the comb and then that was a source of income for them. So, whatever they sold we just went 60 to 40 per cent on the profit margin for getting the combs out there”, he related.

The young entrepreneur presently has about 4 individual distributors on his team, which includes Kevin Mcpherson, Oral Green, Renata Burnette and Matthias Arrindell. One of the distributors, he explained, is presently a business student in high school who has an entrepreneurial internship with him. Another is a university student who was unemployed while the other sells the combs as a side job.

Apart from being a styling comb for your hair, Labistide said the comb is also used to send the message that it’s ok to accept and embrace natural beauty and not be afraid of the stigma attached to it. He has used his platform as a poet to push this message. Additionally, he said young people can take their story of developing the idea and using it as a means of going after your dreams and not thinking of any idea as too small or insignificant.

“It enhances your natural curls, it changes the way you look on a daily basis but also gives young people a chance to say, ‘hey, if we can take a huge tennis racket and shrink it down to a smaller one, what can you do?’ You can do anything”, Labistide implored.

The young entrepreneur, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, has been an author and poet for approximately 8 years. His books and writing skills as a poet has created the platform for him to pursue business ventures. He was also able to combine the two crafts to market himself as an entrepreneur.

“The entrepreneurship lifestyle is something that I’ve always wanted to tap into...What the comb allowed me to do is to market myself as a enterprise...So, the comb allowed me to look at entrepreneurship as branching off from just my books to different work. So if you have a business I can say well, ‘I can help you push your business to the next level by writing for you’- creating creative commercials because that’s what I’ve been doing with the comb and businesses that reached out to me”, he told the Sunday Times Magazine.

Labistide’s advice for young people who might be thinking about venturing into business or entrepreneurship is based on a piece he wrote for a Linden Youth Summit where he encouraged youths to become “jumpers” and invest in themselves at a young age.

“I wish I had that advice growing up, how to invest in myself at a younger age...My mentor taught me that you have to be a jumper. A jumper is someone who sees an opportunity and goes after it. Is not afraid to jump into it and forget about the ‘what ifs’...yes you might fail but failure is just part of the bigger picture, yes you may make mistakes but mistakes are lessons learned...look at the bigger picture. Young people we have to jump into our purpose, don’t look at the people who may want to say that you can’t do.

Because if you listen you’re not going to get a chance to succeed in what you want to do”, he advised.

Having survived numerous challenges, he related that his overall goal presently is to help people understand business.

Being an entrepreneur

Labistide also shared an excerpt from his piece “Being an entrepreneur” which he delivered at a recent Youth Summit in Linden. He hopes that it serves as a motivation for anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship. It goes as follows: “It’s not easy, we fight more battles with a slim chance of victory, every day is a battle, every day is a hustle, every day you have to create new content, and there is no guarantees you will make a single dollar. However, don’t let that discourage you.

Do you still want this lifestyle?

If your answer is ‘yes!’, and you’re going to jump into this entrepreneur lifestyle. You have to jump without a parachute, you have to jump without a plan B, you have to be committed 200 per cent no matter what the critics might say or do.

You have to be ready for failure and disappointment. Those two things will catapult you or it will be your demise. However, if you look at failure as the bigger picture and you look at disappointment as a lesson learned, Then you have no problem living this lifestyle.

Yes, we do need doctors, lawyers, engineers, computer engineers, architects, and the list goes on. But, don’t think for a second that we don’t need creative thinkers, creative writers, philosophers and entrepreneurs. We all are the builders of today and tomorrow. So, don’t let anyone take your dreams and passions and make it minuscule. Design a blueprint for your life and live it with the guidance of like-minded individuals.”

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY, 2 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

S

implicity is very underrated and taken for granted but when we look deep within the simplicity of things, we often discover the intricacies of someone once considered simple.

Simple but significant has been the mantra of Make-Up Artist

(MUA) Amrita Jaikaran for the past five years. We all know that there is nothing simple about the application of makeup, since it requires a number of steps to achieve the ideal look one is gunning for.

Makeup, as we know, has the uncanny ability to convey different messages and transcend boundaries. It has the ability to lift the

spirit of a woman who has very little confidence in herself.

It has the ability to tell the story of a woman who is powerful and it has the ability to do so much more than beautify – as it is often considered to do.

Makeup has been around for aeons, and professional makeup artists are quite often revered for their skills of transforming their clients.

A few years ago, if anyone told Jaikaran that she would have had a career in the creative industry, she would have laughed at them.

Growing up, the shy young lady never considered herself to be creative since her drawings were “very bad” and she absolutely despised the idea of doing anything creative.

“I was never creative and in school, it showed although I considered my school life as being normal. I used to draw really horrible, but I loved school. I love learning. I used to embrace it, but it was a challenge like any other child. I knew I hated drawing and doing anything creative,” she reminisced.

While growing up in the East Coast Demerara community of Better Hope, Jaikaran had her fair share of challenges and credits the drive of her parents for ensuring that she and her siblings were taken care of. She notes that many of her childhood experiences are the foundation of the person she has become today and she will continue to use those experiences to shape her destiny.

Though not wanting to get into the creative field at first, when one speaks with Jaikaran now they would not believe that she loved anything else other than being a creative. She is exceptionally talented and very humble when it comes to her skills. She knows that she has the ‘It-Factor’ but would never exhibit any form of overconfidence.

She credits her entry into the world of makeup artistry to her role model and local makeup guru Tenisha Billington, “My love for makeup started more like seven years ago. I used to sell makeup and before that, I was always fascinated with makeup, with colours and how it enhances you. I used to do make up for my family and friends and they would always say that ‘Amrita you’re really good at this, you should do it more like a profession’ and I used to brush it off. I enjoyed doing it on myself and it makes me feel more powerful.

“I invested and started selling makeup and by selling this makeup made me realise that I had to know how to use this makeup. It was on my birthday and I wanted this girl (Billington) to do my makeup and I went to her. I had all my products and I didn’t know what to do. When she did my makeup I fell in love and I begged her to teach me to use makeup. She is one of my role models and one of the reasons I got into makeup,” Jaikaran states.

When she went home that night, Jaikaran got out her products and began practising because she became genuinely interested in the application of makeup. Following the teachings of Billington, she went to a few other makeup workshops and really honed her skills and today she is one of the best makeup artists in Guyana.

However, getting to where she is today was not a walk in the park. She has had to battle a lot of demons to become the person she is today with the level of skills she’s developed. One of her biggest battles was that of confidence.

Throughout her life, Jaikaran has been shy and had very little confidence in herself, making everything she did a lot harder than it was.

“I had to learn how to battle the lack of self-confidence. I wasn’t as confident but I have gained confidence now. I was very shy. Throughout the journey, I have gained a lot of really great clients who turned into my family and I have learned kindness beyond anything. I have gained self-confidence. I have been privileged enough to work in pageants, in shows, with international clients and doing my favourite – weddings. It is beyond phenomenal.”

She continues to develop her skills and exhibit her talent through the work of her studio – Blend it with AJ’s located in Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.

“My advice for anyone who wants to join the makeup world is to be yourself. Kindness is the most important thing. Be true to yourself and never stop believing in yourself even if it is just a tiny idea; if you believe it, then you can achieve it.”

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Feature

Q

uite often the issue of mental health and self-esteem is brushed under the proverbial rug for a number of reasons. One of the most glaring ones is that the person experiencing low self-esteem or dealing with mental health issues is too young.

This leads to a chain reaction, often materialising in suicide or severe self-harm attempts. In an effort to speak about her struggles, and hopefully help create awareness, 17-yearold Quanisha Patterson is using poetry.

She writes about her battles with self-esteem issues as a teenager and how she is able to reassure herself.

The Bishops’ High School student recently had this to say about her battles: “Over the years, I have developed my view of poetry. It commenced as a coping mechanism due to low self-esteem, but as I matured and became enamoured of poesy, I broadened my spectrum to races, society and such. I no longer exclusively write about my experiences, I now incorporate camouflaged societal issues.

I use poetry not only for self-expression but also to motivate others to utilise their talents and most importantly to raise awareness of extensive issues in my attempt to make a change. I'm also a strong believer that humans share common experiences and if my poetry can extend just one life, I'm fine with that.

I now perform on various platforms such as pageants, poetry nights and planned events which encourages my drive to write even more. It is my hope that persons use me as a role model to be intrepid enough to dispense their talents with the world.”

She shared one of her prized pieces, "Metamorphosis", with Sunday Times Magazine and said it embodies predicaments such as sexual abuse, drug addiction and secularisation through an immature lustful commitment.

"Metamorphosis" has characteristics of a narrative piece but is spoken word as it tells the story of an undeveloped female in a lecherous relationship blinded by the idea of being in love. As a result, she accepted his "barbaric acts" as stated in the penultimate stanza of the poem.

“This is a very common contemporary issue - the subjugation of women by men. However, men may also be subjugated by women but as a female, I felt the need to express a female's perception.

Moreover, men are not only to be blamed, but the society in which we were raised.

Obviously, a society of athe-

ism, drugs and abuse primarily through coitus would encourage dependency on the toxicity of a relationship. It is my desire that this poem promotes female solidarity and independence to discourage toxic relations,” she said.

Here is that composition by the talented teen:

Metamorphosis

A plethora of terrible opinions enclosed in an empty frame of a broken female, Once allegedly happy due to immaturity And lacking knowledge of life was of no avail.

As she matured in a cruel world of bloodthirsty hounds, Murderous rapists covered the mouths of the victims Leaving the world to hear no sound.

Maturing in a world where Mary Jane was more venerable than God and atheists dominated.

No disrespect to anyone's belief, just know that this story isn't fabricated.

Then one night, in her notifications: "Love entered the chat" Love masked herself hate and discouraged the self-harm campaign And created a plight in her self-esteem.

She went mentally from the average chick to quite frankly a Queen!

Unlike all love stories, hers is contained severe hurt Your words choked the outskirts of her throat Bursting her vocal chords in an attempt to silence her Purely silence the monster you air brushed with the lust you called love And now you despise the end result.

The butterflies after your breath made her side burn tingle and her melanated cheek become a mild fuchsia are all in a coma.

They don't recall that she's the true owner.

Your steam scalded her heart and your footsteps were honey But all she had was one sugar molecule left And desperately needed something sweet Not knowing you were contaminated by a plethora of ants.

She fell for your phrases Your overused phrases And accepted your barbaric acts Accompanied by your lustful looks.

She thought you were her "Superman thanks to Lois Lane" But never truly comprehended why Superman would cause Lois Lane all this pain Just for his self-gain - that was extremely insane.

Now, she'll never be the same.

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

T

he term growth mindset was first coined by Dr Carol Dweck over 30 years ago after interest aroused in students' attitude towards failure. Today, the term is used to describe people’s underlying beliefs about learning and intelligence.

Attempting to bring awareness and foster the growth mindset, Revive – a budding online coaching venture, is moving to schools and companies in Guyana.

Revive’s Co-Founder, Life Coach and Business Consultant, Kamladevi Sharma has developed the organisation’s signature ‘Momentum Trainings’ for students and others. The training aims at helping persons recover from setbacks, reconnect with goals and achieve those goals with more clarity, motivation, ease, and direction.

“Right now, we are not mentally and emotionally equipped to deal with failure in a positive way. We keep losing a sense of our self to our environment because this is how we were trained as babies – to live by the expectations of the environment.

Because of this, we have grown to feel mentally pressured from society to live up to everyone’s expectations without clarity of the expectations we have for ourselves. So, it is important for students to know how to recover from setbacks, be more responsible for their learning, and make decisions that are aligned with the visions they have for themselves, rather than losing focus of their goals and trying to fit in with the latest trends,” she says.

Sharma adds that the lack of basic employability skills in the workplace, like emotional intelligence, time management, effective communication, solving problems, critical thinking and being a good team player, largely exists in Guyana because the awareness, willingness and need to learn to be a better self-manager is not present. She believes that the lack of self-management is mainly due to the fact that we are quite often not given the environment to pursue self-improvement.

The trust and space to think beyond what we were taught is hardly present in the home and working environment which is a limiting way to living.

There comes a time in a person’s life that they need to face the good, bad and ugly about themselves and choose to partner with themselves for self-improvement. So that they can be fully present and aware in the moment when making decisions, rather than living on autopilot at all times as well as being reactive and victimised by negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear which reflect their fixed mindset,” Sharma said.

The Life Coach explains that Momentum Trainings are aimed at aligning students’ and employees’ beliefs to a growth mindset so that these expected skills can help them to succeed in their roles and at their goals.

In her Trainings over the last week, students and employees of West Demerara Secondary, L’Aventure Secondary and Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary along with other organisations were able to benefit from momentum training exercises. These exercises saw those in attendance being taught about coping and success strategies for exams and, bringing balance to their personal and professional lives for improved mental health.

The initiative will last until March 1, 2020 as part of Revive’s social responsibility to ensuring sustainable development of the people.

This comes at a time when the country is undergoing major economic changes which Sharma believes that the majority of people need to be better prepared for. In addition to being prepared for challenges, the training also positions its participants to capitalise on the influx of opportunities that are surfacing.

According to her, students need to ask themselves what they can learn from persons or situations especially when they are experiencing conflicting beliefs in their social interactions. They need to understand, respect, continuously improve and truly live by the vision and values they hold for themselves. She thinks they need to do all of that before they partner with others.

She added that if students are taught how to be emotionally intelligent in schools, for ex-

ample, and they learn coping strategies such as mindfulness, then we will have students with better mental health and, ultimately higher quality of persons in the world. If done correctly, there will be more accountability and integrity among the people, and adults will be able to manage their emotions better so that children feel empowered to tap into their true potential.

Improved mental health has to start somewhere and the best place is the training of positive self-talk in one person. One person will mirror another person, train their children, students and employees and so, it gains momentum and creates that change we really need in Guyana.

She states that changes for the greater good will manifest if the leaders of change get clear on who they’ve grown to be, where they came from and the direction they would like to go. They need to understand and accept their foundation and, decide on the kind of future they will create for themselves and their offspring.

She advocates that self-development is a process that an individual has full control over if they know themselves intimately and choose to accept life as what it is and was for them.

Sharma states that her work is largely based on empowering people to choose their beliefs. Choose the beliefs that make them feel good and serve their highest good, and learn to disassociate with those beliefs that are no longer beneficial for them. In particular, those beliefs that are formed from thinking the same negative thoughts over and over again, gaining momentum.

For these reasons, the Trainings are done to encompass students, teachers and persons in the commercial sector as a holistic approach to get the message across at all levels as well as improve the mental, physical and emotional well-being of the people.

Any school or company interested in capitalising on Sharma’s expertise and remarkable training sessions can make contact with her at info@revive.coach. The venture’s website is https://revive.coach.

Free coaching on various issues people face is being done on social media as well. She is encouraging persons to join her on the mission to foster a growth mindset among the people in Guyana for them to get clear, get aligned and get results for the life they desire to live.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Feature

(Extract of an interview with Paul Harris, Georgetown, Guyana, January 2020. Harris is an artist and cartoonist, son of Hawley Harris. Paul Harris has published some of his work in books such as ‘Like Father…Like Son’ and has created memorable characters like ‘Justin Kunsorn’ and ‘A Littlesoap’.

I

n Part one, we explored the world of the cartoonist and the framework within which she/he operates.)

PP I like what you just said – that it’s a job….

PH I never set out to be a cartoonist.

Of course, you would know my father did cartoons…

PP The remarkable Hawley Harris…

PH When he was doing his cartoon, I may have shown a passing interest but he was doing his stuff and I was concern with what I want to do. People would ask me if my father taught me and the answer is no or they would ask if I had any formal training and the answer to that is also no; I couldn’t afford it anyhow.

PP I am looking at this publication, ‘Like father like son’ which begs similar questions. So how come it was just a passing interest?

PH It was a passing interest for I was young then, still at school going through the growing pains of becoming …something. I wonder if I should talk my whole life story…

PP …we’ll put it in perspective.

PH Well, I had a regular 8 to 4 job working as an artist but again circumstances prevailing in the country at the time – national issues came up like retrenchment which was widespread and where everybody was been laid off and I saw the writing on the wall, at that time I was working as an artist at G?C doing … and the union didn’t notice us…so I left.

I went into selling newspapers. My father was self employed making rubber stamps and still doing his cartoons. Then opportunity came along where he had a book printed which we agreed that I would sell it and we split the sales…I made a little income selling the books and rubber stamps and that was the beginning of my self employment career. Well, eventually, I said I should try out this cartoon thing; I sort of bumped into it and here I am.

PP How many years now?

PH I got my first cartoon, my first regular cartoon

printed in the Chronicle. but my dad, as I outlined already what he There was a cartoon contest and my dad was, advised that I draw from up here, [my prompted me to enter. There were about head]. I made a mess and he left me on my ten of us and I came third. The three of us, own. So I continue to trace and draw until his I can’t remember them all – one was a Mr words came again to me that I must do it on Gomes, one I think was a Mr Doris and the my own. So then I started to create my own other a Duarte. They were cartoonist at the characters and localize them, give them lotime but they didn’t stay in the business cal names etc and my imagination started to long. However, I went along with my car- kick in, and flow … toon – it wasn’t Justin Kunsorn then, it was PP 2214 Paul, what is the role of the a drawing with a cartoon. Then the editor of artist, the cartoonist in society?

Chronicle asked if I would be interested to Responses to this author telephone (592) run a cartoon. It started out as a weekly then 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo. bi-weekly. And they wanted to see more of me. I didn’t have a name then but with the prevailing circumstances, I decided to call it Justin Kunsorn PP So Justin Kunsorn was born.

PH Yes, and it went to a daily cartoon.

I couldn’t understand it but I did it any how – the editors said the people wanted more. I didn’t get paid much but …I was just a struggling artist…

PP A struggling artist – what’s new!

PH But I stayed with it So many people living in comforts and luxuries, and again, [I say] here I am.

So many people flying in planes and driving in Bentley PP And going great So many people free from negatives and miseries, guns, as they say.

So many people are given a true identity!

There is more to this book, Oh yea!

‘Like Father like Son’. Let’s Living in the streets has been my world, talk Hawley Harris, let’s pay Denied of a name, tribute to Hawley….

And a true story untold, PH Hawley Harris my When I was left alone at three years old, dad was strict and meticuYea! lous and he believed in absoWhy has life been so unfair to me? lute perfection. And he was a Why? very territorial man – he hated it when I looked over his Being scorned and mistreated by alike humans, Everyday! shoulders as he was drawing.

It shreds my heart to hear the things they say, He would say then, if I wantNot knowing where my next half meal will come from, ed to draw, just go and do it.

At times my only wish is to forever be called upon.

Those words were indeed impactful in that if I wanted to My thoughts says the world has been a cruel place, do it, I must do it on my own Living in the streets no one seems to care, meaning he would not show Not knowing the struggles an abandon child have to me anything. face.

But I would look at his I also dream of belonging to a happy home, drawings after he finished I also deserved some love, with them and try to copy And having a family of my own, what I saw. Oh, I must share I also want to be free from sorrows, this – I love comic books and I also desire an education and a bright tomorrow. my father too, he had lots of them, his types of comBut why has life been so unfair to me? ics. I had my own types – suWhy has it been so?

Why can't I be given a life just like every other human? perhero stuff. I would look at the dynamic expressions By and poses and try to imitate Nickalos Mobin them, I still have the bruises to prove… I would also trace

Poem Unfair

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY, 2 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

here is a distinctive difference between someone who gets into business just to make a living and someone who gets into business because of their drive and passion for whatever they’re selling. Be it a service or an item, the passion becomes infectious and every customer knows that there is the fire that drives that businessperson.

That driving force has been a dominant factor in Lennox Parris’s life for as long as he can remember. It has led him into the world of business from a young age and now that he is a seasoned veteran, he still gets first-day jitters every single time he interacts with his clients.

Parris hails from the mining town of Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and has been actively involved in business for decades now.

“I grew up in Linden and I migrated when I was just 19 years old. From small, I always used to buy and sell things. I would always be selling something because I liked business and earning my own money. When I migrated to the US, I started a business called Caribbean Shipping and it has been around for 19 years now,” the 42-year-old said.

When asked about what advice he would give to anyone, particularly the younger population, who are thinking about getting into business, this is what Parris had to say: “Consistency is key. It is one of the most important things and you need it. No matter if you making $20, $40, $100 always push ahead. Don’t stop what you are doing despite what you are making.

We

have a lot of young people getting into business today and want to get rich tomorrow; it does not work so. You have to be determined and have the drive to push and continue because consistency is important and the key to your success.”

If you want to find out more about the services offered by Lennox One Stop Party Rentals, give them a call on 690-7287 or 444-9044.

However, Parris said that he always wanted to return to Guyana, particularly his hometown, and do something that would be beneficial to the community. He saw the need for an entity that could supply all that was needed for an event at an affordable cost and as one would imagine, he made sure to capitalise on that.

So he returned home and in January of 2015, he opened the doors of Lennox One Stop Party Rentals based in Silvertown, Wismar in Linden.

“I always wanted to come back home and do something.

I came across some chairs first and then I started the rental and the chairs needed tables and the tables came and that is how I got started with the party rental service. The chairs and tables led to all of this now and five years later, I can boast about having everything you need for a party under one roof.

When I say everything, I mean everything that you would need to get your party off the ground,” he said.

“We do rentals of tables, chairs, drop cords, generators, tents, spoons, forks, plates, grills and a whole lot more. We also do it on an affordable scale so that people do not have to break their pockets just to have quality events,” Parris added.

Parris has developed a number of party packages for Lindeners and continues to make a positive impact. One of his latest innovative packages is that of the rental of BBQ grills, but the sweetest part is the fact that the grill does not come alone. Along with the BBQ grill, one would get starter fluid, chairs, tables, coolers, tents, food racks, foil pans, coals, spoons and chips to get the grill fired up.

If that is not a steal deal, then something must be wrong with you.

“I offer a whole party package because we at Lennox Party Rentals want people to have an experience without all the hassle of going to several places to get things organised. I actually just came up with a wake package because as we know wake is a time that is hard for the family but not only is it hard but it is expensive. With our packages, we will provide a discount and set everything up so you don’t have that trouble and have to spend a lot of money.

“We want to be able to help every person that comes to us and make sure that they don’t have to break the bank to get what they want. We offer all kinds of discounts, and our packages make sure that you have the most for very little. For me when I first started I had so much trouble with finances, but I was so determined to succeed I kept pushing myself. Now that I am in a better place, I want to be able to offer a helping hand and that is what we do through the Lennox Party Rental brand,” he boasted.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Feature

T

he word Kaieteur means Old Man’s Falls, referring to the fall of Kai, a Touchau (Toshao) of the Patamona people, over the waterfalls. Most of us have heard of the Kaieteur News newspaper. We know that the name is derived from the Kaieteur Falls but have you wondered where or how the famous Kaieteur Falls got its name? Well, you are in luck. Continue reading and hopefully, you leave knowing a little bit more about the origin story of Kaieteur Falls.

Who is Kai?

The Kaieteur Falls was named after Kai. The most popular tale of Kai tells us of the Chenau village chief or Touchau (Toshao). Kai was a Patamona, one of the nine tribes of Indigenous people who came to Guyana. Kai wore a tall, colourful headdress made of feathers of the rarest birds. A piece of animal hide covered his loin. He was brown-skinned, short and muscular, like many of our Indigenous people.

The Story of Old Kai

Many years ago before the Kaieteur Falls was named, there lived a peaceful tribe of the Patamonas on the Potaro. The Patamonas called themselves the Kapon. Their descendants live there to this day. They are protectors of the sacred falls and life around it. This tribe of people lived along the waterway of the Pakaraima Mountains in a village called Chenau.

Not very far away lived a warrish tribe of Caribisi, commonly known as Caribs. The Caribs were a ferocious set of Amerindians. They fought among themselves to prove bravery. The Caribs fought to win the domination of other tribes as a show of power. The Patamonas of Chenau were no exception to this sick power battle. The Caribs regularly raided and tormented the village of Chenau. The Patamonas farmed cassava, corn, vegetables, and sweet potatoes. Caribs would raid Chenau and carry off the women and food grown by the Patamonas.

After being steadily attacked by the Caribs, the village chief at the time, Kai, sought for a peaceful way out. He prayed humbly to the Makonaima, the Great Spirit of their people. This Great Spirit does not have a physical form and is never seen by mortal man. Makonaima spoke to Kai and he listened. One day in an act of self-sacrifice, Kai took his wooden canoe and paddled faithfully over the waterfall. This was done in exchange for the protection of his tribe. He selflessly gave up his life in exchange for peace, rather than start a war between the tribes. This is proof in itself of how harmonious and peace-loving the Patamonas were. It is said that Kai’s canoe lies at the bottom of this great falls and has been turned to stone.

The Kaieteur Falls is named after this brave village chief, Kai. The falls is also referred to as Kayik Tuwuk or Old Man Falls in the Patamona language. Descendants of Kai and his tribe live on the Potaro River, guiding travelers and protecting the life around Kaieteur Falls. (Article republished from: ThingsGuyana.COM, https://www.thingsguyana.com/thestory-of-old-kai-naming-the-kaieteur-kai-falls/)

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FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

Feature

MORE CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE ACQUIRING A CAT AS A PET

W

ell, since we were reprimanded for not sharing some thoughts about choosing a cat as a family member, we have done some more searching for things that the prospective caregiver must be able to cope with, if the decision is to acquire a cat as a pet. So, here goes.

Cats (like dogs) do make mistakes in the house and even outside the house. You remember me saying last week that cats are essentially “house” animals but they are often enough outside to do themselves harm.

Consequently, you have to know if you are capable, on a daily basis of creating an environment that is not in any way inimical to the interests of your feline ward.

INSIDE THE HOUSE

Bleaches, rat baits, roach poison, kitchen-garden insecticides, (DDT sprayed on the walls), herbicides stored uncaringly in an easily-accessible cupboard, in the washroom or the garage are all potential problems for the cat. He/she will make it his/ her business to find out what the liquid or the attractive, multicolored crystals are all about. Some of these chemicals do damage just by touching them. Others, when ingested cause agonizing death. Also, some ordinary household chemicals are toxic to cats.

Within the house, toilet bowls should be always covered. Put up some preventa-

tive screens on widows that overlook high drops. Bathtubs should not be filled with water and left unattended; young kittens can fall in. Don’t feed fish/meats in tin cans unless you have flattened and rounded the cutting edges.

If you have an automatic clothes washer/ clothes dryer, please ensure that the doors are always closed. Wardrobes and drawers must be kept shut. A colleague from my student days inadvertently locked up his cat in a cupboard and went on a summer holiday.

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE

Well, there is little you can really do to protect the cat when it is outside the house.

However, zinc sheets and any sharp edges, barbed wire on top of the fences, hidden nails etc, are all potential hazards. Certain frogs have toxic substances on their bodies, an in any such encounter, the cat (or dog)

will come out second-best.

The moral of the story is simply that you as protector/provider, must ensure that these potential cat killers are not easily available to engage kitty’s curiosity.

FELINE PLAYFULNESS

Kittens (and some adult cats too) provide us much fun by hopping, rolling and engaging in mock battles with imaginary opponents. They love to box dangling objects – like the cord of an electric iron/ toaster/microwave, radio, television, etc. If such objects are precariously perched then the cat playing with the cord can bring the entire appliance, to which the cord is attached, down. Can you ensure that playfulness does not include the chewing of electric cords just to see what’s inside.

Do I have to mention kitty’s playfulness at Christmas time? For the playful feline those ornaments on the Christmas tree are obviously only there for the cat’s own enjoyment. Well, they aren’t. Artificial snow and cotton wool can choke your cat. Glass ornaments not only cut when broken, but – if ingested – would severely lacerate the gastrointestinal tract. Keep kitty away from the Christmas tree, if you don’t want its first Noel to be the last Noel.

Items from the sewing basket are particularly loved by lively kittens/cats.

Please, those things are not toys. On the whole, I have lost count of how many needles with thread, rubber bands, earplugs and marbles I have removed from cats’ mouths, throats, stomachs and intestines. It is not fun for the veterinary surgeon, and it is surely not a happy state of affairs for the cat.

There is one ‘good news’ side to these stories. Once the cat has experienced the negative consequence of its playfulness, curiosity and/or adventurousness, it will – in all likelihood – not commit the same mistake again.

So, I hope I have given the cat lovers enough data to digest for a while. Next week, we will go to the dogs and deal with some other considerations, prior to their adoption.

9

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guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Fashion

B

eing able to dress chic and stylish every day is a skill that can be difficult to master.

Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up the top style tips that every woman should know.

While they may seem small and simple, these handy tips will revolutionize the way that you dress on a daily basis. Whether you’re headed to work, out for drinks, or even to Sunday brunch, these advice gems are sure to see you looking fashionable and fabulous every time you step out of the house. (The Trend Spotter)

Invest in Styles that Work for Your Shape

Find a Good Tailor

Organize and Edit Your Closet

When it comes to dressing stylishly, organizing and editing your closet is essential. After all, how can you create a great outfit if you can’t even see what you own? Start by decluttering your wardrobe and donating or selling anything that you don’t wear or love.

Then, organize the remaining items neatly into categories. Hang what should be hung and fold the rest.

Also, invest in a shoe rack so that you can easily visualize complete outfits. After doing so, your closet will feel much more inspiring, and you’ll nix those “nothing to wear” moments.

The work of a good tailor can make even a bargain wardrobe look designer. While you may not initially want to spend the extra money to get items altered, you’ll quickly learn that the extra wear you get out of them far outweighs the cost. Whether it’s a pair of jeans that have been hemmed or a dress that’s been taken in, nothing beats a garment that’s precisely fitted to you.

Another great tip is to get your tailor to change cheap buttons to fancier styles. Doing so will make all your jackets and coats look infinitely more luxurious.

Curate Your Colours to Suit Your Skin Tone

Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Patterns

Prepare for the Fitting Room

Don’t ever go shopping when you’re unprepared to face the fitting room. If you’re in too much of a rush or are too tired to try things on, you should wait and go shopping another time. As fits and sizes vary between stores and designs, trying on items is essential, especially if you don’t want to return them later. Also, remember to dress for the item for which you’re shopping to get the best perspective.

Trying on an evening gown with high heels and the appropriate lingerie will always look better than with sneakers and a sports bra.

Having an endless supply of outfits that look great on you requires strategic shopping. In particular, investing in designs that work for your body shape is essential. If you’re not sure what clothes work best for you, have a look at the most flattering items you already own. If those high-rise skinny jeans and that empire waist dress are working for you, you should shop for other pieces with the same silhouette. Then, have fun experimenting with different fabrics, colors, and embellishments while maintaining the confidence of knowing that you already look fantastic.

Patterns are an excellent way to add some life and fun to your wardrobe, and mixing patterns is even better. So, if you’ve been sticking to basic block colors for the past ten years, now’s the time to be bold and embrace checks, stripes, florals, gingham, and more. Just remember to make sure that your patterns complement rather than clash. To do so, try choosing one focal design and accenting your outfit with another. Alternatively, opt for two patterns with matching or complementary color palettes.

Have you ever wondered why some colors look great on you and others don’t? It’s because of your skin tone. To ensure every outfit you wear looks amazing, try filling your wardrobe with the colors that flatter you the most. If you have a cool complexion, shop for garments in colors like white, black, grey, silver, and blue. If your undertones are warm, on the other hand, stock up on designs in shades of brown, yellow, gold, olive, and red.

Don’t Forget to Accessorise

Adding accessories should be the final step to completing all your outfits.

Whether it’s something as simple as a belt or as decadent as lashings of necklaces, accessories have the power to transform your look from good to great. Therefore, it’s important to invest in good accessories and remember to wear them.

Stylish shoes, bags, hats, sunglasses, and jewelry are all essential items to own and wear for a fashionable finishing touch.

Always Have a White Fitted Shirt on Hand

A white fitted shirt is a highly versatile piece of clothing and an invaluable item to have on hand. Whether you’re wearing black flared pants, distressed denim shorts or a metallic pleated midi skirt, a white buttonup can complete your outfit with style. Just remember to take care of it and replace it when necessary. While a white shirt appears chic and sophisticated, an off-white shirt can look old and sloppy.

Show Just the Right Amount of Skin

Showing just the right amount of skin is essential to creating a stunning evening ensemble. To ensure that you nail the right look, try showing off just one part of your body. If your best feature is your legs, opt for a long-sleeve, high-neck mini dress. If you want to show off your cleavage with a deep-V design, pick one that’s full-length. When in doubt, try revealing less, not more.

Learn How to Layer

Layering can take an outfit from plain to perfect, and while it can be a hard skill to master, it’s one worth learning. Find inspiration from your favorite street style stars and try mimicking their looks with your own wardrobe. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try wearing a white crewneck T-shirt under a satin slip dress, a trench coat with a mini-skirt over the top, or fishnet stockings underneath pants. The results can be incredibly playful and seriously stylish.

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Recipes

A Quinoa Salad

mazing Cleaning Tips You'll Wish You Knew Sooner According to the research, the average person spend nearly 40 minutes a day cleaning their homes. But with the exception of those who truly find dusting their baseboards and scrubbing their ovens akin to bliss, most of us would rather be using that time for more enjoyable activities. Fortunately, you can reclaim those precious minutes with these genius cleaning tips that only the pros know. Get ready to have your home looking twice as spotless in half the time!

Ingredients • 12 cups water • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed • 5 pickling cucumbers, peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes • 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes • 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced • 1 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped • 2 bunches mint leaves, chopped • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar • 1 lemon, juiced • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 4 heads endive, trimmed and separated into individual spears (romaine hearts) • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced, for garnish Directions Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.

When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve.

Eliminate upholstery stains with shaving cream There's no need to hire an expensive professional to get those stains out of your upholstery. Instead, rub a little bit of shaving cream (anything but the gel kind) into the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes or overnight, and then blot it dry. Just make sure that you test this method out on a hidden area of your couch before actually putting it to use, as there is always the small chance of damaging the fabric.

Use dryer sheets to clean your pans That grime stuck to your cookie sheets and frying pans is no match for your dryer sheets.

Simply put your dirty pan or sheet in the sink with a little dish soap, warm water, and a dryer sheet, and let the combo sit for an hour or two. When you're ready to pour out the water, the mess will easily wipe away.

Three Bean and Beef Chili

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 onion, diced (1 cup) • 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup) • 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup) • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean) • One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes • 2 cups water • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced • 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed • One 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed • One 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed Directions Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Un-scratch your plates with baking soda A slip of the knife here, an overzealous fork there, and suddenly you've got a stack of unsightly scratched plates in your kitchen. Fortunately, it's easy to make your plates look brand new again with some baking soda. Simply make a paste of baking soda and water, buff it into the scratches, and in no time, your dishes will look good as new.

Steam clean your microwave That stuck-on mess from the time you tried to heat up your leftover food is going to take a lot of elbow grease to remove. Luckily, a little steam can make the job a whole lot easier.

Simply fill a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of white vinegar and a cup of water and nuke the mixture on high for a few minutes. Your microwave will quickly steam up, making those caked-on messes a breeze to clean off afterward.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients • 3/4 cup instant grits • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails intact) • 2 large cloves garlic, minced • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) • Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley Directions 1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered.

Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with salt and black pepper. Cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and black pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne, if using, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and parsley; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and black pepper.

3. Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Soak your stove burners in ammonia Research suggests that a shocking 41 percent of all home fires start in the kitchen, often stemming from the stove. Fortunately, eliminating some of the flammable grease and grime on your burners can help you stay safer in the long run—and it's relatively easy to do.

First, try washing the removable burner parts with soap and water. If that doesn't work, put them in a large sandwich bag with a quarter-cup of ammonia, and close up the bags. Leave them to soak overnight, and by morning, you can simply wipe off that gunk with ease, according to Bob Vila.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Puzzles

ACROSS 1 Latin dance 6 Viking's bay 11 For a song 16 Rim 21 Protruding window 22 Cruise ship 23 Gives personally 24 Sahib's place 25 Usher's beat 26 Cover story 27 Archipelago dots 28 Pew occupants 29 Soccer goal 30 Contact (2 wds.)

32 -- nova 34 "Bop -- You Drop" 36 Natural resource 37 Lissome 39 Boadicea's people 41 Lyrical 43 Universe 45 Out in front 47 Wet lowland 49 Declares openly 51 Seem likely (2 wds.)

54 Zen riddles 55 Privy to (2 wds.)

56 Hot info 60 Fermi or Caruso 61 "Sherry" singer Frankie - 62 Woodwind player 64 -- Dawn Chong 65 It may be rare 66 Vacuum tube 67 -- up (got smart) 68 -- Island Red 70 Hosp. areas 71 Unruffled 73 Worked with nails 74 Thick with trees 75 Deep-six 77 Corn servings 78 Poe quoted one 79 Kitchen mix-ups?

80 Technical words 82 Walked the floor 83 Belgian, perhaps 84 Rural setting 87 -- and Clark 88 Prepare an apple 89 Pirate's quest 93 Soup or salad 94 Call, as an elk 95 Put the -- on 97 56, to Flavius 98 Be in accord 99 Mitten or sock wools 100 Statesman of old Athens 101 Lady's title

103 -- generis 104 Olduvai Gorge fossil finer 106 Carpet of yore 107 Portable 108 Job rights agcy.

110 Barely scrapes by 111 Momma's partner 112 Overcast 113 Calculus pioneer 115 Obey the alarm 116 Political shake-up 117 Fall 120 Hard sell, maybe 122 Andes ruminant 124 "-- Lama Ding Dong" 128 Pamplona shout 129 Almost grads 131 Buy by mail 133 Iridescent gems 135 Hair goop 136 Permitted by law 138 Salsa singer -- Cruz 140 Aleut language 142 Groovy 144 Hem and haw 145 Player's rep 146 Silly prank 147 John Denver's home 148 Hombre's address 149 Avoid taxes 150 "Phantom of the --" 151 Formation flyers DOWN 1 Chestnut steeds 2 Archangel of light 3 El -- (Peru volcano) 4 -- Paese cheese 5 Not -- -- to stand on 6 Freight train unit 7 Left at the altar 8 Pungent veggie 9 CSA defender 10 Tiny amount 11 Swindles 12 Big headache 13 China's Zhou - 14 Lime cooler 15 Furtive whisper 16 Whitecap 17 Single-strand molecule 18 Common phrase 19 Explosive, for short 20 Sammy and Danny 31 Kindergarten refrain 33 Saudi neighbor 35 PC screen images 38 "Goodfellas" gang 40 Tristan's love 42 Traveled like Hiawatha 44 FICA number

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- TRUCULENCE (TRUCULENCE: TRUK-yuh-lens: Aggressiveness; belligerence.)

Average mark 37 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 56 or more words in TRUCULENCE? TODAY'S WORD -- TRUCULENCE teen tenure tern tree truce true tune tuner tureen turn recent reel relent rent

rule rune runlet runt ulcer uncle uncurl uncut unreel untrue cent center clue creel

cruel cruet cult culture cure curl curt cute cuter cutler lectern lecture leer lent

lucent lucre lune lure lute ecru elect elute enter enure erect erne eruct neuter

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.

46 Mediocre writers 48 Corduroy rib 50 Null and - 51 Attack on all sides 52 Emcee's remarks 53 Gown 54 Subatomic particles 55 Peer Gynt creator 57 Carve a canyon 58 Heron or egret 59 Future flowers 61 Contenders 62 Fixed the squeak 63 Jogs 66 Bard's forte 67 Henry VIII's six 69 Convention site 72 Hair-raising 73 Prima -- evidence 74 Merchandise 76 Prolonged gaze 78 Singer Lou - 79 Steel additive 81 Ford lemon 82 Holly's "-- Sue" 83 Boxcar riders 84 "-- -- of do or die" 85 Vicious elephant 86 Knickknack 87 Sleek sleds 88 Protozoan's "legs"

90 91 92 94 95 96 99 100 102 105 106 107 109 111 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 121 123 125 126 127 130 132 134 137 139

1950s record Squashed circles Counts the minutes Cookie cooks "Nightline" host Many Vietnamese Yard tool Weakens gradually More skilled Conger catcher Sheer fabric Pompeii art Fleshy mushroom Come before Java neighbor Long overcoat Making public -- -mache Painted tins Relish tray item Nut for pies Plied a gondola Jeweler's lens Slack-jawed Rations out Like a hermit A whole lot "Miami Vice" cop Pantyhose woe Wedding words (2 wds.)

It may be fragile

141 Snooze 143 WNW oppositefilms 98 Author Maurice -100 Brief craze 101 Volcano goddess 102 Kind of welcome 103 Paper source 106 "--, humbug!"

107 Common fertiliz er 110 De-creased?

111 Sluggish 112 Campfire fare 113 Grommet 114 Grind one's teeth 115 Orange flower 116 Subway hanger 118 Gulf nation 119 Painter -- Matisse 120 1776 patriot Silas -121 Secret 122 Fix Venus de Milo?

123 Small combos 125 Feeling miffed 127 Wine served warm 129 Follows closely 133 Your choice 135 Aberdeen kid

SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 13

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FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

C

ode discovered in the latest version of the Google Phone app has revealed more details about its unannounced call recording feature, 9to5Google reports. Most intriguing is a snippet of code that suggests the upcoming feature addition could also support call transcription, which would be similar to the Recorder app that the company debuted on the Pixel 4. XDA Developers has since managed to get the call recording feature partially working on a Pixel 4, but not transcriptions.

The newly uncovered code also gives us an idea of how Google is attempting to overcome

G

the “security and privacy implications” that prevented call recording from being included in Android 10. Code snippets suggest that the app will warn you to comply with local laws while using the feature, and it also plays a short audio clip to warn participants when a call is being recorded.

Recorded calls can reportedly be played back from the call log according to XDA Developers, and can also be exported as .wav files if you want to listen to them elsewhere.

What’s still unclear is when the new functionality could launch. However, a big new feature like this feels like a prime candidate for one of the new “feature drops” that Google is promising to provide for its Pixel handsets. The Google Phone app is currently the default dialer app on Google Pixel, Android One, and Xiaomi’s European smartphones. (The Verge)

oogle plans to add a live transcription feature to its Google Translate app for Android at some point in the future. The feature will allow users to record audio in one language and have it rendered in another in real time. It’s still in the prototype stage, but Google gave a demonstration of the technology during a series of artificial intelligence demos at its San Francisco office on Tuesday.

The feature will likely require an internet connection at launch, Google says, which means it will differ from the AI-based and on-device translation features that are in Google Translate today. The company says this is because real-time multilingual transcription is more complicated than simply translating written text from one language to another or inputting single sentences of speech and rendering them into text in a different language.

It will not work with audio files, at least at first; it will have to be live audio captured through a smartphone microphone, although Google says you could always play recorded audio through a speaker and capture it that way.

Google says its transcription feature is constantly evaluating whole sentences as the audio is ongoing. From there, it’s adding punctuation, correcting certain word choices depending on the sentence’s context, and attempting to correct for things like accents and regional dialects. All the while, users should be getting what Google says is an accurate approximation of what’s being said, although the company expects the underlying AI models to improve significantly as time goes on.

There’s no concrete timeline for when Google plans to launch real-time transcription for Google Translate. The company is just saying it’s arriving at some point “in the future.” (The Verge)

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FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Bollyollywood/Hollywood

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hen it premiered in 2014, it was one of Netflix’s earliest, best shows — and it would have failed in 2020.

BoJack Horseman, one of Netflix’s longest-running shows, came to an end this Friday. But it’s unclear if BoJack Horseman would have succeeded if it was ordered today. It’s a show that needed time to breathe, and that’s a luxury most shows don’t get on Netflix anymore.

BoJack Horseman feels like the end of an era for Netflix, one that produced long-running series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. All three shows were ordered

by Netflix between 2013 and 2014, an ambitious time for the company. This was a period when Netflix didn’t have a new series or movie every week. Netflix slowly started rolling out original series to its subscribers, designed to exist alongside and stand out from the plethora of licensed series already on the service.

To get shows like House of Cards, which was in the middle of a bidding war between other networks, Netflix had to do the impossible: pay for two seasons upfront. Chief content officer Ted Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013 that Netflix didn’t want to echo a network like Starz by taking a sheepish approach to “seeing what sticks.”

“For us, I wanted to know

that if it didn’t work, it was because it was a bad idea,” Sarandos said.

It was a good time for creators looking to pitch their ideas. Raphael BobWaksberg and his satirical comedy about a depressed celebrity horse living in Hollywood was one of the bets Netflix made in late 2013. BoJack Horseman was received with lukewarm attention from critics. Bob-Waksberg was prepared to end the show after the first and only season, but Sarandos had a different idea.

“I remember being told, ‘We expect the biggest day BoJack season one is going to have is when we launch BoJack season two,’” BobWaksberg told the Los Angeles Times in 2019. “We didn’t get a full two-season pickup, but that was the understanding, that these things take time to build.”

Netflix’s bet paid off. By 2015, Sarandos declared that the “appetite for original series was only growing,” and CEO Reed Hastings named BoJack Horseman his favorite show. Hastings even wore a BoJack Horseman sweater in a 2015 earnings call, hoping investors and reporters watching the call

T

had “a great binge weekend on one of the most incredible shows.” Bob-Waksberg felt like he earned the trust of viewers, and the continued trust of Netflix, to delve deeper into what they wanted to see.

Reviews for the second season hailed BoJack Horseman as a smart, funny, and heartfelt animated series. Episodes like “Hank After Dark” earned the show its first awards attention. A third season was ordered by the streamer almost immediately. By July 2015, Netflix was sitting high and mighty in the world of entertainment — and competitors weren’t pleased.

BoJack was one of the few originals from Netflix’s early days still going in 2018. House of Cards was preparing to end that year; Hemlock Grove had long been canceled. BoJack even managed to outlast some of the new series like The OA, but how long would that last? Bob-Waksberg acknowledged that he still had stories to tell, but noted it wasn’t fully up to him to keep the show going.

V

anessa Bryant is breaking her silence following the heartbreaking death of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant.

On Wednesday, the wife of the legendary NBA star released a statement, expressing her heartbreak and devastation, as well as her gratitude for the monumental outpouring of love and condolences. Kobe died alongside Gianna in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Feb. 26. He was 41.

"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time.

Thank you for all the prayers.

We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," she wrote, alongside a family photo. "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately."

"There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now.

I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever.

They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon," she continued. "I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond

today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way."

"Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever," she shared. "Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality."

Vanessa concluded, "To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation. org."

In addition to Gianna, Vanessa and Kobe shared three other children: Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months. A source close to the Bryant family told ET on Wednesday that Vanessa "feels almost numb to everything" after losing Kobe and Gianna.

"Vanessa is completely shocked and heartbroken but is trying to stay as strong as she can in front of her children," the source said.

"Vanessa married Kobe when she was 18 and never expected to live her life without him, and that [healing] is going to take time."

"She has been surrounded by her family and friends but she feels almost numb to everything," the source continued. "She is thankful for the outpouring of love her and her family has received and will respond when she's ready. Right now she's taking time to be with her girls." (E! Online)

he news of director Jagan Shakti, who helmed the 2019 hit Mission Mangal, being admitted to the hospital for a blood clot in his brain, came as a shocker. Jagan was rushed to the hospital on January 25 after losing consciousness at a party.

A source now tells us that actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in Mission Mangal (revolving around India’s Mars Orbiter Mission), is now taking care of Jagan’s hospital expenses.

A source says, “Akshay is very attached to every director he has worked with, and doesn’t step back from helping them in any way, apart from the various so-

F

ilmmaker Karan Johar is one of the many film personalities to have been conferred with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India this year.

Responding to the honour conferred upon him, Karan told Mumbai Mirror that he was in a forest in Italy when he received the news. He also added that he was ‘shocked and numb’ when he first heard of it.

The report quoted him as saying, “I was shocked! I was trying to call my mother to speak to my kids while scouting for locations for Takht in a forest in Italy but couldn’t get through. I walked around exasperatedly in search of reception when suddenly the phone rang. I don’t usually answer calls from unknown numbers but thank God I answered this one. It was from the ministry. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I managed to thank them but after the call ended, I went numb.

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ihanna has apparently found love in a hopeless place.

Just weeks after the Fenty Beauty founder, 31, split from longtime billionaire boyfriend Hassan Jameel, she’s moved on with rapper A$AP Rocky, The Sun reported. The duo was reportedly spotted getting close in New York City this month.

“They shared a hotel suite during that trip in New York,” a source told the outlet. “However, Rihanna is reluctant to put a label on it as it’s so soon after Hassan. They’re really enjoying each other’s company and taking things easy as it’s still early days.”

The source added, “It’s really casual between them

cial causes he is anyway associated with.

He was taken aback when he heard this news, and made sure his team immediately reached out to Jagan’s family to take care of all the medical expenses.”

Jagan’s condition, according to filmmaker R.Balki, is now stable. He told Filmfare on Tuesday, “Jagan is doing well post the surgery and there is nothing to worry about now.”

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror,

I was standing there alone, when this news dropped. I called my mother despite the terrible network. She broke down when I told her I’d got the Padma Shri.”

Karan also got nostalgic about how his father would have reacted to it. He said, “When Kuch Kuch Hota Hai bagged a National Award (for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment) in 1998, we got a call at home and my father (late producer Yash Johar) turned to me, saying, ‘Ek din main chahta hoon tu Padma Shri jeete’. I’d protested then, saying I was too young to know where my life would go and asking him not to give me this kind of stress.

But papa reiterated it, saying it was his desire, and while he knew he would not win it in his lifetime, he wanted his son to get it one day. My mamma reminded me of that conversation. It’s the fourth most prestigious civilian award in the country and my heart is

and she’s not thinking about whether there’s a future with Rocky. She’s a newly single girl having fun.”

Reps didn’t immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

She and Jameel dated for three years. Shortly after the split, she was spotted at the same event as Drake, but a source told us they were not dating again.

actor Dalip Tahil, also a part of Mission Mangal, said Akshay is helping Jagan. “I heard Akshay was among the first to know and got Jagan admitted to hospital, taking charge of things,” he said. (Hindustan Times)

bursting with pride. A national honour brings a little more responsibility which I am willing to shoulder.”

Starting out as a director in the late 1990s with a number of successful films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, My Name Is Khan, Student of the Year in his kitty, the multi-hyphenated personality is a successful producer, TV personality and actor. (Hindustan Times)

In 2013, Rihanna was spotted getting close with Rocky at Soho House.

“They were playing pool and hanging by the stairwell,” a spy said at the time. “They weren’t kissing or anything, but they were looking very friendly.”

The “Praise the Lord” rapper, 31, previously dated Kendall Jenner. (Page Six)

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

Hard work will pay off.

(March 21- Doors will open, and your April 19) options will grow exponen-

tially. Consider your options and do what works best for you. Make rational, not emotional, choices.

If you keep the momenTAURUS tum flowing, you'll achieve (April 20- more than you expected.

May 20) Prepare to make a change that will help you head in a new and exciting direction.

Romance is favored.

Take a moment to think GEMINI matters through. Refuse to (MAY 28- let confusion set in or allow June 20) someone to lead you in the wrong direction. Stand up for your rights and pursue your goals.

How you handle others will affect the way you (June 21- live. An unexpected change July 22) may take you by surprise.

Embrace what's new and exciting. Romance is favored.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Follow through with your plans or expect to be questioned. Be careful when sharing information about yourself or someone else. Gossip will require damage control. Truth and trust are encouraged.

A change will be eye-opening. Expand your awareness and reach out to people who have something unique to offer. If you focus on relationships and romance, you will feel uplifted.

LIBRA Time will be important when it comes to projects (Sept. 23and budgets. Walk away Oct. 23) from a situation if it doesn't feel right. It's best to be smart and safe instead of sorry.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Opportunities will develop if you use your skills or services to help someone. Consider starting a home-based business that would allow you to do something you enjoy while bringing in extra cash.

SAGITTARIUS Let your intellect overrule (Nov. 23- your emotions. If you folDec. 21) low your heart, someone will take advantage of you.

Bide your time and keep your feelings and intentions secret.

Someone you meet at a soCAPRICORN cial event will inspire you.

(Dec. 22- Partnerships and opportuniJan. 19) ties to do your own thing look promising. Mental or physical travel will lead to a brand-new start. Romance is favored.

Calvin and Hobbes

Put minor issues aside and AQUARIUS focus on having fun and (Jan. 20- enjoying your life and the Feb. 19) people who mean the most to you. Look at what you have accomplished, not at what you haven't.

PISCES Your sweet and friend(Feb. 20- ly way of dealing with peoMar. 20) ple will bring good results.

Participate in events that will broaden your circle of friends or help you find a new interest.