Guyanatimes 17 september 2017

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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3335

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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Petroleum mining blocks

Minister Patterson's information 100% wrong – Ram Page 7

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WHAT'S INSIDE: GTT cable sabotage

Company P18 working to formulate anti-sabotage strategy …alarms are triggered when cable is cut

…“if you don’t know the facts don’t speak, don’t mislead people” New Demerara River bridge

Page 12

Govt’s subsidy plan a recipe for bankruptcy – PPP …as party demands answers on ‘shady’ arrangements

Region 9 health care delivery boosted P18 …4 specialists expected to join staff

Govt to launch education P14 reformation programme Oil and gas money

Mashramani 2018 launched Aviation sector

GCAA requests funds for new drone unit

Page 9

– to assist with border security; regulating local drones

Mash 2018 was officially launched in Region 10 on Saturday in an atmosphere of fete and celebration, as the community of Linden lit up for the launching of the 'celebration after hard work' (Dexter Ceres photo)

Trotman’s failure to understand Petroleum Law mind-boggling – accountant Page 3

Essequibo P10 Private Sector urges Govt to re-invest in sustainable sectors Speedboat P19 operators upset by decision to remove turn system

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SUnDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

news

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, September 17 – a night retraction at 02:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, September 18 – a night retraction at 03:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

Trotman’s failure to understand Petroleum Law mind-boggling – accountant

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, September 17 – 14:40h-16:10h and Monday, September 18 – 15:25h-16:55h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected in day, with clear skies in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-easterly to Southerly and Ease South-easterly between 1.78 metres and 2.23 metres.

High Tide: 02:06h and 14:40h reaching a maximum height of 2.43 metres and 2.45 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:09h and 20:33h reaching minimum height of 0.73 metre and 0.76 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, September 16, 2017

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Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram

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ubstantive Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, is being accused of not only a dereliction of his duties when it comes to securing local content for Guyanese labour, goods and services in the development of the petroleum sector, but also a failure to understand the laws of Guyana; a mind-boggling situation since the Minister is himself a trained attorney.

These were among the critical sentiments raised on Friday evening when a public discussion was held at Moray House with guest speaker, Christopher Ram. Ram, a practicing attorney, was especially critical of the substantive Minister with responsibility for the sector.

The eminent local chartered accountant and civil rights activist told the modest gathering that there is nothing in the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act which prevents the Administration from making public the contents of the contract that ExxonMobil had inked with Government.

Trotman has in the past pointed the petroleum laws and said the amendments that had been promulgated by the former Administration in fact prevents the disclosure of such information.

Ram has argued, however, that nothing in the law speaks to none disclosure of the contract document. According to Ram, the non-disclosure clause in the law speaks only to proprietary information and not the actual contract.

He told those in attendance, the amendments that had been brought by the People’s Progressive Party only sought to increase a fine.

Pointing to the section which he says “Trotman has such difficulty reading and understanding”, the chartered accountant and lawyer said it ‘boggles’ his mind that Trotman, himself a lawyer, cannot seem to be able to read the law and understand it.

Speaking to the regulatory framework in Guyana which governs the local petroleum sector currently, Ram used the opportunity to highlight the section of the Petroleum Law that both Government and the Opposition have been using to bicker over whether or not to publicly release the contract.

Amendments

Ram in speaking to the 1997 amendments to the 1986 Petroleum Act, increased the penalties for a breach of prohibition for unauthorised disclosure of information, “it had nothing to do with the prohibition being set in 1997.”

He was adamant the provisions had always been in place ever since the 1986 law that was brought into force by the then President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, adding that it was only the penalties that were increased by the subsequent Administration.

For the edification of those in attendance, Ram pointed out that the prohibition on the disclosure of information is limited to information supplied by the companies in reports, “it doesn’t say about any contract...where does this cover a contract.”

He used the occasion to say too, “Guyanese are not fools, we have been quiet and we behave like fools but I don’t think we are fools.”

Ram who has over the years emerged as one of the more critical independent voices in the Guyanese society when it comes to calling out decision makers on their malpractices and missteps, also accused Trotman of a dereliction of his duties as Minister when it comes to protecting local content, even as he dismissed the current attempts by the Administration to formulate a local content policy.

According to Ram, it is imperative as Guyana prepares for first oil in 2020, “We have to decide a local content policy bearing in mind that Trotman has been derelict in

terms of local content policy.”

Local content

Speaking specifically to local content, Ram explained that in making an application for a Prospecting Licence, an operator is expected to submit proposals with regard the training and employment of Guyanese.

Similarly, in applying for a Production Licence following successful prospecting of a locale and having found oil in viable quantities, the applicant must submit a “statement in the application giving particulars of the proposals with respect to employment and training of citizens of Guyana and proposal in relation to goods and services to be obtained in Guyana.”

According to Ram, “the law also prohibits the Minister from granting a production licence unless the proposals for the employment and training of citizens of Guyana and for the procurement of goods and service obtainable within Guyana are satisfactory.”

Turning his attention to what instead currently obtains, Ram noted “you have the Minister responsible for petroleum saying in a foreword to a policy framework working draft for discussion and input, the local content policy will be developed over time.”

He further quoted Trotman, who in his foreword to the proposed local content policy said “at present regula-

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

tions will not be promulgated but may become necessary as the industry unfolds and expands and impetus is needed to steer the process or to solidify gains.”

A visibly livid Ram subsequently questioned “did this man read the legislation”, as he pointed to the fact that even after production licences have been issued which should have contained proposals for securing local content “now we are holding consultations.” According to Ram, “the fact that a production licence has been issued without being satisfied about the local content is unlawful and its dereliction of duty by the Minister of Petroleum under the legislation.”

Ram further chided Trotman, saying he still has the “temerity to say we ain’t gonna be providing anything” with regards the regulation to safeguard local content.

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sunDAY, september 17, 2017

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

Editorial

Slurs and racism

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firestorm has broken out across Guyana and its diaspora after a screenshot of a Facebook chat by Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett, the Public Information and Press Services Officer for President David Granger, was exposed in the press.

“I got people in my office so I cannot listen to Les vn (voice note) yet. Well she was in here making sure to try to turn my staff against me. She don’t know these coolie. They still friendsing she while kissing my a**.”

Ms Garrett is accused of “racism” in reference to her comment about “these coolie” who work for her but are judged to be duplicitous -- “friendsing” with an evident office competitor while being excessively obsequious to her. “Coolie,” of course, is the term used in the colonial era for Chinese and Indians who performed demeaning labour services for a pittance. In Guyana, even though both Chinese and Indian labourers were brought to provide such labour after the abolition of slavery, the term stuck only to the Indians.

At the abolition of slavery, the society was culturally uniform in the anthropological sense, but culturally diverse in the sociological sense, with the whites, coloureds and Africans forming distinct social strata in descending order of status, power, and economic/social worth.

While, for instance, all accepted the values of what the anthropologist Raymond Smith called a “White-bias” culture, the coloureds had different speech patterns, foods, habits, dress, etc from the African masses, and considered the latter their social inferiors. They adjudged themselves closer to the “White ideal”.

The introduction of Indians into Guyana -- with their acceptance of “slave work”, “heathen” religion, and complete alienation from the white-bias culture -- allowed the society, and especially the Africans, to designate a new low man on the totem pole. He was the ‘coolie’, whose description by the British was enthusiastically embraced: dirty, duplicitous, and clannish. Their typical immigrant’s focus on economic advancement was labelled as “mean and stingy”, and their stoic acceptance of hardships in fulfilment of their indenture contract was termed “docile”.

The Indians, on the other hand, sequestered in the rural sugar plantations, defensively valued their culture and heritage highly, rejecting the “coolie” categorization and utilizing the British stereotypical evaluations of the African.

In Guyana, the word “nigger” did not become widely used to label Africans, possibly because the British would use it indiscriminately to describe both Africans and Indians.

Indians called Africans “blackman”, which most likely they would have picked up from the coloured overseers and factory workers, who took care to distinguish themselves from Africans by this marker. Most of the Indians were of the same pigmentation as the Africans. The “blackman”, then, was lazy (for rejecting the despised slave-work), hedonistic (for his emphasis on fancy clothes and weekend revelry), licentious (for his serial polygamy), and lacking his own culture (for imitating the British).

It was ironic that then, and evidently now, the “natives”, as the British lumped all they found or brought here to labour, are still using the language of the departed master to describe each other. But what is more pertinent is whether the usage is “racist” or not. Some have asserted that all Guyanese use the terms “blackman” and “coolie” to describe African and Indian Guyanese, and also “Buck” to describe the Indigenous Peoples; and that the words therefore cannot, in and of themselves, be “racist”.

This is true; but the import of the word as “racist” or not can be discerned by examining whether the user of the term intended social behaviour to be the consequence of racial genetic origin -- meaning that “Indians” or Africans” will always behave in a particularly negative manner. If we are to be honest, there are many in each of the various groups in our society who still cling to this racist stance. In our estimation, the comments of Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett fall into this category, and she should not be allowed to continue in her present sensitive and powerful position in the highest executive office.

Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency Ivan Roberto Sierra-Medel, shares a light moment holding onto the Mexican flag at a reception held at the Marriott Hotel to commemorate the 207th anniversary of the independence of his country (Carl Croker photo)

Roraima Airways rejects suggestion of any ‘racket” Dear Editor, Roraima Airways rejects the article, published on Friday in the media, in which it was reported that “investigations into the recent deadly aircraft accidents have so far uncovered essentially what appears to be an ongoing racket with domestic air carriers conducting shuttle flights into the interior.”

The article is based on information emanating from a press conference held recently by the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Col. (ret’d) Egbert Field.

Roraima Airways in unaware of any such statement or suggestion being made publicly or privately by the Director General. It is our hope that both the news agency and the Director General would address the suggestion of “what appears to be an ongoing racket”.

Far from there being any racket, the provision of air shuttle service by domestic air carriers – and more specifically, the service provided by Roraima Airways -- represents a lawful and legitimate activity which remains critical to the social and economic wellbeing of the communities in our hinterland.

As we have pointed out in the past, the air shuttle service, especially between Eteringbang and Ekereku, was introduced following collapse of the Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC), which previously offered subsidized cargo service to the hinterland from Timehri International Airport.

Because of the prohibitive costs of flying fuel and other supplies from Georgetown to remote locations such as Eteringbang, miners and other businesspersons utilize the country’s network of roads and trails to truck supplies into such locations. From there, these supplies are shuttled via aircraft to locations which are not accessible by road. The average flying time -- in this case, between Eteringbang and Ekereku – is between 12 and 15 minutes.

The arrangements for the transport of supplies to these remote areas, as outlined here, provide for mining and other legitimate business activities to be cost-efficient and sustainable, thereby providing employment for many, while at the same time contributing to the nation’s economic development.

The air shuttle service is therefore indispensable,

and remains a critical, legitimate and lawful activity. It is unfortunate that Kaieteur News would print such an article, suggesting that this service constitutes a racket.

Additionally, Roraima Airways wishes to make clear that no laws or regulations are violated regarding the provision of our shuttle service. Suggestions and insinuations that the late Capt. Martin would have flown for extraordinary long hours is downright untrue.

The facts are as follows: (A) Captain Martin had a day off the Monday prior to Tuesday’s tragedy.

(B) Capt. Martin departed Ogle at 10:30h for Eteringbang, an 85-minute flight.

(C) Capt. Martin flew 9 shuttles, or 18 flights, between Eteringbang and Ekereku that day, each flight being for a duration of 12 minutes, a total of 216 minutes, or 3 hours 36 minutes. This includes the flight back to Eteringbang which regrettably claimed his life.

(D) Capt. Martin’s total flying time for that day did not exceed any local or international provision regarding his number of flying hours that day.

It is indeed regrettable

that there would be suggestions that Roraima Airways, let alone Capt. Martin himself, would put his life at risk by flying for exceedingly long hours, in contravention of established provisions and regulations.

There have also been suggestions that the aircraft may have been overloaded. Capt. Martin’s accident happened as he was flying back to Eteringbang from Ekereku, a flight which is empty, as supplies are shuttled in the opposite direction.

We also want to advise the general public -- and especially our customers -- that our fleet of aircraft undergoes routine maintenance every 50 flying hours, and that maintenance and repairs are conducted as soon as any issue arises.

Additionally, our pilots do a routine check of the aircraft prior to every flight. We also maintain at our Ogle base a state-of-the art tracking system which allows our staff to keep track of the movements of our aircraft at all times.

Sincerely, Captain Gerry Gouveia CEO Roraima Airways

Unity and harmony when dealing with country’s welfare Dear Editor, The recent harangues between personnel of the Government and the Opposition must cause us to ask whether these officials realize that they first of all need to satisfy and inform the general populace in our country of the various issues that are affecting our lives.

Some of these issues are: the proposed Demerara River bridge, the oil block concessions, the appointment of chairman of the Elections Commission.

It seems that both parties feel they need to just keep us occupied with their daily wrangling, and either party is unaware of its primary responsibility to ful-

fill its obligations to the Guyanese public by informing and acting responsibly in relation to any intended project.

I have always expressed that the continual struggle by both sides of this great divide to win favour with the electorate is only contributing to more and more hampering of our national

progress; and I hope that they can somehow see the need to act in a more mature and responsible manner, and work with some amount of unity and harmony when they have to deal with issues that affect our country’s welfare.

Yours sincerely, Roy Paul

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Response to Hopkinson's allegations Actions speak louder than words of misuse of vehicle

Dear Editor, The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) believes that by continuously repeating its empty rhetoric that it will be able to convince the public, especially its members, that it is truly concerned about their welfare. But the old adage, ‘action speaks louder than words’ keeps on being manifested all the time as it continues its crusade of insensitivity to the realities of sugar industry.

On September 12, 2017, the crop began at Skeldon after a hiatus of more than nine months, yet as soon as it was about to begin, GAWU called a strike to protest the privatisation of the entity. The Union waited until the cane is burnt and harvesting is about to begin then it called a strike. But this is nothing new to GAWU. This modus operandi is as old as GWAU itself. It is always about crippling the industry and never about finding sensible and workable solutions. It knows that the canes will lose its sucrose content before it is even harvested and the TC/TS will be very high; causing the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to lose millions.

But what about the workers whom they claim to represent? These poor guys have already spent months trying to eke out a living – doing odd jobs and borrowing from sympathetic friends and relatives.

Statistics have shown that over the years, even during the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) tenure in office, GAWU was one of the main culprits in running down the sugar industry.

During this time, there was an average of 200 strikes per year at various estates which resulted in the loss of an average of 42,500 man days per annum. This will translate into more than $21 million per annum in wages. During the PPP/C period in office, workers would have lost is excess $483 million. What financial loss did the GAWU leaders bear? Not a single black cent. It is always the workers who lose big time.

These strikes were called for the ficklest of reasons.

I wish to remind GAWU that the annual output of sugar declined by 14 per cent between 2006 and 2016.

The subsidies to the industry increased from $700 million in 2011 to $11.8 billion in 2015, while the losses increased from $2.3 billion in 2009 to $17.4 billion in 2014 – an increase of 43 per cent.

On the other hand, unrelenting demands from GAWU increased the wages bill from $14.5 billion in 2010 to $20.8 billion in 2014. Can we attribute this massive increase to the salaries of the CEO and the Chairman of GuySuCo? Let me summarise this for the Secretary of GAWU, Seepaul Narine: output falls drastically; subsidies increased dramatically, loss-

es increased by leaps and bounds while wages increase astronomically. Narine needs to be real in his assessment.

I wish that Narine or his apologists should stick to the content of my letter and I wish to advise them to stop confusing privatisation and diversification with closure.

Workers will not lose jobs in the privatisation process since the labour turnout is just above 50 per cent. It is not doom and gloom for sugar workers as being peddled

by GAWU. Yours sincerely, Gobin Harbhajan Former Skeldon Electricity Inc (SEI) Board member APNU/AFC RDC Councillor

Dear Editor, The Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Two, Rupert Hopkinson, has been continuously and publicly demonstrating that he lacks clear knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the duties, responsibilities and expectations attached to his office; a public office.

In his recent attempt to mislead the public regarding misuse of the vehicle assigned to me, he has displayed an inadequacy of knowledge of the legislation, regulations, policies and practices attached to the functions of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and its Clerk, the Regional Executive Officer.

The Regional Chairman is an elected official, accountable to all of the people in

the administrative region to which he has been elected and for which he has responsibility (ii) the Regional Chairman is on call/on duty 24 hours a day. Consequentially, it is imperative that the Regional Chairman is able to access communication and transportation 24hrs per day.

It is not for the REO to determine when, where and how the Regional Chairman must use the vehicle assigned to him. Albeit the REO may draw to the Regional Chairman/RDC’s attention abuse of the vehicle or other Fixed Assets assigned to the Office of the Regional Chairman.

If the REO had wanted to use the vehicle assigned to me for ministerial or other outreaches, a simple telephone contact could have

been made as was previously done.

In fact, REO Hopkinson ought to recall that I willingly allowed the use of the vehicle during outreaches by President DavidGranger and our First Lady on separate occasions.

Any abuse of the RDC's vehicles is done openly by the REO himself, since as an Accounting Officer, he does not maintain a log book for the vehicle assigned to him.

Indeed, if a verification of vehicle log books – such an important record – is done, it will show that his trip to the rum shop where he had a brawl with a leading PNC activists was not recorded.

My advice to the Clerk of the RDC of Region Two is that he stops using his bullyism tactics in a region that is

known for peace and continued progress. Delaying, and at times refusing to sign requests for fuel by the Clerk of RDC for the vehicles of the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chair, is purely a reflection of his actions to undermine their work.

The REO must stop blaming others for his obvious shortcomings and develop a democratic approach; teamwork is what is required. The Regional Chairman as head of the RDC remains committed to working with REO Hopkinson as Clerk of RDC in the interest of development for all our people.

Respectfully, Devanand Ramdatt Regional Chairman Region Two

Petroleum blocks should be awarded via competitive bidding process

Dear Editor, A recent article in the Guyana Times: “Minister’s relatives, friends now applying for oil licences” (201709-14), makes reference to Dr Jan Mangal, Petroleum Adviser in the Ministry of the Presidency.

The article raises concerns with a type of process used in the award of petroleum leases or blocks; that is, the “one-on-one negotiation”, or “open door” method.

In this method, the Ministry of Natural Resources negotiates directly with the interested party.

There is a very serious risk of corruption with this method, due to the lack of transparency and accountability. Most countries have abandoned this method, as experts recommend against using it. Guyana should no

longer be awarding petroleum acreage via one-on-one negotiations after the Liza discovery in 2015.

After the Liza discovery in 2015, Guyana was in a position to use the method of “competitive bidding” for award of leases. The Liza discovery de-risked Guyana, and as a consequence, all the major oil companies recognise that there is oil in the country. Hence all the oil companies would be interested in bidding for leases in a transparent way, which ensures that Guyana incorporates market forces to maximise its share.

The petroleum adviser’s position has consistently maintained that competitive bidding is indeed the best approach for Guyana. In a direct correspondence, from May 2017, with one such oil

company attempting to acquire acreage via one-on-one negotiation, the petroleum adviser indicated clearly that: “Now that Guyana is on the radar post-Liza, it is my personal view that all future acreage should be leased in a way which maximizes benefit to Guyana; hence in a market-orientated way, by an open bid round, to ensure competition. And acreage should not be negotiated one-on-one between the

Government and a prospective developer.”

The risk of Government’s friends and family members illegally obtaining leases would be significantly reduced if an independently managed and well audited competitive bidding process is used. There is no rush to award more leases, since Guyana is already occupied with the developments in the Stabroek Block. According to the culture in Chevron in

these circumstances, “there is always time to do it right”.

While it is important for the various news houses to raise these issues, it is disappointing to see the journalist not follow the standard practice of providing an opportunity for all sides to express their views in the article.

Regards, Dr Jan Mangal Petroleum Adviser

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Anu Dev

au Raat begins this Wednesday. Nau Raat is the time Hindus specifically dedicate (twice annually) to worshipping God as "female". As a Hindu young woman who has chosen to worship God as female -- in my case specifically Mother Saraswati -- I've sometimes wondered how some Hindu men, who also worship the Divine in her various female forms and incarnations, can inflict violence on females. But, of course, violence against women isn't confined to Guyana, and certainly not only to Hindus.

It's just that since we Hindus were enlightened enough to have elevated women to the ultimate Divinity, I was kind of hoping that our menfolk would've seen us in a bit kinder light than those men from other religions who insist that God is exclusively male.

In Hinduism, by contrast, while God is ultimately beyond categories -- including sex or gender -- the conceived female aspects are actually endowed with the Shakti, or animating power. In other words,

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Foundation

the male manifestations are posited as completely inert (Prakriti) without the female.

They can't do a thing! So we have, for instance, the Creator, Vishnu, with his female counterpart, Lakshmi. She's the power behind whatever "creation" -- or "projection", as we Hindus prefer -- that's going on. One-third of Hindus are "Shaktas" – those whose major object of worship is the Mother in her various manifestations. In Guyana, most Shaktas originated in South India, and are lumped together as "Madrassis", since they left India from the port of Madras.

While Vishnu has incarnated first as fish, tortoise, boar and halfman/half lion, in all his human incarnations -whether as Ram or Krishna -- Vishnu is accompanied by his Shakti. As Ram, for instance, his double is Sita.

Bringing matters to the human level then, supposedly to provide a model for us to imitate, when one marries, the women is said to be "the Lakshmi of the house". In offering prayers to the Divine, the male householder is incomplete, and the offerings aren't accepted if he's not accompanied by his "Lakshmi".

So what goes with all this wife beating and violence

“There is no need to request You, Oh Durga, To protect and save us.

For does the mother on whom children solely depend, Ever need such a request?

And so our salutations to You; So pray the Gods to You.”

against females in our society? Why hasn't our elevation of women among Hindus as Goddesses increased respect for women? Well, for one, in the "modern" world, we have all accepted that "religion" is just one aspect of "life". Religion, as “Dharma”, a seamless, inte-

gral way of life as posited by Hinduism, is "old fashioned" and "backward. Traditional Hinduism, we are convinced, can't be "modern". So our menfolk worship the Mother of the temple in the temple, and then knock around the Mother of the house in the house.

The view that the man is the owner of all he surveys -- in reflection of the man with the grey beard, who's floating in the sky above, looking down at us -- undergirds what is called "patriarchy". In modern Hindu homes, unlike the original model of society in which the female was the boss in her own domain, boys and men are still socialized to see females as "their own". And in a capitalist society, this becomes translated as their "property". And more to the point, "sexual property", which he "jealously" guards.

If we're ever going to get rid of this mind-numbing violence that's inflicted daily on females, this structural power imbalance between males and females -- which starts in the home, ironically by mothers -- must be eliminated.

What was it they said about "the hands that rock the cradle"? It can help to make "ruling the world" a bit more fair. All hail the Devi!

By Kathryn Seifert PhD

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hildren learn to be what they see and hear on a regular basis, especially at very young ages. To grow up healthy and learn good coping skills, children need to be in a safe nurturing environment with healthy, non-violent caregivers. Children believe that what they see at home is “normal.” If the home is safe and loving and has good boundaries, that becomes the norm. If violence is how people in the home solve problems, that becomes the model for how things “should be done.”

Children that grow up in violent homes (3.3 million per year in the US) are strongly impacted by the violence. Those that become healthy, non-violent adults have had at least one person give them a “safe harbour” and help them cope with the trauma of living with violence. Children that grow up in violent homes at a young age, who become violent adults have not had someone to give them sufficient support, nurturing, guidance, boundaries, and a adequately healthy environment for them to overcome their experiences.

Domestic violence (DV) can be physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, or financial, or can involve restricting contact of family members with people outside of the home. It always involves secrecy and control issues.

The secrecy keeps domes-

tic violence alive. Domestic violence is traumatic to the children that witness it. Any significant trauma, such as DV, in the developmental years (zero to five) can interfere with brain and skill development of the child.

Self-soothing, problem solving, communication, cognition, and interpersonal skills can all be negatively impacted, while a safe environment supports the learning of skills that helps them cope with the problems they will inevitably face in the world.

A home with domestic violence is not a safe, nurturing environment.

Additionally, it generally will not stop without the help of an outside agency that has more power than the offender, such as the Police and the Courts. Similar to a garden with weeds and no nourishment, the garden will not flourish until the gardener weeds the garden, turns up the soil, and adds nourishment for the plants. A home with domestic violence cannot support healthy growth and development. Someone (the gardener) needs to stop the violence (pull the weeds out of the garden), improve family relationships and problem-solving (turn up the soil), and support the healthy growth of all family members (add nourishment). The court is the weed destroyer and the counsellor or social worker is the support system that gives the family the help it needs to become strong and healthy.

(Psychology Today) to be continued

news

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sunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Petroleum mining blocks

Minister Patterson’s information 100% wrong – Ram …“if you don’t know the facts don’t speak, don’t mislead people”

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ublic Infrastructure Minister David Patterson in his haste to criticise Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo this past week, has instead found himself being hauled over the proverbial coals over his blatant misrepresentation of the facts.

Minister Patterson’s misrepresentation of the facts, condemned as outright lies

by Opposition Leader Jagdeo, was on Friday also repudiated by eminent Chartered Accountant and civil society activist Christopher Ram, during a public talk on ‘Oil – Its Opportunities Challenges.’

Ram told those in attendance at the event held at Moray House on Camp Street, Georgetown, that when Patterson insinuated that the Bharrat Jagdeo Administration had given out all of the petroleum oil blocks, he was in fact 100 per cent wrong.

“At least stick to the facts, if you don’t know the facts don’t speak, this was completely wrong,” said Ram, as he contested the assertion made by the Public Infrastructure Minister. Ram told those in attendance for his public talking – including Member of Parliament and Member of the Natural Resources Committee of Parliament, Odinga Lumumba – that not only are there several petroleum blocks still available, but the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) did in fact hand out petroleum blocks to operators when it took office.

Ram added further that the APNU/AFC Administration did in fact ink an agreement in January 2016 for additional petroleum blocks to be given out.

He pointed to the Petroleum Prospecting

Licence and Production Sharing Agreement with the joint venture team of Tullow Guyana B V and Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc for a concession of 1801square kilometres in the Orinduik Block, offshore, Guyana.

The vocal civil rights activist in his critique of Patterson said, “this is not about politics, this is about our country... that is not true, c’mon Mr Patterson, don’t mislead people,” as he pointed to the agreement inked by the current Administration and quipped “you (Patterson) say everything was gone.”

Ram was adamant that

near shore, there are still a large number of blocks available and for Patterson to suggest 100 per cent had been given out is completely wrong; and in, fact a dangerous assertion.

The Public Infrastructure Minister on Thursday last during a press engagement hosted by the AFC, told reporters that the Opposition Leader had already farmed out all of the petroleum blocks in response to allegations that several front companies were being established with close linkages to friends and relatives of Ministers with the aim of securing production and ex-

Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram

Opposition Leader Bharrart Jagdeo

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

ploration licences in order to flip for a profit, since they could not secure the large amounts of capital needed to engage in oil exploration and production in those blocks.

Patterson when questioned recalled, “In Budget 2015, the Minister of Natural Resources (Raphael Trotman) made a statement saying that all avail-

able forest land had been given out; so all I can say is, ‘Ditto’… when we got in they (had given) out everything.”

Patterson continued: “Some of the people (to receive oil concessions) we don’t even know…so there is nothing to give.”

This position has however been debunked in full by Ram,

who not only pointed to the concession that had been given out by the Administration of which Patterson forms a senior member, but by using information made available by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), to prove that there are numerous existing blocks still available. turn to page 11

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Trio remanded for armed robbery

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hree men appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday and were all remanded by City Magistrate Fabayo Azore for robbery under arms.

Andre Bobb, 18, of Lot 606 B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown; Levi Craig, 19, of Lot 248 Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD); and 20-year-old Mickey Pitt of Lot 95 Stewartville, Old Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD) denied the allegations against them.

The first charge alleged that on September 14, 2017, at Kingston, Georgetown,

while being armed with scissors, they robbed Tenisha Blackman of one cellphone

valued $35,000.

The second charge stated that they robbed Vickash

Mangru of his Samsung cellphone valued $75,000 on the same day at the same location.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne successfully objected to bail on the grounds that the offence is of a serious nature and should attract a hefty sentence. She added that if granted bail, the defendants may not return for their trial. She also reminded the court that both offences are of a similar nature.

Bail was therefore refused

by Magistrate Azore and the defendants were all remanded to prison. The case will continue on September 29.

he carried out two counts of armed robbery.

Jamal Griffith of Lot 172 Campbell Street, Albousytown, Georgetown,

appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and denied the charges read to him.

The first charge alleged that on June 22, 2017, at Albousytown, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Nefretti Robinson of one Samsung phone valued $70,000. Further, he is also charged for robbing Edwin Singh of $400,000 on August 16, 2017, at Lot 226 Independence Boulevard, Albouystown while being armed with a gun.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail being

granted for both charges.

However, Attorney Adrian Thompson, who represented the accused, made an unsuccessful bail application. The lawyer in his submissions told the court that his client was never identified when he was placed in an identification parade.

He revealed that Griffith was first arrested and released because the Police was unable to find any evidence against him. He was however, rearrested by ranks.

The case will continue on October 4.

The defendants: Andre Bobb, Levi Craig and Mickey Pitt

Teen remanded for armed robbery

A

teenager appeared before Magistrate Faboya Azore on Friday and was remanded to prison after denying that

CYA…

B

…oil

ack in the day -- waaaay back in the early twentieth century -- there was a type of movie called the “serial”. A story would be broken into a dozen or so parts, each shown weekly in cinemas.

One of its characteristics was “the cliffhanger”, which had episodes always ending with the hero or heroine literally hanging over a cliff, with the villain hideously gloating about his bete noir’s imminent demise.

The fans, of course, would be in suspense all week, waiting to discover how their hero or heroine would escape. There was no doubt the escape would take place; the only uncertainty was “how”! Well it looks like the APNU/AFC govt is one long serial, where weekly they end up with another scandal, leaving their supporters in a panic as to how they would escape the censure. But escape, they know, was certain!

After all, the Govt produced and directed the serials!! Up to now, their “get out of jail” card is to just create another scandal, or extend an older one. Pretty soon, they’re so many of these scandals piled up, who can remember them all??

Take the latest one involving whether or not oil blocks have been given out to AFC friends and relatives. This serial began as soon as the coalition slid into office, since oil was serendipitously “struck” just as the PPP was about to be eased out of office by a mere 4000+ votes. The main plot, which was in chapter 1 of the serial, was to keep the oil contract under lock and key even tighter than the one the Mayor and Town Council signed away to the aptlynamed Smart City Solutions. Couldn’t afford to let that cat out of the bag!! The subsidiary one was how to give the contracts for ancillary work in the industry to “political investors”, as it was so quaintly put by AFC leader Raphael Trotman.

Trotman plays one of the main stock characters in the serial genre: the “Brains Heavy”. He’s the fella (or, occasionally feline) who issues the orders to his henchmen. He often wears a suit and pretends to be an upright, lawful member of the community. Trotman earned this part via the “Nassau Accord”, since he isn’t particularly heavy in the brains department.

There were chapters and cliffhangers on “advance oil payments”; a US$500 million oil facility, ministerial trips to Houston; etc.

This week, however, involved Minister Patterson of the AFC, who claims ALL blocks were awarded by the PPP, when Trotman had said he’d be opening bidding for ‘remaining” blocks.

Patterson’s playing the role of the “sidekick” who provides bumbling comic relief!!

…on ANSA payment

Another story line in the APNU/AFC serial genre is the pharma scam. This one also is long-running.

Starting with holding back on issuing orders for needed pharmaceuticals to create a “crisis” in the health sector, it introduced another stock character the “Fall Guy”. This is someone who takes the blame for “Brains Heavy” -- in this case the Minister of Health. The latter strenuously denied there was any shortage of drugs, but it turned out that Brains Heavy had rented a bottom house for a warehouse and was paying millions and millions for it!! The Fall Guy took the fall.

The new Health Minister got with the programme, and “observing’ there was in fact a drug shortage, agreed to a $605 million contract to ANSA McAL – but, in bypassing the NYTAB, broke the law. Said she didn’t know - even though there’s that old maxim known to anyone who’s caught speeding: “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”! Some second-tier fall guys took the rap.

Now, the Finance Minister, refusing to be the ‘action heavy fall guy’ had Cabinet “take note” of a half-a-billion-dollar payment to ANSA!!

Look out for next week’s episode!!

…on bridge

An engineer wrote some pertinent questions on the new bridge, but didn’t put his name on the letter.

Can you blame him, with this Government’s vindictiveness?

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

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SunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Aviation sector

GCAA requests funds for new drone unit

– to assist with border security; regulating local drones

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new division is scheduled to come on stream at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), with the regulator requesting money ahead of the 2018 budget for a new unit to not only oversee drone usage in Guyana, but to aid in border security.

Following the discovery of illegal airstrips and planes at different hinterland locations, Government had announced its intention to ramp up patrols in the interior. It has long been argued that the vastness of the terrain and the porousness of the borders have cause some difficulties in manning the points of entry. According to GCAA Director General

unit, a drones unit,” Field related. “And that drones unit, as you must have seen, the Government is embarking on drone operations in order to patrol the hinterland. The authority is taking its cue, and being proactive.”

He noted that the GCAA would have to go on an employment drive to fill vacancies in the unit. According to the Director, the GCAA is currently grappling with a human resource shortage of qualified personnel.

“Because we’ll have to register drones, give approvals for flights….also certify the persons flying drones.

And my inspectors are really stretched. But we are em-

A specialised drone outfitted to do surveillance

Egbert Field, the drone unit under the control of his agency will assist the Government in this mandate.

For this reason, the authority has included the unit in its 2018 budget proposal to the Finance Ministry.

“We’re setting up a new

ploying individuals who are not that qualified -- like an inspector -- into this unit, (and they) will be able to handle this kind of work.”

“The ones the Government will be looking at are the specialized drones. We will be registering drones; ev-

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

ery drone. Every drone that comes to Guyana will have to be registered, and get the necessary approval to fly in areas,” he explained.

According to Field, drones are becoming a growing industry within the aviation sector, with a plethora of purposes, such as mapping and surveillance. As a result, the authority is building its capacity to not only regulate the industry, but also assist the Government in its hinterland patrol.

In addition to the money for the unit sought from the budget, which is due in November of this year, Field stated that increasing remuneration packages for his staff are on the budgetary agenda.

In 2016, an illegal aircraft had been discovered

near Yupukari, Region Nine.

According to the Government, a number of recommendations from a subsequent Commission of Inquiry into that discovery have already been introduced.

Last month, a twin-engine Beechcraft was discovered in Region Nine. It was registered to Banco Brandesco -one of Brazil’s largest banks.

No trace of narcotics was found on the plane, but identification cards of Venezuelan and Brazilian nationals were discovered on board.

An illegal airstrip was also unearthed about five kilometres west of Santa Fe, Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) by members of the Guyana Defence Force on August 5.

Border security plan

In the wake of these discoveries, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had announced that a National Border Security Plan will be developed. The minister also shared other aspects of the long term plan, the implementation of which will be guided by financial and other factors.

A major aspect of this plan, according to the Minister, is to encourage residents to report suspicious activity into the network. A major part of this plan, Harmon had stated,

Bus driver charged for stealing gold detector, resisting arrest

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24-year-old was on Friday before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for stealing a gold detector, resisting arrest, and behaving disorderly.

Fredrick Joseph, 24, of Lot 56 Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him by Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

The first charge stated that he, between August 1 and September 14, 2017, along with three others, stole one gold detector valued $300,000 from Marcia Kingswell.

The second charge against Joseph alleged that he on September 14, 2017 at Georgetown, and with intent to resist arrest, he assaulted Police Constable La

Rose.

Additionally, he was charged for behaving disorderly in a public place.

The bus driver had the larceny charge against him dismissed after the virtual complainant (VC) told the court she did not wish to pursue the matter.

The Police Prosecutor had no bail objections, so Joseph was placed on bail

on the disorderly behaviour and assault charges. As such, he was released on $25,000 bail.

His case will continue on September 21.

The twin engine Beechcraft aircraft discovered in Region Nine last month

would involve the use of technology such as drones to improve aerial patrols.

“On a longer term, the intention basically is to cover those areas by aerial activity: by the use of drones, by the use of fixed-wing aircraft on a regular basis, so that you can have a better understanding as to what is happening in between the fixed locations of the police and the army,” he

explained.

“As a result of this, we are likely to see some additional type of deployment in that area from the GDF. We are also looking at the technology which you use to ensure that if there is an (aircraft) landing, the vibrations which take place can be communicated. These are technological things we are exploring,” Harmon explained.

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sunDAY, september 17, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Oil and gas money

Essequibo Private Sector urges Govt to re-invest in sustainable sectors

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he business community in Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam) is calling on the Government to re- invest part of the oil and gas money into sustainable sector in an effort for Guyanese to benefit directly from the oil revenues. This request was made by Chairman of the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce Deleep Singh during a consultation on the draft local content policy.

Singh, who spoke on behalf of the region’s private sector, said money earn should be re- invested into the agriculture sector, which creates more employment than the oil industry. He said when the money is spent on other service industries then value can be added to the oil.

“Lets don’t paint a picture that Guyana economy depends on oil, oil prices are currently low internationally and this is not good, if we are

focusing on oil then use the money and re-invest on other sectors that generates income and provides opportunities for Guyanese,” Singh told the gathering.

Singh further explained that the natural resources of any country are the citizens asset and as such Guyanese should be consulted when it comes to the oil Industry.

and other sectors which create greater employment and which will sustain income for Guyanese.

During the consultation with the region’s private sec-

Another businessman, who is a miller and a agro- processor, Rupan Ramotar, also supported Singh’s suggestions stating the revenues earn should be re-invested into the manufacturing sector

tor concerns were raised about the procurement and tapping into important contracts and whether locals will be given priority to provide services.

The consultation was part of the Natural Resources

Ministry outreaches on the draft local content policy framework for the oil and gas sector. The event was held on Thursday at the Region Two Regional Boardroom.

The local content policy was developed with input from Consultant Anthony Paul.

The Trinidadian Petroleum Specialist conducted a rapid assessment of Guyana’s preparedness for an oil and gas industry as well as outlined the benefits for Guyana.

During his presentation, Paul explained that the policy framework seeks to address issues like good governance, beneficial ownership and capacity building and has many opportunities for Guyana. Similar consultations were conducted in Linden and Berbice.

(Indrawattie Natram)

Sophia man charged for assaulting brother

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North Sophia, Greater Georgetown man was before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of assault against his brother.

Wazim Pereira, 25, of Lot 111 North Sophia, de-

nied that he committed the act maliciously but rather explained that he was provoked.

The charge against him alleged that on September 12, 2017, at North Sophia, he unlawfully assaulted

Raymond Pereira.

The defendant explained to Magistrate Fabayo Azore that his brother, who is an alcoholic, consistently verbally abuses family members.

He told the court that on the day in question, he

attempted to prevent his brother from doing this and unintentionally hurt him.

Magistrate Azore grant bail to the defendant in the sum of $10,000. The case will continue on September 20.

Fishy story at Wales S atiricus was bemused at some latest news coming out of Wales, the sugar estate that had been closed so abruptly by the Government.

His buddy Bungi had a vested interest in those goings-on, since he’d worked all his life in the industry. Satiricus figured ruefully that, for Bungi, he had seen the future, and it was Wales. Maybe he’d be able to clear up the news during their Back Street Bar gyaaf.

“What’s really going on at Wales, Bungi?”

Satiricus asked as soon as he’d clinked his first beer with the fellas.

“Wha’ yuh mean?” replied Bungi. “Dem bais a play card nowadays, and some a dem gyaal a ketch fare fuh min’ dem pickney.”

“Jeez!” exclaimed Satiricus. “I didn’t think it was that bad already. But I mean about whether they’re planting rice or rearing fish.”

“Yeah!” butted in Hari, as Bungi finished off his beer and signalled for another. “Or whether your friends will get land to farm?”

“Ah who hut a’yuh head?” Bungi wanted to know. “Yuh mus’ pick sense fram nansense. Me daady always tell me, ‘If oil ah float, watah deh ah battam!”

“Bungi, what the arse you mean?” asked Satiricus. “Don’t give us your parables!”

“Budday, a lil evidence can tell yuh de trut’!!” smiled Bungi. “Ah who tell a’yuh ‘bout fish a Wales?”

“That Veer Ra fella,” reported Satiricus, as Hari nodded. “Da wha me mean!” said Bungi. “Da wan maan who bin own wan whole suga’ estate. How come ‘e na grow fish?”

“Well, he said the rice they planting,” said Hari, “is to feed the fish.”

“Hari, me fr’en’, nah tek yuh mattie eye fuh see wha in front a yuh,” advised Bungi. “Specially if yuh mattie name Veer Ra!” “You mean, donkey ears long, but he doan hear he own story, right Bungi?” grinned Satiricus. “Veer Ra failed in everything, so we mustn’t listen to him?”

“Let’s drink to that!” grinned Bungi.

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Chris Ram exposes... from page 7

Review of the midyear report – the Fiscal Sector (Part VI)

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s highlighted last week, today we will examine the impact of the increased revenue collections by central government on the macroeconomic framework. For ease of reference, it was reported that revenue collections increased to $97.2 billion for the half year period ended June 2017 or 13.1 per cent, while central government’s non-interest recurrent expenditure increased by $4.2 billion or 5.2 per cent to $77.5 billion. Additionally, $16.9 billion was expended under other goods and services, representing 6.3 per cent increase over the same period for 2016.

What this means is that the increases in revenue collection are reverted proportionately to funding Government’s day to day activities. Thus, a relatively small fraction is being channelled towards stimulating progressive growth of the economy. In fact, to go a bit further in dissecting the impact of this fiscal outcome, I present hereunder, some empirical evidences of optimal taxation in theory and practice, cited from a working paper produced by Harvard Business School. In doing so, firstly I referenced some of the tax reform policies implemented from Budget 2017. Effective January 2017 – the Government implemented some new measures aimed at reducing inequality and increasing disposable income.

This new policy constitute (i) an increase in the tax threshold from $660,000 per annum to $720,000 per annum and (ii) reduction in personal income tax rate from 30 per cent to 28 per cent for individuals earning less than $2,160,000 per annum, together with an increase of 40 per cent to be applied to the incomes of persons earning in excess of $2,160,000 per annum. We have also seen in the budget that while the VAT rate was reduced to 14 per cent from 16 per cent, a number of other items, that were previously not subject to VAT, were added, such as key items as electricity and water – these have spurred heated debates during the time of budget presentation. Hence, we can say that we are at a point wherein we are able to deduce how these policies have impacted the economic activities and livelihoods of the people within the economy.

The standard theory of optimal taxation posits that a tax system should be chosen to maximise a social welfare function subject to a set of constraints. This ‘social welfare function’ is based on the utilities of individuals in the society. The social planner’s goal is to choose the tax system that maximises the representative consumer’s welfare knowing that the consumer will respond to whatever incentives the tax system provides. However, policy conclusions drawn from a model with a representative consumer, in some cases can also lead to trouble.

Lesson 4: cited from Harvard Business School working paper – The Optimal Extent of Redistribution Rises with Wage Inequality.

Economic inequality has risen substantially in recent years, especially in the United States. In the context of the theory of optimal taxation, this change can be seen as a widening in the distribution of ability. This fact leads to an obvious question: how, according to the optimal tax theory, should the social planner respond to such a shift in the economic environment?

Theory Mirrlees (1971) illustrated that greater inequality ability makes the optimal tax policy more redistributive. He suggested that tax rates would generally be higher in less equal societies and that less of the population be required to work. Low-ability individuals would enjoy leisure along with a lump – sum grant to support consumption.

However, one has to bear in mind that such an arrangement is non-existent in Guyana’s context – we do not have a system where unemployed persons enjoy any benefits whatsoever from the Government.

In practise and to examine whether policy responds to the level of inequality as the optimal tax models predict, an examination of the data on earnings inequality from the Luxembourg Income Study and data on social expenditure as a share of GDP from the OECD, a commonly used measure of income redistribution, was conducted. It was found that if the optimal tax model is consistent with policymaking priorities, an expectation is therefore developed to see policy react to higher earnings inequality by increasing social expenditure as a share of GDP. With this empirical ideology in mind, it would be worthwhile to see if in fact the increased revenue from the new tax policy correlates to increases in social expenditure. To this end, while we note that expenditure accounts for increases in other goods and services as highlighted above, the question is, is this being felt or should I say, trickled down to the people? When we talk of social expenditure, to my mind, of importance, the focus should be on things like health and education and so on. But, we have seen, during these periods with the new Administration in place, the abandonment of a project that would have correlated to such an outcome, namely the state-of-the-art hospital project. The public health system needs tremendous improvement which would require substantial capital investment, the same for the education sector. These are two critical pillars characterised as the driving forces for social and economic development.

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

Jagdeo during a press engagement on Wednesday at his Church Street, Georgetown office had warned of a worrying case of cronyism that is currently evolving where relatives, friends and associates of Ministers and senior Government functionaries have been incorporated into companies through complex shareholding arrangements and are applying for Exploration and Production Licences for oil and gas in the blocks still available.

According to the Opposition Leader, such a ploy could see middlemen through these front companies with close relations to the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration raking in tens of millions of US dollars by flipping those licences to international companies since they are unable to raise the required capital for the exploration and development activities required for commercial oil production.

One such company identified in recent times is Totaltec, which is spearheaded by the brother of the Petroleum Advisor to President David Granger, Dr Jan Mangal.

Jagdeo has called on the Administration to have the available blocks auctioned instead. The Opposition Leader said: “There are at least two companies that we know of that have developed complex shareholding structures that have made applications.”

Speaking to the need for the available blocks to be instead auctioned off rather than having preferred companies apply, Jagdeo sought to point out that a premium must be considered.

Jagdeo suggested that the world-class discovery of oil in Guyana could be compared to a ‘gold shout’, and said the moment oil was discovered, “there is a premium now to owning offshore blocks and getting an Exploration or Production licence”.

As such, he opined that the companies in question “will get these blocks and weeks later, they will sell the blocks without any competitive process being followed”.

Jagdeo suggested too that even some of the foreign companies that have been making applications had “unhealthy contacts with some Ministers and their surrogates”.

Patterson in his haste to respond ended up making a monumental blunder causing the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party to call him out on the lies being disseminated to the public.

The Opposition Leader has since further challenged Government, saying: “If Patterson has correctly expressed the position of the Government, then we call upon the Government to make public a list of all the petroleum-mining blocks, the names of the persons or companies to whom they have been allocated, and the date of allocation.”

This disclosure, according to Jagdeo, will alert the public to the fact that no new petroleum-mining blocks can be allocated in the near future.

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New Demerara River bridge

Govt’s subsidy plan a recipe for bankruptcy – PPP …as party demands answers on ‘shady’ arrangements

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he political Opposition is in support of a new bridge across the Demerara River. However, the party has insisted that it will not support a bridge that is mired in corruption, is already slated to exceed the Berbice Bridge in cost, and is financially unsustainable.

Demanding answers on some of the project’s more shady details, the People’s Progressive Party, in a statement on Saturday, questioned the financial structure of the bridge and the relationship between a businessman and the Government’s choice of the location for the bridge.

According to the PPP, the public will note that the Government has been unable to explain how and why

the bridge terminates upon land owned by APNU financier Stanley Ming; and that this bridge is estimated to cost US$170 million, which is three times more than the

build. According to the party, that bridge did not cost the Government anything in subsidies. Moreover, the party noted that the rates charged at the Berbice Bridge were

An artist’s impression of the new Demerara River bridge

Berbice River Bridge.

The Berbice Bridge, which was opened in 2008, cost some US$40 million to

comparable to the cost of using a ferry. It contrasted this with the new Demerara Bridge proposal.

“No sources of finance have been identified, and the Government is committed to subsidising this bridge at unsustainable levels. For example, according to the Government feasibility study, if the 2017 toll rates are to be increased by 100 per cent, it will still attract a subsidy of over US$140 million over the first 12 years. That is over Gy$28 billion, which is equivalent to approximately Gy$2.3 billion per year,” the party said on Saturday.

“We take this opportunity to draw attention to two bridges constructed in neighbouring Suriname by a previous Government under arrangements that were financially unsustainable. The strain that this had put on the Treasury of that country catapulted its economy into chaos.”

The site Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had claimed that the previous Government itself had identified and touted the Houstonto-Versailles site in its pre-feasibility study. However, the PPP has denied this, noting that the study had identified three possible locations, and had offered opinions on each.

“In terms of the location of the bridge, what the PPP/C administration did was a pre-feasibility study, and not a feasibility study. This pre-feasibility study dealt only with possible locations and the different types of bridge suitable for each (site). It did not treat with detailed costs and other variables. It identified

three possible locations for the bridge: Hope–Patentia, alongside the current bridge, and Houston–Versailles. By no means was a conclusive decision taken by the PPP/C Government on any model or any location for the bridge.”

Questions The party went on to question what would be the cost for Government to acquire lands at Houston and Versailles. It

model?

“Would the selected contractor be responsible for financing and building the bridge, as well as other infrastructure to accommodate usage of the bridge; or would it be two separate awards?”

Noting that Government has not shared copies of any social impact assessment or environmental impact assessment into the proposed bridge, the PPP has demand-

The Demerara Harbour Bridge

also queried why the Ministry of Public Infrastructure had announced acquisition of lands only at Houston, but not Versailles.

“With this new structure, what would be the cost of tolls for commuters and for commercial transporters?” the PPP questioned. “Since the feasibility study indicated that increase of tolls will be inadequate to finance this project, what would be the level of Government subsidy/financing?” the PPP wanted to know.

“What is the financing model for this bridge? Would it be a public/private partnership (PPP) or the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT)

ed that the responsible minister inform the nation how this site would affect businesses in the vicinity of both sides of the proposed location.

“Since, within a specific distance determined by international standards, mooring of vessels are restricted for safety purposes in the vicinity of this bridge, how will this impact the publicly announced on-shore oil-and-gas facility; investments made

by Muneshwer’s Limited at Houston; and other existing fishing establishments, fuel terminals, and other wharves that service ocean-going vessels?” the party also questioned. turn to page 14

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GTT hosts duck curry competition

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Can the IndianGuyanese speak?

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n a recent letter to the press, Eric Phillips, Executive of ACDA, but now Advisor to the President of Guyana and SARA, and Chairman of the Guyana Reparations Commission, accused me and four other “feature writers” of the Guyana Times as follows: “weekly and daily use propaganda, lies and racial incitement to brainwash Indians that Africans have never accomplished.”

My first reaction was, “Oh Dear! Here we go again!”

The reason was: back in 2009, when Mr Phillips was just an executive of ACDA, he had responded in an identical fashion to an article of mine in the KN, “Ballots not Bullets”, wherein I had advised that street protests and violence were counterproductive to the opposition’s cause. I had been emphasising a theme developed over the last few years: “with Guyana now a nation of minorities, no one group could depend on a single ethnic group to catapult them into office.

Ravi Dev Consequently, the political fluidity that had been missing when Indians comprised an absolute manner and could lock out Africans (just below them in size) from executive office was not a possibility. Mr Phillips disagreed most vehemently with this assessment.

“He asserted categorically: “Neither the PNCR nor AFC or any combined opposition will defeat the PPP electorally - at least not in 2011.” This is because, “The sad reality is that the vast majority of PPP supporters will not allow themselves to vote for any other Party... If Indians did not vote for Desmond Hoyte, who was very pro-Indian and who engaged the REFORM to bring about fundamental change in the PNC….why would they vote for the PNC or AFC now?” Mr Phillips concluded I had joined those (named Indians) “who want to destroy Africans in Guyana using the anti-human rights Westminster (West Monster) system.”

Well, I answered, “for one, time and circumstances have changed and the opposition could have changed their tactics and strategy to exploit those changes. The fact of the matter is that the opposition do not need “the vast majority of PPP supporters” to vote for them to create seismic changes in 2011. If, as is now most likely, Indians are at most 43% of the population (and the PPP are getting all their votes from that community as Mr. Phillips seems to assume) then, theoretically, the opposition does not need a single Indian vote to defeat them.”

But after it was proven right and the “West monster” System stymied the PPP in 2011 and ejected them in 2015 in favour of the PNC (now named APNU) Mr Phillips has become noticeably more reticent about its shortcomings in delivering equity to minorities. But I leave that for another day.

This time, my transgression, evidently, was to advise against him opposing the land claims of our Indigenous Peoples, (“unjust, unfair and pernicious”) in a recent article, “Land Contretempts”.

Noting Philips had asserted, “…Our Amerindian leaders, if they’re honest, know that the Amerindian Act of 2006 was an act that gave them reparations,” I pointed out, “First of all, the Indigenous peoples were not given lands on any “reparatory” basis. Land for the Indigenous Peoples was part and parcel of the Articles of our Independence from Britain.

“Indigenous Peoples’ MP, Stephen Campbell, attended the 1965 Independence Conference in London and ensured the official Agreement for the Independence of Guyana, (Annex C) required the independent Government provide legal ownership or rights of occupancy for Amerindians over “areas and reservations or parts thereof where any tribe or community of Amerindians is now ordinarily resident or settled; and other legal rights, such as the rights of passage in respect of any other lands they now, by tradition or custom, de facto enjoy freedoms and permissions corresponding to rights of that nature. In this context, it is intended that legal ownership shall comprise all rights normally attaching to such ownership.”

I had also taken issue with Mr Phillips and ACDA which persistently claimed, most recently to the sitting Land CoI, that Indians were “given” free land in Guyana. Just as the miserly wages that freed Africans refused to accept were part of their indentureship contract, so was a return passage to India. Of the 163,964 Indian immigrants that remained in Guyana, a mere 2,653 (1.6%) exchanged their return passage, worth $60/each, for land worth an average of $30/$45 each.

But, somehow, this is denying African accomplishment?

Can the Indian Guyanese speak for justice?

uck curry pots bubbled on the fire, filling the atmosphere with tantalizing aroma as the sun blazed over the Demerara Park on Saturday, while chefs sweated under the heat and children bounced the trampoline.

This was the duck curry competition hosted by the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) in efforts to promote cohesion and solidarity between the staff from the various branches across the country.

The event saw the participation of fifteen teams from the company’s branches, representing departments from as far as Bartica and Essequibo.

A competitor tends to his sizzling duck curry

President of the Organising Committee, Malini Gouridat, spoke to Guyana Times and relayed that she believes a unified staff would be better equipped to efficiently serve customers and the wider

Guyanese community.

“We want to bring our staff together so that they can better serve the public. I believe that a unified staff would actually contribute and serve our customers more...” she stated.

The year’s competition was no doubt a stiff one. This publication also spoke to several enthusiastic chefs, who seemed well prepared and confident of winning the $30,000 cash prize. The first runner-up will receive $20,000 while the third prize winner will be awarded $10,000 cash.

In addition, all the cooks will be treated to an aerial tour of Guyana.

The duck curry competition was successfully executed through partnerships with Banks DIH, Star Party Rentals, King’s Jewellery World, Sol Guyana, and Beharry Group of Companies, among other sponsors.

14 news

SunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt to launch education Younge’s Take reformation programme “Those bottom

W

hile addressing the gathering at the 2017 celebrations of National Education Day on Friday, President David Granger announced that the Education Ministry is set to launch a Department of Education System Innovation and Reform [DESIR] programme.

This is as that ministry seeks to enhance the quality of education to better cater for the special needs of students throughout the country.

In order to best accomplish this mission, the Government has embarked on a nationwide consultation process, to assess the needs of students in all corners of Guyana.

As such, the President, on Friday, disclosed that he has visited a number of educational institutions over the past two months with the view to interacting with both the teachers and students, to listen to their concerns and recommendations.

This list includes the Cyril Potter College of Education, President’s College, Queen’s College, and the Kuru Kuru Training Centre.

Alluding to his visits, Granger pointed out: “This is why we have been able to plan our innovation and reform, because our ideas are founded on reality and our ideas are founded on what people need.”

Moreover, he highlighted, “We will improve the delivery of education.

Department of Education System Innovation and Reform is a reality.

Innovation will lead to improvement, nothing will stand still.”

Stemming from the preliminary findings, the Head of State explained, the application of information technology will be an important component of education reform in Guyana. Moreover, he indicated that this is to facilitate distance education, providing students in outlying communities with the opportunity to access tertiary education without having to leave their homes.

Moreover, he noted that, as a part of the reform, there will be an application of education methods suited to our geographical.

“We are committed to universal secondary and pri-

President David Granger

mary education… Schools and the entire education system, expensive as they are, are not liabilities; they are assets, and we will continue to spend because spending money on education is money well spent,” Granger boldly expressed.

Sharing in the excitement for impending new and improved education system while delivering remarks at the event on Friday was Minister Nicolette Henry, who is of the same view that there should be no limit to the amount of money invest-

ed in the development of the nation’s youth.

Even as she looks forward to the impending changes, Henry reflected on measures taken thus far in laying the foundation for this reform. She outlined the overarching priorities of the Education Ministry, thereby indicating that such interests would be addressed as the Ministry moves ahead with the reorganization and enhancements.

“The Government has, as a principal objective of its public policy, to strengthen the administration of the ten regions and to improve the delivery of education and other public services. As part of that policy, there will be the establishing of regional technical institutes to provide access to technical education for a greater number of the country’s young people,” the Education Minister stated.

Adding to that are the goals of “improving the quality of our education with continued revised teaching methods, and embracing the enhancement of technology in the classroom and ensuring every child has access to quality education,” according to Henry.

Shortly after taking office, the coalition Government established a Commission of Inquiry into the existing state of education in Guyana, with the preliminary findings being released earlier this year.

Govt’s subsidy plan...

from page 12

“As it relates to traffic flow and congestion, is there a network of roads that was considered? And how does the proposed Ogleto-Diamond bypass road fit into this scheme?” the PPP also questioned.

Earlier in the week, the Guyana Times had reported that Government was making contractors bidding to be prequalified sign non-disclosure agreements and waivers. They would also be forced to waive a number of rights, including the right to protest, and even legally challenge any decision taken during the process.

“Why is the Ministry requesting that bidders sign non-disclosure agreements as well as waive their rights to protest the award if aggrieved?” the party queried. “Is it because the Government has already predetermined who (would) be contracted to build this bridge, and the financing model secretly agreed on?

Are the few selected bidders only to be window-dressing and to give the impression of a fair and open process?

Why is it necessary to waive their rights to protest if aggrieved?” were other questions the party posed.

house parrots”

I

n one of my recent columns, I exposed the hypocrisy and double standards of three very vocal writers and personalities who continue to spread anti-People’s Progressive Party (PPP) propaganda and rhetoric in an attempt to hoodwink the public and delegitimise that Party’s track record in office which began in 1992. I emphasised the point that the trio, whose mission was to also constantly attack PPP personalities by rehashing lies, rumours and alternative facts about the Party’s tenure in office, was working as an integral part of the Government’s public relation machinery due to the fact that no one takes it’s Department of Public Information seriously.

And finally, I strongly upbraided the trio for doing a disservice to the public by parading themselves as independent critics, patriots, and academic beings Michael Younge who possess some higher level of intellectual acumen that all other Guyanese apparently failed to acquire, when in fact they were only interested in blatantly shielding the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government from taking direct responsibility for many of the poorly thought governance policies and corrupt transactions that it has undertaken since 2015. They were only interested in damage control mechanisms for a Government that is demonstrating indifference and scorn every day for public criticisms, and dissident within its own camp. In short, the trio was prepared to stoop to any level to ensure that the PPP never regains power in this country, because they all have a personal vendetta and hatred for the current politicians who sit at the helm of the PPP; Bharrat Jagdeo in particular.

Since writing that column, the trio has found creative ways of rebutting the arguments I made. One of them was so affected that he threw his belly and soul into criticising several columnists in this newspaper but not before branding them “slimy eels”. He said these “slimy eels” were pushing a particular agenda since 2015, as he tried painstakingly to avoid his usual gutter rhetoric and personal rants.

Another pro Government supporter – an integral part of the so called movement to right the alleged wrongs done to afro Guyanese only by the PPP during its 23 years in office – desperately writes a letter in another section of the press accusing the columnists here of incitement and being dangerous. Others have also responded on social media. I must admit that it is not surprising that the trio and those who support this Government would see persons who freely, and responsibly, as well as objectively, express their views here as a threat.

We are a threat because our sole aim and objective is educating the public by providing them with the raw, unedited and factual picture of the Guyana we currently live in. I believe that I, like any other rightthinking Guyanese, am duty bond to serve as a watchdog for the populace, even if it means criticising and exposing the shameful and most times deliberate skulduggery of folks who hold high office.

The reason persons would find difficulty with the work done by a few columnists here is because it is having an impact and appealing to a wide cross-section of Guyanese. Try as hard as they may, it is a fact that there are racists elements serving in the Government at some of the highest levels. Just look at the President’s shameful response to the Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett scandal. It is also a fact that there are East Indians who serve in the Government establishment that have been mistreated, sidelined and abused by supporters of the Government because of their ethnicity. It happened too under the PPP but to a lesser extent. Just look at the constant scandals in every sector and the desperation that follows in order to deceive the nation and blame the PPP. The APNU and its junior coalition partners have not delivered in any realistic way, the things they promised back in 2011 and 2015.

No one is enjoying any “Good Life” as the Finance Minister touts. It spent all of its energies and time witch-hunting the PPP and engaging in a systematic ethnic cleansing of certain institutions, that it failed to realise that the economy was going under, investors were withdrawing and the level of hopelessness was rising. That is the problem. We have a Government that is bent on implementing outdated policies and measures in a modern era.

Also, it is a fact that those within the APNU/AFC inner circle fear the return of Jagdeo to power more than the PPP itself. They have always had a problem with his style and ability to maintain high levels of affection with people from all parts of Guyana, regardless of the relentless smear campaign and the gullible stories told by paid whistle-blowers. The truth is, many Guyanese would prefer Jagdeo any day because he possess a sober mind and disposition that results in affirmative actions and results. There’s no doubt about who is in charge. And the policies that are implemented are people’s policies that speak to bread and butter issues.

So if sharing such a viewpoint makes people like me “slimy eels”, then we are proud to be so labelled. After all, is not people like us who should be feared or scorned, but those ‘bottom house parrots and venereal sores’ that continue to see the wrongdoings and racial divisive politics of personalities in this Government but selectively call them out. They should be condemned because they are so blinded by their hate for Jagdeo and the PPP that they are ignorant of the hardships being endured by the people of this country under the current political configuration. While they make funny sounds and from time to time are able to speak words of reason like a parrot, they will never realise this country needs socio-political healing and reconciliation. It needs ethnic unity and more free speech advocates on all sides of the divide to get governments to function properly. It does not need bottom house parrots and puppets. I urge those who cannot stamina my justified criticisms of both the PPP and coalition when necessary to take a cracker and several seats.

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sunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

16 news Serious action needed for re-establishing ERC SunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

…“Walk the walk” on social cohesion – Fmr ERC Chairman

I

t may talk the talk, but the Government has not been walking the walk of social cohesion.

This is according to a former Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), who believes that the Government has no serious intentions of re-establishing the ERC. He noted in a recent interview that the Social Cohesion Ministry has done a substandard job at facilitating the type of community level engagements needed to bring about true social cohesion. In light of this, he called for the ERC to be re-established.

“That is why they should go ahead and get the Ethnic Relations Commission functioning.

But this Government doesn’t want an Ethnic Relations Commission. The Committee of Appointments, headed by Dr Norton, has concluded its work months ago. It’s on the Order Paper for the approval of the (nominees). If the Government was serious about the Commission, they control the agenda, and sitting after sitting it’s not being addressed.”

According to Edghill, the Government’s delay might

Former ERC Chairman, Juan Edghill

stem from their discomfort in some of the persons who were nominated on the Appointment Committee.

“I think we are at an alltime low where (ethnic) relations (are) concerned, even with this administration talking about social cohesion. Their actions, rhetoric, personnel, behaviour have been so divisive and sectarian that it has not helped.”

He noted that this can be seen as stonewalling, adding that “they prefer to keep using the mantra under the Ministry of Social Cohesion.

The Ministry of Social Cohesion has done nothing

substantial to help to bring Guyanese closer.”

The ERC plays an integral role as a constitutional entity which serves to protect and preserve the interests of all stakeholders, as far as creating an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony among the different races and ethnic groups in Guyana’s diverse society.

The Commission initially comprised representatives from seven different constituencies, but in 2015 it was increased to 10. ERC members represent the three main religions – Hinduism, Islam and Christianity – and are drawn from labour, the Private Sector, the youth and women’s affairs organisations. The three new additions which fall under a new category – the Cultural/ Ethnic Group – comprise one representative each from the three major ethnic groups of Guyana-- the IndoGuyanese, Afro-Guyanese and Indigenous Guyanese.

Subsequently, the National Assembly was informed that the Committee consulted the approved list of entities for nomination to the ERC; and those entities met, and later submitted their nominations between

April 30 and June 6, 2014.

The next step in the process, after finalising the 10 nominees, is for the Committee to submit the names to the National Assembly for approval via a motion. It is required that there be a two-thirds majority approval before the nominees can become offi-

cial and be presented to the President for swearing in.

The ERC is a constitutional body established under the Herdmanston Accord. It works with persons and agencies to promote harmonious ethnic relations. The Commission also deals with complaints, promotes training in racial harmony, and fosters a sense of security among all

ethnic groups.

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

New executive body elected to Linden Chamber

W

ith the recent installation of a new executive body within the Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development (LCICD), renewed focus is expected to be placed on the improvement of capacity-building towards a more social and economically stable organization.

The new body was put in place during the recent hosting of the Chamber's Annual General Meeting (AGM).

It consists of newly elected President Victor Fernandes; Senior Vice President Lyndon Younge; Junior Vice President Michael Hercules; Secretary Staydon Payne; Treasurer Stephen Greaves; Assistant SecretaryTreasurer Tanniza Gasper, and Advisors Sheena

The new executives of the Linden Chamber of Commerce

Bristol, Norvell Fredericks and former chamber president Kevin De Jonge.

The outgoing President, in his remarks, recalled that during his tenure he served with great pride, and with the hope of uniting stakeholders to achieve the common goal of economic stability for the Linden community.

He highlighted the

Chamber's achievements and challenges.

The inability to meet with public officials, and being refused sponsorship and support from some organizations were among some of the internal and external challenges faced by the Chamber, as highlighted by the outgoing President. turn to page 19

news

17

SunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

Some are more equal than others on the animal farm

F

ormer Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, George Jervis, was sent on leave since January 2017, to facilitate police probe into a corruption case implicating several individuals.

During his leave, he continued to receive the salaries and benefits associated with his position. Now we find out that, although investigations are still ongoing, Jervis was appointed to head the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU). ASDU is responsible for the implementation of projects funded by international organisations in several key areas aimed at enhancing the agriculture sector, including infrastructure.

Based on media reports, his appointment resulted from a mere recommendation by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder.

The position was not advertised, and all that was needed for Jervis to secure the position was the President’s approval. Of course President Granger approved Jervis’s appointment without much ado.

Incidentally, former Deputy Anna Correia PS of the Agriculture Ministry, Prema Roopnarine, was charged with fraud allegedly committed while acting in her capacity as a former member of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). But unlike Jervis, she was neither sent on administrative leave nor was she given the opportunity to reintegrate into the Agriculture Ministry pending the investigations.

She was fired. She was fired despite that, to date, there has been no concluding evidence to substantiate the charges levelled against her.

This is another local example of how pawns are assigned by Government to strategic positions requiring the management of millions of dollars in foreign funds, regardless of their lack of professional integrity. It explains in part why young professionals are being sidelined in Guyana and deprived of opportunities to add value to the country’s development - a contributing factor in the loss of trained professionals, who turn to other countries for employment.

It is also a very explicit display of political partisanship, which contradicts the APNU/AFC’s campaign promises of inclusive governance and national unity.

The modus operandi of the Coalition seems to suggest that power and wealth must remain a family affair at the detriment of taxpayers and the electorate of our multi-party State.

The unequal treatment meted out to Roopnarine, as opposed to Jervis, is also symbolic of the Government’s discriminatory approach towards the Opposition and its electorate. It explains why, unlike Roopnarine, Jervis, who is also investigated for corruption, is not subject to probe by SOCU. The management of any organisation depends on the interdependence and cooperation of its leadership, and implicates the responsibility of each member. It is therefore absurd that, of sixteen (16) GRDB members who spearheaded the entity, the six (6) under investigation by SOCU are all Opposition members, and that no proof inculpating them for fraud has since been discovered. This simply reinforces the belief that the Coalition has converted the use of national institutions for the purpose of political witch-hunting.

The affair surrounding Jervis highlights the Government’s incompetence and lack of political will on several fronts, including failure to provide jobs because of preferential treatment, as well as failure to advertise Public Service vacancies. There seems to be a relative absence of commitment to principles of transparency and accountability, as well as deliberate disregard for established procedures and protocols required in the management of national institutions – all contributing factors to corruption.

What is interesting in this particular case is that organisations such as the World Bank also fund some of the projects undertaken by ASDU and the Agriculture Ministry. As a result, it is curious that international organisations, which in principle are very strict on respecting financial guidelines and procedures, seem to turn a blind eye to the Agriculture Ministry’s opacity in managing their funds, a matter overtly condoned

by President Granger himself.

We’re half way into the Government’s mandate, and by now it’s clear that there will be no progress in terms of good, transparent, and inclusive governance. On the contrary, corruption seems to go hand in hand with the Coalition’s autocratic leadership style, where the only “unity” encouraged is the unity among its own agents.

But the international organisations that have taken up a watchdog role for democracy and good governance are also responsible for keeping the Government in check, by ensuring that their sums of money do not serve to fatten the pockets of the old guards of the PNC – the party that once trapped Guyana in a 28-year dictatorship.

Note: The Coalition pursued a mass firing campaign immediately after assuming office in 2015, leaving hundreds of public workers jobless overnight, including contracted workers employed on UN partnered projects. Yet the UN remained silent, and by its silence condoned the actions of the Government. This laxity must not be imitated by international organisations in the future.

Contact sundayarrow@gmail.com

King Advertising celebrates 25th anniversary

K

ing Advertising Limited (KAL) is now celebrating 25 years in the advertising and marketing industry.

The full-service agency, which is committed to executing any advertising need, has thus far worked with major local and foreign companies over the years.

KAL was founded in 1992 and immediately teamed up with what was then one of the leading advertising agencies in Trinidad and Tobago, Aleong and Agostini Advertising Ltd and have since skyrocketed to success.

General Manager/Partner Rochelle Peroune, who spearheads the company with her years of experience in advertising and marketing, expressed her delight at the company meeting this milestone.

“As we celebrate this silver anniversary, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our loyal

The King Advertising team

and faithful clients who have supported us through the years and the various media entities that we work along with. We look forward to working along with you for many more years,” she noted.

The creative department of the company is managed by Gregory Shanks who joined the company in 1993 and

has nearly 40 years of experience in the field of art, advertising and graphic design. He also expressed great pleasure at the accomplishment of the company thus far.

The agency was founded by the late David Robert Lynch King, A A who had been in the field of management and marketing for over 30 years.

18 news

sunday, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Region 9 healthcare delivery boosted

…4 specialists expected to join staff

T

he level of healthcare delivery in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) is expected to be majorly bumped up when four new specialists join the team of existing doctors. They are expected to join the team early next week.

This is a part of the Public Health Ministry’s plan to ensure that hinterland regional hospitals are equipped with doctors offering specialized services. The four main specialty areas where doctors will be employed are General Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Internal Medicine and Paediatrics.

Director of Regional Health Services (RHS), Dr Kay Shako, said the idea is to bridge the inequitable gaps of healthcare between the hinterland and coastal regions, and as a result reduce the number of medical outreaches made to the hinterland and number of medevacs to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

“I’m proud to say that, in the coming week, Region Nine will have its complete quota of specialists to manage the hospital there. So Region Seven would have had all its specialists al-

Director of Regional Health Services (RHS), Dr Kay Shako

ready, and now we have Region Nine to be completed.

The two specialists that will be going there will be a specialist in Internal Medicine and a Paediatrician,” Dr Shako said.

She made reference to the fact that since these specialists have been placed in the hinterland, the need for medical evacuations and surgical outreaches has been reduced. She added that a survey showed a reduction of medivacs has been recorded in Region Seven.

Despite the challenge to recruit doctors with the necessary qualifications, Region One is slated for

the next assignment of specialists. The Mabaruma Regional Hospital had been earmarked for placement of these specialists towards the end of the first quarter of 2017.

“We are about to go to Region One. Even as I speak, we already have a Gynaecologist for Region One and a Paediatrician; and they will be going there within another month,” the RHS Director said.

Meanwhile, residents from Region Nine said that the addition of the four specialists would increase the level of service delivered in the region, noting that it would reduce economic burdens to patients who have to travel to Georgetown and other regions to access specialized services.

A source from the Lethem Hospital told the Guyana Times that addition of the new doctors would enhance the services delivered by the institution.

“We really need these services, especially in the Obstetrics/Gynaecology department, because when we (have) complicated (pregnancy) cases, there won’t be the need for medivacs, and we will be equipped to deal with it,” the source related.

GTT cable sabotage

Company working to formulate anti-sabotage strategy

…alarms are triggered when cable is cut

C

hief Executive Officer of the Guyana Telephone Telegraph Company (GTT), Justin Nedd, said that the telecommunication giant is working with the Public Security, Telecommunication, and Business Ministers to formulate a strategy to mitigate the further acts of sabotage against its infrastructure.

“We are in constant contact with the Ministers of Business, Public Security and Telecommunications, and we are working on a strategy to mitigate the risks of these saboteurs trying to take down our infrastructure and affecting our customers. We have to continue work to take down these rogue elements,” Nedd said.

“We do have security alarms that are triggered once the cable is cut, so we continuously patrol; but, as you know, Guyana is vast and we are not able to be everywhere at once. But once the cable is cut, we deploy; we try to fix it,” Nedd added.

On September 12 and 13, three hundred (300) metres of cable in the vicinity of New Hope and Friendship, on the East Bank of Demerara, were cut and removed, affecting voice and data services to over 400 customers.

GTT Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd

Nedd said service has been restored to those affected customers, but the company is urging members of the public to report any instance of sabotage.

Nedd said he is positive that there are people out there who have information on the sabotage, and he is urging them to come forward to report the information by reminding them of the latest $500,000 reward for such information.

“It is really sad that rogue elements continue to try to damage our infrastructure.

We got a team that (is) always out there to do more and bring better service for our customers,” Nedd said.

GTT is reminding the public to maintain the level of alertness, and to report to the company’s confidential hotline, 226-2764, any act or suspicious act of cable sabotage.

The first act in the recent series of sabotage was detected on July 14, 2017, one day before GTT officially launched the Blaze fibre optic high-speed internet. In February, the company’s fibre optic cable was also sabotaged at a time when it launched its high-speed LTE broadband in Essequibo.

Over the past 12 months, GTT’s loss of service and restoration effort has equated to $50 million, according to the company.

In August, 22-year-old Ricky Singh of Lot ‘F’ Grove, East Bank Demerara was placed on $350,000 bail after he pleaded not guilty to a charge detailing that between July 22 and July 24, 2017 at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, he was caught vandalising and stealing the GTT fibre-optic cable.

Twenty-four-year-old fisherman Sanjay Seecharran of Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara was also recently jailed for three years after confessing to stealing fibre-optic cable from GTT.

19

news

Speedboat operators upset by decision to remove turn system

S

everal Speedboat operators plying the WakenaamSupenaam route are peeved over the move made by junior Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson to reverse the existing turn system. Several operators spoke out against the decision, stating that the current system is effective and should not be changed.

On that note, President of the Parika-Supenaam Speedboat Association, Arnold Adams, is very much concerned about the high-handed approach to reverse the existing turn system to load Speedboats plying the ParikaWakenaam route.

Adams said the Association is confident that the turn system used to load passengers in speedboats is the best tested option, and as such,

should not be changed.

"Any decision by the ministry or anyone in authority to reverse the turn system will create further chaos to a system that worked well for numerous years," Adams said.

The Association’s President further noted that changing such a system will also have serious negative consequences

to other associations that are implementing the turn systems successfully.

The Association therefore calls on the authorities to engage its leadership to be a part of meaningful consultations with residents of Wakenaam so that a democratic approach can be adopted.

Adams further stated that the Association is not

New executive body elected...

In citing some achievements, DeJonge said that, through engagements, the Chamber was able to assist persons in outlying areas with the processing of their registration, and was able to lend support to leading stakeholders.

He added that the Chamber now has representatives on the Board of the Linden Enterprise Network as well as the Small Business Bureau (which it assists businesses with registration).

He pointed out further

that the Chamber also played an important role in encouraging the Linden Mayor and Town Council to reduce tolls.

In recognizing the technological era, he said the Chamber has placed itself in a position to be constantly informed.

DeJonge said the Chamber is still not satisfied with all that was done, but is willing to continue to move in the direction of uniting stakeholders to achieve the common goal of economic development.

from page 16

Newly elected president, Fernandes, said one of the first things that will be perused is the extension of amnesty with immediate effect to members in need, and placing great focus on capacity building so that contractors can benefit from improved loans and services.

He said that, for too long, contractors seem to only be "existing", and it is time they move beyond that existence through the assistance of the Chamber.

President of the ParikaSupenaam Speedboat Association, Arnold Adams

prepared to support any decision that only finds favour with one boat operator.

The Association is therefore calling on the Minister to review the decision.

sunDAY, september 17, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Havana highlights housing replacement drive

A

fter Hurricane Irma wrought havoc on Havana’s decrepit buildings and killed four in building collapses there, city authorities held a rare media briefing to stress they were prioritizing solving the capital’s longstanding housing needs.

A quarter of buildings in the Cuban city are in “bad or regular” shape, according to the provincial housing authority, due largely to a punishing tropical climate, lack of adequate maintenance and passage of time.

Some Havana residents complained Irma would not have been as deadly if authorities had addressed their housing needs, a criticism authorities rejected.

Euclides Santos, in charge of Havana housing, told a small group of foreign reporters the city had put a strate-

gy in place in 2012 to repair housing as well as provide new homes even if lack of resources made it hard to fulfill its goals. Around 50,000 families in total were in need of new housing, Santos said.

“We have delivered 10,000 or so homes so far to people in shelters which means the program is achieving results,” he said on Friday, noting the city had nearly doubled annual spending on construction in that time to around 185 million Cuban pesos, equivalent to some $7.7 million.

Some Cubans had been waiting in communal shelters for more than 20 years at the start of the program, said Santos, pointing to the economic crisis Cuba went through after the fall of the Soviet Union. The country has also suffered from the decades-long U.S. trade embargo. (Reuters)

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guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, september 17, 2017

Focused Garrett lies in wait for Portugal return N ational Player Jeremy Garrett (JG) was recently selected for the Golden Jaguars Provisional training squad ahead of their international friendly against Grenada. Guyana Times Sport (GTS) reached out to the player to hear his views on a return to Sporting Clube de Portugal for another trial stint and possibly being able to secure a contract.

GTS: When will you return to Portugal?

JG: My return (date) to Portugal has a little setback since the person or persons in charge of the invite letters distribution is quite busy also the team itself has set backs with a lot of other international players.

However, according to my agent Mr Alex Bunbury he is scheduled to be in Guyana on the 20th September and I’m likely to return to Portugal when he’s leaving.”

GTS: What have you being doing since your return from Portugal last December?

JG: Ever since I’ve returned from my stint I’ve been much more aware of the things I needed to improve on. Training with my club locally (Fruta Conquerors football club) it has been very effective and beneficial. Also, locally I’ve been able to sharpen up a bit more on my first touches and awareness as being part of the academy training centres (ATC) that the Guyana Football Federation runs across the country to keep national youths active and steady. Due to all these attributes locally I’ve been able to improve in so many different areas.”

GTS: You captained the Guyana team to the Inter Guiana Games earlier this year, how was that experience?

JG: The games that Guyana played in Suriname were both very intense. However, the players coped well and were able to execute on the pitch resulting in a 1-1 draw and a 0-1 loss. It was observed that the Guyana players in a whole were cognitive of what was being taught to us. I was the captain of the national side in both games, it was a very good experience for me to have another opportunity to represent my nation and preform. The games for me were others used as stepping stones to keep me in line and match ready so that whenever I’m called upon to Return to Portugal I am 100% ready !

GTS: You have done well at both CXC and CAPE, how important would it be to receive possible scholarship or to even get support from corporate Guyana?

JG: It’s hard for a youngster like me. Even though I’ve surpassed many expectations by achieving something that many persons couldn’t, that is being able to balance both football and academics I’ve been equally rated in both. I’ve acquired 8 CXC subjects along with 2 CAPE subjects at Chase’s Academic Foundation. I’ve also acquired many football achievement as a youngster in the game since 2014. But I think for youths like me cooperate Guyana should at least give support either to have business invest in athletes (brand ambassadors etc) just so to not kill a dream of young talented sportsman.

They should look to support.

At my club, I volunteer to coach the U-11 and U-13 whenever the space is available, the kids at the club know so much about me I think my own father doesn’t know, I mean

they all want to be like “coach Jeremy” I mean all of them.

I fit the profile to be upfront to be the face of what a balanced s o c c e r player should be... and I’m thankful for all the help from my club, however I’m still eager to acquire h e l p from corporate G u ya n a and other entities w h o m have the love for sports to come on board.

GTS: Finally, No elite football is being played how do you plan to stay in perfect shape for the call?

JG: While I’m here in Guyana I’ve been rather busy with the national youth team also my club is still currently training so in the meantime I’m still active and working. The academy training centres also are always active every Friday for two hours in the afternoon and I’m doing my own personal work at Top End Gym.

Singapore Grand Prix…

Vettel takes pole ‒ Hamilton looking for a ‘miracle’

M

ercedes driver Lewis Hamilton says he is looking for a “miracle” to limit the damage to his title hopes in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Hamilton has qualified fifth, while championship rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari is on pole, giving the German a strong chance to retake the lead.

“Fifth place is definitely not good

compared to first,” said Hamilton, who is three points ahead of the German.

“I am going to have to figure out how to pull a miracle out of somewhere.”

Hamilton said he was pleased with his own performance - he was 0.684 seconds quicker than team-mate Valtteri Bottas - but that the Mercedes was struggling at the tight and twisty Marina Bay street circuit.(BBC Sport)

Lewis Hamilton

Jaguars’ 3-day Franchise League…

South African all-rounder, Jean-Paul “JP” Duminy has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect. The 33-year old Duminy played 46 Tests from December 2008 to July 2017, scored six centuries, bowled occasional offspin to claim 42 wickets and will finish with a batting average of 32.85.

In what may be described as a dramatic lead up to the end of his career in ‘whites’, Duminy was dropped from the

the Cape Cobras. “In recent years I have been privileged to be a senior member and custodian of a special team environment and culture which has made me very proud,” Duminy’s statement read. “In the years ahead, my focus will be placed on attaining limited-overs cricket success for South Africa and the Cape Cobras, along with attending to my young family, who have been incredibly supportive and understanding.”

JP Duminy ends his Test career but is available for white ball duties

starting XI after the Lord’s Test in July - the first of a four-match series - sent home from the tour after the second match and opted out of the opening round of first-class matches, which starts on Tuesday, heightening speculation his long-form career was over. On Saturday, Duminy released a statement confirming his intention to focus on limitedovers cricket in future.

“After long and careful deliberation, I have decided to retire from first-class and Test match cricket with immediate effect. I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege and opportunity to represent my country in 46 Tests and the Cape Cobras in 108 firstclass matches overs the past 16 years. It is an experience that cannot be replaced and one I will always cherish. Test cricket has always been the pinnacle and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some memorable highlights with the Proteas and also in first-class matches with

Although Duminy’s focus will be on white-ball cricket, he has offered his services to the Cobras as a mentor in the firstclass format and already started the job. Duminy was part of the franchise’s pre-season preparations in Oudtshoorn and will continue to be around the squad as the summer kicks off.

But Duminy will also have a busy playing schedule of his own.

South Africa’s focus is firmly on the 2019 World Cup and Duminy will be expected to play in all of the matches in the leadup to that tournament, starting with a series against Bangladesh in October. He will also feature prominently in the Global T20, which starts on November 3. Duminy will captain the Cape Town Knight Riders and, after opting out of the IPL last season to concentrate on his international career, has spoken of a return to the Indian twentyover tournament as well.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

Solomon, Barnwell help Georgetown assert dominance ‒ Rutherford hits 108; Singh falls for 99 for East Bank

T

he third round of the Jaguars’ Franchise League continued on Saturday and there was much dominance shown by batsmen in the three of the four matches.

At the Lusignan Community Centre ground, Georgetown reached 244 for 9 at stumps on the penultimate day enjoying a lead of 299 over the East Coast of Demerara. At the helm of the dominance was former National under-19 captain Dexter Solomon with a busy 84 (6x4s;2x6s) and Christopher Barnwell with 62 (5x4s;3x6s).

Off –spinner Bhaskar Yadram took 3 for 68 to dent the city sides charge.

After some watchful moments, the attacking Robin Bacchus got into stride with some disdainful pull shots off the bowling of seamer Rudolph Singh. West Indies under-19 selectee Raymond Perez looked assured as ever at the crease especially against the military pace of Cordel Marks and Singh.

Added to his compact checkdrives, he played an elegant square-cut to get his first boundary. Just as the calls were being made for Bacchus to “digin” he edged a delivery down the leg-side to the keeper, falling for 10 (2x4s).

Flirting outside his off-stump Perez edged Singh when he was on but the slip cordon failed to grab unto the chance. At the other end, Marks’ effort ball hit Perez on the helmet but if there was doubt he was hurt, it was erased when he foxed down the track in the next over to the offspin of Rajendra Chandrika and lofted a towering six over longoff.

Perez and Sunil Singh carried the total to 39-1 at the lunch interval with unbeaten scores of 20 and 7 respectively. The lead now grew to 94 runs.

Resumption of play brought two quick wickets as Perez droved a half-volley from offspinner Kumar Bishundyal straight into the hands of

Christopher Barnwell punches through the off-side during his aggressive innings against East Coast Demerara on Saturday

Yadram at long-off. An innings which looked poised for a long stay at crease came to an end at 27 (2z4s; 1x6).

Marks who continued his prolonged spell from the Public Road end began to make good use of the slow nature of the wicket by removing Singh for 10.

He could have had gotten another wicket when Jamaican Ramaal Lewis was just on two was dropped by Yadram at short cover. Next over Marks went

short again to Lewis but this time he watched as Lewis pulled him powerfully through midwicket for his first boundary.

Barnwell flirted with danger with some flashing cuts over point but his usual pugnacious style as reasserted with some powerful hits down the ground.

Solomon’s entrance to the crease was busy as it comes as he picked the gaps and hit the balls for boundaries in his composed innings.

When East Coast resumed on 102-4 in response to Georgetown’s 192 were bowled out for 137 in 54.5 overs as spinners Gajanan Suknanan, Steven Sankar and Devon Lord shared eight wickets between them. The off-spin of Suknanan took 4-40 from 19 overs while leg-spin of Sankar and Lord’ leftarm spin had figures of 3-8 from 5.5 overs and 2-10 from seven overs respectively.

Earlier, overnight batsman Joshua Persaud on one and Bishundyal yet to get off the mark failed to progressed to any significant score falling for eight and 10 respectively.

The rest of the lower-order were back in the hut in no time, with no other being able to reach double figures. Rajendra Chandrika (45) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (35) were the only batsmen who looked a threat when they batted on day two.

See summary of the other matches below; At Everest: Essequibo 1st

Inns 280 all out (Kemol Savory 136); East Bank Demerara 1st Inns 303/9 (Sherfane Rutherford 108, Sachin Singh 99).

East Bank Demerara lead by 23 runs with one wicket in hand.

At Tuschen: West Demerara 1st Inns 110 all out (Gudakesh Motie 6-17); West Berbice 1st Inns 106 all out (Keshram Seyhodan 4/37); West Demerara 2nd Inns West Demerara 126 all out (Gudakesh Motie 5/25); West Berbice 2nd Inns 101 all out (Romario Shepherd 4-41).

West Demerara won by 30 runs At Albion: Upper Corentyne 1st Inns 130 all out (Veerasammy Permaul 6 for 49); Lower Corentyne 1st Inns 263/9 (Waheid Edwards 89; Shawn Perriera 6-71) Upper Corentyne 2nd Inns 157 all out (Raun Johnson 4/49); Lower Corentyne 2nd Inns 27-0 (Jason Sinclair 17*) Lower Corentyne won by 10 wickets

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sports

Windies set for T20 series in Pakistan ‒ CWI President hailed for support to PCB

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron has been praised for his efforts in trying to assist the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in getting interna-

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CWI President Dave Cameron

tional cricket back in their country.

PCB Chairman Najam Sethi, while thanking Cameron for visiting Pakistan amidst the ongoing Independence Cup, announced that the West Indies team will visit Pakistan for a three-match T20 series towards the end of November.

He said Cameron has been rather gracious in accepting the invitation to come to Pakistan and his visit there can really assist in getting the big teams to come back to Pakistan.

WICB president had been invited to witness security arrangements made for the Word XI series.

Sources further said that Cameron’s tour would pave the way for a West Indies tour to Pakistan.

Another high-ranking

Pakistan won the most recent T20I Series against the West Indies in the Caribbean 3-1

official of the board said that CWI and Cameron, in particular, has always shown an interest in assisting the PCB and this would go a long way for future relations. “Dave Cameron has shown that he is ready to assist us by coming here and being part of the entire activities, like our awards ceremony. He understands

that cricket in Pakistan has been hurting because of the non-appearance of international teams and he has jumped out and shown the world that he is at least willing to see first hand what is the situation here so that cricket can come back if possible.

The World XI tour, dubbed the Independence

Day Cup, is a significant development for Pakistan as the country has not hosted top-level international cricket — barring five limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe in 2015 — since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by terrorists in March 2009, killing eight people and injuring seven players and staff. (Sportsmax)

India, Australia resume ODI intense rivalry ‒ Jadeja replaces injured Patel

O

nly soured friendships and damaged relations remained after the on-field taunts and verbal scuffles on Australia’s previous tour to India. In between, there was a very good series of Test cricket as Australia proved the stiffest challenge to India’s immaculate home season. Apart from the format, the nature of the surfaces and a few personnel adjustments, not much will change on the limited-overs leg.

Australia’s recent ODI form has been atypically horrendous away from home. They have lost their last eight completed matches on the road, last winning one in September 2016, against Ireland. Their emphasis on rotation has meant the set-up, save captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner, has consistently changed. Yet, Australia, who are coming off a resounding Test-serieslevelling rout of Bangladesh in Chittagong, are never far away from finding their best, irrespective of the format.

In contrast, India have lost just three of their last 15 ODIs, all away from home. They’ve preferred wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to finger spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and possess two of the best endovers specialists in Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

However, Ravindra Jadeja is back as a replacement for fellow left-arm spinner Axar Patel who sprained his left ankle play-

Rohit Sharma (left) and Josh Hazlewood will be crucial for their sides in this series

ing football during a training session ahead of today’s first ODI in Chennai.

Jadeja had initially been rested from the squad, along with India’s other premier Test-match spinner R Ashwin. The two had also been left out of the limited-overs leg of India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, and their prolonged absence from the ODI squad - despite chief selector MSK Prasad’s reiteration that both were only being rested - was viewed by some as the team looking beyond them for one-day and T20 cricket.

While Ashwin has been playing for Worcestershire in the County Championship in England during his time away from the ODI team, Jadeja has not played any

competitive match since the second Test in Sri Lanka in early August. He missed the third Test after earning a suspension for accumulating six demerit points within a 24-month period.

Jadeja is currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC Test bowling rankings, but has endured a difficult time in ODIs of late. He took four wickets at 62.25 while conceding 5.92 per over in the Champions Trophy in June, and followed that up with two wicketless matches during India’s tour of the West Indies.

In this series India’s only apparent weakness, it seems, lies in their batting. Does Ajinkya Rahane, who could open in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, have

the ability to match modern scoring standards? MS Dhoni’s finishing skills aren’t getting better, while KL Rahul, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav haven’t yet carved their name in any of the open spots in India’s middle order.

Confidence is an influential factor in sport.

David Warner would have gained plenty after he overcame arguably the biggest flaw in his record, scoring hundreds in the sub-continent; he scored two against Bangladesh in successive Tests in gruelling conditions. Opening the batting in ODIs in India, against hard, new balls, is every batsman’s dream, and Warner, with his attacking template, is best suited to taking ad-

vantage of the Powerplay.

With Dhawan absent for the first three games, Rahane should slot into his opening spot. With Australia - and the rest of the world struggling to pick wrist spin, Kuldeep is likely to be persisted with.

With a calf problem ruling Aaron Finch out of the first few ODIs, Travis Head might be forced to open the batting, a position he is accustomed to, having opened for South Australia. With Glenn Maxwell’s off spinning ability, Australia may stick with just one spinner.

The surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tends to get progressively worse for batting. The average first-innings score at this venue is 264, but with modern-day batting at its best, 300-plus totals in both innings isn’t entirely implausible. There is a forecast for thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon.

Teams: India; Virat Kohli (capt), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, MS Dhoni, Ravendra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav.

Australia; Steven Smith (capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan CoulterNile, Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adan Zampa and Josh Hazlewood.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, september 17, 2017

Dreams come true for Nedd, Perez ‒ both players express confidence of making final cut

By Akeem Greene

T

alented National Youth players Ashmead Nedd and Raymond Perez after a rewarding 2017 Regional Under-19 season gained selection to the West Indies under-19 training squad for the 2018 ICC Youth World Cup in New Zealand.

At the under-19 tournament in St Kitts in August, Nedd was deemed the Most Valuable Player for three-day leg while Perez won the same award for the Super50 version.

Nedd, a left-arm spinner, bowled 151.3 overs inclusive of 49 maidens and took 26 wickets. He had two five wicket hauls with best bowling of 7 for 20 recorded against the Windward Islands which was deemed the most wickets in a match. Nedd also took ten wickets in the Super50-over leg.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport on Saturday he expressed that it was a tremendous feeling of joy when he heard the news and plans to do his best.

“I’ll credit my parents, especially my father Garvin Nedd who paid a keen role throughout my cricketing career and also throughout the regional under 19 tournament who had been my motivation.

Since the tournament started he was sending me multiple voice notes in the morning before every match. I must say all the thanks should go to him and the Demerara Cricket Club who had also paid a key

role into my cricketing career from the start,” he further stated.

Given that he will be competing for a spot in the final 15-man squad against arguably the best current youth cricketers in the region, Nedd knows he has to bring his A-game.

“I will be focused enough within every aspect we carry out in the camp know that that the stepping stone of making the final 15-man squad.

In my game the area I should tighten up on is more consistency when bowling,” he posited.

Can he handle the pressure that might come? West Indies are the defending champions after a memorable win over India last year in Bangladesh.

“I think I can handle the pressure well I know a lot of the players in the squad and they have great ability. It wouldn’t be an easy task for the team but with the ability I know the team can bring success to the Caribbean once again,” the 16 year-old.

Given his stint in January 2015 playing for Tony Hartford U-17 Academy team of Trinidad and Tobago in a tour of New Zealand, the spinner feels it will be a big confidence booster should he make the final cut.

Likewise, his club mate Raymond Perez is eager to

Local wheelsmen battle the road for crucial points today

niles, seniors and veterans competing.

Paul DeNobrega currently leads the Classification with 146 points while Jamaul John is breathing down his neck with 145 points.

Cyclists such as Shaquel Agard, Raul Leal and Alanzo Ambrose will be looking to improve their standing on the table.

Briton John sits atop the table for the Juveniles while Junior Niles is first for the Veterans.

Paul DeNobrega is on top of the Guyana cycling news points table

G

uyana’s top cyclists will hit the road today as the Guyana Cycling Federation holds a road race for classification points.

The grueling race will begin from Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown at 8:00h then proceed to Timehri just before the Cheddi Jagan International Airport before heading to the Linden/Soesdyke junction then along the Linden/ Soesdyke highway to Camp Seweyo before turning back to finish at Homestretch avenue.

The race will see juve-

D

id Darren Sammy snub Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron at the post-match presentation ceremony at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday?

Sammy was a member of the World XI that played three T20s in Lahore this week, and on Friday his side lost the final game, and with it the series.

Cameron was in Lahore to discuss a potential tour to Pakistan by West Indies in November.

After the game, the WorldXI players lined up to receive medals from Cameron, who was part of the awards ceremony. Hashim Amla was

Raymond Perez

stake a claim for the ultimate heights for a youth cricketer.

“It was great feeling when I heard that I was selected.

Coming out of the regional tournament with the most runs was my main goal and getting picked for the West Indies camp and hopefully getting picked for the world cup is a great feeling,” the compact righthanded batsman stated.

Perez scored 348 runs from

Ashmead Nedd

six innings finishing unbeaten on three occasions which meant he averaged a staggering 116 and had a highest score of 77 against the Windward Islands.

“I looked to keep it to the basics, look at the new ball and see what the bowlers were doing. I knew a couple of bowlers so I knew what to expect from them. Night before my matches I would think of

how to score my runs and think what fields they would set for me.

I looked back to last year and to the fields they set and I know they will come with it again,” he explained.

Questioned on what areas he needs to address, he admitted improving his fitness.

Though many batsmen from the Caribbean maybe daunted by the challenge of playing on seaming pitches, Perez sees it as an opportunity to gather more runs.

“The pitches are quite different. I think they will be a bit quicker which is good for batsmen to get scores,” the 18 year-old contended.

Perez too was questioned on the pressure that awaits and stated, “there will be a lot of expectations from us, we are defending champions so a lot of teams will be looking at us and wanting to beat us. I think there is a bunch of good guys

who are talented and hopefully we come out successfully if we back our abilities.”

Shaping his career after talents such as Virat Kholi and Lendl Simmons, Perez has set his sights on either being the leading or close to the leading run scorer for Georgetown in the on-going Jaguars Franchise 3-day league so that he can enter the camp with an abundance of confidence.

The two-week training camp which runs from December 5 to 20 in Barbados and Antigua will be their final preparation in the Caribbean before travelling to the ICC Youth World Cup to be staged from January 13 to February 3.

The full squad reads; Alick Athanaze, Brad Barnes, Joshua Bishop, Cephas Cooper, Kishan Graham, Jarion Hoyte, Kirstan Kallicharran, Mikyle Louis, Aaron Maniram, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Darron Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keegan Simmons, Javier Spencer, Emmanuel Stewart, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young.

GFC and Police set up “Dream Final” in Corona Invitational Cup

T

he young talent of GFC will line up against the experience of the Guyana Police Force FC tonight in the final of the inaugural Corona Beer Invitational tournament at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC).

The hosts will be led by their most prolific scorer in recent times, Nigerian Benjamin Opara who has managed the incredible feat of scoring in every game he has played thus far.

Police will feel they can rely on experience as they come up against a GFC team with pure youth and talent.

At a recent press briefing held at GFC, Bourda, the management of both teams expressed optimism of producing a winning result in high-octane action.

GFC Manager Fizal Khan had bluntly stated: “We have

first in line, followed by Tamim Iqbal, Paul Collingwood, David Miller and then Sammy. As Tamim received his medal, Sammy turned away before jogging off. That sequence of events could clearly be seen on broadcast footage.

Was it a snub? Not according to Sammy, who famously took a very public pop at his board in the immediate aftermath of winning the World T20 in 2016, which ultimately led to his removal from the T20 captaincy just four months later. That was part of a bitter contractual dispute between players and the board that only now seems to be coming to an end.

Police hope they can arrest the youthful exuberance of GFC today

not come this far to come this far. We came this far to keep going.”

GFC who just last month celebrated their 115th anniversary as a club will be playing in their first final in al-

most a decade.

Shaquille Bowen who will captain GFC and has been with the club since the U-15 level has acknowledged their opponent’s experience but pointed towards his side’s

Darren Sammy

In July, the CWI offered “temporary amnesty” to players who earlier did not fit the selection criteria to make themselves available for ODIs. Consequently Chris Gayle is part of the West Indies limitedovers squad for the England series, which begins with the lone Twenty20 in Durham on Saturday. But Sammy, whose last match for the West Indies was the World Twenty20 final last April, has been ignored by the selectors.

Soon after the last game in Lahore, Sammy said to ESPNcricinfo that he hadn’t walked away from Cameron but had instead rushed off back

youth and talent.

On the opposing side, the lawmen are cautious but confident of adding another title to their collection.

With GFC holding the upper hand as they defeated Police 3-0 during the group stages, Police Coach Dwayne Bobb said that he looked at the defeat as an eye-opener and noted that his side will be very cautious.

The first game of the double header brings together Western Tigers and Northern Rangers in the third place play-off from 19:00h before the grand finale at 21:00h.

The stakes are high with the winners set to pocket $1 million and the championship trophy, while second to fourth place teams will walk away with $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding silverware.

to the dressing room for a toilet break. It is, he added, what he also did during the PSL final, where he had led Peshawar Zalmi to the title at the same venue.

Two voices from inside the World-XI dressing room, however, say that a snub is precisely what it was. Sammy, they say, does not want to have anything to do with Cameron.

Interestingly, Samuel Badree, Sammy’s one-time West Indies team-mate, and a member of the World XI did accept his medal from Cameron, even though he has also in the past expressed strong reservations about Cameron. (ESPN Cricinfo)

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, september 17, 2017

C

hris Gayle set the agenda with a traditionally six-laden cameo, while his heir apparent, Evin Lewis, lived up to his lofty billing with 51 from 28 balls, as West Indies withstood a chilly autumnal evening, and a spirited England fightback with the ball, to seal victory by 21 runs in the one-off T20 at Chester-le-Street.

On a night that could not have been further removed from the balmy, barmy circumstances of their previous T20 encounter, in the World T20 final in Kolkata 18 months ago, West Indies choked England’s ambitions, first through the spin twins of Sunil Narine and Ashley Nurse, and then through a canny spell of pace-off-theball from Kieron Pollard,

rampaged to 106 for 1, with Gayle and Lewis crunching seven sixes between them in a freewheeling partnership, but they were restricted to 70 for 8 thereafter, as Liam Plunkett’s deck-hitting aggression, allied to another wily spell of legspin from Adil Rashid, looked to have kept their target well within manageable proportions.

With the weather beginning to deteriorate as quickly as the temperature, the contest seemed to have swung decisively in England’s favour - the firstball dismissal of Jason Roy notwithstanding - when Alex Hales smashed 43 from 17 balls to launch their pursuit in a fusillade of boundaries. But when, in the sixth over, Hales missed a loose drive to be bowled by a glee-

Chris Gayle (left) and Evin Lewis gave the World T20 champions a flying start that laid the foundation for the win

Kesrick Williams and Carlos Brathwaite, at precisely the moment when it seemed their own resolve was about to crack in the inhospitable conditions.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, West Indies served up the definitive innings of two halves. At the halfway mark they had

ful Brathwaite, England’s usually power-packed middle order could produce no adequate substitute for his sublime ball-striking.

Joe Root, often so adept at working the gaps to allow his team-mates to clear the ropes, this time turned in a stodgy innings of 17 from 19 balls that came to an end

SCOREBOARD Windies Innings (Maximum 20 overs) CH Gayle run out (Roy/ Plunkett) 40 E Lewis c Root b Plunkett 51 MN Samuels c Root b Plunkett 10 CAK Walton† c Willey b Rashid 13 KA Pollard c Curran b Plunkett 6 R Powell c Jordan b Curran 28 CR Brathwaite* b Rashid 2 SP Narine lbw b Rashid 2 AR Nurse not out 13 JE Taylor lbw b Jordan 1 KOK Williams not out 2 Extras (lb-1, w-7) 8 TOTAL (For 9 wickets, 20 overs) 176 FOW: 1-77. 2-106, 3-115, 4-123, 5-127, 6-138, 7-142, 8-165, 9-167 Bowling; Willey 2-0-200 (w-1), Root 2-0-11-0 (w-2), Curran 4-0-46-1 (w-1), Jordan 4-0-46-1 (w-2), Plunkett 4-0-27-3 (w-1), Rashid 4-0-25-3

England Innings (Target: 177 runs from 20 overs) JJ Roy c Lewis b Taylor 0 AD Hales b Brathwaite 43 JE Root c Brathwaite b Nurse 17 EJG Morgan*c Lewis b Narine 2 JC Buttler† c Powell b Williams 30 JM Bairstow c sub (JN Mohammed) b Brathwaite 27 AU Rashid c†Walton b Williams 1 DJ Willey st †Walton b Narine 1 LE Plunkett b Brathwaite 18 CJ Jordan c Brathwaite b Williams 6 TK Curran not out 1 Extras (lb-5, w-4) 9 TOTAL (All out, 19.3 overs) 155 FOW: 1-0, 2-64, 3-66, 4-68, 5-118, 6-124, 7-127, 8-129, 9-148, 10-155 Bowling; Taylor 3-0-401, Williams 4-0-35-3 (w-3), Brathwaite 3.3-0-20-3, Narine 4-0-15-2, Nurse 3-0-23-1 (w-1), Pollard 2-0-17-0

with a low catch at short cover as Nurse struck with his third delivery. And spin continued to apply a tourniquet to England’s run-rate, as Eoin Morgan ducked and dived against Narine to no avail. After three consecutive dot-balls, Morgan reversed his hands for flick through backward point, but picked out the fielder to depart for 2 - his seventh consecutive single-figure score in all T20 innings.

The conditions were never easy for West Indies’ fielders - the cold and damp combined to create a funereal over-rate as well as regular protests about the slippery out-field. But with the umpires adamant that the show must go on - and the hardy Durham crowd certainly never lost the faith in that regard - West Indies found a second wind as England’s innings dribbled through the middle overs.

If anyone was going to reignite the run-chase, it was Jos Buttler, whose mere presence was a reminder that nothing could be taken for granted. But with little pace to work with, he was unable to risk his habitual dinks over the keeper’s head for fear of holing out behind square, and he had

23

Windies players celebrate another wicket with Man-of-the-Match Sunil Narine (left)

been limited to two boundaries in a 27-ball stay when a Williams short ball induced a spliced pull to Rovman Powell at deep midwicket.

Williams - who had borne the brunt of Hales’ earlier onslaught, when pace on the ball had equalled pace off the bat - then made it two in the over as a skittish Rashid gloved an attempted ramp to the keeper. Narine returned for his final over, that included the stumping off David Willey for 1, before

Jonny Bairstow - England’s final, final hope - capped a collapse of 4 for 11 in 14 balls when he shovelled a Brathwaite slower ball to backward square leg.

Fittingly, it was the captain Brathwaite - remember that name? - who put the seal on the victory as Plunkett missed a slog across the line with three balls of the innings remaining. England were all out for 155, done in by some canny bowling and a classy outfit

who proved, as if it needed reiterating, that their World T20 triumph was no fluke.

In the final analysis, however, it was West Indies’ flying start with the bat that proved the decisive difference between the sides. And fittingly, given that what little hype in the build-up to this contest had centred around the master and the apprentice at the top of West Indies’ order, it was Gayle and Lewis who shared top billing. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Allicock backing himself for gold in Chile

By Michelangelo Jacobus

H

aving fought his way to a silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth games in The Bahamas recently, young fly-weight boxer Keevin Allicock has now set his sights on gold when he jets off to Santiago, Chile to represent Guyana at the South American Youth Games later this month.

Allicock is currently going through intense training at the Andrew “Sixhead” Lewis gym under the tutelage of Coach Terrence Poole along with another young boxer Christopher Moore.

When Guyana Times Sport visited the gym, the young boxer was engaged in a sparring session and was looking sharp, focused and aggressive.

After the session, the 18-year old noted that since he returned from the Bahamas, he only took a week off before resuming his rigorous training. “The training has been intense and good, we only have just about two weeks left and we are putting in the last strength work and the pow-

er, the speed and the skill is already there” Allicock confidently declared.

With Allicock’s success and hard work, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) earlier this month provided funding to the tune of $70,000 ahead of the boxer’s trip to Chile which is to assist with his nutritional and equipment needs.

He will also be getting a monthly sum of $40,000 as of November.

The outspoken young man was keen to point out that he has been looking forward to funding from the association for a long time and was quick to express his gratitude.

“I have been looking forward to it (funding) for a very long time now; I want to say thanks to the GOA, I can’t make any complaints, I don’t have to think about where I am going to get a pair of boots from or anything like that.”

The young pugilist thinks that he is prepared and ready for the games in Chile declaring that he will bring the gold home; “I think I am prepared and ready, I think I’m going to do it, by the grace of God I’m going to do it, I’m going

Keevin Allicock is confident that he will bring home the gold later this month

to bring the gold home.”

Allicock will lead a threeman team representing the Guyana Boxing Association to the South American Youth Championships in Chile later this month. The 18-year-old dapper boxer

will be accompanied to the Games by 16-year-old lightweight Christopher Moore and coach Terrence Poole.

The South American Championship is scheduled for September 27 to October 8 in Santiago.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

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

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Windies outclass England by 21 runs

Pg 23

Windies’ had a close to perfect evening in the field despite the unfamiliar chilly conditions

Pg 22

GFC and Police set up “Dream Final” in Corona Invitational Cup Home team, GFC will fancy their chances against the lawmen who have been a little inconsistent

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September 17, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

Selena Gomez's kidney transplant surgery a success Page 14 FREE DISTRIBUTION

Inside

Living with Cerebral Palsy Page 2

Charity: A Historical Focus Page 4

Scenic Kopinang Page 8

Art of Fashion Page 10

Masterpieces and Stories Page 3

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Feature

know. Due to Cerebral Palsy, a physical disability affecting his balance and impairing the use of his upper limbs, Norris often experiences debilitating pain from his neck down. Despite this, Norris is known among his colleagues for his sense of humour, infectious laughter, and his determination to overcome adversity.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Norris disclosed that it was Norris Cummings is known for his positivity and infectious smiles the nurses’ negligence by delaying his delivery and lack hile most of us as he has been living with of oxygen to the brain at find the movement Cerebral Palsy, commonbirth that caused him to be of our head and ly referred to as ‘CP’, since born with CP. hands as natural as breath- birth.

But Norris has not aling, Norris Cummings Norris has overcome oblowed CP to prevent him knows what it’s like to ex- stacles many may never from pursuing his dreams.

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A skilful entrepreneur

Norris (left), with colleagues, recently graduated from BIT with a certificate in computer repairs

perience the loss of such abilities

Norris attended the Diamond Special Needs School, where he learned much about independence from his teachers and others like himself. At home, his siblings assisted him with everyday activities, which ultimately taught him to fend for himself.

The 26-year-old mentioned he reads all the time, which has contributed to him being able to articulate fluently despite his slurred speech.

After special needs school, Norris attended the Open Door Centre in Sophia.

There he studied information technology, covering programmes such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and reprogramming of computers.

Having limited control in his hands, he skilfully uses the computer with his feet.

“I started practicing using my feet when I was in the special needs school to write.

Like any normal nursery student, you start off trac-

ing letters which I did. I then moved on to

write in cursive, which later helped in using my feet effectively to operate the computer. I didn’t really get into computer hardware because of the fact I’m using my feet, and certain parts are very small and fragile. After I completed my courses at Open Door, I went to Global Technology to do graphic design. Although they didn’t have facility at that time when I enrolled, they implemented this to accommodate me, which I think is very commendable,” he remarked.

Equipped with his certification in computer software, Norris opened his small business, Foot Works Graphic Printing & Photocopying Shop, at his home in New Hope on the East Bank of Demerara. He works as a graphic artist designing brochures, ads, newsletters and much more. He also helps out students in his village with the typing of their assignments.

Interestingly, Norris uses his feet expertly even for eating. “For eating, I use my feet very comfortably. I can also clean myself. When I’m out, though, I would need assistance as there aren’t any facilities really for those with disabilities. I have a couple of really good friends who would help me when we hang out. I have friends with and without disabilities. I’m thankful for the support I receive from my friends and family,” Norris expressed.

Challenges

But the young entrepreneur is irked at the reaction of others when they see his disability. They stare and would make fun of him; however, he is “too smart to bother with illiterate people”.

Additionally, Norris is resolute to never allow what others say or do to him to discourage him.

Another challenge he encounters is the use of public transportation. Norris said it is very difficult for persons with disabilities to travel using minibuses.

“Most of the time I would travel by myself using public transportation. Only those who know me would stop, the others just slow down and when they see me they drive away. This makes me feel like I’m not a human

'DJ Foot' on his mixer

to these persons. But what I want to highlight is that we never wish these things upon ourselves. Accidents and unforeseen occurrences can make us paralysed for life, so I don’t think they should treat people with disabilities differently,” Norris declared.

Goals

Norris’ goal is to one day make his business into an empire, where he could employ others with disabilities. As part of Young Voices Guyana, which advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities, Norris wants to do more in seeing the rights of the disabled fulfilled. He is focused too on creating forums with various locations on implementing facilities that are disability friendly.

Norris also wants to see a better attitude from minibus

operators in helping people living with disabilities.

His advice to those with disabilities is to know it is “not the end of the world” and that they should not give up on their goals. He encourages them to be as positive as possible and never allow others to dissuade them because of their disability.

“Take a page from my book,” he insisted, “I am not permitting anyone to stop me from pursuing my dreams.”

Recently, Norris, who is also a DJ and goes by the moniker, ‘DJ Foot’, graduated with a certificate in computer repairs from the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Check out Foot Works Graphic Printing & Photocopying Shop on Facebook to find out more about Norris’ work or call 592-638-0465.

Tips on disability etiquette by the National Commission on Disability: -Talk to adults as adults; don’t treat persons with disabilities like children.

-Never ask, “What happened to you?” People with disabilities don’t want to focus on their disability; they want to be treated normally.

-Speak directly to the person with a disability, don’t ask their relative or companions questions about them.

-Use a normal tone of voice. Don’t shout or talk overly slowly.

-Never assume what a person with a disability wants, ask them.

-If offering assistance to someone, wait for them to accept before going ahead.

-Use physical contact in the same way you would for any other person. If you would normally shake hands, shake hands.

-Say “person with a disability” and avoid using “differentlyable, the disabled, handicapped, crippled, deformed, defective, bruk-up”.

Using his feet to type on the computer

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature 'Enjoyment' by Jerry Marco

Go on a remarkable journey where legends, themes and worlds come alive through evocative art

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Painting by Victor Captain

orks of art can stimulate, astound and transform us.

For this reason, a visit to the indigenous art exhibition being held at Castellani House is a must.

The exhibition, which opened on September 6 in celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month, showcases awe-inspiring, naturalistic paintings, drawings, crafts and sculptures.

Additionally, the art exhibition, which is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, pays homage to a pioneer promoter of indigenous art and craft, Sr. Theresa La Rose, R.S.M.

At the opening of the exhibition, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dept. of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr George Norton spoke on La Rose’s role in the preservation of indigenous art and craft, noting that art forms an integral part of Guyanese culture. According to Minister Norton, the exhibition “offers persons a better appreciation of the time, efforts and sacrifices that were put into the art by the artists, something that most persons take for granted; as such there is no better way of preserving this aspect of indigenous culture than the hosting of such an exhibition to portray the works of

Guyana’s first peoples to the eyes of the wider society.”

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, urged indigenous artists to keep the works of La Rose alive.

“I am hoping that one day, through these very artistic ways, we can be able to shape a nation that is as colourful as the rainbow. The rainbow is not beautiful because it is divided… it keeps its formation, so if we keep our understanding of our roots, we keep our culture… each and every one of us… then we come together with respect, we will be as beautiful as that rainbow…” expressed Minister Allicock.

Sr. Theresa La Rose, who died in 2009, lives on as an ‘Amerindian’ icon.

She was from the village of Santa Rosa in Region One (Barima-Waini). She was born Mary Theresa La Rose to Edmund and Amelia La Rose. She took the name Sister Theresa La Rose she became a nun. She received her early education at Santa Rosa School and, having entered the religious order of the Sisters of Mercy in 1953, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the College Misericordia in Pennsylvania, US. As an educator, La Rose served in schools located in Guyana’s interior as well as in Georgetown.

Subsequently, she worked as a government official in various capacities among Guyana’s hinterland population. It was during this time as a government offi-

"Palace of the Peacock" by George Simon. Oil on canvas

"Blue and Yellow Head" by Victor Captain

cial that she focused her attention on identifying and nurturing the creative talents of Guyana’s indigenous peoples. She went on to manage a craft shop that showcased and sold indigenous crafts, seeking out works of highest quality for local and international exhibitions, up to the time of her death.

The exhibition, which continues until September 27, currently displays works by indigenous artists Victor Captain, Jerry Marco, Guy Marco, George Simon, Desmond Alli, Wilkie George, Ronsford Simon, Oswald Hussein and Roland Taylor.

Gallery hours are 10am to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays and 2pm to 6pm on Saturdays; the gallery is closed on Sundays and holidays. Castellani House, National Gallery of Art, is located on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown. For more information on the exhition, call 225-0579.

(Information extracted from comments by Laureen Pierre. Additional reporting by Paula Gomes) (Cover photo: "Sacrifice to bring Colour" by Jerry Marco)

Painting by Ronsford Simon

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Feature

A Historical Focus

By Isahak Basir, CCH

C

harity, Pomeroon River, is said to have existed about 3,000 years ago. It has a population of over 5,000 and exhibits a well laid out housing scheme which is ever developing. This small township is the main intransit point leading to Region One, Venezuela and Trinidad and holds a rich cultural heritage.

Charity has all the basic amenities inclusive of banking and customs facility as well as road and river transport system. It is an exciting hub for tourists.

Originally, Charity was occupied by the Dutch settlers in 1640. In the area

of Vryden Hope, cotton was cultivated. By 1840, the Portuguese occupied much of the abandoned Dutch plantations in the lower Pomeroon, and the area of Vryden Hope was divided and part of it was allocated as Charity by Alfred Surroung and Manuel Gouveia. These two families cultivated coffee and established the first steamdriven coffee mill in 1896.

The intermarriages of Goveias, Vansluytman and Stolls saw the rapid economic and cultural development of this enclave. At that time, the Portuguese land owners were solely dependent on African and indentured laborers to cultivate their farm lands.

The post office

The 100-year-old masjid

Access to the Pomeroon River was by the Tapakuma Lake or by sea until the road link between Dartmouth and Charity was discovered in 1908.

The trail was discovered by three young hunters- Jerry Goveia, John Baharally and Gusy Surroung. It was an early morning expedition by these three trail blazers. The starting point was at the eastern end of the Charity coffee estate now known as “bamboo bridge.” After trailing for eight hours in swamps and tall grass teeming with wildlife, they saw rising smoke in a remote direction and followed it only to discover that they had reached an Essequibo civilization.

This happening was historic and the colonial government agreed to purchase the coffee estate of Charity and surrounding

area for $8,000 Guyana dol- Uar Pradesh. They arrived lars and commenced build- in Berbice in 1885 and ing the twelve kilometers were bound for Hampton road. The Portuguese com- Court sugar plantation. munity donated the school After serving six years of and church lands and being indentured servants, Goveia’s house was used as they were released and the new administrative of- found temporary shelter fice. at an abandoned estate at The police sta- Plantation Beer Success in tion was relocated from 1892.

Marlborough in the lower The road link from Pomeroon, and the Court Darthmouth to Charity Hall from Macaseema, up- in 1908 allowed easy acper Pomeroon, to Charity. cess to the Pomeroon The first school was built by River. Sarafraz and felthe Catholic Church. The low “Jahajees” in 1911 ocfirst medical centre was cupied several ten acres built in 1928 but was re- of land between Marndale built to facilitate a hospital and Siriki in the Pomeroon in 1935 when a pregnant River. Sarafraz estate was mother gave birth to twin known as “Rabeah.” His colgirls on the Charity market leagues, Hamid, Refeedeen, wharf. The first fuel outlet Kallod and two others, supwas made by the Raliims ported the first troolie roof in 1938, opposite the site Masjid built by him in of the old hospital.

During the World War 2, rubber was a scarce commodity, so rubber trees were planted in 1939.

Some rubber trees are still around today.

Another legendary event was during the excavation of a Dutch canal in 1880 where an indentured shovelman found a jar of Dutch gold gilders at Charity. The estate owner, Timothy Vansluytman, made sure that the labourer was given special elite status for the rest of his life.

Charity is home to many landmarks.

One such valuable landmark is the Jacklow Masjid, originally built in 1912 by Mohamed Sarafraz. It celebrates 100 years of existence this year.

Sarafraz and his wife Gafooran came to Guyana from India as indentured Indians.

Sarafraz came from the province of Punjab while Gafooran came from Silk cotton tree still standing

January 1912.

The mosque was rebuilt in 1924 and later in 1959 as its present structure. This Masjid serves an area of thirty miles where several Muslim families reside.

All the Muslim calendar events are observed there.

Subratee, who came as a small child with his parents from India in 1902, was a regular member of the Jamaat. He lived for 103 years. This gives evidence of the longevity of this landmark.

The traditional landmark, the huge silk cotton tree, still stands tall on the river side of Charity township. The bamboo bridge site, the rubber trees, and silk cotton tree should be preserved for posterity.

(Photos by Marco Basir)

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

…a few factors that contributed to Cynthia Dookie winning the coveted Miss Global International 2017 crown

S

unday Times Magazine recently interviewed Guyanese fitness trainer, advocate, and the newly crowned Miss Global International 2017, Cynthia Dookie. Below is her interview on overcoming doubts, winning the Miss Global

International 2017 pageant and what she hopes to accomplish via the crown.

S u n d a y T i m e s Magazine: What was instrumental in you winning the Miss Global International 2017 title?

C y n t h i a Dookie: The competition for this pageant was very tough, each delegate brought their ‘A game’.

Several factors were instrumental in winning this title: support

I received from my team; strength from God; and determination in my heart. I went there [Jamaica where the pageant was held] with one mission - to defend my country to the best of my ability. I am proud to have accomplished this for myself and for Guyana.

Sunday Times Magazine: Prior to the pageant, what was your determination?

Cynthia Dookie: I am a sound believer in, ‘I can do anything I set my mind and heart to’. No matter the challenge or the obstacles in my way, I can overcome it all through prayer and confidence. With everything I do in my life, I set out to make my parents proud.

I also say to myself, ‘My dad is up in heaven looking

Miss Global International 2017, Cynthia Dookie

down on me and I want to make him proud of the person I am today’.

Sunday Times Magazine: Who/what contributed to you winning the pageant?

Cynthia Dookie: From the beginning, I have always had the best team anyone can ask for: my national directors [Miss Global International Guyana franchise holders], Mr Hashim Alli and his beautiful wife, Mrs Melicia Partab-Alli, along with Ms Gina Macedo, who is like my sister. This is my ‘dream team’. They have been my support system every step of the way; I could not have done this without them. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and my supporters and sponsors.

Sunday Times Magazine: Did you ever doubt winning the pageant?

Cynthia Dookie: In the beginning, I had my doubts.

However, I always believe I could do it. I prayed for strength and guidance, and I stepped out and did my best every day leading up to the pageant. I believe if I gave it my all, I would come out victorious. I thank God that I did. In the end, hard work and dedication always pay off.

Being in Jamaica, and having a Jamaican contestant in the pageant, I thought the other delegates and I would have had just a few supporters. However, to my surprise, I had quite a lot of non-Guyanese supporters, who came out in their numbers, picked

With Hashim Alli (left) and Melicia Partab-Alli (right)

Displaying her national costume at the Miss Global International 2017 pageant in Jamaica

a delegate and show their support by screaming and applauding from beginning to end. I'm absolutely honoured to say I was one of the delegates they were supporting.

Apart from winning the crown, I was awarded Miss Most Aware and a special award for Best Evening Gown [designed by Guyanese fashion designer, Randy Madray].

Sunday Times Magazine: What do you hope to accomplish via your new title?

Cynthia Dookie: Being the Miss Global International 2017 title

holder, I have the ability to lend my voice to various charitable causes and social issues, which is what I intend to do. I don't want to stand on just one platform. Most importantly, I want to lend a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

One of my main responsibilities as the Miss Global International 2017 title holder is to uphold the motto of the Miss Global International franchise – ‘Uniting the World through Beauty and Tourism’.

I intend to work diligently to promote peace, love and harmony among our neigh-

bouring countries. I will do my best to motivate young women to be confident in themselves. I will promote the tourism factors in my country and around the world, educating people on how beautiful the world is and measures we can take to help care and protect the world and beautiful people in it.

I have a special project near and dear to my heart, which I’m currently planning to launch soon.

Visit Miss Global International Guyana on Facebook for more information.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Literary Corner

The Andrew Carnegie vision: Still alive 108 years later

By Petamber Persaud

W

henever we think about the history of the National Library of Guyana, the name Andrew Carnegie looms large in those considerations and reminis-

cences. But his is not the only name of substance, nor is his most fundamental gift of establishing the library the only noteworthy contribution carrying the library into its 108th anniversary in September 2017. However, his was the

most significant contribution to the library.

The National Library has grown in stature since the early years of 20th century, overcoming many challenges, even the death knell of books sounded over a genera-

tion ago, which was indirectly a death knell of libraries. But there will always be books, in whatever form, and there will always be libraries, in whatever form.

I’m not using the phrase “in whatever form” with ref-

Andrew Carnegie

erence to books and libraries lightly. And there is an important reason for this: the maker(s) of the library’s mission statement was/were cognizant of change when making reference to ‘information in printed and other formats’. The full mission statement spells out the role of the National Library, thus: “To satisfy both nationally and internationally, the informational and recreational needs of the library’s users through the collection, organisation, dissemination and preservation of information in printed and other formats”.

It is written that ‘the only thing that is constant is change’, and the National Library has never shied away from change. When the library opened its doors to the public in September 1909, it was a closed access system in place meaning that the user’s selected material was guarded handed to him/her. Also at the beginning, the name of the institution was the Carnegie Free Library. There were several name changes: it was named the Georgetown Public Free Library, then the Public Free Library, and now the National Library.

A major change occurred in 1940 when the library became an open access system wherein the user was free to go to the shelves and choose reading material. This resulted in increased usage of the institution. Another major change occurred a decade later resulting in the expansion of library services directly to other parts of the country.

According to two former librarians, Gwyneth George and Gillian Thompson, writing “A Historical Perspective of the National Library of Guyana”, stated: “The third significant development occurred in 1950. Public Free Library Ordinance (No.13 of 1950) was passed by the Legislature. The title read ‘An Ordinance to amend the Georgetown Public Free library Ordinance in order to provide for the establishment of branch public libraries and other public library services at

any place within the colony’.”

Today, the National Library, which is referred to as Central Library, has five branches: Corriverton, New Amsterdam, Ruimveldt, Linden, and Bagotville. The library also boasts of a bookmobile service, over 30 centres and numerous ‘Deposit Collections’ in communities too small for the establishment of a centre, all “in service to the community” - as its motto reads.

Today, the National Library continues its mandate to empower the community as it strives to improve the literacy and numeracy level in this information age.

All of this would not have been possible without the initial contribution of Andrew Carnegie, philanthropist and visionary. The National Library of Guyana was established in 1909 with funding provided by Andrew Carnegie, who in the 1880s set up a fund for the establishment of libraries all over the world.

This library was among five libraries in the West Indies that was founded by Carnegie. It is recorded that he was responsible for the establishment of some 2,500 libraries.

Apart from having money, Carnegie had a vision for society through the services of libraries. A few of his quotations will attest this: A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.

I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people, because they give nothing for nothing.

They only help those who help themselves.

There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.hank you Andrew Carnegie and happy 108th anniversary National Library!

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

Notice to Readers

If you have a poem and/or short story you would like to publish on our Literary Corner page, please email to guyanatimes@gmail.com.

Kindly include your correct name and a contact number in your email. If you have any questions, please call 223-7230 or 223-7231.

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

Migrating to a new world The first peoples were migrants, arriving to face an infinitely different environment from present day

A

Paleo-Indian projectile point, north-western Guyana

ccording to Guyanese anthropologist Denis Williams, the Americas began to be populated around 12,000 years ago when global decline in sea levels led to exposed land below seas that allowed the crossing of early man through the Bering Strait from East Asia into North America, and gradual southern migration.

These migrants, known as paleo-Indians (old Indians), are also described as big game hunters since they are known to have hunted the large game of the late Ice Age era. Using flaked stone tools to hunt, it is the discovery of their

tools and implements throughout the Americas, as far as at the edge of Argentina, that records their southward migrations.

Williams noted that the first peoples entered northwestern Guyana about 11,000 years ago when Trinidad was yet part of the South American mainland, and grassy savannahs extended far out into the Atlantic Ocean we know of today.

The coastlands of an ancient era were markedly different from the present day Guyana coastline.

Evidence from the deep mud below today’s coastline suggest stands of mangrove forests existed some

8,000 years ago, and as proof of continual rising of coastline and sea, mangrove forests are indicated some 7,000 years ago, until the sea reached its present level some 6,000 years ago.

As continuous land penetration and coastal erosion occurred over the millennia, old beaches were isolated that comprised either shell or sand. These reefs, Williams noted, have provided the foundations for the earliest railways of the 19th century, and have been of significant cultural importance.

According to Williams, while the clays of the Coastal Plain were being deposited to the east of the Essequibo River by a rising sea, the land west of the Essequibo River was subject to continual subsidence resulting from movement of the earth’s crust. As the land surface subsided, the water table rose.

As clay sediments were deposited, they were gradually covered by varying thickness of pegasse accumulating under the water table, forming the vast 3,500 square kilometres pegasse swamps of the North West.

It is in this period, beginning some 7,000 years ago – regarded as the Archaic period – that the mesoIndians (middle Indians) or hunter gatherers because of their subsistence on hunting, fishing and gath-

ering or collecting wild plant foods, thrived.

However, unlike North West and Pomeroon hunter-gatherers, those of the Guyana interior were nomadic, constantly moving their sites from place to place. In fact, there is some variance in settlement patterns in the contrasting environments.

While Rupununi and North West hunter-gatherers’ degrees of permanency varied, settlements along the Oronoque and New rivers in the rainforest areas were more fixed.

In the Pegasse swamps of the North West, food resources included fish and crustaceans, beetle larvae and wild plant sources such as wild cashew and the ite palm from which a type of flour was produced. Among the savannah peoples, water fowl, fish, turtles, caiman and deer were bountiful food sources, while during the rainy season there is evidence of sustenance from the forest such as sloth and monkeys.

Hunter-gatherers of the rainforest sustained themselves on the abundance of fish at the end of the rainy season, along with a staple of wild nuts and wild prey.

Arawak Timehri petroglyphs

From their early settlement in what is now Guyana, the indigenous peoples developed or maintained and extended their culture and heritage now being celebrated during Indigenous Heritage Month. With the history of slavery and indentureship, colonialism and independence, the history of Guyana’s indigenous peoples is now linked with the relatively new arrivals to add to the country’s diverse yet integrated heritage. (Photos taken from “Pages in Guyanese Prehistory” by Denis Williams. Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, 1995)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Travel & Tourism

Scenic Kopinang W

ith some of the tallest Pakaraima peaks in the distance, mountain streams, waterfalls, vast savannah land and pristine rainforests, Kopinang is a bucket list adventure.

Described as “one of the most beautiful villages in Guyana�, Kopinang, located in the North Pakaraimas (Potaro/Siparuni), is home of the indigenous nation, the Patamona.

Wokumung/Kopinang Mountain takes up most of the background of Kopinang Mission - some of the highest peaks in Guyana, some reaching up to 6,000ft. They make up part of the North Pakaraimas in the Potaro region. The entire area is scenic and is wellkept by the community.

Aerial view of a section of the village (Photo from The Beauty of Kopinang page on Facebook)

Another of Kopinang's many waterfalls (Photo from The Beauty of Kopinang page on Facebook)

Picturesque waterfall in Kopinang (Photo by James Deeges)

Kopinang Primary School

Pit stop in Kopinang

Breathtaking scene in Kopinang (Photo from The Beauty of Kopinang page on Facebook)

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Health

Lymphatic filariasis

L

ymphatic filariasis, commonly referred to as ‘filaria’ in Guyana, is a parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms. The adult worms only live in the human lymph system. The lymph system maintains the body's fluid balance and fights infections.

How is lymphatic filariasis spread?

The disease spreads from person to person by mosquito bites. When a mosquito bites a person who has lymphatic filariasis, microscopic worms circulating in the person's blood enter and infect the mosquito. People get lymphatic filariasis from the bite of an infected mosquito. The microscopic worms pass from the mosquito through the skin, and travel to the lymph vessels. In the lymph vessels they grow into adults. An adult worm lives for about 5–7 years.

The adult worms mate and release millions of microscopic worms, called microfilariae, into the blood. People with the worms in their blood can give the infection to others through mosquitoes.

Signs and symptoms of lymphatic filariasis

Most infected people are asymptomatic (producing or showing no symptoms) and will never develop clinical symptoms, despite the fact that the parasite damages the lymph system. A small percentage of persons will develop lymphedema. This is caused by improper functioning of the lymph system that results in fluid collection and swelling.

This mostly affects the legs, but can also occur in the arms, breasts, and genitalia. Most people develop these clinical manifestations years after being infected.

The swelling and the decreased function of the lymph

Kids Health

Why Do I Need to Wash My Hands?

"D

id you wash your hands?" How many times did you hear that today? Probably a lot. But why are adults so hung up on hand washing?

Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all of the things that you touched today — from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside to dig around the dirt.

Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It's easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.

You can't wear rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those germs don't get a chance to make you or someone else sick.

So when are the best times to wash your hands?

• When your hands are dirty • Before eating or touching food (like if you're helping cook or bake, for example) • After using the bathroom • After blowing your nose or coughing • After touching pets or other animals • After playing outside • Before and after visiting a sick relative or friend Now you have the when and the why of hand washing.

But did you know that a lot of people don't know how to get their paws perfectly clean?

The next time you're told to step up to the sink and scrub up, remember these handy hints: 1. Use warm water (not cold or hot) when you wash your hands.

2. Use whatever soap you like. Some soaps come in cool shapes and colours or smell nice, but whatever kind gets you scrubbing is the kind you should use. Antibacterial soaps are OK to use, but regular soap works fine.

3. Work up some lather on both sides of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Don't forget to wash around your nails. This is one place germs like to hide. Wash for about 10 to 15 seconds — about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday." (Sing it quickly two times or just once if you go nice and slow.)

4. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

system make it difficult for the body to fight germs and infections. Affected persons will have more bacterial infections in the skin and lymph system. This causes hardening and thickening of the skin, which is called elephantiasis.

Many of these bacterial infections can be prevented with appropriate skin hygiene.

Men can develop hydrocele or swelling of the scrotum due to infection with one of the parasites that causes LF, specifically W. bancrofti.

Prevention

Avoiding mosquito bites is the best form of prevention.

The mosquitoes that carry the microscopic worms usually bite between the hours of dusk and dawn. If you live in or

travel to an area with lymphatic filariasis: Sleep under a mosquito net.

Wear long sleeves and trousers.

Use mosquito repellent on exposed skin between dusk and dawn.

Treatment for lymphatic filariasis

People infected with adult worms take a yearly dose of medicine, called diethylcarbamazine (DEC) that kills the microscopic worms circulating in the blood. While this drug does not kill all of the adult worms, it does prevent infected people from giving the disease to someone else.

If you think you may have a parasitic infection, consult a health care provider. (CDC)

10 Sunday Times Magazine Fashion

Art

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

of

D

esigner Darnel Webb is inspired by his love for the art of application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing.

“The inspiration behind the clothing I work on comes from the love I have for fashion and it’s ever evolving trend. My passion to always be the best and looking different made me bring my own ideas to life. From bespoke designs, black and white to bleach, I’ve used these concepts to design more than ‘just’ a shirt or pants. Although I was faced with numerous challenges, I overcame and continue to hone my designing talent,” the designer expressed in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

For more information on Webb’s designs featured today, call 592-677-6105.

Men’s Style Tips

Right colours to wear for your skin tone A cquainting yourself with a few key rules when it comes to knowing the colours that are sure to complement you is essential to your style.

In order to know what colour suits your skin tone, take a look at your forearm. You need to determine whether your skin is pale, medium/olive, or dark. Once that’s out of the way, read on for a guide to finding the colours that work for you.

Darker Skin: The colour of your skin is perfectly positioned to marry well with the vast majority of hues and shades, but you must add balance to your outfit with a containing colour, which will hold the look together.

Avoid brown because it won’t contrast clearly enough with your skin, resulting in your look ‘bleeding’ into your skin.

While black and navy are two key colours in any man’s wardrobe (making up the majority of formal and corporate wear), it’s worth keeping these to a minimum to really make the most of your especially versatile skin tone.

Fair/Pale Skin: If you’ve got pale skin and light features, darker colours like grey, brown, burgundy, bottle green, navy and bolder shades of blue will all work well as these shades contrast with your skin tone.

Aside from the basics above, taking note of the colours you’re wearing when someone pays you a compliment on how you’re looking or what you’re wearing can make for a useful gauge of which colours show you in your best light.

Olive/Medium Skin: If you’ve got olive-toned skin that tends to tan rather than toast in the sun, then you have what’s known as a ‘warm’ complexion. Choose pale beige rather than warm sand if you’re opting for light neutrals or try a bolder shade of purple (such as magenta) rather than mauve, for example.

For a ‘summer-ready’ look, try going all-white or mixing light neutrals. Since your skin will likely have yellow or green undertones, you should avoid wearing shades of these colours that are too close to your skin tone.

guyanatimesgy.com

Sunday Times Magazine 11

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Home & Cooking

Recipe of the week

&

Honey Budget Friendly Ways to Garlic Decorate With Nature

Shrimp S

ave money, use sticks and stones and other natural elements to give your home décor that trendy natural look.

Ingredients:

½ cup honey ¼ cup soy sauce 3 cloves garlic, minced Juice of one small lemon 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tbsp. butter

Instructions:

In a small bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic and lemon.

Add half of the sauce to the shrimp and let marinate for 30 minutes.

In a medium-sized skillet, add the butter. Add the shrimp and discard marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium high. Cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes each side. Add the reserved marinade and pour over shrimp. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the shrimp.

Cut twigs to similar height and paint them white to create a stick vase (left). Hot glue the twigs to a glass or plastic jar. The glue may not hold for long, so once you have the twigs where you want them, wrap twine or rope around the whole thing for a more permanent hold. A tree stump full of coloured pencils (right) makes an eye-catching display. Use a drill bit slightly larger than the pencils. Apply a little spray sealer to the top and bottom of the stump to help preserve it.

Greatest Cooking Tips Chicken breasts are expensive and can get dull after a while; thighs, however, are juicier, cheaper, and more flavourful.

Ground spices die quickly. So smell them before cooking; if they don’t smell like anything, they won’t taste like anything.

And if they don’t taste like anything, you’re cooking with a flavourless, brown powder.

Put the lid on the pot to make your water boil faster.

Buy a large bowl and keep it at the ready to fill up with egg shells and other trash generated while cooking.

Glass cutting boards send shivers down your spine when you use them. They dull your knives. They’re slippery. And they’re hard to use. Use wood, bamboo or plastic instead.

This pair of accent tables was made using rough-cut lumber and old metal chair legs. Let lumber dry out for a while, maybe up to a few months (they may crack, and that is okay). Use that time to locate some cool table bases like these old office chair legs. When the logs are sufficiently dried out, sand them smooth and apply a coat or two of wax.

Home Help If your kitchen sponge is filthy and smells, how can you expect it get your dishes clean?

Slip a pillowcase over ceiling fan blades, one at a time, then wipe. Dust falls into the pillowcase, not on your furniture and floors.

To clean popcorn ceilings, roll a damp paint roller over the ceiling to pick up dust and cobwebs without knocking down pieces of the ceiling the way sweeping would.

Baby wipes are surprisingly effective because they contain very little moisture, have gentle cleaning agents, and dry quickly. Just don't confuse them with cleaning wipes, which might contain bleach or other harmful chemicals.

Turn a sturdy piece of driftwood into a bohemian-style coat rack. Use rope to create straps and then drill into the top of the wood to sink in some large S hooks. This rack is perfect for the bathroom.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Puzzles

Crossword

ACROSS

108 Woman in white

1 Frogman's gear

109 Barber's offering

6 Wishing undone

111 Winter warmer 11 Humble

113 -- box

16 Point the finger

115 Himalayan sighting

21 Fire chief's suspicion

119 India's Mother - 22 Cancel

121 Hunter's gear

23 FYI notes

123 Dot in a river

24 Pertaining to hearing

125 Bird beak 25 Like some canoes 126 Reef maker

26 Sink unclogger

127 Serengeti roarers

27 Law

129 Hard roll

28 Tongue-lash

131 Wee bits

29 -- out (relax) 133 Battery's "+" end

30 Non-earthling 134 Motel extras

32 Bogged down

135 Shelved for now (2 wds.)

34 Pitch in

136 Nanny

137 Doctrine 36 D'Artagnan prop

38 Camel halts

138 Theater trophies

40 More upscale

139 Bob Marley's "-- Dread" 42 Distributes

140 Restful color

43 Boast about

45 Total DOWN

1 Soothing ointment

47 Overjoy

49 Opposed

2 Move furtively

52 "Abra-Ca- --"

3 Common practice

53 Bandies words

4 -- choy

5 Novelist -- Seton

54 Longbow wood

57 Like sandpaper

6 Bright, as a smile

58 Word on an invoice

7 Trouble brewing 8 Absurd

59 Cockpit occupant

60 "She Loves You" refrain

9 Wimple sporter

61 Prayer-wheel turners

10 Latch onto

62 Quick glimpses

11 Either of two continents

63 Wingless insects 12 Adorn

64

13 Mushrooms and yeast Nitrogen compound 14 Assn.

65 Unseal, to a poet 66 Returns

15 This senora

68 Thomas Gray opus

16 Droopy-eared dogs

69 Deejay's countdown list (2 wds.)

17 Plexiglas

71 70 Grind

18 Got up

73

72

Superman's girl 19 Soda fountain treats 74

73 Unfired brick

20 Times of yore 76

31 Third-rate 74 Get ready

77

75 New Orleans player

33 More than lethargic 78

77 Seaweed

35 Nobody's fool

79

78 Prefix equivalent to "-ish"

37 Faye Dunaway role 80

79 Curved entrance 39 Overloads

81

41 Instant - 82 Hold, as attention

82

83 Mountain-dweller of Iraq

44 On pins and needles 83

84 Salinger girl

46 MLB stats 85 88 Concealed

48 Thailand neighbor 86

89 Mr. Yeltsin 49 Luminous

87

90 Tall flowers 50 Chart

89

92 Common query

51 Filmdom's Anouk -- 90

93 Bloodhound's clues 52 Heroic exploits 91

53 Long bout

94 Taken for granted

94

54 Matchmaker

95 Select few

95

96 "-- idea was that?"

55 Gung-ho 97

56 Complain

98 Volcano fissure

99

99 Murmured softly

58 Turned back on

100

100 Soothes 59 Annapolis frosh

101

101 More quickly

60 Affluent one

103

102 Prior to

62 Showy spring bloomer

104 103 Meandered

63 Hydroplane part

105

104 Source of danger 64 Ally opposites

106

105 Film flops

67 Epic of Troy

107

106 Page or LuPone

68 Outer limits

108

107 Radio-tube gas 69 Commerce

109

Jeans go-with (hyph.)

Singing chipmunk Feminine accessory Floors Hung in the sun Cuts it out Over and -Less polite Hag Roamed about Tiny shrimp Glistened Amble Big pitchers Like Jaime Sommers Urbana 11 Cutlass Toe pain Franc's replacement Cornball Ewes' homes Not prohibited Apartment Ripple Declare oneself expert in Dessert cart Rose Bowl feature Sharply Divide in two Basalt or gneiss

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- SUMMATION

(SUMMATION: sum-MAY-shun: The process of adding things together; summing up.)

Average mark 35 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 54 or more words in SUMMATION? saint satin smut snit snout stain stum stun suit

summit summon sumo unit unto maim main mano mantis

manumit mason mast matins mimosa mint minus miso mist

moan moat moist monism monist most mount must mutism

amount animus anti atom aunt autism auto tsunami tuna

imam inmost into iota oast omit onus osmium oust

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.

110 112 114 116 117 118 120 122

Great blue -Winter constellation Finger or toe -- nous Fluff, as hair Dramatist Henrik -Client mtg.

Poet's black

124 Metallic sound

126 Garfield or Heathcliff, in the funnies 128 Outback jumper

130 Wheel buy (2 wds.)

132 Not just mine

Maze

Solution on Pg 13

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

Apple iPhone X adopts facial recognition and OLED screen

A

pple has revealed a highend smartphone with an "edge-to-edge" screen that has no physical home button.

The iPhone X - which is referred to as "ten" - uses a facial recognition system to recognise its owner rather than a fingerprint-based one.

Apple said FaceID can work in the dark by using 30,000 infra-red dots to check an identity, and was harder to fool than its old TouchID system.

It is Apple's most expensive phone yet.

A 64 gigabyte capacity model will cost US$999 when it goes on sale on November 3. A 256GB version will be priced at US$1,149.

By contrast, Samsung is charging US$930 for its new Note 8 phone, which has 64GB of storage.

"The iPhone X is a long-term investment by Apple that sets a

Tech news

A

LG and Samsung already use similar tech on their handsets.

Prior to the launch, Apple's most expensive phone was an iPhone 7 Plus that cost US$969.

Apple acknowledged that users might have concerns about using facial recognition to verify

template for the next generation of iPhone hardware," commented Geoff Blaber from the CCS Insight consultancy.

"An OLED [organic light-emitting diode] display and the new design is likely to be standard on

Tech news

future iPhone models, but Apple must first tackle the challenge of obtaining sufficient supplies."

Apple said the switch to an OLED display would help the phone produce "true blacks" and more accurate colours than before.

Amazon no longer sells the Fire TV

mazon has stopped selling the Fire TV amid rumors it's planning to introduce new devices. The dedicated landing page for the Fire TV says it's "currently unavailable" with no date of when it might be back in stock.

You can still buy a refurbished one, however.

The Fire TV is also no longer depicted in the carousel on the Fire TV page.

AFTVNews leaked an image of two new Fire TV devices this past week. One of the rumored gadgets is a dongle that'll plug into an HDMI port and work like the Fire TV streaming stick. The second, flagship device will feature Alexa built-in. It's a cube. Both new models will reportedly support 4K and HDR content. The square dongle will be less powerful than the current

purchases via Apple Pay or to access their device.

But it claimed that while there was a one-in-50,000 chance that TouchID could be unlocked by a random stranger, the odds rose to one-in-one-million with FaceID. (BBC)

top-of-the line Fire TV with 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a 1.5GHz processor. It might cost between US$60 and US$80.

The flagship Fire TV will feature the same buttons as an Echo Dot, including a mute button, action button, and volume controls. It'll also include a built-in IR blaster, so it'll be able to control older TVs that don't support the HDMI-CEC standard. It'll likely cost more than US$100.

(CNBC)

Tech TIP

S

Go Bold (or Italics) With Gmail Formatting Options

ometimes icons (for changing the text size and adding bold type to new messages you’re writing) at the bottom of your Gmail window can disappear. Good news: You can get them back.

All you have to do is when you have a New Message window open in your browser, click the button with an underlined “A” next to the Send button to restore the Gmail formatting bar. As with many web and mobile interfaces, Gmail can collapse tool bars and menus that you do not always need to free up limited screen space — but accidental clicking can lead to the sudden disappearance of familiar elements.

If you find yourself doing a lot of formatting on new messages to make them look the way you want, you can change your default text style. To do that in Gmail, click the gear-shaped Settings icon in the top-right corner of the browser window and choose Settings from the menu.

In the “Default text style” area of the Settings screen, add the formatting you always want to use for new messages — you can choose a font style, text size and color.

Click the “Tx” button at the end to remove all formatting. Click the Save Changes button when you are finished.

Facebook cracks down on hate speech with new rules for content, advertising

Crossword Solution

F

acebook said on Wednesday it would introduce tougher rules on who can make money from advertising on its network, responding to criticism that it makes it too easy for providers of fake news and sensational headlines to cash in.

With immediate effect, the world's largest social network will launch new standards to provide clearer guidance on which publishers are eligible to earn money on Facebook and with what content, Senior Vice President for Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson said in a blog post.

These standards would apply to ad placements where context could matter, Everson wrote in the post, timed to coincide with an appearance on Wednesday by Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg at dmexco, a major digital marketing gathering in Cologne, Germany.

Germany is one of Facebook's toughest critics on hate speech and privacy. Its parliament passed a law in June to fine so-

cial media networks up to 50 million euros (US$60 million) if they fail to remove hateful postings promptly. (CNBC)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Bollywood/Hollywood

Priyanka Chopra Selena Gomez's kidney transplant surgery a success apologises

A

day after raking up a storm over her statement, actress Priyanka Chopra has apologised for hurting the “sentiments and pride” of the people of Sikkim, a northeastern state of India, when she incorrectly described the state as insurgency-hit.

The state government had condemned the actress and demanded an apology while, social media users dubbed her “politically il-

literate”.

In an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, the actress-producer had said her film “Pahuna” was the first film to come out of the region, which was troubled with insurgency (conflict).

The “Quantico” star issued a lengthy statement: “It saddens me that a comment I made during a recent interview has caused this much pain when that was never the intention at all. I never meant to imply that Sikkim has insurgency. My statement was in context of the film that deals with people who seek refuge after they suffer from conflict.”

Describing Sikkim as a “peaceful, green state with peace loving people”, she said: “I know that my statements have hurt the sentiments and pride of the people of Sikkim and for that I truly apologise.”

The actor said she took “full responsibility” for her remarks and admitted that she should have been better informed. Priyanka also retracted her statement that “Pahuna”, which is produced by her, is the first film to come out of Sikkim. She also praised the government and the local people for supporting her during the shooting of the movie. (Hindustan Times)

Sanjay Dutt: ‘I dance like a crow’

B

ollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who is gearing up for his comeback with Omung Kumar’s “Bhoomi”, has revealed that he rehearsed for 16 days and was apprehensive before shooting for his hit “Tamma Tamma” song with Bollywood’s dancing diva Madhuri Dixit-Nene for the 1990 film “Thanedaar”.

Sanjay appeared on TV show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs Season 6 to promote “Bhoomi”, which also stars Aditi Rao Hydari.

After a contestant sang Sanjay’s popular song “Tamma Tamma”, the actor got nostalgic and said: “I remember the time when I was asked to match steps with Madhuri Dixit

A

ctors Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha have been dating for a year now, but no one knew about the romance until last week when Ali announced it in an interview to the media in India.

F

ollowing the news that Selena Gomez had a kidney transplant due to her lupus diagnosis, her best friend who gave her a kidney has released a statement.

Selena took to Instagram to share photos of her time in hospital, with one poignant photo holding hands with her "beautiful friend" Francia Raisa.

Selena captioned the shot: "I’m very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of

the summer and questioning why I wasn’t promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health.

I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you.

Until then I want to publicly thank my family and incredible team of doctors for

everything they have done for me prior to and postsurgery. And finally, there aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me.

I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis. Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made. For more information regarding Lupus please go to the Lupus Research Alliance website: www.lupusresearch.org/."

And now Francia has released her own statement on Instagram: "I am beyond grateful that God would trust me with something that not only saved a life, but changed mine in the process... This was part of our story, and we will share it soon, but what is important now is that this is not the only story."

So who is 29-yearold Francia Raisa? You might recognise her actually. She's an actress who has starred in “Bring It On All Or Nothing”, and “The Secret Life Of An American Teenager”. (Glamour)

D

while shooting for the song ‘Tamma Tamma’. As soon as I found out I was so nervous because I dance like a crow and I had to perform alongside Madhuri who is known

The actor recently posted a super cute photo on his Instagram and called it his favourite picture.

He captioned the picture, “One of my favourite pictures. Hai Toh Hai” Ali said in the interview:

for her dancing. To perfect the steps, I rehearsed for 16 days straight. I was still apprehensive to perform but finally I did it.” (IANS)

“It’s our friendship, which grew over time. It’s so easy for everyone to fit us in a genre and label it love.

Love is when we last, so the hope is that we arrive somewhere close to that.”

Richa expressed her surprise to the fame her relationship attracted.

“It’s none of anyone’s business who I’m dating or not, but then I think that if Hollywood won’t leave Jennifer Aniston alone at this stage, asking [her] about when she wants to have children, then I don’t have a chance to be left alone. You have to put up with some really crazed out people.”

Ali and Richa will soon be seen together in the sequel to 2013 film “Fukrey”.

uring his recent appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", singer Shawn Mendes revealed that he almost got beaten up by Drake’s security guard for trying to say hello.

The incident happened earlier this year when Shawn caught a glimpse of Drake in the VIP area during The Weeknd's Toronto show. However, when the 19-year-old singer tried to approach the "Hotline Bling" hitmaker and touch his side, things took an unexpected turn.

"The other night, I was in Toronto and I went to see The Weeknd. I'm watching The Weeknd, and we're up on this riser, and Drake's also there watching the show with like another few artists and stuff. And I go over like,

'Oh, that's Drake. I'll go say hi. He must remember me from previous experiences like twice… So I go over to touch his side, and his 6'6", 300 pound security guard... next thing I know I'm in the middle of The Weeknd show with my arm hooked behind my back. Drake's security guard just has me completely at his mercy."

He added: "And I'm like, 'Oh no!' I see Drake look over, and in my eyes it

was like, 'Please help me.

Please, Drake’. In that moment, if he didn't remember who I was, I probably would have... I don't know what I would have done. I would've been in jail, yeah."

Concluding his story, Shawn said, "For the security guard's sake, he was doing his job, but still it was terrifying. Don't expect everybody to know who you are." (AceShowbiz)

Chrissy Teigen silences rumours about ‘rocky’ marriage

C

hrissy Teigen shutdown rumours that her marriage to singer John Legend is on the brink of divorce in the most glorious way possible.

The “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit model took to her Instagram to slam a tabloid report suggesting that their relationship is crumbling.

Chrissy posted on the photo-sharing site an image of an article from “In Touch” magazine, which carried the headline, “Chrissy & John on the Brink of Splitting”.

Known for her outrageous antics on social media, the mother of one wrote in the caption, “Oh in touch go [expletive removed] your-

selves, you exclusively dumb pieces of trash.”

Chrissy's scathing comment was posted hours after she shared a photo of herself and his 38-year-old hubby all dressed up as they prepared to celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary. "Do you know what to-day is #itsourannuversary," she captioned the snap.

Chrissy's battle with pospartum depression and her excessive drinking, which she recently claimed to have restrained, were said to have brought the couple "to a breaking point." An insider told the news outlet that they're "fighting nonstop," but despite that, "they're trying very hard to make their marriage work." (AceShowbiz)

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES A day trip will lead to a (March 21- revelation that will affect April 19) the way you move forward.

Talking to someone with experience will help you see your situation clearly.

A change in your finan-

TAURUS cial status is apparent. An un(April 20- expected gift will take you by May 20) surprise. Legal matters are

best handled with the help of an expert. Take better care of your health.

Check the online job marGEMINI ket. A professional opportu(May 28- nity looks interesting. Spruce June 20) up your resume to suit the position that interests you.

Celebrate better days ahead with someone you love.

You can have fun on a shoestring if you plan your activities (June 21- with someone you love. Build July 22) memories by doing things that are geared toward family participation and home improvements.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Bring about positive changes to your lifestyle. You will diminish any uncertainty you feel if you make plans that accommodate your professional goals as well as your personal interests.

Don't get angry when you should get moving. Putting blame where it doesn't belong won't help get you where you want to go. Be the master of your own devices.

Relationships will take an interesting turn. Your insight and ability to handle emotional situations will put you in a good position that will lead to greater personal stability.

Leave your professionSCORPIO al worries at your workplace.

(Oct. 24- Spend time doing something Nov. 22) you enjoy. Letting your creativity lead the way will help you avoid stress. Do what's best for yourself.

SAGITTARIUS A getaway may tempt you, (Nov. 23- but delays and problems will Dec. 21) stand in your path. Consider sticking closer to home and putting more time and effort into important relationships.

Calvin and Hobbes

You can have fun withCAPRICORN out going overboard. Taking (Dec. 22- a day trip with people you Jan. 19) like to spend time with will spark your imagination and give you something to think about.

AQUARIUS Share your feelings and (Jan. 20- ideas with someone who Feb. 19) will be affected by your decisions. Being open will help you make your plans without any disruptions or discord.

PISCES If you feel motivated and (Feb. 20- disciplined, make some posMar. 20) itive changes to your lifestyle that will promote good health. Proper diet and exercise will make you feel good.