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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 9, 2017
One step closer – Linden on verge of fostering close ties with Newark, New Jersey
THE Linden Mayor and Town Council is on the verge of twinning the township of Linden with the City of Newark in the US state of New Jersey. The deal to foster close ties between the two municipalities was concretised last Saturday at a town hall-style meeting held in Brooklyn, New York and attended by Linden Mayor, Mr Carwyn Holland, Councillor Nikeza Noel and Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Enterprise Network, Ms. Tandika Miller. According to Mayor Holland, his being at the meeting was at the invitation of Newark’s Mayor, Ras J. Baraka, with whom he had held previous discussions about twinning the two cities. The meeting was held under the theme, “Creating investments for financial viability: Stimulating development, social transformation and economic prosperity for Linden”. Holland told the Guyana Chronicle that the municipality has big
plans for rebuilding Linden, and he shared them all with Ras Baraka. “I shared Linden’s vision and growth plan through manufacturing, education, health, sports, and tourism,” he said, adding that several other persons, among them New York’s Senator Kevin Parker, have expressed an interest in helping Linden, and invited him to take advantage of educational and other opportunities available. WELL ATTENDED Noting that the New York meeting was well attended, and that the Diaspora was very supportive of his ideas, Holland said: “Twinning Newark with Linden is consequential for Linden’s economic renaissance and development. “This city-to-city partnership will foster new cultural and economic cooperation; create new prospects for business investments to sustain Linden’s economic viability; help create much-needed jobs
Linden Mayor, Mr Carwyn Holland (right) and Newark’s Deputy Mayor, Mr Ugo Nwaokoro after the meeting in New York
Personality of the week...
‘AuntycallsPat’ it a day – after 31 years as a dental nurse at LHC
DENTAL Nurse, Ms Patricia Daniels, fondly known as ‘Aunty Pat’, will, in a matter of days, bid farewell to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), the institution to which she has given 31 years of service. While she approaches her retirement with mixed emotions, Aunty Pat is spending her last few days reminiscing on the last three decades she gave selflessly to the hospital. Now 61, Aunty Pat was introduced to the medical field as a Trainee Nurse, but after a while, it was a requirement that the batch be professionally trained at the newly instituted nursing school. She proudly recalls being amongst the first batch of nurses that were recruited at the newly opened Upper Demerara Hospital. And when the opportunity arose for her to be qualified, she accepted and registered for the two-year programme, but, unfortunately, had to re-sit medicine. Her attempt to re-sit
came with many challenges, as she had to be back in the classroom and still work a full eight-hour shift. But even after all those sacrifices, Aunty Pat was told that she couldn’t re-sit the examinations along with 5 of her colleagues. “We cry, we cry and we throw down we’self, and I said that was it! I’m not going to give it another try!” she said. She continued as a bed-side nurse, which she enjoyed most of all, until a call was made for a full-time dental nurse. “They wanted someone at Dentistry, and though it was time-and-a-half on Saturdays and double on Sundays, I volunteered. I wasn’t looking for the money; I just wanted peace of mind. “So, there I was, out of professional into dentistry.” THE TRANSITION In 1998, Aunty Pat was now qualified as a professional dental nurse. Since then, she has worked along with Dr. Joseph Arm-
strong, who also recruited her at his private clinic. What she enjoyed most during that period, she said, is pleasing her patients and seeing them smile brightly again. She also enjoyed coordinating school programmes and educating persons on the need for dental care. Though there were plenty of opportunities to elevate herself, Aunty Pat said that being a single-mother, she always took into consideration the safety of her two young daughters, and the benefits of maintaining a spiritual and family life. In fact, she plans to spend her retirement getting closer to her grandchildren, and giving more in her service to God. “I don’t want to work hard; I will continue in the private clinic, but I plan to be more active church-wise, and of course care my grandchildren,” she said. She also hopes that a short-story she put together over the years on dental health will be published as a story book for nursery and primary schoolchildren.
for young people; and engender social transformation and prosperity for Lindeners. I’m excited about this historic prospect.” Among areas in which he feels Linden can benefit tremendously from the deal are youth empowerment, enterprising, the restructuring and enhancement of public infrastructure, developing Linden’s tourism industry, agro-processing, and economic development. Other areas include garbage collection, the exchange of students and athletes, and inter-cultural exchange. “I believe that the twinning with Linden and Newark will add value to our efforts to further develop Linden, and play a key role in augmenting our efforts towards all inclusive development of the people and town of Linden,” Holland said. Newark, New Jersey has a population of close to 300, 000 residents, and is one of the main air, shipping and railway hubs in the US.
Soon to be retired dental nurse, Ms Patricia Daniels
Amelia’s Ward Primary School Choir 14
EVER since the Ministry of Education made it compulsory for all schools to include music in their curriculum, the Amelia’s Ward Primary School Choir in the mining town of Linden has been slowly gaining recognition as a force to reckon with. For starters, the school has already racked up a cool $300,000 through competitions and gifts from having the young and vibrant choir of 30 serenade audiences all across Linden. Just a few days ago, the choir, which comprises both male and female pupils from Grades Three to Six, was invited to perform at Banks DIH’s Annual Shareholders Meeting. And, after lustily singing their little hearts out, proudly clad in their burgundy-andyellow choir uniforms, they
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 9, 2017
– the pride and joy of Linden
were gifted with $100, 000 by the company’s chairman, Mr. Clifford Reis. HAIR-RAISING Indeed, the young innocent voices that stuck to every note raised the hairs on the backs of everyone present, including Mr. Reis. Music Teacher, Ms Jedidah Wilkinson, whose idea it was to form the ensemble, sat down with this publication and spoke of the successes and challenges the choir has had since it was formed three years ago. Being a musician herself, Wilkinson, who was only a trainee teacher at the time, said it was not hard for her to establish a choir at the school after learning of a choir com-
petition being hosted by a US-based non-governmental organisation (NGO). “For the first time, they had this choir competition hosted by LIRA, and myself and two other colleagues just decided to give it a go. And we entered for the first time, and we won,” Wilkinson said. Two years after, when she was done with teachers’ training college, Wilkinson recalled, she was permanently assigned to the choir. “When I came back,” she said, “I was coerced into being the music teacher; so I’m not attached to a class, but I teach all the classes music. “And one of the stipulations was that the school must have a choir; so we
went through the school, and we had auditions and almost every child auditioned, but we chose a bunch of 60 children.” The competition, however, only allowed for 25 children, so the children had to be shortlisted. And this year, they participated again and won for the second time, carting off the first place prize of US$500. CHALLENGES Choir practice sessions are held almost every day at 11:30hrs, but according to Wilkinson, the children are so enthusiastic that they are there by 11:15hrs. Since the school does not have a music room, due to space constraints, the practice
sessions are currently being held in the school’s computer room. “I am currently in the Computer Room, which has the size of a normal classroom; half of it is the computer area, and the other half is my area,” Wilkinson said, adding: “And we don’t have enough space to put all 38 children. So the children would come and sit on the ground, but they would come and have a ball, because I made it very children-friendly. “But because it is a computer room, it gets very hot in there, since there is no AC; but we are making do.” ACHIEVEMENTS Wilkinson expressed a little disappointment at the absence of a Folk Song competition for the
schools’ choirs to participate in during the Mashramani season. In addition to rallying for this, the young music instructor said that she sees the choir not only competing, but singing for persons who are in unfortunate circumstances. “I would like them to sing not only for special events, but if we can get to go to the old folk’s homes probably, and orphanages or the hospital... I would like them to have those experiences,” she said. Since the establishment of the choir, Wilkinson said that she has noticed improvement in the children’s behaviour, both academically and socially, and concludes that involvement in extra-curricular activities indeed make children well rounded.
The Amelia’s Ward Primary School Choir in action at a recent competition at Linden’s Lichas Hall. Taking them through their paces, in the foreground, is Ms Jedidah Wilkinson
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 9, 2017
Labastide completes, launches fourth novel RENOWNED Linden novelist and poet, Leon Labastide last Saturday launched his fourth novel in Brooklyn, New York. The launch of the book, titled ‘Pink Cover: Things are Important’, came after months of promotion and preparation. The 31-year-old author, who hails from Wisroc, Linden, was pleased to have Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland as a guest at his grand launch that was held at 3 Black Cats Café’ in Brooklyn, New York, and had over 100 persons in attendance. According to Labastide, his team actually ran out of books, even though there were over 40 copies available. The enthusiastic poet also performed some of the spoken-word pieces featured in the book for his audience. He will be preparing to go on tour to the Netherlands, Curaçao and Guyana this year. The team will also be touring the United Kingdom, Dubai and Aruba, where the Guyana flag will be proudly represented. The book focuses on the many struggles faced by Mankind, and how they are often overlooked by those who may not be experiencing the same struggles. Leon’s aim was to highlight the
fact that all of humanity’s struggles are important, and that we should all play a role and lend a hand in the elimination of global issues. Said he: “We have billions of people in this world, and each day they are struggling with something, so the book says that everything is important. “From cancer, to God, to love, to relationship, to poverty, to racism, to bigotry, to hatred, to your nationality, to domestic violence, suicide... everything is important; it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is struggling with something.” The book also urges persons to stop protecting the monsters of the world, and to be transparent. OH BEAUTIFUL GUYANA Chapter Three of the book, titled ‘Oh Beautiful Guyana’, exclusively speaks on this native land as a means of putting Guyana out there; showing his readers where he came from, and the Guyanese upbringing he had which contributed to the respectable, goal-oriented and young achiever he is today. One of the pieces is called ‘Moving Forward’, which aims at encouraging citizens of Guyana to look past the hate, suffering and negativities that have plagued the
Labastide and Mayor Carwyn Holland at the book launch
nation for decades and to rise up and unite to create a new Guyana in recognition of the jubilee year. “The Golden Jubilee was far more than a spectacle; it was historical. It uplifted culture, giving us millennial; a sense of pride for our
Leon Labastide performing one of his pieces, ‘Moving Forward’ at the book launch
country,” Leon says in the poem, adding: “It was so much more than a celebration: It was a unification of all peoples from within every region, coming together for the greater good to celebrate the moving for-
ward after fifty years. “As a community as well as a country, there is urgent need to look past 2016; we have to look and think futuristic. “It’s all about the next step; the next journey, the next conversation between countries and civilians. It’s about uniting to keep and maintain the rhetoric of the 50th anniversary.” He also wrote a piece on the young Guyanese olympians who represented the country at the recently held competitions in Brazil. “Just to see the Guyana Flag being hosted at the ceremony and having all those Guyanese track stars running and representing in swimming and representing Guyana, I was so proud for the Guyanese culture,” Leon said. A piece titled, Linden Youth Leaders also highlights the youth group in Linden of which Labastide is also a member. This renowned writer has previously published three books, namely: ‘Breath of Life Poetry’, ‘Here Comes the Dreamers: The Journey’, and ‘Transparency’. These publications were completed within the span of five years, as Leon’s passion for art is indeed spectacular. He has mesmerised hundreds of audiences during his career with his inspirational prose, insightful short stories, and authentic life experiences. Many have experienced his natural talent of storytelling at poetry events, church services, college campuses, motivational conferences, and book tours in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Curaçao and in his homeland, Guyana. He started writing at the age of 15 and is currently the CEO of SpokenWordAndCoffee organization: The organization’s tagline is “It’s bigger than poetry, it’s bigger than you and me, it’sPoVetry.) PoVentry is the combination of poetry and poverty.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 9, 2017
Vendors and Council at odds – over unsavoury conditions at Mackenzie wharf VENDORS occupying stalls on the Mackenzie Wharf on Monday bashed the Linden Mayor and Town Council for ignoring their pleas for help. They are of the opinion that the Council does not care about their daily struggles in grappling with the deplorable conditions of the wharf that are affecting their sales tremendously. Doing business on a wharf that has a dump site only a few feet away from some vendors, which results in an unbearable foul smell, infestation of flies and other insects in addition to men making it a public urinal, and vagrants making it their personal toilet facility with faeces being their welcome mat on most days, are just a fraction of the complaints the vendors
vented to this publication on Monday. ** In tears, one visibly frustrated clothes vendor, whose stall is the closest to the dump site and where men and vagrants would relieve themselves, told this publication that he’s made several reports to the administrative manager at the Mayor and Town Council, but to no avail. All he’s gotten, he says, are promises to visit the wharf to see first-hand what the vendors are experiencing. BUSINESS SLOW Because of the stench and the state of the market, he said, business is slow; and whatever little money they manage to make all go back into buying detergents to clean up the place.
Elmo Austin who operates a pharmacy at the wharf
“I am so frustrated about the situation, is like I don’t know what more to do,” he said. “Dozens and dozens of men does come here and pee every day, and when you talk, they not listening. In the morning when you come, yuh seeing faeces all over because here is the night toilet. “No proper security; no lighting. Is two times they break meh shop already! This place is a mess! “And every day Town Council sending people to collect rates.”
The dumpsite that is only a few feet away from the wharf
Elmo Austin, who operates a pharmacy there, told this newspaper that because the entire area is unhealthy, sales are not coming in. “I don’t mind the urine,” he said, “but people would go and mess a whole lump of mess.” Shaking his head in frustration, Elmo said: “People are wicked! There is a guy that is not too right in the head that would just come and drag himself on the ground when he messes, and we have to clean it up. ‘NOT A CENT!’ “Some days I go home, not a cent! It is very very hard!” Desmond Richards, a ground provision and dry goods vendor who has been selling for decades, says all the Council cares about is collecting revenue and not the insanitary conditions under which the vendors operate. Wharf vendors, he said, pay the highest rates in the entire Linden but are experiencing the worst conditions. Richards Turn to page 17 ► also spoke of the hire cars block-
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 9, 2017
Vendors and Council...
ing the entrance of the wharf, despite knowing the facility is private parking only. “We are suffering; persons coming till from Georgetown and selling right in front of us on the road, illegally blocking our sales; constables all does buy from them,” Richard said, while cautioning that one ought to be careful when walking before falling through the rotten boards. Similar frustrations were echoed by Shondell, a single-mother of seven, whose only means of earning a living is by selling ‘greens’. EMPTY PROMISES She said that all the Council does is make empty promises, as she had made represen-
tation for the vendors at a market consultation early last year and in spite of the many promises, nothing was ever done. “The lights are not working, the roof leaking, the gutters falling out... “We ain’t get proper security; we ain’t get proper drinking water... In the morning you would come and see urine, mess, vomit all things at the corner there,” Shondell said, adding: “Some days you come in and you barely sell $5000, but you can’t give up. This is my daily bread; this is how I provide for me and my seven kids. “When rain falls, if you don’t sweep the water from the floor, it stays right there. The fencing from around the wharf? That done!
“When dem children come, yuh have to watch them all the time, because they could fall over board and nobody won’t know.” She also spoke out on the many persons allowed to vend on the road while they were removed and are sabotaging sales of the wharf vendors who have to pay daily. “If you don’t pay that money, it gon mount up; then they will send a receipt and put a padlock on your shop.” Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge and Minister of Communities, Valerie Patterson last February, during a ministerial outreach while campaigning for Local Government Elections in Linden met with the market vendors, who voiced these same concerns.
From page 16
Minister Greenidge told the media at the time that even though his portfolio does not include market reorganisation, he will be making recommendations on behalf of the vendors to the Minister of Local Government. “I will call upon the Minister of Local Government to make arrangements to prepare a revised plan of the market, which will take into account the concerns of the current vendors,” posited the Minister. A few weeks after being sworn into office, the new Council did a market consultation and also heard of the plight of the wharf vendors. As usual, promises were made to bring relief to the vendors, but to date, their situation remains the same.