Pepperpot 2015 8 30

Guyana Born U.S. Bishop is Instrumental in Organising Civil Rights Martyr Pilgrimage ► Page XXX

Right Reverend Santosh Marray ‘s Portrait

► Page XL

► Page XI

From : The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama

Elder Louise Norton celebrates her 89th birth anniversary - amidst outpouring of love ► ►Page PageVII XI

and well wishes at church she pioneered 35 years ago

From class ► Page XII comedian to serious actor…

MICHAEL BRAINARD IGNATIUS - An asset to the local entertainment industry!

FIONA SINGH - a vocal siren who remains behind the scenes ► Page XL Produced and Edited by Mark Ramotar | Graphic and Layout Design by Duane Prince

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Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

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By Maureen Rampertab adhu stopped in the middle of the cemetery, a bunch of carnations in her hands, her mind embracing the peaceful silence of those who laid in eternal sleep, just the whispering wind and a soft crying somewhere nearby.

She continued along the path where her mother stood waiting and a little further they stopped at the grave of her grandmother. Madhu knelt down and laid the carnations, regrets in her heart that she could not have been there when she died. She had been studying in the UK but not one day, for those two years, did she not think of her and coming home, paying her respects was the first thing she wanted to do.

As a little girl, she had learnt so much from her grandmother that had enriched her mind. Tears flowed from her eyes as fond memories filled her heart of this woman, an icon of Indian womanhood, who though not highly schooled, possessed an invaluable knowledge of

life through her strong faith and values.

“I’m sorry, Grandma,” Madhu said softly, “That I could not have said, ‘Goodbye’ but you’ll be happy to know I graduated with top honours. I’m sure you’re smiling at me from Heaven.”

Her voice broke and she cried quietly, her mother touching her shoulder in comfort.

That night as the family sat down in quiet conversation, reminiscing about her life, Madhu’s mother brought a small box, wrapped tightly with gold ribbon and handed it to her.

“She left this for you.”

“What is it?” Madhu asked, a bit surprised.

“I don’t know, but it must be something she treasured.”

Madhu unwrapped the box and lying neatly between white tissue paper was an old journal.

She flicked through the pages, where words were scrawled in Hindi.

“This is interesting,” she remarked, “I wonder why she wanted me to have this.”

“Maybe it’s a will that bequests to you an old

maureen.rampertab@gmail.com

Journal of Kushmattie Century old notes and a secret grave site

mansion in India, a long time ago,” her brother said in a dramatic tone.

“Very funny,” she said in mock annoyance.

She turned the journal over carefully and from inside the back cover, she pulled out an old photograph of a young Indian woman. It was so faded, no one could recognise who she was but from her dress and outlook, it was evident this picture was over a century old.

“She is one of our old ancestors,” Madhu gasped, excited but there was more.

The little note attached to the photograph read, “She is my grandmother, Kushmattie, who came on a ship from India, but I never knew her because she mysteriously disappeared one night, long before I was born. No one ever knew what happened to her, can you find the truth or has too much time passed?”

No one said a word for a little while then Madhu broke the silence, intrigued by the task of a century old case. ► Continued on page III

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Journal of Kushmattie ► From page II

“This is truly amazing because Grandma never really mentioned her, did she mom?”

Madhu’s mother thought for a short moment then she said, “I think she did when we were young but then it just faded away from everyone’s memories.”

“A century ago is a long time,” her brother stated, “And under Colonial rule then, a lot of bad things happened to the labourers.”

The journal of Kushmattie in Madhu’s hands was an invaluable piece of history, an ancestral link to someone whose disappearance so long ago was still a mystery to solve.

Later that night, lying in bed, she tried to read the excerpts in the journal but it was written in a Hindi dialect she was not familiar with.

“Maybe my Indian friend in the UK can help me,” she assured herself, and putting the journal under her pillow, she muttered as her eyes closed in sleep, “Maybe I’ll have a dream of something in that period.”

But she dreamt nothing and at breakfast as the family continued to talk about Kushmattie, the Indian woman who was the ancestral tree where they had sprung, Madhu’s mother said, “We may never know about her life.”

“At least we’ll know something about her from the journal,” Madhu said with certainty.

She emailed the first page to her friend in England to translate the writing in English and the first excerpt read, “I unknot the navel string of Mother India and I walked away my footprints erased from the dusty village of Mirzapur looking back one last time as the ship sailed away deep sadness in my heart Where am I going?

What will I find?”

“Such deep thoughts,” Madhu mused, “I wonder how she felt to live and work under such harsh conditions.”

“It wasn’t the dream they had promised us but a nightmare the sweat and toil of bodies would have to build bridges to our dreams, But how long to suffer under the master’s whip?

How many to die?”

Madhu’s research on the internet during the period of Indentureship did not tell her what she wanted to know, except for caste and village Kushmattie was from and the fact she was a Pandit’s daughter. So she decided to talk to the oldest people in the village, hoping their fading memories would shine a light on something interesting.

But, though she heard many stories, none spoke of Kushmattie who had chronicled her life to the time of her disappearance with few sentences.

“Bitterness and blood flow But our backs are strong to bear the brunt of their merciless hands the cracking whip no longer stings.”

As Madhu read page after page, she felt a deep distress for the immigrants, her people, who had suffered so much, working tirelessly, hand in hand with time and history to make this land home.

“We have come a long way from then to now,” Madhu stated, “This is home for us all, for the ships that crossed the dark waters, over a century ago, do not sail anymore.”

She continued her ground work in the village and found an old man, in his nineties, whose father had worked as a little boy in the backdams. Late one night, he had told them he heard gunshots, that had made the labourers uneasy but no one had dared to venture out.

“What had happened?” Madhu asked him.

He did not answer for a while and stared at her blankly, as though he had a memory lapse then he remembered and answered in a quivering voice, “Dun know but some workers been quarreling that day.”

“Where?” she asked.

“By de clubhouse.”

The old man’s daughter explained to Madhu that the clubhouse that had long been broken down had stood near to a punt trench dam by an old cemetery.

No one knew what happened that night but several labourers were reported missing, who were never found.

“Where workers shot and killed that night?” she questioned herself, “And was Kashmattie one of them?

If so, what happened to the bodies?”

Because of the brutal Colonial system at that time, secret grave sites were on all the plantations.

Kashmattie’s last page in the journal, were words that seemed laden with doom.

“I will go with the protesting workers tonight for we have to stand strong for our rights already we are lost from the bosom of Mother India What more?”

Nothing more was written, for it seemed the last chapter of her life had ended. The good life they have promised her, her tired hands did not touch, her lips

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thirsty, her body worn.

Madhu found the old cemetery that had been there for over a century and standing there she felt a little shiver, a sign that something bad had happened here.

It took a team of six men, a few days to hack and chop through the thick untamed shrubs that become like a guardian of the cemetery. Madhu searched around for a clue, that could pinpoint a secret burial site but by the fourth day the search yielded nothing. She sat down tired, feeling like she wanted to cry and she whispered, “How do I find you, dear mother? Your bones would have long crumbled to dust.”

A strong wind blew, rustling the tree tops that allowed light to filter through and under the shade of the trees, Madhu noticed something.

She walked over, a bit cautiously and gasped in astonishment.

A Tulsie tree, a Hindu religious plant stood there like a symbol, its roots embedded in the earth.

“How did this plant get here?”

She touched the leaves and a sudden chill passed through her body, giving her a clue, she had been searching for.

Kushmattie had left the motherland but she never lost her faith and belief and on that fateful night when she was silenced by bullets, a prayer had escaped her bloody lips. In an unmarked grave, her body laid for a hundred years but from the power of prayers, the roots of a plant sprung forth, to stay there as a mark for the one who would search for her.

A tombstone was now erected with her name and those who died with her.

Madhu smiled with deep satisfaction as she placed flowers on her grave, “I found you, mother and we, your children, will honour your name for your courage and faith have defined a path for us, not in this land only but in the world.

Rest now in peace, Kushmattie.

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Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

The Amerindian Way of Life

(The following is extract of an interview with the late Dr. Desrey Fox, in Georgetown, Guyana, 2002. Dr. Fox was a Linguist. She was also the Co-coordinator of the Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana; Curator of the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology and a former Minister in the Ministry of Education) * Petamber Persaud (PP) - Much of the Amerindian way of life is still embodied in its oral tradition but somewhat hidden away from outsiders. * Desrey Fox (DF) - As you know the Amerindian languages are not written languages. The Amerindians, for centuries, have always transfer their body of knowledge and every aspect of their life by talking to their children through socialisation and as they do things, as a way of life. So a female child, for example, will have a different form of socialisation be-

cause we have different male/female roles. This female child at an early age will be given a knife as the mother sits there sometimes singing to the child, telling stories at the same time. But the process is a handson experience for the child who will watch the mother wash, peel and grate the cassava tubers and do likewise.

Dr Desrey Fox

* (PP) - Y o u touched on two forms of oral tradition – singing and storytelling, expand. * (DF) - There are some aspects of our sa► Continued on page V

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

The Amerindian Way of Life ► Continued on page IV

cred life like telling creation stories or in the early hours of the morning, grandmothers/elders teaching spiritual songs to be used before the day begins; some songs that cannot be sung in the public.

The Shaman and the Shaman apprentice – it takes a long time for this process, in olden days, it took five to ten years, even ten to fifteen years.

Today the time is taken up by so many things so I don’t think the role of the piaman is as prominent as it used to be. Except to say when you go into the villages, you will see a Seven Days Adventist village or an Anglican village or Catholic or Wesleyans and the Amerindians will call themselves that but beyond that what people don’t know was that the Amerindians still practice these things. For instance, in my village, [Waramadong], our village has been declared a Seven Days Adventist Village since the 1920s so you cannot do certain things. Half of our way of life was literally overrun but at the same time we have satellite communities where people practice these thing. * (PP) - I now understand why Jean La Rose is having a problem with integration, the integration movement of the Amerindian into mainstream society… * (DF) - The whole concept of integration assumes at some point that we are at the same level with the mainstream and we are now ready to…. * (PP) - You are now part of the mainstream of Guyanese society, have you lost any of oral tradition? * (DF) - No, in fact, it has reinforced it… * (PP) -

Do you practice your tradition at home?

* (DF) - Yes, that is why I am called upon to perform incantation in public * (PP) -

Storytelling session?

* (DF) - Not for the past five years as I was away at university but because I was doing field work in the same village I was born in I was working on four Akawaios speech genres for my dissertation so I looked at personal narratives, praising rhymes for children, healing chants and storytelling so I had to be there for those sessions. For me that was most fascinating, I enjoyed every moment of it, collecting stories from my elders…. * (PP) -

Were those stories published?

* (DF) - In my dissertation. I have at least three hundred pages of text that I’ve collected that is storytelling and praising rhymes – there are different rhymes for males and females. As for personal narratives and healing chants, I examined those because I was looking at the ways of speaking of the Akawaio people – what governs speaking, the rules, norms, regulations. Apart from that what are the linguist variations of the language used, ritual language as against everyday usage as oppose to a philosophy of how they see language – what is language for them, how do they interpret it, what is a word, how do they categorise they world, and interpret their world. So this was like the theme of my approach to my linguistic work. * (PP) - The outside world is creeping in on the Amerindian world, encroaching, is the Amerindian comfortable with this? * (DF) - The encroachment started a long time ago – 1492 – and even before that we have had encroachment from other groups of people but the Amerindians have done pretty well for themselves…the problem is that you want us to fall into line as oppose to what we want. And maybe

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we have been taught that way, consciously or unconsciously, we have being moving the way we are. And people are still shocked, for example, a question like ok, Dr Fox, you are the first Amerindian woman to become a doctor, how do you feel about that. How am I supposed to feel – why am I the first female doctor in over five hundred years…How am I supposed to feel. Why am I the first female doctor in 500 years, what is the problem with than!

WHAT’S HAPPENING: * Modern Intellectual Property Legislation to be enacted. * The Guyana Annual Magazine 2014-2015 issue in now available at Guyenterprise Ltd., Lance Gibbs and Irving Streets, Tel # 226-9874, the National Library, Austin’s Book Service, and from yours truly. ** (Persons wishing to respond to this author can telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)

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The Importance of Good Character

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

(Part 1)

By Rev. Gideon Cecil ‘‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’’

Abraham Lincoln

A

person that is considered to h a v e good character exhibits attributes such as integrity, honesty, courage, loyalty, fortitude, and other

important virtues that promote good behaviour and habits.

Moreover, character marks who we are as a person, and it also highly influences the choices that we make in our lives.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree.” Our character is much more than just what we try to display for others to see, it is who we are even when no one is watching.

Good character is doing

the right thing because it is right to do what is right. Many people will display good character traits on the outside of their homes and even at their jobs but they are a completely evil person in their own homes to their wives, husbands or children. They seemed to have a split personality when it comes to the true identity of their attitude and character.

CHARACTER DEFINED Character is often

defined as a collection of personality traits within our behaviour that shows who we are.

This is shown in our integrity, attitude, moral fiber, disposition, and this shapes how we treat one another, good or bad. This is mostly true, but it goes much deeper than that. Character is who we are and it can be learned and built when we are in Christ or God fearing.

Moreover, real authentic Christian Character is not just a personality or our disposition; it is a description of who we are as a Christian, what we are called to be in our entirety. It encapsulates the Fruit of the Spirit from God’s love and work in us. A good effectual foundation of character is “synergistic” as each one hangs and functions with each other. It is built upon the Fruit of the Spirit which all of the other character traits are codependent and thus function and rest upon. Our Character summarizes the essence of our walk with Christ being exhibited back to Him and then onto others. Our Character can grow or shrivel as our growth and faith forma-

tion in Christ is applied or blocked. Thus, Character is the display case of Christ and shows others our entire lives as Christians.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 ‘Let your light so shine before men that they may see your

good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’

Jesus used the word ‘light’ metaphorically to depict our character before men. Good or bad character is also a parental inheritance whether good or bad. ► Continued on page VII

Rev. Gideon Cecil

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015 ► From page VI Most parents today set very bad examples for their children by teaching them to lie and cheat or even steal thus they created the bad society we live in.

I visited a family sometime ago and I heard the phone rang. The lady of the house answered the call and told the caller her daughter was not at home but her daughter was sitting just a yard away from the phone.

Then she began to laugh thinking she did something great but she set a very bad example for her daughter to follow by teaching her to lie.

I also observed that when people borrow t h i n g s l i k e m o n e y, books, tapes, or even your car they never return it unless you ask them. Lending money has created enemies between many families,friends,and even with the banks. I also have experience with many educated people who will borrow things but never returned them. Many academics will not reply to your emails, nor return a phone call, nor even your Facebook inbox messages they always find a reliable lie as an excuse or some dead apology. They have a very dishonest character trait and sooner or later sometimes they will end up in prison for some fraud or embezzlement charge.

Why is that so? It’s because people have inculcated deceptive character traits from a very young age who refused to be corrected thus they ended up doing more deceptive and atrocious acts though they are educated because bad characteristics is a learned attitude also from evil company; it’s important we chose our company wisely

because some company can influence you to do more bad than good. So many people in the world today and in Guyana live a life of ‘self denial’.

They never want to accept who they are when confronted with the truth. I saw a guy I know smoking ‘weed’ while I was riding in my community. When I approached him he throw away the weed but was bold to tell me he doesn’t smoke weed though it was still smelling heavily on him. There are many rich people in very high society who are hooked on drugs, alcohol and cigarettes but simply won’t accept a fact that they are an addict and need to change. They lie to themselves and lie to others, even their doctors. So many people today think or believe they are too big or educated to be corrected my father used to tell me: ‘correction makes a man’ and King Solomon tells us: ‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.’

(Proverbs 16:18) Pride destroyed a lot of people because they always think they know it better than anyone else.

So many greedy, covetous, proud and jealous people I have corrected over the years who refused correction I have seen destroyed. Life is about choices we make and we will reap the consequences whether good or bad it’s so sad over 80% of the people in the world today always make bad choices particularly in marriage.

Why is that so? It’s because in most cases men look to marry gorgeous and captivat-

VII

The Importance of Good Character

ing women but they took very little time to investigate the character of these persons.

Most women will go for rich, handsome and educated men but seldom took the time off during courtship to interrogate the characters of the person they will get marry to. They fall in love with beauty and money and sooner or later discover the person they get married to is a compulsive liar, cheat, thief, adulterer or even a murderer. The key to a successful marriage is good character, trust, integrity and attitude.

‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.’(Proverbs 31:30) Here again King Solomon admonishes us about ‘beauty is vain’ but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. In this material world of famous celebrities we see so many beautiful rich and famous women still searching for their right man they marry and divorce like changing new clothing but their endless search for love is never over. Why is that so? It’s because they never learn to love God and fear God. A woman and man who love and fear the Lord will find the right wife or husband that will give them a life of love, joy, peace and eternal happiness.

Building and developing character is not something we just learn from a book or

hear from a sermon. It does not come upon us in the night, or sneak up in the day. It does not come automatically, accidentally, or suddenly. It is a process that comes from

being parented in it.

Then it rests in us and in our motives. It is a slow process. You may not realize you have it until others point it out in you. Character is not permanent

once it is formed. It requires our continual hold and practice, in God’s Word, through our prayers and the practice of His Fruit in and through us.

(Persons wishing to respond to Rev. Gideon Cecil can call Tel#2207008, Cell# 690-4755 or email: gcecil2010@hotmail.com)

By Rev.Gideon Cecil Sources of Reference: The discipleship resources and tools you need to have grown in your faith.

The King James Bible.

VIII

Elder Louise Norton celebrates her 89th birth anniversary

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

- amidst outpouring of love and well wishes at church she pioneered 35 years ago

MRS. Louise Norton celebrated her 89th birth anniversary two Sundays ago with a thanksgiving service held at God’s Cathe-

dral of Praise in East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Born on August 16, 1926, Elder Louise is really the matriarch

and co-founder of the 35-year-old Lamaha Park church, which had originally been named Lamaha Park Church of Christ.

Elder Louise Norton was instrumental not only in establishing the lone church in Lamaha Park, but together with her husband, Pastor Harry Norton, played a key pioneering role in development of the community.

The church was established by the late Pastor Harry Norton in ► Continued on page IX

Elder Louise Norton at God’s Cathedral of Praise in Lamaha Park on her 89th birth anniversary

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

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Elder Louise Norton celebrates her 89th ... ► From page

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the mid nineteen-seventies, and is currently pastored by the couple’s second son, Rev. Timothy Norton.

Beaming with pride and joy as members showered her with love and greeting, the winsome octogenarian was asked how she felt about attaining the age of 89. She modestly asserted: “I feel good. I am grateful to God, and praise His holy name for bringing me to see another milestone.”

Pastor Timothy Norton, who conducted the service; his wife, Sister Anne Norton; Assistant

Pastor Eunice Alleyne – Pastor Timothy’s sister; and a sibling named Lois visited from the United States of America. Pastor Harry and Louise have parented 12 children, several of whom are in the ministry, but two of them are deceased.

Passionate about living for the Lord and winning souls for His Kingdom, the couple had embarked on their evangelical pilgrimage some 60 years ago, and had maintained a constant walk with the Lord, never waning, but always trusting and submitting to His will and purpose for their lives.

Pastor Harry’s mis-

sionary journey started around the mid-1950s, when, as a young carpenter living at Pouder o y e n , We s t B a n k Demerara, he began travelling all the way to Vreed-en-Hoop on bicycle to fellowship at the Pilgrim Holiness (Wesleyan) Church.

From there, he was called to take up the position of pastor at Adelphi, Canje, in East Berbice. He moved next to New Forest, also at Canje, Berbice, and was well on his way towards establishing a sound foundation that would take him around Guyana, preaching the Word. Other communities in which he later pastored include: Ma-

haicony, Vergenoegen, Uitvlugt and Parika.

A couple on fire for the Lord, Pastor Harry preached the gospel, and his wife, Sister Louis Norton, taught Bible classes and became Sunday School Superintendent, as together they responded to both the spiritual and material needs of the brethren.

Even before he was able to afford a motor car, Pastor Harry would somehow muster up the energy every Sunday to ride a pedal cycle from church to church, pastoring and preaching to three congregations along the East Bank Essequibo in one day.

It is said that behind

every successful man there is a supportive woman, and as is evident, the contribution made by Mrs. Louise Norton in promoting the growth and development of the Church across Guyana, while taking care of her own family of 13, is phenomenal.

Of course, the entire family was brought up in the fear and love of the Lord, to the extent that some of the siblings opted to become pastors and others evangelists. It was a strict rule in the home that they all get up early each morning and gather together for devotion before starting the day’s work. As the

children grew older, they would be given permission to attend events like shows at the National Cultural Centre, on condition that they got out of bed early enough to join in morning devotion, the couple’s children now recall.

Upon taking up residence in Georgetown, the Nortons’ next mission was to spread the Word around Lamaha Park, in Lodge and in neighbouring communities.

They started by holding Sunday School and church services under bottom houses, ► Continued on page X

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Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Elder Louise Norton celebrates her 89th ... ► From page

VIII

until they were able to purchase from the Ministry of Housing two plots of land at Lamaha Park to construct a church and pastor’s residence.

By 1976, they had effectively laid the groundwork and begun construction of the church at Lamaha Park,

which was eventually to become God’s Cathedral of Praise, and which is moving from strength to strength.

As Pastor Harry and Elder Louise Norton grew older, the couple migrated to the United States; and while there, fellowshipped at their late daughter’s -- Pastor Yvonne Retemyer-Williams’s -- church in Brooklyn, New York.

They would occasionally return to Guyana, during which time they played active roles at God’s Cathedral of Praise at Lamaha Park, East La Penitence.

After a prolonged period of illness, Pastor Harry died in the United States on August 21, 2012 at age 90, and his body was brought home for burial at Le Repentir Ceme-

tery. Pastor Norton’s death came five days before his wife’s 86th birthday.

Following his death, his wife Louise returned to Guyana in the care of their eldest daughter, Asst. Pastor Eunice Alleyne, and other siblings.

At age 89, Elder Louise is of average health, but she is very winsome and is a joy

to have around. She is hearing impaired, but sees well enough to be able to read her Bible every day. She has a taste for soup and icecream.

A victim of arthritic conditions, she moves around with the aid of a ‘walker’; but incredibly, she musters the strength and energy to climb a flight of 16 stairs at her daughter’s

home. Laying aside the stroller, she would grip the bannister with both arms and pull her weight up every treader, calling in faith on the name of Jesus to take her to the top.

And just what gives her the motivation?

“I delight in the things of the Lord, and the joy of the Lord is my strength,” she would say positively.

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

XI

Guyana Born U.S. Bishop is Instrumental in Organising Civil Rights Martyr Pilgrimage

Right Reverend Santosh Marray ‘s Portrait

From : The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama “It is difficult for young people today who live in places outside the United States of America, including Guyana, to understand that just 50 short years ago, many black Americans were not only denied the right to vote, but were also prevented from eating in many restaurants, shopping in many stores, and even drinking from water fountains that were designated for ‘whites only,’” said the Right Reverend Santosh Marray, paraphrasing a point made in a recent Anglican News Service Article.

Bishop Marray is a Guyana born U.S. bishop who was instrumental in organizing a recent major civil rights martyrs pilgrimage in Alabama to celebrate the lives and commemorate the sacrifice of those killed in the 1960s struggle for civil rights.

One of them was a white Episcopal/Anglican seminarian from Keene, New Hampshire, USA, named Jonathan Myrick Daniels. He came to Alabama in 1965, in response to a call from civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to join a march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery – part of the voting rights movement underway in the south. He was drawn by his deep faith and belief in the racial equality of all people.

Unlike most of the marchers who returned home immediately following the march, Daniels remained in Alabama and worked on a number of civil rights projects.

On August 14, 1965, Daniels and twenty-some others – mostly young African American demonstrators-were jailed in Hayneville, Alabama, after being arrested while protesting “whites-only” businesses in the nearby town of Fort Deposit.

Released unexpectedly on a sweltering August 20, Daniels and three others who had been jailed with him went to a local store – one of the few that served blacks -- to purchase soft drinks.

As the group approached the door, a shotgun-wield-

ing volunteer deputy sheriff confronted Daniels, Father Richard Morrisroe, a white Catholic priest; and Joyce Bailey and Ruby Sales, two black teenagers, barring their entrance. Following a brief verbal exchange, the deputy raised his shotgun. Daniels pushed Sales safely out of the way as the deputy pulled the trigger. Daniels was hit at near point-blank range and died instantly. A second blast from the deputy’s shotgun cut down Morrisroe who had grabbed Bailey’s hand and turned to run. Although critically wounded, Morrisroe survived. The volunteer deputy, Tom Coleman, was tried for manslaughter and quickly acquitted by an allwhite jury of men.

On hearing of the incident, Dr. Martin Luther King called Daniel’s actions, “one of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry.”

In 1991, The Episcopal Church designated Jonathan Myrick Daniels as a martyr. He is one of only 15 martyrs recognized by the Church since the beginning of the 20th Century. Jonathan Daniels is commemorated in the Chapel of Saints and Martyrs of Our Time, Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, United Kingdom. Canterbury Cathedral is the home of global Anglicanism. Every year pilgrims from all over the United States come to Hayneville to commemorate this profoundly spiritual observance. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of his death a series of events were organized to commemorate his sacrifice.

For the past eighteen years, the Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of Alabama organized through its Commission on Race Relations in the Church, an annual pilgrimage to observe the selfless sacrifice of Jonathan Daniels, and the other martyrs of the civil rights movement.

Bishop Marray, Assistant Bishop of Alabama, of Guyanese origin, has been a vital part of the organization of the pilgrimage. From the time Bishop Marray joined the diocese three years ago,

he immediately assumed this responsibility of working with the commission to strengthen the witness of this pilgrimage. Bishop Marray said that it was natural for him to do this because over the thirty four years of active ministry in numerous countries where he has lived he has publicly proclaimed and served the cause of reconciliation, and in particular racial reconciliation, has evolved into his personal mission and calling from God. He said, “ how any Christian not be a reconciler, for God is reconciliation, and Jesus’ death was about reconciling the world to God?’ This says the bishop “is the vision of God for the world”.

He describes himself as ‘reconciled reconciler’ meaning that as God has reconciled him to God self through God forgiveness, compassion, mercy, grace and love he has devoted his life and ministry to the task

of bringing all human beings to live in common bond of one creation under God. Also, to respect the dignity of every person for all are created in the image and likeness of God. He goes on to say that “when the society and people, especially Christians abandon the message of reconciliation and equality

the church’s core values are compromised. When her core values are abrogated integrity is diminished. The church is the moral compass of society, so when her witness is noticeably different from her message, society loses the benefit of having its very ‘soul’ nurtured to health, and spiritual wellness simply

because its spiritual tutor is sending mixed messages.

Bishop Marray believes that, “to think or even to suggest that one race is comprehensively superior to another is to say that diversity, one of ► Continued

on page XIV

Bishop Marray (kneeling at left) leads pilgrims in prayer at the site of Jonathan Daniels murder, during the 2015 Jonathan Daniels Pilgrimage in Hayneville, AL.

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Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

From class comedian to serious actor…

L E A H C I M D R A N I A BR S U I T A IGN

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By Telesha Ramnarine ICHAEL Brainard Ignatius believes that to be successful in life and achieve your ultimate goals requires you to humbly start with small projects. His aim is to one day become a successful producer in Guyana, and he is quite confident that he will make it!

His participation in school concerts, along with his sense of humour and natural knack for making people laugh, has led him to become one of Guyana’s top entertainers/actors. The country is frequently treated to his performances in the popular Link Show, ‘Nothing to Laugh About’, among several other hot comedy jams.

In fact, Ignatius’ most recent Guyanese movie, ’83 Million Gees’ is set to be released shortly in North and South America. Earlier this year, other movies in which he starred were released including ‘Brown Sugar Too Bitter for Me’ and ‘A Force to Reckon With’.

Ignatius believes that he is quite capable of producing his own entertainment shows, as already he has been writing some of the scripts for some of the very popular comedy shows mentioned above.

Ever since Michael, 30, ventured into acting, apart from the Link Show, he has performed in popular shows like ‘Love, Sex and the Tax Man’, ‘Smile Orange’, ‘No tricks no business’, ‘Awe Society’, ‘Two’s a crowd’, ‘Dosti’ and ‘Bhagban.’ He has also been featured in television advertisements with Digicel and Ashmins among other local companies.

The BV Community High School, during Michael’s years there, was always buzzing with a concert or a drama festival, and teachers, knowing of Michael’s talent, would always ask him to do something.

“Sometimes I would just ‘kicks off’ in class and have to be disciplined because I always had somebody laughing or I’m doing some hilarious, spontaneous thing,” Michael told the Chronicle in an interview.

He represented his school in a play called ‘Blood Thicker Than Water’ at the Theatre Guild, and it was there that he came to the attention of Producer/ Director Desiree Edghill who later commended him for his work. She not only lauded his prowess but also invited him to participate in a documentary she was making on HIV/AIDS. It was the beginning of his dalliance with theatre and HIV/AIDS awareness, and pretty soon, he was training to become a certified Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) officer, which saw him educating his peers through workshops and drama in various parts of Guyana.

The first major play he did at the Theatre Guild was ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ with Godfrey Norton, who is also a producer/director.

“I just started to expand my acting skills, so it’s like a side hobby for me now; I just do it for fun,” Michael said.

He credits the likes of Godfrey Norton, Desiree Edghill, Ron Robinson, Maria Benschop, Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones, Ajay Baksh, Rajen Tiwari (also known as Zapper Man or Calu), Francis Pearce, Margaret Lawrence, Richard Narine, Kirk Jordan with helping him hone his acting skills.

To earn his keep, he works full-time with the new Giftland Mall on the East Coast as a Marketing Assistant, but after work, it’s off to rehearsals, where he would be all evening until well into the night, going at times until midnight.

“I just love it (acting),” Michael said. “It has helped me a lot in my life. Entertainment is like a stress relief to me; it takes away from any problem that I have; I don’t find myself getting problems or

- An asset to the local entertainment industry!

stressing over something.

“It’s (acting) something natural; I just love to entertain. And it’s me just like being spontaneous.

I love drama in the whole; serious drama, comedy.

Comedy is my favourite; it adds some sort of comfort to me, personally. Those who are in the acting ► Continued on page XIII Michael Brainard Ignatius

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015 During one of his performances at the National Cultural Center

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With some of his acting pals

MICHAEL BRAINARD IGNATIUS

► From page XII

would understand. When you have to do a role, you have to be a different person. At times, you become a different person to every role you are given.

“With all the things happening in this country, all the social issues, sometimes you just want to free your mind. When you come and are entertained, you zone out from your problems and start laughing. The best medicine is laughter.

You free your muscles. I like to be happy and I like to make people happy.”

Michael is engaged to Natasha Jordan and is father to Xavier and Jadin.

With his sons Xavier and Jadin

Michael is engaged to Natasha Jordan

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Guyana Born U.S. Bishop is Instrumental in Organising Civil ...

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

► From

page XII

Bishop Marray with Bishop Kee Sloan (Center) & Presiding Bishop-elect Michael Curry (Right) at evening gathering of bishops prior to the pilgrimage God’s greatest and most demonstrative expression of his perfect nature, has no place in this world. And, to go as far as to support this thesis could be tantamount to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the unforgiveable sin according to the Bible.

The 57 years old church leader regards Jonathan Daniels one of his heroes. As a devotee to racial justice and equality Jonathan towered above others of his time, because he dared to live what he believed sacrificing his life in doing so, a rear quality to find in these times.

This year’s pilgrimage on Saturday, August 15, was attended by over 1,500 pilgrims including numerous bishops across the Episcopal/Anglican Church. The sermon was preached by the new Presiding Bishop – Elect of the Episcopal Church USA, the Right Reverend Michael H. Curry, Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina, USA, the first African American to hold this high office.

His powerful sermon reiterated the call of all Christians to discipleship.

“We are here because we who have been baptized

– we’re not simply baptized into church membership – we were consecrated to radical discipleship, into the Jesus Movement to change this world,” said Presiding Bishop-elect Curry. “The same movement that called Jonathan, and Mary, Queen Esther, Moses, Abraham and Sarah and Hagar, the same movement that moved the world into being.

“We must raise up a new generation and pass ► Continued

on page XXIV

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Your mouth can cause headaches

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orothy (not her real name) was referred to me by her physiotherapist. She had constant pain on the right side of her head which began immediately after having a filling placed in her upper right molar two years previously.

To Dorothy, it felt like the pain was coming from that tooth. She had been examined by several dentists and physicians but no cause could be uncovered.

It seemed to me that if Dorothy felt the pain was coming from the filling, it did not matter if we could “uncover” a medical reason for the pain – we should just remove the restoration and see what happens. With her permission, I removed the amalgam and replaced it

Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART DDS.

► Continued

on page XVIII

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One of the ironies of cheating‌.

Many who cheat want faithfulness within their unfaithfulness

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Dear Wayne & Tamara,

am 16 and until a few days ago I thought my family was great, wonderful, happy. I was on my dad's phone looking at

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

pictures of the family he took when I accidentally found a screenshot of something. A conversation with a woman who is not my mother.

The conversation was weird. They were talking to one another as girlfriend and boyfriend. I scrolled through the pictures and found a picture of love quotes that certainly were not sent to my

mother. I also found pictures of this woman's name surrounded in hearts.

Being afraid at this point, I went in and looked at my father's messages with this woman. He called her babe, his sweetheart, â–ş Continued

on page XVII

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Many who cheat want faithfulness ... â–ş From

page XVI

his beautiful girl.

She ended it less than a month ago, saying they crossed the line and she knows there are other women besides his wife.

I'm confused. Why would he do this to us? This is not the first time either. When I was younger, he cheated on my mother multiple times.

She forgave him and I assumed it had stopped.

I'm disgusted with him.

I never want him to touch my mother again. I don't want him in our house. He doesn't deserve us. However, I know my mother does not know. I don't want her saddened by this. She has anxiety and bad stress problems.

I'm scared for what might happen to us. I want my mom to be happy. She isn't a supermodel and she isn't

the fittest of women, but she is beautiful and her soul is beautiful. My siblings are 14 and 11, and I don't want them to feel the pain of this.

I'm going to confront my father by the end of the summer because I want her summer to be happy, but should I do it sooner? I don't know how I can manage that long without saying anything.

ELISE *************** Dear Elise, You are really cornered.

It's like telling a murderer you know he is a murderer

without a policeman in the room. Your father knows you too well. He may put this on you and use the right promise, threat, bribe or cajole to get you to shut up.

It appears the woman he cheated with this last time dropped him because he was "unfaithful" to her.

That's one of the ironies of cheating. Many who cheat want faithfulness within their unfaithfulness.

Your problem is that a guilty secret has been foisted upon you, and you did nothing to deserve the isolation. However, this also involves your mother, and you can't protect her from something which directly affects her.

Your mother didn't stand up for herself before. Maybe with you by her side she can stand up this time. But it would be wise for her to consult an attorney or other trusted advisor beforehand, because divorce is one

of many possible outcomes from your father's repeated adultery.

Cheaters think only of themselves. The proof of this is all the people around them they hurt - their spouse, their children and the families of the people they cheat with.

In general, people don't stop what they get away with, whether it's stealing from stores, beating a child or adultery. When people don't suffer consequences for their actions, they repeat them.

They are not thankful they didn't lose their family. They make up an excuse that allows them to do it again.

Undoubtedly your moth-

er's problems are interlinked with your father's actions, and that is for them to figure out. But this will inevitably spill over into the lives of your siblings, though you would like to protect them.

By yourself you are illequipped to deal with this problem. If your mother is unwilling to confront your father, find another trusted adult to stand by your side.

Your father placed you in this situation. That is unfair. Unburden yourself and tell.

WAYNE & TAMARA

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Your mouth can cause headaches

► From page

XV

with a medicated filling – a temporary material that releases a soothing medication into the tooth. Unfortunately that did not relieve the pain.

I had also noticed that Dorothy bit her nails and suspected that it could be triggering a TMD (jaw joint) problem. To keep her from biting her nails, I made a small plastic appliance that went over her upper front teeth. In very short order, the pain went away. The appliance also helped Dorothy to break the nail biting habit. She is now pain free and no longer needs to wear the appliance.

The result of stress, ‘tension headaches’ are the most common, afflicting many headache sufferers. Ninety percent of all adults have had a tension headache, says the American Council for Headaches. Tension headaches are usually a steady ache rather than a throbbing pain; they affect both sides of the head.

I believe psychological factors have been greatly overemphasized as a cause of tension headaches. So you might think that the only way to treat a tension headache would be to reduce the amount of tension or learn how to “relax” more, but that is not always possible or even easily accomplished. It is also not the only answer.

Many times people under stress will clench or grind their teeth, which is frequently the result of a misaligned bite. As a result, the tension headache is almost always accompanied by spasms of the muscles which help to open and close the jaw.

To evaluate whether the headaches are bite related, we make a small mold fitting over the upper front teeth, which the patient waits for several days. Often, the headaches stop entirely or diminish greatly. We then know to go ahead and make minor

but important, adjustments to reshape the teeth so the patient can have long lasting relief. When the bite is corrected, the strain is taken off the muscles which are free to relax and heal, while the patient continues to feel better and better.

TMD (temperomandibular disease) – formerly known as TMJ syndrome – is simply a dramatic extension of the classic tension headache. It is named for the Tempomandibular Joint which is in front of the ear where the lower jaw rests in the skull bone socket. Often related to clenching and misaligned bite, over time the TMD syndrome can result in extreme spasms and trauma to the muscles not only in the jaw, but down into the neck and shoulders. In many cases, even the back muscles are affected.

Between the top of the lower jaw, called the condyle, and the skull, is a cartilaginous disc. This serves as a cushion as the condyle moves forward and down when the mouth is opening. If this gets displaced slightly, there will occur a click or pop upon opening the mouth; sometimes the jaw may even lock. Some symptoms of TMD include dizziness, headaches, migraines, facial pain, tooth pain, pain down the arms into the fingers, lack of jaw opening, and pain upon jaw movement, ringing in the ears, grinding of the teeth and chronic neck and backache.

Since the site of the temporomandibular joint is at the intersection of three major energy meridians relating to the stomach, endocrine system and small intestine, relief of TMD can spark a tremendous healing process in the whole body, even relieving symptoms like stomach problems, chest pains and cold limbs.

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Meet mother of seven,

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Carol Campbell - faith and determination makes her stronger

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By Neil Primus he grew up in very difficult circumstances, faced various odds as a teen and had some difficult struggles as a young mother. This is the inspiring story of a young mother who was able to overcome many difficulties with an unshakable faith in God and fierce determination to ensure that her children did not suffer the same fate as she did. She worked hard and braved the worse.

Today she is happy that she never accepted defeat.

Forty-two-year-old Carol Campbell is a mother of seven. She’s always pleasant and helpful. Carol works at the Marian Academy as a cleaner and lives near to the Sea Walls with her family. Born in High Street Georgetown, she grew up among four sisters and three brothers.

Her mother owned and operated a small Beer Garden. She was ably assisted by her husband; Carol’s step-father. He died when carol was 12 years old. This sudden death caused her mother to become frequently ill. Her blood pressure began to fluctuate dangerously and she had to spend a lot of time in the hospital. Eventually the business had to be sold. The family moved to another location in High street.

One negative spin-off of the business was the neglect of the children. All of Carol’s siblings, like Carol, were never able to benefit from school. She does not remember why this was so. When her mother sold the beer Garden, the woman took in washing in order to feed her large family. School was never a serious consideration.

Circumstances caused them to move to Craig on the East Coast of Demerera. There at the young age of fourteen or fifteen she met and began a relationship with the father of her first two children. At this young age she began the journey of motherhood.

Things were not working smoothly for her family so they were forced to go to the North West District for a short while. The family returned to the East Bank just in time for her first child to be born; her only daughter. She and her family lived for four years in ‘Busbee Dam’. Then she migrated to Georgetown.

It was a tough life for a young girl. She started working at the Catholic Guild. Very soon after arriving in the city, she found herself in financial difficulties. For many years to follow, she seemed to be stuck in this morass. Her mother gave her what little assistance she could.

This only gave the slightest ease to her complex situation.

As her family grew, things got progressively harder. She was now living with her present husband, the father of her other five children. When her second step-father died, she accompanied her mother to the mortuary to view his body. When she exited this facility some time later she became very ill; a condition that lasted seven years. Doctors were consulted but they found nothing wrong with her.

One day while she was in the depth of depression and illness, a close friend invited her to church. She decided to accept the invitation; a decision that changed her life forever. She and her friend journeyed to Bishop London’s church where she found salvation. She recalls that she sat at the back of the congregation when she entered the church.

The woman praying at the front of the church suddenly walked down to Carol and began praying for her. The sick woman testified that she felt something leaving her body. That was the day she accepted Christ into her life. She left the church healed and healthy.

Since then she has had her share of struggles with family relationships and finances. In a house with eight mouths to feed life remained a challenge. After the bishop’s church moved to Ocean View then to another location in Georgetown, she lost track of it.

This chain of events steered her towards the Brazilian church. As soon as she began attending this church, her life’s circumstances made a dramatic change for the better. It has been improving ever since, she told the Sunday Chronicle.

Carol lost her eldest son at age 21. She has rededicated her life to Christ and to the success of her family. Even though her mother did see education as a priority, Carol’s approach to this is the exact opposite. No matter how hard she has to work, or how much she needs to sacrifice, Carol ensures that all her children receives the best education she can afford. They are all doing well in school.

This dedicated woman continues to make sacrifices for her children to achieve their goals.

Already two of them have made serious career choices. One wants to be an Accountant and the other has elected to become a Mechanical Engineer.

Her love and generosity stretches beyond her immediate family. Her nephew who lived with her for many years have benefitted from her respect for education. He has completed secondary school, benefitted from the necessary lessons and have written and passed 12 subjects at the CXC Examinations.

Her husband drives a taxi and is also a devout Christian. Carol declares, “Once you believe in God and have faith, He will never let you down. What He did for me, He will do for you.”

She continues to exemplify the life of a woman and mother who refused to stay down. With faith and courage she overcame great odds to ensure that her family stayed together and her children had happy, successful lives.

Carol Campbell and her children

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Wildcats of Guyana

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uyana has one of the largest unspoiled rainforests in South America, some parts of which are almost inaccessible by humans.

Over 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests, ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to lowland evergreen rain forests. Six of the 36 wildcat species that exist in the world roam the largely pristine forest and natural corridors that exist in Guyana.

These are:

•Jaguarondi (Puma yagouaroundi) also known as the Eyra or Otter cat.

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he body of jaguarondi is covered with uniformly coloured fur. Depending on the habitat, colour of the fur can be reddish, grayish or black to brownish. Unlike many other South American cats, jaguarondi spends majority of time on the ground, usually in dense vegetation or heavy bushes. They are very vocal animals producing 13 different sounds for communication and can jump 6.5 feet in the air to catch a flying bird. Jaguarondi is a mainly diurnal (active during the day) animal.

• Margay (Lepardus wiedii), also known as the Tree Ocelot, Climbing Ocelot, Little Ocelot or Tigrillo.

M

argay's fur can be grayish to cinnamon in colour. It is covered with black-ringed rosettes. They have large eyes adapted to night vision since they are nocturnal (active at night). They can survive less than 10 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Unlike other cats, margay is able to move down the tree, with its head going before its feet. This is possible because it has flexible ankles of the front feet that can be rotated for 180 degrees.

• Oncilla (Lepardus tigrinus), also known as the Little Spotted Cat, Tigrillo, Tiger Cat or Little Tiger Cat

T

he body of an oncilla is covered with beautiful fur that can be tan or ochre in colour. Upper side of the body is covered with dark rosettes while the lower side is pale and contains a few spots. Its tail is covered with black rings and ends with black tip. One fifth of all oncillas are completely black. Young animals produce a unique purring sound, while adult animals produce a gurgling sound when they meet each other. Oncilla is active at twilight (crepuscular animal) and night (nocturnal animal).

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• Jaguar (Panthera onca), also known as the Tiger, Pouss, Turtle Tiger

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aguars are the largest of South America's big cats. Most jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed "rosettes" because they are shaped like roses. Some jaguars are so dark they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer inspection.

It is important to note that all wild cats in Guyana are protected in accordance with the Third Schedule of the Wildlife Management and Conservation Regulations (WMCR) 2013.

Therefore, trapping, killing or injuring of these animals is a crime that is punishable by law.

In some instances, humans and these wildcats will interact.

However, we urge you to be cautious and thoughtful in your action when dealing with these animals. If you do encounter these animals, the first move should not be to kill or injure.

Make a report to the nearest police station or to the EPA so that a proper solution can be found as long as it does not pose an immediate threat.

• Puma (Puma concolor) also known as the Cougar, Panther, Mountain Lion, Red Tiger, or Deer Tiger

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he Puma is the fifth heaviest of wildcats after the lion, leopard, jaguar and tiger. They have a plain coloured fur ranging from tawny to silver grey or reddish brown with lighter patches on their underparts including the jaws, chin and throat.

The name of a male is referred to simply as a ‘Puma’, while the female is referred to as a ‘she-Puma’ and the young are called ‘cubs’.

• Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) also known as the Tigrillo, Painted Leopard, Hagtiger, or Dwarf Leopard.

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he Ocelot is much larger than its cousins the Margay and the Oncilla, although they bear a striking resemblance. Twice the size of the average house cat, the ocelot is a sleek animal with a gorgeous dappled coat. These largely nocturnal cats use keen sight and hearing to hunt rabbits, rodents, iguanas, fish, and frogs.

They also take to the trees and stalk monkeys or birds.

SOURCES: http://www.softschools.com/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/ For more information on the Wildlife Management and Conservation Regulations (WMCR) 2013 or to make a complaint against any person or group causing or contributing to the harm of wildlife; you can call 225-6044/225-5471/225-5467 ext 226 or email to epa@epaguyana.org or eit.epaguyana@gmail.com.

‘Uncle Dave’ has a passion for business and high standards XXII

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by Neil Primus HE mouth-watering aroma of spicy curry swirled around the room and engulfed my taste buds creating an instant storm of anticipation in my belly. I watched as the two people worked silently and efficiently to fill orders and please customers.

As the buyers exited there was obvious pleasure with their purchase. I signaled to the proprietor that I would like to have a word with him. He offered me a chair and sat down for a brief interview.

Shivnarine Somdat, also known as ‘Davenand’ or ‘Uncle Dave’, is a 52-year-old father of two. He is the owner and manager of a game shop – Video Gaming and a newly opened

restaurant – Food Palace. Davenand confessed that he had always loved business. He began his first small venture at age fifteen. Back then he did trading in Trinidad and Tobago. This venture lasted a number of years but ended when he migrated to the USA. After a number of years he made a decision to return home and start a business. That saw the birth of the Video Gaming in 2010. With the support of his young, hardworking assistant Davesh Sukra, the game shop has grown in popularity and technology over the years.

There are now a large assortment of games, game consoles and accessories and snacks on sale. There is also the added thrill of playing online. This feature allows Guyanese players to test their skills against players all over the world.

Five years after the introduction of the game shop, he

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

opened the restaurant. On the 1st of August 2015, Food Palace began to do business. To mark this occasion a Bar-B-Que was held. Davenand felt that there was a need for delicious and high quality ‘home cooked meals.’

“I do what I like and I like what I do.” These words came from the owner and cook. Yes, Davenand cooks everything himself. “Food is my favourite thing. I used to go from restaurant to restaurant to buy food. Some I liked, others I did not. After eating at so many different places I was convinced that better could be done. I felt that if I opened a restaurant of my own I could offer quality food at a reasonable price. My restaurant offers all types of Guyanese cuisine.”

The Décor at Food Palace

Shivnarine Somdat, also known as ‘Davenand’ or ‘Uncle Dave’ and his assistant, Davesh Sukra

Game Shop activity

Inside Food Palace

► Continued on page XXIII

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015 ► From page

XXII

Both the game shop and restaurant are located at the junction of Middleton Street and Campbell Avenue in Campbellville.

“I liked the location very Work in the kitchen

much and thought that now was the perfect time to embark on this new project. Business is steady and slowly building. This is because the Palace is not well known as yet. What pleases me the most is to hear my

customers compliment the cooking. Those who come always return.”

The small restaurant is cozy with a ‘Home Away From Home’ ambiance. Antique bottles, unique pictures and subtle floral decorations

give the place that blend of modern and antique. The seating is only 15 but this allows for comfort and relaxation while dining. It is the ideal place for families.

There is the Take-Away Service, the Delivery Service and the Catering Service.

Add to all that a warm courteous and friendly service you will almost be describing home.

This energetic and somewhat reserved gentleman, apart from owning and controlling the game shop and

XXIII the restaurant, is also the manager of the Blue Martini Club. His determination to offer only the best service to his customers ensures that this popular club is among the best in Guyana.

From the 2010 establishment of Video Gaming to the launch of Food Palace, Dave has had the invaluable assistance of Davesh. This enterprising youth is a whiz at the video games and ensures that this section is well managed.

He has also been very lucky to have a great friend and

‘big sister’ in Rosetta Dundee (Auntie Rose) who just happens to be an extraordinary cook. She has always offered necessary help and advice since his second attempt at business in 2010.

Davenand projects that in five years his small businesses will continue to grow and become so well established that he would be able to expand with branches at other locations. “I want the name of Food Palace to be synonymous with excellent taste and high quality.”

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Guyana Born U.S. Bishop is Instrumental ... ► From

page XIV the torch to that generation so that the march will continue, so that the movement will go on, so that we will not stop, we will not cease, we will not desist until justice rolls down like a mighty stream and righteousness like an ever-flowing brook.

“That’s the movement we’re all a part of. It’s a movement that believes passionately that love can actually change the world.”

Bishop Marray is a global Anglican Church leader of

thirty four years, including ten as bishop, a son of the Anglican Diocese of Guyana. Before he left Guyana he served as parish priest in New Amsterdam, Canje, Berbice River Missions, Church of The Transfiguration, La Penitence and St. Aloysius Churches, South Ruimveldt Gardens, and Army Chaplain to the Guyana Defence Force.

It was during his cure that the Church of the Transfiguration outstanding debt was retired, renovated and consecrated on Sunday, August 13, 1989.

He said that his reason for leaving had to do with his desire to improve his pasto-

ral training, be exposed to church global, and further his education.

He served fourteen years in the Diocese of the Bahamas. In February 2005 he was elected and consecrated Bishop of Seychelles, Indian Ocean, a country off the eastern coast of Africa. He has travelled extensively throughout the global Anglican Communion. In 2006 to 2009 he was chosen as part of a twelve member church leaders across the world wide communion tasked by the Anglican Communion to draft an Anglican Communion Covenant. The covenant was designed to

offer guidelines as to how best the Anglican Communion could live its common life together as an effective global witness. In 2009 the former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, appointed him one of his commissaries to the Anglican Communion in the role of Pastoral Visitor. Other commissaries included the present Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, when he was Dean of Liverpool and later Bishop of Durham. This role took Marray to many parts of the world, and involved him as both a presence and conflict mediator.

He is a trained mediation trainer with one of the foremost mediation centers in USA Lombard Mennonite Peace Centre, Chicago, Illinois, and Coventry Cathedral Centre

for Reconciliation, United Kingdom. Bishop Marray holds a Diploma in Pastoral Studies, Codrington College; Bachelor of Arts (Upper Second Class Honours) in Theology, University of the West Indies, Barbados; Master of Law in Canon Law, University of Wales, United Kingdom; Master in Sacred Theology in Christian Spirituality, General Theological Seminary, New York; Doctor of Ministry, Colgate Rochester Divinity/ Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Rochester, NY; and Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) in recognition for outstanding leadership in church global and local, planting new churches and renewal of congregations across the many dioceses he has served. Bishop Marray holds the distinction of being the first Guyanese and

Caribbean/West Indian of East Indian descent to be bishop in the world wide Anglican Communion, and the first and only Caribbean/West Indian to serve bishop in the eastern and western hemisphere.

Our Assistant Bishop and his wife Nalini of thirty eight years are beloved in the Diocese of Alabama, and have brought to Alabama the gift of diversity, love and West Indian charm; and a sense and knowledge of the global church never experienced before. The Diocese of Alabama comprises ninety three congregations, over thirty thousand members and over two hundred and forty clergy led by its Bishop Diocesan the Right Reverend Kee Sloan.

The words of Jonathan Daniels the Martyr continue to resound for all nations and all peoples, “we are indelibly, unspeakably one”.

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LITERACY BUILDING BLOCKS FOR CHILDREN

By Dorothy M. Cush EACH and every day Americans are bombarded with the latest research-based reading programmes from the minds of educators.

Yet, in spite of the plethora of literacy research, America is unable to achieve 100% literacy.

This is so because we continually rewrite the literacy plan which does not offer pedagogues an opportunity to become fluent with the resources needed to teach literacy to their students.

Teaching a child to read is a skill which requires one to be knowledgeable about one’s craft and familiar with the correct tools to use.

What is the most effective approach to teaching literacy?

First, we must create the physical, emotional, and cognitive classroom environments for optimal learning to facilitate literacy growth.

In addition, research shows that students need at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction per day in order for sufficient student reading development. This instruction must be dense: systematically delivering explicit teacher directions; scaffolded over time; and, differentiated across the classroom.

The National Center for Education Statistics, based in Washington D.C., concluded in a recent report that a persistent gap in achievement exists between children from different backgrounds. The Center’s statistics revealed that this deficit can be traced to the preschool years, underscoring the importance of instilling solid reading habits in children from an early age.

Educators need strong support for children's language and early literacy development. In other words, we must provide a foundational literacy programme to improve literacy quality among young children - a literacy programme comprising phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Governments must provide teachers with the support they need to be successful: professional development, using a literacy programme for five to seven years, allowing the teachers to evaluate its success for their students. Only then will we have measurable positive changes in literacy.

Our society is changing and we can ill afford to have non-readers among us. In order for our students to change based on the societal needs of our citizens, we must equip learners with the tools necessary to engage in a process of life-long learning and independent thinking. We must teach them to read!

(Dorothy M. Cush, BSc, MSc, SDL, SBL is a curriculum and literacy specialist with New York City’s Department of Education)

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ast week, Agra's Taj Mahal got its own Twitter account. The handle, @TajMahal, already has over 16,000+ followers, and is part of a unique project that aims to boost footfalls to the famous structure.

But, it isn't the first initiative to use technology to draw in the crowds. A number of online projects around the world, and in India, have or are in the process of being set up to create awareness about art and culture, help conservation efforts, and even boost tourism. Let’s do something Guyana!

It was trialled at the Manchester Art Gallery in the UK with the aim to explore how the Google Glass could be used in tourism. A prototype app was created that allowed visitors to find out more about a painting by taking a photo on the device's camera.

With new technology coming in almost every year, usage of these tools gets increasingly innovative. Travel companies are already experimenting with live streaming.

HIGH-END GRAVITY GYM TAPS FITNESS TECH FOR TOP-LEVEL TRAINING Gravity is no ordinary gym in Singapore! Gravity, which opened less than a month ago, offers a high-tech workout to high-level executives for a high-end price.

It’s eye-watering entry fee is US$2000 and monthly membership costs up to US$500. That’s around ten times what you'd normally pay for a regular gym here in Guyana.

But those who can afford to shell out are in for a sophisticated, modern fitness environment. Upon signing up, members get an onsite blood analysis and a 3D body scan that collects a model based on 400 data points-follow-up scans then allow members to track their progress. Other digital initiatives include an app that tracks workouts both in and

out of the gym, as well as weekly social fitness competitions.

Besides the biometric aspects of the gym, Gravity comes with the latest equipment, including a treadmill that automatically customises your home screen, as well as access to your emails when you log in either manually or through your phone via near-field communication, or NFC. A high-tech water cooler sits in the middle of the main gym area, tracking the number of plastic bottles saved if members refill their bottle instead of grabbing a new one.

With membership capped at 999 people, Gravity is ► Continued on page XXX

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To the delight of multitudes…

GUYANA FASHION WEEK T - back with a bang!!

By Alex Wayne HE spectacular Guyana Fashion Week is back, and multitudes will rejoice at this news! The biennial fashion showcase returned with a bang, but patrons may, regrettably, have to wait a tad longer to enjoy a show they dearly

love!

Yes, the designated two-year period is upon us, but the festival is now going to be part of the country's fifty-year Independence celebrations, come May next year.

Good things come to those who wait, or so it seems, for the plans for GFW are no longer in the pipeline, but are out of the box!

Guyana Fashion Week is the second longest running fashion event of its kind in the Region, and has, over the years, served to launch many a creative talent. Make-up artists, stylists, set decorators, models, fashion designers, sculptors, visual artists, performing artists, make-up artists, hair designers, graphic artists, culinary artists and more have all found a home in the Guyana Fashion Week experience. Many of these non-traditional occupations bore fruit in the Fashion Week nursery, as it were, during the last six staging of the event, between the years 2007 and 2013.

“I am elated to say that GFW is part of our 50th Independence Anniversary, and that we are working steadfastly to ensure that this event will be memorable,” said Sonia Noel, CEO of Guyana Fashion Week.

Specialised areas like lighting design, stage management, wardrobe coordination, creative music coordination, stage design, information technology and new media services, even costuming, have all been incorporated into the Fashion Week roll-out. Certainly, these statistics indicate that there is a boost in creative industry development, which all come as a result of the need for economic diversification in modern economies. Moreover, such activities serve to advance sus► Continued on page XXIX

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tainable development initiatives and foster nation building incentives, essential for socio-economic progress.

It is evident that Guyana Fashion Week has proven itself to be indispensable to any cultural policy development seeking to invest in the burgeoning creative industry, not only locally, but with regional implications. Set for May 2016, look out for incremental incentives leading up to the big re-launch, as it were, of Guyana Fashion Week 2016.

Last week, creative director of GFW, Caribbean Fashion guru Richard Young, was here to hold talks with GFW CEO and founder, our very own fashion icon Sonia Noel. Recently, on the Guyana Today programme on NCN Television, Young told Marisa Morgan, "GFW is always searching for young, creative (persons who are) willing to seize the opportunity to chart their professional pathway, utilising the creative arts. An invitation to participate in the event at multiple levels would be posted soon, or one can check out the Facebook page for further updates.

“The face of GFW is an element that garners quite a following, so keep abreast of the developments of GFW 2016”. Sonia Noel announced that "GFW is looking for that face to brand the event, cognisant of its new dispensation. I am so excited about this new turn of events."

Details of the search would be publicized, in the near future to discover this new face of GFW.

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USING TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST TOURISM ► From page XXVII

hoping to fill up half of its quota by the end of the year.

To do so, the gym also has facilities set up to allow executives to work remotely, such as meeting rooms with conference-call capabilities and with height-adjustable meeting tables.

THE NEXT VERSION OF ANDROID WILL BE CALLED ‘MARSHMALLOW’ Google shared some sweet news on last Monday: The next version of its mobile operating system will be called Android Marshmallow.

As you may or may not know, nearly every version of Android has been named after a candy or dessert in alphabetical order, starting with the letter "c." (The first two versions were

just called Alpha and Beta.)

The Marshmallow announcement is a bit surprising to Android insiders, who widely believed the next version would be called "Macadamia Nut Cookie." But Google has thrown

Android-naming curveballs before.

Android Marshmallow focuses on subtle improvements to the user experience, including squashing a ton of bugs and overhauling basic features. The biggest addition is Android Pay, Google's latest take on mobile payments. It's pretty similar to Apple Pay, and a big improvement over Google Wallet, the companies earlier attempt at a mobile wallet.

Other Android M improvements include a new permissions tool that gives users more control over what data they share with apps. There are battery saving features, in Marshmallow, as well as a new tool that lets you open Chrome browser tabs directly inside apps instead of asking users to choose between Chrome and an app.

MORE THAN 75 MILLION DEVICES NOW RUNNING WINDOWS 10 Within the first 24 hours of Windows 10's release on July 29, Microsoft said its newest OS was installed on 14 million devices. On August 26, a little under a month after launch, Microsoft officials said Windows 10 is now on more than 75 million devices worldwide.

Microsoft began making Windows 10 available to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users as a free upgrade for consumers and

some business customers on July 29. Those who don't qualify for the free upgrade and are not covered by a volume license with Software Assurance can opt to buy Windows 10 Home for US$119 and/or Windows 10 Pro for US$199.

Microsoft officials have said the company's goal is to see Windows 10 installed on 1 billion devices by late summer 2018. That total includes not just the already released Windows 10 for PCs and tablets, but also Windows 10 Mobile for phones, Windows 10 on Internet of Things devices and Windows 10 on Xbox One.

MUTILATED TOUCAN GETS 3D-PRINTED BEAK PROSTHESIS In a ground-breaking project, a Brazilian toucan which lost the upper part of its beak while being trafficked has been fitted with prosthesis made with a 3D printer.

The prosthetic is made of plastic, covered with nail polish and sealed with a special polymer made from the castor oil plant. With the help of the prosthesis, the bird will also be able to feed any chicks she might have in the future.

It took researchers three months to design the beak but it took only two hours for the printer to print it - the beak weighs approximately 4g and it is 4cm (1.6in) long.

Chronicle Pepperpot August 30, 2015

Bitter cassava must be properly cooked to extract its cyanide content - Aishalton couple battling for their lives in hospital

By Shirley Thomas Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital are battling to save the lives of an indigenous couple from Aishalton in Region 9, who were brought to the institution unconscious and with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, and each having a low pulse rate.

The two people were air-dashed to the city late on Thursday night, and were each admitted to the High Dependency Unit in a critical condition. Relatives who accompanied them to hospital reported that the couple had prepared a meal of Amerindian pepperpot (kadakura), which they had made from freshly grated bitter cassava. Those preparing the meal had apparently not extracted all of the starch from the cassava juice, or they

may have undercooked the cassava water in the process of preparing the kadakura.

However, the danger lies in the fact that the bitter cassava root which is used in preparing cassava bread and cassareep, as well as the by-product kadakura, is potent, and contains traces of cyanide. Unless the juice is thoroughly extracted from the grated cassava, which is baked to produce cassava bread, there may be minute quantities of cyanide remaining in the cassava bread.

Likewise, it is absolutely necessary that the ‘cassava water’, or juice, used to make either cassareep or kadakura, be left to stand for at least forty-five minutes, or even one hour, before it can be used for either process.

After the ‘cassava water’ would have been left to stand for the specified period of time, it should be gently poured into another container. At the bottom of the container in which the juice has been collected, starch would have accumulated, and that starch, once still fresh, contains cyanide.

After being allowed to dry over a few days, the starch collected is crushed and used for laundering purposes.

It is for this reason that it is absolutely necessary that the broth made using the cassava water be thoroughly boiled before being served.

For making cassava cassareep, the same cassava water is used, but it has to be boiled thoroughly; and as ► Continued on page XXXII

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Bitter cassava must be properly cooked to extract ... ► From page XXXI

it begins to darken or change colour, a scum appears at the top. That scum, too, when extracted can be further boiled to make an Amerindian pepperpot.

BEWARE It is on this note that the Chronicle will like to highlight the danger contained in a recipe appearing online and titled: ‘Cassava Cassareep Guyana-style’.

THE RECIPE IS PUBLISHED BELOW: Ingredients: (One medium (about 2 lbs) young cassava root. *Peel the cassava with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler. *Finely grate the cassava. Place the cassava into a bowl lined with a double-thickness of dampened cheese cloth. *Bring the ends of the cheese cloth together to enclose the pulp, and wring the cloth vigorously to extract the cassava juice into the bowl. *Transfer the juice to a heavy skillet. Stirring constantly, cook over moderate heat for about 1 minute, until the cassareep is smooth and thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon.

It must be pointed out that the last instruction is erroneous.

Cassava water, after being transferred into the skillet, MUST be left to stand, allowing adequate time (45 minutes at a minimum) for the starch to be separated from the cassava water. After the starch is removed, then and only then is it safe to proceed to make cassareep with it. Failing this, the cassareep will contain a concentration of cyanide which is potentially dangerous to human health.

Secondly, the boiling time for the preparation of cassareep is categorically ‘not only one minute’.

Cassareep is not known to be prepared using 2 pounds of cassava, particularly since the long boiling process entailed before the boil can take on dark brown colouration will bring the contents of the pot down to about a quarter of a pint. To get that brown colouration, cassava requires a cooking time of at least half an hour, and certainly not one minute.

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Nurse Orita Semple and the Healing Community Centre – Before and After

By Shirley Thomas BORN in Linden, Orita Semple grew up in Mahaicony but migrated to the United States of America, where she has been living ever since 1983. Now 46, she continues to carry that awesome passion for making the lives of women and children better.

Judging from her chosen career and her association with health-related non-governmental and community service organizations, and noting the energy and drive she continues to expend into her association with the Healing Community Centre of Atlanta Georgia -– the neighbourhood in which she lives – one has to conclude that Orita Semple has been appropriately geared to robustly pursue her calling. She now has her own agency, named ‘Healing Community Centre – ‘Before and After’.

With an extensive background in the social services, having been engaged therein for the last 20 years, and having been engaged in maternal health since 2003, this mother of one is a certified Childbirth Educator and Labour and Postpartum Doula (Labour coach). Her passion is for the welfare of women and children, and she has worked in various fields of HIV/AIDS and support services.

She is actively involved in providing transitional housing for women in crisis, as well as in domestic violence situations.

An Anger Management Specialist, Orita also provides compliance support services for women.

“In Atlanta we have maternity and transitional housing for women, and provide training for staff and pregnant women on childbirth education,” she proudly asserted.

Driven by her passion to reach out to the people of Guyana, Orita has launched an HIV support service for women and children at Mahaicony. Launched in 2004, the focus of this service has since been on maternal and child health.

VISION Currently home on vacation, Orita Semple is interested in re-establishing a relationship with the people of Mahaicony.

She has an eye on working along with the hospital and health care clinics, focusing on women’s health and, more essentially, women and child health care.

Having arrived in Guyana on August 13, she has since met with Dr. Gavin Persaud, Region 5 Health Officer, and conducted a maternal health workshop which attracted 13 midwives and public health nurses. The objective of the workshop was to educate and promote healthy mothers and healthy babies.

The workshop was conducted in the boardroom of the Fort Wellington Hospital in Region Five. The primary focus was on family planning; postpartum depression; the role fathers can play in offering support services to pregnant mothers after delivery, with a view to stemming the tide of domestic violence-related postpartum depression.

Orita stressed on importance of the role of fathers in pregnancy, admonishing those ‘missing in action’ (MIA) to seriously consider their paternal obligations and to take up their places in the home alongside their female partners, and especially during pregnancy.

Among the issues discussed with Dr. Persaud, Orita said, was the need for more support services and community involvement for delivery, such as community follow-up workers (CFW).

Ms. Semple’s agency (Healing Centre – ‘Before and After’) is concerned that there are only four maternal beds at the Mahaicony Hospital. She said she hopes to have a meeting with the doctor in charge, so as to forge relationships with the institution, out of which arrangements can be made to have more beds brought in.

The agency is soon to ship a barrel of medical supplies for the Mahaicony Hospital, Semple says. Items include dental and surgical supplies; IV tubings; gauze; diabetic glaucometers with lancets and strips; first aid kits and over-the-counter medication.

Last Sunday, Orita Semple staged a ‘walkabout’ in the community, during which she distributed items such as pampers, baby feeding bottles, wipes and bath wash to about 25 pregnant and postpartum women.

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FIONA SINGH - a vocal siren who remains behind the scenes

By Alex Wayne Guyana has, over the years, been establishing quite a reputation for its production of phenomenal vocal talent, and many custodians of this talent have rapidly shifted into ‘international gear’.

We have seen and celebrated the unfolding of fantastic singers, although many of them still choose to remain behind the scenes for one reason or another. An artiste worth mentioning is the phenomenal ‘Chutney Queen’ Fiona Singh, who, over the years, has blazed a trail rarely ever travelled by any female artiste performing in her genre of music.

Though she prefers to remain mostly behind the scenes, this fantastic singing diva unleashes a saucy and pulsating showcase that always evokes ‘chutney tremours’ that are remembered for a long time afterwards.

When Fiona entered the local chutney competition several years ago, her song ‘Money’, which she composed in less than a day, facilitated the former lead singer from the popular band ‘Sugar Cake Girls’ unleashing hellfire to retain the coveted chutney crown she had raked in just a year ago.

That National Chutney Competition was held at the Anna Let’s hail the Queen of Chutney in Guyana, Fiona Singh

Regina Community Centre Ground; and coming in second was four-time Chutney King Haresh Singh, while Mahendra Ramkelawan placed third with his popular piece called ‘Dem ah watch meh’.

Ameer Khan was, moreover, adjudged the best newcomer.

The reigning queen had then walked away with $550,000 and a trophy after she secured 263 points, while Haresh Singh received 251 points and a trophy. Ramkellawan had walked away with $200,000 and a trophy, The highly anticipated competition was judged in three categories, namely Presentation, Rendition and Melody.

Thirty points were attached to each of the categories of presentation, while another 40 points were awarded for melody.

Fiona had let on: “My song, ‘MONEY’, is speaking about the comfort of having money in the bank, as opposed to having a man who would put you through quarrels, beatings and constant abusive behaviour.”

She regained her crown in 2011 with a volcanic showcase that really ‘shook up the venue’, according to both judges and spectators. Her song, the “Reality of having money,” was a crowd pleaser.

She had braved unrelenting competition from former winners Haresh Singh, Rajesh Dubraj, and pre-final favourite Mahendra Ramkellawan with his popular hit “Dem ah watch meh”. However, in the end, it was Haresh Singh who got second and Ramkellawan third.

Upon being announced winner, Fiona said she was shocked, although she had done all the hard work to win. “I worked tirelessly for this”. Fiona said that her song was based on money and being independent. She said that when one has money one automatically becomes “independent”. She urged every female in Guyana to strive for independence, and ended by saying that freedom is guaranteed.

The other competitors were soca sensation Adrian Dutchin, who was competing for the first time, along with other newcomers such as Kawalpatti Couchman, Joel Pharous, Johnny Samaroo, Britney Rajcoomar, Andrew Busjith and Mona Ramsewl.

Popular chutney artists Pooran Seeraj, Kamla Rampersaud and Bunty Singh also contested that year’s title, along with Dennis Tatpaul, Beesham Jairam, Amir Khan and Savetri Li. Jairam and Bunty Singh have both won the Most Promising Artiste prize in the past.

Fiona did her performance with six male Afro-Guyanese dancers from the immensely popular X-Factor Dance Group.

It was her way of being “different” and of stepping away from the Indian girls with long hair and skirts.

The effort obviously paid off, and Fiona walked away with the prize of $550,000.

The mother of two took her chutney fire not long after to the ancient county of Berbice, and set the audience on fire when she performed at the ‘Girls Power Showcase’ alongside veterans like Michelle ‘Big Red’ King, Syd and Yonette Hooper, Charmaine Blackman and Jackie Hanover. The general consensus among spectators then was that, ‘Dis Indian gyal gon surely reach far, because she full ah talent…”

Fiona seems comfortable remaining behind the scenes, and is quite an infectious and merry individual to know. I am quite sure that while she is lying low for the moment, she surely has some musical surprises in store for her many loyal fans.

Fiona Singh, chutney diva with the golden vocals

Fiona manages to blaze a scorching trail each time she enters a competition