Month: January 2011

A Traditional Essequibo Christmas

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By Indrawattie Natram  Essequibo was the first county to celebrate Christmas in Guyana.  If one should delve into the history of Christmas and how the holiday was first observed in Guyana, one would find that according to historians, Christmas was first observed on a regular basis in Guyana when the Dutch immigrants made permanent settlements in various parts of the county of Essequibo. It was noted that the festive season was first celebrated in Essequibo in 1616, then Berbice in 1627, and in 1746 in Demerara.  After the 1796 British…

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Hardley Lewin weighs in on WikiLeaks development

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Former Jamaica Police Commissioner, Rear Admiral Hardly Lewin, has weighed in on the WikiLeaks development. He confirmed that Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Carlton Wilson was reassigned under his watch, but he said it had nothing to do with complaints from Cuba, as claimed by National Security Minister, Senator Dwight Nelson.  Lewin said the reassignment was just a routine one, and SSP Wilson was not the only one to be moved.  Lewin also said that he had no recollection of Cuba having a problem with the force, as suggested by…

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Kamla plays Santa in Penal

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Hundreds of Trinidadian children and their parents gathered in front of their homes and at street corners along the Penal Rock Road, awaiting the arrival of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Sunday, 19th December, as she continued her Christmas treat exercise — this time in a motorcade. Persad-Bissessar left her constituency office in Penal, at about 13:45 hrs, riding in the tray of a canopied pick-up truck, accompanied by a heavy police presence and a music truck, as she embarked on her toy distribution exercise to children along the roadway. …

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T&T woman escapes U.S. deportation

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A woman with dual citizenship of T&T and Guyana is among six people whose deportation orders were reversed in New York last week. On Monday, December 6th, Governor David Patterson pardoned the immigrants, among them four Caribbean nationals: Mario Benitez from the Dominican Republic, Marlon Oscar Powell from Jamaica, and Darshini Ramsaran who holds dual citizenship in Guyana and T&T.  In granting the revocations, Patterson said his actions addressed shortcomings in the US federal immigration laws relating to deportation. “Our review of more than 1,100 pardon applications reveals that federal…

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Mash Shop launched

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Young Guyanese designers will have a chance to display their creativity, charisma and the variety of their work at the annual “Mashramani Shop”, which was officially launched at the Mash Secretariat on Middle Street on Wednesday. Speaking at the simple launching ceremony, Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony indicated that he was happy and pleased to be associated with the activity, which will run until Mashramani Day.  He encouraged the public to visit the shop and be part of the “feelings” leading up to the Mash celebrations.  Minister Anthony highlighted that…

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Slingerz and Wildfire Entertainment join forces

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The top guns of Slingerz Entertainment and Wildfire Entertainment, Javed Ali and Jonathan Beepat, announced on Thursday their decision to merge their entertainment companies to give Guyanese a better entertainment experience come 2011. Beepat said that both he and Ali love to promote entertainment as a hobby. “We both have full-time business and jobs, but our love for entertainment motivates us to pursue the things we like to do,” he added.  He explained that this new partnership will only make things easier and better for both companies, since they now…

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St. George’s Cathedral

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Pointed arches, flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings…the interior of the St. George’s Cathedral is as commanding to the senses as is its exterior, sited at the crossroads of major Georgetown streets. Described as arguably the tallest wooden building in the world, it serves as a magnificent example of architectural heritage. In 1807, Anglican church services were being carried out in the Court House room, but this room became inadequate for the growing congregation. Two lots of land were donated: the land where St George’s School now stands. The Chapel was used…

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WOW project gives women a fresh start

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The national micro credit programme: Women of Worth (WOW) provides women with an opportunity to empower themselves. The WOW project was officially launched June 4 by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), and a collaborative agreement was made July 6, 2010 between the government, through the finance ministry, and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).  WOW was established as a micro credit initiative, with the fundamental aims being to improve the socioeconomic status of women in Guyana, promote their active participation and integration in…

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Gun, ammo found during Mahaicony River raid

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Police have seized a shotgun and a quantity of ammunition during a raid on a house at Esau and Jacob, Mahaicony River, East Coast Demerara. In a release, police said that between 07:00hrs and 11:30hrs last Friday, December17th, ranks conducted searches on several houses at Esau and Jacob.  During the search of one of the houses, the ranks found an unlicensed 12-gauge single barrel shotgun along with seven 12-gauge cartridges, one spent 12-gauge shell, and 793 rounds of .22 ammunition.  Two men and a woman have been arrested, and are…

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Peruvian and Venezuelan charged for illegal entry

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A Peruvian and a Venezuelan, who both illegally entered Guyana, were remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry when they appeared at that Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Jose Rodriguez, 25, of Margarita, Venezuela, and Jessica Ruby Escarpaso, 35, of Lima, Peru, both pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is alleged that on December 12, at Springlands, Corentyne, they entered Guyana via sea without the consent of an immigration officer.  The couples do not speak English, so an interpreter, CID Detective Motilall Persaud, was afforded to them,…

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