2011 – Page 16 – Guyana Times International

Lindeners were early to cast their ballots

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL IN LINDEN “Wake up and prepare to vote, wake up and vote”, these were the words that greeted residents of Linden at about 04:30h on Election Day. One hour later as Guyana Times International cruised through the streets of Region 10, hundreds of persons were proceeding to their respective polling stations to exercise their democratic right. Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo told media operatives that some 116 polling stations were in operation in Region 10 from De Velde in the Berbice River to River’s View in the Essequibo…

Caricom officials move to fine-tune action plan for ICT strategy

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Caricom senior officials with responsibility for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) will meet in St George’s, Grenada later this week to put the finishing touches on the draft implementation plan for the Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS), for submission to the Caricom heads of government, and to develop the framework for a regional broadband policy. The strategy, which was approved by the 36th Special Meeting of the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in May, aims to establish a coordinated regional approach for improving ICT in the region and…

Workshop held to brainstorm agro-tourism opportunities

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Tourism Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), hosted a workshop aimed at exploring agro-tourism opportunities consistent with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. The symposium was part of a series of activities during Tourism Awareness Month 2011 being observed under the theme “Achieving Service Excellence through Training”. The objectives of the one-day session, which was held at the Splashmin’s Eco Park and Resort on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, were to broadly define agro-tourism, with specific reference to Guyana’s potential…

Deal inked for bauxite mine at Bonasika

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

First Bauxite Corporation and the Guyana government on November 22 signed a mineral agreement to open a bauxite mine at Bonasika, along the Essequibo River. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Hilbert Shields; Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Chairman, Major General (retired) Joe Singh were signatories to a mineral agreement with the Canadian company. President Bharrat Jagdeo, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and GGMC Commissioner (acting) Karen Livan were among those who witnessed the signing. The mine, located close to Timehri, has a life…

Gy$293.5M Leonora Secondary School opens

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Education Minister Shaik Baksh on November 22, officially commissioned the spanking Gy$293.5 million Leonora Secondary School, strategically located within proximity of the Synthetic Track and the Leonora Technical Institute on the West Coast Demerara. Addressing the occasion, Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, Pulandar Kandhi related that apart from the cost of construction which was executed by Kares Construction Company, Gy$14.8 million was spent on furniture, Gy$9.5 million on tools and equipment, and Gy$4.3 million on two well equipped information technology laboratories. The land housing the new building was initially used by…

Strides being made in combating TIP – Rohee

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The 2010 report of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Guyana was on November 5 launched by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. The report is the third to be presented by the Ministerial Task Force since government began its own assessment in 2008. Rohee said the reports released over the years have been clear that “as a country, Guyana has been making strides preventing and responding to TIP, including protecting victims and prosecuting persons”. The country has since seen only one conviction for the offence of…

The migrant’s son

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

An acclaimed comedian with strong Guyanese roots, Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge rose to fame on Broadway Although born in the United States, Godfrey Cambridge had strong Guyanese roots because of his British Guiana born parents. He was acclaimed by US Time Magazine as one of the country’s four most celebrated African American comics in the 1960s. Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge, actor and comedian, was born February 26, 1933 in New York City. His father, Alexander Cambridge, and his mother Sarah Cambridge were born in British Guiana. They moved first to Sydney in…

An incredible safari

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

A Guyana safari trip is ideal for those who prefer slightly softer trips and who want to experience the amazing wildlife, take in incredible vistas and meet friendly people. The experience lets you see rare and endangered animals, visit remote Amerindian villages and experience the adrenaline rush at Kaieteur Falls; considered to be the world’s tallest single drop waterfall. For those who don’t want to rough it quite as much, the safari trip is perfect for you. You’ll visit Kaieteur Falls, Iwokrama, the Rupununi wetlands, Amerindian communities, savannah ranches and…

Guyanese elected chief of diaspora body

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Guyanese-born U.S. resident Ashook Ramsaran has been elected the international president of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), the largest umbrella organisation of overseas Indians. Sunny Kulathakal (Bahrain) was elected executive vice president; Piyush Agrawal (U.S.) senior vice president; and Inder Singh re-elected as chairman during GOPIO’s biennial convention in Iselin, New Jersey. The November 18-20 convention on the theme; “Issues and Concerns of the Indian Diaspora” discussed several critical issues of interest and concern that confront persons of Indian origin living in more than 150 countries…

Man shot dead after attacking police escorting ballot boxes

December 2, 2011 TIMES INT'L

A man was fatally shot after attacking police ranks escorting two ballot boxes in the Cuyuni area Sunday afternoon. Police said in a statement that investigations are being conducted into the fatal shooting of an unknown man of mixed race, which occurred at Maripa Dukwari Landing, Cuyuni River. According to the police, initial information obtained from two police ranks at the scene was that they were on duty escorting two ballot boxes to Maripa Dukwari and Kurutuku. While at the Maripa Dukwari Landing, the ranks were attacked by three armed…