Month: February 2013

Monster fish surgery in the wilds of Guyana

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As the sun rises on the Rewa River, I wake to the sounds of howler monkeys rambling in the trees and a cacophony of tropical birds with their joyful noises. I pause for a moment and ponder the drastic difference between this and the wake-up calls of the bustling city of Chicago, where I live: police and fire truck sirens blaring in the streets, buses making their daily routes and anxious drivers blowing their horns as they navigate traffic. I welcome the change and feel a stream of excitement, as…

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Two women of Guyanese heritage stay connected with their culture

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Melinda Shankar and Simone Small are two television actresses known for their talents in the film industry who never cease identifying the source of their colourful personality – their rich cultural Guyanese background. Melinda Shankar Melinda Shankar is a talented young actress best known for her role in the Canadian teen drama television series: “Degrassi – The Next Generation”. She was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada to Guyanese migrant parents. The actress, born Feb. 18, 1992, started her acting career at age 10 appearing in TV commercials, print ads…

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Star of the week: Niketa Tiffany Barker

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The scintillating beauty Niketa Tiffany Barker, born July 9, 1990, is a medical student at the University of Guyana, a model and an ardent philanthropist.  Although engrossed with medical studies, Niketa finds time for another passion she perceives as an exhilarating hobby- modelling. The medical student and model also invests time in her volunteer work at the Volunteer Youth Corp. Niketa has stormed catwalks at various fashion shows, one being the Guyana Fashion Weekend. Additionally, she has done photo shoots for many of Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s most renowned designers…

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Air conditioning sizing and maintenance

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Well I’m not that old…honest…but it seems that every year that passes by, the place gets hotter compared to say when I was in school. Anyway, I want to engage readers on air conditioning this time around. The most popular type of air conditioning system for domestic use is the split or window type, [central air conditioning is more for commercial applications]. Now you may not care how air conditioning works; only that it does. I don’t blame you, but you need at least to know how to take care…

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Russia writes off Gy$56.7M of Guyana’s debt

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Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Russian Federation to Guyana Ambassador Nikolay Smirnov exchanged official documents that conclude and bring into force the agreement between the two countries to cancel Guyana’s debt owed to Russia in the amount of US$277,490.24 or G$56.7 million. The cancelled debt originated from two loans contracted on October 23, 1984 and December 24, 1984 between the former Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB) on behalf of the government of Guyana and “AVIAEXPORT” (a Russian Foreign Trade Agency) for an amount totalling US$9,409,044.71 to purchase two military…

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Guyana-U.S. sign agreement for security sector assistance

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By Kristen MacKlingam – The governments of Guyana and United States of America (USA) on last Friday signed two agreements to further advance the local and regional security sectors. The first agreement is the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), Letter of Agreement for 2012-2013, which outlines priorities and provides an additional US$860,000 (G$172 million) in security sector assistance. U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt stated that the CBSI which was launched in May 2010 is now entering its third year. “The CBSI is a security partnership that has allowed…

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Gy$57M dorm commissioned at Charity

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The Region Two administration in collaboration with the Education Ministry last Thursday commissioned a spanking Gy$57 million dormitory at Charity, on the Essequibo Coast. Some 200 children from the most desolate areas in Essequibo, inclusive of the Pomeroon and Moruca, Region One, are expected to benefit from this prudent investment. At a simple commissioning ceremony held at the facility, Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud told parents, teachers and students that the investment made by the Education Ministry will expose students from the Pomeroon to both primary and secondary education. He…

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Carnegie renews focus on quality as it celebrates 80th anniversary

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The Carnegie School of Home Economics is celebrating its 80th anniversary and a number of activities have been planned to commemorate this historic milestone. Special attention is being placed on enhancing courses that are being offered. This year’s celebration will be observed under the theme “Positive attitude, knowledge and skills – the springboard for successes”, with a wide range of activities throughout the year. Carnegie Principal Penelope Harris said the school is working closely with its board of governors to ensure this year’s celebration is an unforgettable experience. She said…

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Old friends

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‘Cri de coeur’ Major General (retired) Joe Singh issued what can only be described as a ‘cri de coeur’ (cry from the heart) in the wake of the brutal attack on the long-serving general secretary of the PNC, Oscar Clarke. As he noted, Clarke “has been my colleague and friend for over four decades.” The 74-year-old Clarke was shot and robbed by four youths in his home in Sophia. In many of the points that Singh made, he seemed to echo an editorial from the Kaieteur News of January 31.…

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Five soldiers detained for robbing mining camp

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An officer and four other ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been detained in relation to their alleged involvement in criminal conduct, reportedly committed in the Cuyuni mining district recently. According to a release, this follows the visit made by the Chief-of-Staff, Commodore Gary Best to the mining community at the Julian Ross Landing on Friday, February 1. During that visit, Best assured the miners that once the alleged perpetrators of the conduct were identified, he would ensure that they were charged and placed before the courts. The…

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