Year: 2013

A Pioneering Spirit

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Motivated by his passion and talent, Warren Douglas returns to Guyana to open a unique winery When Warren Douglas decided he wanted to produce wines on a broad scale, he chose his homeland Guyana because of the lush fruits here. That is when he started the Pandama Retreat and Winery, which is said to be Guyana’s first winery manufacturing quality wines using only local fruits. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Douglas recalled sitting in his in Charlotte, North Carolina backyard with his wife Tracy, a fashion designer…

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Fighting Attitudes towards Autism

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Debunking myths of autism, the Guyana Greenheart Autistic Society strives to bring a hidden issue to the forefront Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders that appear in early childhood. While there is no cure for autism, intensive, early intervention can make a big difference in the lives of many children with the disorder. This is the goal of the Guyana Greenheart Autistic Society. The organisation is a registered non-governmental, non-profit charitable organisation that addresses Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was registered on…

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Children’s art competition campaigns against abuse

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Aiming to spread awareness of the horrific effects of abuse, especially child abuse, Comforting Hearts recently held an art competition encouraging youths to join their voices and talents to campaign against abuse. This non-governmental organisation, located in Region Six, has been in existence for more than 12 years, and is considered the first established group in the county of Berbice to address the issue of HIV/AIDS. The idea of forming this organisation came about when 19 persons, trained to be counsellors by the National AIDS Program Secretariat, decided they wanted…

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The Loss of Literary Luminary

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Cecile Nobrega (1919 – 2013) By Petamber Persaud   On November 19, 2013, Guyana lost another literary luminary – Cecile Nobrega. She died at age 94; five years after the Bronze Woman statue was unveiled in Stockwell Memorial Gardens, South London, and four decades after the poem that inspired the statue was written by Nobrega in Guyana. The poem, “Bronze Woman”, was published in Nobrega’s first book of verses, “Soliloquies”. It is the first poem in the book, and talks about the “stalwart woman-man/strength in your heart/and love in your…

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Berbice sex worker ‘choked’ to death – autopsy

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As investigations continue into the murder of Nandkumar Poonwassie, also called “Darshanie”, who was found dead on Tuesday at Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice; B Division Commander Brian Joseph on Friday revealed that the police are hunting for a suspect. The commander added that based on reports and information received, the police have launched a manhunt for the man who is suspected to be from the same village. “We know who the person is, but we have to find him…” A post-mortem examination performed on the body on the man by…

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NY-based Guyanese rally against closing of Richmond Hill HS annex

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BY VISHNU BISRAM   Guyanese-American parents and students in the greater Richmond Hill community of Queens are opposing the New York City Department of Education (DoE) plan to close an annex for incoming freshmen (students) of the Richmond Hill High School. The school is located at 114 Street and the annex is located several blocks away at 117 Street. The school is overcrowded, resulting in the DoE using the annex for the first year entering freshman class. However, the city is proposing to use the annex for a new high…

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Granger calls for ‘national approach’ to deal with city’s garbage crisis

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The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling on the government to implement a Solid Waste Management Plan to effectively deal with the gigantic garbage problem plaguing the entire nation, but especially the country’s capital city. The call was made by APNU’s leader David Granger on Friday at the party’s weekly press conference. The opposition leader pointed out that the government should display leadership and move to address the garbage situation, which is affecting the country’s development. “Guyana has a gigantic garbage problem. Every part of the country, not…

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Ministry undertaking major drainage works in city

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The Public Works Ministry on Friday embarked on a major exercise designed to alleviate drainage problems in Georgetown, especially in the Lodge, Charlestown, Wortmanville, Albouystown and Queenstown areas. The clean-up entailed the clearing of blocked drains, and removal of vegetation and garbage from the heavily-blocked drainage canals. This move comes in the wake of the heavy downpour on November 27 that caused flooding in parts of the city, East Coast Demerara and in Regions Two and Three. Rainfall, recorded at the Botanical Gardens, measured 128.9mm or 5.1 inches, the highest…

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Over 450 East Coast residents benefit from OLPF

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Despite the heavy rainfall last Wednesday, residents of Buxton and surrounding communities gathered in large numbers at the Tipperary Hall, in Buxton to receive their laptops as the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme continued distribution in Region Four. More than 450 beneficiaries from Vigilance, Friendship, Buxton, Annandale and Courbane Park received their laptops. Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, who was present at the exercise, highlighted that this initiative is for Guyanese and that the programme is designed in such a way that “it is non-discriminatory, everybody that qualifies will…

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Pastor calls for rehabilitation programme for ex-offenders

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Practical Christianity Ministries President, Pastor W P Jeffrey is calling on government to establish a formal ex-offender rehabilitation programme in light of the crime situation in Guyana. Jeffrey, who is also the founder of the organisation he heads, said even with all the resources being spent to outfit the police and expand the prison and the holding cells, the prospects for any abatement in criminal activities, do not look promising. Recently, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud reported that the majority of crimes are being committed by young people and about a…

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