Year: 2017

Sorrel: An interesting look at its origin and health benifits

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Have you ever thought about how sorrel drink became part of our culture, especially at Christmas? Well, it is believed that sorrel may have come from Africa to the Caribbean since the 1700s. The sorrel plant is an annual shrub, normally planted in August and reaching maturity in December. After flowering, the sorrel petals fall of leaving the sepals (fruit) and these become enlarged and turn crimson as they mature. A beverage made from the fruit of the sorrel plant is made by steeping the sepal in hot water with…

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Musings…

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…on Christmas and Scrooge Your Eyewitness takes his hat off to Charles Dickens, who – even though he wrote his novels in the mid-nineteenth century – still speaks to us in Guyana with immediacy. It’s not coincidental that Karl Marx was writing about the same phenomena of poor and the powerless – in somewhat less riveting prose! Every year around this time of the year, your Eyewitness returns to the Dickensian classic, “A Christmas Carol”. And no, you young whippersnappers, it’s not about belting out “Deck the halls with boughs…

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History of Bourda Market’s Clock Tower

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In the late 19th century, the decision was made for the construction of a market that would stand the test of time in order to accommodate the increasing number of vendors in Georgetown; that market has survived to this very day. While little official information appears available about the history of Bourda Market, previous unofficial research relates that Bourda market was originally built in 1880, and was soon reconstructed in 1902 to accommodate a growing number of vendors and consumers. The market got its name from the famous colonial, Joseph…

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Who speaks for whom?

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By Ravi Dev The evident demise of the AFC reminds me of some comments I made back in 2006 about their refusal to break out of the rut established by the PPP and the PNC, purporting to create so-called “multiracial parties” that spoke for all groups in Guyana. Ultimately, all politics is “identity politics,” as we seek to ensure justice and equality according to some criteria of our identity — be it race/ethnicity, gender, religion etc. But, in Guyana, no one wants to openly represent “ethnic/racial” interests, even though that’s…

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Using art to encourage youths to save

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The GBTI Calendar Art Competition, which was resuscitated last year, dates back 15 years ago following the aftermath of 9/11 in the US, which sent shockwaves throughout the world. What could be described as a global catastrophe, touched the hearts of many and no doubt, the hearts of bankers at GBTI. Consequently, this saw the launch of the very first Calendar Competition in 2001 which focused on the topic, “If you had a chance to make a difference in this world today, what would you do?” This year, the competition…

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Guyana set to earn over US$7B from first phase of oil production

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…Govt, Exxon brief stakeholders As promised, after mounting pressure from various segments of the population, the Guyana Government on Thursday released the controversial contract with ExxonMobil, CNOOC Nexen, and Hess under which several billion barrels of oil will be produced. During a high-level presentation on the contract at the Ministry of the Presidency, it was disclosed that Guyana stands to gain some US$7Billion over a twenty-year period from the LIZA Phase One well only. Minister of State Joseph Harmon hosted the briefing on behalf of government while presentations were made…

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NCN CEO resigns

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…Board reportedly dissatisfied with performance Chief Executive Officer for National Communications Network (NCN) Lennox Cornette has tendered his resignation reportedly after a unanimous Board dissatisfaction over his performance. Cornette’s resignation has been accepted by the Board’s Chairman Enrico Woolford and will take effect on March 15, 2018. He is expected to proceed on accumulated leave sometime during January next year. This newspaper understands that the Board had continuously voiced concerns over Cornette’s leadership style and inability to implement its decisions in a timely and effective manner. It had also related…

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Verdict pending in lawsuit over 2011 CAL plane crash in Guyana

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A federal judge is considering whether an airline should pay damages to a Connecticut woman injured in a plane crash in Guyana in 2011. According to the Associated Press, Judge Michael Shea in Hartford presided over a three-day, nonjury trial earlier this month in a lawsuit by Waterbury resident Indrawatie Shiwbodh against Caribbean Airlines. The judge is expected to rule sometime after February 9, when final briefs are due. Shiwbodh, formerly of East Haven, was among 157 passengers and six crew members on a Boeing 737 that overshot the runway…

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Birthday celebrations turn deadly

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…as speeding mechanic crashes into lamp post The holiday road carnage continued on Tuesday night when a 43-year-old mechanic was killed after he lost control of the speeding car he was driving and slammed into a lamp post in front of the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara. Dead is Salim Deen, called “Tony”, of Lot 158 Marty’s Ville, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. He was reportedly celebrating his birthday on Boxing Day when the accident occurred just after 20:00h. According to reports, Deen was driving motor car PGG 2276,…

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GuySuCo’s production target unachievable – GAWU

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…as 2017 production expected to be lowest since 1990 The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is contending that the 115,447 tonnes of sugar production target for 2018 is unrealistic, since only three estates will remain operational. This, they said, is grounded in the fact that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is expected to fall behind its 2017 production target which is expected to be the lowest in 27 years. “The Budget tells us that sugar production will reach 115,447 tonnes next year from the three estates that will…

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