Sunday, August 3, 2008
PPP Congress
No concessions on unity when criminals executing a political programme
- Ramotar
The PPP cannot give in to demands for political unity in an atmosphere in
which it is widely believed that criminals are executing a political programme,
PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar said.
He also said that the issue of a presidential candidate will not be decided
in the press.
Delivering the Central Committee Report of the People’s Progressive Party at
its two day 29th Congress at the Diamond Secondary School, East Bank Demerara
yesterday, Ramotar said that “one of the main obstacles that we face in Guyana,
which has a big impact on our politics, is the crime situation.”
The Central Committee Report was one of yesterday’s agenda items which
followed the opening of the conference attended by over 1,500 local and overseas
delegates and observers.
The opening ceremony featured an address by President Bharrat Jagdeo, and
brief remarks by PPP Founder Member and former President, Mrs Janet Jagan, as
well as by Ramotar.
Also on the agenda was the election of 35 members to the Central Committee of
the party and five candidate members. Even as the opening ceremony was taking
place in the auditorium of the school to which journalists except for
photographers were not given access, a few persons were busy canvassing support
for a number of persons they felt should be on the committee. These included
Ralph Ramkarran, Moses Nagamootoo, Kwame McCoy, Clinton Collymore and Vanburn
Brown.
Major cancers have higher prevalence among African Guyanese than other
population groups - study
The major cancers have a higher prevalence among African Guyanese than other
population groups, a recent study found.
This is consistent with a trend which was seen some seventeen years ago, and
it is believed that some of the contributing factors were a genetic
predisposition, socio-economic influences including low income status, and
promiscuity, according to a recent study.
The findings of the study, titled ‘Common cancers of the Afro-Guyanese
population: A silent issue for too long,’ were presented at a May 2007
conference held in Jamaica under the theme, ‘African-Caribbean Cancer
Consortium.’
The study was authored by Tumour Registrar Penelope Layne and Nurse Premini
Persaud both of the Guyana Cancer Registry, and University of Guyana lecturer
and head of the cancer group Periwinkle, Dr Wallis Best Plummer.
According to their findings, with the exception of breast cancer, the highest
percentage of all other cases involving major cancers were Afro-Guyanese.
However, the report qualified this by observing that if the number of breast
cancers among East Indians and Africans were adjusted according to their
relative proportion in the national population, breast cancer would also be more
prevalent among Afro-Guyanese women.
Cancer has been one of the five leading causes of death for over 15 years,
according to the Statistical Unit of the Ministry of Health.
The high prevalence of the various cancers among the African segment of the
Guyanese population was not unexpected as a pilot of cancer care in Guyana in
the early 1990s had previously found a 54% prevalence among this group.
“This continuing high prevalence of cancers after seventeen years however
suggests that little has changed to reduce the impact of this disease,” the
report said.
Presenting the evidence used to come up with the conclusions, the report said
that the most prevalent cancers among persons of African descent were those of
the prostate, lung, breast, cervix, stomach, liver and colon. African men
accounted for 65% of all prostate cancer in the country while the women
accounted for 44.1% and 39% of all breast and cervical cancers respectively.
While most of the men affected by prostate cancer are largely diagnosed over the
age of 60, breast cancer is most prevalent among women aged 41 to 60.
And among the male population Afro-Guyanese account for 99% of the stomach
cancers, 45% of the lung cancers and over 50% of both colon and liver cancers.
“Afro-Guyanese women also experienced between 39% and 45% of all the main
gender-specific and gender-neutral cancers. In particular, they had the highest
incidence of cervical cancer largely in women 40-60 years of age with over 60%
cases diagnosed at stage 2,” the report said.
“This review has highlighted the disturbingly disproportionate affliction of
Afro-Guyanese who constitute 30.2% of the national population with the major
cancers reported to the registry. Efforts must be applied at raising awareness
of the seriousness of this problem, and educating the susceptible population
about easily adoptable health-promoting behaviours,” the report noted.
Owing to the fact there is no support mechanism for persons diagnosed with
cancer, Nurse Layne said she received several calls a day from persons who just
needed someone to talk to.
“There is no support mechanism for persons who have cancer; the doctors just
give the patients their results and they are left out in the cold. They have no
one to talk to and many of them are in need of counselling, and I receive many
calls daily. Some people may even pass and see our sign and come in for
assistance,” Nurse Layne said.
As a result, she said they had been working along closely with the recently
established Periwinkle cancer group, through which cancer patients received some
form of support and counselling. She said that in the group there were cancer
survivors who would counsel newly diagnosed patients, and who would also visit
the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and talk with cancer patients.
And on a brighter note, Nurse Layne said that cancer patients were now seen
separately by the oncologist at the GPH from other surgical patients, which made
it easier for the survivors to find them.
Further, Nurse Layne said cancer treatment continued to be expensive, so it
was good that it was available locally and persons continued to receive
assistance from the Ministry of Health, with those contributing to the National
Insurance Scheme (NIS) also receiving some assistance from the scheme. The
registry was established in 2000.
Female Observation Ward patient found dead
Thrown off bed by another inmate
A 21-year-old mentally ill patient of the Georgetown Hospital’s Female
Observa-tion Ward died early yesterday morning after she was reportedly thrown
off the bed and choked by another inmate. Dead is Natasha Vieira.
The hospital in a press release around 3.40 yesterday afternoon said that
Vieira had been discovered next to her bed around 4.30 am with marks of violence
around the neck. She had been seen by a doctor and pronounced dead at 5 am and
the matter had been reported to the police.
Repeated efforts to contact the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Michael Khan yesterday afternoon proved futile.
In a release last night the police gave a different account, saying that
around 2.30 am Vieira had been found lying on the floor next to her bed with
blood oozing from her mouth and nostrils. The statement went on to say that
another female patient of the ward reportedly had lifted Vieira off her bed and
thrown her onto the floor.
Apparently the incident is so far being handled secretly by top officials of
the institution’s internal security.
It has also been reported that from all appearances the young woman who had
been living in the ward for years had been choked and then stabbed. A source
said that a small amount of clotted blood had been observed on the floor where
the incident had taken place.
It has been reported that Vieira had been living at the institution for
several years. Sources said that she was not an individual who would cause
trouble and that she had kept to herself.
Reports are that all the inmates are locked together in the ward and are
monitored. If a problem does arise, the hospital’s security staff are notified.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
78 soldiers AWOL from army for this year
Some 78 soldiers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) are currently Absent
Without Leave (AWOL) for this year.
These soldiers, a GDF advertisement said, are asked to report to the nearest
military installation or police station for further processing. Further, the
army advises employers that these AWOL soldiers can be picked up at any time.
Individuals with information regarding the whereabouts of these ranks are
asked to report it to the nearest police station or contact the army on
telephone numbers: 226-9888 or 226-7662.
It was previously reported that from 2004 to last year more than 534 soldiers
had deserted the GDF. For last year alone 150 absconded from the army.
According to the Defence Act every person subject to military law under this act
who absents himself without leave; or persuades or procures any person subject
to service law to absent himself without leave shall on conviction by
court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for two years or any less punishment
provided by the act.
It was alleged last December that absentee soldiers below the rank of
substantive corporal returning to the fold are usually tried departmentally and
would receive various sentences most times not exceeding one year. After the
sentencing the soldier’s status (rank) would be reduced.
Some 2,000 persons treated at new Suddie diagnostic centre
Nearly 2,000 persons have been treated at the Suddie Diagnostic and Treatment
centre at the Suddie Hospital since it began offering services to Region Two
residents just over two weeks ago, the Government Information Agency (GINA)
reported.
Some of the services now being offered include audiology, endoscopy,
phlebotomy, ophthalmology, laboratory, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), maternity
services, dental care, theatre services, accident and emergency, X-ray and
Electrocardiography (ECG). There is also a general medical out-patient
department.
GINA said that persons from Region Two are now benefiting from specialist
clinics which include hypertensive, diabetic, gynaecology, orthopaedic,
endoscopy, ultrasound and dentistry.
The facility will operate on a 24-hour basis and is powered by two 1,200KV
generators at a cost of $12M each to ensure round the clock power supply.
Magistrate Gilhuys shooting case
File to be re-submitted to DPP
Police have completed investigations into last month’s shooting of a police
officer allegedly by Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys and the file will again be
submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Investigations had been launched into the shooting of Tactical Services Unit
officer Mark George during the course of duty, and the file sent to the DPP.
However, the file had been returned to police with instructions to conduct
further investigations. A senior police officer told Stabroek News that the said
investigations have been completed and the file is on its way back to the DPP.
At the same time, George who is fully conscious and communicating is now a
patient in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown hospital. The rank and his
colleagues were reportedly on patrol in Woolford Avenue when they noticed a
vehicle with tinted windows parked on the roadway. The officers made checks and
an argument ensued between them and the driver, who was identified as Magistrate
Gilhuys. It was at this point that the magistrate reportedly opened fire on the
ranks, hitting George in the back. The man sustained injuries to several
internal organs and the bullet exited his body through his abdomen. He underwent
emergency surgery before being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and placed on
life support.
The magistrate subsequently made a report at the Brickdam Police Station but
he refused to hand over his weapon. However, he parked his vehicle which had
about six bullet holes, in the station compound. The magistrate then appeared at
the station the following day accompanied by his attorney Nigel Hughes, and
after spending most of the day there was released on self bail. He also lodged
his weapon at the station.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that there has been no progress in the
matter. Since the June 26 incident, police have released little information to
the media. In the days following the incident, sources had said that Magistrate
Gilhuys could be charged in relation to the possession of a firearm and then the
file would have been sent to the DPP for further advice.
In the meantime, Magistrate Gilhuys remains on leave which he took on his own
accord and his cases are now been handled by the other magistrates in the
Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
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Friday, August 1, 2008
High tides smash koker GuySuCo in repair work
Residents between Peter’s Hall and Providence on the East Bank Demerara
yesterday awakened to the crashing sound of a koker door being smashed and water
gushing into their yards.
From all appearances, it was the case of the decrepit structure operated by
GuySuCo succumbing to the ferocity of the high tide. Residents said that within
moments of the breakage at around 2 am, the canal was overflowing with water
which rushed into the homes of residents.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) later installed planks to keep the
water out and up to press time yesterday the stop-gap structure was holding even
though water flowed through openings at yesterday afternoon’s high tide. A new
door is to be in place in two days.
$16M Rupununi bridge collapsed since May 27 might not be repaired until
October
The recently constructed $16M Rupununi River bridge that caved in under an
excavator is not expected to be repaired until next month or October, Chairman
of Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), Clarindo Lucas said yesterday.
He reportedly said that the bridge is not expected to undergo repairs until
September or October when the high water recedes. A portion of the structure
collapsed under the weight of an excavator that was heading to a mine in the
South Rupununi several weeks ago. The bridge, located in the vicinity of the
Amerindian village of Katoonarib is one of only two that has been built over the
Rupununi River. The other is located in the village of Karaudarnau in the Deep
South Rupununi.
Rain has been deluging the South Rupununi in the past few weeks and Lucas
said that with the heavy flooding no work can be done as the region does not
have the technical capacity. He said that all activity has stopped on such works
in the sprawling region due to the rains. The contractor, who built the bridge,
is a Lethem contractor. The bridge has since been officially closed.
Chanderpaul awarded Golden Arrow of Achievement
The government of Guyana yesterday awarded Guyana and West Indies
cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul with a general award within the
Order of Service of Guyana.
According to a release from the Office of the President yesterday,
Chanderpaul was given the Golden Arrow of Achievement (A.A) one of three
awards within the Order of Service. Awards in the Order of Service rank third
behind the Order of Excellence which is the country’s highest award and the
Order of Roraima.
Following is the release: “His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the
Republic of Guyana, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Guyana and
Chancellor of the Orders of Guyana, is pleased to appoint Shivnarine Chanderpaul
as a member of the Order of Service of Guyana and has awarded him the Golden
Arrow of Achievement for “his consistently outstanding performances as a
cricketer, especially as a batsman, at the national, regional and international
levels.”
Delegation of 10 to represent Guyana at Beijing
Four athletes, two Olympic youth campers and four officials make up the
Guyana delegation for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
Six of the 10, are locally based and will depart Guyana tomorrow for the
United States of America en-route to Beijing. Three athletes will compete in
track and field and they are Marian Burnett, who will compete in the women’s
800m, Aliann Pompey, who is down for the women’s 400m and Adam Harris who has
qualified for the men’s 200m.
The fourth athlete for the Games is 17-year-old locally-based swimmer Niall
Roberts.
The athletes will be accompanied by Chef-de-mission Noel Adonis, swimming
coach Stephanie Fraser, track and field team manger, Cornel Rose, and track&
field coach Joseph Ryan as the officials of the delegation. Meanwhile, local
middle distance queen Alika Morgan and junior cycling sensation Geron Williams
will join approximately 800 teenagers from nations worldwide to participate in
the 2008 Beijing Youth Camp programme.
The two were identified by the GOA earlier this year to participate in the
camp because of their accomplishments in their respective sport.
Mark Benschop Centre seeking to nurture business culture
The newly established Mark Benschop Centre is seeking, among other things, to
“empower and equip” ordinary Guyanese who are seeking to find their way in the
local entrepreneurial environment, according to the Centre’s Director Mark
Benschop.
The Mark Benschop Centre opened its doors at the popular Courtyard Mall in
Robb Street three weeks ago and Benschop, who told reportedly said that he is,
among other things, a businessman said that the facility is open to all Guyanese
who can be helped by the services that it provides. “One of the things that we
can do through the development of a business culture is ensure the security of
our families for generations to come,” Benschop said.
And according to Benschop the Centre “is about helping Guyanese of all walks
of life. “We are not about to discriminate. There are no political or other such
criteria for getting help from us,” Benschop said. He added that the Centre was
particularly interested in providing “business-related empowerment” for young
women and single mothers.
“A single mother may come to us and she may be seeking the kind of help that
enhances her marketability. We would like to think that we can help with courses
in areas such as computer classes, cake-decoration courses or nail-technician
courses, among others. Later on we will be offering Spanish classes and other
courses that can impact directly on helping people to become more independent,
Benschop said.
Kidney transplant patient, donor recovering well
Nineteen days after undergoing a kidney transplant operation, 18-year-old
Munesh Mangal on Wednesday told Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy that he
feels much better and is recovering well.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Ramsammy
visited the youth and his mother and donor 41-year-old Leelkumarie Mangal at
their relatives’ home at Coldingen. The woman said her son was making steady
progress since the historic July 12 operation conducted at the Georgetown
hospital. Munesh was resting in a hammock when Ramsammy visited and the minister
urged him to take his medication on time.
The operation was done by a US-based team of surgeons. The operation lasted
about seven hours. Senior Transplant Surgeon attached to the Walter Reed Army
Medical Centre Dr Rahul Jindal committed to transferring the team’s skills to
local surgeons. He also talked about the possibilities of patients going to the
US for treatment, though he was quick to point out that this step would have to
be made through a government bilateral arrangement.
Local surgeons are expected to conduct this type of surgery after the next
five operations which are scheduled to be done here by the same team.
GINA said two of the five persons set to undergo the operation have met the
requirements for the surgery. Patients suffering from end stage renal failure
who can undergo surgery must not have other complications other than the said
complaint, have a willing donor and preliminary tests must indicate that there
is tissue-type compatibility between the donor and the recipient.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Economist Dr Kenneth King passes on
Former Minister of Economic Development and General Secretary of the PNCR, Dr
Kenneth King passed away at his Second Avenue, Subryanville home yesterday
morning following a prolonged illness.
King led a distinguished life and considered himself a true statesman who
believed that his country did a lot for him and felt obligated to always give
back; his son Brian King said when Stabroek News visited the home yesterday
afternoon. Dr King also served as Guyana’s Ambassador to the European Union from
2002-2004 and was remembered as the man behind the Forbes Burnham Administration
plan in 1972 to “feed, clothe and house” the nation by 1976. He also played a
leading role in the drafting of the National Development Strategy under the
PPP/Civic.
Audrey Spence who cared for King during his illness over the last 17 years,
with tears in her eyes related that the man died peacefully in his sleep. She
said some time last week King had started to recite his obituary to her. On
Tuesday night he drank soup, had asked for juice and then he asked her to sit
with him all night. Spence said yesterday morning around 10 she noticed that
King’s eyes appeared glossy and when she waved her hands in front of his face
she got no response. She said she then alerted his doctor and called for an
ambulance but by the time they came to the house he seemed to be asleep. The
woman said King died around 10.45 am. He was 79-years-old.
Kenneth Fitzgerald Stanislaus King was born on August 22, 1929 in
Cummingsburg, Georgetown. A Congregationalist at first, he later converted to
Anglicanism, serving as an altar-boy at St George’s Cathedral and attending St
George’s primary school. There he was fortunate to win three scholarships – the
St George’s Centenary; Government County and John Fernandes Ltd – and entered
Queen’s College in September 1941.
He married Joyce, née Miller, who died in 2005. They had two children Brian
and Karen.
King was the second of five children born to his parents. He leaves to mourn
three brothers and a sister, his daughter Karen King-Aribisala - the 2008
commonwealth Book Prize winner for the African region - and his grandson Femi.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
BBC producer picks up flesh-eating parasite here
A senior BBC producer says he was afflicted by a flesh-eating bug while on a
visit to Guyana.
The UK Mirror yesterday reported that Jonny Young, 39, was bitten on the arm
by a fly which transmits the carnivorous parasite.
The report said that three months after the bite the area grew into a deep
sore which doctors diagnosed as leishmaniasis. Young has been treated with drugs
and put on a drip. The BBC programe Young participated in is due to be aired
today.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Press body suspends coverage boycott
Requests meeting with Jagdeo on range of issues
The Guyana Press Association, (GPA), on Sunday announced that it had
suspended the boycott of the coverage of President Bharrat Jagdeo, government
ministers and Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon.
The association had made a decision to boycott the President and his
ministers following the ban of journalist Gordon Moseley from the Office of the
President (OP) and State House.
According to a release from the GPA, letters had been dispatched to President
Jagdeo and other senior functionaries of OP, requesting a meeting to
discuss not only the ban on Moseley but also a range of media matters.
“We believe that the time has come to allow both local and international
interventions to work, aimed at bringing about a resolution to a number of
issues concerning the media. The collective will of all Guyana and Guyanese at
all levels is required to not only operate in an environment of mutual respect
but also the creation of mutually agreed opportunities for capacity-building in
the media,” a release from the GPA said.
The association said it joined with media workers and media houses in
recognizing the “profound impact that our boycott of several events has had.” It
said that it was a wake-up call to the authorities “that we shall not be treated
with disrespect.”
The association said that the latest incident involving Moseley was
communicated to the Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression for both the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IACHR) and the United Nations Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
And the association said its members will “not flinch one inch in bringing to
bear our collective will in resolving these issues. It is important that media
workers document acts of harassment and intimidation by anyone — be it
government or opposition politicians, the private sector, non-governmental
organisations, etc — to the GPA so that we can address those concerns.”
Moseley learnt of the ban two weeks ago when he turned up for an assignment
at OP and was told by a security guard that he would be prevented from entering
OP and State House.
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Friday, May 2, 2008
Guardian of gators in Guyana: Native works to save caiman
Nine-foot
crocodilians don’t scare him. Neither do king cobras, mambas, or trudging ankle
deep through a Venezuelan river trying to catch anacondas.
View a photo slideshow of Guyana's wildlife
“Getting down into all that muck and mire and heat catching these big snakes ...
that was brilliant,” Peter Taylor recently told the Advertiser,
speaking with the excitement of a child and the reflection of a man who survived
the trenches.
Read more ...
September 30, 2007
Guyana's otter woman
On the banks of Guyana’s Rupununi River is a nature reserve with a
difference, says Lindsay Hawdon
Ouch,
you little bastard,” Diane McTurk shouts, as Flood the otter bolts out of the
barn door and runs across the ranch yard, which basks in dusky sunlight. “He bit
my foot,” she shrieks, sprinting after him, agile despite her 75 years. She
speaks the clipped colonial English of another era. “Come, my heart, my love, my
life,” she coos, “you’re not supposed to chew me.”
Flood is the 37th giant river otter that Diane has adopted here at her ranch,
Karanambu, on the edge of the Rupununi River. He was abandoned by his mother at
six weeks old; Diane found him growling beneath a cupboard in a nearby
Amerindian village and brought him home in a red handbag. Eventually, he will be
rehabilitated back into the wild. Diane has no children. “These otters are my
children,” she had told me earlier.
Read more ...
Friday June 9, 2007
JFK plot: Is Washington trying to open a Caribbean front in war on terror?
Last weekend's scare headlines and breathless broadcast reports about the
unspeakable horrors that were supposedly foiled with the uncovering of the JFK
plot have largely faded from view as evidence mounts that the alleged threat
was grossly hyped, if not totally invented, by US authorities.
The purported plan to ignite a massive chain reaction of explosions by
planting a bomb beside one of the jet fuel tanks at New York's John F. Kennedy
Airport, or at a section of the pipelines leading into the facility was, experts
noted, a physical impossibility.
Read more ...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
New resident trooper is ready to serve
HARWINTON - A new evening resident state trooper brings international experience
and his enthusiastic attitude to the job.
"As a child, I've always liked protecting people who can't protect themselves,"
Resident Trooper Ian Nicholson, 39, said Friday. "What I'd like to do here is to
provide a service to the community that is obvious. This is a get-it-done kind
of job."
Nicholson made his way to Harwinton from Georgetown, Guyana - the only South
American Country whose official language is English, he said. He served as a
military officer in the Special Forces for the Guyanese Army for four years
before moving to New York in 1990 where he worked in the business world for
several years, he said.
"Working for corporate America is what forced me to get back into public
safety," Nicholson said. "I just love public service, and working for the state
police is the greatest job in the world."
Read more ...
Friday, March 2, 2007
Penn State Researcher Humbled by Guyana Visit
Frank Higdon recently returned from Guyana after a two-week trek in the South
American paradise. He can officially say he has grown a greater appreciation for
farming in the U.S.
He traveled with four others to Guyana in January, where he not only learned
a lot about the struggles of farmers in the small South American country, he
learned just how fortunate farmers in the U.S. are.
Read more
from the Lancaster Farming website
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Biofuels, logging may spur deforestation in Guyana
Growing timber exports and rising interest in biofuels are raising concerns that
deforestation could accelerate in the South American country of Guyana.
Guyana is a small, lightly populated country on the north coast of South
America. About three-quarters of Guyana is forested, roughly 60 percent of which
is classified as primary forest. Guyana's forests are highly diverse: the
country has some 1,263 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and
reptiles, and 6,409 species of plants. According to an assessment by the ITTO,
forests in Guyana can be broken down as follows: mixed forest (36 percent),
montane forest (35 percent). swamp and marsh (15 percent), dry evergreen (7
percent), seasonal forest (6 percent), and mangrove forest (1 percent).
Read more from Mongabay.com
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Looking south
Bridging a divide of language and history
A pontoon ferry putters on demand across the Takutu river not far from the small
border towns of Lethem in Guyana and Bomfim in Brazil. It is the only surface
link between two countries that have traditionally ignored each other. Guyana,
though geographically part of South America, has colonial and linguistic links
with the English-speaking Caribbean. Most of its 750,000 people live within a
few miles of the Atlantic coast. Portuguese-speaking Brazil has looked to its
Spanish-speaking neighbours.
Read more from The Economist
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Guyana-born actress to speak at Anniversary Ball
Orlando FL ( January 6th 2007) - Acclaimed Guyana-born
actress Carol Pounder has accepted an invitation from the Guyanese American
Cultural Association of Central Florida (GACACF) to be the guest-of-honor
and guest speaker at the annual Republic Anniversary Ball to be held
February 24, 2007 at the historic Ballroom at Church Street, in downtown
Orlando.
Read
the Press Release from the GACACF
Saturday, October 28th 2006
DDL's rum, cream liqueur win gold at international contest
The El Dorado Special Reserve 15-year-old rum and the El Dorado Golden Rum Cream
Liqueur have again outshone the competition by winning gold medals at the
2006 International Wine and
Spirits Competition.
A press release from Demerara
Distillers Limited (DDL) said both products won the 'Best in its class'
distinction at the London competition. The judges described the rum as "lush"
with "coffee and vanilla bean, dried stone fruits, caramel, chocolate and toasty
oak aromas" wafting from the glass. They call it "absolutely outstanding".
DDL said the 15-year-old rum is the company's flagship brand. It boasts the
distinction of being the only rum to have won the title 'Best Rum in the world'
for four consecutive years: 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. The rum has also won the
gold medal for seven consecutive years. It was also judged 'Best Spirit of the
Caribbean' at the Caribbean Rum Fest for seven of the last 10 years and was
recognised as the 'Best Spirit of 2001'. The rum was also given the platinum
medal in 2001 by the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute. Additionally, at the
2003 Rum Fest held in Newfoundland, the rum was awarded the gold medal.
The liqueur, the judges say, has "flavours of spice, toffee and rum (which) fill
the mouth with fine spirity lift highlighting everything" it is an "absolute
delight". DDL said the liqueur was also awarded gold medals at the 2003
International Rum Festival and at the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute's
competition.
DDL said the fact that its rums have gained and sustained international acclaim
is testimony to the company's commitment to quality and excellence.
Saturday, April 1st 2006
Man
builds motor vehicle by hand
Shelton Collins may strike you as odd if you happen to see him cruising through
Georgetown in his unusual-looking motor vehicle but it moves him around quite
comfortably and nothing holds him back but the rain.
For about three weeks now, Collins has been getting around in his four-wheel,
open vehicle, which has features such as trafficator lights, headlamp, steering
wheel, gear-changing switches, foot pedals, brakes and a music system among
other things.
Collins, 34, is a Jack of all trades, but is a trained mechanic as well. He said
that since he first became a mechanic, he has owned 24 motorcycles and 12
motorcars - all secondhand.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Endangered red siskins live in their hundreds in South Rupununi
Red
siskins, thought to be on the brink of extinction, number anything between a few
hundred to a few thousand in the South Rupununi. However, there is need to study
and manage the species there owing to continuing threats to their existence,
ornithologist Dr Michael Braun of the Smithsonian Institute said.
Braun spent three-and-a-half weeks in the South Rupununi recently. At a talk he
gave in the auditorium of the US Embassy in Georgetown early last week, he said
the world's endangered red siskins are threatened owing to a number of factors,
including environmental degradation caused by human impact and trapping.
Nevertheless, he said, there was hope for the species because of conservation
activities in the region. [Read
more ...]
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