Linden on verge of transforming to become Guyana’s “bread basket” – Mayor

Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell has indicated that the community is on the road to once again be the “bread basket” of Guyana. She made the remarks on Sunday at the hosting of the community’s first annual “Grand Sunday” event, hosted as part of the Linden Town Week (LTW) of activities. Arrindell in her remarks said that the Council will be lobbying for the borders of the town to be expanded so that it can become the “second city of Guyana”. She said that there was something epic about this year’s celebration as she noted that the community is presently on the verge of great things.
Themed, “Rekindling of Culture”, the Mayor said that this means restoration of “who we are and we can hear a lot of history…as to what Linden used to be like and we’d like to go back to what it was. But I say don’t go back to what it was. We’ll make it better. We improve on the foundation that was set before us and we create a community that is going to evolve into something great…It takes collaboration to make us who we are…we cannot be an island for ourselves…We are transforming from just being the town that had bauxite to becoming again the ‘bread basket of Guyana’. We’re on the verge of adopting the Sustainable Development Goals and you’ll soon see that launched…If we’re going to transform Linden, it will have to start with you”.
Arrindell said Linden is focusing on the goal which speaks to sustainable cities and communities. She said through collaboration, the community will move forward as she pointed to its present sister-city collaborations with Newark, New Jersey; Xuzhou, China and Stonecrest, Georgia. She also pointed to the ongoing collaboration with New Horizons in setting up a home for battered women and community centres in Linden. However, she said in order to propel development, the Council needs access to land since a majority of it is owned by the National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). Arrindell said Linden has one of the best airstrips in the country which she posited will be reopened. Pointing to what she described as the “mismanagement” of the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground, the Mayor said open spaces must come under the mandate of the municipality for the people to benefit.
Meanwhile, Founder of the LTW event and Chairman of the event’s Secretariat, Norvell Fredericks in an overview noted that although the event has grown, it has somehow lost direction. Fredericks said that there is a need to change things back to where it began and for a few changes to be made with the hosting of events.
“We have seen many of the events scantily populated except for the ‘All Black’ [event]. It tells of two things, that probably we do not have the economic means or it is that the ‘All Black’ invokes the spirit of the people. We now need to look at it and to see if so be the case, let us then use the ‘All Black’ as one of the events to usher in the new season…We have strayed away and the rest of the villages and towns throughout the country has adopted what we have started. He pointed to the popularity of the “town day / town week” concept as it is now being hosted in other parts of the country as he noted that Lindeners must realise the pride it has shared.
Several Mayors from across the country were present at the event and also took the opportunity to extend well wishes to the town which is presently celebrating 49 years in existence.