Congratulations to Mrs. Elsa Cort, neé
Zammett, of Lot 33 Company Road, Bux-
ton who celebrated an auspicious mile-
stone this month! She became 100 years
old on 24th November. Apart from some
decline in her vision, she is said to be
relatively well.
Elsa is the second of three children born
to the late Leticia Sands. Her older sister,
Nellie Zammett, and younger brother,
Charles Zammett, have both since de-
parted.
Her husband, Abna Cort, came from Ber-
bice County. He was a pan-boiler for
Booker’s Sugar Estates. While he served
at various locations across the country,
Elsa worked as a housekeeper to the Es-
tate Manager. At Le Bonne Intention (LBI)
and a few Berbice estates, she was em-
ployed as the Head Housekeeper. Mr.
Abna Cort passed on some years ago.
Elsa’s marriage did not produce any chil-
dren of her own, but she helped to raise her nephews, nieces and their offspring.
According to nephew, Peter Zammett, his aunt provided generous support to the
family and also took great care of them.
As an expression of their gratitude for the love and kindness she showered on
them, the family kept a delightful birthday party for Elsa on November 28th at An-
drew Lewis’ Place on Friendship Middle Walk. She was surrounded by a host of dot-
ing relatives and cheering friends, including members of her church family. She has
been a lifelong member of St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church.
Best Wishes to Miss Elsa for many more healthy and happy years!
BUXTON’S NEWEST
CENTENARIAN I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Robert McRae Donates
Medals & Sports Gear
CIMBUX Awards Dance
2
3
Nursery Schools’ Fun Day 4
COTAB Xmas Dance 5
Buxton Sports Teams
Elect New Executives
HAYNES CITE: SPLIFF & Its
Impact on Society
6
7
Pauline Baird Column:
Wha de Story Seh?
10
NDC Elections March
2016
BGSS May 2016 Reunion
12
13
The Late Mark Austin:
A Tribute by Dr. Clayton
Bacchus
D.J. Terry Grant Passes On
Other Transitions
General Information
14
15
15
16
P u b l i s h e d B y :
B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p
H e r i t a g e F u n d , I n c .
Buxton-Friendship
Express
B F E 1 5 - 1 1
NOVEMBER 2015
Happy Thanksgiving
Elsa Zammett-Cort
P a g e 2
MCRAE DONATES SPORTS GEAR & MEDALS Brooklyn-based Buxto-
nian, Robert McRae,
recently donated a
number of sports items
to students and teach-
ers in the village.
Among the items he
presented were several
medals awarded to the
winners of the 55th An-
nual Inter-school Athlet-
ic Championships, orga-
nized by the GTU-
Buxton Branch.
Mr. McRae also pre-
sented two pairs of
sneakers and an assort-
ment of sports gear to
t a l e n t e d a t h l e t e ,
Kensha Phillips.
President of the Teachers’ organization,
Mr. Collis Nicholson expressed sincere ap-
preciation for the gifts and an expectation
that the gesture would be emulated.
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
At right, Mr. Robert McRae is seen presenting an assort-ment of athletic gear to the young athlete, Kensha Phillips. At left is a proud and gratified teaching official.
P a g e 3 November 2015
P a g e 4
BOLTING TO SUCCESS
The GTU-Buxton Branch
staged its annual Nursery
Schools’ Athletic Championship
this month at the Lusignan
Community Ground. The fun-
filled event drew the participa-
tion of several schools from the
Good Hope —Enterprise area.
Apart from the athletic competi-
tion, schools were also judged
on their banner presentations.
Photos, thanks to Teacher Yolanda Stoby.
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
P a g e 5 November 2015
P a g e 6
RESULTS OF BUXTON CRICKET CLUB ELECTIONS
BUXTON UNITED FOOTBAL CLUB
NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Following general elections held last month, Curbette Victorine was elected Presi-
dent of the Buxton United Football Club. The other members of the Executive Com-
mittee are:
Vice-President: George Gibson
Secretary Eton Moses
Treasurer Keville Crandon
Asst. Secretary/Treasurer: Shawn Adams
Committee Member: Daminika Armstrong
The election, which took place on 31st October, 2015 at the Friendship Primary
School auditorium, was mandated by the governing Guyana Football Federation.
The Buxton club had previously held general elections for office holders in 2014
and new voting was not constitutionally due until 2016.
High on the agenda for the administration is securing sponsorship, donations
and other forms of assistance to help develop the skills of its young players and to
improve training facilities.
Congratulations and best wishes for a successful tenure to the committee.
Esse Peters
President, Carl Hooper Cricket Club
Esse Peters was re-elected unopposed as Presi-
dent of the Buxton ‘Carl Hooper’ Cricket Club for an-
other two years when the club held its elections on
29th October at the Buxton Community Playground.
The other newly elected executive members are:
1st Vice-President Dwayne Benjamin
2nd Vice-President Gavin Dick
Secretary/Treasurer Marvin Cato
Public Relations Officer Kevin Hart
Former national youth cricketer Clive Andries, who
is also a Guyana Under-23 footballer, remains the
club’s first division cricket captain, with Hart doing
the duties of second division skipper.
Daren Roberts preformed the duties of Returning
Officer.
The president thanked the club’s members for
their support, and pointed out that one of his main
objectives is to ensure that the club produce more
national players at all levels.
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
P a g e 7
November 2015
Whether legal or illegal, marijuana smoking will contin-
ue to have a catastrophic effect on the social and eco-
nomic infrastructure of Guyana.
Currently, several countries around the world are imple-
menting legislation for the decriminalisation of the use of
marijuana or deliberating on its status relative to its med-
ical potency. Based on our close association with the
United States of America, we tend to mimic whatever
happens in that land of opportunity. A number of States
in the USA have legalised the use of marijuana under
varying conditions. Locally, and with the advent of the
new government in place, the call for the legalisation of
the herb has become stronger.
But hold! Should someone that does not know what a
plant looks like speak about it? I suppose that is the rea-
son why many people do not speak on the issue. Person-
ally, I have never seen the thing; my only contact is by
scent, that which emanates from “Spliff Street” (Barnwell
Street) whenever I happen to pass that way.
My awareness of marijuana smoking dates back to the
late nineteen seventies. As a kid, I enjoyed the music of
Bob Marley and the Wailers and was fascinated by
chants of the local expression of the Rastafarian faith. I
can remember back then there were these guys who
lived in an old house at the back of Missionary School
(Buxton Primary). They wore dreadlocks, dressed in cro-
cus bag suits and blew a lot of smoke from pipes. We
called them Rasta; they called us Baldhead. They walked
into any yard, picked up whatever fruit or vegetable they
liked and told you Jah provided it for them. They picked
up your dread-nut (coconut), ilaloo (Callaloo), ipau
(pepper) etc., and beat-out with it despite your plea. The
guys always seemed to be bubbling ude (cooking food);
they called ital and smoking.
The late 1970’s would have also seen probably the
last instalment of the community raising the child. Aunt
Vi (Viola Stephenson), Mother Edna, Yankee Jarvis, Mrs.
Harry, Mr. Harris, Ivy Pitt, Miss Celeste, Miss Gwenie,
Miss Doris, Mr. Jeffrey, Mrs. Fanfair, Mammy and Daddy
Payne, and many others were very influential in the way
we behaved as children. They would always pull you in
for fitness whenever they suspected that your behav-
iour was not in accordance with old-people-standard.
Looking back, I now realise that they only spoke exten-
sively to those of us who seemed to be complying with
their views.
The abandoned car of Br. Albert - Albert Stephenson
(Sargie), parked on the verge in front of his house on
Buxton Middle Walk, was my play pen for quite a while.
I was the only boy he allowed to play in that car. It was
believed by many that Sargie was the owner of a gun
and, if provoked, he would use it. So, nobody messed
with him. I remembered him warning me to not smoke
cigarette because ‘it’s a killer’ and to take my books
because education would be the passport out of pov-
erty. He always spoke about his son Bobbin and told
me I should be like him. One of the military camps of
the Guyana Defence Force, Camp Stephenson, is
named after the late Bobbin Stephenson. Apparently,
much of what was said to many of us at that time stuck.
(Continued on page 8)
“More than fifty percent of our youths, in and
out of school, have tried it and are constant
users of the drug... The common reason giving
by spliffers for the smoking of the herb is that
it helps them to build a head.”
HAYNES CITE
SPLIFF: IMPACT ON SOCIETY
Image of a young man smoking a marijuana cigarette
P a g e 8
“Marijuana is
used as a
psychoactive (i.e.
mind altering)
recreational drug
for certain
medical ailments
and for religious
and spiritual
purposes.
Sinsemilla, hash/
hashish (resinous
form) and hash
oil (sticky black
liquid) are
stronger forms of
marijuana.”
However, many were those who
would have departed from the
“straight and narrow”, according to
Ivy Pitt, my grandmother. Over the
years hundreds of young men from
Buxton would have indulged in the
smoking of weed. The activity would
have moved from one taking place in
seclusion to one conducted at almost
every corner of Buxton and Friend-
ship. The Guyana Secondary School
Drug Prevalence Survey 2013 con-
ducted by the Organisation of Ameri-
can States (OAS) Inter-American Drug
Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
would have revealed some alarming
facts relative to the use of licit and
illicit drugs by our in-school youths. It
would have indicated that ganja was
the easiest of the illicit drugs to ob-
tain and it was the most abused. The
study also indicated that many who
abuse drugs also eventually became
school drop outs. While no study has
been conducted on the use of mariju-
ana in the village of Buxton, it is my
humble opinion that more than fifty
percent of our youths, in and out of
school, have tried it and are constant
users of the drug. In all the villages
on the East Coast of Demerara and
all the wards in Georgetown one can
find prolific ganja cell.
To effectively deal with the issue of
the boom draw, it is important that
we be aware of these facts:
The botanical name is Cannabis
Sativa. It is also called, pot, herb,
spliff, grass, winter vegetable, mary
jane, boom, skunk etc. etc. Marijua-
na is described as a green, brown or
gray mixture of dried, shredded
leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of
the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Ma-
rijuana is used as a psychoactive (i.e.
mind altering) recreational drug for
(Continued from page 7) certain medical ailments and for reli-
gious and spiritual purposes. Sinsemilla,
hash/hashish (resinous form) and hash
oil (sticky black liquid) are stronger
forms of marijuana.
The main active chemical in marijuana
is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). It
is a psychoactive ingredient. The highest
concentrations of THC are found in the
leaves and flowers. When marijuana
smoke is inhaled, THC rapidly passes
from the lungs into the bloodstream and
it is carried to the brain and other organs
throughout the body. THC from the mari-
juana acts on specific receptors in the
brain, called cannabinoid receptors,
starting off a chain of cellular reactions
that finally lead to the euphoria, or "high"
that users experience.
Certain areas in the brain, such as the
hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal
ganglia and the cerebral cortex, have a
higher concentration of cannabinoid re-
ceptors. These areas influence memory,
concentration, pleasure, coordination,
sensory and time perception. Therefore
these functions are most adversely af-
fected by marijuana use.
Medical marijuana is used in the treat-
ment of chemotherapy patients who
have nausea, vomiting and loss of appe-
tite; to treat HIV patients with cachexia
(weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue and
loss of appetite); to provide therapeutic
benefit for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) spas-
ticity symptoms; and used for glaucoma
to lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Sa-
tivex (a composition of plant-derived ex-
tracts of THC), an oral sublingual spray,
is available for adjunctive use in MS neu-
ropathic pain and cancer-related pain.
Side effects of marijuana use vary from
person to person, depending upon
strength and amount of marijuana used
and if the user is occasionally or chroni-
cally exposed to THC. The short-term ef-
fects of marijuana use include problems
(Continued on page 9)
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
SPLIFF: GOOD OR BAD? Haynes Cite
ANTHONY HAYNES Contributing Writer
HAYNES CITE: THE SPLIFF
P a g e 9 November 2015
with memory and learning; distorted perception (sights,
sounds, time, and touch); difficulty in thinking, reason-
ing and problem solving; loss of coordination and motor
skills; increased heart rate, anxiety, aggressive atti-
tudes, bloodshot eyes and dry mouth. Reaction time
may be impaired while driving. Panic attacks, paranoia
and psychosis may occur acutely and be more common
in psychiatric patients. For chronic users, the impact on
memory and learning can last for days or weeks after
its acute effects wear off.
It has been documented that people who smoke mari-
juana often have the same respiratory problems as cig-
arette smokers. They may have daily cough and
phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more fre-
quent chest colds. They are also at greater risk of get-
ting lung infections like pneumonia. Marijuana contains
some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the
cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
People who smoke marijuana for years suffer negative
consequences. Because marijuana affects brain func-
tion, the ability to do complex tasks are compromised,
the pursuit of academic, athletic, or other life goals that
require a person to be 100 percent focused and alert
can become severely impaired. The use/abuse of mari-
juana leads to addiction.
Studies show that the use of marijuana may increase
the risk of developing psychosis (a severe mental disor-
der in which there is a loss of contact with reality) in-
cluding false ideas about what is happening (delusions)
and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there
(hallucinations), particularly if you carry a genetic vul-
nerability to the disease.
The common reason giving by spliffers for the smok-
ing of the herb is that it helps them to build a head; re-
search has proven this to be a farce. In fact, marijuana
smoking is more of a destroyer of the head. My experi-
ence tells me that the smoking of pot has negatively
affected a large amount of our citizens. Many of our
(Continued from page 8)
young men have failed to make a positive contribution
to society because very early in their lives they would
have tripped after bouts of smoking ganja. Many homes
have been destroyed because one or both adults prefer
to smoke ganja rather than function as responsible
parent/s; many families have failed to get started be-
cause many of our young men are not in a sound men-
tal or economic state to do so. The community of Bux-
ton has lost and will continue to lose many of its skilled
trades men to ganja since this category of our work
force seems to be gravitated to it. Most, if not all hard
drug users started with the spliff; our communities are
overwhelmed with junkies. Most of the hate crimes and
aggressive behavior leading to violence began with a
boom draw.
I will posit that a large percentage of our reckless driv-
ers are mainly young men who have synchronized the
use of ganga and alcohol. While there is testing done
for alcohol in the case of serious accidents, none is
done for illicit drugs. In my line of work I interface with
scores of young men on a daily basis; by their attitude
mainly, the ganja users are easily identifiable; their rela-
tive percentage is also high. What is shocking to me
though and what will trigger much destruction to our
society is the wide spread use of marijuana on the
Campus of the University of Guyana. We have lost many
academics to drugs in the past; the current situation is
a cause for much concern and urgent action.
‘Wha a play ting fu lil bai a deth fu crappo.’
Until the next time, TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Congratulations to the Pastor and members of the Arundel Congregational Church on cele-brating their one hundred and seventy first an-niversary. May GOD continue to bless and keep you!
~Anthony Haynes
“The community of Buxton has lost
and will continue to lose many of its
skilled tradesmen to ganja since this
category of our work force seems to be
gravitated to it. Most, if not all, hard
drug users started with the spliff. ”
Anthony Haynes’ Column
P a g e 1 0
Wha De Story Seh? Dear Buxtonians,
Wah de Story Seh?
As I mentioned in my last letter, I am writing down our stories to extend
that line of tradition where we pass on knowledge through stories. These
stories are a means of helping us connect and reflect on what it means to
be a citizen of the village and the world.
Here is a story. It is the year 2009, I am living in Japan. I receive an email
with an attachment “Buxton Friendship Express.” I read it immediately
and feel connected to my village. Fast forward to January 2015. I am in New York to
interview the editor and founder of the newsletter, Ms. Lorna Campbell. Lorna is the
daughter of Gwendolyn Ifill, more fondly called Cousin Gwenny.
When I listen to her stories and understand her as doing rhetoric– ways of mak-
ing, transmitting, and using knowledge, I hear her taking a motherly gaze at Buxton.
She orients herself to the people, the land, and her practices. Lorna helps us see how
she took a relational approach of connecting to Buxtonians which provides a mech-
anism for promoting connections among Buxtonians worldwide. What she does re-
minds me of my answer to scholars who have asked, how do we talk about women
from different parts of the world? I say to intellectuals- village people and academ-
ics—start from the location of the village (Walter Mignolo). Listen and see what wom-
en as they do. In the context of Buxton, where people struggle with the land and
the ocean; where people work hard to make ends meet, where for some reasons,
guns and violence became a reality for a while, Lorna Campbell begins a newsletter.
Here is a story she tells: “I wanted to do something to lift their spirits … to galvanize
the village.” Lorna reflects on the time when Buxton was going through a dark peri-
od in the aftermath of the 2005 flooding on the East Coast of Demerara. She want-
ed Buxtonians, especially the young ones who “don’t know,” to celebrate the pur-
chase of the village” together. In this role she acts like a griottes—wise woman who
keeps the stories of the village.
On a deeper level, she demonstrates responsibility and reciprocity; how to be seen
and heard through her relationships and actions. These connections can be under-
stood as a way to talk of the rhetoric of women from the village that intellectuals can
learn from. Thus, listening to her stories, I am able to see, hear, and feel her passion
for her work that is distinctly contributing and (re-)shaping the village movement—
she is still caring for the land, just like those who stopped the train. As a result, Lorna
writes Buxton’s history in her own ways in relationship with others. I invite you to
listen to her words and gauge her perspectives so that we can begin to reflect and
learn how a modern day Buxton woman inhabits her identity and citizenship.
(Continued on page 11)
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
Pauline Baird
Wha De Story Seh?
P a g e 1 1 November 2015
Here is one of Lorna’s stories:
It’s a proud heritage To be a Buxtonian, I feel proud, gratified And sometimes lucky to be a member of this community And to have had ancestors Our foreparents who sacrificed so much To provide for me, and to provide that confidence a sense of confidence and that ability that I can succeed against all odds I think that they were a great group of people, of inspiration and I will forever be thankful and grateful, you know For the legacy that they have left for me. a sense of confidence and that ability that I can succeed against all odds Have you always felt this way? Well, you know, to be honest, Um, I wouldn’t say it is something that I have always felt Because I didn’t know. Um, growing up in the village or going to school, I don’t recall, let’s say, that part of the education about our heritage Or what our ancestors did. It was more about learning, as they said, Reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. So, I didn’t know And perhaps too where I came from, Um, the environment Maybe part of Buxton, I can’t say that I knew, lot of what happened before. Because, I mean, you know things about emancipation, And all of these things. These are things I learnt when I grew up. I learnt a sense of confidence and that ability that I can succeed against all odds.
(Continued from page 10)
What did you know about your African ances-try while growing up? Didn’t know anything about it except that one of my great aunts, Aunt Irene. Um, as a little girl, I remember her dressed up in her African outfits. And she would tie her head She would be talking about “Ghana Day” And something like that. She was the only one I recall, you know. But again, I didn’t understand deeply enough what was going on… I think that it really kind of kicked in, That sense when I was in my late teens. a sense of confidence and that ability that I can succeed against all odds.
~ Pauline Baird
Adapted from an interview with Lorna Campbell
(January 9, 2015)
~ Pauline Baird —ABD
Rhetoric and Writing
General Studies Writing Instructor
Bowling Green State University
OH 43402, USA
P a g e 1 2
“… The entire local
government system
is currently rotten
and must be
rehabilitated and
made fully
functional.
Democratic renewal
of local government
organs is long
overdue.”
Ronald Bulkan
Minister of Communities
NDC ELECTIONS NEXT MARCH
Come March 18, 2016, citizens residing
within Guyana’s 71 local government dis-
tricts will get the long-awaited opportunity
to elect new councilors to manage their
towns and localities. Local Government
Elections (LGE), constitutionally due every
three years, have not been held since
1994. The municipal towns and Neighbour-
hood Democratic Councils (NDCs), which
encompass the democratic system, receive
subventions from the national government
for the development of their communities.
Additionally, they have the power to gener-
ate their own revenue, including the collec-
tion of property taxes. Buxton is part of the
Buxton-Foulis Neighbourhood Council and
the seat of the NDC’s administration.
In announcing the date for Local Govern-
ment Elections, Minister of Communities,
Mr. Ronald Bulkan, declared that it was an
important time in the country’s history. He
added, “Elections are important because
they are a democratic constitutional right.
They are essential because the entire local
government system is currently rotten and
must be rehabilitated and made fully func-
tional. Democratic renewal of local govern-
ment organs is long overdue.
Local government is about handing deci-
sion-making power to the people to enable
them to efficiently and effectively manage
their communities. With these facts in
mind, I am pleased to inform you that local
government elections will be conducted on
March 18, 2016.
A functioning local government system is
a fundamental aspect of democratic gov-
ernance. It is important because it deals
with people’s lives in their communities.
Strong local government is at the heart of
national development because who wields
decision-making power at the Municipal
and Neighbourhood levels directly deter-
mine and decide where and how your tax
dollars will be used to develop individual
communities and ultimately, the nation.
Development at every level, depends on a
strong system of good, democratic, effec-
tive and efficient local governance.
Local governments are mandated by law
to provide many essential services such
as, improving living conditions, creating
jobs in the various local areas, maintaining
roads, bridges and other important infra-
structure, garbage collection, cleaning of
drains, promoting a healthy environment
and encouraging citizen involvement in
their communities. As Guyanese who have
been living without a functioning local gov-
ernment system, we can all attest to the
necessity of restoring and repairing the
dysfunctional system which currently ex-
ists, since we have experienced the results
of the collapse of local government sys-
tems.”
The current chairman of the Buxton-
Foulis NDC is Buxtonian, Mr. Randolph
Blair. He and his two immediate predeces-
sors were part of a group of Buxtonians
who had formed an independent commu-
nity organisation—“Modern Developers”
that successfully contested the last LGE
poll. There is indication that some resi-
dents are mulling the idea of again putting
forward a slate of villagers for the upcom-
ing elections. One motive is to ensure that
the resources and other vested interests of
the village are closely monitored by Buxto-
nians themselves, and not left to the
whimsical fancies of others. Buxtonians
are believed to be the largest constituent
group in the NDC.
The APNU and AFC political parties have
already made it known that they will be
joining forces again to contest the LGE as
a coalition.
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
P a g e 1 3 November 2015
P a g e 1 4
“...For the time of my
departure has come. I
have fought the good
fight, I have finished
the course, I have
kept the faith; in the
future there is laid up
for me the crown of
righteousness, which
the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will
award to me on that
day; and not only to
me, but also to all
who have loved His
appearing.”
2nd Timothy: 6-8
MARK AUSTIN: A GREAT HUMAN BEING
From humble beginnings, Mark Austin, also called Trini, was able to stem the tide of tragedy that came with the
sudden loss of his mother, Betty Austin, at a tender age of his young life. She had fallen victim to complications de-
veloped while giving birth to child. He and his six siblings were left to be raised by their paternal grandmother while
their father, Ovid Austin, a carpenter, busied himself to provide for the large family. Mark grew up in the Watson
Street, Friendship Front area and became a model of spiritual faith, athletic mastery and academic virtue.
He was a devout member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Those of us who have had the pleasure of knowing
him can testify to his unflinching courage, commitment and constancy to God. His cool demeanor and his dedication
to carrying out the work of God were among his many admirable qualities.
After succeeding at the Common Entrance Examination from Friendship Methodist School, he attended then Bux-
ton Government Secondary School and, following the merge, Bladen Hall Multilateral School. At that institution, he
blossomed into an excellent athlete, thrilling fans with his agility and vitality. In the school’s history of high jumping,
there was none before his time who leapt over the bar, using the scissors or straddled style, surpassing a foot over
one’s own height. Trini accomplished that feat.
I can, and perhaps many others would, vividly recall Trini’s triumphs at the Annual School Sports, winning the high
jump - an event that seemed to favour the big and strong and not athletes of small build like his. At almost every
level his superman-like efforts dominated his competitors and dazzled spectators, win after win.
As a member of then Buxton Sports Club, Trini played almost every sport available and excelled at all. His skills at
Football (Soccer) were extraordinary. His attacking loop strokes at Table Tennis were mesmeric. At Volleyball and
Cricket, he was outstanding too. Most riveting was his nimbleness on the Badminton court. As a matter of fact, he
was once the badminton champion for East Coast Demerara, and for a long period of time.
(Continued on page 15)
B U X T O N - F R I E N D S H I P E X P R E S S
Mark Austin — Photo, compliments of Gordon French
A Tribute by Dr. Clayton Bacchus
Notwithstanding his astonishing athletic prowess,
Mark was a brilliant fellow and he devoted time to
building an illustrious academic career. After he
graduated from Bladen Hall Multilateral School, he
went on to Cyril Potter College of Education, from
where he obtained Class 1 and Grade 1 certification
in becoming a trained teacher. He chose Physical
Education for his specialization. For some time, he
was a member of the staff at Buxton Community
High School.
He next immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago, where
he worked as both a schoolteacher and a church
missionary. While there, he furthered his studies
and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English. He
later settled in the United States where he contin-
ued his dual vocation of being an educator and an
evangelist. In keeping with his quest for increased
knowledge and to advance his career, he proceed-
ed to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education. He
was a teacher at Laurel High School in Maryland up
to the time of his demise.
Mark Austin was indeed a great human being. His
accomplishment as an athlete spanned his vibrant
youth; his teaching vocation covered decades, but
his devotion to God encompassed his life. Though
sudden came his departure, he has no doubt fought
the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.
So long my friend.
Forever in our hearts!
~ Dr. Clayton Bacchus
(Continued from page 14)
MARK AUSTIN
P a g e 1 5 November 2015
On the 4th November, the music stopped when the once popular
“Disco Baby” disc jockey, Terry Grant (Terry Marcus) was called to
higher service. He is said to have been ailing for quite some time
before he passed away at the Georgetown Hospital.
He is affectionately remembered as, perhaps, the first genuine
Disc Jockey from Buxton and a very popular one along the coast.
That reputation earned him the nickname “Boss D.J.”
He is survived by his children, siblings and several other family
members.
During the month of November, we also
mourned the passing of the following villag-
ers: Mrs. Phyllis Carter, of Friendship
Middle Walk
Barbara Jordan, formerly of Noble
Street & Friendship Middle Walk (Front Side)
Frankie Roseman, of Buxton Middle
Walk, Back Dam Side
OTHER TRANSITIONS
Mark Austin passed away suddenly on 21st Novem-
ber, 2015 in Maryland, USA. He is a former resident of
Watson Street, Friendship Front. He was born to Ovid &
Betty Austin, both of them since deceased.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Sophia Austin and
two adorable daughters, Emerald and Jade Austin.
He also leaves to mourn his loss his brothers - Carl
Austin (Isaac), Moses Austin, Noel Austin (Mano), Thad-
deus Austin (Dinky), Earl Brown and Andrew Brown; his
only sister – Mirthy Austin-Braithwaite; many nieces,
nephews and numerous other relatives. An older broth-
er, Handel Austin, departed some years ago.
Mark is scheduled to be laid to rest in Maryland, fol-
lowing a funeral service at the Liberty Seventh-Day Ad-
ventist Church in the city of Baltimore on 29th Novem-
ber, 2015.
“Gone but not forgotten; Rest in Peace!”
Sincere sympathy to his bereaved family!
“BOSS D.J.” TERRY GRANT PASSES ON
Published By: Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc.
BUXTON: Our Legacy, Our Pride, Our Responsibility
Buxton Homecoming Celebration May 22, 2016 — May 28, 2016
in observance of
Friendship 175th Purchase Anniversary
Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary
International Decade for People of African Descent
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buxton Heritage Awards Gala
Cultural Fair & Exhibition * Community Day *
Sightseeing Tours * Village Caucus & more…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc.
454 Vermont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11207, USA
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lorna Campbell
Pauline Baird
Anthony Haynes
Dr. Clayton Bacchus
EDITORS Dr. Clayton Bacchus
Lorna Campbell
Buxton-Friendship Express * November 2015
E-mail us at:
SEASON OF GIVING
Make a donation before December 31st and save on your taxes. You will also enjoy the satisfaction of making a life changing dif-ference for a needy child in Buxton. Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc. is a qualified charita-
ble organization under the IRS 501(c)(3) tax code. This means, that donations made to the Fund are tax-deductible to the full-est extent of the law. Since there is precious little time left for you to maximize your
tax savings for this year, you need to act now. Mail your cheque/money order by December 31, 2015 to: Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc.
454 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207, USA