By Jeff Trotman
A young professional has charged Lindeners and the rest of Guyana to collectively utilize the resources of Linden to make it a model township of the twenty-first century and to build a better country for all Guyanese. Konyo Thompson made the charge while delivering the feature address at the opening of the eighteenth annual Linden Town Week on 26th April at the Linden/Georgetown Bus Park.
Thompson stressed that contrary to a prevailing perception that Linden is a depressed community, she is grateful that the township has much to be thankful for. She ended her impassioned address by saying: “Lindeners, Guyanese and all, I charge you this evening, the future of this township rests in our hands; let us combine our efforts and exploit its resources in promoting a better country.”
Thompson, a graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine, Trinidad, and currently engaged in private law practice, began her presentation, entitled, ‘Celebrating Linden’, by asking her audience to consider a damning question that she has ruminated on every time Town Week is celebrated. “What exactly are we celebrating?” she asked, adding, “what about Linden is worth celebrating? Where are our success stories and since our last celebrations in 2014, what have we gained to warrant another celebration?”
The former Mackenzie High School and University of Guyana graduate, who grew up in Linden also begged the question: “Are we ardently planning parties, exhibitions, health fairs, and all other positive aspects of this exercise for the wrong motives? Or is there a genuine thought behind these celebrations and behind our attendance here today?” The former state prosecutor further asked whether Lindeners will join with idle Guyanese to proclaim that the town is depressed. “If you do, I ask what are you celebrating here today … this week?”
Rich history
Thompson outlined that she proposed to provide real answers to the questions by looking back at the rich history of the township and present a positive outlook on the future. In this regard, she began by celebrating the contribution of Linden photographer, Norville Fredericks, who orchestrated the first Linden Town Day during her childhood days.
Expressing pleasure that Fredericks was honoured at the event at which she was delivering the feature address, Thompson stressed that town day, now town week, was intended to celebrate the works, talents and achievements of Lindeners. “If nothing else,” she observed, “Mr. Fredericks is one of the few individuals, who will be privileged enough to know in his lifetime the legacy he will be leaving to this world. Usually, you leave a legacy after you are gone. But in his lifetime, he knows now what his legacy for Linden will be and for Guyana.”
Innovative
Noting that the communities of Christianburg, Wismar and Mackenzie were amalgamated into the town of Linden on 29 April 1970, becoming the capital of the Upper Demerara /Berbice Region and the second largest town in Guyana with a population of 29,298 inhabitants, Thompson said, she was also celebrating the anniversary of the town. “I celebrate the fact that Linden provides innovative ideas and transformative events for this country in the form of Mashramani and of more relevance to today’s activity – for promoting the first town day/town week experience to be held in Guyana – a concept that is now vastly adopted in other parts of our country.”
“Linden still stands,” she emphasized. “Linden still grows despite the critics, despite the vast majority of our skilled and educated members migrate overseas and to the capital. In the face of such odds, there, nevertheless, seems to be a growth of new businesses, a moderate to vibrant housing drive and a flow of new migrants and re-migrants taking up permanent residence in our township. I celebrate the fact that nationally the rest of Guyana always look to see what Linden has done and flushes out our perspective on trending issues in education, politics, in sports and in the arts. Again, my friends, I say there is much to celebrate.”
Turning to the history of the town, Thompson quoted from an article, written by A. J. Seymour in a magazine, published by the Linden Town Council in 1975 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the town. Positing that the article is educative, she pointed out that Christianburg, the first settlement in the community, was established in the mid nineteenth century by three former British naval officers, who engaged in logging and Wismar, the second settlement, was established by German immigrants, who came to the colony after the emancipation of slavery, and, who subsequently pushed up river and gave Wismar its name.
According to the article, Wismar became a gateway from the coast to the interior for porkknockers. It further stated that in 1913, George Bain Mackenzie set up the beginnings of a village on the east bank of the river across from Christianburg and Wismar in pursuit of bauxite operations, which began in 1916. She said Mackenzie had been commissioned to acquire lands for bauxite exploitation on behalf of his principals in Pittsburg, USA, but he died before bauxite mining began. As the bauxite industry grew, Mackenzie surpassed Christianburg and Wismar in development.
Noting that the three settlements were established long before Guyana became independent in 1966, Thompson pointed out that in April 1970, exactly two months after Guyana became a Republic, the three communities were amalgamated and elevated to the status of a town with the name Linden and Egbert Benjamin was elected Mayor on 14 December 1970. “He served three terms and following him was Ms. Gloria Layne, in her youth, elected Mayor on 14 December 1973 as our second Mayor and … the first female Mayor in any township.”
Riches
Following the historical reverie, Thompson said although she had already submitted that Lindeners have a lot to celebrate, the theme for this year’s town week: Enhancing mutual relations as we celebrate the riches of our town, should cause Lindeners to introspect on what are the riches to be enhanced and celebrated. Stating that the riches are numerous, Thompson chose to identify a few: sports; arts and entertainment; tourism; education; continued use of industry. “Examining this theme highlights the need for Lindeners amongst themselves and in association with the efficient participation of our brothers and sister from other Regions outside of Linden to work hand in hand to exploit these riches,” Thompson declared.
With respect to arts, fashion and entertainment, she said there has been growth in a new entertainment industry with the exposure of new talent, exercising not only their vocal and artistic skills but also their technological proficiency by producing local music videos. She said Linden artistes compete nationally at high standard in fashion, calypso, soca and other competitions. “I celebrate Linden’s artistes and musicians … and fashion designers ….”
Thompson then called on the leaders of the town to be aware of an old concept that has not firmly taken root in Linden: “With all the beauty and mystique, the undulating topography, the dynamic scenery, our mined out lakes and bauxite pits, there is an untapped resource of nature tourism awaiting to be exploited. To future investors this is an area you may want to examine. To all those Lindeners, who have already bravely set out into this new industry, I celebrate you tonight. To all those individuals that have travelled to this town for this aspect, or for any other aspect of our celebration whether from overseas – and I know there are many of you in Linden this week – or from other parts of Guyana, you have proven valuable to this experience and we thank you and we celebrate with your presence.”
Noting that a number of awards were made for outstanding academic achievements of Lindeners during the opening ceremony, Thompson said: “Education with our industry, we have seen a bit of that tonight with the awards being given out to the top teachers, the top CAPE and to the University of Guyana valedictorian and to the top grade six assessment student for Linden. I celebrate all our scholars and men and women in the bauxite and other service industries. Your contribution towards keeping Linden on the map are well noted.
“There is much, much to celebrate … that despite the odds – and there are many – there is, in fact, a whole lot to celebrate in our mining town of Linden. There is much to thank God Almighty for. It is my solemn prayer that with a deliberate effort to add structure to our growth in Linden we will force forward toward a township of the 21st century where the standard of living will be world class, where technology will be efficiently incorporated in every aspect of our daily lives, where Linden will be looked upon as a model town for the rest of Guyana to emulate.”
