Scores of Buxtonians were among the thousands of
Guyanese who returned home for our country’s Golden
Jubilee celebration. In Buxton, the occasion was also
used to observe the Purchase of Friendship 175 years ago
and the establishment of the Buxton-Friendship commu-
nity.
The activities in the village commenced with a com-
memorative service and programme at St. Augustine An-
glican Church followed by a sumptuous brunch on the
church lawn. Other activities included a sightseeing tour
of Linden town and a lovely ball at Tipperary Hall.
These events were sponsored by Buxton-Friendship Her-
itage Fund and they attracted great participation.
Buxton Friendship Heritage Fund would like to take
this opportunity to express
sincere gratitude to everyone
who supported its efforts and
events to mark these historic
achievements of our country
and community.
The committee wishes to
thank Reverend Raymond
Coxall and the vestry
members of St. Au-
gust ine’s Angl ican
Church for facilitating
the commencement
programme. We owe a
debt of gratitude to
Mrs. Paulette Charles
and Miss Oleta Williams
for their enthusiastic
work and assistance in
organizing this event.
GREAT JUBILATION
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Two Buxtonians Listed
for National Awards 2
Recent Donors 3
Haynes Cite: Jubilee
Memento 4
Wha de Story Seh:
Edmund F Fredericks 6
Ogle Airport Renamed
After Buxtonian 8
US Mayor of Buxtonian
Heritage Re-elected 10
Condolences
General Information
11
12
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
BFE16-5
MAY 2016
Buxton Jubilee Ball at Tipperary Hall, May 28, 2016
It would be remiss of us to not mention Buxton
Steel Orchestra, the splendid service given by the
volunteers from across the community, the dona-
tions of delicious mauby by Mrs. Charles and scram-
bled eggs by Mrs. Vashti Cockfield, and food prepa-
ration by Mrs. Morselle Harper. Thanks for your
contributions to a wonderful and satisfying brunch.
We extend a special note of thanks to Mr. Aubrey
Stephenson, CEO of FMS; Mr. Osric Best, Ms.
Mauva Barnes and the rest of the dynamic staff at
Aubrey’s Café for the generous donation of scrump-
tious pastries, cakes and bread. They were delicious
and your contribution was greatly appreciated.
Thanks to Collis Nicholson, Tricia Shortt, Yolanda
Stoby, Kodzo and Kenita Wilkinson, Ingrid Ifill-King,
Brenda Ifill, Noel Vieira and Shawn for being so
helpful with the decorating of Tipperary Hall for the
ball. You helped to do a fantastic job.
A big thank you to Ingrid Ifill-King of COTAB for
her contribution and hard work in bringing these
events off. Your assistance proved to be invaluable
to the successful outcome. Gracias!
Two Buxtonians, Bishop Glenna Spencer and
Mrs. Joycelyn Wilson are among eighty-four
persons listed to receive Guyana’s national
awards this year. The announcement was
made at the historic flag raising ceremony at
Durban Park to usher in our country’s 50th In-
dependence Anniversary on 26th May, 2016.
Both women will be conferred with the
Golden Arrow of Achievement (A.A.). It is the
fourth highest award in the Order of Service
of Guyana.
Joycelyn Cleo Patricia Wilson
Bishop Spencer, President of the Guyana Dis-
trict of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean
and the Americas, is being honoured for “her
long, dedicated and outstanding service in the
field of religion”.
Mrs. Joycelyn Wilson, neé Thomas, is being
recognized for “service of an exceptionally high
quality in the Guyana National Service and in
the field of banking.”
Buxton-Friendship Express joins with the na-
tion in congratulating our two village sisters on
their notable achievements.
2016 NATIONAL AWARDS TWO BUXTONIANS AMONG AWARDEES
P a g e 2
THE GOLDEN ARROW OF ACHIEVEMENT (A.A.)
is the fourth highest award
in the Order of Service of Guyana
B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s
Bishop Glenna Leris Denise Spencer
DONATIONS
P a g e 3 M a y 2 0 1 6
We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the following persons for their donations this month. Please
know that we greatly appreciate your generosity and continued support of our work for needy causes in
Buxton.
MARGARET ABRAMS (“GIRLIE”)
JOAN EMANUEL
PHILIP & JENNY MCPHERSON
GRISELDA SMITH
DAPHNE THOMAS (MAY PAUL)
ANONYMOUS (2)
Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc. is an IRS-registered charitable organization under the 501(c)3 in-
come tax code. Donations made to Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc. are deductible to the fullest ex-
tent of the law.
To make a donation, please make your cheque payable to Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc., and
send it to the organization at 454 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207, USA.
Whenever the media reports on the culmination of a developmental or historical project the focus has always been
on the 'big boys.' At the commissioning/initiation of these projects the spotlight is placed on the political directorate,
the financiers, International/diplomatic support and the like. Reporters seldom report on the activities or the people
that make the event a reality. Whether this will ever change is a matter of conjecture.
On the morning of May 20, 2016 the Golden Jubilee of Independence Arch was unveiled by President David Arthur
Granger, MSS. The memento, located at the southern entrance/exit of the Capital City, Georgetown, was presented
to the Nation by our beverage giant, BANKS DIH, Limited to commemorate the fiftieth year of our political independ-
ence. The formal ceremony was attended by several government minsters; Chairman, Directors and senior staff of
Banks DIH; senior staff of the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Education and members of the Diplomatic
Corps. The ceremony lasted for approximately two hours amidst persistent light showers of blessings.
(Continued on page 5)
Haynes Cite ~ b y A n t h o n y H a y n e s
G O L D E N J U B I L E E O F I N D E P E N D E N C E M E M E N T O :
F L I P S I D E
P a g e 4
“Fifty years on, another son of Buxton/Friendship would have played a major
role in the establishment of an Independence Arch.”
B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s
The 50th
Independence Anniversary Arch at the junction of Eccles and Agricola on the East Bank of Deme-rara. The Arch delineates the southern entrance into and exit out of Georgetown and was unveiled by Presi-dent David Granger on May 20, 2016. It was funded by Banks DIH. (Ministry of the Presidency photo)
The site prior to construction
GOLDEN JUBILEE INDEPENDENCE MEMENTO
P a g e 5 M a y 2 0 1 6
Rewind to Thursday, March 31, 2016 - several construction
firms were invited to a site visit by the Ministry of Public In-
frastructure to observe the site conditions prior to providing
their bid to construct the foundation for the proposed arch
by 09:00hrs on April 4, 2016. By the end of the following
fortnight, a contractor was selected and ordered to mobilise
for commencement of the works. The construction firm se-
lected was ERROL CUSH CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (ECCS)
of Lot 3, Quamina Road, Beterverwagting, East Coast, Deme-
rara whose bid offer was approximately $6.9 million Guyana
dollars.
After careful examination of the original foundation design
and scope of works by the Contractor's Project Engineer, it
was found that both the design and the scope of works
needed modification. The responsibility for the modifications
was given to yours truly, who was eventually responsible for
the construction of the footing, environmental upgrade of the
site and installation of the arch. The works commenced with
the clearing of the site and preparation of the piles. The de-
sign required three fifty-foot piles to be installed in each of
the two footings. The pile cluster had to be capped with
three feet thick reinforced concrete followed by the construc-
tion of two layers of reinforced concrete plinths. The last
layer of plinths was tripled to accommodate the base of the
pre-fabricated, hollow, galvanised coated, iron pipe arch.
The major challenge of the project was to construct the two
footings such that the twenty-four bolts to be located on the
six upper plinths would be in a precise position relative to
distance apart, level and alignment. That exploit had to be
achieved prior to the supply of the arch while daily traversing
the busiest carriageway in Region #4; the test was passed
with 'flying colours' according to a senior government offi-
cial .
The installation of the arch by ECCS was also an addition to
the original scope of works. The main frame of the arch was
constructed and supplied in four parts while the crown and
billboard were supplied in three pieces. Two opaque panels
of the crown were successfully changed to transparent ones
to allow visibility of the anniversary motif in the evenings
when the lights, supplied and installed by Banks DIH Limited,
on the inside of the crown, 'kick-in.' The sponsor of the edi-
fice also tiled and provided the plaque on the upper plinths.
Fifty years on, another son of Buxton/Friendship would
have played a major role in the establishment of an Inde-
pendence Arch.
“Han wash han meck han kum kleen!”
HAPPY GOLDEN JUBILEE OF INDEPENDENCE TO ALL OF YOU!!! Until the next time, to God be the Glory.
(Continued from page 4)
Reinforcement to pile cap and plinths
Section of arch being installed
Dear Buxtonians,
We have been charged to “remember Fredericks,”
as an imperative (MUST), but how much do we actu-
ally know about him. What did he look like? I have
been researching and writing a journal in prose po-
etry to remember. I ask, “How do I/we imagine him;
(re) construct him; on whose authority and perspec-
tives. “How do I allow my fellow Buxtonians (who
choose to) to enter this journey with me?” I use a
cultural rhetorics approach in which I mix archival
data with village knowledge and oral history to
broaden the avenues by which I come to know him.
Disclaimer: I am not a historian. That said, as I learn
more about Fredericks, I will keep you posted. I ask
that Mattie tell mattie and frien’ tell frien’ so we can
make him live again.
WHAT CHILD
Born March 9, 1875.
In the African purchased village of Buxton
To his father Louis Fredericks
And his Mother Charlotte Fredericks
And an older brother
He was named Edwin Fitzgerald Fredericks
A Buxtonian with such a reverential name
Must have another name--
Sure, they called him Edwin,
But what was his false name?
What Boyhood
Edwin the boy,
Like many children in Buxton Village,
Did housework and school work
And attended Sunday school
Before and after school
He looked after the livestock
Perhaps he fed the pigs and goats,
Chickens and guinea birds
Took the cows and sheep to the pasture and back
Perhaps he looked after the kitchen garden too--
Then, too, perhaps every week
He went to the back dam with his parents
To plant and reap crops--
Bora and ochroes,
Calaloo and cassava
Coconuts and Guava,
And Long Mango, Hide-a-grass Mango and Bux-
ton spice
Perhaps he lit up the fireside for cooking
And studied by flambeau lamp
Did he drink company water
And qualify as a bonafide Buxtonian?
Did he make bush cook with his friends?
Maybe he play his favorite sport with them.
They say he liked to play cricket
But like me, did he use coconut balls and home-
made bats?
And play in the empty land in the neighborhood,
And stopped playing when six-o-clock bee started
buzzing?
(Continued on page 7)
Wha de Story Seh: E.F. FREDERICKS
P a g e 6 B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s
by Pauline Baird
The drawing for the Cash Raffle, sponsored by Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund,
Inc., will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2016, about 9:00 p.m., during the Sum-
mer Soiree. Please remember to mail back your completed stubs with cheque,
payable to Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc., by June 15 to ensure we receive
your entries timely.
To save time completing the stubs, you may use pre-printed adhesive address
labels, but do remember to add your telephone number and e-mail address. Mail
them to Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc., 454 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, NY
11207.
W h a d e S t o r y S e h : REMEMBER FREDERICKS
Raffle Drawing: June 25, 2016
P a g e 7 M a y 2 0 1 6
What home
The other day,
I asked Kwayana, who is ninety-one years old,
“Where did Fredericks grow up?”
He says that the Fredericks family’s home was
Just over Buxton line top
Now called the Railway Embankment
Somewhere between Buxton Middle Street and
Buxton Sideline Dam
Near the houses of Joe Williams and Nurse Baird
Where I grew up!
What Man
40 years old
5 feet 8 inches
Dark skin
Black eyes
Black hair
Immigrant alien
Nationality “British”
City/Town “Buxton”
In American – North Carolina he is
“Every inch a Britisher,”
A “Full-blooded negro”
“Our trusted delegate”
He called himself “Fitz”
To be continued~
(Continued from page 6)
~Ministry of the Presidency, Georgetown, Guyana – (May 9, 2016)
The Ogle International Airport was officially renamed the
Eugene F. Correia International Airport as a
tribute to the sterling contribution of a man, who pioneered
the development of the aviation sector and Guyana’s gold
and diamond industry. The late Eugene Francis Correia was
also a parliamentarian and Minister of Government, who
was born in Buxton on August 21, 1899 and died in 1973
at the age of 74. (Continued on page 9)
President David Granger handing over a congratulatory parchment signed by the Village Council of Buxton-Friendship in 1965, which details Eugene Correia's achievements
OGLE AIRPORT RENAMED AFTER BUXTONIAN EUGENE F. CORREIA
P a g e 8
“What a life, what a career,
what a Guyanese! It was with
confidence, therefore, that last
September, I suggested to the
Board of Directors of the
Ogle International Airport,
Incorporated that this airport
be renamed the Eugene F.
Correia International Airport,”
President David Granger
B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s
As a visionary, Correia, after he became a member
of the Legislative Council in 1956, spoke in favour of
the then Hydro-Electric Power Bill and predicted that
water power would play a major role in developing
Guyana. President Granger said that 60 years later
that vision and his conviction at the time still ring
true.
He also played a significant role in the struggle for
Independence. President Granger told the gathering
that Correia was a member of the delegation to the
Constitutional Conferences held in the United King-
dom in 1962 and 1963 which led to the change of
Guyana’s electoral system to that of Proportional
Representation in 1964 and, eventually, Independ-
ence in 1966.
“What a life, what a career, what a Guyanese! It was
with confidence, therefore, that last September, I
suggested to the Board of Directors of the Ogle Inter-
national Airport Incorporated that this airport be re-
named the Eugene F. Correia International Airport,”
President Granger said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public
Infrastructure, David Patterson
under whose responsibility the
aviation sector falls, described
Correia as a son of the soil, of
whose record all Guyanese
should be proud. He recognised
that over the past few weeks
there has been some amount of
tension regarding the name
change and said that while
there are merits in the positions
put forward by all sides, there is
more to the matter than busi-
ness and politics.
E.F. CORREIA AIRPORT
P a g e 9 M a y 2 0 1 6
Speaking at a ceremony at the airport to mark the
occasion, President Granger described Correia as
insightful and as a visionary and a nationalist, who
was a strong advocate of a strong domestic air
transport system. A pilot, Correia in 1957 opposed
an agreement entered into by the British Guiana Gov-
ernment and the British West Indian Airways (BWIA)
for the latter to manage and advise the domestic avi-
ation sector. President Granger quoted Correia as
saying to the Legislative Council that, “we have al-
ready developed a good domestic service in BG and
my opinion is that we should keep it and run it our-
selves.”
Correia was appointed Minister of Communications
with responsibility for the aviation sector in Decem-
ber, 1964, a post he held until October 1968. He
also served as Minister of Works and Hydraulics.
In other aspects of his public life, the late Correia
championed the right of Guyanese to be appointed
to executive positions in the public service in the
then British Guiana.
“This was a time when it was usual for foreigners,
particularly, Englishmen to hold the highest offices in
the public service. Correia, in an address to in the
Legislative Council on November 9, 1956, argued
that if Guyanese are capable of filling a vacancy in
the public sector then they should be allowed to fill
those vacancies,” the President said.
(Continued from page 8)
The late Correia championed the right of Guyanese to be appointed to executive po-sitions in the public service in the then Brit-ish Guiana. “This was a time when it was usual for for-
eigners, particularly, Englishmen to hold
the highest offices in the public service…”
With a resounding victory, the town of Purcellville
in Virginia, USA this month re-elected its Guyana-
born mayor, Kwasi Fraser to a second two-year
term. The son of a Buxtonian mother, Monica Fraser
(Mammie Philander) and Victorian father, Clyde Fitz
Fraser, Kwasi is also the town’s first Black mayor.
According to a report in the local newspaper,
Loudoun Now, Fraser trounced his challenger—
longtime Councilwoman Joan Lehr—leading a sweep
of new faces on to the Town Council. “I think it’s a
clear mandate. The people have spoken,” Fraser said
after the victory. “This is a council we can work
with. We’ve put four people in place, and we all
have the same vision, which is to listen to the voice
of the people,” he added.
Having resided in Purcellville since 2006, Kwasi Fra-
ser, his wife, Angela, and their three children settled
in Purcellville because they like its balance of old and
new, its small town warmth, and consider it a great
place to raise their family. During the past few years,
Fraser has actively engaged in community service in-
cluding youth sports and school activities.
Fraser’s distinguished corporate career includes sig-
nificant bottom line contributions at AT&T, Sprint
Nextel, Marriott International, and Verizon. In his
current position and as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt,
he provides leadership in operational efficiency, reve-
nue growth, and sustainability.
In addition to his corporate experience and strong
work ethic, Fraser possesses an MBA in Finance from
Rutgers University, an Executive Education certificate
from Harvard Business School, a Bachelor of Engi-
neering degree from Stony Brook University, and a
Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate
from the Project Management Institute.
As Mayor of Purcellville, Kwasi Fraser, along with
his fellow town council members, is actively working
to place the needs of Purcellville's citizens first to pre-
serve their quality of life and also to create lasting
value for the town.
The inauguration ceremony for Kwasi Fraser’s
second term is set to take place on June 27,
2016. Among those in attendance will be his
proud parents.
Buxton-Friendship Express extends congratula-
tions and best wishes for another successful
term to Mayor Kwasi Fraser.
KWASI FRASER RE-ELECTED MAYOR OF PURCELLVILLE IN VIRGINIA, USA
P a g e 1 0 B u x t o n - F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s
Kwasi Fraser Mayor of Purcellville
SINCERE SYMPATHY
P a g e 1 1 M a y 2 0 1 6
We join with the bereaved families in mourning the loss of the following villagers in the month of May,
2016:
LEYLAND SIMON; 6 May, 2016; Guyana
SHEILA KING, formerly of Cummings Street, Buxton. She passed away on May 12, 2016 in Brooklyn,
NY
YVONNE SAMPSON-GULLIVER, of Vigilance. She departed on May 14, 2016, Guyana
MICHAEL BUTTS (MIKEY). He died on 19 May, 2016 at a Georgetown hospital.
DAVID CHARLES (TALKIE), of Cummings Street, Buxton
JOSEPH DOUGLAS (JOE), in Baltimore, MD. A former resident of Buxton, he was the husband of Jen-
nifer Douglas, neé Connell
Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
May their souls rest in peace!
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: Guyana’s Premier Village
It’s Time Again for BESAC, Inc.
(Buxtonians for the Educational And Social Advancement of the Community, Inc.)
Fundraiser
Saturday, July 9, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. 123-11 150th Avenue, South Ozone Park, NY 11420
(between 123rd & 124th Streets) Fried Fish Barbeque Chicken Codfish Cakes Souse Phulouri Spinach Rice Rice & Peas Roti & Curry White/Black Pudding Pastries Mauby Sorrell Homemade & More
For More Info: Errol Cockfield: 718-843-3690
John Massay: 347-228-6939
Monica Sandiford: 718-284-0911
Wilbert Hope: 718-235-0718
Buxton-Friendship Express May 2016
Mailing Address 454 Vermont Street Brooklyn, NY 11207
E-Mail Address [email protected]
Contributing Writers Lorna Campbell Pauline Baird Anthony Haynes
Editors Dr. Clayton Bacchus Lorna Campbell
Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc.
RAFFLE FOR EDUCATION
Drawing at Summer Soiree
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014 454 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207
Book (3 tickets): $5 / Single Ticket: $2
Participants must be at least 18 years of age Ticketholder need not be present at drawing to win
PHONE: 718-342-0040 E-MAIL: [email protected]
$1,000.00 CASH PRIZES
1st Prize: $500.00
2nd Prize: $250.00
3rd Prize: $125.00
4th Prize: $ 75.00
5th Prize: $50.00