“DEAD” BENJIE TURNS UP ALIVE
(Guyana Chronicle January 15, 1980)
At least one black flag was fluttering at half- mast in the compound of the Georgetown Hospital early yesterday morning following news of the death by road accident of a very popular staff member.A feeling of shock and sadness had oppressed workers when a staff nurse reporting for duty had told of seeing the body of Fitzroy Benjamin, an attendant, after he had been struck down by a jeep on the East Bank Demerara road at Eccles.
News of 50-year old Benjie’s death soon spread to Linden and a number of people there including hospital colleagues converged on his East Bank Demerara home –only to be greeted by a very- much -alive Benjie and his wife.
At the Georgetown Hospital a grinning and laughing Benjie was later greeted with hugs and handshakes by his relieved and happy colleagues when he later turned up for duty.
One worker said that the news of the “resurrection” had already reached them.
With the cloud of sorrow dispersed and the black flags pulled down, all was normal again at the Georgetown Hospital, reports stated.
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J.O.F. HAYNES RETIRES
(Guyana Chronicle January 1, 1980
Chancellor of the Judiciary Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes O.R., S.C goes on pre-retirement leave today after serving in that office for the past three years.
Chancellor Haynes will be succeeded by Justice Victor Crane who has been serving as Chief Justice since the retirement of Justice Harold Bollers around September last year.
In 1976 he succeeded as Chancellor Sir Edward Luckhoo who was appointed High Commissioner to India.
It is understood that a special sitting of the Guyana Court of Appeal will be held to honour retiring Chancellor Haynes who has had a brilliant career both as a practising lawyer and as Head of the Judiciary.
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MOSQUITO SCOURGE BRINGS COMPLAINTS FROM CITY RESIDENTS
(Guyana Chronicle January 2, 1980)
Residents in several areas of Greater Georgetown are complaining about mosquitoes which pester them both day and night.
They say that this is due to the fact that in most of these areas there are silt-choked trenches and drains with plots of bush and grass growing wild – situations contributing largely to the breeding of mosquitoes.
The insects are invading homes bringing misery to thousands of residents.
Salesmen are calling for thirty-two and forty-eight dollars for mosquito nets and the destroyer vendors are telling people bluntly :”one dollar and thirty five cents for a box-take it or leave it.”
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BELVEDERE
(Guyana Chronicle January 5, 1980)
This is a hotel famous throughout the Caribbean: Belvedere Restaurant-Bar Nite Club and Disco; Dance tonight with non-stop disco music; featuring the latest disco records from the U.S.A.
Proper Dress is required.
Undesirables will be refused admission/service.
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NINTEEN-YEAR OLD LAD IS HERO OF ILL-FATED MOTOR VESSSEL MARLA K
(Guyana Chronicle January 14, 1980)
A seaman was reported drowned and 10 other persons including two women were rescued after being left adrift in the Atlantic when the vessel in which they were travelling, capsized and sank some fifteen miles off Cromarty Corentyne on Monday morning.
Hero of the ill-fated vessel Marla K was 19-year old Trevor Tappin who swam fifteen miles to shore and reported the incident to the Springlands Police.
Tappin a strong swimmer, said that he was helped by the tide which enabled him to swim the distance in a reasonable time.
Telling the story about the tragedy yesterday he disclosed how the Marla K with more than 5,000 bags of fertiliser consigned to the Guyana Rice Board at Corriverton suddenly capsized giving the crew no time to launch life boats.
According to him from the time the vessel started to take water the battery exploded thereby putting their radio transmitter out of commission.
In a mad haste for safety the most some of them could have got were life jackets, he explained.
Some of those with life jackets had to be content with holding on to a log that was floating in the ocean for the lifeboats had drifted away with the tide within seconds.
Tappin said that it was the necessity for early rescue and the safety for himself and others that made him decide to chance swimming for land in the choppy sometimes shark infested waters.
His objective he said was to reach land as quickly as possible so that he could have help sent to his colleagues who were drifting in the ocean.
During the journey to shore he did see sharks but according to him they were far away and did not constitute any danger to him.
On reaching land he hurried to the Springlands Police Station and reported the matter.
The Police acted promptly and immediately arranged for a number of fishing boats and private launches to speed to the area.
He said that arrangements were also made for a helicopter to fly out the same time but he learnt that the helicopter could not make the trip until later that day.
However as a result of the thoughtfulness and bravery of Tappin in having the matter reported early, ten of the eleven on board were rescued by the rescue party.
The man who is still missing as a result of the mishap and is feared drowned is Albert Hunte 32 of Albouystown .
The survivors described how they had sung hymns of praise while they were adrift in the ocean and they have associated their rescue to the help of the Supreme Being.
However they agreed that they had much to thank Tappin for their safety.
Had it not been for his early report on the incident, they said it might have turned out that the rescue party might have been sent out at a time when it would have been too late to save their lives.

Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or cell phone # 657 2043.