By Shauna Jemmott
AS THE time draws nigh for Bartica to be officially declared a township, celebration fever is spreading like wildfire in that community.But with all the hype and festivity, Deputy Mayor Kamal Persaud said the community is expected to experience additional merriment this Saturday at its rebirth.

Speaking to the media at a recent press conference, the Deputy Mayor explained that the town is making massive preparations for the big day.
Families have even repainted their homes, and a massive clean-up campaign is underway, with citizens clearing the streets and drains of garbage. Play parks are also being renovated.

“Saturday is when Bartica becomes really alive. It is the rebirth of Bartica from being a village to a town; the day that Bartica will be officially declared a town,” the deputy mayor said.

“It’s a very historic day in not only Bartica’s history, but Guyana’s history. Even Barticians living abroad have already started to come home to share in this celebration,” she told the press.

While citizens and businesses are active in making other preparations, the new mayor and town council and the programme planning committee have also been actively involved in charting a programme to accommodate a weekend of activities, including the April 23 ceremonial declaration of Bartica as ‘A Model Town’.
OFFICIAL CELEBRATIONS
Official celebrations begin on Thursday, when Senior Citizens will be given the first honour with a social fete, rewarding their vital roles in molding and developing Bartica.

“We will celebrate the seniors in Bartica that have contributed tremendously in molding our generation; in molding our community; in playing vital roles in different aspects, whether it be education, sports, politically,” Persaud said.

“The seniors of Bartica will be taken to a special venue, treated to refreshments, steelpan, games, and different types of entertainment,” she explained.

Friday evening promises to breathe fresh hope within the region, with all churches collaborating in the staging of a ‘Night of Hope’ gospel concert to usher in the day slated for the official township declaration.

April 23rd will be ‘The day that Bartica really becomes lit’, Persaud said. “We will open that day with a military parade through the streets of Bartica. Also, there will be a parachuting display by the military, and as we progress throughout the day, in the afternoon we will have the official ceremony, which will be attended by various government officials, and most importantly the President of Guyana, David Arthur Granger. And he will formally declare Bartica a town.”

CULTURAL PROGRAMME
A cultural programme will follow, and is expected to be a joyous beginning for citizens of Bartica, with a dedicated and passionate administration ready to take on the role of transforming Bartica into a ‘green’ state; a model town.

“This would be the first official ceremony by the Mayor and Town Council of Bartica, and we promised to deliver quite an exciting and packed weekend,” the deputy mayor said.
“As we move forward, we recognise the works and all the anticipation of residents in Bartica, and we are geared at working towards realising those dreams.

“Barticians have placed their trust in us; they’ve given us this important task and we’re honored to serve our community, Bartica,” she added.

Town Councillor Lennox Lyte-Rankin called Bartica “The Paradise of Guyana”, a title he said all Barticians had given their hometown.
He said citizens of Bartica are “taking township to heart,” and have been on a mission to physically transform the place, in preparation for the arrival, once again, of President David Granger.

“The celebration fever is on in Bartica,” Lyte-Rankin said, adding that the new council is anxious to work with the vision of transforming Bartica into a model town, which is consistent with the vision President Granger has for the new Bartica.

“Now we have that great opportunity to take it forward. We voted for the team that is gonna lead them into the development that they have been looking for,” he said.

Cultural Coordinator Odessa Primus told the media that the Bartica Inaugural Township celebration, under the theme, “Embracing the past, celebrating the present and preparing for the future”, will see cultural performances done mostly by Barticians living in Bartica and around Guyana.

Noting that Bartica has produced some of the best personalities in a number of different fields nationally and internationally, Primus said those persons will be recognised. She listed a few as Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes; designer Sonia Noel; and the late Neil Hernandes, who was an outstanding international footballer.

“It is gonna be fabulous! So we’re gonna be having a ton of fun!” Primus said, adding: “You could imagine us in celebratory mode, laughing. And even as we go back to the reflection of those people who would have contributed to Bartica, we may get some tears. And so we’ll cry; we’ll laugh; we’ll eat; we’ll drink.

“We’re definitely gonna be having an amazing time, because, when you are making history, you want to ensure that it’s something that will really be remembered.”

THE WILL TO CELEBRATE
Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall said he is pleased to know that despite all that is happening around the country and internationally, Bartica still has the will to celebrate an occasion that is really special.

“In Bartica, we created history… And we want to build on that, because we want to leave a legacy for generations to come,” Mayor Marshall said.

He recalled that Bartica was gazetted as a town on October 21, 2015, and the April 23 ceremonial declaration will see the presence of all mayors from towns across the country, government officials and other dignitaries.

“That is a very, very important day for us… It’s a day that we intend to showcase our true culture; our true diversity; and who we are as a people,” Marshall said.

He described Bartica as “a very unique community” that is free from racial and political differences.

“Bartica is not a place that is divided politically; Bartica is not a place where we fetch around ethnic baggages and so forth. Bartica is a united town; a town where we look out for each other. We love each other, and we want to set an example for the rest of Guyana,” he said.

He believes it is for that reason that President Granger, in his wisdom, sees Bartica as a model town.

“We’re going down the ‘green’ avenue; we’re going down the road of greening our entire township,” Mayor Marshall said, adding: “Where tourism is concerned, we believe that we have what it takes to become Guyana’s first tourism capital.

“On the 23rd, we’re gonna demonstrate to Guyana who we are as a people. I think then Guyana will take us very seriously, and realise that we’re ready to move forward.”

Meanwhile, Events Manager Ervin Washington is calling on those who will attend to dress in white, since the official declaration ceremony will be “an all-white affair” intended to add a touch of purity to the new town.