LAST week at a press conference, the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) announced that come 2018, the municipality will sub-franchise various events for the Linden Town Week (LTW) instead of the single franchise.

The council has also communicated it will move from its traditional oversight role to that of more involvement in the events. This turn of events outside of coming as a surprise requires revisiting its initial purpose, journey and evolving impact on the society and people, local and foreign, even as it is hoped that the decision will continue to engage the involvement of residents before being considered a done deal.

The original idea for the Town Week was germinated at grassroots level among ordinary citizens. Lindeners will remember some of the original organisers such as Wilfred Simmons, Gillian Persaud and Norville Fredericks, who mobilised the community independent of political directorship or control. This saw several activities such as cleaning up of the environment, including solid waste removal, clearing the gutters, and parapet maintenance.

One of the major objectives was that of promoting Linden’s wonders and Lindeners’ hospitality and capacity to attract visitors to the community and make the region a tourist and vacation destination, which by extension would see the influx of needed revenue, creating employment and economic opportunities for residents. Areas such as the waterwheel for power generation located at Christiansburg, the community’s first sawmill at Silver Town, and the blue lake at Lucky Spot form part of the attraction.

The Town Week, which began in 1996, became a yearly event not only to look forward to by locals, but also placed on the vacation calendar of overseas-based Guyanese who used the event to return home, reconnect with loved ones, socialise and spend. The hallmark nature of this event has come into its own, independent of political control –national, regional or local—and is eagerly looked forward to. Recognition of this does not ignore the existence of any reservation with how the event has evolved and bottlenecks, where in a solution-driven atmosphere could be addressed and consensus achieved.

The Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, himself a promoter, would be in a good position of understanding the gains the week’s activities generated, financial and otherwise.
That the Linden municipality like other municipalities in Guyana is  cash-strapped, none can honestly deny. In May, it was advised that the town was indebted by $200 million. At last year’s swearing-in, Mayor Holland alluded to his desire for the Council to focus on stimulating the town’s economy to create jobs; encouraging, inviting and enticing investors, and strengthening the education and health sectors, among other things. Given these aspirations in the presence of a huge debt, understandably the sourcing of revenue to effectively and efficiently execute the Council’s work and honour its legal obligations not only require ingenuity and vision, but also modernised by-laws.

To the extent where the Town Week may be seen as a source for garnering revenue cannot be faulted. At the same time, the Council has to be mindful that its move to control this event can engender suspicion and concern.
Those au fait with Linden would advise that whereas history has shown its residents’ political loyalty it also reveals a militant citizenry uncompromising in the belief of their independence and freedom to question and challenge. From this said perspective, it could be understood why Lindeners have spoken out against the Council’s decision.

The above notwithstanding, the freshness and pureness of this civic-minded venture and organised community approaches to pride and upliftment set a standard for civil society’s involvement in development of the communities and country at large. This event was also signalling to other communities the reward and limitlessness of their potentials when they come together and do for themselves, independent of government.
The organisers behind the LTW in breaking new ground, were also setting new standards for emulation. The benefit of protecting citizens’ free-spiritedness could also reap dividends.