By Joe Chapman
THE mining town of Linden will be privileged to witness the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay during its brief stop in Guyana tomorrow when the symbolic baton, which has a built-in 360 degrees range camera, is taken by chosen baton-bearers through communities across the town.

According to Regional Chairman of Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) Deron Adams, who has been coordinating the efforts for a splendid showing by the regional participants, he is pleased with the preparations.

The relay starts at 08:00hrs with the UNICEF representative at the Bamia Outpost on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and will make 37 stops along the way.

Bearers include Adams, Mayor of Linden Waneka Arrindell, Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira, national female champion cyclist Suzan Hamilton, Junior national table tennis player Ibo McNeil, athletics coach Johnny Gravesande, wheelchair-bound Setra O’Selmo, former outstanding national basketball player Shanna Chester and youth athlete Shaka Tyrell among others.

The route in Mackenzie will be from Bamia Police Outpost to Mille’s Hideout, to Empire Drive. Phase 2 Amelia’s Ward entrance, to Police Outpost at Amelia’s Ward, Well Road, GuyOil Gas Station to Lovers’ Lane, Amelia’s Ward Hill Top, to Kara Kara Bridge to Old Guyana Stores building, Kara Kara Call Centre to GTT entrance as they leave the Linden Highway.

The baton-bearers are to be supported by their groups along the route and residents are encouraged to come out and witness the relay.

The baton will then be taken from Water Tank on Independence Avenue to Five Corner, to North Gate, Mackenzie Post Office on Republic Avenue, to Linden Museum on Co-op Crescent, to outside the Regional Chairman’s Office at the RDC building then turn onto Greenheart Street to Republic Avenue, head outside the Mayor’s Office, around the Cenotaph to Old Mother Hubbard’s House in Speightland head towards the YMCA and the Mackenzie High School in Retrieve.

From there, the contingent journeys past the Linden Centre for Disabled Children, Mackenzie Sports Club and Five Corner before heading up the Washer Pond Road to pass the Linden Fund Office and the Linden bauxite operations, the Linden Electricity Inc. Office, the Centennial Park, Linden Hospital Complex then towards the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge.

The baton will be taken across the bridge to Hamilton’s Sawmill, past the Wismar Market on Burnham Drive, St Aidan’s Anglican Church, St Aidan’s Anglican School, Poker Street and past the Son Chapman Memorial site, to the Christianburg Waterwheel, then up Cholmondeley Hill, passing the Ice Cream Parlour to the Upper Demerara Hospital down the Back Road towards Potto’s Corner to the Christian Church. The relay ends at the Bayrock Synthetic Track.

The Queen’s Baton leaves Guyana on Sunday for Grenada and the relay finally concludes at the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, where the final baton-bearer will return the Baton to Her Majesty the Queen.