Buxton-Friendship Express March 2019

1 Buxton-Friendship Express March 2019. Published by Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund, Inc. A SOMBRE CLOUD GREETS. 2019. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. WOMEN'S HISTORY. MONTH theme Visionary Women: Champions of Peace &. Nonviolence.. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Women Perish in Mini- 2. bus Accident Becoming Dynamic 4. Young Women Photos of the late Denise Get The Book 5 Culley (above) and Patricia Ellis (at right). Scholarship Banquet 6. Heritage Awards Gala 7. Words cannot Express the hor- Wah dih Story Seh? 8. ror and sadness that greeted this month honouring women, as the Georgetown. She had boarded a minibus, Dr. Charles 10 lives of two were violently cut which later picked up Denise Culley at Vig- Summer Soiree 11 short in a vehicular accident ilance. Miss Culley, who was also a fruit along the Success Public Road. vendor at the same market, had just cele- Legends 12. Obituaries 16. In the early hours of Sunday, 3rd brated her 58th birthday five days earlier. March , 59 year-old buxton -born Minutes later, they would both perish in a Events Calendar 16 Patricia Ellis left her Haslington breakneck crash.

2 General Information 16 residence to ply her trade as a We join with the immediate families in fruit vendor at Bourda Market in mourning the loss of our sisters. BFE19-3. Buxton-Friendship Express . Page 2. buxton WOMEN DIE IN BUS CRASH. According to a Stabroek News report: The min- After the accident, public-spirited citizens ibus, BTT 4910, was being driven by a 47-year- rushed to the scene and turned the bus on its old resident of Golden Grove. Sometime around base and saw Culley's lifeless body. The other 7:30 , the bus was traveling west along the passengers, including Ellis, were quickly re- East Coast Highway, along a section currently un- moved from the vehicle and rushed to the hos- der construction, at a fast rate. The driver report- pital. Ellis died while being tended to by doctors edly told the police that a car collided with his in the Accident and Emergency Unit. left rear wheel which caused him to lose control A breathalyser test was conducted on the driv- and subsequently collide with the median.

3 As a er and no trace of alcohol was detected on his result, the bus toppled over and spun several breath. While the driver would have told the times before coming to a half in the middle of the police that another vehicle clipped him which other lane. Culley, who was in the left side of the would've caused the accident, eyewitnesses and rear seat, was flung out and ended up in the mid- relatives of both Culley and Ellis told Stabroek dle of the road before the bus, which was still News that passengers were complaining about spinning, landed on her and skidded several feet the speed at which the bus was moving. before coming to a halt. Ellis was still in the bus. (Continued on page 3). The damaged minibus by which Denise Culley and Patricia Ellis met their tragic demise. Page 3. March 2019. WOMEN DIE IN BUS CRASH. When I go, I see my sister lying on the road. Her lifeless body [was] just on the road. One of them said that the man like he put on wings on the bus cause he was flying like a (Continued from page 2).

4 Plane. He had to be going at a speed too be- cause, when you look at the marks on the Adrian Campbell, Ellis' grandson-in-law, related that the road, it ain't making sense, she said. She woman was on her way to ply her trade at Bourda Market added that Culley had celebrated her birthday at the time of the incident - something she has been doing on Wednesday. since she was 14 years-old. What was supposed to be a Other drivers also reported seeing the bus routine ended tragically as the family, who was at the time on the highway moving at an insane speed. relaxing and preparing to do their laundry, received a call One driver said that the bus flew past him from another relative informing that Ellis was involved in an and within minutes, he heard loud noises and accident. shortly after, he saw the accident and the I received a call that my grandmother-in-law was in an woman's body on the ground.. accident and that she on the road with her hand discon- On the day of the funeral, Stabroek News nected from her body.

5 When we reach in town, she just ar- spoke with Culley's cousin, who was identi- rived at the hospital from the scene and she was conscious fied as Aunty Bridgette [Blair-Nelson]. She and talking the story on the way, Campbell explained. stated that they grew up together and shared He said that Ellis had related that the passengers were a bond as close as sisters. We share one an- complaining about the speed at which the driver was driv- other's burden, we share one another's love. ing and somebody kept saying like is best we come out of We had good moments, good days.. the bus.. Bridgette described Culley as a very caring After the woman was rushed to the hospital, she was individual, who would go out of her way to quickly tended to by doctors in a bid to save her life but make persons around her comfortable. died about 30 minutes later. She's very helpful, if anybody's sick she The driver is saying a car clipped him from behind but we doesn't even have to know the person, she are waiting on the CCTV footage If he wasn't going at a would help, she said.

6 Fast rate that median alone would've brought him to a halt. The unexpected and gruesome death shook I'm a driver and I can tell you he was doing at least 140. the family. When Culley's children and other km/h [approximately 87 mph], Campbell said. family members were informed of the death, Ellis was also traveling with her seven-year-old grandson, they were inconsolable, her cousin said. Moffat, who is also currently admitted at the hospital but in Her children crying, they're weeping all the a stable condition. time; the entire family is affected, she stat- Culley's family also related similar details to Stabroek ed. Bridgette shared how it felt when she News yesterday and according to her sister, Afro Pitt, the found out about the death. She's a person woman has been selling fruits at the market for the last 15. who is very caring, at times her mouth is very years. saucy but I didn't expect a death like that. I. [It] is an everyday routine for the last 15 years.

7 Every day know you have to prepare for a death any she does go to the market and my sister, Althea, told me time but a death like that really, really touch when she got the message she couldn't understand be- me. I feel it in the depths of my heart.. cause Denise just left. My son told me too that he just see The day when I went to the spot, I actually her on the road waiting for a bus. So how come it reach at get blind, Bridgette said. On that day, and Success already? Pitt said. even after, the family has heard conflicting She explained that she was preparing for church when reports of how the accident occurred. Howev- she received the news that her sister was involved in an er, they still remain hopeful that the truth will accident in Beterverwagting. However, after calling the po- come out and justice will be meted out to the lice station, she was able to figure out that the accident person responsible for the accident. happened in Success and rushed to the scene.

8 Buxton-Friendship Express . Page 4. BECOMING DYNAMIC YOUNG WOMEN. The non-government organisa- The troubling rate of unwanted preg- tion, Sexual Reproductive Hu- nancies, adolescent pregnancies, and man Rights (SRHR) Adventures domestic violence are social ills that has launched a programme to continue to plague the regions of Guy- provide young girls in the village ana. Thus, through this programme with the tools to make informed young ladies will be motivated by self- decisions about their sexual re- awareness sessions. These sessions will productive health. After the be facilitated by community resource opening, the organisation issued individuals, Government agencies and the following news release: members of the SRHR Adventures team. We have embarked on a new The project began on 2nd March , 2019. project captioned THE PARUSHI and ends in May 2019. Sessions will be CLUB , where we seek to trans- held every Saturday/Sunday, and each form girls into dynamic young one will last a maximum of two (2).

9 Women! Further, Parushi is the hours. The method of random sampling Akawaoi word for ladies. The was used to select female adolescents Parushi Club is a mentorship from the community. and awareness programme that The topics being covered include: seeks to engage young women USE OF CONTRACEPTIVES. within the ages of ten (10) and KNOWLEDGE OF THE FEMALE REPRODUC- Ms. Duan Lewis nineteen (19) from the buxton / TIVE SYSTEM. Nurse-Midwife attached to Bux- Friendship community and sur- PERSONAL HYGIENE. rounding villages. It aims to PREPARATION FOR JOB INTERVIEWS. ton Health Centre and one of the teach adolescent females about WRITING APPLICATIONS. Facilitators of the local sexual & their bodies while enhancing DEPORTMENT. reproductive health programme - awareness of sexual and repro- The Parushi Club . ductive health and rights. Participants and facilitators at the launching of the new Parushi Club in buxton /Friendship early this month. Page 5. March 2019. Buxton-Friendship Express .

10 Page 6. buxton SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET. This year, the Buxton-Friendship Heritage Fund is The banquet will also feature a sumptuous din- holding its buxton SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING BANQUET & ner, exotic wines, spirits and homemade bever- HERITAGE AWARDS GALA on Saturday evening, April 27th, ages, as well as lively music to delight your 2019 at St. Gabriel's Golden Hall, 331 Hawthorne dancing feet. Tickets for this all-inclusive gala is Street, Brooklyn, NY 11225. The event begins at 6:00 only $45 apiece for adults and $15 for a pre- with a cocktail hour, followed by a variety of per- teen child, if purchased in advance. This is an formances and presentation of awards to a few sons opportunity for you to contribute to the educa- and daughters of buxton , in recognition of their aca- tional and social development of a child in Bux- demic and professional achievements, as well as their ton. contributions to our community. The occasion also Last year, through the kindness of our donors honours the 96th Anniversary of THE buxton SCHOLAR- and supporters, we were able to provide tuition SHIP, founded by eminent son, Edmund Fitzgerald bursaries for two students attending the Univer- Fredericks, to aid the education of children.