The HDC’s commercial properties manager Maurisa Findlay said it was all part of a move to position the mall as a secure area for families to relax and support local businesses. A series of events will be held at HDC malls nationwide to attract the local communities for shopping and leisure.

Findlay introduced Newsday to several store-owners.

Eunice Skeete of Colleen’s Delicatessen (named after her daughter) said her business had been set up in 2005 when the mall had first opened. “I’m from Tobago. My speciality is curried crab and dumpling, but I can cook anything – Chinese, Italian and Creole.

I cook like home, with the natural Tobago flavour anytime you come here. I cook with passion and love. The taste is just right.” She was full of praise for the HDC’s efforts to uplift the mall. “It was down but now Miss Findlay is boosting it up. We see a great improvement in the place.

“It’s a great encouragement to go forward.

The environment has become better. They put in new landscaping and have started to do renovation, so all we need now is to get the air-conditioning going.” Baked chicken fried fish, braised lentils, veggies and pumpkin rice were on yesterday’s menu board.

Across the hall Bernadine Joseph ran Annie’s Café, Annie being a nickname given to her by the Aboud family where she’d formerly worked.

“I”m into pastries – cake, banana bread, pizza slices. I make it from scratch, and sell.

“I do patchoi pizza, saltfish pizza and veggie pizza. I also do wedding cakes, plus a little Arabic food. I learnt from the best, Mrs George of Ellerslie Park.” Joseph was also glad at improvements in the mall.”Since the mall was going down, I had prayed for something good to happen for us. God is great. My prayers worked, and a lot of things are going on now.

“God sent two beautiful angels, Miss Findlay, and Miss Young who runs the mall. They are looking for betterment for us in this mall.” Joseph was pleased with the upgraded mall security.

Selective Hair’s Michelle Baptiste said she had opened her stall last January in the middle of a recession, but that things were going well.

“This cabinet here was filled with virgin hair, and it all sold out for graduation,” she said proudly. Saying such hair can sell for $1,600, she said, “Hair is big business in Trinidad and Tobago.” Baptiste said most TT women (especially Africans) go for Brazilian hair which she said has a lot of volume and body, compared to the Peruvian and Indian hair which is more straight and silky and which is more often used by women with naturally straight hair but which is thinning.

Blended hair can be bought at more affordable prices than the virgin hair, she said.

Also present were Roxanne Layne and Edicta Carty-Belle of the Family Planning Association (FPA) who used models to demonstrate and advise on the correct technique for using a male and female condom to residents.

Layne said, “We’re not just about the pill and condom. We offer sexual and reproductive health services, for men, women and young people. This includes cervical cancer screening, manual breast examination, prostate cancer screening and gender-based violence screening and counselling.” The FPA also offers testing for HIV and STI’s such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, plus counselling.

The prostate test is subsidised at $200.

Also displaying their services were Sulton Industries TT (SITT) who do general contracting, maintenance and landscaping, plus Jessica Baker-Gill of Diamond Brite which does cleaning including power washing of house exteriors.

Rachel Noel-Eute, senior legal associate for the Children’s Authority, explained to the magistrate that the authority learned of the incident earlier this month when a report was filed after injuries were sustained by the child.

She said the authority intended to remove the child from the custody of her parents once she was discharged from the hospital and seek alternative living arrangements pending a police investigation and an independent investigation headed by the authority.

The child is at the Intensive Care Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

Oliver’s attorney Richard Mason in his application for bail, said his client has no matters before the court. Stroude granted Oliver bail with a surety in the sum of $100,000. As part of her bail conditions, she is to report three times a week to the West End Police Station in Diego Martin and remain 100 feet away from the child and her family at all times. The court prosecutor also requested that Oliver surrender her passport to the court.

However Mason said his client’s passport was expired but promised he would present it at the next hearing.

Oliver is expected to reappear in court on October 26. Earlier this month the child, who lives with her father, was left in the care of a woman who allegedly dealt a severe beating to the toddler.

“I have had to live off of my savings and I now owe my landlord rent for all of 2016 to present,” said Susan Butcher- David.

“I suffer with severe depression which has taken a toll on my physical body sending me in and out of the hospital all the time. I have been given a deadline by my landlord of September 30 to pay up or I will be homeless. I am making a desperate plea to the government of the Republic Trinidad and Tobago to take a genuine look at this situation, which took place at the Consulate in July 2012, and help those of us who were treated unfairly by the previous government.” On July 5, 2012, Butcher-David and seven other TT Consulate employees were fired after their reported failure of an exam which then consul general Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam had said was necessary in order to re-apply for their jobs.

Butcher-David “started out in 2000 as a permanent employee.” Then, about two years later, she and other clerical staff were put on two-year contracts.

She said, in January 2012 she and the others “were given six-month contracts with no sick leave and one week’s leave at the end of the contract.” Speaking with Newsday back in June 2013, she recalled, “Next came the news from…

Ramgoolam that we had to re-apply for our jobs, including sitting an exam we were never given proper information on.

“They claimed we failed it and so had to be terminated. How can you be expected to pass an exam you were never prepared for?” At the time of her dismissal, Butcher-David had worked at the consulate for 12 years while others among the eight had been there for 25 years.

Having been escorted out of the building in Manhattan “like criminals”, she said, the eight were left without an immediate source of income and no health insurance.

What’s worse, Butcher- David told Newsday, is that having turned 66 in March, she is now “passed the age for employment in the TT Government.” “However, I served my country for 12 years. I am also a US citizen. We did not have the option to contribute to National Insurance in TT nor did the (then) government pay unemployment insurance here in the US.

Hence US citizens and Green Card holders cannot put in a claim for time away from work,” Butcher-David lamented.

Having exhausted the financial help available from her and her husband’s families and having reached the end of her landlord’s patience, Butcher-David decided it was time to issue an appeal to the TT Government.

Knowing government assistance may not come in time, if at all, she is now asking the public to help her in whatever small way they can to avoid eviction.

Butcher-David owes US $21,500 for 20 months’ rent; inclusive of August 2017. If you would like to help her, you can contact her via email at susan_butcherdavid@ hotmail.com or on her mobile phone at 1-347-731-0644.

The National Cycling Centre and the National Aquatic Centre are two venues in Couva used by a number of people to exercise.

However, the current review being done by SPORTT will not allow members of the public to use the venues in Couva for private recreation.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Azim Bassarath wants to encourage national citizens to live healthy and made the decision to open the NCC to the public.

Bassarath said, “The venues belong to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and you have to allow the people to use it. Hence the reason that I invited the people to use the National Cricket Centre, it is open for them. We are the ones who have to encourage our nationals to be fit and to exercise.” Bassarath said he disagreed with the decision by the Sport Company to close the facility to the public temporarily, saying the venue was paid for by tax-payers.

He said there were no reports of vandalism or theft at the facility and wondered why it was being closed to persons simply wanting to exercise.

“It is disheartening to know that Mr Dinanath Ramnarine (SporTT Chairman) and the Minister of Sport (Darryl Smith) will collaborate to debar the people from using the stadium,” he said.

The mood was sombre, said brother Stephen, who along with the family members and friends, has been anxiously praying for his safe return. Sookram remains on the police list of missing people.

Yesterday marked exactly one month since he has been seen or heard from by his loved ones.

Sookram left his family’s home at about 6pm to visit a neighbour just three houses away. However, checks later revealed that he never arrived. Calls to his cell phone have gone unanswered.

Shannon is an electrician at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. He is of East Indian decent, medium built and dark in complexion. A distraught Stephen said yesterday, “He just vanished like that.

Today (yesterday) is a sad day. He is not here with us.

“Imagine it’s his birthday and usually we would have a little ice cream and cake to celebrate but nothing is happening.” He said he remained in constant contact with police for updates on his missing brother but added there was often anxiety whenever there was news that a body had been found.

Anyone with information on Sookram’s whereabouts is asked to call 800-TIPS or contact the police at 555, 999, 911 or any police station.

Murder accused, Kerwin Butler and Kareem Lewis were also present at yesterday’s inquiry. Williams tearfully recalled her last moments seeing her son alive before he was killed outside the family home in Waterhole, Cocorite.

Acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle told Williams to take her time and ensure that she was properly composed for cross-examination.

Defence attorney Larry Williams left no stone unturned yesterday as he conducted an extensive cross-examination of both Williams and state witness, Constable Keston Thomas.

In his closing remarks yesterday, Williams lamented the rescheduling of days for the matter and called the slow pace of proceedings “unacceptable.” “How can it be that knowing we had three days set aside for the matter to be heard but we are still discussing when witnesses should be accommodated,” Williams said. “It cannot be accepted that we take one witness, this day and one complainant testimony this day.

“How is it the prosecution is still trying to find witnesses.” Earle-Caddle agreed with Williams’ complaints and prosecution attorney, Danielle Thompson explained that she expected one of the witnesses to appear at yesterday’s hearing but could not explain her absence.

Williams responded by saying that the constant rescheduling of witness appearances was an inconvenience to him, citing lost time from the failure of prosecution to secure their statements.

“Your worship when I set aside three days for a matter and nothing happens on all three days, the court will then ask me to set aside more time which I have already allocated to other cases.” Butler and Thomas are expected to reappear in court today for the continuation of proceedings

As a consequence, the support base of the PNM collective will be denied being on television, despite the tremendous work being done by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

Maybe certain people hate what they see in the mirror.

Maybe that is why in the US there are BET , EbonyLife TV and O networks.

LANCELOT SARJEANT via email

Book stores along High Street, San Fernando were crowded with parents and children seeking to fill their book lists yesterday with some parents complaining about the high prices of certain textbooks.

Owner of Unique Book Store, which has a few branches across TT, Len Doodnath, who spoke with Newsday yesterday said.

“Maintaining targeted sales has been a challenge this year and the reason would be the uneasiness with respect to stable jobs and increase in unemployment.” Doodnath explained that parents would normally prioritise items on booklists with books as the first and depending on the buying power of the parent they would purchase the more important textbooks with the rest of books, stationery and uniforms subsequently. He also went on to say that books are changed and updated according to the syllabus and that Mathematics and English books are the most sold books. Doodnath was asked about the used textbook initiative that his bookstore implemented decades ago. “It was an idea born out of the economic downturn in the early nineties where an economic option for purchasing new books was provided by Unique Book Stores for parents.

Today it remains an option which parents continue to appreciate,” Doodnath said.

Meanwhile, parents complained about the high prices of books. Nalini Ali, who was shopping at Nigel R Khan book store located on High Street, San Fernando said it’s a very difficult time. “I just got a job and we have to wait for my husband’s salary as well, this is why we bought books so late. I have four kids and spent over $1,200 in books. Imagine a dictionary costs $140.” Mellisa Nemai, a single mother with two children, while shopping at Unique book store also said the high prices were taking a toll on her. “I have spent $800 on books already and I still have to buy more, people who don’t have a job and have kids I am sorry for you all. This is stress and it hurting my pockets.” Another parent, Yashim Mohammed, who was purchasing school supplies at RIK bookstore, spoke of the challenges of finding a particular book. “I am looking all over for one textbook and I can’t find it. These books keep updating, I don’t know if it is a money making scheme.” Other parents lamented that the school textbook system did not provide much assistance to them because most schools recommend books that are not in the school textbook programme.

One Young World, a British-based charity founded in 2009, connects bright young leaders from around the world to deliver change.

The first caucus brought together young people from Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, the Bahamas and St. Lucia to discuss issues such as social entrepreneurship, the future of education, social inclusion and the Commonwealth.

During the event on Thursday last at his Maraval residence, Stew also bid farewell to this year’s Chevening Scholar, Mukta Balroop.

Stew congratulated Balroop on his achievement as the Chevening Scholar 2017.

In addition to expressing his gratitude to bpTT for co-funding this year’s scholarship, Stew commended Balroop’s focus on Media Law which he will pursue at Queen Mary, University of London.

He encouraged Balroop to look beyond his formal education and to allow himself to gain international perspectives from his fellow students; to understand the world from others’ viewpoints.

The rise of NCDs has been driven primarily by four major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diets.

Everyone is aware of how important it is to exercise on a regular basis because an active lifestyle protects the individual from the debilitating effects of NCDs.

Daily physical exercise that may include walking or running briskly, cycling, zumba or resistance training all aid in strengthening the heart muscle and improving blood flow.

The next time you don’t feel in the mood to get up and exercise, all you need to do is to focus on the benefits that are derived from engaging in physical activity. You will be drastically reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke and your blood pressure will also improve. You will live a better quality of life and age much more healthier as exercise reduces the possibility for an older person becoming physically disabled.

CHELSEA BEDASE El Dorado