Officially opening at 6.30 am today, specially invited guests were treated to a sneak peak of the newest Starbucks TT location this past Saturday.

Addressing those gathered at the store, Charles Pashley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of local franchise holder, Prestige Holdings Limited, said, “It is a huge achievement to recruit and open five stores in different communities across Trinidad in one year and our baristas and the entire team have done well.” Starbucks officials spoke of their having hired continuously since opening their first store at South Park, San Fernando last August, as well as continuously recruiting and train baristas.

Starbucks Human Resources Partner Resources Manager, Nesha Malchan, said, “Our recruitment process is very well thought out, as we select and train those with the right key attributes and positive traits to interact well with customers and equally, their fellow colleagues.” Malchan has led the training and development of the local Starbucks team since inception.

Two months ago, in July, baristas celebrated their first Barista Championships where they demonstrated their ability to showcase their skills.

The competition encourages fellow baristas to practice and build team spirit. Their celebrations continued at the August 26 event, where presentations were made to those who have been with the local franchise since inception.

Starbucks said the “celebrations will continue” from 2 pm this Saturday, September 2, with special appearances from the Kaisokah Moko Jumbies, pannist, Jabari Lander and the Autora Sursati Dance Group.

“Customers can ask for a job application form at any one of the five stores and store managers can receive direct customer feedback at starbucks@phl-tt.com,” Starbucks stated.

Entering yesterday’s game against neighbours Club Sando Moruga, Guaya had a tally of 29 points from 11 matches – nine victories and two drawn results .

Asked how he feels about the team’s form thus far, La Forest, in a recent interview, responded, “Good. The reason being the people who are around (the club) right now are people who I enjoy working with. And they also enjoy working with me too .

“I’m taking some of the kudos because the players are responding to me.” The former national striker and men’s team assistant coach (under Bertille St Clair) pointed out, “It’s a community team and you know when a community is behind you, the players have to play for them also. I could do my part as the coach but when the players go out there, they have to play also for the community.” La Forest resides in Diego Martin, but he stated that the regular commute to Guayaguayare is something he has no problems with .

“It’s something I enjoy,” he said. “It’s 150 miles, it’s something I get immune to. I take my time and go down .

“(The club management) present me with a nice vehicle with diesel, and comfort, so it’s not a problem with me going down there because I enjoy that. In terms of the teaching, I enjoy teaching.” He went on to add, “I believe in challenges because my football knowledge is (like) a gospel .

And I enjoy saying it .

“When they did call upon me, I wanted to work. In Trinidad, no place is too far for me .

This wasn’t no challenge for me. It’s something I wanted to do also .

With Glenton Wolfe, Carlon Hughes and Kevin Jagdeosingh in the team’s ranks, how have their experience factored into proceedings? “We have a unit,” La Forest replied. “Seniority is a big part. The experience, with the youth, I think we blended it up as quick as possible. And the youths (are) responding to it.” As far as the remainder of the 2017 local football season is concerned, La Forest said, “We’re trying to win this League. If the FA (Trophy) comes by, whatever Cups come by, we’re taking it one step at a time .

“But the main objective that we’re trying to fulfil is to win the League for the community.” He is also high in praise for the response the team have gained from their fans .

“It’s the most supportive community you can expect in football,” said La Forest. “Anywhere the team goes they go with them, even to Tobago too .

They take the boat, they take the plane, they come up and support the team.”

And no one doubts the tremendous challenges we face as a people.

One person who is in a prime position to understand those challenges is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who, over the weekend, sought to set a more relaxed and jovial tone as we approach this week’s Independence Day commemorations. The Prime Minister attended a book launch for the latest publication of calypsonian Chalkdust and spent a few hours as a guest DJ at i95FM.

The last time a Prime Minister stormed a radio station was in 2008 when then Patrick Manning decided to visit Radio 94.1FM to complain about a broadcast. This time around, however, the “storming” comprised only good vibes.

In a sign of how times have changed, on Friday night Rowley praised Manning for establishing the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), the body that has published Liverpool’s latest book.

Then, at the radio station on Saturday, the Prime Minister spent two hours taking calls from the public and co-hosting ‘The Barbershop’ program with John Benoit.

It is good that the Prime Minister has shown us a relaxed, positive side. The transmission of optimism by the head of the Government, who holds the grave responsibility of steering us through difficult times, inspires confidence that all is not lost. Indeed, now more than ever we need to be reminded of the good things that are happening in our country.

Amid the serious global issues facing us, we need to have hope in order to be inspired to move forward to address the matters that call out for attention.

The Prime Minister’s endorsement of Chalkdust is an endorsement of the artform the nine-time Calypso Monarch embodies. That is an art-form that is truthful and unbiased, holds no punches, and that sees the small man hold those in power accountable. Or at least that is what calypso, at its finest, should be.

It is also notable that Rowley – the author of his own memoir From Masonhall to Whitehall – has supported a local book publication.

His call for citizens to support Chalkdust’s UTT-published book should be just the start. He should similarly endorse other local publications and, if he is so minded, continue to support aspects of our culture by attending further events and even co-hosting radio programs on a diverse range of radio stations.

It is hoped the Prime Minister, who in April committed to possibly considering a review of VAT on books, will in the next Parliamentary term disclose the result of this review, if it has taken place.

Perhaps this is a matter that Finance Minister Colm Imbert will speak to come Budget Day.

Though he struck a jovial note over the weekend, the Prime Minister was also candid in his assessment of the biggest challenge facing the nation. In his estimation, corruption at all levels of the State, from the highest to the lowest, remains deeply problematic. This is a startling admission from the head of the Cabinet. With lingering questions over matters such as the Marlene McDonald affair and the sea-ferry matter, how the issue of corruption will be tackled is one citizens will be monitoring carefully.

In relation to the fraught seabridge issue, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan has already said heads will roll if any wrong-doing is found. Rowley has made clear his view that all indicators point to something crooked.

We wish the Prime Minister well as he embarks on his regular medical checkup. It is clear he will need all his strength to lead this nation, not only through the good times but also the challenging days ahead.

Hosein told an audience on Wednesday in Georgetown gathered for a lecture organised by the Guyana Oil & Gas Association, that between 1999 and 2016, Trinidad earned approximately US$90 billion in oil and gas revenues, but most of it, he explained, were poorly spent. A senior economist at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Hosein said that of the US$90 billion collected in oil revenue, only US$5 billion exist in the country’s Heritage and Stabilization Fund whilw US$8 billion is part of the stock of international reserves.

Of the US$77 left, Hosein said that it was his view that it was poorly spent.

However, he said that the “intercept of economic activity” changed in Trinidad and Tobago, but the growth of economic activity remained the same.

Hosein said, “The Trinidad and Tobago economy today in 2017 has not grown since 2007.

In fact, we had negative economic growth of 0.51 percent from 2007 to the present.

“Trinidad and Tobago is certainly an economy at the brink of a lengthy period of structural adjustment.” Hosein went on to explain to the audience that a country’s comparative advantage evolves over time and results in changes in the weaknesses and strengths of certain sectors in the economy.

And if an economy becomes stronger in the areas it can produce well, he said, it is a healthy sign for growth. However, the economist said that if in so doing, the economy is exposed to a greater amount of vulnerability from external shocks, this must be closely monitored.

Hosein warned the Guyanese audience which include economists, multilateral stakeholders and oil and gas and technocrats who attended, that intense focus on oil and gas and the related sectors of the Trinidadian economy, inadvertently resulted in neglect to other sectors.

And Trinidad and Tobago became cognisant of it, he added, but only when the price for oil and gas had tumbled on the world market.

He said that Trinidad and Tobago faces what he described as ‘Dutch disease’, which is the relationship between the increase in the economic development of a specific sector such as oil and gas, and, the accompanying decline in other sectors of its economy.

The Guyanese authorities, he said, should not make the same mistakes as others.

Oil production in Guyana is expected to begin by mid-2020.

Yesterday, it was the end for Cedros resident Errol Sookbir, 42, who was shot and killed inside his car as he drove out of the Perseverance Coconut Estate. A report stated that at about 6.30 am, Sookbir told relatives that he was going to run some errands and drove off in his AD station wagon. Seconds later, gunshots rang out. Relatives who live nearby rushed out of their homes and discovered Sookbir slumped in the driver’s seat of the car with gunshot wounds. Two men were seen running off and according to a police report, they escaped in the bushes.

Cedros police as well as investigators from the Homicide Bureau Region III, visited the scene and combed the area for the killers. Up to last evening detectives were piecing together information to come up with a motive for the killing.

According to the police report, back in December 2010 gunman shot at the vehicle Sookbir was driving along the same Peserverance Road in the coconut estate, shattering the vehicle’s back glass. Police said that the vehicle veered off the road. Sookbir was able to contact the Cedros Police Station by telephone about the shooting. Commenting on the killing yesterday, councillor for the area Shankar Teelucksingh, said that Sookbir was community activist who continuously lobbied for the various projects geared at benefitting residents in the rural Perseverance area. “He would lobby for things for the betterment of Cedros, from roads to employment and even for ambulances. Errol was known to all down here. I am not sure about what transpired exactly but he was not known to be involved in any illegal activities,” Teelucksingh said.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, residents of Penn Street, Cunipia, discovered the decomposing body in a drain believed to be that of a woman. The body was wrapped in a brown carpet.

Police said that at about midday, residents saw the rug floating in the drain located opposite Home Land Gardens. Curious residents examined the rug and saw what appeared to be an arm protruding from the rug which was partly submerged in water. Resident contacted Central Division police as well as investigators from Homicide Bureau Region III. Police yesterday appealed to members of the public to assist them in identifying the victim.

I can only make a reasonable inference that the shores of our country must be a strong contender as a new horizon for our next-door neighbours.

I certainly envision and agree to reasonable measures of humanitarian immigration being extended to what may be a Venezuelan exodus.

However, it may be prudent to reflect on the infamous Mariel boat lift of 1980, when over 125,000 Cubans fled to Florida as Fidel Castro “opened the doors” from the Port of Mariel in Cuba to anyone having transport to take them across the 90-mile stretch to the US. The impact of this mass migration was unprecedented and overwhelming for the US Coast Guard, with over 35,000 immigrants from Cuba having arrived in one week in south Florida.

Then US president Jimmy Carter was caught with his proverbial pants down and had to make speedy arrangements to quell this influx of Cubans by signing a “stopgap” agreement with Castro.

I hope the relevant local authorities are giving close consideration to strategising with these circumstances in mind, especially as the distance to cover is only six miles at the nearest point. Things can happen very quickly.

Over the past 10 years or so, we have seen a much larger population of Venezuelans residing in TT . Currently, and as has been the case in the past, most of them continue to add significant value to our social and economic growth and development.

However, if we are to be good hosts and extend the necessary courtesies to our neighbours in their time of need, we must be able to cater for a flood of immigrants rather than a trickle.

To accomplish this may require more astute planning and management if we are to be part of this worthy humanitarian effort.

To effectively accomplish this, it would be necessary to work quickly towards reinforcing or expanding some of our already limited resources. This is what would be necessary if we are to be successful in providing for large numbers of men, women and children.

ARNOLD CORNEAL via email

Over the last week, several test flights were conducted, zooming in on the birds’ roosting and nesting sites as well as the several rivers channels in the swamp which are commonly used as boat transport routes.

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat, who has fully supported the initiative, said:“For several months I have been exploring the use of drones and other technology in law enforcement areas in the Ministry. Some are already in use by agencies that we work with.

More recently I have seen what drones and other technology can do for us in managing the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, the Queen’s Park Savannah, the Zoo and other public and environmentally sensitive spaces. I have also seen how the big budgets proposed by the Ministry can be significantly reduced and how better selection of Human Resources and contractors can improve what we do. This is happening and I am pleased with where we are headed.” The project is supported by the Zoologi cal Society of Trinidad and Tobago Inc and the Serpentarium in collaboration with the Wildlife Section, Forestry Division, Ministries of Planning and Development, Rural Development and Local Government, National Security, Works and Transport and Tourism, The Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA), Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), The San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation, CEPEP, URP and the Solid Waste Management Company.

This step forward is safeguarding the swamp would not only protect the scarlet ibis but provide added protection for the many other species of wildlife including mammals, reptiles and other birds inhabiting the ecosystem.

Chief Game Warden and Conservator of Forests, Courtenay Park, is happy the Ministry will use modern technological methods to protect the swamp.

The information gathered from the flying drones will be immediately transferred to officers stationed on the ground at several locations throughout the area.

Any illegal activity sighted will rapidly attended to by these officers.

The comments were made by ACP Hackshaw following a heated confrontation between some Beetham Gardens residents and officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Saturday.

Two short videos of the confrontation were uploaded to social media over the weekend.

In the footage, one man is seen telling the officers, “We do not go into the police station to harass officers, so why are officers harassing residents?” The same man is heard issuing a threat, “When we you see out of uniform, we will treat you the same way you treat us.” Following this confrontation, some Beetham Gardens residents began throwing debris onto the highway, prompting officers to maintain a static patrol in the area to prevent people from continuing to break the law.

However when the static patrol left the area later that day, some people resumed throwing debris onto the highway, which continues until yesterday, with some residents vowing to continue doing so until they get a meeting with a senior officer in the Police Service to whom they can express their grievances.

Some residents claimed they were being unfairly targeted by police officers and vowed to retaliate in the coming days.

Yesterday, ACP Hackshaw issued a stern warning to those with criminal intent, that they “would be found, flushed out and brought to justice.” He said that “threats against police officers would not be tolerated and persons who break the law by throwing debris onto the highway were going to be found and prosecuted for their actions.” Hackshaw noted that there are legal avenues through which aggrieved persons can take their concerns.

He added that they should not take matters into their own hands and flagrantly break the law.

Yesterday, officers from the Port-of-Spain Division carried out round-the-clock patrols along the Beetham Highway and kept watch over the area in an attempt to restrain anyone who had intentions of injuring motorists or damaging cars travelling along the Beetham Highway by throwing debris onto the roadway.

Motorists were advised to exercise caution when driving through the Beetham area.

Also yesterday, IATF officers increased their patrols along the Beetham Highway to assist their colleagues from the PoS Division.

IATF officers who spoke to Newsday yesterday; under condition of anonymity, said that within recent times, they have received threats from people who they believe are aligned to gangs and who have superior weapons than those issued by the police service.

The officers said these threats have become worrying because they now have to exercise extra caution when off-duty. They also told Newsday they intend to report the matter to the Police Social and Welfare Association, to seek the union’s intervention in the matter.

When the current administration. assumed office it found that,. in large part, the IDB loan had not. been used despite this country paying. a Project Execution Unit and. spending US $700,000 in commitment. fees to the lender.

What’s more alarming to engineers. attached to the Drainage Division. of the Ministry of Works and. Transport is that the previous plan. for flooding in Port-of-Spain had. several fundamental flaws. Joel. Taylor, Manager of the Drainage. Division’s Project Execution Unit. says “We reviewed the proposal. which was done by the previous. administration and right now we. are currently taking the necessary. steps to alleviate flooding in the. short, medium and long term. The. long term is a new design development. for the entire Port-of-Spain. catchment.”. According to Taylor, “the previous. design was not holistic it was. broken up into eight individual. sections, it wasn’t seen as one continuous. flow of water. So now we’re. looking at it as a whole so in critical. areas we’ll know how to transition. that water into a next catchment.

Taylor says the plan’s deficiencies. did not stop there. “They didn’t. have the underground utilities,. they didn’t consider the effects of. the Maraval and St Ann’s rivers and. how they affect the catchment.”. The plan was so ill-conceived, he. says, after futile attempts to retrofit. the previous work done they had to. scrap the plan altogether.

“The proposal we submitted will. cater for underground utility, topographical,. drain CCTV and river. surveys,” Taylor explained, this. new plan is currently before. Its Director, Paula Webber says. after the Drainage Division was. moved back under the Works Ministry. from the now defunct Ministry. of the Environment and Water. Resources they have been able to. better coordinate the effort.

“The drainage division has a. team which uses a rover and they. go and map and gather data for the. underground drainage network. in downtown Port-of-Spain via a. CCTV video outline of the whole. system.”. Webber says her division proposes. re-scoping the loan but remained. coy on just how much. money remained from the initial. sum procured from the IDB.

In the short-term the Ministry. has begun cleaning outfalls in the. capital but Webber urges patience.

Most of downtown Port-of-Spain. is reclaimed land at sea level, which. provides a unique challenge especially. when bad weather and hightide. converge on the city.

“We want to do something sustainable,. I know people are crying. out and we feel for them we. feel their pain, but you might dig. up Port-of-Spain and cause more. damage. Which is why I think this. project is really an important one,. to do a holistic design to alleviate. the problems being experienced.”. Drainage Engineer, Kerry Sheppard. points out that it’s not only. Port-of-Spain that’s in focus, there. are 120 projects on the schedule,. one collaborative project “The. sluice and floodgates are very important,”. he assures “We have vandalism. and people taking the steel. for scrap so we’re working on a. project to repair and increase embankments. to fix the problem of. flooding throughout the country.”. There are 11 pump sites from. Sea Lots to Felicity to Moruga and. Drainage has begun a collaboration. with the Mechanical Service and. Maintenance Divisions to carry. out a conditional assessment and. repair of these pumps and sluice. gates which work in tandem to. keep water courses clear.

“For the first time,” Webber says. “we are partnering with mechanical. and maintenance to ensure that. all our pump sites are functional,. some of those pumps are over 40. -50 years old.”. But Webber says the public must. pitch in. “The main challenges. are people dumping their refuse. especially fridges, stoves, that has. been our experience, car chassis,. you name it. The things you see in. underground drains, plastics, styrofoam. and concrete washed down. from construction sites.”. To this end the Drainage Division. is involved in another major. collaboration with NALIS, it is. one that seeks to educate the next. generation on the importance of. proper waste disposal as a means. of preventing flooding in their own. areas.

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Our national bird. We celebrate independence, Republic Day, holidays.

Do we know, understand, care what it all means? In the US if you are caught with one feather of their national bird, you can be jailed and fined heavily. Have we no pride at all in ourselves, our country, in what we are supposed to stand for? Years ago, the Pointea- Pierre Wildfowl Trust, together with other NGOs, spearheaded a drive to have our national bird made a protected species. We succeeded.

We appealed then, as we appeal now, for help for the Forestry/Wildlife Division for more licensed and properly armed game wardens to patrol and protect our valuable wetlands, forests and their species.

There are just 11 men, if so many now, to patrol and protect all of TT .

Are we joking? Let us stop this abomination now. Let us take more pride in ourselves. Stop the killing of our scarlet ibis. Stop the killing of our national bird.

MOLLY R GASKIN
president P-a-P Wildfowl Trust