This flagship programme facilitates the transfer of knowledge from accomplished artists and cultural workers to emerging practitioners in their respective fields. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of these mentors for their contribution to the artistic and cultural community.

The mentors for this year’s programme are Janice Patricia McLeod, Orisha traditions; Lionel Jagessar, Fancy Indian mas; Rosalind Gabriel, children’s mas; Sharon Pitt, professional development in broadcasting and Simeon Sandiford, aspects of music production and the business of music.

Addressing the audience at the launch, Permanent Secretary Angela Edwards reiterated the commitment of the ministry in investing in the local cultural resources such as the tangible and intangible heritage in the communities and the culture and creative industries, said a media release.

She said the programme was critical to the ministry’s mission to build resilient, culturally- rich communities and sustainable creative industries.

The future of TT is in excellent hands because the programme focuses on the culture, history and the legacy of what makes us unique as Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Edwards said.

Director of the Culture Division Ingrid Ryan-Ruben said the focus of this year’s programme was all-encompassing.

Emphasis will be placed on Carnival arts because there were a lot of masters but few mentees. In addressing the mentees she told them that they had the opportunity to carry their art to a new level.

She also implored them to learn from these mentors but also use their creativity and inject new life into the art forms because these are pivotal to the county’s heritage.

During the event, culture support specialist Elize Rostant paid tribute to two former mentors and national cultural icons, the late Narcenio “Senor” Gomez and Stephen Derek.

The tribute to Derek, master craftsman extraordinaire was done through a Power Point presentation in which tributes were done by Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; other ministry officials and mentors of the 2016 programme.

Williams-Beckles will host a two-day “boot camp” for beauty professionals, even medical professionals, on hair loss, possible treatments and products with which to work. The event takes place on June 25 and 26 at Courtyard by Marriott, Invaders Bay, Audrey Jeffers Highway, Port of Spain.

The camp, which would be done live as well as virtually, would teach its participants to identify the over 100 types of hair loss and how to treat with them.

She said in an interview with Newsday that at 30 she began suffering with hair loss. “My hair was always thin,” she said. But when she looked in the mirror, one morning, at 32, she found that her hair looked particularly thin. Williams-Beckles visited a variety of physicians trying to get an answer for her hair loss but none was able to provide an answer. Prior to that Williams- Beckles worked in the beauty industry abroad, often having to cover her hair loss with wigs and weaves. It took her eight years to find out what was the cause of the hair loss. “It was so simple. All I needed was a blood test,” she said on determining the cause of the hair loss.

She said the top six causes of hair loss were diet, stress, hereditary, environmental toxins, medications and medical reasons, with most beauty professionals being unable to distinguish the differences. Some people would have been told, by someone or another professional, that stress is the reason for hair loss, without reference to health.

And this, Williams-Beckles said is why she decided to host the “boot camp”.

“They should be able to identify the early signs of hair loss,” she said. Williams-Beckles described it as being sad to see, “so many people coming in with extreme hair loss.” She added that many people often only saw their hair as an accessory and believed if something was wrong, “they could live without it.” Many people, like she once did, suffer with hair loss privately, she said.

But often, she said, people did not recognise that the hair loss was the manifestation of something deeper, happening within because there was an intricate relationship between, “your body and your hair.” Besides skin, she pointed out, hair was the second, most likely place, to demonstrate that something was wrong, through hair loss.

“This is why we need beauty professionals to understand this.” Williams-Beckles began her trichology studies, at 41, at the International Institute of Trichology in Alabama. Then she went on to the Elan Centre for Trichology, with which her studies are ongoing.

She hopes to take her information to other islands and is currently speaking with beauty professionals in Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Antigua and St Lucia.

Besides the boot camp, she also hosts webinars and a subscription website called drgeeshairandscalpfacts.

com, where one can get the latest information on hair and scalp maladies.

Also, Williams-Beckles recently published a book –Why Am I Losing My Hair– which addresses a range of health issues contributing to hair loss such as diabetes and alopecia. The book became a best-seller on Amazon in the health, fitness and dieting category. It helps “people concerned with hair loss either from personal experience or as a hair professional learn a great deal about prevention, restoration and healthy support of the hair growth cycle regardless if diabetes is a direct or influencing factor in the reason for hair growth cycle disruption”.

Over the two-day period of the “boot-camp”, participants would have access to the website, see the different diagnostic techniques using hair loss models as well as have access to speak with other hair loss professionals. For those who might be unable to attend in person, one could attend virtually, after which one would have access to the content on the website for one month. The live sessions cost US$997 and the online sessions are US$797.

For more info: bit.ly/drgees or 627-4659.

I am a widower-priest, meaning that I was married, and I became a priest after my wife died. I am the father of three children, and a grandfather of five (one being a step-grand). My children were born in holy matrimony before I became a priest. I have also had the benefit and blessing of being a monk for seven years. It was my desire to do missionary work in Africa, but this did not become a reality. I subsequently got married and remained so for 25 years. Three children were born during these years. As I reflect and remember, I had to get up at nights to change diapers (and later on pampers).

One child cried almost incessantly, while another showed more mercy to my shattered eardrums. My three children were a source of joy as I was determined to cherish, love and support them. I received training in child care from my wife who was a nurse.

Because of my experience, I exhort all fathers to be patient with small children.

As circumstances would have it, during my children’s early school years, I taught at a junior secondary school on the morning shift. My wife, who worked at San Fernando General Hospital, took the children to school in San Fernando.

I was at home before they arrived from San Fernando and they would find their meals ready and waiting. Teacher in the morning, cook in the afternoon.

Fathers, do not be afraid to try your hands; there are some wonderful cookbooks around. The experience of shared meals really helps to bring families closer. My former priestly training ensured that no-one left home without a blessing. Shared prayers at night were marked by parents blessing children and children blessing parents. I urge all parents to imitate this simple gesture of faith and bonding.

Holidays and education are immensely important.

Holidays were spent discovering new places in Trinidad and Tobago and sometimes visiting family abroad. Education was challenging but the spirit of encouragement overcame some awkward moments.

Fathers must be strong in times of crisis. My greatest challenge came when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. This was a time of awe and panic. Luckily, I had learnt to cope with the situation by learning from the now deacon Simon Rostant, whose wife had suffered with cancer for about three years. I never imagined that I would have been in a similar situation. My wife’s death brought on a crisis of faith in my young children. I was now a single parent who had to comfort, reassure and support them.

My theological training helped little by little to help restore their faith in God. When they had grown up, I decided to continue priestly training at the seminary.

I am now a father in two senses: I am still a father to my family but also a spiritual father to those who come under my care. My own experience tells me how important it is for fathers to be inspirational guides to their children. A Happy Father’s Day to all fathers

How complicated can that be? Make a bit of food, get a few drinks in. Yes, but Carey doesn’t eat just anything.

He’s a flag-bearer for the Mc- Donalds generation, brought up on fast food – and he looks like it. His Mum is pretty and attractive in a compact, rounded way.

You can see she’s going to balloon one day, and is probably doing well to have avoided it so far, in her early 30s.

Carey, on the other hand, is already built like a wobbly tank, the kind of figure who barrels around the playground, laughing in his carefree, innocent bubble and steam-rolling everyone in his path.

So, no salted fish with sweet peppers for him, thank you. No paella either, because he doesn’t eat seafood. Well, when have you ever seen that on a fast food poster? He will eat chicken, though, because that comes in cardboard tubs, so he can relate to it. We stick a big leg and thigh in the oven and my wife makes a chocolate cake and chocolate sauce.

She’s highly experienced with kids, and although I have brought up two boys, I didn’t put up with as much as many parents apparently do. Or maybe I was just lucky.

There is a salad of lettuce, avocado and onion to go with the fish, although we realise it is unheard of on Planet Takeaway and the boy won’t seriously think we expect him to touch it.

Sure enough, the closest he gets to that sort of thing is tomatoes – in their sauce form.

He’s of the school that considers ketchup an essential on the table along with the salt and pepper.

Nothing gets my goat quite like someone putting Heinz’s red gloop on a dish that someone (particularly me) has already put plenty of flavour into, but what do I know? I’m a dinosaur.

We also provide those old-fashioned artefacts, a knife and fork, but Carey knows better and picks his chicken up with his hands. That’s how they do it in KFC, so it must be right.

Although it has been roasted rather than fried, the chicken fat is oozing down his chin as he tears at it like a starving caveman, but this is easily remedied.

With a slick motion he lifts the neck of his T-shirt and wipes his chops inside it.

Walter appears not to notice and certainly exerts no influence on the proceedings, despite being the closest thing the boy has to a father.

If this child were mine he would be in big trouble, but you can’t scold other people’s kids. Actually I had done so not two weeks earlier – and in the hallowed halls of McD’s at that.

Sitting in the children’s section because the place was full, we were subjected to a screaming child somewhere out of sight at the top of a corkscrew slide.

And not just screaming on and off, but one long, sustained, unwarranted, deliberate racket that drew no response from whoever was supposed to be in charge of her. I leaned towards the bottom of the chute and bellowed “Shaddaaaap!” and she did.

I might get sued for traumatising the poor little soul if they ever catch up with me, but don’t parents teach them about screaming for no reason these days? Meanwhile back at dinner with Walter and Carey, we’re onto the pudding. The boy’s big, cartoon eyes light up at the sugary brown sight and he attacks it with gusto, showing surprising skill with a spoon, but that doesn’t mean all in the area remains pristine.

His (unchallenged) addiction to his phone means he is soon licking it to retrieve splashes of sweet brown stuff, and once this is done he is finished and leaves the table without a word, retiring to a hammock, where he proceeds to look at and listen to things on Facebook.

Now there’s a point of 21st century etiquette that needs addressing. You can read what you like and watch what you like, because it doesn’t affect the rest of the people in the vicinity, but imposing your sound on them is another matter.

I’m enjoying the fruits of my iTunes and I’d like to think the other adults are too, and the last thing we want is whatever intellectually insulting row the boy is allowing to blast from his device.

As a parent you have to keep questioning yourself, because there is no training for it, and I suppose we all think we’re doing a decent job, but other people’s kids s o m e – t i m e s take us to a parallel universe w h e r e all is not what we assumed it was.

In rainy conditions, which saw portions of the afternoon session being postponed. the team of Anthony Diaz, Shakeen Mc Kay, Malika Coutain and Shaniqua Bascombe won gold in 46.23 seconds in a new championship record. Bahamas finished second in 47.17 and British Virgin Islands came third in 47.76.

Bahamas triumphed in the mixed 4x100m relay 11-12 age group in a time of 51.46 seconds, followed by St Vincent/Grenadines (52.54) and St Lucia (52.67). The Trinidad and Tobago quartet of Kevah Scott, Dorian Charles, Janae De Gannes and Lebron James placed fifth in 53.30. Action will conclude today with the conclusion of the boys and girls pentathlon, as well as the boys and girls heptathlon.

They are free to continue believing as such.

If you could choose one day of the year to let him choose your makeup look, Father’s Day would be it. Whether he likes smoky eyes, cherry red lipstick or natural makeup, once you’re a makeup lover, I’m sure you won’t mind. Whether you’ll be going for dinner, on a movie date or you’ll simply be spending the day with your husband, father or family, I have some suggestions as to what you can do with your makeup. I asked several fathers, and found that they liked three specific looks. Today we will be learning to do these looks. The consensus was that generally, men are not fans of false lashes.

Natural Makeup This is what most fathers say when it comes to their daughters. If dad likes natural makeup or no makeup, stick to a glowing, bronze look. Use a foundation or tinted moisturiser to even out your skin tone. Conceal any blemishes with a concealer that matches your skin tone. Apply the same concealer under your eyes. You don’t want to use a lighter concealer under the eyes because it will look too highlighted and unnatural. Only apply powder to areas of your face that get oily.

Apply bronzer to add some structure and warmth to your face. A soft champagne highlight will add some radiance to your complexion. Keep the eye makeup minimal; blend a little bronzer into the crease of the eye and apply the champagne highlight onto the eyelid. You can apply eyeliner however you like. A cat eye will look nice with the minimal theme of your makeup, if you think dad won’t mind. Fill in your eyebrows if necessary using a pencil. Create short, feathery strokes in the direction your hair grows, as opposed to hard lines as those will look unnatural. Apply mascara and a tinted lip balm for a soft, natural look.

Smokey Eyes If dad likes smoky eyes, you can be a bit more adventurous with your makeup. Apply your foundation and concealer however you desire. You can brighten under the eyes with a concealer one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. Apply a heavy amount of powder under the eyes using a damp beauty sponge. Since we’ll be using darker eyeshadows, this excess powder will catch any fallout.

Apply an eyeshadow primer to your eyes, from lashes to brow bone. Rim your eyes with a black kohl eyeliner on the top lid and lower waterline; smudge your eyeliner with a cotton bud to create a smoky effect. Apply a mid-toned brown to the crease of the eye and fade it out towards the brow bone. Apply a chocolate brown shade to the entire eyelid and blend it into the crease. Blend a black eyeshadow to the outer third of the eyelid, fading it up into the crease slightly. You can dust away the powder you applied under your eyes now. Apply mascara, natural blush, and contour and highlight if you desire. Finish your look with a soft, muted lip colour like rosy pink, nude or soft peach.

Red Lips If dad likes red lips, try a vintage or bombshell type of look. Either minimal on the eyes with winged eyeliner, or bronze and smoky on the eyes, paired with your red lip. Apply your foundation and concealer however you desire. Brighten up the under eyes with a concealer that is one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. Set the face with loose powder on a powder brush. Apply an eyeshadow primer to your eyes.

If you’re doing the vintage look, apply a matte cream colour to your eyelid and a soft brown shade to the crease. Apply a dramatic winged liner and mascara. If you want to do a bombshell look, apply a golden bronze shade to the eyelid. Blend a medium brown into the crease to add some definition. Apply a black pencil eyeliner to the upper lash line. Use a cotton bud to smudge and soften the line. Smoke the bronze shade on the lower lash line as well. You can add blush, bronzer and highlight as you desire. Curl your eyelashes and apply mascara to complete your look.

It is a fact they will tell you, those apologists for the UNC, that Gene Miles fought against corruption in the PNM. It is a fact that ministers were accused of corruption from Japanese gardens to apartments in Toronto and Swiss bank accounts.

These “facts” are however little more that a justification for those that came after, indulging and engrossing themselves in the same behaviour. The preposterous nature of the defence and justification masquerading as outraged indignation is classic — attack them twice as hard when they lash out at you.

The best that can be said, is that these honourable gentlemen may have very well gotten away with it and perhaps are serving their sentences in hell. The living however need to be dealt with expeditiously before they pass from this world and it is for this reason that they need to be pursued.

I wish the Attorney General well in his endeavour to bring the wrongdoers to light.

To all those UNC apologists, you need to get the politics right and two wrongs don’t make a right.

SATU-ANN I RAMCHARAN Maraval

“People need to understand. that order. will be in Arima,” she. stated after meeting. with vendors, some of. whom had been occupying. spots illegally. on pavements alongside. the facility to sell. their produce.

A tough-talking. Morris-Julien told. Sunday Newsday that. vendors who persist in. disregarding the authority. of the council. will not get their way. in the market.

“They will not shout. me down into getting. their own way.

“I am just trying to. do the correct thing,”. she said.

She said for the. most part, the council. has clamped down on. illegal vending at the. facility,. Morris-Julien said. she received a rude. awakening, yesterday,. whilst hosting a Father’s. Day event at the. market.

“The council and. the mayor had a ‘soupque’. where we gave out. cow heel soup, corn. soup and fish broth to. show appreciation to. the fathers of Arima.

“But while we were. there, a few vendors. had a meeting. with members of the. Movement For Social. Justice (MSJ).

“They said it was a. protest but it was not. a protest.”. MSJ political leader. David Abdulah and. about a dozen other. members were present. at the meeting, she. said.

However, the mayor. said she did not. meet with the MSJ as. they were not the duly. elected representatives. for the constituency.

She claimed the. meeting was called by. vendors who were not. adhering to the rules. governing usage of the. facility. Morris-Julien. said she also learnt. that the law-abiding. vendors were being. threatened by their errant. counterparts.

“The people at the. back of the market, not. all of the people, they. have been calling the. MSJ consistently with. regards to the market. issue which does not. make any sense to me. because the MSJ is not. the elected officials.”. She said members. of the Market Vendors. Association also had. asked Fire Service officials. from the area. to attend the meeting. with the MSJ officials.

“They (Fire Service. officials) said we. (council) had enough. entrances and exits at. the market and that. we should open the. central gate, which. we did about a week. before they came,”. Morris-Julien said.

“But what happened. is that we have a few. vendors who are not. paying dues and depend. on placing their. goods along the pavement.”. Morris-Julien also. alleged that illegal. substances also were. being sold in the market.

“So, we are cracking. down on all illegal activities. in the market.

Over the past month,. there has not been any. illegal vending on the. pavement,” she said.

Acknowl edgi ng. the conditions in the. market were not ideal,. Morris-Julien assured. she was doing her. best.

“We deserve a new. market. We have had. the oldest market in. local government, yet. somehow we are not. on the priority listing,”. she said. “We had. asked for a few stalls. with their own awning. which we received because. that went out to. tender.

“I am happy about. that but the reality is. that it is not enough.

So, I really want a. brand new market.

But, in the meantime,. I have to work. with what I have.”. The mayor said vendors. must pay attention. to the rules of. the market, regarding. dress code, unruly. behaviour, storage of. produce and the paying. of dues.

Calls to Abdulah’s. cell phone for comment. went unanswered. yesterday.

Hair is made mostly of keratin, a tough fibrous protein. This is the same material that makes up fingernails, animal hooves and animal horns. Hair cells are formed at the base and of the follicle in a structure called the hair bulb. The hair bulb, nourished by blood vessels around it, makes the hair cells. As the new cells move up the channel of the follicle, they mature by going through a process called keratinization. During the process, each hair cell is filled with the protein and eventually loses TS nucleus. The hair that emerges from the scalp is fully mature, and no longer alive.

In addition to protein, the body requires many nutrients to facilitate hair production and to

maintain scalp and follicle health.

Protein.

The major component of hair is protein, and so, it is important that your diet includes sufficient protein to support hair growth. Good sources of protein include fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Vegans and vegetarians can get protein from beans, nuts and foods like tofu.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to the strength and lustre of the hair. The Omega-3s help to keep the cuticles smooth so that tangles and breakage is reduced, and the smooth cuticles give the hair a smooth, lustrous appearance. A diet consisting of sufficient Omega-3s also prevents dry, flaking and itchy scalp. Good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids include linseed, chia seeds, egg yolks, and oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna).

Biotin.

Biotin or Vitamin B7 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body convert food into energy. It helps to promote hair growth and increases elasticity thereby reducing hair breakage. Biotin can be found in liver, eggs, fish, legumes, berries, avocadoes, cauliflower and mushrooms.

Vitamin D.

There are Vitamin D receptors in the hair follicle that helps to regulate the growing and resting cycles of hair. This vitamin serves as a signal to the follicle to start the growing cycle. Hair loss is a sign of Vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin is made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. There are also many foods that are fortified with Vitamin D, for example: milk, cereals, orange juice and cheeses.

Iron.

Like Vitamin D, an iron deficiency is characterised by hair loss. Iron plays an important role in the structure and function of red blood cells. Nutrition is delivered by blood vessels to the bulb in the follicle to make new hair cells. Low levels of iron negatively affect the follicle resulting in abnormal and excessive hair loss. Some iron rich foods are: red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, beans, dark green leafy vegetables (like spinach), dried fruit and fortified foods.

Water.

It should come as no surprise that water is absolutely necessary for healthy hair. If the body is dehydrated, the process of making, maturing and naturally moisturising your hair will be greatly compromised.

Other important nutrients for healthy hair growth include Vitamins A and C, potassium and zinc.

As is the case with all forms of wellness, the things we put into our bodies can greatly assist or hinder our progress.

The Art & Design Exhibition celebrated its ninth year of showcasing the joint expression of art and fashion, which is the foundation of sketching and design.

In spite of the rainy weather, a steady stream of students, fellow designers, art, fashion and design enthusiasts along with family members and supporters from the general public visited the exhibition location at the Hotel Lobby of National Academy of the Performing Arts (Chancery Lane entrance) Port-of-Spain to view a selection of fabric pattern designs, surface treatments, upcycled and recycled jewelry design, shoe design, art sketches, paintings, collages as well as one-of-a-kind clothing designs all curated from the work of the students from across the CAFD programme’s 1st to 3rd year groups.

The Designer Spaces event took place on Wednesday at the UTT John S. Donaldson Creativity Campus on Wrightson road, where 17 students were challenged to share their fresh perspectives on the design of a retail space for their final thesis collections. The event offered the many attendees visiting throughout the day an opportunity to browse ad window shop the debut collections of each fashion student in ‘live’ mock-up of a creatively styled retail space of each student’s choosing.

From the floating paper butterflies of Rueben Gonzales’ Ixoras in Dance collection, to the detailed Origami-inspired precision of Keri Bazzey and the Citrus Juice, Mod-influenced collection by Nedra Waldron, the Designer Spaces exhibition gave each of the 4th year fashion students a chance to share intimate anecdotes surrounding the design choice for their thesis collections.

UTT Fashion Week 2017 ends with ‘Eclectic – A Caribbean Fashion’ – the finale runway event, which takes place this evening from 7 pm, Under the Trees and Under the Stars @ John D on Wrightson Road, where all 17 final year students will debut their thesis collections to the world.