This was the word yesterday from Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young as Irma bore down on Florida.

He told Newsday the National Security Minister, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry have been working assiduously with various agencies to come up with “a plan and a strategy” to bring TT citizens stranded in other Caribbean islands home.

He said the agencies in question are the TT Defence Force (TTDF), National Helicopter Services Limited (NHSL) and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM).

Young explained a major component of these activities is gathering precise information as to the exact location of TT citizens in the islands affected by Irma.

The minister said the TTDF is putting in place potential options for evacuating TT nationals from these locations if necessary.

Young also said Government is aware of TT citizens being stranded in non-Caricom territories such as St Maarten and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) which were affected by Irma.

He said there is ongoing dialogue with TT’s regional and international partners as to how to reach these people. Sunday Newsday yesterday reported on the plight of members of the Ramtoole family who have been trapped on the island of Tortola in the BVI.

At a news conference at Tower D of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre last Friday, Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert said TT would not be providing assistance to foreign colonies/ dependencies in the region but only its Caricom neighbours.

Imbert indicated that an NHSCL helicopter which was on a “private mission” in Dominica for a regional telecommunications company was dispatched to Antigua and Barbuda, to assist in relief efforts there for one week.

He said there has been conversation with the Antigua and Barbuda government about assisting in the rebuilding of structures on Barbuda which was devastated by Irma.

Young said no decision has been taken on this as yet. In a statement issued last Friday, the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry called on nationals and or family members in the affected territories to forward their names, dates of birth, passport bio-data and contact information to the ministry as soon as possible.

The information can be emailed to consular@foreign.gov.

tt. Contact can also be made by calling 1-868-715-2154. Anyone wishing to provide assistance to the affected countries can contact the ODPM at emergency number 511 or via email at publicinfo.

odpm@gmail.com.

Recognising this, Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) is waiving change fees for customers with confirmed tickets for travel during the period September 5 to October 31, 2017.

In announcing the news; which affected travellers surely welcomed, CAL said extended its “deepest concern and empathy to those affected by the hurricanes in the region, which are impacting our operation, causing several flights to be cancelled.” Hence CAL’s decision “to minimise inconvenience” by allowing persons whose travel plans are impacted by the hurricanes to rebook without change fees, subject to the four conditions.

“Waiver of all fees for tickets rebooked in the same cabin, for travel up to October 31, 2017; It is mandatory that customers contact CAL before the scheduled date of travel; Full refund of fare paid, for travel up to October 31, 2017. The refund must be requested by September 30, 2017; and All changes must be made through CAL Call Centres or at CAL Ticket Offices,” the airline stated.

It is important to note that these waivers are only applicable to travel to or from specific airports.

Namely: the Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale international airports in Florida; the VC Bird International Airport in Antigua, the Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten; and the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas.

It is not simply that there is spiralling violence and increasing discontent. It is not even that there is a form of hubris that makes us think that God is a Trini and that hurricanes may wreak havoc and disaster on other Caribbean shores but we remain inviolate.

It is not even that some in our nation actually blame the current extraordinary spate of storms on the fact that we have people who are gay in our midst (believe it or not). What I find increasingly difficult to understand is the current aggression against elderly women.

This mounting violence and even hatred against older women suggests two things: first an unreasoning rancour against those who may be seen to have in some way laid the groundwork for the development of the nation and may therefore be blamed for our current situation. This is obviously irrational, but we all know that women and mothers are often blamed for what happens to the generations that come after them. It is one of the ways that patriarchy absolves itself.

There may also be a building resentment levelled at women who are now seen to be fast overtaking men in business, the professions and academia. We know that for whatever reason, young women in particular are excelling in areas hitherto dominated by men and boys.

This is not the fault of the women and the girls. Perhaps we need to look more closely at how our young men are taught to regard the females in their lives.

But there is perhaps more to it than this. About a year ago I interviewed a Trinidadian psychiatrist who claimed that the biggest problem that we face as a people is our inability to say thank you to the past. We prefer to hate it and ourselves. In other words the past and those who have helped to shape it have become burdens.

If one thinks about it, the women who have in recent times borne the brunt of irrational violence are those who came of age during the birth of our nation.

In a sense, these women are the mothers of our Caribbean State.

This suggests that we may perhaps not be able to accept the value of those who have shaped us.

But this really derives from our inability to accept responsibility for our own actions. We know that there are neurotics who actually begin to hate those who have shaped them and who, because they feel indebted and cannot tolerate this sense of indebtedness, turn their feelings around and into a symphony of blame against those very individuals who made them who they are. Is this at the core of our present spate of attacks on elderly women? I was particularly appalled at the murders of Dr Claire Broadbridge and Ramdevi Singh. But I also remembered the two women whose bodies were found in Siparia around Carnival time. They were pillars of society.

I have no idea if my analysis is correct. What I do know is that women who came of age in the sixties and who are now having their throats cut and their bodies stripped of clothing or who are being exposed to other indignities have become symbols in my mind of that sense of self-hatred that, I think, is at the heart of our diseased State.

There has to be a reason why those who have contributed to our society are now becoming subject to a level of humilia t i o n and anger that we have n e v e r b e f o r e experi – enced.

The idea of reinvention is a principle which has been used in the main by commercial organisations within the process of strategic planning. The term used internationally as it applies to trade unions is “revitalisation” on which a number of items of literature exist pertaining to various international labour federations.

My point of departure is while trade unions have to and have been employing new tools, this cannot and should not be at the expense of the old tried and tested tools employed by the trade union movement.

Joseph needs to realise that there are different models of trade unions and it is among those who have been employing the agency model and the Fosterite approach that the accommodation has been made to accept a business model which exposes the union to all kinds of criticism.

Trade unions that have adopted the organising model and the Butlerite approach have not adopted the posture and attitude which seems to have offended Joseph.

Joseph needs to realise that not because “people can vote” there is an excuse to vary the real mission of the trade union movement. The level of inequality, inclusive of income inequality which exists in TT , is entirely unacceptable.

There is no “state of collapse of local and foreign financial institutions.” Despite the financial crisis, financial institutions have returned to their ivory tower positions of privilege in the society.

No measure of attitudinal change can be used to justify retrenchment.

Retrenchment without adequate social security is a recipe for social disaster due to reduction of purchasing power and a tailspin into the abyss of recession.

Trade unions do not exist to merely administrate over retrenchment exercises. We have a duty to protect jobs and I dare say that if Comrade Uriah Butler was alive he would stand firmly with the leaders of the trade union movement.

As our LEAP presentation declares, we have to grow out of the crisis.

Jobless growth defies any concept of real development. The economic approach that it is inevitable that workers will be retrenched is an outdated model. We need to keep workers employed and not put a further burden on the State and taxpayers who inevitably would have to support the unemployed.

VINCENT CABRERA via email

“We are an institution and institutions are different from organisations because organisations come and go but institutions are permanent things and the Oilfields Workers Trade Union is a permanent fixture in the landscape and environment of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

“The OWTU is not just a “wuk”, it is a vocation,” Abdulah stated.

Addressing the union’s long service awards and recognition awards function at Paria Suites, La Romaine on Saturday night, Abdulah said the union measured success differently from conglomerates, religious organisations and even Non-governmental organisations.

“If we were an Ansa Mcal- one percentwhich we are not- then we would measure success very differently- we would talk about the bottom line- how much profit we made- what was the return to shareholders in terms of the dividends they would get- sales, revenue, growth,” he said.

Abdulah, who is also the Movement for Social Justice, (MSJ) political leader, said religious bodies would often measure success as how well they were able to “get the values and the tenets of the faith across to not only to the congregation but also to the wider community which that church, temple or mosque functions.” “For the union, we define success in terms of the achievement of our vision and our mission and our vision says -‘continuing the tradition of the mass movement towards achieving a society with the power to determine its destiny on the basis of equity, social justice and a decent standard of loving for all,” he said, adding, “I think we are still a long ways away and therefore we have a lot of work to do to achieve it.”

Visitors to Maracas, including tourists, are finding an environment that leaves a lot to be desired.

Those incomplete structures are still there, with stagnant water that at times gives off a foul smell accumulating in them. The car park is in need of repaving and the environs generally can do with an upliftment to add beauty to the place.

If we are serious about attracting visitors to our country, Maracas Beach just simply cannot continue looking rundown and unattractive. People actually come to Trinidad to visit this beach to relax and of course for the bake and shark.

It leaves me to wonder if we are really serious about tourism. If we are, let it be reflected at Maracas.

If the $60 million allocated is there, let us make use of it. We can also get the business sector involved. Either way we must do something about Maracas.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

Beharry was at at his business place when four men dressed in police uniform snatched him and took him away.

A TT$100,000 ransom was then demanded for his safe return.

Officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Irwin Hackshaw, Acting Senior Superintendent Ajith Persad ASP Rishi Singh and others teamed up with other agencies and steps were taken to rescue the victim. Officers spent several hours on Saturday carrying out investigations and just as police were closing in on the suspects, Beharry was released.

He was taken to a medical institution where he was treated and reunited with his family.

Yesterday footage of the actual kidnapping was posted on social media. In the video, the two kidnappers dressed as police officers were seen running toward the back of the business place, then after a pause, the two “police men”, Beharry and another man dressed in a blue polo shirt were seen passing in the opposite direction. Beharry, dressed in a white vest and a pair of three-quarter pants, was being escorted by gunpoint by one of the men purporting themselves to be police officers, while the second man in police uniform walked at the back of the group, carrying a box under his arm.

Police are searching for two suspects in connection with the incident. Beharry is expected to be interviewed by officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

The warning comes from Dr Makyba Charles-Ayinde, Science Policy Fellow at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“When we have situations like flooding associated with Hurricane Irma, the water may be contaminated with higher than normal levels of bacterial pathogens, parasites, things like that.

“Once you have those levels of contamination, we look for it to transfer to the human and animal populations. Since we love living with our animals, we see a more fluid exchange of these diseases between both populations.” Charles-Ayinde said foodborne zoonoses; such as salmonella and E coli, are another area of concern in the recovery period as people, often unknowingly, consume contaminated food and/or water.

“Fever, vomiting and diarrhoea are the first three tell tale signs of most of those foodborne zoonoses that could result from Irma. So seek medical attention if your symptoms don’t clear up within three to seven days – three days of diarrhoea is bad.” Charles-Ayinde was speaking with Newsday yesterday on the sidelines of a “The UWI Symposium on Zoonoses: Tuberculosis, Leptospirosis and Yellow Fever – a One Health Approach”, hosted by the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the University of the West Indies at the UWI Teaching and Learning Complex, St Augustine.

Asked why the One Health approach is ideal in reducing the risk of zoonoses outbreaks, Charles-Ayinde said this is because One Health combines information from medical, veterinary and environmental sciences to provide a holistic look at conditions and symptoms in humans and animals alike.

“We believe that you need all three of those domains working together to address a complex problem.

“If you consider people in silos; you just think about the person but you don’t think about the environment that they live in, you’re missing important parts. That dialogue is critical.” Charles-Ayinde said conversations should be had about things such as, “Are animals presenting with issues? Are humans presenting with different issues? Are we seeing an increase in a certain concentration of a bacteria in a body of water? “Is there flooding or are flood waters contaminated? Are we seeing dead animals?” “If you don’t share this sort of information, then the problem magnifies before you can come up with an appropriate solution and there could well be a break out of some disease or health crisis. So that cross talk; (which) we advocate under One Health, is extremely important if you want to have a successful approach and a successful outcome after Irma and after Jose,” Charles-Ayinde told Newsday.

Young told Newsday he saw a report about Maharaj’s complaint and said he found it to be “astonishing.” The minister said Government has publicly committed from the onset to provide full details about this project.

However he said the proposal for the construction of a Sandals resort in Tobago remains at the stage of conversation and no decision has been taken with regards to this project. Young said all that Maharaj is doing is unnecessarily attacking, “a process which is part of a diversification plan” for this country’s economy.

At a post Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s on August 17, Young said there will be transparency on whatever agreement is reached to build a Sandals Beach Resort in Tobago. He was optimistic that an announcement on the project would be made soon. In his letter to the Commission, Maharaj alleged that Government had awarded a management contract to Sandals last year. He claimed this was done without any tendering process and Sandals will be, “the recipient of a variety of lucrative concessions.” Maharaj based all of his information on media reports. He also linked this complaint to the previous complaint which he made to the Commission on the procurement of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 vessels for the domestic seabridge. The Commission is currently investigating this complaint.

Maharaj alleged that in both cases, Government is, “is willing to sacrifice proper procurement process.” He also claimed Government is using the current economic challenges facing TT as the camouflage to, “short-circuit the procurement process to use procurement by invitation.

Maharaj warned, “If left unexamined, this will set the stage for a dangerous precedent in the procurement practices of the State in the future. He further alleged that in early 2015, then Opposition Leader (now Prime Minister) Dr Keith Rowley spoke with Sandals owner Gordon Butch Stewart about the possibility of a Sandals resort being established in Tobago.

Rowley previously indicated that part of the Buccoo Estate in Tobago is the site for the proposed resort.

“It is our duty to help them but we can only do this by reducing the amount of losses on the farm due to the damage of crops when they are being harvested or transported,” said the Acting Chief Executive Officer of NAMDEVCO, Debysingh- Persad.

On Saturday, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat in collaboration with the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) distributed over 100 crates to 40 farmers at the NAMDEVCO Chaguanas Farmers’ Market in efforts of reducing post-harvest losses.

Post-harvest losses are losses associated with fresh commodities after they have been harvested. “At the point of harvest there are a number of issues starting –because of improper handling and storage we have hastened deterioration of produce. The way to get around that is to handle the produce properly. NAMDEVCO wants to look at controlled temperatures that will reduce the deterioration rate of produce and by placing the product in receptacles that would keep the produce safe and not cause cracking or compression during transportation to the point of sale,” explained Debysingh- Persad.

One of the mitigation methods is the use of crates. Farmers utilising crates along with proper handling practices and food safety systems would all work towards reducing post-harvest losses.

Debysingh-Persad stated that it is NAMDEVCO’s mandate to provide sustainable markets and market practices for farmers and consumers alike as there are a lot of ways produce can be injured while being transported from the farm to the point of sale.

Rambharat said that every initiative his ministry had started has been done in the best interest of farmers, with NAMDEVCO’s expansion projects already underway in Debe and Macoya.

“We understand the concerns of farmers especially when it comes to getting your products from the fields to the market. We are also concerned about the change in global weather patterns because our farmers are left exposed, so we want to move towards having a farming system that can withstand the harsh weather and lead to more sustainable farming practices,” said Rambharat at the ministry’s new head office in Chaguanas.

Present at the crate distribution ceremony was the Chairman of the Board of NAMDEVCO, Dennis Ramdeen, Senator Avinash Singh, Nirmalla Debysingh- Persad, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of NAMDEVCO and the Assistant to the Major of the Chaguanas Borough Jagdeo Balroop.

Farmers from as far as Rio Claro and Central Trinidad came out in support of the venture.