Patricia was acknowledged on January 6 as Digicel Play’s 50,000th customer.

An overjoyed Phillip also received a Samsung Note 4 handset as well as six months free mobile service from the total communications provider.

Surprising her at her home were Digicel Play CEO Garvin Medera; head of Communications Penny Gomez and marketing manager Stephen Hamel Smith.

January 13 is the feast day of St Hilary, the patron saint for Bishop Anstey High School. One wonders how many of us know anything about Hilary – the man himself. What was it about Hilary, who wasn’t born a Christian, that made the bishop choose him as the patron saint of an Anglican school for girls? Born a pagan, Hilary believed the purpose of life was only to satisfy desires. He received a good education for the time and it was while studying the Old and New Testament writings that he felt the call of God and converted.

The Christians of Poitiers so respected Hilary that they unanimously elected him their bishop.

The Arians (the ruling class) did not believe in the divinity of Christ and the Arians had a lot of power including the support of the Emperor Constantius which resulted in many persecutions.

When Hilary refused to support their condemnation of Saint Athanasius he was exiled from Poitiers to the East. However, being exiled from his home and his duties gave him plenty of time to study and write.

Hilary fought persecution and paganism, not with weapons, but with words. A role model for young girls to study, to learn, to articulate and to overcome opposition not by violence but by words and out-thinking your opponent.

It is said that there is a tenacity about Hilary that reminds one of many a Bishop’s girl.

A little about the founder – The Most Reverend Arthur Henry Anstey (1872–13 November 1955) was Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago from 1918 until 1945. In 1921, Bishop Anstey started a Church High School for Girls – now Bishop Anstey High School.

In 1928 he opened the bishop’s hostel for women teachers, lived at the hostel and ran it himself for about 15 years.

On July 3, 1943, Bishop Anstey was unanimously elected Archbishop of the West Indies; became seriously ill in January 1945 and resigned as Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Trinidad on February 1, 1945.

Ramnarine, who has been involved in boxing for the past two decades, said she first learnt of the news on Facebook early yesterday morning.

A stunned Ramnarine explained that the news took a while to register.

“At first it did not really sink in, I could not really believe it and then that switched to excitement, and then more so a feeling of being extremely proud that I can represent my sport and my country to this level where I am inducted in a Hall of Fame that has so many other great names.”

Ramnarine added, “I caught it (heard the news) on Facebook before I was informed formally because one of the directors (of IWBHF), she posted it on the women’s boxing archive network page, at first it was so unreal because I did not have formal communication before and actually while I was sending it off to my coach and a few friends, all then the formal communication came through.”

Ramnarine thanked the people who helped her achieve so much in the sport starting with Bharrath Ramoutar “Definitely (I would like to thank) my coach and manager when I was an athlete Bharrath Ramoutar.

I would say he has been the most instrumental person, he has been there from day one, he believes in me even when I did not believe in myself, he saw my potential and always push me to become the best athlete that I could become.”

The former national boxer also thanked her family and training partners. “My family of course, their support was tremendous throughout, my gym mates. I have gone through many training partners because I have been in the sport almost two decades, all my training partners particularly prince Lee Isidore, he has been there for a long time giving me all the support that I need especially as a sparring partner.”

Ramnarine also praised the local boxing fraternity and the fans for their support.

A current gym instructor at the High performance Unit in the Academy of sport at the University of Trinidad and Tobago explained that her work outside the ring helped her gain the recognition.

“I was fortunate to attend the very first ceremony of the IWBHF Awards back in 2014. There was a really nice explanation and a really nice write up on what the Hall of Fame is about.
It is not just for our exploits in the ring, a win and loss record does not define a champion or it does not define a person. It’s how they handle themselves out of the ring, the contribution they make back to their country, back to the sport, back to the young ones coming up.”

Two years ago Ramnarine launched the “Beyond the ring” programme which taught the participants the benefits of boxing such as living a healthy lifestyle, empowerment, increasing self-efficiency and self-defence. The programme has been internationally recognised as a means of empowering women.

The morning had dawned with an air of expectancy following word overnight that the union had failed to arrive at an agreement following marathon discussions at the Ministry of Labour and at the Industrial Court on Sunday.

From as early as 8 am and under a scorching early morning sun, workers began exiting the sprawling Pointe-a- Pierre oil refinery and began congregating at the Pointe-a-Pierre roundabout, Pointea- Pierre, with several taking up positions at a tent which was erected just outside of the gates leading to the refinery.

By 11am, heavily armed police officers arrived and took up positions just inside of the main gates leading to Petrotrin’s administration building while, just across the road, more and more workers began assembling at the refinery’s canteen building in preparation for a mass walkout of the refinery.

The refinery itself loomed silent as there were no puffs of steam emanating from the lines while the gas flares were noticeably absent as the various plants seemed to be taken offline.

By 12 noon, a union officer, using a microphone, addressed workers saying the union had been offered three percent and negotiations were still continuing with the company.

Then at just after 3pm, the union officer, once again using the microphone, addressed workers and began by saying, “today is definitely a good day for us.” And without indicating the settlement amount, he said a signing of the terms of settlement with the company would shortly take place.

By 4pm workers who had spent most of the day awaiting word from the union, began trickling away from the roundabout while steam was seen emanating from the steam lines in preparation for the full start-up of the various plants while gas flares were observed from the gas stacks

This as the TTGF raised a preliminary objection to Williams’ lawsuit, in which she is seeking $11.38 million compensation for its alleged “harsh and oppressive” actions against her which shattered her dream of qualifying for the Olympic games held last August. Hearing of the lawsuit came up before Justice Frank Seepersad in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday. The matter was adjourned to April 25 when the judge will give his ruling.

According to TTGF’s defence, Clause 4 of Williams’ Athlete’s Agreement with the Federation expressly provides that all disputes arising out of or connected with the agreement were subject to resolution exclusively through the procedures set out by the TTGF by-laws and/or, if appropriate, through the procedures of the TT Olympic Committee.

The TTGF says Williams’ own attorneys activated the dispute resolution provisions after she was pulled from the Olympic Test Event.

It said it established a disciplinary committee to preside over any matter relating to the rules and regulations to its membership and any claim against the TTGF arising from the athlete’s agreement constituted a dispute under Clause 4.

They have asked that Williams’ claim be struck out.

Seepersad, at yesterday’s hearing, agreed that the preliminary objection be heard before the case goes forward, noting that “if the defendant is correct then we will have to mash breaks and go elsewhere.” This means if the court rules in favour of the TTFG, closed-door dispute resolution proceedings will be held and the outcome of any decision will be confidential.

The Federation has been given until February 10 to file its submissions in support of its preliminary objection and Williams’ attorneys will respond by March 7.

Williams’ lawsuit in which she is seeking damages for her “loss of opportunity” and damage to her personal and professional reputation allegedly caused by the actions of the Federation’s executive, contends that by failing to be given an opportunity to qualify for the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, she suffered a huge loss of opportunity of endorsements, motivational speaking engagements and repeated business opportunities as well as a full scholarship to the Michigan State University, which she forewent in her bid to represent T&T at event.

The controversial dispute between the athlete and the federation began after Williams was replaced to this country at the Olympic Test Event at Rio de Janeiro in April, last year.

Williams claimed that her coach John Geddert was informed by the federation that she was withdrawn because she was injured, a claim which she denies.

Alternate athlete Marisa Dick was selected to participate in the event instead and eventually qualified becoming the first person to represent T&T in gymnastics at the Olympics.

Williams’ legal team includes Martin Daly, SC and Keith Scotland.

The TTGF is represented by attorney Justin Junkere.

Speaking at a meeting at the Man Bone Park in support of the candidate for Roxborough/ Delaford, Gary Melville, in the THA election scheduled for January 23, London recognised the three candidates Melville, Duke and the Tobago Forwards’ Anthony Price who was dismissed as “just an irritant and I will not spend much time on him.” Urging support for Melville, he told PNMites they “have to continue having a representative that is part of the governance so that when you go to him, he will be in a position to assist you.” “Otherwise, all you are going to do is to have a representative.

All he can do is to cuss and complain. But at the end of the exercise, what is Watson Duke’s cussing and complaining doing for you to help you? “You are not going to an election to deal with Watson Duke’s ego. Watson Duke wants to be the representative. Watson Duke wants to be Chief Secretary. I have absolutely no problem with that, but why should I as a voter in Roxborough/ Delaford create a situation that is detrimental to me after January 23 so that Watson Duke can be a representative?” he asked supporters.

London then told the crowd of some 50 persons, who welcomed his statement with loud applause, “One of the things we know, is that regardless of what happens in Roxborough/ Delaford, Watson Duke will never become Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly…” Melville was named caretaker of the constituency and also the Secretary of Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities after the elected representative Hilton Sandy became ill.

Both sides will meet on February 28 to continue negotiations for the 2011 – 2014 period. Harewood said the five percent salary increase award would cost the company an additional $80 million a year, which would be made up through operational efficiencies. OWTU President General Ancel Roget said there was a written agreement signed by the company and the Corporation Sole – the Minister of Finance – that negotiation for the period 2011 – 2014 would be completed by February 28, and the first interim payment of the five percent increase would be implemented immediately with workers seeing that increase in their pay packets.

Roget said greater levels of efficiency and safety would be required at Petrotrin and the company must get rid of corruption, maladministration and poor management.

“Then and only then, once Petrotrin rids itself of all inefficiencies and elements that keep it down, would it be able to realise its fullest potential.” He said that over the past five years, from 2011 to 2015, Petrotrin would have contributed about $16 billion to the country and workers were the ones who made this possible.

“We maintain this afternoon, as we have always maintained, it is workers who would have produced and kept Petrotrin whole despite the fact that it was poorly managed and was plagued with corruption and still does to some extent. We maintain that despite the fact that it possessed then and still does at this point a level of political involvement and patronage, the only reason Petrotrin continues to survive is because of its workers who continue to labour consistently.

“Therefore we are saying the workers ought to be compensated and we are happy that this afternoon, we have registered the first part of the agreement…an interim settlement of five percent and come February, we would close these negotiations once and for all for that particular period 2011 – 2014.” Roget said the period 2014 – 2017, which was the period for which the strike was threatened, would be referred to the Industrial Court for conciliation.

He said the company itself has admitted it could save some $552 million by eliminating inefficiencies in operation, adding Petrotrin needs to increase its own crude oil production and if it could import less and produce more of its own crude oil, “you can well see where that mix would afford Petrotrin the opportunity to save more and make greater (profit) margins.” Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprises Jennifer Baptiste- Primus, herself a former trade unionist, said at a news conference held after talks ended, that the agreement was reached after more than 30 hours of negotiations. She said that since the beginning of the meeting on Sunday at 10 am, neither side left the bargaining table save and except for Sunday afternoon to attend a hearing at the Industrial Court.

She said it was “historic” in that even in her previous incarnation as a trade unionist, she was unaware of any negotiation going on for more than 30 hours. She was pleased that talks succeeded in averting a major strike that would have crippled this country’s largest income earner.

Baptiste-Primus said the ministry and its staff recognised that the entire nation held its breath over the possibility of a strike and sacrifices were made on all sides to achieve an agreement both two sides could live with. She said the nation can breathe again. Baptiste-Primus commended Petrotrin President Harewood for leading negotiations on behalf of the company, taking time to engage in detailed analysis of the company’s state and presenting said analysis to the OWTU. She also praised Roget for his sense of nationalism, recognising that in a negotiation one does not always get all that one asked for. She said that while Roget did not get the ten percent demanded, it was important that people were at a comfort level.

The Minister said it is up to the President of Petrotrin and his team to sit with the union and devise a rescue plan for the company. For his part, Harewood said the money to pay the interim wage increase would come from savings on the company’s operational expenses and the company and union would work out productivity triggers at which the agreed retroactive sums would be paid to the workers.

He said this was a unique arrangement and something good that came out of negotiations which would give the company a chance to defer payment to a later date when it is in a much better financial position to pay. He said the company is continuing to look at ways of achieving efficiencies and to take strategic decisions necessary to restructure itself and determine what a new Petrotrin would look like.

At an executive meeting last year, Williams threatened to invoke the Police Service Act of 2006 which states, Part IV, Paragraph 31 (1): “The Commissioner may terminate the appointment of an officer on the grounds of reported inefficiency and having regard to the officer’s job performances and, where applicable, his performance appraisal reports.” The threat was made as Williams criticised non-performance by some officers shortly after he returned from vacation leave.

Yesterday, the Acting Commission contacted president of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) Inspector Michael Seales and indicated he was ready top put his action plan in place to deal with none performing and inefficient First Division Officers.

Newsday understands that the first to face the axe are two first Division officers from Eastern Division and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Asked if the Acting Commissioner had mentioned the names of the officers to be sent packing, Insp Seales said that he would not breach the confidence of the Acting CoP and would not divulge information. “I had a conversation with the acting CoP and he would have indicated to me what was his plans are in the upcoming months to deal with persons in the First Division who are not performing and are inefficient.

“He said there was legislation in place so I asked for the opportunity to look at it and see how it would affect the conditions of existing officers. But I did agree, in principle, if the legislation exists and it is in his thrust to make the police service more efficient and increase performance, he has my full commitment that there will be consideration on the issues. “ Seales said he will meet with his executive to look at the implications of Williams’ plan to fire non-performers.

Newsday understands that as much as 21 officers could be directly impacted if Commissioner Williams decides to invoke the Police Orders and drop the axe so as to create vacancies to be filled by the promotion of proven high-performing policemen and women. Coupled with the firings, Commissioner Williams could also strategically transfer top performers to divisions/police stations/ units where crime detection rates are below par.

Sources said that Commissioner Williams was not at all pleased with the 462 murders committed in 2016 and the extremely low detection and prosecution of murder suspects. Efforts to reach the top cop yesterday for comment proved futile.

At age 76, the less young Rose is enjoying a career revival after first bursting onto the music scene half-century ago with explosive hits such as “Fire in the Wire” (1966) and “Give Me More Tempo” (1977).

Her exuberant and electrifying performances led her to breakthrough into an art-form traditionally dominated by men, with the then “Calypso King” title having to be renamed “Calypso Monarch”. Rose’s early hits had won Calypso Monarch and Road March titles, with a sheer pace and vivacity that may well have inspired the various incarnations of the related art-form, soca, down the years. Rose also sang the saucy but sobering ditty, “No Madam”, about the plight of TT’s low-paid domestic workers which won over then prime minister, the late Dr Eric Williams, to the extent that he intervened for a better pay day for domestics.

Today, if all we had of Rose were memories of being carried away by her infectious rhythm and her tale of seeking a better tempo in San Fernando, she would be fondly revered by us all. Yet she has given us so much more, even on top of reviving yesteryear’s hits for new audiences here and overseas. Rose has recently gone on to win fresh success in Europe.

Still going strong just shy of her 77th birthday, Rose is now enjoying a career comeback at an international level that brings reflected glory to the whole county and the Caribbean.

She has been touring Europe with her latest album, “Far from home”, that reached the top ten chart in France where it turned gold, and was heading for platinum status. The collaboration with foreign artistes, Ivan Duran, Drew Gonsales and Manu Chao, and TT’s soca star, Machel Montano, has carried Rose’s voice to new audiences.

All this in her march through her eightieth decade of life! On this album, her song, “Abatina”, presents such a lively rhythm as to be at first easily mistaken for an uptempo party song, but on a closer listening to the lyrics is a chilling warning about domestic murder, in an unnamed jurisdiction.

Ironically, her song, “Leave me alone”, is actually her party tune in which she pleads to be allowed to “free up” to fete, done with Montano, and which she is predicting will be this Carnival’s Road March.

Amidst the hurly burly of all this huge acclaim of both yesteryear and today, Rose remains remarkably humble and grounded and approachable. “Fish, crab, lobster and boiled garlic and ginger mixed together,” was her recipe for sustaining herself, jovially shared with reporters after Sunday’s concert, and illustrating her connectivity to the people. Rose has had many honours bestowed on her, both locally and internationally.

She was made an honorary citizen of Belize in 1982; received the keys to the city of St Catherine’s, Canada; was named top female calypsonian by the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC; and was honoured in Liberia; amid many, many awards and honours.

Recognition (and reward) for Rose’s life work may come via how many albums or concert tickets she sells, but surely Trinidad and Tobago also has a duty to do more.

True calypso as Rose knew it has and continues to change, but her poignant message to new and upcoming soldiers of the art resonates: “The new artistes have to write constructive calypsos that could be understood all over the world.” We hear you Rose.

Sing on.

Many of our students come from the lower-achieving cohorts of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and often require remedial work.

They experience great difficulty in assimilating abstract concepts or in consistently applying them. This is exacerbated in Mathematics which is perhaps more inherently abstract. In addition, the students have to overcome literacy, discipline, social and family issues throughout their time in school.

In teaching our students, it is necessary to link conceptual development to the real world and practical applications, but certain content areas do not readily lend themselves to such links.

The real life connection or basis is not always readily visible. A certain level of skill in thinking analytically is required even to discern the concept from real life situations or to apply it to such situations.

In this new Mathematics Syllabus, the focus seems to be shifted away from the more readily visible Computation, Number Theory, and Consumer Arithmetic/Measurement to the more abstract Vectors/Matrices/ Geometry/Trigonometry content areas.

There also seems to be a slight de-emphasis of the Algebra and Statistics areas.

This is reflected in the structure of Paper One, highlighted by the introduction of questions on Vectors and Matrices. It can also be seen in the structure of Paper Two with the proportionately greater allocation of marks in those areas and to problem solving skills.

Teachers already experience difficulty in having students complete syllabus requirements in these areas and it can be anticipated that the shift in the emphasis/focus will be disadvantageous to the students in the examination under the new format.

Some schools generally lack the online capacity, the relevant application software or other resources and materials re. the suggested facilitation of teaching and learning activities.

The proposed emphasis on the link between Mathematics and other disciplines is not as easy to explore or develop given the reasons advanced earlier.

The SBA projects in Mathematics require a level of higher order cognitive capacity. These take great time and effort to develop in many students. Time constraints will militate against students developing the application, analytical and evaluation skills to allow for meaningful projects across the width of the curriculum.

Time constraints will hamper students’ development of competence across the different content areas even as individual students’ projects are developed and managed both inside and outside class time.

Students will now have to meet SBA requirements in virtually all subject areas with the introduction of SBA in English A/B and Mathematics.

This increases the workload and stress on already challenged students as they simultaneously grapple with SBA requirements in six (6) or seven (7) different subject areas. Many students are already overwhelmed by the number of SBA’s they have to complete. It could also lead to an increase in dishonest practices re. submission of SBA.

These factors seem to negate the common assertion that SBA requirements help students succeed by enabling them to gain marks even before the final examination.

The new syllabus, and especially the introduction of the SBA requirement, is being advanced without any proper consultation with the vast majority of teachers.

There has admittedly been little or no sensitisation or training offered to teachers even as the change was effected in September 2016.

The time frame for the int roduc t ion of this change is hopelessly short, given the number of perquisites that must be put in place.