All boys under the age of 15 as at the 31st of August 2016 are asked to attend the session.

Further sessions will be held which will be announced on Friday.

These sessions are in preparation for the upcoming Zonal Under-15 tournament scheduled to begin at the end of January.

For further information contact Winston Sobers, Zonal Chairman, at 355-0304.

TT will face Suriname tonight at 7 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium, before playing Haiti in another Gold Cup qualifier on Sunday at 5 pm at the sam venue. Suriname and Haiti play on Friday.

Speaking to TT FA Media yesterday, Saintfeit said he just wants to get the win today.

“(An) ideal (result) is a win, if it is a 1-0 win, a 2-0 win or 3-1, it does not matter. I am not a coach who focuses too much on how many goals we score. We need to learn to be professional and this professional level we play is winning every match and if we win every match 1-0 we qualify for the tournaments and we achieve a lot.” The head coach added, “we have to learn to play to the basics, not concede goals and score at least one more goal than the opponent so I do not want to say what is the ideal result. If we can win against Suriname I would be a satisfied coach and it is one step taken and we still have two to go. We have to win against Haiti and also in the last playoff match later this year.” Many of the national players have been in and out of the squad but Saintfeit said he is happy the squad of players. “I think we have a fantastic group. The players are one team, are proud to be here and honoured to be here and they work very hard. It is a time to smile and laugh and there is a time to work. I think everybody is highly motivated to defend the country tomorrow (today) and to go for a good result.” Saintfeit is calling on the TT public to attend the match and show their support. “We hope naturally that the stadium will be filled of people who support the national team because we need all the support around us to get that right result because it is not one person or 11 people who would make the result. All together 1.3 million people have to support the national team tomorrow (today).” TT captain Carlos Edwards believes the team is now beginning to gel under their new coach and incorporating his tactics.

“Obviously we’re now starting to get into our strikde. Coming back from the 3-1 victory over Nicaragua.

The guys are now starting to feel what the coach is trying to build. They’re not taking anything likely over Suriname. We’re going there with everything to play for.

The boys and them are ready for the task and we just hope things go well,” he said. He added that the distractions of players being dropped for reaching late to camp is behind them and they are all focussed on their goal of securing victory today.

Saintfeit sent home Cyrus and Jomal Williams from training camp at the Cara Suites Hotel in Claxton Bay on Sunday, after the pair arrived 90 minutes late on New Year’s Day. In an interview with the media at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in which he revealed his squad for the Gold Cup qualifiers later that day, Saintfeit stated, “We selected 20 players, I have to say that three of the 20 players didn’t show up. Two players (Williams and Cyrus) came one and a half hours too late in camp and had still a decent smell of alcohol around them. That was Daneil Cyrus and Jomal Williams. Both were immediately sent home, back to party.” In an attempt to clear up the situation after Cyrus vehemently denied drinking alcohol, Saintfeit said he did not say Cyrus smelt of alcohol. In an interview with online sports website Wired868.com Saintfeit explained, “I never said Daneil smelt of alcohol. I said I smelt alcohol. I stood next to them and said I smelt alcohol. For me, the real issue was the late coming.” The players allegedly reached late because of a flat tyre but Saintfeit said if Cyrus had called before their noon check-in, he may have allowed him to enter camp.

Cyrus said he could not remember exactly when he called his teammate to tell him he had a flat tyre and was running late but he believed it was before noon.

Saintfeit told Wired868, Cyrus called around 12.30 pm and did not use the proper protocol as Cyrus called one of his teammates who passed the phone to the team manager. “Daneil called at 12.31(pm),” said Saintfiet, “and, even then, he did not call one of us.

He called a player who came to the manager and said I have Cyrus on the phone. And he said he would be 15 minutes (late) and he came an hour later.” Saintfeit cited striker Cornell Glen’s situation to explain his stance. “(Glen) calls at 11 (am) and said he had no babysitter. (Team manager) Azaad (Khan) called me and said: ‘What do we do?’ And I said let him come, bring the baby girl with (him) and let them come and pick (her) up afterwards. I am there to solve problems and Cornell Glen was the first one in camp (on New Year’s Day). The baby girl was there for a few hours, (then) they picked her up. No problem.

Because we trained only in the evening.

“If you have a problem, call. But you have to call before 12 o’clock.

Otherwise who proves you did not leave home before 12 o’clock?”

This from Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget as he yesterday defended the union’s decision to tender notice to state-owned oil company Petrotrin of a strike by its workers over stalled salary negotiations.

Roget yesterday sought to defend the OWTU against criticism from the business sector, government and large sections of society for threatening a strike that could cripple the country’s largest income earner amid an economic downturn.

Roget insists that Petrotrin can pay its workers an enhanced salary.

The intended three-month strike is expected to begin next Monday __ the start of the new school term. But even as Roget called for Government to treat oil workers with some “blasted respect”, he later led OWTU officials in a meeting with Petrotrin officials at the Ministry of Labour office in San Fernando in a last minute effort at coming to some kind of agreement to prevent the strike action.

Up to press time, the five-hour meeting was still in progress and OWTU members who earlier in the day had gathered in a fiery and upbeat mood and included a rhythm section, sat morosely outside the Labour Ministry office as the Sun began to set.

Earlier, at a press conference, Roget displayed a copy of the strike notice addressed to Petrotrin President Fitzroy Harewood.

He said the letter that if the last ditch meeting did not bear fruit, he would serve the letter at Petrotrin’s administration offices in Pointe-a-Pierre today at 7 am.

He appealed to the court of public opinion as he sought to justify the strike saying mismanagement and inefficiency at Petrotrin is costing the company over $552 million per annum.

“This is based on Petrotrin’s own information and record. These inefficiencies include equipment reliability, operational inefficiency, overtime, flaring and quality giveaways,” Roget said adding, “this is more than what workers are demanding for the entire three-year period. The workers are also not asking for what other workers got, but rather ten percent which is below the 14 percent threshold for the same collective period.” “Petrotrin, believe it or not, has the ability to pay this wage increase,” he insisted, citing several “poor” decisions including a failed World Gas To Liquids (WGTL) project, which cost the company over $1 billion and payment for a production facility at South West Soldado, which never materialized.

He also cited a long delay of the Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel which was supposed to be delivered in 2015, but was first delayed to 2017 and now 2020.

“This strike will put a microscope to show the extremely bad performance by management.

The country has only heard doom and gloom from the (Petrotrin) President. He has not stated to the country, to the government or to the workers how he intends to turn around Petrotrin,” Roget said.

“Another important point has to do with Petrotrin’s bottom line which is the purchase of gas.

Petrotrin purchases 61 million standard cubic feet of gas from NGC. However, instead of using its own gas produced in the fields and maximizing the gas purchased from NGC, the Company has engaged in burning off the gas both at the Refinery and in the producing fields,” Roget continued, adding, “proper utilization of the gas would mean that Petrotrin can purchase less gas from the NGC Grid, having the effect that NGC will have more gas to sell to industries in Pt Lisas which badly need the gas.” “A 50 percent reduction in this process of burning off the gas can save $3 million per month or $36 million per year,” he said. Roget also slammed the company’s lack of storage capacity saying this had been reduced by less than 65 percent within the last three years.

“To date eight tanks have been taken out of service for repairs, however none have returned to service and the significance of this point is that when there are ships in harbour that cannot off load crude because those tanks are limited, Petrotrin has to pay millions of dollars in demurrage, when the product is not off loaded on time.” He noted there was a critical need to increase indigenous crude oil as Petrotrin purchases about 155,000 barrels per day of a mixture of local and foreign crude to refine; with local crude accounting for 45,000 barrels. “Therefore, if Petrotrin produced more local crude then you would import less and the profit margin will be much more.

This has nothing to do with workers’ wages. The union has developed a quick win plan to increase local production to make the company profitable,” he said.

He said overtime had cost the company approximately $8.7 million in September and that figure had reached $10.4 million in October.

“Though not yet in, figures for November and December are expected to be astronomical, far exceeding September and October figures. This exorbitant overtime cost is the result of manpower shortages and bad planning.

In critical areas of the company they have not filled vacancies, so we have operators who are working for very long hours __ double shift continuously for over four years, in difficult conditions and there is no succession planning and non-filling of vacancies. With proper management and with the right decisions the company can save millions of dollars per year by cutting overtime cost,” Roget said.

Denial of a fair adjustment and wages will not save Petrotrin, Roget said. Giving workers zero, zero, zero for 2011-2014 and zero, zero, zero for 2014-2017, or zeroes until eternity __ he added __ will not save Petrotrin. “What will save Petrotrin is a radical change at the top that can significantly cut down on the inefficiencies and increase local crude production.”

Yankarran, 51, died of a heart attack at the Couva District Hospital at about 7.30 am yesterday.

News of his death sent chutney song lovers, locally and as far as the United States and Canada, into grief.

His wife, Vidia, told Newsday yesterday that Yankarran woke up early and was preparing to go for dialysis treatment. “He was in a good mood speaking and smiling,” Vidia said. “Then, soon after he complained of chest pains, he was rushed to the Couva Hospital where he died.” Scores of chutney singers expressed their condolences and several of his fans took to Facebook to remember the man who they hailed as the King of Chutney.

Yankarran, who was born on February 9, 1965 at Brickfield Village, Waterloo, Carapichaima, was a member of this country’s most prominent East Indian family of singers and musicians dating back to his father the late Isaac Yankarran who passed away in 1969 at the age of 37 from heart disease.

Yankarran (Anand) was the sixth of seven children. His brother, Rakesh, is also well-known in the industry.

Yankarran, who was awarded a Chaconia Medal – Silver in 1991, has been singing East Indian compositions since he was ten years old, the family said yesterday, and skyrocketed to musical fame when he released the sensational number, Nanda Baba in 1998. It was a traditional chutney piece which earned Yankarran a top spot on local radio frequencies.

He then began to travel abroad to perform and delivered consecutive chutney hits. One such song, Jo Jo-Tarsey Meira Jeera, released in 2007, earned Yankarran five awards in the 103 FM’s Hall of Fame and Music Awards. He won the awards for Best Lyricist, Best Male Chutney Artiste, Courts Trini Hit, Song of the Year and TSTT’S People’s Choice. He created history by becoming the first ever Chutney Road March Champion of this country. His prize was a new Mitsubishi Lancer — the same prize awarded to that Soca Road March champ Machel Montano for his song Jumbie.

In 2000, Yankarran took up residence in New York where he joined performers from India across several States, composing hits such as, Malineya, Humsa Bolaway, Laylo Laylo, Nanda Baba, Gunguroo Bajay, Indra Puri Say, Soch Samajh Abhiman, Ranga Dall, Bola Baba, Kya Kar Mai, Janay Maha and Zindabad Trinbago, which was recorded on his first album Victory went on to become one of the more popular jingles in TT.

He studied music theory with musicians Bansraj Ramkissoon, Mungal Patasar, Pradip Shankar, Sunil Verma and Kavita Verma.

Rakesh, his brother, taught him how to play the harmonium but he was also versatile with the dholak, tabla and sitar. In May of 2008, Yankarran suffered a stroke on the right side of his body which caused him to be warded at hospital but, upon release, he shot back into the chutney limelight with a new CD titled, Anand Strikes Back.

Yankarran leaves to mourn his wife, and daughter, Deepa, 31, of Calcutta Road, Freeport.

Expressing condolences to the Yankarran family yesterday, Opposition MP for Couva North Ramona Ramdial, described him as the East Indian classical and chutney musical icon. President of the National Chutney Foundation Dr Vijay Ramlal and Chutney Soca Monarch promoter, George Singh, said Yankarran was a true musical pioneer and his passing is a great loss to the local East Indian music industry Chairman of the Divali Nagar, Surujdeo Mangaroo, said, “Anand was one of the sons of classical singing legend Isaac Yankarran, who contributed immensely to the cultural landscape of Trinidad and by extension, the Caribbean.

His passing will be a great loss to culture in this country.” President of the National Council for Indian Culture Dr Deokinanan Sharma, extended deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

Opposition MP for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal, said Yankarran’s death has robbed Trinidad and Tobago and the international musical community of one of its most accomplished, versatile and respected entertainers.

“For a generation, the gifted Yankarran was an acclaimed chutney, crossover, bhajan and classical singer, performing his own compositions in his inimitable dynamic style in musical capitals around the world.” Reigning Chutney Soca Monarch KI Persad described Yankarran as a legend.

“So much could be said about him, his passion, his love for people and culture, his dedication to the artform, having hits after hits in the chutney arena,” Persad said on his Facebook page. “I had the privilege of being on stage with him as a kid with our band JMC 3veni. Mr. Yankarran was the one who introduced us and my dad Veerendra Persad to the late Mohan Jaikaran when my dad produced one of his albums “Soca Beta” in 1992 that took the band under the JMC label out of New York City. We also played on many international shows backing him up. On behalf of our family, our band KI and the Band, we send our condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.”

From noon, the players are expected to head to Pan Trinbago’s office at Park Street, opposite Victoria Square in Port-of-Spain to express their dissatisfaction with the organisation and its handling of money and other administrative issues.

Pannist Dane Gulston called a meeting, via Facebook, to discuss the way forward for Panorama following an extra ordinary meeting held on December 28. At that meeting the panmen called for a boycott of the annual Panorama competition saying, “No money, no Panorama.” At yesterday’s meeting held at Trinidad All Stars’ Steel Orchestra pan yard in Port-of-Spain, Gulston said, “I called the meeting because we had a heated discussion in our meeting last Wednesday. I called the meeting for panmen and the executive of bands to decide where we heading from now.

“It is 2017. Promises have been made for a number of time and I have just called panmen to unite really and truly.” The meeting saw a turn-out of approximately 50 panmen and women.

Gulston added that difficulties within the pan fraternity have been happening for 50 years and, “we still can’t get it right and no one stands up for panmen.” He said that the meeting was not about personal gain nor money but rather the “disrespect” shown to pan players. “I am saying let us come together and go to Pan Trinbago and seriously say how we feel, collectively and in a united way.” Gulston said many of the players did not want to go to Panorama under the same regime because they were, “poorly represented.” “No real transparency and (no one) even coming to us and sharing information. So we have figured out of this meeting, we deciding if we going Panorama under the same regime or don’t go Panorama at all,” he said. While the majority were in agreement with Gulston, other pan players such as Cary Codrington of the Codrington Pan Family said the boycott of Panorama should occur for the right reasons.

He said, “I think changes have to be made in Pan Trinbago. The whole culture of the movement needs to change…pan is a business and we have to look at it as a business.” Codrington said hundreds of millions of dollars was spent on the national instrument and the annual event over the years, “and the returns to pan people is minimal or none.” For Codrington, the entire Panorama effort no longer made sense.

He said the entire relationship between pan and pan players needed to be changed. “In 1980 they had the boycott and out of the boycott we got Pan Trinbago. Yes Pan Trinbago took it to another level. Now I am hoping we could have another boycott which would take it another level where the steelband could become a viable industry that could support us,” he said.

For Richard Gordon of Revelation Institute for Performing Education (RIPE) his visit at yesterday’s meeting was an information-seeking one.

He said any action by pan players had to be thought through and he was against any boycotting of the Panorama as, “it does not make sense.” He said the country was going through a recession and that needed to be understood.

“Panmen with or without Keith Diaz need to decide what they want and once they decide what they want, they can decide how they can raise funds,” he said.

There were discussions at the meeting of starting a Pan Man Union which Gordon is in agreement with.

Notable pan players such as Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe and Clive Telemaque were among those who spoke at the meeting.

Roget’s cellphone went to voicemail all day yesterday when Newsday tried to reach him, and so to was the case with the union’s Chief Education Officer, Ozzi Warwick, to elaborate on the new information.

With the final day being today, what was at least confirmed yesterday was that Petrotrin and the union would meet in a last bid to settle the 2014-17 wage negotiation period, in order to stave off strike action. Roget has publicly put the company on notice that if a reasonable settlement from the company’s position of zero-zero-zero percent, is not reached, then notice of strike action would be served on the company tomorrow. He has further warned that a shutdown of the refinery could see gas and diesel shortages, as well as jet fuel.

Petrotrin, based on a memo issued to the company’s top technical management team late Friday afternoon from the company’s president, Fitzroy Harewood, is bracing itself for strike action. The memo requested that the company’s highskilled employees must be notified of pending strike and that even the 4,500 employees working in the refinery must be so informed.

Contacted yesterday, Manager of Corporate Communicatons, Gillian Friday, said that there has been no new developments regarding the state of the negotiations from a company’s perspective.

Throughout the weekend, calls and telephone messages sent to Attorney General Faris Al Rawi, Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste- Primus, went unanswered.

There is the possibility that if the OWTU calls a strike of oil workers at the State-owned Petrotrin, the government can seek an injunction in the Industrial Court.

Yesterday, founder of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Vincent Cabrera, said that in a bid to prevent strike action in the oil belt, if today’s talks fails, JTUM would be willing to become that bridge that can bring both the union and the company together, but only if both parties were willing. But despite that offer as a mediator, he expressed solidarity with the OWTU’s position in the negotiations.

It is believed that the fire was started during a “war of fireworks”.

In De Coteau’s hands were two plastic bags containing articles of clothing and other personal items which she managed to salvage from the ruins.

The mother of four said it was devastating to start the new year like that but also praised, along with other members of the community, Government’s prompt response to the tragic event.

The fire claimed the life of 37-year-old Jameel Allamby and left 15 people homeless.

Residents of the apartment complex including De Coteau have called for fire extinguishers or sprinklers to be placed in the apartments to avoid such future occurrences.

When Newsday visited, yesterday, some of the residents sat around discussing the misfortune which befell the community.

De Coteau said her greatest concern at the moment was not the things lost in the fire, but rather her children’s school books.

However, she too praised Government’s response saying she has already been temporarily relocated to another apartment and received mattresses from the Portof- Spain City Corporation.

“They need to put more safety precautions in place to crack down on the sale of fireworks,” she said.

De Coteau also called for the building to be renovated and beautified.

A similar call was made by Atiba Gorkin who has spent his entire life at 55- 57 Nelson Street. He said fire extinguishers should be placed in each apartment to avoid such problems in the future.

But Gorkin sang high praises for Port-of- Spain South MP Marlene McDonald and Southern Portof- Spain Councillor, Charlene De Peza who, he said, promptly visited the affected residents and spent all day into night with them.

The residents, he said, tried to save Allamby and extinguish the fire with little children throwing buckets of water but their attempts were futile.

“We hooked up hose and everything but it was too much for us to handle,” he said. Gorkin said fire officials also responded quickly as well as the Hosing Development Corporation (HDC) officials.

Kern Jemmott said he jumped up when he heard his mother, Ingrid Jemmott shouting, ‘fire on the building.’ He then ran outside with only a side of slipper on, barebacked and in his boxers. He has lost all of his clothing and items as his apartment is now water logged.

His only wish is to have somewhere to stay although, he said, that is being actively worked upon by Mc- Donald.

But Jemmott, his mother, Kathy-Ann Lynch and Nijm Reyes say that there was no war really as both residents of the Nelson Street apartment and Mango Rose were playing with the fireworks.

This, however, goes contrary to claims by another resident, Sheldon Green, who accused Mango Rose residents of throwing the scratch bombs and ‘Roman Candles’ at the apartments. He has called for a police post to be placed 24/7 in the area.

Watch how Jah give we life and love.” The words and beat of the hit song, “Cheers to Life” really express the joy and expectancy of renewed hope that a New Year now offers us.

We acknowledge our challenges – largely a parlous economy and runaway crime – the latter including the sad and needless death of disabled Jameel Alambi, 37, trapped in an east Port-of- Spain fire on Sunday sparked by persons’ reckless use of fireworks.

However, we must take time out to celebrate life, even as we realise it is fleeting and a gift, and one not to be taken for granted as St Louis himself acknowledges.

We celebrate the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) Sports Personality of the Year, Akeem Stewart, 24, whose gold medal in javelin at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games shows how a man born with a disadvantage but given the right dose of help can rise to do deeds to lift the entire nation of Trinidad and Tobago on the world stage.

Following his brothers and uncle’s family tradition of athleticism, Akeem shone bright to emulate TT’s 2012 Olympic gold medal javelinist, Keshorn Walcott.

In addition to our golden boys, we celebrated the country’s golden girls, sisters Claretta Edwards, 100, and Una Webster-Lardy, 105, the toast of Cumuto, the latter who celebrated her 105th birthday on Christmas Day. In this era where mindlessness and rootlessness seem to characterise so many of our young citizens, very valuable insights and lessons are to be gleaned from a recollection of the life stories of these two sisters. For example, while life yesteryear might have been harder materially speaking, it is apparent that the self-discipline fostered by these hardships such as rural isolation would have brought benefits to health such as physical ardour and a diet of fruits and vegetables. In addition, many of us can take a leaf from the book of Edwards who underlined the value of family by her glowing tribute to the love and support given by her daughter and other family members.

This may well be an indictment against those who have abandoned relatives to the open pavements our cities and towns.

We also celebrate Ethel Castellano, 100, who amid dancing among her descendants at a party at Arima on Sunday, was able to offer advice on the secret to raising children and to longevity.

“Spare the rod and spoil the child. They had to obey. All of them came out just fine,” she proffered on child-rearing.

At the other end of the scale of age, the New Year brought a bounty of new babies born across the country. Each new child brings new hope, and is a symbol of the dreams and aspirations of their parents and of us all. We hope that these babies will grow up with all the love of their families and neighbours, even as we recall the plea in the Christmas messages/sermons of several local priests/pastors for a better family-life in which to raise our children.

On this theme of building better individuals, better families, better communities and ultimately a better nation, we do well to reflect on Pope Francis New Year Message. Offering an exquisitely simple dictum, the Pope said, “The New Year will be good in the measure in which each of us, with the help of God, tries to do good, day by day. That’s how peace is created.” Let’s celebrate life.

While TTUTA is not opposed to the introduction of such formative assessment there are major concerns that must be addressed if the assessment is to be valid and reliable. This two-part series seeks to reflect the concerns of teachers regarding this fundamental change being proposed for the secondary education sector.

Like to introduction of new CAPE subjects to the secondary school curriculum, it is unfortunate that CXC is once again being allowed by regional governments to make such a fundamental change to the education system without proper prior consultation with stakeholders. It is hoped that given the recent meeting held between CXC and the Caribbean Union of Teachers, there will be a rethinking on the part of CXC regarding this development.

Heads of Department and teachers have complained of inadequate training in the conduct of SBAs or how to mark them. The quantity of SBAs that are to be completed during the fourth and fifth years would impact on the teaching time that is available to deliver the curriculum.

Many teachers are already carrying class-loads in excess of their job descriptions.

These subjects are done by all students and as such these classes are usually large. English and Mathematics teachers teach all classes/forms levels and as a result, their workload has become arduous, frustrating and stressful without additional help. The new syllabus requires more periods allocated to Mathematics and English and schools were forced to make this timetable adjustment without the allocation of additional posts. This is exacerbated for example, if the school uses a 2-week cycle when timetabling subjects.

Teachers generally teach at least two CSEC examination classes at a time among their other classes and duties. This could mean 50 or 60 individual student SBA projects at any one time. It must be remembered that since these are compulsory subjects the workload of teachers in managing and marking these projects for the requirements of CXC will be vastly increased. The issue of teachers being required to mark assessments for CXC without compensation remains an unresolved one. With specific reference to English, the ELA portfolios at the lower levels are also viewed as impinging on workload. Teachers are concerned about the removal of the Comprehension component of the English A paper. The use of one mark for both English A and English B, especially in the context of these marks being allocated from group activities, is seen as problematic.

The multiple components of the SBA required to complete the students’ portfolios will negatively impact on contact time and teachers’ ability to adequately complete tasks in the time allocated. In some instances teachers have expressed the view that there should not be SBA for English A. There is also a high level of disparity between what is verbally reported in the CXC webinar and the actual written instructions in the syllabus.

The weighting of marks is confusing, as one mark for responses seems inadequate to the weight of the required response. The marking of the Plan of Investigation is left to the interpretation of the teacher – “some” are subjective and the teacher decides if to award one or two marks. The concern here is that when this is being moderated, what will determine the mark that “some” gets? The length of the Plan of Investigation does not seem to equate with all the information required.

In Part II we will explore the concerns that are specific to the introduction of the SBA in Mathematics.