Reports are that the woman has complained of not having any feeling in her face. The PSA said it has been calling, since 2015, for the building to be condemned and the staff relocated, but the calls have fallen on deaf ears.

“This is another clear case of negligence on the part of the Board of Inland Revenue as the PSA has been highlighting the question of the structural integrity of the building due to its age,” the release read.

Left-handed Rajah scored 69 off 161 deliveries on his first class debut on Saturday sharing in a brilliant 162-run opening partnership with Kyle Hope. Rajah, whose father Aneil and brother Emile both played for TT, slammed 11 fours in his 183-minute stay at the crease.

Rajah would like to play for West Indies one day but the 23-year-old knows that he will have to work hard and be consistent.

“As any youngster, you would always have that aspiration (to play for West Indies), but it doesn’t come just like that. You have to work hard and put in extra hours. It is a matter of consistency at this level, being around the TT team, around the setup, trials.

“It is always a good landmark to reach here but consistency is a key as to continuing to that next level. To get to there (West Indies) you have to put in the work,” the batsman acknowledged.

Rajah, who represented TT at youth level, is satisfied that he got a half-century on debut.

“The runs to my name (will give me) a lot more confidence going into the season and I think it is a booster for me as a youngster so the half-century is there and it is just to carry on from here now.” Rajah admitted he was a little disappointed not to get a century but is still pleased to have some runs under his belt.

“To get to that landmark (century) is a big achievement on debut especially. (I got) 69, falling short, but at the end of the day you are still thankful for going out there. It is a team effort with myself and Kyle Hope getting a 162-run partnership without losing a wicket is another achievement for a debutant myself. To get to the triple that would have been another landmark for me but I am still thankful for the half century.” Rajah praised the Bajan-born Hope for giving him advice at the crease which allowed him to feel comfortable out in the middle.

Rajah said his father was proud of his achievement and said his family has always been supportive.

“He was extremely proud. My dad, my family’s support was there from since I was a little kid.

Having that support is always good encouragement as a youngster.”

Leading the charge for TT was 15-year-old Xavier Jones who won the Senior Male up to 81kg category.

He was uncontested in the Junior Male up to 81kg and, as such, was awarded a gold medal.

Although he competed with men more than twice his age in the Senior Male category, Jones had much more experience than his opponents from Guadeloupe and was able to wrap up his matches in less than two minutes with Ippon (outright victory).

Coming off his victorious performances at the National Judo Championship on November 20, Chad Warrick capped off a successful 2016 with total domination in the Senior Male +100kg, also winning both of his matches with Ippon to win gold. This was Warrick’s first opportunity to represent the red, white and black in judo.

Latesha Gill made sure that she would not be outdone by her male counterparts when she won the Senior Female up to 70kg. Gill returned to competition this year after a long hiatus.

She won both of her matches against Cindy Lognos of Guadeloupe with outright victories.

Gabriella Wood was not as decisive as her teammates but managed to win the Senior Female +78kg by a slim margin over her opponent Hanna Karra of Bahamas, who took silver.

The team’s younger competitors weren’t able to win gold but Giovanni Lopez (silver), Kai Sammy (bronze) and Aidan Greaves (bronze) all got on the podium in their respective categories.

Although TT finished fourth of five countries in the medal count, their gold medal haul made them the top team with the highest number of gold medals to team members. Barbados had 47 athletes and 14 gold medals, Martinique earned 14 gold from their 27 athletes, Guadeloupe won five gold (14 athletes), TT copped five gold (seven athletes) and Bahamas grabbed two gold (five athletes).

The tournament is known as one of the premier events for judoka in the French and English speaking Caribbean and this year attracted 100 participants from the five territories.

Bamboo Raiders scored a challenging 85 for six batting first against Spartans with Nashwan Latchman leading the charge for Bamboo with 36. Bamboo won the contest by 27 runs as Spartans were limited to 58/8 in their 12 overs with Kirton Samuel snatching 3/12 for the winning team.

The Charlieville Superkings batsmen were even more impressive, scoring 93/3 against Homeboys with Aamir Khan cracking an unbeaten 30. In reply, Homeboys could only muster 74/8 as Anderson Phillip took 2/11.

Strike Force got past Riders by 32 runs in a low scoring encounter.

Strike Force posted 61 all out before dismissing Riders for just 29 with Sheldon Belcon (3/4) and Reno Nanan (3/5) taking three wickets apiece for Strike Force.

SUMMARISED SCORES: Round of 16 Bamboo Raiders 85/6 (Nashwan Latchman 36, Keron Daniel 10, Brian Gangoo 2/9, Steve Jadoo 2/24) vs Spartans 58/8 (Steve Jadoo 20, Darian Maharaj 10, Kirton Samuel 3/12, Ryan Baksh 2/4, Narine Samaroo 2/4) Bamboo Raiders won by 27 runs.

Charlieville Superkings 93/3 (Aamir Khan 30 not out, Salim Hosein 25, Christopher Vincent 24) vs Homeboys 74/8 (Miguel Gregorio 18, Suraj Sanasie 16, Anderson Phillip 2/11) Charlieville Superkings won by 24 runs.

Strike Force 61 (Antonio Gonzales 3/13, Adwin John 2/9) vs Riders 29 (Sheldon Belcon 3/4, Reno Nanan 3/5) Strike Force won by 32 runs.

Best of The Rest Round of 16 Lances Bar 67/2 (Keeshan Sookdeo 39, Rajiv Maharaj 12) vs Court Boys 28 (Sookdeo 2/10, Shannon Harrydass 2/6) Lances Bar won by 39 runs.

Over-40 Division (League Matches) X Men 80/4 (Clint Williams 53, Curt Smart 11, Dexter Griffith 2/11) vs Progressors 69/7 (Sheldon Holforde 26, Joseph Rennie 10, Smart 2/9, Carl Soldmon 2/11) X Men won by 11 runs.

Progressors 53/5 (Sheldon Thomas 15, John Basteldo 3/2) vs Savannah Boys 54/1 (Billy Seerattan 25, Robert Brathwaite 14) Savannah Boys won by nine wickets.

The All Star Weekend will commence on December 16 with an International Symposium featuring international coaches, scouts and players from clubs in North America and Europe, with issues and trends within the sport being addressed. On December 17 will be the All Day Tournament, comprising 16 male teams and the top eight female teams in the respective Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) divisions, battling for $65,000 worth of prizes as well as trophies and medals.

And, on the final day, the Pro and College Combine will take place; amateur and professional players will complete drills set by the invited foreign coaches and scouts, while the professionals will make assessments as to who can be offered University scholarships or be recruited for a football career on behalf of reputable, sought-after organisations.

Colleges International’s Director of Sport, Marc Anthony William, said in a media release, “this is an opportunity to show the world the tremendous talent in the region and help develop and guide these talents into successful professionals. That way, they can thrive and help rebuild the state of the sport in the region.” Arsenal Soccer School USA has been specially invited to the event, to scout for potential football talent from the twin-island republic.

“Having Arsenal partner with Colleges Invitational 2016 is a massive win for the Caribbean.

As the global outreach brand, Arsenal Soccer Schools’ collaboration with us will focus on a long-term relationship which will set its eyes on the development of the youth players, challenged with difficult path of international success,” said Jean Marc Aimey, Chief Executive Officer of Colleges Invitational Sports Company Limited. For more information on registration and updates, the public is encouraged to visit www.collegesinvitational.com.

The first game would take place at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago, at 3:30 pm, as zonal champions of Tobago, Signal Hill Secondary host the champions of the central zone, Carapichima East Secondary, in the quarterfinal.

The winner of this fixture would move on to play Presentation College, San Fernando, in the second semi final of the tournament on Friday, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.

The first semi-final of the 2016 edition kicks off today as Trinity College face San Juan North at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo at 4:15 pm.

The final is set for Monday. Trinity College and San Juan North won their respective zones as Trinity dethroned St Anthony’s College for the North Zone title and San Juan North ousted St. Augustine Secondary to claim the title of the East, over the former zonal champions.

Speaking in an interview with Newsday yesterday, San Juan North Secondary’s manager, Phillip Frazer, stated: “Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a constant improvement in the team and they have the ability to compete at this level to ensure we put in a solid performance and make it into the finals.” He further expressed that even though the team would be missing a couple of first team starters, including midfield maestro Marcus Berot due to injury, the team has a lot of depth and chemistry to get the job done.

“We are looking to go all the way and while we know it is not as easy as one, two, three, we are up to the challenge and we would give it our best shot.” Trinity College coach, Marlon Minguel, paused from his training session yesterday as he expressed his players were all upbeat and ready for the match ahead.

“The chances of winning would be determined on how the team plays on the day as well as how we focus and execute the things that we planned to do.” While confident of his team’s chances of reaching to the finals, he also noted: “Both teams have a 50-50 chance of winning the match and reaching the finals, I expect the players to do well and keep focused and the result would take care of itself.”

Today’s Fixtures: Signal Hill Secondary vs Carapichima East at 3.30pm (Dwight Yorke Stadium)

Trinity College Moka vs San Juan North at 4.15pm (Hasely Crawford Stadium)

The TT job is currently vacant after Stephen Hart was dismissed by the TT Football Association (TT FA) last Thursday.

And Fenwick, the ex-England defender and current Flow Sports channel football analyst, made it abundantly clear in a telephone interview yesterday that he is the most suitable individual to take up the job as TT team tactician.

Hart was fired after a string of inconsistent returns this year, including defeats in their first two matches (2-0 at home to Costa Rica and 3-1 away to Honduras earlier this month) of the 2018 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Zone Final Round qualifiers.

Fenwick noted, that with the CONCACAF Gold Cup playoffs scheduled for January (here in Trinidad) plus the pair of World Cup qualifiers in March, it may be tough for a foreign coach to get acquainted with the national players in a short space of time.

“I’m the most qualified person to take that on,” he said. “At the late stage where we’re at, an international coach trying to find out about (our) players (is) impossible.

Our players are dotted all over Europe, North America and locally.

An international coach coming in that is not familiar with our players have got no chance in putting that together before the World Cup qualifiers come across again in March.” As far as the TT coaching job is concerned, Fenwick said, “it’s a very difficult position for the TT FA because I provide for them a totally different proposition. Their issue would be how to deal with my success.” The 57-year-old Fenwick guided Jabloteh to Pro League titles in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008 while, with Central FC, he led the team (in the latter stages of the season) to the 2014-15 league trophy.

“Everything I get involved in, I succeed in,” Fenwick insisted.

“With all due respect to other people within the Caribbean region, there is nobody more qualified than I to run the national team.” He continued, “I’ve been here 17 years now. Multiple players have come through my development that are now national team players. Multiple players have come through me that have gone out to enjoy international contracts and football scholarships in the United States. I know CONCACAF very well.

“I am very flexible with my coaching, which is my biggest attribute,” added the former Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur player. “I’m an excellent coach.

“I’ll love to have the opportunity where I believe I’m the only Pro League coach that’s never been offered a position, at any level, by the TT FA.” Concerning the dismissal of Hart, Fenwick noted, “Stephen has done a relatively good job under very difficult circumstances.

He’s gone several months without being paid, he’s worked through two different administrations.

Clearly the last administration and him have not particularly gone on well.

“However, with two years remaining on his contract, which is my understanding, there might have been position for Stephen to continue in a technical director-type position, where he could still contribute to TT football.

It’s my opinion.” There were instances of indiscipline in the TT team recently, notably the fines inflicted on Kevin Molino, Joevin Jones and Mekeil Williams for breaking curfew, while Molino was suspended for the Costa Rica and Honduras game for an additional breach of curfew. Fenwick is renowned as a hard taskmaster and it’s a reputation he is proud of.

“The good and the bad about Terry Fenwick is that I am well familiar with the culture of Trinidad and Tobago. However, I’m not a part of that culture.

I come from the UK, I come from a very professional upbringing in British professional football.” He continued, “I understand the problems and issues coaches have down here. Players would understand nobody more than me, in terms of turning up at a fete match or a minor league game to find out what players are doing. And I’ve always dealt with it very promptly and professionally.

“It’s something that is part of the people’s culture here in Trinidad and Tobago.

Knowing that culture, I’ve handled it very well over the 17 years that I’ve been here.

And, really, I’ve not had any major problems with the players I have had, only because I’ve set my stall out early to ensure they are very clear that there (are) no negotiations.”

Perhaps, they might consider preparing a pineapple bowl, pies, pickles, sponge cakes, coconut sweet bread and “Trini” black cake. Add to that fresh fruit salad, ginger beer, banana muffins, carrot cake, coconut tarts, sorrel drink, whole wheat/white bread and much more.

For some of these delicious treats, you may wish to include local preserves from mango, citrus fruits, watermelon, papaya, etc.

In some cases the meal manager can incorporate breadfruit flour, sweet potato flour, and cornmeal in the preparation of savoury and sweet dishes.

Preparing preserves The preparation of local preserves can be so much fun, as the entire family or members of household work together in making guava cheese, orange marmalade, fruit spreads, sorrel jam, and much more.

Some individuals perhaps might remember working with grandma or auntie in the kitchen to prepare red mango, curry mango, kuchela, tamarind balls, toolum, khurma, sugar cake, candied papaya, mixed peel among others.

Whatever the case, preparing home-made sweets that can be served as treats, or even preserves to be incorporated into baked products may more than likely decrease cost and help you to save a few dollars during the holiday season.

Always remember that preserving surplus produce can be beneficial; but, much more besides reducing the food bill, your efforts can contribute to food and nutrition security within households or communities, as well as easy access and continued availability of selected food items.

Some examples of local and foreign foods usually preserved and available on today’s market are tomato sauce, mango jam, pineapple chunks, ginger pieces, citrus fruits, papaya, watermelon pieces, apple sauce, dried fruits e.g. pear, plums, peaches, and apricots.

In the process of preservation, foods may be dried or dehydrated, bottled, canned, salted, blanched and frozen; as well as, some meal managers can choose to prepare jams, jellies, and marmalades.

According to Labensky and Hause (2007) presently consumers, chefs, and caterers, benefit from the implementation of modern food preservation, processing, storage, and transportation techniques which have made both fresh and exotic foods readily available.

Also, with the development of pre-packaged and prepared convenience foods some of which are quite good, help to save time during meal preparation and usually give meal managers, caterers and chefs, greater flexibility.

Generally, in food preservation they seek to prevent the growth of bacteria, fungi (such as yeasts), and other micro-organisms, as well as retard the oxidation of fats which contributes to rancidity.

The goal is to keep food safe for use, be it fresh or preserved.

Helpful hints Include preserved food items on the menu.

Menu planning is an essential step in meal management; this important principle can be applied as one seeks to prepare meals and snacks for the season.

Use the Caribbean Food Groups as a guide; include foods from all food groups in your meal plan.

Local foods such as breadnut, cassava, dasheen, yam, plantain, corn and corn products (cornmeal), green banana, dasheen leaves, pak choy, pommecythere (golden apple), and banana, just to list a few can be part of the menu.

Prepare nutritious meals and tasty snacks that are inexpensive should be your aim; these food items selected should aid individuals in meeting their daily nutritional requirements.

A few recipes to try (Naparima Girl’s High School Cookbook Updated & Revised, 2002)

Mango Nut Bread

2 cups sifted flour

? cup granulated sugar

3 tsp baking powder

? tsp ground cinnamon

? tsp salt ? tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped nuts

1 beaten egg

1 cup chopped nuts (peanuts or walnuts)

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp melted margarine

1 cup mango sauce

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda; add nuts. In a large bowl combine egg, margarine and mango sauce. Add flour mixture; stir until just blended.

Pour into a large, greased 9”x5” loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Cool in a pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool overnight before slicing.

Yield: 1 loaf – 8 slices

Mango Sauce

Put in a blender 1 ? cups chopped firm, ripe mango with 1 teaspoon lime juice and 2 tablespoon water, puree until smooth.

Pineapple Bars

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 oz margarine

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1 can crushed pineapple, drained (20 oz)

2 tbsp melted margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flaked coconut

1 tsp vanilla

Sift flour and baking powder.

Cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Beat 1 egg with milk; stir into flour mixture and blend well.

Spread over bottom of 8-inch square pan; pressing firmly.

Spread pineapple over top.

Beat remaining 1 egg thoroughly; stir in melted margarine, sugar, coconut and vanilla.

Spread this topping over pineapple. B ake in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 35-40 minutes.

Cool and cut in squares or bars.

Claudette Mitchell, PhD, RD is an assistant professor University of the Southern Caribbean, School of Science, Technology, and Allied Health

Start with breakfast If you’re going out in the evening, start the day with a generous bowl of porridge, topped with a handful of cranberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Porridge stabilises blood sugar levels, which helps control appetite later in the day.

You can also add a good dollop of probiotic yogurt, which helps boost immunity as well as combat some of the less beneficial effects of the party season, like too much alcohol and not enough sleep.

Stay hydrated On the day of a big night out, and the day after, make a conscious effort to drink six to eight glasses of water, or plenty of herbal teas or diluted juice. Even mild dehydration can lead to a headache and combined with the diuretic effects of alcohol makes maintaining your fluid intake so important.

Regular teas and coffee count towards your fluid intake, but caffeinated versions shouldn’t make up your full quota. If you struggle to drink enough when it’s cold, take a full glass of water to bed at night and start the day with a second.

Sensible snacking If you’re hungry when you arrive at a party, you might struggle to resist the canap?s, so have a pre-party snack.

One favourite is a small pot of plain yogurt with a sliced banana. The yogurt’s protein slows stomach emptying, which helps delay the effects of that first glass of wine while the potassium- rich banana helps balance any increase in salt intake – especially helpful if you’re going to be nibbling on olives, crisps or salted nuts.

You are better off eating before going to a party because you’re more likely to skip the canap?s when they come round a second or third time. Other snacks which do the trick include granary toast with nut butter, a bowl of muesli with milk, or a mug of chunky vegetable soup.

Back away from the buffet Buffets can be a disaster zone – so make sure to fill half your plate with salad and vegetables, and the rest with protein-based canap?s like salmon and chicken. Take your time selecting and eating food and move away from the table as soon as your plate is full to avoid non-stop grazing.

No more hangovers Don’t be tempted to skip meals so you can stockpile calories for drinking. Alcohol only supplies empty calories, so avoiding proper meals to compensate for a booze splurge means you’re losing out on valuable nutrients, just when your body needs them to help it detoxify.

Stick to one type of drink and make it a lighter-coloured one because they tend to be lower in the chemical by-products that can worsen a hangover.

Aim to have no more than one alcoholic drink an hour, alternated with juice, water or soft drinks – perfect if you don’t like holding an empty glass.

What to eat the next morning One of the best “morning after” breakfast is a frittata or omelette packed with vegetables. Choose mushrooms for their energising B vitamins, tomatoes for vitamin C and onions for their liver-friendly sulphur compounds. If you have spinach at hand add a generous handful because it’s a great source of folate which helps the body repair DNA.

Eggs are an excellent choice for the morning after because they provide choline, a nutrient that supports the liver. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a chopped chilli to boost circulation and rev up your recovery. If you can’t face a cooked breakfast then have a smoothie made with fruits like bananas, oranges or kiwi – these are rich in potassium which helps replenish the electrolytes lost due to the diuretic effects of alcohol..

Fifteen acres of Palmiste Park will be decorated and every tree within the area will be illuminated with Christmas lights.

Disney characters will be there to meet and greet patrons in and around their respective areas, castles and cottages.

The landscape will be adorned with Christmas figurines Santa Claus and Mrs Claus along with their elves and reindeer. Santa himself will be at his workshop along with his helpers spreading Christmas cheer by giving presents to all the children each night, said a media release.

There will also be live, nightly entertainment ranging from parang bands, choirs, skits, soca-parang, featuring guest artistes including Joel John, dancers and a special performance by the Disney characters.

The free event also provides great shopping with its impressive shopping expo for those looking for a great bargain in an enchanted atmosphere.

A food court will provide ample dishes to suit any taste so people won’t have to worry about shopping on an empty stomach.

The free event is geared for the family and organisers say it is drug free and alcohol free to enjoy the magic of Christmas.