Calls to WASA are met with promises, but no definite one of restoration of the supply in the short-term. There are several other families higher up to where we are located who are suffering similarly.

I spoke to a senior board member of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation on Saturday and she gave me hope that she would get in touch with WASA and try to sort out this unreasonable situation.

No short-term solution has been divulged to callers to WASA, so I am requesting new Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte to come to our rescue and have the situation rectified in the shortest possible time.

RICHARD LOBO Diego Martin

After an uncharacteristic slow start to the season, Take That and Cool It, the defending champions, have won three on the trot to climb to ninth in the standings and are knocking on the door for the knockout stage of the annual tournament with three rounds to go.

After default wins over Two Touch and Alliance, “Cool It” took on Fishing Pond Youths, looking to continue their ascent in the 15-team table.

Kendall Nathaniel fired Take That and Cool It in front in the first half and former national player Alvin “Sweetbread” Boisson doubled the lead in the second half with a cracking goal.

Fishing Pond Youths tried their best to get back in the game but lacked composure in the final third.

In other results, Boys Town and G Madrid played to a 1-1 draw.

Also, Fishing Pond Youths beat Alescon 3-0; Manzan beat Alliance 3-0; Gremio beat Alescon 3-0; G Madrid beat Alescon 3-0; SP Boys beat G Madrid 3-0; G Madrid beat Alliance 3-0.

Fixtures: Saturday: Boys Town vs SP Boys (4pm)
Sunday: Fishing Pond Youths vs El Carmen 45 (4pm)
Monday: Express vs G Madrid (4pm)
Tuesday: Manzan vs SP Boys (4pm)
All games at Fishing Pond Ground.

In its continuing efforts to assist TT ’s cultural pioneers, FYOTT will host The Man, The Message, The Mood, The Music, recognition concerts for the former National Calypso Monarch, Soca Monarch, and Road March champion .

The first concert is at the Shaw Park Complex in Tobago tonight and the other takes place at the CLR James Auditorium, Cipriani Labour College, Valsayn, tomorrow .

FYOTT will present Shadow with a cheque for $75,000 for his cultural contribution to the nation .

Last year, FYOTT embarked on “Remembering the Legends/ Tribute to the Icons” and similarly honoured Black Stalin .

The group was driven to start this project to celebrate and honour the artistes .

It noted that despite the calypsonians’ contributions to culture, “it is only when these artistes become ill or pass on that their worth is remembered with glowing tributes by radio stations that find every song from their repertoires to play.” Chairman of FYOTT Hugh Grant said: “Last year it was decided by this group to begin honouring our icons in an attempt to preserve their music, lives, and legacies….With most of our veteran entertainers advancing in age, it is imperative that we celebrate and honour them while they are still alive and among us.” Many of the nation’s top artistes across musical genres would perform Shadow’s numerous classics, with a performance by the “Bassman” himself .

Some of the artistes appearing at the event include, from Tobago, Shurwayne Winchester, Oscar B, Johnny King, Ainsley King, Leslie-Ann Ellis, Tobago Chalkie, Prince Unique, Dillon Thomas, Axe Back, and others .

Artistes from Trinidad include Ajala, Gypsy, Chucky, Kurt Allen, Rikki Jai, Mistah Shak, Brian London, Singing Sonia, Count Robin, Mr Famous, and more .

For tickets and more info: Hugh Grant at 764-2611, Lennox London at 683-2792 or Lance Duntin at 706-7570 .

According to a police report, at about 7 am, Goorachan parked his vehicle in the parking lot of the health facility. As he walked towards the health centre, a man confronted Goorachan and gunned him down. Eyewitnesses said the gunshots caused people at the centre to scamper. The killer escaped in a car which sped off along Grant Street.

Goorachan worked at the health facility for the past two years. Police were yesterday viewing CCTV footage which recorded the murder. Goorachan’s grandmother Olive Goorachan, 80, who lives in Mayaro said news of the murder had left her heartbroken.

“I still can’t believe it. He lived in Barrackpore and only two months ago came to visit me.

I was so happy, I did not know it would have been the last time I would be seeing him,” she said.

Goorachan said she could not understand why someone would want to kill her grandson. “He was a nice boy, hard working and respectable. I just don’t understand who would do this and why. Four years ago, Goorachan’s father died from heart failure. Olive said the crime situation has gone from bad to worse. Goorachan was an only child.

Another relative said Goorachan had his entire future ahead of him.

“He had plans of starting a selling and buying car business which he often spoke about. We were told the killer did not take anything from him (Goorachan) so it is a clear this was a ‘hit’. But why,” the relative asked.

In the Open tournament, 12 players shall be vying for the prestigious title of National Chess Champion. Eight-time and current national champion, FM Ryan Harper, will have to pull out all the stops to retain his title against a very competitive field comprising FM Adrian WinterAtwell, FM Kevin Cupid, FM Frank Yee, FM Isaiah Mc Intosh, FM Mario Merritt, Alan-Safar Ramoutar, FM Joshua Johnson, CM Dev Soondarsingh, CM Ravishen Singh, CM Esan Witlshire and David Jones.

On the female side, defending Women’s Chess Champion, 16 year old WIM Gabriella Johnson will face WCM Aditi Soondarsingh, CM/WFM Shannon Yearwood, WCM Shemilah James, WFM Sadiqah Razark, Amy Ali, Anusha Saha, Athena Martin and Zara La Fleur. The Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association is encouraging the public to come out and support the players for the most important event on the local chess calendar.

Yesterday, the two constables, assigned to the Besson Street Police Station, remained in custody and were still being interviewed by officers of the Organised Crime Narcotics And Firearms Bureau (OCNFB). Sources revealed that the constables’ homes in Laventille were searched on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday but nothing illegal was found. It is alleged that the two officers left the Port-of- Spain CID on Tuesday claiming that they were going on enquiries. The officers then allegedly picked up a 24-yearold El Socorro man in a marked Police-issued Xtrail and took him to the South Western Peninsula .

While in the district, the El Socorro man allegedly collected four crocus bags containing high-grade marijuana that allegedly came from Venezuela, three hand guns with ammunition and a quantity of alcohol .

The items were placed in the vehicle and were supposed to be transported to El Socorro for packaging and sale .

However, officers of the South Western Division Task Force, led by Sgt Shaheed Ali and acting on a tip-off, attempted to stop the vehicle in Cedros shortly after 5 pm on Tuesday .

A roadblock was then put in place in Rousillac and the vehicle was stopped .

The police vehicle was searched, the drugs guns and alcohol were found and the two constables, along with the 24-year-old man, were taken into custody.Senior police officers, led by ACP Crime Irwin Hackshaw, condemned the alleged actions of the officers and said they had brought the Police Service into disrepute .

His comments were echoed by President of the Police Social and Welfare Association, Acting ASP Michael Seales .

Yesterday, sources at the OCNFB said they were now working on information that police vehicles were being used to transport drugs from the South Western Division to El Socorro for an extended period .

They added that, based on information received, a very senior officer was aware of the alleged illicit operation and supported the actions of some junior officers including the two constables detained on Tuesday .

Mark is a member of that JSC which is conducting an enquiry into the operations of the domestic seabridge. Young reminded reporters that Rowley presented documentary evidence to the JSC on Monday, including the Christian Mouttet report, to support his statements.

He said those documents included was a May 25 email and letter from Baja Ferries director general Oscar Ruano to suspended TT Inter-Island Transport CEO Leon Grant about the Cabo Star cargo vessel.

Indicating that Baja Ferries was the original owner of the Cabo Star, Young said Grant’s email address is clearly identified as “leong@ patnt.com.” However, Young said at Tuesday’s sitting of the JSC, Mark claimed the e-mail address which Rowley referred to was “leong@ patt.com.” Young said this was an attempt by Mark to give Grant the opportunity to say, this “was not in fact his email. Indicating the e-mail address Mark spoke of was a figment of his imagination, Young distributed copies of the email and letter to reporters. He declared, “The document speaks for itself.” Young said Mark and the Opposition did not know, “we also have it forensically imaged from the server at the Port Authority of TT.” He said Mark, like all other JSC members, had full access to the documentation which Rowley provided to the JSC to support his testimony.

Describing Mark’s actions as “reprehensible,” Rowley said he was disgusted but not surprised. He said if Parliament was not proroguing at midnight last night, Mark would have been sent to the Privileges Committee for his actions. Rowley said Mark’s actions were similar to actions he took as Speaker of the House of Representatives when private motion was raised against former finance minister Larry Howai about Howai allegedly being involved in insider trading at First Citizens Bank.

Rowley reminded reporters he moved that motion and prosecuted that matter with documentary evidence.

The Mouttet report must be followed up by the Fraud Squad because we need justice. Those who are responsible for setting up the “go-between” company to charge taxpayers an additional US$6,000 day for the Cabo Star must face the courts.

Every manager, every employee involved must not be allowed to roam freely. There has to be serious consequences for those withholding information from the Board of the Port Authority.

There are surely criminal elements currently operating on the port if this report is proven true but there is also the possibility of political elements as well. The report shows that they were intentionally undermining the board and consequently the line minister by withholding documents and correspondence so as to advance their hidden agenda.

Then we hear of the attempt to bully the Government into a five-year contract for the Super- Fast Galicia, and the same people may have had an interest here also. The corruption at the port stinks and must not be allowed to continue.

All this trickery and mismanagement taking place and the people of Tobago are left suffering in the process.

I say fire them and bring them before the courts because we must never allow a few selfish and corrupt people to cause a whole country to be in disarray.

SAMANTHA MAHARAJ Chase Village

This gala concert promotes cultural exchanges between China and Trinidad and Tobago and is facilitated by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in TT . The performances will feature authentic Chinese art forms combined with performances of songs and dances, instrumental music and acrobatics, as well as a magic show.

The Youth Art Ensemble (YAE) of Shenzhen Arts School will play a main role, supported by Shenzhen Yate Acrobatic Troupe and Shenzhen Xinkuan Magic Artistic Group.

The Shenzhen Arts Company is a comprehensive art troupe that is set up primarily for international cultural exchange activities and for major national and local foreign affairs engagements.

Led by artistic director Huang Qicheng, a famous Chinese dancer, The Youth Art Ensemble (YAE) of Shenzhen Arts School has the piano, symphony orchestra, dance, folk music, modern art and other teams.

This celebrated ensemble through its various teams has won several awards and received recognition for its outstanding contributions to the development of China’s cultural and artistic undertakings.

Some of its accolades comprise of the dance troupe winning the gold awards in the National Lotus Cup Dance competition and in South Korea International Dance competition; its piano team comprising of internationally renowned pianists Li Yundi, Chen Sa and Zhang Haochen; the Symphony Orchestra’s famous violinist Chen Xiang and the cellist Zhang Yihao and the National Music Orchestra visits to more than 20 countries and regions successively.

Playing a major role also will be the Shenzhen Xinkuan Magic Artistic Group, which is the most professional magic performance troupe of Shenzhen, said a media release. Its programmes have repeatedly won international and domestic awards including the gold medal award in the 2011 World Championship of Magic in the USA and a championship in the FISM Asian Championship of Magic.

The group will be supported by the highly regarded Shenzhen Yate Acrobatic Troupe. The troupe won the Wenhua Bronze Medal for the acrobatics creation in the Seventh National Acrobatic competition and has visited several countries and regions such as the US, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Germany, Finland and Turkey.

It also co-operated with the US in the large-scale acrobatic musical There Is a Legend.

Admission for this event is free but ticketed.

For more info: 225-4023 extension 4030.

Bridgemans Services Group Limited placed their bid shortly before the bids closed at 3 pm on Wednesday. The bid was submitted through a representative of the company. According to well-placed sources, the other companies which placed bids for the passenger ferry for a contract to service the sea bridge are: * Bridgemans – tendered one boat (Ocean Flower 2) * Sea Jets – tendered five * Getaway Cruises – tendered three * Fortune Maritime – tendered one * Ocean Star – tendered One Paragon, which had applied during a previous bid, declined this time around.

On Monday, the Board of the PATT will begin opening the bids and all documents will be photocopied and given to the board members for perusal. It remained unclear how soon a decision would be made on which company would be chosen to service the sea bridge.

On Wednesday the Ocean Flower II docked at Chaguaramas off Carerra island with the captain and 12 crew members.

It was revealed that Lester Kenny the owner of Ken Shipping and Marine gave notice to immigration that the vessel was due to arrive at Chaguaramas and the scheduled date and time.

The boat’s engines were serviced in Panama but when the vessel arrived shortly after midday on Wednesday there was a lot of smoke emitting from the engines.

Andrew Purdey, Bridgemans vice president, said the arrival of the boat was preplanned and that it was in Trinidad for dry docking. He expected the dry docking to take about two weeks and then a decision would be taken on the future use of the vessel.

Well-placed sources said Bridgemans had been working closely with a team of legal maritime experts who had been perusing the cancelled contract first offered to the Ocean Flower II. The experts had reportedly told Bridgemans the company had an irrevocable standby letter of credit in the amount of US$3 million which was contained in the charter party agreement that was not cancelled along with the contract.