N Touch

Two THA scholarships for YTEPP graduates

Two scholarships from the Tobago House of Assembly will be awarded to YTEPP graduates. Chief Secretary, Tobago House of Assembly, Orville London made this disclosure at YTEPP’s graduation exercise at the Hilton Tobago. London also announced that two of the Craft Booths now under construction at Milford Road Mall will be used for the establishment of a production centre for YTEPP graduates. “Your success, you self-esteem, your dignity depend on your efforts to empower and to educate yourselves in the world,” he said.

YTEPP, he said, was another opportunity for the young people to start afresh or continue on the pathway to empowerment. London urged the graduates to ignore obstacles and forget failures, but look at the opportunities afforded by YTEPP as an avenue towards success. “It is your world to conquer, to embrace and it’s for you to develop it.” Senator Dr Eastlyn McKenzie spoke of the initiatives being taken by YTEPP to provide a new sense of direction to the young people of Tobago. She called on the young people to make the best of their training so that they would contribute to their economic progress and stability. She praised London for his efforts in promoting YTEPP.

Jennifer Johnson, Chairperson of YTEPP, called on the youths to seek funding for their business projects from NAMDEVCO, NEDCO and ADB among other financial institutions. She spoke of establishing business incubators to be translated into entrepreneurship projects. Some 127 persons graduated in the following areas:- Cosmetology, Auto Electrical Maintenance, Domestic Refrigeration Servicing, Advanced Dressmaking and Design, Beauty Therapy, Engine Tune/Trouble Shooting, Typist/Receptionist, Shirt and Trousers Construction, Computer Literacy, Skills for the Automated Office, and Window Air Conditioning, among others.

Senate President Baboolal, Deosaran off to Canadian Parliament

Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal and Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran leave this weekend to attend a week-long attachment to the Canadian Parliament. Both senators will miss the ceremonial opening of Parliament which takes place on Monday. The comprehensive study programme is partly funded by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Ass-ociation. It is among other things aimed at strengthening the committee system by looking at the Canadian experience. Deosaran, who is chairman of a Joint Select Committee which examines the operations of Service Commissions and Municipal Corporations and one of the more senior senators, will be looking at how the very vibrant committee system functions. Baboolal’s training will include some focus on the role of the Presiding Officer. Canada was selected as the place for the training exercise because it has a more dynamic system than Trinidad and Tobago.

Hispanic women embrace TT children

“We are professional ladies who want to use our skills to give back to the country for allowing us to be here,” said Minou Morales-Montano, fashion designer and one of 35 members of Hispanic Women in Trinidad and Tobago (HWTT). When Sunday Newsday met with a few members of the group at their home base in Westmoorings, the home of HWTT President Dianny Hernandez, they were up to their elbows in paper work. It was an amalgamation of ideas from Spanish-speaking women from around the world. There were natives from Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico, Argentina, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba and Panama.

Their stay in Trinidad came as a result of being married to Trinidadians or their husbands were assigned to work in Trinidad. Although each spoke English, fluently, they were connected by their mother tongue, Spanish. Their skills varied from geologist to artist, flight attendant, business administrator, economist, psychologist, translator, Special Education teacher and dentist, to name a few. The project — coordinating what would be one of their biggest events to date — the staging of a hundred-piece Venezuelan youth orchestra in Trinidad, October 20-23. The concert is a bid to raise funds to install a neo-natal unit at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Though professionals in their particular fields, they are also mothers and they love children. For that reason, HWTT approached the Ministry of Health to ascertain what needs at the hospitals were a priority on its list, with children in mind. Everyone was assigned a task and while they chatted during the interview, others were away making arrangements for the event. A quick glance around the sitting room showed that they took their job, though voluntary, very seriously.

The curtain at one of the windows served as a notice board. Sheets of letter-sized paper joined by tape were affixed to the top of the window and draped down to the floor. “Those are everyone’s assignments for this project,” said HWTT Advertising Co-ordinator, Sofia Figueroa-Leon of Venezuela. Sofia’s husband is Trinidadian and as a result, “I had to learn all the Trinidad slang like ‘liming’ and ‘boldface’,” she said. “There is so much to do that sometimes I have to bring along my three-month-old baby (Hannah Sofia), my only child, to work.” Most of the women enjoy a brief stay in Trinidad, since their husbands, some diplomats, are posted in various countries. “We couldn’t work because we don’t have work permits,” said Sofia, “so what we can’t do on the job we do here.” Wife of the former Cuban Ambassador, Daisy Batistuta, initiated the group three years ago. “We have had many members but they come and go,” Minou added. However, HWTT Vice-President Andrina Cede?o, also Venezuelan, has been here for six years. “My first son is Trinidadian and the second one will also be Trinidadian,” she said. Andrina is seven months pregnant, and still enjoys meeting with the group on a daily basis. Marilu Kelshall, whose field is tourism, is wife of Andrew Kelshall and mother of one. “We all learn from everybody and we want just to give,” said Minou. “We feel useful, we’re active.”

CELLPHONE HORRORS

BE WARNED!
Somebody could be walking around with a cellphone that is on your name without your knowledge. The cellphone could either be stolen or could have been obtained through some kind of fraudulent means. That’s the verdict of top-ranking police officers and inside sources at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT). To make matters worse, the people using the cellphone on your name could be high-ranking criminals including murderers, kidnappers and fraudsters, or on the less worrisome side, pranksters who have nothing better to do than call the police to make crank calls. There are several cases in point perhaps too much to mention, but one that stands out is the one where a cellphone was recently found in a prison cell.

That phone, number 779-4413 was traced to a woman from the St Barb’s area.  But further investigations by this newspaper revealed that the woman who lives at that address carries a different name, close to the one who is said to be the owner of the cellphone. That woman has already denied any knowledge of the cellphone and the Mobile Department of the Telecommuni-cations Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has launched an internal investigation to determine how this could have happened.  Another situation developed on Friday when a man called the Emergency-999 Command Centre, saying that there were two separate shootings in Laventille and Aranguez. The caller who identified himself as “Ricky” stated that a man had been shot four times at Jonathan Avenue, Laventille.  That call came in at 10.12 am Friday and less than two minutes after, he called again saying that two men were “shooting up each other” in Aranguez. Police and members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) were despatched to the shooting scenes but there were no victims to be found. 

Upset police officers also said they encountered many problems to locate Jonathan Avenue, which turned out to be a fictitious address.
Realising that the calls were bogus, the number from which the prank calls came, was later identified as 766-4117, which rang out of service when Sunday Newsday called it. However, senior police officers said although a number is out of service it can still make calls to emergency numbers.
The cellphone number was later traced to a young woman from Lodge Alley Trace, Claxton Bay. When Sunday Newsday interviewed the woman on Friday she was in total shock to learn that the number was still in her name.  Not wanting to be identified, the woman confirmed that she once used the number. However, she explained that she went into TSTT’s Chaguanas branch on September 16 and the number was changed to another prepaid number at 11.36 am on that day.

The Claxton Bay woman said she sold the phone last Saturday, and that the initial number was changed on the buyer’s request because the buyer did not want any of her friends to be calling him on the old number. TSTT’s Mobile Manager, Michael Barrow supports this view, saying that when a number is changed, the old one immediately goes into a recycle bin and stays in quarantine for a minimum of six months, after which it could be used again. “This is consistent with the advisory we have sent out,” Barrow explained yesterday.  The TSTT manager said he could not say how the phone could still be in the woman’s name and said that he would have to check with the engineers to determine what could have happened. “It is information that needs to be investigated and that is what we are doing,” Barrow ended.  Senior police officers, meanwhile, told Sunday Newsday there appears to be some kind of racket going on, but were uncertain who was behind it and what the benefits are.

Disrespect for court

AN INQUEST is an important inquiry as it seeks to determine the truth about the death of persons occurring in strange, dubious or suspicuous circumstances. The cause of justice would demand that such inquiries be treated seriously and with a sense of urgency by all the parties involved, both witnesses and attorneys. That is why we find it quite outrageous for attorney-at-law Martin George to treat Coroner Sherman McNicolls and the matter currently before him with such scant regard.

It seems that Mr George considers attending an ordinary meeting of Crime Stoppers Inc, a public service group of which he is the chairman, as more important than his duties at the inquest into the fatal shooting of teenager Phillip Seerattan which took place at the International School at Westmoorings last November. As a result of Mr George’s absence, Coroner McNicolls had to adjourn Thursday’s sitting of the inquest to Friday October 3.  We agree entirely with attorney Lydia Mendonca who said that Mr George’s conduct amounted to total disrespect for the court. We cannot see anything on the Crime Stoppers agenda being so urgent as to take precedence over the sitting of the Coroner’s court. In our view, the proper course for Mr George was to have the Crime Stoppers meeting adjourned or to have it proceed without him.

Mr George could not be so shallow not to understand the importance of his role at the inquest, representing as he does one of the two police officers who responded to the call for help from the International School after Seerattan, armed with a gun, had invaded the premises and shot a security guard. The Coroner clearly could not proceed without this attorney. But what makes Mr George’s disrespect for the court even more offensive was his insistence on attending the Crime Stoppers meeting although the Coroner had informed him that Thursday’s sitting would proceed as scheduled. Mr McNicolls pointed out to the court that the attorney had faxed him a letter on Tuesday saying that he could not attend Thursday’s sitting because of his Crime Stoppers meeting. The Coroner then replied to him that the inquiry would proceed as scheduled. Instead of making the proper choice, however, Mr George went to his Crime Stoppers meeting and sent a copy of the same faxed letter to the court on Thursday.

Mr McNicolls, who is also Chief Magistrate, described Mr George’s conduct as “a classic case of how attorneys frustrate the functioning of the courts.” If what he says is true, that attorneys use excuses for this reprehensible purpose, then something is terribly wrong with the operation of our judicial system. Over the years, we have heard complaints from judicial officers about the stratagems some lawyers use to obtain repeated adjournments, thus unduly prolonging matters for their own purposes but creating painful delays and pile ups in the court system. If this “practice” still persists then it must be the responsibility of magistrates and judges to do something about it; to stop granting adjournments on flimsy excuses and to deal with delinquent attorneys. In any case, it would be horrible if the disrespect for the court shown by Mr George reflects the general attitude of our legal practitioners.

The ‘big three’ of success — purpose, passion, pursuit


When real passion is present, even the most daunting challenges are conquered in the relentless pursuit of purpose. The incredible is accomplished… Passion fuels pursuit to fulfil purpose.


Purpose, passion and pursuit can be described as three very fundamental elements of every person’s existence. To a large extent, this triplet determine the success or failure, and very meaning of life.

Whether or not we realise it, everyone alive is always in pursuit of something — an objective, a goal, a target. From the crying baby in the crib, to the dad or mom who hastily heads out to the workplace, we all begin each day in pursuit of something — or many things. That which we pursue forms part of the purpose (or destiny). The conviction, resolve and drive with which we pursue the purpose, is called the passion. The essential value which we attach to the purpose, would decide the depth and quality of the passion with which we pursue. And the passion (or persistence) that we exercise is, in most cases, the primary determining factor, in terms of the final results. How many times the absence or lack of passion results in the abortion or death of a most marvellous dream or vision? There is an absence of the passion to pursue, so no move is made, nothing is accomplished. On the other hand, when real passion is present, even the most daunting challenges are conquered in the relentless pursuit of purpose. The incredible is accomplished. Passion fuels pursuit to fulfil purpose. We can’t beat the old maxim: “Where there is a will, there is a way.”

We were all designed by the Creator for success. Really, God makes no failures. It’s however up to us, the creation, to use the intrinsic resources provided by the Creator, to appropriate the intended and desired success. Life and history furnish us with some outstanding examples of the amazing power of passion in achieving purpose. A living example is South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. Twenty-seven tormenting, intensely oppressing years in jail did not have enough extinguishing power to quench the fire in the soul of this hero of Black Liberation. Twenty-seven years of living in the valley of the shadow of death, tightly shackled in the captivity of his most bitter enemies, completely failed to persuade the lion-hearted Mandela to recant. In fact, his tenacity in passionate pursuit of purpose, effectively assisted in applying the degree of pressure necessary to bring his rivals humbly to their knees, as the evil of apartheid shattered to pieces.

Take a look at the phenomenal Lance Armstrong. Literally defying death, under the cruel challenge of cancer, the amazing athlete has held the world spellbound. Describing cancer as merely “an unexpected gift,” the two-time Olympian, five-time Tour de France winner, world champion cyclist has most convincingly demonstrated the awesome power of passion to succeed against the most extreme odds. We also look at the passion of noted Evangelists such as Charles Finney, Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, and biblical figures like Moses, Joshua and Jeremiah, and we marvel. We envy his resolve, as we observe the virtually unparalleled passion and pursuit of the Apostle Paul, who loudly proclaimed: “None of these things (vicious acts of persecution) move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish my course with joy.”  (Acts 20:24). And most certainly, the passion of Christ himself, is in a class all by itself.

It will be instructive for us to review a few basic stumbling blocks to passion:
*Unclear purpose: Purpose, cause, objective, goal, vision, mission, must be very clearly defined and understood. A “burden” must be developed for some, before pursuit is embarked upon.
*Fear of failure (FOF): Fear, especially the fear of failure, (which includes the consequences of failure) can be particularly cruel to passion for pursuit. Resolute faith and optimism are imperatives. Simply put, you use PMA to defeat FOF — use a positive mental attitude to defeat the fear of failure.
*Plain laziness: Sometimes our passive, nonchalant approach to pursuit has to do simply with slothfulness and irresponsible behaviour. A diametric change in attitude (which replaces laziness with diligence) is the only sure cure. Attitude determines altitude.
*Defects in focus/consistency: Challenges of various types can prove to be great enemies of passion. As difficulties are encountered in the process, passion tends to weaken. There must be a radical determination to stay on course.
While we look at the matter of passion and pursuit, we need to be ever conscious of the fact that there are extremely diabolical elements in our world, who possess incredibly deep passions for the most nefarious aspirations. Call them terrorists or anything else, the evil is the evil. The frightening thing is that if the passion which these elements have for evil, outweighs our passion for good, then evil wins over good. Just remember, that all it takes for evil to prevail, is for good men to do nothing. All in all, place your faith in God and His Son, as you pursue purpose with passion.

Coast Guard’s vital role against crime

THE EDITOR: It is with a degree of relief that I note that Prime Minister Manning has promised to tackle the issue of security along Trinidad and Tobago’s coastlines very closely. For too long successive administrations have concentrated their resources for crime prevention, and particularly the fight against illegal weapons and drugs, on the Regiment and the Police at the expense of the Coast Guard.

The Regiment and the Police, with all their fancy equipment, new cars and highly paid personnel, can only be effective after illegal immigrants, arms, drugs and other illegal hardware have actually entered the country and been distributed. Detection or knowledge is only gained after the guns etc have already been used. How much more effective would it be if there was an enhanced effort at intercepting the guns, illegal immigrants and drugs before they reach our shores? To do this there needs to be a revised policy on the relative importance of the Coast Guard vis-a-vis the Police and Regiment. An undermanned, under equipped and overworked Coast Guard using “foreign-used” obsolete boats, including ancient refurbished fishing trawlers, and other unsuitable equipment cannot play the role that is so necessary to a successful drive against illegal immigrants, guns and drugs, vital to winning the war against crime.

I myself, as a pastime and hobby, am very involved with the seas around our coast and in the wider Caribbean. Take it from me that the relatively few “foreign-used” craft that our Coast Guard have been outfitted with are no match for the several fast cruisers, foreign pirogues, pleasure boats and other types of craft that cruise our waters with impunity, most of them on legitimate and recreational business, but enough on drug and gun running to create a serious embarrassment to our efforts at security, and danger to our citizens. The few boats we possess have passed their useful age, need excessive maintenance — at cost to the taxpayer — breakdown too often, and are too slow and badly equipped to be any match for the hardware of the smuggler and gun runner. Our boats would find it extremely difficult to mount an effective intercept mission.

Trinidad and Tobago would do well to de-emphasise the role of the Regiment and Police in such operations and re-emphasise the role and importance of the Coast Guard in the preventative aspects of national security. Who knows, if we can effectively keep the arms out we may not even need the Regiment and could train these men as Police – they are more and more being used to supplement the Police Force anyway. Tackling our dilemma by over-emphasis on Police and Regiment is defensive and reactive. To win the battle the need is to assume the offensive and be pro-active in respect of crime and this means more emphasis on our Coast Guard please. New boats, to proper design and adequately equipped (not second hand), competent officers and crew (forget nepotism) of appropriate rank, in the required quantity and with the necessary status and pre-requisites are a must. Let us take back our country from the criminals by stopping the flow of weapons, illegal immigrants and drugs by intercepting them before they reach our shores.

MARK JEFFERSON
Princes Town

Prowler, the polished professional

THE EDITOR: Mystic Prowler felt that somehow he had been ditched by the New York calypso connection and singled out for a boycott.

He would tell others that he would never again get a call to perform in the Big Apple. The early ties that took him and the original cast of the Living Legends of Calypso to the recording studios to record the classic Glamour Boys Again CD, and then on to New York, Boston and Montreal for the Living Legends tour were severed; the strained relations that resulted kept him at bay, hospitable but hurt. And he was partly right. Prowler could be difficult, detached and aloof. But he could be also generous, even humble and charming. He felt himself the outsider, the underdog, even after he captured the Calypso Monarch crown in 1998, and his condescending personality underscored the situation. These complexities were at the root of his estrangement. He kept his distance and many of his compatriots, in turn, kept him at a distance. Travel, if nothing else, require camaraderie. The road requires sharing and compromise. From New York to Boston to Montreal and back to New York, with hundreds of miles of ole talk, banter and shooting the breeze to pass the time. Prowler hardly mixed.

None of this, however, detracted from his obvious talent. And Roy Lewis was a talented man. His detachment might have turned away some people, but no one could say that he was not the polished professional in the way he prepared himself for every performance and the way he carried himself on and off stage. And it is how I will cherish his memory, always dapper, always on time and no matter what the distraction might be, once he hit the stage, his trademark dimple and broad gold-toothed smile would catch on instantly and make you a believer in his music and charm. Calypso has lost a genuine troubadour, because Mystic-Prowler was first and foremost a student of the art form, a vintage connoisseur who lived as a depository for the living record of the classics and soul of the nation. At 59, with his career still in ascension, and with a fruitful collaboration with songwriter Gregory ‘GB’ Ballentyne, we could only speculate what might have been for this bard. And yet another star has gone out from Calypso’s bright constellation.


DAWAD PHILIP
Domino Productions,
Brooklyn, NY

Jane Public must beat Moruga

JANE PUBLIC are in a must-win situation versus Moruga today as the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Football Association (TTWFA) 2003 season continues.

The Macoya-based lasses need full points against the Southerners at Otis Memorial Park, Grand Chemin, Moruga, to maintain any hope of lifting the league trophy. And the current runners-up have 24 points from nine matches, with TIAHCO Stingrays leading the way with a maximum 30 from 10. Petrotrin are third on the table with 18 points following a 7-0 thrashing of Pro Sports Central United at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre on Tuesday night. Natalie Des Vignes slammed six, including five in the first half, while Terri-Lisa John added the other. In another match tomorrow, Cruz International will face off against fellow strugglers Arima Ball Masters at the Aranguez Savannah. Both matches kick off at 3.30 pm.
































































































































Current Standings
P W D L F A Pts
Stingrays 10 10 0 0 58 3 30
Jane Public 9 8 0 1 48 7 24
Petrotrin 7 6 0 1 48 1 18
Memphis 8 6 0 2 31 15 18
Central United 10 5 0 5 22 30 15
Real Dimension 7 5 0 2 20 6 15
Net Shakers 8 4 0 4 20 17 12
Moruga 7 3 1 3 13 26 10
St David’s United 9 1 2 7 10 46 5
Arima Ball Masters 10 1 0 9 7 56 3
Cruz International 10 0 1 9 3 49 1

Lakers swirl atop ‘Big Six’ in T’go

ROXBOROUGH Lakers took a giant step towards promotion to next year’s Warner’s Group of Companies Semi-Professional League in the Tobago Football Association, when they whipped Sea Level Goal City 3-1 in their “Big Six” match at Roxborough.

Leading scorer Dyke Reid netted a double and Kwesi Beckles got the other goal for the Lakers in Thursday’s match, while Odinga Walker got the consolation. And in another match at Canaan No 1 Ground also on Thursday, Kevin Patterson and Joel Quashie scored a goal each for Mason Hall Police Youth Club to edge Calder Hall 2-1.  Brent Joefield got the reply. The TFA executive will decide the outcome of the third match on Thursday, as Golden Lane failed to turn up at Canaan No 2 Ground for their match.