Thousands of patrons at the first Tobago International Gospel Festival at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex Saturday evening got a practical lesson in show taping for commercial television American style. They were told where and how to stand and applaud; they were drilled in how to maintain sustained applause; they were ordered to turn off their cell phones, and not chew gum.
‘One, two, three,’ and all of Shaw Park, including THA Chief Secretary Orville London and a large contingent of THA officials, stood up and roared in applause…perhaps at themselves. Firstly, the patrons at the back were ordered to come forward; the first row, and the succeeding maybe ten to 15 rows, had to be completely filled. It was all orchestrated and artificially choreographed; not spontaneous or ‘real,’ an act, actually a ‘performance’‘ more like ‘commercialised’ religion straight off of cable television in the US. Actually it was!
The dress rehearsal and applause preceeded the performance of Dr Bobby Jones, of BET (Black Entertainment cable television network in the US) fame, and the Nashville Super Choir came during the second half of the gospel fest —staged by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) — which was filmed for screening on cable gospel TV in the US by Armon Enterprises, producers. After Dr Jones and his group had completed their second performance, there came an announcement that they had got some ‘bad audio’ in the opening performance, and had to do it all over again. It was back to the ‘five, four, three, two, one,’ applause routine. It was a really dynamic performance from Dr Jones and his group, complete with revolving coloured lights and other stage effects.
PRESIDENT George Maxwell Richards said on Saturday night that deforestation was a major problem in Trinidad and Tobago, since it triggered off a range of adverse environmental impacts, notably soil erosion, silting and severe flooding of rivers and streams, flash flooding and clogging of water inlets.
As a result he felt the authorities should facilitate the development of policy, the formulation of programmes, the monitoring function “and as important as anything else, the raising of public awareness for, and participation in remedial environmental action.” President Richards was the focus of attention on Saturday night at the Rotary Club of Maraval’s Tenth Anniversary celebrations, held at the Anchorage Entertainment Centre in Chaguaramas. The impressive ceremony, was well attended by such personalities as the Canadian High Commis-sioner, Simon Wade and his wife. President Richards was made an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Maraval. Furthermore, he gave the feature address at the function. The President made it clear that he was given “carte blanche” by outgoing president Brenda Clarke to speak on the topic of his choice. So he chose to share with his captive audience what he regarded as “random thoughts on a subject which I regard as critical to our national development, and in which we should all take a strong interest — “The Important Question of the Environ-ment.”
President Richards said he was dealing with the subject in the hope that there will be a greater public awareness of the issues involved. “The fact that we are in the North Western Peninsula, an area threatened by environmental change, has also encouraged me to speak on this subject,” he added. President Richards stressed that the people of Trinidad and Tobago are not immune from the problems that beset the rest of the world, and are as imperilled as anywhere else by the global environmental crisis.” The President who is a former Prinicipal of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, and who is well- respected for his academic achievements called for drastic action. He noted that the scientific community sees the problem as potentially very serious.
In his elaborative address, he noted that in Trinidad and Tobago, there were problems of land degradation, damage to wet lands, sewage wastes, industrial wastes, fertilisation hazards, water pollution and fish growth, hazards of excessive use of pesticides and protection of the costal zone. The President noted: “Destruction of coastal wetlands, removal of mangrove areas and alteration of the coastline for coastal development, continue to occur in a largely unplanned, un-coordinated and disintegrated fashion. “Witness the North Coast peninsula, — decisions are often made without taking into account, adverse ecological and economic consequences.” He referred especially to such activities as dredging and harbour construction, that change water patterns. President Richards stressed that the country forests represent a most important ecosystem in maintaining ecological balance. However, deforestation and degradation of these forests are major threats to their preservation. Then he noted: The major causes of such deforestation are expansion of agriculture through forest clearing, often by “slash and burn” methods, and unregulated building and settlement.
But President Richards observed that in spite of what was happening, “it is gratifying to note that, through the Environmental Management Authority and other organisations, such as the Institute of Marine Affairs, the institutional framework in relation to environmental issues was being strengthened. He warned that there was no greater danger that Trinidad and Tobago faced, as it enters the third millemmium, than the implications of the crisis of the environment.
THE State has been ordered to pay damages to a man who spent extra time in prison because of a mix-up with his name.
Sherwin Gilbert, 34, a barber of Carlton Lane, San Fernando, was mistaken for Kerwyn Gilbert, another man for whom a warrant for arrest was issued by a High Court judge. In a writ against the State for wrongful detention, Gilbert (Sherwin) stated that he was jailed for a month for failure to pay a court fine. But upon the end of the jail term on July 31, 1998, Gilbert was informed that he had to be further detained on a bench warrant issued by Justice Herbert Volney.
Gilbert stated that he protested his further incarceration but was taken from the Frederick Street prison to Golden Grove to begin serving the extra jail term. He was then released on September 18, 1998, after his attorney filed a habeas corpus application. When hearing of the writ came up yesterday before Justice Maureen Rajnauth Lee, State attorneys consented to a judgment in favour of Gilbert. It was ordered that damages be assessed by a Master of the High Court for Gilbert’s false imprisonment between July 31, 1998 to September 18.
THE INDUSTRIAL Court has ordered an advertising company to pay one of its workers $316,000 as damages for what the court deemed as ‘wrongful dismissal.’
The Court said the companys, Hernandez/FCB Limited must pay the worker, Deocharan Singh the money within 42 days of the judgment which was given earlier this month. Singh was a $10,900 a month employee whose substantive position was that of Accounts Manager. The Banking, Insurance and General Workers’ Union (BIGWU) which watched Singh’s interest reported that Singh was dismissed in circumstances that were “harsh, oppressive and not in keeping with the principles and practices of good industrial relations”. In making out its case, the union claimed that the worker was accused by the company of using advertising rates of two companies, in order to obtain favourable rates for third parties.
According to BIGWU, the company also accused Singh of causing the invoices for work done for third parties to be billed to the said company’s clients. To these accusations Singh said he had the normal verbal authorisation and invited the company to verify this with the said clients. In its arguments, the union said that over the years, Singh had developed a style of his own with the full knowledge and acceptance of the company from which it had benefited tremendously. The worker denied all the allegations made against him by the company. It came out in evidence that he had an unblemished work record throughout his years of service, and had been commended by the Managing Director, Ric Hernandez for being an outstanding performer.
In its arguments, the company said among other things that the worker did not have the permission to do what he did, he endangered the company’s reputation, he ignored the company’s instruction, and was given numerous opportunities to reform his behaviour and practice, but it was to no avail. During testimony, Singh who was the union’s sole witness explained that the advertising industry was a very competitive one in which one operating in his capacity, must be able to develop innovative strategies for the survival and growth of the company. He explained that one of his traits was that he liked helping people, and because of this, he was able to make strategic contracts with key persons in the society and this in turn served to enhance the company’s business. After reviewing all the oral testimonies, the Court found that Singh did not breach the company’s policy by seeking and obtaining verbal approval for use of the client’s low rates or sponsorship of third party advertisements.
It noted too that the company’s Chief Executive testified that this was permissible in certain circumstances. The Court found that the company dismisssed the worker under harsh and oppressive conditions, and in a manner contrary to the principle of good industrial relations practice. The Court’s members were Herbert Soverall, Presiding Member, Albert Aberdeen and Sat Maharaj – members.
ELEVEN Caroni Limited workers who were dismissed from their jobs on September 10, 1996, are to be reinstated in their former positions without loss of earnings and fringe benefits — thanks to the Industrial Court which gave its order last week.
The workers are Kissoon Nagessar, Patrick Isaac, Bridgelal Lalee (Drivers); Parasram Doobal Dass, Sooklal Mohan, Patrick Modeste, Steve Bujhawan Mahadeo Jaggernath and Malcolm Ramjugsingh (Mechanics); Krishendath Ramdeen (Chargehand Mechanic) and Amzad Ali Khan (Welder). In the case of Mohan, Ramjugsingh, Dass, Nagessar and Modeste, they have to be reinstated from September 23, 1996 (the period September 10 to 22 1996) to be treated as no-pay suspension. The other workers are to be reinstated with effect from September 10, 1996. The company is to recover overpaid amounts it claimed it made. The genesis of the dispute was that on September 10, 1996 the workers were suspended for “gross dishonesty” in that they failed to report a series of overpayments in their paypackets between September 1995 and August 1996.
The All Trinidad and General Workers Union which held brief for the workers, said in its statement of Evidence and Arguments that the workers were not involved in the preparation of time reports for payment purposes, nor did they have access to time cards for hours worked. It added: “The exclusive authority for the preparation of time reports and extracting hours worked from time cards rested solely in the hands of the timekeeper. After considering all evidence given at the hearing of the dispute the Court ruled that if a worker misappropriated a company’s property, he would have to carry out some act either by himself, or in collusion with someone else. According to the Court, the company had abandoned that plank of its case, ”. It concluded: “We find that in the absence of a dishonest act on the part of the workers directly connected to, or resulting in their overpayment, the ultimate sanction of dismissal was excessive. “If we were to agree with the company, then a worker who is overpaid in a backpay exercise is placed at risk of dismissal if he fails to report. We are unable to support such proposition”. After taking note of certain other factors, the Court determined that the action of the company was harsh and oppressive and contrary to the principles of good industrial relations practice. The Court comprised Ramchand Lutchmedial and Paul Lai.
Questionable financial donations are provided from businesses and other private sources to fund the election campaign of political parties in the Caribbean, says Director of the UWI Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, Professor Ramesh Deosaran.
Speaking in Italy, at a recent United Nations sponsored forum on Inter-regional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Deosaran told the experts “in some Caribbean States, strong suspicions exist over the connections between such election donations, drug trafficking, and money laundering “Can a government whose election victory is helped by such donations really make laws or implement policies that will affect the business of such donors”, asked Professor Deosaran. On another matter he noted that crime data across the Caribbean was in a very untidy and inefficient state. He noted that there were no systematic ways of reporting crime data across the Caribbean. “The compilation, reporting and dissemination procedures need quick improvements. “The Caribbean now needs very urgently a fresh, modernised understanding of the role of crime data for civil society and good governance,” said Deosaran. He emphasised that given the state of crime and the conditions which relate to such crimes, the Caribbean now needs to be treated as a region separate from Latin America.
Deosaran pointed out that given the increasing thrust towards community policing across the Caribbean, the use of detailed crime data will be of increasing importance, and such data will help serve as a magnet for attracting and sustaining public support for community policing in the Caribbean. “In order to drive effective policing on the basis of strategic intelligence, and especially for crimes such as kidnapping and terrorism, a sophisticated system of crime reporting, compilation, retrieval and dissemination is an imperative,” said Deosaran. He also spoke about crimes against tourists in the Caribbean, and added that the rate of serious crimes in the Caribbean has been a matter of grave concern. “The crime fluctuates very much from one state to another. For example in 2002, the serious crime rate in St Kitts-Nevis was 44 per 1,000 persons; in St Lucia 82 per 1,000 and in Trinidad and Tobago 13 per 1,000,” said Professor Deosaran. He said the need for citizen participation and support for the police in the fight against crime has been repeatedly emphasised.
THE Met Office at Piarco predicts the likelihood of a somewhat rainy Election Day today with the possibility of heavily overcast skies and windy weather conditions.
The conditions took a toll at the weekend in various parts of Central and South Trinidad experiencing flood. Barrackpore was hardest hit when the Oropouche River burst its banks, causing water to rise to almost four feet at Rochard Douglas Road, Valley Line, Kanhai Road and New Colonial Road. Hundreds of people were left marooned in their homes Saturday night. Villagers claimed they lost dozens of ducks and chickens. When Newsday toured the areas around mid-morning yesterday, Rochard Road, No One and Two, was impassable.
Rudranath Sankar’s Resturant and Bar’s was under two feet of water, but subsiding slowly. Sonnylal Maharaj, of Kanhai Road, told Newsday that he was forced to take his goats from their pen and onto the porch of his home. Barrackpore police said several people returning around midnight from a party on the Gran Chemin, Moruga beach, were left stranded until 3 am in their vehicles along the Rochard Douglas Road.
Intermittent showers and heavily overcast skies yesterday, put a damper on last-lap Local Government campaigning by political parties in San Fernando. A motorcade in the city was conducted amidst persistent rains, but was cut short by lightning and thunder.
The extent of environmental influences on the individual has generated much scientific debate. However, research has shown that traumatic experiences can alter a child’s brain development.
Head of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Psychiatrist Dr Marilyn Benoit said, “In the developing brain, the laying down of infrastructure of the neural circuitry is affected by experiences and interactions with the environment.” Early in life, children need families, homes and a loving and nurturing relationship with an important person. Benoit said the impersonal setting of day care centres are not good for children. Addressing the topic “Creating Healthy Families” at the Family Planning Association on TT’s Annual General Meeting which recently took place at Crowne Plaza, she said environment can stimulate DNA to produce special proteins which cause people to develop traits which are inherent but will not show unless aroused by environmental factors. A substance-abusing mother can create a toxic environment for her unborn child in the womb. “That is where the brain and other organs begin development and the toxic effect can start here.”
The family, neighbourhood, community and society also influence the way the individual and family develops. Research has found that children who receive more warmth and acceptance from mothers are less likely to have behavioural problems and have a higher self-esteem. Those who are harshly punished are also more likely to demonstrate aggression towards themselves and others. Benoit said children who are physically abused have a higher tendency to be abusers themselves. “Traumatic experiences like physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect actually alter the brain structure. There is a part of the brain that becomes hyper alert and these children are more likely to lash out, apparently for no reason.” Benoit said this part of the brain is constantly scanning the environment while the area responsible for memory shrinks.
Risk factors such as poverty, teen pregnancy, single parenting, substance abuse, pre-term delivery, mental illness in parents, domestic violence, child maltreatment all have adverse influences on the child and family. However, no one factor is responsible. Benoit said, “When you study a family or child, you look at how many of these factors accumulate in this person or family’s life and therefore putting them at greater risk for dysfunction.” She said poverty is a significant risk factor across all cultures and where it is present and combined with other factors, families are at risk. Among the protective factors which have positive influences on the individual are good quality parenting, a high level of education of parents, higher socio-economic status, support from extended family members, participation in faith-based belief system and a positive sense of one’s ethnicity and culture. Giving her views on how a society can promote healthy development, Benoit said research on early childhood development should be disseminated. “We must have public policies which integrate those research findings. Too often public policy has to do with politics, and politics has to do with people wanting to be in power…policy should be informed by good research.”
Benoit said there should be a broad-based public health plan of intervention and development. She appealed for the reintroduction of public health nurses to visit homes. The healthy family should be promoted and healthy communities (including adequate food and housing) promoted. Housing, health care and education must also be accessible and affordable. Benoit said substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, community violence, teen pregnancy must be reduced. Education is also important in promoting healthy development. She said the literacy rate of the entire population (women in particular) had to be improved. Psychosocial variables play a critical role in brain development. Benoit said when society has “good brains,” (those not exposed to risk factors such as substance abuse, family and community violence) then the thinking, social and emotional development and behaviour of children improve.
THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) will have few questions for the Government when the Senate sits at 1.30 pm tomorrow, 24 hours after today’s Local Government Election. Senate Opposition Leader Wade Mark will question Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas about salaries paid to WASA executives, plans to increase water rates and repairs to an underground leak in the Belmont area.
UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh has one question to Housing Minister Martin Joseph on a recently signed housing loan agreement between Government and the Inter-American Development Bank. Opposition Senator Jennifer Jones Kernahan will ask Agriculture Minister John Rahael about the State’s land policy for Trinidad and Tobago and other agriculture matters. UNC Senator Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan will ask Energy Minister Eric Williams about the country’s proven natural gas reserves. There are no questions for UNC Senator Arnim Smith who was embarrassed at last week’s sitting when his senatorial appointment was temporarily revoked and then reinstated after Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) executive member Dr Patricia Deonarine failed to show up. The UNC wanted to appoint Deonarine as a temporary Opposition Senator so she could offer a doctor’s perspective on proposed amendments to the Medical Board Act.
Debate will continue on Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran’s motion for live televised parliamentary debates and Independent Senator Ken Ramchand’s motion for a Technical University of TT. The Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal remains off the Senate Order Paper while a UNC motion on equal opportunity legislation has been dropped. UNC motions on terrorism, the banking sector and corruption in public office will also be up for debate.
Development of the culinary sector is a vital component of the overall tourism product, says Diana Cohen Chan, President of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association.
Her statement received endorsement from Samdai Rampersad, Director of Planning and Research who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Pennelope Beckles. Rampersad said Government viewed the development of the local tourism industry as critical to the national economic development, to harnessing the skills and talents of the people and to foster social harmony in the nation. Their statements were made at the recent Awards Ceremony for the 2003 Trinidad Hotels Restaurants and Tourism Association/Angostura Aromatic Bitters Culinary Masters Competition, recently hosted by the Trinidad Hospitality Institute, Airways Road, Chaguaramas.
The National Culinary Team which will compete in the regional competition in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from October 3 to 5, comprises three chefs, a bartender and a pastry chef. TT will be represented by the top three chefs in the competition, Sisira Pathirana (Hilton Tobago), Tricia Corbin (Solimar International Fine Food), Randy Ramsubhag (Cara Suites), as well as Bartender Roger Rampersad and pastry chef, Herve Lecomte.
Winners in the different categories were as follows:
Chef of the Year — Sisira Pathirana (Hilton Tobago), Pastry Chef of the Year — Herve Lecomte (Linda’s Bakery), Bartender of the Year — Roger Rampersad (Solimar International Fine Food), Waiter of the Year — Bernard Glaude (Hilton Trinidad), Chef/Waiter Team of the Year — Sisira Pathirana and John Campo (Hilton Trinidad). TT, through the Caribbean Hotel Association, was fortunate to secure the services of renowned chef and judge of many regional and international competitions, Augusto Schreiner of Puerto Rico.
The Culinary Committee, chaired by Rachel Bryden, is optimistic about the success of the team in the regional competition. In 1999, the last time the regional competition was held, TT secured a gold medal in the team event as well as four silver medals and a bronze medal in the individual events.
