This was mentioned by radio personality Garth St Clair, host of the popular Eye On Dependency radio programme on i95FM, at the end of Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) North Zone annual July/August Junior Vacation Camp, at the Grand Stand Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of- Spain.

Students between the ages of five to 16 years participated in a two- weeks camp, learning about calypso music, and the culture of the art form. The students were given a lecturer on the dangers and usage of illicit drugs, and they also got a first hand experience to view synthetic hard core drugs, displayed by Inspector Kyon Wilson from the Central Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau.

Being a recovered illicit substance user, St Clair said it is quite alarming, and noted more should be done to protect the younger generation from gravitating toward substance abuse.

“I know how dangerous drugs are and from some of the questions that were asked in the class this morning…

some of the children are eight and nine, and majority of them admitted that they have had a drink of alcohol already. They are not 25 years as yet. Although I have heard stuff like this before, I am always surprised despite the information out there.” He continued, “Parents still see it fit to give children drugs or alcohol. Despite all the information and the dangers of substance abuse, some family members still see it get to give their child alcohol or drugs. Imagine children at that tender age admitted that they tried ‘Black and White whisky’, Polar Beer’ and, ‘Stag’, and things that I myself never used.” He said the situation is scary and if the problem is not dealt with some of them can move onto harder drugs. He said the camp works with the children to educate them not only about the art form of TT culture but all aspect of life.

St Clair said recently the United Nation stated that if a young person wants to try drugs or consume alcohol, they should at least wait until they reach 25-years of age when the brain is fully developed, and they can make a decision.

The students all agreed that the camp was very informative not only about TT culture but about all aspect of life, and looked forward to next year’s camp activities. They were presented with certificates of participation, and were treated to lunch and snacks at the end of the camp.

“I know there has been a lot of miscommunication,” Carlyle Holder told reporters after his sister’s farewell service at Allen’s Funeral Chapel, Broadway, Arima. “Basically, I don’t want to get into details.” Holder, who has lived in the United States since the 1970s, claimed neither he nor his elder sister were apprised of the details concerning Holder-Alvarez’s funeral arrangements.

“I wasn’t contacted and my sister was not contacted and we were travelling. So, it (funeral) just could not happen.

There were still family members that were travelling. I see that it became a big feud and it shouldn’t have been.

“I got a call the morning that the service was going on and one of my family members, right when it began, said it was out of order. And really, that’s it. “Is not about what I want or what nobody else wants.

So, that is really what happened. So, we would have missed everything if it had continued on Thursday.” During Holder-Alvarez’s funeral service on Thursday, a woman, believed to be her aunt, walked into the church and, in full view of mourners, announced the funeral could not take place.

Her declaration elicited shock among members of the congregation, including officiating priest Fr Emmanuel Pierre.

After the announcement, Holder-Alvarez’ casket was quickly placed in a hearse and taken to a funeral home as mourners remained baffled by the unfortunate development.

Holder-Alvarez, 46, a popular host at Synergy TV, lost her battle with lupus on July 15.

Yesterday, Holder described the controversy surrounding Thursday’s funeral service as sad.

“In a time of grieving, it was sad that it had this type of thing transpiring. Everything should be in order and if I was here that would not have happened. Had they called me, we would have accommodated everybody’s wishes because we know that everybody wanted to give her a good sending-off.” Holder joked his sister had always told friends her death would bring “bacchanal.” “So, everything happened for a reason.

While we can blame, that is life and death. Unfortunately that transpired but at the end of the day, she got the wishes that she wanted. Because I tell everybody, I’m just her brother.” Holder-Alvarez, who converted to Islam in her latter years, became known in some circles as Carlet Muhummad.

And although Islam does not subscribe to cremation but burial, the media worker was cremated at Allen’s Funeral Home after the service in a marked departure from the tenets of the faith.

Holder explained the reason behind the decision to cremate her remains.

“Carlet had asked that she be cremated but we knew she was a Muslim.

So we asked her teacher, Mr (David) Muhummad if there could be compromise without violating the true principles of what she requested. In death, we want to make sure that Carlet’s wishes are honoured and that is really what it was.” Earlier, in his eulogy, Nation of Islam local representative and radio talk show host David Muhummad, one of Holder-Alvarez’s childhood friends, revealed they converted to Islam within a year of each-other. He assumed his Islamic name on February 26, 1996 while she did so on February 26, 1997.

He said she occasionally co-hosted his radio talk show The Black Agenda whenever he went abroad. He told a small gathering Holder- Alvarez will be remembered for her joyful, infectious personality.

“One thing that we could say Carlet has over most of us, if not all of us, is that she would have brought more joy to you who knew her, more than anyone else probably who you know,” he said.

He criticised those who delight in other people’s pain.

“Some of us are toxic, bitter, and cannot communicate with anyone unless we deliver poison.

Some of us feel we uplift ourselves by dragging down others,” he said.

All will welcome last week’s launch of a test programme involving sixty cameras. In theory these items can assist the Police Service in assessing: the quality of hotspot patrols; the use of force by police officers whilst out on duty; firearm discharge by police officers; injuries caused to police officers during police civilian interactions; and injuries caused to civilians during police civilian interactions. All of these are matters which, as noted by Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, go to the integrity and credibility of the force itself.

For too long the service has been dogged by instances of civilian deaths, complaints about corruption as well as the actions of rogue cops. Body cameras, if properly used, will not only catch the bad apples that spoil the bunch, but they will demonstrate how people are interacting with the police. They shield civilians and officers alike.

However, this is only the case if these cameras are consistently and universally used. While we welcome the test pilot involving sixty cameras, we hope the Police Service will be able to roll-out a far more comprehensive program eventually. A “national level study” is something that sounds good. But we know enough to know that the Service must go further. It should not and cannot use the notion of conducting research as a fig leaf to delay universal implementation.

Furthermore, a policy must be developed with regard to the use of these cameras during joint police/army patrols. Will soldiers also have to wear these cameras when accompanying police officers? If not, is this not a large gap in coverage? Joint police/army patrols are used for serious threats to peace and order and therefore it would seem the need for an objective record of events is even more urgent in these circumstances.

A rule and procedure must also be developed making use of the cameras compulsory and forbidding arbitrary cut-off and/or tampering. At the launch event last week, Williams addressed the issue of police officers turning the cameras on and off saying the Police Service is trying to allow their experiment to run with the cameras being on all the time with the exception of an officer going to the restroom.

It is essential that these cameras are operational at all times during all official police duties and operations. While it stands to reason that an officer is entitled to some degree of bodily privacy, great care must be taken in formulating rules governing when and how a police officer should disengage.

Many will agree that an officer should be allowed privacy in a bathroom inside a police station.

But if an officer apprehends a suspect in a public restroom, then the situation calls for more thought. Every rule has the potential to be abused.

Internationally, the experience thus far has shown the perils of allowing cameras to be switched off. The recent police shooting of Australian national Justine Damond has caused outrage in the US and beyond (the Minneapolis police chief has resigned) due to the lack of body-camera footage.

In that incident, Damond had reported suspicious activity and then ended up dead.

At stake is the credibility of our national Police Service, still reeling from a spate of civilian killings and unanswered questions surrounding the infamous day of Total Policing in 2015.

For now, we welcome the arrival of these cameras on the scene and express the hope that their implementation will be a success and will, in the long-run, make a big difference

According to a police report, the body is that of an East Indian male between the ages of 50 and 55. He was wearing a green t-shirt and black pair of pants .

No further details were given about the discovery .

However, up to yesterday evening, police confirmed the body was not yet identified .

Anyone with information can contact the Chaguanas Police Station at 665-5271 or the nearest police station .

When Sunday Newsday contacted Deputy CEO of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, Neville Wint, he said he had only received preliminary reports at the time but teams from the various regional corporations were in the field assessing the situation.

“We know rivers would have crested in some areas and in some places it would have burst. There are sporadic reports of landslides and flooded homes in those areas.

We are trying to assess the impact.” One driver on his way into Santa Cruz yesterday afternoon said the traffic was at a standstill outside La Canoa Village as drivers were unable to pass.

“As far as the eye could see the whole road was water,” he said.

Realising there was nowhere to go, the driver said many drivers simply turned off their engines to wait for the water to recede.

Some exited their cars with umbrellas and either walked to the flood area to see the reason for the stalled traffic, or to wait in nearby shops and generally find shelter. Still others walked to the bridge at Hololo Mountain Road to watch the water in the river rush by.

However, a few drivers of pick-up trucks slowly made their way through the floods while others who tried the same experienced mechanical problems and stalled.

A release from the Coast Guard said one of its interceptors was on patrol at about 11.43 pm when it saw a 28-foot white pirogue with two men.

As the interceptor approached, the pirogue sped up and the interceptor chased it.

Coast Guard members managed to catch up with the boat and boarded it.

During a search, they allegedly found 52 packages of marijuana with an estimated street value of $375,000 in two bags.

The men were said to be a Venezuelan who was previously held for brining an undocumented Egyptian into the country, and a Trinidadian.

They were detained and handed over to the Organised Crime Narcotics and Firearms Bureau.

In a letter yesterday, Maharaj said there were reports in the media on Friday that the Judiciary has moved to seal all the documents filed.

“It is to be noted that the President under the law can only be sued in the name of the Attorney General. This is made clear by the State Liability and Proceedings Act.” Maharaj said he was contacted by reporters who asked whether it was true the proceedings were sealed since some of them went to the Registry in the Port of Spain High Court to ask about the claim and were told by officials at the counter those proceedings were sealed.

“I informed the media that no application to seal these proceedings were served on me or my law firm and the procedure required to seal the proceedings required an application to be made to a judge.” He said he sent a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on Friday.

“I wanted her to inform me if the proceedings were sealed, and if so, what was the process used for such an order to be have been made.” Maharaj said he has not received any response to his letter.

“It must be presumed therefore that no application was made to a judge for these proceedings to be sealed and no judge has made any order for these proceedings to be sealed.” Maharaj said “sealed” may have been a wrong term used to members of the media in describing restrictions.

“Using the term that the proceedings were sealed could have given the impression that there was a court order with the consequence that the hearing of the proceedings would be conducted in private.

There is a distinction for non-parties to proceedings to be denied access to documents filed in court…

Samuel, who is being treated at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for second and third degree burns over 70 percent of his body, is said to be in a satisfactory condition and is resting comfortably.

Relatives told Sunday Newsday the combination of worrying over Samuel’s condition and having to seek alternative accommodation for the family members whose homes were burnt during the incident has taken a toll on them all. They said they have been applying to several organisations for assistance.

Last Wednesday afternoon, residents of Eighth Street East, Arouca heard arguing and scuffling in a house in a small yard on the street. Moments later, an explosion was heard and Samuel and his female companion Anika La Rosa, 37, were heard screaming.

Samuel ran out of the back of the house with his body on fire.

He fell in a nearby drain and people came to his assistance.

When asked what happened, Samuel said La Rosa was trying to kill him. La Rosa died in the fire.

Homicide detectives are continuing investigations.

Ramkissoon, a fisherman, told Sunday Newsday yesterday he cannot understand why he is being told to move. “My house was destroyed by Tropical Storm Bret and I am in the process of re-building my home,” Ramkissoon said. He said he went to the National Commission for Self Help and received material to start a new home .

“This is why I question this eviction notice.” He said the notice states he has a container on the property but he is denying it saying he never had a container there .

Ramkissoon visited the city corporation on Friday hoping to meet the city engineer .

He said he was told he needs to return tomorrow at 10.30 am .

“I would like the mayor to come down here at King’s Wharf and see how hard we work and how we struggle to make a living.”

She was adamant the COP, which was founded on the principles of inclusive politics, had veered from its moorings and needed to quickly re-engage the people if it stood a realistic chance of being a worthy political force.

“This has been one of the bugbears for our organisation, getting real,” an outspoken Dyer- Griffith said on Friday.

The former COP chairman also observed the party has not been connecting with the vast majority of citizens.

“We need to speak in terms that people can understand what we bring to the table. We need to move away from speaking this language that seems to be abstract and that does not connect.” According to Dyer- Griffith, discipline is the major problem confronting the COP.

She referred to the controversy surrounding her eligibility to contest the election, given her recent position as leader of the Alliance of Independents, as a case in point.

The leadership election was supposed to have taken place on July 7 but was postponed pending the outcome of today’s meeting at the COP’s Operations Centre, Charlieville. It is expected that a new date for the election will be set at the meeting.

Dyer-Griffith, who said she will attend today’s meeting, said questions about her eligibility were unfounded.

“As far as I am concerned, I am the holder of a letter from the political leader of the Congress of the People (Dr Anirudh Mahabir) stating that I am a member of the organisation. I am the holder of a membership card of the organisation.

My name is on a list of members of the organisation. I went through the process. I was vetted. I was interviewed and accepted a member.” Of the controversy, Dyer-Griffith said, “If one were to look closely, the COP always tends to put itself apart from the rest. And if it is we were to look at the two primary organisations, these issues that the COP faces now will never become challenges in those organisations because they maintain a level of discipline amongst the ranks and, therefore, they do not have to face, every Monday morning, waking up to a lawsuit from a member who feels aggrieved one way or the next. It just does not occur.

“If you look at the COP’s history, you will find that there are different elements that would speak to the organisation not being able to treat with certain issues from a disciplinary perspective.” A former model, Dyer- Griffith represented Trinidad and Tobago in the 1999 Miss Universe pageant. She has also dabbled in nursing, communications and business before moving into politics as a member of the COP, where she is bent on making her mark if elected leader.

Asked why citizens should see the COP as an alternative to the other two major political entities, she said, “The rationale for looking for an alternative to the two primary options is really simple. All you have to do is look at the track record of the current government and the last Opposition and it easily demonstrates that there is much to be desired.” The mother of one claimed the margin of people looking for a viable alternative has grown over the years.

She recalled the COP, when it had contested its first general election, was able to win the support of a sizeable number of voters (147,000), as did other parties before, including the Organisation for National Reconstruction and the National Alliance for Reconstruction.

“So that with every electoral period, those persons who can be considered marginal voters, the population grows.” As Dyer-Griffith sees it, the challenges confronting the country include national safety and security, management of the economy and economic diversification – issues which, she feels, the Government seems incapable of handling at this time.

She said the COP, under her watch, will seek to provide much needed solutions to the problems plaguing the country.

“People want to hear solutions that will really impact on their daily lives,” she said.

Dyer-Griffith, who in 2011 was appointed parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications, said the COP must re-invent itself to effect such changes.

“When we speak about good governance, all that is well and good.

But people want to know, ‘How am I going to make myself and my family safer? What are the strategies that are going to be employed to make the nation safer? “What are the strategies that are going to be employed to be able to put food on my table?’ Those are the bare basics that we need to get back to. So, we need to get down to brass tacks and get real.” Focussed on healing the fractures within the COP, “especially with all of the unnecessary distractions,” Dyer-Griffith said members who may have fallen by the wayside over the years as well as those seeking a fresh alternative, needed to feel re-assured.

However, she understands the process will not be a “walk in the park.” “It is going to be very challenging but we are committed to making it work and we are committed to ensuring that the COP can be seen a s viable alternative to the options that are currently before us.” Asked if the COP, under her leadership, will be in a position to contest the next general election on its own, Dyer-Griffith declared: “Absolutely.”