Lawrence, the former TT defender, made his feelings clear about the failure of Cuban referee Yadel Martinez to award a penalty when striker Jamille Boatswain was pulled down by Costa Rican defender Michael Umana in the 51st minute.

“First and foremost I’m going to be careful with how I deal with the situation because I am not really happy,” said Lawrence. “Congratulations to Costa Rica.

“In terms of our boys, I think we gave a tremendous effort and I don’t think the result reflected the actual result. I’ve got to question the penalty because I think the only people on the football pitch that did not believe it was a penalty were the officials (Martinez and assistant referees Leonardo Sanchez of Cuba and Hermenerito Leal of Guatemala).

“From that point of view, I thought we should have come out with something from the game and I really feel sorry for the boys,” Lawrence added.

“We know points were important (on Tuesday). We are going to fight until the end, until it becomes mathematically impossible for us to qualify,” he pointed out.

The national coach went on to state, “I thought we had more of the game in the second half than Costa Rica. I think the entire stadium knew it was a penalty.

The only people who did not recognise it was the people who were most important – the officials.” TT midfielder Kevin Molino, who scored the visitors’ lone goal in the 35th minute, was notably upset with the result but managed to keep a positive spirit ahead of the remaining set of matches.

“I am disappointed. There is no way to hide this because I felt we did well enough to get a result (on Tuesday), at least a point. I feel pleased to have scored here in Costa Rica but I am hurting with the result.

I would have much preferred to leave here with something. We put out a strong effort but unfortunately we didn’t get the result,” Molino said.

The Minnesota United player reflected, “First half we were in it even after the early goal and when I banged it in, I felt we had them on the blackfoot and the game was there for the taking.

But we had a couple close misses and very close penalty call but we know in these countries, we are not going to get those calls. It is unfortunate for us at this time.

“But I feel very strongly about how we are coming along as a team.

We fought really well and matched this Costa Rican team and hopefully we can pull it even close together for the next set of games in September and get the results we need,” Molino ended.

Words are powerful and can give life to or bring death to situations.

The Bible tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

The more we speak negative words, the more we call negativity into being.

Some parents speak negative words to their children such as: “I don’t think you are capable.

Books are not for you. You are a good-for-nothing. You are so stupid.” There are others who speak negative words about our country.

Let us from now on speak positive words to our children, country and when we face difficult situations in life.

The words we speak are seeds we sow that will one day bring a harvest.

What kind of harvest do you want to reap? It all depends on the words that come out of your mouths.

Are they positive or negative? Positive words give you power over difficult circumstances and can uplift others.

ANDRE ROBERTS via email

The girl and her 44-year-old mother told Mon Repos police that the teenager was at home with a 54-year-old relative on Tuesday morning when she was attacked and raped.

The victim was examined by a district medical officer and it was confirmed she was sexually active.

The matter was referred to the Child Protection Unit and investigations are continuing.

Bobby Sookram, of Dumfries Road in Rambert Village, first appeared on Tuesday before the magistrate who remanded him into custody for tracing. Yesterday when he reappeared, court prosecutor Sgt Chanardath Jhilmit informed the magistrate that the tracing was unavailable. Sookram was unrepresented by counsel and said he had no previous convictions nor pending matters. Standing before Diop, in the Second Court, Sookram added that he lives alone and has an adult son.

The charge against Sookram alleged that on Friday, he stole six blocks of Anchor Cheddar Cheese valued $300 from Anand Low Price Supermarket at South Trunk Road, La Romaine. Estate Constable Diaz of Travtech Security Services Ltd laid the charge. Diaz walked into the courtroom yesterday with the cheese in a plastic bag.

Diop granted the $10,000 own bail and as a condition to the bond, ordered that he reports to the San Fernando Police Station on Wednesdays anytime between 6 am to 7 pm. He is to reappear in court tomorrow.

Special thanks must go to Minister of Public Utilities Fitzgerald Hinds for undertaking a massive technological water project in the area. Special praise also goes to the Water and Sewerage Authority’s Peter Johnetty, senior project manager; Dhanraj Roopchand, project manager; Onika Horsford, senior project officer, and WASA officials of the North East Zone. They all have been doing an excellent job.

Johnetty and his team of dedicated WASA officials have really made a significant difference in water distribution in the Sangre Grande region, working around the clock repairing leaks, restoring roads, and managing and monitoring the supply of water.

Thanks again, Johnetty, for alleviating water woes in our region. Keep up the astonishing work.

GABRIEL HENDERSON

It must be painful to let go of old India, but India is now a serious contender in the race to have human beings travelling the stars.

India outlawed child marriage as far back as 1955. India successfully launched a communications satellite using its 13-storey GSAT- 19 rocket on June 5 (Christian Science Monitor). Peasant-style Indian rituals are being obliterated by its advances in modern technology.

Time waits for no one and the ritual of child marriage must also not shackle modern TT to the past. Former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should not be the only Hindu female to break glass ceilings. There is likely another Hindu girl who would have been lost to political TT or the business community because of being married off at an early age.

I took the view that Persad-Bissessar’s support of the outdated traditional views of the secretary general of the Maha Sabha, Sat Maharaj, to be evidence of a well brought up Hindu woman lending support to her religious leader who has allegedly always defended her using the considerable influential power of his religious position.

Inevitably, we have to stop being transfixed by the past. Some of us suffer the politics of religion because in some ways politics is becoming a religion in itself in TT .

June 9 is the day when Opposition politics moved into the 21st century.

LYNETTE JOSEPH Diego Martin

Prior to the 2015 general election, St Ann’s/Cascade was plastered with campaign posters, the remnants of which are still evident.

Now we have the “bannered” fence. Hang your banner, by all means, but be responsible enough to remove it after the event.

And there should be no general advertising.

J KNAGGS St Ann’s

“The board of directors’ terms are a year…

That is standard. After a couple of years of yeoman’s service, Wendy Ho Sing is leaving but she has done some great work over the years.

She’s leaving on July 5, so we are working on the transitional arrangements.” Hilaire was responding on Tuesday to Dacon’s claims that Ho Sing and two directors recently submitted letters of resignation following instructions from the ministry to dispose of assets, namely Home Construction Ltd shares, pledged to the Clico policyholders statutory fund without actuarial valuations.

Last Sunday, Dacon told Newsday, “Under our laws and regulations, assets pledged to the policyholders statutory fund cannot be removed without first obtaining an actuarial valuation that says the fund will still be in surplus after the removal.” He questioned the legality of such instructions to the Central Bank appointees to the board, adding that this is what has triggered the reported resignations.

“If there is gross negligence in the performance of their (the government’s) duty, or what lawyers call malfeasance, people appointed (to Clico board) could be held personally liable for damages.” He argued this is “a criminal issue” to which Newsday asked Dacon if Duprey intends to take legal action.

“Ultimately that will come but the first action is to re-take control of CL Financial; the holding company that owns 51 per cent of Clico,” Dacon replied.

Regarding this, Newsday asked Hilaire if the Central Bank was worried about Duprey taking legal action in the future.

The governor said, “We do our job. We do our job on the Clico side to ensure a clean resolution. We are not worried.” Newsday also asked if Duprey was considered a fit and proper person, according to Central Bank criteria.

“If it comes up, we will have our views based on past information and what may have transpired before.

In that sense, we will act accordingly.” Hilaire spoke with Newsday after the presentation of 2016 Financial Stability Report at the Central Bank, Eric Williams Financial Complex, Port-of- Spain.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Colm Imbert, responding to Newsday’s questions via email on Monday evening, said, “the term of office of the present Clico board, appointed under the tenure of the previous administration, is coming to an end.” “That is all. Boards do not continue forever.

They have an expiry date. I am advised that a new board will be put in place by the Central Bank shortly,” Imbert stated.

Regrello observed yesterday that none of 12 homeless people he met to discuss the status of a shelter were from the southern city but from such areas as Princes Town, Chaguanas, Point Fortin and Tunapuna.

They had moved to San Fernando because they were being fed, he said.

“San Fernando is a resourceful place and then you have many successful businesspersons and citizens who usually feed them on the street. And I keep saying to the public, stop the feeding because you are encouraging homeless persons to come here,” he said. The mayor said even families gathered for free food.

“There are families who have homes elsewhere and leave their homes and assemble on the (Harris) Promenade on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday for free food. People pull up in their high-end vehicle or SUV and open their trunk and distribute food as a means of charity, which is not a bad gesture but if you have food to distribute, give it to the centre, give it to the Court Shamrock and the homeless shelter and let them distribute,” he advised.

“It would then allow the people to go there for the food and then they can sit in a decent environment, around a table and have a meal as opposed to sitting on the street,” Regrello said, adding, “cars passing there, there are fumes in the air, there is carbon dioxide in the air and you eating at the side of the street is not healthy.” Regarding his meeting with the homeless, Regrello said they raised concerns about the shelter under construction at the old Revival Time Assembly building at Kings Wharf given the start of the rainy season. He said the facility was not designed as an overnight shelter but as one where the homeless would receive three meals and have use of the toilets and bathrooms.

Regrello also promised to raise the group’s concerns about security at Court Shamrock Centre for the Socially Displaced on Rushworth Street, saying the corporation was also willing to assist the centre.

I can say that based on his board certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Murray’s name was entered on the Medical Board of TT ’s list of specialists in 2007 when he was invited to share his expertise with the local medical community for a brief period.

Medical practitioners who are registered with the MBTT and who reside abroad are not required to remit an annual retention fee. I cannot say how long Murray has been back in this country, but one can say that in 2007, based on the fact that his name appears on the specialist list, he is registered to practise in this country.

To the best of my knowledge, the non-payment of an annual retention fee does not in any way put a medical doctor in Trinidad at risk of having his “licence” revoked, as your article suggested.

There are aspects of the Medical Board Act that have not been changed over the past four decades — and it is not for want of trying. It is also clear that because of his circumstances he could not have been present in this country over the course of the recent past few years.

I do not know Murray personally nor have I ever met him. I am, however, privy to information regarding his accomplishments and expertise as a medical professional.

I am sure that in light of his particular circumstance he can well do without additional and unwarranted harassment from the media as he embarks upon the rocky road of rebuilding the professional life of which he was deprived in the recent past.

STEVE SMITH via email