The report also urged a sensitisation programme for staff of the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure awareness of the malpractices that exist in the allocation of State lands.

They urged the establishment of an Accelerated Land Distribution Programme Unit to clear the backlog of applications for agricultural land.

Saying that if farmers don’t have tenure for land they can’t access State incentives nor attract foreign investment.

While only 20 percent of food consumption is from local production, the report lamented that of this 20 percent some 80 percent was produced by farmers who lack tenure.

The report also bemoaned that at present there is no system in place to ensure that State lands assigned for agriculture are in fact being used for that purpose. The Agricultural society expressed grave concern regarding the amount of arable land being used for other industries and housing.

The report also urged the establishment of a new Land Management Agency to cut the time to grant leases, ensure proper oversight of allocation to competing sectors and ensure continuity in land administration and management practices.

He believes the more venues available in the country will benefit local and regional cricket.

The Brian Lara Academy officially opened on May 12 after 13 years in the making. The venue, which was originally scheduled to open for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, opened with a bang when a Lara XI played an International XI in front a huge crowd.

Trinidad and Tobago fans can expect to see regional cricket, international cricket and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches at the Brian Lara Academy, the Queen’s Park Oval or the National Cricket Centre (Couva).

Murray, a former West Indies wicket-keeper, believes the management of the three local venues can work together. Murray said, “Of course (we can all co-exist), it is for Trinidad and Tobago first, and also for the West Indies. I would imagine the Academy could be an Academy for the West Indies, not just Trinidad and Tobago.

“From the country’s point of view it is a good thing, and it will be an important addition to the country’s infrastructure.

From the cricket point of view, the Academy point of view, we look forward to it performing a significant role in the development of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago. “ The Queen’s Park Oval first hosted a Test match in 1930 and has been a staple in West Indies cricket since then. Murray is not concerned that the Oval may host less international cricket or CPL matches, but insists the opening of the Brian Lara Academy means more cricket will be played in TT .

“It is not a concern, (the Academy) is a supplementary venue, and if it strengthens Trinidad and Tobago’s position in attracting more games and more important games, it is good for the country and by extension that will benefit Queen’s Park.” South is often said to be the home of cricket in TT , but Murray believes the South fans will continue to journey North to the Oval when matches are held there.

“I doubt that (the South people will stay in South), we always had other places such as Guaracara Park (Pointe-a-Pierre) and Gilbert Park (Couva). I don’t see that as a factor. I don’t see this as losing, I see this as more for Trinidad and Tobago.”

I am greatly saddened she passed far from her homeland, but it could not have been helped because she had been ailing for some time and her family took her where she could have better care.

Let us not have to lament that another icon has gone and there is no appreciation or care for their legacy.

Julia Edwards passed numerous milestones in her career. And she lived in the company of several other artistes who were important to TT . She was born in 1933 and by age 15 was dancing with Boscoe Holder, later on with his brother Geoffrey.

Holly Betaudier had a great influence on her life and it is said he was the first person to have encouraged her to dance.

After the Holders left Trinidad she started her own troupe, performing at the most popular shows and nightspots in Trinidad in those early years.

For those who may not know, she was engaged to perform in the 1957 American movie Fire Down Below after she was seen doing the limbo at the famous Miramar night club.

That movie was made in Trinidad and featured Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum and Jack Lemmon, as well as the great Trinidadian singer and actor Edric Connor. Julia did the choreography for Haywood’s dances and performed in scenes of the film.

People should try and see the movie because Edwards’ dancing was so infectious. She was later featured on the Ed Sullivan Show in the US. She got several offers to move overseas but made Trinidad her base. From here she travelled all over the world.

She developed the flaming limbo and included it in performances such as at the opening of Queen’s Hall. That particular type of performance put limbo on the map and made Trinidad “The Land of Calypso, Steel Pan and Limbo.” The late Chief Servant Makandal Daaga had said that “to recognise or honour the artist is in itself an act of national salvation.” And that is a position held by the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) from its inception. The list of awards (always with a financial component) that NJAC offered is an example of the regard the country should give to artistes.

In her earlier years Edwards received one of the first Pegasus Awards when Daaga (then Geddes Granger) was executive director.

She was one of the awardees together with Beryl Mc Burnie, Ellie Mannette, Derek Walcott, Slinger Francisco (Sparrow), Ken Morris, Carlisle Chang, Earl Lovelace, Errol Hill, and CLR James.

Up to that time there were no national awards given in TT .

Edwards appeared on several events promoted by NJAC and the National Action Cultural Committee (NACC).

She was also honoured at the Magnificent Seven, a NACC programme which presented accolades to seven artistes from different disciplines for their long-standing contributions to their respective art form. The first Magnificent Seven were Edwards, Hendren Boucaud, Frankie Francis, Fitzgerald Henry (Mighty Terror), Victor Springer (Mighty Viking), Clifton Ryan (Bomber), and Aldric Farrel (Pretender).

Now that Julia Edwards is no longer with us, may we honour her contribution to TT appropriately.

AIYEGORO OME Mt Lambert

The partnership began in 2002 when Courts initially invested a mere $20,000 compared to the cheque presented during the press conference yesterday at the National Cricket Centre. Roger Rambharose, Commercial Director at Unicomer, said the 2017 champion team will walk away with $25,000.

The Inter-zone competition is set to begin on June 2nd at 6 pm throughout various venues across Trinidad where the runners-up will gain $15,000 while third and fourth battle for $6000 and $3000 respectively.

Rambharose stated, “The company recognized the critical requirement to identify and promote talent at the foundation level for the sport and we saw it necessary to promote the game of T20 in the far reaches of the country, where there is a very unique passion for the sport to be discovered.

“This investment today represents our commitment to developing our people and the provision of meaningful opportunities aimed at community engagement across the country.” Courts views the investment decision as their commitment towards community development as this year’s tournament was transformed into a new format, for the inclusion of more teams and players throughout the country, as well as encouraging community support for the game.

The development of young players throughout T&T was taken into consideration since each team must have a National Under-19 player on the starting 11 as well as a Championship player, from the team’s respective zone.

These mandatory rules were implemented to enhance the level of competition, keep an exciting standard and creating opportunities for prospects with potential.

Preliminary Fixtures: (Home Teams vs Runners Up)
Group A: Sweet Revenge Sports Club vs H.Y.O.
Marchin Patriots vs N.M.O. (Comets)
Woodland Sports Club vs Metro MGM Savannah Boys
C&B Sports Club vs Killdeer Sports Club

Group B:

Dinsley Sports Club vs Club Crusoe
Progressive Sports Club vs Chickland Sports Club
Squadron Sports Club vs All Stars Sports Club
Nazarite Sports Club vs Swansea

“I want to tell you the story of a little boy named Anthony Sabga who escaped his war-torn country to travel half-way across the world to a country few people back then had ever heard of. At the age of 14, this boy had to leave school and take over his family business. He went on to start his own business, building an empire which now feeds over 7,000 families.

“So if a poor, dyslexic, seven-year-old who could not speak a word of English could build a business empire, imagine what you can achieve, as you who have so much more than he did when he started out,” Garcia- Brooks said.

She urged graduates to plan their goals wisely and use the tools available to help themselves and others.

She said remaining focused on one’s goals is especially challenging in the age of social media, where youth’s are bombarded by stereotypes and negative imagery.

“We are surrounded daily by negative images, conversations and choices. Please shut the door on these negative conversations and don’t spread them.

Don’t like or share them on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.

Replace them with a positive thought or suggestion,” she said.

Republic Bank Executive Director Roopnarine Oumade Singh agreed with Garcia- Brooks’ sentiments and said greater introspection is needed among youths as they plan their next step in life to seek success.

“When it comes to thinking about the future, you can’t get too caught up in picturing just what it might be.

It is far more rewarding and worthwhile to focus on what you can do today to ensure that future becomes a reality,” Singh said.

This the 31st anniversary of the programme which entails a seven months training programme where 36 secondary school graduates gain firsthand exposure to the bank’s operations.

They also attended workshops aimed at enhancing financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills.

We have simply run out of gas. We can make all sorts of contracts and hope to buy gas from Venezuela but these will not create any more TT gas.

Since 2003 our seemingly deaf-to-the-facts ministers of energy approved LNG Train 4 that consumes 800 mmcfd of gas. Then there was the enormous investment in the “cross-island pipeline” while the existing pipelines provided enough capacity for a reduced, steady and longer-term supply to existing industries, with potential production rates in reserve that would provide security of supply during localised interruption difficulties offshore.

The policy seemed to be to approve any proposed gas-consuming scheme with no regard for the ability to achieve the aggregate production rate required or how long this would be possible. We advertised this as proof of TT being an “investment friendly” nation, and have strutted around the world claiming to be advanced thinkers on a “business model” and world leaders in gas utilisation.

This apparently still continues in the face of evidence of the impossibility of ever producing enough gas in the foreseeable future.

Clear evidence of this is in the construction of the Massy/Mitsubishi methanol/DME plant, when MHTL has to shut down two plants for lack of gas. Why was this project approved by both PNM and PP governments? It’s all very well to say the PP government okayed the deal, but it was definitely started by the PNM government, which knew of the dire reserve shortage and is still saying nothing while construction continues. Other Pt Lisas gas plants are initiating legal action due to the four-five years of starved gas supplies they have had to bear.

Why isn’t the Mitsubishi project being stopped before the inevitable non-supply to it triggers another lawsuit and serious national discredit and embarrassment? If any attempt is to be made to manage this catastrophe, there must be consideration of the best use of gas. Newer plants are more efficient and from the same quantity of gas can produce more methanol and ammonia than older plants.

I hope somebody in authority is making a careful analysis of which plants bring the most benefit to TT , considering aspects such as age, efficiency, overall profit, tax, jobs, foreign exchange retained etc.

From this the priority for plant shutdowns can be derived and announced.

It’s no point keeping everything secret claiming confidentiality is required by the buyers of gas.

A newly built plant will face severe difficulties in such an analysis since it is new (and unnecessary) capital, leading to large deductions for plant wear and tear and consequent reduced tax payment. We really don’t need foreign direct investment (FDI) that shuts down other plants and reduces tax receipts.

People must remember that FDI is of no benefit to the nation when we are already adequately or over-supplied with whatever the proposed project offers.

No investor puts money into TT without being confident the project will yield many times the investment capital plus operating expense.

And those magnified US$ yields leave the country.

Our development history is littered with examples of bad planning and wasteful lack of planning. Examples are: The development of BHP Biliton’s export terminal in Guayaguayare when the BP facilities at Galeota had adequate capacity; the continued use of these terminals when adequate pipeline capacity to Pointe-a- Pierre exists; the removal of workboat docking from Pt Galeota to La Brea so the Government could build a white elephant “shipping port” at Galeota for an Anancy- story industrial park; The excessive construction of sports stadiums in Trinidad; the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba; the highway to Point Fortin which will be completed when the shine of Pt Fortin “development” has long faded from memory; eTeck Park; aluminium smelters; La Brea industrial park; the continuing destruction of green Chaguaramas with ridiculous fun parks, with no access road; The once dreamed of causeway in the sea to Chaguaramas costed at billions of dollars with no useful purpose. The list is endless. Of course many of these defects are better visible with the 20-20 vision that comes with hindsight, but why do they keep on occurring? This must stop. Somebody has to apply common sense before rushing into these terrible decisions. Stop Mitsubishi/ Massy now.

REG POTTER Glencoe

Anne (not her real name) has spent much of her adult life; she’s now 40 years old, working hard to provide a proper home for her 16-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter.

Originally from Barataria, Anne said when her father died in 2010, she and her children were “kicked out of the house” by her half-siblings.

Searching for somewhere to build a permanent home for her family, Anne ended up buying a small lot of land in Enterprise that same year.

“The land came with a small structure. It only had one bedroom and apart from wanting to give my kids their own space, I have a form of autism and need darkness to sleep while my daughter prefers a night light and my son likes music.

“So I worked hard, saved my money, and two years and five months after we moved in, I completed the addition,” Anne said with a smile.

It was a rare moment of happiness during her interview with Newsday yesterday.

At times, Anne cried; there was no other outlet for her frustration, as she asked why a law-abiding citizen like herself was now homeless while gangsters had taken over her home.

“Our house is in the middle of territory controlled by the Unruly Isis and Rasta City gangs.

Two years ago, the police tore down our fence while chasing down some men.

Since then, these fellas criss-crossing our yard and sneaking along the drain to get at each other. It wasn’t as bad before that; the fence mostly kept them out but now…,” Anne paused and wiped away her tears.

Anne estimated that the deadly conflict between both gangs “started about three years ago.” “The police know we not in anything,” she told Newsday.

“So every time they came around, they would tell us to sleep on the ground in the kitchen because that room was in the middle of the house, so it was the safest place if shots fired.” “I want to know my rights!” Anne declared. “I want to know how, after I worked hard to provide a home for my children, that they have to be using street lights to do their home work and we homeless while people who doing wrong have a home still in Enterprise?!” This led Anne to share that while she’s a proud woman; one who’s “not looking for charity”, she chose to speak with Newsday because she’s fed up of the lack of answers from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) as to when her August 2015 application for emergency housing would be granted.

“I went by the HDC today (yesterday) and the woman who spoke to me said, ‘We still waiting on feedback from upstairs.’ Why can’t they give me a proper update? When will the people ‘upstairs’ have some information on my application? This brought me to Newsday.

This and my daughter asking me the other night, ‘When we getting back a home? What’s the point to life if we have to live like this?’ That broke my heart,” Anne shared, as she wiped away more tears.

Newsday attempted to speak with the HDC but the relevant official was in meetings all day yesterday.

We also reached out to an official at the Housing Ministry, who said Anne’s information had been forwarded to the ministry’s Client Relations Officer.

The ministry official told Newsday this person would call Anne immediately to arrange a meeting with her to determine the status of her request for emergency housing.

Her daughter’s question about their future comes after two weeks spent camping out on beaches, following an unceremonious eviction from their landlord in Caparo.

Anne explained that this past March, she moved out of Enterprise and into a place in Caparo, because her children had developed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Something which the psychologist she saved up to send them to told her would not improve until and unless they were taken out of the situation causing said stress; gang warfare in their Enterprise neighbourhood.

However, their landlord kicked them out two weeks ago after learning about their situation in Enterprise.

Anne said he told her he didn’t want any connection to gangs whatsoever, thus her eviction.

Some of these are elderly men from the era when, as soon as a man entered someone’s house he would remove his hat as to do otherwise was considered impolite.

In 2000 at Lord Kitchener’s funeral at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain, I noticed this unwelcome trend by men, especially calypsonians and other artistes, not removing their hats during the service.

More recently, at the funeral for Lord Brigo at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, some of the leading calypsonians, and others, continued to show disrespect for the church by not removing their hats.

I have not heard the church authorities condemn his practice but I believe the priests should make public announcements asking the offenders to remove their headwear.

Those who refuse to comply should be asked to leave. One cannot go into someone else’s place of worship and be disrespectful.

And we wonder still why our young people are growing up to be the way they are.

CLYDE ALPHONSO Diego Martin

These vessels once underway can lift their hulls out of the water by deploying “underwater wings.” Reduced drag from non-contact with barnacles and the hulls themselves being out of the water result in speed in excess of 100 mph.

Tobago could be an hour away.

MC DONALD JAMES Couva

Ramdial asked this of officials from the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) and the Planning Ministry during a public hearing held by the Local Authorities, Service Commissions and Statutory Authorities Joint Select Committee (JSC) at Tower D of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre.

In response, CDA member Robert Cezair said the Authority is aware of an estimated $2 billion in investment made by investors on the projects which she mentioned.

However, “We must bear in mind, it is a legal matter.” The Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs is examining the leases on these projects.

Ramdial expressed concern that billions in investment could be lost, if the second legal opinion being sought, says the leases of the investors are illegal. Speaking later with reporters, she said, “These projects should get the green light to go ahead.” She indicated that the former CDA board said the leases were not illegal and this is causing, “disenchantment with lease holders for these mega projects.” Saying these investors, “Don’t know where they stand”, Ramdial said none of these projects are harmful to the environment or are in breach of the CDA’s 1974 development plan. She said that a hotel, eco park and water park are among projects earmarked for Chaguaramas. Ramdial said steps should be taken to, “keep these investors in rather than running them away.” During the hearing, acting CDA general manager Deowattee Dilraj-Batoosingh said there are tenants in Chaguaramas that are not paying the rent they are supposed to. There are others who always dispute the quantum of rent they are supposed to pay.

Cezair disclosed that some tenants have constructed jetties and encouraged boats to berth there for a fee.

He said the CDA has revisited a 1994 Cabinet note which would allow the Commissioner of State Lands to collect revenue from these people. Dilraj-Battoosingh also told JSC members that the authority incurred a $110 million debt under its previous board.

She said part of that debt is Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) debt and the Authority is communicating with the Finance Ministry on this. She said the CDA has to generate the revenue to pay off the remainder of the debt.

Dilraj-Battoosingh also said, “We (CDA) are running a deficit and have been running a deficit for the past four years.” She said the CDA has been conversing with service providers and has been undertaking part payments on some of its bills. Asked by JSC chairman Hugh Russell Ian Roach about the allocation the CDA receives in the national budget, Dilraj-Battoosingh said the Authority receives $7,750,000 for development projects.

Dilraj-Battoosingh also said payment of salaries exceeds the revenue the CDA earns.”We struggle to pay salaries every month,” she stated. Acting CDA human resources manager Susan Russell-Edwards told JSC members that within the Authority’s 463 employees, there are 179 monthly paid and 14 temporary employees. Russell-Edwards said in order to reduce the overtime bill, the temporary workers operate on shift basis on weekends.

She also said the Finance Ministry allocated a sum of $10 million to assist with pension payments.

Dilraj-Battoosingh said there was no pension plan in place prior to the new CDA board taking office.

However she said a plan was established last year.