There is now an egg shortage in the sister isle because of major delays in getting trucks laden with goods onto the barge for transport to Tobago. The protesting truckers chanted, “we want a boat, not a barge” as they marched and waved placards.

Newsday was told that 3,000 crates of eggs were barred from being loaded onto the barge Atlantic Provider since it has not refrigerator facilities to keep the food item chilled during the journey. Being a barge, anything transported is exposed to the elements including the merciless sun which would cause the eggs to spoil rapidly. The temperature in Trinidad yesterday was a sweltering 35 degrees.

Head of the association Horace Amede yesterday said the protest action was “only the beginning.” He said that truck drivers and suppliers are feeling the effect of the poor transportation arrangements and soon, Tobagonians will also feel it via empty grocery shelves and empty hardwares.

“The hatch in the Provider is very hot so the temperature will cause items like eggs and cheese to spoil. Even livestock brokers who go to Tobago to buy sheep, goat and fowl have not been able to transport livestock across the seabridge. Everyone will feel the pinch of shortages in Togago,” Amede said.

President of the Public Services Association (PSA) and Minority Leader in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Watson Duke yesterday said Tobago is already reaping the ‘rewards’ of the current seabridge transportation arrangement via an increase in the price of goods.

He claimed that all food items in Tobago have gone up by ten cents.

“This may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Duke warned.

“There is now an ominous feeling in Tobago…like the people are repressing a lot of anger.

Something is happening in Tobago where it feels like it is the quiet before a storm. We in Tobago have been taking blow after blow and this situation may just push us over the edge.”

The Independent senator based his concern on information provided by CAL to the committee on the usage of jump seats on its aircraft. A jump seat in aviation refers to an auxiliary seat for individuals — other than normal passengers — who are not operating the aircraft.

These seats, also known as auxiliary crew stations, can be located in cockpits or passenger cabins.

In cockpits, jump seats are provided for individuals who are not operating the aircraft. These might include trainee pilots, off-duty crew members in transition to another airport, government officials or airline staff.

The passenger cabin jump seats are used by the cabin crew, especially during take off and landing.

These jump seats are normally located near emergency exits so that flight attendants can quickly open the exit door in an emergency.

CAL STAFF FLY FREE Small said information provided by CAL showed one individual taking, “100 jump seat flights and this individual is a pilot.” He said there was also information that another individual, “made 30 individual jump seat flights” between January and April 2010. “Is this normal or something that is out of the ordinary,” Small asked.

He described himself and other committee members as regular people who never fly more than 100 times in any year. The senator opined that even travelling 100 times between Trinidad and Tobago is hard to believe. “That means you’re travelling twice a week. So when do you work,” he asked. He continued, “This committee struggles to see a pilot working with Jet Blue or American Airlines doing 100 personal flights per year. I can’t conceive doing 100 flights per year in addition to being a pilot.” Small said this would mean that in addition to flying their normal routes, some pilots are, “then taking 100 personal flights per year.” He accepted that while airline pilots have certain privileges compared to their co-workers, “that’s not the issue.” Small said the issue here is, “there is a suggestion here that this system is being abused.” Describing this arrangement as “just too loose,” Small advised CAL officials, “That rule needs to be tightened up.” While this issue does not impact on CAL’s revenue situation, Small said, “I think there is a message for the management staff and the line staff.” Saying this situation can demoralise the airline’s staff, Small said CAL personnel with such privileges should “apply some discretion” in using the facilities available to them.

CAL CONCERNED In response, CAL vice-president (human resources-HR) Hyacinth Guy said, “All employees of CAL get 20 rebated tickets per year.” Guy explained that analysis of the usage of these tickets by employees in 2012 and 2016 showed, “on average, people are using between six and eight of those tickets per year.” She said this is part of the terms and conditions of all employees at all levels in CAL.

However with respect to pilots using the jump seat, Guy told Small, “What you are speaking to there, that is an industry practice where pilots are allowed to use a jump seat. That is not a term and condition of employment.” She added, “By convention, that does not come through what we manage in HR in terms of conditions and employment and there is a different procedure for accepting that.” CAL chairman Jameer Mohammed told Small that he shared his concerns. Small told him that CAL will receive the JSC’s recommendations about how this matter should be treated with. Small also expressed concern that while the mandatory retirement age in TT is 60 years, pilots in CAL are given the option to continue working for an additional five years. Guy replied that this was part of the collective agreement between CAL and the TT Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA).

RETIRE AT 60 She also said other airlines allow their pilots to continue working after 60 once they are fit and healthy to do so. Guy said in CAL’s case, pilots over 60 years work on contract with the airline.

Small was unconvinced, insisting that at 60 years, the pilots should be thanked for their service with either “a gold watch” or “a golden air plane.” Guy said apart from pilots, there is flexibility on the tenure of CAL’s engineers, as it takes seven years to properly train an aviation engineer. At this stage, D’Abadie/O’Meara MP Ancil Antoine observed CAL had several employees on its payroll who were well past retirement. He said there was a cargo container supervisor who was 78 years old.

Antoine also wondered if it made sense for CAL to retain certain types of non-technical staff such as upholsterers on its payroll.

With specific reference to pilots, Opposition Senator Wade Mark argued that certain people were holding, “a monopoly of jobs” at CAL. Mark said this was troubling given the country’s current economic circumstances and the growing number of people joining the unemployment line.

Guy said many of the people employed at CAL came over from its predecessor airline, BWIA.

She said their significant years of experience combined with their qualifications, was one of the reasons why CAL was able to maintain its high level of aviation safety standards. Guy also said some people employed with CAL work in foreign jurisdictions where there is no retirement limit and removing them on the basis of age could be regarded as discriminatory.

The race will begin at the Penal Convent School and end at the Penal Hindu School grounds.

Girl athletes will begin the trek at 10 am, and the boys at 10.30 am tomorrow.

Youing athletes from Trinidad and the sister-isle Tobago will be challenging for the Champion District Trophy won for the past five years by North Eastern Education District.

Champion boys and girls will be crowned in the under-11, under-13, and under-16 age groups.

The national 3k is a precursor to the to the season’s main event, the Atlantic National Primary Schools Track and Field Championships.

The 52nd staging of the championships is scheduled to be run off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on June 7.

The action is being held under the auspicies of the National Primary Schools Track and Field Association along with sponsors Atlantic and assistance from the Ministry of Education.

Benny and Flowers beat 28 other finalists who were tested over the weekend by Manchester United Soccer School coaches Mike Neary and William Miller who were joined yesterday by United legend and national Sports Ambassador Dwight Yorke.

Benny, a classy midfielder, known for his dead-ball delivery and ability to use both feet, impressed not only Yorke and the Manchester United coaches but turned the heads of other Caribbean coaches present including Jamaican Albert Burkett who said he was sure he would be picked.

Speaking to the media after he was named among the top two, Benny declared: “Dreams come true, Manchester’s my side man.

That was my dream to go and support (United midfielder Paul) Pogba and them…I expect to go there and see good players play, Paul Pogba there and Juan Mata my favourite players and hope I get to touch him and get a training session with them.” Benny, a student of St Anthony’s College, admitted the weekend’s drills and games were difficult but said he just had to step up and fight for his country.

It was clear to all that it was no weekend vacation for the 30 youngsters in the finals with cotton helping clot the bloody nose of Flowers, players limping prodigiously and a weary look on some players’ faces.

Yorke reminded the aspiring footballers that nothing will be achieved without hard work. The former national captain, speaking prior to the announcement of the winners, urged the youngsters who were not selected to not give up on their football dream despite being obviously disappointed.

“We know today was a bit difficult for some of you, we’ve seen some of the players walking around hobbling. But that’s why it’s called the Flow Ultimate (Experience). It means you’ve been tested in all departments of the game…This is not going to be easy. It’s never going to be easy for anyone but if you have the desire and the determination to succeed no matter where you come from, you can do it,” he said.

York congratulated all the footballers for making the finals and commended them on their overall demeanour to the weekend’s activities and challenges.

“I love the attitude of the players.

It’s been very challenging, I know the pitch wasn’t great for you guys but you got on and didn’t moan about it…I have to say looking from the outside, you did yourself very proud and not just yourself but your family and the country that you represent,” he added.

Sports Minister Darryl Smith congratulated Flow for their vision in hosting the venture, saying that they’ve seen the future of the region and have invested in it.

He urged the young footballers to take all they’ve learned over the weekend and use it to continue improving and also share their knowledge with their peers.

Desmond Mohammed was the star for Smashers, blasting his way to 191 in his team’s total of 230 for three wickets – the joint highest individual score of the season – to beat Malgretoute, who totalled 227 for six.

Varoon Samaroo scored 104 for Extreme Customs in their 314 for six to beat Spoilers.

Devindra Ramasi got 111 for Hardbargain to top Massahood United; Ronnie Seejatan got 117 for Pawan II; C Legall reached 102 for Untouchables who lost to Links XI by 15 runs.

Kiran Harripersad 92 (New Settlement); Mukesh Boodoosingh 92 (Central Renegades); Shammi Rampersad 91 (Gandhi United); Kevin Wellington 92 (Surprise Barrackpore); Ameer Mohammed 98 (Links XI) and ex-national allrounder Richard Sieuchan 90 (Everglads) all missed centuries.

New Settlement, Barrackpore Angels, Gandhi sports and Tarouba Sports marched into the semi-finals of the Championship Division.

Here are the summarised scores: Championship Division (Quarter finals) NEW SETTLEMENT SPORTS 233/6 – Kiran Harripersad 92, Josh Ramjewan 54, Denesh Boodoo 2/45, Jason Dookoo 2/50 vs SPOILERS SPORTS 204 – Jayson Dookoo 71, Joey Boodoo 58, Vade Donell Sabala 3/41, Damian Harrichan 3/34.NEW SETTLEMENT won by 29 runs.

PERSEVERANCE 212/9 – Rajesh Ramsaran 37, Krishard Bootansingh 31, Fyard Hosein 25, Alim Mohammed 3/29, Rossi Seujattan 3/53 vs BARRACKPORE ANGELS 217/6 – Roger Thomas 61, Fazard Mohammed 48, Aleem Mohammed 29, Fareed Hosein 4/29, Scott Ragbir 2/58. BARRACKPORE ANGELS won by four wickets.

CONGO VILLAGE SPARTANS 75 – Kapil Harry 3/30, Nishal Gayadeen 2/15 vs / GANDHI SPORTS 79/0 – Kapil Harry 48, Avin Bissondath 22.

GANDHI SPORTS won by 10 wickets.

YOUNG STARZ 121 – Jason Bhola 36, Jerold Ganga 24, Alon Mahabir 4/13, Vishnu Bridgelal 4/13 vs TAROUBA SPORTS 122/6 – Surindrs Dookie 33, Larry Mathura 26, Sanjay Ramkissoon 3/21, Shivanan Ghinoo 2/16. TAROUBA SPORTS won by four wickets.

Other scores: BARRACKPORE ANGELS 132/9 – Roger Thomas 54, Rommel Rampersad 34, Imtiaz Esahack 4/27, Vijai Hardin 2/37 vs HAPPY HITS 119/8 – Vijay Hardin 32, John Birchwood 31, Suresh Seujattan 5/25, Rommel Rampersad 2/10. BARRACKPORE ANGELS won by 13 runs.

EXTREME CUSTOMS 314/6 – Varoon Samaroo 104, Keegan Jagersar 67 vs SPOILERS 230/5 – Roger Boodoo 77, Deenesh Boodoo 49. EXTREME CUSTOMS won by 84 runs.

YOUNG STARZ UNITED 222/9 – Satyam Ramlal 47, Christopher Dipchand 42, H Rampersad 2/34, S Balgobin 2/40 vs EAST INDIANS 177 – Ramsey Deonarinesingh 53, Hyden Rampersad 46, J Bhola 4/24, S Ramkissoon 2/25. YOUNG STARZ won by 45 runs.

GANDHI UNITED SPORTS 219/7 – Shammi Rampersad 91, Brandon Gopelal 51, Aaron Ragoonath 3/55, Jonathon Bisnath 2/29 vs CENTRAL RENEGADES 223/3 – Mukesh Boodoosingh 92, Narine Bedhesi 30.

CENTRAL RENEGADES won by seven wickets.

Intermediate Division: GOLCONDA UNITED 197 – Nicholas Sookram 76, Nicholas Toolsie 31, Christopher Ramsaroop 3/27, Ramesh Bajnath 3/29 vs TREASURE CITY 159 – Ameer Francis 60, Eddie Kanhai 4/39, Ganesh Persad 3/21. GOLCONDA won by 36 runs.

BLACKWATER 190/7 – Dhamendra Singh 41, Wayne Singh 35, Varun Raghunanan 2/19 vs MANOHAR TRACE 158/5 – Kevin Harracksingh 38, Ashraf Hosein 27, Dhamendra Singh 4/44 (including hattrick). BLACKWATER won by 32 runs.

MASSAHOOD UNITED 246/6 – Vikesh Mahadeo 73, Nicholas Ramjass 43, Anil Ramai 2/23, Devindra Ramai 2/34 vs HARDBARGAIN 249/5 – Devindra Ramai 111, Brian Sooman 37, Avinash Ramjohn 2/21. HARDBARGAIN won by five wickets.

WOODLAND F.C. 284/8 – Kevin Balsingh 66, Brian Jagdeo 46, Shameed Mohammed 3/52, Damian Ali 3/57 vs SURPRISE BARRACKPORE 286/8 – Kevon Wellington 92, Dylon Ali 45, Shameed Mohammed 36, Joshua Ghisaywan 3/68, Mark Partapsingh 2/41. SURPRISE BARRACKPORE won by two wickets.

PAWAN XI 165/- Vijay Sookraj 55, Chaitram Rambharose 22, Alix Sookhan 4/9, Christopher Joseph 2/26 vs EVERGLADS 167/4 – Kevin Mahadeo 43, Dale Ramdeen 32, Dylan Seerattan 2/27. EVERGLADS won by six wickets.

MALGRETOUTE 227/6 – Avinash Hajaree 66, Kristian Ramcharan 63, Sherwin Rampersad 33, Danny Oudit 2/28 vs SMASHERS 230/3 – Desmond Mohammed 191, Shawn Rampersad 2/47. SMASHERS won by seven wickets.

RELATED 154/7 – Brandon Ganga 43, Dylon Maharaj 32, Damion Solomon 2/21, Lomas Bachan 2/26 vs KNIGHT RIDERS 154/7 – Damion Solomon 55, Adrian Subran 33, Samuel Jogee 2/24.

APOLLO XII 153/9 – Devanand Dhanraj 31, Rajesh Sinanan 31, Ritesh Ramlochan 4/25, Aron Maingot 3/42 vs PUNISHERS 154/5 – Rossy Ramsaroop 56, Joshua Amrow 22, Ryerson Bhagoo 3/28. PUNISHERS won by five wickets.

INDEPENDENCE SPORTS 230/6 – Anil Boodoo 64, Kevon Ballie 41, Mark Thomas 2/37 vs HARDBARGAIN 233/9 – Keith Jackson 85, Ryan Ramai 31, Kaveer Seepersad 31, Anil Boodoo 3/34, Kevon Ballie 3/42. HARDBARGAIN won by one wicket.

STAR WARS 128/6 – Vinod Persad 39, Riaz Mohammed 34, Ravi Mootilal 2/16, Reynold Ramnarine 2/17 vs SECRET STORM 127 – Renold Ramnarine 26, Nishan Deonarine 21, Rodney Gangoo 3/2, Riaz Mohammed 3/27.

STAR WARS won by one run.

The vendors are opposed to the 48-metre walk over that would be built by the Works and Transport Ministry and should be completed in the next by contractors Structural and Mechanical Agencies Ltd at the cost of $10 million. The walkover, the vendors complained, would land smack in the middle of some of their stalls.

Moves to build a walkover comes four years after six residents of Sea Lots were struck by a car while walking on the west bound lane of the Beetham Highway.

Of the six, three were killed including Haydee Paul, 28, and her daughters Akasha, seven, and Shakira, eight. One of the three survivors, Ryan Rampersad, was left paralysed from the waist down.

Mayor Joel Martinez yesterday said there must be disruption for progress. Martinez said he was unaware of the project because it was not discussed since he took up office in December.

Vendor Steve McClatchie, who is a wholesale vendor and occupies two stalls, said he was not opposed to a walkover, but is opposed to the location of the proposed walkover.

He said that the State has also decided that equipment used in the construction of the walkover would be housed in the market space that accommodates several booths.

“Why can’t they use the space opposite (Beetham Highway) to store their equipment,” Mc- Clatchie asked.

“We are going to take measures to relocate the affected vendors to another part of the market. Their concern is that the space is smaller. I told vendors in the case of disruption you may have to move in a space that may not be as suitable as it was before. The space that is going to be utilised now is a temporary space, but it is designed to be used by vendors to continue to operate,” Mayor Martinez said.

“Vendors are willing to compromise if the contractors can take a smaller space, so we can still have something we can work with. We really want to have the walk over, we don’t want to stop that.There are a lot of children crossing the highway and this is very risky. All we are asking is that they take up a smaller space and lodge their equipment elsewhere,” he said.

Martinez reasoned that in any growing country, an element of disruption must take place for progress to be made. “What about if a Hurricane occurs, it was unavoidable. You have to deal with it and we have to put things in place immediately.

The disruption is that they may have to store equipment, they may have to store an office.

“The walkover itself will be in the market, so therefore some space is going to be taken up. The market is going to lose some space because of some of that. But, while there is disruption, there is an opportunity to how can we house our wholesale vendors better so that they can develop,” the mayor said.

Batsman Shai Hope really gave us hope with a sparkling 90 runs.

Then our bowlers did the rest. Gabriel 5 for 11, Holder 3 for 23 and Joseph 2 for 42 put the match to rest.

We have the final Test next week and I see this as an opportunity to clinch the series 2-1. I hope our young cricketers will not slack off but use the victory as an incentive for the final Test. Pakistan will be a bit demotivated and we must use this to full advantage.

I trust this win is a sign of things to come with our Test cricket.

Once again the guys did us proud. Congrats and give us more victories.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH via email

She is not too young, but her children have taken their time and got degrees etcetera and only now in the quite modern tradition have begun to produce grandchildren.

I recall with some amusement her raised eyebrows when I first spoke with some appearance of delirium of my first grandson. She thought, quite obviously, that I had begun to suffer from the early stages of reduced capacity due to encroaching old age.

But now pictures are beginning to appear on Facebook, yes even grannies use FB, all of which show images of the newly born in close proximity to grandma or nana and her absence from her home has become legendary. Yes. Grandparenthood is a strange and sometimes contagious condition.

Grannies are the salt of the earth.

They are also the true stuff of myth and legend and over centuries have enabled women to make homes and to have careers. My memory of folklore always included a granny.

She taught through many stories how to behave and what good manners meant. She taught respect for those who are elderly or enfeebled.

When I was growing up many mothers in the Caribbean went outside the home to work. There were a number of dynamic women who forged business dynasties and who wrote books and there were teachers, doctors and lawyers.

Grandmothers facilitated this.

There were one-parent families and the mother was the provider.

The granny was an extension of her love and care. Apart of course from being babysitters whenever a crisis occurred.

When I first went back to teaching after the birth of my son, stories circulated about au pairs and nannies who had been imprisoned for abusing babies. I was abroad. Of course growing up in the Caribbean where the role of childcarer has traditionally almost automatically been given to the grannie I was somewhat bewildered and to say the least terrified. My children had no grandmother to care for them when I was not there, since she was 6,000 miles away.

Today most mothers have to work. We fought as feminists for equal pay and the right to a career at a time when having children or becoming pregnant meant enforced retirement from the Public Service, for example, and there was no such thing as paid maternity leave or any leave after the birth of a baby. Now economic necessity means that even so-called well-todo families have little choice in deciding whether both parents work.

The issue has now become the cost of childcare, which is at an alltime high and the quality and availability of that care. But it is becoming a rarity to see grandmothers assume the role of carer. Of course older women also have careers and continue to be productive well into their seventies and eighties. So the role of the grandmother has changed.

Being a granny does not necessarily equate with being old. Young girls become pregnant at the age of 13 or sometimes even younger and boys of that age can become fathers.

But becoming a grandmother does affect not only one’s status in the world, but also how one feels about life and matters pertaining to perpetuity and the future.

What becoming a grandmother often means is that we see the past returning, sometimes, though not always, “wreathed in disguises,” to quote Kamau Brathwaite. There is something called generational trauma that becomes, I think, genetic.

Whether it is that children try to rectify the damage enacted within the previous generation or whether they repeat the mistakes of their ancestors, the fact is that grandparents often find themselves in the situation where they see the return of patterns of behaviour.

This, perhaps, is where the wisdom of age sets in. But it also brings with it a dilemma.

How does one tell a child that he or she is repeating the issues of the past without appearing to be an interfering woman? How in fact does the older generation pass on its knowledge and wisdom in a manner that will actually change what is to come? Or are we perpetually doomed to repeat mistakes and be caught on the wheel of history?

Even shortening the lunch hour without ensuring consistent teacher supervision in the unstructured times is short-changing the children in their care.

Children who come from homes where any kind of stress, dysfunction or violence is the norm need a reassuring adult to make them feel safe. Only then will some kind of playground socialising and classroom learning take place.

With consistent playground supervision by teachers, children with behaviour problems who may show tendencies to become bullies would have responsible adults monitoring them during unstructured periods like lunch or break times, therefore cutting down on potential incidents and protecting them and possible victims.

They are children, they are going to push the boundaries, climb fences, knock over other children, experiment with curse words and other pranks or worse.

Teachers on rostered daily playground duty would get to know and recognise certain behaviours in some children, and so be able to alert the principal and classroom teachers, thereby helping to offset certain violent incidents and to seek help for these children before things escalate.

It doesn’t mean that every teacher works through every lunch hour. Each teacher would do lunch or break time duty maybe once a week.

Being a teacher means caring for students while they are at school. A teacher cannot be off duty at lunch time. Whose responsibility are the students at lunch time, the lone security guard who is manning the gate? Children will be children wherever they are and need the adults in their environment (in this case the school) to guide their socialising skills, offering a hand to the shy, weaker children, calming the over-exuberant, offsetting potentially dangerous actions, encouraging and affirming caring, respectful behaviour and friendships, recognising and rewarding heroes, and budding leaders before they turn into bullies and playground gang leaders.

Why wait until security guards and police are needed to keep children in check? Why wait until the children in our care develop unacceptable behaviour patterns then say we have a school violence problem? Our children deserve better from the responsible adults in their world: * Parents to choose a safe, learning, focused school to leave them at every day and stay involved in their school lives.

* Teachers to respect and welcome them into such a place, and fill them with the desire to learn.

* Leaders to make it happen.

SUZETTE CADIZ Maraval

At 8 am, the church was filled to capacity while others who could not get in, stood inside tents pitched nearby as Archbishop of Port-of- Spain Joseph Harris officiated at the Mass.

A statue of the Virgin Mary, kept in the church, has become famous as it is worshipped by Hindus and Catholics alike on Good Friday and has been christened ‘Suparee Mai’ by Hindus. Harris called on the congregation to unite as one and to have complete faith in God at all times. “This is the only way to deal with any kind of difficulties in life,” he said.

At noon worshippers carried the statue on a make-shift platform on to a vehicle and it was ready for a parade through the streets of Siparia. The feast of La Divina Pastora is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Easter. A large crowd followed the procession by foot from the Church on La Pastora Street, through Mary Street and onto Daisy Voisin Street and High Street. They then turn into La Pastora Street and back into the church. the procession took one hour to complete.

During the Mass yesterday, dozens of people including children gathered on the pavement near the church waiting for alms from worshippers which has become part of annual devotions to ‘Suparee Mai’.