The man of Mason Street, Diego Martin went to the Barataria Police Station and told police that he was urinating near the Courts Mega Store on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway at about 3.30 pm when two men came out from a dark coloured car and, armed with guns, robbed him of $9,880. The money was from sales conducted that day. Inspector Edgar Beard and other police officers investigated the report and held two men, ages 21 and 23, from Santa Cruz.

Police searched their homes and the money was allegedly found. Police said the three are expected to be charged for various offences

National Liberation Day will begin with a street parade starting at Woodford Square from 8.30 am.

Hundreds of enthusiastic youths are expected to march through the streets of Port-of- Spain, dancing and singing to gospel music, while making positive declarations over TT .

Participants will then converge at the Queen’s Park Savannah for a grand gospel youth rally from 11.30 am. This segment will feature prominent worship leader William McDowell from the USA and other A-list local performers such as: Joel “Positive” Murray, Jaron Nurse, Blessed Messenger, Rizon, J Prince and Gates Praise.

This year’s National Liberation Day’s theme is “Worthy is the Lamb”. YFC’s director pastor Frank Porter who is spearheading the initiative said in a media release: “This year we are expecting 7,000 young people to attend Liberation Day.

We have been getting a lot of positive feedback so we expect the turnout to be even larger than in previous years.” He added: “We are going to continue to expose our youths to a positive experience on Liberation Day that can help transform their lives.

Our young people need a message of hope in these trying times, and that’s why we see the need to continue preaching the love of Jesus Christ and the hope and peace that He brings.

We reach out to both the churched and unchurched on Liberation Day. We want to let the youths know that suicide, violence and crime is not the answer to today’s challenges — Jesus is.”

“It’s three years now that Dana was stolen from us. We as a family feel that loss so excruciatingly everyday although three years have passed, I can tell you it is no easier now than when it happened,” Seetahal’s sister Susan Francois said yesterday.

Francois, her brother Omar and daughter Danielle, along with friends, including Senior Counsel Sophia Chote, held a small vigil outside the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday, where 11 men charged with Seetahal’s murder appeared minutes earlier.

The small group also handed out yellow roses to motorists along St Vincent Street.

“She meant so much to us. She was sister, best friend, confidant.

We just wanted the public to know that this great woman, that we are so proud to call our sister, should be remembered. We are doing our part to ensure that what she did for everyone, not just for the country but all the personal touches she would have made,” Francois said.

Francois said family members were attending all the court hearings and “continue to expect and hope for justice.” “I’m sure eventually it would come whether man made or otherwise,” Francois said.

Yesterday’s hearing before Senior Magistrate Indrani Cedeno was adjourned shortly after it began as one of the men, Stephan Cummings, did not have a lawyer.

His said he could no longer afford to pay his previous attorney and applied for one through the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority.

Another attorney appointed by the LAAA last week turned down the brief so another has to be appointed for Cummings.

Seetahal was shot dead behind the wheel of her SUV while driving along Hamilton Holder Street, Woodbrook, on May 4, 2014. She was returning home after a spending the night at the Ma Pau casino on Arapita Avenue.

A little over a year later, Rajaee Ali, his brothers Ishmael and Hamid Ali, Devaughn Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Earl Richards, Stephan Cummings, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales, Roget Boucher, and Gareth Wiseman were charged with her murder

Case in point: Nigeria experienced a deep recession when oil prices plummeted and it has already experienced, albeit incremental, growth. A country riddled with social issues, the Boko Haram threat and plagued with corruption has still managed some solid progress.

In our country we have been deprived by a Minister of Finance who has not measured up to the task at hand, whose wisdom is to squeeze the citizens as a means of curbing spending and generating income — a regressive, oppressive policy.

Moody’s downgrade of TT indicates eroded fiscal strength.

It is time to diversify, to bite the bullet. Unions have to be on board. The time is right to make “made in TT ” global.

The imperatives of successful diversification require us (with emphasis on us) to boost domestic manufacturing, create greater investments in agriculture, provide infrastructure/ implementation and develop a conscientious work ethic.

All shareholders of this land must be synchronised in common purpose, especially those elected to serve, who must be proactive and produce results, not excuses.

COLIN FORTUNE Arima

In reflecting on his life and contributions, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Brian Copeland said, “Sabga is best known for his acumen for cultivating business opportunities, but his legacy of generosity towards The UWI and the country as a whole will never be forgotten.” In 1998, Sabga was conferred the honorary Doctor of Laws honoris causa, for his contribution to the entrepreneurial landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.

In the citation read at that ceremony by then public orator Professor Emeritus Kenneth Ramchand, Sabga was hailed as “master entrepreneur.” “He was a man who defied easy generalisations about what it means to be successful,” according to the late Michael Mansoor, former campus council chair.

“All of us who know him, know that the concomitant of the lion’s bravery is his roar — a roar which can send shivers down the spines of some, though it may be a clarion call to excellence for others,” the UWI said. “Sabga and by extension the AnSa McAl Group have had strong ties to The UWI dating back to 1989 when ANSA McAL funded a building that housed the ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre.

The desire to pay back the country for all the blessings bestowed to ANSA McAL was also seen as a motivating factor for the company’s involvement with The UWI.” The UWI also noted that in 2005, Sabga launched the far-reaching philanthropic initiative — the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence.

It is the only privately funded enterprise in the region that recognises and provides significant awards in the areas of arts and letters, science and technology, public and civic contributions and entrepreneurship.

In 2014, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the St Augustine Campus and ANSA McAL.

The event signalled a deepening of the relationship between ANSA McAL and The UWI with the launch of the Guardian Media School of Journalism, the Anthony N Sabga School of Entrepreneurship and the reopening of the ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre.

Carmona, on Wednesday evening at the National Academy for the Performing Arts, Portof- Spain, hosted a reception for regional delegates participating in a training seminar on The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hosted by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“February gone it was 15 years since Daniel Pearl was beheaded,” he said.

“Since then, many journalists have died in their attempt to send messages to the world at large about man’s inhumanity to man.” He remembered the journalists who have gone beyond the call of duty by presenting stories of human suffering such as now unfolding in Aleppo, Syria.

“Many journalists have died trying to do this.” About Pearl, Carmona said, “It appears, from what was said about him, that he was a beautiful human being who was decapitated.

This tells you that in life we all have to make a stand at some point in time.” Carmona hoped ways would be found to recognise such journalists.

Also “making a stand”, he said, are activists for the rights of the differently-abled.

He hailed the work of such activists, including those attending the training conference. He said he hoped they would sensitise the Caribbean to the plight of the differently-abled and their loved ones, whom he collectively described as “those who endure, those who suffer, family members, friends, colleagues, having a disability whether it is mental, physical or otherwise.” Carmona thanked the evening’s event organiser, his wife, Reema Carmona, saying they believe disability rights needs more attention including establishing equity in all areas of our society.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry’s Port-of-Spain office, Minister Garcia placed the blame squarely on the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), which is based in Barbados and which is tasked with overseeing all major national exams in the Caribbean including SEA, CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) and CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam).

Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan told reporters that based on reports from monitors who visited schools, the ministry was informed that there were two issues identified in the exam.

“In the maths paper we had one question where the dimension of a triangle was switched. In looking at the question, we found it would not have made a difference in which way the student utilised the dimensions.” He continued, “In the language arts paper there were two questions which required words to be underlined, to facilitate a response from students. The lines were left out and that would have impacted on how they responded.

Now these items in the exam will be dealt with by a standard procedure utilised by CXC,” Seecharan said.

“After questions are reviewed and analysed, there is a final process which moves the test itself to production and it appears within that process those errors took place,” he explained adding that no one at the ministry sees the final version of the test and were only aware of these issues when the papers were opened at schools yesterday.

Seecharan indicated that CXC officials will be in the country today to take possession of the papers and the issue will be discussed. “I want to assure the public especially students and their parents that those concerns raised with us through our monitors will be addressed and they can be reassured that no student will be put at a disadvantage.

The three questions will be removed from the exercise. The two in the Language Arts paper were one mark item and the other in the Mathematics was a two mark item.” Seecharan said once the three items are dealt with, there were no other issues to treat with the exam. “Lets say the test was originally designed to be marked out of 100, and if we take out two marks, it means 98. But it does not mean the student will now get 98 percent.

Once we use standard scores, the overall score of the student will not be affected. In other words it will still be treated as if they are marked out of 100 per cent.” Seecharan said standard scores are used to place students, and whether the exam is marked out of 50, 60 or 98 it will not make a difference because the marks are converted to a standard score and will not impact on students overall score.

Minister Garcia said as far as the ministry is concerned the administrative aspect of the exam went very smoothly. “There were no hiccups in terms of the physical accommodations, no hiccups in terms of supervision, the testers and assistant testers, supervisors, center managers all went well. The seating accommodation for our students also went well and the concessions that we gave to students who were in need of assistance, was also seen to,” Garcia said.

Efforts to contact officials of both the National Primary Schools Principals Association and the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) on several attempts, all calls went unanswered.

Several parents contacted Newsday to complain that students may have been affected by spending time on these questions which will not not be marked when they could have spent that time on other questions in the exam.

With a jazzy flavour infused, the ensemble presented calypso classics such as Aldwyn “Lord Kitchener” Roberts’ swing-styled 12 Bar Joan and Winston “Explainer” Henry’s wishfully joyous Lorraine, plus recent soca hits Full Extreme by MX Prime and the Ultimate Rejects and Far From Finished by Aaron “Voice” St Louis.

Stevie Wonder’s eternal love ballad, Lately, was also featured, as was Jason Carter’s Calypso, Machel Montano’s Human and Pentatectonic Onion, a cryptically titled composition by ensemble director Khion De Las.

All were keenly lapped up by the small but enthusiastic audience.

The group even played Happy Birthday for De Las on his special occasion.

De Las – composer, arranger and gifted pannist – is a first class graduate of UWI’s Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DFCA) and the University of Northern Illinois, Chicago.

He told Newsday how pleased he was with the evening’s performance and the audience’s reaction.

“It was lovely, smooth. It was great to see the audience soak it in and be so receptive. I was really, really pleased with tonight’s concert.” “I took the soca songs and put completely new harmonics to them, while keeping the melody so as to still be recognisable. We kept it local but for one song.” De Las said he has met St Louis, the reigning Soca Monarch, with whom he’d be glad to collaborate with.

While this concert was requisite for the students at the end of semester and while two members will be graduating soon, De Las raised the possibility of the ensemble doing some future public performances after exams.

“Why on earth is the Opposition going out there and frightening squatters about this tax,” Imbert asked. Stressing that the issue of ownership must be settled first, Imbert said a squatter in his Diego Martin North/ East constituency would pay property tax of $20 per month if determined to be a property owner.

“If it is the building alone, it is $10 (per month).” Imbert continued, “So you want to tell me you want to frighten a whole country for $10 a month and that is what they (Opposition) are doing.” He said the truth will, “come out in the wash,” after the current valuation exercise is completed and notices are subsequently sent to property owners.

Al-Rawi said when squatters apply to the State for certificates of comfort, this is a situation, “where the State acknowledges that somebody has a propriety right as a squatter.” He said those people can then move from certificates of comfort to leases.

In those circumstances, Al-Rawi stated, “The advice rendered so far, is that they will be entitled to pay taxes because you can’t claim that you’re the owner, be recognised by the State that you have an entitlement value and then not pay your taxes as a land owner or a property owner.” The AG explained that people can acquire State land by way of adverse possession, if they have been in uninterrupted occupation of that land for 30 years. Adverse possession is a doctrine under which a person in possession of land owned by someone else may acquire valid title to it, so long as certain common law requirements are met, and the adverse possessor is in possession for a sufficient period of time, as defined by a statute of limitations.

In the case of private lands, Al-Rawi said people can claim for adverse possession if they have occupied those lands, uninterrupted for 16 years.

He said people who want to acquire lands by adverse possession, take an application to the court and the court considers bringing the land under the provisions of the Real Property Limitation Ordinance. The AG said this process allows these people to provide clear evidence that they are property owners.

On whether people occupying State and private lands for less than 30 and 16 years respectively would pay property tax, Al-Rawi said, “ That matter I have asked the Solicitor General Department to consider.” He said the matter is complicated and one must be, “very careful not to run away with conclusions.” The AG explained this is why Government has laid four bills in Parliament, “that deal with the compulsory registration of all lands in TT.” He said this, “is going to have the method of verifying title for every single inch of land in TT.” Al-Rawi said this is an Inter-American Development Bank project that, “will begin in Tobago and make its way in declared areas, inch by inch throughout TT.” He added,” So the entire process of property tax is going to fit in very neatly to the system by which we claim title in TT.” Imbert observed that under the Property Tax Act, State land is exempt from property tax. He reiterated that if a person is squatting on State land, that person owns the dwelling house but ownership of the land must be determined. Imbert also reiterated that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley never said squatters would have to pay property tax.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said after all of the determinations Al-Rawi and Imbert referred to are done, the issue boils down to the rental value of the property and the fear mongering tactics by the Opposition were uncalled for.

Some authorities set speed limits to reflect the “reasonable and prudent” behaviour of the majority of motorists acting in an appropriate manner. This encourages drivers to obey the posted speed limit and travel at a reasonable speed.

It also targets limited enforcement resources at the occasional violator who disproportionately contributes to crash risk. According to the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the concept of a rational speed limit involves a formal engineering review, during which drivers’ free-flowing speeds are observed. The assumption is that by reflecting actual driver speeds, most people will consider the speed limit appropriate. Such speed limits are desirable because they encourage public compliance, reduce speed differences among drivers, and offer a defensible enforcement tool.

The steps in the engineering approach to setting speed limits include planning, coordination, data collection and analysis, and finally, determination of the speed limits. A typical study of speed limits includes the following:

• Review of the road’s environment, features, and condition and traffic characteristics;

• Observation and measurement of vehicle speeds at one or more representative spots along the road in ideal weather and under free-flowing traffic conditions;

• Analysis of vehicle speeds to determine 85th percentile speed and other characteristics;

• Review of the road’s crash history; and,

• Review of any unusual conditions not readily apparent.

Most engineering approaches to speed limit setting are based on the 85th percentile speed — the speed at, or below which 85 percent of free-flowing traffic is traveling. The typical procedure is to set the speed limit at or near the 85th percentile speed of freeflow traffic. Adjustments to either increase or decrease of the speed limits may be made depending on infrastructure and traffic conditions.

FHWA (2012) Methods and Practices for Setting Speed Limits: An Informational Report, states that, “Setting a speed limit based on the 85th percentile speed was originally based on safety.

Specifically, re-search at the time had shown that travelling at or around one standard deviation above the mean operating speed (which is approximately the 85th percentile speed) yields the lowest crash risk for drivers.

Furthermore, crash risk increases rapidly for drivers travelling two standard deviations or more above or below the mean operating speed. Therefore, the 85th percentile speed separates accept-able speed behaviour from unsafe speed behaviour that disproportionately contributes to crash risk.

“The 85th percentile speed method is also attractive because it reflects the collective judgment of the vast majority of drivers as to a reasonable speed for given traffic and roadway conditions. This is aligned with the general policy sentiment that laws (ie, speed limits) should not make people acting reasonably into lawbreakers.

Setting a speed limit even 5 mph (8 km/h) below the 85th percentile speed can make almost half the drivers illegal; setting a speed limit 5 mph (8 km/h) above the 85th percentile speed will likely make few additional drivers legal.

Under the operating speed method of setting speed limits, the first approximation of the speed limit is to set the speed limit at the 85th percentile speed. The MUTCD [Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices] recommends that the speed limit be within 5 mph (8 km/h) of the 85th percentile speed of freeflowing traffic. The posted speed limit shall be in multiples of 5 mph, or 10 km/h for jurisdictions that employ metric.” During March this year, my students collected and analysed speed data during weekday daytime free-flowing periods at spots on the Solomon Hochoy Highway at the following segments:

1. Chaguanas Flyover and Carlsen Field Interchange;

2. Carlsen Field Interchange and Freeport Interchange;

3. Freeport Interchange and Couva Interchange;

4. Couva Interchange and Claxton Bay Interchange; and,

5. Gasparillo Interchange and Tarouba Interchange.

(We left out the segment between Claxton Bay Interchange and Gasparillo Interchange).

The 85th and 50th percentile values were as follows:

1. 74 and 58 kmph

2. 93 and 75 kmph

3. 75 and 60 kmph

4. 155 and 126 kmph

5. 134 and 106 kmph

The lower speeds in segments 1 and 3 might be because the Police are often seen in segment

1 at the walkway near Seereeram Brothers Ltd, and in segment

2 near the highway roti shop.

Where statutory limits do not fit specific road, traffic, or land uses conditions, road authorities have the power to establish speed zones to reflect the safe maximum reasonable speed. The following should be included for consideration:

• Residential zone speed limits;

• School zone speed limits;

• Road work zone speed limits;

• Truck speed limits; and,

• Minimum highway speed limits.

e-mail: info@ccost.org