At 10 am vagrants are sleeping on the pavement in the vicinity of Park and Pembroke Streets, under the shade of the building housing a branch of the Central Statistical Office. One vagrant even has the luxury of sleeping on a mattress.

Someone must be able to help with this. Is it the Ministry of Social Development? Does it exist? The mayor must do the necessary to keep the city in good shape.

JAMES ARTHUR St Joseph

In reply to Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial, SASC chairman Jagdeo Maharaj said homes often don’t report incidents immediately to the SASC so that the worker can be removed and an investigation begun, despite being told to.

Opposition Senator Khadijah Ameen asked if the SASC Act has been amended to allow the Children’s Authority to help in such probes.

SASC executive officer, Utra Ali, replied no, but said talks have been held with the Children’s Authority whose resources can be used once the law is amended. SASC state counsel II Djallon Frederick said the Children’s Authority’s expertise is about children, but the SASC’s interest is probing the workers. “So we have to be very careful in our emphasis if we want to get the report in and get the person properly investigated, that we parallel the two and co-mingle what we have.” Frederick said the SASC investigators do not have the specific training or resources as the Children Authority.

“Many a time we’d get an investigator, they’d begin and many of them deny doing the investigation.

They don’t want to do the investigation.

It’s a whole ‘begin again’ process to start from scratch. The way the regulation is worded, we are not even allowed to direct the investigator as to how to do the job. So what tends to happen is that when the report comes in certain questions aren’t answered. We’ve had incidences when reports have come in two and three times and it still doesn’t satisfy the questions.” Frederick said these delays open the SASC to pre-action protocol letters from workers on suspension protesting the lengthiness of such probes.

He’d love for the Children’s Authority to supply investigators trained in both child and adult aspects, to spare the SASC from unearthing a senior employee willing to investigate a peer.

“The issue most times is that the senior person is on the same compound. They don’t want to be investigating their peers and I get the impression that sometimes that impacts on the report that we get in the end. I’ve been stymied by getting disciplinary action, either because the reports are insufficient or people start and they stop halfway through and we have to start all over again.”

Driver Michael and throttleman Jason have been competing at a high level during the competitive regatta season. Jason said, “The competition this year seems to be very stiff. We are actually the defending champions in our class two years running. If we manage to pull off a win it will give us a hat-trick which is a very difficult thing to do.” Mobil Outlaw competes in the E Class (80 miles per hour) category of the Carib Great Race.

Jason said that the regattas are useful in the team’s preparations for the Great Race in August.

“The regattas gives you a lot of experience as far as teamwork is concerned. It helps the driver and throttleman coordinate with one another and it gets the communication better.” He continued, “It also helps you learn the boat. Everytime I race I learn something new in the boat.

It also lets you work out whatever small issues you may have with the boat.

“The Great Race is not about who is the fastest, it is not about who is the best team on the day, it is about preparation before. My philosophy is you don’t have to be the fastest on the day.” Jason explained that strategy is important, saying that in 2015 there was another boat that was faster. However, Mobil Outlaw decided to remain consistent because “if you hit one bad wave it can break something and affect the boat.” Jason said that, with some help, they can get to the 2018 World Championships in Key West, Florida, United States.

“My plan with this particular boat is that I will like to go to the World Championships in Key West, Florida to represent Trinidad and Tobago.

“I believe Michael and myself have enough free time now to go up there and give a good showing.

It comes down to corporate sponsorship because it is very costly,” he ended.

The Red Force were upgraded from fifth to third in the Regional Four Day Championship standings, with an overall total of 102.8 points, behind the Guyana Jaguars (134.8) and Barbados Pride (124). Rounding off the standings were the Jamaica Scorpions (102.6), Windward Islands Volcanoes (97.6) and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes (89.2).

However the Red Force won four and lost five of their matches, used three captains in the Four Day Championship (Yannick Ottley, Kyle Hope and Marlon Richards) and had as much as 24 players involved in the 10 First Class fixtures.

“When we started off, with all expectations, we were looking at winning the Championship,” said Logie, during an interview on Tuesday. “We went into the Championship believing it (was) possible, given the indication of so many established players making themselves available. Since then, it never materialised.

“We’ve been playing under- cooked in terms of personnel,” continued the former West Indies vice-captain and coach.

“We had a pretty ordinary First Round. We always believed that if we put it together we could challenge.

We created our expectations after the Super50 (in which the Red Force were beaten by the Scorpions in the semi-final stage) and, after the First Round, for a top three finish.” Logie stated, “we did it, at the end of the day, thanks to many of the young players that stepped up to the plate. It has been a frustrating season. We had about three or four different captains and, at the end of the day, the young players would always (take a while) to adjust to different leadership styles.

“I think the core remained of what we wanted, the commitment level from players and the responsibility that you expect from them. They all continued to work hard so it was just reward at the end of the day for a young player coming into the set-up, showing what they can do if they really commit, if they really take the responsibility. We showed a lot of fight and heart to finish third.” Asked to elaborate on the frustrations he faced, Logie replied, “you can never settle if you have people coming in and out. If you have experienced players, (they) must be able to step up to the plate. It’s about taking the opportunity and guiding the younger players.

“That is something we haven’t been seeing and it’s something that is lacking in our cricket. It’s not wanting to cast aspersions on any player but that’s what good teams (do), knowing that when the going gets tough, that the star players come to the party.” There was conjecture about Logie’s position as the Red Force coach, in light of the squad’s struggles in the longer format.

“Like everything else, time would take its course,” he said. “My contract runs until July. I intend to see that through and that’s all I would say on that.” Commenting on the amount of TT players who partake in T20 leagues worldwide, instead of committing fully to the Regional Four-Day level, Logie admitted, “I would like to think that all players would want to play all aspects of the game. They may have a preference to the limited-overs or the T20 (events) because of the financial rewards, but I think all cricketers would want to play all formats. I think it’s a matter of getting a balance and possibly managing their time and possibly managing which tournaments to take part in.” However, he admitted, “we are preparing these players pre-season and when the season starts, they’re unavailable because they’re in T20 Leagues all over the world. It’s unfair to us and it’s unfair to me as a coach because you have to bring new players into the set-up and you have to start all over again. And then the results, at the end of the day, are all that matters.”

Business Day found out about the State company’s plans during an interview with TLA’s Acting CEO, Nigel Minors.

“We have actually been proactive about increasing revenue because we realised that you cannot continue to do the same old thing every year without falling behind.

“So in late September 2015, we signed an MOU with the University of the West Indies; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, to develop more downstream products. We want to enhance our Lasco range of products; we currently sell Underbody Coat, Bituminous Black Paint, Pipe Guard and Sealant.”

Seated in his office at TLA on the LABIDCO Industrial Estate (LABIDCO), La Brea, Minors said they began by looking at formulations for four new products and have since chosen to further develop two of those.

“Our aim is to commercialise these two within the next six to nine months, pending approval from our line ministry, Ministry of Energy (MoE); and corporation sole, Ministry of Finance (MoF).”

A change in administration usually means a review of projects and agreements. This MOU was no exception.

Although the original MOU is now null and void, Minors told Business Day that TLA intends to sign a new one as soon as the MoE and MoF give their approval. “I suspect that could be within the next three to four months, following which we would launch the new Lasco products. They are expected to generate foreign exchange, US dollars, from sales on the global market.”

Increasing TLA’s production capacity and efficiency requires a new plant, something which also requires final approval from the two ministries.

In the meantime, the company is seeking to improve operations at its existing facility.

“Our plant is more than 67 years old, the process is antiquated as well. So we are in the middle, right now, of some highly sensitive talks – testing and so on, to improve the process. (Subsequently) bringing on a new plant in the same area would likely triple or quadruple our capacity.”

This would be very significant because TLA “would no longer be stymied by a limited production figure” when determining how to meet supply demands.

“Ideally, we would love to have the new plant operational within nine to 12 months, once we get the approval to proceed.”

The impact of production limitations is something TLA experienced within the past six years.

Minors said Chinese companies accounted for “the largest percentage of our distributorship”, particularly in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“We moved about 32,000 tonnes of our TLA product right before the Beijing Olympics. By 2010, we were moving about 22,000 tonnes. Based on these types of arrangements, there’s where we find the ebb and flow in TLA exports/sales. Hence the need to always be looking at other markets.”

While the slowdown in the global economy affected sales to a certain extent, TLA was also the same time “behind the ball on orders from our other customers.”

Minors explained that because of the 2008, 2009 arrangement, “we had a new player that came into the picture – China Railway, and the previous board decided to focus on China Railway because it was expected to order 50,000 tonnes a year; our production capacity was about 50,000 a year.”

“A lot of the emphasis therefore went towards looking at supplying China Railway from 2011 to 2012 but they ended up ordering an average of 20,000 tonnes per year in the first two years.”

“Lake Asphalt, traditionally, has been a demand-driven production company. We needed to have secured our other markets and even new markets during this time.”

TLA did still supply smaller orders but Minors said not having maintained existing markets or targeting new ones “kept us back a bit from where I believe we should have been in 2012, 2013 in terms of more orders from our long-standing clients’ newer markets.”

“If we had done the ground work,” he added, “when we had that sharp decline in orders from China Railway, we would’ve been able to ramp up orders in other markets.”

Ensuring that TLA never finds itself in a similar situation again is a main driver of the proposed upgrades, which Minors reiterated requires final approval from the MoE and MoF.

Asked about the budget for the new plant, Minors said he couldn’t share that because discussions are still in proposal stage.

However, he did reveal that employees who work in the existing facility would be re-trained to operate the newer equipment.

TLA also intends to “find new roles, as needed, for those whose jobs may be made redundant because the process would no longer be as labour-intensive.”

Currently, TLA employs just over 200 persons, plus about 50 casual workers.

About 75 percent to 80 percent of staff comes from La Brea, Point Fortin, Rousillac and parts of Oropouche.

TLA is “a US $100 million company, on average, per year (but) a lot of that revenue goes into labour costs; its labour-intensive, and other expenses.”

Hence the push by Minors and his management team to execute the aforementioned upgrades.

This, he noted, is expected to increase TLA’s foreign exchange earnings per year.

You can see part if the port at LABIDCO from the CEO’s office.

When the matter of transportation costs arose during the interview, Minors expressed hope that LABIDCO would have its upgrade plans approved too, so that TLA could export its products “down the hill” rather than paying about TT $3,000 per container, round-trip, to either the Point Lisas or the Port-of-Spain port.

“LABIDCO plans to expand the port and its facilities this year to include containerised cargo via the addition of gantry cranes. This would be great for us because our transport costs are a significant part of our expenses – a 20-foot container usually hold 20 tonnes of our product.”

“If we decide to move, on average, 1,000 tonnes per week, that’s 44 containers by about TT $3,000 per container roundtrip, it’s a lot.”

Minors estimated the company would achieve a 75 percent savings if it could use LABIDCO instead.

Regarding doing business in La Brea, Minors, like most others Business Day spoke to, called for the opening of a bank “or at least two ATMs.”

“La Brea also needs a couple of good restaurants, especially when people come down from Port-of- Spain for all-day meetings.”

“We normally cater food but sometimes you want to take clients out and it would be nice to take them somewhere in the area rather than driving to Point Fortin,” Minors stated.

Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell ruled in favour of Joan Chee who, in 2016, was bypassed for promotion to the position of Acting Personnel and Industrial Relations Officer III.

Chee filed a judicial review claim against the Statutory Authorities Service Commission (SASC) contending that the commission acted irrationally and unreasonably when it appointed someone else to act in the position. She complained that the person who got the job never acted in the position before or held lower positions and that she (Chee) had the experience, qualifications and a recommendation of the chief executive officer for the promotion.

She also submitted staff reports which rated her performance as excellent and outstanding.

In a 26-page judgment, Donaldson- Honeywell ruled that the commission acted irrationally and in breach of Chee’s legitimate expectation that she would be promoted.

Chee began working at the corporation as a temporary Clerk I in 1978.

Donaldson-Honeywell said the commission failed to properly consider seniority, considered irrelevant factors and placed insufficient weight on others such as the CEO’s recommendations.

She also found that there was insufficient evidence that the SASC properly considered her long record of unblemished service, her excellent and outstanding performance during previous acting appointments, the fact that she was already serving in the personnel and industrial relations stream and appraised as eminently qualified for promotion.

The SASC’s decision was quashed and the court ordered that it reconsider Chee’s promotion in accordance with the findings of the court.

Chee was represented by attorneys Anand Ramlogan SC, Jayanti Lutchmedial, Kent Samlal and Douglas Bayley. The Commission was represented by attorneys Neil Byam, Karlene Seenath and Amrita Ramsook

Its payroll is three to four times higher than it needs to be to stay competitive. No investor is going to invest in Petrotrin with over-staffing, very low productivity and aged assets requiring huge capital expenditure.

It will be interesting to see what the team will come up with to save the company.

The team needs to identify departments that are overstaffed, under-performing and not providing value to Petrotrin and the taxpayers of TT , who continue to subsidise the company.

One expects the union will march and protest daily (as Petrotrin is its cash cow and the status quo must remain — no staff cuts etc) if, after the team hands in its report at the end of December, the Government decides to streamline the company for it to be profitable.

It is imperative that wages be contained to realistic levels. The management should introduce performance reviews to ensure production targets are achieved with the specific goal of identifying any weaknesses in the system.

GORDON LAUGHLIN Westmoorings

In Trinidad and Tobago, the move to introduce a property tax was done to replace the Lands and Buildings taxes which was started in the 1960s specifically post the landmark 1966 Finance Act.

According to former Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Mariano Browne, the attempt to replace the old legislation made significant strides in the early 1990s when certain amendments were introduced at the Point Fortin and San Fernando Borough Corporations for a more modern form of property taxation.

However, this led to a lack of uniformity in rates with effect that the taxes paid on properties in San Fernando and Point Fortin Boroughs were not uniform and were higher than that paid by those using the Land and Building taxes act. He also noted that the Land and Building Taxes Rolls indicated that there were approximately 200,000 properties for which taxes were being collected, while an exercise started by the Commissioner of Valuations (Part of the Ministry of Finance) identified 500,000 properties.

He said this discrepancy demonstrated that the information database had to be updated as there was a significant level of non-compliance since the Land and Building Taxes Ordinance had not been updated for over 50 years.

“While other areas of taxation have simplified and rationalised through ongoing reform, the system of property taxes was fragmented and antiquated in its design and methodology. Reforming the property tax regime was meant to improve and streamline the systems of assessment, management and collection of property taxes throughout the country,” Browne stated.

Browne noted that in addition to “harmonising” a system of property taxation across all of Trinidad and Tobago, the Bill (the Property Tax Bill 2009) had been introduced by him in the Senate on December 29, 2009.

“The property tax was not a new tax, as it sought to develop one system to the one used throughout Trinidad and Tobago with a uniform set of rates based on a uniform principle and common bases of valuation,” he said.

“The rate now proposed is exactly the rates proposed then on the same basis of calculation with the same basis of administration,” he said. Browne said one purpose of that Bill was to provide a system that would ensure that all properties are valued on a consistent basis, as they would be done by the Valuation Division of the Ministry of Finance.

He said consequential amendments to the Valuation of Land (Amendment) Bill would provide Trinidad and Tobago with a single agency for the determination of property values for the purposes of this taxation.

“Another purpose of the Bill is to implement a nationally consistent property tax system with one rate paid on all properties that are in the same category. More specifically, the rates across the board throughout the country in the four categories of properties will be as follows:
• Residential: 3% on the annual taxable value;
• Commercial: 5% on the annual taxable value;
• Agricultural land: 1%; and
• Industrial land: 6% of the annual taxable value.” The rates as well as the method of valuation have not changed since its proposal in 2009.

Asked why the tax was never implemented and what led to the Axe the Tax campaign, Browne observed the Bill was introduced at a time of “great dissatisfaction and coincided with the fall in income resulting from a fall in oil prices as a result of the 2008 recession.” “It was viewed as an attempt to increase taxation to finance the government’s income shortfall and the Axe the Tax campaign fell in with the level of disaffection directed against the then Patrick Manning administration,” he said, adding, “there was substantial disinformation in the political domain at the time which led to great disaffection.” “Implementation was superseded by the general election in 2010 and the campaign promise of the People’s Partnership not to introduce the tax. As such the Bill lapsed and the opportunity to modernise went with it,” he stated.

Browne continued: “There is nothing sinister about this bill. It will raise revenue for the government. It will require citizens to pay taxes that they used to pay up until 2009. But it is critical to the maintenance of a system of land registration and property rights.” “But people always fear change,” Browne stated.

Former People’s Partnership Finance Minister, Winston Dookeran observed that while Property tax is a “good measure for fiscal sustainability,” he pointed out that in a recessionary time, “the impact will be one of contraction, unless other measures are put into place at the same time.” “So, the question is, what is the fiscal and growth package?” Dookeran asked, before stating that the original property tax proposal was “not equitable, affecting the ‘small man’ more than the high value enterprises, hence the difficulty in pushing it forward.” “I do not have the details of the present plan, so it must be assessed for equity. Finally, fiscal measures must have a net stimulus impact on the economy, so this proposal taken in isolation may find the stimulus effect missing? Will it be merely revenue generating without stimulating the economy? And, exactly what is the size of its impact on total revenue?” Dookeran asked.

In the 2017 budget statement, Finance Minister Colm Imbert stated that property tax collections would be fully implemented in 2017 based on The Property Tax Act 2009, with minor amendments to the Valuation of Land Act.

He said new tax invoices would be issued in 2017, subsequent to the completion of the Valuation Roll prepared by the Commissioner of Valuations and the Assessment Roll prepared by the Inland Revenue Division. The Valuation Roll is a listing of all properties in Trinidad and Tobago.

This Roll is prepared in accordance with Sec. 16 (1) of the Valuation of Land Act Chpt 58:03.

Under the Valuations of Land Act, every owner is required to submit a return which will be used by the Valuation Division to calculate the annual rental value, failing which the Division will prepare its own valuation.

All properties in Trinidad and Tobago have a rental value and possess the potential to be rented, whether the intention of the owner is to rent it or not.

The rental value is determined by the rent the property will obtain on the open market (if it were put up for rent), according to the Ministry.

Residential homeowners are required to submit:
• A previous Land & Building Taxes Receipt for property identified;
• Deed/RPO Certificate of Title;
• Land Survey Plan or Land Area;
• Site Plan; • Building Plan;
• Rent/Lease Agreement;
• Completion Certificate;
• Town and Country Planning Approval (status of land);
• Town and Country Planning Approved Use (change of use), as well as a photograph of the exterior of the property;
• A sketch of building;
• WASA Bill (no more than three months old);
• TTEC Bill (no more than three months old)
Commercial landowners are required to also produce documents pertaining to residential landowners, including:
• Land Survey Plan or land area;
• OSHA Certificate;
• Letter from Designs Engineering Branch of Ministry of Works & Transport;
• Certificate of Incorporation;
• Certificate of Continuance; and
• Annual Return of a Company for Profit Incorporated, Continued or Amalgamated under the Companies Act 1995.

Under the Valuation of Land Act 18 of 1969, homeowners who fail to make a return within the prescribed time under subsection (1); or makes a return which is defective or incomplete or which is to his knowledge false in any material particular, “commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine.” The fine is not outlined in the Act.

According to the Ministry of Finance’s website, which has several pages dedicated to the issue, properties are expected to be accessed by Valuers, who take several factors into account in calculating the unit value of the property, which are used to calculate your property’s rental value including the classification of the property (executive, modern, standard I and standard II) depending on the features of the building – leisure facilities, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, types of utilities available, special rooms such as game room.

A standard home one is a one bathroom; a standard home two features between one and two bathrooms, while a modern home has at least one en suite bathroom with a specialty room.

An executive home may have at least as many bathrooms as there are bedrooms and specialised areas such as a separate room for dining, office, library etc.

Not all properties on the same street have the same property taxes to pay, as the rental values of houses, on the same street may vary according to classification of the building, floor area of the building, age, condition and internal layout of the building.

The Ministry also noted that for persons who operate a small business from their home, their properties would be assessed by its proportional use to determine whether they pay residential or commercial taxes.

Property evaluations are expected to take place every five years. However, if during that period any material change is done to the property, such as change of ownership, subdivision, improvements or any other changes as identified in Section 9 of the Valuation of Land Act, the Commissioner of Valuations may make changes to the Valuation Roll as necessary, the Ministry stated.

There is also an Annual Rental Value of vacant land, which would be calculated by taking a percentage of the Current Market Value of the land with Agricultural: 2%; Residential: 3.5%; and Commercial and Industrial: 5%. Under the Act, all land in Trinidad and Tobago is liable to taxation though there are notable exemptions such as lands used exclusively as “churches, chapels and places of public worship of any religious denomination and every cemetery or burial ground that is enclosed and actually required, used and occupied for the interment of the dead, but not land that is rented or leased by a church or religious organisation to a person other than another church or religious organisation.” Exceptions were also granted to school buildings, offices and playgrounds; charitable institutions as well as public hospitals, public asylums and all alms-houses, and institutes of tertiary education such as the University of the West Indies, University of Trinidad and Tobago; the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts, (COSTAATT); and the University of the Southern Caribbean.

Properties owned by foreign government or international organisation of which Trinidad and Tobago is a member are also exempted under the Act.

However, Housing Development Corporation (HDC) homeowners – those who have purchased their homes – would have to pay property tax on those properties.

Housing Minister, Randall Mitchell, in a message noted that HDC tenants and licensees would not have to pay, but noted that the Ministry would be guided by the Ministry of Finance. There are instances in which property tax can be deferred. According to the Ministry, the Board of Inland Revenue may “upon the application of the owner of land, authorise the deferral of the payment of the assessed tax on the land on the grounds of the impoverished condition of the owner and his inability to improve his financial position significantly by reason of age, impaired health or other special circumstances, that undue hardship to that owner would otherwise ensue.” Pensioners, however would not be exempt from paying property tax though this may be deferred upon application and approval by the Board of Inland Revenue.

Last week they complained about the intense heat and dust they had to endure. They also complained about the lack of washroom facilities and a proper place to have meals.

After their plight was highlighted by Newsday on Monday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodath Dulalchan intervened.

The police were told that the refurbishment should be completed in three weeks

Trinidad honours its gifted creative spirits — whether dancers, painters, writers, actors or calypsonians — under only two conditions: they are now dead or they have received the stamp of recognition from the First World, which now gives us the courage to honour them too and even boast a little that we always knew they were first class.

Note that Walcott’s Chaconia Medal came only after his Nobel laureate for literature.

Why? His work had always been seminal. I can testify to this as his fan since 1967 when I was involved in a QRC production of his play The Sea of Dauphin, directed by Patrick White, with the gifted Michael Harris as the lead. From then until my graduation in 1971, literature was food to me, whether in English, French, Spanish or Latin. I was even introduced to Vedic literature in English translation by my saroobai, the talented mischievous and energetic RK Heetai.

But it was in the pages of Walcott’s plays, and volumes of poetry, whether read or viewed in a performance at the Little Carib Theatre, that I saw myself reflected — a linguistic richness that embraced creole and patois alongside English; a penchant for dealing with the sublime and the profane in the same work; a landscape that was recognisably West Indian; which replaced fairies and elves with douens, lagahoos and la diablesse.

Walcott made my dreams, my joys, my pains into something authentic, rooted and deep. In Dream on Monkey Mountain, for instance, the protagonist is a drunkard and, possibly, a little mentally imbalanced.

But his dream is rich, human, painful, honest and crying out to be heard.

Even in 1970 during the state of emergency, I discovered in Ti-Jean and His Brothers not just a richly West Indian fable, but many sly references to that traumatic event in our history and a hint at the many undercurrents that led to this watershed.

Earl Lovelace, who is still alive, is doing the same seminal work on the Trinidadian/Tobagonian psyche, though his language mix is less rich and his characters sometimes become convenient mouthpieces for the author’s sociological theses — a distracting flavour in an otherwise humane yet penetrating and cathartic oeuvre.

Derek Walcott, for all his renown, was little understood in this his adopted land, even by ardent fans and well-meaning friends.

Lovelace, for all the accolades he has received in the First World, is little read in TT . Deep inside, he is a lonely man, even as he moves through the crowd at Carnival or a Black Caucus fund-raiser in his quiet, relaxed, unpretentious way, dressed in his favourite whites.

How can an artist make his audience embrace him if that audience, still remembering the sting of massa’s whip, is afraid to believe in itself? Walcott had the patience and the humility for that “long walk to freedom.” When he received the Chaconia Medal, he is quoted as saying, “I am not great.

Greatness is all around me, and I have the honour of reflecting it.” In this he parallels another of my heroes — the gentle Jackie Hinkson, whose place in our art history is hardly celebrated in the way it should be, but who daily enters his workshop and stays there for hours, consistently producing work that has real quality and definite social relevance, for a people lacking the self-respect to embrace what he brings to the table. His Christ in Trinidad series is a case in point.

On this bright Sunday morning in Crown Point, as I cut bushes, then embark on a search-and-destroy mission with my daughter Tamara to eliminate marabunta nests, my eyes refuse to stay dry as I inwardly say goodby to the greatest of my personal heroes yet a man whom I never met in the flesh.

No finer tribute can I pay to the great Walcott than his own closing lines in the poem Hic Iacet (Latin for Here He Lies)” I was that muscle shouldering the grass through ordinary earth.

Commoner than water I sank to lose my name.

This was my second birth.

OSMOND MOSES Tobago