He said Randoo understood the capital city more than even its custodians “as a mystical place, sacred and powerful,” and that she also understood forces at work in the cosmos. The council observed a minute of silence for Randoo and two members of staff of the corporation who died recently.

Deputy Mayor Hillan Morean chaired the meeting as Mayor Joel Martinez is visiting Sao Paolo, Brazil on council business. Also present was Minister of Local Government Kazim Hosein, councillors from the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation led by chairman Terry Rondon, Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation councillor Aaron Thomas, and former Port of Spain mayor Murchison Brown.

Hosein advised councillors to always stay humble and to sacrifice towards betterment.

Giving up alcohol is an exercise in self-denial that usually comes about because your doctor — not God — asks.

Dreaming of pubs, clubs and other forms of entertainment closing for one day in Lent would have to remain in dream mode as we are a nation of alcoholics, determined to wine right down to the ground until the doctor says, boy/girl, you are going to die. And I am not intending blasphemy.

The scourge of alcohol on health is very real indeed but to the poor man in the street, the pubs have a sobering effect on the lives of people who use drink as the only entertainment they can afford. Meeting regularly with friends is a form of therapy for the unhappy, the happy and the downright greedy. Alcohol is an intrinsic part of the TT culture that is admittedly out of hand.

However, just like stopping the Carnival, shutting pubs even for one day is not going to happen.

It can be argued that the pubs, clubs, fast food outlets, and even the gambling casinos keep the economy ticking over. Alcohol consumption is a two-edged sword with one side being sharper than the other.

Those places provide much needed employment even as they may lead to excessive domestic violence and facilitate murders.

The small entrepreneurs have opened bars on practically every street corner in certain areas.

Like driving PH taxis, the sale of alcohol is a form of much needed employment.

Our TT culture introduces a liking for alcohol with the first sip of beer, ponche de creme, rum or cherry brandy given to small children as a “little taste” of something during all our numerous family celebrations. You got a sip of cherry brandy when the Christmas black cake was making and you were “good to go” by age four.

Who can ever forget the runaway winner of a chutney soca competition with Rum Till I Die? That song was popular with Trinis just like Full Extreme this Carnival. Play that chutney song today and you will find that it’s jamming still and will keep us smiling.

Lynette joseph Diego Martin

In such light, regardless of how much one condemns the present or past political administration, unless there are tangible realistic plans to transform our economy, we will run out of savings and be forced to dramatically curb our present spending patterns.

We have grown accustomed to collecting billions of dollars in taxes from the energy sector. That source of funds is now reduced due to a decline in prices and reduced supplies of oil and gas.

Another very important factor to consider is the fact that there is no one product available now that can generate income on the levels that we have grown accustomed to. Consequently, there is an immediate need for non-popular cuts in spending and a restructuring of our economy. If that exercise is done in the manner suggested by myself and many other visionaries in TT , the transition can be seamless, productive, prosperous and lead to long-term economic stability and growth.

Alternatively, if we continue as we are, there will be a gradual decline in our quality of life and eventually a dramatic drop in our income that can lead to uncontrollable levels of civil disruptions.

Recently, I had the experience where, after waiting two years for a water reconnection, WASA turned up with a crew of ten men, a backhoe and two trucks to complete the job. They worked from about 6 pm to 10 pm. When they left, the roadway remained in a state of disrepair until the people in the community had the roadway repaired.

Why do such work at night when the cost is increased due to overtime charges? Such levels of inefficiency, however, is the norm in our society.

I saw recently as well, more than ten men and two trucks supported by a pick-up truck with supervisory personnel from T&TEC working on repairing a street light that was damaged by a tall truck in Diamond Vale, Diego Martin.

The unions will insist that everyone on the crew is required and will not compromise on the changes required for such simple tasks. The driver, for example, is critical and unlike other developed countries where drivers are technicians, in TT drivers must drive only.

Then there is the supervisor who must just sit and watch, there must be the safety guy to look on as well and the other trades are all broken down to ensure that everyone has something to do.

At the water connection, for example, there was a man to cut the roadway, a woman to measure and cut the pipe, two guys to connect the pipe, two people to dig the roadway assisted by the backhoe and others whose job descriptions I was unable to contemplate. If TT is to be transformed we must restructure how we use our human resources, our savings and our natural resources.

Our new economic package must see the end of $60-billion budgets as $40-billion packages become the norm. There must be the realisation that the State cannot continue to support the levels of grants and subsidies that were available in the time of plenty.

Long-term infrastructure improvements and investments must be done in conjunction with the unions and private sector. Most important, however, must be the reality that we must all work hard together as we can no longer support a culture of paying for the inefficient use of labour.

Steve Alvarez via email

The young girl would be ignorant of her legal rights about property and could be induced by the old man to forget about those rights.

She would not have any locus standi in law and society. She would be mere chattel like other household properties and considered to possess no soul.

She would be bound in marriage not for conjugal love and happiness but for satisfaction of lust and passion and also for her husband’s caprice.

The Quran says that women (not a child) possess intellect, wisdom and a soul (Q.4:1).

The ideal wifehood in Islam is love and affection, not servitude and subordination. A child cannot prevent her husband from falling into slippery grounds of immorality.

Prophet Muhammad was married at 25 years to his wife who was 40 years. It is imperative to understand that we live in the 21st century where child marriage must be outlawed.

AHAMAD KHAYYAM Curepe

Our crime situation is out of hand and citizens are not satisfied that our law enforcement apparatus is working. The troubling fact is that our society has witnessed some acts of reported violence that are absent of human, moral and spiritual consciousness.

Isasha came out his back door to be confronted by two barefaced gunmen in broad daylight, who appeared to be just above their teens.

This while on the way to an album photo shoot, which thankfully didn’t result in any gunshots.

Isasha has said enough is enough and wants citizens to not run scared but stand up for themselves and each other.

The digital billboards are littered with ads from the Police Service.

The faces of missing teenage girls make me uncomfortable while taking my two girls to school.

Crime has an effect on everything we do as a society and puts the country in more expense.

Our biggest budget item is crime. That may be our current reality but we cannot settle for this undesirable.

The sentiment that enough is enough has to now echo through the vibrations of our activities as citizens.

Let’s look for ways to assist the law enforcement agencies as concerned citizens. Let’s help bring these criminals to justice and let them face the music. It’s time to stand up.

Ronald Huggins St Joseph

This has resulted in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) condemning any such move and calling for the minister to truly float the dollar instead and let supply and demand determine the true exchange rate, and therefore let the exchange rate determine the demand.

I completely agree with the Chamber and DOMA, in that the correct move would be to let the dollar truly find its own level.

Politicians, however, sometimes have different concepts, and attempt to restrict inflation and the resultant hardship on the vulnerable in society by artificial economic means. If, therefore, the Government continues to support the dollar, then it is interfering with the principle of demand and supply and the result will be increased demand due to an artificially low exchange cost.

Jump high or jump low, local manufacturers continue to generate employment in this fragile economy.

They generate export earnings that are vital for the economy.

Even those who only manufacture for local consumption positively affect the balance of payments by reducing the import bill.

One of the pillars of diversification is manufacturing. When manufacturers, especially small manufacturers, have to compete for forex in a (supposedly) open market against the country’s credit card bill and the big boys, Massy, McAL, Bryden, PriceSmart etc, the result is obvious — the small manufacturer suffers.

When the manufacturer cannot access forex to settle his suppliers, he closes down.

Simple.

If the Minister of Finance does not intend to fully float the dollar, then he has a responsibility to the manufacturers to ensure they are able to pay for their bona fide raw materials.

L ike the Chamber and DOMA, I understand this can result in mismanagement.

However, the Government has two State companies, the Export Import Bank (Eximbank) and exportTT .

ExportTT is currently vested with certifying that goods meet the local content for Caricom. It can also be tasked with certifying manufacturers’ bona fide suppliers.

This certificate, along with the manufacturers C-82 Form when the raw materials are imported, can be presented to Eximbank.

The bank can then settle the invoice out of the forex intended for manufacturers.

TT is going through a very hard time that will not be short-lived.

The country is no longer earning the foreign exchange that it once enjoyed. We the citizens have to adjust.

We have to reduce our demand for imported products and services, and urgently support our local industries, both service and manufacturing.

Andrew Dalgliesh Diego Marti

The titles are The First Black Slave Society: Britain’s Barbarity Time in Barbados, 1636-1876 by Hilary McD. Beckles; Tell My Mother I Gone To Cuba: Stories of Early Twentieth-Century Migration from Barbados by Sharon Milagro Marshall; and The UWI Gender Journey: Recollections and Reflections by Joycelin Massiah, Elsa Leo-Rhynie and Barbara Bailey .

Foreword Reviews is an independent media company that hosts its annual awards programme as part of its mission to discover, review and share the best books from small, university, and indie publishers (and authors). Finalists represent the best books published in 2016 based on reviews from Foreword’s editors of over 2,200 individual titles spread across 65 categories, said a media release “Choosing finalists for the Indies is always the highlight of our year, but the choice was more difficult this time around due to the high quality of submissions,” Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews said in the release .

“Each new book award season proves again how independent publishers are the real innovators in the industry.” According to Joseph B Powell, general manager of the UWI Press, “These books represent important social issues and also symbolise the type of publishing that we at UWI Press want to encourage and foster for public discourse.” Indies finalists move on to final judging by an expert panel of librarians and booksellers selected specifically for each genre .

The judges determine which books will be awarded Foreword Indies Book of the Year in each category .

Winners in each genre, along with Editor’s Choice winners and Foreword’s Indies Publisher of the Year, will be announced during the 2017 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago on June 24 .

The event allows any member of the public to walk with their music and perform on stage. While one will not be judged audience appreciation will be taken into consideration.

The event could run for ten weeks after which a grand finale will be held with the performers who were well appreciated by the audience.

Kaiso Blues Cafe is organising to have a special prize at the end of the finale.

Last Friday saw several performers doing songs by Elton John, The Temptations, Billy Holiday, Larry Graham and Lu Lu. Host KV Charles kept the audience very happy with his brand of humour and ability to sing in any style.

The series continues today from 6 pm.

Six horses are down to contest the 1350 metres extended sprint on the turf course, and to say the least each of them can make a strong claim to victory.

But the vote goes to Howsweetitis to get home just ahead of the consistent The Tactician and Sweet Genius.

This Friday Lime programme was framed by the Arima Race Club to give way to sport fans who would otherwise want to get in on the West Indies vs Pakistan T20 match at the Queen’s Park Oval tomorrow.

A very competitive card awaits turfites today and they can be well rewarded on the hi5 with a single winner bonus of $29,096.64 to be won.

Also, a most lucrative $91,000- plus single winner bonus can be won on the Superfecta, while there is a carryover of $13,314.08 in the Place 8. As is customary, the fifth and eighth races are the ones on which Hi5 betting wil be taken, while the superfecta is open to any race and of course the Place 8 begins from the day’s opener which is timed to go to post at 1.15 pm.

To add a player that has PremierLeague experience is a major additionto our squad,” commentedcoach Alan Koch.

“Justin’s personality and humblenessfor someone who has alreadyachieved a significant amountin the game is enriching for ourgroup. Our younger players can usehim as a mentor as they grow theircareers.

I also know that Justin is incrediblymotivated to be successful herein North America and I look forwardto working with him.

He is a versatile defender andwill compete for a starting positionin our team immediately.”During his time at Arsenal, hewas part of the squad that won the2003-04 Premier League championship.

He also won the FA Youth Cupwith Arsenal in 2001.

Hoyte has made 80 PremierLeague appearances, seven ChampionsLeague appearances and haslogged nearly 300 games as a professional.

After a brief stint with the ArsenalUnder-18 team, Hoyte wastransferred to the first team in 2003and spent two seasons with Arsenalbefore being loaned to Sunderland.

In 2008, he was acquired by MiddlesbroughFC (Premier League)and played five seasons.

In 2013, Hoyte was loaned toMillwall FC while the club was inthe Championship, before beingacquired by the South East Londonclub the following year.

Hoyte became a free agent in2015 and signed on with Dagenham& Redbridge FC, of the NationalLeague before entering freeagency and signing on with FCCincinatti.

Hoyte, from London, England,was a member of the EnglandYouth national teams, competingon the U-16, U-19, U-20, U-21sides and also logged 18 caps withthe Trinidad and Tobago men’steam.