But it will evoke an immediate iconic ring if mentioned in the United Kingdom, and the European Union for that matter, testimony of the excellence this Trinidadian brought to the profession both as a news anchor and field correspondent during his many years living and working in the UK.

Trevor — now Sir Trevor, an appendage that is also an acknowledgement and appreciation of his service via broadcasting to British society and his many accomplishments — is back home this weekend for the 50th anniversary observances of the death of Sir Frank Worrell, another legendary figure, this time from the world of cricket when the West Indies was king of the game.

But outside of the main event, Sir Trevor returned to his roots in San Fernando yesterday and, in particular, to his alma mater, Naparima College, to demonstrate to youngsters who may have scarcely ever heard of him — after all he is 77, and his era was from the late 1950s — that they could be the best in what they want to be.

In this regard, it was at Naps that McDonald and some enterprising students launched a radio project that broadcast to the school population at set times during the day.

Little did he know that he was planting the first seeds that would germinate to have him rise to the very top of the profession, and in a country that has demanded only the highest standards in broadcasting and was not really known for accommodating black faces on their television screens when he migrated in 1969.

Accordingly, the British Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Television News to this day are global flagship broadcast institutions, and Trevor McDonald has had his hands on both their decks, many a time guiding their journey to wherever, whenever and by whomever in the world news was in the making.

So his professional passport would have been stamped by countries on every continent, facilitating his coverage from actual mayhem to talks to end mayhem, his microphones before the lips of international personalities like Nelson Mandela, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, and Bill Clinton, to mention a few.

For the work that Sir Trevor generated, his mantlepiece abounds with innumerable awards, more than any other broadcaster in Britain, where he was voted Newscaster of the Year on several occasions, and also regularly topped the polls as the most authoritative and trustworthy news presenter.

But before all this, there was home: Trinidad and Tobago, and beyond his broadcast baptism at Naparima College, there was Radio Trinidad, where he rose through the ranks from announcer to deputy programme director, and of course as a newscaster at Trinidad and Tobago Television in its infancy. He excelled as a cricket commentator and sports reporter, hence his suitability to be a part of the Sir Frank Worrell event in Trinidad this weekend.

The Caribbean Broadcasting Union also inducted him into the prestigious Caribbean Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Sir Trevor is home at a time when Trinidad and Tobago has witnessed an explosion of broadcast institutions in a relatively short space of time, and sometimes where who shouts the loudest and is the most outlandish lays claim to, and is often hailed as, being the best in the business. It is hoped that at least some of them would aspire to the standards that have enabled Trevor McDonald to be regarded as one of the best globally for which he could have been ceremonially commanded by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1999 to rise Sir Trevor.

The statement Carnival is not a party has been repeated in this column as a reaction to negative attitudes about the festival and its place in our lives.

The point of the statement is to very deliberately force a change in the conversation about Carnival and contribute to a greater understanding of its value.

The Ash Wednesday alignment continues to be problematic.

In 2018, because of where the day falls, the Carnival season will be “short,” with Carnival Monday and Tuesday on February 12 and 13.

The calendar already shows exactly when every fete, competition and show is happening. For us, that gives about three weeks to rehearse for Kambule on Carnival Friday morning, competing even more so now with the other major activities such as Panorama, Calypso Fiesta, and Dimanche Gras.

These other events impact us, because in a period when dancers and performers are in demand, almost everyone is on an extreme hustle.

Artists need to survive through their craft but what ends up happening in the industry is unhealthy, as it becomes more about the job than the truth of the portrayal.

Carnival practitioners already know that the “Ash Wednesday model” is not sustainable. By June this year, bands will begin to display their products online to international customers and locally through their fetes. Pan groups will choose their songs, wire-benders will get busy, song writers are already working. So, in reality what we have is a year-round industry that culminates on two days in February.

Which brings me to the issue I raised at the start of the article, about the language that is used with respect to adjusting the attendance requirements for students after the festival.

Allowing people to rest and recuperate after creating the mas is entirely different to giving “time off.” Time off implies yet another holiday, so clearly this idea will be met with resistance.

Even the sensible suggestion by the ministry to reduce the August vacation and make use of the time at Carnival was resisted. Further, opinion leaders are making it seem like they are being forced to give in to some kind of after-Carnival “lack of productivity” scenario.

A more useful perspective would be to recognise that the people who create, produce and present a national festival must have time to recharge the energies they put out over a period of months to bring joy to people all over the world. With this understanding, we can begin to vision a week of post-Carnival-related exhibitions, workshops, lectures and live activities in communities across TT.

For instance, as people cool down in Maracas, they can browse an interactive exhibition on the link between communities like Santa Cruz and Blanchisseuse to Carnival. People in the South can find out about the history of resistance and Carnival, and in Tobago they can learn about the evolution of the festival there.

Another important point is that Carnival was initially linked to emancipation, celebrated by the former enslaved on August 1. As part of the ongoing campaign to restrict the celebration, an 1849 ordinance legally moved Carnival from August to the two days before Lent, mimicking the timing of European carnivals.

So, in many ways shutting down our Carnival on Ash Wednesday is not natural. We need to accept that it’s either time to either get rid of this model or find a way to make it work. Resistance is futile anyway.

The people have already spoken.

D a r a Healy is a performance artist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN

According to a police report, at about 3.20 pm, members of the Western Division Task Force were on patrol at Unity Road, Rich Plain, Diego Martin when they saw the SRP standing by the road. On seeing them approaching, he is said to have thrown himself to the ground and tried to hide under a car parked nearby.

He was later searched and the loaded weapon and cash were found and seized. Police said the SRP is expected to be placed on identification parades this weekend in relation to a number of robberies along the East-West Corridor.

In an unrelated matter, three SRPs from the Western Division who allegedly extorted money from a businessman to forego prosecution for a traffic offence remained on the job as of yesterday.

They were spared being charged after the businessman refused to co-operate with the investigation.

A file has been sent to the acting Commissioner of Police to have the officers sent on immediate leave.

Seemungal, a father of two, from. Ramlal Street, underwent surgery. on his left eye Thursday night at. San Fernando General Hospital,. where he remains warded.

The circumstances surrounding. the beating of 36-year-old Seemungal. remain unclear but police have. denied causing the injuries. Seemungal’s. sister Seeta said her brother. and another female relative had a. “misunderstanding” on Wednesday. at about 7.30 pm, at which time, the. police were called in.

Shortly after police arrived, Seemungal. was found bleeding after. suffering a savage beating. Saying. the misunderstanding.

Although Seeta said she did not. witness the incident, she claimed. hearing a policeman kicking her. handcuffed brother as she was. nearby in another area of the house.

“They handcuffed him and was. carrying him down, but apparently. he fell and police started to kick. him down the hill. A man in handcuffs. cannot fight back, so when. he reached the bottom neighbours. came out and asked police why they. were doing that,” Seeta said.

She said Seemungal has a cut on. his left eye and suffered internal. bleeding. “Naresh says he cannot. see anything in that eye. It was brutal.

He has not reached the police. station yet. The police were called. in, not to beat him, but to restrain. him. He was already in handcuffs.

This is not the way to restrain. somebody, by damaging them so.

We fear he may lose sight in his left. eye.”. Seeta added that when she spoke. to the police, they accused her. brother of using obscene language. and said as a result they deemed. him a prisoner. But police investigators. yesterday told Newsday that. on Wednesday night, a female relative. visited the station and made a. domestic violence report, claiming. Seemungal was intoxicated and. had beaten her with a pitchfork.

As a result, two male and one female. police officers accompanied. the woman to her home where they. met Seemungal. The house is in a. hilly area and the road is under. construction and contains loose. stones, police said. Police reported. that while officers were escorting. Seemungal to their vehicle, he. lurched forward and in doing so,. fell down the incline.

He rolled a short distance before. coming to a halt. Officers said this. is how Seemungal suffered his injuries.

They insisted at no time was he. beaten. Officers added that if anyone. feels they have a case against. the officers, they are free to make a. report to either a police station or. the Police Complaints Authority. (PCA).

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On Thursday, Cpl Richard Ramcharan of Arima CID secured a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, but when police went to his Lopinot home, his father said he had not been seen since Wednesday afternoon. Photos of the suspect, as well as information on his alleged crime, have been circulated to all police stations.

According to reports, on Wednesday night the man picked up his female companion, Sterla Yorke of John Lane, D’Abadie and told her he was going to Blanchisseuse Road to meet someone.

Yorke told police that on reaching the 1 3/4 mile mark shortly after 9 pm, the man got out of the car and began choking her.

She said she then felt a blow to the back of her neck and awoke at about 10pm to find herself ten feet down a precipice. Yorke said she climbed to safety and alerted a passerby, who contacted the Arima police. She remained at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex up to yesterday.

According to reports, Patrick, a woman identified only as Candice, 20, and two other men in their early 20s were sitting in the gallery when two men believed to be from a rival gang, began shooting at them. Patrick was shot several times while the others were grazed by bullets. They were all rushed to the Chaguanas Health Facility where Patrick was pronounced dead on arrival. The others were treated and conveyed to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EW MSC) in Mt Hope.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Surujdeen Persad along with Snr Supt Kenny McIntyre and Sgt Jordan and others visited the scene and two suspects in their early 30s were detained in connected with the incident.

Levon Julien of Las Alturas, Morvant was granted permission by Justice Carol Gobin to bring contempt proceedings against three police officers who allegedly refused to comply with a judge’s habeas corpus order last Christmas Eve. When the matter was called yesterday, Insp Harvey Jawahir of Port-of- Spain CID, PC Stephen Smith of the Homicide Investigations Bureau and PC Hercules of the Central Police Station, were in court .

Acting Insp Clevon Brown was also summoned, but was mistakenly identified as the officer in charge of the CPS when Julien was arrested. He was expected to bring the station diary to court .

Brown, however, said he has been on pre-retirement leave since November, was not in charge of CPS in December and does not have access to the diary .

It was disclosed that Ag ACP Billy was the officer in charge of CPS at the time .

Attorneys Darrel Allahar, Chase Pegus and Ajay Babal who represent Julien, were granted permission to summon Billy, Supt Ancil Corbette of the Homicide Division and another officer .

They are expected to come to court on March 28, before Justice Gobin. Julien spent ten days in custody before being released after Justice James Aboud ordered police to bring him to court on December 24 .

His attorneys argue that police disobeyed Aboud’s order that Julien be brought to the court, on two occasions, to give effect to the habeas corpus order granted on December 23. Julien was arrested on December 13, on murder enquiries .

Justice Aboud first ordered Julien be brought to court at 11 am on December 24, but PC Smith told the court the suspect was at the time before an identification parade .

Justice Aboud then ordered Julien be brought to court at 12.45 pm .

Justice Aboud himself contacted the police station, where PC Hercules stated Julien had been been released .

Aboud’s telephone conversation with the officer was recorded and forms part of the contempt proceedings as well as the court recording of the case .

On Thursday, Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe announced at the post-Cabinet press briefing that Cabinet agreed to dissolve the company and establish two entities. One to focus on tourism in Trinidad and another for Tobago .

In a paid advertisement in today’s newspapers, the CWU says the decision “reeks” of anti-union, anti-worker tendencies .

“Months after the Union submitted its proposals for a new Collective Agreement for the workers of the TDC, the Government wants to now dissolve the Company and start over with two new entities. In effect, the Government would be denying those workers their right to have trade union representation, which they are legitimately entitled to have. The union says its secretary general Joseph Remy received a call from Cudjoe at about 1.14 pm on Thursday where she informed him of Cabinet’s decision .

The minister told Remy there would be a new regulatory body in response to a query about the status of workers of the bargaining unit adding that she would have to engage the union in subsequent discussions .

The CWU says that in January, the TDC commenced an investigation into the award of a contract to Beckles Environmental Services Limited on July 7, 2016 relative to drainage and associated works along the Maracas Bay car park .

A meeting was supposed to be held on March 6 to reveal the findings of the investigations but it was postponed .

The union is questioning the timing of Government’s decision which was done before the investigation into the award of this contract was revealed .

“We are left asking what would become of the findings of this investigation,” the union said .

The CWU advised the Government they would not “roll over and allow the workers at TDC to be trampled upon.”

While he welcomed news that most of the currently serving officers will get their backpay by monthend, as promised by Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Stephen Williams, to Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) last Wednesday, he said this settlement did not include retirees.

He wondered if Williams was aware of the plight of the retirees, who he said numbered 1,200 to 1,400.

The source claimed that some $60 million had been allocated to pay the retirees their pensions and gratuity for the years 2011 to 2014, but was never paid.

He alleged that within the Police Service a decision was taken to first handle the payments of backpay before paying out pension and gratuity, and as a result the $60 million in pension and gratuity allocation was meanwhile returned to the Treasury, not given to the retirees.

Further, he said the processing of backpay has been complicated by the need to calculate yearly wage-increment s , further complicated by the fact that lists and lists of names of retirees have discrepancies of overpayment or underpayment.

“Only one person in the Increments Department is seeing about this,” he lamented. He hopes Williams would allocate more staff.

With this knowledge 30-year-old Sean Dalipsingh has embarked on a campaign offering free hugs to individuals with the hope of spreading love to strangers who he believes may be experiencing pain, anger and malice.

Dalipsingh is promising to travel throughout all districts within Trinidad and Tobago offering free hugs to anyone along the streets. He would be holding a sign with the words “Free Hugs” and offering hugs to everyone.

His journey first started two weeks ago in Port-of-Spain. Yesterday he walked through San Fernando with his sign. He said many times people face challenges in their lives and have no one to talk to or offer comfort.

“You see someone just walking the road and they face many challenges and that may have them bitter. Would it not be a wonderful thing if a hug could get them through the day? Sometimes all we need is someone to hug us,” he told Newsday. Dalipsingh admitted that he also made mistakes which have now tarnished his character. He is among thousands listed on a Florida registry for sexual offenders. His mug shot and profile are easily accessible on the internet. But Dalipsingh said that he expects many people to pass judgement and paint him as a “monster or paedophile” because they do not have all the facts.

“At the time, I was young (15 years old) and the female was 11 years old.

He was charged with sexual battery and three years in prison after which he was deported to Trinidad.

Sexual battery is defined when a person has unconsensual oral, vaginal or anal contact with another person. However in Florida the law states that if the victim is under the age of 12, the State does not have to show the victim’s lack of consent to charge the offender.

“It is something that happened in my teenage years and I will pay the price for a lifetime but I am a strong person.” Dalipsingh said the criticisms which he may be subjected to would not deter him on his quest to bring a smile to a person’s face.

He said many people have called him horrible names since.

“People have laughed at me and said that I am a pervert for wanting to hug people, but that is far from the truth. I just want to make someone’s day brighter.

There is too much pain and sadness in this country,” he said.

Dalipsingh said because of the outpouring of negative criticisms he received on social media with some labelling him as “a sex offender”, his spirit was dampened but he promised to continue his quest.