The incident occurred in Malabar yesterday.

A video posted on Facebook shows the man with his hands tied behind his back with rope.

The man told those around him that he was waiting on two children.

Those who viewed the video praised the people who intervened and made a citizen’s arrest.

“Good job guys for not turning your head and standing up for what’s right…citizens have to make the change. Hats off to you guys,” one man wrote in the post that accompanied the video.

Checks to the Malabar Police Station confirmed that the man was in police custody and police were continuing their investigations

Located on Harris Street,. San Fernando the production. house of Kalicharan and Associates. scored its 25th South Band. of the Year title this year with its. presentation Zante. Chief co-ordinator. of the band Aaron Kalicharan. was overjoyed on receiving. the news from Mayor’s Office.

Amid the joy of winning, he. made a strong appeal to San Fernando. Mayor Junia Regrello to. improve Carnival in the Southern. city. One of the major issues. he says is affecting the smooth. flow of the parade of bands is the. choice of route given by the City. Corporation. “When we come up. High Street onto Coffee Street, we. should keep on the same stretch. along Coffee Street instead of turning. right into Cipero Street, you. go straight up to Standard’s Stores. and then turn right into Navet and. you go on to the Bye-Pass and then. take the left street at the corner and. parade along that street making it. a Carnival village where the parade. stops,” Kalicharan said.

Another issue that should be addressed. is the presence of vendors. on the pavements. He noted that. vendors occupy the pavements. preventing spectators from getting. a good view of the parade of bands.

“It is time the mas-makers and other. stakeholders come together and. discuss south Carnival,” Kalicharan. said, adding that the current recession. did not affect the production. of mas in south.

“People really enjoy south Carnival. and playing with our band because. we provide security for our. masqueraders,” Kalicharan said.

Costumes for Zante were sold at. $3,000 and $1,500 this year and all. sections of Kalicharan’s band were. sold out. This year 1,200 masqueraders. played in eight sections of the. winning band.

Also in winners’ row were Lionel. Jagessar and Associates with their. band, San Fernando Heart Beat. which placed second Fire Works. Promotion’s band ‘Reclamation’. designed by Wayne Hanooman,. which placed third.

Lionel Jagessar Junior won the. King of Carnival with his portrayal. of San Fernando Heart Beat. Clyde. Blaize placed second portraying. Hurricane Trump from the band,. Legall and Friends with Marlon. Rampersad of Kalicharan placing. third with Bazodee. Rose Marie. Kuru-Jagessar won the Queen. of Carnival for her portrayal of. Queen Chirapaq. love spells redmercuri.com witch reddy reviews russia

Sonya Blaize was first runner-up. with Reaching For The Stars from. the band Legall and Friends. Third. place went to Lisa Moniz for her. costume Goddess Of The Fire also. from Legall and Friends. There. were joint winners for the South. Calypso Monarch title as Selvon. Noel (Mr Shak) tied with Malaika. Ballantyne. Nerrimah Scipio was. crowned South’s Soca Monarch. with Ricardo Melville placing second. and Heaven Charles placing. third. In the J’Ouvert Steelband. Competition first place went to. Skiffle Bunch while Pan Elders. placed second and San City Steel. Symphony placed third.

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“No, I have not resigned. The editorial in the Express suggested I should resign based on what happened in Dimanche Gras. Although the writer may be right, I have decided not to resign. I don’t think it will benefit the NCC at this time. I am still the Chairman,” De Silva told Newsday,

The Express editorial stated, “Kenny De Silva has served Carnival reasonably well and gained credibility with Carnival stakeholders,

But he should know that in accepting responsibility for the disaster that was Dimanche Gras, he and his team should have gone one step further and accepted the consequences of their failure by tendering their resignations.” During the show on Carnival Sunday there were technical difficulties, poor stage management and other unexplained delays,

De Silva said that based on all the circumstances which the editorial’s writer was not exposed to, De Silva said, “the buck stops with me. I have to make the decisions and I have decided not to resign.” De Silva issued an apology to the public, in a media release, which stated, “The NCC has taken note of the comments and complaints expressed on the shortcomings in the Dimanche Gras at the Queen’s Park Savannah,

We regret that we did not have adequate corrective protocols in place to deal immediately with the problems once they arose.” The release continued, “We sincerely apologise to all the artists, honourees, patrons, and the public and give the assurance that we will have in place a more robust back-up plan in future.”

Yesterday, a small group of CWU members and workers staged a lunchtime picket demonstration, at the corner of Edward Street and Independence Square, Port-of- Spain, calling on the management committee to meet and clarify the issue before payment could be made.

Speaking to reporters, CWU Secretary General Joseph Remy said employees of the former telephone company who would have been contributing 6.5 percent of their monthly salary toward the pension fund plan, and in the TSTT environment when that plan came into being the company, agreed that the contribution should be five percent.

Remy said at present they have two pension fund plans, one that came from the former telephone company which is the TELCO Pension Fund Plan, and the other plan which started when the company merged in 1991, called the TSTT Pension Fund Plan.

“They had employees in the same company doing the same work paying different contributions towards a pension that would have been calculated on the same basis which is on the basis of their final salary and the rules of pension. We raised an issue with that and it was subsequently agreed that the contribution should be five percent across the board.” He continued, “For 11 years between 1995 and 2006 hundreds of former telephone employees would have been contributing 6.5 per cent when they should have been paying five percent.” He said the actuaries eventually recommended in one of the actual reports that it is not a problem to have the 1.5 percent reimbursed for the 11 years that those who would have contributed more than they were supposed to.

Remy said after numerous efforts to have the issue addressed they have not had any agreement by the company to have this 1.5 percent reimbursed.

“What we have seen is that scores of pensioners have died without getting their just due and we are saying to the company that is sacrilegious. You cannot put people, particularly retirees on fixed income, through that process.”

In a media release yesterday, the State-owned oil company said a line leak had been “detected and contained” at the sprawling oil refinery.

“Further, investigations were conducted in response to reports of hydrocarbon odours affecting employees at its Administration Headquarters and environs,” Petrotrin stated, and noted that staff members had been evacuated as a “precautionary measure.” “As a precautionary measure and to minimise discomfort to these employees, these offices were evacuated and HSE personnel conducted air quality tests. This exercise continues today,” the company stated adding that all of the regulatory bodies had been notified including the Ministry of Energy.

on their own volition…decided that they were going to stay at home.” The minister said, “The absence of our students was felt over the seven education districts…

ranging from Port-of- Spain in the north…on to Victoria in the south.” Garcia said there was 13 to 18 percent attendance by secondary school students and 20 percent attendance by primary school students.

Stating this did not augur well for the education system, Garcia said, “I make an appeal once again to the parents…please send your children to school…it is important that their children take advantage of the education that we are committed to offer.” As he noted, the Education Act stipulates that between five to 12 years of age,a child must be enrolled in school.

Garcia said parents can be held responsible if children in this age group fail to attend school. He added that other efforts are made to encourage children in “the upper age limit” to go to school.

Garcia said the ministry provides free transport and free meals to students to ensure they are able to attend school and receive quality education.

He said Government was grateful to the primary and secondary school teachers who came out “overwhelmingly” after Carnival.

Saying “students have chosen to boycott their schools”, he said the situation concerns teachers and school administrators, and sets back the school curriculum.

“It was based on these circumstances that Minister of Education in the Basdeo Panday led administration 1995 to 2000, Dr Adesh Nanan, created a weeklong holiday period to be enjoyed by students and teachers, by reallocating the extra three days from other holidays that were designated during the academic year.” This allowed pupils and teachers to celebrate Carnival, and fully recover before resuming their schooling, thereby cutting truancy and boosting productivity.

“After only one year however, the initiative came under severe criticism from the then PNM (People’s National Movement) Opposition, who forced the government to abandon the decision and allowed the situation to return the state that it finds itself currently.”

People are still being interviewed and statements being recorded, one senior officer said yesterday. “All leads are being checked at this time,” he said.

An autopsy performed on Wednesday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, revealed that real estate agent Sylvestine “Baby” Bernard, 87, and her daughter Kathy Ann, 38, died as a result of multiple stab wounds.

Their bodies were already in an advanced state of decomposition when a neighbour went to check on the women at their home located at the corner of Gonzalez Street and SS Erin Road in De Gannes Village on Carnival Monday night. Meanwhile members of a shocked and shaken community are anxiously awaiting and praying that police find the killer of the two women. They are convinced the person may be from the village and walking around a free man.

One woman told Newsday yesterday, “I don’t like courthouse but if in the morning I know her killers are coming to court, I will be the first one in front the building waiting to see who did that to them.” Residents said Bernard always exercised caution in her day-today routine. The woman was described as a tough and astute businesswoman who owned several prime residential and commercial properties in south Trinidad.

And they said although she was rich, she lived a simple lifestyle, practiced her Catholic faith and did charitable works in the community. She and her daughter however kept to themselves, residents told Newsday. They lived very private lives. Kathy Ann, Newsday was told returned to Trinidad a few years ago to live with her mother. They were always seen in each others company.

Bernard’s three other children returned to Trinidad on Tuesday night. The funeral service for the women is expected to be held next week.

There was a report from a media company that waste matter was being dumped in the QPS after the two days of merriment on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

However Martinez said the report was not accurate. The portable toilets were provided by Tropical Tent Rentals, but they had hired a sub-contractor who did the pumping and extraction of the waste.

“The information was not correct.

The toilets were being cleaned out in the Savannah so the stench that was let off made people assume that the waste was being pumped into the Savannah, but it was being pumped into the trucks,” Martinez said.

Managing Director of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) Hayden Romano confirmed this was true. When Newsday tried to contact the sub-contractor (name given) a woman who identified herself as an assistant, said her boss, (name called) was not available and she would pass on the message. The call was never returned.

Romano said officials from the National Carnival Committee (NCC) were themselves concerned and investigated the matter themselves.

He said the waste was transported to the Beetham Landfill over the Carnival weekend.

“There is no way we would be happy with somebody dumping raw sewage in the Savannah,” he said.

Chairman of the EMA, Nadra Nathai-Gyan said it was practice for contractors to lay the porta-potties down after they had emptied them to discourage others from using them. She added if sewage was being dumped in the QPS, the company would have been taken to task. Romano said the local laws would have to be addressed and the way a body would be charged was under the Litter Act. The maximum fine under the Act is $4,000.

“It tells us we really need to review our legislation especially with respect to dumping,” Romano said.

Thousands of campers converged on the beaches and rivers in the area over the weekend, but Rondon said there were no incidents of violence and thanked the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Municipal Police for coming out in full force. He said if one called the Matelot, Toco and Mathura police stations they would find that there was no violent incidents over the weekend.

“What the people come to Toco for?” Rondon asked. “Clean water and security.” He said he was saddened particularly because the region would experience a bigger influx of visitors for Easter in the next few weeks and it is the Regional Corporation which has to use its limited funds to try to provide for them. He said he went to a meeting with the Minister of Tourism and outlined his needs but the minister said the ministry had five areas of focus and Toco was not one of them and that the beach is private land.

He said the ministry had built a lifeguard hut on the beach and the ministry is still saying that it is private property. However, the Ministry of Tourism responded yesterday that it is not responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the Salybia Beach in Toco. The ministry said its marketing and implementation agency, the Tourism Development Company Limited is responsible for five facilities: the La Brea Pitch Lake; and the Manzanilla; Maracas; Las Cuevas and Vessigny beaches.