He has always demonstrated a great sense of humility and commitment to his craft and has brought pride to his hometown of Sangre Grande. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

PAUL MONGOLAS Councillor

Further, too many of these crimes involve heinous acts against women and children.

Gender is not usually a popular topic, but I believe if we get serious with these issues nationally, we can begin the process of alleviating some of the causes and symptoms of our current predicament.

With this in mind I have some questions for the Gender and Child Affairs Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister:
1. What are the numbers of both State-sponsored and/ or NGO-run safe houses for women and children?
2. Are there any corresponding places for men who may be in rehabilitation?
3. Will any consideration be given to increasing the provisions for working mothers in the Maternity Act?
4. Why is there no Act or policy on paternity leave? When will this be considered?
5. Is the unit collaborating with the police to make sure the officers assigned to the Child Protection Unit have adequate training?
6. Is there any collaboration with the Family Court in producing data on the level of access to children given to both parents after separation or divorce? Or any public data at all?
7. Does the unit only exist because of the outcry of civil society after the main ministry was closed in 2015? For my last question I turn to the realm of mysticism.

There is an “ancient” document, rumoured to be over 25 years old, which has been seen by only a few although it has been sought after by many. It seems to be shelved somewhere, rather than being in the public domain. Where is the gender policy for TT ? I hope that some answers to these questions are forthcoming.

Marlon Bascombe via email

This too is not new. Under the former administration, over a rather murderous weekend, there was talk of hanging and execution in Woodford Square.

Please don’t forget the call for a limited or unlimited state of emergency. Ah well, we had that too and it did not work.

There are no new ideas — worst there is no in-depth analysis — that proposes solutions.

Where are our radical ideas? Do we need outside-the-box solutions? Where are these solutions to come from and from whom? We recycle the same failed people and ideas.

We therefore cannot expect anything new, different, for this recycled bunch of failures and failed ideas.

We need something radical — unique, different, outside of the mainstream. Any lessons from Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines?

T Clay Sucre Montrose

“Our judging normally starts at 8 am. We were prepared and the judges were in place, while guests were still coming in. I understand there was a collapse in the pavement on Ariapita Avenue causing one of Tribe trucks to go into the drain. We are checking into that incident.” City Mayor Joel Martinez told Newsday he was happy and excited to see the huge turn out of bands who crossed the stage downtown.

“I am happy to see the quality and quantity of masqueraders parading downtown, and the involvement with the people of the city enjoying the revelry of the masqueraders.” Martinez also sent condolences to the family and friends of the slain solider and police officer’s families who were killed in the line of duty.

“It is really unfortunate for someone to lose their life by trying to have a good time during the Carnival season. The TTPS has done some good work in apprehending and removing from the streets some serious weapons.” The first band to pass the judge’s stand was the Lost Tribe at 7.30 am, and was closely followed by two other large bands, Paparazzi and Trini Revellers.

With cups, rags and flags raised in the air masqueraders in their full costumes transformed downtown Port-of-Spain like a river, flowing and filled with colours of a rainbow. For the first time, radio personality Sunny Bling (Kerron Sealy) brought out a small section, “Have ah Time.” He said his band is all about displaying the true essence of Carnival which is the revelry of the masqueraders.

At about 11.15 am Mac Farlane Mas took the stage with Cazabon the Art of Living with his section the White Hall Affair. The section captivated the crowd’s attention as confetti were blown over the masqueraders.

Both President Anthony Carmona and his wife Rema Carmona were seen chipping through Mac Farlane’s band to the rhythm of MX Prime and the Ultimate Rejects’ “Full Extreme” song, “We Jammin Still.” Mac Farlane’s band was the largest band to pass through South Quay stage.

In the hot blazing sun, in between the large and medium bands traditional characters such as Fancy Indians, Sailors, Moko Jumbies, Dame Lorraine, Minstrel’s where among others also made their way across the stage.

As the bands continued to flow, spectators on the bleachers and those who lined the streets and corners of South Quay were also jamming as the music trucks passed by.

“Look how easy it is to watch the streets,” said La Rode. “Long time, that wasn’t possible. The crowd was so thick, you had to push yourself through. This year the crowd scanty, and it was the same for J’Ouvert Monday.” The sentiments were shared by Phyliss Bowin, 74, who has played mas since she too was a child. “This year is the worst for Carnival,” she said, dressed in the traditional Indian costume of Small band “We the Band of the Nation’s People.” “There are less people on the streets now and the bands are getting smaller and smaller.” Other on-lookers who preferred not to be named, including private photographers who have documented Carnival for decades, said the same. San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello, however, himself no stranger to Carnival having been manager of Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra, disagreed. “One would expect a decrease in participation given the state of the economy, but I am here looking at the Carnival and if there is a percentage drop it may be a 5 percent or ten percent here or there. To say there is a significant drop, I can’t agree with that. There are those who want to oppose and make claims that cannot be substantiated.

I have been in mas every year and I can draw an analysis of my own.” On the other hand, the apparently smaller crowd numbers did not affect the vibrancy of the masqueraders nor the quality of their costumes. Regrello commended the 15 bands, their leaders and their masqueraders for their hard work in putting on yet another Carnival in the city.

The revelry of Carnival in Tobago may not be as frenzied as Trinidad’s but the masquerader is just exhilarating, especially for J’Ouvert as these highlights of the Monday mas show

Brown was part of soca artiste Asten Isaac’s performance of Rum Friend at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain. Videos posted on social media have gone viral garnering over eight million hits, according to Brown, who took in some of the Parade of the Bands in the capital yesterday.

The comedian, who in January walked the red carpet as Obama at the opening of businessman Derek Chin’s new MovieTowne cineplex in San Fernando, said he was thrilled to take his performance to the ISM stage alongside Isaac.

“I was excited to get invited to Carnival to appear at Soca Monarch,” Brown told Newsday yesterday.

“The artiste just asked me to walk on stage and bring him a bottle of rum and I told him I would feel it out.

Next thing you know, I’m hyping the crowd and jumping. Nothing was rehearsed but it seemed so. I went out on stage did my thing and the audience was loving it. My only regret is not busting a wine in stage!” The online buzz on his act was also a great compliment, said Brown.

“As of now, I have 1,000 views on the video I posted but other posts have over eight million views. People are saying it’s really Obama and as an actor and impersonator that’s the highest compliment I can get.” “Soca Monarch was an experience I will never forget, the energy was amazing and the online reaction to my appearance has been amazing.” Brown had a presidential meeting, of sorts, yesterday when he posed for a photograph with President Anthony Carmona who was playing mas in Brian Mac Farlane’s band, Cazabon The Art of Living, on Charlotte Street. As a spectator, Brown mingled with the public as himself and not in character.

“There’s such a high level of anonymity in social media posts these days. I just want people to know the man behind Obama. It’s important as an artist to get credit for your work. I love my job.” This was Brown’s third visit to Trinidad.

“I always wanted to be here at this time.

J’Ouvert and Carnival were too much fun. I was getting down doing my Chicago wine in the streets.”

Cedeno, a policeman for the past 18 years, died in an accident along the Solomon Hochoy Highway in the Claxton Bay area on Monday morning.

According to police at about 11.45 am, Cedeno of Hercules Village was driving a black Kia SUV along the highway when it crashed into a guard rail near the MacAulay flyover.

At the time, Cedeno’s three female relatives were also passengers and up to late yesterday, the women who are Canadian nationals were listed in critical condition at hospital.

Cedeno recently moved to Hercules Village and resided with his wife and three children one of whom is a three-month-old baby.

At the house of mourning, Mrs Cedeno said that her husband left home on Saturday morning for work. “He kissed the children goodbye and as I watched him leave the house, I stopped him and told him to be careful on the roads and drive safe,” the emotional woman said.

“What is really hurting me is I told him to be safe on the road as I always did. It hurts me so much to know that he is gone,” she cried.

Investigators believe the policeman may have fallen asleep while driving. The grieving woman said that on Monday while at home with her children she received a telephone call that her husband was involved in an accident.

“When I got the news I prayed that he would be okay. But when I went to the hospital I had to identify his body. I am so hurt, we just welcomed our baby son,” she said, adding that child will now grow up not knowing his father.

Cedeno was the sole breadwinner.

Speaking at Piccadilly greens, Williams said the police only play a part in fighting crime as he noted that the only persons who can stop criminal acts from happening, are the citizens.

“The citizens can stop every single crime, because it is citizens of this nation who commit crime. So if we could reach out to the public and say we need to be caring for each other, we can in fact stop all the crime. Not necessarily by the police, but by the citizens because crimes are committed by the citizens,” Williams said.

Six persons were thrown from one of the vessels, but they were recovered and taken to the St James Medical Facility, where they were treated for their injuries. There were no fatalities and the persons were said to be in a stable condition in the aftermath of the collision.

Public Relations Officer of the Coast Guard, Lieutenant Manswell, yesterday advised that persons going on boat ride parties, walk with their own life jackets, or ensure that one is provided by the ship’s captain, whenever they are going out on pleasure cruises.

This would ensure that their chances of survival are higher when they go out to sea.