SRP Scipio’s colleagues rushed the injured officer to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was treated. Invesigatiors said the injuries are not life-threatening

There were lots of people on the streets enjoying the music as they ended off the J’Ouvert period.

Many characters were partying way into the afternoon.

Carnival Monday mas saw a slow turn out of masqueraders in the evening. At about 3.30 pm sections of Ivan Kalicharan’s band ‘Zante’ saw masqueraders taking to the streets.

As accustomed the Monday parade features just a fraction of the entire costume, but revellers in Zante wore bright colours, a bit of feathers and beads giving patrons an hint of what to expect today.

Kallicharan’s band will see close to 1,000 masqueraders in the band; the next big band of South being Lionel Jagessar and Associates with their portrayal ‘San Fernando Heartbeat’.

David Arrindell appeared before deputy Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle who read to him the charge that on Thursday last, he struck Kareece Forte on the left buttocks with a cutlass.

Arrindell pleaded guilty to the charge. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a cutlass for the purpose of committing an arrestable offence. He told the magistrate the woman ‘rushed’ him while he was under his house and as a result he defended himself.

Magistrate Earle-Caddle told him that based on that explanation, she had to record on his behalf, a plea of not guilty as defending oneself when attacked was a defence in law.

Court police prosecutor Sgt Shazeed Mohammed exhibited the cutlass in court and told the magistrate that Forte sought medical attention and was discharged.

Arrindell was granted bail in the sum of $5,000 to reappear on March 6.

A Ministry of Planning and Development release said that based on its survey of departing visitors to Trinidad and Tobago last year, a total of 35, 485 visitors arrived for Carnival 2016 and spent an average of $340.5 million during their stay.

The CSO conducts an annual survey of departing visitors for the 10 days subsequent to Carnival Tuesday to monitor the expenditure patterns of visitors for the Carnival period in both islands.

Last year’s visitor arrivals and expenditure for the 2016 Carnival period were based on administrative data taken from the Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security and data collected by the CSO in the survey of departing visitors during the Carnival period.

Visitor arrivals for the Carnival 2016 were monitored from January 22 to February 9, the release said. The period included the 17 days prior to the Carnival celebration and Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday.

The total visitor arrivals for that period was 35, 483 persons.

The peak period was between February 1 to February 7, the week immediately preceding Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday, during which there were 17, 925 visitors or almost 50 percent of the total arrivals for the period.

The largest number of visitors in one day, 3,267, was recorded on Carnival Thursday, February 4.

From January 22 to February 9, the breakdown showed that Trinidad recorded 33, 471 visitor arrivals and Tobago 2,012.

The 2,903 departing visitors surveyed between February 10 to February 19, that is 10 days subsequent to Carnival Tuesday to monitor their expenditure patterns for the Carnival period in both Trinidad and Tobago, showed the average expenditure was about TT$9, 597.

When the average visitor expenditure of TT$9,597 is factored into the total visitor arrivals of 35, 483, the release said, the estimated visitor expenditure for the Carnival period for Trinidad and Tobago in 2016 was a total of $340,530,351.

The release said, “It should be noted that this figure is only representative of visitor expenditure and not necessarily total contribution of Carnival to the Gross Domestic Product of Trinidad and Tobago

The 56-year-old Seelochan appeared before magistrate Indira Misir-Gosine in the San Fernando Magistrates’ court.

He ws charged with assaulting his wife Roshni Seelochan by biting her on Sunday at Graceland Drive, Bamboo Village, near San Fernando.

Selochan pleaded guilty to the charge.

Police prosecutor Inspector Denzil Alexander, in reading out the facts to the court, said at about 2.45 pm, Seelochan was highly intoxicated at the family’s home when he began to physically abuse his 55 year-old wife.

Alexander said during the attack Seelochan bit Roshni on the right shoulder.

The woman left the house and reported the matter to police at the San Fernando Police Station.

Constable Buchoon was detailed to conduct an investigation and he went to the home where he found Seelochan lying on a bed.

The man was arrested and taken to the police station where he was charged.

Seelochan told the magistrate he and his wife who were married for the past 25 years were having problems in the marriage.

He said they were trying to sort out their issues but accused his wife of ‘getting advice from the wrong people.’ Seelochan said during the confrontation, he tried to defend himself and that’s when he bit his wife.

Seelochan, who owns a furniture business at Union Road, Marabella, was fined $400 or two weeks hard labour in default.

He has two weeks in which to pay the fine.

The visitors from foreign appeared mesmerised, in awe of the steel pan music and the infectious happiness all around. To me, it was the most successful Panorama final evening ever. It seemed as if all roads led to Port-of-Spain and the Queen’s Park Savannah was alive with the sound of music. There was an intrinsic atmosphere of happiness that the people of TT could still come out and party.

Downturn in the economy? What downturn could they possibly be talking about? Everyone was dressed to impress and spending money. I checked the faces of the vendors. Not a sour face in sight anywhere on the drag and on the Savannah pitch.

All the finalists deserved to be there. My favourites, Exodus, All Stars, Invaders, Desperadoes, Phase II, saw me not getting home until 3.30 am. But the wait was worth it. All points should have been the same, but for presentation, with their flashing lights and hot steel pans, All Stars brought the house down.

In fairness, All Stars won Panorama 2017 because the band played the most popular soca tune as it aptly describes what is happening in TT . From Scarborough to Cedros, we are living the Full Extreme. We are existing in extremely political and challenging times but collectively we have to say, we don’t business. Nothing, like in nothing at all, will kill off the inherent joy of being Trinidadian/ Tobagonian.

Kudos to all concerned, the bandleaders, the players, the vendors, the well behaved general public, in the staging of Panorama 2017.

Lynette Joseph Diego Martin

I am concerned about the coverage of the music of all genres that citizens heard or did not hear during this Carnival season. I take my cue from what Liam Teague said when he spoke about Panorama (Newsday, February 25, pg 3 Section B).

He said, “What can actually help Panorama is educating the masses. A lot of people come into the panyard and sit and listen but aren’t aware of the intricacies and subtleties of the music.

We can spend five or ten minutes speaking to the audience to give them a greater appreciation and a lot more people will be inclined to visit panyards because what they are hearing won’t be a mystery.” His comments are applicable to the other music and competitions that come with each Carnival (and throughout the year). So in addition to pannists speaking to audiences at the panyards, I ask that we also have a consistent body of work from critics who can rouse people to visit the calypso tents where attendance has been declining for years.

Critics are a major resource in the creative arts, whether we are dealing with fashion shows, culinary arts, award ceremonies, art exhibitions, drama, dance or poetry.

Where calypso, pan and Indian music are concerned in TT , there are issues that need ventilation.

Witness, for example, the controversy about the use of melodies from Indian movies in the chutney soca competitions.

At one point there were useful critiques of calypso and calypso tents from Derek Walcott in the Trinidad Guardian, Keith Smith in the Express and there were also Mark Lyndersay, Terry Joseph and Debbie Jacobs.

In addition, there have been several articles by Professors Gordon Rohlehr on calypso and the late Orville Wright about pan and Panorama in the TT Review.

To date I have seen one very incisive article from Winsford James about MX Prime’s Road March contender Full Extreme.

But this is not enough. There has been virtually no evaluation of Panorama, the calypso tents, the Chutney Soca Monarch competition, Calypso Fiesta, the Young Kings Competition, the Calypso Queen Competition or the International Soca Monarch competition.

So the public is not really enlightened about the state of the music that has come with the 2017 festive season.

Unless the analysis of our music is addressed we will lose precious time in the quest for the development of the creative arts industry which is an important aspect of our economic diversification.

Aiyegoro Ome former president NJAC former Chairman NACC

In diverting traffic at a perpendicular junction especially where there is continuous traffic flow, I respectfully suggest that the police place a bold sign facing the minor road directing traffic exiting therefrom.

Failure to do so and placing only a thin physical barrier parallel to and continuous with the direction of the minor road curb serves to warn traffic only along the major road of the diversion. It is obvious that drivers exiting from the minor road may well only see this barrier when they have turned toward it and may well even collide with it.

Additionally, in such situations temporary directional signage should be placed at strategic points several metres from the junction to warn drivers along both the major and minor roads of the approaching diversion.

Steve Smith via email

It is only our Government that could not work because it was Carnival Friday. Is this the work ethic that our Government is exemplifying to our young people? No wonder in 1975, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore remarked that Trinidad could not progress because of our “Carnival mentality.”

Imaam Iqubal Hydal Felicity

Did something happen in the High Court earlier this week? One of the contestants earlier this week was removed by TUCO because she was not a citizen of TT .

The High Court ruled that having participated in the semi-finals and having been chosen for the finals, she was entitled to be a finalist. Basic common sense.

One recalls that Lord Nelson from Tobago but a citizen of the US was debarred from performing many years ago and thus made the ever popular Foreigner. It is thus strange that TUCO (Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation) has in its current rule book that only citizens of TT are allowed to participate in the Calypso Monarch competition.

And on Dimanche Gras night 2017, Chalkdust is announced and introduced as the Calypso Monarch of the World. It should be, correctly, Calypso Monarch of TT .

I wonder?

Philip Ayoung-Chee via email