Alexander is charged with assaulting Christopher Charles occasioning actual bodily harm on July 12, 2016.

The charge was laid indictably, so Alexander was not called on to enter a plea before the magistrate. Police prosecutor Inspector Winston Dillon also indicated that he received no recommendation on whether the case would be heard summarily in the magistrates’ court or indictably, before a judge and jury at the High Court.

Alexander is represented by attorneys Gilbert Peterson,C, and Lee Merry. Also appearing yesterday was PC Sheldon Mires, who is also charged with assaulting Charles.

Two charges were read out to him, that on July 12, 2006 at Santa Cruz he assaulted Christopher Charles by way of beating and that on the same date and place, he committed common assault against Charles.

For the former, he was allowed to enter a plea as the charge was laid summarily. He pleaded not guilty.

The latter charge of common assault was laid indictably so he could not enter a plea before the Chief Magistrate. In his submissions, Merry indicated that they were ready to proceed and asked that the process of having a State prosecutor appointed be expedited because of Alexander’s job. The Chief Magistrate was informed that the police’s file relating to the investigation was expected to be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions by March 3. Alexander, who is on suspension from the TT Police Service, will return to court on March 27.

The event, first held last year, was attended by children from the Lady Hochoy Home and Marion House for Boys, among others. Seated on white chairs in the driveway as cars drove past around the Queen’s Park Savannah, the children enjoyed a performance by the cast of the play, Carnival Medea — a Bacchanal, a calypso from Lord Superior, a pan performance by Johann Chuckaree, and readings from the Bible about moments of celebration and joy.

Chief Celebrant at the Carnival Service, Father Robert Christo, told Newsday that a reading from John 2: 1-12, was chosen because it talks about “Jesus celebrating the wedding feast, celebrating joy.” “Celebrations have always been a part of Christian tradition, this is why we must celebrate and encourage the clean, wholesome, fun parts of Carnival (while) condemning the behaviour, the lewdness, the excessive drinking.” Christo explained that through this and similar services, the Catholic Church is providing “an alternate way of celebrating the festival. We must recognise that if we don’t control Carnival, Carnival will control us. This is about interjecting something very positive, uplifting, in the midst of the more lewd aspects of Carnival.” Newsday also spoke with Rhoma Spencer, co-playwright of Carnival Medea. She said Christo saw the play at the Little Carib Theatre.

Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez said the three schools will come through the city from different points and culminate at Woodford Square.

Officials said the parade routes remain the same as last year except that instead of going all the way up Frederick Street into the Savannah, the Kiddies Carnival parade tomorrow will turn right onto Oxford Street and into Charlotte Street and enter the Savannah.

The first judging point for the Downtown Kiddies Carnival will be at the South Quay venue.

On Sunday the children’s parade will be judged downtown and then go to Tamarind Square where they will also be judged. Martinez, at a news conference at City Hall, Portof- Spain yesterday, said he will read the proclamation to launch Downtown J’Ouvert at 4am on Monday and set off the rocket to launch Carnival 2017.

He said patronage of the Downtown Carnival has been growing in recent years and he is hoping that this year the Downtown Carnival authorities could send some patrons uptown to the Queen’s Park Savan- nah where there might be some space. Officials said the Downtown venue is the safest place to play and view mas.

And the Port-of-Spain City Police will not be doing any wrecking for Carnival although the TT Police Service will be wrecking illegally and improperly parked vehicles, said Superintendent Dexter Charles of the Municipal Police.

He said, however, that the police will use their discretion in doing so.

The wreckers, according to Charles, will concentrate on cases where people are parked in gateways and the homeowners need to get out but other than that they will allow some leeway within the capital city.

In response to a question about cases where there are fetes and vehicles are not causing any obstruction, Charles said he had discussed such matters with the Senior Superintendent for the Port-of- Spain Division and had been assured that such concerns would be addressed.

In the team is Darren Samlal who, along with Mohammed, were key members of the South Zone team which beat Central on Wednesday in the final of the Shell U-15 sponsored Inter-Zone tournament.

Others expected to benefit greatly from the tour are Jalen Agard, Nicholas Ali, Isiah Gomez, Justin Ramsumair, Rodney Beharry, Christian Bernard, Vanir Maharaj, Brandon Samaroo, Kellon London, Adam Umraw and Arjuna Sukhu, who resides in Canada.

The development tour is an initiative of Clarke Road United, which is in its sixth year and features members of its highly-regarded youth programme. The club has been contributing significantly to the holistic development of its community in various ways.

The youth team will play five matches in Guyana starting today and ending on Wednesday.

The matches are against Enmore Sports Club, Everest Cricket Club (CC), Maltenoes CC, Albion CC and Rose Hall CC.

Manager of the touring team is Chandradath Mahabir, with former national off spinner Mukesh Persad serving as coach. Some parents will also be accompanying the group.

Central FC owner Brent Sancho has been vocal in his call for the League to pay outstanding winnings to the club, who have got partial payments of their 2014-2015 million-dollar earnings but nothing for their 2015-2016 conquest.

Dexter Skeene, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TT Pro League, said, “that is a norm within the league. For those of us who have been in the league from inception, we understand that the prize monies are paid the year after and continuing throughout because, if you understand how Government subventions (are) paid, it is not paid in the particular year.” Skeene, the former national striker, pointed out, “you get it whenever the Government has money. So the ability to pay funds should not be based on purely prize monies.

“That is something that you get accustomed to, as you go along, in the league, this year especially,” he went on to say. “I understand Central FC. They are crying out. They want to be able to have the funds because they’re involved in the CONCACAF Club Championships as well. We’re trying to make every effort to assist them.

“We hope that they go out and represent us well. They’re one of our top clubs. They’ve won it three times, congratulations to them, they’ve done remarkably well given the circumstances and we hope that they go out and represent us in the (Club Championships) and help us to reach further than they have done in the past.” Looking back at the 2016-2017 season, which also saw Defence Force winning both the First Citizens Cup and the Digicel Pro Bowl, Skeene remarked, “if you look at the league this year as well, there was a lot of competition on the last day.

We had two teams who still could have won the tournament and you had improvements from teams like Rangers, Club Sando (and) Defence Force. So I’m pleased with the level of competition and the efforts made by the teams.

“We also want to thank the Government and the Minister (of Sport Darryl Smith) for supporting the league throughout the season. We know that we have difficult economic times in the country and football is no different. Just like every other industry, we would have to take our cuts as well. But the Ministry has been supporting the clubs with their subventions.” On the issue of community grounds staging league games on a regular basis, Skeene said, “the Minister has given his full support to ensure that the community grounds, which is something that his high and first on my radar, in terms of ensuring that teams have an asset that they can monetise, that they can grow their fanbase.” Concerning the 2017 season, Skeene said, “we have reverted back to the April-December season, in line with the MLS. There are always advantages and disadvantages in it because in the past, with the other season, August-May, we were able to be in competition when we were playing the Caribbean (Club Championships).

Now we’ll not be in competition when they’re playing the Caribbean (Club Championships).

“It’s a double-edged sword and that’s the disadvantage of going back. But, however, we would not be playing in the Christmas and Carnival periods. We expect to grow from strength to strength and to improve the standard of football, to improve the attendances and the main thing that we’re looking it is the grounds in the communities,” he ended.

Randall Leal’s second half goal was enough to deny the Trinidad and Tobago team the three points they desperately craved, especially after they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Bermuda in their opening game last Sunday.

As a result of the defeat, TT sit third in the group one a single point with El Salvador, who thrashed Bermuda 3-1 in the other game on Wednesday, top with six points.

Costa Rica are second on three points with Bermuda bottom with a single point.

Both TT and Costa Rica failed to make any inroads in the first half, leaving the contest on even keel at the break. However, the hosts took the lead nine minutes following the resumption when Leal unleashed a superb long range volley to beat goalkeeper Denzil Smith.

The goal proved decisive as Trinidad and Tobago failed to find an equaliser for the remainder of the contest at the Estadio Nacional.

Bermuda, meanwhile, proved no match for El Salvador and trailed 1-0 at half-time through a Roberto Dominguez 21st minute strike. After the break, Fernando Castillo (65th) and Josue Rivera (67th) scored in the space of three minutes to put the game out of reach and Mazhye Burchall’s 75th minute stunner was only consolation for the Bermudians

THE Junior Kings of Carnival paraded at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday Night in array of colours depicting traditional themes blended with a mix of modern mas. Carnival is colour and these costumes presented here, though they did not make it to the top three, certainly demonstrate that

The young band Flick, led by 19-year-old Daniel Roberts and featuring his friends from The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT ), St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain, and Fatima, got incoming patrons in the right mood for feteing with an infectious, high-energy performance that sent patrons dancing into the main area. Once inside they enjoyed sumptuous dishes from 34 food stations and premium drinks.

As the sun went down, Farmer Nappy with the Red Boyz Band got going with Chippin’ and other hits before bringing on Barbadian Peter Ram, followed by Marvay and Patrice Roberts..

Dil-E-Nadan with Raymond Ramnarine and Derrick Seales performed next, and were highly entertaining with a blend of new music and yesteryear gems. The surprise of the night came when Ramnarine brought pannists Yohann Chuckaree and Ken “Professor” Philmore on for a pan shootout and they totally mesmerised feters. The band also featured the 2017 Junior Soca Monarch, Sergio Camejo, also a student at the college.

Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann and the Asylum band continued the jam session with Bunji starting off free-styling about a car that was parked badly, which organisers wanted removed, then went into Differentology and Raze, before Jaiga joined for oldies Ring de Bell, Plenty Vibes and Free Up.

Bunji then sang the first word in Lorraine, and the crowd sang the rest. Fay Ann followed with Soca Baptist, Wine on Something and Ethel. They ended with Big Bad Soca, Buss Head and a single bar of Blaze it Up.

In anticipation of the appearance of Ultimate Rejects featuring MX Prime, the crowd started chanting: “We Doh Business! We Doh Business!” MX Prime appeared and totally destroyed all semblance of order in the fete. They teased with their monster hit Full Extreme, then broke off for Welcome to the Carnival, Soca Train, Kings and Queens and Fighter. Then came a countdown from 20, straight into Full Extreme. When Prime finally left, there were chants of Road March! Road March! Roy Cape All Stars featuring Blaxx, Tizzy, Ricardo Drue and Teddyson John closed the entertainment with their wide repertoire that kept patrons jumping.

In his address, Picquart who described Rose as a true ambassador of TT , and of Caribbean music said: “It has been two years that we have been following very closely the development of this musical adventure that is the Calypso Rose story, from Bethel in Tobago to the concert halls of Paris. And what a beautiful story, this Queen of Calypso who had long been winning the big competitions of TT , as well as the adulation of people here, and who today is conquering the imagination and hearts of the people of France.” Speaking directly to Rose he said: “Your success at the awards ceremony of les Victoires de la Musique has made you indeed, as you yourself put it, a Queen of France!” The ambassador then acknowledged the support of Rose’s team and her managers Jean-Michel Gibert and Lorraine O’Connor.

Rose then thanked Picquart and expressed her happiness at being present to be received by him. As a descendent of the French territory of French Guinea, she said her grandmother who passed away when she was just five-years-old always told her: “No man knows his burial ground.” She said she only understood what it meant much later and then wrote a calypso, then she broke out in song: “Sitting on another man land, yuh only suffering, toiling on another man land, yuh getting nothing….

But I want to go the land is too far, I want go, I am begging Jah, over yonder where there is many moons yonder, I want to go back to Africa.” She then said: “When we did the video The Lioness of the Jungle, I knew I was back in Africa. And then now with this new album, Far From Home, in French, you know when my name call and I went up on stage you know what I sang? Amazing Grace, and I know I was home.” She spoke about her trials and tribulations she went through as a young woman singing calypso and urged that artistes need to stand together as one.

She then hinted that given the upcoming French elections, she intends to sing a calypso on that.

Rose called on THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, who she said was her cousin, to join her at the microphone.

She thanked all who supported her efforts over the years

The tune chosen this year is well suited for the instrument due to the musical structure. Peter Ram has done a marvellous job. Despers’ rendition is different to all the bands I have heard.

Its phrasing, variations and execution are almost perfect.

On the final night, all is needed is a very outstanding performance and the other bands will have to play catch-up. Panorama is very technical since the position you pull, the count, start, finish, and that north-east wind that blows across the stage are very important factors; these factors can make or break you.

I am expecting a great final, but there can be only one winner, so the boys from the hill, now in the city, just need to go for the jugular and execute and make us proud gain.

The band has been reincarnated and is going to be unstoppable.

The sacredness of the panyard is a big plus.

I know that All Stars is coming with its showmanship, but woe to them, the spiritual master is in Despers’ corner.

Good luck to Tash, Pin Head, Co Co, Ursula, Curtis, Pinky and the rest of the crew.

EARL MARTIN Trincity