There is abundant hope for the “yardless” wherever they reside.

Several varieties of plants, vegetables and mini fruits can be cultivated in a variety of convenient and small patio or deck spaces at the front, back or sides of homes.

The colours, scents and appearance of patio gardens enhance the ambience of any dwelling.

Small scale gardening on the patio or other small space involves using containers such as plant pots, hanging baskets, grow boxes, window boxes, barrels, plant trellis and plant ladders. Rails may be used for runners and a variety of plants can exist vertically with very creative effects. Plants may also be cultivated between tiles and around stairs. For containers the type of soil, water and drainage are major considerations.

Focus should be placed on the type of garden you intend to cultivate; should it be vegetable, ornamental, fruit, herb or a mixture? Vegetables can include tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. Varieties of ornamentals, flowering and non-flowering for patio gardens include orchids, petunias, periwinkles, marigolds, azaleas and bromeliads. An abundance of culinary and medicinal herbs inclusive of chives, sage, rosemary and thyme are favourites for patios.

An adequate amount of water should be used for each plant according to its needs to avoid drying out or rotting. Containers should be portable with lightweight soil where possible. The containers should contain holes to facilitate proper drainage and an extra container should be used to collect extra water particularly when dealing with plants at high levels. This is essential to avoid root rot and fungus formation.

• Plants that require the same amount of light and heat should be place together. The amount of sunshine and heat should be monitored. Leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce need some level of shade. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers need the most sun while plants such as anthuriums do not require direct sunshine.

• Plants should be arranged to create visual impact in terms of colour, shape, size and texture.

• Choose and apply the correct fertiliser, insecticide and fungicide when necessary.

• Avoid containers with narrow openings.

• Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly.

Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes.

• Wooden containers are susceptible to rot.

Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta or other toxic compounds since the vapours can damage the plants. One advantage of wooden containers is that they can be built to sizes and shapes that suit the location.

• The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used and also the space on your patio where the pot will be placed.

Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots; if planted in pots that are too small the roots will be restricted and will dry out very quickly.

• Make sure your pot has adequate drainage.

Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss.

• In hot climates use light-coloured containers to lessen heat absorption and discourage uneven root growth.

• Set containers on bricks, blocks or wheels to allow free drainage.

• Line hanging baskets with sphagnum moss for water retention.

Keep baskets away from afternoon sun.

• If you choose clay pots, remember that clay is porous and water is lost from the sides of the container. Plants in clay pots should be monitored closely for loss of moisture.

• Seek advice on the best soil and soil mixtures.

If you live in rented residence you can still have a patio garden once you have the permission of the landlord.

You may even combine efforts with the owners to plant food and flowers. A patio garden is a great place to relax and enjoy the beauty and scents of plants, as well as the sights and sounds of visiting insects and birds at any time of the day. Happy patio gardening! For further information contact the Eastern Horticultural Club at 357-5033, 764-9125 or 720-2698 or eaasternhorticultural@ hotmail.

com The Club meets on the first Saturday of every month (except public holidays) at 3 pm at Moreton Hall, Aramalaya Presbyterian Church, Cochrane Street, Tunapuna.

Yorke, the holder of a diplomatic passport, was in Qatar performing commentary duties for BeIN Sports TV for Thursday’s Europa League match featuring Manchester United against St Etienne. The 45-year-old is a Manchester United legend and has been a club ambassador for quite some time. Like many TT nationals abroad, though, Yorke loves his Carnival and was coming home for the “Greatest Show on Earth” but was unable to do so as his flight to this country was via Miami. Surprisingly, a visit to Iran in 2015, barred him from entering the United States on Wednesday.

Yorke’s trip to the Middle East in 2015, lasted less than 24 hours, where he played a charity match alongside other football legends such as Portugal’s Luis Figo, Brazilian Roberto Carlos and Netherlands’ Edgar Davids.

Yorke, recounting the horror incident to British tabloid The Sun yesterday, said: “I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. I have lost count of the number of times I have been to America, I love the country, yet I was being made to feel like a criminal. I had bought my ticket and checked in and was about to get on the flight when I was stopped by two officials.

“I thought, ‘what is happening here?’ They told me there was a visa problem and a red flag had come up against my name because of an Iranian stamp in my passport.” Yorke added, “The two officials told me if I got on the flight I would simply be deported back to Qatar once I arrived in the States. I tried to explain I didn’t even live in Qatar and was just trying to get to my home in the Caribbean.” Yorke’s predicament made world news yesterday after fellow Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys tweeted, “Well done Donald Trump, Man U ambassador Dwight Yorke denied transit access to Miami cause (sic) he has Iranian stamp in passport #crazy.” The tweet resulted in local and international media reporting that the controversial Trump “Muslim ban” on persons from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen had resulted in the Tobago- born global sporting icon being blocked. The ban, which has been overturned by several US courts, was not the law that affected Yorke’s travel itinerary but rather one passed under former US President Barack Obama. The rules, which took effect on January 21, 2016, create new visa requirements for dual nationals and anyone who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan in the last five years.

The new rules, phased in under an anti- terrorism law passed in December 2015, are designed to prevent persons radicalised abroad from entering the US. Yorke has visited this country several times in the last 12 months, most recently in September, but it is unclear whether he passed through the US.

US border control has come under tremendous scrutiny since Trump’s travel ban with existing laws being strictly enforced.

The former TT football captain was forced to buy a ticket to England where he reportedly spent the night before booking a flight direct to Trinidad and Tobago yesterday morning. “All I was doing was trying to get home for the build up to the Carnival season.

I have never had anything like this happen before. I have travelled the world for years as a footballer and ambassador for Manchester United and my country without any problems. I am stunned at what has happened,” he said.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, commenting on the situation yesterday, told Newsday: “We are clarifying the position. The Government considers Dwight Yorke to be be an ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago. He should be the recipient of a diplomatic passport to address any issue of his status with respect to Trinidad and Tobago.

The present situation with Yorke involves some personal issues and the full facts must be found out.”

She made the call yesterday at a ‘Business of Calypso Workshop’ at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Portof- Spain. She explained that she did not want to make music for her own island alone but other islands.

She recalled advising Jamaican musician Byron Lee to introduce Carnival in Jamaica and introducing Carnival to Belize herself.

“So I kept the flame burning.

Trinidad and Tobago is the land of steelband and calypso. I showed the world calypso will never die,” Rose said. Recently she became this country’s first ever artiste to win the French version of the Grammy’s — the Victoires de la Musique — after her platinum selling album Far From Home, was voted Album of the Year.

Asked if she ever saw herself becoming as big as she has Rose responded, “yes”, saying you can get anything in life once you build faith and hope and say that you will. She spoke of being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and having a relapse in 2008. The second time she lost four pints of blood and her lungs collapsed.

“So I am here for a reason and a purpose. The reason and purpose is to breathe life into pan and calypso,” Rose said. She told the gathering that she will keep on singing until the Lord says, “it’s time.” Rose recalled flying on Air France returning home and hearing songs from her album Far From Home and crying when she heard a line about Mount Irvine Bay, remembering it was the place where her father would bring in fish to feed the village.

Her manager Jean Michel Gibert said the strategy of the music industry worldwide is that music is supported by a country. He stressed that if this country wants to play in the international game then there must be a level playing field and support provided.

He thanked MusicTT and the Trade and Industry Ministry for providing support in having the workshop.

The moment it dawned on the boys that they were both winners, Stefan jumped on the back of Sergio and the celebrations started with Sergio dancing as he carried his little brother on his shoulder.

Singing in position six, Stefan came on stage with a mission.

With perfect diction he gave a strong performance of ‘Back on de Road’, a song advising youths to free themselves from drugs and alcohol and get back on the road to studies and eventual success.

There were no back-up singers on stage but his fellow students from Sacred Heart Boys’ School in the audience vociferously sang his refrain.

It was a strong performance.

Shouts of ‘Stefan! Stefan! Stefan!’ continued after his winning performance. In Sergio’s case, the Fatima College student was great on performance of ‘Daz Yuh Business’. His dancers in red, white and black come out to fete as he stated once the party start.

And as with his brother earlier there were also shouts of Sergio! Sergio! after his performance at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Speaking with the media afterwards Sergio thanked everyone for their support, especially the Camejo family. Asked what was their first reaction on hearing that they were winners Stefan said: “When I first heard my name, I was standing up by the band waiting to hear the results and I ran on this same stage all the way to the next side and run back and jump and fall down on the ground, for spite! I was so happy because the years before that I came second twice and after that it has been a winning streak up to now. It is just amazing” This is Stefan’s fourth consecutive win. It is the first time any competitor in the Junior Soca Monarch competition has ever achieved that feat.

For elder brother Sergio, the moment he was named winner he said: “I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting it. I am in shock. I really thought that there were some other performances that were excellent, some of them really great, and I didn’t know what was going to be the result. So when I heard my name, I was like, what? So it was excellent. I still have the energy pumping, I’m still in shock.

I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know who to talk to, I don’t know who to hug up again. Daz yuh business,” he said with a laugh.

Their father, Dexter, a guitarist with the Asylum Vikings couldn’t hide his emotions. “Daddy don’t know what to say except that these boys of mine…and to tell you the truth, I didn’t really push them in this.

They grew up in the band room and wanted to do this, I didn’t push them in this.” He then turned to his younger son Stefan and said “You have SE A now, I hope this motivates you to pass for your first choice…Fatima College, so next year they will have two defending monarchs.” Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education in his welcome address told the audience that his Ministry is always happy to be associated with events such as the Junior Soca Monarch. He said culture is an important part of our development, adding: “Events like these, we will always lend our support.” He noted the hard work of the finalists which redound to their reaching the final, and added that chutney, soca, calypso all form part of our culture and that it was important to keep our culture alive. Garcia also said that the students’ participation and the effort put into their performances ought to be more important that the prizes they may win.

Primary Schoo l Soc a Mon arc h
Name…………………………………………schoo l…………………………………song
1 S tefan Camejo……………………………………………Sacred Heard Boys’………………………Back on de Road
2 N’Janela Duncan-Regis……………………………..Eshe’s Learning Centre…………………Rise
3 Terry Perez………………………………………………..Arima Boys Govt…………………………Choose.
4 S harla Grant………………………………………………Lower Cumuto Govt…………………….Proud Trini
5 Jason James………………………………………………..Arima Boys’ Govt…………………………Victory Road
6 Yirah Mc Intosh…………………………………………Arima Boys’ Govt…………………………Eagle’s Eye
7 S u-Yen Pantin……………………………………………Arima New Govt………………………….Why
8 Zakima Grant……………………………………………Lower Cumuto Govt…………………….Ah Want to Go
Secon dary Schoo ls Soc a Mon arc h
Name………………………………………….schoo l…………………………………song
1 S ergio Camejo…………………………………………..Fatima College……………………………..Daz Yuh business
2 Osei David…………………………………………………St George’s College……………………….My Way.
3 Denisha Martimbor…………………………………..St Anthony’s College…………………….Feeling The Vybes
4 Desle Julien……………………………………………….St Mary’s College………………………….We Lit
5 Tsahai Corbin……………………………………………St Joseph’s Convent………………………Too Much Pressure
6 E than Webb……………………………………………….San Juan South Secondary……………True Love
7 Jenelle Ross………………………………………………..Tableland Secondary……………………Come Back Again
8 S hernifa Gibbs…………………………………………..Guico Government Secondary…….Wet Meh Down
9 Oduduwa Aluko………………………………………..St Benedict’s College…………………….Time of the Year
10 Tyrese Williams…………………………………………Holy Cross College………………………Not Too Young

“ The issue of moral suasion is one that we take very seriously,” the Governor said.

Responding to St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar’s questions about the spread between interest on deposits and the interest charged on loans, Hilaire said, “The competitive nature determines the interest rate on loans as well as deposits.” He said the Bank took the novel approach last September to begin publishing the fees and charges of all commercial banks on its website. Observing that only a minority of central banks across the world do this and even then the information is limited, Hilaire said the fees and charges posted on the Bank’s website are very detailed and have internet links.

“This is where we think it is important for consumers to know what is happening, so they can make their own decisions,” Hilaire stated Mitchell, who is also San Fernando East MP, interjected that it was not easy for persons to switch banks. Referring to complaints raised by his constituents, Mitchell said persons can no longer open a bank account using a job letter, two pieces of identification and $100. “Many think that these commercial banks are an oligopoly and they go about their business with concerted practices and they are really anti-competitive,” he stated. Mitchell added that many vulnerable persons in society are “sitting ducks” in this situation.

Ramadhar agreed, as he inquired as to whether basic amenities were available at commercial banks for the elderly. Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said he does not own a credit card and like a close relative of his, is a walk-in bank customer.

Rambharat suggested commercial banks offer a suite of services to customers which are free of charge. He also expressed concern that TT was becoming a society where cash transactions were being frowned upon.

“Should banks be looking at fees as a reflection of the cost of providing a particular service or should banks be looking at fees as income generators?” Rambharat asked.

Saying that fees are driven by market forces, Hilaire indicated that in terms of deposits, global interest rates have trended down and rates in commercial banks are consistent with that.

“Interest rates on advances are also determined by competitive forces,”the Governor stated.

He also said while consumer loans have stayed relatively flat,”one of the rates that have been very high are rates on credit cards.” Hilaire explained that credit card debt is very seductive and it was a trap that many credit card holders fall into. Hilaire added that counterfeit money does not influence bank fees. In response to a question from Independent Senator Sophia Chote SC, Hilaire said the Bank will look into a particular entity called Money Tree.

The challenges more than likely would have been among the most arduous that confronted the region’s heads of government at their inter- sessional meeting in Guyana this past week. Yet, they cannot afford to throw up their hands in the air and leave Georgetown in despair.

Caricom nations share so much in common in lifestyle, culture, values, history, geography and economy that collaborations can surely be invoked against the crime menace. This can be at the level of white-collar crime, street crime and the social factors that create predispositions to youth criminality.

While Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque recently urged a regional solution to crime, we say that at the very least certain models of best practice can be shared from one territory to another, such as templates for anti-money laundering legislation.

Caricom has been highly successful in areas of functional cooperation such as health and education. The creativity displayed, for instance, in containing the HIV/AIDS epidemic must be brought to bear on the initiatives to curb crime, said to be out of control in territories including Trinidad and Tobago, whose Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, is coordinator of Caricom’s crime control efforts.

As a fillip to these discussions, Dr Rowley can speak with authority on some of the precursors to the inexorable increase in crime in TT.

For example, many murders in TT are due to the drug trade, largely spurred by this country’s position as a transshipment point between the producer “South” and the consumer “North”. Gang wars are fuelled when a portion of drugs being transshipped is retained for sale on the local market as payment to the transshippers, who are also supplied with lethal firearms in the shipment to protect their cargo.

Law enforcement must clearly play its role, yet to stem the multi-faceted menace of crime further factors are needed. Caricom would do well to mull a recent World Bank report, “Stop the Violence in Latin America: A Look at Prevention from Cradle to Adulthood”.

Despite the region’s economic and social gains in the last decade, high levels of crime and violence take a heavy toll on development and human lives, said a statement accompanying the report. The authors urged a more inclusive social fabric with more equality of opportunities, plus policies to cut school dropout rates and provide good jobs for youth. “Insecurity is the result of many factors – from drug trafficking and organised crime, to weak judicial and law enforcement systems that promote impunity, to a lack of opportunities and support for marginalised young populations.” The statement said a well-aimed mix of initiatives can greatly reduce violent acts and criminal behaviour.

The report underscores that there’s “no magic formula or single policy” to fix the problem, and “it emphasises that relying only on greater police action or greater incarceration is not enough.” The statement said policies that are not overtly anti-crime measures can greatly reduce crime, such as early childhood development, education, and poverty reduction measures.

The best measures “are those that reduce the likelihood that children will run away from home, get arrested or convicted, and those to discourage youngsters from dropping out of high school. Even health policies can prevent crime, violence, and aggression, such as better nutrition and mental health treatment.” The report remarked that crime prevention works best where institutions such as the police or the judicial system are trusted.

So, based on this report, the message is that in addition to the usual “hard policing” measures, Caricom leaders must consider the softer measures of alleviating social ills such as youth delinquency to prevent them contributing as causes of crime

y Extract from “Kambule, the Street Pageant”, by Eintou Pearl Springer

THERE WERE days of unrest in Port-of -Spain after the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1834. It was the plan of the colonial administration to affect a gradual transition to “full freedom” by decreeing a period of four years paid labour for the enslaved who worked in the plantation house, and six years for field workers.

The majority refused to go back to the plantations. In an act of defiance, they streamed across the city — Belmont, Laventille, East Port-of-Spain and further — establishing their own living spaces. The settlements, makeshift and haphazard, came to be known as “barrack yards”.

The barrack yard was a difficult but interesting space. It emerged as a centre of cultural resistance and a melting pot for the various levels of society. The workforce of cleaners, cooks, washerwomen and groundsmen for the elite came from the yards, but the interchange went both ways.

For instance, the so-called “jacket men”, that is well-to-do mulattoes, and even members of the rich white upper class, maintained secret sexual liaisons with the jamette women.

Further, the yards became the centre of the Carnival, as they created costumes, calypsoes and practised the kalinda or stickfight. The jamette women were a potent force, as the ones who kept the community together, and as stickwomen, who were not afraid of standing next to the men in battle. Stick-fighters were viewed as defenders of the community.

The influence of Africa was particularly strong because of the presence of free labourers who came to TT after formal emancipation, in addition those Africans who were here during enslavement. Prof Liverpool points out that the concentration of Africans in the city was such that the areas they lived in were given names like “Congo”.

The Carnival was the mouthpiece of these people. Their masquerades represented the ultimate in cultural resistance, used for commentary and protest. Portrayals such as the baby doll, a serious social statement on the fact that white men would impregnate young black women and then turn their backs on them. Or the dame lorraine ball which laughed at the secrets of the elite through ridiculous and over-sexualised portrayals.

Consistently, the elite-owned media used the most uncomplimentary language to describe the jamette Carnival. Additionally, for decades various ordinances were passed banning holding of public meetings or dances, blowing horns, masking and of course the playing of drums. “The fact that all the ordinances pertaining to Carnival named only African instruments as undesirables is a clear indication of the racial groups the whites wished to control.” The tension eventually boiled over.

Between 1877-1880, the police arm of the administration led by Captain Baker forced the stickmen to hand in their bois, a terrible emasculation of these community warriors, and arrested many of them. His plan was to completely stop the masquerade.

In 1881, in an unprecedented show of unity, the warring stick-fight groups came together to defend their right to cultural expression.

The confrontation between police officers, stick-fighters and the community on Duke Street near All Stars panyard resulted in the retreat of the officers. Governor Freeling met with the community and promised that they would be allowed their celebration.

The TT Carnival was thus saved thanks to the determination of the very people who had been subjected to enslavement, poverty and more.

A lesson in the power of ordinary people that history will never forget.

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

The Coat of Arms, designed by a committee in 1962, illustrates the national birds, colours and images from the nation’s history, which represents Trinidad and Tobago in the best manner. However a photo of the altered Coat of Arms has been spreading across several social media platforms.

Instead of the national birds, there is a drawing of two women gyrating on either side of a shield. Rather than the words “together we aspire, together we achieve”, which is the nation’s motto, there is a banner that reads, “just hold dem and wuk dem”, at the bottom of the coat of arms – the catch phrase to MX Prime’s road march contender ‘Full Extreme’.

The security ministry yesterday reminded the public that national emblems like the coat of arms are too important to Trinidad and Tobago’s identity, to be mutilated or defaced.

A release stated, “It is generally observed that during the Carnival season, revellers engage in displaying these emblems in a manner that is not usually in keeping with the highest regard associated with their use. Citizens are encouraged to cherish and respect our symbols of Nationhood within our communities and in Cyberspace.” The security ministry was not alone in warning about defacing the Coat of Arms.

In a recent release, attorney Fareed Ali said that altering the Coat of Arms could be in breach of provision 7 of the National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulations )Act.

Ali said: “This provision of the law clearly underlines that, ‘any person who mutilates, cuts or tears or in any way defaces the Coat of Arms or the National Flag whether by writing, printing or stamping thereon or otherwise without lawful authority or excuse, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $750, or imprisonment for six months’.”

The conference came after ministry officials earlier this week told a Joint Select Committee that there are over 300 school children with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Visibly upset on being asked the question on if there is a possibility of condoms being distributed in schools, Garcia chided the reporter: “That is not necessary in our school system! If we distribute them, we will encourage sexual activity. Proper condom use is to be taught to adults, not children! And we will provide the tools for them (children) to resist that temptation.” Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan supported Garcia saying condom distribution to students is not the way to handle the issue of STDs among school children. Seecharan said it is in fact illegal to distribute condoms to primary school students, given that sex below a certain age is illegal.

On revelations that five primary school students have been infected with HIV, he said all were infected from birth, will remain in the school system and will not be discriminated against.

He said proper measures were already in place to deal with the situation to avoid transmission to other students. Seecharan confirmed this. He added that sex education is taught at primary school level as appropriate and abstinence is taught at secondary school level. President of the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Lynsley Doodhai however, could not confirm this.

“As an educator, as a teacher, as a principal, we know there are certain things you must do if a child gets injured in school or on the school compound. But in terms of clear-cut, established protocols from the Ministry of Education…I’m not aware of it (sex-ed and abstinence being taught).”

Contacted on the issue, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan said crews would work into last night, if need be, to have the hole filled and the damaged section repaired to road-worthy conditions. “A WASA (Water and Sewage Authority) line that runs underground…an eight-inch line, sprang a leak and caused the undermining of the roadway,” Minister Sinanan said.

Speaking with Newsday at 3.30 pm, Sinanan confirmed that WASA had turned of water to the area to allow for repairs which were due to start at nine pm and hopefully should be completed by 5 am today. This was also stated in a WASA press release. Sinanan added that his ministry would begin repair work to the highway once WASA completes repairs to the leaking main.

As a result, the Priority Bus Route (PBR) was opened for use by the regular motoring public until six o’clock this morning when standard rules regarding the use of the PBR will resume. Traffic backed up along the west bound lane of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway from as far east as the Valsayn intersection and along the north bound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway from as far central as the Caroni Bird Sanctuary for several hours.

Motorists who turned on to the Eastern Main Road in an attempt to get to Port-of-Spain also caused major traffic although it was not stand-still. “We asked WASA to stop the work during the day, but they will resume tonight,” Sinanan said yesterday.