The magistrate read a charge against Ramoutarsingh which alleged that on February 10, at Waterfront car park at Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando, he stole a white Nissan B13 valued at $26,000, the property of Gary David Francis.

It is also alleged that during the period January 23 and 24, at 313 Recreation Avenue at Gulf View, La Romaine, he stole a Ford Ranger value $175,000, the property of Fareez Khan. It is also alleged that on January 23 at the car park of Gulf City Mall in La Romaine, he stole a Nissan E-24 value $120,000, the property of Bhadese Ramkellawan It is alleged that Ramoutarsingh and Balcon on February 11, at the car park of Gulf City Mall in La Romaine, stole a Nissan E 24 valued $85,000, the property of Vajanti Ramnarine. It is further alleged that the accused duo on November 5 last, at the car park of the San Fernando General Hospital, stole a Nissan B 12 valued $10,000.

Balcon, a labourer, was charged separately with larceny of a Nissan car valued $75,000 from the car park at Gulf City Mall in La Romaine.

PC Dennis, Samm, Morris, Noel and WPC Marsha, all of the Southern Division, laid the charges.

Thomas of Green Hill Village, Diego Martin, was reported missing by her father, Michael, at the West End Police Station on Wednesday.

She was last seen wearing her school uniform __ a white shirt and a green skirt __ while heading to her school.

Thomas is of African descent, with a light brown complexion and natural black hair.

She is five feet tall, and has a slim build.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts are advised to contact the nearest police station, call 800- TIPS, or contact the police at 555, 999, 911.

Meanwhile, Hema Kissoon, a 38-year-old St Augustine woman who was reported missing since February 7, has been found. When her whereabouts were determined and she spoke to police she told them that she was “not missing”.

Police who informed the media of her disappearance and re-appearance via a press release, did not divulge her whereabouts for the past week, but assured that Kissoon was safe and sound.

Noting the flu season runs from October to May, Deyalsingh opined, “So we are becoming the victims of our own success because the public is no longer rushing to get vaccinated.” However stressing that the period between Christmas and Carnival is the best time to get vaccinated, Deyalsingh said, “We have brought in 100,000 doses of vaccine and we are now vaccinating anyone.”

Saying vaccines were previously limited to special groups such as women and children, the minister reiterated that this is no longer the case. He encouraged all citizens to go to any of the 33 public health centres in the country on Tuesdays and Thursdays to get vaccinated free of charge rather than paying between $300 and $500 to get the same vaccination at a private medical centre.

Indicating that HIV/Aids is another issue which the ministry focuses heavily on during the Carnival period, Deyalsingh said Cabinet approved a sum of $7.7 million for the acquisition of software to track and analyse data regarding the treatment of persons with HIV/ Aids in TT. He also said Cabinet approved a sum of $9 million to acquire two viral loading machines which will be placed at the Medical Research Foundation at the Queens Park Savannah.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Office of the Prime Minister, Rowley extensively discussed crime, security, international relaitons and economic development with his Caricom colleagues.

Rowley has responsibility for security in Caricom’s quasi- Cabinet. During the deliberations, the CSME was viewed as the best vehicle to promote overall economic growth in the region. Rowley will return home on Saturday.

He is scheduled to hold a news conference at the Piarco International Airport at 10 am on that day.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert has been acting as prime minister during Rowley’s attendance at the Caricom meeting.

He told members present, “For your information and clarity, I understand the delivery of the calypso product in this Carnival in 2017 is one of a difference. It is one of uncertainty but, we are trying our utmost to iron out a lot of the things in the situation.

The sale of tickets is done by the NCC. The printing of those tickets that they are selling outside of the relationship with NLCB is done by the NCC.

“TUCO went to form a relationship with NLCB for the sale of tickets in our effort to promote a more transparent situation in the sale of tickets for Skinner Park and our major events. The NCC has taken over that situation so they are also responsible for the sale of tickets through the NLCB.” He added, “The question of complimentaries and passes and all those things, the organisation will go to the NCC to sort out the numbers for things like that. It is indeed not a very nice moment but I’m telling you, the most important thing is for our contestants to be comfortable.

And when you come to Skinner Park, and you come to beat people and share your music with the world, you feel good about yourself.” Masimba then vowed, “Like all other things the organisation (TUCO) will have to take care of those things, and make sure we have a smooth and easy path forward. May God bless you and stand firm for our culture.

We salute and celebrate each and every one of you because in this competition it is the most prestigious title in the Carnival celebration of T&T.”

He then expressed his wish that all competitors will be in the best of their voices and possess that strength and vibration to give their best performances.But said, “It is a shame that we have to take competition as a framework to assess the power of our music and the power of our artistes and our performances, but we know this is how it is at this point in time in this blessed Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Masimba had told Newsday earlier, “It is a fact that the NCC has taken all ticket sales and gate receipts for Calypso Fiesta 2017. We understand that it is also through a directive from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, through the Minister of Culture.”

He claimed, “There was no consultation between the NCC and TUCO before this decision was taken. We were informed by the NCC of the new arrangement and this was confirmed by the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts as the model for carnival 2017.”

He said, “TUCO expressed its dissatisfaction as there was no forum for discussion as the reps of the special interest groups were not yet appointed to the board of the NCC.”

On the way forward Masimba said: “TUCO held a members meeting in January in which we discussed a number of issues going forward including the 25 percent cut in our allocation further to the one million cut in 2016, the number of finalists, the one song final, as well the NCC directive for carnival 2017and the impact on the Organisation’s ability to deliver. The members agreed that TUCO would consider, in the interest of calypso lovers and the general public, and deliver the calypso product __ the calypso tents, the calypso competitions and other activities.TUCO would work toward a resolution of the situation after the carnival.”

One wonders what would have happened to us were there no scheduled meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Enterprises Committee.

No doubt, continuing to drink bitter water.

What was revealed by the Solid Waste Management Company Ltd (SWMCOL) was at best nonchalance and at worst criminal. Independent Senator David Small branded the state of affairs “an ecological disaster and national emergency.” Caroni East MP Tim Gopeesingh, a medical doctor, after discussing the ill-effects of lead on the human body, saw the situation as “alarming.” On hearing about the number of related documents and position papers that SWMCOL had presented to its line ministry, Jennifer Baptiste- Primus, Minister of Labour, said SWMCOL should have alerted its ministry to the hazard by a special report, not by mere documents.

We concur, but all of this is now water under the bridge. The relevant authorities and agencies within the ambit of the Ministry of Public Utilities and other arms of government must be mobilised immediately to come up with an action plan — the emphasis on action — to deal with this situation post-haste. It is too dangerous an episode to be played out against bureaucracy, or delayed by the politicking that usually attends these matters. This is not FATCA.

Minister of Finance Colm Imbert would have been seriously wanting, even irresponsible, in allocating only $1 million to tackle this dangerous water issue had he been properly briefed.

He would be among the first — in justifying the spend on providing safe water nationally — to undertake the type of analysis of fellow engineer Casey Dinges, senior managing director of the American Society of Professional Engineers, in his warning to the US on the need to ramp up expenditure on providing safe water: “If we don’t increase investment in these areas, we’re putting at risk by the year 2020 over $400 billion in US GDP, 700,000 jobs would be endangered, and over half a trillion dollars in personal income would be at risk.” What is the analysis for Trinidad and Tobago if we do not invest adequately for “protecting, treating and distributing drinking water as a public health issue?” What is most disheartening is that we have been running down this very sordid environmental road for so many years. How many times, for instance, have we been blanketed with virtual polluted smog from the Beetham and the Guanapo landfills, taking for granted that the clearing up after a few days was enough? But consider the Guanapo landfill.

Unlike modern landfills it was set up without first covering the ground with an impervious lining to prevent toxic chemicals from seeping into the subsoil and eventually making their way into water courses as run-off. lt was also in nearby Wallerfield in 1993 that residents of an entire village were found to have high levels of lead in their bloodstream following dumping of used batteries and lead slag in their neighbourhood. People still reside in the area having ignored appeals to relocate.

We have been aware of all of these along with local and international examples over the years, yet we indulge in knee-jerk reaction to passing outrage, no contemplation of serious analysis, and lethargy in implementing any corrective measures.

On being apprised of the water situation at the parliamentary committee meeting on Wednesday, Minister Baptiste-Primus suggested that lead in our water is a matter of national concern and should be in a special report to Cabinet. Again we concur, but we wait to see whether she will spur such action and whether there will be nonchalance, irresponsibility, politicking, and even lethargy on this one

Everyone in this country had the opportunity to know Angelo because of his columns and books, which he presented to us all with great enthusiasm and pride. Because Angelo followed his curiosity, we are all richer in our knowledge of history and how it defines who we are today.

Arguably, Angelo’s work kept him alive for much longer than even he expected after he received the news that he had pancreatic cancer. In a country that often seems to be defined by laziness and apathy, Angelo proved that true joy comes from hard work.

The gifts Angelo left us are immeasurable.

He taught us how to be uplifting and productive in even the darkest and most dismal times of our lives. He taught us to face life with humour and face our history with a light-hearted reverence as oxymoronic as that seems.

I credit Angelo and Kim Johnson, two pioneers on the opposite ends of the academic spectrum, for discovering what the greater world out there has begun to show us more and more: history should not be a heavy, dull or unattainable force meant only for snooty academics. It should not be condemned to a lifeless position on some library shelf where its main purpose is to gather dust.

Most definitely history should not be a chronological march through time. History is about people. The famous American writer David McCullough, who earned a degree in English and then began to write biographies like John Adams and Truman tells us that people make history. Angelo knew that so his musings on history overflowed with anecdotes that made history come alive. He approached written history like oral history with tales passed down through time.

History, Angelo taught us, is something that should live in our hearts and our imaginations. It should provide stories that we see and feel and taste and smell. It should make our senses come alive, transport us to that pleasant place of nostalgia and provide indelible images that become unforgettable stories we can conjure up in our own minds.

Much has been said about how Angelo made history popular in Trinidad. This is no small feat. My favourite books, internationally speaking, stand out in my mind because they brought history to the level of common people.

This is why The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, The Wright Brothers by David Mc- Cullough, Isabel the Warrior Queen by Kirsten Downey and Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel are some of my favourite books. They cross genres. They are not merely biographies, they are history presented through the viewpoint of a character in history.

Kim Johnson does this regularly with the books he writes about Trinidad culture like If Yuh Iron Good You Is King: Pan Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago and The fragrance of gold: Trinidad in the Age of Discovery.

Judy Raymond accomplishes this too in The Colour of Shadows: Images of Caribbean Slavery.

Angelo accomplished the lofty goal of making history tangible for everyone in his own, enigmatic style, which reflected Trinidad culture. He convinced us that history lives in all of us. It’s something that is passed down from generation to generation.

It is our duty to pass it along.

Because of history, no one ever really dies, and that offers a semblance of comfort because we realise Angelo will a l w a y s be an important part of this country.

ARC president Linford Carrabon sent out this message to a packed cadre of local turfites at the annual Jetsam Awards ceremony at the Century Ballroom of the Queen’s Park Oval, on Wednesday night.

He admitted that like the economy, horse racing is in dire straits, and exhorted stakeholders to work more closely so the sport can move forward.

But the president noted that first up, the ARC appointed a new general manager in Anthony Wight, a retired airline captain, who brings integrity to the sport..

And already, Wight has gone through the paddock area and is contemplating what changes are to be made.

Carrabon also stated that sponsorship is sorely needed in the sport, and reiterated that serious discussions are to be had to keep the sport alive.

He ended by saying: “Horse racing is in intensive care and needs major surgery.” Ken Ogeer, a consultant, gave a synopsis of the new Gambling and Betting Act in which he noted that the Bill soon to be laid in Parliament will electronically monitor all betting establishments.

And he pointed out certain criteria by which owners and promoters will be granted licences.

He also stated that the Act will allow government to enter any premises and seize equipment.

He warned, however, that an unlicenced promoter will face a fine of up to $5 million and also five years in jail.

As anticipated, the John O’Brien-trained, Thisonesforron, was named Horse of the Year following his six victories and three third places during the 2016 season.

At the function, Rolf Bartolo became the first to get the Most Improved Horseman award.

The Senator made the comments while addressing a room filled with avid horse racing stakeholders at the Arima Race Club Jetsam Awards Ceremony on Wednesday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.

She told the audience that the Government is cognizant of the challenges which the industry is encountering and is committed to the enactment of the Gambling (Gaming and Betting Control) Bill which will ensure that there is a modern legal and regulatory framework for gaming, gambling and betting. She underscored, however, that there is much more to be done by stakeholders.

“The current economic climate constricts the Government’s ability to make cash injections.

The development in the industry, however, needs more than direct financial support. It is well noted on any balance sheet, that the industry is healthy, owning valuable property. Those who love the sport and are committed enough are added to those who hold responsibility, meaning the Boards of the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Association and Betting Levy Board must take horse racing seriously if the industry is to be sustained and grow. “I am trusting that the racing fraternity will not relinquish the objective of developing Trinidad and Tobago as the horse racing centre of the Caribbean but what certainly must not go unnoticed, are the proposed plans, which are already in the public domain, for further development within other parts of the region,” she said. She affirmed that the Ministry of Trade and Industry stands ready to support the industry’s efforts and called on stakeholders to place greater effort in advancing the sport of horse racing.

Linford Carrabon, president, Arima Race Club noted that the presence of stakeholders at the Awards Ceremony indicates their passion and commitment to the development of the sport.

Williams is the referee coordinator for the World United Karate Organisation (WUKO), and travels extensively conducting courses and examinations for the organisation. The Texas seminar was hosted by Hanshi Orlando Redwood and approved by the WUKO. Participants were awarded licences after passing both written and practical areas of the course.

Sensei Williams, who holds a seventh Dan in Shito-Ryu Karate, will be coming to TT in the near future to conduct seminars as a guest of the Trinidad and Tobago Karate Federation