CHARLES KONG SOO

Vicky Boodram's father, Ramjass Boodram, was driven to make her a child star as a way out of poverty says her mother, Indra Lall, yesterday.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian, Lall said “Since I met him he was always saying how poor he was, it was getting to be a little too much. I didn't have a say, or ask a question, express my opinion on any topic on raising her. I did not want to speak out at the time, sometimes you may say something at the wrong time and cause a big explosion. I didn't want a volcano. I learned to keep my peace over the years and just look on and say nothing.”

She said she accompanied Vicky when she was very little with her father to do shows at Mastana Bahar, Carrera and the women's prison where she used to dance and sing for inmates.

Lall said she would do her part as the mother but “they” were in control of Vicky.

She said it was on the rare one or two times that she went with Vicky and her father to Canada and the US for a holiday, after that it was only Vicky and her father.

Lall said she used to help Vicky with her homework up to Standard 5, then her father took over until she wrote exams as she didn't know about advanced studies and after that everything else was history.

She said she saw her daughter's potential and talent and knew where Vicky's father was coming from; he took control of everything pertaining to her.

When asked if she was mentally at ease knowing that her daughter was safe and unharmed back in custody, Lall was overcome with emotion and said as a mother it was too much to bear. She said while she did not have enemies, no mother should have to go through this ordeal.

RUDOLPH BISSESSARSINGH

father of author and historian Angelo Bissessarsingh

I ponder the rocky road that Vicky has travelled in her lifetime and while many have deemed her as one of the most notorious fraudsters and have delivered judgement even before her court trials have begun, because of my acquaintance with her I reserve my judgement. Vicky came as an only child into the common-law relationship of Ramjass Boodram and Indra Lall about 35 years ago. Her father and mother doted on her night and day. Ramjass was a primary school teacher in the Presbyterian school (we taught at the same school) and also played the tabla in the BWIA Indian Orchestra. He was a fanatic for East Indian music and culture and quickly associated himself with the top politicians of the day including the Mohammed family. He dreamed of Vicky becoming an East Indian megastar. As early as age five, he had her performing, miming, and singing on stage. However it was tainted with a demanding schedule that was playing havoc with the petite, frail child.

Ramjass had once described the abject poverty and 'flour bag' underwear he had to wear to school and the slippers manufactured from motor car tubes, the ridicule and humiliation he suffered from his classmates. It was this fear of poverty that was to haunt him and his family for three decades. He described himself as the original 'El Cheapo'. Vicky's schedule did not permit socialising or childhood pastimes. It was about how much money could be secured for a performance. He created a fantasy and delusion in her mind from birth that 'she was better than all her teachers.' The brief encounters I had with Vicky as a child told me of her devotion to her father but the terrible sadness of her life. She skipped through high school but again the obsession of money, a home mortgage, small salary, Vicky became not a child or daughter but an object of financial exploitation.

An object of financial exploitation

She used to go to Carrera and Maximum Prisons women where she used to dance and sing for inmates. She had a stint as a judge on the children of Mastana and several slots as a radio announcer and TV presenter. However, Vicky's first dangerous sojourn into a world of deception came with a slew of certificates—O' levels, A' levels and university certificates. She was good, in fact, very good... The dollars kept rolling in but these big name companies never denounced her publicly. No disclaimers were ever put in the media and she became more and more adept at deception. Vicky even secured a job as an economic writer in a daily newspaper.

I listened in shock when one day she announced that she was now a professor lecturer at a Gate supported tertiary institute. Vicky even had an immersion into the political area and touted as a possible candidate for a political party. Her TV personality gave her a sense of credibility when she launched a series of advertisements for American cruise lines and allegedly a slew of forged documents. Is this a notorious criminal who fooled major organisations or did Vicky Boodram exist in a manufactured fantasy, a fantasy fuelled not by greed but ambition without structure and foundation? A child trapped by her upbringing to seek shortcuts to her success? Vicky is the cherry on the cake called Trinidad and Tobago. A person who has tested the institutional integrity of almost every sacred cow. She has left behind her many questions about our society.

How many of our dollars are whittled away in forgeries and deceptions, false contracts, fake oil, fake gravel and cement, false invoicing, deals and wheeling. How many thousands employed in high ranking jobs before and now have forged academic qualifications? How much false advertising and frauds in Licensing Office, ID cards and passports are taking place? Vicky needs not tar and feathers but psychological and medical help to escape the surrealist landscape in which she exists as will many in the upcoming months. Does environment shape us or do we shape the environment? Let us be compassionate about the story that is unfolding.

A little girl with a lot of potential—First Year teacher

Patricia Mohammed, Boodram's First Year teacher said "she seemed a well adjusted, very polite, well mannered well disciplined little girl with a lot of potential. She participated in all cultural activities. Her primary education was at Erin Road Presbyterian School. She was in one class higher than Angelo (Bissessarsingh) who attended the same school.

"Her father being a musician with Harry Mahabir Orchestra on the Mastana Bahar show encouraged young Vicky to perform at a very tender age singing calypsoes he wrote."

About Vicky:

•She was just seven years old when she attempted to sing her first calypso on stage at the Erin Road Presbyterian School—“Tassa Tempo”.

•She later became popular on stage and radio

•As a child, she was a judge in the "Children of Mastana” television series

•She also judged the Indian Cultural Pageant in 1995 and ’96

•She went from being calypsonian to professional radio announcer

•At 16, she became the youngest radio announcer, reading the news and also writing for her own radio programme

•Vicky also taught business classes and lectured at private colleges for students who are pursuing an associate degree in marketing and business

•She was six years old when she entered the National Calypso Queen competition and became a finalist

•Her songs “Sweet Soca Baby” and “Mother’s Love” , "Mamacita" and "Tassa Tempo" were popular, particularly in her home town

•She did a jingle for the roll-out of VAT under the NAR, singing the "ABC of the VAT"

Rhondor Dowlat

Going beyond last week’s prison break, there needs to be the development of an integrated database comprising all arms of the criminal justice system—the Judiciary, the T&T Police Service (TTPS) and the T&T Prisons Service.

This will enable tracking of offenders from the time of arrest to the movement in and out the prisons—from within the prison walls to the courts.

Most importantly, it will allow authentication of documents upon verification via a computerised system that is also incorporated with a barcode reader, where a printed barcode on any physical document can be verified.

Last Monday, Vicky Boodram, 35, who is currently before the courts on fraud charges, staged a daring escape from the Women’s Prison at Golden Grove, Arouca, to attend an alleged “night court” session. She was accompanied by two police officers attached to the Court and Process Branch of the Northern Division. The two officers allegedly had stamped and signed documents which they used to facilitate her removal from the prison. Boodram was, however, recaptured at a house in Penal on Thursday at about 7 pm.

General Secretary of the Prisons Officers Association Gerard Gordon explained to the Sunday Guardian how easy the present system is to manipulate and disclosed that for years they have been lobbying for a “single-share database”.

“This is where the request for prisoners to come to court would come directly to the prison. It would then go to the police, who has the responsibility to bring them to the court and in this way the authenticity of any request via that network is in check,” Gordon said.

“This can be done through barcoding, in this age of technology where printed documents would have a bar code that when put under a bar code reader can be authenticated through that single-share database,” he added.

Gordon also suggested a unique number system, an assigned number when a person is arrested, “whether it be a file number, the case number of the court so that when they come to us they would not be given another number as it is now…that assigned number to the offender would now go straight in the database.”

He further explained that the database would include lots of information, as well as updated photos of the prisoner on a frequent basis as his or her features can change while incarcerated. "The features of Remand prisoners who are there for years changes, some may grow a beard, a dreadlocks hairstyle, gotten darker, lost weight, etc, so with this system digital photos would be mandated on a monthly basis. Also, whosoever logs into this system a unique identifier should be given so that this information would be recorded on the server—all of this in that verification process.”

Acting National Security Minister Stuart Young, during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, said investigators were pursuing whether the “court documents” used in Boodram's escape originated within the judicial system and who authorised it.

Young also queried how someone could get hold of the stamp used in court documents.

Recommendations from UN prison handbook

According to the United Nations’ Prison Incident Management Handbook, it was revealed that in many prisons, staff members who are escorting a prisoner outside the prison are not provided with documentation or a photograph identifying the prisoner, although these may need to be provided to police should the prisoner escape.

•The handbook suggested that prior to conducting an external escort of a dangerous or high-security risk prisoner, a Threat Risk Assessment (TRA) should be completed by a senior prison officer.

•The TRA should consider: the consequences of the threat being realised (personal injury/seriousness and degree of harm, etc); the likelihood of risks based on past experience, the prisoner’s profile, etc; the escort location (crowded public place/remote location, etc); Basic external escort procedures should not change irrespective of the circumstances; or the security risk posed by the prisoner.

•Every TRA should determine how the escort is to be conducted, including: number of staff involved; escort purpose and destination; staff actions at the escort destination (hospital, court, etc.); search requirements; use of restraints and frequency of checks; communication and reporting frequency; escort times; type of transport and travel routes; documentation to be carried, including photographs; staff and prisoner clothing

criteria for terminating the escort and confidentiality of escort details.

“Corrections advisers should assist prison management in developing a TRA approach in planning all high-risk security escorts. This should form part of an ongoing review of prisoner escort practices, particularly in relation to high-risk prisoners,” the handbook stated.

Timeline on Vicky's escape, Monday November 27

4.30 pm—PC LeVon Sylvester picked up SRP Lisa Navarro at her Arouca home and told her she was needed to secure the release of an inmate at a female prison.

5.15 pm—The two arrived at the Women’s Prison in a marked Nissan X-Trail and presented prisons officers with what appeared to be a court order requesting that Vicky Boodram appear before a Tunapuna magistrate.

Shortly after 6 pm—CCTV footage showed Sylvester parking the police vehicle at the back of the Tunapuna Police Station. There were no signs of Boodram.

Therefore, within 30 minutes, Boodram was taken out of her cell and handed over to the police officers, clearly showing that there was not enough time for proper checks and balances and to verify the authenticity of the documents produced by the officers with the court.

The Childrens' Authority of T&T received 5,522 reports of child abuse in 2016 requiring investigation and approximately 6,000 additional reports of abuse anticipated for this year, 2017. The situation was detailed in the authority's 2016 report, laid in Parliament on Tuesday.

The 2016 and projected 2017 figures show continuing strong child abuse trends in T&T.

In May 2016, Catt director Sharifa Ali-Abdullah cited 5,500 cases reported over May 2015 to May 2016.

In Catt's report for 2016, sexual abuse victims were largely female children while victims of neglect and those physically abused were mainly male children.

Districts of San Juan-Laventille and Tunapuna-Piarco recorded the highest number of reports of children suspected of being in need of care and protection in 2016.

Catt stated the 5,522 cases reported by the end of 2016 "far exceeded earlier projections of 1,200 cases per year", creating heavy demand on the authority resources.

With the anticipated 6,000 additional reports of abuse in 2017, Catt put service agencies on notice to receive cases and provide requisite services.

Reports of children in need of care and protection emanate from all across T&T, the report stated.

"However the administrative districts of San Juan-Laventille and Tunapuna-Piarco recorded the highest number of cases for any district—14 per cent and 13.3 per cent respectively."

Point Fortin (1. 6 per cent); Rio Claro-Mayaro (2.7 per cent); Mayaro and Tobago (2.5 per cent) logged the least number.

More than half (57.4 per cent ) of all cases brought to Catt's attention in 2016 involved female children, and 41.8 per cent males.

More girls sexually abused

Highest reported types of abuse were neglect, sexual abuse and physical abuse of children.

Just over half of all reports concerned neglect and sexual abuse of children—26.5 per cent reports concerning neglect and 24.7 per cent regarding sexual abuse. (See Box)

Reported cases of physical abuse was 16.2 per cent of total reports.

Some 50.2 per cent of physical abuse reports involved male children and 49.4 per cent, female.

However, the report noted, "Female children remained significantly more vulnerable to being victims of sexual abuse than males—84.6 per cent of all victims of sexual abuse being female."

In 2016, more than one third (35.7 per cent) of all female children brought to Catt's attention were reported as being victims of sexual abuse.

"The reports of the sexual abuse of female children greatly outnumbered those for male children, with only 9.3 per cent of all male children brought to Catt's attention being reported as sexual abuse victims. "

Children ten years and older were most susceptible to sexual abuse, with 23.9 per cent of all children reported as sexually abused being between the ages of ten and 13 years; 24.9 per cent between ages 14 and 15 years; and 22.4 per cent between ages 16 and 17 years.

Children at risk in 2016

• Highest number of cases reported in March 2016 (599); Lowest, July (294).

• Neglect reports - 26.5 per cent.

•Physical abuse - 16.2 per cent.

• Sexual abuse- 24.7 per cent

•Children begging/receiving alms - 0.6 per cent.

• Children needing supervision/beyond control - 7.6 per cent.

• Emotional abuse- 10.1 per cent

•Lacking care/guardianship - 9.7 per cent.

• Lost- 0.3 per cent.

•In moral danger- 1.8 per cent

• Other - 1.4 per cent.

• The team successfully completed investigation of 849 cases in 2016; commenced investigation into 366 additional cases at year end.

Rhondor Dowlat

A vehicle that was stolen from the compound of the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Thursday was recovered hours later by good samaritans in the Aranguez area.

The vehicle, a grey Hyundai Tucson, bore a false number plate—PCW 6943, which slipped off revealing the correct registration number plate of the vehicle—PCR 1744.

It was reported that at about 7.30 pm that day, a female student was held up at gun point at UWI car park. Her SUV with her belongings, including her handbag, were stolen.

The victim’s sister took to social media where she highlighted the robbery and added that her sister was very traumatized after being told by the gunman that he would shoot her if she did not “dive” into a nearby five-feet deep drain.

“She (the victim) said the perpetrator looked no more than 20 years and he did not act alone as she was told to stay in the drain for five minutes or else someone else will shoot her,” the victim’s sister wrote on her Facebook post.

Hours after the victim’s sister posted about the incident, the SUV was potted in Aranguez.

The sister went back to Facebook and thanked readers for their overwhelming concern and shares, which she said she believe was the reason for the recovery of the vehicle.

“I want to personally thank everyone for the shares, for spreading the word and for keeping their eyes out, because you guys made it possible for the recovery of her car. We literally drove around till 2 am looking for this car but was unsuccessful. However, a number of good samaritans saw the post from the hundreds of shares and was able to identify my sister car at Aranguez,” the victim’s sister wrote.

“There were two fake number plates on the car however, the back number plate, we don’t know what happened there (if it slid down or if it was stuck like that) but it exposed the original number plate. Unable to reach us at the time they contacted the Barataria Police Station to recover the car. A number of items were stolen but her car is still in very good condition. Once again thank you, thank you, thank you, without your help her car would have been just another statistic,” she added.

Meanwhile, UWI, also in a Facebook post, said it has been responsive to students' calls for improvements in safety and security around the campus.

The university assured that improvements are ongoing—“a collaborative effort with key campus stakeholders and the TTPS”.

UWI shares useful tips to students on staying safe

. Know The UWI Police numbers: 662-2002 ext. 82120/83510

. Never walk or jog alone at night and avoid secluded or dimly lit areas

. Report all suspicious persons and activity to The UWI Police

. Students are also reminded that the Campus Security Escort Service is available on request: 6 pm to 6 am

Investigations are continuing into the murder of Andre “Beenie” Prince of Arima. Prince was gunned down yesterday morning.

According to a police report, at about 2.30 am Prince was at an area in Arima known as the Congo when he was approached by a masked gunman who opened fire on him. Prince fell to the ground where he died. Police said they are yet to determine a motive for the killing.

A close friend of Prince, who wished not to be identified, told the Sunday Guardian that Prince was killed out of envy. He described his friend as a “humble, kind and loving person”.

“He was very respectable to the people around him. He was well-known as Bee and Beenie,” Prince’s friend said.

Woman held with gun, police jackets

A woman has been arrested for having in her possession guns and authentic police jackets during a police exercise in Cumuto.

According to a police report, on Friday night officers acting on information went to a house in a remote area off Four Roads, Tamana, where they conducted a search. The officers recovered two shotguns, an undisclosed amount of live 12-gauge cartridges, one bullet proof vest and two jackets belonging to the T&T Police Service. The exercise was spearheaded by Sgt Williams and included Cpl Gordon and PC Nicholson of the Eastern Division. Investigations are continuing.

In an unrelated anti-crime exercise in the Northern Division on Thursday, police officers recovered 1,122 grammes of marijuana and five grammes of cocaine at a house in San Juan. Also, at Maraj Street, El Socorro, officers recovered a .38 mm revolver. The exercise was coordinated by Snr Supt Sagramsingh, Supt Pragg, ASP Soka and Insp James. It was supported by members of the North Eastern Division Task Force including acting Sgt Guelmo, Cpl Majeedand Cpl Lavia. Police said arrests are imminent.

Investigations are continuing.

—RHONDOR DOWLATH

When you’re diabetic and it comes to your skincare, it just can’t be business as usual. Because you are now prone to developing skin complications, it is paramount your skin is handled with intentional care so that serious infections don’t develop.
 

Health providers and those specialising in skincare for diabetics say as many as a third of people with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives. With this as an unfortunate fact, what can one really do to maintain healthy skin as a diabetic?

Internationally trained cosmetologist, skincare professional, specialising in skincare for diabetics and owner at Divine Training Institute and Beauty Clinic Racquel Andrews-Mensah, told the T&T Guardian without a doubt this can be achieved.

Said Andrews- Mensah: “Bearing in mind you follow your diet, use the right skin care products and be skeptical of who you receive treatment from, because that person has to be trained in caring for the skin of a diabetic.” She explained people living with diabetes are very vulnerable due to the fact that their skin is thinner and more sensitive, which means they will experience sensations such as heat or cold much faster.
“In addition, because of their vulnerabilities it’s very easy for a diabetic to get burn, cut or bruise especially during beauty services, which can lead to the development of ulcers,” Andrews-Mensah pointed out.
She said when it comes to getting services done such as pedicures, manicures and waxing, any invasive service or services that require heat, abrasion, cutting and nipping, diabetes is a contraindication. Elderly or insulin-dependent diabetics are more at risk; therefore more care should be taken, she advised.

She outlined some important do’s and dont’s for diabetics when visiting the spa. “When it comes to a diabetic receiving these services care should be taken; a diabetic shouldn’t soak during a pedicure as the water can burn the skin.

“However, exceptions can be made, as people will still like to enjoy the full spa relaxing and pampering experience, especially if they are young, type II and relatively healthy.”

In a case where a diabetic is allowed to soak, she said the temperature shouldn’t be above body temperature (37 degrees) and they shouldn’t soak for more than five minutes. Sharp tools such as nippers, steel cuticle pushers, abrasive files, foot paddlers are an absolute no and foot shavers should at no time be used on a diabetic. “Even foot scrubs have abrasive granules that can create minor cuts or scrapes and bruises therefore, should not be used on diabetics,” added Andrews- Mensah .

Waxing

Andrews-Mensah advised, paraffin treatments should not be used because the heat of the wax can burn the skin. She said: “Waxing is the use of a heated wax that can burn anyone if done incorrectly and a diabetic is at higher risk because their skin is thinner. What makes waxing even more dangerous is the fact that waxing is a form of skin exfoliation this means that superficial layers of the epidermis are being removed during the process, which can also contribute to bruising.”

She said a wonderful alternative to waxing is body sugaring, this is a form of hair removal using a sugar paste. It is very natural and the benefit is it is not heated beyond body temperature or no heat is used at all, making it very safe to use on a diabetic.

“A diabetic reading this might feel a bit discouraged and wonder just what they can do when it comes to beauty and grooming services. But as much as these services are risky, they are very important to the diabetic. And there are helpful alternatives.”

Foot care

For foot care, Andrews-Mensah said, there are alternative services such as a diabetic pedicure and manicure in which the specialist or podiatrist uses an electric file with different diamond bits specially designed for cuticle and callus removal and shaping. Diamond bits according to Andrews-Mensah are used as they don’t really get hot, and it’s not sharp making it very safe to use on a diabetic.

Other tools she revealed can be used are the toenail clipper specially designed for diabetics. And to get that nice healthy looking cuticle, the plastic with rubber ended cuticle pushers or orange/birch wood sticks are ideal.

This process requires she informed no soaking and can be a bit dusty but very safe and effective.

For dry scaly feet, Andrews-Mensah recommends the use of foot masks, a mask that has ten per cent urea (organic compound with the chemical formula CO(NH) in it. She said the technician can rub the recommended amount on to the affected area, place each foot in a plastic bag to allow the product to do its work and penetrate. This has shown to have fantastic results,
Skin

You might be diabetic, but your skin does not have to reflect that. Andrew- Mensah explained diabetics tend to have very dry/dehydrated sometimes scaly, flaky skin as a result of the skin being thinner making it more susceptible to environmental free radicals.

“Their body tends to produce very little urea which is a major moistening factor for the skin. Therefore, making skin exfoliation very important, on the other hand the conventional granular scrub is not the best option; in a case like this a light sloughing lotion will be recommended. Sloughing lotions allows the skin to be exfoliated without the harsh granules. Just by the technician applying a suitable amount to the intended area and via the use of friction, this will allow the residue of the sloughing lotion to fall off together with the dead skin cells.

Andrews- Mensah said this approach is perfect for use on elderly people or people in general that have dry scaly skin. She added, it is not recommended for people living with diabetes or even elderly people to use any lotions that are occlusive as it traps moisture and a diabetic lacks moisture which defeats that purpose and causes the skin to become dryer.

Some examples of occlusive products Andrews-Mensah pointed out are petrolatum, waxes, oils and silicones. She recommended products that include humectants like urea and glycerin were fitting because they help to create and prevent water and moisture loss.

“Another recommendation is finding a product that has a chemical exfoliant in a low percentage like alpha hydroxy acid AHA (glycolic, lactic); this will allow the skin to speed up the exfoliating process, thus maintaining nice smooth skin.

“Remember your skin can look great, even as a diabetic!”

HOME CARE TIPS

Racquel Andrews-Mensah’s tips for home care:

Not everyone might be able to visit a spa as often as they need to. For diabetics, here are some home care guidelines until that next appointment.

A person living with diabetes is at risk for diabetic neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, athlete’s foot, fungal infection of nails, calluses, corns, blister, bunions, dry skin, foot ulcers, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, and planter warts. Therefore, home maintenance and professional help is very important.

Basic recommendations for home maintenance is doing your daily checks under feet and between toes, use caution when shaving, bathe with moisturising soaps, dry between toes, keep skin moisturised, avoid creaming between toes as this can create moisture and create a breathing ground for fungus, monitor all cuts, if it’s taking too long to heal seek medical help, avoid smoking as it affects blood circulation, avoid walking bare feet and wearing discomforting shoes.

After notching his maiden Test match half-century for the West Indies yesterday, Shimron Hetmyer said West Indies would not be thinking too far ahead, despite their great start to their second innings, in their quest to rescue the opening Test against New Zealand.

Trailing by 386 on first innings after the Black Caps piled 520 for nine declared, the Windies ended day three at the Basin Reserve on 214 for two – still requiring 172 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Hetmyer said the key was to bat in partnerships and focus on each session at a time.

“When we came in [at the innings break] … the coaches said to us that we had done in the first innings was already past and we have to look ahead to the score that we have to get and to try as much as possible to get that score,” the 20-year-old told reporters.

“We were looking at two partnerships in excess of 150 and right now we have two good batsmen at the crease in Shai (Hope) and Kraigg (Brathwaite) and we’re just hoping they can set it up and get a 100 or even 200-run partnership.”

He added: “We play cricket as we see it and we play it [day-by-day]. Today is already gone so we’re just looking forward to the next day.”

Today’s penultimate day will be pivotal, with the Windies’ two best batsmen at the crease.

Brathwaite is unbeaten on 79 while Hope has 24 not out, and the pair have already put on 48 for the third wicket.

According to Hetmeyer, Brathwaite remained the key to the Windies fortunes in the match.

“He’s like an anchor for us and it gives us a drive to know when you go out there [to bat], there’s Kraigg there as well. You can be free at your end [to play normally].

Hetmyer caught the attention of many with his audacious innings, smashing eight fours and two sixes off just 89 deliveries, in his fourth Test and first in seven months, gathering boundaries on both sides of the square.

San Juan North Secondary, the defending National Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Boys’ InterCol champion will go after a second straight national title when it faces Shiva Boys’ Hindu College at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, from 5pm today.

Prior to the Boys’ final, the National Girls’ InterCol decider between Bishop Anstey High School (Port-of-Spain) and Pleasantville Secondary will take place from 3pm.

However, all eyes will be on the clash between the Jerry Moe-coached San Juan North, which edged another South team, Presentation College of San Fernando 1-0 in last year’s decider, and Shiva Boys.

Last week at the same venue in the semi-finals, San Juan North got a strike from Renaldo Boyce, his sixth of the competition to edge Signal Hill Secondary 1-0 while coach Hayden Ryan had national Under-20 goalkeeper Denzil James to thank after he made three saves in the penalty-kicks shoot-out to earn Shiva Boys a 3-2 win over Carapichaima East Secondary after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Should San Juan North, which ended a ten-year drought by lifting the crown last year, take home the title today for a third time in the school’s history, it will become the first team since St Anthony’s College in 2011 and 2012 to win back-to-back national InterCol crowns, and also the first school to achieve the same feat since the Premier Division was introduced in 2014. It is that history which captain Renaldo Boyce hopes will get them over the line but he indicated that winning must start from within. “The main concern for our team is really controlling our thoughts and emotions. It will be a very emotional game because we could make history by winning the InterCol back to back. “The hard work our team puts out is with motivation and the aim of winning it back to back.”

Shiva Boys meanwhile, are hoping to end a season which promised so much, but ended in chaos and demotion due to administrative mix-ups on their part by lifting a first national InterCol crown to add to their maiden Premier Division title triumph from last year.

Their captain, Judah Garcia said his team had to dig deep in that semi final but should continue to find motivation to win it all on Monday to redeem his team’s season. “I want to say thanks to the guys for putting this behind us. This InterCol means a lot to us because losing the league in the protest room and not on the field the guys are sure to tell you that we are going out to come out with nothing less than a victory,” he said.

Spectators at today’s match will also have a chance to win door prizes inclusive of two Play Station 4 consoles, and an iPhone 8 while reigning two-time Soca Monarch champion Voice will perform live.

Half-centuries from vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite and rookie Shimron Hetmyer underlined a strong West Indies effort but they faced a massive task in saving second Test, after wicket-keeper Tom Blundell’s hundred on debut left the Black Caps in a near impregnable position at the Basin Reserve.

At stumps on day three, the Caribbean side were 214 for two in their second innings but still some 172 runs adrift of avoiding an innings defeat and going one down in the two-match series.

Brathwaite was unbeaten on 79 and partnered by Shai Hope on 24, with the pair having so far posted 48 in an unbroken third wicket stand.

The 20-year-old Hetmyer, in his fourth Test, struck a bold 66 to pick up his maiden Test half-century while opener Kieran Powell once again got a start but failed to carry on when he perished for 40.

Seamer Matt Henry has claimed both wickets to fall to end with two for 33.

Blundell had earlier converted his overnight unbeaten 57 into 107 not out, becoming the first New Zealand wicket-keeper to score a hundred on debut.

The right-hander faced 180 balls and struck 13 fours and a six all told as the Black Caps, resuming on 447 for nine, added a further 73 before declaring on 520 for nine, 20 minutes before lunch.

The Wellington-born 27-year-old cruised to 96 at the first drinks break but then spent another half-hour battling tight Windies bowling, before he could reach three figures.

Seamer Kemar Roach finished with three for 85 while fellow pacer Miguel Cummins (2-92) and off-spinner Roston Chase (2-95) ended with two wickets apiece.

Behind by 386 runs Brathwaite and Powell steered the visitors to nine without loss at lunch before pushing on afterwards to add 72.

The left-handed Powell stroked five fours and two sixes in a breezy 55-ball innings, looking completely at ease as he appeared headed for a half-century but lost concentration in the first over following a drinks break, and tapped a return catch back to Henry.

Hetmyer, then grabbed the spotlight in an attractive innings but more importantly, he put on 94 for the second wicket with Brathwaite.

Brathwaite raised his 15th Test half-century 45 minutes after tea and Hetmyer followed soon afterwards, before he got a leading edge, and was easily taken at short mid-off by Jeet Raval.

Hope joined Brathwaite to see the Windies safely through the session, facing 66 deliveries and counting four fours.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES 1st Innings 134
NEW ZEALAND 1st Innings
(overnight 447 for nine)
T Latham c Roach b Holder 37
J Raval c wkp Dowrich b Roach 42
*K Williamson c Hope b Roach 1
R Taylor lbw b Roach 93
H Nicholls c Gabriel b Cummins 67
M Santner b Cummins 17
C de Grandhomme c
Powell b Chase 105
+T Blundell not out 107
N Wagner b Chase 3
M Henry c wkp
Dowrich b Gabriel 4
T Boult not out 18
Extras (b4, lb6, w1, nb15) 26
TOTAL (9 wkts decl, 148.4 overs) 520
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-68, 3-109, 4-236, 5-272, 6-281, 7-429, 8-437, 9-442.
Bowling: Gabriel 29-4-90-1, Roach 22-6-85-3, Cummins 27-7-92-2, Holder 34-8-102-1, Chase 28-4-95-2, Brathwaite 8-0-46-0.
WEST INDIES 2nd Innings
K Brathwaite not out 79
K Powell c and b Henry 40
S Hetmyer c Raval b Henry 66
S Hope not out 21
Extras (lb3, w5) 8
TOTAL (2 wkts, 66 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-166.
Bowling: Boult 15-3-47-0, Henry 15-4-33-2, de Grandhomme 10-2-24-0, Wagner 15-0-89-0, Santner 10-3-18-0, Williamson 1-1-0-0.
Position: WI trail by 172 runs with eight second innings wickets intact.

FC Santa Rosa crept into the lead in the inaugural edition of the T&T Super League yesterday with a 1-0 win over Police FC at the Arima Velodrome.

However the Big Cannons’ new status as league leaders was only made possible as inclement weather in Tobago forced the postponement of the scheduled clash between 1976 Phoenix FC and former league leaders Guaya United.

Guaya’s charge towards the title has been stalked at every juncture by the only other challengers for the title, FC Santa Rosa, and the Arima-based team would feel as though they have gotten a timely upper hand via their one point lead, moving to 50 points with just one match left to be played in the league campaign.

Santa Rosa got its goal yesterday in the 29th minute, ironically from the boot of former Guaya skipper Ryan ‘Fry’ Stewart.

Following the turn of events, Santa Rosa coach Keith Look Loy who had to watch his team’s match from the stands said, “It was important for us to win, we understood that. We knew that a loss or even a draw by Guaya would open the door for us. They didn’t play but our points are on the board. We are hoping that Phoenix would do a job and if we go into the last match on equal terms with them or ahead, then its all there for the taking.”

Look Loy and his assistant Jovan Rochford were serving a one-match touchline ban handed down by the TTSL Disciplinary Committee for verbal abuse of a match official when they lost to Guaya United 3-1 at the Velodrome almost a month ago.

Meanwhile, Guaya United manager Jameson Rigues was disappointed to have their match postponed considering that the Guaya team arrived in Tobago two days in advance of their assignment, demonstrating their intentions to do everything in their power to capture the title.

However the weather was out of their control. “It was really an unexpected situation. We came here in high spirit and tied up all the loose ends but you cannot predict the forces of nature.” he said.

Rigues added, “A lot of spend would have gone in to this trip to one, make the guys comfortable and two, to make sure that everybody acclimatised properly. The players were looking forward to the match up, not even thinking about Santa Rosa but now that it happened the way that it happened we will just got back to the drawing board and reinforce to the players the importance of the next two matches for us.”

Guaya United’s fixture against Phoenix has tentatively been rescheduled to Thursday December 7 meaning that the Green Army would now be required to play two matches in four days, closing off their campaign against the Defence Force at their home ground in Newlands, Guayaguayare on Sunday December 10, the same day that FC Santa Rosa hosts UTT at the Arima Velodrome.

TTSL SCORES

Club Sando Moruga 6-2
Cunupia FC 3-1 Bether FC
FC Santa Rosa 1-0 Police
1976 Phoenix vs Guaya United (postponed)

T&T’s Dylan Carter swam the second-leg to help the University of Southern California to a silver medal in the men’s 400 yards freestyle relay final when the Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational Time Finals concluded in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night.

In addition to Carter, the other members of the USC Trojans relay quartet were lead-off man Santo Condorelli, Ralf Tribuntsov and Justin Nguyen as they combined for a time of two minutes, 50.64 seconds, an NCAA A cut to trail winners’ Texas University (2:49.80) while Stanford ‘A’ took bronze in 2:51.00 flat.

On Friday night, Carter just missed out on a medal when he placed fourth in the men’s 100 yards backstroke A-final in 46.05 seconds behind Matt Grevers (44.92), Zachary Poti (45.43) and Austin Katz (45.48).

In the morning heats, Grever was also the fastest qualifier in 45.44 ahead of Poti (45.97) and Carter (45.98).

Carter also placed fifth in the men’s 100 yard butterfly A-final in 45.99 seconds. Joseph Schooling won gold in 44.78 followed by Jack Conger (45.32), Andrew Porter (45.75) and Andrew Liang (45.87).

Earlier on Friday in the heats, Carter was the seventh fastest in 46.44 seconds.

On Thursday, Carter took second spot in the men’s 50 yards freestyle B-final when he touched the wall in 19.58 seconds behind Conger who won in 19.56 while Harvard’s Dean Farris took third in 19.68.

A member of the T&T swimming contingent at the last Olympic Games in Brazil, Carter missed out on qualification to the A-final when he ended tenth best from the field of 103 swimmers in 19.71 seconds, just outside of Stanford’s Sam Perry who touched the wall in 19.66 for the eight and final qualifying spot to the A-final.

Rangpur Riders, led by Mohammad Mithun’s punchy 50 not out, rallied to beat Khulna Titans by 19 runs and seal their place in the play-offs.

Despite the loss, Khulna were also through along with Dhaka Dynamites and Comilla Victorians with four league matches still to be played.

Having been inserted, Rangpur limped to 114 for 6 in 18 overs before Mithun’s late blows helped the side plunder 33 off the last two overs.

Chasing 148, Khulna sprinted to 60 for 0 by the eighth over but collapsed to be restricted to 128 for 8.

Rangpur’s powerful top order, boasting Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle, failed to deliver again. Ziaur Rahman was the first to go, for 8, when he skied Abu Jayed to third man in the third over.

McCullum flickered briefly—scoring 15 off 11 balls—before holing out to mid-on after being deceived by Shafiul Islam’s off-cutter. Chris Gayle, too, couldn’t covert his start: he hit four fours and two sixes, before falling in the 11th over for 38 off 27 balls.

Jofra Archer then removed Ravi Bopara in the 15th over and when Chamara Kapugedara gave Mahmudullah a simple catch off a Carlos Brathwaite long-hop in the next over, Rangpur were 98 for 5. Archer struck again, getting Nahidul Islam caught at third man, as Khulna reduced Rangpur to 105 for 6 in the 17th over.

Despite wickets falling at the other end, Mithun slowly got into his groove. He enjoyed some good fortune too: he was dropped on 8 and 30, but unleashed big hits in the last two overs of the innings.

Michael Klinger and Nazmul Hossain Shanto ensured Khulna started confidently, taking the side to 48 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay. From 60 for 0, Khulna tumbled to 97 for 6 with the Rangpur bowlers sharing the spoils.

The crucial blow was Brathwaite’s wicket; Isuru Udana had frustrated him with two wide balls in the 16th over before having the West Indies all-rounder chase another one wide and edge it to Mithun.

Bopara then gave away just one run in the penultimate over while picking up Ariful Haque’s wicket. He finished with 2 for 4 in his two overs.

Other Results

Chittagong Vikings 67 (Nasir 5-31, Nabil 3-7)
Sylhet Sixers 68 for 0 (Rizwan 36*, Fletcher 32*)
Chittagong won by 10 wickets

Harvards Rugby Club’s team retained its own self titled Rugby 7s tournament when it defeated Exiles convincingly in the men’s seniors final at CIC Grounds in St Clair, yesterday.

The Harvards men played undefeated through the tournament, winning its three-team Group A ahead of Defence Force and Police for a spot in the semi-finals.

Group B was won by Exiles ahead of Royalians and Moruga while Caribs won its group which also contained Rainbow and Harvards Two, and in Group D, UWI/Tobago emerged to complete the semi-final line-up of group winners.

There, Harvards trounced Caribs 20-0 and Exiles got past UWI/Tobago 24-12 to set up a meeting for the tournament title.

Eventual Most Valuable Player (MVP) Claudius Butts scored two tries in the final to set up Harvards’ 29-5 victory. Additional tries were scored by Joseph Quashie (1), Nigel Baddington (1) and Keston Earl (1).

Aasan Lewis and Shakeel Dyte produced successful conversions to complete Harvards’ scoring.

In the third and fourth place match, Caribs downed UWI/Tobago 20-5.

A day earlier, Exiles Under-19 team won the men’s division by outscoring Rydeus 32-12 in the title match while Harvards’ Under-19s comfortably defeated Northerns for third.

The Harvard Under-19 girls also had to settle for third following the completion of their four-team round robin competition.

Rainbow Rugby Club emerged as the top team followed by Royalians while a combined team comprising players from Easter Ruggers and Rydeus finished bottom of the pack in 4th.

Holy Name Convent won the school girls competition which was also played in a round robin format, topping Bishop Centenary College and St James Secondary School when all was said and done.

KEVON FELMINE

A police motorcyclist was seriously injured yesterday when he collided with a car along the South Trunk Road, La Romaine.

Reports stated that around 5 pm, PC Jones of the Highway Patrol Unit, was heading towards San Fernando when his motorcycle collided with brown Mazda 323 driven by construction labourer Edison Rahim of San Francique.

Eyewitnesses said Rahim was at the intersection of Potato Street and was attempting to cross the road when the bike crashed into the left front of his car. Jones flung off his bike and landed metres away. He suffered several injuries and was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital by an ambulance.

Rahim’s son, Dexter, said officers who responded to the crash told his father that he was wrong in the accident. He said police and ambulance attended to the injured officer but left his father and his workmate, Mark Ferreira, nursing injuries on the roadside.

Dexter said his father was working on a house in La Romaine and was going to Bhagwansingh’s Hardware to purchase supplies. On reaching Potato Street intersection, a van stopped to allow Rahim to cross the road, however, the officer had his siren on so Rahim stopped halfway, eyewitnesses said. Instead of swerving away, the motorcyclist collided with the car.

"When the police officers came, the first thing they said was that my father was wrong. Because of that, my father did not want to even tell them that he wanted help. Mark Ferreira’s head was busted and his foot swollen. When the ambulance came, they just assisted the officer and left my father and the other guy right there. I had to ask the police if they would assist my father. They told me that we were supposed to ask for help. He was here for an hour and more in real pain,” Dexter said.

An eyewitness said it was only when an off-duty female officer stopped and asked questions that Rahim and Ferreira were assisted and the accident scene was marked off.

The 63-year-old man accused of shooting two-year-old Candy Loubon and her cousins Wendell Mike and Shane Lemo has surrendered to police.

He was expected to be handed over to Moruga police yesterday where he will be questioned. Based on police’s investigation, the suspect may be charged with attempted murder or wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Reports are that around midnight on Sunday, the suspect, who ran into the forest after the shooting on Saturday, contacted a relative, who is a police officer in the South Western Division. The officer went to the forest, off the Penal Rock Road, Moruga and took the suspect to the Penal Police Station. He was handed over the Southern Division police shortly after.

Meanwhile, Candy, who has pellets in her neck, near her spine, and in her leg, remained at the Paediatric Ward of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital. Her father, Jamie Loubon, said doctors still have not decided when they will perform surgery. He said they are consulting and based on her condition, they may discharge her in a few days with an appointment for surgery. Mike, 31, who was shot in the head and shoulder, also remained warded at the hospital.

Around 7.10 am on Saturday, Mike, who has a long-standing dispute with the suspect, went to his garden along the Penal Rock Road, Moruga. It was then the suspect shot Mike. Lemo, 26, who was next door, was shot in the leg. Paramedics removed a pellet from his leg, which was lodged just under his skin. Candy was standing in the yard of her home was also struck.

The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce is right to stand firm on the point of VAT refunds to businesses, as highlighted by the IMF.

The IMF report, published a few weeks ago, does cover the broader issue of tax due but not paid, and what that represents as a percentage of GDP, as highlighted by the government. But there’s no avoiding the other point they make.

To help refresh everyone’s memory, this is what the IMF report states regarding VAT refunds: “Delays in the payment of VAT refunds not only impact businesses’ cash flow, but may also affect compliance.” It goes on to state in a footnote: “Rather than remitting the net VAT, the government collects gross VAT and then requires a budgetary allocation to remit the refunds. This also suggests that total tax revenues may be overstated to the extent that refund arrears, which should properly be counted as a financing item, are growing.”

The point is simple: the tax model in the country allows the government to collect the full VAT amount and then refund the “overpayment” element of the tax back to businesses later on. As the IMF highlights, this is not only bad for business, but it can also mask the true tax income.

We notice and support the overtures by both the Chamber and the Ministry for dialogue on the matter. But one thing ought to be clear: the government cannot pick the “good bits” of the IMF report and ignore the rest as irrelevant.

And the issue over VAT is one of them. The VAT payment system is a real issue and ought to be dealt with by the government to avoid strangling businesses’ cashflow to benefit the government’s.

The road to nowhere

It may be a very small area and quite isolated from the rest of the island but the residents of Matelot deserve better.

The pictures published by the T&T Guardian yesterday, showing craters where passable roads should be and broken pipelines where normal pipes should run, are shameful and unacceptable.

This despite previous works done in the area to shore up the roads; and who knows why they all seemed to have failed.

Some of the challenges faced by the people of Matelot may be inevitable, as consequence of coastal erosion episodes that, slowly, go on reshaping our land. Most of them, though, are more likely to be the outcome of poor planning and execution. That’s no natural disaster. It’s a political one.

Get well soon

These are our wishes for little Candy Loubon, the two-year-old who had a lucky escape after being hit by shots fired at family members in Moruga on Saturday.

Candy’s pictures on the front pages of newspapers on Monday are also a sad reflection of how indiscriminate and senseless violence in this country has become.

If nothing is done, Candy will grow up facing more violence and crime, potentially seeing loved ones lost and a growing sense of crime.

We won’t solve the crime situation overnight but we owe Candy at least a beginning, so that her generation can pass on a much better, safer and peaceful country to the next one.

“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Fredrick Douglass (1817-1895)

Fredrick Douglass. Born a slave, escaped, world-renowned anti-slavery activist. Said that so long ago?

Stress, ordinary stress, is good. Stress, toxic, is bad. Stress is any uncomfortable “emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioural changes.” Stress is this feeling of strain and pressure that we talk about endlessly. We experience stress when we believe we can’t cope. By that definition we are under considerable stress right now. Government disdain, malingering in public places, police incompetence, legal shenanigans etc, is raising island stress to toxic levels. As a former PM once famously said, “Pressure does buss pipe.” When will the pipe buss?

Toxic stress differs from ordinary stress in that it is strong and prolonged activation of the body’s stress management system and in children, which is my concern, “in the absence of the buffering protection of adult support.” That’s why, by the way, we adults keep asking “who we go put?” It really means, “who go save us?” We are children looking for an adult saviour.

The sine qua non of toxic stress in children lies in the absence of an adult figure, someone who supports the child. It’s long been recognised that the mother is the environment every child craves. Moreover, given a choice, a child will choose a warm body with no food over a cold body with food. Nothing an infant can do makes sense except in light of the mother’s presence and the hormones that interaction between the child and mother produces. Warm human contact produces the hormone oxytocin which produces pleasurable sensations in mother and child.

The younger the child, the more toxic is the stress in the absence of the mother. The idea of the first 1000 days as crucial in the development of the child’s brain, is being replaced with the idea of the first 1000 hours (six weeks) of a child’s life, when the lifelong bond between mother and child is finalised. Or the first 1000 minutes (first day) when the mother is sensitised to the needs of her child. Or the first 1000 seconds (first hour) when the initial brain networks for human development are being fired. Since politicians and administrators in third world countries have not yet caught on to the first 1000 days business, it should take another two generations before they begin to react appropriately.

Anti-stress connections in the brain are stimulated principally through skin to skin, gaze attachment and olfactory stimuli. Skin to skin is the “new” norm for newborn care. Skin to skin means exactly that, mother’s skin in contact with baby’s skin, not clothes in contact with skin. Touch stimulates oxytocin production. So does vision. At birth babies can see about 12 inches away, the distance from the breast to the face. And it’s the smell of the mother’s dirty, sweaty skin, mixed with vaginal secretions, that most appeals to a newborn.

Skin to skin, mutual gaze and smell result in a dramatic rise in maternal and infant oxytocin and dopamine. This give rise to those pleasurable sensations in both mother and child. At the same time brain architecture is moulded in a certain direction so that response to stress in the future is manageable.

What happens if the infant undergoes toxic stress, ie separation from the mother? There’s a dramatic rise in the stress hormone cortisol. Prolonged cortisol levels creates abnormal connections in the baby’s emotional brain or amygdala. These changes appear to be lasting and result in abnormal emotional responses in later life. Think of that the next time you get a bad drive.

Insensitive parenting resulting in insensitive adults are a consequence of babies being separated from their mothers at birth and later on in the life of the child. Much of the inappropriate emotional behaviour of adults can be explained by that.

My grandmother has a saying, one that she evokes every December 25 after the thrill of gift-exchanging and gastronomic indulging has subsided; she says, “Before yuh blink yuh eye… Christmas go be here again.”

Taken at face value the declaration is rather premature if not a little foreboding, but I do think it contains a fair amount of wisdom as well. Not only does it speak to the fleeting sensation associated with the passage of time, but to how Trinbagonians are always looking to what enjoyments lie ahead regardless of what’s going on around them.

That being said, looking at how early the Yuletide season started, maybe my grandmother wasn’t so wrong after all. Before the month of November began parang could be heard on the radio and businesses were advertising special sales. Perhaps the trying experiences of this past year motivated our citizens to get a head start on the festivities. But the sombre truth, however, is that not everyone will be celebrating.

Because for families who have lost a loved one to tragic circumstances, Christmas time will never be the same again.

Remember Shannon Banfield? The 20-year-old bank employee who was murdered this time last year? For the few weeks after, the entire country was united in shock and outrage, crying out that “enough was enough” and demanding that something be done. But all those voices soon died down; the country moved on and Miss Banfield, whose name had inspired calls to action, became little more than just another murder statistic.

Of course, this cycle of tragedy, outcry, and forgetfulness occurs quite often in T&T. And would repeat itself following the gruesome murders of Rose Mohammed and her neighbour Videsh Subar (June), Dr Claire Broadbridge (September), and, as recent as two weeks ago, Pundit Sunil Ragbirsingh. It’s not that the population’s reaction to such events isn’t genuine, but that their proclivity for “moving on” is a morose indication that they’ve come to accept such tragedies as inevitable.

So why have we become a population of complacent complainers? The usual refrain is the self-deprecating maxim that “we like it so”. But that mentality ignores the concerted efforts that have been made to foment social and political change. Virtuous citizens have turned to starting petitions, orchestrating nation-wide shutdowns, and assembling outside of parliament. To date, none of those methods have had the desired effect and we are left with the “same ole, same ole”: politicians who ignore us, a public service that holds the country to ransom, and criminal elements who operate seemingly unchecked.

Democracies tend to tout the notion that “vox populi, vox Dei”—the voice of the people is the voice of God. But that only applies to the act of casting one’s ballot every five years; during the time in-between the electorate is left voiceless. This is a stark contrast to the before-mentioned groups who are never without the power to further their own agendas. The government has the power to make policies and enrich their financiers; the public service and trade unions have the power to plunge our country into chaos; and the criminals have the power to deprive us of our possessions and even our lives. What, if anything, are average citizens supposed to do?

Considering this imbalance, it’s no wonder then that Trinbagonians are the way they are—disenchanted with what’s happening around them and yet disinterested in trying to make things better. It’s easy to complain about something, or to identify a problem without offering a worthwhile solution; my last column read very much like that.

While I don’t presume to have any answers, I acknowledge that just adding to the noise isn’t doing a damn thing to help. I’ll try to keep that in mind if I revisit this topic in the future. But for now Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas is here once again. While it is indeed a season for enjoyment, do try and remember those who aren’t here to do the same.

Ryan Hadeed