To clean up WASA is an “Augean task.” It means a job so dirty and huge no one can hope to succeed at it. Ironic, isn’t it? Water and dirty. The Augean Stables were not cleaned for 30 years and 3,000 oxen were kept there. Hercules diverted a river and cleaned them in a day. It must be kept in mind he had a clean, ample supply of water. The water contamination at the Caroni Plant is a cause for grave concern.

Is our water supply safe and secure? Schools had to be dismissed early, businesses were affected. What is this oily substance in the water and how did it get there? We have a problem to solve, let us commence. More than likely this “water’’ has ended up in storage tanks. WASA has ensured every home must have a few. These tanks must be properly cleaned before being put back in service with the water fit for human consumption.

Cleaning or replacement of tanks is an expensive process. Plumbers must be smiling. Filters can be installed. A cleaning liquid must wash out the “contaminant” without leaving a residue. After a tank has been drained, it must be rinsed several times with detergent. This is labour intensive but cost containment. Cleansers must be non-toxic, biodegradable and cost effective. Foul-smelling water must not be used. Bottled water must be used to cook and drink. All contaminated tanks must be emptied, cleaned and rinsed before refilling.

WASA has always been a dumping ground for the party in power. WASA is contracted to supply a safe and reliable supply of water to it’s customers. If you give your neighbour some water you can be persecuted. I humbly suggest all customers affected should sue WASA for all costs incurred and inconvenience experienced. I have the perfect person for the job, an ex-AG who might not need the money but definitely has the time. Madame Prime Minister, whatever can go wrong is going wrong. Mr Minister with responsibility for WASA, T&T expects your resignation, yesterday.
 
AV RAMPERSAD
Princes Town 

Dr Vishnu Bisram

Interesting politics is ahead in Guyana as the country’s largest and oldest political party, PPP, selects the first female prime ministerial candidate to contest the general election scheduled for May 11. Also, the second largest and second oldest political party, PNC, has entered into a political alliance with the country’s third largest party, AFC. The latter comprises largely of former disgruntled members of the PPP and PNC. 

The alliance, no name as yet, hopes to topple the ruling PPP from office, but it will be an uphill task to remove the incumbent that has won all free and fair elections in Guyana since 1953. At the last general election in November 2011, the PPP obtained 49 per cent, PNC (renamed APNU) 41 per cent, and AFC ten per cent. Unlike in T&T that has the first-past-the-post political system, Guyana has proportional representation with a party obtaining a percentage of seats based on the percentage of votes it garnered. 

Under Guyana’s peculiar Constitution that was put in place by its deceased dictator, Forbes Burnham, without approval from the electorate, the party that wins the most votes controls the government. Post election coalition is not allowed. At the last election, PPP got 32 seats, PNC 26 and AFC seven, plus the Speaker’s post. Going against Commonwealth parliamentary tradition, the governing PPP was denied the Speaker as well as the deputy Speaker’s position. The PPP, with the most votes, formed the executive. 

Executive power is exercised by the president (recipient of the largest bloc of votes) not the prime minister as in Trinidad. The combined PNC-AFC opposition had one seat more than the ruling party and the Opposition used its majority to block almost every proposed government bill. Last July, the combined opposition tabled a no confidence motion over unauthorised expenditure that was to be debated after the parliamentary recess. 

When Parliament was recalled in November, on the day of the debate, President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament as specifically authorised under the Burnham constitution. Ramotar said he prorogued Parliament to give the two parties time to reconsider their no confidence motion that would inevitably have led to a dissolution of Parliament. 

Civic groups and Chambers of Commerce around the country urged the three parties to resolve their differences rather than go for early elections in what opinion polls showed would be another hung Parliament with the PPP controlling the executive branch. The non-political civic and religious groups even suggested the formation of an interim government for the remaining two years of the life of the Parliament.

With the opposition insisting that the president face the no confidence vote and under pressure from the US, Canada and England to end prorogue of the assembly, Ramotar announced in December that Parliament would be dissolved and new elections held. In January, he announced May 11 as election day.

In January, the PNC and AFC entered into negotiations to form an alliance to jointly contest the election. The PNC is supported largely by Africans and the AFC largely by Indians, as is the PPP. The AFC was successful in 2011 in splitting a significant chunk of votes from the PPP base depriving it of a majority. In mid-February, the PNC and AFC announced they had reached an agreement to form an alliance to jointly contest the election with the goal of unseating the PPP from office.

The leadership of both parties is convinced that if they combined their support, it would defeat the PPP. The PNC leader, David Granger, a former head of the armed forces under the Burnham dictatorship, will be the presidential candidate with the AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo as his running mate as the prime ministerial candidate. 

Nagamootoo, a former law student in Trinidad, was a former stalwart of the PPP for almost 50 years, serving as minister of government, leaving it just before the 2011 elections to contest as an MP for the AFC. Nagamootoo is enormously popular among rank and file PPP supporters and he was primarily responsible for the AFC capturing 15 per cent of the Indian base in 2011.

In response to the alliance, the PPP announced a career foreign service diplomat of over 30 years, Elisabeth Harper, an Afro-Guyanese, as the running mate for Ramotar who is seeking re-election. This is the first time in the country’s history any party has put forward a woman as its prime ministerial candidate. Sam Hinds, an Afro-Guyanese, served as the PPP prime minister since October 1992. He has decided to call it a day. 

Harper, widely respected by the professional class, brings a breath of fresh air to the politics but she is not likely to bring additional votes to the PPP. However, her clean image could help to sanitise the PPP that has been rocked by various negative reports and could convince more Africans and voters of mixed descent to have a second look at the PPP. An opinion poll conducted by this writer shows AFC supporters have abandoned the party for forming an alliance with the PNC. 

The prospect of the return of the PNC to power sends shivers in the population evoking memories of the ban on basic foods, toilet paper, clothing, and religious items when the party governed through fraudulent elections for 28 years.

Last Monday, the directors of Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) presented the company’s audited financial results for year ending December 31, 2014, which on the face of it showed a huge after-tax loss of $211 million. It is noteworthy that the company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation) remained flat year/year at $408 million even though sales had increased to $2.1 billion, up $200 million or nine per cent from 2013.

It was affected by extraordinary expenses of $57 million, including the cost of the unsuccessful debt refinancing exercise, legal costs in cases against shareholders, the impairment of aged clinker and provision of unfunded back-pay to employees. However, on a like-for-like basis, excluding these one-off costs, EBITDA actually increased by 13 per cent to $465 million.

In fact, if one further drills down into the numbers, excluding additional extraordinary expenses of impairment of deferred tax asset ($86 million) and of Arawak Cement and Haiti ($156 million), the net profit was up from $67 million in 2013 to $88 million, an increase of $21 million or 30 per cent higher year/year on a like-for-like basis.

On February 7, it was disclosed that the directors passed a board resolution to raise circa US$57 million or $362 million in capital through a rights issue of 124,882,568 new shares at a price of $2.90. This means that every TCL shareholder has the right to purchase one share for each two shares that is held. Towards this end, a notice issued by the company secretary dated February 24, was posted on the TTSE Web site on the same date.

It states, “The directors have fixed Tuesday, March 3, 2015, as the record date for determining the shareholders who are entitled to participate in the Rights Issue of TCL which is scheduled to commence on 6th March, 2015.” 

My concern in this regard is essentially twofold in nature. Firstly, there has been no subsequent advisory/notice by the T&T Stock Exchange of the ex-rights trading date, which in accordance with its own rules is two business days prior to the record date. This means that TCL shares would have commenced trading ex-rights with effect from last Friday without shareholders being notified as is required. 

The second part of my concern has to do with the extremely short notice and sparse information that have been provided to shareholders since the announcement of the rights issue, given the commencement date (next Friday). With respect to the latter, I refer to information such as: is the rights issue renounceable or not? Will there be a provisionally allotment of the new shares to shareholders at the close of the record date? Will shareholders be allowed to accept all or part only of the shares so allotted to them? 

In the event that shareholders do not accept same, either in whole or in part, and do not renounce their entitlement will those shares be deemed to have been declined and as such will lapse? Will these shares then be treated as excess shares? What is the procedure for acceptance and payment or if a shareholder opts to renounce all or part of their allotment will that person be able to sell same on the TTSE? 

When is the period for dealing/trading in rights to subscribe for the new shares expected to take place? What are the projections and profit forecasts for the company going forward (and the list goes on and on)? 

Accordingly, whilst I look with cautious optimism towards the company’s first quarter results which are due by the middle of May 2015, I am calling on the directors to do the proper thing by amending the record and commencement date, prepare what is known in the industry as an “Information Memorandum,” in keeping with TCL’s listing requirements, which must circulated to all shareholders well in advance of the start of rights issue.

Peter Permell
Minority Shareholder
Rights Advocate

Striker Richard “Shaka” Roy scored a handful as six-time FA Trophy winners, Defence Force blasted Tobago’s Black Rock FC 17-1 in their round-of-16 clash at Black Rock Recreation Ground, yesterday.

Roy scored in the 11th, 22nd, 34th, 61st and 88th minutes for Defence Force which led 7-0 at half-time.

The duo of Akeem Roach (57th, 63rd, 80th) and Josimar Belgrave (42nd, 43rd, 80th) added hat-tricks while Devorn Jorsling (30th), Ross Russell Jr (37th), Kellon Serrette (60th), Marvin Jones (70th), and substitutes Dexter Pacheco (71st) and Jelani Felix (86th) added the others.

Former national youth team player Michael Carrington got the lone reply for Black Rock on the stroke of full-time .

At the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Pro League leaders Central FC clobbered SKHY FC 7-0,  led by a Jean-Luc Rochford hat-trick.

 Rochford scored in the eighth, 58th and 61st mninute for the “Sharks” while national midfielder and former youth World Cup captain Leston Paul, Dwight Quintero, Michael Yaw Darko and  Nathaniel Garcia were also on target.

At the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Keryn Navarro got the lone item as Japs North East Stars edged Caledonia AIA 1-0. 

Last night, Police hosted  Guaya United at the St James Police Barracks Ground and Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh played Bethel United, and Pt Fortin Civic and Pro League-bound Club Sando, met.

Today DirecTV W Connection will be away to Super League club, Stokely Vale at Plymouth Recreation Ground, Plymouth and Roxborough Lakers entertains St Francois National, at the Cyd Gray Recreation Ground, both from 6pm.

RESULTS:

Yesterday’s Results 

Defence Force 17 (Richard Roy 11th, 22nd, 34th, 61st, 88th, Akeem Roach 57th, 63rd, 80th, Josimar Belgrave 42nd, 43rd, 80th, Devorn Jorsling 30th, Ross Russell Jr 37th, Kellon Serrette 60th, Marvin Jones 70th, Dexter Pacheco 71st, Jelani Felix 86th) vs  Black Rock 1 (Michael Carrington 90th)

North East Stars 1 (Keryn Navarro) vs Caledonia AIA 0

Central FC 7 (Leston Paul 2nd, Jean-Luc Rochford 8th, 58th, 61st, Dwight Quintero 49th, Michael Yaw Darko 54th, Nathaniel Garcia 85th) vs SKHY FC 0

Senior national women’s team shooters, Samantha Wallace and Kalifa Mc Collin, combined to lead the University of T&T (UTT) to a fourth straight win from as many matches in the Premier Division of the Courts All Sectors Netball League, 38-21 over Tobago House of Assembly (THA) on Saturday.

Goals-shooter, Wallace, a national basketballer as well, ended with 27 goals from 41 attempts and goal-attack, Mc Collin tallied 11 from 16 for UTT which blew the match open with a 13-3 dominant third period to hold a 28-16 advantage going into the last quarter at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacarigua.

For THA, Nateisha Radgman topscored with 15 goals from 27 attempts, while Mauricia Nicholson got four from ten, and Abeni Taylor, two from nine in the loss, its fourth from as many outing.

The win improved UTT to maximum eight points with matches left against defending champions Fire Service (1-3) and Police (3-1).

The Law-women stayed within a win of UTT with a comprehensive 43-27 blowout of Fire Service inspired by national goal shooter and former Fire standout Joelisa Cooper’s 31 goals from 35 attempts.

Gursher Grant chipped in with 12 goals from 17 attempts for Police which led 11-6, 21-12 and 29-22 at the end of the first three quarters as it climbed to six points.

In the Championship Division, Police X maintained its 100 per cent winning record and improved to a 5-0 record courtesy of its win over its Police Y club-mates, 58-44.

Patrice Goring continued her impressive form for Police X with a match-high 47 goals from 52 attempts while the trio of Claudia Joseph, Beverly Hernandez and Peggy Ann Brown added eight, two and one goal respectively.

Giselle Hobson netted 28 from 42 attempts and Jeselle Navarro, 16 from 22 for Police Y, yet to pick up a point in five matches.

Bermudez jumped one spot up the table ahead of Jabloteh, on goal-difference with both teams on four points each, after securing a 52-27 win in their match-up.

Makeda De Freitas had the hot hands for Bermudez with 39 goals from 49 attempts and Jocelyn Marcelle poured in 13 from 19 while on the other end of the court, La Toya Thomas was the lone Jabloteh player in double-figures with 14 goals from 21 attempts.

And in the lone Alernative Division encounter, Fideas swept aside cellar-placed Police 42-15 with Christie Snaggs and Anita Pitt-Russell converting on 28 of 50 and 14 of 23 attempts respectively.

RESULTS:

Courts All Sectors Netball League

Alternative Division:

Fideas 42 (Christie Snaggs 28/50, Anita Pitt-Russell 14/23) vs Police 15 (Cheryse Aguilleria 11/26, Gabrielle Bridgewater 3/12, Tahira Hollingsworth 1/1)

Quarter scores: 1st. 11-4 Fideas; 2nd. 20-6 Fideas; 3rd. 30-13 Fideas

Championship Division:

Police X 58 (Patrice Goring 47/52, Claudia Joseph 8/11, Beverly Hernandez 2/3, Peggy Ann Brown 1/1) vs Police Y 44 (Giselle Norton 28/42, Jeselle Navarro 16/22)

Quarter scores: 1st. 17-7 Police X; 2nd. 36-17 Police X; 3rd. 49-31 Police X

Bermudez 52 (Makeda De Freitas 39/49, Jocelyn Marcelle 13/19) vs Jabloteh 27 (La Toya Thomas 14/21, Samantha James 6/8, Giselle Hobson 6/9, Simone Bartholomew ½)

Quarter scores: 1st. 13-5 Bermudez; 2nd. 27-9 Bermudez; 3rd. 37-17 Bermudez

Premier Division:

UTT 38 (Samantha Wallace 27/41, Kalifa Mc Collin 11/16) vs THA 21 (Nateisha Radgman 15/27, Mauricia Nicholson 4/10, Abeni Taylor 2/9)

Quarter scores: 1st. 8-5 UTT; 2nd. 15-13 UTT; 3rd. 28-16 UTT.

Police 43 (Joelisa Cooper 31/35, Gursher Grant 12/17) vs Fire Service 27 (Simone Morgan 20/33, Ayanna Hamlet 5/10, Onella Jack 2/5)

Quarter scores: 1st. 11-6 Police; 2nd. 21-12 Police; 3rd. 29-22 Police.

Mega and small-scale sport tourism has the potential to contribute to the social, cultural, economic and infrastructural development of the host country or city.

Sport tourism involves the travel of persons for non-business reasons to participate and or observe sporting activities (Hall, 1992). 

Mega sporting events include the hosting of World Cups for such sports such as football, cricket, and rugby. Small scale sporting events include triathlons, marathons and a leg of the formula one grand prix. 

According to Zauhar (2003) sport tourism involves a number of activities. In addition to either participating and observing sporting events, persons who travel for sport tourism may also have a vested interest in visiting state-of-the-art sporting facilities such as stadiums. These may include for example, Lords cricket ground in England, Roland Garros in Paris, Maracana Stadium in Brazil and the Millennium rugby stadium in Wales. In addition to the iconic sporting stadiums appeal, sport tourists may also show an interest in sporting hall of fames and sport museums such as the Legends of Barbados cricket museum. 

Sport tourists may not always be interested in traditional competitive sports and may find adventurous activities far more inviting and appealing to their leisure taste. Some of these adventurous activities may include bungee jumping stations, zip line canopy tours, hiking trails, water adventures such snorkeling and golf. 

Sport tourism offers several economic benefits to local communities, the region and or the country. An estimated 680,000 persons from overseas attended the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. These visitors generated enormous economic activity through different forms of expenditure on sporting and non-sporting activities. 

There was an increase demand for various forms of accommodation-hotels and guest houses. Similarly there was an increase in demand for sporting paraphernalia such replica tee shirts, sneakers etc. Non-sporting products expenditure included food, beverages, phones, cameras, and other electronic accessories that are associated with travelers. 

According to Hassen (2003) the 2003 Cricket World generated 1.3 billion Rands for the South African economy. 

Sport tourism provides the host country with high media coverage. 

This coverage will cover not only the sporting event but also provide important information about the country’s cultural and entertainment locations as well as an overall country profile. 

Such information would have been provided when the Caribbean played host to two cricket world cups in 2007 and 2010 respectively. Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago would have benefitted from the media coverage when it hosted the 2001 FIFA U17 World Cup for boys and the 2010 FIFA World Cup for girls. 

According to Morrison (2005) mega sporting events provide a platform to incorporate social and cultural features of the host community/city/country into the overall tourist experience. These events are good occasions to showcase the cultural heritage of the country such as its history, historical sites, food, music, art, architecture, and overall what makes the host unique and interesting to want to return in the immediate future.

Sport tourism do not only result from the visiting and expenditure from tourists but also involves the development of local infrastructure such as stadia, hotels, transportation networks, roads, telecommunication, airports and other infrastructure. Such developments will provide long term benefits to communities where they have been established.

The potential benefits of sports tourism can only be realised if several challenges are overcome especially in the developing world. 

In countries where crime and matters of security are a major concern persons considering to travel to these destination maybe discouraged to engage in any form of sport tourism. Additionally, the allegations of corruption and financial scandals may also serve as a discouragement.

The overall success of any sporting tourism event is dependent upon management. 

Poor management due to financial impropriety, poor planning, lack of efficient customer service, and a host of other management’s drawbacks may serve as a major Achilles heel for the success of any sport tourism event. 

According to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (2011) sport tourism has the potential to being powerful tool for development and progress. However, for this to be accomplished to reap the benefits of sports tourism proper planning and management of events have to be undertaken.

WELLINGTON—After a pause to catch their breath, Australia and New Zealand have begun to pick over the bones of Saturday’s thrilling Cricket World Cup match at Eden Park, eager to determine what it tells them about the teams and the tournament.

Had New Zealand won emphatically, as it seemed they might do when it bowled out Australia for 151, it might have said it had usurped Australia as the tournament favourite. But the teams were shown to be so evenly matched, with both possessing outstanding swing attacks which meant one mis-hit made the difference, that the secrets the match holds may take time to unearth.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said, “I think there will be a lot of learnings from it.”

One of the obvious conclusions is that batsmen from both sides aren’t entirely comfortable against top-class swing bowling, especially when that swing is achieved with ruthless accuracy and at speeds of more than 145kmh.

Trent Boult took 5-27 for New Zealand delivering just that kind of assault, bowling three of his victims, while Mitchell Starc for Australia, bowling a few clicks faster, took 6-28.

“There was some high quality swing bowling,” Hesson said. “I think we saw once the lacquer came off the ball, the ball started to swing more which is probably a character trait of the Dukes ball rather than the white Kookaburra.

“That’s unusual and that’s something that I guess two white balls can show that you can have bowler-dominated games as well.”

Australia captain Michael Clarke admitted his batsmen might have erred in their preparation for the match by practicing their power games more than their defense against the swinging delivery. But there may have been little defense against swing bowling of the quality Boult and Starc produced throughout the game and any re-match between the teams seems likely to again be bowler dominated.

“I think Mitchell Starc normally swings the new ball, swings it for an over or so,” said Hesson. “But, as I said, the fact that the ball swung in his second spell more than the first was unexpected.

“I think Tim (Southee) showed that (against England in Wellington). I think the characteristics of the ball sometimes (play a part) and sometimes there’s just a high-pressure zone created somewhere that allows it to swing.

“That’s something that we’re going to prepare for and look at doing better next time.”

The importance of Saturday’s match was much debated before it took place and is still being questioned a day after its completion. New Zealand’s fourth-straight win means that, with matches remaining in Pool A against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, it is likely to finish atop the pool and ahead of Australia.

The win also likely gave New Zealand a psychological boost as several of its players—Boult among them—had never played a one-day international against Australia.

“There’s always a bit of mystique surrounding Australia,” Hesson said. “I think we’ll be far better off for having that game against them.

“Obviously where you’re ranked in pool play is hugely significant not only in terms of where you play and who you play (in the quarterfinals) and if there’s rain later in the tournament where you're positioned is very important.

“So (the win) gives us a good chance to further progress in the tournament.”

“I can’t believe what my eyes just see,

A blanket of smog all over the city.

The humans are destroying our planet.

Forgetting that they have to live in it.

But Papa GD, what are we going to do?”

While adult masqueraders spent the 2015 Carnival singing and dancing to the music of Machel Montano’s Like Ah Boss, scores of primary school aged pupils were making and playing mas to Papa GD’s I Can’t Believe My Eyes. So who is Papa GD? He is Papa Green Definition; a 21st-century re-imagining of the Papa Bois folklore character, who in his capacity as “protector of the environment” was sent to ten primary schools across the East West corridor by Arts-in-Action, as part of a Carnival arts environmental awareness project titled Mas Movement for the Environment. 

A release from Arts-in-Action said in Mas Movement, which is funded by the German Embassy and produced by the Cropper Foundation, Arts-in-Action presents Papa GD and his masked ally Eco Girl, who battle the evil forces of Kaptain Korporate (KK), an industrialist who seeks to build a Fun Zone which allows children to do and have whatever they want, while polluting their environment. The characters embodied traditional Carnival forms for example, Pierrot Grenade and stick-fighting. The performance-workshop catered to pupils from Standards One to Three, and dealt with climate change issues through mas. It is the conflict between Papa GD and Kaptain K which stimulates the children’s participation and involvement in the conflict resolution process; they must choose to either destroy or preserve the environment.

The teachers of these schools were also engaged in AiA workshops. These focused on applied creative arts strategies that they can use in lesson planning with a climate change focus, while exploring how to create their own environmentally conscious mas presentations with their pupils. The most outstanding mas, would be awarded prizes for their environmentally themed portrayals.

The schools that took part were St Joseph Government Primary, Mt D’or Government Primary, Diego Martin Girls’ RC, St Joseph Girls’ RC, Rosary Boys’ RC, Nelson St Boys’ RC, Nelson St Girls’ RC, Arima Boys’ RC and Laventille Girls’ RC.

MORE INFO:

• For more information on Arts-in-Action’s programmes call 289-4AiA, or e-mail 

e-mail@artsinaction.org

With its striking presentation of From the Sky, Chase Village Carnival demonstrated its creativity and colour with telling effect to capture the 2015 Couva Band of the Year title on Carnival Tuesday, registering an unprecedented hat-trick in the process. 

Led by veteran bandleaders Danzo Ramroop and Indra Charles, Chase Village Carnival revealed many “secrets” of the skies, winning favour with both judges and the massive crowd which enjoyed carnival activities organised by the Couva Carnival Committee. 

A release from the CCC said it was another great day for Chase Village Carnival as they won the lion’s share of the main trophies for costumed bands. The band’s Daron Shah captured the title of Male Individual (Attached) with his portrayal of Earth Angel, while S Cummings took the Female Individual (Attached) crown with UFO—Sanko. On Monday night, Bharat Harrypersad (Armageddon) won the Kind of the Bands title. 

Aubrey Felix was adjudged Individual (Traditional Mas) with his hilarious portrayal of Go Granny. The Original Jab Jab’s presentation of Whip War, led by veteran whipmaster Ronald Alfred, won in the Traditional Mas (Band) category. 

It was a phenomenal year for Couva Carnival as three hat-tricks were registered in major competitions. In addition to Chase Village Carnival, Senior Calypso Monarch, Helon Francis, and his junior counterpart, N’Janella Duncan-Regis, also won for the third consecutive year. 

CCC chairman Ramchand Rajbal Maraj said the 2015 carnival season in Couva was very successful, with keen competition in all categories of judging. 

“Although the season was relatively short, the committee did a wonderful job to present shows that thrilled the crowds. We also had a very safe carnival and I want to thank the protective services, especially the Police and Fire Services, for doing a wonderful job at all our shows,” Rajbal Maraj said. 

Main Results

Couva Carnival Tuesday

Parade of the Bands 

Band of the Year

1st: Chase Village Carnival—From the Sky 

2nd:  Watap Promotions—We 

3rd: Central Elite—Colour Fest 

Individual (Attached)—Male

1st: Daron Shah -  —Earth Angel (Chase Village Carnival)

2nd: Selwyn Francis—The Ascending Rays (Chase Village Carnival) 

3rd: Suresh Singh—Protector of Treasure—Caesar (Animal House Production) 

Individual (Attached)—Female

1st: S Cummings UFO—Sanko (Chase Village Carnival) 

2nd: Carol James—D Parang Queen (Watap Promotions) 

3rd: Arissa Garcia—Reflection of Colours (Central Elite) 

Traditional Mas (Bands)

1st: The Original Jab Jab—Whip War 

2nd: Bernard Gloud & Siparia Sailors —Drunken Sailors 

3rd: Vintage People—Miakoda: Power of the Moon 

Traditional Mas (Individual)

1st: Aubrey Felix—Go Granny

2nd: Ivan Ryce—The Avenger Midnite Robber 

3rd: Ali Rahaman—De Unconquerable King Calibar

Try getting a story from this Bollywood starlet, and chances are you’ll be embarrassed. 

This is exactly what happened to one reporter who tried to ask Alia Bhatt about her latest rumoured boyfriend. 

Alia recently attended the seventh Mirchi Awards where she had a friendly chat with media about her recent movie Shaandar, her colleagues and even answered questions about the current cricket world cup, but that is where the friendliness stopped. She was peeved when someone brought up her relationship with Siddharth Malhotra. 

“What are you doing tomorrow night and with whom at home?” she retorted. 

The pair have been making headlines all around with frequent and cosy public outings but no one can confirm whether they are actually together. 

A video of the incident at Mirchi shows Alia being questioned by reporters and then getting visibly upset when one asked about her most recent outing with Siddharth when they launched the MTV India TV series Coke Studio. By all accounts, the two were at ease in each other’s company and got some “Aww’s when they were seen taking photos of each other. 

Anyway, I think #BollyTalks has seen enough cases like this to know: they are more than likely seeing each other, but would prefer their privacy. You’re not fooling anyone Alia!

The pale slinky Vivienne Westwood gown was just a little too Disney meets bridesmaid. But who tell Giuliana Rancic she could put her mouth on Zendaya Coleman by sneering that her long dreadlocks on the Oscar red carpet made her look as though she smelt of patchouli oil—and weed?

Zendaya, who had last walked the red wearing a pixie wig and striped drapery at the Grammys, let her thick waist-long locks flow for Oscar night. Not the sort to respond to every snarl and snipe out there, she posted a Twitter response to Giuliana Rancic who had made the slur on the “comedy fashion show” Fashion Police.

Zendaya said there is a fine line between funny and disrespectful, adding that her father and brothers both wore locks. “There is already harsh criticism of African-American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair.”

Somebody, quick, force-feed Giuliana a cheeseburger so she can shut up, and lock her in a padded cell with the lyrics of India.Arie’s “I am not my hair’’ playing at full blast: “I TI I am not my hair/I am not this skin/I am not your expectations no no/I am not my hair/I am not this skin/I am a soul that lives within.’’

Although such measures may not be actually necessary since screaming hordes created a firestorm on social media, drawing and quartering Giuliana and roasting her liver over the coals. Comments included: “Not that it matters…but in case you are wondering my locs smell like shea butter and college tuition” and “Your racist and xenophobic statement about Zendaya’s hair wasn’t funny. Try being interesting, for once. Make it a goal.” 

The thing that really exposed Giuliana as a purveyor of race stereotypes is that when Kylie Jenner, who, along with the rest of the Kardashians, is really a holographic illusion who lives only on the Internet, wore locks, she called them edgy. Kind of like how Bo Derek made cane rows acceptable and before that you couldn’t go to school with your hair “looking like a slave.’’ 

Even co-host Kelly Osbourne, in a Wyatt Earp ultimatum, Twittered her disapproval, saying Zen was her friend and she was giving everyone 24 hours to make things right, or else. 

As a responsible opinionista, instead of some idle gawker who spends Friday nights lying on the couch watching Star Trek reruns, I mediated the whole mess by having my people call The Queen to get her  advice. Oprah (who else did you think I was referring to?) replied that hair karma is a powerful thing and would catch up with Giuliana eventually, so we didn’t really need to punish her much any more. Still, Queen O’s cosmic influence had some effect. Giuliana first mouthed a half-hearted apology, saying she was referring to the bohemian chic look and not race, which proved that her lack of calories has deprived her brain of nutrients for too long, but she eventually owned up and basically admitted she was a cabbage with a huge cliché on her shoulder.

Now that we have that out of the way, here’s the real review of the best and the worst on the red carpet. In the no surprises category: Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong’o and Emma Stone, who could each wear a brown paper bag and look smashing. In the I-don’t-care-what-anybody-else-says-I hated-it category: Scarlett Johannsson, strangled by seaweed; and Nicole Kidman in prom glitter.

But the highlight of the evening for the observers of the celluloid people is something no one wants to whisper for fear of being banished from the queendom. So I will speak for all you wimps and cowards out there. Here it is: Oprah, whose blush pink Vera Wang gown was made from a sketch I drew on a napkin the last time we lunched together at Buzo on Woodford Street, is huge again. Long live The Queen. 

While the dust from Carnival has settled, many will recall with a broad smile the infectious, dedicated mas played by a small group of revellers from the Laventille Rhythm Section: a knot of “sailors” with their own home-made float: a gunmetal grey warboat called Bismarck, which sailed with the Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra this year to help them win the Large Band of the Year prize in the portrayal Ships Ahoy at a French Festival. 

Led by Trevor McDonald, this small section in All Stars truly “played a mas,” for they stayed in character all day long, to the delight of all around. 

As photographer Maria Nunes, who chronicled the band on Tuesday, observed in her photo blog the next day: “All you could do was smile and marvel at the cannon that blew powder...the radio phone made of a juice carton that blew powder out of its antennae...the two telephones attached on either side to the deck of their battleship Bismarck that they spoke on all day...the radio tower for the ship complete with plastic bottles for either end...the mechanisms they made to make the cannon blow powder...the name of the cannon ‘Look Trouble Now’...the time they must have taken to make this mas and make sure all their elaborate powder puffing mechanisms worked...oh my goodness...all they did was fill my heart with joy. They were the spirit of Carnival for me yesterday.” 

The T&T Guardian visited the revellers at their “headquarters” at Marcella Street, Laventille—the backyard garage of an old house, where the friends have been gathering to lime for years. 

The float, say the men, was inspired by the German battleship Bismarck launched in 1939. 

“The Bismarck name came from an old man I met liming in a bar in Diego Martin,” said one of the men, Koro Hills. 

Bismarck was among the largest and most powerful battleships ever built by Germany for World War II, with a revolutionary design for its time. 

At the Battle of Denmark Strait, Bismarck destroyed the battlecruiser HMS Hood, then the pride of the Royal Navy. This lethal power captured the imaginations of the Laventille Rhythm Section revellers, who, in true Trini fashion, adopted the Bismarck’s myth of sinister, steely invincibility, while enjoying hours of seriously silly fun with the idea. 

They built a second deck on their “warship” (its maiden voyage was actually in 2014 under another name), and improvised a bigger, altogether more impressive powder gun than the more modest one they’d built last year. Their ammunition? Tubs of baby powder, of course! 

Their gun or cannon, Look Trouble Now, took its name from a line in Machel Montano’s song Like a Boss; the Rhythm Section players all loved its bouncy energy. 

Last year, their boat gun was a smaller affair, through which a hose channelled pluffs of powder. “But we went to ‘Senate’ and we got a lil money to improve the artilleries...” said Colin Mitchell, explaining that the ‘Senate’ referred to Trevor McDonald, the president of Laventille Rhythm Section, who stood behind everybody quietly, in red shirt, buzz cut hair, neat moustache, and a proud smile. 

“We don’t ask for handouts,” emphasised Mitchell; “We dip and we take out from our own pockets to do what we do.” 

“Yes, we sponsor our own selves. We don’t wait on people,” confirmed McDonald. 

A core of four people conceived of the Bismarck mas, with engineering help from Koro Hills, a multitalented welder, joiner and carpenter. 

Said Koro: “Ormand Morgan first came to me with the idea of taking an old fridge on the road, make it look like a boat, and roll it on wheels through town...we could discard it later...But I thought, I can’t afford to build something and just throw it away...So I decide I going basic, the real thing...”

So he built a realistic looking ship from wood, on a wheels base, in 2014, and added the top deck this year. He even says that if you add fibreglass and an engine, it could function as a real boat. 

“My partner Wayne ‘Diving’ Mitchell came up with the top deck and big gun idea this year. Then they came to me to fabricate it,” said Koro. 

Kelvin Serrette was the wiring man. “It’s a simple 12-volt car battery, hooked up to some fog lights, and a motorised ‘boom’ gun....and we ran some switches,” he said. 

The big gun was made from a length of four-inch PVC pipe, with a hole for inputting powder ammunition, and an air conditioning car blower fan to help blast the powder. Powder was not the only ammo—there were also tennis balls! • Continues on Page A30 

The boat’s steering wheel was made from a U-shaped piece of one-inch thin PVC pipe, with battery powered triggers to pump powder through the big “boom” gun. 

For the whole of Carnival Tuesday, from 9 am to 9 pm, the Bismarck crew shot strategically timed, impressive blasts of powder, and talked on their “phones,” planning battle strategy. Their equipment never once broke down. 

“Diving’s leg hurt him the next day, you know...whole day he firing!...Man was standing up on the top deck, and meanwhile a partner on the phone was controlling the targets, while the man operating the ‘boom’ taking instructions: Coro saying, alright 90 degrees, or 45 degrees, y’understan? And FIRE!” 

Included in their crew was a musician and mas man “imported” from Tobago, Anson Beckles, part of the Laventille Rhythm Section, who blew his trombone to add to the mas. 

Their mas had everyone from little children to big people coming up to touch their boat on the street, wanting to play with the boat like a huge toy on the road. It was very interactive, as people came up to spin the satellite radio, ride along or take photos. 

The Rhythm Section mas players welcomed it all, stopping with a smile for anyone interested, letting hundreds of people explore and become part of their fun. 

What made them decide to play with All Stars for the second year in a row?

“Well actually, we used to be playing with MacFarlane...But he ended up pausing...” explained a member, “And Carnival is in our blood, so we decide we not staying home. We want to do a creation. And come out with Carnival still. Because it inside ah we blood, as T&T. So that’s what made us go and join with All Stars. 

“We didn’t have to go with All Stars. We coulda go with Exodus, with Despers, with a band from South. We just feel to go with All Stars...And why not All Stars? We think of ourselves as stars already...all of us are blinking stars! ...So...”—it was a case of a constellation of energies meeting.

But really, the Laventille Rhythm Section players had already played all other kinds of masquerades in past years—except for sailor. They really wanted to play a sailor mas. And it was easy with All Stars, you just paid your very reasonable $100 band fee, and were totally free to come with your own style. 

“Ah was scrubbing deck last year,” said Mosely, with some pride. 

“This year, on the Avenue, so many people’s children wanted to play on the boat. So we gave them the green light, we lifted them up on the boat,” shared Mitchell. 

Many people from their own community joined them, too, all decked out in white sailor’s uniforms. “They enjoyed themselves. You know, you just see a happy enjoyment?” 

Laventille Rhythm Section’s sailor mas parodied soldiers fighting a war. 

“But a war in a nice way, man...” said Mitchell: “—because is just love coming back at you. You pelt (baby powder) bombs, you get love.” 

• TOMORROW: Read about the history of the Laventille Rhythm Section.

Demand for foreign currency continues to outstrip supply. As a result, the Central Bank yesterday announced that it had sold US$250 million to the banking system to offset a US$154 million shortfall recorded last month. Data from the Central Bank shows that the demand for foreign exchange from the business community and public totalled US$592 million last month, while the supply of foreign exchange, mainly from energy companies, amounted to US$438 million. 

The Central Bank said its latest cash injection is in keeping with its strategic foreign exchange management programme, “completely offsetting the gap and providing just over US$95 million in excess supply to be used in early March 2015.” 

The bank said in a press release: “Conversions by the energy sector contributed 71 per cent or US$310 million to total foreign exchange inflows for February 2015. Demand was mainly driven by the retail and distribution (US$141 million), manufacturing (US$38 million), and automobile (US$19 million) sectors. Net credit card sales amounted to US$19 million.” T&T’s net official reserves currently stand at US$10.7 billion—one year worth of import cover.

In the Central Bank’s Annual Report for 2014 which was released late last week, Governor Jwala Rambarran said changes were made the foreign exchange distribution system last year based on analysis of the market over the 20-year period since the market was liberalized. “The improvements were introduced to re-align the Bank’s foreign exchange distribution system to match expanding imbalances in the domestic foreign exchange market,” he said.

Problems quickly developed for the group that set out in the pirogue from an informal docking area off the Marabella trainline at around 4.30 pm on Friday, sailed into difficulties off Maracas Bay on Trinidad’s north coast but continued in their bid to reach Tobago. They eventually ran out of fuel and drifted for hours with the current until they were picked up in Venezuela.

From all reports, the 13 people on board that tiny vessel, who are from different parts of south Trinidad, made it safely to land. However, often there is no such happy ending. Many of the tragedies that have occurred in the turbulent waters between T&T and Venezuela have started off as joy rides or fishing trips by people who don’t cater for the unpredictability of the waters surrounding these twin islands, particularly the aptly named Dragon’s Mouth Strait (Boca del Dragon) in the Gulf of Paria and the Serpent’s Mouth Strait (Boca de la Sierpe).

Even when rough waters are not a factor, the tendency is to underestimate the risks involved in any trip out to sea. The safety of the vessel or the competence of the person operating the craft are often given only fleeting thought, or no thought at all, by many setting out on such expeditions.

Unfortunately, even when the vessel is sailing in near-coastal waters, the potential for things to go very wrong is high.The tragic incident that occurred when a pirogue transporting fun-seekers to a Red Bull Flugtag in Chaguaramas capsized and three passengers drowned is a fairly recent reminder of how quickly things can get out of hand.

Basic safety requires that boat owners and operators should have their vessels equipped with the necessary gear, including VHF transceivers, GPS and other communications equipment, first aid kits, and life jackets for all onboard. However, there is no real enforcement of these regulations, or an appreciation of the fact that without such items on board, loss of vessels, cargo and even human life can occur.

This latest boating incident is a sober reminder of the need for a review and strengthening of legislation covering small commercial vessels, passenger ferries, water sports craft and fishing vessels. If it isn’t already in place, there should be a specific safety regime for such vessels, including safety inspection of vessels and certification of operating personnel. This is particularly important because of the large, informal sector in this country involved in fishing and operating unofficial water taxi services. 

There may be a bigger role for the Coast Guard, particularly in the policing of some small craft operators in popular beach areas like Maracas and Las Cueves who offer beachgoers trips into the Gulf of Paria for a fee. It is never wise to venture far out in the ocean in a small boat unless it is properly equipped and is being operated by a highly experienced and skilled seaman but most who embark on these adventures are more focused on fun than safety.

Food seems to be in the news at the moment. Twice last week, I heard farmers on the radio talking about the problems they have competing with imported food, the lack of government support over the years and the selling of agricultural lands to businessmen for construction purposes. Every time we drive to the airport we notice the housing communities that occupy what seems to be prime agricultural land, sometimes side by side with small “gardens” of vegetable crops.  

I well remember laughing about a statement by a former PM, fortunately gone now, who claimed he was bringing Cuban experts to teach Trinidadians how to farm. Cuba, with a land mass 20 times ours, which has never been able to feed its people! What expectations! Cubans can certainly teach us about social justice, medicine and how to survive under a brutal Communist regimen, but food? Never happen.

I remember going to Tobago and seeing a set of wretched little Monopoly houses being built along Milford road and being told with sadness, that they were for the new generation of government public workers who were moving from the countryside in droves. The PNM destroyed agriculture in Tobago was a common refrain and just this week an indignant Tobagonian called in on 95.5 saying, “Allyuh, the whole of Tobago is ah garden but they won’t plant!” I even remember hearing older members of my family saying that Tobago used to feed Trinidad with vegetables.  

So it was pleasant to see a full page ad in Saturday’s T&T Guardian, “Come home to more nutrition” next to the usual stupidness about “hair loss ”and elixir of this and that supplement, “clinically proven” on pregnant women and children and the elderly and chemo and radiation therapy, all of which is nonsense.  Firstly because it is poor English and second because, like most ads for health products, it makes no sense.  What is being “clinically proven?” Pregnant women?

It is difficult to get people to understand that most of the food they eat is processed, junk food containing toxins. The ad for local food (“Buy Local?”) also correctly identifies that local vegetables “are fresher and retain more of their nutrients” than imported vegetables simply because foreign vegetables take a long time between harvesting and getting to us.

Their carbon footprint, the amount of green house gas emissions caused by an organisation, event, product or person, is also much less. (Forget for a moment that in 2013, UTT demonstrated that, after Qatar, T&T has the second highest per capital annual carbon footprint in the world). We can make the world a better place for our grandchildren, if we eat local. Help other Trinidadians, help ourselves and help future generations.

Processed foods are foods that have had the living daylights beaten out of them by factories so that most of their nutritional value is lacking. Processed foods are not found in nature. Foods that are plucked from a tree or pulled from the earth or fished from the sea and eaten within days are usually not processed. Processing foods is the reason for all the obesity and diabetes and heart disease and certain types of cancers around now. It may be related to the rise in Alzheimer’s disease.  

Beating the nutrition out of food typically involves things like liquefying, boiling, frying, grilling, pickling, canning, jarring freezing or drying etc. In addition various additives or chemicals are inserted to make them taste better or last longer or look prettier. One practical definition of processed food simply involves looking at the ingredients added, the more ingredients added (sometimes proudly as in the case of infant formula), the more processed the food is. 

Everything that you eat that is bottled, bagged, boxed, canned or packaged in any way is processed. It’s surprising how few people know that most of the food they eat is processed, so well have we been brainwashed to believe that processed food really is not too unhealthy. Don’t be fooled by the brightly coloured pictures of beaming healthy looking people and friendly farm animals and terms like “100 per cent natural.” Once a food has gone through a factory, it’s not natural.

So all so-called “infant foods” (the ones in those cute little bottles in the supermarket with pictures of smiling babies?) are processed. Yes, apple sauce is processed. So is that beloved staple of western mothers, “rice cereal” which has as much to do with rice as rain water has to do with WASA water. Do not give it to your baby. Infant formula is processed. Soy milk formula is processed. Goat milk formula, recently “discovered” by modern mothers, is processed. So are rice milk and almond milk.

The list is endless. Orange juice, apple juice, boxed or canned juice, packaged breakfast cereal, canned beans, peanut butter, flour (bread, roti, doubles), macaroni, cheese, ice cream, chocolate bars, any snack bar, burger patties, popcorn and of course the most processed foods of all, junk food: white rice, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, ketchup, salad dressings, gummy vitamins, canned fruit, Twinkies and such like monstrosities, cookies, calorie-free whipped toppings, sweet drinks and so on, all are processed.  

For too long we have allowed the food industry and their advertising cronies to decide what we eat. It is time to take food choice back. If only for yourself, and for your children, buy as little processed food as you can. Go local.

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to publicly thank ministers Rambachan, Cadiz and Hadeed for their great enthusiasm in launching this long overdue project in record time. We, the members of the committee: Roger Gibbon, Gene Samuel, Sheldon Waithe and myself, were also overwhelmed to see the additional support given by the ministers of Sport, Health, Youth Affairs and Culture. 

We now look forward to the further enhancement of our new bike lane around the Savannah to have it become a truly safe riding facility where cyclists can train as well as a place where the entire family can recreate on a weekend. We are also very pleased to hear of Minister Rambachan’s intention to establish a safe lane for cyclists in certain areas as well as in all cities, boroughs and large towns which identify appropriate venues for such lanes. 

As Michael Philips pointed out, all efforts towards promoting cycling within our cities will have a positive impact on our “green” contribution. We also thank Robert Faria for the Cycling Federation’s support as was exhibited by the overwhelming turnout of cyclists from all over Trinidad for the launch of the pilot project for T&T and hopefully the entire Caribbean. 

JC Barry Edghill,
Maraval

As a former cyclist, I’ve been following news reports about the creation of a cycling lane around the Queen’s Park Savannah. I got the impression that it was to be a regular road traffic lane that would, at specific times of day, be reserved for the exclusive use of cyclists. So, the last time I went around the Savannah, I was looking out for signs alerting drivers to the existence of this lane. I saw several large, black and white signs bearing a bicycle icon and the words “May use full lane. Change lanes to pass.” There is no mention of any times of day.

I take it that the signs refer to the innermost lane of the road around the Savannah, and are announcing that cyclists are entitled to use any part of that lane, rather than just the narrow swathe, about three or four feet wide, along the curb. Also, that drivers must “change lanes to pass” cyclists riding in the lane.  

Clearly, the signs imply that cyclists will be sharing the lane with drivers, who are being instructed to move into another lane when overtaking cyclists. But this shared-lane arrangement—and speeding—has caused several near misses and at least one incident of a car hitting cyclists riding around the Savannah. This arrangement is what prompted the call for a cycling lane in the first place.

I suggest the following, in no particular order of importance:
• Signs should say: Cyclists only 4 am-6 am; 8.30 pm – 10.30 pm (the times I saw in one news report)
• Signs should be in yellow, with matching bicycle icons painted on the road surface
• Enforce the speed limit
• A fine of at least $500 for driving in the cycling lane at the designated times and
• Traffic wardens to monitor the use of the lane for the first six months.

If these or similar suggestions are implemented, the Government will demonstrate that it is serous about protecting cyclists riding around the Savannah.

Nigel Bishop
Cascade 

Congratulations on your Saturday Guardian editorial in which you call for a fresh look at tourism. Economists have been calling for diversification, and those of us in the industry have been begging for such attention in vain for many years. Sadly the political will has thus far been demonstrably lacking.

Tourism is now a global phenomenon. With more than one billion arrivals, it accounts for almost US$7 trillion in global economic contribution (direct, indirect and induced), and one in every 11 jobs worldwide. And it is only going to get bigger, with a projected growth of more than 4 per cent annually. Perhaps more importantly, the need to explore the world in which we live has become an accepted human right, one that is not going to go away in a hurry.

With this incredible growth, however, comes enormous competition. The Caribbean’s natural sun, sand and sea attractions, together with its benign climate, used to be enough to ensure a steady flow of visitors. But no longer. Today our hotels have to be 21st century competitive, the airports have to be purpose-designed and visitor-efficient; the environment has to be pristine and eco friendly and above all the welcome mat has to be permanently on display with impeccable service guaranteed. 

Lacking that, the visitor will simply go someplace else, and there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. A review of the visitor numbers around the region will tell the story of which countries have got it right, and which are still struggling to find a workable formula. But that is only the beginning, our competition is global, not just the island next door.

To be serious about tourism T&T has to address three critical issues:
1. The quantity and quality of its visitor accommodation;
2. The international competitiveness of its visitor experience;
3. The need to aggressively market and promote the two destinations.

Sadly, we are presently currently not in the game. Port-of-Spain has excellent business hotels, but Trinidad has no resort accommodation to speak of. Tobago has less than 1,000 hotel rooms, but most of those are of questionable quality. As a consequence the island struggles with inadequate airlift out of its source markets. 

If Tobago is going to become a serious player in the Caribbean tourism game, and there is often reason to doubt that the THA actually wants this to happen, then it needs another 1,500 to 2,000 more international-quality rooms to reach a critical accommodation mass with which to make the destination marketable. But hotels are only one component of the tourism product, albeit the most pivotal one. The whole visitor experience has to be better polished, packaged and promoted. 

The visitor experience is what differentiates one destination from its competitors. It is everything that happens to the visitor from time of arrival at immigration and customs, to departure through security at the end of the visit. It involves where they stay, what they eat and drink, where they party, how they travel around the country, what they see, who they meet, and the kind of welcome they receive.

Today’s tourists are invariably computer literate and spend time on Trip Advisor, and all forms of social media. They are therefore constantly aware of the travelling public’s comparative opinions about any given destination. Actually the diversity of T&T’s tourism product offers our best hope for positive differentiation and growth. We have so much more to offer than most other destinations, but as the best kept secret in the Caribbean, no one knows about us.

Should we take a fresh look at developing tourism in T&T? Absolutely! But it will require an honest in-depth analysis, backed by real political commitment, a recognition that both islands need more and improved visitor accommodation, an understanding that our visitor experience needs a lot of professional polishing, and above all, the need to tell the international travelling public that we exist, and what we have to offer. It is certainly time for a fresh look tourism and, most importantly to get serious about making it happen.

John Bell
Maraval