SHANE SUPERVILLE

More than ten years after Michael Norea, 59, was promised compensation for damaged crops at his La Horquetta home by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), he is still awaiting settlement.

He says all communication with the corporation has come to a grinding halt, despite repeated attempts to contact the company’s legal department.

Norea visited Newsday yesterday and said that in 2005 part of his coconut crop was destroyed by HDC contractors who were putting up housing settlements in the area. He said while the corporation promised to reimburse him for the damage, he has yet to receive any money or even communication with a representative.

“Its very frustrating right now. I lost a lot of money in crops that day and I still can’t even get a phone call back. The woman I spoke to at the time was called Afeisha Charles.

“She was supposedly an attorney with the HDC, but I stopped hearing from her after a while.

“It was really frustrating, because people are saying that she resigned from her position – so what’s the situation with my matter?”

Norea claims he was also the victim of bullyng tactics by the HDC to have him sell his land, and was forced off his property by armed guards hired by the corporation. He is calling for the relevant authorities to investigate and provide him with some update.

“Ive lived on that land for almost 40 years, even before development took place on that side. Right now I’m going from friend to friend seeking housing. At one point I was actually homeless. I just want to move on with my life.”

THE standardised application forms for admission to the first year at primary schools are available at all such schools and at the respective education district offices during normal working hours.

They were made available from Wednesday at the Ministry of Education’s website at http://moe.gov.tt/Education/Primary/Registration, a release from the ministry said.

All completed application forms must be submitted to the school of choice by March 15. Schools will contact parents and guardians of successful applicants from May 15-31, the ministry said.

There must be no interview process and/or examination, as criteria for admission to a primary school and principals using online registration must simultaneously ensure that paper copies of application forms are also available to prospective parents.

“Principals are also reminded that under no circumstances should a registration fee be charged to parents or any request for a contribution of cash or kind be imposed on any parent as conditions for acceptance of a child into a school,” the release stipulated.

The new form, the ministry said, represents strengthened collaboration between the ministry and all stakeholders. The forms used in previous years were withdrawn earlier this year.

CHAGUANAS Mayor Gopaul Boodhan has described the 2018 Carnival celebrations as a “resounding success” despite the financial challenge faced by the central Trinidad borough which resulted in minimal participation by large bands on Carnival Tuesday.

“On Carnival Tuesday, Chaguanas held its parade of the bands, however this year, there were very few,” he said in a media release on Thursday.

In a telephone interview, Boodhan said other communities such as Couva and Carapichaima also experienced a low turnout of bands. “The bands were limited because a lot of the designers did not take part due to the small financial rewards,” he said. He said the regional carnival committee had to “reinvent” themselves to ensure greater participation by both bandleaders and the public. “A new thing is needed going forward for 2019,” he said.

Boodhan also noted that traditional mas seemed to be a dying art form as less and less persons were participating in that aspect of the celebration. “I would like to see a revival of that aspect of Carnival and that revival can only come from the children and then they would have a greater appreciation for the culture and have a better understanding of the history of Carnival rather than its modern day aspects,” he said.

THE Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams will be take place on May 3 and this will be the last year that SEA will be written in the third term of the academic year, says Education Minister Anthony Garcia.

A Ministry of Education release said the SEA will then revert to March, or the second school term, as was done previously.

Commending the work that has gone into the preparation for the SEA by teachers, parents and students, Garcia said, “The efforts and involvement by parents and teachers are reflected in the continued increase in student performance when results are released.”

He urged “all parents to give their children the necessary support to ensure their success at the SEA and beyond.”

The 2018 SEA exams will consist of English language arts writing, mathematics, and English language arts.

There will be no change to the three papers compared to the SEA 2017. The mathematics and English language arts papers will be based on the content of the Primary School Curriculum Guidelines (2013) which are currently being implemented.

With the SEA being written in March from 2019, the ministry said, the benefits will include papers being marked during the two-week Easter vacation and thus there will be no need for temporarily closing the secondary schools selected as marking centres.

Teachers chosen as markers by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will not be required to be away from classes, CXC will process SEA data earlier, and the timely submission of results to the ministry will facilitate the earlier completion of nationwide placement.

The possibility of an earlier date for releasing the SEA results to schools will also facilitate an earlier start and completion of the query and transfer process, the release said.

VENDORS at upper Frederick Street opposite Memorial Park, on Carnival Tuesday complained of lost sales because of the lockdown on streets around the Port of Spain jail. One man said the lockdown of several streets, including part of upper Frederick Street, altered the route of the Parade of Bands, forcing masqueraders away from the western edge of the park and onto the eastern edge, that is, Charlotte Street.

Vendor Terry John told Newsday, “On this strip, it’s a real hustle. No band is passing here and nobody even told us. We only had one J’Ouvert band pass on Carnival Monday.” He said he had paid $600 for his spot for the whole Carnival, but had to pay workers and pay a “peak” price for beer of $168 a case, up from the usual $150. With lower than usual sales, John said he had to drop his price: “I’m selling three for $25.

“I’m looking for a better Carnival 2019.” Asked if now he will make any profit given the smaller than usual attendance plus the diverted parade route, he replied, “Yes, I’m not here just for nothing.”

While he was glad for his sales to onlookers as opposed to masqueraders, he sent a message to the authorities: “Don’t make us put out our money to come here to sell, yet you don’t have the flow of people.”

He understood the reason for the prison lockdown, but said some bands could have been allowed to turn off Charlotte Street and along Keate Street and onto upper Frederick Street heading to the Queen’s Park Savannah. “You must give us the chance to make something. We need masqueraders not just pedestrians.”

A female vendor nearby told Newsday, “It’s very few people around here, just look.” She urged more facilities in the area, such as toilets, or otherwise tourists might stop coming for Carnival.