Message Board Archives

As Trinidad and Tobago celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence today, the country’s future is at a critical crossroads, President Paula-Mae Weekes said in her independence address to the nation last night.Describing the country as restless, President Weekes said the immediate landscape appears to be that of a wilderness, with increasingly brazen animosity; ugly, divisive politics; rampant unemployment, distressing reports of child abuse and troubling poverty.

President Weekes said there was a time when all Trinis could carry themselves with unbridled pride.

“There was a time, not too long ago, when as a nation, we were full of pride in ourselves, boasting an enviable literacy rate and booming industries, a place where respect for others and office was the default position and where integrity, decency and compassion were not unfamiliar— justifiably the envy of our Caribbean neighbours. Not that we were without our problems and issues; there has always been lawbreaking, corruption, societal dysfunction and ethnic division, but not to the extremes that now exist. For many years after Sniper first sang ‘Portrait of Trinidad’ in 1965, we citizens sang along lustily, without hesitation or reservation,” she said.

She lamented that the realities of Trinidad and Tobago today, however, were not what the architects of our independence intended.

“Those who have lived through all or most of this intervening period would be justified in asking —however rhetorically—how the France we get here? Mercifully, this junction also affords the nation the opportunity to look back at some of its former ways—with a view to revisiting the more salutary behaviours and practices which we may have unwisely abandoned,” the President said in her address.

Anyone can say anything and it can carry very little or no useful meaning. I suspect this is the same with the President and empty words. She must say something for Independence. What I know is the President is of no value to the well being of the citizens of T&T. She makes little or no contribution to the citizens welfare. Paying the "non-working" President for nothing is a waste of tax payers monies. Her money could have been added to the Budget for health care or a fund to assist unfortunate citizens in times of need. No disrespect but stating "facts" as I see it. The administration is doing to ills to the citizens of T&T. They are WASTING and STEALING taxpayers monies and there is very little the taxpayers can do about it.

Just cut your crap woman just tell us why you conspired with Rowley to fire Gary Griffith.
Leaving this country without any functioning police security for your citizens.
You are part of the very serious problem today as we speak you Weaks fail the citizens of this country so shut your mouth.
You are a total waste of a human being, so stop playing politics

In October 2017, a video emerged on social media of the Usine/Ste Madeleine sugar factory reservoir near Princes Town overflowing onto the road, after days of rainfall.But the cameraman wasn’t interested in that, since this is South Trini­dad, the land of lagoons, clogged rivers, blocked drains, frequent floods, and no solutions.He focused instead on the inexplicable sight of a man in the water, swimming the butterfly stroke across the 500-meter wide pond at an impressive pace, as if heading for Olympic glory.At the bank, he pulled himself out the water, removed the flippers, got on a bicycle, and pedaled away, destination ­unknown.No one had ever seen someone in that water before, except floating face-down from the effects of ­murder or suicide.But the pond swimmer would come back often, speaking with no one, acknowledging no one, spending his time with the caimans, and anhingas and tilapia.

But the pond endured, becoming part of the natural landscape of South Trinidad, the massive factory smokestack a reminder of the lives of those living in the surrounding villages and worked the cane crop.So, nature began reclaiming what had been there for more than 150 years, in a valley of the south Naparimas between San Fernando and Princes Town.The aquatic plants exploded and completely blanketed the pond, cutting off sunlight, and depleting the oxygen level to the point where it began dying, and the process of eutrophication began.Appeals to the politicians, the Agriculture and Local Government Ministry amounted to nothing.Pundit Donny Samlal led the ­effort to save the pond.Over the past three weeks, in defiance of all who thought it impossible, Samlal accumulated more than $140,000 through fundraisers to pay for the clean-up of this place.

Contractor Michael Moonilal took on the job. And it was personal for him, too.“My grandfather lived not far away and was a loco(motive) ­driver bringing the cane to the factory. When he died all those years ago, after the funeral, the funeral rituals were done at the pond. It is considered his final resting place,” he said.We went looking for that man who swam the pond before the pandemic.His is Simon Nathoosingh, 40, living a couple villages away at Golconda, near San Fernando. He is reclusive, and it took a while to convince him to allow us into his home, a place that must be seen to be believed.He let us know that he was also a mason, spear fisherman and free diver, and free of wife or child.And yes, he was the pond swimmer.He let us know all this by writing notes, and through gesticulations.

Simon Nathoosingh is deaf, and unable to speak clearly.We showed him a photograph of the pond from yesterday, and let him know he can return.