BELMOPAN: A one-day workshop aimed at equipping senior officials of the judiciary with the skills for efficiently resolving disputes, avoiding lengthy trials and reducing the backlog of civil cases gets under way here on Monday.
The senior courts of Belize Judicial Education Institute said that the Judicial Settlement Conferences is specifically tailored for judges, registrars, judicial assistants, and members of the Bar Association of Belize.
It said the event is one of two critical training seminars on Judicial Settlement Conferences and Criminal Mediation aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the judicial system.
These training seminars are aligned with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Academy for Law Needham’s Point Declaration, the Senior Courts of Belize Strategic Narrative, and the recommendations from the Criminal Justice Board.
Chief Justice Madame Louise Esther Blenman of the Senior Courts of Belize, and president of the Judicial Education Institute, said the judicial settlement conferences are facilitated by a settlement judge who acts as a mediator for matters assigned to another judge.
It will be facilitated by Justice of Appeal Vasheist Kokaram of the TT Judiciary, who is “renowned for his expertise and experience in mediation, and judicial settlement conferences, having provided extensive training across the Caribbean."
She said the Judicial Education Institute will hold a training seminar on criminal mediation from October 2-6, which is also judge-driven.
“In this case, judges will conduct the mediation of criminal cases. The criminal mediation training is sponsored by the European Union and the United Nations Programme Development PACE Justice Project.”
The five-day conference will be facilitated by Dr Christopher Malcolm and Burchell James of the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).
“The participants will include the criminal division judges, magistrates, attorneys at law, and mediators. The training aims to introduce participants to mediation in criminal matters and the best practices as well as to tool participants with the skills for expediting case resolution and backlog reduction in the criminal-justice system in Belize. By incorporating mediation in the criminal-justice process, it will enhance access to justice, shorten legal proceedings and create a more responsive court system.”
The Chief Justice has sought to emphasise the significance of these training seminars in reducing case backlogs and empowering stakeholders of the senior courts of Belize with the latest knowledge and tools to ensure justice is delivered in a timely and effective manner. (Source: Newsday, Sept 29, 2024)

​Three people will today receive the nation’s highest national award—the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT). The Office of the President yesterday released the names of 65 citizens who will be honoured as they receive their national awards, as the country observes its 48th anniversary as a republic today.

• ​Mark Loquan, former president of the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), for National Service (Energy and Steelpan Innovation)
•  Prof Patrick Hosein for Technology, Innovation and Engineering
• Sydney Russell Martineau, SC, former president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT), for Law.

The second highest award--the Chaconia Medal Gold—will be given to 11 awardees.
Among the awardees are a number of business people and experts in finance.
Executive chairman of Xtra Foods Supermarket Anon Naipaul will receive this award as well as Mohan Persad, director of Persad’s The Food King Supermarkets.
Eustace Nancis, founder of the Arima Door Centre Ltd. will also receive a Chaconia Medal Gold.

Chief executive officer of First Citizens Bank Karen Darbasie is an awardee in this category in the sphere of banking and finance.
Chaconia awards
There are seven recipients for the Chaconia Medal Silver, among them two former police commissioners and a former assistant police commissioner.
Former acting top cop Stephen Williams will receive an award in the sphere of National Security and Public Service.
Williams was commissioner from 2012 to 2020. He served as a police officer for over 35 years and has performed in all ranks, from constable to commissioner.
Former police commissioner James Anthony Philbert will receive the Chaconia Medal Silver. He has over 43 years in active policing and the Office of the President stated that he paid strong attention to the detection of transnational organised crimes, the management of illegal weapons and narcotics, human trafficking, and crime scene investigation.
Joanne James, retired assistant commissioner of police who has 40 years in law enforcement, will also receive the Chaconia Medal Silver. As a training specialist, James develops curricula and facilitate training for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (induction and advanced levels). 
Hummingbird medals
The Hummingbird Medal is awarded for loyal and devoted service in any field of human endeavour, or for gallantry, or other humane action to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
A total of 18 recipients will be honoured with the Hummingbird Medal Gold.
Among them are six doctors, including dermatologist Dr Khamedaye Basdeo Maharaj. Basdeo-Maharaj is renowned for her seminal research in dermatology, particularly in the area of T-cell research, keloids, hair and nails.
President of Pan Trinbago Beverly Ramsey-Moore will receive the Hummingbird Medal Gold for contributions to Culture/Arts/Community Development.
There are 15 recipients of the Hummingbird Medal Silver and a number of awardees were recognised for their contribution to education. They include Zena Ramatali, first vice president of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA). Teachers, principals and a vice principal are also among the awardees.
The Public Service Medal of Merit is awarded for Outstanding and Meritorious Service to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Public Service Medal of Merit Gold went to eight people, including ombudsman Jacqueline Sampson Meiguel, who formerly worked as the clerk of the House. The Office of the President noted that Sampson Meiguel had been at the helm of the office of the Parliament as its accounting officer and head of department.
The Public Service Medal of Merit Silver went to former high commissioner Fitzgerald Mc Arthur Jeffrey (posthumous) who helped to strengthen ties between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The Medal for the Development of Women, Gold was awarded to Rowena Martineau Pitt, the director of Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children.
The Medal for the Development of Women, Bronze went to Giselle Granger, a farmer from St Mary’s village. (Souce: Sunday Express, Sept 24, 2024)

​Source : Angelo Bossessarsingh's 2010 historical archives.
I cannot take credit for this discovery. Chrissy and Lincoln Chinsammy, two surprisingly young people and their family of La Romaine deserve many praises for their consciousness in preserving a seemingly morbid, yet vital relic of our history. My research shows that the uninscribed tomb belongs to Mary Haynes , wife of Charles Haynes (Manager of Bien Venue Estate) and the youngest daughter of Henry Brown Esq. , a merchant of Grenada. She died in childbirth in 1871 which was a fairly common occurrence and was buried on the plantation. For many years, I have known that a tomb for Mary Haynes existed somewhere on the old estate, which has become heavily populated and developed over the years. On Friday, Chrissy told me about this grave very near to her family’s home on lands which once formed part of Bien Venue. She said that the lands had been sold to a developer who had committed under pressure to preserve the tomb intact instead of doing the Trini ting and bulldozing it. Such was the sensitivity of the Chinsammys, that when the limestone of which the tomb is composed began to dissolve and crumble, they began an annual ritual of plastering it with cement. The grave is on a gentle slope overlooking a pasture which has become the village sports ground. On the ridge opposite the grave is the old Manager’s residence which stands on the same site as the house Mary and Charles would have lived in. The royal palms line the old Concord road which was the main road for the estates of South Naparima in the 19th century. Interestingly, the indentured immigrant cemetery for the old estate is a long distance away across a valley. Mary and her unborn child were interred alone. The tomb may be seen on Boodhai Tr. Off La Fortune Rd., La Romain.

BREADFRUIT, aptly named as history dictates that it once served as a main source of nourishment for the enslaved, who were brought to the Caribbean to work on the sugar plantations.
It originates from the South Pacific and the trees were brought from Tahiti to Jamaica and St Vincent by Captains Bligh and Cook in 1793. It has since spread throughout the Caribbean and we are now blessed with this delicious and versatile fruit.
This irresistible provision, and I say this with conviction, with its unique flavour and texture produces the ubiquitous breadfruit oiled down when simmered in a coconut milk broth, fired up with hot peppers, and flavoured with local herbs; an oiled down (oil down, run down, mettagee) is certainly one of the most delicious local dishes around.
Whipped, baked, fried, sautéed, souffléd or scalloped, breadfruit is a cook’s dream ingredient because of its versatility.
Breadfruits are more readily available these days. There are two types available, the yellow breadfruit, which tends to be a favourite because the flesh has a creamier texture and flavour than the white breadfruit which tends to be a little drier. However, they are both really wonderful when used in any of the recipes below! Remember breadfruit is a good source of complex carbohydrates and is rich in vitamins A, B and C.
Breadfruit Chips
These can be serves as an appetiser with an avocado or tomato salsa or as a side dish in place of French fries.
1 medium-sized breadfruit
oil for frying
salt
Peel and cut the breadfruit into quarters, remove the seed and slice each quarter into 1/4-inch thick slices length-ways.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan, when hot drop breadfruit slices into hot oil and fry in batches turning occasionally until golden in colour on both sides, drain and sprinkle with salt.
Serves 6
Roasted Stuffed Breadfruit
1 large yellow breadfruit
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion minced
2 tbs Paramin herb paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, chopped
2 pimento peppers
2 tbs celery
salt
Remove top of breadfruit and set aside.
With a sharp knife, remove the heart, or centre only.
Season beef with herb paste, celery, garlic and salt.
Heat oil in sauté pan, add onion and peppers, sauté for a few minute. Add beef and cook until tender for about 20 minutes. .
Stuff the breadfruit with the beef, place the top back onto the breadfruit and wrap in foil.
Place on a preheated open grill or barbecue and roast for one hour until tender.
Slice into quarters and serve.
Breadfruit Creole
1 medium-sized breadfruit
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup onion chopped
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped, or to taste
2 pimento peppers, seeded and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs fresh thyme
1 tbs chopped celery
2 salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut the breadfruit into quarters, remove the seed and place in a saucepan, cover with water and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until tender.
Drain and peel, cut into one-inch cubes.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet, saute onions, garlic, and peppers until tender, add breadfruit and combine, add tomatoes, thyme and celery, cook stirring occasionally until all the ingredients are tender, about 10 minutes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 6

Creamy Breadfruit Pie
1 3lb breadfruit
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tbs chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated cheese
Peel, core and cut breadfruit into 1/8ths.
Boil in plenty of salted water,
Remove and drain when breadfruit is very tender.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mash with potato masher.
Warm milk with butter and add to creamed breadfruit, more milk may be needed.
Add carrots and season to taste with salt.
Place in a greased glass dish and top with cheese, bake until golden on top.
Serves 8
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(Source: Newsday, Sept 14, 2024)

People are hard at work in vacation places. Fortunate are those who vacation and are allowed into other working lives, other enterprises. Pat Ganase visits Charlotteville, centre of the Northeast Tobago Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
It is late August in Charlotteville. The rising sun lights up Campbleton. Rainbows from the misty horizon dance over Booby Island. The sea is a pond, calm, clear to the bottom; its channels of sand shimmer between boulders and bouldering corals.
This is our holiday place on the northwest coast of Tobago, where the water is warm, the rainforest resplendent and the sunsets startling. Here is the heartland of northeast Tobago, as different as can be imagined from southwest Tobago.
Walk along the beach from the Man-o-War Bay Cottages to the village. Check the heron keeping an eye on you while chasing a crab on the sand. Pass the end of Bay Road, looking for what the sea washed up overnight: maybe a sea urchin, maybe polished sea-glass chips. Duck under ancient almonds whose roots sip the briny earth and branches hang heavy over the shore.
Fishermen are at their boats, some returned with redfish from a night of banking, some gassing up to set out. At the fishing depot, you are told come back later.
Maurice the calabash artist is at work on some new gourds, gifts from friends in Central Trinidad. Priya always has early customers at her vegetable shop; she procures breadfruit, silk fig, dasheen from the area.


There’s another knot of villagers at the junction of jetty and grocery. Now repainted bright blue, the tiny supermarket has everything you need: bread and beer, rum and rice, cheese and ice cream.
Look up towards the hills and you’ll see a village laid out with purpose. The plantations of sugarcane and cocoa circled the pleasant bowl that became the town at the edge of a natural deepwater bay. A grassy park is the centre of the village; on one side are police station, health centre, nursery school, churches and cemetery. The Charlotteville Public Library is a welcoming oasis in any not-very-busy day, offering newspapers, books and magazines and free Wi-Fi. 
If you continue where the road rises above the curve of the bay, you’ll cross a forested patch – look out for Trinidad motmots – and arrive at Pirates Bay, one of the pristine beaches that encircle northeast Tobago. Beaches are ephemeral places requiring nothing but your presence.
Another day, we’ll take the kayaks across the bay. Paddle between the sailing boats and yachts anchored at the moorings placed there by the foresight of the Environmental Research Institute of Charlotteville (ERIC), which piloted the proposal for the designation of the Man and the Biosphere Reserve conferred in 2020. 
We come here to the Man-o-War Bay Cottages because only the beach separates us from the sea. The accommodation is rustic but sufficient for rest and leisure.
There is leisure here even among those hard at work. Leisure is everywhere in the understated, methodical delivery of tasks, the sanitation worker resting on his rake while clearing the beach, the artisan tooling his calabash, the fishermen scaling and filleting fish.
Sharon Benjamin, owner of a respected homestyle restaurant, hangs over her balcony to tell the story of her daughter, for whom Sharon and Phebs is named. No hurry, but her homemade ice cream is fabulous.
Yes, people do work in Charlotteville. We meet the librarian, Althea, walking under her umbrella from Campbleton. 
The fishermen pulling the seine bring in a trough of young cavalli, great for a fry-dry, they say.
Now there is a growing cadre of researchers and scientists fostering other activities here. We meet a crew – Hannah, Lanya and Anjani – from the Institute of Marine Affairs who are creating a nursery for coral babies. Incredible and amazing, they are part of a team working on the MARIN programme to restore degraded reefs with coral spawn collected from healthy reefs.

Shortly after full moon over the last four months, the researchers were diving to see which corals are spawning, a magical night-time underwater event like sparklers going off in a snowstorm.
The relatively pristine coasts around the north of Tobago hold special interest for the MARIN (Marine Resilience Initiative) project. Funded by bp (uk) through local partners bptt, MARIN aims to build marine resilience in Tobago in the following ways: to manage marine ecosystems against a future of unknowns (climate change); to restore coral reefs and seagrass; and to foster ocean awareness and advocacy in villages and communities. 
Local partners include the THA, Department of Marine Resources and Fisheries and marine monitoring and engineering firm Coastal Dynamics Ltd. ERIC is the community adviser and partner in the northeast. All partners benefit from training and information sharing in the coral-rearing and seeding process.
A significant consultant is Secore International, which is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of coral reefs – creating and sharing the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide. The MARIN Tobago team is working with Secore scientists from Curacao, developing experimental techniques to safeguard Tobago’s endangered coral species, among them the boulder star corals, of which the most famous must be the giant brain coral off Speyside.
The MARIN Tobago team selected northeast Tobago reefs for their relatively healthy species populations, and aim to plant viable coral babies on some sites that are not too affected by chronic conditions of water pollution. 
On the other side of the island, some coral reefs off Speyside suffered considerable coral die-off from the 2010 bleaching event; many reefs have not recovered. Some of the seeded coral units will go to these sites. It’s a long-term project, since coral spawning happens in the warmer months; and the season may be over for this year.
Curtis Antoine’s fishing vessel has been converted into a research vessel, apartment accommodation into a lab. And the beach is the doorway to the ocean for the study of the coral reefs and research into the regeneration of corals.

The project is funded for five years, but coral regeneration – ecology, habitat research and education – must continue for as long as it takes to grow harmony between land and sea dwellers. In the process, more and more people must come to appreciate ecosystems that extend from ridge to reef, and why Tobago needs corals.
The outreach to random walkers on the beach, fishermen, and especially to children and their families in the village has only just started. The project also expects to develop the protective network made up of marine resource users, government and management agencies collaborating on response planning for climate-related disasters such as heat stress or disease outbreaks.
At the end of the day, we walk on the beach, bathed in the light of a glorious sunset, ignorant of how the daily cycle, the tides and currents and humans affect the significant life underwater. (Source: Newsday, Sept 12, 2024)

For just over seven months, the Eagle Eye project has been working to help deter and detect crime, and stakeholders are focusing on expanding the network nationally.
Although based primarily in North East and Eastern Trinidad, the joint project between the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GTCIC), the Tunapuna Police Station Community Council (TPSCC) and the police service has a network of some 400 cameras which feeds directly to the police command centre.
President of the TPSCC and director of the GTCIC Neil Boodoosingh said the project focuses on putting cameras in locations not typically covered by the national security services' network.
These, he said, are placed at businesses and in communities. The monthly cost for businesses is $199 for two cameras and for residential customers, $99 for one camera. He said it also comes with signage, which has been working as a deterrent for criminal elements.
With its heaviest concentration of cameras in Tunapuna, Boodoosingh said reports from police indicate a significant increase in crime detection and deterrence there since the project was launched in February.
"That speaks for itself."
Giving an example of the effectiveness of the system, which is not used for financial gain, TTPS liaison for the project Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Richard Smith said police were recently able to use it to identify a body.
"We found a body in the Arouca district and we found a receipt in the pocket of the deceased person. We were able to track back where the person went and purchased some stuff and get the footage. We got a still shot from it and we were able to place it on Beyond the Tape and other social media platforms and we found the relatives.
"That is just some of the successes. We also have it for robberies, larcenies and all these things. Even with vehicles that might be passing on the roadways that might be stolen. We have ways of identifying these vehicles as well and even tracking where they came from."
Boodoosingh believes one of the project's biggest advantages is that those who sign up help monitor the network, which allows for almost immediate reporting of faulty cameras.
"If they wake up in the morning and on their smartphone they not seeing the camera working, they can now highlight it to us and we'd have it back up and running in 48 hours.
"The government system, because it is almost impossible for somebody to look at all the cameras at the same time, it's only when they go to use the camera when an incident happens, then they realise it not working."
The latest entity to sign on is the Owner Dealers' Association. President-elect of the group, which represents the interests of gas station owners and the property they are built on, Reval Chattergoon told Newsday the group signed on to the project as crime poses a serious threat to their businesses. 
He said the association signed on as a proactive approach to combat the scourge. Gas stations have also fallen victim to criminal elements. Earlier in September police killed a bandit in a shootout after he robbed a 24-hour gas station in Charlieville.
"It's like almost having a police officer in your station all the time, 24 hours. The larger perspective is that should any crime occur in your street or community, it could give the TTPS an advantage to log on to see."
ODA was formed in August and currently represents 18 of 57 owner dealers in the country.
Chattergoon said seven dealers are expected to instal Eagle Eye cameras in the coming week and two gas stations, which don't qualify to be members, are also interested in it.
With gas stations often operating 24/7, Boodoosingh said having the association on board will bolster the project's strength.
"It is an asset to the Eagle Eye Project and a great encouragement when you have these associations coming onboard."
ACP Smith described gas stations as "watering holes" which would be crucial in tracking criminals through the network.
"You hunting in the forest, where is the most common place animals will stop? To drink water.
"If you use that analogy to vehicles, vehicles must go in gas stations, so it's a good area where we could have these cameras placed so we can capture vehicles."
Boodoosingh and Smith also encouraged people to come on board to help build a more robust security network.
"We look forward to what is happening in Tunapuna to take place throughout the country," Boodoosingh said.
"Eagle Eye has been working in Tunapuna. We have been getting the element out of Tunapuna. The problem is, Tunapuna has now become a hard-target city and the element is going to go into the more vulnerable areas and we intend to make every area in this country a hard target."
He said negotiations are ongoing with the Couva and Chaguanas chambers of commerce, East Gates Mall and Republic Bank Ltd. Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce head Kiran Singh told Newsday he met with the Southern Division's senior superintendent last week to discuss introducing the project among its members.
TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Kiran Maharaj said the chamber supports any initiative that would positively affect the reduction of crime, improve detection rates and result in convictions given the spiralling crime rate. While she said the chamber believes it's a good initiative, it is also critical that action is taken to take the perpetrators into custody and subject them to the law.
Boodoosingh said he hoped the government could also invest in the project. He said for $1 million a month, 5,000 cameras can be installed across the country and, unlike those under the Ministry of National Security, they would be monitored and maintained. (Source: Newsday, Sept 15, 2024)

TEKEL SYLVAN head is literally in the clouds these days, having been declared the first King Moko Dance Champion 2024 on August 30, followed by an opportunity immediately afterwards to perform at the Apollo Theater, New York, in celebration of Trinidad and Tobago’s 62nd anniversary of Independence.
Winning the local competition with his own costume design and make-up as a skeleton, while demonstrating mad skills by removing one side of the five-foot stilts, while in motion, and dancing with only one stilt, was an amazing feat for him and validates his belief “that I am the best.”
That daring act of being about 13-14 feet in the air, precariously balancing, put him ahead of his competitors. 
He said before the competition, “I would be bringing the trophy home” – and knew he had to do something extraordinary to achieve this.
He has performed at Machel Mondays in the past, and alongside other artistes, but being one of two TT moko jumbies on stage at the iconic Apollo with top artistes at the calypso night, was beyond his wildest dreams.
“It was an amazing feeling to be part of that production. I have performed with calypsonians and soca artistes before, but seeing all of them on one stage, communicating backstage, the vast audience – that was mind-blowing.”
The experience was even more astonishing, he said, as he was told he was one of the first of two moko jumbies to perform at the Apollo.
Sylvan and Earl Ward were the two invited by the NCC to participate in three nights of calypso music, when infectious Caribbean rhythms were on full display. 
He said on September 3, he performed at the Apollo with Machel Montano, Crazy, Olatunji, Kurt Allen, Lord Nelson and others. On September 6, he travelled to Canada to showcase his skills at the Toronto carnival.
“This is not my first carnival, though. I have been to Grenada and Miami carnivals and Brooklyn Labor Day.”
The San Fernando father of two said stilt-walking saved his life.
Growing up in what he termed “the ghetto,” in a single-mother household, his father was imprisoned when he was just three. He said his life could have gone downhill as he did not have the acumen for academics.
While he enjoyed sports, he was not passionate about them either. So when at age eight he discovered the Junior Bisnath Kaisokah School for the Arts, he latched on to that like a drowning man and honed his skills, encouraged by Bisnath, who embraced him as a son.
He recalled he often got into trouble with his mother, because he would leave chores undone to go stilt-walking, something he later corrected.
“Today, she is my biggest fan, because this has saved me from a life of crime. It has opened doors for me. Because of this I got a passport. I am now able to travel all over the world and put TT’s culture on the map.
“Some of my friends who invested in sports have not had the kind of successes I have had,” he said in an interview at the Kaisokah School on September 5.
While he is a designer and intends to produce a children’s Carnival band for 2025, stilt-walking is not a talent he intends giving up on.
“I will only stop when God is ready for me. While I am alive, even if I am using a walking stick or a wheelchair, Sir (Junior Bisnath) will design a pair of stilts for the wheelchair for me to continue stilt-walking.”
Already, his two sons who ae four and six, as well as five nephews, are mastering the art.
He is encouraging children who are facing challenges growing up in poverty, with little opportunity, that stilt-walking could turn their lives around.
“It is a place when you have a certain state of mind, when you are down, for you to get up. There is no better way to get up than on a pair of stilts. When you head is in the clouds, when you listen to music which energises you, take a dance, take a walk and free your mind, you could change that mentality. (Source: Newsday, September 13, 2024)

THE question on everyone’s lips is what’s in store for one of the most beautiful beaches in Tobago.
The Tobago House of Assembly intends to turn the Store Bay Beach Facility into a family-friendly, world-class recreational venue.
Although lacking the appeal of some of the gems of the island such as Pirates Bay, Englishman’s Bay and Pigeon Point, Store Bay’s beauty is unique.
A sunset at Store Bay is a sight to behold. The rhythmic sound of gentle waves crashing on the shore is enhanced as the sun descends beyond the horizon, leaving an explosion of vibrant colours in the fading sky. The silhouettes of boats on the shimmering water become more pronounced till they disappear into the darkness.
It’s not just beautiful to look at. Store Bay has long been a regular stop for many for local cuisine such as crab and dumpling or conch and provisions, available at the popular Miss Trim or Miss Jean food stalls.

As a visitor approaches the steps descending to the beach, the buzz of the blender at Man on The Rock beach bar indicates that owner Ashley McMillan, or one of his staff, is whipping up a cocktail for a customer.
Tobago treats such as bene ball, sugar cake, preserved mango, preserved plums and many other delights are available at small tables to the left of the steps down to the beach, where vendors, mostly women, sell for most of the day.

What to expect
The layout of the popular spot is expected to change soon, with the Division of Tourism planning major renovations. Among the new features of an initial design are a swimming pool, a roadside bar and food court, a beach bar and restaurant, and a jetty. And visitors will have to pay to enter the new facility.
The division said the project is still in the consultation phase and no tenant would be displaced when the facility is completed.
However, there have been complaints that not enough consultation is happening, though the division met on two occasions with some stakeholders in July. The meetings followed a survey done last year by the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago. 
At one of the meetings, tenants were given two options: a full shutdown, which would allow the project to be completed faster (nine months); or on a phased basis, which would take 18 months. The division had hoped to start this month, but more consultation is expected to take place.
Meisha Trim, owner of Miss Trim Foods, has been selling at Store Bay for 17 years. Her mother, Greta, started the business over 40 years ago. In an interview with Newsday on September 8, she said she fully supports the initiative.
Contrary to some claims by stakeholders, she said there was a “collaborative” approach to the meeting. She said although not everyone was present, they were told to spread the information to the other tenants and were assured all information would be available at the office of the facility manager.
Although acknowledging her rent may increase, Trim said once it is “within limit,” and proportional to the enhancement of the facility, she does not mind.
The current food area is expected to expand considerably, with bigger booths, more room for storage of dry goods and a larger seating area for customers.
However, the prospect of a new food court closer to the road has left Trim a bit anxious. She said patrons coming in will have to pass through the new food court before they get to the existing area. “It’s up to me where I want to go,” she said.
McMillan, who has his establishment at Store Bay for 20 years, said progress is needed, but "Store Bay doh need all of that. Store Bay is a natural place. It's the Mecca of Tobago."
He said the place just needs "a little facelift - plastic surgery."
He said if the division plans to shut down the facility, the vendors need financial support.
"People under pressure here. I'm not lying to yuh."
He said booths need upgraded, the beach needs better lighting for the night time and an ATM on site.
Local businessman and prominent artist Martin Superville, who was once a tenant at Store Bay, said he loves the idea of redeveloping the area. 
he area and Tobago tourism.
“Before, you could have just jumped out the airport and walk across to Store Bay. The whole way that the traffic is going to flow (has changed).
“Unless you have a hotel down in Crown Point, everybody heading on the other side of the island.”
So, he said, Store Bay must be looked at as a destination now, not a spot along the thoroughfare.
Better can be done
“I’ve always felt that that place was misused/under-used. I had a space there and left,” Superville recalled. 
“The crowd that goes to Store Bay is a very mixed crowd, more a Trinidadian crowd. Tourism dried up and most of the tourists headed to the other side of the island, because the beach boys now would hassle them: ‘Yuh wa ah boat ride? Yuh wa ah this, yuh wa ah that?’ You leave one guy, the next guy hit you the same thing.
“There’s always that uncontrolled behaviour.”
Trim concurred, saying the touts had driven tourists to Castara and other parts, though Trinis who have become accustomed to the aggressive approach still frequent the bay.
The issue of touting has been a perennial problem at Store Bay. Former chief secretary Ancil Dennis introduced a ticketing system in 2020 to try to end it, but failed.
Trim said, “None of it has worked in the past.
“I don’t feel safe at times entering Store Bay by myself. Sometimes there are even fights.”
In a Tobago Updates interview on September 4, tourism secretary Tashia Burris said the division had received complaints about lawlessness at the venue and families not feeling safe.
Superville said he is wary of the crowd the new facility will attract and what measures will be put in place to ensure its standards are adhered to and maintained. 
“Have you ever noticed that the movies that are open to all ages make more money than the ones 21 years and over? So now you have to be very conscious of the crowd and the behaviour.
“How long is the swimming pool going be open for? Is it going to be open where people can swim in the night?
“Now people would want to hire it for their personal parties – how does that go?
“After them parties and they throw their bottles all over...”
He said a jetty at Store Bay was long overdue, and believes this will provide another interesting option for the hosting of Angostura Sailing Week and the TT Great Race.
He called for proper tendering for the project, to get not only the right contractor but also value for taxpayers’ money.
Superville also said the customer service on the island needs to match the money being spent on improving infrastructure.
“In the tourist sector, you need to love people.
“The people that sometimes run places that are (on the) frontline for the island, they make money because they have no choice.
“But you wonder, if more businesses come in with different styles of how they operate, they may bust. Because people now getting better service, nicer conversations. You doh go by the bar and people just studying to get your money and eh thinking to have a nice conversation and advising you to go here or there.


“Be an ambassador for the island. Every bar around the island, the owner should be an ambassador for the island.”
He said Tobago has not taken tourism seriously in the past, but better late than never.
Thinking even bigger
In the initial redesign, Superville said he did not see a specific area for the boat operators “who make the reef tours so special.
“If you selling your tickets you have to stay there and wait for people to come in and choose their boat. You give them a nice, little space and they could put up pictures and sell little items – cups, T-shirts, key rings. Now your business could expand and sell goggles, fins for their cruise. You could do a coffee, and early breakfast with scrambled eggs.”
Superville said tourists want souvenirs such as T-shirts with a picture of the glass-bottom boat they went on, or a key chain with a carving of the boat. This, he said, would also stimulate the local economy, as the tour operators lean on the expertise of other businesses to meet that demand.
“You can’t make everything. You have to go to the man who can make them things, or the man doing the printing.
“I have to see where everybody wins. If everybody wins, then nobody complaining.”
Another necessity, he felt, was an information centre to point visitors to other attractions, hotels and guesthouses. He believes a museum should also be included, as well as a jogging track and a calypso tent.
He said Tobago needs to think outside the box when it comes to tourism and its product, especially when welcoming visitors from cruise ships.
Superville wants Tobago to expand its horizons in a very literal way. 
“They done pass through Barbados, which does beaches and hospitality better than us; Grenada, a nice port with restaurants all around – then they reach to Tobago.
“We only fighting to get Germans, Americans, and British and we have the whole of South America below us. The problem we have had for many years is (an indifference) to the Spanish language.
“Luck would shine upon TT...Now you have Spanish-people speaking everywhere – hotels, restaurants, bars – all those places where tourists visit.
“We should be selling to Guyana, Argentina, Peru, Colombia.”
Then, he said, rather than being the last island in the Caribbean, Tobago would become “the first with lovely sand and beaches.
“The whole of South America sitting there waiting for us — and nobody eh sending a plane to Ecuador.” (Source: Newsday, September 9, 2024)