24/12/2015
Disclaimer: As the driving force behind the development of D La Brea Story initiative I have unilaterally taken the decision to put out this article to defend what is clearly an unjust attack on our duly elected MP, because I am of the strong opinion that EVIL flourishes when GOOD men do NOTHING……………
So I am reading an article written by Ms. Asha Javeed in last Sundays Express and wondering who sanctioned this witch hunt and what is this all about???Two questions comes to mind… who does the La Brea community ask to support community building projects in La Brea and who must do the asking???? It borders on ludacris when a journalist implies that its improper for a Minister of Energy to be a Member of Parliament to her constituents… if I follow the logic of Ms. Javeed the La Brea Story Oversight Committee should have approached maybe the member of parliament for Movant Laventelle or Caroni Central to lend support and pen letters to ask businesses ( which she skillfully omitted), the Ministry of Culture and Social Development (which she also skillfully omitted) and Companies in general (whether energy based or otherwise) to support D La Brea Story initiative on behalf of La Brea people. What does Jack Warner have to do with our community stake holders stepping up to their corporate social responsibility by contributing to a seven day festival to highlight the successes of La Brea people over the years, to let this generation know La Brea is not a hopeless State and it matters not where you start, but more so where u finish! Is it your belief Ms. Javeed and The Trinidad Express, that the fact that the first Island scholar Roy Chunkett at the age of 14 ½ who won the Jerningham gold medal, which is yesterday’s equivalent of the Presidents Gold Medal today, should be hidden? Is it your belief that the fact that the first oil well was drilled here in 1867 on the peripheral of the pitch lake and the first commercial well drilled in Ariepero years later must remain a secret? What about Southern Symphony d La Brea pan side with Block and Belgrave Bonaparte, the brothers, who thought POS panmen the art of tuning the steel pan and perfecting it, to be the National Instrument as we know it today … must we hide this?
Your article is so unfortunate cause you were contacted on the eve of you publishing this article and were you were given an overview of the entire La Brea Story Festival. We Chatted about the Spiritual Healing and Thanks Giving Gathering hosted by Kern Tyson, our visually impaired media practitioner, along with Guitar Dan, Ayanna Regis, Curtis Marcelle and a host of talented young La Brea gospel songsters and ministers of the word, we spoke of Masters Cricket, Masters Football Tournament, Living Legends Concert featuring Alrounder, Cro Cro alongside Shark Head and Royal Benji outta La Brea, what about our conversation on Pan On Majuba Avenue, with Diatonics, Skiffle Bunch, Tornadoes and Nightingales, we spoke about the Miss Black Diamond Beauty Pageant, Black Diamond being our community’s nick name for the pitch lake, what of the Kids Story Funday conversation where we spoke about Bouncy Castles, Free Eats & Drinks, Fun Rides etc. and other associated events like the Youth Jamborees… Nicole’s $.3M Beauty Error… was the best headline your newspaper came up with from all this information.... Really???
Ms. Nicole Oliverre can only be branded as one of the most down to earth regular person u will ever meet, her approach to the politics is a breath of fresh are to the La Brea Community and I personally see it as a dereliction of duty to sit idly by and allow your newspaper to tarnish the image of our MP in this way… For us your article represents literary terrorism and a direct attack on the Community of of La Brea and our efforts to effect its transformation.
Ms. Asha Javeed and The Trinidad Express…. the final accounts for the festival is complete and it will show a just over $100,000 in total expenditure for the entire festival with a noted $30,000 shortfall in support received ( in contrast to the .3 million in the article) by all these companies you so ingeniously highlighted, making it difficult for La Brea people to receive support from them in the future due to the negative publicity you introduced to our noble intent. Since you are of the opinion that it’s inappropriate for La Brea people to approach La Brea companies to Support a La Brea Community Building Initiative, I hereby seek your Newspapers assistance by way of a contribution to the festival as the D La Brea Story Oversight Committee is currently battling to meet our financial obligations due to the well documented $30,000 festival funding shortfall… I wait with baited breath for your positive response…. You can make the cheque payable to ME since you don’t sanction community building contributions to legitimate NGO’s!!!!!
