South finals not yet final

February 16, 2001
By Terry Joseph
Trinidad Express

NATIONAL Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Claude Clarke called his board into emergency session late last night in an attempt to resolve the argument over use of the Queen’s Park Savannah stage on Carnival Saturday.

The meeting, which began shortly before 7 p.m., was called to examine the possibility of reversing the route of the children’s street parade, which would ensure that the Savannah stage was available to Pan Trinbago well in time for a 7 p.m. start of the National Panorama Final, which takes place on the same day.

An announcement on Thursday by Pan Trinbago that it would move the final to Skinner Park in San Fernando has been met with public disapproval, although San Fernando Mayor Gerard Ferreira is happy with the possibility of bringing one of Carnival’s largest shows to the southern city.

Clarke said, however, there were a number of other considerations in the mill and while there should perhaps be a greater sharing between the various cities of the major festival events, the move announced by Pan Trinbago has come at short notice and could present difficulties for people who had charted their Carnival along certain lines.

“We have people who come to Trinidad for Panorama and choose their accommodation on the basis that the show is in the Savannah,” Clarke said.

“There are also situations involving vendors who rent their facilities on the basis of reasonable expectation and, of course, the general public, whose plans may not have included a trip to San Fernando on Carnival Saturday night,” Clarke said.

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Ferreira: South ready for Panorama finals

By KEINO SWAMBER
South Bureau

SAN Fernando Mayor Gerard Ferreira yesterday expressed confidence that the southern city could successfully host this year’s National Panorama Finals.

He also said although Skinner Park, the venue if the finals are held in south, was already booked for another event, agreement could be reached to free it up for pan’s biggest show.

The park is booked for a Carnival Saturday night fete—the same day as the pan finals.

Ferreira said he would deal with that issue if confirmation to stage the finals in San Fernando is received from Pan Trinbago.

“I propose to negotiate with Roy Maharaj in terms of giving up that booking because of the national interest and because of this gift to San Fernando. I know that Roy Maharaj is a culture man and I know he will be hard-pressed because he would have made certain arrangements, but I feel confident that we can negotiate.

“I don’t want to argue with him here, but I do know that I have the final say and if we get the opportunity to have a pan finals here, that is what it is going to be.”

Maharaj could not be reached yesterday.

Ferreira, who was elated over the possibility of Panorama being staged in the South, said: “Let Port of Spain people come down to San Fernando and see what their brothers in pan have to go through year after year.

“Look, last Sunday we had 15 bands from San Fernando and further South go to Port of Spain to participate in the preliminaries, so why can’t 10 or 12 bands come here from Port of Spain?

“This could be our opportunity to prove to Port of Spain people, who I believe are the ones who are hemming and hawing about how far San Fernando is as though it is a different distance vice versa, that we can accommodate such an event in South.”

Ferreira told the Daily Express he believed his prayers were answered since he has been asking the major organisations responsible for Carnival to recognise San Fernando as the second centre for the national festival.

“It seems we are getting an opportunity, by default, to prove that we are a real option.”

Pan Trinbago announced on Thursday that they were seriously considering moving the pan finals from the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain as a result of an ongoing argument over the use of the venue for the junior parade of bands, which is being held on the same day.

But a final decision was not made up to late yesterday evening.

Ferreira said he felt confident that Skinner Park could accommodate the mass of avid pan fans who flock to the Savannah every year.

“We expect to have 20,000 people here for the Calypso semi-finals so, of course, we can handle the crowd. Crowd control is handled very well by the San Fernando police. The traffic flow, in terms of bands entering and leaving, is a very comprehensive one and it is likely to be more organised than in Port of Spain.

“Pan Trinbago, I believe, can probably get more revenue here simply because it is an enclosed venue, it’s easier to control the gates. We can accommodate 30,000 to 40,000 people.”

Whitfield Weekes, chairman of the South/Central region of Pan Trinbago, agrees with Ferreira.

“The experience will give northerners a better understanding of what we have to go through when we have to come to Port of Spain,” he said.

“As far as the stage is concerned, we can build a big enough stage right in the middle of Skinner Park. My executive will be very happy to help the national body to host the finals in San Fernando and I know that all southern band-leaders are willing to help.”