In the distance, a jet airliner dips serenely towards a city airport.

Closer and lower, gulls wheel and cry. And beneath them a perfect, smooth-edged field of immaculately mown grass shimmers in the heat.

It’s a scene that can be found in many countries, but it appears mainly in the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan and, alone in a cooler part of the world where a beautiful summer’s day is not to be taken for granted, England.

Because these are the blessed places on earth where top level cricket is played.

There is nothing quite so sophisticated as a cricket match, and for all the skullduggery of the professional sportsman, for all the profanity of the drink-fuelled crowds, the five days of a test match do more for world peace and harmony than a dozen G20 summits. If only the USA, Russia, Syria, Iraq and North Korea played cricket, we could all sleep more easily. The world of test cricket is a world of gentlemen (not some of the players, obviously).

It’s a gathering of kindred spirits in which mutual respect is demanded and happily given.

And surveying it all from a lofty position high in the stands sits a multinational nucleus of knowledgeable, experienced, articulate men and women who may or may not know they have the best job in the world.

Cricket commentators have often had no formal training for the role. They are former professional players or perhaps journalists who played at a decent amateur level in their youth and have talked their way into a life of leisurely travel, following the sun around the world and broadcasting to those of us who languish at home, at work or even on holiday and cannot be among the few thousand supporters in the stadium that is currently the focus of global attention.

Oddly, even in the countries where it is a national sport, cricket doesn’t attract large crowds at grass roots or even national level.

It’s only international matches and trumped-up commercial leagues that get people through the gates. Walk into a national stadium when Trinidad and Tobago are playing one of the other West Indian nations and you are not going to have much trouble finding a seat. Stroll off the seafront at Hove on the south coast of England into the ground where Sussex are entertaining Yorkshire and your only companions are likely to be one man and his dog.

Even in traditionally fanatical India the fans’ attention span has dwindled and it is the dumbed down version, T20, all over in a couple of hours, that is the most popular. And they’ve created the Indian Premier League, where superstars from around the world play wham bam thank you ma’am, not for their country but for themselves, under a franchise flag that represents nothing more than where the bank transfer is going to come from.

The five-day game, though, is the one beloved of the purists.

Whatever your thoughts about the British empire – and I would like to think they are mellowing, as it ended a long time ago now – it did bring to the world a sport based on civilisation, one that involves the brain as much as the muscles, and which can be discussed by people from all backgrounds and heritages. It’s a sport where you can watch a man (and increasingly a woman) grow in maturity, from raw talent to top professional and, cruising back to earth like one of those airliners, on to elder statesman and wise pundit.

What other arena could have transformed a mean, powerful, monosyllabic giant into Sir Curtly Ambrose, a knight of the realm following in the footsteps of Constantine, Sobers and Richards? And now Sir Curtly even deigns to give us an opinion now and then.

The world mourned the passing of the avuncular Barbadian Tony Cozier just as it did his Australian equivalent, Richie Benaud, and English legends like Brian Johnston and John Arlott.

Now, as the poshest of them all, Henry Blofeld, prepares to hang up his blazer, it’s time to enjoy the new breed’s views on pigeons, cakes sent in by listeners and what kind of bowler Angela Merkel would make. And that new breed includes women.

Nowadays the commentary box benefits from the extra touch of civilisation that the presence of a woman brings, with Donna Symmonds blazing the trail in these parts while Isa Guha and Alison Mitchell josh with the gents in the UK. Many of the most famous commentators went on working to a great age, so maybe if I get my application in now, there is still time.

After all, I know a bit about it, I’m free to travel and I can eat chocolate cake with the best of them.

So said PNM chairman Franklin Khan, yesterday, as he weighed in on one of the topics for discussion in Tuesday’s meeting between Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Speaking with reporters after the party’s general council meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain, Khan said Rowley spoke comprehensively about the issue and was adamant that it must be debated and passed in the Parliament before the PNM’s term ends.

“Historically, in Trinidad, parties talk campaign finance reform when they are in Opposition and when they get into Government, they drop it like a hot potato,” Khan said. “This is the first time, under Dr Rowley’s leadership, we have articulated our position on campaign finance reform and he has put it on the front burner as one area in which he wants to definitely accomplish before the end of the first term.” PNM public relations officer Stuart Young said when the PNM assumed office in 2015, the Office of the Attorney General hosted an international forum where several countries, including Jamaica, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, were invited to participate.

“So, we have already begun the process,” Young said, adding the Government was already looking at draft legislation.

“We, as a party and Government are prepared to take the legislation to Parliament and to to pass it as we can in this term.” Campaign finance legislation is among a slew of issues on the agenda at Tuesday’s highly-anticipated meeting.

However, Khan said given the fact that yesterday’s meeting dealt with matters relating to the general council, Rowley also chose to focus on two other issues namely self-government for Tobago and a code of conduct for parliamentarians.

Tuesday’s meeting will also address anti-gang legislation, matters pertaining to the Judiciary, performance of service commissions and the Integrity Commission.

“These are legislative issues that require a special majority,” Khan said. “So it is incumbent on the prime minister as the leader of the Government to engage the opposition leader early in the game to discuss and to see if some consensus can be reached on these very, very important national issues.”

Laudable as this concept may be and essential as it is in a Christian context, the word carried with it echoes of sadness, given the ages of the speakers. It begs the questions of what the long-term value is in the practices which gave rise to the students’ ‘sacrifice’ and of the entire perception of student ‘success’.

In an ideal world, all students would achieve ‘success’ and would progress from the primary level to schools that empower them to realise their potential.

The value of the student whose talents lie in the vocational field would be seen as equal to that of the ‘academically inclined’ student.

The concept of the craftsman, the artist, the musician, or the sportsman as a high-achiever, worthy of recognition as a valuable and cherished contributor to his society would hold true. Such a student would see his unique and God-given talents as a blessing and essential to the balance, efficiency and upliftment of his country. He would know that his country’s bank of knowledge and skills are enriched as much by his contribution as those of his more ‘academic’ brother or sister. In addition, the student would be given the opportunity to play, relax and to ‘be a child’. Tragically, in our society, this would be seen as quixotic, even ludicrous. We do not cherish all our children and their talents. In our materialistic and competitive environment, we may say that we cherish all in equal measure but in practice, we uphold some as ‘more equal’ than others. We force them, as well, to turn their backs on the healthy balance of play and work.

This is not to decry the outstanding achievements of the students who employed their intelligence, capacity for hard work and ambition to good effect.

This country needs their intelligence, creativity, innovativeness, direction and work ethic. We need our young people to set the standards that will make us hold our heads high in the global village.

The scientists, the teachers, the philosophers and the researchers are among those who are the cornerstone of a just and progressive society. They are jewels in our national crown. The danger we pose to ourselves is in recognising only the academically inclined as the valuable jewels in the crown. In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents us with the parable of the sower and the seed. His words should force us to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions.

Are we offering our children the good seed of the Divine sower or are we substituting inferior and infertile seed, which will never bear valuable fruit? Is the ground of our children’s minds prepared in such a way that the true seed finds the depth, richness, and the opportunities to produce in abundance as the Lord has intended for them? In our bid to ensure that our children enter ‘good schools’, are we forcing them to live lives of stress, which deprive them of the joys of childhood? Are we sacrificing our children’s need to interact healthily with their families and with one another? Are we curtailing their ability to think independently, to create their own identities and to develop their own talents, and leading them instead to sacrifice their gifts on the altar of our fears and our vanities? Let us sow the good seed that will redound to the benefit of all our children and the society to which they belon

Yesterday, Nyoshia Cain was unable to finish among the medals in the women’s long jump T43/44 final.

Cain finished sixth and last in yesterday’s competition, with a best effort of 3.99 metres.

Stef Reid of Great Britain emerged victorious with a best of 5.40m, ahead of Netherlands’ Marlene van Gansewinkel of 5.29m while Japan’s Maya Nakanishi was third with a best of five metres flat.

Australia’s Sarah Walsh (4.85m) was fourth while Japan’s Saki Takakuwa (4.80m) was fifth.

It was close throughout the final quarter with the TT girls keeping pace with the Welsh 38-38 and then 39-39 before surging into the led 41-40 with just two minutes to play.

The junior “Calypso Girls” extended their lead to 43-40 and looked on course for their fourth victory at the championships.

But they lost their nerves, and let it slip as Wales scored four goals without reply, with the winning goal coming seconds before the final whistle.

Laudable as this concept may be and essential as it is in a Christian context, the word carried with it echoes of sadness, given the ages of the speakers. It begs the questions of what the long-term value is in the practices which gave rise to the students’ ‘sacrifice’ and of the entire perception of student ‘success’.

In an ideal world, all students would achieve ‘success’ and would progress from the primary level to schools that empower them to realise their potential.

The value of the student whose talents lie in the vocational field would be seen as equal to that of the ‘academically inclined’ student.

The concept of the craftsman, the artist, the musician, or the sportsman as a high-achiever, worthy of recognition as a valuable and cherished contributor to his society would hold true. Such a student would see his unique and God-given talents as a blessing and essential to the balance, efficiency and upliftment of his country. He would know that his country’s bank of knowledge and skills are enriched as much by his contribution as those of his more ‘academic’ brother or sister. In addition, the student would be given the opportunity to play, relax and to ‘be a child’. Tragically, in our society, this would be seen as quixotic, even ludicrous. We do not cherish all our children and their talents. In our materialistic and competitive environment, we may say that we cherish all in equal measure but in practice, we uphold some as ‘more equal’ than others. We force them, as well, to turn their backs on the healthy balance of play and work.

This is not to decry the outstanding achievements of the students who employed their intelligence, capacity for hard work and ambition to good effect.

This country needs their intelligence, creativity, innovativeness, direction and work ethic. We need our young people to set the standards that will make us hold our heads high in the global village.

The scientists, the teachers, the philosophers and the researchers are among those who are the cornerstone of a just and progressive society. They are jewels in our national crown. The danger we pose to ourselves is in recognising only the academically inclined as the valuable jewels in the crown. In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents us with the parable of the sower and the seed. His words should force us to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions.

Are we offering our children the good seed of the Divine sower or are we substituting inferior and infertile seed, which will never bear valuable fruit? Is the ground of our children’s minds prepared in such a way that the true seed finds the depth, richness, and the opportunities to produce in abundance as the Lord has intended for them? In our bid to ensure that our children enter ‘good schools’, are we forcing them to live lives of stress, which deprive them of the joys of childhood? Are we sacrificing our children’s need to interact healthily with their families and with one another? Are we curtailing their ability to think independently, to create their own identities and to develop their own talents, and leading them instead to sacrifice their gifts on the altar of our fears and our vanities? Let us sow the good seed that will redound to the benefit of all our children and the society to which they belon

Ango, who is of mixed Nigerian and Trinidadian heritage, was ordained in a two-and-a-half hour long ceremony, celebrated by Archbishop Joseph Harris at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.

Ango took his vow before a large congregation which included priests, other members of the clergy and parishioners from as far away as Fishing Pond, Manzanilla, Biche and parts of south Trinidad.

Delivering the homily, Harris, alluding to the growing need for vocations to the priesthood, hailed the ordination as a welcomed reprieve for the Church.

“It is a moment of thanksgiving because the God which never leaves his flock unattended, once again smiles on us and gives us help for work in the vineyard,” he said.

Harris told Ango his main priority as a priest was to God, not worldly trappings.

“Simon Peter, your first and primary allegiance must be to God, the living God, the God of the prophets. Do not follow the culture and let the false Gods of power and money and pleasure and popularity ensnare you.” He also urged Ango to lead by example.

“Teach what you believe and put into practice what you teach.

Let the example of your life attract the followers of Jesus the Christ. In other words, Brother Simon, be a man of prayer and action.” The Archbishop told the newly- ordained priest the confessional must be seen as his second home rather than a place to reprimand sinners.

“As Pope Francis says, ‘Do not make the confessional a torture chamber’,” he said.

Harris also gave Ango some useful guidelines in executing his ministry.

“Be an instrument of peace in the community where you work.

The church is meant to be an agent of that harmony for which Jesus Christ gave his life on the Cross.

“And always with your people, devise strategies which will make your communities hospitable places __ places which will be attractive to others and welcome that care and concern of the Risen Lord for them.” The priesthood, Harris told Ango, was not about power and status but a “complete emptying of self by taking the form of a servant.” Ango celebrates his first Mass at 10 am today at St Paul/St Peter’s RC Church, Mayaro.

That’s the claim from Ashana Civil Mechanical Contractors managing director Phillip Whiteman whose company had initially been hired to build the now controversial school.

Construction of the school came under public scrutiny after Education Minister Anthony Garcia announced the school was found to have been constructed “in a swamp and the school is sinking.” He was responding to a query from a parent at the “Conversations with the Prime Minister” forum at the Point Fortin East Secondary School on Tuesday evening.

The parent asked how soon her child and other students could expect to be moved out of the community centre and into a new, more comfortable school.

Garcia responded, “We are taking measures to ensure that those who were responsible for the design would be held accountable, because we cannot understand how a school could be built in a swamp.” He told Newsday construction of the school commenced in 2010.

However, in a statement last week, former Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said construction of the new school was initiated in 2009 under the Patrick Manning-led PNM government with a contract valued at $23.6 million and awarded to Ashana Construction Limited.

He said the contract was subsequently terminated and tenders for a new school design were put out in 2014 and was awarded to Construction Services and Supplies Limited (CSSL) in February 2015 for $25 million. Gopeesingh said when he assumed office, no activity had taken place at the site for several years after the original contractor “ran into some difficulties” with the foundation.

However, in a telephone interview yesterday Whiteman countered that the school had not been built in a swamp and the company had been awarded compensation by the court for delays in the school’s construction.

“The project got stalled and eventually got stopped, and a new consultant and contractor was brought on,” Whiteman said.

“I spoke to Gopeesingh many times explaining to him the problems and he just stopped. He just didn’t do anything. There is a swamp adjacent to the site.

The school is not built on the swamp, its private land. It was very soft.

It’s a piled foundation though, the piles are not sinking. Five years ago it wasn’t moving, I don’t know if it is moving now. I doubt.” He said Ashana had not been paid any money for work done on the school and the matter had been taken to court.

The second contractor, Construction Services Supplies Limited referred all queries to the Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL).

The EFCL corporate communications manager was reportedly in a meeting and did not return any calls.

Ali was seen by St John’s Road residents who saw him trying to hide.

They pointed him out to the search team and he was held and taken back to the prison. He is expected to be charged with escaping lawful custody. Prisons Commissioner William Alexander told Newsday on Friday he has asked for a report on the escape.

As a man on a mission, this Chaguanas resident hopes to achieve this goal through his newly-formed entity Astella Arts and Entertainment Company (AAEC) whose given mandate is to stimulate Caribbean evolution through expressionism. The project has adopted the slogan “What can you do?” as he believes simple things like cleaning the environment, helping a person in need, distributing care packages to the homeless and helping a special needs home or an elderly person can make that difference which he and his peers want to see. He is confident he is on the right track and, as a result, invested every cent of his savings into his dream project. With many ambitious large-scale plans which he intends to execute in the future, Riley-Moodoo said he has gained the confidence of several of his peers who support his vision for a better TT and a better world. Sunday Newsday spoke to him about his project.

“We want to give back to the country,” said the accomplished poet and writer who is now fresh out of the University of the West Indies having completed his degree in social sciences. “We hope to do so through what we call the Improvement Initiative which is a call for people around the country to take positive action and try to make a dent on all the negatives affecting our country.” Riley- Moodoo said, “We often hear people speaking about things they have no control over, and it is very easy to feel helpless when you see all the problems plaguing our sweet Trinidad and Tobago.

People feel very trapped and powerless because of all the negative situations happening all at once and feel that not enough action is being taken by those who have the power to make changes.” He believes that power lies in the hands of the citizens and there are many things that can be done.

“Every citizen can take one step in the right direction and this can create an entire movement to go forward.” Riley-Moodoo made it clear that he is not one of the young people who is just satisfied sitting on the side and doing nothing.

This is what gave birth to AAEC.

It was the medium through which he was showcasing his poetry and writing but it soon morphed into a much larger entity. What he was about soon caught on and many of his peers came on board. He said there are about 20 of them and the movement is growing which has him beaming with pride. There are many projects in the pipeline.

Riley-Moodoo told Sunday Newsday the aim of this Improvement Initiative is to uplift the nation and bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to citizens.

He wants people from every age group and all walks of life to participate in a 40-day challenge which will see a better country.

There are two parts to #Improve TT and the first encourages people to go out and do anything positive like highlighting problems and finding solutions. Riley- Moodoo said they can then can go to their social media platforms and make posts in the form of statuses, pictures, or videos to highlight what they have done.

Using the hashtag #improveTT, he said everyone can access the positive posts of people and groups around the country. “The possibilities are endless,” he said.

“It’s okay to go out and do something different and creative.” With so many other groups around the country already showing interest and supporting the cause, Riley-Moodoo is hopeful a change will come.

He said part two of the project involves a seven-part video series where AAEC will have conversations with professionals in various fields to discuss different parts of our society and how the country can move forward.

(The video roster is posted below and people can go and follow the Astella pages to keep up with everything they do). Soon to be released videos will tackle the economy, crime, sports and other issues. As the initiative goes into full gear Riley-Moodoo is encouraging all groups and individuals to find something positive to do. “Every little thing you do can make a big difference.” A past student of Presentation College, Chaguanas, Riley-Moodoo told Sunday Newsday he draws his inspiration from his father Carlos Moodoo, author JK Rowling and actor /writer Donald Glover and rapper Drake.

He said he has the support of his parents as he tries to bring about change. But how did he come up with the name Astella? It was created from his longtime obsession and interest in the stars and constellations as he is of the firm opinion they represent endless possibilities. Sadly though, AAEC is yet to secure sponsorship despite their efforts.

“We need sponsors as I have been using my own money to fund this project and things are getting hard.” Already posted on social media are videos on The Concept and The Mission of AAEC