Sources told Newsday yesterday that Naresh Toll, who was shot in both his legs last Tuesday, remains at hospital under the supervision of doctors, but is said to be in a stable and responsive condition.

While he is being monitored, Newsday was told that there has been no evidence of Toll suffering any permanent damage.

According to reports, Toll, a prison officer with 20 years service, was at his DVD store, which he operates out of his home on St Croix Road, Barrackpore, when, at about 7.30 pm an unknown gunman walked into the store and asked for him.

When he approached, the gunman whipped out a firearm and shot him in both legs before running off.

Toll was rushed to the Princes Town District Health Facility, then transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital where he remains warded under guard.

No motive has yet been established for the shooting.

Speaking with reporters at the Couva Chamber of Industry and Commerce Auditorium at Camden Road, Couva last week, where hundreds of former steel workers had gathered to receive a statement of benefits from Maritime Life Limited, Henry noted that the majority of workers would not receive their full payments if they chose to receive lump sum payments while not having attained the retirement age of 60 years.

“A worker at 50 (years of age), would lose 37.5 percent of their pension.

That is the legislation that guides pension plans in Trinidad and Tobago and it is very unfriendly to the working class,” Henry said, adding, “this is deferred earnings, and when a company decides to take an action to close their doors, we have to bear the burden of this whole situation. About 35 percent of your income you have put away for retirement, you have to lose that.” Henry noted that one insurance company was deducting between five and six percent from the pension plan for a worker between 50 and 60 years of age should they decide to “cash in” the plan.

He said the union had advised that the entire portfolio be handed over to Maritime, but this had been overruled by both the trustee and the Central Bank.

He said Maritime was also offering a ten percent discount on groceries, 20 to 25 percent discount on car insurance and house insurance.

The day was a treat for the kids and their teachers as the students showcased their masterpieces and even performed skits and songs for the audience in attendance.

Locally, the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket programme was introduced in the year 2000, with the academic element coming on board in 2003. The 2016 academic component, which took place in 88 primary schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago, involved teachers delivering classroom sessions in accordance with the curriculum, in subject areas including Mathematics, Social Studies, Language Arts and IT (Information Technology).

Students were awarded in the areas of Art, Craft, Creative Writing, Poetry and Song. They were also praised for the creativity shown in maintaining their ‘Kiddy Cricket Journals’ (special copy books) during the duration of the programme.

Racking up the majority of awards on the day, San Francique Presbyterian School stole the show in the categories of Art and Song, as Simon Deolal and ‘Evangeline Deonat and Friends’ claimed their respective category, as well as winning the title of the Top School in this year’s edition of Scotiabank’s Kiddies Cricket Academic Component.

Pranav Baboolal of Montrose Vedic won the Creative Writing aspect while Bamboo Government exposed their talent as they displayed a version of their play that won the Skit category.

Amanda Seebaran took home the title in the Poem category and William Sammy of Fishing Pond Presbyterian emerged victorious in the Craft component.

Senior Vice President and Head of the Caribbean, East and South Scotiabank, Anya Schnoor stated, “Scotiabank is committed to doing its part to help our communities and young people become better off.

The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme is one such initiative that allows young people to discover and reach their full potential.

It represents not only our commitment to the sport of cricket, but also the development of the youth of our country.” She expressed the company’s pride to be associated with such a programme where children not only learn to play cricket, but they also develop interpersonal skills, self-confidence, and self-discipline qualities that benefit them for a lifetime.

Also speaking at the awards ceremony was Azim Bassarath, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), who underscored the importance of the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme.

“As a cricket organisation with a huge social conscience, the impact of this Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket initiative is making a tremendous difference throughout Trinidad and Tobago and by extension, the wider region as we are trying to ensure that the next generation of cricketers, cricket coaches and administrators emerge out of these bright, enthusiastic youths.” The 2017 edition of the Scotiabank’s Kiddy Cricket would formally resume in January.

List Academic Awards for 2016 –

Classroom Segment – 1. Darria Neeranjan (Spring Village Hindu); 2. Magdalene Deolal (San Francique Pres); 3. Elysha Williams (Montrose Vidic).

Poem Category – 1. Amanda Seebaran (Plum Road Pres); 2.Rayya Lalla (San Francique Pres); 3. Adrian Ramsundar (Happy Hill Hindu).

Art Category – 1.Simon Deolal (San Fancique Pres); 2. Sanaa Dick and Jaydn Bhagat (Curepe Pres).

Craft Category – 1. William Sammy (Fishing Pond Pres); 2. Johanson Gajadhar; 3. Saryu Tikaram (Aranguez Hindu).

Creative Writing – 1. Pranav Baboolal (Montrose Vidic); 2. Rochard Robinson (Cunaripo Pres); 3. Adrian Ramsundar (Happy Hill Hindu).

Song Category – 1. Evangeline and Friends (San Francique Pres); 2. Group song (Tulsa Tulsa Hindu); 3. Arjun Bhajman (Bamboo Settlement Gov’t).

Top School – 1. San Francique Presbyterian; 2. Montrose Vidic.

The new surface was unveiled and ceremonial sod-turning conducted Thursday by Darryl Smith, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs and Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of Public Utilities.

A group of about 30 young athletes from the Cougars Track Club, led by their coach Kelvin Nancoo, were among the first to test the brand new surface.

The warm-up track, which comprises a straight and run-up lane for throws, was resurfaced using the same materials as the main track, with both the track and field to be illuminated by eight 1500watt light structures.

Speaking ahead of the sod-turning, Hinds congratulated his colleague on the initiative and commended the motivated and enthusiastic athletes who will now enjoy full use of the facility.

Hinds assured the lights would be installed by TT EC in five to six weeks.

Smith also shared that as many as 10 track and field clubs use the track, and Pro League and national football teams make use of the football pitch.

At a cost of $3.5 million, Smith reiterated the tremendous savings to the State as the wear and tear on the main track will be alleviated. Smith also mentioned plans to expand the amenities to include a pavilion, gym/physio rooms and dormitory to accommodate teams that can host live-in camps.

Multiple Olympic medallist Richard Thompson was also on hand at Thursday’s event, as he brought the track condition to the Minister’s attention over a year earlier. Thompson was pleased that the relaying was made a priority. “This surface is perfect for training as it relieves pressure on joints and muscles.

It also eases the burden on the main track, preserving it for competition.

The lights also mean that athletes who have work commitments during the day can access the facility outside of regular working hours,” Thompson said.

He also thanked Smith and Hinds on behalf of all athletes who use the facility.

Number 10 player for RSSR Hakim Gulston found the winner in the 64th minute when he received the ball on the right side and cut inside on his left side and placed his shot perfectly to give RSSR the lead. RSSR , a Beetham-based team, held on for the 1-0 win over Alcons, a team coached by former national player Alvin Corneal. Among others who witnessed the finals played opposite Jerningham Avenue were former national captains Clayton Morris and Angus Eve, local football administrator William Wallace and president of the NFA Tony Harford.

RSSR was founded by activist Ruthvin Charles and named after football legends Russell Tesheira, Selris Figaro, Noel “Sammy” Llewelyn and Reynold George. RSSR walked away with $25,000 for claiming the title.

The most recent course was the CONCACAF Level II goalkeeping course which was conducted by CONCACAF instructor Claine Plummer for 36 participants at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Prior to that, the TT FA in collaboration with CONCACAF staged a Club Licensing seminar at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva in late September.

That seminar was held with the aim of establishing standards and enhancing the environment for club football to advance in the country.

The seminar, which was conducted by Jonathan Martinez, CONCACAF senior manager for club licensing and development, was compulsory for all local Pro League and Super League clubs The growth of leagues and clubs is directly related to key performance indicators within the areas of infrastructure, sporting, administration, finance, legal and social responsibility.

CONCACAF’s club licensing program provides tools aimed at raising the level of professionalism in league and club management.

TT FA technical director Muhammad Isa also oversaw the coach education programme and the community grassroots clinics which was sponsored by the Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago foundation.

There were TT FA ‘C’ License courses held and more are being planned for 2017.

In November, FIFA technical development officer Anton Corneal conducted a three-day seminar for local coaching instructors under the Royal Dutch Academy alliance. This was geared towards increasing the knowledge base and improving the practices of local coaching instructors who will in turn train and educate local coaches.

And on the officiating end, 24 local elite referees received their certificates of participation in a FIFA Referees Assistance Program (RAP) course held in September.

The referees engaged in a week-long seminar conducted by former FIFA Referee and FIFA instructor Peter Prendergast and fitness instructor Allan Brown of Costa Rica at the San Juan North Secondary.

Earlier in the year, a host of local club representatives and officials attended the first-ever FIFA Solidarity Contribution and Training Compensation workshop to be staged in the Caribbean as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association held the event at Naparima College, San Fernando.

Toussaint was also among seven youngsters to win the Most Outstanding Player Award, while Nivan Ragoo also took home a Challenge Trophy at the closing ceremony. Awards were also distributed to Most Improved Players and Most Disciplined Players.

Delivering the feature address at the ceremony was Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic swimmer Shanntol Ince.

Ince spoke about overcoming obstacles in the pursuit of your goals and dreams. Ince stated, “sometimes you may not win and that is true. I don’t win all the time and recently I went to the Paralympic Games (in Rio) and I did not win because of certain obstacles I had encountered. But what is most important is really pushing through and remembering that God and Jesus always has a purpose for your life regardless of whatever circumstance that you go through.” The TT para-athlete spoke to the aspiring footballers about some of the steps to overcame obstacles.

Ince, who was assisted by some of the Harvard footballers during her address, said they must have faith, embrace the challenge, work hard and smart and never give up in order to overcame challenges.

Ince said when she started swimming some people were concerned if she would be able to swim.

“Some of you may have seen me on TV. I have been on TV but that is not where my story began. I started swimming at the age of four with my kindergarten and most of the children and even some of the teachers were a little bit concerned as to whether I can swim or not.” She added, “I had the support of my parents and that was truly important and everyone sitting here today especially you footballers you have the support of your parents so be thankful for that.” Ince also told the young footballers to be grateful for their coaches for helping them achieve their dreams.

HONOUR ROLL – Challenge Trophy Winners: Nivan Ragoo (Groups One and Two); Alexi Toussaint (Groups Three – Seven, Competitive).

Most Improved Players: Saoirse Young, Tarique Williams, Josiah Fernandes, Richard Kerr, Emerald Endeavour, Emmanuel Duplacy (goalkeeper), Chelsea Reis.

Most Disciplined Players: Hailey Charles, Kaitlyn Jackman, Benjamin Rose, Isaiah Fernandes, Andrew Young.

Most Outstanding Players: Ridello Boodhai, Nivan Ragoo, Kai Williams, Jaden French, Reon Sylvester, Alexi Toussaint (goalkeeper), Isabella Ramdeen.

3. Green days by the River by Michael Anthony – If you haven’t read this Caribbean classic by Trinidadian writer Michael Anthony now is the time to do so because there’s a movie based on the book coming out around March of next year. This is the story of Shell, a carefree teenager who suddenly has to face the responsibilities of a man when his father becomes critically ill. Caught between two girls, Shell finds himself having to grow up much too fast.

4. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham – He’s known for his legal thrillers, but Grisham has also created an hilarious story about a husband and wife who decide to cancel Christmas. The book was turned into a movie that captures the comical side of the holiday that everyone takes so seriously.

5. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Laura Miracle –These three, interlocking tales by popular Young Adult (YA) writers, are a popular read with the teenagers in my school. The stories are light and fun, and they highlight how Christmas affects relationships.

Each story features some characters or some aspects of the other writers’ stories.

Let It Snow is a funfilled, light Christmas read that will put teens and adult readers in a Christmas mood.

6. A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W Bruce Cameron – This endearing story of a dog’s many lives is coming out as a movie in January.

It’s a light read that qualifies as a high interest/low reading level pleasant teen read. Adults will enjoy this story too.

7. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – This well written biography surprised me with its wit and wisdom. Phil Knight, the founder of the US $28 billion shoe industry has penned a riveting story of his life. Never preachy and always filled with self-deprecating humour, Knight shows how important it is to have both a dream and a plan. This too is a high interest/low reading level book that teenagers can enjoy as well as adults. It is only amazon.com’s list of holiday reading and holiday gifts.

8. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow – If you haven’t read the biography that inspired the musical, then I suggest you tackle it this Christmas. It’s a long book, but filled with the fascinating story of one of the US founding fathers who happened to be from the West Indies.

Void of banality and run-of-the mill clich?s, Did the Right Sperm Win?’ brims with signature eastern tenets embraced long before the dawn of western civilisation.

Hoffman-Jackson takes a page from the teachings of revered teachers presenting timeless testimonies on love, detachment, and self-determination.

Knowingly or unknowingly, she invokes the ghosts of Lao Tzu and renders a western version of his Tao Te Ching.

Each anecdote is pithy, poignantly delivered, and a welcome exercise in philosophical thought. But nothing really prepares us for the writer’s metaphysical ride. “The Psychic”, her opening salvo, makes a statement on the aura, an intangible, sensitive and pulsating field of energy that cloths the human body.

Inexplicably, we are drawn to some people and repulsed by others.

How should we respond to these chemical reactions? In “The Body Clock”, Hoffman-Jackson is at her sagacious best.

It’s deftly metaphorical and evokes Zen-like enquiry. Yet, it remains grounded in a captivating exchange between two mates. The dialogue shifts from biological cycles to a more a philosophical discourse.

Only when we grasp life’s energetic flow can we reap abundantly of its magnanimity. “How much time do you have left on your body clock?” Hoffman-Jackson asks. “The present exists so briefly it cannot be ignored,” she answers. “The thoughts that just flashed across your mind are already in the past…You need to live for the future by starting to live now.

Your choices and decisions made in the now will determine who you are in the future.” “I Love You” sounds a warning against attachment.

We conflate passion with love. In our misplaced sentiments we are vulnerable, victims of our own ignorance.

Love is sublime, never driven by sensibilities.

We forego pain and disappointment if only we practise detachment.

The avatars and mahatmas of yore have long advocated such.

To grasp the essence of authentic love, Hoffman-Jackson seeks guidance from the Good Book (Bible) relaying 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, of which an excerpt reads; Love suffereth long, and is kind.

[Love] seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things…endureth all things.” And in ‘I will pray for you,’ she lays bare her Christian faith inviting us to explore the efficacy of Psalms 109.

“Life is not fair!” is Solomonic in tone.

We meet four young brothers, all holding different approaches to living. Only one emerges a success. For the other siblings life proves unforgiving, even tortuous. We are cautioned against upsetting nature’s balance – its homeostasis or the Yin and Yang principle in eastern lore. Surely, there is a definitive correlation between health, success, and happiness and our attunement to the cosmos. We must never overreach. Outside of this fundamental law we are swept up by the vagaries of life, doomed to irrelevance and the dustbin of history.

In an impressive play of words she recommends that we tweak the title. If “Life is not Fear”, she argues, “then it’s a whole new game.” She then prods us to meet “our challenges without the tentative reservations that limit our excellence…” In “My best conversation…

ever”, we discern vestiges of St Ignatius’ call for silence. Be still and listen. In quietude we open the channels to hidden treasures hitherto unknown. In silence we confront our demons; and in silence we find our helper and redeemer. We are now equipped to surmount the most Herculean of challenges. Therein are teachings that echo a Taoist saying, “Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.” Later, in “Live life like a FTSE company”, she draws an interesting parallel between our life and the daily operations of a business.

We are charged with responsibilities.

The buck stops with us – the CEO of our lives. Yes, destiny (not fate) is in our hands. If only we take heed. The writer calls for strategic planning, a mission statement, and goals.

“For most people…tasks are done without any deep thought. But what if you actually think of yourself in a different light? Try, if you can to separate each role; know when you are required to act as a Chief Executive Officer as opposed to an Operational Manager and act as such.” And by the time she delivers the eponymous, “Did the right sperm win”, we are all disciples of truth mindful that our existence is purposeful, eternally valid and unique.

With stream-like ease lessons in pedagogy flow as Hoffman-Jackson injects new life into a genre that is exhausted and ironically grasping for meaning.

Undoubtedly, her trove of pronouncements has added a transformative, almost magical edge to the field of personal development.

Did the Right Sperm Win? by Vinette Hoffman- Jackson (c) 2016 Youcaxton Publications, UK Available at Amazon Ratings : Highly recommended

Burt Wiseman, principal of the Guayaguayare RC Primary School, where the vacation camp is held, gave a glowing review of the camp: “The kids who attend the Black Deer Camp are always excited and energised to do their work when they return to school. Many of these kids are at-risk academically and because of the remedial learning that they engage in, they overcome these obstacles and eventually do well.

“They are given a lot of self-esteem and motivation through their camp experience and this shows in how they excel in their schoolwork.

Year after year, this camp is a success story and I have to commend bpTT and the Black Deer Foundation for the difference they are making in these kids’ lives,” Wiseman said in a media release.

The camp utilises a mix of conventional and non-traditional techniques to reinforce the various skills students encountered at different education levels. Academic learning is delivered through elements of arts and craft, music, dance, gardening and instructional field trips.

Campers also engaged in interactive exercises to strengthen them in areas such as phonics, vocabulary, sentence structure, reading and writing.

Ronda Francis, corporate responsibility manager, bpTT , underscored the company’s support for the initiative: “This camp utilises highly interactive teaching techniques to reinforce fundamental learning skills such as literacy, numeracy and critical thinking.

The real difference, however, is the fact that a nurturing and fun environment is created where the kids feel comfortable to move at their own pace. They have excellent and dedicated tutors and the children themselves assist each other to succeed. From the feedback we receive, the Black Deer campers are much more capable and confident of attaining their full potential.” This year the camp was attended by 80 children between the ages of four and 13, most of whom came from the surrounding Mayaro/Guayaguayare community. The six-week exercise also attracted participants from across Trinidad and even the United States, based on the extraordinary feedback that parents have received over the years.

In addition to the experienced tutors, the camp also incorporates students from bpTT ’s Brighter Prospects programme. The scholarship programme provides financial assistance to students from Mayaro who gain access to tertiary education at approved institutions, who are required to volunteer toward the development of their home community.

Also giving praise to bpTT for its continued support of the camp was Arvolon Wilson- Smith, president of Black Deer Foundation, “We are already getting positive feedback from teachers, parents, and especially the campers themselves, as they settle in school. This camp works because the students have freedom to learn at their own pace while being guided by qualified tutors in a fun environment. This is yet another sterling investment made by bpTT in terms of developing young people.”