​Archbishop Jason Gordon says the Catholic Church views Saturday’s Pride Parade as a demonstration of Trinidad and Tobago’s democracy at play.
Hundreds of people, decked in rainbow coloured clothing, marched along Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain calling for equality and love over hate.
The parade ended at Nelson Mandela Park in honour of murdered transgender woman 'Sasha Fierce' who was gunned down at the location in December 2017.
Fierce, real name Keon Allister Patterson, was found on a pile of garbage near the park.
Speaking in a recorded statement which was released on Monday, Archbishop Gordon said the event was necessary as all members of the public deserve a fair chance to live among each other equally.
“We are a democracy and one of the things of a democracy is that people have a right to protest whenever they believe that their rights are not being upheld or violated. The fact of a pride parade in Trinidad and Tobago is a testimony that the democracy of Trinidad and Tobago is alive and well. The LGBT+ community has several areas where they have, I think, legitimate concerns for their rights and that has to be taken seriously by the country and by the government and by the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Trinidad and Tobago stamped their name at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games over the weekend in Barranquilla, Colombia, winning six medals and setting new records at the competition. 
Olympic swimmer Dylan Carter won two gold medals for swimming, breaking two of CAC's records, with times of 48.95 and 23.11. Fellow swimmer Joshua Romany won bronze with a time of 24.05. 
In cycling, trio Nicholas Paul, Kwesi Browne, and Njisane Phillip won gold with a combined time of 43.873 seconds, a new games record, well ahead of Venezuela (44.578 secs) and Colombia (44.172 secs) which got silver and bronze respectively.
Cyclist and reigning Caribbean Road Race and Time Trial champion, Teneil Campbell, won bronze in the Women’s Scratch Race (10,000 metres/40 laps). The medal for 20-year-old Campbell is the first ever at the CACSO Games by a women’s cyclist for this country in their first ever appearance as well.
Earlier on the same track, the duo of Costa sisters, Alexi and Jessica as well as Christian Farah and Alex Bovell missed out on qualification to the Women’s Team Pursuit (4,000m) medal round. The T&T women combined for a time of 4:51.022, a new national record, for the fifth spot.
Olympian, Felice Aisha Chow secured T&T’s first ever women’s medal in rowing, competing in the Women’s Singles Scull contested over a distance of 2,000 metres.
Chow, who competed at the Rio Olympics in 2016 crossed the finish line in nine minutes, 26.24 seconds for silver behind Cuban, Yariulvis Cobas (9:13.05 mins) while Mexico’s Naiara Arrillaga took bronze in (9:41.22 mins).
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Trinidad and Tobago stamped their name at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games over the weekend in Barranquilla, Colombia, winning six medals and setting new records at the competition. 
Olympic swimmer Dylan Carter won two gold medals for swimming, breaking two of CAC's records, with times of 48.95 and 23.11. Fellow swimmer Joshua Romany won bronze with a time of 24.05. 
In cycling, trio Nicholas Paul, Kwesi Browne, and Njisane Phillip won gold with a combined time of 43.873 seconds, a new games record, well ahead of Venezuela (44.578 secs) and Colombia (44.172 secs) which got silver and bronze respectively.
Cyclist and reigning Caribbean Road Race and Time Trial champion, Teneil Campbell, won bronze in the Women’s Scratch Race (10,000 metres/40 laps). The medal for 20-year-old Campbell is the first ever at the CACSO Games by a women’s cyclist for this country in their first ever appearance as well.
Earlier on the same track, the duo of Costa sisters, Alexi and Jessica as well as Christian Farah and Alex Bovell missed out on qualification to the Women’s Team Pursuit (4,000m) medal round.
The T&T women combined for a time of 4:51.022, a new national record, for the fifth spot.
Olympian, Felice Aisha Chow secured T&T’s first ever women’s medal in rowing, competing in the Women’s Singles Scull contested over a distance of 2,000 metres.
Chow, who competed at the Rio Olympics in 2016 crossed the finish line in nine minutes, 26.24 seconds for silver behind Cuban, Yariulvis Cobas (9:13.05 mins) while Mexico’s Naiara Arrillaga took bronze in (9:41.22 mins).
In hockey, teenager Shaniah De Freitas netted two goals, as T&T women’s hockey team battled past Barbados 2-1 to improve to a perfect 2-0 round-robin record at the Unidad Deportivo Pibe Valderrama. However, it was the Barbadians who struck first in the 17th minute through Keisha Boyce after a 0-0 first quarter.
De Freitas, 18, playing in her sixth international match for the ‘Calypso Stickwomen” drew T&T level five minutes later from the penalty spot and with two minutes left in the match she was on spot to score again to earn her team a deserved win.
Olympian Andrew Lewis had a mixed day on Saturday as he placed second in the fourth of his Laser Radial races before a 16th placed in race five while Kelly-Ann Arrindell was fifth and ninth in race four and five respectively.  
Source: The Loop, July 30, 2018

A tale written in Trinidadian Creole that was inspired by the true story of a family who cremated a baby in the wilds of the island, has been plucked from more than 5,000 entries to win the Commonwealth short story prize.
In Passage, Kevin Jared Hosein writes of a man who hears a story in a bar about a family living away from society, and sets out to find them. “A man is so small in the wilderness, believe me. The way how people is now, we ain’t tailored to live there. So when Stew say he stumble across a house in the middle of the mountain, my ears prick up. I take in every word as he describe it. A daub and wattle house in the middle of a clearing, walls slabbed with sticks and clay and dung and straw, topped with a thatch roof,” writes Hosein, in Trinidadian English Creole, a choice he had initially thought would put people off.
“Originally I was afraid – I didn’t think people would understand the Creole,” the Trinidadian author told the Guardian. But the novelist Sarah Hall, who chaired the award jury, said Passage was “immediately and uniformly admired by the judges”.
“It balances between formal language and demotic, ideas of civility and ferality, is tightly woven and suspenseful, beautifully and eerily atmospheric, and finally surprising,” said Hall. “It is, in essence, all a reader could want from the short story form; a truly crafted piece of fiction that transports the reader into another world, upends expectations, and questions the nature of narratives and narrative consequence.”
The annual prize is awarded to the best piece of unpublished short fiction from the Commonwealth. Stories can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, English, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, and Tamil, with 5,182 stories entered from 48 countries this year.
Hosein, who received his £5,000 award in Cyprus on Wednesday night, first learned about the true story behind Passage when he was 15. “People were aware there was a family living along a trail – they had older living customs that wouldn’t be acceptable today. Their baby died, and they had a custom to send its spirit off by cremating the body. That is what drew attention to them, and the two parents were put in an asylum, and the older children into a foster home,” he said.
“The last thing on the news was that when the children were brought into society and saw a television, they couldn’t stop screaming. I remember it hanging in my head as a child for a long time. People just wrote it off as madness, but I thought it had more to it than that and I wanted to explore it.”
AdvertisementA science teacher as well as a writer, Hosein was a Caribbean regional winner for the Commonwealth prize in 2015. “Winning in 2015 was pure validation – I didn’t really put my writing out there before that,” he said. “But just the fact that I made it on to the shortlist told me that my work could resonate with people outside my region. You always have that doubt: ‘Am I really good?’”
This time, “I just felt pride – not just in me but in my country … There is not much opportunity in the Caribbean to make a name for yourself. I think the prize has helped with that,” he said.
Hosein is the author of three novels: The Beast of Kukuyo, which won him the Burt award for Caribbean literature, The Repenters, which was shortlisted for the Bocas prize, and Littletown Secrets.

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​Chaguramas last week...  Look at the beautiful scenery in Trinidad.. sad to see this

Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community has died.
Cassar, 66, died on Thursday.
Arima mayor Lisa Morris-Julian extended condolences on behalf of the Arima Borough Corporation.
Morris-Julian said the loss of Cassar was a blow to Arima’s foundation which is rooted on the contributions of the First Peoples. 
She said the council laments the loss of a phenomenal woman who was of Carib descent.
“The council is thankful that she assisted in extensive work to keep persons of First Peoples lineage untied and thriving in the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community. It recognises her decades of labour which assisted to create a space in the Borough where the first Peoples are acknowledged and respected” she said.
Last year, the Government allowed for a one-off public holiday for the First Peoples Community, where Morris-Julian said the late Carib Queen was instrumental in her contributions to the festivities held during the Arima Fest celebrations, the Santa Rosa Festival and the First People’s Heritage Week.
In April 2009, Cassar represented the Santa Rosa First Peoples Carib Community at the 3rd Indigenous Leaders’ Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama in April of 2009.
​Education Minister and Arima Member of Parliament Anthony Garcia also extended condolences on the passing of Cassar.
In a statement, Garcia referred to Cassar as a symbol of strength, will and power within the community.
He said Cassar’s career was vast as she worked in the public service for over forty years.
“She contributed to the development of her country through work in Education, Community Development, Culture, Sport, Health and the Judiciary. Today I take the opportunity to again express my humblest gratitude to Mrs. Jennifer Cassar for her yeoman service to the First Peoples Community, to the Borough of Arima and to Trinidad and Tobago. May her life be an example to those in and outside of the Carib community and may her legacy be carried with love, light and positivity. May she rest in peace,” he said.

Canadian actor Dalmar Abuzeid will make history as the first black character from Trinidad and Tobago in the iconic Anne of Green Gables series, 'Anne with an E'.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Abuzeid will play Sebastian, an Afro-Caribbean steamship worker from Trinidad and Tobago who befriends Gilbert Blythe, one of the story's main characters and Anne's romantic interest in the Netflix series. 
The move was described as a 'watershed moment' for the well-loved story which is based on Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel about a young red-headed orphan in rural Prince Edward Island. 
"It's incredible the way I'm being introduced into a story that already has this history and this audience, and that means so much because I get to be part of that story with the new perspective of an Afro-Caribbean in the world of Anne," Abuzeid said.
His character, Sebastian Lacroix, is originally from Trinidad and arrives in fictional Avonlea as a manual laborer who stokes coal in the engine room of a steamship.
Moira Walley-Becket, creator of Anne with an E, said she deliberately chose a multicultural direction for the show's second season.
"When I was first conceiving Anne With an E, I was troubled by the lack of diversity in the book, especially since Canada is such a diverse nation, both then and now," she said.
The series is available on Netflix.
Source: The Loop, July 12, 2018

YOUNG artist Sarah Ali recently held a private art exhibition at Palm Foundation in Woodbrook, at which she put up for sale 15 pieces of art and six silk scarves to help pay for her tertiary education.
All the pieces, silks included, were sold-out on the night, with the exception of the largest.
The outgoing head girl at Bishop Anstey High School, Ali said, “I cannot even begin to describe my surprise at finding out that so many people wanted to buy my pieces. When I saw those orange ‘sold’ stickers going up next to the pieces I was in awe. I felt so blessed to know that my gift from God was being admired by so many people. I also felt incredibly empowered, as if a young artist as myself could host such a successful first exhibition, then I could do anything, and I could encourage young people like myself to take that leap of faith and share their talents with the world.
“The biggest thing this exhibition taught me was that if you just have faith God will make all things happen.”
Ali got a partial scholarship to attend the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) to do biomedical engineering. But the fees are high and though the $20,000 raised so far from the sale of her art pieces will help, she is hoping that her biggest piece, Imperium Chroma de Musical, will be sold before she leaves on August 2.
Asked if she hopes for an additional scholarship from the government, Ali said, “I have given my all in my CAPE exams, so yes, I am praying for a government scholarship. It would make things a lot easier for my family. I come from a single-parent family so a scholarship would take a huge load off my mom’s shoulders. I am just hoping that the work that I put in would be enough to allow me to receive such an honour.”
Ali got the international scholarship on the basis of her SAT scores: she did the SATs right before her Unit 1 exams for CAPE in 2017.
The scholarship is only awarded to top-performing international students. The engineering programme for which she got the scholarship is for four years, but can be reduced depending on how well she performs in her CAPE exams. Those results are expected to be released next month, and Ali says she is anxiously awaiting them with fingers crossed.
Noting that what she is going to study at tertiary level is so different from her art, Ali explained, “Art is my way of relaxing and stepping away from the chaos that is the world we live in.
“I am studying biomedical engineering, however, because science is my passion. My goal is to enter the field of cancer care, treatment and research. My eyes are set on improving the care of cancer patients, specifically in TT.”
Ali said both her grandfather and godmother recently died because they could not access top-notch care and said she wants to help people like them and their families.
But as far as her art is concerned, she said, “I can never stop painting and sculpting. I have always done art alongside my STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects; art was my extra subject for both CSEC and CAPE. I had to balance all of my science classes during school hours, then paint when I got home and whenever I found free time. I made time for it because it helped me to de-stress and relax. So no fear, this will not be my only art show. There is more in store.
“Also, my artistic talent will allow me to add a creative spin on new ideas to treat cancer.”
Ali placed fourth on the CSEC Visual Arts Regional Merit List in 2016, seventh on the CAPE Visual Arts Regional Merit List in 2016 for Unit 1, was named Women in Art’s Artist of the Year for 2017, was Bishop Anstey head girl 2017-2018 and an altar server for seven years at St Michael and All Angels’ Anglican Parish in Diamond Vale.
Source: Newsday, July 12, 2018

Former National Security Minister, Gary Griffith, has thanked all those who offered him words of encouragement on his nomination to the post of Commissioner of Police, by the government.
A total of 19 government MPs voted in favour of Griffith during the motion which was brought in the Parliament on Monday. 13 Opposition MPs who were present abstained while no one voted against.
In a statement issued less than an hour after the vote, Griffith said he needed no “honeymoon period” as he intended to work hard to gain the trust of the public and work alongside the police to ensure the safety of citizens.
“To those law-abiding citizens who have been sceptical of this decision made, it is my intention to win over your trust and support in the very near future. To those within the Service who may also share concerns, I assure you, I am well aware that I can never do this on my own, and I am certain, despite what is reported in the mainstream media, those who took the oath to protect and serve, will do so with pride. We are all aware that a team is as strong as its weakest link, and part of my role is to ensure all links are bolstered.”
Griffith said he is aware that the post of Commissioner of Police comes with great responsibility, a challenge he is willing to meet.
He also outlined some of his plans to do all that is required to achieve this feat.
“I am intent on utilizing Leadership, Management, Accountability and Measurement of Performance as standards of practice, whilst implementing methodologies that will advance a strategic, future-oriented, targeted approach to crime control, focusing upon the identification, analysis & management of persisting and developing problems or risks, also known as Intelligence Led Policing.”
He said, however, that he will not give further details as he awaits the official transition and handover period from current acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams of whom he praised for his service to country.

The Airports Authority is calling on the owner of an abandoned twin-engine turboprop plane to come forward and claim its aircraft.
The YS 11 aircraft has been at the Piarco International Airport for some time without any communication from its owner/s.
During this time the aircraft has racked up storage charges.
The Airports Authority’s records on the aircraft have not made things clearer, reportedly unable to reveal any current information on the owner/s.
A Public Notice has been issued to the owner/s or persons with a legal interest in the aircraft to remove same by July 9, subject to the payment to the Authority of outstanding storage fees accumulated for the aircraft.
In the event that the aircraft remains unclaimed or the fees unpaid by this date, the Airports Authority said it will be donated to the Chaguaramas Military History and Aerospace Museum.

​A Trinidadian man pleaded guilty to bank fraud involving numerous home equity line of credit loans today in the United States of America, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement yesterday.
The Justice Department statement said: "Garth Anthony Gardner, 49, a citizen of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, has pled guilty to charges involving a scheme in which he made misrepresentations to apply for and obtain more than US$3 million in multiple home equity line of credit loans."
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office.
Gardner pled guilty on July 2, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank fraud. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces an estimated range of 51 to 63 months in prison and a fine of up to US$100,000. The plea agreement calls for him to pay US$3,165,294 in restitution to 24 financial institutions. It also calls for him to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of US$2,048,446.
U.S. Judge Christopher Cooper scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in October 2003, Gardner purchased a property in the 5100 block of 13th Street NW, using the Social Security number of another person and falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen.
The Justice Department said: "In May 2005, he used a corporation that he owned to purchase a second property in the 1300 block of Dexter Terrace SE. Gardner transferred ownership of the second property from the company to himself for US$10. Next, Gardner applied for a series of home equity line of credit loans using the two properties as collateral."
By settling these loans in close proximity to each other, Gardner minimized the banks’ ability to learn about the other loans. From August to October 2004, Gardner obtained 12 home equity line of credit loans from 12 different banks secured by the 13th Street property, totaling approximately US$1.4 million.
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Between March and April 2006, Gardner applied for 13, and obtained 12, such loans from 12 banks, secured by the Dexter Terrace property, totaling approximately US$1.9 million, the Justice Department said.
Around February 2008, Gardner stopped making payments and defaulted on all of the loans. "The banks discovered Gardner’s fraudulent conduct after initiating foreclosure proceedings on the properties," the Justice Department said.
Gardner admitted that he used a portion of the proceeds from the fraudulent scheme to purchase 15 silver bars, which the government recovered and liquidated for about US$1.1 million.
Gardner was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2017, and was extradited to the District in February 2018, to face the charges that had been pending since 2014. He remains in custody pending his sentencing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jackson commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Bradford, David A. Last, Diane Lucas and Denise A. Simmonds, and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys.