“Growing up my grandmother – God rest her soul – used to say that ‘You feel you’s an actor or wah?’ So I like to think she always knew. Now as she looks down, she sees where I am and is smiling,” Chad said.
The Trinidad-born New Yorker has appeared in several US television series and may be on his way to becoming the small screen’s next leading man.
Usually, he plays colourful villains and supporting characters, but while the main protagonists get more screen time, his edgy bravado keeps the audience engaged and wanting more.
Chad has had roles in some of the most popular shows in modern television including Power, The Get Down, Orange is the New Black and The Punisher, and insisted he’s just getting started.
In an online interview with Sunday Newsday, Chad, born Quincy Chad Francis, spoke about his Trinidadian roots, acting career and goals for the future.
His parents were Morvant natives but migrated to Canada before landing in Brooklyn, New York.
“The area in Brooklyn, Flatbush, where we lived is like a mini-West Indies. The neighbourhood was full of Caribbean people so the culture was quite present. Backyard cookouts and fetes were quite prevalent growing up. The Caribbean culture travelled pretty well, besides the weather of course.”
Despite the biting cold of the US east coast, Chad said the weather made him appreciate visits to Trinidad for Carnival with his mother, something he enjoyed growing up.
Eventually the family would move again from their multi-cultural neighbourhood in New York to Connecticut where Chad would have his first encounter with racism.
“The schools I attended were predominantly white.
“I was one of maybe two students of colour in my classes. None of the other students ever heard of Trinidad. ‘Is that the same as Jamaica?’, ‘So you’re like Jamaican?’ Those kinds of silly questions were common.
“Unfortunately, in high school there were other instances of ignorance to my culture and racism, but my brother and I were able to adapt and excel in both academics and athletics, as the great equalisers.” 
As a multi-sport athlete in high school, he competed in basketball, (American) football and track and field taking his athletic prowess to Wesleyan University, Connecticut, where he served as captain for the school’s football team.
His skill made him look towards a professional career in the National Football League (NFL) until an injury derailed his plans.
This twist of fate while disappointing was a watershed moment in Chad’s life as it introduced him to acting when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who nurtured his talents.
In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
His life took a different direction when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who took an interest in him and nurtured his acting talents. In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
Chad played the part well, garnering praise from Pittsburgh theatre critics who commented on his convincing portrayal.
“Jim Brown was an activist, a football Hall of Famer, who also was an artist at heart and he later became an actor. The parallels were truly art imitating life in a sense,” he said.
Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 220 pounds, Chad’s imposing figure has led him to be cast as crime lords, construction workers and soldiers.
He appeared in a 2016 episode of the Punisher where he played ruthless mercenary Spencer Geiger.


In his most recent role Chad plays Big Deon, an intimidating Crips gang-member on FX’s crime-drama Snowfall, a critically acclaimed series currently in its fourth season detailing the spread of crack cocaine in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Even with a number of acting notches on his belt, Chad, while grateful for the opportunities, said he still has a lot of work ahead of him before he can feel as if he has “made it” as an actor.
“Being recognised for my work is something I am extremely grateful for. I liken it to building a house, the foundation is being set right now. Let’s see how it ends up.”
Despite his impressive physique, Chad is more than just muscle as he holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and intends to continue his studies even as he pursues his acting career.
The road to fame has not been an easy one, as Chad recalls times where he had to juggle the responsibilities of having a nine-to-five job while trying to get roles in plays to build his catalogue and reputation.
He also admits while most Caribbean parents tend to encourage their children to pursue more traditional professions, his family eventually warmed up to his acting career.
“They are all very proud, which isn’t exactly how it started. We as a culture tend to look at more conventional careers as the path to success. Doctor, lawyer, finance, etcetera but it’s all love now.
“I think once they saw my talent and how hard I was working to make things happen the respect and support flowed abundantly.”
These days Chad lives in Los Angeles but despite being so far away from home, he highlights his Trinidadian roots any chance he gets even getting a tattoo of the TT flag on his chest.
“I think I can thank her (his mother) especially for never letting us forget our culture.
“She made sure we wear it as a badge of honour. That is why I have the flag tattooed on my chest. I couldn’t be any more proud of where we come from. I try to make it back for at least every Carnival if I can.”
If Chad represents what a Trinidadian can accomplish with hard work and perseverance then the enthusiasm he gives his characters represent what audiences around the world have to come to love about his brand of acting: athleticism, boldness and a
sense that you know him.  Source: Newsday, April 2021

Touchstone Exploration has announced that tests on its Cascadura Deep-1 well have confirmed the presence of liquids rich natural gas.
Touchstone has an 80 per cent operating working interest in the well, which is located on the Ortoire block onshore Trinidad.
The company said it perforated the top 199 feet of the 449 feet identified as potential pay in sheet four of the over thrust Herrera formation on April 8, 2021.
The average flowback rate during the extended 24-hour test period was approximately 4,262 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), including 22.9 MMcf/d of natural gas and 449 bbls/d of NGLs.
Peak flowback rate of approximately 4,567 boe/d was observed, comprised of 24.5 MMcf/d of natural gas and 477 bbls/d of NGLs.
Approximately 48.8 MMcf of natural gas (8,138 boe) and 1,081 barrels of NGLs were produced during the testing period.
Field analysis indicated liquids rich gas with no hydrogen sulphide and no produced water.
The well is currently shut-in for a minimum four-week pressure build-up test.
In a statement, Paul Baay, Touchstone’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The positive test results from Cascadura Deep-1 further expands the opportunity on the Ortoire block as we now expect to have two distinct and separate sheets producing from two wells in the Cascadura structure.”
“We will accelerate operations required to bring the two Cascadura wells onto production as the test results allow us to properly size surface facilities for reservoir management. We are also moving forward with the required applications to establish a second Cascadura surface location, designed for up to four development wells. The test results demonstrate the clear future production opportunities for the Company."
James Shipka, Chief Operating Officer, said: "The exceptional performance noted during Cascadura Deep-1 well testing reinforces the geological concept of multiple stacked, independent hydrocarbon charged horizons in the Herrera turbidite fairway.”
“We will not be conducting any up-hole testing in the well as we do not want to interrupt this interval at the risk of damaging the reservoir with water-based fluids. The data collected in this flow test indicates that sheet four is separate from sheet three, where production is expected from the Cascadura-1ST1 well. There remains an additional 558 feet of potential pay above the tested zone in sheet three which can be evaluated in future development wells."
Extension of Lease Operatorship Agreements between Touchstone and Trinidad and Tobago’s Heritage Petroleum for the Coora-1, Coora-2, WD-4 and WD-8 blocks has been extended to April 30, 2021.
The LOAs were originally set to expire on December 31, 2020 and were previously extended to March 31, 2021.  Source: Newsday April 2021

The origins of Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice ice cream date to 1940, in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. Charles Alfred Neale biked around the city during long summer days, selling his one-of-a-kind coconut ice cream recipe — made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients, a “premium” coconut milk mix and no artificial flavours.
The extra creamy consistency and generous proportions led to an explosion of demand for his premium ice cream and it soon became a household name. More than 80 years later, his family’s commitment to honouring his legacy has landed Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice on the shelves of major supermarkets like Metro, No Frills, Sobeys, and Foodland in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, keeping Neale’s recipe alive long after his death in the late 1980s.
Neale’s is one of many businesses successfully cementing a platform for ethnic flavours in Canada for generations to come.
In 2013, cousins Andrew McBarnett and Stafford Attsz, were reminiscing about their grandfather’s glory days selling ice cream. They approached their aunt, Neale’s daughter, Rosemarie Wilson, who knew the recipe and would often serve it during family reunions. Wilson eventually became a co-founder and primary producer in Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice, which in the beginning was an entirely do-it-yourself type of endeavour based in Oshawa.
“We started by purchasing an ice cream machine, printing out labels, getting the entire family together, and just wrapping containers for a week,” recalled McBarnett.
“I think overall, we all had the same vision: to bring premium homemade Caribbean flavours that just weren’t available before in the Greater Toronto Area.”
Early on, the ice cream was sold in independent ethnic grocery stores in the GTA. In 2015, the company earned a spot on CBC’s venture capitalist show, “Dragons’ Den.” Though no deal emerged from being on the show, the publicity served as Neale’s official “coming out” in the Canadian dessert game.
Wilson was initially unsure if their ice cream business would fare well in Canada, but as the brand, which features flavours such as coconut, mango, guava and passion fruit, started hitting more shelves, she was amazed by the support that Neale’s received.
“I always knew there was a strong Jamaican community in the GTA, but I had no idea how large a Trinidadian contingent we have,” she said.
“I was getting personal calls at home from people who just wanted to talk. They’d tell me: ‘I remember you from San Fernando, yes, yes, yes. I just want to talk about the common heritage and the common bond!’ ”
She recalled a recent call from a Trinidadian gentleman who found their product in Sobeys and described his immediate sense of recognition and pride.
“That kind of connection inspires you to do more and to keep on going,” Wilson said.
Starting in 2018, Neale’s began moving into grocery chains mostly in Ontario. An expansion to stores in Montreal and Richmond, B.C., soon followed.
Last year began with plans to increase Neale’s national presence and debut in Loblaws stores, but the pandemic set the debut back and introduced new issues for the founders.
McBarnett and Wilson soon discovered “their supply chain was broken” — they could no longer source their natural ingredients on the timelines they were used to.
Wilson explained how because of halts in trade, several suppliers could not sell their ingredients at the same pace as before. To combat this, Neale’s started manufacturing according to availability of products instead of demand.
“For example, if it will take me six weeks or two months to get something, then when we actually get it, we say, ‘we might as well increase how much we manufacture,’ ” Wilson said.
Neale’s went from manufacturing 200 cases every four weeks to a 1,000, which may have worked to its advantage, as despite an ongoing lockdown, the demand for Neale’s ice cream surged. This was in part due to more consumers adopting a buy-local approach during the pandemic and in part due to increased sentiment to buy from Black-owned businesses after George Floyd’s death led to a global reckoning on anti-Black racism.
“I thought about how when I started Kingsdale, and I went to every institution in this country, and they all turned me down,” Hall said. “Eventually, I was able to get someone in a bank who looked like me, believed in me and was able to pull some strings to help me.
“I just knew I had to help.”
Wilson and McBarnett often worry about their business becoming “boxed in.”
Though the brand is rooted in offering a taste of their childhood and Caribbean heritage, the ice cream resonates with people from all over. McBarnett says they have had people from places like Portugal and South America, tell them the ice cream reminds them of home.
“This is way beyond the Caribbean,” he said. “It’s wherever these types of fruits are. Like Malaysia or wherever people are tasting our ice cream and remembering their childhood.” 
Rhythm Sachdeva is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto.
Source:  Toronto Star, April 12, 2021

​PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago government says it will be deploying members of the defense force to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from Tuesday, as that Caricom country continues to deal with the explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano.
“We will be deploying 50 officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. This contingent will comprise personnel from engineers, infantry/ provost, medical, and logistics. The contingent will be stationed in St Vincent for two weeks in the first instance,” the Ministry of National Security said in a statement.
The ministry, which has been coordinating Port of Spain’s assistance to St Vincent and the Grenadines, said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management has been coordinating efforts to collect supplies to be transported to the island on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The eruption of the volcano has resulted in several people having to be evacuated to several Caribbean islands including St Lucia and Barbados and the scientists monitoring the volcano have warned that the eruptions could continue for several weeks.
In 1902, the volcano erupted killing over 1,000 people. It last erupted in 1997, but there were no casualties. Source:  the NY Carivibes, April 13, 2020

Trinidadian-born Dr. Anthony Kalloo has become the new chair of the Department of Medicine at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center, effective April 1.
Born and raised in Woodbrook, Trinidad, Kalloo attended Woodbrook Presbyterian before moving on to Fatima College. He then entered the teaching service and taught science, physics, and chemistry for one year at St. Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain.
However, his heart was in medicine and he went on to graduate from UWI with a medical degree and later completed his residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC.
Today, Kalloo, 68, is a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He has also directed of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital for the past nine years. In his career which spans near 35 years, Kalloo has also been the recipient of many awards and accolades for his contribution to medicine. Among them were the distinguished educator of the year award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Caribbean American Heritage Award (CARAH), which he received in 2009 for excellence in medicine.
He has multiple patents and ideas that are now in practice in gastroenterology and endoscopy, but to date he records his proudest accomplishment as his breakthrough discovery called Notes (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery).
Dr. Kalloo is the Department of Medicine’s 39th chair since the founding of Maimonides Medical Center in 1911. Source:  The New York Carivibes, April 13, 2021

​A little story of family life in the 1930’s, written by my father in 1988 - part of many memories he wrote about. He recalls the days when he and his brothers were the bread delivery boys, using their big brothers’ bikes. My dad Andrew was the tenth child in a family of 12, living in Richmond Street, Port of Spain. Their father died young, (my dad was not quite 9 years old), leaving their mother to raise them all. They lived in a large house, so she took in boarders to help out financially and the children also had to help out.
“Ten boarders, 6 cousins, 12 of us, Mama and “poor” little friends (usually 2), say 28-30 people to be fed each and every day, breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. We all ate a lot of bread, so Ma employed Harris, Barbadian baker who had a problem with testicular hernia always getting in his way. Harris would arrive home and start baking between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. He supplied us with 100 hops loaves, and 6 pan loaves, plus other sweet breads for tea. He also baked some 30 other pan loaves which had to be delivered to the customers before 7:00 a.m. These were friends of the family who lived the general neighbourhood. Ma had several bread bags made, some to hold one or two or more pan loaves. Each customer had a nail on the back or front porch to hold the stringed bread bag. The empty bag would be replaced by the full one. Each bag had the customer’s name. Problem – transportation. Andrew, Robert, George borrow Boysie’s, Bertie’s and John’s bicycles, surround the bicycles with bags of bread and make sure you return for the owners to get their bicycles to get to work. We “students” had to eat breakfast quickly and walk to school – and get there in time. Many times we failed as evidenced by the black and blues on our hands or backsides as administered by our school masters. But this was all part of life. We loved Mama and understood the situation.”
Source: Valerie van der Meulen-Sheppard from the Virtual Museum of TT, March 2021

An interesting podcast about Growing up Caribbean   Click here 
or copy this link and paste it into your browser: ​https://anchor.fm/shona-bramble?fbclid=IwAR2_7XF15st-HuX6lmZpKiJYi80rgS6U6DAKNwJ6ciGFnwJ5ta3lthTQwzw

Trinidad’s oldest secondary school, St Joseph’s Convent, PoS, celebrates 185 years on April 5.
This is an edited version of a commemoration of its anniversary submitted by the school.
On January 29, 1836, six sisters from the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny arrived at the wharf in Port of Spain, having travelled by boat from Martinique.
They had been invited to come to Trinidad by Bishop McDonnell, prelate of the Catholic Church in Trinidad, for the purpose of “founding a house of education in which all classes and religions can receive a solid and adequate grounding.”
This small group of nuns was sent by Mère Marie-Therese, then superior of the community in Martinique and sister of Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey, the foundress of the Congregation. (Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey never actually came to Trinidad because she was actively working in French Guiana at the time.)
Three months after their arrival, the six sisters opened a boarding school for girls on April 5, 1836, on the upper part of St James Street (now Frederick Street). Before long they moved to rented premises on Kent Street (now Pembroke Street).
In those early years, students were examined orally by outside examiners in the presence of the nuns and visitors. These exams were called concours and were an exhibition of the literary, artistic and musical accomplishments of the students.
By 1838, the school had 50 boarders and was outgrowing the Kent Street location. In 1840, the Sisters bought a property not far from where they were renting. It was next door to the residence of the bishop and remains the site of the present school on Pembroke Street.


Of course, there have been many changes since then. Over the past 40 years, while the physical structure has remained more or less the same, the school has continued to be transformed and updated to suit the changing needs of its community and better equip students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing, digitised world. The introduction of the AV room and language labs in the 70s gave way in the new millennium to upgraded laboratories, the multimedia wing, multimedia classrooms, refurbished theatre and home economics room and gym and air-conditioning of every classroom.
Academically, the school has excelled over the years. SJC PoS won the President’s Medal in 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2016. It has gained open and additional scholarships in all disciplines: maths, science, art, business, environmental science, modern languages, modern studies and information technology. The ever-expanding curriculum has seen the introduction of environmental studies, entrepreneurship and more recently, music, at the CAPE level.
The school boasts 43 clubs and organisations. In music, the school choir, besides its participation and many successes over the years in local festivals such as the biannual Music Festival, has competed in many international choir competitions, in places that include Austria, Italy and Latvia.
In sport, it was the first TT school to represent Cheer Clubs at meets in Orlando. The dragon boat team competed in Toronto, Canada and it has sent teams to the popular Penn Relays in the US. In fact, many Convent students have been and continue to be on many national teams, many holding leadership positions, such as captains.
The Unesco Club has attended two international Unesco conferences in Costa Rica and Argentina. As part of its social outreach programmes, the school participates annually in the RBC Young Leaders competition and many charity projects, assisting neighbours like the Living Water Community and the Bethlehem RC Primary School. Students continue to take part in the Amcham Youth Forum and the Maths Olympiad. It also has a Legion of Mary group, a St Vincent de Paul Society Club and a prayer group to continue to nurture the spiritual growth of its young people.
Looking forward
The 185th anniversary of St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain, coincides with 2021 being dedicated the “Year of St Joseph,” its patron saint, by Pope Francis. This dedication was given on the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.
At 185, SJC PoS is the oldest secondary school in TT and “remains esteemed for a curriculum that is dedicated to helping young women, and more recently young men, from across TT realise their full potential; one that inspires and has produced “brilliant alumnae of integrity and character.” With each year that a new class enters SJC PoS’s gates, the school says, it builds on the legacy of excellence and nurture unrealised talents and aspirations for a bright future.
“With a long and illustrious history, a promising future, St Joseph’s Convent, PoS, continues to shape, influence and advance the nation in every sphere.
“Each new student walks in the footsteps of past and sets a path for future generations of young people, laughing through the corridors, becoming part of a sisterhood and a community of cherished memories, and playing a role in building something that is bigger than itself.”
As it celebrates this year the school is reminded of its motto, “Sapientia et Scientia: Wisdom and Knowledge.” These values, guarded by its predecessors, it says, continue to guide it today as it prepares future generations of SJC PoS students.
During this year’s celebration the school is thanking all who have given so generously of their time, efforts and donations through the years. It recognises the enduring support of the Cluny Board of Management and all the board members past and present who serve to ensure the growth and development of the school, and thanks the current Provincial Superior, Sr Maureen Alexander, for her guidance.
The school regards this anniversary as “a fantastic opportunity not only to take stock of what it has achieved, but also to look ahead.” It urges readers to join it on “this remarkable journey as we continue to strive for excellence in both performance and service.” With its “185 for 185” campaign to celebrate this year’s anniversary, the Past Pupils Association is embarking on further plans for several critical works at the school.
“We move forward in faith, hope and love and ask that you join us in our commitment to securing the best possible learning environment for future generations. With your continued support, our legacy endures, grows, and thrives for another 185 years – as it has done since its early beginnings.”
Milestones in SJC PoS history:
1845 – The foundation stone for the first chapel was laid.
1853 – A day school was introduced from 7.30 am-5.15 pm for girls under ten.
1859 – Sr Mary Louise Wright was appointed Mother Superior (head of the nuns and of the school). At that time most of the nuns were French. She was the first Trinidadian to hold this position.
1860 – Providence, or “Little Convent,” was established in the downstairs part of the bishop’s residence as a free school.
1869 – There were four years or courses (equivalent of today’s “forms”): preparatory, elementary, secondary and superior.
1894 – For the first time an Irish Cluny Sister was head of the Convent. Before that, all the Reverend Mothers had been French (with the notable exception of Trinidad-born Mother Mary Louise Wright, mentioned earlier).
1911 – SJC was affiliated with QRC for external Cambridge exams and qualified for a government subsidy.
1932 – Three students sat the Cambridge Higher Certificate exams (equivalent of today’s A levels) to compete with boys from St Mary’s College and QRC for the Colonial Scholarship. One was Jocelyn Urich, who joined the Cluny sisters and took the name Sr Frances Xavier. She would go on to become principal of SJC and then Provincial Superior of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny.
1944 – In the middle of the night on May 23, a fire broke out which destroyed the greater part of the school and the chapel and resulted in the tragic death of four sisters.
1946 – The new school buildings, the ones which exist today, were reopened in January.
1948 – The first Girls Scholarship offered by the Government was won by Corinna Achong of SJC.
1961 – The first Common Entrance Examinations were held in January 1962, when free secondary education was introduced in TT. Up until that time SJC was a fee-paying school which also offered a limited number of “exhibitions,” the equivalent of scholarships.
1990 – The retirement of Sr Paul D’Ornellas as principal marked the last time a Sister of St Joseph of Cluny held that post. Sr Paul was succeeded in 1991 by Melba Pounder, the first lay principal, herself a past student. She was followed by Elizabeth Crouch, another alumna; Jennifer Annandsingh; and another SJC alumna, Anna Pounder. 
Source: Newsday, April 5, 2021

Abby Phillip, CNN's senior political correspondent and the new anchor of Inside Politics, is among TIME's 100 Next, a list of emerging leaders who are shaping the future.
Phillip, a first-generation American born to Trinidadian parents, June and Carlos Phillip, was listed among the Phenoms alongside the likes of Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, actor Rege Jean-Page and Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido. 
In a brief statement on Phillip, her colleague April Ryan, CNN's political analyst, described her as a fresh face, but not new to this game.
"She has learned that covering the White House is very D.C.-focused. However, she is keenly aware that in covering any beat, you need input from the rest of the country and the world. She understands you have to hear and see the people to hear and see the story as it is really happening.
Speaking to Lisa Wickham, co-host of the TT Now Morning Show today, Phillip said she fell in love with journalism while at college where she wrote for the campus newspaper. 
After graduation, she worked at a news organisation called Politico.
"I think the way that I moved forward in my career is saying to myself I am just going to do this for as long as I can and if I hit a dead-end then I can't go any further but I will try to do this for as long as I can. I have been very lucky that people have given me jobs and that the industry has survived and thrived since I left college," she said.
Phillip said she was born in the United States but lived in Trinidad until the age of eight with her parents.
"Trinidad has always been home for me, that's where most of my family has been for most of my life," she said, noting that she has returned in the past few years to see her relatives.
Phillip said she misses the food the most especially being able to pick mangoes off a tree to eat. 
Talking about her entry into Harvard University where she studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Government, Phillip said her application essay was about growing up in Trinidad and being raised in a multicultural family. 
Source: The Loop, Feb 2021