Honduran 26 year-old Evelyn Solis, a Honduran National, who has been living in Belize for 3 years now, has been ordered by the courts to be deported back to her country of origin, even though she now has a Belizean child.
Yesterday morning, at around 10, Solis was caught by immigration officials on a Hattieville bus heading to Belize. When she was asked to present her travel documents, she wasn't in possession of her passport or her visitor's permit.
Immigration Officials took her into custody and it was determined she has been here since February 24, 2009. She entered Belize through the Big Creek Port, and was granted a valid permit to stay until March 11, 2010.
As a result of her over-extended stay, she was charged with the offense of failure to comply with a visitor's permit, and she was brought before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer today.
GSU Makes Multiple Arrests: Guns, Weed, Carnal Knowledge
This morning the Gang Supression Unit made multiple arrests at a Curassow Street address in Belize City.
Between 8:40 a.m. and 12.00 p.m. a search was conducted at the Parham's yard which consists of 3 houses and three shacks. The first arrest was Kenroy Parham, an unemployed 23 year old man. He was sitting in front of his house when he was searched by the police, and a loaded black 9 mm Sig Sauer Brand pistol without serial number was found in the waist of his pants. The gun was loaded with 9 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, and as a result, Parham was arrested and charged with Kept Unlicensed Firearm and Ammunition.
COLA Scolds PM Over Superbond
There's only one week to go before the double election and for all those who want to rock the boat, send a message or get some free publicity - now is the time. We don't know quite where the COLA activist group fits into that free for all - but today they called a press conference basically to scold the Prime Minister for his outspoken statements on the Superbond.
Now the COLA members are known to make some pretty outspoken statements themselves - but the group is more circumspect and measured on this one - and is urging the PM to do the same.
They certainly got the attention of their fellow activists - it was like an Alphabet Soup of activist groups up in the audience at the Biltmore today, from the BFJ, to CIFOS, to BELIZECAN, to the Commoners, to the VIP and a couple others who may still be buying a few vowels.
And before this sympathetic audience, COLA President Giovanni Brackett told the PM, hold it down:
Chetumal Citco Visits
Almost a year ago right after the newly elected Mayor of Chetumal, Carlos Mario Villanueva took office, Belize City Mayor, Zenaida Moya and a delegation travelled to the northern border city to meet with him.
The trip was to renew old acquaintances and re-establish a sister city relationship that was once enjoyed by both coastal cities decades ago.
Today, as part of the ongoing bilateral efforts to explore mutual areas of interest - especially in the areas of tourism and economic development - a group of 15 Chetumal city councilors met with their Belize City counterparts this morning at the Radisson Hotel. Jim McFadzean was there, and has this report.
Man Treated and Released After Being Shot
As we reported in our morning newscast, one man was shot during last night's blackout.
Around 7:15, Kurlyn Hamilton, a 35 year old former policeman was standing on Gill Street when an unknown gunman rode past on a bicycle and fired two shots. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was treated for the wound and was released.
Hamilton's brother, Elvis was recently killed in a motorcycle accident.
Preparations Intensify For Prince Harry's Visit
Prince Harry arrives in Belize on Friday - the first stop in a Caribbean Tour. Preparations are in high gear - at the Tourism Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government Press Office.
The visit is a big budget production - with very many moving parts - all of which have to move "just so."
But it's not like the Queen is visiting - it's just her grandson, and his Press Officer told us he likes regular stuff. Here's his explanation:
Miguel Head - Press Secretary, Prince Harry
"He's heard a lot about the country from the queen when she visited before and also from his brother, he came privately a number of years ago. And for him, this is a wonderful opportunity to extend to queen's good wish to her people in Belize, on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, but also for a chance to look around this beautiful country for himself. The prince is very informal guy. He is - during his normal working life - he's a captain in the army. And in that capacity, he's like any other officer - I mean he can dance; he can have a good time; and he can laugh with people. But at the same time, he also is a prince as well and he represents the dignity of the monarchy when he is here. So you will see a great mix of Prince Harry, both as a prince and the person as well when he's here. And I am sure he will have a normal fun, especially the Belizean lead him into the fun. I think that's the trick."
Senior Citizen Found Dead In Freetown Sibun
The body of an elderly man was found on the riverbank of the Sibun River in Freetown Sibun late this evening. It was identified as 73 year old Francisco Reyes - a resident of the village who was known to many as Pancho.
According to villagers, Reyes had been missing since Sunday evening and on Monday a search team began looking for him. Late this evening his body was found near the riverbank hooked in some branches. 7news was there - and the village Chairlady spoke to Monica Bodden...
Chairlady of Freetown Sibun
"It is one of our senior citizens, and he left out from Sunday morning heading to Hattieville. And unfortunately, I don't know what happened. But he went down or he lose control, slipped in the river and drowned."
Terrifying Home Invasion Reported In Corozal
Tonight there are reports of a home invasion that happened on the Consejo Road in Corozal over the weekend.
56 year old Mark Anthony Ramirez reported to police that he along with his family left their home for about an hour and when they returned they noticed that their back door was opened.
While entering the house, 3 masked men held up Ramirez, his wife and their three year old son hostage, tied up for almost 3 hours before the police were alerted.
LOVE FM reports that When the police arrived at the home of Ramirez, it resulted in a shoot out between officers and the two men -who managed to escape from police.
According to reports, the men made off with more than 10 thousand dollars in cash and another 10 thousand in jewelry.
Drilling in the Dark?
Tomorrow OCEANA and the Coalition will hold their so-called people's referendum. Organizers are calling on the public to come out and vote on whether they feel offshore oil drilling should be allowed in Belize.
Now, it's not a real referendum in the formal sense of the word, in fact, it's a symbolic gesture timed - it seems - to nearly coincide with next week's election.
But organizers hope the turnout is powerful enough to send a message to policy - makers in Belmopan - whoever they will be after March eighth.
But beyond the timing and symbolism - the issue of offshore drilling is a rife one - it puts into play several complex issues, from conservation and long term benefits of coastal resources, to immediate tax revenues and medium term development.
A complex interplay of issues, to be sure, but on this one, there's no middle ground, either you're for it or against.
Tonight, special correspondent, Janelle Chanona examines both poles of the divisive issue. Here's her report on what one marine biologist calls, "Drilling In the Dark".
Other Acts Of Miscreancy And Lawlessness
In other acts of miscreancy and lawlessness from the weekend, a Roaring Creek infant was injured when several gunshots were fired at her father's vehicle.
Reginald Ruiz, was driving his Mitsubishi Montero Sport Vehicle from the Another World Area, and a gunman opened fire on his vehicle when he slowed down for a culvert.
The windshield shattered and his one year old daughter received scratches above her ear and bruises to her face. He identified the gunman by name and police are now looking for that person.
And On Friday in Belize City, a Cosmetologist was assaulted then later intimidated by the same man. Denya Oviedo was walking on Raccoon Street when she was approached by a dark complexioned man on a bicycle. He punched her to the left side of her face hard enough to cause her nose and mouth to bleed.
Bar Assoc New President
The Bar Association held its Annual General Meeting last week Thursday - and - with all the timeliness of those slow judges they like to criticize - the Bar graced us with a press release yesterday.
Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck, was elected president - taking over from his wife Jackie Marshalleck who held the presidency before him.
Magali Marin Young is Vice President, Edwin Flowers is treasurer and Agnes Segura-Gillett is Secretary.
Denys Barrow, Darlene Vernon, and Andrew Bennett are Bar Committee Members. They were elected to serve for 1 year.
PM Leaves With Wife For Cancer Treatment
Earlier on in the news, you saw the Prime Minister speak about his meeting with bankers.
That interview was conducted yesterday and Yesterday he leaves the country.
According to an official release, he is leaving to accompany his wife for another round of cancer treatment. He will be gone for two days, returning on Thursday, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Gaspar Vega will hold over in the interim.
Darts Is A Sport! You'll Know Why In July
You may think of darts as a bar-room past-time, but it is a serious sport, played on a lucrative, highly competitive level worldwide.
And now a major regional event is coming to Belize. The Caribbean Cup of Darts will be played in Belize form July 20 to 30th, 2012.
President of the Caribbean Darts Organization, Malcom Spicer, was in Belize over the weekend to scout out the country.
He told us it will be a large and worthwhile event, with teams from over 16 countries participating - and he isnsited, Darts is a real sport:..
Executive Authority Caves To Banking Realities
Last week Wednesday at the launch of the UDP manifesto - the Prime Minister boldly announced that he would be meeting with bankers Yesterday to hammer out, quote "the kind of agreement that will see an immediate drop across the board in the lending rates in the banks of this country."
Well, that heady prediction was tempered by the blunt force of reality when he did hold that meeting Yesterday.
At around 10:00 the bosses of all the major banks went in to meet the PM at his Belize City Office - and when they left at 11:30, all sides were cordial, but it was clear that no agreement to instantaneously lower rates had been arrived at.
The plan going forward is more measured than might have been expected:
Another Belmopan Killing
Belmopan has witnessed another murder.
On Friday we told you about Benito Mendoza who was executed with a gunshot to the head, and tonight the story is about Edwardo Martinez who was stabbed to death.
They happened in different parts of Belmopan - but it's unusual for the capital to have such a high frequency of killings.
Monica Bodden went west to find out what this one was about:
Rodwell Williams Gives Emotional Testimony
The Belizean public has seen Attorney Rodwell Williams return to full health after his near-fatal shooting on May 31, 2010.
Williams, who is the Prime Minister's law partner returned to work last year, but has not given any public accounts of the ordeal he faced on that night. Neither has he spoken about his road to recovery.
Well, that silence was broken yesterday when the first trial without jury started in the courtroom of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Taitt - Vidal indicated to the court that she intends to call 15 witnesses on behalf of the prosecution. She called 3 of those witnesses Yesterday, including Williams who laid down the foundation of the case, by presenting the details of the crime.
Williams spoke almost clinically as he narrated the event from the time he left his office until when he was shot and slumped to the sidewalk.
At the point where he spoke about the doctors at Belize Healthcare Partners trying to extract the bullet, however, he became emotional. He struggled with describing that procedure of the doctors having their hands in his body searching for it.
Grandmother Knocked Down And Killed in Biscayne
On Saturday evening, a grandmother was knocked down and killed in Biscayne Village at mile 21 on the Northern Highway.
It happened around 6:45 as 67 year old Constance Andrewin was riding from Church to her home, which is nearby.
And almost directly in front of her home, 45 year old David Zetina, was driving a pick-up truck towards Belize City and was blinded by the high beam of an oncoming vehicle. By the time he saw Andrewin, he was upon her, and could not stop; he hit her as he applied brakes.
Yesterday her daughter, Jerrilyn Flowers told us that her mother always rides on the shoulder of the road, off the pavement:..
Cops Jacked A Hilux?
A pair of police officers have been implicated in the theft of a Toyota Hilux. It started early on Sunday morning when three men broke into a car lot at the back of the Texaco Gas Station at mile one on the northern highway.
They got in by burrowing through the fence at the rear of the compound.
Once inside, they broke into three vehicles, but managed to start only one of them - a green 2010 Toyota Hilux. They then broke the padlock on the fence and drove on out of the un-guarded compound.
The vehicle was reported stolen - and so all police formations were put on alert. And lo' and behold, around 9:00 am on Sunday morning in Belmopan a police patrol on the Caribbean Investors Road came upon a green Hilux, driven by 30 year old Police Constable Virgil Perez, attached to the Patrol Branch and 23 year old Police Constable Dwayne Salgaro attached to the Mahogany Precinct.
Epic Evening Blackout Stops 7News
First off, we apologize to you, our viewers, for being unable to put on last night's news. That's the first time in memory that's happened to us at 7news, and it is due to an epic blackout that went from 10 minutes to five, right up to ten minutes to eleven. It caused an outage throughout most of Belize City - and power was only available beyond mile one on both western and northern highways. That left an estimated sixty thousand people - a fifth of the country without power - and that included our studio her eon Albert street.
The cause was a fire at BEL's Magazine Road substation - which forced the outage and caused damage to an industrial transformer.
A Daylight Killing On Mahogany
Belize City residents will know that Mahogany Street is one of the busiest roads in the city.
But this morning around 9:30, a 52 year old father of six was killed right on the sidewalk.
It seems John Lamb got into a misunderstanding with a younger man who struck him.
The force of the blow knocked him down and witnesses say he hit his head and never got up again. 7news was on the scene - and we spoke to his family:
Channel 5
Belize City in darkness
Our newscast was delayed on Monday night for about two hours due to a power outage. We are able to get back on air at about eight-thirty after we had worked out the kinks on Coney Drive as well as Regent Street where our transmitters are located. But the residents in the old capital endured ...
P.U.P. Pickstock mad about polling station change
P.U.P. Pickstock Standard Bearer, Dr. Francis Smith, expressed outrage earlier today over changes in polling stations in the constituency for the March seventh general elections. According to Smith, voters previously polled at the Belize Technical College, now the ITVET Building on Freetown Road and the Belize City Center. Following the conclusion of a national re-districting ...
Much Ado About Nothing…P.U.P. requested change
But there is good news for Smith; late this evening Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai, told News Five that the Central Christian School on the compound of Central Assembly of God will now be used as the second polling station for the Pickstock constituency. When we spoke to Alberto August, chairman of the Elections & ...
Drunken machete to neck murder in Bladen
A man known to enjoy his liquor was murdered in the south of the country. Early Monday morning forty-five year old Felix Cucul and his sister Carmen Cucul were socializing at a bus stop at Bladen Village in Punta Gorda. The drinking resumed in the night and they were joined by Dion Foreman around eight-thirty. ...
Place your bets; Who will win 2012 Elections?
Tonight’s question is: Who do you think will win the 2012 elections; P.U.P., U.D.P. or others? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to [email protected].
COLA chides PM for Superbond Comment
The super bond and the thirteenth senator are hot button issues for a number of NGOs. At least eight of them that range from a one man show to the more established, took a consolidated position that is contrary to the government’s. At the launch of the U.D.P. manifesto last week, the Prime Minister had ...
PM joins wife on medical visit
When the NGOs were making a statement, the Prime Minister was departing Belize for Miami. His wife, Kim Simpliss Barrow, will be undergoing another round of chemotherapy treatment for cancer. It will put the PM away for two days. He is scheduled to return on Thursday.
SATIIM blames US Capital Energy for Fire in Reserve
There has been long standing friction between US Capital Energy and the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM). That’s because the oil company is conducting seismic testing and has plans to drill in the Sarstoon Temash National Park, which SATIIM co-manages. Well, over the weekend it went from friction to fire in the protected ...
Belize Can President on nationalization
Not much has been publicized about the movement called Belize Can. Its president Patrick Menzies has been very active during the 2011 unrest which was incited by bus owners who felt that restructured road service permits would have crippled their businesses. During the COLA press conference this morning at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza, ...
New Bar Association President
There are changes in the leadership of the Bar Association. At its annual general meeting at the Radisson this past Thursday, a new executive committee was elected. The baton was passed from Jackie Marshalleck to Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck as president while Attorney Magali Marin Young was elected as Vice President. Edwin Flowers is the ...
Succotz Village Council feels slighted by Royal Visit
Prince Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, is coming to visit Belize at the end of the week as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Channel Five will be having live broadcasts of the event and a number of US networks and agencies will cover the event. But the official visit ...
Undocumented Salvadorans and Peruvian busted
Four Honduran nationals, who were caught in Belize without proper documents were each fined a thousand dollars last week and are currently awaiting expulsion. Another group of illegal immigrants had a similar fate when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer late Monday evening. Salvadoran nationals Melvin Omar Gonzalez Ramos and Manuel Gonzalez as well ...
Where is Julissa Westby who accused cops?
A phone and assorted jewelry that were allegedly stolen from the police exhibit room last March resulted in two police women being placed on interdiction and charged with Theft. Back then, the outraged complainant, Julissa Westby, took her plight to the media but today she was nowhere to be found for the case to get ...
P.U.P. Rally reigns over Cayo
The opposition People’s United Party picked up momentum in the west over the past weekend. The west has traditionally been considered a U.D.P. stronghold, but with the thousands that turned up on Sunday, the opposition is upbeat. There are five constituencies at stake so the P.U.P. machinery geared up for the event. News Five’s Delahnie ...
A visit from neighboring Quintana Roo
Among the last guests that the current city council will receive before the Municipal Elections is a thirteen member team from the town of Othon P. Blanco in neighboring Quintana Roo. The courtesy call from the visiting delegation was to discuss ongoing projects between the sister cities. The representatives of the two cities say that ...
Mayor Moya moving on
With just a week before the March seventh Municipal Elections, a new mayor is expected to take over city hall. Today, News Five caught up with two-time Mayor Zenaida Moya, who is winding down her duties. Moya ascended quickly to fame and fell from grace just as quickly when she became the first sitting mayor ...
Scotiabank donates to Living Hope
Living Hope Preparatory School, which offers a second chance to primary and high school dropouts, relocated to Maskall Street last September after the Atlantic Bank donated a building to them. And today, another bank is providing a major boost to the non-profit organization. Through its Brighter Future initiative, Scotiabank handed over a cheque for twenty ...
Muy Caliente KTV Latino
It’s Tuesday and that means the Bliss is the place to be for a night packed with entertainment. So get ready for another round of performances in KTV Latino season three. Tonight the Group A singers will be stepping up to the mic and you get to decide if they have what it takes to ...
LOVE FM
BELIZE CITY COUNCIL HOSTS COUNTERPARTS FROM OTHON B. BLANCO
The Belize City council held a ceremony at the Radisson Fort George Hotel
as part of the Belize City-Othon P. Blanco Sister City Official Visit.
Visiting from Othon P. Blanco in Quintana Roo Mexico were councilors of the
municipality of the municipality, with the exception of the mayor, Carlos
Mario Villanueva, who couldn’t attend. The ceremony consisted of a meet
and greet session with the mayor and councilors followed by open
discussions by elected officials and technical staff. Belize City Mayor,
Zenaida Moya told us more about this special occasion.
Mayor Zenaida Moya
“We don’t have land to be doing agriculture and all that so one of the
areas we are looking at has to do with tourism, the financial sector,
services are what Belize City can really push. The historical and the
cultural aspect of Belize City are such that we have a lot that we can put
forth to Othon P. Blanco, to Mexico. They have a population I believe of
over 150 million people; I hope my statistics is correct. They have a lot
that we can gain from in terms of their residents visiting our
municipality, visiting the country. We have less than a million people and
by them coming over and sharing with us, I think it can help the
livelihoods of so many families.”
MAN INJURED IN SHOOTING INCIDENT
A shooting incident last night in Belize City has left one man injured.
Thirty five year old Kurlyn Hamilton was shot in the in right foot as he
stood in front of a yard on Gill Street. The shooting happened around
seven fifteen last night. Police say their investigation so far reveals
that a man rode by on a bicycle and fired two shots, one of which caught
Hamilton who was with another man. Neither Hamilton of the other man was
able to recognize the shooter. Police investigations continue.
HOME INVASION REPORTED IN COROZAL
Corozal Police are looking for two men following a brazen home invasion in
Corozal this past weekend. On Saturday, 56 year old, Mark Anthony Ramirez
and his family left their home on the Consejo Road and when they returned
an hour later they realized that someone else was in the house. Two masked
men had made their entry through the back door and held up Ramirez, his
wife and their three year old son inside the house. The men held the family
hostage for almost three hours before police became aware of the situation.
When the police quick response team descended on the area a shootout
ensued and by the time police reinforcement arrived on the scene the men
had fled into the dark. The men made good their escape with more than ten
thousand US dollars in cash and another 10 thousand dollars in jewelry.
Police are looking for two men in connection with this incident.
TOLEDO BUSINESSMAN SAYS ATTACK POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
The political tension in the Toledo District has been heating up as general
elections draw closer and over the past few weeks we have been receiving
reports of politically motivated criminal acts. The latest incident
reported is damage to the property of a businessman in Santa Elena in the
Toledo District.
Paul Mahung reporting...
Three persons have been charged with damage to property of a business man
in Santa Elena, Toledo District. Owner of the damaged property says that he
strongly feels and he alleges that the attack on the building which
accommodates his family home and grocery store is politically motivated.
Santa Elena Village grocery owner Armando Choc in speaking to Love News
expressed his disappointment in the incident and spoke of what happened.
Armando Choc – Store owner
“I am a businessman of Santa Elena Village in the Toledo District. On the
18th of February around 6:30 p.m., a pickup load of UDP campaigners for
Juan Coy came, attacked my house and business place, throw stones and
bottles damaging the roof and in front of my building. In the building at
the time were some family members and customers who ran out of the building
fearing for their lives. Villagers who heard the noise come to their
rescue. I reported the matter to the police. I am totally disappointed and
I want the nation to know that what Mr. Juan Coy campaigners are doing is
wrong, I want Mr. Barrow to look into this matter. This is a bad example
for people who are trying to lead our country.”
COLA EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER PRIME MINISTER COMMENTS
The government’s stance on issue of the thirteenth senator has triggered
the Committee Organized for Liberty through Action, COLA, to call a press
conference. At his party’s launching of the UDP Manifesto last week, Prime
Minister Dean Barrow, said that his government would not install a
thirteenth senator. This was in sharp contrast to the UDP’s 2008 manifesto
promise that it would do so. And today while COLA’s disgust started off on
that note, the organization’s President, Giovanni Brackett, also went on to
include their position on the Prime Minister’s comments at last week’s
manifesto launch when he said that the creditors of Belize’s super bond,
would have to come to the negotiating table to agree to new, less
burdensome interest rates. This was what Prime Minister Barrow said in
part on the super bond, if his government is elected to power.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“This 8 ½% interest rate we will not suffer. Belize is a country
that is a country of honor, we do not easily renege on commitments but if
there are commitments that in effect represent a Jack Boot on the throat of
the Belizean people, then unless those that are applying that Jack Boot are
prepared to re-negotiate, they are going to see that the Belizean people
are not going to take it, we won’t lie down so that anybody could take
chance on us. The bottom line is Mr. bond holder come to the table and
re-negotiate with Belizeans, you are obliged to give us a better deal and
people of this country will accept no less.”
Brackett said that the Prime Minister’s approach was a bit haughty.
PUP STANDARD BEARER CONDEMNS MOVE BY ELECTIONS AND BOUNDARIES
Election Day is drawing near and there have been reports and allegations of
wrongdoing back and forth between political candidates. Today the PUP
Standard bearer for the Pickstock Division Dr. Francis Smith issued a
release in which he states residents of the division are “outraged by the
blatant collusion between the Elections and Boundaries Office and Mr.
Wilfred “Sedi” Erlington to discourage voters in his constituency from
coming forth to vote.
Dr. Francis Smith – PUP Standard bearer, Pickstock
“In the past the Pickstock Constituency has been divided into three polling
areas, zone 6, 16A and 17 A. Zone 6 which is on the north side of Belize
City would usually vote at the Belize Technical College and zones 16A and
17A would vote at the Civic Center, that has been changed now and there is
only one polling station and that is at St. Luke’s Methodist on Mahogany
Street. I have been around trying to inform the people but I find it
alarming that most people they don’t seem to be aware of it and they are
resisting, the north side constituents coming over to the south side and I
think there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the Elections and
Boundaries Department to discourage people on the north side and I feel
that the north side has been a PUP stronghold and I believe it is for this
reason. Politics apart I really think it is just common decency and
courtesy to facilitate voters so if you look at all the other
constituencies, Fort George, Freetown, Caribbean Shores you will see that
there is more than one polling station and the reason is well you need to
facilitate voters so it is extremely unfair for people who live on North
Front Street or New Road or Victoria Street to walk all the way from there
to Mahogany Street especially at this time where the level of skepticism is
unprecedented and they are predicting a low voter turnout.
BEL EXPLAINS EXTENDED POWER OUTAGE
A near seven hour long blackout to parts of Belize City has been resolved,
and the state-owned electricity provider has issued a statement explaining
the power outage. Belize Electricity Limited, BEL says the extended
blackout was due to a faulty vacuum switch on the capacitor Banks at the
Magazine Road Substation. The BEL statement says that the faulty switch
caused equipment at the substation to overheat, which necessitated the
unplanned interruption of electricity supply to Belize City beginning at
four fifty two yesterday evening. Technicians were able to isolate the
faulty vacuum switch and capacitor banks just before eleven o’clock last
night and power was restored to the entire Belize City. BEL says that
technicians worked throughout the night to replace the faulty vacuum switch
and there was another brief power outage just before six o’clock this
morning to reconnect the capacitor banks and to fully restore the system.
CTV3
Burglars Get Off With $15,000.00
In Yesterdays newscast we told you about the home invasion that took place on Saturday night in the outskirts of the Corozal District about a mile out on the Consejo road which resulted in a shoot out between the criminals and law enforcers. Last night details were still sketchy but tonight we got the full details.
Twenty one year old Ysenia Oliva, her husband, 56 year old Mark Ramirez and their four year old son left home about 3:30 in the evening to run some errands. About an hour later when the family arrived home they were surprised by two masked men. One of the men was armed with handgun and wasted no time in pointing the weapon at the family and that is when, according to Oliva, her worst nightmare began.
PUP Orange Walk East Standard Bearer Says Take The Money And Vote Them Out!
Last night we passed an interview where two registered voters from Orange Walk East claimed that they had been paid a total of $150.00 to bring down their P.U.P flags and put up two UDP flags. In order to establish their case the men showed us two checks one for $60.00 written out to Carmelita Government School and the second for $90.00 written out to Trial Farm Government School.
On Friday February 24th Israel Ocampo was at home when he was visited by campaigners of the UDP who questioned him about his necessities. Ocampo told them he had two children that needed to be transferred from one school to the next but due to lack of financing he was unable to do so. Of course taking advantage of the family’s necessity the UDP offered to pay for the transfers in exchange that Ocampo, who has always been a P.U.P supporter, bring down his party’s flag and replace it with two UDP flags.
BPA Says BAHA Is Not Playing Fair
The poultry business is one of the largest domestic businesses in Belize catering to empty plates all over the country. With such high demand it is important to maintain the country poultry disease free which is what has the Belize Poultry Association on high alert tonight. It is reported that the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, BAHA, has issued a license to a producer in shipyard located in the Orange Walk District, for the importation of large quantities of poultry. And this is what has the Belize Poultry Association up in arms because all indications are that the ten thousand broiler chickens did not undergo necessary inspections by BAHA before entering the country.
Victor Gongora, Veterinarian, Belize Poultry Association.
“The concern is with the Belize Customs because whenever live animals are imported from a country they are a very high risk to bringing disease so under normal conditions before any country would issue a permit for live animals to come in then the diseases would need to be cleared up,
On The Campaign Trial With Doctor Mendez
With the double elections just a few days’ away politicians are hot on the campaign trail and today Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez once again hit the streets to gather support from residents of the Louisiana Area. Without a doubt all eyes will be on the East come March 7th because Area Representative Marcel Cardona has switched sides and is now campaigning for Mendez, leaving Landy Burns on the side.
Janine Ayuso-Reporting
Today the Louisiana Area in the Orange Walk District was patrolled by Dr. Mendez and his campaign team. The street was covered in blue as campaigners walked behind the doctor chanting and hollering his name, showing their full support for the man who will bring change to the east. Mendez personally went from house to house listening to the people’s cries and insuring them that healthy leadership was on its way.
Without a doubt Dr. Mendez is making his voice heard and the people are responding to his protest against the blatant UDP.
Corozal Inaugurates House Of Culture
History and culture; combined they provide us with our own unique identity. With that in mind this past Friday Corozal residents inaugurated their house of culture. It was a well attended ceremony with over 700 people witnessing the cutting of the ribbon at the same time being the first ones to view the historical exhibits on display. Today, as we toured the house of culture, Debra Wilkes Gray, Visual Arts Coordinator for the Institute of Creative Arts told CTV3 News that the house of culture in Corozal was long overdue.
Debra Wilkes Gray, Visual Arts Coordinator, Institute of Creative Arts (ICA)
“This is to launch the inauguration we selected ten Corozal Artists, people who live and breathe the air here in Corozal daily, so we are looking at wood products, textiles, painting, photography as well as we open with two of eco’s programs, visual arts programs that we are doing one is the developmental art program a year long process that we have twelve students, they come in twice a month with an artist who is also an instructor here and we have at the back we have a village environmental art program that we initiated in November where we go out to the villages, different villages, six classes we are focusing on women teaching them how to use a thrown away items and turning them into art or saleable product.”
Belize City In Darkness for Six Hours
Yesterday just before the 5:00 o’clock rush hour in Belize City the electricity went off. The blackout, which pitched the old Capital into total darkness by nightfall, lasted for almost 6 hours.
Across the City, shops and restaurants pulled down their shutters and closed their businesses unable to guarantee the security of employees and their patrons. In their shuttered homes children were forced to do homework by candle light. The security cameras across Belize City, which serve as a deterrent to crime and allow police to keep an eye on the hot spots in the city, went blank, and police officers had to rely on flash lights to conduct regular patrols.
The Government owned and controlled Belize Electricity Limited who estimated that electricity would have been restored to Belize City much earlier than it did, blamed stated that the cause of the blackout was due faulty equipment at their Magazine Road Station, the largest in Belize City.
LOVE TV
Mexican municipal officials on official visit to Belize
The Belize City council today hosted a delegation from Othon P. Blanco as part of its sister city relations. Visiting from Othon P. Blanco in Quintana Roo Mexico were councilors of the municipality, with the exception of Mayor Carlos Mario Villanueva, who couldn’t attend. The ceremony consisted of a meet and greet session with the mayor and councilors followed by open discussions by elected officials and technical staff. Belize City Mayor, Zenaida Moya told us more about the special occasion.
The first councilor for the Municipality of Othon P. Blanco, Licenciada Miriam Osnaya Sanchez says that the councilors are here to countersign a fellowship project between Belize and Mexico.
After lunch, the group was given a tour of Belize City.
Plans finalized for royal visit
It was in February 1994 that Queen Elizabeth the Second visited Belize for the second time, and now, eighteen years later, her grandson, Prince Henry, better known as Prince Harry, is scheduled to make an overnight stop in the jewel as part of a wider tour of the region. Today the media was briefed of the visit and our roles as we cover the Royal visit on Friday and Saturday of Prince Harry. Press Secretary to Prince harry, Miguel Head, days that the Prince is eagerly anticipating his visit with Belizeans.
Prince Harry will arrive on Friday and, amidst strict security detail, will be chauffeured to designated locations in the country for planned events before leaving on Saturday for the Bahamas. The media will be afforded the opportunity to report on the Royal Visit and Love FM and Love Television will be there to bring you highlights.
New playground for Hopkins village
in Children's Issues
A playground has been erected for the children of Hopkins Village in the Stann Creek District. Correspondent Harry Arzu reports.
PUP candidate complains about alleged irregularities
Election Day is drawing near and there have been reports and allegations of wrongdoing back and forth between political candidates. Today the PUP Standard bearer for the Pickstock Division Dr. Francis Smith issued a release in which he states residents of the division are “outraged by the blatant collusion between the Elections and Boundaries Office and Mr. Wilfred “Sedi” Erlington to discourage voters in his constituency from coming forth to vote.
Smith has forwarded his concern to the media, the OAS observer mission in Belize and all international organizations in Belize. In speaking to Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai a couple minutes before news time this evening, she told Love News that there is no collusion as claimed by Dr. Smith. She says the reason for not having the polling station at the former Belize Technical College, now ITVET, is simply because it is located in the Freetown Division and as for the Belize City Center, the building is not functional at the time. She did say though that they have assigned Central Christian Assembly for the Polling Area Six voters and Polling area 16A and 17A will vote at St. Luke Methodist School.
Amandala
Trial without jury begins!
Akeem Thurton is tried for the attempted murder of attorney Rodwell Williams... Akeem Thurton, 20, charged with the attempted murder of attorney Rodwell Williams, sat unrepresented and alone in the dock when he appeared this morning in the courtroom of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin
“City without pity” suffers six-hour blackout!
“Overheated equipment” causes Magazine Road substation fire... Just before five this evening, Monday, a sudden fire outbreak at the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) substation on Magazine Road that powers Belize City led to an outage that paralyzed the Old Capital for six hours, from 4:52 to 10:56 p.m.
Belmopan double murders – 1 shot and 1 stabbed to death
Youth shot buying food, and a mangled body found on football field, stabbed in the chin, throat and chest... Belmopan police have two murders on their hands tonight, as young Hispanic men of the outlying communities around the Capital were murdered on Thursday night and early this morning, Monday.
Rene & Rene, Rick the Ruler, DFC and Cahal Pech for $1.3 million
Supreme Court Justice Oswell Legall is set to hear the case of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) against Rene Villanueva, Sr., proprietor of RSV Media Limited/Love FM, and his son Rene, Jr., on Monday, April 2, 2012, in a lawsuit to reclaim money which the businessmen allegedly borrowed for an entertainment enterprise in Cayo.
Monday morning murder on Mahogany
John Russell Lamb Myers, Jr., 52, of Oleander Street in Belize City, spent his last hours this morning on Mahogany Street wishing a teenage daughter (in high school) happy birthday.
Traffic accident claims the life of Biscayne woman
Vehicle hit her with so much force, her bicycle broke into pieces.... Losing a loved one would be very hard on anyone. If the person were sick for some time and deteriorating in health, the blow would somewhat be expected and therefore easier to accept.
Week 3 results in Premier League, Police still leads in south, San Pedro surprise in north
At the end of Week 3 in the Premier League of Belize 2012 opening tournament, pre-season favorite Police United remain undefeated to lead the south (S) zone; while San Pedro Seadogs, who were considered a questionable entrant in the tournament, are surprise leaders in the north (N), though tied in points along with San Felipe Barcelona and F.C. Belize.
Rumblings inside the BDFA, meeting Friday at MCC
Belize District Football Association (BDFA) executive member Sanja Pitts dropped by the sports desk this morning to voice his concern about the upcoming FFB Electoral Congress on March 15, and his BDFA executive’s apparent unpreparedness for this important event for the future of football.
A chat with veteran footballer Gerald “Speedy” Henry – Part 3
S: No. Mostly Cayo players… But, we played against “Mugga” (Louis Garbutt), “Palmer” Davis, you know… guys like those. And, as Rocking-R, we made a name for ourselves… Because, I remember, the song when we would arrive in town, you know… “Who will take out the Big-R?” (laughs)
Lynn Young’s can of worms
Lynn’s historic comparison between Amandala and BEL makes no sense. BEL was a protected state-owned monopoly that was privatized supposedly in the interest of the people to bring cheaper, reliable power; Kremandala is a privately formed and held entity in a highly competitive, tax paying industry. Kremandala delivered on its social compact to inform and educate; BEL failed to deliver the promised cheaper power.
KREM and Channel 7 have “The Verdict” on 2012 elections
For the fifth consecutive election cycle, Kremandala, Ltd. (Amandala, KREM Radio and KREM Television) and Tropical Vision Limited (Channel 7) have joined forces to provide comprehensive and informative coverage of the 2012 general and municipal elections due on March 7, 2012.
EDITORIAL: The Raiders
The core of the Kremandala Raiders consisted of four young men who had grown up from boyhood folding newspapers at Amandala Press on Partridge Street. These were Maurice Williams, Willie Gordon, Evan Garnett, and Raymond Gongora. The fifth Raider starter in the inaugural semi-pro basketball season of 1992, Travis Santos, had grown up just a couple blocks away from Partridge Street. Garnett and Santos were high school graduates. Gongora had to drop out of Wesley College because of financial problems. Williams and Gordon were primary school dropouts. Raiders were very popular in the streets, because, for a while, they were like a “rags to riches” story.
From The Publisher
A week or two before the Prime Minister actually called the 2012 general elections, I met on the Kremandala rooftop with all the employees of our member organizations. I believe that such a meeting may have been unprecedented. We have had various social events over the years which involved all our workers, but not a business meeting as such.
The Reporter
International Sources
Creating an oasis of learning on a Belize island
Victoria’s Joni Valencia Miller has learned that no woman is an island. In fact, her own deep connection to a tiny island off the coast of Belize changed the course of her life and led her to dedicate herself to helping children there succeed with her non-profit school, Caye Caulker Ocean Academy.
Miller, a former Spanish and Global Perspectives teacher at Stelly’s Secondary School in Saanichton, first visited Belize as a tourist in 1999, almost by accident. She was in Guatemala studying Spanish when she realized her tourist visa was about to run out. She had to bus over the border to Belize to renew it. While she waited for her visa, she took a quick weekend jaunt to Caye Caulker to snorkel, on the advice of a local. That chance visit, Miller recalled, “unknowingly changed the direction of my life. After that brief snorkelling weekend, I returned to my language school in Guatemala and travelled throughout Central America, but that little island with it’s ‘go slow’ motto had entranced me.”
She returned to B.C. to teach, but made a beeline for the tiny island every school holiday. She spent a year there while working on her Masters of Education thesis in 2005, and, enamoured of the country, she also led two two-week trips for her senior global perspectives students in 2004 and 2005 where they helped build a cancer treatment room in a San Ignacio clinic in Western Belize and created a community park and literacy camp for youth in the southern town of Hopkins.
Coral Reef Study Traces Indirect Effects of Overfishing
A study of the tropical coral reef system along the coastline of Kenya has found dramatic effects of overfishing that could threaten the long-term health of the reefs. Led by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study was published in the journal Coral Reefs.
The researchers found that the loss of predatory fish leads to a cascade of effects throughout the reef ecosystem, starting with an explosion in sea urchin populations. Excessive grazing by sea urchins damages the reef structure and reduces the extent of a poorly studied but crucially important component of the reefs known as crustose coralline algae. Coralline algae deposit calcium carbonate in their cell walls and form a hard crust on the substrates where they grow, helping to build and stabilize reefs. They also play a crucial role in the life cycle of corals.
February 28, 2012
WEEKLY WEATHER OUTLOOK
Valid: Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 until Monday, Mar. 5, 2012
Issued: 3:00 pm, Monday, February 27, 2012
The feature of interest this working week will be a persistent ridge of high pressure extending from the north-western Atlantic to the western Caribbean. This feature will keep a fresh and relatively unstable easterly airflow prevailing through Thursday, and will favour some showers, mostly over the sea and coast during the morning and inland during the afternoon hours.
A cold front will move SE across the Gulf of Mexico as we move into the weekend, but the models are predicting that the frontal boundary will become quasi-stationary over the SE Gulf and the Bay of Campeche by late Sunday and early Monday. The proximity of the frontal boundary to the NW Caribbean will result in a backing in the low level flow, with the winds shifting to the N and NE, and favouring some pre-frontal showers later on Sunday and Monday over Belize.
The weather will be seasonally fair with cloudy spells on Monday through Thursday. We can expect some showers mostly over the coastal zone during the morning hours and over some inland places during the afternoon and evening. Conditions will become drier and warmer on Friday through most of Sunday with little rainfall. Showers will increase once again during the afternoon and night on Sunday through Monday due to the proximity of the next frontal zone near the Yucatan peninsula.
Daily rainfall accumulations from Monday through Thursday of this week will range from 0.10-0.25 of-an-inch, decreasing later on Thursday through most of Sunday. Daily rainfall totals will increase later on Sunday through Monday, with totals ranging from 0.25-0.50 of-an-inch over central and northern coastal areas and over the sea. Elsewhere, rainfall totals on Sunday through Monday will be in the range of 0.10-0.25 of-an-inch.
CLICK HERE for the full Belize Weekend Weather Report
The San Pedro Sun
San Pedro resident remains hospitalized following a stabbing
The San Pedro Police is investigating a stabbing incident that has left a man hospitalized and the alleged culprit on the run. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Dean Staines of a Coconut Drive address in San Pedro Town. The incident occurred sometime before 4:45AM on Sunday February 26th.
According to Police, sometime around 4:45AM, Staines was in the company of a female friend of the same address inside their premises when they were approached by male person. The person, who is known to police as Nolan Haylock also of a San Pedro Town address, allegedly walked up to Staines and proceeded to stab him in the neck.
As a result of the incident, Staines was taken to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez Poly-Clinic II. According to Dr. Javier Zuniga, Staines received a deep wound which cut his jugular vein located on the left side of his neck. The injury cause massive bleeding since the vessel is one of two main blood vessels. According to Dr. Zuniga, although Staines was still conscious he lost about two to three liters of blood. Staines was subsequently rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) via an air ambulance where he remains in critical but stable condition.
Prime Minister to travel to Miami, Florida
rime Minister, the Hon. Dean O. Barrow, will leave the country tomorrow, Tuesday, 28th February. He is accompanying his wife, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, to Miami, Florida, U.S.A., where Mrs. Barrow will receive medical treatment.
Prime Minister Barrow is scheduled to return to Belize on Thursday, 1st March. Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaspar Vega, will act as Prime Minister while the Prime Minister is out of the country.
Ambergris Today
Belize Prepares to Vote on Offshore Oil Exploration
Friday, February 25, 2012, the Belize Coalition and Oceana Belize held a conference in Belize City inviting all the nation’s media and councils in a training conference for voting day - “No to Offshore Drilling in Belize” to be held on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.
Many invited guests and media gathered at the Radisson’s Hotel for a very important training conference to learn all the rules and regulations that every team from different district’s in Belize should follow to carry out on voting day; in order for all votes to be legal and fair. Mr. Danny Madrid, National President of Justice of the Peace & Association of the Supreme Court took the podium to explain all the rules and regulations that are supposed to be followed at every voting station around the country of Belize.
FLASHBACK: San Pedro Airstrip in the 80's
Everything in San Pedro has indeed come a long way and what we have today barely compares to what we had 50 years ago or even 25 years. Such is the case with sea transportation, land transportation and air transportation as well as with hotels, restaurants, shops and stores, residential buildings, business establishments, types of businesses, population, to mention a few. But one thing that has not changed is the casual and friendly atmosphere of the island.
This flashback photo speaks for itself. Check the Tropic Air terminal building. Check the size of Tropic’s aircrafts, the residences, the street, the airstrip, the signs, the amount of luggage and the hustle and bustle on the street. It is living proof that San Pedro has come a long way.
25 Years Ago: Politics Comes To San Pedro
The people who founded San Pedro in 1848, Mestizos for the most part, lived on this island quite unaware of British rule for just over 100 years up to about 1950. At that time the people of Belize on a whole were poor, hungry, and depressed by their economic situation. However, San Pedro enjoyed a vibrant Mestizo community with sufficient jobs in the coconut industry and a vibrant subsistence fishing industry. But countrywide the question persisted: “Why should Britain get richer and the colony poorer?” was the general sentiment. The struggle of the workers led by Soberanis played an important part in the birth to the spirit that Belize should be governed by Belizeans. This gave rise to the Nationalist Movement and Belizeans began to question colonialism and think about their own rights.
In 1950 the PUP was born under such leaders as George Price, Philip Goldson, and Leigh Richardson. People began to question what colonialism had done for Belize. They began to wonder why a country with so many resources, with such wealthy landowners and merchants, had so many poor people. The poor economic and social conditions in the 1950's also helped them begin to think about self-government and independence.
SIB Explains Unemployment Rates
The Statistical Institute of Belize, as the only official source of unemployment statistics for Belize, wishes to explain the difference in the last two unemployment rates that it has published which show a 12.5% rate in 2009 and a 23.2% rate in 2010.
The reason for the difference is that labor force surveys provide only a snapshot of the unemployment situation at the time the survey is taken. As further explained below, the 12.5% rate was based on a labor force survey taken in September 2009 while the 23.2% rate was based on data collected during the 2010 Population & Housing Census. While the two studies asked the same questions to determine who was employed or unemployed, the difference in the time the surveys were taken accounts for much of the variation between the two rates. This result is similar to 2000 when the census produced a national unemployment rate of 20.3% while the two labor force surveys done in April of the two years preceding the census year, showed rates of 14.3% and 12.8%.
Guatemala Cruise Day 3, Part 1: A long day in Rio Dulce
Due to the large number of photos, this day is divided into two parts. Part 1 includes up through our morning trip to the Castillo de San Felipe, and Part 2 will cover our trip to town, lunch, and dinner.
We got up early(ish) on this beautiful, bright Monday morning so that we could have breakfast, wash dishes, and be off the boat by 7 am as Simon had requested. It turned out that our space on the dock was a great place to watch the local boats come and go in the morning at the complex of buildings and boat ramp next door to the boat yard.
The Garifuna Collective Performs in San Pedro for the First Time Ever!
The late Andy Palacio's world famous group, the Garifuna Collective, played on Ambergris Caye for the first time yesterday at the re-opening of Sundiver. Sundiver is a resort about 5 miles north that closed a few years ago, was rented to a group for the years after and is now reopening as a resort. It's a pretty cool looking place.
I've seen these guys once before at the Bliss Center fundraiser for Haiti. But...this close? It was fantastic. I've never seen a group having so much fun performing. Here is the crowd watching the amazing show.
CRITICAL Peoples' Referendum on February 29: Say NO To Offshore Drilling
Actually...you can say "yes" if that is your choice (I guess...) but get out and vote. Not only is it critical to have your opinion heard but we, in San Pedro and Caye Caulker, need to let the central Belize government know that it matters, REALLY matters, to all of the residents on this island. That this is one of the MOST important issues for island residents. We need to protect our barrier reef.
You only need your voters ID card, your ID card and you can vote in the polling stations. You DO NOT need to be registered in San Pedro. YOU CAN BE ANY REGISTERED VOTER IN BELIZE. The polling station in San Pedro will be at Central Park.
This is even important for non-voters to understand. Encourage your co-workers, employees, friends, parents and neighbors who are voters to GET TO THE POLLS on Wednesday, March 29th.
ATM: HELL’S TALE OF AN EMPIRE’S FALL
After an hour long drive and a forty minute hike we arrived at a place that might have been Eden. The entrance to Belize’s Actun Tunichil Muknal cave is submerged in a pool of water made ice blue by dissolved minerals. The morning sun flickered through the trees, illuminating the vibrant greens of the jungle trees and moss covered rocks. It was peaceful, lovely and alive.
Appearances are deceiving, though. This wasn’t the entrance to paradise. It was the opening to Xibalba (”shi-ball-bah”), the underworld of the ancient Mayan people. The story told here is not one of creation, but of sadness, desperation, and decline.
We went to Actun Tunichil Muknal to simply explore another cave system, the fifth of our recent travels. What we found instead was something unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Our descent into Xibalba began with a short swim, away from the leafy jungle and into diminishing light. From inside, the view was perhaps even more striking; the bright colors of the outside world rendered more vivid by the interior darkness.
Catamaran Beach Bar Sunday BBQ
Catamaran Beach Bar Weekly BBQ, Live Music, Ice Cold Belikin, Fun with Family and Friends. Best Sunday BBQ on the island; ribs, chicken, burgers.
Caribbean Villas Hotel, Ambergris Caye, Belize, CA
Catamaran Bar Sunday BBQ (Part 2 of 2)
Catamaran Bar Weekly BBQ, Live Music, Ice Cold Belikin. Join us for fun on the beach at Caribbean Villas Hotel, Ambergris Caye, Belize, CA
Channel 5
Blackout in Belize City!
At about ten minutes to five o’clock this evening, the city lost power. According to the state owned Belize Electricity Limited, faulty equipment at the Magazine Road substation was the cause for the outage. At this time, electricity has not been restored and we have learnt that lights will not be turned on until after [...]
Construction worker killed in Belize City
Two men were killed today; one in the city and the other in Belmopan. In the city, a construction worker was found dead outside a small shop on Mahogany Street. It has not yet been determined if it is a case of murder or, alternatively manslaughter. But John Myers is believed to have died from [...]
Another Murder in the West; 29 year old Reggie Martinez found stabbed to death
In the capital, police are investigating a gruesome murder that took place in the outskirts of Belmopan. Police say they have little to go by and the family of twenty-nine year old Reggie Martinez, a resident of Maya Mopan, was too shocked to appear on camera. Shortly before two-thirty this morning a team of officers [...]
Was stolen vehicle linked in murder of Benito Mendoza in Belmopan?
The police department has busted two of its own members with a stolen vehicle, which may be linked to a murder in Belmopan. On February twenty-sixth 2012, while patrolling the Caribbean Investors Road in Belmopan City, they stopped a green Toyota Hilux, being driven by Police Constable Virgil Perez and Constable Dwayne Salgaro. Perez, thirty [...]
2 security guards stabbed over old beef in Benque
Further west, in Benque Viejo del Carmen, two men were hospitalized and are in stable condition. The two were involved in a brawl at Otis Night Club early on Sunday morning. The injured men are security guards at the club who were assaulted by a group of five men reportedly over an old beef. According [...]
Fatal Traffic Accident takes the life of retired woman
An elderly Biscayne woman was knocked down and killed as she rode a bicycle on the Northern Highway on Saturday evening. The driver, forty-five year old David Zetina, was heading towards Belize City and claims that he was blinded by the high beam of a vehicle heading in the opposite direction. When he spotted sixty-seven [...]
Belize Poultry Association incensed over license give to import Poultry
There is a report tonight that a license has been issued for the importation of a huge amount of poultry. It has the Belize Poultry Association up in arms because of the health risks involved in the importation of the poultry from Mexico. The license was issued by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority to a [...]
Trial begins for Attempted Murder of Rodwell Williams
With the murder of Ricky Valencia last Wednesday, Akeem Thurton now stands alone on trial for the Attempted Murder of Attorney Rodwell Williams, the law partner of the prime minister. It’s the first trial without jury and after delays over legal representation, it finally started today before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. Williams was called to [...]
Man sentenced to 38 years for Carnal Knowledge Conviction
Late Friday evening a forty year old man was convicted of sexually abusing an eight year old girl. Dangriga resident, Newellyn Nicholas, was on trial for three counts of Carnal Knowledge and one count of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature for having sex with the child on three occasions between 2009 and 2010 as [...]
People’s Referendum set and ready for Wednesday
Voting takes place this Wednesday on offshore drilling. Across the country, forty-six polling stations are being set up for the People’s Referendum which will determine whether registered voters support or reject drilling in Belize’s waters. B.T.I.A. and the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage are involved in the national referendum, which is being organized after [...]
All that’s good in Sports with James Adderley
Good Evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Week three in the PLB brought a monster showdown inside the Isidro Beaton Stadium Saturday night as the Belmopan Bandits hosted the front running team in Zone B, Police United in what promised to be a keen contest. The Bandits came in ready fort the [...]
LOVE FM
BELIZE TO HOST MAJOR DART COMPETITION
Belize was in the spotlight recently when an international game of Poker
featured a well known Belizean showing his talent at an otherwise
overlooked sport. This time Darts, a sport that has been somewhat dormant
in the country will be in the spotlight as Belize hosts an international
Dart competition. Jose Mora is the president of the Belize Dart
Federation.
Jose Mora – President, Belize Dart Foundation
“Every two years the Caribbean games are held and last year we were in
Bahamas and we were blessed with the countries voting for Belize to host
this tournament. It is the 19th Caribbean Cup and the 6th Americas Cup.
The Biltmore has been very helpful in getting the arena set; Mr. Spicer is
visiting us to sanction the tournament, to see the location and to get the
media involved to let them know it is a big tournament, it can bring about
200 to 300 players out of the Caribbean.”
Acting President of the Caribbean Dart Organization, Malcolm Spicer, is in
Belize inspecting the venue and making sure everything works out as plans
for this grand tournament. The competition will take place in the month of
July.
BAR ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW EXECUTIVE
The Bar Association of Belize held its annual general meeting last
Thursday. Elections were held for a new Executive to serve a one year
period. President is E. Andrew Marschalleck Senior Counsel, Vice President
Magali Marin Young, Treasurer Edwin Flowers Senior Counsel, Secretary Agnes
Segura Gillett and Committee members Denys Barrow Senior Council, Darlene
Vernon and Andrew Bennett.
TWO OFFICERS DETAINED IN STOLEN VEHICLE
Two policemen have been detained on suspicion of stealing a motor vehicle.
Authorities say they were on patrol on Caribbean Investors Road in Belmopan
on Sunday when they stopped a green Toyota Hilux pickup truck. Driving the
vehicle at the time was thirty year old constable Virgil Perez who is
currently attached to the Patrol Branch. Perez’ passenger was twenty three
year old Dwayne Salguero who is attached to the Mahogany police substation.
Police say that when officers inspected the pickup truck, they observed
that the right rear passenger side glass window was completely shattered.
Officers also noticed that the ignition was damaged and parts of the
ignition were scattered on the floor of the vehicle. Both policemen were
detained pending the outcome of an official investigation.
BELIZE CITY WOMAN ASSAULTED
Belize City police are looking for a man who is reported to have assaulted
a woman with a gun on Friday. Denya Oviedo says her attacker first punched
her in the face as she walked on Racoon Street on Friday. Later the same
day, the man, described as being of dark complexion, accosted Oviedo as she
walked with her three children on Neal Pen road. The man reported pointed
a handgun in her face. The woman says that she told her children to run
into the nearby bushes and that she saw her attacked riding up Neal Pen
Road. Police say they are now looking for thirty year old Denroy Williams
who they believe will be able to assist them in their investigation.
COALITION PREPARES FOR “PEOPLE’S REFERENDUM”
The Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage is preparing to hold its people
referendum on Wednesday. Last week the organization held a press conference
to update the public on their progress and over the weekend a training
session was conducted. Francis Gegg is the national campaign coordinator.
Francis Gegg – National campaign coordinator
“We’re having a meeting of the entire national network of team leaders who
have come from all over the country; we have been able to put together a
national team to the point where we will be having polling stations in
actually 50 locations across the country. We have brought the team leader
and part of their team into Belize to go through a training process because
some of them have experience in conducting elections and others do not so
we’re bring them up to steam very quickly on the process of a plebiscite or
an election. We are trying to have people who are respected throughout this
country be present at the polling booth to monitor the whole process, to
validate the whole process so we can avoid any chance or opportunity that
someone might want to indict the process.”
NUMBER OF ROBBERIES REPORTED
Police in Belize City are investigating three separate cases of robbery
over the weekend. In the first incident, Winston Lord and Melanie Cruz were
robbed at gunpoint as the stood at the talking at the corner of Central
American Boulevard and Vernon Street. The duo told police that they were
approached by a couple of dark complexion men, one of who carried a
handgun. Cruz was robbed of her cell phone while Lord was relieved of his
wallet containing cash and other personal documents. After the armed
robbery, the assailants made good their escape by running across the street
into a nearby yard. The second incident happened on Cemetery Road.
Bedalia Lopez was robbed of her purse as she walked with her brother and
his wife. As in the case of the first incident, the victims describe their
attackers as two men of dark complexion, one of whom pointed a black
handgun at them. The men escaped with Lopez’ wallet containing her
passport and personal documents. The third robbery happened on Friday at
the Black Pearl/Harley Davidson Store on Cemetery Road. Shannon Martinez
told police that while at her workplace, she was accosted by a man of dark
complexion who carried a firearm. The gunman reportedly robbed Martinez of
her laptop computer and cell phone. Before making good his escape, police
say the gunman tied up Martinez in one of the rooms at the back of the
building. Police investigation of all three robberies continues.
THREE MEN CHARGED FOR BEING IN BELIZE ILLEGALLY
One Peruvian and two Salvadorans who entered Belize illegally from its
western border with Guatemala, were charged with failure to produce their
visitor’s permit when they appeared in Court today. They are forty-four
year old Peruvian painter Miguel Angel Oviedo, thirty one year old
Salvadoran National, Manuel de Jesus Arevalo Gonzalez and twenty two year
old Salvadoran National Melvin Omar Gonzalez Ramos. They pleaded not
guilty to the charge. Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser fined each of them
one thousand dollars. If they default on payment, they will serve six
months. Senior Magistrate Fraser also ordered that they be deported to
their country of origin after they have paid the fine or served the time.
The incident occurred on February 25. The trio was travelling in a
passenger bus heading for Belize City when the bus was stopped at a police
check point on Mile four on the Western Highway. When the police checked
the trio was unable to produce their visitor’s permit.
MAN FOUND NOT GUILTY OF ATTEMPTED MURDER
A jury of six women and three men deliberated for about three hours today
in the court of Justice Herbert Lord before it found twenty six year old
Cecil Castillo a.k.a “Sadiki”, not guilty of the attempted murder of twenty
three year old Darwin Phillips a.k.a “Hamu” who was stabbed seven to eight
times on December 22, 2009. Another man, Michael “Ham” Young, was charged
jointly with Castillo, but Young was shot during a robbery in Belmopan last
year. Phillips was unable to testify because he was fatally stabbed on
February 13, 2011, but a statement he gave to the police in which he said
that it was Castillo and Young who stabbed him was admitted as evidence.
One witness for the prosecution, Leon Soberanis, was treated as a hostile
witness because he gave testimony that was contrary to a statement he gave
to the police. Castillo testified and said that at the time of the
incident, he was with his girlfriend, Leonora Rhaburn at their house on
Rectory Lane. Rhaburn testified and corroborated his alibi testimony.
Castillo was not represented by an attorney. Crown Counsel Christopher
Rodriguez represented the prosecution.
ELDERLY WOMAN KNOCKED DOWN AND KILLED
An elderly woman was knocked down and killed on Saturday night on the
Northern Highway in Biscayne village. The victim has been identified as
sixty seven year old Constance Andrewin. Andrewin was knocked down as she
rode her bicycle on the road just after six o’clock on Saturday night by a
pickup truck, driven at the time by forty five year old David Zetina.
According to police reports, Zetina was heading towards Belize City and
claims that he was blinded by the high beams of a vehicle travelling in the
opposite direction. Zetina says that he saw Andrewin riding her bicycle and
applied brakes but could not avoid a collision with the cyclist. Andrewin
was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced
dead on arrival. Police say they have taken a urine sample from Zetina and
have issued him with a notice of intended prosecution. Investigations
continue.
POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH OF BELIZE CITY MAN
Meanwhile in Belize City, a man is dead and Police are looking for answers.
Reports are that sometime after nine o’clock this morning Police were
called out to an area on Mahogany Street. Fifty two year old resident of
Oleander Street, John Myers known to many as “Lamb” was seen in a sitting
position, apparently dead in front of S&S; fast food. His sister Ivonne
Little told Love News Myers frequented the area and she has seen him
earlier in the morning. According to a witness, Myers was arguing with
another male person. During the argument the younger man reportedly
punched Myers causing him to fall on the ground and apparently knock his
head on the sidewalk. The witness says that a man and his son who reside
in the upstairs part of a nearby shop moved Myers and threw some water on
him to try and revive him, but to no avail. His family is at a loss as to
who might have committed the act. John Myers leaves to mourn his family
including his two sons and four daughters.
MURDER REPORTED IN BELMOPAN
Belmopan Police are investigating what appears to be yet another murder
which occurred early this morning.
Fem Cruz reporting...
“Sometime around 2:20 a.m. acting upon information received of a fight in
progress where four male persons were beating up on another male person at
a football field in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan, Belmopan Police
visited the area where a feet away from the main street by the field, the
motionless body of an unknown Hispanic male person was seen lying on his
back with multiple stab wounds on his chin, throat and chest which was
covered in blood. The person was dressed in a red tee shirt, red short
pants and not too far, a black slippers and a beach cruiser bicycle was
seen. The body was later transported to the Western Regional Hospital
where it was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was later identified by a
family member as 31-year-old Eduardo David Martinez better known as Wallo
of Maya Mopan.”
PlusTV
Aikman Academy to conduct second poll on March 7th elections
Derek Aikman of Aikman and Aikman conducted a telephone poll two weeks ago and released the findings indicating a w...
The Coalition's mock referendum slated for Wednesday
This Wednesday, the Belize Coalition will be hosting a mock referendum giving voters the opportunity to vote on whe...
State of the art tennis table donated to St. Joseph Primary School
The Belize table tennis donated a professional table tennis table to St. Joseph Primary School. Since February 2008...
Man stabbed to death in Maya Mopan
On Friday we reported on the murder of Benito Mendoza who was shot and killed at the Junction in the city of Belmop...
Belize City man found dead in a sitting position
This morning, a crowd of people swarmed the Mahogany Street police station area. Police responded to the scene wher...
Vehicle stolen in Belmopan then set on fire
We have yet another incident to report on from the City of Belmopan. A Belmopan business was burglarized over the w...
Shooting in Roaring Creek Village, one year old injured
There was a shooting in Roaring Creek on Friday night and a one year old was injured by shattered glass. Reginald R...
Officers arrested in connection to vehicle theft
Again in Belmopan, two police officers were arrested in connection to a stolen vehicle. Belmopan Police were doing ...
Road accident claims the life 67 year old woman
A traffic accident over the weekend has claimed the life of one person. It happened on Saturday in Biscayne Village...
Belize prepares for Prince Harry's visit
Preparations are on the way for the visit of Prince Henry of Wales. In four days, the Prince will visit Belize on b...
International Sources
Stolen Ancient Mayan Artifacts Being Returned To Guatemala
It didn’t take Indiana Jones to crack the case, but what federal agents recovered would have been right up his alley.
Alex DeMetrick reports ancient Mayan artifacts were returned Friday to their rightful owner.
Some go back a thousand years, all fashioned by Mayan craftsmen well before Columbus. All are going home.
“We are eager to take these artifacts back to Guatemala and display them properly in our nation, and through them provide a glimpse into the Mayan civilization,” Harold Caballeros, the Guatemalan foreign minister, said.
The eight artifacts were recovered by U.S. immigrations and customs agents. Six of the artifacts were discovered after they were flown into Houston, Texas and then abandoned when customs agents started asking questions. The other two made their way to an auction house in Boston, Mass. that cooperated with agents after import documents were not found.
Friday, they made their way to the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Prince Harry's Caribbean getaway
Globe-trotting Prince Harry was the ace of nightclubs in Vegas, and what happened there didn't stay there. The party-loving prince hit hotspots at Encore and Wynn Las Vegas and flirted with local lovelies.
This week, he's headed for another party destination: the Caribbean and Bahamas. He is due in Belize Friday, where stops include the Mayan pyramid of Xunatunic, and then he'll visit Nassau.
He's due for a longer stay (March 5-8) in Jamaica, but not for reggae or romance. Harry is on official business commemorating the 6oth anniversary of grandmother Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
February 27, 2012
Hip Hip Hooray: San Pedro Rallies for Mel Paz 4 Mayor
Last night, citizens of San Pedro gathered to support our Independent candidate for mayor, Mel Paz. Speeches, trampolines for the kids, food, free purple t-shirts and $2 beers (the hallmark of a solid San Pedro political rally), a good crowd had gathered by the end of the night.
I put on my purple "Mel Paz for Mayor" and went to Central Park a bit early. Mel was there helping set up. I'm surprised she is standing...and smiling...this campaigning business is HARD WORK.
The stage was set.
The kids (I mean future voters) were busy bouncing in the trampolines. The DJs set up with the music (DJs for some reason never smile)...
I love when they mix in lyrics about the candidate or little bits of her speeches into dancehall or reggae music. Good stuff.
We handed out LOTS of t-shirts and beads. Hundreds. Mary Gonzalez of the San Pedro Sun Newspaper was the first to speak. She introduced Ms. Paz and gave her endorsement. The bottom line with every one's speech was that the Blue and Red parties have had their chances and things are not getting better, in fact in many ways they are getting worse. It is time for change. It is time to break out of thoughtless familial connection to one or the other party and time to open our ears and really think about what the candidates are saying. No more empty promises, think about who is going to serve you and your town best.
Guatemala Cruise Day 2, Part 2: Boatyard Days in Rio Dulce, Guatemala
When we left off last time, we were just about to arrive at Abelle's boatyard on the Rio Dulce (and near the town of Fronteras, also known as Rio Dulce), Guatemala. And whaddaya know? Here it is, our ultimate destination straight ahead! We arrived there just a little after noon. We docked right next to some buildings and homes (top of photo above), and locals were bathing and washing dishes in the water very close to our boat. Barry and I decided to take a walk to check out the boatyard and local area. Before we'd even gotten off the dock, we met a friendly couple cruising on s/v Mistral, the large catamaran on the far left in the photo below, and had a nice chat with them before they took off in their dinghy for a late lunch. They had been stuck at Abelle's waiting for a part for longer than they expected and were more than ready to continue their cruise up to Belize as soon as possible.
We also noted that the well-known buyboat Winnie Estelle was at the yard having repairs. We had no idea of this boat's illustrious history until we got home and did some googling, but it is quite fascinating. We later got to meet her owner, Captain Robert(o), who told us that he has sold her and will be delivering her to Key West later in the season. Sounds like she will eventually be taken back home to Annapolis, where she was built in 1920, as these folks were hoping. What a great story!
The happiest and kindest can be found in diving.
“It was 2008 and I was 15-years old. My dad said, ‘Go right ahead.’ so I joined up. Patty has a program where kids from Belize can learn how to dive, no matter if they can pay or not. She loves diving and she decided to make it a part of her business to help train young people to learn to love the sea.” said Supaul.
A natural in the water, Supaul began fishing and ocean swimming with his father, uncles and cousins, when he was young. “We would go out every weekend. Its part of what we do here. Its a lot of fun for me.”
With Splash, students begin by attending weekend classes, learning the basics of diving through the PADI open water course. “Patty has a special way of explaining things that people can understand. We go step by step.” said Marco. The course continues for 5 weeks, finishing with the dives required to meet Open Water Certification. “Patty looks for understanding and a reassurance that we can handle ourselves. ” said Marco. Students can continue on for further certification, and Splash offers dives to the program’s students, when they have group tours.
Travel Time with Ellie: The Belize Zoo
This is my slideshow of the Belize Zoo. Click on the photo to start show. By Ellie Simmons.
Hi there. It’s me Ellie. We went to the Zoo in Belize and saw many animals I have never seen before.
Here is my slideshow. I took most of the pictures with also help from my mom and dad and Ava.
Look for my movie of the ocelot. She was so sweet and was like my cat Curry the way she rubbed up on the cage. She kept meowing and I really wanted to touch her but my mom and dad said she was still a wild animal.
The tapirs are neat and funny. They eat two buckets of fruit each morning. Their favorite zoo food is cucumbers.
The spider monkeys thought we were the zookeepers with food. That’s why they stood up in the trees for us.
Banana milkshake fund for Duke the Manatee
Duke came into the Wildtracks ManateeRehabilitation Centre almost six weeks ago - a near weaning, sub-adult,emaciated manatee weighing only half of what he should. This manatee has ataste for the Wildtracks special of banana and water hyacinth leafsoy-based milk shakes, blended to perfection, with the added zing of taurine,vitamins and probiotics!Found on his own in a canal near DukeMarine he was rescued by Jamal, Nicole, Gordon and the rest of the fantasticrescue crew, and transported to Wildtracks, but has been hard to stabilize. Hiscondition has been going up and down, but over time, he has started eatingseagrass, and taking more food.......and more food. As he is regainingweight and improving in condition, the very significant food consumptionis draining financial resources disturbingly fast - he is currently takingapprox US$15 worth of the banana / water hyacinth milk shake daily!Can you spare the cost of a Wildtracks milkshake? Or two? Or a weeks worth? We are estimating that within two months hewill be entirely on seagrass and on his way back to the wild...but until then,we could do with some help to meet his dining costs!!
Homeroom University of Wisconsin-Stout: Field study of Belize ecosystem reveals 'amazing diversity'
Zip lining, snorkeling and hiking in the tropics - not a bad way to earn college credits.
But while University of Wisconsin-Stout students say their adventure in Belize last month was a welcome change from a Midwestern winter, the trip was wasn't just fun in the sun.
"I learned a lot more than I would have learned in any classroom," said Theresa Olson, a UW-Stout junior studying biotechnology.
Olson was one of 17 students who made the trip to Central America as part of a new UW-Stout course, Natural History of the Neotropics. The winter session class focused on the ecosystems of Belize and the rest of the neotropics - the tropical areas of the Americas.
"These areas harbor some of the most prominent hot spots of biodiversity," said UW-Stout assistant biology professor Michael Bessert, who developed the course and accompanied students.
The biodiversity of Belize quickly was apparent to students, he added.
Students were instructed to identify 50 species of flora or fauna, a task they imagined would be something of a challenge, Bessert said.
It was anything but - students discovered 50 species on their first day in the country.
"That was by design," Bessert said. "I did that to demonstrate the amazing diversity there."
Belize's abundance of life came as a surprise to Olson, who called the variety of plant and animal life on land and water "mind-blowing."
Portsmouth teacher brings donation, love of chess to Belize
Although they speak different languages, elementary school students in Belize and Portsmouth are gaining exposure to one common subject because of a local teacher— the game of chess.
Steve Schulten, a physical education teacher at the Little Harbour Elementary School, helped to start the first chess club at Little Harbour in 1994. As the team coach, he meets weekly with an enthusiastic group of students. They all meet in the art room to take on chess puzzles before competing in the nearby cafeteria area.
Five years ago, Schulten participated in an international teaching program organized by the University of New Hampshire, which brought him to Belize during the week of February vacation. There, he met several chess enthusiasts who taught the game in elementary schools, but with limited resources. When Schulten returned to the United States, he began raising money from local chess enthusiasts to support the elementary school chess program in Belize. Schulten has returned to Belize each year since then, and the veteran teacher departed again on Saturday for his latest sojourn to the small Central American country.
February 26, 2012
The February 23rd, 2012 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE
This Week's Stories:
- Victory in the Air! UDP Launches Manifesto - Throws Gigantic Rally
- Patriotism versus Politics
- Elections and Boundaries Department - Public Service Announcement
- Great Things Achieved - Greater Things Coming: PM Dean Barrow’s Speech at Orange Walk East Rally
- PHOTOS: The Prime Minister’s Tour Continued in Orange Walk East Sunday February 19
- World Day of Social Justice: Message by Secretary General of United Nations, Mr. Ban-Ki-Moon
- Manifesto Launch - Public Rally
- Faith Lift: Roll Out The Justice, Please!
The San Pedro Sun
Wild Productions films ACES for Animal Planet Series
UK based Wild Productions Limited arrived in San Pedro on February 7th for a two-week filming session with Vince Rose and Cherie Chenot-Rose of American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES). The footage will be used for an episode on Wildlife SOS a Discovery Channel series that is now in its 15th year and 10th series. The popular series focuses on capturing the most challenging situations that wildlife rehabbers face around the world, including animal cruelty, illegal captivity, habitat destruction, and the illegal poaching and sale of protected animals and their parts. The renowned program is regarded as one of the longest-running animal rescue TV series. Wildlife SOS founder, host, writer and managing director Simon Cowell, MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) has been filming wildlife for the past 30 years, with an emphasis on education and getting people to care about animals. “When they grow to care about the animal, they then have a reason to conserve,” stated Cowell in an interview with The San Pedro Sun. Cowell, who sports a mischievous grin, also founded The Wildlife Aid Foundation and emanates an infectious passion for wildlife. The foundation’s Wild Aid Hospital, located in Leatherhead, Surrey, UK cares for thousands of rescued wild animals each year; where they are treated, rehabilitated and more often than not returned to the wild.
What Is All Over our Beaches?
You may have noticed a serious amount of seaweed covering the beach and even the shallow water for the past month. It is worse than I have seen since I've been here. What's going on? Where is it coming from? Why does it smell so bad in the morning? A neighbor gave me an excellent tip to find out more...
Guatemala cruise Day 2, Part 1: Placencia, Belize to Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Because of the length of this day and the large number of photos, it is split it into two parts. Part 1 documents our midnight departure from Placencia and cruise down the Rio Dulce, prior to arriving at Abelle's boatyard in Guatemala, near Fronteras on the map below (near the bottom). Part 2 will document the afternoon and evening hours spent on land after arriving at the dock.
Posing as Guinea Pigs in an Experiment of Human Behavior - Ambergris Caye, Belize
Relaxing on a lounge chair, my Kindle in hand, my children splash and play in the pool which overlooks the turquoise ocean touching the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize.
A small smile curls my lips, contented with the peaceful way in which my children are getting along.
There are a few disagreements here and there, but for the most part, their play is happy and under control. I’m aware of the older couples lounging at one end of the pool, but certain that the splashing and noise level are within reason for pool time play in mid-day, I return to my reading.
Atlas is toddling around the pool side, and Greg follows him close by to catch him should he topple in.
Ahhhh. All is right in my world.
I serenely read the words of Charlotte Mason, who says, “the more [the children] run, and shout, and toss their arms, the more healthful is their play,” when out of the corner of my eye I notice one of the women from the far end of the pool walking in our direction.
Without looking up from my reading, I hear her say to Greg, in a voice of feigned tolerance, “You know, we don’t have a problem with the kids, but the noise level… really. Can’t you control your kids?”
I’m the first to admit that there have been times when my kids have been pretty wild and rowdy, disobedient, defiant, and downright loud. But this is not one of those times.
They are, however, being children.
PAULINE FISK: On Writing the Gap Year Novel
'The gap year novel has arrived, hot from Belize and Pauline Fisk's capable pen.'
The Irish Times
I was going to write about heroes this time, in particular Hans Christian Andersen, who influenced me much as a child. But after last month’s post I was left with the strongest sense of a story only half told, so I’m leaving Hans Christian Andersen for next time and heading back to Belize.
As some of you may know, in 2008 I went on a research trip to Belize. My son, Idris, had returned from that country several years before, utterly changed by the experience of gap year volunteering. I’d waved goodbye to a white-faced youth incapable of even locating his vaccinations certificate, let alone surviving in the jungle and upon return had greeted a great hulking man who inhabited the same body as if landing from another planet.
I’m an author, so I know a story when I see one. Did gap year volunteering make as much difference to other people as it had done to Idris? And, if so, how? And how important were the projects these young people worked on? According to the press, gap years were the province of privileged young people working on cosmetic projects sandwiched together by beach-partying.
But how true was that?
Fun Nerdy Stuff
Behind the Google Goggles, Virtual Reality
Later this year, Google is expected to start selling eyeglasses that will project information, entertainment and, this being a Google product, advertisements onto the lenses. The glasses are not being designed to be worn constantly — although Google engineers expect some users will wear them a lot — but will be more like smartphones, used when needed, with the lenses serving as a kind of see-through computer monitor.
“It will look very strange to onlookers when people are wearing these glasses,” said William Brinkman, graduate director of the computer science and software engineering department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. “You obviously won’t see what they can from the behind the glasses. As a result, you will see bizarre body language as people duck or dodge around virtual things.”
Mr. Brinkman, whose work focuses on augmented reality or the projection of a layer of information over physical objects, said his students had experimented on their own with virtual games and obstacle courses. “It looks really weird to outsiders when you watch people navigate these spaces,” he said.
Windows on the iPad, and Speedy
You’re probably paying something like $60 a month for high-speed Internet. I’m paying $5 a month, and my connection is 1,000 times faster.
Your iPad can’t play Flash videos on the Web. Mine can.
Your copy of Windows needs constant updating and patching and protection against viruses and spyware. Mine is always clean and always up-to-date.
No, I’m not some kind of smug techno-elitist; you can have all of that, too. All you have to do is sign up for a radical iPad service called OnLive Desktop Plus.
It’s a tiny app — about 5 megabytes. When you open it, you see a standard Windows 7 desktop, right there on your iPad. The full, latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Adobe Reader are set up and ready to use — no installation, no serial numbers, no pop-up balloons nagging you to update this or that. It may be the least annoying version of Windows you’ve ever used.
The Reporter
Ricky Valencia executed
Ricky Valencia, 28, the man accused of trying to kill the Prime Minister’s law partner, Rodwell Williams, in 2010, was shot dead near the Wilton Cumberbatch Park in the Yarborough area of Belize City on Wednesday night, February 22.
Neighbors heard between four and five gun shots shortly before 9:00 p.m, and the police arrived to find Valencia seated in a pool of blood behind the steering wheel of his white Toyota Corolla.
The front passenger door was open, and Valencia had gunshot wounds to his right and left temple areas, and his right and left shoulders.
GG’s ex-driver charged with theft
Police Constable #564 Rayond Martinez, a former driver of the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, is out on $10,000 bail after he pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of theft before Magistrate Adolph Lucas Jr. in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, February 21.
Martinez has been interdicted from the Police Department, and was arrested and charged after Belize’s First Lady, Norma Young, reported to the Belmopan Police that there had been 12 unauthorized withdrawals from her Scotiabank account using her Automated Teller Machine card. The transactions totaling $7,450.00 had occurred between August 12 and December 2, 2011.
HRCB launches Education Outreach
Not all Belizeans are fully aware of what are their civil rights under Belizean and international conventions, a fact the Human Rights Commission of Belize recognized when it launched its new education outreach program at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City on Wednesday, February 22, 2012.
Founding member attorney Simeon Sampson explained that a grant from the Oak Foundation is helping to finance the education campaign, which seeks to educate Belizeans about their human rights and responsibilities, and to galvanize them to promote and defend human rights in their communities around the country.
UB student held for two marijuana fields
Jason Gilharry, 20, a second year student of the University of Belize, was released on $8,000 bail after he pleaded not guilty to two charges of drug trafficking before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer in the Belize City Magistrate’s court on Monday, Febraury 20
Members of the Orange Walk Police Anti-Drug Unit arrested Gilharry when they found him near two fields of marijuana plants in Corozalito Village on the old Northern Highway on Sunday, February 19.
The plants were six feet tall, mature and ready for harvesting, and many measured in excess of eight feet. In court, it was said that 2,000 plants were found in one lot and 300 in the other.
Sudden death for Schakon candidacy!
Brother Martin will now run in her place
A ruling by Justice, Oswell Legall in the Supreme Court last Friday afternoon, February 17 brought finality, and tears to the eyes of Yolanda Shackron, PUP standard bearer for Lake Independence constituency.
Schakron was disqualified from the nomination process by the Returning Officer, Mrs. Fairweather because of her American citizenship.
Justice Legal ruled to uphold the authority and decision of the Returning Officer who rejected Schakron’s credentials.
On Thursday, February 16, the Government Press Office, issued an advisory saying that a registered voter in the Lake Independence constituency had registered an objection with the Returning Officer, against the candidacy of Yolanda Schakron.
Taiwan builds Horticultural Training Hub and donates it to agriculture in Belize
Agriculture students from Mopan Technical High School in Benque Viejo and Eden Seventh Day Adventist High School in Santa Elena are assured of excellent technical support from the Ministry of Agriculture when they leave the classroom to work in the fields, thanks to a spanking new Horticulture Training Center at Central Farm financed and built by the Republic of China on Taiwan.
Carlos Diaz joins the fray in Lake I. Predicts "smooth sailing" as indy
Mr. Carlos Diaz, a former PUP minister of government and Lake Independence area representative, has registered himself as an independent candidate for the Lake I. Constituency.
Diaz has not departed from his PUP credentials and said he only re-entered the race because he wants to see democracy prevail in the area.
Ziprider wins Boom-to-Belize City canoe race
Defending Ruta Maya champions, the Ziprider team of Jerry Rhaburn, Efrain and Felix Cruz, paddled across the finish line by the Riverside Tavern in Belize City in two hours 36 minutes and two seconds to win the Burrell Boom to Belize City canoe race organized by the Belize Canoe Association and sponsored by Guinness Stout on Saturday, February 18. The Ziprider team took home a $300 first prize and a trophy.
Their perennial rivals, the Belize Bank team of Daniel, Erwin and Amado Cruz were five seconds behind to win the $100 second prize and a trophy.
University of Belize men win ATLIB basketball championship.
The University of Belize Black Jaguars men’s basketball team won the National Basketball Championships organized by the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) and hosted by Galen University at the Falcon Field in San Ignacio on Saturday, February 18.
Farron Louriano hit a 3-pointer as he led the UB men with 15 pts to a 66-38 victory over the men of Wesley Junior College in the championship finals. Alfred Bainton had scored UB’s first basket and also hit a 3-pointer as he added nine points. Winston Pratt added 12 pts, and UB men led 31-22 at intermission.
Oliver Solis hit two 3-pointers as he responded for the Wesley men with 14 pts, while Jaleel Arnold also drained in two long 3-pointers to add 8pts. Paul Swasey added eight points, while Stafford Young and Kenyon Tillett each hit a 3-pointer. Dwayen Saldano added a basket.
University of Belize girls win ATLIB Basketball Championship.
The UB Black Jaguar girls basketball team of the University of Belize won the National Basketball Championship organized by the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) and hosted by Galen University at the Falcon Field in San Ignacio on Saturday, February 18.
Most Valuable Player Glenda Torres scored nine points as she led the UB girls to a 15-8 lead over the girls of Ecumenical Junior College at intermission in the championship finals.
Torres would add another seven points in the second half to finish with a game high of 16 pts.
Editorial
There are not many legal barriers to prevent a Belizean from running for public office.
He or she must be 18 years or older, and reside in Belize for at least twelve months.
He or she must be of sound mind.
He or she cannot be serving a prison sentence at the time of his/ her candidacy.
He or she must not be a declared bankrupt.
He or she must not owe allegiance to a foreign country. Those who aspire to public office should be aware of these qualifications, but if they are not, the party supporting their candidacy should know and should vet each candidate before putting him/ her forward for voter approval.
Mrs. Yolanda Shackron should have known that her US citizenship would have caused her candidacy to be disallowed. But the bigger blame must be laid at the feet of the leaders of the PUP who sponsored her candidacy. Surely they must know the rules!
February 25, 2012
WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK
Valid: Friday-Monday, Feb. 24 - 27, 2012
Issued: 3:00 pm, Friday, February 24, 2012
A cold front will drift slowly east south-eastwards across the Gulf of Mexico during the next 24 to 48 hours, stalling over the central Gulf and the Bay of Campeche on Sunday, then dissipating later on Monday. The approaching cold front will however, induce some showers and/or afternoon thunderstorms inland over Belize and Yucatan on Sunday afternoon and evening. The unstable airflow will favour a few showers on Monday, especially over central and northern districts of Belize.
Otherwise, the weather across the nation will continue seasonally dry and warm today through most of the weekend and Monday.
Daily rainfall totals will range from 0.01-0.10 of-an-inch on Friday and Saturday, increasing later on Saturday and Sunday, with daily accumulations ranging from 0.25-0.50 of-an-inch, especially over central and northern districts. Daily rainfall totals will decrease over all places during Monday through Tuesday of next week.
CLICK HERE for the full Belize Weekend Weather Report
THE PEOPLE's REFERENDUM INFORMATION:
Polling Stations, Links, Contact Information, and more!
UK Children's Advocate visits Liberty Children's Home
Mark arrived at Liberty just as the kids were coming in from School. He is very impressed with the campus and related how many people were waving and honking at him as he came into town.
Harvest cassava!
This is what we did Wednesday when the children had half day from school. Harvest cassava!
Cassava is used in boil up, a popular Belizean dish; its used to make cassava bread, cassava cake, and even cassava chips!
Today we killed 25 of our broilers chicken we bought in January. Six weeks and they are ready! Jesse our volunteer helped with killing them. Fi we pickni deh da fi we fucha! Our children are our future!
The February 26th, 2012 issue of The Independent is online HERE
This Week's Stories:
- Lived by the Gun: Ricky Valencia executed before
historic first bench trial
- Rhett Fuller
Denied Bail
- Detainee found dead in police custody! Family does not
buy police story
- SSB: Merlene
Bailey resigned!
- Editorial: Sycophants and
criminals
- Toledo is still the
Forgotten District
- Rhett Fuller - is this
really his swan song?
And is he Belize’s quid
pro quo?
- Impartial View:
Internationally instantaneously
impactful
- BLUE NOTES: Leadership vs Leadership
- Financial Sense: Coping with Job Loss
- ADDRESS TO BELIZE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
PUP LEADER FRANCIS FONSECA: Back to Basics: Thinking Differently About Governance
- JOB CREATION
AND ECONOMIC STABILIZATION:
- State of the Arts: Youth Voices
Ring Out
- San Pedro
Politics
- San Pedro Beat
- The People's Referendum
- CONCERNING CRIME:
A SOLUTION EXISTS!
- GG police driver stole First
Lady’s ATM card and withdrew
thousands from account!
- CLASSIFIEDS
German Shepherd puppies for sale
PURE BRED GERMAN SHEPHERDS
PLUSH COATS and SHORT HAIR
Smart, sensitive and loyal, ideal for personal and family protection/companions, not suitable for vicious guard dogs.
14 weeks, house broken, ready for your love and training!
824-0230 / 632-2300 / 834-4702
The San Pedro Sun
San Pedro Seadogs head to 2012 Premiere League of Belize Football Competition
The 2012 Premiere League of Belize (PLB) Football Competition, originally scheduled to commence on Sunday, February 5th was postponed and commenced one week later on Feb. 12th. Two games into the competition, the San Pedro Seadogs are going strong with one draw and one win.
On Feb. 12th, the Seadogs travelled to the Cayo District where they went up against the Belize Defense Force (BDF) at the Norman Broaster Stadium. In this game, the boys played fearlessly and emerged with a draw. In the 12th minute of the game, Jesse Smith placed the Seadogs score board with the first goal. With Kenny Witzill scoring the second goal in the 22nd minute, Seadogs were confident of their win.
This was, until Brian Waight managed to put the BDF on the scoring board in the 43rd minute of the game. In the 90+2 minute of the game, Harrison Tasher managed to score a second goal for the BDF, bringing the game to a tie.
Celebrating Carnaval 2012!
Following the dance presentations, it was time for the crowning of Miss Carnaval 2012-2013. With initially three young ladies vying for the title – the competition was cut when two stepped down, leaving one individual representing.
Miss Carnaval 2012-2013, Miss Miriam Rodriguez
Shortly after 9PM, reigning Miss Carnaval 2011-2012, Miss Ileny Aguilar, took to the stage for the official crowning of Miss Carnaval 2012-2013, Miss Miriam Rodriguez. As part of the block party celebration, booths also competed for three categories: best decorated, best Carnaval platter and best Carnaval drink.
In the category for the best decorated booth; Bayside Bar and Grill took the prize, with their Carnaval theme and colorful decorations. Best Carnaval platter went to the Blue Hole Restaurant for their Pork Pibil and best Carnaval drink went to Nicti-Ha, with their concoction, dubbed the “Blue Sacrifice”, a delicious combination of Vodka, lime, sugar and Gatorade.
Standard Bearers Debate Q&A;: Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker residents say the feel forgotten, neglected and only remembered at elections time. Do you think this is true and how do you intend to change this perception?
Electorates to vote in People’s Referendum on offshore oil drilling in Belize
Belizean electorates across the country will have the opportunity to vote on the issue of offshore oil drilling in Belize in a People’s Referendum. The referendum date is set for Wednesday, February 29th and according to the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, it will be held in all 31 constituencies including Belize Rural South. There will be polling stations in every electoral division and for Ambergris Caye the polling stations will be at Central Park.Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, the Vice President of Oceana-Belize Audrey Matura Shepherd explained to The San Pedro Sun that the People’s Referendum is in response to the call of the public. That call of the public is that action must be taken despite the disqualification of 8,000 of the 20,000 petition signatures initially collected from citizens requesting a referendum on oil exploration on offshore Belize.
Ambergris Today
AIDS Presentation by Std. V & VI Students of IBES
The Topic of AIDS/HIV is very difficult to discuss it is a subject that most rather not talk about because it has been tagged as a taboo subject. But the students of Isla Bonita Elementary School are not afraid to talk about this world wide pandemic, they have been educated about the subject and on Thursday, February, 23, 2012, Standard V & VI students held an open presentation at the school grounds to educate others about AIDS/HIV.
Mrs. Sharon Hazel, teacher of IBES, explained to Ambergris Today that students are taught about sexuality and introduced to the topic of AIDS at the end of the third term at the class of Standard IV. The topic is then discussed at a more advanced level once they are in Standard V and VI.
BWS Clarifies Information on San Pedro Water Supply
Earlier this month Ambergris Today reported that the island might face water shortage during its busy season. The reported stated that according to the Consolidated Water Belize Limited (Water Company that sells water to Belize Water Services Limited who then distributes to consumers all over the island) the demand of water supply was barely being met and that water conservation was essential in order not to face water shortage during high tourist season.
The manager of CWBL explained that it was essential to practice water conservation on the island until a new water production facility is placed on the island. In response to these allegations and information brought up by CWBL to the San Pedro Business Association and the public in general the Belize Water Services (BWS) sent the following Press Release in regards to the water supply situation on the island.
- Belize Water Services (BWS) has recently been made aware of media coverage from San Pedro indicating a concern of a possible water shortage on the island during times of peak demand. BWS is committed by a contract agreement to purchase all water for distribution in San Pedro from Consolidated Water Belize Limited (CWBL). BWS has been requesting CWBL since 2005 to increase its capacity to adequately deliver water to the island based on growth projections.
Tropic Air Announces New Non-Stop Service Between Belize City And San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Tropic Air announced on Wednesday, February 22, 2012, that it will be inaugurating three times weekly non-stop Cessna Caravan service between Belize City International Airport and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on March 12th, 2012. With the launching of this service and the opening of its new station there, Tropic Air will be the only airline to operate non-stop flights between the two countries.
This service is a direct response to requests from its valued customers, and carries through on the airline’s stated commitment to the people of Belize. It will not only serve to make travel between Belize and Honduras easier, but will allow for the expansion of trade and tourism between the two countries.
A GORGEOUS Day Sailing on the Rum Punch 2
Yesterday could not have been more perfect for sailing. Blue cloudless skies, warm and breezy, we set sail at about noon yesterday on the Rum Punch 2, a refurbished traditional Belizean sail boat.
While waiting to board, I ran into this gentleman. Belizean Melody's newly relocated art gallery has certainly found a catchy new way to advertise. The Rum Punch motored up to the dock to pick us up.
We started sailing north for a bit of snorkeling at Mexico Rocks. Not a bad view from the front of the boat.
a spectacular welcome to belize (“this is happiness”)
I arrived in Belize in the late afternoon of February 6, in the lull between day and night.
In the seaside town of San Pedro, dive shops closed up on the long, wooden piers and the last few boats zipped back to shore. High schoolers ended their soccer game on the beach, where frayed rope marked the goalposts. The orange sunset lit up sandy streets and wooden buildings painted in shades of pink, yellow and turquoise.
As beautiful as it was, this isn’t what sticks out in my mind when I think of Belize.
VIDEO: Hidden beauty on the reef, San Pedro
These are just a few things I love that we overlook while diving- Hope you enjoy as much as me. Marty O'Farrell
VIDEO: Japanese Commercial Shot In Belize
Richard Foster and Marty O'Farrell shot this commercial for iichiko last year. Very famous in Japan:) Catchy little tune. Underwater shots from Belize Barrier in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize
VIDEO: Wreck Diving Belize
Sunk In 1946, found again in 1999. The Myron L is a 120 foot cargo freighter sitting upright fully intact in 145 feet of water. This is a short 10 minute documentary to introduce the world to the first real shipwreck dive in Belize. Watch and then come dive it in person. It is an absolutely beautiful wreck.
Belizean artist Gerry Badillo ft Lucio Nunez with Ya No Quiero Verte Mas
Up and coming Belizean artist Gerry Badillo released his first music video today for "Ya No Quiero Verte Mas," featuring another local recording artist, Lucio Nunez, the vocalist behind the popular band, Beneath the Lies.
This addicting track was produced and recorded by Derrick Banos from Absolute Rip'd Records and is a Spanish version of Joe Jonas' smash hit, "See No More."
San Ignacio based fashion designer Joris Hendrik provided the dress for the model in the video-- a unique and edgy design made with film tape reel, a tie in to the video itself. Hendrik's designs are some of the most bold and expressive designs to come out of Belize, utilizing his love of Caribbean culture and a background in architecture.
Guatemala cruise Day 1: San Pedro to Placencia, Belize
On Day 1, we departed from San Pedro on Ambergris Caye in northern Belize, and sailed down to Placencia in southern Belize
The twin engines roared into life promptly at 4:30 (also known as o-dark-thirty) for our scheduled 5 am departure from the TMM dock in San Pedro. We had one of the two aft (rearward) cabins, situated on the port side of s/v Hope, and our bed pretty much sat right over (or beside) one of the 55 hp diesels. An alarm clock unlike any other! Struggling out of our comfy berth in total darkness, our excitement over what was to come quickly overtook thoughts of sleep. There would be plenty of time to nap later.
Notes from a Lobster Fishing Boat in Belize
A spiny lobster lurches out of the Caribbean, flies ten feet through the air, and lands with a sickening crunch into a pile of slowly suffocating crustaceans at my feet. It’s opening day of lobster season on Ambergris Caye.
For weeks I’ve been happily swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking off the coast of Belize’s most-visited island without realizing the ocean floor is littered with lobster death traps. Now, I’m sitting in a tiny fishing boat with two seasoned fishermen on the biggest money-making day of their year. I’m pretty sure lobsters can bite.
Raul and Garcia picked me up from the dock at dawn. I had packed my camera, sandwiches, and sunscreen. They had packed beer, spears, and snorkeling gear. Usually, when I’m nervous, I talk too much. Today was no exception.
Raul revved the engine and we roared out towards Belize’s Barrier Reef. Somehow, the guys knew exactly where in the wide waters their hundreds of lobster shades rested. In Belize, lobsters aren’t trapped. Instead, fishermen construct handmade boxes, called shades, out of mangrove wood, and sink them to the bottom of the ocean. Lobsters are attracted to the shades as a source of protection from the sun and predators. Poor, stupid lobsters.
Lobster diving requires at least two people: one person to drive the boat and one person to jump into the water, hold their breath, dive down to the lobster shades, pick up the lobster by hand, swim it to the surface, and chuck the terrified lobster into the bottom of the boat. Then repeat. Hundreds of times. Occasionally, Raul uses a spear hook, not his hand to grab the spiky delicacies. Lobster diving doesn’t require I do anything but stay out of the way.
On his first dive Raul comes up empty-handed.
Red Cross Belize
The Belize Red Cross (BRC) does a huge range of things across the country and are mostly known for their response in a disaster. However there’s lots of other things that they do when there isn’t an emergency going on:
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Disaster Management involves preparation, response and recovery/rehabilitation. This is the largest field of work that the Belize Red Cross engages in throughout the year. The National Society assists the Government in all humanitarian aspects of disasters. As I’m sure you know flooding and hurricanes are the main disaster threat throughout the country.
HIV/AIDS OUTREACH
Belize has the highest prevalence rate of HIV in Central America. “Together We Can” is a regional methodology that has been adapted by the Belize Red Cross since January of 2004 and employs face to face peer education while providing young people with access to information and education. In gaining knowledge youth are in a position to develop life skills required to reduce their risk of contracting STIs and unplanned pregnancies.
Tales of a Maya Shaman
On Monday, Dr. Rosita Arvigo delivered a compelling presentation to more than 25 Chaa Creek Guests on her apprenticeship with Don Elijio Panti – Belize’s last Maya Shaman.
During her apprenticeship with Don Elijio, Dr. Arvigo learned an ancient Maya system of healing that employs medicinal plants, massage, acupuncture, herbal and sweat baths and prayers to effect cures on a wide range of maladies.
Dr. Arvigo stated that Don Elijio studied under Maya curers in the jungles of Guatemala and Belize when he was a chiclero collecting sapodilla tree resin (the base for chewing gum) for companies such as Wrigley’s and received international recognition for his vast body of knowledge and service to humanity with awards such as “Distinguished Contribution to Science” (The New York Botanical Gardens), and was made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Traveling from Belize to Mexico by Boat and Bus
Budget-traveling from Belize to Mexico is an eight-hour affair, and whether it’s worth doing it that way also depends on your patience, your ability to stomach choppy seas, and the weather.
The three ways to get to Mexico from Belize are:
by plane
by overnight bus from Belize City to Cancun, with the Mexican bus line “ADO” leaving from the Queen Square Market I’m told (which lands you in Playa del Carmen at 4 a.m. or Cancun at about 6 a.m.); or
if you’re leaving from one of the Cayes, first by water taxi to Chetumal (2 hours), followed by a five-to-seven hour ADO bus ride, depending on your final destination in Mexico. For example, it’s 4.5 hours from Chetumal to Playa del Carmen.
Buying the Water Taxi Ticket to Chetumal
The day before leaving for Mexico, the lady at the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi office in Caye Caulker warned me. The boat leaves at 7 o’clock sharp, so make sure you show up on time, she said.
I purchased my round trip ticket to Chetumal and lucky for me I knew my passport number by heart. You’re supposed to bring your passport along when you get your ticket, so you can >> be registered on the SPBE’s log of folks leaving Belize.
The round trip ticket (and next time I’m only getting a one-way – see later in the story) cost me US $ 65 or $130 Belizean Dollars. Then I had to pay a separate US $5 (BZD $10) docking fee.
Oh, and then I was told to expect another US $ 3.75 (or BZD $7.50) fee when going through immigration in San Pedro – a mandatory stop when heading to Mexico from the Cayes.
Total so far: US $73.75 or BZD $147.5 from Caye Caulker.
Experience Belize Events like a Local
In Belize, there is no shortage of local events and if any traveller desires to fit in perfectly, they must pass the Eat like a Belize local test. Do you think you can pass it?
brain soup lust: The Entrance to the Mayan Underworld
Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in Belize is where the Mayan's made ceramic, stoneware, and human sacrifices to honor and appease their gods. They believed that it was the entrance to the Underworld, and would wade through it's chest-deep waters for almost two miles, sometimes under the influence of hallucinogenic plants, to reach the summit of dry cave bed where they would make their sacrifices.
VIDEO: A Good Day with The Sea Turtle
The Turtle is an Ancient Symbol, Representing Order, Creation, Endurance, Strength, Stability, Longevity, Fertility, and a Gentle Innocence. The Turtle also Offers Protection, Good Fortune , and Can Bring Forth Happiness and Good Omens.
Travels to Belize: Punta Gorda
My trusty wristwatch alarm started chirping at 5:45 AM. The rain hadn't let up one bit since the beginning of the night. Our river taxi was supposed to pick us up at 6 AM to take us upstream to a town called Livingston where a ferry departs only twice a week to Belize. Assuming the heavy rainfall would hinder these plans, I left Whitney to continue dreaming, and figured I'd go check to see if anyone was in the lobby anyway. I grabbed the flashlight to light my way, as Finca Titan only taps into their diesel supply for electricity a few hours a day, and made my way toward the river.
To my surprise, a Guatemalan man in a poncho came walking up through the lobby leaving a trail of water in his path. It quickly became evident that nature is no match for a determined Guatemalan work ethic. Five minutes later, Whitney and I were packed and settling up our tab with Gaby. Most hostels we have come across, thus far, operate on a bit of a trust system. Throughout your stay, you are trusted to keep an ongoing tally of how many drinks you have taken, kayaks you have helped yourself too, meals you have ordered, etc
Channel 7
A Killing In the Capital
On Wednesday night - a notorious street figure - was executed in Belize City - and last night in Belmopan, a man was similarly shot to the head. But 25 year old Benito Mendoza was not any kind of notorious figure - in fact he was known to be an easy going person.
So then why was she shot to the head as he was buying food last night? Monica Bodden went looking for answers:
It happened outside this nightclub called The Junction situated at the junction of the Hummingbird Highway and Constitution Drive in Belmopan.
The heap of sand in the parking lot covers the pool of blood where 25 year old Benito Mendoza fell after he was shot to the left side of his temple.
Police Minister Claims Cops Did No Wrong In Two Incidents
31 year old Miguel Martinez died in police custody on Monday - and yesterday a post mortem confirmed that the cause of death was lung failure, due to excessive alcohol and drug consumption.
The long and short of that is that the police pathologist is saying that the police were not to blame for his death in the San Pedro holding cell.
Police Minister Doug Singh told LOVE TV as much yesterday. Here's a portion of that interview.
"The particular individual that died in custody in San Pedro was detained by police prior to that event because of complaints of him exposing himself in public, and other things that he was doing and he appeared to have been on something. The following week, there was a report that he was - I think - using a machete and banging on someone's house. When the police went there, he was nowhere to be seen; police went back and the hotel next door to that house called the police afterwards saying that he had a machete - this is the Phoenix hotel; this is the hotel that is ranked on trip advisors as the number 1 hotel in the world.
Business Owner Had Two Guns Put To His Head
This afternoon, at around 1:30, Auto Zone - the vehicle accessory store on cemetery Road in Belize City was robbed. Now, Auto Zone doesn't have a customary storefront - with a door - it's wide open. And two gunmen strode right in and when the owner Nigel Espat came from the back where he was having lunch - he ran straight into the barrel of a loaded weapon. He told us what happened next:
Nigel Espat - Owner Robbed At Gunpoint
"When I walked out of my office and got to the front of the store, there were 2 guys standing in here; one of them was pointing a gun in my face. The one pointing the gun held it to my head while the other one pulled behind the counter and he took what I had on me, took my chain, my phone, watch, wallet, some cash that was in my pocket, then he proceeded to take me back into my office, where the guy that had the gun initially - he went over on the other side of the building where black world Harley Davidson is and he pulled the employee that was sitting over there at the counter, brought her through the back door into my office as well, where they tied us up in the office, put us to lay on the ground tied us up, and robbed us everything that we had in there too - all the cash that was in the cash register, the laptops, they took my firearm, and we were left there, could have been maybe 10 minutes, at which point they left and I got up an managed to untie myself and untie the employee."
The Ice Cream Man Got Jacked
On Monday, two gunmen weren't so restrained with the driver of an ice cream truck. Patrick Ottley, a Blades Ice cream truck driver was with his common-law wife on Tigris street returning to the company compound.
As he was reversing the truck into the yard, two men approached him. Then, one of the men hit him over the head with what appeared to be a firearm while the other stole the cash pan.
It is unclear how much money the robbers got away with, but they ran down Dean St. The police are continuing their investigation.
Man Goes To Jail For A Year For Assaulting Child
In the last 4 weeks, we've reported on cases of men either charged with or found guilty of indecent assault. Tonight, we add another report to the growing list.
This one involves 37 year-old Salvadoran National Jose Cortez, a resident of Lovely Lane, who was convicted in Magistrate's Court and sentenced to 1 year imprisonment. He was accused of assaulting a 10 year-old girl.
According to the child, who testified in closed court, in August, she was at a home on Baghdad Street where she had gone to buy boiled corn.
She went behind the house and encountered Cortez - who, she says exposed himself and was attempting to open her legs, when she screamed for help. There were adults who were nearby, and they came to her rescue.
Cortez was then arrested by police and charged.
Another Accused Of An Indecent Assault
And while Jose Cortez will tonight spend the first night of his year in prison, another new case of indecent assault came to court today also. 46 year-old Dwayne Young, a stevedore residing in Mahogany Heights was arraigned for allegedly assaulting a 22 year-old woman.
Young concealed his face at all the opportunities when he was outside of the courtroom.
According to the police report, on Monday at Mahogany Heights, Young allegedly made unwanted advances toward the 22 year-old, who is a neighbor. He reportedly kissed her and touched her privates against her will.
Another Caught Smuggling Ganja Into Gaol
Last night, we told you about Justin Richards who was remanded for allegedly trying to smuggle weed into the Belize Central Prison. Today, another man is accused of trying to do the exact same thing; he is 28 year-old Clarence Grant, a laborer of Mahogany Heights.
Police say that at around 3 p.m. yesterday, Grant was detained at the prison while the authorities searched 2 foam containers in his possession, which according him, contained only food.
Officers eventually found about 2.96 ounces of marijuana in several small, clear plastic bags inside these containers.
As a result, he was arrested, charged, and brought to court today.
How The Double Election Will Work
The double election is now only a week and a half away - and all over the country, all over the news - election campaigning is at a fever pitch.
But on March 7th., the noise will stop when the voter gets into that booth for their secret, sacred transaction between the citizen and the ballot paper.
In the general election, 178,054 (one-hundred and seventy-eight thousand and fifty-four thousand) registered voters are registered to vote for 74 Candidates in 31 constituencies at 315 polling stations.
In the municipals, 97,979 voters will vote for 170 candidates at 168 of those polling stations.
But for those in towns who wish to vote in two elections, how will it be done? Well, today Chief Elections Office Josephine Tamai explained the process in detail to 7news:
Lands Dept. Will Open On Saturday For Harmonyville Peeps
Tomorrow, the Ministry of Natural Resources will be opened to facilitate the residents of Harmonyville.
That's right they'll be open on a Saturday to facilitate a special interest groups: specifically 367 residents who can get their land documents for a thousand dollars, and another 300 or so who will be signing their land leases.
It's a special group being handled at a special time - but Petillo says the public interest and the common good demand it:
Nigel Petillo - President, BGYEAH via Telephone
"We have been aggressive. We have been behind the minister and the Government as far as when it comes to Harmonyville. When it comes to the Saturday event, yes, you know its not normal working hours but we had to dialog with the Government and the Minister of Natural Resources and see if they have time that they can put aside. And, the Ministry said right away, 'We don't mind open a Saturday Morning to facilitate you guys, providing that you have your numbers out there already, your people registered to do it one day.'
Street Art Festival Returns
Last year's first Street Art Festival was such a success, that NICH decided to make it an annual event.
And so, back by popular demand, the festival that was "created to build a national forum for artists" will be staged tomorrow in downtown Belize City.
According to Karen Vernon of the Institute of Creative Arts, the fest gives artists of all types an opportunity to showcase their talent and artwork while providing meaningful entertainment for the whole family.
Karen Vernon - Theatre Director, NICH
"Booths will be lined from Belize Bank all the way down just before Prince Street. we will have a stage which will be our first stage where entertainment will be from 2 until 7p.m on that stage. Another stage will be in the central park area and entertainment there will start from 7 and will go on until 10. We have all different sorts of artist in the booths: painters, sculptors, people doing jewelry, tattoo artists, make-up artists. People will be down there with that type of stuff, so you will be able to walk down Albert Street and see all the different stuff that the artists have to offer. There will also be, what we call street entertainment, which will be the Jan Canoe dancers moving through the crowd.
Channel 5
Murder in Capital City
There was a murder in the capital early this morning. It is the first in Belmopan since the beginning of the year and the community is in shock. The Roaring Creek resident and two others were purchasing food in front of a night club when he was shot and killed. An eyewitness says the suspect ...
2 elections one day; voter process explained
The 2012 elections are twelve days away and campaign gear can be seen on the streets and on the television. The songs, ads, speeches, and hundreds of promises in party manifestos will disappear along with most politicians the day after the March seventh double elections. The first double election was in 2003 and ...
Media regulations for March 7th
Earlier today Tamai met with stakeholders and the media setting down guidelines for coverage. Tamai says that tallying of votes will take place at the same time in the different constituencies to expedite the results. At least three thousand public officers will be working on the double elections. Jose Sanchez “How many registered voters are ...
Viewer poll not keen on U.D.P. 2nd term
Do you believe the current government deserves a second term in office? That was our question of the week and the results were fast and furious. Almost four thousand persons voted on our e-poll; the vast majority of them were against the Barrow administration. Ninety-two percent voted no to a second term in office for ...
Julius and Ramon in Cayo South Campaign
Over seven thousand voters are registered in the Cayo South division where both political parties have flooded the area with party colors and flags. First time aspirant who is also the national campaign manager for the P.U.P., Julius Espat, is hoping to unseat the incumbent, Ramon Witz. News Five’s Andrea Polanco was in Roaring Creek ...
New Belize Ambassador to Mexico
There’s a new Belize ambassador to Mexico. With the departure from Mexico of Rosendo Urbina Senior who is now running for office, Oliver del Cid today presented credentials to President Felipe Calderon at the National Palace in the Mexican capital. Del Cid was born in Belize City, but grew up in Orange Walk Town. He ...
Post Mortem results on man who died in police custody
Ricky Valencia, one of the most feared street figures in the city, was killed on Wednesday night as he drove his vehicle on Caesar Ridge Road. Tonight, Belize City police are tonight no closer to solving the murder of twenty-eight year old Valencia. Despite interviewing several residents in the area of the Cumberbatch Field following ...
Robbers intended to tie up a Priest
Saint Martin De Porres Parish was burglarized on February sixteenth. The incident was not reported previously, but it was the third recorded burglary at the compound since September 2011. The parish is led by members of the Jesuit community, who also occupy the living quarters to the rear of the church. In what can be ...
Salvadoran National assaulted 10 year old
A Salvadoran national was convicted today of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature and he’s going to jail for a year. The trial against thirty-seven year old Jose Cortez concluded just before noon in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. He was found guilty following the testimony of the victim, a ten year ...
John Mariano arraigned for Obtaining Property by Deception
An ex-cop who was accused of swindling a doctor out of thousands of dollars got some good news in court today. The report was made back in August 2011 and after almost six months; forty-five year old John Mariano finally showed up in court to be arraigned for obtaining property by deception. In court this ...
Belize Elementary School goes green
Recycling efforts among primary school students are reaping big dividends. The go green program started a few years ago and has mushroomed into a campaign that has exceeded expectations at the Belize Elementary School where students are also learning the importance of conservation. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting Friendly competition amongst the ...
Is Elizabeth Gamez being forced to vote for the U.D.P.?
The date of the elections is drawing near and each day the requests for interviews and the topics become more unusual. Late this evening News Five received a call from a Cayo resident who alleges politics is splitting up her family. A relative apparently called social services to take away her child. Elizabeth Gamez admits ...
Quad Bike and Fundraising for Children’s Home
Eleven Countries, One Goal… Make a Difference; it’s the theme that is the driving force behind an ambitious project by British resident Marc Noonan. Using a quad bike, Noonan is moving through the region to raise awareness and funds for orphanages or related charities. His journey started in Mexico and he has reached the Liberty ...
LOVE FM
UNIVERSAL BIRTH REGISTRATION DAY OBSERVED
Today is Universal Birth Registration Day and according to UNICEF this is
the first right of a child. Today the emphasis is on sending out the
message about how crucial birth registration is for a child. Adolescent
Development officer for UNICEF, Shirleen Tablada explained that UNICEF
along with the Government of Belize and other organizations have been on a
campaign for over a year.
Shirleen Tablada – Adolescent Development Officer
“We’ve met much success and in 2011 in particular we’ve managed to register
over ten thousand children in particular, in three District, in Corozal in
Stann Creek and in Toledo District. Basically we find that up to ten to
fifteen percent in some areas of children are unregistered. There are many
many documents why children are not registered. In many instances, for
example in Toledo, the issue has to do with distance. The system is
literally centralized still, and so main registration points are found
primarily in urban areas and so you find in districts where there are many
rural communities a big issue with distance to actually come register
children. Another problem which is now alleviated was cost. There was a
cost to actually completing a late registration and so a lot of parents
couldn’t find the money sometimes, up to fifty-six dollars, and therefore
parents didn’t come out to register their children.
MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGE
Twenty-eight year old Clarence Grant, a laborer of Mahogany Heights who
allegedly tried to smuggle eighty four grams of cannabis into Belize
Central Prison, was charged with drug trafficking when he appeared today in
Magistrate’s Court. Grant pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was denied
bail and he was remanded into custody until February 29. The incident
occurred around three p.m. yesterday. Prison Officer Silvano Cal reported
that when he searched two foam plates with food that Grand had, he found
three transparent plastic bags with cannabis in each plate. TH ecannabis
amounted to eighty four grams. Cal called the police in Hattieville and
handed over Grant to Police Constable Sandro McDougal.
MAN FOUND GUILTY OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR
Thirty-seven year old Salvadoran National Jose Cortez, charged with
aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a ten year old girl, was
sentenced to one year today by the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith after
he was found guilty of the charge. The incident occurred around one ten
p.m. on August seventh, 2011 in a yard at number one Baghdad Street. The
child, a primary school student, testified in camera that she went to the
yard to buy boiled corn and while she was waiting for the corn to finish
boiling, Cortez threw her down on her back and took out and exposed
himself. The child said she screamed and some other persons who were in
the yard came to her rescue. Cortez testified and denied he committed the
offence. He said he was drunk and he was urinating against a fence. He
claimed that when he turned around and was pulling up the zipper of his
pants he saw the child in front of him.
MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT
Forty-six year old Dwayne Young, a stevedore of Mahogany Heights who
allegedly committed a sexual assault on a twenty two year old woman, was
charged with aggravated assault when he appeared today in the number two
Magistrate’s Court. Young pleaded not guilty to the charge. Senior
magistrate Sharon Fraser offered him a bail of two thousand five hundred
dollars and adjourned his case until April twenty fifth. The incident
occurred on Monday, February twentieth at Mahogany Heights. The woman
reported to the police that during the day whilst she was in her yard,
young kissed her and fondled her private parts.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN DEMONSTRATION
Patrick Jones reporting...
“Hundreds of students from Primary School to University took to the streets
of San Ignacio and Santa Elena this morning. The purpose of the peaceful
demonstration was to draw attention to the community’s intolerance of crime
here, especially the sexual abuse of underage girls. The parade started
from the Sacred Heart College Compound. Led by a marching band and with
music blaring from loud speakers, the children carried placards that said:
Stop abusing children; criminals should be in jail, protect children; stop
children trafficking before it’s too late; and I have a right to be safe.
Organizers of today’s demonstration are hoping that it will ignite the push
to address this scourge on the Cayo community head on. While the size of
the demonstration numbered in the hundreds of students, many more stood by
the parade route in solidarity. Organizers say they expected a larger turn
out; but still they believe that their message came across loud and clear
today. And as the vice president of the student government Gilbert Andrews
said at the end of the demonstration, if they need to do a hundred more to
effect the necessary change, then so be it."
POLICE MINISTER COMMENTS ON INCIDENTS INVOLVING OFFICER
Over the past week there have been at least three different incidents
involving police officers. One of them included the sudden death of
thirty-two year old Miguel Martinez, a San Pedro resident who died earlier
this week in the San Pedro Police Station holding cell. Love News spoke
with Minister of Police, Doug Singh, about it. He said that there is no
evidence to suggest that the police were at fault.
Doug Singh – Minister of Police
“I spoke with the officer in charge, Dennis Arnold, when the incident was
reported and he assured me that there were no abuses to the individual and
he gave me a history on it. The particular individual that died in custody
in San Pedro was detained by police prior to that event because of
complaints of him exposing himself in public and other things that he was
doing and he appeared to be on something. He was issued medication by the
hospital to calm him down and we held him for a while and released him.
The following week there was a report that he was using a machete and
banging on somebody’s house, when Police went there he was nowhere to be
seen. Police went back and the hotel next door to that house called the
police afterwards saying that he had a machete and he was out there
chopping at trees.
ROARING CREEK VILLAGER SHOT AND KILLED IN BELMOPAN
Fem Cruz reporting...
“A shooting incident in Belmopan has left one person dead and a suspect on
the run. We spoke to an eye witness who told Love News that sometime
around 2:15 this morning, he was standing outside Piccini Night Club
speaking with the person who was shot. He said the person walked about 35
feet from him when he heard the sound gunshot. He said he ran to the area
and he saw the person lying on the ground face up in a pool of blood.
About 15 seconds later he saw a car speed off from the area. Two police
officers that were on duty at the time saw what happened and pursued the
vehicle and the suspect fired several shots at the police. The suspect then
escaped. The body was transported to the Western Regional Hospital. The
person received a single gunshot to the left side of the temple. He was
later identified as 23-year-old Benito Alberto Sosa, a resident of Roaring
Creek Village.”
CTV3
Traffic Accident Claims The Life Of A Mennonite Man
A Mennonite man of the Ship Yard Community is tonight dead after he was involved in a traffic accident last night while heading back home. Reports are that around 8:30 last night, 38 year old Cornelio Elias of Camp 3 in the community of Ship Yard, was heading back home when he lost control of his brown Toyota Corolla car while traveling somewhere along camp one. As a result the vehicle overturned several times landing on its four wheels. Elias, we understand, was flung out of the vehicle and landed approximately 8 feet away from the vehicle. Elias sustained sever head and body injuries and died on the spot. The body of the 38 year old Cornelio Elias was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Gushanie Wagner Detained By Orange Walk Police
Yesterday the only thing that was known about the murder of 21 year old Abel Arturo Robinson is that police for looking for Gushanie Wagner aka Suga and Victor Anthony Luna aka Torrito who police believed would be able to assist in their investigations.
Strong rumours were that Wagner was on the run and he was nowhere to be found in Orange Walk. But this morning around 10:00 the 22 year old was captured by police in Belize City somewhere around Taylors Alley. By the time Wagner was brought to Orange Walk Town it was highly rumoured that police had their main suspect in the murder of Robinson in custody. Reports are that on Friday morning Robinson left his home located on Crickstock Street in the company of Wagner and that was the last time his family saw him alive.
BNTU Disagrees With Governments Proposal For Salary Increase
This afternoon the Belize National Teachers Union Orange Walk Branch, held a meeting with its members at the Gala Lounge where the main topic of discussion was the Collective Bargaining Agreement which includes a salary increase.
For the past four years B.N.T.U has been negotiating a teacher’s salary increase with the present Government but has been unable to come to an agreement due to a number of reasons. The last time teachers received a salary increment was back in 2007 under the People’s United Party.
Today when we spoke to President of BNTU Orange Walk Branch, Otilio Munoz, he told us that BNTU has reached the end of the road and there will be no more negotiations. According to Munoz a recent proposal was made to BNTU by the Government of Belize but teacher’s country wide are not in support of the proposal.
Students of Concepcion Presbyterian School Back in Class
On Monday the Concepcion Presbyterian School in the Corozal District heard the roar of concerned parents who were in protest of the school board’s recommendation to demote Esther Mendez from her post as principal. As part of their protest, parents opted not to send their children to school. But late yesterday evening when we spoke to President of BNTU Corozal Rural Branch Mario Mesh, he told us that the children were back at school and that Principal Mendez had not been demoted from her post, at least for the time being.
As mentioned on Monday, the schools Board of Directors headed by Ismael Vallejo, issued a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting that Mendez be demoted by the 31st of January on the grounds of insubordination, orchestrating the ousting of the board, lack of proper financial management, promoting division among staff members and obstructing the work of the board.
PUP Orange Walk Town Council Candidates Meet With Residents Of The Louisiana Area
With fourteen days before the Municipal and General Elections the PUP Town Council Candidates in the Orange Walk division are hard at work ensuring that the message of change reaches all registered voters of the community.
That message is being spread through neighborhood meetings held in various areas across town. Last night the PUP 7 Team, headed by Mayoral Candidate Kevin Bernard, met with residents of Liberty Avenue and surrounding areas. For Bernard and the rest of the candidates it was an opportune moment to discuss the PUP Town Council Manifesto and at the same time make it clear that the PUP 7 team is ready to work hand in hand with the people.
PUP Corozal Town Council Slate Launches Manifesto
And while the PUP launched their National Manifesto yesterday, on Monday February 20th, the Corozal PUP Town Council slate launched their Manifesto for 2012 to 2015 entitled “PUP Delivers: New Life for Corozal”.
The manifesto entails various important factors that contribute to the positive development of Corozal Town. One of those major factors has to do with financing, which undoubtedly is needed to ultimately run the affairs of the town. Like many councils across the country, the finances and operations of Corozal Town Council have not been managed in an open, transparent and accountable manner. To solve that issue, the PUP Corozal Slate will among other things practice openness, inclusiveness and accountability by ensuring that the Council’s financial records are publicly available.
Ash Wednesday Marks The Beginning Of The Lenten Season
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. It is a season of Penance, reflection and fasting which prepares Christians for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which redemption is attained. For those who might not be aware of the Catholic Church’s practice on this holy day we took the opportunity to bring light to the matter.
PUP National Manifesto In Honor of Honorable George Cadle Price
verance For Belize, that’s the title of the Peoples United Party Manifesto 2012/2016 launched yesterday in Belize City at the party’s headquarters. The six page contract with the people of Belize is dedicated to the memory of the P.U.P’s founder and Father of the Nation the Right Honorable George Cadle Price.
LOVE TV
Mennonite farmer dies in RTA
A Mennonite farmer from the Orange Walk district was killed in a road traffic accident in Shipyard earlier this week. Thirty eighty year old Cornelio Elias lost his life when his Toyota Camry car went out of control and overturned while travelling along Camp One in the settlement. Love News understands that Elias was flung from the overturning vehicle and landed about 8 feet away from the wreckage. Elias sustained severe head and body injuries and died on the spot.
Autopsy on dead detainee released
The story made headlines earlier this week when a man detained at the San Pedro police station on Monday night turned up dead the following morning. Thirty one year old Miguel Martinez, a resident of the San Pedrito area of the town was found dead inside his cell around five thirty on Tuesday morning. Today, the police department released the results of the post mortem examination conducted on Martinez body. The police pathologist certified that Martinez died as a result of acute lungs failure brought on by high alcohol consumption and high drug consumption. In a moment, the Minister of Police and Public Safety Douglas Singh will comment on the case.
Santa Elena man hit with firearm charges
San Ignacio police have levied charges against one man in connection with the aggravated robbery of the home of former government minister Ainslie Leslie in that wester municipality earlier this week. Thirty four year old Owen Parham, a labourer with residence in Santa Elena, Cayo, has been charged for the offences of keeping a firearm and ammunition without a gun license. The aggravated burglary happened on Tuesday afternoon in the Kontiki area of San Ignacio Town. Love News understands that other charges may be pending against Parham who has been remanded to the Hattieville prison until his next court appearance.
Salvadoran national guilty of indescent assault; gets jail sentence
Thirty-seven year old Salvadoran National Jose Cortez, charged with aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a ten year old girl, was sentenced to one year today by the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith after he was found guilty of the charge. The incident occurred around one ten p.m. on August seventh, 2011 in a yard at number one Baghdad Street. The child, a primary school student, testified in camera that she went to the yard to buy boiled corn and while she was waiting for the corn to finish boiling, Cortez threw her down on her back and took out his penis and spread her legs. The child said she screamed and some other persons who were in the yard came to her rescue. Cortez testified and denied he committed the offence. He said he was drunk and he was urinating against a fence. He claimed that when he turned around and was pulling up the zipper of his pants he saw the child in front of him.
PlusTV
Man shot and killed outside Belmopan nightclub
A shooting incident in the City of Belmopan has left one person dead and many persons shocked. It's not often that ...
Decomposed body of Guinea Grass resident found in canefield
Reports reaching plus news is that the body of an 85 year old man from the village of Guinea Grass was found decomp...
Julius Espat hits the campaign trail in Roaring Creek
Julius Espat, the People's United Party Candidate for Cayo South, was also on the campaign trail this morning in th...
Ramon Witz on Cayo South campaign
Municipal and General elections are exactly twelve days away and candidates who are running for political office ar...
More concerns raised over change in Belmopan electoral process
As we reported earlier this week, Peoples United Party Candidate for the Belmopan Constituency, Dr. Amin Hegar, Ind...
MS-13 affiliate deported from Belize
A member of the notorious central American gang called MS-13, was deported from Belize yesterday. 26 year old Elmer...
Another man busted trying to smuggle weed into jail
Just yesterday, we reported on an incident where a visitor to the Belize Central prison was caught trying to smuggl...
New health centre inaugurated in Libertad
A new health centre was inaugurated this afternoon in Libertad Village. The new centre will serve the villages of L...
Armed robbers hold up Blades ice cream truck
Blades ice cream truck was robbed in Belize City. The driver for Blades Ice Cream reported that he was reversing th...
Salvadoran convicted of aggravated assault of an indecent nature
37-year-old Salvadoran national, Jose Cortez, was found guilty of aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a 1...
Amandala
Burglar attacks priest in bed
The thief took rope and duct tape into the room... St. Martin De Porres burglarized for the third time since September, 2011l.... St. Martin De Porres Primary School was burglarized last week Thursday, but this news somehow didn’t reach our newsroom until today.
Governor General’s driver charged with theft
Corporal Rayon Martinez helped Lady Young withdraw money from her account, then allegedly helped himself to $7,450 out of her account using the missing ATM card
Miguel Martinez’s mystery death while in police custody
Miguel Martinez, 31, of San Pedro Town, died while in the custody of San Pedro police. At around 5:00 this morning, he was seen lying motionless on the floor in the holding cell.
Siblings beat murder charge
David Uk, 43, and Seidi Salazar, 32, acquitted of murder of Mario Chi, 40... Brother and sister, David Uk, 43, and Seidi Salazar, 32, have been acquitted of a charge of murder in the death of Mario Chi, 40, in Santa Elena Town in 2009.
Bert Vasquez to be tried for abducting minor, 16
Belize City businessman Bert Vasquez, 28, will stand trial for the alleged forcible abduction of a female minor, 16, in May of 2011 on Cemetery Road near the Pound Yard Bridge.
As Ricky lived, so did Ricky die!
Valencia was fatally wounded after he was shot multiple times last night around 9:30 while driving a car on Queen Charlotte Street. The attack took place not far from his home on Caesar Ridge Road, and both streets are in the vicinity of Cumberbatch Field.
Bredda leads Yabra to CYDP Peace Cup Championship 2011-2012
The 3rd Annual CYDP Peace Cup Tournament 2011-2012 concluded near midnight last night at the MCC Grounds, where a first half goal from a corner kick by Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton was enough to give Yabra a 1-nil victory, and the championship, over Fort George United. On Monday of this week, Yabra had won game 1 in the best-of-3 games championship series by a similar 1-nil score.
A chat with veteran footballer Gerald “Speedy” Henry – Part 2
Amandala (A): Oh, yes! (laughs) Now, you said the word!... I remember that name… from the annual track meet at the MCC Grounds. I remember “di Fly.” (Lloyd Henry)
“Joe North” too strong for Buttonwood Bay Regatta, Baron Bliss Regatta is March 11 at BTL Park
Some 18 young sailors from the San Pedro (Ambergris) Sailing Club and 24 from the Belize Optimist Dinghy Association, comprised of sailors from Liberty Children Home, Hummingbird School and the Sea Scouts, gathered at the Seashore Restaurant on the Buttonwood Bay Belize City. With enthusiasm they readied their craft in anticipation of an exciting race day, one that would determine their first individual standings in the race to be a finalist in the National standings.
Cycling News - C-Ray’s Full Throttle Saturday Race
The C-Ray Cycling Team held its weekly “C-Ray’s Full Throttle Saturday Race” last Saturday, February 18, with the following results:
Junior Category: 1st - Riis Cattouse (C-Ray), 2nd - Brandon Morgan (C-Ray), 3rd - Eldon Simmons (M&M;’s), 4th - Delawn Abraham (Unattached).
Category 4/5: 1st - Ernest Meighan (Santino’s), 2nd - Kenroy Gladden (Horizon), 3rd - Omar Gomez (Depredadores).
Female/Youth Category: 1st - Delawn Abraham (Unattached), 2nd - Alejandro Manrique (Depredadores), 3rd - Kerah Eiley (C-Ray).
Over 50yrs: 1st - Raymond “Ray Catt” Cattouse (C-Ray), 2nd - Santino “The Chief” Castillo (Santino’s).
Elite: 1st - Darnell Barrow (Santino’s), 2nd - Gregory Lovell (Santino’s), 3rd - Christian McNish (C-Ray), 4th - Brandon Cattouse (C-Ray), 5th - Byron Pope (Benny’s Megabytes), 6th - Nissan Arana (C-Ray), 7th - Jairo Campus (Santino’s), 8th - Peter Choto (Gallen Eagles Western Spirit), 9th - Ernest Meighan (Santino’s), 10th - Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden (Horizon).
A tale of two manifestos
A tale of two manifestos... The main political parties, the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and Opposition People’s United Party (PUP), this week released fairly similar action plans for the next four (or five)-year term of office, which they hope to implement if elected in the majority .
The SSB mortgage mix-up
Merlene Bailey-Martinez resigned as SSB’s CEO—but did the board urge her to do so? What went wrong with the SSB-GOB loan write-off program? “the list that went to the House is not clean” “…we were in that process of determining what was the best option when this whole barrage of adverts came up where she was depicted as the devil and so on and so forth,” said deputy chair Dennis Jones.
Oil referendum next Wednesday – JP Association to observe
Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage calls out the public to vote... The year 2012 is proving to be a very interesting year for the Belizean electorate. Initially, only the municipal elections were billed to be called this year; however, the Barrow administration has called early general elections to coincide with the municipal elections.
Ideas and Opinions - Juvenile Delinquency
That is the name given to juvenile crime, which has been on the ascendancy for a long time and, will continue to increase. This is so because, most of these crimes are unreported. The general attitude of those who suffer losses, is that it is not worth the trouble to inform the police for two reasons. One, the police has more than its hands full of dealing in dealing with serious crimes and, two, a successful outcome of police action would not satisfy the offended parties.
EDITORIAL: Oil, conservation and votes
In an interview with Adele Trapp aired Tuesday night on her KREM Radio/TV show, former United Democratic Party (UDP) Leader and a UDP Cabinet Minister from 1984-1989, Dean Russell Lindo, suggested that the UDP could well be returned to office with a greater seat majority than the 25-6 they won in 2008. Mr. Lindo’s is a very highly respected political mind, and it must be the case that he is seeing indicators from his UDP perspective which lead him to such a speculation.
From The Publisher
Some people say that the greatness of the late jazz pianist, Thelonius Monk, derived as much from the notes he didn’t play as from the ones that he did. They are exaggerating, I think, but you get the idea.
When our post-World War II generation was growing up in British Honduras, we learned early that silence was a virtue. Every serious trip, by sea or by road, was always a matter of hours upon hours. If there were several people on the trip, sometimes there would be conversational fun and games. But, overall, Belizeans were less garrulous back then. We started out in life as children in a society which explicitly declared that “children should be seen and not heard.” They didn’t have to tell you this if you were a child travelling with an elder from somewhere to somewhere, or perhaps going on a fishing trip with an elder.
Elders didn’t hold conversations with children when I was a child. If you wanted to be in good standing, you made yourself active/useful, and you shut your mouth. And, you were grateful for your role. Because of my childhood, I believe it is possible to communicate without running your mouth, but sometimes you have to say things just to make absolutely sure your message is received.
Last year when I began to do a KREM Radio/TV show called Senior Moments, Gustavo Torres, a baker and boxing aficionado from San Ignacio who was a strong supporter of Assad Shoman’s during the latter’s Cayo North election runs from 1974 to 1984, called me to say he wanted Pappy Smith to be a guest on the show. Albert “Pappy” Smith is a Cayo football legend who also supported Assad Shoman, but he had been a part of something in 1972 and 1973 which was more significant and memorable for me personally. Here’s the story.
International Sources
PHOTO: A snorkeler comes face-to-fin with sharks and other fish in Belize's vibrant Ambergris Caye.
A little bit of paradise is found 15 minutes from the mainland by plane, 30 minutes by water taxi. Caye Caulker, five miles long and a half mile wide, is a place of swaying palms, white sandy beaches (unusual for Belize), and warm waters. In 1961 Hurricane Hattie expanded a previously narrow cut in the land. Now known as the split, the watery passageway divides the sparsely populated north side of the island from the built-up south, which remains quieter than Ambergris Caye. Manatee tours leave from the split, and speaking of watery denizens, this is where you'll find the annual Caulker Caye Lobster Festival, usually held in mid-June.
How a modest drop in rainfall 'led to the collapse' of Maya civilisation 1,100 years ago
The collapse of the classic Maya civilisation was caused by only a 'modest' drop in rainfall, researchers claimed today.
Archaeologists studying the ancient civilisation centred on present day Mexico and Guatemala claim rainfall reductions of just 25 per cent were enough to cause 'the disintegration of a well-established civilisation'.
Theories about the collapse of Maya civilisation in 950AD have blamed social unrest, disease and extreme drought.
But the study has calculated for the first time just how much rain was lost and discovered that only a 25 to 40 per cent drop was enough to help lead to the collapse of the sophisticated society of accomplished architects and mathematicians that flourished for around 600 years.
The research was led by Professors Martin Medina-Elizalde of the Yucatan Centre for Scientific Research in Mexico and Eelco Rohling of the University of Southampton.
Belize Government Tries To Explain High Unemployment Figures
The record high unemployment figures have become a factor in the political campaign leading up to the 7 March Belize General Elections. The government’s Statistics Institute has today issued a press release attempting to reframe the figures that show that one out of four Belizeans is out of work:
The Statistical Institute of Belize, as the only official source of unemployment statistics for Belize, wishes to explain the difference in the last two unemployment rates that it has published which show a 12.5% rate in 2009 and a 23.2% rate in 2010.
The reason for the difference is that labour force surveys provide only a snapshot of the unemployment situation at the time the survey is taken. As further explained below, the 12.5% rate was based on a labour force survey taken in September 2009 while the 23.2% rate was based on data collected during the 2010 Population & Housing Census.
While the two studies asked the same questions to determine who was employed or unemployed, the difference in the time the surveys were taken accounts for much of the variation between the two rates. This result is similar to 2000 when the census produced a national unemployment rate of 20.3% while the two labour force surveys done in April of the two years preceding the census year, showed rates of 14.3% and 12.8%.
What caused collapse of Mayan civilization?
The collapse of the ancient Mayan civilization may have been linked to relatively modest dry spells, researchers now say.
The ancient Mayan empire once stretched across an area about the size of Texas, with cities and fields occupying what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America, including the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The height of the Mayan empire, known as the Classic period, reached from approximately A.D. 250 to at least A.D. 900.
The ancient Maya had what was arguably the most advanced civilization in the Americas. For instance, they made dramatic breakthroughs in astronomy that helped them very accurately predict where the moon and other planets would be in the sky centuries in the future. They also left behind many books and stone inscriptions regarding the stories of their gods and the history of their divine kings and queens.
Maya collapse coincided with drought
The mysterious Maya collapse more than a millennium ago came amid a long-term drop in rainfall, confirms a study.
The Classic Maya kings erected pyramid-dominated cities throughout Central America from roughly 300 AD to 900 AD, concluding in abandonment of most centers that has left the region littered with mysterious ruins. Archeologists have pointed to warfare, depleted soil and drought as factors, among many others, in the "collapse."
Looking at lake and cave sediments to gauge past rainfall, the Science journal study led by Martín Medina-Elizalde and Eelco Rohling finds that a 40% drop in rainfall marked the Maya region in Belize, Guatemala and the Yucatan from about 800 to 1,000 AD. In particular, the drop would have been reflected in fewer tropical storms and heavy rainfalls, needed to water crops.
Although the Maya cities, such as Tikal, appear abandoned in Guatemala and Belize after 900 A.D., there was a fluorescence of some sites in Mexico's Yucatan region after the collapse era.
February 24, 2012
Sunday Free Concert in San Pedro - Garifuna Collective & Umalali Singers
The San Pedro Sun
Old Spice’s Fresh Collection now offering the scent on Belize
American based company Old Spice has named a few of their collective products “Old Spice – Belize”, now available in the US market. The new collection of products includes deodorants, antiperspirants, body wash and body spray. The company’s website indicates that the product hit the US market January 23rd, 2012. Old Spice’s Belize products are already on the shelves of stores in the US, including Wal-Mart and Target.
So what’s so special about the products? Well, they prominently feature the country with a Mayan temple, the world famous Great Blue Hole in the open sea embodied in the background depicting the mountains.
In describing the products on the website, Old Spice says that depicts the smell of Belize, “Smells like fresh air, guitar solos, and triumph” appealing to its customers to “inhale the adventure.”
Standard Bearers Debate Q&A;: Campaigning
On Wednesday, February 15th, 2012, the first ever Belize Rural South Standard Bearers debate was held in San Pedro at the Sunbreeze Hotel Conference Room. Candidates Mike Campbell, Patty Arceo, Bobby Lopez and Manuel Heredia Jr. squared off on topics ranging from crime and corruption to education and tourism. Over the next few days we will be presenting a verbatim transcript of all the questions, answers and rebuttals by each candidate for you to view, read and discuss in detail. We now get to our second topic… Campaigning
San Pedro Holiday Hotel undergoes a Facelift
One of Ambergris Caye oldest hotel, The Holiday Hotel, is undergoing major renovation. The facelift will however, keep the old colonial looks and charm envisioned since its construction in the mid 1960’s. The San Pedro Holiday Hotel opened its doors on June 15, 1965. As San Pedro’s first hotel, it had five small rooms, one cold water shower, one bathroom with plumbing and four full hours of electricity. At $10US, you would get accommodations, three meals a day and your laundry done.
Running her hotel under the fundamental principle of marketing: “Good marketing requires you to first identify your clients’ needs before you can appeal, attract and satisfy those needs and in the process profit from it.” Celi McCorkle has been able to run a continuously successful business for over 45 years.
Now Celi is passing down most of the reigns of management to her daughter, Lisa McCorkle Guerrero. Lisa is a successful businesswoman in her own right: Oasis Del Caribe and Train Station Fitness Center being two of her business accomplishments. With the new responsibility of an island icon in her hands, she has undertaken the task of renovating and breathing new life into the Holiday Hotel.
The San Pedro Sun spoke with Lisa to get some insight on the changes.
Ambergris Today
Old Spice Captures Belize Scent in Fresh Collection Deodorant
What does Belize Smell Like? Get this! Old Spice has captured the scent of Belize in their new line of Fresh Collection Products which include deodorants, antiperspirants, body wash and body spray. Would you agree with them when they say Belize smells like fresh air, guitar solos, and triumph?
That is how Old Spice describes Belize smelling like – “Fresh Collection is where freshness smells from. Inhale the adventure,” states Old Spice and on the label of Belize Old Spice products are the images of a Maya ruin and the Great Blue Hole. It’s the Freshest Places on Earth in Armpit Form which include other smells like Cyprus, Denali, Fiji, Komodo and Matterhorn.
Preventing Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Tourism
The BTIA hosts focus group on the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in tourism - Belize City, Belize (February 14, 2012) - The Belize Tourism Industry Association, the recognized voice of tourism in Belize, hosted a focus group at the Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina to introduce a draft program aimed at the prevention of the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, with a focus on ethics and corporate social responsibility in tourism, through the national Chambers of tourism in Central America (FEDECATUR) and UNICEF.
The draft program consists of the formulation and implementation of a plan of action. The project's objective is the prevention of the commercial sexual exploitation in main tourist areas of the region.
The event also hosted the regional technical coordinator of the program, Mrs. Lucy Valenti, who was hired by SITCA to execute the project as well as her assistant, Mrs. Judith Acevedo. At the focus group, Mrs. Valenti gave an introduction on SITCA's draft proposal on the program with focus on corporate social responsibility for the tourism chambers in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama. Brief presentations on similar successful programs being driven in Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua and Colombia were also done to emphasize how widespread the issues are and how they are being addressed.
Letters to the Editor: Police Neglect
On Monday, February 6, 2012, and about 12:30 pm I just returned from town and heard our neighbor known only to me as Carl yelling profanities and and as soon as he caught my eye he proceeded to climb over the two fences separating our yards. My husband told me to get into the house, and we locked the doors and closed the windows. Carl was definitely under the influence of something but seemed extremely agitated, calling out my husband so he can beat him and threatened our lives.
We placed the first call to the San Pedro Police at 12:40 pm asking for help, told them that he was not only in our yard but on our porch banging at our windows. He continued to curse and bang at our windows and threatening us. A neighbor’s son came over to tell us that his Mom also had called the police. We continued to place multiple calls asking for help. We felt the situation was getting worse. Still nobody came. I called and was hung up on. I called and asked to speak
to the officer in charge and was told "there's no one" and again was hung up on. After about an hour and a half of being in the house, my husband held a machete and I a rubber mallet for self defense.
No Opportunity Wasted
We were offered yet another chance to travel off the beaten path recently, and embracing it was as easy a decision as we've ever had to make. We still can't believe our amazingly good luck. We were riding our bikes down to Maria's fruit stand and chose to take the back, unpaved road rather than the main cobblestone road on this particular day. We just happened to run into friends Chunky and Ruthie riding their bikes in the opposite direction. We were in town later than normal because Barry got into a long poolside conversation with a tourist staying in our building that morning; otherwise, we would have been long gone by the time they were riding on that particular one block of road! So we figure our chance meeting with them was meant to be.
Seeing us triggered Ruthie to recall that we enjoyed sailing, and she filled us in on an opportunity to jump aboard a large charter catamaran for a run down to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. The boat needed to be hauled out to replace the transducer (depth sounder), and this was the boatyard that the charter company (TMM) used. TMM had offered up the extra berths to people who would like to join them for the ride down and back, with the only costs being immigration fees and food for the trip. Chunky and Ruthie had already committed to the trip, along with one other person, but there was one double cabin left. Once we determined that the offer was legit, we were quick to jump right in. Barry had heard about the beauty of the Rio Dulce ("Sweet River") and had added it to our list of destinations to visit in Central America. Not to mention that the trip would give us the opportunity to visit another new country. The boat we would be traveling on was s/v (sailing vessel) Hope, a 46-foot Leopard catamaran, and the most expensive boat in TMM's fleet to charter. Say what??? Did I mention how lucky we felt!?
SAGA February 2012 Cook-Off: All Italian at the X Lounge
Last night the SAGA Humane Society hosted their February 2012 Charity Cook-off and the theme was Italian Food. Location? Well...that's hard to pin down exactly. Last week, we were invited to DiCaprio's Restaurant on the beach but by the time the arrived, it had been renamed the X Lounge. Since I've been on the island the location's had 5 different names. First it was Cannibals and then Playa Lounge, Bar 1755 and then Di Caprio's and now the X Lounge. I wish them luck. Some of the old signs still remain.
Travels to Belize
My trusty wristwatch alarm started chirping at 5:45 AM. The rain hadn't let up one bit since the beginning of the night. Our river taxi was supposed to pick us up at 6 AM to take us upstream to a town called Livingston where a ferry departs only twice a week to Belize. Assuming the heavy rainfall would hinder these plans, I left Whitney to continue dreaming, and figured I'd go check to see if anyone was in the lobby anyway. I grabbed the flashlight to light my way, as Finca Titan only taps into their diesel supply for electricity a few hours a day, and made my way toward the river.
To my surprise, a Guatemalan man in a poncho came walking up through the lobby leaving a trail of water in his path. It quickly became evident that nature is no match for a determined Guatemalan work ethic. Five minutes later, Whitney and I were packed and settling up our tab with Gaby. Most hostels we have come across, thus far, operate on a bit of a trust system. Throughout your stay, you are trusted to keep an ongoing tally of how many drinks you have taken, kayaks you have helped yourself too, meals you have ordered, etc
Traveling to the Luxurious Wilderness in Belize
Driving deep into the woods on dirt roads with Ben in a jeep, we arrived at The Lodge at Chaa Creek's Macal River Camp. These little houses are called casitas.
Accompanied by the noises of birds, insects and the occasional dripping of water from the wet leaves, the owner of Chaa Creek made every effort to create a jungle experience for visitors without abandoning comfort and safety. Imagine listening to the howling of monkeys and panthers as you rest in this open air casitas…without electricity, alarm clocks or the noise of air conditioners.
Once before, the inhabitants were Mayans, and visitors today still have access to the Macal River and the Medicinal Trail of Belize. Go canoeing on the Macal River or mountain biking or hiking into the woods with a knowledgeable guide. Every part of the place in its natural state.
Paddling through Paradise: Sea Kayak the Belize Reef
Second only to Australia's Great Barrier, the active attractions of the 180-mile reef system off Belize's Caribbean coast are self-evident: crystal-clear waters, a massive array of tropical fish, and vibrant coral formations all make up a near-unexplored, magical undersea world. For sea kayakers, the presence of the Belize Reef has an added benefit: It transforms what would be choppy waters into a smooth-as-glass paddler's playground that extends up to 35 miles off the coast, affording unobscured views of the aquatic wildlife and access to your pick of deserted cayes.
The Glover Reef Marine Reserve, some 20 miles off the coast, is one of the best places to experience Belize's complex and varied underwater ecosystem. Just don a mask and peer below the surface to see elkhorn and brain coral, feather plumes and sea fans, angelfish and parrotfish, and countless other vibrant distractions.
Channel 7
The Streets Most Wanted, Dead
Ricky Valencia is dead. The notorious street figure was killed last night, executed in front of his old haunt near the base of the Southside gangsters on Caesar Ridge Road.
If you don't know Valencia it means you probably don't watch the news much. Most famously, he is one of the two men accused of the attempted murder of the Prime Minister's law partner, Rodwell Williams.
But before - and after that - he'd been accused of a battery of crimes, from murder, bank robbery and armed robbery, right down to petty crimes such as theft and handling. He had multiple cases pending before the court.
But those were or are only accusations - to our knowledge - he was never convicted: Valencia got off every time. But last night, he couldn't get away from a shooter who had him marked for death.
The shooter waylaid him close to his old stomping grounds on Caesar Ridge road. The harsh circumstances of his murder ended weeks of reports that he had been marked for death on the streets.
GG's Driver Stole From Lady Young
As Belize's head of State, Governor General Sir Colville Young should have his pick of the finest police officers as his driver - but, that's not how it works, the police assign drivers to him, and recently he's had the worst luck with those cops.
In November of 2010 - the GG's driver at the time Nelson Middleton was accused of landing a drug plane - and he was along with his previous driver, Rennel Grant.
And now his current driver is accused of stealing from Sir Colville's wife, 78 year old Lady Norma Young!
Here's how it is alleged to have occurred: Lady's Young's daughter noticed that there had been some unauthorized withdrawals from her Scotia Bank Account. She checked with her mother who had last used the account in July of 2011 at Scotia's Belmopan Branch.
Jorge Celis Needs To Go To Guat To Save His Eye
Last night we showed you Jorge Celis - the Orange Walk resident whose eye was injured when a policeman fired a shot - and the lead fragment penetrated his eye.
Well, he still can't see out of that eye - and today he told us that he now has to go to Guatemala to see if his vision can be restored.
Today he told us that he was discharged from the KHMH still unable to see anything out of his injured eye and tomorrow he has to go to Guatemala City to see if they can mend the eye.
Doctors here have told him that the procedure is complicated and may require them to insert a thin layer of silicone in the eye.
He told us he does stand the risk of a permanent loss of vision in that eye.
UDP Manifesto Meeting Draws Thousands
Yesterday we showed you the UDP's manifesto launch.
Well, that event was for the press; the launch for the mass party's supporters was held last night in a public meeting in front of the UDP headquarters on Youth For The Future Drive.
The event drew a massive crowd - well into the thousands - but hard to estimate numerically because it spanned from the bridge's southern approach - right up to the BelChina Texaco gas station.
The crowd was massive but we note that it was not strictly a Belize city effort - all the national candidates were presented at the meeting and many of them bussed in their own supporters.
Statistical Institute Clarifies Unemployment Rate
And one of the campaign issues that the PUP has been harping in its district public meetings so far is unemployment.
The census figures released in 2011 - showed that figure at 23% - which has been the source of much politicking and public discourse since.
But the census survey is different from the labour force survey. And today, no doubt in response to all the political points that have been scored using the 23% figure - the Statistical Institute of Belize issued a release clarifying that difference.
The release explains that the labour force survey in 2009 showed a 12.5% unemployment rate in 2009 - much lower than the census. And that's because the survey is done in September when seasonal employment is high - and students are back in school.
The census on the other hand goes on for seven months mostly during the period when seasonal employment is low.
The disparity between the 2000 census - which showed unemployment of 20% and the labor force survey in 1999 - which showed unemployment of 12.7% was similar.
MS-13 Member Shipped Out Under Tight Security
There was heightened security this afternoon at the PGIA, after the GSU transported a member of the infamous Central American gang MS-13, from the Belize Prison, to execute a deportation order.
26 year old Elmer Antonio Cadiz Galdamez, a Salvadoran national who resided on New Road in Belize City, and worked as a taxi driver, was deported back to his native El Salvador this afternoon, where he is wanted for questioning there by both Interpol and the FBI.
Cadiz was detained by Police in November of last year along with two other reputed members of the MS-13 gang, after they were busted at a home directly in front of the Racoon Street Police Headquarters, for the "Possession of Controlled Drugs".
Four Hondurans Caught At Bus Station Without Papers
And while Cadiz was escorted out under guard,4 Hondurans found without papers probably won't get quite that same sendoff.
They are currently in the custody of the Immigration Department waiting to be deported at the soonest possible convenience. They were found guilty in the of illegal entry into Belize.
They are 18 year-old Yenifer Alejandra Erazo Izaguirre, 29 year-old Fary Carias Izaguirre, 18 year-old Kevin Ramirez Allamirano, and 23 year-old Karen Josaline Meraz Lopez.
According to the immigration authorities, it was determined that the 4 were smuggled in along the Mopan River in the Cayo District on Tuesday, and they had intentions of travelling to the United States.
Meighan Remanded For Assaulting Woman With Firearm
18 year-old Tyrone Meighan, a laborer of Banak Street, and who is no stranger to the police, was remanded into custody today after he was arraigned in the courtroom of Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart for aggravated assault with a firearm.
According to police on February 20, he allegedly committed the assault against Mellissa Jones.
In court, Meighan pleaded not guilty to the charge, and Magistrate Stuart informed him that he was not eligible for bail at the Magistrate's level due to the nature of the offense.
He was remanded, and he is to return to court on March 27.
Conductors Held Up During Breakfast, Robbed
A bus driver for Morales Transport was held up as he had breakfast at a city eatery yesterday.
Cristino Guadalupe Pena, a resident of Corozal District was having breakfast at Tropical Fast Food on Euphrates Avenue along with two Conductors, when a dark skinned man walked up and pointed a black handgun at them and demanded money.
Fearing for their lives, Chan handed over (1) black waist bag containing approximately $470 dollars, Valladarez handed over (1) black purse containing $500 dollar and Pena handed over (1) black wallet with one hundred dollars in it. The man then ran towards King Street.
Police investigation continues.
VIP's Manifesto, Substance Not Hype
In the past week, you've seen the mass parties launch their national and municipal manifestos with much fanfare.
Well today, the VIP Belize City slate had it's turn at the Radisson - and while the party is fledgling and has only seven people on its slate - at least it did better than the PUP - which couldn't even manage a launch in an air conditioned room.
Their candidates were plain spoke and to the point - here's what they said:
Man Caught Smuggling Weed Blames Mystery Woman
24 year-old Justin Richards, a barber residing at Flamboyant Street, will spend the next 6 days on remand while Magistrate Robert Ordonez decides if he should be granted bail
According to the authorities, yesterday at around 3:30, he was caught trying to smuggle 5.68 ounces of marijuana into the facility with the intent to sell. The weed was hidden in food, and it was to be delivered to an inmate.
The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the crime, and that fact that the prison is a rehabilitation facility and offenses committed by persons like Richards does not help the inmates.
Richards pleaded not guilty, and in his defense, told the court that he was visiting an inmate with a young lady. He said that when prison authorities detained him, he tried to explain to them that the drugs belonged to the female.
But by the time he tried to point her out, she had already left the prison, leaving him behind to deal with the consequences.
Magistrate Ordonez suspended his decision to grant bail, and remanded him until February 29.
BFLA Gets A Bank's Boost
The travails of the Belize Family Life Association have been well documented.
In October, the organization was almost forced to close its doors because it ran out of funding to meet recurrent expenses.
Still, it has just barely managed to keep those doors open, while making a grudging concession to close its Belmopan clinic.
But now with an infusion of support from the First Caribbean Bank, the BFLA will be able to launch an important public health initiative.
The FCIB held a fundraising effort where its credit card users contributed to the organization with every sale they made.
Today Director Joan Burke told the media how the money will be used:
He Rented A Vehicle And She Bought It!
A Belize City Sales Accountant thought she had bought a new 2010 SUV only to find out that the man she had bought it from did not own it. 25 year old Mark Rosales, a resident of San Ign
Profile Of A Priest
It takes a strong person to be an effective leader - especially a spiritual one. No one knows this better than Bishop Philip Wright. As the youngest of 7 siblings, it was easy to get lost among the faces, but this man of the cloth has risen steadily through the ranks, and in tonight's profile, he talks about the source of this strength and resolve.
The profile series is the joint effort of this station, Fultec System, NICH and Restore Belize.
A Support Website For Persons With HIV
Today at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel, the Pan American Social Marketing Organization,( PASMO), launched a new interactive website designed to provide information and support for people living with HIV, their families and friends in Belize.
President of C-NET Plus, Eric Castellanos says the website named: 'and what now', makes reference to the moment in which a person receives the results of an HIV test and many times doesn't know what to do, or where to get help.
Eric Castellanos - President, C-NET+
"This website was created thinking of the necessities and the many questions we face when we are diagnosed with HIV. We know our health system - how it works, and the doctors have to attend to many clients, and they have very little time. So they have a few minutes to answer your questions. And many times you leave out from the clinic with more questions than when you arrived. So, this website is a space where you can find answers to those types of questions. It is also a space where you can chat with other peers, and you can learn from each other's experiences. And your family members - your friends - can learn about HIV, and in that way..."
Channel 5
MS-13 Gang Member deported again
A high profile street figure was killed on Wednesday night in the city. We’ll come to that shortly, but a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang was deported for the second time from Belize this evening. Thirty year old Elmer Antonio Cadiz Gandamez was taken after two o’clock this afternoon to the ...
Accused in High Profile Crimes; Ricky Valencia Murdered
Ricky Valencia, the notorious street figure accused in the Heritage Bank robbery and the attempted murder of attorney Rowell Williams, was killed on Wednesday night and there is now trepidation that retaliation may follow. Two weeks ago, he was in court for Williams’ attempted murder; but the case was adjourned since he was unable to ...
Stabbing Victim clings to life
Aside from the murder of Ricky Valencia, there was a stabbing in the city on Wednesday night and a former court security guard is in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Reports are that between eight-thirty and nine o’clock on Wednesday night, Loren Lennan was with friends on Bocotora Street when he was ...
Not a Manifesto? VIP’s Commitment Sheet
Both major political parties launched lofty party manifestos earlier this week at events that were brimming with supporters to show political muscle. This morning, the much smaller Vision Inspired by the People followed suit with its election platform for the Belize City Council. In terms of campaign financing, the VIP’s coffers are not known to ...
Cop assigned to G.G. cleans G.G. Wife’s account
The bank account of the governor general’s wife has been pilfered and the suspected perpetrator is the GG’s former driver, Police Corporal Rayon Martinez. According to seventy-eight year old Lady Norma Young, on December fifth, her daughter alerted her to a series of ATM withdrawals from her Scotiabank account. While doing her own inquiry ...
Woman buys KIA, but it was a Rental
A Cayo resident is in police custody for renting a vehicle and then selling it. The scam allegedly carried out by twenty-five year old Mark Rosales was reported by a Belize City accountant who purchased the vehicle from him. The woman claims that on February eleventh, she bought a 2010 Kia Sportage during a trip ...
Hondurans busted for no passports
Four Honduran nationals believed to have been making their way to the US through Belize have been stopped in their tracks. According to Immigration Personnel, they visited the Belize City Bus Terminal on Wednesday and came across Fany Carias Izaguirre, Karen Meral Lopez, Yenifer Alejandra Erazo Izaguirre and Kevin Ramirez Allamirano. All four were detained ...
Street Festival takes over Downtown Belize City
A popular street art festival returns to the heart of Belize City this coming weekend. It is the second time that NICH is staging the festival to showcase the works and crafts of artists from all over the country. Entertainers will also be performing at Saturday’s event, which is expected to transform downtown Belize City. ...
First Caribbean donates to BFLA
It was revealed last October that the Belize Family Life Association was in a financial bind and on the verge of closing down. But the healthcare facility has managed to keep its doors open with fundraising and the help of donors. Today, the BFLA received a boost from CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, which handed over ...
Food Based Dietary Guidelines for Belizeans
With more than sixty percent of the population being either overweight or clinically obese, there is an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. That is why the Ministry of Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization have come up with a set of food based dietary guidelines. We reported on the ...
LOVE FM
JEHOVAH WITNESSES PREPARE FOR CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY
The annual circuit assembly of Jehovah Witnesses will be held at the
weekend in Punta Gorda town.
Paul Mahung reporting...
“The circuit assembly news service overseer Stephen Ulmer says that the
event will be held under the Theme “Let God’s name be sanctified” based on
the Lord’s Prayer. On Saturday February 25th the main presentation
highlighting the topic-“Why God’s name must be sanctified” will help
Christian ministers carry out their respective ministry meaningful.
Additionally the discourses entitled: “Beware of bringing reproach on
Jehovah’s name and do not take up Jehovah’s name in vain” will consider the
seriousness of bearing and using God’s name. Ulmer also confirmed that on
Sunday February 26th the public address and main presentation will
highlight the topic-“ Jehovah will sanctify his great name at Armageddon”
and other talks will highlight how we can sanctify God’s name by our
thoughts, speech, decisions and conduct. Jehovah Witnesses from the Toledo
and Stann Creek Districts will attend the weekend event to be held at the
Toledo Sports Complex and organizers of the annual Circuit Assembly of
Jehovah Witnesses extend a cordial invitation to other inhabitants of the
two Southern Districts to attend the very special occasion and free
sessions beginning at 9:40 am on Saturday and Sunday and at 1:20 in the
afternoons.”
PASMO LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
The Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO) has been providing
its services in Belize since 1999 with its main office in Belize City and
operations throughout the country. The organization works in HIV/AIDS
prevention by using a social marketing approach and today they reached what
they consider a great milestone with the launching of their “And What Now”
website.
Natalie Novelo reporting…
“The “And What Now” website was launched this afternoon at the Best Western
Biltmore Plaza Hotel on the Northern Highway. The website is a
collaborative effort between the PASMO and USAID Combination Prevention
Program for HIV in Central America and Mexico with the support of many
other organizations like C-Net. Behavior Change Communication Coordinator
for PASMO Belize, Keron Cacho says the interactive website is being
launched after much qualitative research. The launch featured the welcome
address by PASMO Belize Country Manager Guadalupe Huitron.
Guadalupe Huitron, Country Manager, PASMO Belize
“Pasmo Belize strives to direct its resources where they are most needed by
locating At risk and vulnerable populations and developing tailored
strategies to reach each of these groups.”
Other speeches were shared by Sussy Lungo the Chief of party for the USAID
combination Prevention Program for HIV in Central American and Mexico, and
Executive Director of the National AIDS Commission Dr. Martin Cuellar who
stated that this year is important on national response to HIV.
BELIZE FAMILY LIFE ASSOCIATION GETS MUCH NEEDED HELP
The Belize Family Life Association has been serving the Belizean public,
especially women for over twenty years. Last year they were the spotlight
on the news when they unfortunately ran into tight constraints with funds
and had to close down their branches in Belmopan and Punta Gorda. Today
however was a joyful day for the BFLA family, since CIBC First Caribbean
Bank donated a healthy cheque to the non-governmental Organization.
Customer Service Manager for CIBC, Gena Castillo, informed Love News about
the origins of the cheque.
Gena Castillo – Customer Service Manager, CIBC
“During the months of November and December 2011 we reached out to our card
holders and we asked them to use their card and for the usage of the card
we took a percentage of the amount that was used over that two months and
that was the amount we donated to the BFLA today. We chose BFLA because it
is an essential service, it is a worthwhile group in Belize and they offer
wonderful services to Belizeans all across the country at really low rates
and so we thought that if we could assist them in any way, I know they were
struggling last year and we thought what better opportunity than for us to
reach out to our community through BFLA.
BOATING INCIDENT REPORTED
There are reports of a boating incident in the Stann Creek district which
left several students in the water … literally. According to reports to the
RSV Media Centre, students from Independence village who were heading to
school in Placencia village, were thrown overboard, reportedly when the
vessel they were about to travel on was hit by a wave. Errol Pandy is a
boat operator in the area, who assisted in rescuing the students from the
water and took them to their destination. When he spoke with Love FM’s
Patrick Jones via telephone this morning, Pandy told Love News what
happened.
Errol Pandy – Boat operator
“Tuesday morning I was going to Placencia and on my way I saw the boat
captain giving me sign, but the boat was still up when I saw some kids were
in the water and I went there and put them in my boat and took them to
Placencia back.”
Patrick Jones - Reporter
As far as you were able to tell did the boat experience any problems?
Errol Pandy – Boat operator
“No problems. I think what happened, the boat captain said that a wave was
coming and all the students went on one side and that is what happened to
make the boat capsize.”
Patrick Jones - Reporter
The children that were in the water, apart from getting wet did anybody get
hurt?
Errol Pandy – Boat operator
“Nobody got hurt. I made sure everybody was well. I asked them if anybody
was left and they said that was the crowd and I went back to Placencia with
them.”
Patrick Jones - Reporter
Do you recall how many children you took to school?
Errol Pandy – Boat operator
“Probably about 10 and the boat captain.”
Patrick Jones - Reporter
So the boat captain accompanied them to go to Placencia.
Errol Pandy – Boat operator
“Yes”.
Love News understand that the Ministry of Education has been made aware of
the incident and they are carrying out an investigation.
TEENAGER REPORTED MISSING
A teenager from Cotton Tree Village has been reported missing. Carlota
Geron told Police that her nephew 15-year-old Deber Montero left home to an
unknown destination and has not returned. Geron stated that she made checks
with his father in Ontario Village and with his friend in Cotton Tree
Village but to no avail. Deber Montero is of East Indian descent, brown
complexion, slim built and stands about six feet in height.
BUS DRIVER AND CONDUCTOR HELD UP AND ROBBED
A bus driver and two conductors from the Corozal District were robbed in
Belize City on Wednesday. Cristino Guadalupe Pena told Police that on
Wednesday he and conductors Israel Valladarez and Alex Chan were having
breakfast at a fast food shop on Euphrates Avenue when they were approached
by a dark complexion man who pointed a black handgun at them and demanded
money. Fearing for their lives Chan handed over a black waist bag
containing approximately 470 dollars, Valladarez handed over a black purse
containing 500 dollars and Pena handed over a black wallet containing 42
Belize dollars, 29 US dollars 110 pesos and personal documents. The man
then ran towards King Street. Police investigation continues.
STATISTICAL INSTITUTE SPEAKS ON UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES
The Statistical Institute of Belize has issued a press release clarifying
differences in the last two sets of unemployment figures. The figures for
2009 show a 12.5% rate of unemployment; while the statistics for 2010 show
a dramatic increase with the rate standing at twenty three point two
percent. According to the official explanation the 2009 statistics, that
is the twelve point five percent unemployment rate, is based on a labor
force survey that was taken in 2009. The higher rate or twenty three point
two percent, according SIB, was based on data collected during 2010. The
official statement says that while the two studies asked the same questions
to determine who was employed or unemployed, the difference in the time the
surveys were taken accounts for much of the variation between the two
rates. SIB says that data collected in the 2009 labor force survey was
done in September with the results referring only to that month. Data
collection for the census on the other hand covered a seven month period
from May to November of 2010. The latter period covered a time when the
Institute says that vacationing students would have been able to join the
workforce, accounting for a sizeable increase in the labor force. The
dramatic increase noticeable in the data starting in September, according
to SIB reasoning, would have reflected the fact that many of the
vacationing students had gone back to classes. The official statement ends
by saying that given the significant variations in the unemployment rate of
the course of a year, and from one year to another, the Institute plans to
resume conducting labor force survey in April and September to give a
fuller assessment of the country’s unemployment situation.
VIP PRESENTS BELIZE CITY MANIFESTO
Marion Ali reporting…
“Today it was the Vision Inspired by the People, or the VIP’s turn to
present what it calls its commitment sheet to the voting public. Its
Mayoral hopeful, Paco Smith, said that his slate offers the Belize City
electorate an alternative for real change. And by change, he said, it
starts with ensuring that his team walks the straight and narrow, if
elected. The one leaf manifesto bears a list of pledges that the movement
hopes to fulfill if its members are elected to City Hall, including
providing high school scholarships, establish a municipal recycling
enterprise for solid organic waste management, introduce tolls for foreign
tour operators and large tanker trucks, and obtain corporate and community
sponsorship for parks and playgrounds. Paco Smith says that a Council made
up of his slate will find new ways and means of generating funds. Under
Smith as Mayoral candidate, the VIP slate consists of Robert Ferguson,
Myrnamae Reynolds, Jude Lopez, Leslie Martinez, Felipe Martinez and Shan
Ferguson as councilor hopefuls.”
BELIZEAN CLAIMING TO BE DIPLOMAT FACES JAIL SENTENCE IN US
A Belizean national identified as thirty seven year old Bernard Talbert is
facing the possibility of spending two decades in jail in the United
States. Talbert was convicted this week of trying to illegally re-enter
the United States after deportation. The story, first reported in the
Brownsville Herald Newspaper, is that Talbert, claiming to be a Belizean
diplomat, tried to enter the United States using what has been described as
a world passport, reportedly issued by a non-profit organization called the
World Service Authority in Washington. The online report is that the
“passport” was rejected by Custom and Border Protection officers at the
Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville. Talbert was convicted in a
one-day bench trial on Tuesday of the crime of trying to illegally re-enter
the United States after deportation. According to the Brownsville Herald,
Talbert, who has a criminal record, told officers he was traveling to
Washington to speak with President Barack Obama about what he considered to
be genocide in Belize. Talbert, according to US court records, has had
felony convictions for drug trafficking and immigration crimes. At his
trial, Talbert said he thought he had a legitimate visa to enter the United
States. He will be sentenced in May. Punishment for illegal re-entry ranges
up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to two hundred and fifty thousand
US dollars.
MAN DETAINED FOR OBTAINING PROPERTY BY DECEPTION
Police have detained 25-year-old Mark Rosales of San Ignacio Town for
obtaining property by deception. A woman from Belize City reported to
Police that while in Corozal earlier this month she bought a white 2010 Kia
Sportage SUV from Rosales. She said she paid Rosales $7,000.00 in cash and
signed an agreement to pay the balance of 18 thousand dollars in monthly
installments. The woman said on Tuesday she was at her workplace when she
was approached by Mark Hepburn who inquired about the vehicle. Hepburn
told her the vehicle is the property of Euphrates Auto Rental and Sales and
Rosales had rented the vehicle from the company and had no authority to
sell it. The woman handed over the vehicle to Hepburn after he showed
proof of ownership. Police detained Rosales pending their investigation.
ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW
A Police Officer has been charged with 12 counts of theft. On Tuesday PC
Rayon Martinez was arraigned in Belmopan Magistrate Court where he was
offered and met bail. According to Police reports Martinez was charged
following a report by Lady Norma Young, wife of the Governor General. Mrs.
Young reported to Police that in December last year her daughter alerted
her of unauthorized withdrawal of funds from her account using the
automated teller machine. Mrs. Young said she made her own inquires and
recalled the last time she used her ATM card was on July 28 last year at
the Belmopan branch of the Bank. At the time she made the withdrawal with
the assistance of PC Rayon Martinez who was the Governor General’s driver
at the time. Mrs. Young reported that a total of twelve withdrawals were
made without her consent between August 12 And December 2, 2011 amounting
to $7,450.00. During the investigation a vehicle belonging to PC Martinez
was searched and the ATM card was found. Martinez was arrested on Tuesday
and taken to court. The matter has been adjourned to March 30.
NOTORIOUS STREET FIGURE RICKY VALENCIA GUNNED DOWN
He has a long list of charges, including the attempted murder of Rodwell
Williams, the law partner of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and the brazen
mid-afternoon robbery of Heritage Bank in Orange Walk Town. But today the
news is that the man behind those alleged deeds is dead. Twenty eight year
old Ricky Valencia was shot to death at around nine on Wednesday night
inside a white Toyota four-door Camry. Public Relations Officer for the
Ministry of Police, Raphael Martinez, told the media what they have so far
on this murder.
Raphael Martinez – Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Police
“Police visited the Queen Charlotte Street area in front of Wilt Place in
the Yabra region where they saw a four door white Toyota Corolla parked on
the left side of the road heading towards to the Belize port area. Inside
that vehicle they saw the motionless body of Ricky Valencia, 28 years old
of a Queen Charlotte Street address suffering from multiple gunshot wounds
to the body. Initial investigations reveal that last night while he was
driving towards the Port of Belize area several gunshots were heard that
caused his fatal injuries. Police have since interviewed quite a few
residents in that area but so far no one has been detained.”
Valencia, who resided on Queen Charlotte Street up to late last year,
reportedly moved in with his girlfriend on Jane Usher Boulevard after he
began receiving threats on his life. He was the first person to go on
trial under the new law of trial without a jury for the May thirtieth, 2010
shooting of Senior Counsel Rodwell Williams as he was leaving his Barrow
and Williams law office. Valencia and others was also facing trial for the
April fifth 2011 heist of Heritage Bank in Orange Walk Town when 202
thousand dollars was stolen.
PlusTV
The notorious Ricky Valencia gunned down in Belize City
Ricky Valencia was gunned down in Belize City. 28 year old Ricky Valencia is no stranger to law enforcement. He was...
VIP release its manifesto for Belize City
So far this week, we have seen the PUP and UDP manifestos launched. Today, Vision Inspired by the People launched w...
Works halted a second time due to discovery of Mayan artifacts
We reported late last month that works on the infrastructure project in San Ignacio were halted because while diggi...
PlusTV to host debate with Belmopan Standard Bearers
PlusTV is gearing up for another live debate for the Capital City. Earlier this month, PlusTV hosted and aired a ma...
BFLA receives bailout First Caribbean International Bank
The Belize Family Life Association - BFLA- was on the verge of closing down in late October last year, indicating t...
Resident of the Ship Yard Community killed in horrific car accident
A traffic accident has claimed the life of a Mennonite man of the Ship Yard Community. The accident happened last n...
Man arrested for selling rental car
A Belizean sales accountant of Belize City reported that on Saturday February 11th while in Corozal Town, she bough...
Belmopan hit with power outage as BEL conducts maintenance
The City of Belmopan was without electricity for all of this morning and part of this afternoon. Residents of centr...
Belizean national convicted for illegal entry into the US
Belizean national 37 year old Bernard Talbert has been convicted for illegal entry into the United States. Talbert’...
Stabbing incident leaves man hospitalized
Former court security guard and Ready Call employee, Loren Lennan was stabbed in the neck last night. It is not cer...
LOVE TV
Bus employees jacked while having breakfast
Three employees of a bus service from Corozal were jacked in Belize City on Wednesday. The driver and two conductors of Morales Transport were having breakfast at an establishment on Euphrates Avenue when a man of dark complexion walked up brandishing a hand gun. The gunman demanded money and the three bus line employees complied by handing over what they had. The bus driver handed over his wallet with BZ$42, US$29 and $110 pesos. The two conductors each handed over their money bags, one containing $470 and the other containing $500. After the jacking, the gunman ran off towards King Street and made his getaway. Police investigations continue.
Scam artist sells rental to would be car owner
Police have detained 25-year-old Mark Rosales of San Ignacio Town on suspicion of obtaining property by deception. A Belize City woman reported to Police that while in Corozal earlier this month she bought a white 2010 Kia Sportage SUV from Rosales. The woman says that she paid Rosales $7,000.00 in cash and signed an agreement to pay the balance of 18 thousand dollars in monthly installments. On Tuesday, however, the woman was at her workplace when she was approached by Mark Hepburn who inquired about the vehicle. Hepburn told her the vehicle is the property of Euphrates Auto Rental and Sales and Rosales had rented the vehicle from the company and had no authority to sell it. The jilted car owner handed over the vehicle to Hepburn after he showed proof of ownership. Police detained Rosales pending their investigation.
Policeman accused of pilfering the bank account of Lady Norma Young
She is the wife of the head of state … but these days criminals don’t give two hoots who they victimize. Lady Norman Young recently discovered that seven thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars was taken out of her bank account without her permission. And the person accused of doing it is someone who was held in the highest of confidence: a policeman assigned as the official driver of her husband, the Governor General. Police Constable Rayon Martinez was arraigned in Belmopan Magistrate Court this week where he was offered and met bail. According to Police reports PC Martinez was charged following a report by Lady Norma Young, wife of the Governor General. Mrs. Young reported to Police that in December last year her daughter alerted her of unauthorized withdrawal of funds from her account using the automated teller machine. Mrs. Young said she made her own inquires and recalled the last time she used her ATM card was on July 28 last year at the Belmopan branch of the Bank. At the time she made the withdrawal with the assistance of PC Rayon Martinez who was the Governor General’s driver at the time. Mrs. Young reported that a total of twelve withdrawals were made without her consent between August 12 And December 2, 2011 amounting to $7,450.00. During the investigation a vehicle belonging to PC Martinez was searched and the ATM card was found. Martinez was arrested on Tuesday and taken to court. The matter has been adjourned to March 30. For context, we note that our records show that this is the fifth driver assigned to the Governor General that has been accused of alleged misdeeds, including two who are awaiting trial in connection with the landing of the drug plane on the Southern Highway in 2010.
Ricky Valencia executed in Belize City
A well known street figure was the victim of an execution style killing last night on the deadly streets of the commercial capital. Love TV’s Marion Ali and video journalist Myles Gillett have our lead story tonight from the crime beat.
The Guardian
Love for the People: -DFC Write offs next
The United Democratic Party launched its Action Plan for the term 2012-2017 on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 and the pledges that the party is making demonstrates that it will continue to be all and always for the people. This launching was done in front of a room packed with supporters at the Biltmore Plaza. Before the pledges were revealed, Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Chairman, shared some of the accomplishments of this government in its first four years.
In just four years, the United Democratic Party Government paved the Placencia Road and completed the Southern Highway. The Corozal and Dangriga Airstrips were rebuilt. Over 26,000 new land leases were issued with almost 20,000 going to first time landowners. 5,412 housing grants were issued to deserving homeowners. Mortgages for 10,374 Belizeans were written off. DFC was revived and its lending program restarted. Interest rates for mortgages at the commercial banks decreased from 14% to 8%. 7,500 new jobs were created and thousands more saved. More than $10 million was provided to save the sugar industry from collapse. Over 5,500 more Belizeans are exempted from income tax as the threshold was raised to $26,000 a year. Hundreds of items are sold free of taxes. Agriculture is on the rebound as stakeholders are receiving better prices for crops and the country has seen significant increase in vegetable production as a result of investment in irrigation and greenhouses. The Healthcare system has improved tremendously. 2011 saw zero maternal deaths for the first time in our country’s history. National Emergency Response is as organized and effective as ever. Relief was provided to thousands of residents and farmers following major weather events. The education system has seen the greatest transformation. Over 16,000 students receive a $300 educational grant annually. That has resulted in a record enrollment in school and better grades. Examination results have improved remarkably. The most recognized accomplishments nationally were the reacquisition of BTL and BEL. The government enshrined in the Constitution that utility companies should always remain in the hands of the people. National ownership of the utility companies has led to a 6.14% reduction in electricity rates, a 7.2% reduction in water rates and an even greater reduction in telephone rates. While national ownership of utilities may have been the most recognized accomplishment, in Belize City the gang truce holds the number one slot. Since the inking of the gang truce, the murder rate has decreased by 47%. An even greater reduction has been seen in gang violence and the sense of security is the highest it has been in this century.
Screw the Rating Agencies!!!
This week, I want to share with you my impressions about a particularly interesting TV program I viewed on Channel Fox on Monday night, which was hosted by former Queen Square PUP Standard Bearer, Dickie Bradley. But before I introduce you to this intriguing talk show episode, please allow me a short commentary on the present political environment as it relates to talk show programs. If you analyze what is out there on the various radio frequencies and TV satellites signals, the UDP Government directly influences only one national radio station and one newspaper outlet in promoting its policies and achievements, while the Opposition PUP has several, which constantly thrash the government at every single opportunity, but especially so in the evenings.
With that said, after the regular evening newscasts have been ventilated, these days it becomes grating for me to continue watching the local channels since it is common knowledge that Fox and CTV3 will take over the stage and lambast Hon. Barrow and the UDP ad nauseam. Even our supposedly neutral friends at Love FM have begun airing a political talk show hosting three zealous anti-UDP proponents joined by a single UDP crusader, who herself at times is not very supportive of the UDP. Let me not say the three PUP names, but one is a known gold digger, the other is being paid in gold, and the third was bought out with gold by Fonseca some years ago.
So as I continued scanning the channels on Monday night, I stopped briefly on the Dickie Bradley show where I saw Shakron, Sandiford and Sylvester form the PUP around a table, with the host on the nearer end. My first reaction was, let me not waste electricity on this show since it will be another long, blue, boring hour, with all of them patting each other’s back and blabbing on how wonderful the PUP was between 1998-2008, and how much better they will be this time around, given the opportunity.
Screw the Rating Agencies!!!
The Prime Minister of Belize has not and will not shy away from his comments that prompted S&P;’s decision to downgrade Belize’s credit rating. It was no slip of the tongue. PM Barrow is asking the people of Belize for a clear mandate on what to do about the Superbond. PM Barrow said that it is not government’s intention to stop servicing the bond but the bond holders cannot expect us to continue paying at the rates we are paying now. Upon being elected back to office, government will immediately appoint a committee to gauge the wishes of the Belizean people and go to the bondholders to renegotiate the terms of the Superbond. Our stand will be simple. We will not continue to pay at these rates!
PUP standard Bearer house for sale
The Amandala and Reporter newspapers for Sunday, February 19th are advertising a house for sale located at 14 Cedar Street in Dangriga Town. While an advertisement of a house being sold is not out of the ordinary, what makes the sale worth watching is that the house belongs to Ivan Ramos. The name may not ring a bell for most people since Ramos is a nobody. For the people of Dangriga however, Ramos is the PUP Standard Bearer for that constituency and who is seeking office at the National Assembly Level.
The house was mortgaged at Scotia Bank and after being unable to service his debt with that institution Ramos’ house is now being put up for sale. The auction will take place on Saturday February 25th. How is it that a person who is unable to pay a bill as basic as mortgage be allowed to run for office is anyone’s guess. For those who are interested however, the explanation can come by way of the political party that Ramos is running for. He, unable to manage his personal affairs, was allowed to run for the PUP because that is the caliber of people that that party attracts. They will take on anyone even Ramos, who are dishonest, people who are unable to pay their bills, liars and even thieves.
For the people of Dangriga, beware of the PUP candidate! If Ramos is unable to pay his mortgage at this point in time, you need to ask yourself what is motivating him to run for the General Elections.
Training Workshops for Teachers and Pare...
A total of 29 early childhood teachers representing twelve pre and primary schools have received training to upgrade their teaching skills and better prepare their classroom for student learning in Independence Village.
The workshops, which were held at the Independence High School and Junior College from February 13 to 17 for teachers and parents from surrounding communities of the Banana Belt are part of the Primary Education project which was launched by the University of Belize (UB) in June 2010 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Youth.
The project is funded by a grant of BZ$1.2 million from the European Union Commission (EU) and is aimed at poverty alleviation through education and training for teachers, school administrators and parents in the Banana Belt communities of southern Belize.
Facilitators included Dr. Jennifer Obidah and Dr. Kim Archung of the University of the West Indies, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.
A SOVEREIGN Belize UNDER the UDP or a SUPERBONDED Belize under the PUP…
“The answer to the SUPERBOND is to grow the economy. We have said that to Mr. Barrow a long time ago. Stop whining about the SUPERBOND, and get to work growing the Belizean economy.”- Francis Fonseca, Leader of the PUP.
“So I don’t give a damn about the rating agencies. What I am doing is telling them, ‘You know what? I am serving you all notice. Look out and get ready because Belize is coming. We are coming.’” There is no doubt that the People’s United Party, in terms of this SUPERBOND, did a horrible thing to the people of Belize. But, I know from a long time that a wise man said it eons ago, ‘You can’t have a bad borrower, if you don’t have a bad lender.’ So all of you all out there, who were happy to lend the PUP this money, and burden us until thy kingdom come, with this SUPERBOND, well hear this, we are coming back to you, and we are telling you that you will re-negotiate that. You will take down that interest rate, and you will spread the majority period out over a far longer time. We will stop paying that 8.5% and 80+ million dollars a year because we need that money to spend on the development of Belize for the people of this country. So you will hear that the first thing that we do after being re-elected is to announce an appointment of a team to go and re-negotiate that SUPERBOND to give us better rates - far better rates because we aren’t taking it anymore.” - Dean Barrow, Leader of the UDP.
Belizeans, the quotes above show a PUP leader who makes statements, which do not require much thought and is devoid of substance. Grow the economy, he says, but does not say how he or his party plans to grow the economy. On the other hand, the leader of the UDP, Dean Barrow has expressed fortitude in every which way, by stating categorically that the present and future payments of the ill-begotten SUPERBOND is an albatross that has to be exorcised so that there is a concentrated focus on economic growth. This growth will stimulate small business growth, increase access to education, jobs creation and growth, health sector development, and focus on our productive industries.
Lisa and the PUP were Bitten by their own Hate
My dear readers, do you remember the three blind mice? I always say that if one does not know history, one is destined to repeat past 'stupid' mistakes. This article is about phrases like: "What goes around, comes around." ''Don't spit in the well, you might one day need a drink of water." "Don't burn your bridges." "GOD doesn't like ugly.''...and so before I go any further, please recall that it was none order than the Motor Mouth of Belize, Miss $3.34 Million Giveaway Lisa who THREATENED that she would be the first in line to fight AGAINST the UDP Government (possibly encourage a revolt) if it tried to amend the Belize Constitution in favor of allowing her own fellow Belizeans with dual citizenships to qualify for national office. Then the Mighty Cordel, who gave up the Lake I seat, had his say. Ms Kreole Udz, who was not happy her own birth name, also spoke out against her fellow Belizeans. If you think that only those three participated in that hateful fight, you would be surely wrong!
Friday, we saw Motor Mouth, as she always does, running back and forth to Court, trying to get her own way. The sheer arrogance of some of these lawyers, misusing the Courts! (Yes, I am a little peeved as I am typing). Her behavior reminds me of Aschroft suing everyone on his radar screen; fortunately for us Belizeans, he now finds himself under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard's microscope. He has so much hanging over his head that he cannot fund the crooked PUP. Please allow me to go back to Lisa. She needs to LEARN that the laws and the courts were not created for her personal indulgence. They are for the PEOPLE; I guess that in the same callous way that she gave away the PEOPLE’S $3.34 Million, she wants to have her way in Court. I submit that if the very wise King Solomon was on our bench, Lisa, Ralph, Said, David, Carolyn and many others in the lying, thieving PUP would not be out free today! Motor Mouth and Crew did not want BORN BELIZEANS with dual citizenships to run for national office, BUT on Friday, I saw them fighting to nominate a BORN Guatemalan with Belize and US passports for national office. Now, if that is not crazy, then I do not know crazy when I see it! I am sure that Hubert won't object if we call them ''Crazies Glues!"
Transfer of the Horticulture Crop Training and Development Center
On Friday, February17, 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture Central Farm Station held an Open Day to commemorate the transfer of the Horticulture Crop Training and Development Center to the Ministry by the Taiwan Technical Mission.
The project is one of the first to be transfered between the Republic of China Taiwan and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Taiwan Technical Mission will continue to promote the project until August 2012, when the transfer procedure is fully completed.
The Horticulture Crop Training Development Center in Central Farm has about 3 acres with vegetable and fruit cultivation as well as covered structures, demonstration and organic sections. This center has focused on carrying out demonstration trials and training to offer more knowledge and information to technicians, small farmers and farmers groups.
The transfer doesn’t mean that the Taiwan Technical Mission will cease their cooperation but instead will focus on assisting more Belizean.
OAS Election observer mission
The Organization of American States has accepted an invitation by the Government of Belize to observe the Municipal and General Elections that will take place on Wednesday March 7th.
The team of observers is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday February 23rd. On their arrival, the team will hold meetings with the Elections and Boundaries Commission. During the meeting the team will sign an agreement with the Electoral Observer mission.
Belize City Council Manifesto Launch
With its conference room packed to capacity with candidates, members of the party hierarchy and supporters, the United Democratic Party launched its municipal manifesto in Belize City on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Perhaps one of the most important milestones for the party in this election season, the Manifesto is seen a comprehensive list of plans that the team, led by Darrell Bradley, will implement for the next three years.
Accused of Chain Snatching again
Former policeman Michael Diaz, 26, appeared in Magistrate’s Court on February 20th accused once again for snatching a woman’s gold chain from around her neck.
Diaz appeared unrepresented before Magistrate Roberto Ordonez in Court #2 where he was read a single charge of theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that he has a previous conviction for a similar offense and that he also has a similar charge pending trial before the court. He was asked in court to give a good reason why the court should grant him bail and that’s when Diaz told the court that he is presently working. Its a job he says he recently got and he didn’t want to lose it. He is the father of two children. He also told the court that he had begged the police for an identification parade but they refused to give him one since the victim clams she know him. He was then granted bail in the sum of 2 thousand dollars.
It’s reported that on Wednesday, February 15, Diaz snatched a $1,500 gold chain from around the neck of Natasha Nicholson.
He was in court on Friday, February 17 on another matter where that case was adjourned for a later date. That’s when police arrested him and took him into custody on this latest theft charge.
Student busted with over 20,000 cannabis...
Jason Gilharry, 20 a resident of Corozalito Village in the Belize District, appeared in Magistrate’s Court on Monday Febraury 20th where he was charged with unlawful cultivation of 23,000 plants. He appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer where he was granted bail in the sum of 8 thousand dollars plus two sureties of 4 thousand dollars each, which he met. He is due back in court on April 17th .
On Sunday Februray 19th, police conducted an anti-drug operation in the village of Corozalito where they found 23 thousand cannabis plants. Police report that Gilharry and two others were harvesting these cannabis plants. The two other individuals, who were along with Gilharry, managed to escape but Gilharry was caught still cutting the cannabis plants. A total of 20,000 cannabis plants were found at the farm. While police were destroying, the fields Gilharry took them to another farm where they were shown 3,000 more cannabis plants.
In court, there was no objection to bail by the prosecutor. Gilharry’s attorney, Arthur Saldivar submitted on his behalf that the court should be mindful that his client, who is a UB student, has no record before the court for any offenses and that he is a farmer, living in a community with a lot of cultivation going on.
Businessman guilty of failure to file GS...
On Tuesday February 12th, a businessman was ordered to pay hefty sums to the GST Department after being found guilty of failing to file GST returns. Businessman, Phillip Waight, of CSVW Engineering and Construction Company, was found guilty of 11 counts.
His case came up before the Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer in Court #2 where he was found guilty of the eleven counts. She imposed half of the minimum fines of $500 each for every count. She ordered that he must pay the fines by April 30. If he defaults he will spend a month on each count. The sentences are to run consecutively.
Waight owed the outstanding amount to General Sales Tax (GST) for the period of December 2010 and October 2011. Waight was sentenced in absentia. A GST representative, testified thats she made visits to Waight’s office and he was not present. From time to time, the GST officers made numerous visits to his establishment when it was noted that they are not filing returns.Another GST matter was also dealt with on Tuesday that for Theresa Parkey who was also not present in court. But Parkey had no reason to be there because GST personnel withdrew the matter against her Hugh Parkey/Belize Dive Connection that owed GST in the amount of $309,022.98. This amount was after it was noted that they owed a total of $218,816.43 in taxes when interest was added and penalty fees accured. This was for the period of January and February 2009, July to October 2009, December 2009 and January to November 2010, March to April 2011 and June to July 2011. The withdrawal came after Parkey and GST made an agreement to settle the matter out of court after a significant amount of debt was paid recently.
Child molester sentence to two years
On Tuesday February 21, 61 year old Taxi driver, Godfrey Mortis was found guilty of molesting and 8-year-old child. Mortis was found guilty of a single count of aggravated assault of an indecent nature when he appeared in court.
He took the bible and gave a sworn testimony in his trial denying the allegations made by the child. The Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith was not convinced and sentenced him to two years imprisonment for the crime. The maximum penalty for the crime of indecent assault done summarily at the Magistrate’s Court is 3 years.
The child who is now 9, testified “in camera” saying that on the day of the incident Mortis task her to buy water for him. She offered to do him the favor and according to the child, when she returned he grabbed her and bit her twice on both sides of her neck and then touched her on her private parts. The child’s mother also testified that she and her daughter had gone to the home of a friend who lived in the same yard. She said that she saw when her daughter went to buy for Mortis but never saw when she came back. It was not until the next day that she saw the bite marks on her daughter’s neck. It was when tyhe child was questioned about them the girl told her mother that it was Mortis who put the marks on her neck.
Prosecutor in the case was Inspector Carol Tucker while Mortis was unrepresented in his trial.
Nigerian national charged with rape of 16-year-old
A 16-yer-old high school girl of Belize City reported to police that she was raped whilst at a home in the King’s Park area. As a result of the report police arrested and charged 18 year-old Oyinkro Akpobodor, a Nigerian-Belizean who is a student of the University of Belize.
Akpobodor appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer along with his attorney, Arthur Saldivar on Monday February 20th where he was read a single charge of rape. The 16-year-old student says that on Sunday, January 29, she was at a home in the King’s Park area of Belize City where she was raped by Akpobodor. In court, the Senior Magistrate took no plea from Akpobodor and she explained to him that the charge of rape is an indictable offense which will be dealt with on indictment. While there was no objection to bail, his attorney Arthur Saldivar submitted that his client is a UB student with no criminal record and that he is to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. He also urged that the court to take into consideration that his client will abide by any conditions set out by the court and that bail should be set at a reasonable figure so that his client can meet it when granted. The Senior Magistrate offered bail of $6,000 plus two sureties of $3,000 each, which he was able to meet. Akpobodor is due back in Court #2 on April 12.
Razzle Dazzle sentence to five years
On Monday February 20th Anthony Stevens, known Razzle Dazzle was sentenced to 5 years in prison after being busted with a cartridge for a 16-gauge shot gun.
Stevens was busted by police on Friday, February 17 on Amara Avenue with the ammunition in his pocket. When he appeared before Magistrate Roberto Ordonez in Court #4, Stevens was read a single charged of keeing ammunition without a gun license. When he appeared in court he wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the charge. He further explained that he had just found the round and he tried to turn it in but the police searched his pocket and found the ammunition. Cops did not believe his story.
Due to the nature of the offense, Magistrate Ordonez explained to Stevens that the penalty for having ammunition carries a jail term. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the crime.
Reports are that at about 3:30 p.m. on that day police officers on motorcycle patrol on Euphrates Avenue, spotted Stevens acting suspiciously. When he saw the officers he began to run away. The officer set chase after him and caught up with him on Amara Avenue. A search was conducted on him which led to the discovery of the cartridge in his right back pocket. Stevens has no previous conviction for any offense of this nature but this is not his first time before the court. During the arraignment, Magistrate Ordonez indicated that he recognized the defendant, who was in the court before using a different name, Anthony Lopez. It is not certain if Stevens will be charged additionally for committing a mischievous act if his real name turns out to be Anthony Lopez.
Abel Robinson Found Dead in Palmar Village
The body of 21-year-old Abel Robinson was found in some bushes in San Jose Palmar Village on Sunday, February 19. Robinson was missing since Friday, February 17. His family last saw him on Friday morning when he left home with some friends. They started worrying when he did not return home and rumours started to surface that he had been killed. Robinson had been missing for more than 48 hours when a search team discovered his decomposing body shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday. The body was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head.
No one has been arrested thus far in connection with the murder and police investigation continues.
Boat Captain convicted of fondling 13-year-old girl
Patrick August, 45, must serve 6 years for aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a teenaged girl. August, a Belize City boat man, who claimed he was framed by a teenager, was found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault of an indecent nature and one count of threatening words. He was sentence to 9 years imprisonment on Wednesday Febraury 15th. Two of the counts are to run concurrently with each other while the third is to run consecutive to the other two. In the end, he is to serve 6 years in jail.
High Schools Softball Competition rolls on at the Rogers Stadium
The Central Region Secondary Schools Softball Competition continued in both the female and male categories.
On Monday February 20, in the female game played, Wesley College defeated Anglican Cathedral College by the score of 14-13. The winning pitcher was Briana Ara and the losing pitcher was Leanne Davis.
In the male game, Anglican Cathedral College won via the forfeit route over Wesley College.
On Saturday February 18, in the first of two female games played, Ladyville Technical High School defeated St. Catherine Academy by the score of 22-11. The winning pitcher was Rebecca Nicholson and the losing pitcher was Erin Brackett. In game two, Gwen Lizarraga High School won over Wesley College by the score of 17-7. The winning pitcher was Roslyn Smith and the losing pitcher was Kaylyn Williams.
In the first male game played, Anglican Cathedral College won over Excelsior High School via the default route. In game two, Gwen Lizarraga High School defeated Wesley College by the score of 16-6. The winning pitcher was Shaquille Moody and the losing pitcher was Eugene Rowley.
Police United wins two in a row
The Premier League of Belize Football Competition continued over the last week of play with 6 games on the schedule.
On Saturday February 18, 2012 at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio Town, the Belize Defence Force blanked Juventus by the score of 2 - 0. The goals for the Belize Defence Force were scored by Marlon Meza in the 85th minute of play and Richard Jimenez in the 87th minute of play.
On Sunday February 19, there were four games on the schedule. At the MCC Grounds, it was the San Pedro Seadogs winning over World FC by the score of 4-2. The goals for San Pedro Seadogs were scored by Kenny Witze l in the 49th minute of play and the 57th minute of play via a penalty kick; Francisco Mejia in the 73rd minute of play and Jesse Smith in the 90th minute of play. Meanwhile, the goals for World FC were scored by Onri Meza in the 71th minute of play via a penalty kick, and Carlos Vasquez in the 85th minute of play.
At the San Felipe Football Field in San Felipe Village, the home team San Felipe Barcelona and FC Belize played to a 1-1 draw. The goal for San Felipe Barcelona was scored by Oscar Acevedo in the 62nd minute of play, while Jeromy James scored for FC Belize in the 66th minute of play.
$5.5 Million Facelift for Tourism Zone
On Wednesday, February 22, the Belize Tourism Board broke ground on the Fort Point Pedestrian Walk project.
The project is the third of four that will be executed under the Sustainable Tourism Project, which is financed by the Government of Belize through an IDB loan. Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, delivered the keynote address at the launching. Minister Heredia said that the project will cost $5.47 million and will take approximately 16 months to complete. The project will include the rehabilitation of Memorial Park and infrastructural development of the tourism zone.
According to Christine Maestre, STP Director, “Memorial Park will be transformed into a multi-functional public space for special events, recreation and leisure activities.” It will include the renovation of the war memorial and inclusion of plaques of honour and ceremonial features. The landscape will be improved with 1 acre of green space. The bandstand will be renovated and a shaded walkway will be constructed around the park. 15 day-vending structures will be constructed along with 30 permanent vending structures. Public restrooms will be implemented for male, female and handicapped users. An amphitheater will be constructed with a stage and seating for 200 people plus a spectators’ lawn. The facility will have space for tour operators and residential parking. The Memorial Park will also house the largest Belize flag in the country.
Orange Walk East Red and Ready for Landy
Prime Minister Dean Barrow continued his national tour on Sunday, February 19, with a trip to Nuevo San Jose Palmar Village in Orange Walk East. The Prime Minister arrived in Carmelita Village shortly after 2:30 p.m. and was greeted by residents of the different villages in Orange Walk East. He was then escorted to Nuevo San Jose Palmar in the largest motorcade of the tour thus far. The motorcade went through Chan Pine Ridge and surrounding villages before making a final stop at the community park in Noevo San Jose Palmar Village.
There were no seats available at the community park for the hundreds of people that took part in the motorcade because the seats were already occupied by residents of Palmar. The official ceremony was opened by Mrs. Antonette Young, who prayed for the leaders of the country and asked God’s blessings for the people of Belize. She said that we must not forget the significance of the East because all great journeys begin there - “The sun and the moon rise in the east.” Carlos Perera, Chairman of Orange Walk East Committee, then welcomed the Prime Minister, other members of Cabinet and leaders of the United Democratic Party to the constituency. Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Party Leader, Hon. Gaspar Vega addressed the crowd and proclaimed that the UDP will deliver all four seats out in the Orange Walk District on March 7 and all eight in the north of the country. Sharing that sentiment from Orange Walk was Ivan Leiva, UDP Mayoral Candidate for Orange Walk Town. Leiva congratulated Phillip de la Fuente, Mayor of Orange Walk, for the excellent job that he has been doing and pledged to continue the progress with his new energetic team.
Caye Caulker Chronicles
Caye Caulker Lobster Fest dates announced!!
The Caye Caulker Lobster Fest Committee, a not for profit Organization, would like to inform that the dates for the Caye Caulker Lobster Fest will be June 29, June 30 and July 1, 2012!!
More information/updates on the festivities will be shared as they become available!! Save the dates and come on out to enjoy the original Lobster Fest since 1996!!
International Sources
At Least He Didn't Try to Sneak In
A Belizean faces up to 20 years in federal prison for trying to re-enter the United States after being deported.
Bernard Talbert, 37, was convicted in a 1-day bench trial this week, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
He didn't exactly try to sneak in.
Talbert presented a phony passport at an international bridge in Brownsville in August 2011, and "asked for a non-immigrant visa so he could travel to Washington D.C. to speak with President Obama about what he considered to be genocide in Belize," according to the prosecutors' statement.
Talbert's "passport" was "a World Passport issued by a private organization known as the World Service Authority in Washington D.C.," prosecutors said.
Finding the "passport" invalid, Customs officers sent him to secondary inspection, where officers found he had been deported several times and had been convicted of felony drug trafficking and immigration crimes, prosecutors said.
Talbert told his trial judge he thought the passport was legitimate.
He will be sentenced on May 21.
Video: What Lies Beneath: Using Mangrove Peat to Study Ancient Coastal Environments and Sea-Level Rise
This video describes how scientists study past changes in sea-level and coastal environments by analyzing mangrove peat. Mangrove islands located off the coast of Belize are underlain by deep deposits of peat (organic soil), which retain a record of past sea level, vegetation, and climate. By studying past changes in sea level and how intertidal ecosystems, such as mangroves, have responded to these changes, we can better predict what will happen in the future as sea levels increase. The information generated by such research is critical to geophysical modeling efforts as well as to management and conservation of coastal ecosystems.
Belize Scuba Diving
DESTINATION OVERVIEW
As the saying goes, big things sometimes come in small packages. With Belize—the second smallest and least populated nation in Central America—this couldn't be any more true as it packs a hemisphere’s worth of adventure within its borders. Divers obviously come for the prime oceanfront real estate along the second longest barrier reef in the world, but there’s so much more to see and do here. That means it's an ideal holiday location for nondiving family or significant others. If your idea of rest and relaxation includes beaches, rainforests, hiking, mountains, cave tubing, wildlife and touring Mayan ruins, you’re in luck. Book your ticket for Belize now.
From Missouri to Belize: Journalism Education Without Boundaries
Former Professor, Alumni Empower Belizean Youth with Communication Skills.
The room buzzed with the sound of excited campers. The 25 youths whispered and giggled as they waited for their turn to show the public service announcements they created.
The young filmmakers were campers at Youth Media Belize, a group backed by the United Nations Children's Fund. The camp was intended to give youth, ages 13 to 20, communication and journalism knowledge.
The director of the program is Belizean native Holly Edgell, a former Missouri School of Journalism professor. Edgell, who works as a regional editor for Patch, recruited two of her former students to join the Youth Media Belize team - Geraldine Cols, BJ '06, a producer of a local Hispanic news station, and Maral Usefi, BJ '04, a senior broadcast producer for CNN's Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien.
"Our mission is to empower these youth with communication skills, to help them realize their voices can and should be heard," Usefi says, "especially those children who may not have similar opportunities otherwise."
February 23, 2012
The San Pedro Sun
Ambergris Caye “may face water shortage” during the High Season
There is a high possibility that islanders “may face a water shortage” during the high season come Easter. That’s the message communicated to the San Pedro Business Association (SPBA) by Dee Dillon, General Manager of Consolidated Water Belize Limited (CWBL) who is asking that a water conservation initiative be conducted.
In his letter dated December 27, 2011 to SPBA, Dillon wrote, “[...] you can imagine my concern when I learned that we can only make enough water to barely cover demands.” The demands are those currently being used by water consumers. With the expectation of an influx of tourists arriving at Easter, it is expected that consumption will go up, causing more demand for water on the island. “For at least the last four years this island has been walking the razor’s edge and I don’t want to be a Pollyanna (raise alarm) but when production = demand there is a serious water capacity problem by 50% -100%,” explained Dillon.
Tropic Air announces New Non-Stop Service between Belize City and San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Tropic Air announced today that it will be inaugurating three times weekly non-stop Cessna Caravan service between Belize City International Airport and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on March 12th, 2012. With the launching of this service and the opening of its new station there, Tropic Air will be the only airline to operate non-stop flights between the two countries.
This service is a direct response to requests from its valued customers, and carries through on the airline’s stated commitment to the people of Belize. It will not only serve to make travel between Belize and Honduras easier, but will allow for the expansion of trade and tourism between the two countries.
SPJC places fourth in ATLIB National Basketball Competition
The San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) basketball team travelled to San Ignacio to represent the Northern Region in 2012’s Association of Tertiary Level Institution of Belize (ATLIB) basketball Nationals. The team, along with teachers and fans travelled on Friday, February 17th for games at the Falcon Field and on Saturday, February 18th at the end of the tournament, the boys came in fourth.
There were eight teams that made it to the Nationals; four in the female category and four in the male category. Representing the northern region in the female category were St. Johns Junior College Junior College (SJCJC) and Wesley Junior College (WJC); while competing in the male category were San Pedro Junior College and Wesley Junior College. Representing the southern region in the female division were University of Belize (UB) and Ecumenical Junior College while competing in the male division were Galen University (GU) and University of Belize.
People’s Referendum will be officially launched at ceremonies in Belize City
The plan of action of the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage will be unveiled today as we are one week away from the actual Referendum Day on Wednesday 29th February, 2012.
The Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage calls on Belizeans to give of their time and resources to ensure that The People’s Referendum remains an initiative that is people driven. Operations bringing together the logistics of the first ever People’s Referendum is being headquartered at Oceana’s office at the corner of Regent and Dean Streets is Belize City.
The Coalition which has embarked on this initiative to guarantee the voters of this country a voice on whether or not there should be oil exploration and drilling in our waters says that it is the people’s power that will make the leaders and decision-makers take heed on the wishes of the people on this issue.
UB and SPJC sign MOU to provide tertiary level of education in San Pedro
On Friday, February 17th the University of Belize (UB) and the San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim to meet the needs of Belize’s development and tourism sector. The signing occurred in the Dean’s office at SPJC.
Signing the MOU were Mrs. Martha Guerrero, Chairlady for the SPJC and Dr. Gary Fraser, President of UB. The MOU was signed to ensure the delivery of UB’s Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management Program at the SPJC.
Ambergris Today
UFC/MMA Trainer Rob Radford Shows Interest in San Pedro
He hangs amongst the top boxers and UFC fighters in the world, but in San Pedro he loves to hang with the boys at The Rum House. This is where Ambergris Today bumped into Rob Radford, a certified USA-ABF coach, cornerman, referee and trainer. Rob was chilling with Saul sipping on some fresh brewed coffee and having a good time in San Pedro.
“This is where it’s all at; nothing more, nothing less,” commented Rob to Ambergris Today. He has fallen in love with San Pedro and one day plans to live on the island and even open a boxing training center for the youth, teenagers and adults. He is a very laid back and cool guy. We had the opportunity to chat for a while and sip some coffee at The Rum House, even sampled some tasty coffee, chocolate and cream rum!
“I have not turned on my cell phone for 14 days since I came here; I’m loving it,” Rob told us. He surely is taking in the island life and especially having a great time during the Carnaval celebrations. “I got painted by a couple of kids, it was fun.”
Coca Cola Spelling Bee Zone 5 Elimination
The 18th Annual Coca Cola National Spelling Bee Zone Elimination took place at the San Pedro Lions Den on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Participating schools included Holy Cross Anglican School, New Horizons Adventist School, San Pedro R.C. School, Isla Bonita Elementary School, Ambergris Caye Elementary School, Island Academy and Caye Caulker RC School.
Judges for the event were Cindy Reinhart, Julie Babcock, Tamara Disselkoen and the pronouncer was Mrs. Joy Elliot. Scorers were Jules Nolan and Sarah Ebson, Timekeeper was Susan Ayers and Runners were Olivia Oldham, Lily Hayden and Renita Dellaca. Mr. Lucien Pollard was the representative present for Bowen & Bowen.
Carnaval 2012 Day 3: Dancing and Painting to the Max!
EL Gran Carnaval de San Pedro has come to end, for this year that is! Carnaval painters and dancers hit the streets of San Pedro early to enjoy the last day of Carnaval on Tuesday, February 22, 2012. The painting and dancing was at its max! Music and dancing by the comparsa groups livened up the streets of San Pedro and let us not forget the herd of Carnaval revelers running up and down the streets painting each other. Oh the fun of one of San Pedro’s most loved tradition! The following is a short description of the comparsas that were out on the last day of Carnaval and lots of pictures to enjoy!
Belize Charity Organization updates
Over $3,000 raised at Saga Valentines Benefit hosted by Captain Morgans Casino
‘Fur-ever Love’ was flying through the air on Valentine’s night at Captain’s Casino! All the ladies were treated to a glass of champagne and a rose from our hosts, Karen Riley and Ernie Olmstead, the gracious owners and directors of Captain Morgan’s Resort and the Captain’s Casino.
Saga Humane Society is very happy to report that just over $3,000BZ was raised from the event.
Saga H.S. would like to send heartfelt Thanks to Karen and Ernie for extending Saga the stupendous generosity that made this benefit event possible, including all the items donated by the Resort for raffle prizes that made the night great fun for our guests! A big “Thank You” also goes out to the wonderful staff at the Resort and Casino that were simply stellar in their service and hospitality; they are outstanding!
Saga HS would also like to thank Jose Luis and Perlita Zapata of Jose Luis Zapata Photography for capturing the evening’s couples and the event; Ambergris Brewing Company, Premium Wines & Liquors, Wine De Vine, Bruce Pickering, and Coleen Creeden for their contributions and donations to the Raffle Prizes, and to Gecko Graphics, San Pedro Sun and Quicksilver for contributions to the event’s marketing efforts, Thank You!
The Last Night of Carnaval in San Pedro: More Dancing and Even MORE Paint
I went into town for the first day of Carnival (Lots of Dancing and Lots of Paint) and decided to brave Day 3 - historically the craziest day of painting.
Here is one of my favorite pictures from the festival. How often do you see a painted (because he lost a bet) Mennonite gentleman watching cross dressing dancers while his family sits in a sports bar? How vainglorious! Only in Belize.
I saw a few comparsas groups dancing, singing and raising money for good causes. The first one for me was a small group from Ambergris Caye Elementary dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? The 2012 Bowen & Bowen National Spelling Bee
Am I smarter than a 5th grader? Hmmm...I wasn't sure when I left the 2012 Coca-Cola Local Spelling Bee. I had never even heard of some of these words. For example, gilgai. Origin: a native Australian language. Meaning: a natural watering hole. Gilgai. GILGAI? But let's back up a bit.
Two winners from each primary school lined up nervously on the stage at the Lion's Den in San Pedro at 9am, Tuesday morning.
The kids need to be full attending students from Standards 4, 5 or 6 (approximately ages: 10-13). The represented school were: Caye Caulker RC School, St. Peters, Isla Bonita Elementary, New Horizon, Ambergris Caye Elementary, San Pedro RC School, Holy Cross School and The Island Academy.
The judges readied themselves with the extensive rules and the word lists.
The time keeper had her rules, her score sheet, her timer and her bell. When the word was given, each child repeated the word to make sure she understood and had 15 seconds to try to spell it. You can try as many times as you can before the bell rings.
Snorkeling with Sharks, Sting Rays and Manatees in Belize
No trip to Belize is complete without a visit to at least one of its Northern Cayes in the Caribbean – either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker (or both if you have enough time!).
Being the second largest reef system in the world, it’s no surprise that snorkeling and scuba diving the Belize Barrier Reef is the top attraction for visitors to the chilled out islands. The most popular snorkeling excursion in the Belize northern cayes is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. We were fortunate to have teamed up with Tsunami Adventures prior to our arrival to Caye Caulker. As you can see in the short video, our snorkeling trip was filled with marine wildlife and colourful soft coral reef.
After an unsuccessful attempt at swimming with whale sharks in Placencia, we were pretty excited to have witnessed a pair of manatees swimming in their natural habitat.
EXTREME RESEARCH - An Author's Guide to finding the next book
In 2008 I went on a research trip to Belize. I’d long been aware that there were no novels about gap year volunteering for young people who might one day want to do it. Yet it was an important rite of passage which I knew from experience was capable of changing lives.
When my son, Idris, returned from his gap year in Belize I didn't recognize him. Five months earlier I’d seen off a white-faced youth incapable of even locating his vaccinations certificate let alone surviving in the jungle. Now a great hulking man walked towards me, his whole way of inhabited his body totally changed. It was if he had arrived at last - and not only at Heathrow Airport.
I’m an author, so I know a story when I see one. Did gap year volunteering make as much difference to other young people as it had done to Idris? And, if so, how? And how important were the projects these volunteers worked on? According to the press, gap years were the province of privileged young people working on cosmetic projects sandwiched together by beach-partying.
But how true was that?
Channel 7
UDP Launch Their 2012 - 2017 Manifesto
Elections are two weeks away - and the UDP launched its manifesto today. Unlike the PUP, which departed from its own tradition and used its air-cooled headquarters for the launch - the UDP - as is the custom - had its launch at a big hotel conference room, "under ice."
But just like Independence Hall, it was standing room only - as party supporters filled the venue.
What they got was a manifesto that looked good but didn't promise too much. Party Leader Dean Barrow filled in the blanks well enough for them though - with a few special treats he kept in the bag - here's how his "big reveal" went:
UDP Proposals On High Interest Rates From Financial Institutions
And one issue that should factor into those elections is interest rates at the banks. Lending rates may be inching down, but saving rates are down even more - meaning - that the banks continue to profit nicely off the spread in those rates.
Well, Barrow said his government is determined to do something about it - and it would be a manifesto promise, except he wants to make something happen before this term finishes.
And that's why he's meeting with the bankers next week:
Police Shooting Victim Speaks
Last night we told you about Jorge Celis - the Orange Walk resident who is at the KHMH recovering after a policeman fired a gunshot - which left two lead fragments in his eye.
The official story that police put out is that Sergeant Roberto Novelo - who was off duty - and armed with his licensed 9 millimeter pistol visited an Orange Walk bar and had an altercation with three men - including celis - who had been drinking.
Police said that the men tried to take his weapon - which is when the gun accidentally went off - and Celis was injured with a bullet fragment.
But while that is the official police story - Celis has a different account - and he gave it to Monica Bodden from his hospital bed this morning:
Robbers Got Away With $70K
Two days ago we told you about a brazen broad daylight jacking in the heart of downtown - on the swing bridge, actually.
At 10:00 on Monday morning, Customs Broker and Office Assistant for Gonzalo Quinto and Sons, Eric Gordon, was attacked by a pair of robbers and stabbed. He was forced to let go of a yellow manila envelope which he was leaving the bank with.
Today, police confirmed that the robbers stole the envelope with containing $70,000 dollars in Belizean currency.
No one has been arrested...
Man Found Dead In The South
A farmer in southern Belize has been found dead.
41 year old Ignacio Ical, a famer of the Stann Creek district went missing on Wednesday of last week. His sister Maria Ical told police that her brother left home in search of Pacay Fruits in the nearby bushes and didn't return home.
Police found his body in an area about 4 1/2 miles south-west of Alta Vista Village.
It was in an advanced state of decomposition.
Remanded For Allegedly Molesting A 14 Year-Old
Today in Magistrate's Court, Alrick August, a 20 year-old employee of Ready Call Center, was remanded after he was arraigned for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 14 year-old minor on two separate occasions.
According to Police, the minor and her mother to the police station and reported that sometime between December 1 and 31, 2011, she accompanied August - who she knew well - to his Diego Street residence at his invitation.
The minor said while at his house, he had sexual intercourse with her.
She also said that sometime between the 1st and 31st of last month, it happened again.
Police arrested and charged August with two counts of the same offense.
August pleaded not guilty.
Human Rights Of Belize
The Human Rights Commission of Belize officially launched its new education outreach program today.
The campaign is timed to coincide with the HRCB's celebration of 25 years of service to Belize as an NGO.
Today two of its champions spoke to us about the universality of human rights:
Simeon Sampson - Started Human Rights Movement in Belize
"Human rights issues are with us every day of our lives, except that is it sensationalized by UNIBAM, the death penalty, and so on. But human rights involve the right to health, the right to education, the right to work, the right to legal representation by the impoverished defendant, the right to jury trial - all sorts of rights as to intertwine. they're indivisible, and they're with us at all times every day of our lives."
Oceana Calls For Nationwide Voting In People's Referendum
Another Organization on a mission is OCEANA.
They are organizing for what they call a People's Referendum - which is now set for next week Wednesday - not Friday as had been originally announced.
This afternoon Oceana launched its effort unveiling their plan of action by keeping it as an initiative that is people driven. Vice president of Oceania explained how, to 7news.
Audrey Matura - Shepherd - Vice President, Oceana
"What happened is that we had the official launching of our "The People's Referendum", which is the initiative of the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. What really we are doing there is to make people know that today, marking one week from now; we're going to have a national referendum, countrywide. That means next week Wednesday, on the 29 of February, we are calling people to come out to the polls. The polls will be opened from 6 in the morning until 8 in the evening. Every district will have their own polling area - more than one polling areas, and we'll be publicizing those in the Friday newspaper, And we want people to go out an vote; it's not to go out and sign, because some people think it's to go and sign. No, we're not collecting signatures anymore we want people to vote.
Missing Girl Found
Last night Lisa Bradley was pleading for her 15 year old daughter's safe return.
Well, Lianie Baptist has since been found. She was seen in Belmopan today, and after contacting her parents, she was picked up from the bus station.
She was in the same clothes she had left with on Saturday, and last we heard she was with her mother at the police station.
BTB Launches Fort Point Facelift Project
The 11.7 million US dollar sustainable tourism project is one of the most important tourism initiatives currently underway in Belize.
The project is about enhancing key destinations to encourage longer visitor stays by the overnight tourists.
It is targeting civil works for major tourism areas in San Ignacio, Placencia, Belize city and San Pedro.
Work in san Ignacio is already underway in the downtown area, and Belize City's project component saw its groundbreaking today.
As we found out, the project will re-fashion much of the north side of the downtown area.
Here's how it will all come together:
UK Children's Advocate To Pass Through Belize and 10 Countries in Americas
Imagine travelling over four thousand miles through 11 countries - now imagine doing that on a quad bike.
Mark Noonan, a resident of the UK, is making just such a journey through 11 Central and South American countries to raise funds for neglected and disadvantaged children.
He will be making his second stop in his journey tomorrow at Liberty Foundation's Children home to spend time with the kids and volunteer.
He will be staying for 1-2 weeks at the children's home before moving on to another country. All the proceeds of the journey will be split between the 11 charities that he will be visiting.
Channel 5
PM says Superbond is Jack Boot on throat of Belizeans
The super bond slid into the election campaign when the prime minister announced the date for early general elections. He said he was going back to the people for instructions to do something about the super bond. The result was a prompt downgrade to junk territory of Belize’s credit ratings from agencies such as Standard ...
People’s Referendum on Offshore Drilling begins
In the week ahead, volunteers from across the country will be manning telephones to get the pulse of voters on a referendum on offshore oil exploration. Voting is already underway by phone and next Wednesday, voters can register their views at numerous booths that are being placed strategically in the districts. At the launch of ...
U.D.P. Election Manifesto Promises
The referendum didn’t figure into the United Democratic Party’s manifesto launch this afternoon. The glossy red and white document is in two parts; the first section deals with the U.D.P.’s pledges for 2012 to 2017 and the second part lists its accomplishments in the last four years. With a room full of standard bearers and ...
On the Campaign Trail with Dr. Francis Smith
The Pickstock constituency is one of the smallest in the City. At the last election the P.U.P. stronghold went red in the tidal wave that swept across the country. But Doctor Francis Smith hopes to change that and return the division to the blue corner. He is a first time candidate who we feature tonight ...
U.D.P. Manifestos flip flop on 13th Senator
In its 2008 manifesto, United Democratic Party promised to increase the twelve member senate to thirteen members. The additional seat would include a representative from a non-governmental organization and Greg Ch’oc was selected by the NGOs. But when it took office in 2008, the U.D.P. did not enforce the appointment of the thirteenth senator. The ...
3rd component of Sustainable Tourism Project launched
With elections two weeks away, a number of projects are being unveiled. This afternoon, the third component of the Sustainable Tourism Project for Belize City was launched. It is called the Fort Point Pedestrian Walk and while it is not an actual pedestrian walk, the project contemplates the transformation of the Memorial Park Area. The ...
Fire Victim needs help
An apartment in the Yarborough area that was occupied by thirty-five year old Claudia Blanco and her children was destroyed by fire on the morning of January sixth. Blanco lost everything and her family has since been temporarily taken in by a friend on Dean Street. But the single mother doesn’t want to overstay her ...
Bert Vasquez to stand trial for Forcible Abduction
Businessman Bert Vasquez has been in and of court since May 2011 when a sixteen year old minor alleged that he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and pistol whipped her. Well, today at the end of a preliminary inquiry, Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart committed Vasquez to stand trial at the Supreme Court for Forcible Abduction. The victim ...
Mother of alleged carnal knowledge attacker faints
Also in court, an arraignment for a sexual offense today landed a Belize City resident in prison and his mother in the hospital. Twenty year old Alrick August was charged with two counts of Carnal Knowledge following a report by a fourteen year old minor, who claims they had a sex in December 2010 and ...
Former B.E.L. C.E.O. responds to Editorial
Lynn Young; he’s a prominent Belizean who was the head of Belize Electricity Limited before its nationalization. Young has dared to speak up on government’s takeover of the utility company without paying compensation. Since returning from a business trip to Washington organized by Friends of Belize a few days ago, Young has found himself the ...
KTV Latino; caliente music
On the entertainment scene, the competition in KTV Latino is now in full swing. So get your Smart phones ready because it’s time to start voting for your favorite Group B performers. The second round of live competition took place at the Bliss on Tuesday and it’s already clear that’s there will be ...
LOVE FM
OPPOSITION LEADER COMMENTS ON REFERENDUM
At Tuesday’s manifesto launch of the People’s United Party, the party
leader, Francis Fonseca also answered questions on other topics of concern.
One of the subjects had to do with Oil exploration offshore and within
protected areas. This was what Fonseca has to say on this issue.
Francis Fonseca – Leader of the Opposition
“We would have to follow the law in reaching the conclusion of the process
and arriving at a referendum but certainly our objective would be to work
with the Coalition. We believe it is critically important to hear from the
Belizean people on this issue, it is an issue of national importance. We
have stated our position very clearly for some time now that we are in
support of the referendum; we believe we should hear from the people. We
have also have said that as a party we are in support of a moratorium on
offshore drilling, we believe that we need to find out a lot more about the
risks involved with respect to offshore drilling before we make any
determination as a government on that matter. But certainly we would be
prepared right away after March 7 to sit with the Coalition and to
determine how best we can get this referendum done.”
Fonseca also dealt with the matter of the super bond, saying that the
reason why the super bond has become burdensome is because Belize’s economy
has become stagnant.
Francis Fonseca – Leader of the Opposition
“The reason has become a burden on the backs of the Government and a burden
on the Belizean people is because of the fact that the economy has not
grown under this UDP Government. For four years we have had a stagnant
economy, in 2009 we had negative growth, in that context indeed the super
bond becomes burdensome. Let’s be very clear the super bond can be dealt
with in the context of a growing economy, we are absolutely committed to
growing the economy. We believe that a PUP government will restore investor
confidence, create new jobs for people and in fact grow this Belizean
economy and in that context the super bond will not be a problem for a
future PUP government.”
ANNUAL STREET FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND
This weekend, the downtown area of Belize City will be filled with artists
of all fields as they showcase their talents at the Second Annual Street
Art Festival. The event takes place this coming Saturday and Theatre
Director at the Bliss Centre for Performing Arts, Karen Vernon, told Love
News what the public can expect from the event.
Karen Vernon – Theatre Director
“Albert Street and the Central Park, it starts at 2 p.m. and it goes
until10 p.m. We have booths for artists, all different types of artists,
we have people selling jewelry, we have embassies doing different displays,
we have a tattoo artist, which is new and a makeup artist that is new, and
they will be displaying what they do and doing live art out there as well.
There will be entertainment on two stages, the first stage will be at the
corner of Bishop Street and they will be entertaining from two until seven
and then at six o’clock the Central Park stage opens and we have live music
playing, dancing, acting, it will be a fun filled day.”
Vernon says that this type of event has a two-fold approach, to entertain
the public and to give the artists a chance to earn their keep.
Karen Vernon – Theatre Director
“Apart from the exposure and people getting to know them and what they do,
they have an opportunity to sell what they have so it is an opportunity for
them to make money which in these times are very good. I would like to
encourage you to take some time out from all the politics and come and have
a day of fun with arts and culture at the street art festival this
Saturday.”
The event runs from two in the afternoon until seven in the night in front
of the Battlefield Park on Albert Street.
CHRISTIANS OBSERVE ASH WEDNESDAY
Christians worldwide mark the start of the 40 days of Lent today. Ash
Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for the
resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Lent is a time when
Christians examine their faith, and deepen the commitment to live the
Christian life. During mass today the faithful will receive the ashes in
the form of a cross on their forehead reminding them that from dust you
came and to dust you will return. The distribution of ashes reminds
Christians of their mortality and calls them to repentance. In the early
Church, Ash Wednesday was the day on which those who had sinned, and who
wished to be readmitted to the Church, would begin their public penance.
The ashes that we receive are a reminder of our own sinfulness, and many
Catholics leave them on their foreheads all day as a sign of humility.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH RECOGNIZES EMPLOYEES
Last week over sixty persons were recognized by the Mental Health Program
of the Ministry of Health at an employee recognition luncheon for present
and past employees of the program. They were recognized for their
outstanding and dedicated service to the delivery of Mental Health care in
Belize. Most of the recipients worked at Rockview Center which is now the
Belmopan Halfway House for chronic mental challenged patients. Keynote
speaker at the recognition luncheon was Matron Augustina Elijio of the
Ministry of Health. The recognition ceremony was made possible through a
donation of the Barney Isaacs Trust. Funds were provided from the trust to
the Mental Health Program of Belize after Mr. Isaacs passed away. It also
provided sufficient funds to do minor upgrades to the mental health clinics
across the country including the construction of a utility room at Port
Loyola Mental Health Center and outfitting of clothes for the homeless
across the country.
TWO CAYO MEN FACE DRUG CHARGES
Two men from the Cayo District have been charged with drug offences.
Police say while they were crossing the wooden bridge in San Ignacio Town
their attention was drawn to two men sitting on the bank of the Macal
River. Police say they conducted a search on the men which led to the
discovery of two point nine grams of suspected cannabis on 30-year-old
Abner Swift and a transparent bag containing 61 grams of suspected cannabis
on Joseph Hammerly. Swift has been charged with possession of controlled
drugs while Hammerly was charged with drug trafficking.
OFFICE ASSISTANT ROBBED OF SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
On Monday we reported of a stabbing incident that occurred on the Swing
Bridge in Belize City. Eric Gordon, an office assistant for Gonzalo Quinto
and Sons was robbed in the incident. Police reports that Gordon was robbed
of a manila envelope containing 70 thousand dollars. Investigations
continue into the incident.
PRINCIPAL EXPLAINS SITUATION IN BOOM CREEK VILLAGE
On Monday a caller to Love FM’s morning show called in to say that there
was problem at the school in Boom Creek Village. He said teachers were not
going to school because of the bad road conditions. Today the principal of
the school spoke with our correspondent Paul Mahung and explained the
situation.
Paul Mahung reporting…
“The Living Word Primary School is located in Boom Creek Village partly
located along the banks of the Moho River, some seven miles out of Punta
Gorda. Principal of the School, Ruth Coleman contacted Love News to
explain that contrary to information out, the school was and is not closed.
Ruth Coleman - Principal
"As principal of Living Word Primary School I want to clear the rumors that
have been spreading around. Living Word Primary School situated in Boom
Creek Village was never closed. We have a staff of five teachers, three of
these teachers live in village and classes were going on. I tried many
times to go to the school but I had to go back home because the truck could
not pass or it got stuck in the mud.
MAN CHARGED FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
20-year-old Alrick August, a customer care representative at Ready Call
Center who resides on Diego Street was charged with two counts of unlawful
carnal knowledge when he appeared in court today. Senior Magistrate Sharon
Fraser explained to him that she will not take a plea because the offences
are indictable. She also explained to him that the court cannot offer him
bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody
until April 13. The first incident occurred between December 1 and
December 31, 2011. The second incident occurred between January 1 and
January 31, 2012. The complainant a girl 14 years and three months old
reported to the police that on both occasions August had sex with her.
BTB BREAKS GROUND FOR PROJECT IN BELIZE CITY
Many developments are taking place throughout the country of Belize,
especially in the area of Tourism, which is one of the biggest money
earning industries for the jewel. This morning yet another development
plan came to a start as the Construction Launch and Ground Breaking
ceremony of the Belize City Fort Point Pedestrian Walk, took place at the
Memorial Park, a endeavor in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism
Program, Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, the Belize
Tourism Board and the Belize City Council. The project includes the
rehabilitating the Memorial park and improve Park Street, Cork Street, Fort
Street to the Tourist Village entrance and North Front Street to the foot
of the Swing Bridge. Christy Mastre the Project Coordinator for
Sustainable Tourism Program presented of the final design.
Christy Maestre- Project Coordinator
“The project itself is the rehabilitation of over two acres of the Memorial
Park which we are standing in today, over an acre of hardscape and an acre
of softscape, the renovation of the band stand which historically sits
behind us today, a trellis walkway that will offer shading and access from
the tourism gate all the way out to the waterfront which will now be a drop
off for passengers at the end of the day for the bus lines as well as the
taxi and tour operators, permanent and temporary vending stands, public
restrooms, an amphitheater which will be created around the renovation of
a new stage to accommodate over 200 plus seated and up to a thousand plus
standing for events within the park, tour operator parking especially to
accommodate the mini vans which surround us here so dedicated at the top of
the park, the drop off zone ad turnaround at the head of the park,
dedicated resident parking, one of the largest Belize flags which we will
be replacing on the flag pole there, so we will be enlarging that as well.
Basically those are some of the main ideas within the park, and then the
streetscape improvements extend to over 10,000 linear feet of covered
sidewalks that we will be improving, over 5,000 feet of cobblestone roadbed
that will start at the foot of the Swing Bridge all the way up North Front
Street surrounding North and South Park Street and the rest of Cork Street
so that will be the infrastructure development or the fingers that extend
into the city.”
UDP RELEASES NATIONAL MANIFESTO
The UDP Manifesto, bearing the motto “Always for the People”, serves as a
booklet of accomplishments and a plan of action for the next five years.
The party’s chairman, Patrick Faber, presented the achievements during
their four years in office after which the UDP’s standard bearer for
Corozal North, Hugo Patt, presented their plan for infrastructural projects
ahead. These include a new boulevard and a bridge on Chetumal Street,
sporting complex, an administration building and a bus terminal. Patt
revealed that there was a plan to improve a portion of the Northern Highway
and new hospital for two municipalities.
Hugo Patt, UDP Standard Bearer, Czl North
“We will also be rebuilding the Northern highway from Haulover Bridge to
Boom Junction, a new drainage project from Belama Extension and Northern
Highway and we will also be constructing new public hospitals in San Pedro
and Punta Gorda.”
If they are re-elected, the UDP’s yearly school assistance for students of
$300 will be increased by $50. The party’s Toledo East Standard Bearer,
Eden Martinez, said that the additional $50 is uniform and book allowance.
Additionally, polyclinics will be opened for 12 hours and for people who
are still hoping to own a piece of land or are looking forward to free
Voice over Internet, the party has promising news.
POLICE INVESTIGATE MURDER OF HUNTER IN SOUTHERN BELIZE
Last week Ignacio Ical of Alta Vista Village in the Stann Creek went
hunting in an area called Canada Hills and did not return home. His family
reported him missing and yesterday the family’s worst fears where confirmed
when his body was recovered. Love News spoke with a family member who gave
us the details.
Family member
“Four of us brothers came together to look for him. It looked like he went
in the area and someone was waiting for him. When my brother left he told
my father that he would be back in three hours and so he did not take any
flashlight or anything. It looks like they took away his machete and took
him further into the hills, we found him under a tree. It looks like they
hit him in the back of the head, it looks like a gunshot wound. He
received a number of threats because he is a hunter.”
A post mortem examination has certified that Ical received nine chop wounds
to the head.
SUSPECT DETAINED IN ORANGE WALK MURDER
A prime suspect in the murder of 21 year old Abel Robinson was caught today
in Taylor's Alley, Belize City. 22 year old Gushani "Suga" Wagner was
believed to have been on the run following strong rumors of the murder of
Robinson over the weekend. He was captured by police sometime around 10
o'clock this morning. By 2 this afternoon he had been brought to the Orange
Walk police station where he is being questioned about the incident. Abel
Robinson was last seen around 9am on Friday when he left his home on
Cristock Street in the company of Wagner. The family , fearing the worst ,
decided to organize a search party on Monday and it was shortly after noon
when Robinson's older brother , Reynaldo Rivero, accompanied by other
relatives and friends made the discovery. Robinson's body was found with
what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head and a laceration to the
throat lying face up under a tree in some bushes off a remote Palmar road.
The body was already decomposing and a burial had to be done on the spot
following an autopsy on Tuesday. While the police have not released any
information on the motive of this homicide, Love News understands that this
incident is the result of a misunderstanding over and unlicensed firearm
that was loaned to one of Robinson's friend and which was not returned to
its owner. So far, no one has been charged with this murder.
CTV3
Traffic Accident Claims The Life Of A Mennonite Man
A Mennonite man of the Ship Yard Community is tonight dead after he was involved in a traffic accident last night while heading back home. Reports are that around 8:30 last night, 38 year old Cornelio Elias of Camp 3 in the community of Ship Yard, was heading back home when he lost control of his brown Toyota Corolla car while traveling somewhere along camp one. As a result the vehicle overturned several times landing on its four wheels. Elias, we understand, was flung out of the vehicle and landed approximately 8 feet away from the vehicle. Elias sustained sever head and body injuries and died on the spot. The body of the 38 year old Cornelio Elias was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Gushanie Wagner Detained By Orange Walk Police
Yesterday the only thing that was known about the murder of 21 year old Abel Arturo Robinson is that police for looking for Gushanie Wagner aka Suga and Victor Anthony Luna aka Torrito who police believed would be able to assist in their investigations.
Strong rumours were that Wagner was on the run and he was nowhere to be found in Orange Walk. But this morning around 10:00 the 22 year old was captured by police in Belize City somewhere around Taylors Alley. By the time Wagner was brought to Orange Walk Town it was highly rumoured that police had their main suspect in the murder of Robinson in custody. Reports are that on Friday morning Robinson left his home located on Crickstock Street in the company of Wagner and that was the last time his family saw him alive.
Students of Concepcion Presbyterian School Back in Class
On Monday the Concepcion Presbyterian School in the Corozal District heard the roar of concerned parents who were in protest of the school board’s recommendation to demote Esther Mendez from her post as principal. As part of their protest, parents opted not to send their children to school. But late yesterday evening when we spoke to President of BNTU Corozal Rural Branch Mario Mesh, he told us that the children were back at school and that Principal Mendez had not been demoted from her post, at least for the time being.
As mentioned on Monday, the schools Board of Directors headed by Ismael Vallejo, issued a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting that Mendez be demoted by the 31st of January on the grounds of insubordination, orchestrating the ousting of the board, lack of proper financial management, promoting division among staff members and obstructing the work of the board.
BNTU Disagrees With Governments Proposal For Salary Increase
This afternoon the Belize National Teachers Union Orange Walk Branch, held a meeting with its members at the Gala Lounge where the main topic of discussion was the Collective Bargaining Agreement which includes a salary increase.
For the past four years B.N.T.U has been negotiating a teacher’s salary increase with the present Government but has been unable to come to an agreement due to a number of reasons. The last time teachers received a salary increment was back in 2007 under the People’s United Party.
Today when we spoke to President of BNTU Orange Walk Branch, Otilio Munoz, he told us that BNTU has reached the end of the road and there will be no more negotiations. According to Munoz a recent proposal was made to BNTU by the Government of Belize but teacher’s country wide are not in support of the proposal.
PUP Corozal Town Council Slate Launches Manifesto
And while the PUP launched their National Manifesto yesterday, on Monday February 20th, the Corozal PUP Town Council slate launched their Manifesto for 2012 to 2015 entitled “PUP Delivers: New Life for Corozal”.
The manifesto entails various important factors that contribute to the positive development of Corozal Town. One of those major factors has to do with financing, which undoubtedly is needed to ultimately run the affairs of the town. Like many councils across the country, the finances and operations of Corozal Town Council have not been managed in an open, transparent and accountable manner. To solve that issue, the PUP Corozal Slate will among other things practice openness, inclusiveness and accountability by ensuring that the Council’s financial records are publicly available.
In that same arena, the PUP Corozal Slate will ensure the efficient and effective collection and use of taxes by implementing an effective collection system that will oversee the proper administration and efficient collection of both current and back taxes.
PUP Orange Walk Town Council Candidates Meet With Residents Of The Louisiana Area
With fourteen days before the Municipal and General Elections the PUP Town Council Candidates in the Orange Walk division are hard at work ensuring that the message of change reaches all registered voters of the community.
That message is being spread through neighborhood meetings held in various areas across town. Last night the PUP 7 Team, headed by Mayoral Candidate Kevin Bernard, met with residents of Liberty Avenue and surrounding areas. For Bernard and the rest of the candidates it was an opportune moment to discuss the PUP Town Council Manifesto and at the same time make it clear that the PUP 7 team is ready to work hand in hand with the people.
Ash Wednesday Marks The Beginning Of The Lenten Season
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. It is a season of Penance, reflection and fasting which prepares Christians for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which redemption is attained. For those who might not be aware of the Catholic Church’s practice on this holy day we took the opportunity to bring light to the matter.
Father Amelio Chi- La Inmaculada Catholic Church
“The ashes is sign of repentance, for example there is the story of Jonah going to the Nenevites, they were sinful city and Jonah was asked by God to go and preach the word to go and convert or else they would change everybody, the king declare a day of fasting, of penance and part of that conversion is to where Zack law and ashes so they repented and we continue with that and again it is visible reminder that unless we do not repent we will die out of grace and so that’s why we have the ashes remembering that you are from dust and to dust you will return. The message would be no other than the gospel, open yourself to God, God loves you and let him work and work with God.”
PUP National Manifesto In Honor of Honorable George Cadle Price
Deliverance For Belize, that’s the title of the Peoples United Party Manifesto 2012/2016 launched yesterday in Belize City at the party’s headquarters. The six page contract with the people of Belize is dedicated to the memory of the P.U.P’s founder and Father of the Nation the Right Honorable George Cadle Price.
Honorable Francis Fonseca- Leader of the Opposition
“This manifesto represents the framework for our PUP plan to deliver Belize from social and economic crisis; it reflects our party’s vision for and commitment to a Belize with a growing economy, new and innovative job opportunities lower cost of living, social stability and an ever improving quality of life.
It is fitting that we dedicate this manifest to the memory and legacy of the Rt. Honorable George Price. Our great leader and father of the nation reflect our reaffirmation as a party to the philosophy and principles of George Price and our deep and unwavering commitment to serve our Belizean people.”
LOVE TV
Memorial Park to be rehabilitated
in Tourism
Many developments are taking place throughout the country of Belize, especially in the area of Tourism, which is one of the biggest money earning industries for the jewel. This morning yet another development plan came to a start as the Construction Launch and Ground Breaking ceremony of the Belize City Fort Point Pedestrian Walk, took place at the Memorial Park, a endeavor in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Program, Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize City Council. The project includes the rehabilitating the Memorial park and improve Park Street, Cork Street, Fort Street to the Tourist Village entrance and North Front Street to the foot of the Swing bridge. Christy Mastry the Project Coordinator for Sustainable Tourism Program presented of the final design.
El Gran Carnaval comes to San Pedro
It’s the start of the Lenten season; but for residents of San Pedro it also means that it is time for El Gran Carnival. Love TV’s Maria Novelo reports.
UDP launches its manifesto
The United Democratic Party is seeking a second consecutive term in office and today the red machine put forward its plans for the nation should the electorate give them the nod on March seventh. Love TV’s Marion Ali and video journalist Myles Gillett attended the manifesto launch this afternoon and bring you the following report from the Biltmore.
School principal clarifies talk show caller concerns
On Monday of this week a caller to the Love FM Morning Show complained of a problem at the school in Boom Creek Village in the Toledo district. The caller reported that teachers were not going to school because of the bad road conditions. Today the principal of the school spoke with our Toledo correspondent Paul Mahung and explained the situation.
PlusTV
Ground Breaking Ceremony for Point Pedestrian Walk Project
And in Belize City, groundbreaking ceremonies were held this morning for the Belize City Point Pedestrian Walk Proj...
PUP manifesto promises youth projects and tourism development
Yesterday, the People’s United Party released its manifesto as well. We looked at some of the pledges included in t...
BTNU Orange Walk branch holds meeting
The National Teacher’s union has been negotiating with Government to get time off on the last Friday of every month...
Credit Union embarks on rural financing program
The Belize Rural Finance Programme was launched to improve the quality of life of the poor in Belize. It aims to th...
Mexican Embassy presents "Punto y Croma" art exhibition
The Mexican Embassy launched a painting exhibition entitled “Punto y Croma” by nine Mexican artists at the George P...
Boat transporting students overturn
Every morning, school kids from Placencia make their way across the Placencia lagoon by boat to Mango Creek where they attend high school. Yesterday morning, while the vessel was heading to Malacate, it overturned, allegedly because the vessel was overcrowded. While no one was harmed in that incident, which could have proven fatal, many parents are raising concerns over the situation as the students lost their books and other school supplies were damaged and destroyed. We understand that the school had been demanding additional and able boats from the Ministry of Education for some time now, but has not received a favourable response. We called the police in Mango Creek for further information but we were told they have no information on the incident.
Rhett Fuller denied bail
40 year old Rhett Fuller was denied bail yesterday at the Supreme Court. Fuller has been fighting deportation to th...
Man stabbed, robbed of $70,000
We have reported on the stabbing incident that happened on the swing bridge on Monday morning. Police have just rel...
Parents protest endorsement to dismiss principal
Concepcion Presbyterian School in the Corozal District was recently placed under the management of the Ministry of ...
Mental Health Program hosts Employee Recognition Luncheon
The Mental Health Program of the Ministry of Health hosted an Employee Recognition Luncheon for present and past em...
International Sources
Local doctors oppose medical tourism plans for Belize
There is growing controversy over the potential development of medical tourism in Belize. The policies are currently being drafted and could open up the market to new medical facilities that may offer health care exclusively to foreigners. The problem is that the government is working with investors, but refusing to include local medical professionals in any debate or discussion. Medical tourism could hurt the pockets of local doctors, as it seems that American medical professionals will provide exclusive health services that are already being offered by locals.
In a radio interview, Joel Cervantes, president of the Belize Medical and Dental Association said that removal of medical tourism services offered by local doctors could seriously affect the viability of well-established institutions,“ What is very important to realize is that medical tourism, at this point for Belize, poses a threat as there are a lot of interest both inside Belize—powerful businessmen, very politically aligned—and also foreign interests with a lot of money and they are interested in opening up medical tourism. In fact, there are a lot of advanced plans; we know that there is a place in the Free Zone; we know that there are plans for something to go on in San Pedro, and also down in Placencia. The only problem, in our view is that medical tourism should first and foremost be a national industry whereby we, as Belizeans, local doctors, dentists, nurses and all health allied personnel, should be the ones that are leading. But we have been left out of the picture.”
Most available medical procedures are cheaper in Belize than in the USA, but many residents head north into Mexico for treatment, where costs are lower, facilities are better and more procedures are available. Facilities, equipment and doctors in Belize are in extremely short supply, so the range of available treatments is limited.
Wildwood locals premier documentary at Stockton
Frank Weiss, of Wildwood Crest and student at Stockton College, arrived in Belize last year with a camera and a mission to show how the modern world impacts the local tribes.
In less than a week, he left with more than 1,000 gigabytes of video footage.
Weiss will debut the final product, “The Road is Coming,” at the Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton College, 733 Lake Road in Oceanville in Atlantic County at 5 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 23.
The junior visual communications major said he got the inspiration for the project from a Wildwood Catholic High School classmate, Grace Boswell, who went to Belize with the Peace Corps.
Boswell worked with the Ketchi Maya people in Laguna Village for more than two years, 2009 through 2011, as an elementary education teacher trainer.
After obtaining a grant and getting sponsorship from the Noyes Museum, Weiss said he researched the country and the local tribes and planned to shoot his footage in five days. Ultimately, he said, he decided that the majority of the film should be shot in the Laguna Village of about 340 Kekchi Maya people.
“It was a mix of dirt roads and cell towers,” Weiss said of the local people’s struggle to preserve their history as the modern world encroaches.
He said that the film take viewers on a journey through the jungles and inside the thatched-roof homes to reveal the lifestyle, food, work, and leisure of the local people.
“Belize is developing,” Weiss said. “But the film talks about sustainability and doing it the right way.”
Weiss said that he learned that the younger people in the village don’t want to become farmers like their parents and grandparents. Instead, they want to move out of the area and pursue jobs in tourism.
Weiss, a self-proclaimed visual adventurer, said he didn’t think twice about doing whatever it took to “get the shot.”
He said he would wade into rivers to take photos of natives washing dishes and attract a crowd of children and curious adults whenever he was filming.
February 22, 2012
WEEKLY WEATHER OUTLOOK
Valid Time: Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 until Monday, Feb. 27, 2012
It will be a seasonally dry and breezy week. Evidence of the 2012 Dry Season is noticeable across Belize. The Dry Season could become more intense later in March, April and early May.
The feature of interest this working week will be a seasonally drier and stable East to South-easterly airflow over the NW Caribbean and Belize, generated by a weakening Atlantic High Pressure system and a broad, frontal low pressure system moving over and to the north of Texas during the next 24 to 48 hours.
A cold front will make its way slowly south-eastward across the Gulf of Mexico by early Friday, reaching a position from the Florida Keys to southern Yucatan by Saturday evening. The approach of this front could trigger off some localized thunderstorms over inland Belize on Saturday afternoon and evening. This frontal zone is likely to become diffused over Belize on Sunday, and will then dissipate.
The weather will be seasonally sunny and dry during most of this working week, with a fresh East to South-easterly breeze prevailing. The proximity of the cold front on Saturday evening and Sunday could provoke some afternoon and evening thunderstorms especially in the interior and north. Some showers and rain could affect most districts and coastal waters on Sunday. The rains will die away later on Monday and Tuesday.
Daily rainfall accumulations will be minimal from Monday through Saturday morning, ranging from a mere 0.01 to 0.10 of-an-inch. Daily rainfall totals will increase later on Saturday through Monday, with totals ranging from 0.25-0.50 of-an-inch over most districts and coastal waters.
Click here for the full report.
The San Pedro Sun
Vive Y Goze La Tradicion – San Pedro Carnaval 2012
The annual celebration of San Juan Carnaval, under the theme “Vive y Goze la Tradicion”, commenced on Saturday night, February 18th. The festival commenced with a block party at Central park with various dance presentations by the San Pedro Dance Company. Following the dance presentations, it was time for the crowning of Miss Carnaval 2012-2013.
With initially three young ladies vying for the title – the competition was cut when two stepped down, leaving one individual representing. Shortly after 9PM, reigning Miss Carnaval 2011-2012, Miss Ileny Aguilar, took to the stage for the official crowning of Miss Carnaval 2012-2013, Miss Miriam Rodriguez.
Bayside Bar and Gril - Best Decorated Booth at Carnaval 2012
As part of the block party celebration, booths also competed for three categories: best decorated, best carnaval platter and best carnaval drink. In the category for the best decorated booth; Bayside Bar and Grill took the prize, with their carnaval theme and colorful decorations. Best Carnaval platter went to the Blue Hole Restaurant for their Pork Pibil and best carnaval drink went to Nicti-Ha, with their concoction, dubbed the “Blue Sacrifice”, a delicious combination of Vodka, lime, sugar and Gatorade.
Inmate dies in SP Police Custody
Sometime around 11pm Monday night, acting upon complaints received, SP Police detained one Miguel Martinez, 32, of a San Pedrito Area address. Martinez was detained and brought to the SP Police Station and placed in a cell with four other inmates.
According to reports, Martinez was acting disorderly and apparently under the influence of alcohol. When Police made checks sometime around 5am Tuesday, they observed what appeared to be the motionless body of Martinez on the floor of the cell. After attempts at reviving him, and receiving no response, Dr. Javier Zuniga was called. Zuniga certified him dead shortly after.
San Pedro Police is conducting an investigation following the death of a detainee at the police station. While there has been no official release, the department confirmed to The San Pedro Sun that sometime around 8:00AM on Tuesday February 21st, 32 year old Miguel Martinez was found dead inside his cell. He was found by an on duty officer after he was alerted by other detainees that Martinez was motionless.
In speaking to stepfather of the deceased, Emmanuel Diego, The San Pedro Sun found out that Martinez was detained on the beach following a report. “According to Police he was detained after he was walking with a machete in his hand. The police got a call from a hotel saying that Martinez was with a machete on the beach giving trouble. The security guys from the hotel handcuff him and handed him over to the police; that was around one in the morning. They brought him here (at the station) and according to the police, they put him in a cell along with other inmates that were in there. According to them [Police], it seems that Martinez was giving trouble and was put in another cell by himself. By this morning, he [Martinez] was dead.”
Tourists injured in boat accident
There was a boat accident near San Pedro Town sometime around 3:10PM today, Tuesday, February 21st. The Belize Port Authority (BPA) has confirmed that the two vessels, namely Thanks A lot Two owned by a local dive company and another vessel 18 Degrees North owned by Robert Shiltz collided at sea in front of the San Pedro Belize Tourism Board office.
While the extent of damage to the boats is unknown at this time, the collision injured two of the four American tourists on board 18 Degrees North. The injured people were taken to the Los Pinos Clinic for medical attention. According to the BPA, one female passenger sustained injuries to the face and three of her teeth were knocked out as a result of the impact. Her husband, on the other hand, received injuries to the knee and hip. When The San Pedro Sun arrived at the clinic, the injured woman was seen wearing a neck brace when leaving the clinic.
Ambergris Today
SPJC Places 4th at ATLIB Basketball Nationals
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, the ATLIB Basketball Nationals took place in San Ignacio at Falcon Field. There were four male teams and four female teams. The two Female teams from the Northern Region were St. Johns Junior College and Wesley Junior College and the two male teams were San Pedro Junior College and Wesley Junior College. The two female teams in the Southern Region were University of Belize and Ecumenical Junior College and male teams were Galen University and University of Belize.
http://ambergristoday.com/content/stories/2012/february/21/carnaval-2012-day-2-whole-lotta-paintinG
If there is any indication of how crazy Carnaval will be tonight, it has to be the crazy amount of painting that was taking place yesterday, the second day of the San Pedro Carnaval Festivities. Herds of Carnaval revelers took to the street to enjoy painting each other and there was paint and eggs flying all around the place. What was great to see last night was the amount of Comparsas that took to street dancing; there were actually seven groups that livened up the town with their great musical compositions and dance routines.
Coming out with Comparsa groups on Tuesday, February 20, 2012, were:
* The San Pedro AIDS Commission: with a rendition of the Belizean Mennonites and their produce
* Doña Flora's Group: that dressed up as the Belizean Garifuna and celebrated their culture with authentic dresses, headbands and accessories
* Pablo's Girls: always entertaining with a tribute to Don Juan Carnaval
* Isla Bonita Elementary School: had their version of Don Juan Carnaval dancing with his bevy of beautiful girls
* Isla Bonita Elementary School: (Group 2) danced to “Hey Mickey” to raise funds for the Miss Isla Bonita Elementary Pageant
*Ambergris Caye Elementary School: (ACES) stepped out with a comparsa dancing to Lambada and Shakira’s Waka Waka
* The Dynamic Dancers: performed a comparsa of “Los Negritos”
Inmate’s Death at SP Police Station Raises Concerns
There was quite a commotion at the San Pedro Police Station as an inmate was found dead this morning, Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Friends and relatives of the deceased gathered outside the Police Station waiting to see their loved one and to get some questions answered in regards to his death.
According the Belize Public Relations Officer, Mr. Rafael Martinez, San Pedro Police received a call from the Phoenix Resort stating that a male person with a machete was acting in a disorderly manner and disrupting the peace in the area. The male person, Miguel Martinez, was apprehended by the resorts security guards and then handed over the San Pedro Police Station on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at about 5:00a.m.
Belize Birding: Chance To See Over 540 Bird Species
Belize is a sanctuary for over 540 bird species and a popular destination for bird-watchers from all over the world. It is possible to see as many as 400 different birds on a single guided bird-watching tour through the beautiful land of Belize. Due to the dedication and hard work of many people throughout the years, Belize has managed to become a premier destination for those who love birds and want to see the colors and interactions of these fine creatures in their natural habitat. Protected as part of Belize’s heritage, conservation efforts have preserved the land, area and birds themselves. The Belize National Parks System Act (1981) initiated the establishment of protected areas that have long been maintained for the preservation of the birds, wildlife, land, and heritage. From colorful parrots to tiny hummingbirds, Belize has a diversity in birds that is unique from anywhere else in the world, and below you will find some info on a handful of the birds you can expect to see while visiting Belize.
Sunday Afternoons Mean BBQ and Live Music in San Pedro
The town is hopping right now. With Presidents Day and schools' spring breaks, these next few weeks tend to be some of the busiest of the year. Sunday afternoon in San Pedro is always a great day to go out, have a few cold beers and listen to some music. Last Sunday, I stopped by a few on my way into town.
It was a beautiful day. My first stop was the Catamaran Bar at Caribbean Villas Resort. They have a full bar, a BBQ going, live music by Tull starting at around 2:30pm and sailing races all morning. There were lots of people sitting and eating.
Vandalism or Just Good, Traditional Fun? Carnaval In San Pedro, Belize
Yesterday, I posted the fun side of Carnaval. Like this picture...
But a local businessman posted something this morning that made me go out and take a second look. He wrote (allow me to paraphrase a bit): "Carnaval...promotes the destruction and defacing of private property and makes our town look like a dump" and "Anyone who is for the continuation of this vandalism is simply not affected by the vandalism of their property. I would be happy to come over to your house and pour 5 gallons of paint in your yard and your vehicles..." and "hanging people in the town square was also something people did some time ago and yet most civil societies have decided that it now makes no sense".
When I was out Sunday night there were certainly not police or parents supervising any of the painting. Many business owners and even the town put up plastic tarps to protect their property from paint and eggs. But was it enough? Is this teaching kids that defacing property is "something fun" and should have no consequences?
Here are the pictures that I took this morning. This is what is left over from days one and two...day three (today) is just getting started and day three is usually the one that brings the most paint.
Should this holiday practise continue? Is it a charming island tradition or just destruction? You be the judge.
Photo Blog: A week on Tobacco Caye
There are about 450 sandy islands on the Belize Barrier Reef off the caribbean coast of Belize. Belizeans call them ‘cayes’.
We have a steady relationship with the two big ones, and I’d say that we’re on Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker almost every other week. While those two are our steady cayes, we had a one week fling with another one – Tobacco Caye – last christmas. And we loved it.
Watching the sunset from the bar - click to enlarge
Tobacco Caye is tiny, at a size of only 400 by 200 feet you can walk around it in 5 minutes and across in a lot less. It’s intimate with about 20 permanent residents and 5 little lodges with 3-10 rooms each. The daily routines are mainly dictated by food (you eat at your lodge and at a given time when the bell or triangle calls you to the communal picnic tables) and the generator (there’s light usually until 9 or 10 – then it’s you and your headlamp).
When we got to Tobacco Caye, I was worried that I was looking at going out of my OCD workaholic mind within hours. I had a list of projects lined up before I even set foot on this oasis of nothingness. I didn’t do any of them. Handing over daily routines to the meal bell, the hammock and falling asleep whenever you felt like it became our life for the duration of our stay and I left Tobacco Caye so utterly relaxed that I couldn’t even remember when I had last been this grounded and recharged.
Photo blog: Flying through the Air in Belize
Belize has a multitude of little sand islands, called cayes along its coast. The smaller cayes are nothing more than a pile of sand on some coral while the biggest one (Ambergris Caye) spans 40 by 1.6 km in size. Ambergris Caye is the most developed tourism destination in Belize with a big expat community enjoying fishing, scuba diving and hanging out at the pool.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to have to attend a training on Ambergris Caye. One of the perks of working in tourism is that you get to visit a lot of tourism destinations and nifty hotels.
On the way back (flying in a 9 seat Cessna) I took a couple of pictures of my commute from work:
Photo: Paul Nabor
One of the highlights of my trip to Belize was spending some time with local guitar legend and Garifuna spiritual healer, Paul Nabor. At 80 years old, he’s no longer a world traveler, but still plays guitar most days. I was lucky enough to be an audience of one for a private concert. To watch the video and hear it yourself, check out the piece I wrote for Big World Magazine. Oh, and if you find yourself in Punta Gorda, remember that Mr. Nabor prefers his beer warm.
Dukunu recipe – Mayan tamales!
One of the wonderful things (among many) about having an island resort in Belize is discovering the food of Belize. Many years ago I discovered a wonderful Belizean dish: Dukunu. We don’t serve it on the island because it is too labor intensive : ( But at a locals Belize City restaurant, like Ceni’s, you can sometimes find it.
Dukunu is a fabulous dish! And you can make these marvelous corn packets at home using this recipe. Residents of New Mexico will be particularly interested as it is similar to, but also very different from tamales, a staple in New Mexico.
Dukunu is usually vegetarian, which is one of the reasons I love them since I don’t eat meat. It is not made of masa, but of roasted and ground corn kernals. Also, it uses coconut milk. This corn mixture steamed in corn husks was a favorite of the ancient Mayans of Belize.
Adventure, food and fun in Belize
Adventure, food and fun are all to be found in the Central American country of Belize… at least according to today’s interviewees. We speak with Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons and Lebawit Lily Girma about the time they’ve spent in what seems to be a marvelous country. Lily Girma set out to try every adventure sport and adventure tour in Belize over three months, and reckon’s she’s failed! That’s a whole lot of adventure for what many people imagine is a small country given over to diving.
It’s true that Belize has one of the world’s largest ocean reefs, and diving abounds, but she also discovered lush forests; caving, canyoning and rapelling treks; and an ability to tie this into Mayan and Garifuna culture.
VIDEO: Altun Ha Maya Ruin in Belize
This is the location where the prized jewel of Belize and famous Maya Jade Head of the Maya Sun God, Kinich Ahau originated from.
VIDEO: "Sweet Gial" Awaits Your Arrival
Guest Services Team aboard "Sweet Gial" headed to San Pedo to greet and transport arriving guest back to their villa at La Perla Del Caribe. Ambergris Caye, Belize, CA
Channel 7
Man Dies In Custody Of San Pedro Police
The police department is under pressure tonight after a police officer shot a man in the face last night and then today a young man died in custody. We headline tonight's news with
Police Sergeant Shoots A Man In OW Bar
Last night just before ten, an ambulance rushed into the city from Orange Walk Town. Inside, Orange Walk resident, Jorge Celis was hoping he didn't lose his eye after he had been shot by
PUP's Manifesto Promises "Deliverance" But Not Much Else
And turning now from crime to politics – the PUP launched its 2012 to 2016 manifesto today. Now, you might be saying 2012 – 2016? But that's only four years – why not to
A Tale Of Two Leaders And One Superbond
And whoever has the manifesto that appeals more strongly to voters will form the next government – and one of the first things they'll have to deal with is the Superbond. A 33.5 milli
Merlene Resigned
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Rhett fuller Denied Bail
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Alleged Armed Robber Remanded
22 year-old Mark Ramdas, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, has been remanded for allegedly committing armed robbery after he appeared in Magistrates Court. According to police, t
Senior Citizen Jailed For Fondling
61 year-old Godfrey Mortis, a taxi driver of Amara Avenue, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for fondling an 8 year-old female child. According to the child, who testified in came
Mother Pleads For Missing Teen To Return Home
Tonight, the Mother of another missing teenager is pleading for her safe return. Lisa Bradley, the mother of 15 year old Wesley College student, Lianie Baptist, says her daughter left
What A Lot Of Weed!
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Police Descend On Hopkins For Drugs
Last week Friday, the Anti drug unit descended on Hopkins Village. They searched several houses in the area, and as a result, arrested 9 people for charges ranging from drug trafficking to
Junior Jaguar's Birthday Bash
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Channel 5
S.S.B. C.E.O. Merlene Bailey Martinez resigns
Merlene Bailey-Martinez has resigned as C.E.O. of the Social Security weeks after reports of insider trading became public. The Social Security Board decided since early last week to terminate Bailey-Martinez so when she turned up to work on Monday, it raised a number of questions. Bailey-Martinez had been placed on administrative leave since January eleventh, ...
Fuel prices go up again before elections
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P.U.P. Manifesto of Price, Peace and Revolution
On Monday, the People’s United Party released its manifesto for the Belize City Council elections. This afternoon, it launched its platform for the general elections. The manifesto is dedicated to the memory of George Price, who passed away last September, and is entitled Deliverance for Belize. As a matter of priority, the P.U.P. promises job ...
Facing extradition: Rhett Fuller denied bail
In the United States, Rhett Fuller is wanted in connection with the murder of US National Larry Miller. Fuller moved back to Belize following the incident and for over a decade, he has been in and out of court fighting extradition to the US. The Minister of Foreign Affairs on September twentieth, 2011 decided to ...
Do you believe government deserves a 2nd term?
Tonight’s question is: Would you believe the current government deserves a second term in office? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to [email protected].
Found dead in San Pedro Prison Cell
There are three deaths to report tonight. We start first with the baffling death of a San Pedro resident, who died this morning in a holding cell at the island’s police station. On Monday night Miguel Martinez, who was recently released from prison, was taken into custody. The family is suspicious because Martinez was only ...
Missing Stann Creek man was murdered
While the circumstances of Martinez’ death are suspicious, the demise of forty-one year old Ignacio Ical is conclusive. Seven days ago, Ical went into the jungle in the Canada Hill Area in the Stann Creek District to harvest a fruit called ‘pakaia’. His family grew concerned when he didn’t return home because Ical frequented that ...
Orange Walk’s Abel Robinson murdered
In the north, another missing man was found murdered. Days after he disappeared, a search party on Monday discovered the body of twenty-one year old Abel Robinson from Orange Walk Town. The badly decomposed body was lying under a tree off a picado road in the Palmar area. Abel left home on Friday and when ...
Cop detained after shooting incident at Picame Bar
There’s another incident in Orange Walk Town where a police sergeant shot Jorge Celis in the eye and it is under investigation. The police version is that on Monday Sergeant Roberto Novelo, who is attached to the Belize City Crimes Investigations Branch, and his brother, Moises Novelo were at the Picame Bar in Orange Walk ...
B.T.I.A. supports People’s Referendum
A people’s referendum will be held next week Wednesday. The Belize Tourism Industry Association, which chairs the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage called on member organizations to support the referendum. After almost eight thousand signatures were rejected, preventing a referendum, the Coalition decided to execute an independent poll. So next week, country-wide people ...
2 escaped convicts recaptured
Last Friday two inmates escaped from the Belize Central Prison in Hattieville. Security at the facility managed by the Kolbe Foundation was breached in daylight by Luis Urbina, a high profile and dangerous convict along with David Burgos. Burgos was believed to be heading north to see his wife in the Finca Solana area of ...
Cab driver, accused of fondling and biting minor, convicted
A Belize City taxi driver, who has been in prison for the past seven months, was today convicted of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature. The victim was only eight years old when sixty-one year old Godfrey Mortis molested her at his house. In court, Mortis denied the allegations, during the trial which ended this ...
Move over GSU, GST Unit busts tax dodgers
A businessman was also found guilty this morning, but for unpaid general sales tax. Phillip Waight of CSVW Engineering and Construction Company was to appear before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer on eleven counts of Failure to File GST Returns for the period of December 2010 to October 2011. But Waight was not present this morning ...
Marijuana fields go up in smoke
An operation by the Anti-Drug Unit led to the discovery and destruction of two marijuana plantations over the weekend. Twenty year old Jason Gilharry was arrested on Sunday when the ADU caught him on a farm with twenty-three thousand marijuana plants in Corozalito Village near Maskall. The ADU first came across a field with twenty ...
Unemployed man now an entrepreneur
Unemployment is hovering at twenty-three point five percent; that puts a large number of bread winners out of the work force. Meet Bryant Peters, who has discovered that there are opportunities if you can foster an entrepreneurial spirit. Along with a group of other jobless persons, he has started a business. News Five’s Jose Sanchez ...
KTV Latino; Live, Lustrous and Only on 5
The results are in for last week’s singers and first elimination by votes for KTV Latino will be announced tonight. Group A had its debut performances last Tuesday and now it’s time for the performers in Group B to show what they can do in the second round of live competition at the Bliss. Latin ...
LOVE FM
PUP PRESENTS NATIONAL MANIFESTO
Marion Ali reporting…
“The eight-page document, dubbed “Deliverance for Belize” is dedicated,
says the PUP Leader, Francis Fonseca, to the memory of the party’s
legendary icon, George Price.
Francis Fonseca, Leader, PUP
“Every page of this manifesto reflects our reaffirmation as a party to the
philosophy and principles of George Price and our deep and unwavering
commitment to serve the Belizean people.”
And with that, the party’s standard bearers, eleven of them, read through
the pledges that the PUP hopes to deliver between 2012 and 2016 if they are
elected on March seventh. The PUP also pledges to “establish an Andy
Palacio Annual Prize for music, establish a George Gabb Annual Prize for
visual art and establish a Beverly Smith Lopez Annual prize for performing
arts”. And for people who play games of chances, the PUP also proposes to
end the monopoly control of the lottery and boledo business and to open up
the sale of lottery and boledo to more people.
SENIOR CITIZEN CHARGED FOR FONDLING CHILD
61-year-old taxi driver Godfrey Mortis, charged with aggravated assault of
an indecent nature upon an eight year old girl, was sentenced to two years
today by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, after he was found guilty of the
charge. The child testified in camera that shortly after nine p.m. on June
5, 2011, Mortis asked her to buy water and she went to a Chinese shop and
purchased the water. She said when she returned Mortis grabbed her and put
bite marks on both sides of her neck then touched her on her private parts.
The girl’s mother who was with her daughter at the house of a friend who
is Mortis’ neighbour testified that she saw when her daughter went to buy
the water but she did not see her daughter return. The mother also
testified that the following day she saw the love bites on her daughter’s
neck and when she asked her daughter who did it her
