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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Introducing the San Pedro Youth Cadet Corps
Cadets are taught a variety of skills and techniques, including foot drills, team work exercises, life skills lessons, and sporting skills. The group has scheduled practices at the Isla Bonita Elementary School campus. “We want the children to learn respect and honor, but also humility. In the coming months we will have Kristina Romero from the National Drug Abuse Control Council to speak to the youth about drug abuse and how they can make a difference in the community against drug use,” said Gonzalez. In addition, the San Pedro Youth Cadet Corps will also be preparing to participate in the Annual National Youth Cadet Camp held every summer by the Belize Police Department. Cadet groups from across the country are invited to take part in sporting activities and educational sessions. On Friday, February 28th at 3:30PM an introductory meeting will be held for parents, members and the general public at the Reef View Education Center located on Barrier Reef Drive. The San Pedro Youth Cadet Corps is aiming to have 50 members, there are currently 35 available spaces. Anyone interested in having their child join the San Pedro Youth Cadet Corps can contact Shane McCann at 631-8366, PC Juan Chu at 607-9033, Freddy Gonzalez at 604-0949, or attend the meeting to learn more. Uniforms will be provided at no charge for all members.

Canoe Challenge: Boom to the City – powered by GUINNESS
This year’s Boom to the City Canoe Challenge – powered by GUINNESS, went from Henderson’s Bank to Riverside Tavern on February 22nd, 2014, and had a big turn out with 26 teams paddling for the pride. The Junior Division was won by Turd’z, Martin Gideon, Sergio Barrera and Glenford Sutherland, sponsored by Martin Woods. In second place was Unruley Wave sponsored by Belize Rural High School with Jeffery Seguro, Ashton Moody and Mathew Mask. The third place team was AFM with paddlers Mark Menez, Alexander Cruz and Feliz Neal. The Intramural Division was won by Wateva Boyz sponsored by D & D Consulting Ltd., and paddled by Sergio Lopez, Adrian Williams and Jesus Linarez. Second place went to Western Home Supplies paddled by Alfred Lopez, Byron Cruz and Armando Lopez. Our third place finishers, 3 Hours Later, had a female paddler, Ashley Pelayo, Shaheed Mai and Victor Valdez.

Four new officers join The San Pedro Police Formation
Four new officers have joined the San Pedro Police Formation, bringing the total number of island officers to 43. The new officers on duty include three Police Constables and one Woman Police Constable. The San Pedro Sun is pleased to introduce the new officers.

Ambergris Today

Belize Works in Improving Road Safety and Reducing Fatal Accidents
With the increase in number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents along the highways around the country, the Government of Belize is investing more in making roads safer. Progress seems slow, but people are the center of the efforts because of the nature to save lives on the roads. The Government of Belize, within the scope of the Belize Road Safety Project, last week officials conducted a monitoring exercise on Friday, February 21, 2014, along the demonstration corridor from Belize City to Belmopan. The Government of Belize is undertaking this project in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank with the hope to implement sound road safety measures that will contribute to saving lives on Belize's road system. This is a first phase of a long-term initiative by the Government of Belize to improve road safety in the country with an overall objective to reduce deaths and serious injuries associated with road traffic collisions/accidents along a demonstration corridor by 20% in 2016.

Dorian’s Angels Support Cricel Castillo at The Arnold Classic
Belizean Bombshell, 25 year-old, Cricel Castillo has been making headlines locally and international as she is one of the few Belizean figure competitors. Cricel has made her country proud every single time she competes both locally and internationally. This week Cricel is currently in Columbus, Ohio in the United Stated competing at the famous Arnold Classic Figure Competition. Cricel took the first place trophy in the Figure Competition at the Diamond Classic, Boca Ranton Florida in April 2013 and is Belize’s Ms. Body Figure 2013. She is a dance and fitness enthusiast and is very motivated and dedicated to figure competition. Cricel left Belize on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, along with Rigoberto Vellos to compete at the The Arnold Classic, renamed Arnold Sports Festival. The event is an annual multidisciplinary sports convention named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, focusing mainly on bodybuilding and fitness and figure competition.

Misc Belizean Sources

Bookkeeping Workshop
Bookkeeping is the heart of any business. Without it, we cannot hope to keep track of the most important part of any business; money. Gain excellent skills in using various accounting procedures and maintain your books efficiently and effectively for the success of your business. On completion of this course, you will have a sound knowledge about the basic steps and techniques used in bookkeeping, including Identify the differences between commercial environment. Workshop Date: March 6th, 2014 Time: 9am to 12pm LOCATION: University of Belize, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, College Street, Belize City Tel: 223-3195 or email: [email protected]

Preliminary Estimates of GDP for 2013 and January 2014 Consumer Price Index

Private Citizen Wants to Take Hon Edmund Castro to Court
Go get'em, Trevor Vernon

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR POSTER CONTEST FOR WORLD WATER DAY
An International day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and the United Nations General Assembly responded by designating March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day. Every year thereafter, World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 around the world. This year the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture, in collaboration with other Ministries and Departments, has taken the lead for the celebration of the annual World Water Day (WWD) event as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater.

Belmopan Active Youth High School Drug Free Rally
NDACC Director and Drug Educator, Belmopan participates in the launch of Belmopan Active Youth High School Drug Free Rally at Independence park today in Belmopan. The event was held under the theme, "Count on Me to Be Drug Free." (Ministry of Health) (7 photos)

AND NOW WHO’S SELLING SEX?
(via Norris Hall) The most recent expose of sex tourism in the ever expanding tourism market in Belize, first came to light on Facebook and elsewhere, when people began to shout out loud about an advertisement by a company calling itself “Global Fantasies”, an online site advertising Belize as a sex paradise with offers of “Belize Adult Sex Vacations”. The first public reaction was to want to find out who is behind this one. It has the potential of becoming yet another scandal. It would appear that the Belize Tourist Board may, or may not, know something about this before the panties hit the fan. It was not until the public began to take notice and when Facebook began to flash, that the BTB, in typical reactionary fashion, blew some smoke from its rear end while snorkeling with its head in the toilet bowl. In a press release it warned hoteliers of the obvious: that under the Belize Hotel and Tourist Accommodation Act the advertising and sale of sex is unlawful.

Final figures for the 2013 tourism year
The final figures for the 2013 tourism year are in, and we are happy to report that Belize’s Overnight and Cruise arrivals are up! Last year Belize recorded 223,510 in PGIA arrivals. March 2013 saw the highest tourist arrivals at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) with 28,623 visitors; this is a 10.2% increase in comparison to March 2012. The month with the largest increase in 2013 was August, with a 10.5% increase when compared to August 2012. While there were 3% decreases for April and September, overall PGIA arrivals are up 5.5%.

Treason?
In a media interview after his election victory, Ralph Huang, the newly elected standard bearer of the United Democratic Party for the Cayo South constituency admitted that he had received financial contributions from a foreign company headed by one Mr. Lord Neil Gibson. Media reports are that Huang openly paid for votes and promised resident of the constituency that he would improve their lot by building roads and bridges and providing medical facilities for them. These reports are extremely troubling for many reasons:

ILLEGAL LOGGING
Yesterday at 11:15 pm Independence Police visited an area in the Maya Mountain Forest Nature Reserve where five male persons were detained for Unlawful Possession of Forest Product. They were in a Ford Tractor which was pulling a Trailer with about 1500 board feet of Rose wood. The five male persons are 38-year-old Pablo Ramirez, 25-year-old Ernesto Choc Guatemalan, 34-year-old Martin Coc, 18-year-old Javier Coc all of Trio Village and 26-year-old Shane Coleman of Independence Village were detained. The Blue Ford Tractor and the Rose Wood was Impounded at the Independence Police Station.

Jamaican government waives visa requirements for Chinese visitors.
In an effort to diversify and develop new markets for the tourism industry, the Jamaican government has waived the visa requirements for Chinese visitors. On Wednesday, Tourism Minister, Dr. Wykeham McNeil, said China has been added to a list of countries including Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Hungary and Poland where visa requirements for travel to Jamaica have been relaxed. “Last year we attracted 2,420 Chinese tourists an increase of 15.1 % over the previous year the fact is that the numbers are small but the market has potential for significant growth . In all the efforts to ease the difficulties experienced and to harness the market potential of China, Cabinet has now approved the conditional waiver of visa requirements for nationals from China who travel to Jamaica for tourism purposes for periods of 30 days or less,” he said.

Profiting from a strong private sector – Part IV - Entrepreneurship and Innovation:
New ideas and products most often originate with the private sector. A perfect example, did you ask your waiter or waitress at lunch for Marie Sharp pepper sauce? Perhaps you clean your tools with a citrus degreaser. And while you’re watching that new TV show on a local channel, do you snack on plantain chips or Belizean made chocolate? Think about it.

BAY Basketball Tournament
The Belmopan Active Youths are having a basketball tournament tonight, Friday, February 28th, at Hilltop Court, at 6:00pm.

SHJC's Cancer Awareness Efforts
Sacred Heart Junior College had 3 days of fundraisers, from Monday to Wednesday, for the San Ignacio Cancer Society. They had bake sales, ribbon sales, a donation day, and a 'color your hair' fundraiser. SHC raised $1,000, and it was presented to the Cancer Society after Dr. Marvin Manzanero gave a great presentation on cancer and the benefits of early detection. "In an effort to promote cancer awareness and to assist cancer patients, SHJC students, faculty and staff engaged in a 3-day fundraising event that culminated with a session given by Mrs. Flora Usher - President of the Belize Cancer Society - San Ignacio Branch, and Dr. Marvin Manzanero... The Director of Student Services presented the monies raised by faculty and staff through the different efforts carried out over the course of the 3 days. We collected a total of $953.87 cash and our Student Gov't Association pledged the remaining $46.13 to make it a total donation of $1,000.00."

Teachers and Public Officers Salary adjustment announced
Teachers and public officers will get a 5% salary adjustment over 3 years. This was confirmed this afternoon by the Honorable the Prime Minister Mr. Dean Barrow. The announced salary adjustments of 5% over 3 years for teachers and public officers will amount to $22 million. This is in addition to the annual 2.5% annual increments based on merits. Future adjustments are expected to be determined on a merit-based system.

Nest boxes in Paynes Creek National Park
TIDE is working to protect threatened yellow-headed parrots by installing nest boxes in Paynes Creek National Park. So far 30 boxes have made nesting much easier for this intelligent bird whose populations have been reduced through illegal export in the pet trade and loss of its pine savannah habitat.

The Phoenix hosts Angela Kinsey and Rashida Jones
The Phoenix is very proud to have been able to host Angela Kinsey and Rashida Jones, who teamed up with Oceana to help promote the importance of ocean conservation. Rashida and Angela are great people and we really appreciate them taking the time to help Oceana do its thing, protecting Belize's Barrier Reef, the Caribbean, and oceans across the globe. We hope our fans enjoy these pics from their stay and adventures along the reef. Thank you as well to Tony Rath for these wonderful under water photos of Angela and Rashida. (4 photos)

Junior 'I Have a Dream for Belize' Winner
Congratulations, Kyla Cuervas, for winning first place in the U.S. Embassy's Junior 'I Have A Dream for Belize' essay contest! In related news, tomorrow is the last day to nominate the Belize Woman of the Year. "Congratulations to Ms. Kyla Cuervas from Our Lady of Guadaloupe High School in Belmopan for winning first place in the Junior 'I Have A Dream for Belize' Essay Contest!!! On Wednesday, she and the other participants attended the U.S. Embassy's special award ceremony for all of the participants. As a first prize winner, Kyla recevied a tablet computer device, a book of Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech, and her essay will be published in the Amandala newspaper. Belize has a bright future in its youth!!!"

Junior Buddy's Big Birthday Bash
Junior Buddy had his 7th birthday this week, and The Belize Zoo threw a big bash for it. Happy birthday, Junior Buddy! In related news, there's now an action plan for the sustainable development of the Central Belize Corridor, which jaguars and many other animals use, and need. It's a great start, and you can read more about it on Panthera's or the zoo's sites. "As promised, Junior Buddy had a fan club of over 200 strong show up at the Zoo yesterday to wish him many more as we celebrated his 7th Birthday. Students, parents, and teachers from La Democracia and Mahogany Heights communities in the Belize District saw Junior diver headfirst into his pond to retrieve his delicious birthday bone, then proudly feast on it for the rest of the day while his admirers looked on. The entire school joined TBZ Director Sharon Matola in yet another rendition of the Junior Buddy song, while cameras rolled from Love FM and News 5 news stations. Games, prizes, snacks, facepainting and fun for all followed for a successful day in celebrating the magnificent jaguar species that still calls Belize its home, and will for many years to come!"

Reputation Week seeks good Belizeans
Public relations firm Nauta Vero, chaired by Niall Gillett is looking for a few good local men and women. Gillett told us today about his initiative to find five Belizean companies and individuals of whom the best can be said. Belizeans will have the opportunity to submit the names of a large company, a small business, an NGO, a politician – elected or aspiring; and an ordinary Belizean not otherwise nominated. Gillett says he took up the challenge when he did business with a foreigner who looked up Belize on the Internet following a family member’s visit and found things not to his liking, though that did not dissuade him.

Woman allegedly busted with marijuana at the northern border
Reports from Corozal say that a former Town Councilor has been busted with just a little less than one kilo of suspected marijuana. No official report has yet been put out by the police, but sources say that the bust happened on Wednesday at the northern border. Because no official charges have been laid against her as yet, the name of the accused woman is being withheld at this time. A source told has confirmed that the former town councilor was elected in 2009. More information will be posted as they are confirmed.

“Killa” Gentle murder verdict due March 5
Justice Adolph Lucas will rule next Wednesday, March 5, if 20 year old Corwin Bennett is guilty of the murder of reformed gang boss Raymond “Killa” Gentle. 34 year old Gentle, who had moved into sports and other community activities after renouncing his bad past, was shot 4 times while working on a house on Kraal Road on January 12, 2011. Bennett was tried without a jury and 13 witnesses testified including Gentle’s brother, Bevans, who recalled chasing the shooter unsuccessfully while narrowly dodging being shot himself, as the shooter’s gun misfired.

Private citizen wants Edmond Castro to answer for BAA funds
Earlier this week, we reported on Edmond Castro’s suit against a Belize Rural North resident who told the nation she worked with Castro to get hundreds of visa recommendations for Chinese nationals. Today the embattled area rep was the target, as former public servant and journalist Trevor Vernon of Burrell Boom wants him to answer for the more than $30,000 handed out by the former board of the Belize Airports Authority (BAA) for various personal and political fortunes. Vernon says he believes that Castro should repay the money as it was not his to legally receive. Vernon retained Philip Palacio for the case but the man standing beside him today was PUP Belize Rural North aspirant and attorney Arthur Saldivar, who insisted that Castro committed multiple violations of the law and particularly the Prevention of Corruption in Public Life Act.

CitCo to begin concreting 35 streets
The second phase of a city-wide infrastructure project in the old Capital begins next week and by September of this year, one in every three streets in Belize City will have been concreted. The list of selected streets include significant arteries and according to Mayor Darrell Bradley, were selected for their importance as bridges of connectivity to move traffic and goods around the Old Capital. The total cost of the project is $9.7 million including drainage. The first phase of works was funded with a $20 million municipal bond floated by the Council and saw 102 streets concreted, some of which are in their final stages of completion. The second will be funded by a $10 million grant from Central Government, in addition to $2.8 million allocated for immediate works in the aftermath of last year’s wet weather and a drainage project outlined by the Council.

Public servants getting $22 million more
$22 million over three years. Prime Minister Dean Barrow confirmed this evening that this is the total figure for how much more teachers and public officers will be paid, guaranteed, by the Government of Belize. It represents an adjustment, but really an increase of 5%, the minimum they asked for, and they will also get the standard 2.5% annual increment. Despite issues with poor economic growth, the Prime Minister stated that this increase is locked in permanently. It also means that the Belize National Teachers’ Union, Public Service Union and Association of Public Service Senior Managers have added responsibilities, as adverse effects to the Government such as a reversal of the takeover of the Companies and Ships Registries and lower profits for Belize Telemedia Limited may easily reverse the state of affairs.

Motorcycle and van collide; one man dies
A man died as a result of a road traffic accident this morning on the Hummingbird Highway in the Cayo district. The victim has been identified as 29 year old Jose Flamenco, a resident of mile 28 on the Hummingbird Highway. Police say that around 11:20 am today, they responded to reports of a fatal traffic accident between miles 43 and 44 on the Hummingbird Highway that involved a motorcycle and a van. Flamenco, according to police, was the driver of the motorcycle and he was carrying Juan Pau of Plancencia as a passenger.

KHMH NICU and parking lot improved
2013 was a year to forget for the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, chiefly because of the bacterial outbreak at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) which claimed 8 lives before they had a chance to truly live. Since then money has poured in, both for renovations to the current unit and a new unit. Today public relations manager for KHMH Niall Gillett said renovations are coming along fine and size has been expanded. And from the inside to the outside, the hospital’s parking lot is the latest addition to Belize City’s concrete revolution. That is near completion, and when the installations are complete the hospital will implement its plans to charge for parking to all non-patients and staff and provide a slot for taxi operators to work in.

Cruise ship tourist overstays welcome
A 42 year old American from the U.S. state of Indiana says six hours is just too short a time to get to know the Jewel, so he stayed for a week. Bryan Rusk, a diesel mechanic, came to Belize last Thursday, February 20, aboard the Carnival Glory cruise ship but he failed to get permission to enter the country from either Immigration officers or the ship’s master. Once on Belizean shores he reportedly rented an apartment in the King’s Park area and spent a week sightseeing. But he ended his vacation on Wednesday when he turned himself in to the Fort Street Tourism Village. He pleaded guilty to failure to obtain permission to enter Belize and was fined $1,000, which he immediately paid.

Why is Belize the Perfect Destination for Retirees?
Those who will soon reach the retirement age, or have already started availing the benefits of a retiree, can better understand why saving is so important. Some may feel they should have started much earlier to end up with more dollar bills in their account. As you approach the retirement age, you want to save your accumulated wealth over decades and want it to last longer. Many single persons and couples want to settle down after retirement to a serene place where there is less traffic, life is relaxed and there is no race with time. For retirees, Belize, nestled in Central America, is the best place to relocate. Relocating to Belize is a great way to relax and save on your savings. Check out why Belize is the perfect destination for retirees:

Benefits of Retirement in Belize
QRP program give tax and residency breaks to foreigners with the status of a Qualified Retired Person (QRP). To be designated a QRP under the program, the applicant should be:

FORMER BELIZEAN BEAUTY QUEEN FORCED TO BECOME A MAN!
This is one of those WTF stories too salacious to pass up. To think it happened in Belize! Former Miss World Belize 2010 and Miss Earth Belize 2012, Jessel Lauriano has come forward with a rather bizarre story. According to the former beauty queen, who has been working at the Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City since December 2012, the terms of her employment have dramatically changed and has rendered her to life of servitude. According Lauriano, she was first hired as a DJ after she was trained by her employer. Things deteriorated when she was forced to strip and perform topless in the club. She was then forced to make out with other women portraying herself as lesbian, Lauriano said. A beauty queen, she is no more because Lauriano is now a man. That was the latest request of her employer, Lauriano said.

Channel 7

Teachers Will Get 5%, Not 4%
Two weeks ago, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow told the media that the teachers and the public servants could expect a 4% raise. But today - as his government gets ready to present its new budget next week - he said that figure has been revised. With economic growth coming in at less than one percent when 2.5 percent had been projected - you might expect that raise to go down by a point or two, but today the PM told the media today that it's actually going up!:.. Prime Minister Dean Barrow "We've just gone over the numbers this afternoon and I can tell you that it is clear that the teachers will get 5%; teachers and public officers. We keep saying teachers because they made the most noise - this is teachers and public officers will get by our reckoning 5%, in addition to the 2.5% annual increment. We are looking at 22 million dollars more in salaries to public officers and teachers and by our calculations that represents not less than a 5% salary increase."

COLA's Private Prosecution Of Penner
And while that 5% should provide some comfort to the teachers and public officers, on the political front government continues to hemorrhage politically for Elvin Penner's Citizen Kim affair. And the pressure is increasing as the 6 month statute bar draws near. As we've explained, those who say he committed a crime have to act before a 6 month statute bar prohibits them from trying to bring charges. The Kim stunt was pulled in early September, so the statute bar limitation kicks in next week, which is early March. That's why the PUP got their mandamus hearing tomorrow, and today we found out that COLA is also going for a private prosecution of Penner before the deadline. Their plan is very much a work in progress, but they say they have to get it in before the deadline. They explained at a press conference this morning at the Radisson that they have the intent but no attorney at this time:... Gilroy Usher Jr. - VP, COLA "At COLA we assert that Mr. Penner committed a crime against the integrity of this nation. Now where there exist a reluctance on the part of the state to take adequate action we the members of COLA through consultation with the people decided and will initiate a private prosecution against Elvin Penner."

PM to COLA: "Handle Yu Candle"
And since they say they got the idea from the Prime Minister, what does he think of it? He told the media today that he wishes them luck and he hopes that Penner will soon be in the UDP's rearview mirror:... Prime Minister Dean Barrow "Well I think they are exercising their rights as citizens and I would leave it there. I need to say that our party will soon start to announce the invitation for applications for standard bearer for the Cayo Northeast constituency and of course Hon. Penner - he is not going to be able to contest that convention and I don't think he is interested, but we will very shortly then have a properly elected declared standard bearer in Cayo Northeast and the continuing effort to hang Penner around the necks of the United Democratic Party will hopefully have to be rethought once that development occurs." Now the thing about a private prosecution is that the accuser must have first-hand knowledge and evidence of the crime. Sections 19 and 21 of the summary jurisdictions act says that anyone launching such an action must have the statement of the offence along with the accompanying documents relating to the offence. That's why the PUP balked at it, even though they have a slew of attorneys right in their own party. But COLA is rushing in where even a mass party dared to thread. As they freely admitted, they don't have the requisite documents. So will government help them get it? Here's what the Prime Minister said about that today:..

Ten Million For City Upgrade
They made it: in less than a year the Belize city council paved more than one hundred streets. And though there were major inconveniences for residents, things are starting to shape up now, and even the most hardened doubter would have to agree that the city is shaping up. The only problem is the other 420 streets that are in bad to terrible condition. The problem with those is that the city council has pretty much spent out the 20 million dollars it raised in a bond to pave those streets. So, to the rescue, here comes the government of Belize. Today Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Mayor Darrell Bradley outlined a plan for phase tow of the project. Here's how it will work:.. Prime Minister Dean Barrow "The absolutely splendid job that has been done - the way this city is being transformed, these are things that obliged the central government to partner with the mayor and hic city council in trying to move things forward and so my principal purpose for being here this afternoon is to say that with respect tp phase 2 of the street concreting program that the mayor and the city council have undertaken, central government is now going to contribute 10 million dollars."

Bradley Won't Run/Will Run/Won't Run": Say What?
But the one benefitting the most from that largesse is the Belize City Council. It’s an investment in the leadership of Darrell Bradley. But he’s told the media he won’t be leading for much longer. Bradley has said more than once that it’s one and done for him, meaning after one term, he’s moving on either to a division in the general election, or back to his law practice. The answer varies depending on whether you ask him on a good day or bad. But, today at a major press conference with his party leader, he changed up – and maybe that’s after the Leader Barrow gave him an endorsement:….

Hon. Finnegan Back Home, Back In Order
And while Bradley isn’t sure whether he’s coming or going, Micahel Finnegan is here to stay. The Mesopotamia incumbent and UDP Party Whip left Belize a month ago to get back surgery – his second in less than a year. During his absence baseless rumours circulated saying that he was in critical condition, and then today, another one took off saying that he’d died! Well he didn’t. And we can be sure of that because we found him back at his evening hang out spot today, right in front of Brad’s on Central American Boulevard. He told Monica Bodden he just returned and is feeling renewed:..

Cruise Tourist Liked The Place So Much, He Stayed
42-year-old American Tourist Brian Rusk came to Belize on a Cruise Ship, decided that a one day stay wasn't enough for him, and ended up being criminally charged for overstaying in the country. Rusk arrived on the vessel, Carnival Glory on last week Thursday, and he was supposed to leave when the ship took off. Instead he chose to stay in the country, where he ended up renting a room at an Apartment Complex on Lizarraga Avenue, where he was staying for the last 5 days. He was picked up by immigration yesterday, and when they found out that he didn't leave when he was supposed, to, the auto-mechanic from Indiana was charged with entering and remaining in the country illegally.

Hutchinson's Son Still Giving Trouble
UDP Caretaker for Belize Rural, Central Michael Hutchinson is preparing for an upcoming convention, but he will have to deal with his son's newest criminal charge will surely bring. 27 year-old Andre Hutchinson, who is mentally challenged, was remanded to prison for an allegation of indecent assault. His accuser is a 35 year-old woman who lives in Ladyville. She said that on Tuesday, she was walking on Scissors Tail Street when Hutchinson rode up behind her on bicycle and slapped her on the rear end. According to her, when she confronted him about it, instead of being remorseful, he allegedly laughed in her face and taunted her before riding off. Police arrested and charged him with aggravated assault of an indecent nature, and he was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith today. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but the Chief Magistrate remanded him to prison until March 24, so that he can get a psychiatric evaluation. Of important note is that in March of 2009, Andre Hutchinson pleaded guilty to exposing his person in public after he rode naked through Ladyville in broad daylight.

Escapee Rodney A Robber Too?
22 year-old Sherman Rodney, who was arraigned on Tuesday for allegedly escaping from police went back to court today for allegedly stealing jewelry from a woman. Amy Eligio reported to police that on Saturday, February 15, she was walking on Jane Usher Boulevard when she saw Rodney snatch her gold chain with a heart medal, valued at $218. He ran off, but police soon detained him, and charged him with theft. He was arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate, where he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of $500. He must return to court on April 16, his next court date.

Man died In Traffic Accident
There was a terrible traffic on the Hummingbird Highway today, which claimed the life of a 29 year-old man. Just before midday, Jose Flamenco was on his motorcycle between miles 43 and 44 when he slammed into a van being driven by 33 year-old Manuel Simpson. Simpson was travelling with his passenger, Juan Pau, and they were heading toward Belmopan when he collided with Flamenco. The mother cycle hit the passenger side of the van and police believe that he died on impact, or shortly after he went crashing to the ground. Pau was injured, and had to be transported to the KHMH for treatment. Police continue to investigate.

Rosewood Still Rolling
The rosewood hustle continues, and tonight, Independence Police have detained 5 men who they say that caught in the act of illegally harvesting Rose Wood. Last night, at around 11:15, they visited an area of the Maya Mountain Forest Nature Reserve where they found these a ford tractor pulling a trailer with 15 hundred board feet of Rose Wood. Inside the tractor at the time were 38-year-old Pablo Ramirez, 25-year-old Ernesto Choc Guatemalan, 34-year-old Martin Coc, 18-year-old Javier Coc all of Trio Village and 26-year-old Shane Coleman of Independence Village. The men were immediately detained and escorted to the Independence Police Station where their Rose Wood cargo remains impounded along with their Tractor. It is expected that these men will be charged with unlawful possession of a Forest Product.

GOB Supports Maduro
In Venezuela, after two weeks of anti government protests, more than a dozen people have died – and the government’s only hope for things to calm down is that next week’s carnival will cool student protestors down with some rum and rumba. But the government of Nicolas Maduro remains very embattled. That’s the same Chavissimo government that has extended the Petrocaribe initiative to Latin America and the Caribbean – which is the source of so much recent government spending on infrastructure – including g the ten million committed to City Hall today. So where does this government stand? Today the Prime Minister said it is with Maduro:..

PM Doesn't Frown On Lord Gibson
Lord Neal Benjamin Gibson, his website says he’s a businessman, humanitarian and philanthropist. He is an international businessman with an interest in Belizean politics, specifically the UDP’s recently elected Cayo South standard bearer Ralph Huang. Hunag has called Gibson a great friend and says they work together on many projects. But, one of Gibson’s companies is blacklisted by the Central Bank, and other sources say that he’s more of an imaginer – than a real investor. Today we asked the Prime Minister about his influence on the UDP and Huang. It’s been all over facebook and in the media, but the PM was surprised to learn of it:…

Siarsha In Merida, But Still Not Out Of The Woods
Two days ago, we told you about on Siarsha Amri Alvarez - the 3 year old with the rare and terrible skin condition that is eating away her entire outer layer of skin. It is life threatening and her father Simeon Alvarez Jr rushed her to Merida for specialized treatment. He told us tonight that she is receiving very expensive medication which is helping but she is still in intense pain. He says his medical bill so far at the Clinica de Merida is ninety one thousand pesos. He says she has opened her eye but the doctors are not sure she IS seeing. He's returning to Belzie tonight to collect donations to see if he can pay off the bill that ahs accrued so far as Doctors there are saying they cannot continue unless the bills are paid. We'll have na update tomorrow.

No Arrest In case Of Man Hit In Head
Tonight, 22 year old Carlos Vargas is at the KHMH receiving treatment for injuries he sustained when he was hit in the head with an iron tube. It’s an assault that happened 2 weeks ago, but the family is getting frustrated with the investigating officers who haven’t arrested the person he claims clubbed him. 7News spoke with Vargas today on the hospital bed, and here is what he told us.

Cricel's Journey To Perfection, Will It Be Enough?
Last night, 7News told you about how Mr. Belize, Rigo Vellos and Ms. Belize Fitness, Cricel Castillo, are in Columbus Ohio to compete in prestigious Arnold Classic Bodybuilding Tournament. It started today, and will continue through to Saturday. Rigo is preparing for his preliminary round qualification which happens tomorrow, and at this hour, Cricel is competing to try to qualify for the competition. Rigo and Cricel are up against the elite bodybuilders in the world, but these two are no slouches themselves. Before she left, Cricel granted an interview, in which she explains her training regimen to be able to compete with other top class athletes abroad. Here's what she told us:

Bus Driver Admits His Bus Was Overloaded
Last night, 7News told you about 63 year-old Jose Elmer Villanueva, who tumbled out a moving overcrowded bus and ended up in a coma. Well it seems that the Traffic Department is taking that accident seriously, and today a bus driver was taken to Magistrate's Court for taking on too many passengers. 41 year-old Roman Chan was taken to the Belize City Traffic Court for the offence carrying passengers in excess of what his bus could safely seat. According to Traffic Officers, on last week Friday, he drove his Blue Bird Tillett Bus on the Northern Highway with 20 more passengers that bus could carry. He busted at a checkpoint at mile 8 on the Northern Highway, in front of Manatee Lookout. At the time, the officers stopped him and found out that he had over filled the bus.

Channel 5

Penner’s signed recommendation claims he knew Won Hong Kim for 3 years
The memo from the D.P.P. queries whether the police intends to proceed with an investigation to determine if anyone can be charged for immigration irregularities. News Five has also obtained [...]

Was Prime Minister Dean Barrow aware of the memo?
Shortly after receiving a copy of that damning memo, News Five contacted D.P.P. Cheryl Lynn-Vidal for comment. She was livid about the leak and had absolutely nothing to say about [...]

Teachers to get a 5% salary adjustment
Teachers and public officers will get a salary adjustment in July, retroactive to April. The increase has been the subject of heated discussion and intense negotiations, but it appears, at [...]

PM says nominal GDP growth for 2013 is no cause for worry
Prime Minister Barrow has stated that they are locked into the commitment, so even if revenues decrease next year, G.O.B. will still have to shin up. The next big issue [...]

COLA to file suit against Penner
This Friday, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin will hear an application by the People’s United Party’s Leader Francis Fonseca on why Elvin Penner should be investigated by the Commissioner of Police [...]

Finnegan back in Belize following spinal surgery
Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan returned to the jewel this afternoon after a round of successful spinal surgery. Finnegan left Belize for the U.S. late last month and was treated [...]

The history of Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson; is it of concern?
Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson, Minister of Trade and Investment Erwin Contreras and novice U.D.P. politician Ralph Huang…those three names have dominated social media in recent weeks, intensifying after Huang was [...]

VIP says U.D.P. Cayo South standard bearer, Ralph Huang, treasonous
U.D.P. Cayo South standard bearer Ralph Huang, who was recently elected by voters in that constituency, has reportedly admitted to receiving financial contributions from a foreign business interest that has [...]

$10 Million to be spent on infrastructure in Belize City
As is traditional whenever Prime Minister Dean Barrow makes an appearance, he was bombarded with any number of issues. But his presence at the Radisson today was actually so he [...]

1 man dead and another critical following accident on Hummingbird Highway
One man is dead and another remains in critical condition, following a road traffic accident this morning on the Hummingbird Highway. Just after eleven a.m., a van driven by thirty-three [...]

Independence Police uncover illegal logging operation
An illegal logging operation in South Stann Creek, carried out by a group of five men, has been uncovered by Independence police.  On Wednesday, shortly after eleven p.m., officers visited [...]

B.T.B. releases Tourism Stats for 2013
Tourism statistics for 2013 are out and the Belize Tourism Board is boasting a significant increase in the number of overnight and cruise arrivals.  There were a total of two [...]

PM speak on uprising in Venezuela
There is currently civil unrest which has resulted in numerous casualties in Venezuela, as troops mass to quell anti-government protests. Normally, while that would be cause for interest and commiseration [...]

Venezuelan Ambassador says uprising does not affect PetroCaribe
Violent protests continue to rock Venezuela, where the government is coming under heavy pressure from opposition parties. But according to news reports, even as the unrest continues, a rift between [...]

Healthy Living explains the basics of child stimulation
Child Stimulation Month is celebrated in March. This year’s theme is: “Where our future begins”.  Many parents are known to focus on the formal education of their children; but development [...]

CTV3

Burglary At FarWorld Technology In Orange Walk Town
Orange Walk Police are investigating a burglary that occurred sometime last night at Far World Tech located at the corner of Cinderella and Fonseca Streets. According to owner of the computer store, Sylvino Riverol, he estimates that the break in took place after midnight. SYLVINO “A restroom from the back window, and we lost two laptops and we lost about four watches, some flash drives, DVD blue ray player, and a hundred dollars cash from the smart top-up.” Dalila Ical – Reporter “But from the way things happen you still have a lot of valuable that were actually left untouched?” SYLVINO “Yes, that is what I notice that the person that came in didn’t had knowledge that we had a lot of valuable stuff in the stores, for example we had a lot of wireless routers, speakers, we had Mac computers in the technician room and none of that was actually touched not even the brand new printer that we have for display so it seems that the person that came in just saw a laptop and couple watches and that is what they decided to take so it was a quick and probably somebody that; a sprang head I would say.”

Scotia Bank Observes Small Business Week
Scotia Bank continues to observe small business week and the branch in Orange Walk Town today held a seminar with small business owners in the district. Lourdes Gongora, Business Banking Manager says this is their way of giving special attention to small business entrepreneurs. Screen_Shot_2014-02-27_at_7.39.58_PMLourdes Gongora – “It is important because as we say small business is the engine to the growth of the economy and Scotia Bank has invested much time and effort for catering for this sector of the economy, we are highly interested in creating awareness amongst our business customers in order to continue nurturing that idea or that interest in continuing with the business or even to start a new business.” Dalila Ical – Reporter “How exactly is Scotia Bank doing that for this particular week?” Lourdes Gongora – “For this particular week we have engage into conducting a seminar which we are carrying out today and the primary focus of our seminar is talking about marketing because marketing is the most vital role that plays into building up your business and we here at Scotia Bank are interested in working along with our customers to be able to create that awareness for at the end of the day all of us would be happy and will have new businesses growing, establish business doing more business and that is the idea.”

Drug Lord "El Chapo Gusman" Captured In Mazatlan Sinaloa Mexico
After 13 years of successfully running away from the law, Drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán was unexpectedly arrested on Saturday in Mazatlán, a Pacific port city in Sinaloa, his home state. Supplied with U.S. wiretaps and surveillance technology Mexico was able to track El Chapo’s cell phone locations as he traveled from one safe-house to another through connecting secret tunnels and city sewers. The Mexican press reported that his journey between hideouts involved moving through stinky black water, dead rats and rotten garbage. As head of the Sinaloa Cartel, an international criminal organization with billions of dollars in revenues, El Chapo was the #1 supplier to the U.S. of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Guzmán and his associates have been indicted in New York, Illinois, Florida, Texas and California on charges of drug trafficking, racketeering, money laundry, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit homicide, among many others.

Mr. Belize To Compete At The Arnolds Sports Festival
Since 1989, the unparalleled Arnold Sports Festival has attracted fans across the world yearly to Columbus, Ohio, for a myriad sporting events like archery, fencing, and gymnastics, just to name a few. Of course, the reason bodybuilding fans love this time of year is the Arnold Classic. The world's best IFBB pro bodybuilders will come together gunning for the top coveted prize. This year's Arnold stage will see no shortage of incredible bodies from a variety of promising newcomers and established seasoned veterans. Two of those participants are no other than two of our very own Belizeans, Ms. Belize-Fitness Cricel Castillo and Mr. Belize Rigo Vellos. Cricel will compete in the Women’s Figure B Class among 40 competitors while Rigo will compete in the Light Heavyweight Men’s Bodybuilding Category among 22 competitors from all over the world.

PlusTV

PM Barrow Responds Onto the Huang-Gibson and COLA Vs. Penner Situations
The Prime Minister also responded to today’s announcement by COLA that it was seeking private prosecution of Elvin Penner. Basically, he says that the organization can do as it pleases, though when we asked him if the resources of the State and in particular the files at the Immigration...

KTV Latino King and Taxi Driver’s Widow in Desperate Need for Forensic Help
Almost six months have passed since the reported death of KTV Latino King and taxi driver Daniel Aguirre. As you might remember, Aguirre’s vehicle was found engulfed in flames in an isolated area miles off the George Price Highway. Inside the vehicle, the charred remains of what was widely...

Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Gets Much Needed Improvements
2013 was a year to forget for the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, chiefly because of the bacterial outbreak at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) which claimed 8 lives of new born babies. Since then, money has poured in, both for renovations to the current unit and a new...

35 More Cemented Streets for Belize City, Due Yearend, Says Mayor
This afternoon the Belize City Council announced plans to concrete an additional 35 streets, most major arteries, in its second phase of a city-wide infrastructure project. The first phase, funded with a $20 million municipal bond floated by the Council, saw 102 streets concreted, some of which are in...

Belize Territorial Volunteers Call on Women for Duty
This coming month of March is women’s month. The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) are heading back to the Belize-Guatemala borderline and leader Wil Maheia explains what they are doing to honor the country and its women. Mr. Wil Maheia- Belize Territorial Volunteer “As you know that March is woman’s...

Father of Goal Scorer McCauley Responds Proudly About his Son
Player Deon McCaley has scored his way into the big leagues. He signed a contract with professional football club Atlantic Silverbacks in Atlanta Georgia officially making him the first Belizean to ever sign a professional football club in the U.S.A. He is scheduled to start training on Saturday, March...

American National Fined for Illegal Overstaying in Belize
A 42 year old American from the U.S. state of Indiana overstayed his welcome by about a week. But he has a good reason: he told a court this morning that six hours is just too short a time to get to know the Jewel. Bryan Rusk, a diesel...

Reputation Week Seeking Nominees for Recognitions
We are almost at the end of Reputation Week. It’s a first time initiative of the public relations firm Nauta Vero, chaired by Mr. Niall Gillett. Mr. Gillett told us today about his initiative to find five Belizean companies and individuals of whom the best can be said. Mr....

Belize Active Youth Launches Drug Awareness Campaign at Independence Park
It was a relatively hot day in the City of Belmopan, nevertheless, that was no deterrent for dozens of High School youths who gathered at the Independence Park for BAY’s youth rally drug awareness campaign. President of Belmopan Active Youths Anna Banner Guy told about the day’s event. Ms....

“Thousand Men Rally” to Hit the National Assembly Steps
The Thousand Men Rally is prepared to hit the National Assembly Steps tomorrow, Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Men from all walks of life are invited to partake in this spiritual building event that will see key presenters like Louis Wade Jr., Pastor Scott Stirm, and other...

The Guardian

Men and Women at Work
Hundreds of Belize City residents will have the opportunity to earn some money over the next 12 months as Cisco Construction Limited executes an important feature of Government’s Southside Rejuvenation Project - the paving of Central American Boulevard. Through an agreement with OPEC, the Government of Belize will spend over $4.7 million on the concreting of Central American Boulevard from Belcan Bridge to its intersection with Caesar Ridge Road. Those who bid for the contract were mindful of Government’s special emphasis on making the project as labour intensive as possible in order to create the maximum amount of employment opportunities. Cisco Construction Limited submitted the most favourable bid and was awarded the contract. The first phase of the project started on Monday, February 17th, with the trenching of the section of the street from Belcan Bridge to Mahogany Street. It is a job that with heavy machines would require 5 men to complete; however, almost 30 men are working in that area with pickaxes and shovels. The men are trenching the side of the street for the utility companies to get in and adjust their lines for the concreting of the street. The second section being trenched is from the roundabout junction with George Price Highway to Iguana Street.

Fishermen fish oversized lobsters
The fisheries department issued a release on Wednesday in which it advises fisher folk that the closed season for the spiny lobster runs from February 15th to June 14th every year. During the closed season no one is allowed to fish for the crustacean. Persons who have traps are also advised to remove their traps from the sea bed during the closed season, those found in the sea will be confiscated and destroyed by the fisheries department. Currently the department is conducting an inventory of lobster traps which will run until March 7th of this year. While these are some of the measures taken to ensure that the Spiny lobster is not taken from the waters out of season, there are measures to ensure the continuity of the specie in Belizean waters. And these measures have landed three fishermen in trouble with the fisheries authorities. On December 18th they were found with 68 lobsters inside the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve inside what is considered the conservation zone where no type of fishing activity is allowed. What the fisheries officers found is next to amazing as the catch contained Spiny lobsters which were as big as 3 feet in height and their tails weighed as much as 2 pounds. The normal catch for lobster include tails that range in weight from 7 to 9 ounces.

Free Zone Heist nets over a million pesos
Corozal Police are investigating a robbery in the Commercial Free Zone in which the thieves managed to rob a businessman of $208,333.33 in Belizean currency. 48 year-old Ricardo Villasenor, a Mexican businessman told police that on Monday, February 24, at around 9:30 a.m., he was leaving the back exit of his store to get into his vehicle, which was parked on the compound of his business place, North American Store. That’s when 2 men ambushed him at knifepoint and ordered him to hand over money bags which were inside the trunk of his car. Fearing for his life, he complied with their requests, and handed over 2 plastic bags which contained 1.25 million pesos, or $208,000 Bze. Currency. The men then shoved him in the trunk, after which, he was robbed an additional 800 pesos, or $133 Belize, and his cellular phone.

Economic Growth Stunted by Challenges in Agricultural Sector
In 2013 the economy of Belize grew by 0.7 percent, according to the initial estimates from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). 0.7 percent is significantly lower than the 4 percent growth in 2012 and even the 2.5 percent growth projected for 2013. The disappointing growth rate was a direct result of the significant decrease in production of citrus and sugarcane products. The citrus and sugar industries were injured by both natural and manmade disasters in 2013. However, the shortfall in the agriculture sector was offset by the growth in aquaculture with the rebound of shrimp exports. A second consecutive year of double digit growth in construction also acted as a boost to the economy as well as a record number of overnight tourist arrivals. In 2013, production in fishing increased by 28 percent. Glen Avilez, Director General of SIB, says this was due in large part to the resumption of operations at the Belize Aquaculture Limited’s shrimp farm after nearly two years of closure. According to SIB, in 2013 farm shrimp grew by 81 percent to $51.6 million. Avilez says the construction sector was the second largest contributor to the economy’s performance with a growth of 16 percent. He attributes this growth to “a significant boost to public infrastructure projects such as those being carried out by the Belize City Council and Belize Municipal Development Project”. Tourist arrivals increased by 6 percent in 2013. There were a record number of overnight arrivals with over 294,000 foreigners spending at least one night in Belize. This increase in overnight tourist arrivals resulted in a 4 percent increase in hotels and restaurants services. One of the positives from the prolonged period of rain in 2013 was a 7 percent increase in electricity production. Government services also increased by 6 percent.

Cayo North coming back to the UDP
The Cayo North Constituency has a new Standard Bearer for the United Democratic Party. On Sunday February 23rd 2,051 voters came out to the CET in San Ignacio and from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening they voted to have a new Standard Bearer. At the end of the convention Omar Figueroa had received 1,383 votes besting his competitor Jorge David Tesecum who received 648 votes. There were 20 spoilt ballots. Immediately after counting and tallying the announcement was made public to a group of anxious party supporters who had gathered at the gate of the CET. Addressing the crowd was Alberto August, Party Chairman, who indicated that this had been one of the largest conventions the division had ever seen. He then went on to administer the oath of allegiance to Figueroa after which Tesecum spoke to the UDP faithful in the constituency.

BTB & Industry Partners Give Couple A Belizean Honeymoon
The couple’s positivity in the face of such a difficult time in their lives, coupled with the acts of thoughtfulness and kindness demonstrated by Precinct II, really moved us and we created a nine day itinerary after we received overwhelming support from our industry partners. On Friday, February 21st, Mr. & Mrs. Flowers departed for the much needed break which takes them to the destinations of Placencia, San Ignacio and San Pedro. The pair is set to experience the warmth of our Belizean hospitality and the indescribable beauty of our country through the best of what Belize has to offer in attractions, food, art, transportation and accommodation. The Belize Tourism Board extends a sincere thank-you and acknowledges all the people who made this initiative a success. We want to recognize Tropic Air, Robert’s Grove, Tutti Frutti, The Art Affair Gallery, Laru Beya, Splash Dive Center, Maya Beach Bistro, Barefoot Services, Rum Fish Y Vino, Wendy’s Creole Restaurant, The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Yute Expeditions, Rolson’s Cosina Y Cantina, San Ignacio Resort Hotel, Hode’s Place, Boaz Golf Cart Rental, Belize Pro Diving, Caprice Restaurant, El Divino, Victoria House, Elvi’s Kitchen, Caramba’s, and Seaduced. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Garifuna Celebration of Our Founding Fathers
This thanks giving event is going to be a mini Dugu known to Garinagu as Chugu. During the ceremony the convergence of the Garifuna communities of Guatemala, Honduras and Belize will take place in a Mass of thanksgiving on the 28th and Mali drumming on the 27th and 28th along with Offerings of song and food to the ancestors. We give thanks to Joseph Chattoyer,his chief wife Barrouda, his daughter Gulisi, Elejo Veni, Marco Sanchez Diaz (the founder of Livingston Guatemala, Thomas Vincent Ramos the Garifuna Settlement Day founder of Belize, Juan Francisco Bulnes (Walumugu) the founder Of Honduras settlements and Santiago Avilez. This event is also a process of the healing of our nation as we believe that our ancestors still play a vital role in our daily lives. All are invited.

Deon McCaulay plays professional Football in Atlanta
“It feels very good to be here in Atlanta, and I’m excited to play in the U.S. I want to thank the Silverbacks organization for giving me the opportunity to come here and represent their team,” McCaulay said. “I’ve arrived in Atlanta with a good level of fitness, and my expectations are to come here and help the team win championships. I always try to succeed in everything that I do, so I hope that I can score some goals and help the team win.” Before the 2013 Gold Cup, McCaulay spent time training with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer during their preseason camp. The prolific forward’s move to the Silverbacks marks the first time he will play professionally in the U.S. McCaulay arrived in Atlanta on Sunday, and he will begin training with his teammates when the Silverbacks’ preseason begins this Saturday.

I Have a Dream for Belize
The historic and poignant “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. beckons all Belizeans to enact the change we deserve. We have been called to build, to uplift, and to drive towards social, political and national development. The national psyche can no longer rest on complacency and mere reaction. We are now pressed to be proactive in our approach in the realization of all our endeavors. I have a dream that Belize will be the country most recognized for its understanding of the spirit of community. My dream for Belize includes using our hands and hearts to appreciate the rich, aesthetic beauty that we have cherished for so many decades. The beauty I speak of lies in the canopies of the Chiquibul Forest, the majestic Barrier Reef and in communities where we leave our doors unlocked and shared rice and beans with our neighbors and the occasional stranger.

Measurement
Measurement by itself has little value. It is only when it is teamed up with evaluation on defined indicators that it becomes a powerful tool to measure your action or intervention. A simple example can illustrate this truth. Imagine that you have a table with a broken leg and you decide to fix it. You make your measurements, cut the lumber and fix it into place. However, no matter how precise your measurement it is of no use if you do not evaluate whether it does the job once you have finished. To evaluate the situation you need to know the indicators that you will use to determine whether you have been successful. In this case the indicators might be that the table top is horizontal and the table does not wobble. If one or more of the indicators are not fulfilled then your intervention has failed. Even if the table is now stable and flat you still need to determine whether you could have accomplished your goal spending less time and money. Maybe a thinner piece of lumber or one made of a cheaper wood would have done the job just as well at a lower cost. As you can see the ideas behind the new science of monitoring and evaluation are pretty obvious, even simple-minded and have been in use in the physical sciences and in business from the very beginning of these disciplines. We cannot imagine scientists publishing their raw measurement data without explaining what they were trying to find and evaluating whether or not their results prove their hypothesis. No business person of any sense would authorize a marketing campaign without knowing what results the investment might bring and evaluating whether it had been successful when it was completed. This evaluation would include a detailed cost analysis to determine if profits had improved by more than the cost of the campaign.

Central Christian girls and boys remain undefeated in primary schools softball competition
The Belize City Primary Schools Softball Competition continues at Rogers Stadium with a number of games on the schedule. On Tuesday February 25, in the girls’ competition, Central Christian School continued on its winning path when it won handily over St. Martin De Porres School by the score of 20-1. The winning pitcher was Hannah Usher and the losing pitcher was Melanie Smith. On Monday February 24, in the girls game played, St. Luke Methodist defeated St. John Vianney by the score of10-4. The winning pitcher was Destiny Rudon and the losing pitcher was Camryn Hinds. In the boys’ game, St. Luke Methodist won over Buttonwood Bay Nazarene by the score of 9-5. The winning pitcher was Avery Rudon and the losing pitcher was Mark Estell.

San Pedro Tiger Sharks rebounds after an unexpected loss
The Elite Basketball League third week of competition continued over the last weekend with four games across the country. On Saturday February 22, 2014, three games were played at various facilities in the district towns. At the San Pedro High School, the host team the San Pedro Tiger Sharks rebounded with an impressive victory over the Corozal Heats by the score of 79-54 after losing the week before to the Toledo Diplomats at the PG Sports Complex. The top scorers for the San Pedro Tiger Sharks were Winston Pratt with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, Ashton Edwards with 18 points, 1 assist and 3 steals and Darwin Leslie with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. For the visiting Corozal Heats, their top scorers were Jason Daly with 11 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, Geovannie Lennan with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 5 steals, and Jason Grant with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 1 steal.

Nazarene High School continues on winning path in high school softball
The Central Region Secondary Schools Softball Competition continues at Rogers Stadium in Belize City. On Tuesday February 25, in the scheduled male game between St. John’s College and Anglican Cathedral College, SJC won over ACC via the default route. On Monday February 24, in the female competition Gwen Lizarraga High School defeated Wesley College by the score of 10-0. The winning pitcher was Ashley Lucas and the losing pitcher was Brianna Meighan. The competition then continued on Saturday February 22, with a number of games in both the female and male competitions. In the first female game of the day, Nazarene High School won over Pallotti High School via the default route. In game two played, Ladyville Technical High School defeated Wesley College by the score of 12-2. The winning pitcher was Amber Wade and the losing pitcher was Brianna Meighan.

MnM Steelers Inter-District Football champions
The Football Federation of Belize 2013 Inter-District competition finally came to an end on Sunday February 23 at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan. In the second and final game in the championship series, MnM Steelers of Independence Village routed the Roaring Creek United by the score of 2-1. The visiting MnM Steelers were able to get on the scoreboard first when Rollin Burgess scored the 1st of his 2 goals in the 39th minute of play for a 1-0 lead. The lead was further extended when Rollin Burgess scored his 2nd and final goal of the game in the 48th minute of play for a 2-0 lead. It was well into the second half of the game that the home team Roaring Creek United was able to score its only goal of the game when Kenroy Williams scored in the 78th minute of play to cut the deficit into half. However, the defence of the MnM Steelers were able to keep the Roaring Creek United offence from scoring any more goals in the game to preserve the victory and the Inter-District title.

Football Federation of Belize calls female footballers to training camp
In preparation for the Women’s UNCAF Qualifier which will be held in Guatemala from May 19 – 25, 2014 for the Women’s CONCACAF Gold Cup in Cancun, Mexico, the Football Federation of Belize is calling the following players to attend a meeting at 10:00am and a training session in the afternoon on Saturday March 1, 2014 at the Football Federation of Belize Training Facility in Belmopan. An invitation is also extended to any other player wishing to attend the meeting and training.

Cycling Federation of Belize to holds Test races
The Cycling Federation of Belize would like to inform of the upcoming events scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, as we continue our Test Race Events. Please note that both events carry a registration fee of $10.00. Kindly confirm your participation no later than midday, Friday, February 28th. Any confirmation there after carries the late fee registration of $20.00 per person.| Saturday, March 1st - Individual Time Trial on the Boom Road This event will be held on the Boom Road starting at CDS Service Station at 6:30 a.m. Open Elite/U23/Masters will do 15 miles; while the Female/Junior/Youth will do 9 miles.

Joel Borland captures first Test Race
test race.jpg - 43.80 KbThe Cycling Federation of Belize held the first in a series of Test Race Events on Sunday February 23, 2014. The event featured a Hill Circuit Race from Belmopan to approx. 1/2 mile from Cave Branch Bridge and return for three and a half laps, with a return climb to finish on top of the Hill in Armenia Village, for the Elite and two and a half laps with a return climb to finish at the same spot. Elite: 1st. Joel Borland of BTL Cycling Team 2nd. Ron Vasquez of Western Spirit 3rd. Peter Choto of Western Spirit 4th. Giovanni Lovell of BTL Cycling Team 5th. Byron Pope of Benny’s Megabytes 6th. Marlon Castillo of BTL Cycling Team 7th. Giovanni Choto of Western Spirit 8th Herman 'Hijo' Requena of SMART Cycling Team 9th. Quinton Hamilton of SMART Cycling Team 10th. Gregory Lovell of BTL Cycling Team

The Return of Street Games
Under the auspices of the Belize City Council and UDP representative for the Lake Independence constituency, Hon. Mark King, the once very popular street games are back in Belize City. On Sunday February 23rd the most recent installment of the Street Games were conducted on Mahogany Street at its intersection with Periwinkle Street. Teams signed up with the Belize City Council to participate in football and basketball competitions at the end of which the Yabra Sporting Club took home the 1st and 2nd place in football. In basketball Unruley Ballers took 1st place and Sey Sorry took home second place. Hon. Mark King and Councilor Philip Willoughby who's brainchild the Street Games was originally, both indicated that they were more than happy with the outcome of this first try. Hon. King stated that there will be many more such sporting activities taking place in his constituency especially because it creates a community spirit which has been lacking in the area. He added that he will do his best to also upgrade existing sporting facilities to ensure that sports return to Lake-I. Already significant investments have been made in the basketball court behind the Charles Bartlett Hyde building, "but there is much more to be done," stated King.

Town Council holds meeting in San Ignacio Town
A public meeting to take account of the developments within the Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena was held on Wednesday night of last week. Mayor John August joined Council members to interact with members of the public and share some good news. In his financial report, Mayor John August informed that the revenue for January 2014 was $493,219.13, plus $80,236.18 brought forward from December 2013. He reported that the expenses were $482,525.13, bringing to a positive balance of $90,930.18 to the end of January 2014. (Government’s subvention and grant to the Town Council for last month stood at $51,780.00) The Mayor also announced that within the next four months the various stadiums within the Twin Towns will be the upgraded. This is thanks to five million dollars that Government has apportioned to improve the sporting facilities in both Santa Elena and San Ignacio. Some 1.5 to 1.8 million dollars will be going towards the improvement of the Victor Galvez Stadium and $600,000.00 to $700,000.00 towards the Falcon Field in San Ignacio.

Simulation Exercise for Avian Influenza held in Toledo
A communication center was set up Wednesday of this week at the Community Center in Big Falls in the Toledo District to act as a coordinating center on a hypothetical outbreak of the Avian Influenza Virus. At the center of the activity is Dr. Miguel Figueroa, Director of the Food Safety Department within the Belize Agricultural Health Authority. In this simulation exercise, the participants include the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, Police as well as partners from the Belize Poultry Association, who have been reacting to an imagined outbreak of Avian Influenza.

No More Pillaging for the PUP
The People's United Party is in so much trouble that they realize that if things continue in the manner in which it is going, their party will not be able to survive for another term. This is the first time that they have had to endure two consecutive terms out of office and they cannot survive. A third consecutive term, which is what the UDP is looking at, would be a disaster for the PUP. Faced with their inability to fill their pockets at the expense of government coffers they have strategically been trying to undermine the government. Readers will recall that very early after the elections they attempted to have elected representatives, Hon. Mark King, Hon. Herman Longsworth and Hon. Elvin Penner removed and new elections called for these seats. Needless to say those failed. What readers will also recall is that being in government to the PUP is literally a bread and butter issue. They eat at the trough every single time they have been in office and their inability to do so now is causing them belly-ache.

What to do when making a cellular phone purchase
Occasionally we purchase products that are defective and then go back to the store owner for redress but none is to come our way. This is especially troubling with cellular phones. These devices have become the center piece of our lives not only to communicate but to conduct bank transactions and to log into our documents in the ‘Cloud’. It is estimated that in 2010 some 5.4 billion people owned a mobile phone; in 2011 it was 6 billion and in 2013 that figure rose to 6.8 billion. But what can we do with a phone that we have invested our hard earned money on and two weeks later we discover that it is faulty? It is a dilemma faced by many around the World and for this reason March 15, 2014 will be celebrated as “Fix Our Phone Rights!” under World Consumer Rights Day. As Belize prepares to observe World Consumer Rights Day, workers from the Belize Bureau of Standards BBS launched their first mobile booth at the Cayo Welcome Center on Friday of last week. Samantha Budna Banner, who is a Consumer Protection and Education Officer, was along with other members of her team educating members of the public on their rights, particularly as it relates to purchasing a cellular phone. The BBS team also took the opportunity to conduct a survey to examine customer trends when purchasing the ubiquitous cell phone.

PUP continues on Mandamus hunt
The People's United Party was back in court again on Wednesday February 26th as they pursued their effort to have the commissioner of police lay charges against Hon. Elvin Penner. In the Supreme Court Justice, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin decided that he will hear the case by the Opposition Leader, Francis Fonseca, as to why the court should force the Commissioner of Police to investigate Elvin Penner's role in the immigration matter. The PUP had earlier written sto the Compol, Allan Whylie demanding that he direct an investigation against Penner. Since they have neither the moral or legal authority to do so, the letter fell on blind eyes and now, in a bout of good conscience, the PUP want the matter taken to court filing for a Writ of Mandamus.

Barry Lee Wade Busted with Over 8 Pounds of Weed
Barry Lee Wade, 34, and his common-law-wife, 37-year-old Elizabeth Ann Linarez, were busted over the weekend with 3.9 kilograms of marijuana. The Gang Suppression Unit executed a raid of the couple’s home on Mahogany Street Extension at about 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, February 22nd. According to reports, when Jonas Velasquez opened the door, police proceeded to search the house and found a bag in one of the bedrooms which contained six parcels. Another bag in the room contained ten parcels. Officers checked the parcels and found that they contained marijuana. They then went to get the owner of the house, Barry Lee Wade, and escorted him to the house. Wade told the officers that Velasquez had nothing to do with the marijuana and that he did not live there. Velasquez was allowed to leave. As officers were concluding the search, Wade’s common-law-wife, Linarez, showed up. Since she lived at the house, Linarez was also arrested and taken to the police station. The marijuana was weighed in their presence. The six parcels amounted to 2.7 kilograms and the ten parcels amounted to 1.2 kilograms for a total of 3.9 kilograms marijuana, or 8.6 pounds.

Escaped prisoner captured, one still at large
Sherman Rodney,22, escaped from police a few hours after Steel Bob jumped out of a moving vehicle also escaping police custody. Police say that an officer escorted him to the KHMH because he was complaining of severe pain to his left arm. When he was taken inside a room by a nurse, the officer waited outside, and when the nurse exited, he went in to check on Rodney. Rodney took the brief moments of no supervision to escape. After 3 days of searching, Rodney handed himself back into police custody, and he was charged with escaping from lawful authority. He was arraigned on Tuesday, February 25, before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, and when the prosecutor explained that Rodney was being investigated for a crime, bail was denied, and he was remanded into custody. Officers from the Criminal Investigation Branch immediately escorted him back to the police station after his arraignment.

Steven Palacio Remanded for 4 Rounds of 9 mm Ammo
Steven Palacio, 23, is in jail after he was allegedly busted with four live rounds of 9 mm ammunition on Saturday, February 22nd. Palacio was unrepresented when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Monday, February 24th, and pleaded not guilty to keeping ammunition without a license. Due to the nature of the offense, bail was not granted and Palacio was remanded to the Belize Central Prison.

Guatemalan Illegal Fisher Pleads Guilty to More Crimes
Guatemalan Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana, 49, has been back and forth to court since she was busted on Monday morning, February 17th, with thousands of sea cucumbers. Last week she pleaded guilty to two counts of employing a person not in possession of a valid employment permit after she was caught with 52-year-old Hugo Rolando Orellana Salas and 22-year-old Cesar Gerardo Hichos Ramirez who claim she is their boss. Aldana paid a fine of over $2,000 for that offense. Aldana was immediately rearrested after paying the fine and charged along with her workers for engaging in commercial fishing without a valid Fisherman’s License; attempting to export fish without a valid fish exporter’s license and engaging in the fishing of Sea cucumbers without a special license. She pleaded not guilty in court before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton on Tuesday, February 18th, and the case was adjourned for Monday, February 24th, so she can gain legal representation.

Escaped prisoner has been re-captured in Cayo
Four days after having escaped from a moving Police van on the George Price Highway and near his home in Ontario Village in the Cayo District, Jarod Arthurs Lamb, better known as “Steel Bob” was recaptured by Police in Santa Elena Town at about 4:00 PM on Monday of this week. San Igancio Police had been informed on the whereabouts of Jarod Lamb and responded to his location, seeing him flee near the Santa Elena Football Field. Police then set chase and fired several shots at him, with one shot being directed two inches below his left knee. Jarod Lamb was then escorted to the San Ignacio Hospital and then to the Karl Heusner Hospital where he is now in stable condition and under Police guard. Jarod Lamb was being transported by Police from the Hattieville Prison to the San Ignacio Magistrate Court on Thursday of last week along with six other prisoners when he freed himself from his handcuffs and made a “loud bang” on exiting the back of the vehicle.

Anthony Hunter dies in Traffic accident
Police from Belize City Precinct 2 continue to invest the terrible traffic accident which claimed the life of 52 year old Anthony Hunter, the son of Former PUP Minister Freddy Hunter. The accident happened just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, at Mile 2 on the George Price (Western) Highway in front of the Foam Factory. Police found Hunter's lifeless body in the middle of the road and his trademark grey Kawasaki "Ninja" motorcycle in the drain. Across the road, they found a backhoe excavator, which belongs to Cisco Construction, with one of its wheels showing signs of impact. The driver of the backhoe, one of Cisco's employees, told police that Anthony Hunter slammed into his back wheel. They've been able to piece together that the driver was in transition between the intersection of the highway and Linda Vista Street, when Hunter came up on the backhoe, unable to avoid the crash. Investigators believe that the force of the collision was massive enough that it crushed his face and killed him almost instantly.

Protecting Belize’s Jaguars
Panthera’s CEO Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, Hon. Lisel Alamilla, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, and Dr. Wilma Wright, Interim President of the University of Belize, have signed a memorandum of understanding which will benefit the Jaguars living in Belize’s Central Corridor. The trilateral agreement represents pledges from all 3 parties to work together in implementing science-based conservation initiatives to conserve Belize’s jaguar populations and their natural habitats. It’s significant because according to scientists, they discovered a jaguar corridor in Belize, which showed the ideal relationships between the wildlife and human populations.

Lindbergh Clarke Gets 5 Years for Gun and Ammo Conviction
Lindbergh Alexander Clarke, 21, a laborer of a Central American Boulevard address, is in jail after he was convicted of three illegal weapons charges. At around 1 a.m. on July 14th, 2012, Clarke drew the attention of Gang Suppression Unit officers when he was seen riding a bicycle contrary to the flow of traffic on Central American Boulevard. The officers approached and tried to stop him but he sped off. The officers chased him and, according to detective constable Adrian Lopez, that was when they saw him throwing an object from his waist into a drain on Central American Boulevard. The officers eventually caught up with Clarke and took him back to the area where the object was thrown. Lopez placed a plastic over his hand and retrieved the object from the drain. It turned out to be a black Carl Walther brand 9 mm pistol with serial number 132218. It was loaded with 3 live rounds of bronze PMP brand 9 mm ammunitions and 2 live rounds of Winchester brand bronze .380 ammunitions. Clarke was arrested and charged with one count of keeping a firearm without a license and two counts of keeping ammunition without a license.

Another City Murder
The recent gang feud between George Street and Supal Street has led to the murder of 21 year-old Ryan Arnold and the shooting of a 15 year-old who now has a bullet lodged in his right leg. At around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25, a group of 5 men were socializing on Armadillo Street when a gunman rode up on bicycle and fired gunshots at the group. When they realized what was happening, everyone tried to take cover but Arnold was shot in the back, while the 15 year-old was shot in the leg and grazed on the arm. The man, according to the victims, rode in the direction of Supal Street, and in the aftermath of the shooting, Arnold suffered extensive internal injuries from the bullets which struck him. Both he and the minor were immediately rushed to the KHMH, and after he held on for just over 12 hours, Arnold passed away.

Stephon Anderson charged with attempted murder
A man was shot in the city on Sunday February 23rd and police have charged 23-year-old Stephon Anderson, a resident of #7 Ebony Street in Belize City for the shooting. Anderson, who was unrepresented appeared in the Court room of Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith where he was read three indictable offenses including, one count of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm for the shooting of 21-year-old Andrew Augustine. In court, no plea was taken from Anderson and due to the nature of the offenses, he was denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until April 15, 2014.

Accused killer of Raymond Gentle’s fate hangs in the balance
Back in January 2011, Kraal Road Gang Leader, Raymond Gentle, aka “Killa” was executed at his workplace on Kraal Road in Belize City as he was in the company of men and co-workers building a wooden structure. Following the killing the trial without jury came to a close on February 26th before Justice Adolph Lucas. Appearing to answer to the charge of murder is 20-year-old Corwin Bennett, who will learn his fate on March 5, 2014. Bennett who could not afford an attorney was represented by legal aid attorney’s Baja Shoman and Michelle Trapp-Zuniga. At the end of the case, Judge Lucas heard addresses from both attorneys for the accused as well as from the DPP’s crown counsels in the matter, Shanice Lovell who was assisted by Porsha Staine.

I-phone finds Robber
Tanya McNab, a Belize City resident was robbed at knife point on December 30th, 2012 in the George Street area of Belize City. At the time a man placed a knife at her and stole her handbag valued at $2,000 which contained an I-phone along with personal items such as her wallet, credit card, passport and other identification cards. It was her cell phone however that led police to the robber and his subsequent arrest and conviction. After being robbed McNab used the phone’s tracking capability to let her know what the phone’s location was. That led police to an alley off Princess Margaret Drive and onto Gentle Avenue in the King’s Park Area. When police made checks in the area they found 23-year-old Ashton Grant in possession of NcNab’s I phone. On Tuesday February 25th Grants’ trial began before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. It took 2 hours to complete and at the end of his trial, Grant was found guilty of robbery and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment since this is his second conviction for similar crimes.

Amandala

3 PEOPLE STILL MISSING
Three persons, reported missing, have not yet been found. They are Hilmar Cal, 15, of Libertad, who went missing on Thursday, January 31; Mamerto Castillo, 87, missing since February 13; and Conrad Jones, 64, a retired inspector of police, missing since September 13, 2012. Hilmar Ical left home in Libertad to sell homemade bread in Corozal Town, and has failed to return home since, and no one seems to know where he is. Ical is described as being of Mestizo descent, with brown complexion; he is about 5 feet tall, of medium built and weighs about 85 pounds. Ical is now missing for 27 days. Marmerto Castillo, also known as “Don Mito,” of Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk, was last seen 14 days ago by his family, at about 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 13, when he left home to go for firewood in San Lazaro Village. To date, his whereabouts are unknown. Castillo was last seen wearing a light pink long-sleeved shirt and khaki long pants. The family said that Castillo has problems with his hearing, and is offering a reward of $400 for information leading to his successful recovery.

POLICE FIND 1,353 GRAMS OF WEED
Ladyville police on an anti-drug patrol in Ladyville found and confiscated 1,353 grams of weed, found in some bushes on Scissors Street. No one was in the area. The weed was taken to the Ladyville Police Station and deposited as found property. Police said that at about 8:00 Monday morning they went to the Scissors Street area and conducted searches for drugs, guns and ammunition. They found a black plastic bag hidden beside a patch of bushes in an open lot on the street. The bag was retrieved, and it contained twelve separate parcels that contained weed. The weed was taken to the Ladyville Police Station, where it was weighed and it amounted to 1,353 grams

Blogs

Fresh Baked Bread and Cinnamon Buns: San Pedro’s The Baker
Ambergris Caye’s “The Baker” has been open for about five years. With various locations and a handful of different owners, I hadn’t been much of a customer. And honestly? I hadn’t heard much about it around town. Without rave reviews, I was just going to stay away. Though I am no health nut, the last thing I wanted was to find myself alone on a Friday night with a fresh baked loaf of whole wheat bread, a stick of butter and my toaster oven. The guilt would be hard to bear. But over the past six months, I’ve seeing glorious pictures of pastries and treats on Facebook and heard friends working through the cinnamon bun guilt, their cinna-sins (sorry)…even setting up rules like “only one a week” or “I’m giving them up for Lent”. Time to get in there. I started with the VERY convenient coffee station. $2bzd cup of coffee. Make your own. To-go cups. AND it tastes good. San Pedro’s own Caye Coffee in fact.

OK, Hand up! Who Eats Sea Cucumber?
If you’ve done a fair amount of diving or snorkeling (and who amidst the turquoise beauty of Belize hasn’t?), you’ll have seen the innocuous-looking critters on the sea floor, and immediately understand how they got their name. They do look like cucumbers past their use-by date that have spent too much time on the sea floor. Other varieties are more distinctive, covered with squared spike type thingies that make them look, to us, anyway, kind of cool. Well, cool-ish. Let’s be honest – there’s nothing very striking about sea cucumbers. For most of us, that is… But read Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, James A Michener and those writers of the South Seas and you’ll come across them… Often known as trepang, bêche-de-mer or balate, they are highly prized in Asia, going for some $300 a pound in Chinese markets.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Jada helps me out while I recover from a eye strain and a little bug and makes a semi-homemade ice cream sandwich. Although, she uses store bought ice cream, she does make the chocolate cookies from scratch. These sandwiches were so rich that I was able to share one with Jada an be totally satisfied.

Belize’s biggest beach party!
Join us for the biggest beach party in Belize!! Head out to Tom Owens for an overnight diving/snorkelling/swimming adventure on abeautiful remote private island. Then head up to Placencia for the most amazing beach party, Placencia Lobsterfest!! Eat some lobster and lionfish kebabs, enter competition,s drink rum and dance the night away on the beach!!

Mennonite Gurls A'ken Cook: Raspberry Creem Parfait
Febuwary is knowed as t'‘luv month’. N' keepin wit at theme…here is a tastee lil parfait at we enjoyet at a luncheon earli'r thishere month. Servet up n' wee Masen jars er mini-parfait glasses…it is t'purrfeck ‘afterthouite’ ta a lovelee meal. Chocolate Crumb Base: 1 cup oreo bakyun' crumbs 4 tablespoons meltid butt'r Creem Fillin: 1 cup whippyun' creem 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teespoon vanilla 4 oz. / 125 ml creem cheez 1/2 cup icyun' sugar (confectyuners sugar)

International Sources

Climate Change: Shifting the Debate to Geopolitics
Climate change, nearly by definition, is slow, moving at a pace that constrains policy debate and typically precludes it from being the most important geopolitical event of any day. However, a report released last night by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom's Royal Society -- building on a major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment released in September -- reflects a consensus in the scientific community that the world is changing in ways that could influence the actions of countries for decades to come. Though the issue of climate change remains politically controversial, the public scientific consensus makes the issue essentially geopolitical and warrants a focus on its possible economic and general policy implications. How then can we use the imperfect scientific tools available to anticipate the effects of a changing environment? Like all science, climate change research is in a constant state of evolution. Our understanding of how different aspects of climate interact is expanding, as is our ability to forecast future environmental behavior. Increased computing power increases modeling capacity. However, we are still limited by instrumentation and by our inability to measure and fully understand climate conditions. Scientific models used to predict the magnitude of climate change, as well as the effects climate change will have in various regions, are not completely reliable. Because there are so many variables involved in developing climate models, structural uncertainty is inevitable. Every equation output is used as an input somewhere else, exponentially increasing the effects of any mistake or incorrect assumption, and each iteration can breed new errors.

Tropic Air flights to Belize begin on Monday
Tropic Air, the largest and most experienced airline in Belize, will begin nonstop flights between Merida and Belize City on Monday March 3rd. The flights will operate three times a week, and will offer connections to destinations throughout Belize, as well as two cities in Guatemala and two in Honduras. TYT reporter Stewart Mandy will be joining the inaugural flight from Merida to Belize City, and will be reporting from San Pedro on Ambergris Caye next week. Have you been thinking of visiting Ambergris or any of Tropic Air’s other destinations? Getting there is about to get a whole lot easier. We’ll be telling you everything you need to know. Watch for Stewart’s reports soon!

In Hard-To-Believe Yarn, Fugitive Cuban Migrant With Long U.S. Criminal Record Is Finally Caught
But in the end, he got caught. Officials in Belize found him hiding in the bushes near the country’s border with Guatemala. Belizean immigration officials found the 33-year old Valdez outside the small border town of Benque Viejo, carrying an unmarked Cuban passport, a cellphone and over $2,000 in cash. Authorities in the small, English-speaking Central American country charged Valdez with illegal entry, arraigned him and charged him $2,000, but were unable to deport him to neighboring Guatemala because he did not have a stamp in his passport for that country.

Belize, Part I (Placencia)
Hi. I'm Brigid Gallagher. I'm a Chicago-based Photographer and Writer and this is my blog. Thanks for checking it out. I went to magical Belize with my beautiful wife for our honeymoon and it was pretty much the greatest ten days of our lives. My photos from the vacation should clarify why it was so difficult for us to get on the plane home. It was, hands down, the best vacation we've ever been on and we have Susan's (my wife's) maid of honor, Melissa Pugh (of Jet Set World Travel) to thank. Melissa planned the ENTIRE honeymoon for us and she is basically the greatest travel consultant and person out there so you should immediately book a vacation (because you know you need it) through her and fabulous Jet Set. I'll kick off my series of Belize posts (there will be four total) with a look around breathtaking Placencia. Enjoy! So, yeah, this was our home for five nights. Our little cottage on the sea at Turtle Inn (a Coppola Resort). It was heaven. We have nothing but amazing things to say about our stay at Turtle Inn - it's a spectacular place. The staff is wonderful as is the management. Actually, I might just go ahead and apply for a job there.

Sonia Marsh & Life in Belize
This week’s League of Expat Writer’s features Sonia Marsh. Some of you may have read my previous interview with Sonia where I discussed her “Freeways to Flipflops” book. This week, Sonia discusses how her family coped with food shopping as their year as an expat in Belize – and her account of a trip to the local orthodontist. In 2004, my family left our comfortable life in Orange County, California, to experience life as an expat in Belize, Central America. After two months of living in a hut, we decided to buy a house on the island of Ambergris Caye. There, we relied on our boat for transportation, including shopping for food. After running out of food every other day, I finally learned how to stock up gringo style. This was something I’d taken for granted in the U.S., and now I worried that my boys weren’t getting enough nutrition to stay healthy – especially Alec, who seemed to be growing skinnier by the day.

LA PERLA DEL CARIBE, AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE
Strolling lazily down a tropical white sand beach, a soothing azure sea lapping rhythmically at your feet, a Caribbean breeze stealing away the cares of the world as it brushes gently across your face… This is La Perla Del Caribe Resort. This Luxury Ambergris Caye Resort is located on the north end of Ambergris Caye, the most popular vacation destination in Belize. La Perla Del Caribe captures the Caribbean ambiance of Belize in elegance and luxury. You can relax in the modern indoor-outdoor style of your private beach villa between trips to the pool and snorkeling, just offshore lies one of the top ten dive sites in the world, the pristine Belize coral reef. Or you can enjoy the vibrant life of the island, participate in village fiestas or sample local and international cuisine in the restaurants and clubs.

Wildly Civilized Paradise in Paradise
Cayo's Chaa Creek got another great article written about it, this time by Communities Digital News, and they are right about it being a paradise in paradise. The lodges activities, along with many of the main Cayo sites, are covered. "With more than 60 species of vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, the 30-acre Maya Organic Farm is a favorite tour for guests that can be done either by vehicle or on horseback. Even the swimming pool is environmentally designed with salt water that continuously circulates and re-cycles. Activities include a private 365 acre nature reserve, miles of well maintained nature trails, nature hikes, birding, horseback riding, mountain biking and canoeing on the Macal River which flows beside the property. There is even a rainforest medicine trail where naturalists showcase the importance of medicinal plants, their uses and the need for conservation."

February 27, 2014

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Chief Justice grants PUP Writ of Mandamus against Compol Whylie
This morning, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize, Kenneth Benjamin granted permission to the Leader of the Opposition People’s United Party’s Honorable Francis Fonseca, on behalf of the Belizean people, a permission of a writ of mandamus against the Belize Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. Fonseca and the PUP have until 4:00PM on Wednesday February 26th to file official documents before the court. Earlier this month the PUP said that they have opted to take such actions after Whylie failed to act against the disgraced Area Representative Elvin Penner and criminally charge him for wrongdoings after being given seven days’ notice. The Former Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security with responsibility of the Nationality and Passport Department and Area Representative of Cayo Northeast has been in the middle of a major national scandal for the illegal issuance of a Belize Nationally Certificate number 28577/13 dated April 22, 2013 to criminal fugitive South Korean national, Won Hong Kim. That is the same nationality certificate used to issue a Belize Passport number P-0246777 dated September 8, 2013 given to citizen Kim. The Belizean people, the unions, social partners and the opposition have been calling for criminal charges to be brought against Penner but despite the public outrage, none has been forthcoming from the Police Department. After the writ of mandamus has been filed, Whylie should be notified by Thursday February 27th and he is expected to appear in court on Friday February 28th. It is expected that the PUP will ask the court to force Compol Whylie to execute his duties as mandated by law.

Isla Bonita Elementary School Students talk about Drugs and other Issues
On Friday, February 21st, Isla Bonita Elementary School opened its gates to the public to showcase their upper division students’ work via an open house. The open house demonstrated the students’ elaborate demonstrative booths on Drug Abuse, HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and the Effects of Smoking. Judging each booth was Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Police Department Luis Castellanos and Police Constable (PC) Juan Chuc. Using an array of pamphlets, examples, games and more, the students not only explained their topics but also identified the problem’s causes in a community. A group of standard six students, whose topic was Alcohol Abuse, explained how the heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages is affecting the youth of San Pedro. “Children of San Pedro are drinking alcohol before they turn 18. This is causing health problems such as Cirrhosis of the liver,” explained one of the group members. Castellanos further elaborated on the topic, giving real life examples of alcohol abuse that occur in San Pedro Town. After a series of fun question and answer games it was time to move to the next booth.

Ministry of Health Heads Delegation to Drug Abuse Program in the United States
A delegation of six Belizeans, through the National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC), Ministry of Health, returned to Belize over the weekend from the Training and Certification Program (PROCCER) Regional Training of Trainers Workshop with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS). The objective of the program was to share new methods that can be adapted to improve the quality of care in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug abuse and dependence and drug-related violence. In this approach, the program works with both governmental and non-governmental front line organizations that provide drug abuse and violence prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services for persons suffering from drug abuse and/or dependence and their families, as well as other high-risk populations.

It’s time to Play with Chukka Caribbean Adventures!
Living on Ambergris Caye is blessing, we have the sparkling Caribbean Sea and gorgeous beaches as our playground. Yet every now and then, a change of scenery is needed, and there is no place than mainland Belize. It is an adrenaline junkie’s paradise. With sprawling mountains to mysterious caves, there is no end to the adventures you can partake in. Which it is impossible to experience everything Belize has to offer in a single day, with the help of Chukka Caribbean Adventure and Tropic Air, you surely can get your fix. At their invitation, I board the 7AM flight to Belize City, excited for the adventures that await me. We meet our two friendly hosts, Karina Cunil and Melecia Bank before we take to the road towards our first stop of the day. At Chukka’s Almond Hill Lagoon Sanctuary Outpost, we are greeted by the entire staff with a military salute (super official, I felt like royalty). There at the banks of the lagoon were our royal carriages- I mean airboats! The happy-go-lucky Chukka crew rounds up our group, giving us a briefing on the tour and the environmentally friendly vessels we are about to ride in. After the dos and don’ts of air boating, we took our seats in the vessel, put on our safety gear (noise canceling earmuffs) and with one final salute from the Chukka crew, we were ready for take-off.

Ambergris Today

Atlanta Silverbacks sign Belizean Soccer Player Deon McCaulay
He's the greatest striker of his generation but Deon McAuley's fame isn't only local - he's also one of only 3 players in the whole world that scored 11 goals in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. And the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks have signed one of them, Belize’s national team forward Deon McCaulay. Deon has hit the big time as it was announced on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, that McCaulay has signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks, a US professional soccer team. The Silverbacks Technical Director Eric Wynalda had been scouting him during the Gold Cup and they are very thrilled to have McCaulay in their team.

San Pedro Traffic Department Now Equipped with Speed Guns
Speeding is quiet an issue on Ambergris Caye and residents can be heard venting their frustrations on the local radio stations, while others commenting on the incredible road rage experiences on social media. To help in this situation the San Pedro Traffic Department is now equipped with a speed gun to monitor the speed of vehicles and to enforce laws even better. The speed limit in the San Pedro Town core area is 10MPH while on other roads its 15MPH. Motorists are asked to respect these speed limits and are advised that they will be fined if they are caught speeding. Other than golf carts, vehicles that will be closely monitored for speeding will be the taxis, private cars, Polaris vehicles and motorcycles.

Misc Belizean Sources

Fires burn in Bella Vista village
Reports from the Toledo district today indicated that the 2014 fire season appears to be off to an early start. An alert motorist travelling through Bella Vista village in the Toledo district on Monday afternoon, provided these photographs showing at least three fires burning. It is not certain how the fires started and one possibility may be the soaring daytime temperatures in the area.

Health workers learn about quality performance
Belize’s Ministry of Health has committed to improvements in the national health system, which includes seeing that the system polices itself. This week at the Biltmore Plaza, approximately 60 health workers from the country’s major health centers and outposts will learn about optimizing performance for quality and learning for performance. Director of the Planning Unit for the Ministry of Health Dr. Ramon Figueroa says quality covers everything from patient care to service to equipment and training to internal analysis.

Spanish Lookout Business Expo
The Spanish Lookout Business Expo is this weekend. "The Spanish Lookout Business Chamber is organizing its biannual Spanish Lookout Commercial/Industrial Expo on Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1, 2014 from 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on each day to be held at the Country Side Park in the Spanish Lookout Community. We hereby extend an invitation to the wider Business Community in Belize to be a part of our highly anticipated expo."

Delroy Cuthkelvin picks up endorsement from former rival
The field of five aspirants for the Stann Creek West standard bearer position for the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) is now down to three. This follows the withdrawal of Adon Arzu on Tuesday. Duncan McPherson had withdrawn back in the middle of January. A brief statement emailed to the media today announced that Arzu had withdrawn from the standard bearer race and was throwing his full support behind Delroy Cuthkelvin. Barring another withdrawn before the March 16 standard bearer convention for the UDP in Stann Creek West, Cuthkelvin will square off against former minister Melvin Hulse and Alexander Romero. The statement put out from the Cuthkelvin camp says that elements of Arzu’s platform will be incorporated Delroy’s campaign and bid to emerge as the next standard bearer for the UDP in Stann Creek West.

Chief Justice grants permission for Writ of Mandamus
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin this morning granted permission for the Honorable the Leader of the People’s United Party (PUP) Mr. Francis Fonseca to apply for Writ of Mandamus against the Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. The PUP went to the Supreme Court earlier this month seeking to have that body force the Commissioner of Police to arrest the Honorable the member for Cayo Northeast and to investigate him for his alleged violation of Belize’s Passport and Nationality Act. PUP leader Francis Fonseca sent Whylie a letter giving him a week to move to investigate Penner; but that letter was ignored.

The Dons of the Done Deal
by Lucius Blackstone The last time we visited the happy land of Felize things were going wonderfully. The industrious people of that fair land, through hard work and cooperative effort had made their home the envy of their neighbours. They had stopped cutting down their trees and instead invited people to come sit in the shade and enjoy the many beautiful vistas to be found in the pristine peaceful forests. For combined with the beautiful white beaches protected by their famous reef, with crystal clear waters lapping gently upon the sand, Felize was indeed a magical land to visit. In fact, once word got around, people from all over the world were coming to see this beautiful place and the Felizeans prospered. Some opened hotels or tranquil retreats, others restaurants, or fed their families by showing visitors the many sights to be found in this wonderful land.

BBIA Prize for Literature
The Belize Book Industry Association is having their first annual Belize Prize for Literature. They are looking for short fiction, 2500 to 3000 words, and the theme should be 'Belize: From Now Until the End of the Century.' The first prize is $1,000, and the deadline for submissions is March 30th. The top 10 will be published. Good luck!

Cayo West Women in Business Center
The Cayo West Women in Business Center had their grand opening. They are located near the Benque House of Culture. "The Benque Marimba Academy was a part of the grand opening of the new and refurbished Cayo West Women in Business Center. This is a rich source of empowering Women in the entrepreneurial sector and a rich contribution in the Arts & Culture. Visit and support this iniciative and buy all Belizean made handicrafts, show your love and appreciation to all things in Belize. Location St.Joseph Street, 1 block away from House of Culture."

Motivational Missionaries Tour Video
Bert Oliva and his Motivational Missionaries Tour came through Cayo a few weeks ago. They've uploaded videos from the tour, which they had in Benque(Cancha Marshalleck) and San Ignacio(San Ignacio Resort Hotel). When is the best time to change your life? Now! They've uploaded a series of videos on their youtube channel, and videos 9 through 11 are in Cayo, with 9 being a drive through Cayo. "Social change will only occur when a large enough group of people are made aware of, informed about and motivated to be upset by a specific issue. That is why we are creating a world tour. The Motivational Missionaries Tour is about educating the world's young adults and empowering them to take steps in personal growth. On our latest tour, we traveled around the entire country of Belize for the third year in a row while speaking to over 8,000 students."

John Paul II JC Groundbreaking
They had the groundbreaking for the new John Paul II Junior College. "A milestone for John Paul II JC and the community of Benque Viejo: Groundbreaking at our new campus on Saturday, February 22, at Chapel Hill. Our proud faculty and students at groundbreaking ceremonies with Bishop Dorick Wright"

Western Ballaz Defeat Dangriga
The Western Ballaz organizing committee, the SHC/SHJC community, the fans, and the sponsors, really came together and made the first home game a complete success. 3 and 0 makes the Ballaz the best team in the league. The players and the coach proved their skills. It was a great time for all. The cheerleaders did a great dance for halftime - - and there were raffles and even a half court shot prize attempt. Great food and drinks too. The Ballaz travel to San Pedro this weekend to play the Tiger Sharks, and host the Belize City No Limit the next week. Thanks to Adma's Photography for the great pictures.

Why I Love Belize
by Viannie Montero. Travelling to another country is always a great experience that teaches you many things that you probably wouldn’t otherwise learn. I had the opportunity to do just that, only that I wasn’t only visiting for a short time, I was relocating for three years. I am a born Belizean and have lived in Belize all my life, however in 2010 I moved to Barbados. My move to Barbados wasn’t because I had gotten a job or because I was eager to leave my country, instead it was simply because my husband was going to study there and as a result our little family of four relocated. Barbados is a beautiful Caribbean country that is surrounded by amazing, white sandy beaches that are simply irresistible. Walking to the beach is the norm in Barbados and you can get there within 5 – 10 minutes. That was one of the first things we did when we arrived, we walked to the nearest beach. The people are also very interesting and they take great pride in their country. They make an effort to keep their country clean and rarely will you see trash lying around on the streets. They are also very courteous to one another and would normally say good morning or good evening when you walk pass them. Respect is a great part of their culture and I love that about them.

La Ruta Maya-Belize River Challenge
An exhilarating four-day endurance challenge to the finish line, as “Belikin La Ruta Maya – Belize River Challenge” canoe racers vie for the win! Be among thousands of (cheering) fans, lining the Belize and Macal River bank during this spectacular 4-day race on March 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th, 2014. Witness this (170 mile) display of epic sportsmanship and celebrate in commemorating ancient Maya civilization’s legacy. The festivities begin with a “Cultural Night” in San Ignacio, Cayo District, on March 6th starting at 7:00 p.m.

Court of Appeal opens for 2014
The Court of Appeal has began its first session for 2014 in Belize City. In addition to the opening case with Wilbert Cuellar and Darwin Diaz, other major cases listed for hearing in this session include Lavern Longsworth, appealing a murder conviction; Melonie Coye, the sole living defendant in the Money Exchange money laundering case after the death of her father Michael, who is also seeking an appeal; Patrick Lorent, acquitted of carnal knowledge, in which the ruling of the trial judge is being challenged, Edward Buller appealing a manslaughter conviction and Gregory August appealing a murder conviction. Attorney for Coye, Arthur Saldivar, appeared in court on Monday and was told the case was accidentally left off the court docket but would be fitted in depending on the calendar.

COLLET MONTEJO SACKED BECAUSE HE ENDORSED LUKE ESPAT
Unconfirmed but reliable information is that PUP Senator Collet Montejo has been sacked. Montejo earned the ire of his party’s hierarchy after he endorsed Luke Espat for Standard Bearer for the Cayo Central constituency. Recently Montejo was encouraged to re-enter the race in the division which he lost marginally in the 2012 elections. Those plans changed shortly when he was asked or told to stand down from contesting. Montejo then decided to support Luke Espat. Inside sources tell NBZLIVE that senator Karen Bodden may also be on the chopping block and that Lisa Shoman will be the only senator that will retain her post. Convention is set for Sunday, April 27, 2014 when Luke Espat will face off with Daniel “Dan” Silva.

Channel 7

Supreme Court Grants PUP Mandamus Hearing
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin has decided that he will hear the case from Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca on why the court should force the Commissioner of Police to investigate Elvin Penner for his role in the passport scandal. As we’ve reported, early this month, the PUP retained attorney Edwin Flowers to write to Commissioner Allen Whylie demanding that he should direct his officers to commence a criminal investigation into former Minister of State Penner’s role in the issuance of a fraudulent passport to South Korean Won Hong Kim. Commissioner Whylie ignored the request, so the PUP took it to the next step by filing a Writ of Mandamus to let the court decide if it should compel the ComPol to do it. That application was heard today before Chief Justice Benjamin, and after the hearing, the CJ decided that the case has merit and that he should allow the PUP to present their full case as to why the police have acted inappropriately when they didn’t investigate Penner. After the case, Fonseca spoke with the media. He said that while he is pleased with the outcome, he’s upset that a professional such as the Commissioner has to be compelled to serve the people:

Retaliatory Murder One Block From Cops
About an hour before news time yesterday, there was a shooting on Armadillo Street, very close to the Racoon Street Police Precinct. 5 young men were socializing in a yard on Armadillo Street when a gunman ambushed them and let off with a barrage of gunshots and ran off. He left 2 persons injured, and 1 of them died 12 hours later. Police won't confirm, but street sources say that it is a direct retaliation from Supal Street against George Street for Tarique Cadle who was buried yesterday. Today, 7News went looking for answers, and Daniel Ortiz has this report: Daniel Ortiz Reporting Marsha Arnold - Mother of Deceased "I heard last night. My niece called my work and told me that my son got shot. They say that he was in surgery. He got 2 shots in the back, and 1 in the hand. Basically, they say that he was on Armadillo Street with some friends, and a gunman pulled up in the yard and fired shots."

Youth Says Police Set Him up to Get Wet Up
On Monday night's news, we told you about 21 year old Andrew Augustine. He is the young man that was shot on Sunday night in the Lake Independence area. Augustine was picked up by police just after 10 that night when he was found with a stick of marijuana. But instead of him being taken to the police station to get charged for possession of the drug, he was instead taken and release in the PIV neighbourhood – one of the biggest gang territories in Lake Independence. Now Augustine lives behind the complex area which is known to be the turf of another gang, one that just happens to be rivals with the PIV gang. And even though the young man claims to have no affiliation with any gang, he told us he became an easy target due to a set of malicious police officers. Augustine was shot in the neck but despite all odds, he is alive to tell his story which he shared with Monica Bodden today: Andrew Augustine - Shooting Victim "They went straight down Mahogany Street, and when they thought about letting me off is when they took a curve up Flamboyant and hit all the way to the back in the heart of PIV going to the river side. When they reached there, they told me to jump out and go home. I felt so good that I wasn't going to get a charge, and I started to walk home.

Did Corwin Kill Killa? The Judge Will Decide
Justice Adolph Lucas has reserved judgment after hearing the murder trial without jury of 20 year-old Corwin Bennett, who was accused of gunning down 34 year-old gang leader Raymond "Killa" Gentle in January of 2011. The prosecution, led by Crown council Shanice Lovell, presented evidence that Gentle was doing construction work on Kraal Road when his assailant shot him 6 times. Gentle's brother testified as an uncooperative eyewitness. He gave police a statement that immediately after the shooting on January 12, 2011, he chased down the shooter but couldn't catch him. He even picked Bennett out of an identification line up. But, in court, he told the court that he didn't want to give evidence in the case because he feared for his life. Crown Counsel Lovell still managed to get the identification evidence admitted by calling the police officer who conducted the ID parade on the day that the main witness pointed Bennett out of the line-up. The prosecution also tendered 2 caution statements that Bennett gave to police in which he admitted that he was the shooter in one, and in the other, he said that he was with the shooter on that day.

63 Year Old Falls Out Of Bus
Tonight, the family of 63 year-old Jose Elmer Villanueva is worried about his condition after he tumbled out of a J&J; bus coming from Benque. It happened this morning just before 7 o'clock. The bus was moving when Villanueva, who uses a cane, slipped and fell out suffering injuries that doctors are unsure of yet. Fortunately, someone rushed him to the KHMH, but due to his pain and his condition, the doctors placed him in an induced coma. Today, 7News caught up with his niece, who explained what they knew about it accident: Badra Coleman - Niece of Jose Elmer Villanueva "We know that he came to Belize the day before and he was returning to Orange Walk. Apparently, some people say that somebody wanted to step out and so he stood up and a truck was coming or something and the bus swerved and he fell out. But we don't really know because we haven't spoken to him yet. He is in intensive care here at the Karl Heusner. He was put in an induced coma so that they can observe him for the next forty-eight hours."

Family Wants To Know Who Hit And Run A 13 Year Old
And while that family wants to thank the unknown person who helped them, another family wants to speak with the unknown individual who knocked down their 13 year-old son and cousin. Earl Ismael Flores was struck in a hit and run on Sunday afternoon just after his family had had dinner. He was walking around in Burrell Boom when someone knocked him down and fled the scene. He was fortunately found a short while later by residents who alerted his parents. He was rushed to the KHMH, and he remains in a critical condition, and today after searching for answers his family turned to the media to make a plea to the person who did it to just come forward and speak with them. They told us that this person needs to accept that a human's life is now on the line because of their actions:

GDP Growth Improved In Fourth Quarter, Against All Odds
The Statistical Institute of Belize today released the fourth quarter GDP figures for 2013. Growth had been projected at 2.5% for the entire year, but a slew of adverse circumstances conspired to cause almost zero growth for the first three quarters of the year. So, how did it turn out in the final quarter? That's what we found out today at an SIB Press Conference at the ITVET Compound:… Jules Vasquez Reporting The GDP in the fourth quarter of 2013 increased from the previous three quarters which were virtually stagnant, but at 1.5% the mild uptick is nothing to write home about – and it still only brings to annual growth to less than one per cent: Glen Avilez, Director SIB "In the fourth quarter, there was an acceleration, and that was the period of highest growth of 1.5%. Putting all 4 quarters together, we get a growth rate of 0.7% for the entire year. We are a little worse off than we were last year. If the size of the economy was 100 last year, it has expanded by 0.7%, so it is just under 101."

Gino Got A Gun
We've heard a whole lot about Corporal Gino Peck with guns, but tonight the story is different. He's the one making the bust, not being busted! This morning at 8:40 Peck along with members of the Quick Response Team for Precinct 2 searched a yard on Supal Street. They found a black Glock 23 brand pistol with the serial numbers scraped off. It contained a magazine loaded with (14) live rounds. No one was in the area so it was labeled as Found Property. It has been sent to the Forensic office for further analysis.

Thief Outsmarted By Smart Phone Gets Ten Years
23-year-old Ashton Grant is spending the second night of a 10 year sentence, after the Chief Magistrate found him guilty of stealing a 25 hundred dollar iPhone. The investigators caught him with the phone after using the "iCloud feature" which finds the device's exact location – or in other words, he got outsmarted by a Smart phone. It belongs to Tanya McNab, who testified that in December 2012, she had just pulled into her driveway when a man approached her on bicycle and pulled a knife. He then robbed her of her hand bag which contained her iPhone, and as soon as he rode off, she went to work to track the phone. With the assistance of police officers who she quickly alerted, Grant was caught with the phone in his possession, and she identified him as the man who robbed her. The officers charged him with robbery, and after the case went to completion, the Chief Magistrate found him guilty. Though he begged for leniency as a young father, he has a previous conviction for robbery, so the Chief Magistrate sentenced him to serve 10 years in jail.

BRN Resident Calling Castro To Court
At the top of the newscast we told you about the writ of mandamus that the PUP has gotten a hearing for. That one is against Cayo Northeast Representative Elvin Penner. But now there is another action filed, and this one is against Minister of State Edmund Castro. Trevor Vernon, who lives in Belize Rural North today filed an application for declaratory relief, asking the court to rule that Castro violated his oath of office. He explained it to us today: Trevor Vernon - Taking Edmond Castro To Court "This action is to seeking to get the court to confirm and to issue a declaration on whether Mr. Castro - Minister Castro - as the Minister in charge of the Belize Airport Authority, abused his office for personal gain. If we just sit back and let this fly, it's going to create a dangerous precedent. We would want the judge to acknowledge, and in his declaratory relief statement, acknowledge that the Minister did violate his oath of office. I think that the time has come that we need to - I as a voter out here in Belize Rural North - I am very offended by the fact that Ministers can just use Airport Authority, or whichever of these statutory boards, as their personal slush funds, paying his political workers. And we intend to also share this with the OAS when they bring in their team in April and have them take a look at it because they're going to be bringing in a team base on the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption that we signed. We're going to have them take a look at this to see if it violates the spirit and the word of that convention."

What the Price Of Beans Has To Do With Inflation Spike In January
Earlier on, you saw the Statistical Institute of Belize outline the figures for Belize's fourth quarter GDP. But that's not all the SIB has in the numbers bag today. They also unleashed the latest inflation statistics for January. It was high, and we found out why: Jules Vasquez Reporting Prices have been trending up from August of last year. Glen Avilez, Director SIB "In January, prices were roughly 1.8% higher than they were in the same month of last year." Transportation and food prices were up the most - food by as much as 4% and transportation by 5%. Glen Avilez "Food was heavily influenced by fresh vegetables being significantly up in that month, when compared to the same month of 2013."

46 New Cycles For Police
While his name was being called in the Supreme Court today, police commissioner Allen Whylie was in Belmopan receiving a major donation from his department's minister John Saldivar. Saldivar handed over 46 Meilun Trail bikes, along with helmets. He also threw in two Nissan Navarro pickup Trucks – all valued at over a quarter million dollars. No word yet on where the motorbikes will be deployed.

Buff Belizeans Bodybuild Abroad
They've got muscle….and Mr Belize Rigo Vellos and Ms. Belize-Fitness Cricel Castillo are the first Belizeans to participate in the Arnold Classic being held in in Columbus, Ohio, from February 27th to March 1st 2014. A release says Cricel will compete in the Women's Figure B Class among 40 competitors while Rigo will compete in the Light Heavyweight Men's Bodybuilding Category among 22 competitors from all over the world. They must first qualify in a preliminary stage if they want to advance to the finals on Saturday. The Arnold Classic is a highly recognized bodybuilding tournament named after 7-time Mr. Olympia/4-time Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Channel 5

Court grants P.U.P.’s application to seek Judicial Review
The People’s United Party wants former Minister of State Elvin Penner to be held criminally liable for his role in the Won Hong Kim passport scandal. Just as vehemently, the [...]

P.U.P. wants ComPol Allen Whylie to criminally investigate Elvin Penner
The P.U.P. chose this less travelled route of seeking a writ of Mandamus because the party has maintained that it has exhausted all other options, legal and political. But is [...]

Urban warfare: one dead and minor injured, but was it gang related?
Two men were shot on Tuesday night as a surge in urban warfare grips the City. On Tuesday night following the funeral of Supal Street’s Tarique Cadle who was murdered [...]

Massive layoffs at Fruta Bomba in Corozal
Last Friday, we reported on the laying off of fifty-seven workers at the Golden Princess Casino in Corozal.  Employees of the gambling den were let go in the wake of [...]

SIB Report: 2013 records lowest economic growth in past 3 years
The Statistical Institute of Belize held its second press conference for this year. Today, S.I.B. released the figures for G.D.P. and inflation rate. In short, S.I.B. confirms that the basket [...]

P.U.P. Leader speaks on the recall petition
All eyes will be on the Supreme Court on Friday, as the P.U.P. fights for judicial review and the government fights to protect the man in the center of an [...]

Trial for 2011 murder of Raymond “Killa” Gentle concludes
Back in January 2011, Kraal Road gang leader, Raymond Gentle, aka “Killa”, was executed at his jobsite in Belize City while he and his co-workers were building a wooden structure.  [...]

Shane Budram escapes jail time for ammunition charge
Shane Budram is no stranger to the courts or police. The thirty-seven year old street figure has been before the court on a slew of charges; he was back today [...]

2 persons injured in separate traffic mishaps
Two persons were gravely injured in separate traffic accidents in the past three days. The family of sixty-three year old Jose Elmer Villanueva is today standing vigil at the K.H.M.H., [...]

13 year old Earl Flores clinging to life following hit & run
Another family from the Belize District is at the K.H.M.H. tonight, praying that thirteen year old Earl Ishmael Flores will hold on to life. Flores is from the small community [...]

Road Safety Project to introduce breathalyzer test
Traffic fatalities are inevitably a part of the annual mortality rate every year.  Casualties of road traffic accidents often perish as a result of speeding or drunk driving.  While there [...]

The uprising in Venezuela
The Venezuelan government is bracing for more protests which have now spread to the capital, Caracas.  The United Nations, as well as the Pope speaking from the Vatican, has called [...]

Venezuelan Ambassador speaks on relations with United States
The Venezuelan Ambassador says that the opposition is fueling the uprising and accuses the US government of throwing its full support behind the Mesa de la Unidad Democrática, MUD or [...]

CTV3

Fruta Bomba Cuts Staff Due To Consequence of 2013 Weather Conditions
Agriculture across the country has been adversely affected by the incessant rains that fell in the latter part of 2013 and early this year. Farmers in northern Belize saw great losses in crops like onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers and even sugar cane fields were flooded triggering a decrease in its sucrose content. Going further north, into Corozal, the climate’s impact may have proved damaging even for non-farmers. Reports reaching our news room are that a total of 95 employees were released from Fruta Bomba as a result of the bad weather conditions last year. General Manager at the company Rigoberto Vivas confirmed that the releasing of these employees was necessary. Gilberto Vivas – General Manager Fruta Bomba “As you know that the effects of the bad weather that we had 2013, I think it didn’t only affected Fruta Bomba but it affected the entire agricultural sector in Belize, so in order for us to survive we had to lay off some people. It decreases our production volume to about 50%, we use to export about 30 to 35 thousand boxes right now we are between 8 to 12 thousand boxes and that is even more than 50% and that is our weekly basis.”

A Dream To Visit Different Cultures and Belize Is No Exception
Two couples from the Netherlands are doing the unthinkable and quite frankly we find the next story an admirable one. With a self-built motorhome, Ton and Anneka Vogelzang have been travelling the world since 2007. They have been to over 40 countries and yesterday they arrived in Belizean soil. When our news team caught up with them at Eco Adventures we learn that the view from the windshield is constantly changing; one day its ruined castles and the palaces of great empires in Turkey, the next week its white sandy beaches in Merida Yucatan and today they found themselves being sun kissed under the Belizean sun. World Travelers Ton and Anneka shared their story with us. TON VOGELZANG – World Traveler “We started a couple of years ago our first stop was to India and then Naple and back home and then we made a decision to go to America and there we were not so lucky because in family there was a small problem we had to go home. 2012 we started again in Baltimore United States and then to Canada, Alaska and then from Alaska southwards to Mexico and Belize now.”

Scotia Bank Corozal Raises Educational Campaign To Assist Small Business Customers
In this day and era when the world is evolving faster than we can cope with, business owners are constantly looking for new ideas to keep their customers satisfied and their business running. Of course good management is also key when it comes to running a business. Bearing that in mind, Scotia Bank is holding a month of activities across the country in celebration of Small Businesses. In Corozal Town, a forum to educate business owners was held at the branch office with over a dozen business owners in attendance. Yvonne Romero. – Business Banking Manager. “This week was design as small business week and during the course of this week we have had different activities and one of them being the one that we had today which was a presentation to our small business customers who were interested in attending and getting a little bit more information on the cash flow and why it is important for a business and why is it can affect the business, how they can increase their cash flow to have a more stable and profitable business so that is the session we had this afternoon with invitees that we had.”

Helpage Hold Tea Party For Elders
Today, the Zenobia Meggs Helpage Center was filled with happiness and comfort thanks to the warm hospitality of the Helpage volunteers who treated our golden citizens to a tea party. It gave attendees a sense of belonging and usefulness as special friendships united under one roof. Our news team deemed it worthy to highlight the event. And despite only one fourth of its members showing up, President of Helpage Orange Walk branch, Arecelia Leiva, who told it was a wonderful afternoon spent. ARCELIA LEIVA – President, OW HELPAGE “We invited the Senior Citizens to come and spend an evening of fun and to socialize with their colleagues and so we had a tea party and we played some games and we had some help workers from the Orange Walk Hospital who came to delight them with some games because we want them to be active and not to just stay home and be sedentary so we invited them to have a day of fun.”

The Myths About San Antonio Cenote
Tonight, we will feature a story that not many of us know the history of; these are the mysterious Cenotes that are found in the San Antonio Rio Hondo Village in the Orange Walk District. While the Ancient Maya believed that the rain god Chaak resided in caves and natural wells known as these cenotes, these sinkholes are giving archaeologists new insights into the sacred landscapes of the ancestral Maya. From what we gathered during our weekend escapade to three of the many sites, cenotes are natural sinkholes that form when the roof of a cavern collapses. The Mayans believed the mysterious formations were entrances to the underworld. Reporter Maria Novelo delves deeper into the mysteries of these underworlds and bring’s you this report.

Miracle Child Is In Great Shape
Tonight we bring you a success story involving a child whose family is calling him, a miracle child. In a follow-up to a story we ran exactly one year ago, we were elated to get a call from the family of then 12 year old Graciano Ramos, who, as we’ve reported, fell off a tree and sustained life threatening injuries including a fractured skull. At the time, Graciano’s diagnosis was dismal as doctors claimed that he only had a twenty percent chance of living. And while it has been a long road to recovery, we were pleased to catch up with Graciano and his family today. At home, we found the 12 year old smiling as he has defeated the odds. Felipa Smith – Aunt “We took him to the hospital and they transfered him to Belize and they told us that we only had 20% chances that Graciano will live but today I can say that we have Graciano 90% living and when he came out of the hospital he weighs 42 pounds and now we have him with 95% so we see the increase in his weight and he is doing good now. Before we use to brush his teeth, wash his face and clean and now he is doing everything by himself; he is trying to take off his shirt, his socks so we see a lot of improvement with him.”

PlusTV

The Reason Why We Love
Let us leave some inspiring words from the Bible for your growth. This week’s verse is taken from 1 John 4:19.. We love because first loved us.

Gunman Kills Mr. Ryan Arnold, Another Gets Injured
Around 5:30 on Wednesday evening, a single gunman opened fire on a group of five socializing on Armadillo Street in Belize City. His shots caught 25 year old Ryan Arnold in the back and a 15 year old minor in the leg. According to police, Arnold died around 6:30...

Commissioner of Lands Speaks of Structural Stir and Suspension of Officers
Last week, there were reports of suspensions, resignations and terminations at the Lands Department. The media reported that there three very senior officials were dismissed from the Land’s department as well as some suspensions over missing funds . You may also remember, that despite our many attempts to seek...

Private Citizen Wants to Take Hon. Edmund Castro to Court
Earlier this week, we reported on Edmond Castro’s suit against a Belize Rural North resident who told the nation she worked with Castro to get hundreds of visa recommendations for Chinese nationals. Today Castro’s name was in court again, and this time, he is the target. Former public servant...

Daylight Robbery in Corozal Commercial Free Zone
A daylight robbery occurring in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone has left one businessman short of several Hundred thousand dollars. On Monday the 24th February, 2014 about 10:00am Ricardo Villasenor 48 yrs. A Mexican businessman of Quintana Roo, Mexico, exited the back of North American Store to go to...

Man Falls From Moving Bus
Reports are that a man fell out of a moving bus this morning on the Phillip Goldson Highway en route to the Northern Districts. The incident occurred a little after 7:00 am near the Burrell Boom junction. Reports are that the man was sitting on the machine at the...

Hard Times For Family Following Murder
On Monday we reported that 44-year-old Thomas Ferguson Sr. lost the battle for his life on Saturday, February 22. Mr Ferguson had been in the hospital since December 7th of last year after he was stabbed, allegedly by his nephew Oliver Peters, who will now be charged with murder. Reports...

Man Charged With Damage To Property In Under Investigation For Incest
A man has been arrested and charged for the crime of damage to property and is under investigation for the crime of incest. A 15 year old female minor of the District of Corozal visited the Corozal police station accompanied by her mother and reported to police than on...

Fatal Road Traffic Collisions Decline
Belize is investing in making roads safer as across the nation, Government has initiated road works across the country. In a reminder released by the Project Management Unit of the Road Safety Project, progress seems slow, but people are the centre of their efforts to save lives on Belize’s...

Belmopan Hospital Auxiliary Staff Threaten Strike as Overtime Pay Is Delayed
The Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan was brewing with tension Tuesday afternoon and according our sources, members of the auxiliary staff, were threatening to go on strike. This was because they claimed that their over-time, which they had already worked for, would not be paid to them this coming...

Jarod Lamb Is Recaptured
Jarod Lamb is finally back in police custody after being on the run for the past week. On the 18th of February at 9:30am when Police were escorting (7) Male prisoners from Kolbe Foundation Prison to San Ignacio Town in the Blue Police van, prisoner Jarod Lamb escaped by...

Shane Budran Acquitted of Keeping an Unlicensed Firearm
36-year-old Shane Budran of Wagner’s Lane, Belize City, was acquitted of a charge of keeping an unlicensed firearm on Tuesday morning in the Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Dale Cayetano upheld a no-case submission from Mr Budran’s attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, who told the court that the sole prosecution witness and...

Court of Appeal Begins First Session For 2014
On Tuesday the Court of Appeal began its first session for 2014 in Belize City. We already told you of one major decision they handed down involving Wilbert Cuellar and Darwin Diaz, accused of attempted murder. Cuellar, who was convicted but then released by Justice Denis Hanomansingh after the...

Health Workers Learn About Optimizing Performance
Belize’s health system is not the best, but the Ministry has committed to improvements and that includes seeing that the system polices itself. This week at the Biltmore Plaza, approximately 60 health workers from the country’s major health centers and outposts will learn about optimizing performance for quality and...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Caye Caulker Sailing Club Thank Yous
The Caye Caulker Sailing Club would like to thank the following for their support towards our fundraiser that was held on Saturday, February 22nd 2013. Without your assistance and support we wouldn’t been able to have a successful fundraiser for our kids. We would also like to thank all those who came and supported us at the Palapas, the DJ for providing entertainment and Pat & Stell’s. Last but not least the San Pedro Junior Sailing Club and President of the club Tammy Peterson. You guys have been giving us much needed assistance and we greatly appreciate all the support you have given to us and we look forward to many more!! After expenses we made approximately $3,900.00. This will assist us in the upcoming regatta that will be held in Belize City on March 8th and 9th.

R.I.P. Bob Ross
Funeral Mass to be held at St. Martin’s de Porres On Friday, February 28, 2014 at 10:00 am And on Saturday, March 1, 2014 10:00 am Caye Caulker Nuestra Señora de la Ascunción Predeceased by his mother and father and three brothers. Survived by his wife Elizabeth Ross, daughter Karen Ross and other family members abroad. The Ross Family would like to thank Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Dr. John Sosa, Dr. Jorge Lopez, Nurse Arlene Requena, Miss Martha, and all the other medical personnel and health care providers who helped care for Mr. Bob during his illness. God Bless you and thank you.

Blogs

Sailing and Dining on the Rum Punch 2 Never Disappoints
Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day. In fact, February has been an absolutely gorgeous month. And that is just how it should be. Lots of sun, getting a bit warmer (no blanket needed at night anymore) and breezy. Perfect for all things. But especially perfect for sailing. A bunch of fun friends were headed out on the old Belizean-made ex-fishing boat, the Rum Punch 2. They even brought their own pirate flag. These ladies are prepared! George Eiley (above), the owner, was born and raised in Placencia, Belize but in the 70s fell in love with Ambergris Caye where the tourism and tour guiding businesses were in the beginning stages. He purchased the Rum Punch from a fisherman, cleaned her up and started tours.

“Finish What Ya Started” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
The irregular publishing frequency though does create this recollection issue. But hey, most of you know the usual beginning of my blogs anyway. You know, got up, make coffee (black, no sugar) take it and my iPad out on to the veranda (normally the western facing one on the first floor) and enjoy the sights, the sounds (even when there’s hardly any sounds at all) and a sense of total relaxation. And then there’s my fairly frequent (I wonder if I might be the most regular breakfaster there?) visits to Estel’s where I continue with my ‘me time’ (Rose rarely goes with me for breakfast). Monday was much the same until I asked Rose if she wanted to join me for breakfast and she said that she did. OK we set off later than I would normally set off but it was worth it (got to keep building up those brownie points!) All was going great until Rose struck up a conversation (she’s so much more social than I am) with a woman sitting at the table next to us. The woman explained that she and her husband had recently moved here and was looking to get a slow cooker and asked Rose if she knew where she could get one. Quick as a flash (and she has her moments, believe me) Rose responded “Take John. You won’t find a slower cooker than him!”.

Chocolate, diving, Whale sharks and Science!
Toledo’s links to chocolate goes back to Ancient Maya days. But in present day too there are a number of chocolate factories where you can experience how chocolate is made (and taste it of course!) If you are a chocolate lover, like us, then a date for the diary is 23rd, 24th and 25th May! Toledo hosts the annual Chocolate Festival of Belize, a unique 3-day event celebrating chocolate and culture!! Its a “must see” festival starting with wine and chocolate night, showcasing some of the areas finest chocolatiers! Saturday is an all day street festival in PG and Sunday is the closing ceremony at one of the beautiful Mayan sites, Lubantuun. Pilot whales, dolphins, silky sharks, huge hawksbill turtles, large rays and a WHALESHARK!! All that in the past few weeks with ReefCI!! What have you been up to?? Although March – June is official whale shark season here in Belize, for the past few years we have seen them as early as January and right through to September. 2014 started off well with sightings in January and February, so its gearing up to be another exciting whale shark season! ReefCI are delighted to announce that our PADI Instructor extraordinaire, Tracy Allen, has accepted a new challenge! With a background in biology, Tracy will be using her degree and focusing more of her time and energy on collecting and analysing our data.

International Sources

Belize - bot flies, beef worms, pinching and other joys of travel.
This is my introduction to the Bot fly, the Beef Worm, and the technique that's used to get the parasite out of ones body, after the infestation. Exciting day today. I have had a bump beside my ear for about a week. Carpio, Jack's little renter that uses the basement downstairs, looks at it and says I have a "Beef Worm" This I do not need to hear. Covers it with Vick's Vapour Rub, and puts a band-aid on it. "We'll get it out later" he tells me. Marvey, I think. So , the way to get this thing out is to squeeze the skin together. Like someone pinching you real hard. He's trying to squeeze this thing from under my skin - to get its little head to show so he can grab it and pull it out. Now, sit back and think about that for a moment…………It is big enough to have a head and a body - growing under my skin - and I think I have two others in me. Just like home - NOT!! So , at it he goes, Squeezes the skin together , gets his wife to bring out a pair of tweezers, and starts trying to get a hold on his ( The beef worm's) head. Success! - he gets it, I feel a little twinge of pain and sure enough, he drops down this little worm (about 1/8 of an inch long!) on the rail. I find this really hard to believe - this bloody "beef" worm has eaten a portion of my body, grown from a bite from a fly! What the HECK!!! looks over my bites, one is mosquito and two more look like infection from the dreaded Bot fly, the "beef worm" carrier.

Mc Cauley to become first player from Belize to play professional soccer in the US
Star striker Deon McCauley has become the first Belizean footballer to sign a contract with a professional soccer team in the United States. McCauley has signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks which competes in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. McCauley, who plays for Belize’s Belmopan Bandits, has been scouted by numerous international teams since his ascent to football stardom. He boasts of a stellar record as the first player to score a hat trick in the World Cup qualifiers. The 26 year old striker scored 11 goals in eight matches for Belize in World Cup 2014 qualifying to tie Dutch star Robin Van Persie and Uruguayan Luis Suarez for the most goals in the 2014 qualifying campaign.

Ten reasons to travel in March 2014
Whale shark season in Belize begins next month, and one tour operator (Original Diving; www.originaldiving.com) intriguingly claims to have found "a secret spot where scientists can predict exactly when and why these elusive creatures turn up, year in, year out". Should they fail to show, there's always dramatic dive sites like the Blue Hole to compensate.

Waste Management Volunteer Programs Around the World
Belize is the only country in Central America with English as their official language, so you'll fit right in during a two month volunteership with FrontierGap. Their project takes place in Southern Belize and aims to support local communities by providing jobs toward protecting the country's exotic rainforest ecosystem. You can be gardening with kids, constructing new facilities or even managing social media for raising waste management awareness. $1,500 is a bit much for a volunteership without accommodation or food, but your home currency will likely stretch a long way -- average apartments go for $200 a month and food and drink come cheap. Plus there will be plenty of free time to snorkel the Northern Hemisphere's longest barrier reef in any one of Southern Belize's secluded beaches.

Big fish still excite veteran angler
In ways, it's heartening to me that I still get excited when I cast to a big fish because I know that I am not jaded, and I'm still passionate about fishing. Still, I would like to be able to calmly make pinpoint casts at 60 or 70 feet and not have to worry about mechanics. On our recent trip to Belize, my wife, Carol, and I had the pleasure of being guided by a master guide, Eloy Badillo. Eloy had roamed the waters around the island of Caye Caulker since his youth and knew hundreds of square miles of water as well as I know the waters of the Bighorn River from Afterbay to Two Leggins. Not only does he know the waters but he can spot fish as easily as an osprey. Our first day with Eloy had gone well: Carol landed four or five bonefish in the course of a half hour and I had landed one on my first cast. After we had eaten lunch, Eloy motored to a flat near a small caye. The water was only a foot to 2 feet deep and the bottom was sand, not marl. So Eloy and I disembarked and started to wade across the flat.

A Stunning Map Pinpoints the Worst Places in the World to be Gay
After months of debate and controversy, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni officially signed the country's anti-gay legislation into law on Monday, charging those found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" with life in prison. The move is a huge backwards step not just for the country, but for all of sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen rampant homophobia in recent years due to the ongoing AIDS crisis. The fear and hatred of homosexuality in turn has created an awareness vacuum for HIV/AIDS, leading to a vicious cycle of disease and hate. As can be seen on the map, homophobic legislation is most commonly found in a bloc stretching from Africa to the Middle East and South Asia — these regions incidentally include the only countries that have death penalties for homosexuality: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Mauritania and Somalia.

How Many People Live in the Caribbean?
How many people live in the Caribbean? It’s a question we’re often asked. And the answer is, well, complicated. That’s because it depends on what geographical area you define as the Caribbean. We culled data from a range of sources, using the most recent estimates from 2012 across the region, breaking it up into different sub-regions and then applying it to the various definitions of the Caribbean. We start with the Caribbean Community, the political bloc of largely English-speaking countries, along with Haiti and Suriname, joined by Guyana, but not by Cuba or the Dominican Republic.

February 26, 2014

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Monitoring fatal road traffic collision
Belize is investing in making roads safer. Progress seems slow, but people are the centre of our efforts because of the nature to save lives on our roads. Sympathy is extended to all who was impacted by the lost of a loved one, friend or colleague. Join us in tracking fatal road traffic collision each month and comparing it to 2012 and 2013 statistics (Source: JICC). Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and only together we can save lives using an integrated model designed for you.

Atlanta Silverbacks sign Deon McCaulay
Only three players in the entire world scored 11 goals during the qualifying rounds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks have signed one of them. Belize national team forward Deon McCaulay equaled the goal-scoring totals of strikers Robin Van Persie of Netherlands and Uruguayan Luis Suarez during the last qualifying cycle, and now he is bringing his talents to Atlanta, the Silverbacks announced Tuesday, pending ITC approval. The 26-year-old caught fire during the opening rounds of 2014 World Cup qualifying, scoring 11 goals in just eight games. Although Belize was unable to book their place in Brazil, the exploits of McCaulay didn’t go unnoticed.

Competition getting tougher at the San Pedro Sports Committee Football Tournament
The competition is getting tougher and tougher as the San Pedro Sports Committee Football Tournament progresses. On Saturday, February 22nd and Sunday, February 23rd, the third set of games was played at the SacaChispas Football Field and all the teams were out for a win. Football fans were treated to exhilarating matches, as most games either ended in a tie or a close win. Saturday’s games were all about strong defense. The first game was between Caye Caulker and Communicaciones. It was clear that both teams wanted the win, but in the end it was Caye Caulker who edged out a 4-2 point win. The second game was between the Dorados and Caribbean Depot. Even though Caribbean Depot played defensively, the Dorados still managed to sneak in a couple goals and won the match in a 2-0 point game.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Police Indicates Teenagers Involved in Recent Crime Problems
Teenagers as young as 15 years old (and younger) have been identified by the San Pedro Police Department as being the culprits of a recent increase in crime this past month, January 2014. Castellanos says that they know who some of these teenagers are and the department is working on apprehending them. The heads of the Neighborhood Watches suggested a possible curfew to target teenagers out during the late hours of the evening. A second factor attributing to a slight increase in crime in January, says Castellanos, would be the department's lack of patrol vehicles. "The police officers have not been able to conduct their regular and scheduled patrols around the island properly due to the lack of vehicles," stated Castellanos. "This hinders the department tremendously in our response time and visible presence around the island. Criminals are aware of this and know when to take advantage of our handicap." Currently the San Pedro Police Department counts on only two trucks and one golf cart for mobility, one of those trucks just recently being donated anonymously to the department by a local business. Castellanos is sending appeals to various entities requesting assistance to obtain more vehicles for the department and Mayor Daniel Guerrero also mentioned that the San Pedro Town Council is also working on acquiring a vehicle for the police department.

25 Years Ago: First Retired Couple in San Pedro
Vernon and Terri Hamman arrived in San Pedro in the 1950’s at a time when the village was about 400 strong, and fish nets were hanging to air and sun-dry on poles near the beach. The village probably had about 20 fishermen who survived with subsistence fishing. There were also some 15 coconut farmers working for Mr. Blake and earning a living by cleaning the coconut groves known as ‘cocals’ and collecting the coconuts for processing and exportation. This was the scenario when Vernon arrived to visit the island and the little fishing hamlet known as San Pedro. Vernon liked it and thought it was the best place in the world to retire. He talked it over to his lifetime companion, a beautiful blond who wore large sunglasses day and night, and she too thought it was a beautiful idea. They were people persons and easily got to make friends with 399 of the Island inhabitants. Soon Vernon and Terri were busy visiting friends, getting free fish from their island friends. The locals thought it was an honor to befriend a pair of friendly gringos who either came from heaven or from Hollywood. Of course nobody knew about Hollywood at that time but what is the difference?

Misc Belizean Sources

Corozal Police Report
All police reports are official and unedited. Report #1 Incest/Damage to Property: A 15 year old female Belizean minor, unemployed of the Corozal District, accompanied by her mother reported to Corozal Police that on Saturday 22nd February 2014 around 7:30 P.M. her father arrived home highly under the influence of alcohol. He proceeded to behave disorderly and began to have a domestic argument. He left the house and went away but about an hour later he arrived home and asked for a cell phone and broke it into pieces...
Report: #2 Robbery: On Monday the February 24th, 2014 around 11:00 A.M. upon information received of a robbery at North American Store located in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone, Santa Elena Border, Corozal Police visited the said area where upon arrival 48 year old Ricardo Villasenor, Mexican businessman of Las Flores, Manzana 23 Quintana Roo, Mexico, reported that on said date about 10:00 A.M. he exited the rear of North American Store to go to his white color Chevrolet AVIO car with L/P VVY2275 which was parked approximately 15 meters away in the compound and whilst opening the trunk of the car to take out the money which was inside two separate black plastic bags...
Report: #3 Burglary: 33 year old Brigida Paulina Patt of Rainbow Town Area, Corozal Town, reported that between 8:30 P.M. on Saturday the 22nd of February, 2014 and 5:00 A.M. on Sunday the 23rd of February, 2014 her house was broken into and stolen were (1) one 24 inch Ladies Hurricane Nankon Pink in color with purple strips s/n unknown valued at $230.00Bcy, (1) one Pink in color Tablet "Go" brand valued at $300.00Bcy, (1) perfume brand "Women of Earth" value $55.00Bcy (1) Perfume brand "Forever" value $55.00Bcy, (1) perfume brand "Adorise" value $145.00Bcy...

Ministry of Health Heads Delegation to Drug Abuse Program in the United States
Government of Belize Press Office

Vanilla Hills Lodge
Vanilla Hills Lodge, a beautiful little eco-lodge located in Bullet Tree Falls, is getting some outstanding reviews. They are small right now, with only 2 cabins, the Hibiscus and the Orchid, but another one is on the way. They also have a line of cheeses, breads, and jams that are tasty and healthy. "Vanilla Hills Lodge is situated in the rolling hills of Cayo on a wooded lot on the banks of the Mopan river. Although only five minutes from San Ignacio Town, the tourist center of Western Belize, the lodge is surrounded by peaceful nature. Vanilla Hills is your ideal starting point for a multitude of tours. From here you are within easy reach of famous Maya sites, impressive cave labyrinths, the tropical jungle and many more day tours. At Vanilla Hills Lodge you will be staying in spacious and well equipped cabanas."

Rotary's Annual Eye Clinic
The Rotary Club is having their annual eye clinic, starting on March 9th, and going through the 12th. They are bringing in eye specialist, and they'll help with cataracts, glaucoma, and other diseases. You can register at the Pharmacy on West street. Call 804-2510 for more information. Thanks, Rotary!

Armed robbery reported in the Corozal Free Zone
Police in Corozal are investigating an armed robbery on Monday morning in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. Police say that Mexican businessman Ricardo Villasenor, 48, came out of his establishment, namely North America Store, and was going to his vehicle which was parked in the compound when he was accosted by two men of Creole decent one of whom was armed with a knife. Villasenor told police that the man with the knife placed the weapon to his right side and demanded money. The official report says that “after several demands from male persons Villasenor then took both plastic bags which contained the sum of $1,250,000.00 Pesos in different denominations which is equivalent to $208,000.00 Bcy. He was then pushed inside the trunk where he was search and robbed of his red Alcatel cellular phone value at $1,200.00 Pesos equivalent to $200.00 Bcy and $800.00 pesos equivalent to $133.33 Bcy a total of $208,333.33.”

Man reportedly falls out of moving passenger bus
There are reports that a man fell out of a moving bus this morning on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The name of the man who fell out of the bus has not yet been confirmed; but reports are that the incident happened around 7 am today near the Burrel Boom junction. The bus was heading towards Orange Walk when the man, who was seated on the machine at the front of the bus, apparently slid off and through the open door of the bus. A passsenger on the bus says that he only saw when then man tumbled out of the bus.

Bambi success story! Thanks to all who helped with this rescue!
Wildtracks Update: A big thank you to all those involved in the safe rescue and transport of the white tailed deer fawn (it is reported that the mother was killed) - Nathan Sherred of Columbia Village (for the rescue), Ian and Kate Morton of Hickatee Cottages (for hosting the fawn for a couple of days while travel arrangements were finalized),Tropic Air (for being willing to fly the fawn north to the Municipal Airport), and Jen Chapman (for being willing to "fawn-sit" on the back seat of the vehicle for the 4 hour journey)...now heading northwards for Sarteneja... (2 photos)

Stranded adult female loggerhead sea turtle
Nora from Minnesota was walking the shores of Maya Beach and encountered a stranded adult female loggerhead sea turtle. The turtle was barely moving and she contacted the police who moved the animal to a nearby resort where the animal is being monitored before being transported to a rehab facility at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Please report all stranded sea turtles immediately so that they can be rehabilitated if alive or the threats can be identified if found dead. Thank you Nora for your important report.

SELL-A-TON AT LIONS DEN
ATURDAY, MAR 1, 8am-1pm SELLERS: $25 for two (2) tables Sell whatever you want! FUND RAISE for your school, medical needs or personal. BUYERS… You never know what you’ll find!!!! CONTACT: Tamara, 226-2070 or Jan Brown, 662-2725 Under cover for rain or shine. “San Pedro Lions Club – We Serve”

World Wildlife Day? Let's celebrate our wildlife EVERYDAY!
The Belize Forest Department under the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development is preparing to celebrate the first ever World Wildlife Day which will be held on March 3rd, 2014. The day is being set aside to celebrate and to raise awareness on the importance of the world’s wild flora and fauna. On this day, efforts to show appreciation for and highlight the importance of our flora and fauna are encouraged. Therefore, the Forest Department is inviting the general public to come join us here at the Forest Department Compound on Monday March 3rd 2014, to celebrate World Wildlife Day by witnessing a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding signing at 11:00 am. Each rehabilitation partner will be showing casing their work and the Forest Department sees this as a practical way of engaging young Belizeans in being good stewards of the environment through active involvement in conservation activities. (2 photos)

Strike at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan?
Sources indicate that workers at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan are threatening to strike if their overtime is not paid. The overtime wage bill should have been submitted to the Ministry of Health by the hospital’s accounts department before February 13th. This includes some 108 workers including doctors and nurses.

Training and Certification Program (PROCCER) Regional Training of Trainers Workshop with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
A delegation of six Belizeans, through the National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC), Ministry of Health, returned to Belize over the weekend from the Training and Certification Program (PROCCER) Regional Training of Trainers Workshop with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS). The objective of the program was to share new methods that can be adapted to improve the quality of care in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug abuse and dependence and drug-related violence. In this approach, the program works with both governmental and non-governmental front line organizations that provide drug abuse and violence prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services for persons suffering from drug abuse and/or dependence and their families, as well as other high-risk populations.

ESCAPE PRISONER RECAPTURED
Last Tuesday at about 9:30a.m., police were escorting 7 male prisoners from Kolbe Foundation Prison to San Ignacio Town in the Blue Police van and upon reaching Ontario Village, one of the prisoners namely Jarod Lamb who is on remand for Murder and Robbery escaped by jumping out of the moving van and made good his escape. Yesterday at about 4:00p.m., San Ignacio Police conducted a sting operation near the Cemetery in Santa Elena Town, Cayo where Jarod Lamb was found. He attempted to run into the nearby bushes when he was shot in the left leg by San Ignacio Police. He was then transported to the San Ignacio Town Community Hospital and later transported to the K.M.M.H, where he remains under Police guard.

Women in Belize Tell Their Stories
Over the course of a month in San Ignacio, Belize, I spoke with women about their experiences in their relationships and in their communities with regard to family planning. These women, whose ages ranged from 24 to 50, were open and generous when sharing their stories. We talked about a variety of things, like where they learned about sex and their experiences with pregnancy. Although their lives were different, there were similarities in every woman’s story. When I asked Crystal, who was 24 years old, where she turned for information about sexual and reproductive health, she sighed and said, “Google.” Crystal didn’t have any children, but shared with me that she’d seen a lot of her friends panic when they learned they were pregnant. “I think most for people, it’s more of a scary situation, rather than a joyful one,” she said. “They wonder what they’re going to do, and if the father is going to sustain the child.” A Creole woman named Irene agreed. She’d become pregnant unexpectedly at 22 years old. “I really wasn’t making any decision,” Irene said, but took action after giving birth. She spoke to her sister, and then to a doctor. She started taking birth control pills to prevent another unplanned pregnancy.

Belize: Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave
ATM cave is known world-wide as the cave of the Crystal Maiden. She was a sacrificial victim left deep in a cave by the Mayans near the village of Teakettle, Belize. The cave is a very popular attraction, and as such may be closed to the public in the next few years if damage to the artifacts continues. You can visit it ONLY with a licensed guide and with a local tour company. We went with Destiny but PACZ is also highly recommended. We also went to Tikal with Destiny. I loved Tikal, but didn’t care for the guide they gave us. He was smart, spoke English, and was well informed as to dates and the subject matter. The problem was that he had some kind of New Age Spirituality agenda that didn’t sit well with six scientific types. For instance Donelo said new studies show that all people in the world are descended from the Maya, that Mayan is the root of all languages in the world, the Mayans first invented the number zero, and they introduced ideas of heaven and hell to the Vatican. He also talked a lot about higher spiritual planes, energy vortexes, and other new age ideas that may or may not have resonated with the ancient Mayans.

Return of the howler monkeys: signs of recovery 13 years after Hurricane Iris
Maarten Hofman, until recently Research Coordinator with Ya’axché Conservation Trust, now FONASO PhD Candidate, shares his thoughts on a recovering ecosystem. He recalls the joy of witnessing the first signs of a species returning since Hurricane Iris cleared most of its habitat 13 years ago. In 1998, Ya’axché Conservation Trust, with the help from Fauna & Flora International, Grassvalley Trust and IUCN, acquired the Golden Stream Corridor Preserve, a 15,000 acre area in southern Belize, mostly consisting of secondary forests. At that time, the area had been subject to both indiscriminate and selective logging, underbrushing and limited agricultural activities such as slash-and-burn and small scale cattle ranching. The corridor preserve was recovering from these disturbances and in some areas, timber trees were expected to take at least 15 years to reach harvestable size again. Despite the disturbed nature of the forest, several tree dwelling species, including howler and spider monkeys, reportedly inhabited the tree crowns, albeit in low numbers.

Spanish Lookout Business Expo
The Spanish Lookout Business Expo is this weekend. "The Spanish Lookout Business Chamber is organizing its biannual Spanish Lookout Commercial/Industrial Expo on Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1, 2014 from 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on each day to be held at the Country Side Park in the Spanish Lookout Community. We hereby extend an invitation to the wider Business Community in Belize to be a part of our highly anticipated expo."

Flavors of Belize Interview
The Flavors of Belize cookbook was the subject of Larry Waight's recent interview with Tanya McNab. The interview is a great read, as is the book. "The fascinating thing about Belizean cuisine is that we are able to pull influences from all over the world, while still being able to call it our own and stand apart from all of them. Due to Belize’s rich history of welcoming so many immigrants from across the globe, our country, culture, and inevitably our cuisine has become a fusion of these many different influences and that is what makes it so special. We have dishes that can blend the curry brought here by the Indians with chocolate, a staple of the Maya for a dish that is a hint at both cultures but so different that it’s in a category all on it’s own. We don’t realize how lucky we are to enjoy good food almost everyday with such ease and inexpensively at that."

Google Forest Watch
Interesting article of the day. The Cayo Tour Guide Association has a new article out entitled 'Falling Trees,' and it's all about how Google has aggregated data that shows how deforestation has occurred around the world, and Belize. Global Forest Watch is interesting, to say the least. http://www.globalforestwatch.org/ "This now leads me to Google, yes the big fat giant that is on everyone’s PC or on mobile devices these days, which has developed a new way to monitor deforestation worldwide, combing data for the past twelve years. Using services they already have, like google earth and maps you can monitor deforestation in almost real time, a technology that is still is in its beta form meaning it will only improve from here. They are calling it Global Forest Watch. The browser program uses layers to show areas of deforestation and also areas of regeneration worldwide including Belizean forests. Tweaking around, you can highlight protected areas and layers also show satellite and terrain images. In some areas, logging and mining can also be shown. The data is from 2001 up to 2012 so last year’s activity is not visible just yet. "

WORKERS AT WESTERN REGIONAL HOSPITAL THREATEN TO STRIKE
One hundred and eight workers at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan are threatening strike action if their overtime is not paid soon, a source says. Those threatening to strike reportedly include doctors, nurses, attendants and drivers. This would bring operations at the hospital to a stand still. The workers are blaming the administration for their inconvenience. The overtime wage bill should have been submitted to the Ministry of Health by the hospital’s accounts department before February 13th but for whatever reason, it wasn’t. Some workers say that they will simply not show up to work. Efforts to contact the hospital’s administrator or those in the Ministry of Health have been unsuccessful.

Channel 7

Mexican Held Up And Robbed In Free Zone
Tonight, Corozal Police are investigating a brazen, daylight, armed robbery of a Mexican businessman inside the Corozal Free Zone. Yesterday morning 48 year-old Ricardo Villasenor, was held at knifepoint by two men who robbed him of 1.25 million pesos, that's $208 thousand Belizean dollars. The robbers were able to pull off the heist and escape before Belize police were called in so it is proving be a difficult case for them to crack. Today, the Officer Commanding Corozal Police told 7News that the victim identified his robbers as Belizean because of their particular Spanish dialect: Supt. Andrew Ramirez, OC - Corozal Police "Yesterday about 11am in the morning we received information about an incident in the Corozal Freezone. As a result Corozal police visited the North American store located in the zone where a Mexican national who has identify himself as Ricardo Villasenor reported that about 9:30 thereabout he had went into the zone to make purchase and upon going to the trunk of his car to retrieve the money he was approach by 2 creole decent male persons whereby one of the male persons placed a knife to his side telling his to give him the money or he will be killed (in spanish). Fearing for his life he surrendered 2 bags of money which he had in it contain about 1.25 million pesos which would be approximately 208 thousand Belize. Thereafter they put him in the trunk of the car and also stole his Alcatel cell phone and $800 pesos. These guys made good their escapes. They are being sought. We have one person of interest in our custody at this point in time."

Princess Golden Making A Run For The Border?
Since Friday, 7News has been reporting on the sudden termination of over 100 employees who were let go when the Princess Group of Companies closed down the Golden Princess Casino. Tonight, we have a more on it, as the trail of the story led us to Chetumal. Daniel Ortiz found out more:.. Daniel Ortiz reporting Today, we found movers clearing out the building that once was Golden Princess Casino. From the outside, one gets the impression that it will open for business later, but it won't. The decision to close it was delivered abruptly last week. Best reports to 7News are that around 130 Belizean employees were laid off. The reasons given were that business is bad, the rent is too high, and that the company is losing money to keep Golden Princess open.

Port Remains Closed For More Than A Week
Tonight two cargo vessels are waiting at sea and the shelves in the port warehouse are bare because the Port of Belize remains closed, more than a week after a barge crashed into it. CEO Arturo Vasquez told us this evening that the damaged beams have been removed and hauled away, and work on the news ones has been completed and everything re-assembled. Now, they are waiting for the cement to set so that the bridge can reach the required strength to support the massive weight of containers being hauled across it. Work to cast the three beams that had to be replaced finished at 3:30 this morning - and the cement needs 24 hours to reach the required strength. So that should be finished at 3:30 tomorrow morning - in time for offloading of the Seaboard vessel to start at 8:00 am.

US Embassy: OJ Holden Wanted
The name OJ Holden popped into the news last week when the 76 year old American-Belizean Caye Caulker Resident had what could have been a serious accident at the San Pedro Belize Express Terminal. He pulled up his pants, and accidentally triggered the 9 millimeter pistol that was in his pocket. The gun fired towards the ground, and when the bullet hit, the fragments splintered off and grazed two persons. They received only very minor injury and Holder's gun was confiscated, while the two injured persons declined to press charges. But it seems that little appearance in the news, however fleeting, caught the attention of US Law Enforcement. Our reports say that last week, Holden was detained in Belize on the interest of US law enforcement. But, Holden who has been in Belize for 22 years, is a naturalized Belizean, so he was released. Today, an embassy spokesperson in Belmopan told us that, quote, "The U.S. Embassy can confirm that OJ Holden is wanted by U.S. law enforcement for narcotics charges." End quote. When asked if the U.S. will be seeking his extradition, we were told, quote, "(US) law enforcement routinely works with Belizean counterparts on areas of mutual interest." End of quote.

Girl Diagnosed With Rare Skin Condition, Father Pleads For Help
Tonight, a Belize City family is making hasty preparations to get their 3 year old daughter to Merida after she was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare and serious skin condition. Last week, little Siarsha Amri Alvarez was rushed to the hospital with a very high fever - but it turns out that was the onset of the syndrome, which first appears with flu-like symptoms, and then breaks out into an aggressive rash that causes the top layer of skin to die. Today her father came to appeal for assistance and gave us some background on what's been happening with his daughter:.. Simeon Alvarez Jr. - father "She is in severe pain. Doctor Craig said that her sickness is not mild, its not moderate, its severe. She can die as long as all of her skins peel off. Speaking right now her skin is peeling off; she is crying, she can't pee how she wants, she can't stool how she wants - everything pains her. Her eye brows are peeling off, her skin, top of the skull is peeling off - her hair, now she is in terrible condition."

The Aftermath of A Murder Is Tough For Family
Last night we told you about 36 year-old Oliver Peters, who is accused of inflicting the stab wounds that caused his Uncle, 44 year-old Thomas Ferguson Sr.'s death. While those are the bare facts of the case, today Monica Bodden visited with the family and looked beneath to find a family devastated by the killing and overwhelmed with medical bills:.. Monica Bodden reporting On December 7th, 44 year-old Thomas Ferguson Sr. was stabbed once to the chest by his nephew- inside his family yard on Arlington Drive. After being in the intensive care unit at the KHMH for 2 and a half months, Ferguson succumbed to his injuries 9am on Saturday morning. Lorraine Ferguson - Wife of Deceased "The nurse told me that he would have come out of the hospital well, they would have taken out the thing from his throat and they would have teach him how to walk but 2 days after my husband got worse and the doctor said that he had complications because of the stab wound." Monica Bodden "He had water in his lungs?" Lorraine Ferguson - Wife of Deceased "He had water in his lungs and they say that his heart was too weak, it wasn't functioning well and bacteria was in his blood and his pressure goes up and down."

Trying to Find Quality In Healthcare
The Ministry of Health is hosting a 3 day training workshop on Optimizing Quality Performance. Over 60 personnel from the different health facilities across the country are taking part in the training sessions, which aims at identifying quality in the health system and figuring out how to measure it. It is a Central American Initiative and Belize is participating. Today 7news stopped by to find out more. Dr. Ramon Figueroa, Director - Planning Unit - MOH "There is a training workshop which is related to USAID sponsored project called the optimizing performance for quality. Its really a Central American initiative which Belize is participating and so for the next 3 days we are training personnel from the different health facilities across the country from north to south, east to west in the methodology; what we are taking about when we are discussing quality and how to measure quality." "I think that over the past years one of our biggest challenges has been how do we deliver quality health services to the population. It's not only about delivering services but the quality of the services. More and more quality has taken on a greater importance in Belize and all across the world, so its a significant project for us to be able to have our people trained on how do we measure quality - its not only talking about quality, but what do we mean by quality, how do we measure it and how do we ensure that our services are of the good quality for the population."

Man Charged for Shooting In Neck
Last night, 7News told you about 21 year-old Andrew Augustine who was shot in the neck. Well, the man who police believe to have been is shooter is 23 year-old Stephan Anderson, and he is at prison tonight. As we reported, Augustine was walking on Jasmine Street, when he was a gunman rode up to him, and shot him in the neck. He was rushed to the KHMH, where the doctors were able to successfully treat his wound. Police investigated, and today they took Anderson to court. The Chief Magistrate read him charges of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm, when he was arraigned, and due to the nature of the offences, he couldn't be granted bail.

Dion Mc Does It With US Second Division Team
He's the greatest striker of his generation but Dion McAuley's fame isn't only local - he's also one of only 3 players in the whole world that scored 11 goals in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. And now, he's hit the big time. It was announced today that McAuley has signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks, a US professional soccer team. A release on the team's website says Silverbacks Technical Director Eric Wynalda scouted him during the Gold Cup. McAuley arrived in Atlanta on Sunday and is quoted as saying "I've arrived in Atlanta with a good level of fitness, and my expectations are to come here and help the team win championships….I hope that I can score some goals and help the team win." The 26 year old Mcauley just finished doing that same thing with the Belmopan Bandits who won the Belikin Cup Championship - after he scored four goals in the final game of the championship series. The Silverbacks play in the North American Soccer League, the second Division league in the US.

Sisters Are Working In the Trenches
Last week we showed you the men from tough neighborhoods who have been hired to do the trench work on the Central American Boulevard. The Boulevard is going to be paved from the Belcan Bridge right up to the port of Belize, so there's a lot of trenching to do, especially if it's manual labour. But, there's a wrinkle in the project to report tonight. It's not only men that are doing it - we found some ladies in the trenches today! And they weren't there serving refreshments, the 12 of them were brandishing shovels and pick axes and getting the job done! Monica Bodden found out more from their contractor: Monica Bodden "Now, for many people they will say that this is a man's job. How comes you guys actually have the females onboard?" John Pollard "These females have a lot of heart and as you guys can see - take a look at what they are doing, this is their production. This morning I said to them there is no job for females and they are saying to me 'man, Mr. Pollard, please don't take us likely because we can do what men can do too.' So here I am. They got their respect, they got their try and they are showing me that yes they can do what the males also can do."

Fugitive Rodney Rolled Into Police Custody
22 year-old Sherman Rodney, who escaped from police while at the KHMH is back in custody after he handed himself yesterday. Though, he did them the huge favour of having to track him down, Rodney was charged with escaping from lawful custody, and he was arraigned today before Magistrate Dale Cayetano. Because he is being investigated for a burglary, he was denied bail and remanded to prison, after which officers from the Criminal Investigations Branch immediately escorted him back to the Police Station. As we reported, a police officer said that at around 6 o'clock on Thursday evening, he escorted Rodney to the KHMH to seek medical attention because he was complaining of severe pain to the left arm.

Artisans Making Tourism Work
Last year we told you about a project called "Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites". It is a project to teach Belizean producers how to make crafts that are genuine products of Belize. The $350,000 dollar project which has been awarded to a Caribbean consultant is being done in different segments. One such segment is diversification of the artisan product that is available in Belize - both physical products as well as experiential tourism. Artisans from around the country were selected to take part in the first stage of the training. Judy Karwacki - Tourism Project Specialist "The project has essentially a few key steps to it; the first was a rapid assessment, where we came in and working on 9 archaeological sites. So we've gone and we went into this area around Altun Ha and then up in Orange Walk because they've got Lamanai and Barton Creeek in these things - Cayo, because of Xunantunuch - Caves Branch, ATM etc. and Punta Gorda with Nim Li Punit, Lubaantun and Blue Creek. We went in and we met with community members and artisans and we did what we called a rapid assessment and based on that process and with the input of local coordinators, we engage people from the community who works with artisans, we select artisans or artisans groups to come to the first stage of training because in many cases we are taking a group approach because group supports each other and we told them to bring people."

NCL Opponents Get Fuel
The opponents of the Norwegian Cruise Lines proposed project in southern Belize are gaining steam. Today the Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development sent an email to Chief Environment Officer Martin Allegria to comment on the supplemental information submitted by Norweigain Cruise Lines after the EIA public consultation went awry. They say that "the (supplemented) EIA fails to provide enough complete and sound environmental and socio-economic information on which to base a rational decision about the desirability or undesirability of NCL's proposed cruise port at Harvest Caye." They add that "the revised and additional information provided by the project proponents… actually suggest that the project is less feasible than originally considered, rather than more so."

Hon Alamilla Presenting At Prestigious Conference On Oceans
One of the persons that mail is addressed to is Minister of Environment Lisel Alamilla. But she'll get it on the road in California where she is right now presenting as part of a prestigious panel at the World Oceans Summit. The high level event is organized by the Economist Magazine and it convenes global leaders from government, business, international organizations, NGOs, think-tanks and academia to discuss the risks bought about by ocean degradation and help shape debate about governance of the ocean. Tonight Alamilla is the lead presenter on ecosystem based management.

Channel 5

2 men injured in late evening shooting in Belize City
Just before news time this evening, several shots rang out in the Queen Square area, approximately a block away from the Raccoon Street Police Station.  Two Belize City youths were [...]

2 bandits escape with $208,000 in daring daylight robbery at Free Zone
Corozal Police are investigating a broad daylight robbery which occurred in the Commercial Free Zone on Monday morning. It happened in the parking lot of the Fabrica de Mayoreo, and [...]

Deon McCauley signs contract with U.S. Soccer Team, Atlanta Silverbacks
Belize’s star striker Deon McCauley, one of only three athletes to score eleven goals during the qualifying stages of competition leading up to the approaching FIFA World Cup, has found [...]

Family says contract is a stepping stone in McCauley’s career
While the Belmopan Bandits, the Football Federation of Belize and his teammates on the Belize National Selection celebrate the success of one of their own, Deon’s father, David ‘Manu’ McCauley, [...]

Post mortem confirms Thomas Ferguson died of stab wound
A post mortem examination on the body of Thomas Ferguson Sr., who succumbed over the weekend to an injury received on December seventh, 2013, confirms that he died of complications [...]

57 employees terminated from Golden Princess Casino
Last Friday, the Golden Princess Casino located at the Northern border closed its doors. The news was immediate cause for concern, particularly so because reports were that as many as [...]

Stephon Anderson remanded for the attempted murder of Andrew Augustine
In Monday’s newscast, we reported on the shooting of twenty-one year old Computer Technician, Andrew Augustine. While Augustine remains hospitalized, police believe the alleged gunman was twenty-three year old Stephon [...]

Man gets 10 years for robbery
Tanya McNab, a Belize City resident, was robbed at knife point in December 2012 by a man who stole her handbag valued at two thousand dollars. Her bag contained her [...]

Sherman Rodney arraigned for escape
Sherman Rodney is claiming he was beaten badly by the police and had to be hospitalized. And while the cops say he escaped from the K.H.M.H., Rodney says he walked [...]

Repairs near completion on Port of Belize’s pier
Repairs to the wharf at Port of Belize Ltd. have been ongoing since an accident last Tuesday during which an incoming barge caused significant structural damages when it collided into [...]

A workshop for artisans who work adjacent to archaeological sites
Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archeological Sites…It is a project that is the brainchild of the Belize Tourism Board, the National Institute of Culture and History and the European [...]

Junior Buddy, the jaguar, celebrates his 7th birthday
Throughout the years, many animals at the Belize Zoo, including the now deceased April the tapir, celebrated their birthdays to much fanfare from animal lovers across the country.  Junior Buddy, [...]

…while Edgar Hill, to be used for research studies
Another jaguar, Edgar Hill, was caught in a trap within the Mennonite village of Pine Hill, in the Toledo District.  The predator cat had attacked a horse and buggy and [...]

A one-on-one with Deon McCauley
As we mentioned earlier in this newscast, Belizean footballer Deon McCauley has signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Silverbacks, where he will be playing in the North American Professional [...]

Amandala

MANHUNT FOR JAROD “STEEL BOB” LAMB ENDS VIOLENTLY
The police manhunt to recapture escaped prisoner and accused murderer , Jarod “Steel Bob” Lamb, 25, of Ontario, came to a violent conclusion at about 4:00 this afternoon, in the area of the San Ignacio cemetery, where policemen found and shot him just below the right knee. Lamb was taken to the San Ignacio Hospital, after which he was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, under police escort. After Lamb is released from the hospital, he will be charged with escape from lawful custody, and returned to the prison cell at the Belize Central Prison, where he has been remanded on a murder charge. Lamb had escaped from San Ignacio police at about 8:30 Thursday morning, and they have been searching for him ever since. Lamb was today sighted in the area of the Santa Elena cemetery and residents called police, who responded immediately. When Lamb saw the cops, he ran, and they fired at him, hitting him just below the knee.

TONY HUNTER DIES IN TRAGIC ROAD ACCIDENT
The families of former PUP Minister of Government and Sir Alexander “Sandy” Hunter and his brother and former PUP Minister Fredrick “Fred” Hopkins Hunter, and the family and many friends of Fred Hunter’s son, Anthony “Tony” Hunter, 52, are mourning the loss of Tony, who was killed in a tragic road traffic collision that occurred about 9:00 Saturday morning between Miles 2 and 3 on the George Price Highway. Tony was travelling on his motorcycle from Hattieville to Belize City when he reportedly collided with the rear of a backhoe between San Foam Factory and the highway’s junction with the entrance into Linda Vista Estate. Tony, operations manager for a car rental franchise bought by Bowen and Bowen, died at the scene, and was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. A witness who lives near the scene of the accident told Amandala that she was in her house when she heard a loud bang, and when she looked out, she saw a man lying on the road in front of her driveway. The motorcycle on which he had been travelling was across the road in the drain and a backhoe was about 20 feet away from where the body was lying.

NEPHEW KILLS UNCLE; MOTHER DEVASTATED
A woman is devastated, after her son stabbed her brother, who died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital at about 9:00 Saturday morning. Alice Ferguson’s son, Oliver Peters, 36, will be arraigned on a charge of murder for the death of her brother, Thomas Eugene Ferguson, 53, who died on Saturday, February 24, two and a half months after he was stabbed by his nephew at about 1: 00 Friday morning, December, 6, 2013, at their family house on Arlington Drive. Ferguson told Amandala that they were all at home sleeping that Friday morning, when Peters, who does not live with them, came to their house and began to cause an uproar. He caused the light in the house to go out by breaking the bulb and got into an altercation with his brother and then punched his brother in the face. Peters then got a knife and went to the home of his uncle, Thomas Ferguson, which was in the same yard. He knocked on the door and when Ferguson opened the door, he stabbed his uncle in the chest. Ferguson then fell to the floor. Alice said that her son stood there, watching his uncle on the floor. She said she got angry with him and asked him why he stabbed his uncle.

2014’S BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET
The draft national budget—which includes roughly $800 million in recurrent spending and $200 million in capital spending, for a total of approximately $1 billion—is slated to be submitted to Cabinet this Thursday, February 27, according to information Amandala received today from the Ministry of Finance. Last year, Parliament approved $778 million in recurrent spending for the current financial year, and the draft of the 2014-2015 budget, which is due to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, March 7, before the March 9th holiday weekend, calls for just over $800 million in recurrent spending. Almost 40% of that is earmarked for wages and pensions, including funds programmed for a salary adjustment for teachers and public officers, which is due to take effect in July 2014, an official told us.

130 workers terminated from Golden Princess Casino
The Golden Princess Casino of the Corozal Free Zone, which employed over 200 workers from the Corozal District area, has ceased operations and roughly 130 workers of those workers were terminated. The workers were called to a meeting in the casino about 11:00 Friday morning, when they were informed that the casino was closing down. The owners reported that the casino was operating at a loss and could not afford to stay open. The casino has been operating just outside the Free Zone for over 10 years. The employees are now waiting to be paid, and to collect other severance benefits from the company. In an interview with CTV News, workers of the casino reported that they all went to work as normal on Friday, when they read a message placed on the bulletin board informing them of a meeting that was to be held in the casino conference room at 11:00 that morning. They attended the meeting and that was when they were told that the company was closing down.

CGA and Banks can’t agree on Citrus MOU
The contentious rift between citrus stakeholders Citrus Growers Association (CGA) and Banks Holdings Ltd. has reared its ugly head once again – this time leading to a delay in the signing of a crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which should have been finalized last Wednesday, February 19. Tonight, Amandala managed to speak with CGA executive Denzil Jenkins, who told us that CGA is optimistic that an agreement will be reached as soon as “the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.” Reliable sources within the citrus industry told Amandala earlier today that both parties were apparently still trying to “iron out” issues regarding “certain technicalities and legalities in terms of the MOU.” Amandala understands that the current disagreement is over an addendum which was inserted by Banks Holdings into the MOU – one with which the CGA does not agree. The CGA’s attorneys reportedly described the MOU as being “bogged down with technicalities.”

CASTRO VS CHANNEL 5 SUPREME COURT CASE BEGINS
Attorneys for Minister of State Edmund Castro, Channel 5 News and Alverine Burgess were at the Supreme Court today, Monday, for a case management session before the start of a libel suit that Castro has filed against Channel 5 News and Alverine Burgess. But if attorney Godfrey Smith, S.C., who is representing Channel 5 News, has his way, Castro’s claim will be struck out under a provision in the Prevention of Corruption Act, he told reporters. Less than one month after the Penner Passport Scandal broke, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, speaking at a press conference on October 23, said he had reports that Cabinet ministers were involved in a visa hustle. The Prime Minister emphatically begged his ministers to “please stop it,” adding that hustling at the Immigration Department “could cause the government to fall.”

EDITORIAL
As a people, we have been through experiences that have left us in disbelief. This description of “disbelief” applies to those of us Belizeans from the older generations, and the disbelief reaction occurs because of the colonial frame of reference with which we grew up five and six decades ago. Younger Belizeans do not experience our disbelief. They have grown up in the age of television and computers. There is nothing which leaves them in shock. They are more likely to experience anger and outrage, and it is arguably the case that anger and outrage are more relevant in 2014 Belize than shock and disbelief. 1950 Belizeans fought against colonialism and class prejudice. 1969 Belizeans fought against racism and imperialism. Today, what Belizeans are fighting against are modern, sophisticated, sinister forms of racism and imperialism. It is a very difficult fight, because we are not properly educated about the nature of sovereign nationalism, and we are not dedicated to that sovereign nationalism. In addition, educated Belizeans, such as our lawyers and politicians and big business people, have taken the lead over the last three and a half decades in selling out Belizeans, Belizean assets, and Belizean national dignity, for money. They are never punished for their treacherous deeds. In fact, it is the treacherous ones who run our society.

From The Publisher
Over the past few weeks I’ve been discussing political and economic concepts with you which have to do with the market place and the state. We say that the market place is committed to competition, raw competition, whereas systems wherein the state is prominent, focus on cooperation amongst the citizenry as the road to national progress. In George Orwell’s classic satire, Animal Farm, he attempted to show that in the state-prominent models, there still have to be individuals in charge. And the likelihood is great that these individuals will become elitist, selfish, and acquisitive in their behavior, thus undermining the very philosophy which drove the people to overthrow the previous leadership and install new ones. Near to us in Cuba, we have not seen Fidel and Raúl Castro become corrupt in material terms, although they have been in power now for 55 years. I think it is fair to say that the Castro brothers are exceptions to Orwell’s rule. Fidel and Raúl have been authoritarian, nevertheless, and people in my profession do not have that freedom in Cuba which we enjoy here in the media. The thing is, the United States, the most powerful country in the world, essentially declared war on Cuba the year following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and when you are in a war, you cannot tolerate as much dissent as when you are at peace.

LETTERS: Floating viral time bomb?
Dear Editor, While the debate over a major cruise ship terminal in the otherwise pristine southern Belizean waters continues, another serious concern has to be addressed. I refer to another recent outbreak of suspected norovirus aboard a Carnival cruise ship that incapacitated some 700 passengers and crew, and a recent CNN article, “Are cruise ships floating petri dishes?” The article raises some serious concerns and made me think; can a small country like Belize take a chance on what could be a floating viral time bomb? At the risk of sounding alarmist or as resorting to hyperbole, I feel that this is a very real concern that needs to be addressed.

LETTERS: Compton writes Evan X
Dear Evan, In “From The Publisher” of February 19, 2014, you mentioned that the Chamber Reporter was the first to introduce the offset printing technology in Belize in 1967. While it is true that the Reporter was the first newspaper to adopt this offset printing technology in Belize, I believe the technology was introduced by the Government Printers, which was on Church Street in Belize City where a BTL office is now situated, about 1963. This was followed by my brother, the late Elwood Fairweather, who had his print shop on Albert Street (Craig’s Waterside) in the lower flat of the residence of attorney and poet, Raymond H. Barrow. Elwood later helped the Chamber to set up their equipment. The Chamber Reporter was previously printed in Miami, Florida.

BCB Holdings reports US$4.8m net loss
BCB Holdings Limited (BCBHL), the parent company of the Belize Bank – the largest, full-service commercial and retail banking operation, today reported a net loss from operations of US$4.8 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2013, contrasting with net income of US$4.7 million for the same period of 2012. Consequently, the company reported a net loss per ordinary share of US$0.05, contrasting with net income of US$0.05 per share in 2012. BCBHL also reported a net loss from operations of US$2.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2013, while it reported US$2.1 million net income for the same time in 2012. This has meant a loss of US$0.03 per ordinary share for the last three months. For the last three months of 2012, BCB Holdings reported net income per share of US$0.02.

Mrs. Grace Peters (1920-2014)
Funeral services were held this afternoon at St. Ignatius Church for Roselia Grace Peters, a Dean Street stalwart for many decades. Officiating was Rev. Amelio Chi and the Organist was Mr. Joe Lawrence. Pallbearers were Lisburn Peters, Alvin Peters, Delbert Peters, Kevin Peters, Stanley Leslie, and Herman Arnold. Mrs. Peters was born on November 8, 1920, and passed on February 17 of 2014. She leaves to mourn her children: Lauren Diaz, Lisburn Peters, Alvin Peters, Blossom Peters, Therese-Peters Arnold, and Delbert Peters; daughter-in-law, Diane Peters; son-in-law Herman Arnold; sixteen grandchildren; twenty four great grandchildren; three great great grandchildren. Mrs. Grace Peters was a foundation stone of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD), the parent organization for the Kremandala businesses, in the early years. This newspaper extends the deepest of condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

BWC arrears to be settled out of court
The strenuous relations between the Belize City Council and one of its sanitation contractors, Belize Waste Control (BWC), soured even more after BWC hauled the Mayor to court last Friday for 5 weeks of outstanding arrears for sanitation services. Mayor Darrell Bradley stressed that the litigation hearings were “unreasonable,” since the Council was doing its best to keep the debt within the limits of their contract with BWC – which allows for 4 weeks of indebtedness on the part of the Council. This week, he told Amandala that both parties have decided that the lawsuit will now be settled out of court. The Mayor explained, “The situation is that last week, Waste Control had commenced other action against the City Council in respect of the arrears. In December of last year, we were 15 weeks behind with them (BWC), and they sued us for that 15 weeks. I was kinda surprised, because we were paying them. Now, we’ve brought it down to 5 weeks, and the contract itself shows us to be 4 weeks in arrears. Last Friday in court, we agreed to enter into a settlement order, and each side would bear their own costs, so the City Council will not incur any costs [of court].”

Suicide in Santa Clara, Corozal
A family from Santa Clara in the Corozal District is devastated after a 25-year-old father was found dead with a rope around his neck by his common-law wife, Karina Pech, 23, in the living room of their house at about 6:30 Tuesday morning. Adriano Samuel Ramos, 25, a laborer, was rushed to the Corozal Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Sajiah Jacobo and Dr. Ingrid Sansores. Ramos’ body was taken to the Corozal Morgue where a post-mortem was carried out to certify the cause of death. There were no signs of violence on his body, and police have ruled out foul play. His twin brother, Rafael Auriano Ramos, 25, a tour guide of St. Matthews, Cayo District, identified his body to police. Doctor Mario Estradabran, Police Coroner, conducted the post-mortem today, and at the conclusion of the autopsy, certified the cause of death to be asphyxiation by hanging due to suicide.

HORSE AND BUGGY BUSINESSES COME UNDER SCRUTINY AFTER ACCIDENT
The horse and buggy business has become a staple attraction of the cruise tourism industry in Belize City, and on days when cruise tourists come to our shores, the horse-and-carriages can be seen weaving through traffic, pulling groups of tourists to-and-fro all across the city. That practice, though, has now come under scrutiny after a 10-wheeler truck ran over the leg of a horse that was pulling some tourists in a carriage this past Tuesday at the corner of Craig and Daly Streets. The horse, called Jack, sustained a broken leg and had to be subsequently euthanized, to the ire of animal enthusiasts who have long been complaining that the horses are sometimes treated inhumanely because they work long hours and normally have to compete with buses, taxis and other vehicles in heavy traffic.

Health and CitCo address pigeon infestation at Michael Finnegan market
Some weeks ago, we told you about the problem of pigeon infestation at the Michael Finnegan Market (formerly the Queen Street Market), but the Environmental Health Unit in the Ministry of Health quickly stepped in with corrective measures, after observations that pigeons were found eating directly out of sacks of beans left open at the market. They have mandated vendors to use clear plastic to cover their produce, which they retail by the pound, rather than leaving them exposed to the open air. Amandala was informed by an official of the unit (formerly Public Health) that their investigations had revealed that some of the market vendors were actually encouraging the pigeons by feeding them. The unit has since asked those vendors to discontinue the practice. As we detailed in our previous article, pigeons are known to carry an array of pathogens, a serious problem because of their bad habit of dropping their feces anywhere they please.

PLB Closing Season delayed
Last Tuesday, February 18, the Premier League of Belize (PLB) released the schedule for the first 2 weeks of its new Closing Season 2013-2014 tournament, with games slated to be played over the weekend on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. This was followed by another release on Wednesday, February 19, where the PLB announced the “Disciplinary Board results/sanctions” in respect to the semifinal game from the last competition on Sunday, January 26, at the Marshalleck Stadium between home team Verdes FC and visiting FC Belize. We considered the late issuing of the sanctions to be of poor timing to usher in the start of the new season. As reported in last weekend’s issue, 4 Verdes players were suspended for 6 months and 1 Verdes player for 2 years (effectively all of the upcoming season), and both Verdes FC and FC Belize had the charges for cards issued during the course of the game raised to $150.00 per card. Both clubs, but especially Verdes FC, would therefore be reeling from the effects of the sanctions, while trying to prepare for opening games. FC Belize, whose owner, Lionel Welch, passed away recently, was given a pass by not being scheduled for action in the opening weekend. But, what was looking like a rocky start to the Closing Season turned out to be no start at all.

Corozal sports news
On Saturday, February 22, the official opening and parade of the Mayor’s U-10 Football Tournament 2014 was a huge success, with 12 participating schools. This was followed by the first 2 games of the tournament at the Corozal Civic Center grounds, where Corozal Methodist won, 1-0, over St. Francis Xavier; and Calcutta Gov’t defeated San Antonio Gov’t, 3-1. The Corozal District primary school male softball Finals will be completed on Wednesday, February 26, at the Civic Center grounds between the boys of Corozal Methodist and Xaibe RC. The Corozal Methodist female softball team are already the District Champions. The Family Fun Run 2014 is scheduled for 9th March, commencing at the Andres Campos Civic Center starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at Miami Beach with fun activities such as watermelon eating contest, 3 legged race, lime and spoon, parent and child beach cruiser race, limbo dancing and much more. Your entire family is invited.

Hill Circuit Test Race results – Sunday, February 23
The Cycling Federation of Belize held the first in a series of Test Race Events yesterday on the Hummingbird Highway as part of its selection process and preparation of the National Team. The event featured a Hill Circuit Race from Belmopan to approximately 1/2 mile from Cave Branch Bridge and return, for three and a half laps, with a return climb to finish on top of the Hill in Armenia Village, approximately 70 miles, for the Elite; and two and a half laps with a return climb to finish at the same spot for Female, Junior and Youth riders. Below are the top finishers for each category. Elite – 1st place Joel Borland (BTL Cycling Team); 2nd Ron Vasquez (Western Spirit); 3rd Peter Choto (C-Ray Road Addikz); 4th Giovanni Lovell (BTL Cycling Team); 5th Byron Pope (Benny’s Megabytes); 6th Marlon Castillo (BTL Cycling Team); 7th Geovanni Choto (Western Spirit); 8th Herman “Hijo” Requena (SMART Cycling Team); 9th Quinton Hamilton (SMART Cycling Team); 10th Gregory Lovell (BTL Cycling Team). Female – 1st place Shalini Zabaneh (Sagitun); 2nd Alicia Thompson (Belize Bank Swoosh).

MENTALLY CHALLENGED MAN, SHOT IN THE LEG, DIES OF THE INJURY
A mentally challenged man of Big Falls Village in the Toledo District died after being shot in the leg by police with a 12-gauge pump action shotgun after he chopped a special constable and attempted to chop another officer at about 8:00 Monday morning in Big Falls. Moses Williams, 25, was declared dead at about 9:30 that same Monday morning by Doctor Luz Legra Williams of the Punta Gorda Hospital. Police said that the incident occurred about 8:00 Monday morning when two policemen of the Big Falls were trying to arrest Williams, who was armed with a machete.

Jury find Lenny Bennett Benguche, 27, guilty of maim
After the court amended the indictment to reflect the accused man’s given birth name, Supreme Court Justice John Gonzalez signaled that he was ready to let the jury into the courtroom to hear its verdict in the trial of Lenny Benguche, who has been using a number of aliases in the past, and who had been indicted for maim. The foreman of the nine-member jury of 5 women and four men, who had been in deliberation for over four hours, indicated that they had reached a unanimous guilty verdict. Benguche, who was unrepresented at the trial which began on Monday, decided to exercise the option of a mitigation hearing before Justice Gonzalez passes sentence on him on Friday, February 28. The incident which led to the maim occurred on January 28, 2008, in Ladyville when Benguche shot his ex-girlfriend, Christina Zetina, behind her thigh, and as a consequence, the leg had to be amputated.

Repeat firearm offender picks up 10-year prison sentence
A Belize City man who has a previous conviction for keeping an illegal firearm and ammunition was convicted a second time for a similar offence and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of both charges in the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith sentenced Jevon Levi Slusher, 32, to ten years on each charge, but stipulated that the sentences are to run concurrently, so Slusher will only spend ten years in prison. In 2006, Slusher was convicted on firearm and ammunition charges and sentenced to five years in prison. Concerning Slusher’s latest charges, according to police, around 10:15 p.m. on February 22, 2013, they observed Slusher throwing an object into a bushy area near Jane Usher Boulevard.

Sea cucumber exporters plead guilty to Fisheries charges
Three Guatemalans, a woman and two men, who were busted with thousands of pounds of sea cucumber at a Fisheries Department checkpoint, pleaded guilty when they appeared before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton, who imposed a $500 fine on all three of them. Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana, 49, and her two Guatemalan employees, Cesar Gerardo Hichos Ramirez, 22, and Hugo Rolando Orellana Salas, 52, were charged with engaging in commercial fishing, while not being the holder of a valid fishing license. In addition, Aldana was charged with being in possession of a forged document. She pleaded guilty to that charge and Hamilton imposed the maximum fine of $6,000, to be paid immediately. The trio was represented by attorney Bryan Neal, who engaged the court in mitigation pleas on their behalf, imploring Magistrate Hamilton to not impose a custodial sentence on them.

Blogs

More facts about US National adoption related arrest in Belize and my surprising medical refund
Some of you may have read the recent news about the recent US National adoption related arrest in Belize. They extradited Mary Mooney from Belize right around the time I got sick, held her in Miami for a week and no one was able to tell her clearly why. Mary is still waiting for charges to be officially explained in court tomorrow and as far as she has been able to determine they are based on a company she was employed by back in 2007 and 2008 and the indictment has to do with placement of Deaf and HIV positive children from Ethiopia. I agree that it is important for news agencies to help the public be informed and part of this includes letting us to know who to watch out for. Seeing this story progress, I have gained a new perspective about how damaging it can be to label someone guilty [right down to the 'mug shot' picture everyone chose to use] without giving everyone enough facts to make an informed decision. What happened to consideration of a persons life, future and who they really are? Anyone could have found a nicer picture on Mary’s facebook page, I picked a nice one for my homepage feature image slider to this post. Of course doing so would not have matched the guilty criminal side of the story that was being reported. As far as I read, not one news agency took the time to look at who Mary Mooney really is in the adoption word and what her track record has been so far. Please keep in mind I am not faulting anyone for doing their job based on the one report all of us saw and that I am writing this from a personal point of view because I believe a second side of side of the story needs to presented.

Belize’s Big Cats Get a helping Hand as another Belizen Eco-Initiative Takes Off
Another initiative by Belize to contribute to a sane and sustainable world is picking up speed. We’re referring to the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding with 18 nations to create and safeguard a wildlife corridor aimed at preserving one of the world’s most magnificent creatures and a Belizean icon – the jaguar. Thanks to an official commitment from the Government of Belize and its environmental partners, there is now formal agreement to maintain the corridor through the jaguar’s natural habitat from Mexico through Central America and down to Argentina. And according to a keynote speaker at the event commemorating the signing, Belize stands out for preserving a robust habitat for the big cats. Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, who is the CEO of the international non-profit organisation, Panthera was lavish in his praise for Belize’s efforts. “You have some of the wildest jungle I have seen remaining throughout the jaguar range. You have some of the best jaguar populations…

Grow your Business
We are delighted to inform you of another opportunity for growth-oriented, innovative women entrepreneurs and business owners across the region: : “Grow your Business” (GyB) 2014 workshops have today been launched by the Women Innovators Network in the Caribbean (WINC), as part of the ‘Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean’ (EPIC) being implemented by infoDev, a department of the World Bank, in partnership with Canada’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). GyB 2014: Transform Your Business through Innovation These workshops are designed for women entrepreneurs to develop a fresh approach to their business. Over a three-day period, participants will explore new ideas to expand and improve their current business offerings, refine their unique selling propositions, better engage their existing customers and forge new business relationships. Our intention is that this GyB experience will empower entrepreneurs to fulfil their new business visions with ease and confidence.

The “new” debt crisis, and why austerity won’t work
The problem of toxic debt levels in the Caribbean is neither new nor particularly surprising, given the established trends in government spending even amidst poor economic performance and dismal growth prospects. However, the recent and ongoing involvement of the Inter national Monetary Fund (IMF) in the region’s economic affairs and the familiar championing of spending cuts and austerity are cause for concern, especially with the Fund’s history of botched economic experiments in Latin America (including Argentina) , Asia and now Greece. While huge public spending cuts seem to be a band-aid for the economic hemorrhaging, they are inadequate and short sighted solutions to the much bigger problem of creating (and supporting) economic growth.

Enjoy bacon omelet rolls fer brakefuss, lunch er dinn'r
8 aigs 1 cup milk 1 /3 cup flour 1 ret pepp'r, finelee choppet 8 slices bacon, crumblet 3 gree onyuns, finelee choppet 1 teespoon dride oregano 1 cup shretdet Cheddar cheez 1 cup salsa Direckshuns: Heat ove ta 350 degrees. Line 15 by 10 by 1-inch pun wit parchment pap'r wit ends extendyun' ov'r shertest sides o'pun. Spray wit cookin spray. Beat aigs, milk, an' flour n' a large bowl wit whisk until blendet. Stir n' t'nex 4 ingredyints. Pour into preparet pun. Bake 14-16 minnuts er until edges air almos set. Top wit cheez. Bake 2 minnuts er until meltid. Roll up omelet immediatelee startin at one shert end an' peeleeun' off pap'r as omelet is rollet. Place un platt'r, cut into slices. Serve wit salsa.

Cheesy Amish Brakefuss Casserole
1/2 pound slicet bacon, dicet 1/2 lb sausage 1/2 tsp garlic powd'r 4 cups froze shretdet hash brown potatoes, thawet 9 aigs, lightlee beete 2 cups shretdet Cheddar cheez 1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheez (I uset 4%) 2 cups shretdet Swiss cheez Preheet ove ta 350 degrees. Greese a 9×13-inch bakyun' dish. Set aside. Cook bacon an' sausage n' a large skillet until done. Drane fat. N' a large bowl, combine bacon, sausage, potatoes, aigs, cheddar cheez, cottage cheez, an' swiss cheez. Pour mixture into preparet bakyun' dish. Bake 40 ta 50 minnuts.

ANOTHER BELIZEAN ATHLETE MAKING OUR COUNTRY PROUD
Kelsey Balderamos transferred from St. John’s Junior College to University of St. Thomas · Texas. Balderamos went to high school at St. Catherine Academy where she helped lead her team to the National High School Championship in 2007 and 2008 qualifying to play internationally at the CODICADER Games in 2008 and 2009. She also played for the Stars Volleyball Club. Kelsey is a member of the 2012 All-Red River Athletic Conference Team and postseason award-winners as voted by the conference's coaches. Champions of Character..... — at University of St. Thomas - Houston.

Belize Fashion Fusion 2014 a Success
This past weekend Nouveau Model Management, Belize's premier modeling agency partnered with well known wedding, fashion and events photographer and Philanthropist, Will Moreno from Will Moreno Photography to present an innovative show designed to promote Belizean fashion designers, Belizean jewelry designers, an international fashion designer with Belizean family ties all showcased on the runway by the beautiful and elegant models of Nouveau Model Management. The fusion of designers such as Danny Torres from Jada's Fashions, Mauricio Canelo of De-Yans Fashion Jewelry, Lula Bennett of Lula's Impressions, supported by local boutiques such as Catwalk Fashions, Pink Boutique and Eve'e Secrets Lingerie made for a spectacular event. The main reason for the fusion and the fashion show was to show a child some love for Valentines as all profit from the show gets donated to charities such as the Belize Association of California and the Love Foundation for the less fortunate Belizean Children. The show was hosted by Jackie Castillo and William Neal.

Profiting from a strong private sector - Part III TAXES
The private sector also pays the largest proportion of taxes to the government of Belize. In the 2013/2014 budget, approximately $581 million or 80%, of the total $727 million in estimated tax revenue is projected to come from the or through the private sector. This does not include stamp duties, land tax, and several other taxes to which the private sector also contributes. It also doesn't include PAYE, some of which is contributed by private sector employees.

Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico (ESTM) boys win National Football Championship!!!
The boys of Escuela Secundaria Técnica Mexico of San Roman, Corozal, will represent Belize at the upcoming Central American Junior Scholastic Games (CODICADER) in Guatemala in September. They have won the National Football Championships organized by the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA). Delille Academy in Dangriga hosted the tournament sponsored by Bowen & Bowen Ltd and Crystal Water at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga on Friday and Saturday, February 14-15. The Escuela Mexico boys, completely dominated the Southern regional champions, the boys of Independence High School, and won 4-1 in the championship finals. When the Independence defenders blundered into taking down an Escuela forward in the goal area, the referee ruled penalty. Escuela’s central defender, Edgar Itza, stepped up to convert for a 1-0 lead.

COLLET MONTEJO SACKED BECAUSE HE ENDORSED LUKE ESPAT
Unconfirmed but reliable information is that PUP Senator Collet Montejo has been sacked. Montejo earned the ire of his party’s hierarchy after he endorsed Luke Espat for Standard Bearer for the Cayo Central constituency. Recently Montejo was encouraged to re-enter the race in the division which he lost marginally in the 2012 elections. Those plans changed shortly when he was asked or told to stand down from contesting. Montejo then decided to support Luke Espat. Inside sources tell NBZLIVE that senator Karen Bodden may also be on the chopping block and that Lisa Shoman will be the only senator that will retain her post. Convention is set for Sunday, April 27, 2014 when Luke Espat will face off with Daniel “Dan” Silva.

International Sources

Silverbacks sign Belizean scoring ace McCaulay
The Atlanta Silverbacks signed 26-year-old forward Deon McCaulay from Belize's Belmopan Bandits. He had scored 11 goals in eight matches for Belize in World Cup 2014 qualifying to tie Dutch star Robin Van Persie and Uruguayan Luis Suarez for the most goals in the 2014 qualifying campaign. "I've had my eye on Deon for a long time, and I got a chance to see him up close at last year's Gold Cup. His talent, speed, explosiveness, and knack for scoring goals is exactly what our team needs," said Silverbacks technical director Eric Wynalda. "After the departure of many of our top attacking players from last season, there were some question marks as to how we would replenish the offense. Those questions have been answered in the form of Deon McCaulay, and we couldn't be more thrilled to have him."

Belize offers Mayan ruins, Caribbean pleasures
My wife, Marcia Jacobson, and I like to be in a warm place between my Cornell semesters, and this year we chose Belize — formerly British Honduras — a relatively small country that became independent in 1981 and is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and on the west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Because it was once a British colony and people speak English, Belize is a good place for U.S. and Canadian citizens to vacation. Most tourists go to Belize to learn about the Mayan culture and to enjoy sea activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and swimming. Birding is also popular. Families and young adults find ample resources for adventure activities, such as rappelling and zip lining as well as cave exploration and cave tubing, particularly at Actun Tunichil Muknal, offered referred to as ATM. Of the 325,000 people, many are descendants of Mayas, and these are often Catholics; others include U.S. expatriates, Chinese, Indians from India as well as Amish and other Mennonite settlers who live in their own self-defined enclaves. Tourism is the major industry. The soil is not great, but good enough to support large gardens and small farms. In San Ignacio, many tourist workers supplement their seasonal incomes by growing their own food and selling the surplus.

Jaguar gains new protection in Belize
The future of the jaguar in Belize is looking brighter following the signing of a conservation agreement between the Government of Belize, the Environmental Research Institute of the University of Belize and the wild cat conservation organisation Panthera. The trio agreed to work together to implement science-based conservation initiatives that secure and connect jaguars and their habitats in Belize and beyond, facilitate land development that is both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable, and lesson human-jaguar conflict throughout the country. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Its decreasing population is primarily due to deforestation rates, human persecution and human-jaguar conflict, and is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN who now estimates it occupies just 46 per cent of its historic range. Situated on the southern tip of Mexico and eastern border of Guatemala, Belize serves as an integral link connecting jaguars within these countries and all jaguar populations south of Belize.

The Man Behind Miami's Biggest Gold Heists Caught in Belize
In October 2012, just outside a pastel-painted Coral Gables apartment building, one of the largest gold heists in Florida history went down. A convicted thief named Raonel Valdez, who was supposed to be wearing a court-ordered GPS device, somehow jacked $2.8 million in gold from courier George Villegas. And within a few months, Valdez had vanished. Private investigator David Bolton, hired by the Bolivian company that owned the stolen gold, stayed hot on Valdez's trail, but not even a $25,000 reward offered by his client produced any good leads. "We tracked him in four different countries," Bolton says. "We were always one step behind." Until now. Last week, immigration authorities in Belize caught the wanted man in a small town bordering Guatemala. The arrest brings to a close one of the wildest crime stories in recent years, one that — as recounted in a New Times feature story last July — suggested Cuban gangs were infiltrating Miami-Dade County's underworld.

Supermarkets urged to increase Fairtrade support
Irish supermarkets lag far behind their European counterparts when it comes to supporting Fairtrade products, the charity’s director, Peter Gaynor, said yesterday as Fairtrade Fortnight got under way. Half of all bananas sold in Switzerland carry the Fairtrade mark, while the corresponding figure in Ireland is 7.7 per cent. Sugar cane farmer Alfredo Ortega from Belize and Alex Flores from a cashew nut co-op in El Salvador are travelling around the State this week talking to schools and community groups about Fairtrade. Mr Ortega works with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and Tate & Lyle buys some of their produce. He said it had been challenging for farmers to meet the various standards required by Fairtrade but it was worth it. “It has brought benefits to the farmers, to the families of the farmers and the community.”

AT&T; Adds Global Unlimited Messaging to Mobile Share Plans
AT&T; today announced two of its best-ever offers for international messaging and direct dial calling from the U.S., delivering more value to customers who want to connect with family, friends and coworkers living abroad. On Friday, February 28, all AT&T; Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans will now include unlimited international messaging from the U.S. to the world. AT&T; consumer and business Mobile Share customers can send unlimited text, picture and video messages. Current Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value customers will automatically benefit from this offer. AT&T; is also excited to introduce international calling from the U.S. to any number anytime to over 35 countries, including Canada and Mexico, for 1¢ per minute with our new international calling package, World Connect ValueSM. The “penny-per-minute” calling rates also apply to calls made to any number in the majority of Latin American and Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Pierre and Miquelon, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Venezuela.

Taino-Maya Parallel Cultures
This a synopsis of a talk given by Peter Barratt to the Institute of Mayan Studies at the Science Museum in Miami on the 19 February 2014 As you may know the TA-INO and the MAYA have the same origins - both originally having arrived in the ‘New World’ from Asia. To put migrations to the Americas into context we have the Clovis Culture in New Mexico which has been positively identified as being a settlement at the end of the last glacial period… that, in round terms, was roughly 13,000 calendar years ago. Though…none of us I am sure will be surprised if the date of the migration into the Americas from Asia will be pushed back to …possibly to 50,000 years ago. The first peoples to migrate to the Caribbean were people of the Casimiroid culture who were later driven back to far western Cuba. (They are sometimes mistakenly called Siboney). The Casimiroids entered from the Yucatan/Belize in about 4500-2000 BC possibly following a chain of cays that has long since disappeared under the sea. The Casimiroid were a lithic people who left very little in the way of artifacts, (Polish archaeologist Kozlowski put a date of 4190 BCE on one Casimiroid site in Cuba) The first and most significant migrants came from South America. The first were people of the Ortoiroid lithic culture who lived between 2000 BC and 300 BC. This map shows the five cultures that had developed in the Caribbean up to 1492.

Doing Business in the Caribbean: CARIFORUM Needs Reform
THE RECENT report, Doing Business 2014: Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, is one of a long-standing series of co-publications of the World Bank and International Financial Corporation, which records the global competitiveness of 189 nations from 2012 to 2013. Sixteen of these nations are Caribbean: Fifteen are CARIFORUM member states. The current and previous ranking of these nations is shown in table 1. My immediate observation was that the Caribbean’s longest-standing independent nation – Haiti – was ranked last at 177, while the only non-CARIFORUM and dependent nation – Puerto Rico – was ranked first at 40; and these positions were unchanged from the previous year. In “Political Independence and Economic Development in the Caribbean,” I took a look at the Caribbean phenomenon that larger independent nations, like Haiti, generally have lower-income economies compared to the smaller dependent ones, like Puerto Rico: as it is in this case.

AT&T; fights messaging apps with unlimited free international text plan
After announcing LTE roaming agreements for various international markets on Monday, AT&T; on Tuesday revealed that it will soon offer free international text messaging to its customers, including support for video messaging, in a move that should help it counter mobile apps that offer almost free chatting features. Starting on February 28th, AT&T; Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans will include unlimited international messaging including SMS and MMS, but the offer will not support messaging apps that require a data connection to send messages, and which, if used abroad, will cause additional roaming data charges. Free picture and video messaging will be supported only for 120 countries, with free texting available to 190 countries in total. Furthermore, the messages must originate from a user’s phone number and must be sent between phones, with tablet and laptops not included in the offer. In its press release, AT&T; also says that “service may be terminated or restricted for tethered messaging, excessive international messaging or misuses.” In addition to free messaging, the carrier will also introduce a new “penny-per-minute” international calling rate to any number anytime, for 35 countries including Canada and Mexico. The plan will cost interested users an extra $5 on top of their current postpaid monthly contract.

February 25, 2014

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Placencia Sidewalk Arts Festival, a full weekend of fun!
While visiting Placencia over the weekend of February 15th for the annual Placencia Sidewalk Arts & Music Festival, we found there was so much more to the fun event than just the unique and creative art. Strolling along the once regarded “narrowest main street in the world” by the Guinness Book of World Records (Reutlingen, Germany now holds claim to the title) the sights, sounds and smells of grilling meats invited us in to the very heart of the village.

It’s a blowout: Tigersharks beat the Corozal Heats 79-54!!
The San Pedro Tigersharks picked up their second win in round three of the National Elite Basketball League after they defeated the visiting Corozal Heats on Saturday February 22nd. Held at the San Pedro High School Angel Nuñez Auditorium, the much talked about game saw national basketball action back on Ambergris Caye and had quite a large turnout. Not only did the spectators enjoy a good game, in which the home team blew out the Heats, but fans also got the opportunity to get Tigersharks t-shirts. Looking into the up-coming games in week four of the season, on Friday February 28th, Belmopan Bandits will face the Corozal Heats at the Andres Campos Civic Center in Corozal Town while Orange Walk Running Rebels will host the Dangriga Warriors at the Orange Walk Sporting Complex. On Saturday March 1st, Belize City Smart No Limits will play Toledo Diplomats at the Punta Gorda Sporting Complex while the San Pedro Tigersharks will host their second game of the season against Cayo Western Ballaz. The Tigersharks game will start at 8:00PM at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium and spectators are asked to come in black t-shirts to show support for the home team!

BTB and Industry Partners Give Couple A Belizean Honeymoon
It is not every day that the Belize Tourism Board receives requests to give a couple a honeymoon in Belize, matter fact, it has never happened, at least not that we can recall. So, when the BTB received a letter from WPC Leyna Cano on behalf of Precinct II requesting the BTB’s assistance for what we believe was a well-deserved and truly touching story, we knew that we had to try our best to make it happen. The Belize Tourism Board extends a sincere thank-you and acknowledges all the people who made this initiative a success. We want to recognize Tropic Air, Robert’s Grove, Tutti Frutti, The Art Affair Gallery, Laru Beya, Splash Dive Center, Maya Beach Bistro, Barefoot Services, Rum Fish Y Vino, Wendy’s Creole Restaurant, The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Yute Expeditions, Rolson’s Cosina Y Cantina, San Ignacio Resort Hotel, Hode’s Place, Boaz Golf Cart Rental, Belize Pro Diving, Caprice Restaurant, El Divino, Victoria House, Elvi’s Kitchen, Caramba’s, and Seaduced.

Ambergris Today

Terminal Cancer Patient Received Belizean Honeymoon by BTB & Partners
In her letter, WPC Cano articulated what a trip would mean for the couple. Very much in love, PC Leon Flowers and Dana got married in court and never had a honeymoon. Shortly after, Mrs. Flowers was diagnosed with Stage III cancer and despite treatment abroad, a few days ago she returned home after learning her cancer is terminal and that she has only a couple months to live. The couple’s positivity in the face of such a difficult time in their lives, coupled with the acts of thoughtfulness and kindness demonstrated by Precinct II, really moved us and we created a nine day itinerary after we received overwhelming support from our industry partners. On Friday, February 21st, Mr. & Mrs. Flowers departed for the much needed break which takes them to the destinations of Placencia, San Ignacio and San Pedro. The pair is set to experience the warmth of our Belizean hospitality and the indescribable beauty of our country through the best of what Belize has to offer in attractions, food, art, transportation and accommodation.

San Pedro Carnival 2014 Kicks off with Masquerade Ball
The San Pedro House of Culture, in collaboartion with the San Pedro Town Council and Holiday Hotel, hosted its first Masquerade Ball to kick off the San Pedro Carnival 2014 celebrations this past weekend on Saturday, February 22, 2014. The invitation was sent out for everybody to join the party dressed in elegance and wearing special masquerade masks. Those who did not have time to create their own masks were able purchase one at the party and join in on the fun filled celebration along with great music, Mardi Gras beads, appetizers and plenty of cocktails. Prizes were given out to the Most Elegant, Most Creative, Best Couple and Most Energetic party goers.

Isla Bonita Elementary School Hosts Drug/AIDS Fair
Students of the upper division at Isla Bonita Elementary School (Std IV, V and VI) in Ms. Sharon Hazel’s Social Studies class held a mini fair on Drugs, Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS on Friday, February 21, 2014. Students were divided into groups where they presented on topics given to them. They were very elaborate in their explanations and provided great examples and interactive games. Invited guests included students, teachers, media, San Pedro Police and SP AIDS Commission.

Island Torch Bar & Grill Promises Hearty and Local Dishes
We have found the perfect place for breakfast in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye; well, another awesome place with a superb breakfast menu that you can have at any time of the day. Island Torch Bar & Grill offers large hearty breakfast options that will have you satisfied and full of energy for the rest of the day! But Island Torch is more than just a place for big breakfast; although it has gotten popular as a hotspot for morning meals, the restaurant has amazing lunch specials that compare to homemade meals and evenings come alive with delicious pizza and beer/cocktails at the bar. Island Torch opens bright and early at 6a.m. every morning, so you can have a great Belizean breakfast before you head to the office or commence your daily rituals. Or you might just want to relax, sip on some good coffee while you update your social media status or check your emails. It is located across Central Park on Barrier Reef Drive so you can sit back and observe as the island comes alive.

A Glimpse into San Pedro Mayor's Oval Office
It is the equivalent to the President of the United States' Oval Office! It is cleary not as majestic and prestigious as the one in the White House, but the office of the Mayor of San Pedro Town is pretty awesome. With posh furnishings, ample desk space, seating for small meetings, and a private bathroom, 'Mayor Danny's office is very comfortable for a man who has the task of running the very busy town of San Pedro. The most impressive decor in the office is the artwork on the ceiling that depicts a 3D logo of the San Pedro Town Council. A suitable office for our hard-working Mayor.

Misc Belizean Sources

BELIZEANS STRIVING TO SECURE GRANTS FROM CARIBBEAN EXPORT
Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in partnership with the Belize Coalition of Service Providers (BCSP) will deliver a two-day workshop on the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme to attending firms as part of the Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) on February 26 and 27, 2014. Following a recent virtual grant proposal training session delivered on February 11, 2014 by Caribbean Export to BCSP and Beltraide officers, at the request of Beltraide, this workshop was subsequently requested to ensure Belizean firms are in the best possible position to access the available funds from the scheme.

Taximan busted with suitcase of marijuana in his van
elmopan resident Lisburn Marin, 45, was booked on drug trafficking charges late last week. Police busted Marin, a taxi driver and security guard, with a suitcase containing just over 16 pounds of suspected marijuana. Police say that the bust happened in Roaring Creek village on Thursday afternoon. Police conducted a search of Marin’s van and the suitcase was found behind the last seat of the vehicle. Marin has been arrested and charged for the offence of drug trafficking.

Community journalists gradaute in Punta Gorda town
Graduation exercise was held on Saturday, February 22 for a group of Toledo men and women who underwent training as community journalists. The training was an initiative of Ak’Kutan Radio and was designed to give participants of the training course a basic understanding and knowledge of what it takes to gather the news, write stories and present the news on radio and television. The training was conducted by veteran broadcaster/journalist Patrick Jones. A total of 12 community journalists graduated on Saturday during ceremonies which were held at the Father Francis Ring Parish Hall in Punta Gorda town.

Ministry of Health to Benefit from Training in Quality and Performance Delivery
Government of Belize Press Office PRESS RELEASE

FFB Inter-District Championship
Congratulations to the MnM Steelers, for winning the 2nd FFB Inter-District Tournament against the Roaring Creek United yesterday in Belmopan. "Championship of the second FFB Inter-District tournament was held at the FFB Goal Project stadium in the Garden City yesterday 23/2/2014 between Roaring Creek & MnM Steelers of Independence village."

Benque Sawdust Art Project
The Sawdust Art Project that celebrates Holy Friday will be on April 18th this year. Benque's famous sawdust art tapestries always impress, and they are inviting everyone to come out and show off their skills and creativity. See you there. Email [email protected] for more information. Thanks go out to NICH and the Benque House of Culture for setting up this amazing cultural event. "Join us in the elaboration of sawdust tapestries in Benque, be creative, innovative and live the momentum of Holy Friday in Benque Viejo. Interested group from all over Belize are invited to partake in this activity, kindly touch base soon, for more information inbox us."

Armed robbery on the Mountain Pine Ridge road
There was a frightening armed hold up on the Mountain Pine Ridge Road on Saturday morning. Guatemalan businessman Leonel Cardona, reported to police that around 9 am on Saturday, he was driving towards Barton Creek when two men emerged from the bushes armed with shotguns. Cardona, who was being accompanied by Luis Aroldo Ochoa Mendez, says that when the vehicle came to a stop, the armed robbers proceeded to relieve them of a total of $4,000 in cash along with 500 Quetzales. The robbers then fled the area. Police say no one was physically hurt in the incident and an official investigation is ongoing.

Cayo cop charged for extortion
A policeman attached to the San Ignacio police station has been arrested and charged for the crime of extortion. He is Constable #444 Henry Nunez. PC Nunez was arrested and charged following a report made by a motorist that he was shaken down for $300 after he was caught driving a motor vehicle without insurance. The alleged shakedown happened on Tuesday of last week by Esperanza resident Francis Requena, 56. Requena told police that he was stopped at the La Loma Luz Boulevard roundabout on the George Rice Highway and notified of the traffic offence. Requena claims that the officers requested the $300, which he was able to get from his son who arrived at the scene shortly after a call was placed by Requena’s wife. Requena’s son says that after giving the money to his father, he saw when Francis Requena handed the money to the officer who was seated in the rear seat of the police vehicle after which the vehicle drove off.

Edmund Castro versus Alvarene Burgess in Supreme Court
The case of Minister of State Edmund Castro and the woman identified as Alvarene Burgess who accused him of involvement in corrupt transactions over visa recommendations is before the Supreme Court for case management. Castro is seeking a retraction, apology and damages from Burgess and Great Belize Television, Channel 5 who interviewed burgess and broadcast her allegations in October of 2013.

#1 Island In the World-Again!
Very proud and happy about this recognition for Belize, Hon. Manuel Heredia, Jr., Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Civil Aviation, says that collaboration and hard work with industry partners, coupled with satisfied guests, made this possible, “We are honored that Ambergris Caye is once again the #1 Island In The World. The commitment and love invested in this industry have not gone unnoticed. We are thankful for the great partnership that we enjoy with our stakeholders and applaud their dedication to the standards that they keep setting not just for Belize, but also for the global tourism industry. We are also very grateful to the travelers for sharing their wonderful experiences with the Trip Advisor community, because without the visitors this award would not have been possible.”

FISHING REPORT: Week of February 15 – 22nd, 2014
Everyone said, “The week went too fast!” And it did. What fun to meet new friends and most enjoyable for us at El Pescador to see you all leave with big smiles. It is so rewarding for the guide team to see you leave with more confidence and with plans to return! Anglers and guides working together make dreams come true. And remember, you now become the teachers for your family and friends. They look at your adventurous self and think that they too might have that possibility someday to land a fish on a fly. Or wade the flats with a special lure like Scott’s. Carlos brought his wife and four children here to run around in the sun and be exposed to the life from the sea. We are thrilled you joined us and look forward to seeing you all soon. In the meantime, practice your cast so you too can cast to your dreams!

National Women’s Month
Greetings from the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children and the National Women’s Commission (NWC). The month of March in Belize is celebrated annually as National Women’s Month; as a result, the Special Envoy Office in collaboration with the NWC is staging the 20,000 Strong National Women’s Empowerment Rally on Thursday, March 6, 2014 from 9:00A.M. to 3:00P.M. at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City. The aim of this first-of-its kind event is to demonstrate the power, influence and significance of women by showing the Belizean society a day without women. This rally will serve as a platform for a collective approach at finding solutions to the issues that affect the lives of women. We are, therefore, inviting all women, from as near as Belize City to as far as the Toledo District to take the day off from work as a means of celebrating their collective strength and participate in the rally en mass.

Ya’axché’s ranger team develops skills for tree conservation
In April 2013, the Ya’axché Conservation Trust initiated a new programme in Belize focusing on increasing the capacity of protected area managers and staff to carry out tree species conservation. Approaching the end of the project’s first year, Gail Stott reports on the early progress made working with Ya’axché’s ranger team. The first year of Ya’axché’s Global Trees Campaign project has so far been an extremely busy one, involving training workshops, competitions, monitoring trees in the field, and the revamp of our tree nursery. Bearing in mind the relatively low capacity of Belizean NGOs to identify, monitor and manage different tree species, we have started with the basics: new training materials have been developed and tailored to the needs of conservationists in Belize, focussing on plant identification, core field skills, survey methods and the collection of voucher specimens.

The cohune, the gibnut and us
The cohune, the gibnut and us is a short film produced by Ya'axché Conservation Trust in Belize, Central America. The film is explains the concept of biodiversity and what an ecosystem is, and why we humans need to take care not to break the links in the forest ecosystem. The film uses the example of the gibnut (paca), a ground dwelling rodent which disperses the nuts of the cohune palm, which is used for thatching. The paca is also hunted for meat by humans.

Galen Wins ATLIB Basketball
Congratulations, Galen Eagles! They won the ATLIB Basketball championships over the weekend, and this makes it 2 years in a row. "Galen University Eagles Basketball Team: undefeated champions for the second year in a row! GO EAGLES, GO!"

Cayo BTIA Website
The Cayo chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association has a web page. It's still being constructed, but it's looking nice so far. Cayo is the ecotourism capital. Great picture of ATM. "San Ignacio Town is the main town in the Cayo District of western Belize and is an ideal base to explore ancient Maya cities like Caracol and Xunantunich, ceremonial caves like Barton Creek and Actun Tunichil Muknal, and cascading water falls like Rio on Pools and Big Rock waterfalls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Nature Reserve. Hiking, kayaking, bird watching and horseback riding are also top rated outdoor activities in the area. San Ignacio is also an important en route to and from Guatemala since it is one of the last towns in Belize before entering Guatemala where many travelers go to visit Tikal - one of the largest archaeological site in the country."

UB Lady Jaguars Win ATLIB Basketball
Congratulations to the UB Lady Jaguars for winning the ATLIB Basketball championship! The UB male team took second place. "The ATLIB Basketball nationals was held on Friday, February 21, 2014 and our Black Jaguars went to represent the University after qualifying in the Regionals. UB Lady Black Jaguars first faced Belize Adventist Junior College and secured a win. The championship game was between UB Lady Black Jaguars and Stann Creek Ecumenical Junior College (SCEJC). Our team subdued SCEJC and became the new ATLIB champions. The males defeated Wesley Junior College in their first game but unfortunately lost to Galen University in the final game of the day. UB Black Jaguars earned second place in the tournament. Congratulations to our athletes for representing the university well."

Love is in the Air Concert
The Benque House of Culture has posted pictures from the Love is in the Air Concert that was at Centennial Park on Saturday. "The kindness and support of our community brings us through the celebration of a close knitted community, our Air of Love Concert was a blissful partnership with you all. We are humbled by the support of each and everyone who assist in fortifying our solid arts & culture spirit."

Corozal: Stop searches, vehicular checkpoints, bike patrols
Feb 24 - Superintendent Andrew Ramirez of the Corozal Police Department is notifying the general public that stop searches, vehicular checkpoints, bike patrols, mobile patrols and highway patrols will be carried out every Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. These operations have been instituted and will stay in effect until the conclusion of the sugar cane season. They apologize for any inconveniences caused during these operations.

Toledo Community College Fair this weekend
The Toledo Community College (TCC) is hosting its Annual fair this Saturday March 1 at its campus in beautiful Punta Gorda town. According to one of the organizers Ms. Arlene Pennell, the objective of the fair is not only to raise the public profile of the institution, but also a fundraising event for the school to help support different academic initiatives at TCC. Pennell says that the fair also helps to keep the students committed to giving back to their school and community. Organizers say it will be a full day of fun activities to suit everyone, whether it be children, youth or adults.

BELIKIN LA RUTA MAYA CULTURAL NIGHT

FORMER UDP SAN PEDRO DEPUTY MAYOR STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES
Former UDP Deputy Mayor of San Pedro, Romel “Nesto” Gomez was stabbed multiple times on Sunday night by his wife sources say. Details are still sketchy on the circumstances surrounding the attack. Guerrero is said to be in serious condition and has been hospitalized at a private facility and is expected to be transferred to the KHMH in Belize City today. Guerrero sustained injuries to the neck, chest and abdomen.Image

Channel 7

Fugitive Steel Bob Shot
San Ignacio Police shot fugitive Jarod "Steel Bob" Lamb this evening. Lamb had escaped from police last week Thursday by busting out of a police van near Ontario Village. San Ignacio Police say that at around 4, someone in the Santa Elena Town spotted him in the Santa Elena Cemetery. The person, who had seen his photo in the media, recognized him as a fugitive and called police. Officers responded and spotted him in the area, and when he saw them coming, he tried to run. One of the officers shot him in the left leg, one inch below the knee. He fell, and police apprehended him after four days on the run. He was escorted from San Ignacio to the KHMH under police guard, where he is being treated for his wounds. As soon as he is released, he will be charged with escaping from lawful custody.

Anthony Hunter Dead In Traffic Tragedy
Tonight, the Hunter Family is grieving the loss of 52 year-old Anthony Hunter who died in a terrible motorcycle accident at mile 2 on the Western Highway just in front of the Foam Factory. At this time police believe that he slammed his Kawasaki Z motorcycle into a backhoe tractor belonging to Cisco Construction. The impact was massive, and here's what we found on the scene: Daniel Ortiz reporting When we arrived on the scene, it was an hour or so after the accident had occurred. Tony Hunter lay died in the middle of the road, a sheet wrapped over him to try to conceal the damage that had been done to his body. Police worked quickly to process the scene. They had blocked off the Western Highway for at least a half a mile, and so they needed to reopen it as soon as possible.

Former PUP Minister Hunter Discusses Loss of Third Son
And while the police put the pieces together, for the family, it's more like picking up the pieces of a shattered life. Today, Anthony Hunter's father, former PUP Minister Freddy Hunter, told Monica Bodden that they couldn't have expected to get news of his death because he had left for work and was expected home soon. And then, they got the call that all families hope to never receive: Freddy Hunter "I was up there at 8am when I got the phone call and my daughter Lourdes call me and said Anthony just passed away and then she told me that he had an accident on the motorcycle; the motorcycle ran into the back of a back hoe and he died on the spot. They came for me, my granddaughter Gina and another grand daughter Amy came and brought me to Belize City and then I found out what really happen that - he works for Bowen and Bowen, they have a car rental and there was two customers in a car that he was showing how to find the Western Highway, so they were riding behind him and when he got them on the highway and they were satisfied that they were on the right road - he went ahead to most turn around or go through Boom, I don't know what his intentions were, but he sped up the motorcycle and when the passengers pass the curve they saw him on the highway already dead. It was on a curve that he went. That is all we know about it."

Alfredo Allegedly Chopped By Brother
Alfredo Martinez, a resident of 170 East Canal, continues to receive treatment at the KHMH tonight after he was either chopped with a machete or slashed with a knife in the head and face. But it's no common "cut him up" crime because police say that his brother is their main suspect. Today, they told 7News why: Inspector Jorge Villanueva, Operation's Commander "Last night shortly after 8pm police responded to an incident. They visited #170 East Canal where on their arrival they encounter a dispute between two brothers. As a result, one sustains superficial cut wounds to the head and the nose. He was transported to the KHMH where he was treated and police are investigating into the matter. His brother Ricardo Martinez, 53 years old, Salvadorian security of the same address - he has been detained and he will be charged shortly."

Nephew Charged For Uncle's Murder
And while that brother is being investigated, a nephew will now face murder charges after the uncle he was accused of stabbing, died this weekend. 44 year-old Thomas Ferguson Sr. got into a fight with his nephew, 36 year-old Oliver Peters on December 7, at a house on Arlington Drive. Peters took out a knife and allegedly stabbed his uncle in the center of the chest. Ferguson had been fighting for his life since then and on Saturday, 2 and a half months later, he passed away at the KHMH. That means that Peters, who was charged and arraigned on charges of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm, will now be upgraded to murder.

Andrew Augustine Shot In The Neck
Almost 12 hours later, police had to return to the KHMH to investigate the shooting of 21 year-old Andrew Augustine, who was hit in the neck. Police told us today that Augustine's shooting last night on Jasmine Street is being closely looked at as an escalation of violence in the Lake Independence area: Cpl. Jorge Lemus, Admin "Acting upon information received from the police control room on Sunday 23rd of February, 2014 at about 11 minutes after 10 police from Precinct 2 visited the KHMH hospital where they saw a male person suffering from a single gunshot wound to the neck area. Initial information received is that one Andrew Augustine, he is a computer technician of a Belize City address was walking on Jasmine Street when a lone gunman rode up and pointed a firearm in his direction and fired a single shot which caused the said injury."

Still No Gold For Employees Of Princess Gold
Former employees from the Golden Princess Casino, who were abruptly laid off last week Friday, intend to go back to the Human Resources Department tomorrow to find out if they will be paid their severance packages for the years of service that they were employed at the company. 7News understands from solid sources that those who were terminated were promised that they would be called today, so they postponed the plan to go asking for their pay to give the former employers a chance to follow up with them. We understand that the employers have not gotten back to them, so they will now go and seek out HR. As we told you, reports to 7News were that over 130 employees were laid off without notice on Friday morning at around 11, and our colleagues at CTV3 were on the ground just after the news was delivered to them, and they spoke with one of the former employees. Here's what she told them about how management had ensured them job security days before they were blindsided:

Alleged Sea Cucumber Queen Pin In Jail
Tonight, Guatemalans Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana, her common-law husband Honduran, Hugo Salas, and their associate, Cesar Gerardo Ramirez are in jail. They couldn't pay substantial fines incurred for pleading guilty to a slew of fisheries offences. One week ago, they were busted with 7,033 sea cucumbers, weighing 3 thousand pounds, which were destined for illegal export from Belize. Aldana and her crew were expected back in court last week Friday, but it seems that her charges had to be amended before they were finally arraigned. They were read charges of engaging in commercial fishing without a fisherman's license before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton today. They all pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to pay a fine of $500 each. The other 2 charges of engaging in fishing for Sea Cucumbers and attempting to export fisheries without a valid exporter's license were both withdrawn.

Castro Vs Channel 5 Goes To Court
By now, you know very well about the consequence arising from the allegation that Minister of State Edmond Castro used the Belize Airport Authority like a political piggy bank. Prime Minister Barrow made the entire board resign, and the BAA was removed from Castro's Portfolio as the Minister of state in the Ministry of Transport. But before Castro's name was called in that scandal, Channel 5 and immigration agent Alvorine Burgess accused him of selling dozens of visa recommendations for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Castro admitted he wrote letters for her, but he said he never did the amounts she alleges, and he never did it for money. So, he took out a lawsuit against Burgess and Channel 5 for defamation, and today, that case made its first appearance in the Supreme Court before Justice Courtney Abel.

King vs. Castro On Secret Recording: "Big Man Business"
3 weeks ago, 7News told you about the tension within the UDP Government after Lake Independence Area Representative Mark King secretly recorded a conversation with Belize Rural North's Edmond Castro. There are widely varying reports about what Castro did and did not say in that recording - but the most credible information we have been able to piece together says that he was complaining, quite bitterly, about Prime Minister Barrow leaving him under-resourced, and to fend for himself in his division. It was a Friday evening meeting with a UDP linked businessman, drinks were being served, and Castro's conversation we are told was loose and critical of the PM. Shortly after the meeting, King forwarded the conversation to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who has confirmed to the media that he did indeed receive it. The full contents of that conversation are still unknown at this time, and when we tried to get it out of the Prime Minister, he deflected saying that he considers it an internal UDP matter. But in a climate where the Prime Minister has admitted that the scandals are threatening to destabilize his government, we wondered what King's intention was.

Husband And Wife On Weed Charge
37 year-old Barry Lee Wade and his common law wife, 34 year-old Elizabeth Ann Linarez are facing a drug trafficking charge after they were busted by the GSU with over 8 pounds of marijuana. According to the Gang Suppression Unit, they searched the couple's home on Mahogany Street Extension on Saturday afternoon at around 4:30. Inside their room, the officers found 3 large plastic bags on top of a television shelf. One of the bags contained 10 parcels of marijuana; another contained 6 parcels, and the final bag several small plastic bags. When the officers weighed the drugs in their presence, it amounted to 3.9 kilos or 8.58 pounds of marijuana, so the couple was charged with drug trafficking.

Busted, Disgusted, Remanded
23 year-old Belize City resident Steven Palacio is at prison tonight after police say that they busted him with 9mm rounds of ammunition. When police searched his vehicle on Saturday, they found four live rounds of ammunition. They charged him with keeping unlicensed ammunition, and he was arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate. He pleaded not guilty and claimed that the officers who searched him planted the bullets in his vehicle. His protest notwithstanding, due to the nature of the offence, he couldn't be granted bail, and he was remanded to prison until his next court date.

One Prisoner Caught, Another Still At Large
At the top of the news, we told you that police recaptured one of the prisoners who escaped from their custody. But another prisoner escaped from police a few hours after Steel Bob ran off. According to police at around 6 o'clock on Thursday evening, he escorted Rodney to the KHMH to seek medical attention because he was complaining of severe pain to the left arm. Rodney was taken into a room by a nurse, and when she left, and the officer went in to check on him, he was nowhere to be found. He had made his escape, and tonight, police continue to search for him.

Art: The view From The Street
On Saturday, the 4th annual Street Art Festival took over Downtown Belize City where the streets were closed off to make way for a convoy of creators. 7News was there from the very beginning to the end 8 hours later. Here are some highlites:

Healing Helping Community
And while that was Saturday in the city's downtown area, on Sunday in Lake Independence, community activists joined up with law enforcement to host the 9th Day of Healing, an effort to foster fraternity between at-risk youths living in the different turfs in the Belize City Gang Landscape. It's a grassroots initiative which started on George Street, but picked up and carried on by Perry "Stix" Smith try to show the youths that there are alternative avenues to gang life. It happened at the Complex Field yesterday, where boys from different hoods converged on neutral territory, to make peace from the ground up. Daniel Ortiz dropped by to see how it went. Here's what he found out: Sunday's Healing day was the second for 2014.

Hon. King, Positive Recreation
A few blocks away from the Day of Healing, Lake Independence Representative Mark King was hosting his first 3-on-3 Street Basketball Tournament. He and his fellow organizers, including the Belize City Council as his partner, closed 2 blocks of the main artery into the Lake Independence area yesterday and that was transformed into the basketball court. It's an interesting model of positive recreation in a neighbourhood under heavy influence of violence and so Daniel Ortiz stopped in to see the basketball talents from the hood go at it in the tournament. Here's his report:

I Am 100
How often do you hear of a Belizean citizen reaching the age of 100? That's exactly what Jaqueline Ernestine Gibson Celebrated today; she was born on February 24, 1914. To note the landmark in longevity, Help Age threw her a birthday party and invited the media to join in. 7News stopped in and spoke with Gibson, who has a pleasant disposition which allows her to fit into any social interactions, regardless of age. Here's what she told us about the importance of her hundredth birthday: Jaqueline Ernestine Gibson "100." Daniel Ortiz "Ma'am, tell us about your 100th birthday? The people around you I see they are making it as special as they can for you." Jaqueline Ernestine Gibson "Yes, because I am a special person of course. Anywhere I go I always be the life of the party." Daniel Ortiz "How does one become 100 years old? How do you stay healthy like that to get to that age?" Jaqueline Ernestine Gibson "You just take good care of yourself."

Jaguar Man Is Cayo North's Man For UDP
The UDP has a new standard bearer in Cayo North. He is Dr. Omar Figueroa, the well-known jaguar researcher. In a convention on Sunday where 2051 persons voted, Figueroa garnered 1,383 votes, trouncing his opponent Jorge Tesecum who had 648 votes. It's an impressive showing considering that in the run up to the 2012 election, the PUP had a total of 1250 voters at a four way convention to elect Joseph Mahmoud who went on to become the area representative. Of course, conventions are one thing and elections another, because Cayo North has about 6500 voters.

Channel 5

Well-known biker, Anthony Hunter, perishes in traffic accident
A traffic accident took the life of well-known biker, Anthony Hunter Senior over the weekend. Hunter had escorted a group of visitors on to the George Price Highway when his [...]

Police believe speeding was involved
Anthony Hunter’s family is preparing to lay him to rest later this week. But police investigations continue and contrary to what the family says, the police believe that Hunter was [...]

Uncle, who is shot by his nephew, succumbs
Forty-four year old Thomas Ferguson Senior was stabbed in the chest by his nephew on December seventh, 2013, following a bitter land dispute in which the two were engaged in [...]

2 prisoners back in police custody….Jarod Lamb is shot to the leg
Last Friday, we told you about three prisoners who had escaped from police custody. Well tonight, the streets are safer because two of the three have been recaptured. Late this [...]

…while Sherman Rodney hands himself into police
A second prisoner who police claimed eluded the long arms of the law is also back in police custody. Twenty-three year old Sherman Rodney handed himself to police this afternoon [...]

Belize City youth shot to the neck
A Belize City youth is tonight in a critical, but stable condition at the K.H.M.H. following a shooting on Sunday night in the St. Martin De Porres area. According to [...]

Vehicle crashes into gate of Taiwanese Embassy
A sixteen year student who was apparently driving without a license is in trouble tonight with the law. On Sunday night, he collided into the gate of the Taiwanese Embassy [...]

Trial of whistleblower in alleged visa hustle begins
Minister of State Edmond Castro was recently under much scrutiny for his part in a Belize Airports Authority check fiasco which resulted in the entire BAA Board being forced to [...]

PAC hearings take place in the Capital, but the P.U.P. remains absent
The Public Accounts Committee met in Belmopan today to continue its scrutiny of past Auditor-General reports. The hearings of the PAC have been all but lost in the outcry against [...]

PAC Chairman on strengthening Parliamentary Budget Oversight
PAC Chairman Julius Espat recently attended a special conference on strengthening Parliamentary Budget Oversight. At that conference he was invited to give a presentation on the Opposition’s proposal to restructure [...]

San Ignacio cop arraigned for extortion
A San Ignacio cop is in the hot seat after being accused of extorting money from a Santa Elena couple. Police constable Henry Nunez was arraigned at the San Ignacio [...]

GSU carry out 2 anti-drug operations
The Gang Suppression Unit carried out two anti-drug operations over the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, the GSU searched the lower flat of a two storey concrete building on Mahogany Street.  [...]

Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana still in court for slew of charges
It has been a very rocky road for a Guatemalan woman who has been back and forth in court since last week Monday for a slew of charges. Forty-nine year [...]

Centenarian Jacqueline Gibson meets occasion in style
Jacqueline Gibson is celebrating a milestone not shared by many Belizeans. She turned one hundred years old today. While she shows her years in character, it is fair to say [...]

Weekend Sports Update with James Adderley
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   Week 3 in the National Elite Basketball League brought a monster to the Sacred Heart College Gym in San [...]

CTV3

Prestigious Golden Princess Casino Closes Business In Free Zone
A few weeks ago the Statistical Institute of Belize reported a decrease in unemployment rate. The report showed that unemployment went from 16.1% in September of 2012 to 14.2%. But the tonight SIB can kiss that figure goodbye because, after being in full operation for almost 10 years, the Golden Princess Casino. Located near the Corozal Commercial Free Zone, closed its doors today leaving more than 130 men and women jobless. It all happened in the blink of an eye. As reporter Victor Castillo found out, the news took employees by surprise and left them in shock. Castillo – Reporting Unaware of what lay ahead, the men and women employed by the Golden Princess Casino, located in the area of the Corozal Commercial Free Zone, adhered to the memo placed on the company’s bulletin board: they were to attend a very important meeting in one of the company’s conference rooms at 11:00 this morning.

Vegetable Vendor Complain Of The Abuse Of Power By Customs Officers
Tonight a resident from the Village of Guinea Grass is extremely upset with Officials from the Customs Department. This morning Arturo Perez visited our news center to vent on the treatment he has been getting from Custom officials since he started supplying businesses and restaurants with vegetable products. While the issue has been resolved, we deemed it necessary to air the story since it is a common occurrence. Perez claims that while getting off a bus near the Toll Bridge in Orange Walk, with his products, he was intercepted by Custom Officers. And this is where the harassment began, at least for that day. Arturo Perez– Vegetable Vendor “Son tomates, cebolla y frutas como jícama, entonces cuando estábamos yendo en el bus hacia Belice, porque yo los llevo a la isla, entonces los Customs estaban haya y ellos pararon el bus y lo chequearon y vieron los tomates y todo los que estaba adentro pero todo es Beliceño no es producto mexicano y ellos agarraron mis cosas aunque está viendo que es Beliceño lo sacaron y todo y los botaron porque ellos lo tienen que chequea bien que no sea mexicano y les estoy diciendo que no es y que vienen de Maskal y la cebolla pues tengo licencia de Marketing Board porque tengo recibo y todo eso pero ellos no quisieron ver nada solo lo tiraron en la camioneta y vinieron con las cosas en la oficina.”

National Transport To Assign Tariff Says Senior Traffic Officer
An educational meeting was held yesterday between members of the National Traffic Department and Municipal Traffic Authority from Corozal Town and over a hundred taxi drivers from the district at the Andres Campos Civic Center. Several issues where brought to the lime light including the revision of the Taxi Laws. During the meeting, two topics that raised tensions was the invading of taxi stands and the different fees being charged by taxi drivers. In order to calm the waters a separate meeting was held with presidents of the taxi unions so as to find a solution to the problems. Today we contacted Senior Traffic Officer for the Corozal District Richard Quan for an update on the meeting. Richard Quan Jr. - Senior Traffic Officer “Well the outcome was good and they shook their hands with one another and they insisted that they will respect one another territory and so hopefully this will work out.”

No VIP Area To Be Constructed In The Free Zone Says The Chairman Of The Free Zone
Earlier this year we reported on plans to start construction of a VIP area at the Corozal Free Zone which would feature authentic and luxury goods instead of cheap knock-off goods that is common in most stores at the Free Zone. In late 2013 the Honorary Consul to Belize Jorge Valencia spoke with the Mexican press stating that the facility will cost somewhere around fifty million US dollars to construct and be located next to the international bridge with Belize, “Chactemal”. The story has changed today however as again the Mexican Press is reporting that the facility did not receive government’s approval. In an interview with the Mexican media, Corozal Free Zone administrator, David Akierman stated categorically that through the Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega, the Prime Minister Dean Barrow has confirmed that the government will not authorize the construction and opening of any other free zone anywhere in the Santa Elena border area. Here is an excerpt of the story published today in the Mexican Press.

BHSA Promotes The Mayan Culture At School
At least once a year schools place all their work on display for parents and the general public to view. That is a tradition at the Belize High School of Agriculture which today boasted the students work accomplished since the start of the school year. In addition, though, is a cultural aspect that the community and especially the students have embraced. Reporter Dalila Ical takes a look at the day’s event. Dalila Ical - Reporter It’s their open and culture day and all 215 students at Belize High School of Agriculture took part in the celebration. High School Principal CecilioPech says the event provides a space for both students and residents in nearby communities to interact. CecilioPech – Principal, BHSA “We are taking the opportunity of integrating both so that the cultural presentations attract more the parents and the community at large and at the same time to take an opportunity to view the students work at school.”

Dusty Road Bad For Business
Back in the month of November the Prime Minister of Belize announced that some major spending will take place across the country to improve road infrastructure. The project saw the allocation of 76.72 million dollars funded primarily through the Petro Caribe agreement with Venezuela. The P.M announced that out of the $76.72 million, $2.92 million was earmarked for the Orange Walk District. This would see the rehabilitation of the Philip Goldson Highway which passes through Orange Walk Town. Forming part of the highway is the Belize Corozal Road which is currently in deplorable condition. While some works have been done on the road by the Ministry of Works, we can safely say it is still not up to driving standards and with the hot season upon us the dust has become unbearably for those who live or run a business along the stretch of road. Today, our newsroom was flooded with calls from residents and business owners who did not hesitate to voice their concerns over the dust road.

PlusTV

Traffic Accident Claims Man’s Life
The family of 52 year old Anthony Hunter, Sr., is preparing him to rest following a fatal accident reported on Saturday. Hunter was accompanying a friend on the George Price Highway on his Kawasaki motorcycle when he hit the rear end of a yellow Caterpillar backhoe belonging to Cisco...

Man Gets Shot in Belize City
Police are also investigating a shooting incident that took place on Saturday night in Belize City. Investigator Corporal Jorge Lemus tells us more. Corporal Jorge Lemus- Chief of Investigation “Police received information yesterday, Sunday 23rd of February after 10:00 last night on someone being shot on Desmond Street. As...

Man Dies After Stabbed by Nephew
44-year-old Thomas Ferguson Sr. lost the battle for his life on Saturday February 22. Ferguson had been in the hospital since December 7th of last year after he was stabbed. The alleged attacker is Ferguson’s nephew, 36 year old Oliver Peters who reportedly got into a fight with his uncle...

4 Year Old Drowns
A four year old boy of the Stann Creek District drowned while swimming with his mother. On the afternoon of Sunday February 23, twenty five year old Serlin Diaz, Honduran domestic of San Pablo Village, was swimming along with her 4-year-old son Ernesto Alonzo Sarabia. The mother told police...

Minister Edmund Castro Takes Alvarene Burgess to Court
Minister of State Edmund Castro is suing Mrs. Alvarene Burgess, who accused him of involvement in corrupt transactions over visa recommendations, and Great Belize Television (Channel 5), who aired those allegations, for defamation of character in the Supreme Court. The case went before Justice Courtney Abel for case management this...

Man Chopped Allegedly by Relative
Police intend to charge a relation of a Belize City man for chopping him during an incident over the weekend. With the details here is Inspector Jorge Villanueva of Precinct 1. Mr. Jorge Villanueva- Inspector of Precinct One “Last night shortly after 8:00 p.m. police responded to an incident. ...

Woman Attacked By Knife Wielding Thief
A woman was attacked by a knife wielding thief. On Friday February 21 at 4:45 in the morning, a 44-year-old woman of St. Martins Area of Belize City was reportedly walking down Mahogany Street on her way to work. The woman told police that she was approached from behind...

Brothers Stabbed in Bar Brawl
A bar fight in Orange Walk has left one man hospitalized. On Saturday February 22nd, three Hispanic men reportedly attacked two brothers at MI CASA cool spot. The brothers, Juan and Jose Ramirez told police that the men attacked them with broken bottles. As a result, Juan Ramirez received...

Police Officer Arraigned for Extortion
Last week we told you of reports of police extortion from the Cayo District in relation to a traffic offense. Police have issued an official statement on the issue. The alleged extortion occurred on Tuesday February 18th when police stopped a vehicle with expired insurance. The officers allegedly asked...

Corozal Man to be Sentenced for Attempted Murder
In opening its first session of the year 2014, the Court of Appeal this morning set aside the order of trial judge Denis Hanoman Singh issued two years ago and ordered the immediate sentencing of Wilbert Cuellar, who was found guilty of the attempted murder of Mr. Josue Chay....

Squatters House on Reserved Land Demolished
Squatters have been removed off prime lands in Belmopan. Today, a house which was illegally located in the Mountain View area was taken down by members of the Belmopan City Council and the Police Authority, leaving a family of 8 persons homeless. The hut was built on the edge...

Woman Builds House On Wrong Lot; City Council Extends Deadline for Removal
Last week, we also told you of one Mrs. Hada Gonzalez, who, through a loan with Atlantic Bank, had bought a piece of property in the Mountain View Area, lot number 6084. Officially confirmed, she has all rights to that piece of land. However, on Thursday of last...

Mr. Omar Figueroa Wins Cayo North UDP Convention
There was a UDP convention in Cayo North over the weekend. The new hopeful for the UDP in that constituency is Mr. Omar Figueroa, who won this weekend. He spoke to our Cayo Affiliate after he was declared the winner. Mr. Omar Figueroa- Winner of the UDP Convention for...

Sea Cucumber Trio Given Fines for Offenses
Last week we told you of three Guatemalans charged with fisheries offenses after police and fisheries personnel stopped their vehicle and found over 3,000 pounds of illegal sea cucumber. Today Georgina Aldana, her common-law partner Hugo Salas and their worker Cesar Ramirez changed their plea to guilty of the...

Cayo Family to Receive New House from Oasis Ministries
Oasis Ministries, led by Pastor Ron Braaten, has been working in Belize for many years since 2003 ; planting churches and building homes. Today, we travelled to the village of Unitedville where the ministry is putting up its 74th home in Belize. When we arrived on location the team...

Fourth Annual Street Art Festival in Belize City
Art comes in many different forms, shapes and sizes, and all forms were on display this past Saturday in downtown Belize City. Albert Street from its junction with Orange Street to its junction with Dean Street was awash with color and life, whether it was musical performances, drama, cultural...

Blogs

My First Game – San Pedro’s Elite Basketball Team, the Tiger Sharks, Leave Me Wanting More
While I may not be a huge basketball fan, I can appreciate lots of what basketball has to offer. Athleticism, fast, exciting games (it’s hardly ever boring to watch), good looking guys, Jay-Z and Beyonce…and in Belize? Add in music, snacks and beers, rowdy fun crowds, kids and just…good times. I love our local sports in San Pedro. And when my friend Melody invited to the National Elite Basketball League’s first home game on Saturday night, I was in… Cool thing #4: A big crowd attends the games. It’s very reasonable to get in – $3bzd for kids (free if you are under 11) and $5bzd for adults. There’s a raffle, free t-shirts and candy for the first 50 kids in the door. Although it all started a bit late – around 9pm – it’s great fun for kids.

Easter in Belize – a Stunning Spectacular!
Roberto Harrison cites several reasons for the growing popularity of Easter at Chaa Creek, naming excellent weather, the growing trend of families wishing to share memorable holiday experiences, and the springtime urge for couples to do something special together. There’s also a distinctly Belizean reason to be in the little Caribbean country that time of year. The profusion of migratory birds adds to the rainforest’s riot of colour and captivating birdsong, he explained. “Due to the time pressures people face these days, we’re finding that families and couples especially want to get the most out of their holidays together. They’re looking for the traditional trappings and closeness they’ve always associated with Easter along with something to make it extra special and truly memorable.

The weather this month has been glorious. There’s been a little rain but this has occurred either late in the night or very early morning and when it has rained it hadn’t lasted long. Definitely not enough of it or at the time of day that has prevented me from enjoying my early morning ‘me time’ on the veranda with my mug of black coffee and the iPad. No sweat top needed. No rainwear. Just the simple matter of deciding what polo shirt and pair of shorts to wear (decisions, decisions). On most days it’s seemed like the moon had just ‘said’ goodbye for another day and it was automatically sunshine. But then again what do you expect when you live in the Caribbean? Snow? Ice? Sub zero temperatures? Of course not, so I don’t know why I even bothered to bore you by stating the patently obvious. That is, aside from needing to introduce a link for the headline! Those of you that read my ramblings with any degree of regularity will know that I have taken a prolonged break from the fence painting. It’s a big fence and believe me (if you’ve never painted one) it’s boring ( and I mean BORING) just moving a brush up and down or from side to side. It wasn’t just the boredom that took me away from the fence though. No, not all – I had other stuff to do.

Great Blue Hole: hardest place to reach of all my travels.
You know those beautiful images that you see on the internet and then you think, one day I want to go to this place! So, this was the case with the Blue Hole, a vertical cave, full of sharks, shaped in a perfect circle in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and nearly 100 km from the coast. I think the Great Blue Hole was the hardest place to reach of all my travels. Since my departure from Guatemala, I faced: 1) a driver who almost left me at the border because I was the only nationality that needed an entry visa for Belize; 2) then a bad diving instructor, who cancelled without notice 3) two hours in a speedboat at high speed, facing a storm with winds and huge waves 4) amazingly enough, I was trying to dodge a million cockroaches that started coming out of all the cracks of the boat as soon as the vessel began to shake because of the stormy sea. But when the intrepid boat slowed down and parked at the perfectly circular reef, with a gradient blue Caribbean sea under the sun, I was numb and ready for whatever might come. A dive to 40 meters deep (the maximum that can be reached by an amateur diver) in the dark cavity filled with sharks, I had only a basic diving course, so I shouldn’t do it (don’t tell anyone my secret!).

Bacon Cheese Fry Cakes or Fry Jacks
Joe did something different and fun with our Belizean Fry Jacks or Fry Cakes. He added some ingredients to the mixture before mixing the dough and made a delightful breakfast treat.

Belize and the Immigration Hustle
In either late 2007 or early, just before the election, I wrote an article for the Amandala titled: “What Kind of State”. The article explored what kind of country Belize had become and addressed issues such as corruption and immigration. This is a section of the article that dealt with immigration, and I am now wondering how much things have changed since then. Feel free to comment on what I wrote. Immigration We must look at the role of migration in helping to shape the kind of state Belize has become. This is in consideration of the fact that the country has experienced significant emigration and immigration, which have help to define Belize in the last five decades. Greater consideration is given to immigration as Belize continue to attract people to its shores. This immigration has brought up questions of national identity and regional integration. Besides the “immigration hustling” that took place, significant immigration has also highlighted the government’s lack of a coherent immigration policy, although minister Fonseca acknowledge the immigration situation in Belize. There is a political aspect of this immigration, in relation to issues of sovereignty, citizenship, and voting.

International Sources

Jamaica to decriminalise marijuana?
The Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Research Taskforce (CCMRT) says it has been given an assurance that Jamaica will this year decriminalise marijuana as the island seeks to establish a medicinal marijuana industry. CCMRT leader, Dealana Seiveright in a statement, said that the assurance had come from Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell. The statement quoted Paulwell as telling members of the taskforce that “ganja will be decriminalised in Jamaica this year and emphasised that Jamaica cannot be allowed to be left behind on the issue”. “He also reiterated the multiple economic, social and cultural benefits that Jamaica stands to gain if the laws are adjusted sooner rather than later,” the statement said.

Discover crystal skulls, ruins and other treasures in Belize
Mention the term “crystal skulls” and it immediately conjures images of mystery and intrigue. Even Indiana Jones got into the act. For the traveler, the thought of encountering crystal skulls is seductive enough to challenge any level of curiosity, and the best place to begin the search is in Belize. Though fiction most likely outweighs fact regarding controversies over the crystal skulls, rummaging through ancient Mayan ruins nestled within exotic rainforests while embracing the enigma has universal appeal. In its own unique way, Belize is the best of all worlds for any manner of traveler. Adventurers can savor pristine wilderness and solitude. Environmentalists will discover a wonderland of flora and fauna, whose flowing rivers course through dense forests supporting colorful wildlife protected by a glorious natural habitat. History buffs, curiosity seekers and amateur sleuths alike can speculate about the origins and disappearance of ancient Mayan civilizations as they explore this natural wonderland. For upscale travelers who like to “rough it” by day and luxuriate at night, Belize offers accommodations and cuisine to suit even the most discriminating sensibilities. Not only can Belize satisfy the needs of either an explorer or a socialite. It can also to suit the pleasures of just about anyone in between. Except, that is, for lovers of McDonald’s and other fast-food enterprises. They simply do not exist in Belize.

The Suspect Behind Miami's Biggest Gold Heist Caught Hiding in Belize
In October 2012 just outside a pastel-painted Coral Gables apartment building, one of the largest gold heists in Florida history went down. A convicted thief named Raonel Valdez, who was supposed to be wearing a court-ordered GPS device, somehow jacked $2.8 million in gold from courier George Villegas. And within a few months, Valdez had vanished. Private investigator David Bolton, hired by the Bolivian company that owned the stolen gold, stayed hot on Valdez's trail, but not even a $25,000 reward offered by his client produced any good leads. "We tracked him in four different countries," Bolton says. "We were always one step behind." Last week, immigration authorities in Belize caught the wanted man in a small town bordering Guatemala. The arrest brings to a close one of the wildest crime stories in recent years, one that -- as recounted in a New Times feature story last July -- suggested Cuban gangs were infiltrating Miami-Dade County's underworld.

Flavors of Belize: a culinary publication of Belize (recipes Fry Jacks – Shrimp Tostones)
Tanya McNab is the visionary behind the highly regarded Flavors of Belize magazine – cookbook and robust YouTube channel. McNab created the Flavors of Belize cookbook to engender an exchange of Belizean food and culture with the rest of the world. It is her wish that every kitchen will experience something special from Belize. I met with her recently to find out more information on the magazine and here is how our conversation went: Please tell me more about Flavors of Belize Magazine? The Flavors of Belize Magazine is Belize’s first comprehensive culinary book. We get hotels, restaurants, and service providers including anybody from real estate agents to photographers to come on board with us; we combine that with noteworthy information, entertaining articles, breathtaking pictures, and recipes from our cookbook – and there you have it – The Flavors of Belize Magazine.

The Latest Cruise Port News and Happenings Across the Globe
New Belize Destination: In major news, Michael Feinstein, a businessman in Belize, says he’s received legislative approval for a $100 million island cruise destination with docking facilities for up to six ships near Belize City, according to Seatrade Insider. The expansive project will apparently include shops, bars, restaurants and recreational facilities, plus such Mayan-themed attractions as an underwater city for snorkelers and a lagoon with waterfalls and grottos. Check out the Seatrade Insider story here.

To tackle overfishing, conservation groups look to the past
With small-scale fisheries that feed many of the world’s poor under constant pressure from overfishing, a coalition of conservation groups has turned to one of the oldest ways of dividing the catch in an attempt to promote sustainability. Instead of competing for the same populations and hauling in as many fish as fast as they can, participants in the Fish Forever project assign individuals, villages and cooperatives “rights” to areas known as TURFs — territorial user rights in fisheries. The zones are paired with protected areas where no one is allowed to fish, providing adjacent parts of the ocean where fish populations replenish and spill into the TURFs. Local residents develop their own methods of monitoring and enforcing protections for both areas. Rare has teamed with the Environmental Defense Fund and scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara to carry out the effort in five countries: Belize, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Mozambique. They have raised $27 million from organizations such as the Bloomberg Philanthropies and are furthest along in Belize, where they hope to have 3,000 square miles of ocean under the system by 2020.

February 24, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Doctor Love: Newly Wed
Readers, please send your letters. They can be emails, formal letters or handwritten notes. They are edited solely for grammar and spelling. Also, they are sometimes edited for length. Dear Doctor Love, I have been married for five months. My husband and I are very loving with each other. Every day when he leaves for […]

Letter to the Editor: San Pedro Junior Sailing Club
Dear Editor, The San Pedro Junior Sailors Club (SPJSC) would like to thank everyone that helped put on a fabulous fundraiser last Saturday with a BBQ in the park during the day and at Fidos with Kelly McGuire that evening. Thanks go out to Kelly McGuire for having us, Fidos for hosting and Cowboy Doug for auctioneering. We also want to thank those that contributed raffle and auction items; Jason Cruz for the beautiful painting, Graniels , Captain Sharks, Coco Beach, Rag A Muffin Tours, El Secreto, Tropic Air, Portofino, Caprice, War Paint, Train Station, Wild Mangos, Searious Adventures, San Pedro Hardware, Zen Arcade Wellness Center, Sun Breeze Hotel, Lino’s Meat, Caye Mart, Bowen and Bowen, Town Board, Carole Goudreau, Vicky Ellias, Angel at Artistic Skin Design, Joel and Sue and Remax Southwind for dinner for two at Victoria House.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Not Quite Enough
“Gary, I notice you’re really walking strangely,” I said. “It looks kind of weird.” “Oh, I can explain that,” he said. “Back home in Bend, Oregon I use spray deodorant. When I ran out of deodorant here I went to a local store but they didn’t have spray deodorant. I bought a different kind and […]

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Tourism in Full Bloom
Belize’s growing tourist arrival numbers are outpacing the wider Caribbean region, said Jose Manuel Heredia Jr., the country’s minister of tourism and culture, in an address at an annual tourism gathering held earlier this month. Belize hosted 263,065 overnight tourists between January and November of 2013 (the latest date for which figures are available), a seven percent increase compared with the same period in 2012. Heredia said private investment in tourism in Belize, a destination whose largest hotel has 120 rooms, is also growing. “In 2013, we saw an increase of 21.2 percent in the number of tour operators in Belize and 8.4 percent growth in licensed accommodations establishment, meaning that we now have 1,400 licensed tour guides.” Tourism growth also provides “thousands” of employment opportunities for Belizean hospitality workers, said Heredia.

Belize River Valley Expo 2014
The Belize Valley River Expo was Friday and Saturday. Looks like they had a great turnout. "Belize River Valley Eco-Tourism & Commerce Expo."

A Good Start Feeding Program Makes Progress
Feelgood news of the day. The A Good Start Feeding Program is casting their foundations. Great work! "The day of the casting finally started , enough cement , mason men and helpers, mixer, 18 yard of sand and gravel, 65 bags of cement And a lot of dust.....at the end of the day a elephant foot of rum and waiting it too dry....excited that the next stage is getting done"

Cayo International Banking Fair
The Atlantic International Bank uploaded a short video showing yesterday's International Banking Fair at the Cayo Welcome Center. "International Banking Fair Highlights"

Rick Galvez Concert
The Rick Galvez concert at the - ARE THOSE SKULLS ON THE STAGE? What in the... They have some really artistic pictures from the event at the Soul Project last night, where Rick revealed some new songs from his upcoming album.

Belize Jungle Dome Golf Scramble
The 3rd annual Roaring Creek Golf Scramble was yesterday. They got some funny pictures of the event. Congratulations to the Roaring Creek team, which took first place(of course). The scramble was a fundraiser for Belmopan area football teams. "A fabulous day was had by all at the Roaring River Golf Course, for the 3rd Annual Belize Jungle Dome 2 Person Scramble. It was a really fun day with all the players enjoying the light-hearted atmosphere and fun in the sun... Also thks to all who donated prizes. Too many too mention :-) We raised $715 to be donated towards local football teams in the Belmopan area."

Western Ballaz Win First Home Game
It was an amazing first home game for the Western Ballaz. They kept their number 1 spot by defeating the Dangriga Warriors 63 - 52 in a high energy match that was close for much of the game. The Sacred Heart College auditorium was packed to capacity with all their Cayo fans cheering them on. The first game between SHC and SHJC went back and forth many times, with SHJC winning by 1 point. Mayor John August was in attendance and gave the inauguration speech, and Javier Gutierrez did a spectacular job as MC. Next week, the team travels to San Pedro to play the Tiger Sharks.

Belmopan Bandits Defeat Toledo Diplomats
Congratulations Belmopan Bandits! They hosted and defeated the Toledo Diplomats last night with a score of 76 - 64. They are tied for second place behind the Western Ballaz. They travel to Corozal to play the Heat next Friday. "We stand 2-1!!!! Final score Belmopan 76- 64 Toledo"

The beauty of Belize at the San Antonio waterfalls
On any given day, the beautiful waterfalls at San Antonio village, Toledo district is always a relaxing outing for the entire family. The road to the village is paved nicely so a drive to this rural part of Toledo is no hassle. The residents of this historic village extend a warm welcome to one and all.

Blogs

A Busy Beautiful Day in Belize City: Street Art Festival, Canoe Racing, Cracklin’ Pig & More
Yesterday morning, I jumped aboard (I had an excellent night’s sleep) the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi for the ride to Belize City. An easy hour and a half later, we pulled in and the conch & lobster boats were looking as beautiful as ever. I know what you are thinking. Belize City beautiful? Well…some of it is. And these working fishing boats look pretty to me from every single angle. No time for dilly dallying with boats. It was about 11:20am and there was a canoe race ending at the Riverside Tavern. This Guinness sponsored Boom to The City Canoe challenge is one of the pre-races for the BIG La Ruta Maya Race that takes place in a few weeks over the Baron Bliss Holiday weekend.

24/7 Loe Carb Din'r: Amish Turnip Bake
So turnips usual make us say yuck. Well, maybe nairy everyone, but y'all have ta admit thay air nairy a'winnin inny popularitee contests n' t'culinree worl. Hard ta compete wit all at bacon an' thems cupcakes. But the if'n y'all add t'‘Amish’ part…I have nev'r foun inny Amish food at wuz nairy deliciyus. My husban' oncet brung trayler sum leftovers frum un Amish restrunt. It wuz so amazyun', I promiss I licket t'styrofoam contun'r. Thishere is purty dadgum close. Pure komfert food an' a deliite ta someone who misses mashet potatoes. Verr mild. I baset thishere off a recipe I foun at Food.com.

VIDEO: Jungle Sunset in Belize
Shot early in February by hotel guest Toby Clarkson

International Sources

Well-funded program tries new approach to tackle overfishing in developing world
With small-scale fisheries that feed many of the world’s poor under constant pressure from overfishing, a coalition of conservation groups has turned to one of the oldest ways of dividing the catch in an attempt to promote sustainability. Instead of competing for the same populations and hauling in as many fish as fast as they can, participants in the Fish Forever project assign individuals, villages and cooperatives “rights” to areas known as TURFs — territorial user rights in fisheries. The zones are paired with protected areas where no one is allowed to fish, providing adjacent parts of the ocean where fish populations replenish and spill into the TURFs. Local residents develop their own methods of monitoring and enforcing protections for both areas. Rare has teamed with the Environmental Defense Fund and scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara to carry out the effort in five countries: Belize, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Mozambique. They have raised $27 million from organizations such as the Bloomberg Philanthropies and are furthest along in Belize, where they hope to have 3,000 square miles of ocean under the system by 2020.

OAS anti-corruption mechanism to visit Jamaica
An Organisation of American States (OAS) commission is scheduled to visit Jamaica in April to meet with representatives from oversight bodies responsible for preventing, detecting and punishing corruption. The commission, made up of representatives from El Salvador and Grenada, is from the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC). They will collect information in the field about how these organs perform their functions, which serve as inputs for the preparation of the report to be drawn up by the MESICIC on Jamaica in its September 2014 meeting. According to the OAS, the Anti-corruption Mechanism is also expected to visit Belize, Haiti, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname in April as part of the framework of the Fourth Round of evaluations.

Mexican National Tourism Forum on "Mundo Maya" Begins
The 12th National Tourism Forum 2014 opened in the Mexican state of Yucatán focusing on "Mundo Maya", as one of the country's best tourist destinations, fostering development and economic growth. According to Fernando Martí, general organizer of the forum, the event running through next Tuesday, is attended by ministers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize. During the forum, ministers will discuss land and air connectivity, accommodations, integration of touristic circuits, credit availability and modernization of archeological sites. Tourism Ministry data show "Mundo Maya" covers 12 percent of the national territory, about 250,000 square meters. It also represents the 38 percent of protected nature reserves, a 46 percent of archeological sites open to the public and 21 percent of World Heritage sites.

The Mystique of the Ancient Maya.
Mayan culture has long been disputed over the years. Who was this ancient culture, what were their beliefs and how has their culture been depicted and portrayed throughout history? There have been various interpretations of this civilization, and who’s to decide which one is entirely correct? It’s hard to say, but we do have evidence available to help point us in the right direction. Just like with anything, the individuals who recount history have a lens that they see it through. They carry with them values and beliefs that alter their perspective on what’s being presented to them. This is a critical component of understanding and describing history that the reader needs to consider when evaluating what is and what is not true. Dr. Adam T. Sellen, a researcher in the Peninsula Centre of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, was kind enough to speak to our class about these very questions this past week with a lecture he crafted together entitled “The Mystique of the Ancient Maya.” Dr. Sellen's presentation dealt with the current representation of the Mayan culture and how society has come to these conclusions. From the mid 1800s until present day, a wide variety of explorers have visited the Mayan ruins that stretch from the Yucatan Peninsula, down to Belize and through parts of Guatemala. Each explorer carried with them a different perspective to see these ruins through. A common depiction of the Mayan civilization has been that they were this extraordinarily unique group; however, this is simply untrue. The Mayans shared many characteristics with cultures like the Egyptians, Assyrians and the Greeks. A distinct writing style, history of conquest and conflict, and writings of people of power and significance are all present in these ancient cultures. Despite that, modern society has completely idealized and sensationalized the Mayan culture to help reinforce the narrative that’s been created over time.

BCB Holdings Slides As It Swings To Loss
BCB Holdings Ltd saw its shares fall sharply Monday after it revealed that it swung to a loss in its fiscal third quarter. In a statement, the parent company of The Belize Bank reported a net loss from operations of USD2.7 million for the three months to end December, compared with a USD2.1 million profit a year earlier. That brought the loss for the first nine months of the financial year to USD4.8 million, compared with a profit of USD4.7 million a year earlier. BCB Holdings shares were down 11.1% Monday morning, one of the biggest declines on the London market.

Service Trips: The Underwater World of Belize
Why Belize and its Underwater World this Summer? A service trip to the underwater world of Belize will completely change the way you view the sea. If you have ever considered studying or working in science or marine biology this is a great way to learn what it’s all about. It will introduce you to new skills, and give you a grounding in invasive species management, marine conservation and biology. If you are looking for more this summer, BELIZE: GUD MAWINTEEN SCUBA AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM may just be the perfect destination for you! WHERE WILL YOU GO? You’ll be in a remote dive camp in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by turquoise Caribbean Sea. The data collected during the surveys will aid national and international research and assist with lionfish population management efforts.The data collected will contribute to research publications, written by field scientists, collected by YOU. By reducing the population through culling dives you will be directly responsible for reducing the pressures of the lionfish invasion in the Caribbean.

MaLe Dane
MaLe (pronounced Mah-Lee) Dane, LA Native by way of Belize, is a graduate from the School of Hard Knox with a PhD in Hustle N Flow. A triple threat and one of LA's best hidden secrets, the Belizean-American Rapper, Songwriter and Actress has arrived ready to tell HER story! Nominated as 2012 Best Independent Female Hip Hop Artist, MaLe creates music of substance that everyone can relate, ride and party to. The debut ALBUM "Live Fast, Die Pretty" is scheduled to be released Spring 2014, and includes the hit single "W!F!" and the club banger "It's Go Time" featuring Lady Gaga. Currently trending on Coast2Coast mixtapes Indie Top 100, Lady MaLe Dane is catching fire and soon it won't be long before the rest of the world figures it out!

Best islands around the world, according to TripAdvisor
Nothing beats the serene beauty of an island vacation. And TripAdvisor travelers agree. The travel review site just announced their top island destinations for 2014 based on user reviews and ratings. The Travelers' Choice award winners were determined based on the reviews and opinions of millions of TripAdvisor travelers around the globe. Well known Caribbean destinations like Turks and Caicos top the international list but adventure seekers should be on the lookout for unique finds like Nosy Be in Madagascar. Marco Island, Fla., which ranked first on the best U.S. island list also made it to the international list. 1. Ambergris Caye, Belize: This tropical destination received top reviews by hitting a sweet spot between authenticity and luxury. Divers will enjoy a dip in the Belize Barrier Reef while swimming alongside angelfish, elkhorn coral, cleaner shrimp and stalactites.

February 23, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Ground Breaking for Infrastructure Improvements at Archaeological Sites
Tourists and local visitors to archaeological sites in Belize will soon benefit from infrastructure improvements at the sites under the Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites (MTBCAAS) project. The infrastructure works will commence at Altun Ha, Belize District and a ground breaking ceremony was today (Wednesday, February 12), to mark the occasion. The project is funded by the European Union and the Government of Belize. European Union (EU) Ambassador Paola Amadei who addressed the ceremony remarked “It is a symbolic event as this EU funded project aims on one side to improve the experience of tourists visiting the archaeological sites AND as well promotes employment and better opportunities in the communities in the proximity of the archaeological site. This project has the component of promoting community development.” Visitors to Altun Ha will experience the upgraded Visitor’s Centre which will be outfitted with audio-visual equipment, enhancing the tourist experience. Additionally, a new male bathroom facility, walking trails and seating areas will be constructed. These improvements will cater to people with diverse abilities and increase health and safety at the site. A contract was signed with KIKOS Engineering Services for $255,583.41 to carry out the construction works at Altun Ha. Construction is expected to last for 4 months, ending in June 2014.

Global Fantasies advertises Belize as a hedonistic escape
Recent reports have surfaced of a website, namely Global Fantasies, promoting Belize as a destination for guests to enjoy the services of exotic escorts. According to initial reports, the website offers packages for visitors to enjoy Belize’s prime tourism destination along with the sexual company of Belizean women. Upon learning of this the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) quickly issued a press release on Wednesday, February 12th in which they denounced any affiliation with Global Fantasies. The press release stated, “We were recently made aware of a website created by an unknown group claiming to operate an ‘adult fantasy’ vacation destination in Belize. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is in no way affiliated with this group nor does it condone its actions, as this is a human rights issue. The Ministry of Human Development, the Human Rights Commission, and the Belize Police Department have been notified and will be handling the resulting investigation.” Of course residents of Belize reacted negatively to the advertisement, stating that the promotion of Belize as a haven for hedonism is jeopardizing the growing eco-tourism industry and family destination.

Police Report
On Tuesday, February 11th, 35 year old Eric Andrews, Belizean tour operator of Barrier Reef Drive in San Pedro Town, visited the San Pedro Police Station and reported that on Monday, February 10th at about 8:30PM he went into his apartment, located on Barrier Reef Drive to retrieve his licensed 9mm Luger firearm, chrome and black in colour, valued at $2,200 from a safety box in the bedroom of his apartment. When he got to his bedroom, he noticed that the safety box was damaged and open. Upon making a further inspection, he noticed that the firearm was missing along with two magazines containing 26 live rounds of 9mm ammunition. Police are currently investigating.

Misc Belizean Sources

Miss Belize Wins Diosa Maya
Congratulations, Dalina Reyes! Miss Belize won the Diosa Maya pageant in Mexico this week, for the second year in a row. That is an amazing dress. "In case you missed it, Belize's Dalina Alyssa Reyes is the new Diosa Maya Internacional 2014. She was crowned late last night in Merida, Mexico. She was crowned by outgoing queen and fellow Belizean Grisel Rosseli Carballo, making it the second consecutive year an Orange Walk beauty captures the crown for Belize. First-runner up was Miss El Salvador Cecilia Menjivar, while second runner-up was Miss Honduras Eidy Josselyn Bueso Lopez."

Belmopan Football Association Talent Search
The FFB and Belmopan Football Association are finishing up their talent search today. A new tournament starts today. In PLB news, the Verdes and the Bandits both play today. "Football Federation of Belize and the Belmopan Football Association will be conducting its grassroots selection of Talent from Wednesday 19 February, 2014 to Saturday 22 February, 2014 All coaches of the Belmopan City Council Kids, female and youth cup are ask to bring along their players on the specific dates below: Schedule for the selection of Talents Day1 : Wednesday 19th February, 2014- U-13 (boys & Girls) Governor General Field Day 2 :Thursday 20th February, 2014 - U-15 (boys & Girls) Governor General Field Day 3 : Friday 21th February, 2014- U-17 (Boys & Girls) Governor General Field Day 4 Saturday 22nd February 2014 - Grassroots Festival ( Boys & Girls) Devon Beaton Park All Players and Coaches are ask to attend the Saturday Grassroots Festival"

Happy BIrthday Dali and Mayor Daniel!
Happy Birthday to Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his twin sister, Dalinda Guerrero. May God bless you and we hope you have a great birthday!

MMAC: Live to Race
The Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge is over, and the YogaSlackers won the race. Here's the 3rd of 4 videos they made about preparing for the jungles and mountains of Belize. They had some serious gear they had to take with them. The race results are on this webpage: "Welcome to the third video in the the Maya Adventure Challenge series. Follow the YogaSlackers as they prowl through untamed jungles for three days and three nights non-stop in the Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge. We’ll be there every step of the way to bring you the planning, the execution, the failures, and the triumphs in a four-part video series."

Community journalists graduate in Punta Gorda town
Graduation exercise was held on Saturday, February 22 for a group of Toledo men and women who underwent training as community journalists. The training was an initiative of Ak’Kutan Radio and was designed to give participants of the training course a basic understanding and knowledge of what it takes to gather the news, write stories and present the news on radio and television. The training was conducted by veteran broadcaster/journalist Patrick Jones. A total of 12 community journalists graduated on Saturday during ceremonies which were held at the Father Francis Ring Parish Hall in Punta Gorda town.

The Belize Times

From the bottom of the barrel!
Having barely survived the monstrosities that are the scandals of Elvin Penner and Edmond Castro, the UDP seems hell bent to make corruption, fraud and criminal behavior, even involving international goons, the hallmarks of their last term ever in office. Just as the hopes of Belizeans increase for the People’s United Party to keep a failing system in check to ensure that the known UDP wrongdoers face the full weight of the law, there is more news that the UDP continues to abuse our country at the operation of vicious international charlatans such as Kim Won Hong.

Editorial: RISING SUN
“Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.” Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Belize is in shambles. To the average Belizean, the past six years have been unstable, uncomfortable and uncertain. This is the not only the socio-political reality but even more torturing, it is our economic reality. At the BELIZE TIMES we have watched expectant faces fold time and hearts sink with heaviness after each scandal and the pious press conference that follows. Deep down, even in 2008, we all knew that we were getting “puss inna bag” but there was a cut off point for the voting public and they spoke with that voice of God. Yet no political analyst was startled when Barrow recently admitted publicly that his Party is guaranteed to lose in the next general elections. Let’s not forget that Barrow, the maximum leader of the forty thieves, has been consistent in his pronouncements in this regard. Way back in 2008 Barrow told the media, without shame that it would not be so much that the UDP would win the elections of that year but that the PUP would lose it. Belizeans wanted a short change of scenery and possibly were curious to see if, even by a long shot, Barrow could govern and govern with the eloquence with which he campaigned. But there is nothing smooth in 2014: nothing romantic about Barrow and his legion of doom.

SCA girls maul Pallotti 24-9
The St. Catherine’s Academy girls won 24-9 over the Pallotti high school girls when the high school softball competition continued at the Rogers Stadium on Monday, February 17. The Pallotti girls led 7-0 when Marlette Martinez, Vivianne Gongora, Jinel Flowers, Deja Young, pitcher Andrea Avaloy, Courtney Lightfoot and Thelma Young scored in the top of the 1st inning, but the SCA girls soon roared back to take over the lead 9-7 when Jeddah Sacasa, Kendisha Armstrong, Kendiece Armstrong, Shellidah Moguel, Celine Barrow, Jada Jones, Cori Mckenzie and pitcher Jacqueline Alas scored in the first inning.

Delille Academy girls win national football championship
The Delille Academy girls won the high school football championships after a penalty shootout against the Orange Walk Technical High School girls. The Delille girls stopped the Orange Walk girls 3-2 in a penalty shootout when regulation time and overtime ended in a 1-1 draw. MVP Shayama Caliz had scored for the Delille, but Orange Walk’s Norielly Terry equalized on a penalty conversion. In penalties, Shayama Caliz, Naomi Gamboa and Orel Gillett scored for Delille, while only Baeza and Terry scored for Orange Walk. 3rd place went to St. Ignatius girls who won 2-1 against the Gwen Liz girls; with 2 goals by Jenelle Smith, while only Vivica Young scored a free kick for Gwen Liz.

Angel Tzib wins Valentine’s Classic
Angel Tzib, riding unattached stunned the big names in the cycling fraternity like Giovanni Lovell, 2013 Cross country champion Darnell Barrow and National road champion Byron Pope by winning the 19th annual Digicel Valentine’s Day Cycling Classic held by the Cycling Federation of Belize in uncontested style. Tzib clocked 3:55:49 as he coasted to the finish line at Leslie’s Imports concluding his 89-mile ride to the Hector Silva airstrip and back on the George Price Highway on Sunday, February 16.

City Gang Warfare Escalates – 25 yr. old murdered in retaliation for Tuesday night shooting
3 days after celebrating his birthday, 25 year old Tarique “Paulie” Cadle, was gunned down on George Street on Wednesday morning. Cadle, who is a resident of Supal Street, went to visit a friend when a gunman chased him through the yard, cornered him near the back fence and opened fire at him. Cadle is the nephew of Jason “Soup” Williams, who was arrested by the Police for a shooting that occurred on Tuesday night on George Street. In that incident, Kariq Tzul, of West Street address was shot twice in the left leg and 27 year old Andrew Tate of George Street, was shot in both arms, the left side of his abdomen, his stomach, right upper leg, and left upper leg. Tzul is in a stable condition while Tate is receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, in a critical condition.

PM’s band aid solution to citrus crisis
The Prime Minister’s announcement at a press conference yesterday that his government will bail out the Citrus Growers Association from their bad debts with two local banks prompted knee-jerk reactions, some from unexpected quarters. It made a good political gambit for the PM but it will be short lived. The CGA still owes the Social Security Board. The move will simply exacerbate that debt. Another debt owed by the CGA to the European Investment Bank becomes due next year. The Prime Minister’s move will only delay the spread of the cancer, putting a band aid on the CGA’s inability to manage. Until some of the old antagonists in the industry dies, their problems will never go away-like Ireland, it is like the past happening over and over again. Here are a few reminders for the CGA: The same man, who will be appointed to sit on the newly constituted Board of Directors of CPBL and representing the SSB, was planning a move for a hostile takeover of your 51 percent shares in CPBL. It is the same man, who, as the Police Minister, sent Police Officers to block three newly appointed members of the CGA from attending their first Board meeting of CPBL.

No Escape for Penner! – PUP asks Supreme Court to order a Criminal Investigation
The People’s United Party has turned to the Supreme Court in order for UDP area representative Elvin Penner to face justice for his criminal act of illegally facilitated nationality and passport documents to an international criminal, South Korean fugitive Kim Won Hong, last year. The move by the PUP has come about because the Barrow Administration has protected and defended Penner, and has frustrated and intimidated every possible chance of a proper investigation by various authorities, instead of defending our laws. Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the UDP hold a razor thin majority in the House of Representatives that would be much closer to collapsing if Penner goes to trial and is found guilty, as would be expected in the face of the mountain of evidence of wrongdoing. Despite the evidence that exists, Barrow has declared publicly that he sees no criminal wrongdoing and has defended Penner’s political longevity to save his own. His declaration seems to have scared away the Police Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Bitter times in Citrus Industry
The saga of Stamp and Sharp is immortalized in song and gave notoriety to Stann Creek’s Pomona Valley. The story is always told in bits and pieces and is as about complex and confusing as today’s Pomona problems. The problem today is citrus which has been undergoing some seemingly insurmountable problems and challenges. If you listen to the news and if you listen to Anthony Chanona, a panacea has been discovered and an elixir has been delivered. Nothing could be further from the truth! In a Press Conference on Monday, Prime Minster Dean Barrow announced that he would be once again be dipping into public money to bail out private interest. Social Security has been a cash cow and monies there from have been used for everything except what it was initially intended for; Fifty million to Belize Telemedia (BTL), fifteen million to Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) ten million to the cane industry, etc., etc. Yet, poor hard working Belizeans who are the prime contributors to this fund must go begging to the public when in need of medical attention. As I write, Norman Rodriguez, a corporal of the Belize Defense Force (BDF), who is suffering with a brain tumor cannot receive assistance to receive medical attention. Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

PUP Chairman meets with Cayo West leaders
Party Chairman, Henry Usher, made a working visit to the Cayo West Constituency on Sunday 16th February 2014. His first stop was a tour of Arenal Village and a courtesy call on the Chairman of the village, Mr. Mirto Naj. Villagers came from all over to voice their concerns about the neglect of Erwin Contreras and the UDP who have completely abandoned the village. Chief among the cries was a lack of proper medical attention. The PUP built a health clinic in Arenal, but since the UDP took office in 2008 the clinic has become a shell. No nurse, no medical supplies. It has not opened its doors in the last 5 years. The closest health outpost is Benque Viejo, so even the most minor medical attention requires an arduous journey along one of the many terrible roads throughout Belize.

AMAZING GRACE – The Empty Faucet
This past Sunday, at a local Kingdom of God embassy, an ambassador relayed a thought-provoking story. An American missionary was attacked in the Amazon by a group of one of the native warrior tribes. Five indigenous people who happened by stepped in to save the man. As a token of his appreciation, the missionary took them out to dinner at a hotel in the nearest city. The group went up to the man’s hotel room to talk and he told them that they could have anything they could carry and that he would pay for it. The people led him into the bathroom and pointed. “We want that they said.” The missionary was astounded for the people wanted the bathtub faucet! When he tried to explain why that would be impossible they insisted, “We have no running water at the touch of a button at home. This is what we want”. What the tribe people did not understand was that the faucet had no power on its own. They mistakenly felt that the running water came from the faucet. They did not know the power came from the pipes connected to the faucet. These pipes were behind the walls and unseen to the human eye, yet the faucet would be a useless object without this ‘invisible’ source. It is the same with human beings. People who call themselves ‘Christians’ may have the shiniest exteriors, their faucets may even be made of gold; true value, however, lies not in the tool used to bring forth the water, but in the actual water. If the beautiful gold faucet is inlaid with precious stones and cannot conduct water from the pipes, it is a very beautiful piece of trash. Now, I am in no way calling people trash, but those who perform all the right rituals and actions without being connected to the Source are simply blowing hot air.

The mixed economy philosophy – What does it mean?
The Father of the Nation, Hon. George C. Price, always preached that Belize should implement a “MIXED ECONOMY”…..but how many understand what he meant? The National Constitution, our supreme law, prescribes that the people of Belize “respect the principles of social justice and therefore believe that the operation of the economic system must result in the material resources of the community being so distributed as to sub serve the common good, that there should be adequate means of livelihood for all, that labour should not be exploited or forced by economic necessity to operate in inhumane conditions but that there should be opportunity for advancement on the basis of recognition of merit, ability and integrity, that equal protection should be given to children regardless of their social status, and that a just system should be ensured to provide for education and health on the basis of equality”.

The Plan to Complete Global Sanitation by 2015
“How long will it take for countries of the poor to have adequate access to clean water?” It has been 13 years since the United Nations Millennium Declaration wrote this statement, and to date, many governments that signed up have noted the members in their communities are “still living and dying in their own feces for want of somewhere clean and safe to go to the toilet”. There is a global plan to reduce by half the number of people without access to sanitation by 2015. For many countries, this will definitely happen. How does Belize compare with other developing countries and what can we do to make the necessary changes to make sure our country is in compliance with this mandate? Globally, over 2.5 billion people live without adequate sanitation. Over 900 million people live without adequate access to clean water, which means people are exposed to the transmission of germs from feces by flies, fingers, and other sources, which can result in a public health crisis. I read that, “Sanitation is the basic environmental condition that affects the well-being of people. The conditions included a clean and safe water supply; efficient and safe animal, human, and industrial waste disposal; clean and safe air; protection of food from biological and chemical contaminants; and adequate housing in clean and safe surroundings”.

Belize’s reef health fair, GOB’s score: poor
The government of Belize has once again found to be lagging in implementing internationally recognized best practices in the management of nations’s fisheries resources. It’s been almost 5 years since Douglas N. Rader PhD and Kate Bonzon of the Environmenal Defense Fund visited Belize in March 2009 to propose a system of fish catch share as the only way forward for sustainable fisheries in Belize, but the UDP administration of Prime Minister Dean Barrow has again be found dragging its feet in implementing the necessary legislation to make it work. Belize scored fair: 3.1 out of a possible score of 5, in its performance to keep the Belize Barrier Reef healthy, according to an Eco-report presented by the Dr. Melanie Mcfield of the Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI) and Roberto Pott of Belizean NGO, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People, at the Radisson Fort George Hotel on Wednesday, February 12. HRI monitors Belize’s reefs as part of the Meso-American reef, in collaboration with the other countries: Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, and published a similar report back in 2011. Since then all the other 3 countries have improved their scores, only Belize has not improved over 2011.

PUP Marshalls Unit – Moving Forward!!
The work of rebuilding the PUP Marshalls Unit goes on with renewed vigour and efforts. This weekend, the Marshalls President Stephen Latchman will hold a meeting with his Dangriga Executive to plan the way forward. On Saturday February 8th and 9th Marshalls President Stephen Latchman met with Marshalls members of the Orange Walk district. A new executive body was appointed prior to the meeting and sworn in. The members of the new executive are President Joel Mollinedo, Vice President Enrique Castillo, Secretary Berta Ortega, Assistant Secretary Antonio Novelo, and Treasurer Mario Gongora.

A Public Fool or a Pig Using Lipstick?
A recent editorial in a national newspaper that has a mutually cozy business relationship with the Prime Minister and his government, took an unusual, but not unprecedented step, to rebuke the PM for “making a public fool of himself”. This chiding of the PM by one of his fair weather friends, is certainly an indication of the shifting political winds against this most unpopular government. But it is not news. If it is news, it is stale news. It is certainly not an epiphany. Cynics, and there is a growing number of those, even snicker that that newspaper’s editorial is a political, publicity, or business stunt. That assertion may have some credibility based on the experiences of readers and pundits. Reading between the lines, the paper has virtually implied that not only has the Prime Minister become a pig with lipstick but more like a pig using lipstick to cosmetically cover up all the evils of his corrupt administration. It would be easier for him to use white lime to help him with the white wash. But even that will only serve to temporarily keep away the maggots and the flies swarming in a government that is rotten to the core. The Prime Minister is fully aware that his power and strongman control is unravelling, and so is his very dangerous political ambitions. He and his government are currently suspended in thin air by a spider’s slippery thread.

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – FOCUS ON LADYVILLE
This week I would like to focus on Ladyville and to acknowledge many businesses in the area which have added to the amenities enjoyed by residents of this sprawling suburban and rural community. Many times it feels like there are several Ladyvilles because there are such widely diverse smaller zones and residential areas. For example the Ladyville/Lord’s Bank area has a section that is called Hollywood. Another “barrio” is called Spanish Town. Yesterday Pepe and I gave a ride home to Ms. Marion Wallen, who worked for many years with the late Audrey Courtenay. Ms. Marion joked that she lives in the “poor people” Hollywood, since apart from some attention to one or two streets in the area, there are still many bad streets and lanes, making access for residents very difficult. There are the businesses and services at the International Airport, the Coca Cola/Belikin Factories, SriLuck Plastics, Gentrac, the Vista del Mar Marina, Medina’s Construction, Rodla Construction, Easy Does It Auto Shop, Bella Vista Development, Bacab Eco Park, the Data Processing site at Mile 13, Qespro Pest Elimination Service, M&M; Engineering, Belize Optical Supply, Belize Western Energy, Mood FM Radio Station, and St. Christopher Clinic and Pharmacy. I am sure this list is not exhaustive.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE – NO SENSE OF PURPOSE OR DIRECTION
The UDP Government of Dean Barrow is a Government without purpose or direction. It is a Government without a Plan. A government that lives from day to day reeling from crisis to crisis. No wonder then, that Belize is in a crisis. Ask yourself the following questions: What is this UDP Governments Economic Development Agenda? Does the UDP Government have a Governance Reform Agenda? What is the UDP’s JOB PLAN? What is the UDP SOCIAL AGENDA beyond furthering dependency thru handouts? What is the UDP’s National Security Plan not only to fight crime but also to preserve our territorial integrity? Where are our Education, Health and Housing Sectors going? What is our Natural Resources Agenda? I could go on and on but you get the point. This is a UDP Government that is headed nowhere and quickly. Take the recent standoffs in the Sugar and Citrus industries. The PUP have long called on the Government to become more engaged in bringing the parties in these industries to the table and craft a responsible solution but Barrow and the UDP waited in each case for the matter to become a national crisis before responding.

Blogs

An Aussie Strikes Back with a tip of the Akubra to Ambergris and Chaa Creek
First of all, we are a continent, see? So the comparison is unfair. You don’t need weeks and the constitution of a camel to cross Ambergris Caye and see all the sights. You don’t even need shoes. Second of all, Ambergris Caye is in the bleedin’ Caribbean, home of swashbuckling tales, Pirates of the Caribbean, buried treasure and all that, so there’s an unfair advantage right there. And third of all, most importantly, you can get to Ambergris Caye from The Lodge at Chaa Creek, one of the world’s top eco resorts, in the time it takes to drink a frosty Fosters. The last time I tried to get home to Aussie from Chaa Creek it took something like three days. And at Chaa Creek you’re surrounded by beautiful rainforest (on par with our Daintree, I’d have to admit), stacks of activities like canoeing, horseback riding, attractions such as ancient Maya temples and the like, a wonderful staff and a restaurant serving some of the best tucker to be had anywhere.

International Sources

Trip to Belize offers outdoor adventures filled with exotic wildlife, sights, sounds
HOPKINS VILLAGE, Belize — Permit, bonefish and tarpon beckoned from mangrove-flocked cayes dotting glistening saltwater flats, but our bountiful reward had nothing to do with recompense gained via measured swings of a fly rod. In reality, the true treasures of this small country nestled below the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America are its people, culture and distinct places, including some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world featuring an abundance of amazing species. My new bride, Michelle, and I spent our honeymoon in November based out of a private residence on what certainly was a quiet and splendid beach, but getting off the beaten path provided so much more to marvel at, allowing us to partake in activities we otherwise never would have enjoyed.

February 22, 2014

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Bert Oliva motivates SPHS students
Over 10 thousand students attended motivational talks as part of the annual Motivational Missionaries Tour 2014 organized by the Restore Belize Project. With the assistance of Chamberlain Consulting, Restore Belize invited Bert Oliva as the guest for the 2014 tour which ran from February 11th to the 19th. On Monday, February 17th, Oliva and his team made a stop at Ambergris Caye where he inspired and motivated the students of San Pedro High School (SPHS). The motivational speakers also made a stop in neighboring Caye Caulker Village before ending their tour on Wednesday where they met with students in the Toledo District.

14th Annual Spelling Bee Zone 5 Eliminations
A total of 14 students are representing the islands seven primary schools. Contestants include Brandon Worthington and Yaire Castaneda from Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES), Jannelie Mas and Daniela Novelo from Caye Caulker Roman Catholic Primary School (CCRC), Jessica Saki and Kirany Caal from Holy Cross Anglican School (HCAS), Juliannie Rivero and Ashley Minott from Isla Bonita Elementary School (IBES), Derrick Clark and Elias Zetina from New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist School (NHSDA), Rachel Alamilla and Natalia Arias from San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School (SPRC) and Nicole Ritchie and Jackson Leslie from The Island Academy. The two top winners of the competition will represent Zone 5 at the Belize District Finals.

San Pedro Sports Committee launches Kids Football Clinic
On Saturday February 15th the San Pedro Sports Committee held a Football Clinic at the Saca Chispas Football Field in San Pedro Town. The clinic was spearheaded by Hector ‘Tito’ Alamilla of the San Pedro Sports Committee and Coach Alex Noralez, assistant coach in the Youth Program of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB). The clinic was open to three age categories Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 and was designed to provide the children with individual attention, while giving them the opportunity to grow, both individually and as team players, developing and refining the various sport’s skills and tactics. Approximately 50 children attended the first clinic. Another clinic is scheduled to take place this coming Saturday, and henceforth from 9AM. Clinics are scheduled to run through mid March.

Belize scores a “C” in regional Reef Eco-Audit
The 2014 Reef Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef countries is out and was made public simultaneously in all countries who share the same reef system. In Belize, Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI) hosted the event at the Radisson Fort George Hotel on Wednesday February 12th and in attendance was a consortium of policy makers, environmentalists, conservation stakeholders and even a rigorous media. The report celebrated the successes in the collective efforts to protect and sustainably manage the region’s amazing coral reef but also highlighted the unfortunate slow pace at which achievements are met.

Elias Zetina of New Horizon SDA and Jannelie Mas of Caye Caulker RC are Zone 5s top Spellers
The 20th National Coca Cola Spelling Bee is underway with district zone eliminations throughout the country. The Belize District Zone five eliminations, which entails Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, took place on Friday February 24th at the San Pedro Lions Den. 14 students from seven primary schools took their opportunities to test their spelling ability but in the end, Elias Zetina of New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) School took the top honors for the zone. The Spelling Bee competition is an annual collaborative educational effort conducted jointly between Coca Cola franchise in Belize, Bowen and Bowen Limited, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Started in 1994, the competition has evolved over the past 20 years and is one of the biggest educational competitions, attracting students from all private and public schools in the country. In fact, the competition have been divided into zones, and according to Miriam Codd, District Educational Officer for Belize Rural South, it is the 14th consecutive Zone Elimination held between island schools. This year the national competition is being held under the theme “Go for the Goooal” which coincides with the year of the Football World Cup scheduled for later this year in Brazil.

Members of Caribbean Flying Adventures descend on Ambergris Caye
It seems that everyone around the world has gotten wind that Ambergris Caye is the Number 1 Island in the world (for the second consecutive year). That includes a group of about 16 pilots who flew to San Pedro Town, Belize on Friday February 21st in their private planes. The adventurers will spend the weekend on the island, taking in the sun, breeze and sea and just enjoy the La Isla Bonita experience.

A taste of Belize in Portland Oregon (USA)
So if there’s one thing we’re always looking out for, I’m sure by now you’ve figured out that it’s cool Belizean features! In an article recently posted by Willamette Week, a Portland (Oregon, USA) based online newsletter, a food cart dishing up tasty Belizean dishes managed to make its way onto the list of “Cheap Eats 2014: Top 5 Food Carts of the Year.” Love Belizean is a food cart that set up shop on SW 6th and Columbia Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Tiffany Quillen Love opened up Love Belizean on February 14th, 2013. While Tiffany isn’t Belizean she isn’t letting that stop her. The Hawaiian native fell in love with Belizean dishes like Rice n’ Beans on her honeymoon in the country and has been giving the people of Portland a taste of Belize , Marie Sharp pepper sauce and all. Tiffany was equally joyed to share her Rice n Beans with the Belize National Football Team that travelled to Portland for the Gold Cup in 2013. The team gave Love Belizean the Belizean stamp of approval. Love Belizean ranked third in the Top 5. Way to go Tiffany!

Ambergris Today

Spelling Bee Zone 5 Eliminations Held in San Pedro
Two representatives from each school took on the challenge and competed for a chance to be a part of the 20th Annual National Coca Cola Spelling Bee in the Belize district finals. Congratulations to Third place winner: Rachel Alamilla - San Pedro R.C. School, Second Place: Jannelie Mas – Caye Caulker R.C. School and First Place: Elias Zetina – New Horizon SDA School.

Light The Night For Kids
Join the worthy cause taking place on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 6pm; Memorial Park in Belize City. Express yourself and together let's light up the night for kids.

Mexico Offers Postgraduate Scholarships To Belizeans
The Embassy of Mexico informs that the El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Mexico, has opened its 2014 scholarship call for applications for postgraduate programs. There are seven scholarships available for Belizean Nationals to carry out Master degree programs and one for Doctorate degree program. These postgraduate programs are registered in the national program of quality postgraduate studies of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Condolences to Family of the Late Freddy Waight
Ambergris Today expresses sincere condolences to the family of the late Frederick Cassian Waight, "Captain Freddie" of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, who passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2014, at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church on Ambergris Caye, Belize at 10:00 a.m. immediately followed by a memorial on the beach.

Education in Belize: Quality Schools
During the last few weeks, the entire country of Belize witnessed with great concern the plight of hundreds/thousands of educators and teachers whose pressing yet ignored working and workplace concerns had finally reached a boiling point. These professionals work very hard and tirelessly everyday to provide an education to our young people; yet they remain unappreciated by many, especially by those who control their very salaries, workplaces, and living conditions.

US Navy Seal Celebrity Marcus Luttrell Vacations in San Pedro
Marcus Luttrell is a former United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings. His survival story was so amazing that Hollywood made it into the hit 2013 movie Lone Survivor where actor Mark Wahlberg portrayed him. Well Luttrell and his wife Melanie were vacationing in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, last week and enjoying the accommodations of Azul Resort in North Ambergris Caye. Ambergris Today also found out that the happy couple made trips to the reef onboard Lady Leslie catamaran and totally enjoyed what the island has to offer.

Misc Belizean Sources

Masquerade Ball Feb 22 8pm@ Holiday Hotel in San Pedro
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ELEGANT AFFAIR! If you don't have a mask, DON'T WORRY! We'll have masks for sale at the door for only $10!

Mexican Dance Company “Los niños Mayas de Cancun"
The Embassy of Mexico informs that the Mexican Dance Company “Los niños Mayas de Cancun" (The Mayan Children from Cancun) will participate at the fourth annual Street Art Festival in Belize City on Saturday, February 22th, 2014. The dance company “Los niños Mayas de Cancun" was created in the year 2000 with the objective of bringing together the most talented children of Quintana Roo and to provide them a space for professional training on traditional Mayan dances and from other parts of Mexico. The group’s performance offers the public a show within the highest standards of quality and fosters closer relations and knowledge of the culture and traditions of the Maya region of Quintana Roo. This dance company includes more than 20 children between 12 and 13 years old. The group has performed in most states of Mexico, as well as in Los Angeles and New York in the Unites States, Canada, Dominican Republic and Cuba. The group's performance will take place on Saturday, February 22, at 5:00 pm on Albert Street, downtown Belize City.

Western Ballaz Play Today
The Western Ballaz host the Dangriga Warriors today at the SHC auditorium. The warm up game is SHC vs. SHJC. This is their first home game so come on out and support the number 1 ranked team in the Elite League. The game will be televised on channel 5. The video is channel 5's highlights from last week's game, where they defeated the Running Rebels in Orange Walk. "Tip off found Kurt Burgess of Ballaz and Ian Carcamo of OW facing off- Burgess taps to Mark O’brien and we’re underway. Leith Paulino powers the home team to a 12 – 8 lead with this good looking three point shot and he would finish with 11 points and 6 rebounds. However, Kurt Burgess who came in as the assist leader in the league with 8, banks this triple off the glass to pull his team to a 16 – 13 lead at the end of the 1st quarter."

Belmopan Bandits vs. Toledo Diplomats
The Belmopan Bandits are hosting the Toledo Diplomats tomorrow at the UB gym. Belmopan is currently 1 and 1. Go, Belmopan! You can see some of their last game, which was against the Dangriga Warriors, where the Warriors beat them by only one point, 57-56. Their first game, where they defeated the Orange Walk Running Rebels, 76-69.

Women in Arts Fair Call
The SISE House of Culture is having their annual Women in Arts Fair, and they are calling on female artists who would like to enter their arts to be shown. The fair will be at the Cayo Welcome Center on Saturday, March 29th. Call them at 824-0783 for more information if you're interested.

'I Have a Dream for Belize' Essay Winner
The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce that Mr. Elvis Usher is the winner of the "I Have a Dream for Belize" Essay Contest. CONGRATULATIONS!!! The second place winner is Mr. Javier Candelario Romero, and there was a tie for third place by Mr. Dale McDougall and Ms. Maryam Abdul. We received over 50 submissions and ALL of them were very insightful. We've compiled the quotes that stood out from all of the essay submissions and posted them below. Belize has A LOT to be proud of, all of the dreams were inspiring! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Rick Galvez Concert at Soul Project
Rick Galvez will have a concert today at the Soul Project. He has some new songs that he's going to unveil. He's an amazing artist, and admission is free. "Ricardo A. Galvez announces- For the past two months i have been working on several projects, one of which is a compilation of new songs for an album that i am adamant will be recorded and released this year. This Saturday night i will be performing an acoustic show at Belize Soul project, space for the creative arts and debuting some new material. For the first time in a long time i feel totally confident and excited with what I'm working on. Hope to see you Saturday."

Mexico offers postgraduate scholarships to Belizeans
The El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Mexico has opened its 2014 scholarship call for applications for postgraduate programs. There are seven scholarships available for Belizean nationals for master’s degree programs and one for a doctorate degree program. These postgraduate programs are registered in the national program of quality postgraduate studies of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT). COLEF is a prestigious public Mexican institution, oriented to teaching and research.

Commentary: If government removes soldiers from the streets of Belize City, it better have a backup plan
By Wellington C. Ramos It is never a good situation for a country when the government decides to deploy soldiers on the streets to perform police duties for which they were not trained. Why? Because soldiers are not trained to perform police duties, only the police. However, due to the increase in crime over the years, the PUP and UDP governments in Belize had no choice but to take that action. Back in the 1960s, when the UBAD was creating havoc in Belize City, the PUP government under the leadership of Minister Carl L. Rogers, better known as "Lindy Rogers", formed the Police Special Force, which was known as PSF. At that time, our country of Belize had no army but had a volunteer force called the British Honduras Volunteer Guards (BHVG). They attended drills during the week in their respective districts and attended camp in Mountain Pine Ridge once a year to do military training. The original PSF enlistees had to do one year of training, which included six months of police duties and six months of military training. That was later broken down to about three months of each.

Golden Princess Casino Closes Operation at the Corozal Northern border in Belize - 200 workers out of work.
Workers at the Golden Princess Casino located near the northern border of Belize were informed that as of today they will not have a job to report to because the casino is closing its operation in Belize. According to a worker at the Casino, they were told that the Casino has been operating at a loss and therefore has gone bankrupt. But sources in the know say – that is far from the truth. On Wednesday, February 5th the House of Representative held an emergency meeting to amend and pass four important bills. They are the Money Laundering and Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Bill; the Financial Intelligence Unit (Amendment) Bill 2014; the Domestic Banks and Financial Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014. Unlike the usual rancor that characterizes house meetings, where the “banking transparency legislations” were concerned, there was no sparring. The Opposition agreed even though they said that they didn’t like the bills.

Channel 7

Golden Princess Casino Closing Down; 100+ Jobless?
Tonight, the families of at least 130 Belizean workers in the northern part of the country are in state of financial panic after they were abruptly sent home this morning from the Golden Princess Casino located in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. It's the kind of thing that blindsided the entire staff after a memo was sent out last night, requesting that everyone needed to attend a mandatory meeting at 11 a.m. this morning. When everyone was congregated, the upper management delivered the news like an executive sledge hammer: they were closing down Golden Princess, and approximately only 60 of their 270 staff would be retained after the process was over. The reasons given by the Executives at this morning's meeting were that business is slow at the establishment, the rent is too high, and there is not sufficient funds to keep casino open and employ everyone on staff.

Hon. Hulse Says Immig. Officers Didn't Have To "Lawyer Up"
Last night, 7News told you about the back and forth that Acting Director of Immigration Maria Marin, Attorney Godfrey Smith and Deputy Solicitor General Nigel Hawke had via letters about the questions being asked of Immigration officers Ady Pacheco and Gordon Wade about role in the Citizen Kim scandal. As has been widely reported, after fake Belizean Won Hong Kim got his passport issued to him in one day, his file famously disappeared, and those two officers from the Immigration Section reportedly handled the file at one point or another. As we told you, Director Marin wrote to Wade and Pacheco requesting that they answer certain questions, but instead of doing so, they retained Attorney Godfrey Smith who wrote back saying that his clients don't have to answer for any breech in procedures. Deputy Solicitor General Hawke, acting on behalf of the Immigration Department then wrote back to Smith saying that Marin's letters were not "show-cause" requests. Today, 7News caught up with Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse, and we asked him to share his opinion on the matter. He said that the officers pressed the gas too fast on the retention of an attorney:

NCL Submitted Their EIA Addendum
Today's edition of the Amandala newspaper reports that Norwegian Cruise Line has submitted corrections to the EIA that they promised, following the negative feedback at the Public Consultation Meeting held on January 22 in Independence Village. The newspaper reports that the Department of the Environment announced that they've received a 25-page supplementary document that they hope the DOE will consider when reviewing their proposal for their quote, "Harvest Caye Nature Park" Unquote. According to the Amandala, with this submission, the NEAC meeting, which was postponed indefinitely, will now meet in early March, after the members have been able to peruse the submitted documents.

Court: Lenny Bennett Shot His Ex
About 2 hours before news time, a jury of 9 found Lenny Bennett Benguche guilty of maiming his ex-girlfriend back in January 2008, when he caused her to lose a leg. Christina Zetina was forced to testify twice against Benguche's where he was acquitted of attempted murder, and then re-tried for maim. The charges arose from an incident that occurred around 8:30 p.m. on January 29, 2008, in which Benguche's ex-girlfriend was shot in her left leg. Because of the severity of the injury, her leg was amputated 10 days later. She testified that she and her boyfriend were riding their bicycles on Clother Avenue in Ladyville when Benguche fired shots at them and a bullet struck her in her leg. Benguche testified and denied that he committed the offence. He said that he was at a Chinese shop on Marage Road in Ladyville when he heard gunshots and he went home.

FECTAB: Back Off From Yhony
For the past, 2 weeks, well-known tour guide Yhony Rosado has been battling a new allegation brought against him by his competitor, Vitalino Reyes Sr. According to Reyes, Rosado, assaulted him on Boxing Day, and so, he now he's facing a disorderly conduct charge in the Magistrate's Court. Well, as we've reported, Rosado claims that the BTB is trying to use this opportunity to move against him and get his tour guide license revoked on what he calls a flimsy charge. As we told you, the Licensing committee is reviewing this allegation, and Rosado's livelihood could be placed on the line if they recommend that it be revoked. Well, FECTAB is take the stance that, if you touch one, you touch all, and today they' held a fiery 1 hour press conference. Rosado and his attorney outlined the long history of bad blood that he's had with Vitalino Reyes, who tried to get him convicted in court with false statements under oath.

Palm Grove Doesn't Want The Apartment Complex
Last night, 7News showed you a small part of our story on the Palm Grove residents who want to block the building of an apartment complex in their neighborhood, because they say that it's private property where their security and peace of mind will be disturbed. We'd interviewed them an hour before news time, and so tonight, we have their full comments to us: Stephen Heusner - Resident, Palm Grove "They are proposing to build a 5 story apartment building on a very small lot which is about 75' x 100' and it just seems out of the ordinary to cram a building of this size on such a small property." Omar Gomez - Resident, Palm Grove "I am here supporting my fellow residents, my neighbors and expressing our grave concern for the parking facilities that are inadequate for this proposed building and obviously the destruction of the entrance to the properties, it's a one exit and one entrance private property only and with this proposed building going up, we don't know who will be coming in and who will be going out and the lack of parking space will inconvenience the fellow neighbors and parking on the street would be very inadequate."

Mayor To Palm Grove: Take It To Court
And so today, 7News spoke with Mayor Darrell Bradley, who they point to as the government authority who is not acting in their best interest. Bradley told us that City Hall cannot block the development without good reason: Mayor Darrell Bradley "I made it very clear to Mr. Heusner that when we deal with regulations and when we deal with the building code, it is that a person applies for a building permit and we will go back to them in relation with certain issues that we may have. As long as they satisfy us with those issues we can't by law block the development. The residents in that area and Mr. Heusner want this thing to be stopped. They have certain remedies that they could take, if it's a nuisance, if its problems that they are finding out they could bring an action in court to deal with the developer directly, but our point of view from the city's responsibility is to regulate them and regulating them means that we are ensuring that they are compliant with the law including the building act and they are building in such a way that ensures that whatever they build comports to certain basic standards including parking and we are doing this, so I don't understand what the issue with the residents are."

Repeat Offender Jailed For Firearm
32 year-old Jevon Levi Usher is spending his third night of a 10 year sentence behind bars after he was convicted of firearm offences in the Magistrate's Court. His trial took place before the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith, and ended on Wednesday evening. Police say that they saw him on Jane Usher Boulevard on February 22, 2013. At around 10:15 p.m. they were on patrol and when Usher saw them coming, he tried to throw away an item before they arrived near to him. The officers detained him and immediately retrieve what he threw away; it turned out to be a glock 9mm pistol which had 3 live round in its magazine. So, they charged him with keeping an unlicensed firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition. The arresting officers testified to the discovery, and his defence, he said that they fabricated the entire story claiming that the area was too dark for the officers to see him throwing away anything. Under a crafty cross-examination, the police prosecutor asked him if it is not true where the officers detained him is a crime-stricken area. He answered yes saying that he always had to be "strapped" to protect himself, suggesting that he is regularly armed.

Dakers To Jail For Indecent Assault
48 year-old George Dakers is spending his second 9 of a 3-year sentence after he was found guilty of indecent assault against a 12 year-old girl. His trial took place before the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith, where the 12 year-old testified that on May 11, 2013, at around 2 p.m., she went to Dakers' house to beg him for a nail. She said that Dakers told her that he didn't have any, and when turned around to leave, Dakers squeezed her buttocks. She said that she immediately told her mother who called the police and reported the incident. Dakers was charged with aggravated assault of an indecent nature, and in his defence in the trial, he told the court that the child was telling lies on him once again, like she supposedly always does. He denied ever touching the girl.

Belize Sign On To Jaguar Corridor Initiative
Today, Belize signed on with 18 other countries to a memorandum of understanding which an official commitment from Government and its environmental partners to collaboratively implement science-based conservation initiatives that secure and connect jaguars and their habitats in Belize and beyond its borders, facilitate land development that is both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable, and mitigate human-jaguar conflict throughout the country. Now, it's an initiative which the experts say started in Belize, and it has finally come full circle with this MOU. World renown Jaguar Expert was the main speaker at the Signing, and he explained that from his observations in other countries, Belize has the healthiest relationship with the big cat: Dr. Alan Rabinowitz - CEO, Panthera "Now there are 18 countries signing these MOUs to maintaining the jaguar corridor. It doesn't mean necessarily a bunch of new protected areas, it means land use zoning; thinking of land where wildlife now becomes a part of the thinking of agricultural development; new road building and all those kinds of things. It just means a better way of thinking and where all the local communities and local people are involve in that way of thinking because it's their land, its where they live, it's their resources. Everything got started here 30 years ago and not only am I thrill to see it have come full circle now to where Belize is now signing this MOU for the jaguar corridor, but I want you to realize that you are a piece of the jaguar corridor as small as it might seem. When you look at a map from Mexico through Argentina, it's actually a very special piece of the jaguar corridor."

The First Bel Riv Expo
Another major environmental event which happened in the river valley is the first Belize River Valley Eco-Tourism and Commerce Expo which opened today in Bermudian Landing. It's a commercial opportunity that has been closely organized by the administrators of the Community Baboon Sanctuary Women's Conservation Group. Today, 7News stopped in at the opening ceremony to find out a little about it. Here's what the guest speakers had to say: Hon. Godwin Hulse - Guest Speaker, Belize River Expo "We want especially to recognize the Community Baboon Sanctuary Women's Conservation Group for presenting this Belize River Valley Bel Riv first ever expo. Give the women of the area a huge hand. And I say the women because in 1995 myself together with a group of men attempted to get some economic activity going and we struggled for about 5 years and we never has any major success. Miss Jessie was a part of this. I don't know where she is hiding, come up here Miss Jessie. She was part of this activity together with a lot of other women in this area and she never lost the vision, has been involved in everything in this area, has been keeping literally the babboons alive in the footsteps of her husband and together they did that, she runs the museum and today we will open a business center. She is energetic, full of life, but we have to give her a special hand for this day."

Stix's 9th Day of Healing
Community activist Perry "Stix" Smith has been organizing his Days of Healing all of last year, which is catching on with the residents of the communities affected by the Belize City Gang Landscape. He's putting together his first for 2014 together this weekend, and today he explained to us what his plans for event, which seeks to engaged marginalized youths and give them a sports day to enjoy: This Sunday's healing will be held at the Complex Field. It starts at 9 am, and and ends at 6pm.

A Special Edition Nowhere To Fly For Street Art Festival
And those children he hopes to engage are those who live their lives in constant fear or influence of the gangs that operate in those territories. It's something that Joseph "Stamp" Romero is hoping to bring to life at this Saturday's Street Art Festival. He's had 2 productions of his innovative play called "Nowhere to Fly, Gangs and Boys", and in Saturday's production, he hopes to engage festival goers with a vivid tale of what these youths experience. He told us a bit about how it has been received so far:

Bert Oliva Reached Out To Almost 10k Kids
Motivational Speaker Bert Oliva has been around the country on his third tour to inspire your children to reach their full potential. Yes, they've probably come home and told you exciting stories of eating fire, walking over broken glass, and bending steel using their necks. But, the real message is that to achieve goals, mind over matter is the biggest weapon they have in their arsenal. Oliva and his associates told us about the tour, and the more than 9,000 children they've hopefully influenced positively:

Channel 5

FECTAB’s fiery press conference to clear Yhony Rosado’s name
The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, FECTAB, held a press briefing this morning to discuss details of a longstanding rift between executive member Yhony Rosado and rival tour [...]

Executives call out Chukka and B.T.B. on state of cruise tourism industry
Among other issues discussed were FECTAB’s perennial gripe with Chukka and the Memorial Park as part of the Fort Street Tourism Zone.  David Almendarez, an executive of the organization, brought [...]

Global Fantasies: European tourist scammed out of US $26,000
From FECTAB’s protest on the current state of cruise tourism, to widespread objection to another growing sector of the industry, sex tourism.   That niche market sells in premiere destinations all [...]

Over 100 employees fired from Golden Princess in Corozal Free Zone
News Five has received credible information that the casino known as the Golden Princess, located near the northern border, has closed its doors. Those reports circulated this morning, along with [...]

Belize City Mayor discusses BML contracts
The Belize City Council currently pays two sanitation companies for work done in the city – Belize Waste Control and Belize Maintenance Limited. Both companies account for over one hundred [...]

The daring escape of yet another prisoner
In Thursday’s newscast, we reported that San Ignacio Police have launched a manhunt for accused murdered, twenty-five-year-old Jarod Arthurs Lamb. Lamb escaped from custody around eight-thirty on Thursday morning, while [...]

15 years behind bars for Lindbergh Alexander Clarke
Twenty-one year old Lindbergh Alexander Clarke is tonight serving the first night of a fifteen-year stretch at the Belize Central Prison, after being found guilty of three firearm-related offences.  This [...]

Man found guilty of maim
A jury of five women and four men entered the deliberating room at eleven-thirty this morning, to decide the fate of Lenny Bennett Benguche, whose trial for maim commenced in [...]

Immigration bust at Blue House Bar in Ladyville
The Immigration Department continues to target ‘happy bars’ in Belize, racking up an impressive record of cases for immigration offences. Last week it was Temptation Hill, and today officers were [...]

Mahogany Street Police Precinct assists elderly man
The Mahogany Street Police Precinct continues its stellar working in building the Lake Independence community by assisting the needy through a series of community outreach initiatives.  This morning, a team [...]

G.O.B. signs MOU to protect jaguar corridor
This morning in Burrell Boom, officials from the Ministry of Forest, the University of Belize and Panthera, as well as other representatives from various environmental groups, gathered for the signing [...]

The annual Street Art Festival
On Saturday, downtown Albert Street will come alive with the annual Street Art Festival hosted by the Institute of Creative Arts. The transformation will see the commercial hub of the [...]

CTV3

Red Cross Empowering Communities To Be Decision Makers With In Their Communities
In July 2013 the Belize Red Cross began implementation of the Resilience in the Americas, RITA project. The project is focused on educating and empowering communities in becoming decision makers within their communities. Through the American Red Cross, the project is being piloted in ten countries in the Latina America and Caribbean Region. An assessment model was developed to be a holistic, multi-sector analysis of the needs of communities which in Belize is being managed by the Belize Red Cross. RITA activities are being carried out in San Victor, Consejo, and Corozal Town in the Corozal District, as well as Black Water Creek, Santa Cruz and San Antonio Rio Hondo, Louisiana and Trial Farm in the Orange Walk District.

San Ignacio Police On Hunt For Escape Prisoner
Police in San Ignacio are tonight seeking the help of the public in recapturing an escaped prisoner. About 8:30a.m this morning, San Ignacio Police left the Hattieville Prison en route to San Ignacio. On board the van were seven prisoners. While on their way to San Ignacio, in the vicinity of Ontario Village a loud bang was heard, as a result, the driver stopped to investigate. Upon checking it was observed that the back door was partially opened and prisoner Jarod Arthurs Lamb had escaped from custody.

Concern Raises Over The Use Of Horse Drawn Carriage Tours
Much scrutiny is being raised towards the long-standing Horse drawn carriage tours in the Tourism Sector particularly where the hub of those activities are prominent in Belize City. Of much contention is the revision for proper care of the animal Under the Cruelty to Animals Act, Chapter 115. Tonight, Reporter Maria Novelo visits the story in an effort to educate and raise awareness of what many people call an ‘inhumane’ practice in the Tourism sector. Maria Novelo – Reporting A leisure ride in a horse-drawn carriage around the core of Belize City is one of the longest-running tourist traditions in the country’s history. And while it is a major income earner for several families, many find the horse-carriage industry unsustainable as it is presently with its sub-standard practices. We spoke to several activists, concerned residents and animal lovers who weighed in on the issue.

LOVE FM

Acquitted in First Trial; Jury Unable to Reach Verdict in Retrial
A jury of five women and four men retired around 11:30 a.m. today to see if it can reach a verdict in the court of Justice John Gonzalez for 28 year old Lenny Bennett Benguche, charged with maim. The charge arose from an incident that occurred around on January 29, 2008, in which Benguche’s ex-girlfriend Christina Zetina, was shot in her left leg. The injury was so severe that Zetina’s leg was amputated 10 days later. Zetina testified that she and her boyfriend were riding their bicycles on Clother Avenue in Ladyville when several shots were fired at them. Benguche, who was not represented by any attorney, testified that at the time of the incident he was at a Chinese shop on Marage Road in Ladyville when he heard gunshots and he went home. The prosecution is being represented by Crown Counsel Leroy Banner who is being assisted by Crown Counsel Killeru Awich. The trial is a retrial. In June 2010 Benguche was acquitted of two counts of attempted murder for Zetina and her boyfriend. The jury was, however, unable to reach a verdict for maim.

PlusTV

Escaped: Two prisoners, Separate incidents, Same Day
Another prisoner has escaped from police custody. This would be the third for February 2014 and the second in one day, Thursday February 20, 2014. Last night we told you about Jarod Lamb who jumped out of a moving police van on his way to court in San Ignacio....

Beauty Queens’ Pictures Removed from Sex Vacation Website
Organizers of the Miss Belize Pageant have officially written to Global Fantasies, the website which advertises Belize as a sex paradise, offering young Belizean females for sale. The website displays pictures of numerous women, supposedly all Belizeans, who could be purchased for the entertainment pleasure of foreigners. Some of...

Casino Closes at Corozal Free Zone
Golden Princess Casino at the Corozal Free Zone in northern Belize has closed its doors. There has been no official word from the management of the casino but speculations as to the reason for the closure are rampant. Unconfirmed reports are that the casino will be moving across the...

Man Found Guilty of Maiming Ex-Girlfriend
A jury of 5 women and 4 men stepped into the deliberating room at 11:30 this morning to decide the fate of Lenny Bennette Benguche whose trial for maim commenced in the Supreme Court of Justice Troadio John Gonzalez since Monday of this week. They came back out his...

Bar Owner Back In Court for New Immigration Offense
The Immigration Department was back in court today after they raided Blue House Bar, the business place of a well-known naturalized Belizean who is originally from Guatemala. Mrs. Dora Prado is no stranger to the court. In fact, this is the second time that she is being charged for...

Community Service for Woman Who Lied About Rape
Mysha Williams has escaped prison sentence, but must do community service for committing a mischievous act. The 18 year old woman fabricated a story about being raped last weekend. She went to the police station and told police she was raped in her home and even took police her...

Venezuelan Ambassador Complains About International Media Coverage of Anti-Government Protests in Venezuela
The Venezuelan government is gripped with political unrest and has categorically accused the International News Media CNN of “…hostile coverage”. According to an article posted by BBC news, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that many international networks have created a false idea that Venezuela is faced with civil...

Understanding the Relationship Between Ralph Huang and Lord Gibson
When UDP “Caretaker” for Cayo South, Ismael “Miley” Garcia backed out of the race for UDP Standard Bearer for the Cayo South Division political observers were wondering who would fill the void. In came Ernest Patnett from the village of Teakettle, a close associate of Belmopan Area Representative John...

Amandala

“TIT FOR TAT?”
The gang violence that has been in low intensity for the last several months throughout Belize City appears to be escalating among rival gangs, as stepped-up shootings in various Southside gang turfs have begun to register casualties again. On Wednesday morning around 9:30 the life of a young man was snuffed out for no sensible reason, other than his bad sense of timing and his apparent exercise of poor judgment, according to his sister, who said she was warned by the elders in her Supal Street neighborhood that her brother would be killed if he went into the George Street neighborhood, where he has friends. Tarique Keylon Cadle, 25, took his last breath as bullets mowed him down to the ground in a yard on Plues Street. His corpse was transported to the morgue at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, after his sister identified it to police. An area resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she heard about five or six shots in rapid succession.

TWO GEORGE STREET “SOLDIERS” SHOT
Two men from the George Street area are being treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after being shot multiple times by a man reportedly from the Supal Street Gang at about 11:30 Tuesday night at the corner of West Canal and King Street. The two injured men are Tarique Tzul, 25, of West Street, and Andrew Tate, 27, of George Street. Tate was shot twice in his right arm, once in the left arm, once in the left side of the abdomen, once below the stomach, once in the right upper leg, and once in the left upper leg. He has been declared to be in a critical condition and is in the Intensive Care Unit of the KHMH. Tzul was shot in his left upper leg and has been declared to be in a stable condition. Police announced that fifteen 9mm expended shells were retrieved from the scene of the shooting.

JASON “SOUP” WILLIAMS CHARGED FOR SHOOTING AT POLICE
Jason “Soup” Williams, 35, an associate of the Supal Street Gang, is facing two counts of aggravated assault charges, as well as a charge for discharging a firearm in public. Williams was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court Thursday morning. Williams pleaded not guilty to the three charges. Before he was arraigned, Williams took advantage of the presence of reporters in court to express his innocence, saying, “The police dem di try set me up.” He claimed that police saw a man with dreadlocks running and arrested him for the crime. The shooting incident occurred on Tuesday night in the vicinity of West and Bishop Streets. According to Police Constables #1308 Elvin Nah and #124 Jason Augustine, they responded to shots being fired in the area, and they saw a man with dreadlocks whom they identified as Williams, running.

WOMAN CRASH-PARKS IN SKY CITY SUPERMARKET
It looked like a scene out of a movie – an SUV smashed through the glass wall of a supermarket in Ladyville, leaving half of the vehicle in the store and the other half outside on the pavement. The accident occurred at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon. Luckily, no one was injured, but the vehicle slammed some goods off a shelf in Sky City Superstore, knocked down a 5-gallon water rack containing about twenty bottles, bursting some of them, among other damages. The vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder with L/P- CY- 31479, which carried a Belize Wild Life and Referral Clinic logo on the right back glass, ended up parked on top of the water rack. The woman who was driving the SUV was detained by police, pending charges.

“TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, AND MY BIRTH PAPER …I’M GOING TO DIE!”
The worst nightmare of a mother, who was praying for the safe return of her son after he had been missing for 13 days, became a cold reality today. The decomposed body of Luis Enrique Moreno, 22, of Santa Familia Street, Orange Walk Town, was recovered this morning at about 7:30 at the area of the Richman Hill Farm in Shipyard, Orange Walk, after he was reported missing by his mother, Marcela Moreno, since the morning of Wednesday, February 5. Moreno’s skeletal remains were found under a cohune tree on a farm called Rancho Lalo, about 400 meters inward, from Mile 2 ½ on the Guinea Grass Road. Marcela Moreno went to the site and identified the body as that of her son. Moreno told Amandala that she recognized her son from the boxers and sweater he was wearing when he left home on the morning of Wednesday, February 5.

IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATORS REFUSE TO QUESTION PENNER
Three immigration officers and their attorneys appeared before the Public Services Commission on Wednesday, February 19, to present arguments for why they should not be terminated from the public service for their role in the issuance of a Belize passport to South Korean Won Hong Kim. But the man who appears to be the principal architect behind the passport scandal, the disgraced former Immigration Minister of State, Elvin Penner, was not questioned during the Immigration Ministry’s internal investigation, carried out by its chairman, Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration; the CEO in the Ministry of Immigration, Candelaria Saldivar; and Director of Immigration, Maria Marin. The findings of the investigation, a three-page document signed by Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse and dated November 11, 2013, appear to be raising more public eyebrows than providing answers the public needs because of the investigators’ refusal to question Penner, who signed the passport “for a business associate I knew before I entered politics.”

INVASIVE LAWS FOR PEPS – POLITICALLY EXPOSED PERSONS
At a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives held in early February, Johnny Briceño, Orange Walk Central member for the Opposition People’s United Party, cautioned Parliament that “there needs to be some education” on the bills that had gone to the House for rapid approval, so that Belize could comply with foreign pressure to put into place revisions to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism legislation. Belize is a small nation of about 350,000 people and many people are connected by relation or association, so the legislation would not just cover the 40-odd persons in Parliament. Belize’s Money Laundering and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2008 has been amended twice – in 2013 and again in 2014, and the scope of persons explicitly regarded as PEPs has substantially expanded.

PUP FILE FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW AGAINST COMPOL WHYLIE
Belize Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie, having failed to respond to the Monday deadline in a letter sent to him by attorney Edwin Flowers, S.C. on behalf of Hon. Francis Fonseca, the Leader of the Opposition, People’s United Party, will now have to answer in a Supreme Court judicial review. On Wednesday, the PUP, through its legal advisor, attorney Anthony Sylvestre, filed for the judicial review at the Supreme Court Registry. The PUP hopes that the court sets an early date for the hearing. The PUP Leader is seeking a writ of mandamus – for a Supreme Court judge to instruct Commissioner Whylie to investigate and bring criminal charges against the disgraced former Immigration Minister of State, Elvin Penner, for his role in the granting of Belize nationality to the imprisoned South Korean, Won Hong Kim.

Editorial: MAGIC AND MANIA
The capitalists speak of the “magic of the market place” as an explanation for the energy which fuels their system. That energy is considered the reason for the success of the capitalist system. That energy appears to be derived from the instinct which propels man to seek sustenance for himself at the individual level. So then, the capitalist system is basically a selfish system. The capitalists and neoliberals do not really dispute such a characterization of their system. They argue that man is a selfish being, and that there is really no way forward other than to have man compete against man in a fight for survival, to the death if that becomes necessary. In our third millennial capitalism, the medium of exchange is money. Those who make a lot of money are those who are considered successful, and those who don’t have money, suffer and die. There is great enjoyment amongst the successful ones, and there is crushing misery amongst those who are doomed to die. This is one of the contradictions of capitalism. A few accumulate excessively, while the masses suffer. Proponents of capitalism say this is how it has to be, because the competition is the thing. It’s all about the market place.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
We can see now that Barack Obama has served the interests of the American power structure quite well indeed, and for this reason the intensity of domestic hostility to him, such as that of the Tea Party movement, appears unjustified, or misplaced. For sure some of the hostility to Obama has flared up because of moral and religious opposition to his positions in favor of abortion and homosexual rights. But the United States is a nation with a racist, white supremacist history, so that some of the hostility to Barack is also derived from a serious discomfort with the notion of a black man leading the most powerful nation on earth. In Belize, our abiding concern has to do with how we survive and grow as the only black, English-speaking nation in Central America, and one whose territory is claimed by the most powerful Central American republic – Guatemala.

“Negligent discharge” of weapon injures three
Three persons were injured at the entrance of the Brown Sugar Water Taxi Terminal on North Front Street at about 10:00 this morning after a licensed gun owner discharged his firearm, causing bullet fragments to hit the victims after the bullet ricocheted off the concrete floor. As a result, a girl, 12, was grazed on her leg; her mother suffered abrasions on her chest, and a man who was standing near the gun owner suffered a wound on his foot. They were all treated by technicians of the BERT ambulance who went to the scene of the incident, after which they were all released. A witness who was standing near the entrance of the terminal told Amandala that the man had just come off a boat at the dock and was standing in front of the entrance talking to another man when he pulled up his pants, which were starting to fall, and his finger made contact with the trigger. The gun he was carrying in his pants then discharged, releasing a fragmented bullet that hit the victims about 15 feet away.

Belize avoids G-7 sanctions – but review of money laundering measures pending
When the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established by the G-7, met in France earlier this month, they decided that Belize should not face financial sanctions, because it had taken action to implement new laws, mostly designed to address compliance with international guidelines to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism. While the cautionary note against Belize, issued last November by the regional body – the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), remains in force, Gian C. Gandhi, Director General – Deputy Chairman of the International Financial Services Commission in Belize, told Amandala today that Belize will be subject to a review by the CFATF plenary in May. A country representative would be attending on Belize’s behalf. Sanctions against our sister Caribbean country, Guyana, which faced a political gridlock which stopped them from passing their version of the anti-money laundering legislation ahead of the France meeting, have also been deferred, Gandhi indicated.

Celebrating the recovering legends – Paul Nabor and The Mighty Sparrow
Belizeans countrywide were recently much relieved and happy to learn that the ailing musical legend Paul Nabor was released from the hospital and was at home recovering his strength in time to join in his already planned birthday celebration in Punta Gorda. Another musical legend, a veteran musical giant of the Caribbean and the world, the Mighty Sparrow, is reportedly also much stronger, and in fact is visiting his hometown in Trinidad during the upcoming Carnival season. Sparrow was reportedly in a diabetic coma a few months ago in Brooklyn, New York, where he has resided for years. Sparrow is no stranger to Belize, where he has a strong and loyal following among Belizeans of the ‘60’s and 70’s and later generations. Though he first visited Belize City in 1969 at the height of his career, and again in 1995, as well as on a couple other occasions, Belize remains one of the few countries where the universally acclaimed “King of Calypso” has not yet been officially honored with the “keys” to our city.

Call me… I will deal with Penner forthwith!
In an ironic twist of faith, three immigration officers are facing a Service Commission Tribunal to fight to clear their name and keep their job. Sharon Neal, Omar Phillips and Erwin Robinson appeared before the tribunal this week, and while they still wait to hear the verdict, the public has already issued their verdict against the one man who is yet to face the public, a tribunal, a commission of inquiry, a police investigation and a court. Elvin Penner seems to have become untouchable, despite his being at the centre of this most distasteful and embarrassing episode in our country’s history. Penner on the prowl What the bits and pieces coming out of the reports are showing is that EVERYONE in CABINET knew Penner was a dangerous man to officers at the immigration department, and there was reason for concern. I say this because of the following statement made by his Minister, Godwin Hulse, on February 17, 2014:

6 years after Yeshua went missing, family continues to seek closure
Earlier this week, police reported that some human remains had been found on the island of Ambergris Caye, and Agnes Nunez wondered if perhaps those could be the remains of her beloved son, Atony Yeshua Roches, who disappeared exactly six years ago today from St. Martin De Porres in Belize City. “Not one day goes by without the family thinking about him and not knowing where he is, is what hurts the family the most,” Joseph Nunez, Yeshua’s brother, told Amandala. Joseph said that on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, Yeshua and Kenrick, his other brother, were hanging out together, and Kenrick left him to go take a bath. When he returned, Yeshua was nowhere around. The brother was told that Yeshua had gone through the “PIV” area in St. Martin De Porres, and he searched for him – to no avail.

CCJ bids farewell to first female judge
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is the highest appellate court for only three Caribbean countries, but at farewell ceremonies held today for retiring justice, Madam Desiree Bernard—an inaugural judge of the CCJ and its first and only female member thus far—Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque urged other Caribbean countries to establish the CCJ as their final appellate court. Among those attending the session in Guyana was the Chief Justice of Belize Kenneth Benjamin. The CCJ was established in 2001 and inaugurated in 2005. The court serves two functions for member states of CARICOM: In its original jurisdiction, it deals with matters such as the right of CARICOM nationals to move freely between countries and to, likewise, face no hassle in moving their money and business to another CARICOM country. Secondly, the court is empowered to hear appeals from the three acceding countries.

Conrad Jones still missing – his family want him found and brought home
Retired Police Inspector Conrad Jones, 64, of West Street, Belize City, disappeared on September 12, 2012, in Hattieville, and his family wants him or his body found, to complete closure for the family, his relatives say. Jones has been missing for two years now. A Customs guard at the time he disappeared, Jones was returning home after concluding duties in Benque Viejo for Customs on Thursday, September 11, 2012. The driver of the vehicle he was in, left him at the Hattieville roundabout around 11:30 p.m. A security guard for the Golden Haven Home for the elderly near the roundabout said that afterwards, around 2:00 that Friday morning, September 12, he saw Jones still in the area trying to get a passage to go home. He said that he went to make his security rounds on the compound, but when he came back around 2:30 a.m., Jones was nowhere to be seen.

Man knocked down in San Joaquin
Two weeks after a man was knocked down and killed in the Louisville area of the Corozal District on the Philip Goldson Highway, after he reportedly threw himself into the path of oncoming vehicle, a San Joaquin man is lucky to be alive after he was knocked down by a vehicle when he suddenly walked in front of oncoming traffic. The incident occurred about 9:30 Saturday night in San Joaquin between Miles 79 and 80. Marciano Tun, 43, of San Andres, was rushed to the Corozal Town Hospital by the vehicle that knocked him down, where he was treated for his injuries and released shortly after. Primitivo Torres, 53, an employee of the Border Management Security of the northern border, told police that he was driving his vehicle from Corozal towards Orange Walk when in front of Everyday Super Market, between Miles 79 and 80, in San Joaquin, a man who was walking on the left side of the road suddenly ran across the highway to the right side, causing him to knock down the man.

Collision on Philip Goldson Highway
Two vehicles collided in the Mile 20 area of the Philip Goldson Highway and four people travelling in the vehicles suffered minor injuries. An Isuzu Rodeo collided with a GEO Tracker. Police said that one of the vehicles drove onto the highway, colliding with the other vehicle in the oncoming traffic. The incident occurred about 5:30 Sunday evening. Police investigation revealed that the Rodeo was traveling from Grace Bank to Sandhill and upon reaching the junction of Philip Goldson Highway and the Hattieville-Boom Road, made a left turn onto the Philip Goldson Highway and collided into the Geo Tracker which was travelling from Sandhill to Belize City. Both vehicles suffered damage to their front portions, and windshields.

Former CitCo security officers’ issues still not resolved
Although 19 of the 26 security workers whose jobs were made redundant by the Belize City Council (CitCo) have already transitioned into employment with the new, privately-owned security firm, Rangers Security, Amandala understands that none of those workers have yet gotten new offer letters with their new terms of employment, and neither have all of the 26 workers received the full range of benefits that they have been promised. This morning, two of those workers, accompanied by the president of the Christian Workers Union (CWU), Audrey Matura-Shepherd, told Amandala that they have not gotten any indication from the Council as to when the formal arrangements will be finalized by their new employer, and to add to that, they are still not sure when they will be paid the rest of their severance and compassionate packages from their former employer. According to Matura-Shepherd, the workers are at a loss as to when they will be able to get the appropriate monies that they rightly toiled for. She said, “I wish I could have reported that everything has gone smoothly, but it hasn’t. We [CWU and CitCo] agreed to several points, and some of them are being implemented, but the biggest concern at this time is that the workers still have not gotten all their money. Maybe it has not been calculated as yet, but we should have gotten some correspondence to that effect. At the end of the day, these people want their money and we as the union need to provide them with a reasonable explanation as to why this thing has not been settled.

Skeletal remains found in San Pedro Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve
The skeletal remains of a person found in the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye yesterday morning have been taken to the National Forensic Unit for identification by way of DNA procedures. The bones were found by the Marine Reserve ranger, who discovered them in the mangroves while conducting routine checks in the area. Police reports are that at about 2:00 Monday afternoon, they went to the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve where a park ranger reported that while conducting routine checks to ensure that all was in order in the reserve, she found human remains in some mangroves, on the western side of the reserve. Police found the human bones partially embedded in the mangrove. The bones retrieved from the area were parts of the fibula, pelvis, ribs, sternum and the cranium. The bones were then placed in a bag and taken to the San Pedro Police Station, after which they were sent to the Forensic Laboratory.

North Carolina woman nabbed in San Pedro on charges of fraud for adoption scheme
A North Carolina woman was apprehended on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and taken to the US by foreign authorities, after Belize police arrested her in an apartment on the island. This was confirmed this week by local law enforcement authorities, which did not inform the public of Mooney’s detention here on charges of fraud in relation to an adoption scheme. On Tuesday, February 11, the US Department of Justice said that four employees of International Adoption Guides Inc. (IAG), an adoption services provider, would face charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with its Ethiopia operations after having been indicted by a grand jury in South Carolina. “The company’s executive director, Mary Mooney, 53, of Belmont, N.C., was apprehended in Belize by Belizean authorities and transported to the United States. Haile Mekonnen, age unknown, an Ethiopian national who ran IAG’s operations on the ground in Ethiopia, was also charged in the indictment,” said the US State Department statement.

US CALLS OUT GAMBIA PREZ FOR CLASSIFYING LGBT AS “VERMIN”
The US has called out Gambia’s president, Dr. Yahya Jammeh, after statements he made on the occasion of the country’s 49th anniversary of its independence from Britain this week and broadcast on national television. Jammeh said that, “We will fight these vermins called homosexuals or gays the same way we are fighting malaria-causing mosquitoes, if not more aggressively.” The Islamic leader said that the world powers are promoting a “satanic” agenda which threatens peace and stability in Gambia. He said this agenda will never be accepted in Gambia, and accepting it would one day lead to brothers marrying their biological sisters, fathers marrying their own daughters and mothers marrying their own sons. Jammeh said they would not accept any friendship, aid or any other gesture that is conditional on accepting homosexuals or LGBT, which, he said, stands for Leprosy, Gonorrhoea, Bacteria and Tuberculosis.

MEXICAN FLEES COURT HEARING FOR GUNS, AMMO CACHE
After spending 15 months in the Belize Central Prison, since Corozal Police charged him in November 2012 with firearm and drug offenses, Mexican national Zurisaday Villasenor Mendez, 22, secured a $75,000 cash bail from the Supreme Court on February 10, and appears to have fled the jurisdiction of Belize’s Magistracy since then. Mendez’s case was called up on Tuesday at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, to which it had been transferred from the Corozal Magistrate’s Court due to security concerns. But neither Mendez nor any of his three attorneys showed up at court. The conditions that Supreme Court Justice John Gonzalez had imposed on Mendez’s bail was that he was to surrender all his travel documents; he was supposed to report to the Corozal Police Station, and he was to appear at all adjournments of his case. Mendez, however, had reportedly failed to report to the police station.

GUATEMALAN WOMAN FINED FOR EMPLOYING UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS
A Guatemalan businesswoman who was busted with 1,800 pounds of sea cucumbers (a discovery which prompted an investigation by the Fisheries Department) was fined in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where she pleaded guilty for employing undocumented workers. Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana, 49, a resident of Mango Creek, Stann Creek District, was assessed by Immigration officers with two counts of employing two Guatemalan workers, who did not have the necessary temporary work permits. She pleaded guilty to the two charges, when she appeared before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, who charged her $1,000 for each of her two undocumented workers. Cayetano ordered Aldana to pay the fine forthwith, in default of which she would serve six months in prison. She was able to pay the court fine, but remained in police custody pending investigation into the sea cucumbers.

Demand education
Dear Editor, As scandals explode, we are reminded of previous scandals that have come and gone. “De lee breeze” has repeatedly blown over, as Said Musa infamously declared. Media houses report scandals but do not allow for political analysis or welcome commentators to their broadcasts. Follow-ups are done the night after and then the matter is forgotten. The citizenry continues to struggle while our Ministers exploit us and worse, exploit the future of Belizean children. In this letter, I do not want to merely complain. I want to make a proposal to the people of Belize. Demand education. Demand it for yourself. Demand it for your children. Demand it for your grandchildren. In Belize, we are not offered courses in political science, development, and gender studies. When we graduate primary school and high school, we are knowledgeable in academic subjects like math and science. But we graduate socially inept. Many of us do not know how our system works. We do not know our basic rights. We do not know where Belize stands relative to the rest of the world. We do not know how to participate in our democracy and we do not know how to make our country better. The education system is spitting out people who are unable to participate in the development of their country, not because they do not want to participate, but because they do not know how.

The least of these, my brothers and sisters
Dear Editor, In last weekend’s edition of the Amandala,in the Features section, an Editorial (I don’t know what else to call it) was posted under the above mentioned lead in. Full of outrage, as it is, over more examples of the pervasive and fundamental venality of GOB, I view (and hope) that this posting will help bring about the spark needed to effect and correct the current “in-your-face” culture of “Don’t be shy when feeding at the public trough; get all you can, however you can!” A country being run by a group of politicians no better than gangsters – that’s Belize. For those who have lost hope that it will ever be different, I have this to say: history is full of examples of the actions of ordinary people who decided they were tired of waiting for justice and respect; who were tired of being economically bullied; who were tired of being bought at election time for a piece of chicken and a T-shirt, a ball-cap and a free beer.

DANGRIGA SPORTS STATS
Coming up this Saturday, February 22, will be the first ever Gary Francisco Rep Your Wood 3 on 3 Basketball Marathon, sponsored by Frank Pawpa Mena. Rep Your Wood means represent your area. This Marathon will take place at Ghans Basketball Court at 9:30 a.m. Registration is free. There is only one prize, which is $200.00, the winner takes it all. There will be special cash prizes for the best free throw and 3-point shooter. This Gary Francisco 3 on 3 Basketball Marathon will take place every last Saturday in every month at different basketball courts in Dangriga. Mr. T. Birthday Classic Also coming up this Sunday, February 23, will be the 5th Annual Mr. T. Birthday Classic. This race will start (and finish) in front of Wadani Shed at 10:30 a.m. and head all the way on the Southern Highway to Kendal Bridge and back. First place gets $300.00; 2nd $200.00; 3rd $100.00. Registration is only $5.00. Station prizes will also be provided going and coming.

PLB announces
The Premier League of Belize late yesterday released the long awaited decision of its Disciplinary Committee on sanctions to be imposed on “Verdes Football Club due to the infractions that occurred on 26th January, 2014 between Verdes FC and FC Belize at the Marshalleck Stadium in Benque Viejo Town.” And a number of Verdes stars have been effectively suspended from the upcoming Closing Season, which should last about 3 months. Five Verdes players were given lengthy suspensions: Norman (“Tilliman” Nunez) Pipersburgh, Orland Lyons, Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton and Julian Maldonado were suspended for 6 months; and Jacinto “Fowl” Bermudez was suspended for 2 years. In addition, the PLB stated that “Marshalleck Stadium should not be used until improvements are made, initially for the second part of the PLB tournament.” And “Verdes will incur the cost of repairs to the referee vehicle pending the Police Report.” The release notes a damage cost list totaling $1,395.00.

A star is born
This morning, a young man from San Ignacio, originally from the village of San Antonio in the Cayo District, shook up the cycling world with a daring move in the home stretch of the 19th Annual DigiCell Valentine Cycling Classic here in Belize City. The Elite/Masters/Masters 4/5 race started (at 8:00 a.m.) and finished (just before noon) at Leslie’s Imports on the outskirts of Belize City, after making the journey on the George Price (Western) Highway to Mile 46 and returned. And nowhere along the hectic route, with prominent team names and renowned past champions being oft repeated by Krem Radio announcers, was a certain rider’s name even mentioned. But as the race neared its climax toward the end, the name of Angel Tzib rang out loudly, as the unattached rider made a strong early move, while prominent teams/riders were sizing up each other; and before they could gather themselves, Angel was too far ahead for them to catch him. It caught the announcers, Mose Hyde and Matthew Smiling, as well as the fans gathered at the finish line, completely by surprise. Aside from enough strength in the legs after the 90-mile journey, it also took daring and bravado to make that first bold move, and Mr. Tzib proved he had no shortage of either in the post- race interview.

DELILLE ACADEMY GIRLS
The results of the National Secondary Schools Sports Association’s (NSSSA) national high school football tournament, held on Friday and Saturday, February 14-15, at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga, appear to strengthen the theory held by some observers that the team that wins in a tough battle in game 1 on Friday usually falls in the finals on Saturday. Both female winners on Friday had convincing victories; but the last male match-up had to go to overtime and then penalties. Four male and four female teams represented the four country regions – North, Central, West and South in the high school football Nationals, which follow a simple knockout format, with Friday’s losers playing for 3rd place on Saturday, and the winners on Friday meeting for the championship on Saturday.

Man who attempted to steal a BDF M-14 rifle arraigned
A Belize City man accused of attempting to steal an M-4 carbine rifle from a Belize Defence Force corporal in January was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith on a single charge of attempted theft on Tuesday. Patrick Bevans, 22, a resident of the Jane Usher Boulevard area, who was released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital into police custody, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Bevans can barely walk on his own, because of injuries he alleges police inflicted on him, on January 12, the date when the incident occurred. When asked by the Chief Magistrate what happened to him, Bevans replied that he was beaten by police and BDF soldiers. Smith granted him bail of $1,500, $300 of which had to be paid as cash, and $1,200 as bail plus one surety.

Loot from burglary of Fruta Bomba discovered
Items stolen from the warehouse of Fruta Bomba/Belize Fruit Packers located in San Andres Corozal were found by police in a lot in San Andres about 1:30 Sunday morning. According to Que Pasa, Corozal, police found (2) picnic tables (4) vehicle tires and (1) wooden door. No one was in the area and no one has yet been arrested Police said that they were on patrol about 1:30 Sunday morning in San Andres Village area when they were alerted about the burglary of the warehouse, and went to the area, where they found the stolen items. Que Pasa reported that the manager of Fruta Bomba, Martin Aguilar, was contacted who confirmed that the warehouse had been burglarized. He was taken to the Corozal Police Station, where he positively identified the items as belonging to the company

Third suspect in Brian Townsend murder caught
Exactly one day after another of his alleged accomplices was found slaughtered in the village of Arenal, on the Belize-Guatemala border, Benque Viejo police came across a third suspect whom they were seeking in connection with the murder of Brian Townsend, 68, a Canadian missionary who was abducted last Christmas Eve and subsequently found dead in Arenal. Last Wednesday, February 12, while in the Valley of Peace attempting to identify the body of Raulito Balona – who had been found shot to death the day before in Arenal for reasons that have not yet been ascertained by authorities – via a photograph of his body, the investigators ran into the third suspect in the Townsend murder – a 19-year-old Hispanic male resident of Benque Viejo Town. Although police could not release his name due to the nature of the investigations, today the Officer Commanding the Belmopan Police, ASP Sinquest Martinez, confirmed to Amandala that the suspect was taken into custody and is presently behind bars at the Belize Central Prison.

4 thieves pardoned by their victim, who dropped charges in court
A group of 4 robbers walked out of the Corozal Magistrate Court as free men yesterday after the robbery victim, Brandon Cobo, told Magistrate Hurl Hamilton that he did not want to proceed with court action against the men. Cobo, 20, a mason of Skeleton Town area, Corozal Town, and his cousin, Isair Monima, told police that they were walking home on Santa Rita Road about 1:30 Sunday morning, February 16, and upon their arrival in front of Magaña’s Pharmacy, a brown Trooper with license plate CZL C-11374, stopped in front of them and four men got out of the vehicle. One of the men grabbed Cobo around his neck, from behind, and told him, “you Spanish, what do you have for me?” Cobo told police that the culprit then pushed his hand inside the right pocket of his pants and took out his pink Motorola cell phone, valued at $150, and $50 cash. The thief also snatched Cobo’s thin-link gold chain with a small cross medal, which was valued at $250. The total value of what was taken from him is about $450.

Fined and confined for 53 pounds of compressed “hydro” weed
A Belize City man pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking when he was arraigned before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton, who fined him $10,000 and sentenced him to three years in prison. The court prosecutor, however, did not withdraw the charge against a woman, Clarissa Vasquez, who was charged in connection with the drug bust; instead, she was offered bail and her case adjourned. After entering his guilty plea, Magistrate Hamilton told Reynard Grinage, 40, a mechanic and resident of Faber’s Road, “it’s mitigation time, now beg for mercy.” Grinage told the court, “I want to say that everything that was in the house, this young lady (referring to Vasquez, 31, a resident of 51 Kelly Street and temporary employee of BEL, who was charged with him) has nothing to do with.”

Apartment broken into and gun stolen
An apartment in San Pedro was burglarized at about 8:30 Tuesday night, and thieves stole a 9mm pistol loaded with 26 live 9mm rounds. The owner of the gun, along with police, is trying hard to recover the firearm before it can be used by criminals. Eric Andrews, 35, a tour operator of Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro Town told the San Pedro police that about 8:30 Monday night he went to his apartment, located on Barrier Reef Drive, to retrieve his licensed 9mm Ruger pistol, valued at $2,200, from a safety box in the bedroom of his apartment. When he got to his bedroom, he found that his room had been broken into. He checked the safety box in his bedroom, but it was damaged and open, and his firearm had been stolen, along with 2 magazines containing 26 live rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Man 49, sentenced to 3 years for indecently assaulting girl, 12
A Belize City man, 49, was found guilty of aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a 12-year-old girl today and was sentenced to three years in prison by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. George Dakers, a construction worker and resident of Freedom Street, was accused of indecently assaulting the girl in May, 2013. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith heard an in camera testimony from the victim, who is still12. According to the child, on May 11, 2013, her mother sent her to the house of a neighbor to borrow an iron. It was while at the home of her mother’s friend that the child met Dakers, who was also visiting the house.

The Reporter

Why PUP took Compol to court!
Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow has said that the Peoples United Party should launch private prosecution proceedings against ex-Minister of State Elvin Penner. But PUP legal advisor, Anthony Sylvester, said that under the law, that’s not possible. “Under the Summary Jurisdiction Procedure Act, we can’t […]

CWU and BCC keep swinging
Mayor Darrell Bradley claims that all security workers have been paid exactly what they were due, while Christian Workers Union President Audrey Matura-Shepherd claims that the mayor is mistaken. Bradley explained that the ex gratia payments for four people are the only payments outstanding, […]

Skeletal remains found in OW
Orange Walk Police have launched a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of twenty-three-year old Luis Enrique Moreno. Moreno’s skeletal remains were found on Tuesday morning, approximately half a mile on Richman Hill Farm located along the Guinea Grass/Shipyard Road in the Orange Walk District. The […]

Man freed by Judge after conviction recalled to Appeals Court
Wilbert Cuellar, who was found guilty by a jury in December of 2011 and upon his appearance for sentencing, was freed by the trial judge, is scheduled to appear before the Court of Appeal in the February/March session on Monday, February 24th. The office […]

Escuela Mexico boys win National Football Championship
William Ysaguirre Freelance Reporter The boys of Escuela Secundaria Técnica Mexico of San Roman, Corozal, will represent Belize at the upcoming Central American Junior Scholastic Games (CODICADER) in Guatemala in September,. They have won the National Football Championships organized by the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA). Delille Academy in […]

Delille Academy girls win National Football Championship
William Ysaguirre Freelance Reporter The girls of Delille Academy will represent Belize at the upcoming Central American Junior Scholastic Games (CODICADER) in Guatemala in September, after winning the National Football Championship organized by the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA). Delille Academy hosted the tournament sponsored by Bowen & Bowen […]

Moderate exercise may cut women’s stroke risk
Brisk walking, tennis and other types of moderate exercise may lower a woman’s stroke risk by one-fifth, a new study says. Being more active also offset the increased stroke risk linked with using hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause, the study found. The researchers looked at the […]

STD education must start long before kids engage in sex
Having a stable home life as a child, nice friends and success at school reduces the odds of getting sexually transmitted diseases as a young adult, according to a new study. The University of Washington researchers said the findings show that efforts to prevent STD infections should begin years before […]

Sea cucumber fishing season opens but fishermen getting short-changed
The fishing season for sea cucumbers opened on Saturday, February 15, but local fishermen harvesting this valuable marine resource are not getting a fair share of the profits from their hard work. According to statistics provided by Fisheries Officer Adriel Castaneda, the 69 fishermen issued licenses last year harvested a […]

Sea cucumber kingpin busted
A woman suspected of being a Guatemalan sea-cucumber black market vendor was busted with $65,000 worth of illegally harvested sea cucumber. The woman, 49-year-old Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana, was stopped at the mile 4 checkpoint on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The pickup truck she […] Man shot to death on Plues Street

Man shot to death on Plues Street
A Supaul Street resident, 25-year old Tarique “Pauly” Cadle, was shot several times and died on Wednesday morning in a yard on Plues Street. Cadle, who would frequently hang out on Plues Street and had several friends in the area, was at a friend’s […]

PACT issues over $350,000 in grants
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) accompanied by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable development Lisel Alamilla awarded over $350,000 in project grants on Monday. The first grant, totalling $199,998.75, was given to the Belize Audubon Society for a project titled Enhancing St. Herman’s […]

Mechanic’s keys unlock drugs
A set of keys led the Gang Suppression Unit to a stash of more than 50 pounds of marijuana this week. Following a fruitless Monday-morning search of a four-door Ford Taurus car, the unit found the keys in the possession of the car’s alleged […] Minister of Immigration Senator Godwin Hulse

Attorneys say immigration officers have no case to answer. But Minister says “Not so!”
The attorney for two Ministry of Immigration officers named in the ongoing “Citizen Kim” scandal says his clients have no case to answer to, but Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse said Monday that that’s not the case. Hulse told […]

Is OSH Safe For You?
Occupational safety and health in the workplace is unquestionably important. For many businesses, particularly large industrial ones, the recently tabled OSH Bill should merely formalize already existing safety programs. For others, unsafe practices should be eliminated through the introduction of reasonable safety requirements. Regrettably this is not what this Bill […]

Reality of Opportunity Cost
Opportunity Cost: “A benefit, profit, or value of something that must be given up in order to acquire or achieve something else. Given the fact that every resource, that is land, money, time, capital, etc, can always be put to some alternative use(s), every decision to use resources has an […]

Obama warns Uganda over anti-gay bill
President Barack Obama has warned Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni that enacting an anti-gay law would complicate relations with the US. Under the proposed legislation, those convicted of homosexual acts could face life imprisonment. The law would also make it a crime not to report gay people. Museveni last month refused […]

North American leaders meet to discuss trade and immigration
The leaders of the three major North American countries have met in Mexico to discuss trade, immigration, energy and other issues. On Wednesday, US President Obama, Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto and Canada’s PM Stephen Harper held a hemispheric summit. Mr Obama faces stiff opposition from his own Congress on parts […]

PM: Too busy for Integrity Commisssion
“I have been too busy really to have conducted any search for replacements of the Integrity Commission,” Prime Minister Dean Barrow said this week. Barrow told the media that he has been having difficulties trying to construct the Integrity Commission and that he had […]

Integrity Commission or Integrity Omission?
By Louis Wade The Belize Integrity Commission is on pause again. The limbo was created this time when two of the three names, submitted by the Prime Minister, backed down after New legislation was tabled in the National Assembly. The previous excuse for the absence of this most important commission […]

Petro Caribe: are Caribbean countries prepared for the worst?
Caribbean governments that are members of the Petro Caribe Agreement with Venezuela would be prudent by beginning to adjust their budgets to take account of the loss of benefits now derived from the oil arrangement. This is especially important for the countries of the Eastern Caribbean that […]

GOB Rescues CPBL with intricate new structure
The first set of funds made possible through a new configuration designed to rescue the Citrus Products of Belize Limited, CPBL, and by extension, the citrus industry, is expected to be released by Friday to assist the company to meet urgent debts and to […]

Blogs

Last Night’s DELICIOUS Tasting Menu at Casa Picasso in San Pedro
Casa Picasso is one of my favorite restaurants in San Pedro. They do delicious tapas, have a seriously comfortable cocktail bar and outside loungy area…really good people and good food. It is definitely on the list (along with Blue Water Grill and Elvi’s Kitchen and others) of my “MUST DINES” for dinner in San Pedro. Casa Picasso has been doing a Thursday Tasting menu for the past few months and I haven’t tried it.

US Embassy Belmopan Woman of the Year 2014 Award
Call for nominations...

“Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today)” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Now where was I? I’ve become so indisciplined of late in producing editions of the blog that I sometimes struggle to remember – increasing age/reducing grey cells- what I last told you about. That description of my mental condition (deteriorating memory capacity) and the consequences of it (one being I cannot recall what the last edition contained) probably doesn’t mean a great deal to you because you probably (understandably by the way) feel that most of what I write is repetitive anyway. So apologies in advance if you feel that what follows is something that you have read or seen before. Just make allowances for me. Sometimes I’m just a ball of confusion! When I last sat down and produced an edition (and it seems so long ago now) I told you that I had dug up six coconut trees from our adjacent lot to swap for a banana plant. What I didn’t mention was that the swap was with Carlo of Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar & Grill. Fascinating information isn’t it! “Who cares” you are probably thinking. Exactly, I’m thinking. I ‘left’ you with a photo of our cart loaded with the coconut trees but I left you in limbo. Would the swap be made? Answer – yes it was. And Carlo increased his side of the deal. We got the banana plant AND a plantain plant. Now you know what’s coming next. Yes, photos of the plants and me planting them (still awake?).

International Sources

7 Caribbean beaches you need to try
When going to a new destination, many of us stick to the beaten path; we'll go where the other tourists are going for the first time around. But once you’ve been to Cancun, or Montego Bay, or any other well-touristed beach spot, you may be more interested in heading somewhere a tad more under-the-radar on your next visit to the area. Or perhaps you’re the type who opts to skip the crowds the first time around. Either way, we love these seven underrated beach destinations; they’re rarely a traveler’s first choice, but perhaps they should be. Most travelers headed to Belize head to Ambergris Caye, which offers easy access to Belize’s best snorkeling and diving. But its beaches can’t compare to the beaches found on the Placencia peninsula. Travelers to this area can also experience Belize’s rainforests and Mayan ruins – neither of which can be found on the cays. It is still possible to snorkel and dive from this area; the reef is a 45-minute boat ride away.

Les secrets du Belize
Niché au cœur de l’Amérique centrale, le Belize est réputé pour ses plages et son climat. Et pourtant, s’enfoncer un peu dans les terres suffit à dévoiler son caractère exceptionnel. Pris en tenaille entre le Mexique et le Guatemala, le Belize, ce petit pays d'Amérique latine, n'est pas que soleil et plages. Vue sur l'Océan Pacifique à l'est, plongée dans la culture maya à l'ouest. Et pourquoi pas un cours de poterie dispensé par une communauté de femmes yukatanes ? Ou encore une chasse au jaguar en compagnie d'un expert ? Ou, enfin, une longue baignade au milieu d'une crique cachée ? Trois expériences exclusives qui confèrent un nouveau visage à cette destination trop souvent réduite à son potentiel balnéaire. On part du plus urbain au plus sauvage ; de San Antonio, le plus grand village du district de Toledo, le seul muni d'électricité. C'est pourtant là que sévit le plus grand respect pour l'environnement. Devant une série de maisons à toits de chaume, un groupe de villageois en costumes traditionnels bigarrés agitent bras et jambes sur des rythmes effrénés. Voilà la danse du cerf sacré, le trait d'union entre l'homme et la nature. Traversé par divers cours d'eau, cette charmante bourgade jouit d'une atmosphère extrêmement chaleureuse.

Wish you were here? The most amazing island in the world - in pictures
Boasting virgin tropical rainforests and hundreds of beautiful limestone caves, Ambergris Caye in Belize has been voted the number one island in the world. With swaying palm trees and pristine beaches, it's not impossible to see why this idyllic 36-mile strip in Central America scooped the top spot of the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Island awards based on the reviews of millions of people. Surrounded by the azure Caribbean, the far north tip of Ambergris Caye is almost within touching distance of the stunning 190-mile-long Belize Barrier Reef, which is teeming with underwater life, including Caribbean dolphin, yellowtail damselfish, nurse sharks and parrot fish.

February 21, 2014

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Tigersharks contest game results against Toledo Diplomats and take on the Corozal Heats at home
The San Pedro Tigersharks basketball team has launched a formal complaint regarding the results of the game played against the Toledo Diplomats on Saturday February 15th in Punta Gorda Town. Despite the game going unfinished, the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) organizers, mainly the Belize Basketball Federation, gave the win to the Diplomats with an 89 to 87 final score. Chaos erupted on the basketball court at the last two seconds of the game when the Tigersharks, down by two points, were awarded two free throws following a foul. Due to the chaos on the court the free-throw shots never happened. Results for other games played are as follows. Friday February 14th Corozal Heats 75 Vs Belize City Smart No Limit 78 Dangriga Warriors 57 Vs Belmopan Point Bandits 56 Sunday February 16th OW Running Rebels 70 Vs Cayo Western Ballaz 80. Tigersharks will play at the San Pedro High School Auditorium and according to the management, four Tigersharks basketball jerseys will be tossed into the crowd at every quarter. Fans are encouraged to hold on to their tickets as two lucky ticket holders will be selected to take a $100 CASH SHOT from the three-point line. Game time is set for 8PM on Saturday. General admission is $5 for adults and $3 kids.

Oceana Announces $3 Million Grant from Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group to work on behalf of the world’s oceans, announced a $3 million grant today from the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation aimed at protecting threatened ocean habitat and keystone marine species such as sharks. The foundation’s grant will also support Oceana’s work to advocate for responsible fishing measures, including the effort to ban California drift gillnets. “The foundation and Leo’s support for campaigns like our efforts to ban the drift gillnets in California will help Oceana win more protections for countless sharks and other marine animals and for ocean habitats in the Pacific and Arctic – which include some of the most productive ocean places in the world,” said Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless. “The net impact will be a much more abundant and biodiverse ocean that has many millions more sharks and critical and amazing marine animals, wilder and more pristine ocean habitats and oceans that can feed over a billion people – many of them hungry – a healthy seafood meal each day.” “Protecting our planet’s oceans and the marine species that call it home is one of the most pressing sustainability crises facing humanity today and a moral imperative that we must acknowledge,” DiCaprio said. “It’s my hope that this grant will help Oceana continue the tremendous work that they do daily on behalf of our oceans.”

Public Consultation Meeting on Climate Change
On Thursday February 13th, several organizations teamed up to host a public meeting consultation for members of the tourism sector held at the Lions Den. Those organizations included the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Belize Coastal Zone Management, Caribsave, University of Belize (Environmental Research Institute), The Government of Belize (GoB) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB).These organizations are jointly involved in a ‘Climate-Compatible’ tourism project for Belize. The project encompasses three main objectives. The first entails identifying coastal tourism areas in Belize vulnerable to climate change that should be prioritized for adaption actions; the second includes identifying areas of existing Belizean policies that can support climate-compatible tourism development in Belize, while the third objective includes identifying and prioritizing adaption integration into policy.

BTB responds to Horse and Buggy Incident
On Tuesday, February 18th, the Belize Tourism Board was notified that a vehicle collided with a horse from Gabourel & Sons – a horse and buggy operation that operates out of the Fort George Tourism Zone. Upon being informed, BTB personnel immediately collaborated with other relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the general public including the tourists involved in the shore excursion as well as to secure proper attention to the injured horse. BTB immediately contacted the Animal Medical Centre to examine the injured horse. Following the examination of the horse’s injury and upon the advice of the veterinary experts, the horse, named Jack, was relocated to a peaceful area and humanely sedated and euthanized. The BTB is grateful that no one was hurt but also saddened by this tragic and unfortunate incident involving the loss of a horse. The BTB remains resolute in raising the standards of the micro-industry: i.e., to train the guides, and operators, in safety management as well as in providing the best care for these horses. The police department is investigating the accident and can be contacted for details revolving around cause & liability in the accident.

Ambergris Today

Ground Breaking for Infrastructure Improvements at Archaeological Sites
The Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites (MTBCAAS) project is being implemented by the Belize Tourism Board and the National Institute of Culture and History. The objectives of the project are: *To improve economic opportunities in rural communities and contribute to the reduction of poverty; *To enhance the tourism experience through improvements in tourism infrastructure and services at selected sites. The project intends to achieve three main sets of results: *Results One: Improve the monitoring systems at archaeological sites; *Results Two: Improve health and safety provisions and infrastructure at archaeological sites; *Results Three: Enhance the diversification of community based tourism products and services offered at archaeological sites in Belize. The MTBCAAS Project targets communities adjacent to the following nine archaeological sites: Xunantunich, Nohoch Che’en (Caves’ Branch), Nim Li Punit, Barton Creek, Altun Ha, Lubaantun, Actun Tunichil Muknal, Lamanai, Blue Creek.The MTBCAAS Project was launched in March 2013 and is made possible with grant funding of BZ$2.75m from the European Union and BZ$1.25 contribution from the Belize Tourism Board and the National Institute of Culture and History for a total estimated cost of BZ$4 million. It is being implemented over 24 month period and scheduled to be completed in November 2014.

Misc Belizean Sources

Churros with Chocolate Sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil. When mixture is boiling, add in flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look wet before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium or large star tip. Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 365F. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.

Mexico offers Postgraduate scholarships to Belizeans
he Embassy of Mexico informs that the El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Mexico, has opened its 2014 scholarship call for applications for postgraduate programs. There are seven scholarships available for Belizean Nationals to carry out Master degree programs and one for Doctorate degree program. These postgraduate programs are registered in the national program of quality postgraduate studies of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

BNE Refurbishes Two Schools
The Belize Natural Energy Charitable Trust has spent almost 80,000 to renovate the school buildings belonging Maya Mopan Pre-School and the Richard Quinn R.C. School. This donation from the Trust has positively affected over 20 students and 2 teachers from the pre-school and 200 students from the primary school. The buildings for both schools were renovated after grants of 33 thousand dollars and 45 thousand dollars, which were disbursed last year, and after the work was completed, it was handed over today.

Prisoner on the loose
A man accused of murder and other crimes escaped from police custody this morning while being transported to San Ignacio for a court appearance. Jarod Arthurs Lamb, also known as “Steel Bob” managed to somehow get out of the police van that was transporting him as the vehicle passed through Teakettle village.

Spelling Bee Zone Eliminations in Benque Viejo del Carmen
Fourteen students from 7 Primary Schools in the Cayo district are today taking part in the Zone Eliminations of the National Coca Cola Spelling Bee. The Elimination contest for Zone 1 is taking place at the Cancha Marshalleck in Benque Viejo del Carmen in a sunny and warm Thursday morning. Schools participating are from Benque Viejo del Carmen, Arenal village, San Jose Succotz and Calla Creek village. The winner and runner up from today’s contest will go up against winners from the other zones in the district finals next month.

CGA GETS BAND-AID BUT STILL HEAVILY INDEBTED
The Prime Minister, at a press conference on Monday of this week, made a good political gambit but it will be short-lived. His announcement that the government will bail-out the Citrus Growers Association from their bad debts with two local banks prompted knee-jerk reactions, some from unexpected quarters. The CGA still owes the Social Security Board $17 millions of dollars. The move by the PM will simply exacerbate that debt. It appears that the Association has reached a point of no return in its debt obligations.This could likely mean that they will have forfeit their shares in CPBL. This overture has already been made by the Chairman of the SSB investment arm. It is very likely then, that CPBL could become a State-controlled company taking over the 51 percent shares owned by CGA. It is not far-fetched then that the company could be nationalized. This would be consistent with what appears to be this government’s policy.

Channel 7

"Soup" Charged For Shooting At Police
Tonight, Jason Soup Williams is at the Hattieville Prison after he was arraigned in court today on multiple counts of aggravated assault. As we told you last night, Williams is the main suspect in a shooting where a gunman opened fire on two men who were sitting on the stairs of a residence at the corner of King Street and West Canal. That is considered George Street territory - and Williams is the leading figure from Supal Street. Police say that led to the following morning's retaliatory murder of Tariq Cadle who is from Supal Street is and Soup Williams's nephew and neighbor. But though he was tied to Supal, 25 year old Cadle was known to hang out with the George Street crew. He was doing that yesterday morning when he was killed as a direct retaliation for the suspected Soup Williams attack on King Street.

"Steel Bob" Busts Out Of Police Custody
They call him "Steel Bob" and today Jarod Lamb proved his nickname when he busted out of police custody. It happened this morning when police were transporting Lamb and 6 other prisoners in a police van from the Hattieville prison to san Ignacio for a court date. Near Ontario village the police hard a bang in the back of the van. When they got out to check, they found that Lamb had crashed the door open and escaped. A wanted poster says he is dangerous, and right that it should. From 2009, he has been in the news for robberies, burglaries and running away from police. Most recently, he was charged for the Aggravated Burglary of a Cayo Resort. In that case, he was on the run for 6 weeks before police caught him in Teakettle. Anyone seeing him is advised to call the nearest police station.

Is May Bush Guilty of Murder?
54 year old Cayo resident May Bush is now awaiting the decision of temporary Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore to see if she is guilty of murder. Bush has been on trial without jury in Belmopan since Monday. Today Bush, who was represented by attorney Arthur Saldivar, gave a statement from the dock saying that in June 2011, she never did stab 29 year-old David Guerra, who's murder she had been charged for. Bush told the court that she heard Guerra insulting her daughter and her common-law husband. Bush said that she went there because she was informed that a man was assaulting her daughter. Bush told the court that Guerra issued death threats at them, and that he struck her common-law husband with a pint bottle to the face which broke and cut him on the elbow. She said that she picked up a knife and hid it in preparation if Guerra ever attacked her because she feared for her life. She claims that though she had the knife in her pocket, she never did use it because Guerra didn't approach her. She told the court categorically that she didn't stab Guerra, and that she didn't know who did it.

BWSL Doesn't Agree With 6% Water Rate Increase, Says PUC Got It Wrong
On February third, we told you that the Public Utilities Commission had rejected the proposed 16% increase from Belize Water Services Limited. The PUC instead gave the water company a 6% increase. But that was only an initial decision, anyone who didn't like it had two weeks to object. And BWSL did. In time for the deadline on Monday February 17th, BWSL filed an objection on the grounds that the PUC made an error in calculating its Regulated Asset Values. That means the PUC now has to appoint an Independent Expert to review it all and that has to be done before March 5, 2014. That expert will submit a report with his recommendations on the Initial Decision within thirty (30) days of his appointment. After that, the PUC has 15 days to issue its final decision, and only then will you now what you new water rate will be.

H1N1 Test Results Show Low Incidence
In mid-January, there was a legitimate h1n1 scare in Belize after a 29 year old female died from what appears to have been a particularly virulent strain of the influenza virus. But since then, we haven't heard much on the other samples which were sent for testing. Well, first off, no one else has died from influenza type illness. But, after more than a month, the test results are back. The ministry of health reports that 168 persons have been swabbed for h1n1 samples countrywide; only 17 of those have come back positive for H1N1 from different parts of the country with no specific geographic pattern. That's a positive reporting rate of 19%.

Accountant Got 12k Ripped From Credit Card
A Belize City accountant lost thousands of dollars from his First Caribbean Bank Account after someone got hold of his Credit Card. Police haven't given out his name, but the 58 year old from Albert Hoy Avenue, reported that in the three weeks between the second day of January 2014 and the 24th of January, 2014, someone withdrew $12,978 dollars from his First Caribbean Bank account using his First Caribbean Credit Card. They used the ATM machine at the San Cas Plaza to do it. But, while that is the plight of that accountant, today, a representative of the First Caribbean Bank spoke with 7News about the dos and don'ts that credit and debit card holders should know to protect their money. Here's what she told us about how the bank treats fraud and their customers who have been the victims of these crimes:

Port Remains Closed Until Tuesday
Repairs at the Port of Belize are on schedule, and the port will remain closed until next week Tuesday. CEO Arturo "Tux" Vasquez tells us that the contractor is demolishing the three existing beams that were damaged when the Krystal Tortuga barge ended up underneath the main pier. That's hundreds of feet away from where it should have been on its course to the low-berthing facility. We understand the barge operator is blaming it on a mechanical failure. Three new beams are scheduled to be put in this weekend and work should be finished by Monday. In the interim, the arrival of three ships into port have been re-scheduled creating some shipping delays. The damages and delays are expected to cost close to half a million dollars.

Sea Cucumber Queenpin Awaits Another Court Date
She's supposedly the Queenpin of the black market trade in sea cucumber and tonight 49 year old Guatemalan Georgina Maribel Mendez Aldana along with her two Guatemalan employees remains in police custody pending a court hearing. She's already pleaded guilty and paid a two thousand dollar fine for employing Guatemalans. Tomorrow she will appear in court for other offences engaging in commercial fishing whilst not being the holder of a valid Fisherman's License; attempting to export fisheries without a valid exporter's license and engaging in the fishing of Sea cucumbers without a special license. This is after she was caught with 3075 pounds, or 7033 individual sea cucumbers in the back of a borrowed pickup. On Tuesday, we learned from the Fisheries Department that she had apparently forged her 2014 Sea Cucumber license: Hampton Gamboa - Fisheries Supervisor, Conservation Compliance Unit "She had in her possession at the time a contractual agreement signed by a local lawyer for last year with this said person who have an export license. But in our laws its clearly stated under the sea cucumber these license are not transferrable and they are not issued to any company and she had the documentation for this year. We also had to call in the police to look at forgery and things like that. We hope that we can deal with this individual strongly so that it sends a message to the rest of

Stiff Sanctions For Football Melee
By now, we've all seen the ugly scene that played out in the Belize Premier League's semifinal match between FC Belize and FC Verdes. It happened on 26th January at the Marshalleck Stadium in Benque Viejo and yesterday the Disciplinary Committee announced penalties resulting from that event. First off, Norman Nunez Pipersburgh - seen here advancing threateningly on the game referee - has been suspended for (6) months. According to the referee Verdes player Gilroy Thurton actually hit him and he has been suspended for two years. Orland Lyons, the Verdes player who went to the opposing team's bench and emptied out their bags in the mud is suspended for (6) months and so is Gilroy Thurton and Julian Maldonado - who were also verbally abusive to the referee. The decision was also made that the Marshalleck Stadium should not be used until improvements are made.

Sol Gen Hawke Answers Attorney For Immig Officers
Ady Pacheco and Gordon Wade are the two Immigration officers from the Department's Nationality Section who have gotten a lawyer to answer their Director on what happened to the Citizen Kim file - which famously disappeared. In a document obtained by 7News which we showed you yesterday, Godfrey Smith wrote to the Acting Director Maria Marin on January 30th. He told her that his clients don't have to answer for any breech of procedure in handling of the Kim or any other files because they were never provided with an outline of their duties and the Department has no established procedures. And as it relates to Kim, Smith writes that was conceived and engineered by Minister of State Elvin Penner acting either personally or through instructions directed at public officers. Smith tells Director Marin that his clients will not be scapegoats for quote, Minister Penner's disgraceful actions" and they will, quote, "vigorously defend against any disciplinary proceedings before the Public Services Commission and the courts of law," end quote.

The Palm Grove Blues
Palm Grove Estate is a small residential area outside of Belize City, located at mile 4 and a half on the Northern Highway. The residents who live there consider it private property, and so when a decision was made to build an apartment complex in the location, they opposed it. They've been trying to get the Belize City Council to see things their way by showing that it would be detrimental to the community, but they claim that Mayor Darrell Bradley isn't hearing them. According to the Palm Grove Residents, Bradley has pressed forward for the developer to the put the apartment in the community without properly considering their concerns. After weeks of back and forth City Hall in trying to resolve the matter by the use of stop orders, which they say have been ignored, they called 7News out to the area to see the development first hand. Stephen Heusner explained more about their struggle with City Hall: Stephen Heusner, resident "It started out that we found out that they were building this building and we notified the City Council and they said that they have absolutely no knowledge of this building and they check their records and there was nothing there. Anyway, they started building and we got the City Council and they came up and they issued a stop order. When they did their investigations, nothing has been approved by City Council, by the LBA, the CBA, there were no seals on the plans, so they were acting from day one illegally."

Venezuela's Troubles Could Be Belizean Trouble
The Barrow Administration has come under heavy and sustained criticism for corruption in the ranks of its ministers, but no one can argue that right now the Government is spending major money on infrastructure. And most of that is coming from the Venezuelan fund. Through the Petrocaribe initiative, governments all across the Caribbean buy fuel on credit from Venezuela, paying half, and taking the other half as a long term, low-interest loan. Presently, no official figure has been published, but conservative estimates say that the government of Belize has more than 50 million US dollars in its Venezuelan fund - and every time there is a shipment of oil coming into the country, that figure goes up. And that's why what's happening right now in Venezuela is worth watching closely. Hugo Chavez's successor, President Nicolas Maduro is facing a fierce round of anti-government protests. In three weeks of sustained protest, five are dead, dozens injured and the opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was arrested on Tuesday.

Searching For Closure
Today makes exactly 6 years since 17 year-old Anthony Yoshua Roches went missing, and today his family is still looking for closure. No, they don't think that he is still alive, but they want information from whoever has it about where his body can be found so that they could give him a proper burial. Today, his brother spoke with us about what they've had to endure: Joseph Nunez, Brother of Anthony Yoshua Roches "At this time the family is just seeking closure. It's not like we are sitting around thinking that one day he will be coming home today or tomorrow or the day after because we know for a fact that will never happen. It was brought to my attention or doing my investigation I found out that he went on some kind of mischievous act with some of his friends, but they came back but he didn't. And when we approach them they just turn us around, after which we seek help from the police, but to no avail with

BTB Laments Horse and Buggy Accident
It's the cruise tourism high season and almost everyday in the city, there's a crush of tour buses, vans, taxis and horses and carriages jostling alongside regular traffic. On Tuesday in the city, that resulted in a sand truck crashing into a loaded horse and carriage at the corner of Craig and Daly Streets. The truck's back wheel ran over the horse's leg and broke it - right in front of the three tourists on the buggy. The horse named Jack had to be taken away and put down. It's a sad accident, but the kind that's sort of inevitable with so much traffic on the streets. Today the BTB issued a statement saying, quote, "The BTB is grateful that no one was hurt but also saddened by this tragic and unfortunate incident involving the loss of a horse." End quote. The BTB provides training to guides and operators in safety management.

Belize's Maya Treasures Now In Denver
In December we told you all about the show called "Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed" that ran for 6 months at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The show is the most comprehensive view of the maya ever assembled for a North American show - and it features over 200 pieces from Belize. Now, the show has started a five city US tour and it opened up in Denver at the Museum of Nature and Science last week. This is the first show in the new wing of the Museum which costs 70 million dollars to construct. The Maya show fills 20,000 square feet of space and continues through Aug. 24.

Art From the People
On Saturday, Downtown Belize City will be transformed once again into a creative village for arts and craft in the 4th Annual Street Art Festival. The event is fast becoming a tradition where musicians, artists and creators are given a showcase to display their art, and today, the organizers told us that it's getting bigger. Here's what you can expect at this year's Festival: Karen Vernon, organizer "This year as the previous years we have the food court vendors. Vendors will be displaying and selling jewelry, sculptures - what they have to offer. We have a kids zone, we have a youth section; a youth stage. New to this year we will have a side walk chair competition and a carnival section and of course entertainment." Kim Vasquez, organizer "My section is called the kids zone and it is located on Bishop Street, that's the section that runs right beside the Scotia Bank parking lot and that section is filled with activities for children, some of them are just for fun, there is the trampoline, there is face painting and we and we are going to have a magician this year and ICA also has a booth in there that is called the "kids art world" - that's our "pickey" corner as we called it.

High Schoolers Played Well
And finally, tonight we have a story we've been meaning to air since Monday, but just haven't had the time. That doesn't mean it isn't important, we just had to make sure we did it right. It's about the National High Schools football championships which were played at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga over the weekend. The Delille Academy girls from Dangriga and the boys of Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico from San Roman, Corozal district, won - and the girls game ended in a dramatic shootout. Here's how that went:... The championships are organized by the National Secondary Schools Sports Association and sponsored by Bowen & Bowen Ltd and Crystal Water.

Channel 5

Supal Street Boss, Soup Williams, arraigned for shooting
Thirty-five-year-old Jason ‘Soup’ Williams, the reputed leader of the Supal Street gang, believed to be involved in a near-fatal shooting incident on Tuesday, during which a pair of Belize City [...]

…Meanwhile his nephew’s killer remains at large
Unfortunately, the events of Tuesday night would subsequently trigger a deadly reprisal by members of the George Street gang, resulting in the callous murder of twenty-five-year-old Tarique Cadle.  While Jason [...]

Almost $13,000 stolen from accountant’s FCIB account
Belize City police are tonight investigating the theft of almost thirteen thousand dollars from the bank account of a well-known accountant.  According to the fifty-eight-year-old resident of Albert Hoy Avenue, [...]

Global Fantasies…is it more than just the sale of sex?
Sun, sand, sea and SEX…lots of sex with exotic women lining up to fulfill your every desire…a different woman every twenty-four hours. Sounds incredible, right? Well, it’s not. In fact, [...]

Redundant CitCo security workers transition to private security firm
There is concord between the Christian Workers Union and City Hall, in the wake of pointed, verbal sparring between both parties over the past two weeks. In fact, it’s a [...]

George Dakers sentenced to 3 years for the indecent assault of a minor
  A man who made the mistake of patting a child on her buttocks back in February of last year was sentence to three years in prison after being found [...]

Repeat firearm offender sentenced to 20 years in prison
  Thirty-two-year-old Jevon Levi Slusher, a repeat offender of firearm and ammunition violations, has been sentenced to twenty years after being found guilty of the offenses of kept firearm and [...]

Accused murderer, Jarod Arthurs Lamb, escapes
A second prisoner has escaped from custody while en route to a court hearing. Earlier this month, on February fourth, twenty-nine year old Edwin Paula, an inmate at the Belize [...]

Mayor Bradley says Belize Waste Control to drop court action
When we last spoke to Mayor Darrell Bradley, he had just come out of court after a litigation hearing brought by sanitation company, Belize Waste Control. BWC is suing City [...]

Verdes FC and FC Belize sanctioned for unsportsmanlike altercation
An unsportsmanlike altercation between members of Verdes FC and FC Belize at the Marshalleck Stadium in Benque Viejo Town on January twenty-sixth has resulted in sanctions being brought against both [...]

BWS objects to PUC’s decision on water rates
The Belize Water Services Ltd., following a request to the Public Utilities Commission to increase water rates by sixteen and a quarter percent, objects to the PUC’s initial decision which [...]

Newlywed couple surprised with dream honeymoon despite terminal illness
A recently married Belize City couple today received a pleasant surprise from the Belize Tourism Board, following a request made by the colleagues of the husband to have them enjoy [...]

Horse euthanized after accident
On Tuesday, there was an accident in Belize City which resulted in a horse having to be euthanized. It went somewhat under the media radar, but on the social media [...]

Dog is mutilated by children in Belize City
There is a very disturbing case to report tonight, and it was no accident. In fact, its senseless nature practically defies comprehension. News Five has confirmed reports that on Saturday, [...]

Healthy Living looks at tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or TB, as it is commonly known, is a fatal infectious disease that attacks the lungs.  It is an airborne disease when people who have an active TB infection [...]

CTV3

Garbage Drums Are Being Stolen And Sold As Scrap Metal
Garbage woes will always be an issue for any governing body with the responsibility for sanitation. And while garbage collection for the Orange Walk Town Council has been a constant struggle, another one problem has reared its ugly head. According to the Town Councils sanitation department, in the wee hours of the night, garbage dwellers are stealing the drums that are strategically placed in neighborhoods to collect the trash. This has been an ongoing problem and according to Sanitation Foreman at the Town Council, Antonio Baeza it has got to stop. ANTONIO BAEZA – Sanitation Foreman, Town Council “On Monday I personally witness at 4:00am in the morning, two guys on three cycles taking drums, they were taking an old fridge and then Town Board gets the blame for it, and it cause a problem to Town Board or to us because the people have nowhere to dispose of the garbage, they would throw it on the street side and we have a problem with dogs and when we get there, it is all on the street side, is full with garbage and it causes a problem.

Journey To Retain The Crown Of La Diosa Maya International Pageant
Four Central American beauties including a candidate from Orange Walk are in Mexico tonight making last preparations for the La Diosa Maya Internacional Pageant being hosted in Merida, Yucatan tomorrow night. Cecilia Menjivar is representing El Salvador, Eidy Josselyn Bueso is the delegate from Honduras, Luz Estefanía Cobos Rivera is Mexico’s candidate, and Dalina Reyes is this year’s La Diosa Maya Belize. On Tuesday the women presented and posed in their national costume. Dalina Reyes’s costume was designed by designer and choreographer Gabriel Garcia from Orange Walk Town. Garcia was also responsible for designing the costume worn last year by outgoing La Diosa Maya Internacional Griselle Carballo.

COLEF Accepting Belizean Students Through Scholarship Programs From Mexican Embassy
The Embassy of Mexico has announced that applications from interested students are being accepted as seven scholarships are made available for Belizean nationals. The scholarships are for interested students interested in completing a masters and one doctorate degree. The scholarships are for El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Mexico. Press Officer at the Embassy of Mexico Marcelino Miranda tells us more about the scholarships. Marcelino Miranda “The programs that are available are different programs for Master’s Degree and for Doctorate’s Degree. The subjects for Master’s Degree goes from Management to social Science and Engineering an in the case of the Doctorate Degree is in Social Science. Students of Belize who are interested in these programs they can contact the Embassy Mexico at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City and they can do it by phone at 223-1408 or the can come and they can visit us at Belize City. The most important to emphasize in these applications is that this institutions is one of the most prestigious and the programs are registered as the Institute of Mexico for Science and Technology therefore these programs are of high quality and interested students would have the guaranteed that they are going to take one of the most important and recognize programs in Mexico.”

Corozal Taxi Union Share Concerns With The Municipal Transport Department
The movement of taxis across Corozal Town was slow this afternoon and that is because over a hundred taxi drivers pertaining to various taxi unions in the Corozal District were attending a very important meeting with the National and Municipal Transport Department from the Corozal District and the Corozal Town Council. We can tell you off the bat that the meeting turned out to be quite heated as several issues affecting the taxi industry were laid on the table. Reporter Victor Castillo has more on the story. Victor Castillo - Reporting The Andres Campos Civic Center was the center stage, for a meeting between Corozal taxi drivers, officials of the Corozal Transport Department and Corozal Town Council. With the taxi industry being the bread winner for hundreds of families it was important that all stakeholders attend the meeting where a number of issues affecting the industry were discussed.

LOVE FM

Leonardo DiCaprio Gives Three Million to Oceana
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group to work on behalf of the world’s oceans, announced a $3 million grant today from the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation aimed at protecting threatened ocean habitat and keystone marine species such as sharks. The foundation’s grant will also support Oceana’s work to advocate for responsible fishing measures, including the effort to ban California drift gillnets. Spread over a three-year period, the $3 million from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is the first marine conservation grant made following the foundation’s 11th Hour Charity Auction hosted at Christie’s last year. The grant to Oceana will support the organization’s work, from the south of Chile to the north of Alaska, to preserve ecologically important ocean areas and Oceana’s campaigns, including the campaign to ban drift gillnets off California, in order to protect dolphins, whales, turtles and other marine animals from being caught and killed as “bycatch.”

Health Training for Community Workers in Southern Belize
Twenty community health workers will receive training in various areas following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Punta Gorda Hospital/Health Education and the Community Participation Bureau of HECOPAB and Medic Force. The goal of the training is to improve health promotion and health education at the community level in the Toledo District. The MOU was signed yesterday with the understanding that training will be given in women’s health focusing on cervical cancer and the importance of pap smears with a session on taking and recording vital signs. The second area of training will focus on the basic introduction in health training which will have the participation of newly selected community health workers from five villages while the third area will be a hands-on project with the construction of eleven latrines in a community. The sessions will be carried out for the period, February 21 through to the 28th. The sessions are carried out and certified by the Ministry of Health through the health-promoting arm of the ministry, HECOPAB.

Huang and Gibson Go Viral on the WWW
Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson – chances are you have probably heard his name before as in July 2013, a local television station reported him to be a fraud that was using, quote, “fantasy ideas to develop a website with videos and articles to fool potential investors into swindling their money.” Unquote. And, even more recently, if you are on any of the social media such as Facebook – you probably have been reading the various links of him announcing his support and backing of the now elected, Cayo South standard bearer for the United Democratic Party, Ralph Huang. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been what we call newsworthy, except that the idea of having an aspiring politician be affiliated or being financed by someone who has been labelled or referred to as a fraud does raise some eyebrows. Initially, we thought perhaps the videos shown on Facebook and YouTube were all a hoax as Gibson has listed several projects that he has going in Belize that seem to be nothing but phantom works. So then, we thought, why not ask Ralph Huang, himself and, that is exactly what we did. Huang confirmed for us via telephone today that Gibson is a personal friend of his.

City Council’s Finances Shaping Up; Court Matter Settled with Belize Waste Control
Last week the Belize City Council was taken to court by Belize Waste Control once again but on this occasion it resulted in a different manner. As a matter of fact, Belize City Mayor, Darrell Bradley can now breathe a sigh of relief because they are now inching their way closer in being debt free with the garbage collecting agency. Bradley says that the matter has been settled out of court and he explained why. MAYOR DARRELL BRADLEY “I thought it was unusual and, I would say, in bad faith when you took us to court when we have been paying you. I made it clear in December that we were going to pay them down and we are at the precipice of bringing this thing within what we are legally allowed to be in arrears with them in accordance with the contract which is at four weeks.

Residents Approach Mayor on Unwelcomed Construction
Residents of Palm Grove Estate in Belize City are up in arms against the construction of a massive five floor building in that community. Residents say that the building plan was not approved by the city council and the building will negatively impact the residents. However, Mayor Darrell Bradley welcomes the three point five million dollars investment. MAYOR DARRELL BRADLEY “I will respond to the concerns in two ways; the first is this, the city is actively coating investments within Belize City. When you look at the development trends, Belize City, as a city is failing, the population is going down; the only thing that will allow us to reverse that situation is if we can attract investment in the city. One of the ways that we are seeking to attract investment is to enhance the waterfront area and the area along the northern highway; so, any development that is going to go along there is going to receive support from the city; that support does not mean that we are going to violate any processes or we are going to by-pass any processes.

Three Years for Touching Minor’s Rear
Forty- eight year old George Dakers, a construction worker charged with aggravated assault of an indecent nature upon a 12 year old girl, was sentenced to three years today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith after he was found guilty of the charge. The complainant, a primary school student, testified in camera that at around 2 p.m. on May 11, 2013, she went to Dakers’ house and asked him for a nail. She said Dakers told her he did not have any and when she was leaving the house Dakers squeezed her buttocks. The girl’s mother testified that her daughter told her what had happened and she called 911 and contacted the police. The police arrived promptly and took Dakers into custody. Dakers was charged after the girl gave the police a statement in the presence of her mother. Dakers testified and denied that he committed the offence. He claimed that the girl’s testimony was untrue. But Chief magistrate believed the girl’s story and she found Dakers guilty.

Gang Leader Opens Fire on Police
Jason “Soup” Williams, the person who allegedly fired shots at two police offic