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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

NAC/CCM Island Committee brings HIV awareness to Boca del Rio
On 15 March 2014 the National AIDS Commission (NAC) /Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Island Committee along with PASMO carried out a community outreach event. The goal of the event was to engage the people of the Boca Del Rio area in education, counseling and HIV testing all free of cost. Volunteers from various areas of the health sector as well as members of the community came together to provide information and condoms also free of charge for the public at large. “It is so important for individuals to know their [HIV] status; individuals need to be aware of these services and need to take advantage of them, the public needs to take charge of their health, that is where we come in_ to provide that facilitation all in a safe and confidential environment,” said Dr.Yenisey Cruz, Committee Member in regards to Saturday’s community outreach. The event was successful reaching and providing information for a diverse group of people including thirty (30) people that were tested. “Not our most successful in terms of amount of tests, however that is thirty (30) more individuals that are educated and know their status and we hope they encourage their friends, that by its self is a massive success,” stated Dennis Craft, Chairperson of the NAC/CCM Island Committee.

Tigersharks leads the National Elite Basketball League
Tigersharks caught 25 2-pointers (50), 23 free throws shots and five 3-pointers (15) accounting for the 88 points while the visiting team caught 28 2-pointers (56), 16 free throws and two 3-pointers (6) garners their 78 points. Gary Francisco was the player of the game, obtaining 22 points for the visiting team. Results from other games played in round six are as follows: Friday, March 14 Cayo Western Ballaz 83VsToledo Diplomats 54 Belize City (Smart) No Limit 73VsBelmopan Bandits 56 Saturday, March 15 Corozal Heats 80 Vs Orange Walk Running Rebels 79

Ambergris Today

National AIDS Commission Community Outreach Event
On Saturday, March 15, 2014, the National AIDS Commission (NAC) /Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Island Committee along with PASMO carried out a community outreach event. The goal of the event was to engage the people of the Boca Del Rio area in education, counseling and HIV testing all free of cost. Volunteers from various areas of the health sector as well as members of the community came together to provide information and condoms also free of charge for the public at large. “It is so important for individuals to know their [HIV] status; individuals need to be aware of these services and need to take advantage of them, the public needs to take charge of their health, that is where we come in_ to provide that facilitation all in a safe and confidential environment,” said Dr. Yenisey Cruz, Committee Member in regards to Saturday’s community outreach.

Flashbacks: Making San Pedro The Number One Island in The World
This gentleman is standing on the street between Fido’s and Manelly’s Building and as you look beyond there is the Lion’s Den and Island Plaza. To the right is Chico Gomez’s Coral Beach Hotel. Even farther down is Pete Salazar’s home and the office of Pete’s Enterprises, and Malak’s Hardware Store and Traveler’s to the left. Of course, that is not what you see today because this Flashback takes us back in the 1980’s with sandy streets and patches of grass with paths cut through empty lots at the corners. Surprisingly we do not see a full clothesline or a dog lying on the cool sand. The young man is Jim Titheridge carrying in his arms a young Moses Arzu, half brother of Joseph Eligio, our past Deputy Mayor. Everybody falls in love with San Pedro and Ambergris Caye and all of this leads to our being The Number One island in the World.

Crime is Everybody’s Business
Tourism is everybody’s business. Education is everybody’s business. And so are many other issues everybody’s business. Equally important, crime is everybody’s business. Our teenagers and party people are not safe in their regular night outings because guns are being pulled out at public places while they are innocently trying for some safe island fun. Anybody out late at night is not safe because thought they are not looking for trouble, trouble comes looking for them. Even we at home run the risk as bullets are being fired in our sleeping neighborhoods and finding their mark on our home walls. The recently held March and Rally ‘Footprints For Peace’ held after the senseless murder of a young man, son, husband and father, Jefffery Eiley, proves that crime is everybody’s business. Close to 1,000 island participants including children, high school teens, locals and retired expats all shouted for the same cause - “Let’s get back our peace on the Island.” This is one way in which they all can be part of the solution - by making noise. Speaker after speaker echoed the idea that as long as guns keep on making noise, they too will continue shouting for justice and for peace.

Misc Belizean Sources

Born to be Wild in Belize
Where you born to the Wild? Parrots were. Did you know, capturing or keeping any Belizean bird is illegal without a license from the Forest Department. Did you know while parrots live 40-90 years yet most caged parrots die within five years and suffer horrible abuse. Did you know illegal logging and the pet trade have reduced Belize's parrot numbers to critical levels. Tourist come to see wildlife. No wildlife equals no tourists equals no revenue. Belize Bird rescue will rehabilitate captive parrots and return them to the wild where they belong.

Ms. Nubia Guity passes away
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its deepest condolences to the Guity family on the passing of Ms. Nubia Guity. May her soul rest in peace, she was a true cancer fighter! Funeral Services For Ms. Nubia Guity were yesterday At Iglesia Shalom 10 am.

BELIZE CITY POLICE REPORT
THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE On Tuesday, March 18, Kingsley Smith of Belize City reported that on March 7 at about 7:30p.m., he left his work vehicle a 2009 Gold colored Nissan Navarra, L/P BZ C-34872 parked at the corner ...

Ballaz vs Diplomats
The Western Ballaz hosted and defeated the Toledo Diplomats last Friday, and Adma Chuc was there to capture the game in pictures. They play in Belmopan against the Bandits tomorrow night. They have a bus going, and it's only one dollar. Yes, $1.00. It leaves from SHC at 6:15. Contact the Western Ballaz to save a seat. There are more pictures here: Gallery 2 Pictures from their grand entrance(Thanks, DJ Caesar!) here: Grand Entrance

YWCA Anniversary
The YWCA is celebrating their 58th anniversary, and the 1st anniversary of their NRCED, by having an expo in Belmopan today. They are always looking for new members, and you can join there if you'd like. "Join us tomorrow in Belmopan as we celebrate YWCA National Resource Center for Enterprise Development (NRCED) 1st Anniversary with an EXPO! Come for some delicious food & pastries, manicures & pedicures, or even get your hair done."

Grant funding available for Belizean entreprenuers
PATRICK E. JONES Reporting: Belizeans are being invited to submit project proposals for grant funding from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center. The Proof of Concept Competitive Grant Scheme is being promoted across the region and successful project proposals stand to receive up to US$50,000 in “free money” to be used for implementation. Chief Executive Officer […]

Education Minister Patrick Faber visits schools in Corozal
DEVON YOUNG Reporting: The Honorable the Minister of Education Mr. Patrick Faber is on a tour of schools in the Corozal district this week. Minister Faber and his entourage stopped in at the Santa Clara/San Roman Roman Catholic School just before ten o’clock this morning. He was greeted with a round of applause by the […]

Elderly woman found dead in her house
KIMBERLY LOCKE Reporting: The body of an elderly woman was found this morning inside her Santa Elena home. Reports say that neighbors became concerned after the did not see the woman, identified as Norma Lopez for about three days and then notices a foul odor coming from the direction of her house. More information on […]

Placencia police recover another piece of stolen jewelry
PATRICK E. JONES Reporting: Police in Placencia village, Stann Creek district continue to make progress in the investigation of a jewelry store robbery which happened in the month of February. On Tuesday afternoon, police officers, acting on information they received, went to an area in Seine Bight village where the found another piece of jewelry […]

Belikin La Ruta Maya from the sky
Oooh this is a fun view of the La Ruta Maya Challenge courtesy of our friends at Belikin/Bowen & Bowen!! Check out footage of the Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge like you've never seen before -- from an aerial drone flying above the race. Produced by Ben Popik & Joanna Popik of Island Films Quadcopter Pilots: Colte Barnhill, Ben Popik

Donovan the Jabiru geting fixed up at the doctor!
While our UFL student group visited CBS and TBZ with intern Dr. Fidu, it was recheck time for our VIP patient, Donovan the Jabiru at BWRC today. We are happy to share that the bone formation around the fracture site is very promising and we will be able to remove the bone pin tomorrow. Unfortunately, despite a very short 2 week immobilization for bone healing in this big baby, the muscle contraction in the distal wing and scar formation from the site where his bone had punctured the skin give us little hope that he will be able to fly free again. As you might know, we do not give up easy and will continue with intensive physical therapy tomorrow with his fracture healed.

Fund for Sairsha Alvarez
Today, the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise made a contribution to the fund for Sairsha Alvarez. Her parents were very grateful for the contribution. Little Sairsha is a student at Stepping Stones Pre School. May she get better quickly and get back to school, her friends at school really miss her. They were joined by her teachers Ms Beverly Pook and Ms Celia Will.

Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management
communities buffering the Sarstoon Temash National Park (STNP) for seeking redress from the Court via an injunction to stop oil exploration by US Capital Energy Ltd. in the STNP. It is clear that while SATIIM and the communities have acted in good faith and continue to await the Court’s judgment; US Capital Energy Ltd. has acted contrary to its very public announcement of not commencing “actual drilling unless the court allows it to.” The transfer of drilling equipment to the drill site is a clear indication of the company’s plans to commence drilling in the near term within the STNP, a protected area. SATIIM and the communities have sought the Court’s intervention to protect environmental services, legally recognized land rights and traditional land use. It is in the best interest of the local communities and the country that the Court’s judgment is heard prior to any further actions by US Capital Energy. The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage continues to advocate for no oil exploration within Belize’s protected areas and in the offshore, and will continue to support its members and partners who share the same goal.

CONSULTANCY TO DESIGN, BUILD, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE CREATION OF A FARMER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (ID) FOR THE SUGAR INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (SIRDI)
1. The European Union, represented by the European Commission, (the “Contracting Authority”) of the one part, and The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), (the “Organization”) of the other part, (Individually a “Party” and collectively the “Parties”), have agreed to execute the National Project, Institutional Support to Strengthen the Sugar Industry Research and Development institute (SIRDI). The Overall Objective of the project is to promote and to support sustainable livelihoods, particularly in the rural communities of the “sugar belt”, thus contributing to the reduction of poverty in Belize. The Specific Objective is to increase the capability of SIRDI to address the technological, production and quality requirements of producers, manufacturers and associations, by promoting and supporting Research and Development in sugar cane production.

International Day of Forests
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees. This year, the Forest Department in the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development is partnering with Academia and the Private Sector to commemorate the International Day of Forests. The first activity is a Forest Management and Monitoring Stakeholder Forum which will be held on March 20th and 21st in partnership with the Environmental Research Institute of the University of Belize. The objectives of the forum are to: Strengthen the capacity of governmental, non-governmental, community and private sector stakeholders in Belize for sustainable forest management and long-term monitoring through information sharing; Provide stakeholder input to the proposed national forest monitoring network for improved forest management using permanent sample plots and Determine priority capacity-building needs, best practices and/or changes to current management systems for improved forest management in Belize.

Belizean Beans Panades
Making Belizean Beans Panades is very simple. You can use refried beans from a can or make your own. In this video I use redi-made masa from the store and I use the masa I made from Harina de Maiz.

Xunantunich Welcome Center Grand Opening
The grand opening for the new welcome center at Xunantunich was yesterday, and the Benque Marimba Academy was there to play for all the attendees, which included NICH president Diane Haylock and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia. "Good Morning Belize and the World, our morning is once again filled with happiness and glee, early mañanitas and we are now at the beautiful and magnificent Xunantunich for the grand opening of the new welcome center with special performance by the Benque Marimba Academy."

Cayo Police Receive Generator
The U.S. Embassy donated a generator to the San Ignacio Police. No more black outs for them. Thanks, U.S. Embassy, for all you do to help the police force here. "The US Embassy, through the efforts of Barry Cuthbertson and the Board of the PCC, has donated a 55kw generator to San Ignacio Police!"

Forest Management and Monitoring Forum
Friday is World Forestry Day. The Forest Management and Monitoring Stakeholder Forum starts tomorrow, Thursday the 20th, and goes through Friday. It'll be held at the Jaguar auditorium. "Forum Agenda- Day 1"

Light The Night For Kids
The Special Envoy for Women and Children put on the Light the Night for Kids fundraiser last Friday in honor of Children's Month. Happy Women and Children's Month! "Just a few snapshots from last night until later when the full album is posted." VIDEO

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Mexican Authorities herein offer Bachelor Degree Scholarships in the fields of (1) Public Administration and Policy and (2) International Relations for the academic period 2014 to 2018 at the El Colegio de Mexico. The application deadline has been established at May 2, 2014.

Mark your Calendars - April 5th and 6th - The Belize Dance Company is having a Dance Concert
DAY 1: "BNDC & FRIENDS" Dance Concert featuring performances from Orquidea Negra Dance Company Latino Mix Dance Company Nu Generation Dance Company DAY 2: "BNDC Jrs. & FRIENDS" Dance Concert featuring performances from Holy Redeemer Dance Program (Belize City)Pancotto Gov't School Dance Program (Sandhill Village)Ebenezer School Youth Group (Belize City)St. Therese RC School (Burrell Boom) BNDC Dance "Centre" BNDC "The COMPANY" Tickets will be available soon!

Belizean Artist, Blak Berry, releases his new single "No Man Is An Island"

Belizean Artist, TR SHINE releases his new song "Soca Dan Dada"
Song: Soca Dan Dada Artist: TR SHINE Produced By: Kendoyll Simpson

Belizean Artist, Nello Player, releases brand new song "HOPE"
Organic Belizean Reggae Dancehall infused with the Paradna melodies and drumming of Dangriga, Belize, Nello Player drops 'Hope' on the MaCafee Riddim. Sabal Studios for Marley Chatuye Productions.

International paper money exhibit
The Corozal House of Culture in collaboration with Dr. Jorge Sajia is pleased to present a one day international paper money exhibit. Join us on this cultural experience and take a tour round the world with over 50 monetary notes on display. The exhibit will be on Friday March 28, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The whale sharks are here!!
We only take small groups but still have a few places available between now and the end of June!!! It could be you!!!

Video: The Cayes of Belize
Sailing the Cayes (pronounced keys) of Belize, March 2014 aboard sailing vessels Hope and Toucan.

Video: Belize Pirates
Follow the rip-roaring adventures of our two pirate crews aboard the HMS Hope and HMS Toucan sailing vessels along the barrier reef of Belize.

Video: Documentaire Belize, la splendeur des Mayas
44 min. Le Belize , est une monarchie constitutionnelle unitaire ayant un régime parlementaire à tendance ministérielle, dont le territoire est situé en Amérique centrale, au sud du Mexique et à l'est du Guatemala. Elle a pour capitale Belmopan, pour langue officielle l'anglais et pour monnaie le dollar du Belize. Sa devise est « Sub umbra floreo » (Je fleuris à l'ombre) et son drapeau est constitué de trois bandes horizontales respectivement rouge, bleue et rouge, avec au centre les armoiries du Belize. Son hymne est Land of the Free (Pays de la liberté). Le Belize se nommait autrefois le Honduras britannique. La dénomination actuelle provient du nom de l'ancienne capitale et du fleuve du même nom. Le Belize est le seul pays anglophone d'Amérique centrale. L'anglais est la langue officielle, mais l'espagnol demeure la langue la plus utilisée au Belize. Peuplé de 334 297 habitants au 1er janvier 2013, le Belize est un pays en développement, avec un indice de développement humain élevé. Le Belize est une démocratie parlementaire et membre du Commonwealth. Le chef d'État est actuellement la reine Élisabeth II, représentée dans le pays par un gouverneur général, qui doit avoir la nationalité du pays documentaire documentaire francais documentaire histoire documentaire arte documentaire paranormal documentaire scientifique arte documentaire reportage documentaire mafia documentaire choc film documentaires scientifiques film complet dieudonné documentaire espace film entier enquete exclusive film complet vf france 5 documentaire documentaire univers national geographic documentaire japon tellement vrai national geographic documentaire

Video: 10 min. Mexico-Belize diving 6-27.2.2014 (cenotes, C-58, eagle rays)
A collection from our diving trip to Mexico&Belize; in Feb 2014. highlights: 0:00 Cenote Chac-Mool 0:38 very sharp clip from Chac-Mool 1:43 halocline 2:18 air pocket 2:52 very blurry halocline scene 3:32 Cozumel coral 4:07 a small ray 4:47 C-58 wreck with some eagle rays 6:05 kinda large school of fish ;) 6:56 very nice footage of an eagle ray 7:51 a green eal in Belize 8:55 a turtle having some coral for dinner 9:57 some drumfish

Video: Scuba dive near Rendezvous Caye, Belize

Video: Belize 2014
Some videos taken with my gopro on/near Caye Caulker, Belize. March 2014

Video: Scuba Diving Cozumel, Roatan & Belize

Video: Villa Boscardi Bed and Breakfast

Channel 7

8-Year-Old Knocked Down On Way To School
The family of 8 year-old Kyeisha Joseph is worried sick at the hospital tonight after the standard two student was knocked down in front of her school in Ladyville this morning. Little Kyeisha was getting off the bus when she was run over. Today, we went to Ladyville to get some answers. Daniel Ortiz has that report: Daniel Ortiz Reporting 8 year-old Kyeisha Joseph, a resident of Double Head Cabbage, got out of the bus early this morning, tried to cross the road to get into the Ladyville RC School compound, and she got hit by a vehicle heading to Belize City. The standard 2 student was excited about going on a school trip to the Baron Bliss Grave today, but instead she ended up in the hospital because a driver sped past the bus at the wrong time. ASP Chris Noble - Rural Executive Officer "Sometime after 7:30, I believe, this morning, we did have a traffic accident reported in the area of the RC School. Initially, what we have is that a child may have exited a bus, came across the road, and was hit by a vehicle."

A First: DPP Takes Stand In Cahueque Trial
Today, at the Supreme Court trial of 21 year-old Aracely Cahueque, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal herself, took the witness stand to try to assist the prosecution with evidence. DPP Vidal testified that when police was initially investigating the case, accused and now acquitted killer Brandon Budna gave 2 separate written statements which were going to be used as evidence. The first was a written confession, which taken together with those of the other 2 men, provided police with a detailed narrative of how 18 year-old Raylene Dyer was killed. Those statements, as has widely been reported, were thrown out because the accused were able to convince Justice Denis Hanonmansingh that the police brutalized them into giving it.

Manual Labourer Accuses CISCO Construction Of Cheating Him
In September of last year, 7News told you about the demolition of the old Civic Center, to make way for a new sporting facility. The news was that it was being dismantled by hand so that jobless men from the neighbourhood could get some work. That's a great social dimension, but there are risks when mauling down a hulking structure like the Civic. And those dangers were underscored when one of the employees, Egbert Jones, got seriously hurt when part of one of the walls fell on him. He suffered extensive injuries, and was bedridden for months. Jones is now out of the hospital, but he claims that his injuries have permanently disabled him from being able to work and provide for himself. Moreover, he claims that Francis Woods, the Director of Cisco Construction, took advantage of him and tricked him into signing a settlement document in which he only got a fraction of what he deserves for his injuries. He spoke with us this evening, and started from the beginning on how the wall fell on him. Here's what he told us:

Deon Bruce Back At Court, Now With New Attorney
Today, was supposed to be Deon Bruce’s Habeas Corpus Hearing before Justice Courtney Abel. As we’ve told you, he is fighting his extradition to the US, where he is wanted for charges of murder and attempted murder. Chief Magistrate Smith has ruled that he should be extradited, but his attorney at that time was Godfrey Smith. He had 15 days to file the Habeas Corpus documents, which was done, but he has had a change of attorney since then. He is now being represented by Audrey Matura-Shepherd, and that court has given an adjournment so that Bruce’s new attorney can get up to speed with the case. Bruce goes back to court on June 5, where it is expected that he will get a full hearing. As we have told you, he is wanted in the US for allegedly shooting at Aaron Carter and Bryan Rodgers in Chicago on July 28, 2010.

Man Claims Forestry Legitimized Theft Of His Rosewood
The rosewood amnesty finished in April – and since then the precious hardwood has come under strict CITES regulations – virtually eliminating rosewood as an export product. But the ghost of the Amnesty past continues to haunt the Forestry Department – because there's plenty Rosewood that's being classified as pre-amnesty still out there. One man who knows well about that is American Charles Sellers. He has a concession to log in the Maya Mountain north forest reserve, and he also has a quantity of Rosewood – which he says qualifies as pre-amnesty product. He had hundreds of flitches it on his concessions block, but claims the villagers in Trio systematically stole it. He filed a police report, but while the investigation was ongoing a company called Edison B International Trading bought the rosewood from the villagers. Sellers says its his rosewood, but Forestry Department personnel showed up, and said he has no proof that is his. Yesterday, they ok'd the Mack Truck loading up with the rosewood, which Sellers says is the sanctioning of theft of his property.

Police Department Making Baby Steps In Forensics
It may not yet be visible on the ground, but the police department has made strides in the area of ballistics testing. They've obtained the latest testing technology called IBIS and retained a forensic ballistics consultant. A visiting expert says they are on the right track, and he's here to provide fine tuning. Pete Gagliardi played to a full house today at the Biltmore when he provided a one day workshop on the "13 Critical Tasks Workshop" of ballistics testing. He told us its about taking guns and shooters off the streets: Pete Gagliardi - Author, "The 13 Critical Tasks" "Much of the gun crime today is repetitive and retaliatory. It's usually committed by young people between the ages of 16 and 26. They shot their guns yesterday; they shoot them today, and they'll shoot them tomorrow. The faster we can identify them, arrest them, and take them off the street, we actually prevent more crimes from occurring in the future. There is critical evidence generated from inside a gun, and outside a gun that can help investigators identify and apprehend criminals more quickly before they have the opportunity to hurt and kill again. So, what I'll be talking about all day are best practices to fully utilize this information, process it in a way that is efficient and effective, and that takes shooters off the street to protect the public. It takes competent people, very sound process, and innovative technology, all in balance like a 3 legged stool. If one leg's too short, or one leg's too tall, the stool falls over. The most important thing is the willingness to innovate. Belize has that willingness, to identify the things that they need to do better, and the things that they need to do more of."

Government Looking To Become Distributor Of LPG In Bze
Over a year ago, Liquid Petroleum Gas or "butane" standards were put into law requiring specific butane and propane mixes. Under the law, the maximum approved propane content in Commercial mixtures is 70% propane. But, still, 90% LPG mixes continue to be sold on the market – with the sanction of the Bureau of Standards – which is contravening its own laws. The problem is that government regulations just can't bring the Central American importers to heel – we mean BWEL, Tomza, Southern Gas and Z-gas. Those suppliers say that they can't source LPG from their Central American parent companies with the mix which is approved for residential purposes: that is 60% propane and 40% butane. Well now, after more than a year of frustration, it seems the government is going around them and is trying to set up an LPG regime similar to the one for fuel, where government will import LPG products and then sell it to the Central American companies – since they can't find the right mix on their own.

From Hospital to Jail
On Monday we told you about 21 year-old shooting victim Darrington Louriano Jr. He was caught outside the KHMH with a gun and marijuana, and tonight, he is prison after being taken to court yesterday. He was arraigned yesterday before Magistrate Dale Cayetano on charges of keeping an unlicensed firearm, keeping unlicensed ammunition, and drug trafficking. Though he pleaded not guilty, he couldn't be granted bail, and he was remanded until April 23. According to police, they caught him Wednesday on Princess Margaret Drive, as he was leaving the KHMH with a knapsack and a suitcase, which they believe that he was going to San Pedro with. He had been released from the hospital, after being treated for a gunshot wound he received last week on San Pedro. The officers searched the bag and found a 9mm Ruger pistol and a magazine with 8 live rounds along with 196 grams of weed.

Doing It Right The First Time
Since 2005, the Police Department has been trying to encourage positive behaviour in young people by giving them incentives for doing the right things. Today, the first winner of this season was introduced to the media today. She is Zipporah Taylor, a 4th Form Business Student at Edward P. Yorke High School, and to note the announcement, it was made at her school this morning. 7News attended, and spoke with Taylor about being chosen. Taylor was chosen as by Police Precinct #4 after being nominated by one of her teachers at E. P. Yorke. She will take part in the 8th Annual National Ceremony to be held later this year, where she may be chosen as one of 10 national winners who are doing the right thing.

Capturing The Essence of Infinite India
Most who reach the age of 70, aren't thinking about going on any long and arduous trips. But Rajah Biswanath decided to set out on a difficult journey, a photographic quest to capture the essence of India. It's one of the biggest and most populous countries on earth, a place of almost infinite, multiple realities – but he was undaunted. Now, he's set up a show documenting part one of his journey – and we got a preview of it at the Image Factory today.

129 TB Cases in Bze Last Year
Tuberculosis, it's a bacteria which continues to infect some 9 million people every year, but in Belize there were only 129 new cases recorded last year. It's a deadly disease if left untreated, and though the numbers in the country are low, the Health experts aren't slacking up on their surveillance. In order to join the rest of the world in celebrating World Tuberculosis Day 2014, the Ministry of Health organized a TB Workshop to keep the medical practitioners updated on the disease. Today, the organizers spoke with us about the initiative: Dr. Francis Morey - National TB Coordinator, Ministry of Health "One of our main activities for this year is basically resensitization of our healthcare workers in regards to TB diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of all TB that has been positively diagnosed within the year. It also entails reminding our healthcare practitioners that we do have TB in our country, that it is present, that we need to screen all individuals who presents certain symptoms of fever, a chronic cough for more than 2 week, weight loss, night sweats, chills and chest pain, which are some of the symptoms that most TB patients present themselves with on a daily basis to our polyclinics. Hence, this resensitization should serve as a reminder that we should not decrease our surveillance efforts in regards to diagnosing TB in our country."

Siarsha Still Struggling
Siarsha Alavrez, the 3 year old with the rare skin disorder is improving. She's talking a bit, and her skin is clearing up but there are other complications. Her father tells us that she'll need plastic surgery for her eyes because he bottom eyelash is growing inside her eye, which is causing massive irritation. He is trying to arrange to do this delicate surgery abroad.

US Fused In Pictures
The BDF and the US Military teamed up for a training operation called Fused Response between March 5th and 14th. IT was staged in locations across Belize, but the local media was not invited. But US Military media did have a front row seat. They have published picture son a military website which show mostly US troops engaging in a series of simulations and training exercises.

Channel 5

Rosewood plunder on the rise in Toledo despite existing moratorium
The wholesale pillaging of rosewood in southern Belize continues unchecked despite a moratorium which came into effect in February 2012. And we can report tonight that since the start of [...]

Two new opposition Senators to be appointed by the PUP
The People’s United Party will be holding a press briefing on Thursday to announce the appointment of two new senators. From what we can gather unofficially, Attorney at law, Anthony [...]

Criminal investigation into Penner passport scandal in limbo
The status of a criminal investigation at the Immigration Department remains somewhat in limbo following an order of Mandamus against Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. The ruling was time sensitive [...]

Pacheco and Wade lawyer up in ongoing immigration investigation
As Hulse confirmed, all three passport officers who were on suspension since September have been reinstated by the Services Commission. That is…despite specific recommendations by Director of Immigration Maria Marin [...]

Sensational trial of Aracely Cahueque continues in Belmopan; who killed Raylene Dyer?
Today the trial of Aracely Cahueque continued in the court of Justice Denis Hanomansingh. It is a sensational case, perhaps the most disturbing in quite a few years, and there [...]

Godwin Hulse comments on Esquivel resignations
Last week Thursday, former two-time U.D.P. Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel and his wife Cathy Esquivel officially resigned from all government positions held. They did so in protest, in the wake [...]

Police officers attend IBIS workshop for firearms crimes
The government of Canada gifted Belize with an Integrated Ballistics Identification System back in October 2012. Known as IBIS, the system is a modern tool being used to investigate and [...]

Four illegal immigrants busted, employed without proper documents
The Immigration Department made a bust this morning at a construction site which is managed by a Belizean-Honduran national, fifty-one year old Jesus Contreras. He was found to be employing [...]

Coalition supports SATIIM’s call for injunction against U.S. Capital
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage says its supports SATIIM’s efforts to stop any oil drilling activities by US Capital Energy Limited in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. [...]

BEWU says Boycott Bowen & Bowen on Friday
There is the threat of a countrywide boycott of all Bowen & Bowen products this Friday, spearheaded by the Belize Energy Workers Union in solidarity with former employees of the [...]

E.P. Yorke student awarded Du Di Rait Ting Honor
Sixteen year old Zipporah Taylor, a fourth form student at Edward P. Yorke High School is the most recent winner of the Do Di Rait Ting Award.  During a brief [...]

India through the lens of Rajah Biswanath
Payanam, in the Dravidian language of Tamil, means journey.  It is also the name of a photo exhibit that will be launched at the Image Factory on Friday.  The collection [...]

Rosita May, Woman of Culture
As part of Women’s Month activities, the National Institute of Culture and History announced today that it is naming Rosita May (Mai) of Corozal Town as its Woman of Culture. [...]

CTV3

The Impact Of Fair Trade In Belize
Belize is certified under Fair Trade and as such there is much activity happening on a yearly basis. Besides the recent request for more sugar from Belize, Alfredo Ortega, Vice Chair of the Committee of Management at the BSCFA, came back from a three week trip to Ireland last Friday. That trip was conducted under Fair Trade and included presentations held over a fifteen day period. Alfredo Ortega- Chairman BSCFA, COM “Estuve haciendo presentaciones en varias partes a niños de escuela , políticos a negociantes en relación al impacto de Fair Trade en Belice y al mismo tiempo también aprovechando si se puede emplear el mercado de nuestra azúcar bajo el mercado justo y fue bastante aceptable bajo la presentación que di en los diferentes puestos y realmente lograron conocer que es Belice y cómo impacta y como nos beneficia la industria azucarera en Belice y como esta nuestra situación con el comercio justo y las experiencias que hemos logrado hasta ahora así es de que para mí fue una presentación positiva de parte de Belice y de la Asociación para así podamos ampliar nuestro mercado en relación a la azúcar que producimos.”

Boycott Planed By NTUCB And BWU Against Bowen And Bowen
A radical boycott of the Bowen and Bowen Group of companies is currently being planned for Friday of this week. This is a movement being spearheaded by the Belize Workers Union and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize based on the wake of 13 employees who complained about new contracts to the media and were subsequently terminated of their posts. A release from the BWU Head Office in Orange Walk Town states that both the NTUCB and BWU views with significant disquiet and concern the recent release of thirteen employees under the pre text that these persons employment status have become redundant. It is the view of both unions that the circumstances in which these employees were driven to take action (employment status alteration), feeling compelled to come out publicly with their plight, is indeed a travesty accelerated by a total breakdown of industrial relations. The release is calling on Bowen and Bowen to take in consideration the reinstatement of the employees.

Florida Teacher Faces Ten years Imprisonment
A Florida teacher is facing ten years behind bars after he was arrested in Miami on Friday after investigators say he booked a plane trip to Belize to have sex with two underage girls. A press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says, 48 year old David Wendel Thompson who has reportedly travelled to Belize nine times since 2011, was refused entry in Belize and then returned to Miami where he was then arrested. Thompson is being charged for enticing minors by holding sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old in Belize in February.

San Pedranos Missing for Weeks, Police Investigate
Families of two island residents of San Pedro Town keep searching for their loved ones who reported to have gone fishing a few weeks ago and have not been seen or heard from since. Both 31 year old Dean Nassad Joseph, unemployed of San Mateo Area and 49 year old Vincent Crawford, also known as ‘Chuku’, a laborer of north San Pedro Town, left home on Saturday March 1st and have disappeared without trace. Joseph’s wife, Tessa Ochaeta, told police that her husband left home with Crawford saying they were going to work as security guards at a house in the Robles Point area of Northern Ambergris Caye. The report stated that Crawford left home to go fishing. On the same day both were seen walking on the beach with a group of other men. Police also found out from a security officer that Joseph told him that he was going to camp at a base in the Bacalar Chico area. The police say that the duo is believed to have left in a vessel which took them to the northern portion of the island. Both men have not been heard from since.

Bowen & Bowen Overlooks Boycott and Continue To Serve Its Customers
Yesterday we told you about the fiery press release which promoted a movement to boycott the purchasing of Bowen and Bowen products this coming Friday. The release was sent out by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and the Belize Workers Union in Orange Walk Town. And as we predicted, the news did not sit too well with the Management at Bowen, but it’s not as if they are pulling their hair out. Today when we spoke to Public Relations Officer and in-house Counsel for the Bowen and Bowen Group of Companies, Christelle Wilson, she told us that despite the apparent ‘threat’, business will continue as per normal as their customer demands would have to be met.

LOVE FM

New Trial Date Set for Deon Bruce
The last time we told you about Deon Bruce was in January of this year when Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith ruled that Bruce be extradited to the United States of America where he is wanted for the crimes of murder and attempted murder. Bruce’s attorney at the time, Godrey Smith, had 15 days to apply for an appeal which he did and this afternoon, what was expected to be a habeas corpus hearing, was case management. That is because, Smith withdrew himself as Bruce’s attorney and now the weight of keeping Bruce in Belize now lies on the shoulders of Attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd. In the court of room of Supreme Court Judge, Courtney Abel, dates were set on how the case is to move forward. According to Matura-Shepherd the new trial date is now the June 5. AUDREY MATURA SHEPPARD I agree it is always urgent but you don’t want to prejudice the applicant; in this case, if he is getting new counsel, there is need for us to have sufficient time to get full instructions to see what transpired before and to see what can change and cannot change.

Coalition Supports SATIIM in Injunction Application
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage has come out in support the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management. As we reported yesterday SATIIM has filed an application for an injunction against US Capital Energy. (VO) The Coalition says while SATIIM and the communities have acted in good faith and continue to await the Court’s judgment; US Capital Energy Ltd. has acted contrary to its very public announcement of not commencing “actual drilling unless the court allows it to.” The transfer of drilling equipment to the drill site is a clear indication of the company’s plans to commence drilling in the near term within the Sarstoon Temash National Park, a protected area. The Coalition goes on to say SATIIM and the communities have sought the Court’s intervention to protect environmental services, legally recognized land rights and traditional land use. It is in the best interest of the local communities and the country that the Court’s judgment is heard prior to any further actions by US Capital Energy. The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage continues to advocate for no oil exploration within Belize’s protected areas and in the offshore, and will continue to support its members and partners who share the same goal.

Unions Unite on Boycott of Bowen Products
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize has called for a boycott of Bowen and Bowen products for this Friday. This they say is in support of the 13 employees that were fired from Bowen and Bowen Limited last month. The Union says that the circumstances leading to the employees feeling compelled to step out publicly with their plight is a travesty accelerated by a total breakdown of industrial relations. The Belize Communications Workers Union and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, APSSM, have also sent out strong releases against the company for firing the employees and they too are in support of the boycott on Friday. However, Bowen and Bowen Limited seem to be unmoved by the Unions’ statements and we understand that the company will keep operating as it does daily.

PlusTV

More Rosewood on the Move in Toledo
This Friday will be celebrated as National Day of the Forest around the world when nations celebrate and bring awareness to issues relating to the world’s forests; but, in Belize, the issue of how prepared we are to protect our valuable rosewood stock is still an issue . Over...

PUP Unsatisfied With Progress of Investigation on Mr. Penner
When will Police talk to Elvin Penner? The ex-Minister of State continues on as Cayo Northeast area representative despite being under scrutiny for the scandal that took him out of office last September. The People’s United Party obtained a writ of mandamus directing Commissioner of Police Allen...

Mexican Newspaper says Mr. Penner was a “Fugitive from Justice”
Meanwhile, Elvin Penner has made the front page of Mexican newspaper, Diario Quintanaroo. In its Monday March 17th, edition, an article titled, ‘ Delata facebook a hampon”, rehashed the Citizen Kim passport scandal in Belize and says that Penner is a ‘fugitive from Justice’ and is in Mexico. The...

Bowen Responds to Union’s Boycott on Company Products
Yesterday the APSSM, the BCWU and the Umbrella Union of NTUCB sent out a press release asking for their member’s support at boycotting the bottling giants Bowen and Bowen. This morning the BEWU ( the Belize Energy Workers Union) joined their efforts as they announced their support to their... Read More »

American Alleged Pedophile is Married to a Belizean Woman
Earlier this week, we told you about the American pedophile David Wendel Thompson who set up dates via facebook to have sex with two Belizean minors, aged 13 and 15. 48 year old Thompson was busted by American authorities when police searched his luggage in Miami and found laptops...

Police Community Program Honours Winner
Soon-to-be graduate of Edward P. Yorke High School in Belize City, Zipporah Taylor, will represent Police Precinct 4 at the National Ceremony for the Community Policing Department’s ‘Do Di Rait Ting’ award program. Started eight years ago, the programs honors outstanding youths who have either turned their lives around...

PUP Holds Budget Consultation
The Budget Debate is scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday and the People’s United Party is getting ready with a series of consultations with key sectors of society. They met today with civil society, churches and Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) and yesterday with the trade unions...

The Bumpy Road to Bomba
Bomba is a village in the Belize District and is off the Phillip Goldson Highway and is about 3 to 4 miles from Maskall Village. Bomba residents have been complaining about the condition of the Bomba road. Residents say that the road is next to impassable when it rains...

Photographer Exhibits a Life’s Journey
The Image Factory’s first exhibit for 2014 features a lifetime’s worth of pictures from a photographer who captures experiences of people large and small from his native Indian subcontinent. Sri Lanka born and Belize resident Theagarajah Biswanath gives us a preview of his exhibit, Payanam, Life’s Journey. Mr. Theagarajah...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Letter to the Editor: Etiquette in the anchorage
We are on a sailboat in the anchorage, returning here three years in a row because we love Caye Caulker. We like the friendly people, the restaurants, the shops, and especially the island’s motto…Go Slow! Everyone seems to adhere to that motto except for one group: the dive boats and others who roar through the anchorage at top speed. Every day, all day long, we are rocked by speeding boats that seem to be trying to get close to the anchored boats as they pass by, sometimes causing items to fall off our shelves and requiring us to grab hold of something to keep from falling.. Often they will look back after they pass to see how much their wake has caused our boats to hobby horse. Yesterday, we watched one of these boats careen through the anchorage,not in a direct route, but rather moving as close to each anchored boat as possible, apparently finding sport in making us bounce around. Today, another one did the same. barely missing a neighboring boat.

Dates for Lobster Fest 2014 Set
The dates for the 2014 Caye Caulker Lobster Fest have been confirmed. They are June 27, 28, & 29th. Start booking your hotels, folks!

Blogs

My Search For The Country’s Best Fried Chicken: Finding a New Favorite at Lily’s Treasure Chest in San Pedro
Lily’s Treasure Chest is one of the oldest restaurants on Ambergris Caye – a waitress there estimated 30, maybe 35 years old. I’m going to need to get the full scoop on that… Set right on the water across from Amigos Del Mar dive shop and water taxi mega-dock, the location couldn’t be more convenient and the view is…just the perfect San Pedro view. I grabbed a seat outside and the waiter came over immediately. I ordered my Diet Coke and the fried chicken. No reason to look at the menu. Leg please. (Just to let you know – I am slightly suspicious of those who pick white meat/breast just like I am slightly suspicious of people with a Tweetie Bird or Mickey Mouse tattoo. I can’t help it.) The lovely waiter was honest with me. The fried chicken will take about 20 minutes…and they just had a few orders placed so it could take a bit longer. MMMMmmm…magical words to my ears. The chicken was going to be fried from scratch. I settled in watching divers gear up on the dock, workers run to catch the water taxi and others enjoying their lunch. I also delighted in a bit of free Wi-Fi.

Belize Celebrates Reef Week!
What country has the second largest reef in the World? The largest in the Western Hemisphere? The World’s largest atolls? Surprise, surprise, it’s that tiny Caribbean/Central American jewel, Belize. And what country has the huge responsibility to ensure the long-term survival of said reef? Got it. And what a responsibility it is. The 186-mile reef system is increasingly under attack by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change Hence “Reef Week”, an awareness-raising, fun, aquatic celebration (and warning) of all things Reef, which is one entertaining manifestation of this massive responsibility of all Belizeans, was held March 9 to 19. Imagine some truly nasty space aliens coming down to destroy one of the worlds most diverse and wonderful habitats? Well, we have met the enemy, and they are we…

CCIC Grant Funding Opportunity

Video: Making Small Business Happen

Songs I heard in Cuba
I visited Cuba at the beginning of this year and aside from disconnecting from social media, I was reminded of how amazing the Caribbean is. But I’m not only talking about the beaches, I’m talking about the music. Cuba reminded me a lot of Belize: its very relaxing, everyone’s super friendly, nature is everywhere and dancing is a big part of life. But I think that their music culture might surpass the one in Belize. I say this because one day as I was biking to a popular beach near Trinidad, I stopped at the sight of an open-air thatch cabana filled with children dancing salsa – super early in the morning. That surely doesn’t happen in Belize, I remember starting to dance until I was in my teens, when I had discovered that that was the best way to get close to girls.

International Sources

Denver’s link to Mayan culture
It took a combination of archaeology, technology and simple grunt work to reconstruct the history of one of Central America’s most powerful civilizations. The current “Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed” exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science offers a complex historical story. The ancient Maya civilization that flourished more than 1,000 years ago spanned thousands of miles included dozens of powerful city states and included a population of more than 7 million. The culture made remarkable advances in art, architecture and science. From massive temples to accurate astronomical readings, the Maya matched the output of the Western world’s greatest ancient civilizations. For modern historians, recovering that story has hardly been straightforward. Thanks to environment, conquest and time, it’s taken innovation and persistence to uncover the true legacy of the Maya civilization. “We really focused on how we know what we know about the Maya,” said Michele Koons, curator of DMNS exhibit. “There’s a lot about discovery through archaeology, through interpreting the writing system. It’s different from something you’d see in an art museum.”

March 19, 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

Pelican Beach Resort on South Water Caye honored by OUTSIDE Travel Awards 2014
OUTSIDE, America’s leading active lifestyle brand, has selected Pelican Beach Resort on South Water Caye as an honoree of their annual Travel Awards, which celebrate the top destinations, companies, products, and travel providers—in the U.S. and around the world—that inspire people to participate in an active lifestyle. Pelican Beach’s beach was honored as The Best Beach in the World. The entire list of honorees appear in OUTSIDE’s April issue (on newsstands March 18), and online at www.outsideonline.com/travelawards. This year, OUTSIDE tapped its global network of correspondents, who traveled across America, to Belize, Switzerland, Italy, and beyond, identifying the best new adventures, stunning lakes, gorgeous new lodges and hotels, family vacations, secret getaways, high-tech airports, and foodie hotspots. The result is more than 50 spectacular trips, plus the best travel apps, tour guides, gear, tips for traveling green, and advice for traveling solo. “Whether you’re looking to go big for an expedition, splurge on a luxurious paradise, or plan an epic family trip, OUTSIDE has unearthed fifty travel gems that will inspire you to renew that passport,” said OUTSIDE Editor Chris Keyes.

Presentation of Credentials to the Governor General of Belize
Four ambassadors presented their credentials to the Governor General of Belize His Excellency Sir Colville Young on Monday, March 17, 2014 at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. H.E. Yasser Mohamed Ahmed Shaban of Egypt, H.E. Alessandro Busacca of Italy, H.E. Hans-Christian Kint of Belgium, and H.E. Eva Hager of Austria all expressed their pleasure and gratitude to be representing their countries in Belize. Each ambassador expressed in their speech to the Governor General their country’s interest in strengthening relations with Belize. The Governor General graciously and warmly received the credentials and welcomed the ambassadors to Belize

Two multi-million dollar projects inaugurated on Ambergris Caye
Two multi-million dollar projects were inaugurated on Ambergris Caye on Friday March 14th as part of the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP) under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation. The first inauguration ceremony took place for the Bacalar Chico Ecological and Education Center at San Juan Archeological Site in the Baclar Chico Marine Reserve. The second event was for the inauguration of the $5.6 million San Pedro Sunset Boardwalk and Water Taxi Terminal in the docking/embarcadero area of San Pedro Town.

Victim of shooting incident charged by Belize City Police Officers
On Monday, March 17th at around 8:40AM, Belize City Quick Response Team (QRT) along with Special Branch Personnel (Precinct 3) conducted a search on 21-year-old Darrington Lauriano. According to police, Lauriano was standing next to a pickup truck at the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) parking lot. He was seen carrying a brown and black knapsack and a large black and grey suitcase; believe to be en route to San Pedro Town. Upon searching Lauriano, police discovered a 9mm Ruger Pistol and a magazine containing eight live rounds. Also found was 196 grams of suspected marijuana. Lauriano was detained and is pending charges for “Kept Firearm and Ammunition without a Gun License” and “Drug Trafficking”.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Boasts New Sunset Board Walk and Water Taxi Terminal
Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Belize Tourism Board, Mr. Einer Gomez delivered the opening remarks for the grandiose occasion followed by the welcome address by Mayor Daniel Guerrero. It was in his speech that Mayor Guerrero proudly announced the name of the newly renovated football field which will now be known as the “Hon. Louis ‘Cuz’ Sylvestre Sports Field”. Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation delivered the keynote speech and Mrs. Anneke Jessen delivered some remarks on behalf of the Inter-American Development Bank. Mrs. Celi McCorkle gave the closing thoughts “the way it was”; it was a special speech as she reminisced on how the island was before the Sunset Board Walk, how the football field was used, how the “embarcadero” looked like and what its purpose was. Delivering the vote of thanks was Mrs. Tracy Taegar-Panton, CEO Minitry of Tourism. The unveiling of the plaque and ribbon cutting of the Sunset Board Walk Project and Rehabilitation of the Old Football Field was carried out by Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Christy Mastry – Project Director of the STP and CEO Ministry of Tourism Mrs. Tracy Taegar-Panton. Invited guests included Hon. Herman Longsworth – Minister of Sports, Ambassador of The Republic of China (Taiwan) Mr. David Wu, Capitan de Puerto de Chetumal – Mr. Alvaro Flores Parra and Chairman of Caye Caulker Mr. Wayne Miller and councilors to name a few.

25 Years Ago: A Salute to Louis “Cuz” Sylvestre
Just at about the same time in the mid 1960’s, Cuz had the vision of the need of 24-hour electricity for the island as the fishing industry grew, and the tourism industry began to feather. Soon Cuz had his government provide a large generator which provided 24-hour electricity to the delight and well-being of all Sanpedranos. This was to be followed shortly by Cuz’s efforts to bring a full-fledged telephone system to San Pedro. But Cuz did not like to rest for too long. It seemed that action was his middle name. Such was his love for San Pedro. In 1971 something tremendous happened. Cuz persuaded the government of George Price to acquire all of the village of San Pedro which was at the time property of Mr. Jim Blake. The land was acquired and every Sanpedrano who occupied land had the privilege of purchasing that same property for a minimal price. He made Sanpedranos owners of their village. This land distribution worked so beautifully that Cuz followed up with the acquisition of the land from the cemetery all the way to Boca del Rio for more distribution of land which was to become San Juan and Boca Del Rio Subdivisions.

Enjoy A Family Style Dinner at El Fogon Restaurant
El Fogon Restaurant in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, is very well know for serving up rich local food that is packed with flavors typical of homemade Belizean food. The best part is the authentic smoky flavor of the fire hearth that is infused in most of the dishes they prepare. Cooking on an outside fire hearth (fogon) is what makes the restaurant stand out amongst the rest on the island. It’s one of the best places to enjoy local food unique to Belize and also the island of Ambergris Caye. Lunch consists of a diverse selection of dishes that represent the diversity of the Belizean culture. Just recently the restaurant underwent some renovation that included the expansion of the restaurant’s dining area, a new bar and a café. Now El Fogon offers breakfast specials that complement the addition of its café that offers really great coffee, flavored tea (iced or hot), cappuccinos, frappuccinos, and fruit shakes to your heart’s delight. It is a great addition to the restaurant for coffee lovers and those looking for some great fresh smoothies to start off their day. How does hash fish with refried beans and fry jacks sound to you in the morning? Yes! You can get that plus other delectable breakfast specials along with your morning java.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Education Excellence Society
I. INTRODUCTION Belize has made great strides in increasing access to primary and secondary education, and in subsidizing the cost of same to families. Many millions have been spent on increasing options for vocational training for those who are not inclined to traditional academic courses. However, there is growing perception that not sufficient is being […]

Gary Seawell back in court for extradition case
AARON HUMES Reporting: Accused drug trafficker Gary Gordon Seawell had his day in court today. He is accused of masterminding a large-scale cocaine moving operation between Belize and the U.S. state of Ohio from 1994 to 1997. But American authorities waited more than nine years to begin the process of extraditing him. They won the […]

Article says Belize is 1 of 10 happiest countries of the world
PATRICK E. JONES Reporting: Belize is one of the 10 happiest countries in the world. That is according to the Wall Street Cheat Sheet, listed as one of the largest financial media companies in the United States. In an online article published today the company’s website uses the role people’s environment plays on their overall […]

Gardening as a way of life in San Marcos village
JUAN CAAL Reporting: Meet Jenny Chuc. She is a resident of San Marcos village in the Toledo district and an avid gardener. Her hard work and dedication to her hobby are what caught our attention and so we decided to have a talk with her. She approaches what she does with an air of excitement […]

The importance of early childhood education
ORANGE WALK BUREAU Reporting: The activities for Child Stimulation Month continue around the country. The month of activities is designed to highlight the importance of early childhood education. Preschools have been in operation for many years in Belize, but many don’t fully understand the purpose of this facility in a child’s education. Many see it […]

Commentary: The Garifuna people are building nationhood beyond borders
From the time the British Crown forcefully removed the Garifuna people from their native homeland “Yurumei”, now known as St Vincent and the Grenadines, in 1796, life has not been the same for them in all the countries where they live. Today in St Vincent, the few that are left have lost most of their culture due to the decrees passed and enforced by the British, which prohibited them from practicing their culture. They were removed from their fertile land and then forced to live in about 150 acres of non- fertile land. About 2,500 acres of their fertile land was given to the British officers and their elite families for winning the wars against them. Nothing significant has been done by the past governments of St Vincent to improve our people’s living conditions or to help them retrieve their cultural values.

All People Matter
The University of Belize joins with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) this March and proclaim that “All People Matter”. The NASW was formed in 1955 in the United States and is perhaps the single largest organization of professional social workers in the world. The month of March has been declared as the month of the social worker and this year’s theme is “All People Matter”. The University of Belize through the Faculty of Nursing, Allied Health, and Social Work recognizes the contribution of social workers in Belize and shares in the proclamation laid out by the NASW, further inviting all social workers to reflect in their practice and in the progressive strides of the profession in Belize.

World Tuberculosis Day 2014
In an effort to promote awareness, the Ministry of Health will once again join the international community to partner in the campaign for World Tuberculosis Day 2014 on Monday, March 24th. Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection caused by a bacterium that affects the lungs and is characterized by coughing, sneezing and spitting. The Ministry of Health continues to control the prevalence of TB in Belize. In 2013, Belize recorded 129 new cases of Tuberculosis, of these 5 were extra-pulmonary TB (not occurring in the lungs), 26 were co–infections with TB/HIV. The greater number of individuals affected were those between the ages of 20-59, following the same trend as seen in previous years. There were 17 deaths from TB for 2013. The number of facilities with laboratory to screen patients for TB in Belize has been extended to regions across the country.

ADOPTION OPTIONS
2 black lab mix, 2 chocolate lab mix, 3 males and 1 female. 3 months old, have 3 sets vaccinations, dewormed, will be spayed and neutered in April by Belmopan Humane Society. Adoption fee $50. Potential owners must have safe, secure fenced area. Other dogs on the property should be spayed or neutered as well. If not we can assist. Please help us find homes for these pups, or in a pinch a temporary foster home from March 25 onward. Call Lilly Morison at 602-7947

How Belikin Beer Is Made
Belikin has a cool animated video out that shows the stages of beer making. They really did a great job explaining the process, and the shape of it all really fits. Well done, Belikin, well done. "Take an animated trip on how the beer of Belize, Belikin, is made. Belikin is the only beer sold in Belize that uses 100% Barley Malt and no fillers thereby producing a higher quality of beer. Belikin, the beer of Belize."

Easter Fair Coming Soon
This year's Easter Fair will be at Galvez stadium on April 19th and 20th. Everyone is invited to take part in the festivities, and there will be plenty of food and fun for everyone. If you're interested in setting up a booth, call 669-0462 for more information.

Cayo Variety Show
Sacred Heart College, Eden High School, and CET are teaming up to bring a variety show and dinner to the SHC auditorium this Saturday night. Come out and see some talent as the students sing, dance, read poetry, and perform some entertaining skits. Call 622-6861 for more information.

Challenge Gobie Bike Ride
Feelgood news of the day. The Challenge Gobie bike ride fundraiser was a huge success. They rode from PG to Belmopan, and had a fun time doing it. They are raising money for a children's intensive care unit. The dog suit was a great touch. "Good morning! We are still recovering after yesterday's bike ride. Just wanted to say a quick thanks to EVERYONE that supported in any way. Very proud of all the riders, service team and the organisers at the Finale at Caribbean Tires. Will send out special thank you's to everyone soon and we'll post pictures tomorrow. Congratulations to ALL the riders!"

SI United vs Verdes
The San Ignacio United take on the Verdes tonight at the Broaster Stadium. Who's the best of the west? Find out tomorrow at 7:30pm. "San Ignacio United host Verdes FC this wednesday at the Broaster Stadium. El Clásico kicks off at 7:30pm, this one is for bragging rights to see who is the best of the west. See you there!! "

Caribbean Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Road Show
The Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities (MESTPU) in collaboration with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), is pleased to announce that Belize will be hosting the Caribbean Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Road Show on Friday March 28th, 2014 at the Corozal Community College, Corozal Town commencing at 9:00 a.m. The ICT Road Show is a joint initiative of the MESTPU and CTU and is a part of a regional effort to foster innovative use of ICT in Caribbean countries for national and regional development. It is specifically designed to raise awareness within the public and private sectors, civil society and academia of the innovative approaches required for the effective application of ICT in government, business and social development geared at enhancing Belize’s global competitiveness. Under the theme, “Harnessing the Power of Innovation – the Engine for ICT enabled Caribbean Development”, the ICT Road show will feature sessions dedicated to practical uses of ICT in education, business, and government and will address issues of such as internet security and broadband development.

Corozal Police Report
Mar 18 – Corozal Police Report – Attempted highway robbery with shot guns and two students robbed at knife point on 1st Avenue. ATTEMPTED ROBBERY: Raul Patt, Belizean reported that on March 17th, 2014 at about 3:00 p.m., he was riding his motor cycle on the Buena Vista Road, heading to the direction of Caledonia Village to pick up some money owed to him. Upon reaching half way, he saw 3 male persons standing on the road with what appeared to be shot guns and masks over their faces. As a result, he sped off making good his escape but after doing so, he heard two loud bangs which sounded like gun shots. He never stopped and continued his way through another road, which took him out at Libertad Village. Thereafter he made his way to the Corozal Police Station where he lodged his report. Extensive searched were conducted in the area by the Corozal Police but no one has been located. Investigation continues.

Video: Gabby and huge Nurse shark in Belize

Video: Hummingbird Guest Lodge & Hostel - Good Living Camp - Belize
Hummingbird Guest Lodge & Hostel is located on a pristine creek in Belmopan, just 16 km from the famous Blue Hole National Park. It's perfect for swimming and offers guests free Wi-Fi. The property offers rooms and dorms with a shared kitchen and shared bathroom facilities and showers. The house features a kitchen and a private bathroom. Hummingbird Guest Lodge & Hostel offers a variety of on-site activities, including swimming in the creek, nature hikes and tours of the organic garden. Other facilities include free parking, luggage storage and a laundry. Philip Goldson International Airport is 61 km away. The property offers free parking.

Video: Xanadu Island Resort Belize

Video: The Placencia Resort Belize

Video: Night Zipline, Mayflower Bocawina Nat. Park, Belize, Central America
I take a night time zipline through the Mayflower Bocawina National Forest in Belize. The run I take is 2,300 feet (700 mtr) long, the longest in Belize.

Video: GoPro: Belize Vacation
My buddy Brian and I travel to some of the coolest places and see the most amazing things. This video is from our trip to Belize. Hand fishing, cave tubing, sailing, jungle hikes, caye caulker, belize. Its beautiful, go there!

Video: Belize Vacation Caye Caulker
Part 2 of our Belize Vacation. Boat trip to Caye Caulker with the Durans and friends for some family time.

Video: MASSIVE Bonefish School: Thousands of Fish
This is a huge bonefish school in a deeper pocket of water in Belize. During low tide, some of the bones head off the flats and congregate in massive schools such as this one. The fish in this school varied in sizes, but primarily ranged from 1-3 pounds.

Video: Zipline in Belize

Channel 7

Aracely's Trial Begins In Earnest
21 year-old Aracely Cahueque, who is believed to have been the mastermind behind the October 2010 murder of Raylene Dyer, will have to stand a full trial before Justice Denis Hanomansingh where a jury will decide her fate. As we told you yesterday, there was a trial within her trial in which her attorney was challenging a piece of evidence that the crown counsels from the DPP's Office was trying to get admitted against her. Though Justice Hanomansingh has ruled in her favour that this piece of evidence cannot be presented to the jury, Crown Counsels Cecil Ramirez and Kayshia Grant are determined that the jury should be the one to ultimately decide her innocence or guilt. They are attempting to do that by depending on Brandon Budna, who was tried and acquitted of the murder of Raylene Dyer last week. After some initial difficulty, the prosecution was able to track down Budna who took the stand in front of the jury and gave evidence. He must return to court tomorrow to finish up with his testimony, which is being relied on heavily to secure Cahueque's conviction.

American Paedophile Contacted Belizean Minors
American Social Studies Teacher and Pedophile David Wendel Thompson remains in Federal custody in Miami after authorities say he set up dates with two Belizean minors, aged 13 and 15 via Facebook. He was arrested on Friday in that city after he was denied entry to Belize. Interestingly, the 48 year old Thompson who travelled to Belize nine times since 2011 has a Belizean flag draped on his house in Seffno, Florida. News reports form the US cite transcripts of chat messages on Facebook where he tells one the 13 year old girl, "I will make sure u always have money.... and I want to always be special to u so let me b your first." He told the other girl, aged 15 "I just want to be ur first that's my present so I can b special to u."

The Riff Between The Esquivels & The UDP's Grows
A letter is being sent from Prime Minister Dean Barrow to former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel. That is what we are told this evening by Sir Manuel, but he says it is on its way from Belmopan, and he hasn't received it yet. What will the letter say? Will it be an attempt at reconciliation between Barrow and his former Party Leader? Well, at this point we don't know, but it is a response to Sir Manuel's letter, which he sent last week announcing his resignation as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister. But, the vibe we are getting out of Cabinet this evening is that it will be respectful, but it may not be conciliatory. We are told Cabinet discussed the subject today at its regular Tuesday meeting and the concensus sentiment was that nothing special would be done to try and patch things up.

Precinct 2 Retrieves A Gun
Today police from the Precinct two Quick Response team moved swiftly to apprehend two suspicious men on Cemetery Road. At 3:30 police responded to reports of and searched the Mortars alley area, where a man wearing was seen brandishing a firearm. Police ordered him to put the weapon down where and he immediately threw the firearm intro a fenced yard situated at the corner of Mortars Alley and Cemetery Road. Corporal Jorge Lemus explains:.. Corporal Jorge Lemus - Admin Section, Police Precinct 2 "At 3:27pm the police communication center received information of 2 suspicious male persons being spotted on Cemetery Road. As a result the precinct 2 QRT members responded to the area and whilst conducting patrols in the area they sighted a dark complexion male person brandishing a weapon in his hands. This male person was wearing a blue pants and green shirt and immediately upon seeing the police he threw the said weapon in a fence yard at the corner Mortar's Alley and Cemetery Road. Police then detained this male person where they took him to said yard and retrieve the weapon. The weapon is a 9mm pistol of a high powered industrial Argentina brand. It contained a magazine with 3 live 9mm rounds. This person was subsequently detained and brought to the Raccoon Street police station."

Rashida Sedacy Taken To Court
24 Year-old Rashida Sedacy, who is accused of stealing from her former place of employment, Traveller's liquors, is out on bail tonight, after she was taken back to Magistrate's Court. Last night, 7News told you that we've received reports that she is facing 130 counts of theft. Well tonight, the police press office has confirmed that she is charged with 124 counts, and the amount she is accused of stealing is $83,669 between January and August 2013. She was arraigned today before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, where she pleaded not guilty to all charges, and she was granted bail of $15,000, which she was able to meet. She will return to court on May 19, her next court date.

Gary Seawell Fights On In Supreme Court
Five months ago, The Chief Magistrate said that Gary Sewell had a case to answer and that he should be extradited. But today his attorney Arthur Saldivar was back in the Supreme Court fighting the case - challenging the validity of the depositions from the US. He says the Chief Magistrate did not look at the whole picture. He renewed his argument that the documents supplied by the U.S. government were insufficient. And if the documents were not admissible, then they did not count and there was no case to answer. He explained outside court: Arthur Saldivar, Attorney "What was argued before the Chief Magistrate essentially is the same at what is being argued here that sections 14 and 15 of the extradition act of the UK 1870, speaks only to depositions or statements on oath and where depositions can be properly so-called it can only be done so where there is on the face of the record in the document itself the wording that shows that the maker understand their obligation to tell the truth and appreciates that they would be liable to the penalty of perjury if they should tell a lie. Where that is not there then the document cannot be called a deposition or a statement on oath. In this particular case we are not seeking bail, we are seeking habeas corpus - we are seeking his freedom because we are saying that the detention is unlawful."

DISPUTE STABBING (UDPATE)
Our next story gets a little complicated. There are three elements to it - each progressively worse: a broken windshield, a burnt down house, and a man with a stab wound to the chest. But it all starts with the broken windshield. On Friday night at 6:00, the owner of Kim's 2 - a Chinese store on Iguana Street found the windshield on his vehicle broken. It turned out that a boy from the neighborhood was flying a kite; it got stuck on a lamp-post, he tried to stone it down with a stick, the stick crashed into the windshield and broke it. The nine year old was taken to the police station - and released shortly after. But the boy's detention got his relatives upset. That led to a confrontation with Anthony Leslie - who works for the owner of Kim's store.

The Unions Support Terminated Bowen Employees
"Boycott Bowen" - that's what the NTUCB wants you to do because of the 13 employees who were fired two weeks ago. Today the NTUCB released a fiery, but not quite timely press release urging the public to, quote, "join us in demonstrating our discontent with the firings, by boycotting purchase of ALL Bowen products on Friday, March 21, 2014." As we told you, the former Bowen employees balked at signing a new contract which had terms and conditions that they didn't like, and they staged a sick-out. Bowen and Bowen said that they self-terminated when they abandoned their posts for 2 days straight. Well, the Belize Communications Workers' Union, the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize released statements today backing the former employees and calling for their reinstatement, saying, quote, "the circumstances around which these employees were driven to take action (employment status alteration), feeling compelled to come out publicly with their plight, is indeed a travesty accelerated by a total breakdown of industrial relations." End quote. Additionally, the Belize Communication workers urges the employees of Bowen & Bowen to form a union amongst themselves.

SATIIM Goes To Court To Stop US Capital
SATIIM has applied to the Supreme Court for an injunction to stop US Capital Energy from commencing drilling operations. SATIIM says it would have expected US Capital to await the outcome of a pending case in the Supreme Court, but a statement today says the company has engaged in pre-drilling activities. In light of what it calls"increased pre-drilling activities by US Capital Energy," SATIIM applied to the Supreme Court last week for an injunction.

Biscayne Gov't School Burgled... Again
Tonight, the management and staff of Biscayne Government School, is trying to figure out how they will be able to replace 7,000 dollars in electronic equipment which was stolen from them. The school was locked up tight last night, but when the teachers reported for work this morning, they found that one of the classrooms had been broken into, and 4 of their laptop computers were stolen along with other important pieces of equipment. 7News spoke with one of the teachers about what they found this morning: Eugene Contreras, teacher - Biscayne Government School "While the bus was passing, I saw the door and I immediately I said oh they broke into my classroom and that was really bad feeling because I know I had lots of stuff in there and right away I thought computers missing. First of all I saw the stereo set was missing, the projector that we used almost was missing. When I checked around I found out that 4 of our laptops are missing; 3 Dell laptops and one Lenovo. One of them recently has important information that we worked on Friday. Definitely some of the teachers are going to be impacted as well as the children because we make use of the projector first of all for a lot of our lessons and then for expressive arts we have a dance group that is working very hard for festival of arts for this year and they stole the stereo, so that group will definitely be impacted."

PLANE UPDATE...
Civil Aviation investigators still haven't confirmed what made a single engine Lancair 320 crash at the Punta Gorda Airstrip last week Friday - injuring a female and leaving the male captain unharmed. So far Civil Aviation has only confirmed that the plane made a hard touchdown and bounced when it landed, which caused it to veer into a Met Department weather tower quite a distance away from the runway. That tower clipped the plane's wing and sent it careening across the airfield. So far the accident investigation team does not have a probable cause at this point and say they don't know what caused the hard touchdown.

Progresso Women's Group Vs. Luke Espat
The most compelling convention of the PUP convention season has been the one in Cayo Central where Dan Silva and Luke Espat are vying for the seat. Intense campaigning has been going on for months now - all coming down to a May showdown. Today it got slightly ugly when functionaries of the Espat camp circulated a newspaper foreclosure notice for a properties in Cayo owned by company affiliated with Dan Silva. We're not sure how that evens things out in a race where the other candidate, Luke Espat is presently appealing a judgement against him for 29 million dollars. But Espat also has other, smaller worries. A few weeks ago two members of the El Progresso women's group from Cayo Central came to us saying that Espat, in trying to help out their group had in fact hijacked it:..

Light The Night For Kids
On Friday night we showed you a brief snippet of the "Light The Night for Kids" - a mesmerizing march across the city in support of the Inspiration Center. The walk with glow sticks and glow bracelets like these ones, and glow in the dark shirts was a fundraiser where 500 registrants paid a 35 dollar registration for adults or 20 dollars for children. The street lights in the downtown area were actually turned off by BEL to make the glow show. Jim Scott explained the idea behind the novel fundraiser: Jim Scott, Organizer - "Light The Night" "But it was kind of a mix of the way we use to jump up in the days before carnival and so forth but we really had a true family focus and we just threw in a little creative twist with the glow in the dark t-shirts, the glow sticks and some of the other light up paraphernalia that we had out there and of course the paradigm was having an event like that at night."

Channel 5

Visually impaired man testifies in the murder trial of Aracely Cahueque
Today, the full trial of twenty-one year old Aracely Caheque continued in the court of Justice Denis Hanomansingh, following a ruling on legal arguments presented. The media is not allowed [...]

Staggering 117 counts of theft against former cashier at Travellers
A former cashier with Traveller’s Liquors Limited was arraigned today for a staggering one hundred and seventeen counts of theft. Twenty-four year old Los Lagos Resident, Rashida Kira Sedacy, who [...]

Biscayne school is robbed of laptops
Travellers Liquors is not the only organization that has experienced theft. An overnight break-in at Biscayne Government School, which resulted in the theft of a number of laptops and audiovisual [...]

SATIIM takes U.S. Capital to court to stop pre-drilling activities in national park
The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM, is heading back to court, despite a pending decision on an ongoing suit against the Government of Belize.  Last Wednesday, SATIIM filed [...]

Do you think that the resignations of the Esquivels will hurt the U.D.P.?
And our question for tonight is: Do you think that the resignations of the Esquivels will hurt the U.D.P.? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 [...]

Cabinet discuss resignation of the Esquivels
As we reported last night, the U.D.P. is rocking from the resignation from the two time former prime minister and party leader of the United Democratic Party, Manuel Esquivel. His [...]

50 sacks of contraband sugar; 3 Guatemalans charged for immigration offenses
A trio of Guatemalan nationals has been charged for immigration offenses after being nabbed by authorities in Toledo attempting to contraband fifty sacks of sugar.  Over the weekend, the men [...]

Students in Bermudian Landing without potable water for 3 long weeks
In Bermudian Landing, a community in the Belize River Valley, the only government managed primary school, was about to close today because of a three-week old water crisis. The Belize [...]

Gary Seawell’s extradition case is heard before the Chief Magistrate
Accused drug trafficker, Gary Gordon Seawell, finally had his day in court today after his case saw a number of adjournments. He is accused of masterminding a large-scale cocaine moving [...]

Darrington Lauriano Jr. arraigned in court
Darrington Lauriano Junior was busted at the parking lot of the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital on Monday morning by alert police who found marijuana and a firearm in a suitcase [...]

Andrew Augustine survived shot to the neck by gang member
On February twenty-third, twenty-one year old Andrew Augustine was leaving his aunt’s house en route to his home on Balan Street, also in the Lake Independence area. But when he [...]

Belize City youth claims police assisted his attacker
On February twenty-fifth, twenty-three year old Stephan Anderson was charged for the Attempted Murder, Use of Deadly Means of Harm, and Dangerous Harm against Augustine. But are the Police responsible, [...]

Malcom X’s daughter on tour in Belize
Since 2002, Ambassador at Large for Belize, Ambassador Shabazz, has been promoting Belize. It’s been two years since her last visit to the jewel, but her work continues in the [...]

Unions call for a boycott of Bowen products
The Belize Communications Workers’ Union, the Association of Public Service Senior Managers and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize have joined to issue a fiery release aimed at local [...]

Former Guatemalan President to plead guilty to money laundering in New York
Former President of Guatemala Alfonso Portillo has agreed to plead guilty to money laundering charges in a New York court. Portillo, president from 2000 to 2004, transferred two point five [...]

Japan Day celebrated in Belize
Japan is located several continents away from Belize, but this Saturday, that Asian country brought its culture to the Jewel. An all-day event was held at the Princess Hotel, where [...]

CTV3

Couple Robbed In Corozal
A young couple was robbed of their belongings on Saturday night in Corozal Town. Seventeen year old Marieana Gilharry and twenty year old Adolfo Medina were walking on Second Street North Corozal Town around 8:30 in the night, when two men of dark complexion approached them. The men were on bicycles, had on warm caps and were dressed in black shirt and pants. One of the men produced a knife and told the couple to hand over their belongings while the second pulled Gilharry’s gold chain from around her neck. Gilharry then handed over three gold rings, a bracelet, a red watch, and her brown purse that contained a ten dollar bill and her cellular phone. The total value of all items stolen stands at $547.00. The men also relieved Medina of his cellular phone.

Corozal Police Discover Traffic Accident On Philip Goldson Highway

Free Clinic Provided To Residents Of The North
For over five years Bethel University from Minnesota USA and the Iglesias Bautista Manuel in the Village of Xaibe have partnered on bringing Medical Brigade Teams which are comprised of medical students to visit the different areas so as to render their medical expertise to villagers, free of cost. Today reporter Victor Castillo caught up with the medical team at the Xaibe Community Centre as they offered their services to patients. Denny- Team leader “We are in Xaibe doing a medical clinic. Like I said these students are medical students. A lot of them will be going into nursing; some of them will be going into pre-med or medical schools to further their studies and become doctors of all sorts including surgeons. This is a great experience for them and I hope for the community too. The students are testing blood pressure, sugar and temperature and they are also getting a medical history." The team reports that the most common illness among those they have seen is Type 2 Diabetes and common flu. With the assistance of Doctor Oscar Rodas, patients are provided with necessary medications.

Big Play foundation Donates Books To Sandy Hunter Library
We have heard politicians use them and we’ve seen them very often on social media but no matter how cliché they are, there is much truth to quotes like “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader”, “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”, or “reading is dreaming with eyes open”. And on Saturday, children proved this all to be true as they were part of a very short ceremony in which the library received a donation of much need books. Dalila Ical– Reporting A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies; the man who never reads lives only once”, goes a quote and from the look on the faces of these eager young ones, there must be much truth to this. It was quite a sight to behold at the Sandy Hunter Library’s front lawn as they dug into a pile of new books donated by Belizeans living in the USA. Representative of the Play Big Foundation in Orange Walk Fernando Sanchez says the donation came about from prior communication with the library officials who expressed a need to expand the resources at the library.

Retrial Of Felix Brothers Commences At Corozal Supreme Court
Today the Corozal Magistrate Court was converted to the Supreme Court as the platform was set for the fifth hearing on the case of the Felix Brothers. Viewers may recall that on April 10th 2006, Mitchum Heredia was ambushed and killed near a car outside his T Street home in Belize City. He had just arrived home when two men held him up and shot him multiple times to the head and body killing him on the spot. A year later, brothers Maurice and Emory Felix, were jointly found guilty of Heredia’s murder by 12-member Jury. They were sentenced to life imprisonment. Upon appeal, on June 20th, 2008, a retrial was ordered. The retrial was granted after the judge of the Court of Appeal ruled that the men never got a fair trial when no identification parade was held in the case against them. Apparently, the trial judge, Justice Adolph Lucas, told the jury that holding an identification parade would have been a waste of time because the prosecution’s main witness had named the Felix brothers as the shooter that day.

The Importance Of Early Childhood Education
Early childhood is a crucial stage of life in terms of a child's physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Growth of mental and physical abilities progress at an astounding rate and a very high proportion of learning take place from birth to age 5. It is a time when children particularly need high quality personal care and learning experiences. In this light and in lieu of Child Stimulation Month being observed in learning institutions across Belize, Reporter Maria Novelo and Videographer Jesus Melgar take a deeper look into the benefits of early childhood education. Maria Novelo – Reporting “We all know that from birth to 7 years that is the critical time for a child and that is where all the learning, if what they didn’t learn then don’t expect them to reach 10 years and they didn’t get it, it is going to be difficult for them to enter primary school.”

Fairtrade To Increase Sugar Cane Quota, Says BACFA Chairman
The 2013/2014 crop season got off to a late start due to the halt of negotiations between the Belize Sugar Industries Limited and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association over revenue sharing of Bagasse. But that impasse now forms part of the past and the crop season is on the right track. So much so, that tonight word is that Belize will be exporting more sugar starting this crop season. According to Vice Chairman of the BSCFA Comittee of Management, Alfredo Ortega, Fair Trade has increased its quota from fifty thousand tonnes. The BSCFA received the letter for the new demand in the month of February. Alfredo Ortega – Vice Chair “Nos mandaron una carta de que lo van a auge mentar a 60,000 por Tate & Lyle a la Union Europea y también vinieron unas personas de los Estados Unidos de que se comprometieron de que van a comprar 5,000 toneladas pero eso es bajo USA Fair-Trade así es de ahí propuesta para 65,000 toneladas este ano que se van a vender bajo el comercio justo.”

SATIM Files An Injunction Against US Capital Energy
The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) has applied for an injunction at the Supreme Court for what they say is the increased pre-drilling activities by US Capital Energy. SATIIM has provided images they say prove their claim. The Court documents were filed on March 12th, 2013. SATIIM today issued a press release under the heading “US Capital Energy and Government of Belize Taunt Supreme Court”. According to the release since Supreme Court Justice Michelle Arana reserved judgment on the case between both parties on October 23rd, US Capital has not suspended its pre-drilling activities. SATIIM states quote, “US Capital Energy, most likely with the blessing of the Government of Belize, has been working around the clock engaging in pre-drilling activities, which are part-and-parcel of exploratory drilling operations. These activities, from our view, continue to violate the National Parks System Act and the Rights of the Indigenous Communities,” end quote.

Police Continue To Investigate Broad Day Light Robbery
Yesterday we reported on the brazen daylight robbery at Joshwell’s Fashion located on Queen Victoria Avenue which netted thieves over $2,000 worth in electronics, cash and merchandise. While investigations continue, tonight police are in the process of obtaining a technician who will review a surveillance tape that captured inside SP Store. It is believed that the men who robbed Joshwell’s Fashion were inside the store prior to the assault carried out upon Blanca Lopez, proprietor of the clothing store. Second in Command of the Orange Walk Police Department, Inspector Selvin Tillett, says they want to look at the footage closely so that they can be certain who the perpetrators are before making an arrest.

Santa Familia Project Halted For Two Weeks
Yesterday we told about the ‘hold’ on the works on Santa Familia Street, which falls under the Belize Municipal Development Project being carried out by the Social investment Fund. Up to Wednesday of last week the project was running smoothly, but things changed when residents began expressing discontent on the way the drains were being built. Several calls were made to the Orange Walk Town Council, who after investigations, found out that the layout of the drains being built will pose flooding problems in the long run. Based on the complaints lodged, Mayor Kevin Bernard requested that the construction of the drains be ceased in order for an analysis to be made. Tonight, we can report, that after a meeting with representatives of the council, SIF and the contractor, in this case Demar’s Stone Company, it was decided to that all operational works in the area will be halted for two weeks.

Repercusions On The Resignation Of Director Of Tourism
Following the abrupt resignation of Laura Frampton Esquivel, Director of Tourism at the BTB last week Wednesday, Manuel Esquivel and his wife Kathy have also resigned from all their held government posts and appointments. Reports indicate that this move is in protest of their eldest daughter being pushed out of the BTB. According to 7News, respected past UDP leader Manuel Esquivel resigned as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister in a letter sent to him last Thursday March 13th. While he did not comment on reasons for his resignations, it is of note that he confirmed to stepping down as government appointed director on the BTL and BSI boards. On the same date Esquivel submitted his resignation to the PM, his wife reportedly did the same and resigned as Chairman of the National Aids Commission. She has held this post since 2002 and told our colleagues at 7News that she was resigning for personal reasons.

LOVE FM

Union Calls for Boycott of Bowen Products
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize has called for the boycott of products from Bowen and Bowen Limited on Friday. The Unions say they view with disquiet and concern the recent release of nineteen employees from the company under the pretext that their employment status has become redundant. According to the Union the circumstances leading to the employees feeling compelled to step out publicly with their plight is a travesty accelerated by a total breakdown of industrial relations. The Union has called for the reinstatement of the workers. To drive its point home, the union is calling on its membership and the public at large to join in the boycott. The NTUCB also expresses solidarity with the Pharmacists Association of Belize. Last week the Pharmacists Association of Belize registered its discontent with the appointment of the director of drug directorate. The Association questioned the way the person was hired as well as the lack of qualification to fill the post. The NTUCB says it cannot stand idly by and allow such an important area in our health services to be ruined by faulty and questionable employment procedures resulting in the employment of unqualified individuals. It calls for an immediate resolution to the matter.

Trial Resumes for Raylene’s Murder
The trial of Aracely Cahueque continued today in the Belmopan Court before Justice Denis Hanomasingh. Cahueque is on trial for child stealing and is believed to have been the mastermind behind the 2010 murder of Raylene Dyer. Today, the jury returned to the court room following the culmination of a trial within a trial regarding Cahueque’s caution statement. Taking the stand, in a surprising turn of events was Brandon Budna. Budna was one of the three men acquitted last week for Dyer’s murder. He took the stand before the jury and testified and is expected to resume his testimony in court on Wednesday. A conviction in the case of the Crown Counsels, Cecil Ramirez and Kayshia Grant rests heavily on Budna’s testimony. Cahueque’s attorney, Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley addressed the media following day-one of the trial. RICHARD BRADLEY “Well what has been happening is that someday last week, a jury was, in fact selected in the trial of Aracely Cahueque following shortly after the murder trial of three persons accused of actually killing Raylene Dyer in Roaring Creek on the eighth day of October 2010.

Biscayne School Suffers Fourth Burglary For School Year
Biscayne Government School is located on mile 26 on the Phillip Goldson Highway and when night falls, the school becomes the focus of thieves as it was last night. The burglars broke into the Standard Six class room of teacher Eugene Contreras. The thieves made their way into the class room through the front door. EUGENE CONTRERAS “I saw the door and immediately I said, they broke into my classroom. It was a really bad feeling because I know I have a lot of stuff in there and right away, I thought, computer’s missing. Definitely, a crow bar was used to break one of the bars from the door and then they pried open the rest of the door. Then they went into the store room inside the classroom that had most of the IT devices; most of our stuff is in there and they broke a hole in that door; probably a small person went through that hole to be able to get inside.” HIPOLITO NOVELO NARRATING “Stolen were several pieces of IT equipment all to a total value of more seven thousand dollars.” EUGENE CONTRERAS “First of all, I saw that the stereo set was missing; the projector that we use almost every day; when I checked around I found that four of our laptops were missing; three Dell and one Lenova – one of them have very recently important information that we worked on last Friday. Each Dell laptop is like twelve hundred dollars, the Lenova is like fourteen hundred dollars, the stereo that we just bought is three hundred and fifty dollars and the projector is about five hundred and fifty dollars. The two copiers, the three desktops and the television are still there. “

Investigation Into Crooked Tree Accident Still Ongoing
Forty six days ago, two separate investigations were launched by both the Belize Police Department and the Belize Port Authority after two boats collided on the Crooked Tree Lagoon causing one young man’s death and injuries to several students and commuters. To date, the investigations remain open as Robert Garcia of the Belize Port Authority told Love News Centre that the investigation is on the heels of being wrapped up and that a comprehensive report should be produced within an approximate two weeks. Meanwhile, we tried contacting the Officer in Charge of that area but to no avail. While these investigations are ongoing, the Belize Coast Guard did say that measures were put in place internally ensuring more supervision, standard requirements on board are adhered to, among others. The incident occurred on the lagoon waters in Crooked Tree Village, Belize District on January 31, when a confiscated skiff in the Coast Guard’s possession collided with another vessel that was transporting villagers to the mainland. According to Elton Bennett, the Vice Commandant mentioned, the preliminary investigation did hint to some mechanical failure but that would have to be verified and confirmed by the final report, which, once again, is expected to be released within the next two weeks. In the incident, 20-year-old, Benjamin Gentle lost his life.

SATIIM Seeks Injunction Against GOB and US Capital Energy
The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM has filed for an injunction against Government of Belize and US Capital Energy. According to SATIIM despite assurances from the oil company that they would not drill in the area until Justice Michelle Arana delivers her judgement, activities have resumed. SATIIM says after the arguments ended before Justice Arana last October, one would expect that a law abiding and socially responsible company would suspend its activities out of respect for the Belizean justice system until a judgment was delivered. The organization says US Capital has been working around the clock engaging in pre drilling activities which are part and parcel of exploratory operations. As a result of this SATIIM says it filed court papers last week seeking an injunction.

GG Welcomes New Ambassadors to Belize
Four ambassadors presented their credentials to the Governor General of Belize His Excellency Sir Colville Young on Monday at the Belize House in Belmopan. His Excellency Yasser Mohamed Ahmed Shaban of Egypt, His Excellency Alessandro Busacca of Italy, His Excellency Hans-Christian Kint of Belgium, and Her Excellency Eva Hager of Austria all expressed their pleasure and gratitude to be representing their countries in Belize. Each ambassador expressed in their speech to the Governor General their country’s interest in strengthening relations with Belize. Governor General received the credentials and welcomed the ambassadors to Belize.

PlusTV

Top Associations Make Public Outcry to Boycott Bowen and Bowen Products
The Association of Public Service Senior Managers, the Belize Communications workers Union and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize say they are calling on all their members and the wider public to boycott all Bowen and Bowen products on Friday, March 21, 2014. This is to further display...

Alleged Kidnapper Aracely Cajeque Case Gets Deeper in Court
Ms. Aracely Cahueque is still before the courts answering to her possible involvement in the gruesome murder of a young mother and the kidnapping of that mother’s 3 month old baby. So far, the judge has thrown out the affidavit from the police inspector since he had written it...

Another Belize City Youth Gets Shot
Francine Pitts, the mother of little Eyannie Nuñez who was shot and killed in 2010, has had to face another traumatic experience as another son has been shot. She told our colleagues at Krem news that all day on Sunday, she felt a sense of foreboding. When she received a...

Accused of Robbery and Stabbing Assault is out on Bail
19-year-old Damian Leslie is out on bail and is due back in Court on May 6th. Leslie is accused of robbing a female of her bike and stabbing another in one day. This morning, he was unrepresented before Magistrate Hettie Mae-Stewart where he was charged with one count of...

Ms. Rashida Kira Sedacy Meets Bail in Court
Yesterday, we told you about the former cashier at Travellers’ Liquors Limited, Rashida Sedacy, who had over 100 counts of theft charged against her. There were so many counts, that her case could not be processed by the end of the day yesterday and so she had to go...

Accused Drug Trafficker Mr. Gary Seawell Faces Another Trial for Extradition
Accused drug trafficker Gary Gordon Seawell had his day in court today. He is accused of masterminding a large-scale cocaine moving operation between Belize and the U.S. state of Ohio from 1994 to 1997. But American authorities waited more than nine years to begin the process of extraditing him....

Former Prime Minister and his Spouse Resign from Their Posts
Ex Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel and his wife Kathy Esquivel, have both resigned their posts in what is believed to be a protest of their daughter being squeezed out of the Belize Tourism Board as director. The two-term former UDP prime minister has resigned from several boards that he...

Belize City Family in Urgent Need After Their House Got Burnt Down
A Belize City man needs help picking up the pieces after his house burned down on Friday night. Iguana Street Extension resident Anthony Leslie told us today that he learned his house was on fire after going to police to report being beaten up by relatives of a young boy accused...

Amandala

ALBERTO AND MELVIN PLOTTED AGAINST ME: DELROY
Longtime United Democratic Party (UDP) official and now political aspirant, Delroy Cuthkelvin, has voiced his anger at the way the UDP Stann Creek West convention to select a standard-bearer was conducted. Cuthkelvin has publicly blamed UDP chairman Alberto August and former minister Melvin “Flippin” Hulse, for colluding to illegally manipulate the voters’ list to ensure that he, Cuthkelvin, did not stand a chance in the convention. Cuthkelvin made a decision to boycott the convention hours before it was supposed to be held due to what he classified as a “fraudulent” voters list that he could not stomach. In a press release dated Saturday, March 15, Cuthkelvin’s committee stated that at an emergency meeting which took place the day before, on Friday, March 14, Alberto August insisted on using a “block-out” voters list of just under 900 electors which, according to the committee, was fraudulently compiled in collusion with him, August, and Hulse.

Sir Manuel Esquivel, KCMG, PC—the ex-Prime Minister who led the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) to its first general elections victory in 1984 and the current finance advisor to Prime Minister Dean Barrow—has confirmed to Amandala that he has resigned from all his government appointments, and his wife, Mrs. Kathy Esquivel, has separately confirmed that she, too, has resigned from her prominent appointment as head of the National AIDS Commission—this on the heels of the abrupt departure of their daughter, Laura Esquivel-Frampton, from her position as head of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), following a letter by 7 BTB managers to Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, Jr., expressing a “vote of no confidence” in Esquivel-Frampton’s leadership. On Thursday, March 13, the day after the BTB announced Esquivel-Frampton’s resignation, her mother resigned from the National AIDS Commission in Belize with immediate effect.

2 MORE SAN PEDRO MEN MISSING
Vincent Crawford, 32, and Dean Joseph, 35, of the San Mateo area of San Pedro, have been reported missing since they left home on Saturday, March 1. Tessa Ochaeta, Dean Joseph’s common-law wife, reported that Joseph left home that Saturday with a man known to her as “Chuku.” They were going to work as security guards at a construction site in the Robles Point area of northern San Pedro. Since then, however, the men have not been seen or heard from. Police report that two security guards in the northern Ambergris Caye area saw Crawford and Joseph and five other men at about 10:30 that Saturday morning, March 1. The men were walking along the beach in a northerly direction. The guards reported that Joseph and Crawford said that they were going to camp at a base in the Bacalar Chico area in northern San Pedro, and the men then left. The guards say that that was the last time they saw them.

MOTHER’S FOREBODING BECOMES REALITY – SON SHOT 4 TIMES
A disturbing premonition a mother had all day Friday, March 14, that something bad was going to happen, proved true when her son was shot four times later that night. Dezhaun Humes, 19, was reportedly returning from buying food for his girlfriend when an unknown assailant/s fired several shots in his direction near his home on Jane Usher Boulevard. Humes – who is a student at Wesley College Evening Division – was shot in his mid and lower body and yesterday, his mother, Francine Pitts, told us that for some bizarre reason, ill feelings had been brewing inside her prior to the incident until she received a frantic call from her son’s girlfriend around 11:00 p.m. on Friday night. Pitts said, “My son was returning from buying food for his girlfriend, and upon his arrival back home, he encountered the person who shot him between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. I got the call at 11:00 p.m., but to be honest, I felt a pain in my stomach for the entire day, and I can’t tell what that pain was about, but I also had a constant feeling that something would go wrong.”

Editorial: SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
52 years ago a nuclear war almost broke out just north of us. In Belize, we would have looked up into the sky and thought that God had decided to end the world. But in October of 1962, it would have been mortal men, in the form of Americans and Russians, who had so decided. The people of Crimea have just voted to secede from the Ukraine, where the people recently overthrew a democratically-elected president and set up a new government. Ukraine’s democratically-elected president had been pro-Russian, whereas Ukraine’s new government is pro-European Union (EU). The EU nations are military allies of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty. U.S. President Barack Obama, under pressure from Arizona’s Republican Senator, John McCain, who was the Republican Party’s candidate in the 2008 presidential election and recently accused Obama of having the U.S. look “soft” in the Ukraine/Crimea matter, has loudly declared that America will not accept the secession vote in Crimea.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Before his assassination in 1961, Rafael Trujillo, the absolute dictator of the Dominican Republic, had been in a quarrel with the Roman Catholic Church. At one point in his historical novel, The Feast of the Goat, Mario Vargas Llosa, a Nobel Literature Prize Laureate from Peru, has one of Trujillo’s top aides quietly point out to him thusly, with respect to the Church: “They have not been beaten in two thousand years.” The Roman Catholic Bishop in Belize, the Very Rev. Dorick Wright, has gone on the offensive recently against militant women’s movements and non-governmental organizations which are pushing birth control, abortion, condom use, and radical gender policies. My sources feel that the Bishop, who is a diabetic and experiencing serious vision problems, is being “wound up” by a couple aggressive and prominent members of the Catholic laity. But the Bishop has been coming on strong for some while, which is to say that his press releases the last few weeks are not out of character. We have to believe the Bishop knows fully and exactly well what he is doing.

OMBUDSMAN REPORTS MAJOR STONEWALLING BY POLICE
The Office of the Ombudsman was established 14 years ago, in 1999, as an independent entity to investigate complaints made by any person against the Government of Belize, including ministries, public authorities, town councils, the Police Department and any company owned by the Government. Lionel Arzu became the third to assume that post on January 1, 2013, and he notes, in his first annual report, that of the 211 complaints received over the course of 2013, public authorities have not responded in nearly 7 in 10 of the cases. Arzu said that, “Of the 211 cases, the largest number of complaints was against the Police Department and consisted primarily of allegations of the use of excessive force and police brutality. These make up almost 1/3 of all of the complaints received by our office.” Likewise, his queries have also not been addressed by the Police Department.

BELIZE CELEBRATES REEF WEEK 2014
The largest international organization devoted solely to ocean conservation – Oceana – is working in Belize to protect the Barrier Reef from the potentially damaging effects of offshore oil drilling, and as part of that effort, Oceana in Belize has dedicated this week to highlighting one of our greatest natural wonders, The Belize Barrier Reef. Although the 186-mile reef system is a spectacular sight and home to many rare species of aquatic creatures, it is increasingly threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change, and since 2009, Oceana in Belize has been helping to protect and preserve the second largest coral reef system in the world which stretches from the northeast tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to Amatique Bay, Guatemala. Today, Amandala spoke to Oceana in Belize’s Vice President, Janelle Chanona, and she explained that the 2nd Annual Reef Week is a chance for all Belizeans to acknowledge the value of our reef, while supporting efforts to protect and preserve its existence.

MINISTER OF WORKS ADDRESSES SUGAR ROADS
The battered state of most of the sugar road networks in the Corozal and Orange Walk districts – which contributed to the delayed start of the 2013/2014 sugar cane season – were the subject of much discussion recently, and at the Government of Belize (GOB)’s annual budget presentation last Friday, March 7, the Minister of Works, Hon. Rene Montero, announced that those roads – which once stood in deplorable, even impassable conditions mainly due to excessive rains – are now receiving much-needed attention by way of contracts which were signed by GOB to conduct remedial works on those vital passageways. In response to a question raised by Orange Walk Central area representative, Hon. John Briceño, Montero replied that over 100 sugar roads have been repaired in the northern districts. Government had allocated funds totaling $2.7 million for sugar road works in late 2013, and Montero said, “In the Corozal division, there are 9 branches [of cane farmers associations]. $1,150,000 was allocated [for that division]. $8,998,256 has been spent and $243,850 is remaining. Funds to be allocated are $7,894.00.”

BELIZE STILL RANKS AMONG COUNTRIES WITH HIGHEST MURDER RATES
A recent World Bank report has classified Belize among a handful of Latin American and Caribbean countries which account for more than 30% of the world’s homicides. The World Bank’s Citizen Security Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Rodrigo Serrano-Berthet, has revealed in a recent report by the World Bank – published on March 5 – that even though the Latin American and Caribbean states only possess 9% of the world’s population, almost one of every three murders globally are committed there. In fact, the United Nations (UN) has qualified crime and violence in these areas as an “epidemic” and considers the region to be the most insecure in the world. According to the World Bank’s report, 30% of the world’s homicides occur in these two regions, and the report adds that of the 50 cities around the world that have the highest homicide rates, 42 of those cities are in Latin America, including the top 16.

POLICE DEPT. STEPS UP DISASTER PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS
A 2012 report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – a US-based national public health institute – revealed that Belizean authorities need to find ways to better respond to emergencies, and today the Police Department was one of the first to react by hosting a disaster preparedness workshop for members of the Eastern Police Division Communication Center, 911 operators and other members of the division. It took place at the Queen Street Police Station conference room, and Mr. Eaton Williams, the Police Department’s acting communications manager and coordinator of the event, gave us an overview of what the workshop entailed. He said, “It was a joint workshop where Mr. Wayne Usher from CEMO did a presentation for us along with representatives of the Belize Red Cross, the Meteorological Office as well as a psychiatric nurse from the Ministry of Health who all came in and spoke about disaster preparedness and management especially as it relates to the work that the 911 dispatchers do.”

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, 18, VICTIM OF HIT-AND-RUN
Victor Cassanova 18, of Altamira, Corozal, a student of the Corozal Community College, is recovering at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was knocked down at about 8:00 Thursday night while walking with his bicycle through the Rainbow Town Park in the Altamira area, Corozal Town. He was slammed from behind by a vehicle which did not stop; the impact hurled him into the air and he landed on the pavement. As a result, Cassanova suffered injuries to his head and right knee, and complained of pain in the left side of his body. He was taken to the Corozal Hospital, after which he was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

Woman found decomposing in house in Dangriga
Geraldine Lewis, a resident of Dangriga, was found dead and in an advanced stage of decomposition in her house on Sunday. A forced entry in the house was made, because she had bolted the doors from inside. The body was taken to the Dangriga Town cemetery, where it was buried immediately. Information to Amandala is that Lewis, who had recently returned home after living and working in the United States for decades, had not been seen or heard from for about a week. She normally would be heard singing from her house, and every Sunday she would go to church. On Thursday, an odor began to disturb people, but it was not distinct. On Sunday, however, the neighbors became alarmed because the smell had begun aggravating them. Houseflies were seen outside Lewis’ window, and buzzards were seen in the area.

Vehicle collision in San Ignacio
Four vehicles collided on Buena Vista Road in San Ignacio, but no one was hurt. One of the vehicles lurched into a nearby drain. The incident occurred about 2:30 this afternoon. According to reports, a pickup truck was travelling on Buena Vista Road when the driver lost control and slammed into a vehicle that was parked on the roadside; that vehicle slammed into another vehicle that slammed into another vehicle, and the fourth vehicle was sent into the nearby drain. Police have launched an investigation. The driver of the pickup truck reported that the brakes of his vehicle failed.

Letters: CZARNECKI LAMBASTS BISHOP DORICK
One of the headlines in the March 14th edition of the Amandala – “BISHOP WRIGHT FLOGS BFLA, UNIBAM, NAC AND THE RED CROSS” (even the Red Cross?) – left me saddened and a bit bewildered, the way I usually feel when encountering ignorance and superstition. As he exhorts the reader to “be vigilant” against the manifold threats loose in the land, threatening Belize’s moral foundations and family values, the good Bishop neglects to mention what is the greatest threat of them all to the well being of Belizeans – A CORRUPT POLITICAL SYSTEM! Instead, he weighs in with quirky observations – distractions, really – such as viewing AIDS workers with suspicion, as though they had some kind of hidden agenda; vaccinations for children are maybe better off left alone, he says. Planned Parenthood also cannot escape the Bishop’s moral certitude as he equates making condoms available for the asking (goes a long way in preventing AIDS, for one) with proselytizing for promiscuous sex. Oh, I almost forgot, homosexuals come in for their usual thrashing too: is it true there’s one behind every tree?

Letters: RE: PHARMACISTS “BEX BAD” OVER DANINI HIRING!
The mind reels! Unbelievable! Yet another sad example of “let them eat cake!” The corruption in Belize knows no restraints at all, and if this were Eastern Europe, say, in the forties and early fifties, people would be swinging from lampposts….How craven! Like a sick joke.

BOXER SAYS HE IS FINE, BACK IN THE GYM
Veteran Belizean boxer, Henry “Boxer” Gill, who returned home to live a couple years ago, and is passionate about getting the sport of boxing off the ground for our at risk youth, said he wants his friends to know that he is fully recovered from a recent ordeal, caused by some issues with prescription medications that he needs that were in short supply. Boxer dropped by the sports desk last Thursday to say that everything is okay now, and he wants his fans and friends to know that he is back in action, “bobbing and weaving.”

From ‘baller to balladeer, football great Gene Guild visits
Last Thursday night, Eugene “Japanese Bomber” Guild, on a short visit from New York, stopped by the sports desk on his way to a guest appearance on Tony Wright’s Thursday night show on KREM Radio, Belize Musicians Past and Present. Gene was accompanied by his older brother Emerson, still resident in Belize, who was also a member of the famous Berger 404 champion team of the mid-1970’s. Another footballer turned musician, Emerson is known in the Jewel for his “Singers and Players of Instruments” promotions. We did an in depth interview with Gene on a previous visit back in October of 2012, where he explained that, after he had retired from playing competitive football in New York due to an injury in 1984, he eventually stumbled into a new career in music, singing to be specific.

Young Mexican rider
Twenty-year-old Mexican national Ignacio Prado, riding for the Benny’s Megabytes cycling team, rode away from his nearest competitor, Smart cycling team’s Herman “Hijo” Requena, around Mile 4, and made the final circuit around the NAPA and Smart roundabouts to cross the finish line in front of Smart all alone, to claim 1st place in the 33rd running of the Belmopan Cycling Classic, sponsored this year by SMART. Hopes were high for the only Belizean rider in contention as the lead duo neared the City to complete the 100-mile ride; but the Mexican “just walked away” around Mile 4, and there was nothing Hijo could do to stop him. Reportedly, Prado was recently a winner in one of the legs on a tour race in Mexico City. After the race, we asked the young champion if he will be returning to make a try at the Holy Saturday Cross Country. “Si me invitan,” (If they invite me), he replied. Benny’s Megabytes team manager Perry Gibson was all smiles when we posed the question to him, and also did not discount the possibility that he might also be bringing another foreigner along for the Cross Country. The Belmopan Classic champion is considered a marked man in the Country, being the last major race before the historic Holy Saturday race; and so far, only 3 Belmopan Classic winners have gone on to claim the garland in the Cross Country.

CISCO CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEE REMANDED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE
Leith Bermudez, 18, an employee of Cisco Construction, was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer on charges of attempted murder and dangerous harm against Tarique “Hell Boy” Gillett, 17. Frazer told Bermudez, “because of the sections under which you have been charged, it means that I cannot offer you bail until three months have passed. But your family can apply to the Supreme Court for bail.” After explaining the process, she remanded Bermudez into custody until his next adjourned court date on May 5.

STOREKEEPER ROBBED IN STORE
A businesswoman of Orange Walk Town was robbed in her store, and the two thieves escaped with her gold chain. The incident occurred at about 9:00 this morning at the Palma’s Grocery Store, located on San Andres Street. She told police that two men entered the store and bought cigarettes. One man then returned and ordered some other items, and when the woman reached over the counter to hand these to him, he suddenly grabbed her thick gold chain, pulled hard until it broke, and ran through the door with it. The woman saw the two thieves riding away on bicycles, and screamed for help.

NEW TRIAL FOR VIOLA POOK, CONVICTED OF MURDER
The Court of Appeal has squashed the murder conviction and sentence of Viola Pook, 56, and ordered a new trial. Pook was serving a lifetime sentence after a jury found her guilty of the murder of her common-law husband in July 2011. The decision of the Appeal justices centered on a remark that Pook made when she was initially questioned by police on December 31, 2008, the day police found her common-law husband, Orlando Vasquez, suffering burns to most of his body inside their Rancho Dolores home. Pook, according to the testimony of Corporal Zuniga at her trial, told him that “da me catch him fire.” Zuniga, however, had failed to caution Pook about her right not to say anything incriminating before consulting a lawyer and used the statement against her, which was the only evidence that linked her to the assault of the burn victim, Vasquez, who succumbed to his injuries two days later.

3 shot in North Creek Road attack
Three persons from the North Creek area escaped a vicious gunfire attack by two gunmen that almost took their lives while they were looking at a basketball game at a court on North Creek Road at about 8:30 last night, Sunday. Justin Orellano, 24, of North Creek Road, was shot twice in his lower back, while Kenyon Moss, a laborer of North Creek, was shot in the right thigh. An 18-year-old girl of Dolphin Street, a 4th form student of Gwen Liz High School, was shot in the right knee. They were all rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they were admitted, treated and later released. Wilfred Peters, Jr., 49, who lives right next to the basketball court, said that many people were on the basketball court looking at the game, including some children from the area. Suddenly, gunshots erupted, and everyone scrambled for cover.

Simon “Pancho” Paulino dies in his sleep
Former Deputy Mayor and present councilor of Punta Gorda, Simon Martin “Pancho “Paulino, 59, of Far West Street, Punta Gorda, was found dead on his bed at about 7:30 yesterday morning, and no foul play is suspected. Paulino’s girlfriend told police that she went to his house at about 8:00 Saturday night and did not get a response when she called for him. She looked through the window into his bedroom and saw him lying on his back on the bed, and she believed that he was asleep, and so she went home, she said. At 7:30 yesterday morning, Sunday, she again visited his residence and saw him in the same position. She immediately contacted a family member, who went to the house to see what was happening, and found him dead on his bed.

Blogs

Security Hired for This Weekend’s “Deal With the Devil” Wing Eating Competition at Lazy Croc’s BBQ: The Rules
This morning I was innocently strolling to Crossfit when I passed this flyer and stopped in my tracks… While asleep the devil visited Mr. Tropicante in a dream and whispered the SECRET recipe for the world’s hottest pepper sauce. Now, Mr. Tropicante is offering To beat the deal with the devil, to any one mortal. Should any human be able to consume 6 Chicken Wings, in 6 Minutes, on the 6th night of the week they will win $1,000.00 BZD. Contest rules apply. Details at Lazy Croc BBQ. I posted the flyer on MY facebook page and have received multiple emails, a few phone calls and lots of excitement. What EXACTLY are the rules for this contest? SO…being the crack reporter that I am, I called Christiano from Lazy Croc’s to get the deets. And I’m not sure who is more giddy about this. Me or him. HERE are the details that I was given: The Deal With the Devil Wing Eating contest starts this Saturday, March 22nd at 6pm. The restaurant’s hours will be extended from 6pm to MIDNIGHT Saturdays and you can enter during that time period. Travellers is helping sponsor the event and the bar is open. A plate of the 6 wings will cost $6bzd or $10bzd. The price is still being determined when Christiano meets with one of the devil’s minions later this week. 90% of the meat must be cleaned from the bones. Christiano or other Lazy Croc management will be the judge. These wings will be DANGEROUSLY hot and a legal waiver must be signed by all participants. During the six minutes, you can not consume any beverages or ice cubes. Three San Pedro policemen will be on site monitoring the contest and the devilish crowd to maintain order. You can not be under the influence or intoxicated during the signing of the waiver or during the contest. Once you win the contest and the money, you can never EVER enter again. If you eat the wings, you get $1000BZD! ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS!

Making Small Business Happen
The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is working along with the Small Business Development Centre (SBDCBelize), a unit of BELTRAIDE, to create economic opportunities, promote social progress, and strengthen communities and civil society. The program has three main objectives: • Develop employability and entrepreneurial skills among youths by completing a 12-week training program on small business development as well as through work readiness and life skills methodologies • Create opportunities for self-employment through modest seed funding in the form of matching grants for entrepreneurship initiatives • Increase youth employability through hiring events and other services to match trained youth with employers in sector such as business outsourcing processes and tourism and hospitality

FRESH, TASTY, GORGEOUS. AMBERGRIS CAYE IN BELIZE IS A REAL TREAT.
"I fell in love with San Pedro," sings Madonna in her '80s hit "La Isla Bonita" – probably the first claim to fame of the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, that pretty island on Belize's north coast that's the song's namesake and the country's busiest tourist destination. While Ambergris is no longer off the beaten path – Madonna might be surprised at the number of golf carts whizzing up and down the roads of the island – it's still a fun and relatively low-key destination that's popular with expats and short-term visitors alike. Here are five highlights to add to your must-do list. While you can take a ferry from Belize City (and its international airport) to Ambergris Caye, you'll be missing out if you don't experience the country's internal air travel at least once. Upon landing at the international airport from Houston, we picked up our bags, then turned around and checked in again for our flight on Tropic Air. Along with our boarding passes, we were handed an in-flight magazine and a snack – not just any old nuts, but organic, Belize-grown peanuts.

Howler Monkeys, Alligators and more in Belize
One of the ports of calls on our Western Caribbean Cruise was Belize. We decided to take the Altun Ha Ruins and River Cruise Shore Excursion. It was a day filled with Howler monkeys, Alligators, and so much more! The Altun Ha ruins are amazing. We were there in the middle of a torrential downpour and it was still really cool. We ended up getting drenched but it was warm so it felt refreshing or so I told myself.

International Sources

Watch as 1000 years of European borders change
Fascinating look at border changes!

Health services administrator deploys to Belize to facilitate medical treatment
A field grade officer from Air Forces Southern has deployed to Belize in support of the U.S. Southern Command-sponsored New Horizons exercise. Lt. Col. James Smith, a 16-year Air Force veteran, from Junction, Texas, is in Belize serving as the liaison officer between the Department of Defense and the Belizean Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. Planning for this exercise, which began in August, has been an all-encompassing mission for the colonel and his planning team. “As with any exercise, even the best planning requires on-the-spot adjustments and decisions once execution begins,” Smith said. “In my position, I have been given the latitude and scope of responsibility to make tough decisions that have wide effects.”

AFSOUTH NCO leads contracting team for New Horizons Belize
A technical sergeant from Air Forces Southern has deployed to Belize in support of the annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored New Horizons exercise. Tech. Sgt. Ryan Schnepf, an Indianapolis, Ind., native who has been in the Air Force for 12 years, is here leading a three-person contracting/finance team. His role in the exercise is to provide contracting logistical support to New Horizons task personnel and to establish contractual agreements with local businesses to purchase supplies, services and materials. Schnepf, who has previously deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, El Salvador, Canada, and Qatar, is deployed to Belize for the second year in a row. “The best thing about this deployment is building relationships between the U.S. and Belize,” Schnepf said.

Bishop wants pro-condom, pro-choice groups out of schools
A prominent bishop in the central American nation of Belize has urged Catholic schools there to ban groups that oppose church teaching on sexual ethics. Bishop Dorick Wright of Belize City and Belmopan named a Red Cross programme “Together We Can” and the National Aids Commission, which condone condom use; the gay rights United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) and the Belize Family Life Association (BFLA). He said these groups “foster programmes that ultimately undermine our Catholic values”. He said these organisations’ activities and positions “are actively opposed to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church” the twice-weekly paper Amandala reported. The letter, dated 3 March, warned against Belize Family Life Association (BFLA) – the Belize arm of pro-choice group Planned Parenthood – which it said proposed an “agenda of sodomy, abortion, and sexual gender redefinition is seeking to radically change Belize’s Christian character.”

Caribbean’s Biggest Water Provider Reports Drop in 2013 Profit
Consolidated Water Co. (CWCO), the largest publicly traded water provider in the Caribbean, reported a 7.7 percent drop in profit last year as retail sales declined at its Cayman Islands base. Net income for 2013 was $8.6 million compared with $9.3 million a year earlier as earnings and profit-sharing from its British Virgin Islands affiliate OC-BVI also fell, the Georgetown-based company said in a statement. Total revenue slipped 2.5 percent to $63.8 million while services income climbed 80 percent to $843,000 as management fees increased. Consolidated Water also operates water production and distribution facilities in the Bahamas and Belize and expanded beyond the Caribbean with a seawater reverse-osmosis facility on Indonesia’s Bali island and a water-purifying desalination pilot plant in Rosarito in northern Baja California, Mexico.

March 18, 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

Football and Family – the Deon McCaulay story
The McCaulay family lived on Mayflower Street, in an area of Belize City that is considered the center of a gang-ridden area. Exposure to drugs, guns and gang violence is nothing unusual for a normal youngster in the southern part of the old capital. “I played football at the Berger’s Field on Vernon Street along with Raptures Football team,” recalls Deon. “Instead of gangs, drug and violence, I chose playing football. I could have been on the street, but instead I concentrated on playing, spending many hours kicking ball.” When asked what kept him away from the norm in his challenging neighborhood, Deon credits family and discipline. “It is not easy, but you have to have the right people around you to help you overcome those challenges. You have to be a leader and know what you want in life. My grandmother, Mrs. Evonie, was a very strict woman and if she knew that I was doing something wrong, she would discipline me. I also had a very strict uncle as well.” Like any other Belizean child, McCaulay said he took “chances” and ran away to play football when growing up, opting to “deal with the consequences” when he returned home.

Saca Chispas to be renamed Honorable Louis “Cuz” Sylvestre Sporting Arena
The Saca Chispas football field in San Pedro Town will be renamed as the Honorable Louis “Cuz” Sylvestre Sporting Arena. The announcement was made by the Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero during the official inauguration of the San Pedro Sunset Boardwalk Project. Guerrero said that the decision to rename the field was as a result of the inauguration coinciding with the date of Sylvestre’s burial on Friday March 14th.

Ambergris Today

New Facilities Inaugurated at Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve
As part of the Sustainable Tourism Program (STP) that invested US$15Mil around the country of Belize to strengthen the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy, new facilities were inaugurated at the Bacaler Chico Nationl Park and Marine Reserve that is located 20 miles north of San Pedro Town. Designated on August 1996, The Bacalar Chico National Park covers 12, 640 acres and the adjacent marine reserve covers 15, 529 acres. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pic of the Week: Thousands of Tropical Islands Line Belize's Coast
There are literally thousands of small islands that line the coast of Belize. Many fringe the Great Barrier Reef; most have names, but there are those that still lie undiscovered with no name to call their own. Some are private, some are still up for sale and others are government property. But the one thing that they all have in common is that they have this unique charm that makes them so special, so Belizean. This tiny little island featured this week is one of the many that you will encounter as you travel from Belize City to Ambergris Caye by water taxi. It's big enough to house a small house, a pier to dock onto and a tall tree to hang the hammock. The rest is just white sandy beach, whatever space is left. We could not catch its name!

ABC Pre-School to hold Annual Spectacular Presentation
ABC Pre-School will once again be hosting its annual spectacular presentation. Join them on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium! Show starts at 7:00 p.m. bring out the family to this wonderful even and witness seing, Hananah Montana, Caullio, Batman, Superman and much more. Prices: Regular Seating Adults $10 and Children $5 Reserved Seating Adults $15 and Children $10

Misc Belizean Sources

BELIZE BUREAU OF STANDARDS ON LPG
Government of Belize Press Office PRESS RELEASE

Blancaneaux Teaches Organic Farming
Blancaneaux Lodge is teaching students from San Antonio and Cristo Rey the importance of organic farming as part of their community outreach programs. Thanks, Blancaneaux! "Teaching our upcoming generations the importance of ORGANIC farming. Not only feasible but also healthier. Part of our community outreach efforts at the San Antonio and Cristo Rey Schools."

Sad And Beautiful World
The Garifuna Collective and Danny Michel have a new video out for their song entitled 'Sad and Beautiful World.' Cayo is shown in the video, as is the Xunantunich ferry. Sam Harris, leader of the World Culture Band, which plays often around Cayo, is a featured musician on the song and in the video. It's a great song, with a powerful message. In related news, the Garifuna Collective is getting ready for another Summer tour with Danny Michel. They're going to show their Grammy award winning, Belizean music to the world. "Be sure and select 1080 HD for best quality! - Filmed in Belize 'Sad And Beautiful World' By Danny Michel with 'The Garifuna Collective' from Belize. From the album 'Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me' www.dannymichel.com"

Staggering men arrested in Placencia village
Two men who were found staggering on the road on the outskirts of Placencia village are cooling their heels in the cell block at the police station tonight. 33 year old Rigoberto Villanueva and 42 year old Felix Palacio were picked up by Placencia Police tonight, primarily for their own safety […]

Placencia man arrested for possession of controlled drug
A man has been arrested and charged by Placencia police after he was found with marijuana. At 8:30 pm today, police stopped and searched Andre Noralez and found him to be carrying a transparent plastic bag with what police described as “green leafy substance believed to be cannabis.” Noralez hs been […]

Placencia police make cocaine arrest
Police in Placencia village, Stann Creek district have arrested an American woman on cocaine possession charges. 45 year old Sandra Garty has been arrested and charged for the crime of possession of .1 gram of crack cocaine. Garty’s arrest was part of “Operation Stay Alert” carried out by the Placencia Police […]

Businesswoman assaulted and robbed in Orange Walk
An Orange Walk businesswoman was the victim of a mid-afternoon robbery. Blanca Lopez, the proprietor of Joshwell’s Fashion, Blanca Lopez, was held up and assaulted by two men this afternoon. Reports from Orange Walk say that a couple who drove up to the business establishment, found Lopez dragging herself on the […]

Local activists donate to schools
Co-promoters of the “Blazin’ Reggae Vibes” Concert held on March 9 Dion “Ras” Pitter, the noted stevedore and trade union activist, and KREM Radio DJ Anthony Grant, today gave donations to two local schools made with the proceeds of the recent event. Ebenezer Methodist Primary School’s feeding program received a sack of […]

Caribbean Red Cross Societies exchange on HIV
The annual meeting of the Regional Exchange for the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Program (CHAP) is being hosted in Belize. The CHAP meeting seeks to bring together four Caribbean countries – Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas – with their Belizean counterparts to discuss their experiences, challenges and best practices of promoting education and […]

Toledo West football tournament gets underway
Football teams from rural Toledo district are taking part in a tournament being sponsored by the Honorable the Area Representative for Toledo West, Mr. Oscar Requena. The tournament started on Sunday with games being played in San Antonio village. Organizers say that the tournament will last for 4 months. The winning team […]

A close encounter with birds...
The Crooked Tree Junior Bird Club had the opportunity to interact with researcher, Dr. Bill Hilton and his team, who have been visiting Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in Crooked Tree Village for the last five years to study Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Site Manager, Derick Hendy has dedicated a lot of time to teaching the students about birds and seeking opportunities to enhance their birding experience and appreciation for nature conservation. As a result, for the past four years, Mr. Hendy has arranged for the students to make a short visit to a banding site within Dr. Hilton's study area to learn about the Ruby-throated hummingbird project. On March 13th, 2014 students listened keenly about the importance of Crooked Tree as a habitat for birds and saw firsthand the mist nests that capture birds, data collection station where the birds are assessed, weighed and released. As well, students got the opportunity to see all types of birds up close, hear what information scientists collect when studying birds and to ask any questions.

OAS anti-corruption mission to Belize
By Frank Edward Paco Smith, Jr. JP On 13th March, it was reported that the Organisation of American States (OAS) Anti-Corruption Mission intends to conduct a site visit to Belize. Needless to say, upon reading this, I was immediately hit with a myriad of thoughts. For those who are not aware, let it be known that their visit should prove “instructive”, at the very least. If the OAS is genuine in its effort concerning this matter, they had better re-double their efforts because a truly in-depth assessment of the legal/institutional framework of my nation, coupled with an impartial analysis of both recent and current matters, should reveal that Belize (unfortunately) will prove a classic case-study in institutionalised corruption. Although, they need not delve much further than the recent case involving the actions of former Minister Elvin Penner, buttressed by his Cabinet colleagues’ blatant attempts to shield him from scrutiny, I certainly hope they do! Thankfully, the aforementioned matter resulted in the chief justice issuing a writ of mandamus, which effectively directed the Compol to do his job and investigate former minister Penner. Needless to say, there is no doubt the prevailing powers that be are not too pleased with the decision.

The Cassava Minister
By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez They mocked him the “Cassava Minister” and targeted his projects Before Chiste many of Belize’s produce could not hit international markets Realizing this he brought in BAHA To regularize the health status of any and all products For local consumption and international export This was one of Chiste’s signature projects This is one of his legacies that you hear nothing about Chiste determined to help his nation Went to Taiwan Knowing that one of Belize’s premier exports was shrimp and lobster However the practice of lobster catching for eons in country Made this an unsustainable industry He brought in experts to create a marine culture For crayfish production in this nation This would increase Belize’s stock And not necessarily pressure the wide stock

MAHOGANY BAY VILLAGE "SUMMIT BY THE SEA" (22 photos)
On Thursday, March 13, 2014, Mayor Daniel and Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, were invited to the Open House Event that was held at Mahogany Bay Village. The event "Summit by the Sea" hosted a large group of potential home investors who are considering making Belize their home. The guests were given a tour of the chic, yet rustic and comfortable cottages that have been completed as part of phase one of the Mahogany Bay Village Project. The "village" consists of a coffee and rum shop called "The Rum & Bean" to enjoy their stay. With its cozy interior there's no doubt they'll want to make Belize their home. Mahogany Bay Village is located near the Victoria House and beside Consolidated Waters. You will definitely not miss their Grand entry way!

HON. LOUIS "COZ" SYLVESTRE'S FUNERAL (41 photos)
On Friday, March 14, 2014, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Deputy Mayor Gabriel Nuñez assisted the state funeral for Hon. Louis "Coz" Sylvestre. Mr. Sylvestre was a well known person in both Caye Caulker and San Pedro, two places that he cared for and worked hard for while he was in office. In honor of his past work, the recently inaugurated Sunset Boardwalk was renamed to Hon. Louis "Coz" Sylvestre Sports Facility. Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Deputy Mayor Gabriel Nuñez and the San Pedro Town Council would like to express its most sincere condolences to the Sylvestre family. May his soul rest in peace.

San Pedro Pre-School
Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Deputy Mayor Gabriel Nuñez visited the San Pedro Pre-School as part of their activities for Child Stimulation Month and handed out exercises and pencils. (10 photos)

MMAC: Race to Live
The YogaSlackers have released the 4th and final video from their win of the Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge. It chronicals the 3 days and nights of their journey through the Chiquibul and MPR. Lots of great scenery and adventure, and stories, like having to carry their bikes due to there being too much mud. Wonder if they'll be back for the next one. "Welcome to the final video in 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."

ERI and Panthera Seminar Series
The Environmental Research Institute and Panthera have teamed up to bring experts in the field down to give seminars, and tomorrow, Dr. Dan Thornton from Washington State University will present on Mammals in Space. Not outer space, temperate and tropical space; species distribution. "ERI and Panthera is proud to announce it's first presentation in our Seminar Series.... hope you can join us for this exciting new, venture!!"

OAS Culture of Peace Art Project
The Benque House of Culture was the site for the Organization of American States Culture of Peace Art Project. Looks like the kids had a great time doing art and learning about culture. In related news, they had the cultural night Saturday night. "A Culture of Peace OAS Art Project 2014, engaging and empowering one and all in the promotion of the Arts &Culture.;"

4 The World Visits Calla Creek
Feelgood news of the day. 4 The World had a Spring Break volunteer group in Cayo last week, and they went to Calla Creek and La Gracia to work with students and teachers on everything from computer training to reading to nutrition. Thanks again, 4 The World, for helping out so much around Cayo. See you soon. "We did some great educational and fun programs for the kids at Calla Creek Village while educators did a special Professional Development Training for teachers. It was so much fun while learning new things for all. These programs are very useful for the teaching staff at the schools and the kids really enjoy our programs and the friendships created by our volunteers. Swimming, climbing trees, playing football, basketball games, flying kites, making friendship bracelets and reading books after school made this day so much fun!"

33rd Belmopan Cycling Classic
The Belmopan Cycling Classic was this weekend, and the Cycling Federation of Belize has 100's of pictures from the event. "Here are some shots of the activities that were going on while the racing was on the road. Thanks to SMART for a great job in keeping the crowd in anticipation of the arrival of the finish"

Beautiful moon
The moon over Belize last night and this morning. You can certainly appreciate the beauty of Belize by moonlight in some areas. Certainly romantic and breathtaking.

Belize Colonial Architecture - Belize Supreme Court
"Belize's first court house was designed by Gustav Von Ohlafen and built in 1818. The first sitting of the Supreme Court was held therein. An entirely wooden structure, it was destroyed by fire on 17 August 1918; then Governor-General William Hart-Bennett, who had come to render aid in extinguishing the fire, was hit by a flagpole and died of his injuries a few days later. A new reinforced concrete court house was built in 1926 in Belize City." Source - Wikipedia

Video: "Woman of the Year" Selected by U S Embassy

Video: Gospel Expo' Kicks off With Great Euphoria from Tonight Until Sunday

Video: Belize Wind Energy Part 1
Belize Wind Energy Ltd goal is to build multiple large scale wind farms in strategic locations in Belize and thereby guaranteeing the people of Belize price stabilization and supply security, supporting Belize in becoming energy independent and creating an economically viable industry by producing energy and exporting it to the entire Americas. Belize Wind Energy Ltd is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the Belize economy over a very short period of time by financing and building large-scale wind farms. The initial feasibility study is ongoing and we project construction to commence in 2014. Clean, reliable and renewable wind energy will be available in Belize in 2014.

Video: Belize Wind Energy Part 2

Video: Belize Wind Energy Part 3

Video: Belize Wind Energy Part 4

Video: Famous Belizean Entertainer Dankiman on the Entertainment beat

Video: Vanilla Hills Lodge Hotel - San Ignacio - Belize
Vanilla Hills Lodge offers spacious bungalows located in the lush tropical jungle outside of San Ignacio. It is a short walk from the Mopan River and offers free Wi-Fi and parking. Each bungalow here features cozy wooden décor and comes equipped with a seating area, a kitchenette and a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. They also have a private terrace overlooking the gardens. Vanilla Hills Lodge serves a wide variety of organic meals for breakfast and dinner, and guests can also prepare meals in their bungalows. There is a market within 6 km of the property. The Mayan ruins of Xunantunich can be reached in a 20-minute drive, while Philip SW Goldson Airport outside Belize City is 125 km away

Video: Dive video, Belize 3/3/2014
Carnaval 2014. Ambergris Caye. 2º dia de mergulhos gravados com uma GoPro Hero2.

Video: Maruba Resort & Jungle Spa Hotel - Maskall - Belize
In the middle of the jungle outside of Maskall Village in Belize, this property features an on-site helicopter for tours, free Wi-Fi and a spa. Maruba Resort and Jungle Spa also has banquet facilities. Each room at this property features elaborate and unique jungle-style décor, a flat-screen TV, purified water and a private bathroom with a shower, bathrobe and slippers. The property's restaurant serves "Nouveau Jungle Cuisine" for all meals, and there is a breakfast buffet until 12 pm. There is also an on-site bar. Activities like basketball, hiking, horseback riding and bird watching can be arranged by the property. There is a 24-hour heated mineral bath, and the Lamani Mayan ruins are only a 40-minute drive away. Caye Caulker island is a 1-hour boat ride from Maruba Resort and Jungle Spa, and Philip SW Goldson International Airport is 30 miles away.

Video: Barefoot Caribe Hotel - Caye Corker - Belize
Barefoot Caribe is located just 100 metres from The Split swimming spot, on the beautiful island of Caye Caulker. It offers a terrace, free Wi-Fi and air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen cable TV. Each room at the Barefoot Caribe includes functional décor, a fridge and a private bathroom with a shower. Some rooms have garden views, while others have a balcony with sea views. The on-site restaurant, Sobre las Olas, serves international and Caribbean-style. Various local bars and restaurants can also be found within a 2-minute walk, including the famous Lazy Lizard bar at The Split. Barefoot Caribe's tour desk can provide information about activities around the island. Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal is just 200 metres away and offers regular connections to Belize City and San Pedro Island.

Video: Belize Ocean Club Hotel - Maya Beach
Belize Ocean Club is located on the beachfront in Maya Beach, just a 40-minute drive from Placencia. It offers an outdoor pool, an international restaurant and stylish air-conditioned apartments with free Wi-Fi. Each Ocean Club apartment offers modern, functional décor and a fully equipped kitchen with a microwave, toaster and fridge. Some apartments also have ocean views. Free parking is available at Belize Ocean Club. You can go ziplining within a 45-minute drive of the property, while Mayan ruins can be found within a 90-minute drive. Belize City is 200 km away.

Video: Cruise Vacation Belize Honduras & Cozumel
Montage Video of my 2013 cruise vacation shot on a Go Pro Hero 3 black edition and edited by Max Fuerst Films.

Video: Kiskadee Lodge Hotel - San Felipe - Belize
Offering a restaurant, garden and a terrace, Kiskadee Lodge is located amid the tropical forest in the Mayan Highlands. Free Wi-Fi access is available in public areas of this lodge. The rooms offer a private bathroom with a shower. Guests also enjoy garden views, a fan and a fully stocked fridge. Daily housekeeping is included in the room rate. The property offers Continental and American breakfast and local food at the on-site restaurant. The property offers free parking and activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving. This property is 5 minutes' drive from Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit Mayan sites. Punta Gorda Airport is a20-minute drive away from Kiskadee Lodge and regular daily flights arrive here from Phillip Goldson International Airport in Belize City,

Video: Belize video showing you different areas to live in Belize if you are looking to move !!
by Rainforest Realty

Video: The adventure: shipwrecked in Belize
Does it count as getting shipwrecked if the boat only takes on damage but doesn't sink? Listen to my adventure from the ferry between Chetumal, Maxico and San Pedro Island, Belize and weigh in. Oh, and for those wondering? There were no bathrooms on the ferry. This video is part of my travel adventure story series where I recount some of my most memorable, exciting, and at times awkward travel experiences. Join me as I take a stroll down memory lane and re-visit Belize in today's episode. Special thanks to Kevin Verner for handling the camera work. Sorry about the wind noise in a few spots!

Video: Playful bottlenose dolphins - Turneffe Atoll, Belize
Our volunteers were excited to find this of playful pod of bottlenose dolphins while conducting research surveys near our Turneffe Atoll field station.

Video: Belize Carnival 2012 pt 1

Video: Belize Carnival 2012 pt 2

Video: Belize Carnival 2012 pt 3

Video: Belize Carnival 2012 pt 4

Video: Rotaract Week 2014 Celebrates

Video: Banana Beach Resort Hotel - San Pedro - Belize
Banana Beach Resort is in Tumbo Beach, just one mile from San Pedro Airport. It features free airport shuttle, massage service, a furnished terrace and 2 swimming pools. The rooms and suites offer modern décor, air conditioning, a desk, fridge, cable TV and balconies with views of the grounds. The bathrooms include hairdryer and shower. El Divino Caribbean Steakhouse serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with imported steaks, seafood, snacks, salads, lobster and a variety of worldwide wines. The Martini Bar features snacks, burgers, martinis and tropical drinks for the guests. The Banana Beach Resort can arrange activities like snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, diving in the Blue Hole and tours to Ancient Mayan Ruins. Golf carts, bikes, jet skis and kayaks are available for rent. This complex is 1.5 miles from The Belize Chocolate Company and its Cacao Farm, and 2 miles from San Pedro Church. The San Pedro Belize Express dock is a 5 minute drive away.

Video: Vega Inn & Gardens Hotel - Caye Corker - Belize
Vega Inn & Gardens is located in Caye Coulker beach, next to the water taxi station and 1 km from Caye Caulker Airport. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all areas. The rooms offer wardrobe and the private bathrooms also come with a shower. At Vega Inn & Gardens you will find a garden and a terrace. The property offers free parking. Guests can find a variety of restaurants and bars within 100 metres. This property is 650 metres from Asunción Church.

Channel 7

Sir Manuel and Kathy Esquivel Resign From All Government Posts/Appointments
Sir Manuel Esquivel and his wife Kathy have resigned all government posts and appointments in protest of their eldest daughter Laura being pushed out as Director of the Belize Tourism Board. Sir Manuel confirmed to us that he resigned as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister in a letter sent to the Prime Minister last Thursday March 13th. He confirmed also that he is stepping down as government appointed Director on the Boards of BTL and BSI. Esquivel would not comment on the reasons for his blanket resignations, only to say, "There is a tide in the affairs of men." Thursday March 13th is also the day that Kathy Esquivel resigned as Chairman of the National AIDS Commission. She had been on the board since 2002 as opposition representative, and was named Chairperson in 2008. She told us that she is resigning for personal reasons.

Will Aracely Cahueque Face Trial?
On Friday's newscast, we told you about the 3 men who were acquitted of the murder of 18 year-old Raylene Dyer, who was beheaded and dumped into a river, reportedly in a plot to steal her baby. Since the acquittal of the men, the alleged mastermind, 21 year-old Aracelly Cahueque has been on trial in the Belmopan Supreme Court since last week. As we told you, her attorney, Dickey Bradley, is challenging the caution statement she allegedly gave to police which Senior Crown Counsel Cecil Ramirez will attempt to tie her to the murder of Dyer because she wanted her baby, Reyven Dyer, who was only 3 months old at the time. The crown intends to show that she contracted help to Dyer and get control of the baby. Bradley made his challenge today of that statement in a trial within a trial. It went to completion, but because the jury is not privy to this evidence we cannot reveal on what basis the defense is trying to get it thrown out.

Former Travellers Cashier Accused of Stealing 80K!
24 year-old Rashida Kira Sedacey, a former cashier for Travellers Limited, is in police custody tonight awaiting an arraignment hearing in the Magistrate's Court after she was accused of stealing over $80,000 from the liquor company. She was taken to court this evening, and she should have been arraigned, but the Office section of the Magistrate's Court just couldn't type up and prepare the over 100+ counts of theft that she is about to face. Our sources from the court says that she's facing 116 counts, but other sources have also told us that it it's actually 130 counts. Sedacey, a resident of Los Lagos, was terminated from the company in December after the management accused her of stealing money from them in an 8-month span from the beginning of January to August of last year.

Three Shot Including 17 Year Old Female
Three people were shot in Belize City last night - including a 17 year old female. It happened in the Queen Square area on North Creek around 8:30 last night where a gunman opened fire on a group. Monica Bodden found out that three were injured but the shots were so wild that two more persons could have been killed. Here's her story:.. Monica Bodden reporting The shooting happened on this basketball court on North Creek Street just after 7 last night. The victims -17 year old Hortense Lynch, 24 year old Justin Orellano and 18 year old Kenyon Moss were sitting on this parked car socializing when two gunmen opened fire in their neighbourhood. Lynch was caught in her right knee, while Orellano was shot twice to his lower back and Moss to his right thigh. The shooters were on bicycles and came from the direction of Central American Boulevard.

American Teachers Enticed Belizean Minors Via Facebook
News is emerging tonight out of Tampa Florida about a male American teacher who used Facebook to chat and plan sexual encounters with two underage girls in Belize. David Wendel Thompson who has reportedly travelled to Belize nine times since 2011 was arrested in Miami on Friday. A press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says he flew to Belize, where he was refused entry and then returned to Miami where he was then arrested. Ge's in custody now for online enticement of minors, a federal offence for which he could face ten years to life in prison. The US Attorney's office says the 48 year old had sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old in Belize in February. In those conversations, he discussed flying to Belize to meet the minors and to engage in sexual activity with them. Reports say, a cyber crimes unit of Homeland Security received information about the chats around March 12.

Stepfather Impregnated 13 Year Old
There is another disturbing case of sexual abuse to report tonight, but this one is homegrown. A 13 year old girl from a village in the Toledo District went to police with her mother to report that on five different occasions, he step father had sex with her. A medical exam confirmed that the she is 20 weeks pregnant. The stepfather is expected to be charged.

Red Cross Responds To Catholic Church
Last week we told you about the Catholic Church's blacklisting of the Belize Family Life Association, the National Aids Commission, UNIBAM, and The Belize Red Cross. The communiqué from the bishop said that these organizations were no longer welcome in the over 200 Catholic Schools countrywide because they, quote, "foster programs that ultimately undermine our Catholic values." We heard from the National AIDS Commission and UNIBAM, but we didn't hear from the Red Cross, which is the only international agency in the group. The Church criticized their programme which is called Together We Can. Today the Director General of the Red Cross Lilly Bowman defended the programme known as "T-W-C":.. Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross "We have a mandate and we have committed to reach all the most vulnerable and most at risk people in our country. We alleviate suffering where it is found, don't discriminate, but we've been working to our TWC program in prevention which encourages and promotes behavior change, encourages and promotes right choices, we believe that knowledge gives you the power to make the right choices to have a better life."

Belize Red Cross And Regional Counterparts Discuss AIDS Awareness Strategies
The "TWC" programme is built on regional methodologies, the kind that were discussed today at the 2014 Annual Caribbean HIV AIDS Program Regional Exchange Meeting. The event is being hosted in Belize this year and it brings together forty Red Cross Delegates from Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize. There are here for an exchange of ideas and best practices. Director General Bowman told us more:.. Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross "These 5 countries have been involved in the Caribbean HIV and AIDS program which is funded by the American Red Cross for the last 3-4 years. Every year they have an exchange such as this, we go to another country and we all get together and we exchange experiences, exchange good practices, exchange the new tools that have been developed and just basically discuss challenges and ways to overcome these challenges so that we can synchronize and act as one. We are one movement and so we bring all our experiences together."

Another Suit Against the GSU
Belmopan businessman Miguel Menjivar will sue the state for the damages that the Gang Suppression Unit caused when the unit rained down bullets on his family home almost 3 years ago. Today, 6 months after Menjivar was acquitted of trying to kill 9 different officers of the GSU, he and his family have started the process of suing the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General and Sergeant #360 Santiago Gongora an officer of the GSU. As we we've reported, in May of 2011, the GSU, while under the leadership of Superintendent Marco Vidal, conducted a pre-dawn raid at Menjivar's family home outside of Belmopan. In that operation, the officers unloaded over 100 bullets at his home, supposedly in response to Menjivar who fired first. Menjivar thought that it was armed bandits who were trying to rob him, and he was trying to protect his pregnant wife and 2 children. Well, after beating that criminal case in the Belmopan Supreme Court, Menjivar is going on the offensive, and today, he went to file the documents at the court. He spoke with the media about it: Miguel Menjivar

18 Year Old Accused of Shooting 17 Year Old
18 year old Leith Bermudez, a construction worker of Oleander Street, is at prison tonight, after he was accused of shooting a 17 year-old minor last week Wednesday. 17 year-old Tarique Gillett was shot to the right side of the chest around 3:00 in the afternoon on Holy Emmanuel Street when 2 men rode past on bicycles. They had an exchange of words, and that's when one of the men pulled out a firearm and shot him in the chest. Fortunately, he was rushed to the KHMH in time, where the doctors were able to successfully treat him. 3 days later, Leith Bermudez was arrested and charged with attempted murder and dangerous harm, and he was arraigned today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. Due to the nature of the offences, he was remanded into custody until May 5.

Victim Armed Like A Vigilante
He was the victim in a San Pedro shooting last week but tonight 21-year-old Darrington Lauriano is the one in police custody. That's because police say they searched him this morning as he was leaving the KHMH. They found him in the hospital parking lot with a knapsack and a suitcase - which police sya he was going to San Pedro with. Police searched the bags and found a 9mm Ruger pistol and a magazine with 8 live rounds along with 196 grams of weed. He has been detained pending charges of "Kept Firearm and Ammunition Without a Gun License" and "Drug Trafficking."

Gobi Rides From PG to Belmopan
The Gobi foundation has pledged one million dollars to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the KHMH. They are doing it all by fundraising, and every year for the past 6 years, a ride is held to focus the fundraising events. This year's ride was the most ambitious thus far: 150 miles from Punta Gorda to Belmopan - and it went all through the night. Here's more on this slightly bizarre event:.. Jules Vasquez reporting They set out from Punta Gorda at 6:00 pm on Thursday - as dusk fell, the riders were in good spirits, including the man in the dog suit. At the dump cutoff - the CEO in the Ministry of health waved them on and the convoy disappeared into the night. Trailing in the blur of lights, the man in the dog suit is still there. He's Alan Gobi the organizer of this year's ride: Dr. Peter Allen, CEO - Ministry of Health "The group decided this year to do the longest ever cycle ride that they have done all the way from Punta Gorda, so it started off from down in PG Town at the dollar sign entrance for PG and they rode through the night, beautiful moon - people were lining the streets of the Southern Highway as they came pass all the way through the Southern Highway and they came up the Hummingbird Highway right here at Caribbean Tyres at the junction with the Western Highway at Belmopan."

The Last Big Test Before The Cross Country
And while the fundraisers were on the road on Thursday and Friday, on Sunday the pro's took over for the 33rd riding of the Belmopan Cycling Classic - sponsored this year by SMART. It was the final major test before the biggest race on the calendar, the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. With only 6 weeks before that race, the competition was stiff, but in yesterday's race, 2 riders stood out. Mexican, Ignacio Prado and Belizean Herman "Hijo" Requena dominated, running out in front for some 60 + miles, where the chase group were only able to catch them in the second half of the race. At the last 10 miles both riders made a final attack, and found themselves alone, once again in the lead, and from there, they battled for first place. 7News was at the finish line, and we spoke to the second place winner, about being defeated by Prado who is younger and has less experience than him and all the other Belizean riders:

Japan Celebrates Sushi
culture's culinary arts. World class sushi chefs were brought in alongside Japanese community members from Belize. We sampled their selections:.. Hiromoto Oyama, First Secretary Embassy of Japan in Jamaica "We need to have a bit of understanding among each other, because if your people and my people misunderstand each other, it's going to be difficult to work together, so it's very important that we understand your culture and you understand our culture and we have friends among our people." "Human like us, we are what we eat, so it's very important that we show Belizean people what we eat and we like Belizean people to appreciate our foods and Japanese people here they appreciate Belizean food - it's very good that we appreciate your food and you appreciate our food so that we can understand each other better." Yosuke Masuda, Japanese Volunteer - Curry Koichi Fukuoka "This is Japanese curry, it's different from Indian curry and its more mild and thick. The ingredients are onion, carrots, potatoes and chicken."

Ras Pitta, Promoter Turned Philantrophist
Deon Ras Pitta and Anthony Toni G Grant are promoters of Blazing Reggae Sundays at the Bird's Isle. But the event isn't just about good vibes and conscious reggae - it's also about doing good. They're making donations to worthy causes form the proceeds of each concert. We found out more at Ebenezer Primary School today:.. Their next event will be held on Easter Monday.

Melvin For UDP Again
And, finally tonight, we close with news of a UDP political convention that caused a lot some fall out in the UDP. Yesterday in Stann Creek West ?2134 ballots were cast and Melvin Hulse emerged victorious with 1223?votes while Alexander Romero had 882. The interesting part is that Delroy Cuthkelvin who boycotted the convention at the last minute got only 19 votes. He said the party had unfairly taken his voters off the approved list. He couldn't be reached for comment today.

Channel 5

Mass resignation by the Esquivel Family from senior government posts
The Esquivel family – Sir Manuel, his wife Kathy and their eldest daughter, Laura; prominent names in the hierarchy of the United Democratic Party – has resigned from key appointments [...]

Delroy Cuthkelvin boycotts Stann Creek West convention
There is much more discontent in the U.D.P. ranks to report tonight. He might not be at the level of former Prime Minister, Manuel Esquivel, but Delroy Cuthkelvin is certainly [...]

5 men rescued at sea after drifting for eleven hours
A search and rescue operation ended successfully for a group of men who were lost at sea for almost eleven hours. Included in the group was Southern Regional Commander, Robert [...]

Darrington Lauriano Jr. busted with gun and weed
Police made a huge bust this morning at the parking lot of the national referral hospital. Darrington Lauriano who has a Belize City as well as a San Pedro address [...]

Former Traveller’s cashier facing 116 charges of theft
A cashier previously employed at Travellers Limited will be arraigned in the Magistrate Court on Tuesday for a whopping one hundred and sixteen charges of Theft. Twenty-four year old Rashida [...]

Gunmen open fire at a crowd at a basketball game
Three persons were injured following a friendly basketball game in the North Creek area off the Central American Boulevard on Sunday night in what is believed to be gang related [...]

De’Zhaun Humes shot 5 times in Belize City
It did not make it on today’s police blotter, but on Friday night, another Belize City youth was injured in a shooting in the Jane Usher Boulevard area. Nineteen year [...]

Victor Garnett shot twice in San Pedro
Earlier in the newscast, we told you about Darrington Lauriano Junior, a Belize City resident who was caught red-handed by police with gun and ammunition as well as a little [...]

Trial of Aracely Cahueque continues in the Belmopan Magistrate Court
Aracely Cahueque is currently charged with three counts of abetment to murder in the grisly 2010 killing of young Raylene Dyer. Authorities believe that Cahueque enlisted the aid of three [...]

Mike Menjivar files suit against GSU
In May 2011 Belmopan businessman Mike Menjivar and his family were the subjects of a search which went terribly wrong. Officers of the Gang Suppression Unit pumped dozens of bullets [...]

Florida teacher arrested for enticing Belizean minors
A forty-eight year old teacher from Pasco County, Florida is in lockdown in Miami tonight after he attempted to travel to Belize to have sex with two underage girls. David [...]

Red Cross issues release on comments made by Roman Catholic Bishop
A letter sent out by Bishop Dorrick Wright of the Roman Catholic Church on March third, is causing a major fallout because of the Church’s conservative position. In the letter [...]

Caribbean HIV AIDS Program (CHAP) Regional Exchange Meeting
For the first time, Belize is hosting the Caribbean HIV AIDS Program (CHAP) Regional Exchange Meeting. The program is an initiative funded by the American Red Cross to address the [...]

McCauley’s rise to stardom featured on FIFA.com
Super striker Deon McCauley, now signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks in the North American Soccer League, is basking in the limelight of his crowning achievement, besting household names, including Lionel [...]

James Adderley has the weekend sporting activities
Good evening I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday.   The spotlight of NEBL basketball shone on Belize City’s Smart No Limit Friday night as they faced the Belmopan [...]

CTV3

Fashion Store Robbed In Broad Day Light
A brazen daylight robbery in central Orange Walk becomes a near death experience for one woman. The incident occurred mid-afternoon today and Orange Walk police responded quickly to apprehend the perpetrators. Reporter Dalila Ical has the details. Dalila Ical – Reporting It was about twenty minutes after three in the afternoon that a woman and her husband were driving up in the area when they came across Blanca Lopez who was dragging herself on the ground in an attempt to get out of her store, Joshwell’s Fashion. She had been robbed and was seeking help. Eyewitness “Cuando mire le dije a mis esposo ve a la señora parece que está orando y entonces creo que ello leo mis labios y pues vino y dice no me asaltaron y entonces el rapidito cruzo la calle y estaciono y ya fue que entonces pues la venimos a ayudar y la soltó mi esposo de sus manos porque la amararon sus manos con cable y tenía una camiseta azul que la estaban ahorcando también y pues los pies los tenia amarado con un cincho y ya él le quito eso y ya se pudo parar ya arratito llego la policía.”

Upgrading Of Santa Familia Street Halted Due To Drainage Problem
Last week we reported on a release issued by the Roman Catholic Bishop, Reverent Dorick Wright addressed to principals, local managers and administrators of catholic affiliations across the country. The release, though controversial, says ‘organizations whose activities and positions are actively opposed to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, and which endanger the souls of the People of God, cannot be welcomed under any circumstances in our schools”, end of quote. These organizations that the Bishop referred to are the National Aids Commission, the Belize Family Life Association, Red Cross and UNIBAM because according to the release, these organizations are working together to ultimately undermine Catholic values and push an agenda of sodomy, abortion, and sexual gender redefinition, in order to radically change Belize’s Christian character.

Red Cross Responds To Release Of Catholic Dioces
If you live in Orange Walk, specifically in the area of Santa Familia Street, then we are sure that you noticed the infrastructural work that was being carried out in the area. We say was because works have been halted. The paving of the street is being carried out by the Social Investment Fund under the Belize Municipal Development Project. Up to Wednesday of last week, the project was running smoothly, but things changed when residents began expressing discontent on the way the drains were being built. Several calls were made to the Orange Walk Town Council who after investigations found out that the layout of the drains being built, will pose flooding problems in the long run. Kevin Bernard– Mayor, OWTC “What is happening right now is the remaining of those works. It started off with the drainage project. I want to make it perfectly clear that the contractor that was given this remaining section is Demar’s Stone Company and we all know who Demar’s Stone Company is but that is not the issue, we don’t have a problem with that, he gave a bid and he won. The problem I have is that we began receiving complaints from residents complaining regarding the way the drains are being built. The drains are being built in the shape of a V.

Waitress Found Dead, Police Believes She Overdose
A 26 year old Honduran waitress of Palacio Dulce Bar located in the village of Ranchito, Corozal District, was discovered dead in her room yesterday. Police investigations have revealed trails of a case of overdose of an illicit substance. Corozal Police visited the Corozal Community Hospital where they observed the motionless body of Delma Cristelia Sosa Murillo. Initial investigation reveals that Murillo was drinking heavily at the bar yesterday and about 3:00pm she began feeling bad and went into a room to rest. About 2 to 3 hours later, the owner of the bar, 33 year old Clara Luz Sagastume went to check on Murillo but the room door was locked from inside. Despite the fact that Sagastume knocked on the door several times she received no response.

LOVE FM

Trial Within A Trial for Aracely Cahueque, Accused of Child Stealing
Last Friday, we brought to you an interview with a disheartened Indira Cayetano, whose sister was murdered in western Belize in October 2010. Disheartened, because just last week, the court freed the three men who were accused of killing her sister, Raylene Dyer. But closure cannot be had just yet by Dyer’s family because there is still a case pending in the Belmopan court because in addition to having her sister murdered, Cayetano and her family were faced with horror when they learnt that Dyer’s then three month old baby was kidnapped. The police had recovered the baby a short while later in Corozal Town with Aracely Cahueque. Cahueque, who is being tried for child stealing sat in the Belmopan court today while her attorney, Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley challenged the caution statement that she reportedly gave to investigators. It is a crucial challenge since it is this very statement that Senior Crown Counsel, Cecil Ramirez will attempt to use to link Cahueque to Dyer’s murder as part of his efforts to prove that she obtained help in getting Dyer killed with the motive of taking control of the young baby. Today’s trial consisted of almost five hours of arguments and at the end of the day, Justice Denis Hanomasingh tentatively stated that he would be rendering his decision tomorrow on whether the caution statement would be admitted as evidence or not. Following the hearing today, the media met up with Bradley, Cahueque’s attorney to get a feel of how the case is progressing.

Three Shot on Basketball on North Creek
Three persons sustained gunshot wounds last night after a pair of men, bearing firearms, released a barrage of bullets at an unexpected crowd. The shooting happened on a basketball court on North Creek Street. Police say that two men came riding on North Creek from the direction of Central American Boulevard, on separate bicycles, and started shooting at the crowd. It was mayhem as the crowd scattered and every one dashed for cover. However, 24 year old Justin Orellano, 18 year old Kenyon Moss and his 17 year old sister were hit by the bullets. Reporter Hipolito Novelo has more details. HIPOLITO NOVELO NARRATING “At about 8:30 last night, the basketball court on North Creek Street was filled with neighbors socializing and playing basketball. But the crowd scattered when two unsuspecting men on separate bicycles rode pass by-releasing a barrage of bullets at the crowd.” EYEWITNESS “I only started hearing gunshots and when I looked, I saw people running and crying and they came and dropped in front of me and I picked them up and the neighbor took them to the hospital. I heard a lot of shots; I know it was more than six. I was frightened too that I don’t even know how much but it was a lot of shots.”

Esquivel’s Resignation: Personal or Political?
Confirmed reports reaching Love News Centre is that the Director of the National Aids Commission, Kathy Esquivel tendered her resignation last Thursday. Esquivel is the mother of Laura Esquivel Framptom, the former Director of the Belize Tourism Board who was forced to resign last week. This is after a number of directors wrote to Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia citing a vote of no confidence in Esquivel Framptom. The directors raised concern of her leadership style which they say was responsible for the lack of morale throughout the organization. At the time the directors said they were conscious of the potential political ramifications that their grievance may pose however they were fully prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with Heredia. It is not clear whether there is a connection between the two resignations; both cited personal reasons as the cause. Speculation is rampant on the social media that the mother may be protesting her daughter being ousted from the Belize Tourism Board. But, that is just what it is, speculation. We went to seek confirmation from Mrs. Esquivel herself but we were told that she had absolutely nothing to say on the matter.

Argument Settles With Gunshot to the Chest
The police’s investigation of a shooting incident which occurred. on March 12, has resulted in the arrest of 18 year old Lieth Bermudez, a construction worker of Oleander Street in Belize City. Bermudez was charged with attempted murder and dangerous harm when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. She explained to him that she will not take a plea because the offences are indictable and the court cannot offer him bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody until May 5. The complainant, 17 year old Tarique Gillett, reported to the police that he was standing at the corner of Holy Emmanuel Street and a street without name when he was approached by 2 persons, one of fair complexion and the other of dark complexion. He said there was an exchange of words between them then the one of dark complexion pulled out a firearm and fired a single shot which struck him in the right side of his chest. Gillett was admitted to ward at KHMH where his condition is reported to be critical but stable.

Aspiring Standard Bearer Says Convention Had Irregularities
Former Government Minister Melvin Hulse is back as standard bearer for the United Democratic Party in the Stann Creek West constituency. A contested convention took place yesterday where Hulse received 1,223 votes. Alexander Romero received 882 votes and Delroy Cuthkelvin received 19 votes, ten votes were spoilt. As we reported on Saturday Cuthkelvin cited irregularities with the voters list which he felt favored Hulse as the reason he would boycott the convention which he did. Cuthkelvin has indicated that he would be speaking with the press. When we checked with him today he said he would be meeting with his committee to discuss the issue before taking the next step.

US Teacher Charged for Enticing Minors
Belize Immigration officials have confirmed that a Social Studies teacher from Dade City, Florida was denied entry into Belize on Friday, March 14 after receiving Intel from their US counterparts that the 48-year-old, David Wendell Thompson has been making contact with young girls through chat rooms and Facebook and engaging in sexually explicit conversations. Reports are that when Thompson landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport, he was denied entry, placed under police guard at the airport and was sent back to the US on a flight out of Belize about ninety minutes after he landed. According to a foreign news article, Thompson had booked this recent trip to Belize to have sex with two under-aged girls. Thompson, who is now under arrest in Miami, Florida has been a teacher since 1994 and upon his return to Miami, he was charged with enticing minors and made his first court appearance this morning. Meanwhile his employment status is under review and he has been ordered to stay away from the school. If he is convicted, he could face up to ten years to life in prison.

PlusTV

Fear not to Follow Christ, for God Empowers Sufficiently
Our verse for this week is taken from Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Two Youths and a Female Minor Get Shot in Belize City
Three persons, including a female minor, were shot in Belize City. According to police reports, on Sunday March 16th at around 8:30 p.m. 24-year-old Justin Orellano, 18-year-old Kenyon Moss, and a female minor of Belize City, were sitting on a car which was parked on the Basketball Court on North...

Alleged Kidnapper Ms.Cajueque on the Verge of Her Trials In Court
Ms. Aracely Cajueque is the accused mastermind of the kidnapping of a three month old baby and the murder of the child’s mother. The three men she allegedly put to do the gruesome job have already walked free of murder charges and now Cahueque is facing her own charges. The...

Alleged Sexual Predator on Belizean Minors Captured in Miami
David Wendel Thompson, a 48 year old social studies teacher at Centennial Middle School in the state of Florida is today in Police Custody in the United States. US Investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are claiming that in February, Thompson had sexually explicit conversations with two Belizean children on...

Mr. Lieth Leeton Bermudez Charged for Attempted Murder
One of two men believed to have been involved in a broad daylight shooting in the city last week Wednesday was in court today. 18-year-old Lieth Leeton Bermudez, aka “Hell Buoy”, was charged for the attempted murder of 17-year-old Tarique Gillett. Bermudez, who was unrepresented, appeared before the Senior...

Mr. Melvin Hulse Wins UDP Convention for Stann Creek West
The United Democratic Party held its Stann Creek West Convention on Sunday March 16th despite one of its contenders boycotting the convention. Delroy Cuthkelvin boycott the event following an emergency meeting on Friday, March 14, 2014, in which UDP Chairman Alberto August insisted on using a voter block-out list...

Belize Trade Delegation to Restructure Economic Framework With Mexico
On March 3rd, 2014, two weeks ago, the Belize Trade Delegation visited Mexico and met with a high level team from the Secretaria de Economía in Mexico City. The primary objective of the meeting was to establish a general framework and a schedule for negotiations of a Partial Scope Agreement...

Ms. Rashida Kira Sedacy to be Charged with 116 Counts of Theft
One hundred and sixteen counts of theft; that’s how many charges will be read to former Travellers Ltd., Cashier, 24-year-old Rashida Kira Sedacy. Relatives of Sedacy were at court this evening up until 4:15 when they were told that the arraignment cannot be done until tomorrow morning since the...

Blogs

2014 Belize City Tattoo Exposition Gets Me Seriously Thinking…
Yesterday, I attended Day 2 of the weekend long expo in Belize City. My friend Margie and I ignored the high winds and the small craft warning and jumped aboard the hour and 15 minute water taxi ride to Belize City. Good clean fun. The tatoo-ing though was going on behind closed doors. Thankfully in air conditioning. And then we ran into Carlos. We checked out all the tattoos and artists. And a bit of body piercing. The only place I like it is on a stuffed animals. But that’s just me.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY FROM CHAA CREEK
Paddy says to Mick, “If you can guess how many doughnuts are in my bag, you can have them both” Ah Ireland… Yes, it’s that time of year again to honour one of history’s greatest saints. I mean, here’s a well-to-do Roman who was enslaved in Ireland, escaped, and returned under his own free will to bring his religion to the savage and barbaric (but everyone agrees, pretty interesting) people he came to love. And they returned his love ten-fold as history (and the phone book) shows. For those who don’t know, Ireland (or Éire, then as now) was one of the first civilisations where woman had pretty much equal rights and were renowned warlords, excuse me, war ladies, and leaders.

CARIBBEAN SCIENCE FOUNDATION (CSF) Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE)
Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) SPISE STUDENT APPLICATION – DEADLINE APPROACHING Please be reminded that the deadline for submission of student applications to the 2014 Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) is only TWO weeks away (March 31, 2014). The goal of SPISE is to help groom the next generation of Caribbean science, engineering and business leaders who will help to diversify the economies of the Region. SPISE is a rigorous 4-week residential program for gifted Caribbean high school students interested in pursuing careers in disciplines related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and is modeled after the well-known MITES program at MIT. SPISE offers university-level classes in calculus, physics, biochemistry, and hands-on classes in robotics, electronics and programming along with entrepreneurship, Mandarin and seminars on Caribbean unity. SPISE has served 26 stellar students in its first two years. Please view 2012 SPISE Video.

Brownie Tartlett
This is s fun recipe of brownies baked in a tart pan. Perfect for potlucks. Each tart is just right for one serving. This is Video #300. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Lost crack cocaine?
If anyone has lost a small bag containing multiple pieces of crack cocaine ... there is good news. Your stash has been found. The bag and its contents is safely in the custody of the police in Placencia village. The owner of the crack cocaine can go to the station to claim their property. Police say the plastic bag with cocaine was found during a search in an area south of Placencia village. It is currently labeled a found property and in safe keeping at the Placencia police station.

Flat Broke in San Ignacio, Belize: Free and Cheap Things to Do
So you’ve found yourself in the quaint Belizian border town of San Ignacio. Maybe you’re contemplating shelling out the money for the ATM caves (which we fully recommend). Or maybe you’ve just gone on your cave tour and have decided to hang around the area for a bit longer while the water dries out of your shoes. Either way, you’re probably on a strict budget considering the cave tour runs at about $85+. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. There’s a lot more to discover in the area that won’t break the bank. Check out our list of cheap & free things to in San Ignacio Belize. 1) Cahal Pech Ruins – $5 / Free if the guard on duty is snoozing

Learning to dive with ReefCI
From what I’ve been told by other guests I have been very fortunate learning to dive with Reef CI in Belize. For someone who was neither that keen on the sea nor on swimming, I had taken a gamble travelling all the way from the UK without so much as a taster dive back home. But my experience leads me to suspect the course must rank amongst the best you could find as a non-diver. Add to this the fact that you actually contribute to conservation of the world’s second largest great barrier reef and it’s a win-win situation. There are many things that made it an amazing experience. I guess top of everyone’s list would be the location. I have never stayed on a ‘desert island’ before and was lucky that my arrival was set against a backdrop of perfect Caribbean weather. Next, for a beginner, comes the instructors and both have been fantastic; Simon from the UK and Tracy from the USA. I agree their ‘office’ is in a great location but they both work harder and longer days than many people I know, ensuring students get the most from their course. Simon was my Open Water instructor and he guided me and the other student through the training with patience and good humour, especially when neither of us took particularly well to being underwater on our first day.

Belizean Chicken Tamales
Belize Food!

International Sources

15 birds with unbelievable beaks
The animal world is filled with unique faces, but these birds have some of the most flashy and specialized beaks around. When Mother Nature decides to specialize an animal, she sure does it with style! These birds have some of the most amazing beaks and bills in the avian kingdom. Whether flashy or functional, they all have flare. Another species of toucan with a particularly amazing bill is the keel-billed toucan. It has the same functions as the bill of the toco toucan, but adds some rainbow colors in splashy patterns. That's how it gets its alternate name, the rainbow-billed toucan.

United Hub - Watch inflight movies and TV on your personal device
Starting this April, we’re rolling out our new personal device entertainment system onboard select aircraft. With this new service, sponsored by the MileagePlus® Explorer Card, you can choose from over 150 movies and nearly 200 TV shows and watch them free of charge on your personal device. Most planes will be equipped with the new system very soon, and we’ll have it installed on most domestic aircraft by the end of 2014. We’ll begin on Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Boeing 747-400 and select 777-200 aircraft, followed by additional fleets. In the end, all United-operated flights will have some form of entertainment. Remember that 48 hours before your flight you can check the amenities you’ll have onboard at united.com or on the United app. (Please note that the amenities are subject to change up until the time of departure.) How it works Here’s all you need to do before you board to make your inflight viewing as seamless as possible: 1. Download the latest United app from the iTunes® App Store if you’ll be using a mobile device. Laptops do not require the app. (Android™ and other mobile devices are not fully supported at this time.) 2. Charge your device fully. Once you’re onboard, you’ll see two types of media. Some programs require a browser plug-in on your laptop or the latest United App on your Apple® iOS. Other programs can be watched through the United Portal on your browser with no plug-in or app required.

You’ll Be Amazed By These Belize Beaches
There are a few things you should consider when planning a trip to explore the beautiful Belize beaches on your next vacation. With almost 240 miles of coastline and hundreds of offshore islands and cayes, you might expect the nation to be home to dozens of the world’s most pristine sandy beaches. Well, that’s not exactly the case. While there are a number of gorgeous stretches of coastline, among which we’re going to share with you some of our favorites, much of Belize’s coast is occupied by mangrove forests. These important eco-systems house many species of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and even mammals. They also protect the shores from erosion and damage from hurricanes. However, they don’t necessarily provide the best conditions for swimming or sunbathing. As a result it’s important to thoroughly research any areas you plan to visit to make sure that each offers the types of activities and atmosphere you’re seeking. Whether you’re looking to spend your days relaxing in the sand, enjoying some of the world’s best scuba diving in Belize, or soaking up the local culture, Belize has a beach that’s sure to suit your tastes.

Belize Association of Central Florida Annual Easter Picnic
April 5, 2014 - Fort de Soto Park

Inspiring Change; Reflecting Reality – A look at gender quotas
By Ambassador Paola Amadei, Head of Delegation for the European Union in Jamaica Across the world women continue to be underrepresented in top positions of government and corporate boards, the EU being no exception in this respect. Research shows that more women attain tertiary education than men in many developed and developing countries. In the EU Member States, 60 percent of University graduates are women. Women account for 60 percent of the EU workforce at all levels, however gender balance in positions of leadership in the workforce remain disappointing, despite having improved in the last few years and despite gender equality having been enshrined in the EU Treaty and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Women occupy on average 13 percent of board seats of the largest publicly listed companies in EU Member States but only 3 percent chair boards. Women parliamentarians across EU Member states average 24.7 percent; and of the major political parties, only 10 percent of the leaders are female. Even in the European Parliament only 35 percent of members are women.

Pasco teacher tried to fly to Belize for sex with teen girls
A veteran Pasco County teacher is behind bars in Miami after facing federal charges he tried to entice two young girls to have sex with him. Federal authorities say David Wendel Thompson, 48, left Tampa last week and flew to the country of Belize in Central America to see a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activities but officials there turned him away. On his way back to Tampa during a layover in Miami, federal agents said that’s when they moved in. Thompson made his initial appearance today in Miami, Florida and is currently being detained there. According to federal documents, Thompson had sexually explicit conversations with the girls through instant messages on Facebook.

Central American Coaching for FI Cricket Association
THE Falkland Islands Cricket Association (FICA) has arranged for an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited Cricket Coach, Conway Young (25) from Belize, to visit the Falklands between March 15 and 29. Organiser Andy Brownlee told Penguin News: “Mr Young is the Cricketing Development Coach in Belize and the idea of having him come to the Falklands was first hatched when the Falklands Cricket Team visited Belize as part of their Caribbean tour in 2012.” Mr Young has played for the Belize national team, has experience working under highly qualified coaches and in 2010 took up the position as coach for the Belize Junior and Senior Male National Cricket Team. He has both national and international cricketing awards, and was also appointed the Cricket Development Officer for Belize which involves working in schools in order to build a strong foundation for the future of cricket in his country.

Google Play Movies arrives in 39 new markets
The Android version of the Google Play Movies and TV app was updated today with support for 40 new languages. Google has also confirmed that its Movies service is now available in 39 new markets: Angola, Aruba, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Gabon, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Rwanda, Senegal, Sweden, Togo, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zambia. These new regions join the previous markets where the storefront is available: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe.

Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World
How happy are you? What about the people around you — do they usually seem to have smiles on their faces? Your environment plays a role in your overall mood and your outlook on life. Thus, factors that can determine a country’s level of happiness include government, income, and mental health. Ready to find out if your country has made the list? Here’s the top 10 happiest countries. 8. Belize Wouldn’t you constantly be happy if you were surrounded by the largest barrier reef in the world, a relaxed Caribbean lifestyle, and a somewhat perfect climate? That’s what Belize citizens get to enjoy every day. On top of that, the country is known for its cultural diversity, making for a happy and harmonious place to live, Travel Channel says.

Pdvsa supplies 43% of energy to 17 Petrocaribe Member States
Diplomacy of the governments of Hugo Chávez andNicolásMaduro, tapping on oil barrels to forge alliances and fasten political and economic cooperation, relies on Petrocaribe as an example of solidarity and complementarity arisen from commitments and obligations contracted between Venezuela and Central American and Caribbean nations. The Petrocaribe scheme, established in 2004 on the initiative of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, comprises Venezuela and other 17 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Suriname. This group of countries received at least 103,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil byproducts in 2013, 84% of the goal, according to data supplied by state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa).

5 Ways to Get Seduced by Belize
Belize is one of those places that calls you back time and time again. Here’s why one writer just can’t get enough. It’s my third trip to Belize—you could say I’ve become a bit of an addict. This former British colony bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south may be a small country, but it has a diverse geography that includes the second largest barrier reef, a tropical rainforest that’s home to hundreds of species, ancient Maya ruins, miles of white sand beaches and hundreds of islands. How could one not fall in love with the intoxicating beauty of this country? Warning, a trip to Belize may leave you never wanting to come home.

March 17, 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

Wolfe’s Woofer: Smart Ass
“Señor Flores, I was just coming over to visit you and find out how you’re doing. I haven’t seen you in a long time,” I said. I was in San Ignacio when I passed Mr. Flores leading a donkey down the road. “Oh Mr. Dennis, things ain’t been too good,” he said. “I don’t have […]

Eulogy of Jeffrey Eiley
Jeffrey was born in San Pedro on June 13, 1983 as the 3rd child of Norman & Susana Eiley. Jeffrey was a charming little boy that had a passion for planes and gained much fame for his love for dancing. Always the performer whether making sure everyone laughed from his jokes or dancing to Richie Valens’ “ La Bamba” and Michael Jackson “Beat it” at every island event. As a little boy when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, his answer would be “I want to get Married!”

Editorial: It is time to stop pretending that all is well in San Pedro

Doctor Love: Weight Loss
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, In my seven year marriage I have had two children with a three and a half year space between them. Something that I […]

Misc Belizean Sources

Mexican wins Belmopan Cycling Classic
After 100 grueling miles in the hot sun and heavy southeast headwind that characterizes Belize’s weather at this time of the year, 20 year old Ignacio Prado, riding his first race in Belize, outlasted the field to win the 33rd Annual Belmopan Cycling Classic sponsored by SMART. Prado, a Mexican riding for Benny’s Megabytes, took about four and a half hours to complete the course, and spent most of that running at the head of the pack with Team SMART member Herman “Hijo” Requena.

Salvation Army church holds Youth Councils
The annual Youth Council of the Salvation Army Church took place today in Belize City on Sunday, March 16. Members of the three main corps, or units, of the Christian organization, met at the main church on Cemetery Road in Belize City this morning for a worship service followed by the official gathering in the afternoon, highlighted by a quiz contest. Participating corps included Georgeville/San Ignacio, Belize City Northside, Belize City Central and Salvation Army Primary School. Guest speaker at the Youth Councils was Captain Mark Gilden from the United States. The organization is one of the foremost participants in providing help to needy persons through its feeding program, mostly subsidized by large donations and the annual Kettle Appeal.

Pallotine Centennial celebrations come to an end
Activities for the celebration of 100 years of ministry in Belize by the Pallotine Sisters culminated on Sunday, March 16 with a special Liturgical Mass. Hundreds of members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize from all over the country, traveled to Forest Home village, Toledo for the special festivities which were held at the Novitiate Nazarenth Convent. The main celebrant for the Closing Mass of the Pallotine Centennial Celebrations was the Most Reverend Bishop Dorick Wright, assisted by Father Lukasq Ciupa, Father Callistus Cayetano, Father Leo Palma, Father M. Murray and Father L. Mcabe. In his Homily, Bishop Wright told the congregation of over a thousand fathifuls, that being on the mountaintop is beautiful; but one must come down from the mountaintop to face the reality on the ground.

The History of La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge
The first event was organized in 1998. I had dreamed up four ideas for the launching of VIDA purified water, as part of my plans to grow the Big H brand from a regional business and place it on a national stage….with focus on promoting the natural, healthy beverage products that we had in mind to extend our product and market range. My brother Big-h Juices liked this idea more, so we went with it. We wanted a grueling adventure event that would showcase the natural beauty of Belize and our healthy products…with potential for attracting international interest. The first persons I went to was John and Martha August….owners of Marthas Kitchen. John is the son of Peter August, one of my dads best friends and compadre, both involved in the organization of very big horse racing events in San Ignacio in their time. Martha is my cousin….and their restaurant and guest house was the bee hive for tourists in downtown San Ignacio, where river canoeing tours had already sprouted. They loved the idea instantly….and promised to help in whatever way they can.

The Government Outside the Government
In the beginning there was one government….it taxed the people and provided services based on those taxes….through its various line ministries. Then….the public sector entrepreneurs started special-interest projects….with the guise of improved services through better management….with “cost-recovery” mechanisms….replicating all kinds of quasi-government statutory bodies out of these projects…most with special “laws” that these bodies would write for themselves…with their built-in authority/right to “tax”….but without the fiduciary responsibility to account for those “extra-budgetary” revenues. The line of authority still ended with the Minister under whose portfolio the statutory body fell….so the MINISTER ruled in the CENTRAL GOVERNMENT…..and the NOT-SO-CENTRAL GOVERNMENT….he became a king with two fiefdoms. So it was….that the politicians built….a house for themselves and their favorites….outside of the house where the voting public has a direct say. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is one of those houses. The Minister of Tourism is at the head of the line of authority….it has a Board of Directors that is appointed by the political directorate of the day, but which is mostly rubber-stamp….and it has its own law that gives it authority/rights to collect taxes and license fees…. with its own “tax-collectors “….among them, the Hotel Tax….which is many millions of dollars in revenues each year.

Mr. Simon Paulino passes away
News has been received of the death of the former Deputy Mayor of Punta Gorda town Mr. Simon Paulino. Condolences to the family.

PALLOTINE SISTERS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION (6 photos)
A special Liturgy Mass was held on Sunday, March 16 at the Novitiate Nazareth Convent compound in Fores Home village, Toledo to mark the end of the Centennial Celebration for the Pallotine Sisters ministry is Belize.

Video: Belizean Cove Estates Hotel - San Pedro
On the beachfront on Ambergris Caye, these elegant villas feature wonderful sea views. The Belizean Cove Estates has an outdoor pool, tropical gardens and free boat transportation from San Pedro, which is just 3 miles away. Each fully-equipped Belizean Cove villa features stylish contemporary décor, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. All villas have a spacious living room with a flat-screen cable TV and a modern kitchen with a stove and fridge-freezer. A private chef and grocery delivery services are available upon request at the Belizean Cove Estates. You can also find a restaurant next door, serving fresh local seafood, steaks, crepes and homemade bread and desserts. You can explore the island and surrounding coral reefs using the property's free bicycles and sea kayaks. The popular Mexico Rocks snorkeling spot is 3.5 miles away, and Hol Chan Marine Reserve is 7 miles away.

Video: De Real Macaw Hotel - Caye Corker - Belize
De Real Macaw is a property located in Caye Caulker. It faces the beach and all its accommodations feature a private porch with hammocks. Free Wi-Fi access is available. The rustic-style accommodations will provide you with a cable TV and a kitchenette with fridge and kitchenware. Featuring a shower, the private bathrooms also include towels. Some units have a sea view. Guests will be able to find restaurants and eateries within a 10-minute walk. Also, tour offices and interesting touristic spots can be reached in about 10 minutes by foot. At De Real Macaw you will find an airport shuttle towards the domestic airport in Caye Caulke, where air-taxis will take the guests to Corozal. Guests will have to take a ferry boat and the motorway to reach the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Video: Rainbow Hotel - Caye Corker - Belize
Located right on the water in Caye Corker Town Centre, Rainbow Hotel offers an on-site restaurant and excellent views of the Caribbean Sea. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. The bright rooms here are air-conditioned and feature a dining area with a microwave. They also come with a flat-screen cable TV, a safety-deposit box and a private bathroom with a shower and toilet. Rainbow Hotel's restaurant serves seafood and international dishes, and guests can find other restaurants within just 200 metres. Asuncion Beach is 30 metres from the property, while the island's airstrip can be reached in a 5-minute drive. Boat transfer to Belize City takes about 45 minutes.

Video: Isla Marisol Resort Hotel - Glovers Reef - Belize
Set beachfront in the Belizean cays, Isla Marisol Resort is a property that offers bungalows overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The rate includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, a welcome cocktail and round trip boat transfer. The bungalows have a functional décor, air conditioning, terrace with sea views, wardrobe and a private bathroom that provides free toiletries. Some units have an additional toilet. Offering a restaurant, a bar and a private beach area, Isla Marisol Resort is located in Glovers Reef Island. Free Wi-Fi access is available in this resort. Some activities that can be practiced while at Isla Marisol Resort are kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkelling or walking on the beach. Boat rides to the mainland take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Video: Topwater Barracuda Action Belize
This video was taken in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Some of the action was in the lagoon behind El Pescador Lodge, while other shots were taken while out on the guide boats. The fly fishing was good, but I threw a topwater plug to the mangroves during slow times.

Video: Shark Wrestling in Belize
Shark and Ray Alley Belize, You gotta try it!

Video: 2014 La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge Day1
Full days coverage of the race...San Ignacio to Banana Bank

Video: 2014 La Ruta Maya, Day 2
The full days race coverage. Banana Bank to Double Head Cabbage

Video: Panchos Villas - Caye Corker - Belize
Located in the north side of Caye Caulker, Panchos Villas is a complex that has its own restaurant on site. The property offers its guests free breakfast and Wi-Fi access. The several accommodations at Panchos Villas will provide you with a TV with cable channels, air conditioning or a fan, and a balcony. Featuring a shower, the private bathrooms also provide towels and linens. Some units have a seating area, kitchenette and a dining area. Guests will find an area with restaurants and bars within a short 2-minute walk. At Panchos Villas you will find free airport shuttle service and also a bar. Other facilities like a tour desk are offered. The property offers free parking and is set 100 metres from Playa Asunción Beach- The Aquatic Taxi Station can be reached in a 3-minute walk.

Video: Leaving San Pedro, Belize
A bit bumpy clearing the break at Ambergris Cay!

CTV3

Corozal Holds Seventh Annual Fun Run
A massive tsunami blanketed Corozal Town around 6:30 am with a little more than 250 athletes, volunteers, students, and children with disabilities who gathered in front of the Corozal Town Council for the 7th annual Special Olympic Fun Run. According to District Coordinator for the Special Olympics, Martha Correa this year was a successful year since the main objective was accomplished. Martha Correa – Special Olympics “This is exactly the 7th year that we are holding the annual Fun Run here in Corozal and it is an opportunity to have our Special Kids socialize and create awareness in our community; it’s for the to create respect, awareness, but probably next year we will be staring country wide for a fundraising purpose.” Correa also stated that medals were awarded to the top eight crossing the finishing line under two categories.

One Man Charged For Drug Trafficking
Orange walk police have charged one man for Drug Trafficking. The incident occurred on Thursday around 12pm while police were conducting patrols at San Estevan Village when their attention was drawn to a male person acting suspiciously. As a result he stopped the unmarked police mobile and approached the male person and conducted a search on his person and found nothing incriminating. Police then went to a motorcycle parked a short distance away and saw a blue Jansport bag which was searched in the presence of the male person and found inside a black plastic bag containing small foil packets which when opened contained green vegetable substance consistent with cannabis. The male person was escorted to the Orange Walk Police Station along with the suspected drugs which amounted to 120 grams.

Student Knocked Down in Hot and Run Accident
A student of Altamira Area in Corozal is tonight recuperating from injuries that he received after he was knocked down in that municipality. Corozal Police responded to a call around 8:00pm of a hit and run that occurred on 4th Avenue opposite the Rainbow Town Park. Preliminary investigation revealed that 18 year old Victor Casanova was walking on the left side of 4th Avenue, pushing his bicycle while accompanied by 17 year old Yansie Iglesias, student of Finca Solana Area, Corozal Town, when he was knocked down. Casanova reported to police that they were walking towards Corozal Town in a north to South direction when a blue pickup, traveling in the same direction, came from behind and hit him and his bicycle causing him to fly in the air and fall on the road pavement sustaining injuries to his head and abrasions to his right knee. Cassanova also complained of pain to the left side of his body.

Shop Owner Robbed of Her Chain, Robbers Make Their Escape
A man manages to rob a woman using only deception. The incident occurred this morning at Palma’s grocery store located on San Andres Street in Orange Walk Town. Proprietor Fidelia Palma was still shaken when she detailed what had happened around nine thirty this morning. Palma did not wish to appear on camera but said that two men of dark complexion had entered her small retail shop to buy cigarettes. One of the men returned shortly after to borrow some matches. Around nine thirty the man returned and ordered several items, which Palma says she diligently served. He then ordered some condiments and when she reached over the counter to hand these to him the man suddenly reached out and grabbed her thick gold chain, pulled hard until it broke and escaped through the door. Palma says she screamed for help and saw her assailant riding away on a bicycle. Eyewitnesses who saw the men around the area and saw when one rode off on a bike say that the men were loitering in the neighborhood for some time before the robbery took place.

Blogs

Estel’s Rib BBQ Cook-Off Packs the Beach & Names Two Hometown Favorites Champions
Estel’s By The Sea is a San Pedro, Belize institution. Favorite breakfast spot. House of kitsch and interesting memorabilia. Best fry jacks and flour tortillas in Belize. Breakfast ALL day. A 6am opening time (except Tuesdays.) Only place that I know of that serves you a dish of deep fried chicken gizzards called “tootch” or Belizean Kriol for gizzard. (This I have not tried YET. But only because I just found out about it yesterday from Amy Knox, former chef at Victoria House, currently owner and chef at Wild Mango’s. Talk about your inside tip! I bet it’s DELICIOUS.) Two entries from the island. Charles, the owner of Estel’s, who is famous countrywide for his delicious BBQ. All weekend, every weekend, he’s got his giant barbecues going packed with pork chops, ribs, chicken and more…

International Sources

New Iberia native deploys to Belize
Beaver has the enormous responsibility of coordinating cargo movements from home station to deployed and exercise locations overseas. The sea shipment that he coordinated for the New Horizons exercise included various construction and maintenance vehicles (tractor-trailers, dump trucks, excavators, pickups, forklifts, backhoes and gas trucks) and more than 40 shipping containers. “This is the first time we’ve moved everything by ship, so this experience really gave me more of an opportunity to expand my job knowledge,” he said. He has been coordinating with the Belizean government, Port of Belize officials, U.S. Transportation Command, and various military and civilian entities since last August.

Winnsboro native deploys with US military to Belize in support of New Horizons exercise
Lowe is currently part of an elite group of engineers known as REDHORSE (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers). REDHORSE squadrons provide the Air Force with a highly-mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. Units are self-sufficient mobile squadrons, capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. Lowe and his crew were responsible for preparing more than 25 vehicles (tractor-trailers, dump trucks, excavators, pickups, forklifts, backhoes and gas trucks) for a ground shipment from Las Vegas to Cape Canaveral, Fla., followed on by a sea shipment that arrived at the Port of Belize last week. “We made sure that all vehicles got off the boat safely and then we transported them to different construction sites and staging areas in the country,” said Lowe. These heavy equipment vehicles will be used to assist civil engineers from both the U.S. and Belize to construct five New Horizons projects: a hospital ward in Belmopan, three schools in Belize City, and one school in Hattieville. The schools will support furthering the education of children in the country.

OAS Gathers Chief Justices and More than 60 Professionals from the Health and Justice Systems from the Caribbean to Consolidate Drug Treatment Courts
The Organization of American States (OAS), in cooperation with the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals (CADTCP), through its National Problem Solving Court Institute (NPSCI), will hold March 18-21, 2014 a Drug Treatment Court (DTC) Exchange and On-Site Study Program event for four Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Belize, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago) in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The workshop is organized under the umbrella of the Drug Treatment Courts Program in the Americas, an initiative coordinated by the OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD). Authorities present during the event will include the Chief Justices of Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, the Attorney General of Barbados, and the four Chief Magistrates of all four countries. In addition, each country will attend with the participation of their DTC teams (judges, magistrates, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, and treatment providers). The opening ceremony will be held on March 19, at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, Vancouver.

St. Louisans aid Belize City school counter social ills
A bright, white picket fence, trees and a neatly trimmed yard catch the eye of visitors to the parish campus in Belize -- a church, three primary school classroom buildings, a preschool and parish center. St. Martin de Porres Parish stands out as a beacon of light in a neighborhood of Belize City ravaged by drug violence. The U.S. Department of State calls the Central American country south of Mexico on the Caribbean, "a high-crime country." The majority of homicides -- a rate 10 times that of the U.S. -- occur in Belize City, where gang violence is rampant, especially on the south side of the city, an area that includes St. Martin de Porres Parish. The parish leadership is fighting back -- by providing young people a solid education with hope for the future. The bolstering of the school is happening with the help of St. Louisans, especially those with ties to St. Louis University and the Jesuits. The volunteers are helping implement many of the practices used by the NativityMiguel schools in St. Louis such as Loyola Academy and St. Cecilia School in St. Louis, including a long school day, summer school and high expectations.

How The Tablet Made An Ass Of The PC
Many tech watchers STILL don’t understand what a “disruptive innovation” is. I’m no Einstein, but I’m going to try to explain it in terms that even a six year old could understand (and with pretty pictures too!). A disruptive innovation is: an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology. If that still doesn’t resonate with you, that’s okay, because we’ve just begun and… Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge. ~ Khalil Gibran The Analogy The new often disrupts the old, which is somewhat akin to saying that the new often makes an ass out of the old, which brings us to my analogy: The PC is like an Elephant and the Tablet is like an Ass (in the biblical sense).

March 16, 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

The San Pedro Junior Sailing Club wins both Buttonwood Bay and Baron Bliss Harbor Regattas
It was an exciting weekend for sailing clubs from across the country as they traveled to Belize City to participate in the annual Buttonwood Bay and Baron Bliss Harbor Regatta. Both regattas are Belize Sailing Association (BzA) national ranking regattas and all the sailors were out for the win. But it was San Pedro Junior Sailing Club (SPJSC) who took the grand first place trophy for both regattas. Held on Saturday, March 8th, the Buttonwood Bay Regatta was hosted by the Belize Sea Scouts. 49 young sailors participated in a series of six races in the optimist class. Participating clubs included SPJSC, Sea Scouts, Belize City Sailing Club (BCSC), Corozal Bay Sailing Club (CBSC), Placencia Sailing Club (PSC) and San Pedro Sailing Club (SPR).

Gaby Nuñez is San Pedro Town’s new Deputy Mayor
San Pedro Town has a new Deputy Mayor in the person of Gabriel “Gaby” Nuñez. The announcement was made by The San Pedro Town Council on March 7th via a press release in which it indicates that Nuñez took over the responsibility from councilor for the year 2014-2015. The new appointment of Nuñez also saw assignments of responsibility being reshuffled within the council. “The new appointment does not really affect any of our portfolios since the Deputy Mayor’s position is rotated every year. For me I am appreciative of the responsibility entrusted to me by my other colleagues and I will continue to work with them as I have been doing since I was elected to office. I will continue to support them, be by their side and work hand in hand with all my councilors as I have been doing in the past,” commented the new Deputy Mayor.

Oceana My Reef Instagram Competition Winners Announced
Oceana in Belize is pleased to announce the winners of its Instagram Competition. We congratulate Andrew Roe for his first place entry—“Pelican heading to roust at South Water Caye.” Through the generosity of anonymous donor, Andrew takes home a GoPro digital camera. Second place honors go to Belize City resident Chloe Cruz whose entry “Sharks” earns her a night’s stay at Belize Nirvana hotel in Placencia village, courtesy Barbara and Evan Bull.

Misc Belizean Sources

Best Places In Belize With Larry Waight & Jen Knoedl
No longer the world’s “Best Kept Secret”, Belize is attracting travelers of all kinds from all over the world. Jen Knoedl hosts a video Interview with Larry Waight of the Belize Media Group to discuss the best places to visit and experience in and near Belize.

Shooting in San Pedro town injured one man
A shooting incident just before 9:30 last night in San Pedro town has left one man injured. The victim has been identified as Victor Garnet. According to reports, Garnett was shot multiple times and sustained injuries to his abdomen. He was first treated at the Otto Rodriguez Polyclinic in San Pedro town then airlifted via Tropic Air to Belize City where he is not undergoing treatment at the Karl Heuser Memorial hospital. Police are investigating the shooting on incident and have so far collected at least 7 expended shells from the scene of the shooting Laguna Driver in the Boca del Rio area of San Pedro Town.

BAAS 2014: Ancient Maya Domestic Economy
BAAS Belize Archeology & Anthropology Symposium July 1-4

Are you ready to talk, Bishop Dorrick Wright?
Please permit me to offer a brief commentary on the much-publicized letter from the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church Reverend Dorrick Wright banning certain organizations from your schools. First off, I start from the position that I am not a member of the Roman Catholic Church; but I am a Christian. Sir, – Mr. Bishop Wright – I believe that you have taken the wrong approach to the whole situation. If the ban on these organizations is based on the supposed promotion of things that are contrary to your church’s Biblical standards, shouldn’t you have taken a Biblical approach to dealing with it? I believe that the Bible says that if a brother or a sister is found to have sinned, the church should do all it can to bring that person to repentance. This I interpret to mean, in the literal sense, dialogue. Talking to the person, understanding the root of their error and using the Holy Spirit to convict them of their wrong and trust the saving grace of God to bring them to Salvation.

Orange Walk man busted with marijuana
A man from San Estevan village in the Orange Walk district has been booked on a charge of drug trafficking. Forty year old Carmen Lino was busted with a plastic bag containing marijuana on Thursday afternoon. The police press officer says that cops on mobile patrol saw Lino acting suspicious and so they stopped and searched him. Police say that initial search did not find anything incriminating. But when police saw a motorcycle parked a short distance from where they stopped Lino, they decided to take a closer look. That was when they opened a sport bag that was on the motorcycle and found the marijuana in small foil packets weighing 140 grams.

Belmopan Cycling Classic
Today is the 33rd annual Smart Belmopan Cycling Classic. "The Annual SMART Belmopan Classic travels from SMART Headquarters on the Philip Goldson Highway through Belize City and unto the George Price Highway to Belmopan, where it goes around the Ring Road and returns back via the same route to Finish with one lap from the Round a Bout that goes from Napa to the Sol Round a Bout at Buttonwood Bay Blvd for the Open Elite/Masters; while the Female/Junior/Youth use the same route but only to La Democracia and return"

Video: Belize Vacation Trip
Slide show of our trip to Belize (Feb 2014). First half is Almond Beach Resort, second half is Caves Branch Lodge.

Video: Belize 2014 Sailing Adventure
Belize bareboat charter through TMM at San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize. Sailing Vessels Hope and Toucan head south through Spanish Lookout Caye, Middle Long Caye, Tobacco Caye, South Water Caye, to Carrie Bow Caye. Then turned north to Garbutts Cay, St. Georges Caye, Caye Caulker and back to San Pedro. March, 2014 Adventure.

Video: SunBreeze Suites Hotel - San Pedro - Belize
Offering a freshwater pool, patio bar and free Wi-Fi, SunBreeze Suites is on a private beach on the tropical island of Ambergris Caye. Each spacious suite has a balcony overlooking the sea. The bright, air-conditioned SunBreeze Suites have a bedroom, a bathroom and a living-dining room with a queen-size sofa bed and cable TV. The well-equipped kitchenettes feature a stove and fridge. In central San Pedro, the complex is within a 5 minute walk of many supermarkets, gift shops and open-air restaurants. San Pedro Airport is only half a mile away. The staff can arrange island transportation and help you plan excursions throughout Belize. They can also recommend local scuba diving centers, perfect for exploring the off-shore barrier reef.

Video: Permit landed at Tarpon Caye Belize
Dr. Greg G. and guide, Charles Leslie Sr., landing his permit at Tarpon Caye Belize April 29, 2012

Video: How To Tie The Calvo Permit Crab (Tarpon Caye Belize)
A step by step video on how to tie the famous Calvo Permit Crab. A big thank you to our friend Pablo Calvo for sending us this video and allowing us to share with all our fans.

Video: Diving with BDS Caye Caulker, Belize
2014 Belize Scuba Diving Vacation, Diving off of Caye Caulker, Belize with Belize Diving Services!

Video: Belize 2/3/2014
1º dia de mergulhos a partir de San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Imagens feitas em uma GoPro Hero2

Video: 4 The World Belize 2014
NCSU ASB Trip

Video: Belize Hang
Trip to Belize...long weekend. Saw a dolphin. :-)

Video: Scuba Diving - South Water Caye, Belize - Lawrence Academy Winterim
Lawrence Academy Winterim IZE Hopkins Underwater Adventures South Water Caye, Belize Scuba Diving PADI Certification GoPro By Adrian Colmenares & James (Tanner) Murphy

Video: Best of Belize short clips
A mix of short clips from our diving adventure with Chuck & Robbie's crew in Belize. Featured are Loggerhead Turtles, Green turtles, Hawksbill Turtles, Trumpet Fish, Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Moray Eels, Creole Wrasse, Lobster and Anglefish.

The Belize Times

Laura Esquivel booted from BTB – Executive Managers cast Vote of No Confidence
There was no rolling out of the red carpet or extravagant “farewell parties” which Directors at the Belize Tourism Board have become accustomed to when political appointee, Laura Esquivel-Frampton, stomped out of the Albert Street office on Tuesday. Reports are that the cheers and “party” actually started after Esquivel-Frampton walked out of the building, as the staff only had good riddance to say. Esquivel-Frampton becomes the 4th Director to fall out of grace at the institution within only six short years under the Barrow Administration. This serious instability within an institution that plays a key and integral role in the nation’s economy and development is a sad state of affairs. But Esquivel-Frampton’s departure ends on a sourer note than those who have walked through the exit door before her. Esquivel-Frampton was forced out of BTB by members of her own senior management team. A kind of high level backstabbing. Seven senior managers (Kevin Gonzalez, Director of Destination Planning; Armeid Thompson, Director of Quality Assurance; Keisha Faber, Director of Administration; Javier Paredez, Director of Revenue Collection/Registrar of Hotels; Alyssa Carnegie, Director of Marketing, Industry Relations; Valdemar Andrade, Director of Cruise and Regional Initiatives and Karen Pike, Director of Information Management) met secretly and plotted how to turn against Esquivel-Frampton. They complained bitterly to the Minister of Tourism, Manuel Herredia Jr. that she must go.

Editorial: Belizean Roulette
Russian Roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which a player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against his head, and pulls the trigger. A careful review of Dean Barrow’s actions and reactions to the Penner saga confirms that Barrow is a gambling man and Penner is his “single round”. Last week Monday, history was made when the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Francis Fonseca, overcame all odds and delivered a big win for the people of Belize. In September of 2013, Prime Minister Dean Barrow set the tone for his minions by publicly announcing that Elvin Penner did not commit any crime and that there was no need for an investigation. Following the landmark decision by the Chief Justice of Belize, and with the world now watching his every move under a microscope, Barrow was forced into a corner and had no choice but to change his tune. When asked about the Penner investigation last week Friday, Barrow grudgingly declared that the investigation was “none of his business”. All of a sudden.

REJECTED – Pharmacist Association opposes Appointment of Erwin Contreras’ daughter
The Pharmacist Association has reacted furiously to the appointment of UDP Minister Erwin Contreras’ daughter to the post of “Drug Inspectorate” in the Ministry of Health. The Association held an emergency meeting last week to discuss the appointment, after reports surfaced that Danini Contreras was unqualified for the post. The BELIZE TIMES reported last week that Contreras, who is a recent graduate of a University in Guatemala, was not a suitable candidate for the post. She has no experience in pharmacy in Belize and is not even a registered pharmacist in the country. Her only qualification seems to be her direct connection to her father, Minister of Trade and Economic Development, Erwin Contreras.

John Saldivar’s death sentence for BDF Soldier
The family of Belize Defense Force Corporal Norman Rodriguez have resigned any hopes that the Government of Belize will show compassion and sympathy for their loved one, a military officer who is desperately seeking assistance for medical treatment. In 2007, Corporal Rodriguez found out he had Arterio-Venous Malformation (AVM), an abnormal connection between arteries and veins in his brain which causes pain and can lead to hemorrhages and difficulties with body movement and coordination. Corporal Rodriguez began receiving medical treatment for free, as is afforded to every BDF soldier. About two years ago, the BDF decided they would no longer provide medical service to him. Corporal Rodriguez said he doesn’t know why his requests for medical assistance have been rejected but his concern has heightened since his last medical tests show that the malformation had increased in size and had spread across his brain.

Penner flees to Chetumal
Elvin Penner, Belize’s most hated UDP politician and a fugitive who is wanted for a serious crime against our nation, is on the run with the help of the UDP Government. Photos have surfaced on Facebook showing Penner and his wife frolicking inside a popular restaurant in nearby Chetumal. The photos were posted on Saturday March 8th. Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie seems not to have understood the seriousness of an order issued by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin for an accelerated criminal investigation into Penner’s issuance of Belizean nationality and a passport to Kim Won Hong, a South Korean national who was in prison in Taiwan.

Think About It
DISRESPECTING THE CHURCH “Fools rush in where wise men (and women) fear to tread”. So goes an important saying. It is sensible advice. The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy wife and the Prime Minister’s Executive Director of the National women commission need some sensible advice. Both are being quoted on Channel 5 and Channel 7 news as responding to a release signed by Roman Catholic Bishop Dorick Wright on why his church is not supporting the so-called Women’s Rally. Bishop Dorick Wright’s press release said in part that the “National Women Commission promotes values that CONTRADICT Christian and moral teachings regarding respect for all human life, family marriage and human sexuality….The well-being of women cannot be enhanced by advocacy which promotes abortions and so-called pseudo rights of men and women and same sex relationships”

Longsworth & Willoughby War!
Tensions are running high in the UDP Albert Camp after absentee area representative Herman Longsworth called out his wanna be contender Phillip Willoughby for cherry picking on his plan for residents in area. Longsworth took on Willoughby and his master Gaspar Vega last week when he exposed that Vega had stolen his idea of facilitating land papers for residents. Longsworth said the day after he visited Vega with land documents, he saw Willoughby walking through the Albert Division with Vega’s Commissioner of Lands Wilbert Vallejos. ...

Alcohol Addiction is Only One Sip Away
By Dr. Angela Banner Joseph Alcohol can ruin your life and the lives of others, so why take even one drink? -Duane Alan Hahn Why do young people drink alcohol, and what can we do to educate them about the consequences of their first sip? One of the most dangerous addictive drugs ...

HOME ECONOMICS – Review of the 2014-2015 Budget
By Richard Harrison Last week the Government of Belize read its proposed annual budget for the nation. The proposed TOTAL REVENUES & GRANTS should increase from around $900 million, to around $956 million….a growth of 6.2%. The proposed TOTAL EXPENDITURES will grow from around $974 million, to around $1,013 million….a growth of 4%. Thus ...

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – The Bar is watching you, Sedi
By Dolores Balderamos Garcia The Bar that I talk about this week is not the one where we go for a beer, drink or glass of wine. It is the Bar Association of Belize, the worthy gathering and conglomeration of attorneys-at-law who are qualified and admitted to practise law in Belize. ...

Misguided Spending
By Norris Hall There is a whole heap of money being spent irrationally in Belize City as compared to the rest of the country where neglect is rampant. It appears that for every ten dollars spent on the least productive area of Belize, one dollar is spent everywhere else. Apart from ...

Clueless Herredia! – Tourism Minister held at ransom by BTB managers
Tourism Minister Manuel Herredia has not properly explained how his flagship tourism institution is again in turmoil. The Belize Tourism Board is searching for their fourth tourism director after only six years under Herredia’s leadership. The Minister appeared shaken and, as usual, incapable of speaking with sense when he was interviewed about the internal fighting at BTB which resulted in Director Laura Esquivel-Frampton pushed out of her post. Herredia was held at ransom by seven senior employees who felt that his political appointment of Esquivel-Frampton as head of BTB was a terrible decision. In a scathing letter calling for the head of the BTB Director, the senior managers forced Herredia to face whatever political repercussions came his way with getting rid of Esquivel-Frampton, who is the daughter of former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel. Choosing not to do so would welcome a worse scenario, the managers told Herredia. ...

Delroy Cuthkelvin Squeals Foul!!
Ms Pearl Stuart Secretary General UDP Headquarters Belize City Dear Ms Stuart: The Committee to Elect Delroy Cuthkelvin hereby informs the UDP Secretariat of our disapproval with the arbitrary decision to prepare a block-out list of almost 900 voters who the Party Chairman and Secretariat propose to disallow from voting ...

Chan Pine Ridge will support Hon. Dr. Marco Mendez elections day!
Dear Editor, The people of Chan Pine Ridge wish to publicly express their full and unwavering support to our Area Representative duly elected Hon. Dr. Marco Tulio Méndez in Orange Walk East, who over the recent years has positively impacted our once forsaken village. As Simon Sinek once declared, “Great leaders ...

BTB Senior Managers Bash Laura Esquivel
Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Dearest Minister Heredia, After several meetings held with you, past and present Chairmen of the Board, Board Directors and the CEO of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, we, the undersigned, have composed this official grievance to express our dissatisfaction ...

Gwen Liz girls advance to softball nationals
The Gwen Lizarraga High School will take on the northern regional champs, the Belize Rural High School girls, at the high school softball championships to be hosted by Kings College in Maskall on March 14-15. The Gwen ...

San Ignacio United draws with FC Belize 3-2
San Ignacio United drew 3-1 with FC Belize when the Premier League’s 2014 closing season kicked off at the MCC garden on Sunday. FC Belize’s star striker Jarret ...

Belize Bank Bulldogs reign as La Ruta Maya Champs Belize Bank Bulldogs reign as La Ruta Maya Champs
The Belize Bank Bulldogs team of Armin Lopez, Amado and Daniel Cruz demonstrated major superiority, tact and skill when they won the 16th annual Belikin Ruta Maya River Challenge for the 3rd year. Bulldogs won the 4 ...

Blogs

Friday Afternoon & A Minister’s State Funeral in Caye Caulker, Belize
As I was exiting the boat, there was quite a commotion going on at the next dock. A large cruise ship tender boat unloading a big crowd and as I got closer… the street was lined with the Belize Defense Force members in formation. The burial of Former Belize Minister Louis Sylvestre – who served the country from 1957 to 1984 as Belize was becoming her own country. His family had a home in Caye Caulker for years and it was here that he wished his ashes to be scattered.

Big Rock Falls, Blancaneaux Lodge & Basil Mojitos in Belize
If you're traveling to Western Belize, here's a not-to-miss a trip to Big Rock Falls and a special recipe that you can make at home for your own little taste of Belize. Located on the Caribbean Coast of Central America and bordered by Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is a travel destination that I’ve visited twice and both times, I’ve traveled away from the popular coast and into Western Belize to stay at eco-friendly lodges and hang out with the locals. From hiking, to horseback riding to viewing wildlife, Belize is a diverse destination. Below is one of my top picks for things to do on your vacation in Belize, including the recipe for the best Basil Mojito I've ever tasted--- straight from Belize. To see these adventures first-hand, watch the "Best of Western Belize" episode in my new, original series Travel Like the Locals with Darley for ulive.com, the new online video channel from Scripps Networks Interactive. Horseback Riding to Big Rock Falls in Belize from Blancaneaux Lodge One of the coolest adventures that I experienced in Belize was a horseback ride from luxurious Blancaneaux Lodge to a "secret" waterfall, deep within the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Blancaneaux Lodge is owned by famous director Francis Ford Coppola. It's an eco-friendly Hollywood-esque resort in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve in Western Belize.

International Sources

More Thoughts On The Upcoming 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season
I am someone who constantly looks at the weather and tries to figure out what the current weather pattern may bring in the days, weeks and even months ahead; so, here is what I’m seeing in the data that could impact the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The latest sea surface temperatures continue to show a weakening La Nina and I continue to expect that an El Nino will develop this summer and likely will continue through the autumn and into the winter of 2014-15. A typical El Nino usually shuts down tropical cyclone formation across the Atlantic due to higher than average wind shear, especially across the zone from the coast of Africa to the Lesser Antilles. Sometimes during this sort of setup we see an area of lower wind shear develop near the US Southeast coast, western Caribbean and across parts of the Gulf of Mexico. The current sea surface temperature profile over the Atlantic Basin features colder than average sea surface temperatures over the zone between the Lesser Antilles and the coast of Africa and warmer than average sea surface temperatures from near Bermuda westward to near the US Southeast coast. This sort of sea surface temperature pattern if it combines with the expected El Nino may mean that tropical disturbances tracking off of Africa may struggle until they get west of 60 to 65 West Longitude; meaning this could be a season of in-close development and homebrew tropical development near the US Southeast coast, the Bahamas, the western Caribbean and into parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

American injured as 2-seater plane crashes in Belize
Civil aviation officials were continuing investigations Saturday into the crash of a two-seater single engine aircraft at the Punta Gorda airstrip on Friday. The authorities say while the pilot, Michael Bogacz escaped unscathed, his female passenger, Jennifer Sobre had been taken to the Punta Gorda Hospital in a critical, but stable condition. Police Inspector Ernel Dominquez said that the plane crashed near the compound of the Ministry of Works and suffered extensive damage to its front, wings and tail end. He said the authorities are working on the theory that the plane developed mechanical problems while in the area of the airstrip and was forced to crash land.

Vendors sceptical about lionfish
Lionfish and bake may taste delicious but the misconception that it is poisonous remains the biggest obstacle for its acceptance as an alternative to shark and bake. This is the view of University of Southampton postgraduate researcher Fadilah Ali. Ali, the PhD candidate who has dissected more than 10,000 lionfish, told the Sunday Guardian via e-mail that the lionfish was not poisonous, but that the tips of its barbs contained venom instead. If it stuck someone, it would be painful but was not fatal, and no one has died from it. Ali said throughout the Caribbean there was a great misconception that the lionfish was poisonous and as a result there was a general unwillingness to eat the fish. She said education via the media was the only way to clear up these misconceptions and also prove to people the benefits of eating lionfish.

Crime & Violence In Latin America & The Caribbean: How To Cope With It Using A Human Face
The underlying causes of crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region stems from drugs, inflation, poverty, unemployment, and lack of social inclusion. The United Nations (UN) stated in a 2007 report on "Crime and Development in Central America" that it's geographical position is what makes them exposed to the world's largest suppliers and consumers of cocaine. This could make Central America vulnerable to crime and influenced by crime. Plus, the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Caribbean Human Development Report, launched in 2012, states that drug-trafficking and organized crime generate violence. According to the World Bank, Latin America accounts for 30 percent of the world's homicides. A Latin American security expert for the World Bank stated that the LAC region represents 9 percent of the global population. And, that seven out of ten countries with the world's highest homicide rates are from that region. In Central America, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Guatemala, all have high crime rates; as well as in South America: Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. In addition, Jamaica in the Caribbean.

March 15, 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

Two island residents missing for over two weeks
Two males living on Ambergris Caye have been missing for almost two weeks, leaving no trace behind. They are 31-year-old Dean Nassad Joseph, unemployed of San Mateo Area, and 49-year-old Vincent Crawford also known as Chuku, a laborer of north San Pedro Town. The last time they were both seen alive was on Saturday March 1st. According to police, on March 4th, Joseph’s common-law wife Tessa Ochaeta reported that he left home on March 1st in the company of a person known to her as Chuku. Ochaeta told police that Joseph said that they were going to work as security guards at a cement house in the Robles Point area of northern Ambergris Caye. While conducting an investigation on northern Ambergris Caye, police said that two security officers working on northern Ambergris Caye informed them that on the same date, at about 10:30AM they saw both Joseph and Crawford as part of a group of five, walking northwards along the beach. One of the security officers told police that Joseph indicated to him that he was going to camp at a base in the Bacalar Chico area. That was the last time anyone saw both Crawford and Joseph alive.

Shooting in Boca del Rio Area leaves one man wounded
At approximately 9:30PM Friday, March 14th one male individual was shot while in the Boca del Rio Area on Laguna Drive in San Pedro Town. The wounded man, later identified as Victor Garnett was rushed to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez Polyclinic II where he was stabilized and later airlifted to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. Garnett sustained several gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen and lung. According to San Pedro police seven expended bullet shells were recovered from the scene and residents in the area claim to have heard as many as 13 shots. It is believed that the shooter fled the scene on a skiff. In 2009 Garnett, along with Brionne Swift, Frank Edwards Jr and Gabriel Salaza were charged with the double murder of James Swan and Edwardo Gutierrez. In May 2012 a jury handed down a not guilty verdict for murder and manslaughter to all four individuals.

Footprints for Peace rally brings out hundreds to honor fallen victims
Exactly one week after the senseless killing of Jeffrey Eiley in San Pedro Town, hundreds of islanders marched through the streets of the island to condemn the murder and call for justice. Under the name of “Footprints for Peace – Justice for Jeffery,” some four hundred islanders gathered at the San Pedro Central Park on the evening of Thursday March 13th. Several speakers called for the attention of authorities and government leaders to address the crime issue that has spiked over the past few weeks on the island while also calling upon the citizenry to rise up against violence. Present at the event were families of murder victims, as well as those who have been at the forefront of the fight against crime. Fresh from the loss of their loved one, the Arceo and Eiley families, who organized the event, were out in full force. They took the opportunity to share how the death of Jeffery has ripped their family and community apart. Pablo Garcia, who lost his father in an unsolved murder two years ago on the island, also shared the emotional difficulties it is on a family to lose someone at the hands of violence.

The San Pedro Tigersharks crush Belmopan Bandits
The San Pedro Tigersharks continue to make waves in the National Elite Baskeball League (NEBL) and in week five, they picked up yet another win for the season. On Saturday March 8th, they faced off the Belmopan Bandits at the UB Gymnasium. The home team succumbed to the ferocity unleashed by the visiting San Pedro Tigersharks with a crushing 25 points deficit in a game that ended 84-59. From the start of the game, spectators were in for a showdown. What an unforgettable night the Tigersharks had in store for the Bandits! In the first quarter, the Tigersharks milled the home team so badly the Bandits were unable to recover throughout the course of the night. San Pedro’s Ashton Edwards was on a roll and in the first quarter he scored five three-pointers giving the Tigersharks a comfortable lead of 29-13 points. No compassion was shown in the second quarter as the Tigersharks’ Jamal Kelly hit two three-pointers, contributing half of the twelve points gained by visiting team keeping the 40-22 points lead.

Belize Bank Bulldogs are 16th Annual Ruta Maya River Challenge Champions
The Belize Bank Bulldogs team, consisting of Armin Lopez and Amando and David Cruz, are the winners of the 16th Annual La Ruta Maya River Challenge. The event, which is sponsored by Belikin, saw 61 teams participating in the 180-mile long race. The paddlers made their way from the foot of the historic Hawksworth Bridge in the twin towns of San Ignacio/Santa Elena to the foot of the Belcan Bridge in Belize City and ran for four days, from March 7th to the 10th. The kickoff saw a multitude of fans gathered along the banks of the Macal River as the paddlers went from the Twin Towns, under the wooden bridge and steadily paddled along the river banks of rural communities. La Ruta Maya fanatics rushed to communities such as Esperanza Village, Duck Run I, and even to the finish line on day one at the banks of the river at Banana Bank Lodge.

Ambergris Today

"Don't Mess Up San Mateo" Clean Up Campaign 2014
The San Pedro Town Council launched the "Don't Mess Up San Mateo" Clean Up Campaign 2014 on Tuesday, March 11, with an opening ceremony held at the entrance of the San Mateo Area. At the ceremony the invocation was delivered by Mr. Dave Nisbet and the welcome address by Mayor Daniel Guerrero. Special remarks were delivered by Mr. Bill Ford and by Mr. Chris Bonnet from Action Twenty 24 and lastly the closing remarks by councilor Kenrick Brackett. Action Twenty 24 is a team of volunteers who organize camps and various activities for communities that are under developed or simply need a helping hand. A team of 20 volunteers are in San Pedro at the moment.

Hundreds Leave Footprints for Peace at Anti-Crime Rally
It was a lively, emotional and highly vociferous rally organized by Nathalie Arceo, cousin of shooting victim Jeffrey Eiley and by Kristina Romero of NDACC. Well organized and extremely well attended, not even a light rain could wet the high spirits or the energy at the Central Park. In fact, the cries from the sky only served to accentuate the cries of the people who are determined to take back San Pedro. Shootings bring consequences. Lack of action from our leaders will also bring consequences. The battle cry by the community shall be "Footprints for Peace". In order to get PEACE, Ambergris Caye residents declare WAR against all forms of violence. The anti-crime rally is the first of events that will be organized by Footprints for Peace. The group will get together for future events, rallies and movements to push the community leaders to fight against crime.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Chemotherapy Org Fundraising Banquet
My name is Mary A. (Usher) Swales, the Founder and President of a non-medical cancer organization name the "BELIZE CHEMOTHERAPY ORGANIZATION OF NEW YORK, INC.". (BCOONY). We liaison with the Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga (BCC/D), affiliates with the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), and other organizations here in the USA. We fund-raise only to supplement the cost to pay for chemotherapy treatments for children and adults who are suffering from cancer or some other form of diseases, in Belize. For the first time our organization planned to have an International Banquet outside the USA. It will be in our beautiful country, Belize.

Gregory August appeals murder conviction
The Court of Appeal on Thursday reserved its decision in the case of 26 year old Gregory August. August was convicted of the May 2009 death of 73 year old Alvin Robinson in Western Paradise, Belize District. Robinson, who was physically disabled and blind in one eye, was stabbed nine times in the face and neck and found barely alive on his bed. He died while en route to receive treatment. A jury convicted August in November of 2012 before Justice Adolph Lucas based mostly on circumstantial evidence, including reports that August had recent violent confrontations with Robinson’s grandchildren and was heard to threaten them.

New trial for convicted murderer Viola Pook
The Belize Court of Appeal has quashed the conviction of 57 year old Viola Pook for murder and ordered a new trial. The housewife was convicted in July of 2011 of the death of her common-law husband, 47 year old Orlando Mai Vasquez, whom she allegedly set on fire at their Rancho Dolores home on December 31, 2008. But her cause was taken up by no less than Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan during a visit to the prison last year, when she claimed she had been a longtime sufferer of abuse from Vasquez, who allegedly raped one of her children with him.

Vehicle knocks down man inside convenience store
Almost a week after he was knocked down, 22 year old Carlos Castellanos, a resident of Bella Vista village, Toledo district is still struggling to get medical attention for a seriously injured leg. The incident happened on Sunday, March 9 when an SUV crashed into the front of the A&A; convenience store in Bella Vista village. Castellanos was in the process of exiting the store when the vehicle crashed through the glass front door and hit him, flinging him back inside the building. The shattered glass fell on Castellanos’ leg seriously injuring him. The driver of the vehicle and another man who was inside the SUV abandoned the vehicle after the incident and ran away from the area.

Student knocked down in Corozal town
A student of Altamira, Corozal was knocked down and injured on Thursday night. The victim has been identified as 18 year old Victor Casanova. According to reports, Casanova and another student, 17 year old Yansie Iglesias, were walking on Fourth Avenue opposite the Rainbow Town Park when the hit and run incident occurred around 8 o’clock on Thursday night. Reports are that a vehicle hit Casanova from behind as he walked his bicycle, causing him to sustain injuries to his head, abrasions to his right knee and pain to the left side of his body.

Special Olympics Fun Run held in Corozal
The Seventh annual Special Olympic Fun Run was held this morning in Corozal town. Over 250 athletes, volunteers, students and children with special needs took part in the event which started at 6:30 am in front of the Corozal Town Council. According to the Corozal district Coordinator for Special Olympics Martha Correa, the event was a huge success as the main objective was met. In the end, medals were awarded to the top eight finishers in two categories.

Small plane crashes at Punta Gorda airstrip
Reports say that the small plane with the number N192LC emblazoned on its fuselage, landed at the Punta Gorda airstrip around 3:15 pm. The origin of the flight is not yet known. Preliminary indications are that the pilot tried to take off after touching down, when the plane clipped a nearby post, the engine burst into flames and landed on the Ministry of Works compound. A part of the fence was torn down. Eyewitnesses at the scene say that the pilot appeared unhurt, while a woman with him, believed to be his wife, appeared to have suffered only minor scratches and bruises. The couple declined comment to correspondents on the scene.

Courts-Belize offers customers chance to win SUV
The furniture and appliances store Courts-Belize is giving its customers a chance to win a 2014 model Kia Sportage SUV. Courts-Belize today brought the vehicle to Punta Gorda town to show customers and prospective customers what they can win by taking part in their promotion. According to Marketing Officer for Courts-Belize Kovenka Rodriguez, for every $50 purchase that is made any of its stores countrywide, a customer gets a chance to win the vehicle. A drawing to determine who drives away with the vehicle will be held at the end of March.

Challenge Gobie bike ride starts today
The Sixth annual Challenge Gobie Bike Ride is set to start this evening in Punta Gorda town. Professional and non-professional riders from across the country will take to the Southern and Hummingbird Highways to raise funds for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. The ride will commence at the “Dollar Sign” monument at the entrance to Punta Gorda town at 6 pm and make its way to Belmopan, finishing around noon on Saturday, March 15. Organizers say that food will be available for purchase at the end of the bike ride on Saturday in front of Caribbean Tire in the nation’s capital. The organizers will also have Challenge Gobie T-Shirts on sale.

FIFA website puts spotlight on Deon McCaulay
Belizean football superstar Deon McCaulay is featured prominently in a story appearing today on the FIFA website. The story highlight’s McCaulay’s big move to a professional team in the United States. Click here to go to the FIFA website story.

Pediatric Wing at the KHMH
The new Pediatric Wing at the KHMH is well under way. We are so appreciative of the efforts of Ms. Kim Simplis, Challenge Gobie Foundation, Maheias United, The Japanese Embassy, The Oak Foundation, the staff of the KHMH and anyone who has donated time, effort, or support. The children of Belize thank you all. As I always say, "Illness does not discriminate."

Plane crash in Punta Gorda
A single engine plane crashed around 2:30 this afternoon into the Ministry of Works compound near the Punta Gorda airstrip. The occupants were Americans, Michael Pierre Bogacz, 52, and Jennifer Sobre, 35 whom sustained minor injuries for which she is receiving treatment at the Punta Gorda hospital.

Donation to the Kings Children's Home
Today Tropigas donated 3 desktop computers along with desks, chairs and printers to the Kings Children's Home in Cotton Tree Village. Ms Leonie Gillham, the Founder and Director, accepted the donation on behalf of the 78 children residing at the Home. The Kings Children's Home is funded by a grant from the Government of Belize, donations from churches and other organizations. The Home is a shelter for children from 8 months to18 years. They have 12 workers and 8 international volunteers. The Home started building on 28th February 2011 and on 24th December, 2013 moved from its original location on Unity Blvd in Belmopan. This safe haven has been providing a home, education, food and nurturing to children for 28 years in Belmopan. If you would like to donate or simply visit please contact Ms Leonie Gillham at phone: 605-9290 or e-mail: [email protected]. Representing Tropigas was Ms Linda Escalante. The donation was valued at $8,000. (7 photos)

Western Ballaz Defeat Toledo Diplomats
The Western Ballaz defeated the Toledo Diplomats 83 to 54.

BCS Pap Smear Campaign
The San Ignacio Branch of the Belize Cancer Society has teamed up with the San Ignacio Community Hospital to wipe out cervical cancer, and they are going around Cayo to do pap tests. They'll be in San Antonio tomorrow, Bullet Tree on Wednesday, March 19th, and Georgeville on Friday, March 21st. Thanks, BCS!

4 The World Takes Youths to Xunantunich
4 The World, which does a lot of volunteer work in Calla Creek, is back in Cayo for Spring Break, and they took some local youths to Xunantunich for a fun day of hiking and sightseeing. "On our first day in Belize we took kids on a field trip to see the ancient Mayan City Xunantunich. It was hard to tell who had the most fun the kids or the NC State team. Either way it was an amazing way to start our Spring Break in Belize."

Tortilleria Maya Corn Exhibit
The SISE House of Culture has a new exhibit on display. It's called Tortilleria Maya, and is an exhibit that explains how the Mayans used corn. Corn was a big part of the Mayan existence, and a huge influence on their culture. "The San Ignacio and Santa Elena House of Culture welcomes you to their new exhibit"

Belizean Artist, Denise Castillo's New Song - "Watch Ova Wi"

Video: Norman Eiley speaks about the murder of his son Jeffery
Mr. Norman Eiley speaks from the spot where his son lay after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. This took place at Footprints for Peace, a walk held against the violence plaguing the streets.

Video: Mergulhos em Belize
Mergulhos excelentes! Visibilidade perfeita e muita vida! Grupo animado e super divertido! Organização impecável! Se tiverem oportunidade, confiram. Carnaval 2014

Video: Caye Caulker, Belize
Rush hour in Caye Caulker, Belize. January 2014.

Video: Best Places In Belize With Larry Waight & Jen Knoedl
No longer the world's "Best Kept Secret", Belize is attracting travelers of all kinds from all over the world. Jen Knoedl hosts a video Interview with Larry Waight of Huffington Post to discuss the best places to visit and experience in and near Belize.

Video: Ambergris Caye Belize Vacation Hotspot
This place was just voted the #1 travel destination island in the world. Sun, sand, diving, fishing, sailing, all located on the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. This place a little slice of Heaven. My thanks to the great people that live there that showed us a great time.

Video: Archaeological Excavation in Belize Pawnce the Archaeologist
What I was doing in the summer of '09. or Livestream every week day. Follow ..

Video: Victoria Tunnel, San Pedro, Belize, March 5, 2014
San Pedro, Belize. March 5, 2014: Victoria Tunnel. Starting depth about 75 ft, ending depth at 97 ft.

Video: Oil Tanker Runs Off the Hummingbird Highway

Video: Welt der Maya - Mexiko Tulum - Belize Cahal Pech - Mysterious Mayan ruins
Peter Menzel (PMMedia1) Das Hotel Radisson in Cancun ist der Ausgangspunkt einer Rundreise, die uns nach Belize, Guatemala und wieder zurück auf die mexikanische Halbinsel Yucatan bringt. Erstes Ziel sind die Maya-Ruinen von Tulum, die nur 250 km vom Cancun entfernt liegen. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen präkolumbischen Orten war Tulum bei Ankunft der Spanier im Jahre 1517 noch eine lebendige, dicht besiedelte Stadt. In Chetumal überqueren wir die Grenze zum Nachbarland Belize, das nur 23.000 km² groß ist. Auf die zahlreichen Besucher haben sich die Menschern in Belize eingestellt. An den Souvenirständen und Geschäften locken Kunsthandwerker mit ihren Produkten und laden zum Kauf ein. Wer die geheimnisvolle Maya Kultur kennen lernen will, kommt in Belize voll auf seine Kosten. Die Maya-Ruinen von Cahal Pech sind von ihren Ausmaßen nicht mit den archäologischen Fundstellen in Tikal und Palenque vergleichbar, dennoch geben sie einen guten Einblick in die Bauweise der Maya.

Channel 7

Florida Plane Crash Lands In Punta Gorda
An American couple is glad to be alive tonight after their single engine aircraft crash landed at the Punta Gorda Municipal Airport this afternoon. These pictures from FACEBOOK, PGTV and the Frontier Inn show the plane as it lay at the northwestern end of the runway, near the Ministry of Works Warehouse. Best information from the PG Airstrip says that AT 2:45 the plane attempted to land and then took off again. When it did, one of its wings clipped the MET Department's weather tower. That sent it crashing to the ground and careening across the airfield. The plane which is a Lancair 320 suffered significant damage as the pictures show - with its wing, the front and the tail affected.

Raylene Dyer Was Decapitated; Alleged Killers Get Off, Her Family Enraged
In October of 2010, one of the most shocking murder stories we've ever reported on made national headlines: 18 year-old Raylene Dyer was allegedly decapitated and dumped in a river, so that her 3 month old baby could be stolen and given to another woman - who masterminded the crime. 3 men were accused of killing her but on Wednesday they were acquitted before Justice Denis Hanomansingh. The main evidence against all 3 men were that they confessed to the crime, and supposedly gave police intimate details as to how they killed Dyer, slit her throat, chopped off her head, and dumped her body into a river near a slaughterhouse in Valley of Peace in October 2010. But, the accused claimed that police obtained those confession statements by force. They say that they only gave the caution statements because the police brutalized them into it.

Convicted Husband Killer Viola Pook Gets A Retrial
And while that case played out in Belmopan, in the Court of Appeal in Belize City, 56 year old Viola Pook, was before the court. She was convicted of murdering her husband by setting him on fire on December 31, 2008. The evidence her trial was that Pook doused 46 year-old Orlando Vasquez with gasoline and set him ablaze. He died 2 days later after suffering from second degree burns to 70% of his body. She appealed her conviction and sentence in the June 2013 session of the Appeal Court, and today, she got good news. The Judges allowed the appeal, set aside her conviction, and ordered a retrial. 7News was outside of court after the decision, and we got a reaction from her attorney, Simeon Sampson. Here's what he told us: Simeon Sampson, attorney "It is the lady who it is allege burnt her husband, the policeman arrive there and she didn't gave any statement to anyone and the policeman met the dying husband on the ground with serious burns to his body and the policeman corporal Zuniga approach who was sitting around and ask her what happen. And according to the police Zuniga she blurted out "da me catch him fire." That was the only evidence they had against her. So I had appeal to the effect that there was no warning definitely the police attitude in my submission, was sort of accusatory in my view when he ask what happen and she blurted out "da me catch him fire." There was absolutely no other evidence against her and I move the court to decide that that allege confession "da me catch him fire" ought not to have been admitted into evidence. The judge agreed this to me but on a different ground and she is going to stand trial another time. I wish her luck."

San Pedranos Want Justice For Jeffrey, And More
Last night, hundreds of San Pedranos took to the streets in a peaceful protest called, "Footprints for Peace - Justice For Jeffrey." The event was held in memory of Jeffrey Eiley, the 30 year old island resident who was killed one week ago. His father knelt in the spot where his son was shot at the Corner of Tarpon Street and Barrier Reef Drive and lamented that no one came to his aid - when he had only been shot in the arms :.. Father of Jeffrey Eiley "This is the spot where I saw my son lay helpless. Both hands were shattered to pieces, he had no way of getting up, no way of helping himself and there is one thing I want the general public to know, there are heartless people living and do not render help. There are heartless security guard, I don't know where they come from, I think they are criminal themselves and they do not render aid. That is another section of this whole situation where there are hard hearted people in the wee hours of the night that does not render help. When I came around the curve and Jeffrey lies here, he was by himself. People were looking on as if though it was a show, they did not rendered help. Had Jeffrey gotten some help, he could have been alive." According to the san Pedro Sun there were 400 Islanders and a number of passionate speeches from families who've lost loved ones to violence on the island. The Sun reports that they called on Government to provide necessary health facilities and amenities to ensure a more adequate response to traumatic injuries.

At Last, Crooked Tree Causeway Set Straight
The Crooked Tree Causeway went under water at the end of October, and didn't re-appear until February. True, it was what villagers call a "Top Gallon" flood - but it only underscored a chronic problem of flooding in the Lagoon. At the end of the almost four month ordeal, one life had been lost to a boating accident, and the villagers, working people and students had experienced many, many hours of inconvenience. Finally, what villagers say should have been done long ago is finally being undertaken: the causeway is being repaired. We found out more in Crooked Tree today:... Hon. Edmund Castro "What you can see out here - as soon as the rains held up maybe not exceeding 6 weeks we are out here trying to put on some material on the causeway. I think we raise most of the causeway right now approximately a foot to two feet. As you can see the equipment are still out here. It's raining so they are working in between to see how we could elevate the situation out here in Crooked Tree."

The New Bridge For Belize City Will Be Ready By Year's End
The new Chetumal Street Bridge in Belize City should be opened by the end of this year. Contracts for the bridge and the approaches were signed today in Belmopan. The bridge design and construction is for 2.2 million dollars - and that went to M and M Engineering, while the filling of the bridge approaches and assembly of the bridge is for 2.7 million dollars and that went to CISCO Construction. Today principals from both companies discussed the significance of the project at a contract signing. Cisco Woods "Personally as a resident of Belize City I know this bridge will provide a lot of relief to the Central American Boulevard and BelCan Bridge especially around 7-8am when students are trying to reach the schools on the north side. As representing our company Cisco Construction we are excited because this will provide quite a bit more jobs for residents in the city and it will be also while providing jobs almost training too because a lot of fellows will learn skills while building the bridge, so we are very excited about this bridge happening. Long time we've been waiting for this."

Man Claims Humiliation and Harassment By Police
We report on police harassment often in our newscast and usually the victims of these stories never get justice. Tonight one more is added to that list: he is Cordell Bernardez, a resident of Wagner's Lane. He told us that on Wednesday night at around 7 o'clock while riding his bike near Southside Market, he was stopped and searched by police. Nothing was found on him, but he was still escorted to the Precinct one Police Station at the corner of Kut Avenue and Euphrates. While at the station he alleged he was assaulted and harassed by officers and then was put to wash several police motorcycles. Three hours later, at around 10 that night he was released without any charges. For this working class man, he believes his rights were violated - here's his story. Cardell Bernardez - Alleges Police Harassment "Riding my bicycle on my way to South Side Meat Market, two Belize Defence Force soldiers and a police officer approach me with a flash light into my face and I told him that that could be avoided, if he want to search me I don't have any problem with it because you have a job to do. He search me and didn't find anything, he turn and told me that I have an attitude, I turn and told him that I didn't have any attitude, I am just defending me. Now all these other people came and he search them and gave then that run, but just the way how I talk to him he must not have liked it. Now I have my hands against the wall, he called for the mobile, the mobile didn't assist him. He walks me from South Side Meat Market shop to St. John's police station. When he walked me there he was trying to take me through the back gate, the gate was close and so he took me to the front. The 2 BDF soldiers told the corporal that I was assaulting them."

Sugar Smuggling: TIDE Catches A contraband Mission In Progress
Belize's sugar continues to be smuggled across to Guatemala - and while that contraband trade probably goes through so many different routes, today in Punta Gorda, The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment known as TIDE caught one contraband mission in progress. They went out and found this Guatemalan dorey - reportedly with its five horsepower engine broken down, but in Belizean waters. 50 sacks of BSI sugar were strapped unto the dorey and three Guatemalan men Pedro and Mario Quv and Marcos Che were on board. Tide took the dorey into Customs and handed the men over to Immigration.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Project Gets A Shot In The Arm From Japan
Today a grant contract agreement was signed at the KHMH - between the hospital, The Government of Japan and the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children. The government of Japan donated one hundred and twenty thousand US dollars for the purchase of equipment to the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit project. It all happened with the help of the Special Envoy office - which had requested assistance for support through the Government of Japan's Grassroots and Human Security Grant project. And after getting a positive response, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica Hiromoto Oyama travelled to Belize to sign the grant contract agreement. 7news was present. To coincide with the first secretary's visit, tomorrow Japan Day will be commemorated at the Princess Hotel with a display by Japanese chefs.

Sensitivity For Women Soldiers
Its women's month and yesterday the women soldiers at the Price Barracks in Ladyville got some love in the form of counseling. In a job where toughness is valued above all else, women soldiers can come under stress. Here's why:.. Participant 1 "We have decided to team up with the Belize Defence Force especially our female soldiers are one that we don't see often, but their wellbeing is also taken into consideration and so as the officer in charge of the Belize District I have decided to come up with looking at the mental healthiness, looking at the sexual reproductive right of our female soldiers.." Participant 2 "They have a very stressful life and many of them can get some help. Many of them are under some kind of severe stressful situation and they need to know where they can get some help." Participant 3 "It's very important especially with our women BDF because they do experience these problems, not only at home but here at work, so I believe that it will help them to know that they will be able to seek help and it's not a problem to seek help. You are not seeing as somebody weak but actually one of your strengths if you come out and bring your problems across to somebody who will be able to assist you to get that help that you need."

Teryl's Terrible Concert Experience
Terryl Godoy is one of Belize's most well-known painters, but the self-styled "Man At Work" is not only skilled with the paintbrush, he has also been a musician for over 20 years - a past time that first started when he exchanged one of his paintings for a second hand keyboard. Since then, he has released 2 albums and is working on his third. On Saturday night he will be taking the stage at the House of Culture for a live concert. It sounds exciting but Godoy says he has been facing many challenges and disappointments along the way. The concert starts at 7 tomorrow night at the House of Culture. Tickets are 20 dollars in advance and 30 at the door.

Channel 5

Court of Appeal orders a retrial for Viola Pook accused of setting husband on fire
But earlier today, a number of decisions were handed down by the Court of Appeal to conclude its first session for this year. It ended with good news for fifty-six [...]

Date for Pook’s retrial has not been set
While Pook remains on remand at the Belize Central Prison, a date for her retrial has not been set.  According to Sampson, the overwhelming backlog at the Supreme Court will [...]

Graphic evidence presented in Belmopan court on the murder of Raylene Dyer
While Viola Pook will get a retrial, Aracely Cahueque is on trial in the Belmopan Supreme Court. In October 2010 Cahueque and three men were accused of the horrific murder [...]

Attorney explains acquittal of 3 men charged in murder case
As we’ve told you, the tragedy of Raylene’s cruel death has been compounded by another travesty – the matter never even reached full trial, and the three men walked. On [...]

Light the Night for Kids
As we said, hundreds are preparing now to start a march from memorial park to downtown Belize City in what is known as the “Light the Night…for the kids” of [...]

Plane crash lands in Punta Gorda
A private aircraft with U.S. registration crash landed this afternoon at the Punta Gorda airstrip. The pilot was fifty-two year old Michael Bogacz and his partner, Jennifer Sobre…both American nationals. [...]

Still no evidence in investigation into the Won Hong Kim/Elvin Penner passport scandal
Tonight there is very little new information on the criminal investigation into the Won Hong Kim/Elvin Penner passport scandal. Penner, the former Minister of State with responsibility for immigration, has [...]

Court of Appeal reserves decision in the case of Gregory August
The Court of Appeal on Thursday also reserved its decision in the case of twenty-six year old Gregory August. August was convicted of the May 2009 death of seventy-three year [...]

Hit & Run in Corozal
There is another traffic accident to report tonight. It is a hit and run that happened just after eight o’clock on Thursday night. Police found eighteen year old student Victor [...]

2 San Pedro men missing; family fears the worst
In San Pedro, two men have disappeared from the island without a trace and their families are bracing for the worst. Dean Nassad Joseph, a resident of the San Mateo [...]

Japan provides US $120,000 for Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the K.H.M.H.
Today at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital the signing of a grant agreement between the national referral hospital, the Offices of the Special Envoy for Women and Children and the [...]

Cultural Day for preschoolers of St. Mary’s School
As part of their activities for child stimulation month, the Preschool at Saint Mary’s Primary School held its annual cultural day. The preschoolers dressed up in different cultural attires for [...]

Supt. Dezerie Phillips, Woman of the Year
Senior Superintendent Dezerie Phillips has been named Belize’s Woman of the Year 2014.  Phillips becomes the fifth woman selected by the United States Embassy for the prestigious title.  She joined [...]

Special Olympics Belize yearly fun run goes countrywide
Every year at this time, Special Olympics Belize stages its Fun Run to promote awareness of special needs children. The event has been growing exponentially and this year, Fun Runs [...]

3 men walk and a woman still on trial for the sensational murder of Raylene Dyer
Three men - Roaring Creek construction workers twenty-one year old Darren Banner, twenty year old Jason Anderson and twenty-four year old UB student Brandon Budna are free after being incarcerated [...]

CTV3

Corozaleno Alleges Police Brutality
On Tuesday we reported on a bar brawl that left a pair of brothers with head injuries. One of the injured men was 22 year old police officer attached to the Belize City Eastern Division, Javier Noble. Noble reported to police that on Sunday night, around 10:50, he and his younger brother, 18 year old Angel Noble, were socializing infront of Tony Gongora’s Bar, in Concepcion Village, Corozal District, when they were involved in an altercation with 22 year old John Medina and 18 year old Christian Medina, both of Concepcion Village. Well, tonight, the alleged bar brawlers visited our news center and told us that they are seeking justice for being ill accused of the fight. John Medina says he is innocent of the charge levied against him and before and after lock-up he faced a great deal of excessive force at the hands of the police. John Medina and his mother Ofelia Medina say they want justice. John Medina– Alleges Police Brutality “A mi casa y pues me fui a mi casa ya estaba durmiendo yo cuando la policía llego, fueron ocho de ellos en un van y un pólice pickup, pero tres de ellos me fueron a sacar de mi casa. Patearon la puerta de mi casa hasta que se abrió y me sacaron sin camisa solo mi pantalón tenia puesto y me comenzaron a golpear, uno me golpeo con la pistola que tenía, el pump 12, en mi cabeza aquí y yo calli en el suelo y mi mama se metió y les dijo que no quiere que me golpea porque yo soy inocente pero a ellos no les importo rempujaron a mi mama en un lado y a mi señora igual, pero mi señora tiene un hijo de dos años y medio y ella está embarazada y tiene siete meses y solo falta dos meses para que tenga el segundo bebe y no les importo sobre de eso le golpearon a mi señora y ella callo hacia la pared y golpeo a mi hijo igual pero como ella esa embarazada ella se lastimo también y el vino sobre de mí y me golpeo y me llevo en el vehículo que yo machetee a un pólice y yo no sé nada de eso, y después me está llevando el patrol y entro en el camino de San Joaquín el que va al basurero hasta el fondo me llevo y me dijo que me va a llevar a un playgorund adonde sacan la verdad pero como yo no sé qué significo ese playgorund pues ellos me bajaron del vehículo hacía en el cañal en el monte y me dijeron que ellos quieren que yo me dé por culpable pero como yo dije yo soy inocente y ellos me empezaron a patear y me golpearon y todo así me maduraron mi cuerpo y después ellos me subieron al van.”

East Sports Center Vandalized OWTC Comes To The Rescue
The Orange Walk Town Council today began working on improving the infrastructure at the East Sports Center located on Aurora Street. While the Council has committed to carrying out the project, what fast tracked the work was receiving a report that the electricity wires at the center had been sabotaged. Whether this was a vindictive act or not is of no concern to the council and has not discouraged their efforts. After being informed of the incident yesterday, Mayor Kevin Bernard says they decided to start the work immediately. Kevin Bernard – Mayor of Orange Walk Town “The electricity here at the East sport centre apparently has been sabotage, somebody had cut the wires and what we want to do is to bring back life to East Sport Centre, I believe that we would need to bring back sports in this area this is a public space and so we, the council decided that we will invest here at the East Sport Centre Park, so what we are doing right now is reinstall and run back the electricity and so that we can have lighting here at the East Sport Centre and we can have basketball and other activities here at the East Sport Centre.”

First Caribbean Bank Donates School Equipment To Chapel School
First Caribbean Bank has today offered much needed assistance to Chapels Primary School in Orange Walk Town. Branch Manager Pablo Ayala says the project falls under the bank’s corporate social responsibility. Ayala says that on a yearly basis the bank seeks to undertake projects within the community. The bank donated eight white boards to the school which the administration says will greatly assist in reducing the health risks to teachers that come with the use of chalk boards. The school also received doors that were also painted by the bank’s staff, and this morning they were handed a computer for the teachers’ lounge. School Principal Julian Chi says the donations help greatly in the schools efforts towards expanding. Pablo Ayala – Branch Manager, First Caribbean Bank, OW “This year we were glad to partner with Chapel School who we believe it is an institution who reaches out to many young people and many minds and changes life and as their mission goes to change lives we thought it would be a good institution to partner with.”

Belize Ranked High for Homocides
Crime continues to plague Belize despite government’s efforts to tackle it. Strategies put in place have been considerably effective however the problem has not been completely solved. But while Belize’s authorities continue to fight crime at all levels, there is a bigger picture within Latin America. To start with, the United Nations has qualified crime and violence as an “epidemic” and considers the region to be the most insecure in the world. In 2012, reports showed that one in three inhabitants in the region was a victim of a crime, mainly theft. To get a better picture of the current situation in the entire region, the World Bank Citizen Security Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Rodrigo Serrano-Berthet, gives an overview of the situation of crime in an interview published in the international press.

Rotaract Week Celebrated In O.W
Rotaract week is observed from March tenth to the sixteenth in celebration of the chartering of the first club in North Carolina, USA, on 13 March 1968. It is held annually and is designed to foster Rotaract-Rotary activities in celebration of the founding of the Rotaract program. The Rotaract Club of Orange Walk is therefore also celebrating this occasion with one of their biggest activities yet. President Azalia Torres tells us what they have planned. Azalia Torres – President “Tonight we are having our joint meeting with our sponsoring club and also on Friday we are also doing a bit of packing up hampers for us to go Sunday to San Carlos. On Sunday we are taking over particular the entire village where we will play games, show movies, have different activities with the kids and also we have a team of doctors going in and doing some general health for the different people there.” The club has been active with the community for eight years and according to Vice President Clarissa Azaeta it has been a good run.

BSI/ASR Introduce New Company Logo
Today the ASR Group-Belize Sugar Industries Limited announced its adoption of a fresh new look to its corporate logo and branding identity. The release says that the new branding and color scheme were developed to reflect BSI’s core business activities as well as to embrace partnership with ASR and its family of companies. To date, the partnership has resulted in the investment of $190 Million in Belize since last year which included upgrading and modernizing the mill and sugar operations. The color scheme was chosen to project the core “green” aspect of BSI’s business, its basis in agriculture and its environmental awareness. The colors were also attractive as they embrace the new partnership with ASR Group and reflect the importance of having a compatible collaboration on all levels.

SIF To Work Under Transparency, Says New Director
In September of last year, the media blew the lid open on the allegations of rank corruption at the Social Investment Fund – allegations of rampant corruption that had surfaced, including accusations of extortion within the Social Investment Fund connected to a botched $1.3 million renovation project that was to be carried out at the Dangriga Town Market as part of the Municipal Development Project. Since then, four staffers were given the boot including Public Relations officer Mike Hernandez and Executive Director Daniel Cano. And while we told you of their replacements on Tuesday, yesterday at the inauguration of the Guinea Grass Multi-purpose Community Center and Library, we managed to get a comment from newly assigned executive director of the Social Investment Fund, William Lamb. Lamb says his goal is to carry out the projects assigned to SIF with much transparency. William Lamb– Executive Director, Social investment Fund “Definitely, we want to promote transparency and accountability on what we do and carrying out the projects as set out by the grants and agreements that come through the World Bank and CDB and the community of Belize. All of these projects are put together with community interaction and involvement.

LOVE FM

Trio Acquitted of Raylene Dyer’s Murder
Three years five months and six days – that is how long ago it is since Indira Cayetano went to the media, for the first time to report her sister missing. You may recall the name, Raylene Dyer, a young mother who Police confirmed was murdered in the Cayo District on October 8, 2010 in the Valley of Peace community. Following investigations, police arrested and charged four persons including three men, 21-year-old, Jason Anderson; 24-year-old, Darren Banner, Brandon Budran and a woman, Aracely Cahueque of Corozal Town. The family, who has been following the trial of the three men were disheartened and hurt, to say the least when the judge in Belmopan court handed down a verdict of not guilty. Today, we met up with Cayetano, the sister of the deceased who told us what the family is going through right now. INDIRA CAYETANO “We were very disappointed but like my mom said, she doesn’t know why she set up herself and had hoped that the judiciary system would have worked because it’s full of crap – those were her words; they’re not fair. At first, I was really angry, I was mad and I tried to pray because it is kind of hard to pray when you are going through a disappointing time but with good people around me like my co-workers I started to feel positive again and I said, you know what, God is the ultimate judge, he doesn’t sleep and he sees everything.”

Retrial Ordered for Woman Convicted of Setting Spouse on Fire
She was arrested and charged for setting her husband on fire on New Year’s Eve 2008 in the small and quiet village of Rancho Dolores in the Belize District. On July 12, 2011, about two and a half years after the incident, Viola Pook was found guilty in the Supreme Court of Belize and later sentenced. Pook’s attorney, Simeon Sampson later applied to the Court of Appeals for what he had hoped would have resulted in an acquittal. Earlier today, the court handed down their decision and Love News Centre heard from Sampson on the matter. SIMEON SAMPSON “The appeal is allowed; the appellant’s conviction is quashed; the sentence is set aside and in the interest of justice, a new trial is ordered – I thought she was going to be set scott free but what to do…..This is the lady who it is alleged burnt her husband; the policeman arrived there and she didn’t give a statement to anyone and the policeman med the dying husband writhing on the ground with serious burns to his body and the policeman, Corporal Zuniga approached the wife, who was just sitting around and asked her what happened and according to the police, she blurted out that it was her that caught him on fire – that was the only evidence they had against her.

Hit and Run Incident Leaves Student Hospitalised
Police in Corozal are investigating an apparent hit and run incident that occurred on Fourth Avenue just after eight o’clock last night in that municipality. Police went to the scene and encountered a man of Hispanic descent lying on the left side of the street when traveling from a north to south direction. The man, who was later identified as Victor Casanova, complained of pain to his body and was bleeding from the head. The 18-year-old, student of the Altamira area was reportedly walking with his bicycle and in the company of 17-year-old, Yansie Iglesias, a female student, on the left side of Fourth Avenue when a blue pickup truck came from behind them and hit him and the bicycle causing him plunge into the air and landing on the road pavement. The vehicle continued traveling on Fourth Avenue and the driver did not stop to render aid.

Ferry Operator Drowns in Northern Belize
A laborer of Corozal Town lost his life on Thursday, March 13 in the wee hours of the morning whilst working on the Pueblo Viejo Ferry in the Corozal District. Reports are that the 51-year-old, Javier Artemio Vivas, one of the operators of the ferry was on duty just after two o’clock on Thursday morning when he fell into the river and drowned. Vivas was reportedly operating the ferry from a north to south direction heading towards Progresso Village when he shifted to the side of the ferry to relieve himself and accidentally fell in the water. A search party set out into the waters and Vivas’ body was retrieved at around 7:40 yesterday morning. He was taken to the Corozal Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Oceana Announces Winners of Instagram Competition
Oceana in Belize has announced the winners of its Instagram competition that was held as a part of activities for Reef Week. Capturing first place with his photograph entitled “Pelican heading to roust at South Water Caye” was Andrew Roe. He took home a GoPro digital camera as his prize. Second place went to Chloe Cruz with her entry ‘Sharks”. She won a night’s stay at Belize Nirvana hotel in Placencia Village. Rounding out the top three was Deborah Hamrell of Placencia with her photo taken at the Hol Chan Marine reserve entitled “Everyone wanted to be in the picture”. She won a round trip ticket from Belize City to San Pedro courtesy of Tropic Air. Oceana Belize launched the competition in early February when it asked its social media followers to show how they connect Belize’s marine resources and what the reef represents in their lives. Reef week is being celebrated with the theme “Our food, our jobs, our pride and joy. Our reef.”

Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Immigration Offense
Fifty-four year old Dora Prado, a naturalized Belizean businesswoman originally from Guatemala who was charged with employing a person not in possession of a temporary employment permit, changed her plea from not guilty to guilty when she appeared today before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton. She was fined one thousand dollars and she was ordered to pay five hundred dollars forthwith and the balance by April 30, in default six months imprisonment. Prado, the owner of Noa Noa Restaurant and bar, located in Ladyville, hired Guatemalan national Evelyn Jimenez to work as a waitress. She was busted on February 21 when immigration officers went to her place of business.

Convicted Murderer Awaits Decision of Court of Appeals
Belize Court of Appeal has reserved its decision for the appeal of 26-year-old, Gregory August, who was convicted of the murder of 73-year-old, Alvin Robinson and sentenced to life imprisonment. On May 23, 2009, Robinson, a resident of mile 8 and a half on George Price Highway who was a cripple and was blind in one eye, was found sitting on his bed with stab wounds to his face and neck. He was stabbed nine times. He died on his way to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. August’s appeal was mainly on two grounds. One ground was that the circumstantial evidence led by the Crown was insufficient. The second ground was that the learned trial judge did not properly direct the jury in relation to joint enterprise. August was convicted and sentenced in November 2012. August was represented by attorney Anthony Sylvestre. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lyn Vidal represented the respondent.

PlusTV

God has Plans for You to Prosper
Our verse for this week is taken from Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Small Airplane Crashes in PG During a Take-off Attempt
A small airplane crashed at the Punta Gorda airstrip today as it was attempting to take off. Eyewitnesses claim that the small plane had landed at the airstrip at about 3:15 p.m., but when it tried to take off again it hit a post, burst into flames and then...

Corozal Student Hospitalized After Traffic Accident
18 year old Victor Cassanova, a Belizean Student of Altamira Area, Corozal Town, has been hospitalized after he was knocked down by a vehicle. Reports are that on Thursday March 13th at about 8:05 p.m., Cassanova was walking on Fourth Avenue, Corozal Town, with a 17 year old female...

Mr. Elijah Miller to Be Sentenced to Prison for Manslaughter of Stepson
29 year old Mr. Elijah Miller of Tower Hill, Orange Walk will be sentenced on March 27 for manslaughter after being convicted of the death of his stepson, 2 year old Ezekiel Tejada. In July of 2009, Miller, who was watching Ezekiel and his siblings while his mother was...

Ms. Viola Pook Case Under Appeal for Allegedly Burning her Husband
She was convicted of murder by a 12-member jury nearly three years ago, but 57 year old Viola Pook will be retried at the order of the Court of Appeal. In its last day of the first session of the year, the court handed down its decision and ordered...

Court of Appeal Hears Gregory August for Alleged Murder by Stabbing
The Court of Appeal on Thursday heard the case of 26 year old Gregory August, convicted of the May 2009 death of 73 year old Alvin Robinson in Western Paradise, Belize District. Robinson, who was physically disabled and blind in one eye, was stabbed nine times in the face...

Backhoe Driver Charged for Mr. Anthony Hunter’s Death
Mr. Tony Hunter perished in a traffic accident on February 22 when his motorcycle slammed into a backhoe on the George Price Highway and police now say it is the backhoe driver who was at fault. 52 year old Hunter was travelling on his morobike from Belize City towards...

“Woman of the Year” Selected by U.S. Embassy
Senior Superintendent Dezerie Jacklyn Phillips has been selected as the U.S. Embassy’s Belize Woman of the Year 2014. Phillips held the post of commander community policing for three years and has passionately implemented community policing initiatives, which has proven to be a very effective tool in crime fighting efforts...

Coye Family Exonerated but Still Owes Millions in Taxes
The Coye family, recently exonerated of money laundering charges, owes some $3.23 million in income taxes. That is almost half of the combined estate of the late Michael Coye and the assets of Money Exchange International Limited, which were frozen when Michael, Melonie, Marlene and Jude Coye along with...

Gospel Expo’ Kicks off With Great Euphoria from Tonight Until Sunday
The Belize Gospel Expo 2014 officially kicked off tonight at 6:00 pm at the National Agriculture and Trade Show Grounds, in Belmopan. The weekend long event will see live performances from local and international Christian artists, local and international speakers, worship sessions, talent spotlight, and much more. Richard Smith,...

Rotaract Week 2014 Celebrates
March 9th to 16th is celebrated as world Rotoract week. About 46 years ago the first Rotaract club was chartered in North Carolina. Since then it has expanded, establishing clubs all around the world including Belize. We caught up with Bruce Flowers, Vice President of Rotaract in Belmopan, as...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

R.I.P. “Cuz”
Every now and then in life a politician stands out as iconic for their time. That person for the sister islands of San Pedro and Caye Caulker was Louis Sylvester, better knows as “Cuz” to his constituents. The Honorable Louis Sylvestre represented Belize Rural South as Area Representative during the time of independence. One of the most charismatic politicians ever to grace Belize, the love of the Belize Rural South constituents for “Cuz”, and his love for them, was boundless. With his trademark toothpick set between his lips, he would mingle comfortably between and among the people of Belize Rural South, chatting comfortably, engaging rich and poor alike, exchanging conversations, and offering advice. Humble, and with a kind word for everyone, he was a friend to all.

Amandala

LAURA BOLTS FROM BTB
There had been murmurings since last week that Laura Esquivel-Frampton—the embattled director of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and daughter of ex-Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel, of the ruling United Democratic Party—was being pressured to resign due to a major rift between her and senior BTB management. Today, the BTB issued a statement confirming media reports released yesterday, Tuesday, that Esquivel-Frampton, who was heading the BTB, had resigned from her post. Before assuming directorship of the BTB, Esquivel-Frampton was the BTB’s director of product development. Two years ago, she was appointed as director of the BTB to replace Seleni Matus, who resigned forthwith in September 2011 amid reports that she and the then CEO, Lindsey Garbutt, were disputing over how BTB’s money should be spent. Javier Paredez, the BTB’s director of revenue collection and registrar of hotels—one of the seven managers who signed the letter of discontent and who served as interim director after Matus’ resignation — will also serve as interim director until a replacement is found for Esquivel-Frampton.

DRUNKEN DRIVER KILLS SELF AND TODDLER, 3
Excessive alcohol consumption is believed to be the factor that led to a fatal and horrific traffic accident which played out on the Burrell Boom Road last Sunday evening and claimed the lives of two persons – a male driver and a toddler who was a passenger in another vehicle – and injured six others. Today, Thursday, four days after the deadly accident, police still refuse to confirm the identity of what witnesses say was a 6th victim, a young man who was supposed to have surgery today. According to police reports, a white Honda CRV SUV was exiting the Burrell Boom area near the riverside at around 5:15 p.m. Sunday, March 9, when it collided with a white Kia Sportage SUV with 5 occupants, which was coming from the opposite direction. Today, Rural Executive Officer, ASP Chris Noble, told us what the police know about the mishap. He said, “Sometime after 5:00 on Sunday, there was a traffic accident in the Burrell Boom area near the bridge. Subsequently, a 3-year old female and a 28-year old male succumbed. The male was the driver of one of the vehicles and there are multiple persons with broken bones at two separate hospitals in Belize City. We are looking into what may have caused it.

BISHOP WRIGHT FLOGS BFLA, UNIBAM, NAC AND RED CROSS!
Reverend Dorick Wright, Bishop of Belize and Belmopan, has issued a directive to Catholic schools and institutions under its watch, calling on them to ban from their schools organizations and groups which are promoting “First World’s errors and problems” among “unsuspecting people,” such as the notion of “sexual rights” among children, as well as abortion and homosexuality. Last Monday, March 3, Bishop Wright sent a letter to Catholic local managers and assistants, administrators, principals and teachers, saying that he was reminding them “that organizations whose activities and positions are actively opposed to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, and which endanger the souls of the People of God, cannot be welcomed under any circumstances in our schools.” “These organizations often present themselves as champions of some apparent good, whether it be to educate on sexuality and reproductive rights, AIDS, or to administer certain medical treatments or shots to our children, but despite some apparent good, you must, nevertheless, respectfully decline any and all invitation or association with any such organizations. I make this directive to all local managers of Catholic Schools, assistant local managers, all administrators, principals and teachers,” he said.

PHARMACISTS “BEX BAD” OVER DANINI HIRING
Controversy has erupted in the health services sector over recent revelations that the daughter of Hon. Erwin Rafael Contreras, Minister of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development & Consumer Protection—fresh out of a Guatemalan school—has been awarded a plush job within the Ministry of Health, in what some say is an instance of flagrant “nepotism.” (Hon. Erwin Contreras has been the UDP area representative for Cayo West since 1998.) Danini Contreras, who has recently acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Pharmaceuticals, is now the Director of the Drug Inspectorate – a brand new post in the Ministry. A senior government official told us that her salary package is of a higher scale than the Chief Pharmacist, who has been working in that position for years. Pablo Marin, the United Democratic Party representative for Corozal Bay, is the Minister of Health, but Amandala has been advised by the Ministry that it was Health CEO Dr. Peter Allen who arranged the hiring.

Bert Vasquez faces trial for murder of Jasmine Lowe
The accused killer of Jasmine Lowe, 13, of Santa Elena, Cayo, Bert Vasquez, 32, will be tried at the Supreme Court without a jury. The decision was handed down yesterday at the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court at the conclusion of the preliminary hearing to determine if there was a case against him that warrants a Supreme Court trial. The defense for Vasquez, Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson, made a no-case submission on the grounds that the cause of the girl’s death was unknown, and that there was no eyewitness to the events which led to her death, nor any other evidence that tied him to the death of the girl. The Director of Public Prosecutions, however, countered that they have DNA evidence and other evidence that proves that he, Vasquez, was the one who killed the girl.

SIF under new management
The good reputation of the Social Investment Fund (SIF) was tarnished in September of 2013 when a scandal unfolded involving an incomplete Dangriga market project, irate market vendors and disconcerted subcontractors which led to the eventual departure of 4 senior staffers, including former SIF executive director, Daniel Cano, and former SIF public relations officer, Mike Hernandez, Jr. Five months later, SIF, through a government-issued press release, has stated that the vacant posts have been filled since the start of this month. According to the release, William Lamb – an engineer by profession for more than 25 years – has assumed the post of executive director, while Selwyn King – former public relations officer for the University of Belize (UB) – has been appointed as SIF’s new public relations officer.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Serious bus hassle from Belmopan to PG
This letter is intended to serve as a notice to the Ministry of Transport and to the Department of Public Safety. On several different occasions while on route to PG Town from Belmopan, I have personally witnessed an incredibly dangerous situation, and if we do not do something, perhaps one day – fatal. Between the 3-5 p.m. rush hours as soon as a bus arrives and the gates are opened many people are forced to rush towards the bus in hopes to get a seat on the way home. This is not just any normal rushing. As soon as the gate opens people run and push indiscriminately, putting children, elderly and everyone at risk for falling, or worse. All this occurs in a bus depot with vehicles passing through. The presence of uniformed traffic officers monitoring to stop buses from leaving with “standees” does not actually help this part of the situation. People run to the bus to get a seat so that they do not have to stand and then be kicked off the bus, only to go through the process again on the next bus. This is simple mathematics. There are two ways to solve this problem: 1. Let the exact number of people through so that all seats are filled and no more rushing takes place. 1. Have more buses during this 3-5 p.m. rush hour.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: An appeal from Cerro in Toledo
Our community is located ten minutes walking outside of Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District. The name of the community is Saint Vincent’s Block or Cerro. Our community is majority Garinagu people living on and caring for these communal lands. Most of us living here (over one hundred people) do not have access to clean safe drinking water and many of us are children. Currently those in the community with hand-dug wells use the well-water for cooking and cleaning but there are some people in the community without wells. Our hand-dug well-water is not safe for drinking. We must buy drinking water that is prohibitively expensive and creates plastic pollution. During the dry season once a month the town Fire Department provides us with a drum of water per household. We are grateful for this service. That water comes free of cost but, it is not enough for households (some of which are made up of more than 10 people). Also, this water is not safe for drinking.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Lockey returns to Belize in November
My name is Ray Lockey, I lived and worked in Belize in 1970-71 lecturing at the Teacher Training College and was the National Football Coach. I travelled extensively in the country and made many friends. I played for the Belize team Spurs managed by Teddy Gonzalez and have kept in contact with him over the past 40 years. I am returning to Belize (for the first time) in November and would like to meet as many of my old friends as possible. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: IMAGINE BELIZE WITHOUT …
Many of the participants in the “20,000 Strong” march wore T-shirts on the back of which were printed the slogan “Imagine Belize Without Women!” Yes, indeed, unimaginable for sure. What I would like to see are T-shirts carrying on the back the slogan “Imagine Belize Without A Corrupt Government!” Maybe someone like Lord Ashcroft could have them made up and personally stand on street corners handing them out to every passer by. It would be inspirational and help to realign his otherwise deplorable karmic debt. Who knows? Imagine!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Come on with some labels for food safety!
Unlabeled food products are a hidden danger to all of us. When there are no labels, consumers are at risk of getting ill while the health authorities are not able to trace the origin of the tainted products. It is hard to believe that in this modern age there are so many packaged food products sold from shop shelves in Belize without any labels. Food safety is a serious subject. Food producers owe it to their customers to identify themselves. And the supervisory agencies should take every possible action to ensure that buyers receive good quality products for their hard-earned money. However, when one walks the aisles of many shops it can be seen that there are many items on sale without ANY labels including baked bread, plantain chips, ideals, bottled drinks, meats and others. This makes one wonder about the quality of the product.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Amandala fan writes
As a writer and an aspiring journalist, I thank you Amandala for your newspaper’s articles and commentaries. I find them always riveting and informative when I read. The articles touch on the inside scoop with in depth and accurate reporting in contrast to the boring and predictable spin of linear one-sided stories that we are accustomed to on TV news and other political propaganda pieces. I would like to thank and commend the Amandala for its dedication to actual news and its critical social commentary on the state of blacks and other poor downtrodden people in Belize. Keep it up!

Why no helicopters?
I just want to ask a question. Why doesn’t the Belize army have any helicopters? Is it because they can’t afford them? I’m pretty sure the government could spare some money to at least buy them one helicopter. I believe that helicopter aviation is really vital to an army as they more easily access the outback. Also, when a criminal is on the run he can easier be tracked from the air and this could probably be sooner done with a helicopter than with an airplane. it is something we can consider, the usefulness of a helicopter.

From The Publisher
Sunday morning was Ninth of March, and in sailing families, such as the one from which I am descended, this is a holy day. Usually the fresh, sunny southeasters are beginning to take effect by Ninth of March, but they do not dominate the weather as absolutely as they will do in April and May. This Ninth of March morning, praise God, a southeaster was in effect. I was driving sometime between 7 and 7:30 towards the Kremandala yard on Partridge Street when I heard Captain Nicholas Sanchez call KREM Radio, where our engineer J. C. Arzu was the announcer/t