Recent Belize News, 3/21/2014 to 3/31/2014, BelizeNews.com

Video: Archaeological Excavation in Belize Pawnce the Archaeologist
11min.

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: Rich Old Man
“Why don’t we meet on the deck at the Holiday at 10:30?” Charlie asked, when I called him.. When I got to the Holiday Charlie was well established with two beers and a glass of ice. “I hope you don’t mind,” he said, “but I got a call from Robby Peterson. He’s in town and […]

Doctor Love: Relationships
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, My girlfriend and I get along good most of the time. The times we do not get along is because of her best […]

Letter to the Editor: Forgiveness Justice Peace
The first day I arrived in San Pedro was the day the “Justice for Peace” walk was held. Ironically, I counseled both Rafael and Jeffery about anger and ego issues. No one is perfect and we all have issues. When we feel someone has wronged us it takes great strength to turn the other cheek, meaning to give the opposite of what is expected. For instance, if someone gives you the gift of hate or anger to turn it into the best possible kind act – to do our best to turn away from retaliation. Truly we hope to have laws to do justice and to set an example for the young in our lives. For the last few days I did my own Walk for Peace. Ironically I had almost lost my voice being silent most of the time. Thinking about all the harsh words I have used in San Pedro. Just with my words it struck me so hard. Also having lost 2 members of my family to Cancer in the last year compounded my silence as I went about my day. Our lives are so precious. Both of these young men had potential to do great things in life. I remember the joy on Jeffery’s face when he saved a man from drowning. We all need to work harder in our little San Pedro to create and keep the Paradise that is the no 1 Island. Each act we can do for each other helps send out the energy of peace and tranquility throughout the Island. After all where else would peace be if not in Paradise.

Letter to the Editor: PUP Belize Rural South Executive Committee
The PUP Belize Rural South Executive Committee has commenced a series of informative newspaper articles with the intention of keeping everyone properly informed. In the area of sports we all know that the present San Pedro Town Council has done absolutely nothing for the past UDP administrations. The present Town Council continues the trend of doing nothing and every time interested parties ask for help, their usual excuse is that there is no money. But how come they can find money at Christmas time to give away a few hams to a very limited few of their friends and cronies? Does the UDP and Manuel Heredia really believe that by bribing people with hams they are improving the standard of living of our people? Don’t they realize that the more you spoon feed people, the more you keep them in poverty? The people are not asking for hams. The people of San Pedro need opportunities that will help them provide food for their tables.

Misc Belizean Sources

Top 10 Things to do in Belize
Lush tropical rain forests, pristine beaches, ancient Maya cities, diverse flora and fauna, and the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere are just a few of the many natural attractions that allure the adventure traveler to visit Belize. Here are the top 10 things to do in Belize: Dive the Great Blue Hole of Belize, Visit the Ancient Maya Ceremonial Center of Xunantunich, Explore Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, Dive or Snorkel with Whale Sharks, Visit Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Climb Ca’ana, the tallest Maya structure in Belize, Learn how to Make Delicious Belizean Tamales, Visit Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Go Cave Tubing, Go on a Kayaking trip.

Tanya Carter Delights Benque
Tanya Carter played at Club Onyx in Benque Saturday night. Looks like it was a great concert, blackout and all. "Last night was great after all despite the block-out Tanya killed it with some acapellas."

Western Ballaz Beat Warriors
The Western Ballaz traveled to Dangriga last night to play the Warriors in the first game of the second half of the season. They won 61 to 48. Go Ballaz! Picture Album 1. "Western Ballaz vs Dangriga Warriors. Western Ballaz won 61- 48."

Guatemalan farmer shot and killed in the Chiquibul
A Guatemalan man was shot and killed on Saturday morning, allegedly by Belize Defence Force soldiers in the Chiquibul National Park. Guatemalan media reports identify the dead man as Thomas Ramirez. Prensa Libre today carried a report which said that two farmers were working on their plantation when the incident happened. While the Guatemalan press is saying that the shooting happened in the San Marcos Community, sources say the shooting happened inside Belize’s Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Thomas Ramirez’ body is at the morgue in San Ignacio town. There has been no official word from Belizean authorities as yet about this incident.

WPC collapses at concert, remains hospitalized
A Belize Police Officer is hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial after she collapsed on Saturday night. According to reports, Kimara Tucker had gone to the ITVET compound on Freetown road last night to attend a concert, but started to complain that she was feeling faint. She later collapsed, according to reports, and was rushed to the KHMH where on Sunday, she remains hospitalized. Her family and friends remain worried about WPC Tucker’s condition.

Belizean wins University of South Florida international pageant
Belizean beauty queen Jacinta Gomez today won the annual University of South Florida Miss International Pageant. The event is held annually and according to its website, seeks to “provide a superb opportunity for young women to share their unique cultures and educated members of the USF community about their area of the world.” Reports from Florida say that this is not the first time that Belize has taken part in the competition which was first held in 1984. It is organized by the Caribbean Community Exchange Students at the University of South Florida.

Schoolboy drowns in Dangriga
An 8 year old school boy is dead, reportedly from drowning in the North Stann Creek river. Adrian Lopez, a Standard One student at the Sacred Heart Primary School in Dangriga town, went swimming with friends in the reiver around 3 pm on Saturday. He did not return home. My colleagues at KREM Radio in Belize City reported on Sunday that a family member is saying that Lopez’s friends say him floating on a piece of Styrofoam but that he slipped and fell into the water. Lopez reportedly disappeared and did not resurface. When he did not get home late in the evening, his parents went looking for him and that was when information about what happened started to slowly come out. A search team fund Adrian Lopez’s body around 9:45 pm and there was nothing that could be done at that time to save him.

Belize City shooting leaves one man dead
A shooting incident tonight in Belize City has left one man dead. The victim has been identified as Dean Lyons, believed to be in his 60s. The shooting happened around 7:30 pm on West Canal street between Water Lane and Orange Street. The circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting is not yet known. Lyons’ body has been taken to the morgue at the Karl Heusner Memorial hospital and police investigations of the killing is ongoing.

International Student Teaching Program in Cayo
NMSU has quite a few student teachers in Cayo right now. "Meet Belize's Gilman Scholar, Francisco Jaquez. Mr. Jaquez is a student at New Mexico State University studying secondary education, but is currently studying at Sacred Heart Colleg in San Ignacio as part of the "International Student Teaching Program." As part of the program, Mr. Jaquez is currently teaching 2nd and 4th formers. He says his time here has taught him many things (such as classroom management) that he might have missed out on had he done his student teaching in New Mexico... The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduates with financial need for study abroad, including students from diverse backgrounds and students going to non-traditional study abroad destinations. "

Junior Cross Country Champions
The Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic was today, The Cycling Federation of Belize has pictures of the winners accepting their trophies. Congratulations to all racers! "Top finishers in the 15th Annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic. We would like to thanks all those who helped in making this event possible. Our riders, the teams, officials, the Police, the parents, and fans and sponsors. Special thanks to Mr. Emil Figueroa for soliciting the prizes on our behalf. Our majors sponsors as it pertains to the finish prizes, BEL, the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, DigiCell, Marie Sharp Fine Foods."

RawSpa Eco-lodge in Bullet Tree Falls
There's a new eco-lodge in Bullet Tree Falls, and it's called the RawSpa. They have a cool promo video for the lodge, and what better way to start than by rope swinging into the Mopan River. "The new Raw Spa Eco-lodge in Bullet Tree Falls."

Video: Morning Matters with Drew Miller
53min. Friday March 28

Video: Scuba diving The Blue Hole
2min.

Video: Raw Spa Eco-lodge in Bullet Tree Falls
2min. There’s a new eco-lodge in Bullet Tree Falls, and it’s called the RawSpa. They have a cool promo video for the lodge, and what better way to start than by rope swinging into the Mopan River.

Video: Belize - Snorkle
2min. Caye Caulker

Video: BELIZE
11min. A Clients Trip to Belize

Video: Flying over Ambergis Cay, Belize landing in San Pedro.
2min. Final approach into San Pedro, Belize on a Cessna Caravan March 2014

Video: Atop El Castillo, Xunantunich Belize
30 sec. View from the top of the tallest structure in the Mayan archaeological site of Xunantunich, Belize along the western border of Belize and Guatemala.

Video: SanPedro, Belize - March 2014 ... DOLPHINS and other underwater friends
3min. Swimming with friends at Victoria Canyons - San Pedro, Belize

Blogs

Kanantik Resort & Sanctuary Belize – Where to Even Start?
Sanctuary Belize is a huge, well awarded development project currently happening in Southern Belize…just south of the Hopkins area and north of Placencia. I do not use the word HUGE lightly. The land is 14,000 acres. About the size of the island of Manhattan, NY. 26 square miles. Land that goes from Caribbean Sea to pines to savannah to jungle almost to the Mayan mountains. Land that is going from completely undeveloped to 1800 housing lots, a 200 boat slip marina that can house boats up to 150ft in length, condos, hotels…the scope is unimaginable to me. And I spent the day there yesterday. BUT before I get to all of my pictures of Sanctuary, let me start where I am now…and where I arrived yesterday morning. A GORGEOUS resort owned by Sanctuary Belize called Kanantik Lodge. It’s where the Sanctuary visitors stay when they are touring, it’s about a 15 minute boat ride south of the development and it’s amazingly pretty. They have their own airstrip. The resort is made up of palapas. Huge ones for the central dining area and lounge/bar. And smaller private ones scattered along a beachfront boardwalk…

Victoria Peak – An Enchanting Natural Monument in Belize
Victoria Peak can be found within the verdant Maya Mountains of Belize and is the second highest mountain in the country. It is situated in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to a vast array of flora and fauna. Here is a little history on Victoria Peak: The History of Victoria Peak Natural Monument The first recorded expedition to the Cockscomb Mountains was led by Governor Roger T. Goldworthy in 1888. From 1927 to 1928, there were three more expeditions into the Cockscomb Mountains. They found that the peak described by the Goldworthy Expedition was not the highest peak, and therefore not Victoria Peak. Clearly, whatever peak the Goldworthy Expedition climbed, the name “Victoria Peak” was given to the highest peak of the Cockscomb Range, in honor of Queen Victoria. On May 2, 1998, Victoria Peak was declared to be a natural monument. Prior to this declaration, Victoria Peak was part of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. At the Launching of the 30th Anniversary Celebration on February 6, 1999, an agreement between the Belize Audubon Society and the Government of Belize was signed, adding Victoria Peak and Blue Hole Natural Monuments to the list of protected areas managed by the Belize Audubon Society. Note: The highest peak in the country is Doyle’s Delight with a height of 2688 ft. Adventure travelers who have climbed this peak describe their experience as a challenging and unique one. “As you ascend above tropical moist forest, the vegetation changes to elfin shrubland, characterized by sphagnum moss and a canopy of trees are no more than two to three meters high. At this height, the East Basin of Cockscomb looks like a green carpet of forest stretching as far as the eye can see. Whatever trees are in bloom are easily seen. And just before the summit you will encounter a humid and rich forest environment sheltered by Victoria Peak. The fiery-colored orchid (Epidendrum ibaguense) is another botanical wonder of Victoria Peak. This rarity in Belize only grows at high elevations”, reads the Audubon Society website which is a non governmental body that is responsible for managing this natural monument. Victoria Peak is accessible through Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

“Outside Looking In’ when in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Sitting out on the veranda- the first floor one on the western (lagoon) side of the house the other morning (yes it was early and I did have a mug of black coffee and my iPad with me ) I didn’t follow my normal routine of ‘going’ straight to The Times online. Instead I just sat there enjoying the stillness and allowed my thoughts to go wherever they wanted to go. And believe me sometimes they can go to very strange places! I thought about how I really do not miss England. I miss seeing my family (I was going to write ‘of course’ but not everyone misses their family, so I didn’t). I miss going to the Emirates to watch Arsenal (win, draw or even lose). I do (oh how sometimes it consumes my thoughts to the point where my imagination runs riot and I salivate ) miss my visit to a pie and mash shop ( a traditional, working class meal which originated in East London where I was born).

Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s Deflections – His Haunting Reflections
Barrow in his final comments to wrap up the 2014 budget debate described the Leader of the Opposition’s review of the budget as “useless” and that Fonseca’s “intervention was one of brevity…..after all there is so much of his remarkable decibel level that normal eardrums can take.” Barrow has pulled this cheap stunt before. If it wasn’t piteous for one gifted with the gift of gab, it would be laughable. We know exactly who those comments were intended for and if Santino Castillo was sophisticated enough, Barrow’s antics would have paid off. No one has a more “annoying decibel level and an even more irritating cadence than the member for Caribbean Shores. But there he sits behind Barrow with a mute’s grin oblivious to the Prime Minister’s aggravation. What could be more “useless” than Sedi Elrington’s incoherent and irrelevant ramblings on the legacy of Rt. Honorable George Price? Elrington comes off as someone troubled with Alzheimer’s. Nothing could be more annoying to the eardrums than listening to Minister of Health Pablo Marin’s unscientific rebuttal to physician, member of the House Dr. Marco Mendez. Pablo Marin who historically and infamously referred to the PAHO as “a person”!

International Sources

Leading by example to bring comfort to those in distress
Field Officer Jessie Young is a kind and dedicated member of staff at Belize Red Cross. She is warm hearted and a sincere humanitarian always showing great concern for her fellow human beings. Jessie was recently on duty travel, flying from El Salvador to Panama on a TACA Airlines flight when she noticed a fellow passenger in discomfort wriggling in his seat and in pain. He was sitting across the aisle from her. Jessie identified herself to the passenger, showing him her Belize Red Cross Identification Card. He motioned to Jessie that he was having discomfort in his ears and in pain. She says tells us she immediately thought that he was having air pressure problems and instructed him to make fists and blow into them, like a horn. “This seemed to cause him more pain,” she says. “So I then instructed him to pinch his nose and blow out his ear.” She says she told him to do it multiple times until they landed. “When we landed you could see the relief in his face. I was so glad I was seated nearby and be able to help this gentleman. He was in a bad state. He was really suffering. A flight attendant had tried but to no avail. I never got his name, he was African, I think, Nigerian from his accent. He was very thankful. He had gotten back a smile on his face.”

Moving abroad? The expat's life isn't all beach bars and bungalows
Many Americans want to move inside their screensavers: As more Americans move to destinations farther flung than Florida, they may find unexpected trouble in paradise. A few weeks ago, in the midst of a miserable, relentless east coast winter, my editor, at the end of her rope, gave in and bought a ticket to somewhere warm. A day later, she was on the beach, sharing photos of sun-dappled kayaks and breezy rainforests. If only retirement could be so easy. Imagine finding a town in Panama or Ecuador with reasonable hospital facilities and reliable internet access – not to mention those warm beaches – where your dollar will stretch a hell of a lot further than it will go at home. For those of us in large swaths of the lower 48, this winter’s weather has reminded us of another allure of retiring abroad. Staring out the windows at snowbanks still hanging grimly on to life in the final days of March are a wordless testimonial in support of the idea of spending one’s golden years running a beach bar in, say, Belize. Or a pottery workshop in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

Top 10 sexist and heterosexist moments in Caribbean Politics
Contribute to the final list of top 10 sexist & heterosexist moments in Caribbean politics by leaving your suggestions in the comments below. Here are what i’ve been able to come up with in no particular order. Thanks to all who sent suggestions via facebook and twitter.

March 30, 2014

Video: Guanacaste Tree; Epiphites; Belize.

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

Police Report
Theft Christina Askew, American businesswoman of Santa Monica, California and owner of the Sausage Factory located on Coco Plum Drive, San Pedro Town reported to the Police that on Friday, March 14th she fired the factory’s manager and the assistant manager. She then conducted an internal audit of the business and at her conclusion she discovered that the following monies to the total value of $25,577.66 were missing and suspects that the monies were stolen by her former employees. Police investigations continue. Traffic Accident Harold Arthurs, office assistant at Carts Belize Golf Cart Rentals in San Pedro Town reported that on Friday, March 21st at around 9PM while driving a white and yellow golf cart, with license plate SP C-2055 belonging to the company, and just after Passing Crazy Canucks entrance, he saw a motorcycle being driven from his opposite direction. He stated that he saw the motorcycle knock down a young boy who was riding on a bicycle. The motorcycle lost control, colliding into the gulf cart that Arthurs was driving. He further stated that his cousin 20-year-old Dericka Castro, who was along with him and two more friends flew off the golf cart due to the impact. Castro sustained a scrape to her left knee and went unconscious. She was transported to the San Pedro Polyclinic where she regained consciousness.

30 pints of blood collected during San Pedro Blood Drive
There has been some talk about people being turned away from giving blood in San Pedro although they were able to in their native country. This article is to help everyone understand the challenges the San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC) is facing in regards to building a healthy supply of blood for Ambergris Caye. Consider the fact that Belize is a developing country and has neither the technology nor the resources to spin and clean blood. The screening standards currently being utilized in Belize date back to 1991 and any changes to those standards would have to be done country wide. The SPBRC hopes to get some educational assistance on the current standards from the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services to help in this area. In the interim, we will still set our goal of (50) pints at the next blood drive in June: Aside from building a strong base of regular donors, the San Pedro Branch hopes to do this by encouraging more young adults to donate. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, the San Pedro Branch was able to collect 30 pints of blood last Saturday (March 22nd). Adding that to the current stock, gives Ambergris Caye for a grand total of 72 pints on reserve. So far 7 pints have been used by 2 different people.

Footprints for Peace lead Feeding Initiative for Police
In response to the escalation of crime Ambergris Caye has experienced in the past months, the Ministry of Defense deployed a joint operation team consisting of the Belize Police Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) and the Belize Defense Force (BDF) to render aid in San Pedro Town. Footprints for Peace, a community based anti-crime initiative organized by the Eiley and Arceo families, who recently lost their beloved Jeffrey Eiley in the rash of crime and violence, decided to thank the officers by orchestrating a feeding program. Even though the officers were provided with a meal plan and budget for their time on the island, Footprints for Peace wanted to offer the team hot home cooked meals to show the community’s appreciation for the officers who worked hard to “clean up the town”. The effort received donations from the community in both monetary and food items in order to feed the officers. Footprints for Peace fed 52 officers on Friday March 21st, and were also able to provide them a second meal later that evening through the generous contributions from the Youth Services Department that held a youth rally at the San Pedro Lions Den that same day.

Misc Belizean Sources

President-elect of El Salvador on a visit to Belize
The President-elect of El Salvador Salvador Sanchez Ceren, 69, is on a brief visit to Belize. According to reports in the Salvadoran media, the visit of the President-elect is to meet with Salvadorans living in Belize and to share with them the plans which his administration will carry out during its term in office. Today’s meeting between the visiting Salvadoran President-elect and his countrymen and women living in Belize is taking place a the gymnasium of the University of Belize in Belmopan. Salvador Sanchez Seren is a former teacher who won a narrow victory in the recent presidential elections. The presidential term for Salvador Sanchez Ceren starts on June 1, 2014.

15th Annual Junior Cross Country
Today is the 15th annual Junior Cross County Cycling Classic. They start at Succotz, and head to Belize City. The race starts at 9:00am. "The Junior and Youth Male Category of the Federation challenge themselves to prove, who is the best rider to completed this annual prestigious event. They ride from the Ferry at San Jose Succotz, just outside Benque Viejo Del Carmen and travels the George Price Highway to finish in front of Leslie's Import near Miles 2."

More information emerge about rape case in Placencia village
More details have been slowly emerging about the rape of a woman on Thursday night in Placencia village in the Stann Creek district. Police have not yet released any official information, but information received say that the victim is a 29 year old Canadian woman. Reports say that the woman and her partner were accosted on the beach by two men who held the couple up at gunpoint. It is alleged that both of the attackers raped the woman and then forced her partner to withdraw money from an ATM under threat that if he did not comply his wife would be hurt. It is believed that after receiving money from the woman’s husband, the robbers took off and made good their escape. Police investigations are ongoing. In related news, the Placencia Police will be meeting with residents of Placencia village on Monday evening at the Community Center where information on the case will be shared, as well as information on citizen’s safety. Monday’s meeting starts at 6 pm.

American retiree found shot to death in Sarteneja village
Police in Corozal are investigating a homicide, the second for the year in Belize’s northernmost district. The victim has been identified as 77 year old naturalized Belizean Dennis Waltz who lived in Sarteneja village. According to reports, Waltz, an American retiree, was reported missing a couple days before his decomposed body was found in a warehouse in Sarteneja village on Friday evening. He had been shot to the mouth, head and chest. Reports say that when Waltz was not seen for a couple of days prior to the discovery of his body, neighbours became concerned. His motorcycle was found abandoned at the entrance to the village, and that led villagers to suspect that something was not quite right. They went to Waltz’ house to investigate and upon their arrival, encountered a foul odour coming from the warehouse.

Women’s art fair held in San Ignacio town
The Cayo Welcome Centre was buzzing with activity today as a fair was held featuring the works of Belizean women. Arts and craft displays, pastry products and paintings were just some of the things on display and sale. The event was coordinated by the San Ignacio/Santa Elena House of Culture. Some of the women travelled all the way from Punta Gorda town to take part in today’s event. Today’s “Women In Arts” fair was sponsored by NICH, that National Institute for Culture and History in conjunction with the Cayo Welcome Center.

Motorcycle and bicycle crash in Georgeville
One man was injured in a road traffic accident on the George Price Highway tonight in Georgeville village, Cayo. Just before 7 o’clock, a west-bound motorcycle hit a man who was riding a bicycle at the eastern entrance to the village. crash31 Motorcycle and bicycle crash in Georgeville The victim is identified as Kareem Gongora, who sustained a large injury to the face and complained of pain to the hands and chest. He was taken to the San Ignacio community hospital by a police mobile that responded to call for assistance. The driver of the motorcycle had to be rescued from an angry mob of family and friends of Gongora who accused him of trying to run away from the scene of the accident.

American retiree shot to death in Sarteneja Village
Corozal Police report that about 4:46 p.m. yesterday March 28, 2014, they acted on information received of a dead body that was found in Sarteneja Village, Corozal District. Corozal Police visited the property of DENNIS FRANK WALTZ 77 year old retired American/Naturalized Belizean residing in the said Village where checks were made in the warehouse of a concrete bungalow with zinc roofing measuring 26" X 15" which lead to the discovery of a male dressed in blue jeans short pants, white socks and brown tennis shoes lying in a sitting-down position, motionless in a corner of the building with apparent gunshot wounds to the mouth, right upper side of chest and to the top of his head. According to TEOFILO RODRIGUEZ 44 year old resident of the said village, he made checks at the property after a motorcycle belonging to Mr. Waltz was found about 1 1/2 miles at the outskirts of the said village on Friday March 28th, 2014, sometime in the morning.

Belize - Caye Caulker - Snorkelling
8min.

Liberty Childrens Home Ladyville Belize
8min.

Landing in Belize City International Airport
3min.

Tarrus Riley live in concert in Belize
4min.

Hiking 'The Outlier' in Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary
7min. Hiking 'The Outlier' a 1,800ft peak in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve, Belize.

Belize 4/3/2014
3min. Carnaval 2014 Lighthouse Reef, Belize Mergulho: Acquarium (gravado com GoPro Hero2)

Belize Adventure!
4min. We tackled the muddy roads, steep stairs, deep caves, and coral reefs of San Ignacio, Caracol, Caves Branch, Caye Caulker, and Ambergris Caye.

Video: Hand-operated Ferry; Belize.
Mopan River, San Jose Succotz; March 9, 2014. , . ; 9 2014.

Video: Kaley in the Caribbean, Day 5
15min. Our next port was in Belize City, Belize! This was one of my favorite days because we literally went to hell. I also never had iguana and I'm still bitter.

The Belize Times

Arrested & Charged! – Corrupt Penner Faces Jail
Elvin Penner could run, but the corrupt politician could not hide. Penner was forced out of his hiding hole today, Thursday, March 27th when he had to appear in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court to be arrested, arraigned and charged for illegally issuing a Belizean nationality certificate and a passport to Kim Won Hong, a South Korean who is in a Taiwan prison at the time. The charge was brought about by a private criminal complaint lodged by grassroots organization Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). COLA has accomplished what the Barrow Government has been reluctant to do, that is, bring criminal charges against Penner for his disgraceful and illegal actions against provisions of the Belize Passport Act and the Belize Nationality Act. Despite the mounting evidence and public pressure for Penner to face prosecution, the UDP Government continues to defend and protect him. They gave instructions for the Police not to charge him and not even to entertain an investigation. On Tuesday, Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse was up to the government’s old tricks of trying to deflect blame from Penner.

Joblessness forces young mother to work at a bar
30 year old mother of two, Nickolette Montes, is more qualified in the medical field than the current Minister of Health, but she has had to settle with working at a nightclub

UDP insults the Judiciary! – Political crony
Very disturbing news has reached the news desk of the BELIZE TIMES. We have learnt that the judicial system is in severe crisis. The mother load of unconfirmed reports is that

Barrow’s Noodles Budget!!
Presentation of the 2014/15 Budget for Fiscal Year by Hon. Francis W. Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition March 24, 2014, Belmopan I rise to make my contribution to the debate

Broken down dreams
As our Parliamentarians meet in Belmopan to toss around figures and to debate the merits of a billion dollar budget, I prefer instead to conclude my assessment of the KHMH as it stands. After spending a week at our country’s flagship hospital, I would only hope that

Editorial: The Ugly Reality
As the Barrow Administration enters its 6th year in office, we have noted the intensity with which it is trying to hide the reality of the poverty, economic depression, corruption and social decay in our country by brainwashing Belizeans with expensive political ads about the few and too seldom, and

Belmopan Bandits drill FC Belize 2-0
Defending champs Belmopan Bandits are No. 3 in the Premiere league of Belize, after enjoying their first win after 3 draws in 4 outings, since the departure of Belize’s top striker Deon McCaulay to the Atlanta

7th RF&G; national table tennis tournament winners
Zhi Cheng of Dangriga won the “A” Division”, Sen Sen won the “B” division champ, Marion Usher won the “C” division champ, and Petie Usher-Matus won the female champ at the Belize Table Tennis Association’s (BTTA)

Lady Jaguars, Stars & Jaguars win volleyball games
The defending female champs Lady Jaguars, Moen Stars, SQ Junior Stars, the Jaguars men and the Scorpions all posted big wins in the Belize District Volleyball Association’s (BDVA) 2014 competition held

Sweetheart deal for Jon Jon’s Mayoral hopeful
Shockwaves were sent through the city of Belmopan when the UDP Belmopan representative John Saldivar announced that his preferred candidate for the upcoming Municipal Elections was no other than his puppet, UDP

A snitch and peeping tom!!
There are three characteristics that most disliked on the streets: snitching, being a peeping tom, and behaving feminine-like. The UDP Gang Minister, Mark King, has confessed to two out of the three. A

AMAZING GRACE – Broken Streetlamps
I was driving home one night and as I turned down the lane towards my house, I noticed that one of the lampposts were out. For some reason, that dark lamppost’s image stuck with me and as I pondered all the implications the lack of light would mean for the

Journeying Back to the Beginning
I started connecting with my Garifuna roots as a youngster and I made my first visit to the community of Hopkins when I was 3 years old. My father told me that during this visit, I was blessed by a shaman of the community. My Creole

The price of beans and corn
Corn and beans are staples in the Belizean diet...but with the wholesale price of corn now at $30.50/100lbs and red-kidney beans at $210/100lbs…dinner tables across the jewel are fast seeking substitutes for these. Twenty years ago…the bulk of these commodities were produced by hundreds of small, traditional milpa farmers.

Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Area Representative Orange Walk South, Budget Presentation
My presentation here today Mr. Speaker is “consultation based” and includes the views, opinions and experiences of a cross-section of the Belizean society, including the unions, many teachers, doctors, students, laborers, the private sector and Mr. Speaker, those who deserve the greatest respect and

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – Empty Rhetoric
The focus this week is on the Budget Speech for Fiscal Year 2014 to 2015 delivered in the House of Representatives on March 7, 2014 by Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development. After the tabling of several reports and the Questions to

UDP privatizing BTL
On the Wednesday night news the nation was lulled by the launch of the BTL phone book cover but the mess at BTL is bubbling. Inside sources within the telecommunications company have leaked information to the BELIZE TIMES. Those sources indicate that the yellow pages have been

Butane prices go up!
It is not the kind of news Belizeans need as overall the cost of living has been on the rise consistently, but on Thursday March 20th the cost of butane price crept up some more. The cost of a 100 pound cylinder increased by a dollar for

Faber accused of smashing wife’s car
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Patrick Faber has refused to comment on very serious allegations that he smashed his wife’s windshield after the pair got

What you need to know about Sedi & the Attorney General’s Ministry
There is a mass exodus from the Attorney General’s office. The Attorney General’s Ministry is home to the Solicitor General’s office. This office is responsible to go to Court to defend the Government and its ...

Blogs

Shop the Country of Belize on Ambergris Caye
In spite of it’s small size, the country has a large amount of very talented Artisans. If you are one of those Island types that never seems to get much further than Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker while on vacation, you can now shop the Country of Belize on Ambergris Caye at 12 store. Owner Lara Goldman wanted to showcase the country’s talents and give Belizean artists especially those in from smaller villages an opportunity to increase their income and have their talent marketed to locals and tourists in one place. She searched the country via Tropic Air, word of mouth and facebook to find the most beautiful and functional arts and crafts. As a result, 12 store is a place where you will find en eclectic mix handmade hidden gems. 12 offers a wide range of Belizean crafts and products from stylish wood carving, pottery, food items and so much more. They also custom embroidering and and a wide range of gift baskets, perfect destination weddings and corporate shopping needs. Visit 12Belize.com website or Romantic Travel Belize facebook page to see more.

In Contact With my Inner Rastafarian
In Monaco this summer we couchsurfed with the most amazing guy. He was also hosting four other people (he had 6 surfers every day – wow!). Two of them were Amy and Myles, a married couple from New Zealand. They had been 6 weeks in Central America before going to Europe, and naturally we had a million questions for them. One of the things they talked about did not excite me at all: rastafarians. Slow living, lots of marijuana and just plain laziness. It sounded like hell to me. I’ve always dreamed of living in a big city. Big like New York City – The Big Apple. Strolling down 5th Avenue with a million other people, the constant buzz, the lights, the opportunities… Everything about the city that never sleeps were just perfect in my eyes. But then we went to Caye Caulker in Belize and everything changed. From the minute we stepped out of the water taxi, we instantly fell into a much slower beat. Everything just tuned in at a much, much slower pace. And we were instantly hooked.

International Sources

Deon McCaulay continues his goal-scoring feat with the Silverbacks
Deon McCaulay continues to shine on the football field in the United States. According to the Atlanta Silverbacks website, McCaulay scored a “hat trick” helping the Silverbacks to a 4-1 defeat of the Young Harris College in a preseason game that was played on Saturday afternoon. The official game summary shows that McCaulay scored the Silverbacks’ first goal in the 66th minute of play, equalizing the score at 1-1. Deon McCaulay’s second goal came in the 81st minute of play and his third goal came two minutes later.

Bike through Belize
This is a 314.88 mi Bike Ride beginning in Chetumal, Mexico and ending near the Honduran border in Southern Belize. The Bike Ride has a total ascent of 5748.95 ft and has a maximum elevation of 760.33 ft.

March 29, 2014

Video: 1. Overview of the Darwin Savanna Project.

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

Special Operation “cleans up” San Pedro
On Thursday, March 20th a contingency of law enforcement agencies consisting of members of Belize Police Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) and the Belize Defense Force (BDF) descended on the island to tackle the current surge in crime. The team consisted of 47 personnel, mostly from the Eastern Police Division which is the police jurisdiction that includes the islands. The operation ran from Thursday, March 20th through Saturday, March 22nd, during which time the officers confiscated a large quantity of drugs and a firearm. Large amounts of illegal drugs were seized during the three-day operation. Drugs found included 1,215.4 grams of cocaine and 1,097.3 grams of cannabis. Other items seized by the police included: one 4.5 inch long crack pipe, one marijuana plant measuring 1.5 feet, one 9mm Luger CZ 110 firearm with a magazine containing three live rounds of 9mm ammunition, one liter Teachers Whisky, three liters Bacardi White Rum, one liter Label 5 Whisky.

Guest Editorial: People of San Pedro, Enough Is Enough: ARISE!
Submitted by Corry McDermott My brother Jerry McDermott and I tried over 12 years ago to help give better living conditions for the police force on this island. We gave a house and lumber to them and nothing happened. You ask, “Why hasn’t the local and federal or national government helped us. Partly, I believe that hasn’t happened for the last 28 years I have lived here, and worked and enjoyed this beautiful island and its people, not the PUP or the UDP have ever given more than $69,000BZ yearly to us these past 28 years to San Pedro. Instead, the politicians have taken millions from this island and they have talked, and talked about helping with our very much needed infrastructure, but little has happened. Unbelievable, when I do believe we give the most millions to the national government than anyone. When I talked to our leaders years ago they wanted to raise the hotel tax from 6% to 7% and they would give us the 1% to stay here to help better our falling down infrastructure. That never happened, when I believe the hotel tax is now 9% and still we haven’t received even half of the one percent, but after seeing we have been recently named twice in a row the number one island in the world is us, Ambergris Caye and you would think the government would want our infrastructure to be the best so our visiting tourists would want to come back over and over and as I told George Price in the 80’s that the tourists couldn’t hurt us. They wouldn’t take jobs from our Belizeans but create more jobs for them by leaving their money when they left. He agreed and at that point tourism became the main source of income for all of Belize.

New south cemetery may be relocated
Residents of the Mosquito Coast Area of San Pedro Town are not happy after they received word that the south cemetery is being relocated into their neighborhood. The cemetery that is currently on the dump site road was opened in 2013 after it was determined that there was no more burial space at the old downtown cemetery at end of Barrier Reef Drive. Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero would not go into details, but did indicate that there is a possibility that the cemetery may be relocated. According to Mosquito Coast residents, the area in which the council is planning to relocate the cemetery is residential. They protested that not only is it not the most pleasant sight to have to live with, but such a relocation will decrease the value of their properties. In addition, neighbors claim that the area in question is swamp land, which is also not fit for burial purposes. The Mayor did not say in which area of Mosquito Coast they are contemplating to move but residents are claiming that it is directly across from Marin’s Store. Mayor Guerrero stated that the possible relocation of the cemetery is in discussion but has not finalized. He further explained that the current land on which the new cemetery sits on has not been fully acquired by the Government of Belize and the process may take a very long time to be completed. Guerrero said the five-acre land being proposed for the relocation of the cemetery is being given to the San Pedro Town Council.

Diamante Beachfront Suites breaks ground
The official groundbreaking for Diamante Beachfront Suites was held on March 27, 2014 at the beautiful beachfront location of the newest development on Ambergris Caye. Invited guests were witness to the ceremonial digging of the sand by owner Lisa McCorkle-Guerrero, Sales Director Kristian Guerrero, business partner Phil Keuber, Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. and Mayor Daniel Guerrero. It was a brief affair that highlighted the dream of Lisa and her late husband Miguel’s vision to develop this prime property into an exemplary complex. Designed with luxury in mind, and being built with utmost attention to structural integrity and energy efficiency, Diamante will feature five standalone buildings comprised of 2- and 3-bedroom condos with private balconies, high-end appliances, 10 foot ceilings and high end finishes throughout. Prospective homeowners will have an opportunity to purchase a full strata condominium in the heart of town, with direct views of the gorgeous Caribbean sea and Belize’s spectacular barrier reef.

Ambergris Today

Groundbreaking of Diamante Luxury Beachfront Development
Local island developer Lisa McCorkle Guerrero, officially broke ground to one of the island’s most luxurious and prestigious beachfront developments to date. She, along with her partners and associates, took to the shovels and officially commenced construction of the Diamante Beachfront Suites on Thursday, March 27, 2014. Diamante Beachfront Suites is a luxury beachfront development that boasts a classic and contemporary feel in building and design. It offers prospective homeowners an opportunity to purchase a full strata condominium in perfect proximity to all the town of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize has to offer.

San Pedro Belize Red Cross Holds Successful Blood Drive
There is been a some talk about people being turned away from giving blood in San Pedro although they were able to in their native country. This article is to help everyone understand the challenges the San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC) is facing in regards to building a healthy supply of blood for Ambergris Caye. Consider the fact that Belize is a developing country and has neither the technology nor the resources to spin and clean blood. The screening standards currently being utilized in Belize date back to 1991 and any changes to those standards would have to be done country wide. The SPBRC hopes to get some educational assistance on the current standards from the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services to help in this area. In the interim, we will still set our goal of (50) pints at the next blood drive in June: Aside from building a strong base of regular donors, the San Pedro Branch hopes to do this by encouraging more young adults to donate. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, the San Pedro Branch was able to collect 30 pints of blood last Saturday. Adding that to the current stock, gives Ambergris Caye for a grand total of 72 pints on reserve. So far 7 pints have been used by 2 different people.

Misc Belizean Sources

Dara feeding program receives donation
Joel “Dara” Robinson has been feeding school children in Belize City out of pocket for seven years now, and his humanitarian efforts have earned him wide acclaim. But that does not always translate to the money he needs to keep the program going. He estimates that he spends upwards of $1,300 per month, the majority on food supplies. To help out, the Social Security Board today handed over $5,000 worth of kitchen appliances, including a brand new stove, refrigerator, cake mixer, microwave oven, freezer and blender, and promised to pay out $500 per month to help Dara meet his program budget. Social Security’s Belize City administrator Shawn Stuart says this is the Board’s way of recognizing its origins as a collector of contributions from working Belizeans which pay for employment and other benefits and promoting the children as the future.

Cancer Society opens dialogue with media on non-communicable diseases
The Belize Cancer Society today hosted the press in an information and strategy session to address the issues of portrayal of non-communicable diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, hypertension, diabetes and especially cancer in print and on the airwaves. These diseases are recognized as a leading cause of death in Belize. From 2007 to 2011 there were 857 deaths caused by cancer in Belize: 421 women and 436 men. For women, cervical cancer caused 23% of all deaths; prostate and lung cancer are leaders among men. According to Cancer Society president Laura Longsworth, Belizeans must begin to change their lifestyles and eating habits and make regular visits to the doctor, getting over their shyness with regard to medical procedures. She pointed out that health services are available to all Belizeans, even under NHI (National Health Insurance), but few take advantage, especially men.

Toledo farmers get equipment for seed production project
A bold new community initiative was officially launched on Thursday in Silver Creek village in the Toledo district. The Nim La Ha Chutamil Cooperative Society Limited was officially presented and a seed production facility for the new community group received much needed start-up equipment. It’s a community initiative where people from a small community have come together to help themselves and by extension their neighbors. The Seeds for Development” project is intended to provide farmers from Silver Creek and surrounding communities to be able to produce quality grains at a minimal cost.

Ladyville police investigate alleged rape report
A 51 year old man is accused of raping a 26 year old woman early this morning in Ladyville village, Belize district. Police say that acting upon information received, they visited an area near mile 10 ½ miles on the Phillip Goldson Highway where they encountered a man who was apparently holding a woman against her will. Police say when they arrived at the swampy, overgrown area about ten feet away from the roadside, they noticed that the man had his hands over the woman’s mouth and she was struggling to escape. Police say they ordered both the man and the woman out of the swamp at which time the woman immediately told them that she had been raped.

PACT Gives Radios to FCD
This week, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust gave the Friends of Conservation and Development a set of radios to help with communicating while they monitor and protect the Chiquibul National Forest and Chiquibul Cave System. Thanks, PACT!

Orquidea Negra at Maya Festival
The Orquidea Negra Dance Company went down to Toledo with a bunch of fans to celebrate Maya Day. Here are some high quality stills from their performance. "Our own Orquidea Negra Dance Company performing at the Maya Day at Tumul K'in Learning Center, Blue Creek, Toledo District. Proud of them... Photographs courtesy of Subrata Basu"

DPP clarifies her role in the Penner private prosecution
Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal today broke her silence with regard to the case against Elvin Penner brought by Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). After Thursday’s drama and spectacle of which she was a small part, Belize’s chief prosecutor felt the need to clarify her role, which essentially is that of an observer. Having met with the group on Wednesday, she made clear that while private prosecutions are an avenue of bringing a matter to the court, the ultimate responsibility for prosecution of a crime once the tests of sufficient evidence and level of public interest are satisfied, rests in the office of the DPP. She points out that while her office has not been satisfied to lay charges based on what has been presented by police, that investigation has not yet concluded and the directives given by the office three Fridays ago have not been met, and if she is not in a position at this time to lay such charges, then she cannot assume control of any prosecution brought by anyone else.

Magistrate wins judicial review of residency application
The Immigration Department has been ordered to receive and process the application of Jamaican magistrate Narda Morgan to receive Belizean permanent residency, after Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel ruled in favour of Morgan in an application for judicial review. Morgan represented herself as she sought to overturn the decision of Director of the Department, Maria Marin, to refuse her application and deny her request to state the reasons for such rejection in writing. Morgan was hired by the Government in 2011 in the local Magistracy and holds a CARICOM Special Skills Certificate. She tried to apply for permanent residency sometime thereafter, but was refused. Attorney for the Department, Crown Counsel Herbert Panton, was unable to convince Judge Abel that the Treaty of Chaguaramas which established the Caribbean Community and guaranteed freedom of movement for all Caribbean citizens, did not apply to citizenship of any territory.

Staff and management problems pop up at St. Ignatius High School
Tensions are running high between management and the staff of the St. Ignatius High School in Santa Elena town, Cayo district. Late payment of salary and arbitrary reassignment of job description to faculty members are just two of the list of complaints which surfaced today. According to veteran trade unionist and former General Secretary of the Belize National Teachers Union, George Frazer, its time for the issued raised by the staff of the High School be addressed seriously. Following classes today, the teacher met with BNTU officials to fully air their grievances. Today’s meeting with the staff of St. Ignatius High School was in advance of a planned Monday morning meeting involving Ministry of Education officials, the Board of Governors of the High School and the BNTU.

Small fire in Punta Gorda town
The Punta Gorda branch of the National Fire Service was today called upon to put out a small fire in town. It is not certain how the fire got started behind a restaurant in the vicinity of the PG Central Park. People in the area started to see the smoke which soon started to affect visibility for motorists and pedestrians alike. After putting out the fire, officials of the National Fire Service appealed to PG residents to take precautions with fire especially during this dry season to minimize dangers to lives and property. No one was hurt in today’s incident in Punta Gorda town and there were no structural damage.

3rd Annual Reading Fair
Over 10 primary school were invited to visit the the third Annual Reading Fair hosted by the Language Arts Department of St. John’s College High School in Belize City. The children expressed great interest in journalism and the importance of writing and reading.

Flash Mob in San Ignacio
There was a flash mob in Cayo! The San Ignacio Public Library, along with the Canadian Rotary, teamed up with some Sacred Heart primary school students to head to the Cayo Welcome Center for the performance. The SIPL also teamed up with tourism students at SHJC for the Art in the Park day. "Sacred Heart school participates in flash mob to encourage reading to keep literacy alive. thanks canadian rotary and SHPS in making the library a part of this event."

Earth Hour Tomorrow
Earth Day is coming, and tonight contains Earth Hour. There will be a celebration at Governor General Field in Belmopan starting at 8:00pm. Switch off your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 to celebrate. Panerrifix will be playing.

Validation Session for the Development of an Investor’s Guide for Mitigation and Carbon Markets and a Mitigation Project Portfolio
Government of Belize Press Office

Hundreds of Pre-schoolers, parents and teachers marched today through the principal streets of Corozal
Hundreds of Pre-schoolers, parents and teachers marched today through the principal streets of Corozal to celebrate the conclusion of Pre-School Stimulation month. Kudos to the Ministry of Education, schools, teachers, parents and the many volunteers for their tireless work and efforts in this successful endeavor. Corozal is certainly proud of its future young leaders. Power to the people of Corozal. Will share more photos on Monday.

Participants with display boots at the Caribbean ICT Road Show underway at the Corozal Communty College Sports Campus Auditorium.
BELTRAIDE - Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities, Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College, Corozal Community College, Stellar Links Corozal, Fultec Systems, BTL, Belize Police Department.

Grand Belize Casino Hotel to open in Santa Elena, Belize
The Grand Belize Entertainment Group has been granted a gaming license and secured the location to operate the former Golden Princess Casino in Santa Elena, Belize. Grand Belize Casino Hotel plans to operate approximately 500 slot machines, 20 table games, a brand new 50-room hotel, over 20,000 square feet of events space, and multiple first class food & beverage offerings. The location that the Grand Belize Casino Hotel sits sees over one million visitors per year and is known for its popular duty-free shopping. Michael Glauser, chief operating officer of The Grand Belize Entertainment Group, said, “We are excited to step in and operate in this location. Although there are still plans for a larger casino resort, opening in this current location allows the Grand Belize brand to place a foothold in the market. We look forward to making a positive impact on the local community, as well as Belize as a whole.”

US Capital Energy And Government Of Belize Taunt Supreme Court - SATIIM File For Injunction
On October 23rd, 2013, arguments ended in the case between SATIIM and the indigenous communities, and the Government of Belize. Justice Arana reserved judgment. 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 judgement was delivered. Not so with US Capital Energy. In fact, they continue to conduct themselves as though there are no claims before the Supreme Court of Belize. 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. SATIIM adjourned the injunction it filed in July 2013. This was because US Capital informed SATIIM and the Court that they would not drill until December 2013. As a consequence of letters to the parties associated with the oil contract requesting for information on the activities in the park, the Attorney General’s Ministry, in a letter dated February 10, 2014, informed the Court and SATIIM’s legal Counsels that no drilling will happen before March, 2014. The Attorney General was acting on behalf of the defendants named in SATIIM’s claim, including US Capital Energy.

What You Need to Know About Traveling to Central America
Central America is part of North America, but it is often grouped as a political collective, sometimes with the Caribbean, but usually by itself. The region is composed of seven nations: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Mexico is to its north, Columbia is to its south while its west and east flanks are bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea respectively. Of the seven nations, only Belize has a primary official language that is not Spanish. It is English. Belize was formerly known as British Honduras before receiving its independence in 1973. The country, however, is also claimed by Guatemala which considers the land its 23rd department or state. No worries — it is a peaceful dispute, at least for now. Getting There and Getting Around To get to Central America, several airlines serve its major cities. American, United, and Delta all fly to points due south. Also serving the area are Copa Airlines, TACA, and Avianca. Some people visit Central America via cruise line. Very few travel by car, particularly from the United States. It is possible to do so via the Pan American Highway.

Video: Razing the Roof: Acts of Purposeful Destruction in and around the Belize River Valley
17 min. Annual Maya Symposium - Sarah Kurnick Voices of the Past: Maya Research Scholars, first-time visitors, enthusiasts, and lovers of all things Maya are invited to take part in a full day of special Maya-related programming. Guests hear from experts, including Curator Richard Leventhal and Associate Curator and Keeper Simon Martin, one of the world's leading scholars on ancient Maya glyph writing—both of the Penn Museum's American Section—as well as scholars and students specializing in a variety of pre-Columbian disciplines. Topics of discussion range from ancient environmental issues, to historic excavation sites, to the future of Maya heritage.

Savannah Ecosystem Assessment Belize, 2009 - 2012

Video: 2. How the scientific findings are now used in Belize.
How the scientific findings are now used in Belize. (Elma Kay, Pat Ashworth, Kamela Palma).

Video: 3. How the new Savanna mapping is being used in Belize.
How the new Savanna mapping is being used in Belize. (Jan Meerman & Edilberto Romero).

Video: 4. Benefits of the botanical research for Belize.
Benefits of the botanical research for Belize (Elma Kay, Jan Meerman and Rudi Aguilar).

Video: 5. The re-curation of the national herbarium.
The re-curation of the national herbarium (Dave Harris, Elma Kay, German Lopez).

Video: 6. Wider beneficiaries of the project throughout Belize.
Wider beneficiaries of the project throughout Belize. (Judy DuPlooy & Sharon Matola).

Video: Belize 1
8min, scuba diving

Video: Belize media clip
Chiquibul rainforest is rich in diversity

Video: OUR TRAVELS IN GUATEMALA AND BELIZE
32min. From Spanish colonial Antigua to the Mayan temples towering above the jungle

Video: Belize Adventure!
4min. We tackled the muddy roads, steep stairs, deep caves, and coral reefs of San Ignacio, Caracol, Caves Branch, Caye Caulker, and Ambergris Caye.

Channel 7

Wild Shootout and Chase in City
Mahogany Street is one of the most trafficked thoroughfares in Belize City - but this afternoon pedestrians ran for cover and drivers ducked behind their steering wheels, as dozens of shots were fired in a high speed chase. It played out at around 1:40 - when multiple police units were pursuing a private van. Most of it played out on Mahogany street where a red Van was seen firing shots near the complex building. Police came behind, firing after the van, and as it sped away east on Mahogany Street. That's where a GSU Patrol was waiting. The van was heading right for them as the GSU let off gunshots - but they didn't shoot out the tyres and the van darted down a side street. The GSU followed, but the van eluded them, and re-emerged unto Mahogany Street where another police vehicle set chase, gunshots firing the whole time. But the van got away from them both - and while they shot the van, it kept going. Incredible, under chase from at least three police vehicles, the driver of the van got to his home on Santa Barbara Street which is two blocks from Mahogany street. That's where police caught him.

Cayo Teachers Call In the Union On Their Principal
This morning, word went out that the teachers of Saint Ignatius High School in Santa Elena Town, in Cayo, went on a type of “go slow” with the threat of striking. It’s a situation that has been brewing at the school, we are told, for several days now, where the teachers say that the interim Principal, Vanessa Neal, has been making personnel decisions and transfers they don’t agree with, and which they say put their jobs at risk.

May Bush Gets 13 Years For Killing Man
54 year-old Cayo Resident May Bush will spend 13 years in prison for killing 29 year-old David Guerra. That was the sentence that Temporary Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore handed her today in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court. As we reported, in February, Bush stood trial without a jury before Justice Moore, where evidence was presented that on June 18, 2011, she stabbed Guerra, who was the boyfriend of her daughter, with a pen knife after they had a been drinking at restaurant. The incident reportedly happened after Guerra and Bush's common-law husband ended up in a bar brawl. In the trial, Bush denied the crime, but the prosecution presented evidence that police found her on the scene shortly after Guerra's stabbing, with the bloody 7 inch knife which was used to commit the crime.

DPP Sees No Case For Criminal Charges Yet
Yesterday, we told you all about the private prosecution against former Minister of State Elvin Penner. Well today the Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal made her position clear in a detailed letter to the press. She stresses that she's an interested observer in the COLA matter, but, she has not taken over their private prosecution, especially since her office has not even launched a public prosecution. And her office hasn't done that because as she explains, quote, "I have not yet reached the stage where I am satisfied, on what has been presented to me by the police, that I can properly direct that charges be laid." The investigation is ongoing and the DPP says "the directives given (to police) 3 Fridays ago have not all yet been complied with." So she concludes, "If I am not in a position, at this time, to direct that charges be laid, then I am certainly not in any position to assume control of any prosecution brought by anyone else." In that regard, we stress that the DPP was not in court yesterday. She adds that she "has not joined COLA", or "is appearing on behalf of COLA" because if she did, it would be a public prosecution, and it is not that, not at this point.

Alleged Scotia Bank Robber Gets Off (again) In Nolle Pros Case
It made national headlines when armed robbers targeted the Scotia Bank Branch in Spanish Lookout, killed 32 year-old Steven Lopez, the on-duty security guard, and made off with over 300 thousand dollars. Well the news tonight, that 25 year-old Frank Edwards, the man who was accused and acquitted of being the gunman who shot Lopez to death, is now virtually free of the robbery itself. His trial before Temporary Justice Antoinette Moore began on Tuesday before a jury of 9 was empaneled to hear the first prosecution witness called by, Senior Crown Counsel Cecil Ramirez. But he didn't get too far with his case. That's because, Edwards' attorney, Dickie Bradley, indicated to the court that he was going to challenge a caution statement police say that he gave, which they intend to use to secure a conviction against him. In a trial within this trial, Bradley contented that in Edwards' murder trial almost exactly 2 years ago, the prosecution tried to use this very same statement against him. It was challenged then, and Justice Troadio Gonzalez threw it out ruling that it was improperly obtained by police investigators.

18 Year Old’s Family Discuss Accident
On Wednesday we told you that Erin Davis had died. The 18 year old Belize City resident was in that March ninth traffic fatality that killed 20 year old Linsbert Tucker and 3 year old Ashley Silva. Well Erin Davis was sitting beside Tucker when he crashed into the oncoming vehicle. He was hospitalized for 17 days, and died on Wednesday. His mother who works in the hospital monitored her son throughout, from he was brought into the emergency room. Today, she told Monica Bodden what she saw:…

Youth Thanks KHMH Doc’s For Saving His Life
And, keeping it at the KHMH – our next story involving a teenaged patient has a much happier ending. Remember in January when we were reporting on all those worrying h1n1 cases? Well, we told you about a 14 year old who wa sin grave condition – possible from h1n1 - and had to be put into an induced coma. Well, he stayed under that for a month, but he survived! And today – still recovering - he went back to the KHMH to say thanks for saving his life. Monica Bodden was there:..

Court Tells Immigration Dept to Make Jamaican Magistrate A Resident
Two weeks ago, San Ignacio Magistrate Nardia Morgan made the news after an allegation emerged against her that she inexplicably reversed a ruling she had made to be more lenient to a convicted Guatemalan drug trafficker. Well tonight, she's back in the news because the Jamaican National is challenging Belizean authorities to grant her citizenship here. She applied to the Immigration Department to gain permanent resident status, but her application was refused by Acting Director Maria Marin. She didn't accept that as the final decision, and with her attorney, she applied to the Supreme Court for Judicial review of Marin's decision. Her claim was that she had met all the requirements for permanent residency, but her application was unfairly refused.

El Salvadoran President-Elect In Belize
The President-elect of El Salvador is in Belize tonight. Former Guerilla Commander, Salvador Sanchez Ceren arrived in Belize this morning three weeks after a razor thin victory at the polls. Reports say the 69 year old paid courtesy calls on the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister today - but that cannot be confirmed. He is expected to be at UB in Belmopan tomorrow - again unconfirmed. And all this is unconfirmed because the local press was not told about or invited to cover his visit. We are told it was classified because of security risks to the President elect. What we do know for sure is that his contingent staying at the Radisson which is beefed up with security and that he leaves tomorrow.

Dara Gets Institutional Backative
Very many times on this newscast, we’ve covered the grassroots philanthropy of Dar Robinson. His feeding programme feeds 40 - 50 school children per day, and he does it all out of his small home. It’s his life’s work, no one pays him to do it, and, generally, he only gets the thanks of the children he feeds. But Dara never asks for anything other than contributions to his very worthy cause, and the Social security Board came through nicely for him today with a donation of five thousand dollars’ worth of kitchen appliances, and a commitment to give him 500 dollars monthly to buy groceries. They did this at his home in Belize City and we were there:…

SATIIM Calls Peyrefitte Remarks Offensive
Last night on the news, you heard the attorney for US Capital Energy Mike Peyrefitte putting down the Mayan Leaders who have negotiated with the oil company. He characterized them as greedy and caring most about money and least about the environment. Today SATIIM sent out a release challenging his bald accusations. The release calls his comments "uninformed and offensive." The statement adds, quote, "For a corporation, it is always about money, so of course negotiations with them include discussions about money." SATIIM says that "When the Maya people say land rights, the oil company hears money; When they as for consultation, the oil company hears money; and when they talk about their culture, and environment, the oil company hears nothing.

Youths Are Tops In Table Tennis
The third Dutch Lady Primary School Table Tennis championship was held today at Belize Elementary School. Youth players from 7 primary schools got to play on a major spread in a full tournament setting. President of the Belize Table Tennis Association Tux Vasquez who organized the event told us more:... On Monday, we'll tell you who the winners were.

Ce’Cile Sweets Up Belize
Reggae songstress Ce'cile is back in Belize tonight. The internationally known vocalist and hit maker is her for a concert in Dangriga that is also a fundraiser. She told us about the event called upgrade: The concert is tomorrow night in Dangriga Town.

PROFILE..
Tonight's I AM Belize Profile, featuring inspirational teachers and their influence on students, tells the story of Annette Cooper. She started learning the skills she uses to teach by learning from a technician who fully assembled computers from their parts out of the box. Her fascination with the hands-on approach to technology led to individuals observing her progress, that she had the potential to be an educator because she had the ability to show observers in a step-by-step basis. Here's her story:

Channel 5

Mahogany Street shooting; police on hot pursuit fire shots at fleeing vehicle
Around one-thirty this afternoon, there was a dangerous shooting on Mahogany Street; it was all caught by our camera. Here’s how it unfolded…Police and GSU officers were responding to a [...]

St. Ignatius teachers revolt against decisions of high school management
In the west, there is growing dissention tonight among the faculty and staff of St. Ignatius High School in Santa Elena Town, following a series of unsanctioned decisions reportedly being [...]

Valley of Peace farmers receive some good news
Green Tropics, a Spanish company involved in sugar cane cultivation, is accused of conducting aerial spraying in the Valley of Peace community which is the main supplier of vegetables in [...]

Frank Edwards beat murder rap and now walks from robbery in Scotia Bank heist
Frank Edwards beat a murder charge back in 2011 before Justice Troadio Gonzalez but he was in the Belmopan Supreme Court this week on a robbery charge. Edwards was accused [...]

Fifty-one year old sentenced to thirteen years for manslaughter
Fifty-one year old May Bush, convicted of the June 2011 stabbing death of David Guerra, has been sentenced to thirteen years for manslaughter. On March seventh, a jury of twelve [...]

Supreme Court says Jamaican magistrate qualifies for permanent residency
A written judgement is yet to follow, but a decision was verbally handed down in the case of Magistrate of San Ignacio, Nardia Morgan. Morgan defended herself in trial this [...]

Road Safety Program sees infrastructural road works on highways
Anybody travelling on the George Price Highway recently would see a massive program of infrastructure works in effect. It’s all part of a wider Road Safety Program, and the primary [...]

SATIIM continues to monitor illegal harvesting activity
The perennial issue of rosewood extraction, despite an existing moratorium, remains a thorn in the sides of conservationists across the south. Illegal logging operations continue throughout Toledo, from Trio in [...]

Rape in Ladyville; aggressor was caught in the act
There is also a case of rape to report tonight where the aggressor was caught in the act. Early this morning at about two-thirty, Ladyville police were tipped about a [...]

Armed hold-up at the Oasis Water Plant in Corozal
Up north, police have detained an alleged robber and are looking for another. At about seven-twenty on Thursday morning, there was an armed hold-up at the Oasis Water Plant located [...]

Budget Wrap Up – a revisit of the fireworks in the House
The annual budget debate 2014, held on Monday and Tuesday, has been widely described as anticlimactic, primarily because majority of the arguments in the Honorable House revolved around the many [...]

Kids Talk News
The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting was launched by UNICEF in 1991 in order to encourage broadcasters worldwide to create awareness for children issues. ICDB, is a day when broadcasters [...]

3rd Annual Primary School Table Tennis Tournament
The third annual primary school table tennis competition was held today at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium. Seven schools, sixty-four athletes and two hundred and fifty-six games later, the top [...]

LOVE FM

Barrow Says EU Needs to Get Its Act Together
In other issues that made the news this week, Love News managed to question the Prime Minister on these including the European Union’s ban on Belize’s fishing imports. It is an issue, we thought was crucial as we have brought reports to you on several initiatives that the Government had been undertaking in order to avoid such a decision by the EU….but according to Barrow, it’s not something to put much stock into. RT. HON. DEAN BARROW “I’m not especially worried except, I think the EU does need to get its act together. You can’t send a team down here, you can’t have an understanding reached; you can’t offer assurances by way of that team that certain things will happen or not happen and then within a couple of weeks, you go back on your word. But the practical effect of what has been done is not of a kind of consequence that unduly worries me. You are talking about a small number of ships, part of the fishing fleet, that can’t now access European Ports. In the larger scheme of things, really it is not something to be especially concerned about.”

Barrow on Esquivels’ Resignations: “….what it is, is what it is.”
In the early part of March, the Director for Belize Tourism Board was ousted from the organization after several managers filed complaints of no-confidence in her management. On the heels of that announcement, Lady Kathy Esquivel who served as the Director of the National AIDS Commission and Sir Manuel Esquivel, former Prime Minister also tendered his resignation as a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister. It was a triple move that surprised many and left many questions unanswered. Today, Love News spoke to the Prime Minister today and got his feedback on the matter. RT. HON. DEAN BARROW “I wrote to both Sir Manuel and Lady Kathy; I thanked both of them for their stellar service with respect to the last positions they held. I went on in the case of Sir Manuel to make the point that this was of course just part of a large trajectory – a larger historical background that fixes him firmly in the national consciousness as an exemplary public servant, as an exemplary politician and exemplary Prime Minister. I expressed my regret at his departure but made clear that in the circumstances I understood.”

EU’s Belize Ambassador on Working Visit in Country
Head of Delegation of the European Union to Belize Ambassador Paola Amadei is on a working visit to Belize. The Ambassador’s visit is to participate in the first political dialogue with the Government of Belize under article 8 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement. British High Commissioner Peter Hughes will address issues of mutual interest for Belize and the European Union related to national security, human rights, regional integration, climate change and natural disasters. The dialogue will also cover recent developments in Belize and the European Union in the political and economic sphere. As part of the dialogue, Ambassador Amadei and other officials will take part in a high level visit to the Guatemala border being organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the security and environmental concerns between Belize and Guatemala, including illegal logging and gold panning , will be examined. Ambassador Amadei will hold meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development in charge of EU development cooperation, and participate in a special tour to the Toledo Cacao Growers Association and the Maya House of Cacao in Southern Belize which have received funding under the EU supported Belize Rural Development Program. Ambassador Amadei will leave Belize on Sunday.

PlusTV

Our Lady of Guadalupe Launches 3rd Annual Science and Business Fair
Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. in Belmopan held its third annual Science and Business Fair. Emanuel Pech visited the high school this morning and has the story. Emanuel Pech- Reporter for Plus News Science and Business Fair- an all day event that gives students an opportunity to lay down...

Ladyville Woman Found Apparently Being Raped
A woman says she was raped early this morning in Ladyville. Police say that acting upon information received, they visited an area near mile 10 ½ miles on the Phillip Goldson Highway. There they met a man who was apparently holding a woman against her will. According to...

Placencia Claims Another Rape Incident and a Robbery
There is another rape incident to report on. Plus News has learned that a tourist has been raped and robbed in the village of Placencia. Information is sketchy at this time as Police have not sent out any release on this latest crime against tourists. However, we understand that...

DPP Clarifies her Role in Lawsuit Against Mr. Penner
Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal today broke her silence with regard to the case against Elvin Penner brought by Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). After Thursday’s drama and spectacle of which she was a small part, Belize’s chief prosecutor felt the need to clarify her role,...

Amandala

Maranco tries to tap 50 million barrels of dense oil in Orange Walk
During Tuesday’s budget debate, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow announced a major oil find—an estimated 50 million barrels—in northern Belize. Today, Amandala got some details of the find from Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Energy, Dr. Colin Young, who told us that while the company, Maranco, has estimated that the crude oil reserve within a 2,500 to 3,000-acre chunk of northwestern Orange Walk could total 50 million barrels, preliminary indications are that the oil will be difficult and more expensive to extract than the crude at Spanish Lookout, which is a lighter crude. “50 million barrels in the ground does not translate into recoverable crude,” said CEO Young. Amandala readers will recall that recoverable reserves at Spanish Lookout were estimated at 10 to 14 million barrels of oil. Young said that Maranco made the find after assessing the South Canal Bank #3 site, but the oil is 16 api (a unit of measure used by the American Petroleum Institute). This contrasts sharply with the crude that Belize Natural Energy found at Spanish Lookout, which Young said is 38-40 api crude.

Judge orders elections for Belize Ex-Services League
Mckesson Garrett, head of the Belize City branch of the Belize Ex-Services League, told Amandala today that a decision handed down by Supreme Court Justice Courtenay Abel, mandating the Belize Ex-Services League to hold elections which would include the general membership from the various branches across the country, rather than two representatives per branch, could restore stability to the organization and bring the kind of unity that they have not enjoyed for over a decade. Garrett said that in advance of that biennial meeting, due to be held next month, at which members should vote to elect “fresh blood” to govern the organization, the Belize City branch will host a meeting of its 60 or so members. That meeting is due to be held at Canada House on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 30. The Belize City branch and the executive management of the League have been locked in a bitter dispute for years.

Erin Davis, 18, who was involved in a tragic road accident on Sunday, March 9, in Burrell Boom, in which two persons were killed, died 17 days after the incident due to the massive head injuries he suffered as a result. He went into a coma after being injured, and did not recover. The Davis family of Administration Drive, Belize City, is devastated and is mourning the death of Erin, who died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) at about 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Police reports are that at about 5:15 Sunday evening, March 9, they went to the scene of a reported traffic collision in the Burrell Boom area near the riverside, where they saw two vehicles with the front portions extensively damaged. Their investigations revealed that Lindbergh Tucker, 20, the driver of a white Honda SUV, was driving out of the Boom Road when he collided with a white KIA Sportage coming from the opposite direction, driven by Karim Silva, 31, who was accompanied at the time by his daughter, Ashley Silva, 3.

FINALLY, PENNER CRIMINALLY CHARGED!!
One hundred and eighty-nine days after Prime Minister Dean Barrow fired Minister of State Elvin Penner on September 19, 2013, for his issuance of a Belize passport and nationality paper for an unqualified South Korean criminal, Won Hong Kim, the Cayo North East area representative was arraigned this morning in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court on two criminal charges filed in a private lawsuit by the grassroots activist organization Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). The COLA case against Penner comes after months of at least three government investigations that have yielded no results. Although it appeared that immigration laws had been broken, the Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration, told the nation that their internal investigations dealt only with public officers of the department, and Penner was not going to be questioned because he did not fall under the rules of the public service. There have been an Auditor General investigation, an internal Ministry of Immigration investigation and an investigation by the Financial Intelligence Unit, all of which produced nothing.

KAREN BEVANS SOUGHT AS NEW BTB DIRECTOR
In February, we reported that Karen Bevans had resigned from her post as Chief Operations Officer of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) after 25 years of service at the company, but Amandala has confirmed from an official source that the Office of the Prime Minister has been in negotiations with Bevans to have her fill the recently vacated post of director of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB). Laura Esquivel-Frampton resigned from that position earlier this month, after seven of BTB’s managers complained to Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, Jr., about her leadership and penned their signature to a vote of no-confidence. Furthermore, our newspaper had received reports that the BTB came out of 2013, which saw healthy tourism growth in both the cruise and overnight sector, being millions of dollars in the red. Amandala understands Bevans met with Heredia and Prime Minister Dean Barrow yesterday to discuss the terms of reference for the BTB post, but at news time tonight, we were told that she had given no indication what her final decision is.

“THIS IS A MATTER OF MONEY”
Greg Ch’oc, executive director of the Sarstoon Temash Institute of Indigenous Management (SATIIM), said that the NGO and the Maya communities of Toledo which have joined them to challenge a decision by the Government of Belize to grant a petroleum concession over what they insist is their ancestral lands. “…will not stop until we achieve [our] rights guaranteed by the Constitution.” In a case lodged before the Supreme Court last year, SATIIM led a claim against the Government of Belize and US Capital Energy, challenging the decision to permit the company to drill in the Sarstoon National Park and to furthermore grant a concession to the company without the free, prior, informed consent of the Maya – as specified in the Maya land rights ruling by former Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh. However, Michael Peyrefitte, the attorney for US Capital, told the media today that the Maya want the company to drill, and Peyrefitte said that the only reason the Maya have gone to court is that they want a bigger share of the pie that other Belizean landowners would get from petroleum production. “It’s about money,” insisted Peyrefitte, who also sits as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Introducing Belize
A relative sent us some information today along with an SMU (Southern Methodist University) website link on a young man who has made some major strides toward his dream of playing professional football in the U.S. There are many youth with Belizean parentage in the U.S., and it is always refreshing when we hear of their success academically or in the sporting arena, especially if they show appreciation for their Belizean roots. And it could be a great inspiration for our youth back home in the Jewel. According to information on the team roster, #26 Deshawon Nembhard is a 6’1 170 lb Freshman defender/midfielder on the SMU men’s soccer team in Dallas, Texas. Below we print a brief extract from an article appearing recently on the team’s weekly web page, followed by some information on Deshawon provided by his uncle, Derrick Morgan.

EDITORIAL: POWER, AND THE PEOPLE …
At this newspaper, we try to be careful with words. Indeed, we have to be careful with words, because our newspaper words do not just quickly blow away into the wind: our words are printed in black and white, and they will last for generations. The words we use are there for us to be judged by, and so our words bring a weighty responsibility along with them. We have a phrase we have been using at Amandala for decades, which is, of course, “power to the people.” It was used by the Black Panther Party founded by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California in the late 1960s. But it was a Belizean who was visiting Belize from that said city of Oakland, California in the spring/summer of 1969, who introduced the young UBAD cultural movement to the South African word Amandla. (This Belizean was Bert Simon, who soon returned to the United States and converted to the Nation of Islam. He is now Nuri Muhammad.) Our understanding of Amandla at the time was that it translated roughly in English to “power to the people.” Over the years, we have come to understand that Amandla is part of a call-and-response ritual in South Africa where the speaker cries Amandla, or power, and the people respond, Ngawethu, which means roughly, the power belongs to the people. (In that summer of 1969, we chose to call our newspaper Amandala, adding an extra “a” to make the word more easily pronounceable.)

FROM THE PUBLISHER
The anti-British colonialism vibes of the nationalist revolution in Belize were also pro-American vibes. Belizeans who travelled to Panama to work during the 1930s/1940s had been struck by the grand nature of American planning and construction in Panama. The Americans did not do things in the cheap, niggardly way in which the British had always operated in Belize. Belizeans became impressed with America, and even more disappointed with Britain. George Price’s boss in old Belize City, Bob Turton, sold his chicle to P. K. Wrigley in Chicago, and our sources say Mr. Turton and Mr. Price travelled together to New Orleans often, to transact banking business there or on their way to Chicago, where Wrigley’s chewing gum headquarters were located, or to New York City and Boston, where Mr. Turton was doing some of his mahogany business. Mr. Turton’s chief business rival in British Honduras was the Belize Estate and Produce Company (BEC), and BEC was, of course, always favored by the British colonial establishment in Belize. Bob Turton, the illegitimate son of a British army officer and a Creole lady, had to quit school at the age of 9 and fend for himself. He became British Honduras’ second native multimillionaire, after Isaiah Morter, who had made his fortune in coconuts.

Exports down, imports “continue to swell,” inflation up
The 2013 trend of declining receipts from Belize’s major exports has continued into February 2014, according to information just released today by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). “Belize export receipts for February 2014 stood at $49.5 million. This represents a decrease of approximately $12 million or 20 percent over the same month last year,” the SIB said. It added that export receipts for all major exports, except marine products, declined. “The largest fall in earnings occurred in the export of sugar, which fell by roughly one-half to $7.7 million,” the report said. Poor weather conditions and the delayed opening of the sugar factory was the cause of declining sugar revenues, the SIB said. However, it noted that the 2014 forecast for sugar production was generally good. Crude oil receipts were also down, despite an increase in world market prices. According to the SIB, this is because Belize exported slightly less crude oil in the month, resulting in a $2 million reduction in revenues.

Bagasse negotiations continue between BSCFA and BSI
The second in a series of intensive discussions to resolve a quantum payment for the multifaceted sugar cane byproduct known as bagasse was held this past Tuesday, March 25, at 2:00 p.m. at the BSI Staff Club in Orange Walk. Representatives of the two major stakeholders in the sugar industry, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) and the mill operators Belize Sugar Industries (BSI)/ American Sugar Refineries (ASR), convened once again to hopefully hammer out a new sugar cane purchasing agreement since the infamous 2-month impasse in which cañeros refused to deliver cane to the mills unless they were given a percentage of the profits that BSI/ASR hauls annually from the sale of bagasse. Today, vice chairman of the BSCFA’s Committee of Management, Alfredo Ortega, spoke to Amandala about the developments in the negotiations and explained that the sugar compromise is being worked out under a positive light. Ortega told us that the meeting went well and just as they expected. He stated that BSI provided their counterproposal to the cane farmers, in which the company presented a proposed formula they derived for apportioning payment to the farmers for the bagasse, in addition to the most practical and feasible sum of money they are able to disburse in exchange for bagasse.

Sex, murder, mayhem and confessions
It is said that ignorance of the law is no defense and thus the assumption of our Common Law legal system is that every citizen knows the laws and as such cannot plea ignorance of it. Along with this assumption is that our people are equally “educated” and for me education is beyond being book smart – it’s about being aware, knowledgeable and competent to engage in sober well informed discussions. The whole premise of a democracy is likewise under the understanding that citizens of a democratic society are “educated” or enlightened. So when we keep our people ignorant, uninformed and “uneducated” we cannot expect that the socio-political system we operate under will ever be as functioning as it should be. I read and heard some very damning comments about our judicial system and while some are so true, lots are based on ignorance of our system and our people not realizing that they too have a role. Now, let me say up front that I am in no way saying all is well with our system and that it should remain as it is, but we first appreciate it before we constructively dialogue about what to change.

From the swamps to the hills, and back! …
This newspaper is 34 years old, and over the years we have written many editorials about the Cross Country race, the Holy Saturday cycling race which is so much a part of our collective Belizean psyche. Next Saturday’s race will be the 75th race in the history of British Honduras/Belize, and things have changed. Nowadays it is the norm that foreign riders win the race. On Holy Saturday 2003, if there are 10 riders coming back through Hattieville, 7 or 8 will be foreigners; and if there are 5 riders coming back, 3 or 4 will be non-Belizeans; if there are 3 riders coming back, 2 will be from outside. This has become the pattern. The Mexicans had been coming, from Chetumal and Cancún and Ciudad del Carmen, from as far back as we can remember, from the 1950’s, and only one ever won – Pablo Calderon in 1971. And though Pablo was a threat again in 1972, a threat turned back in 1972 by Anthony “The Tank” Hutchinson in his thunderous ride through the Cayo hills, it was the “team concept” which really began foreign domination in the late 1980’s.

Belizean rum receives international recognition
Distilled products manufactured by Traveller’s Liquors Ltd. have been on the shelves of Belizean merchants for over 60 years, and today the company exhibited superiority in the world of spirits yet again as another one of their products – this time Traveller’s Classic White Rum – was rated, for its flavor, at the top of the list of white rums from around the world. The FiftyBest.com – raters of the globe’s finest wines and spirits – recently hosted a White Rum Tasting competition in New York, where 20 contenders were evaluated for the distinguished “Best White Rum” awards for 2014, and Traveller’s Classic White Rum of Belize emerged as the victor. The product was awarded a gold medal, and today the proprietors of Traveller’s Liquors invited the media to the Heritage Museum at Mile 2 on the Philip Goldson Highway where they delightedly made the announcement. General Manager of Traveller’s Liquors Ltd., Amanda Perdomo, said, “In 2013, we won 2 awards in London; the 5 Barrel [aged rum] won gold in the Masters Spirits competition, and the 1 Barrel won silver. This year, we submitted the Traveller’s Classic White rum to TheFiftyBest.com for a tasting competition, and out of 20 rums, we got a gold award, so we’re very proud of this rum.”

2 GUATEMALANS ARRESTED IN CHIQUIBUL FOREST RESERVE
Two armed Guatemalans who illegally entered Belize through the Chiquibul National Park were met by a Belizean composite patrol, who promptly arrested them. The two persons have been taken into custody at the San Ignacio Police Station and were charged with keeping firearms and ammunition without a gun license. The men, Jose Sub Coc, 21, a Guatemalan farmer of Cah Bom, Alta Vera Paz, and Pedro Lopez Ica, 36, a Guatemala farmer of Monte Los Olivos, were both taken to the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court today, where they were arraigned on the firearm possession charges. They have since been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until May 30, when they will be returned to court. The incident occurred about 9:00 a.m. Monday morning in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. The patrol reported that they saw two Guatemalans, who were armed with a .22 automatic rifle and a 9mm pistol.

Belmopan City Council Mundialito
The Belmopan Football Association (BFA) held Week 3 games in the Belmopan City Council Mundialito Youth Cup 2014 on Sunday, March 23, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium. In game 1 at 10:00 a.m., YWAM-Netherlands shut out Piccini-France, 4-0, with goals from Naim Wilson (37’ & 51’), Zachariah Zimmerman (67’) and Adrian Waight (83’). Game 2 saw Armenia-Portugal registering a 3-1 win over Mountain View-Italy, with Carlos Gonzalez netting a hat trick (34’, 60’ & 80’) for the winners, while Marlon Jones (71’) scored for Mountain View. It was target practice in game 3, as Valley of Peace-Korea bombarded Maya Mopan-Chile, 13-nil, with goals from Savier Sanchez (5’, 9’ & 54’), William Flores (14’), Elvin Umana (34’), Henry Sanchez (39’ & 42’), Jose Delgado (63’), Ector Gomez (70’), William Perez (46’), Jason Sanchez (45’) and Nelson Martinez (60’ & 71’). And in game 4, it was Central Site-England, 2-1, over San Martin-Mexico, with a goal apiece from Ajani Banner (35’) and Jamal Tejada (38’), while the lone goal for San Martin was by Jonathan Lopez (47’).

Belize City’s No Limit Soldiers defeat the Culture Warriors in Dangriga
The Belize City (Smart) No Limit Soldiers made the journey to the Y-Not Island in Dangriga to take on the hometown Culture Warriors. The Soldiers made the trip along with some No Limit fans early Saturday afternoon, as they departed from Belize City around 2:30 p.m. The team managers made it a priority to have the Soldiers in Dangriga early, so they could have sufficient time to stretch and warm up properly for the game. This was definitely necessary, because in past road games the Soldiers would often struggle in the 1st half, before hitting their stride in the 2nd. On this day, however, the Soldiers were early, so early, in fact, that they had time to walk around and soak in the culture capital of the country. The people of Dangriga welcomed the No Limit Soldiers, and were very hospitable to the visiting team for the duration of their stay. The Dangriga Culture Warriors are a very young, athletic and exciting team to watch, and it’s because of that the Soldiers made every effort to slow down the game to negate the speed of the young Warriors. As a result of the game being slowed down, the score was slightly lower than what the Belize City No Limit Soldiers would normally produce. They were very much in control through the 40 minutes of action, as the team continues to improve their shooting. Team No Limit shot 21 for 36 (58%) from the charity stripe, and even shot a better percentage from behind the arc than they did on 2-point field goal attempts, as they hit 50% of their shots from the land of 3 and only 34% on 2-pointers.

“Ladies” is ready for Holy Saturday Half-Marathon
A dedicated long distance Masters runner, 53-year-old Anthony “Ladies” Flores visited the sports desk this morning to serve notice that he is ready for this year’s annual Holy Saturday Half-Marathon race. “In my Masters category, I expect to have strong competition this year from Louis Haulze and Michael ‘Big Wire’ Lewis,” asserted Ladies. “Big Wire” is better known for his cycling achievements, having won all the major cycle races, including the Cross Country; but Ladies says he saw Big Mike training for the foot race, and expects good competition from him on Holy Saturday. The annual Half-Marathon (approximately 13 miles) will take off shortly after the start of the Cross Country Classic on Holy Saturday morning, and will journey from Leslie’s Imports to Mile 8 on the George Price (Western) Highway and back to Leslie’s Imports.

Junior Cross Country
This Sunday, March 30, will see the 15th running of the Annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic, which will take off from the Succotz Ferry at 9:00 a.m. and travel on the George Price (Western) Highway to finish in front of Leslie’s Imports on the outskirts of Belize City, approximately 72 miles. The Cycling Federation of Belize will hold its Technical Meeting for the event tomorrow, Friday, March 28, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the NOC Conference Room upstairs of Doony’s on Albert Street. Deadline for registration is today, Thursday, for Youth riders (14-16 yrs) and Junior riders (16-18 yrs). Last year’s race was a photo finish, with the victory going to Zamir Guerra in 3:34:38. There was a tie for 2nd place between Michael Wagner and Tarique Flowers, who both also clocked 3:34:38.

Traffic accidents prevalent in rural Belize
A disturbing number of traffic accidents have occurred within the jurisdiction of the rural Belize District over the past few weeks, and this past weekend the phenomenon continued, as there were a jaw-dropping four more road traffic accidents in that municipality, leaving at least three more individuals in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). One of the most serious of the incidents happened on Sunday evening after two employees of Bowen and Bowen Ltd. had left from a company function in Ladyville. Upon reaching the curve before the Burrell Boom cutoff, the grey Jeep Cherokee that they were traveling in reportedly ran off the road and overturned several times. The victims were 38-year-old Ian Nunez of Poinsetta Street in Belize City, and 35-year-old Deon Geban of Fabers Road, also in Belize City. Nunez suffered a broken pelvis, spine, hand and foot; while Geban was injured in the back, shoulder and foot.

Stann Creek fishermen protest dredging at South Water Caye Marine Reserve
The Stann Creek Fishermen Association (SCFA) this week sounded the alarm that a company is dredging inside the South Water Caye Marine Reserve – even as fishermen from the community have been locked out for years from fishing in the protected area, after having been told that they could not continue their usual fishing activities inside the reserve. The association said that they are exhorting the Minister responsible for fisheries to call an emergency meeting on this. Earlier this week, Amandala consulted authorities at the Department of the Environment (DOE) on the reported dredging inside the protected area, and we were told that the DOE knew nothing of it. We tried contacting the CEO responsible for fisheries, as well as authorities at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, but no one was available to speak with us.

Police anti-crime operations impact San Pedro
A 2-day police operation called Operation Ambergris Caye was conducted by the Eastern Division Police on San Pedro in response to a spate of crimes that was disturbing the peace of the island. The operation began Thursday morning and concluded Sunday morning. Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster, commander of the operation, said that the purpose of the operation was to address the increasing number of shooting incidents and other crimes being committed on the island town and to ensure that San Pedro returns to being the tranquil place it has been known to be – a place where both residents and tourists can feel secure. As part of the operation, officers searched 250 persons, 20 premises, and 20 known drug bases. Ten suspected vehicles were stopped and checked; and 8 persons were arrested on various offenses, including immigration. Of those arrested, one person was detained for immigration offenses; another person was arrested for possession of a crack pipe, and a deportee was detained for failing to report to the proper authorities.

Protruding plough on towhead causes traffic accident; 5 injured
A truck driver’s alleged indiscretion almost cost the lives of roughly 18 to 20 passengers who were on board a James Bus on the way to Belize City last night after a projecting heavy duty farm tractor’s rake ripped open the left side of the bus like a tin can. Around 7:15 p.m. last night, near Mile 44 on the George Price Highway, a passenger bus belonging to James Bus Line from Punta Gorda was on its final route to Belize City when it was raked in the side by a protruding piece of a farming machine that was being carried on a towhead that was coming from the opposite direction. Luckily, there were no casualties, but five people, including Oscar Cal, a resident of Colombia, Toledo, who was the driver of the James Bus, sustained injuries. Cal and four of his passengers suffered various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan, while the others were taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City.

Traffic collision again in San Pedro
A three-way collision occurred at about 9:00 Friday night on Barrier Reef Drive in San Pedro, and two persons are hurt as a result. The collision occurred when a motorcycle hit a bicycle, after which it slammed into a golf cart in which four people was travelling. The person riding the bicycle was hurt, and three persons from the golf cart were thrown out, causing one of the passengers to be knocked unconscious. Harold Arthurs, office assistant at Cart Belize Golf Cart Rentals San Pedro Town, told police that he was driving a company golf cart, and three persons were with him, including his cousin, Ericka Castro, 20. Just after they passed Crazy Canucks Restaurant’s entrance, Arthurs saw a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction, which knocked down a young boy who was riding on a bicycle. The motorcycle driver lost control of the motorcycle after that, and then the motorcycle hit the golf cart.

5 persons missing: 3 from Belmopan, 1 from Toledo and 1 from Belize City
Five persons have been reported missing — three from Belmopan, one from Mafredi, Toledo, and one from Belize City. Missing from Belmopan are Touri Conorque, 13, a student who failed to return home from school yesterday; Izidoro Zacharias, 52, who went out on Friday and failed to return, and Ami Polanco, 15, a student who left home to go to school about 7:00 yesterday morning and has not yet returned. Missing from Mafredi, Toledo, is Rosas Tobar, whose 15-year-old daughter reported her missing to police. In Belize City, Alex Myers remains missing since Wednesday, March 12. About 4:30 this afternoon, Markeisha Thomas of Sapodilla Street, Belmopan, told police that her daughter, Touri Conorque, 13, did not return from school at the time she usually does. She has not been seen nor heard from since. Conorque is of brown complexion, is 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighs 110 pounds; she is slimly built, has brown eyes and was last seen wearing her school uniform, which is a light brown blouse and khaki brown jumper. At about 5:30 yesterday evening, Maribel Bolon of Garza Street, Belmopan , went to police and reported that her brother, Izidoro Zacharias, 52, left home about 5:00 Friday evening and since then, she has not seen nor heard from him. Zacharias is a resident of Brazil Street, Salvapan. He is of fair complexion, is 5 feet 6 inches tall, is slimly built, has dark eyes, and his top front teeth are missing.

Corozal police carry out new initiatives to combat crime
The Corozal police have embarked on new initiatives to combat crimes in the district. Superintendent Andrew Ramirez, Commander of Corozal District police, said that the initiatives began yesterday. A two-man motorcycle team will now patrol the business and residential areas. The patrol will carry out stop-and-search operations, and random searches of suspicious persons in the area will be done. The initiatives will be for an indefinite period, and will be carried out from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening, from Monday to Friday. Commander Ramirez said that two officers have been assigned to carry out the initiative. Since the beginning of the exercise yesterday, the stop-and-search effort has already confiscated four grams of weed and two persons were arrested as a result. Ramirez said that the initiatives boost the ones presently in place, so that there are always ongoing security patrols in the town.

Plane destroyed by fire after it crashed in remote Spanish Lookout area
A six-seater Cessna plane believed to have been used to transport cocaine has been destroyed by fire in a remote area of Spanish Lookout. It was found abandoned on a feeder road Tuesday morning by law enforcement authorities. At the time of the discovery, there was no one around, and the cargo was nowhere to be found. Police believed that the plane crash-landed and unnamed persons deliberately set it on fire. Police strongly believed that the plane was used to transport cocaine. An investigation, in collaboration with Aviation authorities, has been launched by police, but so far, no one has been detained.

Motorbike slams into car turning left across highway
A motorcyclist is fortunate to have only received minor injuries after he collided into a car which was reportedly turning into a lane on the Philip Goldson Highway yesterday morning. The incident took place at Mile 4 near the Benny’s Apartments where, according to eyewitnesses, the motorcyclist – who was driving a white and burgundy motorbike – suffered serious abrasions to his body after making a failed attempt to overtake the car – a silver Nissan Altima, which was in the process of making a left turn, across the opposite lane. The front portion of the driver’s side of the car was subsequently damaged, while the cyclist –identified as Noel Leal, Jr., 29, of Buttonwood Bay in Belize City – was violently hurled into the air, reportedly landing some 30 feet away. Both drivers were apparently heading into Belize City, and eyewitnesses claim that the female driver of the car – who was unhurt – had put on her signal to indicate that she would be going left. However, the cyclist, who was allegedly traveling at a high speed, apparently did not notice the signal, and so slammed into the turning car.

HOMBRE PERFECTO NO HAY: MARCO ANTONIO SOLIS
It was neither my wish nor intent to diminish the image of Rt. Hon. George Price in our history with my view on Sir Manuel’s role in same. I was just stating what was backed up by the “Tribute to Falo Fonseca” in the Amandala of the same date. Both Mr. Price and Mr. Esquivel have their magnificent roles in our history but like the Marco Antonio Solis song says, “Hombre perfecto no hay”. We all are humans and no one is perfect, except “Jesus, the Christ”. Mr. Price had a vision of a politically independent Belize, which he achieved, but it took Esquivel to straighten up the finances of that dream come true. It cost them both. Mr. Evan X Hyde also has a huge role in our history. He is the revolutionary who publishes the truth. That is why Amandala remains the best newspaper in Belize. He may take sides but will always publish the truth. He feuded with both Prime Ministers because that is his role in our history, to “Fight the Power”.

MURDER SUSPECT HANDS HIMSELF IN
Gabino Garnett, Jr., 23, a laborer of San Ignacio who was wanted on murder charges in San Ignacio and has been on the run from police, was arrested today and charged for the death of Earl Baizar, 19, of Dangriga. Garnett was arraigned today at the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court on the murder charge, and has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Baizar was stabbed in the chest on Saturday, March 8, in front of the Atlantic Bank in San Ignacio during an altercation with a man who later was identified as Garnett. Police said that Garnett stabbed Baizar four times in different part of the body — the left side of the chest, the left hand, his left underarm and his right thigh — during an altercation on March 8.

Drug smuggler escapes from police, but over 5 pounds of weed confiscated
Benque Viejo police confiscated over five pounds of compressed cannabis which was abandoned by a drug smuggler who escaped from police officers when they tried to arrest him. The drug has been labeled “found property” and [...]

Best Man won’t make it to the wedding, because he’s remanded to prison
A Belize City man who was supposed to be the best man at his brother’s wedding will not be attending, unless he can get special permission from the authorities at the Belize Central Prison, where he [...]

Belize City man arraigned for month-old robbery of high-tech cellphone
A Belize City man was arrested and charged for the robbery of a high-tech cellphone that occurred a little over a month ago. Kadeem Olivera, 19, a construction worker of 76 Neal Pen Road, pleaded not [...]

Woman escapes rape in Punta Gorda
A woman, 24, who is a German national visiting Punta Gorda, escaped being raped by a man who attacked her while she was swimming in the sea. The man tried to hold her down and take [...]

5 men and minor arrested for 104.5 grams of cannabis
The men allege that they were badly beaten by police Five men and a 16-year-old minor were arraigned on Tuesday morning before Magistrate Dale Cayetano on a single count of drug trafficking, for 104.5 grams of [...]

Lucius Myers, 33, found guilty of keeping unlicensed ammunition
He was sentenced to 5 years Lucius Myers, 33, who the Gang Suppression Unit believe is an affiliate of the Ghost Town Crips Gang, was found guilty of “kept ammunition without a gun license” and sentenced [...]

Stolen car recovered
A Nissan Sentra car, the property of Michael Jorgenson, a taxi driver and resident of La Croix Boulevard, valued at about $5,000, which was reported stolen from in front of his house sometime between 12:30 to [...]

Money changers robbed on the Western border
Two money changers who work at Belize’s western border with Guatemala were robbed by two men, believed to be Guatemalans, who stole over $2,700 from the money changers, after which the robbers fired shots in the [...]Two San Pedro tour guides attempted to bribe Superintendent Broaster

Two San Pedro tour guides attempted to bribe Superintendent Broaster
Two San Pedro tour guides who were arrested for possession of a small quantity of cannabis, for which they pleaded guilty and were fined $200, are still not yet out of the woods, as far as [...]

Facey robber captured in San Pedro and remanded
Eulalio Witz, 59, a mason of the San Pablo area, San Pedro Town, has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he was taken to the San Pedro Magistrate’s Court on charges of aggravated robbery, possession of stolen goods, 3 counts of forgery and 3 counts of claiming upon a false document. He was remanded until May 17. Police said that about 1:30 Monday afternoon, a businesswoman, the co-owner of a store on Northern San Pedro, was robbed by Witz at knifepoint of her purse, which contained her chequebook, cash and her personal documents. The businesswoman, who lives in the Northern San Pedro area, was giving Witz a ride from the center of the town to the north of San Pedro Town and upon passing Lost Encantos, Witz, also known as “Hector,” pulled out a knife, put it at her side and took away her purse, which contained the cash and other items, and ran away. The woman promptly alerted her husband. Shortly after, at about 6:50 that same Monday evening, according to police, they responded to reports of a fight behind the RC Primary School in Northern San Pedro and on their arrival, the husband of the businesswoman who was robbed by Witz handed over Witz to them. The businessman had hunted him down, captured and beat him.

The Reporter

Penner charged, out on bail!
Former Minister of State Elvin Penner, the man at the center of the seven-month long “Citizen Kim” scandal, was charged Thursday with two counts “making a false statement” in the Belmopan Magistrate court. Penner pleaded not guilty to both charges, and was granted and met bail of $2,000 plus one surety in the same amount. The charges were brought under Sections 3 (A) of the Passports Act and under Section 22 of the Belize Nationality Act, through a private prosecution case initiated by activists, Geovanni Brackett, the president of the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, and Nedal Jihad McClaren of the Commoners Movement. Brackett’s and McClaren’s attorney, Kareem Musa, who represent the men pro-bono, spoke to reporters following the court proceedings. He commended McLaren and COLA for being the ones to press forward with the charges against Penner “at a time when nobody else wanted to step up. “There are many other ministers who feel as they are abnormal. They need to face the courts as well,” Musa added.

Oil found in Northern Belize! But how to extract 50 million barrels of thick crude !
Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced this week that some 50 million barrels of thick crude oil have been found in Orange Walk. However more testing needs to be done to determine if it can be extracted commercially. He said that because of the complexity of the rock formation in the area, Maranco Energy Belize Limited will not be able to determine its commercial value without further testing and without financial and technical assistance from abroad. Barrow, speaking at the end of the National Budget Debate, said that the company reported the test results of South Canal Bank #3 exploration well on Monday. He added that the test results determined that the oil is located at between 4009 and 4026 feet deep under the surface, with a size of between 2500 to 3500 acres. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Energy, Dr. Colin Young, explained that Maranco cannot determine if the find has commercial value without testing exactly how much oil the rocks can hold (porosity), and the space available between the rocks for the oil to pass through (permeability).

Belmopan Bandits bomb FC Belize 2-0 in Belikin football
By William Ysaguirre Freelance Reporter Defending champions, the Belmopan Bandits posted their first victory in four outings in the Belikin Cup closing the season competition organized by the Premiere League of Belize: 2-0 over FC Belize at the MCC grounds on Belize City on Sunday, March 23. The game was […]

Barney Brown, Andrew Vasquez & John Borland win Weekend Warrior cycle race C
Barney Brown of Scotiabank Cycling Team won the “A’ Division when the Weekend Warriors Cycling Club held its fifth in a series of races, this time from Cotton Tree on the George Price Highway to finish at Leslie’s Imports in Belize City on Sunday, March […] Inspiration Center officially launched

Inspiration Center officially launched
The Inspiration Center for children with diverse abilities was officially launched on Thursday with overwhelming support from a variety of contributors that helped to make the Center a reality. Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis-Barrow, said to the gathering at the inaugural […]

Kidneys highlighted in the month of April
Failure to care for any vital organ can result in death and kidneys fall into this category. Hoping to raise awareness of this organ’s importance, the Kidney Association of Belize (KAB) has chosen the month of April to launch an education campaign and fundraising effort. A Kidney Walk is the […]

Reading a novel triggers lasting changes in the brain
Lovers of literature can rejoice. A new study combines the humanities and neuroscience to take a look at what effects reading a novel can have on the brain. Researchers say exploring a book can not only change your perspective, but also it can change your mind – at least for […]

Cahueque, 21, walks free of murder
Aracely Cahueque, 21, the woman accused of being the mastermind of the October 2010 murder of Raylene Dyer, 18, walked out of court free of the charge, thanking God and those who prayed for her but saying nothing to the family of the deceased. […]

Vinnie Garbutt arraigned for murder of Kayla Burgess
A San Ignacio man has been remanded to prison for the murder of his girlfriend, 24-year-old Kayla Burgess. Twenty-one-year- old Vinnie Garbutt was arraigned before Magistrate Nardia Morgan on Monday on a single charge of murder. Due to the nature of the charge, no […]

Guats suspected in armed robbery at western border
Two Belizean money changers stationed at the Benque Border Management Compound were robbed at gunpoint at around 5:30 p.m. last Friday. The victims were at a small booth assigned to money changers and taxi drivers at the Belize/Guatemala border, reports say, when two men […]

Russia kicked out of G8
President Barack Obama and other world leaders have decided to end Russia’s role in the group of leading industrialized nations, the White House said Monday. The move to suspend Russia’s membership in the G8 is the latest direct response from major countries allied against Russia’s annexation of the Crimea. “International […]

Japan agrees to hand over nuclear material to USA
Japan and the United States have co-signed an agreement to remove and dispose of hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium from the Asian nation. The fissile material will be transported from the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Japan […]

Oceana offers assistance to GOB on EU fishery ban
Oceana has reached out to the Government of Belize to assist in removing Belize from the European Union’s (EU) blacklist for not acting promptly against illegal fishing. Oceana Vice President for Belize Janelle Chanona told The Reporter that Oceana stands ready to assist the […]

The Esquivel’s Decision
The critics of the Esquivels have not been as loud or as vocal as those extolling other UDP’s scandals, but nevertheless there have been harsh ones. And while these critics have been crucifying the Esquivels for being sour grapes, placed in the same situation I would dare […]

EDITORIAL
What do President Barak Obama of the United States, Secretary Xi Jinping of China, the United Nations and the International Red Cross have in common? They are all motivated by a desire to reduce soaring world population growth. The world population has exploded from 6 billion at the turn of […]

Blogs

Construction on the Caye: The Ground Breaking of Diamante Residences, The Opening of a New Beach Bar, A New Crossfit Gym & More
Yesterday was the ground breaking of one of the biggest projects on the island – the Diamante development. Those who have visited will know the land. For the past 10 years or so, it has been the site of the very popular BC’s Beach Bar… BC’s has been dismantled (perhaps to be moved elsewhere) and Diamante is being built in its place. The project is being managed/run and sold by the McCorkle/Guerrero family and many in town were there for the ceremony including the Mayor Danny Guerrero and the Minister Manuel Heredia Jr. Construction has actually started and it’s happening fast! A sea wall, lots and lots and lots of really fine sand and more… Favorite Blue Water Grill is on one side. And Hurricane Ceviche Bar is off to the other. You can not say that the amenities won’t be available. This spot really is the HEART of town.

Chaa Creek Hails The Rise of Healthcare in Belize
A novel new initiative between the US Military medical officers and their Belizean counterparts is good news for everyone living in or visiting Belize, according to Chaa Creek safety officer Emil Bradley. Mr Bradley said a report by the US military’s Defence Video and Imagery Distribution Service (DVIDS) that Government of Belize and US military met 24 March 2014 to discuss final arrangements to prepare for the upcoming New Horizons medical readiness training exercises, or MEDRETES, in the Corozal region in Belize is excellent news for the people of Belize. “Each year we see improvements to medical care in Belize that are keeping pace with population growth, the rise of ecotourism and the increase of people moving to Belize to retire, and this is great news. “After all, superior medical care is the cornerstone to quality of life, and it’s heartening to see that health remains a priority in Belize,” he said. According to the DVIDS report, initially, Belizean and military medical providers will use the MEDRETES as an opportunity to learn from one another as they provide medical care to residents out of schools in Chunox, Progresso and Libertad.

Exploring Mayan Masterpieces – Belize Family Travel Series
The time had come. Our biggest adventure yet was about to begin. The crown jewel of our week in Belize, and an adventure we still talk about today. We were about to embark upon an adventure that would find us up close and personal with an ancient civilization. Step back in time with us as we spend our final day exploring two Mayan masterpieces buried deep in the jungles of Belize - Xunantunich and Cahal Pech. Welcome to Xunantunich, where Mayan royalty once performed ancient rituals high up on ceremonial platforms. Where, at it’s peak, nearly 200,000 Mayans lived beneath the shadows of a towering pyramid called El Castillo. Welcome to an adventure sure to intrigue and mystify the whole family.

International Sources

Encouraging lion onto Caribbean menus
A NEW project is underway to encourage Caribbean fishermen to include the deadly lionfish as part of their daily catch in an attempt to protect the world’s second-largest coral reef. The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve World Heritage Site is 116,148 hectares and comprises seven marine protected areas. The second largest barrier reef system in the world, it is Belize’s number one tourist spot and crucial to the country’s fishing industry. However, the barrier’s diverse ecosystem is under serious threat from the invasive lionfish, a native of the Indian and Pacific oceans that was introduced to the Florida waters in the 1990s. There is a growing concern that the predominance of the fish poses a serious threat to the very existence of indigenous fish species, including the grouper and spiny lobster.

Fortis Inc. Announces Pricing of US$500 Million of Senior Unsecured Notes
Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX:FTS) announced today that it has priced a private placement to US-based institutional investors of US$500 million in Senior Unsecured Notes (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued in multiple tranches with terms to maturity ranging from five years to 30 years and coupon rates ranging from 2.92% to 5.03%. The weighted average term to maturity is approximately 11 years and the weighted average coupon rate is 3.85%. Subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, US$213 million of Notes will be issued on June 30, 2014 and US$287 million of Notes will be issued on September 15, 2014. Net proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used to refinance existing indebtedness, including the US$150 million 5.74% Senior Unsecured Notes of Fortis maturing on October 30, 2014 and C$125 million 5.56% Unsecured Debentures of a subsidiary maturing on September 15, 2014, and for general corporate purposes, including repayment of US-dollar drawings on the Corporation's committed credit facility. The Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), as amended, nor will they be registered under any state securities laws. Unless so registered, the Notes may not be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

Costa Rica Hosts First Meeting Of Lat Am CELAC Community
Costa Rica hosted the first meeting of the Quartet of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Foreign Ministry said. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers Enrique Castillo (Costa Rica), Bruno Rodriguez (Cuba), and Ricardo Patino (Ecuador), and the Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Celia A. Prince, representing the Caribbean. Costa Rica currently holds the pro tempore presidency of CELAC; Cuba fulfilled that responsibility last year and Ecuador will assume that mandate in the coming period, while the Caribbean is part of the quartet of the forum. In a press conference held at Casa Amarilla, headquarters of the Foreign Ministry, Castillo reiterated the commitment of the current President Pro Tempore of contributing to strengthening political dialogue and CELAC consensus. CELAC is composed of Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Wild Belize
There is no better place to reflect on my adventure in Belize than here on the go-slow Caribbean island Caye Caulker. Serenaded by the morning chorus of seabirds as I squat at the end of a wooden pier stretching out over crystal clear waters, I chuckle at the UK weather. Under the surface an eagle ray investigates the shallows, swiftly darting a barracuda before it returns to the depths. One of my favourite days in Belize started with a boat ride over turquoise seas accompanied by a pod of dolphins. I was to dive into the Great Blue Hole, with its stunning contrast between light and dark blue waters. As I descended, I observed the walls studded with stalactites, overhangs and limestone formations originally developed as an Ice Age cave. Then, a rather large shadow appeared in the corner of my eye, leaving me overcome by a small moment of panic as I scanned the cuts with which I was afflicted while in the jungle. I took my leave of the black tipped reef shark and ascended to explore the outer reef. This was quite simply a scene from Finding Nemo: an underworld paradise with explosions of colour dispersed by exotic marine life and arty coral formations. Fascinated by an exceptionally bulbous fish inhaling and exhaling, I prepared to take a stunning photo; but, greeted by a curious moray eel, I politely allowed it right of way and retreated towards a nonchalant turtle seeming to watch life go by.

March 28, 2014

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

43% of Belize’s population lives in poverty while PM Barrow reveals $1 Billion Budget for 2014/15
On March 7th, Prime Minister of Belize Honorable Dean Barrow presented the proposed General Revenue and Appropriations Bill (budget) for the fiscal year (FY) 2014/2015 to the tune of $1 billion dollars. That proposed budget was debated in the House of Representatives on Monday March 24th and Tuesday March 25th. The budget, entitled “Bettering People, Building Belize – A budget for All,” will provide $34 million in the form of increment and salary adjustment to teachers and public officers. The budget flows from the FY 2013/2014 in which Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at 0.7% growth instead of last year’s projection of 2.5% GDP growth. Moreover, last year’s FY saw a combined rise in the inflation rate and cost of living. Adding to challenges is the fact that almost 25% of the population is unemployed. As reported by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) in their last annual report, 21,000 Belizeans who want to work are unable to find jobs. The challenges are compounded by the fact that 43% of the population is considered living in poverty – Toledo District being the poorest district, followed by the Corozal District.

SPTC to relocate two buildings for Police
While the building of the new barracks is being spearheaded by Kanabar and a few other businesspeople, there is another issue of concern: the relocation of two small wooden houses donated to the police that will complement the barracks project. The two houses were originally donated as sleeping quarters for the Belize Coast Guard by the San Pedro Business Association (SPBA). Now that the Coast Guard has new headquarters near the marina, they no longer require the use of the buildings, and the SPBA has offered the building stop the San Pedro Police Department.The SPBA claims that they approached the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) for assistance in relocating the buildings, but months passed without any word from the SPTC. SPBA memberElitoArceoannounced last week that he was prepared to move the buildings with the help of community support, since all attempts to get the council’s assistance had failed. Mayor Guerrero agreed that it has taken a few months for them to act on the initiative and indicated that the coordination to remove the buildings took time. “We know that tensions are high because of the recent crime and shooting and people want things to be done immediately, but these things take time,” said Guerrero. When asked what is taking so long,Guerrero indicated that the delay was due to the acquisition of nine lamp posts from Belize Electricity Limited that would be used as foundation piles.

Community responds to police barracks project but more help is needed
Due to the lack of much needed funds, the construction of San Pedro’s new police barracks has been at a standstill for the last several months. The new building is geared at providing better living conditions for island officers who have no other alternative but to live in deplorable and substandard conditions. Despite the financial challenges, the San Pedro community has fueled the efforts to soon resume the work. So far the project has consumed $62,000, which was raised through the efforts of a group of concerned businesspeople. The group took on the challenge to raise funds and get the barracks built. Mukul Kanabar, one of the active businesspersons spearheading the project,indicated to The San Pedro Sun that the group continues the appeal to other businesses to get on board with the project. Financed solely by a number of businesses and individuals on the island, the $62,000 raised has been depleted with the purchase of materials and labor for the project which is being supervised by Deputy Mayor Gabriel “Gaby” Nuñez of Gaby’s Construction. An additional $86,000 is needed to complete the project.

Throwback Thursday
The mama of the San Pedro Sun, the Coconut Wireless, dated 31 March 1988. 26 years ago photos on the front page, Jimmy Buffett impromptu poolside concert at Ramon's Village Resort and Tropic Air Belize's Johnny Grief III (with hair!) comes to the rescue at a neighborhood fire!

Our Senior Reporter Jorge Aldana has been covering the budget debate in Belmopan today
Newly sworn in PUP Senator Patrick Andrews speaks at the General Revenue Appropriation 2014/15 Bill (Budget) Debate. According to Andrews, the 2014/2015 budget is a UDP tool to prolong a ‘dying government’. "I cannot boast about this budget when I know the grassroots people are suffering because of the unfair distribution of our country's resources." He went on to say that this budget lacks consultation with the various stakeholders, thus it does not represent and address the real issues affecting the nation. Andrews elaborated that there is no plan in the budget to reduce poverty and create employment. "For instance Mr. President, the reality of the UDP food pantry program is just a political tool to create dependency on this UDP government implemented in strategic UDP areas. It is not teaching our people to fish but rather giving them a fish. If the government is serious about helping those in need, channel the millions through the social partners and charitable organizations to ensure that those who need it get it...this budget lacks vision and purpose."

Ambergris Today

Lime Shortage Crisis Hits the Region
The lime crisis in Belize has now reached staggering proportions. It is not only the shortage that is affecting Belizeans but the soaring price as well. The limes, those few that are available, are becoming smaller and they are so immature that it costs an effort to get half a teaspoonful of juice out of one. And the cost of limes has climbed to an all-time high of $1.50 cents each. In San Pedro it has hit hard like a bullet. What is a good fish soup (chechak) without lime? And how can you do a good conch ceviche with only a few drops of lime juice? Even the more conservative users of this precious juice who use it for cleaning fish or chicken have been hurting. Bartenders are scrambling around to locate some decent limes to fix up their cocktails, margaritas or tequila shots with lime. These are only a few of those complaining.

Jamila Janmohamed Awarded for her Fundraising Efforts
Around 2004, local Sanpedrana Jamila Janmohamed was asked to run the collection for the Poppy Appeal, during the month leading to Remembrance Day (observed in November and remembering Belizean and Commonwealth veterans, their families and fallen soldiers). Before Jamila’s participation in the collection in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, little over $200 was raised. Taking over the collection, she immediately raised funds in the thousands of dollars. This last year Jamila managed to handed in BZ$13,246.86 which is about UK£4,416.00. For her outstanding efforts, dedication and heart, Jamila Janmohamed was honored with an award by the Royal British Legion of Belize, which she is a member of, at a special function held at the Flagstaff Mess.

Misc Belizean Sources

How to Treat Jellyfish Stings
Jellyfish stings can vary greatly in severity. Most often they result in immediate pain and red, irritated marks on the skin. Some jellyfish stings may cause more whole-body (systemic) illness, and in rare cases, are life-threatening. Most jellyfish stings get better with home treatment, but severe reactions require emergency medical care. Here’s Dr. Lopez’ professional advice about the topic.

Pre-School Child Stimulation celebrations end today
Friday March 28th is the closing of the Pre-School Child Stimulation celebrations. A morning parade will commence at the Corozal Central Park through the principal streets of town. Come support our future leaders. Photos taken of Cultural Day. Pre-schoolers and teachers depicting our Belizean ethnic identities.

Activities for Pre-School Child Stimulation month 2014
- Sports Day Parade, ceremony and activities carried out on March 14 at the Andres Campos Civic Center. Guest speaker was Mr. Carlos Acosta, Sports Council Coordinator, Corozal. The event was fun and enjoyable for all who attended and took part.

Inspiration Center Inauguration
The grand inauguration of the Inspiration Center was today. Everyone involved deserves a huge round of thanks for making this dream a reality. It opens to the general public on April 14th. "The Inspiration Center is finally a reality for Belize! These are some snapshots from this morning's launch. More pictures to come!"

BTL Yellow Pages 2014 Video
BTL has a video out that talks about, and shows a lot of, the new 2014 phone directory. It highlights the photo competition they had to find the cover picture. Congratulations to Darren Lamb for taking the winning shot! You can see the congratulatory party BTL had at Chaa Creek for Darren, see his award winning picture, and also learn about the directory for mobile devices. Darren explains the picture here. "Today was a nice and sunny day and also it was the launch of our 2014 Telephone Directory, Take a look at the video and see how the enhancements to the book and also find out how we did this years cover. Enjoy"

Western Ballaz vs Warriors
The Western Ballaz will be traveling to Dangriga on Saturday to play the Warriors. This weekend marks the start of the second half of the season, so it's all rematches at this point. The game will start at 9:00pm, and will be televised on Channel 5. The bus is $5, and leaves at 5:30pm. We beat the Warriors 63 to 52 the last time, and here are the pictures. In related news, it's Jaime Cabajal's 18th birthday today. Happy birthday, Jaime! Its the rematch between the Dangriga Warriors and Cayo Western Ballaz! Make sure to be at Y-Not Island this Saturday March 29th. Game starts at 9.p.m.

Pack for a Purpose with TRL
Table Rock Jungle Lodge is one of many lodges in Cayo that are supporting the Pack for a Purpose project, where they ask guests to bring some school supplies down in any extra space they might have in their luggage. It might be just a book or 2 at a time, but over the course of a semester, that all adds up, and they donated it to the Cristo Rey primary school. Thanks, TRL! " Thanks to all our great guests who PACKED FOR A PURPOSE this season and to our niece, MIKAELA TRULL, who celebrated her 13th birthday by asking for books and sports equipment for the Cristo Rey School kids rather than presents for herself! This was our largest and most exciting donation yet! Let's keep it up! You can help the local village children when you visit Table Rock Jungle Lodge, Belize, too--click here for more details: www.packforapurpose.org"

Toledo farmers take part in survey on climate change
Farmers of the Toledo district were today part of a series of countrywide consultations on climate change and its effects on the agriculture sector. A mango tree in front of the home of one of the leaders in the village of Silver Creek was the venue for today’s forum. It was a meeting devoid of any political tint whatsoever and gave the farmers an opportunity to be a part of something that will affect them and their way of living. The survey is being conducted by the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology. Dennis Jones is the Executive Director of BEST.

A meeting with Toledo farmers
under the mango tree in Silver Creek village.

FINPYME ExportPlus Trains Belize Companies For Export
IIC holds training workshops to help SMEs in Belize to create export business plans. The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) held the first of its five-part series of training workshops aimed at increasing the strategic planning capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belize. The program is designed to boost SME exports by helping companies draw up business plans to enter new markets. According to Mr. Bove, the training will help the companies identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to become more competitive in the international market. We are pleased to be a part of this effort.” The participants of the two and half day included Belizean companies such as Marie Sharp’s Fine Food and Product, The Orange Gallery, Traveller’s Liquor Limited, BASGroup, Hot Mama’s Belize, Quality Poultry Product , Chemical Specialties of Belize and the Bureau of Standards who participated in the first day of training tailored to meet internationalization standards the BELTRAIDE team was influential in stirring discussion whilst the knowledgeable guest speakers Ms. Julie Colinet and Mr. Antonello Bove respectively carried out their presentation.

St. Luke’s Methodist marching band receives new instruments
The Purple Spirit Band of St. Luke Methodist Primary School this afternoon received a timely donation of musical instruments, without which they were in danger of being unable to participate in the annual Band Fest sponsored by LOVE FM. They are a favorite in the City for major events, and the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation stepped in today under the Community Action for Public Safety Project (CAPS). Minister of State in the Ministry and Lake Independence area representative, Mark King, said that the school and surrounding area will continue to benefit from the program, which tackles the problem of youth development especially for out-of-school youth.

Inspiration Center opens
The Inspiration Center, intended to be an integrated, community based program for disabled and disadvantaged children and adolescents from especially poor areas of Belize, opened its doors in grand style today. After a year and few months of fundraising and then construction, Special Envoy for Women and Children Kim Simplis Barrow told this morning’s audience that the real work now begins, of making it into a true home. She says the Center is intent on fostering development of Belize’s “differently abled” community and other Belizeans’ respect of them. Two Inspiration Telethons in 2012 and 2013 raised some $1.5 million, much of which was donated by the Government of Belize.

Supreme Court decision for SATIIM next week
This morning in her chambers, Justice Michelle Arana told parties to the SATIIM vs. GOB and U.S. Capital case that a decision will be given next Thursday, April 3. In the interim, SATIIM’s plans to seek an injunction to halt pre-drilling activity in the Sarstoon Temash National Park were discontinued. But it appears that frustration with the Mayas of southern Toledo for U.S. Capital seems to have reached a peak. Attorney for U.S. Capital Energy, Michael Peyrefitte, told the press after court that it seems the Maya only care about one thing, demanding a greater share of the oil revenue should oil be found. He described the Maya as great at “playing victim” but maintains that the percentage is already set and so they will not get very far. According to Peyrefitte, U.S. Capital never had any intentions of starting drilling before a decision had been made by the courts. He expects that even with a decision next week in their favor, drilling would not actually begin until April or May.

CARILED Local Economic Development Officer
There are a lot of acronyms in this job opportunity, and a even more years in the proposed CARILED project. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is partnering with the Ministry of Labour and the SISE town council, and they are looking for someone to be the Local Economic Development Officer for Cayo. Basically, they need a qualified point person for the 6 year project. The applications should be in by April 7th. Good luck! "For further details, Interested applicants for the position of Local Economic Development Officer (LEDO) may contact the Town Administrator for the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council at the following number: 804-2035."

San Jose Succtoz Festival 2014
San Jose Succotz Village is a destination for the escapists. You will find yourselves reveling in the essence of this little remote region of Belize while enjoying the annual attractions that the 3-day “San Jose Succotz Festival 2014” offers (March 28th – 30th, 2014). The Event: Day One – (March 28th, 2014) live musical performances, food and drinks, crowning of the San Jose Succotz Fiesta Queen, and a dance hosted by Super Furia. Day Two – (March 29th, 2014) river activities (canoe and tubing), bicycle race and a dance hosted by the legendary Gilharry Seven of Belize and Sonido Magico of Guatemala. Day Three – Cultural Day and dance hosted by Sonido Magico.

Ms. African Queen Pageant
Is this Saturday, March 29th at the Bliss Center in Belize City

March 16 - March 22 2014 Fishing Report
Bottom line, fishing is really, really good right now here at El Pescador! Wow. Award ceremonies every night are filled with stories about dreams coming true. Beaming faces, proud parents and a proud fishing director! The guides have been very committed to making each day special for their anglers. It’s truly rewarding witnessing relationships between the guides and their anglers grow. Send me your pictures you guys! [email protected]. We want to brag about you on our facebook page. As they say here in Belize, “Why not?” For those of you getting ready for your trip – practice your cast! The ones that show up practiced are making huge leaps forward in their casting once they get here. Isa and I have enjoyed this week as we tally up what has been going on out there in the day of fishing. My bonus this week was of course having my family here. It was so special for me to watch my fish-crazed sister and brother-in-law cast and learn on the flats. Now you know! Thank you to all of my El Pescador family for making my family feel so welcomed. From the EP fishing department we hope to see you again soon casting to your dreams. Fish On!

Video: Belize
8 min. I had the opportunity to travel to Belize on my winter break! It was an amazing experience, and I am so happy that I can share it with you!

Video: Belize 2K14
32 min. An educational recap of 7 students and 2 faculty members Spring Break Service Learning trip to Punta Gorda Belize. Hosted by Garcia Homestay.

Video: Dolphins at the Bow, Placencia, Belize
3 min. From a recent sailing trip to Placencia, Belize, and the first time using my new GoPro... we had an escort out into the Inner Channel. It's hard sticking your new camera into the water while sailing by at 7 knots!

Video: Belize 2014 Eagle rays
2 min. At Ranguana Cay.

Video: Belize Trip March 2014
5 min. Belize SB2014 filmed with GoPro Hero3

Video: Corozal to San Pedro Belize
1 min. A flight from Corozol to San Pedro, Belize. March 27th, 2014. Beautiful!

Video: Belize 2014
3 min. Oklahoma State University Literacy Project St. Johns Anglican Primary School Belize City

Video: Sacred Heart Flash Mob
Students from Sacred Heart School in San Ignacio in Belize raised awareness about Literacy by performing in a Flash Mob

Video: Expert removal of a botfly larva (beef worm)
Don't panic if you're unlucky enough to get a botfly larva under your skin during a visit to Belize. They can be extracted simply and painlessly. Here's advice on how to do it from an expert.

Channel 7

Hon. Penner Criminally Charged
Tonight, Former Minister of State Elvin Penner is out on a $2,000 bail after he was arraigned on criminal charges for misdeeds he allegedly committed as minister of state in the Immigration Ministry - when he facilitated the bogus passport for South Korean fugitive Kim Won-Hong. The public and the opposition have been pushing since September for Penner to be charged for his central role in the Citizen Kim Affair, but in the end it was a private prosecution undertaken by activist organization COLA that got him charged. President Geovanni Brackett and Executive Member Nedal McLaren charged him under the Passport Act of "vouching the fitness" of Won Hong Kim, without having actual knowledge of Kim as an applicant. Additionally the COLA members charged him under the Nationality Act for "making a statement which he knew to be false" for signing the Nationality Certificate knowing that Won Hong Kim has never been a citizen of Belize.

PM Measures His Words On Penner Criminal Charges
And so, today, a former member of the Barrow Cabinet and two-term UDP representative was charged. Though the UDP has cut him off, and distanced him from the party, Penner hasn't done the same. He still appeared with a posse of red-shirt wearing UDP supporters today - and unless he crosses the floor or is recalled, he's still an elected UDP representative. So then how does Party Leader Dean Barrow feel about Penner being charged today? When we caught up with PM Barrow at the opening of the Inspiration Center, he was measured in his remarks:.. Jules Vasquez "How do you feel about him being arraigned?" Prime Minister Dean Barrow "Well the matter is before the courts, I won't comment. Justice will take its course." Jules Vasquez "However, just speaking in very general terms about a person who was elected under the UDP and who serve in the Cabinet under you, facing criminal charges. You would think on the objective circumstances it would bring shame."

COLA Lawyer Questions Whylie Decision
But back now to the Penner case. As you heard in our story, COLA's attorney said that they are depending Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie to turn over all evidence that the police has gathered before the next court date. He said that they will continue to press him and the Auditor General to turn over whatever evidence they have. But, as we told you, Whylie has filed a notice of his intent to appeal the Writ of Mandamus, which was granted by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. COLA and their attorney have interpreted that as a clear attempt to defy the intent of the court's compulsion, but they says that ComPol Whylie must go another step, which is to apply for a stay of execution. He would then be asking to court to relieve him of the responsibility of having to complete the investigation, which Musa told the media is political suicide for the UDP Government. Here's how he explained it:

Oil Company Lawyer: Maya Leaders Put Money Over All Else
And turning now from the Belmopan Magistrate's Court to the Supreme Court in Belize City, SATIIM today had an injunction hearing. As we've reported that Toledo Mayan group says that the oil company US Capital Energy has violated the spirit of an undertaking to the court, by getting ready to drill in the Sarstoon Temash National Park, when a pivotal judgment is pending. That judgment could assert Mayan Customary Land Rights over the exploration area and put a stop to US Capital's activities. So today SATIIM went to the Supreme Court asking for an injunction to stop any further pre drilling activity. But, that request was set aside when Justice Michelle Arana told them that her judgement would be issued next week. So, with that, they agreed to hold off on the injunction. But, attorney for US Capital Michael Peyrefitte was not impressed. He said it's all just public relations engineering:...

Inside The Inspiration Center
The Inspiration Center - it's Kim Barrow's dream for physically challenged children. But while most dreams just stay up there in the clouds, she brought this one to earth, and to life - by relentless promotion and fundraising. Today it culminated in the opening of the center, a world-class facility which was built in just 18 months. 7News was at the opening - which was a "standing room only" event:.. Jules Vasquez reporting The clatter of drums set the tone for today's event which was a celebration in song and in word of a long and emotional journey that saw Kim Barrow and her dream make it intact through tough times: Kim Barrow, Special Envoy for Women and Children "Images just flash back to this moment and it's an emotional day for me. I can recall coming back from one of my chemotherapy treatments and I was really worried that this wasn't going to happen. It was at that point that I realize maybe I was biting more than I could chew and I was kind of desperate."

Hon. Grant Defends Board's Decisions On National Bank
Yesterday, we showed you CEO Colin Young's categorical denial that his Minister, Joy Grant, used her influence as Chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Bank of Belize to get him a loan at a preferential interest rate and with preferential terms. That was one of the reasons that Grant and former Manager Jose Marin, a veteran banker, clashed which he says led to his termination. That's an ugly allegation against the reputation of the 6 month old bank, which was created to provide lower income Belizeans with access to affordable credit. So today, at the Senate Debate on the 2014-2015 budget, Grant, who is a Government Senator, used the platform to the respond directly to the allegations. Here's what she had to say: Senator Joy Grant "We want to be clear also that the board of the National Bank of Belize which comprises someone from the social sector, someone from the business community unanimously agreed that it was time to terminate the existing general manager and have moved on from this. We now have a very experience person who is serving as assistant general manager and we will be advertising for a general manager very soon. There are robust internal procedures and processes in place at the National Bank and no one director can approve any loan or advance to anyone."

PM Apparently Intrigued By CEO Young's Loan
Today we also got a chance to hear the Prime Minister's opinion on the shake-up at the National Bank. The General Manager was fired last week - and he said he was glad to go because - as he described it - the Board wanted him to engage in unethical behavior. So what's the Prime Minister's take on this kerfuffle at one of his Government's signal accomplishments? We asked him today:.. Prime Minister Dean Barrow "Do I saw the reports of what Joy Grant who is chair of the board said and I completely endorse those remarks. Anybody who knows Joy Grant knows that Joy Grant would never ask anyone to do anything improper. Mr. Marin is somebody that I knew from a previous life; I was the one who asked him to come onboard initially, so I would not say anything unkind about him. Obviously the entire board felt that it was time for there to be a parting of the ways. It just turned out that it was not the kind of fit that the board and the bank required."

Barrow Says Sir Manuel Still Respected
We also got to ask the Prime Minister's about last week's hot issue - which is Sir Manuel and Lady Kathy Esquivel's resignation from all their government posts. As we told you PM Barrow responded to Sir Manuel's letter of resignation. Esquivel described the letter as "generous", but what did the PM really say? We asked him today:.. Prime Minister Dean Barrow "I wrote to both Sir Manuel and Lady Kathy; I thanked both of them for their stellar service with respect to the last positions they held. I went on in the case of Sir Manuel to make the point that this was of course just part of a large trajectory - a larger historical background that fixes him firmly in the national consciousness as an exemplary public servant, as an exemplary politician and exemplary prime minister. I expressed my regret at his departure, but made clear that in the circumstances I understood. And that's where I will leave it."

Why Didn't EU Get The Memo On Belize Fisheries?
And finally today we got to ask the Prime Minister about the European Union ban on fisheries products from Belize. A release from government this week said that there was no justification for this action because in January, a delegation from the EU visited Belize to discuss the action taken by Belize to comply with the EU Regulations on Illegal and Unregulated fishing. But then this decision came out in March, which led Jules Vasquez to ask the PM if that delegation flew back to the EU on that ill-fated Air Malaysia flight: Jules Vasquez "The people who came to see him in January must have been in the Air Malaysia flight or some such thing because apparently he met with them and they didn't take the message back. They must have disappeared."

Turtle Catchers Caught Hustling Hicatee
Tonight two Belize City men are faced with 3 counts of illegal fishing after they were caught with 8 hicattee turtles by officers of the Fisheries Conservation Compliance Unit. The men were in an area called Mexico Creek just outside of Sandhill Village when their boat was searched by the officers who found the hicattees inside a gill net. The law clearly states no person shall have in his possession more than 3 turtles at any given time nor should these turtles be captured using a net. Also 4 of the turtles were undersized and one was oversized. So the two men were detained by the officers and the turtles are now in the possession of the department where stats will be taken and then they will be release back into the wild. We found out more:..

Hon. Mark Says No Thief Spotted At Hon. Julius's House
All this week, we've been reporting on the reported break in at PUP Deputy Leader Julius Espat's house on Seashore Drive in Belize City. It happened on Sunday morning and he told police the thieves took two laptop computers and his budget reply speech. As to who's responsible, he inferred that he's got his eye on his neighbor Mark King. King ignored the insult and responded magnanimously by saying he was helping police with security camera footage. You see, King has 16 security cameras on his house, and now he says he's reviewed all of them. He gave us his verdict today:.. Hon. Mark King "I did mentioned in the National Assembly that I try to be good to my neighbor although he tries to insight - it would be unfair to say he accuses me, but indirectly he in sighted and I said to him it's not the best thing, I look after. I did follow up the police request and I did check the surveillance videos and from the angles that our videos were relayed absolutely nothing happened there. I would not like to instigate anything else on it, but I would say from our cameras nothing came of it. I would know from the side and his rear end of his home, but I would say that at the end of the day we don't have to go through these things as neighbors."

Senate Wasn't Talking About Stolen Speeches
And while Espat and King will take that up in the House of Representatives, today in the senate they weren't talking about stolen speeches, security cameras, humpty-dumpty or ramen noodles when they debated the budget. The Senate prides itself on enlightened debate, not the name calling and petty accusations that dominate discourse in the House. Senator representing the business community Mark Lizarraga didn't like the budget. He said that for the last 2 fiscal years, the country has been borrowing around 160% more than it did 26 years ago. Senator Mark Lizarraga "Mr. President is 1987 we Belize owed externally 200 million dollars. 26 years later we owed 2.16 billion dollars. On average an increase of 77 million borrowing per year we have constantly borrowed according to the available statistics from the Central Bank over the last 26 years to balance our budgets. The budget deficit for fiscal year 2012/2013 was 77.8 million dollars, which is about on average. But the budgeted deficit for fiscal year 2013 was 125.8 million - 48 million more than average, but Mr. President, the actual numbers are projected to spike to 137 million. That's some 60 million dollars more than average. The budgeted shortfall Mr. President for 2014/2015 is projected at about 126.5 million or some 49.5 million more than average."

Love For St. Luke's
This afternoon Minister of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation- Anthony Boots Martinez handed over 14 thousand dollars' worth of Musical Equipment to St. Luke's Methodist Primary School. This initiative is a part of the Community Action for Public Safety Project that is being implemented by the Ministry, and intends to provide the students with extracurricular activities that will promote constructive use of their free time. The generous donation couldn't have come at a better time for the students of St Luke, who will be taking part in the Love FM's Band fest competition. The value of the instruments is A LITTLE OVER fourteen thousand Belize dollars. That includes 6 bass drums with carriers, 5 snare drums with carriers, 4 metal cowbells, 5 cymbals and 4 guiros.

Channel 5

Elvin Penner is finally charged; the D.P.P. joins in the private prosecution
Former Minister of State Elvin Penner appeared in Belmopan Magistrate’s Court this morning where he was criminally charged for his involvement in the immigration scandal. Despite what appears to be [...]

ComPol must continue to investigate Penner despite appeal
On March third, the Supreme Court issued landmark directives to Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie to investigate Elvin Penner and the Won Hong Kim passport scandal. The court took that [...]

PM weighs in on the arraignment of Penner
Prime Minister Dean Barrow also spoke on this morning’s arraignment of his former cabinet minister and Cayo Northeast Area Rep., Elvin Penner. He told the media that in his estimation, [...]

PM says the EU needs to get its act together on fisheries sanction
The European Union earlier this week imposed fisheries sanctions on Belize because the country has been found not to be cooperating in the fight to stop illegal fishing. The government [...]

Gabino Garnett Jr. arraigned for murder
While Penner was arraigned in Belmopan, in the San Ignacio Court, Gabino Garnett Junior was charged for murder. Garnett Junior was wanted by San Ignacio police in connection with [...]

US Capital Energy Attorney says SATIIM’s legal challenge is all about money
Country Representative for U.S. Capital Energy Ltd., Alistair King, as well as Executive Director Greg Ch’oc, of the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM, were back in court this morning. [...]

SATIIM’s Greg Ch’oc responds to US Capital’s claim
According to Ch’oc, the injunction has been a secondary issue because SATIIM believes that it will gain more grounds on the primary matter which is its challenge against government to [...]

3rd person dies from horrible Burrell Boom accident
An accident on the Boom Hattieville Road two weeks ago claimed two lives: a three year old girl passed away and so did a twenty-eight year old driver. Ashley Silva [...]

Chair of National Bank says Board members supported termination of Jose Marin
The decision to remove career banker Jose Marin has left a black eye on Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s National Bank of Belize Limited. Marin lasted only half a year at [...]

PM wants to know about the loan that likely caused Marin’s demise
Jose Marin was dumped due to complaints that loans were not processed fast enough. It is said that Marin’s ouster had to do with a loan application by Grant’s C.E.O., [...]

Senator Mark Lizarraga gets fiery in the senate
As we mentioned earlier in our newscast, the Senate met today in regular session following the Budget Debate on Monday and Tuesday. News Five wasn’t there long, but while we [...]

PM says it is what it is in respect of the resignation of the Esquivels
Since his return from a CARICOM intercessional meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines last Thursday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has not given the media interviews. Well the press caught [...]

Consumer Price Index for February shows 1.7% increase in expenditure
The Consumer Price Index for the month of February, released earlier this week by the Statistical Institute of Belize, indicates that there is a one point seven percent increase in [...]

3 Cubans detained in Belize City
A trio of Cuban nationals, who entered the country unlawfully and believed to have been en route to the United States, was busted by immigration officials inside a hotel room [...]

Inspiration Center inspires many to attend grand opening
The idea for the Inspiration Center was birthed in 2012 and since then Special Envoy for Women and Children Kim Simplis Barrow has been hard at work making that dream [...]

The impact of technology on your vision in Healthy Living
Time for a little mathematics….Try to add the number of hours you spend looking at a computer monitor, smart phone, tablet, e-reader and yes, even the hour or so you [...]

LOVE FM

Immigration Minister Says Penner Investigation Needs to Be Factual and Tight
The immigration scandal has hit all the media houses in Belize as several investigations are being carried out and many have been asking for charges to be levied against the former minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration, Elvin Penner. As we mentioned earlier in our newscast, Penner is expected in court tomorrow…..and while the outcome of that is left to be seen, Renee Trujillo and cameraman, Brian Castillo met up with Minister of Immigration, Godwin Hulse and here is their story. HON. GODWIN HULSE “The only reason the media is involved in this and the only reason the media and the public knows about this is because the Taiwan Embassy made a request to our Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with respect to this gentleman and the fact that he was asking for some protection as a citizen of Belize. When it came to my desk, I recognized that there was something wrong and we were the ones who initiated that investigation and went promptly to the Prime Minister, who after he looked at it, promptly within a day decided to move Mr. Penner from Cabinet.”

Nat’l Security CEO Says Police Officers Will Get Paid ASAP
Complaints were coming out of the Police Department about two weeks ago regarding payments that were not forthcoming for duties worked some months ago. Colonel Lovell assured the media that this matter is being addressed. COLONEL GEORGE LOVELL “Extraneous duties, as we refer to them, is something that is issued after the fact, the one that is done in the December period is usually issued around the March time frame. March is the period when we look at our finances and there is a period of time when the Ministry of Finance will close all budget activities. This unfortunately happened and a few of the extraneous duties which the Ministry has approved for some reason did not make it through the Human Resource Management System that we have at the Ministry of Public Service. I had my Finance Officer, since Friday, looking into the matter …just by way of background, what we have is our country broken down into two areas of responsibility for the purposes of payment for extraneous duties; we have a group that is looked after by the Belmopan financial section and that includes all those police formations and branches from Toledo to the west part of the country. So, Stann Creek is involved, Independence, Belmopan and San Ignacio – those people received their monies. The second half, which is administered by the Belize City area which includes Belize City, Corozal, Orange Walk, I was made to understand that even though we had approved it at the ministry and the Police Headquarters have given it back to the finance people to pay, for some reason that got held up in the financial process. We are working diligently to make sure that the police officers do get their money and there is not a much longer delay.”

PlusTV

Former Minister Elvin Penner Gets Arraigned in Court Today
Former Minister Elvin Penner was arraigned in court this morning in Belmopan before Magistrate Aretha Ford. Our reporter Emanuel Pech was on the scene today and filed the following report. Emanuel Pech- Reporter for Plus TV Many questioned whether Elvin Penner would even show up at the Magistrate court...

Helmet-less Motorcyclist Dies in Accident
There was a fatal traffic accident in the Orange Walk District. On Tuesday night, 18-year-old Jacob Niekoleis Jr., a Belizean Mennonite of Little Belize, Corozal District was riding his motorcycle without a helmet and upon reaching a curve on the Linda Vista Road he lost control of his motor...

Girl Knocked Down on Pedestrian Ramp in Belmopan
And just this evening, a student of the Belmopan Comprehensive High School was knocked down at the pedestrian ramp located by the school. Reports are that a motorcycle knocked down a girl by the name of Rosita, but then didn’t stop to render aid. Rosita became unconscious and was...

Teachers’ Pay to be Docked for Day of Demonstration
Principals have been asked by the Ministry of Education to dock the pay of those teachers who participated in the Friday March 7th demonstration. This is what various teachers have told Plus News. The teachers were wondering whether or not it would have been for more than one day...

Gabino Garbutt Arraigned for Murder
Gabino Garbutt Jr. was formerly arraigned today for the crime of the murder of Earl Baizer. Garbutt appeared before Magistrate Norla Morgan in the San Ignacio magistrate court. No plea was taken and Garbutt was remanded until his next court appearance on July 2. Garbut handed himself in to...

Armed Robbery Hits Independence Village Store
There was an armed robbery of a Chinese owned store in Independence Village. On March 22nd, at 9:00p.m., three masked men entered Wendy’s Store located at Amado Mena and Big Creek Road. The female proprietor, Kia Xia Zhau, was in the store at the time. One of the men...

Motorcyclist Knocked Down
Police have released information about an accident that happened in front of Benny’s apartments on Tuesday. The incident happened at mile 4 on the Phillip Goldson Highway where a Nissan Altima, driven by Charlett Castellanos and a Red and White Yamaha Motor cycle collided. The motor cycle driver was...

Supreme Court Decision Adjourned for SATIIM Next Week
This morning in her chambers, Justice Michelle Arana told parties to the SATIIM vs. GOB and U.S. Capital case that a decision will be given next Thursday, April 3. In the interim, SATIIM’s plans to seek an injunction to halt pre-drilling activity in the Sarstoon Temash National Park were...

Inspirational Center Opens
After several years of telethons and fundraising, the Inspiration Center opened today to great acclaim. It is intended to be an integrated, community based program for disabled and disadvantaged children and adolescents from especially poor areas of Belize. After a year and few months of construction, Special Envoy for...

New Senators Sworn in Today
Two new senators were sworn in today at the National Assembly. The budget was approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday and so it was passed on to the senate today. At that senate debate, the two new PUP senators were sworn in. They are Anthony Sylvester and...

The Guardian

EU Ambassador to hold high level meetings in Belize
Head of Delegation of the European Union to Belize Ambassador Paola Amadei will be visiting Belize from March 26 to 30 to participate in the first political dialogue with the Government of Belize as foreseen under article 8 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement. The British High Commissioner Peter Hughes will also participate in the meeting which will address issues of mutual interest for Belize and the EU related to national security, human rights, regional integration, climate change and natural disasters. The dialogue will also cover recent developments in Belize and the European Union in the political and economic sphere. Commenting ahead of the meeting, Ambassador Amadei said:”We appreciate the good relations that the European Union has with Belize and reaffirm the EU’s commitment to strengthen a comprehensive dialogue on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues. Our aim is to harness our already strong and mature relationship based on shared interests to the benefit of our citizens.”

More Oil in Belize
Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum are 'cautiously optimistic' at an oil find made by Maranco Energy Belize Limited. During the Budget Debate held this week, the Prime Minister announced that the company had made a discovery of an oil field which may contain as much as 50 million barrels of oil. But before anyone can go about jumping to celebrate, there is concern that the oil may not be easily extracted. Speaking to Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Dr. Colin Young, he told the Guardian that the oil find was made after a third well was drilled in the Maranco exploration block located in Gallon Jug. He said that the third well, Canal Bank Number 3, showed significant potential for oil. This came after the company announced last year that they had struck the oil but were having difficulty in extracting it. Since then the company has sent rock cuttings for analysis and the results of these have shown that the oil is at a 16 API or it is a heavy crude. In comparison, the oil at the Spanish Lookout fields is between 38-40 API, or it is light sweet crude. The lighter the crude, the better flowing it is, there is no such luck with the latest find however.

Undebatable Budget
The majority of Belizeans are extremely disappointed in the performance of the PUP parliamentarians during the debate of the 2014/2015 national budget, and Prime Minister Dean Barrow is the man to blame. One woman in the gallery of the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 25th, said, “He [PM Barrow] made it difficult on the Opposition because he went and presented an undebatable budget.” However, the opposition members went to the House and tried a thing. The “Leader” of the Opposition was first to take a shot. In what supporters of both the U.D.P. and P.U.P. are saying was the weakest budget presentation by a Leader of the Opposition ever, Francis Fonseca’s only memorable statement was in name tagging Ramen noodles to Ministers of Government. Fonseca’s comical performance lasted less than 30 minutes. The only thing he managed to do, other than making people laugh at his jokes, was making people laugh at him. It was a very feeble attempt to convince people that he knows a cent about economics. When he spoke facts he failed to show he understood the numbers, and, even worst, for the majority of the presentation he chose to ignore the factual figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize and introduced his own.

Drug Plane in Spanish Lookout
Cayo police are investigating a burnt plane that was found near the Aguacate Lagoon in Spanish Lookout on Tuesday of this week. So far members of the Civil Aviation Department, Belize Defence Force and Police have visited the site. The Cessna 6-seater which was originally thought to have crash-landed in the area is now believed to have been used to transport illicit drugs. The plane was found partially burnt with only portions of the wings and tail having been spared from the blaze.

DUNCE of the Year!!!
The race for Dunce of the Year ended on Monday, March 25th, with a rant from Mike Espat about something that “really bothers” him. In his contribution to the budget debate, Espat referred to a quote in Prime Minister Barrow’s budget speech in which he said, “Away, then, Mr. Speaker, with the harlot’s brow, falsely beautified with plastering art.” Espat scolded PM Barrow; saying how dare he refer to Belizean women that way. He instructed the Prime Minister to have some respect for the women of Belize because “our women are not whores [harlots]”. Espat’s charges baffled the scholars in the gallery of the House of Representatives. It was as if he used the stage to announce that not only is he ignorant and illiterate but he also is too slow to realize when he is the one being insulted. Prime Minister Barrow was using a line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in which Claudius spoke about disguising “ugly actions” using “fine words”. PM Barrow’s use of the line was referring to the P.U.P.’s recent “recommitment to social justice”. PM Barrow said, “The whore’s pockmarked cheek made pretty with make-up is just like the ugly actions they [PUP] are seeking to disguise with their new rhetoric.” Such beautiful use of a literary masterpiece went far above Mike Espat’s level of understanding.

A Doctor for Corozal South West
Doctor Angel Campos secured a victory in the most recent convention held by the United Democratic Party. The polls opened at 10 in the morning and by 5 a total of 1,432 residents of the area had voted. When the final tallying was done Doctor Angel Campos had come out victorious with 1,210 votes cast in his favor. His competitor, David Romero secured 210 votes. There were 12 rejected ballots. Immediately after the announcement was made to the crowd of supporters who had gathered outside of the Escuela Secundaria Mexico in San Roman, the oath of allegiance was administered and both candidates got an opportunity to address the supporters. Romero explained that the democratic process had taken its course and the people had spoken. “It was now time to unite and move forward with the UDP”, he stated. For his part Dr. Campos thanked God, Rivero, the UDP and the people for the opportunity that was offered to him to be the Standard Bearer. He stated categorically that the division will now move forward and that he will bring back the South West constituency to the UDP.

New appointments to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Belmopan. March 26th, 2014. In a brief ceremony this morning at the Belize House in Belmopan, three men were officially appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on the occasion of the New Year Honours 2014, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Belize. This year’s honorees include: Mr. Rafael Manzanero for his contribution to Environmental Protection; Dr. Adrian Alexander Coye for his contribution to Medicine and Mr. Rodney Harold Neal for his contribution to the Public Service. Both Mr. Manzanero and Dr. Coye received the insignia of Ordinary Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire while Mr. Neal received the insignia of Ordinary Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The Governor General expressed his sincere gratitude to the men for their hard work and dedication to Belize.

BINGO in Fort George
The Government of Belize has noted with concern the decision of the Council of the European Union to list Belize, along with Cambodia and Guinea, as a ‘non-cooperating third world country’ in the fight against illegal fishing. The Government believes that there was absolutely no justification for this action as Belize has taken all necessary steps required by the E.U’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The decision of the EU Council is based on outdated information and takes no account of the measures adopted by Belize within the last six (6) months to strengthen its high seas fishing regime. In October 2013, Belize enacted a new and robust High Seas Fishing Act which came into effect on November 8, 2013. This Act was supplemented by the Sanctions Regulations and the Licensing Regulations, both of which came into force on March 12, 2014. These regulations which prescribe stringent penalties for violations of this Act would make the High Seas Fishing Act fully operational – a key demand of the EU. In addition, Belize has signed a contract with a South African Company, Capricorn Fisheries Monitoring, to provide On Sea Observer services for Belize flagged vessels, at a cost of about US$200,000 for the first year. This program takes effect from April 1, 2014.

Belize responds to the decision of the European Union Council on High Seas fishing
The Government of Belize has noted with concern the decision of the Council of the European Union to list Belize, along with Cambodia and Guinea, as a ‘non-cooperating third world country’ in the fight against illegal fishing. The Government believes that there was absolutely no justification for this action as Belize has taken all necessary steps required by the E.U’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The decision of the EU Council is based on outdated information and takes no account of the measures adopted by Belize within the last six (6) months to strengthen its high seas fishing regime. In October 2013, Belize enacted a new and robust High Seas Fishing Act which came into effect on November 8, 2013. This Act was supplemented by the Sanctions Regulations and the Licensing Regulations, both of which came into force on March 12, 2014. These regulations which prescribe stringent penalties for violations of this Act would make the High Seas Fishing Act fully operational – a key demand of the EU. In addition, Belize has signed a contract with a South African Company, Capricorn Fisheries Monitoring, to provide On Sea Observer services for Belize flagged vessels, at a cost of about US$200,000 for the first year. This program takes effect from April 1, 2014.

Dolores causing pains in Rural Central
Motorists travelling on the Philip Goldson highway were taken aback when all of a sudden, some humongous speed bumps were erected near to the Our Lady of the Way R.C. School in Ladyville. This is the same area where 8-year-old Kyeisha Joseph, was knocked down as she came off a school bus to go to school. Acting in the most hasty and uncalculating manner, it seems Dolores Balderamos Garcia, trying to be some sort of guardian angel, put them up. She even called radio stations beating her chest and pronouncing that this was the only act she has done since being elected area representative more than two years ago. And while she beat her chest in triumph, motorists beat their heads on their steering wheels as the bumps were just too much. The height is just too much and now instead of savoir, she turned into a mechanic's best friend as complaints keep pouring in that motorists are ripping the base pans off their vehicles.

Francis Frowns on Laborers
Every single day hundreds of Belizeans wake up and get to the job of improving the country's infrastructure. They are hired as manual laborers, cutting and tying steel and mixing and pouring concrete on the streets of Belize City and other municipalities. It is back breaking work, but it is an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. For Francis Fonseca however, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and who sips on fine wine and nibbles on expensive cheese on a daily basis, the work is undignified. So much disdain does he have for the manual laborers working across the country that he made light of their honest work. But not only did he make light of the work, he next to ridiculed the workers saying that they were out on the streets breaking stones. He made reference to them almost as if it was demeaning to be doing the work.

Albert Area Representative Herman Longsworth opens Wesley Lower School’s Computer Lab
The Hon. Herman Longsworth, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the Area Representative for the Albert Constituency on Thursday March 20, 2014, opened a Computer Lab at Wesley Lower School on Albert Street. The lab is equipped with 10 computers which are all internet connected and also includes an access point which allows the teachers to integrate technology into their everyday teaching. The lab was totally refurbished at the expense of the Hon. Herman Longsworth and he pledged to donate some more computers to the lab. According to the Principal Ms. Darlene Lozano, the lab is occupied daily with at least 75 pupils taking computer classes.

Phone Book Cover Selected in Facebook Competition book Includes Discount Coupons from 33 Businesses
In 2014, the Facebook site seems to be the center of the world; therefore, it makes sense that the Belize Telemedia Limited left it up to Facebook users to decide what goes on the cover of its 2014 telephone directory. In a Facebook competition themed “The Great Belizean Adventure”, applicants were encouraged to submit photos of their adventures throughout Belize. There was no limit to the amount of submissions one could make. Over 800 photos were submitted featuring some of the most beautiful moments in time that are unique only to the Belizean adventure. The winner of the competition was determined by how many people liked the photos on Facebook. At the close of competition it was Daren Lamb’s photo in the Caribbean Sea near Caye Caulker that was liked the most with 1,396. Lamb said he had taken hundreds of photos in his life and had taken some beautiful shots of birds. He said those shots with the birds’ wings extended were always in a horizontal position. The winning shot was one of a Tern flying to eat a small fish held in the hand of a tour guide. The Tern’s wings were extended vertically and Lamb says he knew it was a special shot. The opportunity lasted about three seconds and Lamb managed to take a photo which rewarded him with an iPad 4 and a year free DigiCell service. Second and third place went to students from the Belize High School.

Prime Minister Barrow to Hand Over $1 Billion to Hon. Oscar Requena
The Prime Minister of Belize was so impressed with Hon. Oscar Requena’s presentation at the 2014 budget debate that he is thinking about presenting a cheque to the Area Rep for over one billion dollars, according to rumours. We are told that Hon. Requena already has a plan for the money. He gave hints of that plan in his budget presentation but those close to the Area Rep have given a few details. Within six months time, Requena plans to hot mix every street in Toledo West. Every drain will be equipped with pipes that will flush out dirty water and replace it with high quality purified drinking water. Water pipes will reach every home with hot and cold shower and Jacuzzis. Lamp posts and electricity will be extended to every home- even in the most remote communities and there will be no light bill. There will be an ambulance, police truck, autobus, grader and bulldozer for every street. Requena’s affiliates say he plans to build a couple high schools and a university in every village and education will be completely free, even the pencils and erasers. For those out of school, office jobs will be provided for everyone regardless of educational background and skill set. Massive green houses will be built weather proof so that storms and Mother Nature will never affect agricultural products.

Valley of Peace Farmers loose crops, blaming Green Tropics
The Ministry of Agriculture is completing its investigation into allegations that crop dusting done by Green Tropics in the Valley of Peace village on March 15 may have destroyed as much as $150,000 dollars worth of vegetables being produced by some 30 farmers. Ministry personnel have sent samples taken from the crops to El Salvador to determine what type of chemicals were causing the damage. Those results are expected by the middle of next week. A spokesperson from Green Tropics has told the media that if the company is culpable they will deal with the liability. As much as 150 to 200 acres of vegetables have been damaged. Farmers say that about 80% of their crops have been damaged and are dying as a result of chemical burns. It is also believed that the rest of the crops have received damage where it will not be able to be harvested.

Young Woman murdered by Boyfriend
Residents from the Cayo District are still reeling from the horrible murder of a recent graduate from the University of Belize. Twenty four year old Kayla Burgess was found dead shortly after 6:30 p.m. last Thursday in the rear of her Kia Sorento SUV; some 100 yards from the Pride of Mopan Bar on the Santa Familia Road. She had a plastic bag covering her head and a white plastic strap tightened around her neck. Kayla Burgess’s vehicle was processed by investigators but the key was not found. The body was transported to the San Ignacio Hospital where death was confirmed at 8:30 p.m. On Friday, the body was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital morgue for a Post Mortem Examination. Her cause of death has been certified as due to broncho-aspiration, from asphyxia, which resulted from strangulation. Subsequent to this incident, 21 year old Vince “Vinnie” Garbutt, a Galen University student from the Kontiki Area in San Ignacio was detained and was observed to have scratches on several parts of his body.

Belizean killed abroad
Joseph Firek, a 59 year-old American, has been charged with murder in the first degree and a hate crime, after Chicago police believe he caused the death of a Belizean living in that city. 59 year-old retired Belizean boxer Michael Tingling was well-liked in his North Side Chicago neighbourhood and on Wednesday, March 19, he was walking his 15 year-old daughter, Masharah, in the Rogers Park neighbourhood at around 2 p.m. That’s when he noticed that Firek was reportedly eyeing his daughter while making inappropriate gestures. Firek approached Masharah, and that’s when Tingling intervened, and they started to argue. Firek then reportedly punched Tingling, who uses a heart pacemaker, in the chest, while making racial epithets. The Tinglings then tried to avoid a further confrontation, and they headed to an alleyway, but Firek pursued them while shouting insults, and soon after Michael Tingling started having trouble breathing. Reports say that when Firek realized what was happening, he started repeating, “I hope he’s okay. I hope I didn’t kill him.”

Not guilty of Masterminding a Murder
Aracely Cahueque, 21, the woman who was accused in October 2010 of soliciting the help of 3 men to murder 18 year-old Raylene Dyer so that she could get control of her baby, was acquitted in her Supreme Court Trial on Friday, March 21, 2014. She becomes the fourth defendant to walk in connection with Dyer’s murder. Since Wednesday, March 12, Cahueque began standing trial before Justice Denis Hanomansingh and a jury of her peers for 3 counts of abetment to murder. The accusation against her was that she hired the 3 men who were accused of the actual killing to get it done on her behalf. Police said that she had done it because she wanted Raylene Dyer’s 3 month-old baby, Ravonne Dyer. Investigators believed that her intention was to try to fool her boyfriend into believing that she became pregnant for him, and that he needed to support her and this baby that they supposedly shared together.

San Pedro residents Charged for Attempting to Bribe Senior Supt. Broaster
Argyle Jex, 28-year-old tour guide of Coral Street in San Pedro, and Lewis Caal, 33-year-old tour guide of Pescador Drive, San Pedro, have been arrested and charged with attempting to corrupt a public officer. The men are accused of attempting to bribe Senior Superintendent of Police, Edward Broaster, on Saturday, March 22nd. The men were held in custody on the island of Caye Caulker when they allegedly offered Broaster $100 for their release. Broaster refused and in addition to drug possession, which they were originally held for, they were jointly charged with attempting to corrupt a public officer. The men appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Tuesday, March 25th, where they were jointly charged. No plea was taken from the men and they were granted bail in the sum of $1,000 each plus one surety of the same amount. Chief Magistrate Smith ordered the men to report to the San Pedro Police Station every Monday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. until their next court date on May 15, 2014.

More Traffic Mishaps in March
For the month of March alone, there have been 10 people who have died as a result of traffic accidents on Belize’s roadways. The most recent happened on Saturday, March 22, at around 5 a.m., where 63 year-old former BDF Soldier Henry Pascual was doing his morning jog on the Stann Creek Valley Road. That’s when a motorist knocked him down from behind. The driver stopped and rendered aid, taking him to the Southern Regional Hospital, but he died shortly after from the injuries he sustained. The next accident happened in Belize City where the skull of a man was crushed underneath a dump truck. 33 year-old Honduran Jose Martinez was reportedly riding his bicycle contrary to the flow of traffic on Cemetery Road, and when he arrived at the pedestrian ramp, he fell off his bicycle. That’s the same time when a dump truck was trying to get over the ramp, and one of the wheels crushed Martinez’s skull killing him instantly. Police have investigated and they are waiting on the DPP’s Office to decide on whether or not they should charge the driver of the truck for anything. It is notable that eyewitness reports say that Martinez was riding as if though he was intoxicated.

Northern Illinois University lecturers call on Minister Herman Longsworth
The Hon. Herman Longsworth, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with direct responsibilities for youth and sports, on Wednesday March 12, 2014, received in his Belize City office, four lecturers from Northern Illinois University, which included Programme Coordinator Dr. Paul Wright, Dr. James Ressler (Sports Education Model expert), Dr. Jin Jung (TPSR Model Expert) and Dr. William Pitney (Athletic Trainer) along with Ph.D candidate Jenn Jacobs, and Mr. Rob Castañeda, Beyond the Ball founder and coordinator. The US team is a part of the Belizean Youth Sport Coalition which has as its theme “Using Sport to Promote Social Change”. The purpose of the Belizean Youth Sport Coalition is to increase the extent to which youth sport programmes promote youth development and social change.

Police United clip Verdes FC in Belikin Cup Tournament
The Premier League of Belize 2014 Belikin Cup Closing Season competition continued over the last weekend with three games across the country. On Saturday March 22 at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, the host team and co-leaders in the Closing Season, the Police United blanked the visiting and other co-leader Verdes FC by the score of 1-0. The only goal of the game was scored by Harrison Tasher in the 63rd minute of play to give the Police United Team their 2 won of the campaign. On Sunday March 23, at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio Town, the visiting Paradise/Freedom Fighters and the host team San Ignacio United played to a 0-0 draw.

Central Christian girls win again in primary schools softball
The Belize City Primary Schools Softball Competition continues at Rogers Stadium with a number of games. On Tuesday March 11, in the girls’ game played, Central Christian School continued on its winning path when it defeated Trinity Methodist School by the score of 16-0. The winning pitcher was Hannah Usher and the losing pitcher was Devina Periera. In the boys competition game played, Unity Presbyterian edged Wesley Upper in a hotly contested game by the score of 7-6. The winning pitcher was Shemmar Bowen and the losing pitcher was Andy Alford. The competition then continued on Wednesday March 5, with two more games. In the girls’ competition, Muslim Community School defeated Holy Redeemer School by the score of 14-1. The winning pitcher was Essenie Vernon and the losing pitcher was Tyra Belisle.

15th Annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic
The Cycling Federation of Belize would like to inform of the upcoming 15th Annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic, which is scheduled for Sunday, March 30th, starting at 9:00 a.m. from the Succotz Ferry outside Benque Viejo and travels the George Price Highway to finish in front of Leslie’s Imports. The Technical Meeting for this event is scheduled for Friday, March 28th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association Conference Room, upstairs of Dooney’s on Albert Street. Please note deadline for registration to participate in the event is this Thursday, March 27th.

National male softball championship this weekend
The Belize Softball Federation will be hosting its 5th National Male Softball championship at Rogers Stadium on Saturday and Sunday March 29 and 30, 2014 respectively. This year’s championship will feature the champions and sub-champions of the Affiliated Association which had a male competition in 2013. The games were originally scheduled to play last year but had to be postponed because of the inclement weather. The games are scheduled to commence at 4:00 pm on Saturday March 29 with game one being played between the Belize City champions Guardian Bombers and the Cayo Association second place team Esperanza Royal Devils. Immediately following that game will be game two, between the Belize City sub-champions Oceana Strikers and the Cayo Association league leading Belmopan. This will be followed by game three which will feature the two winners from games 1 and 2.

San Pedro Tigersharks and Cayo Western Ballaz lead in the National Elite Basketball competition
The 2014 National Elite Basketball League competition continued over the last week with four games on the schedule. On Thursday March 20, at the UB Gymnasium in the City of Belmopan, the visiting and current-co-leaders in this year’s competition the Cayo Western Ballaz defeated the home team the Belmopan Bandits by the score of 58-46. The top scorers for the Cayo Western Ballaz were Richard Troyer with 16 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal, Kurt Burgess with 11 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal and Farron Louriano with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, the top scorers for the Belmopan Bandits were Dorian Jones and Christian Rodriguez with 9 points each. Dorian Jones also pulled down 7 rebounds and had 3 steals in his team defeat, while Jamal Harris with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. At the Y-Not Island in Dangriga Town, the Belize City No Limit team won handily over the Dangriga Warriors by the score of 66-53. The top scorers for the Belize City No Limit team were Gregory Rudon with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 1, assist and 2 steals; Andrew Ortiz with 13 points, and 6 rebounds, and Kevin Lorenzo with 8 points.

Trampler
I listened in, on and off, to the budget debate on Monday and Tuesday past and I must say that it was, from the presentations I got to hear, much more civil than on previous occasions, even with the usual background banter from both sides. For the most part, I think the topics addressed were properly researched and the deliveries eloquent. We can allow ourselves a dash of pride once in a while you know, when something like this goes right for a change. Of course some people have commented that the PUP Leader shouts too much, and that Musa has now been reduced to reciting Mother Goose rhymes. I tell you, with the next election slated for 2017, and Musa vying for another five-year term, it seems that the PUP will have to prop him up to make his speeches/recitals in the future. The man just will not retire from politics. Then I must mention the usual counterfeits in the PUP, the ones that use this forum to grandstand about how saintly and intelligent they are as compared to the UDP. They preach on every occasion about how deeply concerned they are about the plight of the Belizean people and if ever they get appointed to the Cabinet, they would do, oh so much for our country! How humbly they would serve the people and corruption would never taint their white, four-pocketed “Guayaberas”. I need to ask a favor: the day you hear me say that I subscribe to the words of Julius Espat, Marin Jr. or any Fonseca, I want you to please have me committed.

Candle Light vigil for Kayla
A candle light vigil was organized on Tuesday night in the City of Belmopan for Kayla Burgess. It began with a procession from #10 Oriole Street that went around the Ring Road then ended at the Belmopan Comprehensive School. (See full story on page 17)

World Water Day Exhibition held in San Ignacio Town
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture the Hon. Gaspar Vega declared open World Water Day exhibitions at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel on Friday of last week. Present for the occasion was the Mayor of San Ignacio and Santa Elena John August as well as standard bearer for the Cayo North Division Omar Figueroa. Also present for the opening were industry leaders in the water sector such as the Belize Water Services Ltd BWS and the Belize Electricity Limited; two partners inextricably linked in the extraction, processing and distribution of water resources in Belize. Children, students and other Belizeans were bused in from different parts of the Country to visit the various booths at the Resort Hotel and meet with local experts on water. In his main address the Hon. Gasper Vega informed that water is used to generate 45% of Belize’s electricity, three times the average amount of electricity produced worldwide via hydroelectric power. “As our population grows and our appetite for more potable water and energy increases and as climate change threatens water supplies, we need to identify more in-Country sources of water for clean, affordable and sustainable energy,” Hon. Vega said.

Preventing children from coming in conflict with the law
The news ticker flashes across the screen – a teenager and his uncle are arrested for breaking into a home and injuring the occupants in the process. Another teenager is accused of assaulting the owner of the neighborhood grocery store. A third teenager has been caught with drugs at school. Their crimes vary from petty to serious offences but the alleged perpetrators have one thing in common – they are minors all under the age of eighteen. This makes them children; and although they have come in conflict with the law, they are still children. Children who come in conflict with the law are those who are alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law. The concept contravenes with the connotation that many have of children – ‘children’ in our minds are supposed to be innocent and full of promise and hope representing the best of society. The unsettling thought of them as having the capacity to perpetrate crimes often leads people to immediately ascribe adult status to them and advocate for the full administration of the law for their crimes.

Blogs

From Los Angeles to Belize with ease and what it was like riding the Inaugural flight
The inaugural flight of a new aircraft route is always a historic occasion and local Ambergris Caye resident Rosie Syme shares her story of what it was like being one of the passengers on the first flight. “Taking a midnight flight from anywhere is never anyone’s favorite thing to do, but for me there was something special about this direct flight to Belize. I was so excited that I could get home on a short 5 hour flight, and everyone I spoke to felt the same way. There were many couples and families excited to visit the country for the first time and everyone was eager to arrive and get started on their days’ activities. Checking in was a breeze – much better than I had expected considering the flight leaves from LAX and it was the holiday season. Many of the staff at the airport were surprised to hear Delta is now offering a direct flight to Belize. I guess that’s what happens when you’re on the inaugural flight! Everything went quite smoothly on the flight. After takeoff the lights were dimmed and most people settled in for the night. Everyone seemed to have a full day of activities planned since the flight arrives in the early morning around 7:30am.

International Sources

Nina Agdal Turns 22, Plays in Bikini in Tropical Belize (photos, video)
Nina Agdal traveled a long way from chilly Denmark to the tropical beaches of Belize for her first Beach Bunny bikini shoot. To mark the occasion the brand put together a video as a birthday present. Nina turned 22 yesterday (Mar 26), but she’ll always be a 10 in our book. The video a behind-the-scenes look at her Belize expedition to Kanantik Resort. From there she traveled by boat to a remote island called “Sanctuary Belize.” Nina talks about her career and traveling to the exotic location. “It’s paradise; it’s postcard material; it’s gorgeous,” she says.

Vuela in Belize tra siti Maya e diving
Il tour operator Vuela propone “Belize diving, Maya e avventura”, un viaggio di 14 giorni/12 notti tra cayos nel Mar dei Caraibi lungo la seconda barriera corallina del mondo, siti archeologici Maya, parchi naturali e fiumi. Il tour inizia a Placencia con un programma che include diverse immersioni al giorno e pranzi in stile Caribe sui cayos. A Silk Caye ci si immerge tra squali balena, tartarughe e mante, mentre a Pompion Caye si scende lungo una parete ricca di granchi, aragoste e tartarughe. Il giorno dopo è la volta di South Water Caye e Grand Channel, tra una miriade di pesci tropicali, squali nutrici e tartarughe, ma anche spugne, coralli, gamberi, pesci angelo. Segue Glovers Reef, patrimonio dell’Unesco, a un’ora e mezza di barca da Placencia e tra le più belle immersioni dei Caraibi occidentali. Si passa poi al Monkey River, fiume ricco di mangrovie e pesci, ma anche di iguane, coccodrilli e uccelli e habitat naturale della scimmia urlatrice. Il viaggio prosegue al Blue Hole National Park, dove vivono molte specie di animali, tra cui il giaguaro, l’ocelot, 200 varietà di volatili e dove si trova l’Inland Blue Hole, una piscina naturale di acqua dolce che cela numerose grotte sommerse. Dalla natura si passa all’archeologia con la visita del sito Maya di Xunantunich e, successivamente, a Caracol, una delle città Maya più estese. Quota con sette pranzi, transfer e voli interni da euro 2.960 euro. Voli intercontinentali calcolati con la migliore tariffa disponibile.

Nina Agdal Loves Her Bum in Beach Bunny Bikinis
Danish model Nina Agdal joins Beach Bunny bikinis for her first photo shoot for the brand in tropical Belize. Nina, who appeared topless on the cover of and inside Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue joins models Kate Upton and Irina Shayk. Both have also repped for the brand and appeared in SI.

Belize, the Caribbean's undiscovered coast - audio slideshow
Kevin Rushby takes a sailing trip through Belize's mangrove islands and reefs, stopping off for a bit of snorkelling along the way

Belize Baby!
Well today I wore socks with sandals you guys…however there is no evidence that this crime occurred because cameras were forbidden on this excursion. I should probably just stop blogging and giving fashion advice but instead I am going to share with you an experience of a lifetime and get real deep because it’s my blog and I will get intellectual if I want to…Oh and happy Thanksgiving. As I am here in Belize with my family I am being MIND BLOWN and it is only the second day. Read on to learn about the amazing ATM Caves (Actun Tunichil Muknal which means Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre) and our experiences… So we finally show up to the cave entrance after about 45 minutes. Which by the way Belizean minutes are much longer than actual minutes. Example-he said it was going to be a 2 and a half hour tour…it was four and a half. But no one is complaining.

March 27, 2014

Video: BTLs Yellow Pages 2014 Launch Video

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

Three Men Appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
In a brief ceremony this morning at the Belize House in Belmopan, three men were officially appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on the occasion of the New Year Honours 2014, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Belize. This year’s honorees include: Mr. Rafael Manzanero for his contribution to Environmental Protection; Dr. Adrian Alexander Coye for his contribution to Medicine and Mr. Rodney Harold Neal for his contribution to the Public Service. Both Mr. Manzanero and Dr. Coye received the insignia of Ordinary Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire while Mr. Neal received the insignia of Ordinary Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The Governor General expressed his sincere gratitude to the men for their hard work and dedication to Belize.

Only eight teams advance to the Quarter Finals of the SPSC Football Tournament
The first phase of the San Pedro Sports Committee (SPSC) Football Tournament is over and only the top eight teams advanced to the quarter finals. The lucky teams that still have the opportunity to win the first ever SPSC Football Tournament are Joker FC, Legends, Caye Caulker and Island Pure for Group A, and Southwind, FC United, Veterans and Dorados for Group B. Which teams moved on were decided after the games from weeks five and six. On Tuesday, March 18th, the first game was between Caye Caulker and Warriors. Caye Caulker delivered a blowout win in a 9-0 point game. Next to take the field was Southwind and San Juan. Both teams were eager for the win, but in the end it was Southwind who took the game in a 5-2 point game. The second set of games was played on Wednesday, March 19th. In the first match, Legends annihilated VH Ballers in an outstanding 15-2 point game. The second game was between Dorados and FC United. Edging out the competition from early in the game, Dorados delivered a win over FC United with a 2-0 point game. The final game of the week was played on Thursday, March 20th between Communicasiones and Island Pure, the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

A Unique Opportunity for Young Leaders to Be Trained in Road Safety
In collaboration with YOURS – Youth for Road Safety Project and the Caribbean Development Bank – the Government of Belize would like to open an invitation to your school to select future young leaders to apply for a unique opportunity to be trained as youth facilitators in road safety. Why Road Safety? Road traffic crashes are the single biggest killer of young people, killing more than HIV/AIDS, TB or Malaria. In Belize, approximately 30% of all road traffic fatalities are young people aged between 16 and 29. About 90% of these youth casualties are males. A combination of physical and developmental immaturity, and inexperience and youth-related lifestyles further increase the risk of young road users to road traffic collisions. We believe young people in Belize have not yet been adequately empowered to make informed choices to influence their own development. Young people are part of the road safety solution.

Entrepreneurship skills displayed at the 2014 SPHS Business Fair
On Saturday, March 22nd the San Pedro High School (SPHS) hosted their annual Business Fair. The fair is a chance for junior and senior students taking Business as their major to display their business and entrepreneurship skills. From the beginning of the school years the students were tasked to form their own business and product that would benefit San Pedro’s economy. Not only do the products have to be unique but they have to prove to be profitable in the economy. The fair started at 10AM and was open to the public. Each group prepared an elaborate booth to display their business, complete with a model of their future business building and product. The students developed both products and services that would be profitable in the competitive markets of San Pedro Town, and Belize as whole. The students were responsible for identifying a product, creating a business, identifying a location, securing funds, preparing a business plan and marketing their product. The senior students also had an opportunity to sell their product to the public to experience firsthand the exchange system in an economic market.

Ambergris Today

European Union Bans Fish Trade with Vessels Flagged To Belize
The EU’s executive arm announced on Monday, March 24, 2014, a ban on fish imports from vessels flagged to Belize, Cambodia and Guinea (Conakry), in a move that could have repercussions for tuna companies such as MW Brands and Pervasa. The ban is part of the EU’s efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The council’s decision is based on the view that Belize, Cambodia and Guinea are acting insufficiently against illegal fishing. The sanctions mean imports into the EU of any fisheries products caught by vessels from these countries will be banned, while EU vessels will not be allowed to fish in these countries’ waters. It is the first time that measures of this type are adopted at EU level.

Sit Back and Enjoy a Sunset Sailing Cruise in Belize
I lay down on the bow of the sailboat staring upwards, deep into the universe. A brisk, but gentle breeze pushes the E-Z Boy’s sailboat along the leeward side of Caye Caulker island. Shortly after sunset it is pitch black but the ceiling above is dotted with thousands of stars, planets and the Milky Way brushed across the sky. At that point nothing really matters, but absorbing your surroundings – feeling the breeze on your skin, hearing the waves crash on the bow of the sailboat, seeing the magnificence of the night’s spectacle, smelling the ocean breeze and tasting the salty air on your lips. That is what makes a sunset cruise so special in Belize; it involves all of your senses and has you relaxing in total bliss, in Paradise mind you.

Misc Belizean Sources

Corozal Pre-School Stimulation Month 2014 – Theme “Early Childhood Education: Where Our Future Begins”
The commencement of the activities started this month with the Pre-Schooler’s Parade followed by the Festival of Arts.

Corozal Pre-School Stimulation Month continues with Pre-School Festival of Arts and Sports Day
All photos taken were with the consent and supervision of teachers and parents.

Three Men Appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (6 photos)
Government of Belize Press Office

Inspiration Center Grand Opening
The Inspiration Center, an outpatient rehabilitation center for children with disabilities from birth to 16 years old, is having its grand opening tomorrow. This amazing project has been in the works for years, and it's great to see it come to fruition. Thanks to everyone that donated and participated in the project.

1930's Banana Cultivation Video
Take a step back in time, almost a century, with this classic video of the banana trade in British Honduras. It follows the crop from Belize to Northern Europe. Interesting, to say the least. "Clearing forest for banana plantation. Cultivation (including air spraying of crops) and harvesting and transportation of the crop to the port for export to Europe. Loading of ocean freighters and ocean voyage (including stop at Kingston, Jamaica) and unloading at Rotterdam."

Youth Road Safety Facilitator Training
Excellent opportunity for any youths that are interested in facilitating workshops on road safety. The GOB, using a grant from the Caribbean Development Bank, will be offering 2 weeks of training to 15 lucky youths. "CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR YOUTH ROAD SAFETY FACILITATORS. If you think you are the candidate we are looking for please fill the form below and send it to [email protected] by March 28, 2014 or send to the Road Safety Project Management Unit with attention to Ms. Jewel Crawford, Director, Department of Youth Services before the mentioned deadline. Application Form.

OAS Donates Drumset
he Organization of American States donated a drumset to the Benque House of Culture, where it's getting a lot of use. Thanks, OAS! "We wish to thank the OAS Administration Belize for strengthening the the musical passion of the Benque Marimba Academy, their inkind donation of a drum set will certainly evolve and uplift their musical skills and standards. We are humbled by the support of all of you who believe in the high spirit and commitment that the Boys have achieved during these 15 months... "

WTTC Belize Tourism Statistics
The World Travel and Tourism Council has released the tourism statistics for Belize. There are some interesting numbers in there. Overall, tourism accounts for around 33% of jobs in Belize, and brought in $1.2 billion, which is 36.6% of the GDP. Tourism should grow by about 4.5% in 2014.

A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited for the post of Line Inspector
in the Transmission & Distribution Department, Belize City.

COLA says goverment is appealing Writ of Mandamus
A meeting between the attorneys for the group COLA and the Director of Public Prosecutions was held today, and as was expected, the DPP will join Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action in their private prosecution of the Honorable the member for Cayo Northeast Mr. Elvin Penner. COLA is mounting the private prosecution of Penner, alleging that the two-term area representative and former Junior Minister broke the law when he facilitated the issuance of a Belize passport to South Korean national Wong Hong Kim who was in a prison in Taiwan at the time the document was issued in Belmopan. While the logistics of the DPP joining COLA in the private prosecution is news, the bombshell that emerged from today’s meeting is that the government of Belize has launched an appeal of the Writ of Mandamus given by the Chief Justice against Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie.

Police investigate carnal knowledge case involving teenagers
There is another case of an underage girl being sexually exploited. And that sexual abuse has resulted in a pregnancy. Belize City police report that on Tuesday, the minor, in the company of her mother reported that in November of 2013, she engaged in sexual intercourse with her 17 year old boyfriend at her home. The minor further explained to police and she and the 17 year old boy have been “dating” since August, 2011. Police say the girl is now 5 months pregnant.

Police say burnt aircraft near Spanish Lookout was a drug plane
The Belize Police Department has issued some information on the wreckage of a small plane that was found near Spanish Lookout on Tuesday morning. Authorities say that the aircraft was a Cessna 6-seater. While initially it was thought that the plane crash-landed, police say their initial investigation reveals that the plane was used to transport illegal drugs. That would suggest, according to one source, that the plane may have landed, and then deliberately set on fire.

Negotiations for bagasse payment progressing
Negotiations for the payment to cane farmers for baggasse have been progressing slowly between BSI/ASR and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association. The last we heard was that BSCFA was waiting for BSI/ASR’s counterproposal to their proposal made on the revenue sharing of bagasse. And yesterday the miller revealed its counterproposal to BSCFA as they once again met around the negotiating table. According to the Vice Chairman of the BSCFA Alfredo Ortega, a formula used by BSI/ASR provided the framework for the Association to come up with its counter proposal. “They came up with a number of 52 cents per ton, based on the information we have for the 2010-2011, we use those same numbers and we presented to them that our figures give us in the vicinity of 4 dollars and thirteen cents and that is where the basis is where we can move through the negotiations,” says Ortega. That counterproposal, according to the BSCFA vice chairman will be presented to BSI/ASR on Monday.

Fire Service receives motorcycles
The National Fire Service today received eleven Honda motorcycles valued at $36,000 which will be used in its efforts to address issues with regard to fire safety. Acting Fire Chief Ted Smith says they will be used as more convenient transport for firemen to conduct safety activities and inspections. The Minister in charge of the Fire Service is Senator Godwin Hulse, under the portfolio of National Emergency Management. He handed over the vehicles to the service today. The motorcycles will be distributed to all fire stations throughout the country.

Prime Minister says Maranco makes oil find in Orange Walk
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has reported that oil prospectors Maranco had struck a huge reservoir of petroleum in their concession area in southern Orange Walk near Gallon Jug. But there is still much work to do before the find can be deemed commercial – that is, if it can even be extracted from the ground. Dr. Colin Young, CEO of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology and Public Utilities (MESTPU) says that the oil is more difficult to withdraw because of the surrounding rock formations and lower original quality, substantially different from that found at Spanish Lookout by Belize Natural Energy more than seven years ago. Dr. Young explains that the company is now in the process of hiring its experts to determine whether it is feasible to pursue the oil, which is as much as 50 million barrels, a larger find than the Spanish Lookout strike.

Caribbean ICT Roadshow comes to Belize City
Belize City hosted the second leg of the third annual Caribbean Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Roadshow at the Radisson Hotel in Belize City today. ICT is basically the use of modern technology such as computers, cellular phones and so on to link with software and other tools to more effectively access, store and transmit information. The Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology and Public Utilities (MESTPU) is collaborating with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to take the displays and workshops across the country. Selby Wilson, representative from the CTU cited the outreach to students in the Toledo and Belize districts as an example of how ICT affects the next generation in his address at this morning’s opening ceremonies. Ministry CEO Dr. Colin Young said that ICT has a beneficial effect on Belize’s economic bottomline as more people become technologically friendly.

Progress on Police Barracks in San Pedro
We are VERY excited to announce that construction on the police barracks will resume immediately! Since the San Pedro Sun article last week, we've received the following generous donations: Victoria House, Ambergris Caye, Belize - $10,000. The Phoenix - $10,000. Blue Water Grill - San Pedro, Belize - $10,000. Landings at Tres Cocos - $10,000. Havana Cigars -$250. Mark & Brooke Maggiotto - $1,000. You can see an up to date list of donors here: - the most recent donations are highlighted in green. We still need to raise more money. If you want to donate, please contact Mukul ([email protected]) or Gricel ([email protected]). If you can share this post to help spread the word, we'd appreciate it. And last: if all you do is complain, you aren't helping to solve the problem.

BWRC Hangs Out
The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic crew practiced with the tree climbing equipment in order to prepare for the climb up to the nests of some of their 'patients.' The BWRC works with Scarlet 6, and monitors and does check ups on Scarlet Macaws, which can have nests located high up. Looks like they had fun during their practice. "There is rarely time for boredom at BWRC. But thanks to our friends Charles Britt and Kristi Drexler the entire staff and intern crew (including even Dr. I, only missing Dr. Z who joined the students at CBS and the Belize Zoo VIP tour) had an awesome morning practicing with tree climbing equipment! We will go wherever we need to go to come to the rescue, thanks to our friends, staff and other supporters. More pictures to follow later..."

Maya Day 2014 (25 photos)
San Antonio, Toledo's Deer Dance Group

Belize Chamber of Commerce Business Presentation at Tony's Hotel in Corozal
Today at 10:30am. Topics to be discussed: 1) Why the Chamber exists and who it serves? 2) The Chamber's valued Added services 3) Chamber's Western Union Franchise in Belize 4) How the Occupational, Safety and Health Bill 2014 will affect you 5) Discussion on business issues affecting your area All are invited to attend at 10:30 a.m. Tony's Conference room.

Video: Belize Maya Ruins 2005
Pastor Don Ballard reflects on the Mayans and God's Grace today.

Video: National Budget Debate Continued on Day Two

Video: BELIZE 2013
12 min.

Video: Voyage Mexique Belize Honduras Janvier 2014
53 min. Voyage de plongée, Janvier 2014, avec Karine et Jeff! ca dure 53 minutes, mais c'est dur de faire moins pour résumer un mois complet de plongée dans le sud!!

Video: 33rd Belmopan Cycling Classic first 60 miles
33rd Annual SMART Belmopan Classic Sunday March 16, 2014 Belize City - Belmopan - Belize City 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 I was only able to capture the first 60 miles of the race with a rear facing camera, do to lack of battery life. I overlayed my GPS, power, speed, cadence, and heart rate data. I also captured the first 40 minutes of the race with a forward facing camera but it was on a plastic mount that was vibrating badly, you will see in the video, and the battery died early on this camera. At the finish line I finished 10th place in this race. 00:33 Start bike camera recordings 6:45 Start neutral roll out 18:25 Start race 32:50 My mechanical 33:45 Start chase after mechanical 34:50 End forward camera 35:00 Avoid crashed riders laying in road 39:30 Catch peleton 2:09:40 Turn onto Hummingbird Highway 2:14:20 Turn onto Constitution Dr. 2:16:15 Turn onto Ring Road 2:21:40 Turn onto Constitution Dr. 2:24:20 Turn onto Hummingbird Highway 2:27:20 Turn onto Western Highway - catch 2nd chase group of about 20 riders

Video: Belize City and Cozumel Cruise

Video: Zip Lining Belize
Zip-riders Howling Hills, an awesome experience!

Channel 7

BTB: Karen Bevans Next Director?
What's next for the Belize Tourism Board? We know all about the tumultuous and disorderly departure of the last director Laura Esquivel after her managers pulled a palace coup on her. So, who's next for this important national organization that's reeling at the highest level? Well, we can confirm that outgoing Chief Operating Officer at BTL Karen Bevans went to meet Minister Manuel Juniour Herredia at BTB to discuss the job today at 2:00 pm. We are told that Bevans, who is leaving BTL after 25 years – much of it in senior management - got the nod from Cabinet last week. She is being handpicked for the job because they hope she can bring some leadership and stability to the organization, which has gone through three directors in six years – two of them resigning after less than two years. And while she is being invited to take up the post, Bevans told us today that she is in discussions about the job, but nothing is formalized and she has not told them yes. Bevans's last day at BTL will be tomorrow.

COLA and The DPP Meet To Discuss Prosecuting Penner
Will Area Representative Elvin Penner appear in Belmopan Court to answer to charges in COLA’s private prosecution? Well, COLA and the DPP are getting ready to go to court tomorrow – but there is a chance Penner might not show up if he hasn’t been served with the court papers. Whatever the case, COLA has retained Kareem Musa, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, has asked to join them in the matter. With a trained attorney pressing for them, and the chief prosecuting authority in their corner, they are going to court fully equipped tomorrow. And so this afternoon, all 3 parties met at the DPP's Office in Belize City. When it was finished, the COLA president told us about how the meeting went:

Why Did Whylie Appeal?
But the person in the best position to produce solid evidence against Penner is Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. Viewers may remember that on March 3, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin compelled the commissioner with a Writ of Mandamus to immediately commence an investigation against Penner so that the DPP can be presented with the file for her determination of whether or not he can be criminally charged. Well, Kareem Musa, who was one of the attorneys who represented Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca in the Mandamus hearing, revealed to the media that lead attorney, Edwin Flowers, received a notice of Commissioner Whylie's intent to appeal the writ of Mandamus in the Court of Appeal. COLA and Musa told us today that they interpret this move as the Commissioner still refusing to investigate Penner: Kareem Musa - Attorney for COLA "Unbelievable, Mike, It is totally unbelievable. It is a sad state of affairs that you have the executive arm, which is the Commissioner of Police; he is represented by the Solicitor General, who also, by the way, represents your Prime Minister, and represents all Government Officials, that office has decided to appeal.

Who Gave The Order?
A critical part of Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca's success in the Mandamus case before the Chief Justice was memo between DPP Vidal and the Head of the National Criminal Investigations Branch. In that memo, ASP Julio Valdez was quoted as saying that he got instructions to shut down the initial Penner investigation. Fonseca interpreted that as clear political interference into the police matter, and the Court agreed with him when the Commissioner was compelled to direct another investigation into Penner's involvement. Today, the media caught up with George Lovell, the CEO in the Ministry of National Security and asked him if inquiries were made into where those instructions to ASP Valdez came from. He suggested to reporters that Valdez misunderstood:

CEO Colin Young Talks About His Loan At The National Bank
Last Friday, 7News told you about Manager Jose Marin's acrimonious departure from the National Bank of Belize, only 6 months after the bank first opened its doors. Marin gave a laundry list of reasons for his clashes with the board, but one of the ugly one was his contention that Minister Joy Grant, who is the Chair of the Bank's Board, used her influence to push through a loan for her Ministry's CEO, Colin Young, with a preferential interest rate and preferential terms. That's a major allegation from a veteran banker, for an institution created as a sort of pro-poor initiative to provide banking services at a competitive rate. So, when Young was spotted at another event today, the media made a bee-line for him, and asked him to respond directly to Marin's claim. Here's how he responded:

Major Oil Field In Northern Belize, Not Commercial Yet
And keeping it with the Ministry of Energy, Science and Public Utilities, last night at 7:15, as Prime Minister Dean Barrow wound up the budget debate, he announced that a major oil find had been confirmed by the Oil company Marenco in Northern Belize. And while it is good news, the PM stressed that the oil is under impermeable rock, and it is not a commercial find at this time: Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize "Let me report that yesterday, just yesterday, Marenco completed the drilling and testing of the sub-canal bank well number 3 in Gallon Jug. As a result, they are now able to confirm that there is oil from a depth of 4009 to 4026 feet. The accumulation is between 2,500 and 3,500 acres in extent with a minimum of 50 million barrels of oil." The PM added that enhanced recovery operations requiring significant capital and international expertise will be required to commercialize the find. Today CEO Colin Young elaborated on the specifics of the oil field.

Close Shave With Bus Leaves Four Injured
Last night passengers on a James Express Bus experienced a terrible scare after the bus ran off the road. The bus that had left Belmopan 7 last night en route to Belize City –was making its way through St Matthews Village – when it brushed against an 8 wheeler trailer that was travelling in the opposite direction. That caused a front wheel blow out and the bus ran off the highway. Luckily they were no causalities but 4 passengers had were injured and had to be transported to the Western Regional Hospital. Gary Ayuso who is physiotherapist was a passenger on the bus and today he told us what he remembered. Gary Ayuso – Passenger "The 7 o'clock express from Belmopan to Belize is a James Express. What happened was that it was 18-wheeler trailer with a wide-load. It was a plow, I believe, a very heavy piece of equipment. And the bus was, I'm not sure; I cannot say who was at fault because I was at like third or fourth seat to the front of the bus, when I heard the collision. Right in my mind, something told me, I believed it was God telling me to lock down into the crash position, which I did, and I braced myself properly.

Green Tropics Under The Microscope
Tonight, a joint team of Government officials working in the Agricultural Ministry continues to investigate whether or not Green Tropics damaged over $150,000 in vegetable crops belonging to local farmers from Valley of Peace. 7News understands that the joint team is just about finished with their report, but they are waiting for a chemical test from a lab in Salvador to positively identify the chemical in the herbicide which Green Tropics is being accused of dumping on the crops when their employees did their crop dusting on May 15. But, as we told you last night, we've received reports that there may be a dispute about whether the farmers planted on their own land, and that they could be squatting. Today, 7News was finally able to get in contact with Green Tropics' country representative Beverly Burke to get a comment on the allegation from those 30 local farmers.

Illegal Logging In Stann Creek
We all know about illegal logging of Rosewood, but illegal logging in general continues in southern Belize. For over a week, we've been hearing of illegal timber extraction operations in the Stann Creek District, near Maya Center village and now these pictures obtained by PGTV confirm it. Activist Will Maheia says these pictures were taken in the Maya Mountain Forest Reserve where they saw a bunch of illegally cut hardwoods mainly Barbajalote and Mahogany. There is no permit for the operations, and we are told some of it is being done on slopes which undermines the integrity of the soil. There is no confirmation, but reports suggest the loggers could be Guatemalan.

The Relevance Of an ICT Roadshow
The Caribbean information and Technology Roadshow started in 2009 all across the Caribbean – and this week, it is being held in Belize for the third time – more than any other Caribbean Territory. We found out why it's especially relevant in Belize: As the name suggests, the ICT roadshow is going on the road. It has already been to PG and Belize City, and heads to Corozal on Friday.

Budget Debate: Barrow Roughs Up Francis, Mauls Musa
As we told you last night, the budget debate wound up just as the news was finishing, about 7:40 pm. In his 40 minute closing remarks, the Prime Minister heaped insults on current PUP Leader Francis Fonseca, and former Leader Said Musa. He dealt with Fonseca first – who used the debate to criticize Barrow for his Rolex watches: And while you may think that was rough, it was actually kind compared to the abuse levelled at former leader Said Musa. Musa had said that Barrow went from Hercules to Humpty Dumpty, and Barrow sniped back at the senior parliamentarian:

The Phone Book, Belize's Most Widely Distributed Book?
And moving on from politics now to the most widely distributed book in Belize. It's not the bible, but the phone book. This year's directory was unveiled today, with its usual pomp and ceremony, and the image which made it on the front cover was captured by Darren Lamb, a tour guide from the Cayo District, who went out on a trip to Caye Caulker. His photo entry was chosen from a competition on Facebook in which BTL asked customers to decide on which image is the most appropriate. Today, he received his prizes and recognition for capturing that image, and explained the origin of that photo:

Imports Up, Exports Down In Feb 2014
Latest figures from the statistical institute of Belize shows a contraction in Belize trade imbalance, but compared to last year at this time, imports are growing and exports are going down. According to the SIB, in February imports valued $141.2 million, $7.5 million more than February 2013. Exports for February, 2014 on the other hand were down by 20% and stood at $49.5 million. The SIB states that there were decreased earnings from all major exports except marine products. The largest fall in earnings occurred in the export of sugar, which fell by roughly one-half to $7.7 million.

Conservation, CardioThoracic Surgery Honoured By The Queen
This morning at the Belize House in Belmopan, three men were officially appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on the occasion of the New Year Honours 2014. They are the FCD's Rafael Manzanero for his contribution to Environmental Protection; the KHMH's Chief of Staff, Dr. Adrian Coye for his contribution to Medicine and both Manzanero and Dr. Coye received the insignia of Ordinary Officers of the Civil Division The public service commission's Rodney Harold Neal received the insignia of Ordinary Member of the Civil Division for his contribution to the Public Service.

Channel 5

Maranco confirms possible reserve of fifty million barrels of oil in South Canal Bank
Almost one year ago, on March thirtieth 2013, Maranco Energy Belize Limited announced that it had found an encouraging oil show at its South Canal Bank number one exploration well. [...]

Government appeals order of CJ directing ComPol to investigate Elvin Penner
More than six months ago, former Minister of State Elvin Penner was implicated in the facilitation of fraudulent Belizean nationality and a fraudulent Belizean passport for a South Korean national [...]

Still no update on criminal investigation of Penner
Since we were circling the subject of the criminal investigation of former Minister of State Elvin Penner, News Five came right out and asked National Security C.E.O., George Lovell, for [...]

COLA and D.P.P. prepare for case against Elvin Penner
The status of the criminal investigation might be very much in the air at this point, but a private criminal case has been lodged against former Minister of State Elvin [...]

Godwin Hulse concerned about criminal investigation into missing files
While the COLA and the D.P.P. prepare to head to court on Thursday, the status of the criminal investigation ordered by the court is still up in the air. Now, [...]

Minister Hulse says Penner has been punished for passport scandal
Minister Hulse says that the files on Won Hong Kim are still missing and that has caused setbacks in the investigations. But Hulse went on a limb to protect former [...]

Passenger bus crashes into towhead on George Price Highway
There were no less than five accidents over the weekend and on Tuesday night, another occurred on the George Price Highway. A bus loaded with passengers was travelling to Belize, [...]

Roaring Creek resident injured in Hit and Run near Cotton Tree Village
Earlier in the day, there was yet another traffic accident on the same stretch of the George Price Highway. This time, it was a hit and run accident which sent [...]

Single engine Cessna found in Spanish Lookout was used to transport drugs
On Tuesday night we reported that a single engine plane had crashed landed at Spanish Lookout, Cayo and left abandoned on a feeder road. The pilot or passengers were nowhere [...]

Annual Caribbean ICT Show gets on the road
Today, the annual Caribbean ICT Road Show touched down in Belize City, as part of its countrywide awareness tour. The tour is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Energy, [...]

Did Jose Marin drag his heels on disbursing a large loan to C.E.O. Colin Young?
March twenty-first was Jose Marin’s last day as Managing Director of the newly minted National Bank of Belize. The career banker was hired and flaunted as the integrity figurehead of [...]

Extra-duty payments outstanding for at least 500 Police Officers
In the past week, News Five has received multiple reports indicating that extra-duty payments for at least five hundred Police Officers have been delayed. We went digging for answers, and [...]

2 Guatemalans caught with firearms in Chiquibul
Two Guatemalan nationals were busted on Monday morning in the Chiquibul National Park. Police report that the officers of the Special Patrol Branch conducted a search on them that yielded [...]

Firefighters get motorcycles to ease efforts of fire prevention
The efforts of fire prevention is about to get easier for firefighters. This afternoon, the National Fire Service received a fleet of eleven motorcycles which will be used by personnel [...]

National Security C.E.O. says more police officers to be placed on city streets
During the Budget Debate on Monday, Minister of National Security John Saldivar reported that B.D.F. personnel on Belize City streets will soon be pulled out. It’s a move that has [...]

LOVE FM

Remanded For Intent to Steal Chain While Armed
Two persons, 19 year old Justin Hyde and 19 year old Ian Adolphus, were charged with aggravated burglary when they appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. According to the allegation, Hyde and Adolphus, whilst armed with a firearm, entered as trespassers, the dwelling house of Ivan Harris, located on North Creek Road, with the intent to steal two gold chains. Harris was alerted to the burglary and when the intruders saw him they ran. Harris called the police and police pursued the suspects and apprehended them. Hyde and Adolphus pled not guilty to the charge. The court could not offer them bail because the offence was committed with a firearm. They were remanded into custody until May 14. Hyde was represented by attorney Kevin Arthurs.

Honors Bestowed Upon Outstanding Contributors in Belize
The recipients of the New Year’s honors today were officially appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Belize. Rafael Manzanero was honored for his contribution to Environmental Protection; Dr. Adrian Alexander Coye for his contribution to Medicine and Rodney Harold Neal for his contribution to the Public Service. Both Manzanero and Dr. Coye received the insignia of Ordinary Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire while Neal received the insignia of Ordinary Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Governor General Sir Colville Young expressed his gratitude to the men for their hard work and dedication to Belize.

PlusTV

Overhanging Tractor Rips Oncoming Bus; Passengers Injured
There was a traffic accident on the George Price Highway where the side of a bus was opened like a tin can by the rake sticking out of the side of a farming machine. Emanuel Pech has the story. Emanuel Pech reporting: About 18 to 20 passengers were on...

Health Officials Discuss Counterfeit Medicines in Belize
The Pharmacists’ Association of Belize leveled a whopping accusation against the Ministry of Health a few weeks ago. It stated that “Belize is plagued with a myriad of issues related to the quality of pharmaceuticals’ and cited some of those problems as “counterfeit medications, prescription medications sold over the...

Who Pushed Mr. Jose Marin from the National Bank?
The National Bank of Belize has been embroiled in controversy since last week when managing director Jose Marin announced his resignation, ostensibly because he could not see eye-to-eye with the board of directors chaired by Senator and Minister Joy Grant. But Grant’s understudy, CEO Dr. Colin Young, has been...

Woman Escapes Rape in Sea at Punta Gorda
A 24-year-old German National says she was almost raped while swimming in the sea in Punta Gorda. The woman says on Sunday afternoon, she went for a swim at Front Street Punta Gorda Town by the Warf and noticed that there was a male person in the water. While...

Crashed Plane Believed to Be Drug Vessel
Yesterday we told you about the crashed airplane that was found in Spanish Lookout. Today, police issued a report saying that they believe the plane was a drug vessel. The aircraft was found in an area of Spanish Lookout on a feeder road near the Lagoon. The partially burned...

Motorcycle Accident in Belmopan
There was another accident in the Belmopan area in front of Shanghai gas station on the Hummingbird Highway. A 2006 RAV SUV driven at the time by 30 yr old Jian Xinyu was travelling from a south to north direction in front of Gallardo’s glass shop. A motorcycle was...

Oil Found in Gallon Jug
Late yesterday in wrapping up the budget debate, Prime Minister Dean Barrow reported that oil prospectors Maranco had struck a huge reservoir of petroleum in southern Orange Walk near Gallon Jug. There is still much work to do before the find can be deemed commercial – that is, if...

Missing Persons Found Alive and Well
A missing woman has been found safe and in good health. 41 year old Rosa Tobar was reported missing by her daughter on Sunday but she has since been located at the grandmother’s house in Punta Gorda Town in good health. Another reported missing person was Tori Conorque. She...

Authorities Found Armed Guatemalans in Belizean Territory
On Monday morning, while police were conducting foot patrol in the Chiquibul National Park they encountered two Hispanic males in Belizean territory. One of the male persons had a point 22 rifle slung on his back and the other a 9mm pistol. Both persons were searched which led to the...

Blogs

More Beautiful Weather, Belize-Perfect Banana Bread and The Island’s Best Burger Confirmed
Yesterday was a gorgeous day (as is today) but I’m going to start out with the MOST perfect recipe that is so totally Belize. Double Chocolate Banana Bread from Smitten Kitchen. I was turned on to Deb’s blog The Smitten Kitchen about a year ago. She is married to a high school classmate of mine and she is inspiring, funny, a gorgeous food photographer and just easy to follow. Very important for the person who turns on her oven just a few times a year. And now random topic #3…I went to a party last night at DJ’s Seaside Restaurant and can confirm that their burger REMAINS the best in San Pedro. The bun, the meat, the sauce…all together, it’s simple and absolutely, ridiculously delicious.

Belize gets Nod as First of Ten Best Dives in North America
The Jacksonville Business Journal just did an article (March 23, 2014) on the ten best dive spots in North America. And who came in as number one? Belize’s Half Moon Caye, which is indeed one of the top dives in the country, and not far from the famous Blue Hole, probably the most iconic and certainly most photographed dive hole on the planet ever since being made popular by Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso documentary (go ahead, hit Google and see…). And these are just two of many incredible dives along the 180-mile Belize Great Barrier Reef. That’s the beauty of the Belize’s Great Barrier Reef – it puts you close to so many very different dives that you can get a week’s worth of variety in one day. Here’s what the Jacksonville Business Journal had to say about Half Moon Caye: 1. Dive: Half Moon Caye, Belize Half Moon Caye in Belize offers divers the chance to go on a wall dive–a dive in which the vertical facades of the earth’s landmasses are explored. The depths at Half Moon Caye (and really at any wall dive) are tremendous, giving you the very correct feeling that you are staring into an abyss. The waters at Half Moon Caye are particularly clear, despite the depth, so you will be able to see all manner of wildlife, including loggerhead turtles, rays, barracuda, and eels. Other noteworthy spots were in the British Virgin Islands, Point Lobos, Carmel, California, Keahole Point, Hawaii and the ironically named Ray of Hope shipwreck in the Bahamas.

How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas
I use the Harina de Maiz to make homemade corn tortillas. Just by adding a few ingredients to the instant corn flour, in no time at we have fresh homemade corn tortillas.

10 must-have Belize souvenirs
Whenever I travel I make sure to carry extra cash and have additional space in my bags for cool souvenirs. However, many times due to being overwhelmed by options or time constraints, I end up buying ridiculous things. That’s annoying, right? During your trip to Belize you’ll witness a wide variety of keepsakes and fortunately, I’m here to help by providing a short list of the best stuff you can take home. From rum, beers or chocolate, to wooden bowls and amazing Mayan baskets, here’s a list of 10 must have Belizean souvenirs.

International Sources

Why I Continue To Recommend Belize
by Kathleen Peddicord of Live and Invest Overseas. My first trip to Belize, coming up on 30 years ago, was organized courtesy of the Belize Tourism Authority. I was a starting-out travel writer; the BTA was looking for press. This was well pre-"Survivor," pre-"Temptation Island." The only people who knew this tiny country existed way back then were divers and backpackers. And Morley Safer. Around this time, Mr. Safer broadcast a "60 Minutes" segment from Belize, in which he traveled the Belize River in a small wooden boat. From that humble perch, on the river, looking up into the camera, Morley declared: "The good news from Belize is...no news from Belize."

Lo splendido Belize, tra Maya e Caraibi
Il Belize è uno dei Paesi con il più alto tasso di biodiversità del mondo: oltre il 90% del territorio è ricoperto da foreste incontaminate e vanta la più grande barriera corallina dell’Emisfero Boreale, nel mondo seconda solo a quella australiana. E in più, interessanti ed affascinanti siti Maya immersi in scenari suggestivi. Tra le attrazioni dell’unico paese anglofono del Centro America (era una colonia inglese), Placencia, penisola all’estremità meridionale del Paese; palme che ombreggiano la sabbia bianca, e mare caraibico. A un’ora e mezza di barca da Placencia, lo splendore di Glovers Reef, Patrimonio dell’Unesco, che molti considerano tra le più belle immersioni dei Caraibi Occidentali. Vedi anche la grande voragine blu del Belize, Caye Caulker, un’isola da sogno nel Belize, e Cayo Espanto: un resort da sogno in Belize. E le immersioni continuano a Silk Caye, nei pressi della barriera corallina, dove ci si immerge tra squali balena, tartarughe e mante, Pompion Caye, dove si scende lungo un a parete ricca di granchi, aragoste e tartarughe, e South Water Caye e Grand Channel, tra una miriade di pesci tropicali, squali nutrici e tartarughe, ma anche spugne, coralli, gamberi, pesci angelo e pappagallo. La natura dell’entroterra offre il Monkey River, il fiume che scorre nella fluorescente foresta del Belize, ricco di mangrovie e pesci, ma anche di iguane, coccodrilli e uccelli e habitat naturale della scimmia urlatrice. E poi il Blue Hole National Park, dove vivono molte specie di animali, tra cui il giaguaro, l’ocelotto, felino selvatico, 200 varietà di volatili e dove si trova il famoso Inland Blue Hole, una piscina naturale di acqua dolce che cela numerose grotte sommerse. E dalla natura si passa all’archeologia, con i siti Maya di Xunantunich e Caracol, una delle città Maya più estese con migliaia di strutture tra le quali domina, con i suoi 42 m di altezza, Caana, il palazzo del cielo, e le grotte di Actun Tunichil Muknal, un sistema sotterraneo che si estende per 5 km lungo un fiume sotterraneo, dove tra stalattiti e stalagmiti sono stati scoperti numerosi oggetti cerimoniali.

Diving into biodiversity
Victoria Erb stood in the back of the boat with her classmates and watched three sharks cut through the crystal clear water of Belize’s Great Blue Hole. The senior biology major then did the one thing the vast majority of people in this situation absolutely would not do. She dove in. Assisted by funding from Wake Forest’s biology department, the Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES), and the Center for Global Programs and Studies, Erb and 14 of her peers traveled to Belize’s Lighthouse Reef Atoll, part of Belize’s Barrier Reef, to study an estimated 500 species of reef fishes and 86 species of soft and hard corals. The Blue Hole was one of many stops the students, currently taking the Ecology and Conservation of Coral Reefs class, made during the spring break trip.

UN Praises Tsunami Drill in the Caribbean
The United Nations EDucation, Science, and Culture Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) organized today in the Caribbean a tsunami drill to evaluate the regional response capacity to those events, highlighted United Nations. According to a press release, 31 countries were part of the exercise, consisting of a fictitious tsunami, 430 km west of the coast of Gibraltar, from the model of the earthquake and tsunami reported in that area on November 1st, 1755. Records of the time pick up that the phenomenon struck Portugal, Spain, the Caribbean and North Africa; 20 minutes after the earthquake hit Lisbon, and Antigua and Barbuda after about nine hours. The simulacrum came from issued alerts to the participants from anti-tsunami centers of the Pacific and United States.

The Caribbean’s Best Boutique Hotels
What makes a boutique hotel … boutique? Is boutique just another word for a small hotel? Is a boutique hotel a small hotel with an upscale image, a unique design or a special theme? There are so many special small hotels in the Caribbean where you can hide away right in the middle of it all, and these small gems are at the heartbeat of the Caribbean. We think a boutique hotel should be very small — no more than 25 rooms. But small is by no means short on hospitality or service levels, experiences or amenities. Indeed, it’s quite the opposite. A well-managed boutique hotel oozes charm, personal service and luxury. Congratulations to the 25 Best Boutique Hotels of the Caribbean for 2014!

Belize: Beautiful by Land and by Sea
It's my first time in a tiny 12–seater plane and despite being a little bit nerve–racking, the view below is breathtaking. Bright, lightning streaks of red-clay roads cut through hundreds of miles of trees and muddied rivers. This is the first leg of my surf and turf tour of Belize and my fourth flight of the day. I started out from Mexico City, then puddle–jumped to San Salvador, San Jose, and finally Belize City, where I and the group I'm with loaded into a Maya Island Air charter flight headed to Chaa Creek Resort, a 30–minute ride into the interior of Belize. The airport in Cayo, where we land, feels like an isolated outpost straight from "Out of Africa." We are escorted to Chaa Creek as dusk falls and are greeted with chilled towels and jamaica water. I can already feel the humidity melting my achey muscles and the night is starting to come alive with crickets and tree frogs. Chaa Creek is a 365–acre resort in western Belize established by Mick and Lucy Fleming in the early eighties when they came down to carve out their own little piece of paradise. They started with a few simple cabins for visiting friends and the place has grown to include 23 palm–thatched villas, a nature center, a medicinal trail through the rainforest, a butterfly house, an infinity swimming pool, an organic farm, horse stables, and a wood–working shop.

March 26, 2014