FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Police Report
On Saturday, April 12th, Belize City Police Officers responded to reports of a shooting at Mike’s Club on Regent Street West in Belize City. At the scene, police observed 27-year-old Darrington Louriano on the floor, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds. Louriano was immediately rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Initial investigation revealed that Louriano was socializing in the club, when at around 6:40PM a male person entered the establishment and opened fire on him. Medical reports stated that the shots sustained by Louriano were fatal wounds, and medical treatment would not have prevented his death. Police have no suspects as yet, but are searching for possible culprits.

NCL wines & dines the media while frosting the Harvest Caye cake
On Wednesday April 9th the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) hosted a luxury cruise liner tour and luncheon for Belizean media. The tour of the Norwegian Jewel, which was anchored off the shore of the Belize City Cruise Terminal, gave the media the opportunity to learn about the operations and amenities of the massive, 15-story cruise liner.Colin Murphy, Vice President of Destination and Strategic Development at NCL and Vice President of Public Relations AnneMarie Mathews lead the tour, along with BTB’s Cruise Destination Director Valdemar Andrade and Media and PR Manager, Andrea Polanco. The tour of the Norwegian Jewel, a vessel that accommodates 2,376 guests and more than 1,000 crew members, included one of their iconic swimming-pooled promenades, the command bridge, the environment station and recycling center (where photos were not allowed), a plush spa and salon area, fitness center, performance theatre that can accommodate 1,000 people, several restaurants, bars, reception floor, art galleries, shopping and more.

Mayor Daniel Guerrero speaks on issues…from streets to politics
The Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero and three of his councilmen were busy on Thursday April 10th inspecting work being conducted on the streets of San Pedro Town. The street work is being carried out by the Ministry of Works with the assistance of The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC). Over half-a-million dollars worth of materials is being barged to the island to rehabilitate streets in the DFC, San Juan, Boca del Rio areas and on Northern Ambergris Caye.While speaking about the roads, the Mayor also took the opportunity to address other concerns including his political future.

Misc Belizean Sources

Award-winning Airman supporting New Horizons 2014 medical training
After only four years in service, Staff Sgt. Molly Cox has expanded her medical logistics knowledge as she continues to gain experience in operations all around the world. Cox calls both Scribner, Neb., and Arkansas City, Kan., home, but she has been around the world operating as a medical logistics Airman. Cox has deployed to Iraq and an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, and she is currently deployed in support of New Horizons Belize 2014. New Horizons is an annual event coordinated amongst U.S. Department of Defense service members, the U.S. Embassy and the host nation government to conduct civil engineer and medical training. The training benefits U.S. forces as they are offered an opportunity to practice deployment and joint training procedures.

Multi-national healthcare team to serve Belizeans near Punta Gorda
Belizean and U.S. medical providers will offer a variety of healthcare services to Belizean people April 28 - May 8 in the Punta Gorda region in Belize. Basic services provided will include eye screenings, general medicine, pediatric medicine, dental exams and procedures, as well as pharmacy. "We will be providing adult medical, pediatrics, women's health and minor dentistry during our two-week" medical readiness training exercise, or MEDRETE, said Chief Master Sgt. Tammy Frazier, New Horizons Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron chief enlisted manager. "In addition, we will have a preventative medicine team comprised of public health and bioenvironmental specialists who will provide education and water sampling." Care will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following dates and locations:

Mexican Juan Pablo Magallanes wins Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic
Veteran Mexican rider Juan Pablo Magallanes Aranda, 33, is the winner of the 86th annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic, outlasting a deep field of local and international talent. Weather conditions favored a fast race, and the record of 2 hours 40 minutes to San Ignacio was bettered from its position in 2009. Magallanes, riding for Benny’s Megabytes, was one of a group of dangerous internationals leading the first half of the race along with David Henderson, Giovanni and Rafael Choto of Belize and Hector Hugo Rangel of Mexico, and he shook them off at Belmopan to run through the hills. He was ultimately reeled in, but not before a group of six foreigners, including Guatemalans and Americans, had dodged a six-pack of Belizeans early on the return journey.

Drowning reported in Stann Creek
There are reports of a drowning in the Stann Creek district. The name of the victim has not yet been ascertained; but reports say that the man is from the village of Bella Vista, situated along the Southern Highway in the Toledo district. drown21 Drowning reported in Stann Creek Reports say that the man, believe to be in his 40’s appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when he was last seen alive. His body was retrieved from the river in Red Bank village around 2 pm today.

Belizean man killed in Guatemala
A Belizean man from Benque Viejo del Carmen was reportedly killed in Guatemala sometime on Good Friday. The victim has been identified as 22 year old Edwin Javier Chan. The body of Chan who worked with Tropic Air at their Maya Flats office just outside of San Ignacio town, was found in what has been described as “an isolated” area and preliminary indications are that it showed gunshot wounds. Chan’s uncle has initiated efforts to return his nephew’s body to Belize for burial. Friends of Edwin Javier Chan recall him being a hard worker who was always helping his mother, until she was visciously murdered back in January of this year.

Cross Country Cycling Classic underway
The 86th edition of the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is underway on the George Price Highway. Official ceremonies were held this morning at BTL park, followed by a lead-out to the traditional starting point at Mile 2 on the George Price Highway, still referred to as the old George August meat shop. The race, featuring just under 100 cyclists is now heading to San Ignacio town where it will make a turn around the Columbus Park in front of the police station and then returning to Belize City, ending at the BTL park.

Rotaract at Easter Fair
The Easter Fair is on! The Rotaract Club of San Ignacio will be there, and they are selling their tickets for their Grand Easter Raffle, which will happen later today. Stop by and get your raffle ticket.

86th Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic
The Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic came through Cayo today. Photos: LINK 1 - LINK 2

Sawdust Tapestries in Benque
Benque has been busy during Holy Week. Yesterday, they had the Passion of the Christ re-enactment, as well as the creation of all the sawdust tapestries.

The Reporter

Bananas under threat in the Caribbean
Caribbean banana producing countries have been warned to be on their guard against the introduction of the fusarium wilt disease regarded as the most destructive to the banana industry. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the disease has already spread from Asia to Africa and the Middle-East, and is now “menacing” the Americas. To raise awareness, the FAO said the issue will be on the agenda of a series of upcoming meetings in Kenya, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago, with the aim of addressing a range of issues related to TR4, including developing action plans for its prevention, monitoring and containment.

Mexican wins 86th Cross Country Cycling Classic
Foreign riders dominated the top seven places of the 86th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic today, with Mexican rider Juan Pablo Magallanes of Benny’s Megabytes Team winning in five hours 45 minutes and three seconds. Magallanes finished second last year to Darnell Barrowr, and this year he outsprinted Guatemalan rider Alejandro Miranda Padilla of the SMART team at the finish line in front of the BTL Park in Belize City. Magallanes won the $6,000 first prize, the winner’s garland of roses from Florasol and no less than eight trophies: from Digicell, the Elston Kerr Cup, the Jeffery O’Brien family, the Altreith Smith family, Ludrick “Buno” Smith Memorial, the Green family of Los Angeles trophy, the Donald Matura family trophy and the Norman Ashford Gillett trophy. He also won a $400 shopping spree at Mirage, a return ticket to the USA from United Airlines, a return ticket from Maya Island Air, a bull from Cuello’s Distillery, a two-night stay at Barrier Reef Lodge and a weekend’s stay for two at Captain Morgan’s Retreat, both in San Pedro Town, $250 from LC Distributors and an MP4 player from Go Wireless.

Nobel Prize-winning author passes
Gabriel García Márquez, the influential Nobel Prize-winning author of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera,” has died. The 87-year-old literary giant was treated this month for infections and dehydration at a Mexican hospital. García Márquez, a native of Colombia, is widely credited with helping to popularize “magical realism,” a genre “in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination,” as the Nobel committee described it upon awarding him the prize for literature in 1982. He was sometimes called the most significant Spanish-language author since Miguel de Cervantes, the 16th-century author of “Don Quixote” and one of the great writers in Western literature.

Belizean pilot murdered in Guatemala
A Belizean pilot was reportedly murdered in neighbouring Guatemala. According to reprts, the pilot, who is originally from Succotz Village, Cayo, was discovered lying face down near a hotel in Melchor de Mencos with gunshot wounds to the head. Belizean and Guatemalan authorities are investigating the murder but police do not believe that the motive was robbery because when his body was discovered, the unnamed pilot still had his personal belongings with him.

Camalote resident stabbed in neck; critical
Belmopan police are looking for a suspect following a stabbing on Good Friday night that left a man critically wounded. According to reports, the incident occurred sometime after 8 p.m. in Roaring Creek Village and the victim, a man identified only as “Parham”, suffered knife wounds to the neck. Parham told police that a man he was able to identify approached him near a Chinese grocery shop and stabbed him. Police have not release any information on this incident and the motive is not yet known.

OECS Export Development Unit works with regional entrepreneurs to promote trade with French Caribbean
The OECS Export Development Unit (EDU) says it is working with regional entrepreneurs to further promote trade with the French Caribbean following a successful fact finding business mission to the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. A statement from the St. Lucia-based OECS Secretariat said that during the mission, representatives of firms from the sub-regional grouping attended seminars, and meetings on discussing trade relations, possible joint ventures as well as meeting with the important stakeholders in the two countries. Citing the on global economic situation, Philbert said he welcomed the initiative as one intended to spur economic activity and employment in the region.

Blogs

Benque, Belize Decorates the Streets Beautifully For the Passion of The Christ
I travelled to Benque Viejo on Thursday afternoon to take part in what might be the most elaborate Easter celebrations in Belize. The last town along the western highway, just before the Guatemalan border, Benque takes the Good Friday traditions quite seriously. I was up at dawn and here is some of what I saw… Mostly young people were up raking, flattening and wetting the massive amounts of sawdust that were being poured onto the streets. A crowd was gathering and the re-enactment was beginning. It wasn’t until the procession and the stations of the cross that I got a better look.

International Sources

The World's Best Destinations For Solo Travel
Travelling alone is no longer taboo. In fact, it's trendy to go alone out of choice. Celebrated as a way to learn about oneself, more people are discovering the freedom of exploring a new place on their own terms. From the frozen heartlands of Iceland to the sultry beaches of Belize, many destinations are independent traveler-friendly. Community groups, meet-ups and a vast wealth of online and digital resources make it easier than ever to go solo. Paris even has fun speed-dating styled language improvement events. Still undecided? Here are some tips on destinations known to be safe and where to look in each. Happy solo travels!--Anisha Shah Where: Belize The coolest Central American destination right now has to be Belize. Ambergris Caye lives up to the hype, and there are bars, beaches, and natural beauty in huge quantities. Interspersed with Mayan ruins, a spectacular barrier reef, and rainforest, this English-speaking nation appeals to expats and solo travelers alike. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Ambergris Caye Guide

Eight Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Overseas Retirement Destination
We're always asked to compare and contrast overseas retirement destinations. How does Panama compare to Nicaragua or Costa Rica, for instance... what about the mountains of Ecuador versus the mountains of Mexico or how do the beaches of Thailand compare to the beaches of Belize? And of course, we're happy to offer our opinions... but you know what opinions are worth. There's no shortage of those out there. Truthfully, as much as we'd like to, we can't pick the perfect overseas retirement destination for you. Only you know what your lifestyle requirements are. Are you a culture vulture who loves city life? Or do you prefer the wide-open spaces of rural life? Are you comfortable with learning a new language? What about activities like fitness clubs, hair salons and shopping malls? How important are those to you?

Videos

Video: Heavenly Belize, 5min.
Over 250 amazing aerial photographs of a beautiful country - Belize - on your iPad and photography book "Heavenly Belize"! Most people who come to Belize will agree that it is a country of astounding and diverse beauty. But few visitors - and most Belizeans for that matter - are fortunate enough to view Belize through the eyes of a soaring hawk or frigate...or a brilliantly plumed scarlet macaw. That's the extraordinary vantage point employed by author/photographer Marius Jovaisa in Heavenly Belize. Using an ultralight aircraft originally designed for National Geographic assignments in Africa, Jovaisa travels the length and breadth of the country, capturing images ranging from towering jungle covered mountains and ancient Mayan cities to the 400 foot deep Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef. Whether you are a first time visitor to Belize, or "born and raised" here, these never before published photographs will give you a deep appreciation of this refreshingly unique nation. www.heavenlybelize.com

Video: "Golden People" - Belize Documentary Teaser, 5min.
This is a 5 minute teaser for my short documentary, "Golden People". It explores the culture and poverty hidden behind the tourism industry in the country of Belize. This was a submission into the 2014 Seattle University Film Festival.

Video: Belize, 4min.

Video: WhaleShark - Belize, 3min.
Whale Shark Scuba Diving in Belize

Video: Belize Cross Country Cycling Classic 2014 Finish, 2min.
The winner of this years Belize Cross Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is Juan Pablo Magallanes of Mexico riding for Team Benny's Megabytes. Second Place was won by a Mexican rider for Team Sprint and third place by a rider from Guatemala.

Video: Militairen leren vechten in genadeloze jungle van Belize, 3min.
Zo'n 40 geselecteerde officieren en onderofficieren van het Korps Mariniers en de Luchtmobiele Brigade volgen in november en december 2013 de Jungle Warfare Instructors Course in het Midden-Amerikaanse Belize. Waar normaal gesproken de aandacht vooral uitgaat naar (over)leven in de rimboe, ligt de nadruk dit traject vooral op het vechten in het dichte groen. Daarbij krijgt het overdragen van kennis en ervaring veel aandacht, zodat de nieuwe instructeurs straks tot op geweergroepsniveau les en leiding kunnen geven.

Video: Zip Line in Belize, 3min.

April 19, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Shooting victims hurt while trying to assist police in their investigation
Two teenagers who were the victims of a shooting incident on northern Ambergris Caye are upset and making allegations against the police department. The two making the allegations are 18-year-old Christian Espat and 20-year-old Brian Espat, both fishermen of San Pedro Town. The allegations follow injuries received while in handcuffs as they headed by boat to the area in which they were shot at on Sunday April 13th. While the injuries are one aspect that has the brothers upset, they are not happy with the treatment they received at the hands of the police. Once at the crime scene, Brian alleges that the police officers abused their power and used them as shields. “When we reached at the area of the incident, the police indicated for us (two brothers) to go to the front. The officers indicated that if anyone should get shot, we should be the ones. Then they had me looking for the bullets as if I was the one that did the shooting. Since when do the police have the victims looking for evidence?” claims Brian. He alleges that he can identify all the officers and claims that the contingency included Sergeant Raymond Berry and Inspector Reynaldo Pook.

ABC Preschool Star Show huge Success
It was night of fun and laughter as ABC Preschool held its annual extravaganza on Friday, April 11th. The Angel Nuñez Auditorium was packed as children of all ages and even adults came out to enjoy the live concert which started shortly after 7PM. The performance showcased artists from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico imitating some of the best known cartoon and teen series. Children got to enjoy performances from the all-time favorite Disney princesses Belle, Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora. Toddlers were treated to performances from Dora the Explorer and Caillou from Sprout TV. To end off the night, the children got to sing along to hit songs from the Disney Channel’s Austin and Ally imitators.

San Pedro PolyClinic receives three tuk-tuk emergency vehicles
Three of the vehicles were sent to the public health facilities on Ambergris Caye, while one is going to Caye Caulker. While it will not replace conventional ambulances on mainland Belize, on the two islands they will serve as such since none of the islands have an ambulance. Speaking to the press at the event, Heredia said the tuk-tuk ambulances are perfect for the island’s need. “After they were assembled, I can see that they are perfect for the needs that we have. They are not sophisticated, but it is something that can bring more comfort to tourists or our locals, up north or down south of San Pedro and including the area like San Pedrito, San Juan and downtown San Pedro. So I am much appreciative of the embassy, and also Minister Elrington who was instrumental in making sure they arrived over here properly,” stated Heredia. For his part, Marin said that the tuk-tuk ambulances are not a long term solution, but will help reduce the challenges in rural, hard-to-access areas. “This is a support vehicle; this is for areas where we want to do outreach work or like – San Pedro Town which is small. So we can leave one of these mobile units in different areas so it will be faster for them to reach the clinic… If Dubai is using these kinds of vehicles that means it’s very convenient, [but] they are not a long term solution.”

Misc Belizean Sources

Warm weather for the rest of the weekend
Temperatures are hovering in the mid to low 90’s across the country on this Good Friday. And the warm weather and some unstable conditions will prevail heading into next week. The general forecast for Belize and her coastal waters is for mostly sunny skies this afternoon. Tonight will be partly cloudy. Showers will be isolated but there is the chance of an isolated afternoon thunderstorm inland or in the north. The wind is easterly to northeasterly at 5 – 15 knots and the sea state is choppy. A low tide will occur at 6:44 this evening.

Belize Child Exploitation!
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez “The tourism industry is not to blame!” The CEO of the ministry of Belizean enslavement was quick to proclaim The taxi drivers and the tour operators are the one initiating it Who in their right mind believes that bullshit? Didn’t the PM say, “For God sake stop it!” You all think he was only talking about the visa shizzz? Hit them on the hip you all are condoning it You all see an opportunity so you are exploiting it Everyone is exploiting Belize’s children Even those sworn to protect them The PAHO ministry of health has been killing them Those they don’t kill with fake medicines they are disabling them The US security ministry Has been arresting, profiling, incarcerating, emasculating and criminalizing them Using their gang associates to assassinate them Whilst murderers, rapists and drug barons are finding Belize to be a safe haven The ministry of human enslavement and institutionalized dependency has been using, abusing and dehumanizing them

Fatal road traffic accident in Toledo district
A traffic accident on Thursday evening in the Toledo district has claimed the life of one man. The victim has been identified as Robert Gentle, a resident of Mafredi village. According to reports by our colleagues at Ak’kutan Community News Network (ACNN), Gentle was traveling in his tracker SUV when it overturned at Crique Troso near Mafredi village around 3 pm on Holy Thursday. ACNN reports that the vehicle was extensively damaged. Robert Gentle is originally from Esperanza village, Cayo, but because of work, lived in rural Toledo in the area of the Blue Creek quarry.

FREE entrance to all Archaeological Reserves for Belizeans over the holidays
NICH wishes everyone a safe and blessed Easter!. National Institute of Culture and History

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Wind power, anyone?
To Whom it May Concern; We have been working with the Belizean government on wind projects since January. We would be very interested in introducing private wind power generation for your island. We have the expertise to install, finance, and develop the utility lines for the entire community. If this is something that the community would want to research please feel free to get back to me. Regards Cliff Brooke Hydro Star Energy

The Reporter

Belizeans accuse Canadian McDonald’s of “slavery”
Belizean workers at McDonald’s in Canada are accusing the company of treating them like “slaves”. A report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC, states that the Belizeans say that McDonald’s is effectively forcing them to share an expensive apartment, then deducting almost half their take-home pay as rent. The Belizeans who migrated to Canada after an invitation by that country to apply for jobs over a year ago, said that when they arrived at the airport they were told that there was already an apartment for them. “At that point we already know we don’t have a choice of where to live,” said Jaime Montero, who traveled to Edmonton with four others to work at McDonald’s. “We had to live there. We were told this is what we are doing,” said another worker who didn’t want to be named because he still works for McDonald’s. “You work for us now, so we are your owners”, they claim they were told. The Belizeans said their dream of making good money in Canada to send to their families in Belize quickly shattered. Instead, they pocketed less than $800 per month, which they said is barely enough to live on. They worked at McDonald’s locations in south Edmonton and said it took them more than an hour to get to work by public transit.

Scotia Bank honors $60,000 commitment to school
This week Scotiabank donated $20,000 to Living Hope Preparatory School in support of its feeding program. The donation is the culmination of a $60,000 pledge made to the school, over the last three years. Patrick Andrews, Vice President and Managing Director of Scotiabank, said that Scotiabank honors its strong commitment to education and healthcare. “We believe in providing students with the tools and skills they need to reach their full potential within our communities.” Francis Calacayo, the school’s principal, accompanied by Reverend Natalee Bowen, the school’s manager, received the cheque on Wednesday at Scotiabanks’s Belize City branch. Calacayo told The Reporter today that the schools’ feeding program has been running for almost 10 years, catering to the needs of students of lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The accident scene on Mahogany Street shows motorcycle under car
Photo

Police operation yields over two pounds of weed
An anti-drug operation in the Pickstock area of Belize City has led to the discovery of over two pounds of marijuana. Police say that officers from the Quick Response Precinct Two Unit were on an anti-drug operation on Fitzgibbon Street at around 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday. They searched an abandoned lot in the Pickstock area of Belize City which led to the discovery of a black plastic bag containing suspected cannabis which amounted to 464 grams. During the operation a second find of a black plastic bag among garbage weighed 455 grams or just over a pound. Both finds were regarded as found property.

Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission concedes that anti-doping procedures in 2013 fell short of international standards
The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) has conceded that some procedures carried out while collecting samples for testing last year were not consistent with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International Standards. JADCO made its concession in a statement on Wednesday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) blasted Jamaican anti-doping officials for the mishandling of a drug test by sprinter, Veronica Campbell-Brown. Three-time Olympic gold medallist, Campbell-Brown had a successful appeal to her two year ban on the grounds that international standards were violated during her sample collection.

Blogs

Birthday trivia and a GREAT Friday
It’s Easter weekend in and one of the busiest times of the year. Hotels are booked to capacity and aside from out of country visitors, many Belizeans head for the coast to get some holiday beach time. The rush started yesterday as many people were arriving and running around town doing last minute errands. This was the day to get your shopping done and stock up on spirits as the Bars and stores do not sell alcohol on Good Friday. Today, Saturday and Sunday will be full out busy all around town and by Monday things will start winding down and get back to normal. Two tips for enjoying a good Easter Holiday in Belize: It is not unheard of for ATM’s to run dry on Easter weekend so stocking up on a little extra cash and keeping it in a safe secure place will ensure your holiday fun does not get cut short. Easter is one of our busiest times of year along with Christmas and New Years.

A Very Traditional Good Friday Morning in Very Traditional Benque Viejo, Belize
This morning everyone was up at the crack of dawn carefully laying down saw dust carpets on the streets for the mid-day procession. Here are some pictures and I have lots more to take. This is still going on… EVERYTHING is closed in the town. No one is working. I need to get out there and take about 15,000 more pictures so enjoy your Good Friday. The big parties start this weekend. I am here until the afternoon and then head to Belize City for the evening. Off to beg someone for a cup of coffee!

THE LOCAL CHURCH IN BELMOPAN
Every time I travel to Belmopan, Belize, I'm reminded of what going to church was like during my childhood. Growing up in northern Mexico, I remember my grandpa preaching at revivals every weekend. I recall going to church several times a week, sometimes twice a day. It's not because we were religious fanatics, but if our fulfillment is found in our Creator; what better way to satisfy that desire than by constantly being in His presence. Christianity is lived out differently in North America than it is internationally. The fast-paced culture we live in teaches us to focus on our own strengths and capabilities; forgetting that the root of our actions, desires, motivation and perseverance, all come directly from God. Our everyday culture requires us to be more intentional in slowing down and diligently seeking God. It can be done, but we have to be persistent and conscious about it. Serving in Belize is more than just taking part in a construction project; it is a reminder that EM's partners in Belize are a perfect reflection of how to live in constant relationship with God. Belize's local churches are dedicated to an intimate relationship with God, bringing forth strength and perseverance to those around them. The pastors' reliance is fully on God—no doubt about that—filling their body with prayer and scripture every day. There are several pastors who preach 6-7 times a week, not to gain personal praise, but wanting to make God's name known throughout the country.

Volunteer story: Learning about lionfish
As an interdisciplinary marine conservation organisation, Blue Ventures targets its efforts across many levels. In Belize, the main focus is tackling the lionfish invasion that is threatening to decimate juvenile fish populations in the local reefs, including supporting the Sarteneja Fishermen Association‘s “promoting lionfish as an alternative fisheries target species” project. One of the project’s activities was a competition in which primary school children designed and painted signs about lionfish, while the high school children developed banners using power point, to raise awareness about this invasive species within the local community. At Bacalar Chico Dive Camp, we saw first hand the impact that lionfish are having on native fish stocks. In particular, lionfish compete with lobster – a key local fishery – for habitat, and with other fish for food. They become sexually mature at well under a year old, can reproduce every four days, and live for up to 15 years. So we are talking about ONE HECK OF A LOT of lionfish! First seen in Belize in 2008 and lacking predators, lionfish have multiplied at an exponential rate. Needless to say, we saw them on every dive.

12 Things You Need to Know About the 2014 Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic
The “Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic” is the top sporting event in Belize that draws crowds in the thousands. This year, the Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic is scheduled to take place on April 19th 2014. The event is covered in “real time” (live coverage) throughout the country. The race begins in Belize City. The race is comprised of 144 miles. At 6:00 a.m., cyclists start the race at Leslie’s Imports (Mile 1 ½) on the George Price Highway. Cyclists are categorized into four groups, 18 Year Old , Under 23, Elite and Masters. The mood is always celebratory during the race due to the peaceful and happy nature of the Belizean people. The “Finish” line will be at the newly renovated, Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Park.

International Sources

A chocoholic's guide to the Caribbean
Not many things trump an island getaway. Here's one that does: a chocolate-filled island getaway. And the Caribbean islands have much to offer when it comes to the beloved cacao bean. Here, you'll come across a storied history, chocolate factories and dedicated chocolatiers. In other words, it's not hard to find your sweet spot. Chocolate Festival of Belize: There's more to Toledo than dramatic waterfalls, Mayan temples and world-class fishing spots. It also has a longstanding cocoa-producing history, and it all culminates in May during the Chocolate Festival. Here you can sip specially brewed chocolate stout while listening to steel-pan music, get to know the chocolate producers themselves and sample chocolates flavored with organic orange peel and baalam nut. Also for sale are powdered cacao, baking chocolate, homemade cocoa-butter lip balm and cocoa-butter soaps. And don't forget to sample the dark chocolate mixed with bacon bits. chocolatefestivalofbelize.com

Boy’s wish comes true in Belize
A 12-year-old St. Charles boy saw Mayan ruins up close in Belize this year, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. Connor Milmoe spent eight days in the Central American country of Belize starting on March 29. He traveled there with his family after his doctors referred him to Make-A-Wish. His adventure included visits to four different temple sites, cave tubing and zip-lining over a rainforest....

Belize Falling Under the Drug Cartel Influence
In 2011, Belize was added to the USA’s “blacklist” of nations considered to be major producers or transit routes for illegal drugs as it became further enmeshed in the cocaine pipeline from South America up to Mexico and the United States. Approximately 10 tons of cocaine (with a street value in excess of half a billion dollars) passes through Belize each year. The increasing presence and influence of the drug cartels in this Central American country continue to wreak havoc on government institutions and public safety. Between 2000 and 2011, the intentional homicide rate in Belize more than doubled up to a level four times that of Costa Rica (which is also suffering under the cartels), three times that of Nicaragua, twice the rate in Panama, and even higher than in Guatemala. Only El Salvador and Honduras had higher murder rates than Belize among the Central American group in 2011, but Belize’s rate was increasing far faster over the past decade. According to just released 2012 data, Belize’s homicide rate has now passed that of El Salvador to take possession of second place behind Honduras. The murder rates in Belize’s most populous cities are higher than all other Central American nations except Guatemala, and Belize is barely behind Guatemala’s homicide capitals.

Travel website Oyster.com name its Top 10 dive sites
Topping the list was Half Moon Caye in Belize, followed by the Blue Heron Bridge at Riviera Beach, Fla., the RMS Rhone in the British Virgin Islands, Gran Cenote on the Riviera Maya, Mexico and Point Lobos in Carmel, Calif. Rounding out the top 10 were the Florida Keys, Isla Mujeres in Cancun, Cocos Island in Costa Rica and Ray of Hope, Bahamas.

Foreign Employees Accuse McDonald's of 'Slavery
Last month, McDonald’s was slapped with seven class-action lawsuits in the US, accusing the company of stealing employee wages by, amongst other things, forcing them to work off the clock. Now in Canada, McDonald’s is being accused of “slavery” for forcing foreign-born employees to live in a corporate apartment by automatically deducting the exorbitant rent from their paychecks. The accusations come from McDonald’s employees from Belize, who came to Edmonton, Alberta to work at the restaurant. “When we arrived at the airport, they said, ‘We already have an apartment for you,’ so at that point we already know we don’t have a choice of where to live,” said Jaime Montero, a former McDonald’s employee who has been most vocal about the claims. Canada’s Minister of Employment and Social Development is looking into the case. The apartment was located in downtown Edmonton, but the employees worked at a McDonald’s on the southern outskirts of the city. It took them about an hour and a half to get to work via public transportation. Five people lived in the two-bedroom, 2,500 sq. ft. apartment, which rented for $2,143 per month. Records show that, twice a month, the company took $254 out of the employees' paychecks to pay the rent. (Yes, that adds up to more than $2,500 a month; McDonald's did not pay utilities, and McDonald's had no explanation for what happened to the extra money.)

Earth Day 2014: Find Out How Global Warming Is Hurting 20 Latin American Countries
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has destroyed the natural environment and is responsible for climate change. While not everyone blames mankind’s actions, a 2013 report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded with 95 percent certainty that people are to blame for at least half the climate change in the last half-century. "Climate change is a present and growing threat to economic development, and the goals of reduction of extreme poverty and the promotion of shared prosperity," said Erick Fernandes, the adviser for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Latin American and Caribbean region for World Bank, to Latin Times. "Unless the world takes bold action now, a warming planet threatens to put prosperity out of reach of millions, roll back decades of development gains and making it impossible to end extreme poverty by 2030." In Latin America, global warming has already made its mark with corals being bleached by warm temperatures, glaciers melting, cities becoming vulnerable to rising sea levels, and more. And it’s not just global warming that is threatening nature in Latin America: other forms of destruction (e.g. logging in the Amazon) is proving to be detrimental to biodiversity. In fact, according to The World Bank, Latin America is responsible for a small portion of global carbon emissions -- 12.5 percent, to be exact--but the region is the most affected by the temperature spike.

Community-based fishery management delivers individual and collective benefits in Belize
Recently, I traveled to Belize to see how TURF-reserves (territorial use rights for fishing co-located with no-take zones) are performing and learn about plans to expand them nationwide. The Mesoamerican Reef, the largest in the Atlantic Ocean, spans the Belizean coastline and is rich in biodiversity and a crucial source of income for thousands of fishers. Coastal fisheries, however, are at risk due to overfishing, and other pressures such as coastal development and climate change. In Belize, fishers have seen a decline in their catch, and the Belize Fisheries Department is using TURF-reserves to provide fishers the right incentives to become better stewards of their resources. As fishers take better care of their fishing area they will realize benefits and secure them for future generations. This approach to fisheries management is known as “Managed Access.” In 2008 the Belize Fisheries Department began working with EDF, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE), and other Belizean institutions to deploy two Managed Access pilot projects.

Videos

Video: Belize Dive Clips, 7min.
Some Dive videos down in Belize

Video: President of the Belize Medial Tourism Association, Dr Marcello Coyi, 4min.
Interview with Dr Marcello Coyi, President - Belize Medical Tourism Association

Video: Belize and a couple of Finns, 4min.
Adventurers: Deebo Juero Deshi IDA & INA

Video: Female yellow-headed amazon parrot in nest in Belize, 3min.
This was taken by a video camera placed by TIDE rangers in an artificial nest in Payne's Creek National Park, Belize. She sits on her 3 eggs for a while, and then leaves.

Video: My Back Yaad: Corozal, 21min.
Corozal is not just the sleepy town bordering Mexico anymore. Come with us and lets see why Corozal is a unique getaway for tourists and Belizeans alike.

Video: Belikin Chocolate Stout (initial thoughts and review), 5min.
Belikin Chocolate Stout gets a ***** 5 Star rating

Video: Baking Belize Cashew Apple Crisp, 8min.
Cashew Apple Crisp. This has nothing to do with Apples. The Cashew Apple is the fruit of the Cashew tree that the Cashew Nut comes from. This is just one of the many ways to use the cashew apple, a delicious fruit that is popular in Belize. Here we show you step by step how to make a delicious crisp or crumble from the cashew apples and papaya, another Belizean fruit.

Video: Surface view of the Blue Hole, Belize, 1min.

Video: Scuba dive belize blue hole 17.04.2014, 6min.

Video: Sharks in Belize, 1min.
This videos is of a dive with sharks in Belize

Video: Mexico & Belize, 15min.
This video is about Mexico & Belize

April 18, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Alcohol to be sold ONLY with meals on Good Friday
The San Pedro Police Department will once again be enforcing a dry Good Friday. No stores, supermarkets or bars are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages from Thursday, April 17th at 12 midnight to Friday, April 18th at 12 midnight. Hotels and restaurants will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages with meals to bonafide customers only. According to Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Police Department Luis Castellanos, both mobile and foot police patrols will be dispatched throughout the island to ensure liquor stores and bars are closed and stores are not selling liquor or beer. Through the course of the day, random police spot checks will be held at establishments to prevent liquor being sold under the counter. “I will personally be out on Good Friday. It is time for San Pedro to start respecting the laws of Belize, and the law states that no liquor, alcohol or beers should be sold on revered days, such as Good Friday and Christmas Day,” said Castellanos.

La Isla Bonita gears up for the Easter Weekend!
Is San Pedro Town ready for the high influx of visitors on the island for the Easter weekend? That is exactly what Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his councilors went to find out when they made courtesy calls to the San Pedro Police Department, the Fire Department and the Dr Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic. Mayor Guerrero and Councilors Kenrick Brackett and Carlos Barrientos dedicated the afternoon of Wednesday April 16th to visit with providers of essential services to ensure that all their “ducks are in row” for the Easter Holiday.

Belize City Smart No Limits brings pressure on San Pedro Tigersharks
It was no easy match for the San Pedro Tigersharks when they faced off against Belize City Smart No Limits in week ten of the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL). The game took place at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium on Saturday April 12th. Belize City Smart No Limits brought their A-game, giving the home team a wake-up call and much excitement and anxiety to home crowd. The visiting Belize City team came out strong when Greg Rudon passed the first ball of the game to Brandon Rogers. Rogers moved Tigersharks’ Michael Adams out of the way easily opening the scoreboard with a two-point shot. The Tigersharks were forced to respond and Tyrone Edwards quickly crossed over the ball to Darwin Leslie to push the first two points for the home team. Ashton Edward followed with a three-point shot plus a free throw, giving the home team a four-point lead. At the end of the first quarter, the home team led the visitors 24 to 18. With four minutes to go before the end of the game, Smart No Limits’ main player Greg Rudon made a spectacular move, capitalizing on a three-point shot then catching a free throw, turning over the game and giving the visitors a four point lead. Moments later Darwin Leslie of the Tighersharks picked up a loose ball catching a two-point, putting the islanders back into the game. Fast forward to crunch time and Leslie come up with two free throws that extended San Pedro’s lead to four points. No Limit pressured at the last minute of the game, but back-to-back blocks from 6’11” inches Michael Adams swatted away the golden opportunity of the city boys. San Pedro Tigersharks picked up their eighth consecutive win, finishing the game at 84 to 81 in favor of the home team.

Ambergris Today

PUP San Pedro Announces Slate for Municipal and General Elections
“The Belize Rural South PUP Executive Committee would like to inform its constituents that we have a Standard Bearer and also our PUP 7 for the upcoming Municipal Elections scheduled for March 4, 2015. With utmost respect and pride the PUP announces the candidacy of Dr. Giovanni Solorzano as our Mayoral Candidate. The Councilor Candidates are Mr. Gualberto “Wally” Nuñez Jr.; Mr. Alex Noralez; Mrs. Marina Graniel Kay; Mrs. Maria “Conchita” Valdez Flota; Mr. Pablo Alejandro Kumul and Mr. Omar “Kanasi” Guerrero. It is with much pride and honor that the PUP announces the unanimous endorsement of Mr. Eulogio “Elito” Arceo as Standard Bearer for Belize Rural South to represent San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker and to oversee their growth and well planned development of the Sister Islands.

Video Pick: Belize Adventure by Alex Parrillo
Looking at Alex Parrillo’s video posts on his YouTube page, you can definitely tell that he likes to travel. Well, in his latest video post he complied great imagery of his adventures in Belize. He tackled muddy roads, steep stairs, deep caves and coral reefs as he visited San Ignacio, Caracol Maya Archaeological Site, Caves Branch cave system and the island of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.

Misc Belizean Sources

Rabbit, Papa Doc, The PUDP
There is a political acronym coined, I believe first, in the Amandala newspaper, that of the “PUDP”, referring to any and both of the larger political parties in Belize – the People’s United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). The reference is such as to express to the world that they are one and the same – just different players, same game. If this is the truth, and in Belize, the population seems to believe every letter of the idea of the PUDP, it is appropriate and important to connect with the young people who came into their teenage years in the early part of the new millennium to understand why the larger political parties are referred to as such. These young people are the people who connected with the music of the super star Eminem and probably still connect with the music and even the movie “8 Mile” (released 2002). Simplified, the birth of the PUP the leaders realized two things: they wanted the Belizean people to create our own destiny and they wanted to strengthen the sociopolitical economy of the then colony. The PUP then became the party of social justice. Simplified too, in 1973, the UDP came to life with a pro-business, pro “get with the world economy” mantra, and certainly, a viable option for political management which in opinion, is important for a strong democracy.

Police look for man accused of chopping a woman
Police in Corozal are looking for a man who allegedly chopped his ex-mother-in-law and lashed his ex-common-law wife with a machete. Roberto Locke, according to police, barged into the home of his ex-common-law wife around 3 am on Wednesday and began accusing her of having an affair with another man. The 22 year old woman told police that Locke punched her in the face. Police say that the woman’s mother, upon hearing the commotion, went to her daughter’s aid.

Fuel for United FC
Deputy Mayor Gabriel Nuñez, on behalf of the San Pedro Town Council, presented a cheque to Mr. Elvis Budna from United FC football team to purchase 50 gallons of fuel for transportation. United FC will be participating in a football marathon in Sarteneja on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014. The San Pedro Town Council would like to wish them the best of luck in the games!

SHC's Run for Peace
Sacred Heart College had their 2014 Run for Peace. They really put on some mileage. Peace to all, and have a great Easter.

Western Ballaz vs Tiger Sharks
The Western Ballaz are taking a weekend off for Easter, and will host the Tiger Sharks next Saturday, April 26th, starting at 9:00pm. The warm up game will be SHC vs Santa Elena, and will start at 6:00pm. There will be more prizes than ever, and half time will be off the hook! Meluchi's will be hosting the after-bash. In related news, the Belmopan Bandits will be hosting the Corozal Heat in Belmopan, starting at 8:00pm.

Passion of the Christ Procession
Benque is having their annual Passion of the Christ re-enactment and procession tomorrow, Holy Friday, starting at 10:00am. In related news, they celebrated Holy Tuesday with the Procession of El Encuentro. "Take note my fellow Belizeans and facebookers...this is taking place once again in Benque Viejo on Good Friday of this year...bring the family along with you and be part of this annual event!"

University of Belize and BELTRAIDE sign MOU
The University of Belize and BELTRAIDE signed a memorandum of Understanding yesterday, which will see future entrepreneurs passing through the institution get an opportunity to bring their business ideas to life. The MOU will allow BELTRAIDE’s Small Business Development Center activate at a higher capacity so that persons interested can receive training on different enterprise management techniques.

BEL Power interruption
8:00am to 12:00noon on Thursday, April 24: Mile 8 to 18 along Philip Goldson Hwy including Ladyville, Lord’s Bank, Maxboro and Los Lagos. BEL to install lightning arrestors on the distribution system between Mile 8 and 18, Philip Goldson Highway.

Police and traffic officers conduct road checkpoints for Easter
Authorities have stepped up their vigilance this long Easter holiday weekend to try and keep motorists safe on the highways. The Belize Police Department working with the traffic department for the Town and City Councils has been conducting vehicle check points at various locations. These are designed to ensure that vehicles are properly insured and licensed and that no one is driving while under the influence of alcohol. This was the case this evening in Orange Walk where officers were out in full force doing checkpoints.

86th Cross Country Classic bigger and better
The 86th Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is to kick off from BTL Park on Newtown Barracks on April 19 at 5:50 in the morning. Traditionally run from the outskirts of Belize City to San Ignacio’s Columbus Park and back, the race has attained iconic status and the battle between Belize’s best and visiting foreign teams and individuals is sure to raise the national spirit. The lead-out to the start of the race and its return go by the route of Central American Boulevard, Freetown Road, left on Barrack Road against the flow of traffic and heading up to BTL Park for the finish. The foreign line-up, expected to number over 20, includes representatives from Mexico, Guatemala, the United States and for the first time, Haiti, who is sending a four-man national team.

Caretaker arrested for Hattieville shopping spree
Twenty-seven year old Sherman Hemmans, a resident of Gracie Rock Village, was charged with eight separate counts of theft when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Hemmans pled not guilty to the charges and he was released on bail of $6,000. His case was adjourned until June 3. Hemmans, who is employed as a caretaker, is alleged to have swiped an ATM card from Joseph Fusy and used it to purchase grocery items from Everyday Supermarket, located in Hattieville, Belize District.

George McKenzie Junior faces murder charge
This morning, the son and namesake of late reformed gangster, George “Junie Balls” McKenzie, who was killed several years ago, was charged with a recent murder. George McKenzie, Jr., is accused of causing the death of 57 year old Alfonso Cruz, a resident of Rhaburn’s Alley, who was shot and killed around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. McKenzie was brought to court this morning but he was not arraigned because the court is waiting on a directive from the DPP. Cruz was sitting on an old refrigerator that was in the alley when his assailant shot him once in the head from close range.

The Belize Film School is just under a motnh away. Last year the students did quite a few documentaries on local artists and personalities from Cayo, and Bullet Tree Falls. This year, they are focusing on San Antonio. Can't wait to see the footage. "You could be in Belize making a Wildlife Documentary! See where life takes you!"

SI United Tie Verdes
The San Ignacio United played the Verdes yesterday, and it was a draw. Over the last 2 years, that makes their stats 4 - 3 - 3. They travel to PG next week. "San Ignacio United draw with Verdes FC. Anthony Gonzalez scored his 4th consecutive goal in the last 3 games. Paradise Freedom Fighters are next in PG."

Channel 7

McKenzie Jr. Murder Charge Withdrawn
Tonight, George McKenzie Jr. - son of slain gang leader George "Junie Balls" Mckenzie Sr - is in detention after he was taken to court but couldn't be arraigned for the charge of murder. Investigators were sure that they had the right man. But at the very last minute, new information suggesting an alibi was brought forward from the upper ranks of the Department, causing the charge to be suddenly withdrawn - which is very unusual. Police were sure that he was the shooter who gunned down 57 year-old Alfonso Cruz in Rhaburn's Alley on April 12. They got a statement from an eyewitness who Mckenzie Jr had allegedly tried to shoot immediately before Cruz was murdered. Plus, they did an ID parade where McKenzie was identified as the gunman who shot Cruz. But at the last minute, reports tell us a senior police officer intervened with alibi evidence in Mckenzie's favor. This caused McKenzie, who was already at court to be arraigned, to get a last minute reprieve.

Paris Copius Stabbed
Tonight, 19 year-old Paris Copius, a Ladyville resident, is at the KHMH in a critical condition after he was attacked and stabbed in the village. Police have very little information at this time, but they suspected that it happened sometime around 10 or 11 p.m. last night. One of difficulties they faced was that no one informed them of Copius' condition after he was transferred from the BDF Hospital, to the KHMH. That only happened after the professionals realized that his injuries were more serious than they initially anticipated. Today, the Rural Executive Officer provided the media with the information they have about the incident at this time: ASP Chris Noble - Rural Executive Officer "Earlier this morning we learn that a gentleman from the village has been taken to the military hospital and then onto the Karl Heusner Hospital. He was being attended to there and apparently procedures had to be done on him. We've establish that an incident did occur in the village and there is one person that's being sought and we are hoping that by day's end we will wrapped up the information to give something comprehensive. However we know that there was a stabbing and that is from the injuries we understand he received. We have received the information from him and we are working on whatever else other processes to get it sorted out."

Jealousy Led To Caye Caulker Stabbing
And Caye Caulker police are also investigating a stabbing. This one happened on Tuesday night on the island. 24 year old Aquiles Canche and 31 year old James Crawford got into a fight at 10:30 near the village cemetery - and a local resort. The dispute centered over a female Kathy Balam. She was reportedly hanging out and talking with Canche when Crawford who she has a relationship with came upon them and stabbed Canche in the back. Canche then stoned Crawford with a bottle of rum. But the bottle didn't even break, and Crawford continued to stab Canche 5 more times, twice in the back, once to his lower stomach, once in his arm pit, and once in the lower stomach. Neighbors rushed Canche to the clinic but he was in bad shape, and at the height of the night, island Police had to find a boat to carry Canche to the KHMH. He received emergency surgery and is in stable condition. Police have not been able to get a statement from him.

Fisheries Makes Easter-Time Bust
It seems like whenever the major holidays arrive, there's an accompanying spike in illegal activities. Christmas usually brings an increase in contraband goods, and for the Fisheries Department, Easter and its seafood cravings means that off season product is more likely to be illicitly traded. So, the Department has set up checkpoints, and yesterday their diligence paid off in a major way. Daniel Ortiz visited with them today, and found out that they had busted thousands of dollars in prohibited marine products. Here's his report: Daniel Ortiz reporting What you're looking at is somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 dollars' worth of illegal fisheries products which were confiscated by officers from the Department's Conservation Compliance Unit yesterday.

Belizean Recruited To Work In Canada Criticizes Job Programme
In December of 2012, we told you about the Canadian company named ACTYL which was in Belize recruiting workers for McDonald's. Hundreds flocked to their interview sessions at the Radisson and many were eager for the opportunity to earn as much as 10 US Dollars per hour - even if it meant flipping burgers in a cold country. But, now a report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says that at least one disgruntled Belizean worker is calling it slavery. Jaime Montero has lashed out against McDonald's - and for that he has been fired, evicted from the McDonald's apartment and ended up in a homeless shelter. But, tonight, his claims are making headlines in that country. CBC network reported on the story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/mcdonald-s-foreign-workers-call-it-slavery-1.2612659?cmp=rss Montero was fired in November and evicted from the apartment. He still has a work permit, but has been unable to find another job. And while his plan was to send money back to Belize, he says his family is now sending him money while he tries to find a job.

Canadian Wife Says Murder Not Suicide, Police Say Insurance
A Canadian woman is demanding that police re-open the investigation into her husband's death, which was ruled a suicide. William Lloyd Webster was found hanged to death in his Cayo home in December of 2012. But, she doesn't buy it. She hired a private investigator who compiled a 10 page report citing inconsistencies in the forensic examination and the scene of the crime. Rene Webster says "there was no suicide note and there are many things that just don't add up." She says they recreated the crime scene and have proved that it was physically impossible for Webster to have hung himself. Nonetheless, she says local police are writing her off as an hysterical grieving widow. But, police say differently. Today the officer in charge of Cayo Superintendent Ralph Moody told us quote, "there is no evidence at all indicating that there is a murder with Mr. Webster." End quote. Moody told us he met with Rene Webster last week and he claims that she told him she quote, "only wants the police to change (the cause of death) from a suicide to a murder…for insurance purposes." End quote. Moody stressed that we could quote him on that and told us that quote, "I will not put my career and my reputation on the line for any such thing."

Making Sense OF the NCL Economies
Last night, we showed you the first part of our interview with Michael Singh, the CEO of the Ministry of Trade, where he explained that Norwegian Cruise Line's Harvest Caye Port project got all environmental clearances it needed. With the Environmental Compliance Plan completed, the project moves on the next phase where Cabinet will decided on a final agreement on the social and economic guidelines that the Company must adhere to so that they can get the final go-ahead. As we've told you, the Belize Tourism Industry Association has been against the plan claiming that it is not environmentally or economically beneficial to the country. They will challenge the Department of Environment's decision to give the project environmental clearance in court by way of judicial review proceedings. The President of BTIA's Placencia chapter has also offered strong resistance to the project on economic grounds. Yesterday, while had the opportunity, we asked Singh to address them, given that he has been present as a trade and investment promotion representative ever since the project first emerged. Here's our conversation with Singh on those economic concerns:

Hemmans Swiped Card and Then Kept Swiping?
27 year-old Sherman Hemmans, a resident of Gracie Rock Village, is out on bail tonight after he taken to court for swiping a man's ATM Card and going on a grocery shopping spree valued at a little over 5 thousand dollars. Joseph Fusy reported to police his card was stolen, and that charges of up to 5 thousand, 38 dollars was charged on it by the thief. Investigators looking into the missing ATM card and found out that all those expenses were from grocery items purchased at Everyday Supermarket in Hattieville. Hemmans was linked to the card and the purchased, so he was charged with 8 counts of theft.

The Pageantry Of Cross Country
The Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is the only certifiably epic event on the annual sporting calendar. And that is because of its history, but it's also because of the pageantry - the colors and the character of the men and their machines. Today as an annual pre-race event, the Cycling Federation arranged a Cycling Parade. We stopped by to speak to a few of the local cyclists about their level of preparedness: Darnell Barrow, 2013 Cross Country Champ "I feeling very amazing and I've been doing all my training so I feel confident right now; myself and my team has been training very hard. I have a good team support to back me up to defend my title, so feeling good." Daniel Ortiz "Tell us about the pressure? Every Belizean wants to see a Belizean take the garland and you done it last year and now the pressure is on you to keep it, so how do you deal with that?"

In Search OF Good Friday Fish Finders
Every year, we tell you about the Holy Thursday rush on fresh fish at the markets all over the country. As should be well known, it is both religious observance and cultural practice to strictly eat fish on Good Friday. But with high demand for a fixed supply, the only constant in the marketplace is increasing prices and increased haggling over said prices. This year Monica Bodden went for her education in Good Friday Fish Finding, and here's her story:..

Water Taxi's Ready For Easter Rush
And another fixture of the Easter holidays is the rush to the cayes. Hotels on San Pedro and Caye Caulker are booked to capacity - and so are the water taxis. Between Holy Thursday and Good Friday - thousands of Belizeans set out on the water taxis for their island retreats. Competition between the two leading service providers Caye Caulker Water Taxi and San Pedro Belize Express is fierce and so are the price wars. And while they are competing, the water taxi's are also having to deal with the biggest crowd of the year, kind of like Christmas in April. Today Joe Marin of Caye Caulker Water taxi told us they have multiple boats on standby just to accommodate the rush:.. Joe Marin, Caye Caulker Water Taxi "Yes the rush is picking up like from this afternoon right through the rush will pick right up and then tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday then Monday is start tapering off. But tomorrow and Saturday will definitely be the big rush. We have extra boats come on line and we are handling everything okay."

Easter Destinations Are A Mixed Bag
But we certainly can't all afford to splash out to the Cayes. Still, it is a four day weekend, a time when there are weighty religious observances, and where, for better or worse, "r and r" has become its own kind of religion. So, the question arises, what are you doing for Easter? That's what our colleague Geovanni Brackett went to the streets asking today:.. An observance both religious and Now, we know that most folks can't afford to go there.

Channel 5

2 fisheries busts yield $20,000 worth of sea food
With Good Friday and the Easter Holidays upon us, the demand for fish has increased and so has vigilance by the Fisheries Department for seafood that is out of season. [...]

1 man detained for illegal gill net fishing in protected area
While no one was arrested for the illegal seafood found on the buses, one man, a resident of the Belize River Valley area, was arrested on Wednesday following a patrol [...]

Ladyville youth stabbed multiple times
Sometime either late last night or in the early hours of the morning a teenager from Ladyville was stabbed multiple times. Police are in the middle of their investigations and [...]

Canada issues a travel advisory against Belize
A United Nations report recently released has placed Belize as the third most dangerous country in the world and that dubious distinction might be having some effect. So far this [...]

The demand for fish jacks up the prices
Holy Thursday is a busy time for vendors because fish and other types of seafood will traditionally be consumed on Good Friday. At the various fish markets this morning, we [...]

Gracie Rock caretaker arraigned for theft
A caretaker of the Gracie Rock area is being accused of eight counts of theft which allegedly occurred at the Everyday Supermarket, located in Hattieville, a well-known grocery store in [...]

Prosecutor holds off on arraignment of George McKenzie Junior
Nineteen year old George McKenzie Junior was escorted to the court this morning in handcuffs in connection with the murder of fifty-seven year old Alfonso Cruz. But about an hour [...]

Belizeans recruited to work in Canada say McDonald is modern-day slavery
Belizeans who were recruited to work in Canada are finding out that the jobs are not as lucrative; in fact, some say their experience working at McDonalds is a form [...]

Private investigation shows Canadian William Webster was murdered
On December twenty-third, 2012, Canadian William Webster was found dead in his home in Santa Elena in Cayo. He was hanging from a strap attached to a beam in his [...]

Easter Tips by police for Rural Belize District
As we’ve done all this week, News Five has been providing tips to all residents on security and safety do’s and don’ts this Easter Weekend. Rural Executive Officer, Assistant Superintendent [...]

Hot cross bun, a timeless Easter tradition
Ovens across Belize have been lit since the beginning of Holy Week and bakers at home or at your favorite pastry shop are busy preparing a perennial Easter treat.  Hot [...]

Healthy Living has useful tips to stay safe if you plan to hit the water
Easter is here and within the next few days, thousands of Belizeans will travel to their favorite watering hole for some rest, relaxation and fun. One of the unfortunate side-effects [...]

CTV3

Canadian Widow Launches Investigation Into Death Of Her Husband
A Canadian widow has launched an investigation into the death of her husband in San Ignacio Cayo that occurred on December 23 2012. For context, when police investigated the incident they concluded that Lloyd Webster had committed suicide since he was found hanging from beam at his home. But the widow of the deceased Renee Webster is not buying that theory. She recalls that after not being able to contact her husband she asked neighbors to check on him. They found him hanging from a beam in the basement of the house.

Forest Department Launches Project To Save Parrots
The Forest department, Orange Walk Office in collaboration with the Belize Bird Rescue has taken on an initiative that seeks to save a species in the country’s diverse wildlife population. These are parrots of which a great number, by their count, are in captivity. Last night the officers held a meeting in Orange Walk to educate the public on how to keep captive parrots healthy and also on the laws of Belize. According to Hannah Martine, Officer in Charge of the Orange Walk Forest Station, the main objective of their campaign is to help maintain a viable population of parrots in Belize, which is unfortunately dwindling.

Corozaleno Wins Farmer Of The Year Award
Felix Esquivel of Consejo Corozal District is this year’s Farmer of the year. He was selected from a number of nominations that were made from around the country to the Agriculture Department. We spoke with Esquivel today who said that he has spent his entire life as a farmer, weathering all the challenges that farmers face in his sector. We spoke with Esquivel today about his experience as a farmer. Felix Esquivel- Czl Farmer Of The Year “Cuando empezábamos a sembrar papaya después no nos resultó y empezamos con la cebolla, tomate, sandia, de todo que se consume localmente.” Dalila ical – Reporter “Que tan exitosos ha sido su negocio estos años?" Felix Esquivel- Farmer Of The Year “Pues como todos los agricultores tenían perdidas en el principio de la cebolla que no nos organizábamos bien y el tiempo pero ahorita la cebolla ya está yendo bien y ya tiene dos años y eso es lo que estamos trabajando más ahorita.”

Week 12 Of 2013/2014 Crop Season
April 13th 2014 marked the end of week 12 of the 2013/2014 sugar cane crop season. The report, provided by the Belize Sugar Industries Limited, shows that for week 12 the factory milled fifty six thousand four hundred and seventy six tons of cane. To date, the factory has milled a total of six hundred and fourteen thousand four hundred and fifty four tons of cane. Last year the factory milled a four hundred and seventy seven thousand three hundred and ninety eight tons cane during the same 12 week period. Taking a look at sugar production, six thousand six hundred and sixty seven tons of the sweetener was produced for week 12. An overall of sixty five thousand nine hundred and twenty eight tons of the product has been produced so far. Last year the factory produced forty seven thousand six hundred and twenty eight tons of sugar. This week the factory worked at a grinding rate of eight thousand sixty eight tons cane per day. Overall, for the 11weeks of crop, the grinding rate per day stands at seven thousand six hundred and eighty one tons cane. Last crop it was at five thousand nine hundred and sixty seven tons cane per day.

UNESCO Places Belize 8 In List Of Must See Sites
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced its list of MUST see spots around the world and Belize’s Barrier Reef was among the top nine listed. Many of the places are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which means they are places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. The report says Belize is considered one of the best spots for diving in the world, in large parts thanks to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Belize Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere.

Cheetos Not Good For You
If you, your child or any other family member are lovers of Cheetos chips then we suggest you pay keen attention to the next report. Research conducted by the Health Living Cornerstone in the United States shows that particular spicy snacks and favorite of many children is causing them grave harm. Why is this important to Belize? Parents are being asked to beware when giving their child spicy snacks such as Cheetos Flamin’ Hot and Crunchy. Emergency room doctors are reporting treating more and more kids every day who have developed gastritis – a painful inflammation or erosion of the stomach lining – after eating the snacks.

No Arrest Made For Broad Daylight Robbery
Tonight, despite having surveillance footage of the perpetrators in yesterday’s brazen mid-morning robbery at the Orange Walk’s Bargain Center, authorities are still trying to identify the men in the footage provided by the store. When we contacted Deputy in Command, Selvin Tillett he informed us that they were following up on some leads but no arrests were made so far. For context, two men; one of dark complexion and the other of Hispanic descent entered the thrift store located on Main Street at around 9:45 yesterday morning.

Belizeans Experience Fuel Price Increase
Tonight we have some really bad news for Belizeans who were thinking of traveling in their private vehicles for the Easter Holidays. It’s just that your trip will come out a bit more expensive due to an increase in the price of fuel. That’s right; the price of fuel saw an increase midnight last night. This means that the next time you go to the pumps; you will pay $11.64 for a gallon of regular gas instead of $11.35, an increase of 29 cents. Diesel saw a two cents increase as it went from $10.47 to $10.49. As for V-Power or Premium gas it remains the same at 11.75 per gallon.

The Reporter

Desperate search for missing students on sunken ferry continues
The desperate, massive search for ferry passengers of a sunken ferry in the Yellow Sea off the coast of southwest Korea continues as almost 300 remain missing. Hope remains that those trapped on board are still alive. The passenger, most of whom are students, reached out to parents and relatives via text messages. One text read: “No phone connection so there is no Internet connection. So just sending text message.” Another said: “There are few people on the ship, can’t see a thing, it’s totally dark…there are few men and women, women are screaming.”

Police warn motorcycle owners about increase in thefts
The police press office today issued a warning to owners of motorcycles to ensure that their cycles are secured at all times following an increase in reported motorcycle thefts. There have been two thefts of motorcycles in as many days in the Belize District alone, the most recent of which was over last night. Jose Landero, who lives in Vista del Mar, reported to police that his blue Meilun brand motorcycle was stolen from off his veranda between 10 p.m. on Wednesday and 6 a.m. today.

Woman’s leg crushed in traffic accident in Belize City
A traffic accident a few minutes ago on Mahogany Street near its junction with Central American Boulevard in Belize City has left a woman inured. The Reporter has confirmed that the accident involved a car and a motorcycle and that the car ran over the woman’s leg. She is at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital receiving medical attention and the police are on the scene. Our information is that the woman was on the cycle. We will endeavour to get the details of this breaking news story as they become available.

WALLBelize rejects Revised Gender Policy 2013
The United Christian Women’s Alliance Belize, which calls itself WALLBelize, says that it rejects the Revised Gender Policy 2013. The organization, which says that its mission is to confront systems of oppression, injustice and exploitation, and to defend the unborn and women and girls, is of the view that the government is determined to implement the Policy. WALLBelize, in a press release, takes issue the sections that it says encourage violence and disrespect against people in promoting abortion and same sex relationships, and in its earliest revision, promoting prostitution. The organization feels that these concepts are in violation of biblical preaching. Through implementation of the Policy, WALLBelize feels that the government intends to force the schools, including faith-based ones, to include these concepts in the curriculum, and this would “lead to a perverse and confused society with behaviours that would be difficult to reverse. Such a curriculum would also infringe on the rights of parents and families to raise their children in their chosen religious and spiritual orientations.”

The Belize Times

Bloody Streets!! – 6 Murders in 4 days
On the same week Belize was named the 3rd most dangerous country in the world by the United Nations this week, criminal violence has escalated with six cold murders in just four days across the country. Four of those murders occurred in Belize City alone. The latest homicide occurred in the broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon. Well known cyclist, 41 year old Ernest “Dangalong” Thurton, had stopped by his aunt’s house in the Junesville Area when he was attacked by a gunman who fatally shot him in the back. Thurton, who is employed by Santiago Castillo Limited as a messenger, was delivering company payments in the form of cheques earlier, and it is believed that may have been the motive for the attack. The Police have not said if anything was taken from Thurton. Thurton is not known as a troublemaker. He had stopped by his aunt’s home to ensure that it was secure. His aunt is in the United States, and Thurton had been securing the house.

“We will block US capital” – Maya Leaders say they will “use all necessary action” to defend customary lands
The Barrow Government has aggravated an already tense and flammable situation in the Toledo District with its arbitrary and flagrant Cabinet decision to extend a permit granted by U.S. Capital to continue its oil exploration on Mayan customary land. The decision came days after an April 3rd Supreme Court ruling which declared that the Government acted wrongfully when it granted the initial permission to U.S. Capital without any form of consultation with the Mayan people. On Friday April 11, Maya leaders met to look over the situation and two resolutions were passed. The first is that they would launch another legal offensive with a challenge to the Government’s Cabinet decision and would seek an injunction to stop U.S. Capital from proceeding with any activities.

Murder Capital! – UN names Belize – 3rd Most Deadly Country in the World
On the eve of what has been the most murderous weekend for this year, a report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) placed international scrutiny on Belize for its domestic problems related to crime and poor citizen security. The UNODC conducted a Global Study on Homicide to see which countries had the highest murder rates in 2012. Belize, which saw the second highest number of homicides in 2012 than over the past three years, topped the list from the Caribbean, was the 2nd highest in Central America and 3rd highest in the world. The study concluded that Belize had 44.7 homicides per 100,000 citizens in 2012. That was higher than El Salvador (41.2 per 100,000), Guatemala (39.9 murders per 100,000), Jamaica (39.3 murders per 100,000), Swaziland (33.8 per 100,000 in 2012), Saint Kitts and Nevis (33.6 per 100,000), South Africa (31 per 100,000), and Colombia (30.8 per 100,000).

Drill baby, drill
By G. Michael Reid. Attorney General Wilfred Elrington’s recent mumbling and bumbling attempt to misrepresent the recent Supreme Court ruling against the government of Belize is pathetic and shows the government’s total disregard for the rule of law. On April third, Justice Michelle Arana handed a decision which basically affirms the rights of the indigenous people of Belize. The decision made two major declarations: (1) that the Government’s decision to permit drilling and road construction inside the national park is irrational and unreasonable, because it was made without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous Maya communities; and (2) that the permission which the Government of Belize gave to the company to drill in the Sarstoon Temash National Park breaches the legitimate expectation of the indigenous Maya peoples. Justice Arana went further and urged the Government to comply with its obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples to respect the rights of the indigenous Maya. In an interview given following the case, Attorney General Elrington made the following comments; “I read the judgment of Madame Justice Arana, her judgment was very clear and it was evident to me that she had given very careful thought to the matter.” In spite of that, Elrington went on to suggest that Justice Arana was not referring to the current treaty with US Capital. What then was Madame Justice referring to Mr. Elrington? Isn’t this very agreement what this case was all about?

UDP Politics as Usual…
In terms of this crime thing, can we realistically expect 2011 to be any different from 2010? Can we expect a decrease in murders, in home invasions, in assaults, in robberies and shootings and thefts? The government has offered nothing different from 2010 – no new initiatives, no new agenda, no new plans, no bold, visionary ideas. There is nothing new coming out of the Ministry of Police, nothing new coming out of the Police Department. Operating Restore Belize is still putt-putting merrily along on the wings of a song. Poverty is increasing apace, as is unemployment. Frustration and desperation are heading on up. There have been no social programs offered and no move to address the school dropout rate. There is still no state of the art forensic/DNA lab which Mr. Barrow promised something like three years ago. He continues to promise the lab periodically but still nothing. That’s all we’ve gotten from this government – NOTHING. The Minister of Police did his media thing the other day but while he may be cute (or not) we were given NOTHING concrete, nothing to base our hopes for better on. So far 2011 isn’t looking all that great…

Editorial: There is Hope!
The story of the resurrection of Jesus is one of the most powerful in the world. It is therefore much more than a story. To Christians, it is the foundation of their faith – showing that Jesus is truly the son of God and that he washed our sins with his life and blood, promising to return for his children. It is a symbol of Hope. Today Christians all over the world celebrate the great moment and the acclamation: “Jesus has risen!” It is a powerful message of hope and salvation. For this reason the Easter weekend is first and foremost a very spiritual time in Belize. There is a growing trend to mix this holy week with non-spiritual celebratory events, but by and large most Belizeans recognize the need to connect, or for some, reconnect, with their Church to pray and seek guidance. While there are many who would argue that politics and religion should never mix and indeed it would be correct for us to say that pastoral leaders are much better at explaining and interpreting the scriptures than politicians, all of us in Belize can find hope in this great Easter message. This is a message of peace and unity in a time when our nation is grappling with violence and the senseless loss of lives.

Brown Bombers & City Boys enter U-15/ U-17 football playoffs
The Brown Bombers U-15 team and the City Boys U-17 are the No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions entering the 2014 Belize District Football Association playoffs, as the regular season closed at the MCC grounds in Belize City on Saturday, April 12. The Academy FC “B” team held the Pallotti FC girls to a 0-0 draw in the only game played on Saturday. The last remaining U-15 game between the Brown Bombers and the Hattieville United Youth Sporting Club U-15 was compassionately re-scheduled for Sunday, April 13, after the untimely death of promising, young footballer, Richard “RJ” Waight; but on Sudnay, the Hattieville United could only field 8 players and forfeited the game to the Brown bombers who finished the season at the top of the standings.

Lady Jaguars, Moen Stars, SQ Jr. Stars & Dragons win in volleyball
The Lady Jaguars, Moen Stars, SQ Junior Stars, Rebels and SQ Dragons posted big wins when the Belize District Volleyball Association’s 2014 competition continued at the Belize Elementary auditorium over the weekend. The Moen Stars had no trouble dispatching the SQ Junior Stars in game 1 on Friday night in 3 sets: 25-15, 25-16 and 25-21. In Game 2, the defending champs, the Lady Jaguars had to go to extra points to win the 1st set: 27-25 over the Belmopan Mystics, but after that they dominated the next 2 sets 25-10 and 25-7.

FC Belize defeats Police United FC 1-0
The FC Belize stunned the top-ranked Police United FC 1-0 in the Belikin Cup closing season competition at the MCC Garden on Sunday. The up-to-then undefeated Police team took the game to the FC Belize with Clifton West, Danny Jimenez, Harrison “Kafu” Roches, Amin “Tacos” August and the Makin brothers, Devon and Andres, leading the attack, but the FC Belize goalie Elroy Rowley came up with save after save to keep them scoreless the entire game. Michael “Chenko” Whittaker just started this season with FC Belize and has not had as much playing time, but when he got the chance, he made Police feel his presence, blasting in the winning goal past goalie Keith Allen in the 39th minute.

AMAZING GRACE – Like Taking Candy From A Baby
The term: ‘taking candy from a baby’ is used to describe the ease with which one can deceive or steal from someone else. There is nothing ‘cool’ or glorifiable in it. When someone’s actions are compared to taking candy from a baby, in essence, the person has taken advantage of someone weaker; someone more vulnerable to those with power and aggression. To take things a step further, babies are the hope of the future. They are the embodiment of the world’s push to progress and new ideas. Children’s innocence is a gift that, in this figurative statement, is exploited. Lately, there have been several outbreaks of men exploiting the vulnerabilities of women, by targeting them for robberies. Now, let me clarify that I in no way want to belittle women or come across as sexist, intimating that women are by any means ‘weak’ or less than a man. As I’ve mentioned before, women are incredibly strong, the backbone of our country! In fact, one of the women that was held up by three men held her ground and refused to give up her money without a fight. Unfortunately, the men outnumbered her and she was badly beaten up until she could barely use her jaw to talk. This is the injustice that burns me. There is no excuse for beating a woman and I am amazed at the amount of cowardice that would drive men to robbing our ladies.

The Cross of Christ and Gender – EASTER MESSAGE 2014
What does the cross have to do with gender? This is an unusual kind of Easter message, but a timely one I believe. For a springboard text, consider Ephesians 5:25; Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Scripture passages in this message are quoted from the KJV and are in italics). Can you see an important allusion to gender roles related to the cross in this Scripture? When the Titanic was sinking, the captain ordered that the women be placed in the limited number of lifeboats with a man to man each lifeboat to safety; the rest of the men went down with the ship, including the captain. That was not chauvinism – that was chivalry!

More Fake Passports & Visa – Cubans & Nigerian busted at Western Border
There is no indication that the Ministry of Immigration plans to investigate how three men, two Cuban nationals and a Nigerian, obtained fake travel documents in an attempt to enter Belize through the Western Border. The Cubans, 40 year old twin brothers Joel Jaimes Gonzalez and Joany Jaimes Gonzalez, and Nigerian national 53 year old Patrick Joshua Aibaengbee, are accused of using illegal documents including fake passports and a visa. The Cuban brothers were using Guatemalan passports in the names of Nestor Bayona Carreno and Felipe Bayona Carreno, according to Belize’s immigration officials. The officials grew suspicious of the twins and upon checking their luggage, they discovered their real Cuban passports.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE – The Meaning of Easter
By Francis W. Fonseca This week as we prepare to celebrate Easter and offer our support to our Belizean Cyclists participating in the 2014 Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, let us reflect on the meaning of Easter. In doing so, I read once again, the 2013 Easter Message of Pope Francis. Pope Francis says: “This is what Easter is: It is the exodus, the passage of human beings from Slavery to sin and evil TO the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and we are his Glory: the living man.” Pope Francis calls for peace in a world “divided by greed looking for easy gain”, a world “wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family.”

Six Years of Neglect!
Residents of the Toledo District continue to wonder why it is that the Barrow Government has refused to carry out any kind of meaningful development since taking office six long years ago. Toledo West area representative Hon. Oscar Requena has been one of the loudest critics of the UDP Government’s neglect in the face of so much that needs attention and so many who are in need in his constituency. Just two weeks ago, at the 2014 Budget Debate that looked at the Government’s spending of one billion dollars, Hon. Requena reiterated his condemnation for the lack of electricity expansion throughout the entire Toledo District.

PUP meets with powerful Latin American Leader
People’s United Party Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca and other Party officials met with Mr. Bernal Jimenez, the President of Costa Rica’s National Liberation Party and Vice President of Socialist International at Independence Hall on Friday, April 11th 2014. Mr. Jimenez is a well-respected Latin American leader. He leads one of the two major political parties in Costa Rica which just faced-off in a presidential election on Sunday, April 6th.

Arrogance on Steroids
The Minister of Health, the electrician Pablo Marin and his imported CEO, dentist Peter Allen, are hell bent on awarding the position of Director of Drug Inspectorate to the daughter of their UDP colleague, Erwin Contreras. Marin and Allen have ignored the position of the Pharmacists Association that Contreras’ daughter is not qualified nor adequate for the post. She has no experience in the Pharmacy industry, has no qualifications in the field, and from all indications, is politically appointed.

GOB Bruk! – Work at Marion Jones Sporting Complex Stalled!
There was nothing but shame and disgrace in the face of Sports Minister Herman Longsworth as he admitted that the construction work at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex has stalled because the Government ran out of funds. Longsworth accepted fault saying, “government will have to take the blame for this most recent delay”. He then tried to piece together a silly excuse that it was because of the “budget cycle” and there being a “delay in payment”. This showed just how much Longsworth knows about Government work. The Government smart stream system actually closes prior to April 1st, which is the start of the fiscal year, and opens up right after. There should be no reason for any delays in payments, especially payments having to do with millions that were donated and are sitting in Government’s coffers.

Government must follow the Rule of Law
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage strongly condemns any action by Government which would result in the granting of permission for a continuation of work by US Capital Energy after expiration of their current permit on April 30, 2014. Clearly, any such actions would appear to be an attempt to circumvent the Court’s decision made on April 3 by Justice Michele Arana. Justice Arana ruled that the issuance of any new permit required free, prior and informed consent from the Indigenous Mayan Communities. The Coalition fully supports the Indigenous Mayan Communities and the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIM) in seeking an injunction to bar Government from “issuing, renewing or extending permission to drill for oil in the Sarstoon Temash National Park” without first seeking free, prior and informed consent.

“We will block US capital” – Maya Leaders say they will “use all necessary action” to defend customary lands
The Barrow Government has aggravated an already tense and flammable situation in the Toledo District with its arbitrary and flagrant Cabinet decision to extend a permit granted by U.S. Capital to continue its oil exploration on Mayan customary land. The decision came days after an April 3rd Supreme Court ruling which declared that the Government acted wrongfully when it granted the initial permission to U.S. Capital without any form of consultation with the Mayan people. On Friday April 11, Maya leaders met to look over the situation and two resolutions were passed. The first is that they would launch another legal offensive with a challenge to the Government’s Cabinet decision and would seek an injunction to stop U.S. Capital from proceeding with any activities.

Murder Capital! – UN names Belize – 3rd Most Deadly Country in the World
On the eve of what has been the most murderous weekend for this year, a report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) placed international scrutiny on Belize for its domestic problems related to crime and poor citizen security. The UNODC conducted a Global Study on Homicide to see which countries had the highest murder rates in 2012. Belize, which saw the second highest number of homicides in 2012 than over the past three years, topped the list from the Caribbean, was the 2nd highest in Central America and 3rd highest in the world.

Blogs

What to Expect: Easter 2014 on Ambergris Caye
Easter is a LONG holiday in Belize. Banks close for a half day on Thursday and it seems like the entire country heads to the beach. Good Friday all the way through Easter Monday. The huge party all kicks off with a DRY DAY. Golf carts are ALL rented (and being driven around town like bumper cars), hotel rooms for 2 are packed with 15…let the good times begin! But: Good Friday in Belize is celebrated without alcohol. Dry. Though not exactly. The holy day is observed without alcohol sales. There are low key pool, beach and house parties galore. And check on your boat trips – many tour companies and fishermen dock their boats for the day in observance. The town center is a bit quiet since all bars and most restaurants are closed and there is a Roman Catholic procession through the streets of San Pedro. (More pictures from 2 years ago here.)

“The Sound of Silence” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I was out on the veranda (yes, the western, lagoon, facing one on the first floor) yesterday morning at around 05.00 hours (yes I had a mug of black coffee and my iPad with me – please do stop interrupting otherwise I’ll lose the flow. And possibly the will to live) running through the list ((I did what I said I would do (a man who keeps his promises, that’s me) and wrote them down)) thinking about which suggested song I would use first. I was somewhat ponderously mulling over (I wish I could say that my brain was on fire with creative thought but I can’t, I’d be lying) the list when the sound of silence was broken. As an aside, why is it described as the ‘sound of silence’ ? I mean the definition of silence is “the absence of sound” ie you cannot hear a thing! Anyway, back to my early morning reverie and the list. I narrowed my choice for the next edition (this one) when the final selection was made for me when I heard the sound of a cement mixer ‘kicking’ in to action on the lot immediately north of us. The time? It was 06.00 hours. The sound of silence was no more and in no time at all the concrete pour began.

Tropicalogy a new Tropical Travel Blog Directory
In this day and age travel blogs have become a popular resource for people who are planning to vacation or move abroad. It is no surprise that travel blog directories are also becoming popular. Tropicalogy is a new and comprehensive tropical travel blog directory, providing people worldwide with a window into the tropics. If you are interested in the tropical travel, culture, and products then Tropicalogy is the place for you. Tropicalogy website has a large list of tropical destination travel blogs to help you plan a vacation to remember, research moving abroad or just get a tropical escape anytime you need one. These blogs will help you enjoy a a local travel perspective, find unique places to stay and fun things to do. You will also be able to shop for a wide range of tropically inspired and sometimes hard to find products and get information on local events happening right now across the tropics. Plus if you ever wanted to want to know how to quit your job and live on a boat, then Tropicalogy will inspire you in that direction with the cool info-graphic in their blog.

Belize Part 1- Me talk Spanish one day
I don’t know if you have ever read any David Sedaris books. His book Me Talk Pretty One Day, about his time living in France and struggling with French, reminded me of my on going struggle with Spanish (I took French as a second language). In Mexico, I am a dumb four year old trying to put three words together. “This food good!” “Me like spicy!” “Mexico so pretty!” In Belize, an English speaking country, I was suddenly funny and smart again. People laughed at my jokes, answered my questions about politics and the environment. I was an adult again. It was glorious! So much of this book resonated with me. I want desperately to understand, to have compassion, to be part of the culture in Latin America. But when you struggle with communication, you force yourself into viewing it all from a distance. I will get better at Spanish. One day I will tell a joke in Spanish and someone will laugh. But for one week I had Belize. I could adapt quicker, talk to people, share, tell a joke, make a friend. We soaked up every minute of it. Here is our first few days in Belize: Crooked Tree This is a bird sanctuary and town full of you guessed it, serious birders. I sat for hours on the balcony of the hotel we were camping at overlooking the lake watching them watch birds. The hours went by like this: “Marge look, a blue heron!” “Write it down!” “A yellow tailed warbler, no, two yellow tailed warblers! Oh my God, I can believe it! Write it down….” Birding is a serious business, I have not seen people that passionate about anything for sometime. Good for them. I like passionate people. I am not sure if I will ever get that excited about birds, but for each his own.

Belize Part 2- “I think I hate the jungle!”
About an hour into our three hour hot, humid, jungle hike in St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park, Sam was telling me a story about how when he was a kid he dreamed about exploring the jungle. Who doesn’t want to be Indiana Jones when they are young? Movies like Swiss Family Robinson make the jungle seem so adventurous and exciting. Monkeys in the trees, waterfalls, tropical flowers, it was a happy place. In reality spending time in the jungle when it is over 100 degrees out is not very fun. Not very fun at all. As soon as you get into the dense part of the jungle, there is not much light and it gets really hot because there is almost zero breeze and the humidity is punishing. And then there are the jungle critters. I saw a giant orange and black tarantula the size on my fist, and the day before we saw a four foot Fer-de-lance (one of the most dangerous poisonous snakes in Central America) dead in the road next to where we were camping. Sam and I would take turns “breaking the trail” as we called it, which meant the person in front went through all the spider webs.

The Mishandling of Jasmine Lowe’ Investigation Part 2
I spoke to my source close to the investigation last night to get a feel of what is happening now. The pathologist (not forensic pathologist) could not determine a cause of death. Not surprising, he is not an expert in that field of forensics, so I learned last night. And BTW, Belize law does not require a forensic specialist to examine murdered bodies; only a medical doctor is needed. Meaning, he was never trained to determine cause of death that is not obvious. I feel like my head is spinning. I feel like screaming WTF. Can this murder even be solved, if they cannot establish a murder even happened? Everything following that evaluation seems to be a big waste of time. According to my source, the police are looking for blood and fingerprinting evidence in the car they impounded to find clues that may link little Jasmine presence in the taxi. Sounds good right? WRONG. Let me remind you that they didn’t take any evidence from Jasmine. No fluids or fingerprinting, no rape kits, nada so making that link would be a feat even gods would find impossible. Not to mention, as Faye stated in her dingle berry, the investigating officer is making wide assumptions about what happened based on observations he can neither prove nor disprove. So now they have a “suspect” who may or may not be the murderer. The public fears are somewhat alleviated. Please don’t let your guard down now. At this stage, the public need to be very cautious and aware as to the person the police presents to them. The police is desperate for a solution making the environment ripe for a scapegoat. Criminals in Belize laugh at our poor investigative skills.

International Sources

Obama weighs bond hearings for detained immigrants
The action could allow the release of thousands of people if judges approve bond in a move that might allay concerns of Latino groups and other allies over deportations. Obama administration officials are considering allowing bond hearings for immigrants in prolonged detention, officials said, a shift that could slow the pace of deportations because immigration courts expedite cases of incarcerated immigrants. Several thousand immigrants could be released from jails across the country if judges are allowed to hear their cases and grant bond, advocates say. The proposal is one of several being floated as the White House scrambles to ease the concerns of Latino groups and other traditional allies that have turned on President Obama in recent weeks. Some called him "deporter in chief" and excoriated his administration for expelling immigrants who could qualify for legal papers under the immigration overhaul bill that passed the Senate last year but then stalled in the Republican-led House.

Travel in Belize: Top 10 Things to Do
If you’re planning your first trip to Belize, here’s a list of the top 10 activities you should consider. 1. Experience the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef To truly experience Belize you must see the reef. If you’re not a water person you don’t need to get into, or onto, the sea to appreciate the reef’s beauty. Just hop a local flight to Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker. You’ll be enchanted with the stunning view of the Caribbean Sea beneath you, and the waves breaking on the barrier reef, to the east of the cayes. 2. Take a Boat Trip Be sure to get out onto the Caribbean Sea, inside the reef. Take a water taxi, motorboat, catamaran, or sailboat trip. Or get into a kayak and paddle out to the reef. The shimmering, nuanced shades of aquamarine are utterly calming when viewed this way. The sea is teeming with vibrant fish, coral and rays… And the water temperature is perfect, so you’ll want to jump right in.

Audubon meeting to discuss birds of Belize
Forsyth Audubon’s chapter meeting on Tuesday will feature a program on the “Birds of Belize.” Phil Dickinson, the Bird’s Eye View columnist at the Winston-Salem Journal, and four other chapter members recently traveled to Belize to develop a partnership with the Belize Audubon Society for conservation of habitat critical to migrating birds. A social half-hour will begin at 7 p.m., followed by the program at 7:30 at the Historic Bethabara Visitor’s Center, 2147 Bethabara Road. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, email [email protected].

The Belize Zoo is a hoot at night
Howler monkeys whoop it up somewhere high in the surrounding trees, their loud barks piercing the still night. Nearby, a jaguar roars, its chesty cough adding to the eeriness of the dark jungle. Only our guide’s flash light cuts through the blackness, illuminating the narrow path, framed by thick walls of brush. Red eyes stare. It’s just another night at the Belize Zoo, home to more than 125 animals native to the Central American country, many of them endangered. Because most of them are nocturnal, night is the best time to see them. And we do. Jaguars. Pumas. White-tailed deer. An American crocodile. And tapirs, also known as mountain cows (although they’re shaped like pigs but with longer snouts). The cool thing about this preserve is the animals live in their natural environment. No manmade habitats; they’re simply fenced in. You can literally reach out and touch them, though plenty of handmade signs advise you not to do so.

Videos

Video: 1, 1min.
U.S. Army LTC Diane Boese provides optometric care in Belize during New Horizons Belize 2014.

Video: A part of the road to Elijio Panti National Park, Belize, 3min.
On March 29, 2014, I went to Elijio Panti National Park with my two friends David Tzul and Antonio Mai, both from nearby San Antonio Village. It had been several years since I was there. I had been told the road to the park was too bad to drive in but Antonio knows the area very well and when I arrived at his house he said we could do it no problem. The road was quite rough in spots. It would not be possible in even a small or medium sized SUV let alone a two-wheel drive car. I was driving a 2013 Mitsubishi L200 4WD diesel pickup which had fairly good clearance but there were some deep ruts and big rocks on portions of the road. Driving required keeping the wheels on one side or the other in VERY specific places. If a wheel went into a rut or dropped off a large rock, we would not be going anywhere for a while. But with guidance from David and Antonio, we made it and had a great two days in the park.

Video: Galen Eagle Band Launches Music Album, 4min.

Video: Belize part 1, 13min.

Video: Belize part 2, 4min.

Video: Chicken Drop Ambergris Caye, Belize, 12min.

Video: Hot cross bun a timeless Easter tradition, 6min.

Video: Black Howler Monkeys, 4min.
Filmed at various locations in Belize (Pook's Hill Lodge, Caracol, Community Baboon Sanctuary).

Video: Dangriga, 6min.

Video: Puma on Trailcam, 1min.
Our trail camera was set at the Bocawina trail and we got this magnificent puma walking on the trail! Mama Noots Bocawina Adventures & Eco-Resort (BELIZE)

Video: Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge - The Chica Travelista, 3min.
The Chica Travelista visits Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge in Belize!

Video: Rafael Caye Belize, 52min.

Video: Diving the Blue Hole Belize, 2min.

Video: Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Belize, 35min.
Explore the wonders of the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in this documentary film! The Mayflower Bocawina National Park was filmed from May to August 2013 by Duarte Dellarole for his Ecotourism BSc. degree internship. The goal was to promote the most recent National Park in Belize and show how Ecotourism plays a fundamental role in the conservation of protected areas. The film you are about to watch shows the work that Mama Noots Bocawina has been developing in the area, the activities that they offer in the park and information on the wildlife and plants that can be found in this protected area. From 2013 to 2014 the resort has made many changes, including new rooms that are not shown on the documentary.

Video: "auf den Spuren der Mayas" Yucatan-Guatemala-Belize, 11min.
Chichen Itza- Merida- Campeche- Palenque- San Cristobal de las Casas- Atitlansee- Flores- Tikal- Placencia Caye Caulker- Chiquila-Holbox

April 17, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Getting inked with George Alamilla
Getting a tattoo is a pretty big deal. Wherever you are in the world, the right tattoo artist is the key to ensuring that you have the sickest ink around. Figuring who gets to permanently mark one’s skin is important. In San Pedro, George Alamilla is considered the man for ink. George, also known as Inkman, has had a plethora of canvases in the form of many San Pedranos. On bare skin, he creates elaborate masterpieces in multicolored ink. Inkman is truly a skilled artist, sought by many to create statement pieces on their body. I’m talking everything from cute little butterflies to menacing skulls to entire underwater scenes, jaguars, tribal- whatever your tattooed little heart desires, and George is the man to create them for you.

Atlantic Bank hosts Choose and Cruise Loan Fair
Atlantic Bank, San Pedro Branch, in partnership with Captain Shark’s, F&S; Golf Cart Rental and Dealer, Rick’s Custom Carts and FC’s Aluminum, hosted a loan fair on Saturday, April 12th in the Atlantic Bank Sub-office parking lot from 9AM to 2PM. The Choose and Cruise Loan Fair provided the community with the opportunity to not only view and compare prices on golf carts, but to also apply for low interest rates on new and pre-owned golf carts. Golf carts, motorcycles and accessories were specially priced at the fair. Customers wanting to apply for loans were assisted by Atlantic Bank employees, and some approvals were given that same day. For those who missed the fair, Atlantic Bank will be hosting the Choose and Cruise Loan Fair again on July 12 and November 8, 2014.

Linda Miller is the New Canadian Warden for San Pedro Town
Linda Miller, San Pedro Town resident has been appointed as Canadian Warden for San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. Miller, a born and raised Canadian, has been living on La Isla Bonita for the past seven years and is the operator of UnBelizeable Property Management. As of January, 2014 Miller is a representative of the Canadian Consulate in Belize, and has been tasked to assist Canadians travelling to or living on the island. Miller, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, informs the general Canadian populace that there is an upgraded system for the registration of Canadians living abroad. All Canadians living or travelling to Belize are urged to register, as this provides vital information to the Canadian Government to assist in case of an emergency while in another country. The system also provides information on emergencies at home (Canada) while out of the country. The re-registering process only applies for those who registered before December 14, 2008. Registrations can be made online at www.travel.gc.ca/register. To learn more about registering or in need of assistance while in San Pedro, contact Linda Miller at 626-6749 or [email protected].

Ambergris Today

First Lady of Belize Kim Simplis-Barrow Featured on Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Magazine
Mrs. Kim Simplis-Barrow, First Lady of Belize, had a photo shoot for international magazine Harper's Bazaar Interiors and they've released a fun behind the scenes video about the entire experience. On his video post on YouTube, Harper's Bazaar International Style Editor Luigi Irauzqui invites viewers to take a look behind the scenes of HARPER'S BAZAAR INTERIORS: KIM SIMPLIS' BELIZE April 2014. The magazine crew spent five days traversing the country and capturing the First Lady amidst breathtaking views that Belize has to offer, including scenes from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, that include resorts like the celebrity private island resort of Cayo Espanto, El Secreto and Victoria House.

San Pedro Youth Cadets Enjoy Island Life
The San Pedro Youth Cadet Corps Program has been in full swing for about three months now and the 20+ children that have enrolled in the program are thoroughly enjoying themselves with events and exercises that are being prepared for them. Just this past week the young cadets were hosted by the San Pedro Branch of the Belize Coast where they learned the ins and outs of their operation on the island. They visited the Coast Guard outpost and were giving a great ride on board one of their speed patrol boats. They were also treated by My Secret Deli to a delicious luncheon.

Celebrity Talk Show Hosts of MoJoe on Return Visit to San Pedro, Belize
Ambergris Today caught up with Montserrat Oliver, Yolanda Andrade and Barbara Coppel as they arrived in San Pedro Town today April 16, 2014. The three amazing television host, personalities and actresses were super friendly and energetic. They were so full of life as they arrived via Maya Island Air; celebrating that they are back on the island on vacation. The MoJoe talk show is aired under the Mexican television network Unicable and in San Pedro it can be viewed on Telehit (local channel 30) which rebroadcasts it. Ambergris Today was so happy to meet up with Montserrat and Yolanda once again and wishes them, and Barbara, a great time in the #1 Island in the World.

Mayor Getting ready for Easter
Mayor Daniel Guerrero made his rounds today around town as he visited the San Pedro Police Department, San Pedro Fire Station, Traffic Department and the Poly Clinic to make sure the personnel of each department is prepared for the Easter Weekend rush and large influx of visitors.

Teen Talk: Defining Gender Roles in Society
- by Ryan Ancona - In this week’s Teen Talk I would like to talk about gender roles. First of all what are gender roles? To sum it up gender roles are expected behaviours from a certain gender. Certain examples of this would be like expecting a guy to like the color blue and a girl to like the color pink. I have noticed in a lot people my age that I meet that they have this idea of what a girl should do and what a guy should do. This kind of mentality is a common concern, but if you do have this mentality it is not your fault. From when you are in preschool, society pushes this mentality on you. We were taught that girls play with Barbie dolls and boys play with trucks.

Misc Belizean Sources

Ambergris Divers Easter Beach Party
April 19, Starts at 11am

San Pedro Town Council: Please be reminded that our offices will be closing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow Thursday, April 17, 2014.
Also, GOOD FRIDAY is DRY FRIDAY. Absolutely NO ALCOHOL should be sold on this day. Grocery stores/Supermarkets that have alcohol products on display must cover them OR remove them off the shelves. We ask for your cooperation and understanding.

Trees of Belize (2013), second edition. Kate L. Harris. Bay Cedar Publishing, Cheltenham UK. 122pp. ISBN: 978-0-9927582-0-2
“With more than 750 native, and not-so-native tree species prevalent throughout the forests, savannas and cayes of Belize, their correct identification can be madly exasperating - each palm virtually indistinguishable from the next. From allspice to ziricote, this book describes seventy of Belize's most significant and more commonly-encountered species - providing the reader with a wealth of information as to their incredible properties, traditional uses, and Mayan folklore. Thoughtfully written and beautifully photographed, Trees of Belize provides an enjoyable insight into the diversity and splendour of Belize's tropical flora. This is a comprehensive and concise guide - and perfect for natural history enthusiasts, tourists, and locals alike.”

BRRI 2014 Birdathon Results
The Belize Raptor Research Institute had their annual Birdathon, and while Lamanai Outpost Lodge won - with 205 species! - Cayo lodges won 4 of the spots, with Mountain Equestrian Trails taking 2nd, Black Rock Lodge taking 3rd, and Mariposa coming in 5th. "The 2014 Bird-a-thon results are in! A special thank you to all of the 14 teams and 10 lodges that participated this year in our 4th Annual Bird-a-thon and 2nd Annual Lodge-a-thon competition to make our annual fundraising event very successful... The Bird-a-thon was the buzz of Belize in March as teams competed to find the most bird species in their region... We are still voting on the Best Bird of the Bird-a-thon and will announce it shortly, as well as the winners of various prizes, the team species’ lists and participants. Every team wins something for participating in this friendly fundraiser for research and conservation in Belize. Thanks to all of the sponsors for supporting our efforts!"

Belizean teachers assist New Horizons as translators
Eight teachers and the principal at Progresso Roman Catholic School in Progresso, Belize, volunteered their time April 10-12 to help translate between U.S. and Canadian health care providers during New Horizons Belize 2014. The school officials assisted with translations during general medical, dental and eye exams for patients more comfortable speaking Spanish. Though many people in the region may understand and speak English, they may not be as comfortable with the language as they are with Spanish. "A lot of the people are hearing what the doctors are saying in English. They might understand, but they may not feels as comfortable responding in English," said Delia Peralte, the school principal.

Problem Jaguar "Edgar Hill"
Since being rescued in November 2013, Problem Jaguar "Edgar Hill" has settled in well at the Problem Jaguar Rehabilitation center off-site at The Belize Zoo. Edgar Hill was reluctant to venture out into his run. But the days of coaxing the fellow to go and have a day out are over. He is especially fond of his swimming pool, and expresses a great deal of Panthera onca behaviour...such scratching trees to sharpen his claws, and playfully rolling in the sun. More research involving our rehabilitated jaguars is developing in concert with the University of Belize's Environmental Research Institute. We are very proud of this important program!

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE (31 photos)
On April 10, 2014, The San Pedro Town Council, the Belize NAtional Road Safety Demonstration Project in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Project under the Social Investment Fund hosted its national campaign launch of their latest don't drink driving campaign under the theme: "Think Before You Drink. Don't Drink And Drive." All municipalities were scheduled to launch the same campaign on the same date and same time. The event officially opened with the national anthem which was performed by high school students, Martha Alicia Vasquez and Elina Palma, and then followed the invocation by Mr. Clive Welsh from the Lighthouse Christian Radio. Mayor Daniel Guerrero offered the welcome address which he emphasized that we all try to drive safely at all times and especially during the Easter weekend. Councilor Kenrick Brackett (councilor responsible for Transport), was not only master of ceremonies but also spoke on the importance of this campaign and how we can benefit from it. Mr. Marion Mejia provided the public with vital statistics on drunk driving as well as important facts on alcohol. Following Mr. Mejia, Mr. Tirso Galvez, Operations Officer of the Department of Transport, presented Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Mr. Chris Nuñez with the stickers, posters etc. Mr. Tirso also presented Mayor Guerrero and Mr. Nuñez with a Digital Breathalyzer Machine and made a demonstration to show the different ways to use the machine. At the event, Mr. Rafael Torres and Mr. Moose shared with the public their experience with drinking and driving and how it has affected them.

"Think Before You Drink"
Jingle produced for the launch of the campaign "Think Before You Drink. Don't Drink And Drive."

Come join us for Placencia Belize Lobsterfest 2014
Scheduled from June 27 -29, 2014, the Placencia Lobsterfest is a grand celebration of the opening of the lobster season in Belize attracting thousands of local and international visitors. The event is organized by the Placencia BTIA and the Placencia Village Council and has long been a traditional mainstay of Placencia’s economy. What to expect at Placencia Lobster Fest 2014: Game for kids Belikin beer drinking contest Biggest lobstah’ competition Lionfish tournament Mr. & Ms. Physique

Student Group Helps at CDI
Students from the Munro Academy on Cape Bretton Island, Canada, helped out at the Cayo Deaf Institute. They did a lot during their week there, from helping to dig some septic lines to scrubbing roofs. They even brought down 9 Ipads for the school. "While at the Cayo Institute, the students enjoyed a camp experience, and they were always busy helping to dig holes for septic systems, scrubbing roofs, cleaning ceilings and helping in the kitchen... As part of their fundraising for the trip, the students also raised money to purchase nine iPad Minis for the institute... The Cayo Institute had a special night when they cooked tortillas, chicken and beans and everyone sat around the fire to enjoy their meal."

Many closures for Easter Holy Week
Many businesses and Governmental and NGO offices will be closed for many if not most of the days during Holy Week. Some will close as early as Wednesday afternoon, 16 April and may not open until Tuesday or even Wednesday 23 April of the next week. Check to be sure you have enough of essential foodstuffs, medical prescriptions, and other requirements. The good thing about this is that many workers will be able to share this spiritual time with their families.

Channel 7

Dr. Frazer Out; Allan Slusher's In At UB
In November of last year, 7News told you about Dr. Cary Frazer's sudden decision to make an exit from the University of Belize and from his post as President of the institution. It involved a letter he sent to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Minister of Education where he complained about bureaucratic pressures and breakdown between his office and the Board of Trustees. According to Frazer, the Board's micromanagement of the university, and lack of financial support from the Government made it difficult for him to develop the institution to the level he had initially planned. So, his departure will officially take place next month, and at this time, there are moves afoot to get Economist and former Central Bank Governor Allan Slusher installed as a temporary president. We'll tell you all about that. But first, when we got an opportunity to the speak with Harrison Pilgrim, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, this afternoon, and we asked him about the process they will go through to identify who will be Frazer's permanent replacement.

Slusher Has The Confidence Of The UB Board
So, as viewers may have noticed, when Frazer's letter became public, he sort of faded into the background, on a leave, where it was suggested that the board obliged him to make a pre-departure exit. In his absence, Dr. Wilma Wright, a holder of a Doctorate degree, took over as Acting President, leaving her post as Provost to run the University. That's been happening for over 4 months now, as we told you, Allan Slusher, will take over from her. That appointment is in its final stages, and Slusher's work history is notable. He was a Governor of the Central Bank of Belize, the Region's Nominee at the World Bank, who served for 2 years, and he worked at Caribbean Development Bank for more than 15 years, where he retired as a vice president. There is, however, one chink in the armor; he is only the holder of a Bachelor's Degree. When that announcement was made inside the University, it caused some protestations from the Faculty and Staff at UB who felt that an individual who does not hold a terminal degree shouldn't be the head of management. The reason was that there are persons who are persons employed currently and who are believed to be more qualified than Slusher. There was also the suggestion that his appointment was going be done chiefly because influence of the political directorate. More than that, some faculty members viewed it as a possible vote of no-confidence of Dr. Wilma Wright's management so far.

NCL's ECP Is Complete. Next!
Exactly a week ago, Norwegian Cruise Line's executives hosted a media tour on their luxurious cruise Ship, the Norwegian Jewel. It was to try to change the perception that cruise tourists aren't cheapos, and to show the Belizean public what their operation looks like behind the curtains. On that excursion, 7News spoke with Colin Murphy, the Vice President, of the cruise company's Destination & Strategic Development, and he basically despite the resistance being mounted by the opponents Harvest Caye project, "it is going to happen." That's exactly the sentiment we got today when we spoke with Michael Singh, the CEO of the Ministry of Trade, who was present at the very initial stages of this project, when it first emerged. Here's how he explained it: Mike Singh - CEO, Ministry of Trade "As of today the ECP has been completed by the Department of the Environment. NEAC has approved the project and the next phase as you rightly said is for us to enter into definitive agreement. We have been working on the terms of that agreement which will follow pretty much the terms of the MOU which has already been released. Once that definitive agreement has been done, at that point then the project really has the green light to move ahead."

NEAC Ignored; BTIA Will Take Them To Court
And as we told you last week, about the letter from Belize Tourism Industry Association to NEAC Chair and the Chief Environmental Officer Martin Allegria that the environmental appraisal committee needs to rescind their approval of the Harvest Caye Cruise Port. President of the Placencia Chapter of the BTIA, Stewart Krohn, Confirmed to us Allegria responded to their attorney, Godfrey Smith. He said that not surprisingly, Allegria defended the decision to approve the Harvest Caye project, saying that they were well within the rights of the law to do so, which they did properly. Krohn told us that a decision has been made by the BTIA to bring that court case where they will challenge NEAC's decision via judicial review proceedings.

The Life Of A Career Cyclist Ended Callously
Our headline story last night was the shooting death of Ernest "Dangalang" Thurton, who was killed in the Junesville area. It's a seemingly senseless killing of a long time athlete just so that his assailant could rob him of supposed monies he had on him. Today, 7News went back to get a few more answers on it, and Monica Bodden reports: Superintendent Alford Grinage "On Tuesday the 15th April about 3:30 pm police was inform about shots fired in the St. Martin's De Porres area whereby the police responded. They responded to #12 Junesville whereby upon reaching they observe the lifeless body of a male creole decent person lying face down on the ground beside a coconut tree. Initial investigations reveal that Mr. Thurton went to the residence as a caretaker for his relative who now resides in the United Stated whereby he was attacked by two male persons who fired a single shot which caught him to the left side of his chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a few minutes later."

Eddison Johnson Reportedly Hunted His Trespassers Down
On Monday, we told you about how 53 year-old Edison Johnson shot and killed 23 year-old Saul Garcia and 24 year-old Luke Cox when he found them on his farm in Carmelita Village in the Orange Walk District. Though it may look like Johnson was protecting his property from thieves, he was charged with 2 counts of murder because he broke the law when he shot and killed the men. Today, we spoke with Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, who told that she has reviewed all the materials that Orange Walk Police has furnished so far, and that they still need to do some follow up work. DPP Vidal said, however, that the evidence at this time shows that indeed Garcia and Cox went to Johnson's farm to steal from him. As we told you, Johnson found that his houses were cleaned out of all the valuables, and a part of his roofing was torn off. It seems that the men intended to steal the sheets of zinc which were on the ground, and Johnson caught them.

G. Smith And R. Fonseca Back In With PUP?
The PUP held a National Executive meeting last week and, while Party Leader Francis Fonseca hosted a press conference immediately after, he didn't tell the press about some important party business. The executive voted to make well-known attorney Godfrey Smith it's new National Campaign Manager. The high profile addition is major news because Smith is seen as Michael Ashcroft's go-to guy in Belize. His appointment to the party executive in such a senior post would seem to suggest that Smith might be able to rekindle Ashcroft's interest in the PUP - which could translate into a much needed infusion of campaign financing for the opposition. At this point though, that is speculative. All we do know is that Smith who often publicly positions himself as an independent essayist is now fully back in the PUP inner circle as a chief strategist and to some extent, fund raiser - which is how Ralph Fonseca defined the post when he was Said Musa's national campaign manager. The new arrangement as we understand it is that Smith will Chair a national campaign committee.

NGO'S Support SATIIM's Injunction Move
SATIIM and the Mayan Communities in the Buffer Zone are patiently awaiting their post-judgment injunction hearing against the Attorney General and the Ministry of Forestry to restrain them from extending US Capital's Drilling Permit which ends on April 30. But while they do so, they've also gain support from 3 members of the NGO Community. Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO) and The Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO), and the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage have all thrown in their voices in favor of the move to try to block the permit extension. All 3 organizations have issued statements in strong condemnation of the Government if such an extension is has been or is to be granted. The Coalition said, "Government should be the shining beacon of following the Rule of Law and in protecting the human rights of its citizens."

The Hype For Cross Country
Every year, hundreds of fans line up along the Western Highway eagerly awaiting their favorite cyclist running in the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. It's pretty much a part of the Easter Celebration, and today the President of the Cycling Federation of Belize told us about the preparations they've made for it this year. We couldn't help but notice how excited he was about Saturday's race: Dion Leslie - President, Cycling Federation of Belize "We are on the brink of having a Belizean win 3 consecutive times, so you now all of that coupled in with just the overall hype and the fact that cross country is something that is embedded in the DNA of every single Belizean because your Easter vacation does not start until cross country is finish, you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't do anything until you heard the end of cross country and so it's something that we are all excited about and we know this year will be exciting, not only because of the prizes that we've gathered but because of the competition coming, both the foreigners coming in and the level where our local riders are right now, we expect it to be exciting, fast dynamic race filled with surprises throughout the entire 140 plus miles."

BELTRAIDE & UB Collaborate For Enterprise Development
The University of Belize and BELTRAIDE signed a memorandum of Understanding today, which will see future entrepreneurs passing through the institution get an opportunity to bring their business ideas to life. The MOU will allow BELTRAIDE's Small Business Development Center activate at a higher capacity so that persons interested can receive training on different enterprise management techniques. 7News attended that signing and spoke with representatives of both bodies: Harrison Pilgrim, Chair, Board of Trustees, UB "We need to look further than the university because the University of Belize was formed from a partnership you could call it of 5 different institutions and the objective of government at that time and continues to be the goal of the administration is to ensure that this partnership yields benefits for the people of Belize and so it is not a partnership with BELTRAIDE for the benefit of the university but we need to see a partnership with BELTRAIDE together. We will be developing young minds and will be training young entrepreneurs and that will auger well for the development of Belize."

Channel 5

Elderly mother of Anglican Bishop is robbed at her home
It is the kind of crime that is considered utterly shameless and unimaginable… preying on the elderly.  But tonight, we report on a barefaced theft that could have very well [...]

2 detained for the murder of Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton
  Two men are in police detention for the senseless murder of forty-one year old cyclist Ernest ‘Dangalang’ Thurton. He was killed by a single bullet to the left side [...]

B.T.I.A. to take NEAC to court on EIA to Norwegian Cruise Lines
The Belize Tourism Industry Association which has consistently opposed the Norwegian Cruise Lines port at Harvest Caye is heading to court having exhausted a number of other avenues. It is [...]

A look at the shooting death of two robbers in Carmelita
Luke Cox and Saul Garcia are dead while Guinea Grass shop owner Edison Johnson is in jail, charged for two counts of murder. The deadly incident occurred on Friday at [...]

Deceased homeless amputee was 67 year old Gilbert Domingo
Around midday on Tuesday, the body of a homeless amputee was carted off to the morgue from the sidewalk at Mule Park in the downtown area of the City. His [...]

Alan Slusher appointed Interim President of UB
Former University of Belize President Dr. Cary Fraser demitted office in mid-November of last year, amid a swirl of controversy as to whether he was indeed granted leave by the [...]

2 firearms are taken off the streets; one was stolen from Precinct Two
Two firearms were recovered in the past few days by police…one on Rhaburn’s Alley near the residence of fifty-seven year old Alfonso Cruz who was murdered on Saturday night and [...]

2 men receive Supreme Court Bail
Two persons, an interdicted cop and a Ladyville businessman, were offered Supreme Court bail today. The cop, PC Ronald Sutherland, was on remand for not adhering to bail conditions. Sutherland [...]

A new justice appointed to the Supreme Court
The appointment of a new justice to the Supreme Court is imminent. Justice Sonya Young of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines arrived in the Jewel on Tuesday and was today [...]

Belmopan resident maimed while trying to break up a fight
A Belmopan resident, who stepped in to break up a fight, ended up a victim of maim. Thirty year old Leon Humes reported to the police that after he socialized [...]

Tips to keep you safe during the Easter Holidays
The Belize Police Department has been making the rounds of the media in the days before the Easter weekend. It is unfortunate, but true, that traditionally during this time there [...]

6th Street in King’s Park permanently a one-way street
In March, business operators and residents of Sixth Street in King’s Park raised the alarm when City Hall changed the street to one way overnight. Business owners in particular claimed [...]

CTV3

MAMAS Undergoes Classes To Upgrade Themselves
There are many ways to make a living; it’s a matter of innovation, creativity and in some cases courage to step out of the norm. And that is exactly what some women have chosen to do as they have signed up for classes under the Mujeres Ayudando a Mujeres a Superarse, MAMAS, program. The program has been ongoing for years but throughout the course of its implementation, the courses provided for women have been evolving ever so quickly. Today, the women are taking barbering classes under the cosmetology class. Today we joined the women as they were busy working and learning. Dalila ical – Reporting The women are already about half way through the cosmetology program which goes beyond the manicure and pedicure lessons. It has extended to teaching women to do various forms of art such as face painting for children, which has been one successful addition. Iliana is one of the students who have found the lessons both fun and fulfilling.

The True Meaning Of Easter
After living and celebrating the holy and penitential season of Lent, we enter into Holy Week which is the holiest and most important time in the Liturgical Year. Holy Week is the time in which we enter into the Paschal Mystery of Christ in a most unique and profound way. This reaches its climax in the celebration of the Triduum, the greatest of all liturgies, on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil when faithful’s truly walk with Christ and enter into his saving mystery. Even though the Triduum is celebrated over three days, it is actually one liturgy that begins Holy Thursday evening and ends late Holy Saturday night. In fact, it is often called the “mother of all liturgies.” Through the Triduum, we literally walk and journey with Christ from the celebration of the Last Supper, to the Agony in the Garden, through the Passion and Crucifixion, unto the celebration and joy of the Resurrection. It is a powerful and moving experience that Catholics experience during the Lenten season. Today we stopped by at the La Inmaculada Parish Office and spoke with Sister Adalberta Chuc who spoke to us on the schedule of events for the Catholic Church.

Orange Walk Police To Increase Patrols Around Areas
The Corozal Police Formation has formulated several plans in order to keep Corozal Town and its rural areas safe during the Easter break. And the Orange Walk Police Formation is not staying behind. Police Officers will be working overtime during the holidays to keep the town and surrounding areas secure and as crime free as possible. Deputy Commander of the Formation, Inspector Selvin Tillett, shared some tips that the public can follow to ensure their own safety. Inspector Selvin Tillett – Deputy Commanding Orange Walk Police “Our ultimate goal is for us to give the best of what we have during that period so you can enjoy your Easter break, police will have increased foot mobile, motorcycle and now we have bicycles, bicycle patrol in the area so if you see vehicle checkpoints, you see police man patrolling the areas, visiting homes and areas where usually people go out on vacations and business places.” Dalila Ical –Reporter “Will these be tightened as well in the night time?” Inspector Selvin Tillett – Deputy Commanding Orange Walk Police “This will be right through the Easter. Highway patrols, vehicle checkpoints all available at Orange Walk we will put I place.”

School Is Out But Students Of BMHS Still Hard At Work
While school is out for the Easter break, the students at Bishop Martin High School were busy entertaining the children at the Sandy Hunter Library with their renditions of folk tales from our history. Today when we stopped by at the library, students were presenting their stories to a handful of kids in the library’s reading program. English Teacher at the School, Ester Tepaz told us more on today’s activity. Ester Tepaz – English teacher, Bishop Martin High School “They are stories based on the folktale characters and they are stories which they had to interview their gran parents to get, they are not the traditional stories you find in the textbooks because these are original stories told to them by their grandparents because one of the problems we find with kids is that sometimes they claim that they do not have an idea of what to write on so when they were asked to interview their grandparents they came up with many ideas and so that was created into stories and then the best stories were chosen to make Jumbo story books like the ones you see presented here today and that is what we showcase here today.”

PlusTV

BTIA Wants Judicial Review of Harvest Caye EIA
The Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) is insisting that the Department of the Environment’s National Environmental Apparaisal Committee erred in approving the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and addendum for the Norwegian Cruise Lines project at Harvest Caye. BTIA attorney Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith wrote to Chief Environmental Officer Martin...

Homeless Man Dies in Albert Street
In the heat of the midday sun, a homeless man, confined to his wheel chair, died alone in Albert Street. The unidentified amputee often hung around Albert street during the day and at night could be seen in Queen Streets where a group of homeless people make their bed....

Police Begin Hunt for Killers of Ernest Thurton
This afternoon, Superintendent Alford Grinage, officer in charge of the Department’s Precinct 2 in Belize City, updated the press on the still-young investigation into Tuesday afternoon’s brutal murder of Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton. The 41 year old cyclist and messenger for Santiago Castillo Limited, who resided at Queen Charlotte Street,...

Man Tries to Break up Fight; Loses Eye
A man who tried to break up a fight lost his eye in the process. According to Police reports, at around 2:00 am on Saturday, 30 year old Leon Humes, Belizean construction worker of Belmopan City, after socializing with some friends at a night club, went to purchase food...

Thief Poses as Collection Agent
Police are advising the general public to be on the lookout for a con artist. At around 12:05 pm on Tuesday April 15th, 76 year old Belizean Retiree of Southern Foreshore, Belize City reported to police that around 10:00 am, on that same day, she was visited by a...

Mytheon Solutions Trade License; Just Issued?
Many questions still surround the evasive Mytheon Solutions, a credit company that allegedly distributes phone credit to all departments under the Ministry of National Security; this includes, police offices, BDF solidiers and the Belize Coast Guard. Two weeks ago, Plus News managed to get a copy of the registration...

Jimmy’s Wireless in Belmopan Robbed
Jimmy’s Wireless located on Constitution Drive, Belmopan, was robbed this morning sometime between 11 am and 12 noon. A male person, after stuffing his bag with thousands of dollars worth of electronics, inconspicuously walked out the front door. General Manger Judy Dueck spoke to Plus News earlier this evening...

Galen Eagle Band Launches Music Album
They have been making quite a name for themselves over the past few years and today, Galen’s Eagle’s Band released its first music album titled “I am the Alpha and the Omega”. The CD, which features nine songs, was released on PlusTV’s Rise and Shine this morning. Producer Lloyd...

Church in Orange Walk Burglarized
According to Orange Walk Police, some time between last Friday night and Saturday morning, thieves broke into the Life Ministry Church located on Chan Pine Road in Orange Walk. Marcia Pech, who made the report to police, stated that the church lost approximately BZ$20,421 worth of items. We understand...

APAMO Supports SATIM
APAMO says it is in full support of SATIIM’s application for a Post-Judgment injunction and impending ‘on the ground’ actions to restrain US Capital Energy Belize Ltd from conducting oil drilling in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. The organization says that “The issuance of an extension to US Capital...

Firearm Stolen From Police Station Leaves Terrible Trail
18 year old Kevin Rodriguez was one of three men murdered over the weekend in Belize City. Officer Commanding Precinct Two Superintendent Alford Grinage says police may be closing in on solving the case over the next few days. “…Rhaburn’s Alley, but I know that the one that was...

Easter Road Trips Just Got More Expensive
Easter weekend is a time when a lot of families jump in their vehicles and hit the road to go somewhere for the long weekend. Well, that trip just got a bit more expensive as the cost of fuel is up once again. As of midnight Tuesday, the cost...

Bones Dug up by Street Workers May Be Human
Police have confirmed that on Monday on Iguana Street Extension, workers for Belize Water Services Limited (BWS) unearthed a set of bones while digging trenches as part of the concreting project on Central American Boulevard. Precinct 2 Police were called to the area along with Scenes of Crime technicians...

Wife Says She Has Evidence Husband’s Death Is Not Suicide
William Lloyd Webster, a Canadian National died at the age of 63 on Sunday December 23rd 2012, in Santa Elena, Cayo District. According to reports, Webster’s lifeless body was found hanging from the noose of rope tied to a beam of his house in Santa Elena. Police formerly listed...

Anti Crime Easter Campaign in Cayo
The Easter Holiday is literally right around the bend, but while the end of this week is the signal for the start of a laid back weekend, the police are cranking up the patrol as the Anti Crime Easter Campaign gets underway: “From the 7th of this month, we...

The Guardian

Darrington Louriano killed at Mike’s Club
Darrington Louriano, a 27 year-old Belize City man who is known to police, was shot and killed inside the well-known Mike’s Sporting Club on Regent Street on Saturday, April 12. Louriano was the younger brother of 57 year-old Hector “Bad Card” Lyons, who was also killed execution style in the vicinity of Mike’s Club 13 days before. According to police, at around 6:30 p.m., Louriano was socializing with the other patrons of the bar when a dark-skinned man walked in and fired several shots at Louriano fatally injuring him in the head. The gunman ran off, leaving the entire bar of patrons terrorized by the incident. They also watched as Louriano took his last breath and died on the scene, after which police came and removed his body, and process the scene. At the club at that time was, Minister of Human Development, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, who told the media that he was a mere 10 feet away from Louriano when the attack was executed on him. He recounted how the older patrons of the bar risked personal injury to try to escape being in the path of the gunfire. Martinez says that he thinks that it will be a while before those regulars will feel safe going back to Mike’s Club after Louriano’s killing.

Two men killed in separate traffic accidents
Apart from the 5 men who died from gun violence from Friday April 11, to Sunday April 13, there were 2 men who lost their lives to fatal traffic accidents. The first one happened just before 8 p.m. at mile 19 and a half on the Northern Highway in an area of Sand Hill known as Edge Water. Raymond Allen Sedacey was riding his bicycle back home after going to one of the neighborhood shops. He was trying to cross the road when an empty Tillett Bus heading north knocked him down. Sedacey suffered massive head and body injuries and died almost instantly. His bike was launched like a projectile at another resident who was at the side of the road, and he got struck in the head.

Arson Victim from Cayo needs your help
Agustin Avelino Martinez, 82 years of age is one of the victims of a recent two storey house fire at Number 31 Carillo Puerto Avenue in Santa Elena Town, in the Cayo District. The Naturalized Belizean was alone sleeping on April 4 at about 10:45 pm in the upper wooden flat when he was awoken by the heat and smoke from the flames. Don Ting hurriedly got up but in his desperation to come out of the building walked into a live electrical circuit and was slightly injured on the left leg. Police continue to investigate the burning of the abode measuring 20 by 80 feet, with a concrete lower flat and a wooden upper living space, which they now believe was as a result of arson. As a result, Police continue to look for Mark Estell, who they believe can answer questions relating to this arson.

BEL impersonator caught
Belize Electricity Limited has issued a release asking residents to be wary of individuals who go around posing to be employees of the company. BEL explains that employees and contractors carry an authorized BEL identification card. Anyone who claims to work for the company should be asked to present the identification card. BEL also states that no employee of theirs will ever request payment for services conducted. The release was prompted after a resident of Buttonwood Bay reported to police on Friday April 11 that there was someone who claimed to work for the company and offered to pay the resident’s bill. Apparently the conman had been doing this for weeks where he went to various persons and offered to pay their bills and he even offered a discount if they paid their bills through him. He would then take their money and never be seen again. The one Buttonwood Bay resident was on to the con and pretended to want to use the service. He instead called the police and the con man was caught. Police are yet to release the identity of the conman or whether or not he was charged.

Two Cubans and a Nigerian busted at PGIA with fraudulent documents!
On Thursday April 10, Immigration officials intercepted three men who were trying to make their way into Belize using fake documents. The men, were identified as Joel Jaimes Gonzalez, 40, who carried a fake Guatemalan passport under the name Nestor Bayona Carreno while his twin brother Joany Jaimes Gonzalez carried with him a fake Guatemalan passport under the name Felipe Bayona Carreno. A third man, Nigerian national, Patrick Joshua Aibaengbee, 53 was also found trying to enter the country using a fake Belizean visa. The bust occurred at the Philip Goldson International airport at around 4:00p.m. as the three men tried to make their way into the country after coming off an AVIANCA flight from El Salvador. According to Immigration Officials, airport staff noticed discrepancies in the travelling documents of the three men who were all travelling together. The men were then detained and upon closer inspection it was deemed that the documents the men were travelling with were not authentic.

Darrell Carter Dodges Jail - he owes GST
Darrell Carter is a PUP mouthpiece that appears every Monday on a talk show called the Business Hour on Love FM. The show, if we were to judge by the name, should seek to give advice to people on how to run a business. That however is less than what the talk show does. On a weekly basis, Troy Gabb, the other co-host and Carter pick all manner of topics which have nothing to do with business and everything to do with politics and try to run-down the government. Well maybe Carter should be concentrating on getting his own business in order before he chooses to host a business hour. It seems that he needs more than a business hour to rescue himself though. He was again dragged before the Magistrate’s Court on the force of a committal warrant. In August 2013, the court ordered that Carter pay $11,000 out of a $22,000 judgment which he owed the General Sales Tax department. Of the $11,000 he was ordered to pay when the judgment was made, Carter had only paid $7,000 leaving $5,000 up in areas plus the other half in balance too. At the time Carter had agreed to pay $500 monthly to settle his areas towards the $22,000 but that was not being done.

Man Killing Croc Put to Death
Carl Diaz, 47, was killed by the jaws of a crocodile on Monday, April 7th, in the Green Estates area of Lord’s Bank Village. Diaz is originally from Benque Viejo Town but frequently fishes in the Ladyville/Lord’s Bank area. He was fishing in the area around 3 p.m. on Monday April 7. It is believed that he was just about to call it a day when he went to take a rinse in the water. It was at this time that the crocodile took its opportunity to attack. Another fisherman in the area reported that he heard screams and saw a crocodile dragging the man’s body. That fisherman made some noise to gain the crocodile’s attention which caused the beast to release its prey. At this same time a group of kids were heading towards the pond to swim and they also heard screaming. They went to check and saw Diaz’s body near the pond. His right leg was almost severed and he had multiple bite wounds across the body. Diaz was already dead. Residents of the community joined Vince Rose of the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary in Ladyville to search for the killer. Being aware of the increased activity in the area, the crocodile went into hiding. It was not until Thursday, April 10th, that the search party came across the creature’s den. The group of volunteers dug the killer out of its hole and Rose lured it out. It was a mature 12 foot male fresh water Morelet crocodile. According to Rose, it was 45 to 55 years old and weighed 500 to 550 pounds. The crocodile was euthanized, burnt and buried.

Popular Cyclist killed
Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton, a well-known cyclist, was gunned down at around 4 o’clock on Tuesday, April 15. Thurton, who was a hard working, man and an athlete, is believed to have been killed because his assailant intended to rob him. Thurton had just left the Income Tax Department on business for his employer, Minister of State, Hon. Santiago Castillo and he was looking after a house for one of his relatives, and while on the street, known as Cumberbatch, in the Junesville area of the City, a gunman shot him in the back. Thurton fell to the ground and bled out while his assailant managed to escape, and by the time area residents responded, he had already passed away.

Marroquin Drury Out on Bail from Charges relating to Police Shootout
On Tuesday, April 15th, attorney Bryan Neal was able to secure bail for Marroquin Antwon Drury from Justice Adolph Lucas at the Belize Supreme Court for $7,500. A police mobile unit chased a group of men in a maroon Astro van at high speed within the city on Friday afternoon, March 28th, following a shooting on Mahogany Street. The sequence of events led to the arrest and charge of 22-year-old Marroquin Drury. According to police report, at around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, officers of the Gang Suppression Unit intercepted a maroon van which was heading from the Complex area on Mahogany Street where someone had just shot at Joshua Lewis. The officers fired shots at the vehicle and when it came to a stop one man had already jumped out and another was seen fleeing the vehicle. Inside the vehicle was the driver, identified as Drury. By the time officers caught up with the van, Drury had already called for his attorney, Bryan Neal. Neal was at the scene where police searched the vehicle and nothing incriminating was found. However, Drury was detained by police.

Farmer kills two men defending his property
Edison Johnson, a 50-year-old businessman and farmer from Guinea Grass Village, has been charged and arraigned for two counts of murder after he shot and fatally wounded two men, who he says were trespassing on his farm on Friday, April 11. The men he killed are 23 year-old Saul Eliseo Garcia, a labourer of Rhaburn Ridge Village, and 24 year-old Luke Cox of Carmelita Village. Johnson’s farm is located between miles 46 and 47 on the Northern Highway, and it is in a remote area, some 1 and a half miles in rough terrain, where there are no other houses nearby. The family hadn’t been to the farm for almost a week, and during that time, thieves burnt their farm down, tore off parts of the roofing for their 2 houses, and stole all the valuable items they had in the houses. That’s how Johnson found his property, where he had invested his family’s savings as a sort of retirement plan.

Two more Murders in the City
Two more persons were killed in Belize City by gun violence over the pre-Easter weekend. 57 year-old Alfonso Cruz was killed at around 9:30 p.m., some 3 hours after the Mike’s Club killing of Darrington Louriano, and on Sunday, the following day, at around 11 p.m. 18 year-old Kevin Rodriguez was shot to death. Alfonso Cruz, who is a well-known, hardworking man, who operates heavy equipment, was sitting on an old refrigerator inside his yard on Rhaburn’s Alley when a gunman with absolutely no regard for human life, shot him in the chest. An eyewitness told the media that before Cruz was randomly targeted, the shooter allegedly pointed the gun and pulled the trigger at another man, but it jammed. When he finally got it working, he picked Cruz as a target and callously shot him to death. He died while in transit to the KHMH.

Enfield Reyes Charged for Shooting at Wife
A domestic dispute between a business man and his wife has turned for the worst now that the wife has accused her husband of pulling out his license firearm and firing a shot at her. Fortunately for the 29-year-old woman, the shot missed but the incident has left her traumatized and forced her to apply for a restraining order. According to reports, 31-year-old Enfield Reyes got into an argument with his wife at their King Street residence on Sunday Night, April 13. The argument got heated and Reyes pulled out his licensed firearm and fired a single shot. At the time of the incident, the couple was at home with their two-year-old daughter. Police responded to the incident and arrested Reyes.

Lisa and SSB’s $3.34 Million
It seems that madam Lisa Shoman has a penchant to read the Guardian Newspaper with an eye for detail. Well here is something for her to read, proof read and dispute. In 1992, Harry Courtenay secured 3.34 million dollars from the Social Security Board to purchase shares in a hydroelectric company, BECOL. While the money was taken from SSB, the board claimed that they never received the shares which they had paid for. This started a long and drawn out legal battle over the $3.34 during which time Courtenay was taken to court and criminally charged for the money. In a trial by jury he managed a not guilty verdict in 1997 but SSB was not satisfied and opted to pursue a civil suit against Courtenay. By July 31, 1998 a judgment was passed by Justice George Meerabux, against Courtenay in the civil suit after he failed to submit a defense. That ruling had it that Courtenay should pay back $3.34 million dollars along with 6.5% interest. Courtenay’s legal representation would resist the ruling however and entered arguments on his behalf which were denied by the court and it was ordered that he must pay the $3.34 million dollars to SSB. The legal wrangling continued thereafter with Courtenay’s legal representation asking the Supreme Court to put the judgment aside. That was denied however.

Government of Dubai Donates 26 Community Health Vehicles to Belize
The Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, have donated twenty-six health support vehicles to the Government and people of Belize. On Monday, April 14th, the Ministry of Health held a brief ceremony to officially announce the donation. Dr. Peter Allen, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health, says the donation is only the beginning of a relationship that will see Belize benefit greatly from the well resourced state. He says, “This is really just a foot in the door.” The vehicles are three-wheeled motorcycles with a passenger cover attached which is equipped with seating and a stretcher to support patients. Dr. Allen says the vehicles will be used mainly for community health outreach. He says they will be used for public events. Medical teams will be transported with medical kits to events where there are mass gatherings and provide services when needed. The vehicles will also be used as mobile clinics and to make home visits to senior citizens. Dr. Allen says there are many ways in which the vehicles will be used but “they are not replacements for ambulances”. According to the Ministry of Health, “The vehicles will be distributed to identified priority regional and community hospitals across the country where there are transportation and logistical challenges.”

Union Praises Anwar Barrow for Role in Collective Bargaining Agreement
The Shareholders of BTL were first to give a nod of approval for the ascension of Anwar Barrow to the post of Chairman of the company. However, the most enthusiastic support has been expressed by the workers of the telecommunications company. The Communications Workers Union issued a press release on Thursday, April 10th, praising the new Chairman for his instrumental role in the recent collective bargaining negotiations. The release went on to say, “The Union is also of the view that the stewardship of the company is off to a good start under the chairmanship of Anwar Barrow.” It is a resounding endorsement from the workers of the company. The Union has approved a three year proposal from the executive committee of the company which will be instituted retroactively to October 1st, 2013, for a yearly salary increase of 4 percent. The three year agreement also includes a 1 percent increase in company and staff pension contributions, a $25 per month increase in phone allowance and free 4G service for staff members. Employees of BTL are more than happy with the package and staff morale is at an all time high at the state owned company.

Caye Caulker Chronicles

2014 FCCA Foundation Children’s Enviromental Poster Competition

Sailboat for Sale
14 foot day sailor. With trailer. By Owner, 501-602-4728. $5000BZ

Amandala

FARMER KILLS THIEVES – CHARGED WITH MURDER!
Edison Johnson, 50, owner of the Johnson Farm located in the Carmelita area, Orange Walk District, appears to have become the latest victim of one of Belize’s strange gun laws – he is charged with murder for fatally shooting two men who he found burglarizing his property on Friday evening. One of the men died almost immediately, while the other man was found dead at about 9:30 the following morning, Saturday, April 12, the day after he was shot. The two bodies are in the morgue in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Johnson has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until June 20, on charges of two counts of murder after he was arraigned in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Monday. Many citizens believe, however, that Johnson should never have been charged at all, since he was only protecting his property and his life from the thieves.

SAN CAS MESSENGER, 41, MURDERED
Shortly after 4:00 p.m. this evening, a well-known cyclist and office assistant for the San Cas group of companies, was callously shot to death during an apparent robbery attempt that took place in the area known as “Junesville,” located behind the Charles B. Hyde Complex Building in the Lake Independence area of Southside Belize City. The victim, identified as Ernest Thurton, 41, popularly known as “Dangalang,” a father of six children, who had been working for San Cas for the past 20 years, was reportedly making a routine check at his sister’s house near Cumberbatch Street, which he had been caretaking, when he was ambushed by two assailants and viciously shot once in the right side of his midsection. He was left to die on the ground next to a coconut tree in his aunt’s yard. Amandala understands that the perpetrators were lay-waiting the unwary office assistant to rob him, but when Thurton realized what was about to happen, he ran, and the gunman fired a single shot that caught him in his midsection, killing him almost instantly.

“MAHOGANY MAN,” BERT TUCKER SUCCUMBS TO PROSTATE CANCER IN JAMAICA
Adalbert “Bert” Tucker, Belize’s Ambassador for Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, famously known for his activism for the community-based project, the Belize River Valley Development Program (BELRIV), passed away last Thursday in Jamaica after his battle with prostate cancer—one of the leading cancers among Belizean men and the ailment which recently claimed the life of another well-known Belizean, attorney Lionel Welch. Belize’s Honorary Consul in Jamaica, Elecif Arthurs, told Amandala this morning that Tucker will be buried in Belize and they are in the process of registering his death and preparing the body for burial within the next two weeks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said, will make a formal announcement. Tucker had recently traveled to Jamaica to seek treatment for his condition, but his condition was reportedly too far advanced. Tucker is a former United Nations Advisor to several countries in the Caribbean and Africa. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and Harvard.

COLD-BLOODED EXECUTION AT MIKE’S CLUB
On Saturday sometime after 6:00 p.m., a social gathering at the famous Mike’s Club at the corner of Regent Street West and West Canal was transformed into a crime scene. Some of the club’s patrons were playing dominoes, a few were focused on the billiards table and others were watching television and conversing when a man, gun brazenly in hand, walked in and shot Darrington Lauriano, 27, to death. Police reported that Lauriano, a resident of both Belize City and San Pedro, was shot once in the right side of the forehead, once beneath the nose, once in the right cheek and once in the left arm. He died almost instantly. After firing the shots, the killer, described as a youth who was dressed in a white T-shirt, dashed out of the club, escaping into the streets from which he had come. Reports are that Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Port Loyola area rep, was in Mike’s when the shooting occurred, and he had to dive for cover.

Businessman, 31, shot at wife, 29
A businessman who has been in police custody since Sunday, when his 29-year-old wife reported to police that he pulled out his licensed firearm and fired a shot which missed her, was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. Enfield Reyes, 31, a businessman of a King Street address, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, who remanded him to prison until his next court appearance on June 6. Reyes is being represented by attorney Ellis Arnold, Senior Counsel. According to the complaint against Reyes, on Sunday, he became involved in a domestic dispute with his wife at their King Street home, and he allegedly pulled out his licensed firearm and fired a shot at her, but fortunately, he missed. His wife reported the incident to police and demanded court action. Besides demanding court action, the traumatized wife is also seeking a restraining order against him.

NCL hosts media tour of Norwegian Jewel
In an effort to sway negative public perception about the impact of their cruise tourism activities in Belize, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) engaged members of the media on a tour of The Norwegian Jewel, where they were afforded an opportunity to take a look at the grandeur of the ship itself, as well as to observe environmentally healthy initiatives which are employed by the company, which plans to unveil a cruise tourism project in southern Belize as early as next year. Since private tourism stakeholders in the south have constantly blasted the intentions behind the project, NCL found it necessary to publicize how they conduct business on the seas, since they have received the go-ahead from the National Environmental Assessment Committee (NEAC) to proceed with their proposed Harvest Caye project. The state-of the-art, fully air-conditioned luxury vessel contains 16 decks which hold 11 dining areas, villas and suites, several bars and lounges, a fully equipped fitness center and spa, pools, clubs, arcades, medical centers and a number of casinos, is staffed by over 1,100 crew members from 60 different countries, and has enough space to comfortably accommodate about 2,500 passengers.

PUP discuss Elvin Penner and other national issues with the media
The Leader of the Opposition People’s United Party, Francis Fonseca, was the main presenter at a press briefing Thursday afternoon at the party’s Independence Hall headquarters. Fonseca discussed matters of national importance along with newly appointed PUP senator Anthony Sylvestre and the Cayo North East PUP standard bearer Orlando “Landy” Habet, who is one of three persons challenging the Chief Elections Officer’s decision not to admit over 300 signatures in the petition to trigger a referendum for the recall of the disgraced former Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration, Elvin Penner. Fonseca told the media that the police’s investigation into the Elvin Penner passport scandal has been stalled, even after Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin had ordered Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie, to proceed with and conclude the investigation, when he issued a writ of mandamus against the Commissioner in a judicial review last month.

PUP reviving effort to recall Elvin Penner with judicial review of rejected petition signatures
On May 29, Elvin Penner is scheduled to return to the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court, where he has been charged with two criminal offences in a private lawsuit by the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). The issue of his recall, however, resurfaced in compelling fashion when Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel ruled to allow the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) a judicial review of the Chief Elections Officer’s decision to invalidate 337 petition signatures on December 30, 2013. A judicial review seeking a writ of certiorari against the Chief Elections Officer for her exclusion of 337 signatures was successfully argued by PUP attorneys Lisa Shoman and Anthony Sylvestre, representing claimant Orlando Habet and four others from the Cayo North East constituency. Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai and the Attorney General were represented by the Deputy Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, who opened the hearing submitting that Habet and two of the applicants did not have the requisite “locus standing” for the application.

EDITORIAL: Fighting for survival
The shooting murder of Darrington Lauriano which took place early Saturday night at Mike’s Club, just two blocks away from Belize City’s Central Police Station, occurred a few feet away from Port Loyola area representative and Cabinet Minister, Anthony “Boots” Martinez. Martinez gave an interview to Channel 7 in which he explains that he dove to the floor in an act of self-preservation. There is little doubt that the other people who were in the club will tell similar stories. A form of the Genovese syndrome has hit Belize big time. Four other murders occurred over the weekend, two of them on a farm in Carmelita, a village outside of Orange Walk Town. What reportedly happened in Carmelita was that the owner of a farm caught burglars stripping his home and opened fire on them with a shotgun, killing two of them. This is how these situations routinely play out in American movies, and gloriously so for enthusiastic audiences, but the traditional British law in Belize was always strictly against victims using lethal force against thieves. We have, nevertheless, seen numerous occasions since Belize’s 1981 independence where the law has been lenient on robbery victims who have used lethal force, but the Carmelita victim who employed lethal force has been charged with murder and remanded to the Hattieville prison.

Four “blood moons,” the first visible from Belize around midnight on April 15
Forecaster Francisca Wellington told Amandala today that the total lunar eclipse—a phenomenon known as the “blood moon,” because the moon will appear copper red—is expected to be visible from Belmopan sometime after 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday night, and data available to her indicates that the eclipse will run for 3 hours 35 minutes, with the total lunar eclipse spanning 1 hour and 18 minutes. Information Amandala has obtained from NASA’s website indicates that tonight’s “blood moon” will be one in a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses to occur roughly six months apart in 2014 and 2015. NASA says they will occur on April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015; and September 28, 2015. This is called a tetrad, but what is rare about this tetrad is that it also falls on the dates of two major Scriptural feasts: the Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), in both 2014 and 2015.

What we have lost as a nation…
As we all go into a frenzy this Easter, let us take time out to remember the reason for the season … it’s not only spring when flowers bloom and birds sing and the wind blows the kites up high … It is the season of spiritual renewal and re-birthing. It is always a good time to reflect on ourselves and to see how far we have accomplished our New Year’s resolutions and if we need to get back on track or change course. The same way we do our annual spring cleaning because we want our house to be clean, we need to do our spiritual spring cleaning because we want our life to be meaningful. Ironically, the season of Lent leading up to the Resurrection of Christ used to be very solemn, as people did not dare drink, eat in excess or use profanity. The forty days leading to Holy Sunday when Christ resurrected from the tomb had a holiness about it, a sacredness and a sense of compassion and love about it. But that was in time past as now Belizeans do not even know what is Lent, much less respect it … for some it may seem like no big deal … But it reflects what as a nation we have lost …

“I really no wan go da jail!” fisherman tells magistrate
A Belize City fisherman with fifteen years’ experience on the sea begged Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer not to send him to prison after he pleaded guilty to being in “possession of out of season lobster tails” and “four hawksbill turtles,” which are endangered, protected species, when she arraigned him this morning on the two charges that the Fisheries Department levied on him. The fisherman, Lionel Sedacy, a resident of 47 Amara Avenue, was remanded to prison along with two other men on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, for allegedly firing on a Coast Guard patrol boat that had gone to investigate a robbery report in the area of Middle Long Caye last Thursday. When asked to enter his plea, Sedacy said he was “guilty with an explanation.”

“I am going to bring back Penner.”
Or the mis-education of a generation... Some thoughts ran through my head this morning when I heard the foreign investor representative of the Harvest Caye project given a long rostrum on Love FM News, telling the nation that, regardless of all the opposition from the BTIA and Placencia residents, he had the comfort and the assurance from no less than the Prime Minister, in the House of Representatives, that “It is going to happen.” So, they better get used to it. It is amazing the things that happen in Belize. They say a people who don’t know their history, are bound to repeat their mistakes. It’s almost funny, if it wasn’t so serious, and frightening, the ignorance, as in mis-information, mis-education, or simple lack of information provided to our Belizean people. A lot of shortcomings can be addressed and corrected with the energy, enthusiasm and creativity of our nation’s future, our young generation; but only IF they are provided with, and exposed to, important historical information. Some of us grew up as children of UBAD. I marched in a UBAD demonstration for the 18-year-old vote at the age of seventeen. We were concerned about our country, about our future. That demonstration also called for a free radio, when Radio Belize, the only station, was totally controlled by the government.

“T-Bug” fatally knocked down by commuter bus
A villager who was making a routine trip to a nearby shop met a tragic end this past Saturday after he veered into the path of an oncoming commuter bus that was traveling in the opposite direction. The victim – who was riding a bicycle at the time – was hit and died instantly after he was violently flung into the air and landed a distance away from the vehicle before it reached a halt on the right hand side of the road. The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. near Mile 19 on the Philip Goldson Highway, and Rural Executive Officer Assistant Superintendent Christopher Noble, who was on the scene within minutes of the fatal traffic accident, gave reporters an initial account of the incident, while urging drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be careful on the road, especially as we approach the long Easter weekend.

Joint US and Belize law enforcement destroys over US $29 million worth of drugs
A joint anti-drug operation conducted in different areas of the country between Belize law enforcement and the US military Joint Task Force Bravo, announced that the operation was successful and that over US $29 million worth of drugs were destroyed. The operation was conducted last month, March 15 to March 20. The operation destroyed 34 marijuana fields and about 57,283 mature marijuana plants. In addition, the team also found and destroyed 25 pounds of marijuana seeds. Joint Task Force-Bravo provided aviation support, on-call casualty evacuation and caving ladder training for 52 Belizean lawmen who took part in the operation. Due to the huge success of the operation, future joint operations will be carried out.

Lab results for Valley of Peace crop damage still pending
It has been almost a month since Green Tropics – a sugar cane company which was clearing thousands of acres of land to plant sugar cane – was fingered by vegetable farmers in the Valley of Peace village in Cayo as being responsible for significant crop damage, and while the company maintains its innocence, the farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture are patiently awaiting the verdict via plant samples that were sent abroad for testing. The company had used an airplane to spray an industrial herbicide while conducting massive clearing of land near the Valley of Peace on March 15, but fell into hot water, so to speak, when farmers from the area alleged that the herbicide which was sprayed by Green Tropics killed their crops. The test results were scheduled to be in by last Friday, April 4, but today when we contacted the Chief Agricultural Officer, Roberto Harrison, he told us that the Ministry is still presently waiting for the results to be sent back from El Salvador, however he expects that they should be in by tomorrow, after which they will be able to determine whether the damage to the crops was indeed caused by the herbicide that was used by Green Tropics.

Philip Goldson Highway accident claims life
Mario Choc, 27, a sales clerk of 3 ½ Miles, Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle at about 8:40 Saturday night, and suffered injuries to both of his legs, his right hand and head. Choc died on the scene. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), where he was declared dead on arrival. Choc was at Mile 3 on the Philip Goldson Highway, and was walking to the driver’s side of his vehicle, in which he was about to head out of the city, when he was knocked down. Glen Crawford, 25, of Maxboro, Sandhill, told police that he was travelling from the city to Maxboro in a Ford Ranger pickup truck on the Philip Goldson Highway, when, upon reaching in front of New Horizon Building on the highway, he slowed down to allow an ambulance that was travelling in the same direction to overtake him.

Road traffic accident in Hattieville
The Mendez family of Belmopan was involved in a road traffic accident in Hattieville in which the vehicle they were travelling in overturned. Sarina Mendez suffered minor injuries – abrasions to her right hand and right knee. Her son, 13, along with her daughter, 9, and her niece, 21, all escaped unhurt Mendez was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released. Carlos Mendez, 46, of Belmopan, was traveling along with his wife, Sarina Mendez, and their children and a family member to Belmopan from the city at about 9:00 Sunday night, and upon reaching an area between Miles 17 and 18 on the George Price Highway, a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction suddenly swerved into his lane. To avoid a collision, he swerved to the right, off the road and as a result, flipped over.

IBIS is helping police link stolen gun to multiple crime scenes
The police are using the mighty IBIS (Integrated Ballistic Identification System) to investigate a gun stolen from them, which was recovered in the Jane Usher Boulevard area, and allegedly was used in multiple shooting incidents, including a murder that occurred about two weeks ago. Corporal Jorge Lemus, the Admin Officer for Precinct #2 Police, confirmed that the weapon was stolen from Precinct #2. The powerful, high-tech state-of-the-art IBIS is used by forensic analysts and police investigators worldwide. It expedites the highly labor-intensive and time-consuming task of matching ballistics information in police investigations.

The Corozal police step up public safety campaign for the Easter holidays
The Corozal police force, under the command of Superintendent Andrew Ramirez, has undertaken a campaign to ensure public safety over the Easter holiday. The police advise the business community and the public at large that as we enter the Easter season, criminal elements are expected to step up their unlawful activity. While the police will commit to doing its constitutional part, they ask the public to do the same. Residents are urged to report anything suspicious in their area, either vehicles or persons. Businesses are advised to close on time and not risk opening after the prescribed hours. Take nothing for granted. Do not walk in isolated areas alone. Avoid going out alone with a huge amount of cash and/or jewelry. Do not over-consume alcoholic beverages, and know those with whom you are socializing.

Correction to “Laura Baptist Middleton recovering at the KHMH”
In our Sunday, April 6, 2014 issue of Amandala, in an article titled “Laura Baptist Middleton recovering at the KHMH,” we said that the principal of Sadie Vernon High School, Laura Baptist Middleton, collapsed in her office and was found lying on her office floor by the vice principal. Amandala was later informed that the principal did not collapse on to the floor, but to a chair, and that it was not the vice principal or the acting vice principal that found and assisted her, but some teachers who had come to her office.

Maya threaten to block US Capital
Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, has confirmed that the Government intends to issue an extension to its permit to US Capital Energy to continue petroleum operations inside the Sarstoon-Temash National Park—a move which has the Maya community up in arms, and threatening protest action to stop the oil company from proceeding with works inside the park. Indications to our newspaper this morning are that the Government is looking at revisiting the position it took last week to extend the permit, which expires at the end of April, but we have had no signal yet that it has, in fact, decided to change its stance. After a meeting held on Friday, April 11, the communities of the Sarstoon Temash region and the Sarstoon Temash Institute of Indigenous Management (SATIIM) issued a communiqué, expressing their concern over news that the Cabinet has taken a decision to extend the current permit of US Capital Energy.

3 foreign nationals charged for using fraudulent documents
An AVIANCA flight touched down at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) arriving from El Salvador on Thursday, April 10, and when three passengers disembarked and presented their travel documents to Belize Immigration officers, it turned out they were traveling on fake documents and were immediately arrested and questioned, before they were charged. Immigration officers discovered that the Guatemalan passports that twin Cuban brothers Joel and Joany Gonzalez, 40, presented were fake. Also, upon a close examination of the Belizean visa that Nigerian national Patrick Joshua Aibaengbee, 53, presented, immigration officers realized that it was an old type of visa that is not in use anymore, so he was charged for using a fake Belizean visa.

J. C. Arzu makes a strong Peini statement
I’m writing about the community named Saint Vincent Block, also known as Cerru, a Garifuna property in suburban Punta Gorda Town, aka Peini. In 1924 the Garinagu of Peini pooled their meagre resources to purchase 1,000 acres of land just outside the town, in honor of the struggle of their ancestors in St. Vincent who gave up their lives in an attempt to defend their land and culture against the British. This Saturday, April 12, 2014 marks the 217th anniversary of the involuntary arrival of the Garinagu to the shores of Honduras Central America. Following the murder of the Garinagu’s Paramount Chief Satuye, aka Chatuye, on 14 March 1797 (see Pen Cayetano’s painting at the Belize City Library of African and Indian Studies), the survivors were forced off their homeland Saint Vincent (now Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), and shipped at sword and gun point nearly 2,000 miles away to Roatan, Honduras. Obviously it was intended that they were never to return home.

BELPO: “Where is the respect for the law, SATIIM, the indigenous communities and the people?”
On April 3, 2014, Justice Arana handed down her decision in the action brought by Sarstoon/Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) and others to stop the incursion into the national park for the purpose of oil exploration. Despite previous court decisions and government agreements on respecting the rights of the indigenous peoples, it was confusing and disturbing to see this matter back in court. What prompted the return to Court had to do with the Government’s granting permission and permits to US Capital Energy to enter the National Park for the purpose of conducting petroleum exploration drilling activities and to build an access road to carry out such activities. The Court declared that permission to allow road construction and commercial oil drilling was irrational, unreasonable and it follows that it is unlawful. It violated the legitimate expectations of SATIIM & Buffer Communities as established by the two “Maya Land Rights judgments” from the Supreme Court of Belize as well as the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People”, signed by Belize, and international law.

Cayo Western
Last night, Cayo Western Ballaz (9-1) hosted the Corozal Heats (2-8) at the Sacred Heart College auditorium in San Ignacio Town, in front of a packed and very loud stadium. Corozal Heats came out firing, taking a 13-0 lead at the start of the game by hitting 3 three-pointers, capitalizing on the home team’s slow start. Corozal was able to extend the lead to 21-4 in the first quarter, but after a timeout by the home team, they were able to regroup and cut the lead to 28-18 at the end of the first quarter. By midway through the second quarter, Cayo Western Ballaz was able to put their stamp on the game, taking a 31-28 lead, as they went on a 16-0 run, and never again surrendered that lead. At the half, Western Ballaz was up 41-37. The game got a bit physical in the first half, as 3 technical fouls were awarded. In the third quarter, Cayo Western Ballaz was able to open up the lead to 61-49. The second half was filled with technical fouls, as the home team picked up 2 more technical fouls, an unsportsmanlike foul and a disqualifying foul, while Corozal Heats also got 2 technical fouls. The game ended 80-65 in favor of Cayo Western Ballaz, who extended their winning streak to 6 in a row.

Cross Country Cycling
Cross Country Cycling Classic winners Year Winner 1928 Elston Kerr; 2nd Norris Wade 1929 Elston Kerr; 2nd David Graham 1930 Norris Wade; 2nd Elston Kerr 1931 Donald Lightburn; 2nd Anselm Waight 1932 No race (1931 hurricane) 1933 Robert Ferguson; 2nd Donald Lightburn 1934 Robert Ferguson; 2nd Herbert Gentle 1935 Donald Lightburn; 2nd Dinsdale Lord 1936 Donald Lightburn; 2nd Hendicott Croft 1937 Jose Sosa; 2nd Jim Melin 1938 Jose Sosa; 2nd Luther Tucker 1939 Ben Sanchez; 2nd Jose Sosa 1940 Hendicott Croft; 2nd Ben Sanchez

Ben 9-Ball Tournament
The Belize Billiards Sports Federation (BBSF) organized the 2nd Annual Ben Bounahra 9-Ball Tournament on April 12 and 13, where the venue was Mike’s Cue Club in Belmopan. Here’s more and how it concluded with a bang. Twelve teams from across the jewel registered, namely: Toledo United of PG; Di Rookies, Camp 6 and Link-Up from Cayo; Barrio Fino, Special Effects, Twin Stars and BRC Shooters from Belmopan; Riverside and Elements of Belize City; Route 88 of Orange Walk; and a Team Corozal. By the end of the second day, it was only two teams left standing around the table in the final, which saw Elements and Toledo United showing their talent and skills to become the champs. It must be mentioned that it was “déjà vu” all over again, as Toledo needed to win Elements twice, since they were undefeated going into the final; but Toledo won the first match and failed to do so on the second, which is exactly what transpired last year.

Belize Muslim Community
The National Primary School Softball Championships got underway today with games being played at two separate venues including the Rogers Stadium and Queen’s Square Football Field in Belize City. Six teams, each representing one of the 6 districts of Belize, squared off in both the male and female categories from 9:00 a.m. until late evening, when the female and male winners were crowned at the conclusion of the tournament. Participating district champion teams were: Belize District – (Female – F) Muslim Community; (Male – M) Crooked Tree Gov’t. Cayo District – (F) Camalote St. Jude RC; (M) Camalote St. Jude RC. Corozal District – (F) Corozal Methodist; (M) Xaibe RC. Orange Walk District – (F) Carmelita Gov’t; (M) Carmelita Gov’t. Stann Creek District – (F) Richard Quinn RC; (M) Independence Primary. Toledo District – (F) Aguacate RC; (M) Aguacate RC.

Police United suffers first defeat
It was do-or-die for FC Belize, whose fading playoff hopes hinged on a victory yesterday against previously undefeated Police in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Belikin Cup Closing Season 2013-2014. League leading Police came into the MCC riding high with confidence, having drawn once and winning 5 of their 6 previous outings. But on this Sunday they would be without their regular sweeper, Kishane “Grill” Pech, who was suffering from a toe injury; and FC Belize were featuring their new young striker from Orange Walk, Michael Whittaker, on whom their hopes were raised for a turnaround in fortunes, as he would combine with league leading scorer Jarret Davis to make the FC Belize attack one of the most formidable in the Premier League. Well, the hype was not all hot air, as the young man from the north delivered in impressive fashion to give FC Belize the goal they would defend all the way to gain a desperately needed 1-nil victory against Police United yesterday at the MCC.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
The indications are that two of my esteemed, ranking contemporaries, Ornel Brooks and Bert Tucker, died within some hours of each other last Thursday, April 11. Brooksie died in Belize City on Thursday morning, while Adalbert passed in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday night. Before I discuss my departed brothers, let me say that the Easter Week publication of Amandala has always been one of my favorite issues, because most readers will take it along with them to their Easter vacation spot, which means that readers will have more leisure time to examine the various articles than would be the case with the usual weekend issue. This Easter Week column is by way of paying personal respect to the achievements of these two outstanding brothers, and I also hope to honor the families from which they came while sharing memories with their friends. As far as I can figure out, Deputy Premier C. L. B. Rogers decided to train a new kind of specialist policeman following the Belize City uprisings occasioned by the release of the Seventeen Proposals in the spring of 1968. The traditional policemen had experienced a lot of problems dealing with the Thirteen Proposals’ disturbances in 1966, so the 1968 uprisings convinced Mr. Rogers, who was Minister of Home Affairs and therefore responsible for domestic security, that he needed a more militarized unit for special assignments. Cabinet agreed, and what became known in the streets as the “paramilitary” was born.

Police charge Ladyville shooting victim for knife, but withdrew it in court on a technicality
A Ladyville man, Oscar Perez, 31, who was involved in a bar brawl on April 5, which started inside the Blue House Bar and ended outside on the Philip Goldson Highway in front of the bar, was charged in a Belize City court with “being in possession of an article with a blade longer than three inches,” but the charge was withdrawn because of a technical loophole related to the size of the blade Perez had been carrying. Police say Perez stabbed Dennis Burke, 47, who shot him with his licensed firearm and who, nevertheless, was remanded to prison on a charge of “discharging a firearm in public.” On Friday, Perez, a construction worker, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, who arraigned him on the single charge of possession of an article with a blade longer than three inches, to which he pleaded guilty.

Supal Street resident shot on Dolphin Street
Five men lost their lives in separate shooting incidents that took place over this past weekend, but one shooting victim is lucky to be alive today after he also came under fire while riding on a street in southside Belize City in broad daylight on Saturday. Police said that they visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital this past Saturday, April 12, where they observed Glenford Alvarez, 21, of a Supal Street address, with an apparent gunshot wound on the left foot. Investigators then found out that at about 10:45 that morning, Alvarez was riding a bicycle on Dolphin Street in front of Wesley Upper School when he was approached from behind by a dark-complexioned male person riding a beach cruiser bicycle who pointed what appeared to be a pistol in his direction and fired several shots at him, causing his injury.

Kevin Rodriguez, 19, gunned down on Curl Thompson Street
Amidst an apparent resurgence of gun violence across Belize City, another young man met his untimely death after he was ruthlessly gunned down as he stood inside a yard on Curl Thompson Street in the Port Loyola area last night at around 11:00. Amandala understands that Kevin Rodriguez, 19, was already inside the house of his mother’s church sister where he was staying, in the aforementioned yard, but stepped out after receiving a phone call; however, instead of meeting the person who called him, Rodriguez was met with gunfire and died within minutes after being shot three times by a gunman. Police reported that they visited Curl Thompson Street in the Jane Usher Boulevard area on Sunday, April 13, at approximately 11:00 p.m. and saw the motionless body of Kevin Rodriguez, with apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the upper and lower part of the body.

2 shotguns stolen in Paraiso and Monkey Bay
Two weapons, a 12-gauge and a 20-gauge shotgun, were stolen from their owners in two separate incidents. The 12-gauge Harrington and Richardson shotgun, S/N AU629146, valued at $250, was stolen at about 4:30 Saturday morning from its owner – Eloy Briceño, 43, a ferry operator — in Paraiso, Corozal District, where he resides. Briceño told police that he had gone hunting early in the morning in the Paraiso area and was carrying the shotgun on his motorcycle. He parked the motorbike and put the gun beside the motorbike and went into the bushes, he said. According to Briceño, when he came out of the bushes shortly after, the shotgun had been stolen.

GSU makes bullet and weed bust at Far West Street house
The Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) searched a house on Far West Street on Sunday and found two .9mm rounds and a small quantity of marijuana. But the homeowner, a nurse’s aide, had to be hospitalized, because her blood pressure went dangerously high because of the bust, and she was unable to be arraigned in court on Monday. Bernadette Samuels, 48, is expected to be arraigned as soon as she is well enough to appear in court, her attorney Bryan Neal told the court. The five other persons who were present when police made the bust pleaded not guilty to the ammunition and possession of controlled drug charges when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer, who said, before remanding them to prison, “I can’t offer unno bail! That means that all a unno gwine da jail.”

Coast Guard and pirates clash at sea
There was a dangerous confrontation that occurred just after midday yesterday in the waters located 20 miles southeast of Belize City after five fishermen made a desperate call to the Belize Coast Guard alerting the authorities that they were in the process of being robbed by three men, two of them Hispanic and one of Creole descent. The Coast Guard officers responded immediately and upon reaching the scene, they spotted the robbers – who were in a mid-sized skiff with a 50-horsepower engine registered as Dannica – and set chase, but the combative assailants reportedly refused to be apprehended without a gunfight, which ensued while they were being pursued by the marine officers. Amandala understands that the would-be robbers fired several shots at the Coast Guard, who responded similarly with gunfire in a high speed chase and shootout that reportedly went on for two and a half hours until the bandits were finally cornered and detained near the reef. Today, we spoke to the Coast Guard’s Fleet Commander, Lieutenant Greg Soberanis, who recounted the incident and told us how they managed to intercept the pirates.

Sea pirates remanded to prison
Three Belize City seamen who, according to police, were engaged in acts of piracy on the high seas and who fired at a Belize Coast Guard vessel that was attempting to intercept them were arraigned and remanded to the Belize Central Prison after appearing in court Monday morning. The men, Lionel Emmanuel Sedacy, 37, Giovanni Murillo, 28, and Everal Teck, Jr., all appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, who arraigned them on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm against Jose Reyes and Dobian Montero. All pleaded not guilty to the charges, but because the offences were committed with a firearm, bail could not be granted and they were remanded to prison until their next scheduled court appearance on June 13. The incident for which the men are charged occurred on Thursday, April 10. Around 6:45 p.m. on that day, the Belize Coast Guard was called by fishermen and told that they were being robbed of their products somewhere southeast of Middle Long Caye, which lies about 20 miles from Belize City.

Robberies reported in Belize City
Two burglaries reportedly occurred in Belize City which resulted in total losses to their victims of over $9,000 in cash and goods. Cambranes Bakery of Freetown Road in the city was burglarized sometime after closing at 9:00 Friday night, and before its reopening at 5:50 Saturday morning. Thieves stole a 12-inch monitor valued at $800, and cash, to a total value of $1,615. The bakery owner, Salvador Cambranes, 56, told police that he is sure that he secured the bakery at the end of the workday on Friday night. Also, at about 3:00 o’clock Friday morning, Gilbert Ellis, 97, was in his house on Nurse Seay Street in Belize City when he was awakened by a noise in the lower flat of his two-flat house. He got up to see what was happening, and went to the lower flat, and that was when he found that the house’s lower flat had been burglarized.

Armadillo Street resident remanded on attempted murder charge
A resident of Armadillo Street was remanded to prison after he was arraigned on attempted murder, use of a deadly means of harm and wounding charges when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer on Monday. Hugh Thomas, 22, an unemployed resident of 21 Armadillo Street, was not required to enter a plea, because the charges laid on him are indictable, and will be heard in the Supreme Court. Because the offenses were committed with a firearm, Frazer told Thomas that she could not offer him bail and remanded him to prison until his next court appearance date on May 30. Thomas is accused of the March 16 shooting of Hortence Lynch, a seventeen-year-old minor.

Woman raped in the Dump area of Punta Gorda
A 24-year-old woman of Pomona Valley was raped by a man who took her to the Dump area of Punta Gorda after the woman asked him for a ride to Punta Gorda from the 6-mile junction of the Southern Highway and the Stann Creek Valley Road. The incident occurred about 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The woman told police that she was travelling from Pomona to Punta Gorda and got a ride in a vehicle with a man whom she did not know. The woman said that after they passed Bella Vista, the man began to touch her legs and her vagina without her permission, and when they arrived at the Dump area in Toledo, instead of going into Punta Gorda Town, the man drove the car into San Antonio Road and turned left into a little road off the highway, where he raped her.

Chinese store robbed in Corozal
Less than a week after two Chinese stores were robbed on the Santa Rita Road in the Corozal District, another Chinese store has been robbed, this time in Paraiso; three thieves got away with $450 and a bicycle. Police’s quick investigation led to two men being detained, and two more men from Belize City are being sought. Police said that at about 3:00 Monday evening, Hui Bang Chen, 52, a Chinese businessman of corner Philip Goldson Highway and Paraiso junction, reported that around 2:50 p.m. that afternoon he had been at his store, Jing Jing Store, attending to customers when three men entered the store, one of whom was armed with a gun.

San Pedro resident escapes death
Miguel “Motita” Fuentes, 25, of Boca Del Rio, San Pedro Town, is lucky to be alive after he was shot multiple times in San Pedro. He is now recovering at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, and is in a serious but stable condition. According to police, Fuentes was walking on the beach in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro with two friends at about 5:00 Sunday evening, when five men approached them and one of them fired at Fuentes and his friends, hitting Fuentes in the hand and in the side and back. The three friends scrambled for cover and went into the sea to escape the gunfire, and the five men then left the area. Fuentes and his friends were rescued by a boat that was travelling nearby, which took them to the Texaco Pier, from where police took Fuentes to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where he was stabilized before being taken to the KHMH for further treatment.

57-year-old murdered “for no reason”
There are currently more questions than answers surrounding the inexplicable murder of a 57-year-old father who unfortunately ended up in harm’s way while sitting on an old refrigerator inside his yard this past Saturday night at about 10:00 p.m. Police report that they visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital sometime after 10:00 p.m. on the night of April 12, where they saw Alfonzo Cruz, 57, a resident of #2 Rhaburn’s Alley, with an apparent gunshot wound to the left side of the chest and the left lower back. According to police, their initial investigations revealed that Cruz was with his friends at his home in the alley when a lone gunman, who was riding a bicycle, approached and fired several times at Cruz.

The Reporter

Hundreds missing after ferry sinks off South Korea
Almost 300 people remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying 459 people capsized and sank off South Korea. The ferry, carrying mainly school students, was travelling from the port of Incheon, in the north-west, to the southern resort island of Jeju. Among those on board were high school students on […]

Drug rehab centers upgrade quality of service
Drug rehabilitation centers in Belize are increasing the quality of service provided to their clients through a new system developed by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. The Reporter spoke today with Ismael Vallejos, Director of Jacobs Farm Rehabilitation Center, who explained that he was among two Belizean delegates who participated in a regional training seminar in Nassau, Bahamas last week. The seminar, funded by the Organization of America States, was to train rehab representatives in employing a new client data entry system which will not only ensure more relevant and comprehensive data to authorities and stakeholders, but also greater confidentiality to clients. “The seminar also provided a forum for drug rehab representatives to network and share ideas, which will benefit the quality of the service we are able to provide.”

Santino’s cyclist/messenger shot dead
Veteran cyclist, Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton, 41, was shot dead shortly after 4 p.m. on Monday in the Junesville area, Lake Independence Division, Belize City. Thurton’s killers pounced on him while he stopped briefly to check on a house that he was taking care of for an aunt while on an errand as a messenger with San Cas Company. Based on initial reports, Thurton tried to run but his killer fired a shot that struck him in the left side and he fell under a coconut tree where he died. While the motive is thought to be robbery, the police are scheduled to brief the press this afternoon on details of their investigation into this incident.

Alleged con artist on the loose
Police have issued a warning to Belize City residents to be wary of an alleged con artist who is impersonating a money collector for a local cable company. The warning follows a reported incident today in which a man allegedly collected money from an elderly woman while pretending to be a collecting agent for the cable provider. The 76-year-old year woman who lives on Southern Foreshore told police that at around 10 this morning a man who appeared to be in his 50s visited her home, claiming to be a collector for the cable company and told her that she was arrears. The woman continued that the man said that to avoid disconnection she needed to pay $20, which she agreed to do. She said that the man promised to go get her a receipt and return.

Police detain suspect in connection with cyclist’s murder
Police have detained one suspect in connection with the shooting murder of Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton. Thurton was shot to death sometime around 4 p.m. on Monday while checking on an aunt’s house behind the Charles Bartlett Hyde Building in the Lake Independence area of Belize City. His family believes that the motive was robbery and that his killer was trailing him since Thurton was a messenger for San Cas Company. His employer, Minister of State Santiago Castillo, Jr., later told reporters that Thurton only delivered cheques and prior to his murder, had gone to the Income Tax Department. He stopped on his way back from his errand to cheque on the house when his killer decided to strike.

Wildfires in Chile claim 12 lives, consume 2,000 homes
At least 12 persons are dead after wildfires in Chile consume 2,00 homes in Chile. That country’s Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo reported that 8,000 people are homeless as a result of the blaze. Earlier, Chile’s National Emergency Office’s website, citing police, had said that at least 16 people were dead. It was not immediately clear why the reported death tolls were different. More than 1,200 firefighters worked to control the wind-whipped blaze in Valparaiso and the suburb of Vina del Mar, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said. The wind hampered firefighters’ ability to create firebreaks, and the blaze had spread to more than 2,000 acres, Penailillo said. Bachelet said the firefighters were backed up by 17 aircraft and that additional police were being brought in to prevent looting in the areas abandoned by their residents. Many of the survivors suffered burns, and the most seriously burned patients were being transferred to hospitals in the capital, Santiago, about 75 miles away, the president said.

Report explains why higher fuel prices are better for business
Higher oil prices have been good for business, according to a report by an arilines writer. In the past six years, the report says, airlines have overhauled the way they operate to adjust to this new reality by exercising more discipline with things like offering fewer seats. This, he says, […]

Barney Brown wins Weekend Warriors’ Cross Country
Barney Brown of the Scotiabank team won the A division of the Weekend Warriors’ annual Cross Country cycle race from La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena. Brown finished in front of Smart headquarters on the Philip Goldson Highway in Belize City on Sunday, April […]

Muslim Community girls win primary schools National Softball Championships
The girls of the Muslim Community School, the Belize District Champions, won the national primary schools softball championships organized by the National Sports Council at the Rogers Stadium on Friday, April 11. Muslim’s MVP pitcher Essenie Ciego led the Muslim girls to an 11-4 win […]

Good night’s sleep good for brain health
A good night’s sleep may be essential to brain health, say Swedish researchers who found depriving healthy young men of a night’s sleep increased blood concentrations of brain molecules to levels seen in brain damage. Researchers from Uppsala Unversity report the findings of their small trial, which was funded mostly […]

Enjoy life more – your body will age better, study shows
A new study from the UK, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal claims that people who enjoy life will have better physical function and faster walking speeds than their more pessimistic counterparts. We already know there are health benefits associated with a positive outlook on life. A study from […]

Surveys: Crime has adverse effect on Caribbean development; Belize suffers only on local front
Studies conducted over the last year by the Inter-American Development Bank and the University of the West Indies indicate that crime has had significantly adverse impacts on development in the Caribbean. One report notes that in the Bahamas armed robberies and violent crimes are […]

Killer crocs – a closer look
The Easter holidays are upon us and many people are planning to spend the long weekend with family and or friends. The traditional Easter-time activities include at great deal of swimming and fishing in one of the many river, ponds, or lagoons across the […]

Belize 3rd most violent country in the region: 2012 UN report says
Belize had the third highest murder rate in the region for 2012, a report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says. The UNODC Global Study on Homicide 2013, launched last Thursday in London, presented 2012 statistics which showed Belize having a […]

City Council to settle with Waste Control
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 15, 2014 Sanitation company Belize Waste Control Limited has agreed to end its litigation against the Belize City Council, and the two sides will now sit down to work out their differences. On Tuesday morning before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, attorneys […]

EDITORIAL
For the 1.8 billion Christians around the world Holy Week is the most solemn time of the year. It recalls the events leading to the passion of Jesus and His death by crucifixion- a slow, agonizing torture which would end in asphyxiation. It was the most shameful of deaths, reserved […]

Attorney General gives NCL nod of approval
The Office of the Attorney General told the Belize Tourism Industry Association that they have no relevant claim against the Harvest Caye development. According to BTIA President Herbert Haylock, they received a letter from the Attorney General’s office Tuesday morning, which basically defends the […]

Farmer shoots and kills trespassers Attorney asks DPP to drop charges against his client
Hubert Elrington, the attorney for Edison Johnson, the farmer who has since been remanded to prison for having shot and killed two alleged trespassers on his farm, said he’s written to the Direct or of Public Prosecutions to get his client out of jail […]

Maya communities prepare for face off with US Capital
The Sarstoon Temash Institute of Indigenous Management filed an injunction this week for the Supreme Court to stop Cabinet from renewing or extending any permission to US Capital Energy to drill in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. SATIIM filed for the injunction on Monday in […] “No change in plans!” Contreras’ daughter will be appointed Director of the Drug Inspectorate

“No change in plans!” Contreras’ daughter will be appointed Director of the Drug Inspectorate
The Ministry of Health maintains that Danini Contreras, daughter of the Minister of Trade Erwin Contreras, will remain the Director of the Drug Inspectorate despite the Belize Pharmacy Association’s plea for her removal. “What I want to do is for me to better control the […]

Blogs

Shopping in Belize: My Favorite Souvenirs On Ambergris Caye
Shopping for souvenirs on vacation is one of my least favorite things to do. I do NOT enjoy wasting quality beach, snorkel and tour time sifting through…junk. And often it is just that. Shot glasses, fridge magnets, junky jewelry, tacky t-shirts. What seemed funny when you riding on your vacation high, is more just…embarassing or useless when you get home. BUT…shopping for quality, local made products is good times. Meet the artists and artisans. People have some fascinating stories. And there is nothing better when you get home and have something that you love and enjoy and use. Something that gets you day dreaming about Belize… So here are my top picks for buying souvenirs in San Pedro. Stuff you can go home with an not feel like a total Jack Hoff.

Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize – THE CONSTITUTION OF BELIZE PART II Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms 3. Whereas every person in Belize is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely- (a) life, liberty, security of the person, and the protection of the law; (b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; (c) protection for his family life, his personal privacy, the privacy of his home and other property and recognition of his human dignity; and (d) protection from arbitrary deprivation of property, the provisions of this Part shall have effect for the purpose of affording protection to those rights and freedoms subject to such limitations of that protection as are contained in those provisions, being limitations designed to ensure that the enjoyment of the said rights and freedoms by any person does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.

Diving with the Whale Sharks in Belize
Diving with Whale Sharks, the largest living fish on the planet is an incredibly amazing experience and Belize is one of the few places in the world where you can get to experience this. We do have to warn you that in order to go on this expedition you need to book very early. There are limited spots available during the months the Whale Shark passes by, this is to help protect the sharks from being exposed to too much human contact as well as the other marine life in the area. The average size of a whale shark is about 25 feet long but there have been recordings of ones well over 40 feet long. Don't let their size fool you though, they are gentle creatures that are merely curious and will readily come towards you if they don't feel threatened or harassed. Wouldn't you be curious too? When can the whale sharks be seen? The months of April and May are usually the best times to plan your trips to see these amazing creatures.

Jada's Eggie Bread: Easter Breakfast
Eggie Bread is the English version of French toast. Jada loves to make this simple recipe for Sunday morning breakfast or brunch. I love that the apple glaze replaces pancake syrup as I'm not a huge fan of syrup.

Approved Foreign Riders
86th Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic

International Sources

The Fish We Never Knew: Looking Extinction in the Eye
I had asked Rocha where he worries the next extinction might happen, and he slid over to a jar holding Halichoeres socialis, the social wrasse. The inch-long fish lives in only one small area in the Pelican Keys in Belize. Habitat destruction and mangrove clearing has left it without much resilience. If nothing is done — and it’s not clear what there is to do, except that we are people and when we find out about things like this we feel like we should do something — it will probably be eaten to extinction by human-introduced lionfish. In January, Rocha’s IUCN group declared it critically endangered. It’s the something that’s always the problem. We put the fish away in the jar, and reversed down the collection aisle, past biological riches that would take decades to understand. Rocha spun the wheel on the giant library-stack cabinets to pull them back together again, locking the extinct and endangered fish back in the anonymous darkness.

McDonald's foreign workers call it 'slavery'
Foreign workers recruited from Belize are accusing McDonald’s Canada of treating them like "slaves," by effectively forcing them to share an expensive apartment – then deducting almost half their take-home pay as rent. “When we arrived at the airport, they said, ‘We already have an apartment for you,’ so at that point we already know we don’t have a choice of where to live,” said Jaime Montero, who came to Edmonton with four others in September to work at McDonald’s. "We had to live there. We were told this is what we are doing," said another worker who didn't want to be named because he still works for McDonald's. The Belizeans said their dream of making good money in Canada to send to their families quickly shattered. Instead, they pocketed less than $800 per month – which they said was barely enough to live on.

Videos

Lunar Eclipse from San Pedro Belize
Eclipse from my deck in San Pedro, Belize with a five year old Sony DSC-H50 9.1MegaPixel Camera..I only did the first half cause it got too late jeje

Video: GoPro Scuba Dive Trip to Belize 2013, 6min.
My scuba dive trip out to Belize at the end of October 2013. Shot entirely on a GoPro camera. Some pretty neat stuff like sharks, looking up at divers from the Blue Hole, loads of curious turtles and a very interested barracuda. Editing done by Colin Maythenyi; thanks!

Video: Belize - Under the Sea..., 7min.
Snorkeling at the Barrier Reef in Belize Cayes.

Video: Welcome to Belize, 21min.
Whatever you thought a paradise was, Belize is! Perfect destination for incentive travel and tourism! Country of rain forest, coral reefs, culture and adventure!

Video: PADI Open Water certification dives Belize April 2014, 20min.
Dives off Ambergris Caye, Belize, with Belize Pro Dive Center. First dive is outside the reef, second dive is at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, last bit of video is at Shark Alley.Video mostly shot by by Ben, age 11.

Video: 412 in Belize Central America, 6min.
Hattieville Prison Outreach, Kings Childrens Home, Belize Gospel Expo 2014

Video: Enter the Spider Monkeys, 2min.
The Spider Monkey Complex at Wildtracks, where many monkeys get rehabilitated before being released back into the wild, is finished, and some of the monkeys have moved in. Thanks, Wildtracks! "The first of the satellite enclosures of the Spider Monkey Complex is completed, and Pancho, Theresa and Pippa moved over into their spacious new accommodation."

Video: Beautiful Views of the Cayo District, 2min.
Check out this video that highlights the panoramic and beautiful views of the Cayo District:

Video: Scuba Diving on the South Caye in Belize, 7min.
Video taken with a GoPro on April 5-6, 2014. Visibility was not great.

Video: belize mission 2013 720p, 13min.
A mashup of our 2013 Mission to Belize

Video: SELTZA LIVE IN "BELIZE" 2014..PT1, 5min.
SELTZA PERFORMING LIVE IN BELIZE 2014

Video: Belize City Skaters, 2min.

Video: Belize Zoo Trip With Dad!, 3min.
Baby Aruny Christiansen Perez First Trip With DAD at Belize Zoo

Video: Whale Sharks Placencia, Belize Pirates Cove Scuba, 1min.
Gladden spit marine reserve

April 16, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

SPSC Football Tournament is in Semi-finals
On Sunday, April 13th the first games of the San Pedro Sports Committee (SPSC) Football Tournament semi-finals were played. The four remaining teams were pitted against each other to see who truly has what it takes to be in the finals. Both matches were thrilling, and each team gave its best, delivering two big wins. The first match between Southwind and Dorados started shortly after 3PM. These two power teams were both eager for a win, as such both delivered an early goal each. But as the game advanced, Southwind took control of the game, both offensively and defensively, scoring two goals and defeating the Dorados in a 3-1 point game.

BTIA Launches Destination Belize 2014
The Belize Tourism Industry Association officially launches the 18th publication of Destination Belize Magazine. Destination Belize is the official visitor’s magazine and #1 marketing collateral piece for Belize. The magazine is dedicated to showcase Belize and all it has to offer to our visitors near and far.

Ambergris Today

GOD Donates Motorcycles To Government of Belize
This week the Government of Belize Press Office announced that the Ministry of Health received 26 health support vehicles that were donated by the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. If Hon. Heredia is true to his word, three of those vehicles are to arrive to the island of Ambergris Caye real soon. The Ministry of Health hosted an official presentation of the vehicles that was held at the compound of the National Engineering and Maintenance Center Compound in Belize City.

25 Years Ago: Fearless Men of the Sea in Ambergris Caye Part 1
Fortunately for us, one of San Pedro’s most fearless “Men of the Sea” is still alive so we can pay him our respect and honor. Please take note that like him, there are many fearless Men of the Sea but we got to write a story of one of them first. We are talking about Mr. Francisco Arceo better known as Don Fashico or Don Fash, dad of Patty, Susana, Shelly, Vicky, Mercie, Neria, Martha, Omar and Elito Arceo. Don Fash has been a fisherman all his life and his life has been molded by the sea, tranquil yet tumultuous, kind yet mean. Don Fash first started challenging the sea as a seine net fisherman. He knew every corner and every inch of the lagoon, creeks and channels where he earned his living with sale of mullet, bonefish, barracuda, permit, jacks, shads and even snapper. What produce Don Fash could sell on the island he did, and any surplus was taken to the mainland for extra sales.

Palm Sunday Celebrations in San Pedro
Amongst all the chaos of parties for Easter here on the island there is also the religious celebrations that take place. The San Pedro Roman Catholic Church is responsible for conducting a Lenten Schedule every year. Palm Sunday was observed on Sunday, April 13, 2014, where the Blessing of the Palms took place. Church goers gathered at 7:00 a.m. at the corner of Barrier Reef Drive and Tarpon Street for the blessing of the palms by the RC School. A short reenactment of Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem was done by the priest of the San Pedro RC Church and his disciples all the way to the RC Church. Mass was then carried out at 8:00 a.m.

Misc Belizean Sources

Good Friday is Dry Friday
Just a reminder to all the Liquor License Holders (bars, clubs, restaurants, supermarkets/grocery stores,etc.) No liquor shall be sold on Good Friday. All grocery stores/supermarkets that have Liquor on display must cover the liquor products OR take them off the shelves. Help us share this message. Have a happy and safe Easter!

Liquor Extensions
The San Pedro Town Council and Liquor Licensing Board kindly asks all those interested in applying for a Liquor Extension to kindly do so by tomorrow morning before 11:00 a.m. Any applications for Liquor Extension after 11:00 a.m. won't be accepted. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

San Pedro Town Council:
WE SHALL BE CLOSING OUR OFFICES ON THURSDAY AT 1:00 P.M.

Combat Team Awards Belts
The Combat Team awarded orange belts to many of their students. They departed Belize yesterday, but after visiting many schools around Cayo(BCS), and having an exhibition at the GPC, they left an inspiration of God and an understanding of karate in their wake. Godspeed, and thank you, Combat Team! "All the kids tested for their belts last night and our instructor. The kids were so excited to received their Orange Advanced belts! Great things are happening at our Belize Karate School!"

ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN BELIZE
BELTRAIDE has collaborated with the Centre for the Promotion of Micro and Small Enterprises (CENPROYMPE) and the Embassy of Taiwan (China) in executing a project in Belize namely, “Integral Development of Entrepreneurship for Central America and Dominican Republic”. The purpose of the project is to promote and strengthen entrepreneurship in Belize by generating, accelerating and strengthening emerging businesses in the segment of micro, small and medium enterprises. In 2013, seventeen entrepreneurs benefited from the program and have accessed seed capital for the growth of their businesses in terms of purchasing raw material, machinery and promotional material. The program is geared towards empowering entrepreneurs and boosting their operation for development and success.

Proposed Standards for Development: Labelling of Pharmaceuticals
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) wishes to notify the relevant stakeholders and the general public of the development of a new standard “Labelling of Pharmaceuticals” to be developed by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). Please review the justification for the development of this standard and note deadline for submission of any comments to the Bureau of Standards is May 2nd, 2014. If you wish to be consulted when the first draft of the standard is made available kindly indicate this request. The justification form is also available on request from the BBS office and website at http://www.bbs.gov.bz . Comments can also be mailed to the BBS Office or email at [email protected] or [email protected]. To view the proposal for this new standard, kindly click on the link below: NWIP_Labelling of Pharmaceuticals (2) To view the evaluation form for this new work item proposal, kindly click on the link below: NWIP Evaluation form – Labelling of Pharmaceuticals

Draft Regional Code of Practice for Organic Production and Processing
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) wishes to notify the relevant stakeholders and the general public that the final draft standard “Code of Practice for Organic Production and Processing”, being developed by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is out for voting. Stakeholders are asked to note, on approval of the standard by COTED, the Bureau is obliged to adopt the same as a national standard therefore it seeks overall acceptance of the document. The deadline for submission of any comments to the Bureau of Standards is May 30th, 2014. The standard is also available on request from the BBS office and website at http://www.bbs.gov.bz . Comments can also be mailed to the BBS Office or email at [email protected] or [email protected]. To view the draft Code of Practice, Kindly click on the link below: Draft Regional COP for Organic production and processing – 20140405

Canadian Forces Doctor In Belize On Training Mission
With approximately 17 years in the Canadian Army, one doctor has finally had the opportunity to travel internationally while wearing her country’s uniform. Canadian Army Capt. Noémie Johnson, a licensed family physician, is on her first deployment and is taking advantage of the training opportunities offered to her while providing medical care to Belizeans near Corozal, Belize. The path Johnson, a native of Quebec, Canada, traveled to end up in Belize involved an extensive education and a change in career goals, but ultimately led her to operating in family care. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, she began with studies in physics and astrophysics, and then continued to serve three years as a signals officer responsible for enabling commanders to have command and control over their units by maintaining computer network, radio, satellite and phone communications. ”I enjoyed my work a lot, and I could’ve progressed in that career. But it would have meant a lot more of managing and engineering technical projects, and I really like to work with people,” Johnson said. “I had slowly been thinking about medicine to work more closely with people, and I essentially just applied.”

Army medic tests Spanish-speaking skills, learns civil affairs in Belize
A U.S. Army medic in Belize is taking the opportunity operating under New Horizons Belize 2014 to acquire and apply useful knowledge to better herself and her career. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Summer Ramjak, a native of San Bernardino, Calif., deployed from the 349th Combat Support Hospital in Los Angeles, is primarily acting as the first stop for Belizean patients in the Corozal, Belize, area and is also tasked with the additional duty of assisting civil affairs. New Horizons is a multi-faceted, international exercise geared toward providing mutual training opportunities between host nation and U.S. service members while assisting the host nation population in various capacities. Specifically, New Horizons encompasses Belizean, Canadian and U.S. medical professionals operating in numerous medical readiness training exercises throughout the country. The exercise also involves Belize Defence Force and U.S. military civil engineers constructing five school facilities and one medical care facility.

Robbers shot and killed; farm owner charged for murder
In a span of one week, opportunistic thieves raided and ransacked two houses that are located on a 45 acre farm belonging to the Johnston’s family. The farm is located in the outskirts of Carmelita Village and several times has fallen victim to the hands of thieves while the family was away. Apparently the same scenario was to play out on Friday night only that this time, 50 year old Edison Johnston, the owner of the farm was at home. It was while making routine checks on the farm that Johnston encountered two men burglarizing his property. Officer commanding the Orange walk police, Dennis Arnold says when police arrived at the farm, they met with Johnson who handed over (1) 12 gauge shotgun, (2) 12 gauge cartridges and his gun license.

Rose Classic basketball camp opens
This week, the 8th Annual Rose Classic opened at Birds’ Isle. Every Easter, Belizean-American Cleon Hyde returns home to run a two-week basketball camp for youth between the ages of 8 and 18, promoting youth development and a sense of unity in an often divided city. A draft of participants was held and teams selected in three categories: 8-12 years, 13-15 years and 15-18 years. Team uniforms were sponsored by American apparel giant Nike. Hyde runs a much larger similar camp back in the U.S. and recruits local volunteer athletes, trainers and referees to assist in the two-week program, also sponsored by the Belize City Council.

Pharmacists Association will proceed with action over Danini Contreras
The impasse between the Pharmacists Association of Belize and the Ministry of Health over the appointment of Danini Contreras is at the point of possible industrial action. Association vice-president, Marisol Melhado says they are proceeding carefully because they are part of an essential service and are working with the Public Service Union (PSU). But they hold on to their demand for Contreras’ exit, insisting that she does not have the qualifications nor experience for her specially-created post. According to Melhado, her Bachelor’s Degree, while enough for the Ministry, is short of the full requirements to practice in Belize – most importantly, her registration as a licensed pharmacist in Belize and experience in the field.

Nelson Young case moves closer to completion
Earlier this year we reported that Nelson Young, former employee of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), has been waiting for at least a year for the decision of an Essential Services Tribunal convened by the Ministry of Labour in 2012 to look into his case. Nine years ago he was fired at the height of civil unrest in 2005 by the Ashcroft regime in charge at the time, along with two others and later union representative Christine Perriott. When we last checked with authorities we were told that the report is on the desk of Minister of Labour, Senator Godwin Hulse. Today he told us that it’s still there, but because they needed legal advice from the Solicitor General’s Office on certain issues with regard to the report. That advice is coming next week and thereafter the report should be issued to both sides.

City Council reaches agreement with Belize Waste Control
This morning Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley and Belize Waste Control were back in court in the latest effort to resolve the contentious sanitation dispute. Last week they were at each other’s throats over the Council’s alleged cavalier attitude about paying the sanitation company on time and there were threats of further litigation. But the two sides have entered into a consent order before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin after Belize Waste Control indicated a willingness to settle the dispute. Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley, told reporters that the company agreed that they were now satisfied that arrears owed, now down to two weeks behind schedule from a high of 15 in December, are clear. The company will also receive $10,000 which had been deducted by the Council when the company had gone on strike because they were not being paid.

Cyclist Ernest Thurton shot and killed
Around 4 o’clock this evening in the Port Loyola area, popular cyclist and messenger for Santiago Castillo Limited Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton, 41, was shot and killed near his aunt’s home on Cumberbatch Street which he was taking care of. He had stopped in on an errand for his boss Hon. Santiago Castillo Jr when he was menaced and shot once, mortally wounded. Thurton leaves behind five children. He was a long-time cyclist and was certainly not known to have any part in the ongoing warfare on the streets of Belize City which has now claimed seven lives in four days. This evening Castillo issued a call for the issue of crime to be addressed by all.

CITCO and BWCL end litigation
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley says the Belize City Council is working on settlement with Belize Waste Control. This follows the decision by the sanitation company to end litigation before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin this morning. The Belize City Council, according to the Mayor, has paid down its debt to the BWSL to two weeks owed.

Easter 2014 Residential Garbage Pick-Up Schedule

Commentary: A mandate for a Garifuna nation
By Wellington C. Ramos On the 11th, 12th and 13th of April 2014, Garifuna people from the countries of “Yurumein”, now known as St Vincent and the Grenadines, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and the United States, came in large numbers for the first Garifuna Nation Summit. The purposes of this summit was to receive a mandate from the Garifuna people to form a Garifuna Nation, to receive updates on the state of affairs in the communities where the Garifuna people live worldwide, to establish a framework for the Garinagu people to work in concert with each other on a daily basis and to have the structures and institutions in place to help solve their problems. Prior to this summit, invitations were sent to all the government representatives in the countries mentioned above and only two countries responded and they were Belize and Yurumein St Vincent and The Grenadines. Representing St Vincent and the Grenadines were two Garifuna representatives: Honourable Senator Jomo Thomas, a Garifuna as well, and Honourary Consul Cardin Gil, representative for St Vincent and the Grenadines for the City of Los Angeles, CA.

Western Ballaz Beat Heat
Western Ballaz vs Heat pictures from Adma's Photography. They won 80 - 65. They have this week off, and then they host the San Pedro Tigersharks. She also got some great pictures of the opening introductions, where the Ballaz brought some heat of their own, and some pictures of the team posing with their fans.

Holy Saturday 9 Ball Tournament
Mom's Backyard is having a Holy Saturday 9 Ball Tournament. They'll also have a cook out on the 19th, and a dance at night. They'll have specials, lots of great food, and their stuffed jalapenos too.

Our Lady of Sorrows Procession
Happy Holy Tuesday! Last night was the Procession for Our Lady of Sorrows in Benque(pictures). Tonight is El Encuentro. "Holy Monday in Benque Viejo Del Carmen is observed with a Procesion that is carried on with the statue of our Lady of Sorrows and is called the Procesion of solemn silence or procesion de el silencio.

Combat Team Awards Belts
The Combat Team awarded orange belts to many of their students. They departed Belize yesterday, but after visiting many schools around Cayo(BCS), and having an exhibition at the GPC, they left an inspiration of God and an understanding of karate in their wake. Godspeed, and thank you, Combat Team! "All the kids tested for their belts last night and our instructor. The kids were so excited to received their Orange Advanced belts! Great things are happening at our Belize Karate School!"

Standard for Public Comments: Specification for Cement
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) wishes to notify the relevant stakeholders and the general public that the final draft standard “Specification for Cement”, being developed by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is out for public comments. Stakeholders are asked to note, on approval of the standard by COTED, the Bureau is obliged to adopt the same as a national standard. The deadline for submission of comments to the Bureau of Standards is May 23rd, 2014. The standard is also available on request from the BBS office and website at http://www.bbs.gov.bz . Comments can also be mailed to the BBS Office or email at [email protected] or [email protected].

A Celebration of the life of Bert Tucker: Belizean Renaissance Man
The Patrimony and Stewardship Working Group (PSWG) join with our Belizean compatriots in condolences to the mother, children, family, friends at home, the diaspora, and other regions of the world on the passing of our brother, son of the Belizean soil, Ambassador Adalbert Tucker. The veritable Belizean Renaissance Man par excellence non pareil, our dear friend and mentor, Ambassador Adalbert Tucker, was one of the brightest and most loyal facets of our jewel. Bert had astounding capacity, genuine humility, and from his vessel and learning and understanding, he unselfishly poured out his God-given talent and wisdom: even as this was always replenished. He grew our attention span and analytical capabilities. Sharing from his earliest teachings and discipline, private schooling under Miss Annette Maheia – through to Belize Technical College, University of the West Indies and Harvard the witticisms, anecdotes, philosophies he applied himself Walter Rodney-like to school our people.

Channel 7

Ernest "Dangalang" Gunned Down And Killed
Last night, we told you about the 5 men who died from gun violence over the Pre-Easter weekend, well tonight, our headline story is once again about another shooting death. This one happened this afternoon in the Junesville area of the city. Ernest Thurton was doing his job when a gunman attacked and shot him in the back. Why would the assailant attack a 41 year-old man? That's what we tried to find out when our News team arrived on the scene a short while after. Monica Bodden reports: 41 year old Ernest "Dangalang" Thurton - a well-known Belizean Cyclist - laid dead faced down in this yard behind his aunt's house in the Junesville area. It happened just after 4 this afternoon - some residents' say they heard the single fatal shot rang out. Turton who has been a messenger for San Cas for over 20 years was on the job and had just left the Income Tax Department. Hon. Santino Castillo - Thurton's Employer "Ernest Thurton better known as "Dangalang" started working with me about 20 years ago at Santino's, was a rider on team Santino's and then transfer to San Cas when I did and really was not a trouble maker at all." Monica Bodden "Now I know that it just happened, but can you confirm to us if he was on the job?" Hon. Santino Castillo - Thurton's Employer "Yes he was, he was taking some cheques - first of all he handled no cash. He is a messenger and he took some cheques to the Income Tax Department and I understand he was caretaking his aunt's house, so he pass here either before or afterwards to in fact look at the house. He apparently was lay waited at that time.

Pharmacists Respond Ministry: You've Been Ill-Advised
In our newscast last night, 7News showed you the response from the Minister of Health Pablo Marin and CEO Peter Allen. They basically said that despite the objections from the Belize Pharmacists Association, they would move forward with keeping Danini Contreras, the New Director of the Drug Inspector, in her post. As we've told you, the Association is opposed to the regularizing of her employment because she is unqualified for such an important job. Contreras has also come under particular scrutiny because of the perception that she only landed the job because she is the daughter of the Minister of Trade, Erwin Contreras. Well, after seeing their Ministry's position in the news last night, the Pharmacists Association asked to make a response to CEO and the Minister. Here's how they explained that they aren't getting in the way of the Director for the sake of it:

Mario Choc Died In Front Of His Family
Last night, 7News told you about how 27 year-old Mario Choc became the second accident victim this weekend when he was knocked down by Glen Crawford. As we told you, Crawford claimed that he had a moment of temporary blindness which happened when an oncoming vehicle's headlights flashed in his eyes. Choc received head and body injuries and was rushed to the KHMH for treatment where he died 2 hours later while undergoing surgery. Today, we spoke to his common-law wife, who told us that the incident unfolded right in front of her, and their child: Angelina Tot - Common-law-wife "I just off the bus and when I saw him standing on the gate then I saw him coming to meet me on the other side of the street." Monica Bodden "So he was already at home standing outside when I got off." Angelina Tot - Common-law-wife "I saw him coming but he was walking slowly. Two other vehicles pass and nearly hit him, so the third one that was heading to Ladyville, a white vehicle that hit. I didn't know what to do. I just scream and I ran to see him and I talk to him but he didn't say a word."

CitCo And Waste Control Cease Fire.. For Now
The legal battle between Belize Waste Control and Mayor Darrell Bradley's City Council has come to an end. That's the outcome of a hearing today before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. As we told you, this case against Mayor Bradley has been in court for several months, starting back in February of last year. At one point, Waste Control was pressing for contempt proceedings against Bradley when he owed them more than 3 months in arrears for their sanitation services. Well, he's managed to catch up to the point where he now only owes the company 2 weeks in arrears. The ideal situation would be a zero balance, but Mayor Bradley told us outside of court today that the Council will keep current in their bill with the company for the next few months: Mayor Darrell Bradley "The litigation is finish. The court had on the last occasion granted an adjournment to today's date for the claimants, in this case Waste Control to file what is called a statement of facts and issues for the court to satisfy itself what friable issues there still are. The claimants did not file that document and they had indicted to the court this morning that we were going to press settlement of the matter and we have entered into a consent order which the City Council agree to and which they likewise agree to.

Sixth Street Will Remain 1-Way
And while we had the opportunity, we asked Bradley about what's happening with 6th Street. Viewers may know that at the beginning of this month, the City Council turned that very busy business thoroughfare from a two-way street into a one-way access. The businesses owners were complaining that the decision has cause them to lose some of their customers, and today, we asked Bradley about that. He said that despite the protests, they will keep Sixth Street as a 1-way: Mayor Darrell Bradley "We had put together a series of consultations with various stakeholders that used that are; people who shop on 6th Street; people who visit; people who lived there and also business who operate from 6th Street. The one way has been working, we had monitored that and I indicated that that was for a month's period. Councilor Elrington who had responsibility for traffic likewise indicated that to the media. We have continued it because it seems to be working. The difficulty that we have had is that people are not adhering to the one way.

Mayan Communities Back To Court Against US Capital
SATIIM and the Leaders of the Mayan buffer communities have filed an application for an injunction against US Capital Energy to stop them from drilling inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park. They claim government gave the oil company an extension on their drilling permit last week, which is supposed to end on April 30. SATIIM's statement from last week says that the Mayan Communities views this "extension" as a direct contravention of the judgment handed down on Thursday, April 3. That statement, said, "We condemn any decision by Cabinet that seeks to circumvent the declarations and order of Justice Arana." It ended ominously by stating, "Should cabinet not rescind its decision we along with our communities will take all necessary action to block US Capital Energy from entering our Maya Customary Land." But while they've taken that stance, 7News has been checking into their facts as they've presented them, and both the Chief Forestry Officer and the attorney for US Capital says that the Mayans are mistaken. There is no extension, and according to the Wilbur Sabido, the Chief Forestry Officer, there hasn't even been a discussion with the company about that extension. And in relation to the counter by Michael Peyrefitte, the attorney for US Capital, who said that SATIIM misrepresented the facts of that meeting where the oil company's representatives gave their interpretation of Arana Judgment, the organization says that it did no such thing.

Senior B&B; Executive Passes Away
Former long-time Chief Financial Officer of Bowen and Bowen, Karl Ayres passed away on Wednesday of last week at a hospital in Houston, Texas. Ayres was 65 and has been suffering from ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. His family hopes that his death can raise awareness of the debilitating illness which is not widely known in Belize. ALS is a degenerative disease in which nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord die off, making it hard, and eventually impossible for the patient to walk, speak, eat, swallow, and breathe. A release from the company says that Ayres was a "great advisor to the Late Barry Bowen and later to his son Michael Bowen and contributed tremendously to the growth and success of the Bowen & Bowen group of companies." It adds, quote, "He continued to be a fine leader until he left his desk for the last time on Friday, February 28th amid the tears of the staff.." Ayres family has donated his organs to be used for ALS research as was his wish. His funeral will be held on Wednesday April 16th in Houston and a memorial service will be held at Divine Mercy in Belize City on the 23rd of April.

Joris' Winter Collection
In June of last year, Belizean Fashion Designer, Joris Hendrik, made our newscast when he turned heads at the Caribbean Fashion Week in Kingston Jamaica. That's when the Prime Minister's wife, Kim Barrow, wore one of his pieces at the event in that country, making an impression on the international community. Well, he's been hard at work to brand his fashion line, and he was also preparing for his fashion show here at home. It happened on Saturday at the Princess Hotel's King's Room, and our news team attended. Daniel Ortiz has that story: The Joris Hendrik label currently features of two lines of women's wear: Ready-to-Wear and Eco Love.

Enterprise Opportunities With Taiwanese Embassy
BELTRAIDE and the Taiwanese Embassy has been collaborating for the last 2 days. They're were working to give 80 entrepreneurs training and a business opportunity to strengthen and grow their enterprises and access funding. It's but one of the attempts to grow the countries medium, small, and micro enterprises, and today we stopped in to speak with one of the organizers about how it will went: Christine Smith - National Advisor, Regional Entrepreneurship Program "We are doing the second round of entrepreneurship training. It's a regional program that is piloted in Central America and the Dominican Republic. It involves training entrepreneurs. There are two rounds of training; this is the first training. After this training each entrepreneur will produce a video pitch which will be evaluated by a panel of judges. Those who are successful comes back to a second round of training, go through the process of doing the video pitch as well and they present to an evaluation panel and those who are successful will received seed capital to help them on their business."

Rose Basketball Tournament Returns
For the last 8 years, the Rose International Tournament has been coming to Belize to train aspiring basketball players in the skills and techniques in the sport. The facilitators usually accommodate several hundred young ballers, and today 7News stopped in to see how the basketball camp was going: Cleon Hyde - President, Rose Classic International "This is just an expansion of what I do in the States. In the States we've been doing it for 9 years and what I did was just piggy back the idea and brought it down to Belize. What we do, we do what's called an annual draft where the kids get pick to put on a team. We don't allow neighborhoods to bring their teams. What we do we have our own selection of teams and then we put these kids in the selection that's available. We've been doing it for 8 years and we've been pretty successful. A lot of kids have been with us maybe 6-7 years started out I would say standard 4 all the way up to 4th form."

Channel 5

Well-known cyclist, Ernest “Dangalang” Thurton, gunned down off Cumberbatch Street
A man was killed late this afternoon in Lake Independence, behind the Complex building off Cumberbatch Street. It is the sixth murder in four days and the seventh for the [...]

Homeless man perishes on Albert Street in the height of the lunch hour
A homeless man, who was a fixture in the downtown area, died today at around midday, in the height of the rush hour. The unidentified amputee would continuously hang out [...]

Should G.O.B. extend license to US Capital Energy for drilling in the National Park?
And our question for tonight is: Do you think that despite a court ruling government should extend the license to US Capital Energy for drilling in the National Park? Send your [...]

Pharmacists’ Association lashes back at Minister of Health for his unqualified comments
Government’s hiring of the daughter of Minister Erwin Contreras to a high level post in the Ministry of Health is meeting sustained resistance from the Pharmacists Association of Belize. The [...]

Pharmacists’ Association threatens with industrial action
The Pharmacists’ Association currently has approximately one hundred and fifty members. Even as the situation heats up, the association says that under the Essential Services Act, they are prevented from [...]

Minister of Labor comments on pharmacists’ issue
According to Public Service Regulations, for the appointment of Contreras to be rescinded, the association will have to make a formal request to the Ministry of Labor. In a brief [...]

Belize Waste Control settles with Mayor Darrell Bradley
After several weeks of litigation in the Supreme Court to settle outstanding arrears of some three hundred thousand dollars owed to Belize Waste Control, Mayor Darrell Bradley can rest easy [...]

Mayor Bradley says present agreement with BWC needs to be discussed
While there won’t be any further court action, Mayor Bradley says they still need to sit down to iron out the kinks of the present agreement, particularly where it concerns [...]

Santa Barbara resident gets bail following shootout with the police
Attorney Bryan Neal was able to secure Supreme Court bail for Marquin Drury, a resident of Santa Barbara Street in Belize City, who police alleged fired shots at them back [...]

Enfield Reyes charged for allegedly shooting at his wife
A domestic dispute between a business man and his wife turned ugly on Sunday night at their home in the King’s Park area.  Enfield Reyes is now being accused by [...]

Businessman taken to court for outstanding GST debt
Another businessman was before the court today. Darrell Carter of Carter’s Upholstery located on Cemetery Road was taken to court by the GST in respect of an outstanding bill amounting [...]

A time-share deal in Cancun that went bad for a Belize City businessman
Time-sharing is an increasingly popular option for regular vacation goers, especially in Cancun and other parts of Mexico. It’s sort of a club, where you can buy into future vacation [...]

Suspected human remains unearth on Iguana Street
On Monday morning, Belize Water Services Limited employees working near Iguana Street made a discovery of suspected human remains. The bones were unearthed as the employees were digging a trench [...]

N.G.O.s support SATIIM’s application for yet another injunction to stop oil drilling
Across the environmental community, organizations are lending full support to the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management. SATIIM, as well as the five Mayan communities, has proceeded to file an application [...]

Belize to enjoy visa free privileges to enter the Philippines
There isn’t any local official report on it, but the Department of Foreign Affairs of Philippines says that Belize is among a group of countries that will enjoy visa free [...]

Cayo police prepare for the Easter Holidays
The Easter weekend is just days away. For some, it is a time of Christian symbolism, for spiritual reflection. For others, it is a time to party…non-stop drinking and revelry. [...]

CTV3

Tillette's Bus Driver Pending Charges For Fatal Traffic Accident
The weekend also recorded two traffic accidents including one fatal. Thirty two year old Rafael Murillos, bus driver of Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District, was driving a bus belonging to Tillett Bus Line from the direction of Belize to Orange Walk when upon reaching mile 19 ½ Phillip Goldson Highway he collided into Raymond Allen Sedacy who was apparently riding his bicycle across the highway. As a result of the impact, Sedacy’s body was thrown several feet away from the bus lading in the middle of the highway. He sustained head and body injuries and died on the spot. His body was transported to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital where it awaits a post mortem examination. Police have since detained and served Rafael Murrillos with Notice of intended Prosecution.

Dubai Donates To The Ministry Of Health
The Ministry of Health today received twenty six health support vehicles during a handing over at the National Engineering and Maintenance Center Compound in Belize City. These vehicles are donated by the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. The health support vehicles are three-wheeled motorcycles with an attached covered unit equipped with seating and a stretcher to transport patients. According to a release by the Ministry, the vehicles will not be used as a replacement for conventional ambulances but will support the Ministry in the transportation of patients for healthcare services and coordinated assistance with our partners at health promotion events, social events, mobile clinics use and home visits.

All Establishments That Sell Liquor Must Be Closed On Friday
The Corozal Police Formation is preparing for the Easter Holidays and is ensuring that the Corozal residents in urban and rural areas are well informed of their security measures set in place. The latest out of the formation is an advice to the business community, particularly those with liquor licenses. The police inform this sector that all establishments that sell alcohol must be closed on Good Friday. This means that they are to remain closed from midnight on Thursday to midnight on Friday. There are exceptions though but only for hoteliers. They however must obtain a written authority from the chairman of the liquor licensing board that will include the hours granted for the sale of liquor.

More Lives Claimed In The Old Capital
A few hours after the old capital recorded its second murder for the night. Alfonso Cruz was associating with his friends at Rhaburn’s Alley, when the group was approached by a lone gun man riding a bicycle. The individual opened fire at the group and several shots caught Alfonso Cruz who was fatally wounded. Police investigations continue. The third life was claimed on Sunday night, this time an 18 year old resident of Belize City was the victim. At approximately 11:00p.m police visited Curl Thompson Street, Jane Usher Boulevard Belize City where they saw the body of 18-year-old Kevin Rodriguez of #8814 Jane Usher Boulevard with apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the upper and lower part of the body.

Johnson's Attorney Speaks About His Case
Senior Counsel and Attorney Hubert Elrington, has over 40 years’ experience in the court of law of Belize and while we were interviewing him on the case of his client, Edison Johnson, accused of murdering 23 year old Carmelita resident Luke Cox and 24 year old Rhaburn Ridge Village resident Saul Garcia after he allegedly caught them burglarizing his farm, of particular interest was his sentiment over the judiciary system. He made some stark insights referencing a case that was thrown out due to it being a ‘no case submission’ but the accused served years in prison. It is a similar case as with Johnston, so we thought it was worthy of air time, here is that excerpt. Hubert Elringhton– Senior Counsel “On Friday just before this incident occurred I was at Belmopan in another murder case with Freddy Fernandez and an on a no case submission after he was there for six years from 2009 to now no five years he was acquitted of murder on a no case submission the judge just said there is no evidence why have you had this man in prison for so long so you know. Well our system needs a lot of remedy and instead of being remedied is getting worst in my view, there is a major, major, major problem in the police and in certain parts of the judiciary there needs to be some major overhaul right away it is really in a bad situation in my view.”

Man Hanging Out At Club In Belize City Shot To Death
The weekend’s bloodbath also found its way into Belize City where there was also three homicides. The first took place on Saturday at around 6:42p.m. Reports are that 27 year old Darrington Robert Louriano of # 4142 Marigold Lane, Belize City, was hanging out at Mike's Club located on Regent Street West, when a male person of dark complexion dressed in a white T- shirt, entered the establishment and fired several shots fatally wounding Louriano who was sitting on a stool. Louriano received multiple gunshot wounds and fell to the ground where police found is body when they arrived at the scene of the crime. The victim’s body was transported to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital where it was pronounced dead on arrival. Louriano was got on the head. Police investigation continues.

Garcia's Sister Say's He Was Set Up
And while the community is still reeling from the tragedy in That unfolded on the Johnson's Farm, the family of 24 year old Saul Garcia, one of the deceased, is seeking justice for Their loved one. They Told U.S. This morning at the police station received to call That They from Saul who Informed them of his injuries and was pleading for them to send help. That help did not arrive and the police did not make the discovery of his body until the day after. Saul's sister, Reina Garcia says the family factotum factotum believes I was 'set-up', here is what she Told us. Reina Garcia - Sister of Deceased, Saul Garcia "My brother Hubert Garcia got a call from the at five o'clock and his wife got a call on the six o'clock I was alive, saying I Could she needs help and get a car to go to find him where I was shot and He Told the woman I did to set-up and That the Mentioned Lucas said I was going and Accompanying him well and so it Followed That I know my brother is not a thief and all people Carmelita knows he is not a thief and I was Accompanied by his friend because i do not know how I was to follow his friend that's what I do not understand, I do not understand Because my brothers are my dad, my mom us grown in the church that's what we do not understand How this happened but bad company and I've Said That I Owed the boy went to collect the money but the Lord says Were raiding but if They Were to say assault is not a farm and there is nothing there just some old sheets and then I do not know what happened there do not understand anything in This. "

Farm Owner Shoots Two Alleged Robbers, He Is Charged For Murder
Was it murder or was 50 year old Edison Johnson protecting his property and his life from criminals? That’s the question that looms in the minds of Johnson’s family. The 50 year old resident of Guinea Grass Village in the Orange Walk District was arrested and charged for double murder after he fatally wounded two men who allegedly invaded his property and were about to burglarize his farm located approximately two miles outside of Carmelita Village. While police found the dead body of 23 year old Carmelita resident Luke Cox on Friday night, the body of 24 year old Rhaburn Ridge Village resident Saul Garcia was not found until the following morning. It is a complicated situation, so much so, that even the DPP had to be involved. And since the double murder has left more questions than answers, CTV3 News’ reporter Maria Novelo took a closer look at what transpired on that deadly Friday night. Here is her story.

Broad Daylight Armed Robbery Takes Place In Centre Of Orange Walk Town
The audacity of criminals these days is daunting. For one young woman, this is an understatement after she was held up while on shift at a thrift store in Orange Walk Town today. The armed robbery played out shortly before ten this morning at the Orange Walk’s Bargain Center located on Main Street and it was all captured on camera. Dalila Ical reports. Dalila Ical – Reporting Two men entered the Orange Walk’s Bargain Center located on Main Street. They were a dark complexion male and another police are identifying as a Hispanic male. They held up the cashier on shift and stole cash and phones. The entire incident was captured on the surveillance camera at the store and here is a look at what transpired. The incident lasted for just under two minutes. And in that time span, the two individuals, clearly young men, managed to rob the store out of thousands of dollars. Hugh O’Brian is the store owner.

Thieves Target Church
This Easter season there seems to be a spike in cases involving thieves targeting several places from farm properties, to bargain centers and over the weekend even a church was targeted. Today we spoke with Second in Command at the Orange Walk Police Station, Inspector Selvin Tillet who told us that thieves looted the Life Ministries Church on the Chan Pine Ridge Road between Friday and Saturday morning. When caretakers arrived on Saturday, they were made aware that the church building had been burglarized and that the criminal or criminals, made away with several thousands of dollars in items. Inspector Selvin Tillett – Deputy Commanding Orange Walk Police “Items totaling over 20 thousand were stolen and this includes electric guitars, generators, clothes and accessories. Police have recovered so far a Honda brand motor machine valued at seven thousand, a green 75foot green hose valued at eighty five dollars, a metal rake twenty six dollars, a fender brand base guitar valued at a thousand dollars, Phillips brand mixture valued two thousand dollars, a yellow one hundred feet measuring tape, fifty dollars, two metal shovels at thirty five dollars each, a small shovel valued at twenty five dollars so far one person is being detained pending investigation.”

PlusTV

Cyclist Shot and Killed in Belize City
A Belize City cyclist was shot and killed in Belize City this afternoon in the Lake Independence area. At about 4 this evening, well-known cyclist Ernest Thurnton, also known as Danga Lang, was shot dead in Junesville, a housing community located just behind the Complex Building in Lake Independence....

Pharmacists’ Association will Proceed with Action Over Danini Contreras
The impasse between the Pharmacists Association of Belize and the Ministry of Health over the appointment of Danini Contreras is at the point of possible industrial action. Today the Association’s vice-president, Marisol Melhado, spoke to the press and said that the Association is not backing down. Marisol Melhado- Vice President...

Belize: The Third Most Murderous Country in the World
Each year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts a Global Study on Homicide to see which countries across the globe have the highest murder rates. According to a top ten list made by the United Nations, most of the murderous countries are Latin American countries and Belize and...

Nelson Young Case Moves Closer to Completion
Earlier this year we told you that Nelson Young, former employee of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), has been waiting for at least a year for the decision of an Essential Services Tribunal convened by the Ministry of Labour in 2012 to look into his case. Nine years ago he...

Belize City Council Reaches Agreement with Belize Waste Control
On Tuesday morning Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley and Belize Waste Control were back in court in the latest effort to resolve the contentious sanitation dispute. Last week they were at each other’s throats over the Council’s alleged cavalier attitude about paying the sanitation company on time and there...

Belmopan Bus Terminal Vendors Complain of no Equal Access
Food vendors at the Belmopan Bus Terminal claim that they are on the brink of losing their business to the more established Indian Businessmen. We resorted to an off camera interview because though they emphatically embrace their stance against what they call inequality, they say they remain fearful of...

Brazen Mid Morning Robbery in Orange Walk
There was a brazen mid morning robbery in Orange Walk. It occurred at the Bargain Centre on Main Street at around at 10 this morning. Information is still sketchy, however, Police released photographs to our friends at CTV 3 in Orange Walk in hopes that the public’s assistance could be...

WALL Belize in Solidarity with Roman Catholic Church’s Stand
United Christian Women’s Alliance Belize, also known as WALL, issued a press release saying that they join the Roman Catholic Church in celebrating the dignity of all women and in condemning all forms of violence, aggression and disrespect of women. The organization says they also support the Catholic Church’s...

Belizeans Stay up to Watch Red Moon
Those who stayed up to get a rare glimpse of a red moon were surely not disappointed. The skies were super clear in Belmopan as the earth moved directly between the moon and the sun causing filtered sunlight to shine through the earth’s atmosphere, making the moon appear red. ...

Blogs

“Help” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
After the gaffe the other day with my choice of song for the headline I’ve concluded two things. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to come up with a song. It’s also -fairly obviously to you and me alike- that I’m not that competent at remembering which ones I’ve already used. So in an attempt to make things easier for me and less repetitive for you I’ve come up with an idea – I do still occasionally (very occasionally I must admit) have my moments. It looks to me that I can manage one of these tasks on a consistent basis but managing the two of them now appears to apparently be beyond my diminishing capabilities. Oh for the days when I felt like I could remember everything (and more often than not did) . And have memory space to spare for colleagues (you know who are) whose memories weren’t as good. What’s the purpose of all of this you’re thinking. Get on with the good stuff (who do I think I am kidding). Well after this self-appraisal I’ve decided that action is urgently required (looks like I can still be decisive though). It’s obvious that I need help.

CD eating fungus found in Belize and how to save your cart from salt
I noticed a few of my CDs suddenly transparent squiggly lines on the surface. In my picture below you an can see how it started at the outer edge and was spreading as it devoured parts of the thin aluminum. I was not interested in any household science experiment involving fungus so I trashed the CD and opted for some research instead. I Googled the term “CD eating mold” and it brought me right back to Belize. This is not a new phenomenon the articles I read were dated back to 2001, the first one said researchers in Spain discovered a fungus that eats holes in compact discs and corrupts the information stored in them. They went onto say that after visiting Belize in Central America, Victor Cardenes of Madrid’s National Museum of Natural Sciences, found one of his CDs discolored, transparent and unreadable. The next one I read was a BBC news article with similar information, citing the fungus which belongs to the common Geotrichum family was brought back from the Central American country of Belize. They also reported many e-mails were sent from Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala describing similar cases of a strange fungus eating CDs that thrives in tropical heat and humidity.

HEAD OF OPERATIONS BLOG: SETTING UP BELIZE
The Frontier Belize Marine Conservation & Diving project has been a long time in the making. I remember sitting down with Frontier’s Managing Director in 2012 and thinking that Central America, and specifically Belize would make a perfect location for Frontier’s newest group project. Belize is a stunning location, not only on paper but in real life and I have been lucky enough to visit it twice with Frontier. The laid back, friendly people, colourful culture, amazing foods (you need look no further than Belize for the best fresh juices!) and beautiful environment. Belize boasts an incredible barrier reef, the blue hole, primary forest and a huge range of indigenous wildlife species. The Belizeans have a very advanced and thorough marine protection scheme through MPAs, zonation and enthusiastic co-management partners working in each area. However one thing that has become apparent as lacking is comprehensive baseline biodiversity data and monitoring programmes in some of the smaller, less well funded reserves.

International Sources

Cataloging Insect and Bat Diversity: A Research Trip to Belize
It was late 2002 and I had just received my latest Bat Conservation International magazine. As I relaxed on the couch and read the articles, my eye caught on a field expedition to Belize being led by biologist Fiona Reid. This expedition would study the bats of Belize at several locations in the northern half of the county in July of 2003 and they were looking for participants. I ended up going on the trip with two of my former students and it changed my life! We not only worked with the bats, but we stayed longer and brought back over 200 insect specimens from that trip. This trip started my love affair with that remarkable country. Since that trip, I’ve been back to Belize eight more times — often leading eco-tours that have a distinctly wildlife biology slant. On every trip, there is always a small research component where we document inventories of wildlife we see. But since 2003, I haven’t led a purely research-oriented mission until my upcoming trip in June 2014. For my next trip, seven biologists, including myself, will be studying the insect and bat diversity in the northern Maya Mountains of Belize. We will also establish a major entomology collection in Belize while conducting an inventory of bats in the area of the Maya Mountains.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The 9 Must-See Spots
We have seen some beautiful sites during our travels around the world. But don't take our word for it (although you should; we are experts) - many of our favorite places are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which means they are "places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy." And there you have it - spots that make this list are absolutely stunning. To date, there are 911 sites on the list and we have seen a ton of them. But to make things a tad more manageable, we've pared it down to 9 sites that you've just got to see. And if you can make it to all 911, then by all means go for it. 8. Belize Barrier Reef Belize is considered one of the best spots for diving in the world, in large parts thanks to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Belize Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. Indigenous wildlife like turtles, manatees, crocodiles and hundreds of species of fish and coral call its waters home. The site also includes sand cays, mangrove forests, lagoons and estuaries. Where to Stay: Chabil Mar Chabil Mar, right on the beach on Placencia Peninsula, has 22 spacious villas equipped with family-friendly amenities: open kitchens, washers/dryers, closet space and one to two bedrooms.

United Airlines introduces mileage option to carbon offset program
In celebration of Earth Month, United Airlines is enhancing its carbon-offset program to allow the airline's MileagePlus frequent traveler program members to redeem their miles for offsets to cover the carbon emissions associated with their air travel and/or cargo shipments, the airline said today. The Chicago-based carrier's existing program allows United customers to calculate and purchase offsets for travel and cargo shipments. But customers now can use either miles or money. The new mileage component is believed to be the first of its kind to be offered by a United States-based carrier. When MileagePlus customers opt to offset their emissions after booking on united.com, they may select from a list of United Eco-Skies partners to redeem their miles for the offset, including forest conservation near San Francisco, wind power in Texas and biodiversity preservation in Belize. The airline's carbon-offset projects were designed in collaboration with Sustainable Travel International, a global, non-governmental organization that specializes in innovative, sustainable tourism and conservation solutions.

DFA grants visa-free privilege to 7 countries
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Tuesday that it has granted visa-free privileges to seven countries allowing their nationals to enter Philippines for 30 days. “Effective today, April 15, nationals of seven (7) additional countries will now enjoy visa-free privilege to enter the Philippines for a period of stay of 30 days,” DFA said in a statement. “These countries are Belize, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan,” it said. The granting of visa-free privilege is seen to promote tourism and investments from the countries. “The [countries] have been emerging as key players in the international economic community and which have growing bilateral ties with the Philippines,” DFA said.

Why Latin America Is So Violent
According to a recent report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Latin America is the most violent region in the world, with an average 25 murders per 100,000 population, as compared to a global average of 6.2 per 100,000 population in 2012. Mounting crime related to drug-trafficking and maras (youth gangs), together with widespread availability of weapons and high levels of impunity, are some of the root causes of violence. In the absence of coherent strategies to address these issues (including a more effective global approach to the war on drugs, some form of weapons control in the US, and reforms to the police and judicial systems in the region), insecurity will continue to hinder businesses and economic growth and to trouble citizens in the region in the forecast period and beyond. The Global Study on Homicide 2013, the fourth in an annual series, provides an overview of the number of intentional homicides in the world, their distribution by country and region, a profile of the victims, together with an analysis of the police and criminal systems across the world, with their conviction rates.

Scubadiving in Centro America
Il Centro America propone molteplici attrazioni turistiche capaci di rendere questa regione una destinazione perfetta per una vacanza da sogno. Si va da una ricca offerta di turismo archeologico, coloniale, naturale e d’avventura, alla grande varietà di località per fare immersioni subacquee. A tale proposito, a Madrid si è recentemente tenuta la VI edizione della Fiera del Diving ed all’evento hanno preso parte anche rappresentanti dell’Istituto Honduregno del Turismo per valorizzare la propria offerta in questo settore. Nell’ambito della manifestazione il direttore di IHT, Emilio Silvestre, ha sottolineato come l’isola di Utilia, una delle isole della Bahía, sia un paradiso naturale per gli amanti di questo sport, grazie anche alla presenza di pesci colorati ed incantevoli barriere coralline. Inoltre, la suddetta isola risulta essere uno dei pochi posti al mondo, insieme al Belize ed a Panama, dove è possibile nuotare con gli squali balena. Il momento migliore dell’anno per vivere questa incredibile esperienza va da marzo a giugno, durante le notti di luna piena.

Call for Belize submission: Vidanta Foundation Prize 2014

Thunderbolt Water Taxi Schedule for the Easter Holidays
Monday through Thursday – Leaves 7:00 a.m. Corozal/San Pedro Returns 3:00 p.m. San Pedro/Corozal There will be no run on Good Friday. Saturday and Sunday – Leaves 7:00 a.m. Corozal/San Pedro Returns 3:00 p.m. San Pedro/Corozal Stops in Sarteneja: 7:30 a.m. and continues to San Pedro and returns to Sarteneja at 4:30 p.m. continuing to Corozal. Price - $50 Bz one way and $90 Bz round trip/person – Corozal/SanPedro/Corozal Children 5-9 years pay half price. Children under 4 and under are free. Price - $25 Bz one way and $50 round trip/person – Corozal/Sarteneja/San Pedro Have a safe and pleasant Easter Holiday from the staff and Management of Thunderbolt Water Taxi ! Thunderbolt 2nd Avenue Corozal Town 610-4475 and 4220026

April 6 - April 12 2014 Fishing Report
The Orvis Seminar began on Sunday with some classroom knot tying and on to the casting platform and then to strip setting and playing a bonefish, as well as guide lingo and tactics. The second Orvis Seminar arriving late in the week will overlap into next week.

Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You
When Riskin went to Belize to study bats and came home with a botfly maggot lodged in his scalp, he never faulted the itchy creature’s mother. She was just passing her DNA off into the future. That’s what every living creature does, Riskin says. We’re just “meat robots” at the mercy of our DNA. And Riskin believed that… until his son, Sam, was born. Surely, protecting our DNA is inherent in much of what we do, including parenting. We want our offspring to live to see their own offspring, thereby preserving our genetic make-up for generations to come. But does DNA explain love, or is love just a mask for the propagation of a species? Is Nature as benevolent as we believe it to be, or is there a “creepier side” that we should know about?

Videos

Videos: Poetry competition in Cayo,
Here are videos from a recent Rotary Club Event in Cayo, allowing high school youth to express themselves, on current issues in Belize. As I said the youth with the power of social media will demand change one way or another!! issues; political corruption, police distrust, education opportunities

Video: The beauty of pollination, 4min.
Be sure to have your sound turned on (and watch it in HD, full screen). The hummingbird doing rolls chasing a bee is not to be missed. Be sure to watch closely (around 2 min 40 sec) and check out the baby bat under its mother. Unreal. If you never knew what goes on in the garden when you aren't paying attention, watch this - some of the finest photography you will ever see and includes some time lapsed shots.

Video: Belize 2014, 6min.
University of Louisville Justice Administration, Communication, Dental, and Nursing, Faculty and staff Service Learning trip to Belize 2014.

Video: Belize 2014HD, 26min.

Video: Belize dangriga, 3min.
Bicycle ride

Video: Battle of the Bands Corozal Belize, 2min.

Video: Band Fest Winners; Belmopan included, 3min.
PlusTV

Video: Belize National Anthem, 1min.
Olympic Version London 2012 Versión Olímpica Londres 2012

Video: Belize ASB 2014, 4min.

Video: Belize // Part 1, 5min.
First part of the adventures I had in Belize!

Video: Belize // Part 2, 3min.
One day we were invited to the lake, and this is just a bit of what happened there. It was a blast! This was shot in 1280x720 at 60 fps, so that's the reason the quality is a bit worse than normal. Also, it was a smaller boat, so it was a bumpy ride, hence the bounciness of the video.

Video: Belize // Part 3, 4min.
The final part of my adventures in Belize! The last part of the video is so shaky, because that's how bad the road was.

Video: University of Florida Wild Spring Break in Belize, 16min.
It was called the 'Wild Spring Break in Belize,' and it was a unique educational experience for the University of Florida students. They got to tour the Belize Zoo, stay at the Tropical Education Center, see iguanas at the Green Iguana Conservation Project, Howler monkeys at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, and work with animals at the Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic. Daniel Velazquez' documentary on their visit is spectacular. NMSU also did a trip down, and the video is on fb. "Uflorida Wild-Spring-Break in Belize 2014 - Thanks to Daniel Velasquez for another great video. Thanks to BWRCs great teaching crew with Drs. Sonia, Fidu and Zoltan as well as assistants Dairy and Jaz and support crew with Mike, Sam and Justin. And last but not least thanks to Victoria Bender for coordinating and of course thanks to the students for being one of the best groups ever! Best of luck for your continued careers and we hope to hear from you again. Dr. I"

Video: Belize - Under the Sea..., 7min.
Snorkeling at the Barrier Reef in Belize Cayes.

Video: , 21min.
Whatever you thought a paradise was, Belize is! Perfect destination for incentive travel and tourism! Country of rain forest, coral reefs, culture and adventure!

Video: Golden People - Belize Documentary - Teaser, 5min.
5 minute trailer to my short documentary, "Golden People". The documentary reveals the cultural riches and economic poverty behind the tourism industry in the small country of Belize.

Video: MZBZ Belize City (Goldson Intl.) / Belize - Instrument Approach & Landing ILS 07 PA31T, 6min.
MZBZ Belize City (Goldson Intl.) / Belize - Precision Instrument Approach & Landing ILS RWY 07 Cheyenne II PA31T

Video: Western Caribbean Cruise April 2014 - Honduras, Belize, Mexico, & Key West, 11min.

Video: The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize, 16min.
Mick and Lucy Fleming, the owners and creators of The Lodge at Chaa Creek, take a wildly civilised approach to adventure travel in the Caribbean and Central American country of Belize, providing casual luxury in a vibrant, unspoiled rainforest setting . The resort offers customised eco tours and adventure activities including horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, hiking, mountain biking, birding, visits to the onsite Butterfly Farm, Natural History Museum, and rainforest tours including a traditional Maya medicinal plant trail. The Lodge at Chaa Creek also boasts one of best health spas in Belize and Central America. The accent is on comfortable adventure, and as a family owned and operated jungle lodge, caters to all ages and interests with vacations designed to get everyone involved in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And it's an adventure you can feel good about. The Lodge at Chaa Creek actively promotes sustainable, socially responsible tourism practices in the belief that visitors and host countries should benefit from our cultural exchange.

Video: Belizean Birthday Party, 2min.
Jason, the kids and I having fun at Alrena's 6th bday party.

April 15, 2014

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Lionfish Jewelry: looking good for a great cause!
Let us introduce you to one of these amazing minds, Petrona Hun. Petrona grew up in the village of Silver Creek, Toledo where she was intrigued by the art of crafting and designing at a very young age. She learned traditional Maya designs from village elders and incorporated ideas into her sewing, embroidery and basket weaving. While jewelry crafting has always been one of Petrona’s many talents she was introduced to eco- friendly jewelry and the idea of incorporating lion fish spines into her designs at an entrepreneurship training by the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE). When Petrona found out just how these predators were affecting our oceans, she jumped on board, and decided to help by doing what she knows best: creating an entire line of handcrafted lionfish jewelry designs!

The two police houses still not moved
Three weeks after the Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero and the Deputy Mayor Gabriel “Gaby” Nuñez promised to move the two houses donated to the San Pedro Police Department, no action has been taken. Moreover, there seems to be no real indication as to when the houses will be moved. Nuñez said that efforts are being concentrated in completing another project that will also help to alleviate the living condition problems. He said that the new buildings of the barracks are moving ahead. Financed by a small group of business people on the island and spearheaded by Mukul Kanabar, it is expected that the new barracks will be completed soon. In fact, the Deputy Mayor stated that all the wiring for the two-story building has been installed and windows are being put in place.

San Pedro Traffic Department now equipped with Breathalyzer
As part of the Belize National Road Safety Demonstration project, the Belize Transport Department has donated a breathalyzer to the San Pedro Traffic Department (SPTD). The breathalyzer is a device used to measure alcohol levels in the blood using a breath sample. This device seeks to crack down on irresponsible driving and prevent traffic accidents caused by drunk driving. Mayor Daniel Guerrero of the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) and Head of the SPTD Chris Nuñez were on hand to receive the breathalyzer during a short ceremony held on Thursday, April 10th at the Central Park to launch the “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign. The event continued with a couple of testimonies from residents whose lives have been affected by driving under the influence. Rafael Torres spoke of his experiences while driving under the influence of alcohol and how at many times he endangered the lives of other without even knowing.

Belize’s Tiburon Rum wins Bronze at San Francisco World Spirits Award
There’s another Belizean product turning heads and teasing palates in the international market arena and already it’s made a name for itself at the 14th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Award held from March 20th-23rd. Tiburon Rum, a double barrel aged rum from the shelves of Belize’s Traveller’s Liquors stood out among the 1,474 spirits submitted by distillers and importers from 63 different countries. Tiburon Rum is sold exclusively in the United States at $34.99USD per bottle.

Miguel “Motita” Fuentes shot on northern Ambergris Caye
One man was retrieved from the sea off northern Ambergris Caye after he was shot on Sunday April 13th. The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Miguel Fuentes aka “Motita,” a fisherman of a Boca del Rio address in San Pedro Town. At the time of the incident, Fuentes was accompanied by 18-year-old Christian Espat and 20-year-old Brian Espat, also fishermen of a San Pedrito Area in San Pedro Town. One of the people inside the vessel was US National, Dr. Gregg Godfrey. His intervention and medical expertise helped save the life of a heavily bleeding Fuentes. “We were travelling in the Bacalar Chico Area and we noticed three individuals waving their hands frantically and we went upto them. We noticed that one of them was shot and we pulled him into the boat and he said that somebody shot him with a big gun,” explained Dr. Godfrey. Once inside the boat, Dr. Godfrey managed to splint and bandage the wound, and then rushed Fuentes to San Pedro Town for medical attention. Fuentes was taken to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic II for treatment and later airlifted to Belize City, where he remains hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).

Ministry of Health Receives Donation of Support Vehicles from Government of Dubai
The Ministry of Health today hosted an official presentation of twenty-six (26) health support vehicles donated by the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. The presentation was done at the compound of the National Engineering and Maintenance Center Compound in Belize City. The vehicles will be distributed to identified priority regional and community hospitals across the country where there are transportation and logistical challenges; and also to areas that have a more dispersed high risk population group. On hand at the presentation were Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. and other health partner officials. The Ministry extends its gratitude to Minister Heredia and the Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred Elrington for their support in this initiative.

Ambergris Today

BTIA Launches Destination Belize 2014
The Belize Tourism Industry Association officially launches the 18th publication of Destination Belize Magazine. Destination Belize is the official visitor's magazine and #1 marketing collateral piece for Belize. The magazine is dedicated to showcase Belize and all it has to offer to our visitors near and far. The 2014 Destination Magazine includes amazing photography of our destinations and the BTIA has further incorporated the Belize Tourist Board's creative marketing strategy to ensure a unified public and private sector branding for Belize. It also includes articles on our remarkable reef; protected areas; Heartland of the Maya; Getting Married in Belize; Real Estate and Retirement; kite surfing; our exotic culinary dishes; yearly activities and a complete listing of industry partners and BTIA members.

Belize to Host 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay
The Queen’s Baton is set to arrive in Belize on Her Majesty’s Queen Elizabeth II 88th birthday, Monday, April 21, 2014. The anticipated tradition, which has become a staple of the festivities, happens every four years. This year it signals the staging of the XX Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23rd to August 3rd, 2014. Relay teams of one hundred participants will carry the baton to each destination where it will be welcomed with a reception, tree planting initiative and plaque ceremony. Celebrations for the Queen’s Baton Relay will be led by Patron of the Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association, H.E Sir Colville Young. Joining the GG will be British High Commissioner to Belize Mr. Peter Hughes, Consul General of India to Belize, H.E Arun Hotchandani, Minister of Sports Honorable Herman Longsworth, Mayors of the respective municipalities and executives of the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (BOCGA).

Catholic Church Easter Schedule 2014
Holy Thursday 6a.m. – Washing of the Feet Mass After Mass – Transfer of Holy Eucharist to the Parish Hall Till 12p.m. – Adoration in the Parish Hall Good Friday 4a.m. – Stations of the Cross Around Town 12noon – The Seven Last Words (Las Siete Palabras) 3.pm. – Celebration of the Passion of the Lord *Liturgy of the Word *Adoration of the Holy Cross *Communion Service 6pm - After Service – Procession around Town (El Santo Entiero)

All Access Pass inside Belizean Designer Joris Hendrik’s Fashion Show
The fashion industry in Belize is growing at a moderate pace and many are appreciating the hard work of our Belizean designers, but most importantly they are supporting them. Hard work and dedication pays off when you put your heart into something you love. I was invited by up and coming fashion designer Joris Hendrik to check out his latest fashion show inside the Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City. I came to know and befriend the talented Joris when I met him at his his first Eco-Friendly Fashion Show for Earth Day. Since then he has made some impressive accomplishments like showcasing his talent to Prince Harry during the Royal Jubilee tour and much more. This year I decided to give you an all access behind the scenes preview of the Joris Hendrik’s Fall Winter Fashion Show that took place on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at the Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City. I hung out backstage with the team as they prepared for the show. There I met the gorgeous models that were chosen to represent Joris’ fall winter collection and also the makeup artist Emmanuelle Habet - The Doll House and photographer Ernie Alpuche. The collection was truly amazing and props have to go out to Plastic, Knight and Day Photography and Crowns by Inga Woods for teaming up with Joris in making the show extra special.

Flashbacks: Amigos Del Mar, Friends of the Sea
Amigos Del Mar is very close to being “Twenty Five Years Ago”, like our columnist would say, or perhaps it already is. In this Flashback which was taken in 1992, 22 years ago, Amigos Del Mar boasted its original sign and logo, which even included a fax number that has now become obsolete. However, Amigos Del Mar owned by the famous Albino “Changa” Paz has truly lived up to its name, being Sea Friendly, Friends of the Sea or Guardians of the Sea. They protect and conserve all aspects of marine life and encourage all guests to enjoy the sea as is and to leave it a better place than they have found it. Amigos Del Mar has stepped up to larger boats, larger office and dive shop, larger and professional staff- indeed larger operations. Perhaps the most popular dive and tour operation in San Pedro, Amigos Del Mar remains committed to being Friends of the Sea.

Misc Belizean Sources

Reports of more illegal rosewood logging in Toledo
Earlier this month, the leaders of Medina Bank and Golden Stream vilages in the Toledo district reported that they have been getting reports of illegal rosewood harvesting in their communities. The leaders say that as soon as the illegal activity came to their attention, they reported the matter to the Forestry Department in Toledo, but have seen very little action on the part of the authorities to deal with the matter. And so the leaders organized themselves and proceeded to go in and confiscate the 31 unflitched rosewood logs with an estimated value of BZ$9,000. Reports are that a team of about 10 Belize Defence Force Soldiers later went to speak with one of the Alcalde allegedly to claim the rosewood; but when they refused to provide proper legal documents upon which they were making the claim to the logs, the leaders of Medina Bank village refused to hand over the logs.

Ministry of Health Receives Donation of Support Vehicles from Government of Dubai
The Ministry of Health today hosted an official presentation of twenty-six (26) health support vehicles donated by the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. The presentation was done at the compound of the National Engineering and Maintenance Center Compound in Belize City.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY - MASTERS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The program will begin on June 9, 2014 and will be imparted online in English. The scholarship deadline for this program is May 2, 2014 and admission deadline of the program is April 18, 2014. Details of this scholarship offer can be found at the following website: www.oas.org/scholarships or http://bit.ly/1q8Uszb

Businessman targeted for unpaid GST
Darrell Carter, owner of Carter’s Custom Upholstery, is in trouble with the General Sales Tax Department tonight after he was brought to court on a committal warrant. Carter’s bill with the Department stands at $23,847.36 and the prosecutor wanted no less than $6,000 today to avoid jail. According to Carter he could only pay $500 today and another $1,000 tomorrow as he is expecting to collect a payment. Carter has been perennially in trouble over taxes and contributions as he paid only $7,000 of a $22,000 bill a few years ago and has not honored previous commitments to pay off his debts to both GST and Social Security Board. Carter told the court that since a fire at his business on Cemetery Road a year and a half ago he has been having a lot of trouble, but the Magistrate was not lenient.

Three murders in 48 hours in Belize City
This past weekend in Belize City saw four separate shooting incidents in a span of less than 48 hours, causing three deaths and injury to a fourth man. Around 10:00 a.m. Saturday on Dolphin Street near Wesley Upper School, a man identified as 20 year old Glen Alvarez, aka “Dut”, was riding a bicycle toward the bridge crossing Collet Canal at the junction of North Creek Road and Fairweather Street when a single armed man, also on bicycle, rode up from behind and fired several times at Alvarez, who was injured in his left leg. One person is detained by Police, pending investigations. Nine hours later, police were called out again to Mike’s Club at the corner of West Canal and Regent Street West, where around 7:00 p.m., 27 year old Darrington Lauriano was shot three times by a lone gunman of dark complexion, who entered the bar through a back entrance located on the east side of the building near the canal.

Three traffic accidents, two fatal, in Belize District
Two men died and several persons were injured as a result of three traffic accidents in the span of two days on both major highways. At 8:16 p.m. Saturday night, Ladyville police found the dead body of Raymond Allen Sedacy flung off the road at Mile 19 ½ on the Philip Goldson Highway, with head and body injuries. They were allegedly caused by a Tillett’s bus driven by 32 year old Rafael Murillos, a bus driver of Carmelita, Orange Walk District. Murillos was driving the bus toward Orange Walk when he hit Sedacy, who was riding a blue beach cruiser bicycle across the road. Police have since detained Rafael Murrillos and have served him with notice of intended prosecution. About 25 minutes later in Belize City, Maxboro/Sandhill resident Glen Crawford reported to Precinct Four Police that he was driving a white 1995 Ford Ranger pickup from Belize City toward the Haulover Bridge and on reaching New Horizons Building he noticed an ambulance coming from behind him and traveling in his direction and he pulled off the road to let it pass.

SATIIM goes for injunction against Government
ollowing the April 3 ruling of Justice Michelle Arana that requires Government to consult the Maya people of Southern Toledo District prior to any attempt to continue exploratory work inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park, there has been serious disagreement as to its meaning. Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) says this applies to the current permit which expires on April 30; U.S. Capital Energy which is responsible for the work believes it does not. On April 8, Cabinet approved the extension of U.S. Capital’s permit to continue works inside the protected area. Attorney General Wilfred Elrington provided legal counsel on the matter, advising that the recent judgment does not apply to an existing permit; more specifically, U.S. Capital’s concession to drill for oil within the Sarstoon-Temash National Park.

Five charged including minor for ammo and weed
Six persons were taken to court today for possession of unlicensed ammunition and controlled substances following a Police search of a house on Far West Street on Sunday. Nicoli Rhys, 23 of Euphrates Avenue; Rheonna Rivero, an 18 year old student; Shane McKoy, 27; and Godwin Neal, Jr., an 18 year old student, along with a 17 year old minor who was also a student, were charged with possession of 2 9mm brass Luger brand bullets and 1.2 grams of cannabis located in a compartment inside a standing fan. A sixth person, nurse Bernadette Samuels, had to be taken to hospital from court this morning for treatment and has not been arraigned.

Entrepreneurship workshop focuses on helping small business develop
A two and a half-day workshop has opened at the Belize Institute of Management (BIM), focusing on developing entrepreneurship in Belize, Central America and the Dominican Republic. The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) signed up ninety entrepreneurs from around the country to learn about entrepreneurship and developing their businesses as well as preparing proposals to access capital. Facilitator and national advisor on the Regional Entrepreneurship Training Program for BELTRAIDE, Christine Smith, says the key to operating a successful small business is knowing your customer base and fulfilling a specific need in the community.

Trio charged for high seas incident
A trio of Belize City men were charged with aggravated assault and drugs and illegal fishing offences as a result of a bust on the high seas following a chase last week Thursday. According to police, two members of the National Coast Guard, Dobian Montero and Jose Reyes, reported that they responded to a report of an apparent robbery in an area southeast of Middle Long Caye in the Lighthouse Reef system, 20 miles from Belize City. Shortly thereafter they saw a blue and green 23 foot skiff under the name “Dannica” which corresponded to the vessel used in the robbery. The skiff fled and the Coast Guard officers set chase. Eventually, the vessel stopped in the water and as the Coast Guard closed in, four shots were fired.

Charges for shooting at basketball game
A Belize City youth has been charged with the attempted murder of a female minor who was shot while watching a basketball game in the North Creek Road area last month. 21 year old construction worker Hugh Philip Thomas of an Armadillo Street address appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and wounding in relation to the shooting of teenage student Hortence Lynch of Belize City. Lynch and two youths, Kenyon Moss and Justin Orellano, were shot by two gunmen who rode into the area on bicycle and fired toward their direction, where they were seated on a parked vehicle. Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer did not take a plea from Thomas, who returns to court from remand on May 30.

The Tale of the Two Cities
By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez The Belize that you see is a smoke screen Let me explain what I mean There is a Belize for the upper class Then there is a Belize for the lower class They have perfected their propaganda I can’t go to the border with Will Mehia UNIBAM is the agent for the US foreign policy or plan I can’t support Greg Choc fronting for an oil company from Alaska US Capital would have never invested 20 million On a wild assumption it is all shenanigans 38 villages and one they swindled from the Garifuna With both governments emasculated into collecting agent for the International Monetary Fund

Belize Zoo Visits SHC Science Fair
The Belize Zoo visited Sacred Heart College for their Science Fair this week, bringing some critters with them. "TBZ congratulates Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio town on another great science fair! The Zoo's Education team took the show on the road with colourful wildlife displays, animal artifacts, posters and more for the many students shuffling through the 'zoo-zone.' Herman the Hermit crab was this year's animal ambassador at the fair. Hermit crabs are usually shy recluses, but Hermit showed energy and charisma as he scuttled across the hands of curious students... However, TBZ Educators reminded students that humans(like themselves) are also capable of saving our natural world, and invited them to sign up for the annual conservation camp this summer. Be on the lookout for more info as July draws near!"

Benque Holy Week
Benque's culture and history show during Holy Week, and this year there's a lot happening for it. Palm Sunday(pictures) was celebrated yesterday. They are doing a Eucharist and Procession tonight in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. Tomorrow night, it's the procession of El Encuentro. Friday is the famous Sawdust Art Project, and the Passion of the Christ re-enactment. Saturday is the Easter Vigil. Happy Holy Week!

Parrot Forum
If you are in Orange Walk and want to know all about parrots, then we've got a forum for you. The Belize Forest Department in collaboration with the Belize Bird Rescue will be holding a very important information session on Tuesday, April 15. The event will be held at the Orange Walk Education Center starting at 5:30 pm. During the meeting, the facilitators will be sharing vital information needed to keep captive parrots healthy and on the Belize WIldlife Protection Act, Chapter 220.

CONTRABAND BY CONTRACT ON THE BELIZE BORDER
The contraband activity in the Benque Free Zone took an even darker tone over the weekend. Usually reliable source says on Friday night the contrabandistas began transporting some chemical that they had to extract from drums into gallon jugs for the backdoor trip to Guatemala. Although contraband activities have been going on in Belize for a long it is not in our best interest, as a sovereign nation to have the GOB involved with activities designed to evade legitimate customs duties due our neighbors. We are conducting some form of low-grade economic war against our large and powerful neighbors buy conspiring to evade their laws for personal profit of the members of government. The recent death of the Guatemala national caught planting weed and the recent find of harvested rosewood in Toledo also bear closer inspection.

Gales Point Day of Healing
Women of Belize, Sadly, in recent years, Belize has been plagued by violence, but there are people trying to make a difference... you can help. As you may have heard, grassroots community leaders from various parts of Belize City have been conducting a series of events known as the ‘days of healing’. I would like to invite you, on their behalf, to lend your support to their 11th event, scheduled to take place on the 19th of April in the village of Gales Point, ‘Malanti’. In their own words: “This effort seeks to rekindle a sense of commonality and reconciliation in neighborhoods across Belize, one community at a time. Ultimately, the organizers hope to stem the tide of violence and subsequent fragmentation of the community by using a bottom up approach.” The ‘Day of Healing’ movement, was borne out of that horrid quadruple murder on Dean Street. In a very evolved response to this incident, the Dean Street & George Street community came together in mourning and determined to show a different side of themselves from what was being portrayed in the news. They held a community open day of sorts, combining sports, family games and performances by local artists in an inspiring occasion for community residents and visitors of all ages to come together in unity, culminating in a stirring candle light vigil.

Ministry of Health Receives Donation of Support Vehicles from Government of Dubai
The Ministry of Health today hosted an official presentation of twenty-six (26) health support vehicles donated by the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai. The presentation was done at the compound of the National Engineering and Maintenance Center Compound in Belize City.

Earth Day in Corozal
Friends of Corozal United for Sustainability (FOCUS) in collaboration with the Corozal Town Council, other environmental groups, friends and schools proudly announces Earth Day April 26th, 2014. Earth Day is on April 26th. The global Earth Day initiative for 2014 is “GREEN CITIES”. To commemorate Earth Day (FOCUS) will adopt the “Corozal Green Mile” trash clean-up campaign. We (FOCUS) will start from the northern border Santa Elena in Corozal to the southern boundary in Buena Vista Village, Corozal on the Phillip Goldson Highway. After the clean-up activity, we will all meet in Mangrove Park, Finca Solana area where there will be invited speakers, food, prizes, as well as educational tours to finalize the day’s activities and express appreciation to the participating working group. We are requesting your groups participation and support. We are inviting you to form part of our clean-up campaign under the concept of “Adopt a Mile: Keeping Corozal Clean”. By signing up in support of this effort you can make this event a united and successful effort for the environment.

Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies
The U.S. Embassy is partnering with the University of Belize to facilitate a 6 week FREE online course offered through Case Western University titled, "Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies." The course starts on April 28th so sign up today! While the course work will be offered online and completed at your convenience, we will host scheduled review meetings with an Embassy facilitator to help participants better understand and discuss course materials. At the end of the course, the participants who successfully complete the course materials, and attend the review meetings will be given a certificate of completion to add to their professional resumes. If you decide to sign up for the course and want to attend the review sessions. Please email us at [email protected] so that we can send you the meeting schedule and location in Belmopan.

Liquor store hours Good Friday
The Corozal Police Formation would like to inform the business establishments and the Public at large as to the opening hours for ALL LIQUOR LICENSE ESTABLISHMENTS on Good Friday April 18, 2014. All liquor establishments must be closed on Good Friday which means from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday. Exception is granted to Hotel License, however the owner (s) must obtain a written authority from the Chairman of the liquor board which should include the hours that are granted. Whilst in the past, it is the Public’s concept to open after 6:00 p.m. on Good Friday, it is not law and the Police intends to enforce this specific Act in conjunction with the Liquor Board. Thanks for your understanding and support.

Channel 7

Man Kills Two Alleged Robbers: Police Say It's Murder
It was a deadly weekend in Belize: there are 5 murders to report on tonight, plus two traffic fatalities, a total of 7 deaths, all males between the ages of 18 and 57. We start tonight with a story of two killings In Carmelita Village, Orange Walk which many thought would not result in murder charges. Two alleged robbers were killed by the property owner whose farm they had just raided. He was defending his property but police said he went too far, and that's why they charged him for murder. Daniel Ortiz has the story:... Daniel Ortiz reporting The Johnson farm was still smoldering, today, signs that it had been burnt to the ground. The two houses that they worked hard to build were ransacked and all the items of value were stolen. Thieves tore off parts of their roof, probably to gain entry.?The family's life's work had been reduced to nothing. That's the difficulty that 50 year-old Edson Johnson, the patriarch of the family found himself in on Friday when he visited the farm. He then opened fire on 2 men when he found them trespassing on his property.

Hon. Boots Saw Darrington Die
And so while those are the two murders in Orange Walk - there were three in the city - all occurring between Saturday and Sunday night. We start with the first at around 6:30 on Saturday night. 27 year old Darrington Lauriano was killed in what is believed to be a gun related shooting. And on Saturday night, he was hanging out at the famous Mike's Club in Belize City when he was executed. It was witnessed by minister of government Anthony Boots Martinez who told us what he saw: Jules Vasquez reporting It might look shabby from the outside but Mike's Sporting Club on Regent Street West is the oldest bar and membership club in Belize. On Saturday evening at 6:30, it was buzzing with activity and regular patron, Minister Anthony Boots Martinez was there: Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Human Development "People were playing checkers, people were playing dominoes, people were watching TV talking about the fight the night. I was sitting playing domino and I just heard what seems to be like the sound of dynamite."

Man Crushed By Bus On Saturday Night
The pre-easter weekend was deadly in more ways than one. As we've shown you, there were murders, but there were also two traffic fatalities. The first happened at Mile 19 and a half on the Northern Highway where Raymond Allen Sedacy crushed by a Tillett bus on Saturday night. We were on the scene, shortly after, and Daniel Ortiz reports: Daniel Ortiz reporting The body of Sand Hill Resident, Raymond Allen Sedacy, was removed from the Northern Highway, to start its journey to the KHMH Morgue. He became the latest victim of a fatal traffic accident at mile 19 1/2. He was trying to cross the highway on bike, and he was a short distance away from his house, when he was struck by an empty Tillett Bus heading north. The Rural Executive Officer, whose officers had to investigate yet another fatal traffic accident in his jurisdiction, spoke to us on the scene shortly after it happened.

Another Saturday Night Fatality
And while police were at that fatal accident scene near Sandhill, there was another at mile two on the northern highway near the New Horizon Building. GLEN CRAWFORD was northbound in a Ford Ranger Pick-Up when he saw an ambulance coming up fast behind him. He pulled to the right side of the Highway to let it pass, and then got back unto the highway. He said that he drove for about 1/2 a mile when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction blinded him with high beam lights. To avoid an accident, he again veered to the right side of the road. That's where he hit 27-year-old Mario Choc of 3 ½ Miles northern Highway who was walking on the side of the road. Mario Choc received injuries to both of his legs, right hand and head and died while undergoing surgery at11:50 p.m. Notice of intended Prosecution has been served on Glen Crawford.

Murdered For A Gun Stolen From Cops?
And as we've shown you already, this weekend's death toll was staggering. 7 men lost their lives, either to murder or traffic accidents. The youngest was 18 year old Kevin Rodriguez. He was at home in the Port Loyola area late last night when death came calling. We found out more from his aunt and mother:.. Jules Vasquez reporting 18 year old Kevin Rodriguez was killed at this house on Curl Thompson Street Extension. He got a call at a few minutes to 11:00 according to his mother who asked to appear off camera: Sylvia Rodriguez, Mother of Deceased "He received a phone call yesterday and he came out outside - just that." He went outside to what neighbors say was a barrage of gunfire. His aunt was sleeping inside. She asked to appear off camera: Brenda Aguilar, Aunt of Deceased "I was sleeping when I heard the gunshots. I awoke and lay down on the ground. I wait a minute and then I came out and saw him already dead. I couldn't do anything. He calls me saying Brenda, but when I came out I couldn't do anything."

What's With Stolen Weapon?
And while the murder is presently unsolved, that firearm is compelling. It was stolen from police possibly used in a homicide two weeks ago, and now could have factored into another murder. That's a terrible trail - particularly for a weapon that should have been used to keep the peace. But, right now all that is known for sure is that it was stolen from police and found in the yard beside Kevin Rodriguez's home: Corporal Jorge Lemus, Admin Officer Precinct #2 "We can confirm at this time that yes it is a weapon that was stolen from Precinct #2. At this time the investigation is still ongoing with that of the other homicide that we suspect that the weapon might be involved in. The weapon in question was a 9mm pistol that was stolen and found in an abandoned lot in the Jane usher Boulevard area and our investigations reveals that this person is sought for questioning concerning that same firearm." The firearm is presently being put through ballistics testing.

Grown Man Killed In Random Shooting
And the last murder we'll tell you about tonight is probably the most senseless. 57 year old Alonso Cruz was the victim of a random shooting that had nothing to do with him. Cruz was a working man a heavy equipment operator - and known as one of the most generous persons in Rhaburn's alley off North Front Street. But a deranged gunman on bicycle seemed that he didn't care who he shot on Saturday night. A neighbor who responded to the scene told us what happened at about 9:30:.. Voice of: Neighbor "They say that a known gunman passed through the alley and snap his gun in a sprang-head face and the gun jammed, so he went into one of the yards close by to check his gun. It seem that he came out back to see if his gun was working and meet the master in the yard relaxing and he opens fire on the master. The master didn't make, he died in the ambulance." Police have made no arrests.

Shooting On San Pedro: Injured Man Escapes In Boat
So far tonight, we've told you about the 7 deaths, 5 of which are being treated as murder. Well, there was another shooting in San Pedro, in which the victim narrowly escaped fatal injury. The San Pedro Sun reports that it happened at around 5 p.m. on Sunday in the Bacalar Chico Area on Northern Ambergris Caye. 25 year-old Miguel Fuentes was walking on the beach with several other men, when a group of 5 approached them. One of the men started shooting at the group, and Fuentes was struck once to the left hand near the elbow and once to the right side of the back. Fuentes and his companions ran into the sea, where they escaped, and were picked up by a passing vessel. One of the occupants of the vessel was fortunately a doctor, who gave Fuentes emergency treatment to stop his injuries from bleeding out. He was then rushed to the San Pedro Poly Clinic, and he was later transported to the KHMH.

Alleged Pirates Charged
3 men who shot at the Coast Guard, and are suspected of being pirates have been charged and arraigned. 28 year-old Giovanni Murrillo, 19 year-old Everon Teck, and 36 year-old Lionel Sedacy, were all arraigned before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith, today on the charges of 2 counts of aggravated assault for allegedly firing 4 shots at them on Last week Thursday. Though they pleaded not guilty, the offences were allegedly committed with firearms, so all 3 men weren't eligible for bail. They've all been remanded to prison until May 30. Sedacey was arraigned by himself for drug possession of 0.9 grams of cannabis. He pled guilty to that charge and he was fined $100 and he was ordered to pay forthwith, in default 3 months. But his troubles were not over just yet. He was then taken before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser and charged with possession of 31 lobster tails out of season and possession of 4 turtle fins. He pled guilty to the charges and he was fined $4,000 for the turtle fins and $650 for the lobster tails. He was given until April 30 to pay. If he defaults on payment he will serve 1 year and 3 months.

6 Charged For Firearm
These 3 alleged pirates were joined by 6 others today because police say that they had bullets and drugs in their home. Yesterday, police searched a house at 10 Far West Street and found the 2 bullets and a small quantity of cannabis. Present at the time were 23 year old Nicoli Rhys, 27 year old Shane Mckoy, 18 year old Rheonna Rivero, 18 year old Godwin Neal Jr. a 17 year old male student of Wesley High School and Bernadette Samuels, a nurse at KHMH. But only 5 of them were arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser because Samuels collapsed with high blood pressure and she was admitted to ward at KHMH. The 5 were charged with kept ammunition without a gun license and possession of 1.2 grams of cannabis. They pled not guilty to the charge, but they were remanded into custody.

Ministry Will Fight Pharmacists
Last week we told you about the Belize Pharmacists association rejecting the proposals form the ministry of health to regularize the employment of Danini Contreras the recently installed Director of the Drug Inspectorate. The Pharmacists rejected a compromise and held their ground that she has to go. Well, the Ministry is also holding its ground. We spoke to the Minister and the CEO today:.. Peter Allen, CEO - Ministry of Health "It is a little bit difficult for me to think that what is a special interest group that has an interest of course in who conducts inspections, should be telling us who the inspector will be. Obviously we are open to negotiations and it was for that reason that the Minister suggested that the association was welcome to send a representative on any inspection to make sure that the process was transparent and fair and the executive rejected that. The executive has since written saying that they feel that they will be force to use the essential services process. I did check just this morning before I came because for some reason I thought you might ask me, but the minister of labor has not yet received notification about such a process. But if indeed that is the process for the settlements of disputes then once again the ministry is happy to proceed with the process. We do think we are doing the right thing." Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health "We are not overseeing anyone, we are looking at an area that will benefit the country. Everything we do is for our people and if we have someone to go out there and look at illegal drugs, the quality of drugs and test the drugs that we have then that means that we are moving forward and that is everything that we are doing. It is sad to see that six years from now, the Pharmacy Association is jumping on something that we are trying to do for the benefit of the people."

A Three Wheeled Ambulance? Not Quite!
Over the years, we’ve seen the rise of the three wheeled vehicles, called auto rickshaws in India. They are pretty basic, a modified motorbike connected to a covered lorry. We’ve seen them used for light transport and cargo – but we’ve never seen them outfitted with ambulance sirens! 26 of them are a donation from the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. We found out how they will be deployed:..

What's Being Done About Unhealthy Audits?
We also got the CEO in the ministry of health to speak about a pair of audits. The first is for the Central Health Region, basically the Belize district where the auditor general has completed a report which found irregularities. That was months ago, but apart from a suspension, nothing substantial has been done. Allen told us it is a process..

Channel 5

Darrington Lauriano killed inside Mike’s Club
A United Nations report places Belize as the third of ten countries with the highest rate of murders in the world. It’s a startling statistic and this past weekend proved [...]

The senseless murder of a 57 year old Rhaburn Alley resident
The second murder took place hours later on Saturday night. Fifty-seven year old Alfonso Cruz of Rhaburn’s Alley, Belize City was shot to the left side of the chest and [...]

18 year old south side youth murdered in Jane Usher
Twenty-four later on the south side, eighteen year old Kevin Rodriguez was gunned down and his family believes he was lured to his death. Just before eleven p.m., Rodriguez, received [...]

2 robbers are shot and killed by a farm owner in Carmelita, Orange Walk
The weekend’s violence started on Friday night up north in the village of Carmelita when a fifty-year old grocer from Guinea Grass and his son visited their family farm located [...]

Attorney says farm owner will be trapped in prison for years
In just a matter of seconds on Friday, Edison Johnson’s life was changed for all time. He is now an inmate at the Belize Central Prison, charged with two counts [...]

UN Report says Belize is the third most dangerous country in the world
Where murders are concerned, Belize recorded fewer numbers in 2013 that in the five years prior. That was good news for a country under siege, and provided hope that perhaps [...]

2 traffic fatalities in Belize District
Aside from the five persons who were murdered, two others died in traffic fatalities. There was a fatal traffic accident on Saturday night near mile nineteen and a half on [...]

Sea pirates arraigned for aggravated assault with firearm
  Three Belize City pirates were arraigned in the Belize City Magis