Recent Belize News, 5/21/2015 to 5/31/2015, BelizeNews.com

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Congratulations to our new Miss Chiquitita 2015 - 2016, Killianie Sosa
Killianie was sponsored by Gaby's Construction and won over the judges in the pageant held May 30th.

The Coconut Telegraph in San Pedro doesn’t hold water
As the for sale sign was posted at Saga Humane Society on Sea Star Street early Saturday morning, the rumor mill in San Pedro dubbed the “coconut telegraph” was so hot it nearly caught flames. Speculation that Saga Humane Society was for sale circulated, as did its’ potential closing for most of the day until Saga issued a Facebook post and a release to the media that all is well for Saga Humane Society and that expansion is on the horizon, not closure. Saga Humane Society Board Member Kevin Smith commented, “No Saga is not for sale, and No Saga is not closing its doors. We were notified by the landlord that she and her partner have made the decision to sell the property for personal reasons. We have good open communication with the landlord and the real estate company and will have plenty of time to make arrangements for all of the animals that we will continue to care for”. The sale of the property on Sea Star Street may be just what the doctor ordered for Saga Humane Society who has been working on a strategic plan which includes a new building to house the clinic operations and the shelter animals all under one roof with advanced equipment and diagnostics.

2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast: “Below Average”
With the 2015 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season starting on Monday, June 1st, meteorologists are predicting a historical below average activity. A total of nine named storms, five hurricanes and one major hurricane are expected this season, with the first storm name already used. Tropical Storm Anna developed Friday, May 8th and was the first pre-season development of the 2015 Hurricane Season. The forecasts were prepared by the Weather Channel Professional Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Colorado State University (CSU), and all stated below average hurricane activity for 2015. Out of the predicted storms, only one is expected to attain ‘major’ status. According to the forecast, the moderate strength of the El Niño phenomenon and a relatively cool tropical Atlantic condition is attributing to the expected low activity. “Both the dynamical models and our proprietary statistical models suggest a relatively quiet tropical season this year,” stated Meteorologist Doctor Todd Crawford of The Weather Channel Professional Division.

Minister Manuel Heredia clarifies questions surrounding Hol Chan Marine Reserve Expansion
Following years of lobbying by marine environmentalists on Ambergris Caye, the expansion of Hol Chan Marine Reserve was approved by Cabinet and inaugurated in a grand celebration on February 25, 2015. But shortly after the celebrations, news broke out that the Statutory Instrument (SI) was still being reviewed by the Attorney General. Thirty days later, the SI remained unsigned, leading to the belief that the expansion was not yet official. Since that controversy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation and Area Representative Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. went on the record to clarify the allegation and confirm that the expansion is official. “When we inaugurated the expansion of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve it was already official. Yes the document was still being reviewed by the Attorney General but only to ensure that it does not contravene any other law. Honorable Lisel Alamilla (Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development) signed the SI shortly after the ceremony with my support,” said Heredia. According to Heredia the confusion was blown out of proportion without reason. “Once the relevant Minister placed their signature on the SI and it was gazetted, then it became official. The Attorney General advises on the legalities and wording of the SI to ensure that everything is in proper order. It doesn’t need his signature to make it a done deal. This is what caused the confusion,” said Heredia.

SPTD initiates tint removal from vehicle windows
The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) and the San Pedro Traffic Department (SPTD) conducted the removal of tints from taxi vehicle windows on Tuesday, May 26th at the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sports Arena. The activity started at 8AM and ended around 5PM. The measure came into effect after recent incidents in which taxi drivers’ safety has been jeopardized. According to Freddy Gonzalez, foreman at SPTC, this initiative is also aimed at getting anyone on the island that has a vehicle with tinted windows to remove it. “We are doing this for the safety of not only the taxi drivers, but everyone on the island. We encouraged everyone who has their vehicle windows tinted to cooperate and have the tints removed,” said Gonzalez.

Placencia hosts 3rd Annual Sailing Regatta
On Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th, young sailors from across the country converged at Placencia Village for the Third Annual Placencia Sailing Regatta. The regatta saw the participation of 15 sailors from five of the country’s top sailing clubs. Despite inclement weather conditions, this was the Belize Sailing Associations (BzSA) second National ranking sailing regatta that determines the sailors who will participate in the National Champions Regatta (BIZ15) at the end of the sailing season. The participating clubs included the Belize Sea Scouts (BSS), Belize City Sailing Club (BCSC), Corozal Bay Sailing Club (CBSC), Placencia Sailing Club (PSC) and the San Pedro Racers (SPR).

San Pedro supports World No Tobacco Day 2015
May 31st is observed as World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) to highlight the health risks associated with the use of tobacco based products. This year, events are being held under the theme “Stop illicit trade of tobacco products”. The theme calls for countries to work together in implementing regulations and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. While there are no scheduled activities for San Pedro Town, National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC) representative Kristina Romero is encouraging everyone to observe the day by not smoking. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is also inviting the public to join in commemorating WNTD 2015. This year, all district offices of the NDACC will convene at the Belize City office on Amara Avenue to celebrate the day with a community information fair focusing on the negative effects of tobacco consumption and the health of our communities. NDACC encourages the public to visit the information fair and participate in the activities. Information will be available on the harmful effects of Tobacco, second-hand Smoking and the work that the MOH is doing in the area of policy development and creation of smoke free areas. The fair is aimed at raising awareness on the health, economic and social impact of the illicit trade of tobacco products due to increased accessibility and affordability.21 World No Tobacco Day-1

Misc Belizean Sources

LICA Teacher Orientation Session
Today, we held a meeting with all the LICA teachers in Belmopan to share the idea and philosophy of LICA. The session is one of many training sessions. By September 2015, the teachers will be ready to deliver to the children of La Isla Cariñosa Caye Caulker. I don't believe in getting teachers and simply throw them into a classroom in September, absolutely not; they need a full orientation and need to be fully prepared to work with our Caye Caulker children, administration, parents, and community. September 2015, you will see new faces of educators on Caye Caulker. It was an interesting session. At the introduction, I sensed their nervousness. They mentioned that they have heard a lot about me from their professors and that I had high expectations in the education field, that I am "tough" and demand high quality. My response was, with our Belizean children, they deserve nothing less than high quality. During the presentation, they were inspired by the idea of LICA. One teacher, during the presentation asked, "Is it really possible to have that kind of school in Belize." My response was, "Certainly." The idea of this school exist in developed countries and I have personally visited in the USA and in Europe. The idea is not one created in my mind. The idea exists in countries genuinely concerned about the delivery of quality education to their children. These country hold strong policies in the interest of children align with the Convention of the Rights of a Child policy. Although Belize may not enforce these policies, LICA will ensure we deliver quality and meet the standards compared to international educational institutions.

Freak accident takes the life of Xaibe resident
A man from Xaibe village succumbed to injuries sustained in a freak traffic incident. Information to our newsroom is that the man was sleeping under the truck, when his partner drove off, dragging the man in his trail.. More in our monday newscast..

Channel 7

Just To Get By
For the past month, Belize City resident Caroline Hamilton and her family have been having a very bad go of it after their house burnt down on Aloe Vera Street Extension. She's been going around trying to seek assistance to build a new home, and since she's not having much luck, she and her common-law husband have been forced to live in the remains of what used to be her home. That's below any standard of living, and today, our news team visited them to see firsthand what they've had to endure just to avoid sleeping on the street. Daniel Ortiz has that report: Caroline Hamilton - Fire Victim "I don't have anywhere to live with my kids. The situation is, I live in a frame that used to be my home." Daniel Ortiz reporting That's this bit of charred remains. It once was the home of Caroline Hamilton, her 3 kids, and her common-law husband. Now, it's just a frame made of burnt wood, structurally unstable and ready to collapse at any moment.

PUP Rep Breaks Party Line, Says Yes To Petro-C
The PUP's Ivan Ramos is in trouble with his party tonight - that's because the Dangriga Representative broke the party line and accepted Petrocaribe monies. 7News has obtained a signed letter from Ramos to the Prime Minister dated Wednesday May 27th in which he expresses his support for, quote, "the Petrocaribe arrangements and the benefits the nation is deriving therefrom" end quote. Ramos then goes unto ask for the $25,000 dollars that the Prime Minister offered to opposition representatives in April. Here's what the PM said at the conference on the 29th:.. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize "May I tell you that I've been approached by a PUP representative asking for a share of the Mother's Day Christmas Cheer?" Crowd "Which one?" Hon. Dean Barrow "I'm not calling any names. I'm not calling the man's name. I told him, I can give you, but I have to make it public. Let me offer to all of them $25,000 each, as part of - Man, even though they are quarrelling with us, everybody must enjoy Petrocaribe, and their constituents, they have mothers too. They can get $25,000 for each representative, but they need to work that out with Francis and Julius."

Flare Up At Southern Border Between Bze Coast Guard & Guat Navy
< Relations between Belize and Guatemala are uneasy tonight - and that's because there were a pair of tense confrontations between the Guatemalan Navy and the Belize National Coast Guard in the Sarstoon yesterday. Once again, the Guatemalan Navy accused Belizeans on Sarstoon island of being within Guatemalan Territory. Except, in this case, it wasn't the Belize Territorial Volunteers, but a coast Guard Patrol which was on the island, which is squarely within Belizean territory. Here's what happened: the Coast Guard personnel were on Sarstoon Island doing reconnaissance on Thursday morning when a Guatemalan Naval patrol pulled up to inquire what they were doing in the area. Prior to this, the Guatemalan naval vessel was making some aggressive maneuvers in the river. So, it made things even more testy. Now, the Belize Guatemala southern border is defined as the deepest channel in the Sarstoon river south of the island, meaning that anyone on the island is squarely in Belize. Armed with that knowledge the Coast Guard Commander told them that they - the Guatemalans - were the ones making an incursion into Belize and they should go back. The Guatemalans retreated, but returned in the afternoon with two vessels and the confrontation played out again.

The Body 2000 Takedown By City Hall
Body 2000 - it's the largest and most popular gym in Belize City - and sports all the posh clientele, from the Prime Minister and his wife, to the northside nouveau riche. But this afternoon, those getting in their Friday workout were told by police that they had to pack up and go home - because the gym was bring closed by order of the city council. The receptionist was handed a letter and stiff instruction to close down the gym or she could be arrested. Why? Well, IT seems that the owner didn't pay his 2015 trade license - and so City Hall moved in with police enforcement. One of the gym regulars who was caught mid-rep is activist Geovanni Bracket. He told us why he was upset:.. "I was shocked today when I came here. When I got off work a bit early and when I came here to find out to see a bunch of police officers I'm not sure if they had guns or anything but they came really like they just frightened the young

Caught With Weed Four Years Ago, Get 3 Years in Jail
30 year-old Kent Nunez, 29 year-old Jason Phillips, and 35 year-old Richard Smith are spending their first night of a 3 year sentence after they were convicted of drug trafficking before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. These men were busted 4 years ago with 17 kilos - or 38 pounds - of marijuana at the Western Border which they were trying to smuggle into Belize. A police officer testified for the prosecution that on March 16, he was at the border in Benque Viejo Town when he saw 2 men walk across from Puga's Farm to a maroon car which was parked on the highway. They had a bulky plastic bag with them, and when they arrived at the vehicle, they put it in the trunk. The police thought this behavior was suspicious and so, the vehicle was intercepted. All 3 men were in the vehicle at the time, and the bag was searched. The officers found 17.233 Kilograms - or 37.9 pounds - of marijuana in the bag, and so they were jointly charged with drug trafficking.

Tobacco Takes A Toll
Today was celebrated as world no tobacco day – where health authorities all over the world focused on the illicit trade in cigarettes – and the long list of health issues and costs brought on by tobacco use. In Belize, the National Drug Abuse Control Council took the lead with an and said that tobacco is a serious health factor in Belize:..

Blatter Reign Continues, Belize Supports
Earlier this week it seemed that the heavens would fall in the football universe after 10 senior FIFA officials were bought under indictment for corruption, money laundering and wire fraud. But tonight the FIFA firmament is intact after present Sepp Blatter was re-elected as president for a fifth term. So, where did Belize stand in all of it? Well, all the projections said that CONCACAF - which covers North, Central America and the Caribbean would fall in behind Blatter along with Africa and Asia - giving him enough to comfortably hold unto the top spot. Our information says that President of the FFB Ruperto Vicente did vote for Blatter and not for his challenger Prince Ali Bin Hussein. And while Vicente held the line - even after CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, and his predecessor Jack Warner were indicted for corruption - he'll have his own troubles when he returns home.

18 Wheeler Takes a Plunge
There was a major accident on the rolling hills of the Hummingbird Highway this evening. It happened at about 2:30 when an 18-wheeler plunged over a cliff at around mile 26. Incredibly, no one was seriously hurt - but the trailer truck was destroyed. That particular hill is one of the steepest on the highway.

What's In a Flag
Earlier this week the amendment to the compromis was signed in Guatemala City - much to the dismay of various political parties and social commentators. But what was even more troubling to many was the distorted Belize flag they signed in front of. The coat of arms was completely out of whack and some have said Foreign Minister Elringotn should not have signed in front of it. And while that is a fair comment, we can't really criticize others for getting our flag wrong when we ourselves can't get it right even here in Belize. I'm talking about the weird skin tones of the male figure sin the coat of arms. Over the years, the light skinned figure has gone from brown to yellow. In September I examined this phenomenon:.

Capital Cop For Possession
Belmopan Police have not made any arrest for the multiple murders that occurred this week, but they have arrested one police officer for drug possession. He is Brighton Fuentes and he was found with six grams of cannabis. He has now been placed on interdiction.

Jamaican Reggae For Free
Reggae Headliners Tarrus Riley Tanya Stevens are in Belize preparing for their big show tomorrow night, but they aren't the only Jamaican musicians in Belize who want to perform for you. Up-and-coming artist Moeish is also here, she intends to work with the Blue Hole All Star Band featuring Jamaican and Belizean Musicians. She told us that she's putting on a free concert in Belize City for her first visit which coincides with her birthday:... The concert takes place on Monday at BTL Park at 7 p.m. Admission, as we said, is free.

Preparing For Prom
Winter's Night: That is the theme for Maud Williams's Prom Night 2015. The group of 4th formers has been preparing, selecting dresses, shoes and accessories for about 3 weeks - all to ensure that they have the perfect prom outfit. But, truth is, The prom almost didn't happen, and only with the help of sponsors and fund raising events - it's on right now at the Chateau Caribbean. But how did they get to this point? Based on what I found out - it was no easy task.

Major Gun Bust In Corozal
Corozal police have made a weapons bust in Carolina Village this morning, an AMC 9mm pistol containing (5) Live rounds of 9mm ammunition. And later, at about 1130 the same team visited a lot containing an abandoned house and while conducting search in a hole in the eastern side in the building they found a brown.45 pistol. And at about 4:30 Police visited an open lot in the Halls Layout area where a black in color plastic bag was found in the outskirts of Chan Chen Village was searched where a black in bag was found where upon inspection was found to contain (1) MAK 90 AK-47 Rifle

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Guatemalans In Mass Protest Over Corruption; President Molina Called On To Step Down
Mass protests against the government of President Otto Perez Molina have rocked that country for weeks, with more protests set to take place on Saturday, May 30, 2015. Many Guatemalans refer to his presidency as the most corrupt they have ever seen. The wake of corruption scandals have seen the central bank chief indicted for fraud, Vice President Roxana Baldetti resign, and key cabinet members quite or get fired. “Democracy is collapsing and therefore Otto Perez Molina must resign,” Marco Sagastume, the head of the country’s attorneys association, told reporters this week.

The Belize Times

SEDITIOUS
Despite tremendous public disapproval and protests by the Opposition People’s United Party, Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington travelled to Guatemala over the long “Sovereign’s Day” holiday weekend to sign another secret document in direct relation to the unfounded Guatemalan claim. Two weeks ago, Elrington mistakenly revealed in a television news interview that he planned to travel to Guatemala, at the request of the Guatemalan Government, to approve amendments to the 2008 Compromis document, also at the request of the Guatemalan Government. This, he said, he would do without consulting the people of Belize, and without first showing the public or even the Opposition PUP, exactly what it was that he was going to sign. This incensed Belizeans and drew the Opposition’s condemnation, so much that the People’s United Party announced that it would boycott such move by the Government, ending the bi-partisan approach they had been supporting.

Armed Duo Robs M&M; Engineering Office in Belize City
Police have detained one man but are looking for several others for the brazen armed robbery of M&M; Engineering Consultant Limited, a construction company located at mile 2 ½ on the Phillip Goldson Highway, on Friday May 22, 2015. Video footage of the robbery shows two men entering the waiting lounge on the second floor around 3:30 in the afternoon. The men, both of creole descent, wore t-shirts and short pants. One of the men is seen pulling out a gun upon entering but concealed the weapon right after. The men mulled around the lounge before pressing the office’s buzzer and when a staff member opened it, they rushed in at gun point. Once inside the main office, the armed men held up the staff, taking their money, cell phones and other possessions.

92 illegal fields near Western Border
Agricultural Expansion in the Chiquibul Forest Satellite imagery and aerial reconnaissance shows that forest cover in adjacent Guatemala is severely fragmented. Across the border in Belize, the Chiquibul remained largely contiguous until around 1985 when agricultural encroachments were first observed in the area. Within the Chiquibul Forest (CF) there are no recognized human settlements, but an estimated 65 Guatemalan communities are found in a 45 km stretch along the adjacent Belize-Guatemala border; of which 11 immediately buffer the Chiquibul Forest. These communities are highly dependent on the natural resources found in the CF. Due to the high level of forest fragmentation in neighbouring Guatemala, local Guatemalans have been illegally harvesting the resources of the Chiquibul Forest for decades. Illegal activities include poaching, looting of Mayan ruins, illegal logging, xaté extraction, gold panning and agricultural encroachments.

Roaring Creek Men Mutilated!
The gruesome murders of two men, 28 year old Edilberto Madrid and 51 year old Steve Hyde, have shocked the residents of Roaring Creek Village and nearby communities. The men went missing on separate days. Their bodies were found on different locations, but the horrid manner in which they were killed was similar. Madrid was reported missing by his common-law wife, Julie Fernandez, on Sunday May 24th morning. His body was discovered on Tuesday morning floating in the Belize Old River, about 200 yard from the Agripino Cawich bridge in the Young Bank Area of Camalote Village. His head, two hands and feet had been severed. He also had a large cut on his body, extending from his neck to his torso, and his inner body parts had been taken out. His sister, Lioni Bejerano, was the only family member strong enough to identify the body. She said that while the family is devastated, they are thankful that they have closure.

Think About It
Sharon Fraser is the most important person in the whole nation regarding the salaries negotiation between the government and the public services unions. The massive entity called the public services is made up of two groups: the public service which consists of thousands of employees in the departments and ministries and the senior managers who are more of the management/employer category. The Police have an Association but the BDF are even less involved than the Police. They both have no say and have to take what they get. The bulk of the public officers are represented by the Public Service Union. This Union has seen its glory days. The current leadership is weak and is surrounded by quislings and persons who are compromised. There are a few leaders who are known UDP supporters and as such are not able to conscientiously serve the best interest of the many employers in the public service.

The People Must Demand Better
As we await the date for the next general elections, which by all reasonable speculations should come sooner than later, Belizean voters have serious realities to confront. Do we proceed with politics as usual; this “tyranny of structurelessness” or do we demand a better way going forward? The United Democratic Party is in their second consecutive term of office and this second term in particular, has been a politician’s dream; unlimited money to spend, no structured system of accountability and a very tame media. Given the hesitance of Belizean businesses to advertise, media houses in Belize are mostly reliant upon government advertising to meet operating costs. As a result, the media in Belize tends to tiptoe around those issues considered too controversial or which they know might raise the ire of government and result in the loss of advertisement revenues. If in doubt, check with Plus TV. In February of 2012, almost immediately after being re-elected by the narrowest of margin, Prime Minister Dean Barrow signed into effect, the restart of the Petro-Caribe program. It is a program that was originally negotiated for by the PUP government but because of resistance from Esso Standard Oil the program never really got traction. Esso at the time enjoyed a monopoly on fuel distribution in Belize and had declined to work with Venezuela, preferring instead its U.S. base of supplies. It is still a mystery how this government was able to convince super multinational Esso to close shop and hand over operations PUMA who sells strictly Venezuelan fuel. Oil companies are notorious for their insatiable greed and it is not likely that they would have simply surrendered their monopoly without some quid pro quo. The things that make you go hmmmmm…

Editorial: UNFIT TO LEAD
The road to the International Court of Justice (I.C.J) has become a risky journey for Belize, littered with I.E.D-improvised explosive devices. The doings of the current Prime Minister, his foreign minister and the government. The Prime Minister was told over one year and a half ago by Guatemala that she would no longer hold simultaneous referenda with Belize and would instead hold their bilateral referenda during their elections in September and October 2015. The Prime Minister was wrong to hold this information to himself. He had a duty to inform Belizeans and to raise it in the National Assembly for the views of the nation’s elected officials. The Guatemala Claim/I.C.J. issue is a matter of national importance. It is more important than the Prime Minister and his government. It is not their place to decide what information to withhold from the people. Ever since his slim majority in the 2012 general elections, the Prime Minister has been behaving increasingly autocratic. The list of such behavior is long and troubling. The most recent and most troubling is the revelation that for two years and six months (since 12 September 2012) the Prime Minister has been committing gross violations of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act. He has removed almost three hundred millions dollars from the Petro Caribe funds without once adhering to the requirements of the law.

Team Digicell 4G dominates Outback Ranch circuit race
Team Digicell 4G dominated the Outback Ranch Circuit Race of 4 laps over a 20 mile circuit from the Outback Ranch at mile 30.6 to mile 33 and back to the Outback, organized by the Cycling Federation of Belize on the George Price Highway on Monday. Top 10 finishers 1st Giovanni Lovell – Team Digicell 4G 2nd Joel Borland – Team Digicell 4G 3rd Brandon Cattouse – Team C-Ray Road Addikz 4th Gregory Lovell – Team Digicell 4G 5th overall/1st Masters – Liam Stewart – Western Spirits team 6th Joslyn Chavarria – Team Digicell 4G 7th Byron Pope – Team Benny’s Megabytes 8th Philip Leslie – Team Benny’s Megabytes

St. Joseph’s RC defeats Wesley Upper 3-0 in football
The St. Joseph’s RC boys ran over the Wesley Upper school boys 3-0 in the Belize City primary schools football competition on Tuesday, with goals by Eldon “Quincy” Byrd, Bjarne “BJ” Gabourel and Sergio Andrade. The St. John Vianney RC boys got the easy bye to their 2nd win: 3-0 against the Queen Square Anglican School boys were a no show for Tuesday’s game. The Vianney boys had posted their 1st win, 3-2, against the Ebenezer Methodist School boys last Monday with 2 goals from Mikey Palacio and 1 goal by Daniel Hemmans. Ebenezer’s Marco Rojas and Trevis Flowers scored a goal apiece. In game 3, the Queen St. Baptist School boys drew 1-1 with the Salvation Army school when Eshaq King scored for Queen St., and Jaron Carcamo scored for Salvation Army.

Unitedville Rebels are Softball Champs
The Unitedville Rebels won the VIII Charles Solis Memorial softball tournament, their first ever championship in this event organized by the Belize Softball Federation and the Solis family at the “home of softball” at the Rogers’ Stadium on Sunday. The Rebels toughed it out, against the Belize Bank Bulldogs, to win the championship 7-6 as Francine Salazar struck out 2 batters, walked one, and gave up 8 hits. The Rebels got 10 hits off Bulldogs’ pitcher Hortencia Richards to score 7 runs. The Rebels won the Charles Solis Memorial cup, presented by his son, they get to hold the Cup for a year until the next tournament. Rebels’ pitcher Francine Salazar won the MVP award, and the 2nd and 3rd place winners received individual medals.

Water crisis in Gardenia and Biscayne Villages
The residents of Gardenia and Biscayne Villages deserve potable running water in their homes. The BWS water line stops in Sandhill just 1.5 miles outside of Gardenia Village and 4 miles from Biscayne Village. It will take a pittance from the Petro Caribe Fund together with villagers’ labor to extend the water line to these two villages so that they can have safe drinking water. In Biscayne Village, a villager shared that there is a water crisis. He said the wells are dried up and a water truck arrives with water, only UDP supporters get water. Just how unfair can the UDP be to the people of Gardenia and Biscayne Villages? “It is our TAX DOLLARS that pays for the water and the truck. Every single villager deserves to fill their buckets. How can you say this UDP Government is a Government for all?” questioned the resident.

Saldivar fired from CEO post??
Everyone who is anyone in the Barrow Administration has kept their mouths shut and/or has shut out the media about the sudden fallout with Candelaria Saldivar from her post as Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration, Local Government and NEMO. Saldivar, we understand, has been placed on Administrative Leave, pending her re-assignment to a new post in the Barrow Government’s politically-stuffed public service. Meanwhile Edmund Zuniga has been asked to act as CEO until The abrupt re-designation came as a surprise to everyone, because Candelaria Saldivar, who is the sister of the Minister of National Security John Saldivar, carried tremendous political clout in the Government and in particular, the Ministry of Immigration. She even survived the boat rocking caused by the Penner-Wong Hong Kim scandal and the visa hustling scandal which followed.

Scotiabank Welcomes New Country Head, Michael Shaw
Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. is pleased to advise that Mr. Michael Shaw has been appointed as the new Vice President & Managing Director of the bank. Mr. Shaw has been with Scotiabank since 1980 and brings with him extensive experience in Retail Banking and Leadership. As the former District Vice President of Scotiabank Metro North in Jamaica, Mr. Shaw successfully led the Sales and Service management team for the district comprising of 10 bank branches. In his new role at Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., Mr. Shaw will be responsible for the development, communication and implementation of the bank’s local business strategy, business goals and core values for Belize’s operations in alignment with International Banking and Corporate strategies. This appointment marks the first international assignment of the new country head and highly successful business banking leader. When asked about his vision for the bank in his new role, Mr. Shaw said, “First, I am delighted to be in Belize and to work with this amazing team of people. Moving forward, our strategy will continue to focus on serving our customers and delivering on our Service Promise, keeping our operations safe and effectively managing operational and credit risk. We are guided by our core values and risk management culture and focus on maintaining the trust and confidence of our customers, while helping them become financially better off”.

The Case for Public Meetings
A number of “intellectuals” dismiss the need for political parties to hold regular public meetings in each district of this country. They believe that one public meeting, if any at all, a day or two days before an election is enough to help secure a victory for any party. Like many other concerned Belizeans I totally reject that view. A public meeting is one of the most important tools for any party that is serious about victory at the polls. It gives a party the platform to layout detailed plans for job creation, housing, land reform, and crime control among others topics to make Belize a better country for all its people. Public meetings also give a party the opportunity to explain to the public in layman’s language the many faults of its opponent, which makes it unworthy of a victory in an election. Furthermore a public meeting offers one of the greatest opportunities for a party to show the voters that it has candidates who can deliver themselves well and represent a constituency at any level. Additionally public meetings give a party the opportunity to energize its base and persuade a number of independent voters to support it at the polls. Those are some of the main reasons why political parties throughout the world even in the great United States continue to hold public meetings or rallies.

The tale of two NEMO houses
The residents of Maskall are becoming more and more distraught with their area representative after finding out that the houses donated by NEMO after a wind storm a few weeks ago were not fairly distributed. Villagers have shared the “TALE OF TWO NEMO HOUSES”. After the wind storm passed through the village, NEMO conducted an assessment of the villagers affected and decided to assist five residents with Mennonite houses, but apparently two very close family members of the UDP Minister benefitted from the generous assistance. According to the villagers, one of the houses went to the UDP Minister’s sister who, in the villagers’ view, didn’t need it because she owns two two-story concrete houses. The house that NEMO appraised to be damaged was only a frame under construction and was not owned by the sister. The next NEMO house found a resting place on the football field without an owner. According to some villagers the house was placed on the football field because it was to have been given to another family member but it is creating bad blood among the relatives.

A CALL to ALL ARTISTS
A few days ago Joan Duran our long time collaborator and Moi Moi a graphic artist and conceptualist from the Yucatan returned from China after overseeing and supervising the publication of Binomium, a 416 page book involving the work Michael Gordon and myself. The release of this book on 4 September 2015 fits our philosophy that a society must have an optimistic attitude and aspiration toward the collection, production and promotion of knowledge. The book will go on sale first at Beepub Books in Bejing, China. In the morning of 26 June 2015 we will gather as an artistic community to declare a list of 20 Demands on the community and the state of Belize. I hereby invite all artists, musicians, poets, thinkers, historians, intellectuals, cultural activists, dramatists, film makers, dancers and supporters to join the Image Factory in presenting 20 ideas and plans for the next 20 years. Contact us for more information.

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – The Wine of Astonishment
The most consistent theme of the Book of Psalms in the Holy Bible is that the prayers and supplications to Almighty God are for protection and grace, while requesting deliverance from one’s enemies, so that enemies and foes can be destroyed, that they may wither away. The most famous Psalm is the Twenty-Third, The Lord is My Shepherd. However there are one hundred and fifty Psalms, and trust in God for deliverance against enemies and evildoers flows throughout them. Psalm 60 is a Prayer after defeat in battle. It refers to God’s abandonment of his people, so that they suffered terrible losses. Verse 5 of the King James Version says: “Thou hast shewd thy people hard things; thou hast made us drink the wine of astonishment”. Modern versions of the Bible state “You have made your people feel hardships; You have given us stupefying [or intoxicating] wine”. Other translations refer to the “wine that makes us stagger”. I do not know the kriol translation of the Bible, but I would imagine it must be something like “di wine weh mek we fool fool”. The wine has so debilitated the people that they were entirely unable to defend themselves or even to have the ability to discern what is good for them. They were therefore completely routed and left devastated and absolutely downcast and despondent. The newer translations do not capture the poignant meaning of the verse quite as perfectly as “drink the wine of astonishment,” in referring to how the people’s senses were completely overcome, leaving them weak and powerless.

May Pen Road A Disaster!!
The May Pen Road in the rural area of Belize District is a total disaster today. Eight years of the UDP Government, and millions upon millions of Petrocaribe, has not seen any type of development in this beautiful community. The area representative, Edmond Castro, has been going to the people of May Pen asking them to support his candidacy for the UDP convention this coming Sunday. He has been telling them he has done a lot for Belize Rural North, but the evidence on the ground shows a different picture. Castro has actually done a lot for himself while representing Belize Rural North. There has been the visa hustling scandal, the misuse of funds from the Belize Airports Authority scandal, the Taiwan sexual assault allegations scandal and the land scandals. Castro has neglected the May Pen community allowing the access road to deteriorate immensely, which huge mud pools in various sections, almost making the road impassable.

Belize’s Shining Stars!! – High School Graduation Season 2015: Maud Williams High, St. John’s College, Canaan SDA High, Belize Rural High and Mount Carmel High
It’s the end of another high school year, and with it, the countdown towards Graduation Season 2015. And the BELIZE TIMES remains the ONLY national newspaper fully prepared to give you the run-down on the best and brightest emerging this year from Belize’s high schools. We kick things off at Maud Williams High School in Belize City. 51 of 53 graduates will march up on Thursday, June 4th, at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall, starting at 6:00 p.m. Leading their ranks will be: Ms. Cassandra Sanker (Valedictorian, from Class 4S2, with an average of 93%), Ms. Eugenia Courtenay (Salutatorian, also of Class 4S2, with an average of 87.34%) and Ms. Stephanie Rivera (3rd place, will deliver the Vote of Thanks). The BELIZE TIMES interviewed Sanker and Courtenay at the school’s Racoon Street campus on Tuesday, in the midst of their Graduation Practice. For the pair of 17-year-olds, their journeys to the top, while not quite the same, share the thread of family. Ms. Sanker, a native of Hattieville Village in the Belize District, comes from a blended family – her mom, a step-father, and 8 siblings, of which she is the 2nd youngest. Courtenay’s family includes Fort George area natives – dad Eugene, mom Rona Young and grandfather Gilbert Young. And both have had to adapt – Sanker to the Belize City atmosphere (via constant travel to and from Hattieville), and Courtenay to the grind of SBA’s (school-based assessments), while studying for tests, doing homework assignments, etc.

Sedi, the UDP & Guatemala
If there is any issue that should cross all lines, including those of politics, it is the unfounded Guatemalan claim. It is for this reason that the Opposition People’s United Party has played an important role in the process of finding an acceptable solution to the claim. The PUP’s position, as defined under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Rt. Hon George Price, is that there shall be no ceding of land or water to Guatemala and that our sovereignty and territorial integrity are intact and must be respected. For the People’s United Party, Belize’s foremost nationalist party, and the radical movement that defied the British colonial masters to gain Independence, there could be no other position. This is why the capitulations to Guatemala by the current UDP Government and Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington have led to what the PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca called a “breach of trust” between the Government and the Opposition.

Breaking Belize News

Fatal collision in Cayo claims one life and injures another
Information reaching our news desk is that there was a fatal traffic accident last night in Cayo between a motorcycle and a bus. According to reports, two men were driving on a motorcycle and upon reaching Gallardo’s, they collided into a passenger bus. The victims have been identified as Isaac […]

Authorities make major gun bust in Corozal
Yesterday morning, authorities in Corozal made a major bust of weapons in Carolina Village. According to reports, police recovered the following weapons in the village: an AMC 9mm pistol containing 5 live rounds of 9mm ammunition, a .45 pistol which was found in an abandoned house, and 1 MAK 90 […]

PTA of Sacred Heart Primary School Hosts Fair
The Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) of Sacred Heart Primary School in San Ignacio Town is currently hosting an exciting fundraising event at the Macal River Park. According to a member of the PTA, the initiative is to help raise funds for needed school projects and the school has invited […]

Belmopan police caught with 6 grams of marijuana
A police in Belmopan has been arrested for drug possession. According to reports, Brighton Fuentes, a police officer who is attached to the Belmopan Branch was arrested yesterday when he was found with 6 grams of marijuana. Fuentes has since been placed on interdiction.

Man dies in cane truck mishap
Orange Walk police are investigating an incident that took the life of a Xaibe Village resident. Best information to our newsdesk is that a cane delivery driver was sleeping under his truck when his partnered allegedly drove off, running over and dragging the individual. The victim was rushed to […]

Hit and Run claims the life of 40 year old Sandy Sedassy
At approximately 9:30 p.m. Police were called to the scene of a fatal hit and run incident that claimed the life of 40 year old, Sandy Sedassy of Esperanza Village. Initial investigation is indicating that Sedassy was travelling in an eastern direction when he was knock down by a pick […]

Guatemalan Protesters want President Otto Perez Molina to ‘resign now’
Weekly protests in Guatemala that started back in April will continue this weekend in an attempt to force President Otto Perez Molina to step down from his position. With corruption at the midst of the Government’s crumbling, pleads for Molina to step down have significantly increased after his Central […]

Sports Ministry to support Belize Jaguars from afar
Information to Belize Media Group is that the Belize Jaguars won a friendly with Guatemalan First Division side Heredia in Guatemala, 3-1, on Thursday night, Deon McCauley among the scorers. The Jaguars are preparing for the two-leg second round CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying tie with the Dominican Republic […]

More delays for sporting grounds in Belize City
The MCC Grounds and Marion Jones Sporting Complex, Belize City’s two largest sporting facilities, were both closed for much of 2014 and in the case of the latter, for the last several years due to ongoing renovations. Both are now partially open and in use however, according to […]

Youth leadership forum promises solutions
The Belize Youth Leadership Forum kicked off today at the Gateway Youth Center, bringing over 120 youth leaders and adult leaders from around the country together to address key issues affecting youths, and to begin reaching important solutions. Among the topics spoken about were migration, jobs, crime, citizen […]

Blogs

“Maybe I’m Amazed” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
To those of you that have missed me , thanks. Sorry I’ve been extremely lax in knocking out editions. To those of you that haven’t missed me I’ve only one thing to say! Why not ? Tomorrow Rose and I will celebrate (and it will be something to celebrate) our third anniversary of upping sticks and moving from London, England to Ambergris Caye, Belize. I must admit that this anniversary was not front of mind for me (not a lot is nowadays though) but the fact was highlighted for me when driving home from ‘Town the other day. Looking in my rear view mirror I could see a bicycle coming up on the inside of me and then I heard my name cried out. I pulled over and saw that it was a fellow Englishman who, funnily enough, arrived on the island exactly the same day as Rose and I. We spent the first few minutes catching up on what each of us have been doing recently and then he told me with great excitement that he’d been informed a few days previously that his application for Residency had been approved. And he’d be getting his paperwork within the next week or two.

Garifuna leaders meet with NDP leader Arnhim Eustace
In 1797 after the British finally defeated the Garifuna people after years of resistance, they removed them from their native homeland “Yurumein” now known as Saint Vincent & The Grenadines to Baliceaux an adjacent island. On this island after their Garifuna nation was dismantled they were; imprisoned, tortured, killed and the survivors estimated about 5,000 were taken to Roatan Honduras where they landed on April the 12th of that same year. Many Garifuna people disliked the conditions on this island and appealed to the British to find a better place for them. In 1801 some of these Garifuna people numbering about 150 left Roatan and sailed to Belize. They were granted permission by the British to settle in the southern part of Belize in a town they named “Dangriga”. In 1823 after the slaughtering of some Garifuna men, women and children in San Juan Honduras, a large contingent of Garifuna people led by Elijio Beni and Satulle left the country to join their people in Dangriga where they live up to this day. The British also made a deal with the Spanish crown and some of them were allowed to settle along the coast of Honduras. During these negotiations most of their names were changed from their original names to Spanish names to hide their true identities. During the nationalist and civil wars in Honduras, many Garifuna people fought in these battles and were killed. As a result of these wars and the British occupation of Bluefield Nicaragua, some Garifuna people migrated to neighboring Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and later on to the United States of America. No matter which country the Garifuna people live, they all identify themselves with their motherland “Yurumein”. It is and remain the dream of all the Garinagu people in the diaspora, that one day the people and government of their motherland “Yurumein” will acknowledge their rights to this nation as theirs as well. Garifuna people’s intentions has never been and will never be to deny the citizenship and rights of all their brothers and sisters who became citizens of “Yurumein” after March 11th 1797. Why? Because the Garifuna people’s history has always been to stand up and fight for the injustices committed against other human beings.

Sunset sail in Belize: Sometimes this really is Paradise
It is Friday evening, nearly 5 p.m., and the Lady Leslie feels as eager to slip its bonds and head to sea as we, its passengers, do. This is, after all, a sunset cruise, and the ostensible reason for our sail seems to be too rapidly slipping toward the western horizon of Ambergris Caye, the Belize island on which we all live. There are about a dozen of us on board, all ex-pats who have staked a claim in tropical island living. We gather on the fore section of this 38-foot catamaran, on beanbag chairs and a comfortable webbed trampoline, perfect for stretching out as the blue-green Caribbean slips past beneath us. Among us are a family of four from Canada who recently bought a large beach house north of town; an English couple who have lived and worked on the island for at least seven years; a Midwest couple who bought a vacant lot years ago and are now building their dream home; and a recently retired couple from Los Angeles who are renting south of San Pedro Town as their fourth-floor condo is being built.

‘Recovery: Belize’ — an Off Off Off Broadway musical in development
Scene: A hospital recovery room in Belize. It is devoid of color, character and any hint of modernity. I think of the style as “institutional gothic.” It is early evening, there are six beds, all of them filled. Three are young men in their late teens, early 20s. All three have broken right legs, plus scrapes, bruises. Two have their right arms in casts. All have been in motorcycle accidents. On the other side of the room in the bed closest to the door is a young guy whose lungs were punctured in a knife attack outside of a Belize City nightclub on Saturday night. In the middle bed is a much older — and very caucasian — expat, looking very, very lost. In the bed closest to the window is Franklin Grant, a quiet and gentle rasta guy with a scraggly beard, red eyes and no legs. Over each bed is a dusty metal fan. They sweep the room 24-7 and provide what little relief there is from the heat. No air conditioning, no nurse’s call button, no button to adjust the beds. Into the room bursts the busily portentous and bald headed doctor followed a retinue of young women in white, all carrying clipboards or notebooks, with two doctorly looking men trailing. Probably interns. They carry no notebooks and project studiously bored looks.

International Sources

Tim Sise shows the light to students in Belize
It was Abraham Lincoln who once said that no man is so tall as when he stoops to help a child. There probably aren’t may who stopped as far, at least literally, as Tim Sise, a former Siena basketball standout from 1978-to-1982. Sise, a native of Amsterdam and a graduate of the old Bishop Scully High School in Amsterdam, sent along a photo from Belize, where he has undertaken a variety of projects to aid a small community in that Central America country. It is a photo in a classroom, of young students lined up in a pose with Size, all 6-foot-9 of him. The children all come up to about Sise’s waist. The top of Sise’s head is several inches higher than a large chalkboard behind him. Yes, there had to be a considerable stoop for Sise to get down to the level of the children that one of his projects have benefited.

Tradewinds starts today
BEGINNING TODAY, military and security forces from Caribbean nations will join the United States, Canada, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mexico, and the United Kingdom for maritime security and disaster response training at Camp Springfield in St Kitts as part of Exercise Tradewinds 2015. This year’s Exercise Tradewinds will be conducted in three phases. Phase I will include maritime and land operations, which will take place in St Kitts and Nevis through June 9. Phase II, in Belize from June 15 to 24, will include maritime and land operations, including United States Marines and Phase III, a Key Leader Seminar, will be conducted July 14 to 16 in Miami for key stakeholders and decision makers from the region. Exercise Tradewinds supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a U.S. Department of State regional security partnership.

On Facebook and streets, Guatemalans demand president’s resignation
Guatemalan protesters took to the streets yesterday calling on President Otto Perez Molina to resign following scandals that have already brought down his central bank chief and key cabinet members. Protesters chanted “el pueblo unido jamas sera vencido” (the people united will never be defeated) banged drums and sang the national anthem on a march from the National Palace in Guatemala City to the nation’s Supreme Court. “We are sick of the corruption. These ministers are the worst ministers we’ve ever had. We need reform,” said Alejandro Enes, a 45-year-old heart surgeon toting a sign that said, “out with the corrupt officials”. In what he termed a symbolic act, salesman Julio Garcia, 68, wielded a toilet plunger. Recent scandals have seen Guatemala’s central bank chief Julio Saurez indicted for fraud, the vice president Roxana Baldetti resign and various cabinet members quit or be fired. Civic leaders, including 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu, the country’s professional association of attorneys and the Center for the Defense of the Constitution called this week for Perez Molina to follow. “Democracy is collapsing and therefore Otto Perez Molina must resign,” Marco Sagastume, the head of the Guatemala’s attorneys association, told reporters this week.

The concept of the Caribbean as a single economic unit may not have longevity
Earlier this year, Owen Arthur, the former Prime Minister of Barbados, described the malaise that now affects much of the anglophone Caribbean. Delivering the 15th Archibald Nedd Memorial Lecture in Grenada, Mr Arthur observed that the typical Caribbean nation now has to rely for material progress on economic systems that are no longer viable. “Conditioned for centuries to depending upon preferential access to foreign markets for their exports, on high levels of domestic protection for their industries, and on generous access to concessional financing to support their development, almost every Caribbean nation, has now to face the prospect of building economic systems without the benefit of such props,” he said. He also observed that at the same time most Caribbean states had evolved social sectors that are too large to be carried by economies undergoing transition, and that “the entitlements now afforded to citizens must be paid for in new and sometimes traumatic ways.”

Videos

Manatee Encounter in Belize, 1min. Encounter with an Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) off Soldier Caye, Turneffe Atoll, Belize.

Snorkel / Etude, 7min. Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark Ray Alley Ambergris Caye, Belize

CARNIVAL CRUISE VLOG - (BELIZE - WESTERN CARIBBEAN), 4min.

Michelle Obama Push-ups with Althea Moses on A Taste of Belize TV Show, min. Althea Moses talks fitness with Sandra Gillett (Host of A Taste of Belize TV show). Michelle Obama inspired push-ups for toned-sculpted arms.

Belize in 4k - Lamanai Ruins, 4min. Watch as we trek up the Mayan Ruins of Lamanai in Belize. Shot in 4k using an HTC One M9.

AGS AT WUB(WAKE UP BELIZE) MORNING SHOW, 47min. AGS Ty ,Deta And Matic..went on WUB morning show on May 8 to discuss about their new album,not getting the support and how their music is influencing ghetto youths in the Community.Please help and support the local artist.

RAF Belize 1991 Part 1, 6min. Central News East report from RAF Belize Broadcast 15th July 1991

Belize 2015, 5.5min. Belize Fly fishing.

Altun Ha - Belize - Go Pro, 3min. Mayan Ruins of Belize.

2013 New Year's Fireworks - Caye Caulker, Belize, .5min. 01 January 2013. Caye Caulker, Belize. New Year's Eve fireworks in the rain as everyone danced 2012 away.

Steve from kremfm Belize, 1.5min.

RAF Belize Part 2, 6min. Central News East reports on personnel from RAF Wittering posted to Belize in Central America. Broadcast 16th July 1991

RAF Belize Part 3, 6min. Central News East report on RAF and army operations in Belize and the role played in trying to stop the illegal drugs trade. Broadcast July 17th 1991

Dell Smart - Children Children, 3.5min. Music video for Children Children performed by Dell Smart.

May 30, 2015

Constituency Request Granted from PetroCaribe Program for PUP Representative

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Belize and Guatemala sign amendment to ICJ Referendum
Belize and Guatemala have officially signed the amendments to the Special Agreement in reference to the referendum on whether the Guatemala-Belize territorial dispute should be settled at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The signing took place on Monday, May 26th at a special ceremony in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The amendment will allow Belize and Guatemala to hold the referendum at their convenience without the need to be simultaneous. The document was signed by Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs the Honorable Wilfred Elrington and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, along with the outgoing Secretary General of the Organization of American State (OAS) José Miguel Insulza. The amendment was made due Guatemala’s desire to hold their referendum jointly with their General Elections scheduled for September of this year. The Government of Belize, who still does not have a set date to have the referendum, believes that this amendment will not jeopardize the integrity of the referendum. “It is worthy of note that the amended protocol does not extinguish the possibility of holding the referendum simultaneously. That original option remains intact. The Protocol does no more than add an element of flexibility with respect to the time for the holding of each national referendum. The Special Agreement remains the same in all other respects,” said Elrington.

Rider’s fee increase to be implemented on all domestic flights
As of Saturday, May 31st customers flying on domestic flights will incur an increased rider fee of 120%. The original $5 rider’s fee was implement in 2011, but in early 2015, the Department of Civil Aviation Authority announced the increase of the fee to $6. The fee will be charged to all tickets issued from all domestic flight agents (Tropic Air and Maya Island Air). According to Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., the increase in fees is to continue improvement efforts on local runway strips to better accommodate the increase in air traffic. Originally, the rider’s fee was imposed on commuters to cover the construction costs of the Belize City Municipal Airstrip. With construction of the Municipal Airstrip now into its third year, Heredia explained that revenue collected from the rider’s fee will go towards ensuring that all airstrips are in superb standards. “When the municipal airstrip is complete, it will be equipped with everything necessary to provide the best service. It will have runway lights which will benefit emergency night flight. With the municipal airstrip complete there will no longer be the need to open the Philip Goldson International Airport at night so that emergency flights can land, which takes more than an hour to do so. With this they will be able to go directly to Belize City. The airstrip will also have backup generators so that even in power outages it will work perfectly,” said Heredia.

Foreva Fancy hosts “Road to Empowerment” Fashion Show
Foreva Fancy’s “Runway to Empowerment” Fashion Show was a night for High Street Fashion. The Fashion boutique hosted the charity event, along with Shaping Healthy Identities through Nurturing and Empowerment (SHINE) to raise funds and awareness for On Eagles Wings Ministries (OEWM) Belize. The OEWM mission is to empower females that have been sexually exploited, while SHINE, founded by Miss San Pedro Michelle Nuñez, is a program for teenage girls that encourages self-esteem, body image, sexual risk behavior among others. The girls from the program, along with 20+ local models took to the runway inside the Angel Nunez Auditorium on Sunday, May 24th, showcasing the latest in fashion trends Spring/Summer 2015. Eager fashionistas were in first row at the Auditorium for a great show that commenced shortly after 8PM.

Government withdraws oil concessions appeal
Oceana in Belize has announced that the Government of Belize (GOB) has withdrawn its appeal against the legal ruling on the null and void offshore oil concessions. According to Oceana, this monumental move demonstrates the GOB’s commitment to protect the country’s marine resources. Furthermore, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation has confirmed to The San Pedro Sun that GOB no longer intends to entertain proposals for offshore oil concessions. In a press release issued on Wednesday, May 27th, Oceana stated their pleasure on the notice that the attorneys of GOB, Barrow and Company, having withdrawn the appeal in the matter of Civil Appeal No. 18 of 2013: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Oceana in Belize; Citizens Organized for Liberty and Action (COLA) and the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. In this appeal, the GOB had challenged an April 2013 decision issued by Justice Oswell Legall in favor of Oceana, COLA and the Coalition in their lawsuit challenging six Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) allowing offshore oil drilling. But the withdrawal of the appeal shows that GOB no longer wishes to resurrect these oil concessions.

San Pedro Lions Welcome Distinguished Guest Lion Malcolm Kirwan
On Thursday, May 21st the San Pedro Lions Club welcomed visiting Lion brother Malcolm Kirwan to San Pedro Town. Kirwan, who is a Past District Governor of Sub-district 60B and a Past Council Chairman of Multiple District 60, currently serves as the Global Leadership Team – Global Membership Team Special Area Advisor Multiple District 60, District 63 to Haiti and Belize. Here by invitation of the Belize Lion Zone 59, Lion Kirwan was the guest speaker at the 37th annual convention of the Belize Lion Zone 59, which was held in Belmopan City over the weekend of May 22nd. During Lion Kirwan’s one-night stay on La Isla Bonita, the San Pedro Lions put out the red carpet for their distinguished guest, giving him a tour of the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic II, which was initiated by the San Pedro Lions Club years ago. Kirwan was also treated to a visit to the San Pedro Lions Club Mosquito Coast Park located in the southern part of Ambergris Caye and given a tour of San Pedro Town.

Ambergris Today

Join Coral Reef Ed-Ventures
Coral Reef Ed-Ventures is Back! If you would like to learn about the coral reef, become a coral reef expert and have fun with us and your friends, come to the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program! Sponsored by Smith College and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Advanced Program Who: Students ages 12 and above (or with prior experience) When: June 22nd – June 26th, 4–6 pm Where: San Pedro High School Movie Night at the Lion’s Den When: TBA. All are welcome. Free snacks and drinks! Look for posters in town. Youth Program Who: Students ages 7 – 12 When: June 29th – July 8th Where: RC School There will be a graduation at the end of the programs for all students and family members to attend. Graduation will be on Wednesday, July 8th at the Lion’s Den. Everything is free and fun! Permission slips will be available at the library across from the RC School and at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Office! We look forward to seeing you there!

Farewell to Don Ausencio ‘Chencho’ Burgos
The Burgos family and relatives as well as the community of San Pedro is deeply saddened with the passing of one of their very own, Mr. Ausencio, 'Chencho' Burgos. He was born in Belize City and became a San Pedrano when he married to Mimi Valdez in the village of San Pedro. Even though Chencho and Mimi did not have children of their own, they adopted and raised several of Mimi's nieces taking them through childhood, through education and all the way into marriage. Chencho is well known, loved and respected in San Pedro and for many reasons. There are several things that one could take for granted from this humble, respectable and very genuine man. You could be assured that he never missed his Sunday mass. He would never pass you on the street without giving his usual greeting of friendship and affection. You could take it for granted that Chencho would share a good clean joke; and you could also bet that his cheerful countenance and joyful smile would help make your day.

Letters To The Editor: Frustrations with Lack of Atlantic Bank Automated Teller Machines
Dear Editor, As a resident of San Pedro Town for past years, there are inconveniences that from time to time affect the people of this community but one thing I am noting is the lack of Automated Teller Machines by Atlantic Bank Limited. This Bank operates on one ATM for an island of about 20,000 citizens. There are countless times that our people are inconvenienced by it either, not having any money or just plain shortage of ATM’s on the island. On behalf of the people of this community, we are rallying to the cause for the bank to at least include a second one (more will be better). It is a huge inconvenience as people get off work tired and it is depressing that one has to wait in a long line many a times in the hot sun, just to find out that there is no cash on most times.

Belize Government Takes a Step Forward Against Offshore Oil Drilling
Today, attorneys for the Government of Belize, Barrow & Company, filed a notice of withdrawal of appeal in the matter of Civil Appeal No. 18 of 2013: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Oceana in Belize; Citizens Organized for Liberty and Action and the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. In this appeal, the Government had challenged an April 2013 decision issued by Justice Oswell Legall in favor of Oceana, COLA and the Coalition in their lawsuit challenging six Production Sharing Agreements allowing offshore oil drilling.

Misc Belizean Sources

Kitty Fox passes away
Kitty Fox, longtime resident of Placencia, passed away on 28 May 2015 in Boulder, Colorado. She was in the company of family and close friends when she died.

Summer of Sports Program
Last week, the Government of Belize announced its Summer of Sports Program. Community-based groups, organizations and individuals, who have organized such programs for a minimum of 3 years can now apply for grants of up to BZ$10,000. What a great opportunity! Application forms outlining the eligibility criteria, including the terms and guidelines for the Summer of Sports Program, are available at the National Sports Council in Belize City and can also be obtained electronically via the Government of Belize web portal at http://belize.gov.bz/index.php/summer-of-sports-program-2015.

Belize Coast Guard told to move after Guatemalan Coastguard came over Belize side earlier
The Belize Coastguard was on the Belize side of the Sarstoon River when the Guatemalans instructed them to move. The Guatemalans left but a larger Guatemalan vessel returned to instruct the Belize Coastguard to move.

A STAND OFF IN THE SARSTOON!
On Thursday, Belize Coast Guard (BCG) was approached by a Guatemalan Navy Ship to move out of the Sarstoon River. The BCG is building a command center in that area in southern Belize. When the BCG refused, we understand that the Guatemalan Navy Ship left, but a bigger ship returned seeking to expel the Coast Guard from what is Belizean territory.

Belize Tourism Board Welcomes Your Nominations For Its Yearly Awards
Belize Tourism Board calls on Tourism stakeholders to submit nominations for the 13th National Tourism Awards 2015. Rules and Regulations All nominations must be in ENGLISH. Nominations must be submitted to the Belize Tourism Board by Tuesday, June 30th, 2015. All companies or personnel must have been in operation for at least 3 full years. Only complete entries will be considered. Entries must be for ONE category only. Entries may be submitted via email to [email protected]. Applicants and/or finalists can contact the Belize Tourism Board regarding any queries they may have about the judging process. The applicants and/or finalists are not to contact any of the members from the judging panel prior to the Tourism Awards ceremony. Previous winners and finalists may reapply in any category but must clearly demonstrate initiatives that are new, and expand above and beyond what they have already been previously recognized for by the Belize Tourism Board, Tourism Awards. By applying for the Belize Tourism Board’s Tourism Awards, the applicant consents that a company representative of appropriate level will attend the Tourism Awards ceremony.

The Island Academy Graduating class of 2015
Congratulations to all TIA 2015 grads! WTG!!!

BOLEDO DRAWING for Friday, May 29, 2015: 34

Poets Corner: Belize Al-Qaeda
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. If you do the crime you should spend the time But in Belize no one is paying for white collar crime All they’re getting is a slap on the wrist or paying a fine You can steal a million and only pay a ten thousand dollar fine The justice system is deaf, dumb and blind Whenever it gets in the mill the machine stop grind This system rewards white collar crime It crucifies the ghetto youth for petty crime Fih wah roach or a stick of weed, man di get fine Knowing they can’t afford it, they will get confined I call on all ex-soldiers Report to duty and let’s address this urban war on terror We are being force-fed a culture of trauma and terror By gangster who operate like guerilla These fools are Belize Al-Qaeda Full blessings from PUDP ministers Their crooked lodge brothers Let’s not forget their fraternity of magistrates and lawyers This is urban terrorism Facilitated by the judiciary and the prisons

Send Belize's Youth Sailors to Antigua and the Olympics
Help Jasmin Campos 13 of Corozal Town and the other kids. This is a HUGE deal for Belize's youth sailors, please help them get to the Olympics! We are supporting the Belize Sailing Association (BzSA) (BzSA) on a fundraising campaign to get our kids to international Laser and Optimist championship regattas in Antigua, which is a pre-requisite to the Olympics. This campaign is to cover the costs for all 6 kids, equipment, airfare, hotels and the team coaches. We need your help to realize this dream for the kids! Belize Sailing Association is humbly seeking financial support to send our youth sailors to international Laser and Optimist sailing championship regattas in Antigua in July, which are a pre-requisite to the Olympics

Channel 5

Standoff On the Sarstoon: Belize Coastguard versus Guatemalan Navy
There is tension tonight following a twenty-six hour stand-off between a Coast Guard Patrol and Guatemalan naval personnel in two vessels near the mouth of the Sarstoon ended at midday [...]

C.E.O. of National Security George Lovell Comments on Confrontation
The Coast Guard patrol was in that area conducting reconnaissance with a view to possibly constructing a Forward Operating Base there. So while this specific situation was defused, what happens [...]

Is There Really Confusion About Maritime Border?
This latest incident where, for clarity, the Guatemalan military suddenly seems unsure of where the maritime borders lie, comes on the heels of comments from Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. In [...]

Former Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay Chimes in on Elrington’s Border Comments
Former Foreign Minister, Eamon Courtenay, has chimed in on the confrontation between the Belize National Coast Guard and the Guatemalan navy, merely three days after the Special Agreement was amended. [...]

Courtenay Says Foreign Minister is Embarrassing Belize
Elrington’s opinion continues to raise the ire of many, including his predecessor. According to Courtenay, the foreign minister, under the Maritime Areas Act, is charged with authorizing the preparation of [...]

Was Move to Amend Compromis Supported by Belizeans?
The Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala was amended on Monday in Guatemala City sans the participation of the Opposition. While the changes allow for Guatemala to proceed with individual [...]

P.U.P. Dangriga Area Rep Requests Father’s Day Cheer from Controversial Petrocaribe Funds
The opposition, People’s United Party, is taking the government to court for the controversial Petrocaribe Loans Act seeking a declaration that it is an illegal piece of legislation. Government has [...]

Still No Charges in Roaring Creek Murders
Late this evening News Five confirmed that no charges have yet been laid against the three men detained as persons of interest in the two recent, bloody Roaring Creek slayings [...]

CitCo Shuts Down Body 2000 for Failing to Pay Trade License
Body 2000 Gym members were kicked out in the middle of their work-out this evening. City Council personnel and police rolled up at the popular and biggest exercise spot on [...]

Belize City Trio Receives Harsh Penalties for Drug Trafficking
Four years ago, three Belize City men were intercepted with seventeen kilograms or some thirty-eight pounds of weed near the western border. The bust happened on March sixteenth, 2011 and [...]

Police Operation in Corozal Yields Firearms and Ammunition
The Corozal police are reporting various seizures of firearms and live rounds in Carolina Village, Corozal. The operations began this morning at about nine-thirty. In the first instance a black [...]

FIFA Executive Jack Warner Surrenders to Authorities in T&T
We are not sure how Belize voted at the re -election of Sepp Blatter in Zurich, Switzerland but we can say that Blatter garnered the vote of the small countries [...]

Is Belize Submissive to Guatemala?
The recent incident in the Sarstoon involving the Guatemalan navy and Belize National Coastguard brings to mind a situation in early April 2015, when thirty-seven Belizeans were captured by Guatemalan [...]

…Wil Maheia Certainly Thinks So
Wil Maheia also referred to the incident in the Sarstoon this past Thursday when the Guatemalan navy attempted to expel the Belize Coastguard well within Belizean waters. Maheia, who is [...]

Incursions Persist Despite Signature of Bilateral Agreements
Following the signing of the amendment to the 2008 Compromis on Monday, small political parties have come out strongly against the change because it will allow Guatemala to hold a [...]

Belize Youth Leaders Forum Held in the Old Capital
Guide Light Productions rolled into prominence earlier this year when they launched by breaking up an old car with messages. And ever since then, they’ve hit the ground running. Today [...]

Retired UWI Professor Lectures at Open Campus in Belize
Retired Professor Neville Duncan, a former lecturer at the University of the West Indies, held forth at the UWI open campus in Belize City this morning. Duncan is visiting at [...]

World Tobacco Day Celebrated Locally
The National Drug Abuse Control Council marked World No Tobacco Day with an all day exhibition in Belize City. Every year, May thirty first is observed around the world to [...]

LOVE FM

Police Makes Arrest for May 21 Shooting
18-year-old Jorge Gregorio Gutierrez of Curl Thompson Street in Belize City has been charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm. This in connection with a shooting incident on May 21 that left 32-year-old Luis Dominguez hospitalized. He was riding his bicycle on JR Street when he was shot multiple […]

Confrontation on the Sarstoon River Ended Incident Free
There was a confrontation near the Sarstoon Island yesterday morning between officials from the Belize Coast Guard and members of the Guatemalan Naval Patrols. Love News spoke with the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, Retired Colonel George Lovell, who explained what transpired in the area. RET’D COLONEL GEORGE LOVELL “Yesterday morning […]

PUP Gets Monies From PetroCaribe Program
On May 13, 2015, the People’s United Party had called a press conference at their headquarters in Belize City to announce the replacement of one of their Standard Bearers. During that conference, the question was posed to them as to whether there was any truth to one of their parliamentarians requesting funds from the Mother’s/Father’s […]

Territorial Claim – Not a Priority for Guatemala
In the last few days we have been covering various aspects of the Belize/Guatemala issue. We have gotten official feedback on how the process is moving forward, what can be expected in the short term as we near a date for a referendum. We have also heard about Guatemala’s plan to hold their referendum simultaneously […]

Working to Lessen Guatemalan Encroachments in Belize
Belize has been suffering losses in its rainforest particularly along the southern border as there have been numerous reports of incursions taking place that have resulted in Guatemalans stripping the environment of its natural resources. Those resources range from xate leaves to gold and from rosewood trees to marine life. These are activities that have […]

PlusTV

Roaring Creek Blood Feud
This week saw two of the most grotesque murders we have seen in a long time. On Tuesday, the body of Edilberto Madrid was discovered decapitated, dismembered and disemboweled. 24 hours later, on Wednesday Police discovered the body of Steve Hyde who was decapitated, dismembered and buried in a shallow grave at his cousin’s farm. Today we spoke to the grieving mother of Steve Hyde who recounted the last time she saw her son alive. “Monday was a holiday. Steven came and said, ‘Mammy, I came to spend half day with you and half day with my sister.’ I told my granddaughter it sounds strange, I don’t know if he felt anything or anyway. He went to his sister and spent half day and came back and spent the rest with me. The evening, I sat down and said,’ Deeds, you done eat?’ He said, ‘Yes mammy.’ He said something about a hammock. I said that I have two and that he can have one. He brought some shirt from his sister and some socks. The Monday evening he went and said he is going to the place he works to tend to something and he went. The Tuesday Morning, we heard people saying that Steven is missing. I said how will Steven be missing if he left from here on Monday? When the police came they asked me if anyone was threatening him and I told them no. At that time my son was already dead. From the Monday night they slaughtered my son. When they searched the farm, they found my son in a shallow grave with his legs cut off, hands and neck and everything. It is hard, it is hard to know my son died like this.”

Environmentalists discuss future of petroleum prospecting
Wednesday’s decision by the Government of Belize to no longer pursue an appeal of the decision by former Supreme Court Justice Oswell Legall in April of 2011 to make null and void six challenged Production Sharing Agreements (PSA’s) given to various companies because no environmental impact assessment was carried out before making the agreements and the

Public Service Information Day
“Commitment, empowerment and industriousness: cultivating and ethos of selfless service to all Belizeans” That is the theme under which this Year’s Public Service information day is being celebrated. As part of the celebrations the Ministry of Public Service hosts a forerunner event as a form of education. Today departments set up booths at the Sir

Two freed of murder charge
As a result of a key witness disclaiming his original statements, two men accused of murder became the latest to walk free. Justice Troadio Gonzalez today directed a jury of twelve to enter verdicts of not guilty of murder in favor of 25 year old Philip “Papi” Wallace and 21 year old Austin Underwood. 19 year

What is Charlie Charlie? Trending with Belizean youths?
A few years ago, Belizean media had to report on the EMO craze that was popping up in various schools, especially in the Cayo District. This was associated with some form of demonic activity which led to at least one suicide incident of a teenager. There appears to be a new craze in the form

Audrey Matura-Shepherd to be cited for contempt of court
Earlier this year the agreement for mediation of the dispute between the Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association (BGYEA) and the Government of Belize over the road reserve at Harmonyville on the George Price Highway was revealed near its completion by BGYEA’s attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd. Most of the issues had been worked out and only the

Another unlicensed gun removed from Belize City streets
Another unlicensed gun was removed from Belize City streets. On Wednesday May 27 at about 7:00 p.m. while police were conducting mobile patrol in the area of Antelope Street Extension, they saw 25-year-old Al Jones of Belize City who ran away upon the approach of the police. While being pursued, Jones threw an object in […]

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Tribute to an Island Legend: Boat Builder Extraordinaire Peter Young
Mr. Peter Young was one of several very skilled boat builders on the island. Some of his legendary boat-building contemporaries are/were Normal “Spin” Alamina, Nelson Young, Valentin Alamina, Juni Zaldivar, Ray Auxillou and probably a few more I’ve forgotten. Plank by plank, the boat builders would painstakingly shape and build their extremely seaworthy crafts from scratch. Very much a labor of love, building a boat would take months if not years. During the boat building days, electricity on the island was non-existent. Each craft was shaped and built using what would be considered very rudimentary tools today. The thought of building such magnificent works of art under those conditions is unthinkable. But build they did, and what they built was extraordinary by any standards.

Amandala

Dismembered bodies spread horror!
Roaring Creek is again the scene of another horrific murder, eerily similar in horrible brutality to another murder that took place just a day before. Another resident of the village was savagely murdered and decapitated, his limbs chopped off, internal parts taken out, and the head, limbs and intestines placed in a shallow grave along with the torso. The body of Steve Hyde, 51, of Roaring Creek, a farm hand and caretaker for businessman Russell Hyde of Camalote, also in the Cayo District, was discovered at about 11:30 yesterday morning, Wednesday, at Russell Hyde’s ranch in Camalote. Hyde, a cousin of Russell Hyde, was found in a shallow grave on the property. His head had been cut off, his arms had been sawed off from the shoulders, his legs below the hips had been sawed off, he had been gutted, and a relative who saw the body said that his torso had cuts on it. The body was in a state of decomposition, and worms were seen on the body. Hyde’s relative said that the head, intestines and limbs were found with the torso.

Horrible murder of Roaring Creek man
The search for a missing person, Edelberto Madrid, 28, a tattoo artist of the Another World area of Roaring Creek, came to an end at about 11:00 Tuesday morning when his torso was found floating in the Belize River about 200 yards from the Agripino Cawich Bridge, in the Young Bank area of Camalote, in the Cayo District – and about 20 feet from the water’s edge. A boat was used to recover the torso, which was wrapped in a plastic bag. A member of the search party who found Madrid, a close associate of Russell Hyde, a businessman of Camalote, told Amandala that Madrid’s head was missing, and both legs had been cut off below the knees. His arms were cut off below the elbows, and he had been disemboweled; his internal organs were missing and also his private parts had been cut off. Friends and family members who were looking for him were stunned, speechless by Madrid’s horrible death.

FFB mum on FIFA’s multi-million-dollar bribery scandal
Three executive members of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB)—Ruperto Vicente, president; Michael Blease, secretary general; and Sergio Chuc, senior vice president—are presently in Zurich, Switzerland, for the 65th FIFA Congress where International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) president, Sepp Blatter, 79, will once again seek re-election as the head of the governing body in football. FIFA, the international football body to which the FFB belongs, proverbially, had the wind taken out of its sails early yesterday morning when US prosecutors indicted 14 FIFA officials on charges of racketeering, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering – 7 of whom were hauled out of their luxury hotel rooms and arrested by Swiss authorities. Following their detention, the US Department of Justice issued a lengthy statement which accused FIFA executives of enriching themselves for the past 24 years through the corruption of international soccer by accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than US$150M, beginning in 1991.

Over $20,000 swiped from Belize Postal Service
Deputy Post Master General, James Gabriel, today confirmed to Amandala that an internal inquiry is indicating that the Belize Postal Service has been fleeced out of over $20,000, allegedly by an employee who has since absconded the country. According to Gabriel, the scheme came to light last Tuesday, May 20, when a supervisor at the Express Mail section got a hint that something was awry concerning the accounts, and upon investigation, came across several suspicious transactions which were allegedly conducted by an Express Mail Service (EMS) cashier who had been employed at the Post Office for the past three years. The transactions reportedly involved a number of deposits that were supposed to have been made to the main cashier at the end of workdays, but were instead siphoned off and pocketed, allegedly by the cashier.

Irate over Guatemala’s version of Belize’s flag
For a number of years here at Amandala, we’ve been writing about the varying standards employed for the production of the Belize flag, and we have also documented the official version of the Belize flag with photos provided to us by the George Price Center in Belmopan. Whereas the issue of variances of the Belize flag usually comes up during the September celebrations, when they are mass-produced for sale and circulation, it resurfaced this week following the signing in Guatemala City of the protocol to amend the 2008 special agreement between Belize and Guatemala, for the possible adjudication of the territorial differendum at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The centerpiece of the Belize flag—the historic Coat of Arms—was much smaller than it should appear on the flag, and the Belizean logwood cutters in the center were even more miniscule than they should be.

Stubborn impasse over Stake Bank
For the past two months, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow has been traveling back and forth to Miami to try to broker a truce between stakeholders in the cruise sector, to permit the US$100 million Stake Bank port to proceed without litigation. However, no compromise has been reached, and Barrow proposes to press ahead with legislation which he hopes would at least put to bed the dispute over how $14 million in head taxes, paid by tourists, will be shared by those who control the market here. Currently, the Fort Street Tourism Village (FSTV), part-owned by Royal Caribbean, is the only port receiving cruise tourists under an exclusive concession granted by the Government of Belize. All the other cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Lines, the dominant one on the Belize market, use the FSTV port. However, there is a move afoot to establish a new docking facility at Stake Bank, off the coast of Belize City. Stake Bank is the brainchild of Michael Feinstein, who years ago sold his stake in FSTV, and who wants to now build a port which he would control.

Win, or go home!
The NEBL playoffs kicked off this past weekend, with the top four teams advancing to a best-of-three semifinal round, where the top two teams had home court advantage. Basketball enthusiasts were given a great treat with two great games. Fans are reminded that all games have a live webcast with the game scores, play-by-play analysis and the box scores. Fans can follow every game live on our webpage, as scores are in real time. The NEBL webpage also contains news, team standings and player statistics, and it can be found at nebl.sportingpulse.net. On Friday night, Cayo Western Ballaz (1-0) will travel to the cultural capital to take on Dangriga Warriors (0-1) at the Ecumenical College at 9:00 p.m. This is a must-win game for Dangriga Warriors, since a win by Cayo Western Ballaz will shoot them to the NEBL Finals. If a game three is necessary, Dangriga Warriors will travel to San Ignacio Town to take on Cayo Western Ballaz on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium. On Saturday night, the defending champions San Pedro Tiger Sharks (1-0) will travel to Belmopan to take on the Belmopan Red Taigaz at the UB Gymnasium in Belmopan at 8:00 p.m. With a win, San Pedro will return to the Finals to defend their title. If Belmopan Red Taigaz wins and evens up the series, 1-1, Belmopan Red Taigaz will travel back to San Pedro on Saturday, June 6, for the third and decisive game 3. NEBL 2015 – Basketball at its best!

5 weeks to playoffs in Smart 13 and Under Football Tournament at MCC
The most exciting football tournament in Belize City, the Smart 13 & Under Football Tournament, completed its sixth week of games on Saturday, May 23, at the MCC Grounds; and already the race to the 4-team playoffs is getting hot, as there are 5 more weeks of regular season games before the semifinals. Brown Bombers is off to a fantastic start, as they are yet to concede a goal, with 5 wins and a draw, for a tournament leading 16 points. (See standings below.) Four teams are still undefeated at Week 6 – standings leader Brown Bombers, 2nd place Hattieville Youth FC, 4th place Young Warriors, and 9th place Rising Stars, who have only conceded 2 goals but have drawn all 6 games so far. While the Bombers are on a record pace of 19 goals scored in 6 games, cellar dwelling Third World, who have lost all 6 games, are yet to shake their opponent’s net.

Olympic Day Run 2015 on Sunday, May 31
The Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association will be conducting the 2015 Olympic Day Run on Sunday, May 31, commencing at 6:30 a.m. in front of James Brodie on Regent Street under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee and the Belize Olympic Committee. Come and be a part of the celebration of the anniversary of the Olympic Movement by taking part in the Day Run, as across the globe countries will be participating in a similar run in solidarity. The first 100 participants registered on the morning of the run will receive a commemorative T-shirt. This year, the winners will receive ribbons, medals and a certificate to all participants in recognition of their performance. Come celebrate the Olympic Movement!

TIDE Junior Freshwater Cup 2015 semifinals results
The following Freshwater Cup school teams were qualified and made it to the semifinals that were played today, Wednesday, May 27. The teams are: St. Peter Claver Boys, San Pedro Columbia Boys, Indian Creek Boys, Bladen School Boys; and Bethel Adventist Girls, Little Flower Girls, Big Falls Girls, and Bladen Girls. Today, the games were played as far as the 3rd place match; and the FINALS are scheduled for Friday, June 19, at the Toledo Union Field. Here are the results of semifinal games played today at the Big Falls RC school grounds: In the opener, St. Peter Claver Boys dropped Bladen Boys, 3-1, with goals from Ronaldo Chub (12’), Ralston Lopez (16’) and Lawrence King (27’).

Editorial: Civilizations – clashes and conquests
Some scholars speak of a “clash of civilizations” occurring when Christian Europe sent armed soldiers into Palestine a thousand years ago. Jerusalem was considered “Holy Land” by Christians, and a thousand years ago Jerusalem was being ruled by Islam. European soldiers sought to recover the Holy Land for Christianity. These expeditions are referred to as the “Crusades.” At the time, Christianity was a thousand years old, and Islam was four hundred years old. Judaism, considered the precursor of Christianity, was three or four thousand years old. The various religions of the various African peoples and the various Indigenous peoples of America were older than Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Five hundred years ago Europe invaded Africa and America, and these were real clashes of civilizations which later became couched in religious terms. Europe conquered Africa and America, and then began referring to the native peoples of the African and American continents as “primitive” and “pagan.” The native peoples were described as “pagan” because they did not know of, or believe in, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Trinity, so they had to be brought into the Christian world. The process of Christianizing the natives was also described as “civilizing” them.

From the Publisher
In last weekend’s issue of Amandala, a long article by Joyce Nelson, entitled LOOMING BATTLE OF THE CHURCHES OVER THE ENVIRONMENT, was published on pages 38, 39, and 42. I suspect many of our readers would not have examined such an extended article with all the intensity this particular article deserves. (Joyce Nelson is an award-winning Canadian freelance writer/researcher working on her sixth book. Her article was originally posted on the Weekend Edition May 15-17, 2015 of counterpunch. org.) In order to emphasize how important this article is, I decided to include/repeat selected extracts from it this week in my column. The ideal would be, of course, for you to read the whole article carefully. But, yes, you’re busy and all that, so to make it easier for you, I have reproduced choice portions. For me, the most critical thing for Belizeans to know is that there are corporate entities, featuring big oil, which finance certain evangelical efforts in countries like Belize which have strategic reserves of natural resources. The enemies of Third World people don’t have to be shooting and bombing us all the time, although they will do that when they feel it necessary. In some cases, they are successful in confusing our minds with their version of religion to the point where we support neoliberal corporations instead of our native, Indigenous selves.

Carlos Tzib continues …
Dear Editor, I believe that in last week’s Editorial (The Oil or the Water), you raised some important issues and serious concerns with respect to the matter of offshore drilling in Belize. However, from the title of your Editorial, it seems to suggest that the two are mutually exclusive and that an absolute choice has to be made. I, like many others, tend to differ in our views. It is clear that an environmentally friendly position with oil drilling is tenable and that makes both of these options possible. I would like to continue on a much related matter and as a follow up to a letter I wrote to the Publisher (see Amandala, Wednesday, May 20,1015, page 7). While I pointed out that I respected the sincerity of the local Oceana advocates and even the goals of Oceana International to protect our reef and marine offshore as quite laudable, there is one big fatal flaw in their no offshore drilling campaign. The problem with it is that the other neighboring countries (Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala) around us are drilling for oil in their offshore. If, God forbid, any one of them should have an unfortunate spill, then it would affect our reef just as badly as if we were drilling in our offshore since our waters are so closely interlinked.

Michellee Moses honored by Ladyville Tech High School
Michellee Moses, 18, of Flamboyant Street, Lake Independence, a 3rd form student at Ladyville Tech High School, in Ladyville, has been recognized as the best student of the 3rd form division for this school year. She will be honored by the school at the upcoming Ladyville Tech High School graduation to be held on Saturday, June 6, at the Kings Room at the Princess Ramada Hotel in Belize City. The school informed us that for her hard work and dedication, Moses will participate in lighting the torch at the graduation; she will be presented with a plaque and she will also be awarded a one-year, all-expenses-paid scholarship at the school, which will commence at the beginning of the new school year in September, to conclude in June next year. Celine Moses, Michellee’s elated mother, said that she is proud of her daughter for the accomplishment.

Belize produces 250 mil pounds of citrus, pushing 1st quarter GDP to 7%
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) indicated earlier this year that climate changes had actually triggered a halt in orange production in 2014, leading to a downfall in production, but a strong rebound in the citrus industry has yielded a major expansion in orange production—up by 129% for fruit and 121% for citrus concentrate—for the first quarter of 2015. This has helped to fuel a promising 7.0% growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—which quantifies the value of what the country earns from goods and services—for the first three months of the year, according to data just released by the SIB. The production of total goods and services for the 1st quarter of 2015 totaled $733.8 million, $48 million more than the same time last year. When we reported on the GDP figures last year, the news from the agriculture sector was grim. Production in the three major sectors—sugar, banana and citrus—was down by about 30%, leading to a fall in the value of primary agricultural products by a reported $26 million.

Belize must do better to check Chiquibul incursions
Today, we asked head of Belize’s National Security Council, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, what the Government is doing to address the unrelenting encroachments inside the Chiquibul, which have reportedly peaked this year, according to the latest report to our newspaper from Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), which identified 92 clearings for milpa farming on May 8. Barrow told us that the Government is “not asleep at the wheel.” He did concede that the battle to check the incursions is a battle that Belize has been losing, but added that the country has to keep doing better. “I would be lying to say that we can stop [the incursions] completely,” he added. He said that at each monthly Council meeting, the matter of the incursions remains on the table and an update is provided on the situation. He told us that whenever there is a spike in incursions, the Belize Defence Force (BDF) is tasked to do even more, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked to raise the issue with Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within the high ranks of the Belize Defence Force, said Barrow, there is also dialogue with their counterparts on the Guatemala side of the border.

Belize and Guatemala sign ICJ protocol
In a signing ceremony which took place in Guatemala City on Monday, May 25—a signing which officials say brings them closer to the final resolution of the age-old territorial differendum between Belize and Guatemala at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague—the parties have formalized their agreement to allow the countries to proceed separately or simultaneously with a national referendum on the issue. The Government of Belize has not yet issued a public statement on the matter, but a press release published by Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Monday’s signing amends the 2008 special agreement by allowing the parties to either hold their referenda simultaneously or on separate occasions, on dates convenient to the parties, to say whether or not citizens of the two countries agree for the matter to be heard at the ICJ. Guatemalan reports continue to cite a claim for 12,000 square kilometers of Belize – or more than half of Belize’s territory. The parties had agreed back in April 2012 to set Sunday, October 6, 2013 as the date on which voters in Belize and Guatemala should participate in simultaneous referenda; however, Guatemala pulled out of the process, claiming that the conditions did not exist to secure a “yes” vote.

Attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd cited for contempt of court
Journalists from various Belize City media organizations waited near the entrance to the courtroom of Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel for the arrival of an unusual defendant in a contempt of court hearing that was scheduled to occur this morning. All cameras were focused on the attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd as she ascended the steps of the court, dressed in her courtroom garb. The contempt of court hearing against Matura-Shepherd, however, was adjourned because Justice Abel was out of the country. Matura-Shepherd, who has never shied away from granting an interview to reporters, this morning declined to comment on the specifics of the contempt of court case against her, which has been adjourned to early July. What is known, however, is that the Government of Belize is being represented by one of its attorneys from the law firm of Barrow and Williams.

The Reporter

Police seeks InterPol’s help to repatriate cashier wanted for theft
Investigators are in the process of asking their international counterparts to help locate and repatriate a post office cashier who absconded to the United States the day before police had intended to arrest her for stealing over $20,000 of public monies. Senior post office personnel […]

Conflict erupts between Belizean coast guard and Guatemalan naval officers
Conflict erupted between Belizean coast guard personnel and members of the Guatemalan navy on Thursday in Belize’s Sarstoon River. It happened near Sarstoon Island when the two parties conducting operations in the area encountered each other and the Guatemalans accused the Belizean coast guard personnel […]

Ready for the road? Cancer Walk 2015
The Belize Cancer Society is inviting all Belizeans to support cancer patients in Belize and around the world, by participating in its annual Cancer Walk, scheduled for Saturday, May 30. The walk, which leaves from Ladyville at 5:00 a.m., is held to raise funds to […]

Belize gets $35 million for education
A US$35 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), along with a US $461,000 grant, will be used for the development of education throughout the country. The loan and grant were approved by the CDB Board of Directors, after a meeting with officials […]

Indian recruiter cons med students – now they will sue!
Several Indian students attending the Central America Health Sciences University (CAHSU) on the Burrell Boom Road are planning to sue the man who they say sold them a “barrel of goods” to come here to study, only to be duped on arrival in Belize. Information […]

Lijohn Franklin shot dead in his yard!
Investigators are following new leads into the murder of Lijohn Franklyn, 33, who was shot and killed last Friday evening in his yard at 7011 Iguana Street Extension. A surveillance camera affixed on Kim’s Shop across from Franklyn’s house picked up the gunman riding […]

Traffic officer and stepson shot in front of home
Traffic officer, Calvin Cumberbatch, 34, and his stepson, Mark Gentle, 27, became victims of a drive-by assault shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday. An unidentified vehicle slowed down in front of their house on Caesar Ridge Road, near the Wilton Cumberbatch Field, and two […]

Roaring Creek residents say “No” to casino
A bid by a businessman to open a mini casino in Roaring Creek Village, Cayo, was swiftly rejected when residents attended a community meeting on Monday in the village. At the meeting, which had a turnout of only 96 out of 3,500 residents, […]

Children with cancer to benefit from plot of land raffle
The Belize Children First and Last (CFAL), in collaboration with the Belize Cancer Society, are holding a fundraising event to aid children who have been diagnosed with cancer. This event entails a raffle of a plot of land in Tropical Park. The raffle was made […]

IDB funds Caribbean Climate Change projects
Caribbean countries will have access to funding to improve their resilience to climate change, through a new grant by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) this week. The IDB on Thursday approved a US$10.39 million grant for the implementation of the Investment Plan for the Caribbean […]

Taiwan gifts Belize US $5 million
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Belize, Benjamin Ho, handed over a cheque worth US $5 million to Prime Minister Dean Barrow to assist in Belize’s poverty alleviation and infrastructural development projects. The money, according to the Government’s Press Office, will be used “to cover a […]

Arson leaves family of five homeless
A family of five, including three little girls, is homeless after a fire, deliberately set. destroyed their home on Monday just before 9 p.m. in Lord’s Bank. Homeowner Dorian Russel, father of three girls, aged two, four and six, said he and his family […]

CEO in Immigration Ministry placed on leave
s The million-dollar question this week has to be the “why” behind the decision to place Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Local Government and Immigration, Candelaria Saldivar-Morter on administrative leave with immediate effect. While no official was able to field […]

Editorial
News of the arrest of seven senior officials of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and of four others accused of paying bribes to FIFA in return for favourable broadcast rights have not only rocked the world of sports. The news has shocked law enforcement authorities of many nations […]

Three detained for brutal double homicide
Investigations into a gruesome murder that rendered Edilberto Madrid dead by decapitation and disembowelment this week reveals a sordid connection to two other murders in Roaring Creek Village. In a press briefing on Friday afternoon, Belmopan police would only say that three men are detained, and the investigation is proceeding […]

GOB solidifies new position on offshore drilling
The Government of Belize (GOB) this week revealed its revised position on offshore oil drilling, by withdrawing its appeal against a Supreme Court ruling that rendered six offshore oil concessions null and void. Attorneys for GOB, the law firm of Barrow & Company, filed the […]

Wallace and Underwood walk free
Two men walked away from murder charges on Thursday, May 28, after Supreme Court Justice, Troadio Gonzalez handed in a not guilty verdict. The incident in question occurred on February 1, 2010, after a barrage of bullets intended for one man caught other innocents […]

Union meets with PM on PetroCaribe Loan Act
Executives of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow at his office on Wednesday afternoon to discuss points of contention as well as amendments to the PetroCaribe Loan Act and though there is much to be settled […]

Breaking Belize News

Will Brother Tiger’s Day of Reckoning Come in Your Lifetime?
By Carlos El Dente Brother Tiger is clever about finding ways to avoid properly taking care of Kingdom of Toucan citizens. Instead, he spoils his cronies and loyal followers, dismissing underlings at will if they dare to challenge him. Cases in point: He replaced his Minister of Development with the Mayor of Toucan City without […]

Guatemalan Coast Guards in Belizean Waters
According to reports surfacing earlier today, a Belizean Coast Guard Patrol was ordered to stand down and move out of the way allowing Guatemalan Coast Guards to continue its patrol in Belizean waters. UPDATE at 5:29PM Government of Belize has sent a diplomatic note to the Guatemalan Government […]

FFB mum on FIFA’s corruption scandal while Sepp Blatter wins election
This week, a number of FIFA executives were arrested in Zurich Switzerland by Swiss Police for wire fraud, money laundering, racketeering, among other serious offenses in connection with participation in a 24 year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer by accepting bribes and kickbacks. According to […]

‘No Charlie Charlie’ at Holy Angels Primary School
In an interview with Belize Media Group this morning, Principal Sadie Asevedo of Holy Angels Primary School in Stann Creek District says that she finds the allegations on social media that her school is participating in the spooky game of “Charlie Charlie” extremely disturbing. “There were several students at the school who wanted to practice this game and we dealt with the situation immediately,” Ms. Asevedo told us. “There were no bags floating in the air and neither did the parents were called to pick up the children,” she added when asked if it was true that the students were involved in the Ouija board-like game.

Where does Belize fit into Pangea?
Formed about 300 million years ago, Pangae was a supercontinent that incorporated almost all the landmasses on Earth, and according to an article entitled “This Is What Supercontinent Pangea Looks Like Mapped With Modern Borders” on http://www.iflscience.com, the supercontinent was like traveling from China to Antarctica, crossing through Canada, Brazil and India – without setting foot in any water. “Unfortunately we have all missed our chance as the supercontinent of Pangea no longer exist,” states www.iflscience.com, a website that contains a plethora of interesting articles on science. Massimo Pietrobon, a talented artist redrew the map of Pangea accounting for the political boundaries that separate us today.

Belize Have Always Claimed Full Rights To Their Territorial Waters But Enforcement Is A Major Problem
By: Wellington C. Ramos. According to International Law many countries claim their 12 miles of Territorial Waters and enforce their jurisdiction over it. There is also a 20 Miles and the EEZ Zone for drilling and other rights that Belize can control in their southern border with Guatemala and Honduras. Then come International Waters. Belize would like to do the same but the Guatemalan Claim is standing in the way. Guatemala is claiming the whole or part of our country for years now and there is no end in sight. If Guatemala was to drop their claim, then they will be land locked and have no access to the Atlantic Ocean for their commercial and military vessels. Guatemalan vessels have always and continue to traffic through Belizean waters without any action taken by the Belizean Government. Is there a secret agreement between Great Britain, Belize and Guatemala to allow their vessels to traffic through our territorial waters? If there is then it should be made public to we the Belizean citizens. The failure of the Belize Government to stop these vessels to continue travelling through Belize waters gives me the impression that there is an agreement. Or, Belize may be allowing Guatemala to use their waters as a Good Neighbor Policy to avoid increasing tensions over the Guatemalan Claim. These are the type of discussions that our leaders from the political parties should be discussing to educate us about the Belize-Guatemala Dispute.

Blogs

Extreme tech gremlins and Blue Hole diving
Please excuse lack of recent posts showing on tacogirl. Site experiencing major tech gremlins as a result the last 6 months of writing has temporarily disappeared and all the corresponding facebook posts are fubar too :( My tech team is working on doing some Belize Blue hole diving and restoring what has disappeared in to the big blue hole of the worldwide web. Much like the cool and creative beanbag game in the picture below, I am hoping they will be able to reach in, work their magic and bring all beanbags aka my writing. As I was about to hit publish, one of my team messaged said he was able to restore old dns settings until proper maintenance works, I am posting this anyways in case gremlins temporarily come back.

Belize Deal Destinations for Off-Season Travel
If you long to travel but your budget stops you, it’s time to discover Belize during the green season. Prices drop dramatically. English is spoken everywhere. Even pricey resorts offer deep discounts. These five destinations are just a taste of what to expect, so don’t dawdle or all of the best deals could be grabbed up!

Belize Recipes: Mango Shrimp Ceviche!
Fresh juicy Caribbean mangoes give this recipe a twist on the traditional Belizean Shrimp and Conch Ceviche recipe. This Belizean mango shrimp ceviche recipe is easy to make and can be ready to enjoy in a matter of minutes. Adding some cubed mangoes will complement the acidity of the limes with a burst of sweetness. A mango that is ripe and sweet works best, but avoid over-ripe mangoes. The texture should be firm not sloppy.

Walk San Pedro Town, It’s the Way to Go: Plus A Map & Gorgeous Panadas
I’m not sure I’ve ever used a map to navigate San Pedro town – Ambergris Caye’s only “urban center”. But despite the basic lay-out – there are only three main streets – it can be complex to give directions to a newcomer. Sentences start with things like “Do you know where the Lions’ Den is?” Ummm….no. “Okay, okay…forget that. Start at the Five-Aside Court…” Yellow Circle: Is going to place you at the south end of Front Street and one of my favorite spots, the Belize Chocolate Factory. Beautiful view yesterday. But forget that. They have a new special this week: Rocky Road. A huge chunk of chocolate, marshmallows, crunch, almonds, raisins…

International Sources

Mueren manatíes en la Bahía por contaminación
Manatee deaths in the Chetumal Bay attributed to water pollution: La aparición de manatíes sin vida en la Bahía de Chetumal podría considerarse una situación hasta cierto punto “normal”, ya que se trata del hábitat de la especie y es área natural protegida para su conservación, sin embargo, en el ideario popular la muerte de estos mamíferos obedece al elevado grado de contaminación del agua. El caso más reciente ocurrió en marzo pasado, cuando el cadáver de un manatí hembra de aproximadamente 350 kilogramos recaló en la zona de la Explanada de la Bandera. El ejemplar medía más de dos metros, pesaba alrededor de 350 kilos y en su momento, personal de la Profepa y Semarnat señalaron que las causas de su muerte pudieron ser por enfermedad o simplemente naturales. Y como ha sucedido en anteriores ocasiones, el cadáver del animal fue enviado al Colegio de la Frontera Sur para establecer el motivo de su muerte, aunque los resultados, como siempre ocurre, no se dieron a conocer al público. Empero, entre los chetumaleños existe la percepción que la muerte de los manatíes está vinculada a la contaminación del agua de la Bahía, consecuencia de descargas de aguas negras y de metales pesados provenientes del Río Hondo.

Understanding the demand for eco-tourism in Belize
Leonardo DiCaprio is a well-known environmental activist, so it was little surprise when the world’s media publicized his plans to transform Blackadore Caye, his 104-acre unpopulated island off the coast of Belize, into a luxury resort. Apparently, he first set eyes on the island a decade ago and bought it with a partner for a reported $1.75 million. Once work is complete in 2018, it will house luxury villas and all the frills associated with 5-star hospitality in one of the most beautiful corners of the globe. But there appears to be more to this venture than financial gain. He said in news reports: “The main focus is to do something that will change the world. I couldn’t have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something like this, if it weren’t for the idea that it could be ground breaking in the environmental movement.” Plans for Restorative Island, as it will be known, show a large raised platform that stretches in an arc over the water with artificial reefs underneath. The island will grow indigenous plants to support a manatee conservation area, and mangrove trees will be replanted. This vision is the result of 18 months of work from a team of designers, scientists, engineers and landscape architects but this labor of love extends beyond that. Following a decade-long search for the perfect hotel operator to partner with, DiCaprio settled on Restorative Islands, which is owned by Delos founder Paul Scialla, the company that founded the WELL building standard. Together, they are positioning this as a rating tool for wellness in the same way LEED/BREEAM, etc. serve environmental sustainability.

Caribbean told to brace for 11 storms in 2015
The US-based National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting six to 11 named storms for the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season even as regional disaster officials warned Caribbean countries not to become complacent. NOAA said of the 11 named storms, six could become hurricanes and two major hurricanes in excess of winds of 111 miles per hour (mph). "The main factor expected to suppress the hurricane season this year is El Niño, which is already affecting wind and pressure patterns, and is forecast to last through the hurricane season," said Dr Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "El Niño may also intensify as the season progresses, and is expected to have its greatest influence during the peak months of the season. We also expect sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic to be close to normal, whereas warmer waters would have supported storm development."

Six Caribbean countries attain MDGs on hunger
Six Caribbean countries have attained the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on hunger and feature promising indicators with regards to food security and nutrition, according to a report released here on Thursday. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report titled “Panorama of Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean 2015,” notes that Barbados, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Cuba and the Dominican Republic have achieved the feat. The report noted that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has made a huge step towards the total eradication of hunger by reducing both the percentage and total number of undernourished people to less than half. The region also met the goal of the World Food Summit (WFS), having reduced the total number of undernourished people to 34.3 million.

Bret Harte science students, teacher recap Belize excursion
Bret Harte High School science teacher Jerre Maurer isn’t a big fan of run-of-the-mill school field trips, but she did recently take four of her students to Belize for eight days to study its ecology and culture. “We learned about the ecology, history and people of Belize, snorkeled for four days in the Glover Reef off of Middle Caye Island, and swam, tubed and hiked in the jungle of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary,” Maurer said. Junior Amanda Cox, sophomores Rick Davis and Sam Lewis and freshman Taylor Lowell were the four. They each raised approximately $3,000 to fund their trips. The nonprofit organization Ecology Project International set up their itinerary. Maurer discovered the nonprofit, which offers ecological study trips to various locations, by happenstance in her email account. Maurer first chose to take students on an Ecology Project International trip in 2013, when a group of 12 Bret Harte students ventured to Costa Rica for a study of turtles. The Belize trip was meant to be a study of dolphins and other marine biology, but there weren’t many dolphins seen around the islands when the group was there, so Maurer had her students focus on the specimens available.

The Role of the OAS in the Dispute between Belize and Guatemala
• The OAS has actively supported the search for a solution to the dispute since 2000 and provides, through its Peace Fund, political and technical support to both countries with the objective of ending a territorial differendum that has its origins in colonial history. • In 2000, under the auspices of the OAS, the two countries restarted talks on the differendum and agreed to create an Adjacency Line between the countries and an Adjacency Zone, extending one kilometer east and west of this line. • In 2003, the Agreement to Establish a Transition Process and Confidence-Building Measures was signed (replaced in 2005 by the Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence-Building Measures between Belize and Guatemala), by which the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone was established. • The objective of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone is to foster community-to-community contacts across the Adjacency Line and verify any transgression of the signed agreements and any potential incidents.

Exercise Tradewinds 2015 starts Sunday
Beginning Sunday, military and security forces from Caribbean nations will join the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Mexico, and the United Kingdom for maritime security and disaster response training at Camp Springfield in St Kitts as part of Exercise Tradewinds 2015. This year’s Exercise Tradewinds will be conducted in three phases: Phase I will include maritime and land operations, and it will take place in St Kitts and Nevis through June 9; Phase II will include maritime and land operations, including US Marines in Belize from June 15-24; Phase III, a key leader seminar, will be conducted July 14-16 in Miami for key stakeholders and decision makers from the region. Exercise Tradewinds supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a US Department of State regional security partnership. Phase I and II are designed to conduct joint, interagency capacity building exercises for participating nations. Those exercises focus on increasing regional cooperation in complex, multinational security operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response operations.

Videos

Fire Spinning with Sera & Anthony, 4min. Christmas Eve Fire Spinnnig at Martz Farm with Sera and Anthony Underwood.

Catamaran Trip Belize 2014, 4min. Black Swan & Pélicano avec des marins pas comme les autres

Belize Zoo Tapir in 4K, 1min. Watch this Tapir in full 4K HD as it enjoys a morning snack.

Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, BELIZE,9 min. Address by Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, To Women Parliamentarians of ParlAmericas - Action Plan for Preventing Political Harassment and Violence Against Women." Argentina, June 11 to 14, 2015

Belize Vacation 2015, 5min.

Belize GIS and Community Geography Maymester 2015 Experiences, 8.5min. A collection of photos and images from an international learning experience in Georgraphic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping.

Tuffy Canyon - Belize Pro Dive Center, min.

Atiliana Duran, lovingly known as Tila passed away this morning, 2min. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a vibrant young woman and who was well known in Orange Walk. Atiliana Duran, lovingly known as Tila passed away this morning after losing her fight with health complications. Tila was born with marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue which holds all the body’s cells, organs and tissue together. It also plays an important role in helping the body grow and develop properly. Tila was well known and today her family and friends took to social media to express their sadness and support to one another. Tila, as described by many who knew her was vibrant, always positive and full of life despite her challenges.

Belize Vlog 2015, 11min. from Moving Picture Weddings

Belize Spring Break, 3min.

The Belize Flag Story, 3min.

Memories with my high school class trip (2014) - Belize city, Cayo District, Stann Creek District., 4.5min. Ansley, Hever, Sergio and Rigi's Memory video with the class of 4A (2014)

Georgia College Study Abroad Belize 2015, 14min.

Our Norwegian Cruise Vacation|Belize, Chukka Zip Line & Crystal Cave Day 4, 4min. Hey loves! So sorry it is taking me so long! But here is Day 4 of our Norwegian cruise! This was by far one of my favorite days!

BELIZEAN MUSICAL ARTIST GLENN BOOD & THE MASS IN BLUES PROJECT!, min. It was the Mass In Blues musical project that the Belizean musician and trumpeter, Glenn Bood, received his notoriety in Belize's music scene. The most original Belizean musical project yet to date, that was composed and written by the Belizean musical phenom and classical concert pianist, Francis Reneau, in the 1960's, featured Bood's melodic trumpet solo on the instrumental track, Laura. Mass In Blues, a classic and Belizean musical masterpiece that is still hard to find up to today, could not had sounded better without the smooth jazzy touch of Bood's serenading horn.

May 29, 2015

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Top 5 Swimming Spots (Ambergris Caye)
Blue Step: Located right along the beach, the blue step pier is located right next to the famous Wet Willy’s dock, just a few minutes’ stride north along the beach from town. Boca del Rio Park: The perfect place to take the kiddies for a dip! Park the golf carts and chill on the beach as the kiddies splash around in waters in open view. Boca del Rio park is the go- to beach for islanders on the weekends. With food vendors and a playground all on site, this makes the perfect place for a family day.The “Secret Beach:” Located several miles north of San Pedro Town, this secret beach, which really isn’t that secret anymore is to die for! With miles and miles of clear waters facing west, feel free to take a picnic and enjoy the sunshine and warm waters! Find out for yourself why everyone wants in on this beach! Di V’u Enjoy a full bar and delicious meals as you lounge on the deck, and please do take a dip in the water while you wait! They even have floaties and innertubes! Di V’u is located on the Wet Willy’s dock.Palapa Bar: Definitely a must, the Palapa Bar has been reeling down buckets of ice cold beers to thirsty costumers that float on inner tubes for longer than we can remember! Be sure to check out the bar for great cocktails and delicious food!

Fundraiser Planned to Support Pet Care and Belizean Youth Participation in an International Championship Regatta
In lieu of gifts, Caribbean Villas is using Pedro’s 60th birthday as an excuse to throw an all-out lollapalooza of a fund raiser for his two favorite charities: the San Pedro Animal Foundation and the San Pedro Sailing Club. Regardless of what you think of him, these are two extremely worthy causes. At noon, Sunday, June 7, Amber Beach Bar and Grill will begin the transformation into “party central.” Cool J’s band will cook up their hot Caribbean style of music, while aromas of a succulent pig roasting nearby mingle with those of hot dogs and burgers on the grill and tempt taste buds to succumb. Minions are at this moment gathering a myriad luxurious raffle prizes and auction items. Some of the latter will be part of a silent auction; others will be offered in Chinese auctions.

Come out and support the 2015-2016 Miss Chiquitita Pageant!
All preparations are ready for the 2015-2016 Miss Chiquitita Pageant scheduled for Saturday, May 30th at the Honorable Louis Syslvester Sporting Arena (Saca Chispas). The pageant will see five cuties taking the stage in hopes of winning the crown from outgoing Miss Chiquitita Zillah Flota. This year’s participants are 8-year-old Seydi Medrano (sponsored by Wild Mangos), 9-year-old Iansy Gordon (sponsored by Foreva Fancy), 8-year-old Adriana Briceño (sponsored by Ashley’s Store), 9-year-old Killianie Sosa (sponsored by Gaby’s Construction) and 9-year-old Alieah Moreira (sponsored by Lynn’s Boutique). They will delight those in attendance in four segments: swim wear, talent, casual and formal wear. Prizes will also be given for Miss Amity and Miss Photogenic. There will also be live entertainment from the San Pedro Dance Academy, Rompe Raja Band and other local entertainers. Lots to eat and drink will be on sale.

Annual Garifuna convention held in San Pedro
The National Garifuna Council of Belize (NGC) held its 31st Annual Convention on Friday, May 22nd through Sunday, May 24th in San Pedro Town. The major highlights of this year’s convention included workshops on various selected topics and a live performance from the Garifuna Collective Band. The 2015 theme is: “Bungiu Lerebei Sun Katei. Lidan Yein Fureindei luma Benefaü Awanseruni houn Garinagu- which means: God is the strength of all things. Garifuna progress comes from education and hard work.” The annual convention is the highest authority and decision-making body of the NGC. It is where the National Board of Directors present the yearly report on activities and achievements of the Council, as well as consideration and adoption of resolutions moved by the membership. It is also the time when the audited financial statement of the NGC is presented.

Belize Police Department registers a record murder rate in the first quarter of the year
The Belize Police Department has released the crime statistics for the first quarter of the year. The statistics show all major crimes committed across the six districts in Belize from the months of January to April 2015. According to the results, major crimes which include murder, rape, robbery, burglary, theft and carnal knowledge have seen a 10.8% decrease in 2015 as compared to the numbers of 2014. While the statistics report a decrease in major crime for the first quarter, 2015 has seen the highest murder rate from January to April in the past four years. As of Wednesday, May 13th there have been 46 murders registered across the country. San Pedro Town alone has seen seven murders so far this year. This marks a 28% increase in murders when compared to the first four months of 2014 which only registered 33. Rape incidents also registered a slight increase. 12 cases of rape where reported in the first quarter of 2014 while 13 case have been reported in 2015.

Fisheries Department Consultation in San Pedro
The Nature Conservancy, in collaboration with the Belize Fisheries Department, has been conducting a series of consultations across the country. A group of consultants visited San Pedro on Wednesday, May 20th for the first consultation for the National Replenishment Zone Expansion project in Belize. The sole purpose was to engage with fisheries stakeholders as they work to meet a national goal of having 10% of Belize’s territorial waters to be within replenishment zones. Replenishment zones are essentially areas where no fishing is allowed. It acts as a refuge for the marine species population, while helping the country to adapt to climate change. Some of the main groups present at the consultation were the Tour Guide Association and the Sports Fishing Association since these groups are actively fishing in those deep sea areas. “The information we received is that the people that fish in those open sea areas are primarily the tour guides and not the commercial fishers. We didn’t want to open this up to anybody to come in if it’s an area they are not actively fishing or have no interest in. So, we really wanted to capture those people that know and use those areas, thus the reason why we targeted those groups in particular,” said Robinson.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Says Farewell to Santiago Vasquez RIP
The Vasquez family and relatives along with the entire San Pedro Community mourns the passing of Santiago Vasquez Sr. He leaves behind a grieving wife, Idolina Vasquez Cardenez, and his children, Lorna Vasquez, Mina Guerrero, Loiny Vasquez, Santiago Vasquez Jr. and Leovijildo 'Leo' Vasquez. Don San, as he was popularly known, lived all his life in San Pedro as a dedicated fisherman. During the earlier part of his life he was considered a leading musician with talents with the guitar as well as a renowned vocalist. In the latter part of his life he supplied the local market and folks with conch and 'maimula'. As of late he was employed at the San Pedro Town Council in the street cleanup program.

OAS Sponsors Talks to Solve Belize and Guatemala Territorial Dispute
Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Wilfred Elrington and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, along with the outgoing Secretary General of the OAS José Miguel Insulza on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at a special ceremony in Guatemala City signed the Protocol to Amend the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala to Submit Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In his remarks Minister Elrington said, “For my country, the claim has been a blighted colonial legacy. It has stymied for far too long the growth and development of Belize. It has affected the national psyche of our people and the evolution of good fulsome and neighborly relations which should rightly exist between two countries which fate, history and geography have caused to be juxtaposed in perpetuity.” He said, “The Government of Belize is resolved to put this Guatemalan claim behind us as early as possible. It is irrevocably committed to being bound by the decision of the Belizean electorate on this claim as manifested in a referendum.”

Misc Belizean Sources

September Celebrations Theme Competition
Remember you still have time to submit your theme for the upcoming September Celebrations...get in it you might just win $1000 bucks...deadline fast approaching!!

Mr. Ausencio "Chencho" Burgos passes away
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its deepest condolences to the Burgos/Alejos/Valdez family on the passing of Mr. Ausencio "Chencho" Burgos. May his soul rest in peace.

BWSL has commenced road works at road crossings
Please note that BWSL has commenced road works at road crossings on the Belmopan Ring Road as of today to install new mains to replace old asbestos cement watermains that cross under the Ring Road. Starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending by 5:00 p.m. until June 10, 2015. Please be extremely cautious when traveling on the Ring Road.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Thursday, May 28, 2015: 46. FANTASY 5: 21 24 37 23 33 C

Channel 7

Steven Hyde's Gruesome Murder; The Second In 2 Days In Roaring Creek
As we told you last night, 51 year old Steven Hyde - 1st cousin of Russell Hyde was found butchered at the back of Russell's yard in a shallow grave. This is just about 24 hours after finding 28 year old Edilberto Madrid's headless body floating in the Roaring Creek River. Today I went to Camalote to try and piece together the stories of these savage murders: Courtney Weatherburne reporting This solitary wooden shack in the center of this vast farmland, hardly looks like a home. But it was for 51 year old Steven Hyde. Hyde was the care taker of this portion of farmland where he stayed. But he also closely maintained this property and estate belonging to his cousin Russell Hyde. Hyde had only been working for his cousin for about a year but he had grown fond of managing the land. But these same fertile grounds that Hyde guarded and preserved became his grave. Uncle Deeds, as he was affectionately called was last seen on Monday evening when he left his mother's house to go to his cousin's home on the hill. But he left seeming uneasy and troubled - indicating his intention to leave the farmland.

Belmopan Police Say Violent Murders May Be Connected
And what did police have to say about these recent murders? Well, after a couple of days of investigating they were finally able to speak with us today. Although they could not provide extensive or in depth details on these recent murders, they did conclude that Edilberto Madrid's murder and Steven Hyde's murder are linked. Here is what police had to say: Mike Rudon, Ch5 "Are police operating on the premise that these murders are related?" Supt. Howell Gillett - OC, Belmopan Police "There is indication that they could be related, but I would say our investigation is very encouraging thus far. We're progressing smoothly. We believe that the two last murders are co-related, but to say that the first one of Ms. Galvez is related, I have no evidence to show that 'yes it is related' but that's a thinking at this time." Mike Rudon, Ch5 "Sir, could you tell us what led the police to search the property of Russell Hyde in Camalote?" Supt. Howell Gillett - OC, Belmopan Police "Well it's based on information that we've been receiving and interviews that we've been conducting that led us to that area."

Theft Of Major Dollars At Post Office
The Post Office is investigating a major case of theft of funds by one of its own employees. Passion Bennett was the clerk at the Express Mail Service - which is an international priority mail service offered by at the post office. A review of records shows that between January and May of this year, Bennett failed to account for, and is believed to have made off with a little over twenty thousand dollars in Express Mail receipts. How did she do it, and how did it go un-noticed. Well, according to James Gabourel who is holding over for the Postmaster General - Bennett was responsible to take all the monies she had received to the main cashier. But, according to him, she would "under-deposit" the amount she paid into the cashier. By doing this, an average of four thousand dollars a month was pinched from the Express Mail monies. And while it seems simple enough - where were the checks and balances, to check the cash receipts against the receipts issued? Gabourel told us that, indeed, further checks should have been made by her supervisors - and the internal investigation, will also check to see if there was collusion. But that investigation is seriously compromised because it seems Bennett got wind of it, and absconded. She is a Belizean-American who had been working at the post office for three years after she got transferred from the Housing Department.

Roaring Creek Community Advocates For Peace Following Gruesome Murders
At the top of the news, you heard the family's side the latest murder in Roaring Creek. You've you have also heard from the police but what about the wider community? How are they coping with the relentless violence plaguing their villages? Well, there is a church led initiative in Roaring Creek that was organized to try and stop the crime. Today we spoke with one of the coordinators and he told us what the initiative is about. Resident "The community initiative that will taking place right now is that the churches have come together on a high level. Trying to break loose and stand up for righteousness, so that the crimes could get to a halt, because it is out of hand now. Also we would like that to see participating from the youths and that something would come about with the government to participate with the churches so that they could put back the corporal punishment in the different schools. It is time to put down the guns and be free and put on a new person, because crime doesn't work."

Dirk Is No Longer At Audubon Society
If you watch the news with any regularity, you'll know Dirk Francisco - he's been the publicity director for the Belize Audubon Society for over ten years. Or we should say, "was the publicity director." Francisco is making the news tonight because he's been fired from the Audubon. 7News has learned that on May 5th. Francisco was given notice of termination, and told that he was being let go, because he could not keep up with the pace of the organization. But, Francisco isn't going quietly, 7News has learned that he has lawyered up - and is threatening to sue the Audubon for "wrongful termination." It seems that the Audubon's disciplinary procedures, which require verbal and written warnings before termination, were not followed. In fact, it turns out that Francisco was awarded with an increment based on his appraisal for 2014.

Darrell Henry Claims GSU Harassment
Darrel Henry was in the news around Christmas of 2014 because police seemed determined to have him under remand for the holidays and they did. But he says since then the police harassment has continued and it's getting worse - even affecting him when he is on his job. But this time when the police caught him he caught them on camera - and used it as proof to tell us of his plight. Jules Vasquez reporting This is surveillance video from Toto's store on Church Street. As the time stamp shows, it is after 2:00 pm on Friday May 22nd. The GSU pulls up in a pickup truck and proceeds to question a man they know well, Darrel Henry. He says they ask him if he works; at Toto's. He confirms that he does, and to make sure two officers go inside to question the business owner who also confirms it. Five days later at almost exactly the same time, the unit pulls up on Henry on what they now know is his jobsite and waste no time. He narrates the encounter for us. Darrel Henry, Harassed by GSU "They harass me on my job site again. They threw me on the ground. I am tired of these men. They threaten that how they will kill me too. They whisper that in my ears."

Minor Arraigned For Shooting, 1 Day After He Turns 18
18 year-old Belize City resident Jorge Gutierrez got a terrible birthday present from the police department who waited one day after his birthday today to arraign him as an adult allegedly attempting to shoot a man. The incident happened one week ago on last Thursday at around 7:45 p.m. 32 year-old Luis Dominguez was riding his bike on J.R. Street when a Hispanic youth came out of a yard and shot at him. Several of those bullets injured him in the left side of the neck, shoulder and head area, and he was rushed to the KHMH. Well, the man who police believe was the gunman is Jorge Gutierrez, and they have been investigating him for the crime for a few days now. His 18th birthday was yesterday, and so that means that at the time when he was detained by police for the crime, he was still legally a minor. Police apparently held off on arraigning him today, one day later, so that he cpuld be arriagned as an adult in front of the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith. He was read charges of attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm, and due to the nature of the offences, no plea was taken from him.

Wallace and Underwood Acquitted Of Fatal Shooting
2 men, 25 year-old Phillip "Papi" Wallace and 21 year-old Austin Underwood were acquitted today of the murder of 21 year-old Darrell Williams Jr. Their trial was completed before Justice Troadio Gonzalez in which evidence emerged that on February 1, 2010, Williams was shot in the head at around 6:40 p.m. According to the evidence, Williams was at Rick's Chinese Shop when two men rode up on bicycles and started shooting. Williams ran home. Three other persons were also shot. The prosecution's case fell apart when the only eye witness, Jason Reynolds, took the witness stand and denied that he gave a statement to the police which pointed to the two men as the alleged shooters. Reynolds said that he could not remember giving a statement to the police and that the signature on the statement that was shown to him was not his. He was treated as a hostile witness, and when he was summoned to court and he failed to appear, a bench warrant had to be issued for his arrest.

Slyvio Espinosa On Trial For Murder
For the past week and a half, an unusual type of murder trial has been taking place before Justice Adolph Lucas. The accused is 27 year-old Sylvio Espinosa, and he is accused of killing 47 year-old Carlos Espat, the elder brother of Mark Espat. Espinosa has been standing trial without a jury, that's notable enough since there haven't been a large number of those so far, but in this case, it's not a state attorney who is leading the prosecution against him. The prosecutor in this case is private attorney Ellis Arnold, a senior counsel, which to our knowledge, hasn't happened recently for a long time, if at all. He is being assisted, however, by Crown Counsel Sabita Maharaj. Slyvio Espinosa is being represented by attorneys Audrey Matura-Shepherd and Christelle Wilson, who have so far made sure to challenge every single bit of the prosecution's case on which their objections have been allowed. At this time, the case is in a very sensitive portion, and we are unable to go into any further detail.

OCEANA/COLA Discusses Off-Shore Oill Drilling Win
Last night, we told you about how the Government of Belize decided to withdraw their Civil Appeal to the victory that OCEANA, COLA and the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage won in their fight against off shore oil drilling. In that case, Justice Oswell Legal declared 6 offshore oil drilling contracts illegal. Those contracts were issued by Government between 2005 and 2007. After the trial at that time, the litigators on both sides were convinced that the issue wasn't resolved, and the Government filed suit to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal. Well, as we told you, they withdrew that case, which would have been very lengthy and expensive for everyone involved. Today, we got a chance to speak with the leaders of two of the organizations who gave us a reaction to the decision of the Government to discontinue on this issue: Janelle Chanona - VP, OCEANA Belize "We're looking at the withdrawal of the appeal and the indication that the matter of the injunction will be similarly dealt with. As a clear indication that government is trying to demonstrate its commitment towards the magnitude of this issue. That cannot go unnoticed, the Prime Minister was very clear in his position in terms of asserting that a moratorium is in effect. But certainly as a policy organization, we take this as signs of good faith but we continue to work towards a position where we are comfortable with the policy currently in place."

How To Successful Run A Family Business
Today, business owners who keep it in the family and hire other relatives, were invited to attend a workshop organized by BELTRAIDE, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, and FINPYME. They were there to take discuss issues the secrets to success for the families, communications and conflict management, family governance, family meetings, councils, company constitution, ethics, and a host of other issues that business owners face on a daily business in this type of commercial module. We stopped by and spoke with the organizers and asked about the hypothetical about what to do when a family member in the company believes that he or she can be negligent or non-performing, and still be protected from termination simply because of relation to the bosses. Here's what they told us:

Reggae Rock Stars Ready To Put On A Grand Show
Belize's maritime boundaries - where are they set and what is the marker? Foreign minister has been roundly criticized for not coming down squarely on the issue. On Monday on Guatemala City he said that it is still not certain due to the territorial dispute: H.E. Alexis Rosado, Belize's Ambassador to Guatemala "So it is important for every nation state, every sovereign government to be able to define the limit of their sovereignty and in the maritime spaces they have not been able to do that, because we have not been able to sit down and agree. Every sovereign, free and independent state wants to be able to have clarity as to where the limits of their sovereignty lies. And in the sea they have not arrived at that point yet." Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs "In the absence of proper delimitation and demarcation of your land borders, you're not in a position to even begin to deal with your maritime borders. And the Guatemalan land borders just like the Belize land border, is in doubt because of the Guatemalan claim. They are saying that their border is East of Belize City. That is what their saying, that I think is in their constitution, that has got to be resolved. So that's an urgent matter for them."

Foreign Minister: Belize Maritime Boundaries Uncertain
Belize's maritime boundaries - where are they set and what is the marker? Foreign minister has been roundly criticized for not coming down squarely on the issue. On Monday on Guatemala City he said that it is still not certain due to the territorial dispute: H.E. Alexis Rosado, Belize's Ambassador to Guatemala "So it is important for every nation state, every sovereign government to be able to define the limit of their sovereignty and in the maritime spaces they have not been able to do that, because we have not been able to sit down and agree. Every sovereign, free and independent state wants to be able to have clarity as to where the limits of their sovereignty lies. And in the sea they have not arrived at that point yet." Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs "In the absence of proper delimitation and demarcation of your land borders, you're not in a position to even begin to deal with your maritime borders. And the Guatemalan land borders just like the Belize land border, is in doubt because of the Guatemalan claim. They are saying that their border is East of Belize City. That is what their saying, that I think is in their constitution, that has got to be resolved. So that's an urgent matter for them."

Channel 5

Roaring Creek Reels In Wake of Ongoing Bloodbath
The brutal slayings of two Roaring Creek men, just a day apart, has shocked the small community, and indeed the nation. Twenty-eight year old Edilberto Madrid went missing on Sunday, [...]

Thousands of Dollars Reported Missing from Belize Post Office
Twenty thousand dollars and counting…an internal audit of public funds at the Post Office in Belize City is currently ongoing. So far it is known that between January second and [...]

Deputy Post Master General Says Theft of Monies is not Pilfering of Mail
Gabriel assures the public that the theft is not to be confused with the pilfering of mail, for which several protocols are in place to catch perpetrators. And on the [...]

Draft Petrocaribe Amendment Dissected by Attorney Andrew Marshalleck
Government has come under considerable fire for the controversial Petrocaribe Loans Act which was passed in the House in March. On June twenty-sixth, government will be tabling amendments to the [...]

Are the Proposed Amendments Contradictory?
According to Marshalleck, the spirit of the amendments remains inconsistent, particularly where it concerns the passage of retrospective supplementary allowances. Isani Cayetano “These proposed changes have been described as [...]

Trepidation Amid Changes to Petrocaribe Loans Act
In spite of the revision, there are still significant concerns. The amendments, characterized as aesthetic, are seemingly all glitter and no substance. Andrew Marshalleck, Attorney in Legal Claim “So [...]

Julius Espat Says G.O.B. is Simply Trying to Cover Up Misconduct
As we mentioned earlier, P.U.P. Deputy Leader Julius Espat has commenced legal proceedings against the prime minister in respect of the perceived illegalities of the Petrocaribe Loans Act. After carefully [...]

Special Meeting to be Held on Amendment to Petrocaribe Loans Act
In light of Wednesday’s meeting between the prime minister and the unions, we asked Espat if he has reached out to the social partners for their position on the proposed [...]

Belize City Duo Acquitted of 2010 Murder
On February first, 2010, a barrage of bullets was sprayed at one man, but many others were hit in the shooting. The violent shooting took the life of Darrell Williams [...]

Honduran National Jose Gomez Charged with Sexual Assault
Shortly before noon today, thirty four year old Jose Gomez, who is a Honduran national was taken to court in handcuffs and arraigned for Burglary for entering the home of [...]

Foreign Ministers Discuss Absence of Opposition from Signing of Compromis Amendments
As you know by now, for the first time the Opposition party is not taking part in the process toward finding a definitive solution to the territorial dispute with Guatemala. [...]

G.O.B. Withdraws Appeal of Decision on Invalid Oil Concessions
On Wednesday, the Government of Belize withdrew its appeal against a legal ruling that oil concessions are null and void. The move is a surprising one, considering that Government had [...]

Guidelight Productions Organizes Youth Forum
A youth forum will be held on Friday in Belize City, and the organizers want you to attend. The event, which is free, will see the participation of community leaders [...]

Tanya Stephens and Tarrus Riley in Belize!
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, Reggae Royalty Tanya Stephens and Tarrus Riley from Jamaica invite you to the fourth annual Smart Reggae Fest on Saturday [...]

Olympic Run Kicks Off this Sunday
The cancer Society will be holding its annual cancer walk on Saturday. The other activity to look out for this weekend is the Olympic Run. The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth [...]

The Annual Cancer Walk Takes Place on Saturday…Will You Be There?
If you havenâ€™t made up your mind as yet as to whether youâ€™ll be waking up early Saturday morning to join the thousands of participants of the Annual Cancer Walk [...]

CTV3

Republic Of Taiwan Makes Donation Under The Bilateral Cooperation
Today in Belize City, His Excellency Benjamin Ho, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) presented a cheque in the sum of US$5 million to the Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Belize. The cheque is the grant from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize for the year 2015 under the Bilateral Cooperation Program between the two countries. The purpose of the grant is to assist in the development of Belize.

LOVE FM

Edilberto Madrid and Steven Hyde: Who Butchered These Men?
Belmopan Police have three persons detained for questioning following the discovery of two bodies this week. No one has been charged as yet however according to the officer in charge of Belmopan the investigation is ongoing. He spoke with our correspondent Fem Cruz. FEM CRUZ “Officer in Command Belmopan Branch Superintendent Howell Gillett is appealing […]

Police News: Drug Trafficking
Police in Caye Caulker have charged a man for drug related offences. Police say, that on Wednesday afternoon, they visited the water taxi terminal on the island where they intercepted 54-year-old Raul Rafael Rosado of Caye Caulker Village with a package that contained 21.1 grams of crack cocaine. Rosado was arrested and charged for drug […]

Men Walk Free of Murder Charge
Two men, 25 year old Phillip “Papi” Wallace and 21 year old Austin Underwood, charged with the murder of 19 year old Darrell Williams Jr, were acquitted of the charge today in the court of Justice John Gonzalez. Williams, a resident of 3717 Central American Boulevard, was shot in his head around 6:40 p.m. on […]

If There Is An Affirmative Vote in Belize and Guatemala to Go To ICJ – What Happens After??
It is interesting and noteworthy to understand that once the two countries have held their referendum and the residents agree to go to the ICJ, there is a process that had to be undertaken by Belize and Guatemala as it pertains to the International Court of Justice. Ambassador explains that process. STUART LESLIE “It is […]

Factors to Consider When Going to Referendum
On the issue of an upcoming referendum, in a conversation with Ambassador Stuart Leslie, he listed several factors that he would want each Belizean man and woman to consider when the time comes to vote. STUART LESLIE “I would want every Belizean hear all the positions. I would want Belizean people to understand that when […]

Is the Belize/Guatemala Issue Still Bi-Partisan??
Last week the main opposition party, People’s United Party had made the announcement to the local media that they would not be attending the signing of the amendments to the 2008 Special Agreement that took place in Guatemala on Monday, May 25. The political party had cited the reason behind this decision as being the […]

Belize and Guatemala To Start Implementation of Cooperation Agreements
A bilateral agreement with thirteen points, aimed at confidence-building between Belize and Guatemala, was signed onto on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 when a delegation of Foreign Affairs officials from Guatemala were on the Placencia peninsula for a high level meeting of Central American leaders. The document looks at several areas where the two countries can […]

Ambassador Explains Why Special Agreement Was Amended
Reports of gun violence, deaths and other criminal activities are the stories that get much feedback from the public via social media or the local talk shows. They are the news reports that have citizens both home and abroad calling on the Government and law enforcement agencies to up their strategies in an effort to […]

PlusTV

Another missing Roaring Creek man found gruesomely murdered
Another Roaring Creek Man was reported missing on Monday and today, his body turned up in much the same way as Edilberto Medina’s body turned up yesterday. This latest victim of the violence plaguing Roaring Creek village is Steve Hyde also known as “Deeds”. His body was discovered in a shallow grave in Russell Hyde’s

Belize GDP rebounds in 2015 1st quarter
The quarterly press conference organized by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) took place today in Belize City and in the area of overall economic development there was good news to report. On the heels of a 1.6% growth in the last quarter of 2014 and projected overall growth of 3.6% for the year, a

Unions meet with PM on Petrocaribe
The long-awaited meeting between Prime Minister Dean Barrow and executive members of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) took place this afternoon in Belize City at the Prime Minister’s office. It concerned the unions’ objections to the Petrocaribe Loans Act 2015 which is now pending amendment in the House of Representatives. It was

9th Annual Chocolate Festival in Toledo
Thousands attended the 9th annual chocolate festival in Toledo over the weekend. The festival lasts for three days and started on Friday with a wine and chocolate event. The largest part of the event was held on Saturday when different artisans and other entrepreneurs displayed their cacao related products and non cacao related products. Emanuel

Belizeans paying less for goods
Prices are going down according to the Statistical Institute of Belize. On average, Belizeans pay 1% less than they did at this time last year and about the same over the last four months. While prices have been trending up recently, figures for fuel prices reached historic lows in the last year, as Marilyn Pinelo-Lee

Chinese nationals arrested for cultivating weed
Four Chinese Nationals appeared before chief Magistrate Aretha Ford in Belmopan yesterday after they were busted cultivating weed in Benque Viejo Town. Sometime around 5:30 am, members of the quick response team visited the house of 26 year old Andy Cheng in Lomas Del Rodeo Area, Benque Viejo Town. There they searched the house under the

GOB Withdraws appeal against legal ruling that oil concessions are null and void
Today, attorneys for the Government of Belize, Barrow & Company, filed a notice of withdrawal of appeal in the matter of Civil Appeal No. 18 of 2013: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Oceana in Belize; Citizens Organized for Liberty and Action and the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. In this appeal, […]

Caye Caulker Chronicles

You’ve Got To See This Reef Week 2015 Video Shot On Location With Ragamuffin Tours!
Host of Wake Up Belize, Mose Hyde and his crew from KREM TV took to Belize’s Cayes with Ragamuffin Tours as part of Reef Week Belize 2015. The journey showcased the beauty and value of Belize’s barrier reef, with guest marine biologists from Oceana Belize and Blue Ventures on board. This is one of the

La Isla Carinosa Academy, Hoping To Become Caye Caulker’s First Private Elementary School, Sets Up GoFundMe Page.
La Isla Carinosa Academy, the brainchild of Dr. Alberto August, education executive in the Ministry of Education and local Hicaqueno, has pledged to open a new private elementary school on the island. The private school is currently accepting applications for the 2015 – 2016 school year. La Isla Carinosa Academy’s official Facebook page has announced

$279 R/T Fall Fares From Miami to Belize: Plan Your September Celebrations Trip Now!
Travel comparison website Airfare Watchdog has announced r/t Fall fares from Miami to Belize starting as low as $279. These fares are obviously limited, so book your tickets as soon as possible. However, they are available beginning late August, just in time for the September celebrations. Follow THIS LINK to find a cheap flight.

Breaking Belize News

Tanya Stephens and Tarrus Riley to Perform at 2015 Smart Reggae Fest
Tanya Stephens and Tarrus Riley, two of Jamaica’s most acclaimed reggae singers will be performing this weekend in Belize City for the fourth annual Smart Reggae Fest. According to Higher Level Entertainment, the organizer of the event, the concert will also feature a variety of local artists like Tanya Carter, […]

Post mortem shows Steve Hyde of Camalote Village died of gunshot wounds
Information reaching our news room is that a post mortem examination conducted on 51 year old Steve Hyde of Camalote Village concluded that his death was due to a gunshot wound to his head. According to police report, Hyde was last seen in Roaring Creek Village on Monday and his […]

Young men acquitted of murderous mass shooting
Two men, 25 year old Phillip “Papi” Wallace and 21 year old Austin Underwood, charged with the murder of 19 year old Darrell Williams Jr, were acquitted of the charge today in the court of Justice John Gonzalez. Williams, a resident of 3717 Central American Boulevard, was shot in his head […]

A Letter to Prime Minister Dean Barrow
By Charles Leslie Jr. Dear Prime Minister Barrow, May I suggest that you use the money you are paying for ads to tell us of all the great things you are doing with our Petrocaribe money, and instead invest in brand new ambulances for all our hospitals. We know that you […]

Belize Weather: Sunny with cloudy spells
The weather outlook calls for sunny skies with cloudy spells today and partly cloudy tonight. Isolated showers will occur with a chance of an isolated thunderstorm inland this afternoon and in the south later tonight. Winds will blow to the East to North East at 5 to 15 knots and the sea state will be choppy.

Blogs

Congratulations, students of Ocean Academy Caye Caulker
OA, founded in 2008, offers innovative programming designed to develop the unique attributes and goals of each student through Personal Education Plans. OA has evolved into OA’s SEaTIDe: Center for Social Enterprise, Technology, Innovation, and Development, and focuses on developing innovators and change-makers. For more information: Ocean Academy School Caye Caulker Belize 226.0321. First Place, PwC Innovation Challenge, for Hire Belize Mobile App Solution to Youth Unemployment. Heidi Curry, Valbona Bushi, Buddy Magana, Adaly Cartagena, Kevin Tzac, Ismael Florian, Sam Liu, Ashtasia Ovado, Shola Babb. May 2015.

Five Things That Summer on Ambergris Caye Means To Me
I get quite a few questions about Belize in the summer. How is it? Does it rain all the time? Are there one zillion bugs? Is everything closed? Will I be the only one on the island? Is Belize worth visiting in the summer? THE ANSWER IS YES. Yes, yes, totally yes. My first visit was in August 2006… …and then again in October 2006 and from there? I decided to move here – for a test year. I hadn’t even seen the high season. Here are 5 things, both good and not-so-great, that summer means to me. If you consider yourself a person who can go with the flow – COME ON DOWN. I find new things I love about this country every day.

International Sources

Eljai loves Sweet Belize
A recent trip to his homeland drove California-based reggae singer Eljai to write and record the patriotic Sweet Belize. The song is co-produced by Dean Fraser and Bowie Carroll. "Going back home to Belize after not visiting for a long time, it was like I fell in love with Belize all over again," said Eljai. "The vibes and the ambience were surreal; visiting the cayes and some ancient Mayan sites where I used to play as a child. I decided to put my feelings in lyrics as a love letter to my country." Sweet Belize is released by Jahmix Entertainment and distributed by Zojak Worldwide. To help push Sweet Belize, Eljai is preparing to shoot a music video. "We plan on doing the video in Belize and we have several companies that we are in dialogue with. The one that comes with the strongest script will be the one that we choose to work with," he said.

Bret Harte science students, teacher recap Belize excursion
Bret Harte High School students float down the Sittee River in Belize during their trip with Ecology Project International.

Caribbean health authorities sound alert about Zika virus
San Juan: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha) has said that authorities in the region should be alert to the possible spread of the Zika virus, which is transmitted by the same mosquito that carries dengue fever and chikungunya. "The symptoms of Zika virus are very mild but have a few symptoms similar to chikungunya. Most people do not realise they had Zika virus. Both are transmitted by the bite of a mosquito and Aedes aegypti, which is responsible for our dengue and Chik epidemics, has been reported to transmit Zika," CARPHA's Christian Frederickson told Efe news agency on Thursday. The Jamaican government announced earlier this week that it was working on a public education campaign to raise awareness about the Zika virus.

Videos

Belize Vo Tech, 6min. The heart of the program is the Global Outreach Belize Vo-Tech Training Center. It is located on 80 acres of cleared jungle approximately 4 miles from Belmopan on the bank of the Belize River. Operated as a boarding school, the campus has two boys dorms, classrooms, a library, kitchen/dining facilities, bath house, office building, mechanic shop, welding shop, woodworking shop, slaughter house, chicken house, dairy barn, six staff houses and living quarters for teams. The center provides room, board, clothing, personal hygiene items, health care and school materials for each of the boys enrolled. The vision for the center is to minister to and raise up young Belizean men to make an impact in their community and country for the gospel. Young men are selected each year from applications. They stay for three years participating in academic and vocational studies. Many of the graduates are walking in the ways of the Lord and making a difference in Belize. The Belize Vo-Tech staff work as a team to insure the Belizean young men receive good academic instruction and quality vocational training. Each makes a contribution to the spiritual emphasis given during all aspects of the student's stay at the vo-tech center. The Center is open year-round, with breaks between each session, and offers training in welding, mechanics, woodworking, agriculture training, computer training and animal science.

An Un-Belize-able Adventure of a Lifetime!, 62min. X Service Learning Trip to Belize 2013.

Blue Hole, Belize 2015, 15min. GoPro video of snorkeling at the Blue Hole in Belize!

Taking the tender boat to Belize City., 1min. Taking the tender boat from the ship to the Belize coastline. large ships must anchor off shore due to coral reef and shallow coastal waters.

No charges as yet in Hyde and Madrid murders in roaring Creek , 3min.

Tri National Alliance for the Gulf of Honduras in Belize, 3min.

Luis Almagro new OAS Secretary General, 3.5min.

May 28, 2015

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Top 5 Belizean Eats
Travelling to Belize is not recommended for just anyone! You see, if you don’t enjoy catamaran sailing, zip lining through jungles, snorkeling, beach lounging, rich culture, friendly folks and DELICIOUS FOOD- well, we recommend you seek a less awesome destination! But if you’re up for an awesome Belizean adventure, welcome! While we Belizeans take our fun seriously, there’s one thing that’s definitely just as important: FOOD! We love the real stuff, so leave your diets at home cause there’ll be no calorie counting on this vacation! There’s an endless list of delicious dishes but here’s our Top Five must tries: Rice and Beans, Fry Jacks, Salbutes, Meat Pies, Tamales.

Tiger Sharks narrowly defeat Belmopan Red Taigaz in first playoff match
The San Pedro Tiger Sharks continue swimming towards the 2015 National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) championship. Now in the best of three playoff series, the defending champions defeated the Belmopan Red Taigaz in a narrow match on Saturday, May 23rd. At the end of the regular season the top four teams that had advanced to the playoffs included the Cayo Western Ballaz, Dagriga Warriors, Belmopan Red Taigaz and San Pedro Tiger Sharks. The #1 seed (Cayo Western Ballaz) were pitted against the #4 seed (Dangriga Warriors), while the #2 seed (San Pedro Tiger Sharks) took on the #3 seed (Belmopan Red Taigaz). The two top teams had home court advantage this weekend and they both defended their territory fiercely. San Pedro Tiger Sharks hosted the Belmopan Red Taigaz at the Angel Nunez Auditorium on Saturday, May 24th in the first matchup of their best-of-three series. The defending champs jumped out to a great start, taking a 13 point lead against Belmopan Red Taigaz, but at the end of the third quarter, the Red Taigaz were able to close the gap. However, the Tiger Sharks were not about to give up the fight, and they pushed for the lead in the final quarter of the game to claim a 74-72 victory. Tiger Sharks’ Ashton Edwards had the games’ highest score of 25 points. Edwards shot 67% from the field, hitting 10 of his 15 field goals, with three three pointers and nailing both free throws. Darwin “Puppy” Leslie tallied 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Tyrone Edwards scored nine points and four assists. Milton James finished the night for the Tiger Sharks with nine points and four rebounds. With the win, the defending champions are one game away from advancing to the NEBL finals for the second consecutive year. The Belmopan Red Taigaz must win the next match at their home current to send back the series back to San Pedro.

Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Presents US$5 million Grant to Government of Belize
Today in Belize City, His Excellency Benjamin Ho, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) presented a cheque in the sum of US$5 million to the Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Belize. The cheque is the grant from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize for the year 2015 under the Bilateral Cooperation Program between the two countries. The purpose of the grant is to assist in the development of Belize. The Government of Belize will use the funds to cover a part of the expenditures on key infrastructure projects, including the Belize City Southside Poverty Alleviation Project Phase III, the extension of the Southern Highway to Jalacte in the Toledo District, and for the new crossing of the Macal River in San Ignacio/Santa Elena.

Rafael Ramirez and Arvington Neal charged for the murder of Dionicio Trujillo
San Pedro Police Department has solved yet another murder investigation. On Friday, May 22nd, 40-year-old Rafael Ramirez and 25-year-old Neal where jointly charged for the murder of 42-year-old Dionicio Trujillo. Trujillo was found murdered on Sunday, May 3rd in the Marina Area in the south end of San Pedro Town. After extensive investigation, police had sufficient evidence to charge both men with one count of “Murder”. According to Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Police Department, Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott, Neal, who is from San Ignacio Town, was found in possession of Trujillo’s cellular phone. “Neal was a person of interest in this murder. After conducting investigation we found him in San Ignacio with Trujillo’s phone. According to initial investigation, Trujillo had his phone the day he was murdered. After Neal was arrested and questioned, Neal confessed to the offense,” said Jemmott. As for Ramirez, Jemmott indicated that he confessed to the murder to an inmate while detained at the San Pedro Police Station. Ramirez had been previously detained several time while the investigation was ongoing. “With the evidence we have, we proceeded to charge both men. We believe that the motive for the murder was a personal dispute between the men,” said Jemmott.

Ambergris Today

25 Years Ago - Useful Gadgets Used in Yester Years In The Village of San Pedro
Okay we have seen the charcoal irons, the gasoline and kerosene irons, the comal or hot plate, the egg beater, and the waffle iron. How about a few more for this week as we walk about an old kitchen or house in the tiny village of San Pedro, the home to coconut farmers and fishermen. ICE CREAM MAKER: Yes even in the 1950’s the village folks would enjoy from time to time a good home-made ice- cream, that is, whenever they were able to place their hands on a chunk of ice. My father who had a small saloon had one of these old fashioned ice cream tubs that looked just like this one in picture. The interesting thing is that it had a handle that had to be spun for about an hour in order to get the ice cream texture. COCONUT GRATER: The coconut grater was an extremely useful gadget simply because the island folks used the coconut meat or grated coconut in many forms, and menus. First let us look at the two kinds of graters. The first one used mostly in San Pedro was the piece of metal sharpened like a hand saw and riveted unto a piece of wood for it to be rigid. ICE SHAVER: There are so many kinds of electric ice shavers used to make snow cones and other goodies, but the old fashioned does its job quite well and inexpensively. It was a metal case with a sharp metal blade at the bottom that worked in exactly the same manner as a wood plain.

Kayakers Battle at 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge
What at Tight Race! – Last year competitors of the San Pedro Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge battled the elements as rough seas and high winds tested each paddler to their limit, but this year it was each team against each other. The battle for first place was hotly contested by two teams only ten seconds apart. The 11th kayak race took place on Saturday, May 22 to Sunday, May 23, 2015. The overall sentiment of all the participants is that the kayak race is very difficult, testing the strength, endurance and will of each team. Out of the 24 teams that started the race on day one, six did not make it to the finish line the next day. The race includes a 25-mile paddle to the northern border of the island on the back side and back down to the 17 miles to San Pedro Town and the finish line. Ten seconds or roughly ten hard strides was what separated first and second place in this year’s competition. Taking the first place trophy and $3,000 was Carlos Ramirez and James Alford, the Environmental Defense Fund team under the name ‘Hole Me Tite’. They beat out Alfonso Lind and Daniel Gregorio, the Belize Coast Guard team under the name BCG Boys. It took both teams roughly about nine and half hours to complete the two-day race.

Two Charged for Taximan Trujillo’s Murder
Police made four arrests for the murder of Jose Beltran, the first of two taximen killed within a week’s time in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Now, police have arrested and charged two men for the murder of the second taximan, Donicio Trujillo. Rafael Ramirez, 40yrs Guatemalan laborer, and Arvington Neal, 25yrs Belizean of San Ignacio, have been jointly charged for murder, remanded to the Belize Central Prison and await their first court hearing.

Misc Belizean Sources

Beltraide Workshop: MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT
The objectives of this training are to stress the importance of branding, labeling, and packaging in marketing your product. The attractiveness and appearance of your product, attitude and style of the seller is as important as the product itself. Kindly register before May 28, 2015 COST: $35.00. Location for Workshop: BTEC Building, ITVet compound, Belize City Workshop Date: May 29th, 2015 9am to 12pm

The first adult female hawksbill turtle tagged at Lighthouse Reef Atol
HUGE EXCITEMENT at MarAlliance and rated as "Explodingly Exciting" on our Excite-o-Meter: The first adult female hawksbill turtle tagged at Lighthouse Reef Atoll (on the 15th of May as part of our Marine Megafauna Monitoring program) is swimming very directly towards the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. You can follow her movements here: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=149267 She does not yet have a name! With your support for her satellite tracking costs for the year, you get to name her. IM us for more details.

The Result of Yang Ming International Competition
The result of the Yang Ming 5th International Adolescents Painting competition of Republic of China from last summer is finally here. The theme is “The beauty of the sea” and our student Kammie Enriquez won a Bronze Medal for Belize, there are also 4 other students: Justin Chen, Amuri Amoa, Nathida Alvorado and George Eraso who’s art works received Honorable Mentions. Kammie is a primary student studying in standard 4, who also enjoy reading, dancing, karate….. She decided to use the family trip to Hopkins Inn as her topic. Her painting illustrated the beauty of her home town.

Placencia Hosts The Second Regatta of BzSA's 2015 Optimist Dinghy Ranking Series
On Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, 2015, The Placencia Sailing Club's six sailors and their supporters treated 15 sailors from 5 other clubs and their retinues to Placencia's 3rd Annual Optimist Regatta. The quests' consensus is that Placencia always provides great hospitality and excellently managed regattas, and this was no exception. One reason is that Commodore Alvin Cabral Jr., his wife Maria, and the rest of the club, garner sponsorship and assistance from the Placencia Village Council and no less than 53 businesses and citizens of the community. As BzSA sailors move beyond home waters to international events, such broad support for sailing will become increasingly vital. Placencia is an entertaining and unique sailing venue. High winds and big waves challenge sailors off the long sweep of beach to the east, where Saturday's 4 races were held. It is tough on equipment and the Did Not Finish (DNFs) and Did Not Start (DNSs) in the results chart testifies to that. The winds had grown progressively in strength and gustiness up to 15-20 knots throughout Saturday afternoon. Commodore Cabral thought seriously about abandoning the day's 4th race. There had been only one capsize all day, though; so he said 'Sail on!' and he was right.

Turtle nesting season has begun!
Our first nest for the season!

Puma
May 26th/15

Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Presents US$5 million Grant to Government of Belize
oday in Belize City, His Excellency Benjamin Ho, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) presented a cheque in the sum of US$5 million to the Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Belize. The cheque is the grant from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize for the year 2015 under the Bilateral Cooperation Program between the two countries. The purpose of the grant is to assist in the development of Belize.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Wednesday, May 27, 2015: 58

Wildtracks track manatee
Interested in seeing what Rameses, the most recent Antillean manatee rehabilitated and released from Wildtracks has been up to? Here is the first batch of satellite tracking maps, from the start of his soft release in February to his entry into Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in the second week in April...

A TALE OF RAMESES: PART 1
Rameses is an Antillean manatee - an endangered sub-species of the West Indian manatee. He is part of an estimated 800 to 1,000 of these gentle mammals that live in Belize, a stronghold for this species. Rameses arrived at Wildtracks on July 19th, 2013 as a ten month old calf, weighing 110lbs. He was rescued by the Manatee Stranding Network, led by Jamal Galves, from a canal in the Belize City area, where he had been found floating on the surface, with a collapsed lung and deep, open propeller wounds on his back, inflicted by a passing boat. For the first weeks in rehabilitation, he was unable to dive under the water surface - though bobbing around on the surface didn't restrict his appetite in any way. As he started to recover, he happily consumed three to four buckets of seagrass a day, as well as water hyacinths, mangrove propagules and algae growing in the lagoon enclosure.

Savannah Summer Camp 2015
This is a first of a kind event happening at the Savannah Forest Station, Stann Creek District.

CONSERVATION CAMP 2015!
The Belize Zoo will once again be accepting 30 young Belizeans to explore and appreciate our natural heritage through our week long conservation camp. Zoo tours, field trips, field research, roleplays, and environmental games are some of the many activities campers will participate in, and hopefully leave equipped with conservation-minded attitudes. June 29th to July 3rd are the dates this year, so, parents, start applying! Campers must be 12-17 years of age, and come prepared for 4 nights and 5 days of activities. More info and registration forms can be requested from [email protected], or [email protected], or call the Zoo at 822-8000.

Get your "Living with Jaguars" calendar today
(June 2015 - May 2016)!!! Only 20 limited supply of calendars going for BZD $30 each. Proceeds contribute to Jaguar conservation work with farmers. Contact us at 722-0108 or email [email protected]. With sufficient request, more can be printed for 2016.

May 2015 Placencia Breeze
INSIDE May 2015 Page 5: Graphic Designer and Belize Outdoor Enthusiast Brings May 2015 Flag to Life Page 6: Editoral: Swim! Forest! Swim! Page 7: Food Festival Blowout! Page 8: A Poem for Bob the Poet Page 9: Photographing Easter in Placencia Page 11: Hand Wash Hand at PHS Furball Page 11: Take the Placencia Humane Society Quiz! Page 13: Turtle Inn Staff Takes on Victoria Peak with Peak Performance & Physique Page 14: Peninsula Citizens Stands in Solidarity with Global Citizens Against Offshore Oil Drilling Page 21: Fragments of Hope Celebrates Eight Years at Coral Mixer Page 23: Plea for Basketball Court in Seine Bight Answered Page 25: Izak Stands Tall After Spelling Bee District Finals Page 25: Student of the Month Page 27: Placencia Humane Society Launches Restaurant Run Page 27: Placencia Sailing Club Hosts Third Annual Regatta

Channel 7

Wild Is The West: "Deeds" Dead, Decapitated
The west is awash in a wave of unprecedented violence tonight after another decapitated body was found today. “Steve” Hyde known as “Deeds” is a cousin of the notorious Russell Hyde and he was found in a shallow grave at a farm just outside Camalote today around midday. He had been decapitated. Police suspect that he was killed because he witnessed the murder of 28-year-old Edilberto Madrid known as “DUDES”, of Roaring Creek Village. He was reported missing on Monday May 25. Now his former associate, “Deeds” was the caretaker of Russell Hyde’s farm – and he was also reported missing on Monday. And now he too is dead, and found beheaded.

Roaring Creek Revisited, The Terror
So, what befell Edilberto Madrid? He was found decapitated, dismembered and disemboweled in the Roaring Creek River near the Young Bank Road, also in Camalote Village. A post mortem showed that he had a large vertical cut from the chest to the abdomen and all limbs and his head were missing. It’s a level of barbarity Belize has not seen before. And while that level of human cruelty confounds even outsiders – it has destroyed his family. Today Courtney Weatherburne went west to talk to them: Courtney Weatherburne Reporting… Looking out unto this emerald green river in Roaring Creek, evokes a sense of serenity - with it perfect stillness. That tranquility was shattered/interrupted on Tuesday morning when 28 year old Edilberto Madrid’s headless body was found floating near these broken tree limbs. It was a ghastly sight – too graphic to reveal.

Police Make Arrest In Double Murder Of Americans
And while those two murders are far from being solved, to others have been. An 18 year old has been arrested and charged with burglary in connection with the double murder in Teakettle. It happened on Friday May 15th at the Estate of American Julian Christopher Jones. Jones hired 61 Paul David Signorino to finish a plumbing job at his Estate on Friday but Signorino never returned home. Both Jones and Signorino were found dead in Jones’ home that Friday evening. Jones had been chopped to the head while Signorino was shot twice to the head. 18 year old Teakettle resident Shaylon Santos has been arrested and charged with burglary. Why only burglary? Well Belmopan police say they do not have enough evidence to charge him with murder. Police believe it was a burglary turned murder and they are still investigating the case. They would not release his photo because he is a suspect in other ongoing investigations.

Search For A Petrocaribe Compromise, Unions Meet With PM
Ever since the Barrow Administration passed the Petrocaribe Loans Act, it has been receiving blowback from the social partners who say that the law circumvents the oversight mechanisms of the Finance and Audit Reform Act. The Unions have been most vocal, especially against the retroactive effect of the law. In an attempt at appeasement, the Prime Minister has crafted amendments to bring the law more in line with the expectations of its critics. To this end, he invited the National Trade Union Congress of Belize to a meeting at his Belize City Office this afternoon. It lasted a little under 2 and a half hours and during which time, the PM discussed his reasoning with the Union representatives and the purpose of each of the offending portions of the Act that they take issue with. At the end of the meeting, President Marvin Mora and 2nd Vice President Audrey Matura-Shepherd discussed told the media how the discussion went: Marvin Mora - President, NTUCB "The amendment itself that the government is proposing is addressing some of the major issues that in hindsight probably could have been addressed by the government then if they had done consultation.

Matura Shepherd The Attorney Called Before Court
Audrey Matura – Shepherd… as you saw in our last segment, she’s one of the most vocal labor leaders, and as an attorney, she’s never the type to shy from an interview. But, she did today, after it appears that one of her interviews granted to the press has gotten her in trouble with the Supreme Court, so much so, that she is being cited for contempt, a very serious offence before the court, one which can even carry a jail sentence. We’ve been following this story in court all of today, and we’ve even approached Matura-Shepherd herself for information. But she declined. What we’ve learned so far is that the offending public comment which the court takes issue with dates back to February when she was representing the grassroots organisation, BGYEA in mediation sessions. BGYEA and its leader, Nigel Pettillo – you will remember – were being sued by the Government of Belize over the road reserve that they wanted to develop by planting corn.

Belize By Numbers: GDP Grew, Exports Shrank
Last year in the first quarter Belize’s economy shrunk by 1.2% – what the economists call “negative growth.” This year’s first quarter shows a strong difference: the economy has grown by a surprising 7%. Today, we found out a why at a press conference held by the Statistical Institute of Belize. Ms. Angelita Campbell, Statistician II "Production of total goods and services for the first quarter stands 733.8 million dollars. Which is 48 million higher than that of last year same period. In other words, the production is 7% higher than that of 2014. The production for the primary industry stands at 18% higher than that of last year. Within the primary industry, the agriculture and forestry sector went up by 19.6% and that be seen in an increase of banana of 22.6%. Orange also went up by 129% and that is a result of a change in the harvest season. For the first quarter this year, marine products actually went up by 4.5 million pounds, which is the highest we've seen over the years between 2010 and 2015. We also have construction go down by 10.8%. That is explained because of some ongoing projects being completed. We see hotel and restaurants increasing by 6%. That is explained by an increase in cruise passengers visitors of 10.5% and that can be explained by an additional 33,000 roughly persons visiting more, in comparison to last year. We also see overnight, slight decrease not much of roughly 300 persons.”

Caribbean Academic Says Mircoenterprise Is The Answer
Professor Emeritus Dr. Neville Duncan is in Belize as a guest of the Anglican Diocese of Belize. He’s here to talk about Social Entrepreneurship and Economic development – basically how small enterprises can generate wealth for regular people, and grow the economy. He told us he found ample illustrations of that when he went to the Supermarket – and saw the trade imbalance we just told you about in the flesh: Dr. Neville Duncan "When I went into the supermarket, so much stuff in imported that can be made here. The whole idea is to find those people out there who are genuine entrepreneur, some people are just copy cats. But genuine entrepreneur who invest and invent new processed and technique. People in any community look around - what is it that people around here want, need and crave and can I supply it or can I with my family or friends with small amount of money support it. Jules Vasquez "Should the governments in the region consider the legalisation of marijuana as a possible expansion industry both for tourism and domestic consumption?"

In Love With The Coco(nut)
Coconuts: You can find vendors selling them on the roadside all over the country. And for those who don’t like to buy, it’s not too hard to grow a coconut tree or two in your yard. Indeed, the tree is rugged, hardy and durable, designed by nature to withstand hurricanes, and to find nutrients in even the poorest soil – even on the beach. That’s why it is referred to as the Tree of Life and today a stakeholder workshop was held to discuss ways to improve and boost the coconut industry in Belize. We met with several of the coordinators today at the George Price Centre in Belmopan and they told us about the setbacks and solutions in this nascent industry: Anil Sinha - CARDI Country Representative "Today’s main thing is stakeholders consultation. Which they will discussing the the stakeholders what are their needs, what are their challenges and what needs to be done. And based on that a follow up programme will be developed in 4 steps: marketing, production and productivity, information access and some financial also."

PNP Pillories Compromis Signing
On Monday, the amended special agreement was signed in Guatemala City – and as we told you, it was done without the presence of the opposition PUP – which boycotted the event. Another political party, the fledgling PNP in the Toledo district has also condemned the signing. That party says that, quote, “It seems that the government of Belize has only to be told to jump by Guatemala, and it will respond by asking, “How high?’” It continues, quote, “This is not the action of a government which understands that Belize is subject to slow motion invasion by Guatemala, in the shape of continued incursions into our territory…” It adds, quote, “Whilst the PNP accepts that government has a mandate to govern, and is not required to consult its citizens at every step, this issue is so important for the very existence of Belize, that wide consultation amongst political and civil society should have taken place before any change in the terms of the Compromis was made.” End quote.

Government Backs Off On Offshore Appeal, OCEANA Praises Barrow
In April of 2013, OCEANA Belize and other claimants won a major victory against the Government of Belize in court, when they fought against off-shore oil drilling. In that case, Justice Oswell Legal declared 6 offshore oil drilling contracts illegal. Those contracts were issued by Government between 2005 and 2007. Well, the Government filed notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, meaning that they did not intend to let the judgment from Justice Legal stand. That would have been a complex and costly legal battle, but, in a surprising turn, the Government attorneys filed a notice today to say that they are withdrawing the case. That means that this big win against offshore oil drilling stands, and in a press release from OCEANA’s Vice President, Janelle Chanona, it says, quote,

Mash Up At Mile 31
It’s a wonder no one was killed during a major collision last night on the western Highway. It happened at around mile 30 at around 10:30, where this minivan was smashed and scraped – and ended up looking like it had been put in a trash compactor. Police could not provide details, but confirmed that no one was fatally injured. The strange part about the accident is that the driver could not say what he crashed into and no other damaged vehicle was found on the road. And while that was fortunately not fatal, on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., on the Stann Creek Valley Road, there was a fatal accident. Police say 37-year-old David Marcial of Dangriga lost control of his Mitsubishi Montero at mile 18 on the Stann Creek Valley Road and ran over 26-year-old Alfaro Cruz Garcia who was riding a bicycle in the opposite direction. Cruz died on the spot. Marcial has been served with a “Notice of Intended Prosecution”.

The Boledo Book
Anybody who buys boledo regularly will know that it is a strange and unpredictable science, where the numbers lead a dance – and sometimes not even the most studious rake wizards can tell where it will end. But one savvy entrepreneur has come up with a book to track just that: the strange inner logic of boledo. It has numbers, statistics, and strategies which he thinks will help you to win more regularly. It’s called the Boledobook, and after researching the trends since the Boledo started in the 1970’s, the writers believe that they can help to predict which numbers are most likely to play. That’s all good, but today the manager of the project told us that it should be a great help to you, given that there is a limitation known as statistical probability: Duran Harban - Manager, Boledo Book "Boledo book is a new comprehensive tool and system designed for the boledo lottery game. The boledo book is about showing statistics to consumers and players of the game.

Tale Of The Turf
Football in Belize is played exclusively on natural fields – and only when our national team travel abroad do they encounter this thing called “turf.” IT’s a synthetic material common on US soccer and American football fields – and while it has its advantages, for the unaccustomed Belizean players, it has an un-natural feel and unpredictable play. But, one sports entrepreneur hopes to make turf more common in Belize. Ian Casteneda has designed a seven-aside synthetic turf field in Independence Village and he came by out studios today to tell us what he wants to prove with it:… The opening is set for this Saturday, May 30th at 5pm in Independence.

Taiwan, The Generous
Today, the Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize Benjamin Ho handed over a five million US dollar cheque to Prime Minister Dean Barrow. As we told you last night, it’s grant money to be used for a whole bunch of stuff, including, the Belize City Southside Poverty Alleviation Project, the extension of the Southern Highway to Jalacte in the Toledo District, and for the new Macal River Bridge in San Ignacio/Santa Elena.

Belize In Zurich
Tonight, executive members form the Football Federation of Belize are in Zurich Switzerland for the 65th Congress of FIFA. While they are there to elect a president for the most powerful governing body in all of sports, the event, and FIFA itself has been shaken to its foundation by the seismic events of the day – where top FIFA executives were arrested in their rooms by Swiss Police. They are under indictment for wire fraud, money laundering and other serious offences that reek of corruption, long rumored to dominate FIFA’s politics. Belize’s delegation includes, President, Ruperto Vicente, secretary General Michael Blease and senior vice president, Sergio Chuc. On Friday they will vote on the new president, whether to re-elect Sepp Blatter, or elect his challenger Prince Ali Hussein.

Channel 5

Twenty-Four Hours Later: Another Body Surfaces in Roaring Creek Blood Feud
There is a third murder in the Roaring Creek area tonight. The dismembered body of fifty-one year old Roaring Creek resident Steven “Deeds” Hyde was found in a shallow grave [...]

What’s Russell Hyde’s Connection to Ongoing Spate of Murders in Roaring Creek?
As we said, Steven Hyde, the cousin of Russell Hyde, is the third victim in a recent string of murders that started with the fatal shooting of thirty-three year old, [...]

N.T.U.C.B. Meets With PM Barrow on Proposed Amendments to Petrocaribe Law
Representatives of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize met in extended session this afternoon with Prime Minister Dean Barrow to discuss proposed amendments to the Petrocaribe Loans Act. The [...]

Marvin Mora Says Timeline for Union Membership to Decide is Limited
Among the key questions coming out of this afternoon’s meeting is the scope of the Petrocaribe Loans Act which, according to Mora, also prevents a successive government from abusing or [...]

No Love Lost Despite Audrey Matura-Shepherd Not Being Initially Invited to Meeting
When the prime minister requested an audience with the N.T.U.C.B. on the issue of the controversial Petrocaribe Loans Act, the invitation was rather specific: all were welcomed to attend except [...]

Audrey Spoke on BGYEA Settlement, Cited for Contempt of Court
In a most unusual case involving an attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd is being cited for contempt of court which is considered a serious offense that can result in imprisonment for any [...]

Carlos Raul Morales on Referendum
News Five was the only media house in Guatemala City where an amendment was formalized to the 2008 Special Agreement this past Monday. It is all part of a process [...]

When Will Amended Special Agreement Receive Congressional Nod in Guatemala?
But even though the amendment was signed on Monday, the document will need to get approval from the Guatemalan Congress, unlike Belize. So what is the possibility of it getting [...]

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Says Public Education on Referendum Will be Short
For about two years now, the referendum unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been holding an education campaign in schools and civil society on the pros and cons [...]

K.H.M.H. Nurse and Sons Acquitted of Fire Arm Offenses
Tonight, fifty-two year old Judith Rocke, a nurse from the K.H.M.H. and her three sons are free from two criminal offenses of Kept Firearm and Ammunition without being Granted a [...]

Retired UWI Professor Attends Anglican Synod in Belize
Professor Neville Duncan, a former lecturer at the University of the West Indies and author of several publications, is in Belize. The retired Professor in Caribbean Policy Studies is here [...]

FIFA Under Fire, Top Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges in Zurich
F.F.B. President Ruperto Vicente is in Zurich, Switzerland ahead of a congress later this week which will see FIFA President Sepp Blatter facing re-election. The news tonight however, is that [...]

S.I.B. Releases Quarterly Stats for G.D.P.
The Statistical Institute of Belize released the latest figures for the GDP, external trade and consumer price index. The first quarter records a growth of seven percent that is due [...]

Superintendent Edward Broaster Sues Attorney Oscar Selgado for Defamation
Earlier this month, twenty-three-year-old Luis Campos was arraigned along with two other men for the murder of a cabdriver in San Pedro. His arrest was not without controversy however, as [...]

Intelligent Art Launched at the Belisle Gallery
At this time, the launch of an exhibit is ongoing at the Belisle Gallery of the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. Entitled, Intelligent Art, it is part of the [...]

Day 2 of Weekend Kayak Challenge
Day One of the eleventh Lagoon/Reef Kayak Eco-Challenge ended at Robles Point, a secluded beach on Northern Ambergris Caye near the border with Mexico and a stone’s throw from the [...]

CTV3

San Pedro Police Charge Three Men For Obtaining Property By Deception
Three men in San Pedro Town have been arrested and charged for taking property by deception after the owner was witness of his vessel being stolen. 63 year old Thomas Vidrine reported to police on Friday night that he had secured his 20ft boat on the dock when he observed a small wooden dory with a male person in it, pulling the boat further away and called the police. Quick police response led to the recovery of the 20ft vessel called “MIN MIN” and the detention of three men. The value of the boat and accessories is set at a total of $46,630. Police have charged the trio jointly for taking property by deception.

Thieves Target Correa's Pawn Shop One Block Away From Police Station
It was a relatively quiet holiday weekend as it pertains to crime in Orange Walk but early this morning things took a turn as opportunistic thieves targeted Correa’s Pawn Shop located on Queen Victoria Avenue, one block away from the Police station. Reports are that authorities were on mobile patrol around 2:20 this morning when they saw two male persons by St. Peter’s Primary School, acting suspiciously. After the men observed the police mobile, they bolted from the area and immediately police set chase. The men were found hiding in an old abandoned cement house in the area. The men had in their possession a black bag which contained several pieces of jewellery and electronic devices.

Grandfather Accused of Sexually Assaulting Granddaughter
At the beginning of the newscast we told you about the frightful ordeal experienced by two female minors while playing at the Orange Walk Central Park. And from Orange Walk we go to San Pedro where there is yet another disturbing report involving a minor. In that municipality police are investigating a sexual assault case against an 8 year old. Reports are that on Saturday at 12:20pm the 8 year old and her mother visited the San Pedro Police Station and reported that on the same date the child lying in a hammock at her grandmother's house located in the DFC Area, when her grandfather sexually assaulted her.

LOVE FM

Another Body Found with Limbs Severed in Western Belize
Yesterday we reported on the gruesome discovery of the body of 28-year-old 28-year-old Edilberto Madrid. Today the body of one of Madrid’s co-workers, Stephen Hyde, was discovered in a shallow grave. We hear more in this report. ANGELICA CRUZ “The search for 51-year-old, Steven Hyde a resident of Roaring Creek Village, Cayo District, who was […]

Figures Released on Belize’s Economic Performance for 1st Quarter 2015
The Statistical Institute of Belize released its latest numbers as it regards to Gross Domestic Product, the External Trade statistics and Consumer Price Index/Inflation Rate statistics for the first Quarter 2015. Press conference was held at the Central bank and Love News reporter Hipolito Novelo was in attendance and has the following report. HIPOLITO NOVELO […]

Taiwan Grants Belize Five Million US Dollars for Key Projects
Prime Minister Dean Barrow today received a five million US dollar cheque from the Taiwanese Ambassador, Benjamin Ho. The cheque is a grant under the bilateral cooperation program between the two countries. According to Government the funds will be used to cover a part of the expenditures on key infrastructure projects, including the Belize City […]

Belizean Woman Selected for Fellows Program in Conservation
A Belizean young woman has been selected to be a part of the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean Fellows Program for the period May 2015 to October 2016. Rochelle Reneau, who was formerly attached to the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, is one of twenty participants from various Caribbean countries who will be […]

Did Audrey Speak Out of Turn?
Earlier this year the agreement for mediation of the dispute between the Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association (BGYEA) and the Government of Belize over the road reserve at Harmonyville on the George Price Highway neared resolution. This was confimed by BGYEA’s attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd. Most of the issues had been worked out and only the […]

PlusTV

Missing Roaring Creek Man Found Headless and Limbless
This weekend another victim was added to the growing list of persons killed in 2015 in the community of Roaring Creek. We warn you that the images may be too graphic for sensitive viewers. The victim this time is 28 year old Edilberto Madrid, also known as DUDES, of “Another World” area Roaring Creek Village.

Victim of RTA Seeks Public Assistance
A family in Orange Walk needs your help after a traffic accident left their loved one in a comma. The incident happened on Friday May 22nd sometime around 5:30 pm on the San Antonio Road. Erasmo Solis, a resident of Yo Creek Village, was driving a gold Nissan espera. He had dropped off his father

Allyson Major seeks damages in firearms case
He was acquitted of the charge but Allyson Major Sr. is asking the Supreme Court of Belize to strike down that portion of the Firearms Act passed in 2010 that casts a wide net of suspicion over persons in the general vicinity of a firearm. Major was arrested and charged in April of 2012 over

Lyjon Franklin murdered on Iguana Street
The first of two murders over the Commonwealth Day holiday weekend took place on Friday night, May 22, on Iguana Street Extension. According to police, 33 year old Lyjon Franklin, also known as “John,” was socializing with 20 year old Aaron Flowers of Antelope Street Extension at his residence around 6:20 in the evening when a

Man arrested for burglary in connection to murder
Police are gaining some ground and have made their first arrest in connection with the double murder that occurred on Friday the 19th of May at the residence of Laura Lambert in Pineapple Hill area, Teakettle Village. The victims were American Nationals Julian Christopher Jones and Paul David Signorino. Jones had been hacked to death

Mark Gentle shot in front of house
Two more Belize City men were treated for gunshot injuries following an incident on Monday night, May 25. 27 year old Mark Gentle and 34 year old Calvin Cumberbatch of Caesar Ridge Road were sitting on a step in front of their cement bungalow house when a vehicle stopped in front and two men inside

Man stabbed multiple times to the chest
A 24 year old man was stabbed to the chest in Belize City. Early Sunday morning, May 24 at about 3 A.M., 24-year-old Shawn Pascasio of Belize City was stabbed multiple times to the chest. According to reports, Pascasio was on the side walk just across from a popular night club on Newtown Barracks, socializing […]

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Houston, Texas experiences unprecedented flooding
Torrential rains and thunderstorms have cause unprecedented flooding in Houston and other parts Texas, USA. To make matters worse, there are predictions for even more rain. Many Belizeans currently live and study in Houston, including several Hicaquenos. Please check with your loved ones to make sure they are okay.

Do You Recognize This Place?
Do you recognize this place? Comment below with your responses.

Breaking Belize News

GOB withdraws appeal of court judgment on oil concessions: OCEANA
Environmentalists appear to have won a key victory with the announcement this evening that Government attorneys, Barrow and Company, have filed a notice of withdrawal of appeal Today, attorneys for the Government of Belize, Barrow & Company, filed a notice of withdrawal of appeal in the matter of Civil […]

Economic statistics: Belize GDP rebounds in 2015 1st quarter; inflation reversed, trade still down
The quarterly press conference organized by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) took place today in Belize City and in the area of overall economic development there was good news to report. On the heels of a 1.6% growth in the last quarter of 2014 and projected overall […]

Guidelight Productions hosts youth leadership forum
The dynamic youths leading Guidelight Productions came onto the local scene with a bang in February when they broke up a car overlaid with hurtful messages in Battlefield Park. Their next project is no less ambitious: it is a meeting of the vast majority of Belize’s youth leaders from […]

Missing Steve Hyde found dead
On Monday the family of 51 year old Steve Hyde reported him missing to the authorities and today, the family’s worst fear was confirmed. Belize City media is reporting that Hyde’s badly mutilated body was found in a grave on a property in the Young Gial Bank Road in Roaring […]

Buena vista announces financing for promotional lots
This weekend, Buena Vista Development Company, driven by their mantra ‘Helping you to live the Belizean Dream’ is having a huge promotion on prime lots next to the new hospital on Bullet Tree Road. The promotion promises great deals on beautiful lots and buyers are encouraged to go out early […]

Over 404 grams of cannabis labeled as found property
Working off a tip received, Belmopan police discovered 404 grams of Cannabis yesterday, May 26, in the Young Bank area of Camalote Village. A search conducted in a culvert and some nearby bushes led to the discovery of two black plastic bags and a green plastic bag containing cannabis. The […]

Dismembered body discovered is missing Edilberto Madrid
28-year-old Roaring Creek resident, Edilberto Madrid was reported missing on Monday, May 25, just one day before a body was discovered in the Cayo District. At around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, Belmopan Police were called to a scene on Young Bank Road in Camalote Village where they saw remains of a […]

18-year-old Frederick Smith, charged with “Robbery”
Quick response from Belize City police led to the recovery of stolen monies and electronics and the arrest of an 18-year-old male person late last week. At around 7:00p.m on Friday, May 22, police received a report from the manager of M&M; Engineering Consultants limited that the business had

Highway accident near Stann Creek Valley Road claims life
37-year old David Marcial of Dangriga was driving his vehicle on the Stann Creek Valley Road on May 23rd around 5:30 p.m., when upon reaching mile 18 he lost control of the vehicle and knocked down Alfaro Cruz Garcia who was riding his bicycle in the opposite direction. Garcia was […]

Stepfather charged with sexually assaulting minor
According to reports, the 8-year-old girl and her aunt visited the Dangriga Police Station last week to report that in 2014 and about three weeks ago, her stepfather who was under the influence of alcohol sexually assaulted her. On May 25th, 2015, the minor was escorted to the Southern […]

OW Police arrest and charge would-be robbers
Three persons including a minor from Orange Walk Town were arrested and charged for burglary and handling stolen goods. According to the report, whilst police were on mobile patrol around 2:20am on Tuesday morning, they spotted two individuals by the St. Peter’s School area, acting suspiciously. After the men observed […]

National AIDS Committee members undergo two-day Training in PG
Data shows that HIV infections have been on the rise across the country, especially in the Belize and Cayo Districts. The study indicates that Belize may have a concentrated epidemic among specific sub-populations. The National Aids Commission works diligently to reduce the number of infections and increase the […]

FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges in Switzerland
According to the Wall Street Journal, nine FIFA officials and five others were indicted early Wednesday by US authorities and Swiss Police in Switzerland for racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies, among other offenses in connection with participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of […]

Blogs

Lunch, Weather, Coconutz, The Everything Store and Summer Necessities on Ambergris Caye
Yesterday I stopped into the House of Culture on Back Street, San Pedro to check out a new exhibit. The history of Ambergris Caye is very much about coconuts. The island spent many years as a coconut plantation. Today, they are used for coconut water, oil (I just met someone yesterday who is cold pressing oil on the island – I’ll have to get you more info), art and souvenirs.

New Archaeological Site in Belize’s Cayo District
A new archaeological site is currently being excavated on the outskirts of Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town in Belize’s Cayo District. The exact time period is yet unknown, however it is possible that this site dates back to the early Classic period. This small Maya site served at one time as the household of a rural elite family. Previous archaeological investigations of the settlement indicate that it was affiliated with the large ancient city of Xunantunich which can be seen atop a large ridge about a kilometer to the northwest. No official name has been confirmed as yet so it is currently referred to as the “Benque Site“.

International Sources

An unlikely hero for Belize
Belize needed a new hero against the Cayman Islands. The biggest name in the nation’s football, jet-heeled striker Deon McCaulay, was absent. So the job fell to an unlikely campaigner. The humble Elroy Kuylen, a sturdy veteran, stepped reluctantly into the shock of the spotlight. “When you’re chasing history, someone has to step up,” the 31-year-old midfield grafter told FIFA.com about Belize’s unsteady start to 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ qualifying. Belize are outsiders compared to Central American neighbours Costa Rica and Honduras – and even Panama. But these minnows are on the march, steadily improving their football and climbing the CONCACAF pyramid on both club and country fronts. Their biggest star, McCaulay, wasn’t called up for the games against the Caymans, left instead in Atlanta, Georgia where he plays with the Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League, USA’s second professional tier. No Deon, no goals: “Oh man, did we miss Deon,” said Kuylen, who played two years in Honduras before landing at local club giants Belmopan Bandits. “If we get him through five times, you know he’ll score at least two. That’s a guarantee."

British Virgin Islands to host regional parliamentary conference
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) will host the 40th annual conference of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). Over 70 parliamentarians drawn from member states of that body are expected to arrive in the BVI in July as delegates and observers to this annual event. The opening of the conference will take place on July 27, 2015 under the theme: ‘Promoting Democracy and Good Governance: A Unified Approach’. Deliberations will take place from July 25 until August 1. According to the clerk of the House of Assembly and conference coordinator, Phyllis Evans, the theme is relevant, given the challenging democratic circumstances being currently faced by member states. Evans said, “It will allow parliamentarians to get together to share perspectives, which may well be different, given their unique circumstances. I believe we can learn from each other and explore ways of tackling these problems.”

Videos

Beginner Scuba Diving - Ambergris Caye, Belize, 3min. Diving off the coast of Ambergris Caye Belize, May 2015.

The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) issued its latest trade bulletin, 2min. The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) issued its latest trade bulletin detailing the scope of Belize’s import and export activities for the first four months of 2015.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX SHOWS DANGRIGA AND PUNTA GORDA HAS HIGEST INFLATION RATE, 3min. The Consumer Price Index measures changes over time in the general level of prices of consumer goods and services that households acquire, use or pay for consumption. This is done by measuring the cost of purchasing a fixed basket of consumer goods and services of constant quality and similar characteristics, with the products in the basket being selected to be representative of households’ expenditure during a year or other specified period. Here in Belize the latest figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize for the month of April 2015 reveal that prices are 1percent lower than they were last year.

CTV3 NEWS TRAVELS FURTHER UP NORTH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EAST INDIAN CULTURE, 6min. We visited Corozal Town to learn more about the East Indian Culture at the annual East Indian Festival. It has been six years that the event is being held annually. The event features all you can learn about the culture and here is what we learned about the event and the people behind the initiative.

Divaz Next Door 26 May 2015, 60min. Guest Diana Shaw, Attorney at Law discusses Child Abuse, Trafficking of Children and her organization, Child Development Foundation.

Pygmy owls., 1min. In the world of raptors, it's hard to find anything more adorable than pygmy owls. They are still vicious hunters though, and these three orphans would remove the head of a dove or parakeet without a second thought. It's a jungle out there!

Belize Final Video, 8min. My school has a class called Mayterm and it is mandatory to graduate our school. I decided to go to Belize and boy am I glad I did.

Half Moon Cay, Belize 2015, 16min. La segunda parte de nuestros viaje: Half Moon Cay, Belize 2015, Gracias por su participacion en una aventura mas de Scuba Excite!!

Night Jungle Boatride in Belize, 1min.

Going from Mexico to Belize Islands by Boat, 18min. Taking the fast boat from the town of Chetumal on the Yucatan, Mexico to beautiful Ambergris Caye (island) in Belize.

May 27, 2015

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Tiger Sharks and Belmopan Red Taigaz
Another exciting weekend activity was the first playoff game between San Pedro Tiger Sharks and Belmopan Red Taigaz. The Tiger Sharks won in a close match: 74-72. If they win the next one, they are headed to the finals for the championship! Go Tiger Sharks!!

Coconut Crafts
I’ve always been fascinated by crafts created with materials that would otherwise normally go to waste. Conch shell earrings and necklaces? I’m all for it; artists are making the most of natural materials and they also make the perfect statement piece. There’s also plenty of beautiful wood carvings, bottle stopper earrings, sea glass jewelry and much more… Lately however, I’ve been going nuts over these crazy cool coconut crafts! Belize is booming with coconut trees, so of course there’d be plenty of cool pieces that would emerge from its “waste” right?! Over the weekend My Beautiful Belize got a chance to check out the Coconut San Pedro House of Culture. The exhibit brought all kinds of coconut crafts from different artists to one location. With everything from carvings of cute ladybugs to sunbathing iguanas, candle holders, cups, brightly colored beaded necklaces with flower pendants made from coconut shells, three-dimensional paintings and even uhh….coconut lamps, it was all here!

Team ‘Hole Mi Tite’ wins 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco-challenge
After two days of grueling conditions and a close fight to the finish line, Carlos Ramirez and James Alford of Team ‘Hole Mi Tite’ took the first place win at the 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco-challenge. The boys, sponsored by The Environmental Defense Fund, conquered the 42 mile race in record time, earning them the coveted first place trophy and prizes. This year’s Eco-challenge kicked off on Saturday, May 23rd and finished on Sunday, May 24th. Not only did the race see the highest number of participants, but it also recorded the best overall times. Aimed at raising awareness on the importance of conserving the island’s fragile marine ecosystem, the kayak race offers a unique experience to all participants. The 27 registered teams gathered at the Seaduced by Belize dock on the Sunset Boardwalk. Under calm water conditions, paddlers took off at 7:45AM, darting towards the north-western coast of Ambergris Caye. Spectators flocked the neighboring docks cheering on their favorite teams.

San Pedro House of Culture’s newest exhibit: Coconutz
He elaborated on how the coconuts are no longer used only for consumption, but also have become great works of art. “Our talented local artisans are taking the coconut husks, bark, leaves, stems and even the shells to make art pieces. These beautiful products are already being sold through the tourism industry. We hope that this exhibit only serves to continue promoting the use of coconuts,” ended Paz. Afterwards, guests were invited to view the exhibit. Showcased were carvings, paintings, candles, wall pieces, lamps and table pieces, all made from coconut products! Among the talented artists featured in the exhibit were Karina Paz and Edwardo “Papo” Alamilla. Most of the pieces were for sale at a special price.

Letter to the Editor: We all use oil-based products
Dear Editor, I would appreciate anonymity on this… because OMG it’s a can of worms, but I think people need to think. Although I agree in theory what the people of Belize did on Saturday May 16, 2015 to show support for the “No Offshore Drilling” campaign, the photos I’ve seen of some of the folks that were there leave me a bit perplexed. I do consider myself somewhat of an environmentalist and think it’s very important to keep the reef and the waters the pristine way they are. To make it clear, I am “pro” No Belize Offshore Drilling, however, I wonder how many people burn oil or use things that are made from oil (and may not even realize it) in their everyday lives. I only write this because I believe it is necessary to not only have knowledge of a certain subject or cause, but to use that knowledge wisely when making a public declaration of something…which is the only reason why I didn’t go (because I’m not even close to being truly green… yet).

Ambergris Today

Divya Wadhwa Celebrates Quinceanos
One of the most beautiful things that we see in Belize is the integration of cultures amongst the melting pot of diversity in ethnicity that identifies Belize as a multicultural nation. On Saturday, May 16, 2015, Divya Wadhwa of Indian descent celebrated her Quinceaños (15th Birthday) which is a traditional Mestizo celebration. Both cultures came together in one big celebration as Divya held her birthday party at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium. She entertained her guests with traditional and modern dances at an Indian-themed party filled with laughter and joy. Divya Wadhwa, daughter of Prakash Wadhwa and Adanari Garcia, was officially presented to society by her Godparents Carla and Wayne Alfaro. Congratulatons Divya!

Young Girls Empowered by Fashion Show
The SHINE organization, headed by Miss San Pedro Michelle Nunez, held a fundraiser fashion show on Sunday, May 24, 2015, which marked the closure of the first semester of a program of activities developed to empower the first group of young women to complete the course. SHINE teamed up with the models of Foreva Fancy boutique in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, to put on a fashion show that would work as a boost to each of the girl’s self esteem. Michelle stated that the show was the biggest activity that the young ladies partook in, bringing together all the different aspects of the six-curriculum program taken up by the group. Needless to say, the girls did an amazing job on the runway and were very proud of accomplishing such a big step towards self-empowerment. Below are highlights of the fashion show.

COCONUTZ
Visit the San Pedro House of Culture this week as it presents the arts and craft exhibition 'COCONUTZ'. Local artists are displaying their artwork made entirely of coconuts as a showcase of the use of coconuts as a sustainable resource.

Flashbacks - Man of the Sea and Tour Guide Ambassador Abel Guerrero
Abel Guerrero Sr. has been a man of the sea all of his life and still has an avid passion for the sea and fishing. Born and raised in San Pedro he was an early whole fish and lobster fisherman. That makes him an expert with the Hawaiian sling, hand line, spear, cast net, and skin diving. Early in his adult life and with the advent of tourism, Abel transformed himself into a tourist guide now specializing in trolling and the use of rod and reels and fly fishing. He first operated under the name of Holiday Hotel guides and was known to help carry the passengers’ luggage with a wheelbarrow all the way to Holiday Hotel. Don’t believe us? Then ask Celi McCorkle another pioneer in the tourism industry. His knowledge of the sea and his charismatic personality has attracted many tourists who have become repeated customers to San Pedro and to his services. But Abel is more than a man of the sea. He is a man of service to his community and to God. He has been an active Lion member since1975 and has served as President and now lifetime appointed treasurer. Abel is also a Minister of the Word and assists as lay church minister of the Catholic Church. Abel has also been a hard working member of the Board of Directors of San Pedro High School. Though he is not 100% active as a tourist guide, his passion of the sea still carries him back to the sea to explore with guests and friends the many wonders of the marine world.

Saga Humane Society Says Business is NOT For Sale
As the “For Sale” sign was posted at Saga Humane Society on Sea Star Street early Saturday morning, the rumor mill in San Pedro dubbed the “coconut telegraph” was so hot it nearly caught flames. Speculation that Saga Humane Society was for sale circulated, as did its’ potential closing for most of the day until Saga issued a Facebook post and a release to the media that all is well for Saga Humane Society and that expansion is on the horizon, not closure. Saga Humane Society Board Member Kevin Smith commented, “No Saga is not for sale, and No Saga is not closing its doors. We were notified by the landlord that she and her partner have made the decision to sell the property for personal reasons. We have good open communication with the landlord and the real estate company and will have plenty of time to make arrangements for all of the animals that we will continue to care for”.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Attends the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) Investment Conference – Key Takeaways
BelizeINVEST, BELTRAIDE participated in the 2015 Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) Investment Conference which took place at the J.W. Marriott Marquis in Miami, FL on April 28 – 30, 2015. HOLA is designed to provide an annual meeting place for over 400 hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers and the professional advisory community who are interested in doing deals in one of the world’s hottest hotel markets – Latin America and the Caribbean, which also includes Belize. One of the key discussion points of course included that of Cuba as the undiscovered Tourism destination as per the recent dialogue on the U.S. dropping its embargo. Indeed, the natural authentic and untouched beauty of Cuba makes it a very attractive destination for hotel and resort developers. Other Latin America and Caribbean destinations demonstrated some concern on Cuba opening up its market and having impacts on their visitor levels; however, it is generally believed that Cuba will not, in fact, create a threat to other destinations like Belize, but rather it will induce a new demand to the region as a whole.

Belize International Jazz Festival
Opening Concert Saturday, 6th June 2015 5pm to Midnight Memorial Park, Belize City

Tracking poachers
These are belongings left behind by macaw poachers on a camp as they escaped. Items include: spikes to climb tree, rope, machetes, clothes, food.

BELIZE AND GUATEMALA SIGN PROTOCOL TO AMEND THE SPECIAL AGREEMENT
Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Wilfred Elrington and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, along with the outgoing Secretary General of the OAS José Miguel Insulza yesterday at a special ceremony in Guatemala City signed the Protocol to Amend the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala to Submit Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In his remarks Minister Elrington said, “For my country, the claim has been a blighted colonial legacy. It has stymied for far too long the growth and development of Belize. It has affected the national psyche of our people and the evolution of good fulsome and neighbourly relations which should rightly exist between two countries which fate, history and geography have caused to be juxtaposed in perpetuity.” He said, “The Government of Belize is resolved to put this Guatemalan claim behind us as early as possible. It is irrevocably committed to being bound by the decision of the Belizean electorate on this claim as manifested in a referendum.”

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Instituto Panamericano de Geografia e Historia herein announces the call for applications for the open Graduate Scholarship (Masters or PhD) in Earth Sciences awarded by the Geophysics Commission of the PAIGH for a Latin American student to study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

BOLEDO DRAWING for Tuesday, May 26, 2015: 99. FANTASY 5: 34 21 17 33 8 I

San Pedro Community Meeting Wednesday, May 27at 5:45pm
Come be a part of/witness Election of Branch Executive Board. There are ample upcoming volunteer opportunities to sign up for. Come on out and a volunteer for one (or more) events. San Pedro Town Council Conference Room.

New Benque Archaeological Site
Benque has a new archaeological site, and it's being excavated currently. Not sure yet of the name, or exact time period of its use, but they are working on it. You can visit the site now too! "It is possible that this site dates back to the early Classic period, not certain as yet. From here you can see Xunantunich, the Arenal mounds. We really thank the people who are working there diligently and the ones who make this project happen, especially Mr. Subrata Basu. If you are interested in visiting the site, please call the Benque Viejo Town Council at 803-2020. Images courtesy of Heber Gomez"

Channel 7

Banana Bank Body Is Decapitated, Dismembered, Disemboweled
A man's body was found in the Roaring Creek River this morning in the Banana Bank Area, just outside of Belmopan, heading toward Valley of Peace Village. Police believe that it is a homicide, and a particularly gruesome one at that. The victim has been positively identified as 28 year-old Edilberto Madrid, a resident of the Emmanuel Area of Roaring Creek Village, who was officially reported missing today, but who had not been seen since Sunday. It appears that his head had been cut off, sections of all 4 of his limbs were chopped off, and he was gutted. Police aren't saying much at this time until the on site post-mortem is completed, but we have learned from other sources that Madrid was an associate of Roaring Creek Resident, Russell Hyde, whose wife was murdered on last week Sunday.

Belize And Guatemala Sign Amended Compromis, PUP A No-Show
Ever since it was announced two weeks ago that Government would sign an amended special agreement , or compromis with the Guatemalans in their capital city - we have heard howls of disapproval from COLA, the VIP, and the PUP. But, government was undeterred: it moved ahead with the OAS to sign the agreement yesterday in Guatemala. The government press office was there and Jules Vasquez put together this story:.. Jules Vasquez reporting Ringed by Volcanic mountains, and a skyline punctuated by high rise buildings Guatemala City melds the colonial and the modern. The central park is shadowed by the magisterial national palace and the metropolitan cathedral. But the amended special agreement was not signed in this citadel of power but in the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Where before the signing, Belize's CEO Lawrence Sylvester was chatting with Military Attache Lt. Col Anthony Velasquez while Ambassador Stuart Leslie, was conversing with his Guatemalan counterparts.

Friday Night Killer Caught His Vitim Unaware, In Front Of Child
Over the weekend there were 3 shootings and a stabbing in the City which left 4 people hospitalized, and one man dead. The first fatal shooting, happened right when Friday's news was starting. 33 year-old Lyjon Franklyn was killed, and 20 year-old Aaron Flowers was injured. 7News has been following the story since Friday night, and Daniel Ortiz tells us how the men were caught off guard: Daniel Ortiz reporting On Friday night, Iguana Street Extension - right in front of Kim's Shop 2 - was cluttered with crime scene markers, the aftermath of a shooting which claimed the life of 33 year-old Lyjon Franklyn, and left 20 year-old Aaron Flowers hospitalized. Lancelot Flowers - Friend of Deceased "I was at my home on Jump Street watching a NBA game and I got a text from my father saying that they ran in our yard, shot Lyjon and he was on the ground. That is how I got the news. I just jump up and came back here to check, because he is my brother. And a lot of people brother as well."

Southside Home Sprayed With Gunfire
Last night residents of the Yabra area heard what they say was a machine gun spray gunfire on the Caesar Ridge home of well-known southside businesswoman Pamela Bennett Cumberbatch. As a result, her son, 27 year-old Mark Gentle, also known as Mark Vernon, is hospitalized in a critical condition tonight, and her husband 34 year-old Calvin Cumberbatch was treated and released. It happened at around 7:20 p.m. when both Gentle and Cumberbatch were sitting on a step in front of their house. That's when a vehicle stopped in front of the house. 2 men pulled weapons from inside, let off a barrage of gunfire, and sped off. Today, police briefed media about what information they have at this time: Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer "Initial investigations revealed that both men were sitting on the steps in front of their residence on Caesar Ridge Road when a vehicle passed and two men reportedly fired several shots at them causing their injuries. Cumberbatch was treated and release. Sadly, Gentle remains at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a critical condition."

Rhaburn the Rower In Trouble For Out of Season Game Meat
Jerry Rhaburn, he's known as a former champion of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. But tonight, he's in trouble with police, the Fisheries Department, and the Forestry Department for illegal deer and Hicatee hunting. According to reports, Rhaburn is a game meat dealer, and those departments have been tracking him for some time. And, on Friday, they launched a raid at his mother-in-law's house in Burrell Boom Village. Officers found a Hicatee fresh water turtle in her refrigerator. Of course, Hicatee season is closed right now, and so it is illegal to possess it at this time. Officers then issued him with a warrant, and they took him back to his own house in Burrell Boom. When the officers searched his refrigerator, they found another Hicatee, and a full deer carcass, which he was not allowed to have since he didn't have a hunting license. So, Rhaburn was criminally charged with the Forest and Fisheries offenses of possession of Hicateee within the Closed season, and illegal hunting without a valid permit. He will have to show up to court at a later date this month. That's on this instance, but authorities believe he is a major game meat dealer.

Nine Year Old Knocked Down In PG
A woman and her son were flung from a scooter in an accident in Punta Gorda on Friday. On Friday afternoon around 1:00, 35 year old Angel Budna was taking her 9 year old son Edward Rhaburn Jr. back to school at St Peter Claver. As she arrived near the corner of Cemetery Road and George Price Street, 30 year old Dennis Trapp, who was driving a Black Ford Ranger crashed into her. Budna and her son went flying about 30 feet at the point of impact. Police say it was Budna's fault because she should have slowed down and allowed Trapp to pass. Both Budna and her son had to be flown out on air ambulance. Budna complained of pain to the hip and foot while her son got cut wounds to his forehead and a broken left leg. Trapp has been served with a notice of intended prosecution and the investigation will continue after Budna has recovered.

Money Come From CARICOM
Today two additional agreements were signed between the government and the CARICOM Development Fund. These agreements were signed by the Prime Minister and the head of the CDF under the Country Assistance Program for Belize. Belize is getting $4.8 million Belize dollars to fund major developmental projects including the replacement of the Haulover Bridge and upgrading of the Northern Highway. Another major focus of these agreements is the continued support of small business development. Today the Prime Minister told the Press office how important these agreements are to the economic development. H.E. Lorne McDonnough, CEO - CARICOM Development Fund "These new agreements between the government of Belize and the CDF for projects totaling BZ4.8 million or 2.4 million US, continues the exciting trail of tangible evidence of CARICOM mechanisms at work. This amount means that in total, the government of Belize, with a contribution 3.1 million dollars, was able to obtain 4 projects it prioritize an additional 98 cents for every US dollar contributed, making good the promise of retuning to disadvantage countries, interest free all of their contributions.

Taiwan, The Ally That Keeps On Giving
The Taiwanese will also be ponying up with cash for government. Tomorrow, Ambassador Benjamin Ho will present a cheque for Five Million US Dollars to the Prime Minister Barrow. It's free money, a five million US dollar grant for the very general purpose of quote, "assisting the socio-economic development of Belize." The funds will be used to cover expenditures on key infrastructure projects, including the Belize City Southside Poverty Alleviation Project, the extension of the Southern Highway to Jalacte in the Toledo District, and for the new bridge at the Macal River in San Ignacio/Santa Elena.

Allyson Fights The Gun Law
After months of back and forth in the Supreme Court, Belize City resident Allyson Major Sr. finally got his first day in court after deciding to challenge the Attorney General and the Police Department on the gun laws. He's seeking an award of damages for the ordeal he experienced when he was wrongfully accused of being in possession of a weapon. Major is trying to get the Supreme Court to pronounce once and for all if the Amendments to the Firearm Act, and the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act are unjust and unconstitutional. His attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, was the first to make his case before Justice Michelle Arana, and after he presented a few hours of legal arguments, we asked him to summarize outside of court. He explained that the law shifts that under these gun laws, the burden of proof is shifted from the state to the accused, which violates the constitutional rights of all persons charged under the law:

More City Shootings
Earlier in our newscast, we told you about the 2 weekend shootings in which resulted in injured victims, and one fatality. Well, there were 2 others, but very fortunately, no one was injured. This morning, the Police Press Officer spoke with the media about both: Raphael Martinez - Police Press Officer "One that occurred on Saturday the 23rd, and this about 11 o' clock in the morning. Luckily in this incident nobody was injured. However when police visited the scene, at the corner of King and Amara Avenue they saw a vehicle with a bullet hole in the windshield. Quick police response led to the arrest of a 16 year old minor and the recovery of a 9mm firearm. At this time police are seeking other individuals as investigations continue. On the 24th of May on Sunday at about 8 o' clock in the evening, police responded to several shots being fired on Arlington Drive in Belize City. When they arrived at the location, they recovered several expended 9mm shells or empty casing. What transpired was that a man was driving his vehicle in that area when several shots were fired at his vehicle causing several bullet holes in the sides of his vehicle. Luckily nobody was injured again as police investigations continue."

Bus Driver "Box Down" Taximan
These days, almost every cell phone has a camera - so we shouldn't be surprised when we see more and more videos turning up of everyday events that normally would escape notice. That's what came across our facebook feed this morning when bus driver Daren Stuart was seen punching out a taximan who had just run into his Stuart's bus. It happened on Saturday evening at 6:15 in Ladyville. The taximan - who looked like he had had a little too much gas in his engine - wouldn't back down from Stuart - which left the bus driver with only one choice. He explained it to Monica Bodden this evening:.. Darren Stuart, Stuart's Bus "It was like three weeks ago. This guy ran into the tail of my bus and he expected me to pay for his damages. I parked the bus there and told him to call the police so as to settle it then but instead he drove off. On Saturday evening approximately 6:10, he came and parked in front of me on the highway in Ladyville, accusing me of owing him for the damages to his van. I avoided him by driving around him to proceed down the highway. He came up again in front of the AVIS bus stop in Ladyville and again parked in front of me. I tried to avoid him but he just drove along with me."

Major Robbery at M&M;, Cops Recover $$$
It was a major incident that police never reported to the press, but today, the case went to court and we found out all about the armed robbery at M and M's engineering at mile two and a half on the Phillip Goldson Highway. It was a major heist which happened on Friday afternoon at 3:30 where almost $10,000 dollars in cash and another ten thousand dollars in cheques were robbed at gunpoint. Employees were also robbed of various personal items and cash but a quick police response led to the arrest of a teenager and recovery of most of the cash. This evening, 19 year old Fredrick Smith, a laborer and resident of #18 Racoon Street Extension was arraigned in Court #5 before Magistrate, Ladonna John. He was slapped with 6 counts of theft, 5 counts of robbery and one count of damage to property.

City Administrator In Accident
Viewers may remember that about a week before the Municipal Elections, the 2012 Toyota Hilux, which was assigned to Mayor Darrell Bradley as mayor, was totaled by Councillor Alifa Elrington-Hyde. The Opposition's candidate, Yolanda Schakron, complained bitterly about it because it was a vehicle which was purchased with public funds, and after that crash, it was a write off. Well, we've learned that another vehicle belonging to the Belize City Council has been significantly damaged. This one is assigned to the office of the City Administrator, Candice Burke, and our information is that she and her family took a trip to Chetumal for the weekend, and had an accident yesterday evening at around mile 14 on the Northern Highway, near the Maxboro Area.

Channel 5

Special Agreement Amended - Guatemala Goes Solo for Referendum
There is a lot of crime news, but tonight we start our newscast with a historic event that occurred in Guatemala City on Monday. A Belizean delegation led by the [...]

Sedi Says Amendment to Compromis is About Economics
According to the original Special Agreement, a simultaneous referenda was scheduled for October 2013, but Guatemala decided it was not proceeding with it and for years, it did not support [...]

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Comments on Bilateral Agreements
Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales told the media that for both countries to move forward, the bilateral agenda between the two must be separate from the territorial dispute. This strategy [...]

Dismembered Body of Edilberto Madrid Recovered from Belize River
A gruesome killing in the Valley of Peace Road, Cayo has left a family devastated and shaken up. They can’t say why Edilberto Madrid was gruesomely murdered in a neighborhood [...]

One Dead, One Critically Injured in Friday Evening City Shooting
While that murder was in Valley of Peace, on Friday evening, as the extended holiday weekend was just getting underway, gun violence erupted once more on the south side of [...]

Shawn Pascasio Stabbed Near Elements, Frederick Bradley is Charged
Also on the crime blotter, twenty-four-year-old Shawn Pascasio was stabbed multiple times on Sunday morning during an altercation outside of Elements Nightclub on Newtown Barracks. Pascasio was reportedly standing on [...]

Gunmen Open Fire on Caesar Ridge Road, Two Men Injured in Onslaught
The wanton bloodlust over the holiday weekend culminated on Monday night with a violent attack on a pair of Belize City men who were seated in front of their home [...]

Minor Detained for Shooting at Vehicle on Amara Avenue
A sixteen-year-old minor remains in police custody tonight after firing a nine millimeter handgun at a vehicle on Saturday. The shooting took place near the corners of King Street and [...]

Chinese Nationals Arrested in Benque for Growing Weed
A police operation early this morning in Benque Viejo has resulted in the arrests of four men, charged with the cultivation of marijuana. At around five-thirty, members of the Quick [...]

Why is C.E.O. Candelaria Saldivar on Administrative Leave?
News Five has been able to confirm that C.E.O. in the Ministry of Immigration and sister of the Minister of National Security, Candelaria Saldivar, has been placed on administrative leave [...]

Fire Leaves Lord’s Bank Family Homeless
A family in Lord’s Bank, Ladyville has been displaced after a fire swept through their wooden bungalow house. Despite efforts by the fire department to extinguish the blaze, it quickly [...]

Gun Case Against Allyson Major Dismissed
A Belize City man who was locked down for thirty-eight days on firearms offences was in the Supreme Court today after he sued the government for wrongful imprisonment. The case [...]

…He Challenges Harsh Gun Laws in Supreme Court
Sylvestre says that they are basing the case on two arguments. Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney for Allyson Major “One, that his constitutional right not to be arrested, not to be [...]

M&M’s Engineering Robbed of Over $20,000 – Frederick Smith is Arraigned
Raccoon Street resident, nineteen year old Fredrick Smith was today arraigned for the May twenty-second armed robbery at M and M’s Engineering on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Last Friday around [...]

Eleventh Lagoon/Reef Eco-Challenge Held in San Pedro
Twenty-seven teams in brightly coloured ocean-going kayaks – forty-two gruelling miles from San Pedro Town to the northern-most creek bordering Mexico, and then back to town. The eleventh Lagoon/Reef Eco-Challenge, [...]

Tuesday’s Edition of Sports Monday
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. The 4 team semi-pro basketball playoffs got off with a bang over the weekend and we’ve got the head [...]

LOVE FM

Missing Man Found Gutted with Limbs Severed
The body of a resident of Roaring Creek Village, Cayo District, who had been reported missing was found earlier today; correspondent Fem Cruz reports. FEM CRUZ “The lifeless body of 28-year-old, Edilberto Madrid, a resident of Roaring Creek Village who was reported missing by his common-law-wife, Julie Fernandez on Sunday morning, May 24 was found […]

Belize and Guatemala Sign Onto Amended Special Agreement
Belize and Guatemala have signed the protocol to amend the special agreement between the two countries. On Monday Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington and his Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Raul Morales along with the outgoing Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza signed the protocol to amend the special agreement between […]

Robbers of M & M Engineering Office Caught on Video
Last Friday just before our evening news, we were alerted of a robbery that occurred at the M&M; Engineering Office on the Phillip Goldson Highway. In that incident, two men of Creole descent, one armed with a hand gun, went inside the compound and held up the employees at gun point. We were at the […]

Shopkeeper Arraigned for Drug Trafficking
Thirty-one year old Jermaine Rodriguez, a shopkeeper of La Croix Boulevard, was charged with two counts of drug trafficking when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Rodriguez pled not guilty to the charges. He was offered a bail of five thousand dollars and his case was adjourned until July 21. On May 21 […]

Firearm Case Dismissed Following Serial Number Mix-Up
Four persons charged with kept firearm and ammunition without a gun license were acquitted of the charges today by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. They are Shane Crawford, Judith Rocke and her sons, Gian Bernard and Michael Herrera. Rocke’s attorney, Kareem Musa, objected to the tendering of the firearm into evidence when the serial number on […]

Socializing Turns Almost Fatal
Twenty-nine year old Frederick Bradley, an unemployed who allegedly inflicted stab wounds on another man, was charged with attempted murder when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Bradley was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. He was remanded into custody until July 28. The incident occurred around […]

American Airlines Introduces Direct Flight to Belize from Los Angeles
Earlier this month we told you of the arrival of Southwest Airlines to our airport in October 2015 as an additional carrier offering air transportation to and from Belize with Houston … but while tickets are already being sold online at one hundred and twenty seven US dollars – on way, American Airlines is preparing […]

Little Girl Stays By Father’s Side After He Was Shot in Belize City
A Friday night murder in Belize City has etched a scene in the mind of a 4-year-old, who lost her father just after six o’clock on May 23, 2015. Hipolito Novelo has the story. HIPOLITO NOVELO REPORTING Thirty three year old Lyjon Franklin was at his home on Iguana Street Extension in his yard speaking […]

PlusTV

Belize City man survives overnight shooting
There was very nearly another murder in Belize City Thursday night when 32 year old Luis Dominguez was shot multiple times on JR Street off Jane Usher Boulevard around 7:45 p.m. The St. Thomas Street resident also known as “Esse” normally socializes with friends at a house in King’s Park. One of his friends who was the last to speak to him before the incident, spoke to us this morning. “Like minutes to 9pm, we got a call. He called one of his friend and say that he just got shot and the phone cut off and the friend call back his phone and we just heard siren and we went to the hospital and we heard he got shot in his face, the bullet came from the next side and came our through his nose , and he got one in his shoulder. he said he was going to Lake I but we didn’t know he would go by Jane Usher.

Roaring Creek Decides not to Gamble
The Roaring Creek Village held an important meeting yesterday to decide the way forward as it relates to gambling in that community. Sometime within the tenure of the former chairman of Roaring Creek, a businessman was authorized to open a gambling center in the community, that is at Lucky Entertainment Center. But with the recent

Illegal Dams at Barton Creek
In December of last year, plus TV’s Cameras travelled to Barton Creek the Barton Creek archaeological site, in Cayo District based on reports of an illegal dam structure that was built some hundred yards down from the mouth of the Barton Creek Cave, an system protected by NICH. We brought the matter up to the

PUP says no to Special Agreement Signing
If you have been keeping up with news you’d know that the Minister of Foreign Affair Wilfred Elrington travels to Guatemala this weekend where on Monday he is to sign an amendment to the Special Agreement between Guatemala and Belize. The Amendment allows for Guatemala to conduct a referendum separately an on their own rather

National Animal killed, was it Guatemalans?
The Tapir, known locally as the “Mountain Cow,” is Belize’s national animal, protected under law. But last week, one of these gentle creatures was killed in the Chiquibul Forest, yes, Belize’s national animal was killed, and FCD rangers believe Guatemalan poachers pulled the trigger. The incident happened sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning last

Missing man found dead at Mile 8
Police have confirmed the recovery of the body of 27 year old Denfield Bowen, Jr., also known as “LL”,of Plues Street in Belize City. Bowen, a father of four, had last been seen on Thursday, April 30th around 5:20pm and both police and members of his family believed that he had been killed as a

Two persons charged for Murdering Taxi Man
On May 4th earlier this month, Belizean Taxi Driver of San Pedro town Donicio Trujillo was murdered. He was stabbed, his throat was cut and his body left right beside his taxi van. Police say it was a murder for the purpose of committing a robbery. Quick police response lead them to apprehend 5 people

Minor Charged for Attempted Murder
Dangriga police have charged a 17 year old minor, a construction worker of New Site Area, Dangriga for the crime of “attempted murder and “Kept Firearm without a gun license. ” The charge is in relation to a shooting incident that occurred in Dangriga on Wednesday night. According reports, police were patrolling an area known […]

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Lee At Caribbean Colors Art Gallery Has Free Reading Glasses To Give Away
Lee Vanderwalker at Caribbean Colors Art Gallery has free reading glasses at Caribbean Colors Art Cafe, and when I say free, I really mean free. The highest prescription is +3.25. Please let anyone in need know that I have glasses available now. Most of the time the people that really need reading glasses don’t have

“Belize, Why Are You So Corrupt?” Asks Departing Family of 4
A family of four who spent six months in Belize as they travel the world have posted on their online blog their experiences while in country. While trying to leave San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) by water taxi, they were charged $60 as a “Mexican Holiday Fee.” Why would a water taxi company collect fees on

Belize Choral Society to Perform Spring Concert
BELIZE CHORAL SOCIETY TOUCHES THE HEART WITH ITS “SEASONS OF LOVE” CONCERT. The Belize Choral Society has plans to touch the hearts of attendees at its spring concert – “Seasons of Love,” – which will be held on Saturday, 30 May, 2015 at the Holy Redeemer […]

Breaking Belize News

Offshore drilling proposed in Belize’s barrier reef
Conservation groups and individual environmentalists throughout Belize have been against offshore oil exploration ever since the government first proposed the idea. The biggest group protesting the movement today is OCEANA who recently held a national event called ‘hands across the sand’ in which thousands of Belizeans stood in solidarity, saying […]

CDF signs financing for Belize projects
The CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) has signed to provide financing for multiple projects in Belize including the redeveloping of the Philip Goldson (Northern) Highway and Haulover Bridge and assistance to small and medium-sized business enterprises in Belize totaling $6.5 million. Ambassador Lorne McDonough, the chief executive officer of […]

Allyson Major seeks damages in firearms case
Acquitted of the original charges of keeping firearm and ammunition without a gun license, Allyson Major, Sr., now wants that portion of the 2010 Firearms Act having to do with definition of keeping and owning unlicensed firearms struck out. Major was arrested and charged in April of 2012 […]

Shopkeeper charged with drug trafficking
Thirty-one year old Jermaine Rodriguez, a shopkeeper of 91 Lacroix Boulevard, was charged with 2 counts of drug trafficking when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Rodriguez pled not guilty to the charges. He was offered a bail of $5,000 and his case was adjourned until […]

Four acquitted of firearm charges
Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer today acquitted Shane Crawford, Judith Rocke and Rocke’s sons, Gion Bernard and Michael Herrera of keeping firearm and ammunition without a gun license. On April 25, 2012, police went to Rocke’s residence on Castle Street and found a .380 pistol with five rounds in […]

Man charged with attempted murder at nightclub
24 year old Shawn Pascascio was stabbed in the chest several times while socializing with friends around 3:00 a.m. on May 24 in front of Elements Night Club on Newtown Barracks. Today his attacker, 29 year old Frederick Bradley, was charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly […]

How the Kingdom of Toucan Was Sold Down the River by an Incompetent Fool
By Carlos El Dente “I want you to sign a compromise agreement,” Brother Tiger ordered. He addressed his Minister of International Relations before sending him off to cut an unsavory land deal in which the people of Toucan would be given the shaft, while across the border, the people of Quetzal would benefit from the […]

Decapitated body discovered in the Cayo District
There is a disturbing report coming from the Cayo District. Confirmed reports reveal that a decapitated body of a male person was discovered by the Agripino Cawich Bridge by Young Bank in the Cayo District. Our attempts to get full details on the incident have proved futile thus far. We’ll […]

American Airlines to add new flight to Belize next month
American Airlines will add an additional flight to Belize next month. The new flight will start on June 6th between Belize City and Los Angeles and will operate on Saturdays and Sundays on their 737-800 aircraft. The additional service is part of a wider Caribbean expansion for the airline and will depart Belize at 8:55am and arrive in Los Angeles around 1:10pm with the Los Angeles flight leaving at 12:30 a.m. and arriving in Belize at 6:10 a.m.

Blogs

I’m So Glad I Retired To Ambergris Caye, Belize
It’s Friday evening, nearly 5 p.m., and the Lady Leslie feels as eager to slip its bonds and head to sea as we, its passengers, do. This is, after all, a sunset cruise, and the ostensible reason for our sail seems to be too rapidly slipping toward the western horizon of Ambergris Caye, the Belizean island on which we all live. There are about a dozen of us on board, all expats who have staked a claim in tropical island living. We gather on the fore section of this 38-foot catamaran, on beanbag chairs and a comfortable webbed trampoline, perfect for stretching out as the blue-green Caribbean slips past beneath us. Among us are a family of four from Canada who recently bought a large beach house north of town, an English couple who have lived and worked on the island for at least seven years, and a recently retired couple from Los Angeles who are renting south of San Pedro Town as their fourth-floor condo is being built.

Belize Educational Programs: Butterflies on the Road 2015!
The month of May is known to be education month in Belize, so with that in mind and as part of our community outreach and education programs Chaa Creek’s Naturalist Guides set out on a journey to conduct the annual “Butterflies on the Road” program. Our guides gear up their vehicles with a power point presentation, living samples of every stage of the blue morpho butterfly and our signature blue morpho colouring books. The “Butterflies on the road” initiative main focus is reaching out to the rural community schools in western Belize in an effort to educate our young children on the conservation of butterflies and the significant roles that they play in our eco-system.

Letter from The Garifuna Nation to The Garifuna Coalition USA
To All Concerned, The Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. is a New York City based organization that was registered with the state of New York on May the 28th, 1999 to do business as a Not-For-Profit 501(c)(3) organization. At the time of the registration the Registered Agent address is 2189 Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn, NY 11207. For many years now their office was located at 391 East 149th Street Room-215 Bronx, NY 10455. In 1999 when this organization was formed, there were other organizations and representatives included in this coalition. However shortly thereafter when Jose Francisco Avila moved from Texas to come and live in New York City and became the President, he wrote letters to these organizations expelling them from the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. Since he took that action most Garifuna representatives and organizations in New York City and State do not have any working relationship with him or his organization which is far from what he portrays to the public in his emails and blogs. Yet, despite this fact Jose Francisco Avila continue to give Non-Garifuna organizations and other entities the impression that he and his organization is comprised of other Garifuna organizations and representatives to justify his funding sources. On close examination of the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc.’s. MISSION STATEMENT it is stated as: The mission of the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. shall be to serve as a resource, a forum, and advocate for the Garifuna issues and a united voice for the Garifuna community”.

International Sources

Worm Now Thrives in GMO Corn Designed to Kill It, Study Says
One of industrial agriculture’s biggest GMO crops may have just backfired. Scientists have confirmed that corn-destroying rootworms have evolved to be resistant to the Bt corn engineered to kill them. Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, the name of the genetically modified corn’s “donor” organism. Bacillus thuringiensis is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that produces protein crystals that bind to certain receptors in the rootworm’s intestine, killing it. For years, farmers have planted Bt corn as an alternative to spraying insecticides. Bt corn accounted for three-quarters of all corn planting in 2013. That may have to change. After finding a cornfield in Iowa in 2011 that was decimated by rootworm despite being planted with the Bt corn, Iowa State University entomologist Aaron Gassmann and his team began to study the pests’ interactions with the genetically modified organism (or GMO) corn in a lab. Their study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes the western corn rootworm’s rapid evolution after feeding on the engineered crop.

FIFA officials arrested in Zurich, including the head of the configuration for North and Central America and the Caribbean
Two criminal investigations into corruption at football's world governing body Fifa are under way, with seven senior officials arrested in Zurich on US charges. Separately, Swiss prosecutors have launched a criminal case into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 world cups, to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively. The seven are among 14 indicted on corruption charges, US authorities say. Fifa says it plans to go ahead with elections for president on Friday. Incumbent president Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term, was not one of the seven high-ranking officials arrested. Fifa also said on Wednesday there would be no rerun of the World Cup bidding processes which saw Russia awarded the tournament in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, despite the Swiss inquiry.

‘Life-changing trip:’ Evangel youth plan trip to Belize
Thirty-one participants of the Alabaster-based Evangel Presbyterian Church youth group in Alabaster are going on a mission trip to Belize from June 6 to 13. The group will partner with Thirst Missions for the third time this year to travel to Belize and work with Alta Mira Nazarene Church in Alta Mira. “The goal of Thirst Missions is to partner with teams and provide opportunities for groups to minister, to keep everyone safe, to guide the trip in cultural areas, and to take care of all the behind-the-scenes details,” Addie Pfingsten, mission consultant for Thirst Ministries, wrote in an email. To prepare the members of Evangel Church for their mission trip to Belize, Thirst Missions provides a manual to help the groups. Prior to the trip, each person attending must find at least five prayer partners, raise the necessary financial support, prepare their chosen ministries in which they will lead in Belize and attend the required preparation meetings.

First-of-its-kind Marine task force deploys to Central America
Marines with the Corps' first rapid-response task force to be based in Central America will begin deploying this week ahead of the June start of hurricane season. The 280-person unit will to be headquartered at Soto Cano air base, Honduras, officials with Marine Forces South said. Called Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force South, the unit will be tasked with a variety of missions ranging from humanitarian infrastructure projects to military partnership training in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. Upon arrival, about 180 Marines will remain in Soto Cano as the task force headquarters element, while the remaining 100 will be dispatched to locations throughout the region to work with local militaries, officials said in a news release. The Marines will travel to El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala and elsewhere in Honduras in teams of 10 to 20 to conduct partner exercises and "train the trainer" programs, said Staff Sgt. Earnest Barnes, a MARFORSOUTH spokesman. This work is a continuation of a partnership training mission Marines have been carrying out throughout Central America.

As Oil Prices Fall, Caribbean Economies Begin to blossom
Thanks to sustained low oil prices and the region’s recovering tourism industry, the Caribbean economy has begun to break free of the shackles of debt incurred in the aftermath of 2008 global financial crisis. Economies in the Caribbean registered average growth of 1.5% in 2014 and Moody’s says that growth will extend to 2% this year. “Government debt, which rose following the financial crisis, is slowly stabilizing or in some cases declining,” stated the US ratings agency, in a note to investors. Debt ratios are stabilizing in Belize, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bermuda, St. Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago. Debt pressures are easing in the Cayman Islands, Moody’s added, although they are increasing in Barbados and St. Vincent. Tourism is the central pillar of the economy in most Caribbean countries. Barbados, Belize, the Bahamas and St. Maarten are among the most dependent on tourism. With the US and UK economies gradually returning to normal, the tourism industry in the region foresees a brighter future.

Why Does Your Chocolate Taste So Bad?
Walk into any upscale market and you’ll see an array of high-end chocolate bars labeled with food industry buzzwords: artisanal, small batch, fair-trade. They’ll probably have slick packaging and presentation. But they’re mostly a sham. Most consumers can’t taste the difference between often costly fine chocolate and supermarket staples. Some believe chocolate-makers can’t really differentiate between the two either. That’s why leaders in the industry have created the Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP) initiative. It’s a joint effort between the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, and an outgrowth of the booming artisanal chocolate business. The program is utilizing the industry’s most discerning palates, along with genetic analysis, to identify—and hopefully preserve—the fine-flavored cacaos of the world. HCP’s purpose is to increase the availability of quality cacao and encourage farmers to grow it in a market that’s currently overwhelmed by flat-taste, high-yield varieties. “The chocolate industry has lost sight of its fundamentals, which include flavor,” says Mark Christian, founder of the C-spot, a go-to website for chocolatiers and passionate connoisseurs, who is involved in the initiative. “Most chocolate people don’t know good chocolate.”

Videos

UPDATE FROM THE FIELD, 3min. Dr Rebecca Foster recounts the story of the Old Man, a jaguar who shares his range with Ben the Jaguar in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Belize - Diving the Blue Hole, 20min. April 28, 2015. Diving Belize's Great Blue Hole. Reef sharks and underwater cavern formations

IXCACAO, 22min. XCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate is a Small Family Operation in the Beautiful Country of Belize, in the Community of San Felipe Village. established since 1985 under the name Cyrila' Chocolate.

Barracuda, 1min. Swimming up to a barracuda, who was initially curious about me, then decided to casually swim away. Belize Aggressor III, May 2015.

Sailing and Snorkeling in Ambergris Caye Belize with Reset Retreat, 3min.

Jim and I Floating Down The River Belmopan, Belize, 2min. Ahhhh this is the life floating down the river with Jim without a care in the world on and inner tube :)

The caress of Ticks...., 2min. Near Despair Cairn, Roni Martinez provides his views on ticks versus horse flies.

May 26, 2015

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Road Mapping Workshops for the Coconut industry development set to continue
The second phase of the Road Mapping workshops for the European Union (EU) funded “Coconut Industry development in the Caribbean” project is set to continue later this month. Project partners the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the Geneva based International Trade Centre (ITC) will engage with industry stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Belize and Suriname to formulate road maps for market led development of the coconut and coconut products sectors. Utilizing a participatory approach stakeholders across the coconut value chain in each of the project countries will come up with road maps to address critical areas such as market options, production and productivity, support services and the policy environment among other areas.

Letter to the Editor: Val Long on unsafe swimming areas
Dear Editor; We are amongst the more affluent tourists, blessed with double income and therefore able to afford to vacation for up to a full month each winter, sometimes split up by visiting two travel destinations per year. We are able to choose from various tropical destinations from Hawaii, the Caribbean to the South Pacific. Our (enclosed) picture shows what our resort on your island was able to offer as the secure & safe swimming area in the ocean for guests. That was at one of the top locations on the island. At the beginning we were cautioned to swim within a confined area secured and surrounded by buoys, an area in size smaller than our living room at home. Both resort pools were even larger in size. Like many other travelers we do not like to use pools due to chlorination. And using a pool would defy our desire to swim in a warm ocean while on vacation. The other safe option offered was to swim in knee to hip deep waters between docks; also an area where we could not been hit by boats.

Brother and Sisters Unite after 47 years
“Dear Editor, I am writing as I am looking for any family that I may have in Belize. My name is Raymond Willis Oliver. I live in England and was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, to a woman named Dorothy Willis who was born on 2nd Feb 1941…Dorothy, Thaddeus, Juanita and Tanya went to Belize in 1968…” That was the email that started it all: a brother from England hoping to connect with his sisters after they were separated 47 years ago. He wrote to The San Pedro Sun, and in turn we printed the letter and even posted it online on our popular Facebook page. As we all know, everyone knows someone in Belize, and within a DAY, he had already gotten a response! First, one of Juanita’s step-nieces was alerted through the Facebook post, and then the printed version ended up in the hands of someone at Corozal Community College, where Tanya works. Thanks to the coconut wireless that is Belize communication, Raymond was alerted that his sisters were alive and well, and living in Belize. He excitedly wrote us back, indicating that he would be making a trip to Belize soon, and unite with his long-lost relatives. According to Raymond, he’s known of his sisters’ existence since he was 18, which is when the state released information to him. He had been left in hospital by his mother Dorothy Willis, and he was placed into foster care, eventually being raised by his foster parents. Upon turning 18, he tried to find out more about his sisters, but was told that the information he had was too little to go by.

11 Police Officers join the Coastal Executive Unit
The Coastal Executive Unit, which is made up of the San Pedro Police Department (SPPD) and Caye Caulker Police Department (CCPD), now has the extra man power of 11 police officers. The new graduates of the Belize Police Academy, three Women Police Constables and eight (male) Police Constables, were deployed to their first assignment on Monday, May 18th. SPPD welcomed eight officers, while three were assigned to the CCPD. Officer in Charge of Coastal Executive Unit, Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott, welcomed the officers with a brief speech on expected conduct and the importance of upholding the law. The police officers were then assigned roles within the department. PC 1932 Ediberto Patt, PC 1853 Dyron Chan and WPC 1895 Tifany Hamilton were assigned to serve in Caye Caulker Village. SSPD saw the intake of WPC 1963 Monique Usher, PC 1849 Amir Carillo, PC 1858 Jashimir Cob, PC 1939 Malcolm Ramirez, PC 1846 Nestor Campus, PC 1867 Harold Deijo, WPC 1871 Ashley Ferguson and PC 1955 Reydel Teck.

Licks Beach Side Café wins Tapas Cook-Off
But is wasn’t all about the food. Patrons also had the chance to enter Saga’s grand raffle or purchase some fun souvenirs all for a worthy cause. Luna Loca prepared some great Saga themed drink specials and even donated 20% of all bar proceeds to the initiative. Other significant donors of the night included Dave and Susan Plank who donated $200, Wolfgang Wind who donated $300, and a generous anonymous donor of $1000. Kudos to them for opening their pockets to a great cause! Special thanks goes out to Anne’s Pastries, the Toucan Stores, LC Distributors, SandBar, Island Daiquiri, Black Orchid, and Belizean Breezes. A big thank you to the Saga volunteers who made the event possible: Kevin and Heather Smith, Dawn LoCascio, Katia Marin, Sandie Betz-Eisenberg, Eileen Jamison, Iliana Paj, Grant Crimmins, Bill and Debra Milstead, Rene Steinmetz, Diana and Bruno Nobrega, Geovanni Martinez, and Steven Pound. Last but not least, Saga thanks all the supporters who came out to the fundraiser.

Misc Belizean Sources

Do you know that the excavation for the Benque Archaeological Site is currently happening?
It is possible that this site dates back to the early Classic period, not certain as yet. From here you can see Xunantunich, the Arenal mounds. We really thank the people who are working there diligently and the ones who make this project happen, especially Mr. Subrata Basu. If you are interested in visiting the site, please call the Benque Viejo Town Council at 803-2020.

Belize Ten-day Weather Outlook
An analysis of the 10-day GFS and GFS-MNSPRD models prediction indicate that a fairly strong subsidence inversion in the East – Northeast trade wind flow will support only isolated shallow convection across Belize during the rest of May and through most of the first week of June. Therefore, expect little in the form of significant rainfall over the next 8 to 9 days which could increase the moisture content of the soil. The models are resolving an energetic, eastward-moving upper level shortwave trough over the central Gulf of Mexico and southern Mexico on June 4-5. This feature, along with low pressures over northern Central America will induce a marked increase in convection over Yucatan, Guatemala, Belize and western Honduras. Vigorous outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms will begin to move across SW Belize on Friday, June 5, then spreading across the rest of Belize through Saturday and Sunday June 6-7, 2015. This activity is expected to persist through most of the second week of June. The GFS 288-hr. precipitation forecast map (Figure 1 below), shows rainfall rate of 0.10-0.25 of-an-inch/24hr in SW Belize for the morning of Saturday, June 6, 2015. The daily rainfall rates will increase over the rest of the weekend through most of the following working week. This event will very likely mark the onset of the 2015 rainy season in Belize.

Corozal: Town Hall Meeting USA Embassy
Attention U.S. citizens! The U.S. Embassy Consular section is hosting a town hall meeting in Corozal Town. Date: Tuesday June 02, 2015 Place: Jam Rock Grill (Large palapa on the bay) 1st Ave, Sea-Front Corozal Town Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. BELIZE TIME Embassy staff that provides assistance to U.S citizens in Belize will discuss public services the U.S. Embassy offers, hurricane preparedness, and answer your general questions on our services. Limited consular public services will be offered - accepting adult U.S. passport renewal and additional visa pages applications (applicants or authorized representatives will need to be able to pick up their passports at the U.S. Embassy later), limited notary services (no real estate closings or certified copies).

The Reporter

Traffic officer shot
Traffic Officer, 34 yrs old Calvin Cumberbatch was shot on Monday night in Belize City. Cumberbatch was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is receiving treatment. Just before that, Mark Gentle, 26, of 7189 Ceasar Ridge Road suffered several gunshots to the body and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Protection needed for reef fish?
Marine experts are calling for Caribbean countries to pass legislation that will protect fish populations which are vital to the survival of coral reefs. In a new study published this month in the journal PeerJ, researchers with the University of North Carolina Wilmington, identified fishes that live among the reef as a key factor in keeping sea sponges from destroying corals. The study which surveyed 12 Caribbean islands, including Belize, pointed out that these fish are the natural predators of the sea sponges, making their existence an important part of the reef’s survival. Lead researcher for the study, Dr Joseph Pawlik said that, “Caribbean nations can now base their fishing policy decisions on the clear connection between overfishing and sponge-smothered corals. Coral conservation requires a healthy population of reef fishes.” Pawlick noted that while corals have protected status, the fishes are not making their populations susceptible to being diminished by over-fishing.

SIB to present latest data
The Statistical Institute of Belize is presenting its latest publications this week. The SIB, at a press conference scheduled for Wednesday at the Central Bank of Belize conference room, will present the First Quarter Gross Domestic Product for 2015, as well as the consumer price index and external trade bulletin for the month of April. The first quarter GDP will provide a snapshot of the country’s economic performance from January to April, while the ETB will show the amount of imports and exports Belize has made during the same period. The CPI will show to what degree, if any, the prices of commodities and services have either decreased or increased for the month of April. The SIB, the statutory body responsible for collecting compiling and disseminating this form of data, periodically presents the results of these and other forms of surveys, the most recent being the National Child Activity Survey 2013, presented on May 8.

Breaking Belize News

Two people injured after shooting in Yabra Area
Information reaching our news desk is that two persons were injured this evening in a shooting incident that occurred in the Yabra Area. According to reports, the two men have been rushed to the KHMH where they remain in a critical condition.The victims have been identified as Mark Gentle and […]

Belize: More Equitable Land Distribution Vital For Reversing Growing Inequality
Belize’s total land mass is 2,275,353 hectares (5,620,121 acres)…with 1,434,119 hectares (63.36%) owned by government…and 841,234 hectares (36.64%) owned privately. – Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010). Of 841,234 hectares that is privately held it is estimated that less than 1% of the population (approx. 3,500 persons) […]

Guatemala and Belize sign agreement over territorial dispute
Although the topics were not made known, the meeting took place amid a Government crisis stemming from corruption allegations involving government officers, including Roxanna Baldetti, who resigned as the country’s vice president on May 8th. This will be the last meeting of Insulza as Secretary General of the Organization of […]

Police respond to two instances of gun violence in Belize City this weekend
Information reaching our news room is that there have been two more reports over the long weekend of gun violence in Belize City. The first incident played out on Saturday, May 23rd on Amara Avenue in Belize City where the windshield of a vehicle was damaged. Fortunately no one was […]

16-year old arrested for keeping ammunition without a gun license
Cayo Police have arrested a 16-year old minor from Camalote Village for keeping ammunition without a gun license. According to reports, on May 22, 2015 around 5:20 p.m. police were on a mobile patrol on a feeder road in Camalote Village when their attention was drawn to a group of […]

Three men caught trying to steal boat in San Pedro
Three men are under police custody after they were caught red-handed snatching a vessel worth close to $47, 000 dollars. According to reports, Thomas Vidrine from # 1 Crocodile Drive in San Pedro Town reported to police that his boat was being stolen from the dock where he had it […]

CDB approves loan to better education in Belize
Five years ago the Government of Belize asked the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for assistance in bettering education and making it more accessible for children in every district of our nation. That call for help has been answered as the GOB’s loan request was approved by CDB at a meeting […]

Mainly fair and windy conditions to prevail
The general weather situation calls for mainly fair, windy and warm conditions to prevail in the next couple days. Today’s outlook is mostly sunny with a few cloudy spells during the day and partly cloudy tonight, Showers will be isolated. Winds will blow to the South East at 10 to […]

Blogs

Why is Sustainability Central?
Sustainability is central to humanity. The existence of humanity, and all its associated activities, relies on the life support systems provided by the environment in which we all live. We exchange goods and services amongst us, with economic systems guiding the processes involved. Our health, including mental and physical, is vitally important to each of us. We are social animals, living in groups, with complex interactions amongst us, and social systems providing structure to these interactions. Thus there are four pillars of sustainability: environment; economics; health; social. Humanity relies on continuance of such sustainability. Sustainability is also a legacy, something we potentially “hand down” to our kids, grandkids and subsequent generations. The rhetorical question, famously posed by Groucho Marx, “Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?”, surely misses the point. It is obvious that we care about future generations, especially our kids and grandkids, who most of us will know as individuals. They, as well as our future generations, are our biological contribution to the future.

The 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco-Challenge Was the Closest One Yet!
For the last 11 years, two-man or woman teams of kayakers take to the water for a 42 mile, two day kayaking marathon. The event highlights reef conservation and environmental friendliness and is just a super fun competition for those paddling (wishful thinking on my part) and for those on shore enjoying a Belikin and cheering them on. The event started Saturday at the old football field…7pm was the time but thing got moving a bit slowly. The paddlers race up the back side of the island, through lagoons, sometimes carrying their kayaks in shallow water. They paddle the canal, Bacalar Chico, dug by the Mayans between Belize and Mexico and then camp over night… On Sunday morning, they head back down to Central Park. I made it to town to see the EXHAUSTED winners…and a huge crowd out to greet them. It’s a super fun town event. The wind was strong…up to 25 mph from the east and then south east and the day hot and hazy.

International Sources

Belize and Guatemala en route to solve territorial dispute sponsored by OAS
Belize and Guatemala signed on Monday the Protocol to the Special Agreement which will allow the governments of both nations to separately hold public consultations with a view to submitting their territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice. The signing for the amendment of the Agreement the two governments signed in 2008 took place at the Organization of American States headquarters with Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza attending the ceremony, probably his last act in such a post since on Tuesday 26 May Luis Almagro from Uruguay will be taking over as the new OAS chief. Other participants included the foreign ministers of Guatemala, Carlos Raúl Morales, and Belize, Wilfred Elrington. In his speech, Secretary General Insulza recalled that the role of facilitator and mediator in the Belize-Guatemala that has been played by the OAS is “one of the most important tasks of the Organization and one to which we have assigned the highest priority in the General Secretariat.”

World War G Reaches Mopping Up Phase: Belize
Belize is a country of 331,000 that’s a backwater even by Central American standards. But the Eye of Sauron has now turned its attention upon Belize. From a giant article in the New York Times Magazine: The Lonely Fight Against Belize’s Antigay Laws Can one challenge to a statute criminalizing sodomy create a domino effect in the Caribbean? … Opponents made much of the fact that Unibam receives all of its budget, around $35,000 a year, from foreign governments and foundations, including the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, the Swiss Embassy in Mexico City and the Open Society Foundations. “Is Unibam being used for a foreign gay agenda?” one news station asked. The Amandala, the nation’s largest newspaper, published a page-long editorial under the headline “UNIBAM DIVIDES BELIZE.” “Homosexuals are predators of young and teenaged boys,” wrote the editor in chief, Russell Vellos.

In diesen Traumhotels flittern die Stars
In purem Luxus schwelgen, sich rundum verwöhnen lassen und sich ganz und gar dem oder der Liebsten widmen können ... Wer wünscht sich das nicht für die Flitterwochen? Hollywood-Stars und andere Prominente machen uns vor, wir das geht. Sie checken in die exklusivsten Hotels der Welt ein und genießen den perfekten Honeymoon. Schauspieler Benedict Cumberbatch und Regisseurin Sophie Hunter haben gerade erst Ja gesagt – und es sich anschließend im Four Seasons auf Bora Bora gut gehen lassen. Die Experten des Reiseportals „Travelzoo“ verraten, welche berühmten Pärchen wo flittern. Von Badeurlaub auf Hawaii oder den Seychellen bis hin zu Safari-Urlaub in Tansania wählen sie natürlich nur die edelsten Absteigen.

Explainer: What is the List of World Heritage in Danger
The List of World Heritage in Danger has recently come to the attention of Australians, as the World Heritage Committee considers whether the Great Barrier Reef belongs there. What is the list, and what does getting onto it mean? The World Heritage Convention and the ‘in danger’ list The World Heritage Convention is an international convention adopted by UNESCO aimed at conserving the world’s most outstanding heritage sites. The convention covers 190 countries that voluntarily participate in it. Identifying potential world heritage places is the responsibility of each participating country. The World Heritage Committee – a 21-member body established by the convention but with membership elected by the member states – decides which sites make the list (there are currently 1,007). Countries have to protect, conserve, communicate the value of, rehabilitate and transmit the sites to future generations.

Central America panel seeks ways to slash region’s sky high electricity prices
In the United States, electricity costs 10¢ to 12¢ per kilowatt-hour (kwh), while in Costa Rica, it’s 15¢ per kwh and considerably higher in Honduras and Nicaragua, Central America’s poorest countries. Yet a top State Department official said the region — which relies heavily on diesel and fuel oil for power generation — is now in an ideal position to cut costs by introducing alternative sources like natural gas and renewable energy. “Things that five years ago were not even possible are available today. Some methods of transporting containerized natural gas have come down in cost considerably,” said Robin Dunnigan, deputy U.S. assistant secretary for energy diplomacy. Dunnigan said the Central American Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC) already links 37 million people in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. SIEPAC, which has been discussed since 1987, includes a 1,790-kilometer, 230-kV transmission line as well as improvements to existing systems. It cost $320 million without proposed interconnections with Mexico, Belize and Panama.

Videos

Belikin Beer Chocolate Stout drinking contest!, 1/2min.

Belize 2014, 15min.

Climbing Victoria Peak Belize, 4min. Even though we were unable to make it to the summit because of the rain we really did enjoy our trip.

Belize Mountain Pine Ridge, 1000ft Falls, Big Rock Falls Pt.3, 4min.

Belize it or Knot 2015, 7min.

Belize 2015, 6min. Bow High School's 2015 trip to Belize consisted of going into the jungle at Martz Farm and the Cockscomb Basin, then heading out to Caye Caulker Island at the Anchorage Resort

Diving with Scuba School Belize, 3min.

May 25, 2015

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

WUHS Hosts Prestigious White Coat Ceremony
Washington University of Health and Science held its prestigious White Coat Ceremony on Sunday April 19, 2O15. This unique event took place at “Jerries Hall” located on Campus. Attending the Ceremony were the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture Hon. Manuel Heredia and wife; the Mayor of San Pedro Mr. Daniel Guerrero and wife; Dr. Javier Zuniga M.D. and professor of Medicine and Representative of the Ministry of Health; Mr. Pedro Salazar, Manager of Caribena Enterprises Ltd. and wife; Mrs. Conchita Flota, Vice-Principal of San Pedro High School and husband; Mrs. Flor Nunez, Manager of Belize Bank International; other invited guests; faculty, staff, parents and students. The Prestigious “White Coat Ceremony” initiated at 11:2Oam by Miss Peggy Allen, Vice-President of the University giving the Welcome Address and followed by the Singing of both the Belizean National Anthem as well as the US National Anthem. TheCeremony continued with an address given by Dr. Javier Zuniga M.D.

Letter to the Editor: Public Transportation System Needed!
Tourists don’t feel very comfortable while driving in a small golf cart often jammed between trucks and taxis. They don’t feel safe and high traffic during high season counteracts to tourists’ need to relax while on vacation. How about a Public Transportation System? Rather than expanding our current taxi service, a system of small buses could be the solution or at minimum be part of a traffic solution for our beloved Ambergris Caye. Any expansion of the current traffic situation would be hindering growth of tourism. A loss of reputation would be followed by less visitors as the result. A public bus system with electric powered, small to medium sized buses would be pleasant for everyone, locals and many tourists alike. Tourists would pay $5 or $7, locals/residents $3, kids would be free for the ride.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Is The Beer Talking?
“Hey, Raul. How is it going?” “Oh, it’s going pretty good,” he said, “But when it’s going good that means I’m tired from tending bar.” We brought the last of the equipment into Fido’s and began setting up the equipment for our gig. “Bartender, bring me another beer,” called a tourist who was sitting at a table near the bandstand. “The last thing you need is another beer,” his wife said. “You’ve already had six and besides, beer makes you fat.” Raul brought the beer and the tourist said, “Bring me two more, please.” “You miserable worm!” his wife said, as he gulped his beer. “My mother warned me that you were an alcoholic.” Raul delivered the next two beers and the tourist started working on them.

Police Report
On Monday, May 18th San Pedro Police responded to a shooting in the Escalante Sub Division at around 7:20AM. Jose Flores reported to police that while riding his bicycle toward Mosquito Coast along with Pablo Kumul, a male person wearing dark ¾ pants, red t-shirt and his face covered in a red rag came out of nearby bushes and fired four shots in their direction from a small black gun.
On Tuesday, May 12th at about 3:21PM, 46-year-old Desmond Berry, Chief Security Officer for Sandy Point Resort, visited the San Pedro Police Department to make a report. He indicated that on Thursday, May 7th at about 5PM, May Dalguise who is the Guest Service Operation Manager brought to his attention that the night Audit Clerk, namely Ludric Wilfred Goff, was transferring money which was to be refunded to their customer into his personal Atlantic Bank Account.
On Wednesday, May 20th at about 2:40AM, San Pedro Police stopped and searched 24-year-old Nelson Osvaldo Ventura on Lake Street and found a black magazine containing six live 9mm rounds and a 9mm Lugar-GPL round inside his pocket. Ventura failed to present a valid gun license and was arrested and charged for “Possession of Ammunition without a Gun License”.

Doctor Love: Friends
Dr-LoveDear Doctor, Why is it that some people just like to stir up trouble? I have a friend who spends a lot of time gossiping and it causes a whole lot of trouble. She has been beat up because of it. She has been embarrassed and all of her friends have been embarrassed but it is like she can’t quit. One time she almost caused one of my friends to get a divorce and then the friend found out that the whole thing was just a tale that had no truth at all. The other friend was repeating the story and adding a little bit to it each time she told it until it got all blown out of proportion. She is not really a bad person but it is like she needs attention so bad that she will say almost anything to get it. Last week she said something that is causing me trouble and I am thinking that it is time to get rid of her myself. Do you think there is any way to change her or should I just drop her? /s/ Still A Friend

Misc Belizean Sources

Beach trash collecting
Quick pic taken this morning before our garbage collection crew headed south along the beach collecting trash as far as Diamante and Blue Water Grill and then back along Front St. and Middle St. Big thank you to all our volunteers for coming out again to assist us. It was great to see some new faces. As the saying goes "Many hands make light work."

11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge!!
Congratulations to team 'Hole Mi Title' for taking 1st Place in the 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge!! 2nd Place went to team BCG (Belize Coast Guard) and third place, we are so proud to announce, are team 'Bull Dog', sponsored by The San Pedro Sun/Belize Pro Divers!! Whoot whoot!! Awesome job guys!!!

LOTTERY DRAWING for Sunday, May 24, 2015: First: 7090 Second: 6520 Third: 3096 Missing: 1, 4, 8

A Little-Known Tax Benefit Of Belize
Furniture to fill their new home…shop and car repair tools…TVs…scuba diving gear…a brand-new computer…decorative tiles…and “too many clothes” for the warm, tropical climate and their relaxed lifestyle. When Barry Munson, 60, and Dena Carey, 58, joined Belize‘s Qualified Retired Persons program five years ago, they brought a shipping container full of household goods and possessions. And it was all tax-free. It’s one of the major features of the QRP. You can also bring in a car less than three years old, a boat, or a light aircraft without paying the high import duty—a savings of thousands of dollars for most who take advantage of the perk. The retired couple is thankful they were able to bring in so much without paying taxes. To join the Qualified Retired Persons program, there are some basic qualifications—being officially retired isn’t one of them. To qualify, you must be at least 45 years old, spend at least a month a year in Belize, and show a monthly income of at least $2,000. Applications are processed and the program run by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB).

Bike thieves on Caye Caulker
I want everyone to be aware of this young bwai known as Ketchi. He and another friend of his are big time bike thiefs on d island. Yesterday my sister-in-law's bike was stolen out of her yard and she made a report to Ofc. Nunez but d officer told her that he doesn't have time and there is nothing he can do about it!

The Reporter

CARICOM moving towards regional integration with 5 year plan
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is moving forward with its efforts to unite its member countries, guided by its Strategic Plan 2015-2019. The plan, geared at regional integration, was formed with specific outcomes including: economic development and poverty reduction, improved quality of life for citizens in member states, and the reduction of environmental vulnerability. Ridley added that the four main pillars of the community are: economic integration, foreign policy coordination, functional cooperation and security. CARICOM has launched numerous projects within member states to sensitize their populations on the integration. In Belize the general secretariat concluded a two-day workshop on Friday, geared towards training high school teachers on how to present information on the CARICOM Single Market Economy (CSME) to students in an interesting and engaging way.

Breaking Belize News

Taxi Driver Accused of Raping Woman
Reports reaching our news desk is that a woman in Cayo is accusing a taxi driver of raping her. This is a developing story and we will be updating it shortly.

Hijacking in Santa Elena Town, Cayo District
Information reaching our news desk is that there was a hijacking at a Chinese establishment on Bishop Street in Santa Elena just now. This is a developing story and we will be updating it shortly.

Historic first ever family day held in Santa Elena, Cayo
For the first time in history, Santa Elena Town in the Cayo District held a fun filled Family Day. The event started off with a run-a-ton from Hawkes Worth Bridge down to La Loma Luz Boulevard and then continued to George Price Avenue and ended at the Macal River by the […]

One man dead, another man recovering after shootings in Belize City
On Friday, May 22nd around 6:35 p.m, Belize City police visited the KHMH where they saw 33 year old Lyjon Franklyn, and 20 year old Aaron Flowers suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. According to police reports, Franklyn and Flowers were socializing inside a yard on #7011 Iguana St. Extension when […]

Stabbing in Belize City sends one man to the hospital
This morning around 3:15 a.m., police visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw 24 year old Shawn Pascasio of Muhammad Ali Street, Belize City suffering from multiple stab wounds. According to police report, Pascasio was on the side walk across from a popular night club on Newton Barracks socializing […]

Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration Placed on Administrative Leave
Information reaching our news desk is that Candelaria Saldivar-Mortar, the CEO in the Ministry of Immigration, Labour, Local Government and Rural Development has been placed on administrative leave. According to reports, the decision was made by Cabinet on Tuesday, May 18th 2015 after a department head within the Ministry complained […]

Blogs

A Busy Holiday Weekend in San Pedro, Belize
This is a holiday weekend in many parts of the world. Monday is Commonwealth Day here in Belize, Memorial Day in the US, Whitmonday in France…it’s the unofficial start of Summer. Get out those barbecues (always out in Belize), white shoes and pants…SUMMER! Here in San Pedro, kayak teams took off early yesterday morning for the 11th Annual Lagoon Reef Eco Challenge. I chose to help out with the Phoenix Resort’s weekly trash clean-up instead…I wouldn’t make it one mile in that kayak race. You can check their facebook page for more information but 8am Saturday mornings, keep the town beach clean…always a good idea. And they have their staff, friends and visitors come out to help.

The Jungle Road in Belize
With one step off the jetliner, this California Golden Boy became a foreigner for the first time. Rolling green hills covered in golden poppies, fields upon fields of vegetables or fluffy white cotton, and multi-lane interstates stretching over the horizon – they do not exist here. This was the jungle. The Belizean air was heavy and moist. Thick, gray storm clouds gathered in the west, consuming the final rays of the setting sun. The road forward was in darkness. My path, however, was clear. With my brunette bombshell at my side, I slipped behind the wheel of a golden lance. My weapon for this quest: a Trooper, sturdy and powerful, yet intractable. Its handler offered a modern-day talisman: an emergency beacon to shine bright in the darkest shadows of this land. Foolishly, I declined, and hold up my crudely-drawn map in the day’s fading light. My overconfidence may be my downfall.

Not everything goes as planned...Marcia's Blog
I volunteered at Wildtracks during April 2015, but my preparations started long before this. I am from the UK and have volunteered at several in-situ projects during the last few years. Whenever I apply for any volunteer work I spend a lot of time researching the organisations to ensure they are reputable, have a clear vision and the skills needed for success. Wildtracks certainly ticked all the boxes and I couldn't wait to start work there. I wanted to be an asset from day one and hit the ground running, to make as much of a difference as I could during my 1 month stay. I had a plan to achieve this:- 1. Save money 2. Quit Job 3. Grab trusty friend to come with me (thanks Leanne) 4. 6 week fitness regime (including joining a gym and healthy diet) 5. Self-teaching Spanish basics course 6. 2 weeks travel in the Yucutan to acclimatise to the heat beforehand All this went to plan perfectly. I arrived at Wildtracks, raring to go. The team already there were so welcoming and the tour with Paul and Zoe just proved to me I had made a great choice in Wildtracks. The knowledge, passion and success rate were amazing, I wanted to be a part of this, if only for a short time. My allocated sections were Spider Monkeys (one of my favourite primates) and Peccaries. Together with regular manatee swims, I was very happy with this but then had the added honour and pleasure of assisting Laura with feeding Rameses. What better way to end each day than to give Rameses his evening formula bottle. I was in heaven. The times spent with the manatees became my most precious memories as I had never worked with them before, had very little knowledge of them but had been fascinated by these gentle creatures for several years. You cannot describe the feeling of swimming with a manatee, just the two of you, in their world. Beautiful and a real privilege.

International Sources

Education in Belize to benefit from CDB loan
MORE CHILDREN are expected to gain access to education in Belize with the construction of 35 new schools and the provision of 5 300 additional places across pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. These are among the benefits to flow from a US $35 million loan and a US $461 000 grant approved by the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to the Government of Belize at their meeting in Basseterre, St Kitts. The funds will also help in the provision of furniture and equipment and consultancy services to prepare detailed designs and supervise construction. This is part of an overall attempt to increase access to basic education as well as help improve the planning, management and delivery of services. Among the planned programme components are improvements in the learning environment through the development of an early stimulation and emergent learning (ESEL) programme; review of the school feeding programme; development of a schools’ maintenance policy and plan; development of an Early Identification System (EIS) for children at-risk of educational and societal failure; and development and implementation of a public education and communications strategy.

Belize inaugurates Taiwan-backed tilapia hatchery
Belize's agriculture minister Caspar Vega, and Taiwan's ambassador to Belize H.E. Benjamin Ho, inaugurated a new tilapia hatchery in Central Farm, San Ignacio, on Wednesday. The hatchery, built with $2.5 million in funds from Taiwan’s International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF), is part of a five-year project started between ICDF and Belize in February 2012. According to the initiative's website, the hatchery will have the capacity to produce 110,000 fingerlings a year, which will be increased to up to 1 million tilapia fingerlings a year within five years. The initiative also includes five tilapia farming training workshops for 540 participants, assistance towards developing on-growing, small-scale tilapia farming operations.

“There Is a Future for the Caribbean as a Financial Services Hub”
The annual Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners’ (STEP) Annual Caribbean Conference brings together companies, attorneys, and individuals in key market sectors such as Company Incorporations, Trusts, Funds, Foundations, and Captive Insurance to discuss the role of the Caribbean as an international financial centre. We took some time at this year’s STEP conference in St Maarten to get the take of Carlyle Rogers’, this year’s chairman, on the future of Caribbean Financial Services. How would you describe financial services in the Caribbean right now? If one starts with the issue of banking, then this is an area which is experiencing some challenges. From Jamaica in the north and west straight to the east through Anguilla and then down to Trinidad and Guyana in the south, banking is experiencing some consolidation as the larger banks, especially the Canadian ones, are taking some heavy losses and thus reducing staff and their footprint in the region. In terms of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, again we are seeing banks take write-downs on their balance-sheets due to poor loan performance which is causing liquidity problems. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has had to intervene to take control of two domestic indigenous banks in Anguilla and one in Antigua and watching briefs are being done on the entire sector. The Monetary Council of the Central Bank has recently proposed changes to the Union’s banking legislation and other measures to shore up governance of the banks for which it has regulatory responsibility.

Videos

Taking Giant Strides from the Dive Deck of the Belize Aggressor III, 2min.

Bone Fish In Belize, 2min. Anne Bollick Catches Her First Bone Fish On A Fly Just Blind Casting Off Cayes Near Hopkins Belize.

Frank's 51st birthday SAN PEDRO BELIZE, 5min.

Belize , snorkeling, HD, 6min. caribbean, coral reef, beautiful.

Begin je eigen digitale collectebus en red het koraalrif in Belize, 2min.

May 24, 2015