Recent Belize News, 9/1/2015 to 9/10/2015, 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

Government of Belize Contributes to Relief Efforts in Dominica
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belize presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica and has the honour to refer to the letter dated August 31st, 2015 from the Prime Minister of Dominica, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, and Savingram, CDEMA/15/OB/34, dated August 31st, 2015, appealing for emergency relief following the damage caused by Tropical Storm Erika on August 26th, 2015. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belize is pleased to inform that the Government of Belize will make a cash contribution in the sum of US$125,000 to the Government of Dominica for its relief efforts. The contribution will be deposited on September 9th, 2015 into the account provided in the damage assessment report.

Kriol Word of the Day: Kolcha
Belizean Kriol Artist Leela Vernon brings the word to life in her famous song “Ah wah no who seh Kriol no gat no kolcha?” The song title translated in English to mean: “I want to know who says Kriol (Creole) doesn’t have culture?”

Avian Influenza Infected Area in the Cayo District Regains Free Status
The Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA) will today lift quarantine and other control measures implemented in the Cayo District following the detection of low pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 in January 2015. The last case was detected on the 5th of June 2015, and depopulation and decontamination were completed by the 9th of June 2015. In compliance with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) international standard, BAHA can declare the area once again free of avian influenza three months after decontamination. Quarantine control measures and the direct losses borne by the producers in the infected area have cost government and the poultry industry over BZ$6 million.

CZMAI, BTB and BPA launch Manatees Protection Initiatives
After hearing about the collisions between boats and the manatees, a meeting was held with the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Belize Port Authority (BPA), to figure out a quick response to the collisions, and to eventually work on a plan with stakeholders to completely eradicate these incidents. From this meeting, came the first initiative, which is to install buoys in the Belize River, in the vicinity of Haulover Creek. The BTB donated six (6) buoys, and Mr. Chamberlain of Belize Marine & Sand donated two (2) for a total of eight (8) buoys to be installed by Belize Marine & Sand. The CZMAI and BPA will simultaneously install additional Warning and No Wake signs to bring added attention to all users of that portion of the river.

AM Construction Company Limited to head Ambergris Stadium Renovations
On Monday, September 7th, Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL) announced that AM Construction Company Limited will be undertaking the construction of Ambergris Stadium, now renamed the San Pedro Football Field. The construction contract was awarded to the Orange Walk based firm for $2,623,911.95BZ. The renovation of the stadium has been in the pipeline for over a year, and will now finally move forward to the construction phase The vision of BIL is for the project to include a regulation grass pitch, bleachers to seat 800, locker facilities, concession stands, bathroom facilities and a storage unit. Once completed, the field will be the only proper football pitch on the island and will benefit the development of the sport in the island. The stadium will also be suitable for softball, running and track and field.

Ambergris Today

BTB Hosts Successful #BelizeanEats Twitter Chat
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) hosted another SUCCESSFUL Twitter Live Chat, September 3, 2015 under the hashtag #BelizeanEats! With exotic cultural influences and succulent local dishes, Belize surely enticed foodie-travelers online and garnered over 13 million in impressions. Participants were equally excited to both discover the authentic tastes of Belize as well as getting the chance to win unique foodie inspired prizes! "Today our BelizeanEats Twitter live chat saw a huge user-reach and provided an added boost to the digital marketing drive for Belize! This is another testament to the endless possibilities that the digital market offers. As the leaders in marketing Belize online, we are always seeking new and creative ways to showcase the appeal that is Belize!" - Ms. Karen Pike, Belize Tourism Board's Director of Marketing and Industry Relations.

More Than 102 Sea Turtle Nests Identified on Ambergris Caye
Still in the midst of Turtle Nesting Season, The Ambergris Caye Marine Turtle Program, Hol Chan Marine Reserve and volunteer residents are in high alert and in search of turtle nests along the coast of the Ambergris Caye in order to protect these delicate sea creatures. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve staff discovered a nest of 93 eggs that were laid on Sapphire Beach Resort late in the month of August. Of that sum, there were about 40 turtle eggs that did not survive. Approximately 53 turtles survived from the nest that was found. The Hol Chan Marine Staff has been working closely with the resort staff to care for future nests found on the property. Following the initial find the staff of Sapphire Beach Resort, 14 more baby loggerhead turtles hatched next to the pool area. Five staff of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve arrived to assist in locating their nest, but unfortunately couldn't find it. Before departing they educated the resort’s staff on how to recognize the turtle’s nest area in the event that they come across it in the near future when cleaning the beach. By the end of August 2015, The Ambergris Caye Marine Turtle Program had recorded eight nests hatching just on the last week alone; three new nests were identified bringing the total to 102 nests on Ambergris Caye for 2015. In previous years 96 nests were recorded in 2013 and 77 nests in 2014.

Misc Belizean Sources

Avian Influenza Infected Area
BAHA will today lift quarantine and other control measures implemented in the Cayo District following the detection of low pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 in January 2015. The last case was detected on the 5 June 2015 and depopulation and decontamination were completed by the 9 June 2015. In compliance with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) international standard, BAHA can declare the area once again free of avian influenza three months after decontamination. Quarantine control measures and the direct losses borne by the producers in the infected area have cost government and the poultry industry over BZ$6 million. The successful eradication of this avian influenza disease outbreak was possible because of government’s immediate and strong intervention. BAHA worked in close partnership with the Belize Poultry Association and the poultry producers in eliminating this grave threat to the sector. Both OIRSA and Mexico provided technical assistance as well as resources to help control the outbreak. It must be noted that Belize is the only country in the region to have successfully eradicated the avian influenza virus.

Caye Caulker REEF CLEAN UP! PLEASE HELP!
Last Sunday, Richard Ruben of Richard's Adventures organized a trip out to the site of the shipwreck that was recently removed after months on the reef. Although the ship itself is gone there is a ton of junk scattered around the area that needs to go so the reef can begin to recover from this trauma. Although only 2 of us went out for about 2 hours we got a lot of trash cleaned up from the site and we had lots of fun! It's like a treasure hunt. You never know what you might find buried amongst the metal, fiberglass and plastic debris. It was so much fun and there's so much junk out there that we're going to do it again and we'd love some help. We need at least 3 people so we can implement a technique that will save us a lot of exhaustion. More than 3 would make it super easy. If you are a strong swimmer (the wreck was right on the reef so it can be rough) and have a couple of hours to spare on Sunday, September 20, contact Richard about coming out with us. Everyone chips in for gas. Thank you!!

How about those Jaguars last night??!
e may have lost the battle BUT we certainly put up a good fight against the Voyageurs last night. Congratulations on making us proud. Photo Courtesy: Belmopan Bandits

BEL Holiday hours
Belize Electricity Limited extends best wishes for a safe and festive St. George’s Caye Day! Opening hours for all BEL Offices on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 will be: 8:00am through the lunch hour to 2:00pm. All BEL offices reopen for regular business hours on Friday, September 11, 2015.

National Service Day 2015
National Service Day is on the 19th, and there are tons of projects planned around Cayo.

SIPL at Belmopan Campfire
The San Ignacio Public Library staff performed at Belmopan's Camp Fire and storytelling event. They are famous for their storytelling. They also celebrated World Literacy Day at the Cayo Welcome Center.

Paint Party in San Pedro
Paint Party today at Crazy Canucks Beach Bar. 2p.m. let us know if you can make it!

2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games
And the Jaguars were not the only ones who were in the spotlight last night. Four silver medallists who represented Belize in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were recognized during the half-time for their wins in Los Angeles. We'd like to send a hearty congratulations to Jasmine, Anna, Ilda and Jayna for representing Belize proudly! Congrats ladies!

Ministry of Health Observes World Suicide Prevention Day 2015
Recognizing the importance of suicide prevention, the Belize Mental Health Program of the Ministry of Health joins the international community in the observance of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th. Suicide is preventable, yet in 2014 there were 24 cases of death by suicide from across the country. The Ministry of Health encourages individuals suffering from any mental disorder to seek information and appropriate assistance. Most of these individuals fear degradation, judgment or labeling because of their condition. It contributes to the problem of having fewer people seek the help they need. Several studies conducted to date have shown that people with depression and anxiety disorders are at higher risk of having suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide. Diagnosing and treating depression and anxiety disorders are both necessary to decrease suicide crises and spread awareness of these issues.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Wednesday, August 9, 2015: 60. PICK 3: 9 8 8

Battle of St. George's Caye Parade Route
Happy Battle of St. George's Caye Day! The SISE Town Council has created the map for the parade route tomorrow.

"Introduction to Birding and Bird ID" course for Tourism establishments
Just done with one more "Introduction to Birding and Bird ID" course for Tourism establishments. This time for Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures and Island Expeditions. Too much fun and we combined Birding with Ziplining! Thats a first for me.

Channel 7

Coast Guard Detained For Men Missing At Sea
5 coast guard personnel have been detained in connection with the disappearance of the 3 Belize City fishermen. The 3 men: 20-year-old Donovan Usher, 29-year-old Giovanni Murrillo, and 33-year-old Jerome Bowen left for Turneffe Island on Thursday morning, August 27 th . They went on a 1 day fishing trip but since then no one has seen or heard from these men. When we spoke to Donovan Usher’s mother she told us that she strongly believes that the Coast Guard has something to do with it. Well, it seems the story does have some credence to it because police have detained 5 members of the Coast Guard for questioning. Today we spoke to the family and they told us how they felt when they heard about this break in the case and what it means for the family. Courtney Weatherburne "What was the first thing that came to your mind when you heard that update?" Anna Cardenes, - Mother of Donovan Usher "I feel a relief, a weight come off of me because; like I said we know they have something to do with it. And I hope they get answers and that we get answers." Courtney Weatherburne "In the last interview you told us that you were still hopeful and you felt that you know; they were still alive. Do you still hold to that line?"

Coast Guard Officers For Contraband Extortion
So, while those officers are being investigated for the disappearance of the three seamen, 3 more are in trouble after being arrested and charged with extortion. CTV3 News reports that six days ago, on September 3, Ricardo Rivero, a resident of Consejo Village in Corozal, reported to police that he was bringing 10 cases of contraband beer from Mexico into Belize through the Bay of Chetumal. He was intercepted by a team of Coast Guard officers, and according to Rivero, they demanded money from him, and agreed to look the other way as he transported his contraband. He paid the men and then went on his way, and he reported the incident as soon as he could. Police allegedly conducted a sting operation and caught the 3 Coast Guard officers with an undisclosed amount of cash. They are 25 year-old Leslie Staine from Belize City, 32 Dubian Montero from Bullet Tree Village in Cayo, and 19 year-old Rayliee Usher from Hattieville. CTV3 reports that they were all arraigned before a Justice of the Peace, and they were offered bail of $1,000 each.

Stevedores Go Slow, Port Says Shut It Down
Since the beginning of this week, the stevedores have been showing their discontent with the Port of Belize by staging a go-slow on the loading of the sugar ship. They say the port management is dragging its feet on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement – and so they started dragging their feet on the loading of the sugar ship. That came to a head yesterday when the Port Management decided to suspend operations and payments relating to the loading of the sugar ship. We were at the port right after that:.. James Neal - Stevedore "Beside that why we gone on go slow we need to get our CBA signed. For over 5 months the union tried to send letters to meet with the port concerning the start to negotiate; and port said they got nothing from they, none and that is a lie. The union have proof that they sent letters to they and so we mi done further put a notice to them that we will take more action if they no comply back to the union concerning the start to negotiate. And with that we will start with go slow or if it has to go further we will strike. We decided to start the step by going slow first. When we came in the night last night; from 6 to 7 we go in the night. They don't pay us, they told me they won't pay we and they decide that they will shut down the work until further notice."

Cops Got Break In Kareem Clarke Case From Eyewitness
Last night we told you about the 17 year old who was charged for the murder of Kareem Clarke. It comes two months after the 27 year old journalist was gunned down. Police say they got a break in the case when a witness to the crime agreed to give a sworn statement:… Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Div. Southside "And we had a breakthrough about a week and couple days ago in relation to that investigation. And yesterday we got the removal order from the magistrate court. We brought the person from prison because he was in prison and he was formally received and charged for the murder of Kareem Clarke." From what we have been made to understand that it was just done randomly. There was no basic motive behind it and the person who we have arrested and charged is an associate of the PIV gang; which is one the gang that is based in St. Martin's area."

Faith Nazarene Still A No-Go
Classes were closed today for the third day in a row today at the Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio Town. The teachers have been on sustained protest, and they are adamant with the management and the Ministry of Education that the current principal, Policarpia Pech, must be removed. The teachers and parents allege that she has mismanaged the school, while Pech, who has gotten her attorney involved to fight on her behalf dismisses their accusations as fabrications, mischief and hearsay. The management of the Nazarene Primary Schools has been working hard to keep the school functioning, and they tell us that they have a formal complaint before the Teaching Services Commission for consideration on whether or not Pech should go as principal. Meanwhile the Ministry of Education continues to look on in hopes that the school’s management can resolve the dispute as quickly as possible. Caught in the middle of all of this are the 400-500 students enrolled there who have been forced to stay home while the rest the country continues with classes.

Jaguars Play With Heart, Draw With Canada
Belize’s dreams of reaching Russia for the 2018 world cup have been dashed. But, the Jaguars went out with style and spirit – playing to a one -one draw with Canada on their home turf at the FFB field last night. Belize mounted numerous attacks on Canada’s goal leading to a Deon McCualey goal in the 26th minute – much to the elation of fans at a very full FFB Stadium. But Canada equalized in the 45th minute, and despite many valiant attempts Belize could not score again. So the game ended in a 1 – 1 draw, leaving the series at a 4 to 1 aggregate score in Canada’s favour. Canada now moves unto the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying. But their Coach said Belize was a worthy and dangerous opponent:.. Benito Floro - Head Coach, Canada "Belize is a good team, a really good team. We need to say thanks to the coach because the proposal of Belize is very nice and very good. The first game was in favour of us; it’s true that Belize don't have any chance of goal but we know that in meeting they are going to play very well as they have demonstrated. I think my players were concentrate as good professionals because we all realize that this game was very difficult for us, they delivering a goal."

Belize Free of Avian Influenza
Viewers may remember that in January of this year BAHA detected avian influenza in Belize, and in June the poultry farmers had to over 75,000 chickens to stymie the spread of the virus. That resulted in a poultry shortage, which later caused an egg shortage and forced the prices on both products to go up. The bad news is that it has caused the poultry industry a total loss of over 6 million dollars. The good news is that it was effective in getting the country’s poultry stock fully decontaminated. That’s why today, BAHA announced that it has lifted the quarantine it implemented in the Cayo District. BAHA notes that Belize is the only country in the region to have successfully eradicated an outbreak of the avian influenza virus. Though it is cause for a collective sigh of relief, BAHA notes that everyone still needs to remain vigilant that the virus is not brought back into the country from any location. BAHA also notes that there is also a threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza being introduced into local poultry stocks by migratory wild birds from North America. As such, the movement of live poultry - other than day old chicks - will remain restricted until further notice. If you are a poultry farmer, whether commercial or backyard, BAHA asks that you maintain your biosecurity measures and notify them if there are any signs of high mortality or unusual occurrences in your flock.

No Public Drinking On Tenth
Tomorrow is the tenth, and Saturday is Carnival Day. Between now and then, there will be a lot of public drinking and, on such occasions, it is allowed. But, you can’t drink out of an aluminium can or a glass bottle – it has to be a cup or plastic bottle – and this year police say they will be strictly enforcing that rule. Officer commanding Southside Chester Williams explained:… Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Div. Southside "When we read the legislation it says when you drink in public it must either be in one of 3 containers. Either is a plastic cup, a paper cup or a Styrofoam. If you do that is public, you will be within the confines of the law." "Now we are aware that on these days of parade, people will normally gather on the street corner with their icebox containing liquor and they drink. So we are simply telling people, you know what if to do that you could not be wrong but if you do it in a certain way you are wrong and you can be prosecuted for public drinking. So we're simply asking the citizens to comply with us on these days.

Cops Keeping It Safe In Carnival
And while the cop – slash – attorney Chester Williams loves enforcing all the rules on the books – he says the public drinking limitation is about public safety, which is a priority going into Carnival Day. He says police will be blanketing the city streets to make sure safety is assured:.. Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Div. Southside "I can say to Belizeans who intend to come out and watch the carnival parade or the 10th or 21st parade; that they can come out and the police will ensure that all persons who come to enjoy the parades are safe. We have our security measures already put in place. We'll be having officers saturating the city and most importantly the route of the parades will be covered in its entirety during the parade. And we are getting supplementary officers from Belmopan, SPU and the Gang Unit; who will be working the parades along with the police officers who would normally be on day off in Belize City on that day in question. We'll be having a very good amount of officers to ensure the safety of all persons who come out to enjoy the parades."

Calling All Kraft
You might want to hold off on the Kraft cheese slices for now because the Kraft Heinz Company has issued a recall on the individually wrapped Kraft Single slices – and it applies to products that are on shelves in Belize. According to a recall notice from the company, this is due to a packaging problem. 2 customers have complained of choking after eating the sliced cheese because when they removed the thin wrap or covering, films of the wrap remained on the cheese slice. It’s a choking hazard and the company is asking consumers not to purchase the Kraft singles and if you have, return it to the store and ask for a refund. For this latest recall, BAHA sent out a press release outlining the exact manufacturing codes to avoid when shopping for Kraft cheese products. You can find a link on our website. .

Hero Hard Talk
Last night, we showed you the discussion that the Belize History Association held in memory of Belizean National Hero Philip Goldson. Though, nominally, his stature in the pantheon of national heroes, is the same as George Price, Goldson’s legacy is not nearly as clear cut as the man dubbed the Father of The Nation. And, ultimately, that’s because history is written about and by the winners, and Goldson’s HIP and NIP, always played second fiddle to Price’s pre-eminent PUP. And the bitterness that goes along with any prolonged political rivalry - particularly from Goldson to Price - ran very deep. It is an article of faith for the NIP that Price sold out to Guatemala – a point that was somewhat vindicated in the 2011 authorized biography of Price when he acknowledged that he received funding from the Guatemalans – but only on the principle that they had a common enemy, the British. And while time’s torch slowly illuminates those darkened corners of history, still, there’s no easy congruence between the flexible Price, and the doctrinaire Goldson. But, those divergent paths had the same starting point: the People’s Committee in 1949. Headquarters? The Price Family home on Pickstock Street. In an extended interview he granted to Nuri Muhammad back in 1991 in Los Angeles, California, Goldson went back to the start, where as a journalist, activist, and a political aspirant, he was a part of history in the making:

Tumblers Still Tumble
The Carnival is coming, and that means all kinds of waist winding mayhem in the streets. But before the glamorama of Carnival, there was a thing called “road march” and when that swept through the city streets – it meant that the tumblers would be there. And they still are; every year, these self schooled, self styled gymnasts of the pavement bring up the rear of the parade. This evening we saw them practicing inside the St John’s Cathedral compound. Leader Ras Jen told us they are ready for the road.

Why Mud Matters
And another person in the deep stages of preparation for Carnival is Marsha Smith. Every year, she cooks the mud which will be smothered on the bodies of revelers before the break of dawn on carnival day when swarms of city residents frolic through the streets –bathed in mud. And while J’ouvert is fun, Smith who has been doing her mud factory for 12 years now says it’s also a lot of work: Smith is catering for ten thousand J’ouvert goers this year.

Destra Ready To Do It Up
Tonight 3 of Soca’s biggest names will be hitting the stage for their BELIZEAN fans at the Hour Bar in Belize City. They are Soca Queen Destra, Ricardo Drue and Kes the Band. The trio told 7news today that their show will bring high energy, fast-paced, and unpredictable on-stage performances. Concert gates open at 9 tonight.

Channel 5

PBL and CWU Agree To Start CBA Negotiations
This morning, stevedores protested outside the Port of Belize compound, again. This time it wasn’t about the quality of water served to gangs offloading sugar barges. It’s about more than [...]

Kareem Clarke’s Murder Was an Act of Random Violence
On Tuesday a minor was taken in shackles to the Belize Family Court, where he was arraigned for the murder of journalist Kareem Clarke on July sixth. The minor is [...]

…Police May Have Murder Weapon
Police believe that they have the right man in custody, and that they have connected all the dots to result in a conviction. In fact, they may even have the [...]

Was Devin Neal Killed Because of an Old Beef?
The search for Devin Neal’s killer remains active as police officers in Roaring Creek are seeking a suspect whom they believe carried out the deadly assault near the Agripino Cawich [...]

3 Men Detained in Xaibe Murder
Three persons remain in police custody tonight in Corozal after the body of an American national was found on his farm in the village of Xiabe in the northern district. [...]

A Look Back at Belize Vs Canada
The Belize Jaguars took on the national Canadian football team on Tuesday night in Belmopan. Football aficionados came out in numbers for the match which would decide whether Belize would [...]

From Commentators to Celebrities
But in Canada, the outcome of the game was overshadowed by Lodrick Sheppard and Clarence Shepherd, the duo known as Mad Bull and Maestro. Even before the game concluded on [...]

Queen of Bacchanal Touches Down in the Jewel
Tonight, there are a number of concerts in the city to bring in the Tenth of September. Top names from the Caribbean began arriving since last week. Among them is [...]

Ricardo Dru Says Carnival Overload Will Be Mad
Aside from the many local artists, including Ernestine Carballo and TR Shine, who will be featured at tonight’s Carnival Overload Concert, Caribbean soca artist, Ricardo Dru, will also be a [...]

Police Lay Down the Law on Public Drinking this September
September time is party time in Belize, and party time means drinking – at home, house parties, clubs, and most certainly in public. Now public drinking is prohibited, and recently [...]

Coast Guard Personnel Questioned in Fishermen Disappearance
The mysterious disappearance of three Belize City fishermen who set out on a fishing expedition three weeks ago has raised more questions than answers. News Five can confirm tonight that [...]

Kraft Cheese Slices Recalled for Possible Choking Hazard
A voluntary recall on individually-wrapped American cheese slices is presently in effect, following a notice by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The request to return the Kraft Heinz Food [...]

Belizeans Flocked to 19th Annual BCCI Expo
The expo, hosted by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has become a staple in the September Celebrations calendar. This year, the number of visitors was less than last [...]

LOVE FM

Presidential Candidate for Guatemala Says Belize Can Still Be Fought For
After counting the votes of Guatemalan’s first round of presidential elections, it came as a surprise to many that former comedian and television actor Jimmy Morales would top the polls. He received approximately a quarter of the support from those who participated in Sunday’s elections. Morales started late on the campaign trail and his slogan is, […]

Teenager Charged for Kareem Clarke’s Murder
A seventeen year old male has been charged with the murder of journalist, Kareem Clark. Senior Superintendent of Police, Chester Williams says that since the murder police has been on the case investigating. CHESTER WILLIAMS “Yesterday we were able to formally arrest and charge a 17 year old in respect of the murder of Mr.Kareem […]

Belize Declared Free of Avian Influenza Virus
In January, there was a detection of pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 in western Belize. Although it was on a minimal scale, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) went ahead and implemented some control measures while designating quarantined areas. Today, via a press release from BAHA, we can tell you that those measures are being lifted […]

Extension for Corozal Hospital
A contract was signed this morning for the extension to the Corozal Community Hospital. The addition to the building is expected to offer space for better health services that have been on demand in the northern district. CEO in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Allen, explains the project is part of rolling-out of the […]

Fisheries Department makes bust of illegal conch
The Fisheries Department and the Belize Audubon Society were in a joint operation early this morning which targeted fishermen who were diving for conch. Conch season is close and so those fishermen are in violation of the laws. Hampton Gamboa, Supervisor of the conservation Compliance unit at the Fisheries Department told us about an estimated […]

Punta Gorda police make arrest following rape report
Paul Mahung reporting… “The one male and two females charged are from Indian Creek Village Toledo as explained by Deputy Commander of the Toledo Police formation Clement Cacho. Clement Cacho – Deputy Commander “On Friday of last week police launched an operation in regards to the rape that occurred in Indian Creek Village as a […]

COLA receives support in campaign for construction of base
Citizen Organized for Liberty and Action, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, the Northern Territorial Volunteers, the Vision Inspired by the People and the Belize Unity Alliance have officially joined efforts in their cause. As you may already know, these activist groups have been in the forefront in regards to the transparency and accountable in Government and […]

Ministry of Health and partners focus on child nutrition
Paul Mahung reporting… The educational manuals and equipment are in connection with Japanese Social Development Fund Project implemented by the Ministry of Health. After the national anthem by students of Big Falls RC School the welcome remarks were given by the chairman of the Toledo Health Council. Guest Speaker was Ministry of Health CEO, Dr. […]

Belizean patriot Philip Goldson remembered
This morning at the Bliss Institute for Creative Arts, a forum was held about Phillip Goldson, his life, his achievements and contributions to the Belizean society. Part of the Forum’s round table discussion was Former Prime Minister of Belize, Manuel Esquivel, Maud Williams, Nuri Muhammed, Hector Silva and Gilda Lewis. Esquivel spoke about Goldson’s determination […]

Minister of Education says work to improve continues
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released statistics that shows forty five percent of the workforce has either a primary school education or below. Patrick Faber says that the ministry is working to address the issue now and says that the statistics are not a secret. Patrick Faber – Minister of Education “We continue to […]

Education Minister speaks on Catholic teachers’ complaint
Reports reaching our newsroom are that the Catholic Management in the Stann Creek District has begun doing a tour to inspect the teachers who are not complying with uniform regulations. We are told that if a teacher is found to be a delinquent in that aspect, he or she will be sent home. Minister of […]

Belize Energy Workers Union threatens industrial action
Last week Friday we told you about the letter that the Belize Energy Workers Union sent to Minister of Labor, Godwin Hulse. Essentially, President of the Union, Marvin Mora, thanked Hulse for his participation in the negotiations with Belize Electricity Limited. Also in that letter Mora expressed the Union’s position to take up industrial action […]

NTUCB President says Roy Davis must go
On Friday, Senator Ray Davis took his seat in the National Assembly as the Senator representing the Unions and Civil Society. The only problem was is that he was not supposed to be there. Well, that’s according to the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. As we have reported, the Congress has decided to remove […]

Teenager charged for the murder of journalist Kareem Clarke
A seventeen year old has been charged for the shooting murder of 27 year old journalist Kareem Clarke. It has been more than two months since Clarke was gunned down in the Ghost Town Gang Area on Vernon Street. According to police, the 17 year old who is being accused for the murder is not […]

PlusTV

Police say Kareem Clarke murder was “random”
As we told you yesterday, a 17 year old minor of Belize City has been charged and remanded in relation to the July 6 murder of 27 year old Kareem Clarke, the Amandala journalist fatally shot early in the morning as he was riding home from a stop in the area of Vernon and Lakeview Streets. After two ...

CWU and Port of Belize to meet after strike
Stevedores working for the Port of Belize Limited effectively shut down operations between six last evening and this morning until management agreed to meet with them discussing concerns of a pay dispute. The Port claims in a letter sent to the workers’ representatives, the Christian Workers&...

BAHA watching Shrimps for bacteria
And while the poultry industry in the west is now in the clear, another industry, this one in the south is still being monitored closely by BAHA. In April earlier this year, a vibrio type bacteria that causes a high death rate amongst juvenile shrimp was detected in at least 2 shrimp farms in the So...

Police issue warnings on public drinking
As the first of the major events of the September Celebrations arrives tomorrow, Thursday, the Police Department in Belize City has issued as a notice warning letters to be given out to persons caught drinking in public or loitering. The latter is straightforward: if you stand about in a public plac...

Literacy Rally and Parade held in Belmopan
Today, eight primary schools in the Belmopan area held a Literacy rally and parade as a part of World Literacy Day which was launched yesterday. The rally started at the Independence Park at 9:00am where Kuxlin Ha, Evergreen, El Shaddai, St. Ann’s, Garden City, St. Martins, OLOG, and St. Miche...

Kraft Cheese Slices May Cause Choking!
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority sent out a joint press release with the Ministry of Health and the Belize Bureau of Standards advising the public of a recall on wrapped American Cheese Slices. The Kraft Heinz foods Company is a common good imported from the United States. It is found on eve...

BAHA says Mission Accomplished: Poultry Industry saved
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority, BAHA is lifting the quarantine from the poultry industry in the Cayo District. This is after a low patogenic disease known as H1N1 infected thousands of birds causing farms and the industry millions. Emanuel Pech reports Dr Miguel Depaz: From when we detecte...

The Guardian

About 3 months ago, the United Democratic Party managed to bring out 2,100 real voters of Belize Rural North for a contested convention where incumbent representative Hon. Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro had to go up against his political opponent Dwight Tillett, just so as to keep his seat as Standard Bearer of the party. On Sunday, September 6, the PUP couldn’t even manage to bring out 600 supporters for their event in the constituency, and that’s after they pooled all of their resources countrywide and brought in supporters from other constituencies. They got so desperate and offended at the failure that they resorted to mob-type behavior and stoned at the sitting Area Rep for simply observing their event. The press has been following this Power to the People Tour that the Opposition Party has been having. They visited 4 locations countrywide under the pretense of trying to reach out to the voters who live in these remote locations. That event is a farce; very few people of the community that they are visiting actually come out to hear what they have to say. They waste resources by having each standard bearer who shows up - (and they’re yet to get the entire dirty dozen to show up alongside them ) - bus in supporters from their constituency.

Massive housing project in Port Loyola
Port Loyola Area Representative Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez has embarked on the construction of an entire housing community just off Fabers Road in Belize City. It is estimated that 2.6 million dollars will be spent to get this project to completion, which will see 48 families become new homeowners, and about 20-30 existing homes renovated. That’s in addition to 150 construction workers who will be given jobs and an additional 30-40 men who will be employed to clear the area. Those 30-40 men had been working for months before to get the area ready for construction. They had to go painstakingly through back-breaking work to cut down large trees, cut away bush, and mangroves. Then, the next step was to truck in landfill to get the area up leveled grounding that houses could be constructed unto the land. As soon as that was completed, the contractors, who signed an official agreement on Wednesday, September 2, moved in and started to construct concrete homes built sturdy to outlast the elements. While that was being done, Martinez and his advisors foresaw that the neighborhood would need proper utilities, and so, they lobbied Belize Electricity Limited, and Belize Water Services Limited to install the infrastructure so that these homeowners could get the utilities installed immediately as the houses are completed.

National Bank opens for business in Belize City
On Thursday September 3, the National Bank of Belize was officially inaugurated and the offices began serving customers on Monday September 7. During the opening ceremonies, General Manager at the bank, Alvaro Alamina pointed out that the branch in Belize city “will mirror the activities of the Belmopan Branch, but will also offer new services such as night safe facilities, safety deposit boxes - targeting business and corporate customers in Belize City.” He noted that the Belize City branch will serve Belize City and surrounding areas as well as the northern districts and San Pedro and Caye Caulker. And as the bank expands Alamina says “the bank is now offering a number of deposit accounts, in addition to a wide range of lending products including mortgage finance, vehicle finance, business loans, and personal loans. The focus presently is on rolling of other services to include online banking, debit cards and checking accounts within the coming months as well as placing more emphasis on consumer, business and corporate financing.”

He Who Pays the Piper…
“He who pays the piper, calls the tune” is probably one of the most common and honest phrases in the global political arena. This is why campaign financing is such a hot topic in democracies across the world. People want to know who are contributing to the political organizations so they can have a better idea of the agenda they will champion once in power. Those who champion these calls for transparency are usually from grassroots watchdog groups. What happens; however, when it is the watchdog group that is suddenly acting shady? The organization formerly called Coalition to Oust Lord Ashcroft (COLA) is suddenly swimming in Ashcroft-like dough. After years of relying on favors and handouts just to be able hold press conferences, COLA has now unveiled state of the art printed banners and mass produced T-shirts just over the last two weeks. The organization that could barely muster fifty people to vote in its election of officers for the last three Annual General Meetings is suddenly packing V.I.P. rooms at the country’s finest hotel over the last two weeks. Therefore, with no intent to disrespect the organization’s leadership or make light of their ability to organize, members of the media and the public are now asking, “where is the money coming from?” Who is paying the piper?

Lisa Shoman, did Guatemala ever recognize Belize’s borders?
For Lisa Shoman to invoke immunity to read a reply from the Guatemalan Government is next to mind boggling and to an extent ridiculous. She stressed that the reply from Guatemala states that the Government of Guatemala DOES NOT recognize borders… so the question is? Are we to believe that during the Musa-Fonseca government the Guatemalans DID recognize borders when Senator Shoman and Eamon Courtenay were sitting at the table? So then, the Senator’s stress is to lead us to believe that the stance of Guatemala has changed… [as per insinuation of the Senator]? and, now, the following question is. If Guatemala accepted the borders, when she was a Senator, why were ten years not enough to resolve the issue? But, you see, we were NEVER told this by the then players…… we were never informed!

10th of September is here again
As we celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of St George’s Caye, let’s not forget the true reason we celebrate. We must remember that had those brave men and women back in 1798 decided to abandon the settlement, there would be no Belize and no reason to CELEBRATE. Those brave brave 14 men who paddled overnight from Flowers Bank to take part and vote in that all important Public Meeting should be given a special place in all of our hearts. The Baymen called a public meeting for 1 June 1797. At this meeting, because the Flowers Bank 14 had arrived in time to unlock a 51 to 51 tie as to whether to stay and defend the territory against and impending Spanish invasion or to abandon. In the end they voted 65 to 51 to defend the settlement. The people of Belize then referred to as the settlement of British Honduras stayed and defended the settlement and drove back the Spaniards on the 10th September. The rest is history. However we did not celebrate until 100 years later,when at the insistence and agitation of a man named Simon Lamb the colonial government declared the 9th and 10 September a national holiday. It was organized by a Centennial Committee as part of an ethnic and middle-class narrative by Creoles in Belize Town to assert their status as natives and equal partners to the whites in the colony of British Honduras. Since then we have commemorated that victory on the 10th September every year. It is not just that we parade on the 10th, but we have a buildup leading up to the 10th. September is about celebrations.

Old Benque Anniversary Travelling Exhibition opened
The “Old Benque Anniversary Travelling Exhibition’ was formally opened last Thursday night at the Benque Viejo del Carmen’s House of Culture. Doing the cutting of the ribbon to the exhibition was David Ruiz, whose works are prominently displayed at the exhibition. The night’s events were to mark the 25thAnniversary of Old Benque: Erase Una Vez en Benque Viejo, written by David Ruiz as well as the 14th Anniversary of the Benque Viejo House of Culture. Master of ceremonies, Ingris Can, a representative from the National Institute of Culture and History NICH, gave an opportunity for members of the community to provide some oral history. Traditional stories and other oral history passed on via conversations, such as between the elderly and young, have become a dying art in technology driven societies across the Globe. As a result, the Directors of Culture; especially at NICH, have been working very hard to elicit such treasures from members of the community in both oral and written form. The various Houses of Cultures around Belize are now repositories for such traditional arts and the Belize National Library Service and Information System is also doing its part to guard our Belizean stories so that future generations can enjoy them.

Exhibition of the Battle of St. George’s Caye opened in San Ignacio
An exhibition entitled, The Battle of St. George’s Caye, was launched on Friday of last week at the San Ignacio and Santa Elena House of Culture, which is being managed by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). Students from Saint Andrews Primary School were present to enjoy a rich display of visual as well as written data on the Battle of St. George’s Caye. Historian Geovanni Pinelo from NICH was present to give a power point presentation on the exhibition. Also present was Rolando Cocom, a researcher from the Institute of Social and Cultural Research ISCR at NICH, who was open to the questioning from students. The Battle of St. George’s Caye travelling exhibition will continue to be held at the San Ignacio based House of Culture until October of this year. According to Lupita Ferguson, the coordinator of the House of Culture in San Ignacio, parents, teachers and students alike are now being invited to visit and learn about an important Battle in Belizean History. It was W.J McKinney, the Acting Colonial Secretary, who first made it known in 1898 that the Governor-in-Council was pleased that Friday and Saturday, the 9th and 10th of September shall be observed and kept as Public Holidays throughout the Colony on the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye. It was apparently for very good reasons as Frederick Hopkins Hunter, a third generation Belizean would later write in his book, The History of the Sovereignty of Belize, Belize the settlement established by Force of Arms Sovereignty in the year 1798 on the 10th of September.

San Pedro also gets a football field
Under the Belize Infrastructure Limited, major municipalities have been receiving financial support for either the construction or total upgrade of existing sporting facilities. Not to be left behind is San Pedro Town where a new football stadium will be constructed. On September 7th, the Minister of Works along with BIL's director, Christy Mastry signed on to a contract valued at BZ $2,623,911.95 for the construction of the San Pedro Football Field by General Contractor Agusto Blanco of AM Construction Co. Ltd. The new facilities will include lockers, concession area, VIP and media facility, bleachers with seating capacity of over 800 persons, ticketing area as well as parking and plaza for the football pitch.

Teachers refuse to teach at Faith Nazarene in San Ignacio Town
A tense atmosphere filled the quiet halls at the Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio Town this afternoon; as both principal and teachers squared off over management issues. Teachers at the faith based school congregated outside closed classrooms on Monday before going into a closed session at 2:00 pm. Policarpia Pech was placed on administrative leave sometime in May of this year, but was reinstated as Principal of Faith Nazarene just last week. Leroy Banner, Attorney-at-Law for Pech told the Guardian on Monday evening that his client’s name is being slandered; despite the findings from both the Nazarene Ministry and the Teaching Service Commission that nothing incriminating was found against his client. Banner also reports that the tense situation is causing his client much discomfort and stress. He also reports that Pech would like the teachers to put aside their differences and to come back and teach.

Belize ratifies WTO facilitation agreement
The Government of Belize has ratified the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and submitted the instrument of acceptance of the TFA to the WTO secretariat on 2 September, 2015. Following Trinidad and Tobago, Belize is the second CARICOM country and the 13th WTO member to ratify the TFA. The Trade Facilitation Agreement was concluded at the WTO’s 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference. The Agreement contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. The TFA broke new ground for developing and least-developed countries in the way it will be implemented. For the first time in WTO history, the requirement to implement the Agreement was directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so. In addition, the Agreement states that assistance and support should be provided to help them achieve that capacity.

BDF camp coordinator accused of taking girl to Gulf Hotel
BDF Private and 2015 Camp Coordinator, Kenneth Gary Swazo, 29, is behind bars on remand for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old camper in August of this year. According to reports, Swazo met the girl at the 2015 BDF Summer Camp and kept in touch after the camp was over. According to reliable sources and police report, on August 20, 2015, Swazo took the girl to a hotel located on the Phillip Goldson Highway, formerly known as Gulf Hotel, where he had sexual intercourse with her. The girl’s parents learned of the incident when someone alerted the mother and she confronted the child. The girl admitted that she went to the hotel with Swazo where they had sex. The parents then took the girl to the police station where they reported the matter. The girl was taken to a doctor who confirmed that she had been carnally known and classified her injuries as grievous harm.

Rick Chambers gets three months for “barrowing” cellphone
Rick Chambers, 19, is serving his first week of a three month jail term after he pleaded guilty to robbing Luis Miguel Montenegro of a black and white LG Tribute touch screen cellphone. Allegations being made against Chambers, a construction worker of #9080 Police Street, is that on Thursday, September 3, 2015, he approached Montenegro and snatched away his cellular phone which is valued at $325.00. Montenegro reported the matter to police and Chambers was arrested and charged with robbery.

Belmopan Interoffice Volleyball competition
The Belmopan Volleyball Association Interoffice Volleyball Competition continued on Friday 4 September, 2015, at the newly renovated Hill Top Basketball Court in the City of Belmopan. There were three games on the schedule. In the first game played for the evening, Blazers defeated BTL Digicell in three sets by the score of 25-15, 25-27 and 15-6. In the second game of the evening, SSB Set to Go won over Networks by the score of 25-18, 22-25 and 15-6. And in the final game of the night, Roll it 8percent defeated CITCO Stars by the score of 23-25, 25-23 and 13-15. The competition will continue this coming weekend at the Hill Top Basketball Court.

Belize Bank Bulldogs Softball Team off to Central America Championship
The Belize Bank Bulldogs, National Female Softball Team of Belize, is scheduled to leave the country on Tuesday 8 September, 2015, for Managua, Nicaragua, where it will participate in the Central American Senior Women’s Softball Championship. The Belize Bank Bulldogs will join teams from El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and the host country Nicaragua. The Team is headed by Nelson Longsworth, Treasurer of the Belize Softball Federation and the Head Coach is Floyd Flowers. The team is expected to return home on 14th September, 2015.

Belize City Council/Leslie’s Imports Cycling Criterium
The annual Belize City Council/Leslie’s Imports Cycling Criterium will be held on Sunday 13th September, 2015, on Albert and Regent Streets in Belize City. The event will commence at 10:00 am with the Youth Development Programme Races. And then will be followed by the female race which is comprised of 15 laps. In the female category, first place will receive $200.00; second place $100.00 and third place will received $50.00. In the female category, there will also be lap prizes at the 5th and 10 laps in the race. The junior riders will ride for 20 laps and their prizes will be as follows: 1st place $200.00, 2nd place $100.00 and third place $50.00. In the junior category, the lap prizes will be at laps 5, 10 and 15.

CYDP Peace Cup Tournament rolls on at the MCC Grounds
The Conscious Youth Development Programme Peace Cup Tournament for 2015 continued at the MCC Grounds on Saturday 5 September with four games on the schedule. In the first game played Uprising Striker edge out Lake I Rising Stars by the score of 3-2. The goals for Uprising Strikers were scored by Francisco Brecenio (2) and Jermaine Foster and the goals for Lake I Rising Stars were scored by Hubert Baptist (2). In game two, Exodus United from Democracia won over Jerusalem by the score of 3-1. The goals for Exodus United were scored by Ronalfo Alvarez (2) and Paul Smith. Meanwhile, the only goal of the game for Jerusalem was scored by Alrick Alvarez.

An overflow of patriotism in September
As we approach the beginning of September, we prepare for celebrations that strike patriotism in every Belizean man, woman and child. First we celebrate the historical encounter we refer to today as “the Battle of St. George’s Caye”, the carnival road march, and the most dominant event of its genre, Independence Day. This is the time of the year when Belize dresses itself with the patriotic colors red, white and blue, to proudly recognize the historic accomplishments that have molded Belize into what it is today. Belizeans engage in activities each year to show appreciation for the diligent efforts of those who came and fought for our territory, even in a time when the existence of Belize was questionable. Despite the trials that our country faces, such as the never ending Guatemalan claim to Belize, Belizeans whole heartedly express patriotism for their territory. Perhaps, celebrating the entire month of September is one of the best parts of the year for Belizeans; however, it is so special because it entails a holiday celebrating the anniversary of the signing of documents that declared Independence. Although it is our national holiday and has huge historical significance, it should be one of celebration. It wasn’t only breaking away from our mother country, but establishing our very own set of values that strived to make us unique amongst other countries. Independence Day celebrates those very ideals of democracy and liberty, and is for anyone who believes in their country. Similar to the celebration of Independence Day, the Battle of St. George’s Caye Day is also a holiday to remember and honor those first Belizeans, formerly called Baymen, who made sacrifices to create Belize and then defend it over the years.

Light The Night For Kids
The 2nd Annual Light the Night for Kids was held on Friday, September 4th in Belize City. Hundreds of Belizeans, including families, students and corporate groups came together in support of The Inspiration Center and Belize’s children with disabilities. Equipped with glow in the dark t-shirts and accessories, the participants walked and danced through the main streets of Belize City and ended at the Memorial Park, where the festivities finished with a fireworks display. While this event aims to raise funds for The Inspiration Center, it also promotes healthy and active lifestyles while providing a family friendly atmosphere for a fun night out. The organizers of Light the Night for Kids wish to thank all sponsors who contributed either financially or logistically as well as those companies and schools that brought out groups to participate. Global Ambassador for Special Olympics and Chair of The Inspiration Center, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, expressed that “the outpouring of support showcased the public’s awareness of children living with varying disabilities and underscores their civic duty to celebrate them”.

Major Disaster in Sandhill for the PUP
Sunday 6th September, 2015 will be a day the PUP won’t soon forget. It was dubbed as Major’s coming-out event in Belize Rural North. The Major had reported for duty and had been on the ground doing that duty for about four months, visiting the voters in their homes, so one would have thought he was in and was no longer a stranger to the area. As predicted in my article “Inside the Numbers” way back in June after the UDP’s historical convention, the good people of the BRN still saw him as what he is - A STRANGER . So they stayed away from the PUP event on Sunday. This is no way an insult to RURAL PEOPLE or am I saying something you as readers don’t know. In an almost ‘clanish’ way they have kept strangers out of their lives more times than they had allowed them in. You see they have been burned a few times by strangers they had let into their lives. So they at not taking any chances. To be let into the lives of these humble communities one has to be first introduced by persons of trust in the area, and then that stranger must get rid of that title of a STRANGER by earning the trust of the people there-in.

Micah attacks Francis Fonseca again!
Not being a writer by profession and the fact that the Guardian was to hit the streets two days earlier on a Tuesday instead of it’s regular Thursday publication day, I thought I would have a problem to write something for this edition. I now have to say not so. Neither did I have shortage of stories nor did I suffer writer’s block. As a person who monitors the political landscape , I am having my fill of things to write about . The various players inside the PUP are always creating some sort of Headline Story, mostly at the expense of the Leader of their party This week’s drama is being created and directed by one Micah Goodin. Now this is not the first time Micah has stepped into the limelight. As you readers, Facebookers and television viewers may recall, towards the end of July 2015, Micah took to Facebook around the time when the G-12 had started their uprising in the PUP. He at that time had his crosshairs on the PUP Leadership, but he did it by using Yasmin Shoman as his target. Yasmin you see, was the candidate for whom he had been DUMPED by the Leadership of the party.

PM Barrow hints at election date
On Thursday of last week Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow, hinted that the next general elections will be called no later than the first part of next year. He added that the time frame he is looking at is close to the 4 year mark of the last election, that would put the date no later than February or March of 2016. During his discussion, the Prime Minister noted that if elected for a third term he may be inclined to look at the possibility of changing the election cycle to a 4 year term rather than a 5 year term as had been advocated previously by the opposition.

Rat bites baby at Western Regional hospital
The Belmopan City Council is taking serious and swift action to address a problem of rats that residents of Belmopan have been complaining about over the past couple of weeks. According to Mayor of Belmopan, Khalid Belisle, the council will meet to address the problem following disturbing reports in which a newborn was bitten by a rat at the Western Regional Hospital. Reports are that a rat managed to get into that hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and it ended up finding its way into the incubator, and bit a premature baby hours after it was born. The child was born on Thursday night, September 3, and it was placed in one of the medical institution’s incubators. Now, anyone who knows little about the Neonatal ICU, knows that it houses a hospital’s most vulnerable and fragile patients. These tiny human beings have been born before the completion of their gestation period, and as such, their vital life-saving systems - such as the immune system - hasn’t been fully formed yet to protect the infant from deadly diseases.

Carl Lino to stand trial for attempted murder
A Preliminary Inquiry (P.I.) into whether there is sufficient evidence to charge Carl Lino, 22, for the attempted murder of George Street Associate, Andrew Tate, has concluded with a committal for trial at the Supreme Court. Tate was shot in the back of the head while riding a bicycle on North Front Street on Wednesday afternoon, November 12, 2014. He was ambushed by a lone gunman who reportedly fired three shots in his direction. The gunman then attempted to flee the scene by running into Pinks Alley but was pursued by an officer on foot patrol. The officer fired shots at Lino, one of which caught him in the left upper leg. A chrome 38 pistol was recovered and Lino was arrested for attempted murder.

Failed attempt to smuggle rum into beer fest blows up
Kirk Perez, 44, allegedly tried to smuggle a bottle of rum into the Belikin Fest at BTL Park on Friday, September 4, and when he was stopped by a woman police constable he threatened to go get a gun and return to shoot her. According to WPC Tanisha Salazar, she was assigned to the Belikin Fest at BTL Park on Newtown Barracks on Friday night, September 4, when a man approached the entrance on bicycle at about 9:10 p.m. She stopped him to conduct a search for items that you are not allowed to take into the public gathering. Salazar claims that during the search of the man who gave his name as Kirk Perez, she found a bottle with green liquid substance inside his pants front. She took the bottle away from Perez and that was when he hit her in the chest area with his elbow and jumped on his bicycle. As he was riding away, Perez said, “This da just deh begin because I gwen home to get my gun and blast you just for holding dah bottle of rum.” Perez managed to escape from the area before Salazar could call for support but he was later picked up by police and taken into custody. Salazar later identified him at station as the man who assaulted her.

7 Salvadorans caught heading to Belize City
Seven illegal Salvadoran immigrants are set to be deported after they were caught on board a Guerrero’s bus heading to Belize City on Thursday, September, 3. According to reports, the group of three women and four men was intercepted at a checkpoint in Hattieville Village. Police boarded the bus and requested that the individuals produce their visitor’s permit or other forms of identification to show their status in the country. Those who could not produce documents were removed from the bus and taken into custody at the Hattieville Police Station. The seven Salvadorans were then transported to the Belize Immigration Department in Belize City where they were identified and an investigation revealed that they had entered the country illegally.

Killed by a teenager inside a tattoo shop
An unknown gunman has shot and killed 25 year-old Glenford Vernon, a resident of Cran Street, in a broad daylight. It’s a broad daylight murder that has elements of gang-violence, but there is no real evidence to point to that at this time. That’s because Vernon - as far as the press is aware - is not a part of that type of life. What police are able to say at this time is that it happened at around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 3. Vernon was inside a tattoo shop, and he was getting a tattoo when a young man - someone believed to be under 16 years of age - walked in and fired one shot at Vernon and about 5 or 6 more shortly after. He then walked out of the tattoo shop and immediately fled and escaped. Vernon survived the attack, even though he had reportedly been shot in the chest, both hands, one of his legs and in his abdomen area. Compassionate bystanders rushed him in time to the KHMH, but he died shortly after while receiving emergency medical treatment.

Team Belize still hopeful after Friday’s defeat
Team Belize is preparing for a return match on Tuesday September 8 at the Football Federation of Belize’s Stadium in Belmopan. As it makes its final preparations, the Jaguars are coming straight off a 3-0 deficit which they picked up at theBMO Stadium in Canada. Team Belize Traveled to Toronto Canada on Tuesday September 1 for the Friday September 4 first of two matches between the two countries. It was a history making event as Belize is facing a formidable opponent in a first for Belize in round three of the World Cup Qualifiers. With expectations at its maximum the Jaguars valiantly defended the goal posts both by the defenders and goal keeper Woodrow West. But the penetrating ability of Canada would soon pay its dividends as the better part of the first half was played on Belize’s side of the pitch. It was on the 25th minute of play that Tosaint Ricketts scored his first goal and yet another by Ricketts in the 65th minute of play. The third goal was scored by Atiba Hutchinson shortly thereafter.

Amandala

Amandala reporter Kareem Clarke’s alleged killer remanded
This afternoon Belize City police escorted a 17-year-old minor to the Belize Family Court, where he was arraigned on a charge of murder in connection with the shooting death of Amandala reporter Kareem Clarke. No plea was taken from the minor, who was remanded to the Wagner’s Youth Facility, located on the compound of the Belize Central Prison. The minor, who police say is known to them, is scheduled to return to court on October 28. On the morning of July 6, Kareem Jabbor Clarke, 27, was cold-bloodedly gunned down as he rode his bicycle on Vernon Street. The killer, who apparently “lay-waited” Clarke, pumped several shots into his body as he rode his bicycle at the corner of Vernon and Lakeview Streets. Clarke was returning to his New Road home after visiting a friend in the Mayflower Street area.

Rat bites newborn in neonatal ward
As Amandala readers will recall, less than six months ago it was reported that Western Regional Hospital was dealing with a rat infestation problem. These rodents had gained access to the hospital’s food pantry, where groceries for the patients and the staff were stored. Despite efforts made to address the problem, five months later, the problem has not gone away. In fact, the affliction has climaxed with the biting of a newborn baby girl (born prematurely on Thursday night, September 3) by a rat which was able to enter her incubator in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Administrators at the hospital have speculated that the rat entered the room via an opening in the wall in the room through which the vent for an AC unit had been installed. One of the nurses from the Western Regional Hospital staff, one Nurse Guerra, told the newspaper that the incident occurred in the neonatal unit at 1:39 a.m. on Friday, September 4. “The nurse just turned her back to do something and she heard the baby scream. She immediately responded by removing the baby from the incubator,” she said.

“We do not recognize Belize’s borders!”
Following an incident on the Sarstoon River on August 16, in which the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) on an expedition to Sarstoon Island were subject to intimidating tactics by elements of the Guatemalan navy in Belizean waters, Prime Minister Dean O. Barrow held a press conference at which he told the nation that, “An extremely strong protest note has therefore been prepared by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was approved just now by the NSC [National Security Council] for immediate dispatch to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, with a copy to the OAS.” On August 16, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), led by its founder Wil Maheia, and Orlando De La Fuente, leader of the Northern Territorial Volunteers, led an expedition to Sarstoon Island, where they were accosted by elements of the Guatemalan Navy inside Belize territorial waters in the presence of Organization of American States (OAS) observers, who themselves also were subject to acts of aggression by the Guatemalans until they were able to identify themselves. Prime Minister Barrow, however, never told the Belizean people that Guatemala responded on August 24 to the protest note Belize had sent.

BTV to take fight for Belize’s sovereignty to Diaspora Belizeans
The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) issued a press release today demanding that Prime Minister Dean Barrow immediately release the contents of the Guatemalan government’s response to the diplomatic protest note sent by the government on August 19. BTV founder Wil Maheia told Amandala tonight that it is very important that the government come clean with the Belizean people. “For too long they have been playing off this Sarstoon River situation,” Maheia said. Maheia said he is also calling on Belizeans in the diaspora to come out and protest the Belize delegation when it goes to the United Nations for this year’s General Assembly address in September. “We are calling on Belizeans in the diaspora to meet the Belize delegation at the UN and voice their concerns about the way the Government of Belize has apparently ceded territory to Guatemala by its inaction,” Maheia said.

Union workers unhappy with Port of Belize Ltd.
Members of the Christian Workers Union (CWU) who work as stevedores at the Port of Belize Limited in Port Loyola, are expressing their discontent, because they have not been paid by the Port, they said. Audrey Matura-Shepherd, president of the CWU, told us tonight that the men have not yet been paid for the day. Usually, they are paid at about 2:00 in the afternoon after completing a shift at about 6:00 in the morning, but today, they were told that they would not be paid. Shepherd said that this action did not come as a surprise, because the Port had indicated that the sugar company, American Sugar Refinery (ASR), on whose sugar barges the stevedores had been working, had expressed dissatisfaction with the work done by the stevedores, who they claimed seemed to be on a “go-slow”. The Port thus indicated to the union that it was suspending all operations.

GPS tracks stolen 2014 Toyota Hilux to Melchor
Slick thieves with an apparently unrelenting preference for expensive, late model Toyota Hilux pickups, carried out the most recent in a string of thefts of government vehicles by stealing a late model Toyota Hilux from the Ministry of Health in the Garden City – the seventh Hilux to be stolen in a span of two years. The improved, high-tech security apparatus at the parking lot where the vehicle had been parked aided in the tracking of the stolen vehicle to a yard in Melchor de Mencos. Melchor police were alerted and have secured the vehicle, which will be returned to Belize shortly. Kim Bautista, Director of Vector Control, for whose program the vehicle was obtained, told Amandala that the vehicle has not yet been returned, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation, and as soon as the relevant paper works are completed, the vehicle will be returned.

Jaguars play their hearts out: draw 1-1 with Canada
The unthinkable almost seemed possible twenty-five minutes into the ball game tonight at the FFB Stadium, when Belize’s premier striker Deon McCaulay received a lovely pass inside the eighteen from Harrison “Cafu” Roches and unleashed a right foot blast that glanced off the right goal post and into the net past Canada’s keeper for the 1-nil Belize lead at the 25th minute. Overcoming the 3-nil game 1 loss to Canada seemed quite within reach; but the euphoria inside an almost packed stadium was abruptly quelled a couple minutes before intermission, when Canada’s William Johnson (44’) equalized on a grounder through a crowded eighteen that partly blocked the vision of Belize goalie Shane Moody-Orio. With the score tied at 1-1, even 3 more Belize goals would not be enough for us to advance, as with a 4-4 score, Canada’s away goal would then be the difference. Nevertheless, the Jaguars were rejuvenated to start second half, and, with much closer “man to man” marking, began breaking up the scrimmage passing of the Canadians repeatedly, resulting in exciting attacks at goal; but after each build-up led to “oooh’s” and “aaah’s” from the cheering local fans, there was disappointment each time as it fizzled to an end with an errant pass or an interception by the Canadians. But there were still a few close calls that kept the crowd hopeful for a victory.

Cricket Corner: Easy Does It!
With the kind sponsorships of SMART and BELIKIN, the Harrison Parks Cricket Competition, under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, came to a beautiful ending on Saturday in Bermudian Landing, when Easy Does It from the ever so beautiful village of Lemonal captured the 1st place by defeating Wicked 11 from Flowers Bank handily, with a score of 126 to 122 with two spare wickets, in front of a massive crowd. The game should have started at 10:30 a.m., but because of a slight rain that came down, it was delayed a few hours. Well, the umpires, Dirk Sutherland and Emmanuel McFadzean, who did a splendid job, said time for game to start. Wicked 11 took to bat first. Both teams will now play to their best. There should be no room for errors. First two batsmen went in to meet Herbert Banner and Kenroy Reynolds. The first wicket fell for 17. And it went on this way: 2 for 24; 3 for 28; 4 for 29; 5 for 99; 6 for 104; 7 for 116; 8 for 117; 9 for 117; all for 122. Herbert Banner was the man that did the damage by taking 4 wickets for 17 runs scored against him. Winston “Bass Hag” Flowers scored 55 runs for his team, Wicked 11.

“Jump ropes” for Belize District primary schools
Primary schools in the Belize District that participated in the “Jump Rope for Health” training conducted by Ms. Shauna Thomas of Caribbean Sports & Development Agency (CSDA) out of Trinidad & Tobago will be receiving their jump rope packages to introduce this programme to their schools leading up to the National Jump Rope Competition to be announced at a later date. The Hon. Herman Longsworth, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports with direct responsibility for Youth & Sports, will be distributing the jump ropes on Thursday, September 17, at 10:00 a.m. at the Rogers Stadium Basketball Court in Belize City.

Belmopan Interoffice Volleyball Tournament update
Belmopan Interoffice Mix Volleyball Competition commenced two weeks ago in Belmopan. Games are played every Tuesday & Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Court in Belmopan. Here are the scores for the games that were played on Tuesday & Thursday night of last week, September 1 and 3. In games played on Tuesday, InviCourt Strikers defeated 3 Flow Eagles, 25-21, 25-13; DFC/Dream Works/Ministry of National Security Blazers defeated CITCO Stars, 25-23, 29-27; and SSB SET to Go, won over BTL Digicell-4G/BUCA, 25-22, 25-15.

Editorial: Deep throat
Elsewhere in this issue of the newspaper we publish a letter from one who calls himself “Glenda Parham.” The letter is an attack on the editorial credibility of the newspaper. But, we publish the letter in toto and without any editing whatsoever. The writer has written before, and our conclusion is that this is someone who has been or may still be highly placed in the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and who is very well informed, perhaps actually had access to classified information. The loyalists of the UDP have reason to believe that the present administration’s popular support has been damaged by recent Amandala editorials, hence the need for such attacks as Glenda Parham’s. Again, we publish this letter because there are points we wish to make to our readers. The most important point is that the business of the Belizean army (Belize Defence Force) is national security business. As such, a lot of BDF business is confidential and classified. Military business is mostly secret business. This is as it has to be, because armies are, by definition, in the business of war, which is to say, the business of life and death.

From the Publisher
As I write this Sunday afternoon, September 6, 2015, Guatemalans are going to the polls to elect a new government. Extraordinary events have taken place in that Central American republic over the last ten days. Under the pressure of several months of mass demonstrations in the capital city, the Guatemalan Congress had voted on Tuesday to strip President Otto Pérez Molina of immunity from criminal prosecution. With his Vice President, Roxana Baldetti, already in jail for several weeks, Pérez Molina resigned on Wednesday this week, whereupon he was imprisoned. Pérez Molina was supposed to stay in office until the new government was sworn in next year January. His new Vice-President, Alejandro Maldonado, was sworn in as President on Thursday afternoon. As the noose tightened around Pérez Molina’s neck last weekend, I had telephoned Clinton Canul Luna in the Finca Solana section of Corozal Town to get his read. At that point, Pérez Molina was still in power and he was holding on to presidential immunity. Canul Luna suggested that Pérez Molina might try to run for asylum to Mexico. He said that it appeared to him that powerful people in Washington must have turned against him for some reason or the other. If that was not the case, if Washington had remained supportive of Pérez Molina, Canul Luna surmised, then the leaders of the street protests which had begun in April would have already been “disappeared.” That is to say, such leaders and organizers would have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered.

“The Jewel is a gangster …”: Urban concurs.
Dear Editor, At the end of May 2015, I wrote a letter to your newspaper captioned: “In case you have not noticed.” Therein, I pointed out some crucial issues related to the de-risking of Belize Bank. Since then another of Belize’s banks, Atlantic International Bank Limited, lost its correspondent bank account with Bank of America. Once again I’d like to elaborate on the concept of de-risking. In the aftermath of Atlantic International Bank having been denied access to the US financial system, spin doctors from the Ministry of Finance, the Financial Intelligence Unit as well as the Central Bank of Belize began damage control, using euphemisms about safeguarding US assets and correspondent banks looking into ratings and tainted money. I believe your editorial of 28th August was more informative on possible reasons for Belize’s lack of access to US financial system. Amandala’s editorial on August 28th 2015, The Jewel Gangster, informed us that, “Belize is a country where people live, overall, well above their means. The reason for that is that Belize is a country where there is a lot of trafficking of illegal commodities, such as narcotics and human beings and travel documents. The Jewel is a gangster.”

The mesmerizing tale of how Belize got its name
With numerous discussions circulating about the Battle of St. George’s Caye and our first settlers, as a Belizean, have you ever wondered how the country got its name “Belize”? Many Belizeans are aware that the country was formerly known as British Honduras, then in 1973 its name was officially changed to Belize. The name of our country “Belize”, as many tourists have noted, is very exotic and unique and over the years has generated various “origin” stories. The origin of the name is unclear; however, as you will clearly see in the facts stated below, there exist two popularly espoused possibilities of the etymology of the name Belize. The first, one of the more logical origin stories, was probably derived from the earliest records of the settlement found in a journal dated back to 1677 belonging to a Dominican priest named Fray Jose Delgado, as noted in Alan Twigg’s book, Understanding Belize: A Historical Guide. Since the Mayans were the first settlers of the country, it is believed that the name was provided by the priest’s translator and originated from the Mayan word “Balix,” which means “muddy waters,” referring to the Belize River, or from another derivation of the Mayan word “Belikin,” meaning “land facing the sea,” referring to the coast — both of which were names of popular settlements of the ancient Mayas.

19th Annual Expo Belize draws out 17,000
This past weekend, the September festivities, continued as Belizeans made their way to the ITVET compound where the Belize Chamber of Commerce held its 19th annual Expo Belize Marketplace, which was first held in 1996 as a consumer trade show. It is estimated that a little less than 17,000 people attended the event, which was held on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an entrance fee of $3.00 being charged for children and $5.00 for adults. The opening ceremony for the show was held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, and featured US Ambassador Carlos R. Moreno as the guest speaker. Moreno, in his speech, addressed trading between the USA and Belize and touched briefly on the banking situation in Belize. Some businesses which participated in the expo included Karl H. Menzies Ltd., Bowen & Bowen Ltd., Belize Telemedia Limited, Grace Kennedy Belize, Westrac, Cellular World, Unicomer, Smart, Go Graphic, Go Wireless, Tropic Air, Dolphin Productions and Quality Poultry. According to a press release from the Belize Chamber of Commerce, new participants included the Merida Chamber of Commerce, the Auto Pavilion, Optical Services, Ready Call Center and “Micro Businesses promoting Handicraft, Agro-Products and Environmental Literature”.

Search suspended for 3 men lost at sea
he National Coast Guard and the Belize City Police Department have reportedly suspended a search-and-rescue operation around Turneffe Island and the surrounding area in the Belize District, to find three Belize City men who have been reported missing at sea since Saturday, August 29. The missing men are Giovanni Murrillo, 29; Jerome Bowen, 32; and Donovan Usher, 20, all of Belize City. Last Thursday, August 27, the men had travelled from Belize City to Turneffe Island to recover a boat and were to have returned to the city that same day, but have since disappeared. The Coast Guard was alerted when a missing person report was made by the families of the men on Saturday, August 29, and they began the search effort the following day, Sunday. Ten days after the men disappeared at sea, the men have not yet been found, despite the efforts of the Coast Guard to find them.

The Reporter

BAHA lifts alert for Avian Influenza in Cayo districtn
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) lifted the alert for Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in the Cayo district on Wednesday. According to World Health Organization standards BAHA can declare the area once again free of avian influenza three months after decontamination. BAHA said in a […]

Was Remo’s murder a random shooting?
Two months after the outrageous murder of journalist Kareem Clarke, a 17-year-old was charged for the crime; the motive, however, may be as appalling as the crime itself. According to Officer Commanding Eastern Division South, Sr. Superintendent Chester Williams, the police suspect that Clarke was […]

BEWU awaiting word from BEL before strike
The Belize Energy Workers Union (BEWU) has threatened to strike if there is no breakthrough in negotiations with Belize Electricity Limited (BEL). The union is waiting to hear the outcome of a meeting between the company and the Labor Minister, who publicly asked for […]

High processed food sales =high obesity rates says PAHO/WHO
Countries in Latin America which have the highest sales of ultra-processed foods also have the highest obesity rates, says a new study released from the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The report, entitled “Ultra-processed food and drink products in Latin America: […]

Expo’s success brings new problems for BCCI
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) 19th annual Expo Belize Market and Trade Show this past weekend was the biggest it has ever been. The Expo enjoys more business participation and a wider variety than it has ever seen. If it continues […]

Entertainer leads in Guatemala’s polls
Guatemala’s comic actor, 46 year old Jimmy Morales, has won a surprise victory in the first round of Guatemala’s presidential election, but did not secure enough votes to avoid an October runoff. Of the 14 presidential candidates, Morales won 24 percent of Sunday’s vote. […]

“G-11” a no-show at PUP rural rally! Clear the Land Castro gets run out.
The dialogue between the “G-11” and the People’s United Party hard-liners looked promising up to last week, but not one of the Group of 11 attended Sunday’s rally in Sand Hill Village. The rally, had around 800 PUP supporters who turned out to be […]

Ministry of Health tackles malnutrition in Toledo
The Ministry of Health this week, launched three publications geared at empowering residents in the Toledo District with knowledge and skills to address the malnutrition problem rampant in southern Belize. The publications are the “School Health Day Manual 2015,” “Growing Good, Growing Healthy” a documentary […]

Business community supports BEL settlement and GOB education loan
The private sector has offered its support for the government’s recent Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) settlement with Fortis as well as several loan motions to improve the quality of education and highway infrastructure in the country. Private sector Senator Mark Lizarraga said that the […]

Senator Shoman makes Guatemalan response to Belize public
Opposition Senator Lisa Shoman, revealed at Friday’s Senate Sitting, that Guatemala has issued a not so cordial response to the Government of Belize’s protest note regarding the August 16th incident at the Sarstoon Island and says GOB must come clean to the public. Shoman […]

Editorial
Thirty-four years ago there were great expectations as Belize prepared to welcome her independence from Great Britain. Thirty-four years later, not all of those expectations have been met, but we would be a dense and morose people indeed if we did not pause to give thanks to God for His […]

Young patient rapes elderly patient!
It didn’t make the daily police situation reports disseminated to the media, but there is a disturbing report coming out of Belmopan’s residential psychiatric care facility, the Palm Center. It says that one of its young male patients raped an elderly female patient last week. To protect the identities of […]

New report spots deficiencies and lapses in education sector
An appraisal report prepared by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on Belize’s education sector has identified numerous critical deficiencies and lapses in the country’s education department, despite having invested more than US $130 million in the sector over the last 10 years. The report, […]

COLA and BTV join forces Tells PM to build base and fire Sedi!
Following a meeting Tuesday morning, the Belize Territorial Partners officially joined hands with the grassroots activist organization COLA (Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action), to issue a statement demanding the construction of a Forward Operating Base at the mouth of the Sarstoon. In that statement issued early Tuesday morning, the […]

Breaking Belize News

John McAfee to announce run for U.S. president
Add computer guru John McAfee to the list of people running for the presidency of the United States in 2016. According to the Times of South Africa, McAfee told Wired magazine that he believed that the current government doesn’t understand technology – pointing to the hacks of the U.S. Office of Personnel […]

Police say Kareem Clarke murder was “random”
A 17 year old minor of Belize City has been charged and remanded in relation to the July 6 murder of 27 year old Kareem Clarke, the Amandala journalist fatally shot early in the morning as he was riding home from a stop in the area of Vernon and Lakeview Streets. After […]

Police issue warnings on public drinking and loitering
As the first of the major events of the September Celebrations arrives tomorrow, Thursday, the Police Department in Belize City has issued as a notice warning letters to be given out to persons caught drinking in public or loitering. The latter is straightforward: if you stand about in a […]

Kraft Cheese recalled, consumers advised to be vigilant
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a recall of specific individually-wrapped American Cheese slices produced by the Kraft Heinz Foods Company of the U.S. A statement from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), the Ministry of Health and the Belize Bureau of Standards advises the general public that […]

September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day
Apart from the local observance, September 10 is an important day internationally as World Suicide Prevention Day, observed by the Ministry of Health and the Belize Mental Health Program under the theme, Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives. Belize saw 24 deaths by suicide in 2014 countrywide. The Ministry says suicide is […]

Agriculture Ministry ends $6 million avian flu outbreak in Cayo
The Ministries of Health and Agriculture; Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA); and the Belize Poultry Association have announced that the outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 in the Cayo District earlier this year has ended. BAHA is to lift quarantine and other control measures implemented following detection earlier this […]

Fisheries Department sieze $5,000 worth of illegal conch
The Belize Fisheries Department along with Audubon Society, made a bust of around 465 pounds of illegal conch Tuesday morning, inside an icebox that was hidden in some mangroves. This bust was a result of an operation targeting closed season operators as the conch season is closed until October 1st, raising the value […]

GOB to provide aid to Dominica after tropical storm
The Government of Belize will be providing financial aid to Dominica to assist with relief efforts in that country after tropical storm Erika caused severe flooding and property and infrastructural damages. After Tropical Storm Erika hit Dominica on August 26th, causing massive damage, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of that […]

Mostly fair and warm conditions today with chance of moisture tonight
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting mostly sunny skies with cloudy spells today and cloudy skies at times tonight. Showers and thunderstorms throughout the day will be isolated. A few showers and thunderstorms will affect mainly Southern Districts tonight. Winds will be blowing from the East at 10-20 knots and […]

Blogs

Consider Nature as Capital to Become More Sustainable
Two distinct approaches to economic development in communities have evolved over recent times: industrial recruitment and self-development. The traditional approach to community reinvention or improvement has been industrial recruitment. This form of economic development still has a large following among local and state economic developers, despite studies that show that governments seldom gain back their investments in terms of public revenue generated. In this process usually a large economic venture such as a “big box” store or large industrial complex is recruited into a region with the hopes that other economic development and jobs will follow. But self-development, including supporting local entrepreneurship, is a community economic development (CED) strategy of increasing interest to a variety of technical assistance providers and rural communities. This tactic embraces participatory approaches that focus on civic engagement to first identify and then mobilize multiple resources (forms of capital) for widespread social and economic benefits – an asset-based improvement approach with a focus on local capacity building. Assuming that the assessment of community capacity in different sustainability sectors can provide some understanding toward the development of communities, there needs to be a means of evaluating that capacity in each and all the environmental, social, and economic systems and their assets, that form the foundation of a community. The currency of such a methodology can be derived from the amalgam of community capital.

Low Airfares are Finally Here: Now What Do We Have to Do to Keep Them?
I moved to Belize 8 years ago and air fares (at least to the East Coast of the US) have remained about the same. Priced between $650 and $800 USD, I would POUNCE if prices dropped into the $500s and was always surprised to see fares around Christmas time top $2000. But those days are OVER! FINALLY what we have all been begging for FOR YEARS is here. Low Cost Carriers are coming to Belize – most importantly, we have Southwest Airlines (America’s LARGEST carrier) flying from Houston’s Hobby on a daily flight starting October 15th. Woo HOOO! But those days are OVER! FINALLY what we have all been begging for FOR YEARS is here. Low Cost Carriers are coming to Belize – most importantly, we have Southwest Airlines (America’s LARGEST carrier) flying from Houston’s Hobby on a daily flight starting October 15th. Woo HOOO! SO…fares are now low. Cheap Flights just put out another listing of low cost flights to/from Belize City…as low as $335 and this is BEFORE Southwest and Copa even start flying here. The #SoutwestEffect is in FULL effect.

Where to Celebrate Your Thanksgiving in Belize
When Thanksgiving arrives in the U.S., everyone gives thanks for pilgrims arriving safely at Massachusetts’ Plymouth Rock centuries ago. Typically, lavish meals replicate the first one shared by settlers and Native Americans. Over time, Thanksgiving traditions have circled the globe, so if you visit Belize at the end of November, you’ll enjoy fellowship and delicious Thanksgiving meals at these 10 popular destinations.

Top 3 Must Have Items in Your Carry-On
If you need to get around Belize quickly, we suggest flying! Have you thought about what you’ll pack in your carry-on? We have compiled a quick list of Carry-on travel tips: Depending on your desired destination, your flight time can range from a few minutes to a few hours. Don’t get caught feeling bored as you wait for your flight, or even as you fly to your location; pack a few items to keep you entertained. Don’t forget: Paperback book Ebook and charger (you are allowed to use during flight) Phone or MP3 player (you are allowed to use during flight) Medication Regardless of where you travel, minor aches, pains or complications are always possibilities. Be sure to pack some over-the-counter pills, and of course, your prescribed pills in your carry-on, so they are readily available. Easy choices for a carry-on can include: Pain relievers Hand sanitizers **Hint: Always keep prescription medication in your carry on**

BIN0MIUM – a review
No one in the last 2 decades has pushed as hard at the construction of art “appreciation” enveloping us in the post-colonial/neo-colonialism era than Yasser Musa. Last week I got dressed up and attended the launch of his latest effort BINOMIUM, a collaboration with the premier “street” artist of our time, Michael Gordon. As Yasser points out, he and Michael are different in so many ways but fused together by art and a life shared in the old city, and welded in their artistic endeavors. More than a river runs through the old city, and seeing it through two different realities is not just a novel education. Valentino Shal, who shares the similarities with me of being born and growing up in rural Belize and then having our mind scrapped and scooped by liberal academics, wrote this review of the presentation. In the complex dna that is Belize, the life we live conducted by the star dust of the universal eons, the people involved in this entire thing are all similar but different.

Belize’s September Celebrations Keep Getting Bigger and Better
Other Central American countries may offer visitors a sultry month of non-descript activities as they wait for year-end holidays that trigger fiestas and celebrations, but in Belize, we like to start our partying much earlier—in September—because we’ve got a lot to commemorate. As the 34th anniversary of our independence nears on September 21st, we get the party rolling early—on the 10th. If you crave several weeks of fun, grab a party hat, anything in your closet that’s red, blue and white and clear your calendar.

Belize: many cultures, one people!
Belize is a nation of many cultures mixed together to form a unique body of people in our region. Despite the disparate origins of the Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garinagu, East Indians, Chinese, Mennonites and many others, we have come together – in some cases literally so – to live harmoniously despite our differing traditions and beliefs. We have lived together despite maintaining and preserving our individual identities and ethnic differences. We present a summary of these traditions and beliefs which together have made Belize what it is, a Caribbean nation in Central America. The Creoles, The Mestizos, The Maya, The Garinagu, East Indians, Arabs, Chinese and Mennonites.

International Sources

The Future of Belize Telecommunications Market to 2025 - Analysis and Outlook of Belize Mobile, Fixed Line and Broadband Sectors
Belize Telecom report provides complete analysis and outlook of the country's mobile, fixed landline and broadband service markets. The research report gives you the yearly outlook of the emergence of demand for mobiles, fixed landline, broadband services and ICT goods trade. In addition, changing patterns and key strategies being opted by companies in current shifting industry scenarios are detailed in the research work. The Belize Telecommunication industry is compared with peer markets to analyze the position of the country in the regional and global front. For detailed analysis of the market, key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of operating in the country are provided. Latest industry trends and drivers facing Belize's telecom markets are included to enable better understanding and evaluation of operating or expanding in the market. Demographic and macro economic factors driving the telecom market in Belize are also analyzed and forecasted to 2025 in the research work. Further, industry competition structure and profiles of the leading five companies in Belize's telecom sector are analyzed in detail in the report. All latest developments and their impact on players in the industry are also provided.

How the U.S. is working with Central American nations to fight the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs
In El Salvador, gangs are attacking police and soldiers with brazen new tactics. Since January, 43 members of the police force have been assassinated. In the U.S., transnational gangs have become increasingly evident in drug trafficking, extortion and, in some parts of the country, pimping and prostitution, the FBI says. It is against that backdrop that about 70 law enforcement officials and prosecutors from seven countries gathered Wednesday at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration downtown to swap notes and intelligence in an effort to better combat these increasingly violent and sophisticated groups, especially the notorious Mara Salvatrucha or M-13 and 18th Street gangs. The exchange includes investigators and prosecutors from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Belize and from around the U.S., including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.

5 Real Life Make-it-Rain Human Rituals
A water temple complex was recently discovered alongside some sacred pools in Belize. Supposedly the ancient Maya people made offerings there to Chaak, the rain god, to end drought. National Geographic explains, “Nestled in a quiet forest in Belize, a deep aquamarine pool holds ruins from a time when the ancient Maya turned to a ‘drought cult’ and hurried sacrifices to a water god to stave off the fall of their civilization.” “Drought cult” sounds pretty intense, but the sacred sacrifices were nothing too dramatic; ceramic jars, pots and stone tools were discovered in the depths of the pools. What’s perhaps more interesting than what was sacrificed is where they were sacrificed. Ancient Maya believed that the rain god Chaak resided in cenotes, or natural wells—which were considered to be portals to the underworld. Whatever they are, they’re beautiful.

Women in Latin America and Caribbean face wide-ranging barriers to economic opportunity, says WBG report
Women in the Latin America and Caribbean region face wide-ranging barriers to their economic advancement. There has been progress recently, however, in introducing comprehensive laws to protect women from many forms of domestic violence, says the World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law 2016 report, released today. The report, finds that the region is making considerable strides towards gender equality, however, in the areas monitored by the biennial report. In the past two years, Jamaica repealed a restriction on night work for women which had been in place since 1942; Mexico made payments for childcare tax-deductible; and Uruguay increased the length of maternity and paternity leave. Uruguay also raised the minimum age of marriage with consent, for both boys and girls. In addition, 16 economies in the region prohibit women from doing the same jobs as men, says the report, which monitors 173 economies throughout the world, including 33 economies in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Belize does not allow women to work at night in factories or handle goods at a dock, and Honduras and Colombia restrict women from working in jobs deemed hazardous.

Videos

Belize 2015, 10min.

ENTREGA DE CARTAS CREDENCIALES DE 3 EMBAJADORES EL SALVADOR, BELIZE Y POLONIA, 7.5min.

Tell Guatemala - Lord Laro, 4min. Belizean Patriotic Music

Super Palm resort Belize, 3min.

Our location truly provides the best of both worlds during your getaway/ vacationing. We offer full touring to all historic archeological sites like Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, ATM,Caracol, and more. Plus you can unwind with the best features of rural Belize on our expansive grounds. Best of all, Super Palm Resort is home to world class accommodations; Regardless of whether you are an adventurer or just seeking indulgent accommodation after your long hike, then Super Palm Resort is the perfect vacation hotel outskirt of Belmopan---Cayo. Simply outstanding, exotic water fall Swimming pool plus hand crafting beautiful Jacuzzi; are amongst a great list of Amenities.

Belize | Appleseed Expeditions, 3min.

BEAUTIFUL BELIZE, 8min.

kitesurfing belize, 2min.

Mangrove Tunnel in Belize, 1min. These tunnels in the mangroves were cut out by the Mayans hundreds of years ago. They were used as trade routes. Now they are used by fishermen.

Belize Annual Fire Engine Parade 2015, 3.5min. Fire Engine and Bicycle Parade.

Cruising San Pedro Belize, 5min. In the trusty golf cart.

2015 Belize EPI Trip, 6min. Here's a mash up of videos that I captured while on the EPI or Ecology Project International trip to Belize. This video contains many different snorkeling adventures, river-rope swings, and a jaguar encounter.

Caribnation: Dr David Hinds interviews former Belize PM, Said Musa, 28min.

Garifuna Music & Talk With DJ Labuga Presents Battle Of The Drums' Darius Avila, 2hrs. Mr. Darius Avila President – Battle of the Drums Secretariat

Backpacking Guatemala, Belize & Mexico 2015, 11min. Our travels through Central America.... Guatemala City - Antigua - San Pedro La Laguna - Panajachel - Lanquin - Semuc Champey - Flores - El Remate - Tikal Belize: Belize City - Caye Caulker Mexiko: Chetumal - Tulum - Isla Mujeres - Cancun - Mexiko City

September 9, 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

Doris Soriano is the first ever Queen of Bacchanal
The carnival vibe was felt in full force in San Pedro Town on Saturday, September 5th, with the first ever Queen of Bacchanal Pageant. Organized by Foreva Fancy Boutique, the pageant was all about carnival and was held as part of the September celebrations; embracing the Belizean culture. In a show of color, music and beauty, five lovely contestants competed for the crown, but in the end, it was Doris Soriano who charmed the judges and was crowned the Queen of Bacchanal 2015/2016. As early as 7PM, eager spectators made their way to the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena to get a good seat for the pageant. The pageant kicked off shortly after 9PM under the theme “One People-Breaking down all barriers, promoting unity” inspired by Soca artist Destra. Hosting the pageant were Julianie Feguson and Gerry Badillo, while Enrique De Leon, Darleen Vernon, Suzanna Melo, Barbara Brown, Rosio Santo and Jorge Cerillo had the arduous take of judging.

Pirates of Belize exhibition opened at San Pedro House of Culture
At the official opening, Guillermo “Mito” Paz, Director of the SPHC, welcomed everyone in attendance and invited them to tour the exhibit. “Today’s exhibition is very educational, since it deals with the foundation of our country which is very much thanks to the pirates and the Baymen. The Baymen were this group of English men that came and settled in Belize between the 1600 and 1700’s. These were the individuals that fought against the Spaniards, who at that time ruled most of the Western Hemisphere. The Spaniards colonized what is now Mexico, Central and South America, except for Belize,” said Paz. He then recited a story about how Belize got its name from the Buccaneer Peter Wallace and how the pirates used to attack the Spanish ships that were loaded with gold heading back to Spain. “With this exhibition we pay tribute to the Baymen who decided to stay and defend the settlement of what is now Belize, when the Spaniards were coming to take over the settlement. We also pay tribute to the free slaves that joined the Baymen from Flowers Bank in that historic battle for our freedom,” stated Paz. Before the crowd was invited to see the exhibit, Paz mentioned that there are treasures buried on the island among shipwrecks of Spanish galleons, in areas such as Rocky Point, Palmeros, and Mata area. He indicated that some of the ancient boat anchors that can be seen in some of the island’s resorts and restaurants are evidence of the presence of Baymen and Spaniards that travelled our coasts.

Stunning Vistas from my perch at Cahal Pech Resort
This visit had been a long time coming, and even the thick heat that enveloped me as I got off the bus in San Ignacio didn’t faze me. I was back on familiar ground, and ready to enjoy being in the hills. Clearly, all this time on the sandbar known as Ambergris Caye had made me forget exactly what kind of hills Cayo has! I nabbed a cab and my first foray UP to Cahal Pech Resort began. I was a bit early, but since my room was ready, I got the grand tour on the way to my cabin:the Lamanai casita. On the way down the cobblestoned path, I couldn’t help but marvel at the town that lay before me. As far as the eye could see, houses, then large tracts of land and mountains in the distance. Villages and creeks and rivers lay beyond, and boy did I have a prime viewing spot!

Ambergris Today

International Literacy Day
Students of Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) observed International Literacy Day (today September 8) by dressing up as their favorite Story Book Characters and/or preparing displays of Story Book Cover Art. During morning assembly, Mr. Angel Nuñez was invited to read a Dr. Seuss story as the school teachers acted out in character. The entire day was dedicated to reading activities and the promotion of Literacy Day.

25 Years Ago - Remembering When WE USED TO… in San Pedro Village No. 3
There are so many things that USED TO be different in the village of San Pedro back in the 1950’s and 60’s and when we remember them we even become nostalgic. Oh how do we wish we could go back in time to re-live those wonderful experiences! This is how I recall the following. CONCH EVERYWHERE I did mention that we become nostalgic when we remember these. To enjoy a good conch dish today costs a fortune. And not only that, we do not enjoy conch as often as we could or should. I think you will agree that the most popular thing with conch today is the famous ceviche. SATURDAY BAKING DAY - I want to start by stating that I am talking about those days when there was no bakery in San Pedro. However every woman in San Pedro was expected to know how to bake. So if there was no bakery, what did the people eat for breakfast or for the evening tea? Well there were the delicious flour tortillas which every girl learned to knead and bake by the time she was fourteen. Then there were the Johnny or journey cakes. Another kind of flour product for the table was the fried jacks. These have always been a family favorite. More on flour and what moms did very frequently were the crispy waffles.

Hundreds Participate in Light The Night For Kids with Disabilities
The 2nd Annual Light the Night for Kids was held on Friday, September 4, 2015, in Belize City. Hundreds of Belizeans, including families, students and corporate groups came together in support of The Inspiration Center and Belize’s children with disabilities. Equipped with glow in the dark t-shirts and accessories, the participants walked and danced through the main streets of Belize City and ended at the Memorial Park, where the festivities finished with a fireworks display. While this event aims to raise funds for The Inspiration Center, it also promotes healthy and active lifestyles while providing a family friendly atmosphere for a fun night out.

First Look at New $2.6Mil San Pedro Football Field Concept Released
After years of being left in deplorable conditions, with lack of funding to rehabilitate the Ambergris Stadium, The Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL) announced on Monday, September 07, 2015, that it is undertaking the Construction phase of the San Pedro Football Field and on September 7, 2015. Once complete the field will boast state of the art facilities, including bleachers to seat 800, locker facilities, concessions stands and bathrooms. Contract has been awarded to winning bidder AM Construction Co Ltd, an Orange Walk based firm for BZ $2,623,911.95. Signing on behalf of the AM Construction Co Ltd, is General Contractor Mr. Agusto Blanco. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new complex at the Ambergris Stadium site located in the Alta Mar Area will take place on September 18, 2015.

Misc Belizean Sources

Resolutions on the Controversial Issues About the Construction of 5-Storey Buildings in Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye, Belize is well known for its virgin lands and beaches that have existed through time unaltered and untouched by man. This is something that has captivated the hearts of the tourists and travelers to buy an Ambergris Caye real estate residential property and stay behind to live a tranquil, calm and peaceful life. It has been decades when developers in Ambergris Caye have been finally allowed to build taller buildings reaching up to 5 storeys; this is most probably due to the increasing cost of real estate properties in the place. It has been quite a journey with all the twists and turns before the Belize Government finally approved of this through Belize’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Basically, they have allowed building to be built as tall as 5 storeys to be able to maximize the use of the land, but provided that it provides great landscaping. But, there is one issue that needs to be settled; most developers make use of the entire land not leaving any space for any landscaping project. This problem may be attributed to the constantly increasing cost of the properties in Ambergris Caye. But, the downfall to this is that the place is promoting its natural habitat and greenery, how would they encourage tourists if eventually the place would look like any other beach resorts with high-rise buildings on the beachfront? Remember that the virgin beaches and all the natural resources present in the island is what attracts travelers and tourists the most and when this is lost because of the massive construction of buildings in the place, there would potentially be a decrease in visitors coming to the place.

Ten Day Weather Outlook for Belize
The Models are supporting a brief reprieved from the unseasonal dry conditions ravaging the region and Belize. A number of tropical waves are heading our way, while an upper level disturbance in the SE Gulf of Mexico is pulling some moisture into our region today and tomorrow. However, the influence of ENSO will continue to put the lid on any organized and intense rain-producing system on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America, at least for the next ten days. The intense ENSO event is forecast to persist through the rest of 2015 and early 2016.

CORRIDOR JAGUAR & PUMA CUBS!
Wildlife corridors allow animals to move through inhospitable landscapes to areas where they can safely make a home, find their food and raise young. Here in Belize we were delighted to find evidence of jaguars and pumas raising their young in the Central and Southern Belize Corridors, suggesting that these narrow connections may still support relatively good quality habitat and sufficient prey. Panthera and its research partners at the University of Belize’s Environmental Research Institute, Ya’axche Conservation Trust and the Toledo Institute for Development & Environment are working together to monitor the ecological integrity of these important corridors.

Biodegradable take-out containers
These are the folks who sell the biodegradable take-out containers. They are located in Belmopan. They also carry a variety of other eco-friendly products.

Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) Grant
On Monday our team travelled to beautiful Punta Gorda where we got a first-hand look at the great work the Ministry of Health has accomplished through a grant of over BZ$5M from the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) through the World Bank. The grant supports the provision of greater access to quality health services for Belizean children in the poorest parts of the country. The project is focused in the Toledo District and its primary objectives are to improve the health and nutrition of children in the local communities in Toledo through an early childhood development approach focusing on prenatal care, nutrition monitoring and school health interventions at the primary school level. At an opening ceremony, aboveground tilapia ponds were also opened at Julian Cho Highschool. The first 500 fingerlings were introduced into one of the ponds. Little Flower R.C. School also received equipment to support its feeding program.

Caoba's 1st Anniversary
Happy anniversary, Caoba! One of Cayo's newest restaurants, and it's already famous for its food and grand events. They are celebrating their 1st anniversary this Saturday, September 12th. The Gilharry 7 will be playing, and they'll have jello shots and specials throughout the night. Here's to another great year!

Experiencing the Luxurious Living in a Paradise Called Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ambergris Caye, one of the most popular and largest islands in Belize has been the talk of the town with its exposure bin HGTV as one of the perfect locations in one of the most acclaimed TV Shows called the Beachfront Bargain Hunt. But, previously the island of Belize was also featured in a well-renowned TV show, the House Hunters International. And because of the previous televisions shows featuring the beauty and exquisiteness of this paradise, Ambergris Caye are also now chosen to be featured in another popular television program, the Home and Garden TV. What is it about Ambergris Caye that captivates the heart of people? This place could absolutely make anyone feel a state of nirvana when they come to visit and stay in the place. This heavenly place remains untouched by humans and it remains unchanged with its virgin white sand beach and a mangrove swamp in its center. This has been the home of the people of the Maya community since the Pre-Columbian times. Aside from San Pedro town in Ambergris Caye, there are also some small villages and resorts in the area. What is most enjoyed by travelers and tourists is the skydiving activities held during the winter season; this has truly captured the attention of the world.

SAGA Cookoff Fundraiser: Central American Cuisine
Belize Independence Day Block Party and Cook Off. Sept. 29th at El Fogon.

Volunteering at Belize Bird Rescue
I did not know about Belize Bird Rescue until a very dear friend and incredible role model for wildlife rehabilitation mentioned it to me early summer. Mind you, some of my most wonderful teachers have had experience in Belize and it would be a first time I would get the opportunity to learn about international wildlife rehabilitation and thus my curiosity was quite peaked. Thus when Nikki agreed to let me join her team for the summer at BBR headquarters, I was quite excited and a little nervous of what I would find. Trust me when I say this, this place is parrot and animal haven to all that visit! I have been in wildlife rehabilitation but it would be a first to experience so many parrots in one place and all for the goal of letting them fly free!

BOLEDO DRAWING for Tuesday, September 8, 2015: 36. FANTASY 5: 10 19 9 21 5 R PICK 3: 8 2 8

Power interruption 8:00am to 12:00 midday, Sunday, September 13, Belize City
Faber’s Rd between Central American Blvd & Whistling Duck Ln, including Madam Liz Ave, Rio Grande Crescent, Jimmy Dyer Ave, Singh St, Lionel Tillett St, Jaguar St, Price St, & Rio Bravo Crescent. Two 15-min power interruptions 8:00 to 8:15 am and 11:45am to 12:00 midday will also affect Ceasar Ridge Rd, Allan Pitts Crescent, Kraal Rd, Jane Usher Blvd, Levi Slusher St, Trinity St, Unity St, Louise Bevans St, Freedom St, Jabiru St, Butterfly St, Carl Thompson St, Heron St and Mud St . BEL to energize new high voltage line in Port Loyola & install structure on Faber’s Road.

Power interruption 5:00am to 6:00am, Sunday, September 13: entire Toledo District
BEL to troubleshoot communication equipment at Punta Gorda Substation.

Belize National Youth Awards 2015
If you know someone who qualifies for a Youth Award, you can now nominate them. "Nominations are now being accepted. Nomination deadline is October 12, 2015. Awarding Ceremny is November 6, 2015 at the Ramada Belize City Princes Hotel Download your form from here.

New Moon Concert
The SISE House of Culture is celebrating the September Celebrations and the new moon with a 'Full Moon' concert this Saturday at the Cayo Welcome Center. Taprick will be performing. It's free, and starts at 7:00pm. "Come join us this Saturday at the Cayo Welcome Center. All are invited to a free concert."

Channel 7

Another Murder In Belmopan; Second Victim Injured
Another man has been murdered in the west near Belmopan. Yesterday evening at around 5:20, 23 year old Devin Neal Flowers was riding on his motorbike on the Valley of Peace road when he was shot to the head. Another woman who was traveling on a separate motorcycle was hit as well. Apparently the shooter jumped out in front of the woman and shot her in the shoulder and then went after Neal. She was able to escape. Today we traveled to Roaring Creek today to find out why Neal was targeted and if Portillo was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Voice of Woman who heard shots "I was cooking when we heard shootings." Her routine night in the kitchen was shattered by the sound of about 10 gunshots. Shots which were fired at 23 year old Devin Neal Flowers and 30 year old Soila Portillo as they crossed the Agripino Cawich Bridge heading to Valley of Peace. They were both riding on separate motorcycles when a masked man emerged from these bushes and shot at Neal and Portillo. Portillo survived but Neal was shot to the temple and died. Portillo's family refused to speak with us in fear of Soila's life but when we spoke to Neal's family they told us that he had just left them yesterday evening.

American Man Found Chopped to Death In Xaibe
Corozal police are trying to find out who killed an American named John Ross. The 47 year old lived just outside Xaibe village where he raised chickens and sold eggs. He had been living there for 10 years, but, yesterday morning when a group of men went to buy from him they found Ross dead on the farm. He was lying face up in the ground beside a septic tank, with chop wounds to his neck, face and right arm. Ross lived by himself and notably, nothing was stolen - including electronics that were in his home. Police have detained his son who had been living with him up until recently. That's when there was a family dispute which sent his wife back to the states two weeks ago, while his son stayed on and lived with some friends in the area. He remains detained tonight, along with two other men from the village.

WILL BEWU Protest?
On Friday's news, we told you about the very strong letter that the Belize Energy Workers Union sent to Labour Minister Godwin Hulse threatening industrial action. In that letter dated September third, they said, quote, "Union membership is of the general opinion that the BEWU will have to take industrial action leading up to a general strike in order for our demands to be met by an inflexible, inconsiderate and disrespectful employer." That's hard talk and today we asked the Union's General secretary Marvin Mora if they are still holding that line:.. Marvin Mora, General Secretary - BEWU "We are at the point where we are awaiting still even though the general membership now is taking raise on the situation, but we are still awaiting and hopeful that BEL would do the right thing and provide us with something that is significant and that is fair in terms of what the proposals are that was placed on the table." Jules Vasquez "What has been your communication from the Minister of Labor? Have you all backed off that very hardline you took in that letter?"

NTUCB Prez Discusses Embattled Senator Davis
And while Mora waits for a response from the Minister of Labour and Management - he's also waiting for Senator Ray Davis to step down. But, Davis remains the appointed senator for Labour and Civil Society. Labour has voted to have him removed, but the Civil Society Steering Committee is not so clear. Reports say they have written to the Governor General - who ultimately makes the appointment - to say that they have no problem with Ray Davis. Mora had a different view:.. Reporter "What happens now? Because the Governor General will refuse to disappoint Ray Davis, because he needs the recommendation from the civil society and the congress." Marvin Mora, President - NTUCB "Well that's an issue between us and the civil society steering committee, will have to figure it out. But remember its two big organizations being held back by one small organization. So eventually we are going to figure out what we are going to do. Civil society in effect is only two organizations because all the rest are defunct and that really is WIN Belize and APAMO. APAMO being the larger organization has already casted their vote. They had already forwarded to us their official position which coincides with that of the congress."

COLA/BTV Team Up; Calls For GOB To Release Guatemala's Diplomatic Note
Last week Friday, PUP Senator Lisa Shoman revealed some of the language of the Guatemalan response to Belize diplomatic note, where the government complained about an incursion into the Sarstoon. The Guatemalans responded in some salty language - which basically re-asserts the official hardline: they don't recognize the Sarstoon or any of Belize's borders, for that matter. And now, an amalgamation of pressure groups, including COLA and the Belize Territorial Volunteers, are calling for the Government to disclose the full details of that response. Today, members of COLA met with the leaders of the Belize Territorial Volunteers in Belize City for several hours, and that meeting resulted in a joint position statement. It is detailed in a press release which says, quote, "The BTV…understands that Guatemala further rejected Belize's assertion that it was a mere unarmed group of civilians who visited the Sarstoon River and Island on August 16th, 2015 and scolded the Belize Government stating they acted irresponsibly in not preventing BTV from encroaching on Guatemalan territory." End Quote.

PM Left The Country On A Medical Trip
Prime Minister Dean Barrow won't be here for the Tenth festivities. That's because he left the country today for the US where he will see a back and spine specialist. If you've taken notice recently, the PM - who is 64 - has been forced to start using a walking cane due to acute back pain. He is scheduled to return on Saturday, September 12th. Deputy PM Gaspar Vega will act in his absence.

Phillip Goldson: The Man & His Achievements
Philip S.W. Goldson… it’s a name that’s on our national airport, and one of the country’s major roadways. But, how much do you truly know about the life and legacy of the man himself? He’s one of those politicians who transcended the narrow confines of politics and made an indelible mark on Belizean history, but he’s not as celebrated as the only other man who has been conferred with national hero status, George Price.

Youth Apprenticeship Starts 8th Cohort
The Youth Apprenticeship Program is designed for at-risk youths who are unemployed, or underemployed and trying to get into the mainstream workforce. The program teaches occupational skills and tries to instill a sense of discipline along with a work ethic. In a society with 16 thousand unemployed, and 15 thousand under employed, for the marginalized the program is a key conduit to the mainstream. Yesterday was intake number 8 of the program at the ITVET - where over 200 youths attended in hopes of finding a better life. The program is coordinated by Dianne Finnegan. Orientation Day is on Monday at the ITVET.

17 Year-old Minor Charged For Allegedly Murdering Kareem Clarke
Today a 17 year old male was charged for the murder of slain journalist Kareem Clarke. Court reporters say the youth showed no remorse as he was being taken to family court to be charged for the capital offence. The alleged killer is a minor and we cannot report his name or show his face, but we know that he just turned 17 in June - and has some criminal history. He was taken to family court heavily in shackles on his feet and handcuffs. Because it is murder, no bail was offered and he was remanded to the Wagner's Facility located the Kolbe Foundation of the Hattieville Prison until October 28th. 27 year old Kareem Clarke was killed two months ago on July 6th. The motive is still not clear.

The Man Called "Chronixx" Is In Belize; Wants To Perform For You
Over the last two years the reggae artist Chronixx has emerged as one of the truly international superstars of Jamaican music. And fittingly so because he is at the head of a roots reggae revival movement that has revitalized the reggae music scene. And tonight, Chronixx who has played to huge crowds all over the world is in Belize. He will perform at the River Tavern on September ninth - and when he arrived today, he gave us an interview while peeping out the door of a tour van. Not quite the grand entrance you'd expect from the man who sang, "here comes trouble", but it was good enough for us:.. Chronixx arrived with his touring band, called Zincfence Redemption. He's got an extra night in town, so he will be catching the world cup qualifier in Belmopan at the FFB stadium tonight. Tomorrow, his promoter has some sightseeing lined up for him.

Promoting Reading As A Past-Time
For most of this summer vacation, Restore Belize has been working with the primary schools, the Ministry of Education, the National Library Services, and Handy Tools Limited to conduct a summer reading program. They were trying to promote a love of literature, and reading in these young students to ensure that their educational careers won't be stunted. After 6 weeks of constant reading, 60 students participated, and the reader with the most hours logged was chosen. He and the other winners were awarded today in a ceremony held at the BTL Park. The organizers told us that this is part of the push in education to promote reading among students: Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education "As Mr. Newport who is the head of our Quads Unit puts it this morning. If we can get more people in this country or every adult person in this country to read to children every day, it would have been a mission accomplish. But today is just another day in the work of our ministry, especially the Quads Unit and the Literacy Unit to promote reading to children every single day. It is a very important goal and we cannot do enough to try to continue to promote this effort."

Fisheries Busted Major Out-Of-Season Conch
A joint operation was conducted early this morning between the Belize Fisheries Department and the Audubon Society -targeting closed season operations. During this morning's operation, officers came upon an icebox that was tucked away in some mangroves. Inside the icebox was about four hundred and sixty five pounds of undersized conch valuing close to five thousand dollars. We found out more fromHampton Gamboa - Conservation Compliance Unit Supervisor. Hampton Gamboa - Conservation Compliance Unit Supervisor "We have a joint operation that was conducted early this morning between Belize Fisheries Department and The Belize Audubon Society targeting close season operation. The area which we were targeting is the Northern 2 Caye. That's where the new proposed development is supposed to happen. We have some fishers that we've been monitoring who are going out in the closed season harvesting of conch during the closed season. Basically this operation was geared towards seeing if they are still harvesting or what's the situation." "Fortunately for us, we came up on an ice box. 3 of our officers departed here this morning, went in the said vicinity and at about 12 this afternoon when they were able to get cell phone contact with us they told us what they have found sometime after 10 this morning."

Health Gains In Toledo Courtesy The Japanese Social Dev. Fund
In 2011, The Ministry of Health received a grant of over 5 Million Belize dollars from the Japanese Social Development Fund to provide greater access to quality health services for Belizean children of the poorest parts of the country. That means Toledo where the primary focus has been to improve the health and nutrition of children in the local communities. Programs were built around prenatal care, nutrition monitoring and school health interventions at the primary school level. The Ministry of Health took a tour of some of the areas that have been impacted yesterday to provide a snapshot of what has been accomplished. Here's a snippet form the Julian Cho Technical High School:

Channel 5

Roaring Creek Man Gunned Down, Companion in Critical Condition
There are two murders to report tonight…one in the north and one in the west. On Monday evening, Roaring Creek resident, Devin Neal, was ambushed as he travelled on his [...]

American Murdered in Xaibe
Up north, the body of a US national was found at his farm in Xaibe, Corozal on Monday by three men who went there to purchase sheep. It had multiple [...]

Minor Charged in Kareem Clarke’s Murder
Tonight, after almost exactly two months, there is finally news to report in the shooting death of Kremandala journalist, Kareem Clarke. Clarke was gunned down in the early morning of [...]

COLA & BTV Unite to Demand an F.O.B. at the Sarstoon
The Sarstoon sovereignty issue remains on the front-burner in Belize, and seems likely to be situated there for the foreseeable future. Even as Guatemala moves through a turbulent time amid [...]

COLA Says G.O.B.’s Actions Suggest Border is Porous
And that campaign to get a base built at the mouth of the Sarstoon is even more critical now, says Brackett, because government’s actions have given the impression that our [...]

President Brackett Tells G.O.B. – Don’t Take Us Lightly
Last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was a tad bit condescending of COLA’s Build a Base campaign when the media asked him about it. That’s not surprising because anybody in [...]

Faith Nazarene Still Closed as Teachers and Parents Protest
Classes resumed across the country on September first, but since the start of this week, students at Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio, Cayo have been told not to [...]

Minister Patrick Faber Asks for Patience
Today, Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, counselled patience as the matter is currently under consideration by the Teachers Service Commission. As in all such things, claims Faber, while parents inevitably [...]

Legal Battle Being Waged over US National Murdered in Belize
US national, Timothy McNamara, was killed at Christmas on December 2014 at his farm in Boston Village, Belize District. At first the local police deemed it a suicide based on [...]

World Literacy Day Celebrated in Belize
World Literacy Day is being celebrated in Belize under the theme ‘Read to a Child Today. Read to a Child Every Day.’ This morning schools from Belize City, as well [...]

CTV3

Prime Minister To Accompany Wife For Medical Check up
Last week the Prime announced his departure from the country to accompany his wife, Kim Simpliss Barrow for scheduled medical check-ups and today, the ailing Prime Minister left the country for medical checkup of his own. A release from his office indicates that the Prime Minister regrets that this medical visit will deprive him of his participation in the annual 10th ceremonies. The PM is scheduled to return to Belize on Saturday, 12th September and during his absence, Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister will act as Prime Minister of Belize.

BSCFA To Receive Fair Trade Premiums For Sugar Sold To Fair Trade
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association has announced that the premiums on ten thousand tons of sugar sold under Fairtrade will go in its totality to the association. Chair of the Committee of Management, Ezekiel Cansino, said that they got the news last week during the visit of Liaison Officer Andrew Wright and Julia Clark, a representative of Tate and Lyle. “La BSCFA va hacer el quien va a conseguir en totalidad lo que es el premio de las diez mil toneladas de azúcar de los que se vendió a Fair Trade y por parte de las otras Asociaciones nos informaron por el señor de que no habían sido certificados simplemente les habían dado un permiso para hacer trade entonces en eso quedamos de que BSCFA va a estar consiguiendo el premio de un millón punto dos que es el premio de las diez mil toneladas de azúcar vendida a Fair Trade.”

Cane Farmers Associations Set Dateline For Transfers Of Members
The movement of sugarcane farmers from one association to the other is still ongoing and involves all three associations. In a recent meeting however, all three groups have agreed to a cutoff date. BSCFA Committee of Management Chair Ezekiel Cansino says that date is right around the corner. “El viernes pusimos la fecha que va hacer que estemos aceptando traslados de caneros de Asociación a Asociación y esta decisión fue tomada el viernes pasado por las tres Asociaciones tuvimos una reunión y decidimos de que el viernes once de Septiembre va hacer el date line para hacer estos traslados.”

Fuel Prices Goes Down
Motorists will feel a small relief in their pockets for the cost of fuel since the prices are scheduled to take a dip after midnight. Regular gasoline will dip 91 cents from $9.03 to $8.12 and diesel will drop by 31 cents, from $6.99 to 6.68. And while the new prices come in effect at midnight, prices for Kerosene and Premium will remain the same. Experts in the US say that fuel prices dip because the Oil is below $40US a barrel for the first time since the Great Recession.

Farmers Implementing Irrigation System To Mitigate Climate Change
Yesterday we told you how global warming has been affecting farmers in the Indian Creek area in the Orange Walk District in the form of a severe drought that has caused hundreds of acres of corn and soy beans to perish. But farmers are not giving up just yet as they are trying to alleviate the problem by installing a fully functional supplementary irrigation system. John Dyck is one of the farmers who decided to install the irrigation system after losing all his crop in 2012. “In 2012 we had a dry year just like we had this year and I lost everything that I had planted and then I say there is only one way to go further this way to put up the irrigation, this is a new system that you see behind me that was put up by the end of December we did some bean with that and so I had good results with that already and as you can see the corn where it gets irrigated we having better results but the cost of irrigation due to no rain that we are getting is getting very high in that one, the cost of the system is about three hundred thousand dollars.”

BTV Demands Disclosure Of Note Sent To Guatemala
Viewers may recall that on August 19th, 2015 the Prime Minister held a Press Conference to inform the nation that a protest note was sent to the Guatemalan Government as it relates to the Belize Territorial Volunteers visit to Sarstoon Island and their encounter with the Guatemalan armed forces on August 16th. As you might already know, it was determined that on that day the Guatemalan Authorities entered Belizean waters as they tried to stop Belizeans from carrying out their trip to the Sarstoon Island. Since then, several Belizeans have requested that the PM release to the nation, the contents of the said strong protest note. Today, the BTV kept the pressure going as they demanded for disclosure of that note to be released immediately.

PlusTV

Two persons shot off their motorbikes; one dies
During our newscast last night, information was still coming in about a late evening shooting that happened on Agripino Cawich bridge on the Valley of Peace road not too far from the George Price Highway. Our news crew was still on the scene at our news time but today we have the full story. Emanue...

Squatters take case to court
The squatters of Maya Mopan have taken their case to court. A couple weeks ago, PlusTv reported on a squatting issue that was developing in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan. Some of the squatter’s houses were destroyed by the Belmopan City Council since the squatters refused to move even after they w...

Guatemala result encourages Belizean third parties
The results for Guatemala’s presidential and congressional elections are in. With nearly 99% of votes counted, comic actor Jimmy Morales leads the presidential race by 5 points over closest rival Sandra Torres, who herself has edged out former front runner Manuel Baldizon. In the Congress the ...

BTV joins COLA in Build the Base campaign
Members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) and Citizens Organised for Liberty through Action (COLA) as well as other social activist organisations met in Belize City today to plan further actions.According to BTV leader Wil Maheia, the Guatemalan presence in Belize’s waters now extends...

Ministry limiting involvement in Faith Nazarene dispute
Teachers and staff at Faith Nazarene Primary School are on strike, demanding the removal of principal Policarpia Pech, who has been accused of and denies mismanagement. Her case has been taken to the Teaching Services Commission (TSC) and in the meantime the General Manager of Nazarene Schools has c...

Belize seeks to avenge loss against Canada
Tonight is round two of Belize Vs Team Canada. The game is being played at FFB stadium in Belmopan at 7 pm. Three nil was the final score of the Belize Canada game on Friday September 4th. Tosaint Ricketts on the Canadian team scored one goal in each half to give the Canadians a comfortable lead. At...

International Literacy Day observed
Today is International Literacy Day and there was a open-air book fair and event at BTL Park in Belize City. Minister of Education Patrick Faber tells us more. Hon. Patrick Faber: Well it is Mr. Newport who is head of our quad unit puts it this morning. If we can get more people in this country, eve...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

History of British Honduras (now Belize) as recorded by the British
His Majesty’s Settlement in the Bay of Honduras, as the territory was formerly styled in official documents, owes its origin, in 1638, to logwood cutters who had formerly been buccaneers. These were afterwards joined by agents of the Chartered Company which exploited the pearl fisheries of the Mosquito coast. There were frequent clashes with neighbouring Spanish settlers. The most formidable of these was made by the Spaniards in April 1754, when an expedition, consisting of I,500 men, was organized inland at the town of Peten. As it neared the coast, it was met by 250 British, and completely routed. The log-wood cutters were not again disturbed for a number of years, and their position had become so well established that, in the treaty of 1763 with Spain, Great Britain, while agreeing, to demolish “all fortifications which English subjects had erected in the Bay of Honduras, insisted on a clause in favor of the cutters of logwood, that they were not to be disturbed or molested, under any pretext whatsover, in their said places of cutting and loading logwood.

Breaking Belize News

Ministry limiting involvement in Faith Nazarene dispute PIC Faber
Teachers and staff at Faith Nazarene Primary School are on strike, demanding the removal of Principal Policarpia Pech, who has been accused of and denies mismanagement. Her case has been taken to the Teaching Services Commission (TSC) and in the meantime the General Manager of Nazarene Schools has […]

International Literacy Day observed
Today is International Literacy Day and there was an open-air book fair and event at BTL Park in Belize City. Minister of Education Patrick Faber related that more Belizeans should take charge of reading to our children to improve their literacy. According to the Minister, his personal experience […]

Guatemala result encourages Belizean third parties
The results for Guatemala’s presidential and congressional elections are in, and to say the least, they are surprising. With nearly 99% of votes counted, comic actor Jimmy Morales leads the presidential race by 5 points over closest rival Sandra Torres, who herself has edged out former front runner […]

Belize out of World Cup after battling draw vs Canada
Belize’s national football team has reached the end of the road, unable to get their desired result at home versus Canada in tonight’s World Cup qualifying match. Deon McCauley’s 21st international goal for Belize in the 26th minute put Belize in control early, but Will Johnson hit in […]

Who took down Belize flag from Sarstoon Island?
This morning PLUS TV’s News Director and host of Rise and Shine, Louis Wade, Jr., made a major allegation concerning the first flag planted at Sarstoon Island some years ago by the Belize Territorial Volunteers. He says that there was an agreement between the two countries that the […]

PM Barrow to miss 10th ceremonies due to medical appointment in USA
The Press Office today reported that Prime Minister Dean Barrow will miss official ceremonies for St. George’s Caye Day in Belize City on Thursday, after leaving the country today, Tuesday, to attend a medical appointment for his ongoing back ailment. In a release the Office of the P.M. […]

San Pedro police seize illegal gun
San Pedro police have arrested a 31-year-old resident of the island for possession of an illegal firearm. Acting on information received, the police took Joseph Pariott to his Marina Drive home, in San Pedro Town, and searched the area. The search was conducted on Monday evening and about 100 feet […]

“Upset” Jaguars determined to reverse Canada loss
After a poor performance in Toronto on Friday, Belize’s Jaguars are determined to reverse the narrative and achieve fourth-round qualification in the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers. They need to upset a 3-0 scoreline at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan. The last training practice took place at Price […]

American national chopped to death in Corozal
Around 11:45 a.m., the lifeless body of 47 year old American, John Ross, was found lying face up on the ground ½ miles West of Xaibe Village, Corozal District on Monday with multiple chop wounds. A group of men went to Ross’ farm to purchase something from him when they […]

Hon. Castro chased from PUP convention
Sunday’s Power to the People Rally and endorsement of Major Lloyd Jones in Belize Rural North was crashed by an unlikely visitor – the area representative, Hon. Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro. It appears the two-term representative and Minister of State wanted to see for himself how the […]

Western Regional trying to clean up rat scandal but mess too big
The Western Region is struggling to pick up the pieces after last week’s news that a new-born child in the neonatal care unit was bitten by a rat in an incubator, however, hospital officials say the child and mother have been discharged and the child is in good health. BMG […]

BTV joins COLA in Build the Base campaign
Members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) and Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) as well as other social activist organizations met in Belize City today to plan further actions. According to BTV leader Wil Maheia, the Guatemalan presence in Belize’s waters now extends to the mouth of the […]

Elderly psychiatric patient raped by fellow inmate
Administrator of the Palm view resident psychiatric center in Belmopan, Michelle O’Brien, has told journalists that investments will be made in security after a female patient suffered sexual assault at the hands of a fellow resident last week. Police are investigating, but it appears that the attack came while medication was being […]

Brother and sister file suit against cousin who killed their father in Belize
A brother and sister from Washington state in the Unites States (US) have filed a civil murder suit against their cousin who allegedly killed retired US national Timothy McNamara, last year in Belize. Caleb McNamara and his sister Jennifer Ralston claim their cousin, Tracy Nessl, began a romantic relationship with their recently divorced […]

Tilapia ponds inaugurated at Julian Cho High School
A launching ceremony at the Julian Cho Technical High School (JCTHS) on Monday saw the Ministry of Health, World Bank and Japanese Social Development Fund, officially opening several Tilapia ponds that were donated to the school through a joint effort by the three entities. Also donated to the school were […]

Motorcyclist and passenger shot while riding in Camalote
Gunshots rang out in Camalote Village on Monday evening, several of them hitting Devin Neal and a passenger he had behind his motorcycle, as he was driving in the area of the Valley of Peace Bridge. Neal, a resident of Roaring Creek Village, was transported to the Western Regional Hospital […]

Three charged with gang rape of woman in PG
The shocking gang rape of a 21 year old woman in the Toledo District two weeks ago, is said to have been fueled by an ongoing rivalry between the woman’s family and the Shol family in the village of Indian Creek. The woman reported that around 4:30 p.m. on August […]

Angry parents strike against Faith Nazarene Primary Principal
Teachers and parents of the Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio went on strike Monday. The parents were not protesting against the government but against the school’s very own principal, Ms. Policarpia Pech, who they claim has been mistreating both students and teachers for the past four years. Classes […]

Police need public help to find 16-year-old
The police is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Eliesa Natasha Reyes, a resident of San Ignacio Town, who has been missing since Sunday. Karen Reyes reported to police that her daughter Eliesa, a second form student at Calcutta Adventist School, was supposed to stop at her home […]

Blogs

Ever wondered about Belize tap water and how the plant works?
While our tap water at the plant is completely potable, there is no guarantee on the state of the pipes running from Consolidated Water to where ever you are. This was no different than downtown Toronto for me and on very hot summer days you could definitely smell a slight funk from the tap water mostly in the kitchen – as a result in our house, we drank bottled. The Reverse Osmosis Plant owned and operated by Consolidated Water Belize Limited (CWBL) in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is a relatively simple seawater reverse osmosis process. The plant is located about 2 miles south of town central San Pedro. Seawater is extracted from two shallow wells adjacent to the lagoon. Because the wells are shallow and uncased they are under the direct influence of the lagoon water. Natural and man-made changes in the lagoon water quality have a direct impact on the plant’s operation. The raw seawater is pumped through pre-filters to remove suspended solids 5 microns and larger in size, (a micron is one-millionth of a meter…really, really small). Many/most constituents of seawater, (organic and inorganic), are smaller than this and pass through the pre-filters. The filtered water is then pressurized by two pump systems: diesel driven pumps and high pressure booster pumps, (powered by the waste/brine water flow). The pressurized seawater (about 960 lbs/in.2) is forced through two separate Trains of RO vessels and the “plastic” membranes inside. The membranes have pores about .45 microns in size. These pores are smaller than most of the organic/inorganic constituents of seawater so most salts, minerals etc. are left behind on the brine side of the membranes.

Spices in San Pedro’s Central Park – Ricky’s Spice Shack
I actually noticed the business a few months ago on Facebook – Ricky’s Spice Shack. Super cute logo, name and header… They also have a website with recipe and spice using tips and on-line ordering. Interesting… But it wasn’t until I saw on Facebook that they were going to be in San Pedro, that I took much interest. In fact, I had gone right by Central Park to Lily’s to get lunch and wait for the water taxi up north. And then I saw their post…and I finished lunch and walked right back. Ricky and his crew were just putting things away…to take some time off during the height of the sun and the heat. He said they planned to set up again at about 4pm today and be in the park again tomorrow. Rubs and spice mixtures and marinates….

Closing out Rose’s birthday season searching for manatees and hanging out at the sand bar
It is a good day when you can say you spent some time on a boat searching for a herd of manatees. And we did. On Saturday. En route to the sand bar. Our captain Eddy had seen about 14 manatees around the south end of Ambergris Caye only the day before so we slowed to a halt at the same spot. Everybody put on their best sea squints and searched the horizons. We saw some manashadows and rockatees. No manatees. But I am now able to add “searched for manatees” to the list of things done this past weekend. That’s not bad. Nor is spending the day on the sand bar. The sand bar is becoming a local tradition — organize a boat for the day and run it up on the bar, just north of what is no ironically called Secret Beach. The water is crystal clear, sargassum-free, warm and barely four inches deep for as far as you can see. If you hit the place at low tide there is actually a spit of sand that pops up.

International Sources

Canada beats Belize to advance to fourth round of FIFA qualifying
The Canadian men's soccer team advanced to the fourth round of FIFA World Cup qualifying with a 4-1 aggregate win over Belize on Tuesday. Will Johnson scored a game-tying goal late in the first half to salvage a 1-1 draw in the Belize capital. The sole goal was more than enough offence for Canada, which won the first leg of the qualifier 3-0 at Toronto's BMO Field last Friday. Deon McCauley scored in the 26th minute for Belize. "We kept the ball as much as possible because Belize has a good counter attack and a dangerous player," Canadian coach Benito Floro said of McCaulay. "We knew on this pitch they were going to play well. The match was very difficult." Canada, ranked No. 102 in the world, will become part of Group A in the fourth round, the penultimate stage of qualifying in the region. That pool will feature No. 26 Mexico, No. 81 Honduras and No. 107 El Salvador with only the top two advancing after round-robin play to the final hexagon round. Belize is ranked 128th in the world. Canada dominated possession on the short, bumpy surface at FFB Stadium Tuesday, but McCaulay gave Belize an early lead with a right-footed blast. McCaulay took his pass from winger Daniel Jimenez before blasting it past Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

Belize rules former Soap Lake man's death was murder, Interpol issues warrant for Nessl
A forensic report indicates a former Soap Lake man did not shoot himself in Belize. Tim McNamara, a 66-year-old man, was found dead outside his home in Belize on Dec. 25, 2014 after an alleged argument with his niece, 44-year-old Soap Lake resident Traci Nessl, according to a civil lawsuit filed in Grant County Superior Court. The lawsuit, filed by an attorney for Jennifer Ralston and her brother Caleb McNamara, cousins to Nessl, claims Nessl shot the victim in the back of the head as he was leaving the home. Nessl reportedly told police McNamara grabbed the gun, which was registered to Nessl, and accidentally shot himself. She later said the victim committed suicide. A forensic report from the National Forensic Science Service in Belize claims McNamara did not shoot himself. Investigators reportedly did not find any blood spatter on McNamara’s hands, which reportedly indicate his hands were not close to the wound when the shot was fired, according to the report obtained by iFIBER One News.

The evolution of Queen Elizabeth II, as shown by banknotes
Queen Elizabeth II will officially become the longest-serving British monarch Wednesday after serving 63 years, beating a record set by her own great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. The 89-year-old Queen Elizabeth has seen an enormous amount of change during her reign. Unlike most people, however, her own evolution has been documented in an unusual way: On banknote portraits. Since first appearing as a young royal on Canadian notes as a child to modern-day portrayals, the queen has appeared on currency all around the world. The two portraits of the queen prior to her accession to the throne were both featured on Canadian banknotes. The first was the queen at 8 years old; the second, taken by famous photographer Yousuf Karsh, was issued in 1951.

Diving 2,000 Feet Underwater
I just landed on Roatán Island in Honduras for a sanity-questioning adventure with maverick Karl Stanley. According to National Geographic in 2002, Stanley once broke into a police station to destroy parking tickets, and teen troubles at a reform school landed him in a New Jersey state mental hospital, which surprisingly had nothing to do with the submarine he started building at age 15. The week he graduated from college, the New Jersey native took C-BUG, his first sub, on its maiden dive. Early issues included leaks, blown gaskets and a cracked window at 600 feet that soaked a passenger with seawater. With his new submarine Idabel, Stanley runs unlicensed and uninsured passenger dives in Honduras, one of the few countries that would allow it. Stanley famously tells people their only insurance is that “I am going with you.” In other words, if you die, I die, too. I booked the submarine-dive option that goes 2,000 feet underwater. My future wife, who joined me on the adventure, said, “We absolutely cannot tell my family what we are about to do.” Through a series of emails, I scheduled the submarine dive for Thanksgiving weekend. Stanley’s Roatán Institute of Deepsea Exploration (RIDE) operates out of Roatán, the largest of the Bay Islands located off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. The Bay Islands are Bonacca Ridge peaks from the extensive Mesoamerican Barrier Reef that one National Geographic writer favorably compared to the Great Barrier Reef. Christopher Columbus, so the story goes, helped name Honduras—an Old Spanish word for “depths”—in part after the Cayman Trench that drops to more than 25,000 feet right off the shoreline. This steep ocean topography allows Idabel to depart from the dock in Half Moon Bay as opposed to needing a boat to take the sub out to sea.

Videos

PUP Belize Power to the people, 2min.

Belizean artist Tanya Carter, 13min. Belize's very own Tanya Carter.

Introduction of the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, 5min. Here finally the official introduction of the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic. We registered as a non-profit organisation in Belize in December 2011 and we could not have succeeded without the support of many. But since many people do not know we exist and what services we offer to benefit Belizean wildlife and people, we wanted to introduce our mission, vision and what is is we do and share some patients images and stories with this video.

Mexican hairy Porcupine, 2min. Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic Meet the amazing Mexican hairy Porcupine, named "Petunia" (and she loves flowers). Thanks go to Daniel Velazquez Artist and Tammy M Tate for narration, this time in Creole. As a rescue and teaching clinic we try to "use" our patients stories to educate people about wildlife just as my friend Ed Clark taught me. When we can find time and money, we try to produce public service announcements like this one. We hope this will help to reduce human wildlife conflict and encourage co-existence with our amazing environment and its animals. For the future we hope to source funding to make an entire series for the different species we encounter. Until then I hope you enjoy the images - Dr. Isabelle

San Pedro Queen of Bacchanal Pageant 2015, 3.5min. With just one week after selecting its new Miss San Pedro beauty representative, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has crowned its first ever Queen of Bacchanal, over the weekend on Saturday, September 5, 2015.

The Belize Project | Jacob's Farm, 7min. Jacob’s Farm is a faith-based rehabilitation center offering men a place to gain freedom from alcohol and drug addictions. The farm is set on 58 acres and includes two dormitory facilities, a dining hall, a bath house and an office. Jacob’s Farm provides a home for men for four months while they engage in work therapy, participate in Journey to Freedom group sessions and attend weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Program participants also have ongoing one-on-one meetings with a clinical counselor.

Jon and Nathan Zip Lining in Belize 2015 for YouTube, 4min. August 2015 Zip Lining in Belize Jon and Nathan Robertson. Seven Zip ;line course.

California first annual Belize Day on Sept. 6th 2015 with Reggae artist Tanya Carter. Opening, 3min. Tanya Carter is well known Belizean performer.

Belize monuments, 1950's - FIlm 94016, Maya Temples, 2min.

September 8, 2015

Little “AJ” in the middle with his catch of the day on Ambergris Caye

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

30 Day Belizean Treats Challenge: Day Five and Six
Our Belizean Treats Challenge continued over the weekend! On day five (Saturday) it was all about a Mestizo favorite: Salbutes! But our taste buds really exploded on day six (Sunday) with the all time Belizean favorite: Rice and Beans with stew chicken and potato salad! YUMMMMMM!

Dr. Otto Rodriguez Polyclinic II providing a valuable service to the community
The Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II is equipped with a great array of services for the general public. Currently, the medical facility offers over a dozen services and is open 12 hours a day with 24/7 emergency service as well. The medical facility is committed to maintaining the health of the people of San Pedro Town. According to Dr. Nidia Larrinaga, the clinic has an out-patient service which covers different branches in the primary health care area. “Presently, we offer maternal and child health services, in which we deliver immunization, health education in schools, pre and post natal care, vitamins/mineral supplements, pap smears, breast examinations and family spacing programs,” stated Larrinaga. These services are available Monday to Friday 8AM to 5PM. The clinic is still open for emergencies after working hours and on weekends. To access the emergency room, patients are directed to follow signs at the left side of the building.

Island Athletes represent Belize at Central American Under-21 Male Volleyball Championship
Island athletes, Gabriel “Gaby” Nuñez, Guillermo Nuñez and Afrie Black were in El Salvador participating in the 2015 Central American Under-21 Male Volleyball Championship as part of the Belize Male Under-21 National Volleyball Team. Since Friday, August 28th the team consisting of the best volleyball players from across the country have been competing again the national U-21 volleyball selection from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panamá. The tournament is scheduled to finish on Thursday, September 3rd, with the winner advancing to the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation U-21 Male Volleyball Championships. While Belize did not take the championship they certainly garnered new volleyball skills for the other teams that will improve their play in the future. The Belize Male Under-21 National Volleyball Team was made up of Afrie Black, Simon Sedassey, Guillermo Nuñez, Jaryn Lino, Ernan Caliz, Dane Bradley, Voshaun Castillo, Alwyn Mahung, Jiovanny Gonzalez, Gabriel Nuñez and Terique Avila. Coaching the team was Leon Leslie and Brian Castillo, while Dawn Quan was the team manager.

Belizean economy declines 1.6% in second quarter: First six months still more productive than 2014
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) has released their Gross Domestic Product estimates for the second quarter of 2015. While the second quarter of 2015 shows an overall decline of 1.6% when compared to the same period in 2014, overall, the Belizean economy has registered a steady increase in the first six months. The report also indicated that the agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing industries are down. However, the country’s level of production was 2.7% higher than in 2014 for the first six months of the year. According to SIB, the total value of goods and services produced in Belize from April to June 2015 was $728.6 million, down almost $12 million from $740.5 in the second quarter of 2014. This is a big change from the first three months of 2015 which registered an increase of 7% in comparison to the same period last year. So far the total production in the first six months of 2015 are at $1,462.4 million, 2.7% higher than the country’s level of production in the first six months of 2014.

Ambergris Today

Pic of the Week - Belize King and Queen of Carnival Selected
Belize selected its King & Queen for Carnival 2015 over the weekend and Titans Mas Band swept both first places. Costume designer David Matus boasts his hard work and dedication as he created both winning costume designs. The King and Queen of Carnival will lead the parade in Belize City scheduled for September 12, 2015, as September/Independence Day Celebrations are well underway in the country.

Flashbacks - The First and Early JPs of Ambergris Caye
Today there are over one hundred Justices of the Peace in San Pedro. Not so in this flashback which goes back to the 1980’s just after township of San Pedro. In this flashback for the Independence Eve’s midnight flag ceremony, there are only a few up front to salute the flag because there was only a handful of J. P.’s at the time. Mr. Baldemar Graniel Sr. was a J. P. and also a member of the first Town Council. He later became mayor of San Pedro Town. Mr. Enrique Staines Sr. had been a village council chairman and was an active J.P. Mr. Efrain Guerrero Sr. had been an early village council chairman and was an active J.P. And finally there was Iraida Staines Gonzalez, J.P. Mr. Wilfrido “Fido” Nuñez was not present because he had retired and was living in his ranch up the coast. Mr. Abel Guerrero was also absent from the group of village Justices of the Peace. And that was it, my friends. Today the group of J.P.’s covers almost one half of the central park.

San Pedro Crowns First Ever Queen of Bacchanal
With just one week after selecting its new Miss San Pedro beauty representative, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has crowned its first ever Queen of Bacchanal, over the weekend on Saturday, September 5, 2015. The pageant featured five young ladies, bursting with energy as they displayed their celebratory spirit in conjunction with Belize’s Carnival and September Celebrations Activities honoring the country’s Independence Day on September 21. The pageant was a fundraiser event for Mystic Mas Band that is a new Carnival Group participating in the September 21st Parade in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. The pageant was not your typical beauty pageant, as the contestants graced the stage to prove who was the most energetic, colorful and patriotic. The contestants were judged in three categories that included a Swimsuit Competition, Talent Competition and Carnival Finale Performance.

Misc Belizean Sources

Heavyweight Boxing in Cayo
We're getting a heavyweight boxing match here in Cayo, at the new Victor Galvez Stadium, on Friday, September 25th. Fres Oquendo will be fighting David Ferraez. Tickets are available at Midas Resort, Catwalk Fashions, and Venus Records. They'll be having an autograph night on the 24th at Midas Resort.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Monday, September 7, 2015: 22

Under the Shade, I Flourish: The Art Revolution in Belize
Interesting article about the art revolution in Belize. Cayo's Jorge Landero is highlighted. "Jorge Landero is a painter. He likes to start working at three or four in the morning, after a cup of milk. His open-air studio is a concrete floor walled by a hedge of bamboo, and is frequented by his German shepherd, Max, who cannot be deterred from lapping water out of the paint cans... Now, he paints bright, beautiful canvases that hang in offices, banks, and resorts all over Belize. When Prince Harry visited the country in 2012, a resort owner touched down by helicopter to pick out a gift for him."

Metal Haven 2015
The 5th Metal Haven Bash has been announced for this Halloween. They have an amazing line up. In Bloom, Almost 7, and Verge of Umbra will all be there. Get your tickets in advance, and they are only $15.

Placencia Breeze
Sept. 2015

Channel 7

Sexual Assault of Elderly Patient At "Palm Center"
There is a disturbing case at the Belmopan residential psychiatric facility known as the "Palm Center". An 80-year-old female patient reported that a much younger male patient raped her. The alleged rape happened on Monday August 31st at around 6:00. The Center Administrator Michelle O'Brian didn't have the full details when we spoke to her today, but she told us that it may have happened while the patients were lined up to receive their medication. O'Brian told us that the alleged attacker was under supervision because he had gotten into an argument with another patient earlier. But that patient somehow got away or was left unattended- and that's when the alleged rape happened. O'Brian told us what they know so far. Michelle O'Brien, Palm Center Administrator - Belmopan "On August 31st, I did received a report of an alleged rape - patient to patient. To my knowledge up to this point police still have the incident under investigation. I met with them on Friday and it occlude at the facility. This is the first incident of this kind that has been reported and we have the usual staff there and we always try to ensure that we are adequately staffed. However unfortunately even when we try to put measures in place to ensure that incident like theses and this is the first one that has occurred, unfortunately I believe that this occurred in the split of a second because everyone who was to be at work was there including the security officer."

Why Rats Are A Chronic Problem At Western Regional
And while the Western Region now has that issue to deal with - it is still grappling with the very disturbing rat episode from last week Friday morning. That's when a rat squeezed into an incubator the Western Regional Hospital Nursery and bit a newborn that was only hours old. It gets no worse than that, and tonight Jules Vasquez takes us into the hospital where he found out why rats will be a persistent problem: Jules Vasquez reporting The Western Regional Hospital has no door - and it is at ground level. The emergency entrance is also wide open - open for rats: Mark Bernard, Senior Public Health Inspector "What is contributing to this problem is that this hospital is an old institution. It is on the ground level. As a matter of fact rats walk in just like how patients walk in. It's on the ground floor. There is nothing to really keep them from getting in." But the rat that found its way into this incubator didn't walk in - he probably slipped in through here - this break in the wall of the nursery for air conditioner piping:

School Strike At Faith Nazarene
There were no classes today at the Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio. That's because the teachers spontaneously went on strike. Along with parents, they remain adamantly insistent on the removal of Principal Policarpia Pech and they wanted to make that message clear today - the day when she returned to work. When we got there - the classrooms were locked, a few students were wandering about the compound, and parents and teachers were there as well. The parents voiced their concerns: Stephanie Moody, Concerned Mother "We don't want the principal here because she is a chancy person. She is chancing the children. She is charging person that has already paid and who have their receipt. They have proof that they paid and she is still trying to collect. That is not fair, because right now money is hard to get. Everybody is working. I have a son and she targeted my son, she chance my son and she does my son lots of things. As something happens, my son is at her office. She targets my son. That is not fair and like I told the other radio stations, I just hope that she doesn't target our children - we, that are out there. This is not happening just now. This has been happening for 4 years now and the teachers are tired, because she treats the teachers like they are children." Melba Balan, Concerned grandmother "We need a change here with Miss. Pech. Because the first week of classes last week my granddaughter began going to school here. She told my granddaughter and my granddaughter corrected her and said that not how to say the word. But Miss Pech took my granddaughter to the office and beat her, because she said no little girl will correct her."

Sisters Charged For Abetment To Rape
3 persons have been charged in connection with the gang rape in Indian Creek. On Sunday August 30th a 21 year old woman was walking alone near the Nim Li Punit junction at around 4:30 in the evening. That's when 4 women grabbed her, beat her and pushed her in some bushes nearby where a man held her down while another man raped her. Police have arrested and charged sisters 29 year old Santa Shol, Zita Shol and 22 year old Albert Canti with abetment to rape. Police are still looking for 2 more persons in connection to this case. Police believe that this was a personal attack on the 21 year old because there is a feud between the Shol family and the 21 year old's family.

PUP Rally - Rebel Eleven Absent Again
Yesterday, the PUP held its 4th Power to the People Rally - this time in the Belize Rural North Constituency. The idea behind the series of meetings is to make the party's candidates accessible to the voters of the area that they are meeting in. But, again, 11 of those candidates were absent - those being the G11 who are currently at odds with the party's leadership. Importantly, four of those eleven are from the Belize District, or Eastern Caucus and they too boycotted the event. So, the PUP leadership took that impaired roster into the UDP stronghold of Belize Rural North, where, just over 2 months ago the current Area Rep., Edmond Castro, brought out just over 2100 voters for a contested convention and won by a margin of 3 to 1. For the PUP, our count says that around 700 persons showed up at the Community Center Grounds in Sandhill Village. We saw around 12 buses, suggesting that many of the supporters were not residents of Rural North. That would suggest that the voters in that constituency did not show up to listen to the PUP Leaders, certainly not in the kind of numbers that the party would hope for. We challenged the Deputy, Julius Espat, and not surprisingly, he disagreed:

Hon. Castro Stoned Out Of PUP Event
While the Power to the People Rally was in full swing, a most peculiar thing happened. PUP Standard Bearer Dolores Balderamos-Garcia was delivering her speech when, suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the rear of the compound. At first it appeared that some sort of fight had broken out, but when we went to see for ourselves, we found current Area Rep. Edmond Castro, in the throes of a projectile assault from a mob of angry PUP supporters. Apparently, he had decided to see for himself how the PUP event was going, and he drove his vehicle unto the compound of the Sandhill Community Grounds. He was about to drive out when he was sighted, and that's when the PUP's crowded his vehicle and started stoning it with bottles, water, stones, and pretty much anything they could get their hands on. The police officers on duty did as much as they could to try to control the crowd, but Castro had to make a hasty retreat. Shortly after, one of the attendants of the rally took to the mic during the questions and comments section and proudly declared that she helped to run Castro out on Lloyd Jones' behalf. Here's how she put it:

Lloyd Jones Endorsed, Questions Arise
Yesterday's rally also served as the platform for the party to officially endorse Major Lloyd Jones as their standard bearer for that constituency. 4 months after he was introduced as one of the PUP's newest name brands, he was officially sworn in. Circumstances have changed since then because the man who brought him in, former campaign manager Godfrey Smith has been rinsed from the PUP Executive. But Jones stayed on, and here's what he had to say to those in attendance in his first address after taking the party's oath: Major Lloyd Jones - PUP Standard Bearer, BRN "On May 4th, I made one of the most important decisions of my life. I decided to get involved in partisan political politics. i offered myself as a standard bearer for the People's United Party in Belize Rural North. Like so many other Belizeans I have grown tired of a political system that promises hope, but delivers anguish. A political system that destroys rather than build. A political system that snatches away dreams rather than help us to fulfil them." Hon Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition "Major, we welcome you. We are proud and honored to have you join our team 31. You are a good man. The people of Belize Rural North are getting to know you."

Jones Weighs In On Contents Of Diplomatic Note
On Friday, we showed you an excerpt of the comments that PUP Senator Lisa Shoman gave last week Friday. She was speaking on the topic of the Belize Government's diplomatic note of protest to Guatemala following the Sarstoon River confrontation between the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Navy. Prime Minister Dean Barrow, in a prime ministerial press conference to address the expedition to Sarstoon Island, say, that "an extremely strong protest note" had been sent. Well, Senator Shoman disclosed some of the wording of that note and declared that it was weak. Lloyd Jones, a former BDF major seized on his new platform as politician to criticize the government's foreign policy with Guatemala. Here's what he had to say about that and the current political upheaval in that country: Major Lloyd Jones - PUP Standard Bearer, BRN "I think the protest note reflects precisely the kind of cowardly behavior that we see coming out of the Barrow administration with respect to Guatemala. Mr. Barrow is bombastic when it comes to the Belizean people, but the shudders in fear when it comes to the Guatemalans. What we need in this country is a leader who is smart, but fearless and will have Guatemala understand that they cannot continue to bully us. At some point we are going to have to stand up as a people, otherwise this kind of behavior is going to continue and it will only get worse."

Can Jaguars Rebound From Loss To Canada?
Right now, the Belize national team is trying to recover from the 3 goals that the Canadian National Team scored against them on Friday in Toronto. The Canadians got 26 shots, while Belize took only one - and that kind of sums up an outing that was primarily defensive for the Belize side. But what will happen when they play tomorrow night at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan? This afternoon, Assistant Coach Charlie Slusher told us that the goal is still to make it to the 4th Round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Charlie Slusher, Assistant Coach - Belize National Team "I think tactical wise we watch all the teams, the Canadian team we knew what they would have brought for the game and exactly how the Canadian played is how we expected them to play. Now on our end we practice how to counter that and we started the game with the right approach pressing from three quarters of the field, but later we fell on our half defending our half and we know that as long as we do that we would be in a lot of problems because that's the strength of the Canadian team. They play a lot of long ball, they load up in your box and if you allowed that to happen, then you will get hurt. So I think we really didn't execute our game plan and I think the simple answer to why we did not really play the way we should have is that we didn't execute our game plan going into that game."

Expo, Still Finding Favour With Consumers
This past weekend was the busiest on the September celebrations schedule, from the Belikin Bash to the Carnival King and Queen to the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Expo. Each event has its own pull and its own fans, but the Expo crosses all demographics - because, after all, who doesn't want a deal? At this year's opening of the trade show, Chamber President Arturo "Tux" Vasquez talked about how the expo came about some 19 years ago: Arturo "Tux" Vasquez - President, BCCI "The Expo over the years evolve into its new name and identity: "Expo Belize Market Place." The largest consumer trade show in the country and a significant and welcoming addition to the September celebration calendar. This year marks our 19th anniversary after starting back in 1996. What a long way to have come, despite its yearly difficulty face by the chamber in putting this event together. September as you all know is a month of celebration with many different activities happening to commemorate our month of Independence and 10th celebrations. We have managed to organized ourselves with the September Celebration Committee schedule in order to properly fit into such a busy month.

Woman And One Year Old Jacked On Farm
A woman was robbed on a feeder road off mile 20 on the Hummingbird Highway - when she was with her 1 year old daughter. On Friday morning at 9:30 the 26 year old mother was driving down a feeder road heading to her farm when she saw some bushes and branches blocking her way. She reversed and that was when two men jumped out of the bushes on the side of the road. One of the men pointed a gun to her forehead and demanded the vehicle, her cell phone and cash while the other went to the passenger side and took out the baby and placed her on the ground. The men tied the woman up, left her and her baby on the side of the road and sped off with the vehicle. The vehicle was later recovered in Cayo but police continue to look for the 2 men. The woman's Chevy pickup is valued at $24,000.

Senate Favors Fortis Settlement
Friday's Senate meeting was a marathon session - going up until about 4:00 in the evening. So, in Friday's news we didn't get to include any excerpts from the debate on Government's settlement with Fortis for the 2001 BEL acquisition. The Senator from the business sector said they approved of it, and of the source of funding:.. Hon. Mark Lizarraga, Business Senator "Mr. President, the business community is pleased to see that we are finally using Petrocaribe money, affordable loan money to retire debt obligations of tax payers in the settlement of the bonds and the Fortis debt. We are pleased to see that the government has heeded the advice of the business community for the use of the Petrocaribe money in this most appropriate manner. Mr. President, we are happy to see this motion before us today, one that we will support, because this motion today vindicates and exonorates the business community, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, its leadership and its then senator, Senator Hulse. Our position then was clearly that government had taken a premature position an unjustified solution in the acquisition of BEL. Today, 4 years later, we are vindicated, as government has come to its senses and negotiated a settlement as was our advice to them 4 years ago." Hon. Lisa Shoman, PUP Senator "When we look at the deal that has been struck, we have to realize that it is the government that has woken up from its self-delusional coma to now admit that they need the strategic partner of FORTIS INC. and it is no doubt the smelling saults of a CCJ judgement that has taken them out of that self-induce coma."

PACT Act Pushed Through, Finally
The Senate also passed the Amendments to the PACT Act on Friday. These amendments had come under fire from some in the conservation community - and there was vigorous input at the house committee level. But on Friday, the sponsor of the bill, Minister of Forestry Fisheries and Sustainable Development Lisel Alamilla give it the final push through the legislature:..

They Stole Sterling Silver From Out The Box
Burglars got away with over $16,000 dollars' worth of sterling silver jewelry from the Art Box in Belmopan. On Saturday night after 8:00, 2 men broke into the Art Box through one of the windows. The man staying there at the time told police that when he emerged from the room where he and his wife were staying - the 2 masked men approached him with a machete and a hammer. They ordered him to kneel and they stole $16,500 worth of jewelry and $2,900 in cash. No one has been detained.

The Wild Abandon Of Mas Camps
On Friday night, due to time constraints, we didn't bring your part three of our mas camp coverage. And of course, it's not the kind of thing you just leave on the cutting room floor - and that's because there's just no easy way to ignore the reckless abandon of mas camp, dancing in the streets on a weeknight - like there's no tomorrow. That's the spirit we encountered on Thursday night. And from Mas Camps right into Saturday night's Carnival King and Queen Competition, at the Rogers Stadium. It started at around 8:00 and lasted for a marathon 5 hours. Here are a few highlights of the competition in all 4 categories: As noted in the story, the entry from Mahogany Mas Band was chosen as the Junior Carnival Queen. The Junior King was chosen from Jump Street Posse. Titan's Mas Band won both the Senior King and Queen Competitions.

Carnival King And Queen Complaints
But, of course, it's carnival so there's always going to be contention - and differences of opinion over the results. You could call it sour grapes, but a number of senior bands are straight up saying that the judges bent the rules to make the Titan Band emerge victorious in the Senior King and Queen competitions. We spoke to them this evening and found bitterness in abundance:.. The interviews were conducted late in the evening, and we could not reach the President of The Belize Carnival Association for comment.

Channel 5

Murder in Roaring Creek
There is breaking news tonight of the murder of another Roaring Creek resident. Late this evening, the resident, identified as Devin Neal, was riding a motorcycle near the Valley of [...]

Police Investigate Disturbing Allegation of Rape at Palm Centre
The Palm Centre is a residential psychiatric facility currently housing thirty-five patients, primarily persons that have been de-institutionalized from the Rockview Hospital, but have nowhere else to go and no [...]

Health C.E.O. Says Ministry Safeguarding Rights of Alleged Victim and Rapist
The outrageous allegation of the sexual assault of an elderly woman inside a mental health facility is unthinkable as is the accusation against another, much younger, mentally challenged patient. The [...]

WRH Administrator Says Measures Being Taken To Rid Facility of Rats
A nightmarish scenario played out at the Western Regional Hospital on Friday. As we reported, somehow a large, adult rat managed to get into the nursery and into a sanitary [...]

C.E.O. Baffled By Latest WRH Rat Incident
An official public health investigation is underway at the Western Regional Hospital to determine just how the unimaginable could have happened inside the neonatal unit where a newborn was reportedly [...]

Rats Proving Difficult to Remove From the WRH
The latest scandal at the Western Regional Hospital does little to boost the morale of those accessing healthcare services at the facility. Not only is the recent incident another public [...]

Jimmy Morales Stages Upset in Guatemalan Elections
There has been a major upset in the Guatemalan elections. Jimmy Morales, a businessman and comedian, is the front- runner in Sunday’s elections. Latest poll results show that while Morales [...]

Trinidadians Await Results of Elections
There is also an election taking place today in Trinidad and Tobago where the polls have closed but a winner is yet to be declared. About one point one million [...]

B.D.F. Soldier Arraigned for Sexual Offences
A B.D.F. solider has been arraigned for Unlawful Sexual Intercourse and Grievous Harm; he is twenty-nine years old and the alleged victim is fourteen. Late Friday evening, the B.D.F. [...]

Buller Charged for Violent Home Invasion
A woman’s house was burglarized while she was at home and when she tried to confront the burglar, she and her daughter were attacked. But tonight, the alleged culprit is [...]

2 Die in Separate Weekend RTAs
There were two traffic fatalities over the weekend in the Corozal District. On Sunday night, police found forty-five year old Dionicio Acosta of San Narciso Village dead on the San [...]

Health Initiative Unveiled in the Toledo District
Primary schools in the Toledo district were today recipients of equipment under a project with the World Bank, the Japanese Social Development Fund and the Ministry of Health. The equipment [...]

Jaguars Prepare to Face Canada Tuesday
The Belize Jaguars lost a heartbreaker to Canada on Friday – three to zero. But the story was not the score as much as it was the lacklustre showing for [...]

Striker Deon McCaulay is a NO SHOW at Practice
One key player on the Jaguars line-up was missing from practice this morning. Actually, reports are that prolific striker Deon McCaulay only showed up for two practices in August. Best [...]

F.F.B. Executive Says Feeding Program for Jaguars was Deficient
Quite apart from facing a very formidable Canadian team on Tuesday, the Jaguars have been having other problems. The players are housed and fed at the F.F.B. headquarters in Belmopan, [...]

A Look at the Carnival King & Queen Competition
There was only standing room available at Roger’s Stadium on Saturday for revelers of the anticipated King and Queen Competition. After long hours of judging, the results were finally in [...]

Sporting Highlights with James Adderley
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Toronto Canada was the scene where the national male football selection at 5:30 p.m. Friday Belize time, took on [...]

CTV3

Police Investigates Case Of Carnal Knowledge In Corozal
A twelve year old female minor is back home and safe with her family but the circumstances surrounding her disappearance is one for concern as it relates to preteens’ and teenagers’ usage of social media. The story starts out with the mother of the child filing a missing persons report at the Corozal Police station on Saturday. According to the mother, at around eight that night her daughter was in the yard but she could not locate her shortly after and decided to go to the police. Police launched an investigation and soon enough she was located but what she told police is disturbing. Officer Commanding the Corozal Formation Superintendent Denis Arnold says she met with a teenager, another minor, after chatting with him on Facebook. “She was found I believe it was Sunday morning and whilst questioning her she explained that she meet this person on Facebook and she went with him, a sixteen year old and she was taken to the doctor for medical examination and she was carnally known, she was twelve and now we have the sixteen year old in custody hopefully to be charged.”

Coast Guards Accused Of Extortion Out On Bail
The three Coast Guards who were detained at the Corozal Police Station for alleged extortion are free on bail tonight. Twenty five year old Leslie Stains from Belize City, 32 year old Dubian Montero from Bullet Tree and 19 year old Rayliee Usher from Hattieville, were arrested and charged for extortion and have appeared in court twice says Officer Commanding the Corozal Police, Denis Arnold. “They were charged for extortion on Friday, they were granted JP bail and the order to comeback this morning for arraignment in front of the magistrate, I spoke to the mother and she explained that it is was fifteen hundred dollars and a surety of the same amount each.” The officers were arrested after a sting operation took place in the Consejo area in Corozal Town that was enforced after Ricardo Rivero, a resident of Consejo Village in Corozal, reported to police that he was bringing approximately ten cases of beer from the Mexican side through the Chetumal/Corozal Bay when he was intercepted by the Coast Guards.

John Briceno Case Adjourned Again
Since February we have been following the suit against Parliamentarian and Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceno. As we told you, Briceno has been charged with driving without due care and attention, failing to report an accident, and harm upon Christopher Hendricks, who is the Deputy Prime Minister's driver. In his report against the plaintiff, Hendricks claims that Briceno ran over his foot with his gold Toyota Prado that he was driving on Thursday, January 22nd at the Belize High School of Agriculture Compound, located in Trinidad Village, Orange Walk. They were there for the inauguration ceremony for the San Lazaro to August Pine Ridge Road. As we've reported, Briceno completely rejects the accusation calling them “trumped up charges” but he still has to beat these charges in the Magistrate's Court. He appeared before Magistrate Murlene Moody today, and he was given a further adjourned date until December 21st, 2015.

State Of The Art Stadium To Be Built In San Pedro
General Contractor of AM Construction from Orange Walk Town, Augusto Blanco has won the bid to construct a multi-million dollar state of the art Stadium for islanders of Ambergris Caye. A release from the Belize Infrastructure Limited, the public sector agency of the Government of Belize, states that the agency has undertaken the design, construction and management of capital projects in Belize with particular emphasis on sporting and other multipurpose facilities. The Construction phase of the San Pedro Football Field comes at a price tag of $2,623,911.95 Belize dollars.

Cane Farmers to Receive Aid Via IDB Grant
A multi-million dollar grant from the Inter-American Development Bank will help to finance a project that will support the sustainability of the Sugar Industry of Belize, a release from the Bank announced today. The$1.3 million US dollar grant from the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) is a three-year project which will provide resources to create and implement a dedicated extension service for over 5,400 sugar cane farmers in northern Belize and to build a sustainable farming model that strengthens the capabilities of these farmers. The release states that the project will also support the integration of agricultural technology and the implementation of a centralized geographic information system which will enhance coordination and assist the industry’s ability to strategically plan for the future. This project will be implemented by the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute (SIRDI) and will complement previous and on-going support for Belize’s sugar industry provided by the European Union, the Belize Sugar Industries Limited, La Inmaculada Credit Union Limited, the United Nations Development Program, and the sugar cane farmers’ associations.

Elderly Woman Killed In Traffic Accident
Corozal Police are investigating two fatal traffic accidents that took place over the weekend. The first incident was registered on Saturday evening in Libertad Village. Police were called out to the Corozal Community Hospital where they found seventy year old Elizabeth Rodriguez still conscious and complaining of head and body pain. Officer Commanding the Corozal Formation, Denis Arnold told us what police have gathered in their investigation. “While Jomar Hercules was reversing a vehicle he did knock her down.” Rodriguez, whose family also referred to as Romelia Chi, reportedly passed away at around three on Sunday morning. We visited her family at Libertad Village but they preferred to speak to us off camera. The family tells that the senior woman left her home located on Jerusalem Street in the village and apparently was headed to the shop. She stepped out of her home around 6:30 Saturday evening and not more than about a hundred yards away she was hit by Jomar Hercules as he reversed on the street. The family says that the vehicle, an Xterra, ran over the woman twice on the right side of her body.

Corozal Police Investigates Probable Homicide In Xaibe Village
Corozal police are investigating what appears to be another case of homicide. Shortly before midday today, police got word of a body being found outside the Xaibe Village boundary. Authorities are still at the early stages of their investigation but report that they found the body of a Caucasian man in an area between Xaibe village and an area called Xeanlum. Officials say that they found an American drivers license on the person of the deceased and also observed apparent chop wounds to the head, left shoulder and right arm. Police already have three persons in custody who are yet to be questioned in regards to the discovery. We will have more on the incident in our subsequent newscast.

No Rain Spells Millions Of Dollars In losses In Indian Creek
With the effect of climate change around the globe many countries have been suffering from negative impacts. One of those impacts is droughts. Our country Belize has been known for rainfall which occurs during June to November, that is, the rainy season. It is noted that the transition from dry to the rainy season is very sharp and annual rainfall ranges from 60 inches (1524mm) in the north to 160 inches (4064mm) in the south. This year however, those statistics will not be as expected causing a severe drought which has triggered millions of dollars in losses in the agriculture sector in the community of Indian Creek in the Orange Walk District, specifically to the corn and soy bean production. Today CTV3 News visited the Indian Creek fields and found out that the drought has indeed affected many farmers and their cultivation. Farmer John Knelsen contemplates on how this drought has been more severe than past years.

LOVE FM

Fatal traffic accident reported in the Corozal District
Seventy year old Elizabeth Romelia died after being hit by a vehicle on Friday night. Rodriguez of Jerusalem Street in Libertad Village in Corozal went to the Corozal Hospital complaining of pain. She told Police she was knocked down in the village. 20-year-old Jomar Hercules of Jerusalem Street was reversing a Nissan X-terra when he […]

Major Lloyd Jones officially endorsed as Belize Rural North standard bearer
The People’s United Party took their Power to the People tour to Rural Belize North this past weekend. They held the rally in Sandhill Village where approximately seven hundred persons watched on as Retired Major, Lloyd Jones, was endorsed as the Party’s Standard Bearer for Belize Rural North. Hipolito Novelo reporting… “Voters from the Belize […]

Disenchanted standard bearers a no show at PUP rally
Notably absent from this weekend’s PUP Power to the People Tour in Sandhill Village was John Brinceo, Cordel Hyde, Dan Silva, Josue Carballo, Abelard Mai- just a few of the PUP Standard bearers who make up the G-11. With the Prime Minister hinting that the elections will be called early next year, the PUP has […]

Edmund Castro shows up at PUP event, run off by crowd
While the PUP’s G-11 did not show up….Lloyd Jones’ political opponent and Area Representative for Belize Rural North, Edmund Castro, did show up. He did so for a couple of seconds after a crowd of PUP supporters proceed to chase Castro from the venue. Hipolito Novelo reporting… “Belize Rural Central Area Representative, Dolores Balderamos Garcia […]

Injunction granted for halt to destruction of houses in Maya Mopan
Today an injunction was granted to the residents of Maya Mopan, whose homes were destroyed by the Belmopan City Council and Recondev. Attorney, Michel Chebat represented the residents of Maya Mopan and was pleased with the outcome of the decision made by the Supreme Court. Michel Chebat – Attorney “We filed an application on Friday […]

Contract signed for works on San Pedro Football Field
A contract was signed for works on the San Pedro Football Field. The contract was awarded to AM Construction Company Limited of Orange Walk for two million six hundred and twenty three thousand, nine hundred and eleven dollars and ninety five cents. Signing on behalf of AM Construction Company Limited was general contractor, Agusto Blanco. Jaguars prepare for second leg against Canada
On Friday night, Belize’s A team,the Jaguars fell three to nil in the first leg of their world cup qualifier’s match. Today Love News stopped by and spoke to Jaguars head coach, Jorge Nunez. We asked about the strategy going into tomorrow night’s game. Jorge Nunez – Head Coach, Jaguars “I need the goals, I […]

Belize joins in observation of International Literacy Day
omorrow September 8th, is International Literacy Day. The Ministry of Education is celebrating the day by holding a Read Aloud Day under the theme, “Read Aloud to a child today, and every day” Lurleen Betson Gamboa told us more about the day’s celebrations. Lurleen Betson Gamboa “So what we are doing is tomorrow on Tuesday […]

Over 17,000 attend Expo 2015
Close to 17 thousand visitors came out to annual Expo Belize Market Place over the weekend. That is according to the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Opening Ceremony was held on Saturday where the guest speaker was US Ambassador Carlos R. Moreno who spoke on trading with the United States and briefly addressed […]

Friday night shooting leaves teenager injured
A Belize City teenager was shot on Friday night. Police say they visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw 19-year-old Winston Ramclam of a Freedom Street address suffering from two gunshot wounds, one to the left ankle and the other to the upper left arm. Initial investigation revealed that shortly after nine o’clock […]

PlusTV

Ray Davis at Senate Meeting causes uproar
The Senate met today at the National Assembly Building to debate the BEL Acquisition Settlement Act. We’ll get to some of the highlights of that debate in a bit but first to the presence and participation of Ray Davis at today’s Senate meeting and the uproar that has caused. As you may be aware, Ray...

Minister Hulse on Davis
And while the position of the NTUCB on the matter concerning Ray Davis’ appearance at the Senate was one of unreserved hostility, the Senator for Government Business, Senator Godwin Hulse, said Davis was well within his right to be present at today’s sitting since the Unions share the sa...

Man shot and killed in Tattoo shop
A Belize City resident was shot inside a tattoo parlor. On the 3rd of September 2015 inside a tattoo shop located at #8 Castle Street, 25-year-old Glenford Vernon of Belize City was shot to the arms, chest, abdomen and the left leg of his body. Vernon was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospita...

Another Belize City man shot off his bicycle
A man was shot in both his legs in Belize City. On the 3rd of September, shots were being fired in the area of Malcolm and Unity Streets. 28-year-old Russell Armando Bernardez of Faber’s Road was shot to both of his legs. Bernardez was transported to the K.H.M.H where he remains in a stable conditio...

Baby in incubator bitten by rat?
Was a baby at the Western Regional hospital in Belmopan bitten by a rat? That is the information reported to Plusnews today. According to sources, the newborn baby was placed inside an incubator and somehow a rat got inside that incubator and bit the baby. Hospital Authorities have not verified the ...

Guatemalan elections this weekend as Guatemalan President faces charges
In yesterday’s newscast we told you that Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina resigned hours after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. The embattled president has been accused of masterminding a customs scheme defrauding millions of dollars. Molina’s Vice President had resigned in Mid May o...

Voter Transfer heard in Court; Red Vs. Blue
In the months of July and August, many residents are busy transferring to different voting zones. To transfer to a different voting zone, one must live at a place for more than two months and have papers showing that they have been living there. In the Belmopan court on Tuesday, September 1st 2015...

Breaking Belize News

Elderly woman knocked down and killed in Corozal
A 70-year-old woman, Elizabeth Romelia Rodriguez, from the Libertad Village in Corozal was killed after she was hit by a 20-year-old driver on Saturday night. Jomar Hercules, who was driving a Nissan X-terra, was reportedly reversing his vehicle when he hit the elderly woman, as she was trying to cross Jerusalem Street. Rodriguez was […]

Wreck less driver kills elderly bicycle rider
A 30 year old man, Celso Carerra, has been detained by Corozal Police after he hit and killed a bicycle rider in his Nissan Murano SUV. Carrera collided into 45 year old Dionicio Acosta who was riding his bike, killing him almost immediately. The incident occurred on Sunday night around […]

Man fatally shot in the Cayo District
Unconfirmed reports reaching our newsroom is that a man was fatally shot in the head on the Valley of Peace Road, in the Cayo District tonight. More will be posted as the information is made available to us.

Fire guts popular bar in Hopkins
Belize Media Group has received reliable reports that a well-known bar in Hopkins Village is currently engulfed in flames after a freak fire lit its roof earlier this evening. Residents reported that around 6:12 p.m., they noticed a large bush fire beside the primary school, which they believe to have […]

IDB multi-million dollar grant to assist in sustainability of Sugar Industry
A project specifically designed to the sustainability to the bloodline of the North, the Sugar industry, is in the pipeline thanks to the support of the Inter-American Development Bank. A release from the Bank issued today announced that a US$1.3M grant from the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) […]

Caucasian body discovered outside Xaibe Village boundary in the Corozal District
Corozal Police are currently investigating the details surrounding the discovery of a male Caucasian body that was discovered outside the Xaibe Village boundary in the Corozal District. Preliminary investigation has revealed that they found the body in an area between Xaibe village and an area called Xeanlum. Officials also say […]

Charged for assaulting and threatening police over alcohol
42 year old Kirk Perez will learn his fate on Friday, September 11, after today pleading guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and threatening her when she tried to stop him smuggling alcohol into the Belikin Fest at BTL Park early on Sunday morning, September 6. […]

Man pleads guilty to stealing stove
24 year old Kevin Buller pleaded guilty before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith to a charge of burglary and harm for an incident on September 3. According to the police complaint Buller was seen chasing the mother of complainant Nicole McDonald, carrying her mother’s stove in one hand. She […]

Man stabs brother on Sunday morning
Jason Garcia, a Belize City resident, has been detained by police for stabbing his brother Noel Garcia early Sunday morning. Officers visited the Eden Site area around 3:00 a.m. where they saw 37-year-old Noel with six stab wounds to various parts of the body. Noel told police that around 2:30 […]

Car stolen and recovered in string of motor vehicle robberies
A silver 1996 Honda Accord was stolen from in front of MCC grounds on Saturday night between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 10:25 p.m as the Belikin Fest, just a short distance away, saw crowds up and down the area. Kori Dawson, the owner of the car, reported to […]

Fair weather for Tenth week
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting mostly sunny skies with a few cloudy spells today and partly cloudy skies tonight. Showers and thunderstorms will be isolated. Winds will blow from the East and Southeast at 5-15 knots and the sea state will be light chop to choppy.

Blogs

Enjoy Your Daily Meals With A Caribbean View
You can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the beach here. Any time of day or night in Belize it’s warm enough to sit outside on a deck, or at a table in the sand. The only time I need a sweater is in the evening in the dead of winter, and only then if there’s a stiff breeze. The Belizean coast and the cayes are remarkably different from the California Bay Area where I used to live. In the summer it was possible to eat outside during the day. But in the evening a dense, cold Pacific Ocean fog would roll in, chilling you to the bone. In contrast, the evenings are divine on the Caribbean coast. The day’s heat dissipates and a pleasant, balmy breeze blows along the coast almost all year. And, the fact that my cost of living in Belize is about one-third of what it was when we lived in the Bay Area, I can afford to eat out, on the sea, whenever I’m in the mood. One of the great things about Ambergris Caye is that many popular restaurants and cafes are open air, on the beach… For breakfast expats flock to Estel’s, especially on Sunday mornings, where you can sit at a table and wiggle your toes in the warm, soft sand. Estel’s is known for its fantastic breakfasts and barbecue lunches. I usually get their Belizean eggs, scrambled with plenty of veggies. And their crispy fry jacks are said to be the best in San Pedro. Breakfast here is usually less than $10 a person.

Aye, thar be treasures a plenty on Ambergris Caye
My carefully crafted plan for retirement now includes snorkeling on the Great Mayan Reef and looking for loose pirate treasure. Yo. Ho ho. That, and a bottle of rum. Forgive me if I’m expressing my inner Jack Sparrow but I’ve been reading up on shipwrecks along the Belize reef system and pirate activity in the 1600s and 1700s. Last Thursday night I dropped by the San Pedro House of Culture for the debut of its latest presentation, “Pirates in Belize.” You know, looking for some tips on where the treasure might be buried here on Ambergris Caye. Seems like there were quite a few pirates and buccaneers plying these waters. And why not? Everything about Belize worked in their favor — treacherous waters, the barrier reef, lots of little islands around which to play hide and seek. They just had to sit back and wait for gold-laden Spanish fleets to sail north from South America and then they’d spring out like rottweilers, pillage the ships and sink ‘em where they sat.

Fin Kardashian Takes SE Asia: Bangkok, Thailand Edition 1.0
HELLO from Bangkok! After 2 days of traveling, 2 Jennifer Lopez Documentaries, 3 movies and 8 sleeping pills – am finally here! Our route was from BELIZE to MEXICO to NEWARK to TOKYO to BANGKOK. How I Wish the Thai Royal family would have hosted me at the airport because am so exhausted. Well I guess I forgot to let them know I was on my way. Haven’t been Jet Lagged in a long time – so where else would I want than to stay at a Boutique Hostel? It’s like SHHHhhhhh so we moved. YES – we found one before all the FUN begins. CHERN Hostel was clean and just right!

International Sources

Comedian Wins Victory in First Round of Guatemalan Election
Comedian Jimmy Morales Leads Guatemalan Election says the Wall Street Journal. Jimmy Morales, a comic actor who once played a blundering cowboy who accidentally became president, won a surprise victory in the first round of Guatemala’s presidential election on Sunday, but didn’t secure enough votes to avoid an October runoff.

Algiers teen helps build home in Belize on Ursuline trip
Algiers teen Jordan Nicholson, a high school senior at Ursuline Academy, had the opportunity of a lifetime recently – to build a home for an impoverished family and enjoy the beautiful paradise of Belize during the same trip. Nicholson participated in the Beyond Our Borders program. The program was originally created as a response by the Ursuline sisters at Ursuline Academy. The sisters sought to go beyond their "spiritual borders." Ursuline Academy students have traveled to Guyana, South America twice and to Belize in May. The students will travel to Belize again in May 2016. Ursuline students apply in the beginning of the school year for a coveted spot to travel and do humanitarian work. Nicholson wrote a lengthy essay and was then selected for an interview. She was selected for one of only twelve slots for the trip. She learned she was going to Belize in the fall of 2014.

Queen Elizabeth II to Become Britain's Longest-Reigning Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II will become the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch, having occupied the British throne for 63 years and 218 days, the Toronto Star reported. The monarch is set to break a record, previously held by legendary Queen Victoria. It is estimated that Victoria ruled one quarter of the world's population between 1837 and 1901, with a cultural influence so dominant that the era was subsequently named after her. Elizabeth, for her part, ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, meaning she has led the British people for no fewer than 23,226 days, CTV news calculated. Starting with Winston Churchill, a dozen prime minister have traded keys at 10 Downing St. during her reign, and the monarch has spent 10 hours delivering her 62 Queen's Speeches at the state openings of parliament. Both Victoria and Elizabeth, meanwhile, "brought in a new spirit of hope," royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told the Toronto Star. "Victoria [did so] after all the scandals of her uncles, and Elizabeth after all the problems of the Depression and the Second World War and the post-colonial devastation of Britain and the British economy," he explained.

Insight: The Battle For Bonefish And The Future Of The Bahamas
Flats fishing is a multi-million dollar industry in the Bahamas but proposed legislation has stirred the waters and raised concerns over protectionism and conservation. Beau Beasley reports . . . #The Bahamas boasts the largest saltwater flats in the Caribbean, reputedly ten times larger than those of Mexico. #Countless celebrated saltwater species - including bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, crabs, shrimp, and lobster - call these flats home. Protecting the future of these flats in perpetuity is, unsurprisingly, of paramount importance to interested stakeholders, who include Bahamian fishing guides and lodge owners, government officials and all other citizens who benefit from the nation’s sporting tourism. #From the beginning, Bahamian legislators have faced strong opposition to the proposed Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act, outlined in June and which seeks to more closely regulate fly fishing guides and lodges and establish a saltwater conservation fund paid for by the sale of fishing licences. Among its most vocal critics are foreign lodge owners who fear they are about to be regulated out of business, and local fly fishing guides, many of whom have invested their life savings - and a lifetime’s worth of sweat equity - in their Bahamian businesses. A 2010 study (The Economic Impact of Flats Fishing in The Bahamas by Tony Fedler) found that $141 million was generated by flats fishing in the Bahamas.

The End of Empire: Mérida, 1867
Two defeats frame Maximillian’s Mexican empire. The first was the famous battle at Puebla on May 5, 1862, celebrated as “Cinco de Mayo.” The less known final battle was in Yucatán — the siege of Mérida, which finally ended on June 15, 1867. Yucatán, with its geographical isolation and distinct culture, remained on the sidelines in the wars that swept central Mexico in the 1850s and -60s. Instead, political factions in Mérida and Campeche amused themselves by fighting unending battles with each other, while the Caste War with rebellious Maya ground on in the east. This was a most confusing period in the history of the Peninsula, with no political consensus and continuous violence. In Mexico, the Reform War finally ended the dictatorship of Antonio López de Santa Anna. A new generation of Liberal Party leaders came to power — including Benito Juárez, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, and Melchor Ocampo — pledged to end strongman politics, establish judicial equality, curb the power of the Church, and free individual economic potential.

Researchers map early American caffeine trade
Villagers residing in a swath of land stretching from southern Colorado to northern Chihuahua, Mexico, consumed caffeinated drinks beginning as early as A.D. 750, according to a study. In the years since archaeologists discovered cacao residues in ceramics from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, researchers have questioned the time depth and geographic extent of cacao exchange between populations in the pre-Hispanic US Southwest/Mexican Northwest and Mesoamerica. Patricia Crown and colleagues used a combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to analyze organic residues present in 177 ceramic samples recovered from 18 sites in Arizona, Chihuahua, Colorado, and New Mexico. The findings reveal that villagers residing in a swath of land stretching from southern Colorado to northern Chihuahua consumed caffeinated drinks beginning as early as A.D. 750 and extending to at least A.D. 1400. The analysis identified traces of caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which are components of stimulant drinks that were most likely concocted from either cacao or holly leaves and twigs. The stimulant drinks were likely consumed during ceremonial occasions rather than on an everyday basis, similar to practices by other North and South American populations during that time. According to the authors, the findings may shed light on relations and trade between geographically distant North American populations.

Videos

10th of September 2015 Belize, 21min. Celebrating 10th of September 2015 @ Hollywood Park Inglewood Corozal Pride LLC Belize

Belize 2015, 13min. July 2015 Girl Scout trip to Belize!!

French Family Belize August 2015 Video, 4min. Backpacks for Belize Distribution, Two VBS's, Evangelism Training, & Street Evangelism

Belize top Destination, 9min. Saya membuat video ini dengan

UNTOLD STORIES SEPTEMBER 3, 2015, 39min. from PGTV News Network

Belize, 5min.

Meet Daniel Gutierrez the Mayor of the Ambergris Caye Belize, 16min. Meet Daniel Gutierrez that Mayor of Ambergris Caye, Belize in the town San Pedro- not only is he charming and brilliant - he cares about his town !! Listen in to Belize Talk Radio as our Host Rev. Macarena Rose, interviews the Mayor.

Placencia Flight in Belize, 7min. Co-Pilot POV Flight to Placencia Belize I recorded the video November 8th 2013 using a Gopro Hero3.

Zip lining in Belize, 6min. ZIp lining in the jungle during our trip to Belize.

Belize Highlights v1.0, 9min.

Fight night at Wingz Belize, 7min. Max Payne vs Esquivel (Cayo Lion Den)

September 7, 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

Wolfe’s Woofer: The Kiss
“Melody called while you were out,” Sherry said. “Did she say what she wanted?” “Something about Davin. She said she would stop by later.” When Melody came over she said, ”I have to teach a Splash ‘n Paint Class tomorrow afternoon at the Gallery and Glenn is busy, too. Can you pick Davin up from school?” “Sure,” I told her, “The Grandpa Childcare Center is open. I didn’t even realize it was time for him to be back in school.” “Classes started day before yesterday.” I was there a little bit early although I’m not sure why. Davin is usually sitting in the corner when I get there.” Class let out and children started leaving.

Police Report
Possession of a Controlled Drug: On Thursday, August 27th at 10:20AM, based on Special Branch intelligence, a team of Criminal Investigation Branch and San Pedro Police personnel conducted a search on Laguna Drive Boca Del Rio Area. Searched as part of the operation was 21-year-old Eleazar Mendez who was found with a transparent Ziploc plastic bag containing 40.2 grams of suspected Cannabis.
Burglary: On Tuesday, September 1st, Nigel Dwight Belisle reported that on Friday, August 28th about 6PM he left his work site situated at Boca del Rio area secured. Upon his return on Monday, August 31st about 9:15AM he noticed the front entrance wooden door was opened and the glass on the left hand side was broken, the back door was also opened. Upon entering he observed that several electronic items and tools were stolen. The items had a total value of $4,517.90.

Doctor Love: Failed Relationships
Dr-LoveDear Doctor Love, My marriage of six years was a disaster. He had a nasty temper that he usually took out on me, mostly verbal but sometimes physical. We divorced two years ago. Now I am married to a man who loves me and my daughters. My ex lives fifteen minutes away so the children are with him any time they want to be. He also has them every other weekend and some holidays. When we were married he never did anything to help around the house, making it clear that housework was for women. He never took care of the kids, never cooked and would not travel. Now he does all of those things. He and his new wife go out to dance and they travel a lot. These are things I would have liked to do when we were married. I feel like if we did we would probably still be together. None of this should bother me but I can’t help it. I still resent the things that went wrong in our marriage. It seems like I will never get over them. Is this normal? If not, what can I do about it?

Ambergris Today

Belize Loves Manatees, Authorities Boost Protection Initiatives
After hearing about the collisions between boats and the manatees, a meeting was held with the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Belize Port Authority (BPA), to figure out a quick response to the collisions, and to eventually work on a plan with stakeholders to completely eradicate these incidents. From this meeting, came the first initiative, which is to install buoys in the Belize River, in the vicinity of Haulover Creek. The BTB donated six (6) buoys, and Mr. Chamberlain of Belize Marine & Sand donated two (2) for a total of eight (8) buoys to be installed by Belize Marine & Sand. The CZMAI and BPA will simultaneously install additional Warning and No Wake signs to bring added attention to all users of that portion of the river. The CZMAI and the BTB decided to work together to conduct a workshop for Tour Guides and Tour Operators who utilize the river in their packages. The workshop was conducted on September 4th, 2015, at the Radisson. Presenters at the workshop included: Jamal Galves - CZMAI, Port Authority, Forestry Department, Maria Vega - Friends of Swallow Caye, Zoey Walker - Wildtracks.

Misc Belizean Sources

Passing of Mrs. Teody Nuñez
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its deepest condolences to the Nuñez family & friends on the passing of Mrs. Teody Nuñez. May her soul rest in peace. Mrs. Teody Nuñez was the wife of former Mayor, Mr. Alberto Nuñez. The wake of Mrs. Teody will be on Monday at her residence on Pescador Drive and Funeral Services will be on Tuesday, September 8, at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church. Time yet to be announced. El Alcalde Daniel Guerrero, el Ayuntamiento de San Pedro y el Staff extiende sus mas sinceras condolencias a la familia y amigos de la Señora Teody Nuñez. Que en paz descanse. La Señora Teody Nuñez fue la esposa de el ex alcalde, el Señor Alberto Nuñez. El velorio de la Señora Teody será en su residencia el lunes a partir de las 5 p.m. y los servicios funebres serán el martes, 8 de septiembre, en la iglesia romana católica de San Pedro. La hora del funeral será anunciado en breve.

Volunteering with S6 in the Chiquibul
Eco Camino has a great article about spending time with the Scarlet Six Biomonitoring Team in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. They got some amazing pictures from the journey. Keep up the great work! Protect the Chiquibul! "Eco Camino is proud to say that it was a nice opportunity to volunteer with S6 -Scarlet Six, during two consecutive weeks in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. I had never seen Scarlet Macaws in the wild and the most amazing thing was, first to see 16 of them all at once, second to see them flying over my head while bathing in the Raspaculo River, a branch of the Macal River. The Macaws generally come in the Chiquibul during the breeding season which extends from April to September. The rest of the year, they migrate to Red Bank, in the Stann Creek district from early January to March. The reason of this migration is to feed on the clay where they can extract minerals from it. This will further help with the development of calcium for their eggs. It usually takes 12 to 13 weeks before a chick can fledge from its nest -the nest being a cavity in a Quam trees."

THE DYNAMIC 'SUNDAY REVIEW' & BELIZE'S KREM TV!
Since my returning to Belize in 1999, and working as a journalist with the legendary grassroots newspaper and broadcasting foundation, KREMANDALA, Sunday mornings in Belize was always filled with the highlights of Belizean radio and television shows highlighting the turning news events of the week, and filling the silence of the quiet Sabbath that permeates the life of Belize for decades now. Before them all, Dickie Bradley's Show on KREM Radio dominated the Belizean airwaves, as Belizeans tuned in to hear the brother Dickie do his thing on the pertinent news stories of the week. Dickie was legendary, he was radio Belize, he was the man people listened to. And then came others, like Mose Hyde's Wake Up Belize Show, every week day mornings, Tony Wright's Belizean Musician Past & Present, and also the legendary Kremandala Show with the legendary Evan X Hyde, the late Dr. Leroy Taegar, and friends doing their spin on the Belizean news and reviews.

Expo Market Place
I have been attending our Chamber of Commerce's Expo Market Place for many years. Each year I notice the trend of the type of businesses participating shifting to more cellular phone companies, beverages companies, a lot of alcohol, plenty of food stalls, clothing and a handful of services. The traditional businesses like the productive sector such as Hummingbird Rattan Furniture, cabinet and other furniture builders, nurseries, agriculture sector, agro-business, wood carvers, artists/painters, etc. were absent. There were approximately 214 business booths registered. Lots of music, food and booze. It felt like a big Bazar. I did miss the traditional businesses that used to attend and I wonder the reason for their absence. I picked up a few deals. Plenty of discounts and so the party continues today Sunday. I did enjoy myself and hope you too. After walking through the Expo grounds for one round, my bestie and I took off for a ride in the old capital and couldn't but help notice the cleanliness around and the national spirit feeling coming from all the September decorations.

Our little tour around the old capital!!!
Certainly our September Celebrations spirit quite visible

CTV3

Money Exchanger Robbed and Beaten By Criminals
A money exchanger from the Villager of San Joaquin in the Corozal District is tonight recuperating from a frightful ordeal after he was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and beaten by ruthless criminals. The victim, who wished to remain anonymous, told CTV 3 News that about 7:00 this morning he was on his way to work at the Santa Elena Border and while walking to catch passage he was approached by a clear blue station wagon with 3 passengers. According to the pesero, a dark complexion male, wearing a black stockings over his face, exited the vehicle and held him at gun point while taking away a pouch containing Belize and Mexican currency.

Otto Perez Molina Jailed After First Day Of Hearing
Former Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina is the first president of that country to resign and was detained on Thursday night before his hearing resumed this morning. Molina appeared in court on Thursday on accusations of involvement in a customs fraud in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties. Judge Miguel Angel Galvez, who had ordered his detention said there was a need to, quote, “ensure the continuity of the hearing” unquote and guarantee the former president’s personal safety. For his part, Molina said that he has always said he will respect due process and insisted on his innocence. He further told the press that he could have done several things to derail the investigation. Molina stated, quote, “I could have replaced the prosecutor, I could have dug in.” He also assured that he has not intentions of leaving the country. Attorney General Thelma Aldana told reporters she will ask that Perez Molina, 64, be jailed during the court proceedings.

Three Coast guards Charged For Extortion
Last night we told you about the three Coast Guards who were detained at the Corozal Police Station for alleged extortion. Tonight those men have been charged for extortion. They are 25 year old Leslie Stains from Belize City, 32 year old Dubian Montero from Bullet Tree and 19 year old Rayliee Usher from Hattieville. All three individuals were charged in the presence of a Justice of the Peace and were offered bail of $1,000 each which they were unable. As mentioned last night the officers were arrested after a sting operation took place in the Consejo area. The sting operation was enforced after Ricardo Rivero, a resident of Consejo Village in Corozal reported to police that he was bringing un-customed goods later known to be approximately ten cases of beer, from the Mexican side through the Chetumal/Corozal Bay when he was intercepted by the Coast Guards. The individual claimed that the officers demanded money from him in order to avoid being detained and his goods confiscated. So, he reported the matter to police and a sting operation was set in place. After the operation was carried out the Coast Guard were found in possession of an undisclosed amount of cash.

The Reporter

Mother and toddler robbed of vehicle and abandoned on road
A 26 year-old mother and her 20 month-old toddler experienced a frightening incident on Friday night when two masked men forced her t stop her vehicle, tied her up and drove off in her vehicle, leaving her and the infant on the road. The woman whom is from the Valley community, Hummingbird highway, Stann Creek, told police that around 9:30 p.m. while she was driving on a feeder road towards her home along with her baby daughter, she was forced to stop at the sight of pieces of tree branches on the road. Just then, two masked men came out of nearby bushes and one of them pointed a gun at her forehead and demanded her vehicle, her cell phone and money. The mother said the man with the gun tied her hands and put her on the road while the other one took out the baby and put her on the road beside her. Not men then took off in the woman’s tan-coloured 2003 Chevy S-10 four-door pick-up worth $24,000.

Tattoo artist shot dead inside tattoo shop
Tattoo artist, Glenford Vernon, 25, was shot dead inside the place where he worked on Thursday afternoon in Belize City. The shooting occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on the lower flat at #8 Castle Street, and Vernon died just over an hour later while receiving medical treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). Police say Vernon was struck in both arms, the chest, abdomen and left leg. His killer, another man, entered the tattoo shop and fired several shots at Vernon. Police have not made any arrests.

US Ambassador says Embassy concerned about impacts of bank de-risking in Belize
The United States Embassy in Belize is greatly concerned about the issue of international banks “de-risking” and cutting ties with financial institutions in Belize and the impacts it may have on the Belize economy and economic activity with the US, said Ambassador Carlos Moreno. Moreno spoke on the issue at Saturday’s opening ceremony for the 19th annual Expo Consumer Trade Show. He highlighted the continued economic relations between Belize and the US and said that the Embassy has monitored the de-risking situation closely as it continues to develop. According to Moreno, the Embassy has contacted the US Treasury Department and has started the process of opening the lines of communication to see if the issues resulting in Belizean financial institutions losing corresponding ties with international banking partners can be resolved. Moreno noted that the issue is one affecting countries all throughout the region. He said the Embassy is trying to facilitate a resolution to the issue so as to negate any possible negative effects “de-risking” may have on the country.

PAHO: Canned and processed foods responsible for obesity
Industrially processed and canned goods, including fast foods and sugary beverages are fueling increased obesity rates throughout the region, according to a new report by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The report indicates that importation and sales of these products have risen in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last decade, while sales in North America have seen a slight decline. According to the report, the consumption of these processed food products is directly correlated with body weight increases, indicating that these products are majors contributors to obesity in the region. “These products are not designed to meet people’s nutritional needs. They are engineered to have long shelf lives and to create cravings that can completely overpower people’s innate appetite-control mechanisms and their rational desire to stop eating. So they are doubly harmful: they are quasi-addictive and thus increase overweight and obesity, while replacing whole fresh foods that are the foundation of a natural, nutrient-rich human diet”, Enrique Jacoby, PAHO/WHO advisor on nutrition and physical activity said.

Jaguars lose in Canada
The Belize Jaguars football team returned home on Saturday morning following a disappointing 3-0 loss to Canada’s national team on Friday night and are now preparing for Tuesday’s second game against the Canadians. In the first half of the game, Canada controlled the ball and the tempo, leaving the Jaguars to defend for the majority of that half. Canada headed into half-time with a 1-0 lead, having scored in the 25th minute of play. Shortly after the second half began the Canadian scored again in the 64th minute of play, going up to 2-0 against the Jaguars. Both goal were scored by Tosaint Ricketts. Later in the second half the Jaguars attacked on several occasions, getting into the Canadian box a few times but not creating any real opportunities for star striker Deon McCaulay or any other Jaguar to score. In the closing seconds of play, in the 90th minute, Canadian Atiba Hutchinson scored off a corner kick, pushing their lead to a disappointing 3-0 score. This came after a brilliant block by Belize’s goalkeeper, Woodrow West.

Breaking Belize News

Traffic Accident in Corozal claims life
Information reaching our newsroom indicates that there was a fatal road traffic accident on the Philip Goldson Highway, near San Narciso Village in the Corozal District. According to unconfirmed reports, a man was killed in the collision. We will have more details as the information becomes available.

Missing twelve year old returns home safe
There is good news coming out from Corozal Town tonight, after a missing 12 years old girl was returned. Reports reaching our news room is that 12 year old Gabriela Leoredez has return home safe and sound. Family members are grateful to everyone who assisted in any possible manner in relocating the […]

Lloyd Jones PUP endorsement
Four months after formally being announced as the candidate for the People’s United Party (PUP) in Belize Rural North, Retired Major Lloyd Jones was formally endorsed and installed today in Sandhill village. Major Jones is challenging incumbent two-term United Democratic Party representative Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro, who […]

Guatemala’s turmoil ahead of parliamentary elections
As polls take place today in Guatemala, the turmoil that toppled a president may not enough, protesters fear, to prevent a return to status quo. Resigned Otto Perez Molina has denied allegations of a conspiracy to defraud the state by accepting bribes to let businesses evade import duties, […]

12-Year-Old Girl From Altamira Corozal Missing
A 12 year old girl by the name of Gabriela Leoredez from Altamira, Corozal went missing last night around 7:30 p.m. from in front of her house. Gabriela was wearing a white sleeveless shirt with a blue short jeans pants and brown slippers with a flower design on the side. […]

Blogs

Canada vs. Belize: Jaguars Go Looking to Make History In Canada
According to TSN of Canada, British bookmaker William Hill lists Belize as 12-to-1 underdogs against Canada going into their qualifying match this evening. The Canadians beat Belize in 2004 during 2006 World Cup qualifying and sit 26 places higher in the world rankings, but they know better than not to take Belize seriously at the BMO Field. TSN spoke to each team’s coach about their mutual respect for their opponents. “We believe it is a serious team,” Canada’s Benito Floro said. “Canada is a very good team. A lot of good players,” said Belize’s Brazilian-born coach Jorge Nunez. “A lot of players play outside (the country).” Asked can Belize win? “Yes, definitely,” Nunez said. The winner will become part of CONCACAF Group A in the fourth round, the penultimate stage of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean. That pool will feature No. 26 Mexico, No. 81 Honduras and either No. 107 El Salvador or No. 148 Curacao with only the top two advancing after round-robin play.

Do You Know the Way to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye?
Have you ever wanted to book a vacation in paradise , but your budget says no? You may not be looking in the right place. Head for Belize where the mainland and hundreds of outlying islands are beautiful, fun and affordable–particularly if you stay at Ambergris Caye’s SunBreeze Suites in San Pedro town where seasonal discounts and packages are always wallet-pleasing. But before you can explore San Pedro in Ambergris Caye you must get here. You’ll be offered two choices if you talk with travel experts: Either fly or boat from Belize City to Ambergis Caye. At first, price disparities between the two may seem formidable, but you could be surprised if you look closer. Is flying your choice? If you’re coming to Ambergris Caye directly from the U.S., sort out your ticket to Belize City from North America first because this is Belize’s international hub. From there, catch a flight to Ambergris Caye that will set you back around $70 USD one way, unless you find a discount. According to travel website TripAdvisor.com (where you can register to be notified if prices drop on Belize City/San Pedro flights!), multiple, daily nonstop flights cover the 34 mile distance on Maya Island Air or Tropic Air, small airlines servicing this hop. Most direct flights leave at around 17:40 MDT; all of them get you to San Pedro in 15 minutes.

A Drive North: The Old Costa Maya Resort is Looking AMAZING & Opening Soon
Yesterday, I took a drive up north to check on a few things….the road (which, based on the HUGE trucks blowing by us) is under heavy construction and set to go even farther north. On Thursday, Mayor Danny said that the road would continue all the way up to the old Basil Jones air strip. I can show you where the Basil Jones area is…about 11 to 13 miles north Ambergris Caye. But I can not tell you much about the air strip there. I know it was used for some early (1990s?) oil exploration. And as to who Basil Jones was? I need to do some more research (as usual). So the road will continue. ALL that being said…yesterday I made my way up to 7 miles north and Xtan Ha Resort. And then back down to about 6 miles north and the old Costa Maya Reef Resort – that closed in 2010. We then drove just south to another pretty stretch of beach (REALLY gorgeous) – the old Costa Maya Reef Resort. They are slated to open on November 1st. And the construction teams were working hard. They will soon be working day and night to make sure of the opening date. I believe they are planning to be ALL-INCLUSIVE. Pretty much a first for San Pedro. Here is the current website. Now called Costa Blu Resort and managed by Sandy Points – managers of resorts like Coco Beach and Belizean Shores. Here are the pictures I took yesterday. So nice to see this area rejuvenating. It’s a HUGE lot and right in front of the gorgeous Mexico Rocks snorkel area.

International Sources

Belize vs. Canada: Floro calls for clinical finishing
Canada is in command of its CONCACAF qualifying third round tie against Belize, but coach Benito Floro sees room for improvement. Benito Floro has warned his Canada side that it must be more clinical if it is to qualify for the World Cup ahead of its CONCACAF qualifying third-round second leg against Belize on Tuesday. Tosaint Ricketts scored twice and Atiba Hutchinson added a late third goal as Canada beat underdog Belize 3-0 in Toronto on Friday. Canada will be expected to finish off the job in Belmopan and join Mexico, Honduras and the winner of the El Salvador against Curacao in a robin-round group phase for round four. But head coach Floro stressed that Canada can ill afford to squander so many chances against stronger sides in its quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "It is the first time in my professional career my team has not faced any shots on target, it means my team played a very good game," Floro said after the first-leg victory. "My team played perfectly, controlling the game and created a lot of attacking moves. But we should have won by more goals; we should have scored eight goals. It was not because of the Belize defense that we did not score more goals.

TomatoFest vegetable art an edible form of expression
Creating art using fruits and vegetables is not new. Carving jack-o-lanterns originated with the Celts, and was brought to the United States by Irish immigrants. The art of carving turnips and potatoes in Ireland was applied to pumpkins in the United States. Tomatoes have been carved as flowers to top off salads; watermelons become fruit baskets to hold fruit salads; pineapples can be magically transformed into palm trees. I was pleasantly surprised to see examples of veggie art at an agricultural fair held in Belmopan, Belize. There, locally grown fruits and vegetables were assembled to create turtles, sharks, porcupines and cacti, among other familiar plants and animals found in the tropical environment, or from other distant lands.

Otto Perez jailed following resignation Steelers Lounge
Perez Molina, 64, was ordered locked up until a court hearing on Friday to face corruption charges, and was seen being escorted into a military prison in central Guatemala City. Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre, who was appointed by Congress to replace Perez Molina's previous vice-president, Roxana Baldetti, after she resigned in May, was sworn in as the nation's chief executive that afternoon. "But I can't simply run off and abandon my post - the legal process [of Perez Molina's case] is still underway". Security was tight around the courthouse where Perez Molina appeared yesterday, with scores of police and members of the presidential guard stationed around the building. "Well let me say with respect to Molina, I was very pleased with the way he behaved toward Belize during his tenure because we all know his history that he was Chief of Staff or certainly extremely high in the Guatemalan military".

Polls close in Guatemala presidential election
Campaign overshadowed by political turmoil, with corruption investigation resulting in the president's resignation. The first results have started trickling in, hours after polls closed in Guatemala's presidential election. As of 03:00 GMT on Monday, political newcomer Jimmy Morales is leading the vote count, as the race looks set for an October run-off, said Al Jazeera's Daniel Schweimler, reporting from Guatemala City. According to Guatemala's election authority, Morales, 46, had 25.6 percent of the vote with 12.66 percent of ballots counted, while early favourite Manuel Baldizon, a conservative businessman, trailed with 21.2 percent. To prevent an October run-off, a candidate is required to win at least 50 percent of the vote. The campaign was dogged by allegations of corruption which prompted mass protests and a wave of political turmoil that overshadowed Sunday's vote.

Videos

Always On The Go - The Stirs of My Sister, 3min. A short documentary about my awesome sister and her lust for world travel. My entry to the World Nomads 2015 film scholarship. This film documents our three months of travel from Mexico down to Colombia and everywhere in between.

Rum Tirty, 3min. Caye Caulker Island, Belize 2015 with Raggamuffin Tours. Great crew, great food and Caribbean Rum at Rum-Tirty.

Lionfish spearing with ReefCI in Belize, 1/2min.

Half Moon Caye Belize June 2015, 45min.

Sleeping Nurseshark in Belize, 1.5min. Grabbed a sleeping shark in shallow water.

Belize Under The Sea, 19min. Jim and Carla's Belize 2015 SCUBA Trip.

WCQ - CONCACAF : BELIZE vs CANADA 2015, 52min.

WCQ - CONCACAF : BELIZE vs CANADA 2015, 61min.

Fight night at Wingz Belize, 12min. Omier Sandido vs Alex Neal.

September 6, 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

Hip Hip Hooray Celebration Month is Underway!
It’s September and MBB is celebrating all things Belizean throughout the independence month! Come along with us as we celebrate our beautiful nation through its rich flavors, music, destinations, our people, and even some fun facts! It’s all about Belize and we’re loving every minute of it, we hope you do too!

San Pedro U-15 Female Football Team places 4th in National Tournament
From Saturday, August 29th to Sunday, August 30th, six female Under-15 (U-15) football teams from across the country faced off in the first ever Football Federation of Belize (FFB) National Female U-15 Football Championship. Held at Belmopan City, the tournament saw the participation of teams from Independence Village, Dangriga Town, Orange Walk Town, Corozal Town, Belmopan City and even, San Pedro Town. Similar to the FFB National Male U-15 Football Championship held on Monday, August 17th, the tournament served not only as healthy competition between municipalities, but also as a means to draft out players for the a national female U-15 team. The island team was led by coaches Alex Noralez and Paul Kelly. At the end of the two day competition the girls ended in 4th place, with the Independence U-15 Female Football Team taking first place. The participating teams were divided into two groups of three for the first round in the tournament. The San Pedro U-15 Female Football Team played against the Independence U-15 Female Football Team and the Dangriga U-15 Female Football Team in the group round. This group’s games were played at the Mountain View Football Field. The second group consisted of Orange Walk Town U-15 Female Football Team, Corozal Town U-15 Female Football Team and Belmopan City U-15 Female Football Team, and their matches were played at the Las Flores Football Field.

SPRCS thanks Blue Water Grill and The Phoenix
The faculty, staff and students of San Pedro Roman Catholic School would like to extend a big thank you to Kelly and Mukul Kanabar of Blue Water Grill and The Phoenix Resort for their most generous donation to the school. The company’s donation consisted of 20 standing fans, the installation of 15 ceiling fans, and $2,400 cash, which was used to replace classroom lighting fixtures and purchase new windows and doors. Your donation will go a long way in helping to maintain an environment conducive to our student’s learning. We applaud your generosity and investment in the children of San Pedro, once again Thank You!

Kevin Velasquez wins 6th Annual Battle of St. George’s Caye Regatta
The third national ranking regatta of the 2015 Belize Sailing Association (BzSA) season took place on Sunday, August 30th at St. George’s Caye. Six sailing clubs from across the country participated in the 6th Annual Battle of St. George’s Caye Regatta hosted by the Belize City Sailing Club (BCSC). Taking top honors in the optimist discipline was San Pedro Sailing Club’s (SPR) very own Kevin Velasquez, while first place in the laser division went to Christopher Young of Corozal Bay Sailing Club (CBSC). Even in unfavorable weather condition, the young sailors from SPR, CBSC, BCSC, Belize Sea Scouts (BSS), Placencia Sailing Club (PSC) and Caye Caulker Sailing Club (CCSC) still managed to complete the regatta. The races promptly started at 9:30AM with both optimist and laser sailors competing in six races. The ultimate goal of the race is to score the least cumulative points, as such, the highest score out of the six individual races was dropped.

Misc Belizean Sources

Winner of The Belize Adventure Sweepstakes Announced by Chaa Creek
The Lodge at Chaa Creek has announced the winner of this year’s Belize Reef and Rainforest Adventure Sweepstakes. Lea Itzab, Chaa Creek’s marketing officer, said that Sarah Hirsch, from the US state of Michigan, won the sweepstakes prize; a complete eight-day all-inclusive Belize vacation package for two, valued at over US$7,000 dollars. When advised that she won the August 2015 sweepstakes, Ms Hirsch replied, “I can't believe I won! What an incredible opportunity this will be to explore the beauty of Belize, learning about Mayan culture and becoming one with nature in what sounds to be an amazing eco-resort. We are ready for adventure!” Ms Itzab said that the sweepstakes, the most ambitious competition Chaa Creek has ever offered, attracted over 30,000 entries from across the globe. “It was a great success, and showed us that we have quite a substantial worldwide following of people who are engaged with Chaa Creek and familiar with Belize in general,” she said.

Petrocaribe has worked, says Falconer
MINISTER with responsibility for information, Senator Sandrea Falconer, said Jamaica and other participating States have benefited significantly from the PetroCaribe Agreement. "Jamaica's ability to afford its energy requirements has been favourably impacted by this single most important PetroCaribe Agreement with Venezuela," Senator Falconer said. "This allows the Government to purchase oil at market value, but on preferential conditions, and this has been of tremendous benefit," she noted. The information minister was addressing members of the local and Venezuelan media at a special Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister's Western Regional Office in Montego Bay on Friday. Several Heads of Government and State, energy ministers and other ministers of Government are participating in the Summit meeting at the Montego Bay Convention Centre (MBCC). They incude: president of Haiti, Machel Martelly; president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega; prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris; prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves; prime minister of St Lucia, Dr Kenny Anthony, prime minister of Antigua Barbuda, Gaston Brown; and deputy prime minister of Belize, Margarito Gasper Vega.

Cayo Seed and Plant Exchange
The Cayo Seend and Plant Exchange is next Saturday, at Empyrean Art Center. "Bring your seeds, sprouts, and trees! We are hosting our first seed swap on Saturday the 12th !"

The Reporter

Expo 2015 – the biggest yet!
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) marked the 19th anniversary of the annual Expo trade show with an opening ceremony on Saturday morning at the ITVET Campus. BCCI President Arturo Vasquez said this year’s Expo is bigger than it has ever been and it is an encouraging sign for business in Belize. According to Vasquez, this year there were 214 booths rented out compared to the 197 from last year’s Expo. The Merida Chamber of Commerce also participated in this year’s event. Vasquez said it is a critical step in building cross-border trade relations with Mexico. Apart from the usual line-up of food, beverages, entertainment and retail products, Vasquez said there were also optical and medical services available for the first time at this year’s Expo. He added that the consumer trade show is still the best place for Belizeans to get deals.

Rat bites newborn inside hospital incubator; DHS says new hospital needed in Belmopan
An ongoing rodent infestation intervention initiative at the Western Regional hospital in Belmopan reached a different level on Friday when medical officials at the facility discovered that a rat had entered a newborn’s incubator, undetected, and bitten the baby. The incident happened early on Friday, just hours after the baby was born Thursday night and placed in the incubator. It has sparked the hospital’s administration to theorize that the rodent entered the maternity ward through a recently-created air conditioning vent that was not properly sealed. The rat then assumedly climbed through the incubator tube that is left open for easy human access to the newborn. The Director of Health Services, Dr Ramon Figueroa has said that while the newborn has to undergo tests to determine if he contracted any disease from the rat-bite, he appears to be alright.

The Belize Times

Sweet Deal…for Brother B
Prime Minister Dean Barrow proved the sceptics very right on Monday August 31st, as he put on a plastic smile and huddled to the tune of cumbaya with executive representatives of the very same company that he booted out of the Belize Electricity Limited under the guise of “unavoidable public interest reasons” in June 2011. Now, PM Barrow, whose administration has been economically haemorrhaging and letting off a distasteful scent to possible investors and partners, as a result of the actions taken against BEL, among others, has had to welcome “big, bad” Fortis Inc. back into the fold.

Belmopan Mayor threatens to leave 30 families homeless
Over thirty families residing along a narrow strip of land in the outskirts of Maya Mopan in the City of Belmopan have been threatened by Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle. The families have been told that if they don’t leave the land the Belmopan City Council will tear down their small homes. Four homes were destroyed last week, apparently in a move to intimidate the other residents who have been told that they have two weeks to move or else. The BELIZE TIMES visited the area last Friday and discovered that the residents are fearful that the actions of the cold and callous UDP Belmopan City Council will leave them homeless. 66 year old Reyes Cal was not at home when a bulldozer arrived in the area last week. His house sits nearest to the access road and so it was the first one targeted. But Cal’s daughter, who lives a short distance away, yelled at the destruction crew and begged them not to destroy her father’s home. They told her they would return and moved to break apart the neighbours’ house, which was lying in pieces, flattened, tattered and scattered along with three others.

Gunmen execute Russell Hyde & girlfriend, Marcy Humes
45 year old Russell Hyde was well known to many in the Cayo District, in particular in the communities nearest to the city of Belmopan. He was known for many things, among them his notorious past and much recently, that his family and close friends lived in fear after his wife was shot dead and close associates began turning up dead, dismembered. But the high-stakes drama following Hyde’s life will now become a tale of mystery and tragedy to share. On Friday, August 28th, Hyde and two others, including his girlfriend 28 year old Marcy Humes, were ambushed and killed mercilessly by armed gunmen as they reached his home in Camalote Village.

Hon. Dolores condemns UDP’s Bad Governance
One of the important issues brought to the fore at Wednesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives by Opposition members is the rotten governance style of the UDP Government. Pushing a blatant political agenda, the United Democratic Party has overridden official leadership and genuine authority throughout the country, from those in elected village councils and their Chairpersons, to elected People’s United Party representatives. The UDP has anointed their own partisan-elected candidates as “caretakers” and has given them “authority” over issue such as scholarship distribution, land recommendations, and even the distribution of money through Petrocaribe funded programs such as Mother’s Day cheers.

Are we ready for the Big Dance?
Belizeans across the nation are anxiously anticipating the announcement of the date for our next general elections. The decision, of course, lies solely with one man and one man only. Yet, never has one man been so intoxicated or reveled so much in power and authority, than this current prime minister of Belize. Should the elections be called early, it would be the third time since Independence that such a snap election would have occurred. The last time was in 2012 when elections were called a year early and before that in 1993 when elections were called a full 15 months before they were constitutionally due. Conventional wisdom suggests that snap elections favor the incumbent, since the party in power has the luxury of calling it at their convenience or at such time as they believe to be advantageous. There are times however, when such a decision to call an early election has backfired, as was the case in 1993. In that instance, it was the UDP who was in disarray and the PUP who was riding on the high of a recent municipal victory; oh how the tables have turned.

Barrow’s Failed “Nationalisation”
The Peoples’ United Party reiterates its principled position of concern over the manner in which the current UDP Administration is managing the debt obligations of Belize. In 2011, when the Prime Minister, seized all the assets of Fortis Inc. in Belize Electricity Limited, claiming that his government was acting in the face of a crisis, he boasted of a nationalistic approach to the acquisition of public utilities. He had harsh words for Fortis Inc. as a strategic investor, and for BEL’s management at the time. In order to achieve his ends, the Prime Minister, using his parliamentary super-majority subverted the Constitution of Belize, bending its architecture in a violent and unnatural manner, in gross and indecent haste, in an ill-conceived, poorly structured move to undermine Fortis as an investor.

Belize Bank Bulldogs win back-to-back national women’s softball champs
The Belize Bank Bulldogs won the national female softball championship by a 5-4 win over Belize Telemedia in the finals, when the national championship was held at the Rogers Stadium over the weekend. Telemedia got 7 hits off Bulldogs’ MVP pitcher Kenreen Gillett, who struck out 2 batters and walked 7. Bulldogs’ Greta Davis scored 2 runs while Cindy Joseph, Ashley Lucas and Marsha Wills scored a run apiece. Telemedia’s Lydia Cacho and Norecia Fraser scored 2 runs apiece.

Team Belize wins 2015 O.W. Mundialito
Louisiana area’s Team Belize won the 2015 Orange Walk Town Mundialito championship final against Yo Creek’s ‘Argentina’ team 2-0 at the Louisiana Government School field on Sunday. Jesse “Beast” August scored Belize’s 1st goal, and the Yo Creek defense deflected the ball into their goal for the 2-0 win. San Estevan’s “Portugal’ team won the 3rd place consolation game: 2-1 against ‘Colombia’ from the La Inmaculada area of Orange Walk Town. Joan Bull scored for Portugal, but Rodolfo Argueta equalized for Colombia. The Colombia defenders goofed in deflecting the ball into their own goal to give Portugal the 2-1 win.

Kent Gabourel wins 2015 Lionman Triathlon
Kent “Bob” Gabourel won the 2015 Lionman Triathlon swimming 1,500m in 31 minutes and 24 seconds, riding 40 km (25 miles) in 1:03:00, and running a distance of 10km (6.25 miles) in 35 minutes. In the team relay category, Belize Bank was 1st place, with swimmer Anthony Leslie, cyclist Alicia Thompson, and on the track Derick Conorquie.

PM’s bodyguard charged for murder
One of the Police bodyguards assigned to Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his family, 33 year old Police Corporal Ryon Wagner, has been arrested and charged for the murder of a Nicaraguan national. Wagner was charged on Monday, August 31st, after he and another Police Officer went to the Police Station on Friday, August 28th, claiming that they had killed a man. They both appeared to be intoxicated. But the two could not be charged for the same crime; therefore, after Police investigations Wagner was slapped with the charge. The victim is Nicaraguan national, Eduardo Manuel Perez Sanchez. His lifeless body was found on a road in Teakettle Village by a passer-by in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

The Real Deal! – “Our children in 2015 cannot continue to suffer in darkness,” says PUP Rep. Hon. Oscar Requeña
This time there was no beating of his chest. No thumping of the podium and no bravado language, as Prime Minister Barrow ate his own vomit and announced that Fortis Inc. has been welcomed back to Belize Electricity Limited. The return of Fortis is first and foremost admittance that their 2011 takeover of the company was wrong headed. But what’s worse is that even with 100% control of the company for four long years, the Government of Belize could not invest in a single major electricity expansion project anywhere in the country. Speaking at Wednesday’s House Meeting, Hon. Oscar Requeña spoke boldly about the Government’s neglect of the Toledo district, where there has been no electricity expansion ever since the UDP took office.

Back to School Project in Collet Completed!
Thanks to fundraising efforts by the hard working and dedicated members of the PUP Collet Committee and through the generosity of several Friends of Collet, including United Women’s Group President, Mrs. Yolanda Schakron, PUP Collet Standard Bearer, Yasmin Shoman, assisted 161 children with backpacks and school supplies. The PUP recognised the financial burden that thousands of families, many on the South Side of Belize City, are faced with during these trying economic times and remain committed to Social Justice, focusing on three pillars of Reform: Governance, Economic and Education and Health.

Is Lands Ministry spiting Kremandala?
UDP Area Representative Mark King has publicly stated that he has waged war against the Kremandala empire, claiming that his objective is to “get rid of” PUP Lake Independence Standard Bearer Cordel Hyde, Krem Radio manager Mose Hyde and their father, Amandala Publisher Evan X Hyde. King, it appears, is not the only UDP personality taking on the Hydes. It appears UDP Deputy Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega has issues of his own. On Monday of this week, Mose Hyde revealed that Vega’s Ministry of Lands, described by the Prime Minister as a hotbed of corruption, has frustrated their efforts to give land to the poor. Hyde said that the Lands Ministry halted a programme launched by Krem in which lots have been given out to over twenty first-time landowners because the land site does not include space for a park.

Francis Defends Sarstoon…Dean Rages!
It was most interesting to see Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s reaction and response to issues and concerns raised by Opposition Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca at the closure of Wednesday’s House Sitting. It was vintage Dean O. Hon. Francis Fonseca stood up to pay tribute to the patriots who journeyed to Sarstoon area and called on the Government to take up their responsibility to protect Belizeans when they travel to the Sarstoon area and defend Belizean territory. If the Barrow Government is not prepared to do this, challenged Hon. Francis, then they are useless. One would think that the Prime Minister would support this. We’re in September – the month when patriotism climaxes.

The Saviors of Sarstoon
From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon. Those are the poetic words used by Samuel Haynes in our National Anthem to define our country, Belize, from north to South. Events over the past six years, however, have shown that if mother England, United States, Guatemala, and the UDP had their own way we would own the southernmost part of the country, the Sarstoon area, on paper only. Today we know of the southern markers of Belize and the untold wealth in the deep south of our country because a group a brave and patriotic Belizeans took the necessary steps to get to know that area of our land. There is great displeasure with this Government over what is happening in the Sarstoon area of the Jewel. By its hands off policy in the deep south of the country the Barrow administration has quietly given our covetous neighbor a large portion of that area of the Jewel. While the Government has nearly prohibited Belizeans from going to the Sarstoon area, Guatemalans exercise full use and enjoyment.

Will LICU weather the storm?
Amidst loud howls of protest, the Board of Directors of La Inmaculada Credit Union (LICU) hurriedly closed the Special General Meeting which they had reluctantly called on Saturday, August 22, 2015. At the abrupt call for an adjournment by a member, the Board members led by President Ena Martinez cleared the towering podium and stage. They scurried away; barely giving media houses a chance to conduct proper interviews and once more denied an opportunity for transparency. They each appeared nervous and afraid that the longer they stayed the more they would be harassed – by the media, by the over 1,000 members/owners of LICU who were in attendance or by a crowd of angry members/owners who were visibly bitter that they had not gotten “answers” at the meeting.

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – KATRINA AND ERICA
Some time ago I wrote a piece called “Lavern and Nora” on the important issue of domestic violence. Today I write on a much different, though no less compelling, topic – that of tropical storms and hurricanes and the need for eternal vigilance in Belize and our region. This past week the United States and New Orleans commemorated the Ten Year Anniversary of super/mega Hurricane Katrina. Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama have all attended memorials in New Orleans. In August 2005 Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Southern US Gulf Coast. 2,000 people perished and over 1 million displaced. It was the most expensive natural disaster in US history. The failure of the levee system in New Orleans left 80% of the city under water. In the Lower Ninth Ward, populated mainly by poor African American people, storm waters burst through. It was the hardest hit area of the city. The commemoration ceremonies were of course about moving forward, while never forgetting those who were killed. All speakers said it was important to remember everyone affected.

Dr. Carla Barnett – UDP Window Dresser
Dr. Carla Barnett in a letter to the editor dated August 12, 2015 published in the Amandala for Sunday August 16, 2015 shared some charts using data from the Central Bank of Belize’s website in relation to the evolution of Belize’s public external debt. Dr. Barnett indicated that much of the discussion regarding Belize’s indebtedness has been drawn along Party lines to which clearly the doctor has penned her article. I do agree that the Jewel’s public debt gives cause for a healthy discussion, but it is imperative that the facts be imparted in an accurate fashion if it is to be contributed positively regarding Belize’s macroeconomic policies. Conveniently Dr. Barnett has slung her political arrow to deceive the public that the People’s United Party administration has been responsible for the accumulating of the largest additions to the external debt totalling some BZE $1452.4 million between 1998-2003 and 2003-2008.

Breaking Belize News

Belize ~ Analysis of The Fortis and GOB Deal on B.E.L
In June 2011, the Government of Belize (G.O.B.) expropriated, by force, the Belize Electricity Limited (B.E.L.) from Fortis Inc. control. At the time, Fortis controlled 70.2% of the common shares of B.E.L. Thereafter, G.O.B. owned 70.2%, and Belize Social Security Board (B.S.S.B.), 26.9%, with small private shareholders holding […]

Rat among the babies?
Born just hours before, an infant suffering from a respiratory infection was attacked inside its incubator by a rat that got in through the tube venting from overhead ventilation. But hospital officials are baffled, because according to hospital administrator Bernadette Seaver the room was recently cleaned thoroughly and high alert was placed […]

Belmopan needs new separate hospital: Director of Health Services
It is time for a new hospital for the not-so-new capital of Belize, according to the Ministry of Health. Newly-appointed Director of Health Services in the Ministry succeeding Michael Pitts, Dr. Ramon Figueroa, says the Western Regional Hospital, which was previously the Belmopan Hospital but now serves all of Cayo […]

BEL Energy Workers Reject Mediation, Prepare For Industrial Action; Minister Not Giving Up
Minister of Labour Senator Godwin Hulse says he has not given up on mediating the dispute between the management of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) and the Belize Energy Workers Union (BEWU); but it appears the Union has. According to 7 News the Union wrote to Hulse this week saying it […]

Belize Bank contributing to Sports Development
The Belize Bank Ltd. continued its commitment to the development of sports in Belize. Over the past week, over $17,000 was donated to support sporting initiatives. The investment does not only keep the players occupied and focused, but also encourages others to get involved with sports. It improves nationalism and […]

Blogs

Team Spirit
Last night many of San Pedro Expats met up for Belize versus Canada game. Of course many were Canadian but not all. There were a few Americans and of course lots of locals cheering their home team on. Popular sports bar Lola’s Pub was packed and it was standing room only. Through the crowd you could see various people showing their team spirit happily waving and wearing their flags. Aside from star bartender Norvle for being willing to make me a virgin mule when the bar was slam busy and Sherlette who I knew would bring me a fabulous dinner :) I had thought about it earlier in the morning when I read and posted Canada takes on underdog Belize in World Cup qualifying article from the Toronto Star. American born Kendall posted BELIZE!!!!!! I thought to myself I know if it was America he would have likely been USA!!!!!! I decided that as much as I love Canada, Belize is my home now and I was going to root for them to win. Plus I like a good underdog story.

Belize v. Canada: Sue Was Right to Hedge Her Bets But We Have A Chance in Belmopan, I KNOW It
A hot muggy one in Belize….leading up to a historic event for the country. Our Belize National Football (Soccer) team was playing Canada (in Toronto) – round 3 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Later that night, I watched the game at Lola’s Pub – which APPARENTLY was designated for Canucks…who knew? Sue, a Canadian born Belize resident was hedging her bets… All Canada fans. After the first Canada goal…I’m not even sure if Canada scored or if Belize accidentally kicked it in…I was ready to go. On a more positive note – Lola’s Pub has excellent bar food. These pork sliders (made with Charles – of Estel’s – pulled pork) and jalapeno mac & cheese are delicious. SO were the wings…yum.

Lionfish Hunting at Francis Ford Coppola’s Belize Beach Retreat
In search of the invasive species that’s so delicious it deserves to die. “I know where some sharks live around here, you guys wanna go visit them?” says Zane, our dive master – half Sean-Paul, half explorer Jacques Cousteau. We are scuba-geared up and bobbing above the world’s second largest reef, 20 nautical miles off the coast of Belize. The lionfish—or Pterois—is without a doubt one of most extraordinary looking creatures in the sea. A native of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, its fan of spiked fins has stripes more reminiscent of a tiger than a lion; it hovers rather than swims in the water – and it is also one of the world’s most venomous marine animals.

Videos

Adventure in Belize, 4min. Belize in August was a blast.

Belize Trip Day 5, 6min.

September 5, 2015